were in his drowning danger though he be on the shore the terrours had surprized him before are not presently shaken of A second cause may be in regard of some holds that have already failed the soule Faith is when the soule layes hold upon Jesus Christ as the twig of salvation and hangs upon him for life and heaven and happinesse Now the soule hath had many twigs failed It is the nature of man to be timerous and as a drowning man will catch hold upon any thing which comes next hand to save his life on if he catcheth hold on one and that breaks he claps hold on another if that again breaks he claps hold on a third if that also breakes he still claps hold on a fourth beleeving it will hold otherwise he would never lay hold upon it yet so many having failed he cannot but feare lest that should faile him too So it is with a poor soule sin hath almost drowned him in terrour first he claps hold upon moralitie and civilitie resolving to live a sober and honest and vertuous life and thinks this will beare him well this twig breakes and will not hold when God hath a minde to work his work upon the the soule he quickly shewes the soule that this is a bruised reed and broken staffe the soule is plunged into a depth of horror and terror again well then hee claps hold of another twig and that is his duties he prayes and fasts and here he hangs this shall save me saith he this twig also breaks the Lord shews the poor wretch that all its righteousnesse is as a menstruous cloth and as filthy rags in his sight and here the soule is again plunged in feare at last God shews the soule the bough of Jesus Christs Righteousnesse the drowning sinking poor creature layes hold of this but with trembling lest this should also faile at first it feares A third cause may be in regard of the promise Faiths work is to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ but now the soule doth not do this immediately but mediately Christ doth not appear and speak out of heaven to the soule and say I am thy salvation then the work of Faith would be more easie but Christ hath given the soul many both sweet and precious promises and these are the cords that the Lord Iesus Christ throwes out to the soule to pull it to the land with Now the soule takes this but with trembling untill it hath tryed the strength of them in regard it conceives the promises are lyable to many ambiguities bounded with many conditions and limitations and the soule conceives it selfe either not within the bounds of the promise or unable to fulfill the conditions of the promise or that it may make a false application of the promise And hence it is that come to a poor drooping soule that feares its condition and hath a true though a trembling hand of faith for Faith may have the palsey and urge the faithfulnesse of God in promising the surenesse of the promise once made the unchangeable nature of God they will tell you they do not a jot question this they know God is not man that he should lye nor yet as the son of man that he should repent they know that he is both faithfull and true but the promises they feare are not made to them they indeed rest upon them but whether rightly or no God knowes they conceive that either the promises were made to particular persons as to the Nation of the Jewes or they are sure to the particular number of Gods Elect of which they are none c. they will tell you that indeed the promises are true but they are conditionall and they feare that the conditions of the promise are not fulfilled in their soules so that the work lies another way not so much to perswade them of the truth of the promises in generall the cause of their trembling lies not here for feare that the promise should faile those to whom it belongs but for feare that they should misapply and misunderstand the faithfull and true promises of God And now although we must say concerning this trembling this is also our infirmity yet none can deny that it is an hereditary disease to the nature of man and will be in us more or lesse so long as any of us be in the flesh and so long as sinne remaines in our flesh and will be especially and most in those that have lien under greatest feares and terrours and are newly got out of them and begin to have a little of the light of comfort glimmer upon them even as a man that should come out of an horrid and dark dungeon where he hath been in darknesse thick darknesse into the glaring sight of the Sun in the top of the Meridian at the first will be dazeled and rub his eyes and apprehend himself in some darknesse though he be in the light He that had his eyes opened Ioh. 9. first thought he saw men like trees and this trembling may consist with true dependance Iob. 13. 15. Though he kill me yet I will trust in him the last words yet I will trust in him argued faith and a strong faith faith that he would trust a strong faith that yet hee would trust and yet whoso considereth the first words that Iob apprehended himself in a danger of killing will easily think that it was a trembling faith that Iob there acted And as it is ordinary with poor Christians through their infirmity to beleeve tremblingly in the beginning of their conversion so there is also another time when trembling doth ordinarily accompany true faith in the people of God and that is a time of desertion Secondly in time of desertion I think none will deny but Gods children have and act and must act true faith in this saving and justifying act of reliance and dependency but I am sure this they cannot doe without trembling Such was the condition of Iob in that place I before mentioned Iob 13. 15. David did rely and strongly rely in his time of desertion insomuch that in his 6. Psalm v. 8. he speakes confidently of a thing that he beleeved for as if it were already done The Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping and yet whosoever readeth but the former part of that Psalm will finde that he was in a trembling temper His soule was sore vexed his bones were troubled he was weary with his groaning and he made his bed to swim with his teares c. Now the cause of this trembling ariseth First from the sense of the sinne The sinner saith Ah! the promises did belong to me but I have been a backslider and now what have I to doe with the promises What hath such a wretch as I to doe with these filthy unclean hands of mine to lay hold upon a clean Christ The sense of sin strikes a deep impression upon the soule and puts a shaking into the heart of
hath said to Sathan after much intreaty Behold all his comfort and peace and quiet and yet that but for a moment a little moment neither is in thy power only upon himself his life and being thou shalt not put forth thy hand Thou shalt saith God if thou wilt be a combatant but he shall be the conquerour There is scarce a child of God but hath his heart full of ensigns conquered colours of his enemy hanging up there Now Christians by this you shall know whither your doubts bee such as are consistent with saving faith in your soules have not you gotten the day over some of your doubts concerning which you can say The God of peace hath already trodden Sathan under your feet and doe â—ot you fight against your present doubts with great hopes that shortly you shall tread upon the necks of these too have you not found that Sathan hath put his strongest cavalry in the front and most assaulted you in the morning of your conversion unto God have not you found that those doubts which you have since met with are fewer and weaker then those of the first sort doth not Sathan begin to draw his bow as if hee wanted strength and his arm were now grown feeble and he began to quit the field hath he not done his worst think you have not you found that the clouds that have past are vanished doe you finde your conquered enemies revive or are they not rather slain before you their not returning as it proceeds from Sathans policy that will not rally his beaten forces againe for feare of a second rout so it also proceeds from the encrease of knowledge and grace in your soules These are notes that may assure you your doubtings are not the doubtings of carnall despairing wretches their doubts return still they are at the same stumble God will not save us he cannot save us Let us doe what we will yet say they there is no hope But I hasten to a conclusion Fifthly and lastly therefore you may difference your doubtings from the doubtings of unbelieving wretches by the effects Let us see a little what the effects of doubtings are both in unbelieving wretches and also in the servants of God Quest What are the Effects of those doubtings which are in unbelieving wretches Answ A going away from God they say It is in vain to serve Lord in vaine to pray more or heare more in vaine to wait upon God This evill is of the Lord said that wretch Why should I wait for him any longer So these say our damnation is of the Lord why should we pray to him any longer Why should we mourn any more There is no hope No Come let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye Mark this in that 18th of Ier. 11. 