not thou more strength vnto them by yeelding vnto them When thy knowledge telleth thee that these and these things must not be ioyne issue with thy knowledge and say as Ioseph did How can I doe this euill and sinne against God Gen. 39. 9. I tell thee it is a grieuous euill to sin against knowledge when a mans knowledge within cryes out to the contrary this will make bloudy wounds and strike deepe gashes one day into thy conscience In the mean time thou art in a fearefull condition if thou allowest thy selfe in the practice of any one sinne condemned by thy knowledge for thou lyest open vnto any kind of impiety yea to any error euen vnto Popery for that person which denyeth the power of godlinesse will easily be brought to forsake the profession thereof if one sinne loued and delighted in be enough to pull a man from God to the Deuill yea into hell may it not then pull a man into Popery A wicked gracelesse person is a fit piece of stuffe to make a Papist of He that will not bee perswaded nor brought to leaue his sinne for the truth sake will easily be perswaded to leaue the truth for his sinnes sake How much better had it been for such a one neuer to haue known the way of righteousnesse than to turne away from that holy commandement giuen vnto him 2 Pet. 2. 21. Thirdly be instant and earnest with the Lord in prayer that he would manifest his power in thy weaknesse that he by his holy Spirit would conuey some life and power into thy knowledge that by the practice therof thou maist manifest the life of thy knowledge in al obedience and good conscience To this purpose Dauid makes many petitions to the Lord Psal 119. 88. Quicken me according to thy louing kindnesse so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth The Scribes and Pharisees knew the letter of the Law and were perfect in the Scriptures but the Lord by his Spirit had not taught them and therfore there was no spirituall life nor power in their knowledge Howsoeuer they boasted of their knowledge and thought scorne to be taught of others yet their knowledge being but a dead knowledge did increase their iudgement as appeares by those words of Christ Ioh. 9. 41. If yee were blind ye should not haue sinne but now yee say We see therefore your sinne remaineth A second Euidence of Grace THe next Euidence of Grace is Faith which followeth Knowledge as the frame doth the foundation for vntil such time as the minde be inlightned with the truth no man can beleeue There must be knowledge or else there can be no faith Wee haue knowne and beleeued saith Iohn No man can beleeue in Christ without the knowledge of him For how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10. 14. Faith must needs be an euidence of grace because it is a speciall and a principal part and member therof not the fountaine of all other graces as some doe hold nor the root out of which all fruits of sanctitie doe spring For the soule must first be endued with the life of grace before it can beleeue vnlesse we wil say that faith may be in a gracelesse heart which cannot bee because being regenerate and sanctified by the Spirit we come to beleeue and to rest vpon the promise for the remission of sinnes and saluation by Iesus Christ Saint Paul calls Faith a fruit of the Spirit by whom we are sanctified therefore it cannot be the efficient cause of our sanctification It is true that Paul hath a passage tending that way Act. 26. 18. That they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith but by the Word sanctified we are to vnderstand the fruit not the grace of sanctification we are dead in sinnes vntill such time as wee come to be quickned by the Spirit Ioh. 6. 3. It is the Spirit which infuseth all diuine qualities into the soule The Apostle calleth them the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22 23. Amongst which fruits Faith is one of the principall as that which puts a kinde of liuelihood into all other graces and therefore after a certaine manner may bee said to sanctifie vs For according to the strength of faith will be the power of other graces hope loue c. If faith be weak hope and loue cannot be strong little faith little hope little loue no faith no hope no loue at all So that faith must needs be a sound euidence of grace for vntill such time as the heart bee purified and washed in the lauer of regeneration it is either Atheisticall to depraue the Word of God by doubting of diuine truths if not denying thē or else it is Sophisticall to peruert and wrest the Word so as oft-times bloud commeth out of it to choak strangle Gods people in stead of milke to feed and nourish them But if the heart be once sanctified by the Spirit then is faith wrought in vs which doth further and more effectually cleanse and purifie vs through the Word Ioh. 15. 