This may comfort and support thee much under thy failings and miscarriages in some particular duties but if this be thy case in ordinary in the main of thy life that to will is all thou hast thou art not a Christian He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And he that hath the Spirit of Christ it is in him as the living power of God actually carrying him on in an holy life Ezek. 36. 27. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I will not only command perswade incline you but cause you It shall be done my Spirit shall bring you on and help you through Yâ— shall keep my Staâ—utes and do them Where-ever the Spirit of God hath breathed in the life of grace there are more than breathings out after a gracious life Sincere grace hath more in it than wishings and wouldings than attempts and overtures Life is a power to act Phil. 2. 12 13. Work out your salvation for it is God that workeâ—h in you to will and â—o do Where-ever God worketh the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 velle he works also the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 operari Where-ever God works in he gives us a power to work out the works of Christiâ—nity Oh rest not till thou find thy self endued with this power from on high inabled to go through with thy work They are not thy Attempts but thy Atchievements they are not thy Offers at an holy life but thy acting it that must prove thee a Christian He that doth rightâ—ousness is righteous Be it thus with thee be all to Christ let Christ be all to thee let all Christ be accepted and improved by thee heartily accept the merit of Chrisâ— Righteousness submit to the light and authority of his Law get thy self possest with and live in the power of his Spirit be it thus with thee come up hither and then thou art safe Thy almost is now come to altogether and if I must now leave thee thou wilt be the better able to spare me These things do and the God of peace shall be with thee Thou art gotten into Sanctuary and now what-ever Tossings and Tumblings whatsoever unpleasing or afflicting changes may be thy lot in this World thou may'st sing that Requiem to thy self Return unto thy rest O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Gothy way eat thy Bread with joy and drink thy Wine with amerry heart for God now accepteth thee Though thou walkest through the shadow of Death thou may'st now sit thee down under the shadow of thy Lord with great delight and with great security whose fruit shall be ever sweet to thy taste Though thou dwellest in Mesech and hast thy Habitation among the Tents of Kedar yet thou may'st lay thee down in peace and take thy rest for the Lord doth the Lord will make thee to dwell in safety 2. To the Godly Happy Souls The God of Peace is with you all things shall work for good to you only that he may continue with you continue you with him in the obedience of that Gospel to which you have delivered up your selves My Exhortation to you shall be 1. General Respecting the whole course of your Lives 2. Particular Respecting your daily Walk My general Exhortation shall be bottomed on that of the Apostle Phil. 1. 27 28. Let your Conversation be as it becometh the Gospel of Christ that whether I come and see you or else be absent I may hear of your Affaires that you stand fast in one Spirit with one Mind striving together for the Faith of the Gospel In nothing terrified by your adversaries which is to them an evident token of perdition but to you of Salvation and that of God Let your conversation be as it becometh the Gospel Walk worthy of the Gospel let your lives be suitable and answerable to the Holy Gospel which yoâ— profess 1. Let your lives answer the ends of the Gospel the exaltation of the Name and glorious Grace of God in Christ live an humble self-denying self-abasing this is a Christ exalting life 2. Let your life answer â—he Dignities and Honours the Gospel invests you with You are the children of God the Heirs of Glory the Spouse of Christ the Bride the Lambs Wife You are a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people know your priviledges and do not live below your selves defile not your glory by stooping to a Carnal and Earthly Life a Jewel is not more unbecoming a Swines snout than fleshly Husks a Saints Palate 'T is below you who are peculiar people to your God to live in common with the Men of â—his World humble your selves into the least of Saints but do not humble your selves into Bruits a Live in the Spirit converse with God be dealing for Glory Honour and Immortality 3. Let your Lives answer the Names which the Gospel puts upon you Doves Lambs Lillies be harmless peaceable gentle beautiful fragant sending forth a precious savour in the World 4. Let your Lives answer the Riches the Reward the Crown the Kingdom which the Gospel sets before you Live a contented life be satisfied be well pleased with what you have here be it little or much disgrace not your portioâ— the Gospel allots you as if it â—re a poor insufficient portion Let your souls â—â—y How small an handful soever you have of this Earth it is enough Christ is mine A discontented Christian says Christ is not enough Heaven is not enough Let the Contentation of thy Spirit declare before the World that the Lines are fallen to thee in 〈◊〉 pleasant place and that thou hast a goodly heritage Do not put this Scorn upon God and Glory that thou must be beholding to the Devil to mend thy portion Christian either thou art within the Promise or a stranger from it Either thou hast the God of Peace with thee or not If not me-thinks thou shouldst find other matter to take up thy thoughts and not have leasure to perplex thy self with every trivial want that thy meat or thy drink or thine house or the carriage of thy friends towards thee are not according to thy mind thy Soul thy Soul man thy life is in danger Oh what an Eternity art thou like to have of it Canst thou want a God a Christ an Heaven and thine heart never stir at it And is the dissatisfaction of thy vain mind or appetite such a Burthen Is the Devil in thy heart and it never moves thee and shall an ill neighbour be a vexation to thee Canst thou feel a Feather when thou hast a Talent upon thee The Curse the Curse of God is upon thee I cannot wonder thou shouldst be discontent but me-thinks these small matters by a man in thy case should not be minded If Christ and the Promise be thine is not that enough Are not all things enough God is all
my trust in Christ that I shall be saved What trust in Christ and not turn to Christ Hope to be saved by Christ and refuse to be sanctified Will Christ redeem those from the Curse who will not be redeemed from iniquity Jer. 7. 9. Will ye steal and murther and commit Adultery and swear falsly c. And come and stand before me in my House and say we are delivered to do all these abominations Will you do wickedly walk in all manner of wantonnesse lasciviousnesse lust excesses c. and then come and take hold of a Redeemer as if you were delivered to do all this wickednesse Is my House become a Den of Robbers Are the Redeemed of the Lord a generation of Rebels Enemies of all Righteousnesse Lyars Proud Covetous Blasphemers Are these the followers of the Lamb 'T is true the Apostle sayes Such were some of you 1 Cor. 6. 11. Yet he adds But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Christianity without Godliness this is a fancy indeed Let every one that nameth the Lord Jesus depart from iniquity either turn from iniquity or talk no more of Christ a Christian and an Infidel are not more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 than a Christian and a Libertine Take heed sinners and let not the Gospel undo you let not Mercy damn you put not your Faith to do the sad office of infidelity Beloved let it never be said while the Just live you must die by your Faith this is like to be your case you would never have dared so to have slighted Holiness and persisted in sin had it not been for your trust in Christ You must count Christ to be no Christ no Redeemer or but an half or deceitful Redeemer if you count your selves good Christians while you are yet in your sins You must have another Christ another Gospel ere ever you can be saved in your sinful state Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them which are in Jesus Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit This is Gospel wherein you have the Redeemeds Charter and the Redeemeds Character His Charter He shall not come into condemnation His Character He walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit that is He is a man of a godly life Whom doth the Gospel secure from condemnation Why those that are in Christ But who are they Why only those who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit those that walk otherwise can have no benefit by the Gospel You all stand as convicted malefactors guilty of death you have sinned and what have you to say why you should not dye and have your sentence of condemnation past upon you May be you will call for a Psalm of mercy my Book Lord my Book the Gospel will I hope secure me No sinner thou canst not have it thou art one that livest after the flesh and canst not have the benefit of the Gospel This is the Law and the Gospel says not one word to reverse it If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Christ never intended the benefit of his Redemption to any of you whether you would repent or no be holy or no you may as well write for Gospel this He that believeth shall be damned as this He that obeyeth not the Gospel shall be saved And you may as well say that sinning is serving of Christ as that those that live after the flesh obey the Gospel 4. The Doctrine of Regeneration is a real truth There are three things most evident concerning this 1. That there is such a change and that necessary to salvation 2. That this is a great and mighty change 3. That this is an inward and Soul-change 1. That there is such a grace as Regeneration and that necessary to salvation 1 Joh. 3. 3. Verily verily or truly truly or certainly except a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God 2. That the change that is wrought by Regeneration is a great and a mighty change it is as great as the making something of nothing Regeneration is a new Creation it is as great as the raising up of persons from death to life Regeneration is a Resurrection You hath he quicked who were dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. 1. There is as great a power as much of Divinity manifested in quickning a dead soul as in raising a dead body When God would confirm the faith of the Jews concerning their Conversion and Restauration after their cutting off which the Apostle tells us shall be as life from the dead he evidences that he was able to accomplish it by his making dry bones to live Ezek 37. 3. Can these bones live Son of man prophesie unto â—ese bones say unto them Oh ye dry bones hear the Word of the Lord 'T was a strange service the Prophet was put upon but yet â—e prophesies and behold there was a great shaking and bone came to his bone and they were covered with sinews and with flesh and the breath of life was breathed into them and they stood upon their feet a great Army These bones saith the Lord are the house of Israel and Judah That is as they lay in their state of rejection from God and if the Lord could not have made the bones to live he had failed of his confirmation of their faith touching the Redemption of this dead people When the Ministers of the Gospel are sent forth to preach to sinners it is even as likely a service as if they had been sent among the Tombs and the Graves to prophesie to the Skulls and the Bones and the dust of the dead And if there were not a Divine and Almighty power accompanying their Ministry their successe would be the same as if they had been preaching the beasts of â—he field into Men or of Stones attempting to raise up Children unto Abraham 3. It is an Inward Soul change Regeneration is â—he uniting of dead Souls to Christ Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travel in birth untill Christ be formed in you Here note three things 1. That the result of this union with Christ is a new Life 1 John 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath Life Generatio unius est corruptio alterius In this Generation there is a Death and a Life 1. A Death Colos 3. 3. Ye are dead that is Your sins are dead your old man is dead Our old man is crucified with him Rom. 6. 2. A Life There is new sense and motion there is a living power communicated to souls united to Christ whereby they are enabled to move and act in such an holy spiritual and heavenly way as was impossible before Grace is a living thing that spirits and animates all the Faculties a new that puts life into all the duties and performances of the Saints which though for the matter of them they might