12. And they said there is no hope What then Wee will walk after our own devises and we will every one doe the imagination of his own heart Here 's the effect that the doubting of unbelievers works in their hearts a wilfull desperate departing from God and resolving to walk contrary unto him But now on the other side Quest. What Effects doth doubting work in the the hearts of believers Ans I conceive that the doubtings of the Saints of God produce these foure or five contrary Effects in the hearts of them that feare God First A complaining unto God The believer runs to God and sayes Ah Lord I know not what to do but my eyes are towards thee Ah Lord I know not what to answer Lord doe thou answer for me I have a base heart cloudy Lord cleare it yea and he complaines of himselfe he sayes with Iob Iob 10. v. 1. I will leave my complaint upon my selfe The unbelieving wretch he complaines indeed but he leaves his complaints upon God A second Effect that the believers doubts work in his heart is a begging mercy of God Lord help saith he my eyes are to thee Lord satisfie my poore doubting soule Thus did Iob and David constantly The unbeliever never carries the burthen of his spirit to Jesus Christ that he might have ease The believer never keeps his burthen upon his own shoulders till it break his back The unbeliever sayes there is no hope his dead heart hath no principle of life in it in the world to carry it out to God but he sincks like lead in the mighty waters A third Effect that the believers doubts work in his heart is a striving and struggling against them He strives thus to make his calling and election sure he looks out for strength searches the Word of God to satisfie him in his scruples enform him in his mistakes to deliver him from his feares and comfort him in his sadnesses and dejections of spirit he enquires at the mouth of Gods Ministers he goes about the City and streets and broad places enquiring saw yee him whom my soule loveth If hee meeteth with the watch-men hee enquires of them Cant. 3. 4. He doth not look upon it as his duty to sit still as dead On the contrary the other strives not he sayes There is no help To what purpose is striving then A fourth Effect that the doubts of the believer produce is a waiting for God his sight is cloudy yet hee waits I will stay saith he and see if God will not satisfie my soule in this difficulty The other sayes as he 2 King 6. 33. This evill is of the Lord why should I wait for him any longer The Saint sayes Yes Is 8. 17. I will wait upon him that hides his face from the house of Iacob I will wait upon him that yet covereth me with a cloud and makes darknesse to be round about me hee stands at Gods doore yet crying craving waiting till the Lord comes into his soule A fifth Effect which shall be the last I will name which doubting produceth in the believing soule is a walking with God What sayes the doubting believer Well though I doe not know whither I am enough humbled yet I am weary I will goe to Christ for ease though I doe not know whither I be chosen of God or no yet I will chuse God to be my God I will not depart from him though he kills me I will walk as neare as I can according to the rule of his word though I be full of feares I will not start from his precepts though thou killest me yet I will trust in thee The wicked doth contrary as you heard before from Ier. 18. 11 18. And now Christians try your selves by this note what effects doe your doubtings work in your hearts You doubt sometimes possibly whither you belong to God or no doe you then resolve to make sure of it by a wilfull departure from God and a rebellion against God or doe you at this time complaine to God cry unto him to lift up the light of his countenance upon you strive against your doubts wait for Gods Revelations of his love and
them he saves We say no for even the works of Gods spirit of grace acting in us are our works and salvation is not of works but of grace And this Evangelicall lesson is hinted to us even in the Ceremoniall Law The Lord commands a yearly day of atonement Levit. 16. for the sins of the holy Place To prove this I might instance in all those Text of Scripture of which the Epistle to the Romans and Galatians are especially full and so the Epistle to the Ephesians which treat concerning the Doctrine of Justification and clear it not to be of works neither internall nor externall but of grace But I will instance but in one Titus 3. 5 6 7. But after that the kindenesse saith he and the love of God our Saviour toward man appeared Not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration Mark ye by it not for it Gods mercy and free-grace is the ground of the souls acceptation and therefore consider upon what principle thou runnest that concludest I have not yet been enough humbled for to be accepted as if thy humiliation were the reason and ground of Gods acceptation Indeed we ought never to think that we are enough humbled yet we ought alwayes to think that humiliation too much and that sense of our sins too much which hinders Faith for it destroyes its end Therefore why art thou thus troubled Christian with this conceit that your Faith is no Faith because before it you wept not just so many tears It is Faiths work to beleeve and apprehend the souls acceptation before God Now Gods acceptation as you have heard is never for the souls humiliation and therefore what should hinder thy Faiths working in apprehending thy acceptation before God because thou art not accepted for this work any more then any other Nay Secondly Thy humiliation is not a ground of Faith Thou doest not therefore apply Christ because thou art so and so humbled Put case that a great Prince should be willing to bestow his son in marriage upon a poor peasant onely saith he I will make this term or condition that when you come to marrie him you shal come in sackcloth to shew what ye are he shal give you a better garment afterwards wil any one say that this maids coming to the marriage arraied in sackcloth is a ground of her so rich mariage or will any say it is a meritorious condition that she deserveth such a match to come so attired Surely no the ground of all is the Princes delight in her this is the ground of his taking her to wife and yet the King commanded that attire So the Lord saith Poor vild wretch I will give thee my Christ in marriage but thou shalt come weeping to shake hands with him weeping for thy sins he shall afterwards take off thy sackcloth garments Can any say that this is either a meritorious cōdition or a ground of acceptation or Faith Consider Christian wert thou never so much humbled thou couldst not say I will therefore beleeve because I am humbled Humiliation is a necessary antecedent to Faith 〈◊〉 ground of Faith Let 〈◊〉 that therefore be a stumbling block to thee which cannot be a pillar and foundation to thee if thy Faith cannot stand upon it let it never stumble upon it And thus I have done with the second thing I propounded which was to propound such considerations to such souls as were under this temptation as might comfort their hearts and strengthen and stablish them Onely I beseech you remember to whom I have been speaking all this while not to hard-hearted stony souls but to broken and humbled souls not to those that regard not to get their souls humbled at all but to those that are humbled that they can be humbled no more and that groan under the hardnesse of their own hearts not to those that presume to apply their hot boiling lusts and corruptions to the blood and wounds of Jesus Christ flattering themselves with a notion of Faith and conceiting they do beleeve but to those that are humbled though they cannot have a good thought of themselves I would not be misunderstood to have spoken one word to slight the work of humiliation or to cherish that licentious novell Doctrine that there is no need at all of it and a Christian shall not need regard it but what I have spoken hath been not for dead men what should they do with cordialls but for dying fainting swooning Christians not for them that consider their sins too little but for them that so dim their eyes with poring on them that they cannot see the absolute covenant of God and the free-grace of Christ and lay hold upon the promises of life There is an extream on either side the sober Christian avoids either and keeps the mean So I have done with the second thing I propounded viz. to propound some considerations which might comfort the afflicted soul under this affliction and strengthen it to resist this temptation For without question as the Devil hath a designe upon many a soul to run it upon a rack of presumption and carry it on in a blind notion of Faith so he hath a designe upon some souls to wrack them upon the sands and sink them in a pit of despair The Devils devouring voice to souls is either There is no need of humiliation or there is no humiliation enough I come now to the last thing which I propounded which is to give some directions to such souls as are burthened with this affliction and groan under this temptation how to demean themselves and what to do I will reduce all that I shall speak by way of direction to these heads First Eye the nature of the covenant and grace and promises of God more Secondly Eye the nature and cause of humiliation more Thirdly Labour to get thy heart more humbled First of all Eye the nature of God declared in the free dealings out of his grace to thee This I shall enlarge in three instances 1. Eye Gods covenant and the nature of that 2. Eye Christs grace and the nature of that 3. Eye the Promises and the nature of them First Eye the nature of God in his covenant more The cause of this affliction is Christians too much eying and poring upon their sins and themselves the penitent beleever ought to have two eyes one to look downward another to look upward This is that which David comforted himself with when he considered his own unworthinesse and the unworthinesse of his house 2 Sam. 23. 5. Although my house be not so with God yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant ordered in all things and sure for this is my salvation and all my desire although he maketh it not to grow David though a man according to Gods own heart yet had a wicked house Absolom had slain his brother rebelled against his Father
