For whoever wil understand the Scripture must be sure to keep and hold fast the Letter not denying it Answ 2 If you would have the true knowledg and understand the Scripture and so behold this great Light in its full glory and brightness you must diligently enquire into the true sense and meaning of it for the true sense and meaning is the soul thereof Now the Scripture or the Word of God written may be expounded for Ezra stood up before the People in a Pulpit and gave the sense of the Scripture Christ himself is said to expound and 2 Pet. 1.20 No Scripture is of any private Interpretation The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Exposition it 's the same word that is used in Luke 4. Christ stood up and expounded Now saith the Apostle No Scripture is of any private Exposition therefore it may be expounded and if not why were Gifts given to men by the Ascention of Christ It 's a very dangerous thing to bear false witness against the Truth of Christ Now if a man do not take heed unto the true sense and meaning of the Scripture but wil rigidly adhere to the Letter of the Scripture he may quickly bear false witness against the Truth Mark 14.56 it 's said that many did bear false witness against Christ but their witness agreed not together But how did they bear false witness They testified that Christ said I can destroy the Temple of God and build it again in three daies which our Savior Christ spake of his Body they applied to the Temple of the Jews and so they are said to bâ—â—r â—al e witness Why because they kept to his words only and not to his sense and meaning So that we had need take heed how we report the words of Christ though we do adhere to his words yet if we keep not to his meaning we shal be found false witnesses against him and his Truth Search the Scriptures saith our Savior why search even because the sense and meaning doth lie deep And therefore it is not enough for us that we do adhere to the words but we must diligently enquire into the true sense and the meaning of them Object But one Scripture hath many Senses a Literal Sense and a Spiritual Sense a Literal Sense and a Mystical How shall we be able then to find out the true Sense and the Meaning of it Answ 1 Nay but the same Scripture hath but one intire Sense Indeed Papists tel us that one Scripture hath many Senses but the Protestants hold Excipiendus est Michael Medina That there is but one intire Sense of a Scripture though divers applications of it As for Example The Old Testament saies Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox which the Apostle applies to the maintenance of the Ministers The Sense is but one in divers parts thus as the mouth of the Ox is not to be muzzled so Ministry is to be maintained There is but one whol sense of a Scripture though divers parts and applications of it Answ 2 Though the sense of the Scripture be but one intire sense yet somtimes the Scripture is to be understood Literally somtimes Figuratively and Metaphorically but alwaies Spiritually for when it is taken Literally it is taken Spiritually for saies the Apostle If thy Brother offend thee heap coals of fire upon his head that is not to be taken Literally but Metaphorically So when our Savior saith If thine eye or hand or foot offend thee pull it out and cut it off this is not to be understood Literally but Metaphorically Answ 3 Though the Scripture be applied Mystically somtimes and doth receive a Mystical application yet for your direction herein ye must know That there is no Fundamental Doctrine of our Salvation but is laid down plainly and without Mysticalness The Covenants of the Law Thou shalt have no other god but me and Thou shalt love they Neighbor as thy self Faith in Christ and love to our Neighbor all the Fundamental Doctrines of our Salvation are laid down plainly and literally Though the great matters of our Salvation be expressed plainly and literally yet if the literal sense of any Scripture be contrary to common sense or reason or to modesty honesty and good manners then we are to bawk the literal sense For example our Savior saith This is my Body in the Lords Supper if these words be taken literally it is against common senâ—e and reason therefore you must bawk the literal sense and understand them otherwise Again the Lord commanded the Prophet to go naked if this be understood literally it would be against common modesty So when our Savior saith If thine eye offend thee pull it out if thine hand offend thee cut it off If this be understood Literally it would fight with that Commandement Thou shalt not kill therefore the Literal sense is somtimes to be bawked Though we are not alwaies to adhere to the bare Letter for the meaning of the words In interpretatione Scripturae sacrae illud apprime observandum est ne ulla vis inferatur literali August de quivos Disput de sensu Scripturae Verborum sacrae Scripturae Germana intelligentia imprimis quaerenda et instituenda non quod tropo-logicam intelligentiaÌ„ condemnemus sed quod spiritualis interpretatio sequi debet ordinem historiae quod plerique ignorantes lymphati co in sacra Scriptura vagantur errore Hieronyn in cap. 13. Es yet if the words be applied mystically ye are not to make a force upon the History Mystery doth not destroy the History The History of the two women Hagar and Sarah is by the Apostle applied to the two Testaments yet this doth not destroy the History For as words are the Substractum of the History so History is the Substractum of the Mystery Some when they have attained to the Mystical application do deny the History but remember that though the words of the Scripture be applied mystically yet the Mystery is never to destroy the History And though the words of Scripture be somtimes applied Mystically yet you must know that there is nothing Mystical in one Scripture Qâ—is autem non impudentissime nitatur aliquid quod in Allegoria positum est per se interpretari nisi et manifesta habeat Testimonia quorum lumine illustrentur obscura Austin Epist 48. ad Vincent Donat. Si animus est allegoriâ—m tâ—â—ere vide inprimis ut interpretationis ejus quam meditatis sententia aâ—ibi in Scripturis clare et absque tropo expresso inveniatur atque detracto velamine analogiae fidei respondeat Flac. Illyric pars altera Tract 1. de raâ—ione cognoscendi Scripturas Observ 2 but is Literally set down in another Scripture let any man shew me any Truth set down Mystically in one place but I wil shew it literally expressed in another Some would have al the Scripture to be understood mystically But doth any man tel you this and that
Faith may be established and your Hearts comforted and setled when you have come to Christ for the more fully the suffering of Christ which is the Object of your Faith is spread before your Eyes the more wil your Faith be raised and established and if Christ have suffered such great things for you even the very Wrath of God and torments of Hel then you may be assured that he wil never forget you Can a Woman forget her Child No Why but because she hath travelled for it But behold here is a Travel beyond al Travels Christ travelling in the greatness of his Love for poor sinners travelling under the Wrath of God his Father and wil he forget you that are his Seed Though a Woman forget her Child yet will not I saith the Lord. O! what Comfort is this for all the Seed of Christ Christ hath had a sore travel for you therefore assure your selves he wil never forget you And thus I have done with the First Argument of this Doctrine Christ in Travel CHRIST IN TRAVEL AND His Assurance of Issue Sermon II. ISAIAH 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied HAving spoken to the first Argument Christ in Travel we are now to proceed to the Seccond His Assurance of Issue though he had an hard Labor of it in the day of his Sufferings yet he was sure and certain that he should not miscarry many Women do miscarry in travel few or none have Assurance that they shal not miscarry but before our Savior Christ fel in Travel the Father did assure him that he should see his Seed and be satisfied accordingly he hath seen the Travel of his Soul for saith he Heb. 2.13 Behold I and the Children whom God hath given me and he shal yet see his Seed he did not lay down his Life at uncertainties neither was it left in suspense whether he should have Issue or not but was assured of it and so he died for sinners For the opening and cleering whereof we must enquire 1. What this Issue is which Christ did travel for 2. What Assurance he had of it First As for the Issue of Christs Travel which he travelled for it is al that fruit and effect of his Sufferings which he did travel for There are some immediate next effects and fruits of Christs Death and Sufferings which I may cal the first Birth of the Death of Christ There are other effects which are more remote and I may cal them the latter Birth of the Death and Sufferings of Christ But look whatever fruit or effect that is which Christ did travel for that he was assured of The first he did see presently and the latter he doth and shal see dayly Quest What are those first next and immediate effects and fruits of the Death of Christ which he presently saw Answ Those are many and because there are so many Opinions of Men about them I shal answer to this Question both Negatively and Affirmatively 1. Negatively First Some think that the first and immediate effect of Christs Death was to make God reconcilable to Man-kind for God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself but the world was not actually reconciled at his Death and therefore say they the first effect of Christs Death was to make God reconcilable But this cannot be the next and immediate effect of the Death of Christ for God was reconcilable before Christ died and had not only a velleity but a ful wil to shew mercy to us for John 3. God so loved the World that he sent his only begotten Son Now if the Love of God to Man-kind were the cause of Christs coming into the World then he was reconcilable before the Death of Christ Secondly Others think that our actual Reconciliation is the next and immediate effect of the Death of Christ But this cannot be for our Savior tels us That he which beleeveth not abideth under wrath The Wrath of God doth abide on him Now if the Wrath of God do abide upon a man so long as he abideth under Unbelief then is he not reconciled to God actually til he beleeveth 2. When a man is actually reconciled to God then he is justified but we are justified by Faith Rom. 5.1 and therefore a man is not actually reconciled til he doth beleeve actually 3. Those that are without Christ being Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel and strangers from the Covenants of Promise having no hope and without God in the World cannot be actually reconciled to God but so were the converted Ephesians before their Convertion Ephes 2.12 4. The Apostle Paul saith expresly that whilst the Corinthians were unrighteous and wicked they were not justified 1 Cor. 6.9 10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Adulterers nor Theeves nor Covetous nor Drunkards c. shall inherit the Kingdom of God and such were some of you but ye are sanctified but ye are justified c. therefore they were not justified and so not actually reconciled unto God before their Conversion 5. As Glorification follows our Justification so our Justification follows our Vocation Rom. 8.30 actual Reconciliation therefore and Justification is not the next effect of Christs Death Object But we are then discharged from our Sins when they are charged on Christ and they were charged on Christ when he died for them Answ True when Christ died then were our sins charged on him but it doth not follow that we were then discharged For there is a great difference between a mans paying of his Debt himself and the payment of the Surety If a man be arrested for a Debt of his own and do pay it himself he is then discharged from the Debt but if the Debt be charged on the Surety and he pay it the Debtor is not presently discharged from the Debt in regard of the Surety but to be discharged when the Surety pleaseth Now our sins were charged on Christ as our Surety and he did pay our Debt look therefore when he pleases we are discharged from them and that saith he is upon your beleeving not before being justified by Faith ye have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ Rom. 5.1 Thirdly Some think that Christ died to reconcile Man to God so far as that Salva Justitia Christum merito mortis suae Deum Patrem universo generi humano hactenus reconciliavit ut Pater propter ipsius meritum Salva justitia et veritate sua novum gratiae saedus cum peccatoribus inire et sancire potuerit ac voluerit Sententia Remonstrantium circa secundum Articul Act. Synod 280. Armin. Perkins oper Arm. pag. 675. or noti obstante Justitia Divina God might have a power to shew mercy to the Children of Men which he was willing to do but was bound from it by his Justice and that by the Death of Christ he was free to