making they were intended to good works this was Gods minde and meaning he fore-ordained that they should walk in them He did not set up such a light in man to be put under a bushel he bestowed not such a talent on man to be bound up in a Napkin 2. That in their new making they were fitted to good works created to good works that is they were brought forth in such an holy nature indued with such a Divine light such holy principles powers affections dispositions and inclinations as fitted them for an holy active life And this Divine and excellent structure of this new creature do both signifie what life it is intended to and that this life to which it is intended is indeed an excellent life there is something sure in this godly life God did not new make men for nothing and something of worth and real excellency or else he would not have been at such cost in preparing men for it if there were no other godly life than that which the carnal world count godliness there needed no new Creation to fit men for it What is there in the whole frame of the Religion of the vulgar but a carnal man may reach to For the devotional part of it Saying or hearing of a prayer observing of dayes rites and customes c. What great difficulty is there in that May not a Publican do the same Yea may not a Harlot a Drunkard an Idiot do the same Such devotions will neither disturb their lusts nor yet will their lusts distate or disable such devotions and for the righteousness of it to love those that love them to be good neighbours to be no Extortioners no Adulterers c. there is not so very much in that do not even the Pharisees do the same What do you more than others said Christ to his Disciples What singular or excellent thing do you God hath done singularly well by you you are fearfully and wonderfully made as 't is true of the natural so much more of your new birth and curiously wrought not in the lower parts of the earth but in the highest heavens you are born from above God hath done more for you than for others what do you more than others Some it may be would have answered What do you more than others Why there 's no more to be done all that 's done more than others do is meer fancy or conceit But beloved when you look upon that sapless lifeless empty way of Religion which others are content with methinks your reasons should demand What hath God new-made me made me partaker of the Divine Nature of the life of God for no more but this hath God given such a glorious Gospel raised up such a mighty Saviour who hath shed such precious blood sent forth such a glorious spirit given commission to such multitudes of heavenly Ambassadors to Preach perswade beseech exhort to travel in birth with me till Christ hath been formed in me and all this to bring me to no better a life than this Surely there is something farther that the Lord hath been at all this cost and built this structure for Study this new birth study the new Creation more throughly and if you see not the most holy heavenly spiritual conversation that is pleaded for radically and seminally in the bowels of it then let godliness pass for a fancy for ever Let the Regenerate but live according to their new nature and if that be not the very godly life we contend with you about then call us what you will 5. Faith is no fancy Hebr. 11. 1. Faith is the ground or the subsistence of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen It hath a sure foundation on which it 's bottom'd that sure word of promise 2 Pet. 1. 19. To the which saith the Apostle ye do well that ye take heed There is a believing on Christ for Salvation and a believing that we shall be saved by Christ the former is called the direct act of faith and is the Souls accepting of Christ for Lord and Saviour and an adventuring anâ— resting upon him for life this is founded on the Rock of Ages on the veracity and faithfulnesse of that God that cannot lye who hath said John 3. 16. Whâ—soever believeth on his Son shall not perish but have everlasting life The latter in the Saints is called The Râ—flex of Faith and hath its Foundation partly on the Word of God without them partly on the Work of God within them And this Faith or rather this Act of Faith if the former hath been first put forth is such also as will never deceive As those that trust in God because they have the Word and Oath of God in which two immutable things it is impossible for God to lye shall not be confounded but have strong consolation So those that believe they shall be saved because they find their hearts purified who believe that their names are written in Heaven because they find the Law and Image of God written and engraven in their hearts who believe that they shall not come into condemnation because they are in Christ and walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit who believe they shall overcome death because they have overcome the World that they shall reap in mercy because they have sown in righteousnesse that they shall reap in joy because they have sown in tears that they shall receive the inheritance of Sons because they have received the Adoption of Sons who finding themselves firmly knit and joyned to the Lord are perswaded that neither Death nor Life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus their Lord. Those that on such grounds as these believe they shall be saved it shall certainly be unto them according to their faith if it be thus with them indeed if they be in Christ if they walk not after the flesh but after the Spâ—â—it if their hearts be purified c. The Word of the Lord stands good and sure to them that they shall not come into condemnation and they shall as infallibly be saved as if their particular names had been written in the promises The veracity of God stands as firmly engaged to make good conditional promises where the condition is fulfilled as if the promise had been absolute There is a faith which is a meer fancy The faith of Enthusiastsâ— who believe upon unscriptural Revelation who believe above and besides what is â—ritten the fâ—ith of Ignorants whose belief is according to the Athenians workship on the unknown God the faith of Idlers who believe they shall rest with Christ though they never laboured with him The faith of the profane who believe they shall be saved though they be not sanctified such faith is meer fancy opinion or presumption you may call
it rather than faith You that are ignorant idle profane and unsanctified and yet believe you shall be saved you believe a lye you believe that which God hath never said shall be nay you believe that which God hath said shall never be Jer. 27. 11. They are a people of no understanding therefore â—e that made them will not save them 1 Cor. 6. 11. Such shall never inherit the Kingdom of God Hear sinners hear God must be a lyar or your faith a lye But the faith of God's Elect such as hath been before described this is that precious tryed faith by which whosoever believes shall not be confounded Christians you that have obtained such precious faith a Christ-imbracâ—ng faith an heart-purifying a flesh-mortifying a world-conquering faith you may venture safely upon it if ever this faith deceive you God hath deceived you the Scriptures have deceived you Christ hath deceived you who hath prayed and we may be bold to turn Christ's prayer into a promise that this faith fail not let the Phanatick world laugh and mock and call your consolations delusions your confidence conceit or what they will let them alone you must give losers leave to talk and laugh yet cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of toward 6. The Doctrine concerning Good Works is a certain truth In this I shall shew First What we are to understand by Good Works A good work in general is an holy or gracious action to the making up whereof thâ—se four things are necessary 1. The principle must be good from which it proceeds it must be from an honest and upright heart for a pure conscience from faith unfeigned c. Mat. 12. 35. 1 Tim. 1. 5. 2. The matter must be good something that is commended Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee Isa 29. 13. Their fear towards me waâ— taught by the precepts of men 3. The form or manner of doing must be good it must be well done this takes in the conâ—ideration of all its circumstances of time place c. 4. The end must be good it must be done to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. As to the particular kinds of Good Works they are not easily to be reckon'd up The Papists talk little of any good works but the exercises of bounty and liberality in giving Alms feeding the hungry cloathing the naked visiting and relieving the afflicted building of Almes-houses Colledges and the like upon which they â—ufist so much as if there were scarce any other good works but such as these but we may not confine them within so narrow a compass Good works do signifie the same with a good life or a godly life the doing and observing all things which God hath commanded us Our living holily honestly circumspectly fruitfully imports the same with our doing good works the exercising of all the graces of Christ faith love hope c. The subduing and mortifying of lust and corruption the governing our hearts the governing our tongues the ordering of our carriages towards God and towards men all acts of Religion Righteousness Mercy Charity Praying Fasting Hearing Sanctifying the Sabbath Lending Giving Forgiving Peace-making Instructing Exhorting Reproving Denying our selves taking up our Cross following Christ Fighting the good fight of Faith laying up treasure in heaven and the like these are good works every thing is a good work concerning which God will say at last Well done good and faithful Servant In all these the Lord requires 1. That we act Ad extremum virium to our utmost Eccles 9. 10. What thine hand findeth to do and so what thy head or thy heart findeth to do do it with thy might Tit. 2. 14. Zealous of good works Rom. 12. 14. Not sloathful in business but servent in spirit serving the Lord Col. 1. 10. Fruitful in good works 1 Cor. 15. ult Abounding in the work of the Lord. 2. That we act in these Ad extremum vitae to the end of our dayes Deut. 6. 2. Fear the Lord thy God and keep all his statutes and his Commandments all the dayes of thy life 3. That we be doing Per totum vitae cursum without intermission there must not only be well-doing but a continuance in well-doing Rom. 2. God will not have any Chasms or vacuities in our lives but every day must be filled up with the duties of it Christians must not thin of getting to heaven persaltum they must not leap but walk they must not leap over a duty nor leap over a day nulla dies fine linea The Law of God doth not allow a day to sin not abate us one dayes work To demand a breathing time from the service of God is to desire so much time for the service of sin We are ever serving one Master or the other we are certainly serving sin when we are not in one way or other serving the Lord. Secondly That goâ—d works are necessary Necessary to salvation a so as though we are not like to be saved by our works yet we cannot be saved without them He that works not shall not eat bread in the Kingdom of God The everlasting Rest is not for loyterers but for labourers Mat 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in heaven Faith cannot save us without works The Apostle tells us Jam. 2. 26. Faith without works is dead and a dead faith cannot bring us to life Therefore the Apostle Paul so vehemently charges Tit. 3. 8. This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works for these things are good and profitable to men Where observe the Preface to the chaâ—ge This is a faithful saying that is a true saying and a great truth a worthy saying worthy to be delivered worthy to be received And these things I will that thou affirm constantly or teach constantly or strenuously or resolvedly be not beaten off from it Why what is this great truth Why â—his is it That they which have believed in God as ever they would that their faith should stand them in any stead must be careful to maintain good works not only to do good works but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to maintain or to excel and abound in good works these things are good and profitable to men Now let me demand of all the world where lies the Phanaticisme in any of all this Which of these Doctrines is it that is but a conceit Is it this that Christians must not onely be believers but must do good woâ—ks Is it this That they must work with all their might that they must be doing to the end of their dayes that they must continue at their work withoâ—t intermission that is that they must bestow noâ—e
reproached Mean you still to hold your course be it right or wrong come life come death Is there any among you whose heart smites him on the mouth and whispers him thus in the ear Blasphemest thou God revilest thou his servants and wilt thou still go on to pervert the good ways of the Lord Is there any among you that doth enquire what must I do to get into this way of life Let such of you hearken unto me whilest I give you these following directions Consider that I am now dealing with you about your entrance upon a godly life my present business is to help you over the threshold to get you within the straight gate you must first be Christians ere you can follow Christ you must first enter into the strait gate e're you can walk on in the narrow way Now if ever you would attain to the beginning of godliness take this course I. Get these three principles to be deeply fixed in your heart 1 That the things which are eternal are unspeakably more considerable than the things which are but temporal 2 Thaâ— things not sâ—en are as infallibly certain as the things which are seen 3 That according to your present choice must be your eternal lot 1 That the things which are Eternal are unspeakably more considerable then the things which are but temporal It 's nothing so considerable what men enjoy or suffer 〈◊〉 this world as what they shall enjoy or may suffer in the world to come There are good things temporal and good things Eternal and there are evil thinâ—s temporal and evil things Eternal the â—ood things Temporal are Meat and Drink and Money and Cloaths and Ease and Pleasures and Credit c. and the good thing Eternal aâ—e Gâ—ory and Joy and Best and everlasting blessedness the evil 〈◊〉 Temporal are the sufferings the losses and wants the sorrow and shame and scorn and torments that men fall under or lye under in this life the evill things to come are in one word the Vengeance of Eternal Fire The good things and the evil things of this life are more perceptible having the advantage of their presence and obviousness to our senses the good things and the evil things to come are less understood having the disadvantage of their distance and those clouds that do yet keep them out of fight and hereupon those are slighted and despised and these are looked upon as the onely considerable things till men be set right in their apprehensions of these things it will be a vain and fruitless attempt to perswade them to Christ mistakes and misapprehensions here are the grounds of mens miscarriages The difficulty of perswading sinners to Christ lies mainly here There is so much to be lost and left for Christ there is so much to be suffered undergone so much labour so much hardship and trouble that they cannot see how Christianity and Godliness can ever make them amends for what they are like to suffer they will not be made sensible that the things Eternal will ballance the things that are before them they will not easily be perswaded but that they shall be great losers by hearkning to Christ Now whence is it that men are thus foolish If they did but clearly understand and were deeply affected with the vast difference that is betwixt the vain glory of the world and the weight of that glory that is to come betwixt