be determined by some act of Man Ego autem stultus à scientia Dei et vanus c. postea vero videbar mihi videre à longe gratia Dei omnia bona precedentem tempore et natura sicut anima in omnibus motibus primus motor Bradward de causa Dei Lib. 1. cap. 35. pag. 308. But the wil of God as Bradwardin demonstrates is the first Agent Primum liberum primum agens et primum determinans first free the first Mover and the first Determiner the serious consideration whereof was as he professeth the first beginning of his Conversion to the Grace of God from the error of Pelagianism and Manicheism Neither can the Death of Christ be the cause of any such Decree for the Decrees of God are eternal The death of Christ was in time and that which is in time cannot be the cause of that which was from al Eternity Surely therefore this general Decree is none of that Issue wheâ—ewith our Lord and Savior Christ was in Travel Sixtly Some think again That the next and great Effect of Christs Death was to bring al the World into the Covenant of Grace that whereas before they had broken the Covenant of Works by the first Adam now al are brought into a Covenant of Grace by the Second Adam Answ 1 But this cannot be for as the Covenant of Works was made with the first Adam and his Seed only so the Covenant of Grace is made with the Second Adam and his seed only But the whol World are not the Seed of Christ for the Lord promising him to see his Seed doth not promise him to see al the World 2. The Apostle Paul tels us That the Ephesians before their Conversion were Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers to the Covenants of Promise being without hope and without God in the World Ephes 2.12 which could not be if al the World were taken into the Covenant of Grace by the Death of Christ 3. If God deal with al Man-kind in a Covenant of Grace then al Man-kind should certainly be saved for if whatever God requires on mans part God doth by that Covenant undertake that man shal perform then al must needs be saved if the Covenant be made with al but whatever by this Covenant God requires on mans part he undertakes to perform Doth God require that we should act from an inward Principle of Grace I will write my Law in your hearts saith he Doth he require of us to know him this he undertakes for us by this Covenant Ye shall all know me from the greatest to the least Heb. 8. Doth he require us to fear him I will put my fear into your hearts Doth he require Faith and Repentance at our hands I wil take away saith he the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh and I wil circumcize thine heart Deut. 30.6 Doth he require Obedience at our hands he undertakes for us also that we shal perform the same Ezek. 36.27 I wil put my Spirit into you and cause you to walk in my waies So that if God should deal with al the World of Man-kind according to the Covenant of Grace then al the World should be saved but al the World are not saved surely therefore this is none of those effects which our Lord and Savior Christ travelled for Seventhly Some think that Christ by his Death hath obtained a sufficiency of Grace for al men so that al men may or may not beleeve if they wil and this obtainment of this sufficiency of Grace for al they think is the great and next Effect of the Death of Christ But this cannot be for the thing is not true viz. That al men have a sufficiency of Grace by Christ to beleeve on him for if al the men of the World have such a Power from Christ to beleeve on him then 1. The Jews had a Power to abstain from their Unbelief in putting Christ to death and yet they had this Power from the Death of Christ and if so then it was possible that Christ should not have died by the hand of their Unbelief and yet possible by vertue of Christs Death for them to abstain from the putting him to death which is a Contradiction Neither can it be said that they had this Power given them upon the fore-sight of Christs Death for the same fore-sight did fore-see that Christ should be put to death by the hand of their Unbelief 2. If al men have such a Power to beleeve in Christ then either they must have an inward Principle of Grace and Faith or they can act without an inward Principle but they have no inward Principle of Faith and Grace for then they should be Beleevers for it is the inward habit and principle which denominates the man and not this or that act for a man is a Beleever though he be asleep Nor can any Creature put forth an act without an inward Principle suitable to the Act the Eye cannot act in seeing without an inward Principle of sight nor the Ear hear without an inward principle of hearing the Herb cannot grow without an inward principle of growth nor the Beast move without an inward principle of motion nor any Creature act without a precedent inward principle But al the men of the World have not an inward principle of Faith and Grace and therefore al the men of the World have not a power to beleeve 3. The Apostle Paul tels us plainly that a Natural man receiveth not the things of God neither can he 1. Cor. 3 1â— but if he have a power to beleeve then he can receive them for receiving is our beleeving 1 John 12. Neither can it be said that by the Natural man we are to understand the weak Christian for if the weak Christian cannot receive the things of God much less the wicked and the pure Natural man nor doth the Apostle speak of a Natural Man as he is meerly considered in the state of Nature abstracted from al Gospel Grace and the means of Grace for then he should speak to no particular case in the World for according to our Adversaries there is no man in the World but hath some Gospel Grace or means of Grace 4. Our Savior Christ tels the Jews John 10.26 Ye beleeve not because ye are not of my Sheep it seems then that al the world are not the Sheep of Christ for saith he ye are not of my Sheep and the reason why some do beleeve is because they are of Christs Sheep and why others beleeve not is because they are not of his Sheep Now if the reason why some beleeve and others not is because some are of his Sheep and others not then al the world have not a power to beleeve for if al the world have a power to beleeve then those that are not of the Sheep may beleeve and if those that are not of the Sheep can beleeve why doth our
what doth this argue but that they should delight in him as he doth delight in them And lastly Is it not a very great and high expression of his Love and delight in them that he carried al their names upon his heart into the presence of God the Father owning and Interceding for them When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies he carried the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast-plate and with the Blood of the Sacrifice he sprinkled the Mercy Seat seven times and prayed for them So when our great High Priest went into Heaven he did carry the Names of al those whom he died for sprinkling the Mercy Seat seven times for them and doth yet pray and intercede for such of them as are not in Heaven and as if al this were not enough he did presently send the Comforter another Advocate to intercede within them Rom. 8. that aâ— he took their flesh upon him and was made one with them so they should take of his Spirit and be made one with him Now can â—his and al these things be without great contentment and delight in them Surely the delight and Satisfaction which Christ takes in his Seed is exceeding great and very ful Prov. 8. he saith his delights in the plural Number are in them and Psal 16. he saith all his delight is in them Quest But why and upon what account doth our Lord and Savior Christ take such delight and satisfaction in his Seed Answ He hath travelled for them saith this Doctrine and wil ye ask why a Woman takes so much delight in the Child which she hath had a sore Travel for without doubt this delight is not raised from any worth in themselves considered But They are his own and men do naturally delight in their own Now they are not his own only as a mans Goods are his own Pâ—oprietas delectationis causa but they are his own as his Wife is his own and his own Body They are given him of the Father a man loves and delights much in that which is given him by a most precious Friend such is the Father and saith Christ Thine they were and thou gavest them to me They are related to him with al the Relations of Love they are his Brethren He is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2. Unumquodque in quantuÌ„ amatur efficitur delectabile Aquin. They are his Children Behold I and the Children whom God hath given me saith he Heb. 2. They are his Spouse Ephes 5. A man loves and delights in him that is related to him but with one single Relation but if one person could be invested with all relations of Love he would be much delighted in Thus it is with the Seed of Christ when they beleeve for so I speak of them now they are related to him with al the Relations of Love If any man saith Christ hear my words and do them he is my Mother and Brother and Sister Yea They are one with him he with them and they with him one with the greatest oneness of mutual In-being I in you and you in me saith Christ And they are very like him too and suitable to him al delight arises from a conjunction of suitables Christ Omnis delectatio oritur ex conjunctione convenientis cum convenienti Aquin. and his beleeving Seed are not only joyned into one but in this Union there is a Conjunction of suitables Christ suiting with them and they with him again being of the same mind and affection Doth Christ say unto his Spouse Cant. 4.10 Thy Love is better than Wine so doth the Spouse say to him Cant. 1.2 Thy Love is better than Wine Doth he say to his Spouse Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 so doth she say of him He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 Doth he contemplate her Beauty Cant. 4. so doth she contemplate his Beauty Cant. 5. Only herein he doth exceed even as David exceeded Jonathan yet there is an answerableness of Affection between Christ and his Seed By them also I mean his beleeving Seed he liveth Da mihi filios quod si non morior ego Gen. 30. motior 1. è memoria mei plane emorietur et onliterabitur dum enim parentes post se relinqunt filios in illis quafi adhuc vivere et superesse viden ur untle vulgo apud Hebraeos jâ—ctata est sententia cui non sunt liberi perinde est ac si mortuus sit et Hebraei dicunt qui non habet filios non est aedificatus sed quasi d ssipatus Paulus Fag in Ch. Paraphr in Gen. 30. Psal 72.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filiabitur nomen ejus Ar. Montan. and his Name is continued and born up in the World unto al Generations He shal prolong his daies saith Iâ—aiah 53.10 But how so He shal see his Seed and so shal prolong his daies His Name shall continue for ever saith the Psal 72.17 But how so even by the continual filiation of his Seed and Name Now if he do yet live in them and they only do hear up his Name in the World then no wonder that our Lord and Savior Christ doth take so much delight contentment and satisfaction in them surely his delight in them is beyond al expression for saith he Cant. 7.6 How fair and how pleasant art thou O Love for delights Secondly As for the Issue of Christ which he travelled for namely The Fruits and Effects of his Death his delight and satisfaction must needs be great in the sight thereof For Thereby he sees the good pleasure of God prosper in his hands Isa 53.10 He shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands a good man delights to see the work of God prosper in his hands and the greater the work is and the more it prospers the more delight he hath and contentment and when doth the Work of God prosper in a mans hands but when it attaineth the ends and due effects thereof Now the work that Christ under took was the greatest work in the world and it was God the Fathers Work insomuch as Christ is called his Servant and saith Christ Lo I come to do thy Will Whenever therefore he sees the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects thereof then he sees the good pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hands and so his heart is at rest Thereby the reproach is rowled away from his Sufferings great was the Scandal of the Cross the greatest scandal that ever was and the greatest reproach cast upon it that ever was It was a reproach to a Woman to be barren but when she brought forth a Child her reproach was rowled away So when the Cross and Sufferings of Christ do bring forth then the reproach and scandal of the Cross is rowled away and therefore when Christ doth see the Travel of his Soul in the effects thereof
of it but be sure that you look as wel and as much upon what is with you as upon what is against you there is no mercy which you can lose but hath some burden with it there is no misery that can befal you but hath some mercy with it When men lose a mercy they only consider the sweetness of a mercy lost and not the burden that they do lose withal O! saith a poor woman I have lost my Husband so loving so gracious so helpful but not a word of the burden that is gone withal and so there is much discouragement When Affliction comes men only consider the evil and not the mercy that doth come withal and so they are much dejected Suppose that a loving Father in some high room throw down a bag of Gold to his Child and it lights on the Childs head insomuch as it breaketh his head and causeth blood to come whilst the Child feels the smart thereof he is impatient and froward while he looks only upon the Leathern bag he is not thankful but when he looks into the bag and sees what a great deal of gold his Father hath given him then he speaks well of his Father notwitstanding all the smart of his head There is never an Affliction but is a bag of Gold given unto the People of God though it seem a Leathern Bag without yet there is Gold within so long as they stand poring upon the Leathern Bag or attend unto the smart of their Affliction they are not thankful they do not praise the Lord but are much discouraged but if they would look into the Bag and tel their Gold then they would have Comfort and not be discouraged I tell you from the Lord there is Gold within look into this Bag the Bag of Affliction tell over all your Gold which the Lord hath given you in this Affliction and then you will be quiet If a mercy be taken from you Consider the burden that is taken away too If a misery come Consider the mercy that doth come withal labor ever labor to see both together as well what is for you as what is against you then will you never be much discouraged although your Affliction be never so great And thus I have done with the Seventh Instance A LIFTING UP In case of Unserviceableness Sermon XI PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 8 SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise From their Employments Work and Service Either they are not called forth to work for God as they do desire or they do want abilities and skill to work or they have no success in their work O! saies one I am a poor unuseful and unserviceable Creature God hath done much for me but I do nothing for God others are used and employed for God but as for me I am cast by as an useless Vessel in whom God hath no pleasure and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not just cause and reason now Answ 1 No For is Family Work and Service nothing is Relation Work nothing There is a Three-fold Sweat saies Luther Political Sweat Ecclesiastical Sweat and Domestical Sweat A man may sweat at Family Work and it is a great betrushment to be betrusted with the Work of a Family and this Work you are betrusted with Answ 2 Is it nothing for a man to be trusted with the Work of his Christian Station The whol Body of Christ is divided into many Members every Member in the Body hath a work suitable unto it the Eye doth not hear as the Ear dâ—th nor the Ear see as the Eye doth but every Member worketh according to that Sâ—ation which it hath in the Body So ye being one Body are many Members saith the Apostle and all Members have not the same Office Look therefore as the Station is which ye have in the Body of Christ such is the Work that ye are betrusted with Answ 3 And is it nothing for a man to be employed in comforting relieving and supporting others This is so great a Service that the very Angels are employed therein quasi Angelus sibi munus consolandi miseros tanquam gloriosius percipiat munus autem objurgandi impios tanquam minus nobile hominibus remittat Cajetan Ac si Angeli proniores essent ad laborantem consolandum quam ad gratulandum triumphanti Mendoza in 1 Sam. Cap. 1. Sect. 6. as in a work most suitable to them For when the Lord would stir up and provoke the Children of Israel to repent he sent a Prophet to them Judges 6. ver 7.8 But when he would comfort strengthen and encourage Gideon he doth not employ that Prophet therein but he sends an Angel to him saying ver 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of Valor And if ye look into the Story of the New Testament ye shal find That when Christ was on Mount Thabor in his Transfiguration then the Angels are not said to attend upon him but when he was sweating in the Garden then the Angels came and comforted and ministred to him Why Because this is Angelical work to comfort relieve and support others in the time of distress Now are you not trusted with this Work How many poor drooping tempted and deserted souls are there whom you may go and administer to And is this no Work at all Object 1 But there is a Generation Work a Work of special employment which God doth trust others with as for me I have none of this Work to do I am a poor useless and unserviceable person one that God doth not use at all and therefore I am thus discouraged for is it not a very great mercy to be used and employed for God in the world Answ 1 Yes It is a very great mercy and blessing I confess to be used in any Work or Service for God This was Moses his Commendation That he was the Servant of God Moses the Servant of the Lord is dead And in this Title David gloried more than that he was King of Israel Psal 18. A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord He doth not say A Psalm of David the King of Israel Thus Paul Peter James and Jude do Entitle their Epistles Paul a Servant of Christ and Peter a Servant of Christ and James a Servant of Christ and Jude a Servant of Christ Yea and Christ himself doth glory in this Title of Gods Servant and the Father glories in Christ upon this account Matth. 12.13 Zach. 3.8 Behold my Seâ—vant whom I have chosen My Servant the Branch So that a great Priviledg it is to be Gods Servant used and employed for him Answ 2 The more Serviceable a man is to God the more he doth honor God and the more he honors God the more he honors himself Honor est in honorante Those that stand before and wait on Kings and Princes honor themselves in honoring their Masters
hers say they was of God But others think rather that it was from Satan who would have hundred the death of Christ and so the great Work of Mans Redemption But if ye look into Job 7. ye shal find that he saith to God Thou skarest me with Dreams yet it was Satan that did it for as before when Satan by his Instruments took all from Job he saith The Lord hath taken away so here when Satan vexed and skared him with Dreams he saith to God acknowledging his Providence Thou skarest me with Dreams and yet I say it was Satan for he was put into Satans hand and whatever affliction he met with it was from Satan and his Instruments So that the trouble and suffering of the Dream doth not argue that it is from God It is a very hard thing to know whether it be of God or from Satan And in case that the Dream be of God yet it is an hard thing to know the meaning and Interpretation of it for Pharaoh had a Dream but al his Magitians could not interpret it that was a work for Joseph And so though Nebuchadnezzar had a Dream and that might be oâ— God yet neither he nor his wise men could tel the Interpretation thereof that was a work for Daniel the work of a Prophet A wicked man may have a Dream from God but it requires the Spirit of no less than a Prophet to give the Interpretation thereof But now Are we at such Uncertainties in reading the Word Can none but a Prophet understand the Scripture The Priests and Levites gave the Sence of the Word to the People ordinarily yet they were no Prophets The Word of the Lord is a Light and Lanthorn unto al our feet plain and easie to be understood in al those things that are absolutely necessary unto our Salvation Quest But may not God speak unto us by a Dream now if he will Answ Wiâ—hout doubt he may if he please God is free But where do we find in Scripture that Dreams are an Ordinance of God now wherein he hath commanded us to wait upon him for the expectance of any Mercy And if God should speak to me by a Dream yet if I make that a sign of mine own Godliness or of Gods Love to me then am I under a delusion for even wicked men have had their Dâ—â—â—ms from God Balaam and Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar and others Do I therefore dream a strange Dream and conclude that therefore I am in Gods Love because he thus speaks to me then am I deceived What wise man is there in the World that wil or dare lay and venture his Soul and Salvation upon a Dream or the Interpretation of it But you may and must say and venture your Souls and Salvation upon the Scripture Surely therfore the light of Dreams is not to be compared therewith Quest But suppose that I have an immediate Voyce is not that to be compared with the Scripture Answ An immediate Voyce say you Either that immediate Voyce is from Hel or from Heaven If it come from Hel to report and certifie you of the Torments thereof that you may repent of your Sins then hear what our Savior saith of that in compare with the Scripture Luke 16.31 they have Moses and the Prophets And if they hear not Moses anâ— the Prophets neither will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead And if that Voyce which you have do come from Heaven then either it is the voyce of an Angel or of God himself If it be the Voyce of an Angel then see what the Apostle saith of that in compare with the Word and Scripture Gal. 1.8 Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto â—ou let him be accursed And this is thâ—â— Gospel which we have now written in this Book of the Galaâ—ians And if the Voyce which you have do come from God himsâ—lâ— then see what the Apostle saith here of that in compare with the Scripture verse 17. There came a Voyce to Christ from thâ— excellent Glory saying This is my beloved Son and this â—â—yce which came from Heaven we heard verse 19. And we have also a more sure Word of Prophesie which is the written Woâ—â— for saith he no Prophesie of Scripture c. So that ye see this written Word of God or the Scripture is beyond al Dreams and immediate Voyces It may be some wil say But may not God â—peak by an immediate Voyce to a Soul now To which I answer What God may do is one thing and what he doth in the way of a setled Ordinance wherein we are to wait on him and expect from him is another thing ye read in Heb. 1.1 2. thus God who at sundry times and in dâ—vers manners spake in time past by the Prophets hath in these last daies spokâ—n by his Son In time past he spake by Visions Dreams and Voyces If there be such an Ordinance stil wherein we are stil to wait on God why doth the Apostle make this difference between times past and the present time of the Son Nay saies Luther but there is such a sufficiency in the Scripture That thâ—ugh some men should have Visions Dreams and Voyces yet the Scripture is so ful that nec curo nec desidero I neither care for nor desire them I read of a certain Woman a Religious Lady of the Emperesses â—ed-Chamber whose Name was Gregoria that being much troubled about her Salvation did write to Gregory that she would never cease importuning him til he had sent her word that he had received a Revelation from Heaven that she should be saved To whom he returned this Answer Rem difficilem postulas et inutilem Thou desirest an hard matter and unprofitable hard for me to obtain and unprofitable for thy self to have And so say I If any should come to me desiring to implore God for such a Voyce or Dream or Revelation I must answer Man or Woman thou desirest an hard work for me to do and a thing unprofitable for thy selâ— to have Thou hast the Scriptures go search the Scriptures wait thou upon God therein for in them are the words of Eternal Life they are a sure and a safe Light more sure safe and certain than al Revelations Visions Dreams or immediate Voyces And thus I have done with the Second Instance Instance 3 As for Impressions made upon the Soul whether by a particular Word or without it the Scripture or the written Word of God is more sure than those and the Light thereof the best and most excellent Light in compare with the Light of Impressions For First Impressions though good are not our dayly food Aqua vitae or strong Water is good in a quothing fainting fit but it is not good to make it our dayly Drink So here In case the Soul be in a fainting fit it 's good to have the Impression of