3. Now because as in the former euidence of grace so in this also many a man and woman is mistaken the heart being so infinitely deceitfull it will bee no lost labour to examine the truth of our faith For you must know that it is possible for a wicked and gracelesse person to beleeue that Christ died for him yea to die in a strong perswasiō of Gods loue and fauour and so of his owne saluation Hath not experience taught vs thus much Who so confident who so full of faith if you will beleeue them as many vile wretches and gracelesse persons They wonder what people mean to doubt of Gods loue for their part they neuer as yet called it into question They thanke God they haue euer had as strong a faith as the best so they hope to continue This is euident by examples in the Scripture The Lord by the Prophet Ieremie speaks to the wicked Iews which had polluted the Land with their whoredomes and malice which had a vvhores fore-head and would not bee ashamed saying Did'st thou not still crie vnto mee Thou art my Father and the guide of my youth So in Mica 3. 11. The Lord speaking of corrupt Iudges of mercenary Priests merchandizing Prophets which set the Word to sale and prophecie for money saith that yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among vs no euill can come vpon vs. By which it appeares that wicked and gracelesse people may bee confident of Gods fauour How then may wee distinguish the faith of Gods children from the presumption of vnbeleeuers There lyes a great difference betwixt them The first difference is in the ground out of which true faith springs or the meanes by vvhich it is wrought in beleeuers True faith is wrought in all Gods children by the ministery of
of carnall security the Lord oft stands by lets Satan loose and layes the reines vpon their owne necks whereby they come oft-times to be ouer-taken with grosse and shamefull sins the Lord in wisdome vsing as bodily Physicians oft doe desperate medicines and remedies for the curing of some desperate disease preuailing in them or growing vpon them Again there is another weed to be plucked vp and that is Insinceritie if I may so call it the want of truth and vprightnesse of heart call it Hypocrisie if you wil that stinking weed which like the wilde Gourd sowred all the Pottage 2 King 4. 40. The Lord loueth truth in the inward parts and loathes the contrary Vprightnesse and sincerity helpes forward the worke of grace as appeares Psal 84. 11. The Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke vprightly The want of vprightnesse will make grace to wither It is not possible for that tree to stand long which is rotten at the root it may for a while seeme fresh and greene but as it takes no root downeward so it will not long beare fruit vpward for whē the wind begins to blow hard down it falls Wheras a gracious heart which truly delights in the Law of God and meditates therein alone in the night as well as openly in the day is like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that will bring forth her fruit in due season whose leafe shall not fade but be greene and neuer cease yeelding fruit As these weeds must be plucked out of the heart or else grace cannot possibly thriue or prosper so there be certain briers and thornes which must bee stubbed vp or else grace will quickly be choked in vs. These thornes are the cares of this world the deceitfulnesse of riches which while some haue lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes These things sayes Paul 1 Tim. 6. 11. we must fly and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith c. implying that grace will not thriue if loue of money bee not rooted out of vs. What choaked grace if any was in Demas but the loue of the world Oh the multitude of soules that haue miscarried and for ought we know to the cōtrary might haue done wel if riches had not been not that riches are the cause but an occasion of their miscarrying What parted Christ that hopeful young man in the Gospell Mat. 19. was it not the loue of riches Many haue begunne well in their youth and giuen good hope but in their age haue growne cold through the loue of the world If once mens hearts begin to goe after their eyes and to be set vpon the world twenty to one but grace goes to decay in them for the world wil afford a man little time to exercise those things which hold vp the life of grace as prayer reading hearing c. If the world hath seazed vpō the heart it fumes vp into the head and fills the braine sleeping and waking with restlesse thoughts which way to compasse businesse contriue things and bring ends together so as scarce once in the day a good thought comes to minde but one occasion or other of the world stifles it or shuffles it out so as it comes to nothing Therfore if riches increase set not your heart vpon thē Psal 62. 