ends and effects of his Death but al the particular men in the World shal not be â—aved nâ—r beleeve and repent and therefore certainly he did not die for every particular man in the World but of this more in the next Exercise Only as a concluding word Applic. 2 Let Comfort be to whom Comfort belongs here is much much Comfort for al those that are â—he â—â—ed of Christ whom he died for and travelled with You shal â—ee the travel of Christs Soul accomplished in your Salvation Sanctification and Consolation for he hath purchased and merited your Glory therefore you shal have the same it was your Justification that he was in travel for therefore you shal see the same it was your Sanctification and Holiness that he did travel for and he shal not miscarry it was your Comfort and Consolation and Salvation that he was in Travel for and therefore in due time you shal see the same Object But I fear that I am none of his Seed that he did not die for me Answ He died for his Sheep I lay down my Life for my Sheep saith he a Sheep is an harmless Creature it can be hurt by any but it can do hurt to none it is a prey to al but doth prey upon none So are the Sheep of Christ innocent harmless and without horns as the word is be innocent as Doves or without horns as Doves Absque cornibus translatio Graci vocabuli à placidis animalibus sumpta videtur quae natura nullis cornibus armavit ad depellendam injuriam aut si armavit cornibus ad id non utuntur Luc. Brugens in Matth. 10. vers 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sheep is an useful profitable Creature nothing not useful in it the Flesh the Wool the very Dung thereof profitable So are the Sheep of Christ and his Sheep hear his Voyce but know not the Voyce of a Stranger and if you be in your Life harmless profitable hearing the Voyce of Christ in the Gospel then are you his Sheep and he did die for you 2. If you can leave the bâ—som of your sweet Relations and suffer for Christ then did he leave the bosom of his Father and suffer for you for we love him because he loved us first al our Grace is but the reflexion of his 3. If he intercedes for you in Heaven then he died for you on Earth now he ever liveth to make Intercession for al those that come unto God by him you come unto God by him therefore he goes unto God for you and therefore died for you 4. He died to reconcile God to us and us unto God if you be reconciled to God and the things of God so as you do now love the Truths Waies and things of God â—hich you once hated then is God also reconciled to you Now thus it is with you you can say through Grace I do love those Truths and Waies and Things of God which I once hated therefore you are reconciled to God therefore he is reconciled to you and therefore Christ died for you 5. If you can fulfil the Law of Christ then hath Christ died for you for those that he died for he satisfied and fulfilled the Law for and if you can fulfil his Law you may safely say he hath obeyed and fulfilled the Law for me now the Law of Christ is to bear one anothers burdens Bear ye one anothers burdens saith the Apostle and so fulfil the Law of Christ this you do and can do therefore he hath fulfilled the Law for you and so hath died for you 6. If you be the Seed and Children of Christ then did he travel and die for you the Children of Christ are such as are willing to be instructed by him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to instruct comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Child because it is the property of a Child to be willing to be instructed a Child doth obey his Father without why 's and wherefore's meerly because the Father commands his Command is the Childs Reason for my Father bid me c. the Child is contented with the Fathers carving goes to school about its business and leaves its provision to the Father living in dependance on him Now thus it is with you you do depend on Christ leave your Coâ—dition to him and obey and do because Christ or God commandâ— and are willing to be instâ—ucted by him Surely therefore you are the Seed of Christ and therefore Christ died for you even for you in particular and therefore though the great effects of his Death may yet be hidden from you yet he shal obtain al his ends upon you in your Justification Sanctification Consolation Salvation for he hath merited al these at the hand of the Father and the Father wil surely give out what Christ hath purchased for he is Faithful wherefore comfort your selves in these things O al ye Seed of the Lord. CHRIST IN TRAVEL AND The Contentment which he doth and shal find in his Assurance of Issue Sermon III. ISAIAH 53.11 He shall see of the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied HAving spoken to the Second Branch of the Doctrine viz. Chri t s Assurance of Issue and his â—ight thereof the Third Branch now follows which is Delectatio se habet in affectibus sicut quies naturalis in corporalibus est enim aliqua convenientia seu connaturalitas Aquin. The Contentment delight and satisfaction which he doth and shall find therein Satisfaction or delight is nothing else but that Sabbath or rest which the Soul finds in the Fruition of the thing desired and as the thing is less or more desired so the delight and satisfaction in the Fruition of it is less or more now Christ did very much desire to see the Fruit of his Travel I thirst said he on the Cross which is the strongest of desires and what did he thirst after but the Salvation of Man-kind the Fruit and Issue of his Travel The Bread of the laboring man is sweet saith Solomon and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used for the Travel of Christ signifies such a toylsom labor as the poor man doth exercise in the sweat of his Brows to get his dayly Bread it is much contentment and satisfaction which the thirsty man doth find in his Drink or the hungry man doth find in his Meat or Bread Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used and translated Saâ—isfied is the same that is used in Psal 107. The hungry he will satisfie with Bread and is it not a great satisfaction delight and contentment which the Woman finds in the sight of her Child which she hath had a sore travel for Our Savior tels us that she forgets her Labor and Travel for joy that a Man-child is born into the world Such a Travel was that of Christs Sufferings and such contentment doth and wil he find in his issue and therefore as Jacob said These are the
what doth this argue but that they should delight in him as he doth delight in them And lastly Is it not a very great and high expression of his Love and delight in them that he carried al their names upon his heart into the presence of God the Father owning and Interceding for them When the High Priest went into the Holy of Holies he carried the Names of the Twelve Tribes upon his Breast-plate and with the Blood of the Sacrifice he sprinkled the Mercy Seat seven times and prayed for them So when our great High Priest went into Heaven he did carry the Names of al those whom he died for sprinkling the Mercy Seat seven times for them and doth yet pray and intercede for such of them as are not in Heaven and as if al this were not enough he did presently send the Comforter another Advocate to intercede within them Rom. 8. that aâ— he took their flesh upon him and was made one with them so they should take of his Spirit and be made one with him Now can â—his and al these things be without great contentment and delight in them Surely the delight and Satisfaction which Christ takes in his Seed is exceeding great and very ful Prov. 8. he saith his delights in the plural Number are in them and Psal 16. he saith all his delight is in them Quest But why and upon what account doth our Lord and Savior Christ take such delight and satisfaction in his Seed Answ He hath travelled for them saith this Doctrine and wil ye ask why a Woman takes so much delight in the Child which she hath had a sore Travel for without doubt this delight is not raised from any worth in themselves considered But They are his own and men do naturally delight in their own Now they are not his own only as a mans Goods are his own Pâ—oprietas delectationis causa but they are his own as his Wife is his own and his own Body They are given him of the Father a man loves and delights much in that which is given him by a most precious Friend such is the Father and saith Christ Thine they were and thou gavest them to me They are related to him with al the Relations of Love they are his Brethren He is not ashamed to call them Brethren Heb. 2. Unumquodque in quantuÌ„ amatur efficitur delectabile Aquin. They are his Children Behold I and the Children whom God hath given me saith he Heb. 2. They are his Spouse Ephes 5. A man loves and delights in him that is related to him but with one single Relation but if one person could be invested with all relations of Love he would be much delighted in Thus it is with the Seed of Christ when they beleeve for so I speak of them now they are related to him with al the Relations of Love If any man saith Christ hear my words and do them he is my Mother and Brother and Sister Yea They are one with him he with them and they with him one with the greatest oneness of mutual In-being I in you and you in me saith Christ And they are very like him too and suitable to him al delight arises from a conjunction of suitables Christ Omnis delectatio oritur ex conjunctione convenientis cum convenienti Aquin. and his beleeving Seed are not only joyned into one but in this Union there is a Conjunction of suitables Christ suiting with them and they with him again being of the same mind and affection Doth Christ say unto his Spouse Cant. 4.10 Thy Love is better than Wine so doth the Spouse say to him Cant. 1.2 Thy Love is better than Wine Doth he say to his Spouse Thou art all fair my Love there is no spot in thee Cant. 4.7 so doth she say of him He is altogether lovely Cant. 5.16 Doth he contemplate her Beauty Cant. 4. so doth she contemplate his Beauty Cant. 5. Only herein he doth exceed even as David exceeded Jonathan yet there is an answerableness of Affection between Christ and his Seed By them also I mean his beleeving Seed he liveth Da mihi filios quod si non morior ego Gen. 30. motior 1. è memoria mei plane emorietur et onliterabitur dum enim parentes post se relinqunt filios in illis quafi adhuc vivere et superesse viden ur untle vulgo apud Hebraeos jâ—ctata est sententia cui non sunt liberi perinde est ac si mortuus sit et Hebraei dicunt qui non habet filios non est aedificatus sed quasi d ssipatus Paulus Fag in Ch. Paraphr in Gen. 30. Psal 72.