man can foretel future things by the Stars then what need of Prophesie The Lord tels us in Esai 47. that he wil bring evil upon his People which they with al their Astrologers should not be able to foresee and hide themselves from verse 11. Therefore shall evil come upon thee and thou shalt not know whence it riseth No! but we wil might they say go unto our Astrologers Do so saies God verse 12. Stand now with thine Inchantments and with the multitude of thy Sorceries if so be thou maist be able to profit and verse 13. Let now the Astrologers the Star-gazers the Monthly Prognosticators stand up and save thee Behold they shall be as stubble verse 14. Iâ— Aâ—â—rologers and Star-gazers can foretel the several Changes in States and Common-wealths and what great things shal come to pass therein and how they come to pass then why doth God say here that in spight of al them thou shalt not know whence this evil comes verse 11. Surely therefore such things as these are not to be read in the Book of the Heavens Quest But is there no Light of Knowledg to be had from the Stars and do not the Heavens teach and declare the Lords handy-work will ye condemn all Astronomy Answ 1 Astronomy No. There is much difference between Astronomy the Lawful knowledg of the Stars and Judicial Astrology whereby men would foretel al Events I gâ—ant First Thâ—t there is a teaching Work in the Heavens The Heavens declare the Glory of the Lord and so do al thâ—â—â—â—â—â—tures yet this â—eaching is not able to convert the Sou◠〈◊〉 therefore when the Psalmist had said in Psal 19. The â—â—avens declare c. he comes to shew where the true converting teaching is to be found even in the Scriptures verse 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul Secondly I grant also That the Stars are for Signs So the Word saith Gen. 1.14 Let there be Lights in the Firmament to divide the day from the night and let them be for signs and for seasons and for daies and for yeers But how for Signs of the Weather As the Sun when it setteth with a red Skie foresheweth a fair day to follow Matth. 16.2 Yea and somtimes they import and are signs of Gods Displeasure Luke 21.25 Ordinarily they are for Signs to know when to sow and plant and prune and reap And are Signs to sail by for the Marriners at Sea Yea Thirdly I grant that the Stars have a great influence upon these Sublunary things even upon the Bodies of Men and Women Answ 2 Secondly But though the Stars have a great influence upon this neather World are signs of weather and have a teaching power with them as al other Creatures have Yet if a man shal undertake by the Stars to foretel future Events which are accidental depending on the Wils and Actions of Men he doth plainly step into the Chair of God this is Gods great Prerogative therefore saith he Esai 41.23 Shew the things that are to come hereafter that we may know that ye are gods Those men therefore that wil undertake to shew the things that are to come hereafter would be known to be gods But though they would be gods themselves yet why should they not let God be God stil Qui fatum ponit Deum tollit he that sets up a Fate doth destroy God and if al things come to pass by Influence of the Stars else they cannot pretend to foreknowledg of them then al things must come to pass by a Fate Yea what doth this practice otherwise than as Austin observes wel make God the Author of all the Sin in the World Malti hoc dicunt fatum mihi fecit stellae me fecerunt ita jam per circuitum ad Dâ—â—m volunt perveniâ—e per circuâ—tum vâ—lunt peâ—venire ad Deum accuâ—â—â—dum qui nolunt de câ—mpendio venire ad Dâ—um placâ—ndum â—â—dicunt fatum mihi â—ecit q id est fatâ—m stellae mei câ—â—â—â—â— quid â—unâ— stelâ—ae certe isiae quâ—s 〈◊〉 C lo peâ—spicimus et quis eâ—s feciâ— Dâ—us qui eas ordinavit Deus erâ—o vides qâ—â—d voluâ—tii dicere Deus fecit ut peccatem ita ille injustus tu justus quod iâ—si ille fâ—cillet tu non peccassâ—s tolle istas excuâ—ationes in peccatis memento illius Psalmi Ne declines cor meum in verba maligna ad excusanda peccata c. Ad haec magni viri sunt qui defendunt peccata sua magni sunt qui numerant sâ—dera Et computant stellas et tempora et dicunt quis quando Vel peccet vel bâ—ne vivat et quando Mars facit homicidium et Venus adulterium magni Docti viri videntur in hoc saculo sed quid ait Psal Ne declines cor c. Austin in Psal 31. Omne Corporale signum vel est effectus ejus cujus est signuÌ„ sicut fumus significat ignem a quo c usatur vel est cum non potest autem dici quod dispositiones Caelestium Corporum et motus sint effectus futurorum et ventuum nec possunt reduci in aliquam superâ—orem rem communem quo sit corporalis c. Aquin. 22. Quest 95. Art 5. Seductus enim ab inimico cum esset fidelis d u Mathematicus fuit seductus seducens deceptus decipicus illexit fefellit multa mendacia locutus est contra Deum qui dedit hominibus potestatem faciendi quod bonum est et non faciendi quâ—d malum est iste dicebat quod adulterium non faciebar propria voluntas sed Venus justum non faciebat Deus sed Jovis et alia multa Sacrilega non parva quam multis eum putatis Christianis nummos abstulille 〈◊〉 quam multi ab eo emerunt mendaciâ—m c Austin in Psal 71 post â—ractâ—tum cum Mathematicus in populo monstâ—aretur For if these Astrologers can foretel future things which depend on the Will of man and that by the Stars then the Stars and their Influence must be the cause thereof For as Aquinas observes If such a Constellation be a Sign of an Event then it must be the Effect of it or the Cause of it the Effect it cannot be And if the Influence of the Stars be the Cause of al sinful Actions then God must be the cause of al sin for he hath made the Star and given it such an Influence This doth so cleerly follow that Austin telling the Story of a mans converting from this wicked Art saith the man did confess that whilst he practiced that Art he with others held that Adulterium non faciâ—bat voluntas propria sed Venus A mans own will was not the cause of Adultery but the Sâ—ar Venus a mans own wil was not the cause of Murder but the Star Mars Thus saith hâ— doth this Art of Judicial Astrology lay the Sin of al the World upon God himself and it must needs do so for
coming from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to run up and down to and fro with solicitude and carefulness as the Wife doth run up and down looking to and caring for her sick Husband being afflicted with him in al his afflictions So Christ doth carefully tender and is solicitous for the Saints good his heart as it were running up and down for them and being afflicted with them in al their afflictions she saith here and his desire or his running up and down affection is towards me Now what greater argument of delight and contentment can there be Is it not an high expression of his delight and satisfaction in them to spend and lay out his time and eternity for them and on them Thus it is before he came into the World he saith Prov. 8.31 I was by him rejoycing in the Habitable Parts of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men When he came into the World he came to and for them Isa 9. For unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given while he lived here he lived for them Behold thy King comes to thee meekly riding on an Ass when he died he died for them The Just for the unjust he died for our sins and when he rose again he rose for them who died for our sins saith the Apostle and rose again for our Justification when he went to Heaven he went for them I go to prepare a place for you saith he John 14. when he ascended he did ascend for them that he might give Gifts unto men and when he appeared before the Father he did appear for them Heb. 9.24 and now he continues in Heaven for them Seeing he ever liveth saith the Apostle to make Intercession for us Heb. 7 there he negotiates for them stil and doth transact al their business why should not we negotiate for him on Earth who doth negotiate for us in Heaven why should not we spend of al our time for him who hath and doth spend of the daies of his Eternity for us But if Christ do thus spend and lay out himself and day and time and eternity for his Seed then surely he doth and must needs take much contentment and satisfaction in them Is it not a great Argument of his delight and satisfaction in his Seed that he wil not suffer a cold wind to blow upon them to hurt them When a Mother is so render of her Child that she wil not suffer a cold wind to blow upon it you say see how she loves and delights in that Child Now Christ hath said concerning his People He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine Eye Zach. 2. The Eye of man is the most tender part you know and men are the most tender of that but I pray observe what kind of men they were that Christ was thus tender of in Deut. 32.10 it 's said that God kept the People of Israel in the Wilderness as the Apple of his Eye There they were in a low and sad condition yet there was the Love of their youth expressed in following God but now these men were in Babylon and they were that part of the People of the Jews which did stay behind when others were gone to re-build the Temple and through Unbelief did this part stay behind therefore saith the Prophet verse 6. Come forth and flee from the Land of the North yet concerning these even these rebellious and unbeleeving Residue doth the Lord say He that toucheth you toucheth the Apple of mine Eye verse 8. Surely then if Christ had â—uch tender care of theâ—e in reference to al that might touch or hurt them I may truly say in regard of his Seed he wil not suffer a cold wind for to blow upon them herein is his delight and love manifested The neglect of himself whilst he lived in reference unto their good and Salvation speaks thus much also If a Child be fallen into the fire or water the Mother laies by al other business to pul it out she laies by her very Meat and Drink and dressing forgets and neglects her self til she have obtained the safety of her Child and this argues her delight in it So it was with Christ in the daies of his flesh he forgâ—t and neglected himself altogether til he had setled the great business of Mans Salvation I have Meat to eat that ye know not of saith he he had not whereon to lay his Head and did not mind himself but was restless til he had set al things in safety in reference to the Salvation of his Seed why but because of that great delight and satisfaction which he took in his work and their good And when he went away and could no longer stay here on Earth he left his Seed a blessed Token of Love which he would have them wear in their Bosoms til he comes again I mean the Lords Supper Do this as oft as ye do it saith he in remembrance of me When a Man goes from a place and doth leave his Friends he bestows some token of Love upon his best Friends or if he die he gives his choyce and beloved Friend a Token of Remembrance he doth not so by those whom he loves not but by such as he loves much and delights in Thus did our Savior Christ when he went away and died he left a Crucifix as I may so cal it this Ordinance of the Supper to be worn in the Bosom of al the Churches as a Memorial or Remembrance of him The Socinians who are Enemies to the Cross of Christ Ex istis Pauli verbis apparet graviter errasse illos qui existimarunt verbum ut vulgata et Erasmi interpretatio habet commemorationem quod in Graeco est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutari debere in recordationem neque enim dicit Paulus mortem Domini recordamini c. Non est igitur quod quis ex verbo illo colligat ernam Domini in eum finem institutum fuisse ut nobis suggerat et in memoriam revocet mortem ipsius Domini id quod nulla alioqui sacratum litterarum authoritate nullave ratione probari potest Faust Socinus de usu et fine â—â—nae Domini tel us that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Remembrance should rather be translated Celebration do this in the Celebration of me and that the word doth signifie Celebration and not Remembrance but if ye look into Heb. 10.3 ye shal find it 's said But in those Sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sin every year it is the same word that is used for the Lords Supper and should it be translated a Celebration there should the words be read thus but in these Sacrifices there is a Celebration of sin every year surely no wel then is the word translated in the Institution of the Lords Supper do this in remembrance of me and in that Christ hath left such a remembrance for his Seed
work Thus I say the Father is ingaged by vertue of his Commandement He is ingaged also by vertue of his promise And therefore if ye look into Psal 29. ye shal see what the Lord hath promised vers 11. The Lord wil give strength unto his people the Lord wil bless his people with peace Here is the promise the Lord wil bless his people with peace Yea if ye look into Isa 26. ye shal find there that the Lord hath promised to keep the peace of his people for them vers 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee So ye read the words but according to the Hebrew â—hey ought to be read thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou wilt keep peace peace twice peace Thou wilt keep peace peace for him whose mind is stayed on thee So that the Lord is not onely ingâ—ged to gâ—ve peace unto his people but he is by promise also ingaged to keep their peace for them Yea the Lord is ingaged by Purchase Christ hath purchased peace for his people and what Christ hath purchased for them God the Father is ingaged to give unto them Read the purchase in Eph. 2.13.14 But now in Christ Jesus ye who were somtimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wal of partition between us Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandements for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace vers 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross having slain the enmity thereby and came and preached peace unto you that were a far off and to them that were nigh So that thus ye see its the purchase of Jesus Christ this inward peace and quietness of soul it is Christs purchase and what Christ the Son hath purchased God the Father is engaged to give Yea the Father is engaged to give peace unto his people by al those Chastisements that they do meet withal And therefore in Isa 40. which I named before The Lord commands us to comfort and speak comfortably unto his people upon this account For she hath received of the Lords hand double for al her sins Even because a fullness of Chastisement had been upon them Thus I say God the Father by vertue of his Prerogative by vertue of his Commandement by vertue of his Promise by vertue of Christs Purchase by vertue of Chastisements that are laid upon his people is engaged to give peace unto his children II. But now proceed a little and ye shal see That as the Father is engaged So the Son also is engaged to give peace inward peace and quietude of soul unto his Servants He is engaged by those Qualifications and endowments that he received from God his Father for this end and purpose The spirit of the Lord is upon me saies he and he hath anointed me Isa 61. Why that I might comfort those that mourn That is one end But I pray look into Isa 50. and consider the 4. vers The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned They are plainly the words of Christ as wil appear to you if you read but the following words The Lord God hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned I away the back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheekes to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitâ—â—ng So that these are the words of Christ Wel what doâ—h Christ say hear He tells us that he hath received the tongue of the learned to comfort those that are distressed and troubled in conscience for to help poor wearied souls Why doth he say the tongue of the learned The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned All men desire to hear the Learned and it is the greatest piece of learning in the world to speak a word in due season by way of comfort to those that are weary this is the greatest piece of Ministerial learning and sayth Christ he hath given me the tongue of the learned Wel but al learned men have not Wisdom to speak in season Mark what follows He hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary But hath Jesus Christ such skil at this work in comforting those that are troubled Yes He wakeneth morning by morning As a Master is early up in the morning to teach his Schollers So hath God the Father been teaching of Christ from al eternity this great skil morning by morning He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learn'd This is the piece of learning saies Christ which I have been learning morning by morning of my Father from eternity and this is that great learning which he had attained unto So that in regard of this endowment which he hath received from the Father he is engaged to give peace unto his people for he hath received the tongue of the learned for this end and purpose that he might speak a word in season to them that are weary He is engaged also by his own Disposition his sweet loving and tender disposition He is a Lyon indeed of the Tribe of Judah but not that roaring Lyon seeking to devour He is a King indeed but he comes meekly riding upon an Asses Colt He doth not lift up his voyce in the streets When our Lord and Savior Christ left the world he saies unto his Disciples My Peace I give unto you my Peace I leave with you Joh. 14.27 not as the world gives Peace but my Peace I give unto you And assoon as ever Christ rose from the dead again and met with his Disciples what doth he say unto them When they were all met together Peace be unto you Joh. 20.19 As it was his last words when he left them so it is the first word that now he useth when he seeth â—hem again But O Lord we have sinned greatly since we saw thee Be it so yet Peace be unto you But O Lord here is Peter among us that hath denied thee since thou sawest us Be it so I know it very wel yet Peace be unto you Peace when he went away and Peace when he came again this is his Language and this is his disposition still Thus he is engaged Yea He is engaged by Office to give Peace unto his People Ye know the Apostle calls him our great High-Priest It was the work of the High Priest in the Old Testament to bless the People and when he did bless the People What did he say But The Lord bless ye and give ye Peace Now then If Jesus
their condition be John 14. vers 1. Let not your heart be troubled saith our Savior to his disciples As if he should say I am now to dy to leave you al to go to my Father and when I am gone you wil meet with many troubles but I would not have you discouraged Let not your heart be troubled But now if thou dyest we shal then lose thy presence and what greater trouble or affliction can there be than the loss of thy presence Wel saith Christ yet I would not have you troubled at heart Let not your heart be troubled But if we lose thee O Lord we shal lose al the ordinances and those many sweet opportunities of receiving good for our souls which we have injoyed by thy presence Be it so saith our savior yet I would not have you troubled at the heart Let not your heart be troubled But Lord if we lose thee we shal be as sheep scattered some wil deny thee al wil forsake thee and when the shepherd is smitten we as sheep shal be al disperst and fal into sad temptations afflictions and desertions Wel saith he however it be yet I would not have you troubled at the heart let not your heart be troubled however this is Christs mind wil and pleasure concerning his disciples And if you say how may it appear that God the father would have his people to be of the same mind and disposition never to be discouraged It appears plainly because God hath provided promises of comfort succour and relief sutable to al conditions I dare boldly challenge al men to shew me any one condition which God hath not provided a promise of comfort mercy and succor sutable unto it Yea and if you look upon the promises and mark them wel you shal find they are so laid worded and moulded as that al discouragâ—â—g objections may be fully answered and taken off as the rise For example suppose the Church of God be under perse ution of enemies Isa 54.17 No weapon that is formed aâ—â—â—i â—hâ—e shal prosper But you wil say our enemies O Lord are â—any they rise up against us and gather into bodies and conâ—â—â—â—rate against thy servants vers 15. he takes off that thus bâ—â—â—d they shal surely rather together but not by me whosoever shal gaâ—her together against thee shal fal for thy sake But O Lord they have go ten instruments of death and the whol power oâ— the Militia and Ammunition into their hands Be it so saith the Lord vers 16. Behold I have created the Smith that bloweth the coles in the fire and thaâ— bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the waster to destroy no weapon that is formed against thee shal prosper But O Lord they have got authority on their side and they rise against us in judgment Mark then what follows vers 17. And every tongue that shal rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn But this is a promise made unto the Jewish Church only and not to us Not so this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord vers 17. So that if you be the Servants of the Lord this promise tels you it is made to you But we are in an unbeleeving condition and are not able to lay hold on this promise Wel but saith this promise this is the heritage or the servants of the Lord Children shal have their inheritance though for the present they are not able to sue for it it falls upâ—n them in course O! but we may sin against the Lord cut our selves off from this promise this inheritance Mark then what follows and their righteousness is of me saith the Lord not only this promise is of me but the righteousness whereby they shal beleeve and lay hold on it and walk under it is of me saith the Lord. O! how Graciously is this promise laid whereby al unbeleeving objections may be taken off so it is in al the promises do but observe and mark them they are so moulded ordered worded as that every word of the promise doth hold forth a distinct answer unto your objections Now if God have so laid his promises that al unbeleeving objections may be taken off as they rise what doth this argue but that God our Father would not have his people discouraged whatever their condition be therfore they have no reason for it Answ 4 There is no matter of discouragement which the Saints do or can meet withal but there is a greater incouragement bound up therewith or comes along with it God doth never more Graciously appear to his people than when there is the greatest matter for their discouragement John lay some years in the bosom of Jesus Christ whilst Christ lived but then he had not the revelation given him Christ dies John is afflicted persecuted driven into the Isle of Patmos there an exile and there Christ appears to him and gives him that blessed book of comfort the book of the revelation We read of Jacob that at one time especially he did so see the Lord that he called the name of the place Peniel for I have seen the Lord Gen. 32.30 saith he and when was that but when Churlish Laban was on one side of him and his rough brother Esau coming out against him in an hostile way on the other side Once he had a vision of a Ladder the top whereof was in heaven and the foot on earth Angels ascending and descending upon it which in John 1. Chap. Christ interprets to be himself You shal see the Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man but when had he this vision not al the while he was in his Fathers house buâ— when he was fain to fly from the anger of his brother lay in the open field in the night and had no pillow but an hard stone to ly upon then doth Christ thus appear to him and make such a discovery and manifestation of himself as he never had before And when was it that Mr. Robert Glover was so filled with heavenly joyes that he cryed out he is come he is come ye read of him in the book of Martyrs that for five years together he was worn out consumed with fears and troubles he could neither eat nor sleep he was so afflicted in his soul upon the apprehension of some backsliding he thought he must needs be thrown down to hell when he died yea he thought saith the story of him that he could not more despair in hell yet after this long time of wrastling with this Temptation it pleased God to come in with comforts But I say when was this why then especially when he came within sight of the stake then he cryed out with clapping of his hands he is come he is come Thus doth God with whom are reserves of mercies reserve his sweetest consolations for the time of our sowrest afflictions and doth temper the one with the other in most fit proportion Yea
