from the whol Verse is this Doct. Scripture-Light is our great and most sure Light whereunto we shall do well that we take heed and that especially in our dark Times and Places For the opening and prosecuting whereof Four things wil fal under your Consideration 1. That a good man may be in the dark in a dark place state and condition 2. Though he be in the dark yet God hath not left him without Scripture-Light to walk by 3. This Scripture-Light is the most excellent safe and sure Light 4. It 's the Duty of all the Saints to take heed thereunto and to walk thereby and that especially in their dark times and places First It is possible that a good man may be in the dark on a dark ground and in a dark condition yea possibly a man may truly fear the Lord yet he may walk in the dark and see no light of Comfort Esai 50.10 doth not the Church complain in the Lamentat saying He hath set me in dark places Chap. 3.6 Was not David in the dark when he said The Lord will lighten my darkness 2 Sam. 22.29 Was not Job in the dark when he said The Lord hath set darkness in my paths Job 19.8 and when he said I waited for light and there came darkness Chap. 30.26 And was not Heman in the dark when he said Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit in darkness Psal 88.6 Yea was not Christ himself in the dark when the hour and power of darkness came upon him Luk. 22.53 Surely therefore it is possible that a good man may be in the dark upon dark ground and in a dark Condition and it must needs be so For A good man may live and dwel in a Place or Town where no means of Grace are in a poor dark and ignorant corner of the World Did not Job dwel in the Land of Vz And when David thirsted after Ordinances saying My soul thirsteth after thee O God to see thy Power and thy Glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Psal 63.1 2. was he not then in such a dark corner as I now speak of The Title of the Psalm tels us that he was in the Wilderness of Judah and if ye look into 1 Sam. 26. ye shal find him complaining thus They have driven me out this day from abiding in the Inheritance of the Lord saying Go serve other gods verse 10. Such a dark place was Capernaum and Galilee by the way of the Sea Galilee of the Gentiles where Matth. 4.16 it 's said The People sate in darkness and in the shadow of death yet here did Peter and Andrew dwel when our Savior called them to follow him there did James and John dwel likewise And as a wicked man may live under the means and the light shine on him though he comprehends it not so it may be the lot and portion of a good man to live and dwel and be in a Town or Place or Parish where there is no Means and no Light shining As he may live and dwel in such a place as this so he may be in some great Affliction and Persecution for the dark places of the Earth are ful of the habitations of Couelty Persecuting Times are dark Times When do Beasts go forth to their Prey but in the night And when are Theeves bold but in the night In times of Persecution the Enemies of Gods People are very bold and those Beasts do go forth to their Prey Surely therefore this Time is a dark time with the Saints If a good man may be in such streights as for the present he doth not see his way before him then he may be in the dark Thus it was with Joseph when Mary was first with Child he did not know what to do in the case til the Angel of the Lord appeared to him Thus it was with David often especially at Keilah when he went down to Achâ—sh feigned himself mad changing his behavior and at Ziklag when his Wives and Goods were taken from him and his men thought of stoning him John 12.35 He that waâ—keth in darkness knows not whither he goes saith our Savior And when a man is in such streights as that he doth not see his way then he is in the dark indeed A good man may be much offended Times of Offences are dark Times He that walketh in darkness stumbleth and so much as I do take offence and am stumbled so much I am in the dark Now possibly a good man may be much offended and stumbled though he be not offended at the good Way of God and Power of Godliness nor at al the Saints yet he may be under much offence All you shall be offended saith our Savior to his Disciples because of me And if a good man may be offended then he may be in the dark on a dark ground and in a dark Condition As a good man may be offended and stumbled so he may stumble into some mistakes and errors Erroneous times are dark times every Error is Darkness as Truth is Light Now a good man may err for though he doth see much when his eyes are opened in his first Conversion yet every man doth not see all things two or three or four may see and have their Eyes open yet one may see further than another God hath several Truths for several Ages and Generations As in a great House there are Hangings for every Room and the Hangings of this Room are not fit for that and the Hangings of that are not fit for another So God hath several Hangings of Truth to furnish several Generations and those that are fit for this are not fit for that Nonnulla video non visa beato Augustino saies Luther et rursum multa visuros scio quae ipse ego non video I see many things said he that were not seen to Austin and those that come after me shal see those things that I see not O! saith Austin There is such a depth in Scripture that I do multo plura nescire quam scire that I am ignorant of more things than I know Ye see how it is in a Room where there are many Pictures though ye see some of them presently yet others have a silken Curtain drawn before them which ye see not immediately So here though God do reveal much unto you yet there is a silken Curtain that is stil drawn before some Truths and therefore even a good man may be much mistaken The Lord hath hid this thing from me 2 Kings 4.27 said Elisha And when David told Nathan that it was in his heart to build an House unto God Go said Nathan to him and do all that is in thine heart for the Lord is with thee yet Nathan though a Prophet was mistaken and in an Error for the same night the Lord appeared to him and told that this Work was reserved for another not for David Possibly therefore a good man may mistake even
hiding the face is Irae testimonium the testimony of anger and it is as if David should have said Lord thou doest not only restrain thy Love towards me but thou doest shew tokens of thy displeasure and anger and thy displeasure riseth So Psal 22. ver 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I cry in the day time but thou hearest not ver 2. How can this be saith Augustine that God should forsake Christ in his Sufferings for these words are spoken of Christ when God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Yes very well saith he for Christ was a common Person stood in our stead and place and so personating of us he saith Why hast thou forsaken me yea and Lord thou hast not only forsaken me but my Desertion ariseth yet higher for I cry in the day time and thou hearest not But you may see this abundantly made out in Job 30.20 I cry unto thee and thou doest not bear me I stand up and thou regardest me not thou art become cruel to me with thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against me Ver. 27. My bowels boyled and rest not the daies of affliction prevented me I went mourning without the Sun I am a brother to Dragons and a companion to Owls And ver 26. When I looked for good then evil came unto me and when I waited for light there came darkness Thus you see that it may be the condition of Gods own People to be worser and worser and their condition more and more dark in their own apprehensions and therefore no reason why you should be discouraged in this respect Object 5 But my Desertions have been so long that I fear it will never be otherwise with me God is now gone Christ is now gone Comfort gone and I fear now that Christ will never return again and this is that which even sinks my soul I confess the least desertion and forsaking is a great evil but though I were under the greatest cloud in the world I should bear it if I did but think that Christ would return again but I find in Scripture that there is a final rejection mentioned as well as a present desertion the Saints and People of God are it may be deserted for a time but they are never rejected David was deserted but he was not rejected Saul was rejected finally rejected and I fear that I am not only deserted for the present but finally rejected that God hath even cast me off and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason for it now Answ 1 No not yet For first it is usual with the Saints in affliction to think that God is gone and wil return no more there is no affliction which the People of God meet withal and they meet with many wherein they are so apt and prone and ready to write a Never upon their condition as in this case of Spiritual Desertion If a godly gracious man fal sick he doth not say presently or conclude I shal never recover again if he be persecuted by Enemies he doth not conclude presently that he shal never be delivered but if God hide his Face at any time then comes out this Never I shal Never be delivered I shal never be restored to comfort again So Psal 13. How long wilt thou hide thy face what for ever So Psal 77. Will the Lord cast off for ever ver 7. Will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever and doth his Promise fail for ever more This is the proper place and ground where this unbeleeving conclusion grows when they are in this condition they rise to a Never O! it wil never be otherwise with me Christ is gone Mercy is gone and I shal never see the face of God again This is usual and most usual with the Saints in this Condition Answ 2 Secondly Therefore you shal observe That when God doth give out a Promise to his Children in this condition the Promise is so cast and laid as may most obviate and face this Objection and take off our Never Psal 9.18 The needy shall not alwaies be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not fail for ever So Psal 103. The Lord is merciful and gracious ver 8. Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy he will not alwaies chide neither will he keep his anger for ever So Iâ—ay 57. ver 16. For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth God seeth that in this condition his People are apt to write a Never upon their condition and therefore that he may condescend unto their Infirmities when he comes to give out a Promise he doth not barely promise Mercy but he puts in the Ever into his Promise that he may take off our unbeleeving Never Answ 3 Thirdly If it be made out unto you by Scripture That God or Christ is not so gone but that he wil return again then will you not say surely I have no reason for my discouragements Now for the cleering of that give me leave to propound several Questions to you First Did ye ever read in al the Word of God that a man was finally rejected and forsaken but an evil Spirit from the Lord did seize upon him presently Saul was finally rejected and the Text saith That an evil Spirit from the Lord seized upon him and what is the evil Spirit but an envious Spirit The envious man in the Gospel is the evil man and this evil Spirit seized on Saul as soon as God did forsake him for an envious malicious persecuting Spirit came upon him against David and the Saints with him So when God forsakes a man finally a persecuting Spirit enters him When God forsakes his own Children Satan that evil Spirit comes to them for when God goes Satan comes but there is much difference between a tempting Satan and a persecuting Satan tempting Satan comes to the Saints when they are deserted but a persecuting Satan doth not enter into them But did ye ever know or read of any finally rejected but an evil persecuting Spirit seized on them from the Lord Secondly Do you read of any in al the Word whom God did finally forsake that could not find in their hearts to forsake God and his Waies God doth not forsake us unless we forsake him Ye have rejected me saith the Lord and therefore I have rejected you Possibly a good man may want this sence of Gods Love but then he hath the sence of his own sins possibly he may want the feeling of his own perfection which is Divine Love but then he hath the feeling of his own imperfection But I say Did you ever read in al the Word of any man finally forsaken that could not find in his heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Thirdly Did ye ever read in al the Word That God did ever forsake a man who was sensible of his forsaking and complained thereof simply for
of it but be sure that you look as wel and as much upon what is with you as upon what is against you there is no mercy which you can lose but hath some burden with it there is no misery that can befal you but hath some mercy with it When men lose a mercy they only consider the sweetness of a mercy lost and not the burden that they do lose withal O! saith a poor woman I have lost my Husband so loving so gracious so helpful but not a word of the burden that is gone withal and so there is much discouragement When Affliction comes men only consider the evil and not the mercy that doth come withal and so they are much dejected Suppose that a loving Father in some high room throw down a bag of Gold to his Child and it lights on the Childs head insomuch as it breaketh his head and causeth blood to come whilst the Child feels the smart thereof he is impatient and froward while he looks only upon the Leathern bag he is not thankful but when he looks into the bag and sees what a great deal of gold his Father hath given him then he speaks well of his Father notwitstanding all the smart of his head There is never an Affliction but is a bag of Gold given unto the People of God though it seem a Leathern Bag without yet there is Gold within so long as they stand poring upon the Leathern Bag or attend unto the smart of their Affliction they are not thankful they do not praise the Lord but are much discouraged but if they would look into the Bag and tel their Gold then they would have Comfort and not be discouraged I tell you from the Lord there is Gold within look into this Bag the Bag of Affliction tell over all your Gold which the Lord hath given you in this Affliction and then you will be quiet If a mercy be taken from you Consider the burden that is taken away too If a misery come Consider the mercy that doth come withal labor ever labor to see both together as well what is for you as what is against you then will you never be much discouraged although your Affliction be never so great And thus I have done with the Seventh Instance A LIFTING UP In case of Unserviceableness Sermon XI PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 8 SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise From their Employments Work and Service Either they are not called forth to work for God as they do desire or they do want abilities and skill to work or they have no success in their work O! saies one I am a poor unuseful and unserviceable Creature God hath done much for me but I do nothing for God others are used and employed for God but as for me I am cast by as an useless Vessel in whom God hath no pleasure and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not just cause and reason now Answ 1 No For is Family Work and Service nothing is Relation Work nothing There is a Three-fold Sweat saies Luther Political Sweat Ecclesiastical Sweat and Domestical Sweat A man may sweat at Family Work and it is a great betrushment to be betrusted with the Work of a Family and this Work you are betrusted with Answ 2 Is it nothing for a man to be trusted with the Work of his Christian Station The whol Body of Christ is divided into many Members every Member in the Body hath a work suitable unto it the Eye doth not hear as the Ear dâ—th nor the Ear see as the Eye doth but every Member worketh according to that Sâ—ation which it hath in the Body So ye being one Body are many Members saith the Apostle and all Members have not the same Office Look therefore as the Station is which ye have in the Body of Christ such is the Work that ye are betrusted with Answ 3 And is it nothing for a man to be employed in comforting relieving and supporting others This is so great a Service that the very Angels are employed therein quasi Angelus sibi munus consolandi miseros tanquam gloriosius percipiat munus autem objurgandi impios tanquam minus nobile hominibus remittat Cajetan Ac si Angeli proniores essent ad laborantem consolandum quam ad gratulandum triumphanti Mendoza in 1 Sam. Cap. 1. Sect. 6. as in a work most suitable to them For when the Lord would stir up and provoke the Children of Israel to repent he sent a Prophet to them Judges 6. ver 7.8 But when he would comfort strengthen and encourage Gideon he doth not employ that Prophet therein but he sends an Angel to him saying ver 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of Valor And if ye look into the Story of the New Testament ye shal find That when Christ was on Mount Thabor in his Transfiguration then the Angels are not said to attend upon him but when he was sweating in the Garden then the Angels came and comforted and ministred to him Why Because this is Angelical work to comfort relieve and support others in the time of distress Now are you not trusted with this Work How many poor drooping tempted and deserted souls are there whom you may go and administer to And is this no Work at all Object 1 But there is a Generation Work a Work of special employment which God doth trust others with as for me I have none of this Work to do I am a poor useless and unserviceable person one that God doth not use at all and therefore I am thus discouraged for is it not a very great mercy to be used and employed for God in the world Answ 1 Yes It is a very great mercy and blessing I confess to be used in any Work or Service for God This was Moses his Commendation That he was the Servant of God Moses the Servant of the Lord is dead And in this Title David gloried more than that he was King of Israel Psal 18. A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord He doth not say A Psalm of David the King of Israel Thus Paul Peter James and Jude do Entitle their Epistles Paul a Servant of Christ and Peter a Servant of Christ and James a Servant of Christ and Jude a Servant of Christ Yea and Christ himself doth glory in this Title of Gods Servant and the Father glories in Christ upon this account Matth. 12.13 Zach. 3.8 Behold my Seâ—vant whom I have chosen My Servant the Branch So that a great Priviledg it is to be Gods Servant used and employed for him Answ 2 The more Serviceable a man is to God the more he doth honor God and the more he honors God the more he honors himself Honor est in honorante Those that stand before and wait on Kings and Princes honor themselves in honoring their Masters
a dispersed People Be it so yet your Sufferings are but a Modicum a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in regard of measure and time and after you have thus suffered a little and a little while the God of al Grace wil restore stablish strengthen and settle you This have I prayed for you So that the Doctrine from the Verse is this DOCT. It is a great Blessing of God and worthy of all our Prayer to be Established and Setled in the Truth and Good Waies of God Setling Grace and Mercy in opposition both to outward and inward trouble is a great Mercy and well worth praying for It is a great Mercy and Blessing to be outwardly setled The Apostle speaks here in reference to that opposition and hatred which they met with from the world in scattering them as a People and as a Church for saith he verse 9. Be stedfast in the Faith knowing that the same Afflictions are accomplished in your Brethren that are in the world As also in reference to those Temptations of Satan which they labored under for saith he verse 5. Your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lyon walketh about seeking whom he may devour So that I say 1 It is a great Mercy for a Nation and State to be setled 2 A Mercy and great Blessing for a Church to be setled 3 A great Blessing and Mercy for a Particular Soul to be setled in the good VVaies of God First It is a great Mercy and Blessing for a Nation or Kingdom to be in a setled Estate and Condition outwardly for it is the Mercy promised and promised Mercies are no smal Mercies Now the Lord promiseth to his People when he deals with them in a way of Mercy to settle and establish them Jer. 24.6 For I will set mine eyes upon them for good and I will bring them again to this land and I will build them and not pull them down and I wil plant them and not pluck them up So chap. 32. verse 37. And I will cause them to dwel safely yea verse 41. I will rejoyce over them to do them good and I will plant them in this Land assuredly with my whol heart and with my whol soul This also was that Mercy which the Lord Promised to David 2 Sam. 7.16 But thine House and thy Kingdom shall be established for ever before thee and thy Throne shal be established for ever And if ye look into 2 Chron. 9.8 ye shal find that this establishing of a Nation or Kingdom is both a sign and a fruit of Gods Love Blessed be the Lord thy God said the Queen of Sheba to Solomon which delighteth in thee to set thee on his Throne to be King for the Lord thy God because thy God loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee King over them c. On the other side when God is angry with a People then he pours a Spirit of Giddiness and Perversness on them that they run to and fro and stagger like a drunken man and are as the Leaf shaken with every wind 1 Kings 14.15 The Lord threatens Israel to smite them as a reed is shaken in the water because they had made them Groves provoking the Lord to anger A great Judgment then it is to be shaken like a reed in the Water This also is a Fruit of Gods Anger and when a People are in this posture it argues that God hath smitten them in his Anger But when may a People be said to be thus smitten as a Reed shaken in the Water Even then when they are driven to and fro with every wind when they are easily moved and put by their Station Sicut solet moveri arundo in aqua Scilicet quia arundines faciliter moventur in aqua quocunque vento impellente aut levi aquarum decursu ita Israell incideret ìn magnas calamitates et Deus faceret cum tam passibilem ut à quocunque insurgente contra eum posset percuti Abulens in Loc. so that any one that rises up against them may afflict them and lay them low And if this unsetled shaking Condition be a great Judgment upon a Nation or People then surely the contrary is a great Mercy it is a great Blessing indeed for any Kingdom or Nation to be in a setled Estate and Condition Secondly As it is a Mercy and Blessing for a Nation to be settled and established so for the Church of God For when the Church hath this rest then it is edified walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost Acts 9.31 Establishment is the Mercy promised to the Church also Esai 2.2 It shall come to pass in the last daies that the Mountain of the Lords House shall be established in the top of the Mountains What is more setled on Earth than a Mountain The House of the Lord shal be as a Mountain upon the Mountains in the last daies great shal be the glory of the latter Daies As the Sins and Apostacies of the latter Daies shal be the greatest Sins and Apostacies so the Glory of the Churches shal be the greatest in the last daies And the Establishment of the Churches is not only promised but promised as part of the Glory of the latter Times It is that Mercy and Blessing which the Apostles labored for continually 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fâ—rst they took a great deal of pains to convert and bring men home to God being converted the Apostles then formed them into several Churches and Churches being planted then their great work and business was to Establish them Acts 14.21 And when they had preached the Gospel to that City or had Gospellized that City and had taught many or had Discipled many or those that were sit and worthy they returned again to Lystra to Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith c. This they also prayed for and therefore as the Apostle Peter shuts up his Epistle with this Prayer for the dispersed Christian-Jews so the Apostle Paul doth close up his Epistle to the Corinths with the same desire and Prayer for them 2 Cor. 13. And this also we wish even your perfection verse 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Rom. 16.25 he concludes thus Now to him that is of power to establish you c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where the Apostle Paul useth two of these four words that are used by Peter The closing wish doth alwaies fal upon some precious mercy And as it is the Mercy prayed for so somtimes it is made the Signal Mercy whereby the Church is declared to be the Church of Christ Whose House ye are saith the Apostle to the Hebrews if you hold fast the Confidence of your rejoycing stedfast to the end An House is setled fixed and established a Tent is removable but an House is not so unworthy are those of the Name of the House
