likewise with the same mind for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God 3. All those are unregenerate that depend not upon God as their chiefest Benefactor and do not most carefully apply themselves to him as knowing that in his favour is life Psal 30.5 and that his loving kindness is better then life Psal 63.3 and that to his judgement we must finally stand or fall but do ambitiously seek the favour of men and call them their Benefactors Luke 22.25 Matth. 23.9 whatever become of the favour of God He is no child of God that preferreth not the Love of God before the Love of all the world He is no heir of heaven that preferreth not the fruition of God in Heaven before all worldly glory and felicity Col. 4.1 2 3. If ye be risen with Christ seek the things that are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God set your affection on things above not on things on the earth The Love of God is the summ of Holiness the Heart of the new creature the perfecting of it is the perfection and felicity of man 4. They are certainly unregenerate that Believe not the Gospel and take not Christ for their only Saviour and his promises of Grace and Glory as purchased by his Sacrifice and Merits for the Foundation of their hopes on which they resolve to trust their souls for pardon and for peace with God and endless Happiness Acts 4.12 Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved 1 John 5.11 12. This is the record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life When our Happiness was in Adams hands he lost it It is now put into safer hands and Jesus Christ the second Adam is become our Treasury He is the Head of the Body from whom each member hath quickning influence Eph. 1.22 The life of Saints is in him as the life of the tree is in the root unseen Col. 4.3 4. Holiness is a Living unto God in Christ Though we are dead with Christ to the Law and to the world and to the flesh we are alive to God So Paul describeth our case in his own Gal. 2.19 20. I through the Law am dead to the Law that I might live unto God I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Rom. 6.11 Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Christ is the Vine and we are the branches without him we can do nothing If you abide not in him and his words in you you are cast forth as a branch and withered which men gather and cast into the fire and they are burnt John 15.1 5 6 7. In Baptism you are married unto Christ as to the external solemnization and in spiritual Regeneration your Hearts do inwardly close with him entertain him and resign themselves unto him by Faith and Love and by a resolved Covenant become his own And therefore Baptism and the Lords Supper are called Sacraments because as Souldiers were wont by an Oath and listing their names and other engaging Ceremonies to oblige themselveâ— to their Commanders and their Vow waâ— called A Sacrament so do we engage ouâ— selves to Christ in the holy Vow or Covenanâ— entered in Baptism and renewed in the Lords Supper 5. That person is certainly unregenerate that never was convinced of a Necessity of Sanctification or never perceived an excellency and amiableness in Holiness of heart and life and loved it in others and desired it himself and never gave up himself to the Holy Ghost to be further sanctified in the use of his appointed means desiring to be perfect and willing to press forward towards the mark and to abound in grace Much less is that person renewed by the Holy Ghost that hateth Holiness and had rather be without it and would not walk in the fear and obedience of the Lord. The Spirit of Holiness is that Life by which Christ quickneth all that are his members He is no member of Christ that is without it Rom. 8.9 According to his Mercy he saveth us by the washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 6. That person is unregenerate that is under the Dominion of his fleshly desires and mindeth the things of the flesh above the things of the Spirit and hath not mortified it so far as not to live according to it A carnal mind and a carnal life are opposite to Holiness as Sickness is tâ— Health and Darkness unto Light Rom. 8.1 to 14. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus that walk not after the flesh but after the spirit For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the spirit For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace Because the carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be so then they that are in the flesh cannot please God For if ye live after the flesh ye shall die but if by the spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Lasciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness revellings and such like of which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is Love Joy Peace Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance against such there is no Law And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Galat. 