what he allows and much more to be zealous against what he approves and commandeth is contrary to his Will Interest and Honour This is not in a true account Zeal for God but rather against him That Zeal which is not according to knowledg which is not guided and warranted by the Word hath an errour in the foundation It hath nothing to difference it from the Zeal of the grossest Idolaters in the World A Papist may be heartily zealous in his way zealous to promote his Religion and gain Proselytes to it zealous against the soundest Christians crying out against such as dangerous Hereticks wishing that they might come to their old work again to burn such as Hereticks In this his Zeal he may follow his judgment thinking he should do God good service as Joh. 16.2 even in persecuting the faithful to the death if it was in his power when alas he is miserably mistaken This will not justifie any in their Zeal for Idolatry that they think God best served most honoured that way This will not warrant any in their rage against the Saints and Servants of the most High God that they take them to be Hereticks or Hypocrites But they shall find it was their duty to have informed themselves better and not to condemn the righteous and not to call good evil The Devil that cannot endure but is an utter enemy to right Zeal is ready to promote a false blind Zeal all he can He is never weary of blowing this coal This he knows would do him Knights service He cannot but account such his best servants who are zealous in his service Such do as much as can be to credit his Cause who put the honourable title of Zeal for God upon the service they do his grand enemy Such fight against God while they carry his Colours blind Zeal is a piece of the greatest disservice to the interest of God and Religion Sometimes blind Zeal fights with a shadow strikes at a Sign-post but letteth the enemy quietly pass by And which is worse it sometimes falleth foul on those whom it ought to defend A Man acted with Blind Zeal is like one that shoots at Rovers who is more likely to do mischief than hit the Mark or like one that fighteth blindfold striking Friends as soon as Foes What sad havock what woful work hath blind Zeal oft made in the Church Even like a violent Fire that getting head layeth all waste before it The Devil has no stiffer prop to uphold his Kingdom and no fiercer engine of Persecution or battering Ram to employ against the Kingdom of Christ Therefore let not any please themselves in this that they are Zealous in their way when perhaps they are out of the way And if so the more haste the worse speed Zeal in a false way casts Men more behind No Offering acceptable to God without Fire yet to offer strange-Fire here is very perillous And that is not Fire from Heaven where there is heat without Light Where these go alone either Heat without Light Zeal without Knowledg or Light without Heat Knowledg without Zeal it is sadly ominous but where they go together very comfortable Are you zealous but who and what are you zealous for And what is your Zeal against I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts says Elijah because the Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets c. 1 King 19.14 Is thy Zeal against Sin indeed So that thou canst not indure to see God dishonoured his Worship neglected and contemned his Truth opposed his Saints and Servants evil intreated c. Is thy Zeal for that which is good Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing The Apostle Paul was very zealous before his Conversion but of the traditions of his Fathers Gal. 1.14 Many have a Zeal but for their own fancies and private opinions Oh what pitty is it that such spirits should evaporate and be lost Let a Man's Zeal be never so hearty if the Mettal have not a right stamp it is not currant Zeal unless it be rightly guided sayes learned Hooker when it indeavoureth most busily to please God Eccl. polit l. 5. §. 3. p. 190. forceth upon him those unseasonable Offices which please him not For which cause if they who this way swerve be compared with such as are sincere sound and discreet as was Abraham the friend of God the service of the one is like unto flattery the other like the faithful sedulity of friendship 2. Right Zeal burns within before it flames out Hypocrites can be hot in their expressions but are not fervent in spirit Hot in the Mouth but cold at Stomach cold at Heart Like Glow-worms fiery in appearance yet really cold in themselves Blind Zeal is strange Fire an hypocritical fained Zeal is false Fire But true Zeal is not all in shew though it will shew it self It lieth chiefly in the fervency and intention of the Spirit and Affections The life of Zeal is in the Heart As when the Apostle Paul was at Athens seeing the City wholly given to Idolatry his spirit was stirred in him and this stirred him up to dispute and Preach against their Idolatry Act. 17.16 c. As Ezekiel's hearers with their mouth shewed much love Ezek. 33.13 it is possible that many in their outward expressions may shew much Zeal declaming freely and often against the Sins of the Age as the horrible increase of Prophaneness growth of Popery c. and may seem to bewail the woful declining state of true Piety amongst us but are our hearts deeply touched and affected with the sense of these things Surely that Zeal which is only from the teeth outward is not true but feigned 3. True Zeal hath respect to God it pointeth towards God As Fire ascends Sparks fly upwards That is not right Zeal which is flashy vain-glorious in pretence for God but really for self To pretend Zeal for the Lord as Jehu did but really to design and aim at self-applause and self-advantage this is to mock God or this is but to flatter him And certainly that God which searcheth the heart will put a difference betwixt such flatterers and his true friends They that have a true Zeal for God will ordinarily prefer God's Honour and Interest before their own concerns True Zeal is accompanied with self-denial Such can be zealous for God when they are like to suffer for their Zeal They could better endure to suffer themselves than that the Truth should suffer They could take it more patiently to be reviled themselves to have their names cast out as evil than that the good wayes of God be evil spoken of 4. True Zeal will burn alone As Elijah was zealous for the Lord God of Hosts even when he seemed to himself to be left alone when he knew not of one that would take his part 1 Kings 19.10 As the Apostle Paul
Treachery The settled bent of their Hearts and so the general course of their Lives is right 16. The upright Man is striving after and growing up towards full Perfection The Righteous shall hold on his way And he that hath clean Hands wax stronger and stronger Thus the Way of the Lord is strength to the Upright And his Word does good to the Upright Mic. 2.7 It is an ill sign when one is at a constant stay in Religion When one holds on in a round of Duties without going forward And commonly Hypocrites go out at last in a stinking snuff But the Path of the Just is as the shining Light which shineth more and more unto the Perfect Day Prov. 4.18 Such are pressing towards the Mark Phil. 3.14 15. Of Zeal TIT. 2.14 A peculiar People zealous of good Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accensum studio bonorum operum as Beza fervently given unto good Works as in our old English translation Zeal is a word of various acceptation In general it signifies heat and fervour From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ferveo In Heb. 10.27 there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read fiery indignation in our old Translation violent Fire This Word is transferred to the heat and fervour of the Spirit and Affections which is of diverse kinds As 1. There is a natural Zeal As some naturally are of lively active spirits full of mettle as we use to say Luther seemeth to have been naturally of such a temper As Bucer said of him Nihil in eo non vehemens What an happy thing it is when such a temper is guided and acted by Grace Ordinarily such will do more for God 2. There is a carnal Zeal We find emulations among the works of the Flesh reckoned up Gal. 5.19 20 21. In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Apostle James condemns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter Zeal Jam. 3.14 Envy is a kind of Zeal but not of the right kind It is bitter Zeal It is a sort of wild Grapes There is a Blind Zeal Such as Idolaters Papists Persecuters may be acted by A blind zeal when Men are Zealous in a false way and Zealous against the Truth Taking light for darkness and darkness for light Calling good evil and evil good There is a superstitious extravagant and erratick zeal when Men are Zealous about such things where it would be a vertue to be cool and moderate And there is an Hypocritical Zeal when Men have or seem to have great Zeal for the Truth and against Errour and falshood but it is only for self-respects and carnal ends Thus carnal Zeal moves in a large Sphere takes a great compass 3. There is a Spiritual Zeal A being zealous of good Works indeed and zealous for God even for his sake An holy Zeal This is both commanded Rev. 3.19 Be zealous And commended Num. 25.11 Phinehas the Son of Eleazer hath turned my wrath away while he was zealous for my sake So this Zeal should not go unrewarded Many commend lukewarmness and indifferency in Religion under the terms of Moderation Prudence and Discretion But Christ and the World are not of a mind A lukewarm temper the Lord cannot endure Rev. 3.15 16. Because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth But as Bishop Hall observes Vol. 1. p. 903. The goodness of God winks at the Errors of honest Zeal and so loveth the strength of good Affections that it passeth over their Infirmities Again ib. p. 938. He Pardoneth the Errours of our fervency rather than the indifferencies of lukewarmness Indeed where there is no Zeal for God there is no Love to God Qui non Zelat non amat Where there is Life there will be some heat Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be spiritually alive and to be lively are not more alike in sound than really akin Zeal in one degree or other is as inseparable from spiritual Life as heat is from fire It 's true as every sincere Christian is not a Nathaniel for degree and measure of Sincerity and plain-heartedness So neither is every such Soul a Moses a Phinehas an Elias for Zeal Yet the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Mat 11.12 And it is one property of Christ's redeemed ones his peculiar People to be zealous of good Works This holy Zeal of which I am to speak as was said of Vprightness and Sincerity is not any distinct particular Grace but a modus or respect of other Graces Though some define it as a compound of Love and Anger Zelus est affectus ex amore irâ mixtus cum scil irascimur ei à quo laeditur id quod amamus Yet I cannot so confine it There must be Zeal accompanying our Repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 And Zeal in our Love We must love fervently 1 Pet. 1.22 and 4.8 And it is the symtom of corrupt times when love waxeth cold Mat. 24.12 Zeal is the spritely vigour and activity of all Grace the ardor of all the Affections with the earnestness and intention that is in all spiritual actings Indeed the chief heat of it is in the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.11 This Fire is burning in the gracious Heart in the sanctified Will and Affections yet its heat is further diffused into the Conversation All our Spiritual Sacrifices must be offered up with this Fire Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Prayer must be Zealous fervent Prayer Jam. 5.16 Col. 4.12 13. Ministers must Preach zealously as Apollos Act. 18.25 None are allowed to do the work of the Lord negligently remisly There must be Zeal in hearing the Word Here our hearts should burn within us as Luk. 24.32 we should be zealous in reproving as Gal. 2.11 Yea no good work is well done without Zeal We must be zealous of and zealous in good Works It s not enough barely to do good Works but we must be earnest upon it and vigorous in the Work Quest But how shall we know whether our Zeal be right Answ 1. True Zeal is guided by a right Judgment a judgment regulated by the Word To allude to that Isa 4.4 The spirit of judgment must go along with the spirit of burning A blind ignorant rash Zeal is not good nor will it prove ones estate good Such a Zeal Paul had while a desperate Persecuter Act. 26.9 which afterwards he saw to be fury and madness rather than Zeal v. 11. This made him Mad once not his learning as Festus would have had it v. 24. such a Zeal the carnal unbelieving Jews had Rom. 10.2 Let Men be never so zealous in their way if it be not God's way their Zeal runs waste God is not honoured but dishonoured not well pleased but displeased with that Zeal which is not according to his Word To be zealous for what he hath not commanded and much more to be zealous for what he hath forbidden to be zealous against