I. SCRIPTURE-LIGHT THE MOST SURE LIGHT In compare with 1. Revelations and Visions 2. Natural and Supernatural Dreams 3. Impressions with and without the Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrologie Delivered in Three Sermons on 2 Pet. 1.19 II. CHRIST IN TRAVEL Wherein 1. The greatness of his Travel both in Soul and Body 2. The first and after Effects of his Death 3. His Assurance of Issue 4. His Satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in Three Sermons on Isai 53.11 III. A LIFTING UP for the DOWN-CAST In case of 1. Great Sins 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6. Temptation 7. Desertion 8. Vnserviceableness 9. Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in Thirteen Sermons on Psal 42.11 Four several Sermons concerning 1. The Sin against the Holy Ghost 2. Sins of Infirmity 3. The False Apostle tryed and discovered 4. The Good and Means of Establishment Preached by VVilliam Bridge somtimes Fellow of Emmanuel Colledg in Cambridg and now Pastor of the Church of Christ in Great Yarmouth in Norfolk Sine gratia sordet Natura London Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold in his Shop at the Sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. To the Worshipful Maurice Thompson Esquire George Thompson Esquire William Thompson Esquire Sheriff of London Robert Thompson Esq S R John Wittewrong Knight William Ofield Esquire Samuel Champnes Elias Roberts and William Hawkins Esquires With their Wives and Children Grace and Peace Honored and Beloved in our Lord Jesus IT is not want of respect that I seem thus to crowd your Names together I owe more than an Epistle to each of your Names but because God hath made you one though branched into several Habitations I take the boldness to present this work to you as unto one Family It is written of the Stork Ciconiae mos est unum è pullis relinquere Domui qua nidulata est Ludo Vives that she useth to leave one of her Young ones to the House where she made her nest and upon that account some of my labors do belong to your Family where I studyed and from whence I Preached them some of you and yours have often desired the Publishing of these Notes and being Printed whither should the Press send them but to your Door you are the Family with whom I have had the honor to converse much whilst living and now the Blossoms of the Grave are upon me I dedicate these Notes unto you that by them I may live and speak with you when my Head shal lie under the Clods you are a Family whom the Lord hath blessed and raysed not only to a great estate in the world but to the saving knowledg of his Son our dear Savior and whom should I serve and honor but those whom God honors and blesseth 1. That Family is not far from blessing which hath Godly Children Children trayned up and seasoned with the Grace of Christ from the Cradle The Lord blessed the House of Obed-edom and wherein did that blessing consist the Scripture tells us 1 Chron. 26. That some of his Children were Porters in the House of God others were mighty Men of Valor able Men for strength and service and the reason is given ver 5. For the Lord blessed him So that Children useful and serviceable both in Church and State are a great blessing unto a Family 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia filius est aedificium patris The Hebrews say that Children are the Fathers building and indeed he builds wisely that doth lay the Foundations of his House in a Godly Seed Loe Children saith the Psalmist are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the Womb are his reward as Arrowes in the Hand of the mighty so are Children of the youth blessed is the Man that hath his Quiver ful of them Especially where these Arrowes are wel headed wel hearted too And upon this account it is good for great Families to have good Servants For corrupt Servants do debauch Children and debauched Children do scatter Brimstone upon the House of their Fathers 2. Neither is that Family an unblessed Family which is strict in the observation of the Sabbath or the Lords day God hath blessed that day that he might bless them who do keep that day hereby England hath been blessed with the power of godliness more than other Nations My Sabbath saith God shall be a sign between me and thee Servasti diem Daminicam Christianus sum ' intermittere non possum And in the Primitive times when a Christian was asked whether he had kept the Lords day his answer generally was I am a Christian I cannot neglect it as if the observation of the Lords day were the badg of a Christian this is the Girdle of al our Duties and in respect of this Girdle I may say Ungirt unblessed the vallies of the week day are blessed by the upper springs of this day and as the Commandement doth especially poynt at and look wishly upon the Master of the Family saying Neither thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter c. So doth the blessing also 3. Blessed is that Family which doth industriously seek to build the House of God and the House of the Poor David did but intend to build Gods House and the Lord promised him to build his House The Egiptian Midwives spared the Israelites Children whereby the Poor Families and Houses of the Israelites were built And the Lord dealt wel with the Midwives and made them Houses Exod. 1.20 4. Neither is that Family far from blessing which is a friend to the Ministry Receiving hiding and refreshing the paynful and faithful Ministers and Preachers of the Gospel The Lord give mercy saith Paul to the House of Onesiphorus for he hath refreshed me Not once and no more but he hath oft refreshed me nor did he do this because I followed him and sought him out but he sought me out very diligently and found me And in the day of my greatest affliction he was not ashamed of me for he was not ashamed of my Chains wherefore the Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy in that day and give mercy unto the House of Onesiphorus 2 Tim. 1.16.17.18 He that receiveth a Prophet saith our Savior in the Name of a Prophet shal receive a Prophets reward and what is the reward of a Prophet but to profit by the Prophet and to have a share in his Venture and in al that good which he doth by his Ministry 5. A praying Family also is a precious Family and blessed Nisi Dominus aedificaverit domum frustra laborat quisquis eam aedificat Psal 127. Non enim dicit Dominus aedificat domum nomine scilicet laborante sed ita nisi Dominus aedisica verit frustra laborat perinde ac si diceret labore
their daies according to your sense and meaning yet they still attended on the written Word of God Surely therefore the meaning of the Text is not according to that Conjecture Some therefore would have the words to be read thus Till the day-star arise on your hearts and so think they are spoken of the Day of Judgment concerning which time Paul saies 1 Cor. 4 5. That Christ will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the Counsels of the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 emphatice solet sumi pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 etiam donec et continuitatem significare seu consecutionem non exceptionem vel exclusionem futuri temporis Genebrad in Psal 109. But as ye have heard in the Explication of the Text the word Vntil in Scripture Phrase is not alwaies taken exclusively for Example David saith Ps 57.1 My soul trusteth in thee O God and in the shadow of thy wings will I trust till this Calamity be over-past What would David trust in God no longer Yes but he would do it especially whilst that Calamity continued So Psal 123. he saith Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God till he have mercy upon us What would they wait on God no longer Yes but in their distress especially So Cant. 2.16 17. I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine he feedeth among the Lillies until the day break What doth Christ feed among the Lillies no longer wil he not feed among the Lillies after the day break Yes But the word Till or Vntil is not alwaies to be taken exclusively And I 'le give you but one Scripture for it amongst many in the New Testament Matth. 12.20 A bruised Reed will he not break and the smoaking Flax shall he not quench until he bring forth Judgment unto Victory What wil Christ break the bruised Reed then and quench the smoaking Flax after he hath brought Judgment to Victory No but the word Vntil in Scripture Phrase is not alwaies to be taken exclusively And so here in this Text Ye do wel that ye take heed to the word of Prophesie until the day dawn and the day-star arise in your hearts Hac enim particula 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 donec Scriptura atque adeo Lingua Hebraica affirmat quod in dubitationem possit incidere Genebrad Ibid. not that then you should cease taking heed to the Word but because you are now in the dark now and now especially ye are to take heed thereunto Quest But why are the Saints and People of God to take heed unto the Scripture and the written Word of God especially in their dark times and seasons Answ Because they are then in most danger of stumbling and falling he that walketh in the dark stumbleth and who is not then apt to fal But by taking heed to this sure Light they shal be kept from the power of their darkness The Scripture tels us of darkness and of the power of darkness A good man may be in the dark but he is kept from the power of it by taking heed unto this great and most sure Light yea though he be in the darkness of some Error for the greatest Errors lie neerest to the sweetest Truths and though he do not see that Truth for the present yet if he do take heed unto the Word the sweetness of that Truth shal ouse through the Error and preserve and keep me from the Power of it But if ye look into 2 Tim. 3. ye shal find the Apostle doth inform Timothy of very sad and dark times that shal be in the latter daies verse 1. In the last daies perillous times shal come 1. He tels him wherein the peril of these times shal consist 2. He tels him the signs thereof 3. He comforts him under it 4. He shews how he and we may be kept from the power of that darkness In the last daies perillous times shal come for saies he Men shal be Lovers of themselves covetous Boasters proud Blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without Natural affection truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those that are good having a form of Godliness c. ver 2 3 4 5. It seems then that men may be thus wicked yet may bear up to a form of Godliness 2. He tels Timothy the sign of these perillous times and who these persons are Such as creep into Houses and lead captive silly women laden with divers lusts verse 6. Who also shall resist the Truth in the Ministry as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses ver 8. 3. He comforts him against the evil of these dark Times verse 9. But they shall proceed no further for their folly or madness shall be manifest to all men 4. He directs him and us by him how to stand and hold fast ver 14. and that is two waies First by avoiding and turning away from these corrupt men verse 5. From such turn away speak not to them or with them go not to them but turn away from them Secondly By taking heed to the Word of God preached and written verse 14. But continue thou in the things that thou hast learned and hast been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise to Salvation So that here the Apostle doth refer him both to the Word preached and written as if he should say the only way to be kept from seducers verse 13. men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the Faith is to take heed unto the Scripture And indeed what is the reason that so many in these daies of ours are deceived but because they do not take heed unto this great and most sure Light This is that great and most excellent Light which we are to take heed unto at al times but especially in our dark times and places and thus we shal be preserved Object But if this be such a preservative against the power of darkness why then are so many men in the dark who doth not run to Scripture What Heretick is there or ever was who did not plead and lay claim to Scripture Answ All Hereticks do not lay claim to Scripture Some deny the Scripture some do not Some as Theodoret observes of the Hereticks in his time wil make use of those Scriptures which seem to make for them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si videant petitis è Scripturae demonstrationibus stultitiam suam constringi tum Scripturae recusant et scopum et usum si quando vero putant sibi favere nudum aliquod effatum á genuina recisum orationis serie ad suum propositum accommodant suis confirmandis Tecod opus contra varias Hereses quae sunt in 2. Tom. oper Athanas. but as for those Scriptures which are plainly against them they reject and if close pressed wil deny the very Body of the Scripture as any Rule to them But it 's
Savior give this as a Reason why they did not beleeve because they were not of his Sheep 5. The Apostle Paul saith Rom. 10.14 How shal they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how shal they hear without a Preacher and how shall they preach except they be sent But now al the particular men in the world have not heard of a crucified Christ by the preaching of the Gospel And if it be said Yes but the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ as the Apostle saith in the same Chapter Their sound and words is gone forth into all the Earth I answer It 's true indeed that the Apostle doth here allude to that 19. Psalm where it 's said that the Voyce of the Sun Moon and Stars is gone forth unto al the Earth but the Apostle doth not contradict himself for he saith How can they beleeve in him of whom they have not heard and how can they hear without a Preacher and a Preacher sent If men can hear of Christ by the Preaching of the Sun Moon and Stars then they can hear of Christ without the preaching of one sent which he denies ver 14 15. And if the Sun Moon and Stars do preach Christ crucified then is the Matter of the Gospel no Divine Revelation And then why might not Adam beleeve in Christ in the state of Innocency the Sun Moon and Stars preach the same Doctrine now that they preached then and then the same that they preach now if therefore they do preach Christ crucified now then also they preached him in the state of Innocency and so Adam in the state of Innocency had a power to beleeve on Christ which the Maintainers of this Opinion deny Neither can it be said That if al men have not a Power to beleeve Quando homo non potest si volit propter voluntatem impossibilitas non imputatur si autem non vult propter impossibilitatem voluntas non excusatur Hugo de St. vict L. 2. de Sacr. part 14. Cap. 6. Cornel. Jansen August lib. 3. de gratia Christi salvatoris then God should be unjust in punishing so many for Unbelief for besides that al had a Power in Adam God doth punish and damn men for their will not for their want of Power for as Hugo observes wel when a man cannot if he wil for the wil the impossibility is not imputed but if he wil not for impossibility the wil is not excused Eightly Some again do think that Christ died to obtain a Power Dominion Smalcius Cateches Racov. de officio Christi Regio Theses Francis Davidis Thes 5. and Lord-ship over al things especially a power to forgive sins which he had not before his Death and that the next Effect of his Death was the obtainment of this Power and Dominion But this cannot be for if Christ had this Dominion Power and Lordship over al by vertue of the Hypostatical Vnion then it was not meri ed by his Death but this he had by that mysterious Union and therefore as soon as he was born the Angel said unto the Shepheards For unto you is born this day in the City of David the Savior which is Christ the Lord Luke 2.11 2. Christ did not merit for himself as the Protestants speak against the Papists for if Christ should merit such a glory and Dominion for himself then the Love of Christ to man in his Death would be much lessened it 's said indeed Dio non causam sed ordinem et consequentiam notat Acts 20.26 Heb. 3.7 2 Pet. 1.10 sic Luc. 24 26. oportuit illum pati et sic intrare sic sancti per multos tribulationes debent regnum ingâ—odi quae tamen hujus non sunt Causae Quistorp Annot. Bibl. in Psal 110. that upon his Suffering as a Consequent thereof or by way of Declaration say some God gave him a Name above every Name c. Phil. 2. but that relates to the former words also Who thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet took on him the form of a Servant verse 7. which notes the Hypostatical Union 3. If Christ bought in this Power and Dominion by his Death then he purchased it with his blood but his blood iâ— propitiatory and satisfactory not procuring Lordship and Dominion 4. The Power Lordship and Dominion which Christ hath is either Essential or Dispensatory and â—ediatorian His Essential Power and Lordship was not merited by his Death for he hath that as he is God and he had it before his Incarnation for Esaiah saw his Glory and did see him chap. 6. verse 5. For mine Eyes saith he have seen the King what King Even the Lord of Hosts verse 5. the holy holy holy Lord of Hosts which the Evangelist John doth apply unto Christ and tels us plainly that this Lord whom Esaiah saw was Christ Chap. 12.41 These things said Isaiah when he saw his Glory and spake of him His Mediatorian Power and Lordship could not be merited by his death for he was Mediator before he died and therefore had his Mediatorian Power before his Death 5. We find him actually possessed of this Power and Lordship over al before his death witness his casting out of Devils commanding Winds and Seas which obeyed him and his answer to the Owner of the Ass which he sent for Say the Lord hath need of him And 6. As for his Power to forgive sins as if he would on purpose obviate the Doctrine of the Socinians he doth declare it in so many words But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on Earth to forgive sins c. Matth. 9. Now if he had this Power on Earth then the obtainment of it was not the great and next Effect of his Death no nor any thing which his Soul travelled for in his Death Quest If these things be not the next and immediate Effects and Fruits of Christs Death and Sufferings what are and what is that Issue of his Death which he did presently see and was possessed of Answ Affirmatively Look what the first Adam destroyed that the Second Adam did build up again for his Seed the Second Adam recovered and gained that in a better Edition for his Seed which the first Adam lost from his Seed Therefore First As the first Adam by his Sin and Disobedience did break the Law of God affront his Justice and provoked the Anger and Wrath of God against his Posterity so the Second Adam did by his Obedience and Death satisfie the Law and Justice of God for al his Seed whom he died for which Satisfaction he did perform immediately For 1. When he died our sins were imputed to him and laid and charged on him for he was made sin for us who knew no sin 1 Cor. 5.21 that is the guilt of our sin was imputed to him The meaning of the words is not He was made a Sacrifice for it 's said that he knew
onely so far discouraged as to refuse comfort for soul and body but my soul refuseth Duty and casts off Duty too for the present Answ 3 Thirdly therefore It is possible that a good and gracious mans discouragments may extend thus far too You wil think it strange that I find an instance for this in that holy man Jeremiah yet if you look into Jer. 20.7.8 and 9. verses you find it made good Indeed saith he The word was as fire in my bones and I could not forbear But for the time he did resolve to forbear preaching in the name of God which was his duty which he had commission to do for saies he I wil not make mention of him nor speak any more in his name This Holy Gracious man was under temptation he was much discouraged and thereupon he said so Yet verse 13. he saith Sing to the Lord praise the Lord for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evil doers But then mark the next words Cursed be the day wherein I was born let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my Father saying A man child is born to thee What a sudden change was here even in the best of the Saints from incouragments to discouragements O! but I have not only cursed the day of my birth as Jeremie and wished that I had never been born But I am weary of my life and have sought after mine own death and was there ever any Godly Gracious man that was thus discouraged and cast down Answ 4 Yes What think you of Job I was weary of my life Job 10.1 And in the 3. Job pouring out his complaint in regard of himself he saith vers 20. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life to the bitter in soul vers 21. Which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures Now ye know that those which dig for Gold and Silver dig industriously and earnestly Thus it is with me saies Job I am so afflicted and distressed and in such bitterness of soul that I long for death and dig for it as for hid treasures O! what a mighty deep of discouragments may the Saints and people of God fal into and yet be Godly Gracious Quest 2 But why doth God suffer his own people and dearest children to be thus discouraged and their peace to be interrupted I know wil some say that al our present joy and comfort is but a creature and so may be ecclipsed and that Satan is near unto the best of Gods children thrusting and pushing them forward into these discouragments that they may be like unto himself who is a discouraged Spirit Answ Sic verus justitiae Sol nonnunquam oritur ad nos accedit a liquando rursus a nostro climaâ—e aberrat utrumque tamen benesicium nostrum est Frumentum in Terram jactum eget aliquo tempore ut congelatur induretur aliquo etiam ut molliatur neutrum illi obest utrumque nâ—cessarium est unum ut crescat alterum ut Radices agat Granat but why will God suffer it to be so In General It is for their good for their good they have and for their good they do want their Peace and Comfort The Star which led the wise men to Christ did not alwaies go before them but somtimes it appeared somtimes it was hidden from them but both appearance and hiding was for their benefit its first appearance invited them to Christ and its withdrawance made them more diligent in seeking after him So when Christ hid himself from his Mother Mary she sought him the more and when she found him she rejoyced the more but both his absence and his presence her fear and her comfort was for her good for his absence did encrease and draw out her desires and his presence did encrease and draw out her joyes When God is absent from us then we have testimonies of our Love to God by our desires after him and when he is present then we have testimonies of his Love to us by the shines of his Countenance so that whether God shines or not whether we have comfort or not both is for our good Thus in the General but yet more Particularly First Ye know it is Gods way and manner to deal with the Children of men according to their own dispositions to stoop and condescend unto their infirmities Therefore saies the Prophet Hosea Hos 11.4 He draws us with the Cords of a man Now it is mans disposition to come to God at the second hand So long as man can find a fulness in any Creature he comes not to God but first he sees an emptiness in the Creature Duty and Ordinance and then he saies O what a fulness is in God himself in Christ himself 1 Tim. 5.5 The Widdow that is desolate trusteth in God though a Widdow yet if not desolate somtimes she would not trust and therefore God suffers a desolation to come upon her Widdowhood When Davids men took up stones to have stoned him then the Text saies He encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 So long as man hath encouragement els-where he doth not encourage himself in the Lord his God This being mans Nature and God having a design of Love upon his own Children he suffers a damp and discouragement to pass upon all their Comforts their Peace to be interrupted their hearts disquieted and their souls discouraged that so they may encourage themselves in God alone Secondly This inward Peace and quietness of soul is so great a Commodity that God would have the price to be inhanced and raised Common and ordinary blessings once lost and found again are extraordinary It is a common and ordinary mercy that a man sits in his Shop and walks up and down in his Trade but if he be sick a while lose his health and not able for five or six weeks to look into his Shop if then he can get down but one day O saies he what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is it that I should go down again Thus the interruption of an ordinary blessing does raise it to an extraordinary So long as a man hath his health and strength though he be able to travel forty fifty three-score miles a day he is not much affected therewith but if he be sick a little and at deaths door and then begins to recover though he can but put forth his Hand or stir his Leg he blesses God and saies O Friends I can stir my self in my bed I can move my Hand or my Leg what an extraordinary mercy and blessing is this So in this caie So long as a man hath inward Peace and quietness of soul without interruption he looks upon it as a common mercy and blessing but if his Peace be a little interrupted and his soul buffeted by Satan
if you ask him why do not you sow your ground and repair your houses his answer is ready I dare not lay out much cost because my title is in question So here so long as a mans title to Christ is in question he cannot improve Christ as he should If a man be going a journy and know not his way he loseth much of his way and of the comfort of it in inquiring after the way and thinking whether he be right or wrong when he comes at three or four turnings there he stands whilst he might ride a mile and when he comes above in the field and sees a shephard at a distance from him he rides up to him to inquire whether he be in his way or not yea and al the day long he is thinking of his way whether he be right whereas if he knew his way he might have many precious thoughts of God and of the word So in this case while a man is doubting and fearing and knows not whether he be in the way to Heaven or no how much precious time is lost thoughts of Christ lost thankfulness for Mercy lost of al hearts the scripture saith an unbeleeving heart is an evil heart and when mens hearts are discouraged and cast down are they not unbeleeving Who would not therfore take heed of these discouragements and of the interruption of their peace Quest 4 But suppose now that I have lost my comforts times were heretofore when my soul was ful of joy but now I am quite discouraged what should a poor soul do to recover his peace and comfort again that interrupted peace may be restored Answ 1 Some things by way of Question some things by way of direction First Hast thou quite forgot the yeares of the right hand of the most high hast thou lost al thy former experiences too I know that usually when our comforts fail our former experiences fail yet not alwaies for the Psalmist saith here my soul is cast down yet at the same time vers 6. he saith Therefore I wil remember thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites from the hil Missar So Psal 77 The Psalmist having said at the 7. vers Wil the Lord cast off for ever and wil he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gon for ever and doth his promise fail for evermore hath God forgotten to be Gracious c he addeth in the same breath but I wil remember the years of the right hand of the most high Ye know what the disciples said Did not our hearts glow within us while he opened the scriptures to us Luk. 24.32 Beloved you have no comfort now wel but you remember at such a time when you were al alone in your chamber and no soul was near you how the Lord came and opened the scriptures the promise to your soul wherewith your heart did glow within you Have you quite forgotten the openings of those scriptures to you I speak not of the Glowings for I suppose they are now gone but are the scriptures gone that were then opened to you did not you say in your last trouble and down-cast condition if ever the Lord appear to me again I wil never doubt of his mercy more And did he not appear unto you and open the promise unto your heart and have you now forgotten these things this is your infirmity why should you not remember the days and times and workes and experiences of the right hand of the most high Answ 2 Secondly Do you not use the means for the restoring of your comforts in such a manner as thereby you do lose them more A man may have great desire after some preferment and place which many ride for but one is so hasty that he rides over hedg and ditch and thereby fals and hurts himself so others get before him and by his too much hast he doth lose his place Thus it is sometimes with good people they make so much hast to their comfort that they lose it by their hast they would have it sooner if they went on in an ordinary way of waiting on God without such posting hast but they must have it to day O! let me know my interest in Christ to day saith one or else I am undone for ever Thus by stinting and limiting God to a time they tempt the holy one and so are more distant from their comfort the more the child cries and is froward under the rod the longer is the rod continued Some seek comfort in a way of reason and think to reason out their temptation and to reason in their comfort but as one saith wel dispute not with God lest you be confounded dispute not with Satan lest you be deceived Some again tire themselves in duty neglecting of their calling the truth is prayer is a friend to comfort and more than ordinary time is to be used in prayer for those that are troubled in conscience but when men under temptations and without comforts throw up their callings thinking that nothing is to be done but prayer by throwing aside their calling they lay themselves open to more temptations of Satan they do so tire out their natural spirits in duty that they are flat and dead in duty so their temptations are the more increased and their comforts more distanced Wherefore consider if you would have comfort restored again whether you do not use the means of comfort in such a manner as to set you at a further distance from it Answ 3 Thirdly Whether have you not strained and reached for some outward comfort so far as to lose your inward comfort I read of Francis Spira that when he was in horror of conscience he could not with peace and quietness behold his wife and children for to get an estate for them he denyed the truth and therfore when they came before him in his trouble he cryed out in much horror How terrible is the sight of these to me they had been comforts to him before yet now he could not away with the sight of them O! thought he for your sakes and for your provision I have denyed the truth and yeilded to these superstitions and therefore sayes he How terrible is the sight of these unto me What peace or comfort had Judas in the sight of his thirty pence look what outward comfort a man strains his conscience for that wil be death unto him to behold We read of David that when his men had ventured for the waters of Bethlehem he would not drink of it but poured it out before the Lord for saith he why should I drink the bloud of these men he did not sin in desiring of it nor did he command his men for to venture through the enemies quarters for those Hebrew words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quis dabit who wil give me are but words of wishing who wil give me to drink of the waters of Bethlehem that is O! that I had the waters of