mind the Publique too A strong Christian is able to wait long on God he that waiteth long with quietness honors God but as your weaker Children cannot stay long for what they would have but must be served presently so the weak Christian also cannot wait long on God for what he would have but the strong Christian doth A Strong Christian is helpful unto others We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak Rom. 15.1 And again Him that is weak in the faith receive you Chap. 14.1 Children and babes are fit to be carried in others armes but are not able to carry others The weak Christian is apt to be offended with others to censure and judg others and so to make burdens for others to bear Rom. 14.1.2 but the strong Christian is a bearing Christian a carrying Christian one that can displease himself that he may help another Now the more serviceable and helpful a man is to others the more he Glorifies God Thus the strong Christian is but the weak cannot in al these things give Glory to God as the strong Christian may Surely therefore there are many disadvantages which a weak Christian lyes under that the strong Christian doth not Secondly Yet there is no reason why he should be discouragâ—d For Weakness doth not exclude from mercy but inclines God unto mercy rather Psal 6.2 Have mercy on me O Lord for I am weak It is spoken of an out-ward weakness and iâ— that which is less doth incline God to mercy then much more that which is greater And if he have as great an Interest in Christ as many promises to run unto and as many embraces of love from God the Father as the strong Christian hath then there is no just cause why he should be cast down in regard of his weakness Now so it is though your Grace be never so weak yet if ye have truth of Grace you have as great a share and interest in the righteousness of Christ for your justification as the strong Christian hath You have as much of Christ imputed to you as any other It may be you have gathered less of this Manna for your spending Sanctifycation but if you be an Israelite indeed you have so much of this Manna as that you have no lack for it 's said of the Israelites They gathered some more some less yet he that gathered much Exod. 16.18 had nothing over and he that gathered little had no lack al which figured that equal proportion saith Mr. Ainsworth which al beleevers have in Christ the spiritual Manna And if ye look into Scripture Where doth Gods promises fal more thick than upon those that are weak in Grace Christ begins his Preaching with the Promises Math. 5. and I pray what are those persons whom the promises are especially made unto but such as are weak in Grace Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness Blessed are those that mourn He doth not say Blessed are those that are strong in Grace or Blessed are those that rejoyce in God or those that have ful assurance of their everlasting estate and condition No but as if his great work and business were to comfort uphold and strengthen the weak these he begins withal and many Gracious Rich and blessed Promises he doth make to them Yea the Promises are so made to them as attended to wil give a ful answer unto al their fears as for example The Lord Promises Math. 12. That he wil not break the bruised reed c. Wil the weak Christian say O! but I am exceeding weak and very feeble then our Savior saies He wil not break the bruised reed And what more weak and feeble than a bruised reed an whol reed is not vâ—ry strong at the best but bruised it is weak indeed Wil the weak Christian say O! but my weakness is mingled with many sins 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 7.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 9.38 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 10.5 so the fire in the smoaking flax is mingled with smoak yet saies Christ I wil not quench the smoaking flax Wil the weak Christian say O! but though God do not quench me yet I shal be quenched nay saith Christ But I wil bring forth judgment to victory it lyes on my hand to do it and I wil do it Wil the weak Christian say O! but I have much opposition in my way how can judgment come to victory then Christ saies he wil bring forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thurst forth with violence it 's the same word that is used in other Scriptures noting a force as if Christ should say I wil force this victory through al opposition that it shal meet withal So that the Lord doth not only give several promises to those that are weak in Grace but he doth so lay them as he doth help to apply them And if ye look into your Experience Who have more kisses and embraces of Love from God our Father than the weak Christian hath The Parent kisseth the Babe and liâ—tle Child when the elder Child is not kissed for saies he this is but a little Child And so when the Prodigal comes home then the Father falls upon his neck and kisses him why but because upon his first return he is a Babe in Christ This is my little Child saith the Father and therfore I wil kiss him with the kisses of my mouth Thirdly And though it be a great affliction to be weak in Grace yet if Christ wil condescend unto mine infirmities why should I be discouraged in regard thereof Condescending Mercy is great and sweet Mercy Now though God doth shew mercy unto all his People yet he wil do it by Christ as an High-Priest and what is the work and Office of the High-Priest but to sympathize and bear with the infirmities of those that are weak We have not such an High-Priest saies the Apostle as cannot be touched with our infirmities Three things there are Heb. 4.15 which do speak out the condescending Love of God to those that are weak in Grace 1. He accepts their Duties though mingled with many weaknesses and their Services though they grow upon a weak Stock Revel 3.8 Christus fidem etiamsi infirmam fovet I know thy Works saith Christ to the Church of Philadelphia for thou hast a little strength and hast kept my word and hast not denied my Name 2. The Lord doth not over-drive those that are weak but is contented to go their pace with them Esai 40.11 He shall gather the Lambs in his Arms and carry them in his Bosom and shall gently lead those that are with yong 3. He doth somtimes yea often times yield unto their desires going as it were after them Matth. 9.18 There came a certain Ruler and worshipped him saying My Daughter is now dead but come and lay thine hand on her and Jesus arose and followed him The
of the Promise Now so it is that the condition of one is the thing promised in another Promise For Example In one Promise Repentance is the Condition of the Promise 2 Chron. 6.37 38. Joel 2.15 16 17 18 19. But in another Promise Repentance is the thing promised Ezek. 36.26 I will take away the heart of stone and give you an heart of flesh In one Promise Faith and coming to Christ is the Condition Come unto me all ye that are weary and I will give you rest Matth. 11.28 But in another Promise it is the thing promised John 6.37 All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me In one Promise Obedience is the Condition of it Esai 1.19 If ye consent and obey ye shall eat the good of the Land In another Promise it is the thing promised Ezek. 36. I will put my Spirit into you and cause ye to walk in my waies In one Promise Perseverance is the Condition Matth. 24. He that continueth to the end shall be saved But in another Promise it is the thing promised Psal 1. His Leaf shall not wither Ezek. 36. I will put my fear into your hearts and ye shall not depart from me In one Scripture of the old Testament the coming of the deliverer is promised to the Jews upon condition that they turn from ungodliness Esai 59.20 The Redeemer shall come out of Zion and unto them that turn from ungodliness in Jacob. But in another Scripture in the New Testament turning Jacob from ungodliness is the thing promised Rom. 11.26 There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer and turn ungodliness from Jacob. Now if the Condition in one Promise be the thing promised in another Promise will ye fear that the Promise doth not belong to you because ye have not performed the Condition Answ 3 Thirdly And again What if the Condition of the Promise be performed for you better than you could perform it In the beginning the Lord made a Covenant with man a Covenant of Works Do this and live and Adam the first man stood as a common person for us all to perform the Condition of Doing and if Adam had performed the Condition we all had performed the condition Now the Lord makes a new Covenant of Grace with man and the Lord Jesus Christ is a Second Adam and he stands as a Common Person and if he perform the Condition then all his Seed do perform the Condition Now the Lord Jesus Christ hath performed the Condition for all his Seed although the first Adam did not perform the Condition for his Seed yet the Second Adam hath performed the Condition of the Promise and of the Covenant for his Seed to the full Now if all these Three things be true namely That a man may go to the Promise the Conditional Promise with acceptance although he hath not performed the Condition That the Condition of one Promise is the thing promised in another Promise That the Lord Jesus Christ hath performed the Condition of the Promise for you better than you can perform it Have ye then any reason to be discouraged and to keep off from the Promise because you have not performed the Condition But so it is That a Child of God may go to a Conditional Promise with acceptance although he hath not performed the Condition And the Condition of one Promise is the thing promised in another And the Lord Jesus our Second Adam hath performed the Condition of all the Promises for all his Seed Surely therefore you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object But this is not my case For I do not only want Assurance of Gods Love and have no particular Promise but instead of the Promise I have a Threatening set upon my soul O! the bitter words of the Threatening have soaked into my heart Time was heretofore indâ—ed that I had a Promise I could say I had a Promise and I rejoyced in it but now I have lost my Promise and instead of the Promise a Threatening is come O! I see the smart and the anger of the Threatening and have I not just cause and reason to be discouraged now No For Answ 1 First If you be drawn to Christ is it material whether it be done with a Cord of Flax or with a Cord of Silk God hath two Arms whereby he draws us unto himself The Arm of his Love and the Arm of his Anger and Justice The Arm of his Love is put forth in the Promise the Arm of his Anger and Justice is put forth in his Threatening And with both these he doth lift up the fallen sinner What if God lift you up with his left Arm so you be lifted up Somtimes he lifts up with the Arm of his Threatening that he may carry us in the Arm of his Promise for as the Law was a School-Master to bring to Christ so the Threatening is a School-Master to bring us unto the Promise Is the Threatening therefore come then is the Promise a coming for the Threatening is given forth in order to that Answ 2 Secondly And if this which you complain of may be the condition of the Saints then you have no reason to be discouraged Now for the loss of the Promise you know how it was with Joshua The Lord gave Joshua a gracious Promise I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Be strong be not dismayed be not afraid be of good courage for I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Josh 1. But the Children of Israel were a little discomfited by the men of Ai and see how Joshua lost the sight of the Promise in Josh chap. 7. vers 6 7. Joshua rent his Cloathes and fell to the Earth upon his face before the Ark of the Lord he and the Elders of Israel and put dust upon their heads and said Alas O Lord God wherefore hast thou at all brought this People over Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us Would to God we had been content to dwell on the other side Jordan O! what Unbelief is here what discouragement is here how had he lost the Promise O! Lord saith he what shall I say when Israel turns their backs before their Enemies and O! what shall we say when Joshua turned his back upon the Promise But so it was with Joshua here he had lost the sight of the Promise which once he had And as for the Threatening you know how it was with David having sinned greatly in the matter of Vriah the Lord threatens him That the Sword should never depart from his House And the Threatening did take hold upon him and David was under the stroak of the Threatening But was not Joshua Godly and was not David Godly So then a Godly man may possibly lose the sight of the Promise and have a Threatening set on his soul too Answ 3 But Thirdly If a Promise given out by the Lord shal never be reversed and a
Because they were upon a Covenant of Works So when men are under a Covenant of Works if they miscarry but in one action though tempted thereto by Satan yet God may cast them thereby Now al the wicked stil are under the Covenant of Works and therefore though it be but one act wherein they miscarry and they be drawn thereunto by Satan yet God somtimes doth and justly may cast them thereby unto al Eternity But as for the Saints and People of God they are not under a Covenant of Works but of Grace al of them are so and therefore God deals graciously with them not measuring them by any one carriage under one Temptation No saith the Lord it is but the time of their Temptation I wil not measure this man or woman by what they are now but as they are when they are cool most themselves and out of Temptation O! what a Gracious Priviledg is this Who would not labor to get into Christ to become Godly to be in this Covenant of Grace And as for you that are Godly tel me upon al this accompt Have you any just cause and reason for your discouragements under your Temptations Surely No whatever your Temptations be yet you have no reason for discouragement Quest But what then What shall I do that I may bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind that I may not be cast down or discouraged by reason of my Temptations I confess indeed that there is no reason why a godly man should be discouraged in this respect but yet it is a hard thing to bear up against all Discouragements in time of Temptation What shall I do in this case that I may not be discouraged whatever my Temptations be Answ I will say nothing to your Natural Temper If Temptations arise from Natural Causes then Natural Means as Physick are to be used and applied and People should do well to be perswaded thereunto But somwhat by way of Direction Spiritually First If you would not be discouraged under your Temptations Take heed that when you are in Temptation you do not expect too much from any one means of help over expectation breeds discouragement disappointment doth breed Discouragement it is not the sadness of your Condition but Disappointment that doth cause Discouragement If a man be in debt and under an Arrest so long as he thinks he hath friends to bail him or some Goods and Commodities to make sale of he is not discouraged but if he expect much from his friends and all fail him and his goods be seized that he cannot have help come in at that door nor from any other means which he expected from then he is quite discouraged If a man be in the Water wherein there is danger of drowning so long as he can get hold of somthing that wil bear him up he is not discouraged but if he lay hold of some tuft of Grass on the Bank side and that breaks he falls back again and is more plunged into the Water and if he be not scared out of al thoughts he is more discouraged than ever So here In Temptation we are as in the Water and in fear of drowning crying out We sink we sink then we fly to some tuft of Grass some means or other and if that break or fail then we are quite discouraged Would you not therefore be dejected or cast down in time of Temptation take heed that you do not lay all your strength upon one tuft of Grass this or that mans Counsel this or that particular means but say rather I am now indeed in the deep and in fear of drowning see no means of deliverance but Gods waies are in the deep and he is infinite he hath waies and means that I know not of therefore though I use the means yet I will not rest on them and though all tufts of Grass break and Anchors come home yet I wil wait on God Secondly If you would not be discouraged in time of Temptation Take heed that you do not say of your Temptation This is no Temptation Satan tempts first unto what is evil and then he tempts Gods People to think that their Temptation is no Temptation as long as a man thinks it is but a Temptation he thinks it wil not last long it is but a Temptation it wil not hold alwaies and so his heart is in some measure upheld with hope But when Satan can perswade that the Temptation is no Temptation but a worser matter then the heart sinks and dies take heed therefore that ye do not say that your Temptation is no Temptation Thirdly Consider what infinite Engagements are upon Jesus Christ to succor and relieve poor tempted souls you can never be discouraged under Temptation so long as you think how mightily Christ is engaged to help those that are tempted and engaged he is many waies Engaged by his own Temptations for hâ— was therefore tempted that he might be able experimentally to succor those that are tempted Engaged he is by Promise for he hath said he will not quench the smoaking flax yea though it hath more smoak than fire Engaged he is by his Interest in you and his Name upon you Engaged he is by his own Gracious Disposition when he was upon Earth he cured those that were vexed by Satan Art thou now tempted thou art now vexed by Satan Christ is as gracious in Heaven as he was on Earth Engaged he is by Office for saith the Apostle We have not such an High-Priest as cannot be touched with our infirmities but was in all points tempted as we are that he might succor those that are tempted he is our great High-Priest When the man-slayer was pursued by the Avenger of Blood if the man-slayer fled unto a City of Refuge he was safe there where he was to stay til the death of the High-Priest and when the High-Priest died then he was set at liberty The Lord Jesus Christ is our High-Priest by whose Death we are set at liberty and by whose Life we are al preserved it is his Office to succor poor tempted souls pursued by Avengers of blood and if a good man be faithful in his Office much more wil Christ by whom al other men are faithful Yea God our Father hath erected an Office for the succoring of poor tempted souls and Jesus Christ hath this Office whenever therfore you are tempted fear you shal miscarry under your Temptation then remember Christ and say O! but the Lord Jesus is in Office he is bound by Office to succor poor tempted souls and such a one am I he is engaged by his own Temptation he is engaged by Promise he is engaged by his Interest in me and his Name upon me he is engaged by his own Dâ—sposition he is engaged by hâ—â— Office and therefore though I be tempted unto what is evil yet avoid Satan for I shal be delivered I am tempted but I shall be delivered for the Lord
but Satan comes and wresteth his staff out of his hand and beats him therewithal then comes Jesus Christ and takes it out of the hands of both O! saith the Child of God but I pray thee Lord give me this Creature-Comfort for it is my Staff true Child saith Christ it is thy Staff but thou hast not strength to weild it against Satan he wil abuse thee with it therefore I wil keep it from thee and in due time thou shalt have it again Doth Christ our Lord and best friend do him any wrong in keeping it from him Object 2 O! but my Afflictions are not ordinary and usual but new and strange Answ You think so but the Apostle saith Think it not strange concerning the fiery tryal as if some new thing had befallen you And what if God wil carry you to Heaven by some back way and let you in at some back door hath not he promised to lead us in a way that we have not known Object 3 O! but I do not only want one mercy but I do want another and another Afflictions come thick and I see no end I feel no bottom Answ And was it not so with David the Type of Christ Psal 40.1 2. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined his Ear unto me and heard my cry he brought me out also of an horrible pit or as some read it out of an unbottomed pit out of the miry Clay and set my feet upon a Rock and established my goings Three things here that are most observable 1. David was in such an Affliction wherein he did feel no bottom at the first saw no end 2. Though he felt no bottom at the first yet at the last he did and a Rock which God set his feet upon and established his goings 3. Till he did find this Rock he prayed and waited patiently and he was not discouraged What therefore though our Afflictions be as thick as any mire that therein you do stick so fast as you cannot get out that you feel no bottom see no end yet if in this case you pray and cry and wait patiently on the Lord as David did you shal be set upon a Rock in due time and your goings shall be also established And whereas you say That your Afflictions are thick and long and hard How long man What! is your Bush consumed Do they not make you long more for Heaven When the Apprentiship is hard and tedious the yong man longs for the day of his Freedom O! saith he that I were in my Fathers House O! that the time of my Freedom were come So here Long and hard Afflictions make us long more for Heaven Now will ye count that too long which makes you long more for Heaven And as for your Relational Comforts Did God ever take away the Comfort of an outward Relation and not make it up in the sweetness of Spiritual Relations Object 4 But this is not all my case for I do not only want such and such Comforts I do not barely want the Comforts and the love of my Relations but I feel the anger and the smart of them for my own familiar friends and acquaintance are become mine Enemies they reproach me curse me speak all manner of evil of me without cause and this they do since I set my face towards Heaven Time was heretofore when they did love me dearly but now they hate me they persecute me and do all manner of evil to me and is this nothing is not this a just cause and reason for my Discouragement Answ No For if our worst Enemies be somtimes our best Friends then what reason is there that we should be discouraged although we be much opposed Now so it is many times as our best Friends are our worst Enemies by flattering us so our worst Enemies are our best Friends by making us more watchful So many Enemies so many School-Masters saith one Totidem inimici totidem paedagogi Hath not our Lord and Savior Christ said Our Enemies are those of our own house they shall ever revile you and persecute you but blessed are you when they do all this for my Name sake And I pray tell me Whether is it worser to be persecuted or to be a Persecutor Your Friends persecute you speak all manner of evil and do al manner of evil to you even since you have looked towards Christ and for his sake â—hey do it for his sake ye are persecuted opposed maligned but you might have been the Persecutor and they the persecuted Which is worst Will you not say O! it is infinitly better to be opposed for the way of God than to oppose and to be persecuted than to persecute I would chuse rather to be persecuted than to be a Persecutor God might have left you to be a Persecutor and your persecuting Friends might have been persecuted by you but now that God hath so ordered it by his Providence and Grace that you are persecuted and they persecutors have you any reason to complain or to be discouraged Know ye not that the world hateth his own So long as the por stands empty and there is no Honey in it the Bees and stinging Wasps do not gather about it but if once there be Honey in it then they flock about it And so long as you were empty of what is good and walked on with an empty heart no opposition was made unto you But now these stinging Bees and Wasps flock about you what doth this argue but that you have gotten some Honey somwhat that savoreth of good and of Christ which you had not before why should you not therefore rather praise God for what you have than be discouraged under your opposition Object 5 This is not my case For I praise God I do not meet with any opposition or persecution from my friends nor do I need for my very Affliction is an opposition unto what is good my Affliction doth indispose me unto what is good and expose me unto what is evil to temptations and many sins it keeps me from Duty from Ordinances and Opportunities of doing and receiving good and therefore I am thus discouraged under my Affliction have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For it may be that you are mistaken here and think that you are hindred from the Work of God when indeed you are not We read of Paul that he was whipped up and down the streets like a Rogue that he was oft imprisoned and who would not think but that his reproaches and imprisonments should hinder him in the work of his Ministry But he saith That his Sufferings turned to the furtherance of the Gospel Answ 2 When God leads a man into an Affliction then God doth call him to another work So long as a man is well and in health he is bound to go abroad and to hear the Word but when he is sick then his work is not to hear but to be patient