Aug. 16th 1648. I Have perused this Booke entitled A Cordiall for a fainting soule wherein I find many cases clearly resolved tending to the consolation of afflicted consciences and wounded spirits which are so judiciously and piously handled and so effectually and fitly applyed that I thinke them very profitable and through Gods blessing availeable for the comforting of poore weak Christians and the curing and removing of their doubts and scruples which retard and hinder their progresse in the wayes of Piety and therefore very worthy to be printed and published John Downame A CORDIALL FOR A FAINTING SOULE OR Some ESSAYES for the satisfaction of wounded spirits labouring under severall burthens In which severall Cases of Conscience most ordinary to Christians especially in the beginning of their Conversion are resolved Being the summe of fourteen Sermons delivered in so many Lectures in a private Chappell belonging to Chappell-Field-House in NORVVICH With a Table annexed conteining the severall Cases of Conscience which in the following Treatise are spoken to directly or collaterally Preached and now published upon the importunity of divers Christians By John Collings Mr of Arts and one of the most unworthy of the Ambassadors of Jesus Christ for the preaching of the Gospell in that City Hostis noster adhuc in hâc vitâ nos positos quantò magis nos sibi rebellare conspicit â—amò ampliùs expugnare contendit eos enim pulsare negligit quos quieto jure possidere se sentit Contra nos verò eo â—ehementiùs incitatur quo ex corde nostro quasi ex jure propria habitationis expeâ—itur Greg. in Cap. 33. Job Isa 30. 40. Who is amongst you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that sitteth in darknes and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God LONDON Printed for Richard Tomlins at the Sun and Bible neare Pie-corner MDCXLIX To the Right Honourable and truely Noble both by the first and second Birth the Lady Elizabeth Countesse Dowager of Exeter Happinesse and Peace Madam AFter that I was perswaded to let the world see these Receits I thought it policy to give them as much allowance of advantage as they were capable of and to this end I have presumed to offer them to your Honour for your probatum est The Sermons never yet were made more publike then the private Chappel belonging to this Family where they have been offered to the ears of those that have importuned me to venture them upon a publike censure My designe from the first beginning of that private Lecture was to satisfie diverse doubting Christians in severall cases of conscience if God might but honour me so far as to remove strawes out of the way of their faith The most of those cases herein contained were such as in my little time I had gathered from the experiences of divers and possibly it was but my duty to endeavour to satisfie them in my Pulpit who had almost set me in my closet And had not I had their Imprimatur so much nothing is there of mine in them they had never been offered as a Sacrifice at another Altar If God hath sanctified them but to one soul I dare not call them common or unclean If what hath satisfied my own and possibly some others spirits may be honoured with further successe let the Physician of souls have the glory and I onely more of his work which is a wages to it self I am confident as your Honours eye passeth the several pages your Ladiship will espie some stone turned out of the way upon which your Honours own soul stumbled Let it minde your Ladiship to say with David Psal 116. Ah Lord Truly I am thy servant I am thy servant and the childe of thine hand maid for thou hast loosed my bonds I shall be honoured if any thing in these Papers occasion but one meditation of praise Madam I am confident your Honour is past this rough stumbling way It will be yet sweetnesse for your Honour to remember the dayes of old though you have led captivity captive I have here but begun my work answering some few cases according to the ability God hath measured to me The greate part is yet behinde viâ—â— Such as arise from the miâ—judging the effects of faith If this be acceptable I may possibly hereafter venture a second part upon the publike Charity My single aim in this work hath been to prepare the way of the Lord and it is Madam an Honourable employment to be a Pioneer to the Lord of Hosts I have neither sought to enter line these plain Sermons with reading nor yet glaze them with Rhetorick I knew leaves of antiquity would make no plaisters for wounded consciences nor would it be the smell or look but the inward vertue of the salve which must heal the sores of a troubled spirit I have often wished that some man whose years had taught him more divine wisdom and experience in these secret cures might have prevented me in this work Alas Madam your Honour knows I am but an infant of dayes let not your Honour expect much but remember that he who writes hath not yet exceeded the twenty sixth yeer of his age and that as his days have been few so they have most of them been very evil too But my bowels yearned to see so many poor souls lye wounded and panting for life in the way of our Ministery and every one in the midst of this Pamphlet age passing by and but looking on if not possibly another way Many have handled notions and disputed niceties in Divinity Others more profitably have laboured in practicall paints in which God hath honoured this age in which we live to excell former Centuries of Time But few have made it their work except collaterally to remove the souls obstructions which soon put the whole frame of their spirits in a sad distemperature and upon the removâ—th of which depends so much for the Christians thriving and growth though he be fed at the daintiest tables This hath made me though the meanest of those that labour for the Lord to do the 〈…〉 in casting a directâ—r eye upon their woundâ— where I have failed my eyes are â—nto the great Physician to supply the deficiences of his poor creature who in this hath indeavoured to do nothing but for his sake and those on earth who are his Mysticall pieces How sweet Madam shall be the countenances of the glorified ones when the beauty of the Lord Jesus Christ the highest flower in glory shall be fully transparent in their cheeks clarified from the duskish shadow that corruption casts upon them Me thinks it will be glorious to see and it is sweet but to think how beautifully David appears before the throne of the Lamb without the visible track of a tear upon his cheeks who here quartered so many nights amongst floods and billows of sorrow and was so often startled at so poor a
querie as Where is thy God become Let your Honour lift up your head The day of your redemption draweth nigh The Lord Jesus is pulling out his handkerchief laced with love to wipe all tears from your eyes and hastning to bow the heavens and come down to Gather his Saints together even those that have made a covenant with him vvith their lips and translate them from this valley of tears to that place where they shall hunger and thirst no more but be satisfied with his likenesse who is the brightnesse of his Fathers glory I humbly beg your Honours pardon for my presumption Your Honours former honouring me with the acceptation of some former labours hath emboldned me and I know your Ladiships spirit is so low that it can rejoyce in stooping to take a message from the Prince of glory though from the mouth of his meanest Embassador In which confidence I humbly offer these worthlesse indeavours to your Ladiships hands and with my humble supplications at the throne of Grace for your Honours progresse in Grace here and happinesse in Glory here after I rest Your Honors most devoted servant in the work of the Lord Iesus JOH COLLINGS From my study in Chappel-field-house in Norwich Aug. 17. 1648. To the Christian Reader especiallie such an one as walks with a troubled Spirit FOr thy sake Dear Heart were these Sermons composed preacht and now made publike The world this day abounds with treatises and excels former times in the Spirituality of the penmen who have written powerfull and practically Some there are that have made it their work to Plant These have led souls up the stairs to Iesus Christ shewing them the way to the land of Glory such have been our Shepheard and Hooker with divers others Others God hath set to build and as he used the other chiefly as his porters so he seemeth to have used these as the Grooms of his chamber appointed them to set out the excellency of the Lord Iesus Christ to them that are sick of love These have led souls from chamber to chamber shewing them all the chambers of free grace and making it their chiefest work to set out the Bridegroom in his glory and exalt the Riches of free mercy The work of the first was to dresse the Bride The second discover the Bridegroom in his wedding Robes A third sort have had their work allotted them to shew Christians how to keep house with Iesus Christ These have directed Christians how to walk closely with Iesus Christ of that number have been our Bolton and Burroâ—ghs and Sibbs and Downham A fourth sort have been Gods weeders making it their work to deliver poor souls from the snares of the Devil and the truth of God from those errours which this age hath brought forth And no wonder if in greater plenty then former times in regard we have had a summer so wet with showers of grace in the dispensations of Gospel-mysteries excelling the drinesse of former times A fifth sort there have been though a scanter number that have attended upon Christs hospitall indeavouring to heal the wounds of bruised spirits In this way have our Downham and Bolton and Sedgwicks and Sibbs laboured