Angels said he at any time Thou art my beloved in whom I am well pleased Gods Love to Christ is not only greater but diffusive for the Love that God bears to Christ is as the oyl that was poured upon the head of Aaron which ran down to the skirts of his garments so the Love that God bears to Christ terminates not in the Person of Christ but is communicated to all that are his As Haman to shew the great hatred he bore to Mordecai would not bound his malice on the person of Mordecai but would destroy the whole Nation So God thought it too small a Testimony of his Love to Christ to be well pleased with Christ for so he is with the Angels but he is well pleased in Christ with the whole World I mean all Nations We must believe this or we cannot expect any favour for his sake His Love to Christ is so great that his Love to Christ is greater then his hatred to sinners so that any sinner may be reconciled and accepted through Christ God came to reconcile God and sinners not God and sin As one who desires the King to be reconciled to such a Traytour doth not desire him to be reconciled to the Treason but to the Traytour II. We are to believe the fulnesse of Christ's satisfaction and the greatnesse of the value and efficacy of the death of Christ for if Justice be not satisfied we have no Throne of Grace but a seat and Barr of Justice to come before The Blood of Christ hath a pacifying purifying purchasing perfuming reconciling satisfying justifying virtue It pacifies Gods wrath it reconciles and justifies our persons it purifies our Nature it perfumes our duties it purchaseth our inheritance III. We are to believe the efficacy and infallible successe of Christs Intercession The fulnesse of Christs Intercession is in this that he doth three things for us all that we stand in need of according to what was Typified by the High-Priest for he did three things 1. He sprinkled the blood upon the Mercy-seat hereby an attonement was made as to our sins they being pardoned 2. He went in with Incense hereby our duties were perfumed so God is said to inhabit the Praises of his People and to dwell in thick darknesse i. e. in the the thick smoke of the Incense 3. He had the Names of the Tribes engraven on his breast or heart Christ pleads the love he bears to his People Three places the names of the Saints are written in out of either whereof nor men nor Devils can blot them out viz. in the Book of Life on the palms of his hands and on the heart of Christ I may add the fourth thing the High-Priest did when he entered into the Holy Place viz. he went in with all his rich Priestly Garments to shew we should be clothed with the rich Robes of Christs Righteousnesse for what the High-Priest did he did not in his personal but in his publick capacity Now the efficacy of his Intercession was not only from the wonderful Love God bore to Christ from the unparalleld Interest Christ had in the Father by these means we may expect all acts of favour but we have Justice on our side for favour is an arbitrary thing therefore Christ is our Advocate 1 John 2.1.2 he presents our case not by way of Petition but by way of pleading for Advocates do not petition but plead So then Christ doth four things as to our Prayers 1. He endites them by his Spirit he perfumes them by his merit then he presents our Prayers and Persons for we have accesse through him Ephes 3.12 and then superadds his own Intercession his blood crying louder then our sins and better things then our Prayers IV. We are to believe and improve this truth viz. that the Father exceedingly delights to honour Christ and hereby God wonderfully honours Christ by pardoning and receiving into favour such Rebellious sinners as we are for his sake by forgiving any thing for his sake A sinner cannot please God better then by coming with confidence for pardon for his sake If we come for pardon or mercies and our Confidence ariseth from our low thoughts of the number or sinfulnesse of our sins or of Gods hatred of sin or our ability to satisfie Justice or deserve Mercy our Confidence is desperate impudence and arrogance but if purely from the high esteem we have of the incomprehensiblenesse of Christs satisfaction and of Christs Interest in Gods Love and of the Fathers delight to honour Christ such Confince is pretious and acceptable with God and whosoever hath it may go with as much freedom and assurance of favour as if he had never sinned with as much as Adam in his Innocency or the Angels in Glory Alas we do not believe or not improve these truths for if we did we might have any thing for Christ hath Interest enough in God to bear us out and procure any Mercy V. We are to believe improve and obey Christs Command viz. in John 14.13 14 16 23. the former truths give us great hope but this strong Consolation for though such a great Person had never so much interest in some other great Person with whom we had to do yet without a Commission from him we might not go in his Name but Christ hath not only given us leave but a Command and now it is not an arbitrary thing we may do or not do but we must do This is the Incomprehensible goodnesse of God that what is for our good he commands us that not only we may be put on the more to obtain what is good for us but that it may be an act of obedience and so we may be rewarded for procuring our own happinesse So much for the things we are to believe now for the manner of believing 1. We are to believe these things of God and Christ with an Historical Faith 2. With a Faith of Recumbency we are to rely upon the Power Wisdom and Goodness of God and upon Christs Interest in God c. 3. Saints are by way of duty but not by way of a necessary Condition of obtaining whatsoever they ask to believe with the Faith of assurance of obtaining whatsoever we pray for By Faith here in the Text is not meant that we must without any doubt or wâ—vering believe that we shall receive in kind whatsoever we ask even the very thing we pray for 1. The Leper was cured though he prayed with an if thou wilt 2. Those in disertion should put up no acceptable Prayers since they have not Faith of assurance of obtaining 3. Christ when he comes at the day of Judgment he shall not find this Faith on the Earth Luke 18.8 and yet vers 7. it is said God will hear those Prayers 4. The Apostle forbids this Faith vers 7. therefore it is not the Faith here commanded for then it should run thus you must believe you shall receive the thing you ask
so great God will not hear my prayers and heal my child for if indeed that were the reason of thy fearing that God will not hear thee thou wouldst rather feâ—r it as to thine other child since his death would be more afflictive Now the Saints have more reason to strengthen their Faith in the Omnipotence of God in Prayer than wicked men for because the things worldly men desire need not Omnipotence to do A creature may do what they desire except God will withdraw his common Providence for one that is worth an hundred thousand pounds can make a poor man rich and some Medicines in an ordinary way of Providence have vertue to cure many Diseases But the things the people of God desire cannot be done but by Omnipotence Eph. 1.19 IV. We must act our Faith upon his Goodnesse and Bounty for we must not only have high thoughts of Gods other Excellencies but of his Goodness also of his abundant willingness to do us good and loathness to afflict us for surely he never afflicts us but in case of necessity 1 Pet. 1. If need be you are in many tribulations When he afflicts us he only gives us necessaries but when he bestows mercies he gives us not only for our necessity but richly to enjoy When we go to a Covetous man for mony he parts with every penny as with a drop of bloud for us to think God parts so with his Mercies that he is hard to be intreated and that he is an hard Master either for work or wages are thoughts utterly unworthy and shamefully dishonourable to the Goodnesse of God If thy child whose finger if it should but ake thine heart akes should think thou grudgest him every bit of meat he eats thou wouldst think him a wretched child unworthy of thy tender affections and must it not be farre worse in thee to have such thoughts of God since tam pius nemo tam pater nemo Was it so great a grief to Peter to have Christ question his love John 21.17 though he had given but sad testimony of his Love but lately and can it choose but much offend God for thee to question Gods Love to thee nay his Goodness in it self when God hath given thee no cause of either Mal. 2.1 We should go to God with as much confidence of his Love and readiness to do us good as the child doth to the tenderest Parent as we do to the dearest friend we have in the whole world and much more abundantly If we do not believe that the goodness of God is as much above the goodness and love of our dearest friend as we account his Wisdom and Power above our friends we have unworthy thoughts of that Attribute which God hath most abundantly manifested and would have most glorified and the love our friend bears us is but a drop from and of that Ocean that is in God Doubtless God loves his enemies more then we love our friends he loves us more if we love him then we love our selves or him Surely God loves the weakest Saint on earth more than the highest Angel in heaven loves him for when God saith that he So loved the world it was such a Sic there was no Sicut for it it might not be said as the Angels loved God Ah we deal unworthily with God in having base low thoughts of his goodness he hath little deserved it at our hands he that hath done such wonders and miracles of Mercies for us and hath promised to do more Say that every mercy is too great for thee to receive but say not that any is too great for God to give Surely surely God is more willing to give than we are to receive mercies But you will say If God be so willing to bestow mercies why doth he not bestow them without prayers and such importunity I Answer God doth not thus because he is not willing but because we are not fit for Mercies for God waits to be gracious The tender Mother had rather give her child Cordials than bitter Pils but her child is sick By our Prayers we make not God more willing but we become more prepared for Mercies for our Prayers exercise and so strengthen grace and strong grace weakens and mortifies corruption and then we are fit for mercies God only stayes while he may blesse us indeed as Jabez phraseth it One that is in a Boat and pulls a Rope whos 's other end is tied to a Rock pulls not the Rock to the Boat but the Boat to the Rock so our Importunities move not God but us But you will say when we pray for others this reason holds not for their graces are not encreased by our praying for their deliverances from misery or danger or the Church from persecution I Answer It is true but our Prayers add to our reward for God is in goodnesse as Sathan is in badnesse and much more abundantly whereas whâ—n Sathan hath a Commission and intends to do some mischiefe he as oft as he can engageth Witches to put him upon doing that which he intends to do howsoeveâ— that he may involve them in the guilt as if they themselves or that he had not done it if they had not put him upon it So God that the Saints may have the reward of the good he doth to others as if they themselves had done it or as if God would not have done it wiâ—hout their Prayers puts them upon praying for those Mercies for others which he will do howsoever Esay 59.16 III. The Third Object of Faith are the Promises and there are three kinds some to Prayer some of Prayer some to the Person praying We are to act our Faith upon all but for brevity sake for I am forced to Contract I shall answer but one Objection The poor Soul will say I do not believe I have any Interest in the promises therefore I cannot pray in Faith I Answer To obtain the Mercies included in a promise it is not requried that we should believe our Interest in it but the truth not that God will perform to us but to those to whom it belongs though you do not believe it belongs to you for the promises made to Graces are made to them that have them not to them that believe as for example the promises made to Faith are made to them that have Faith though they believe not that they do believe and that poor Souls doubt that God will never make good any promise to them proceeds not from any doubt of Gods veracity or faithfulnesse but of their own unworthinesse and non-interest in them IV. The fourth and main Object of Faith which our Faith must eye in our Prayers is Christ in whom all the Promises are yea and Amen who hath reconciled the Person and Attributes of God and concerning Christ we are to believe I. The great love God bears to Christ which is doubtlesse greater then to the whole Creation for to which of the
that whereof you doubt compare these together and poyze them impartially you will finde that your perplexed thoughts have another aspect when written then when floating and that your own inke will ordinarily kill this tetter plainly your selves will be able to resolve your own doubts but if not this will ripen the boyle where it doth not breake and heale it you will be ready for advice o Vide Sayr Clav. Reg. Ibidem § 6. 7. In your consulting of others do it with expressions equivalent to those of the Jewes to Jeremy but with more sincere affections Jer. 42. vers 2. Pray for us unto the Lord thy God Vers 3. That the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walke and the thing that we may do Vers 5. The Lord be a true and faithful witnesse between us if we do not p Jer. 42.5 c. expressius est juramentum quo dicitur Testis est deus quam quo dicitur Juro quia illud explicat rationem juramenti c. Estius in loc according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us vers 6. whether it be good or whether it be evill i. e. seem it never so disadvantageous or dangerous to us we will they the voyce of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God But be cause we have none can give infallible decision therefore refer your case to those that are likely to give a different resolution and thereby you will see how much is to be allowed to humane passion request them to write the grounds of their Determination then compare these together especially the Scriptures and reasons If you cannot out of these collect a satisfying resolution yet the case will be brought into a narrower compasse be unwearied therefore to take the same course again apply your selves to the same persons or others one case thus thorowly resolved will be singularly usefull for the scattering of all future doubts in all other cases And though this may prove a businesse of time yet suspend your acting q Contra legem charitatis in deum fecit is qui cum dubium animum habeat nâ—hilominus operatur actus ad sui bonitatem rectam cognitionem rei agendae requirit postulat Azor. Instit mor. l 2 c. 18. pag. 135. till you are satisfied though the duty in question be of greatest moment yet while you can approve your heart unto God that 't is neither love of sin nor ease 't is neither slighting of Christ nor duty but a restlesse inquisitivenesse to know Gods minde in the case your suspense at the worst wil be reckoned among your infirmities and be compassionately overlookt Can there be any thing of greater moment than to doubt of Christs resurrection yet while Thomas r John 20 25.27 doubted meerly for want of evidence Christ graciciously condiscends in a non-such manner to give him satisfaction To conclude this whereto Å¿ Phil 3.15 16. ye have already attained walke by rule exactly and if in any thing you be doubtfully minded God shall reveal even this unto you V. The scrupulous Consc A scrupulous conscience is that which doth determine a thing to be lawful t Statuâ—t rem aliquam esse licâ—tam sed ideo in effectum minus deducendaÌ„ quia scrupulus aliquis qui anxiam reddat conscientâ—am ne fâ—â—si an res ista sit illicita Kâ—nig de conse p. 14. yet scarcely to be done lest it should be unlawfull There 's some anxiety reluctancy and feare in the determination A scruple in the minde is as gravell u Scrupulus diminutivum à scrupus lapillus est qui in calceo Hinc metaphoricè significat similem afflâ—ctionem animae seu conscientiae 1 Sam. 25.31 non erit in scrupulum cordis c. Bâ—ess de consc l. 6. c. 1. p. 562. in the shooe it vexeth the Conscience as that hurts the foot A scruple is a hâ—vering kind of fearfulnesse arising from light w Ames Ibidem p. 16. arguments that hinder or disturb the soul in performances of duties The difference between a doubting Conscience a scrupulous Conscience is this A doubting Conscience assents to neither part of the question a scrupulous Conscience consents but with some vexation Causes I shall name but two causes forbearing to mention our ignorance and pride which have a great influence upon all kind of Errour Doubts and Scruples 1. The first cause of scrupulousness is natural x Scrupulus vel melancholia vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enatus Konig ibid p. 15. item ex aegritudine infirmitate ex nonnullis causis quae cerebruÌ„ exsiccant ut sunt jejunium vâ—giliae c. S yr cl reg l. â— c 14. p. 42 viz. a cold complexiion which is alwayes timerous those that are phlegmatick and melancholy are naturally fearful and the reason is that through the defect of naturall heat the spirits about the heart are as it were congealed and the heart it self is straitned whence by way of sympathy the imagination hath sad apprehensions of things and such persons are pusi lanimous and fearfull 2. The 2d and the chief cause is temptations Satan if he cannot keep the heart a secure prisoner hee 'l do his utmost to oâ—erwhelm it with fears and jealousies and he suits his temptations according to our temper y Singulis hominibus vitiis convenientibus insidiatuâ— neque enim facile captivaret Si aut luxu ipsis praemia aut avaris scorta proponeret Si aut voraces de abstineÌ„tiae gloria aut abstinentes dâ— gulae imbecillitate pulsaret ergo in tentationis ardore callidè singulis infediaâ—s â—icinos moribus laquâ—os abscâ—ndit Gregor mor. l 29. c. 14. p. 161. b. He doth not tempt the riotous with rewards nor the glutton to the glory of abstinence he doth not tempt the coward to strive for victories nor the passionate to fearfulnesse He doth not tempt the melancholy to security nor the phlegmaticke to great atchievements A due consideration therefore of our natural temper would mend our spirituall 1. The first remedy I shall commend to you is this viz. be not discouraged with your scruplâ—s 'Pray' keep off from the other extream do not indulge them they naturally tend to much spiritual damage they 1. are occasions of sin 2 They render the wayes of God more strait horrid and impossible 3 They retard the work of Grace 4. They hinder Chearfulnesse in the service of God 5. They quench the Spirit 6 They unfit us for any Dâ—ty These may all serve for arguments to strive agâ—inst them But yet be not discouraged for God is pleased through over-powring grace to make good use of them 1. To further mortification 2. To restrain us from worldly vanities 3. To abate pride and promote humility 4. To make us more watchfull