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 filiabitur nomen ejus Ar. Montan. and his Name is continued and born up in the World unto al Generations He shal prolong his daies saith Iâ—aiah 53.10 But how so He shal see his Seed and so shal prolong his daies His Name shall continue for ever saith the Psal 72.17 But how so even by the continual filiation of his Seed and Name Now if he do yet live in them and they only do hear up his Name in the World then no wonder that our Lord and Savior Christ doth take so much delight contentment and satisfaction in them surely his delight in them is beyond al expression for saith he Cant. 7.6 How fair and how pleasant art thou O Love for delights Secondly As for the Issue of Christ which he travelled for namely The Fruits and Effects of his Death his delight and satisfaction must needs be great in the sight thereof For Thereby he sees the good pleasure of God prosper in his hands Isa 53.10 He shall see his Seed and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his Hands a good man delights to see the work of God prosper in his hands and the greater the work is and the more it prospers the more delight he hath and contentment and when doth the Work of God prosper in a mans hands but when it attaineth the ends and due effects thereof Now the work that Christ under took was the greatest work in the world and it was God the Fathers Work insomuch as Christ is called his Servant and saith Christ Lo I come to do thy Will Whenever therefore he sees the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects thereof then he sees the good pleasure of the Lord prospering in his hands and so his heart is at rest Thereby the reproach is rowled away from his Sufferings great was the Scandal of the Cross the greatest scandal that ever was and the greatest reproach cast upon it that ever was It was a reproach to a Woman to be barren but when she brought forth a Child her reproach was rowled away So when the Cross and Sufferings of Christ do bring forth then the reproach and scandal of the Cross is rowled away and therefore when Christ doth see the Travel of his Soul in the effects thereof
te mihi in perpetuum sine ulla interjecta vel penitentiae vel fidei conditione absolutissime ait desponsabo te c. hujusmodi autem absolutissimae promissiones ad solos veros et secundum spirituÌ„ Israelitas i. e. Electos pertinent ergo haec est perfectissima et absolutissima Evangelica promissio Zanch. in Hos 2. v. 21 22. Statuens Dei gratiam eo luculentiorem hominibus explicatam esse quod suis non foedus sed Testamentum dederit quia faedus conditiones mutuas fuisset habiturum quas si altera pars non prestet faedus est irritum Testamentum vero liberalitatis et gratiae citra ullam conditionem instrumentum est ex quo haeredes instituuntur citra contemplationem ullius officii quod ab ipsis proficisci possit Junius in Heb. 8. Sic Amesius Coron de perseverant At ubi quaeso sacrarum literarum quoties nostra renovatio sanctificatio ad paenitentiam revocatio spiritui sancto attribuitur vel levissima mentio fit conditionis Jer. 31. hoc est faedus c. etiam omnem voluntatem Dei esse absolutam nullam autem conditionalem demonstravit variis argumentis Tho. Bradward de causa Dei Lib. 2. Twiss Vindiciae gratiae prefat Sect. 8. not so Zanchy not so Junius not so Dr. Ames not so some of our own And those that do say so say also That Faith and Repentance are also promised in the Covenant which comes to the same in Effect with what I now say They mean also That Faith is that Grace whereby we are justified and that we cannot be saved without Faith and Repentance which I grant * The manner of Expressing the forementioned Promises of the new Covenant is absolute so as God undertaketh to perform them all I wil put my Law into your minds I wil be to them a God All shal know me I wil be merciful unto their sins hereby it is manifest that the Priviledges of the New Covenant are absolutely promised to be performed on Gods part It is God that justifieth Rom. 8.33 Sanctification is absolutely promised Ezek. 36.25 so the parts thereof Mortification Rom. 6.14 Vivification Rom. 8.11 Perseverance 1 Cor. 1.8 Object Is also the condition of Faith and Repentance required by the new Covenant Mark 1.15 Answ He that requireth the condition promiseth also to work it in us Dr. Gonge Heb. 8. Naturae legum et conditionum prescriptarum omnino conveniens est ut voluntatas judicis à conditione postulata et prestita moveatur ad praemium Grevinchovius but they do not say that there is any condition in the Wil of God moving or determining it but a Condition in the thing willed But the Remonstrants make a Condition of the Covenant in reference to the Wil of God which is the thing I deny and have disproved al this while I grant there is a Conditional Promise but then God hath promised that Condition in some other Scripture which they deny I grant that we are justified upon our beleeving but then God hath promised Faith too which they deny I grant a Condition may be rei volitae of the thing willed but nulla est conditio voluntatis Divinae there is no condition of the Divine Wil they affirm it I grant that one benefit of the Death of Christ doth follow another and one may be the cause of the other but our Lord and Savior Christ did not die conditionally nor merit any thing for us conditionally those that he died for he merited Grace and Holiness for to be given out to them without al conditions and therefore if he died for al men he must needs lose his Purchase a thing most unsatisfying to the heart of Christ yet this is the first-born of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption Now therefore as you desire to stand free from al those Opinions that are unsavory to the heart of Christ take heed of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption Yet further Vse 2. Secondly If Christ wil certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied then here you may see the reason why we cannot be satisfied with that Opinion of the Saints Apostacy this also is unsatisfying to the heart of Christ Can a man be satisfied in seeing and feeling one of his own Members torn from his Body Can a man delight in seeing that Leg or Arm which was once the Member of his Body burning in the fire Surely Christ cannot Christs Love is not like to ours Non amat tanquam osurus Those whom he loves once he doth love to the end once in Christ and for ever in Christ once loved by Christ and for ever loved by him Whom God hath called them he hath also justified and whom he hath justified them he hath also glorified Rom. 8. This is the Fathers Will saith Christ John 6.39 that of all that he hath given me I should lose none and verse 37. he saith All that the Father giveth me shall come unto me It seems therefore that there are some whom the Father hath given unto Christ and that before they beleeve their Faith being the Fruit and Consequent of this Gift therefore there is a particular Election of some and that Election is not upon a fore-fight of Faith but a cause thereof 2. Our Savior tels us here That all those that are given him shall come to him that is they shal beleeve therefore it is not in our power to resist the Grace of God with an over-coming resistance the converting Grace of God is irresistible 3. He saith here That al those that are given him shal come to him therefore al his Seed and Children whom he travelled with and died for shal come to him and bâ—leeve on him for those that the Father hath given him are his Children Heb. 2.13 But al the men of the World do not come to him therefore they are not his Seed and Children therefore he never travelled with them therefore he did not die for al particular men 4. Our Savior tels us here plainly that when men do come to him he wil lose none of them but saith he I wil raise them up at the last day verse 39. And lest any should doubt of this Truth he speaks yet more plainly tels us that those who do come are such as beleeve on him and then for more assurance repeats the Promise verse 40. saying This is the Will of him which sent me That every one that seeth the Son and I beleeveth on him may have everlasting Life and I will raise him up at the last day Surely therefore that Doctrine of the Saints Apostacy is unsound yea al the four Doctrines of the Arminians are by this one Scripture plainly refuted but especially that of the Saints Apostacy It is a Doctrine not only uncomfortable to the Saints but unsatisfying to the heart of Christ For he shal see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied Seeing therefore that he travelled for their Salvation he
shal see their perseverance and Salvation Vse 3 But more practically This Doctrine looks wishly upon both Godly men and Ungodly It cals upon those that are ungodly to delight themselves in the Lord and to satisfie themselves in Christ in the things of Christ and in the Seed of Christ Doth Christ delight in his Seed and wil you hate despise and scorn his Seed Is he satisfied in seeing the Travel of his Soul in the saving effects of his Death justifying sanctifying and comforting the Children of Men and wil you be displeased therewith Wil you be pleased and satisfied in your sins and vain Conversation when Christ is satisfied in the Redemption of Men from their Iniquity and vain Conversation The Conversion of a Sinner is the Fruit of Christs Travel wherein he rejoyces and is delighted with a great delight and doth it grieve you to see a sinner turned from the evil of his waies Take heed how you walk contrary to Christ for if you walk contrary to him he wil walk contrary unto you and either he wil rejoyce and be satisfied in your Conversion or he wil be satisfied in your Damnation and if you do not convert and turn unto God how can you think that you are the Seed of Christ whom he hath travelled with But This Doctrine looks wishly also upon the Godly such as are the visible Seed of Christ and to you it saith 1. Why should you not be contented and satisfied with Christ alone al his delights are in you why should not al your delights be in him Is he satisfied in you why then should not you be satisfied with him and with that Condition which he carves for you Through him the Father is satisfied for your sins and he is satisfied in your person why then should not you be satisfied about your Condition 2. Why should you not labor to convert and draw others unto Christ Thereby he sees the Fruit of his Travel which is his delight wil you not do what you can to advance Christs delights And 3. If Christ be satisfied and delighted in you why should you not improve his Affection for the good of the Church King Ahasuerus was taken with and did delight much in Esther and she improved his Affection for the good of the Church have you gotten the heart of Christ the affections of Christ and will not you improve them for the good of the Church surely it is your Duty And 4. Upon this account why should you not labor to excel in Vertue his delights are in his Seed and they are such saith the Psalmist as do excel in Vertue Psal 16. Now therefore that you may in some measure answer the delights of Christ O labor more and more to excel in Vertue Quest What excellent things shall we that are the visible Seed of Christ do that we may answer the delights contentments and satisfactions which he doth take in us Answ 1 Many First in reference to Christ himself and his Service It is an excellent thing to have and bear the same mind to Christ that he had and bare unto us he did neglect his own Glory to procure our Comfort so for us to neglect our own