could not but express his Zeal for God at Athens when he had none to back him Acts 17. Come see my Zeal for the Lord says Jehu a Kings 10.16 An Hypocrite is not well pleased if he have not some to take notice of his Zeal some that will applaud him for it His Zeal in a good cause is soon cooled if he have not some about him such as would encourage and help to blow it up Whereas true Zeal will burn still when there are none about it but such as endeavour to blow it out As Lot's Soul was vexed from day to day in Sodom with their unlawful deeds 2 Pet. 2.8 If a Zealous Christian hath his lot cast in a wicked prophane Place or Family even there will his Zeal be breaking forth True Zeal will not be smothered or put out with the coldness and deadness of others about it but rather useth to be more excited and intended As Fire burns hottest in cold frosty Weather 5. True Zeal is not Partial but would appear for all that wherein God's Honour and Interest lieth It is as Extensive as sincere and sound Obedience It is Quantitas intensiva obedientiae according to Dr. Ames Thus to be Zealous of good works in the whole kind of them ready to promote any good Work earnestly desirous to abound in every good Work would shew our Zeal to be right But a partial Zeal as a partial Obedience is not right As partial heats in the Body are no signs of good Health To be Zealous for works of Charity but no friends of Holiness and true Piety Or to seem forward for pious Exercises but to be careless of other Moral Duties To be negligent in the duties of our particular Callings and Relations cannot be right True Zeal in a Magistrate will make him active for God as a Magistrate as Nehemiah was True Zeal in a Minister will make him diligent in the work of his Ministry Like Apollos who being fervent in Spirit spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord Acts 18.25 True Zeal in the Master of a Family will make him Industrious in his Place To instruct his Houshold in the Way of the Lord and to engage them in God's Service after Abraham's example Yea one that is truly Zealous of good Works will act uniformly Not be hot in Prayer Hearing Conference and Cold and Heartless as to other Duties 6. True Zeal sets against all Sin as it is discovered This will cause ones Blood to rise against Sin So a Man will be ready to reprove and shew his dislike of Sin as he has opportunity So he will endeavour in his Place according to his Power to oppose Sin to prevent suppress it True Zeal will make a Man an enemy to Sin wheresoever he sees it wheresoever he meets with it To appear very forward to condemn the faults of an Enemy of such as bear no good will to us and to bear with Sin in our Friends in such as are nearly related to us this is not right True Zeal would make one like Levi in God's Cause Who said unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledg his Brethren nor knew his own Children Deut. 33.9 As Asa would not bear with Idolatry in his own Mother 2 Chron. 15.16 In the trial of your Love observe its working at a distance as this will better appear in its workings towards those that are farthest off in its being extended to Strangers Enemies than in its workings towards Friends and Relations that are near you But in the trial of your Zeal on the contrary especially observe how it worketh near hand To condemn Sin in others but to indulge and spare our own Sins is not right Some are so Zealous against others Offences De Adventu Dom. Ser. 4. as Bernard says that they might seem to hunger and thirst after Righteousness if they had the same judgment also of their own Sins But now a weight and a weight as he alludes is an abomination to the Lord. True Zeal would least endure Sin in its own Territories As Fire has most power on what is next it Zeal where it is in truth will be firing out ones own Corruptions Like an Hearth of fire among Wood and like a Torch of fire in a Sheaf As the Psalmist says My Zeal hath consumed me Psal 119.139 So Zeal will be consuming ones Lusts Are we salted with this Fire according to the expression Mark 9.49 A truly Zealous Christian has the greatest indignation against his own Sins and is most forward to take revenge on himself and them 2 Cor. 7.11 And he would not spare one of his Sins Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel yet this shewed his Zeal was not right that he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam he was still for the Golden Calves 2 Kings 10.28 29. A resolved indulgence and allowance of any known Sin and true Zeal are inconsistent 7. A right and regular Zeal is most vehement in the greatest Matters As Fire the grosser the substance that it takes hold Ignis in materia densiori acriùs urit and feeds upon the hotter it burns True Zeal is more for plain and necessary Duties than for any disputable point or matter of Controversie So likewise it riseth against Sin according to the quality and aggravations thereof What one noteth to have always been the Hypocrites guise Dr. Downam on Psal 15. p. 33. is the genius of false Zeal scil To neglect the greater Duties and to affect the observation of the less to prefer Circumstances before the Substance and Ceremonies before the works either of Piety or Charity to place the height of their Religion either in observing or urging Ceremonies or contrariwise in inveighing against them Observe it to be more Zealous for or against a Ceremony than for the weightiest and most substantial Duties or than against great and foul Enormities to be more Zealous about some disputable Point and Opinion wherein sound Christians may have different apprehensions than for main matters of Faith and Godliness matters essential to true Christianity wherein all that are Christians indeed must agree both as to Belief and Practice is no good sign You would not take him for a wise and careful Builder that laid the greatest weight on the weakest part of the Wall So it must be indiscreet Zeal or worse than indiscreet which is more for unnecessary Opinions than for the most substantial Duties and fundamental Truths Is that true Zeal for God Or rather is it not a selfish Zeal which is for ones own Opinions neglecting those things which make most for the Honour of God and wherein the main interest of Religion lieth Though many warm themselves at these Sparks many comfort themselves that they are Zealous in their way for their own Parties and Opinions yet in the end they may lie down in sorrow for it But some will say Would you not have us Zealous for
11. True Zeal is for expedition in God's Service As Phinehas Ignis est maxime actuosus maximè mobilis who was zealous for God could not sit still when he saw God so greatly Dishonoured Psal 106. Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment Then stood up Phinehas The word may import his readiness and forwardness to appear for God against Sin as occasion was then offered So Nehemiah testified against the Merchants that had lodged but once or twice without Jerusalem under the Wall on the Sabbath threatning to clap them up If they did so again he would lay hands on them Neh. 13.20 21. So David Psal 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked Though it may point at the usual time of sitting in Judgment in the morning yet withal it may import that he would not be delatory in the work Thus Zeal will set Men early on work for God will make Men quick and speedy in giving check to Sin as they have power and opportunity to put a stop to it as soon as they can Sinful sluggish demurs delays put-offs are contrary to the nature of true Zeal So a listlesness to Duty is no sign of Zeal It is cold that benummeth So it is a sign of the want of Zeal a sign of extream coldness when we cannot find our hands to turn them to any good work when we are like the slothful Prov. 19.24 that hides his hand in his bosom 12. True Zeal makes souls as forward unto so free and lively in God's service What a Man does zealously he does very heartily To be zealous of good Works is not barely to do some good Works but it further implieth earnestness alacrity and fervency of spirit in the doing of Good Works To pray with Zeal is more than saying a Prayer it is no less than to be fervent in Prayer to pray earnestly To be zealous in works of Charity is not meerly to give to such that stand in need but to give willingly and freely Like those of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.3 that were willing of themselves That needed no spurring on What the Apostle sayes of Love 1 Cor. 13.4 It is kind bountiful this may well be said of Zeal which is the fervour of Love Zeal is bountiful at least in will and desire Cold has a condensing and contracting quality but heat rarifies and extends So Zeal in the Heart enlarges it A zealous Christian would not serve God at an ordinary rate he desires to abound in the work of the Lord. The flame will be mounting upwards A zealous spirit is a raised spirit raised in God's Service But a cold dead heart is still bearing downward We read of Jehoshaphat that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.6 So one of a zealous spirit never thinks he does enough for God He will desire still to serve him more and to serve him better 13. True Zeal gives courage in the Cause of God filleth the Soul full of resolution for God And indeed that may be the meaning of Jehoshaphat's heart being lifted up in the wayes of the Lord. A zealous Spirit is a magnanimous Spirit An holy Zeal is indeed Cos fortitudinis the Whetstone of Valour As Esther's Zeal for God and his People put courage into her though she might naturally be timorous as is common to her Sex What an heroick resolution was there Esth 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish If we have no Spirit no Courage to appear for God his Truth and Wayes sure we have no Zeal forthem Indeed of all things Sinners are most offended at holy Zeal They that have nothing to say against Christian Meekness or Charitableness and some other Graces yet can ill endure the heat of Godly Zeal O it is scorching and tormenting to them Here they are ready to cry out Fire fire as one says This oft puts them into a great combustion Yet true Zeal will break thorow opposition Many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it The like may be said of Zeal It is not quenched or cooled but oft more intended and increased when others would discourage it 14. True Zeal that is a cause of such courage and resolution for God that giveth confidence and boldness before Men yet is joyned with Humility and Holy Fear and Trembling before God One gracious disposition is not contrary to another And true Zeal is not blown up with high thoughts of ones self but with high thoughts of God The Dread and Reverence of the most High of an infinitely Glorious and Holy Majesty promotes true Zeal for God helpeth to set an edge upon it and steeleth the Soul with an holy boldness hardeneth it against a base carnal fear of Man Mr. Vines But it is not right when as one says Zeal that should eat us up is eaten up of Pride 15. Right regular Zeal will more dispose and fit us for our Work and Duty not take off from Duty or transport into Sin That is not Zeal but distempered Passion it is not from Grace but from the workings of Corruption when we are discomposed and unhinged 16. If we have true Zeal for God it will be a joy to us to see any zealous and active for God As on the other hand it will be our great grief to see Men generally cold indifferent lukewarm in Religion To see others regardless of God and of the interest of true Religion will move our displeasure and indignation But it will not offend us to see any acted with regular Zeal for God Indeed the Apostle did and would rejoyce that Christ was Preached though some preached Christ out of envy Phil. 1.15 18. How much more would he have rejoyced to have seen as good proof and evidence of their pure Love and Zeal as he saw of their Envy carrying them out in the work If we are truly zealous for God we shall be taken with those whom we see or hear to be zealous for him our hearts will be towards such yea knit to them as Jonathans was to David And we shall bless God for such As Deborah Judg. 5.9 My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the People Bless the Lord. She desired that the Lord might be praised that put such a spirit into them If others out-shine us here yet if we have true Zeal for God we shall be so far from envying them that the more zealous any are the more we shall honour and be taken with them 17. If we are truly zealous we have an holy emulation a desire to follow yea if it might be to outstrip those that excel in vertue As the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14.12 Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that ye may excel As the Corinthians Zeal and forwardness provoked very many 2 Cor 9.2 We should not envy such as have got the start of us and yet should in a good