10. Vse thē as thornes for thy weale to stop a gap withall to fence thee from outward harmes or to warme thee but lie not vpō them hold them not too hard lest they strike into thee and would thee remember alwayes that they are thornes good in their lawfull vse and when they are rightly husbanded but otherwise noxious and hurtful They are thornes they will ouer-grow and choak all good things that grow neere them if they be let alone Againe there be many bad humours foolish and noysome lusts which must be purged out of the heart or else grace will neuer thriue nor prosper in it to wit enuy hatred malice guile dissimulation filthinesse euill speakings the like which corrupt goodnesse Therefore S. Peter exhorting his brethren to whom hee wrote to embrace the sincere milke of the Word that they might grow therby prepares thē to this by aduising thē to lay aside those base distempers for they do much hinder the growth of Grace where they are they take away the glory and beauty of a Christian and make him vnseemely in the eyes of his brethren they darken his lustre and do blot and blemish his holy profession Therefore away with these lay these aside not as a man doth his apparell with a resolution to take it vp againe but as the captiue maid when she was to be maried laid aside the garment of her captiuitie Deut. 21. 13. with a resolution neuer more to put it on Abstaine from all fleshly lusts for they fight against thy soule 1 Pet. 2. 11. As Easterne winds doe nippe herbs and flowers cold stormes doe hinder trees from growing so fleshly lusts nip grace in the bud as it were blast it in the bloome that if it dieth not yet it comes not forward so fast as otherwise it would Last of all take heed beware of the needlesse familiar societie of gracelesse and godlesse persons for they are the quench-coale nay the very bane and poyson of grace vnto many He that is a companion of fooles shal be destroyed or as Iunius hath it He shal be made worse Prou. 13. 20. God hath branded wicked persons for fooles they are fooles in graine therefore come out from amongst thē lest thou partake of their folly They are pitch if thou touch them they wil defile thee There is a kind of poyson and venome in the words and society of the wicked which will fret as the Apostle sayes like a Gangrene and mens soules are more ready to take the cōtagion of sin than their bodies are to take the infection of the plague It would take vp a long time and proue a large discourse to shew how many wayes by what degrees mischiefe doth grow by haunting wicked company By often hearing filthy and obscene speeches zeale in many is quenched and such language growes in-offensiue By often seeing lewd prankes and wicked practices men can look on without dislike Thus the societie of the wicked quells a mans hatred of their wicked courses so inchants him that if he cast not in his lot amongst thē yet he hath no power to gain-say or reproue thē Therefore as you loue your soules loath the company of the wicked Can a man take fire into his bosome not burne liue amongst or delight to be with the wicked and not be vngodly Dost thou not know that a little leauen will sowre the whole lumpe And as the old saying is One scabbed sheepe infects the whole flocke Therefore say as Dauid Away from mee yee
wicked I will keepe the Commandements of my God Psal 119. 115. If thou wouldest haue grace thriue in thee Be a companion of those that feare God and keepe his Precepts Psal 119. 63. For euil men deceiuers grow worse and worse deceiuing and being deceiued Now as these euils must be auoided so if you would grow in grace good things must be practised as the means to procure health of body is first to purge out malignant humours and then to take cordialls and to obserue a good diet Therefore first of all labour to keepe thy heart soluble be euery day abased at the sight of thy sins and the sense of thy vilenesse and vnworthinesse The way for a man to get any good at Gods hand is to acknowledge and bewaile his emptinesse to grieue and mourne for his vnworthinesse God hath made a promise to fill the hungry with good things Apoc. 21. 6. I wil giue to him that is athirst of the Well of the water of life freely c. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Hee giueth grace to the humble Humble your selues therefore vnder the mightie hand of God that he may exalt you Secondly vse the societie of Gods people by whose example you may bee incouraged to godlinesse and by whose means you may bee furthered in the way of happines Firebrands being laid together and blowne will increase their heat light so doth cōmunity and society with those where the Word of God is kept on foot by holy and Christian conference increase the light of knowledge and the loue of goodnesse in vs. Thirdly Be frequent in hearing and reading of the Word the Word of God is the Word of grace which is able to build vs vp further Act. 20. 