Comfort to procure his Glory is excellent in time of Temptation to look upon Christ as our Gift and in time of presumption to look upon him as our Example to trust in Christ as if we had no works and yet to work as if we had no Christ I mean for a man to be so obedient to the Commandement as if he would be saved by the Law and yet to rest on the Promise as if he would be saved by Grace and in al our Service to God in Christ to walk by a Law without us and yet by a Law within us by a Law without us as our Rule and by a Law within us as our Principle These are excellent things in regard of Christ and his Service As for the Ordinances and means of Grace It is an excellent thing so to use the publick Ordinance as we may be more fit for private Exercise and so to use our private Exercise as we may be the more fit for publick Ordinances to wait upon God in the use of al means yet not to tie the workings of the Spirit unto any one particular to observe what that Ordinance is that is most decried and dispised by the World and to advance and honor that to worship Christ in a Manger These are excellent things in regard of the Ordinances and Means of Grace As for your Graces Gifts and Comforts An excellent thing it is for a man so to exercise one Grace as he may be fit for another so to exercise his Faith as he may be fit for Repentance and so to exercise his Repentance as he may grow up into more Assurance to make al your Graces Parents to your Comforts and your Comforts Hand-maids to your Graces that your Gifts may beautifie your Graces and your Graces sanctifie your Gifts to be of high Parts and a low Spirit to know much and yet to love respect and honor those that know less These are excellent things in regard of our Gifts Graces and Comforts As for your Condition It 's an excellent thing for a man to be thankful for his present Condition and yet not to be in love therewith nor to live thereon it 's ill to murmur in any Condition it 's good to be content in some but in every Condition to be thankful is excellent To fear the Lord in Prosperity and to love him in Adversity never to think that my condition is extraordinary to trust God with my condition by Experience and yet to trust in God for my condition over and beyond al experience These are excellent things in reference to our Condition As for your Converse and dealing with men An excellent thing it is to use no Company but such as you may receive sâ—me good from or communicate some good unto to take no offence and to give none being very unwilling to give offence and very backâ—ard to take it to rejoyce in anothers Graces and to grieve for anothers sins to be a Lamb in ones own Cause and a Lyon in Gods of a sweet and meek disposition yet zealous and active for God and in al our dealings with men to deal with God through men saying if they curse or bless God hath bid them do it and in case that any man offend you to be more ready to forgive than he is to acknowledg his offence that your forgiveness may rather draw out his acknowledgment than his acknowledgment draw out your forgiveness These are excellent things in regard of our converse or dealings with men As for your Callings and outward Estates It is an excellent thing for a man so to use his particular Calling as he may be fit for his General and so to use his General as he may be fit for his particular To make your Sail fit for your
the child of Grace and the mother of Grace There is a peace thâ—t arises from the apprehension of Gods common goodness which is common peace And there is a special peace that arises from the apprehension of Gods special favor and free Grace true peace is the Daughter of that Grace yet it is the Parent of inherent Grace or of Gracious actions I should rather say the Nurse Phil. 4.7 for sayes the Apostle The peace of God that passes all understanding keep or guard your minds and hearts This saving peace is a Guard unto al our Graces As falâ—e peace is a guard to our sins so true peace is a guard unto al our Graces True saving peace is such a peace as is wrought by faith Being justified by faith we have peace Rom. 15. The Lord give you peace in beleeving saies the Apostle It comes in a way of Faith true saving peace is wrought by faith False peace is such as is either born with us and was never interrupted being the offspring of nature onely or the Emanation of a natural Conscience or such as is wrought out by time time working out ones trouble True saving peace wil live in the sight of sin False peace doth not indure the light of sin A Godly man the more he doth see his sin unless he be under temptation the more peace he hath a wicked man the more he doth see his sin the less peace he hath and al his peace arises from a not sight of his sin True saving peace loves to be examined is willing to be examined it loves to be tryed But false peace cannot indure examination it flyes from the light it doth not love to be tryed True saving peace is spoken by God I wil hear what the Lord wil say Psal 85.8 for he wil speak peace saies the Psalmist When God speaks peace he speaks it to a soul under or after temptation When God speaks peace he speaks it with a strong hand giving such peace as no creature in the world is able to give When God speaks peace it is a peace beyond al expression The peace of God that passeth al understanding it cannot be uttered Now though a wicked man have peace and much peace and quiet within yet God doth not speak it for it was not spoken to him in or after temptation it was not spoken by a strong and unresistable hand it is such a peace as may be wrought by time time working off the trouble or the pleasures and contentments of the world may beget the like it is not a peace that is beyond al expression a peace beyond al understanding but a low peace which you may easily express But now as for you that are Godly that make this Objection and have this fear and scruple in your hearts I wil here appeal unto your own souls you know and remember your former trouble now ye have peace and ye have rest within I appeal to you I say whether yea or no when ye were in that trouble suppose I or another Minister or ten others of your own chusing suppose a hundred should have come to you with one promise after another had we been able to have spoken comfort to you O no if the Lord had not spoken comfort to me it had not been in the power of al the Ministers in the world to have spoken comfort unto my soul but the Lord certainly hath done it Yet I appeal to you Are you not willing to have your peace examined are you not willing to have your peace your inward peace â—ryed yes withal my soul I would have my peace tryed and truly I could not hope that my peace were right if I were not willing to have it examined Wel yet I appeal to you further And do not you find that you have peace even then when you do see your sins and the more you see your sins upon the back of Christ the more peace you have yes And do not you find this that your peace came in in a way of Beleeving from the sight of Christ laying hold on the Promise by the prospect of free Grace yes I must needs say so Had I not had a promise to stay my soul upon had I not had a view of tree Grace had I not seen the Lord Jesus I had never had any peace in my poor soul but the Lord knows that thus I attained my peace Wel then be of good comfort Man or Woman I tell thee from the Lord thy peace and quiet is right I know what the danger is of sewing pillows under mens Elbows and speaking peace where none ought to be spoken but I say if it be thus with thy soul notwithstanding al thy sins and fears from the Lord I say unto thee thy peace is right go in peace and the God of peace tread down Satan under thy feet Object But I fear that my peace my inward peace is not right because it doth not last and continue Answ The Second Doctrine answers to that Objection for the second Doctrine saith That a Godly mans peace may be interrupted Object But one thing yet troubles me and makes me fear that my peace and quiet it not good and that is because I came so lightly and slightly by it I see how it hath been and it with others of the people of God some that have been long afflicted and wounded and have lien troubled a great while and so they have had peace but as for me it is not so with me I came lightly and slightly by my peace and quiet and therefore I do even fear that the Lord never spak peace yet unto my soul Answ Doest thou say Lightly how lightly hast thou stollen thy peace or have others bought their peace for you say others have been much afflicted and troubled and had a great deal of heart-smart But I pray tel me did those who have had al this trouble did they purchase or buy their peace at the hand of Christ withal this trouble or did Christ give them that peace and comfort freely Buy it no surely they did never purchase it never buy it but Christ gave it them freely Why if Christ gave it them freely after al their troublâ— why may he not give it thee freely after less trouble I have read and so have you in the Gospel a Parable of two that came into the Vineyard to work the one in the beginning of the day who bare the heat of the day and the other at the latter end of the day and both had a penny When they were both paid he that was there at the beginning of the day murmurs saying I have been here al this day and I have born the heat of the day and I have but a penny and the other that came in at the latter end of the day hath a penny as wel as I the man that had been there working at the beginning and heat of the day he murmurs but he
and then he recovers his Peace O saies he what an extraordinary blessing and mercy is this Now God will somtimes raise the price of this Commodity from an ordinary to an extraordinary blessing and therefore he doth suffer his own Children and deerest Servants to be thus discouraged and their peace to be interrupted Thirdly God is a tender Father and he would have all the Love of his Children he would not have his Children to love their Nurse more than himself Our Joy and Peace and Comfort is but the Nurse of our Graces now when God sees that his Children fall in love more with the Nurse than with himself then he removes the Nurse and causes their Peace to be suspended and interrupted he will not have the Nurse to be loved more than himself Fourthly Somtimes God doth suffer this cloud to arise upon the Peace and Comforts of his People Ignorandum non est consolationes spirituales esse infantium ciâ—um lac dulce quo Deus nutrit suos a mundi voluptatibus avocat ut harum volupâ—atum inescati dulcedine alias omnes consolationes contemnant amoris Divini dulcedine capti omnem amorem mundi abjiciant Deus negat suis consolationes ut siant perfectiores Granateus that he may train them up unto more perfection Comfort is the Childrens Milk ye may observe therefore that the weaker Christian hath somtimes more lively sensible Comforts than the stronger Christian hath Why but because this inward Joy and Peace and Comfort is that Milk and sweet Honey whereby they are drawn off from the pleasures and sweetness of the world and as these Comforts do wean us from the worlds comforts so we have need to be weaned again from these weaners which God doth somtimes by restraining of them and so we grow up unto more perfection Fifthly Somtimes again God sees his Children do grow vain and light and froathy and wanton and secure under their Peace and Comfort and then he withdraws himself hides his face and so they do lose their Comfort This was the case in Canticles 5. where the Spouse saith My soul failed within me at verse 6. But why I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself And why had he withdrawn himself He comes and makes a tender of Love and Mercy verse 