in part I have laboured to rank my self in the latter number offering to thee some Receits for the staying of thy soul if sick of love If there be any thing in this Treatise spoken to thy souls particular wants Let God have the glory and the Author thy prayers Sure I am to some of those in whose ears they were delivered they were As apples of Gold in Pictures of silver Think not there is any vertue in these lines they are but as Elishaes staff to the face of the dead childe Possibly thou mayest from hence discover how irrationall the temptations of Sathan are if once duly weighed Use these poor meditations with faith and prayer and possibly Christ may honour them so far as to make them instrumentall for the clearing the way of thy faith and establishing thy souls peace Truly Reader it was not my own but others opinion of them which hath made them publike If by removing a block out of thy way they but quicken thy pace to Iesus Christ if by removing or preventing thy doubts they adde but a dram to thy faith it shall be mâ—â—crown if they but discover to thee the evenues of Gods wayes which the Devil and thy and my base heart would make rugged I have my end who desire nothing from them but a giving glory to God in helping on the peace of thy soul My intention is to make a further progresse I have sent this but to usher the way and to see if this age can like any treatise that quarrels not in cholerick disputes nor smells of novelties It is a sad Age Christian in which we live while most of our time is spent in Tithing mint and Annis we neglect the weightier things of God law Disputing opinions hath eaten up the Religion of Christians we are all too apt to spend more time in examining our Brethrens Tenets then in searching our own hearts How much of our times How many of our Books are spent in quarrelling for the Ius Divinum of a Church-government which is but as the mint and Annis to the weightier things of Gods Law Yet am I not of so loose principles as to think The Government of the Church a meer circumstance nor can I think that form of Government worth taking up in a street that for the essentials is not to be found in the word of God Iuxta secundum are terms I understand not Every Truth of Christ hath the brightnesse of a star in its forehead but of these stars some differ from others in glory Reader thou shalt see here a great deal of the poor creatures weaknesse but his strength must be perfected in weaknesse whose work it is to stay up the hearts of them that relye upon him Search the Scriptures see if these things be true which thou here meetest with if they be receive them for truths sake and use them as an handkerchief to wipe the tears from thine eyes I have endeavoured neither to darken them with misty expressions nor yet to paint them with beauteous vermilion-language I had rather they should take thine heart then thine ear and be rather an object of thy meditation then admiration I remember that true speech of Hierom in his Epist ad Nepotianum instructing him how to preach Docente te in Ecclesiâ non clamâ—r populi sed gemitus suscitetur lachrimae auditorum laudes tuae sint Sermo Presbyteri scripturarum sale conditus sit Nolo te declamatorem rabulam garrulumque sine ratione seâ— mysteriorum peritum Sacramentorum Dei tui eruditissimum Verba volvere celeritate dicendi apud imperitum vulgus admirationem sui facere indoctorum hominum est Nihil tam facile quam vilem plebeculam indoctam concione linguaeque volubilitate
drink Though I begd my bread and wanted water all the dayes of my life O that I had the robes of his righteousnesse to cloth my soul though I went naked O give me Christ O give me Christ above all for all instead of all or else I dye Here now be comforted the end is wrought again and thou hast no ground not to beleeve because thou art not enough humbled The cause must not destroy the end The end of humiliation is as you have heard What serves humiliation for but to bring thee to it If thou beest already by humiliation brought that thou art grieved for sin past that thou hatest sin present that thou loathest the thoughts of embracing sin for the time to come that thou art made willing to close with Jesus Christ that thou prizest him above all the earths contentments whatsoever thou hast no ground nay thou sinnest in letting thy Faith stumble upon this threshold 4. Consider that it is possible thou mayest mis-judge thy self in this point of the measure of humiliation too The fountain of humiliation is often so deep that we cannot fadom it the well may be deep though we see but a little of it First Consider that in thy humiliation you must measure length and bredth and all Secondly Consider thou must measure inside as well as outside Thirdly You must remember it is not done though it may be done enough for thee to apply a promise and rest upon Iesus Christ and receive and apply him to thy soul First Many Christians mistake upon this Principle Why doest thou think thy humiliation is not enough They will answer you alas I was never in such a depth of amazing sorrow as Paul was as I have heard such and such a Christian was they were even in the jawes of hell My work was a slight work to theirs Half so much broad-cloth of a great bredth will make a suit as well as so much again of some that is not half the bredth the bredth makes amends for the length of the other Others God hath given them deep sorrow but short perhaps he hath given thee long sorrow but not so broad and deep there may be as much water in a shallow pond that is broad as in a deep well that is straight It may be thou hast been divers moneths weeks years under thy sorrow though it was not such an heart-rending sorrow as others might be They had sorrow that even rent their heart in pieces but it lasted not so long as thine before they had joy God measured out their measure in depth and thinc in bredth Secondly Consider if you will measure your humiliation right you must measure both inside and outside Possibly you judge you are not humbled enough because you have not shed so many tears as others have you measure it onely in the outside alas many tempers are not so disposed to tears as others Suppose two men were wounded the one bleeds nothing or little at all the other bleeds that the blood stains all his apparell runs down the streets you see scarce a drop of blood come from the other but the wound closeth will you therefore say that the one bleeds not so much as the other nay surely you will say that he bleeds more desperately he bleeds inwardly The seat of humiliatiō is the heart not the eye Humiliation is not to be measured by wet handkerchiefs the swoln face is not alwayes the outside of a most broken heart possible your heart weeps your soul is ready to burst with groanings but you want the vent of your eyes they are tongue tied The measure of your humiliation for all this may be greater then the other Thirdly Possibly some may say O but can I think that God requires no more tears no more sadnesse for those thousands of sins that I have in my life time committed against him Consider therefore Christian that your humiliation is not past when you have apprehended and applyed Christ to your souls You must reserve some tears for the time to come you have humiliation-work after Faith Zach. 12. 10. Though the seven Devils be cast out and Mary be set by Christ yet she may wash his feet with the tears of her eyes and wipe them with the hairs of her head She may come again and stand behinde him weeping you have to do to look upon him whom you have pierced and mourn As the man that takes physick it works before he takes his broth but that sets it working again and more So though before you apply Jesus Christ there will be some humiliation yet your receiving him and resting upon him by Faith doth not stop up your fountain of tears you shall have a mourning time after that save an handkerchief to wet then Fifthly For thy comfort consider that humiliation ought not to be 1. A ground of Faith 2. Is not a ground of acceptation The first will depend upon the latter First Consider thy humiliation is not a ground of thy acceptation Thou art not therefore accepted because thou art thus and thus humbled If we watch not our nature saith reverend Sibbs There will be a spice of Popery which is a naturall Religion in this great desire of more grief as if when we had that we had something to satisfie God withall and so our minde still runs too much upon works If free-grace did not clarifie tears and the greatest sorrow we could have for sin those bitter waters would be more filthy then the puddles of the street If the blood of free-grace doth not cement a broken heart and accept it and merit for it hell is its desert and portion for all any merit in it It is a good piece of a prayer Psal 20. 3. The Lord accept thy sacrifice or make far thy sacrifice or turn thy sacrifice into ashes A broken and a contrite heart is the Lords sacrifice which he will never despise Psal 5◠17. But the Lord must 1. Turn it into ashes 2. Make it fat 3. Accept it And therefore this can be no sufficient remora in thy way of Faith For couldst thou make thy head a fountain of water and thine eyes rivers of tears they should merit no salvation heaven is not to be bought with sighes nor art thou therefore accepted because thou art humbled but even thy humiliation must have an acceptation otherwise God should save us not for his own sake and for his Name sake as indeed he doth but for our tears sake for our humiliation sake for our works sake for Christians must warily consider that God doth not save his people and accept his children for those works which his own spirit worketh in them This is a Doctrine of Popery who to wash their hands of the Doctrine of merits wherewith they are charged tell us they hold no such matter as that a Christian may be saved by his own works but God gives him grace to work good works and for them he accepts for
