sense emulate them We should strive at least to overtake those that are foremost Yea true Zeal for God and Godliness will not set it self any bounds or limits You cannot call them zealous that stint themselves and count it an high point of prudence and discretion not to be too forward in Religion But as Love so Zeal is like Fire that cannot be hid it will break forth Quis enim celaverit ignem Lumine qui semper proditur ipse suo Such as are afraid of being counted zealous as if it was a matter of disgrace are far from such a spirit as David had who when he was mocked and despised of Michal spake resolvedly I will yet be more vile than thus if this be to be vile Fire is one of those things which say not It is enough Prov. 30.16 So true Zeal never says It is enough A zealous Christian would have more Grace more Zeal for God They that are zealous of good works desire to abound more and more in good works 18. True Zeal is not for a spurt for a flash it is constant a Fire that never goes out Like that Fire upon the Altar Lev. 6.13 Though I must grant the Zeal of a true Christian doth not flame up at all times alike yet it is never totally extinguished It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing Gal. 4.18 And this is a good sign thy Zeal is right if it be constant There are some whose Zeal is but a flash scarce any sooner in than out again Some have a burning fit of Zeal for a while that is quickly over Their praeter-natural heat stays not But true Zeal is like the natural heat of the Body that continues as long as one lives Yea though it is like Fire in green wood subject to go out if it be not blown up yet that Spirit which first kindled this spark in Believers is given to dwell in them and to abide with them for ever And therefore though there may be some decays of Holy Zeal for a time yet it is stirred up again in the Faithful and usually burneth clearer after it is recovered As we sometimes see Fire blaze up more after a dash of water cast on it Yea ordinarily as we may observe a flame mount highest before it goes out ordinarily I say a Christians Zeal is most raised the nearer he is to his end But such as once seemed very forward for that which is good but are quite fallen off again have quite out-lived their Zeal they even give others cause enough to suspect that they were never sound OF A Lively Hope ROM 12.12 Rejoycing in Hope TO go on to the Trial of all other Christian Vertues might upon some accounts cross my design in what is Written which is to help and direct ordinary Christians in the Trial and exercise of Grace even such as cannot purchase or have not time to peruse large Volums I have spoken of the chief Cardinal Graces and shewed how they work how they may be known Prove these in your selves and there is no question but you have the whole Train of those better things that necessarily accompany Salvation As without these any other Vertues you may seem to have as Temperance Patience Meekness c. are but Shadows and Counterfeits So that I might make a Full-stop at what is Written Yet because many are kept off from any serious examination of their Estates satisfying themselves with this That they have Hopes and some That they have Joys too never enquiring How they came by them or of what kind they are Therefore before I conclude this Treatise I shall shew you how you may know whether your Hope and Joy be sound or no. And first of Hope But let me premise these Three Things 1. It is unquestionable that there is a false a deceiving Hope as well as a true and certain Hope There is a dead Hope as well as a lively Hope There is a confounding Hope as well as an Hope that maketh not ashamed There is the Hope of the Hypocrite Job 8.13 as well as the Hope of the Righteous Prov. 10.28 2. Better no Hopes than false Hopes As we may allude to that Prov. 26.12 Seest thou a Man wise in his own conceit There is more hope of a Fool than of him So there is more Hope of Sinners that are most despondent in one sense without Hope than of such as are very confident high in their Hopes but without any ground And how sad is it as I remember one says to sail on smoothly to Hell having Heaven all the while in view Hope that is like to end in horrour and utter desperation is not worth having 3. It is justly to be suspected that their Hopes are groundless and false who are unwilling to bring them to the Test and Trial. That part of a Man's Body which he could not endure to have touched we would conclude not right or sound But if your Hope be right it would not suffer any injury or damage by a fair impartial Trial but be more confirmed Now if you ask What is Christian Hope I answer It is a longing and fiducial expectation of Good promised to come in God's Time and Way Faith and Hope are very near akin Yet thus they differ 1. In Order Faith in order of nature is before Hope Hope is the Daughter at least the youngest Sister of Faith 2. In the Object Faith has respect to the whole Word of God Hope to the Word of Promise Good only is the object of Hope And Future Good Quod speratur non possidetur good to be received and enjoyed Rom. 8.24 Or if I may be said to hope that I am in a state of Grace that my Sins are pardoned which is hope of a present Good if my Hope be sound or if I say I hope God heard my prayer at such a time and gave in such a Mercy in answer to it here seems to be Hope of a thing past Here the word Hope seems to be used more improperly or taken more largely It is more properly a Perswasion though short of full Perswasion or Assurance But properly Hope looks at Good to come Whereas what is past may be the object of Faith as well as what is to come As we believe the Creation of the World a thing past as well as the Resurrection of the Body which is future 3. In their proper formal Acts. Faith apprehends and assents to the truth of the Promises Hope expects and looks for the Good promised An expectation of Good is the formal Act of Hope And herein also it is differenced from or contrary to Fear which is an expectation of Evil not of Good But that which I mainly intend is to shew wherein sound Hope differs from Presumption or from a false Hope Or how we may know whether our Hope be sound 1. True hope is not ordinarily obtained but after sad doubts and fears As it is Hos
11. True Zeal is for expedition in God's Service As Phinehas Ignis est maxime actuosus maximè mobilis who was zealous for God could not sit still when he saw God so greatly Dishonoured Psal 106. Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment Then stood up Phinehas The word may import his readiness and forwardness to appear for God against Sin as occasion was then offered So Nehemiah testified against the Merchants that had lodged but once or twice without Jerusalem under the Wall on the Sabbath threatning to clap them up If they did so again he would lay hands on them Neh. 13.20 21. So David Psal 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked Though it may point at the usual time of sitting in Judgment in the morning yet withal it may import that he would not be delatory in the work Thus Zeal will set Men early on work for God will make Men quick and speedy in giving check to Sin as they have power and opportunity to put a stop to it as soon as they can Sinful sluggish demurs delays put-offs are contrary to the nature of true Zeal So a listlesness to Duty is no sign of Zeal It is cold that benummeth So it is a sign of the want of Zeal a sign of extream coldness when we cannot find our hands to turn them to any good work when we are like the slothful Prov. 19.24 that hides his hand in his bosom 12. True Zeal makes souls as forward unto so free and lively in God's service What a Man does zealously he does very heartily To be zealous of good Works is not barely to do some good Works but it further implieth earnestness alacrity and fervency of spirit in the doing of Good Works To pray with Zeal is more than saying a Prayer it is no less than to be fervent in Prayer to pray earnestly To be zealous in works of Charity is not meerly to give to such that stand in need but to give willingly and freely Like those of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.3 that were willing of themselves That needed no spurring on What the Apostle sayes of Love 1 Cor. 13.4 It is kind bountiful this may well be said of Zeal which is the fervour of Love Zeal is bountiful at least in will and desire Cold has a condensing and contracting quality but heat rarifies and extends So Zeal in the Heart enlarges it A zealous Christian would not serve God at an ordinary rate he desires to abound in the work of the Lord. The flame will be mounting upwards A zealous spirit is a raised spirit raised in God's Service But a cold dead heart is still bearing downward We read of Jehoshaphat that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.6 So one of a zealous spirit never thinks he does enough for God He will desire still to serve him more and to serve him better 13. True Zeal gives courage in the Cause of God filleth the Soul full of resolution for God And indeed that may be the meaning of Jehoshaphat's heart being lifted up in the wayes of the Lord. A zealous Spirit is a magnanimous Spirit An holy Zeal is indeed Cos fortitudinis the Whetstone of Valour As Esther's Zeal for God and his People put courage into her though she might naturally be timorous as is common to her Sex What an heroick resolution was there Esth 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish If we have no Spirit no Courage to appear for God his Truth and Wayes sure we have no Zeal forthem Indeed of all things Sinners are most offended at holy Zeal They that have nothing to say against Christian Meekness or Charitableness and some other Graces yet can ill endure the heat of Godly Zeal O it is scorching and tormenting to them Here they are ready to cry out Fire fire as one says This oft puts them into a great combustion Yet true Zeal will break thorow opposition Many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it The like may be said of Zeal It is not quenched or cooled but oft more intended and increased when others would discourage it 14. True Zeal that is a cause of such courage and resolution for God that giveth confidence and boldness before Men yet is joyned with Humility and Holy