the light afflictions of this life and the astonishing torments of the other world they would sure be of another mind the great objections against godliness would then be all answered and removed Thou sayest Sinner it is hard to part with thine ease and thy pleasure and thy liberty and thy carnal contentments and delights which if thou wilt follow Christ thou seest must all go But how wilt thou bear it to be shut out of the everlasting Kingdome to be shut out from the presence of God Art thou indeed in the mind of that Atheist that said He would not leave his part in Paris for his part in Paradise Thou canst not indure the trouble and persecution of this world but how wilt thou endure the torments and plagues of the other world Oh if thou were but sensible what that exceeding eternal weight of glory is what thou wilt find everlasting death and darkness to be then what significant things would all things that are now before thee appear to be Satan would then want arguments to disswade sinners from Christ his tempting trade would quickly grow to be a poor trade if the concernments of Eternity were clearly understood and duly regarded When the Lord hath once shewed you the wonderful things of Eternity the true riches the enduring substance the lasting joys his rivers of pleasures together with the worm that never dieth and the fire that never shall be quenched When the Lord hath shewed you what a heaven he hath prepared for the Saints what an Oven he hath prepared for sinners then neglect Christ if you can then neglect holiness if you dare then look down and see what poor contemptible things the pleasures and the sufferings here below will appear to be Oh study things Eternal more lanch forth into these Deeps dwell upon the meditation of them till your hearts and all that is within you acknowledge and confess that things present are nothing to things to come 2. That the things that are not seen are as infallibly certain as the things that are seen There is much Atheism and Infidelity in the hearts of men and more then they are aware of if they do not peremptorily conclude there are no such things yet are there not many whose hearts do question at least Whether there be any such things or no We have read and heard of another World but no Mortal ever saâ— it who ever hath ascended up to Heaven and hath brought us word what he hath seen there Who ever hath descended into the Deep and brought us up tidings thence It may be there may be no such matter as another world If we could speak with one that hath been there that would be something to assure us But what if it appear that you may have as great certainty of these things as if one should rise from the dead and come and tell you Do not the Scriptures tell you of such things The Scriptures are a sure Word and there is unquestionable evidence of the truth of what they speak and you have as great reason to believe them as if you had the Testimony of one raised from the dead Luke 16. 31. They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not hear them neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead Beloved if you should see before your Eyes persons rising from the Dead if one should come down from Heaven and come in here into this Congregation in all his Glorious Robes with with his Palm in his hand his Crown on his head the joy and glory
First Set apart some time more than once to be spent in secret before the Lord. 1. In seeking earnestly his special assistance and gracious acceptance of you 2. In considering distinctly all the Termes or Conditions of the Covenant as they have been laid before you in the Directions already given you and are also expressed in the form hereafâ—er proposed 3. In searching your bearts whether you either have already or can now freely make such a closure with God in Christ as you have been exhorted to In special Consider what your sins aâ—e and examine whither you can resolve to forgo them all Consider what the Lawes of Christ are how holy strict and spiritual and whether you can upon deliberation make choice of them all even those that do most crosse your worldly interests beloved sins and corrupt inclinations as the rule of your whole life Be sure you be clear in these matters see that you do not lye unto God Consider whether however corruption will play its part and be pulling you back yet the prevailing part of you will be for God and Christ and all his holywayes Secondly Compose your spirits into the most serious frame possible sutable to a transaction of so high importance Thirdly Lay hold on the Covenant of God and rely upon his promise of giving grace and strength whereby you may be enabled to performe your promise Trust not to your own strength to the strength of your own resolutions but take hold on â—â—nstehigâ—s Fourthly resolve to be faithful Having engaged your hearts opened your mouths and subscribed with your hands to the Lord resolve in his strength never to go back Lastly Being thus prepared on some convenient time set apart for the purpose set upon the work and in the most solemn manner possible as if the Lord were visible present before your Eyes fall down on your knees and spreading forth your hands towards Heaven open your hearts to the Lord in these or the like words O Most dreadful God for the passion of thy Son I beseech thee accept of thy poor prodigal now prostrating himself at thy door I have fallen from thee by mine iniquity and am by Nature a Son of Death and a thousand-fold more the Childe of Hell by my wicked practice but of thine infinite Grace thou hast promised Mercy to me in Christ if I will but turn to thee with all my heart Therefore upon the Call of thy Gospel I am now come in and throwing down my Weapons submit my self to thy mercy And because thou requirest as the condition of my peace with thee that I should put away mine Idols and be at defi-ance with all thine enemies which I acknowledge I have wickedly sided with against thee I here from the bottom of my heart renounce them all firmelie covenanting with thee not to allow my self in any known sin but conscientiously to use all the meanes that I know thou hast prescribed for the death and utter destruction of all my corruptions And whereas I have formerly inordinately and idolatrously let out my affections upon the world I do here resigne my heart to thee that madest it humblie protesting before thy glorious Majestie that it is the firm Resolution of my heart and that I doe unfeignedly desire Grace from thee that when thou shalt call me hereunto I may practice this my resolution through thy assistance to forsake all that is dear unto me in this world rather then to turn from thee to the wayes of sin and that I will watch against all its Temptations whether of prosperity or adversiâ—y least they should withdraw my heart from thee beseeching thee also to help me against the Temptations of Satan to whose wicked suggestions I resolve by the Grace never to yield my self a Servant And because my own righteousness is but menstruous rags I renounce all confidence therein and acknowledge that I am of my self a hopeless helpless undone creature without righteousness or strength And forasmuch as thou hast of thy bottomless Mercie offered most Graciouslie to me wretched sinner to be again my God throug Christ if I woul accept of thee I call Heaven and Earth to record this day that I do here solemnly avouch thee for the Lord my God and with all possible veneration bowing the neck of my Soul under the feet of thy most sacred Majestie I do here take thee the Lord Jehovah Father Son and Holie Ghost for my portion and chief good and do give up my self bodie and soul for thy servant promising and vowing to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the daies of my life And since thou hast appointed the Lord Jesus Christ the onely means of coming unto thee I do here upon the bended knees of my Soul accept of him as the onely new and living way by which sinners may have access to thee and do here solemnly joyn my self in a marriage covenant to him O blessed Jesus I come to thee hungry and hardly bestead poor and wretched and miserable and blinde and naked a most loathsome polluâ—ed wretch a guilty condemned Malefactor unworthy for ever to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord much more to be solemnly married to the King of Glorie But 〈◊〉 such is thine unparallel'd love I do here with all my power accept thee and do take thee for my head and husband for better for worse for richer for poorer for all times and conditions to love and honour and obey thee before all others and this to the death I embrace thee in all thine offices I renounce mine own worthiness and do here avow thee to be the Lord my Righteousness I reâ—ounce mine own wisdome and do here take thee for mine onely Guide I renounce â—ine own will and take thy will for my Law And since thou hast told me that I must â—uffer if I will reign I do here covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee and by thy grace asisting to runne all hazzards with thee verily supposing that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy Laws as the rule of my life and the way in which I should walk to thy Kingdome I do here willingly put my neck under thy yoak and let my shoulder to thy burden and subscribing to all thy Laws as holy just and good I solemnly take them as the rule of my words thoughts and actions promising that though my flâ—sh contradict and rebell yet I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction and will not allow my self in the neglect of any thing that I know to be my duty Onely because through the frailty of my flesh 〈◊〉 am subject to many failings I am bold humbly to protest That unallowed miscarriages contrary to the setled bent and resolution of my heart shall not make void this Covenant for so thou hast
said Now Almighty God searcher of hearts thou knowest that I make this Covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation beseeching thee that if thou espiest any flaw or falshood therein thou wouldst discover it to me and help me to do it aright And now glory be to thee O God the Father whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father That ever thou shouldest find out such a way for the recovery of undone sinners Glory be to thee O God the Son who hast loved me and washed me from my sinnes in thine own blood and art now become my Saviour and Redeemer Glory be to thee O God the Holy Ghost who by the Finger of thine Almighty power hast turned about my heart from sin to God O dreadful Jehovah the Lord God omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost thou art now become my Covenant friend and I through thine infinite Grace am become thy Covenant-servant Amen So be it And the Covenant which I have made on earth let it be ratified in Heaven The Authors advice THis Covenant I advise you to make not onely in heart but in word not onely in word but in writing and that you would with possible reverence spread the writing before the Lord as if you would present it to him as your Act and Deed. And when you have done this set your hand to it Keep it as a memorial of the solemn transactions that have passed between God and you that you may have recourse to it in doubts and temptations And now Beloved having shewed you the way the Father give me leave to be instant with you in pressing you to hearken to me herein to come and joyn your selves thus to the Lord. And if you will not be perswaded to this solemn and express way of Covenanting with him which I believe you will find a great advantage and do therefore make it my great request unto you yet if you will not do that take heed you refuse not to engage your hearts to the Lord and make a full closure with Christ upon all the particular terms laid before you till that be done I must be bold to tell you again as I have told you already that you are short of Christianity strangers from the Covenant of Promise and Aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel Brethren the Lord God hath sent me amongst you upon the same Eâ—â—and as Abraham sent his servant Gen. 24. To take a wife for his Son to espouse you to Christ I am not without â—ear as that servant was not that some of you will not follow me but if the Lord see it good to send his Angel before me to make my way prosperous if the Lord give me success in this great thing that I may thus bring you into Covenant with him I shall therein have performed the main part of my Ministerial work among you I shall have espoused you to Christ maâ—ried you to that one Husband I shall have brought you within the strait gate and set your foot safe into that narrow way that leads to life and have laid the foundation of your following the Lord in holiness and comfort here and of living with him in blessedness for ever For 1 When once you are sincerely in Covenant from thenceforth you have a God that you may call your own to whom you may have free access with whom you may be sure to find grace to help in all times of need How blessed is his condition who is able to say I have no friâ—â—â— in the world but I have a God in Heaven I have many enemies but I have a God I have no house nor money nor lands but I have a God I have troubles I have sins that are a daily torment and vexation to me but I have a God a God to feed me a God to succour me God to shelter me a God to pardon me a God to sanctâ—fie me to â—ave me 2 From the time of this your Covenant Union with Christ you have the blessing of communion with him 〈◊〉 Whatsoever is Christs is now become yours the husband gives the wife leave to set heâ— name on all his goods and all that Christ hath you may now write your name upon it say boldly All this is mine his prayers his tears his obedience his blood his spirit all are mine because he is mine 2. Whatsoever is yours is his your sufferings your sins your debts your wants are all upon your husband Christ says to you as the old man Judg. 19. 20. to the Levite Let all thy wants be on me and so all thy debts and straits and fears and troubles let them all be on me 3 Christ and you shall have your lot together God deals with Christ and a Believer as one and the same party who must be absolved and condemned stand or fall live or die together In Christs being justified your justification is secured in Christs Resurrection your Resurrection in Christs Glorification your Glorification is secured for ever Because I live ye shall live also This is the portion this is the Inheritance of all Gods Covenanting-Servants You that are yet in your sins in your old Covenant with Death and agreement with Hell Will you yet be perswaded by what hath been said to say one to another Come let us break these bonds asunder and cast these cords from us come let us go over to Christ let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that never shall be forgotten You that are sincerely come within the bonds of this Covenant of the Lord the Lord is henceforth become your God Christ is henceforth become your Saviour you have shot the Gulf that good work is begun which the Lord will perform to the day of Christ you are gotten within the gate you are entred into the Path of Life 2 In the next place therefore I shall give some advice to the godly or those that are already in Christ whom I shall direct 1 To a right performance of holy duties these four duties especially Prayer holy Meditation Self-examination and renewing their Covenant 2 To a right improvement of holy Duties 3 To the carrying on an holy course In all which though I shall apply my self especially to those that are in Christ yet I shall also give some farther helps to those that are yet out of Christ Before I shall enter upon the Directions for the right performance of holy Duties it will not I hope be lost labour if I prefix a word of encouragement to duty by laying before you the influences which holy duties will have upon the carrying on a holy life which I shall dispatch in these four particulars 1 Duties are the exercise of Grace Grace out of exercise grows quickly out of case Idleness breedâ— ill humours and diseases in the body and no less in the soul stirring keeps us warm and healthful Now Duties are the stirrings and exercises