secrets so far or whether according to Aquinas ideo dicitur nescire quia nos scire non faciet he therefore be said not to know because he will not suffer us to know I shall not dispute either of both will serve our turn Gods particular decree of election is a secret lockt up in the bosome of him who is the auncient of days of which either Christ himself as man was ignorant or concerning which to be sure he was so secret as neâ—er to reveal his fathers thoughts he was indeed as God the Privy-counsellor of eternity but a secret keeper of his fathers thoughts and counsels as well as an obedient Son to his commands in revealing his fathers will Christ indeed tells his Disciples Ioh. 15. 26. He had chosen them but it was though not because they beleeved that he chose them yet after that he had called them and they were come to him and had walked constantly and obediently with him that he told them so Christ hath not revealed particular election to any before Faith Secondly Nor ever will be Will Christ think you ever reveal the secrets of eternity to those that actually are his utter enemies Election is one of Gods secrets it is the roll wherein the eternall covenant betwixt this or that particular soul and the King of eternall glory is written and inrolled Now the Scripture indeed saith Psal 25. 14. The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his covenant But hath the Scripture ever said the secrets of the Lord are with unbeleeving damned wretches for he that beleeveth not is damned already no when the soul is once called and beleeves on the Lord Jesus Christ then God in his due time reveals the secrets of eternity to such a soul and puts it on spectacles to reade the particular covenant that he hath made entred and enrolled in the court of heaven which is written in small and invisible characters and cannot be read but with enlightned eyes guided by the eternall spirit Besides Thirdly Consider the phrase of Scripture how it doth reveal to us our particular election Peter calls to them to Strive to make their calling and election sure First your calling then your election 1 Ioh. 2. 5. and 3. 6 10. 1 Joh. 2. 5. It is the constant language of Scripture 3 Ch. v. 6. 10. and the sense of all the Apostles that by our Faith and fruits of our sanctification which are the consequents and attendants upon Faith We must know whether we be in God or no whether we be the sons of God or no our particular election must be known to us by the effects doest thou therefore stick at this I must know that I am elected otherwise I cannot beleeve thou cuttest off the means by which thou shouldst attain to thy end Thy end is to know thy election Now the means by which thou shouldst attain to this particular knowledge and assurance must be Faith and the fruits of it This thou casts off a thing so absurd that thou wouldst condemne it in any worldly matter Thirdly 3 Con. Consider thou hast no ground for thee to thinke thou art not elected unlesse it be thy unbeleefe God hath made open Proclamation Whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life Whosoever commeth unto me I will in no wise turne him away Let all come and I will ease you Suppose a King should make a Proclamation concerning some Malefactors Let every one that will come to me and beg his pardon and he shall have it Though he hath a secret reservation of thoughts in his bosome to pardon none but such and such because he is confident the rest will be too proud and stout to come yet upon what justifiable ground shall any Malefactor think the King intends not to pardon him before he comes to him and humbly begs his pardon Shall he stand and at a distance say Let the King send me a particular pardon and then I will come for it and thank him but till I am sure he intendeth to give it I will never take the pains to go Upon what grounds shall such a malefactor think the King intends not to give him his life hath he not good cause to think his stoutnesse is the clearest and proximate cause God saith come beleeve and you shall live Thou saith now no I do not think I shall live let me know that and then I will beleeve what ground hast thou to think thou shalt not have the end but because thou wilt not use the means Suppose a man lay very sick his Physicians should prescribe him such and such means ☜ in order to his recovery no not he he remembers His time is in Gods hand and he cannot passe it he is sure he will see first whether God will let him live or no and if God will send him a lease of his life then he will use means Suppose now such a man should dye what might any think the cause why he dyed so soon What the period that God had set to his dayes or his own refusing the means to sustain his life But this will be further enlarged in a fifth consideration Fifthly Consider but this That all those whom God hath elected he hath not onely elected to the end but to the means Gods eternall decree of election is not entred thus in the Court-book Be it ordained that such or such a person shall live eternally But be it ordained That such or such a person shall in time be called and beleeve the Gospel and walk holily like one of my children and after receive the crown of glory We were predestinated That we should be to the praise of his glory Eph. 1. 12. and 2. 10. For we are his workmanship created in Iesus Christ unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them God hath ordained the means as well as the end and you must first know by your calling and beleeving that you are elected to them before you can know you are elected to eternall life the same God that hath made it a decree of eternity this and that man shall be saved hath also made it a decree that this or that man should beleeve Beleeving that I am elected and one chosen of God to eternall life is a piece of sense not of justifying Faith saith learned and pious Rutherford and it is a piece of sense too to think I beleeve as I have at large heretofore shewed but it is an higher thing to beleeve and be fully perswaded that I shall infallibly be saved then to think I truely beleeve it is a step higher the demonstration is plain because no Christian can think that he shall be undoubtly saved unlesse he thinks first that he doth truely and savingly beleeve Now therefore thy first work must be to get a sense of Faith to beleeve that thou beleevest for thou wilt never
grain of dust discernable were thy mountain of sins that with their heighth seem not to threaten the clouds at all but God himself were I say that yea and another and a third thousands of them piled up and thrown into the ocean of infinite love the bottomlesse depth of his meritorious blood the waters of free grace would still be as much higher as the heavens are higher then the earth yea infinitely higher then the highest planet is above the lowest spring O the depth Suppose thou sawest the highest Cedar in Lebanon the highest Pyramide upon the earths Make thy self a ladder of ten thousand staves if thou canst and rear it up how much higher would the sun be thinkest thou infinite higher are the mercies of thy Saviour Christian above the heighth of thy transgressions There is mercy enough that 's the first But this is easie enough to be evinced a Christian will tell you he cannot dare not doth not doubt this he doubteth not of the power but of the will of God Secondly Consider therefore That there is will enough in the God of mercies as well as power enough to save thee if thou wilt but beleeve in him It is a note of Pious Master Rutherford That none can doubt or say they doubt of Gods will Rut. triall of Faith p. 128. but they must really doubt of Gods power for if thou beleevest his power thou must at the same time beleeve his will But for this it is easie enough to evince the good will of God to save the greatest of sinners Where shall we finde his will but in his word and how shall we judge of it but by his acts ☜ It is a known and certain rule That the Gospel shuts none out of heaven but those that by unbeliefe lock the gate against themselves Enquire but into Gods promises is there the least parenthesis of any exception in all the pages of free grace Isai 1. 18. Come now saith God Let us reason together Though your sins be as scarlet I will make them as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be white as wooll There is no sinners sin that is died in grain but such as have sinned the sin against the Holy-ghost hast thou been a murtherer thy sin is yet but a scarlet die I will make it as snow saith God hast thou been a blasphemer All sin and blaspemy shall be forgiven saith Christ Mat. 12. 31. Hast thou been an idolater an unclean wretch I will sprinkle clean water upon you saith God and you shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your idols will I cleanse you Eze. 36. 25. What hast thou abused Christ and spoken against him who is thy onely salvation Whosoever saith Christ speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forgiven him Matth. 12. 32. Heark Christian is there not as much infinitenesse in thy Christs will thinkest thou as in his power Secondly Nay consider his will is not onely full enough of power but there is an earnestnesse of desire in his will to save the greatest of sinners that leaving their sins will turn to him this will be easily enough evinced from his expressions and actions tending to that end He speaks he swears he pleades he eâ—postulates he weeps he invites he comes he dies 1. He speaks that you have heard he saith I will save scarlet crimson sinners I will say to them that are in their blood live I will powre out water upon the unclean 2. He swears and hath bid us to tell you his oath Ezek. 33. 