Bethlehem according to the hebrew language but though he sinned not in his desires yet when he had the waters he poured them forth before the Lord and said God forbid that I should drink the bloud of these men and wil you drink the bloud of your own conscience Time was heretofore when you had peace and comfort and by straining and stretching your conscience for your outward comfort now you have lost your inward wil you not then take that outward comfort and pour it forth before the Lord and say God forbid that I should drink the bloud of mine own peace and comfort how can any of you have peace while those stollen and unrestored goods lye by you Quest But alas al my comforts do lye prostrate at the feet of my fears that now I have no peace at al What shal I do that my peace and comfort may be restored Answ 1 By way of direction Three things First Look what you would do if you were to be justifyed and do the same now if I were to be justifyed having a sight of my own sin nature I would through Grace come to the righteousness of Jesus Christ and leave the weight of my poor guilty soul upon it which act of faith would justify me and give me peace for being justifyed by faith saith the Apostle we have peace with God And as faith doth justify and give peace at the first so the renewing of this act of faith doth renew our peace and what is my justifying faith but in time of temptation to leave my self and condition upon Christ alone saying whether Godly or ungodly whether in Christ or not in Christ now I do not dispute but leave my self upon Christ alone this do again and this wil bring peace again Answ 2 Secondly You have now lost your comforts and the shinings of Gods face either God hath withdrawn himself for your sin or not if not for your sin he wil return again and that quickly too if for your sin labor more and more for to find it out and to be humbled for it I know you wil say O! but now in this condition I cannot be humbled But withal remember that in this condition that goes for humbling which doth not before and God wil take that for humiliation now which he would not take before Psal 32. saith David I said I wil confess my transgression unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Dixit non fecit saith Austin he said he would do it but did not do it fully yet thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin God took his humiliation although it was very low Why vers 3.4 we find him under temptation and in much discouragement for saith he My bones waxed old with my roaring al the day long day and night thy hand was heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer yet how ready was God to receive an acknowledgment and a little humiliation from him at this time O! But what is al this to us this was Davids case Nay saith David this is not my case alone for vers 6. For this shal every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou maiest be found God wil receive a little when you are much discouraged Either therefore God hath withdrawn for your sin or not if not wait but a while he wil return again if for your sin labor more and more to be humbled for it for he wil receive that measure of humiliation now which he wil not do at another time Answ 3 Thirdly Are al your comforts gone and would you have them fain restored Then read and read the scripture much if you cannot read your self get some others for to read them to you When a mans mind is empty as in temptation and want of comfort it is empty of Christ and ful of fear then it doth grind it self as a quern or mil when empty of corn one stone grinds another the more ful a mans mind is the more free from temptations and fears now scripture matter is the most filling matter the more ye see Christ walking in the sweet shades of divine love toward poor sinners the sooner wil your faith revive and your comforts be restored and where can you see Jesus Christ walking and taking his turns with poor sinners under the shades of divine love but in the scriptures stand there a while and you shal see him and your heart wil say and why not one turn of love with me O! my Savior Study read and read much the scriptures Object But if I do read the scriptures and read them much I shal then meet with some promise possibly many and now I cannot apply them being thus discouraged as I am I shal see the promises indeed and say there is such and such an old friend of mine but it is now mine enemy the promise wil not own me and I cannot apply it and so it wil do me no good Answ Ye cannot tel what the promise wil do til you come to apply it the promise never gives down its power and strength til it be applyed it doth then work when it is put to work and not before When Moses saw his rod turned into a Serpent he was afraid of it and fled from it but when he put forth his hand and took it by the tayl it was a rod in his hand again as it was before it may be you look upon such and such a promise at a distance and you say O! ther 's my enemy now it wil not help me it wil sting me it wil undo me but put forth your hand again to it and it wil become a promise a rod in your hand as comfortable as ever it was before And doth not the promise come to you go you to it Somtimes the promise doth come to us somtimes we go to it when the promise doth come to you you have joy when you go to it you have peace and this peace may last longer than the other joy but remember this as an everlasting rule That your very relying upon the promise doth make it yours Object But if I do read the scriptures much in this condition of my discouragement I shal not onely meet with the promise but with a threatening and that wil discourage me more Answ Not so for iâ— a threatening make way to the promise and doth therefore come forth to meet you that it may lead you to the promise have you any hurt thereby now as the law was a Schoolmaster to bring to Christ so somtimes the threatening is a Schoolmaster to bring you to the Promise Yea and God doth therefore somtimes send the threatening that it may lead you to the promise You know how God appeared to Elijah first in a wind that did shake the Mountains and Rocks but God was not there then in an Earthquake but God was not there then in a fire but God was not there then in
a stil voice and there was God So when God appears to a soul somtimes he doth first send a threatning and shakes the Rocks and Mountains and hard hearts and his converting Grace may not be there but there is a stil voice behind the voice of the promise God is there and al this shaking of the threatning is but to make way unto the stil voice of the promise that is behind Object O! but if I should read the scriptures much in this condition I should meet with many other things which concern not me there are many histories in the scripture which suites not with my condition and so I should get no good or comfort Answ Say not so Christ cures per modum divertentiae by way of divertency as you do those that are grieved If a friend have lost a husband or wife or child you do not speak of the lost person and say O! what a sweet friend or husband or wife or child you have lost but you speak of somthing else and then afterwards you are able to speak of the person lost but first you divert his mind from the matter of his grief and so you do cure his grief Thus doth Christ also when he cures a poor wounded grieved soul he doth not alwayes speak to the subject matter of grief in hand but leads the heart somtimes into the consideration of other truths and then afterwards doth speak unto the matter that is now concerning he cures by way of divertency Study therefore O! study the scriptures much for thus the Lord wil pour wine and oyl into your bleeding wounds and in due time you wil say as David did In the multitude of my thoughts Psal 94.19 Quest O Lord thy comforts have comforted my soul But suppose the Lord do restore to me the joy of my Salvation that the bones which I have broken may rejoyce suppose there be a return of peace and joy what shal I do then Answ I shal not need to tel you what then you wil tel me what then for you wil say O! now I must be thankful now I must beleeve now I wil never doubt of mercy and of grace again Onely take these few words of advice First Be sure that you understand your comforts rightly be not mistaken in them labor to distil and refine your comforts As there was a mixt company came out of Egypt which set the Israelites a murmuring so there is a mixt company that comes with your comforts Every creature is born into the world with some filth when you have comfort labor to find out and seperate the dross and filth put away that mixt company Rose leaves keep not long in the leaf distilled comforts keep the longest Secondly If you would be rid of Satan from coming into your quarters fal you upon his the way to keep the enemy out of our country is to fal into his so deal with Satan do him al the mischief you can be not barely offensive up and be doing against him Thirdly If you would keep your comforts put them al into the hand of Christ to be kept for you a child that knows not how to keep his mony if he get a penny from any friend he brings it to his father or mother and saith mother pray keep this penny for me You have experience that you cannot keep your own comforts you wil lose and spend them quickly As Jesus Christ is the Lord Treasurer of al our Graces so he is the Lord keeper of al our comforts and therefore when God is pleased to give in any comfort to you go to Jesus Christ and say Lord keep my comforts for me keep my evidences for me keep my assurance for me ye must not onely depend upon Christ for Graces but for comforts and aswel for the keeping as for the getting of them Fourthly As you have any spiritual comfort from Christ spend al for Christ for though in temporal things the way to have little is to spend much yet in spiritual things the more you spend the more you have and therefore whatsoever comfort you have spend it with the Saints Do as Moses did when Moses was in Pharoahs Court and in great preferment standing in the presence of the King he went out to visit his brethren and to comfort them under their burdens I wil see saith he how it fares with my brethren under their Burdens So do you also hath the Lord spoken peace and comfort to your soul and do you now stand in the presence of the King of Kings having his face shining on you with your comforts al restored unto you now then go out unto your brethren and inquire who they are that labor under any burden and with the same comfort wherewith you have been comforted your selves comfort others knowing this for certain that the more you spend the more you shal have and the longer you shal keep your comforts yea and this Christ expects that what comforts we have from him we should spend for him And thus I have also done with the Second Argument SAINTS Should not be DISCOURAGED Whatever their Condition be Sermon III. PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney April 30. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. HAving spoken of the two first Doctrines the third followeth which is this The Saints and people of God have no Doct. 3 true reason for their discouragements whatever their condition be David had as much cause and reason for his discouragements here as any other for he did want ordinances yea he was kept from the ordinances therefore saith he vers 1.2 As the heart panteth after the water brookes so panteth my soul after thee O God my soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shal I come and appear before God yea after he had known the sweetness of them he was deprived of them vers 4. For I had gon with the multitude I went with them to the house of God And in this condition he had many enemies he was in the state of affliction and persecution his enemies reproached him they reproached him in the matter of his God and that daily vers 3. and 10. While they continually say unto me where is thy God As a sword in my bones mine enemies reproach me while they say daily unto me where is thy God And he was now under great desertions though the enemies did reproach him in the matter of his God yet if God had been present with him he had been wel enough but they said where is now thy God and his own heart said so too that God had left and forsaken him which was his failing vers 9. I wil say unto God my rock why hast thou forsaken me yet for al this he saith why art thou cast down O my soul As if he should say Thine enemies do not onely reproach thee in the matter of thy God but thine own heart thou art now kept from those
precious ordinances which once thou didst enjoy yet why shouldst thou be disquieted or cast down there is no reason for it So that the words speak plainly this truth A Godly Gracious man hath no true scripture-reason for his discouragements whatever his condition be It was a sad condition that the prophet Habakkuk did present unto himself yet saith he Chap. 3. I wil rejoyce in the Lord I wil joy in the God of my Salvaâ—â—â—n vers 18. But O thou servant of God thou art now under a threatening and not under a promise which makes thy very belly to tremble and wilt thou canst thou now rejoyce yes saith he vers 16. When I heard my belly trembled my lipps quivered at the voice rottenness entred into my bones yet wil I rejoyce in the Lord c. But it may be thou thinkest this threatening wil never be fulfilled Yes saith he vers the 17. Although the figg-tree shal not blossom neither shal fruit be in the vines the labour of the Olive shal fail and the field shal yeild no meat the flock shal be cut off from the fold and there shal be no meat in the stalls yet wil I rejoyce in the Lord c. But a man may rejoyce though he have no wine to drink or olive to eat because these are but creatures which are for our refreshment but wilt thou rejoyce O Prophet if thou wantest thy daily bread and such creatures as are for our daily nourishment Yes saith he Although the field shal yeild no meat and the flock shal be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stall yet wil I rejoyce in the Lord. So that whatever a Godly mans condition be he may rejoyce and there is no true reason for his discouragement Indeed there is no sin so unreasonable but the sinner thinks he hath reason for it and so the Saints and people of God may think that they have reason for their discouragements hence it is that they have so many why's and wherefores Why hast thou forsaken me why go I mourning Yea they may not onely seem to have some reason but in a way of nature they have reason for their discouragements and therefore saith David When I saw the prosperity of the wicked Psal 73. I said I have cleansed my hands in vain til I went into the house of the Lord. So that so long as he was in the house of nature and natural reason he did see reason for his discouragement Yea not only so but take things asunder and consider things by pieces one from another abstracting the means from the end and so the Saints may have a true and real reason for their discouragements for every affliction is Grievous If the husbandman look only upon the breaking up of his ground without respect to the harvest he may wel be discouraged but take both together and so he wil not thus if the Saints consider their breakings apart from their harvest they may see cause for their discouragements but if they do consider their breaking up and their harvest together the means and the end together I say take altogether and then whatever their condition be they have no reason to be cast down or be disquieted Quest What is there in or for the Saints that may be a sufficient bulwark against al discouragements Answ 1 A Godly Gracious man hath propriety and interest in God himself Some special men and women there are in the world whom the great God of heaven and earth doth make over himself unto and they that have him for their God and portion have no reason to be disquieted whatever their condition be thus it is with the Saints and therefore the Psalmist doth not barely say that he would rejoyce but that God was his exceeding joy Psal 43. Satan may darken this light and joy for a time but he can never put it out al the Saints and people of God are possest of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justin Marr. 2. Apol. It 's written of Antoninus the Emperor one of the persecutors in the Primitive times that being environed and compassed about by his enemies whereby he and al his army in the field were like to be lost for water he commanded the Christians of his army to pray for rain Whereby present relief came to him his army was preserved and his enemies destroyed wherupon he wrote a letter to the Roman Senate in favor of the Christians and gave this commendation of them in it that they were a people which were Deo contenti content with God quem circumferunt secum in pectore whom they did alwaies carry about with them in their bosom yea saith he in that same letter It is very credible that although we think them wicked men Deum pro munimento habere in conscientia that they have God in their conscience for their bulwark Thus a Heathen thus an Enemy thus he who was once a Persecutor confest and shal not we say as much O! but say some tolle meum et tolle Deum take away that word My and take away the comfort of that word God no God to me unless he be my God and there are many of Gods people that cannot say God is my God for they do want Assurance and therefore how can they have comfort in this Yes If my very resting on God doth make him mine I may have comfort in him too now the Saints and people of God may alwaies and do rest on God and though Satan saith by way of temptation you have not beleeved you have not rested on God yet they may say O! but now I do rest on God and so may alwaies have comfort in their propriety and interest in God Answ 2 God doth alwaies know them and their conditions I know thy works Revel 2.9.10 and thy tribulation and thy poverty saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna and this Christ speaks as a releeving comfort to that Church in a sad condition for saith Christ Satan shal cast some of you into prison ten daies Yet be of good comfort Smyrna I know thee and thy tribulation and poverty whatever thy condition be I do know thee in it and it seems this is a general cordial for it s given unto al the Churches I know thy works O Ephesus Smyrna Pergamus Thyatira Sardis and Phyladelphia it is spoken as a terror indeed to Laodicea for that which is most comfortable to the good is most terrible to the wicked as the presence of God the omniscience of God c. But to the Godly this is a great comfort whatever my condition be yet God my Father knows it and doth know me in it Answ 3 God would not have his people be discouraged and if God their Father and Jesus Christ their Savior would not have them discouraged then there is no true reason for their discouragements now God and Christ would not have his people to be cast down or disquieted whatever
〈…〉 â—nointed by Samuel yet a darkness presently rose upon him buâ— it was the darkness of a cloud only and not of the 〈◊〉 Why Because it was such a darkness as arose immediately aâ—ter he â—hinings forth of a Promise And I pray you shew me any â—cripture where you find that ever any darkness arose presently aâ—ter the breaking shining forth of a Promise which was more than the darkness of a cloud which vanished away Or whe e do you find in all the Scripture that ever any poor soul came into the dark immediately after the giving out of a Promise but that soul did come to the light again Now as for the darkness that covers the Saints it is usually a darkness that comes after the giving and shining out of a Promise and therefore that darkness is but the darkness of a cloud and they may say a cloud a cloud and it will pass away Answ 2 Secondly If a man be so in the dark as yet he can see to work and dig up pits it argues that the darkness is but the darkness of a cloud a man cannot see to work artificially in the night but though there be much darkness by reason of a cloud yet he may see to work and to dig up pits because it is day Now in Psalm 84. the Psalmist faith at verse 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee and in whose hearts are the waies of them who passing through the Valley of Baca dig up pits the rain also filleth the pits they go from strength to strength till they appear before God in Zion It is an alluâ—ion to the practice of the Jews when some of them went up to Jerusalem their way lay through the Valley of Baca which was a very dry Valley where no houses were where no Water was for their relief and refreshment whereupon they digged up pits and to the rain fell and they were refreshed got strength and went on to Jerusalem where they saw the Lord in his Ordinances So saith the Psalmist Blessed are they in whose heart the Law of God is There are a Generation of men in the world that have the Law of God in their hearts though they cannot act and work towards God as they would these somtimes are in a dry and barren condition where no Water or Comfort is yet if in this condition they dig up pits go to prayer wait upon God in Duty though they find no Comfort springing up in their Duty for the present yet in due time the rain of Gods Blessing will fill those dry pits and empty duties whereby their Life shall be like unto a Pool of Water and they shall go from strength of Grace to strength of Grace till they see the Lord. Know ye therefore any man that is in this Valley of Baca where no Water is yet if he can find in his heart to dig up pits to pray read hear meditate confer and perform Duties though those duties be empty of Comfort for the present yet the rain of Grace and Mercy shall fall upon those Pits and he shall go from strength to strength till he appears before the Lord in Glory Now thus it is with the Saints though darkness and a great darkness be upon them yet in that dark condition they are still digging up pits and therefore this darkness is not the darkness of the night but the darkness of a cloud and they may say this is a cloudy darkness and it wil over ere long Answ 3 Thirdly If the darkness which a man is under be such as there are some openings of Light withal then it is the darkness of a cloud and not of the night though the cloud may cause much darkness yet ever and anon it opens and there are some interims of light withal but the night opens not there are no interims of light then Now interims and intermissions of Light are sure and certain pledges of a greater light which is yet to come You know that when David fled from Absolon he was in a dark condition for the Text saith He went and he wept and he went bare-foot his own son persecutes him drives him from his Throne a great consederacy was raised against him by wicked men with the child of his own bowels here was darkness upon darkness matter of great discouragement but it was a cloud and no more You wil say How should David have known that it was but the darkness of a cloud David prayed The Lord turn the Counsels of Ahithophel into folly and before David had overcome Absolon and was restored to his Kingdom Ahithophel did hang himself David singled out Ahithophel to pray against and the Lord heard his prayer that Judgment of Ahithophel was the return of Davids Prayer here the cloud opened and this Answer of his Prayer in the interim was a Seal to David of the full deliverance that came afterwards Deus uno Sigillo Sigillat diversas materias for God seals divers matters with the same Seal So when a man is in the dark by reason of some temptation affliction or desertion which he cannot see the end of if in this interim before the full deliverance comes he hath some lesser deliverance that lesser deliverance in the interim is a Seal unto him of the future deliverance and he may say here is a pledg of my full deliverance for here is the opening of the cloud Now thus it is alwaies with the People of God they never are in any affliction temptation or desertion but before their great deliverance comes they have some special Providence some reviving in the midst of their trouble some interim of light some openings of the cloud and therefore in the midst of all they may say surely this my darkness is not the darkness of a night but of a cloud I say there is no discouragement doth befall the Saints but the matter thereof is a cloud and they may say it is but a cloud it will pass over and therefore why should they be discouraged Surely there is no reason for their discouragements whatever their condition be If these things be so Applic. How heavily doth this Doctrine fall in reproof upon some I wish I might not say some of the Servants and People of God A godly man hath no true reason for his discouragements whatever his condition is although it be never so sad and some are alwaies discouraged whatever their condition be although it be never so good whatever falls out the Saints should not be discouraged no not at any thing and yet many are discouraged at every thing and upon every occasion O! what unworthy walking is this how contrary do you walk to God And do you know what it is to walk contrary to him Hath he not said If you walk contrary to me I will walk contrary to you Object But I have reason to be discouraged for I have no sence and feeling of Gods Love Answ 1 We do not live