Fear and Trembling before God One gracious disposition is not contrary to another And true Zeal is not blown up with high thoughts of ones self but with high thoughts of God The Dread and Reverence of the most High of an infinitely Glorious and Holy Majesty promotes true Zeal for God helpeth to set an edge upon it and steeleth the Soul with an holy boldness hardeneth it against a base carnal fear of Man Mr. Vines But it is not right when as one says Zeal that should eat us up is eaten up of Pride 15. Right regular Zeal will more dispose and fit us for our Work and Duty not take off from Duty or transport into Sin That is not Zeal but distempered Passion it is not from Grace but from the workings of Corruption when we are discomposed and unhinged 16. If we have true Zeal for God it will be a joy to us to see any zealous and active for God As on the other hand it will be our great grief to see Men generally cold indifferent lukewarm in Religion To see others regardless of God and of the interest of true Religion will move our displeasure and indignation But it will not offend us to see any acted with regular Zeal for God Indeed the Apostle did and would rejoyce that Christ was Preached though some preached Christ out of envy Phil. 1.15 18. How much more would he have rejoyced to have seen as good proof and evidence of their pure Love and Zeal as he saw of their Envy carrying them out in the work If we are truly zealous for God we shall be taken with those whom we see or hear to be zealous for him our hearts will be towards such yea knit to them as Jonathans was to David And we shall bless God for such As Deborah Judg. 5.9 My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the People Bless the Lord. She desired that the Lord might be praised that put such a spirit into them If others out-shine us here yet if we have true Zeal for God we shall be so far from envying them that the more zealous any are the more we shall honour and be taken with them 17. If we are truly zealous we have an holy emulation a desire to follow yea if it might be to outstrip those that excel in vertue As the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14.12 Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that ye may excel As the Corinthians Zeal and forwardness provoked very many 2 Cor 9.2 We should not envy such as have got the start of us and yet should in a good
to wallow in the Mire 6. This is a sure Sign that a Man is not under the Dominion of Sin when his Heart is turned to hate all known Sin As the Apostle though he was not without Sin yet he was not in love in league with any Sin no it was the thing he hated Rom. 7.15 If thou art an Enemy to Sin to all known Sin then certainly thou art not a willing Subject to it A Man would not take and chuse him for his Master whom he hates If now it is thy great care to shun and avoid Sin as an Enemy and the greatest Enemy thou hast in the World and if thou settest against Sin as thy worst Enemy and nothing will satisfy thee but the Death of Sin if thou art daily bestirring thy self to beat down a Body of Sin to mortify thy earthly Members to crucify the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts thereof this Hatred and Opposition of Sin is one of the clearest and best Evidences thou canst have that thou art not under the Dominion of Sin And where Sin is not habitually more hated than loved it has Dominion But where there is such an habitual Hatred of Sin though remaining In-dwelling Corruption prevails too oft so far as to draw a Man to commit the Act of Sin yet he is not thereupon reconciled to Sin and for a sinful Course But when the Temptation is over when he comes to himself to act according to the Principle and Habit of Grace within him he cannot but loath himself and abhor that Sin As Zanchy Ac certum est electos renatos Tom. 7. p. 257. antequam peccent odisse peccatum malle mori quà m peccare postquam peccârunt dolere odisse peccatum quum peccant peccare non cum odio Legis aut contemptu Dei sed ex infirmitate Fidei Thus though Sin gets Victory sometimes yet it never obtains a full Conquest A gracious Soul though he hath been worsted again and again will be for renewing the Fight So the Dominion of Sin cannot be concluded from its violent assaults on the Soul but rather one may conclude the contrary from the Hatred and hearty Opposition of it If the Sins which most prevail against thee are the greatest trouble to thee and nothing in the World would so glad thy Heart as to be rid of them If the Pardon of Sin alone would not satisfy thee without Power against it 't is a good Sign that Sin has not Dominion over thee 7. Thou mayest know thou art not under the Dominion of Sin if indeed thou hast chosen and heartily accepted of a new Lord if thou hast sincerely resigned up thy self to God and Jesus Christ If it be so that Christ is now Lord and Master in thee then certainly thou art not a Servant of Sin Thou canst not be under both these Masters While thou wast a Subject and a Servant of Sin thou wast a Rebel against God a Rebel against Jesus Christ But if now thy Heart and Will is to be governed by God and Christ to come under his Laws the Government of Sin is cast off If the prevailing Bent of thy Will and the general Course of thy Life proves thee to be most for obeying God and subjecting thy self to the Rule of his holy Word if thou wouldest not allow thy self in any thing thou knowest to be cross and contrary to his Will if it is the grief of thy Soul that thou canst not obey him perfectly if thou wouldest not have a Dispensation to break any Command of his but have Grace and Strength to keep them Then thou hast changed thy Master Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves to obey his Servants ye are More I might add but I chuse to conlude with some Passages out of Reverend Mr. Baxter Thus he saith He that seldom or never committeth such external Crimes and yet loveth not God Christian Directory pag. 428. and Heaven and Holiness above all the Pleasures and Interests of the Flesh is in a state of Death under the Dominion of Sin Again It is certain that his Love to God and Holiness is not prodominant whose carnal Interest and Lust hath ordinarily in the drift and tenour of his Life more power to draw him to the wilful committing of known Sin than the said Love of God and Heaven and Holiness have to keep him from it Rom. 6.16 He that will sin thus as oft as will stand with saving Grace shall never have the Assurance of his Sincerity or the Peace or Comfort of a sound Believer till he repent and lead a better Life Again He that in his Sin retaineth that habitual Divine Love hath also habitual vertual Repentance for that very Sin before he actually repenteth because he hath that habitual Hatred of it which will cause actual Repentance when he is composed to act according to his predominant Habits Again There are some Sins which all Men continue in or the best are not freed from while they live as Defect in the degrees of Faith Hope Love c. Vain Thoughts Words Passions c. Where the evil is prevalent in the Will against the good so far as to commit those Sins though not so far as to vitiate the Bent of the Heart or Life Again That which is apprehended to be either of doubtful evil or but a little sin will be much less resisted and oftner committed than Sins that are clearly apprehendeded to be great Now if this Apprehension be wrong and come from the predominancy of a carnal or ungodly Heart which will not suffer the Understanding to do its Office nor to take that to be evil which he would not leave then both the Judgment and the Sin occasioned by it are mortal and not mortified pardoned Sins Again Though it is true that all good Christians should not indulge the smallest Sin and that true Grace will make a Man willing to forsake the least yet No good Men rise up with so great and constant watchfulness against an idle Thought or Word or Disorder in Prayer c. as they do against an hainous Sin Some things I pass over being touched at before I shall only add one Note more though already hinted at There are some Sins so easily known to be Sins Cathol Theo l. part 2. pag. 104. and so notoriously calling the Conscience to repent that to lie in them unrepented of long when the sudden violent Temptation and Passion is over and a Man hath opportunity to act according to his setled Habit will not consist with the truth of an Habit of Love to God and Holiness and of Hatred to Sin Of Love to God John 5.42 But I know you that ye have not the Love of God in you HOw sad is it if the like may be said of us How many that will say He is not worthy to live that does not love God And yet the Lord knows they are such themselves as have
amiableness which is in God for which he is to be loved above all and in respect of which Mans nearest conjunction with him must needs be his highest felicity while a Man is a stranger to all this he cannot love God as God for himself but only for some fancied happiness and self-advantage expected from him See more of this and so the Mystery of the love of God and of our selves accurately opened in Mr. Baxters Christian Directory pag. 182. c. 3. That is a right holy love of God indeed if we love him as an holy God And it is not enough to love him as our great and gracious Benefactor but we must also love him as our Righteous and Holy Ruler and Governor A Gracious Soul feareth the Lord for his Goodness and loves him even for his Holiness but graceless ones contemn him for the former and hate him for the latter Psal 119.140 Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it So this is comfortable indeed if we can say the like of God himself if we love him not only for his Kindness and Benignity but also for his Holiness and Purity Flesh and blood would never teach this Corrupt nature is contrarily inclined Sinners either suppress the notion of God's Holiness and take up a most false blasphemous conceit that God is like to them and approveth well enough of them and their wayes as in Psal 50.21 Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thy self Or if they have an apprehension of his Holiness in that respect they love him not but have a great aversation from him and contrariety to him Now it is not being taken with a false Idea or representation of God which will