5.18 to 25. 7. Lastly that person is certainly unregenerate that so far valueth and loveth this world or any of the carnal accommodations therein as practically to prefer them before the Love of God and the Hopes of Everlasting Glory seeking it first with highest estimation and holding it fastest so as that he will rather venture his soul upon the threatned wrath of God then his body upon the wrath of man and will be religious no further then may consist with his prosperity or safety in the world and hath something that he cannot part with for Christ and heaven because it is dearer to him then they Let this man go never so far in Religion as long
to God p. 323 3. And want of Love to one another p. 324 8. The insinuations of selfishness in all that wâ— do p. 32â— 9. The eruption of passions that seemed morâ—tified p. 34â— 10. Affections mixed with carnality which seemed purely spiritual p. 33â— Caution against overmuch suspicion or acâ—cusation of our selves p. 33â— 2. Sin surpriseth more dangerously 3. Anâ— the Remedy is neglected through self-ignorance p. 337 2. What Hinders Believers from knowing their Graces 1. The sense of the Contraries p. 338 2. The smalness of Grace p. 341 3. Not judging by sure Marks the Essentials of Holiness what they are p. 343 What Marks uncertain p. 345 What sin consistent with true grace p. 347 4. Overlooking what we have by looking at what we ought to be p 349 5. Judging upon disadvantage 1. Surprizing our selves unpreparedly 2. Judging in passion of Fear or Grief 3. When helps are absent 4. When our Bodies are melancholy or otherwise unfit p. 350 6. Refusing the former Judgement of our sincerity if we have not a continued sight of grace p. 353 7. The variety and confusion of the souls operations ibid. Motives to labour to know our Sanctification 1. It is a most excellent sort of knowledge p. 354. 2. It is a most delightfull felicitating knowledge p. 355 3. It might sweeten every place and state p. 357 4. It would much help our Belief of Scripture p. 357 5. And our Trusting on God in all straits p. 359 6. And our chearfull progress in Religion p. 361 7. It may keep you from the terrors of the doubting p. 362 8 And sweeten all your other mercies p. 363 9. And debilitate temptations to sensuaâ— pleasures p. 36â— 10. And sweeten all the service of God p. 36â— 11. And kindle Love to God p. 372 12. It s necessary to a life of Thankfulness p. 377 13. You will not else live to the Glory of the Gospel p. 383 14. It will make all sufferings easie p. 385 As 1. Scornes p. 38â— 2. Opposition 3. Slanders p. 38â— 4. Imprisonment and banishment p. 39â— 5. Personal and family crosses p 39â— 6. Death p. 39â— The Hinderances of Self-acquaintance 〈…〉 1. External 1. Ministers unskilfulness and unfaithfulness p. 402 Direct 1. Live under a skilfull faithfull Pastor p. 411 In what cases to use their personal helps p. 418 Objections against Ministers personal helps answered p. 419 Quest How far a doubting person may rest in the judgement of a Minister about the state of his soul p. 429 The Direction applyed to both sorts p. 435 Hind 2. Prosperity and flattery Direct 2. Desire not much Prosperity and detest flatterers p. 457 Hind 3. Conversing only with bad men p. 461 Direct 3. Converse with Heavenly Exemplary Christians p. 466 2. Internal Hinderances 1. Pride p. 470 Direct 1. Come to Christ as little Children p 473 Hind 2. An unreasonable love of present ease p. 475 Direct 2 Look to the time to come and be not too tender of present trouble p. 477 Hind 3. Self-love blindeth p. 481 Direct 3. Bring your minds to a just impartiality p. 483 Hind 4. Nst observing the heart in tryal but taking it only at the best p. 488 Caution When and how to judge our selves p. 490 Direct 4. Judge of your Habitual state by your actions p· 494 ERRATA PAge 228 l. 29. for gain r. game p. 229. l. 29. for having r. have p. 147 l. 17. r. relevetur l. 22. r. sanabat p. 236. l. 2. r. Impenitent sinner p. 247. l. 5. for juggling r. jingling p. 288. l. 25. r. it is p. 29â— l. 20. r. preservative p. 334. l. 24 for more r. meer p 340 l. 25. r. if it were p. 341. l. 2. for as r. is l. 6. dele that p. 349. l. 4 for after r. ofter p. 351. l. 8. r. all that p 353. l. 10. for over r. our p. 307. l. 17. for bodily r. boldly p. 375. l. 17. r. hath set you p. 383. l. 2â— r. is it to p. 381. l. 28. r. fitteth p. 387. l. 8. r. prosperity p. 407 l. 26. for natives r. Naâ—ions p. 411. l. 3. r. whâ—â— it is p. 428. l. 6. dele in p. 