2. and she would none verse 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them that is I am now laid to sleep they are words that import security and upon her security he withdraws himself and being withdrawn her soul fails within her And thus it is many times with the Children of God in their particulars the Lord sees that they grow secure vain froathy and wanton under their peace and comfort then he withdraws himself and their peace faileth Sixtly Our Lord and Savior Christ is a tender Chyrurgion who hath set all our bones which we our selves have broken by our sins You know that a wise and an honest Chyrurgion though he desire his Patient may be quickly cured yet if he sees the Plaister doth not lie right he takes it off again for it is not laid right saith he So doth Christ do he sees that the Comforts of his People somtimes are not right laid and therefore saith he though I desire this poor wounded soul may be quickly cured yet because this Comfort this Promise this Experience doth not lie right it must be taken off again Now the Comforts of the Saints are so laid somtimes as the very laying of them doth breed discomfort As in the sowing of Seed it is not enough that the Seed be good but it must be well sown else the very sowing thereof may cause weeds So though Light be sown for the Righteous yet somtimes it is so sown as that the very sowing thereof doth breed these weeds of fears and discouragements that you may say and that without Prophesie Here is a poor soul that ere long will be much discouraged though for the present full of comfort Object But this is hard to say Can ye foretel a mans Discouragements even in the time of his Comfort who is there among all the Saints so comforted concerning whom you may say surely this man will be much discouraged again Answ 1 First When a man a good man doth lay his Spiritual Comfort upon outward Blessings you may say before-hand this mans Comfort will never hold but ere long he will be much disquieted and this was the reason why the Saints in the time of the old Testament labored under so many Discouragements even because they measured the Love of God so much by these outward blessings Psal 143.4 Therefore my Spirit is over-whelmed within me Why so Verse 3. Because the enemy prevailed He measured Gods Love too much by these outward things and therfore when the Enemy broke in upon him he thought God did not love him and so he was over-whelmed thus in regard of all outward blessings Seest thou therefore a man who raiseth his perswasion of Gods Love from the smiles of any Creature say of such a man before-hand O this poor soul ere long wil be in the dark and under some discouragements Answ 2 When a man is unthankful for true Peace and unhumbled for false Peace he cannot hold his Peace long Before a man is converted he hath Peace within For when the strong man keeps the house all is at Peace but it is false Peace after a man is converted he hath Peace within and it is true Peace God expecteth that a man should be humbled for his former false Peace and thankful for his present true Peace Now when God sees one both unhumbled for false Peace and unthankful for his present true Peace the Spirit of the Lord is grieved so it withdraweth and the soul is comfortless Answ 3 When a man doth raise his Comfort only from somwhat that he doth find within himself from Grace that he doth find within and not from Grace without from Christ within and not from Christ without then his Comfort will not hold Perpetuum est quod habet causam perpetuantem that is perpetual which hath a perpetuating cause Grace without is perpetual Christs own personal Obedience in the merit of it is perpetual but the actings of Grace within us are not perpetual or not perpetually obvious to sight and therefore cannot perpetually comfort Indeed our Grace within and obedience is in some respects a cause of our Peace First a Causa sine qua non a cause without which we can have no Comfort for a godly man can have no comfort if he have no obedience Secondly A cause which doth removere prohibens remove what hinders our Comfort namely our sin Thirdly A Cause witnessing for there are three that bear witness The Spirit Water and Blood Water which is our Sanctification is one Fourthly A Cause confirming for by our Obedience and Sanctification our
be our future Judg yea our best Friend and our dear Husband Now if you abstract the terror of any Object from the sweetness of it no wonder if you be much discouraged It is our Duty to behold things as God presents them and to take things as God doth give them What God hath joyned together no man may put asunder If you consider the sweetness of an Object or Condition without the sowrness of it then you may grow too wanton if you consider the terror of an Object or Condition without the sweetness of it then you may be too fearful But if you think on both together then you will fear and beleeve and beleeve and fear and so be kept from Discouragement Fifthly If you would not be discouraged whatever your condition be Labor more and more to get your self-love mortified even Religious self-love All your Dscouragements are from self-love not from the venom of your condition but from the poyson of self-self-love O but I am discouraged because I have no assurance Well but suppose you had assurance what then then I should have Comfort And is not here Self O but I am discouraged about my everlasting Condition And is not that Self doth not that word Condition sound ones Self I dare boldly say there is no tumult or immoderate Discouragement in the soul but hath Self at the bottom Could I leave my self and my Condition with God and Christ and mind his Service Glory and Honor more God would take care of my Comfort but when I mind my self and my condition so much and his Service Glory and Honor so little no wonder that I am so much discouraged Therefore labor more and more to mortifie self-love and so shall you never be discouraged whatever your condition be Sixtly In case that Temptation press in upon you and urge you to sad Discouragements speak to this purpose unto your own soul Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate There is none of all these doubtings unbeleeving fears and discouragements but you will be ashamed and repent of afterwards You know how it is with the Traveller he thinks the Sun is not yet up and so he loyters and sits down but the Sun creeping up behind the cloud at last breaks out upon his face and is got before him and then he saies O what a fool was I to think the Sun was not up because I saw it not what an unwise man was I thus to loyter and sit down So it will be with you you now lie down upon the Earth and your belly cleaves to the dust by reason of your Discouragements but the Grace of God and the Love of Christ is creeping up behind the dark cloud and it will break out at the last upon you and shine into your face with the Golden beams of mercy it will prevent you and be before you and then you wil say O what a fool was I to be thus discouraged what an unworthy Creature I to doubt thus of Gods Love I have sinned I have sinned by all my unbeleef now the Lord pardon me all my doubtings I am O Lord ashamed of these my doubtings and questionings of thy Love pardon them O Lord unto my soul This is that which you must come to you must at last be ashamed and repent of these your unbeleefs doubtings and fears and therefore when-ever they press in upon thee say at the first unto thy self Why should I buy my Repentance at so dear a rate by yielding unto these Discouragements And for this very reason because that Discouragements are to be repented of Therefore the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged whatever their Condition be And thus have I spoken to this Truth under a more General Consideration through Grace I shall labor to cleer it further to you by Particulars A LIFTING UP In case of GREAT SINS Serm. IV PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 7. 1651. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. THE Doctrine or Observation that now we are pressing from these words is this That the Saints and People of God have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their condition be no just true Scripture Reason for their Discouragements whatever their Condition be It is cleer by the Words and proved the last day by some General Considerations Now more Particularly to make it out by divers Instances Nine things there are which usually are the Grounds and Occasions of the Discouragements of Gods People 1. Somtimes their Discouragements are drawn from their greater and grosser sins 2. Somtimes they do arise from the weakness of Grace 3. Somtimes they are taken from their failing in and non-acceptance of Duty 4. Somtimes they are drawn from their want of Evidence for Heaven and non-assurance of the Love of God 5. Somtimes they do come from their Temptations 6. Somtimes from their Desertions 7. Somtimes from their Afflictions 8. Somtimes from their Unserviceableness 9. Somtimes from their Condition it self Now if in all these Respects the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged then we may safely conclude That a godly man should not be discouraged whatever his condition be I shall labor therefore through the Grace of Christ to make out this great Truth unto you in all these Respects and begin with the First at this time Somtimes the Discouragements of the Saints and Instance 1 People of God are drawn from their Sins their greater and grosser Sins The Peace and Quiet of the Saints and People of God is many times interrupted by their Sins O saies one I am a man or woman of a rebellious heart I have so sleight a Spirit so unholy and uneven a conversation that when I reflect upon my heart and life I cannot but be discouraged I know indeed it is a great evil for a man to labor under a â—ore temptation or a sad desertion but were my heart good my life good my conversation good I should not be discouraged but as for me I have committed and do commit such and â—uen great sins have I not reason and just reason now to be discouraged Answ No For Discouragement it self is a sin another sin a Gospel sin now my sin against the Law is no just cause why I should sin against the Gospel I confess indeed there is much evil in every sin the least sin is worse than the greatest affliction Afflictions Judgments and punishments are but the Claws of this Lyon it is more contrary to God than the Misery of Hell Chrysostom had so great a sence of the evil of it that when the Empress sent him a threatening Message Go tell her said he Nil nisi peccatum metuo I fear nothing but sin And in some respects the sins of the Godly are worse than the sins of others for they grieve the Spirit more they dishonor Christ more they grieve the Saints more they wound the Name