The Lord calls thee this day calls thee to return and repent that thine iniquities may be blotted out bethink thy self what answer thou wilt return Wilt thou hearken or not III. Head concerning Christ Direct 1. FIrst Consider what the Scriptures speak 1. Concerning the Excellencie of his Person John 1. 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth Heb. 1. 3. Who being the brightnesse of his Glory and the expresse Image of his Person 2. Concerning the Glorie of the Mystery of Christ Crucified Isa 53. throughout He is despised and rejected of men a man of Sorrowes and acquainted with grief and we hid as it were our faces from him He was despised and we esteemed him not Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisements of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like Sheep have gone astray and have turned every on to this way and God hath laid on him the iniquities of all He was oppressed and afflicted yet he opened not his mouth Col. 1. 27. To whom God will make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory Phil. 2. 6 7 8. Who being in the Form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the forme of a Servant and was made in the likenesse of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross The Gospel is a Mystery full of wonders 1. There is a wonder of Righteousnesse and Severitie That God should not spare but punish Sin though upon his own Son 2. A Wonder of wisdome That God should being Light out of Darknesse Life out of Death that God should bring about the Rising of the World by the Fall of the Lord the Riches of the Word by the Povertie of their Lord the Fulnesse of the Saints by the emptinesse of the King of Saints 3. A Wonder of Mercy That God should harden his Heart against the Crie of his Son and open his Bowels to the cry of Sinners 4. A Wonder of Love Love in the Father in giving his Son Love in the Son in giving himself his blood his life his Soul a Ransom for sin and all this for Worms Traytors Enemies Direct 2. Ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. Oh what monster is sin What an Hell what a bottomless pit is it of malignity and wickednesse that none but God can expiate or purge it away that God cannot do it but by taking flesh that God manifested in the flesh could not purge away sin but by suffering that no suffering would serve but Death that no death could serve but such a cruel and cursed death Oh what a Monster is Sin that must have such blood the blood of God to take it away Quest 2. What strange Love is the Love of Christ 1. Strange in regard of the fruit and benefit of it All that Holinesse and Beauty that my Spirit is cloathed with all that peace and joy that possesses my heart all my glorious hopes and expectations for hereafter all that difference that is betwixt my state and the state of Cain Judas and the whole reprobate World this is the Love of Christ Where had I now been had it not been for the Love of Christ 2. Strange Love in regard of the fervency and ardency of it and that not onely to the whole generation of the Elect but to my Soul in particular To expresse this ask this one Question farther What if Christ had done and suffered all this for me alone What if there had been but one Sinner in the World and I had been that Sinner and Christ should have come down from Heaven cloathed himself with flesh giving himself to death given such a glorious Gospel sent forth such a multitude of Ambassadours to preach to to convert and save this one Soul this my Soul this had been strange love Such is the love of Christ to every Elect person that if there had been but one Sinner Christ would have done and suffered all this for one sinner rather then he should have perished Quest 3. Is Christ mine Have I a share in the Gospel is my name written in the Lambs Book All are not Israel though Christ died for all yet all are not made alive by him There are many from whom the Gospel is hid there are many that have rejected the Gospel that have put from them the Word of Life Whilest there are such multitudes that are lost and perish for ever is my Soul found found in Christ Hath he that hath died for me drawn me to himself Hath he that hath given me a liberty to lay hold on him given me a heart to lay hold on him Hath he given me his Spirit in my heart to sanctifie and cleanse me from my sins If I have not the Spirit of Christ in me I am none of his Vnless I wash thee thou hast no part with me If he be not mine then Quest 4. What may I doe to get Christ to be mine May I have him without seeking him Can I live by Christ without coming to Christ believing repenting and following of Christ is this ignorance this idleness is this earthly this Carnal course I take is this loose and vain life I live is this the way to get an interest in Christ if Christ be mine then Quest 5. How may I walk worthy of Christ Is it not by being made conformable to him Conformed to his image by being holy humble and meek Conformed to him in his obedience chearfully and readily doing the Will of God Conformed to him in his sufferings by being content to be brought down and laid low and made vile for his Name Conformed to his Resurrection and Ascension that this poor Soul which hath descended with Christ may also ascend with him Ascend in holy desires and affections ascend in holy praises and acknowledgements confessing to him Worthy is the Lamb that waâ— slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing for thou hast redeemed my Life from Death and Crowned me with loving Kindness and tender Mercies IV. Head concerning the vanitie and miserie of a worldlie life BY a Worldly life understand any course or way of life which is short of a godly life That which the Apostle calls Ephes 2. 2. The course of this World Such a life the main business care and delight whereof lies in the managing our Worldly affairs and interests in buying selling working trading to get together this worlds good The main comfort whereof stands in
the life to come on godliness of life here Quest 4. Can I be too godly Can I have too much likeness to God too much care of my ways too much fear of sin Can I be too sure that God is mine Can I have too much peace too much joy and inward comfort I may be too rich to be happy too great to be good too merry to be wise but I cannot be too gracious too humble too watchful too circumspect Let me ask of dying persons whether they have taken more care then needs whether they have more grace then needs Let me ask of those who when they come at last to be weighed in the ballance are found wanting whether there were any fear of making too sure or being too busie and diligent and painful about the work of their Souls Quest 5. Shall I now without any longer delay set upon a godly Life If it be necessary to take up this holy course When shall I begin Shall I this day resolve upon it Can I begin too soon Can I look after God too soon I may defer too long till it be too late and what if I should What if I should stay so long in Sodome till it be too late to escape to Zoar What if I should dwell in the Tabernacles of Wickedness till it be too late to return into the way of Righteousness Awake O my Soul awake from thy worldiness and sensuality away from thy carelesness To day to day if thou wilt hear his voice give thy self to God give thy self up to the power of his Spirit and government of his Word Hitherto I have been a fool hitherto I have been a Servant of Sin and the World Oh that from henceforth I might yield my self to God as one made alive from the dead VI. Head concerning Death and Judgement Direct 1. THink on what the Scriptures speak concerning The Dread Death of Death 1 Concerning the Dread of Death Rev. 6. 8. It is set forth by a pale Horse an horse for strength there is no resistance of it an horse for its swiftness an horse for its office and use to carry away a pale-Horse for its gaâ—â—â—iness Death hath a grim and gastly countenance that strike terrour into all hearts and paleness into all faces Job 18. 14. It is called the King of terrours the Black Prince the Prince of Clouds and Darkness as some render it Darkness hath its terrour in it and the King of Terrours that notes the highest and most terrible of Terrours The terrour of death arises 1 From its Office or Errand upon which it comes which is 1 To arrest the guilty sinners and commit them to custody to be reserved to Judgment 2 To revenge the quarrel of an angry God By sin death entered Death came into the world not onely as the Per dissequa peccati one of its Retinue or Attendants but as the vindex peccati By sin man provoked God by death God takes vengeance on man 3 To cut off and carry us away to our place Death is the door betwixt the two worlds the parting point where sinners take their leave for ever of their pomps and their pleasures of their Houses and Lands and their Friends so as never to return to them again It is dreadful to be carried away from our habitations and acquaintance we know not whither sad was the death of him who dying said Anxius vixi dubius motior nunc quo vado nescio I have lived in care I die in doubt but whither I am going I cannot tell but to them that understand whither death is carrying them as it is the case of self-condemned sinners into the place of darkness and eternal misery This is it that make Death indeed the King of Terrours 2 From its Armour Death is furnished 1 With a Dart this notes the stroke of Death wheâ—â—by it dissolves this Tabernacle divides betwixt Soul and Body This dart of Death is such against which there is no Armour of Proof can secure us from which no quality or condition can exempt us neither King nor Captive neither Rich nor Poor neither evil Men nor good Men can escape this Dart whomsoever Death strikes it strikes sure and strikes home and never fails of doing Execution 2 With a Sting 1 Cor. 15. 56. The sting of Death is sin A sting doth two things 1 It pierces 2 It poysons Hence follow those rumours and inflamations and that anguish that a sting puts men to But what is the sting of Death 'T is Sin This is the Poyson upon the Dart of Death that makes it so full of torment an evil heart an evil conscience an evil life this is it that makes Death so terrible A guilty Conscience often stings a sinner in his life in his health in the midst of all his prosperity but when Death and a guilty Conscience strike in together then it stings with a witness 2 Concerning the Death of Death or its destruction This Enemy is to be destroyed Hos 13. 14. Yea it is in part destroyed already 2 Tim. 1. 10. Christ by dying and rising again hath overcome Death and this not for himself but for his Members on whose behalf he hath disarmed Death and taken away its sting so that though it strike them yet it cannot sting them Death aâ— an hornet hath stung our Lord and in him hath lost his sting Hereupon the Apostle in the persons of all Believers triumphs over Death 1 Cor. 15. 55 57. O Death where is thy sting Thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Christians that through Christ have conquered sin by the same Jesus have conquered Death so that now it is possible for thee to live above the fear of Death some natural fears there may be some shrinkings back of the flesh but the great fear is over the bitterness of Death is past 2 Consider what the Scripture speaks concerning Judgement Consider these two Scriptures 2 Cor. 5. 10. For we must all appear before the Judgement-Seâ—â— of Christ Mat. 25. 34. to the end Theâ— shall the King say unto them on the right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you before the foundation of the world c. Direct 2. Ask thy heart these questions Quest 1. Must I not dye Quest 2 Whither will my death carry me In which of the two Regions of the other world is my death like to land me Either in the Region of Everlasting Light or in the Region of Everlasting Darkness To which of those two Regions am I now travelling By this I may guess whither my death will transport me Quest What a strange change will Death make upon me What a change of my Judgment and Opinion With what a different eye shall I look on all things then from what I do now Shall I look on God on Christ on Holinesse on peace of Conscience with such a slighting and undervaluing eye