434. l. 9. r. it s l. 13. r. he is not p. 448. l. 21. r. put him p. 452. l. 14. r. of one p. 46â— for are r. hearâ— and for hear r. are p. 476. l. 19. r. inconsiderate p. 485. l. 1. corrigentis THE Mischief of Self-ignorance AND Benefit of Self-acquaintance 2 COR. 13.5 Know ye not your own selves THE Corinthians being much abused by false-teachers to the corrupting of their faith and manners and the questioning of the Apostles Ministery he acquainted them in my Text with an obvious remedy for both these maladies and lets â—hem know that their miscarriages call â—hem to question themselves rather then â—o question his authority or gifts and that if they find Christ in themselves they must acknowledge him in his ministry He therefore first most importunately urgeth them to the mediate duty of Self-examination Examine your selves Whether you be in the faith Prove your own selves Self-examination is but the Means of Self-knowledge This therefore he next urgeth and that first in General and this by way of Interrogation Know ye not your own selves and then more particularly he tells them what it is of themselves that it most concerneth them to know How that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates As if he should say Alas poor souls you have more cause to question your selves then me Go too therefore examine and prove your selves It is a shame for a man to be ignorant of himself Know ye not your own selves Either Christ is in you by faith and by his Spirit or he is not If he be not you are yet but Reprobates that is disapproved of God and at present in a forsaken or condemned state your selves which is a conclusion that you will be loath to admit but more concerneth you If Christ be in you it was by the means of my ministry and therefore that ministry hath been powerfull and effectual to you and you are my witnesses the seal of my ministry is upon your own souls Christ within you bears me witness and therefore of all men you have least cause to question or quarrel with my ministry This Paraphrase opening all that may seem difficult in the Text I shall immediately offer you a double Observation which the words afford us first as considered in themselves and then as respecting the inference for which they are premised by the Apostle The first is that All men should know themselves or It is a shame for a man to be unacquainted with himself The second is that Not knowing our selves is the cause of other errors or The knowledge of our selves would much conâ—uce to the Cure of many other errors In handling this I shall shew you 1. What 〈◊〉 is to know our selves 2. How far it is â—â—r is not a shame
amplexandum totum corâ—â—â— expositum ad redimendum saith Augustiâ—â— Behold the wounds of Christ as he is hangâ—â—g the blood of him dying the price of him â—â—deeming the scars of him rising His Head 〈◊〉 bowed to Kiss thee his heart open to love â—â—ee his arms open to embrace thee â—is whole body exposed to redeem thee Homo factus est hominis Factor ut sugeret â—â—bera regens sydera ut esuriret Panis ut â—â—â—eret Fons dormiret Lux ab itinere via â—â—tigaretur falsis testibus Veritas occulâ—retur Index vivâ—rum mortuâ—rum à juâ—â—â—ce mortali judicaretur ab injustis justiâ—â—a damnaretur flagellis disciplina caedoreâ—â—ur spinis botrâ—s coronaretur in ligno â—undamentum suspenderetur virtus infirâ—aretur salus vulneraretur vita â—oreretur saith Aug. that is The Maker â—f man was made man that he might suck â—â—e breasts that rules the starrs that Bread â—ight hunger the Spring or fountain might â—hirst the Light might steep the Way â—ight be weary in his journey that the Truth might be hidden by false witnesses That the Judge of quick and dead might be â—udged by amortal judge Iustice might be condemned by the unjust Discipline might 〈◊〉 scourged the Cluster of grapes might be â—rowned with thorns the Foundation might be hanged on a tree that Strength â—ight be weakned that Health might be wounded and that Life it self might dyâ— This is the wonderfull mystery of Love which will entertain the soul that come to Christ and which thou must study 〈◊〉 know when thou knowest thy self But 〈◊〉 then all these will be riddles to thee oâ— little relished and Christ will seem to thy neglecting heart to have dyed and done 〈◊〉 this in vain And hence it is that as proud ungodly sensuall men were never sound Believers so they oft-times fall from that opinionative common faith which they had and of all meâ— do most easily turn Apostates It being just with God that they should be so far forsaken as to vilifye the remedie that would not know their sin misery but love it and pertinaciously hold it as their felicity 4. If you Know not your selves you will not