your own condition and pitch upon sin as a breach of Gods Law a transgression of the Law of God a dishonor done to God and as a breach of the Law of Love between Christ and you Thus I say if you would be humbled and not discouraged rather mourn over your Condition in order to your Sin than for your Sin in order to your Condition Answ 4 Fourthly In your Humiliation take heed that you do not meddle too much with Gods Prerogative and with Gods Peculiar In Humiliation a man is to meddle with that which belongs to man Some things there are that are peculiar to God and are his Prerogative You see how it is with the Birds of the Air so long as the Birds fly up and down here in the Air they do live comfortably but if the Birds do fly up to the Element of Fire it wil burn their Wings and they will fall down head-long So here so long as a man in his Humiliation keeps within his own Compass and Element he may walk comfortably there but if a man in Humiliation will soar up unto Gods Prerogative certainly his Soul wil fal down upon the Earth and be much discouraged Now I pray what is more the Prerogative and Peculiar of God than this To know who is a Reprobate and who is not When a man is humbled and grieved about his Sin and he finds that he hath sinned much against God and thereupon he concludes himself to be a Reprobate is not this â—o come upon Gods Prerogative The Scripture tels a man indeed what he is for the present That a man for the present is a Drunkard or a Swearer or a Sabbath-breaker or an Adulterer and therefore the Scripture tels him for the present that he is in the state of Nature and under the wrath of God but doth the Scripture tel him that he is a Reprobate that he can never be converted and turned to God Surely this is Gods great Prerogative to know his Secret which he reserves to himself and therefore when a man goes to be humbled before God and concludes O! I am a Reprobate and there is no hope for me and I shal never be converted this is to soar too high into Gods Prerogative and he wil burn his wings and he wil fal down into great Discouragement Therefore in al your Humiliation take heed that you do not fal upon any thing that is the Peculiar and Prerogative of God for then you wil not be humbled but discouraged Answ 5 Fifthly The more you are humbled and grieved by the Sight of Gods free Love and Grace the more you wil be humbled and the less discouraged When you come to Humiliation you are humbled because you have sinned against God but how do you present this God to your own soul Do you present him as a Judg only or as a Father also Do you present the Lord unto your soul only under the Notion or Attribute of his Greatness or under the Notion and Attribute of his Goodness also Luther said thus When my heart is brisk and jolly I present God unto my self under the notion of his Greatness but when my heart is low and fearing then I present God to me under the notion of his Goodness One while I consider Christ as my Example another while as my Gift when my heart is too high then I consider Christ as my Example when my spirit is too low I consider Christ as my Gift So do you also I know you wil say I cannot somtimes present the Lord unto my soul under the notion of a Father because I have no assurance of his Love Yet you may consider the Lord as gracious in himself as good in himself and loving in himself and say I have thus and thus Sinned against a gracious God and although thou hast not assurance of Gods Love to thee in Particular yet if you can present God to your soul under the Notion of his general Goodness as good in himself you will never be discouraged but be humbled Answ 6 Sixtly and lastly If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged not discouraged and yet humbled then beat and drive up all your sins to your unbeleef and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that Sin As in matter of thankfulness if a man do run up every Mercy unto the Fountain Mercy the Blood of Jesus Christ he wil be most thankful So in the matter of Humiliation If a man do run up every Sin unto the Fountain the Head Sin he wil be most humbled Now what is the great Sin the Fountain Sin the Head Sin of al your Sins but Unbelief and beleeve it he is never far from Faith that is humbled for his Unbeleef and he wil never be discouraged that is not far from Faith Now therefore if at any time you find your soul in any Sin then say This hath my Unbeleef done I did not think that I had had such an unbeleeving heart O! what an unbeleeving heart have I This even all this Sin hath my Unbeleef brought forth Now the Lord heal my unbeleeving heart A soul grieved for unbeleef wil never be discouraged too much nor be humbled too little he wil be humbled in truth for sin because he is humbled for his unbeleef which is the mother Sin yet he wil not be discouraged because he is humbled for that which doth cause al discouragements Lay therefore the weight of your sorrow upon this Sin and you shal be truly humbled without unjust discouragement And thus I have dispatched the first particular by al which you see That a Gracious Godly man though he hath just cause for humiliation yet he hath no just and scripture reason to be discouraged for his Sin though he have Sinned and Sinned greatly yet no discouragement is to grow upon this condition And thus I have done with the First Instance A LIFTING UP In case of WEAK GRACE Serm. V PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 2 SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise from the weakness of their Graces O! saies one I am a poor feeble and a weak Creature some are strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might who do a great deal of Service for God in their day but as for me I am a poor Babe in Christ if a Babe and so am able to do little or nothing for God Therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason for it Answ No For God is able to make all Grace to abound towards you that ye alwaies having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work 2 Cor. 9.8 And if God have recompenced your weakness with Wisdom then surely you have no cause to complain of your weakness Admonemur nullam creaturam propter parvitatem contemnendam esse quando qui dem quod illis in
it self We read of Saul indeed That when he was forsaken he cryed out and said God hath forsaken me the Philistims are upon me God hath forsaken me but it is in order to an outward evil the Philistims are upon me But the Saints when they are forsaken are sensible of this evil simply for it self and think the time long and tedious when they are so forsaken O Lord saith David how long wilt thou hide thy face from me what for ever But I say Was ever man forsaken was ever man quite forsaken of God that was sensible of this evil only and simply for it self Fourthly Did you ever read in al the Word of God That ever a man was finally forsaken who was tender in the point of sin who sate mourning after God We read in the Romans That when God gave up the Gentiles to their sins they gave up themselves unto al uncleanness and were past feeling The Saints and People of God on the contrary in the time of their Desertion are tender in the point of sin and they mourn after God When was a man ever forsaken whose heart was in this frame Fiftly Did you ever read that Christ did finally forsake a man in whose heart and soul stil he did leave his Goods Furniture and Spiritual Houshold-stuff A man somtimes goes from home and somtimes he doth quite leave his house There is much difference between those two If a man leave his house and comes no more then he carries away all his goods and when ye see them carried away ye say this man wil come no more But though a man ride a great Journey yet he may come again and ye say surely he wil come again why Because still his Goods Wife and Children are in his House So if Christ reject a man and go away finally he carries away all his Goods Spiritual Gifts Graces and Principles But though he be long absent yet if his Houshold-stuff abide in the heart if there be the same desires after him and delight in him and admiring of him and mourning for want of him ye may say surely he wil come again Why Because his Houshold-stuff is here still When did Christ ever forsake a man in whose heart he left this Spiritual Furniture Sixtly Did ye ever know a man finally forsaken of Christ who did long after the presence of Christ as the greatest good and looked upon his absence as the greatest evil and affliction in all the world being willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ and to serve him in the lowest and meanest condition so he might but enjoy him We find that the Saints desire above all things to be kist with the kisses of Christs mouth and therefore the Book of the Camicles doth so begin chap. 2. ver 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth even because that is the first and the chiefest of the Saints desires in this Life but if Christ wil not kiss me with the kisses of his mouth saith a gracious soul yet I am willing to kiss his feet as Mary did There is a time a coming when he wil kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for ever but for the present if I can but kiss his feet here I have hope to be kissed by him in Heaven Now I say Did Christ ever forsake a man finally who did thus long after Christ himself Can those that are forsaken mourn after his presence as the best thing and for his absence as the greatest evil in al the world I appeal to your own Souls and Bosoms herein whoever you are that labor under this fear that Christ is gone and he wil return no more suppose that God hath hid his face from you seems to forget you and to be angry with you yet in the midst of all these darknesses Do you find an evil Spirit an envious malicious Spirit from the Lord seizing upon you Do you find that you can find in your heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Yea rather do you not find the contrary though you want the sence of Gods Love Have you not the sence of your own sin and when you want the sence of your own perfection have you not some sence of your own imperfection Don't you look upon this Desertion as the greatest Affliction in al the world Can you not mourn after God and his Presence Doth not Christ every foot send in one token of his Love or another to visit your souls And are you not willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ O yes I must needs say though I have fears that Christ is gone and wil return no more yet I praise the Lord I do not find an envious malicious persecuting Spirit in my soul unto the Saints and People of God I don't find that my heart is willing to forsake Christ and the good waies of Christ But I find that I can mourn for the absence of Christ simply for it self and look upon it as the greatest affliction in the world That I am ever willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ And to be in the lowest and meanest Condition so he would but return unto my soul again Yea and I must needs say That every foot I receive one token or other one Promise or another to visit me in my condition Then be of good comfort though Christ be absent yet he wil return again and with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil he gather your souls unto himself again and thus I say it shal be with all the Saints Surely therefore they have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their Desertions be Why therefore should not every one say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Quest Vpon all this account I see I have not so much reason for my Discouragement but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart from sinking in the time of Desertion when God hides his face What shall I do then and this may be the condition of us all that I may bear up my heart against this Discouragement even when I am most in the dark and Christ hides his face from me or forsakes me Answ 1 First Take heed that ye don't measure Gods eternal Affection by some present Dispensation There is an Eternal Displeasure against a man and there is a present Displeasure with a man Eternal Displeasure or hatred cannot stand with Eternal Love but Eternal Love and present Displeasure may stand together A Father may be displeased with the Child for the present and yet may love him with Paternal Love So God may and doth love though for the present displeased But when men measure Eternal Affection by present Dispensation then they are quite discouraged and you will find all Discouragements in this case do arise from hence Some there are that do walk by particular Providences Experiences Words Manifestations and In-comes of Love and when they have them then