thy right eye offend thee c. If thy right hand offend thee c. Look as it is with good men though they have the seeds of every grace in them yet some one may be said to be theirs in an eminent manner Abraham was eminent for obedience Moses for meeknesse Job for patience Thus it is with wicked men though they have the seed of every sin in them yet some one may be said to be theirs in an especiall manner Wicked men in Scripture are as it were marked out for severall sinnes calculo nigro Cain for his murder Simeon and Levi for their treachery Corah and his company for their conspiracy Nebuchadnezar for his pride Manasses for his cruelty Balaam for his covetousnesse or look as it is in the naturall body though every man hath blood flegme choler melancholy yet some humour or other is predominant from which a man hath its denomination so 't is in the sinful body some sinfull humour or other hath the predominancy most men have some peccatum in deliciis some sweet morsell that they roll under their tongue which they will by no means spit out or part with It would be no hard matter to shew you that severall Nations have their proper and peculiar sins as the Spaniard theirs the French theirs the Dutch theirs Look into the Scripture and you will finde that the Corinthians had their sin which is thought to be wantonnesse and uncleanness and therefore the Apostle in the Epistles that he writes to them uses so many pressing arguments against this sin The Cretians are branded for Lyars the Jews for Idolaters So your Towns have their sins Villages theirs Cities theirs possibly Londons sin may be loathing spiritual Manna neglect and contempt of the Gospel a non-improvement of Ordinances 3. I am to enquire how this comes to passe that particular persons have their proper and particular sins 1. Men have particular temperaments and constitutions of body and therefore they have their particular sins sutable to their temperaments and constitutions You heard before how particular temperaments enclined men severall wayes Creatures in the generall are naturally delighted with those things which are fitted suited and accommodated to the genius and frame of their respective natures As in the same plant the Bee feedeth on the flower the Bird on the seed the Sheep on the blade the Swine on the root the same seeds are not proper for the sand and for the clay Every thing thrives most where it likes best so t is in this case that sin is like to thrive most in the soul that we make most of that we are most delighted in that suits best our complexions and constitutions We must be carefull here lest we strein this too far with some Physitians and Epicureans that hold the soule to be nothing else but the temper of the body but questionlesse this hath a very great influence on the better part Hence some have adjudged it not fit for illegitimate persons to be admitted into Ecclesiastical orders and you know under the Law by the appointment of God himself a bastard was not to enter into the congregation to the tenth generation And I humbly conceive that a toleration of unclean mixtures is not onely against Religion but against principles of polity and government the children of filthy persons for the most part proving degenerate ignoble lascivious and by that means become the blemishes the ulcers the plague-sores of the body politique Kingdom and State whereunto they do belong 2. There are distinct and peculiar periods of times distinct and peculiar ages that encline to peculiar sins for instance childhood enclines to lenity and inconstancy youth to wantonness and prodigality manhood to pride and stateliness old age to frowardnesse you know diseases make men fretfull now ipsa senectus morbus old age it selfe is a disease If we take not heed the sinfull body will grow strong when the naturall body grows weak I have heard of a good woman something enclinable to passion that used to say I must strive against peevishnesse when I am young or else what will become of me when I am old And so Covetousness is a sin that old age is very much addicted to Windelin in his Moral Phylosophy cap. 25. discourses learnedly Cur senes sint magis avari quam juvenes when God is taking people out of the world they cling fast about it and cry loth to depart truly this no good signe You know men that are a sinking and in a desperate case lay hold on any thing 3. Men have distinct and particular callings that encline them to particular sins For instance a Souldiers employment puts him upon rapine and violence And therefore John the Baptist when the Souldiers demanded of him what shall we do tels them Do violence to no man neither accuse any falsely Luke 3.14 be content with your wages A Tradesmans employment puts him upon lying deceiving over-reaching his brother Ministers upon the occount of pleasing the best as we many times Catechrestically call them or the greatest of the Parishâ— are tempted to flattery to please men to sow pillowes under their peoples elbows Magistrates and Judges are tempted to bribery and injustice if great care be not taken their very calling and office may prove a snare upon that account 4. Men have distinct and particular wayes of breeding and education and upon that account have their particular sins The child that hears his Father and Mother swear is like to swear too That child that hath frequently wine and strong drink given to it by the Parents when it is young 't is likely may get a smatch of it and love to it and so prove intemperate when it is old Joseph by living in the Court of Pharaoh learned to swear the Court Oath Man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a creature very much given to imitation Examples have a very great influence on men both in reference to vertues and vices especially to the latter we catch sicknesse one of another but we do not catch health For instance the Scripture speaking of the sonne of Jeroboam tels us 2 Reg. 15.9 that he did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord as his fathers had done he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat who made Israâ—l to sin He writ after his Fathers copy and therefore the sins of his Father in a particular manner is taken notice of by the Spirit of God in that place So 2 Sam. 6.20 2 Sam. 6 20. you have an account of Michals jeering of David because he danced before the Arke and you will find that she is called there not the Wife of David but the daughter of Saul And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said how glorious was the King of Israel to day who uncovered himselfe to day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants as one of the vain fellows
the man that hath his quiver full of such artillery whose conscience is rich in these Memoirs Store thy mind with this sacred treasure Mat. 13.52 that as a Scribe instructed for the Kingdome of heaven thou mayest upon all occasions bring forth out of thy treasure things new and old Hold such Scriptures as are point-blanck contrary to the Temptation before thy conscience if it would turn away compell it to look upon them and think I am Gods creature I must obey him Did ever any rebell against him and prosper Terence eine ego ut adverser Is it wisely done of me to resist my Maker to try which is strongest a poor worme or the Almighty God And if the love of Gods commands will not constrain thee let the terrors the thunders and lightnings of his threats perswade thee which are all levelled against wilfull sinners And it is not safe standing surely in the very Canons mouth Peruse those two Scriptures and tremble to venture on any known breach of the Law of thy God Deut. 28.58 Isa 45 9. Rule 3 If all this effect nothing then draw the Curtain take off the vaile from before thy heart and let it behold the God that searcheth it Jer. 17.10 Heb. 4.13 Shew it the Majesty of the Lord see how that is described Isa 6.1 2 3. Ask thy soul whether it sees the living God that seeth it Whether it is aware whose eye looks on Gen. 16.13 14. Whether it hath no respect for God himself who stands by and whose pure and glorious eyes Hab. 1.13 pierce through and through thee Tell thy heart again and again that God will not be mocked that he is a God of knowledge 1 Sam. 2.3 and by him actions are weighed that he is a jealous God too and will by no meanes clear the guilty Bid it consider well and look to it self for God will bring to light every hidden thing of dishonesty he that now sees will judge it Speak to thy unruly lusts as the Town-Clerk of Ephesus wisely did to the mutinous Citizens Acts 19 40. Sirs we are in danger to be called in question for this dayes uproar there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this tumult Rule 4 If these great reall arguments be slighted try whether an argument ad hominem drawn from sense will prevail Awe thy lusts then with the bitternesse of thine own experience Consider how often thou hast rued their disorders what dismall consequences have followed upon their transports and how dearly thou hast paid heretofore for thy connivance at them Bethink thy self on such a fashion as this T'other day I was angry and behaved my self uncomely put the whole company or family out of order disobliged such a dear and faithful friend by my rashness and folly in uttering hasty words before I weighed them O how did I repent me afterwards how shamed and abashed and confounded was I when I came to my self So at another time thus and thus I miscarried my self and these are the fruits and cursed effects of my yielding to the beginnings of sinne and shall I go now and repeat my madnesse Had I not smart enough for my folly before but must I needs play the fool and the beast again Ask thy self what thou ailest to forget all the sighes and groans and bitter tears that thy lust hath already cost thee and yet would the impudent sin be committed once more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where are thy wits man Theoret in Cyclop if thou goest about it Sic notus Vlysses Was it so sweet a thing to lye under the horror and agony of a wounded conscience and under Gods rebukes in secret the last time that thou must needs venture again Why wilt thou hurt thy soule and become a Devil to thy self Why wilt thou needs break thy peace by consenting to sin and not only so but torment thy self and kindle a hell in thine own bosome and all this in despight of all thy warnings Ictus Piscator sapit the burnt child dreads the fire But it seems thou art in love with misery and weary of thy joy and comfort Thou hast a mind to be cursed wretchedness and woe and death are it seemeth grown so amiable in thine eyes as to become thy deliberate choise Thus upbraid thy self and do it so long and loud till thou fetchest thy soul again to it self out of that swoon and lethargy which besotteth it Give not over chiding and reproaching thy self till thou makest thy heart sensible and considerate Labour to cure thy lustings and affections in the first beginning of Rule 5 their disorders by Revulsion by drawing the stream and tide another way As Physitians stop an an Haemorragic or bleeding at the Nose by breathing the basilique vein in the arm or opening the Saphaena in the foot so may we check our carnal affections by turning them into spiritual ones and those eâ—ther 1 Of the same nature Ex. gr Catch thy worldly sorrow at the rise and turn thy mourning into godly sorrow If thou must needs weep weep for some what that deserves it Be the occasion of thy grief what it will losse of estate relations c. I am sure thy sins are a juster occasion for they brought that occasion of mourning upon thee be it what it will that thou art now in tears for Art thou troubled at any danger full of fears heart-aking and confusion O forget not the Mother-evill sinne let that have but it's due share and there will not be much left to spare of these affections for other things Is thy desire thy love thy joy too busy about some earthly trifle some temporall good thing Pray them to look up a little and behold thy God who is altogether lovely in whose presence is fulnesse of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures for evermore Psal 16.11 and let everlasting shame stop thy mouth if thou darest affirme any thing in this wretched world worthy to be named once with the living God for Rivalship and competition in thy heart a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Max. Tyr. dissert 1. sure I am he is the fountain and measure of all goodnesse Let but the first and soveraign Good have its due of thy love and desire thy delight and joy and the remainder will be little enough for thy creature-comforts Oh how great a folly is it to dote on husks and overlook the bread in thy fathers house Jer. 2.12 13. 2 Turn thy carnall affections into spirituall ones of a contrary nature Ex. gr Allay thy worldly sorrow by spiritual joy Try whether there be not enough in Alsufficiency it self to compensate the loss of any outward enjoyment whether there wil be any great miss or want of a broken Cistern when thou art at the fountain head of living waters whether the light of the Sun cannot make amends for the expiring of a candle Chastise thy carnall fears by hope in God Set on work
must be reproved as well as the poorest Amalekite and the Mountains must be toucht let them smoke and fume never so furiously to allude to that place Psal 144.5 This made that excellent Emperour Theodosius so much esteem Ambrose viz. that hee durst and would out of the sense of his duty reprove even the highest and proudest Ambrosium ob hoc dignum Episcopi nomine solum novi but here humility must bee used 3. Wee must reprove discreetly making a difference between man and man For though it 's true that all are to bee reproved that are offenders especially within the Pale of the Church 1 Cor. 5.12 Except they bee scorners which Christ calls Dogs and Swine Mat. 7.6 and obstinate Hereticks Titus 3.10 yet all must not bee handled in the same manner Some will do more with a Rod than others will do with a Scorpion A Glass is not to bee handled so roughly as a Brazen Vessel this Rule St. Jude gives vers 22 23. Some must bee dealt withall with lenitives others with corrosives some gently reproved others sharply rebuked according to the tenderness or stubbornness of their disposition or according to the nature and quality of their offences and here abundance of Rules might bee said down about publick private great small seldome or frequent offences In one word a Reprover must bee like the Thrasher that the Prophet describes as one saies Isa 28.17 28. 4. Wee must reprove compassionately with the deepest sense of our own failings and miscarriages and so with the greater pitty to their infirmities Gal. 6.1 Bernard said of himself That hee never saw another man sin but hee was distrustful and jealous of his own heart ille heri tu hodie ego cras and this would file off a great deal of that rigour and roughness that renders a Reproof so unpleasing and so unprofitable for verily Christian tenderness and compassion in the Reprover is the best way to work sense and passion in the sinner Si vis me stere dolendum est primum ipse tibi This is the way to mollifie mens hearts whereas on a lordly domineering austere rigid Reproof instead of rendring thy Brother Gods friend thou dost but render thy self his enemy James 1.20 5. Wee must reprove charitably with the greatest love to mens persons even then when wee shew the greatest zeal against their sins for it is one thing to bee angry with the sins and another with his person therefore wee should consult our Brothers credit and esteem and honour and person while wee stab his sin and not as one said well in healing a wound in his conscience and conversation to leave a skar of reproach upon his person and a brand of shame and ignominy upon his Name that were to do the work of an enemy under the vizard of a friend and thus I remember the Jews generally interpret that Law Levit. 19.17 That is say the Talmudists and Gemarists thou shalt rebuke thy Brother so as to reform him but thou shalt not rebuke thy Brother so as to shame him thou shalt rebuke him in love and lenity hee that shames his Brother by rebuking him bears his sin nay say they hee that shames his Brother shall never enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Their meaning is unless the fault bee notorious and publick and scandalous for then they may shame him I speak it to your shame saith Paul 6. Wee must reprove meekly not in rage and passion and bitterness but in meekness and sweetness of spirit this Rule the Apostle gives 2 Tim. 2.25 Though there may bee some warmth in a Reproof so as to fetch off the hair yet it must not bee scalding hot so as to fetch off the skin Elijah did that with a kiss which his man could non do with a staff Beloved when a kiss will do it better oh take heed of carrying your Teeth in your Tongues Take soft words and hard Arguments to convince gain-sayers and so gentle reproofs and solid reasons to reduce offenders 7. Wee must reprove Scripturally My meaning is as neer as wee can to reprove our Brethren in Scripture-text and Scripture-language that so it may not seem to bee wee that speak so much as the Spirit of our Father that speaks in us and this is to reprove with authority Titus 2.15 What greater Authority and Majesty wherewith to awaken the conscience of a sinner than the Word of God by which hee should bee ruled and by which hee must certainly bee judged Know Reader That God took the Author to Glory before hee could finish this Sermon for the Press What Means may bee used towards the Conversion of our Carnal Relations Rom. 10.1 Brethren my hearts desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might bee saved THis Noble Argumentative Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Romans was written and dated at Corinth when hee was now even ready to set sail for Jerusalem as the Messenger of the Churches to convey thither the Collections of Macedonia and other places in Greece made for the poor Saints of Judea Rom. 15.25 26 as appears by the 15th Chapter of this Epistle But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the Saints For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor Saints which are at Jerusalem It being supposed to bee the same journey which is mentioned in the twentieth and one and twentieth Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles Act. 20.3 21.3 c. Capellus in hast Apostol p. 76. Calvis Usse◠Paraeus The time of the penning this Epistle some place in the 14th year of Claudius the Emperor some in the second some in the sixth some in the eighth of Nero. 'T is at present impertinent to decide that Chronological controversie It consists principally of two parts the first Doctrinal the second Hortatory The Doctrinal part spends its strength upon the great point of Justification by Faith and its glorious effects Unto which our Apostle doth annex a notable discourse of the abstruse Mystery of Predestination from the beginning of the ninth to the end of the eleventh Chapter and therein takes occasion to speak of that doleful bill of Divorce which God had given to the Jewish Nation Hee treats likewise of the Calling and Fulness of the Gentiles and the Restauration Israel in the latter daies In each of these three Chapters hee sadly bewails the deplorable state of his own kindred and by all the evincing Arguments possible labours for their conversion to the Faith To cut off any further Prologue In the beginning of this tenth Chapter hee pours out his longings after their Salvation In the first verse whetreof bee pleased to observe these four parts 1. Pauls holy groans and prayers my hearts desire and prayer to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The good will the hearty wishes desires and pantings of my soul Chysost in loc Hee laies open the greatest earnestness of his