for you I must not damn my soul to please my flesh Touching the practice of this Duty take these two further Directions 1. Every day morning and evening set apart sometime for secret prayer and when you go to pray do not rush inconsiderately upon it but first sit down and take one of those Heads meditate on what the Scriptures speak upon them and then propose the several questions to your hearts and when you find your hearts affected and warmed by these Meditations then fall to prayer 2. Let each mornings Meditation be ordinarily matter for your thoughts to work on and for discourse that day unless providence cast in and calls you to some other profitable subjects The matter of Meditation is purposely divided into seven Heads to the end you may take one of the Heads for each dayes Meditation and so in every week you may go over the whole being the chief things of Religion And thus continuing from day to day from week to week you will be both more thorowly acquainted and more deeply affected with the things of God and will find through his blessing more liveliness and enlargement in Prayer and more comfortable successe Only take heed of formalitie of resting in the work done of going on in a round of Duty without a due regard to the end of Duty Let this be your aim in all to get your hearts more fixed upon and affected with the things of the world to come more enlarged and quickned and more effectually carried on in that course of holy and heavenly walking the end whereof is everlasting life But now least any should complain that this course is too tedious and that which they cannot have time daily for or that by reason of ignorance or want of helps they cannot perform it I shall adde this that such persons who are weaker in their understandings and thence unable to go through with this course and all others at such seasons as they are unavoidably straitned for time nay instead of the larger take this shorter course When ever thou settest upon the Duty of prayer sit down and ask thy heart these Questions Quest 1. What am I am I a Believer or an unbeliever converted or unconverted do I think in my Conscience I belong to God or do I not fear I am yet the child of the Devil Quest 2. What do I what are my wayes are they such as please the Lord and tend to the Salvation of my Soul or are they the wayes of death and damnation Quest 3. Before whose presence do I now stand Is it not before the Lord the Almighty God who is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him and the avenger of those that slight or rebel against him Quest 4. What am I come before the Lord about Is it not to plead with him for my soul to beg my life at his hands to beg my pardon and redemption from everlasting death and to obtain grace for the salvation of my Soul This short and 〈◊〉 course would be some advantage thou 〈…〉 that are able and can redeem so much 〈…〉 would commend the constant use of 〈…〉 â—rections THe third special Duty I shall direct you in is Self-examination It is of great use to the carrying us on in an holy course to know our state For By the knowledge of our state we shall the better know our work when we know what we are we shall the better know what we have to do If the question be What must I do to be saved The answer of that will depend upon another question How far forth am I come already Am I converted or unconverted in a state of sin or in a state of grace Let that question be first answered and the answer of the other will be easie 2 By the knowledge of this that we are in a good estate we shaâ—l have much encouragement to hasten on Assurance will quicken and encourage us on in the way of holyness Those that aâ—firm that the Doctrine of assurance is a licentious Doctrine and serves for nothing but to maintain men in a loose lazy and idle life understand not what they say nor whereof they affirm 'T is all one as if they affirmed That the more assurance any person hath of the love of God the less he will love God or that the more he loves God the less care he will take to serve or please him Those that know no other motive to Duty but fear may preach such Doctrine but those that have found the quickning and constraining power of love must lay down both their reason and sense too before they can believe it The way to know our selves is to search and examine our selves 1 Cor. 13. 4. Examine your selves prove your selves know ye not your own selves Now to help you in this duty of Self-examination I shall give you these two Directions 1. When you set to examine your selves by any marks or signs In the first place examine your Marks that you would try your selves by If you would prove your selves whether you have true grace or no by any mark that 's given examine that Mark by the Scriptures whether it be a certain and infallible sign of grace so that you may be bold to conclude that if you can find this Mark in you you are undoubtedly in the state of grace That 's a proper mark of true grace which whosoever hath it hath grace and whosoever hath it not hath not grace If you take that for a mark of true grace which is common to Saints and Sinners you may take your selves to have grace when you have none And if you take a mark to try your selves by which is proper to Saints but is not common to all Saints you may take your selves to have no grace when you have The former mistake may lose you your peace this may lose you your souls therefore Christians be wary here try your marks before you try your selves by them 2. For the matter of your enquiry let it be 1. Whether you are gotten into the way of life or not or whether you are translated out of a state of sin and death into a state of grace and salvation And if so then 2. Whether you be in a thriving or flourishing state or in a languishing or decayed state To help you in the former tryal I might only send you back to those directions formerly given concerning your closure with Christ whence it will not be difficult to gather some certain marks to try your selves by but I shall add two or three more wherein let it not be offensive to any that I follow that light which I have received from the worthy labours of that faithful Servant of Christ Mr. Baxter whence I confess my self to have through mercy grown into the fuller acquaintance with mine own heart and which I shall therefore the rather make use of for the help and benefit of others 1. Mark 1. Wheresoever there is true
thy fountain of sin to that fountain that is opened for sin and for uncleanness Zech. 13. 1. Wherein thou may'st wash and be clean thy faith will tell thee Thy old man is already crucified with Christ Rom. 6. 6. By whom the body of sin is destroyed that is hath received its deaths wound that thou mayest not serve sin and that the same mouth that commands thee Let not sin reign in thy mortal body the same mouth hath promised thee Sin shall not have dominion over thee But yet thou addest The Lord commands me to keep my heart to keep my tongue mine eyes to make strait steps to my feet that I turn aside to no iniquity that I turn aside from all temptations to sin â—â—stain from all appearance of evil and many 〈◊〉 the like words hath he given me in charge requiring me to walk in all his Commandments and to keep all his Statutes and Judgements to do them these are hard sayings who can hear them I but he that said this saith Faith said one word more that will make all this easie Ezek. 36. 37. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgments and do them Once more thou repliest but Christ commands me to take up my Cross to suffer with him to part with all I have to lay down my life for his Name Can I do so little for his Name and am I ever like to be able to suffer for his Name Am I put so hard to it in every light affliction that befalls me and is it possible I should be able to resist unto blood The Lord pardon me I have found that a little shame or reproach is more than I can well bear a scoff or a scorn for Christ to what impatience hath it often put me Have I run with the foot-men and have these wearied me how then shall I contend with horses But God is faithful 1 Cor. 10. 13. who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able The Lord will lay on thee saith Faith no more than thy load either he will encrease thy strength or not encrease thy burthens He that hath given thee a little strength to go through small trials hath said he will and thou mayest trust him if he lay more load on thee give thee more strength to bear it The Lord will either enable thee to die for his Name or he will not call thee to it Christians believe God to him that believes all things are possible and if you believe they shall be so to you He hath said he will be and therefore you may boldly say The Lord is my helper Trust in the Lord and keep his way trust in the Lord and be doing good and verily you shall be fed verily you shall be assisted verily you shall be supported commit your way to him and whatever difficulty there be in your work he shall bring it to pass commit the keeping of your selves to him and you shall be kept by his power through faith unto salvation Faithful is he that hath called you and will do it Distrust your selves as much as you will but distrust not your Rock you are weak creatures but you have a strong God you have empty hearts but a full Saviour you have but a poor stock in your selves but a rich stock in the Promise whence you shall have such a continual supply that your barrel of meal shall not waste nor your cruse of oyl spend till you have finished your work and your course Hang on your crucified Lord take hold on his Covenant take hold on his Strength go forth in his Strength and Name and then fear not your difficulties shall vanish your way shall prosper your Souls shall flourish you shall have your fruit unto Holiness and your end everlasting Life III. Deny your selves Matth. 16. 24. If any man will come after me let him deny himself Remember your Covenant you have given your selves to the Lord and are now no longer your own you are not debtors to the flesh to live after the flesh you owe your flesh no observance you have already paid it more than its due let him that liveth live to the Lord let them for whom Christ died live no longer to themselves but to him that died for them and rose again Christ and Self are contrary you cannot serve these two Masters If you will not deny your selves you cannot but deny your Lord and if you can deny your selves in any thing you will deny Christ in nothing If you can heartily say Not my will you will easily add but thine be done But what is this Self we must deny I answer as Christ said to the Woman of Samaria He whom thou hast for thy Husband is not thy Husband That which thou holdest for thy self is not thy self thou callest it and countest it thy self and lovest and cherishest it as thy self but it is not thy self That which is here called thy self is elswhere in Scripture called thy flesh thy corrupt or carnal part that corruption that is gotten into thy understanding and sits there giving thee evil counsel That corruption which is gotten into thy will and sits there swaying thee in all things to choose thy hurt that is gotten into thy appetite and makes thee to fall a lusting after all things that are pernicious to thee and a resisting all that would do thee good This is thy self to he denied the corruption of thy nature that hath insinuated it self into all thy parts and powers and governs thee in all thy actions This is it which carries thee from God keeps thee from Christ resists the Word of Life leads thee out of the way of Life leads thee about after thy pleasures and sports and companions holds thee down to this earth and is dragging thee to Hell This is it which makes sinners say concerning the Word of Life The Word that is spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not do but will do whatsoever proceeds out of our own mouths That makes them say concerning Christ We will not have this man to Reign over us Let the World reign if it will let the Devil reign if he will let Pride and Envie and Malice reign if they will but whosoever reigns this man shall not reign over me 'T is this that layes so many blocks creates so many difficulties in the way of Holiness makes this way seem too strait and narrow the duties of it impossible the troubles of it intolerable Were it not for this the way of Christ would be easie and his burthen light This is that Self which must be denied if you will follow Christ If you ask what it is to deny self In short it is to shake off its government to resist its reasonings to disobey its commands to refuse to follow its inclinations or satisfie its lustings Brethren whatever Christ counsels you to or commands as I