know what to do with your selves nor to what end and for what work you are to live This makes the Holy work neglected and most men live to little purpose wasting their daies in matters that them selves will call impertinent when they come to die as if they were good for nothing else Whereas if they knew them selves they would know that they are made and fitted for more noble workes O man if thou â—ere acquainted well with thy faculties â—â—d frame thou wouldest perceive the â—ame of God thy Maker to be so deeply â—â—graven in thy nature even in all thy parts â—nd powers as should Convince thee that â—â—ou wast made for him that all thou art and 〈◊〉 thou hast is nothing worth but for his â—â—rvice As all the parts and motions of 〈◊〉 clock or watch are but to tell the hour 〈◊〉 the day Thou wouldst know then the â—eaning of Sanctification and Holiness â—hat it signifyeth but the Giving God his â—wn and is the first part of Justice withâ—ut which no rendering men their due can â—â—ove thee Just Thou wouldst then know â—â—e unreasonableness and injustice of ungodâ—â—ness and all sin And that to serve thy â—â—eshly lusts and pleasures with those noble â—â—culties that were purposely formed to â—ove and serve the Eternall God is more â—â—bsurd and villainous then to employ the â—ighest officers of the King in the sweepâ—ng of your chimneyes or the serving of â—our swine Remember it unreasonable â—cutish man the next time thou art going to thy lusts and sensuall deâ—â—ghts It is no wiser a course thou â—akest It is no more honorable or â—ust but as much worse as God is to be preferred to a King and as thy 〈◊〉 is worse then the serving of thy swiâ—e O man didst thou but know thy self and see what employment thy facultyes are made thou wouldst lift up thy head and seriously think who holds the reins who keepeâ— thy breath yet in thy nostrills and continueth thee in life And where it is that thou must shortly fix thy unchangeable abode And what is now to be done in preparation for such a day Os homini sublime dedit c. Thou wouldst know that thou hadst not that Reason and that will and executive power to rowl in the earth and be but a cunning kind of beast that hath wit to play the fool and can ingeniously live below understanding and do that with argument which other bruits can do without it Thou wouldst know that thy higher faculties were not made to serve the lower 〈◊〉 thy Reason to serve thy sensuall delight the horse was not made to ride the man nor the master to follow and attend the dâ—g O man hadst thou not lost the Knowledge of thy self thou wouldst be so far from wondering at a Holy life that thou wouldst look upon an unholy person as a monster and wouldst hear the deriderâ— and opposers of a holy life as thou wouldst hear him that were deriding a man because he is not a swine or were reproaching men of honor and learning because they live not as an Ass I confess my soul is too apt to lose its lively sense of all these things But when ever it is awake I am forc't to say in these kind of meditations If I had not a God to know and think on to Love and honor to seek and serve what had I to do with my understanding will and all my powers What should I do with life and time What use should I make of Gods provisions What could I find to do in the world that is worthy of a man Were it not as good lie still and sleep out my daies and professedly do nothing as to go dreaming with a seeming seriousness and wander about the world as in my sleep and do nothing with such a troublesome stir as sensuall worldly persons do Could not I heave plaid the beast without a Reasonable free-working soul Let them turn from God and neglect the conduct of the Redeemer and disregard the holy approaches and breathings and workings of the soul towards its beloved Center and felicity that know not what an immortal soul is or know how els to imploy their facultyes with satisfaction or conttent unto themselves I profess here 〈◊〉 in his presence that is the Father of spirits and before Angels and men I do not 〈◊〉 know not what els to do with my soul that 's worth the doing but what is subservient to its proper object its end and everlasting Rest If the Holy service of God and the preparation for Heaven and making after Christ and happiness be forbidden me I have no more to do in the world that will satisfie my Reason or satisfie my affections or that as a man or a Christian I can own And it s as good not live as to be deprived