their souls from death James 5.20 and hide a multitude of sins Now the principal Objects of this excellent duty are such with whom wee converse such to whom wee are obliged and connexed by the bonds and links of nature office or vicinity of habitation Hence was it that our blessed Lord while hee walked in the valley of his Incarnation exercised his Ministry most part among his kindred relations and neighbours at Nazareth Capernaum Bethsaida neer the Sea of Tiberias at Cana and other Regions of Galilee in which parts hee had receive his Education Andrew when hee understood the call of Christ the gret Saviour of the world John 1.41 hee presently seeks out his Brother Simon to bring him to the Messiah Philip after the like manifestation looks out for Nathaniel and in a great extasie of spirit John 1.45 cries out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wee have found him of whom Moses and the Prophets did write There are many instances of this nature both in the Old and New Testament Abraham and Joshua were famous in their Generation for this work they counted it their principal business they made it their great care to instruct their families in the fear and service of the great God Psal 101.2 David also ingages to walk in his house with a perfect heart that by his exemplary pattern hee might gain over his family to the Lord. Luke 5.29 Matthew the Publican wee read did invite all the Tribute-gatherers that were of his own Fraternity and Profession to a great Feast that they might sit down with Christ and feed upon his heavenly Doctrine John 4.53 The great man in the City of Capernaum brings in his whole family to the beleef of the Truth Act. 10.24 Cornelius the Roman Centurion who was quartered at Caesarea calls his Relations together to hear the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance The woman in the Gospel having found the lost groat after great pains and diligence calls in her friends and neighbours to rejoyce with her Luke 15.9 Crispus and the Jaylor and Lydia and Stephanas are eminent Examples of this duty by whose conscientious care and procurement it may bee supposed that their whole housholds came under the roof of Christ because presently after that wee have heard of their own personal Baptism wee finde their families also washed in that sacred Layer I shall not insist upon Arguments to prove the incumbent necessity of this duty or Motives to allure you to the practice of it I might deduce it as an inference consequent from the Law of Nature to use our greatest indeavours that our Relations might obtain an union to the best and highest good I might draw it from the. Divine Injunction I might excite your diligence from the consideration of the dreadful danger following its neglect Psal 78.5 from the comfort that will flow into thy bosome upon the exercise of it since it is a notable evidence of the sincerity of Grace in thine own heart None but such as have seen and tasted can cry out to others with an holy affectionate vehemency O come taste and see that the Lord is good P1sal 34.8 The Wine of the Kingdome having once warmed the hearts of Saints sends up vivacious spirits and fills their mouths with a holy loquacity I might further provoke thee to this excellent work by the rich benefit in gaining such to love thee whose affections will exceed all natural love whatever and by the great reward that shall ensue in the life to come For they that turn many to righteousness Dan. 12.3 shall shine as the stars for ever and ever O Brethren if families were holy then Cities then Nations would quickly prove Mountains of Holiness and Seats for the Throne of God Wee are apt to cry out of bad times Alas those unclean Nests of ungodly Families have been the causes of all the wickedness in all Ages and Generations to this day Therefore whoever thou art on whom the Grace of God hath shined study that holy art of Divine Reflection and Re-percussion of that light on others hearts which bring 's mee to an useful and practical question Quest You I say What course shall wee take what means shall wee use what method will you prescribe that wee may bee able to manage this important and weighty duty that wee may bee helpful towards the conversion and salvation of our neer Relations that are in the state of nature I confess this Question is of grand importance and being properly solved may prove of great influence in all places where wee are cast by Divine Providence There is scarce a family scarce a person living who may not bee comprehended within the verge and limits of this discourse Ans In answer therefore to it I shall spend the principal part of my time and that I may handle it the more distinctly I shall rank such as may desire satisfaction and direction in this weighty and excellent case under three forms or orders Such as are either Superiours Equals or Inferiors But before I enter into the main body of the Answer I shall crave leave to premise three things 1. That this Question is not to bee understood of persons in publick capacity and concernment as Magistrates or Ministers but of Family-Relations Kindred Co-habitants Neighbours Friends and Acquaintance of such as have frequent converse together in Civil Societies and often commerce in dealings but principally of Oeconomical Relatives or such as are nigh to each other by blood or affinity 2. That Saving-Conversion is in the power of God alone to effect as being the primary and principal efficient cause of all those gracious works that accompany salvation There is none able to kindle Grace in the heart but hee who hath his fire in Zion and his furnace in Jerusalem Yet not withstanding all of us in our several stations as subordinate instruments may and must use all wholesome means that are of Divine Appointment conducing to such a blessed end 3. That there are different states conditions capacities and qualifications among such Relations whose conversion wee should endeavour Some being perhaps enormously and outragiously wicked others morally civil and yet further others possibly may bee conformable to the institutions of the external worship of God Of these I may speak Sparsim opere interâ—exto as the particulars will hear together with such other appendant cases that may hold some consanguinity with the General Question To begin then with the first branch Quest 1. What means Superiors principally in Family-Relations should use to draw on their Inferiors to rellish and savour the things of God True it is what Jerom saies fiunt Hieronym ad Laetam Tom. 1. p. 55. edit Lugd. 1530. non nascuntur Christian No man is born a Christian but an heir of wrath and divine justice For the obtaining of the New Birth thin in such as are committed to our charge I shall draw up directions under
of means directed by God is a hopeful sign of mercy intended where God chuseth to the end he ordains to the means He hath chosen us to be holy that we might be glorious Ephes 1.4 11. However God deal with you in that particular request yet be sure your care and pains will not lose a signal reward your prayers shall return into your own bosome and I tell thee God watcheth over such a family in a way of mercy and peace His eye of grace is toward thee his holy hand will uphold thee his heart will bless thee Unto his good pleasure commit thy self and wait the successe go on and prosper thou blessed of the Lord. What are the Characters of a Souls sincere Love to Christ and how may that love to him be kindled and inflamed EPHESIANS 6.24 Grace bee with all Them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity THese words may well be treated on without much Preface Rom. 16.24 1. Cor. 16.23 24. 2 Ep. 13.14 Gal. 6.18 there being nothing in them which speaks any dependance upon or connexion with any thing that went before Some form of Benediction we finde used by this Great Apostle at the conclusion of every Epistle and accordingly having driven his excellent design in this to the Church of Ephesus to a full period or issue hee first makes an affectionate address to God and to the Mediator in their behalf v. 23. Grace be to the Brethren and love with Faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and then leaves his Apostolical Benediction upon them v. 24. Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Or The blessing of the Eternal God be upon all the sincere-hearted Christians amongst you for so I look upon the latter words of the verse as a Periphrasis of all real Christians Love to Christ being as essential to the Christian as the Rational Soul is to the man The only difficulty in the words that will require our stay is to inquire what is meant by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sincerity some refer it to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grace mentioned at the beginning of the verse as if it had been read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto Incorruption or to bring them to eternal life or until they come to a state of Immortality So many of the Antients and of the Modern Interpreters Beza Tremellâ—us and others Others read it in Conjunction with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ making it a qualification or a discriminating note of that love which is sound real and sincere from that which is but pretended counterfeit and easie to bee corrupted by every difficulty and temptation And accordingly they translate some in incorruptione others absque a third sort amare non vitiato nec culpato All to the same sense with our English Translation In Sincerity There are others who consider this phrase apart by it self some explaining it by purity of heart and conversation others as denoting thereby the duration of love tam prosperis quam adversis or both in good and bad times Piscator makes it a distinct branch of the Apostles Prayer as if hee had said Grace bee with all them c. and life eternal Taking no notice of the Preposition that is added and varies the Construction 'T is the conjecture of a Learned Divine That the Apostle in adding this clause hath some reflection on the Gnosticks who had mingled themselves with the Christians of Ephesus And were whatever they pretended neither pure in their love to Christ having mixed his Doctrine with abominable corruptions nor yet sincere and lasting therein being ready upon every blast of persecution that did arise to deny him and Apostatize from him I shall for the present with Musculus leave the matter indifferent not only which of the two first but of all the other fore-mentioned Opinions is fixed upon finding no cause so far as concerns my present purpose to be peremptory in either The Apostle doubtless meaning none else by lovers of Christ but such whose hearts were sincerely and intirely affected to him whether hee intended to characterize them any further by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or no which I presume 1 Cor. 16.22 Joh. 14.15 23. 21.15 17. 1 Pet. 1.8 might easily be manifested from other parallel places where this grace is mentioned and understood properly having no additional qualification made thereto and from the design of the words themselves for certainly he would not so solemnly have intitled the rotten-hearted Hypocrites that did only pretend love to Christ unto the Benediction of the great and blessed God And if that stand good wee have enough for our purpose and more need not bee contended for Let this suffice then for their meaning The subject matter of them whether you look to the first clause or the last is very Noble and might well deserve a large consideration but I am confined to this single use of them which is to make them the Foundation of these two cases of Conscience What are the genuine Characters of a Souls sincere love to Christ And how may that love to him bee kindled and inflamed And there are but two or three things that I desire to suggest and then wee shall immediately begin to treat upon them in their order 1. Let it be considered that there is a vast difference between these cases and such others as do refer only to lower duties When we inquire after the sincerity of our love to Christ. It 's all one as if we were upon the search whether we are Christians yea or not And whether consequently our portion doth lye in the Divine Promises or Threatnings And what is our immediate duty that all other set aside we must attend unto And again when wee seek for directions to help us unto the love of Christ our inquiry is not how wee may order this or that inferiour action but how wee may attain to saving Religion and Christianity How wee may escape the great damning sin of the world and intitle our selves to the love of God and Christ and to all the rare priviledges which belong to the Communion of Saints In a word to the Grace of God here and to Eternal Life hereafter See 1 Cor. 2.9 James 1.12 2.5 John 14.21.23 2. Let it be considered that it is not the distinct resolution of these cases that will be of final advantage to any person unless there be added to the former an impartial soul-searching examination of themselves and to the latter as the case shall require a conscientious practice The resolutions given to cases of conscience about the right performance of duties being nothing else but the bare providing the food or physick And again the discoveries of mens states thereby being but the presenting looking-glasses to them neither of which are effectual or do any good but to such as faithfully use them 3. Let mee humbly minde you that the
more uncertainty you are at touching your estates when you have examined them by the Characters the more diligence you are concerned to use in the practice of the Directions And let mee add this That where you cannot undeniably and demonstratively conclude the sincerity of your love which I think few in compatison on this side of Heaven can there you must never lay by the advice about the last case no not although your probabilities should be great it being at the worst but an easie and sweet trouble to be still doing this great work over again whereas it 's irrecoverably dangerous and desperate upon presumption that we have done it already to leave it wholly neglected And I beseech you remember this useful Rule That in all Trials which Christians make about Grace It is safer to want credulity than to be over hasty therein The cases are two and very fit to follow each other in the order that is given to them I begin with the first What are the genuine Characters of a souls sincere love to Christ And in order to the Resolution thereof I must premise these several Propositions 1. Proposition That there is a great deal of difference between Love as it is seated in the Will or rational Appetite and the same Act or Principle of Love as seated in the sensitive In the former it is a settled Voluntas nihil aliud est quam Intellectus extensus ad habendum faciendum id quod cognoscit Scaliger exercit 107. rational uniform and deliberate Motion co-incident with the very natural Act of the Will it self To Love as the great School-man notes being nothing else but Intensive velle to will intensely either person or thing The motion of the Will towards the Object as good and desirable and the earnest imbracing thereof this is Rational Love And according to the various Aspect which it hath thereto either as present or absent perfect or imperfect it is called love of desire or fruition dependance or complacency And if the Object be such as can or doth reciprocate affection then its friendship or Amor Amâ—citiae But now take Love as it is an Affection properly so called and seaâ—eâ— in the lower faculties of the soul and so there is a great variety and inequality in its motions much easier to be felt thâ—n expressed sometimes the soul is in a kinde of extasie wrapt above it self and then by and by it's flat and dull again I note this first for this reason that you may understand what kinde of love it is that our inquiry doth proceed upon viz. Rational Love Baxters Dâ—rections for peace and comfort Direct 21. it being as a Judicious Divine hath often observed not so safe for Christians to try their states by the passionate motions of Grace in the lower parts of the soul or the affections as by the more equal and uniform actings thereof in the Will it self the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commandress of the soul 2. Proposition The Acts of the Will in specie morali derive their goodness or vitiousness partly from the nature of the Object upon which they are fixed I do not assert this to bee the onely ground whence they are concluded good or evil for the Principle and the End and sometimes the degree of the Act are all necessary thereto but onely that this is one thing necessary Thus the willing of God or any of those things which are in a direct order to his glory is that wee call the Grace of Love As on the other side when the Will moveth towards any thing which standeth in opposition thereto This is that wee call sinful Concupiscence 3. Proposition It is not barely the Object in it self considered but as cloathed with its proper excellencies that agree to it and all its necessary Relations which the Will in its motions must have respect unto before any of those motions can truly be said to be Gracious For the nature of Grace lies not in the Act or motion of the Will simply and nakedly considered but as it 's suited and proportioned to the excellencies of the Object and those Relations which do inseparably belong thereto For instance To delight in God It is not every act of delight which the Soul may have upon the apprehension of him such as a bare Philosophical conception of God may sometimes raise the heart unto But when the beleeving Soul having taken a view of the excellencies of God and its own sweet Relation to him as a Gracious Father is carried forth in a holy rapture and exultancy of Spirit This is the Grace of Delight 4. Proposition Though the Love of God and the Love of Christ are never found one without the other yet is there a distinction necessary to be put between them and that even as great in proportion as is between God and the Mediatour or between the last end and the principal means conducing thereto The love of the Soul to God is Amor finis ultimi Or of such a Being as it will be an eternal happiness to be united unto The love of the soul to Christ as Mediatour is Amor medii principalis or of one by whom wee may have access to God and finde our happiness in him The formal reason of the former is the Divine All-sufficiency and Blessedness but of the latter the personal excellencies that are in Christ together with his ability and willingness to free us from our undoing streights and exigencies as wee are in a state of Apostacy and elongation from God And if I mistake not the not observing this necessary distinction between the Acts of the Soul as respecting God and the same Acts in specie or in kind as respecting the Mediatour hath occasioned much confusion in those Answers which are given to this and many such like inquiries such Arguments as are only proper to the one being made use of to discover the sincerity of our hearts in the other 5. Proposition Love as it is an Act or habit of the will and hath Christ for its object is not properly the Evangelical grace of love to Christ unless it have respect to him according to the various Excellencies of his person and the several distinct Relations which are by God invested in him Or thus The gospel grace of love is not the Intensive willing a Naked Christ but Christ as represented with his peculiar personal Excellencies and with his various offices and relations unto us in the Gospel This proposition undeniably follows from the third before laid down But yet because it gives some special light to helpe us to discover the true nature of this grace and is Intended as the foundation of some of those Characters that will afterwards come to bee insisted on I must crave your patience while I offer something farther for the confirmation thereof That certainly is no true Moral Act which is not suited to the nature of the object Thus for a man to love his