own mouths do testifie against us When we love to speak in our own praise or if we have more wit than to be vainlie boasting of our selves yet we love to hear our selves commended by others When we are envious at those that out-shine us and so stand in the way of our reputation When we are so impatient of being contradicted that those that are not of our mind are not for our company Do not our habits our looks our company or behaviour our distances which we keep from those below us sadly discover what there is in our hearts Oh Brethren how is it that our hearts tremble no more to behold this monstrous devilish sin appearing in us How can we take pleasure How can we take comfort in the best of all our parts or duties or enjoyments which are so stain'd with this pride Which is even as great an Ornament to any true worth that is in us or in any thing we do as a blister or a carbuncle to a beautiful face How is it that we do not oftner question whether such a measure of pride as we find in our selves can stand with true grace How is it that we are no more asham'd to draw nigh unto God when our hearts tell us how false we have been to him in all our sevices What an Image of jealousie have we set up another God besides the Lord which must at least divide with him in all the fruits that are growing up out of any thing we have received from him Christian Labour to know thy self more thoroughly and amongst all the lusts of thy heart which might if understood bring thee low take particular notice of this thy self-exalting Spirit and if this do not abase thee and shame thee and lay thine honour in the dust thou art proud indeed 5. Be Temperate In the use of Creatures I mean beware of Excesse Eat and Drink for service nor barely for pleasure Let not your Lord be a loser by his bounty to you lose not a dutie in a Dinner A full Meal makes many a drowsie and short duty If you be given to Appetite take heed give not to your Appetite all it craves let not Appetite but Conscience be your measure Eat not your Souls into leanness let not your Table become your Snare and that which is given you for your Health become your Disease When you are at your meat remember your work and let that limit you be only so free in your food as may make you more fit for service He that hath such a race to run such a warfare before him must be temperate in all things or he may lose the goal and the battel not only Drunkards and Gluttons but even Christians that are accounted sober are more peccant this way than they are ordinarily sensible of Their spirits would be more free their services would be more lively their work would be more easie and their way more pleasant if they were but more temperate Christians let this Scripture meet you at your Tables as well as elsewhere Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever else you do do all to the Glory of God 6. Be moderate Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation be known unto all men The Lord is at hand Maintain such a tranquility and serenity of mind let all be quiet and in such a due and equal composure within you that it may appear in your carriage without Let there be no noises nor tumults but as much as possible let there be a constant silence and calm upon your Spirits Moderate your cares moderate your fears moderate your passions Say to your Spirits when they begin to swell as Christ to the Wind and Waters Peace be still Get the Command of all within you and keep them under constant discipline be careful for nothing fear nothing be impatient at nothing that whatsoever happens to you without you may be able to say with the Apostle None of these things move me Be not like those weakly bodies whose temper changes with the weather Be able to bear whatever changes happen from abroad without any perturbations or perplexing commotions at home In your patience possess ye your souls Christians if you can but keep your temper whatever happens you may keep your way and hold on your course whatever happens An heart our of quiet will put your whole Man out of course If you can but be quiet and patient you may be any thing you may do any thing that God will have you be or do Let your fears and your passions and your impatiencies loose and whither will they carry you When you should be denying your selves you will then be shifting for your selves when you should be following Christ you will then be running from Christ when you should be working out your salvation all your care will be taken up how to save your selves in a whole skin Let these be well laid and you will have nothing to do but to follow your work and to run your Race which God hath set before you V. Carry your selves well towards others A Christians work doth not lye all about himself Though your own Souls be concerned in all you have to do yet your care must not be confin'd to your selves alone you must have a due respect and a due câ—rriage towards others also Carry your selves well 1. Towards all men Let your Conversations be as in all things so towards all men as it becometh the Gospel I must contract and here give you only some short hints 1. Be True 2. Be Just 3. Be Merciful 4. Be Peaceable 5. Be Courteous 1. Be True Take heed of the way of lying Let sinners know that a lye is of their Father and not of yours Let the Word of a Christian be Sacred Make sinners say of Saints the same which God sayes of them They are children which will not lye let their experience force them to acknowledge This spot is not the spot of Gods Children Be true A Lye is 1. Contrary to God who is a God of Truth and cannot lie 2. Conform to the Devil the Father of Lies 3. Destructive to Society there can be no trust where there is no truth and no commerce with those that cannot be trusted Temptations to Lying are many and men are especially tempted to it in these Twâ— Cases 1. In case of any faults committed What can't be excus'd must be conceal'd and for want of a better covering they must hide it under a Lye 2. In their dealings in the world In their buying and selling and trading The trade of lying gets into every Trade as if there were no living but by lying The Seller must have his lyes there must be lye to set off the Wares It s special good the best of its kind when may be 't is stark nought A lye to set up the price It stood me in so much I cannot abate when it may be the next word is a lower price The buyer must have his
lye a lye to bring down the price It s naught it s naught saith the buyer A lye to bring down the seller I will not give your price and yet give it Oh how common an evil is this and how little considered How few are there that have great dealings in the world that can altogether acquit themselves of it How many are there that live upon lies that feed themselves with lieâ— â—hat cloath themselves with lies their unlawful gains that their trade of lying hath brought them in Christians especially you that are most ordinarily under such temptations be sensible of this evil and avoid it be resolved and watchful Resolve to be true be true though it be to your loss be losers rather than lyars Sell not Conscience with your commodities for a penny or two pence profit extraordinary Resolve to be true and be watchful Consider what you say before you speak that you be guilty of falshood neither purposely nor unwarily 2. Be Just Observe that Rule of Righteousuesse Do to others as you would they should do to you And let this Rule be observed in all your words yea and your thoughts also as well as actions If you would not be wronged do not wrong if you would not be oppressed do not oppress if yâ—u would not be defrauded do not defraud and so if you would not be defamed or reviled do not defame or revile if you would not upon everie report or groundlesse surmise be evil thought of do not think evil of others You that professe Christianity are you altogether faultless upon this account Would you that all should come upon you which by you hath fallen upon others Would you that all the world should be to you what you have been to any in the world If you have been knowingly unjust in your dealings yet have you neither been injurious in your words Would you that your faults and iâ—firmities should be the ordinary discourse and table-talk and merriment of others and have not yet others infirmities or faults been yours Would you not be causlâ—sly suspected condemned or despised in the thoughts of others and have you never dealt thus by others Is this not too common and yet little considered When you are together everie evil report that 's going either for want of other discourse or from a worse cause must be brought in to fill up the time and evil reports quickly beget evil thoughts surmises Do as you would be done by if you would not be thus dealt with by others deal not so with others 3. Be Merciful Luke 6. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful You have a Merciful Father you have a Merciful High-Priest be ye also merciful As you have received mercy as you look for mercy be careful to shew mercy Give to him that asketh lend to him that would borrow visit relieve refresh the bowels of him that is in misery Be cheerful in shewing mercy let your hearts give as well as your hands Be liberal be bountiful He that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly He that is merciless to the bodies of men is therein cruel to their souls Hardness and niggardliness in Professors of Religion will disgrace their Profession and harden the hearts of sinners from entertaining the Gospel Can you perswade me that this is the way of God that this is true Religion What a merciless Religion a merciless Profession God keep me from such a Religion Your feeding of hungry bellies your cloathing of naked backs may be a means to save many a soul from death The penny besides that it may gain thee many pounds a plentiful reward it may gain many a soul to thy Lord. 4. Be peaceable Mark 4. 50. Have peace one with another Heb. 12. 14. Follow peace with all men The Lord is a God of peace Christians are sons of peace The wisdom which is from above is first pure then peaceable gentle easie to be entreated Peaceableness stands 1. In an unwillingness to provoke or offend A peaceable man will not break the Peace is not quarrelsome or contentious will not stir up strife forbears all provoking carriage hath no provoking tongue he hath peace in his heart and that brings forth peaceable language and carriage 2. In an unaptness to be proved A peaceable spirit is a patient spirit 3. In a readiness to be reconciled James 3. 17. Easie to be intreated A peaceable spirit is hardly provoked easily pacified 1. In a forwardness to reconcile those that are at variance A peaceable spirit is a peace making spirit such an one is both a blessed man Mat. 5. Blessed are the peace-makers and a blessing to those he lives amongst Our angry quarrelsome spirit may be a plague and one peaceable and healing spirit may be a blessing to a whole society 5. Be Courteous Sweet and affable in your carriage towards all 1 Pet. 3. 8. This will much win upon the hearts of those you converse with and beget their good liking of whatever good they behold in you This will both mollifie their spirits towards you and make them more willing to hearken to you Morosity and sourness will fright them out of your company and harden them against your Counsel Your candor will be the sugar that will help to convey-down any pill of admonition or reproof you give them which otherwise their stomacks would rise against and spit out in your faces Carry your selves so to all that you may convince them that you are their friends the friends of their souls whilst you appear the enemies of their sins that your counsels are the counsels of a friend that your reproofs are the wounds of a friends which are better than the kisses of an Enemy But still take heed that your courtesie to sinners do not lead you in a compliance with them in their sins that what you intend as a Net to take their Souls become not a Trap to take yours Whilst you are a friend to their persons beware you be not drawn aside to have fellowship with them in their wickedness It is better to be uncivil than ungodly Be as courteous as possible yet so far only that your courtesie be neither a snare to you nor an encouragement to them in their sins Be wise as well as kind Christians do not pass over these second-Table duties which I have for brevities sake packed up into a narrow room as the lower things of Religion wherein you may be excused or dispenced with which a little praying or confessing will make up and so you may go on Truth and Temperance and Justice and Mercy c. are to be reckoned among the weightier matters of the Law there is so much Religion in them that there can be no Religion without them Though there may be morality where there is no true Religion yet there can be no Religion where there is not Morality Micha 6. 11 12. Shall I count them pure with the wicked ballances and the bag of deceitful
prosperity the World flatters more from Christ than ever it can fright from him Now beloved if you have stood your ground against the former of these temptations you may with the more confidence encounter the latter he that hath been holy in prosperity will be holy in afflictions he that knoweth how to abound will the better know how to want he that hath kept close to God kept up his affections kept on his way against all the fawns and flatteries of the world his Spirit is not like to be sunk under its frowns and threatnings The God that hath preserved you from being lull'd asleep by the warm Sun will also preserve you from being withered by the scorching Sun II. Mortifie the flesh with the lusts of it 'T is corruption that makes affliction tedious and dangerous Unmortified lusts will both make affliction to be the sharper and also to be the greater temptation 1. They will make afflictions to be the sharper and more painful A Christian who hath two men in one the old man and the new hath two tender parts which are apt to smart and to be put to pain at every little thing that offends his Conscience and his Lust that which offends Conscience and makes it smart is sin that which offends Lust and puts it to pain is affliction If Conscience be grown dead and benumb'd sin never troubles and if Lust be once dead afflictions never trouble kill your lusts and you at once kill all your adversaries and afflictions What makes contempt and disgrace so tedious Why it is the pride of our hearts What makes povertie and want so grievous but the covetousnesse and greedinesse of our hearts The appetite will be quarrelling that it wants its dainties the wanton mind will be vexed that it 's deprived of its gay cloaths and rich attire carnal fears and worldly cares come in with their vexations kill these lusts and you give present ease to your hearts 't is sin that makes sufferings smart 2. They hereupon make afflictions to be the greater temptations the more afflictions pain us the more strongly do they perswade us to take heed of that which brings them on us and to comply with any thing that will give us ease or relief Every pang and throb that comes upon us for godlinesse sake will be clamouring and crying out against it away with it away with it this professing and praying and precise walking hath undone me this Conscience hath broken my back lost me my Estate my Liberty my Friends bereft me of all my comforts my credit my quiet and created all these fears and sorrows and vexations which are upon me Will remitting my zeal dispensing with Conscience cast off care make me whole and save me all this harm and losse why then shall I thus torment my self when I have such a way open to escape all Brethren would you be secure from such temptations get your lusts slain which put an edge upon them Cut off all provision from the flesh that would keep it in heart Allow not your selves the liberty to live a sensual life while you have opportunity bring your selves under a voluntary restraint abase your selves before God hath the abasing of you denie your selves before God comes to denie you put the bridle upon your appetites before God come and puts bonds upon them and you restrain your selves of your delicates before God come and shorten you uncloath your selves of your wanton habits before God hath the stripping of you starve your lusts to death that the Lord come not and storm them let tribulations find their hard work done to their hand and they will lie more easie Get your hearts so low that the contempt of men cannot bring you lower that the Spoilers cannot make you poorer than your hearts have made you alreadie give all you have to God your ease and your pleasures and your liberty and your Estates give away all you have from lust to God and then you will be disquieted at whatsoever Messengers he sends to fetch it away When this is done what hurt can tribulation do you what temptation will it be unto you You will then dare to follow the Lord against all the world you will not fear your Religion will prejudice you you will not fear losse you have nothing to lose all is given away alreadie you will not fear a Prison your hearts have cerried you thither alreadie you will not fear disgrace or contempt your hearts have brought you so low that the pride of men cannot lay you lower you will not fear torments when your flesh is dead and can feel no pain III. Be convinced of the dreadfulness of Apostacy and the misery of Apostates and Back-sliders Remembur Lots Wife God hath left us many Pillars of Salt before our eies to warn us to take heed of looking back Mat. 7. 