of God more they are more against the Love and Grace and Favor of God than other mens sins are And the Lord doth see the sins of his own People yea so far he sees sin in them that he doth chastise and afflict them for it not only from their sin but for their sin and therefore saith the Apostle in 1 Cor. 11.30 speaking of the unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper For this cause many are sick and weak among you And he doth not speak only of Saints in Appearance and in Church-Estate but of such also as were Saints indeed and therefore he saith We are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world He puts himself in We are judged that we may not be condemned with the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Revel 3.19 Our Savior Christ saith Revel 3. As many aâ— I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent it seems then it was for sin committed else why should he say Repent and repent therefore Repentance is for sin committed already and these were such as he loved too whom he threatens thus to rebuke and chastise and doth any Father rebuke chastise or correct his Child only from sin and not for sin Was not Moses a gracious and an holy man and yet for his unbeleef and sin he lost the Land of Canaan Was not Sampson a good man and yet by his sin he lost his Eyes and his Life too Was not David a gracious and a holy man and yet for his sin the Lord said The Sword should never depart from his house and yet Christ had made satisfaction for his sin too as well then as for the Saints now But now though there be never so much evil in the sins of Gods People yet they have no reason no just cause or Scripture reason to be cast down and to be discouraged in that respect Quest But how may this appear That notwithstanding the sins of Gods own People do grieve the Spirit of God are a dishonor to Jesus Christ and do wound the Name of God and the Profession of Christ so much That yet the Saints have no reason to be discouraged or cast down Answ 1 First They know or they may know that they shall never be condemned for their sin whatever it be There is no Condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus saith the Apostle Christ was made sin for them and if Christ be made sin for me then my sin shall never hurt me Luther is bold here Fateor me peccasse sed peccatum meum damnatum in Christo est qui est peccatum damnans est autem peccatum illud damnans fortius peccato damnato Luther for saith he Christ is made sin damning our sin is sin damned I confess indeed said he that I have sinned but sin damning is stronger than sin damned and Christ was made sin damning for me The thing is true though the expression be strange Christ was made sin for Saints therefore their sin shall not hurt them It stands not with the Justice of God to exact the payment of one debt twice Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath not only been arrested but in Goal for the debt of the Saints and People of God and he hath paid it to the utmost farthing he hath paid it better than they could have paid it themselves if they had gone to Hell for if a Godly man had gone to Hell and been damned for ever he would have been alwaies paying but the debt would never have been paid Christ paid it all down for the present And if you look into Scripture you will find That the Lord doth not condemn a man no not a wicked man barely for the act of his former sin but because he wil not turn from it Psal 7.11 The Lord is angry with the wicked every day verse 12. If he turn not he will whet his Sword he hath bent his bow and made it ready he hath prepared for him the Instruments of death he ordaineth his Arrows against the Persecutor The Lord hath prepared Instruments of Death against every wicked man but yet notwithstanding though a man be never so wicked if he turn unto the Lord God will not discharge those Instruments of Death upon him yea though his sins have been never so great but saith the Text If he turn not not because he hath sinned before only but because he turns not from his sin he will whet his Sword he hath bent his Bow and made it ready Now there is alwaies in the Saints and People of God a turning disposition although they do sin against God there is alwaies I say a turning disposition in them and therefore the Lord will not discharge the Instruments of death upon them surely then they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect Answ 2 Secondly As Godly men shall never be condemned for their sins so their sins shall never part God and them What is the sâ—eming Reason why some are so discouraged about their sins but because they think they shall not only lose the face and presence of God by their sins but that they shall lose God himself But now I say the sins of the Godly shall never part God and them their sins may hide Gods Face But as their sins did not hinder God and their coming together at first so their sins shall never part God and them their sins may cause a strangeness between God and them but shall never cause an Enmity their sins may hide Gods Face from them but shall never turn Gods back upon them those whom God Loves he loves unto the end I am the Lord that changeth not saith he And as the Prophet Isaiah speaks As the Covenant that the Lord made with Noah such is the Covenant that he makes with his People Now look into Genesis Chap. 8. and you shall see what the Covenant is that the Lord made there with Noah and with the World by Noah When Noah came out of the Ark he built an Altar and Sacrificed verse 21. And the Lord smelled a sweet savor and the Lord said in his heart I will not again curse the Ground for mans sake Why For the Imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth You would think this were a reason why God should curse the Ground again for the imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth man is wicked therefore surely God will curse the Ground again nay saith the Lord but though you that are poor Creatures think so yet I that am the God of all Grace I make this Covenant with the World by Noah That I will not curse the Ground any more for mans sake Because the Imagination of mans heart is evil from his youth continually Sensus enim et cogitatio humani cordis c. Hierom. I confess indeed the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Quamvis Although as well as Quoniam
and Blasphemy Surely it doth Have ye any reason then to be discouraged under the power of this Objection Object But suppose that a man have sinned greatly against his conscience or against his light against his knowledg hath he not just cause or reason then to be cast down and to be quite discouraged Answ No For if there be a Sacrifice for such a sin as this is then a man hath no reason to be quite discouraged cause to be humbled as you shal hear afterward but no reason to be discouraged Now in the times of the old Testament in the times of the Law among the Jews there was a Sacrifice not only for sin committed ignorantly but also for sin coâ—itted against light and against consc ence and I appeal to you who ever you are that make this objection do you not think that Peter when he denyed his Lord and Master sinned against his conscieâ—ce against his light and against his knowledg surely then there is no reason that a man should be quite discouraged no not in this respect Object But suppose that a mans sins be exceeding great gross and hainous for I do confess that possibly a Godly man may sin some sin against his light and against his conscience somtimes but as for me my sin is exceeding great gross and hainous and have I not just cause and reason now to be discouraged Answ No not yet For though your sin be great is not Gods mercy great exceeding great is not the Satisfaction of Christ great are the merits of Christs blood smal is not God the great God of Heaven and Earth able to do great things you grant that God is almighty in providing for you and is he not almighty also in pardoning wil ye spoil God of his almightiness in pardoning You say your sin is great but is it infiniteâ— is there any more infinites than one and that is God is your sin as big as God as big as Christ Is Jesus Christ only a mediator for smal sins wil you bring down the satisfaction of Christ and the â—ercy of God to your own model Hath not the Lord said concerning pardoning mercy That his thoughts are not as our thoughts but as the heavens are greater than the earth so are his thoughts in this respect beyond our thoughts Hath not the Lord said in Isa 43. unto the people of the Jews at vers 22. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel Vers 23. Thou hast not brought me the smal cattel of thy burnt offering neither hast thou honored me with thy Sacrifices Vers 24. Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with mony neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy Sacrifice but thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thy iniquity yet vers 25. I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgression for my own sake and wil not remember thy sins Here are sins and great sins and if the Lord wil therefore pardon sin because it is great unto his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quoniam grandis est Hierom. then surely they have no reason to be quite discouraged in this respect Now look what David saith in Psal 25. vers 11. For thy name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great mark his argument pardon mine iniquity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chaldee Par. for it is great if David use this reason then may you also and if this be a reason why God should pardon sin because it is great then this cannot be a reason a just reason why you should be discouraged Object But suppose that a mans sin be the sin of revolting declining for this is my case wil some say I have striven and striven against my sin a long while and I return unto it again times were heretofore that I have been exceeding forward and ready unto what is good but now I am much declined abated and even gone backward with revolting and deep revolting and I have layn long so even for many years have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged and cast down within my self Answ No not yet For though this be a sufficient cause of great humiliation for backsliding in scripture phrase is called rebellion and rebellion as the sin of witch-craft yet a good man hath no reason to be discouraged in this regard for thus saith the Lord Jer. 3.1 They say if a man put away his wife and she go from him and become another mans shal he return unto her again shal not that land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the Harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. And vers 12. return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I wil not cause mine anger to fal upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I wil not keep anger for ever again vers 14. Turn O back-sliding Children for I am marryed unto you if ever the Lord Jesus Christ did betroth himself unto any soul he wil never put that soul away again I hate putting away saith God Men put away their wives among the Jewes but saith the Lord I hate putting away And Isae 50. vers 1. Thus saith the Lord where is the Bil of your mothers divorcement whom I have puâ— away or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you Among the Jews the husband did put away his wife upon smal occasions As for adultery you know that was death he did not put away his wife upon adultery she was to dy for it but the husbands put away their wives upon other occasions and when they put away their wives they gave the wife a bil of divorce that so upon al occasions the woman might shew thereby that she was free from such a man Now saith the Lord you that charge me and complain that I have put you away come and shew me the bil of divorce Thus saith the Lord where is the bil c. Poor soul thou complainest that I have put thee away come then and shew me the bil of divorce let any one who complains that I have put him away and cast him off come and bring out his bil of divorce This ye cannot do men indeed put away but if ever the Lord Christ doth match himself unto thee he wil never put thee away again And whereas you say That you are declined and have much revolted and so have continued even many yeers Consider whether you be not mistaken Every abatement in affection is not a declining in grace possibly we may not grieve for sin afterward so much as at our first conversion yet we may hate it more at first you may pray more against it yet afterward watch more against it we never see the face of sin so ugly as in the glass of Gods free love do you not see the
humble and what they do want at the first they have it afterwards by degrees soaking into their souls Have they then any reason to be discouraged in these respects surely no. Quest But should not a Godly Gracious man be fully grieved and humbled for his sin Answ Grieved humbled for his sin yes surely though the Lord through the over-ruling hand of his Grace do work never so much good out of my sin unto me yet I am to be humbled for it and the rather to be humbled for it because he works good out of it I have read indeed of the Mother of those three Learned men Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor the three great pillars of the Roman Church for Lumbard wrote the sentences and Gratian the Popish Decretals and Comaestor Historiam Scholasticam that when she lay on her death bed and the Priest came unto her and called upon her for repentance of her whoredomes Hos tres Gratianum viz. Pet. Lumbardum et Pet. Comaestorem fuisse Germanos ex adulterio natos quorum mater cum in extremis peccatum suum confiteretur et confessor redargueret crimen perpetrati aduâ—terii quia valde grave esset et ideo multum deberet dolore et penitentiam agere respondet illa Pater scio quod adulterium peccatum magnum est sed considerans quantum bonum secutum est cum isti silii mei sint lumina magna in Ecclesia Ego non valeo paenitere Cui confessor hoc ex dono Dei est ex te autem adulterium crimen magnum et de hoc doleas c. Decret fol. 1. Gratiani vita for these three Lumbard Gratian and Comaestor were her bastards as the very popish writers do record it he telling her that she must be greatly afflicted grieved and humbled for her uncleanness or else she could not be saved why said she I confess indeed that whoredom and uncleanness is a great sin but considering what a great deal of good hath come to the Church of God by my sin that three such great lights have been brought forth into the world by my sin Non valeo paenitentiam agere I cannot I wil not repent thus it is with many poor ignorant souls when they see how the Lord by his over-ruling hand doth work good unto them out of their sin as some outward blessings mercys they do not repent of their sin but rather justify themselves in their sins but now take a Godly man a gracious soul and the more that he sees the Lord working good out of his sin the more he is humbled for it and upon that very ground because God works good of it therefore he is humbled the more Yet further it is observed that though the Lord did ordinarily cal David his servant yet when David had sinned that great sin he sent the prophet to him saying Go say to David he had lost the title of servant now bare David now single David now David without the title my servant And so though God ordinarily called the people of Israel his people yet when they had committed that great sin of Idolatry in the matter of the Golden Calfe the Lord doth not cal them his people but he saith to Moses The people not My people but The people and Thy people Moses now they had lost their old title Thus I say the sins of Gods own people do deprive them and divest them of their spiritual priviledges and can a gracious heart look upon this and consider how he is divested and disrobed of his spiritual priviledges and not mourn under it Can one friend grieve another friend and not be grieved himself The Saints by their sins they grieve God who is their best friend and therefore certainly they must needs be grieved they must needs be humbled or there is no Grace not grieved not humbled not Gracious But now because they are grieved and humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged I say because they are grieved and because they are humbled for sin committed therefore they are not discouraged for discouragement is a hinderance to humiliation and the more truly a man is humbled for sin committed the less he is discouraged and the more a man is discouraged the less he is truly humbled Quest You wil say then but what is the difference between these a man is to be humbled and not discouraged not discouraged and yet to be humbled what is the difference between these two being humbled and being discouraged Answ It is a profitable question and worth our time by way of answer therefore thus First When a man is humbled truly humbled the object of his grief sorrow or trouble is sin it self as a dishonor done unto God the object of discouragement is a mans own condition or sin in order to his own condition the ultimate object of discouragement being a mans own condition when a man is discouraged you shal find stil that his trouble runs al out upon his own condition O! saith a discouraged person I have sinned I have thus sinned and therefore my condition is naught and if my condition be naught now it wil never be better Lord what wil become of my soul Stil his trouble is about his own condition But when a man is grieved and truly humbled for sin his trouble is about sin it self as a dishonor done unto God To clear this by scripture you know Cain was discouraged but Cain was not humbled how may that appear Cain was troubled about his condition Ah! saith he My punishment is greater than I can bear on the other side the poor prodigal was humbled but not discouraged how may that appear his trouble was about his sin and not about his condition I wil return unto my Father saith he and I wil say unto him I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and I am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired servants David sometimes was both discouraged and humbled and then you find his repentance and humiliation to be very brackish but if you look into the Psal 51. you shal find David humbled but not discouraged for it is a penitential Psalm therefore humbled and not discouraged for stil he did keep his Assurance vers 14. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness O God thou God of my Salvation But what was his repentance his trouble about It was about his sin and not about his condition read vers 23. and so on Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and clense me from my sin for I acknowledg my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me stil ye see his eye is upon his sin and not upon his condition only So that I say when a man is truly humbled and grieved for sin the object of his grief is sin as a dishonor
of the Promise Now so it is that the condition of one is the thing promised in another Promise For Example In one Promise Repentance is the Condition of the Promise 2 Chron. 6.37 38. Joel 2.15 16 17 18 19. But in another Promise Repentance is the thing promised Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh In one Promise Faith and coming to Christ is the Condition Come unto me all ye that are weary and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 But in another Promise it is the thing promised John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me In one Promise Obedience is the Condition of it Esai 1.19 If ye consent and obey ye shall eat the good of the Land In another Promise it is the thing promised Ezek. 36. I will put my Spirit into you and cause ye to walk in my waies In one Promise Perseverance is the Condition Matth. 24. He that continueth to the end shall be saved But in another Promise it is the thing promised Psal 1. His Leaf shall not wither Ezek. 36. I will put my fear into your hearts and ye shall not depart from me In one Scripture of the old Testament the coming of the deliverer is promised to the Jews upon condition that they turn from ungodliness Esai 59.20 The Redeemer shall come out of Zion and unto them that turn from ungodliness in Jacob. But in another Scripture in the New Testament turning Jacob from ungodliness is the thing promised Rom. 11.26 There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and turn ungodliness from Jacob. Now if the Condition in one Promise be the thing promised in another Promise will ye fear that the Promise doth not belong to you because ye have not performed the Condition Answ 3 Thirdly And again What if the Condition of the Promise be performed for you better than you could perform it In the beginning the Lord made a Covenant with man a Covenant of Works Do this and live and Adam the first man stood as a common person for us all to perform the Condition of Doing and if Adam had performed the Condition we all had performed the condition Now the Lord makes a new Covenant of Grace with man and the Lord Jesus Christ is a Second Adam and he stands as a Common Person and if he perform the Condition then all his Seed do perform the Condition Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath performed the Condition for all his Seed although the first Adam did not perform the Condition for his Seed yet the Second Adam hath performed the Condition of the Promise and of the Covenant for his Seed to the full Now if all these Three things be true namely That a man may go to the Promise the Conditional Promise with acceptance although he hath not performed the Condition That the Condition of one Promise is the thing promised in another Promise That the Lord Jesus Christ hath performed the Condition of the Promise for you better than you can perform it Have ye then any reason to be discouraged and to keep off from the Promise because you have not performed the Condition But so it is That a Child of God may go to a Conditional Promise with acceptance although he hath not performed the Condition And the Condition of one Promise is the thing promised in another And the Lord Jesus our Second Adam hath performed the Condition of all the Promises for all his Seed Surely therefore you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object But this is not my case For I do not only want Assurance of Gods Love and have no particular Promise but instead of the Promise I have a Threatening set upon my soul O! the bitter words of the Threatening have soaked into my heart Time was heretofore indâ—ed that I had a Promise I could say I had a Promise and I rejoyced in it but now I have lost my Promise and instead of the Promise a Threatening is come O! I see the smart and the anger of the Threatening and have I not just cause and reason to be discouraged now No For Answ 1 First If you be drawn to Christ is it material whether it be done with a Cord of Flax or with a Cord of Silk God hath two Arms whereby he draws us unto himself The Arm of his Love and the Arm of his Anger and Justice The Arm of his Love is put forth in the Promise the Arm of his Anger and Justice is put forth in his Threatening And with both these he doth lift up the fallen sinner What if God lift you up with his left Arm so you be lifted up Somtimes he lifts up with the Arm of his Threatening that he may carry us in the Arm of his Promise for as the Law was a School-Master to bring to Christ so the Threatening is a School-Master to bring us unto the Promise Is the Threatening therefore come then is the Promise a coming for the Threatening is given forth in order to that Answ 2 Secondly And if this which you complain of may be the condition of the Saints then you have no reason to be discouraged Now for the loss of the Promise you know how it was with Joshua The Lord gave Joshua a gracious Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Be strong be not dismayed be not afraid be of good courage for I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Josh 1. But the Children of Israel were a little discomfited by the men of Ai and see how Joshua lost the sight of the Promise in Josh chap. 7. vers 6 7. Joshua rent his Cloathes and fell to the Earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord he and the Elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads and said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this People over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us Would to God we had been content to dwell on the other side Jordan O! what Unbelief is here what discouragement is here how had he lost the Promise O! Lord saith he what shall I say when Israel turns their backs before their Enemies and O! what shall we say when Joshua turned his back upon the Promise But so it was with Joshua here he had lost the sight of the Promise which once he had And as for the Threatening you know how it was with David having sinned greatly in the matter of Vriah the Lord threatens him That the Sword should never depart from his House And the Threatening did take hold upon him and David was under the stroak of the Threatening But was not Joshua Godly and was not David Godly So then a Godly man may possibly lose the sight of the Promise and have a Threatening set on his soul too Answ 3 But Thirdly If a Promise given out by the Lord shal never be reversed and a