then indeâ—â— they are You cannot call off their thoughâ— from continual self-condemning and 〈◊〉 on their own misdoings and unhappiness They have a God a Christ a heaven a treasure of precious promises to meditate on 〈◊〉 and they cannot hold their thoughts to these unless as they aggravate their sin and sorrows but live as if they had nothing to think on but themselves and were made to be their own tormentors day and night even when they should labour and when they should sleep they are busie in a fruitless vexation of themselves These poor afflicted souls have need to be called from the excessive study of themselves Another sort is those Christians that are wholly taken up in enquiring whether they have saving grace or not while they neglect that exercise of their grace in doing all the good they can to others and following on the way of faithfull duty which might do more to their assurance then solitary tryals The former sort by overdoing in this one â—art of their work disable themselves to â—ll the rest They tire and distract their â—inds and raise such fears as hinder their â—nderstandings and cast their thoughts â—nto such confusion that they quite lose â—he command of them and cannot gather â—hem up for any holy work Yea while â—hey study nothing but themselves they â—â—se even the knowledge of themselves â—hey gaze so long upon their faults and â—ants till they can see nothing else and â—now no apprehenosins but dark and sad â—nd wilfully unlearn the language of thanksâ—iving and praise and the burden of all â—heir thoughts and speeches is Miserable â—nd Vndone as if there were for them â—o mercy no help no hope but they were utâ—â—rly forsaken and cast off by God The other sort do so exceed in the measure of that self-self-love which in it self is â—ood that they neglect the study of the Love of God And are still thinking what â—hey are and have been when they should â—onsider what they must be They spend â—o much time in trying their foundation that â—hey can make but little progress in the â—uilding They are lik Musicians that will â—pend all the day in setting Instruments in â—â—â—ne Or like a Mower that spends most of his time in whetting They are all 〈◊〉 preparing their tools while they should 〈◊〉 working And putting on their 〈◊〉 and preparing their weapons when thâ—â— should be fighting And enquiring which 〈◊〉 the way while they should be travelliâ—â— They leave undone too much of their 〈◊〉 without doors while they confine themselâ—â—â— to that within And that within goes on 〈◊〉 worse because they neglect that withâ—â—â— doors which should further it When thâ—â— should instruct the ignorant exhort 〈◊〉 obstinate confirm the weak or coâ—â—fort the afflicted they are complaining 〈◊〉 their own ignorance obstinacy weakneâ—â— or affliction and help not others becâ—â—â—â— they feel such need of help themselves As if they were like beggars that had noâ—thing to give but must live by asking and receiving They understand not that its 〈◊〉 of the mysteries of godliness that teaching others doth inform themselves and the Light which they bring in for others will serve themselves to work by and that reproving others doth correct themselves and exhorting others doth prevail with themselves and perswading the obstinate wills of others doth tend to bend and resolve their 〈◊〉 that comforting others doth tend to 〈◊〉 and raise themselves Their own spirits may be a little revived by the very smell of the Cordials they prepare for others In this case Giving is both Begging and Receiving Doing good is not the least effectual kind of prayer And that we may be so imployed is not the smallest mercy Many a one hath thus grown rich by giving Many a one hath convinced himself by confuting his own objections from another And many a one hath raised and comforted himself by offering comfort to others that have the same infirmities and have banished their own â—â—cessive doubts and fears by frequent compassionate answering the same in others whose sincerity they have less suspected then their own None thrive more then they that grow in the Sun shine of Gods blessing And God blesseth those most that are most faithfull in his work And the work of Love is the work of God To do good is to be most like him And they that are most like him do best please him In subordination to Christ in whom we are accepted we must by his spirit be made thus acceptable in our selves We must be amiable if we will be loved And those that God loveth best and is most pleasâ—â— with are like to receive most pâ—enâ—â—ously from his Love It is necessary therefore to our own safety and holiness and consolation that we look much abroad at the necessities of others and study our brethren and the Church of God as well as our selves That we look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others Phil. 2.4 There may be somewhat of inordinate selfishness even about our souls And sinfull selfishness is alwayes a losing course As he