or to condemn Knowledg but indeed to condemn Pride in the opinion or conceit of our Knowledg There is a Woe to those that are wise in their own Eyes Isa 5.21 True Wisdom and Lowliness go together Prov. 11.2 With the Lowly is Wisdom And Wisdom and Spiritual Understanding go together Indeed Sound Spiritual Knowledg would take down the swellings of Pride Pride cannot reign where Sound Knowledg dwelleth Spiritual Knowledg cannot be without a Sound Knowledg of God ‖ Igitur ignorantes quique Deum rem quoque ejus ignorent nec esse est Tertul. de Poenitentia And the more we know of God the more we shall see cause to be humbled in our selves As holy Job the more he saw of God the more he was humbled Chap. 42.5 6. Again Spiritual Knowledg cannot be without a Knowledg of our selves And when the Spirit enlightneth Sinners one of his first works is to convince of Sin Joh. 16.8 Now certainly they that are lifted up in themselves know little of themselves They that are thorowly convinced of Sin and come to know themselves aright cannot but have low thoughts of themselves Again Spiritual Knowledg is not without the Knowledg of Christ * Cui enem veritas comperta sine Deo cui Deus cognitus sine Christo cui Christus exploratus sine Spiritu Sancto Tertul de Anima the only Mediator betwixt God and Man Now the Knowledg of Christ leads us out of our selves makes us appear to be worse than nothing in and of our selves Again Let me add this even they that are best learn'd in the School of Christ cannot but be sensible that they know but in part that they are very defective herein Christ's Scholars the further they learn the more they perceive their own Iâ—norance and Shallowness O the depths in Divinity How short are our Conceptions How many Mysteries here that we are not able to dive into or fathom †Maxima pars corum quae scimus est minima pars corum quae nescimus All we know is but little to what we know not It is the Novice in Religion that is in most danger of being lifted up with Pride 1 Tim. 3.6 While such as know little are too often wise in their own conceits they that have made greatest proficiency cannot but charge themselves with folly See Psal 73.16 22. Prov. 30.2 3. 8. Spiritual Knowledg is nourishing As the Lord promiseth that his People should be fed with Knowledg and Vnderstanding Jer. 3.15 As some have noted with Knowledg and Vnderstanding there may not only respect modum pascendi the manner how their Teachers should feed them scil understandingly and prudently but also materiam pastûs the matter of their Food the sound Knowledg of God's Word This is nourishing There 's Heart in it As Timothy was nourished up in the Words of Faith and of good Doctrine 1 Tim. 4.6 As the Word of God is compared to Milk 1 Pet. 2.2 Indeed there is both Milk and strong Meat Heb. 5.12 It is pabulum Animae The Spiritual Knowledg of God and his Word does Souls good indeed It is as Food to the Graces of the Spirit as Fuel to holy Affections Therefore the Apostle Peter prayeth 2 Pet. 1.2 Grace be multiplyed unto you through the Knowledg of God and of Jesus our Lord. And in his concluding exhortation to grow in Grace chap. 3.18 he addeth and in the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ as a means specially conducing to their growth in Grace I have shewed you even now that Spiritual Knowledg is a great promoter of Humility So doth it further on Repentance As that expression of a Mans knowing the Plague of his own Heart 1 King 8.38 may shew There is no Repentance without knowing the Plague of ones own Heart Spiritual Knowledg is both an In-let and a stay and help to Faith and trust in God Psal 9.10 They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee So Knowledg is put for Faith Isa 53.11 By his Knowledg i. e. by the Knowledg of himself shall my righteous Servant justify many So it begets and maintains the Fear of God The Spirit of Knowledg and of the Fear of the Lord go together Isa 11.2 Prov. 2.3 5. If thou cryest after Knowledg then shalt thou understand the Fear of the Lord. And if thou knowest God aright surely thou wilt reverence him thou wilt fear before him thou wilt stand in awe of him fear to offend him Again this is ever a Friend to the Love of God Psal 91.14 Because he hath set his Love upon me because he hath known my name They that know his Name will set their Love on him How great is his Goodness and how great is his Beauty If we know him aright we cannot but admire him Jer. 24.7 I will give them an Heart to know me that I am the Lord not only an Vnderstanding but an Heart to know me They shall know me so as to love own and cleave to me It follows and they shall be my People and I will be their God That this Promise I will give them an Heart to know me seemeth to be the same in sense with that Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart to love the Lord thy God The Spiritual Knowledg of God hath both Light and Heat in it It warmeth it enflameth the Heart with love to him It promotes Sincerity Phil. 1.9 10. Psal 36.10 O continue thy loving-kindness to them that know thee and thy Righteousness to the upright in Heart Here they that know God and the upright in Heart are the same Persons They that know God aright would dread to think of mocking God in Religion would fear to play the Deceivers Would not God search this out for he knoweth the secrets of the Heart Thus Spiritual Knowledg is sound indeed Notional-Knowledg is windy and airy Men may have their Heads swelled with it but that 's all Their Hearts are not bettered by it As Meat that lyeth on the Stomack undigested is more noxious than nourishing it breedeth ill Humours a meer speculative Knowledg is like Food that digests not I remember it is Bernard's comparison 9. Spiritual Knowledg is fruitful Good Knowledg is like good Seed As the Apostle says of the Word here Col. 1.6 It bringeth forth Fruit in you since the day ye heard it and knew the Grace of God in Truth It brings forth the Fruits of Repentance and Reformation Psal 119.104 Through thy precepts I get Vnderstanding therefore I hate every false way Job 28.28 The fear of the Lord this is Wisdom and to depart from evil is Vnderstanding And the fruit of Obedience Psal 111.10 A good Vnderstanding have all they that do his Commandments Deut. 4.6 Keep my Statutes and do them for this is your Wisdom and your Vnderstanding 1 Joh. 2.3 4. Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments He that saith I know him
wrought and working in me Therefore this perswasion that I shall be saved cannot be the first Act of Faith If it be a perswasion grounded on the Word true Faith is presupposed to go before And the Apostle hath barred Mens expectation of special immediate Revelation here Rom. 10.17 where he concludeth that Faith cometh by hearing of the Word of God 4. Many have this confident perswasion that their Sins are pardoned that they shall be saved who have not true justifying Saving-Faith and therefore surely this cannot be the proper formal Act of true justifying Saving-Faith Many Hypocrites and meer out-side Professors yea many a wicked Man hath this perswasion How hard a thing is it to take down Sinners confidence Mr. Baxter We have need as one says to lay all our Batteries against this Bulwark of Presumption How many that will say they hope to be saved by Christ yea they never doubted of their Salvation in all their Lives They can argue that Christ died to Save Sinners and they are Sinners therefore he died to Save them If this be Faith the case of many a Presumer is not so dangerous but very happy 5. Many have true Faith and are justified and in a State of Salvation yet have not this perswasion that their Sins are pardoned dare not conclude that they are in God's Favour and such as shall be saved Therefore this cannot be the formal Act of Faith Faith could not be without its formal Act. If you make this the formal Act of Faith then you must say there is no true Believer but hath it Then there is no true Believer that walketh in Darkness But certainly a Soul may trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God while yet he walketh in Darkness and can see no Light Isa 50.10 Is it not the condition of many a dear Child of God to be in great doubts and full of fears about their Spiritual and Eternal Estate Should we not condemn the Generation of his Children many yea the greatest part of them as Children that have no Faith if we define Faith to be a believing that our Sins are pardoned and that we shall be saved Many a holy humble Christian goes on drooping even to his dying day and it is well if he come to this comfortable conclusion at last As one giveth this as part of the Character of a Christian H. Palmer Paradoxes p. 64. §. 73. He thinks sometimes God hath no Mercy for him and yet resolves to die in the pursuit of it And to tell poor troubled afflicted Consciences that they cannot have Faith who do not believe their Sins are pardoned is not the way to comfort them but to set them more on the Rack This would make the Hearts of many sad even such as God would not have made sad 6. Such a particular perswasion that my Sins are pardoned c. if it be sound and well-grounded is Knowledg and not Faith As the Apostle John hath it I think some nine or ten times Hereby we know Observe well 1 Joh. 5.13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have Eternal Life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God Where he clearly distinguisheth believing on the Name of the Son of God from their knowing that they had Eternal Life or that they should be saved What follows that ye might believe on the Name of the Son of God is not spoken of the first Act or beginning of Faith but of continuance and progress in it And it is plain that this particular perswasion of which I am speaking if it be sound and have any good bottom depends on two several Propositions one of which is laid down in Scripture as this Proposition He that believeth shall be saved The other is of a Man 's own Conscience or from the knowledg a Man has of himself But I believe From whence this Conclusion follows therefore I shall be saved So that it is not an Act of Faith properly but a rational Conclusion presupposing these two things 1. That all true Believers shall be saved 2. That I know my self to be a true Believer Now can that be a right description of Saving-Faith which necessarily presupposeth a Man to have Saving-Faith before and to know that he hath it Thus I have indeavoured to remove these unsound and false Notions of Faith Now I come to shew what it is Indeed you may meet with diverse sound descriptions of Faith something differing in words that yet agree in the thing I would not be one of those that make differences where there are none or make differences wider than they are With the Learned Placeus Faith is tenax atque efficax persuasio veritatis eorum Thes Salmur Par. 1. p. 32. §. 36. c. An holding and effectual perswasion of the truth of those things which are revealed to us in the Word of God and particularly of the Gospel-Promise of Remission and Salvation by Christ And as he addeth it is so in the Vnderstanding that it affects and determines the Will Le Blanc that Judicious Writer describes it to be Thes Theol. in Folio p. 210. §. 89. Assensum firmum practicum atque fiducialem adhibitum omnibus c. A firm practical and fiducial Assent given unto all things which are revealed of God but especially to the Promises of the Gospel In the late Confession of Faith this account is given of Saving Faith Chap. 14. §. 2. By this Faith a Christian believeth to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word for the Authority of God himself speaking therein and acteth differently upon that which each particular passage thereof containeth yeilding obedience to the Commands trembling at the Threatnings and embracing the Promises of God for this Life and that which is to come But the principal Acts of Saving-Faith are accepting receiving and resting upon Christ alone for Justification Sanctification and Eternal Life by vertue of the Covenant of Grace In the shorter Catechism Faith in Jesus Christ is a Saving Grace whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for Salvation as he is offered to us in the Gospel Notwithstanding a difference in Expression yet here is an agreement in sense That I run not out too far I shall only note something of the Object of Faith and of the Acts of Faith The Object of Faith is thus distinguished There is the general and common or according to others the full and adaequate Object of Faith and that is the whole Word of God the Word of Truth so Faith assenteth to the whole Word of God as true Again there is the special Object of Faith and that is the Word of Promise so Faith consenteth to the terms or condition of the Promise and in this way relyeth on God and Christ for performance The Promise of Remission and Salvation by Christ Faith takes special