pass for love to God This is but setting up an Idol in the heart Neither is it enough to love God as the God of Nature the Creator and Preserver of all things He from whom we have our beings and well-beings our great Benefacter who giveth us life and breath and all things who giveth us rain from Heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness c. I say it is too short to love him as our Creator and Preserver but we must love him as our Righteous and Holy Governor Sinners do not take distaste at all that is in God or at all he does but his Holiness exprest in his most Righteous and Holy Laws this is that in special which they cannot be reconciled unto So they are far from loving him as their Holy Ruler and Judg as one that cannot but be displeased at Sin which is so contrary to his Holy Nature and to his Righteous Will They are not so much taken with God in any other respect as in this respect they are displeased with him But Holiness is as essential to God as any other Attribute of his Exo. 15.11 Who is like thee glorious in Holiness So they that would deprive him of his Holiness would spoil him of a chief part of his Glory Yea if he were not Holy he should not be God That Sinners who wish in their hearts that God was not so Holy and that his Laws were not so strict or that they might be exempted from his Laws or from giving account to God they interpretatively wish that there was no God And if it was in their power it is in their hearts to dethrone and un-God him Now surely such are so far from loving God that indeed they are haters of God Rom. 1.30 And well may his soul loath them while their souls abhor him Zech. 11.8 How many alas who love not God for all that he is pleased to do for them as they dislike him upon this account that he hath imposed upon them Laws that are contrary to their Lusts such will be found in the rank of those that hate him Exod. 20.5 The love of God as our Holy Ruler is so necessary that it will nothing advantage a Man if he should dy in God's cause as a Turk may chuse to dye rather then to deny his Mahomet If one of us should chuse to sacrifice his life rather than renounce his Religion professed I say this would not avail at all while his heart was more for his lusts than for God As indeed this is not to love God to prefer any lust before him what ever else one may part with for him So 4. If we love God sincerely we love him suparlatively we love him above all Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee True love to God will not admit of any corrival with him will suffer nothing to stand in competition with him We cannot love him as God if we love any creature as much or above him For a Wife to love her Husband but as she loveth another Man this is not in a moral sense to love her Husband this is not true conjugal love So we do not love God sin cerely as God if we love any thing in the World as much Therefore certainly they that are lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God as 2 Tim. 3.4 and they that love the praise of men more than the praise of God Joh. 12.43 they that are lovers of the World and worldly things 1 Joh. 2.15 that have their hearts chiefly set on these things they are spiritual Adulterers and Adulteresses as the Apostle James calleth them Jam. 4.4 their hearts depart go a whoring from God The love of God dwelleth not in them It dwells not where it rules not where it is not predominant prevailing over carnal sinful love and subjugating natural love though they are not totally eradicated here But hereupon some sound upright hearts may be questioning the truth of their love to God not finding those strong passionate workings in their hearts towards God which they have towards some creatures towards their dear relations c. To satisfy such As we distinguished before in speaking of Godly Sorrow there is a passionate Sorrow and there is a rational Sorrow so we must distinguish of Love There is a passionate Love which may express it self more towards creatures God being a Spirit is removed further from our senses and not so near unto our passions he is not directly the object of a passionate Love But as he is manifested and shewed to the enlightned understanding as most amiable and the chiefest Good the renewed Will preferreth chuseth and adhereth to him before all other And this is a rational spiritual Love Now do we in our setled judgment esteem and prefer and in our will chuse and imbrace him before all Do we indeed prize and desire an interest in him above all things in the World Had we rather part with all Possessions Relations c. than to have no part in him Should we account our selves really miserable without him what ever else we may enjoy but happy and blest in him though we were deprived of all
worldly comforts Would an interest in God with us weigh down all the World This is a surer evidence of true love to God if the settled bent and inclination of our Souls be towards him than any sudden transports and flashes of affection or passionate workings or ravishments that come and go and leave not the Soul in such a frame Well lay up this Note and try and judg of your selves by it So much as the Will is inclined towards God and the Heart set upon him above all things in the World so much there is of the Grace of Love so far a Soul loveth God in sincerity 5. If we love God indeed than we cannot be satisfied without an interest in God and we cannot but earnestly desire to have our interest in him cleared to us I do not say we must know our special propriety in him that he is our God before we can truly love him No but a true love to God is that which must evidence God's especial love to us and our special interest in God By being such as love God we may know we are in special relation to him of the number of those who are the Called according to his purpose Rom. 8.28 But if we love him indeed we shall long to come to a sense of his love and to see our special interest in him As the Psalmist Psal 119.58 I intreated thy favour thy face with my whole heart Lord one good look one smile from thee A little in the World with God's favour would give us more content than the whole World without it As the Spouse says Cant. 6.3 I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine So if God hath our love we shall be restless till we can say that he is ours till we can call him our own As they that are in love cannot injoy themselves unless they may obtain their Beloved As they say Love would be paid in its own coin If we love God we cannot be content unless we may be in his Eyes as them who find favour So we shall desire rather to enjoy the light of his Countenance than the greatest affluence of worldly comforts as Psal 4.6 7. But are not most of us of another mind How many that are more intent upon the World to get Estates here than to get an interest in God How many who if they may have the World smiling on them never regard though they are under God's frowns How many that seek the favour and friendship of Men more than the favour of God Doubtless such have not the love of God in them 6. If we have the love of God in us then we shall greatly desire and delight in his presence and mourn take on sadly in his absence Psal 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the Water brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God Psal 101.2 O when wilt thou come unto me If we love God we shall long for his gracious visits It will be our delight to draw nigh to God in holy Duties in his Ordinances and especially when we can find the Lord drawing nigh to our Souls as we are joyed at the coming of a special friend And as intimate friends are not content to be long asunder we shall not be satisfied without God's presence As Moses said Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with me carry us not hence He would have chosen to be in a Wilderness with God's presence rather than to enjoy a Canaan without it so if we have the love of God in us we shall rather desire to be in affliction and have his presence with us than to enjoy great worldly prosperity without him So we shall account this one of the saddest afflictions if the Lord withdraws and estrangeth himself from us as the Psalmist Psal 30.7 Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled We know not how to bear his frowns In such a case we shall have many sad and serious self-reflections often asking our Souls What is the matter what have we done that the Lord takes unkindly that has set him at such a distance We shall not rest till we have found out the cause and removed it till this sad breach be made up and we restored to our communion with God If indeed our hearts be with him we can no longer enjoy our selves than we enjoy him A soul that loves God cannot but say It is not good Lord for me to be alone counting it an Heaven upon Earth to enjoy him but an Hell to live without him in the World As the Needle touch'd with the Loadstone will be turning to such a point the Heart being touch'd with the love of God will be moving and inclining towards him it cannot rest but in the enjoyment of him as Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee Such a soul is in a trembling posture and is fainting for him when the Lord carrieth more strange when he hides his face Psal 84.2 My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God my soul even fainteth This is Love's sickness Are we thus sick of Love as the Spouse was Cant. 5.8 There is a lamenting love as well as a delighting love As the Child crieth for its Mother As we are grieved at the loss or long absence of a dear friend Absence is the Lover's night God's absence makes the darkest and faddest night to the souls of his People My soul fainteth for the Courts of the Lord because there he was wont to have fights of God Psal 63.2 there he was wont to enjoy sweet communion with him And my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God He would send his hearty and carnest cries after him So if we love God we shall seek him still though he be a God that sometimes hideth himself Isa 45.15 Thus the Spouse shewed how her heart went after her Beloved whenshe sought him in the streets of the City sought him in the broad ways Cant. 3.2 went about up and down seeking him and could not rest till she had found him As they shewed how they were taken with their Idols Jer. 8.2 Whom they have loved and whom they have served and after whom they have walked and whom they have sought By love the Soul is knit to the Lord and cleaveth to him Deut. 11.12 and it must needs go fore with such a soul to be parted to be separated from him Nothing in the World can be more grievous to it 7. If we have the love of God in us while we are our selves are in our right frame and act like our selves we are breathing after and longing for the full enjoyment of God in Glory We desire and are glad of his presence with us here yet are not satisfied therewith but set a longing after Heaven where our love to God shall be perfect our communion with him more immediate and our joy in him full so if we love God how