that will be a self-saver in point of estate or honour or life taketh the ready way to lose them Mat. 16.15 so he that for the saving of his soul will confine all his care and charity to his own soul taketh not the way indeed to save it We keep not our selves We quicken not We comfort not We save not our selves but only as agents under Christ manuring the land and sowing the seed to which he alone can give the blessing It is not therefore our inordinate self-studying that will do it With all our care without his blessing we cannot add one cubit to the stature of our graces Therefore it must needs be our safest course to be as carefull and faithfull as we can in duty and lay out most of our study to please him and then if we come not to assurance of his love or discern not his image and grace upon us yeâ— we must trust him with our souls and leave the rest to his Care and Goodness that hath undertaken that none shall be losers by him nor be ashamed or frustrate of their hopes that wait upon him and obey him Let us commit the keeping of our souls to him in well doing as unto a faithfull Creator 1 Pet. 4.19 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their Masters so our eyes in a way of duty must wait upon the Lord our God till he have mercy upon us Psal 123.1 2. And though we grow weary of crying and our throat be dryed and our eyes fail while we wait for God Psal 69.3 yet our hope is only in him and therefore we must continue to wait upon him Psal 39.7 And they that wait for him shall not be ashamed Isa 49.23 It is not the pretended necessity of one work that will excuse him that hath many as necessary to do Especially when they are conjunct
as he goeth further for the world and setteth it nearest to his heart and holds it fastest and will do most for it and consequently loveth it better then Christ he is no true Christian nor in a state of grace The Scriptures put this also out of doubt as you may see Mat. 10.37 38. Luke â—4 26 27 33. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me c. Whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Whoâ—ver he be of you that forsaketh not all that â—e hath he cannot be my Disciple Know â—e not that the friendship of the world is â—nmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God â—am 4.4 No wonder then if the world must be renounced in our Baptism Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2.15 You see by this time what it is to be Regenerate and to be a Christian indeed by what is contained even in our Baptism and consequently how you may Know your selves whether you are sanctified and the heirs of heaven or not Again therefore I summon you to appear before your consciences and if indeed these Evidences of regeneration are not in you stop not the sentence but confess your sinfull miserable state and condemn your selves and say no longer I hope yet that my present condition may serve turn and that God will forgive me though I should die without any further change Thosâ— Hopes that you may be saved without reâ—generation or that you are regenerate wheâ— you are not are the pillars of Satans forâ—tress in your hearts and keep you froâ— the saving Hopes of the Regenerate thaâ— that will never make you ashamed Upâ—hold not that which Christ is engageâ— against Down it must either by Graâ—â— or Judgement and therefore abuse noâ— your souls by underpropping such an ill-grounded false deceitfull hope You have now time to take it down so orderly and safely as that it fall not on your heads and overwhelm you not for ever But if you stay till death shall undermine it the falâ— will be great and your ruine irreparable If you are wise therefore Know your selves in time II. I have done with that part of my special Exhortation which concerned the unregenerate I am next to speak to those of you that by Grace are brought into a better state and to tell you that it very much concerneth you also even the best of you to labour to be well acquainted with your selves and that both in respect of 1. Your sins and wants and 2. Your Graces and your duties I. Be acquainted with the root and remnant of your sins with your particular inclinations and corrupt affections with their quality their degree and strength with the weaknesses of every grace with your disability to duty and with the omissions or sinfull practises of your lives Search diligently and deeply frequently and accurately peruse your hearts and wayes till you certainly and throughly know your selves And I beseech you let it not suffice you that you know your states and have found your selves in the Love of God in the faith of Christ and possessed by his Spirit Though this be a mercy worth many worlds yet this is not all