willing and desirous of Christ and his Grace that he would have them above all things that may stand in competition above all the pleasures or advantages of Sin and the World Yea he would have Christ though he was to beg with him to suffer with him He is willing to deny himself for Christ And so 4. He consents resolvedly and firmly Before Faith a Man is at shall I shall I He may sometimes have a sudden motion towards Christ but the Flesh and the World soon draw him quite another way But Faith quite turns the Scale Temporary Believers have some mind towards Jesus Christ they are a little in love with him by fits but their Minds soon change especially when they are threatned with persecution they are wont to take offence at the Cross and draw back they go not thorow with him But the true Believer is married unto Christ hath taken him for better for worse for richer for poorer to Love Honour and Obey him even until Death As the Apostle Phil. 3.8 For whom I have suffered the loss of all things Have suffered but did he not hereupon repent his bargain O no! he had as high an esteem of Christ as much affection for Christ as ever After all his Losses after his Sufferings for Christ he was still of the same Mind I have suffered the loss of all things for him says he and as it follows I do count them but dung that I may win Christ But you may ask here Who can tell whether he shall hold out or no Have not some gone a great way and yet fallen off again Answ 1. However this note is of use so far as to discover the unsoundness of their Faith who fall away As they that draw back are opposed to them that believe Such did never truly believe were never truly resolved for Christ Had they taken Christ without any sinful reserve they would have stuck to him A Believer falleth sometimes yet does not fall away He falleth forward not backward Still his Heart is towards Christ and his settled habitual prevailing resolution for Christ and so he riseth from his falls And therefore 2. If indeed we cleave to Christ with full purpose of Heart we may thence conclude that we shall keep to him Then we shall be kept by the Power of God through Faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 And shall not be tempted above that we are able 1 Cor. 10.13 Having God's Promise here we should rest upon and not distrust his Power or Faithfulness Indeed to run ordinarily and wilfully upon Temptations is a thing contrary to Grace contrary to such an habitual resolution for Christ A Sound and Holy resolution to stick to Christ armeth the Soul and sets it on its watch against Temptations that would draw it from Christ and which is more sets the Soul under a Promise of a gracious Divine Protection Now let us see whether we thus consent unto Christ and to the terms on which Salvation is offered in and with him Do we consent entirely not partially seriously and deliberately heartily and willingly firmly and resolvedly So I come to a third Act of Faith which is 3. Affiance Faith is a firm Assent it is a practical Assent such as draws the will to consent and it is a fiducial Assent Of this I am next to speak The word Fiducia or Trust is oft used by Divines for confidence and full perswasion which is separable from true Faith But it may also be taken for resting or relying on God and Jesus Christ and being so taken it is an Act of Faith ordinarily put forth and however always included in Faith as to the habit of it A Believer resolves to venture and cast himself upon Christ how much soever he be in doubt of the event and issue As it was with Job Chap. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him This Affiance relyance and recumbency upon Christ seemeth to be pointed at in the phrases of believing in and believing on him Which some would have translated trust in or trust on him As v. g. Joh. 14.1 Ye do trust or Do ye trust in God or on God trust also in me or on me As the word trust or hope is used Mat. 12.21 In his Name shall the Gentiles * That the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for to Trust or Confide even in Exotick Authors Melancthon hath gathered many Instances to prove it In Loc. Com. de vocab Fidei Apud Chemnit loc Theol. par 2. p. 256. Vide etiam Chemnit Ib. p. 262. trust And Eph. 1.12 who first trusted in Christ Believing and Trusting are used as equivolent Psal 78.22 Because they believed not in God and trusted not in his Salvation Psal 2.12 Blessed are all they that put their trust in him qui se recipiunt ad eum that betake themselves to him The word properly signifies protectionis causâ aliquò confugere as Mollier to flee some whither for Protection As Chickens in danger run to the Hen. Christo mirè congruit verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hic enim congregat Filios suos instar gallinae Mat. 23.37 Hic est umbraculum nostrum Isa 25.4 Riv. in Pol. Synop. There is another word used Psal 22.8 He roled or let him roll himself his concerns his burthen on the Lord. Which is rendred He trusted in God Mat. 27.43 And Cant. 8.5 The Faith of the Spouse is expressed by her leaning or recumbing upon her Beloved Vid. I. de Dieu vel M. Pol. Synop. Faith is a relying and staying on the Lord. 2 Chron. 16.7 Isa 50.10 Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Et innitatur c. Tanquam fulcro Calv. Muscul in M. Pol. Synop. nè labatur omnem curam in illum velut pondus importabile conjiciendo Faith is a looking to the Lord Isa 45.22 Psal 123.2 Like the Israelites looking up to the Brazen Serpent Joh. 3.14 15. Faith is a committing our Souls with all that is dear unto us unto Christ to keep 2 Tim. 1.12 A depositing our greatest Concerns with him The believing Soul casts it self upon Christ ventures its All with him And no doubt but they that give us this description or they that put this into the definition of Faith scil that it is A resting upon Christ alone for Salvation no doubt I say but they were aware of that great errour and mistake formerly so common making Faith a full perswasion of the Heart c. As if Assurance was of the very nature and essence of Faith And so was that French Divine before cited that describes it Jo. Mestrezar to be A penitent Sinner's fleeing for succour to the Mercy of God in Christ Indeed it was very needful to correct that errour which both gave the Papists such advantage against us and gave such a wound to weak Believers who would conclude they had not Faith because they had not a full
supernatural Grace necessary to the obtaining of it but a literal observation of the Law and Circumcision such as passed for a Righteousness among Men. 3. Because it was a way of seeking to be justified of their own devising and not of God's appointing And Mr. B. At the end of his Aphor. before the Appendix distinguisheth which we must attend to and well observe Betwixt works of the Gospel i. e. in Subordination to Christ as conditions of our full Justification and Salvation by him 2. And works commanded in the Gospel used as works of the Law Vid. Cathol Theol. l. 1. part 2. p. 72. §. 170 p. 75. §. 188. p. 81. §. 196. or to legal ends viz. to make up in whole or in part our proper legal Righteousness and so in opposition to Christ's Righteousness or in co-ordination with it In the first sense as he says they are necessary to Salvation in the second damnable 2. A Sound Affiance in Christ is ever joyned with an hearty acceptance of him and sincere subjection to him We cannot truly rely on Christ as a Saviour while we refuse and reject him as Lord and King He will not save any upon such terms But as Jeptha said If I deliver you shall I be your Head Non est hoc ingenium fidei as Camero this is not the disposition and property of true Faith to separate Salvation from the means of Salvation It will not separate the end from the means or the Benefit promised from the Condition upon which it is promised They have very dishonourable thoughts of God that hope he will pardon them in a way of Transgression In Exod. 34.6 7. where the Lord most amply sets forth his abundant Grace and Mercy yet this is added that he will by no means clear the guilty that is acquit the wicked as Nah. 1.2 Tom. 2. l. 4. c. 1. §. 1. Col. 340. And as Zanchy observes this is part of his goodness from Exod. 33.19 I will make all my goodness pass before thee and I will proclaim the name of the Lord. So the goodness of God will not suffer the clearing of the guilty Should he have favour towards wicked impenitent ones in their Sins he should not be so good a God as indeed he is And what unworthy thoughts have they of Jesus Christ that would make him the Minister of Sin or a Patron and encourager of Men in their Sins As they were reproved Mic. 3.11 for leaning on the Lord when their doings were against the Lord it is a great Sin for any Man to rely on Christ to save him who yet is in League with Sin who does not truly resign up himself unto Christ There is no peace saith the Lord unto the wicked Isa 48.22 Salvation is far from the Wicked says the Psalmist for they seek not thy Statutes What can be more plain than this that it is not a right trust Quanquam necâ—siducia illa dicenda sit sed insensibilitas quaedam dissimulatio perniciosa Bern. In Annunc Dom. Ser. 3. but very gross Presumption to expect Salvation by Christ without a willing and hearty subjection to him For this is not only to believe without a Promise which is enough to shew the groundlessness of it but also to believe contrary to the express word of Christ which further shews the great impudence of it He has declared the contrary Luk. 19.27 But those mine Enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me 2 Thes 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the Glory of his Power That all such as love and live in Sin and will not be ruled by the Laws of Christ should know the Word assures them that if they so continue Christ will not save but condemn them 3. A Sound Affiance in God and Jesus Christ for Salvation is usually accompanied with a trust and dependance on the Lord for temporal Mercies too for what he sees good for us here As we may allude to that Joh. 3.12 If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things If we have no Faith in the Promises concerning Temporals how can we pretend Faith in those of an higher Nature Can we trust the Lord for our Souls and yet fear to trust him for our Bodies Do we trust him to give us the everlasting heavenly Inheritance and yet dare we not trust him for present maintenance Do we depend on him to raise our Bodies out of the Dust at the last day to a Life of Glory and Immortality and yet have we no dependance on him to support us under or deliver us out of our troubles here How strange a thing were this It is the same principle of Faith that applies both Temporal and Spiritual Promises as the Israelites with the same Eyes beheld the Brazen Serpent and other common Objects It is true as Faith is not perfect in the strongest Christians there are remainders of distrust which they cannot but oft discover in themselves and which they are ashamed of and humbled for Even Abraham himself the Father of the Faithful he that was so strong in Faith that having God's Promise could believe seeming impossibilities yet was he sometimes staggering through fear and distrust Gen. 12.12 13. and Chap. 20.2 But what should such think of themselves in whom distrust is predominant such as are given up to distracting fears and cares concerning this Life such as yeild up themselves to base sinful distrust without any resistance such as are continually limiting God and dare not take his Word his Bond alone but must have others bound with him must always see a probability of the thing from second causes Such as whenever they are in any strait or trouble cannot wait upon God but are for making haste presently betake themselves to any sinful shift indirect courses unlawful means to help and extricate themselves Such whose expectation is not from the Lord nor their dependance on him concerning the things of this Life how can it be thought that they depend on him about their greatest and everlasting Concerns Indeed if we are come to this we shall not look so much at the things that are seen as at the things that are not seen We shall be chiefly taken up about our Spiritual and Eternal State and less regard Temporal things Faith would shew us greater things than these But how many alas that venture their Souls and while they care not what becomes of their Souls or on what grounds they venture them they fondly conceit that they trust God and Christ with their Souls while yet they have no trust in God so much as