friend no otherwise than hee loves his beast would not bee a true Moral act of love And again as plain a truth it is that where the act of love doth not bear some gradual proportion to the various excellencies of the object that it is conversant about neither can that Act have any Moral truth or goodness in it For Instance to love God or Christ with no higher love than wee love inferior persons whether Friends Relations or Superiors in the world This were not Sincerely to love either of them See 1 John 2.15 and Matth. 10.37 and Luke 14.26 I add in the last place which is no less evident than either of the former that where there are relations or offices Necessarily Invested in and Inseparable from the person beloved then if our love doth not respect the object as under those relations and offices it will bee far from being love in Sincerity Some Instances will clear this also beyond Contradiction Suppose a Woman that hath a Husband and shee loves him no otherwise than one friend loves another And the Case is the same between a Scholler and his Master a Servant and his Lord a Subject and his Prince If the affections bee without reverence obedience and loyalty will either of these bee reputed true love Why no more are such to bee accounted the sincere lovers of Christ who do not bear an affection to him in all his offices and relations And this I take to bee so demonstrative a truth and of such Necessary consideration in our present inquiry that nothing could bee spoken in Judgement thereto until wee had first made our way unto it and laid it down I am sure it will bee found fundamental to the right understanding the Nature of sincere love to Christ and the greatest part of the Characters which are laid down in the scripture of this grace It might now bee here expected and it 's almost necessary to give some account of Christs personal excellencies and also of his offices what they were and briefly to intimate what new qualifications each of them would put upon a Christians Intensive willing of Christ which is but the Substratum or matter of this grace But I am not now to discourse the nature of this grace at large and so much thereof as is necessary will come in when wee lay down some of the Characters of it and I have but two things more and then wee come to them 6. Proposition The love of the soul to Chrâ—st in sincerity is not any one Indivisible act or habit but a Holy frame of spirit made up of many gracious Inclinations carrying the whole soul along with it unto Christ for Vnion and Communion with him I told you in the beginning that it is used here by the Apostle as the periphrasis of a Christian a Brother a real Saint And therefore it is not a suddain and transient flash of the soul or any one act but Comprehensive of much of that wherein the nature of Christianity doth essentially lye This follows necessarily from the last proposition And Indeed to make faith or love to Christ such single Physical acts as many do as it renders the Doctrine of Christianity perplexed so doth it exceedingly tend to the amusing of the Consciences of weak Christians and I am afraid Ingender also to licentiousness It being too usual with such persons who presumptuously conceive themselves to bee Christians because they discern as they think those supposed particular acts to take up with them and to grow remiss and careless in other duties as essential to Christianity and necessary to Salvation as those graces themselves To conclude this Proposition you may note that as love to God is the soul of natural Piety and is Incorporated into every branch of it so is love to Christ the very Spirit that diffuseth it self through and animates all those duties which are required by the New Covenant and respect Jesus Christ as Mediator 7. Proposition When wee inquire after this Love by it's Genuine characteâ—s you are not to understand thereby only such special properties as argue the essence of this grace a posteriori But you are to know that we understand it in such a latitude as leaving Room for all those Arguments by which the conscience of a Christian may bee resolved whether this grace was ever truly wrought in his soul or not And these things premised the Characters which evidently discover whether wee love Christ in sincerity are these that follow 1. Character Wee may know it by our former Convictions and the rule is this Whe e love to Christ is sincere Esa 55.1 61.1 2 3. Matth. 11.28 there hath been a Conviction of the souls undone condition without him and of the sufficiency and willingness of Christ to recover the soul out of that condition And whereever this Conviction hath been fully wrought and the wound made thereby Regularly healed there dwells Sincere love to him I put this first as containing the originall birth of Evangelical love I dare affirm No conviction no love No contrition of heart for sin no affection in the soul for Christ 1 Pet. 2.8 Every degree of true Spiritual love saith a Divine that had well studied this point proceeds from a proportionable Act of saving Faith And to the same purpose saith Dr. Preston and hee presseth it earnestly two things must concur to beget love 1. The sight of Christs willingness and readiness to relâ—ive 2. His ability and sufficiency to help These two willingness and ability Cant. 3.11 are the Crown upon the Head of Christ when undone souls do first take delight in him they are the sweet oyntments of our Lord Cant. 1.3 which by their Savour do attract Virgin souls to betroth themselves unto him What ever men may vainly talk 't is brokenness of heart Act. 2.36 37. 9.5 6. Matth. 9.12 and a sense of approaching Ruine that gives the soul the first occasion of acquainting it self in good earnest with Christ and when faith hath thereupon found the suitableness of Christ to it self in its present State of misery then the fire of love begins to burn So that it is not a blinde casual passion but a matter of right Reason mature judgement and choyce It is not a frame of spirit that persons were delivered into they know not how but such whereof they that have it can give undenyable reasons so that if the question were put to any love sick soul as to the Spouse in the Canticles chapt 5.9 10. What is thy beloved more than another beloved shee could give an Account if not so Glossy and Rhetorical Cant 1.3.12 Chap. 2.3 yet as Logical and Rational as that which is there given Shee hath seen that in Christ so much Excellency in his person and so much readiness and sufficiency as resulting from his several offices which hath even ravished her and made him comely to her for delights yea the very
chiefest of ten thousands and therefore shee both can 5.10 and doth claspe fast about him and takes him for her Physitian Husband King riest and Prophet Since hee is willing fit to bee my Saviour oh saith the soul I will bee his Disciple Servant Subject or any thing 2.5.5 4. Thus shee can hold no longer but falls downright sick of love And this is the first Character Take it now and ask thy soul didst thou ever yet finde thy self lost and undone not able to bear up against the Terrours of an accusing and condemning conscience even dying away for fear least Goâ— should spend all his arrows upon thee â—â—t 32.23 Job 6.4 Psa 38.2 and leave thee a Horrour 〈◊〉 thy self and an amazement to all about thee And was it in this daâ—k Valley that thou camest first seriously acquainted with Christ and didst thou see his bowels yearning to thee Jer. 31.20 Act. 9.5 and that hee was fully able to set thee in the light of the Countenance of that God whose Terrour was upon thee And under this conviction was it that thou didst first close with him why this is love not in pretence and complement but in Sincerity Whereas on the other side if thy pretended affection wants this foundation if it hath been alwaies alike neither more nor less if that senseless conceit runs through thy soul that thou hast loved Christ ever since thou wast born See Reynolds on Psal 110. p. 59. 60. c. and never didst feel the least stirrings of Enmity against him If Education Custome outward Communion bee all that thou hast to say to prove thy love in faithfulness to thy soul Iob 19.28 I warn thee to take heed of self-deceit for surely the Root of the matter is not in thee and if thou wilt still presume notwithstanding this confident denyal I have but one word more and that is to commend to thy serious perusal that Judicious tract of Mr. Pinke Tryal of a Christians Sincere love to Christ on this very Case and Text where these counterfeit grounds of love are fully convicted of Insufficiency and therefore I would not do it here again 2. Character Where love to Christ dwells in Sincerity there hath been some sensible Impression Taste and Feeling of the Fathers love to the soul in him Rom. 9.13 Rom. 8.30 I do not mean the Fathers love as it lyes in the womb of Election but as it hath broken forth in a powerful actual Vocation The pedigree of a Christians love to his Saviour is to bee fetcht from the Fathers love to souls in Christ Iohn 14 6. 1 John 4.19 Wee love him because hee loved us first Christ himself as mediator is but a means whereby Souls may come to God their final end and blessedness And therefore as the soul that loves him Iohn 14.9 15 23. loves the blessed God much more so before wee can fix upon him with full satisfaction some beams thereof must light upon us it being too great a difficulty for the soul to prevail with it self to trust all its concernments in the hands of a Crucified Christ and to bee fond of him until iâ— hath gained some sweet assurance of the Fathers love to it self in him And hence it is that our Saviour tells us John 6.44 No man can come to him except the Father that hath sent him draw him By coming to Christ I take it for granted may bee understood either Faith or Love And these cannot bee without the Fathers drawing what 's that morally it lyes in the clear discoveries of his willingness to bee reconciled to us in Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 when in Conformity to his being in Christ reconciling the World to himself hee is pleased to vouchsafe us his own beseechings of us to bee reconciled then hee draws us The promise therefore of reconciliation must first bee made known and by the sweet influence thereof the soul is allured with Cheerfulness to throw it self into the Arms of it's Saviour And this is love Try by this also Didst thou ever finde those Cords of a man those bonds of Divine and Ravishing love thrown upon thee Didst thou ever see God to bee thy happiness and offering himself to thee as such and so alluring thee Then thou art Married to Christ for this speaks thee United to God in love and the end must include the means and the greater the lesser 3. Character Wee then love Christ in Sincerity when that affection in us is qualified according to the various Excellencies that belong to the person of our Lord when it respects him according to the Manifestation made of him in the Gospel viz. not simply as a person who is Historically made known to us by such a Name but according to the true Character of him as God and man in one person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one filled with the spirit of God above measure by an ineffable Unction John 3.35 Phil. 2.6 7 8. as one admirably Condescending and laying aside his divine splendor and Majesty that hee might appear in the form of a Servant and bee obedient to the death of the Cross for the Salvation of Sinners and lastly as one raised from the dead by God made able Act. 5.30 and declaring his high satisfaction in the access of sinners unto God by him And so there are these four graces which are alwaies attendant upon and are as it were Incorporated into the nature of this evangelical affection 1. Humble and Reverent admiration 'T is an admiring Love Objects that are incomparably Excellent do alwaies first affect with admiration and though that affection dissolve into love yet doth it not usually wholly cease especially if the object bee not throughly Comprehended Cant. 5.16 Ephe. 3.17 'T is thus with thy soul Christian that art a sincere lover of thy redeemer and hast not set up some Image of an ordinary person in the place of him thou admirest him whom thou lovest as never being able to comprehend his Glory The Lord whom thou lovest being God as well as Man and Man as well as God John 1.1.14 1 Tim. 3.16 and all this in one person An object in whom Heaven and Earth are so admirably blended together that the acutest reason looseth it self stands amazed at the union Chrysostom whence wee finde one of the Antients thus speaking of it I know that the word was made flesh but how or in what manner this was done I know not Doest thou wonder that I profess my Ignorance why the whole Creation is Ignorant of it as well as I And another of them gives this advice if Reason go about to cavil Justin Martyr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not dispute but apply thy self to the common Refuge against cavils in matters of Faith even Faith it self God hath said it and therefore I must and will
such prodigious mercy and that when this love would have opened to thee the door of glory how great how infinite glory and when the rejecting of it would infallibly plunge thy soul into misery how dreadful how intollerable was ever madness like thine oh my soul will conscience say certainly Hell is too easie a punishment for such a Serpent such an Incarnate Devil as thou art well may God rejoyce to bee avenged on such a wretch as thee and make thee to drink up the very dreggs of his Indignation while others that dwell in God shall dwell in love oh how will God bee nothing else but fury and wrath and vengeance to thee Thou shalt one day and that day such as never shall have an end hear Justice call upon Omnipotency still to add more flame to thy torment Thus conscience will look backward and forward and even wreak it self with the most dismal flaming language that it can finde out upon the haters of Christ And is not that a dreadful sin which shall thus set a man against himself and put a sword into the hand of cruel conscience to cleave the soul in peeces And is not that a dreadful punishment when a man shall become his own Accuser Judge and Executioner When conscience shall burn so hot within a man that hee shall be a terrour to himself and an eternal amazement And yet alas what is all this to the immediate impressions of the wrath of God upon the soul when hee that hath said Vengeance is mine and I will repay Heb. 20.30 shall grasp the soul in his dreadful hand which might bee farther Improved and be demonstrated to be Incomparably the sorest part of the punishment but I come to the second particular which was to lay down some moving Considerations to provoke such as love themselves to love Christ and besides the particulars last mentioned Consider 1. Who it is that I plead for this day Sirs I do not call you to doat upon thick clay filth and vanity I do not plead to gain your hearts to one that is not worthy or hath not deserved that you should place your affections upon him if you can make either of these manifest hate him and spare not but I plead for one who is 1. glorious and excellent if you doubt it read his Character Cant. 5.9 What sayest thou now is hee not Altogether lovely is there any blemish to bee found in him and if thou mistrustest the Judgement of the Church sure thou canst not doubt of Gods Hear his sentence Matth. 3.17 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Hee knew of whom hee spake for hee was his Son and hee doth not say hee was pleased with him only but well-pleased i. e. delighted See Prov. 8.30 and satisfied And was hee worthy of Gods love and doest thou doubt whether he have deserved thine 2. Consider hee is one that died for thee first to purchase thy love and since is gone to Heaven where yet hee doth not Cease to call upon thee and Invite thee to bestow thy heart upon him were hee excellent but proud it would bee little to thy advantage But hee stoops and wooes and intreats thee Isa 55.1 Luke 15.20 Act. 9.4 John 5.21.26 'T is a day of the Gladness of his heart when hee prevailes but with one soul to close with him And all the rage of his persecutors did not grieve him more than you will if you stand it out against him 3. Consider hee is one that hath the power of thy life and death in his own hands and this is one part of his Covenant upon which thy life or death depends as offered in the promise so hee waites but as love is the Condition of it so if thou hearkenest not thou loosest thy share therein and what thou choosest bee it life or death thou shalt Certainly have 2. Consider what it is I plead for why all that I aske is love and will you deny Christ that I call thee to think well of Christ to desire him to take Complacency in him to breath after union and eternal communion with him And which of these dost thou think too much for such an object or where canst thou place them more fitly than upon him what is hee worthy of if not of this did ever death content it self with such a recompence was ever any debt easier paid any service so easily performed as this only to love hath God made Christ a King Priest and Prophet and is that all which thou must do to partake of his love in him to love him in those relations and wilt thou stick at this Hast thou any other way to the bosome of God but by him yet rather than thou wilt come thither by love wilt thou damn thy soul by hating Christ is not the enjoyment of God worth the labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 shall all go rather than be saved by love to thy Redeemer 3. Consider what hee will do for thee if thou art a sincere lover of him Hee comes not to Court thee and flatter thee to thy loss but his reward is great Rev. 22.12 and hee brings it with him Give mee leave to tell thee some particulars thereof If thou wilt love him hee will betroth thee to himself in dearest love Hee will bee thy Bridegroom and thou shalt bee his Bride Hos 2.19 20. Ephes 5.32 Zech 3 4. Gen. 20.16 Rev. â—1 9 Isa 62.5 'T is not all thy filthy garments Ragges or Poverty that shall hinder but hee will bee to thee the Covering of thine eyes And a gladness of heart shalt thoa bee unto him Zeph. 3.17 Thou shalt bee the Joy of Christ himself for as the Bridegroom rejoyâ—eth over the Bride so shall the Lord thy God rejoyce over thee 2ly He will dwell with thee John 14.23 24. Husband and Wife dwell together and so doth the betrothed soul and Christ John 17.23 I in them and they in mee saith Christ Now this is a priviledge which carries many in the womb of it Rev. 3.20 such are these 1. Intimacy and daily familiarity Christ and Christians Eph. 5.23 take their meals together there is no Communion so neer as that which is between them One spirit 1 Cor. 6.17 2. Maintenance and provision 1 Tim. 5.8 Hee is worse than an Infidel that provides not for his own house Heb. 13.5 All that live under the same roof with Christ have their daily bread provided for them at his charges and hee hath said that hee will never leave them 3. Protection every mans house is his Castle they are under safe Covert that dwell with Christ 4. Counsel guidance and direction This great Husband dwels with all his family according to knowledge 1 Pet. 3.7 for hee teacheth them all his Secrets and shews them his Covenant Psal 25.14 3ly Hee will Interest thee in all his own Riches purchases possessions and dignities
together with his person hee offers Heaven and Earth for a Dowry Rom. 8.17 All things are his by purchase and thou shalt bee a Copartner or Coheir with him when thou art espoused to him 4ly 1 Cor. 3.22 23. He will manifest the highest Indulgence and Tenderness towards thee Not all thy cross walkings if through temptations it shall so fall out shall put him upon any more then a moment any departure from thee Isa 54.7 8. for hee hath resolved that his faithfulness towards thee shall never fail Isa 89.33 and therefore when thou seemest almost lost and ready to despond hee will return to thee again and the more time he hath lost by absence the more full will his heart bee of ravishing love and affections to thee 5ly Hee will Turn all to thy good neither thy sins Cant. 6.3 though many and great nor thy miseries though overwhelming and discouraging no nor lastly shall death it self Rom. 8.28 38. bee ever able to make a divorce between thee and him but serve as a passage to thee when thy work is done into the Bridechamber of thy Lord and now tell mee Phil. 1.21 hast not thou Reason to love him 4. Consider but thy case while this Virgin affection to thy Saviour is wanting 1. Thou multipliest thy whoredomes and thy abominations continually for what are thy Intensive willings of other things but so many acts of spiritual adultery and base prostitutions of thy soul to thy dishonour and disadvantage while other things usurp the room of Christ 2. Thou art a treacherous Hypocrite and deceiver forasmuch as thou pretendest to the eye of the world to bee Christs and yet art nothing less than his 3. You lay a barr in against your selves and the acceptance of all your duties when faith works by love then is obedience illustrious and meet for a gracious acceptaotin that obedience which owes no part of it self to love is worth little and brings in no more Gal. 5.6 then it is worth 4. You make bonds for your selves in death Iob 27.6 and lay up terrible reprâ—oches in the Consciences against the day of Judgement 5. You make your damnation necessary there being no Congruity to any of the Divine Attributes much less to the offices of Christ that that man should ever bee saved who never had any sincere affection to him These are some of the Considerations which may bee of use to them that have no spark of love yet kindled in their hearts There are a few of the other kinde which may provoke to get this love Inflamed where it is such are these Consider 1. The love of Christ to thee was a growing Increasing love I do not mean in respect of the habit but in the outward demonstration thereof The neerer hee was to his death the more exuberant in love and when hee rose again his heart did overflow with tender indulgence as appears by the meltings of his bowels towards Mary and over Peter and much more may wee beleeve him now to be full of them now that hee is at the Right hand of God 2. There is more lovelyness in Christ than ever thou canst finde out or fathome when wee have let out our affections to the utmost there will still bee more than wee can finde affection for our love to eternity will have something of admiration mixed with it 3. It 's all you can return to him it 's all hee looks for at our hands that which lies in love and which flowes from it is the whole that is required to compleat Christianity 4. The more you love him the more lovely you are unto him Then hath Christ the highest complacency in us when our hearts are under the greatest Raptures of love to him Beatus est qui intelligit quid sit amare Jesum contemnere scipsum propter Jesum A Kempis de imitatione Christi l. 2. c. 7. 5. It is the honour of a man to love Christ superlatively It is the sweetest part of our lives and that which Christ values us more by than by any thing else It 's Heaven on Earth 6. According to the measure of your love so will all the rest of your services and graces be i. e. either more or less better or worse Love is like the Master wheel in an Engine making the whole soul to move faster or slower These are the considerations of the last kind will some say oh but what shall wee do to get this blessed affection into our souls which was the third thing proposed And in order thereto I offer these Directions 1. Direction Bee well acquainted with the nature of this great duty The great mistake of the world lies in this That is thought to be love which is not and thence men and women grow bold and confident and value themselves more than they ought I have given in my best assistance so far as the nature of the first case would permit to prevent mistakes in this matter before and therefore I will not do it over again Only remember if you would not miscarry that it is not a Naked Christ but a Christ advanced by incomparable Personal Excellencies and cloathed with his offices of King and Priest and Prophet that is the Christ to bee loved and you cannot well miscarry This is that damning mistake of the world they love Christ but not as dignified by God with any of his offices 2. Direction Bee much in the study of your selves what you were originally and what you are since become through your own miscarriage wilfulness and folly Take your souls to the glass of the Law and go from one precept to another and when you have done there go to the Gospel And be sure you do not deal sleightly but understand throughly how much you have offended And when you have well studied the number and quality of your sins then consider the justice and holiness of the Eternal God which you shall understand by the same Law and Gospel where they speak the Divine Terrour against offending-sinners but more specially shall yee know is by going to the Cross of Christ and wisely and seriously considering the horrour of that punishment which Christ there indured for wee never know as wee ought the evil of sin and our misery thereby until wee know what hee indured to make an Expiation for it Do this and do it faithfully They that never knew themselves they are most certainly without love to Christ And it is enough to prove it because unless this foundation be first laid they can see no sufficient reason for it 3. Direction Get a true Conviction concerning thy own ultimate end and happiness Where it lies viz. not in the objects of sense but in the Beatifical vision of God possesse thy soul by Scripture light Mat. 16.26 of the grand importance of securing thy Interest therein while you think your happiness lyes any where else than in God it will be