go to Heaven and be saved for ever What then though thou hast stayed long and hast long wanted Assurance yet God hath not led thee so far as he hath led some and thy condition is no other than that which may befal the dear servants and children of God Answ 3 But Thirdly Though for the present you do want Assurance of Gods love and of your own Salvation yet if you may conclude by Scripture Arguments that you shal have it before you die then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though this or that particular Christian in a case not ordinary do die under a cloud and with much fear and doubting about his everlasting condition yet there are Arguments in scripture whereby a man may ordinarily know and conclude that he shal have peace and Assurance before he dies For example Arg. 1 First He that is content to stay and go without a mercy if God wil have it so shal not want it for ever For the Patient abiding of the meek shal noâ— be forgotten for ever Psal 9. As the way to have affliction continued is to be discontented under it so the way to have it removed is to be contented with it There is a Faith of Expectance a Faith of Relyance and the Faith of Assurance The Faith of Expectance wil rise up into a Faith of Reliance and the Faith of Reliance to the Faith of Assurance there is seldom a may-be Faith but hath a shal-be and it is at the bottom if God would make it float Arg. 2 Secondly If the Lord hath wrought wonders for thy soul when thou wert in the wilderness and in a desert then certainly he wil bring thee into the land of rest So he dealt by David so he dealt by Israel so he wil deal by thee Arg. 3 Thirdly If thy heart be upright in the matter of thine Assurance God will certainly give Assurance unto thee Psal 84.11 for ye know what the Psalmist saith The Losd wil give Grace and Glory and no good thing wil he withold from them that walk uprightly If therefore I say thy heart hath been upright in the matter of thine assurance the Lord wil give thee assurance though for the present thou want'st it Now I pray when is a mans heart upright in the matter of his Assurance but when he doth desire Assurance of Gods love and of his own Salvation rather that he may praise and serve God the more than for his own comfort For this look in Psal 9. and see how David reasons to this purpose vers 13. 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me thou that liftest me up from the gates of death That I may shew forth al thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion I wil rejoyce in thy Salvation Here are three things observable First he was in a very low condition at the gates of death From the gates of death saith he Gates of death that is the power of death The gates of Hel shal not prevail that is the powers of Hel shal not prevail so here the gates of death that is the powers of death David was under the power of death at the gates of death and now in this condition he prayes unto the Lord for mercy that the Lord would lift him up but why doth he pray so mark his end At vers 14. Have mercy upon me O Lord consider my trouble why That I may shew forth thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion O Loâ—d bring me from the gates of death that I may praise thee in the gates of the daughter of Zion not for my own comfort Lord but that I may praisâ— thee Wel but what inference doth he make of this see what followes in the latter end of vers 14. I wil or shal rejoyce in thy Salvation O Lord my heart hath been upright in this petition and now I know thou wilt grant my prayer I wil I shal rejoyce in thy Salvation Arg. 4 Fourthly When a man can praise God for what he hath although his condition be very sad God wil give him more and give him a better condition If God shew mercy saith one or give a blessing and I praise God I pay my debt but if my case be low and sad and I praise God then then God is pleased to be called my debtor and he wil certainly pay his debt Arg. 5 Fiftly If the Lord be the health of your countenance you shal have the assurance of your Salvation in due time though now you want it Thus the Psalmist reasons in the text Wait on God or hope in God for I shal yet praise him why for he is the health of my countenance but when is God said to be the health of our countenance when his smiles make us look cheerly and his frowns make us look sadly if I look wel when God smiles though al relations frown and do look il when God frowns though al my relations smile then is God the health of my countenance Now I appeal to you beloved you that do want Assurance hath it not been thus with you Do ye not earnestly desire Assurance yet are content to stay wait and go without it if God wil have it so Hath not the Lord shewn wonders for thy soul when thou hast been in a wildered condition in preserving and keeping thee from doing evil to thy self and have not you been upright in the matter of your Assurance saying thus O Lord give me Assurance of thy love not that I may have comfort only but that I may be more fit to serve thee And have ye not praised the Lord in your sad condition for what you have And hath not the Lord been the health of your countenance so that when the Lord hath smiled upon you then you have looked wel and when the Lord hath frowned upon you then you have looked il surely you cannot but say I must not deny these things I cannot be faithful to mine own soul if I should deny them yea Lord thou knowest and my soul knowes it That thou hast done wonders for me when I have been in a low desert and wildered condition And O Lord thou knowest I desire Assurance of thy love not for my own comfort onely but that I may be more sit to praise and serve thee And Lord thou knowest I have praised thee in some measure for what I have Yea Lord thou art the health of my countenance when thou smilest upon me then I look wel and when thou frownest upon me then I look ill I may say in truth the Lord is the health of my countenance wel then I say unto thee from the Lord go in peace and be of good comfort though thou doest for the present want comfort and Assurance of thy Salvation thou shalt have it in due time And if al these things be true O! you that are the people of the
and become his Enemy and did not Job's Friends think that God loved them and was their Friend and his Enemy yet if you look into Job 42. you find that God was more pleased with Job for he was fain to pray for them before they could be accepted and know ye not that it is Christs usual manner to personate an Enemy when he intends the most Friendship to seem a stranger when he intends the most communion It is said that God was angry with Moses Exod. 4. yet even then he gave him such a Promise of mercy as he had not before ver 14 15 16. Ye know what Davids choyce was Lord let me fall into thy hands and not into the hands of men for with thee is mercy It is somtimes a mercy to be immediately chastised by the hand of God our Father God might turn us over to the hands of men but if God wil take us into his own hand and chastise with his own hand immediately there is love in it If a Prince should say to his Officers My whol Kingdom is before you do right and execute Justice and Judgment but as for such and such a Family if they shall commit any fault I wil chastise them immediately with mine own hand you shal not meddle with them I wil do it my self would not this argue love Thus it is with the Saints in the time of Desertion then God takes the soul into his own hand all Creatures and Officers of his Anger stand by and meddle not in other Afflictions God turns us over to his Officers but in Desertion there he doth correct immediately and therefore though he strikes yet there is Love at the bottom and the more Christ doth sympathize with you in any Affliction the less cause you have to be discouraged Christ is our sympathizing High-Priest in al our Afflictions but the more we are like to him in any Affliction the more he doth sympathize and his heart let out the more unto us Jesus Christ was in Desertion himself and not only forsaken but for our sakes under the wrath and displeasure of God his Father and therefore when he sees a soul not only deserted but under anger and displeasure of God then he saith O! there is a soul that is in my case and so he does most commiserate and compassionate that person have you then any reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 3 But this is not my case For I am not only deserted forsaken under manifestations of Christs displeasure but I have sinned and drawn down this Desertion upon my own soul and therefore now it is that I am thus discouraged and have I not reason for it Answ No For God doth not alwaies desert and forsake his People for their sins somtimes he doth and somtimes he doth not as appears by comparing the 3d and 5th Chapters of the Canticles and it may be he doth now withdraw from you not for your sin and if there be but a may be of it there is no reason for discouragement But suppose it be so look I pray into Isay 57. again and see what the Lord hath promised to a poor soul in this condition ver 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Wil ye say the Lord doth not only hide his fâ—ce from you but he hath smitten you So here Wil ye say O! but I have sinned and drawn this desertion upon my self So here For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and smote him Will ye say O! but I have sinned on both sides of this Desertion I have sinned before the Desertion came which sin was the cause of it and I have sinned since I have been deserted by my frowardness and peevish carriage So here For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and hid me there is sin on the one side and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart there is sin on the other side of Desertion Here is sin on both sides what then is there any hope or comfort or mercy for a heart in this condition Yes saith the Lord I will restore comfort unto him and to his mourners O! but it is not comfort that my soul desires but I have a foul filthy unclean wicked heart of mine own O! that my heart were healed Is there any hope of healing mercy in this condition Yes saith the Lord in the Text I have seen his waies and will heal him O! but though I be healed I shal sin again and wander from God again nay saith the Lord But I have seen his waies and will heal him and will lead him also But I see no means or likelihood of al this how can it be Yes very well for saith the Lord ver 19. I create the fruit of the Lips Peace peace peace to him that is afar off and I will heal him again O! what Comfort is here what an upholding Promise is here Can you read it or think of it and your heart sink before it Object 4 This is but part of my condition for I have sinned Christ hath forsaken me I have sinned Christ hath smote me and he goes on smiting goes on angry goes on displeased I have been deserted a long while in the dark a long while and I am so far from the light that it doth even grow darker and darker my condition being more sad every day than other every day I am more deserted and my condition worser have I not reason to be cast down and discouraged now Answ No For when was it worst with the Israelites They had an ill time of it al the while they were in the Land of Egypt a dark time but was it not worst with them immediately before their deliverance Did not the Task-Masters then beat them When was it worst with David ill at al times in the Wilderness but was it not worst with him at Ziklag when he had lost his Wives and his own men took up stones against him Psal 10. we read that David saith Why standest thou afar off O Lord and hidest thy self in the time of trouble hiding is more and worâ—er than standing afar off When the Sun is going down then it seems to be far off but when it is hidden then it is set and is further off So saith David Lord thou art not only afar off but even out of sight quite out of sight and art hidden from me his Desertion grew higher and higher And if you look into Psal 13. you find that he speaks to the like purpose How long wilt thou bide thy face from me how long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever As hiding is more than standing afar off so it is worse than forgetting For as Musculus observes wel forgetting is but Remissio amoris a man that loves another may forget him yet he may love him well but
but Satan comes and wresteth his staff out of his hand and beats him therewithal then comes Jesus Christ and takes it out of the hands of both O! saith the Child of God but I pray thee Lord give me this Creature-Comfort for it is my Staff true Child saith Christ it is thy Staff but thou hast not strength to weild it against Satan he wil abuse thee with it therefore I wil keep it from thee and in due time thou shalt have it again Doth Christ our Lord and best friend do him any wrong in keeping it from him Object 2 O! but my Afflictions are not ordinary and usual but new and strange Answ You think so but the Apostle saith Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal as if some new thing had befallen you And what if God wil carry you to Heaven by some back way and let you in at some back door hath not he promised to lead us in a way that we have not known Object 3 O! but I do not only want one mercy but I do want another and another Afflictions come thick and I see no end I feel no bottom Answ And was it not so with David the Type of Christ Psal 40.1 2. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined his Ear unto me and heard my cry he brought me out also of an horrible pit or as some read it out of an unbottomed pit out of the miry Clay and set my feet upon a Rock and established my goings Three things here that are most observable 1. David was in such an Affliction wherein he did feel no bottom at the first saw no end 2. Though he felt no bottom at the first yet at the last he did and a Rock which God set his feet upon and established his goings 3. Till he did find this Rock he prayed and waited patiently and he was not discouraged What therefore though our Afflictions be as thick as any mire that therein you do stick so fast as you cannot get out that you feel no bottom see no end yet if in this case you pray and cry and wait patiently on the Lord as David did you shal be set upon a Rock in due time and your goings shall be also established And whereas you say That your Afflictions are thick and long and hard How long man What! is your Bush consumed Do they not make you long more for Heaven When the Apprentiship is hard and tedious the yong man longs for the day of his Freedom O! saith he that I were in my Fathers House O! that the time of my Freedom were come So here Long and hard Afflictions make us long more for Heaven Now will ye count that too long which makes you long more for Heaven And as for your Relational Comforts Did God ever take away the Comfort of an outward Relation and not make it up in the sweetness of Spiritual Relations Object 4 But this is not all my case for I do not only want such and such Comforts I do not barely want the Comforts and the love of my Relations but I feel the anger and the smart of them for my own familiar friends and acquaintance are become mine Enemies they reproach me curse me speak all manner of evil of me without cause and this they do since I set my face towards Heaven Time was heretofore when they did love me dearly but now they hate me they persecute me and do all manner of evil to me and is this nothing is not this a just cause and reason for my Discouragement Answ No For if our worst Enemies be somtimes our best Friends then what reason is there that we should be discouraged although we be much opposed Now so it is many times as our best Friends are our worst Enemies by flattering us so our worst Enemies are our best Friends by making us more watchful So many Enemies so many School-Masters saith one Totidem inimici totidem paedagogi Hath not our Lord and Savior Christ said Our Enemies are those of our own house they shall ever revile you and persecute you but blessed are you when they do all this for my Name sake And I pray tell me Whether is it worser to be persecuted or to be a Persecutor Your Friends persecute you speak all manner of evil and do al manner of evil to you even since you have looked towards Christ and for his sake â—hey do it for his sake ye are persecuted opposed maligned but you might have been the Persecutor and they the persecuted Which is worst Will you not say O! it is infinitly better to be opposed for the way of God than to oppose and to be persecuted than to persecute I would chuse rather to be persecuted than to be a Persecutor God might have left you to be a Persecutor and your persecuting Friends might have been persecuted by you but now that God hath so ordered it by his Providence and Grace that you are persecuted and they persecutors have you any reason to complain or to be discouraged Know ye not that the world hateth his own So long as the por stands empty and there is no Honey in it the Bees and stinging Wasps do not gather about it but if once there be Honey in it then they flock about it And so long as you were empty of what is good and walked on with an empty heart no opposition was made unto you But now these stinging Bees and Wasps flock about you what doth this argue but that you have gotten some Honey somwhat that savoreth of good and of Christ which you had not before why should you not therefore rather praise God for what you have than be discouraged under your opposition Object 5 This is not my case For I praise God I do not meet with any opposition or persecution from my friends nor do I need for my very Affliction is an opposition unto what is good my Affliction doth indispose me unto what is good and expose me unto what is evil to temptations and many sins it keeps me from Duty from Ordinances and Opportunities of doing and receiving good and therefore I am thus discouraged under my Affliction have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For it may be that you are mistaken here and think that you are hindred from the Work of God when indeed you are not We read of Paul that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue that he was oft imprisoned and who would not think but that his reproaches and imprisonments should hinder him in the work of his Ministry But he saith That his Sufferings turned to the furtherance of the Gospel Answ 2 When God leads a man into an Affliction then God doth call him to another work So long as a man is well and in health he is bound to go abroad and to hear the Word but when he is sick then his work is not to hear but to be patient
and quiet under the hand of God then he is called to that other work which his Affliction doth lead him to It may be your Affliction may hinder you from your former work which God hath call'd you from but it doth not hinder you from that work whereunto you are now called by your Affliction And what though my Affliction doth hinder me from my former work yet if God wil not fault me for the neglect of that have I any reason to be discouraged becaus I do not do it This is certain That if God cal me to a new work he wil never blame me if I lay by the former You wil not blame your Servants if they lay by their former work when you call them to a new and when God leads into a new Affliction then he doth cal to a new work Answ 3 And as for matter of Temptation and Sin this is certain That that Affliction doth never expose a man to a new sin which doth make him sensible of his former sin Now as you have heard the Afflictions of the Saints do both discover and heal their sins making them sensible of them which they were not before And if you look into Psal 125.3 you find a Promise to this purpose The Rod of the wicked shall not rest on the Lot of the Righteous lest the Righteous put forth their hand to iniquity As it is with a Master that sets his Servant to beat the dust out of his Garment though he cause the rod or stick to pass upon the Garment yet he will not suffer it to rest so long upon the Garment as it shal be torn thereby Your Affliction is Gods Rod and he suffers it to pass upon your Garment Why That he may fetch out your dust therewith but he wil not suffer this Rod to rest so long upon you as to tear your Garment Lest the Righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity saith the Text. Answ 4 And if this fear of yours be a good sign of your Grace then why should you be discouraged in this respect Now what better sign of Truth and Uprightness of heart have you than this That you are therefore troubled at your Affliction because it doth expose to Temptation and Sin and because it doth hinder you from what is good Do you not say so Lord thou knowest I am therefore afflicted under this Affliction not because of the burden of it so much but because thereby I am hindred from doing and receiving good and exposed to such Temptations as for the Affliction it self though it be great yet Lord thou knowest I should submit to it and be quiet under it were I not thereby exposed unto what is evil Here now is sincerity here is uprightness and will you then be discouraged nay rather have you not cause and reason to be much encouraged Object 6 This is not my fear or cause of my discouragement but I am under a great and sore Affliction so and so afflicted and I fear I have brought my self into this Affliction by my sin had not my sin been the cause of my Affliction I should not be troubled but O! my Affliction is great and long and I am perswaded that my own sin is the cause thereof yea and that which aggravateth the matter is I cannot find out what the sin is if God would but discover it to me I should be more at quiet but my sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what the particular sin is that hath brought me into this affliction and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragement now Answ No For did not Jonah bring himself into his Affliction by his sin and yet when did God more fully appear to him than when he was in the Whales Belly Did not David bring himself into his Affliction by his sin he sinned in the matter of Vriah and the Lord said The Sword shall never depart from thy House and what was the Sword of Absolon but an Affliction which dropped out of that Threatening brought upon him by his sin and yet when was Davids heart in a better frame If saith he the Lord have any pleasure in me he will bring me back to the Ark again if not let him do with me what seemeth good in his Eyes And when did God more fully appear to David than under this Affliction for he prayed The Lord turn the Counsel of Achittophel into folly and God heard him presently And if ye look into Deut. 4. you shall find a standing Promise made for your Comfort in this matter verse 25. If you shall corrupt your selves and make a graven Image or the likeness of any thing and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you this day That you shall soon utterly perish from the Land ye shal not prolong your daies the Lord will scatter you among the Nations and you shall be left few in number among the Heathen and there you shall serve gods the work of mens hands But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thine heart and all thy soul 1. Here was a great Affliction to be driven out into another Country 2. This Affliction was caused by their great sins 3. Yet the Promise is That if from thence from this valley and bottom they did seek the Lord he would shew mercy to them And all this in the times of the Law and is not God as gracious now in the times of the Gospel as then in the times of the Law And what though you cannot find out what the particular sin is it is good to search but somtimes it is better for a poor soul that it is not discovered For if I be under an affliction for some particular sin and find it out then I am once humbled for it and go no further but if I find it not out I search and search and so am humbled continually for many sins and therefore I say it is somtimes better that the particular sin is not discovered Why then should a godly gracious soul be discouraged in this respect Surely he hath no reason for it Object 7 Yet there is one thing sticks with me in regard of personal Afflictions I fear that they do not come from Gods Love were I certain that this Affliction did proceed from Gods Love then I should never be troubled but I even see the visible Characters of Gods displeasure and anger engraven upon my Afflictions and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For if Affliction do rather argue Gods Love than Hatred then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though Affliction do not argue Gods Love yet I say it doth rather argue Love than Hatred A man may be no Father to a Child yet he may correct him But if two Children commit
Temple when they came out of Babylon ye shal find That so long as they went forth in the strength of outward Powers the Command of Cyrus and the like they were much hindred and the Enemies then caused the Work of the Lord to cease but when the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Haggai Zechariah Zerubbabel and others to build then they went on and prospered Why Because they went forth in the strength of the Spirit of the Lord not in the strength of mans Command or of their own Abilities Answ 3 Though the Work of the Lord be carried on not by Might nor by Strength but by the Spirit yet this Spirit doth not alwaies breath and work alike Christ sent out his Disciples for to preach to cast out Devils and by the Spirit of the Lord they did preach and cast out the Devils yet they had not then received so great a measure of tâ—e Spirit as afterwards when he breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost yea and though he did thus breath upon them when he left them yet they did not then receive in so great a measure of the Spirit as afterwards for they were still to wait for the Promise that is the Spirit Acts 1. so that though God wil carry on his own Work by his own Strength and by his own Spirit yet the assistance thereof is not alwaies alike somtimes it is more and somtimes it is less even where it fals in truth and power Answ 4 But though the Spirit doth not alwaies work alike yet if God cal you to any Work or Service you shal have so much assistance as is needful for you only you must know that Dabitur in hora it shall be given in that hour it shal not â—â—e cold and stale by you but when you come to use it then it shal be given out unto you more or less but sufficient Before Moses came to his work he complained of want of Abilities his stammering Tongue and want of Elâ—quence c. but when he was warm at his work and was engaged in it then we read of no such Complaints Gods Call is our Wal and Strength Go in this thy might saith God to Gideon and what Might was that the verse tels you it was the might of his Call for saies the Lord in the next words Have not I sent thee Judges 6.14 Our Might then is in Gods Call not in our own Abilities and a little warm assistance is better than much cold and stale ability Object 3 But I fear the Lord hath not called me to this Work but that I am an Intruder into the Work of the Lord because I do want Abilities Answ 1 Nay But if the Lord do somtimes cal a man first and doth furnish him with Abilities afterward then you have no reason to make such Conclusions Now ye know how it was with Saul God did first call him and then he gave him another Spirit he had not that other ruling Spirit before he was called to rule but after So the Apostles were first called to their Office and then Christ did furnish them with Abilities Who hath made us able or meet Ministers not of the Letter c. When were they made meet or able what before they were called No but afterwards Gods Call is not like to mans mans Call doth alwaies presuppose abilities Gods Call doth somtimes bring them Answ 2 And if Gods Porters whom he hath set to keep the door of Opportunity do judg you able then are you to rest in their Judgment A large and effectual door is opened saies Paul God hath a door whâ—ch when he calls a man to work he doth then open to him this Door is kept by certain Porters whom God hath appointed to keep the same and if they judg that you have abilities then are you to rest and acquiesce therein for though I am to judg of mine own Grace and not another yet others are to judg of my Gifts and Abilities and not my self Some wil judg oâ— their own Gifts and of others Graces this is evil but in reference to work and external Service others are to judg of mine Abilities and not my self as I am to judg of mine internal Grace and not another Accordingly Luther counselled Spalatinus who having many sad thoughts of leaving his Ministry This is saith Luther to him a Diabolical Temptation and you know not now why you are afflicted with it we which are Spectators know it better therefore you ought rather to trust us than your self who in the Lord before the Lord yea the Lord by us doth exhort you to go on in your Work unto which he hath called you So say I now to you you doubt of your Call because you do want abilities but do those Porters judg you able who are set to judg then are you in this case rather to rest in their Judgment than in your own Now Gods Porters have judged you meet for his Work and have opened the door of Opportunity to you and therefore you have no reason to be thus discouraged in this respect only remember this That the weaker your Legs are the faster you must hold on the hand of free Grace Object 4 O! but I fear that I am not called to this Work but that I am an Intruder because I meet with so many difficulties in my way Answ 1 Do you meet with Difficulties in your way What vertue or vertuous Action is there but hath some stone upon it Nulla Virtus sine lapide there is no vertue but hath some stone or other that is rouled upon it As Christ himself had a stone rouled on him so every Work of Christ and Truth of Christ and way of Christ hath one stone or other that is rouled upon it Yet ye must know that there is a Pearl lying under that Stone and the heavier the stone is the more precious is the Pearl the harder the Nut and Shell is to crack the sweeter is the Kernel Nisi ipse elevasset lapidem non inventa fuiâ—â—â— sâ—b eo haec margarita Hâ—b Proverb and in due time Christ wil send his Angel to roul away the stone from your Work and his Service and that before you are aware When the Women said as being at a stand and not knowing what to do Who shall roul away the stone Then did the Angel come and rouled it away for them before they were aware of it Peter had the Brazen Gates opened for him when he came to them they did not stand open before but when he came at them then did they open to him And if you go on in your way and work which God doth lead you to the Brazen Gates which are now shut against you shal then open to you if I say you go on in your work in way of Faith as following the Conduct of the Lord. Answ 2 And if Gods cleerest Call to a work have alwaies been followed with the greatest