61. say unto them As I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner but had rather that he should turn from his wickednesse and live Lo he could swear by no greater he swears by himself O happy creatures saith Tertullian for whom God is pleased to put himself to his oath O unbeleeving wretches if we will not trust our God swearing Yet further 3. He pleades Turn ye turn ye from your evill ways why will ye die O ye house of Israel Micah 6. 3. O my people what have I done to thee and wherein have I wearied thee testifie against me He expostulates Isai 5. 4. What could I have done more for my vineyard then I have done Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wilde grapes 4. He appeals to the mountains and foundations of the earth Mic. 6. 1 2 3. to the sinners themselves Isa 5. 3 4. Iudge now O ye inhabitants of Iudah and Ierusalem 5. He wishes groaning Deu. 5. 29. O that there were such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments alwayes that it might be well with them and their children for ever And again Deut. 32. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this and would consider their latter end 6. He professeth he knoweth not how to destroy them Hosea 11. 8. Hos 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee O Israel How shall I make thee as Admah How shall I set thee as Zeboim my heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together 7. He weeps when he came nigh Jerusalem he wept over it and said O Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I have gathered thee as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings Mat. 23. 37 38. but thou wouldst not Mat. 23. 37 38. Christ would but the sinner would not 8. He invites Isa 55. 1 2 3. Isai 55. 1 2 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat without money and without price and again vers 3. Incline your ear and come unto me and your soul shall live Heark how he calls Mat. 11. 29. Mat. 11. 29. Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you The Father saith come the Son saith come the Spirit saith come you that are in the hedges come he sends out his servants to highway-people Mat. 22. 9. Matth. 22. 9. To as many as are found there why stay you disputing his will when he so often saith come Rev. 22. 17. come Rev. 22. 17. The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him drink of the water of life freely Is not all this enough to let thee know God is willing and Christ is willing to receive thee Lo Christ will come to thee 9. See that essence of glory bowing the heavens and coming down laying aside his robes of Majesty and putting on thy filthy garments see him tiring himself in going about from place to place upon no other errand then this to cry at the markets Oh if any sinners love life happinesse if any will go to heaven let them come to me I will shew them the way to my
as crimson they shall be as wooll But now the Christian not clearly understanding the nature and vertue of these promises cannot make a particular application of them to its soule it stands off and cannot make a particular application Alas saith the Christian these are made upon condition of a wearinesse and an heavy load of hungring and thirsting of comming of washing and cleansing of putting away the evil of my doings of ceasing to do evil and learning to do well Hard sayings Who can heare them I cannot get my heart to hunger and thirst I cannot get my heart to be weary and heavy laden A Leopard can as well cleanse himselfe of spots and an Ethiopian as well wash away the blacknesse of his skin as I can wash my black soule c. One that hath no legs can as well walk to Rome as I can come to Christ But know Christian thy particular applying faith here is hindered by a meer misunderstanding of the promise for though those promises require conditions yet they require not conditions to he fulfilled in thy strength but those required conditions are as well parts and branches of the free covenant of Grace as those promises which thou desirest to apply therefore you shall find promises for the fulfilling those conditions in thy soul God requires a wearines of sin and a loathing of sin and a sorrow for sin as a condition Mat. 11. 29. Is 55 1 3. God promiseth to give this self abhorring frame of Spirit and to work this loathing in his peoples soules Ezek. 6 9 20 43. 36. chap. 31. Zach. 12. 10. God requires washing and cleansing as a condition Isa 1 16. â—7 18. He hath promised to work this in the soule Christ tels Peter he would do it â—oh 13. 8. And David prayes that God would do it for him Psal â—1 2. 7. which prayer was grounded upon a promise and this washing is attributed to God as the working of his spirit Isa 4. 4. v. When the Lord shall â—ave washed away the filth of the daughteâ—s of Sion and shalt have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the Spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning God requires turning and comming and learning and leaving sin as a condition but he hath promised to fulfill these Hosea 14. 8. but he hath said none can come unlesse the Father draw him Ioh. 6. 44. and the Spouse without question grounding her prayer on a promise saith draw me Cant. 1. 5. He hath required turning as a condition Ezek. 33. 11. Ier. 3. 14. but he hath promised to work this in the soule Mat. 4. 6. and upon this the Church prayes Ier. 31. 18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned So that this is a certaine rule God requires no condition of a promise which he hath not promised to fulfill in us And whatsoever spirituall action is anywhere required of us as a duty he hath somewhere promised to bestow upon us as a dispensation of free Grace Therefore I would have the soule in such a condition when it stumbles at the condition of a promise seek out those promises where God promiseth to fulfill those conditions in it and particularly apply them and rely upon God for making them good and direct its prayers accordingly So I have done with the first thing required in the Soule for the particular application of the promises viz. a cleare understanding of the promises for which I have given three Rules Now in regard that at all times there may be in a true beleeving soule a clear understanding of the promises I conclude there may be true faith in the soule that at all times cannot make a particular Application But I hasten to The second thing which is requisite in that soule that doth truly rely or that can particularly apply the promises and that is a cleare understanding of its own condition for how can I truly and particularly apply a promise to the wound of my Soule when I do not understand truly what wound my soule hath Now a true believing soule may have a very false estimate of its own condition Thus had David and Asaph and the Church they thought they were cast off Psal 43. 2. Psal 44. 9. Psal 60. 1. Psal 7â— 1. 77 7 89 38. Now if I think that a part of my body is gangrened I will never apply Physick to it because I know it is in vaine so so long as the Soule conceives that its condition is irrecoverable its sins unpardonable that applying promises to it is but applying warm clothes to a dead man it will never apply Now such a temper may be in the beleeving Soule occasioned by the violent temptations of Sathan by dark clouds of melancholy or the like it apprehends its sinns nor pardonable or at least not pardonable as yet to the soule O! sayes the soule I have sinned against the holy Ghost what good will it do to me to apply promises I am dammed It is a temptation which Sathan ordinarily first or last troubles beleeving soules with I have answered that case of Conscience particularly and therefore shall not enter into a particular discourse of it now Now till the soule be brought so farr truly to understand its own condition that its wounds are curable and to cry unto God for the healing and cure of them it cannot be expected that it should particularly apply any Promises as plâ—isters for the healing and in regard I say that there may be some misjudging of the soules true estate in a gracious soule there may also be a want of this peculiar faith It is true it is given by all sober Divines as the least degree of Faith to beleeve that my sins are pardonable and to run and fly and cry unto God for a pardon of them but yet through the distemperature of the soule even this thing that the soules sins are pardonable which is generally beleeved and is the soules foundation upon which ground it humbles it self and cries and prayes may not be beleeved by the soule that yet hath true Faith or at least beleeved very darkly and with a great deale of doubting The third and last thing which I will instance in which must be found in that soule that shall particularly apply a generall promise as its particular portion is a constant wonderfull working of the powerfull Spirit of God upon the soule For let a soule never so truly understand its own condition and never so truly understand the vertue of the promise and never so fully conceive that the promises have an adequate proportionable vertue for the healing of its particular wounds yet unlesse the spirit of God by a wonderfull powerfull worke of grace doth lay the salve upon the sore and apply the promise unto the soule it cannot be done as it is with a man that hath lost his hands or the use of them and suppose him to have a sorein his back let him never so truly understand the