irrational to love Christ because his purpose and design is to take our hearts from the pursuit of all but God And until you know God to bee your happiness you will never understand the best reasons that I may not say the only that you have to love him That man loves Christ best that most fully knows God to be his eternal rest and blessedness and loves him as such 4. Direction Get a Gospel-knowledge of Christ both what hee was originally and what hee hath stooped and humbled himself to be for thy sake why hee came into the world how hee lived and dyed and what was the Covenant between the Father and him how hee is exalted and honoured by God and what great things are promised both by Father and Son to all that in Christ sincerely draw nigh to God Oh the sweet gales of affection which by spiritual Meditation upon Christ will begin to blow within us Wee cannot muse upon Christs dyiâ—g and rising again and inviting us to love him but the fire will burn A considering Faith in Christ will naturally bud and blossome into love 5. Direction Beleeve the reality of his love to theâ— I mean that hee did all that ever hee did for thee out of a hearty and real affection to thee and that hee still desires to have the match made up betwixt thy soul and himself This fond prejudice whereby souls put discouragements upon themselves is that which spoils many a match Do not weaken thy soul by making difficulties where there are none if thou hearest Christ inviting stir up thy self oh thou convinced soul as if thou heardest him even calling to thee by Name Beleeve it that Christ is never better pleased than when hee is loved and that hee came no less to procure thy love than to testifie his own The way to love Christ in good earnest is to beleeve that hee is so in his offers of grace to us 6. Direction Understand the world throughly and bee jealous of thy own heart therein Remember that of the Apostle who knew what it was to love Christ as well as any man ever did 1 Joh. 2.15 If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him Wee may well enough add Nor the love of the Son We may offer to our Lord cor fractum or a broken heart but wee must not presume to desire him to accept our cor divisum or divided heart Remember that Christ and the World are two contrary each to other and the single stream of love cannot run two contrary waies at once If our hearts bee not crucified to the world the love of Christ will never live with in us 7. Direction Bee much in attendance on those means or Ordinances wherein Christ is evidently set forth and by his Spitit wooing souls to love him If Faith comes by hearing so no less certainly doth love Christ most commonly honours his own Ordinances and Officers in making up the match between himself and souls so hee did Paul 2 Cor. 11.2 8. Direction Go to God and Christ for love When you have gotten your hearts well warmed with the use of all the fore-mentioned means then go to God and Christ and turn thy Meditations into Petitions Plead hard and heartily all those moving Considerations which were set down to usher in these Directions God delights to honour prayer in this great work of his in drawing souls to Christ No Prayer no Faith And it is as true No Prayer no Love no Marriage to Christ I have done with the Directions of the first kind and have therein almost prevented my self from going any further it being a Rule in the spiritual as well as the natural growth that wee are nourished by the very same that gave us our first beings If wee know by what means wee came by our love at first and have but appetites whetted on to a further growth wee need little more And therefore having first perswaded you carefully to continue to practise over the fore-mentioned Directions I only add 1. Direction Consider much your own Experiences and the great advantages you have made by this grace I need not tell you what they are because yee know them well enough already and the sense of past advantage will best quicken to future diligence which is the second 2. Direction Bee constant in the exercise of that love yee have The best way to strengthen any habit is to bee often repeating its Acts. Wee cannot do any thing better to increase love than to be often acting love 3. Direction Get Faith more rooted and that will make your love to bee more inflamed If you would have fruitful branches you must keep the Root of the Tree fat and if you would have any Grace to thrive you must be sure to strengthen Faith 4. Direction Take heed you bee not willingly guilty of any known wickedness against Christ for this will cause Christ to withdraw it will occasion in thy heart a jealousie and that will bee an abatement of thy love Bee conscientiously diligent in all known duties 5. Direction Get thy heart daily more throughly crucified to the world and better acquainted with Heaven and the love of God The more you love God the more you will and must love Christ 6. Direction Bee much in the Communion of Saints and then especially when together with them thou mayest look on and admire the love of thy crucified Saviour in the Lords Supper They that are most where Christ is to bee enjoyed love him best And these are briefly the heads of Directions in answer to each of these Inquires They might have been more largely insisted on and pressed but this defect must bee supplied by your selves Remember again and with that I will conclude that it is not the knowledge of these Directions that will advantage you but the serious and diligent practice of them And so Grace bee with all them that in the diligent use of these means get and inflame their love to the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Wherein lies that exact Righteousnesse which is required between man and man MATTH 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do unto you do yee even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets THese words being brought in by way of Inference from something said before wee must look back a little to finde out the relation of them to the former verses At the 7th verse Christ commands to ask of God those things which wee want to incourage us to ask hee promises wee shall receive to induce us to beleeve this promise hee puts a temporal case Our earthly Fathers which are evil give us good things when we ask them how much more easily may wee beleeve this of a good God of infinite goodness Now as wee desire God should give us those things wee ask so wee should do to others and not only so but universally in all other things what wee would
makes it heavy when thou art sick thou inquirest of the Physitian Sir what do you think of mee shall I live or shall I dye if hee reply it is not certain but there is good hopes it is probable you will live and do well this is some support unto thee in thy sickness Thirdly Discourse with such Christians whâ—m thou darest not judge to bee ungodly and yet findest them to be in the same condition with thy self having the same doubts the same fears complaining of the same sin and do not pass a worse judgement upon thy self than thou darest upon them This is a very useful way either to convince or support to consider our case in a third person Thus Nathan convinced David 2 Sam. 12.1 vers to the 15. vers So the Prophet convinced Ahab 1 King 20.35 to the end of the chapter A man condemning another in the same case becomes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-condemned So a man approving of another in the same state and condition clothed with the sâ—me circumstances as himself is to approve of himself thou hearest another say hee knows not what to think of his present and eternal state but yet thou seest and hee tells thee hee dares not willingly sin the desire of his soul is to walk holily and humbâ—y with his God he dare not neglect a commanded duty thou darest not say this man hath no grace it being as well with thee say not worse of thy self Fourthly Forsake not duty because thou wanâ—est comâ—ort Thou hadst beâ—ter want â—oy than neglect duty for duty is more necessary than comfort and in order to it therefore must bee minded more to seek comfort may be in love to thy self but to be constant in duty in the want of comfort argues conscientious obedience to the commands of thy God Though thou art not taken up into the arms of Christ yet lye at his feer though hee doth not take thee into his bosome yet thâ—ong among the croud to touch the hem of his garment Hee might deny thee comfort and yet owne thee for his childe but thou canst not deny him duty and yet own him for thy God if hee do not tell thee thâ—u art his Son yet do noâ— thou say thou wilt not be his w Luke 15.19 Servant I beseech thee say not I will hear no more I will pray no more Ordinances are in vain and all endeavours will be in vain Casting off hope câ—ips the wing of serious constant endeavours Limit not God to thy time Joseph did not presently discover himself unto his Brethren but carried himself as a stranger to them Joseph knew that they were his Brethren but they knew not that they were related to him but they often coming to him and making known their perplexed condition in the grief and trouble of their souls with sad complaints and moans he could no longer refrain his heart was full his bowels did yearn and the fire of love did so slame forth that made his tears presently boil over I am Joseph your Brother I will shew you kindness be not troubled Gen. 45.1 and the following verses While thou followest God with thy complaints and pressest hard after Christ hee will at length shew and make known himself unto thee Oh thou weeping sinner I am Jesus thy Brother I am thy Redeemer I will be thy Saviour though thou hast dealt unkindly with mee yet I will receive thee with the sweet embracements of my everlasting love Read Psal 85.8 Hosea 6.1 2 3. Isa 54.7 8. Fifthly Alwaies be more observant of the purpose and disposition of thy heart the inclination of thy will the general scope of thy life than the passionate sense of joy and comfort There is but little constancy in these joyes like the tide they ebbe and flow Like a Land-flood might overflow for a while but a little after be dried up joyes are the sweet-meats of the soul but are not for its constant fare and diet For a spiritual banquet not for a standing-dish Thus it was with David And the experience of Christians proves it Sixthly When thou canst not experience the sweetness of the Promise yet then firmly beleeve the verity of the Promise The Truth of the Promise doth not depend upon our sense and feeling of it especially when wee would there might be evidentia credâ—bilitatis when there is not evidentia rei sufficient reason to beleeve because it is a promise made by God when thou dost not as yet see the performance of it Though thou hast not tasted honey yet thou wilt beleeve it to be sweet if told by one that hath eaten thereof Seventhly Carry thy self really towards thy sin as thou dost conceive through mistake God doth towards thee Thou sayest God doth not love thee be sure thou dost not love thy sin thou sayest hee hath cast thee off be sure thou cast off thy sin smile as little upon thy sin as in thy greatest darkness of discomfort thou sayest God doth upon thee Lighten the ship by casting thy sins over-board and thou shalt come safe to shoar This Ecclipse may be by the interposition of some sin betwixt thee and the light of Gods countenance Eighthly Diligently observe what grace is of the greatest growth in thy soul and make the best improvement of that for thy support The body natural doth grow in all the parts of it but not equally as to all dimensions the finger grows not to the magnitude of the wrist or arm In mixt bodies there are all the elements but one is predominant Amongst the many branches of a tree one might out-top all the rest In a ring of Bells all sound but the great Bell is heard above them all In the New Creature there are all Graces radically and seminally but yet one might bee more eminent than the rest In some Faith x Mat. 15.28 in some love to God y Luk. 7.44 47. in some sorrow for sin z 2 Cor. 2.7 2 Chron. 33.12 as e-every sin is radically in every wicked man yet some sin is grown to a greater height and like Saul is taller than the rest in one covetousness in another passion in another pride Moral vertues are connexed communi vinculo with a common bond yet they may be in several degrees Some have them in gradu continentiae that though the disorders and perturbations of the soul are very urgent and pressing yet a man is able to resist and to suppress them Some in gradu temperantiae when the passions are more sedate and calm some in gradu heroico when they are so subdued and restrained that they are subject to the Government and Rule of Right Reason the Guide and Leader of the soul Now that grace that is most eminent is easily discerned Make use of that Ninthly Blear not thine eyes by alwaies poring upon thy sin and wants that are the reason of thy doubts and fears but study also the Righteousness and fulness of Christ for
The Goliah and Holophernes who being once slain the Philistims and Assyrians will soon be routed Throw the head of this Shebah over the wall and the enemy will retreat shamefully 4. Never enter the field without thy Second Fight under the Shield as well as under the Banner of thy General In other fights the General flyes to the Battel upon the wings of his Army but here the Army flyes upon the wings of their General This is done by Faith and Prayer Thus David conqueâ—ed Goliah 1 Sam. 17.45 and the Philistims 2 Sam. 5.19 23. Fight alwayes upon thy knees Let Moses be praying while Josuah is fighting Exod. 17.11 Mâ—y not Christ take it ill if thou carry thy self as if thou meanest to steal a victory before he know of it 5. Put on keep on stand in and exercise thy Spiritual Arms Ephes 6. v. 10. 18. That only is Armour of Proof never any girds it on but may boast before the Victory Allude to 1 Kings 20.11 never any fought prosperously without it It 's our mettal as well as our weapon Neither Earth nor Hell can stand against this Artilery of Heaven Let not Satan find thee disarmed lest he leave thee dispoyled There is no fighting with carnal weapons against a spiritual Enemy You may as well beat the Devil with a sword or spear as conquer sin by the power of Free-will or with moral and worldly Arguments They are but paper bullets and paper walls the scorn not the Terrour of Hell though useful in some cases Remember withal there are no Arms for thy Back-parts 6. With some Lusts fight like the Parthians flying 1 Cor. 6.18 and 2 Tim. 2.22 This is but an honourable retreat and warlike stratagem Jos 8.15 Judg. 20.32 Youthful Lusts are like the Basilisk or like a Burning-glasse in the Sun that may not be looked on 2 Sam. 11.2 with other Lusts fight like the Romans charging home 7. Entertain no Parley with thy Enemy This cost all mankind dear at first Gen. 3. vers 1. 4. It 's dâ—ssloyal looks like a confederacy and is very dangerous Come not into Jaels tent sleep not in Dalilah's lap talk not with Joab lest he smite thee under the fifth Rib. Sin and Satan are too cunning Sophisters for us to dispute withal He in a manner gives up his Cause that will plead it with the Devil The best Answer to Satan's Suit is a round and churlish denyal Zach. 3.2 Matth. 4.10 Jude vers 9. Parleying is a kind of faint denyal and draws on this impudent Suiter 8. Take advantage by every thing that befalls thee in this Spiritual Warfare Eye thy reserves The Captain of thy Salvation is both thy Vanguard and thy Rereward and will be thy Reward Thou gainest thy Husband as David did his wife by conquering these Philistims and while thou art fighting for him he is weaving thy Crown 2 Tim. 4.7 8. Eye thy Fellow-souldiers those Worthyes of the Heavenly David that are both Militant and Triumphant Heb. 12.1 Example is very forcible Yea take advantage by thy very Foyâ—s to be more humble charitable dependent watchful and courâ—gious Let not the Enemy gain the field after Conquest by a back-blow of Pride This Antiochus gains often more by flattery then by force Dan. 11.21 22. It 's honourable for Christ to say well done c. but dangerous for Satan to say well done and safe for thee to say poorly done when thou hast done thy best Despise thy self when others admire thee and be assured that self-admiration is the most dangereus Devil in the World Especially improve Advantages prudently when thou hast thy Enemy on the hip yea on the ground fall with all thy weight upon him give him no Quarter lest thou meet with the doom of Ahab 1 Kings 20.42 and of the Israelites Numb 33.55 56. Here as one notes well Learn Wisdom of the Serpents-Brood who never thought they had Christ sure enough though they had him in the Grave Matth. 27.64 Remember it 's thy highest Wisdom first to discern next to improve the Spiritual Contrarieties that act in thy own bosome He is the wisest man that knows himself and he the strongest man that conquers himself This alone is the true Israelite who by conquering himself doth in a pious sense overcome both Heaven Earth and Hell Gen. 32.28 What Faith is that which except we have in Prayer we must not think to obtain any thing of God James 1.6 But let him aske in Faith FOr the Connexion of these words with the former since they will not give much light to the Question I am to handle and the time will hardly permit things more necessary to be spoken I shall wholly wave or very briefly speak to The Subject I am to speak to is to show what is meant here by asking in Faith or what Faith that is which who so hath not must not or hath no reason to expect to receive any thing from God God may bestow his mercies where and on whom he pleaseth but is no way engaged by promise to bestow any mercy on such an one that asketh not in Faith It is not said that such an one should not expect any great matters from God but not any thing at all the least mercy is greater then he hath any reason to think he shall receive not only he shall not receive Wisdom spoken of vers 5. but not any thing Wisdom he may get as Achitophel did and many other things without praying in Faith or praying at all but for Divine Wisdom or for any blessing from God he may think what he will but if the Apostle may be thought worthy to advise him he would not have him think to receive any thing except he ask and ask in Faith Therefore it much concerns us to know what is meant by asking in Faith since the want of it makes our Prayers of none effect if we pray without it we may pray but you cannot justly expect any return of your Prayers except it be as of an arrow shot up to Heaven upon your own head to your wounding Of this Question I shall speak very plainly as the Lord shall enable me in the evidence and demonstration of the Spirit Comparing Spiritual thingâ— with Spiritual things Some may make it to imply more to ask in Faith then to ask with Faith or that it is more to be in Faith then for Faith to be in us To be in Love is more then to love and when it is said Revel 1.10 that the Apostle was in the Spirit it showes that not only he had the Spirit and was filled with it but there were great overflowings and a superabundance of the Spirit This the Apostle seems to call James 5.15 the Prayer of Faith as if their Faith rather prayed then they as St. Paul speaks It is not I but the Grace of God in me when Faith rather may be said to act us then we to act Faith But I suppose those high degrees of