of God in us our indignation will be moved when we hear the Name of God profaned and see his Majesty affronted his Laws violated his truth and interest opposed Now what say you to this If you can be sensible enough of any injury done to your selves but no way touched or affected with the great indignities you oft see and hear offered unto God If you can see Sinners as it were flying in God's face and yet remain sensless and speechless having nothing to say in God's cause as the Psalmist was dumb in his own cause Psal 38.14 as a Man that beareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs If you can have fellowship with Sinners delight in their company and rather countenance than discountenance the Ungodly and love them that hate the Lord will these things shew any love to God Would you take him for your friend that could see others evil intreat you and yet stood by as one wholly unconcerned And can you be friends with those who shew themselves enemies to God and no way manifest your displeasure against them and their evil ways and will you yet pretend to love God 11. If we love God we have a desire to win and draw in others to him Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee When she was drawn she would be for drawing others to him She was not content to come alone but would endeavour to bring in others with her As the Psalmist Psal 34.3 O magnify the Lord with me So one that loves God will be ready to call upon others O love the Lord with me O serve the Lord with me If we have the love of God in us it will grieve us to see others enemies to God As the Psalmist I beheld the transgressours and was grieved And especially it will be our grief to see any of ours alienated from God to see any of our friends enemies to God any of our Relations such as are near to us afar off from God to see any of our Children backward to that which is good Children of disobedience carrying so that we may know they have not the love of God in them We shall be earnest with God in Prayer that he would change their hearts that he would circumcise their hearts to love him What is it that we would chuse for ours if we might have our choice Whether would we chuse God or the World Had we rather see them in a state of Grace and in favour with God though they were never so poor and low in the World than see them rich and graceless And would we in the first place acquaint them with God Are we still admonishing perswading charging them to come in to him If we are less afraid of displeasing God by a sinful silence here than of displeasing them by plain and faithful dealing with them is not this to honour them above the Lord And if we can be well enough pleased with Children though we cannot see the least spark of Grace in them if they are but likely to thrive and prosper in the World and if we regard not though our Servants are backward to God's Service while they follow our business close if we take no pains with them to get them better principled such things would shew as little love to God as to their souls 12. If the love of God be in us then we are no longer in love or in league with Sin Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil How can we love God who is Holiness it self and yet be in love with Sin that is so contrary to God He that loves his Prince hates Treason and Rebellion against his Prince He that loves his Father Ubi regnat charitas non regnat cupiditas Lud. Carthus does not delight to walk cross to his Father The predominant love of God and reigning Sin are things utterly inconsistent If we love God we cannot but hate and dread that which would separate betwixt us and our God Here I may allude to that Text Deut. 13.4 6 8. Ye shall walk after the Lord your God and cleave to him And if thy friend which is as thine own soul entice thee secretly saying Let us go and serve other gods Thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him neither shall thine eye pity him neither shalt thou spare neither shalt thou conceal him But thou shalt surely kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death So if we love God and cleave to him we shall not be for concealing and sparing any sin how dear so ever it may have been though it hath been as a right Eye or as a right Hand to us we shall no longer connive at any Darling Lust that would entice and draw away our hearts from God we shall be resolved on the mortifying and crucifying of it The love of God and friendship with Sin will not stand together Oh! think seriously of this While thou art wedded to any lust to thy Pride to thy Flesh-pleasing Sensuality or to thy Covetousness c. thy heart is not with God Thou canst not cleave to God and Sin both Thou canst not be for two Masters so contrary but if thou lovest the one thou must needs hate the other if thou cleavest to the one thou must needs forsake the other If thou lovest evil more than good as Psal 52.3 if thou art so far linkt in and in league with any lust that thy Will is more for keeping than for parting with it more for serving and gratifying than for subduing and crucifying it the love of God is not in thee 13. If we love God then it is our delight to serve and obey him 1 Joh. 5.3 This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous So in 2 Epist v. 6. This is love that we walk after his Commandments To love him and keep his Commandments are joyned Exod. 20.6 Neh. 1.5 When a friend says If you love me do such a thing for me his Intreaty useth to have the force of a Command If God's Commands have no force with us it is a sign we love him not If we have the love of God in us Nunquam est Dei Amor otiosus Operatur etenim magna si est Si vero operari renuit Amor non est Gregor Mag. Hom. 30. we shall delight in his Law as the Psalmist did Psal 119.70 we shall delight to do the will of God and chuse the things that please him As we must shew our faith so our love by our works Qui non placet Deo non potest illi placere Deus Bern. As I told you before Love is a well-pleasedness with God above with a desire in all things to please him Now if we are more for pleasing our selves than for pleasing God more for having our own wills than for doing the will of God if we are more at Mens command at the command
heart to Pray to Read and Hear the Word c. It is noted of the Hypocrite Job 27.9 10. When trouble comes upon him will he delight himself in the Almighty will he always call upon God 17. If we love God indeed we shall desire to love him more and more and to express our love more and more We shall never think we love him enough or that we do enough for him or that what we do in God's service at any time is done well enough It will be our unfeigned desire to honour God more and to serve him better As the Psalmist 71.14 I will yet praise thee more and more Love in the Heart will set the Head on contriving the Tongue on pleading the Hands on working for God Love is kind is bountiful Amicorum omnia communia If we have the Love of God in us we shall desire that all we have may be at his service that our parts interest estate may be imploy'd and improved for him Love to God will put us upon holy Projects for God As it is very pleasing to us to serve a special Friend it will be our joy and delight to serve God to act for his Glory to do any thing to promote his interest And such as abound in Love to God will also abound in the work of the Lord. Whereas a Soul without Love is like a Bird that has lost his Wings or like a Chariot without Wheels it moves very heavily What such may seem to do for God is done without heart with no alacrity or delight but rather with pain and trouble further than self-interest and self-love carries them out Thus if what is done for God be done grudgingly and if we are weary of his service and if we are setting our selves bounds and think we have done enough already these things would not shew any love to God 18. If we love God it will be a joy to us to see others active for God Though we shall be ashamed to think how little we have done for God though it will grieve us that we can do no more yet withall it will be a pleasing sight to us when we can see his Interest and Honour promoted and advanced be it by others Though we shall desire in our places to do as much as those that do most for God yet it will be no eye-sore to us when we see others out-stripping us We shall honour them the more and shall desire to imitate them we shall not envy or stomach them But if we are offended at those that are more forward and zealous if we grudg that any cloud us by their shining brighter if we have a secret dislike of those that excell in Holiness and Vertue and quite out-do us in the service of God though the Lord hath more honour by them this is an ill sign a sign that we prefer our own interest before Gods interest and prefer our own reputation before his Glory and so that we love him not as we ought 19. If we love God we shall be ready not only to act but to suffer for him too Be willing to suffer any thing for God rather than forsake him Amanti nihil difficile Love makes any cross tolerable They that endure temptation or trial and they that love God are made all one Jam. 1.12 True Love is fugatrix timoris et animatrix confessionis according to Tertul. Many Waters cannot quench Love Where this divine spark is kindled it oft flameth forth more the more it meeteth with opposition It is intended by an Antiperistasis as Fire burns hottest in cold frosty weather How oft have the Faithful rejoyced in tribulation gloried in their sufferings Though we are not to run upon