and rely upon his grace Ball upon Faith 82. p. and so in event saith Mr. Ball is sure of salvation and yet would give a world to be assured of Gods favour and fully perswaded that its sins are pardoned Fifthly Willets Synopsis Papismiâ— p. 974. 975. That it is false that the Papists say no particular assurance ought to be lookt for or may be procured it may be procured and it ought to be sought for this might easily be proved Perkins 3. vol. 220. 2. d. 1. vol. 542 2. b. 143. 1. c. 564. 1. d 543. â— d. but I shall not meddle with it it being not my work and it being a question would take up a great deale of time but I shall rather refer him that doubts of this to those learned men that have sufficiently managed this quarrell against the Papists Ball upon Faith 1. Part. ch 8. p. 79. 80. 81. Downams Warfare part 1. l. 2. c 8. p. 102. § 2. p. 103. col 1. 30. 104. § 6. c. 9. p. 106. part 1. l. 2. c. 11. p. 118. cap. 13. p. 127. § 1. cap. 14. c. 11. and many others who have largely discussed this point Rutherfords Christs dying for sinners v. codicem and maintained this truth Sixthly and Lastly It is as false that the Antinomians and Libertines hold that without this well-grounded full perswasion there is no faith in the Soule this a learned Writer of our owne in severall parts of his book hath made out against them Thou mayest have true saving faith though for the present thou canst not be fully perswaded that thy sins are pardoned yea though thou mayest think that they are not pardonable through some accidentall temptation over-powring thee or some corruptions hindring the actings of Faith yet thou mayest be perswaded that they are pardonable and at that time it will appear to all the world that thou art perswaded they shall be pardoned to thy soule by thy fearing to offend God and thy carefulnesse to please him by thy crying fasting weeping lying at the feet of divine grace and resolving if thou perishest to perish at the gate of heaven and meet with hell there if thou meetest with it anywhere Nay be not mistaken this thy Faith is 1 certaine and 2 strong as well as saving First It is saving That I have already shewed you when I fully shewed you that the essence and pith of justifying Faith was a fiduciall rolling our selves and hanging upon the Lord Iesus Christ for pardon Now as it is saving Secondly so it is strong That Faith saith a precious Authour is argued to be strong that hath no light of comfort but walkes in darkenesse upon the margin and borders of an hundred deaths Davids Faith was a strong Faith when though all Gods waves were upon him yet he called upon God daily Psa 88. 7 8 9. when the soule is so far from being perswaded that it is a lovely one in the Lords eyes that it conceives it self a damned wretch in the Lords sight and onely sees a sparkling light in at a crevis of the window and by a little pinhole a beam of hope comes in and it thinks well my sinnes are yet pardonable yet I dare not say there is no hope yet I know not what to think my sins are great Gaole-sinns I am perswaded if my name be in the Charter of grace it is in the bottom and it is sometimes ready to think that the little glimmering of light it sees is rather the counterfeiting light of a Glow-worm then the triumphing light of the Sun yet the soule is ravished with that particle of light and goes and kisseth the hole that gives it a passage and sayes well here 's all my comfort my sinnes are yet pardonable I see the ship of my soule is wrackt possibly this bit of board may save my life I will on to it if I perish I perish I will not lose this pin-hole light I will cry fast weep and pray Lord say my sinnes are pardoned I am perswaded thou canst pardon them and if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Lord here will I lie filthy bloody full of sores at the Poole of Bethesda I will not stirre a step from the Poole I will lie in the way till thou hast cured mee I say this doth argue a strong faith the perswaded assured soule hath cables of comfort who would fear the breaking of them God doth not rap his fingers so often as this poor soule This Believer hath but a twine thred to hang upon yet he catcheth hold and sayes this straw shall bear my souls weight yea God raps off his fingers often his life is full of doubts and feares yet he holds and will not stirre a step doth it not argue a great a reliance The woman of Canaan had no assurance of Christs favour Matth. 15. 21. she cryed he answered her not a word v. 23. nay when she made friends to him he would neither heare her nor her friends mediation though they were Christs own Disciples still she comes and worshippeth him he chides her this yet argued no assurance she replyes he sayes Great is thy Faith v. 28. Mr Ruâ—therford noteth sweetly upon that that the fewer Externals that faith needeth the stronger it is within little evidence much adherence speaketh a strong faith Now though that perswasion be an inward work yet the grounds are externals for the strength or weaknesse of perswasion is moved by the compasse of sence the lesser my grounds are if my adherence be the same the stronger is my faith if I will trust my friends little finger as much as his whole hand doth it not the more argue my confidence in his strength my reliance upon him that he will do what he can to hold me Oh! it is a sweet thing to see a soul hang upon Christs little finger that only apprehendeth a generall promise is perswaded that its sins are pardonable sometimes doubts of this too yet it cryes and hangs and weeps and relies scorns to lay its little finger upon any thing else any self sufficiency any creature-righteousnesse to bear it up it argues a strong faith O soul be not deceived Great is thy faith nay and such a faith may be certain too thou mayest live at uncertainties upon a certain faith The bruised reed is not broken the smoaking flax is not quenched thy faith is doubly certain though thy life of faith be full of incertainties 1. It is certaine in respect of the Object 2. It is certaine in respect of the Event 1. In respect of the Object A weak faith doth not argue weaknesse in Free grace or weak efficacy in the blood of a pretious Jesus the pur-blinde eye doth as certainly see the Sunne as he whose eyes are best the weak pur-blind-eyed soule doth certainly see apprehend and rely upon Christ though not so clearly and comfortably 2 Thy faith is certain in respect of the Event Even
as every thing that hangeth upon a pin or a peg is as sure as the pin or peg on which it hangeth So that soule that hangs upon the mercy and Free-grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the rocky promises of salvation is as sure as the promise c. And thus I think I have sufficiently cleared the first thing that a Christian may have a true saving Faith yea and such a one as shall be strong and certain both in respect of the object and event that yet hath not this sublime act of Faith which is assurance I hasten to a second conclusion and all the rest of my Propositions with respect to a full perswasion that our sins already are actually and formally pardoned 2. Conclus Thy Assurance and perswasion that thy sins are pardoned may be a true perswasion and assurance though but weak or to speak more properly you may have this reflex act of faith and be perswaded that your sins are pardoned and this perswasion may be a true reflex act of faith and yet not constant in degrees Sometimes it may be weaker sometimes stronger I call the weakest perswasion wrought in the soul that its sins are pardoned a reflex act of faith for I doe not think that it is a piece of Faith necessary to the justification of a soule that it should believe that its sinnes are really and actually pardoned though it be a beame of grace that the soule should love and look after more then the world and it is and ought to bee more pretious to a believing soule then all the rocks of gold or mountaines of silver or beds of spices or ten thousand rivers of oyle yet I say I doe not take it to be an act of justifying Faith but of the justifyed soule Now this may be true in the soule though it be sometimes weaker and sometimes stronger That soule that all times is perswaded that its sins are pardoned and actually remitted is not alwayes a like perswaded of it It is a beame of Gods manifestative love which admirs of degrees Now as upon the earth in the day time there is alwayes some light though through some interpositions of clouds the light is not alwayes alike so in Christians that the Lord hath brought to this degree that they doe really believe that their sinnes are pardoned though through the sun-shines of Gods manifestative love upon their soules they for the most part think so yet they are not alwayes alike perswaded of it I doe verily believe that David generally was in this temper and who so peruses his pretious book of Psalmes will finde that he takes the pardon of sinnes for granted yet who so againe peruses the severall Psalms will easily perceive that Davids perswasion was not alwayes alike as any one may see by comparing Psal 6. and Psal 41. vers 11. you shall finde him in some Psalmes altogether singing and praysing and triumphing not a mention of a teare but in others declaring perswasion yet wants expressing confidence yet teares as in that sixth Psalme vers 1. 2 3 4. compared with vers 9. Sometimes the heavens are so cleare to gracious soules that the shinings of grace dazzle their soules so much that nothing will satisfie them but heaven Now Lord let thy servant depart in peace O that now I might dye and be incorporated into glory they are so wrapt into the third heavens that they cannot speak their joy another while it is lower water with their soules the Moones influence is not as it was David I am confident would have beene glad of an errand to have sent him out of the world to heaven Psal 34. But the good man again in the 39 Psalm prayes as heartily for his life as any poore wretch could have done that lay under an apprehension of a past sentence in hell against him 1 Pet. 1. 