makes the earth shake 5. It ariseth from Satan When the eye of Conscience is most open Reas 5 he is most busie to present either that which may close it or that which may trouble it when the heart is most tender he is most ready to bruise and wound it In affliction he would make breaches between God and us us and God and us and our selves if we must needs be sensible of them gulphs out of which there is no redemption he temp s us unto sin in prosperity and then for sin in adversity as we find in Jobs Case even in those which he knows are out of his reach where least strength and ground to do any thing there he is most malicious as it appears in his bold attempts upon our Lord If he cannot run thee upon a rock yet he will disquiet thee with a tempest if he cannot rob thee of thy grace yet he will of thy peace and comfort 6. It ariseth from the weakness of faith and strength of sense apprehending Reas 6 God in affliction as our enemy especially if there be some willing correspondence between us any thing which God hates God is a terrour to us Thus Sense wrought in Job 33.10 Behold he findeth occasion against me he counteth me for his enemy Also 16.12.14 and in the Church Lam. 2.4 5. God hath bent his bow like an enemy c. and ver 5. O! if thou comest to that of Jacob Gen. 42.36 Surely all these things are against me and in them God against me it is sad with thee This is the triumph of Faith If God be with us who can be against us This the shreek of the Fainting God is against me and then who can be for me 7. It ariseth from Gods withdrawing Thus with Christ when God Reas 7 would make his condition sad and his burden heavy indeed the Father and his own Divinity withdraw and withhold their comfortable influential presence from the apprehension of the Humane Nature and when was he thus spiritually afflicted But when most outward trouble came upon him when his Murderers the Traytor were upon him and his life drew near to the grave as it was prefigured in David Psal 116.3 when the sorrows or dangers of death compassed him about then the terrours of hell took hold upon him i. e. terrours arising from this the withdrawing of the Divine Love and Countenance Mar. 14.34 Now come his astonishing dismaying fears and sorrows pressing even to death making him as it were to shrink from the great work of his own mercy Now he cries out as his Type My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Psal 22.1 Mat. 27. The perpetual shreek of them which are cast away When we can with David encourage our selves in our relations to 1. Sam. 30.6 and interest in God then every even the heaviest burden even death it self is light and we can in Christs strength shake it off or run away with it as Sampson with the Gates of the City But as when the Sun is down or eclipsed the flowers fold up and droop or when the face before the Glass turns away the face in it vanisheth Even so when God hides his face and we doubt of our Title and Interest we are troubled and then we are as Sampson when his Covenant broken and his locks the sign thereof cut we are as other men our strength is gone any cord will bind us any burden sink us Isa 64.7 Reas 8 8. I might add It may arise from our disacquaintedness with afflictions as to our expectation and resolution But for Use 1. A word to them which are yet in their sins out of Christ And it is 1. Of Conviction 2. Counsel 1 Conviction and terrour to them which are out of Christ If Gods People be lyable to inward and outward trouble at once wherein yet there is not a drop of wrath What shall the visitasion of the rest be wherein there is not a drop of saving pity If they may be so hardly put to it which yet are ever secretly and mightily supported what shall they do that have no strength but their own to bear up under the mighty hand of God Surely if they smart sevenfold the wicked must be avenged seventy times sevenfold If the cup of affliction by reason of the bitter ingredient of inward perplexity be so bitter to them what becomes of them for whom the dregs of that Cup are reserved The godly may stand condemned at their own Bar but the wicked at Gods too and nothing remains to them but a certain expectation of execution without a change O! if Jacob halt sure Esaus back and bones must be broken If the righteous be by reason of sharp afflictions within and without scarcely saved to whom yet all afflictions are through grace ever sufferable short and sanctified where shall the sinner appear when his sins and sorrows shall meet together There be three daies wherein thou shalt never be able to hold up thy head and yet thou must appear First A day of extream Calamity Secondly Of Death Thirdly of Judgment Oh! remember how sad it goes with the godly in a day of outward Calamity because of inward trouble joyning with it through gradual want of Knowledge Faith and Evidence the venome of sin unmortified malice of Satan not yet quite troden under their feet and the withdrawing of Gods Grace and Countenance in part And consider how thou wilt speed which hast no saving Knowledge no Faith no Interest art under the raign of sin and Satan whom the holy and jealous God cannot endure to behold but with revenge and execration Psal 27.13 David had fainted in his affliction had he not believed c. Surely then thou must utterly faint because thou hast not obtained an heart to understand and believe to this day The Children of God notwithstanding all their inwâ—rd and outward pressures can say as Paul sighs for them all 2 Cor. 4.8 9. We are troubled on every side yet not distressed so as there is no way to escape or bear up We are perplexed but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not quite destroyed But if thou lookest not to it betimes such a day will come upon thee as wherein thou shalt be so beset with trouble that thou wilt be absolutely concluded and shut out from all relief so perplexed that thou wilt despair so pursued by the avengers of bloudâ— that thou wilt be quite forsaken of heaven and earth so cast down that thou wilt be utterly destroyed and dashed in pieces Oh! if trouble such trouble may seize on Gods dear ones what reprobate fear and astonishment shall take hold on thee that art a stranger a slave an enemy and yet secure and presumptuous in that condition 2. It is a word of Counsel to thee as to be an alarm to thy security so an Antidote to thy presumption and censoriousness in reference to the godly The men
You that have all this while taken your swinge in all wickedness as long as you could live my house was not good enough for you and now that you have laid me under the reproach of your leudness and fulfilling your lusts as long as you had a penny in your purse or a rag to your back Do you now come to me There is no duty or affection to me that swayes you hither but you are compelled by the extremity you have brought your self to Get you gon with a sorrow and never look me in the face more Thus we would have thought but it is quite otherwise his Father when he did but say he would come meets him afar off falls on his neck kisses him brings him home provides the best Room the best Robe the best Kid all the best and there is great joy His Father do h not question what draws or what drives whether he comes out of compelling necessity or out of ingenuity and dutiful affection But he is come that is enough This my son was dead and is alive was lost and is found and there 's all done that possibly may make him welcome apply it for your encouragement to believe and settlement in your undoubted interest by faith Though you seem to come late and out of necessity yet Gods thoughts are not your thoughts yours may be thoughts of wrath c. But Gods are of pity love acceptation upon your coming Thus you see your way is immediately to come and cast your selves upon Chrâ—st on the terms of the Gospel and your great trouble shall be removed Make not a judgment of your condition from what you feel but from what you hear from the word of grace which now gives sentence on your side Direct 3 Then having this for your support search look back to experiences look into your selves what marks you can find of the truth of your faith and in this be sure you take hold on the Promise that lies nearest to you i. e. is most sutable to your present condition as in point of fear to sin Isa 50.10 Lostness Mat. 18.11 Poverty of spirit Longing and thirsting after righteousness c. Mat. 5.3 4 6. and so one Grace and Promise will draw in all Direct 4 In dependence on Christ in the Promise wait till he speaks pâ—â—ce and assurance ever fearing to offend God especially by casting off duty distrusting of him charging him with folly limitting him to time or means knowing and assuring your selves that you cannot so pleâ—se God in any thing as in resolved Faith to cleave to him and to follow him fully in the patient expectation of the Promise of grace and glory Thus accepting Christ in the Covenant in the strength of the grace thereof Give up thy whole self to Christ in a Covenant of willing universal unreserved obedience and say with David Psal 85.8 I will hearken what the Lord will say for he speaketh peace to his people that by the power thereof they turn not again to folly In what things must we use Moderation and in what not Phil. 4.5 Let your Moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand WHat St. Austin said in his dayes of another Scripture that it stood more in need of good practising than any Learned Interpretation that may I say in these dayes wherein we live concerning the words I have read to you at this time I shall not therefore detain you with shewing their coherence especially considering their intirenesse or with any glossing upon them but hâ—st to open the nature of this Duty and presse the practice thereof upon you all In the Verse you have two general parts 1. An Exhortation to the shewing Moderation which being in materia necessaria is a command 2. The Argument enforcing it The Lord is at hand The former will bound my present discourse which I need not alter but according to the Grammatical order the words stand in might consider the personae res actiones exprest therein all which make up the whole of the Duty enjoyned yet if you please to have the Proposition formed take it thus It is God's Command Doctr. and our Duty to let our Moderation be known unto all men Which I shall prosecute according to the order of Nature in this method 1. In opening the nature of Moderation 2. In shewing it's exercise 3. By whom and to whom 4. Why. And lastly make Application Moderation opened 1. Concerning the nature of Moderation or what it is wherin the signification of the word description of the thing it 's subject kinds rule and extremes And here I confesse I enter upon an unbeaten path the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which descends from it and for which by a Gâ—aecisme it is used in the Text being of such multifarious signification and no where in Scripture rendred in that extent as here nor any where else that I can find by Moderation which also occurs in no other place of all the Bible It signifies properly that which is fit decent due meet convenient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesych 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Etymol Modestia dicta est a modo ubi autem modus nec plus est quicquam nee minus Cicer est autem modestia in animo continens moderationem cupiditatum Idem 3. Rhet. And is accordingly rendred by former Interpreters modestia not as opposed to pride or haughtinesse in it's strict Philosophick acception which some not attending to have therefore quarrelled with but that which doth moderate our actions in which sense the Masters of that Language frequenâ—ly use it and by later for avoiding that ambiguity Moderatio from whence is formed our English word Moderation Which in it's latitude is not any particular Grace or Virtue but that fit and proper temper we ought to observe in the governing of our hearts and lives that equal Judgment which should command our wills and affections and all our humane actions which are capable of excesse or defect by proportioning them according to the quality of the object and the end for which and whom they are imployed for the preserving of peace within our selves and with others that there may be no contumacy or rebellion in our affections to disquiet our selves or in our actions to disquiet others So that moderation according to it's Subject is either that of the mind which is as the cause or of the will and affections in their actings which is as the effect from all which the whole man is denominâ—ted Modorate The former or that of the mind is that part of Christian prudence which proportions our actions to the Object which the will chooseth and it's end according to the variety of circumstances the agent is in by applying the general rules of Scripture for our walking to our particular actions and is accordingly well rendred here by one of the Antients rationabilis conversatio Ambros in loc your reasonable or
of Creature-comforts Suppose a Believers d Psal 144.12 13. sons as plants grown up in their youth and his daughters as corner stones polisht after the similitude of a Palace suppose his garners full affording all manner of store His Oxen strong to labour and his sheep bringing forth thousands and ten thousands in the streets though the blear-eyed World should pronounce him e Ver. 15. happy that is in such a case how would the Believer immediatly reply with the Psalmists Epanorthosis or in express contradiction rather to so gross a mistake yea blessed are the people they rather or they only are blessed which have the Lord for their God Thus Faith concludes Negatively 2. Positively That Divine Lesson which Solomon the wisest of meer men had by such difficult and costly experiments at length learnt Faith hath got by heart and in the face of the World concludes with him f Eccl. 1.2 Vanity of Vanities all is Vanity The assertion is repeated as in Pharaohs dream to shew its certainty and the Term of Vanity doubled to manifest the Transcendency and multiplicity of this Vanity There is a fivefold Vanity which Faith discovers in all its Creature enjoyments viz. in that they are 1. Unprofitable Thus the Preacher What g Eccl. 1.3 profit hath a man of all his labour which he hath taken under the Sun What profit Why he hath filled his hands with Air he hath laboured for the Wind Eccl. 5.16 Just so much and no more than Septimius Severus got who having run through various and greâ—t employments openly acknowledges Omnia fui sed nihil profuit Creature comforts are not bread Isa 55.2 3. They profit no more than the dream of a full meal doth an hungry man or that Feast which the h Corn. a Lap. Comment in Isa 55.2 Magitian made the German Nobles who thought they fared very deliciously but when they departed found themselves hungry In a day of wrath sickness death can riches profit Prov. 11.4 Ezek. 7.19 Just as much as a bag of gold hung about the neck of a drowning man 2. Hurtful and pernicious Solomon observed that Riches were kept for the Owners thereof to their i Eccl. 5.13 hurt Hence it is that k Pro 30.8 9 Agur prayes against them Give me not riches lest I be full and deny thee as if abundance made way for Atheism in those that know not how to manage it Maximilian the Second was sensible of this who refused to hoard up a mass of Treasure fearing lest by falling in love therewith of a soveraign Lord he should become a servant to the Mammon of unrighteousness Now the hurtfulness of Creature-comforts shews it self in several particulars 1. Faith knows that they are apt to puff up and swell the heart with the Tympany of pride Hence that great Caution Deut. 8.10 to the end The usual Attendants on riches are Pride and Confidence Hence Paul to l 1 Tim. 6.17 Timothy charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded How apt are men to be lifted up with the things of this lower World Riches at once sink the mind downward in covetous Cares and lift it upward in proud conceits To see a man rich in purse and poor in spirit is a great rarity 2. Faith knows that great enjoyments are great snares and powerful temtations to many other lusts such as are Covetousness Lust Luxury Security c. The plenty of places oft occasion much wickedness in persons Rich Sodom was a nursery of all impiety Jesurun when he waxeth fat is apt to kick Deut. 32.15 And when Israel is fed to the full m Ezek. 16.39 â—0 then she commits abomination 3. Faith is sensible how apt temporal comforts are to make us sleight spiritual graces and heavenly Communion 1. Spiritual graces Our digging for silver and searching for gold makes us too too apt to neglect that which is better than thousands of gold and silver even durable substance The radiant-splendor of these things here below dazzles our eyes to those things above Whiles Martha is much * Luk. 10.41 cumbred about many things she forgets to act Maries part and to pursue that one thing necessary How often do outward comforts entangle the spirits weaken the graces strengthen the corruptions even of good men There was a serious truth in that Atheistical scorn of Julian who when he spoyled the Christians of their outward estates told them He did it to make them more ready for the Kingdom of heaven Many really godly lose much in spirituals by gaining much in temporals they have been impoverish'd by their riches They are indeed rich in grace whose graces are not hindred by their riches whose soules prosper when their bodies prosper To see the daughter of Tyre come with her gift to see the n Psal 45.12 rich among the people entreat Christs favour and give up themselves to Him This indeed is a rare sight To be rich or great in the World is a great temptation When we flourish in the flesh we are apt to wither in the Spirit The scorching Sun-beams of prosperity too too often cause a drouth and then a dearth a Famine in the soul and make us throw off those robes of righteousness which the wind of affliction makes us to gird on the faster The World is of an encroaching nature hard it is to enjoy it and not come into bondage to it Let Abraham cast but a litttle more than ordinary respect on Hagar and it will not be long ere she begin to contest with yea crow over her Mistress 2. Spiritual Communion with God Worldly comforts are alwaies dogd with worldly business and this too often eats up our time for Communion with God It is a very difficult thing to make our way into the presence of God through the throng of worldly encumbrances Worldly employments and enjoyments are exceeding apt not only to blunt but to turn the edge of our affections from an holy commerce with God Faith knows what a Task what an Herculean labour it is after it hath past a day amidst worldly profits and been entertained with the delights and pleasures a full estate affords now to bring an whole heart to God when at night it returns into his presence The World in this case doth by the Saint as the little child by the mother if it cannot keep the mother from going out it will cry after to go with her If the World cannot keep us from going to Religious duties it will cry to be taken along with us and much ado there is to part it and our affections Thus Faith discovers the danger and hurtfulness of Creature-enjoyments But more than this 4. Faith knows that these outward things are perishing as well as unprofitable and hurtful Mutable inconstant fading * Faelicitas umbratilis Vanities Bubbles Pictures drawn on Icy Tablets grass growing on the tops of houses Faith hath seen and heard