and quiet under the hand of God then he is called to that other work which his Affliction doth lead him to It may be your Affliction may hinder you from your former work which God hath call'd you from but it doth not hinder you from that work whereunto you are now called by your Affliction And what though my Affliction doth hinder me from my former work yet if God wil not fault me for the neglect of that have I any reason to be discouraged becaus I do not do it This is certain That if God cal me to a new work he wil never blame me if I lay by the former You wil not blame your Servants if they lay by their former work when you call them to a new and when God leads into a new Affliction then he doth cal to a new work Answ 3 And as for matter of Temptation and Sin this is certain That that Affliction doth never expose a man to a new sin which doth make him sensible of his former sin Now as you have heard the Afflictions of the Saints do both discover and heal their sins making them sensible of them which they were not before And if you look into Psal 125.3 you find a Promise to this purpose The Rod of the wicked shall not rest on the Lot of the Righteous lest the Righteous put forth their hand to iniquity As it is with a Master that sets his Servant to beat the dust out of his Garment though he cause the rod or stick to pass upon the Garment yet he will not suffer it to rest so long upon the Garment as it shal be torn thereby Your Affliction is Gods Rod and he suffers it to pass upon your Garment Why That he may fetch out your dust therewith but he wil not suffer this Rod to rest so long upon you as to tear your Garment Lest the Righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity saith the Text. Answ 4 And if this fear of yours be a good sign of your Grace then why should you be discouraged in this respect Now what better sign of Truth and Uprightness of heart have you than this That you are therefore troubled at your Affliction because it doth expose to Temptation and Sin and because it doth hinder you from what is good Do you not say so Lord thou knowest I am therefore afflicted under this Affliction not because of the burden of it so much but because thereby I am hindred from doing and receiving good and exposed to such Temptations as for the Affliction it self though it be great yet Lord thou knowest I should submit to it and be quiet under it were I not thereby exposed unto what is evil Here now is sincerity here is uprightness and will you then be discouraged nay rather have you not cause and reason to be much encouraged Object 6 This is not my fear or cause of my discouragement but I am under a great and sore Affliction so and so afflicted and I fear I have brought my self into this Affliction by my sin had not my sin been the cause of my Affliction I should not be troubled but O! my Affliction is great and long and I am perswaded that my own sin is the cause thereof yea and that which aggravateth the matter is I cannot find out what the sin is if God would but discover it to me I should be more at quiet but my sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what the particular sin is that hath brought me into this affliction and have I not just cause and reason for my discouragement now Answ No For did not Jonah bring himself into his Affliction by his sin and yet when did God more fully appear to him than when he was in the Whales Belly Did not David bring himself into his Affliction by his sin he sinned in the matter of Vriah and the Lord said The Sword shall never depart from thy House and what was the Sword of Absolon but an Affliction which dropped out of that Threatening brought upon him by his sin and yet when was Davids heart in a better frame If saith he the Lord have any pleasure in me he will bring me back to the Ark again if not let him do with me what seemeth good in his Eyes And when did God more fully appear to David than under this Affliction for he prayed The Lord turn the Counsel of Achittophel into folly and God heard him presently And if ye look into Deut. 4. you shall find a standing Promise made for your Comfort in this matter verse 25. If you shall corrupt your selves and make a graven Image or the likeness of any thing and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord to provoke him to anger I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you this day That you shall soon utterly perish from the Land ye shal not prolong your daies the Lord will scatter you among the Nations and you shall be left few in number among the Heathen and there you shall serve gods the work of mens hands But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thine heart and all thy soul 1. Here was a great Affliction to be driven out into another Country 2. This Affliction was caused by their great sins 3. Yet the Promise is That if from thence from this valley and bottom they did seek the Lord he would shew mercy to them And all this in the times of the Law and is not God as gracious now in the times of the Gospel as then in the times of the Law And what though you cannot find out what the particular sin is it is good to search but somtimes it is better for a poor soul that it is not discovered For if I be under an affliction for some particular sin and find it out then I am once humbled for it and go no further but if I find it not out I search and search and so am humbled continually for many sins and therefore I say it is somtimes better that the particular sin is not discovered Why then should a godly gracious soul be discouraged in this respect Surely he hath no reason for it Object 7 Yet there is one thing sticks with me in regard of personal Afflictions I fear that they do not come from Gods Love were I certain that this Affliction did proceed from Gods Love then I should never be troubled but I even see the visible Characters of Gods displeasure and anger engraven upon my Afflictions and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For if Affliction do rather argue Gods Love than Hatred then have you no reason to be discouraged Now though Affliction do not argue Gods Love yet I say it doth rather argue Love than Hatred A man may be no Father to a Child yet he may correct him But if two Children commit
So in honoring God a man honors himself yea and thereby God doth put hâ—nor on him for what is honor but Testimonium de alicujus excellentia Testifying of anothers Excellency and the more I testifie of any Excellency in a man the more I honor him Now when God doth betrust a man with his Work he testifies of an excellency in him The Lord hath counted me faithful and put me into his Work saith Paul yea the greatest greatness in this world is to wait upon the great God Therefore faith our Savior of John the Baptist Amâ—ngst them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than he Matth. 11.11 And if ye look into Gen. 1. ye shal find That the Moon is câ—lled one of the two great Lights ver 16. And God made two great Lights the greater to rule the day and the lesser to rule the night But though the Moon is said to be lesser than the Sun yet it is said to be one of the two greaâ— Lights And why so are there not other Stars greater than the Moon Yes but because the Moon is the most influential and serviceable to the world therefore it is said to be greater than others So that in â—ods account the more service we do in the world the greater we are and the more honorable in Gods Eyes Answ 3 Thereby also we are kept from the dint of Temptations idleness breeds Temptation Our Vacation is the Devils Term Homines nihil agendo male discunt agere otium est vivi hominis sepultura Sen. when we are least at work for God then is Satan most at work about us By doing nothing men learn to do evil yea Idleness is the burying of a living man Answ 4 Great and good Employment is the Mercy promised That can hardly be a smal mercy which the great God doth promise promised Mercies are the sweeâ—est Mercies Now thâ— Lord promiseth Esay 58.18 That if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry c. The Lord shall guide thee continually and they that shall be of thee shal build the old wast places thou shalt raise up the Foundations of many Generations and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breaches the Restorer of Paths to dwell in Here is Employment and Betrustment promised Answ 5 The more useful and serviceable a man is to God the more apt and ready God wil be to pardon his failings not only the failings of his present employment but of the other part of his life also What a great failing was that in Rahab to say the Spyes were gone when she had hid them in the top of her house yet the Lord pardoned this failing to her Why Because she beleeved and was useful and serviceable unto Gods great design in that her day And if ye look into Numb 〈◊〉 ye shall find That though Aaron and Miriam were both engaged in the same sin and evil of envying and murmuring against Moses yet the Lord spaâ—ed Aaron when he strook Miriam with a Leprosie But why saith Abulensis was not Aaron smitten with the Leprosie as well as Miriam what because he was not so deeply in the Transgression as she was No for verse 1. it 's said Then spake Aaron and Miriam not as if she were put on by him Or because that Aaron confessed his sin as she did not No for so did Miriam also for she was a good woman Or because that God owed Aaron a punishment till afterwards 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom Hom. 3. ad Collos No for that appears not by the Text but he was the High-Priest and if he had been smitten with Leprosie it would have brought his Ministry under some contempt the Work of the Lord would have ceased for a time also and though he failed in this thing yet he was otherwise a very useful and serviceable man and God would shew his aptness and readiness to pardon such rather than others Answ 6 If a man be employed for God in any special Service and Work the Lord will not only pardon his failings but if he be faithful in his Work God will bless him and set a Character of Love and Favor upon him What a Character of Love did the Lord set on Caleb and Joshua Of all men in Scripture it 's said of Caleb that he followed the Lord fully and this Character God himself did set upon him Numb 15.24 But my Servant Caleb because he had another spirit with him and hath followed me fully c. But why did God own and dignifie Caleb thus Even because he was faithful in that Work Service and Employment which God did call him to Answ 7 Yea The Serviceable man is the only man who doth live and speak when he is dead I mean for God Some are very active and serviceable for the Devil whilst they live they write and print wanton filthy Books and they speak while they are dead but it is still for Satan Others are very active and serviceable for God while they live they write and print works of Faith and Holiness and they also speak when they are dead as it 's said of Abel Who being dead yet speaketh but how doth he speak now The Apostle tels us Heb. 11. by Faith By which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It relates unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith Well but what cast of Faith did he do He offered a more excellent Sacrifice than his Elder Brother which was the work and Service of his day So that the Serviceable man is the only man who doth speak when hâ— is dead Surely therfore it is a very great Priviledg and Mercy to be used and employed for God in his Work and Service Yet if God will not use me why should I be discouraged or complain Is not God free and may not he employ whom he pleaseth Shall the poor Potsheard say unto him why doest thou lay me by What if God will cross hands and lay his right hand on anothers head and his left hand on mine Shall I think to direct and order the hands of Gods Providence as Joseph would have altered Jacobs Iâ— not his Work his own and may not he put it out unto whom he please and if I complain thereof is not this my pride Proud men scorn their own employment and envy at others It 's a mercy indeed to be employed for God yet if God will not trust me with his Service as I desire why should I be discouraged Yet I may be Gods Servant For First The Service of God is two-fold Somtimes it is taken for some special Employment which a man is called forth unto And somtimes it is taken for our ordinary Obedience unto Gods Commandements In the first sence it is used often in Numb 4. and frequently in the old Testament called The Service of the Tabernacle of the Congregation So in the new Testament also Rom. 15.31 That my Service may be accepted In the second sence it is used
Rom. 12.1 Which is your reasonable Service So also Revel 2.19 I know thy work Charity and Service This latter Service is the saving Service that Service whereby in special manner we are called Gods Servants and in that respect we may be serviceable to God though not in the former Secondly As for the Service of special Employment that is also various Somtimes God doth cal a man to one kind of Service somtimes to another He hath several waies of employment he employed Moses one way in giving out the Law and hâ— employed Ezra another way in restoring of the Law Both were employed but their Employments were very different In 1 Sam. 30. we read that when David fought against the Amalekâ—tes to recover his Wives and substance some of his men stayed and tarriâ—d by the Stuff to preserve that and saith David verse 24. As his part is that goeth down to the Battel so shall his part be that tarryeth by the Stuff they shall part alike Now it may be you are one of those that stay by Christs Stuff being employed in some lower and meaner Service Christ hath a care of you and though you stay at home yet you even you shall have part in the Spoyl as well as those whose work and employment is more honorable Thirdly Yea though God do lay me by for the present yet he may use me afterward God did make use of Joseph but he first laid him by God did make use of Moses but he first laid him by God did make use of David but did he not first lay him by Quidam eundem putant Emman Sa. Alp. Salmeron in Acts 1. Vide Transl Syriac in Acts 15.22 And if Barnabas the Companion of Paul were the same person with Barsabas as some do verily beleeve though the Syriack Translation is plainly against it because the Name of boâ—h was Joses or Joseph as appears by comparing Acts 1.23 with Acts 4.36 And because this Joses was not called Barnabas from the beginning but named Barnabas by the Apostles Acts 4.46 If I say Barnabas were the same with Barsabas then it appears plainly that God doth not alwaies lay a man by to use him no more for what abundance of service Barnabas did the Book of the Acts doth declare yet he was first laid by in the choyce that was between him and Matthew for the lot fell on Matthew yet Barnabas is sent out afterwards by the Church Acts 11.22 and by God himself Acts 13.2 and much Service he did do for God So that though God do lay me by for the present yet he may use me afterwards Fourthly And if a man may be employed for God in some special Service yet may go to Hell when all is done and a man may not be employed and yet go to Heaven afterward then why should you be discouraged because you are not so employed Now what think ye of those which ye read of in Matth. 7. they say at the last day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name cast out Devils in thy Name and done many wonderful works in thy Name Works and great works and many and wonderful they did and all in the Name of Christ yet he wil say to them Depart from me for I never knew you or I know you not Yea did not our Savior Christ say concerning Judas I have chosen twelve and one of you is a Devil A Devil yet an Apostle what greater Work Service or Employment than the Work of an Apostle yet possibly a man may be an Apostle in regard of Employment and a very Devil in regard of Life On the other side how many good and gracious men are there in the world who were never used or called forth unto any special Service such as are now in Heaven and shal be so unto al Eternity What then though you be not employed or used as others are yet surely you have no just cause or reason to be discouraged in this respect Fiftly And if it be the property of a good man to rejoyce in the Service of others then why should you be discouraged because others are employed and you not A Godly man doth mourn for anothers sin as wel as for his own because he mourns for sin as sin and as a dishonor unto God So he rejoyces in the Service of another as wel as in his own becau e he rejoyces in the work it self and â—ecâ—use God is honored You would have Gods Cart to be driven through your Gate Why is it not because you may have some Toll thereby Paul said However Christ is preached and therefore I rejoyce and if Christs work be done whose hands â—oever the work comes through why should you not rejoyce And if it be our Duty to rejoyce then surely you have no Scripture ground and reason for your Discouragement in this regard Object 2 But I am not discouraged because I do want Employment or Service I have more work lies upon my Shop-board than I can turn my hand unto but I have a great deal of work to do and I have no skil to do it O! I want Abilities I want Sufficiencies I do want Endowments therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For Gods greatest Works are not alwaies done by the greatest Parts and most choyce Abilities Gâ—deon did a great Work for God in his Generation yet saith he Judg. 6.15 O my Lord wherewith shall I save Israel behold my Family is poor in Manasseth and I am least in my Fathers House As if he should say if this great work be done it must be done by some strong and potent Family or Pâ—rson but as for me I am the least in my Fathers House and my Fathers House is the least in Manasseh yet saith the Lord to him I will be with thee and thou shalt smite Midian as one man I have read in Scripture that the People have been too many and the means too strong for God to work by but I never read that it was too smal or weak for God to work by God saith Who hath despised the day of smal things And if he wil not have us to despise the day of his smal things surely he wil not despise the day of our smal things Did not the weakness of the Apostles overcome the strength of al the world Who doth not see what weighty Buildings God hath somtimes laid upon our Laths He is able to make as great a hole with his Needle as with our Bodkin Answ 2 Our best Abilities for Gods Work are from the breathings of the Spirit of God Water is weak in it self but when the Wind blows upon it how strong is it So if the Spirit of God breath upon us we are strong though in our selves as weak as water Not by might nor by strength but by the Spirit of the Lord saith Zachariah And if ye look upon that great Service of the re-building of the
Temple when they came out of Babylon ye shal find That so long as they went forth in the strength of outward Powers the Command of Cyrus and the like they were much hindred and the Enemies then caused the Work of the Lord to cease but when the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Haggai Zechariah Zerubbabel and others to build then they went on and prospered Why Because they went forth in the strength of the Spirit of the Lord not in the strength of mans Command or of their own Abilities Answ 3 Though the Work of the Lord be carried on not by Might nor by Strength but by the Spirit yet this Spirit doth not alwaies breath and work alike Christ sent out his Disciples for to preach to cast out Devils and by the Spirit of the Lord they did preach and cast out the Devils yet they had not then received so great a measure of tâ—e Spirit as afterwards when he breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost yea and though he did thus breath upon them when he left them yet they did not then receive in so great a measure of the Spirit as afterwards for they were still to wait for the Promise that is the Spirit Acts 1. so that though God wil carry on his own Work by his own Strength and by his own Spirit yet the assistance thereof is not alwaies alike somtimes it is more and somtimes it is less even where it fals in truth and power Answ 4 But though the Spirit doth not alwaies work alike yet if God cal you to any Work or Service you shal have so much assistance as is needful for you only you must know that Dabitur in hora it shall be given in that hour it shal not â—â—e cold and stale by you but when you come to use it then it shal be given out unto you more or less but sufficient Before Moses came to his work he complained of want of Abilities his stammering Tongue and want of Elâ—quence c. but when he was warm at his work and was engaged in it then we read of no such Complaints Gods Call is our Wal and Strength Go in this thy might saith God to Gideon and what Might was that the verse tels you it was the might of his Call for saies the Lord in the next words Have not I sent thee Judges 6.14 Our Might then is in Gods Call not in our own Abilities and a little warm assistance is better than much cold and stale ability Object 3 But I fear the Lord hath not called me to this Work but that I am an Intruder into the Work of the Lord because I do want Abilities Answ 1 Nay But if the Lord do somtimes cal a man first and doth furnish him with Abilities afterward then you have no reason to make such Conclusions Now ye know how it was with Saul God did first call him and then he gave him another Spirit he had not that other ruling Spirit before he was called to rule but after So the Apostles were first called to their Office and then Christ did furnish them with Abilities Who hath made us able or meet Ministers not of the Letter c. When were they made meet or able what before they were called No but afterwards Gods Call is not like to mans mans Call doth alwaies presuppose abilities Gods Call doth somtimes bring them Answ 2 And if Gods Porters whom he hath set to keep the door of Opportunity do judg you able then are you to rest in their Judgment A large and effectual door is opened saies Paul God hath a door whâ—ch when he calls a man to work he doth then open to him this Door is kept by certain Porters whom God hath appointed to keep the same and if they judg that you have abilities then are you to rest and acquiesce therein for though I am to judg of mine own Grace and not another yet others are to judg of my Gifts and Abilities and not my self Some wil judg oâ— their own Gifts and of others Graces this is evil but in reference to work and external Service others are to judg of mine Abilities and not my self as I am to judg of mine internal Grace and not another Accordingly Luther counselled Spalatinus who having many sad thoughts of leaving his Ministry This is saith Luther to him a Diabolical Temptation and you know not now why you are afflicted with it we which are Spectators know it better therefore you ought rather to trust us than your self who in the Lord before the Lord yea the Lord by us doth exhort you to go on in your Work unto which he hath called you So say I now to you you doubt of your Call because you do want abilities but do those Porters judg you able who are set to judg then are you in this case rather to rest in their Judgment than in your own Now Gods Porters have judged you meet for his Work and have opened the door of Opportunity to you and therefore you have no reason to be thus discouraged in this respect only remember this That the weaker your Legs are the faster you must hold on the hand of free Grace Object 4 O! but I fear that I am not called to this Work but that I am an Intruder because I meet with so many difficulties in my way Answ 1 Do you meet with Difficulties in your way What vertue or vertuous Action is there but hath some stone upon it Nulla Virtus sine lapide there is no vertue but hath some stone or other that is rouled upon it As Christ himself had a stone rouled on him so every Work of Christ and Truth of Christ and way of Christ hath one stone or other that is rouled upon it Yet ye must know that there is a Pearl lying under that Stone and the heavier the stone is the more precious is the Pearl the harder the Nut and Shell is to crack the sweeter is the Kernel Nisi ipse elevasset lapidem non inventa fuiâ—â—â— sâ—b eo haec margarita Hâ—b Proverb and in due time Christ wil send his Angel to roul away the stone from your Work and his Service and that before you are aware When the Women said as being at a stand and not knowing what to do Who shall roul away the stone Then did the Angel come and rouled it away for them before they were aware of it Peter had the Brazen Gates opened for him when he came to them they did not stand open before but when he came at them then did they open to him And if you go on in your way and work which God doth lead you to the Brazen Gates which are now shut against you shal then open to you if I say you go on in your work in way of Faith as following the Conduct of the Lord. Answ 2 And if Gods cleerest Call to a work have alwaies been followed with the greatest