27. The fall of that House was great that is it was a dreadful and terrible fall it was spoken of the house built upon the Sand which when assaulted by the winds and flouds of persecution fell because it had no foundation and great or dreadful was the fall of it a fall from an house to an heap Heb. 13. 38. If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him Let him go take him who will for me take him World take him Devil for I regardâ— him not Thou maiest go whither thou wilt that art gone from thy God thou must look to thy self and shift for thy self as thou canst God hath no further favour for thee his soul is loosed from thee Rev. 16. 15. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments that keepeth his garments that is that keepeth his Faith his Conscience his Religion his holy profession wherewith he is cloathed that keepeth them clean ne polluantur that hath not defiled his garments that keepeth them safe ne cripiantur that hath not lost his garments that hath neither defiled his Profession nor lost his Religion and Conscience he is a blessed man Revel 2. and chap. 3. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life of the hidden Manna to sit with me on the Throne To him that overcometh that is that holds out to the end Hold out and you overcome overcome and you shall reign overcome and you shall eat of the Tree of Life and hidden Manna Now brethren if a blessing be the portion of him that keeps his Garments keeps his Faith and keeps his Conscience what shall be his Portion that hath lost all and thrown off all He that hath lost his holy garments hath woven to himself a cloathing of curses not of blessings If he only that overcomes shall sit on the Throne shall eat of the Tree of Life then what shall he eat or where must he sit that is overcome He shall eat the fruit of his own doings of his lyes and hypocrisie and dissembling he shall feed upon death and wrath death shall feed upon him
parting prayer The Lord be with you the God of peace be with you yet I cannot turn this prayer into a Promise nor give you any assurance that the God of Peace will be with you These things premised I shall now give you the full proof of the Doctrine in the following Reasons The Doctrine you remember is Those that obey the Gospel whatsoever or whomsoever they want shall ever be in a peaceful and blessed Condition The Reasons are 1. The God of peace shall be with them 2. If God be with them all things whatsoever befall them shall make for their good Reas 1. The God of Peace shall be with them these things do live in the obedience of the holy Doctrine which you have received and the God of Peace shall be with you This glorious Promise is pregnant with all the blessings that Heaven and Earth can afford If you ask why what is there in it I demand of you What is there in God God is in the Promise all that is in God is here assured to the Godly The Philosophers of old attained to some glimmerings of the excellencies that are in God by these 3. wayes 1. Per viam Negationis conceiving of him as a Being removed from all things signifying imperfection as ignorance impotence iniquity corruptibility composition alteration or any limits or bounds of this Essence Power and Glory 2. Per viam causalitatis conceiving of him as the Fountain of all other Beings and thence concluding that whatsoever Excellencies or perfections are scattered up and down in the whole Creation are all united in him from whom they had their Originall 3. Per viam eminentiae by way of Excellency so that whatever perfections whatever goodness is to be found in any Creature though it be not to be found in God formaliter yet there is that in him he being the first cause of all that doth infinitely superabundantly answer them all Though there be not the same Specifick Excellencies in him nor those very pleasures and delights issuing from him which the creatures yield yet there are such Excellencies such perfections as transcend and surpasse them all The Scripture tells us more positively and plainly that God is Almighty Omniscient Omnipresent Infinite Eternal Unchangeable All-sufficient Holy Righteous Gracious the Portion the Protection the Rewarder yea the exceeding great Reward of them that diligently seek him And this is he that is in the promise God is in the promise I must not enlarge in this spacious Field I shall keep nearer the Text and shall confine my self to these four particulars 1. God is in the Promise as the God of Peace as the Authour and bestower of Peace The greatest of Blessings is the Blessing of Peace Peace hath all blessings included in it It hath possession fruition and security it hath plenty pleasure and safety where there 's no peace there 's no security for the holding nor opportunity of enjoying what we have Whatever we have we have it as if we had it not Peace is the greatest of Blessings Peace with God is the most glorious of Peace What is there that 's excellent what is there that 's desirable that is not comprehended in this Peace with God Where there 's Peace there 's Pardon guilt cannot consist with this Peace being justified by Faith we have peace with God Where there 's Peace there 's Grace and holiness there 's no Peace saith my God to the wicked Where there 's Peace there 's Love and good will As love so peace is the union no lesse then this the Almighty God bears you good will These two peace and good will are Twins On earth peace good will towards men Where there 's peace there 's life everlasting ife Internal is the seed of eternal peace This peace is a Portion peace with God is our possession of the God of Peace This Peace is a Sanctuary if the God of Peace be with us the Peace of God will keep our hearts Christians in the World you must have trouble suppose you have yet in him you shall have peace who hath overcome the World Isa 26. 5. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace in peace peace as 't is in the Original whose mind is stayed on thee Psal 85. 8. I will hear what the Lord God will speak he will speak peace to the People and to his Saints What a clattering is there in the World what tumults and commotions are raised about the followers of Christ as if the World were falling about their eares The Devil speaks wrath evil men speak death and bonds to them breathing out threatnings reproaches persecutions against them In the midst of all this fearful noise I 'le hearken saith the Psalmist what the Lord God will speak Whatsoever men or Devils speak I 'le hearken if the Lord God speak at the same rate Oh no he will speak peace to his Saints Let the Sons of contention do what they can the Sons of God shall be the Sons of Peace they shall live in peace they shall dye in peace they shall dwell in peace for ever Isa 32. 17 18. The Work of Righteousness shall be Peace and the effect of Righteousness shall be quietness and assurance for ever And my People shall dwell in a peaceable Habitation and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places Oh how great is the peace that they have who love thy Law Christians fear not to follow God let not that sad word nor the fulfilling of it scare you out of your duty All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer Persecution What if they do whilst you are able to say I am persecuted but I have peace I am poor but I have peace In a Prison but I have peace in a Wilderness but I have peace though all the World be against me God is at peace my Soul is in peace what discouragement should all that be to you 2. He that is the God of peace is the God of power He promises peace and he promises no more than he can perform He can create peace he can make their enemies to be at peace with them He can make a league for them with the Beasts of the field with the Lions with the Wolves with the most brutish among the people He can say to the proud Winds and Waves peace be still and they obey him He can give them rest from the dayes of adversitie he can give them rest in the dayes of adversity he can give his Beloved sleep upon the points of Swords and Spears 3. He that is the God of peace is the God of patience This is my great fear that though God gives yet I shall break my peace The God of peace with me oh this is he whom I dishonour and disoblige daily by my distrusts discontents impatiencies murmurings and what peace to such an hearr what peace so long as such unbelief so much iniquity as I find daily within me remaines upon me
setteth up Kings he makes War and creates Peace he bendeth the Bow and breaketh the Bow and cutteth the Spear in sunder and burneth the Chariots in the fire Peace and War Health and Sickness Plenty and Famine Life and Death are all the disposures of his hand He orders all the events and casualties of the World even from the greatest to the smallest Without him not a Sparrow shall fall nor a hair of the Head shall perish though there be to men yet to the Lord there are no casualties or contingencies But all things come to pass according as his Hand and Counsel had before determined 2. The design of Providence as it respects the Elect is the accomplishment of Gods good purpose and promise Providence governs the World and the purpose and promise governs Providence All the works of Providence have rationem mediorum ad finem God doth nothing in vain it is not consistent with the wisdome of God to do any thing for nothing God would have his People look farther than the things that are before them because all those things have a farther aspect themselves All the works of Providence have a double aspect they look backward to the purpose and promise and they look forward to the end for which they are as they look backward so they have truth in them exactly answering the purpose and promise from which they have their birth As they look forward to their end so they have good in them and that good their subservience to their end is the reason of their being Here note 2. things 1. That the subserviency of things to their end is the goodness of them if the end be good the means must as such be good also If what God hath purposed and promised be good then all things that fall in between having the respect of means to their accomplishment must upon that account be good If our crosses and afflictions do subserve the bringing about of Gods good will and good word we must say concerning them Good are the works of the Lord. It is not how any thing looks or feels at present but what it means and to what it tends If the potion be bitter and yet it tends to health if the Messenger be ill-looked and ill-favoured and yet comes upon a good errand you may bid them welcom And thus all the Providences of God are good If you should ask of any Providence wherefore art thou come comest thou peaceably comest thou for good they must all answer yes peaceably for good and no hurt 'T is but to help all that good into thy hand which hath been in the heart and hath proceeded out of the mouth of thy God that loves thee There is not a Messenger of Sathan that comes to buffet thee but is also a Messenger from God that comes to thee for good The very thorns in thy flesh shall serve thee for Plaissers thine eye-sores shall be thine eye-salve and thy very Maladies thy Medicines 2. That this relative goodness of all the works of Providence is the reason of their Being Therefore God doth what he doth that hereby he may do what he hath said and intended I do not say that the reason of Gods taking this or that means is alwayes from any thing in it self or for his natural tendency to such an end above any thing else God hath his choyce of means he can chuse here or there at pleasure can make use of what he will to serve his design but the reason why things are is this God in his Wisdom saw their ordinability to this good end and thereupon in his Providence he orders and brings them to pass So that now whatever befals a Christian he hath this to allay and take off the grievousness and sharpness of it This had never been but for the good will and good word of the Lord to me The Lord God hath said he will bless me and do me good he will heal and sanctiâ—ie and save me and now he is about it by this he is working that Salvation for me Christians you have no reason to say If the Lord be with me why am I thus why so poor why so pained so persecuted so scorned and trampled upon sure if the Lord had meant my good it would have been better than 't is with me No no 't is because the Lord is with thee and means thee well that he deals in this manner with thee The Design of his Providence towards thee is the accomplishment of his Promise 3. The Providence of God shall never fail of accomplishing its end There is nothing wanting that might give us the fullest assurance hereof For 1. The Providence of God hath power with it He is Almighty that hath promised he that ruleth in the earth dwelleth in the Heaven and doth whatsoever he will Our God is in heaven and doth whatsoever he will I will work and who shall lett it Is 43. Who can stay his hand or say unto him what doest thou were it not for our unbelief our case would be still the same in greatest difficulties as when the Coasts are most clear We might say of difficulties as the Psalmist of darkness there is no darkness with thee to thee day and night are both alike Difficulties are no difficulties with thee nor is there difference betwixt hard and easie He can save with many or with few and with none is as well as with some We once read he had too many but never that he had too few to bring about his wosk Oh how we do desparage the power of God when our difficulties make us doubt Is he God and not man Is he spirit and not flesh Wherefore then dost thou doubt What-ever God hath said he can do Believe he is a God and thou wilt never say How can these things be 2. The Providence of God hath wisdom with it he is the only wise he is the all-wise God He knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations 2 Pet. 2. 9. He knoweth what is good for his Saints and when 't will be in season he understandeth what is proper and pertinent to every case What 's proper to every purpose to every people to every person and for every season he knows when 't is a season to abase and when to exalt when to afflict and when to deliver when to put on the yoak and when to take off the yoak when to pull down and when to build up every thing is beautiful in its season If mercies come out of season mercies would be no mercies and if troubles come in their season troubles should be no troubles He knows the best method and means to his end the fittest means he sees somtimes the unfittest to be the fittest the most unlikely unpromising means do often best serve Gods end Christians if you would receive every dispensation as coming from the hands of the wise God you would never quarrel with your lot nor say of any thing