Sufferings uncalled yet how many have counted it à joy and pleasure when they have fallen into them I grant some may be carried on to suffer for God and his Truth who are only animated with vain-glory or with a vain proud conceit of meriting highly by their sufferings and not with a principal of Love Yet that Mans Love to God is to be suspected or rather concluded unsound that will not carry him through sufferings and tryals here He that loveth Father or Mother Wife or Children Liberty or Estate or Life it self more than God does not love him sincerely If we had rather incur God's displeasure than Man's had rather forgo an interest in God than forgo Estates in the World for him if we had rather venture on an everlasting separation from God than lay down our lives here for him surely we care little for him 20. If we love God we shall love others for his sake Love all Men love Enemies and especially love the Godly for his sake The Love of God includes under it the Love of our Neighbour and Love of the Brethren As it is well defined thus It is a Grace whereby we love God for himself above all and all others for God and in God 1 Joh. 4.20 21. If a Man say I love God and hateth his Brother he is a liar c. And this Commandment have we from him that he who loveth God loveth his Neighbour also Here I should say something of Love to Men. 1. Of Love to Men in general 2. Of Love to Enemies in particular 3. Of Love to the Godly in special 1. The Love of God will incline the heart to love all Men As it is a thing that God requires And as there is something of God to be seen in all Men Yea more than in Sun and Moon or the most excellent Creatures in the World that are without life and void of Reason All Men are worthy of our love as they are God's Workmanship as they are reasonable Creatures and capable of enjoying God and Happiness though such in a special manner are worthy of our love who are more especially God's workmanship being created again in Christ Jesus It is true the Damned are none of our Neighbors but removed quite out of all society with us and out of all capacity of ever loving and enjoying God And such as have sinned unto Death if we can certainly know them we may know to be utterly outlaw'd and lost Creatures to all Eternity for whom there remains nothing but a certain fearful expectation of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the adversaries But excepting such do we bear an universal Good-will to Men for God's sake with respect to his holy VVill and Command and to his Honour and Glory Then certainly it will be our Prayer and hearts desire that his way may be known upon Earth his saving health among all Nations And then we cannot but pity those that sit in darkness and in the region and shadow of Death And then we shall have aking and bleeding hearts for those that enjoy the Gospel and ordinary means of Salvation but plainly reject the counsel of God against themselves and will not attend to the things of their peace Then it will affect us
Reverence and for Piety and Religion too And as we are required to serve the Lord in fear Psal 2.11 Deut. 6.13 So we cannot serve him acceptably without it Heb. 12.28 Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and godly Fear And as it is a great duty so it is our safety and security In the Fear of the Lord is strong confidence The more we fear God the less we need to fear Creatures Men or Devils The Fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death The Fear of the Lord is a treasure And he that hath it shall abide satisfied He shall not be visited with evil There is no want to them that fear him And no evil shall befal them Surely it shall be well with them that fear God Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord. This Fear is oft put for the whole condition of the Covenant in the Old Testament as the word Faith is oft used in the New But before I come to the trial of our Fear there is an Objection or two to be removed Object 1. Is it not Man 's greatest and highest duty to love God and can we both love and fear him Does not the Apostle John say 1 Joh. 4.18 There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear Answ 1. It must be noted that we are oft expressly required in the Word both to love and fear the Lord therefore certainly they are not opposites That one Text is sufficient to prove that they well agree Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him Yea take this along with you if we do not love God above all and fear him above all he is not our God Isa 8.13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread 2. That Text of the Apostle John many understand of the love of God to us Calvin Heming Danae apprehended by us expelling fear that is fear of the day of judgment of condemnation As he had said in the verse foregoing vers 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this love is or hath been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment If it be objected that the faithful are not yet without all fear in this respect It is answered Metus verè pellitur quia fidei locum cedit c. Fear may be said to be cast out because it is giving ground to Faith And though it may disquiet it does not confound us It is not prevalent as before Here consult Rom. 8.15 3. Yet I confess I am not so well satisfied with that sense which seems to be forced and does not so well agree with what follows He that feareth is not made perfect in love Therefore understanding the Apostle to speak of our love as other good Expositors take the words and seems to be the plain sense yet we are to distinguish of love and also of fear Love may be said to be perfect either for kinds or for degrees It may be called pefect love Beza Danae Esti Piscat when it is true and sincere and not only when it is consummate Again Fear is manifold and of divers kinds 1. There is a Natural fear which is a passion of the soul implanted by God whereby we naturally abhor and flee from what is destructive or grievous and hurtful to our natures This in it self is neither good nor evil in a moral sense It is not morally good for it is also found in Brutes in irrational Creatures that are not capable of moral goodness Neither is it morally evil For God is the Author of it as of our Natures but he is not the Author of Sin or moral evil Even Jesus Christ himself taking Mans Nature on him was not made without fear Mar. 14.33 Heb. 5.7 But this pure natural fear is good Physically it is greatly useful and very necessary for the Creatures preservation It is a guard to our lives a means to keep us off from rocks of danger Which is the ground of the Latine Proverb Timidi Mater non flet 2. There is a Carnal fear Fear out of its wits The excess of natural fear Such a fear as we read of Prov. 29.25 The fear of Man bringeth a snare which is there opposed to trust in the Lord. An undue or excessive fear of Creatures or outward evils A fearing where no fear is a fearing without just ground or a fearing Creatures more than they are to be feared a fearing without due bounds We may fear Men as the rod of God's anger but we must fear God more He holds the rod in his hand and it is not to be feared but with respect to him that holds it that hath the command and dispose of it Mat. 10.28 Though Christ as he was Man had a natural reluctancy to suffering yet he had no base carnal fear upon him Joh. 19.11 To Pilate boasting of his power Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee c. He answereth Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above Carnal fear is not from meer nature but from the corruption of nature and is sinful in it self attributing too much to Creatures and detracting derogating from the power dominion and over-ruling providence of God and is further a cause of much sin as we may see in Peter when through this Fear he denied his Lord and Master It is a great impediment to Grace an hindrance of Duty it quite unbingeth and sadly distracteth the Mind and Spirit where it prevails 3. There is a servile or slavish Fear Timor poenae non culpae A fear of punishment only not of offending or a fear to offend only with respect to the punishment This is the property of Slaves It 's true the wrath and sword of the Civil Magistrate is to be feared Rom. 13.4 Then much more are we to fear the Wrath of God his Judgments As Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee I am afraid of thy Judgments But this is far short of the duty of Fear that we owe to God He is not only to be feared in this respect Nay this Fear is no further good than it leads unto and helps forward an holy filial Fear of God As the Needle draws the Thread after it as Austine has the comparison But as a Natural fear agrees to all Men a meer servile fear is proper to wicked Men. And yet we cannot blame them for fearing such an angry Judge and incensed Majesty or trembling at such punishment as Hell-torments but that their fear of God is separated from all true love to God and that notwithstanding their fear of punishment they have still a love to their sins that it is a torment to them to think of being restrained