difficulties then have you no reason to question your Call in regard of Difficulties Now I pray tel me when Moses went to bring the Children of Israel out of Egypt had not he a cleer Call for that yet what abundance of difficulties did he meet with in his way to â—t And when the Jews came out of Babylon did they not meet with many Difficulties Some at their coming out some in their way some at the building of the Temple yet had they not a Call and a cleer Call thereunto Without al doubt they had Surely then you mâ—y have a Call and a cleer Call to your Work and Service yet you may meet with many difficulâ—ies in your way and therefore have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 5 But I am not troubled afflicted or discouraged in regard of my Call for I am perswaded that God hath called me to his work and Service But I am most unserviceable I do not do that work and Service which I am called unto I lie like a dry log or chip in the family and place where I live O! I am most unserviceable and therefore I am thus discouraged Answ That 's ill indeed for every good and gracious man is a serviceable man more or less he is serviceable in his Place and Condition Onesimus before converted was unprofitable but being converted now profitable saies the Apostle A good man in Scripture is compared to those things that are most profitable Is the wicked compared to the green Bay-tree which doth bring forth no Fruit the gâ—dly is compared to the Olive Tree which is all profitable the Fruit profitable the Leaves Bark and the Tree profitable Is a wicked man compared to the Goat a good man is compared to the Sheep and what is in a Sheep not profitable its Flesh is profitable its Wool profitable its Skin is profitable yea it s very dung is profitable and such a Sheep was Paul nothing in Paul not profitable and serviceable will ye instance in his Jewish and Natural Priviledges he makes use of them Phil. 3. to advance the righteousness and knowledg of Christ yea All these saies he I count as dung and dross in regard of Christ Wil ye instance in his Conversion to Christ he doth make use of that to convert others and to establish others Acts 17.28 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aratus 1 Cor. 15.33 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Menander 1 Tit. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epimenides by frequent telling the story of it to others Wil ye instance in his Parts Gifts and Learning he makes use of his Hebrew somtimes somtimes of his knowledg in the Heathen Poets somtimes of his knowledg in the Roman Customs Wil ye instance in his friendship acquaintance and interest in men thâ—t he makes use of wiâ—h Philemon from Christ in the case of Onesimus Will ye instance in his Afflictions he doth make use of them to perswade his People to their Duty I Paul a Prisoner of Christ do beseech you c. Will ye instance in his Temptations he doth make use of them and tels the Corinths how he was buffered by Satan Wil ye instance in his Sins he doth improve them also for the Advancement of Gods Grace I was a Blasphemer c. saith he but I obtained mercy Thus ye see there was nothing in Paul not profitable he was all over serviceable and profitable and if ye be one of these Sheep you will be serviceable and profitable in your Place and Condition more or less I remember the Speech of a Martyr when he came to die and to be burnt for Christ O! said he Thus long have I grown in the Orchard of Christ and have born some Fruit though not much yet some and now that I grow old and dry and can bear Fruit no longer shal I be taken and thrown into the Chimney to make a fire for the warming of others what a great mercy and blessing is this Ye know what Solomon saith Whatever thou findest in thine hand to do do it with all thy might and what Jeremiah saiâ—h Cursed is he that doth the Work of the Lord negligently Art thou therefore unprofitable unserviceable then have you cause to be humbled Yet even in this respect you are not to be cast down or discouraged For Either you are unserviceable because you want abilâ—â—â—es or because ye want wil and heart thereunto If you say yoâ—â—â—t Abilities I have spoken to that already If you say you are unwilling and do want heart thereunto then why do you thus complain He that complains of his own unserviceableness is noâ— unwilling to serve the Lord But you complain and say O! I am most unserviceable therefore you are willing and have an heart to serve and if you can speak in truth with Samuel and say Speak Lord for thy Servant is ready to obey then you are not unwilling to serve the Lord. Now cannot you say thus in truth Yes through Grace I am able to say Speak Lord for thy Servant is ready to obey Surely then you are not unwilling this your unserviceableness doth not arise only from your unwillingnes and want of heart and therefore you have no just reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 6 But this is not the matter which doth pinch with me for according to my poor Abilities I have labored and have been truly willing to serve the Lord in my Generation but I labor work and take pains and all in vain I labor and have no success in my labor I work and have no success in work I serve and have no success in my Service and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For possibly you may be mistaken in the matter of success you may have good and great success and not know thereof There is a time when the Seed doth lie dead under the clods and saith our Savior Vnless the Seed dies it abides alone Should the Husband-man complain in this time that he hath no success in his sowing If the Devil do oppose by the World without and assault you with Temptations within it argues that there is good success though you know it not Now don't the World oppose you and don 't the Devil assault you with Temptations discouraging you for want of success Yes that he doth then there is some good success though for the present it be hidden from your Eyes This is a certain sign said Luther to Spalatinus That your Work is neither ungrateful to God nor unprofitable to the Church in that you are troubled with these Temptations for if it were unpleasing to God you would rather long after it as they do that run before they be sent Whereas Satan when he finds such as are truly sent by God and pleasing to him he makes them a weary of their work by these and the like Temptations Answ 2 And if Gods own dearest Children have somtimes labored or
toyled al their night or day and have caught nothing then no new thing doth befal you in case you want success Now ye know and have read how it was with Noah an hundred and twenty yeers he preached to the old World and not one soul was saved but his owâ—â—â—ily eight persons in the Ark. Did not Jeremiah also toyl in his day and night and what did he catch Read what he saies Jer. 6.29 The Bellows are burnt the Lead is consumed of the fire the Founder melteth in vain for the wicked are not plucked away Reprobate Silver shall men call them Yea doth not Christ himself say Cogitent sibi hanc causam cum Christo communem esse Calvin Esai 49. I have labored in vain I have spent my strength for naught And do you think to fare better in this case than Noah Jeremiah Christ himself I confess the want of success in our work is a great Temptation even one of the greatest Temptations yet if God will have me lay out my strength in vain why should I be discouraged The good Physitian doth not lose his Fee though the Patient die nor shal you lose your Reward though ye have no success Object 7 Yet this is not the thing which doth trouble me for I acknowledg that I have been entrusted with many Services and God hath called me to them I have been willing thereunto and have had some good success but when I look into the Scripture I find that some have been employed in way of Judgment as Nebuchadnezzar others in way of Mercy as Nehemiah c. Some again have been employed in way of mercy to others as Cyrus and Judas but not in Love and Mercy to themselves Others have been employed in way of Mercy to themselves and others too as Paul and Peter c. Now I fear that either I have been employed in away of Judgment or that I have not been employed in a way of Love and Mercy to my self but for others and therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason now Answ No For if God have employed you and trusted you in his Service in a way of Love and mercy to your self as wel as to others then you have no reason to be discouraged in this respect Now when doth God employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself as wel as for others good When a mans heart is thereby drawn out with Love to God That which ends in Love comes from Love that which ends in your Love to God came from Gods Love to you So in outward Blessings if they end in your Love to God then they came from Gods Love to you So in the matter of Afflictions if I do love God the more by them then did they come from Gods Love to me So also in the matter of Employments if you do love God by them and they do end in your love to God then they came from Gods Love to you When God doth employ a man in his Service in a way of Love and Mercy to him then he doth more or less acquaint him with his design therein and if God do acquaint me with his design in his Work then he doth employ me in a way of Love to me He employed the Assyrian as a Rod in his hand to scourge the People of Israel but they knew not Gods Design they went on upon their own design therefore saith the Prophet Isaiah in the Name of the Lord Cap. 10.6 I will send him against an Hypocritical Nation howbeit he meaneth not so neither doth his heart think so But it is in his heart to destroy Nations not a few The Lord employed Peter to open a door to the Gentiles in the Conversion of Cornelius and though he knew not Gods design at the first yet he did fully know it afterwards for saies he and the rest Now hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto Life When a man is employed in a way of special Love to his own soul he hath high thoughts of his Employment but low thoughts of his own actings under it therefore said John the Baptist I indeed baptize you with Water but there is one comes after me he shall baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire whose shoo-latchet I am unworthy to unloose But though the Employment of Corah Dathan and Abiram was good and honorable yet they had low thoughts thereof and high thoughts of their own actings Numb 16.3 for said they to Moses and Aaron Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy as if they should say we are as good as you Why so even because they were not employed in Mercie to their own souls but for others good He that is employed and used in a way of Love and Mercy is very tender of the Name of God and doth so act and work as the Name of God may not suffer or be defiled by him Thus it was with Ezra though the Enemy lay in his way to Judea yet he would not ask a Convoy of the King for saies he I was ashamed to require of the King a Band of Soldiers Ezra 8. and Hors-men to help us against the Enemy in the way because we had spoken to the King saying the hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him and his wrath is against all them that forsake him Now Ezra was a good man a man that God did call forth to this Employment not only out of Love to others but to himself and thus did he act for God being more careful of Gods Name in the work than of their own safety When a man is employed in a way of Love and mercy to his own soul also then he doth grow in Grace whilst he is exâ—rcising of his Gift A man that exerciseth a Gift for the good of others only grows in Parts and in Pride also But a good man grows in Experience and so he doth grow in Faith he meets with difficulties and deliverances so he doth grow in Faith God discovers himself to him in the way so he stil grows in Faith Love and Holiness God gives him a Promise when he sends him forth as he did give â—o Joshua Chap. 1. this he looks much upon and goes forth in the strength of and so as he uses his Gift in his work he doth grow in gâ—ace thereby but the other doth not He makes no great ouâ—ward bargain of Gods Service neither doth he labor to pocket up much for himself God employed Moses in a great Work but where do you read of any great Estate that he got for himself We read of Joshua That when he had brought the Children of Israel into Canaan and divided the Land by Lot to them then when he had served others in the last place he did serve himself and that in no great matter What did Nehemiah get by his Service not as the former Governors
did Why Because he feared the Lord. So then if a man be employed in way of Love and Mercy to himself he doth not make his Employment a shooing-horn to his own Preferment 'T is enough for me my Masters work is done saith he neither doth God use to pay them al their wages here whom he employes in mercie to themselves But as the Merchant if he have to deal with a stranger for a less Commodity he paies him down presently but if with a friend for some great priced Commodity he takes time and doth not pay down his money presently So if God have to do with a stranger as Nebuchadnezzar he wil pay him wages presently but if God deals with a friend whom he employes in mercy to himself then he doth put off his ful payment til afterwards He doth Gods work without any great noise or notice of himself like Christ He lifts not up his voyce in the street and as the Angels in Ezek. 1. His hands are under his wings he hath four hands to work with but they are not seen they are under his wings Let your Light so shine before men saies Christ that they may see your good works not your selves and glorifie your Father not your selves As it is with the Fisher so with him he shews the bait but hides himself he holds forth the word of Truth but not himself though he have four hands to work with yet they are all under his wings hidden but saies Jehu Come and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts This is another difference If God do use and Employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself he is willing to be used and contented to be laid by and to 〈…〉 more Another man is not so if he have been used 〈…〉 â—ng he thinks he must be used in other things and 〈…〉 cannot bâ—ar it that God should lay him by and use anoâ—â— Thus iâ— was with Sâ—ul he could not be conteâ—◠〈…〉 should use David But when God told Eli that he 〈…〉 and his House by he answered Good is the Word of 〈◊〉 Lord for he was a good man and one whom God had â—sed 〈◊〉 Love and Mercie to himâ—elf and so when God had done wiâ—h him he was conâ—ent thereâ—â—th He thâ—t is â—red and eâ—ployed in way of Love and Mercie to himself wil do the Work oâ— the Loâ—dfully though he do his own works by halfs Caleb did his own work by halfâ— and the Work of God â—ully for he was used in Mercy to himself and others Jehu did the Work of the Lord by halfs and his own work fully for though he was uâ—ed in Mercy to some and Judgment to others yet not in Love to himself When God doth use a man in a way of Judgment he hath ordinarily more skil at pulling down and destroying what is mans than in setting up and building what is Gods But when God doth use him in a way of Love and Mercy to his own soul he hath a dexterity in and a heart to the setting up of what is Gods witness Jehu on the one hand and Nehemiah on the othâ—r hand How is it therefore with thee Hast thou a skil at pulling down what is mans and no skil nor heart to set up what is Gods Hast thou been employed and used in Gods Service and have you done your own work fully and Gods work by halfs Art thou not contented to be laid by and that God should use another Doest thou make a noise in the work and thy hands not under thy wings Hast thou made a goodly outward Bargain of the Lords Work and his Service as a shooing-horn to thine own ends Hast thou not grown in Experience Faith and Holiness by this work but in Pride rather Hast thou not been very tender of the Name of God in thy Service nor been acquainted with Gods Design nor thine heart drawn out the more to love the Lord Then surely God hath not used or employed thee in Love and Mercy to thine own soul But if thine heart have been drawn out with Love to God by thy very Service and Employments and thou hast been in some measure acquainted with Gods Design in that Service and hast been very tender of the Name of God and more willing to hazard thy self than to defile his Name and hast grown in Grace by the exercise of thy Gifts and hast made no Bargain of the Lords Service but hast had thy hands under thy wings and hast not done Gods Work by halfs and now after all art contented that God shall lay thee by and make use of others then surely the Lord hath used and employed thee in a way of Love and Mercie to thine own Soul and therefore why should'st thou be discouraged in this respect Certainly you have no just cause or true reason for it Quest But suppose that the Lord either shall not use me in his Service or if he do that difficulties and oppositions press in upon me or that I meet with no success in my work according to my desire what shall I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind Answ 1 First In case that God do not cal you forth to any work or special Employment Then Consider that you have now the more time to mind your own soul and to attend to your own Condition Some are so employed that they have not time enough to pray read meditate examine their own hearts and to look into their own Condition yea though a mans work do lie in the Ministry 't is possible that he may so mind his publick work as to neglect his private But now if thou hast no publick Employment or Service then you have the more time for to spend upon your own soul the more time to converse with the Lord in private and to look into your own Condition And if you be not called forth to work and yet are willing to work you shal be paid for that work and service which you never did As some men shal be punished for those sins which they did never commit in the gross act because they were willing and had a desire to commit the same so some shal be paid for that work and service for God which they never did perform because they were willing to have done the same Now is it not a great mercy to be paid for that work which I never did Such is the Priviledg of al those that are not called to Service and yet are willing to it Answ 2 Secondly In case That you are employed in Gods Work and Service and difficulties press in upon you Then Consider That the greater the Difficultie is the greater shall your Obedience be in carrying on the Work and the more you do follow after Dutie and redeem it from the hand of Difficulty the greater shall your Comfort and reward be when all is done And the more that any Service Work or
Dutie is oppressed with difficultie the more assistance may you expect from God his assistance help and income is given out much according to the difficulties which we do meet withal If the difficulties be smal then his assistance is less if the difficulties be great then is his assistance greater Now what matter what the difficulties are so long as my assistance is suitable This is Gods way with his he doth proportion his assistance unto our impediments and therefore if your difficulties be great and more than ordinary then may you look for great and more than ordinary assistance O! what a Comfort is this Answ 3 Thirdly In case that you work and serve and toil and do take nothing having no success or not so comfortable as you desire Then Consider this That the less success you have the more are you free from envy It 's an hard thing for a man that works not not to envy him that works and for him that hath no success not to envy him that hath great success of all men in the world the successful man is the most envied The Heathens had this Notion amongst them which they applied to their gods and therefore when Polycrates King or rather Tyrant of Samos prospered so abundantly in al that he undertook Amasis the King of Egypt his Friend and Confederate wrote thus to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Herodotus That thou doest well and prosper is no smal joy to me but I must tell thee plainly That these great and overflowing Successes do not please me who know full well the Nature of the gods how envious they are 'T is my wish concerning my self and the like I wish for all my Friends somtimes to prosper and somtimes to miscarry and in this Vicissitude rather to pass my life than without any alteration to prosper for I never yet could hear of any who having thus prospered long did not at the last end in universal destruction Which he imputed to the envy of their gods for their gods were Devils and indeed what is the Reason that the successful men in any kind are the most envied by the world but because the Devil who is the envious one doth provoke thereunto Yet alwaies so it is Fractus honos oneris fructus honoris onus That success doth raise envy Hast thou therefore been at work and hast had no success then shal you be the more free from envy Hereby also you are kept from that great Tentation of resting on your own Labors As we are very apt to rest on our Duties Sufferings and Enjoyments so we are very apt to rest on our own Labors and Employments That we may not rest on our Duties God doth somtimes suspend our Duty or our heart in it that we may not rest on our Spiritual Enjoyment God doth somtimes suspend that also So here What is the reason that God doth put the Sentence of Death upon our Employments or doth suspend their success but that we may be kept from resting on our Labors Were our Labors more successful we should rest more upon them but by want of success we are weaned from them This is Comfort even in the want of Comfort Proprie autem dici non potest quod Christus frustra laboravit ne quidem respectu Judaeorum tum quod Christus omnium conversionem vere non intendit sed tantum eorum quos efficaciter convertere voluit qui principaliter sunt electi tum quod opus predicationis Christi apud eos qui non erant convertendi usâ—m suum tamen habuit vel quod erat futurum hoc illis in testimonium in dic judicii vel quod ad consolationem nostram id fecit ut videlicet predicatores non nimium dolerent et animum abjicerent si semen ab illis projectum aliquando viderent in animis audientium non fructificare Estius in Loc. Sensus igitur hoc loco sic esse poterit consumpsi frustra vires c. quasi dicat non est quod quisquam existimet id circo me frustra laborasse quod non missus venerim aut aliter atque oporteret rem tractarim in aliquove deliquerim conditio sic enim significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 studia et actiones omnes me sic significat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imo omnia mea a Deo meo a patre omnium Deo disposiâ—a et ordinata fuere Forerius in Esai câ—p 49. But in this case Why should not that comfort and support us which did comfort and support Christ himself Esai 49.2 ye read of his Call to his Work The Lord hath called me from the Womb from the bowels of my Mother he hath mentâ—on of my Name Here 's his cleer Call to work ver 2. ye have his Divine assistance And he hath made my mouth like a sharp Sword in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me and made me a polished shaft in his quiver Then verse 4. ye have his want of success expressed in many words Then said I I have labored in vain Is that all No I have spent my strength for nought But is that all No And in vain again Then at verse 6. God the Father comforts him agâ—inst this diâ—couragement And he said It is a light thing that 〈◊〉 shouldst be my Seâ—vant to raise up the Tribes of Jacob I have given thee for a light to the Gentiles Though thou hast liâ—tle success in this work amongst the Jews thou shalt have great success in a greater But wherein doth Christ comfort himself in this case of no success in his work amongst the Jews That ye have in verse 4. Surely my Judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God Whatever Judgment men do make it matters not much for my Judgment is with the Lord and my Work with my God I have done the work which God gave me to do and therein I have approved my self unto God and therefore though I have labored in vain and spent my strength for naught yet I have Comfort in my work for my Judgment is with the Lord and my Work with my God I have not lost my Labor for my Work is with God And thus may you also comfort your self in the want of success true I have labored in vain as to others but not in vain to my self I have lost my labor as to others but not as to my God for my reward is with God and though I have spent my strength for nought in regard of men yet my work is with my God and in al this work I have approved my self unto him and therefore whatever the success be yet wil not I be discouraged for my Judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God And thus I have done with this Eighth Instance whereby it doth appear that a good man hath no reason or cause to be discouraged in regard of his Work or Service however it may fare with him