robbeth thee of thy Glory Thus also they who attribute their Riches Children Honours Victories Health Safety Knowledge c. to their Wits Labours Merits these are ingrateful robbers of God Thus they burnt Incense to their Drag and Yarn Thus Nebuchadnezzar gloried in the great Babel of his own building Thus the Assyrian also ranted and vaunted himself Isa 10 13 14 15. as if by his own great Wisdom and Valour he had conquered the Nations But mark the end of these men How the Lord took it and how he dealt with them for it He turned Nebuchadnezzar out to grass among the beasts He kindled a fire in the Assyrians Forrest and burnt it He struck Herod that he was eaten up with worms because he gave himself Act. 12.23 and not God the glory 3. Another sort of unthankful ones there is that seem to be very thankful but it is only complementally and with the lip These are like Apes that eat up the Kernel and leave God the shells they care not to go to the cost of a heart or a life-thankfulness they are cursed hypocrites they put him off with the blind and the lame in Sacrifice Mal. 1.14 and never once give him the Male of their Flock God will pay them in their own coyn they are thankful in jest and God will damn them in earnest Lact Instit c. 3. Non constare homini ratio pietatis potest c That man saith Lactantius cannot be a godly man that is unthankeful to his God * Materialiter per connotationem adhaerentiam And Aquinas saith That unthankefulness hath in it the root and matter of all sin For it denies or dissembles the goodness of God by which we live move and have our being yea and all our blessings the thankful acknowledgement whereof is our indispensable homage unto God Unthankfulness was a huge ingredient into Adams sin To sin against his Maker as soon as he was made Yea by whom he was so fearfully and wonderfully made little lower than the Angels Psal 139. Unthankfulness was the sin of Noah and Lot after their deliverances the one from water Gen. 9. Gen. 19. Deut. 32. Ezek. 16. per totum the other from fire The sin of Israel that forgat their Rock their husband that found them in the waste howling wilderness and when they lay in their bloud no eye pitying them cast out to the loathing of their persons The sin of David 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. The sin of Solomon 1 Kin. 11.9 The sin of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 31. Peremptoria res est ingratitudo hostis gratiae inimica salutis Bern. Serm 1. de 7 miser Ingratitudo est venius urens exsiccans fontem gratiae fluenta misericordiae Idem The great sin of the Gospel is unthankfulness by sinning against the light love free grace and rich patience of God in it this is to turn his grace into watonness to prefer darkness before light to neglect so great salvation not to come under Christs wing when he calls to us to despise his goodness and long-suffering leading to repentance not to come to him that we may have life to resist his Spirit and trample on his blood The sin of the greatest sinners in the Book of God is unthankfulness The sin of the Angels that kept not their first station The sin of Cain in his offering The sin of the Sodomites Quousque se diffundit gratia tò patet ingratitudo The sin of the Old World The sin of Saul The sin of Jeroboam the son of Nâ—bat The sin of Nabal The sin of Hanun The sin of Judas The sin of Julian And of Antichrist all is unthankfulness Exhort I shall conclude with a solemn exhortation to all that hear this word and profess the Lord Jesus and to be ruled by the Will of God in Christ Jesus revealed that they study and practice this great this comprehensive duty of thankefulness Consider that no People in the world have such cause of thankfulness as Christians Cresentibus donis crescunt donorum rationes Deut. 32.6 They have received more mercy than any therefore there is the more of them required therefore the Lord takes their unkinâ—ness the more unkindly Sins against mâ—rcy will turn mercy into cruelty and patience into fury To be unthankful to a bountiful God is for a froward child to beat his mothers breasts that gave him suck and to kick his Fathers bowels The Lord that he might upbraid his Peoples ingratitude compares them to a Bullock that was fatted in good pasture and then kicked Deut. 32.15 to Ver. 25. And what this cost you may read there When the Lord would preserve in his People the memorial of his mercies see how he orders them Deut. 26.1 to 10. Every man was to come with a basket of fruits and the Priest was to take it and set it down before the Lord and he that brought it was to make a solemn confession of his own poverty and wretchedness of Gods goodness and faithfulness to him and of his engagements to the Lord for the same Hereby the Lord let them know that they had all from him and held all at mercy and this was their homage that they paid him Oh what shall we then render to the Lord for all his benefits Who were Syrians ready to perish who with our staffe past this Jordan and now are two bands who have not only nether springs but upper also the Lord having opened a fountain and a treasure for us Think of this all you Male-contents and murmurers read over your mercies preserve a Catalogue of them compare them with what otheâ—s enjoy It is not with you as with Heathens you have the Gospel if it totters as if it were in a moving posture from you thank your unthankfulness for it You have had it with peace and plenty and if that hath glutted you and the Lord is now curing your surfet by a sparer diet thank your wantonness for it Yet consider Turks and Tartars are not in your bowels burning your houses ravishing wives and daughters killing old sick and infants carrying away the rest Captives drinking healths in your dead Nobles skulls digged out of their graves yet all this is done among the poor Protestants in Transilvania Sword Famine and Pestilence making havock in that flourishing Country not to speak of other places what is felt or feared is not this ground of thanks Consider yet again what we have had long and still have though the Land is ful of sin from one end to the other What we have deserved and yet do even to be stripped naked of all life and liberty peace and plenty to have our doors shut up our lights put out our Teachers all driven into corners the good Land to spue us our and the abomination that maketh desolate to enter in among us our Land to keep her Sabbaths because we prophaned the Lords Sabbaths the voice of
a very foul sin and filthy uncleanness 1 Joh. 1.7 And the bloud of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin The sin of Sloth which in some sense may be called all sin it being Pulvinar satanae the devils pillow that he laies his head on in the soul 1 Pet. 2.4 5. Come to Christ the living Stone and you shall come from Christ lively Stones 5. Get quickning love to the waies of God Ovid. lib. 1. Amo 9. Qui non vult fieri desidiosus amet Pliny tells us That a rod of Mirtle in the hand of a Traveller will never suffer him to flag or faint but keeps him fresh and lively to his journeys end I am sure where love is in the heart it will carry a man in the way of God with life The Apostles did triumph in their tribulations and how so Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5.5 Orig. Is plentifully poured out as wine into bottles Ubi amor est non est labor sed sapor Bern. Serm. 85. in Cant. which makes it spiritful Love turns all pains into pleasures and perils into perfumes Love is the fore-horse in the souls Chariot who draws all the other affections and faculties after him What a loadstone was Shechems love to Dinah Gen. 34 19. It makes him communicate his Wealth Si tantum potuit cupiditas quid potest charitas Aug. change his Religion circumsize his Fore-skin See how spiritual Love wrought in Paul it was as strong Physick ready to work out his bowels 2 Cor. 5.14 For the love of God constraineth us Love hath not only an impulsive but also a compulsive power Metaphora a pariurientibus sumpta Grot. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Love is a grace that is alwaies big-bellied and is in labour alwaies being delivered of some good duty or other This Love put Paul upon exceeding pains and excessive perils 1. Exceeding pains that never meer man took the like 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly than they all It must be great pains to preach the Gospel fully from Jerusalem round about to Illyricum Rom. 15.19 Beza 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in circulo or circuitu making Jerusalem the Point and the Regions round about the Circumference and then the space could not be less than four thousand Miles But if you take it in a collateral Line taking in the Regions of Attica Boeotia Achaia Epirus Asia minor Cilicia Cappadocia c. it was 2000. Miles but if you take it in a direct Line from Jerusalem to Stridon a Town in Illyricum it was above a thousand Miles and though these tiresome journeys might have apologized for sparing or at least for curtailing duties yet Paul never measured out his pains by a few sands in a glass but spent much time among the Saints in Praying Preaching Disputing Very memorable is that pains of his Acts 20.7 where Paul spends all the time from the Disciples meeting together on the Lords day untill midnight in holy Exercises 2. His excessive perils what a large Catalogue have you of them 2 Cor. 11.23 ad 28. In stripes above measure In prisons more frequent In deaths oft of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one Thrice was I beaten with rods Once was I stoned Thrice I suffered shipwrack A night and a day I have been in the deep In journeying often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by my own Country men in perils by the heathen in perils in the City in perils in the wilderness in perils in the sea in perils among false brethren in weariness and painfulness in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness All this laid together well may we say with him * Nemo acrior inter persecutores nemo prior inter peccatores Aug. Tom. 10. pag 202. There was never a more fierce persecutor of the Gospel nor a more fervid propagator of the Gospel The first proceeded from his hatred the last proceeded from his love even the love of Christ 6. By faith apply the quickning Promise and the Promises of quickning 1. The quickning Promises Promises are steel spurs that will reach the dull heart to the quick they are singular Plaisters if well applied to draw out the corruption of sloth they are the soveraign Elixars whose quintessence will make the soul full of spirits 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given to us exceeding great and precious promises Cardan subst l. 7. that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature Precious Promises as stones are precious which have egregious vertue in them that by them we might be made partakers of the Divine Nature Bez. in loc Non transformatione natura humanae in divinam sed participatione donorum quibus conformes divinae naturae fimus Par not of the substance of God as Servetus stubbornly defended even to death But of those divine qualities and gracious dispositions which will stand with Gods Nature to communicate and our nature to participate Now Gods Divine Nature is an Act and our Divine Nature is active Now the right applying Promises will be very vertuous to make us vigorous to come as nigh the image and life of God as possibly we can Plato saies it is our chiefest good Deo penitus conformem fieri to bear the Character of God upon us 2. The Promises of quickning David presses God to be as good as his word Psal 119.25 Quicken thou me according to thy word He is often upon this string Ver. 107.154 resolving not to let God alone untill he kept his word Isa 40.31 But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint Our soul as a Bee must suck honey from this flower to quicken it self Say thus to thy self Soul God hath promised I shall mount up with Eagles wings fly through difficulties and duties with celerity he is a God able true willing therefore I may be assured of this assistance Oh this honey will enliven thee more than Jonathans honey enlightened him 1 Sam. 14.26 29. Who must dye because he had eaten honey and if he had not eaten honey he must have died 7. Mind quickning examples A dull Jade will put himself faster on when he sees other horses gallop before him The Apostle hâ—ving mustered up in rank and file the Examples of those famous Worthies Heb. 11. Does Heb. 12.1 excite them with patience to run the race that was set before them If the rare acts of Miltiades would not suffer Themistocles to sleep then the famous Actions of Gods Worthies should not suffer us to slumber View Elias how he went up in a fiery Chariot to heaven in his spirit before he went in a fiery Chariot to heaven in his person 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
are lost and undone but in him is redemption We are empty of all good but he is a full fountain from whom flow all those blessings which concern either our present comfort or future happinesse We are necessitous and indigent in him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Col. 2.3 Yea in him dwells the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily and ye are compleat in him Col. 2.9 10. Or as you have it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 1.19 In him dwells all fulnesse The rich Merchant thought himself no loser by the bargain in parting with all he had to purchase an interest in Christ Mat. 13.45 46. But when never so much is said there cannot a greater word be used than what the Apostle speaks here Christ is all The Greeks were wont of old to account it an excellency to speak much in a few words to give their Auditors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Ocean of matter in a drop of words Thus does the Apostle here give us as I may speak gold in the wedge which I shall endeavour to beat out into the leaf by showing how much is comprized in this one word All. The two names by which the most ancient Philosophers were wont to speak of God were that he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the true being and the universall good all the scattered excellencies which are dispersed among severall ranks of creatures meeting in him as the lines of the Circumference in the Center This does the Apostle speak here of Christ He is All. Physitians speak of an universall medicine suited to all diseases and helpfull in all maladies but whether this can be found in nature or not yet certainly Christ is a Panacea in him we have a plaister for all sores a remedy against all distempers There are indeed thousands of cases wherein all other helps are but miserable comforters and Physitians of no value but not one case wherein Christ is not a full and proper help When all that friends can do is only to pity us he can help us because Christ is All. For the further explaining and confirming of this great truth three things shall be spoke to 1. Wherein Christ is All. 2. How Christ is All. 3. What advantage it is to sincere Christians to have their All in Christ 1. Wherein Christ is All. In general He is All in All things for so some of no small account render the following words and in All as hath already been hinted But more particularly 1. Christ is All to sincere Christians to free them from whatever might hinder their salvation Salvation is not a meer negative thing nor does it consist in a bare exemption from hell and wrath but a translation into heaven and glory but alas betwixt us and glory there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Gulph many bars and impediments aye but Christ is All to deliver us from these and though our deliverance in this world is not compleat or perfect yet is it so for compleat as to render our salvation undoubtfull if we be in the number of them to whole Christ is here said to be All. 1. The wrath of an offended God which like that flaming sword that kept our Apostate Parents from returning into Paradise out of which because of their Apostacy they had been ejected would render our admission into heaven equally impossible but Christ by bearing the wrath of God in his own person hath taken it off from ours and therefore he is said to deliver us from the wrath to come 1 Thess 1.10 he who was the Son of Gods love became the subject of his displeasure as appears by comparing Matth. 3.17 with Isa 53.10 that we who were children of wrath might become the objects of his favour and however Christ hath not deliverâ—d beleevers from the anger of God as a Father yet from the anger of God as a Judge There is an anger that proceeds from love as the anger of a Parent towards that childe whose good he desires and there is a vindictive anger Heb. 12.6 7 8 c. the former beleevers are neither freed from nor would it indeed be their priviledge there is not a greater judgement can befall poor sinfull creatures here on earth than for God not to discover himself angry with them for their sins Isa 1.5 God then deals with men as a skiliull Physitian with an unruly Patient whom he gives up as desperate Magna ira est quando peccantibus non iâ—ascitur Deus Hieron or as a tender Parent with a graceless childe whom he utterly rejects In a word what ever kinde of anger might tend to the prejudice of beleevers that they are delivered from but what is for their advantage that they are subject to That Christ is All in delivering from the wrath of God may further be evidenced by these Considerations 1. The adequate of Gods wrath is sin Object there is this difference 'twixt wrath and mercy in God that mercy flows as I may so speak naturally from God and hath no other motive but onely the gracious and mercifull disposition of God but wrath hath alwayes its rise from us and nothing in us but sin can draw down his wrath upon us Our meaness cannot our afflictions cannot these may sometimes be the effects of Gods wrath but never the causes No 't is because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Eph. 5 6. because of these things ie because of these sins as appears from the Verses foregoing What is it that hath filled every age and place of the world with so many dreadfull tokens of Gods displeasure but onely sin What was it that cast the Angels out of heaven and degraded them from their first station but onely sin What was it that drove our first Parents out of Paradise and subjected them and all their Posterity to so many miseries but onely sin What was it that brought destruction upon the old World upon Sodome Gemorrah Admah Zeboim What was it that broke off the natural branches and hath for so many hundreds of years continued them under a divorce from God but onely sin In a word look over all those miseries under which the whole Creation groans Rom. 8 22. And though those miseries in several creatures are divers yet do they all proceed from the same fountain viz. Sin 2. Christ is All in making expiation for sin He is that Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world Joh. 1.29 He is our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Joh 2.2 Rom. 3.25 't was not thousands of Rams not ten thousands of Rivers of Oyl could have born any proportion in point of satisfaction for our sins 'T was not all the Legal Sacrifices of old could do any thing nor can all our duties now but Christ is all in expiating for sin Heb 10.5 6 7. compared with Heb. 10.14 And such is the fulness of