they are much refreshed and if they want them then they are much discouraged and say Ah! Christ loves me not and God is gone wil return no more Why Because they measure Gods Eternal Love by some present Dispensation But if Gods present Dispensations may seem to run cross to his Eternal Purpose why then should they be discouraged and say he is gone for ever Now so it is he may hide his face he may withdraw and deny particular Comforts and Manifestations yet love me eternally O! that people would not measure Gods Eternal Affection by some present Dispensation so should they never be much discouraged Answ 2 Secondly If you would not be discouraged in this Condition Take heed of letting fal any despairing despondent unbeleeving Speeches for the more busie Satan is about you in the time of Desertion the more tedious wil that time be and more full of Discouragements Now look as it is with some Dog if you let fal a Bone or Bread or Meat the Dog staies and waits still but when he finds none he goes his waies So it is with Satan when a man is in a Desertion he comes and saith he this is a time for me to work who am the first-born Child of Darkness and this soul being in the dark it is a fit time for me to work upon him there he stands and if any despairing despondent Speeches do fall from you Satan staies the longer but if none fall he goes away the sooner Have you therefore been or are you under any Desertion and let fal any bones for Satan look back and gather them al up again gather up these crums again and mourn over them and take heed for the time to come for the more of these fall the longer Satan staies and the more you will be discouraged Answ 3 Thirdly Be sure that you hear things indifferently on both sides There are two Parties pleading in your souls in the time of Desertion One that doth plead for Christ to maintain and bear up the Love of Christ in your heart saying He is gone indeed and he doth hide his face but he wil come again and shine upon you again There is another Party that doth plead the cause of Satan against Christ saying He is now gone and will return no more you shall never see his face again In this case be sure that you do hear things indifferently and let not your Ear be open to one and shut to the other He can never judg â—g hâ—ly that doth not hear both parties Though it be no time to judg when you are under Temptation and in the dark yet how â—â—equently do poor souls judg themselves in this condition and even judg themselves to be under Judgment why but because they hearken more to one side than to the other If Satan come and tel them a story of Gods Displeasure they will be sure to hear that at large but if Christ come and tel them a story of Gods Love to sinners that they hear not or if they do yet as a man that reads a Book to confute it is disputing against what he reads all along so are they also disputing against the words of the Gospel all along as they hear them saying in their hearts O! but this is not made to me it is a good Promise but it belongs not to me this is not my condition and a hundred such O! buts But is this equal How is it possible but that a man should mis-judg and be much discouraged when he hears thus Wherefore my Exhortation from the Lord is which I beseech you in his Name to receive Never receive any Relation from the Law but be assured your Ears be as open for to hear the Gospel Never receive any Relation or Story from Satan but let your Ear be as open to hear what Christ saith And why should not this Exhortation be received Had I intreated some great thing for Christ would you not have done it But now that I only intreat you to carry things indifferently to have an Ear open as wel to Christ as to Satan will ye not yield to it O! me thinks every gracious soul should say Well through Grace I will hearken more to Christ I confess indeed I have heard what Satan hath said but when Comfort hath come I have turned away mine Ear and have not heard or if I have heard I have been disputing against what I have heard and making Objections all along now the Lord pardon this evil to me through Grace mine Ear shall be more open to Christ and less open to Satan So do and you will never be much discouraged whatever your Desertion be Answ 4 In the Fourth Place Labor more and more for to live by Faith When God seems to be mine Enemy saith Luther and to stand with a drawn Sword against me then do I cast and throw my self into his Arms and what better way than to venture upon God in this case and to say Whether saved or not saved whether damned or not damned whether Hypocrite or not Hypocrite I do cast my self upon God at a venture It is the Love and Favor of Christ that you mourn after and are discouraged for the want of you cannot get a more ready and compendious way to get this Love than when you are in the dark to throw your selves into Christs Arms at a venture this takes and wins the heart of Christ over to you what will this poor soul throw himself into my Arms saith Christ now I do seem his Enemy well then I will shew my self to be his friend and this is the proper work of this Life as for those sights and visions of God they are the work of Heaven and though God give them somtimes yet it argues more strength of Grace for to be able to live without them Suppose two men in your work one that must have his pay presently his wages presently yea before he hath done his work the other wil not have his wages till his work be all done and if ye offer him money no saith he I will stay till all be done and receive it in a lump together Which of these two is the ablest man or which the poorest man Will you not say surely he that cannot stay is the poorest and he that can stay longest for his wages is the ablest man So it is here God hath two sorts of Servants one that doth go by Visions and Manifestations of Love and are not able for to live at all by Faith but must have sights and visions and manifestations every day or else they die and murmur or complain And others say O! but these sights and visions are for Heaven if God wil have it so I am contented to stay til all my work be done which of these two is the poorest or the strongest Will not ye say surely he that is able to stay is strongest and he the poorest and weakest that is not able to stay or
to live by Faith O! therefore labor more and more to live by Faith and when you are in Desertion say Whether saved or not saved whether Hypocrite or not Hypocrite I wil stay I wil wait on God and let him come when he pleaseth If you lay your self at Christs feet he wil take you into his Arms. But what need I say more Is there not enough in the compass of your own Experience to answer unto al your fears in this respect When you have been in Desertion have you not said that Christ is gone and that he wil never come again and yet hath not Christ come again Yea and have you not said in the day of your Desertion If ever Christ do return again I will never make such unbeleeving Conclusions as I have done and hath not Christ returned after this Now then when Satan comes and suggests jealousies of Christs Love unto you why are not you more peremptory Why do you not say to him this I have heard before Satan thou told'st me this before that Christ was gone and would never return again but I have found it false he did return and therefore through Grace I wil never beleeve these false reports of Christ Christ is faithful I have alwaies found him so those whom he loves he loves to the end and I know he loves me Satan for I love him for my love is but the reflection of his love I â—ould not love him if he did not love me first and through Grace I love him I know he loves me because he hath changed me and is every foot sending some tokens of love one Promise or another to uphold my heart yea I know Satan that Christ doth love me because thou tellest me that he hates me and if he hath loved me once he wil love me to the end and therefore though for the present he hides his face from me yet I shal see his face again Thus gather in your Experiences and plead with Satan or your own unbeleeving hearts according unto all these Experiences so shall you be able to live in the time of this Desertion and never be discouraged whatever your desertions be And so much for the Sixt Instance A LIFTING UP In case of AFFLICTION Sermon X. PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney June 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints are drawn Instance 7. From their outward Afflictions and Relations So it was here with David for saith he verse 3. My tears have been my meat day and night Whereupon ver 5 6. My Soul is cast down within me Then ver 7 8. All thy billows are gone over me Ver. 10. As a Sword in my Bones whilst they reproach me dayly Then ver 11. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me To the like purpose he speaketh in the next Psalm Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the Enemy ver 2. Then ver 5 6. Why art thou cast down So that hiâ—â—â—â—ard Discouragements did arise very much from his outward Afflictions And thus it is ordinarily with the People of God for faith one Never was any so Afflicted as I have been and am I confess that National Calamities are very great but besides National Miseries I have many and many personal Afflictions and therefore now it is that I am thus discouraged have I not reason for it No. Answ 1 First I grant and confess It is no new thing for Gods own Children to be much afflicted These are they that came out of great Tribulations Rev. 7. And Answ 2 Secondly When Gods People are so afflicted they are and wil be very sensible of their Affliction in some respects more sensible than wicked men for the more apprehensive a man is of Gods displeasure under Affliction the more sensible he must needs be of the burden of it Now the Saints and People of God in the day of their Affliction are more apprehensive of Gods displeasure than wicked men are and so in some respects are more sensible of their Afflictions Yea Answ 3 Thirdly As they are and wil be very sensible of their Afflictions so they are very apt to be much discouraged by reason of them And therefore said the Psalmist Psal 143. Therefore my soul is overwhelmed within me and my heart is desolate Why Read verse 3. and ye shal find the reason Because the Enemy oppressed me And was not Jâ—shua thus exceedingly cast down when a party of his men fel before the men of Ai See how he lies on the ground Chap. 7. and what Language he speaks even the same for substance that murmuring Israel had spoken for they said Would God we had stayed in Egypt And saith he Would God we had stayed on the other side Jordan yet Joshua a most gracious holy blessed Servant of God So that Gods own People are apt to be much discouraged by reason of their Afflictions and outward Sufferings But now I say Let a mans Afflictions be never so great yet if he be In Christ and have made his peace with God he hath no reason to be cast down or discouraged whatever his Afflictions be for saith our Savior In the World you shall have trouble but be of good Comfort I have overcome the world And the more a man is discouraged under his Afflictions the less able he is to bear it So long as a mans hand hath skin upon it he is able to put it into the sharpest Vinegar without smarting but if the skin be off it doth smart exceedingly and he can hardly bear it So long as a mans bones are knit together and in joynt he may stand under a great burden but if the Shoulder-bone be out of Joynt who can bear a burden And what do al our Discouragements but dis-joynt the Soul put the Spirit on the Rack Discouragements make Afflictions to 〈…〉 longer An impatient Patient makes a cruel Physitian And the more the Child cries under the Rod the longer the Rod is continued What reason therefore for our discouragements under Afflictions But this Truth wil appear if you consider 1. What the Afflictions and Sufferings of the Saints are 2. Whence they proceed 3. What accompanies them 4. What follows upon them and is wrought by them First As for the Afflictions themselvs 1. They are part of Christs Purchase for you Look upon Pauls Inventory 1 Cor. 3.21 All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the World or Life or Death or things present or things to come So that Death it self the King of Terrors and Afflictions is here reckoned amongst the Goods and Chattels which Christ hath purchased for you and left unto you and if Death be yours then al Afflictions are yours and who wil be afraid of that which is his own 2. They are the Gift of God To you it is given not only to beleeve but