is in the plural number Elohim and so when the Prophet in Isa 26. doth exhort unto Trusting in the Lord he gives this reason at verse 4. For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength so you read it but according to the Hebrew thus Trust in the Lord for ever for in Jehovah jah is everlasting strength For in Jehovah jah Jah is an abridgment or an abreviation of Jehovah noting the Son of God and so when Jesus Christ comes in the latter end of the world to sit upon his glorious Throne the converting Jew shal praise him under that name singing as you read in Revel 19. Halelujah praise the Jah which if you compare with Psalm 68. you shal find is to be understood of Christ at verse 4. Sing unto God sing praises to his Name extol him that rides upon the Heavens by his Name Jah rejoyce before him extol him that rideth upon the Heavens by his Name Jah and they shal sing Hallelujah Now if you look into the 18. verse of that Psalm you shal find the reason why this Jah is to be praised for saith the Psalm Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity captive thou hast received Gifts for men Which words Ephes 4. are applied to Christ But unto every one of us is given according to the measure of the Gift of Christ verse 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men So that when the Prophet doth exhort us to trust in Jehovah Jah he exhorteth us to trust in the Lord in Christ and therefore I say both according to the old and new Testament Faith is the repose or recumbency of the soul upon God in Christ But yet that is not all A man that doth repose upon God in Christ trusting in him doth trust unto him for some good thing that lies out of sight and therefore the Apostle saith That Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. where he gives divers Instances of Abraham Sarah Moses and others who all did repose upon God for somwhat that lay out of view and this indeed is only worthy of the name of Faith I will trust a man that is most unworthy I will trust a Thief I will trust a Lyer so far as I can see him But as Parisiensis saith well this is Fides Deo digna Faith worthy of God to repose on God for somwhat that lies out of sight and out of view and when a man doth thus stay himself upon God in Christ for somwhat that lies out of sight then he is said to trust in God and when a man doth continue thus then he is said for to wait on God This is the First But then Quest 2 Secondly How may it appear that Faith and the exercise thereof will quiet the soul suppress or allay Discouragements Answ You know how it was with Hannah when she had received a word from God She went away saith the Text and looked no more sorrowful her heart was quieted Why she had a word from God and though before she was a woman of a sorrowful Spirit yet having received a word from God and beleeving that word her heart was quiet Prov. 16.3 Commit thy Works unto the Lord there is Faith and thy thoughts shall be established there is Quietude And if you look again into Isa 26. you shal find that the Scripture is most expresâ— for this verse 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee Mark the words First The Lord doth here engage himself to give peace unto those that do stay upon him that have this Faith of Relyance though they have not yet attained to the Faith of Assurance to be able to say I know my sin is pardoned and that Christ is mine yet if they can but stay themselves upon God the Lord doth hereby engage himself to give peace unto them yea he doth noâ— only engage himself to give peace unto such a soul as staies himself upon God but double Peace you read it in your English perfect Peace thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace but in the Hebrew it is Peace Peace thou wilt keep him in double Peace he shall have Peace and Peace not Peace and Doubting not Peace and no Peace but if he stay himself upon the Lord he shall have Peace Peace he shall have double Peace Yea the Lord doth not only engage to give Peace unto such a soul but to keep him in Peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace or in Peace Peace and all upon this account Because he trusteth in thee not because he prayed not because he humbled hiâ—self though that is his Duty and he doth thereby placere Deo though not placare Deum but because he trusteth in thee because he stayeth himself upon thee And ye know that if ye have a business depending at Law though for the present you be much troubled about it yet if you have a Friend a Lawyer that is able faithful and willing to look to it if you can but leave your business with him it doth very much quiet your heart the very leaving your business with him doth quiet your mind So here If a man can but leave his business and his Cause and his Things with God then he is at rest and he may say Return unto thy rest O my soul as David did which is done by Faith And to cleer this a little Three or Four things there are that do ordinarily cause disquietude or discouragement First The darkness that is in the Understanding for when a man is in the dark especially if he be alone he is very apt to be skared and to be disquieted Secondly Inordinate and unruly Affections and Passions especially that of Fear whereby the soul is benighted Thirdly Guilt of Conscience Though there be much water that doth beat upon the Ship at Sea yet it sinketh not but when there is a leak a hole in the Ship then the Ship sinketh and the water doth become its grave So though there be many troubles that beat upon a man yet his heart doth not sink but when there is a leak in his Conscience when there is a hole there when a man hath a guilty Conscience then he sinketh and his heart fails him And Fourthly The apprehension of Gods Greatness with our distance from him Now Faith cures all this for in opposition to the first of Darkness Faith brings Light into the soul and shews a man his Way and his Warrant for what he doth Secondly It doth pare and take off those inordinate and unruly affections and passions that are in the soul and therefore in Psalm 37. at ver 1. and 7. you shal find that fretting and trusting are set in opposition Fret not thy self because of the evil Doer verse 3. but trust in the Lord. And again verse 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy self
not spent al my mercy upon David or upon Abraham or upon Paul or upon Peter but I keep mercy for thousands O! but yet my sins do recoyl I am the greatest Sinner in the world for I have sinned al kinds of sin I have sinned al sorts of sins and therefore I fear there 〈◊〉 no hope for me Yet saith the Lord be not discouraged for I keep mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin even all sorts and al kinds of sins the Sin of Nature and the Sin of Life the Sin of Weakness and the Sin of Presumption the Sin of Ignorance and the Sin against Knowledg these saith the Lord I forgive even al sorts and al kinds of Sins and this is my Name for ever O! but I am afraid to lay hold upon this Promise for I think this is a Doctrine of Liberty Say not so saith the Lord at the next verse I will by no means cleer the guilty But if there be ever a poor drooping fearing trembling soul that desires to know my Name Lo saith the Lord here is my Name whereby I wil be known for ever The Lord Jehovah that gives a Being to things that are not The Mighty God The Merciful God The Gracious God Abundant in Goodness and in Truth Reserving Mercy for thousands Forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and this is my Name for ever Now Faith comes and closeth with this Name of God leading the Soul into this rich Wardrop and so doth quiet the heart against all Discouragements Answ 3 Thirdly Faith doth put the Soul under Gods Commandement and leaveth God to Answer unto al such Objections and Inconveniences as may come thereby which if a man can do he may be very quiet Now true saving Faith wil enable him to do this for ye know how it was with the three Children Shadrach Meshach and Abednego they put themselves under Gods Commandement The Lord commanded and said Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image Well but the King commands them to fal down before his Image No say they we wil not stir we wil not bow but saith the King I wil make you bow or I wil heat the Furnace seven times hotter for you Well be it so say they as for that we are not solicitous we wil do the work that God hath set us to do we wil put our selves under Gods Command we know that our God is able to deliver us and whether he wil deliver us or no we wil leave that to him let him answer to the inconveniencies and mischiefs that follow upon his Work for saith the Text They trusted in the Lord. And so you know it was with Noah Noah was commanded to build an Ark for saith the Lord yet an hundred twenty yeers and the whol world shal be destroyed and therefore Noah build thou an Ark for thy self and thy family which Noah did and put himself under this Command But now the world the old world might speak thus as certainly the language of their Conversation was Noah Dost thou think that thou art the only man in al the world that God loves Dost thou think Noah that God loves thee one man more than al the men or the world and thy one Family more than al the Families in the world beside And if thou dost beleeve what thou preachest That the World shal be destroyed by Water in an hundred and twenty yeers why dost thou marry and begeâ— Châ—ldren as thou hast done since thou hast preached this Doctrine And Noah if thou dost make an Ark or a Ship who shal be the Pilate who shal be the Mâ—â—riner the Sâ—â—ler As for thy self thou hast been a Preacher and dost thou think that thou and thy few Sons are able to guide and gâ—vern so great a Vessel If it be as thou preacheâ—t That the â—easts the wild Beasts of the Field shal come unto this Ark the Lyon and the Bear and the Tyger wil they not tear thee to pieces And if all the Beasts of the field two by two shal come into the Ark Noah wil there not be such a stench in the Ark with their dung as wil poyson thee shalt thou be ever able to live thinkest thou Wel for al this Noah goes on and he built the Ark and leaves God that â—et him on work to answer to al these Objections and to all those Inconveniences that might come by the doing the thing which God commands And so doth Faith alwaies Faith puts a man under the Commandement of God and leaves God to answer to those Oâ—jections and inconveniences that may come thereby Now when a man can do thus must he not needs be quiet It is to speak more briefly the proper wâ—rk of Faith to resign and give up our wils unto God for by the resignation of the wil unto God we do trust God with our selves and Conditions It is the proper work of Faith to fal with a suitable Promise and to apply the same if that Plaister of the Promise be noâ— laid on the Soul with a warm hand it wil not stick And what is the reason that the Promise sticks not upon many souls but because it is laid on with the cold and chil hand of Unbelief Now the hand of Faith is a warm hand It 's the proper work of Faith to trade with the Call of God for true saving Faith is a venturing Grace but without a Call it wil not venture It is the proper work of Faith to see the hand of God in every Dispensation The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith It 's the proper work of Faiâ—h to look on both sides of Gods Dispensation and of our own Condition there is a dark side of a Dispensation and there is a light side thereof Sence and Reason looks on the dark side alone Faith seeth both sides Come my beloved Brethren said Laâ—imer to his fellow Prisoners when he went to the Stake though we pass through he fire to day yet we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out again He saw both sides of the Dispensation why but because he beleeved It is the proper work of Faith to see one Contrary in another for it speaks and concludes as the Word of Faith doth Now the word oâ— Faith speaketh on this wise I will give you a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor And the Lord shall judg his People and repent towards his Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and none shut up or left Deut. 32.36 It is the proper work of Faith to engage God to succor Psal 37.40 For the Lord shall save them because they trust in him So Esai 26.3 Thou will keep them in perfect peace because they trust in thee Now when a man can do al these things wil he not be quiet and free from Discouragements Surely he wil.
I say trust in the Lord first before you do work at all Answ 5 Fiftly If you would trust in the Lord so as you may not be discouraged what ever your Condition be Then trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in the first place before you trust in the Promise Christs Blood is the great and first Object of our Faith In times of the old Testament they came to Christ by the Promise because Christ was not then come but promised now Christ is come we come to the Promises by Christ Yet mistake not there is a Promise of Christ and a soul must come to Christ in that Promise But I speak of particular words and Promises Some wil not trust in Christ unless they have this or that particular word set upon their hearts and spirits and so indeed do rather rest on the bare letter of the Word or the sence and impression that is made upon the soul by the setting on of the Promise But al the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Christ therefore is first and if a man doth trust in the Promise first and so go unto Christ afterward then when he wants a particular Word or a Promise he wil not trust in Christ but be quite discouraged But when a man doth trust in the Lord Christ first and in particular Promises afterwards then though a particular Promise doth not shine forth yet his Faith lives and he is not diâ—couraged wherefore venture upon Jesus Christ first and then upon the Promise as given unto thee by the hand of Christ Answ 6 Sixtly if you would so trust in the Lord as you may not be discouraged whaâ—â—â—er your Condition be Then if ever it pleaseth the Lord to give our a Promise to you never let it go but hold it fast although you see nothing but the contrary unto the thing promised This was Abrahams case the Lord gave Abraham a Promise but Abraham saw the contrary to the thing promised yet Abraham did not dispute the Promise he did not stagger at the Promise and say Surely the Lord hath not given me this Promise it â—â—s but a delusion and I was deceived No but Abraham stil beâ—â—s up to the Promise and doth not dispute or stagger at the same So must you do likewise if ever the Lord give out a Promise to you hold it keep it never let it go although you do see the contrary Object O! but this is hard work indeed and if I should do so I fear that I should presume and that I should tempt the Lord What! trust in the Lord when there is no means in view yea when I see the contrary unto the thing promised I would do it but I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord. Answ Tempt the Lord say ye Dost thou know what it is for to tempt the Lord It is said oâ— the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and said Is God amongst us And when thou sayest after al the experience of Gods preâ—ence with thee Is God with me Is hot this rather for to tempt the Lord It is said of the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and limited the Holy One of Israel and when you limit God and say I shal never receive this Mercy for now I do see the contrary Is not this rather for to tempt the Lord Properly and according to Scripture Phrase to tempt the Lord is to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust and therefore if you look into Psal 78. you shal find that these two go together at verse 18. They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their Lust To put God upon a work for the satisfying of ones Lust is indeed to tempt the Lord Every putting God upon a tryal is not a tempting God but to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust this is to tempt the Lord And therefore it is said the wicked Jews came to our Savior Christ tempting him and saying Shew us a sign Gideon desired a sign and yet he did not tempt the Lord Why Because he did not desire a sign to satisfie his Lust but to strengthen his Faith But now these Jews came and desired a sign to satisfie their Lust and therefore saith our Savior Christ unto them Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation How comes the word Adulterous in there Why look as it is with a woman that is nâ—ught filthy and unworthy her Husband sending a Message to her and warning her to take heed of such Company when the Messenger comes I doubt saith she whether you come from my Husband or no and what sign have you that you come from my Husband she knows that he comes from her Husband but because she may go on in her sin she asketh a sign How may I know that you come from my Husband So it was with these wicked Jews they asked a sign that so they might go on in their sins whereupon our Savior saith Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation But now when a poor doubâ—ing fearing trembling soul shal desire to beleeve and would fain have some token from the Lord to strengthen his Faith he is not Adulterous then nor doth he tempt the Lord nor presume for is it presumption for a man to keep the Sabbath day No Why Because it is commanded Is it presumption for a Child to obey his Parents No Why Because it is commanded So it is commanded for a soul to beleeve when al comforts are out of sight and when he sees nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Presumption properly is the taking of a thing before it 's given or offered But in this case the Promise is given and therefore no presumption for to hold it fast There is a Two-fold Preâ—umption which you read of in Scripture One whereby men do rest upon their own Workâ— for Salvation without Christ So the Jews did and therein they presumed of mercy before it was given unto them Another whereby men do as they think or in their way rest on Christ for Salvation and yet live without Works and Obâ—dience and therein they preâ—â—me also because they take mercy â—hen it 's not given them Eâ—â— if I râ—â—l on the Promise or on Chrâ—st that I may be made the more holy doing what I can to be fruitful in every good work yet resting upon Christ for al this is no presumption Why Because I do not take mercy before it is offered and though I hold the Promise fast when I see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised yet this is no presumption Why Because I do what 's commanded For saies the Apostle Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commâ—â— the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a Faithful Creator Now Creation-Work is out of nothing it is light out of darkness Yet thus are we commanded to commit our souls unto God and therefore though al fail and
hath now brought you into this extraordinary condition then know from the Lord that it is as great a sin for you now not to trust in God for extraordinary mercy as it would have been for you not to have trusted in the Lord for ordinary deliverance in an ordinary case You know how it was with the Children of Israel they sinned greatly in the Wilderness so much that the Lord kept them out of the Land of Canaan and many of their Carkasses fel in the Wilderness what was the reason the Text tels us they did not beleeve Wherein was their Unbelief They did not trust God for meat in the Wilderness why but that had been a miracle to have Meat in the Wilderness true yet this was their Unbelief That they did not trust God for Meat in the Wilderness Again they sinned and did not trust God for Water why but it was a miracle for them to have Water in that place where no Water was naturally true yet because the Lord had led them in a way of miracles before they sinned now in that they did not trust God for miracles and it was as great a sin that they did not trust God for Miracles being led in a way of Miracles as that they did not trust God for ordinary mercies when the Lord led them in waies of ordinary mercies So I say to you If God lead you in a way of ordinaries then must you trust God for ordinaries but if ordinary means cannot be had and God have led you in a way of extraordinaries it is then a sin in you to tie God to ordinaries Are you therefore in an extraordinary case and streit know that it is no sin now to trust God for extraordinary mercy help and relief Seventhly And if after al these things your hearts fail you and you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be then ask thine own soul these Questions First Whether there be any gain by doubting whether there is any Spiritual gain to be made by doubting Faith purifies the heart but doth doubting purifie the heart Secondly Whether there is any thing in all the World more pleasing to God than to trust the Lord in and by Jesus Christ when all Comforts are out of view and when you see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Thirdly Whether you must not venture upon Christ at the last and if you must venture upon Christ at the last why not now as wel as at the last When a man comes to go over a River though he ride once and again into the Water and comes out saying I fear it is too deep for me yet considering that there is no other way for him he resolves to venture for saith he the longer I stay the higher the Waters wil rise and there is no other way for me and I must through at the last as good at the first as at the last and so he doth venture through and is safe Thus it is here You must venture upon Christ at the last there is no other way but venturing upon Jesus Christ thou must do it at the last and were it not as good for you to do it at the first as at the last Surely the longer you stay the harder you wil find it to venture and the more difficulties wil arise upon the work of Beleeving You say now O! but my heart is not humbled O! but I am a great sinner and should I venture upon Jesus Christ But wil thy heart be more humbled by keeping from Christ and shalt thou be a less sinner by keeping from him No certainly but the longer you stay from Christ the harder work it wil be to venture upon Christ at the last Wherefore if there be ever a poor drooping doubting fearing trembling heart in al this Congregation know That I do here in the Name of the Lord call out to you and say O soul man or woman Venture venture venture upon Christ now for you must come to this venturing Work at the last and if ever it is true here better at the first than at the last Must you not venture upon Christ at the last and if at last why not now Thus ply and follow your own souls with these three Questions And Eighthly If you would so trust in God as that you may not be discouraged whatever your condition be Then consider frequently and seriously what a blessed thing it is for to wait on God and for God yea what a reasonable thing it is that you should wait for him and on him For He hath waited on you and for your Repentance He waited in the daies of Noah for the Repentance of the old World and he waited long 1 Pet. 3.20 a long while also hath he waited for your repentance if he had not waited long what had become of you Yea and he hath not only waited but he doth stil and wil wait to shew Mercy Esai 30.18 he waiteth to shew mercy on them that wait for his Mercy Now shal God wait for us and for our Repentance and shal not we wait for him and his Grace Ye have waited on others and do stil wait on others who is there in al the World that you deal with but you do wait upon Will ye instance in great men must you not wait long to speak with them yea though it be for their own good It 's recorded of Henry the Emperor of Germany That when he came to speak with the Pope the Pope made him and his Wife and eldest Son stand waiting three daies in the cold Winter season at his Pallace Gates before he would speak with the Emperor Wil ye instance in your Inferiors and such as are beneath you must you not wait even for them that do wait on you your Servants if you bid them do a thing you must wait til it be done and if you bid them come you must wait til they come Or wil ye instance in other Creatures Do you not wait on the Sun for Light on the Water for Coolness on the Fire for heat Now if we wait on the Creatures al the Creatures is it not reasonable that we wait on the Creator Yet further Do ye not somtimes wait on the Lusts of men yea ye have somtimes waited on your own Lusts The Adulterer waiteth for the twy-light saith Job And hâ—w often have you waited for an opportunity of sinning Now wil ye wait on Men your Inferiors other Creatures yea on the Wils and Lusts of Men and wil you not wait on the Grace of God Look when you give over waiting then may deliverance come and if it come then how wil you be filled with shame and confusion 2 Kingâ— 6. last the King said It is a vain thing to wait on God any longer And if ye look into the next Chapter at verse 1. ye shal find that deliverance came in the next words No sooner had the