for their outward Man but are still shifting for themselves without eying God's Will and Word or Providence or if they know not how to help themselves are presently sinking in despondency and quite swallowed up with distrustful fears cares and grief Thus far of the several Acts of Faith It s proper Elicit Acts. I shall further add a few Scripture-notes whereby Saving-Faith may be known 1. Where Faith is Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 Vnto you which believe he is precious That which is called precious Faith will teach us to account Jesus Christ precious and all of Christ precious Thus to Believers the Person of Christ is precious 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love Believers that never saw him with their Eyes yet believing him to be such an one indeed as he is set forth in the Word they are exceedingly taken with him they cannot but admire him As the Spouse in Canticles was at a loss for expressions high enough to shew the loveliness and excellency of her Beloved After all that she had said in her description of him Cant. 5. she thinks her self very short and therefore concludes ver 16. Yea he is altogether lovely There is no true Believer but has high admiring thoughts of Christ sees him to be the chiefest of ten thousands To such his benefits are precious The Blood of Christ how precious 1 Pet. 1.18 19. And how precious are the benefits purchased by his Blood How do Believers prize a pardon How do such prize an Interest in Christ counting all things but loss and dung to that The Graces the Fruits of the Spirit how do they prize these above Riches above the most precious Fruits of the Earth The Love and Favour of Christ how do such prize it far above the Favour and Friendship of the World Lord do thou smile will such a Soul say and I can then be content though the World do frown Thy love is better than Wine Cant. 1.2 Nothing in the World would so chear the Hearts of the Faithful The presence of Christ Communion and Fellowship with Christ is highly prized of every believing Soul The Name of Christ is precious unto such and those things that bear his Name His Day the Lords Day accounted of above all other Days His Ordinances are prized The Doctrine of Christ as precious Ointment poured forth Cant. 1.3 His Word more precious than Gold His Promises exceeding precious 2 Pet. 1.4 And Prayer is accounted a precious Priviledg even that we may ask the Father in his Name Believers would not for a World be without this Priviledg Thus Chist is precious to Believers and all of Christ his Person his Offices his Benefits his Ordinances all are precious But further that you may not be mistaken here thinking that you prize Christ when it may be the Lord sees you are yet such as dispise him take these two or three notes to try your selves by 1. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then certainly we are come to see our former vileness when we had base low unworthy thoughts of him and when our carriage was nothing less than a contempt of him How oft was Christ with all his precious benefits graciously offered to us in the Gospel while we did most unreasonably and ungratefully reject him we would none of him How long did we prefer the World and our base Lusts before him when we were called on to follow Christ how shy how backward have we been as ashamed of him or having better thoughts of our old Masters the Lusts and Pleasures we have served which we were loth to forsake for him Oh our Sin and Folly that ever we despised such a precious Saviour What a shame is this that ever any of the Sons of Men should be ashamed of Christ And what horrible vileness is this for any of us to have base thoughts of Christ And have not they base thoughts of Christ indeed who prefer some base Lust before him Hath he deserved to be so slighted and set at nought As he said to the Jews when they were ready to stone him Many good works have I shewed you from my Father for which of those works do ye stone me What After such unparallel'd Love and Compassion as he hath shewn towards us poor lost Sinners even when we were Enemies shewed in such a costly way as that of his most wonderful humiliation even to his dying a most painful shameful and accursed Death for us to purchase Pardon and Salvation for all that will accept him should we requite him so even reject him preferring his and our most deadly Enemies before him Was so great folly baseness and ingratitude ever heard of Surely if now we are come to see the worth of a Saviour and to prize him indeed we cannot but be greatly ashamed to think how we for trash and dung have sometimes trampled on that Pearl of greatest price Our former Sin of making light of Christ will now lye heavy and we shall be deeply humbled for it 2. If now Christ be precious to us as he is to them that believe then we have learnt to prize him above all things in the World Pray observe this we prize not Christ at all till we prize him above all You may perswade your selves Sirs that you have very good thoughts high thoughts of Christ as you can speak honourably of him but if you do not really prize him above your Profits your Pleasures your Credit or Honour or any thing you can have or expect in the World I must tell you you do shamefully undervalue him What low thoughts had Judas of the Lord Jesus who sold him for thirty peices of Silver the price of a Slave as some have noted from Exod. 21.32 the lowest price that the vilest of Men were rated at So do not they prize Christ at a goodly price that prefer worldly things before him Yea suppose one to have an equal love and estimation of Christ to that he hath of worldly things though indeed the Scales here are never even never at an aequipoise but the one or the other will weigh down yet if that were so it would not do Christ is set too low while any thing in the World is equalized to him and suffered to stand in competition with him Luk. 14.26 If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Hate not comparatively Loving in a less degree is sometimes termed hating in Scripture As Jacob is said to have hated Leah loving Rachel much more Gen. 29.30 31 33. But it would not have agreed with Jacob's Piety to have hated Leah taking the word strictly And to hate natural Parents is unnatural and impious and to hate ones self is against Nature and impossible That we must there understand a less degree of loving And as Christ will
freed from but there is some special Sin or other that they are wedded unto and in league with and this they seek to hide palliate and excuse all they can whether it be Pride or Sensuality Voluptuousness or Covetousness c. that that is a Mans special beloved Sin a natural Man is for cloaking that Sin and cannot endure to hear his Herodias spoken against he studies Evasions and Distinctions to defend that Sin and to put off Convictions Thus the natural Man and Hypocrite will beat about the Bush I remember Mr. Hooker compares the Confessions of such to the Cries of the Lapwing As the Lapwing will cry and flutter and make most ado when furthest from her Nest or from her Young So such whose Hearts are unsound whatever Sins they take notice of yet they use to keep aloof off from their special Sins But the Doves of the Valleys they mourn every one for his Iniquity Ezek. 7.16 And this is a good Sign when a Mans sowrest looks are on his Dalilah his darling-Sin 3. Godly Sorrow is not only moved for open miscarriages which others may take notice of but is also stirred and working upon secret Sins As Judah said Gen. 38.23 Let her take it to her lest we be shamed Many would blush to have their Sins discovered who are not troubled while they can keep them close under-board If they have been guilty of lying and are found out or guilty of some theft or wrong done to their Neighbour and it is brought to light then they are vexed and disquieted The Thief is ashamed when he is taken But might they have gone on in Sin undiscovered it would not have troubled them That cannot be Godly Sorrow where there is no respect unto God And there is no respect unto God where secret Sins are not a Burden God sees in secret He sets our secret Sins in the light of his Countenance And so if we have godly Sorrow we shall take notice of cast a sorrowful Eye even on our secret Sins As it is more that God knoweth and is displeased at them than if they were known to all the World 4. Godly Sorrow is stirred in a sense of spiritual Impurities and not only moved at some gross Immorality Natural Conscience may fly in a Mans face for grosse Sins though secretly and closely committed Sins that defile the Hands that defile the Body stare a Man in the Face and he cannot so easily look off from them The filthiness of the Flesh disquiets the Conscience of many a natural Man while he is not sensible of the filthiness of his Spirit he quite overlooks other Sins seated within that defile the Heart and Soul But a gracious Soul is burdened with Unbelief spiritual Pride Hypocrisy with the inward Distempers of his Spirit yea many times he observes and is humbled for the first risings of Corruption first Motions to Sin 5. Godly Sorrow is moved as upon a sense of the prevalence and stirring of Corruption so upon a sense of the Souls being so wanting and weak in Grace A natural Man will complain when his Conscience is like a raging Sea for want of Peace while he complains not that his Heart is like a dead Sea he is not troubled for the want of Grace He could pray with the Psalmist Psal 51.9 Hide thy face from my Sins but not go on with the Psalmist ver 10. Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Or if he prayeth for a clean Heart an holy Heart it is without Heart Confes lib. 8. â—7 As Austin confesseth he did when a young Man Da mihi Castitatem Continentiam sed noli modo timebam enim ne me cito exaudires cito sanares à morbo concupiscentiae quam malebam expleri quam extingui The natural Man loves Sin and therefore while such cannot truly desire Grace nor mourn for the want of Grace But the gracious Soul is weary of Sin Sin is its greatest Burden He sees a beauty in Grace and Holiness is taken with it and is ashamed to see himself so short here Like him that cried out with tears Lord I believe help thou mine Vnbelief He desires indeed to love God and is ashamed that he loveth God no more He would prize Jesus Christ and is grieved that he prizeth Christ no higher He is grieved for Sin and this further is his trouble that he can grieve no more He follows after Holiness and mourns to think that his Heart and Life are no more holy 6. A gracious Soul is humbled for the Iniquities of his holy Things When others are highly conceited of their formal heartless Services he sees cause to be ashamed of his best Performances is troubled for sinful defects in his best Duties As the Church confesseth Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags As Nehemiah when he had shewn great Zeal for God and his Service yet prayed Neh. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Others rest in the Work done when they do Duties they care not how indeed take God's Name in vain yet they think they thereby make God their Debtor Like those Isa 58.3 who said Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our Souls and thou takest no knowledg As if the Lord did them wrong if he did not take notice of them and reward them A gracious Soul sees need of much Incense as Rev. 8.3 to perfume the best Prayers and Services that ever he presenteth unto God And it is God's free-grace that these are accepted as well that his Transgressions and Sins are pardoned Yea such a Soul is more troubled and afflicted in Spirit that he prayeth so weakly with so little Faith and Fervency than others are for not praying for their many sad and sinful Omissions of the Duty He is more troubled for hearing no better with no more reverence and trembling at the Word than others for their often turning away their Ear from the Word 7. A gracious Heart is ordinarily touched with a sense of the least Sins Others may be troubled for great Enormities but such a Soul would not make light of the least Infirmities Indeed no Sin is to be called or accounted little positively and absolutely but only comparatively There is not the least Sin but deserveth Death and can that be a small matter that deserveth Death Yet some Sins are more hainous deserving a greater Condemnation and a sorer Punishment But it is with a tender Heart as it is with the Eye that tender part a small Mote in the Eye offends it and makes it run over So not only gross Sins but lesser Miscarriages will grate sore on a tender Heart It is oft smitten for vain thoughts idle words inordinacy in following lawful Employments a little Excess in the use of Creature-Comforts or outward Recreations such things as others account venial Matters yea think it a foolish