is said of the proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.6 he makes a God of himself who makes self his end who aims at his own praise in what he does It is one of God's incommunicable Attributes to act for his own Glory Though it be not incommunicable in that sense as other Attributes are as Omnipotency Omnipresence Omniscience c. which are no way compatible to a Creature It is not a thing impossible for a Creature to act for its own glory yet it is utterly unlawful plainly crossing and contradicting the end for which God made it He made all things for himself and made Man a reasonable Creature capable of knowing God his dependance on and obligations to his Maker that he should actually design and aim at God's Glory Now when a Man acteth for his own Glory he sets up a wrong end directly contrary to the end for which he was made and in his Pride lifts up himself against God And how intollerable is that They that seek honour from Men that do all to be seen of Men that they may have glory from Men with the Pharisees certainly they are far from true Humility Pride yet reigneth in them Take notice how your Pulse beats here Proud spirits are for all the applause and honour they can get They would be extolled and cryed up of every one They think others wrong them if they do not praise and flatter them Whereas the Humble are afraid of undue praise from Men. He dares not allow of any praises given him that would in the least eclipse or diminish the Praise and Glory of God He is not pleased tickled but rather disquieted set a trembling when he hears himself commended he fears a snare in it He would not that Pride should have any such advantage and opportunity to lift up its head A good Man layes this down as a singular act of Humility Mr. White Power of Godliness p. 53. to be troubled at all undue Praises as much as others are at unjust Slanders And happy is that soul that can find it in it self This would shew an high degree of Humility But this is no sign of Humility to be over-fond or greedy of Mans praise An habitual excessive regard to Mans approbation or habitual excessive desire of Mans applause is a plain evidence of prevailing Pride 9. Humility would make us willing and very well content to lie low in the thoughts and esteem of others It would teach one how to pass through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report The Humble will not be much moved with Mens revilings as they are not puffed up with the breath of applause Let the Winds be never so high and blow which way they will they have little force on one that lieth flat on the ground And one that lieth low in his own thoughts will bear it very well if he perceives that others have low thoughts of him One that truly abhors him self will not think much to be despised and contemned of others But when a Man will speak contemptibly of himself of his gifts and performances and yet think himself wronged if others do not praise him somuch the more when a Man would take it ill that others should think and speak as meanly of him as he will speak of him self how ever he makes a fair shew of Humility puts on a cloak of Humility yet he has a false and proud spirit within 10. Humility will make a Man content in and with his station It is contrary to a course of ambitious aspiring thoughts projects and attempts Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me Pride is the grand Vsurper This puts Men upon invading those Offices and Employments which belong not to them which they are no way fit for Proud Spirits being so conceited of their own abilities and deserts think that they are the Men who should be chosen into Offices and that none are so fit to be trusted or employed as they As Absolom 2 Sam. 15.4 O that I were made Judg in the Land that every Man which hath any Suit or Cause might come unto me and I would do him Justice He thought he could have ruled better than his Father The Humble rather complain of unfitness for the Work to which they are called As Moses said Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh Exod. 3.11 O my Lord I am not Eloquent chap. 4.10 And Jeremiah Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child They that are lowly minded are willing to be placed in a lower sphere I'ts true if the Lord be pleased to exalt them they may not withstand him and his call But they are not for exalting themselves Humility is so contrary to Ambition that it teacheth submission submission to the meanest and lowest works one is called to It teacheth to condescend to Men of low estate Rom. 12.16 It is for stooping to the meanest Offices of love as Christ taught his Disciples Joh. 13. As Abigail said I am not worthy to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. Servants that are proud cannot bring their minds to the lowest work but would have others under them to be their drudges Humble minds are willing to take their work before them would buckle to the meanest services that their Lord and Master sets them on 11. Humility will teach Moderation and keep the heart in an even frame in various conditions The Humble are not so lifted up as others in prosperity They can be advanced in the World and yet not lifted up in themselves but lowly in spirit They are not so apt to sink in Adversity or when abased in the World As Ships that carry a low Sail are in less danger of being over-set with violent gusts of Wind. Here is a Mystery a Riddle a Paradox to lie low in our own thoughts is a good way to prevent dejection being cast down too much in our Spirits So 12. Humlity will teach Patience in Affliction The truly humble from the sense they have of their sinfulness and unworthiness are oft wondering that they should enjoy any Mercy and that they are no more afflicted They wonder that they are not afflicted only and oppressed alway They cannot but confess with Ezra that God punisheth less than their iniquities deserve Ezr. 9.13 The proud are full of fret and sullen under crosses as if they were hardly dealt with As we read of Cain Gen. 4.5 his Countenance fell When God layes his afflicting hand on them their Countenances fall And 't is from the height of their spirits that they cannot bear across There is a casting down as Dr. Souls confl p. 42. Sibs sayes which is not from Humility but Pride when we must have our Wills or God shall not have a good look from us Many whose hearts are ready to break under their outward Crosses when if they were
Duty of watching over them 9. Do you sympathize with them in their Sufferings 10. Are you ready to own and take part with them 11. And ready to relieve them according to your ability 12. Are you true Mourners at the death of such lamenting the loss of them 5. Try your Fear of God 1. Does your Fear of God arise from a sound Knowledg of Him And from the Love of God from high admiring thoughts not from hard thoughts of Him 2. What freeness in your Spirits this way Do you chuse the Fear of the Lord Do you desire to fear his Name 3. Do you fear God above all 4. What effect hath it on you 1. Doth it cause you to depart from evil 1. In general dare you not allow of any known Sin 2. In particular are you careful to flee from Sins in fashion 3. Do you fear sinning in secret 4. And fear to displease God in small Matters 5. And fear Sin more than Suffering from Men 6. And fear Sin more than the lash of Affliction 7. And not only fear but hate Sin 2. Is your Fear of God seen in your respect to his Commands 1. Do you reverence God's Commands 2. And do you delight in them too 3. Have you an impartial respect to them 4. And a continued respect to them 3. Are you reverent in God's Worship Have you not only a reverent carriage but a reverent frame of Heart 4. Do you carry ordinarily as in God's Presence 5. Have you a jealous fear of your selves and a cautious fear of Temptations 6. Does your Fear of God make you Humble 7. Does it make you Pitiful 8. Does it prevail over a base carnal fear of Man 9. Are you for teaching others God's Fear Thus of the Effects 5. What are the Companions and Concomitants of your Fear 1. Does your Fear and Faith go together 2. And Fear and Godly Sorrow 3. And Fear and Love 4. And Fear and Joy in the Lord Though I must confess all that have God's Fear find not that Joy accompanying it 6. Try your Humility 1. Is it founded in a sound Knowledge of God in his Excellencies and a knowledg of your selves your meanness sinful vileness and miserableness in your selves 2. Have you been soundly humbled 3. Have you humble Hearts Is your Humility most inward and in God's sight and not only in appearance to Men 4. Is it voluntary Humility in a right sense are your Hearts for it indeed would you be vile in your own Eyes 5. Are you ready to receive reproof 6. Are you not for excusing or extenuating your Sins but for a free confession of them 7. Are you no more led away with predominant self-conceit either of your Knowledg Abilities or Deserts 8. Nor led away with a predominant affectation of vain-glory or Men's applause Are you willing to lye low in the thoughts of others 9. Are you content with your station not for aspiring ambitious attempts and projects 10. Have you very thankful Hearts Do you greatly admire God's free Mercy in all he does for you being very sensible of your own unworthiness 11. Does Humility teach you Moderation not to be lifted up in prosperity 12. And likewise teach you Patience not to fret and murmur in adversity 13. Are you Prayerful and humble in your addresses unto God 14. And willing to wait as well as Pray 15. Are you very reverent in God's Worship as really apprehensive of an infinite distance betwixt God and you and conscious of your great unworthiness and unfitness to approach and draw nigh to God 16. Have you a truly charitable frame of Heart towards others Are you more forward to judg your selves than censure others And more ready to extenuate others faults than your own 17. Are you meek not of revengeful implacable Spirits but soon pacified when you have been provoked and injured by others 18. While you are sensible of and truly sorry for your own weaknesses and sinful imperfections yet withal can you heartily rejoice in the greater Abilities and eminent shining Graces of others 19. Are you of a yeilding and obedient Spirit 20. Do you make light of being vilified for God and Christ 21. Have you a great abhorrence of Pride especially of Pride in your selves 7. Try your Self-denial 1. What Self-denial in your Judgments 1. Do you seriously account that you are not your own 2. And that you are weak and insufficient of your selves that you can do nothing of your selves 3. And that you are vile and deserve nothing of your selves 2. What Self-denial in your Wills and Affections 1. Are you for the utter renouncing and rejecting of carnal corrupt self 2. Are you for doing Gods Will rather than your own for pleasing God rather than your selves 3. Are you for submitting to God's disposing Will rather than to be left to carve for your selves to have your own Wills 4. Is it your real hearty desire that you may be able to forsake all for God and Christ's sake if you should be called to it Are you not for depending on your selves but on the Grace of God in Christ for Assistance for Acceptance and for a Glorious Recompence 3. What Self-denial in your Life and practice 1. Do you strenuously oppose sinful self Do you deny to make pvovision for the flesh are you starving out your Corruptions 2. Do you employ the Talents you are intrusted with not chiefly for your selves but for God 3. Do you readily part with and actually forsake any worldly comfort which the Lord calleth for And what can you say to those other notes laid down 1. Do you indeed abhor your selves 2. Do you by Faith see better things far greater matters that God hath promised than those he calleth you to deny your selves in 3. Is your love to God and Jesus Christ predominant 4. Are you not for arrogating any praise to your selves which is due to God or would detract from his praise 5. Do you fully subject your Judgments to the Sentence of God's Word 6. Are your wills brought into subjection too 7. Does sinful self-love reign no longer in you 8. Are you heartily engaged and set against a sensual flesh-pleasing course 9. Are you not for a course of self-seeking Are you habitually and most ordinarily for preferring God's Interest before your own 10. Are you no longer for hunting after the vain applause of Men Do you now regard that less and seek the favour and approbation of God more 11. Do you readily yield to just reproof 12. Are you faithful in admonishing others and that where self-interest would disswade you 13. Are you against sinful sloth not indulging your selves in it 14. Are you truly charitable and helpful unto others 15. Are you disposed to love your Enemies and to forgive injuries 16. Do you lay to heart the Churches troubles and Publick Calamities more than Personal or Family-Afflictions 17. Could you think your selves more happy in serving pleasing and honouring God than in prospering being