that you may be humbled yet that the Lord should keep you from this Sin this unpardonable Sin for which there is no Sacrifice nor no remission O! what Mercy and what Grace is this Object 1 But I am afraid I have sinned this Sin and the truth is I have often feared it and my reason was and is Because my sins are so great so exceeding great Answ Great say ye How great man I have sinned against my Light I have sinned against my Knowledg I have sinned against my Conviction and therefore I fear I have sinned the unpardonable Sin But I pray for Answer did not Adam sin against Light when he eat the forbidden Fruit Did he not sin against his Knowledg against Conscience yet he sin'd not against the Holy Ghost though he brought al the World under Condemnation by his Sin for the Lord himself came and preached mercy to him The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head And I pray did not Jonah when he run away from God sin against his Light and did he not sin against his Conviction and against his Knowledg yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and wonderfully delivered him Possibly this therefore may be and yet not a Sin against the Holy Ghost It is true indeed that those who sin against the Holy Ghost do sin against their Light Knowledg and Conscience but whoever sins against Light and Knowledg though he sins greatly doth not sin against the Holy Ghost Object 2 O! But I fear that I have sinned this Sin for I have fallen foully into gross sins Answ That is ill But I pray did not David sin so were they not great gross and foul sins that David fel into such as one of your civil moral men would abhor yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned him and Nathan said from the Lord The Lord hath forgiven thee Object 3 O! But yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin for I am much declined I have lost my former acquaintance and communion with God I have lost my former heat and affections to good and in Duty and I fear upon this account that I have sinned this great Sin Answ Be it so yet did not the Church of Ephesus lose her first Love yet this Church of Ephesus did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Why For the Lord saith unto her Repent and do thy first Works she could not have repented thus if she had sinned this Sin Object 4 O! but yet I fear that I have sinned this great Sin because that I have sinned directly against the Spirit I have quenched I have grieved I have resisted the Spirit the Spirit of the Lord hath come and fallen upon my heart in preaching and I resisted and grieved it the Spirit of the Lord hath fallen upon my heart in Prayer and I have grieved that therefore I fear I have sinned this great Sin that shall never be pardoned Answ This is ill too But those that you read of in Acts 7. resisted the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost for then Stephen would not have prayed for them And indeed Beloved if every resisting of the breathings of the Spirit and grieving of the Holy Ghost were the unpardonable Sin what godly man would be free A godly man is more properly said to grieve the Spirit than a wicked man If an Enemy strike you you are angry if your Friend strike you ye are grieved If a wicked man strike at God he is angry with him if a godly man strike at God God is angry and his Spirit is grieved because he is a Friend Grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption So that thus far possibly a man may go and yet not sin this Unpardonable Sin Object 5 But I am afraid that I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost because I have not owned but denied the Truth the Work of the Spirit is to enlighten and to lead into Truth and I have not owned but denied the Truth rather therfore I fear that I have sinned this great Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ This is evil very evil I remember a Speech of Godteschalchus worthy to be written in Letters of Gold Timeo veritatem negare quia metuo à veritate negari I am afraid said he to deny the Truth lest I should be for ever denied by the Truth that is Christ But I pray did not Peter deny the Truth when he denied Christ and did he not do it again and again and did he not do it openly with Scandal and did he not do it after Admonition and did he not do it with Cursing and Swearing and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for the Lord pardoned and took him into his bosom and made him a blessed Instrument in the Church Thus far yet a man may go possibly and yet not sin this Sin Object 6 O! But I am afraid yet that I have sinned it for I have been an Opposer of Goodness I have been an Opposer of the People of God and I have been a blasphemer therefore I fear I have sinned this Sin Answ This is ill indeed But I pray tel me Was not Paul an Opposer and Blasphemer of the Saints and Waies of God and yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost for I did it ignorantly saith he I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor but I obtained mercy for I did it ignorantly Object 7 O! But I have sinned and I have done it maliciously and therefore I fear I have sinned this same dreadful Sin Answ This is yet worser But what mean you by that word Maliciously Peccatum ex malitia quandoque dicitur peccatum ex habitu puta quando ex malo habitu quis est intemperatus vel gulosus et sic non loquimur in proposito alio modo dicitur quod procedit ex passione tamen deliberate et scienter puta si quis invideat c. nec sic loquimu◠in proposito sed vocatur peccatum ex malitia proprie quando movetur quis non ex habitu nec passione nec ignorantia sed ex mera libertate voluntatis Sc. quod sic placet et hoc modo dicitur peccatum in spiritum sanctum Aureol in Lib. 2. Sent. Dist 43. Art 1. A man may be said to sin ex malitia or maliciously three waies saith Aureolus Either because he sins from some evil habit and so al wicked men sin yet they do not al sin against the Holy Ghost Or because a man sins out of anger passion or evil wil against another so Paul sin'd when he persecuted the Church of God he was carried out with a malicious spirit against the Saints and People of God yet he did not sin against the Holy Ghost Or else because a man is moved to sin not
Deus vult à suo templo exulare Ita est sed ulterius addo quod vitrum quam expeâ—s est coloris propâ—ii tam facile refert alicnoâ— quibuscunque enim liquoribus imbuitur statim concolor efficitur sub hoc igitur typo voluit Deus à suo obsequio arcere eos omnes qui non servant unam vivendi rationem sed in diversâ— studia seruntur et nunc hos nunc illos mores imitantur Mendoza in Reg. 1. Cap. 1. pag. 300. what a blessed fâ—anâ—e of heart is this fixed Spirit Surely it is that Grace wherein God is much delighted An unsetled Soul God cares not for nor for any Work or Service that is done by him We read of hundreds and thousands of Vessels of Gold Silver and Brass that were in the Temple but not of one Crystal Glass or Vessel why so saith one but because that is of a brittle fragile and uncertain Nature which as it hath no color of its own so its apt to receive the color of any Liquor So iâ— an unsetled man and unconstant whom God cares not for in his Temple and Service Who cares for the Service of a Fool or regards the Prayers Desires or Pâ—titions of a Fool If a Fool knock earnestly at your door you say to your Servant Go not to the door it is the Fool that knocketh and if a Fool com and speak to you you regard not what he saith Now an unconstant unsetled Soul is a foolish Soul It is the property of a Fool to be alwaies a beginning he begins a good work and then he leaves it off then he begins another and he leaves off that Stultus semper incipit vivere the Fool doth alwaies begin to live And the same word in the Hebrew and Scripture Phrase that signifies an Unconstant man signifies a Fool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stultus insipiens varius mobilis levis inconstans and if ye look into Eccles 5. ye shal find that the Sacrifice of Fools is called so upon account of Unconstancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Unsetledness for saies Solomon When thou vowest a Vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast vowed ver 4. And therefore if an unsetled man pray and knock at Gods door he wil say Let him alone regard him not 't is that unsetled Fool that unconstant Fool who is off and on to and fro in my Service God hath no pleasure in Fools and an unsetled unestablished soul is a Fool in Scripture Language surely therefore he is so in the eyes of God But if a man be fixed and established the Lord delighteth in him Ut venti in autumno arbores non tollunt sed folia secum in auras ferunt sic tristia leves tamen mentes movent fortes et in pietate firmas non evertunt Origen Homil. 13. in Numb Maximum malae mentis indicium sluctuatio Sen. and in al those Works and Services that are done by him Establishing Grace is a great Mercy 5. And it is also the Character of a good and gracious person whereby he is distinguished from the ungodly of the World A good man lives and dwelleth at the sign of a setled Conversation he is planted by the Rivers of Water Psal 1. the wicked are as the Chaff that are driven to and fro not setled not planted It is true indeed that a moral civil man may be naturally of a fixed Spirit serious staid and setled in his Moralities but though he be setled in what is Morally good yet he is also setled upon his Lees in what is Spiritually evil setled in prejudice against the Saints and against the Power of Godliness setled in his neglect of the Sabbath c. and though he be of a fixed Spirit and temper Naturally yet that fixation doth not arise to any high or great matter It 's an easie thing to cast up the Account truly Virtus est circa difficile bonum sed in parvis opeâ—ibus constantem esse non est difficile Aquin. where the Sum is smal Morality is a smal Sum. When did ye hear of a Boat cast away in the River the narrow Waters 'T is the Ship that puts to Sea that doth make the Shipwrack smal Boats seldom miscarry in the narrow Waters Now the Civil Moral man doth trade in the narrow Waters and he boasts that he doth not miscarry some make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience but as for me saith he I walk constantly evenly and these many yeers have made no Shipwrack of my Profession as others have done But I pray what is the reason He never put to Sea he never yet did lanch forth into the great Ocean of the Gospel he trades in the narrow Waters of his own Righteousness and therein he is exact and constant But now take a godly gracioâ—s man and he doth abound in the work of the Lord and ye◠〈◊〉 â—â—shed in it according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmovable alwaies aâ—ounding in the Work of the Lord Why For as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Surely therefore it is a great Mercy and blessing to be setled in the Truth and established in the good Waies of God a Mercy for a Nation a Mercy for a Church a Mercy for a Particular Person to be thus established And therefore In the Second place It is worthy of al our Prayers which is the Second Part of the Doctrine for saith the Doctrine It is a great Blessing and worthy of all our Prayers to be setled and established in the good Waies of God First It is that Mercy Grace and Blessing which we al need Man in his best estate or according to the Hebrew Expression Man in his most consistent and setled estate is altogether vanity Man at the best is a poor wavering and unsetled Creature yea saith the Scripture God saw no stability in his Angels and therfore if we do naturally labor under such instability we have al need to pray and to pray much for this Grace of Establishment Secondly It is God only who doth give out this Grace it belongs unto him alone to establish Nations Churches and Persons 1. He is able to establish those who do come to him for it Rom. 16.25 Now to him that is of power to establish you c. 2. He is willing to do it 2 Thes 3.3 But the Lord is Faithful who will establish you and keep you from evil 3. He is engaged to do it for he hath promised to do it as hath beâ—n proved already and it is his Prerogative 2 Cor. 1.21 Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God As for a Land or Nation it is the Lord alone tâ—at doth settle it He looseth the Girdles of Princes and maketh them to wander or stagger
this account â—â—cause Relâ—â—â—â— was not setled as Religion was setled so the Land was seâ—l d and as Religion was unsâ—tled so was the Land unsâ—â—ed Men think that the Settlement of Religion is to be in aâ—ter Work Fâ—â—st say they let us look to our being the Settlement of the Land and then loâ—k to our Well-Being the Seâ—â—â—ent of Religion But if we conâ—ult with God in the Scriptures we shâ—â— find that a Professing Nation shal never be setled tiâ— Religion be setled and as that waverâ— so shal the State waver also Would you thâ—refore have a Land setled pray for the Settlement oâ— Religion in the first place Then must thâ—â—e be care taken for a Succession of Godly Magistrates a good Mâ—gistrate is a good Sâ—eâ—es man but if one stere one way and his Successor stere another way how can the State be setled While the Children of Israel had a good Judg the People served the Lord but when Joshua was dead And the Elders who had seen all the great Works of the Lord they forsook the Lord and the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel and he delivered them into the hand of their Enemies Judg. 2.7 11 12 13 14 15. Then God raised up other Judges and the Lord was with the Judg and delivered them out of the hand of their Enemies verse 18. But when that Judg was dead they returned and corrupted themselves and so the Anger of the Lord was hot against them again vers 19.20 Then God raised up Othniel and he judged Israel and the Spirit of the Lord came on him and the Lord delivered their Enemies into his hand Chap. 3. and so the Land had rest fotty yeers ver 10 11. But when Othniel died the Children of Israel did evil again and so the Lord delivered them into the hands of their Enemies ver 12 13 14. then God raised up Ehud and he judged Israel and subdued their Enemies verse 30. But when Ehud was dead the Children of Israel did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord again Chap. 4.1 and the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin King of Canaan Then they cried unto the Lord and he raised up Deborah and Barak who destroyed their Enemies praised God and setled Religion and the Land had rest forty yeers Chap. 5.31 Thus unsetled was the Land whilst there was no succession of Godly Magistrates Would ye therefore have your Land setled pray for a continuation and succession of Godly Magistrates and that care may be now taken for this thing Thus shal your Land and State be established Yet this is not enough but these Godly Righteous men must not only do some righteous things but govern in Righteousness for the Throne is established by Righteousness Though righteous men do rule yet if they oppress the People and do not govern in Righteousness the Nation cannot be setled Now God hath promised a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein Righteousness dwels not where righteous things shal be done and where Righteousness shal now and then pass through it but where Righteousness shal take up its Habitation and Dwelling Pray and pray much for this for by this shal your Throne be established Yet this is not al but the Governors of a Nation must beleeve and trust in the Lord not ruling and mannaging the Affairs of the Nation by Policy only and Moral Prudâ—â—ce but they must trust in the Lord and live and act by Faith in their Government for saith the Lord to Ahaz If ye will not beleeve surely ye shal not be established Esai 7.9 So that if Princes Governors and Rulers wil trust in their own strengh or in their Confederacies with other Nations they and their Land cannot be setled But if in al their dealâ—ngs with the Nations they rule and act in a way of Faith towards God then shal the Land be established And therefore let them and al the People remember the good Counsel of that good King Jehosaphat 2 Câ—ron 20.20 Beleeve in the Lord your God so shall you be established beleeve his Prophets so shal ye prosper Secondly As for a Church All the Churches must know That they are a People which of al others are laid out for sufferings unto them especially it is given not only to beleeve but to suffer for Christ and he serious consideration hereof wil help to establish them For when the Apostles went up and down conâ—iâ—ming the Disciples and Churches what Doctrine did they preach unto them but this Acts 14.21 They returned to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch confirming the souls of the Disciples and exhorting them to continue in the Faith and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God If particular Churches would be setled and established they must have al the Officers and Ordinances of Christ then as a Ship under Sail with al its Sails our is beautiful and doth move evenly so shal they alâ—o do A Church is never setled til it have al those Officers in it which our Lord and Savior Christ hath appointed And what is the reason that many are so unsetled at this day but because they do either despise or neglect those Offices and Officers which are the Fruits of Christs Ascension and which he hath given for the perfecting of the Saints for the edifying of the Body of Christ That we henceforth be no more Children tossed to and fro and carryed about with every wind of Doctrine Ephes 4.11 12 13 14. What is more uncertain than a weather-cock that is carried about with every wind If you forsake the Ministry and those Officers which Christ hath given to his Church this wil be your state and condition saith the Apostle here Now when Pride or Covetousness gets into Churches then though they have some of Christs Officers amongst them yet they wil not be for al for say they we are not able to maintain more than one and saith that one if another be chosen I must have less and rule less O! that Churches therefore would take heed of these great Sins Pride and Covetousness which will alwaies keep them in an unsetled Condition Let al the Churches know what the word of Gods Patience is and observe and keep the same For saith our Savior to the Church of Philadelphia Because thou hast kept the word of my Patience I will keep thee from the hour of Temptation which shal come upon all the world and him that overcometh will I make a Pâ—llâ—r in the Temple of my God and he shal go no more out Rev. 3.10.12 He that overcometh is the same that keepeth the word of Câ—â—risâ— Patience What is that In al times there is some Truth which is the trying suffering Truth In Luthers Time the Doctrine of Justiâ—â—â—â—â—ion by Faith alone was the Word of Gods Patience 〈◊〉 Qâ—een Maries Time that Truth which opposed â—ranâ—uâ—stantiation was the Word of Gods Patience in Athanasius his time the Dâ—â—◠〈◊〉 of Christs
Sin which they carry to the Devils Ordinances Who can come freely off from the Devils ground Wil men tempt God and think to prosper And what is it to tempt God but to put him upon an unnecessary Protection and Preservation of us Take heed therefore how you come at such Meetings lest you leaving God he do leave you Answ 6 Whatever Truth you know do not only know it in a Spiritual way but put the same into practice for he that know Truth carnally is not far from error and the way to be established in the Truth is to walk therein As ye have therefore received Christ saith the Apostle so walk in him rooted and built up in him and established in the Faith 2 Col. 6.7 Answ 7 Then go to God for his Establishing Grace and put your Judgments into the hand of Christ to keep them for you even as you would put your Children or Family into Gods hand to keep them for you when you are absent from them so put your Judgment into Gods hand to keep it for you also For it is God alone who doth settle us even the God of al Grace and he hath said Prov. 16.3 Commit thy Works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established It is he that hangeth weights on the wings of the wind who hath founded the Earth on nothing and therefore though your thoughts be as â—leeting and uncertain as the wind yet he can hang weights upon them he can make you solid staid sober who do now stagger to and fro like a Drunken man And if you put your Judgment into Christs hand he wil keep it for you for faithful is he who hath called you who wil also establish your hearts in the Truth received Quest 2 But what shall I do that I may be more setled in my Life and established in the good Waies of God for I want Settlement in my Waies and Practices Answ 1 First You must be very sensible of your own unsetledness and be humbled for it He is not far from Grace that is senâ—ible of his sin that is contrary to it he is not far from Humility that is sensible of his Pride nor far from Sincerity that is sensible of his Hypocrisie nor far from Faith that is sensible of his Unbelief nor far from Establishment that is very sensible of his own Unsetledness Answ 2 Secondly Labor for a serious Spirit a staid solid and a serious Spirit a serious Spirit and an established heart go together Prov. 4.26 Ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy Waies be established Yong men generally are more unsettled than Antient men and what is the reason of it but because Ancient men are the more serious and ponderous yong men are the less serious and so the more unsetled Labor therefore to be more serious for the more you think of the greatness of God and the great things of your everlasting Estate and Condition the more serious you wil be Answ 3 Thirdly Be sure that you do not live upon your Condition it self but on the God of your Condition that is perpetual which hath a perpetuating Cause God is perpetual Perpetuum est quod habet causam perpetuantem but your Condition is uncertain although it be never so firm and good therefore live not upon your Condition I say but on the God of your Condition Answ 4 Fourthly Take heed of a divided heart that you have not a mind Et dabo eis cor unum 1. Mihi soli deserviens non idolis nunc enim divisum quando habent cor quo et me et idola colunt sic interpretatur R David eodemque sensu vertit Chald. Paraph. Alii cor unum 1. Simplex vocari putant quasi dicat faciam ut me simplici ac sinceâ—o â—nimo colant alii unum id est amicum atque consentiens quod in Christianis sactum fuisse scribit Lucas Act 4. multitudinis autem credentiam erat cor unum et anima una Septuâ—g videntur pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 legisse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alterum veâ—terunt enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 et dabo illis cor alterum 1. Novum qui sensus magnopere mihi placet id enim videtur dicere voluisse cum dixit unum et cum dixit spiritum novum confirmat hanc interpretationem Ezek. 36.25 hanc eandem repetens sententiam non dixit dabo vobis cor unum sed dabo vobis cor novum et spiritum novum quanquam Jer. cap. 32 39. cor unum et viam unam dixit quid autem vocet cor alterum et spiritum alterum declarat statim cum dicit aufetam cor lapideum de carne corum et dabo eis cor carneum Maldonat in Ezek. 11. cap. 19. and a mind The double-minded man is unstable in all his waies saith the Apostle Now a man may hâ—ve a mind and a mind thus when his Conâ—cieâ—ce runs one way and his Affection anothâ—r way So it was with Herod his Conscieâ—ce told him that John was a just and an holy man and a pâ—werful Preacher therefore his mind was to deliver him but his affection was to gratifie the Damsel which begged Johns head and so his mind was to kil him Pilate also had a mind and a mind the mind of his Conâ—cience was to deliver Christ but the mind of his Affection wâ—s to gratifie and plâ—â—e the Jews Zedekiah had a mind and a mind thâ— mind of his Conscience was â—o spare Jâ—â—emiah but thâ— mind of his Affection was to gratifie hiâ— Nobl s And between these two â—â—nds how unconstant was he So now if the Mind of your Conscience lie one way and the mind of your Affection â—e another way you wil be wrung like Pauls Ship between two streams one while you wil be a Servant unto your Affection another while a Servanâ— to your Conscience and so between both you wil never be setled take heed therefore of this divided heart the Lord hath promised to give us one heart Ezek. 11. oneness in regard of God that we shal be one with him oneness in regard of men that we shal be one wiâ—h them oneness in regard of our selves that we shal not be divided in our own souls Therefore pray unto him for this Oneness and he wil fulfil this his Promise Answ 5 Fiftly Be sure that you put on the whol Armor of God for if you do not withstand in the day of Temptation ye cannot stand for ye fight not with flesh and blood saith the Apostle but with a more crafty powerful enemy and therefore if any place lie open he will be sure to find it out You know how it was with Ahab A man drew a bow and shot an Arrow at a venture and wounded him between the Joynts of the Harness Now Satan knows where your naked open place is and therefore if you be not harnessed al over with every Duty with every Truth and with every