to fear disinheriting and an everlasting separation from God upon supposition of apostacy and falling off from God And this fear of Hell and Condemnation upon supposition if he should fall away is a means to keep him in the love of God Such a fear is no enemy to Grace but very much befriends it is a preservative of Grace So likewise a Child of God may and ought to fear Divine chastisements And such a fear Faith will work As a sound Faith gives credit to the whole Word of God to Threatnings as well as Promises And see concerning this Psal 89.30 31 32. with a multitude of other texts And such a fear tendeth to promote Holiness and spiritual Watchfulness And we have need to make use of all means and Arguments that the Lord hath given and thought meet for our quickning And indeed when afflictions would not be so greatly dreaded though grievous to sense but as they are expressions of God's fatherly displeasure surely this is Child-like Would it not argue that the Child has a loving and dutiful respect to his Father when he could better bear the smart of the Rod than his Fathers angry looks in laying it on It 's true a fear of punishment and suffering only or chiefly is the note of a slave Yet an ingenuous Child will fear the Rod too But there is this difference a slave fears his Masters displeasure chiefly because he is like to smart for it and to suffer by it whereas a loving Child feareth the Rod most as it declares his Fathers displeasure 5. An holy reverential admiring and adoring Fear being moved and sutably affected with God's transcendent Greatness and infinite Excellencies is never cast out but continues when love is made perfect in Heaven This part of filial Fear well becomes Angels and Saints in Heaven How do they for ever reverence and adore him To this fear of reverence we may apply that expression of the Psalmist The Fear of the Lord is elean enduring for ever There is no penal Fear in Heaven no Fear that has any torment in it there is no fear of God's anger or of Gods hiding his face any more yet when love is perfected an holy reverential fear shall be perfected together with it Obj. 2. Fear is of some evill but God is the cheifest Good and therefore no proper object of fear Ans 1. As Moralists speak of Fear it is of evil and evil to come for if the evil be present then not the passion of fear but sorrow is exercised about it But though thus God be not properly and directly the object of Fear he is the object of Fear indirectly as one that may inflict evil yea greater evil than others can So we should fear him who is able to destroy both Body and Soul in Hell Mat. 10.28 yea as he is the cheifest Good we should fear the loss of him as the greatest evil Thus we should fear the Lord and his Goodness Hos 3.5 That he is Goodness it self infinitely good it is best for us to enjoy him it is the Creatures highest felicity to be united to him and admitted to a blessed fruition of him and consequently it is the greatest misery to lose the favour and fruition of God The loss of infinite Goodness is certainly the greatest loss that ever befell us What we love and prize we fear to lose As we love our lives and therefore fear Death Thus if God ought to be loved above all as the chiefest Good the loss of him is to be feared above all losses as the greatest evil 2. The Grace of Fear is a more free ingenuous thing than the passion of Fear The Grace of Fear includes reverence as hath been said And that which excites reverence is an apprehension of God's infinite Excellencies and his soveraign Authority Job 13.11 Shall not his Excellency make you afraid Job 25.2 Dominion and Fear are with him For his Majesty and Dominion he is to be feared God is to be feared as infinitely above us though we should not apprehend him to be against us Now I come to the Question How the true Fear of God may be known 1. By the ground of it 1. The true fear of God ariseth from a sound Knowledg of God Spiritual Knowledg as I have shewed before is the ground-work of all saving Grace And they that know not God aright cannot fear God aright Pro. 15.33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom Junius and Tremel read it thus anteit reverentiam Jehovae eruditio sapientiae The instruction of wisdom goes before the fear of the Lord. So Solomon prayed 1 King 8.43 That all the people of the Earth may know thy Name to fear thee So there must be a Knowledg of God in his Attributes The Name of God is dreadful Deut. 28.58 That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God He is to be feared for his absolute Soveraignty Mal. 1.14 I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadful among the Heathen Jer. 10.7 Who would not fear thee O King of Nations for to thee doth it appertain For his Immensity That he fills Heaven and Earth with his Presence and the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him Surely the Lord most high is terrible For his Almighty Power None can stay his hand or say unto him What dost thou Those that walk in Pride how high soever he is able to abase Dan. 4.35 37. And should we not fear him which after he hath killed hath power to cast into Hell Luk. 12.5 For his Omniscience That all things are naked and open unto his eyes with whom we have to do For his Infinite Holiness and Purity Rev. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord for thou only art holy For his glorious Justice Job 37.23 24. Men do therefore him fear Yea for his abundant goodness and rich Mercy As in those Texts fore-cited Psal 130.4 Hos 3.5 Should we not fear to offend and displease so good and gracious a God! Here take notice the fear of the most is from very short and inadequate conceptions and apprehensions of God One while they conceit him to be made up all of Mercy and then they fear him not at all but only presume on his Goodness Another while they conceit him to be made up all of Justice and severity and then they can do nothing but fear then they meditate nothing but terrour Further The Relations God stands in towards us his Creatures are a ground of his fear He is our Lord and Master Mal. 1.6 Our Father Mal. 2.10 Have we not all one Father hath not one God created us And they that are not come to own him as their Lord and Master and see their whole dependance on him as their Father cannot fear him aright Further The Works of God are a ground of his fear The work of Creation Psal 33.8 9. Works of Providence Jer. 5.22 particularly works of
Judgment Thus God is oft terrible in his doings towards the Children of Men Psal 66.3 5. Moses was afraid of the hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against the children of Israel Deut. 9.19 And when Vzzah was smitten David was afraid of the Lord that day 2 Sam. 6.9 If the righteous are said not to fear at such times as Job 5.21 22. we must understand with such a miserable distracting fear as is wont to possess the hearts of sinners They are not so surrounded with fear like Pashur called Magor-missabib Jer. 20.3 Their fear is not overwhelming or such as is opposite to all Faith Hope and joy in the Lord or such as puts them quite besides their duty at such times Yet they may not be stupid sensless but ought to fear with such a fear as is opposite to security as may quicken unto Duty Pro. 14.16 A wise Man feareth and departeth from evil Pro. 22.3 He foreseeth the evil and hideth himself Yea not only God's Judgments but his Works of Mercy should teach us to fear him So much is implied Jer. 5.24 As they should have said in their heart Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth Rain both the former and the latter rain in his season he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the Harvest And while temporal Mercies should have this effect to engage us to fear him much more should spiritual Mercies and his Grace in Christ That there is forgiveness with him Again the Word of God teacheth his Fear As Faith comes by the Word of God which is therefore fitly called The word of Faith so a Godly fear As the Word is called by that name It is called the fear of the Lord Psal 19.9 It teacheth his fear it is a special means to work his fear in us it is the Rule to guide and order our fear of him And that is a superstitious fear a spurious fear not a true genuine fear of God which is not agreeable to his Word Isa 29.13 Therefore such as regard not the Word but count it as a strange thing are strangers to the Fear of God As it shews we fear not God as we ought if we slight and contemn his Works so if we slight and disregard his Word It is by the knowledg of God his Attributes c. as revealed in his Word and Works that Men come to fear him 2. The true Fear of God also springs from an high and holy admiration of him and from love to him Every Child of God admires loves and fears together And because he loves God he fears to displease him And his fear is from high thoughts of God not from hard thoughts of him Many have a fear of God that do not reverence him Their fear is not from any high esteem of him The wicked fear and hate His terrours make them afraid as it is Job 18.11 but they are not taken with his Excellency The Devils have such a fear They tremble at his Wrath yet are full of rage and spite against him That fear which is from hard thoughts of God looking on him as an enemy is not a right fear 2. The true Fear of God may be known by the freeness and pleasingness of it When it is not a forced thing When the will is to fear him A fear of God falleth upon some even as an heavy pressure which they would be rid of would cast off if they knew how It surprizeth takes hold of them as a Bailiff or Officer takes hold on a Debtor or Malefactor Isa 33.14 which they would shake off but cannot But they do not chuse the Fear of the Lord Prov. 1.29 whereas they that truly fear God are devoted to his Fear as we read that Psa 119.38 They desire to fear his Name As Neh. 1.11 thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name God's Servants do fear and desire more and more to fear his Name They would not banish but endeavour to cherish and increase the fear of God in their hearts That fear which is a torment which is counted a punishment which Men would expel is not of the right kind True Fear is not an oppression of spirit but rather elevates the Spirit it raiseth the Soul in admiration does not sink it in dejection As we may allude to that expression Isa 60.5 Thine heart shall fear and be inlarged The true Fear of God will enlarge the heart more towards God It will cause it to flow over The Grace of Fear does not contract but enlarge the heart Naturalists observe that the most fearful creatures have the largest hearts And the more we fear God aright the more our hearts will be enlarged towards him 3. The true Fear of God may be known by the degree and measure or intention of it When we fear God above all He is greatly to be feared 1 Chr. 16.25 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised he also is to be feared above all Gods To be feared above all Creatures Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man that shall die and of the Son of Man which shall be made as the Grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor see again Mat. 10.28 Obediah feared the Lord greatly 1 Kin. 18.3 As Fear is part of the worship which is required in the first Commandment God is so to be feared as we are not to fear any other If we fear any other person or thing above him or like and equally to him then we set up other Gods besides him What we fear most that is our God Now how is it with us Does the fear of God rule in our hearts Does it ordinarily prevail over carnal fear when the Lord threatneth on one hand and Men threaten on the other which of these do we ordinarily most regard Are we more afraid of God's displeasure of his frowns than of the wrath of Man than of the frowns of the World when it comes to a pinch at any time that we must either suffer for sin if we chuse to sin that is to incur God's displeasure rather than suffer rather than bear Man's displeasure is not this to fear Man more than God In this case may not the Lord say of us as Isa 57.11 Of whom hast thou been afraid or feared that thou hast lied and hast not remembred me So when Children or Servants make nothing of the sin of lying to hide any fault and by this means to prevent their Parents or Masters displeasure does it not shew that they forget God that they do not fear him The true fear of God would check carnal fear Though carnal fear be not totally expelled here yet the grace of fear will keep it under I grant that a Child of God may be foiled and worsted on a suddain and for a time by carnal fear As Peter was once and again Mat. 26.69 c. Gal. 2.12