did Why Because he feared the Lord. So then if a man be employed in way of Love and Mercy to himself he doth not make his Employment a shooing-horn to his own Preferment 'T is enough for me my Masters work is done saith he neither doth God use to pay them al their wages here whom he employes in mercie to themselves But as the Merchant if he have to deal with a stranger for a less Commodity he paies him down presently but if with a friend for some great priced Commodity he takes time and doth not pay down his money presently So if God have to do with a stranger as Nebuchadnezzar he wil pay him wages presently but if God deals with a friend whom he employes in mercy to himself then he doth put off his ful payment til afterwards He doth Gods work without any great noise or notice of himself like Christ He lifts not up his voyce in the street and as the Angels in Ezek. 1. His hands are under his wings he hath four hands to work with but they are not seen they are under his wings Let your Light so shine before men saies Christ that they may see your good works not your selves and glorifie your Father not your selves As it is with the Fisher so with him he shews the bait but hides himself he holds forth the word of Truth but not himself though he have four hands to work with yet they are all under his wings hidden but saies Jehu Come and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts This is another difference If God do use and Employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself he is willing to be used and contented to be laid by and to 〈…〉 more Another man is not so if he have been used 〈…〉 â—ng he thinks he must be used in other things and 〈…〉 cannot bâ—ar it that God should lay him by and use anoâ—â— Thus iâ— was with Sâ—ul he could not be conteâ—◠〈…〉 should use David But when God told Eli that he 〈…〉 and his House by he answered Good is the Word of 〈◊〉 Lord for he was a good man and one whom God had â—sed 〈◊〉 Love and Mercie to himâ—elf and so when God had done wiâ—h him he was conâ—ent thereâ—â—th He thâ—t is â—red and eâ—ployed in way of Love and Mercie to himself wil do the Work oâ— the Loâ—dfully though he do his own works by halfs Caleb did his own work by halfâ— and the Work of God â—ully for he was used in Mercy to himself and others Jehu did the Work of the Lord by halfs and his own work fully for though he was uâ—ed in Mercy to some and Judgment to others yet not in Love to himself When God doth use a man in a way of Judgment he hath ordinarily more skil at pulling down and destroying what is mans than in setting up and building what is Gods But when God doth use him in a way of Love and Mercy to his own soul he hath a dexterity in and a heart to the setting up of what is Gods witness Jehu on the one hand and Nehemiah on the othâ—r hand How is it therefore with thee Hast thou a skil at pulling down what is mans and no skil nor heart to set up what is Gods Hast thou been employed and used in Gods Service and have you done your own work fully and Gods work by halfs Art thou not contented to be laid by and that God should use another Doest thou make a noise in the work and thy hands not under thy wings Hast thou made a goodly outward Bargain of the Lords Work and his Service as a shooing-horn to thine own ends Hast thou not grown in Experience Faith and Holiness by this work but in Pride rather Hast thou not been very tender of the Name of God in thy Service nor been acquainted with Gods Design nor thine heart drawn out the more to love the Lord Then surely God hath not used or employed thee in Love and Mercy to thine own soul But if thine heart have been drawn out with Love to God by thy very Service and Employments and thou hast been in some measure acquainted with Gods Design in that Service and hast been very tender of the Name of God and more willing to hazard thy self than to defile his Name and hast grown in Grace by the exercise of thy Gifts and hast made no Bargain of the Lords Service but hast had thy hands under thy wings and hast not done Gods Work by halfs and now after all art contented that God shall lay thee by and make use of others then surely the Lord hath used and employed thee in a way of Love and Mercie to thine own Soul and therefore why should'st thou be discouraged in this respect Certainly you have no just cause or true reason for it Quest But suppose that the Lord either shall not use me in his Service or if he do that difficulties and oppositions press in upon me or that I meet with no success in my work according to my desire what shall I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind Answ 1 First In case that God do not cal you forth to any work or special Employment Then Consider that you have now the more time to mind your own soul and to attend to your own Condition Some are so employed that they have not time enough to pray read meditate examine their own hearts and to look into their own Condition yea though a mans work do lie in the Ministry 't is possible that he may so mind his publick work as to neglect his private But now if thou hast no publick Employment or Service then you have the more time for to spend upon your own soul the more time to converse with the Lord in private and to look into your own Condition And if you be not called forth to work and yet are willing to work you shal be paid for that work and service which you never did As some men shal be punished for those sins which they did never commit in the gross act because they were willing and had a desire to commit the same so some shal be paid for that work and service for God which they never did perform because they were willing to have done the same Now is it not a great mercy to be paid for that work which I never did Such is the Priviledg of al those that are not called to Service and yet are willing to it Answ 2 Secondly In case That you are employed in Gods Work and Service and difficulties press in upon you Then Consider That the greater the Difficultie is the greater shall your Obedience be in carrying on the Work and the more you do follow after Dutie and redeem it from the hand of Difficulty the greater shall your Comfort and reward be when all is done And the more that any Service Work or
therein A LIFTING UP In case of Discouragements DRAWN From the Condition it self Sermon XII PSALM 42.11 Stepney June 18. 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 9 SOmetimes the Discouragements of Gods People are drawn from their Condition the Condition it self O! saith one My Condition is exceeding sad both for Soul and Body there is no Condition that is like to mine my Affliction and my Condition are twisted and woven in together my Affliction Misery and my Calamity are seated in my very Condition they do not only grow upon my Condition but are in the Condition it self and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason for it Answ 1 No I wil grant and must confess it 's possible that a Godly mans condition in regard of outwards may be very bad Cum bene sit malis et male bonis when it goes wel with those that are bad and ill with those that are good I am strongly solicited to beleeve there is no God said the Heathen but we have learned better Divinity than this A mans Condition may be very bad and yet the man himself may be very good and God may be good to him Yea Answ 2 It 's possible that a godly mans Condition in regard of the world may be worser than the Condition of a wicked man for what else is the meaning of the Parable of Dives and Lazarus Jacob was driven out of his Fathers house and lodged in the open fields in the night whilst wicked Esau prophane Esau staid at home and lay in his warm bed ye do not read that ever Esau did serve so hard a Service in Labans house as Jacob did nor are ye able to parallel Esau's misery with Jacob's yet saith the Lord Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated So that it is possible for a good and godly mans Condition in regard of the world to be worser than the condition of the wicked Yea Answ 3 It is possible that a godly mans Condition may be worser in regard of outwards after his Conversion worser I say than before his Conversion Grace is fain somtimes to wear Sins Cloaths and a gracious man somtimes doth wear the punishment of that sin which he committed before his Conversion What think you of Paul do you read that ever Paul before his Conversion was put into the stocks that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue that he was imprisoned that he was stoned by his Country-men But after his Conversion he was so used In the beginning of that 19. Chapter of the Acts he breatheth out threatenings against the Saints and goes out to kill the People of God but no sooner is Paul converted but the Jews sought to kill him So that I say possâ—bly a gracious mans Condition in regard of outwards may be worser at least for a time than it was before he was converted and drawn to God But now Take a godly mans Condition and though it be never so sad yet there is no reason why he should be discouraged or cast down because of his Condition in it self considered For By way of Demonstration First If his Condition be carved out unto him by the hand of his Father who is of infinite wisdom and love then he hath no reason to complain or to be disquieted Now look into Psal 16. see what David saith of Christ and Christ of the Saints at verse 6. My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a fair Heritage or a goodly Heritage Why verse 5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup. Three Things are most considerable here First These words are plainly spoken of our Lord and Savior Christ and of his great Sufferings as appears by verse 10. For thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see Corruption Men and Brethren saith the Apostle in Acts 2.29 Let me speak unto you of the Patriark David that he is both dead and buried and his Sepulchre is with us unto this day therefore being a Prophet and God had sworn unto him that of the fruit of his Loyns according to the Flesh he would raise up Christ to sit on his Throne he seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ At verse 27. of the 2d chapter ye have the same words that you have here in Psal 16. Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption So that plainly the words of the Psalm are spoken of Christ and of his great Sufferings But now in the Second place Though his Sufferings were very great and many yet saith he My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place and I have a goodly Heritage But why so The Reason is in the Third place in verse 5. The Lord is the portion of my Inheritance and of my Cup the Lord my Father saith he hath drawn out my lines for me he hath measured out my condition and the Lord himself is my portion and the portion of mine Inheritance Thus now may every godly man say My lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly Heritage Why for the Lord is the Portion of mine Inheritance and of my Cup Surely therefore he hath no reason to be discouraged whatever his Condition be Again Secondly If a man do not live upon his Condition it self but upon his call into his Condition then he hath no reason to be discouraged in regard of his Condition it self Now as our Lord and Savior Christ said Man lives not by Bread but by every Word of God so say I Man lives not upon his Condition but upon Gods Call into his Condition and if God cal a man into a Condition he wil maintain him in it therefore you find those two go together in Psal 16. Thou maintainest my Lot at the latter end of verse 5. And my lines are fallen to me in a pleasant place And thus it was with the Children of Israel when they went through the red Sea it is said The Waters stood like a wall on each side of them ye never read before of a wall of water and yet then the waters were as a wall unto them a strange kind of Wall made of Waters but saith the Text The Waters were as a Wall stood as a Wall on each side of them Beloved Gods Call is our Wall which wil bear off and bear up ones heart under troubles and discouragements O! â—aith a gracious soul what abundance of opposition do I meet withal in my Condition but yet the Lord hath called me into this Condition and therefore I am quiet I am contented I am satisfied I confess I did not think to have met with so much Affliction in my Condition as now I do but God hath called me into it and therefore I have Comfort Thus it
out your skil and strength and hath no design but of Love upon you wil you then be discouraged Thus it is with all the Saints surely therefore they have no reason to be cast down in this respect Object 3 O! but I am not so much troubled about my outward Condition as about the condition of my Soul the Lord knows my Souls Condition is very sad for somtimes I am under the Ordinances and somtimes not somtimes I can stir out to an Ordinance but somtimes oppositions keep me at home I am not under a setled Ordinance and when I am under the Ordinance I get little good thereby I hear and I do not remember my heart is hard and dead and dull and it is little that I profit and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No not yet For â—iâ—st As for your want of Ordinances if God lead you to the want of an Ordinance he wil make the very want of an Ordinance to â—e an Ordinance to you When the Children of Israel came into the Land of Canaan where there was ordinary food then Manna ceased but when ordinary food could not be had as in the Wilderness then they had Manna Bread that was baked in the Clouds then they had Angels Food immediately from God and immediate Mercies that come immediately out of the hand of God are the sweetest Mercies God doth alwaies give some opportunities of good unto his People either of doing good or receiving good and the less opportunity they have of receiving good usually the more opportunity they have of doing good what though your hand be empty of receiving opportunities yet if your hand be full of doing opportunities have you any cause to be discouraged God knows how to give the comfort of an Ordinance in the want of an Ordinance When Jonah was in the Whales belly he prayed and in his prayer he looked towards the Temple though he was absent from it and the Lord heard his prayer And Beloved if the Lord do remember your carriage labor of Love Longings Groanings Mournings after the Ordinances as much when you want them as he remembers your enlargements under them then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now look into Psal 132. and you shal see how David presseth the Lord to remember him verse 1. Lord remember David and all his afflictions he was in great Afflictions and he desired the Lord to remember him but under what Notion would he have the Lord remember him why saith he remember him How he sware unto the Lord verse 2. and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob surely I will not come into the Tabernacle of my House nor go up into my Bed I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eye-lids until I have found out a place for the Lord an Habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. He wanted the Ordinance and his heart was restless after it and now he desires the Lord to remember him for this So that I say God wil in a special manner remember your carriage labor of Love longings and groanings after Ordinances when you want them O! but though the Lord do remember us in due time yet what shal we do in the mean time Mark what follows at verse 6. Lo we heard of it at Ephrata we found it in the fields of the woods What is that Lo we heard of it at Ephrata we heard of it that is we heard of the Ark which he had spoken of before and the Habitation of the mighty God of Jacob. We heard of it at Ephrata as if he should say it was commonly reported and thought that the Lord would settle his Ark and his House and Habitation at Ephrata at Bethlehem a plentiful place but now we have found it in the fields of the Wood. Now we find that the Lord wil settle his House and his Ark at Jerusalem which is compassed about with Hills full of Woods in the Fields of the Forrest have we found it Beloved our eye is all upon Ephrata upon Bethlebem upon the plentiful place but the Lord doth so order things in his Goodness that when he brings his People into the Woods the Fields the Forrest there they find his Ark his Presence and his Habitation in the midst of it And what godly man is there whom God hath called at any time from the Ordinance but he may say thus Lo we heard of it at Ephrata but we have found it in the Fields of the Woods and if you do not find the Presence of God and the Ark of God and his Habitation at Ephrata yet if ye find him in the Fields of the Woods in the barren Forrests have you any cause to complain No surely you have not O! but I am in a plentiful place for the present I am at Ephrata I am not in the barren Fields I am under plentiful and precious Ordinances but I do not remember I hear and I remember not Answ 2 Secondly Therefore ye must know That as for your want of Memory there is an Head-Memory and there is an Heart-Memory Some have an Head-Memory whereby they are able to give an account presently of all they have heard in their due order but they want an Heart-Memory to suggest the things to them when they should use the same Some again have an Heart-Memory so as they can remember the things when they should use them but they have no Head-Memory Now if you can remember the things as you are to use them though you forget the words and Method have you any cause to complain 〈◊〉 â—â—ugh the words heard do depart from you yet your heart 〈◊〉 â—e kept sweet by the hearing of them Water is often poured into a Vessel and runs out presently yet it keeps the Vessel sweet So now though you hear and hear and hear again and you cannot remember and the things heard do not stay by you as you desire yet your soul may be kept sweet thereby Answ 3 Thirdly As for your Deadness It is some life to feel ones own deadness for there is a Death and a Deadness as I may so speak There is a Life and a Liveliness a man may be alive and yet not lively as a sick person So a man may be under some deadness and yet not be dead unto death There is a deadness that is opposite to liveliness and there is a deadness that is opposite to life Now you complain O! my heart is dead my heart is dead this argues that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness else you could not feel your own deadness A man that is stark dead cannot feel that he is dead I say therefore in that you feel your own deadness it argues that it is but a deadness that is opposite to liveliness and not that deadness that is opposite to Life it self and if you be alive in opposition to death though you have a
as to beleeve But if you do beleeve be in Christ are godly and have made your Peace with God blessed are you of the Lord nothing shal offend you nothing shall discourage you But if not godly if not in Christ if not beleeving every thing shall offend thee and discourage thee and thou hast no reason to be encouraged whatever thy condition be Shall we not then my beloved all of us as in the presence of the Lord seriously look into our condition and consider whether we be in Christ I or not But suppose I be in Christ or I be not in Christ beleeve or not beleeve what then If yet you do not beleeve if yet you be not in Christ if yet you be not Godly this Doctrine doth here from the Lord hold forth an invitation to you to come unto Jesus Christ for if a man be in Christ and be Godly then he hath no reason to be discouraged whatever his condition be If a man be not Godly he hath no reason to be encouraged whatever his condition be On the one hand there lies al Encouragements On the other hand there lies all Discouragements Now therefore in the Name of the Lord do I here this morning lay before this Congregation Life and Death Encouragement on the one hand and Discouragement on the other hand and if there be an Adulterer a Swearer a Lying Child or a Stealing Servant if there be ever a poor Wanton a Sabbath-breaker an Opposer of God here I beseech you in the Lord come unto Jesus Christ by all these Encouragements that I have been speaking of by all the Mercies of the new Covenant and by the Salvation of thine own soul man or woman I beseech you come unto Jesus Christ O! that men and women would give no rest unto themselves til they have made their Peace with God and til they have gotten into Jesus Christ And in case that you be in Christ and that you do beleeve that you be godly and have made your Peace with God Then see that ye walk up unto all these Encouragements see that you walk in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost O! you that are Godly if these things be as you have heard Why hang you down your heads why are you cast down and disquieted why do you not walk in the comforts of this Truth declared and in the strength of these Encouragements You see what a venture we have run to speak comfort to you that want comfort You have heard in several Exercises That a godly man hath no reason for his Discouragements whatever his condition be Not in regard of sin Not in regard of Failings and successlessness in Duties Not in regard of want of Assurance Not in regard of Temptation Not in regard of Affliction Not in regard of Desertion And now not in regard of his Condition in it self considered Now after all this I appeal to you you that are without comfort Do you not think that there are some wicked men in this Congregation that have presumed when they have heard these things preached and have said These things belong to me and so have endangered their own souls by presumption comforting themselves when they should not be comforted I appeal to you Whether you do not think That there are some wicked men in the Congregation that have thus endangered their souls by mis-application of these Consolations And if so that there hath been this hazard run and all to comfort you then will you now refuse this comfort O! you that have refused comfort al this while receive it in the Lord and you that were never comforted before now comfort your selves and walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost And you that have gone up and down fearing trembling doubting and much discouraged yet now at the last say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God wait on God trust in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God How you should so hope and wait and trust in God as to bear up your hearts against all discouragements I shall yet speak to in the next Exercise So much for the Ninth and Last Instance THE CURE OF Discouragements BY FAITH IN Jesus Christ Sermon XIII PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney June 25. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God or wait thou or trust thou in God YOU have heard of the Saints Discouragements and the unreasonableness of them there is no just cause or reason for their Discouragements Would you now hear of some means against them The Psalmist saith in these words Hope thou in God or trust thou in God or wait thou on God And so the Doctrine plainly is this Doct. Faith is the Help against all Discouragements Hoping Trusting Waiting on God is the special if not the only means appointed against all Discouragements I had verily fainted unless I had beleeved saith David to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living I had fainted unless I had beleeved Faith bears up the heart against all Discouragements For your more cleer understanding of this Truth and our better proceeding I shal labor First To shew you what it is to Hope Trust in God or to Wait on him Secondly That Faith doth quiet ones heart in the times of Discouragements Thirdly That it is the Duty of all the Saints and People of God when Discouragements do arise then and then especially to trust in God and to exercise their Faith Fourthly VVhat there is in Faith that can bear up the heart against all Discouragements and how Faith doth it Quest 1 First If ye ask VVhat it is to Hope in God to Trust in God and to VVait on him Answ I Answer That to Hope in God is to expect Help from God To Trust in God is to rely or rest upon God for Help And to wait on him is to continue and abide in this Expectation or Relyance Properly according to Scripture Phrase Trusting in God is the Recumbency or the Relyance of the soul upon God in Christ for some good thing that lies out of sight I say first it is the Recumbency or Relyance of the soul upon God the staying of the soul upon God so you read in Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee So the Spouse in the Canticles is found leaning upon her Beloved and so we are commanded to trust not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on him that raiseth Christ from the dead which notes a siducial repose Rom. 4. â—3 so that Trusting in God is to stay upon him And then I say it is the Relyance or the stayance of the soul upon God in Christ and so I take it to be meant here for the word here translated God Hope or Trust in God