32. Therefore 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new-borne babes desire the sincere milke of the Word that you may grow thereby If this Word be thy delight it will make thee fruitfull Psal 1. 2 3. Hence it is that in Esay 55. 10 11. the Word is compared vnto raine which watereth the earth and makes it to bring forth and bud that it may giue seed c. The barrennesse of many souls proceeds from the want of the Word to make them fruitfull Paul tels the Colossians Chap. 1. 6. That they were fruitfull through the Gospell from the day that they heard it and truly knew the grace of God The ministry of the Word is Gods holy ordinance to beget and increase grace in his children beating them off from the world raising them vp to a higher pitch of heauenly-mindednesse teaching them which way to preuent occasions of sin and to beat backe the tentations of the Deuill c. Oh pity then pity those poore soules which want these liuing waters this bread of Life How many thousands in this our English Israel perish for want of vision the meanes of grace What will become of all cruell soule-murtherers in the day of the Lord Oh let vs continually bow the knees of our hearts to the Father of spirits that hee would put bowels of compassion into those that haue authority that the Church may be purged of all vnsauoury salt and a supply made of a faithfull Ministery which might feelingly and tenderly respect the flocke of Christ which hee hath purchased with his bloud And let all such as to whom Wisdom hath sent her maidens calling them that are destitute of wisdome to come and eat of her meat and drinke of her wine know that God looks for fruits of increase answerable to the meanes of grace bestowed vpon them lest they be in the number of those which receiue the grace of God in vaine 2 Cor. 6. 1. Fourthly if thou desirest to increase thy stocke of grace set thy grace on work let it not be idle The diligent hand maketh rich saith Salomon Prou. 10. 4. And in all labour there is abundance Prou. 14. 13. I dare boldly say it is in nothing more true nay in nothing so true as in the approuement of grace vse grace and haue yea increase grace That seruant which vsed and improued his Masters Talents gained by thē increased them Whereupon Christ inferred Mat. 25. 29. Vnto euery one that hath it shall bee giuen and he shall haue abundance Instruments and vessels for want of vse doe oft-times grow worse and vnseruiceable Gifts and graces of the Spirit are bettered by improuing them according to the cōmon saying Vse makes perfect Hence it is that 1 Tim. 4. 15. Paul aduiseth him These things exercise giue thy selfe vnto them that it may be seene how thou profitest Fifthly and last of all bee earnest with the Lord in prayer that he would put a spirit of life power into all those meanes vsed by thee or bestowed vpon thee for the increase of grace For Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must giue the increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. without his blessing all meanes are but naked and empty He is the Author and perfecter of euery good thing begun in any Hence it is that the Apostle prayes for the Philippians 1. 9. that their loue may abound more and more And that the Colossians 1. 9. may bee fulfilled with knowledge and vers 10. fruitfull in all good works Teaching vs that prayer is the only helpe to obtaine increase of any good from God Now because of the deceit̄fulnesse of our hearts and the abundance of selfe-loue which abides in the best of Gods children we are too readie to flatter to thinke too well of our selues taking oft-times mole-hils for mountaines it will not bee amisse to make some priuie search whether wee finde any growth of grace in vs or whether it stand at a stay or bee in declension A shame it will be for al such as liue vnder the meanes vpon whom God doth daily bestow cost watering them with heauenly dewes if they thriue not If grace bee true and not counterfeit more or lesse some way or other it will grow For to say truth it is only the good heart that groweth and brings forth fruit and euill heart may giue some appearāce make some shew of growth but growes not like to an Atrophe one whose meat doth him no good he eats and drinkes and it may be with a greedy appetite deuoures more than is fitting yet battles not but rather falls away euery day more meager and leane than other This as was touched before shewes there is no soūd vnion betwixt Christ and such that they are no true and liuely members of Christs body for thē there would appeare some fruitfulnesse Ioh. 15. 5. He that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Well then seeing the Lord hath planted vs amongst the riuers of waters let vs take a view of our growth fruitfulnes First thou mayest know thou growest in grace if thou growest more and more into a dislike of sin as was said in the beginning if thy wants