that our Religion may not be a dull languid lethargick principle but may render us fit and prompt for all the actions of a spirituall life And now this life of Religion the case supposeth the person to have who needs advice and then you 'l quickly perceive that there be two things in danger 1. The life of Religion in a religious person 2. The life of a religious person and so the case doth resolve it self into these two Queries 1. What should believing Christians do to support the life and vigour of Religion in their souls when they want the ordinary means of publick Ordinances and are indangered by the leavening society of wicked men 2. How should they preserve their lives among persecuting enemies without hazarding the life of their Religion For the clearing of and directing in this case I shall now premise some Propositions fit to be taken notice of Prop. 1. It cannot be expected that any Rule should be given according to Scripture whereby both the one and the other life may be certainly secured for many times Gods providence brings us into such circumstances that if we are resolved that come what will wee 'l keep our Religion we must lose our lives and if we are resolved to keep our lives though with the hazard or shipwrack of our Religion we must then part with our Religion and perhaps our lives too 2. There can be no certain and infallible course propounded whereby the life of the body may be secured with the losse of Religion though Devil and world bid fair and promise we shall live and do well if we will part with our Religion yet they are not able if willing to make good their promise so long as there be so many thousand wayes to death besides Martyrdome and this is the purport of that threatning expression Mat. 16.25 Whosoever will save his life shall lose it not only that eternall life which is the only true life but even this temporall life as many relations tell us 3. The life of Religion in the soul is that which by Gods blessing and our spirituall care and industry may be infallibly secured in any place among any persons in any condition I do not say the outward exercise of Religion but that which is the life and principle of Religion in the soul may be preserved Force and violence may deprive those that are religious of opportunities to meet together and pour forth their Common prayers and supplications to God and publikely sing forth the praises of God and hear the great truths of the Gospell preached unto them nay they may be hindred from speaking with their mouthes either to God or for God as many of the Martyrs have been gagged but all the force and violence in the world cannot take away that which is the principle and life of Religion unlesse we our selves betray and cast it from us nor can they hinder the prime and principall acts and exercises of Religion All the world cannot hinder you or me from having good thoughts of God from sanctifying the Lord God in our hearts from trusting in hoping in rejoycing in the goodnesse and mercy of God through Jesus Christ from making holy melody in our hearts and such musick as shall be heard beyond the sphears though he that stands at our elbow knows not a word we speak so that true Religion both in the principle and prime exercises of it may be infallibly secured insomuch that he who can rend the heart out of the body cannot tear Religion out of the soul 4. His soul cannot be quickned with the life of the Religion of the Gospell who is not in heart perswaded that the securing the life of Religion in his soul is hugely more his concernment than the preserving of the life of the body Yea his Religion is built on a sandy foundation who hath not seriously considered that for ought he knows his Religion may cost him his life and hath not brought his soul to an humble resolution to lay down his life rather than let go his Religion thus much is clearly imported in that passage Luk. 14.27 28 c. Which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost c 5. The society of good men and enjoyment of Gospell Ordinances is of speciall use to preserve quicken and enliven the principle of Religion in the soul they are to Religion in the soul what food is to the naturall life of the body and therefore the Ordinances in the Church are compared to breasts of consolation Isa 66.11 The great design of God in appointing Gospell-Ordinances is that by the help and assistance of those gifts and graces which he bestows upon his Ministers the souls of those who are estranged from him should be brought home to the owning and acknowledging of the truth and that those who have returned to the Lord should be more and more affected with a sense of divine goodnesse and their dependance on the Lord for all they have and hope for and indeed if preaching and reading and praying and every other Ordinance both in publike and in private do not aim at and intend this great end the begetting or actuating and stirring up the life of Religion in our souls then are they what some would fain perswade us vain uselesse troublesome things If thy coming to Church to hear a prayer or a Sermon be not by thee designed and do not in the even tend to make thee better to love God more loath sin more and value the world lesse and resolve more heartily to obey the Gospell thou hadst as good have been in thy bed or shop as in the Church and if in preaching and praying we that are Gods mouth to you and your mouth to God have any other design than to stir up in your souls good thoughts of God affectionate workings of heart towards a loving tender-hearted father zealous and hungring desires to do the will of God and expresse our love by obeying his commandments I seriously professe I should think my self much better imployed to be working in a Coblers stall or raking in the kennell or filling a dung cart than preaching or praying in a pulpit and let those who do not intend these great ends know that ere long they will finde they had bettter have been imployed in the most debasing drudgery than in the outward work of God with sinister and unworthy ends These things premised the case resolves it self into these particular questions 1. What should beleeving Christians do to support the life of Religion in their souls when they want the ordinary food of publick Gospel-Ordinances 2. What should such do to preserve their outward concernments among persecuting enemies without hazarding their Religion In answer to the first question take these Directions 1. Let such humbly reflect upon their former sleighting despising and abusing the means of grace which now they want it is the usual method of God to
Falls of Godly and Wicked 79. Family sins 177. Family Instructions 195. Family Duties 202. Faults How to bear with others Faults 401. How to correct them 204. Fight Against sin how to bee managed 331. Flesh What meant by Flesh and Spirit 84. G God Alwaies justified by Good men 455. Why hee doth not hinder sin 167. How hee is manifested to us 417. 418 Wee must not limit him 452. Hee can do no wrong 455. His Goodness 21. 340. 421. 435. His justice in punishing 174. His power 434. Good Moral Good and evil eternally distinguished 89. Grace all from Christ 679. Growth in it 318. Truth of it not dâ—â—rees to bee examined p. 319. Gentleness To be observed in Reproofs 208. H. Hand What meant by right Hand 40 41. Excellency of it 43. Heart Must be narrowly watched 58 93. 165. And much laboured withall 684. Health the proper time for working out Salvation 119. Holiness is communicative 214. Christ the pattern of it 24. Hope Nature of that Christian Grace 430. From Creatures vain 565. Hospitality 287. Humility the souls ballast 454. Makes us thrive 21. Makes good men have the worst thoughts of themselves 663. Hypocrisie what it is 657. Why compared to leaven ibid. Danger of it 659. Six signs of it 666 c. How to cure it 671 672 c. Motives to use those means 675. I. Impatience 452. Inconstancy in all things 255. Indeavours not vain before Conversion 28 29. Inequality between men inconsiderable 254. Intercession of Christ its power 311. Justice An exact and easie Rule of it 249. Rules for it in Trade 260 c Advantage must not be taken of mens ignorance 263. It must be mixt with Charity 275. Gods Justice in punishing 174. Injury How it must be prosecuted 4â—4 L. Law It is six fold 324. When Lawful things undo us 562. How wee may know that wee abuse them 564 c. Do not all that is Lawful 264. Liberty What Liberty Gods Spirit gives 518 c. How to deal with others in matters of Liberty 258. Love It will put Life into us 506. The best preservative against the least sin 88. In the Will and in the Appetite 221. To God and Christ how distinguished 222. What is it to Love Christ 222. Twelve Characters of it 224. Do all out of Love to God 22. False Love 237. Want of Love to him the greatest sin 238 c. Brings the greatest punishment 240. Motives to Love him 241 c. How to inflame our Love to him 244 c. How to increase the flame 247. M. Marriage 579. Misery Of a sinner 360 c. Of those that love not Christ 240 368 Ministry Difficulty of that Imployment 118. Meditation Two benefits of it 477 Makes the Efficacy of Ordinances continue 682. Morning Morning thoughts to be observed 54. Mortification A continued Act. 63. Mourn For the sins of others 179. Moderation What it is 382. The Rule of it 384. In what things to be used 388. How towards good things of this life 389. How towards the evil 394. Towards persons 397. In Civil matters Actively 397. Passively 401. In Religious Negatively 405 Positively 408. Reasons to inforce this duty 412 c. N. Neighbour Duties toward him much to bee regarded 266. O. Obedience It must be compleat 59 62 63. Occasions Of sin to be avoided 56 95. Omniscience Of God to be beleeved in prayer 338 c. His Omnipotence also 340 434. Opinions Moderately to be contended for 408 409. Original sin 84. 104. Ordinances To be frequented 203 686. Their vertue from Christ 621. What wee must do to make their Efficacy abide 679. What we must avoid for that end 688. P. Parents Must instruct their children 195. They must command them to obey it 197. Persons Must not be respected 184. Pleasure Pleasant things dangerous 57. Power of God 434. No Power to convert our selves 27. Threefold Power 26. Men can do more than they do 28. Poor A stock to be made for them 298. Prayer Necessity of it 102. For our Relations 213 214 For Charity 296. Why God hears wicked men sometimes 336. Wicked men are bound to pray 336. Why God will not give without prayer 341. To pray in Faith what 335 337 c. How for temporal things 345 c. How for spiritual 346 c. To be made with an eye to Christ 435 343. Distraction in Prayer 468. Danger of careless thoughts in Prayer 463 c. Answer of Prayer makes a mercy sweeter 493. Do nothing but what you can pray God to bless 24. Praise Incourages to do well 205. Prosperity A time for Trust in God 439. How it must be done 440 c. Propriety In Goods and Lands lawful 289. Promises To be beleeved in Prayer 342. A ground of our trust 435. They quicken the soul 507. Providence of God 339 437. Prudence in avoiding sufferings 640. Q. Quickening What it is to Quicken 500. Means of spiritual Quickning 504. Ten Quickning Considerations 509 c. R. Rashness In making vows to be avoided 591. Reason It must alwaies govern 98. Rational Arguments to be used 212. Recreation to be moderate 579. Regenerate Not without conflicts 325. Relation Study to save our Relations 190. Gods Relation to us a ground of trust 435. Religion A Christians business 573. Wherein it doth consist ib. seq When it is our business 577. How to make it so 583 c. Sweetness of it 584. When promoted by vows 592 c. And how 596. To be secured above all things 638 How to preserve it among enemies to it 640. It bindes the duties of the second Table upon us 267. How to converse with men of a different Religion 646 647 c. Repentance when it is true 81. Madness to defer it 19. Reproof Sin to be Reproved 179. Discovers beloved sins 52. How to manage it 2â—0 201 208. 398. Qualifications of a Reprover 180. Of a Reproof 182 183 c. 649. What must be Reproved 181. Win the affections of those you Reprove 212. Season of Reproof is to be marked 182 c. 280. Resolution against beloved sins 55. Revenge not to be taken 265. Rewards great incouragements 206. Riches not to be confided in 272. S. Scruples not to be cherished 17. Self-Knowledge How excellent 91 244. To be got in Solitude 54. And in Sufferings 55. Self-denial of great advantage 628. Salvation Of our friends should be laboured 190. Strife al ouâ— it 37 38 504 505. Sensual ty 569. Security 571. Sick Instruction to Sick persons of great advantage 112. How to be dealt withall 113. The same method improper for all 115 Errours which they are subject to 116 117. Sin to be killed 42. Never to live again ibid. It is from ouâ— selves 44. Ugliness of it 91. Why expressed by the parts of our body 45. Of Belâ—v d Sins 46. Whence they proceed 47. 12 Marks to discover them 50 c. Nine Helps to subdue them 55. Smallest Sins to be avoided 73 328. 331. Means against its first rising 88 c Take heed of beginning of Sin 107. In our children as well as selves 198. Eight waies of becomming guilty of other mens Sins 163. Five devilish sins 164. Sin how to be cured by Revulsion 101 Sloth three-fold 500. Ten Remedies against Spiritual Sloth 504 c. Eight Questions to Slothful Christians 314. Spirit the witness of it 318 521. We may know that we have Gods Spirit 313. What to walk in it 85. When activity is from Gods Spirit 416 c. Superiours must uphold their authority 193. How to be reproved 210. Superfluities to be cut off 297. Sufferings how prudently to be avoided 646 c. Or couragiously to be indured 631. c. T. Temper of body may incline to sin 46 47. Temptations how to be resisted 94 96. Thanksgiving due to God continually 480. Specially from his children 481 c. The grounds of it 482 c. For every thing 484 c. For afflictions 486. The reasons of that 487 c. How to obtain this frame of Spirit 491 492 c. Thoughts a conscience to be made of them 463. Time care to be had of it 575. Trouble inward and outward meet sometimes together 364. Whence it arises 365 c. To live among the ungodly a great Trouble 633 c. Truth not all equal 408. Trust what it is to Trust in God 428 Effects of it 431. Obâ—ect of Trust 432. Grounds of Trust in God 439 450. V. Verbs Active Verbs how sometimes used 26. Unthankfulness several sorts of Unthankful men 495 496. The evil of this sin 497. Vows the nature of them 588. Whether lawful to make them 589. When they are useful in Religion 592 c. How they promote it 596 c. Danger of breaking them 604. They must bear some proportion to mercies 605. W. Way A four-fold Way 503. Weakness very great in us unto good 27. Word of God the best weapon 85 99. Worldly-mindedness hinders its operation 689. Moderation in our words 397. Watchfulness necessary in doing our duty 504. Against our enemies 33 580. Worship how to conceive of God in it 416 c. He is tender of it 462. We must worship him in Christ. 423. Zeal Consistant with Moderation 407. FINIS
grounds and motives And also that barren love which works up the soul to no measure of obedience unto him And lastly that which allows Christ but the worlds leavings in our hearts every thing being constantly preferred before him And what a vast number of persons go no further than these 2. Many persons are truly gracious who yet know not whether they have any grace or not It requires more skill to search out the nature of a grace and to finde it in our selves than barely to exercise it The former are works of much judgement and require a deep acquaintance with our own hearts whereas to the latter it is enough if a person bee but of an ordinary understanding and an honest heart Besides Graces have their degrees Ezek. 47.3 4 5 like the waters of the Sanctuary and where grace is very shallow and little it is exceeding difficult to know that there is any at all And such persons should do well who are so weak rather to spend tâ—me in the exercise of grace than in trying whether they have grace or no for commonly it is but labour in vain 3. There are no souls in whom this grace is really planted but they have all these Characters drawn upon their hearts to know it by more or less I do not say they can finde them in themselves and know they have them but onely that they have them And of this I need give no further evidence than what you will easily finde your selves if you will but study the nature of love to Christ by the Rule of it laid down in the fifth Proposition premised and by the third and fourth Characters for I am well assured that Christ cannot bee loved as therein described unless all these particulars mentioned be either antecedent thereto or connexed with it 2. Case And so I come to the second Case viz. How wee may get our love to him kindled and inflamed And I shall proceed in the Resolution of this by these four steps 1. I will discover the danger of being without this grace 2. I will add some moving Considerations to provoke all that love their souls to look after it 3. I will give Directions to them that have it not how to get it 4. I will add a few more Directions for them that have it how it may be increased and inflamed I begin with the first which I will dispatch by these two steps 1. By discovering the Hainousness of Sin 2. The Terrour of the Punishment due thereto Now that you may understand the first besides what hath been said in the fore-mentioned Tract proving it to be a sin against the Fathers love and wisdome the whole work of the Son and the special oeconomy of the Holy Ghost I add first it's a sin utterly subverting the whole design of the Gospel casting a scorn upon the grace of all the three persons and not so much as acknowledging what was done by them as worthy the least acceptance it writes vanity upon all the promises and is a frustration to the design of Christ in that Noble Dispensation there being nothing that he did more aim at than to testifie his own John 3.17 1 John 1.3 and his Fathers love to us and to recover from us our love to them again 2. It is interpretatively a confederacy with Satan against God and Christ The proper and grand wickedness of the Devil Mat. 6.24 Act. 13.10 being his opposition to the design of God in glorifying himself by the salvation of mankind through Christ which yet so far as wee are haters of Christ Heb. 10.28 wee are in our measure guilty of as well as hee 3. It is a complicated sin many sins in one Such as are foul ingratitude Rebellion it being the casting of the Soveraignty of a Rightful Lord Cruelty to Christ and as it were a kicking him upon the bowels a Christicidium and to our selves Prov. 8.36 the tearing out our own bowels with our own hands spirituall uncleanness and adultery James 4.4 it being a treacherous revolting from Christ after profession of Marriage to him 4. It is a sin which opens the door to all wickedness Resistance of the Spirit contempt of the Gospel and them that bring it Joh. 15.18 19. sleighting of Ordinances Treason against Christ as King and implacable bitterness and enmity against his subjects and children 5. It is an Irrationâ—l sin Cant. 1.13 14.5.9 ad 16. or such for which there cannot be the least Apology because Christ was lovely in himself did much to ingage our hearts to him earnestly intreated us to place our affections upon him sending his messengers to wooe us bestowing gifts upon us like a King 1 Pet. 1.4 to oblige us and making almost incredible offers of much more that he would do for us yea finally threatning us even with Anathema Maranatha 1 Cor. 16.22 If wee with-hold our hearts from him And can such a sin after all this be extenuated 6. It is a sin brought forth and nursed by the foulest abominations 1 Cor. 2.8 Ioh. 5.43.44 47. such as spiritual darkness and ignorance Notorious Infidelity as to the doctrine of the Gospel Horrible Pride Self-righteousnesse Idolatrous and carnal Self-love 7. It is a sin against all our Covenants and Ingagements specially our Baptismal bond wherein wee did solemnly promise Christ our hearts 2 Cor. 11.2 and that in opposition to all others the bond of Christian Ingenuity Self-love and proper Interest Profession and Relation as wee bear his Name in the world 8. And lastly It is a sin utterly inconsistent with the presence of any one grace in the soul it being impossible that any thing should prosper where this weed hath once settled and rooted it self yoâ— may as well expect to finde branches without a Root as the graces of the Spirit without love Thus very briefly you have an account of the danger of being without love to Christ from the nature of the sin 2. I argue it from the Terrour of the Punishment And certainly the Just God hath proportioned the evil of this to the quality of that Study well these few places of Scripture Joh. 3.19 Mat. 21.41 Heb. 2.3 10.28 29. 12.25 Rev. 2. 3. throughout Oh the terrours of the Lord that will one day bee heaped upon the haters of his Son See Rev. 6.16 But wee need not look any further for this matter than into the awakened conscience of a Rebel against Christ in a fit of desperation what Scorpion-lashes doth such a mans conscience give him Oh the heat of this burning Caldron with what rage and fury doth it break forth on every side until the soul is even become a Hell to it self And wouldest thou not love Christ will inraged conscience then say so lovely in himself and so full of love to thee Couldest thou see him sighing bleeding sweating dying for thy sake and yet not love him Couldest thou spurn at such bowels and contemn