because of him who prospereth in his way Thirdly It doth heal the Conscience and purifie that therefore saith the Apostle Let us draw neer with assurance of Faith having our Consciences sprinkled c. Heb. 10. Fourthly It doth also bring the soul neer to God the great work of faith is to bring God and the soul together So you have it in Eph. 3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Faith gives a man access unto God and brings him neer unto God But a man may come neer unto God yet he may fear and tremble as the Jews dâ—d at Mount Sinai true but saith the Apostle By this Faith we have boldness and access The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a freedom of speech a man by Faith may come into the presence of God with open mouth and speak all his mind unto God Yea Faith doth not only thus bring a man into the preâ—ence of God with open mouth freedom of speech and boldness but it brings him into the presence of God with open face and uncovered We all with open face saith the Apostle speaking to Beleevers in the times of the Gospel We all with open face behold as in a Glass the Mirror of the Lord with open and uncovered face There are Three Vails or Coverings that we read of in the old Testament that were thrown upon faces 1. There is the Vail of Obscurity and that was upon the face of Moses 2. The Vail and the Covering of Guilt and so Hamanâ— face was covered a cloth thrown over his face and his face was covered 3. And there is the Vail of Abashment or shame and so it iâ— said of the Angels that they cover their faces in the presence of God Now to shew with what boldness a Christian and a Beleever comes into the presence of God by Christ through Faith as if all Vails were taken off saith the Apostle We come with open face and we all with open face behold as in a Glass the Mirror of the Lord. And upon this account a Beleever may now come with more boldness into the presence of God than Adam in the state of Innocency for though Adam in the state of Innocency had no Vail or Covering of Guilt thrown over his face yet there was a great distance between God and him But now since the Fall since Christs time God is come into our Nature manifested in the Flesh and so God is come neer to us and by Faith we do draw neer to God no wonder therefore that the Apostle saith That by Faith we have boldness and access with Confidence Faith tels a man that God is come neer to him and he is come neer to God and therefore Faith certainly is the great Remedy and means against all discouragements that can arise Quest 3 Thirdly How may it appear that when Discouragements do arise it is the Duty of every Christian to exercise Faith and then especially Answ You know what David said At what time I am afraid I trust in thee And the Scripture is most express for this Isa 50.10 Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God First It is possible for one that is the Servant of God to be in darkness and in such a dark condition where no light nor no comfort is Secondly When he is in this dark Condition and discouragements do arise the Commandement is most express then he is to trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God So also our Savior Christ commands his Disciples John 14.1 Let not your hearts be troubled you beleeve in God beleeve also in me There was a great Cloud arising upon Christs Disciples Christ to be taken from them by Death the Shepheard to be stricken and the Sheep scattered Now the only means against trouble that Christ prescribes is this Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me and he gives many Arguments to press thereunto in this 14. Chapter This time was the time of Christs own trouble Christ was now to die and to bear the sin of many and to lie under the sence of his Fathers wrath and displeasure whereupon he saith that his heart was heavy unto death but though it was the time of his own trouble yet he addresseth himself to comfort his Disciples against their trouble and the only means and remedy that he doth prescribe is this Ye beleeve in God beleeve also in me So that I say when Discouragements do arise it is the Duty of all Christs Disciples then and then especially for to trust in God by Christ for I pray what is Faith made for but for such a time as this is every Grace is to be exercised in its season If a man have sinned then he is to repent that is the season for his Repentance If a man have received any mercy from God then he is to be thankful that is the season of Thankfulness If another poor Christian be in want then he is to exercise his Charity that is the season of that Grace of Charity If Gods Face do shine upon a man then he is to rejoyce that is the season of Spiritual Joy If a man be given to wantonness and have a beautiful Object laid before him then he is to exercise Chastity and that is a season for it So when Discouragements do arise then he is to exercise Faith and that is the season the proper time and season for it For it is not only our Duty to bring forth Fruit but we must bring forth Fruit in its season Psalm 1.2 Now this is the proper season for Faith to work in when all a mans Comforts are out of sight and therefore when Discouragements do arise then and then especially the Saints and the People of God are to exercise their Faith Fourthly But what power hath Faith to suppress Quest 4 and allay Discouragements and what is there in Faith that can bear up a mans heart against all Discouragements and how doth Faith do it Answ 1 First Faith doth give a man the true prospect of things past present and to come and of things as they are Whence are all our Fears and Discouragements but from hence That men do not see things as they are If Evil be stirring they think it is greater than it is If Good be stirring they think it is lesser than it is If a man be in Temptation then he loseth the sight of his former Experiences and so he is much discouraged If a man be under a Desertion he loseth the sight of what is present what God is to him and what he is to God and so he is discouraged If a man be under an Affliction he loseth the sight of what is to come the end and the issue of the Affliction and so he is disquieted
But now when Faith comes it opens a mans Eyes to see things that are invisible it is the Evidence of things not seen By Faith Moses saw him that was invisible And therefore when the Apostle Peter doth direct his People for to see things past present and to come he exhorts them to a work of Faith Epist 1. ver 9. He that lâ—cks these things is blind one of those things is Faith as you read in verse 5. Give all diligence â—ad to your Faith c. then He that lacketh these things is blind at verse 9. But suppose a man do want Faith wherein is he blind Why saith the Apostle He cannot see things afar off he cannot see into the other world he cannot see unto the end of a Temptation or Affliction or to the end of a Desertion Well but though he cannot see things that are to come yet he may see things that are past Nay saith he if a man wants the Assurance of Gods Love and that is an Act of Faith he haâ—h forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather saith he at verâ—e 10. Brethren give all diligence to make your Calling and Eleâ—tion sure If you would see things past present and to come then grow in Faith and Assurance of Gods Love and so saith he shal you be able to see things that are afar off Couâ—d a man but see what would be the end and issue of his Affliction he would be quiet under it It is in regard of our Affliction as it is in regard of your Salt or Sea Water Take the Water as it is in the Sea and so it is salt and brackish but drawn up by the Sun into the Clouds it becomes sweet and fals down into sweet Rain So take an Afflâ—ction in it self and it is salt and brackish but drawn up by Divine Love then it is sweet and if a soul can but tast the Love of God in it and see what a loving end the Lord wil make he wil then find it is very sweet and say I could not have been without this Affliction I do not know how any one twig of this rod could have been spared Now it 's only Faith that shews a man the end and the issue of all his troubles It stands upon the high Tower of the Threatening and Promise seeing over al Mountains and Difficulties it seeth into the other World it sees through Death and beyond Death it sees through Affliction and beyond Affliction it seeth through Temptation and beyond Temptation it seeth through Desertion and beyond Desertion it seeth through Gods Anger and beyond his Anger I say it seeth things past present and to come Now if a man had such a power as he were able to fetch in al his former experiences to see things present as they are and to see all the events and issues of things to come would he not be quiet notwithstanding all that might arise for the present Thus Faith is able to shew a man things past present and to come and to shew him greater matter of comfort than the matter of his troubles is and in so doing it must needs quiet the soul Answ 2 Secondly Faith true saving Faith doth see that in God and in Christ which answers unto all our fears wants and miseries For Faith closeth with the Name of God Let him stay himself upon the Name of God Isa 50. Now there is that in Gods Name that doth Answer unto all our Fears and wants For Example Exod. 34. the Lord descended in the Clouds at verse 5. and stood with Moses there and proclaimed the Name of the Lord ver 6. The Lord the Lord Jehovah Jehovah that is one that gives a being unto things that are not Will you say O! that it were thus or thus with me but as Rachel mourned for her Children and could not be comforted because they were not so do I mourn after Prayers because they are not and after Duties because they are not and afâ—er Humiliations because they are not Well saith the Lord be of good comfort for my Name is Jehovah who do give a Being to things that are not and this he repeateth The Lord the Lord or Jehovah Jehovah Well but though the Lord do give a Being to things that are not this doth not comfort me for though I praise the Lord I can say my Prayers are and my Duties are yet the Lord knows they are very weak and my Temptations are very strong and my Lusts mighty and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord my Name is EL that is the strong or the mighty God and therefore though thou beest never so weak and thy Duties weak yet I wil carry on the work of my Grace in thee and though thy Temptations be never so strong and thy Lusts strong yet I am stronger for my Name is EL thâ— mighty God O! but though God be strong and able to help me yet I fear that God is not willing to help me I know God is able and that God is strong enough but I fear the Lord is not willing and therefore I am thus discouraged yet be of good comfort saith the Lord for my Name is Merciful that is the next word The Lord the Lord the Mighty God and as my Name is the Mighty God and therefore am able to help thee so my Name is Merciful and therefore am willing to help thee But though the Lord be willing to help me yet I am a poor unworthy Creature and I have nothing at al to move God to help me Yet be of good comfort for saith the Lord then my Name is Gracious I do not shew Mercy because you are good but because I am good nor do I stand upon your desert but I shew mercy out of free Love my Name is Gracious O! but I have been sinning I have been sinning a long time ten twenty thirty forty fifty yeers had I come in at sâ—â—â—â— I might have had mercy but I have been sinning long and therefore I fear there is no mercy for me Yet saith the Lord be 〈◊〉 good comfort for my Name is Long-suffering that is the noâ—â— Gracious and Long-suffering slow to Anger or Long-suffering O! but I have sinned exceedingly I have sinned abundantly so many Sins as I am never able to reckon up and to humble my self for I have broken al my Promises with God and al the Vows that I have made unto him and therefore I am thus discouraged Yet saith he be of good Comfort for I am abundant in Goodness and Truth Art thou abundant in sin I am abundant in Goodness And hast thou broken Faith with me yet I am abundant in Goodness and in Truth also O! but though the Lord be thus unto his own chosen Ones such as David Abraham or Moses yet I fear the Lord wil not be so to me Yes saith the Lord at verse 7. Keeping mercy for thousands I have
that you may be humbled yet that the Lord should keep you from this Sin this unpardonable Sin for which there is no Sacrifice nor no remission O! what Mercy and what Grace is this Object 1 But I am afraid I have sinned this Sin and the truth is I have often feared it and my reason was and is Because my sins are so great so exceeding great Answ Great say ye How great man I have sinned against my Light I have sinned against my Knowledg I have sinned against my Conviction and therefore I fear I have sinned the unpardonable Sin But I pray for Answer did not Adam sin against Light when he eat the forbidden Fruit Did he not sin against his Knowledg against Conscience yet he sin'd not against the Holy Ghost though he brought al the World under Condemnation by his Sin for the Lord himself came and preached mercy to him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head And I pray did not Jonah when he run away from God sin against his Light and did he not sin against his Conviction and against his Knowledg yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and wonderfully delivered him Possibly this therefore may be and yet not a Sin against the Holy Ghost It is true indeed that those who sin against the Holy Ghost do sin against their Light Knowledg and Conscience but whoever sins against Light and Knowledg though he sins greatly doth not sin against the Holy Ghost Object 2 O! But I fear that I have sinned this Sin for I have fallen foully into gross sins Answ That is ill But I pray did not David sin so were they not great gross and foul sins that David fel into such as one of your civil moral men would abhor yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and Nathan said from the Lord The Lord hath forgiven thee Object 3 O! But yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin for I am much declined I have lost my former acquaintance and communion with God I have lost my former heat and affections to good and in Duty and I fear upon this account that I have sinned this great Sin Answ Be it so yet did not the Church of Ephesus lose her first Love yet this Church of Ephesus did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Why For the Lord saith unto her Repent and do thy first Works she could not have repented thus if she had sinned this Sin Object 4 O! but yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin because that I have sinned directly against the Spirit I have quenched I have grieved I have resisted the Spirit the Spirit of the Lord hath come and fallen upon my heart in preaching and I resisted and grieved it the Spirit of the Lord hath fallen upon my heart in Prayer and I have grieved that therefore I fear I have sinned this great Sin that shall never be pardoned Answ This is ill too But those that you read of in Acts 7. resisted the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost for then Stephen would not have prayed for them And indeed Beloved if every resisting of the breathings of the Spirit and grieving of the Holy Ghost were the unpardonable Sin what godly man would be free A godly man is more properly said to grieve the Spirit than a wicked man If an Enemy strike you you are angry if your Friend strike you ye are grieved If a wicked man strike at God he is angry with him if a godly man strike at God God is angry and his Spirit is grieved because he is a Friend Grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption So that thus far possibly a man may go and yet not sin this Unpardonable Sin Object 5 But I am afraid that I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost because I have not owned but denied the Truth the Work of the Spirit is to enlighten and to lead into Truth and I have not owned but denied the Truth rather therfore I fear that I have sinned this great Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ This is evil very evil I remember a Speech of Godteschalchus worthy to be written in Letters of Gold Timeo veritatem negare quia metuo à veritate negari I am afraid said he to deny the Truth lest I should be for ever denied by the Truth that is Christ But I pray did not Peter deny the Truth when he denied Christ and did he not do it again and again and did he not do it openly with Scandal and did he not do it after Admonition and did he not do it with Cursing and Swearing and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned and took him into his bosom and made him a blessed Instrument in the Church Thus far yet a man may go possibly and yet not sin this Sin Object 6 O! But I am afraid yet that I have sinned it for I have been an Opposer of Goodness I have been an Opposer of the People of God and I have been a blasphemer therefore I fear I have sinned this Sin Answ This is ill indeed But I pray tel me Was not Paul an Opposer and Blasphemer of the Saints and Waies of God and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for I did it ignorantly saith he I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor but I obtained mercy for I did it ignorantly Object 7 O! But I have sinned and I have done it maliciously and therefore I fear I have sinned this same dreadful Sin Answ This is yet worser But what mean you by that word Maliciously Peccatum ex malitia quandoque dicitur peccatum ex habitu puta quando ex malo habitu quis est intemperatus vel gulosus et sic non loquimur in proposito alio modo dicitur quod procedit ex passione tamen deliberate et scienter puta si quis invideat c. nec sic loquimu◠in proposito sed vocatur peccatum ex malitia proprie quando movetur quis non ex habitu nec passione nec ignorantia sed ex mera libertate voluntatis Sc. quod sic placet et hoc modo dicitur peccatum in spiritum sanctum Aureol in Lib. 2. Sent. Dist 43. Art 1. A man may be said to sin ex malitia or maliciously three waies saith Aureolus Either because he sins from some evil habit and so al wicked men sin yet they do not al sin against the Holy Ghost Or because a man sins out of anger passion or evil wil against another so Paul sin'd when he persecuted the Church of God he was carried out with a malicious spirit against the Saints and People of God yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost Or else because a man is moved to sin not
out of any evil habit passion or ignorance but meerly from the liberty of his own wil because it pleaseth him and because he doth hate that which his own Conviction tels him is right and good Now have you sin'd thus Surely no for then you would not be troubled about it but be wel pleased with it Obj. 8. O! But yet I fear I have sinned this great Sin for I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me God is gone Christ is gone and Mercy is gone O! what freedom once I had but now God is departed from me God hath forsaken me and I fear it is upon this account Because I have sinned this great Sin Ans But doth not David say How long O Lord wilt thou forget me forsake me And our Savior himself saith My God my God why hast thou forsaken me There is a gradual forsaking and there is a total As with a man that goes from his house possibly he goâ—s a Voyage or is from home a quarter half a yeer or a yeer but he doth not leave his House for his Wiâ—e his Children and Goods are there stil But another man goes awâ—y from his House the House is let and he carries away al his Goods this is a total departure the other gradual So now it is with the Lord he doth somtimes forsake his own Childrâ—n for a time but he doth not pul down his Hangings or carry away his Goods he doth not go away but returns again this is gradual But there is a total forsaking of a man and then he givâ—s him up to his Sin Now this is not the burden that you lie under for if God had thus forsaken you you would be given up to your Sins and you would give up your selves unto â—l Uncleanness Object 9 O! But I am afraid yet that I am under the worst forsaking and that therefore I have sinned this great Sin for I do lie despairing saying God is gone and Mercy gone I am in the dark O! I despair I despair and upon this account I fear I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ For Answer You know what Heman said I remember God and am troubled O Lord saith he all thy waves are gone over my head the waves of thy wrath are gone over my head and yet a Pen-man of Scripture Aretius tels us of a certain man in his time It is no feigned story saith he but I saw the man with my own Eyes one that had been a most vile and desperate Sinner a Drunkard a Swearer a Wanton a Gamester and so he continued to his gray hairs but at the last it pleased God to set his Sins in order before him and the man was so troubled in Conscience that he threw himself down upon the ground calling unto Satan to take him away provoking Satan to take him away Devil take thy own I am thy own take thy own whereupon saith Aretius prayer was made for him Christians prayed they fasted and prayed they prayed night and day and it pleased God at last this poor man revived converted to God lived a godly life and died comfortably So that it is not an easy thing saith he to pronounce what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is But now whosoever you are that have labored under this fear as indeed this fear I know hath oppressed many give me leave to ask you four or five short Questions The First is Whether canst thou not find in thy heart to forgive men that do trespass against thee Do not you find a disposition in your own heart to forgive others Yes I praise the Lord that I do Now if you can find in your heart to forgive others I am sure God can find in his heart to forgive you and therefore you have not sinned this great sin which is unpardonable Secondly Whether I or no have you ever opposed the waies of God the People of God and that out of malice No I confess I have opposed them but the Lord knows I did it ignorantly it was not out of malice then remember the description of this Sin Thirdly VVhether I or no do not you desire to be humbled for every Sin though it be never so smal Yes for though I know that my greatest Humiliation cannot placare Deum make an attonement for my Sin yet I know that the least Humiliation in truth doth placere Deo please God and it is my Duty to be humbled for every sin for the least sin is a great evil and he that commands Humiliation for the one commands it for the other also and through Grace I desire to be humbled for every sin why then you cannot have sin'd against the Holy Ghost for it is impossible that they that sin this Sin should be renewed to Repentance Fourthly Whether I or no do not you desire above all things the breathings of the Spirit of God upon your heart Yes O! that God would come and breath upon my poor soul in Duty But those that sin against the Holy Ghost do despight to the Spirit of Grace Hebrews 10. Fiftly Where do you find in al the Bible That those that sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost are afraid that they have sinned it those that sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost This alone satisfied Mistriss Drake a Woman much troubled in Conscience she was afraid she had sinned against the Holy Ghost Mr. Dod of blessed Memory came to her and told her That therefore she had not sinned the Sin against the Holy Ghost Because she feared she had sinned it for those that sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned it and she acknowledged it did satisfie her and she was thereupon comforted Now therefore where is the man or woman that hath labored under such a fear as this O! I have sinned this unpardonable Sin Art thou one that fearest thou hast sinned it I tel thee from the Lord thou art free from it and thou maist go home and say thus Though I have sinned much for which the Lord humble me yet I bless God I am kept from this great Sin And O! my beloved what a mercy is it That among all the sins that we have committed That yet we should be kept from this great Sin The greater the evil is the greater is the mercy to be kept from it Now I pray What is the misery of this Sin Is it not a great misery to be past Prayer to be thrown out of the Prayers of the Saints For such a one pray not saith the Apostle Is it not a great misery for a man to be beyond the line of Mercy a man that hath sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser Spiritually than a man that is sick of the Plague outwardly for if a man be sick of the Plague ye pray for him and say Lord have mercy upon him but if a
man have sinned this Sin he is past Prayer and past Pardon he is past Sacrifice the truth is this man is in the Devils case The Devil you know is reserved in Chains unto the great Day and he cannot get out So if a man hath sinned this Sin though he live ten yeers twenty yeers or thirty yeers he is reserved in Chains and he shal never be pardoned he is upon the Devils ground O! what a misery is it to commit this Sin O! what a mercy is it then to be kept from it Now here is Hope for the greatest Sinner in the Congregation upon this account saith our Savior All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men except the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost Hast thou therefore been a great Sinner Hast thou been a Drunkard Hast thou been a Wanton Hast thou been a Swearer Hast thou been an Opposer of the People of the Lord and hath the Lord kept thee from this great transgression Man or Woman here is Hope yet Who would not then turn to God Come Drunkard Swearer Wanton here is yet hope for thy soul who would not come in to Christ And O! What Comfort is here for Beleevers that are in Christ If thou beest in Christ and a Beleever thou canst not sin this Sin that look as it is with a man that hath sinned this Sin he cannot be pardoned so if a man be the Child of God a Beleever in Christ he cannot sin this Sin for he that is born of God sinneth not neither can he for the Seed of God abides in him O! you that are Beleevers comfort your selves with this Truth Here is Comfort for all the People of the Lord from this Doctrine Applic. 4 But in the fourth place If the Sin against the Holy Ghost be indeed the unpardonable Sin what cause have we al to look to our steps to our words to our actions Beloved this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the Professors Sin a man less than a Professor cannot sin this Sin against the holy Ghost this Sin against the holy Ghost is the knowing mans sin a man less than a knowing man cannot sin the Sin against the holy Ghost And as I said before a man may possibly go very far in sin and yet not commit this great unpardonable Sin So now on the other side I say Possibly a man may go very far in Religion and yet he may sin this Sin These Pharisees that committed it had the Key of Knowledg knowing they were and very knowing in the Scriptures as for Zeal they travelled Sea and Land to make a Proselyte for their Practice they fasted twice a week exceeding strict in observing the Sabboth day the Lights of the Church and the Eyes of all the People were upon them for their Guides and yet these men sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost O! what care should there be in al our souls how had we al need to look to our waies The more Truth revealed the more danger of sinning this Sin the more great Works of God are done by the very Spirit and Finger of God if men do oppose and blaspheme the more danger of sinning this great Sin Now I wil appeal to you When was there ever more Light revealed than in these daies of ours yet when more opposing and blaspheming of it When were there ever such great Works done by the very Spirit and Finger of God and yet when more opposing and blaspheming Are there not some that have been convinced that the Spirit of God breathed upon their hearts in such and such Ordinances and such and such Waies and yet now oppose and blaspheme those very waies of God wherein they said heretofore they had the Spirit of God Are there not some that are convinced that in these Times great things are done by the very Finger by the Power and Arm of God among us and that in order to our salvation and yet how do men speak against them and blaspheme I wil not say that these men do it out of malice and therefore I do not charge this Sin against the Holy Ghost upon them But beloved in the Lord this is certain That in knowing Times Times when God is doing great things by his own Finger then is this Sin stirring most The Times of Christ and of the Apostles were Times of great Light when God wrought by his own Finger then was this Sin committed Now in these Times there is much breaking forth of Light and great things done by the very Finger of God therefore I say there is great danger if men do now blaspheme wherefore I say again take heed to your souls you that are Professors look to your steps in these daies of ours Quest But you wil say We grant indeed that this Sin against the Holy Ghost is the unpardonable Sin and wo be to them that do fal into it and it cannot be committed but by a knowing man but what shall we do that we may be kept from this great Transgression that whatsoever sin we do fall into yet we may be kept from this great Evil and this unpardonable Sin Answ I would that you would mind and consider the Description which you have heard and think of it But I wil tel you what David did saith David O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression It seems then that presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression When is a man said to sin presumptuously When a man sins upon this score That God wil shew mercy to him saying I know indeed it is not good for me to go to such a wicked Company it is a sin so to do but I wil venture and repent afterwards for God wil shew mercy To venture upon a sin presuming that God wil shew mercy and that a man shal repent afterwards is presumption and presumptuous sinning makes way to this great Transgression therefore would you be kept from this great Transgression go to God with David and say O Lord keep back thy Servant from presumptuous sins so shall I be free from the great transgression Again Be alwaies humbled for lesser sins He shal never fal into the greatest that is alwaies humbled for the least he shal never fall into the worst that is alwaies humbled for the smallest Besides Fear is the Keeper of Innocency Timor innocentiae custos Fear is the Guard of Innocency If you alwaies fear to commit it you shal never commit the same In case that you do at any time fal into sin say Well but through the Grace of God though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good by the Grace of God I wil carry this Rule along with me Though I commit what is evil I wil never oppose what is good In case any great Work be done before you that lies beyond your reach and beyond your fatham say Though I do not understand