I be a Master where is my Fear said the Lord unto those that despised his Name in offering to him the blind for Sacrifice and that which was torn and the lame and the sick Mal. 1.6 8 13. If we are possessed of the Fear of God how shall we be awed when attending on his Ordinances with thoughts of being in his special Presence and under his strict Eye that observes our very hearts and all our carriage in his Service we should dread to think of taking his sacred and reverent Name in vain We shall be seriously deeply affected with what the Lord hath said that he will be sanctified in them that come nigh him Lev. 10.3 He is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his Saints and to be had in Reverence of all them that are about him Psal 89.7 But if ordinarily we care not how unpreparedly we rush into God's presence take no heed to our feet to our thoughts and affections when we are to go to God in Prayer or to receive the Law from his mouth or to attend on him in any other holy Ordinance and Duty and if we are ordinarily rash and rude careless and customary in the Services we present unto him what would this shew but a profane spirit and that we know not our distance nor have any due Fear of God 4. The true Fear of God will teach us to carry as in God's presence in our ordinary course which is walking in his Fear Eccl. 8.12 It shall be well with them that fear God which fear before him Fear before him that is are still awed with his Presence Thus the Fear of God has an influence upon a Man's ordinary course It will cause him to walk circumspectly He will study to walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing Not that any do or can in a strict sense walk worthy of the Lord. A worthiness of exact proportion here is impossible There is no walking worthy of the Lord secundum propriam et absolutam condignitatem according to proper condignity but only secundum quandam congruitatem et condecentiam with some measure of condecency Carrying in some measure sutably to our Relation unto such an holy God and agreeably to the profession of his Name This exact walking the Fear of God teacheth As the Psalmist 16.8 I have set the Lord always before me I foresaw the Lord always before my face as it is Act. 2.25 I still considered and looked upon God as present with me an observer and Arbiter of all my thoughts words and actions The Fear of God will thus set us in God's Presence and keep us there So it will not only keep us awake and intent in holy Duties wherein we draw nigh to God after a special manner but will also make us circumspect and watchful in our ordinary conversations Thus the Fear of God would ordinarily regulate us in natural actions Cause us to eat and drink in Fear contrary to those we read of Jude 17. feeding themselves without Fear The Fear of God would teach us whether we eat or drink or what ever we do to do all to the Glory of God When the Glory of God is not habitually intended in ones general course and frequently actually intended also there is little sign of the Fear of God So the Fear of God would make Men conscionable in civil Actions in their places relations and several employments in the World The Fear of God would make a just and a good Magistrate 2 Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over Men must be just ruling in the Fear of God See 2 Chro. 19.9 The unjust Judg in the Parable was one that feared not God Luk. 18.2 6. The Fear of God would make good Subjects too This will teach us to be subject for the Lord's sake 1 Pet. 2.13 For Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 This would mould and work the heart to the best submission and officiousness towards others Ephes 5.21 Submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God The Fear of God is a strong and powerful motive and impulsive and also a good Rule and Measure in this Case This will make good Servants Col. 3.22 Ephes 6.5 How diligent and faithful will such be who in their serving Men still have an eye on their Master in Heaven Whatever relation one is in it would be strange indeed if such an one that fears God should not carry better than those which have not his Fear So this would generally regulate Men in their Trades Bargaining and worldly Commerce 5. The true Fear of God useth to produce a cautious fear and a jealous fear A cautious fear ordinarily to avoid temptations and occasions of sin and to shun the appearance of evil What seemeth to be sinful or is very like it In doubtful cases the Fear of God will encline us ordinarily to follow the safest course So likewise it produceth a jealous fear of our selves of our sinful and deceitful hearts Fear is the Centinel of the Soul to give notice of danger It will not suffer us to dwell carelesly like the Men of Laish Judg. 18.7 It will set and keep us on our Watch. It is an enemy to Security Presumption and Self-confidence It will teach us to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling and to pass the time of our sojourning here in Fear Phil. 2.12 1 Pet. 1.17 6. The Fear of God opposeth the predominancy of base carnal fear It is a good guard against the sinful fear of Man a good Antidote against faint-heartedness in the Cause of God a cure of base sinful cowardise Such as fear God know he has ways enow to deliver his Servants how great soever their perils may be As they said Dan. 3.17 Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us Or however if he should not work their Deliverance here yet in perishing for God they should be full safe in losing their lives they should save them In the Fear of the Lord is strong confidence And further they that truly fear God will more dread the thoughts of Apostacy from God than any Persecution from Men. 7. The Fear of God promotes true humility And so it opposeth Pride Rom. 11.20 Indeed reverence and humility towards God are very near a-kind Further The Fear of God teacheth an humble carriage towards Men. As we see there Ephes 5.21 But of Humility I shall discourse next 8. The Fear of God will encline us to pitty our poor Brethren that are any way laid under God's displeasure Job 6.14 To him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his friend but he forsaketh the Fear of the Almighty He that does not shew pity thinks not how justly and how easily the Almighty may contend with him for it The Fear of God and hard-heartedness towards Men under the afflicting hand of God are things that do not agree 9. The true genuine Fear of God is for propagating its kind If we have it we shall desire to teach
Spirit as the Psalmist would prefer Jerusalem's welfare before his chief joy would make that the chief ingredient in his rejoycing as Dr. Hammond Or though he was never so low in the World it would not trouble so much as to think of the low estate of the Church and the declining state of Religion in the World But if our own losses crosses and afflictions lie exceeding heavy on us while the Churches miseries lie light if we have little sense of these are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph if it would sadly startle us to see our own Houses on fire and yet we are not moved to see fire cast into God's Sanctuary these things would shew miserable selfishness not Self-denial 17. Self-denial would teach us to account our selves more happy in serving pleasing honouring and enjoying God than in having our flesh pleased in prospering or being our selves advanced in the World Self-denial would cause us to be better satisfied though the flesh were pinched and crossed while our Souls prosper while Grace is vigorous and thriving and while communion and intercourse with God is maintained then if our Souls were sensibly declining Grace impar'd our hearts more straitned in holy Duties c. though things went never so well with us in the World 18. Self-denial would reconcile us to the strictest Commands that most fetter self This would make Christ's yoke easie When Self is denied we shall take part with the strictest Precepts and Commands that bind up Self most 19. Self-denial would also reconcile us to the harshest Providences as a means to beat down sinful Self and base selfishness When Self is denied what opposeth Self will not be disrellished so as before it would have been We shall be truly pleased the more we get victory over our selves by what ever means the victory be obtained though it be not gotten without blows without wounds in our flesh without breaches in our Estates and outward comforts 20. True Self-denial will prepare a Man for the cross He will not deny to suffer for Christ who has learnt to deny himself He that is come to deny himself will readily take up the Cross to follow Christ True Christian Self-denial if we have it will have an answer ready for us to give to the World to give to any that would draw or deter us from Christ scil That his we are not our own and him we will serve and to him we will cleave If Relations would draw us from him we shall have this to say That we are not theirs so much as Christ's and we had rather be His than theirs If Persecutors would fright us from him if they threaten to spoil us of our Goods to take away our Estates we shall have this to say That we have and would hold no Estates but to be laid out for him or laid down for him as he pleaseth If they threaten Death That we are His either to live to Him or to dy for Him which he pleaseth and that it is better for us to die for his Truth in his Service than to live to deny his Truth to his dishonour And this is Self-denial indeed to seek the Honour of Christ by the loss of all that may be dear unto us in this World Many would be content to deny themselves in some things here rather than openly deny Jesus Christ They could be content to suffer a little for him as to suffer Imprisonment awhile but not to suffer at a Stake to run with the foot-Men but not to contend with Horses As is indeed notably observed Mr. Baxt. Self-denial p. 31. A Man may deny Self for Self in many particulars and so may please Self more than he denies it This is no true Self-denial I would not be unfaithful to you And so I must tell you If it be thus that you would not forsake all rather than Christ forsake all I say for Christ when you may be called to it if you are for keeping back a part you do not yet deny your selves yea you have denied Christ already in your hearts and therefore unless you be changed have no ground to hope that Christ will own you I know many will count this an hard saying But how oft does Jesus Christ tell you as much That if Jesus Christ be to be believed so it is He alloweth us not to except any thing but requires us to be ready to lay down all even our very lives for him See Luk. 14.26 v. 33. Whosoever he be of you that for saketh not all that he hath cannot be my Disciple Though they were not called immediately to forsake all in act yet in intention and resolution they were to forsake all presently if they would be his Disciples They must be ready to bid adieu to all things in the World So weigh the Text and Context Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross For whosoever will save his life shall lose it but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospel's the same shall save it That there is no being saved we see without being Martyrs that is if not actually yet intentionally and habitually having a will and resolution to lay down our very lives for Christ if called to it if we cannot keep them with a good Conscience with our fidelity to Christ One thing more you must note that it must be for Christ that we are willing to forsake all or though we should forsake all it would not prove us to be Self-denying persons If a Man was willing to die in the maintenance or profession of the Truth willing to lay down his life in this Cause to be enrolled with the noble Army of Martyrs to get an immortal Name to have his Memory honoured when he is dead and gone this is not true Self-denial This would be dying to ones self and for ones self not to the Lord and for the Lord. Thus you see how we may know whether we have learnt to deny our selves Yet I must grant that Self-denial is imperfect here as other Graces And Self is never fully vanquished in this life It is oft making insurrections in the Soul Indeed it is a close enemy an enemy that lies very near us The holiest Men on Earth are one way or other disturbed and set upon with this enemy Self But they are careful to watch against it they are fighting it they oppose it where-ever they meet with it And it concerneth us to look well to our selves for we can have no further evidence of the truth of Grace in us than we have that we are sincerely Self-denying and have not only our judgments and Consciences but also the prevailing part of our Wills against base selfishness OF SINCERITY AND UPRIGHTNESS PSAL. 37.37 Mark the Perfect Man and behold the Upright for the end of that Man is Peace AS the Lord takes pleasure in Vprightness 1 Chron. 29.17 So it is a thing that his