your selves advanced in the World 18. Do you take part with the strictest of God's Commands 19. Are you well pleased with the harshest Providences that are a means to bring down sinful-self and selfishness 20. Are you fully resolved in the strength of God's Grace to forsake all rather than forsake God and Christ his Truth and Ways 8. Try your professed Sincerity and Integrity 1. Are you got past those simple ones that rest in their good meanings 2. Are you willing to know your whole duty 3. Are you for strict self-searching 4. And for wholsom Admonition and Reproof 5. And for an ingenuous Confession of your Sins not for hiding or palliating them 6. Have you left halting betwixt two Are you now really resolved for God and entirely devoted to him 7. Do you love Christ in Sincerity 8. Do you walk before God carry as in his sight and presence in your ordinary course 9. Do you hate and forsake all known Sin Is there no beloved bosom-sin which you would spare and indulge 10. Particularly are you set against Hypocrisie a way of lying and walking by the crooked rule of carnal policy Sins more directly opposit to Uprightness and Sincerity 11. Have you a respect to all God's Commands 1 Have you a respect to both Tables Would you not despise the least of God's Commands 3 Do you look first and most to the greatest 4 Have you a respect to the hardest and such as are most cross to your natural inclination or carnal interest 12. Do you carry uprightly in holy Duties 1 Do you engage your Hearts to approach to God in Duty 2. Are you free in God's Service 3 Have you a special respect to God in Duty Do you look most at his approbation 4. Have you a love to secret Duties 5. And even to disgraced Duties and such as may expose you to Suffering 13. Are you steady and constant in an holy course 14. Are you pressing after Perfection 9. Try your Zeal 1. Have you a Zeal according to Knowledg 2. Does it burn within before it flames forth 3. Is it a Zeal for God indeed and not for self 4. Would it burn alone though you had none about you to encourage and blow it up 5. Are you zealous for the whole Interest of God 6. And zealous against all Sin Is your Zeal more than a partial Zeal 7. Yet is your Zeal hottest in the greatest matters 8. Is it joyned with Christian moderation and for Christian concord 9. Is it more moved with Indignities offered unto God than with injuries done to your selves 10. Is it joyned with real love and true compassion towards Sinners 11. Is it for expedition in God's Service 12. Does it make you free and lively in his Service 13. Does it sharpen your courage and resolution for God 14. Is it a pleasing sight to you to see others zealous for him 15. Have you an holy emulation a desire to imitate yea if it might be to outstrip those that are most forward 16. Is it not for a flash but a Fire that goes not out though it burns not at all times alike clearly yet is it still kept burning Find these gracious dispositions in truth in your selves and then you may have good hope through Grace and Joy unspeakable everlasting Consolation But many grosly deceive themselves holding the conclusion never look to the premises therefore 10. Try your Hope 1. Has it come in after doubts and fears 2. Have you any ground to hope it is a fruit of the Spirit Have you the Spirit 3. Is your Hope an Hope in God an Hope in God through Christ according to his Word 4. Is it not only an Hope in God but for him Is the enjoyment of God in Christ the to of your Hopes 5. Is your Hope accompanied with an holy Fear of God 6. And with sound Obedience doing the Will of God 7. And maintained by diligence and watchfulness 8. Does it quicken you to make progress in holiness 9. Does it produce Patience 10. And give courage 11. And raise your Hearts and Desires Heaven-ward 12. And excite praise and thankfulness 13. And further on Spiritual Joy 11. Try your Joy 1. Hath Godly Sorrow prepared and made way for it 2. Is it the Joy of the holy Ghost Have you the holy Spirit your Sanctifier Are you filled with Joy in believing 4. Was it attained or is it strengthened and maintained by serious self-examination and probation 5. Came it in the way of Prayer 6. Or in attendence on other of God's Ordinances 7. Is God your chief Joy Do you rejoyce in Christ Jesus 9. Are you most taken with Spiritual Mercies 10. Can you heartily rejoice in the good of others 11. Is your Joy in working Righteousness 12. Does it further enlarge your hearts in God's Service 13. Is it a special incentive to praise and thankfulness 14. Can it keep alive and keep you alive in outward troubles 15. Is it not swelling but accompanied with an humble frame of spirit 16. Is it not intoxicating but joyned with an holy fear care and watchfulness 17. Does it fit and incline you to encourage and comfort others in trouble 18. Does it set you more a longing after the Joys of Heaven Of Repentance This should have been inserted after the sum of Repentance in the Rehearsal Page 412. VIZ. ARe you no longer under the Dominion of Sin Do you see what a miserable bondage the service of Sin is Do you not so much desire to be exempted from Affliction as to be freed from your Corruptions Are you no longer for defending Sin or taking its part Would you pay no more Tribute to Sin no longer make provision for it Do you heartily resist the motions and commands of Sin Are your hearts turned to hate all known Sin Are you heartily devoted to the Service of God and Jesus Christ And now Reader if thou canst find it thus with thee thou mayest well rejoice in thy Portion Suppose thou hast never so little in the World yet happy thou who hast that better part which shall never be taken from thee The good Man may have satisfaction from within when no satisfaction is to be had from without The Fear of the Lord is his Treasure and such a Treasure as the World cannot rob him of And surely the gleanings or rather first Fruits of Heaven is better than the Vintage of the Earth Yea the least true santifying Grace will go further than all this Worlds goods A state of Grace is a short Preface to an everlasting State of Glory Canst thou prove thy Graces are of the right stamp Certainly they will prove thy title to Glory Now let it be thy care henceforth to grow in Grace and live in the constant exercise of Grace and so thou mayest have an abundant enterance into the Everlasting Kingdom FINIS
Now if you ask Can such a one fear God above all in whom carnal fear at any time prevailes The Answer is He may have the habit though the act for the present be suspended No Grace here is perfect And as our love to God sometimes lies buried as it were under carnal self-love and inordinate love to creatures yet so as it will have a resurrection and new quickning if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound and sincere so our fear of God being imperfect may for a time be born down with carnal fear yet will it get the upper hand again The true fear of God overcomes ordinarily in its conflicts with carnal fear and though it may be giving ground sometimes it shall overcome at last As some of the Martyrs upon the first onset seemed to turn back but they came on again and so stood stoutly to it 4. The true fear of God may be known by the effects of it 1. One principal effect of the Fear of God is a flight from sin I say it will cause us to flee from sin As we read of Job chap. 1.1 that he was one that feared God and eschewed evil And Nehemiah chap. 5.15 so did not I he did not durst not do as others had done before him because of the Fear of God Pro. 16.6 By the Fear of the Lord Men depart from evil On the contrary Psa 36.1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no Fear of God before their eyes Though the wicked will not say so much with his lips yet indeed his Life proclaims it Though the Psalmist did not hear it in his words yet his works forced him to conclude that there was no Fear of God before his eyes They that forsake the Lord thereby shew that his Fear is not in them Jer. 2.19 such as care not to walk contrary to God it is plain they fear him not All impenitent Sinners that go on in their trespasses that persist in a course of rebellion they are so far from fearing God that they are daily sending up challenges to Heaven daring God's Power and Justice Psal 10.13 wherefore doth the wicked contemn God How unreasonable how impious how insufferable is it that wicked wretches should be so insolent to contemn God yet so it is the wicked are so far from reverencing that they plainly contemn God So he that being often reproved and threatned yet hardneth his neck by his impenitency by his incorrigibleness does even set God at defiance as if he bad him do his worst Remember this they that fear God fear to sin against him But you may ask further May we not avoid sin at least some