Oh Christians how many poor are there that fit down by their poverty who if they starve yet will not beg their emptiness hath taken away their Appetites These are sad Souls 't is a sad sight to behold a company of hunger-bitten Souls sit weeping and sighing seeking after the Bread and Water of life and finding none but to see empty and yet not hungry fainting and yet not panting Souls to see Souls even dying away for want and yet not desiring or craving a supply this is a much sorer spectacle A starving thirstless Soul is next to a Ghost Well if ever such Souls find who never seek water 't is more than God hath promised 'T is they that seek water to whom God will open a River 6. VVhatever difficulty there be to furnish the hungry Saints with a sufficiency of Provision yet one way or other it shall be done I the Lord will hear I the God of Israel will not forsake them Upon me be all their wants I am God and can I am their God the God of Israel and will provide for them They must and shall be provided for whatever course I be put to take I must not see them starve The Lord will not be wanting to them If his VVord be not heard his VVorks shall speak if Preachers cannot Providence shall preach to them if their friends cannot their enemies their stripes their wounds their rods shall instruct them Thy Rod and thy Staffe comfort me If they have no other the Sun Moon and Staâ—â— the Fouls of the Air the Beasts of the Field shall be their Prophets and Apostles If any should fail yet the Spirit of the Lord shall not fail to be their Teacher and Comforter 2. Extraordinary means have more in them than ordinary and no means more than means 1. Extraordinary means when ordinary cannot be had are sweeter and better feeding to the Saints than ordinary would be The less of the Creature the more of God the less of common Providence the more of special Grace Water out of the Rock was more precious than out of the River the Manna of the Wilderness was to them that understood it better than the Milk of Canaan Elijah never made better meales than what he got out of the Ravens mouth I have heard of a woman in great distress of Soul who received comfort when the Word was brought her by the mouth of a Child which she had failed of receiving from the mouthes of many excellent Ministers 2. No means often prove better than means when I say no means I do not understand simply none meanes they shall have of one kind or other their understandings their memories their secret duties Prayer Meditation c. but by no meanes I understand nothing from without no Ordinances Friends Societies Books c. Gods feeding of a Soul more immediately is much sweeter then when he sends provision by the hands of another the Samaritans hearing of Christs words from his own mouth was much more to them than the same words reported by the woman Duâ—cius ex ipso fonte Water is the purer the nearer the Fountain the Bread that comes down from Heaven is better Bread than that which grows up out of the Earth though that be originally from Heaven also By how much the more immediately our comforts come from Heaven by so much the more they have of Heaven in them If upon the failing of publick Communion it bâ— made up so much the more in secret sure the Saints have no reason to complain And whether this be not so let the Prisons into which the Saints have bin sometimes cast the Wilderness into which they have been sometimes banished let Elihu's Songs in the night Peters Pauls Silahs Songs in the Prison in the Stocks stand forth and testifie If Prison joyes and exile comforts have not been often both fuller and sweeter to them than when they have rolled in Manna and lived in the fulness and freedom of all helps and means then not a few Christians have either mistaken or mis-reported their experiences To pretend to live above Ordinances whilest God affords them is a wickedness that some men have to repent of but where God denies them he doth he will provide a better subsistance without them Now lay all this together and then you will see that even this also this most grievous of Judgements the famine of the Word when-ever it befalls shall work for good to those that love God Christians chear up your hearts whatever drought or dearth may fall upon the World your are provided for you shall have enough If the shours fail without you have within you that which shall spring up to eternal life If your streams should be dryed up if your Pastures should be trodden down you have a God that will be both your Pastor and Pasture If the River fail you the Rock shall supply you what you want in ordinary you may look to be made up in extraordinary means The drying up of the waters shall but drive you up to the Spring-head If ever the Stars fail you God shall but exchange Star-light for Sun-light while there 's light in the Sun you shall not walk in darkness See but to this make sure that this God is yours and he must find out a comfortable feeding for you if you can but say Davids first words after him The Lord is my Shepherd you may then with confidence say the whole Psalm after him I shall not want he will make me to lie down in green Pastures he will lead me by the still Waters though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil thy Rod and thy Staff shall comfort me Thou shalt prepare me a Table in the presence of mine Enemies Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life and I will dwell in the House of the Lord for ever 2. There is another Objection that seems to have one difficulty in it Suppose a Saint to fall into Distraction and thereby to be deprived utterly of the use of his Reason and so to live and die How can it be imagined that this can work for his good either in this World or in the World to come Can any good arise out of an incapacity of any longer doing or receiving good or patiently suffering Evil Can either his Grace here or his Glory hereafter be increased or advanced by a mans being converted into a meer Bruit 1. There 's no doubt at all but this may make for the Churches good Is there nothing that others may learn out of such a sad Providence If others may reap good by my evil is it nothing to me May it not be said to be good for any particular Saint to bear the soarest affliction by which the Church may have benefit He hath not much of a Saint to whom if it were afore-hand proposed whether for the benefit of the Church he would be content if
It holds up Christ for a shield it holds up the Promises for a Shield the very Commands and Institutions of God for a Shield and Safe-guard to the Soul Sometimes the sense of guilt assailes and weakens the heart It is not so much any thing without us as something within us that raises our fears How small a matter will fright a guilty Soul Guilt will make every stroke a stab It 's the barb of the arrow the venome on the dart or the sore of the heart that makes every stroke formidable and terrible 'T is the guiltless Soul that hath courage and boldness Hic murus ahoeneus esto Now against this dreadful dart Faith holds up a Buckler with a Crucified Jesus upon it and so that 's quenched Sometimes darkness and uncertainties about the way that we are in raises our fear A Christian that knows himself in his duty in his way is out of fear Clearness gives boldness Whilst we question the warrantableness of the way we are in every shadow of danger will shake us Against such feares Faith holds up a Buckler with this inscription Have not I commanded thee It shews the Command and in that our warrant and in our warrant our security When we question whether our Worship for which we are like to suffer be right or no Faith holds up an Institution for our Shield If this Fear oh I shall not hold our I shall deny my Lord and his faith if put to it assailes the Soul here faith holds up the Promise for a Buckler He hath said I will not fail thee nor forsake thee so that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper 2. Formally Faith not only lifts up a shield but is our shield The very believing in a crucified Jesus the very believing the Command the Justification the promise stays and supports the heart against whatsoever may befall it I had fainted but that I believed Christians whatever your duties difficulties despondencies straits temptations afflictions weaknesses are believe and you shall be carried through believe and you shall be established Believe in Christ and you shall dare to follow Christ believe in Christ and you shall go through with Christ and hold out to the end Believe and you shall neither fear faint nor fall Your Faith will both keep you faultless and save you harmless and thereby secure you from sinking and fainting in your minds If this be not enough let me add that Faith will yet farther scatter all your fears by this double Act 1. It will put your reward into your hands 2. It will put all your troubles to a present end 1. It will put your reward into your hand it will set the Crown on your head even whilest the Cross is on your back Faith makes things to come present Heb. 11. 1. It is the subsistence or being of things hoped for it gives being to the good things promised before they are Hope carries the eye to the object looks on things to come as to come Faith bâ—ings the object to the eye looks on things to come as comâ— it looks on distance of time as God looks on it on a thousand years but as one day It looks on Gods saying and doing on Gods promising and performing as all one It antidates Glory and gives a kind of present possession of it in hand Rom. 8. In all these things we are more than Conquerors In Tribulation in Perâ—ecution in Famine in Nakedness In all these things we are more than Conquerors Not only afterwards we shall be but in all these things even whilest we are under them we are more than Conquerors The conquest is obtained in the very entrance of the Combat This is the Victory that overcometh the World even our Faith Believe Christian and thy Faith will be thy Victory thy Shield will be thy Palm 2. It will put all our troubles to a present end Faith looks on things to come as present and thereby on things present as past It looks on all things according as they will be in their issue and end It looks on things to come according to what they will be when they are come It looks on things present according to what they will be when they are past It sees all passing and considers it as past already It sees all passing the World upon its wing the Fashion of it passeth away It sees the Riches of the world upon their wings the Pride and the Pomp and the Gallantry and the Glory of the World upon their wings And it sees the Poverty of the world the Troubles of the World all upon the wing It looks on the blackest Clouds as flying Clouds and it considers all as gone already It looks on the clear that is beyond the Clouds it says as God says Babylon is fallen is fallen Not only it shall fall but it is fallen and shall not be able to rise Aed what place can there be then left for fear or fainting Was the Red Sea a Terrour to Israel when they saw themselves gotten to the other side Did Sampson's dead Lion fright him Will the Remembrance of what you have suffered be a Terrour to you when you are gotten through and are come out of Tribulation Why open the Eâ—e of your Faith and see the Coast already clear You will see the Red Sea behind you the Wilderness behind you Jordan behind you and your selves gotten safe on the banks of Canaan Come on Soul what should hinder thee May be thou supposest thou hast a great fight of affliction to endure grant thou hast yet fear none of those things thou shalt suffer till thou canst fear those things thou hast suffered Though thou be now putting on thy Armour believe and thou maiest boast as if thou hadst put it off Death where is thy sting Grave where is thy victory Where is the Fury of the Oppressor Thine enemies are already under thy feet man Death it self is swallowed up in Victory Christians Cherish improve increase your Faith and this will clear your way of all youâ— fears Wherefore didst thou doubt oh thou of little faith Oh 't is a sign our faith is but low when our fears are so high The day the Lord hears you in this Prayer Lord encrease our Faith he delivers you from your fears Wax strong in faith and you will wax bold in your God 3. Be humble 't will be your advantage that you stand on the lower ground he whose heart hath already laid him in the Dust will not fear how low his enemies can lay him 4. Be peaceable your Preces Lachrymae will be your best weapons the guilt of your unquiet and unwarrantable resistance will weapon your hearts more than all your partakers will strengthen your hands Prov. 20. 22. Say not I will recâ—mpence evil wait on the Lord and he will save thee Patient and peaceable suffering will be the best way to abash your Persecutors and embolden your Souls Now gather up â—ll these