these Verses First they subdued Kingdoms verse 33. who through Faith subdued Kingdoms so the Judges did and so David also And 2. They wrought Righteousness so Samuel did Whose Ox have I taken and so David did When he spared Saul And 3. They obtained Promises Promises that is the thing promised God is so Faithful saith Beza in fulfilling his Promises that the Promise is put for the thing promised they obtained the Promises that is the thing promised Now the Promise they obtained it was not the great Promise of the Messias for so at verse 39. They received not the Promise that is the great Promise of the Messias but the Promises they obtained were particular Promises of deliverance Victories and Kingdoms so they obtained Promises and so Gideon and Barak David and others did And then they stopped the mouths of Lyons so David and Daniel did And they quenched the violence of Fire so the three Children did And escaped the edg or mouth of the Sword so Elijah and Elisha did And out of weakness were made strong so Heâ—ekiah was And they waxed valiant in Fight and turned to flight the Armies of the Aliens so the Judges and David did And Women received their dead raised to Life again so the Woman of Sareptha and the Shunaâ—â—te did So that now here you may see what great things the Beleevers of the old Testament did by Faith And so the Doctrine that I shal pitch upon at this time riseth from al the words and not from any particular Clause or passage but from the whol Doct. That true saving faith will do very great things It is true Faith that the Apostle here speaks of as appears by the whol Chapter and these things that they did as appears to the Reader at first view were great things So that I shal not need to spend any time for cleering of the Doctrine from the words that it doth arise from and al these Verses and words they are witnesses to it they cry out this Doctrine with one Voyce True saving Faith will do very great things For the opening and cleering whereof I shal labor to shew 1. That true saving Faith is a doing working stirring Grace 2. That true saving Faith will do great things And 3. How Faith comes to do such great things First True saving Faith is a doing Grace an active working doing operative Grace the more Spirits any thing hath the more active it is Faith true saving Faith hath the Spirit of the Gospel in it the Gospel is the Ministration of the Spirit and true saving Faith it hath the Spirit of this Spiritful Dispensation and therfore it must needs be a very spiritual and a working Grace It is called a work it self in 1 Thes 1.3 Remembring without ceasing your work Faith and in 2 Thes 1.11 The work of Faith with power Our Lord and Savior Christ saith it is the Work of God This is the Work of God that ye beleeve it is in it self a work And Secondly It is a friend to work true saving Faith it is a Work and it is a great Friend to work it is not an idle Houswife What is our Sanctification but our Faith incarnate it works Love and it works by Love and Love is very inventive active and expensive it is a friend to work a work in it self and a friend to work And Thirdly It is also the first worker in the Soul Trust in the Lord and do good not first do good and then trust in the Lord trust in the Lord first trust in the Lord and do good it is the work that sets other works on work the wheel that sets al other wheels a going without which a man is idle though he be at work As a Child may be very busie at his play yet but play and a Servant may be very busie about his own imployment and yet his Master counts it an idleness because he is not about his work appointed him So now a man may be very busie in regard of the world and yet he may be idle God-ward Nisi a Deo agendo nil ages Faith must be the first Worker and if Faith be not the first al other works are as nothing Yea Fourthly As Faith is a Work and a Friend of Work and a first Worker so it is an Universal Work Faith is that Grace that can turn its hand to every Work some can work exactly at one thing but they are bunglers at another but Faith true saving Faith can turn its hand to every business Possibly a man may be sick and he cannot pray himself but yet he may beleeve though Prayer cannot turn its hand to this Condition yet Faith can Possibly a man may be very poor and is not able to help another Liberality cannot turn its hand to this Condition but Faith can work in it Fiftly And not only so but Faith works best when it works alone when it works al alone If Comfort come and sence and feeling come Faith knows how to use these but though a man have no Sence and no Comfort yet Faith can work and Faith works best when it works alone when it workâ— al alone without these auxiliaries Sixtly Yea Faith works best somtimes when it works in the dark as it works best when it works alone so somtimes it works best in the dark Men can work wel in the light but not in the dark but though a mans condition be very dark yet Faith can work then Faith works best when it works in the dark Faith loves to work like Christ and Christs greatest action of Obedience was in the darkest time when he was on the Cross I remember a Speech of that good old man Mr. Dod when a man that was troubled in his mind lay a dying he said to him Sir what wil you say to Christ when he was dying did he not say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And was not Christs highest piece of Obedience upon the Cross in the dark in a dark condition Faith works best somtimes in the dark Seventhly Yet further Faith it works best at the last and the longer it works the better for Faith grows by experience and the longer that Faith works the more experience it gets and the more experience Faith gets the stronger it is and therefore Faith works best at the last Now put al these together Faith is a Work and Faith is a Friend to Work and Faith is the first Worker and Faith is an Universal Worker and Faith works best when it works al alone and Faith works best somtimes in the dark and Faith works best at the last and certainly you have the first namely this That true saving Faith is a doing Grace it is a working Grace But Secondly You wil say What are those great things that Faith will do for we have heard that Faith is a doing Grace that is the Doctrine Faith will do and do great things but what are those great
things that Faith will do still Answ Faith wil do as great things now surely in Gospel times new Testament times as ever in old Testament times and I shal not instance in those ten Particulars only so far as to make forth the general Doctrine and to bring it unto our selves I shal shew you what great things Faith wil do stil and shal speak to that more Positively and absolutely and then Comparatively Faith true saving Faith it wil resist great Temptations it wil perform great Performances it wil suppress al your Fears it wil mortifie al your Cares it wil asswage and subdue al your Griefs it wil make you a stranger in this World it wil keep your hearts steady and upright in al the turnings and changes of your Life it wil make you faithful under al your Betrustments it wil reallize Eternity to you and make those things visible to you that are in themselves invisible and it wil make you live in continual dependance on Christ and fetch al from him Al these things are great things and I must not dwel upon any of them but only touch upon each of them Is it not a great matter for a man to resist and overcome great Temptations Joseph did so sorely tempted by his Mistris but he overcame the Temptation How He beleeved How shall I do this evil and sin against my God Is it not a great matter for a man to perform Duties to the hazard of his Life Thus Daniel did set open his Windows when he went to pray prayed and kept to his Duty to the hazard of his life why Because he beleeved Again Is it not a great matter to mortifie your Fears and al your Fears your great Fears This Faith wil do What time I am afraid I will trust in thee Again Is it not a great matter to mortifie your Cares and extream thoughtfulness This Faith wil do In Prov. 16.3 Commit thy Work unto the Lord and thy thoughts shal be established Commit thy work there is Faith and thy thoughts shal be established And It is not a great matter to have your griefs asswaged when they are great Faith wil do it Hannah was a Woman of a sad and a sorrowful Spirit and the Lord gave her in a word a particular word and she beleeved and was no more sad Is it not a great matter to be kept straight and even and steady in times of Changes the great turnings and Changes of your life This Faith wil do Job met with many Changes but his heart was kept steady and upright in the midst of al Lord though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee Again Is it not a great matter to be a stranger to the World to be a stranger from the World Faith wil do this It is said of Abraham in Heb. 11.9 By Faith he sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country Mark the Expression he sojourned in the Land of Promise There are some outward Blessings that we have by Prayer that we have by Promise it may be a Child or such a Relation that we have by Prayer and by Promise and we think we may be very indulgent to our Affection in regard of that mercy but see here Abraham was a stranger ger in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country And then again Is it not a great matter for a man to be Faithful under al his betrustments Caleb and Joshua were so they were sent to spy out the Land of Canaan and when the other Spies brought up an ill report they were faithful in their Report why Because they beleeved The Lord hath given them into our hands as bread say they Faith wil make a man faithful under al his Betrustments And Is it not a great matter for a man to see those things that are invisible to reallize Eternity and to see those things that are invisible By Faith Moses saw him that is invisible And Is it not a great matter for a man to live in continual dependance on Christ and fetch al from him Faith wil do this for as Christ could do nothing without Faith he could do no great things there because of their Unbelief so Faith can do nothing without Christ I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me why Because I live by the Faith of the Son of God Faith wil make a man live in continual dependance on Christ and fetch al from him Now Beloved these are great things every one of these is a great matter but true saving Faith wil do al these things But then to speak to it yet more Comparatively there are two or three great Agents in the World that are close at work and Faith wil out-work them al and do greater things than any of them 1. There is a Carnal Policy with Power which is a great Agent and Worker in reference to the Affairs of the World 2. There is Civil Honesty a great Agent in reference to our dealing between man and man And 3. There are Gospel Gifts Parts and common Grace which are great Agents in reference to our Religion Now not to show the difference between them but to give you a little tast that I may make out the general Doctrine That Faith doth work beyond al. And First of al If you compare it with Power Power cloathed with Policy or Policy cloathed with Power Faith wil do more than al Policy and Power can do And I pray turn unto 2 Chron. 13. where you shal see this cleerly proved to you verse 3. There is a great Battel fought And Abijah set the Battel in Array with an Army of valiant men of war even four hundred thousand chosen men Jeroboam also set the Battel in Array with eight hundred thousand chosen men being mighty men of Valor Jeroboam had as many again Abijah but four hundred thousand Now if you look into verse 16. it is said the Children of Israel fled before Judah and Abijah and his People slew them with a great slaughter verse 17. So there fel down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men such a slaughter as you shal not hear of Abijah had but four hundred thousand men and they slew five hundred thousand Why they had power enough they were as many again What was the matter did they wane Policy it is said verse 13. But Jeroboam caused an Ambushment to come about them so they were before Judah and the Ambushment was behind them here was Power and here was Policy and yet this great Army is beaten with half the Company and five hundred thousand slain How comes this to pass Indeed you read of the Children of Judah That they cryed unto the Lord They cried unto the Lord at verse 14. But if you wil have the reason look to verse 18. Thus the Children of Israel were brought under at that time and the Children of Judah prevailed because they relied on the Lord God of their Fathers See Faith can do
great and though the thing be smal put your Faith to work in ordinary matters put your Faith to work Somtimes you come to a great matter and you put on your Faith there but because your Faith is not used to smal things your Faith wil not come on here I remember a Speech of Mr. Greenham concerning Suffering saith he If you would suffer hard things from Papists be content to suffer smal things from Protestants and if you would be able to suffer hard things from Enemies you must be content to suffer smal things from Friends saith he you wil never be able to suffer great things from Enemies if you are not able to suffer smal things from Friends So say I in the point of Doing You wil never be able to do great things by Faith if your faith be not used to do smal things And therefore Christians in al things you do the Life you live in the flesh put your faith to work in your particular Callings in smal things and when your faith is used to do smal things you wil be able to do great things but you wil never be able to improve your faith to do great things if you use not your faith to do smal things Fiftly and Lastly Study much and look much upon the Cal you have to any Work and do not stand poring upon your own ability or upon the difficulty of the work Thus these Worthies when the Lord called them the work was great awd difficult and they were weak but they looked upon Gods Cal and they did not stand poring upon their own Abilities but as Abraham considered not his own Body so these and therefore they did great things by faith Possibly a man is called to a Place in the Magistracy and he looks upon it as a great Work I am not able saith he it is beyond me So a man is called to the Ministry I have no Parts nor Gifts the Work is beyond me So for beleeving a man is commanded to beleeve but I cannot beleeve my heart is dead I cannot beleeve whereas now if men did but look upon the Cal of God they would be able to do great things for God Either Christian thou art commanded to beleeve or not If thou are not commanded to beleeve then Unbelief is no sin and if you are commanded to beleeve then you are called to it do not stand poring upon the Difficulty of your Work but look upon the Cal of God and thus shal your faith work and do great things And thus I have done with the main Doctrine that grows out of these words There are some particular Notes that as little Twigs do grow from this great Oak which I shal draw out and so conclude and that is out of the 32. Verse First In that the Apostle saith What should I say more for the time would fail me c. The number of Beleevers in the times of the old Testament it seems was not smal The time would fail me saith he to tâ—l of the Beleevers of the old Tastament few shal be saved indeed comparatively but through Grace many there are that do beleeve If there were many in the old Testament times certainly then there are many now in the new Testament times that do beleeve Secondly In that the Apostle doth here instance in Gideon and Barak and Sampson and Jeptha Gideon and Barak he instances in them thus much you may note God will own that Faith that is but weak at first Gideons faith was weak at the first Baraâ—ks faith was weak at the first it is more like to live this faith that is weak at the first than that which is born with Teeth faith that is weak at the first God wil own It is true not only for Faith that is weak at first but al weak Faith God wil own the weak faith and commend the strong faith he will bear with the weak faith and commend the strong faith See it in the case of Thomas Thomas saith he Reach hither thy hand and thrust thy finger into my side Lord saith he I beleeve my Lord and my God wel saith Christ Thomas thou beleevest here he owns his faith though it is weak but commends the strong faith Blessed is he that hath not seen and yet hath beleeved Christ wil own the weak faith and commend the strong faith but I say he wil own the faith that is weak at the first May be here are some that are Beleevers that begin to look after Christ some yong Christians that begin to look after God and turn from their evil waies and begin weakly at the first remember this God wil own that faith as weak as it is But God see here Gideon before Barak and Sampson before Jeptha The Second Note from thence is Though the Lord wil own the weak faith weak at the first yet God doth most highly esteem of them that do most excel in faith Gideon is before Barak Sampson before Jeptha those are in most account with God that do most excel in faith But then Thirdly In that the Apostle doth here instance in Sampson for a Beleever It is possible that a great sinner may become a true Beleever yea possibly a man may have true faith yet he may fal foully so Sampson but if he do fal foully and be a Beleever he is like to pay dearly for it so Sampson both his Eyes went for it but though a man do pay dearly for it yet God wil return again and own his faith and record his faith so Sampsons faith is Fourthly In that the Apostle doth here make mention of Jeptha Jeptha who was a Bastard under a reproach yet recorded for a Beleever Possibly a Bastard may become a Beleever one that lies under great reproach in regard of Parentage may become a true Beleever Behold what that is that wil rowl away reproach from a Family it is faith true saving faith behold here was a reproach upon Jeptha and his family as a Bastard now he beleeves and faith rowls away the reproach from his person and from his family and he is recorded for a Beleever Let none be discouraged in regard of any reproachful Condition that they are in true faith wil rowl away the reproach and by faith you may become of good report Fiftly In that the Apostle doth speak of David Of David also and Samuel and of the Prophets Consider I pray these were extraordinary men When then God hath any extraordinary work to do he wil raise up extraordinary men to do it and when God doth raise up a man exâ—raordinarily he wil give extraordinary Gifts But mat I would have you consider thence is this That we may make use of extraordinary Examples to strengthen our ordinary faith here are extraordinary cases and brought in by the Apostle to this end and purpose to strengthen our faith Be not discouraged then when you go into Scripture and read of extraordinary Examples Satan tels you I but
the time of his Liberty he was loose in the time of his Imprisonment he was sullen and when he was at the Stake he was mad with horror of Conscience mad O! but true saving Faith wil not flinch and give in at last The three Children did not only come to the Fire but rid out the storm But I say no more in this only thus Seventhly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he doth not bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness but true saving Faith doth it suffers and brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness So that now you see by al this that it is Faith alone it is true saving Faith and Faith alone that wil carry a man through Sufferings But then Quest Thirdly You wil say How and by what means can Faith do this What is there in Faith to do it to carry a man through hard things and through all Sufferings although they be never so great Answ 1 First It is the work of Faith to make a man resign and give up his wil to the wil of God and when a man can do so what may he not suffer Answ 2 Secondly It is the work of Faith the proper work of Faith to cleave close unto the Commandement of God True Satan I am an unworthy Creature but God hath commanded me to beleeve True I am a great Sinner but God hath commanded me to beleeve Faith doth peremptorily stick unto the Commandement and it leaves God to answer unto the Objections and Inconveniences that follow upon his Obedience to the Commandement it leaves that to God By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out obeyed not knowing whether he should go Now when a man can do this what may he not suffer Answ 3 Thirdly It is the proper Work of Faith to close with the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the fulness of the Spirit the Promise of the Father Now when a mans heart is filled with the Spirit of God what may he not suffer Pray do but consider the Apostles after that the Spirit came upon them you know they would suffer any thing though it were never so great before the Spirit came upon them though they had the Personal presence of Christ they could not suffer any thing though it was never so smal Now Faith doth close with the Promise of the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the Spirit of God the Promise of the Father Answ 4 Fourthly It is the proper Work of Faith to look upon the recompence of Reward By Faith Moses had an Eye to the recompence of Reward and so chose Affliction with the People of God Saith our Savior to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled How so Lord Saith he I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House there are many Mansions Faith shews one the Glory and the Joyes of Heaven and when a man sees those things what may he not suffer Answ 5 Fiftly The more that a man can see the hand of God as a Father upon the Rod the more able he wil be to suffer and the more cheerful Ye bring a Child to School and he sees the School hung with Rods in every corner a Rod and the Child is afraid but if his Fathers House be set with Rods the Child is not afraid in his Fathers House Now Faith true savâ—ng Faith wil shew one the hand of a Father upon the Rod. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith Answ 6 Sixtly The more a man can see to the end of his Affliction and Suffering the more able he wil be to go through it Now Faith tels a man that there is an end No temptation saith the word of Faith hath befallen you but what is common and with the Temptation there is an out-let there is a door a door in the Ark although the door may be under water and the out-let may be under water Faith doth not only tel a man that there is an end but that the end shal be good and al shal work together for his good yea it tels a man that his affliction shall be but for a moment and that moment shal be recompenced with abundance of Comfort Psal 30. ver 5. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favor is Life Weeping may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning So also in Isa 54. verse 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Faith tels us this Now when a man knows and considers this what may he not suffer Answ 7 Seventhly It is the proper work of Faith to look on both sides of the Dispensation there is a dark side and there is a light side in Affliction and Suffering Sence and Reason looks only on the dark side but Faith looks to both sides of the Dispensation It is written of Mr. Latimer the blessed Martyr that when he was to go to the Stake taking leave of his fellow Prisoners saith he Be of good Comfort O my Friends and Brethren for though we go to the Stake to day and be burnt to Fire we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out we shal make such a Fire in England to day as shal never be quenched he saw both sides of the Dispensation because he beleeved Faith wil shew one both sides of the Dispensation Answ 8 Eightly It is the proper Work of Faith to see one contrary in another or through another it wil see the Smiles of God in the midst of Frowns it wil see Love in the midst of Anger it will see Order in the midst of Confusion it wil see Mercy in the midst oâ— Misery it wil see a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor Faith it looks upon things with the Prospective of the Promise and the Promise speaks on this wise in Deut. 32. verse 36. saith the Lord there The Lord shall judg his People and repent himself for his Servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Faith I say sees one contrary in another or beyond another and when a man can do so what may he not suffer And Answ 9 Ninthly and lastly If God do engage to help and succor in afflictions and if the Lord do count himself engaged to succor deliver and help in Affliction because men trust in the Lord surely Faith can do very much in the day of Affliction Now I pray look into Scripture and you shal see that the Lord is engaged upon this account in Psal 37. last And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the