8. we read of a rejoycing with which believers should rejoyce even with joy unspeakable but there was not such a constant overflowing and full tide of joy alwayes sure It is a sure note that manifestative love hath its degrees and it is from a strong influence of Gods manifestative love to the soule that the soule hath such a perswasion now had I leasure I might at large here tell you at what times commonly the spring-tide of assurance flowes highest and on the contrary what may make the apprehension weaker and at what times it is ordinarily most weak 1. Commonly just upon Gods return after a long desertion and sad expectation the souls assurance is very great and its perswasion very high God turns mid-night into mid-day The soule then brings the Lord Jesus Christ into her mothers house into the chambes of her that conceived her commonly when the husband comes home after a long absence and long expectation more then ordinary tokens of love and passages of love are discerned betwixt him and the wife of his bosome Christ comes in then to make amends for his frowns and lowrings with the sweetest kisses and imbraces Mid-winter is turned into a Mid-sommer this you shall finde constantly in Davids Psalmes and so on the contrary when the soule is under desertions if there bee left yet a perswasion that though God doth hide his face yet hee doth not hide his heart yet it is but a weak and just living perswasion 2. And commonly at greatest distresse God comes in with strongest perswasions and fullest assurance as when the Christian is cal'd to Martyrdom or cal'd to dye or cal'd to do any great services that it distrusts its own strength and is ready to feare of faint that nothing but the most reviving quick and hot cordiall water can keep the soule cleane and able to undergoe that great and extraordinary service that God cals for at his hands ordinarily now at such times the Lord is pleased to come in with a fulnesse into the soul It was but yesterday you heard by my Reverend Brother that ordinarily God comes in with sighes which are evidences to sence when the soule is in greatest streights and we shall finde that Gods promise made to Abraham was often renewed to him and to Isaac and to Iacob but the diligent Reader shall observe that God pickt out that time or those times when he called his Saints to some hard work in doing of which their hearts might sink concerning the Lords promise The originall promise was in Gen. 12. 7. it was renewed to him chap. 13. v. 15. when he was to goe out of the land he scarce knew whither and leave it to others to possesse and to Isaac when he went to Gerar Gen. 26. 4. and to Iacob going down to Egypt Gen. 46. 4. At such times the children of God are to doe double work and had need of double strength and so a double subsistence when Eliah was to go in the strength of his meat forty dayes he had need eat a good meale the Angel therefore twice admonished him to arise and eat 1 Kings
many more such like which make the child of God doubt and take him at another time when Sathan doth not batter him when the sense of his unworthynesse doth not terrifie him when God hath not withdrawn himselfe from his soule when hee is not opprest with a floud of danger suddenly overwhelming him the man doubteth not at all But now the reprobates doubts are occasioned by despairing thoughts God sayes to him as Ier. 2. 25. Withhold thy foot from being unshod and thy threat from thirst but thou saidst there is no hope the case is desperate with me and there is good reason for his despairing for at that same time that he sayes There is no hope he also sayes no For I have loved strangers and after them will I go I have loved my sinnes and lived in them yea and I will love and live in them and for such wretches they truly say There is no hope Here 's a great difference betwixt the Beleever and the Reprobate in doubting the Reprobates hope is cut off from before the Lord their hope is as the giving up of the ghost as Iob speakes Iob 11. v. 20. Now the Saint of God though hee doubts yet hee doubts not without abundance of hope hee hath a strong and lively hope for that concerning which he doubteth The Lord sayes to the wicked Returne you now every one from his evill way and make your wayes and your doings good the blessing upon it is not exprest And they There is no hope and what then Wee will walke after our owne devices and we will every one do after the imagination of his evill heart Now the Beleever although he be ready to dye with doubting yet he hopes Pro. 14. 32. The righteous hath hope in his death So that the occasion of the wicked wretches doubting is either an atheisticall ignorance or a plain despair of mercy They say there is no hope and hence it is that terrors make the wretches afraid and this is easily seen for if despaire be their principle or occasion they will resolve to damne themselves to purpose and say with the Iewes Wee will walk after our own wayes c. seeing there is no hope as we conceive that God will doe us good we will resolve to do him as much mischiefe as we can this is the second note Now Christian examine thy doubtings by it doest thou think there is no hope and therefore doubtest whether the promise belongs to thee or no or hath Sathan been busie with thy soule by his temptations or hath God withdrawn his comfortable presence a little or art thou under the sense of a present sad danger and have these occasioned thy present doubting Thus the best Saints of God may doubt Thirdly thou mayest distinguish thy doubting by the object about which thou doubtest examine the object of thy doubting 1. Something in God is ordinarily the object of the wickeds doubt but the object of the Beleevers doubting is ordinarily something in himselfe something below the Creator The Beleever hath ordinarily high thoughts of God and Jesus Christ his low base thoughts are of himself he lookes upon God as a God mighty in his power of mercy free of his loving heart to poor creatures but he sayes Lord I am unworthy that thou shouldst come under my roofe therefore I doubt whether thou wilt or no will the Lord pardon one that hath refused pardon denyed him slidden back from him the Beleever sayes not God cannot save me nor yet God will not save me but I will not bee saved Ah! Sir it is my base heart is my damnation I cannot goe to Iesus Christ. Ah! I cannot beleeve therefore I am full of doubts hee doubts of his own goodnesse not of Gods he hath all this while high admiring thoughts of the free grace of a sinne-pardoning Saviour Now the wicked wretch he sayes God is not mercifull enough God doth but juggle with sinners his Gospell cals all sinners his election book sayes he will call but some I doubt whether I be one of those that am called but not chosen thus the wretch layes all the fault upon God Christ never dyed for me c. God will never save me c. still the the wretch makes the mole in Gods eye and forgets the beame which is in his owne eye the power of God the free will and grace of God upon these is all the blame laid and concerning these he doubts The reason of this difference is very plaine First because it is naturall to every carnall wretch to exalt himselfe no fault must be in themselves no they pray they fast they are good Churchmen they read c. they beleeve as well as any in the Country where they live they tythe mint and annise now therefore if God will not save them it is not because of their blindnesse and sin for are they blinde like the Papist if he misseth Heaven it shall not be because he doth not merrit it but meerely because God will not giue it him like those Matth. 7. 24. Lord wee have prayed in thy name and we have prophesied in thy name and in thy name we have cast out Devills therefore open to us Naturall unbeleeving wretches build Castleâ— in the ayre have high opinions of their owne doings they never doubt their owne worthinesse but Gods willingnesse It is not a doubting of humility Lord who am I c. Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roofe but it is a doubting of Gods willingnesse Secondly It is not a doubting of Gods willingnesse bottomed upon a deep and horrid sense of their own unworthinesse but a doubt of Gods willingnesse yet supposing their owne worthinesse The best child of God may sometimes have so low apprehensions of himselfe and his own vilenesse and unworthinesse that he may seeme a little to doubt of Gods willingnesse or at least dispute he may disceptare if not dubitare say will God be mercifull to such a wretch as I am though hee hath a good measure of confidence and perswasion in the interim that he will not understanding that even in this there is a secret dishonouring of God and slandering of the Charter of free grace Secondly now on the contrary the childe of God makes something in himselfe the object of his doubting in regard of the exceeding low thoughts of himselfe and present understanding of infinite love he looks upon himselfe all filthy and polluted a monster of sinning a â—it object for wrath upon all his righteousnesse as a menstruous cloth and a filthyrag and cries out what is thy servant a dead dog that my Lord should make this promise to me no surely it is to some else that is not of so unclean an heart that hath not so base an heart as I have though yet I say here is a misunderstanding of infinite love for Christ came not to call the Righteous but â—inners to repentance hee that comes as a buyer of