and infirmity Perkins Cases Book 1. Chap. 2. Whether every Sin that a godly man doth commit be a Sin of infirmity I answer No. Because there are some Sins that a godly man doth commit which he hath strength to avoid Somtimes the word Infirmity is taken largely for all Sin which Jesus Christ our High Priest doth sympathize with us in So Heb 4. Peccatum ex infirmitate est cujus est determinata causa instigà ns ita ut sine tali causa non sieret Corduba Lib. 2. Quest 8. Ut peccatum sit ex infirmitate ita debere fieri ex passione ut ipsa sit sufficiens causa qua ablata tale peccatum non sequeretur Vasquez in 12. Co. 1. Q. 77. Art 3. We have not such an High Priest who cannot be touched with our infirmities And thus al the Sins of the Godly may be and are Sins of Infirmity But properly and strictly an Infirmity is that Sin which a man is taken captive by against his wil Rom. 7. that is against the general bent and frame of his heart which he hath not present strength to resist So Rom. 15.1 Ye which are strong ought to bear the infirmities of those that are weak And thus every Sin that a Godly man commits is not a Sin of Infirmity Secondly If you ask Whether any Sin that a wicked man doth commit be a Sin of Infirmity I answer Infirmity cannot properly be said to be in them in whom sin hath firmity and strength and where there is no power of grace at all Perk. Cases Book 1. Chap. 2. No Because he hath no spiritual Life and infirmity is in one that hath life and therefore a wicked man being dead his Sin that he commits cannot be called a Sin of Infirmity Thirdly If you ask Whether any great gross foul sâ—â—ndalous Sin be or can be a Sin of Infirmity I answer No Because it is a sickness as Austin wel observes and not a weakness for saith he there is a great deal of difference between Aegrotus and Infirmus If a man have some distemper and ailment in his Body and yet he beaâ—s up to his meat and to his work he is not sick but he hath an infirmity this is weakness but if a man have a distemper and illness in his Body whereby he is driven both from meat and work and doth lie by it then it is not an infirmity but a sickness So Spiritually Sicut corpori noxium est escam corporalem non posse percipere ita animae periculosum eâ— spiritales delitias fastidite August If a man have a failing and yet through the Grace of God he bears up to meat and work it is an infirmity but if he sin and thereby be driven both from meat and work through the commission of some gross sin this is a sickness this is no weakness or infirmity So then properly the Sin of Infirmity is that Sin which is committed by one that is spiritually alive unto God and which doth arise from want of strength to resist and not from will to commit And thus you see briefly what the Nature of this Sin of Infirmity is Quest But yet this doth not come neer enough When may a man he said to sin a Sin of Infirmity and how shall I know whether any sin be of that Rate of sins or no For if the Lord will not cast a man off for a sin of infirmity it concerns me to consider what kind of sins my sins are There are some sins that God doth reject men for as in the case of Saul God rejected him for his sin when may a man therefore be said to sin out of infirmity Answ For Answer unto this First I shal speak unto some Mistakes Secondly I wil speak somthing unto it Negatively and somthing Affirmatively First for Mistakes There are Mistakes on both hands Some think that the Sins which they commit are not Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are And some think that their sins are Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are not Both on the right hand and on the left hand men are mistaken about this matter On the left hand Men think that their Sins are Infirmities when indeed they are not and that upon a four-sold accompt Bâ—cause their Sin is but smal in bulk or because that they are tempted and drawn into their Sin by others and because they do strive against their sin and because they are troubled after it 1. I think wil some say that my sin is a Sin of Infirmity Minuta peccata si negligantur occidunt minutae sunt guttae quae flumina implent minuta sunt grana arenae sed si multa arena imponatur premit atque opprimit hoc facit sentina neglecta quod facit fluctus irruens Paulatim per sentinam intrat sed diu intrando et non ex hauriendo mergit navim August Tom. 6. Tract 13. in Joan. 3. Ne putemus parvum esse has culpas quae sunt plures arenâ—iae parvae sunt sed tot possunt esse ut obruant citius quam saxum ingens infirma res est una locusta sed quae plaga major agris quam multitudo illarum Euseb Nieremberg de adoratione Lib. 2. Cap. 13. Cum Deus tantus sit nihil est parvum quod ei displicet aut quod ei placet quicquid est bonum statim est magnum quicquid malum statim hic non est parvum Non est parvum quod censetur minimum cum in minimis stet perfectio Eâ—ubesse te vinci a parvis nam ab hosse exili et pumilione sterni tur pissimum et ignavi signum Id. Cap. 14. because it is but smal But if you look into 1 Sam. 15. you may read that Sauls Sin for which the Lord rejected him was of no great outward bulk for he spared the Fatlings that he might sacrifice thereby and though he spared the King Agag it was neither murder that he committed nor adultery nor drunkenness yet saith the Lord unto him Thy sin is as the sin of Witchraft A great many smal sins may make as great a bulk as one gross sin yea possibly there may be much sinfulness and evil in committing of a smal sin for as amongst men it is the greatest incivility to break with another for a smal matter so with God to break with God for a smal thing is a great unworthiness and ingratitude Thus did Adam in eating the forbidden fruit the smalness of the thing to be done aggravated his sin and the smaller the thing is the more unworthiness it is to break with God in so little a smal leak neglected may sink the Ship as wel as the most boisterous and greatest wave and much skil may be seen in a smal work a little watch c. So your skil in sinning may be seen in a smal sin his sin is never smal that thinks it smal And if this be true That there is no
into it after I have been admonished of the evil of it Answ To that I say no more but desire you to consider the Instance that is here before you The Disciples slept our Lord and Savior Christ comes and wakens them yea and he chides them too what saith he cannot ye watch with me one hour watch and pray and yet they slept again and he comes and wakens them again and admonisheâ—h them again and yet they slept again Possibly therefore a man may fal into the same Sin again and again yea even after Admonition and yet it may be a Sin of Infirmity Yet how many poor souls are there that are mistaken here on the right hand and do think that their Sins are no Sins of Infirmity when indeed they are Quest But if there be such mistakes how shall we then know whether our Sins be Sins of Infirmity Answ 1 First Negatively That is no Sin of Infirmity which is a gross foul scandalous Sin committed with deliberation and consultation It is said of David that he turned not aside to the right hand or to the left save only in the matter of Vriah It seems then that in this matter he did turn aside but why is it said that he turned aside here and not in other things did he not Sin at other times Yes very often but there is a difference between missing ones way and turning aside out of ones way a man may ignorantly miss his way or unadvisedly but he that turns aside out of his way doth it voluntarily and deliberately and so did David here in this case and not in others this act was a foul fact which he was able and had strength to avoid committed with much deliberation and therefore it was no Sin of Infirmity So that if a mans Sin committed be a gross foul scandalous Sin committed with deliberation and consultation this is no Sin of Infirmity Answ 2 Secondly If the Sin be a Ring-leader unto other foul Sins it is no Sin of Infirmity the Ring-leading Sin is the most hainous Sin you shal observe therefore that when Samuel was raised up whether it was true Samuel or false I wil not now debate when he was raised up by the Witch of Endor in 1 Sam. 28. the only Sin that Samuel laies to the charge of Saul is this at verse 18. That he obeyed not the Voyce of the Lord in executing his fierce wrath upon Amalek Because thou obeyed'st not the voyce of the Lord nor executed'st his fierce wrath upon Amalek saith Samuel therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day Moreover the Lord wil also deliver Israel with thee into the hands of the Philistims If you read this story you shal find that this only Sin Samuel doth instance in Saul had committed other Sins Saul had persecuted David and out of malice and had committed great Sins why doth Samuel instance in this Sin above al other Sins but because this Sin was the Ring-leading Sin unto al the Sins that Saul did commit and therefore this is charged upon him especially as a great and a hainous Sin And you see how it is amongst men if there be a rebellion or insurrection they take the Ring-leader and hang up him for say they this is the great Transgressor for he is the Ring-leader So amongst Sins the great Sin is the Ring-leader and therefore if your Sin be a Ring-leader unto other soul Sins it is not a Sin of Infirmity That 's the Second Answ 3 Thirdly A Sin of Presumption is not a Sin of Infirmity Sins of Presumption and Sins of Infirmity are set in opposition one to the other in Numbers 15. and Psalm 19. Now I pray when doth a man sin out of Presumption but when he sinneth because God is merciful when he sinneth because his Sin can and may stand with Grace when he sinneth because the Sin is but an infirmity when he sinneth because he shal repent afterwards Now this is ordinary I have read of a certain yong man who being admonished of the evil of his way and course and pressed to leave his wickedness by the consideration of Judgment Eternity and Death a coming that he said Why tel ye me of these things I wil do wel enough for when Death comes I wil speak but three words and wil help al and so he went on in the way of his Sin but in the end coming to a Bridg on Hors-back to go over a deep Water the Horse stumbling and he laboring to recover his Horse could not but at last he let go the Bridle and gave up himself and Horse to the Waters and was heard to say these three words Devil take all Here was three words indeed Diabolus capiat omnia and an Example for all men who think to repent with a three-word Repentance at last viz. Lord have mercy to take heed by Miserere mei Deus Such is the end of Presumption and when a man doth therefore sin the rather because God is merciful or because the Sin is but a Sin of Infirmity or because he hopes to repent afterward or because his Sin may and can stand with Grace this is a Sin of Presumption and is no Sin of Infirmity Sins of Presumption are no Sins of Infirmity Answ 4 Fourthly If the Sin be a reigning Sin Potest autem dici infirmitas in anima ad similitudinem infirmitatis corporis dicitur autem corpus esse infirmum quando debilitatur vel impeditur in executione propriae operationis propter aliquam inordinationem partium corporis ita Scil. quod humores et membra hominis non subdantur virtuti regitivae et motivae corporis unde et membrum dicitur infirmum esse quando non pòtest perficere operationem membri sani unde et infirmitas animae dicitur quando impeditur anima in propria operatione propter inordinationem partium ipsius partes autem corporis dicuntur esse inordinatae quâ—ndo non sequuntur ordinem naturae ita et partes animae dicâ—ntur esse inordinata quando non subduntur ordini rationis c. Tho. Aquin. 12. Quest 77 Art 3. then it is no Sin of Infirmity for when Sin reigns Grace doth not therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 6. Let not Sin have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace and when Sin reigns it is in its ful strength Now a Sin of Infirmity is not therefore called infirmity because as the School-men would it doth make a man infirm by impeding and hindering the vital operations of the Soul for then al Sins and especially the greatest should be Sins of Infirmity But it is said to be a Sin of Infirmity because it doth arise from weakness the strength thereof being taken out and mortified and therefore a reigning Sin can be no Sin of Infirmity Now Sin reigneth in a man 1. When it hath the command of his Duties his Spiritual Duties When a Master commands a
death there is a sin which may stand with Grace and there is a sin which cannot stand with Grace there is the spot of the Godly and there is the spot of the Wicked there is a gross sin a reigning sin and there is a sin of infirmity there is a sin for which God wil leave and cast off the sinner witness Judas's sin the sin of the false Disciple and there is a sin for which God wil not cast one off witness the sin of these true Disciples O! then what cause have we to make it out to our own souls whether our sins be sins of infirmity or not Quest But it seems that all the sins of the Godly are not sins of Infirmity and God will not cast off a Godly man for any sin What advantage therefore hath this sin of Infirmity above other sins or what disadvantage do the other sins of the Godly labor under which this sin of infirmity doth not Answ 1 Much very much For though my sin be great yet if it be a sin of Infirmity it shal not hinder the present acceptance of my Duty Hezekiah and the People were not prepared according to the preparation of the Sanctuary that was his and their weakness but he prayed and the Lord heard his prayer So David said in his hast I am cast out of thy sight this was his infirmity yet he prayed withal and saith he Nâ—vertheless thou heard'st the voyce of my supplication But if a man a good man do fall into a foul gross and scandalous sin though the Lord pardon it to him afterward yet it wil suspend his present communion with God Answ 2 Although my sin be great yet if it be but an Infirmity it shall not hinder the sence of my Justification A foul and scandalous breach upon our Sanctification wil make a breach upon the sence of our Justification but though the sin be great yet if it be but an Infirmity it shal not make a breach upon the sence of our Justification Answ 3 Though my sin be great yet if it be but an Infirmity there is a pardon that lies in course for it and though it be good to repent of every sin with a distinct and particular Repentance yet it is not necessary that there should be a particular Repentance for every sin of Infirmity If a man though a good man do commit a grosâ— foul and scandalous sin there must be a particular Repentance for it and without that there wil be no peace no true peace in his soul but if the sin be only a sin of infirmity a general Repentance may and wil serve for that Who knows the errors of his Life saith David Lord clense thou me from my secret faults Answ 4 Though a mans sin be great yet if it be but an Infirmity it shal never bring a scourge upon his Family It is a great misery to a good Parent to see his Family scourged for his sin Possibly the sins of a Godly man may bring a rod on his Family Because of this saith the Lord to David the Sword shall never depart from thine house But now if the sin be only a sin of Infirmity my Family shal never be scourged for that Answ 5 And though my sin be great yet if it be but a sin of Infirmity it shal never spoil my Gifts nor make them unprofitable If a man have great Gifts praying exercising Gifts and his Life be scandalous what saith the World I this man hath exceeding good Gifts indeed but do ye see how he lives A scandalous Life soils and spoils his Gifts and doth make them unuseful But now if my sin be only a Sin of infirmity it shal never soil my Gifts so as to make them unuseful and unprofitable unto others Surely then there is a great and a vast difference between this Sin of Infirmity and another Sin and therefore why should we not labor to make it out with cleerness to our own souls what kind of sins our sins are Every man almost thinks that his Sin is a Sin of Infirmity Come to the Drunkard Swearer Adulterer Opposer and these wil tel you that their Sins are but Sins of Infirmity they wil rail at and oppose the People of God and yet their sins are but Sins of Infirmity Swear and swear dayly yet their sins are but Sins of Infirmity go to the Tap-house Play-house Whore-house and yet their Sins but Sins of Infirmity the vilest of men think their Sins are only Infirmities But is there such a great difference between Sins and Sins this and the other Sins Then why should we not look wishly into our condition consider our waies and labor to make it out with cleerness to our own souls whether our Sins be Sins of Infirmity or not Quest But suppose that upon due search and examination I find that my Sin is no other than a sin of Infirmity which will not cast me off although through my weakness I do fall into it again and again what then Answ Then several Duties follow and accordingly you are to take up these and the like gracious Resolutions If my Sin be a Sin of Infirmity and no other then through Grace Deletur iniquitaâ— manet infirmitas August Sed Quare Deus talia peccata sinit fieri à suis cur sic impingere eos permittit respondetur ex effectis ideo ita permittit Deus ut occasionem accipiat multarum bonarum rerum non enim labantur sancti ut pereunt sed ut copiose eis Deus benefaciat ut lapsus principio operetur humilitatem deinde invocationem ut nos excitet ut nobis ipsis irascamur et nos damnemus ut majori studio caveamus Luth. in Gen. cap. 20. wil I observe what Gods design is in suffering and leaving such Infirmities in me and wil labor what I can and may to promote and advance that design God could have freed me from all Sin these Infirmities as wel as the greater but God hath some great designs in leaving of these Infirmities as that I may be alwaies humbled that I may be alwaies upon the work of mortification that Jesus Christ may be the more sweet and precious to me that I may live in continual dependance on him that I may not gather up the assurance of my Salvation only from my Sanctification but from the free Grace of God and his absolute Promise that I may be weary of my present state and groan after Heaven where no imperfections are and that I may learn to pity others and therefore through Grace I wil do what I can to help on these Designs If my Sin be but a Sin of Infirmity and God will not cast me off for it then through the Grace of God wil I never beleeve these false reports of Christ and those misrepresentations of him which Satan would put upon him whereby he would perswade me and others that our Lord Christ is an hard Master as Satan doth labor
it was a great matter she did Why Because she did it by Faith And so the Woman of Sarepta when the Prophet said give me a Cake first it was no great matter that her Faith was imployed about a Cake and a little that she did but a great matter in giving him first So that I say Faith may do great things although it be not imployed about great matters O! but I do great things and therefore I hope I have this true saving Faith I do great things that is wel But I pray only consider this Those things are great which are great in their own present Generation that which was a great matter heretofore may be a smal matter now and that which was a smal matter heretofore may be a great matter now In the times of the Bishops it was a smal matter then to keep the Doctrine of Religion and a great matter to oppose the Ceremonies Now it is a smal matter to oppose the Ceremonies and a great matter to keep the Truth and the Doctrine of Religion I say that which was a great matter before may be a smal matter now and that which was but a smal matter heretofore may be a great matter now But if your Faith be true you wil do great things there wil be some great thing or other found in your Life and such as are great indeed Applic. 2 If this Doctrine be true In case Christians that you have any great work to do cal in for Faith cal in for Faith In case ye have a great outward imployment you wil send to the most skilful man in that Faculty If it be to build a House or go to Law you wil cal in for the most skilful Agent True saving Faith is a great Agent a great Worker and therefore if you have any great work to do cal in Faith look to your Faith It is said of Mr. Tyndal in the Story of his Life there being a Conjurer in the Low Countries where he lived that would undertake to fetch a Dish of Meat off any Princes Table and make a great Dinner for his Friends and it being reported he had often done it they being met together to behold this Skil Mr. Tyndal would go in among them and he sets himself to beleeve that this Fellow should not be able to do it and when al his Company was met together he could not do it saith he There sits the man that hinders me O! Faith can do more than al the Conjurers in the World Have you any great matter to do Christians Cal in for Faith And certainly there are yet great things to do Antichrist to fal the Jews to be called great things to be done for this Land God hath done great things yet greater things are to be done God hath done great things for your and my Family there are yet greater things to be done God hath done great things for your Soul there are yet greater things to be done When any great thing is to be done Christians Christians Cal in for Faith set Faith a work now Quest You wil say What shall we do and bow shall we so improve our Faith as we may do great things thereby Answ 1 First of al Study much the greatness of God for the more you study the greatness of God the more wil your mind be grandeur'd greatened and your Faith strengthened Children do little things because their minds are not upon great things Kings and Princes are the great men of the Earth they do great things for their minds are great they have great minds Why Because their minds are exercised about great things Saith Solomon I wil build a House a great House Why For it is to the great God Would you do great things study much the Greatness of God Thus wil your mind be great and your Faith strengthened to do great things Secondly If you would to improve your Faith as you may do great things thereby keep close to the Ordinances of God Faith lives upon God in the Ordinances Those that cast off the Ordinances do not live by Faith What then By Experiences by Revelations Impressions and Visions I had almost said by Fancies they do not live by Faith Faith lives upon God in the use of Ordinances and it gathers strength thereby Look I pray again into 2 Chron. 13. and you shal see how Abijah's Faith was raised by Faith he overcame Jeroboam and slew five hundred thousand of them together but I pray how did he strengthen his Faith Mark the words And Jeroboam came out against him and Abijah stood upon a Mountain and said Hear ye me Jeroboam and all Israel verse 4. Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the Kingdom of Israel to David for ever And verse 9. Have ye not cast out the Priests of the Lord the Sons of Aaron and the Levites and have made you Priests after the manner of the Nations of other Lands So that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a yong Bullock and seven Rams the same may be a Priest of them that are no Gods But as for us see how he strengthens his Faith the Lord is our God and we have not forsaken him and the Priests which Minister unto the Lord are the Sons of Aaron and the Levites wait upon their business and they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt Sacrifices and sweet Incense the Shew-bread also set in order upon the pure Table and the Candlestick of God with the Lamps thereof to burn every evening for we keep the Charge of the Lord our God but ye have forsaken him and behold God himself is with us for our Captain c. He argues God had not forsaken him because they had not forsaken the Ordinances Would you therefore so improve your Faith as you may do great things thereby keep close to Ordinances Thirdly If you would so improve your Faith as you may do great things thereby do not check your Faith do not rate off your heart from beleeving do not chide off your heart from beleeving let your heart beleeve to the utmost Our Lord and Savior Christ hath given us a very good encouragement in this respect for saith he I say unto you Whatsoever things ye desire when ye pray beleeve that ye shall receive them and ye shall have them Do but beleeve it saith our Savior Christ I charge you saith he do not doubt do not chide off your Faith do not check your Faith do not rate off your heart from beleeving there are many do so they check their Faith by doubting and rate off their Faith by Unbelief Fourthly If you would so improve your Faith that you may do great things thereby use your Faith to do smal things put your Faith to work every day use your Faith to do smal things It is a good Rule Do not commit any sin because it is smal do not neglect any Duty because it is not