concerning your selves that you have to know If yet you say that you have no sin you deceive your selves If yet you think you are past all danger your danger is the greater for this mistake As much as you have been humbled for sin as much as you have loathed it and your selves for it as oft as you have confessed it lamented it and complained and prayed against it yet it is alive Though it be mortified it is alive It is said to be mortified as to the prevalency and reign but the relicts of it yet survive were it perfectly dead you were perfectly delivered from it and might say you have no sin but it is not yet so happy with you It will find work for the blood and spirit of Christ and for your selves as long as you are in the flesh And alas too many that know themselves to be upright in the main are yet so much unacquainted with their hearts and lives as to the degrees of grace and sin as that it much disadvantageth them in their Christian progress Go along with me in the carefull observation of these following Evils that may befall even the regenerate by the remnants of self-ignorance 1. The work of Mortification is very much hindered because you know your selves no better as may appear in all these following discoveries 1. You confess not sin to God or man so penitently and sensibly as you ought because you know your selves no better Did you see your inside with a fuller view how deeply would you aggravate your sin How heavily would you charge your selves Repentance would be more intense and more effectual and when you were more contrite you would be more meet for the sense of pardon and for Gods delight Isa 51.15 66.2 It would fill you more with godly shame and self-abhorrence if you better knew your selves It would make you more sensibly say with Paul Rom. 7.23 24. I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And with David Psal 38.18 I will declare my iniquity I will be sorry for my sin 40.12 They are more then the hairs of my head 32.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Repentance is the Death of sin and the knowledge of our selves and the sight of our sins is the life of Repentance 2. You pray not against sin for grace and pardon so earnestly as you should because you know your selves no better O that God would but open these too-close hearts unto us and anatomize the relicts of the old man and shew us all the recesses of our self-deceit and the filth of worldliness and carnal inclinations that lurk within us and read us a Lecture upon every part what prayers would it teach us to indite That you be not proud of your holiness let me tell you Christians that a full display of the corruptions that the best of you carry about you would not only take down self-exalting thoughts that you be not lift up above measure but would teach you to pray with fervour and importunity and waken you out of your sleepy indifferency and make you cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me If the sight of a Lazar or cripple or naked person move you to compassion though they use no words if the sight
our sermons Yea how oft doth the medicine irritate the disease So that a poor wretch that is under the wrath of God and knoweth not when he is gone out of the assembly whether the justice of heaven will not take vengeance on him before he come hither again yet cannot abide to hear of this but with Ahab hateth the Preacher that prophesieth evil of him be it never so true It is pride that leadeth up that armie of corruptions that here strive against the light of truth that is sent to convince and convert the guilty And is a man like to be saved by the word while he hateth it and bends his thoughts and passions all against it Dir. 1. HE therefore that will ever know himself must first let in so much of the light as may take down his arrogancy and bring him as a little child to the school of Christ First know what thou art as Man and then know what thou art as a sinner and sentenced by God that so thou mayst come to know what thou art as one that is under the hopes and duties of the Redeemed When thy proud heart rebelleth against conviction remember with whom thou hast to do Will God speak submissively to thee for fear of offending thee will he cry thee mercy for handling thee so roughly as to tell thee thou art yet the child of wrath Is he afraid to talke to thee of death or of damnation Will he recall his threatnings and repent him of the severity of his laws because such worms are angry with them or will not believe them Perhaps thou mayst make a false hearted frightful man-pleasing Minister to change his strain of plainer dealing and become thy flatterer or be silent But will God be silenced will he stoop to thee and bend or