approach to God Thus his Prayers proceed not from feigned Lips Psal 17.1 So he praiseth God with uprightness of heart Psal 119.7 The Hypocrite thinks it enough to draw nigh to God with his Mouth and to honour him with the Lips Mark 7.6 Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you Hypocrites as it is written This People honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far frem me The Hypocrite contents himself with a form of Godliness with meer Bodily Exercise The upright Man is a true Worshipper one that worshippeth God in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 Phil. 3.3 The upright Man takes not up with any outward Form but laboureth for an inward frame sutable to the Worship he performs 2 Chron. 29.34 The Levites were more upright in heart to sanctifie themselves than the Priests The upright Man looks not only to the matter of Duty but to the manner also how it is to be done 2. The upright Man is not one prest to God's Service but a Volunteer in his Service To serve God with a perfect heart and willing mind go together 1 Chron. 28.9 As we read of the People 1 Chron. 29.9 Then the People rejoyced for that they offered willingly because with a perfect heart they offered willingly As of David ver 17. As for me in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies Simplicity is oft used for Freeness or Liberality The simple and sincere heart is a free heart It is free in God's Service and accounts his service perfect Freedom The Hypocrite sets to Duty as a Task and Burden he is glad when a duty is over The upright Man's heart is in these ways Holy Duties that are means of special Communion with God are his best Meal-times Job 23.12 I esteemed the words of his Mouth more than my necessary Food Such would not know how to live without the Word without Prayer c. The World could not hire them to lay Duties aside by all it has to proffer True the upright Man finds not at all times the like chearfulness in God's Service But the spirit is willing when the flesh is weak Or if his Spirit be sometimes straightned 't is his burden when it is so And he prays to be established with a free spirit When he finds any listlessness unto and weariness in God's Service it is a thing he is weary of He has little joy in any thing while he cannot take delight in God and his Wayes 3. The upright Man has a special respect unto God in Duties He looks most at God's Approbation Having a respect to every known Duty and having respect to God in all are great signs of Uprightness To look straight forward Prov. 4.25 the Hypocrite looks asquint He has not a right intention of serving honouring and pleasing God in what he does The Upright looks most at God The Hypocrite looks most at Men. He does all to be seen of Men Mat. 6.5 23.5 The Hypocrite would think all his labour lost if he have not Man's applause or approbation He loves the praise of Men more than the praise of God like those John 12.45 The Upright little regard Man's commendation or censure either As it was a small thing with the Apostle to be judged of Mans judgment but he would account all lost indeed without God's Approbation and Acceptance He would not that his praise should be of Men but of God He more dreads than courts Man's applause Or if he finds himself sometimes tickled and taken with it in cool blood he abhors himself for it But if he may know that God has accepted his Work the Lord's Well done good and faithful servant would do him good at heart 4. The upright Man is for secret Duties He makes conscience of them delights in them The Lord shall see his Nathaniel's under the Fig-tree in their private Walks in their Closets He sees them oft retiring themselves The Hypocrite who is only for making a shew cares not for secret Duties which Men can take no notice of If Conscience will not let him alone without doing something here yet he has no love to them he is very slighty in them 5. The upright Man is not only for Duties that are in fashion and credit among Men but those that may expose him to Scorn or Persecution As Daniel would hold on Praying and giving Thanks to God when it was likely to cost him his Life Dan. 6.10 The upright Man studies the Point of his Duty more than his own safety 13. The upright Man is an humble Man Such as walk uprightly also walk humbly Mic. 6.8 Though Vprightness and Perfection are oft made all one in Scripture yet the Upright have only a perfection of Parts here but as to Degrees they still find great imperfection in themselves that humbles them As the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Not as though I were already perfect The more Gracious the more Humble As the highest Stars seem least None are so sensible of the least sinful warping or stepping awry it troubles none so much as those whose greatest care is to walk Uprightly There is a Generation that are pure in their own Eyes and yet are not washed from their Filthiness Prov. 30.12 Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him Hab. 2.4 Hypocrites as a sound Divine says is but the off-spring of Pride Mr. Bax. 14. The upright Man is one that walks by Faith walks in the Name of the Lord Zech. 10.12 We can walk and stand upright no longer than we are strengthened by him And it is Faith that fetcheth in strength from him Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved Upright Souls see a necessity of the Grace and Assistance of Christ and so lean and depend on him 15. The upright Man is steady and even in his Course But Hypocrisie is a cause of unsteadiness of inconstancy Psal 78.8 A Generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God And ver 37. Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant The Hypocrite is good only by fits He is in a good Mood sometimes but it is soon over This will not prove one upright to take a right step or two But we must be upright in the Way and upright in our general Course Psal 106.3 Blessed are they that keep Judgment and be that doth Righteousness at all times At all times when alone as well as while in company with the Good at home and abroad On our own Days as well as on the Lord's Day In Prosperity and Adversity Not only when Righteousness is applauded and encouraged but when it meets with the severest checks and greatest rubs The upright though they may sometimes stumble in the way or step aside through Frailty yet they do not wickedly depart from it through falseness of Heart and base
and alacrity Spiritual Joy where it comes exceeds and as we may say swalloweth up carnal worldly Joy The Joy of the Holy Ghost is far more pleasing than the Joy of Harvest 10. That is a kind of Spiritual Joy when we heartily unfeinedly rejoyce in the good of others Spiritual Joy is promoted especially by the Spiritual good of others The good found in others As when Barnabas saw the Grace of God among the Disciples at Antioch he was glad Act. 11.23 And when Paul and Barnabas had declared the Conversion of the Gentiles they caused great Joy unto all the Brethren Act. 15.3 So Titus was comforted in the Believing Corinthians and Paul rejoiced much on their account 2 Cor. 7.7 So David rejoyced to see the Peoples forwardness 1 Chron. 29.17 And now have I seen with Joy thy People which are present here to offer willingly unto thee Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the House of the Lord. Again when the Good vouchsafed to others is matter of Joy to us Especially the Good of God's Chosen This may be spiritual Joy To rejoice and be glad with Jerusalem when she is rejoicing to be comforted with her consolations as Isa 66.10 11. when it is not from a selfish but a publick spirit this is good But they that rejoyce in iniquity or rejoyce at others Calamities they who rejoice over God's People in the day of their destruction or of their distress their Joy is so far from being right Spiritual Joy that it is devilish 11. Spiritual Joy is such as cannot be kept and maintained but in a way of holy walking and working Righteousness As it is Joy to the Just to do Judgment Pro. 21.15 So the Lord meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh Righteousness Isa 64.5 These things have I spoken unto you says our Saviour that my Joy might remain in you and that your Joy might be full Joh. 15.11 Now what things were those see v. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you And v. 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love Thus we can have no more evidence of the soundness of our Joy than we have of the sincerity of our Obedience Psal 64.10 The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord. Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Bonum vinum ex hydria purificationis hauritur as Bernard speaks alluding to that Joh. 2.6 c. Spiritual Joy is drawn out of a pure Conscience A Conscience that is peaceable but not pure is a meer cheat Never expect to have Spiritual Joy in a course of Sin Such a course as grieves the holy Spirit of God will never bring a Man to true Peace and Joy 12. Spiritual Joy quickens and enlargeth the heart in God's Service Joy dilateth and enlargeth the heart * Laetitia q. laetitia So does Spiritual Joy It enlargeth the heart in Duty It is a great furtherance in God's service Rom. 14.17 18. Spiritual Joy is as Oil to the Wheels It makes Souls like the Charoits of Aminadib How are Souls carried out for God when Spiritual Joy fills their Sails This raiseth the Soul Trouble of Spirit is dejecting Why art thou cast down O my Soul And dejected spirits drive on but heavily in Duty But Spiritual Joy elevates the Soul To serve the Lord with gladness is to be raised in his Service Spiritual Joy will make Souls more vigorous This would strengthen weak hands and confirm feeble knees The Joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8.10 When Daniel hears the voice of Joy and Gladness Dan. 10.19 O Man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong he could say When he had spoken unto me I was strengthened and then he said let my Lord speak for those hast strengthened me But there is no true comfort or pleasure to be taken in such Joy as does not further fit us for our work and duty Such Joy is but a flash 13. As was noted before of sound Hope Spiritual Joy is a special incentive to praise and thankfulness As it comes in usually in a way of Prayer So it is wont to carry out the Soul in Praises As we find these joyned Psal 9.2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing praise to thy Name O thou most High And Psal 68.3 4. Let the Righteous be glad let them rejoice before God yea let them exceedingly rejoice Then it follows Sing unto God sing Praises to his Name Nothing puts the Soul in better tune for praising God than Joy in him When a Soul is thus raised and lifted up by him it will be for extolling and lifting him up Psal 30.1 I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up And v. 11 12. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing Thou hast put off my Sackcloth and girded me with gladness To the end that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever So Col. 1.11 12. Giving thanks unto the Father there followeth joyfulness Now hath your Joy this effect are you much in God's praise 14. Spiritual Joy can keep alive and keep the Heart alive in the midst of outward troubles Hab. 3.18 Loquor quod expertus novit inexpertus ignorat to borrow the expression of Bernard I speak what the experienced Christian knows though the unexperienced neither apprehends nor beleives it Spiritual Joy will hold up a Mans Head in such afflictions under which others Hearts that know nothing of it would quite sink and be overwhelmed Yea in sufferings for Christ and Righteousness sake this Joy is so far from being damped that it is ordinarily more heightened not checked this way but increased 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Though Men may strip the Faithful of their outward enjoyments yet this inward Joy no Man can take away Joh. 16.22 The Believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 Manifold Trials here could not dash the Joy of those who by Faith foresaw their future glorious Triumph 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations In this sense also the Joy of the Lord is our strength helping to bear the Cross not only patiently but chearfully As the Apostles departed from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Act. 5.42 Spiritual Joy is an Heavenly Spark that floods of Trouble and Persecution cannot quench And while Heaven smiles on a Saint he cannot but rejoice though the World frowneth This Note may discover the Joy of many to be unsound That Joy which openeth at the smiles of the World and shuts at its frowns is not a flower of the Sun