sins and not from God's Fear Yea I grant it may be so But now if we forsake sin from a principle of Godly fear 1. In general we are departing from all known sin we dare not allow our selves in any sin we know of We knowing that all sin is displeasing to God if we fear to displease God we must fear to allow our selves in any sin Particularly 2. The Fear of God will cause us to flee from the Vices of the times as we discover them from sins that are most in fashion Let Swearing and Forswearing be never so much in fashion yet we shall fear an Oath if we fear God If all the World should wonder after and agree to worship the Beast yet so should not we because of the Fear of God No though we might seem to be left alone as Eljah thought he was Let a sin be never so much pleaded for countenanced and generally practised yet these things will not take with us while we hear God saying Oh do not this abominable thing which I hate if we have the Fear of God in our hearts and before our eyes Rather we shall have a greater care to keep our selves from such sins the stronger temptations we have to them 3. We shall fear sinning in secret too Knowing that God sees in secret that there is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves from him As Joseph said to his tempting Mistress How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God He was awed with God's all-seeing eye upon him as much as if the eyes of all the World had been upon him Lev. 19.14 Thou shalt not curse the Deaf nor put a stumbling-block before the Blind but shalt fear thy God If one does curse the Deaf he hears not if one puts a Stumbling-block before the Blind he sees not who he is that does it O but yet God hears and he sees And such as are endued with his Fear will not dare to commit sin upon this presumption that Men shall not know cannot find it out This would be a strong aw-band and powerful restraint ordinarily to keep them from deliberate sinning that they can commit no sin out of God's sight who cannot but be displeased at sin where ever he sees it 4. If we fear God and forsake Sin in his Fear then we shall fear to displease him in smaller matters too We shall fear to allow of the least Sin Though there are Sins of daily incursion that we cannot wholly avoid yet they not are allowed of As the Apostle says Rom. 7.15 That which I do I allow not If we sometimes speak vainly rashly or sometimes have our Passions sinfully moved if dulness and distractions over take us and disturb us in Holy Duties yet we can say we allow not of such things We are ashamed of them grieved and humbled for them and desire to watch against them 5. Again We shall fear sinning against God more than suffering from Men. As Chrysostom when threatned by Eudoxia said I fear nothing but Sin It we fear God we shall not fear Creatures so much 6. So we shall fear Sin more than the Scourge more than affliction Our fear is first and chiefly of offending and displeasing God and secondarily of the punishment That Fear which is not so much of the Sin and Offence as of the Lash and Scourge is but servile Fear 7. So we shall not only fear but also hate Sin As there is love in our Fear of God there will be hatred in our fear of Sin because so offensive and contrary to God Thus we shall not barely abstain from but abhor that which is evil Prov. 8.13 The Fear of the Lord is to hate evil Thus it will cause us to forsake Sin in practice and affection both Do we not know that not to hate Sin the abominable thing which God hates must needs be displeasing to God yea we are at least secretly in league with Sin so long as we do not hate it 2. Another chief effect of true Fear is subjection to the Will of God Obedience to his Commands Hereby we must try the soundness of our Faith As that which is called Faith Gal. 5.6 is called The keeping the Commandments of God 1 Cor. 7.19
Hereby we must try the sincerity of our Love This is the love of God that we keep his Commandments 1 Joh. 5.3 So hereby we must try the genuineness of our Fear Eccl. 12.13 Fear God and keep his Commandments Psal 119.63 And 103.17 18. They that fear God are further described to be such as keep his Covenant and remember his Commandments to do them Here. Note 1. Where the Fear of God is there will be a fearing reverencing of his Commands Pro. 13.13 Who so despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that feareth the Commandment shall be rewarded One that feareth God dares not despise his Commands At least if he has done it as we read of David 2 Sam. 12.10 when he comes to see it he cannot but loath himself And observe the reward is promised not to the bare performance of things commanded not to meer external obedience but to that obedience which flows from a due respect to the Authority of God commanding Not to that which is meerly from fear of the threatning but to that which is out of reverence and an aweful respect to the Command it self He that feareth the Commandment shall be rewarded Many fear God's threatnings that do not reverence his Commands But such as tremble at the Word Isa 66.2 suchas have a reverent regard to the whole Word of God such as tremble at the Commandment of our God as Ezr. 10.3 they have a right Fear of God The Psalmist did not stand in that awe to Princes as to God's Word Psal 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause but my heart standeth in awe of thy Word Thus those three Princes and Worthies Dan. 3.16 18. shewed that they feared God indeed when they regarded not the King's Decree being contrary to the Law of God So Daniel chap. 6.13 2. When there is a true Child-like Fear of God there is not only a reverencing of his Commands above the Commands of Men but also a delight in God's Commands As a Child-like reverence is a mixt affection a compound of both And this Note we have in the Text Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord that delighteth greatly in his Commandments That is better pleased in doing the will of God than in doing or having his own will So Psal 119.161 162. My heart standeth in awe of thy Word But that is not all I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great spoil As a dutiful Child not only fears to go cross to his Fathers command but is also glad when he can do any thing pleasing to his Father So a Child of God obeyeth from the heart and delighteth to do God's will That obedience which is from a slavish fear is forced and extorted As Saul said I forced my self and offered a burnt offering To allude to the expression some force themselves and go to God's Worship force themselves and set up prayer in their Families c. not that they have any love to such work but because otherwise their Consciences are not quiet Whereas that Obedience which is from a filial Fear is free and voluntary As the Psalmist could say Psal 119.167 168 173. My Soul hath kept thy Testimonies and I love them exceedingly For all my ways are before thee I have chosen the way of thy Precepts 3. The true Fear of God will cause an impartial respect to all God's Commands 1 Sam. 12.24 Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart Deut. 10.12 To fear the Lord and to walk in all his wayes go to gether Pro. 14.2 He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the Lord but he that is perverse in his ways dispiseth him To walk in uprightness is a sure note that one fears the Lord. So we read of Job That Man was perfect and upright and one that feared God chap. 1.1 But to halt in our course to be set upon any crooked paths which we know to be cross and contrary to God's Commands is to despise the Lord. Num. 15.30 31. The Soul that doth ought presumptuously the same reproacheth the Lord he hath despised the Word of the Lord. The Soul that doth ought presumptuously that Sciens volens knowingly and wittingly transgresseth that sinneth with an high hand proudly wilfully resolvedly the same reproacheth the Lord he is a proud blasphemous contemner of the Lord. He hath manifestly despised the Word of the Lord. To despise any known Command of his is not to fear but to contemn the Lord. But on the other hand the Lord sayes of Abraham Gen. 22.12 Now I know that thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy Son thine only Son from me Now I know speaking after the manner of Men. Herein Abraham gave a most clear proof of his Fear of the Lord. That he was so ready at God's Command to offer up his Isaac a Sacrifice this was an evident testification that he feared God So as we would shew that we truly fear God we must be ready to obey him in whatsoever he commandeth 4. The Fear of God will produce a continued constant respect to God and his Commands That we shall walk in his Fear As Act. 9.31 Neh. 5.9 Ought ye not to walk in the Fear of our God Pro. 23.17 Be thou in the Fear of the Lord all the day Totâ die there is as much as quotidie vel omni die All the day that is continually every day Pro. 28.14 Happy is the man that feareth alway Jer. 32.39 40. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever I will put my Fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me Such as have the true Fear of God in their hearts will not depart from him There is a Fear that drives Souls from God But true genuine Fear will keep a Soul close to him will make it careful not to start aside from him The Fear of the Lord is a fountain of life it is not a transient passion but an abiding principal 3. Another Effect or if you will one special Act of true Fear is an holy Reverence in God's Worship Psal 5.7 In thy Fear will I Worship And there is no Worship acceptable without Reverence An inward Reverence is as the Soul of Divine Worship Some distinguish holy Fear in timorem cultûs et culpae into a Reverence in worshipping and a fear of offending How ever these may be distinguished they cannot be separated or divided Sure they have not a Fear of offending God that have not an holy Fear and reverence in his Worship They that grosly neglect God's Worship plainly shew themselves to be void of his Fear Job 15.4 Thou castest off Fear and restrainest Prayer before God Though it was falsly charged on Job this yet will hold true they that cast off Prayer c. thereby shew that they have cast off God's Fear And they are little better who are grosly negligent and without any inward Reverence in his Worship If