stretch his word to humor thee O no he will one day tell thee what thou arâ— with another voice then this of a mortal and despised man and in another manner then preachers tell it thee If thou canst frown the Preacher out of the pulpit or out of his fidelity to God and thee yet canst thou not frown God out of heaven He will speak to thee more terribly then the terriblest preacher that ever thou heardst And if thy Pride shall rise up and tell him that he doth thee wrong how quickly will thy mouth be stopped and thou be forced to confess thy guilt Rom. 3.5 6 19. O stoop man to the humbling word of grace or God will make thee stoop to the words and strokes of wrath Fear him that will make the proudest fear before he hath done with them Judged thou must be by thy self to self-abasing and conversion or by God to desolation and confusion And canst thou easier bear Gods judgement then thy own Stoop foolish self-deluding dust Stoop sinful wretch and know thy misery If thou stand it out a little longer an undiscerned blow will bring thee down and thou shalt not see the hand that strikes thee till thou art humbled to the grave and hell O how absurd yet pittiful a sight is it to see poor sinners brave it out against the humbling message of the Lord as if they could make good their cause againg him and scorn to know that they are going to Hell till they are there And then will Pride preserve them from the knowledge of it It is shameful folly to be Proud and obstinate where a man knoweth beforehand that he must submit at last and is not able to stand it out 2. THE second Intrinsecal Impediment to self-acquaintance is an unresonable tenderness of our selves when an inordinate Love of ease and quietness of mind doth prevail with us to hold fast all that thus quieteth us at the present without regard of due provision for the time to come In this there is a mixture of unreasonableness and self-love It is indeed the very brutish disposition A beast will not willingly be dieted for his future health Let him have at present what he loveth and you please him though you feed him for the slaughter for he hath not reason to foresee what followeth An ox must be bound and cast and held down by force if you will shooe him though it be to the keeping of his feet from hurt or if you will pull out a thorn or do any thing for his good that hurteth him at the present you please not your horse by letting him blood though you save his life by it Fleshly-minded men have thus bruitified themselves so that they judge of things by present feeling and have not Reason and Faith to look before them and judge of things by what they tend to even by the good or hurt that will follow in the end It is a very terrible troublesome thing for a man that is unregerate unjustified and unreconciled to God to know it For a man that hath any feeling left to find himself in a state of condemnation This is to stir up all the terrors of his soul and cast him into perplexing fears and disquietments of mind so that he cannot eat or drink or sleep in quietness but the troublesome thoughts of sin and everlasting wrath torment him And the inconsiderable man that judgeth of things by present feeling will not endure this and therefore must needs have the windows shut and the light removed that sheweth him these perplexing sights As most men hate those that speak against them be the matter never so true so they cannot endure those thoughts that do accuse them nor to have a reprover so neer them even in their own breasts A Conscience within them to preach to them night and day not one hour in a week but where-ever they go and whatever they are doing to be so neer so constant so precise and so sâ—vere and terrible a Preacher as usually a newly enlightened and awakened conscience is this seemeth intolerable to them And whatever come of it this Preacher must be silenced as turbulent and vexatious and one that would make them Melancholy or mad And this is the condemnation of these miserable souls that light is come into the world and they loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved Joh. 3.19 20. And thus while men are so tender of themselves that they will do nothing that troubleth or hurteth them at the present they venture upon all the miseries that they are forewarned of Dir. 2. BE not unreasonably tender of a little disturbance at the present nor unbelievingly careless of the misery to come Cannot you endure to know your sin and misery and yet can you endure to bear it will you go to Hell for fear of knowing that you are in the way Must you not know it with everlasting woe and vengeance when you come thither if by knowing your danger you prevent not your coming thither Is it easier to bear