a fault and a man takes the one and correct him and let the other go it argues rather that he is his Father than not So though Chastisements do not alwaies argue God to be our Father yet it doth rather argue his Fatherly Love than not Answ 2 And is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints When a man is a friend to another not only his Purse is his Friend his Estate is his Friend his Staff is his Friend but his Sword is his Friend So if God be a Friend to a man then not only his Love is his Friend and his Mercy his Friend but his Sword is his Friend his Anger is his Friend Now God is a Friend to all the Saints and therefore his very Anger and Justice is a Friend too But Answ 3 In the third place What are those visible Characters of Love which are engraven upon an Affliction First If Affliction be a blessing to one then it doth come from Love and if a man can bless God under Affliction then it is a blessing to him Jobs Affliction was a blessing to him Why Because he blessed God under it The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name c. Secondly If an Affliction do end in our Love to God then it comes from Gods Love to us for our Love is but a reflection of Gods Love and it doth flow from his and if I can say I love God never the worser for this Affliction then I may say God loves me never the lesser notwithstanding this Affliction Thirdly If an Affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from Love As many as he loveth he chastiseth And blessed is the man whom thou chastiseth and teachest out of thy Law So that if Affliction be a teaching Affliction then it doth come from Love Fourthly If it be laid on in measure and imposed in due and seasonable time so as a man may grow thereby then it doth come from Love When a man intendeth to kill and destroy a Tree or to bring it unto the fire he cuts it at any time so as it shal grow no more but if he cut it in a due time it argueth that he intendeth it for growth So when God pruneth and cuts by Afflictions in such a time as men may grow in Grace it argues his Love Fifthly When God is especially present in Affliction and more present in an Affliction than at another time it argues that the Affliction doth come from Love Now whoever you are that make this Objection and fear the Affliction doth not come from Love are you not able to say Thus I find it indeed though I have been much afflicted yet through Grace I have bâ—en able to bless the Lord under my Affliction and to say The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away c. I love the Lord never the lesser for mine Affliction and the Lord hath taught me much in this mine Affliction I have gained more by my sickness than by many a Sermon yea and he hath cut me in due time for if I had not met with such an Affliction at such a time I did not know what evil I should have fallen into and this I must needs say I have had more of Gods Presence in my Affliction than ever I had before Well then be of good Comfort though your Affliction be very grievous yet it doth come from Love And thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and therefore why should they be discouraged whatever their Affliction be Object 8 But though a Christian have no reason to be discouraged in regard of his own private Affliction yet hath he not reason to be discouraged when it goes ill with the Publick And thus it is now with us we see how it is with this poor Nation Troubles and Calamities from every Part therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause to be cast down and to be much disquieted now Answ Indeed this is a sad thing and O! that we could weep day and night and pray too for this poor bleeding Nation If ever Gods People here in England had cause to be afflicted troubled and humbled under the hand of the Lord and to run together in Prayer surely they have reason now yet saith the Scripture Say to the Righteous in evil times it shall go well with him Did ever any Calamity come down like a storm upon a Kingdom but God did provide some hiding for his own Children Did he not provide an Ark for Noah in the time of the Flood and a Mountain for Lot in the time of the fire of Sodom The worst that man can do is but to kill his neighbor Death is the worst that can fall and what is death but an in-let to Eternal Life unto the People of God When the Saints in the Primitive Times came to bear witness by their deaths unto the Truth of Christ then they said Now we begin to be Christians indeed now we begin to be like to Christ There is a Three-fold Death Spiritual Death in sin Eternal Death for sin And Temporal Death which came in by sin If God spare me from the two former Deaths the Spirituâ—l Death and Eternal Death and only inflict the Temporal Death have I any cause to complain Thus it is with the Saints though they die Temporally yet they are free from the Spiritual and Eternal Death and what Godly man may not say I could not live long in Nature and shall I now bear witness unto the Truth with this little spot of time that remains Christ died for us the Just for the Unjust and shal not I that am unjust be willing to die for the just The worst of all is Death the worst of Death is gain When my Body is broken may I not say if Godly now a poor Pitcher is broken and shall go no more to the Well now a poor Prisoner my soul is delivered and I go home unto my Father But if you look into Rev. 7. you shal â—ind what a glorious issue God doth give unto al his People in the times of publick troubles ver 9. After this I beheld and so a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations Kindreds and People stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands A Robe is a Garment of Majesty Palms are an Ensign of Victory and saith he I saw them with Robes and Palmâ— The world looks upon my Servants as poor and of low spirits but saith Christ I look upon them as under a royal Princely Garment in Robes and of a Princely spirit And though the world look upon them as discomforted yet saith Christ here they shal overcome for they have Palms in their hands but who are these This Scripture tels ver 14. These are they which come out of great Tribulations and have washed their Robes and made them
did Why Because he feared the Lord. So then if a man be employed in way of Love and Mercy to himself he doth not make his Employment a shooing-horn to his own Preferment 'T is enough for me my Masters work is done saith he neither doth God use to pay them al their wages here whom he employes in mercie to themselves But as the Merchant if he have to deal with a stranger for a less Commodity he paies him down presently but if with a friend for some great priced Commodity he takes time and doth not pay down his money presently So if God have to do with a stranger as Nebuchadnezzar he wil pay him wages presently but if God deals with a friend whom he employes in mercy to himself then he doth put off his ful payment til afterwards He doth Gods work without any great noise or notice of himself like Christ He lifts not up his voyce in the street and as the Angels in Ezek. 1. His hands are under his wings he hath four hands to work with but they are not seen they are under his wings Let your Light so shine before men saies Christ that they may see your good works not your selves and glorifie your Father not your selves As it is with the Fisher so with him he shews the bait but hides himself he holds forth the word of Truth but not himself though he have four hands to work with yet they are all under his wings hidden but saies Jehu Come and see my zeal for the Lord of Hosts This is another difference If God do use and Employ a man in a way of Love and Mercy to himself he is willing to be used and contented to be laid by and to 〈…〉 more Another man is not so if he have been used 〈…〉 â—ng he thinks he must be used in other things and 〈…〉 cannot bâ—ar it that God should lay him by and use anoâ—â— Thus iâ— was with Sâ—ul he could not be conteâ—◠〈…〉 should use David But when God told Eli that he 〈…〉 and his House by he answered Good is the Word of 〈◊〉 Lord for he was a good man and one whom God had â—sed 〈◊〉 Love and Mercie to himâ—elf and so when God had done wiâ—h him he was conâ—ent thereâ—â—th He thâ—t is â—red and eâ—ployed in way of Love and Mercie to himself wil do the Work oâ— the Loâ—dfully though he do his own works by halfs Caleb did his own work by halfâ— and the Work of God â—ully for he was used in Mercy to himself and others Jehu did the Work of the Lord by halfs and his own work fully for though he was uâ—ed in Mercy to some and Judgment to others yet not in Love to himself When God doth use a man in a way of Judgment he hath ordinarily more skil at pulling down and destroying what is mans than in setting up and building what is Gods But when God doth use him in a way of Love and Mercy to his own soul he hath a dexterity in and a heart to the setting up of what is Gods witness Jehu on the one hand and Nehemiah on the othâ—r hand How is it therefore with thee Hast thou a skil at pulling down what is mans and no skil nor heart to set up what is Gods Hast thou been employed and used in Gods Service and have you done your own work fully and Gods work by halfs Art thou not contented to be laid by and that God should use another Doest thou make a noise in the work and thy hands not under thy wings Hast thou made a goodly outward Bargain of the Lords Work and his Service as a shooing-horn to thine own ends Hast thou not grown in Experience Faith and Holiness by this work but in Pride rather Hast thou not been very tender of the Name of God in thy Service nor been acquainted with Gods Design nor thine heart drawn out the more to love the Lord Then surely God hath not used or employed thee in Love and Mercy to thine own soul But if thine heart have been drawn out with Love to God by thy very Service and Employments and thou hast been in some measure acquainted with Gods Design in that Service and hast been very tender of the Name of God and more willing to hazard thy self than to defile his Name and hast grown in Grace by the exercise of thy Gifts and hast made no Bargain of the Lords Service but hast had thy hands under thy wings and hast not done Gods Work by halfs and now after all art contented that God shall lay thee by and make use of others then surely the Lord hath used and employed thee in a way of Love and Mercie to thine own Soul and therefore why should'st thou be discouraged in this respect Certainly you have no just cause or true reason for it Quest But suppose that the Lord either shall not use me in his Service or if he do that difficulties and oppositions press in upon me or that I meet with no success in my work according to my desire what shall I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against all discouragements in this kind Answ 1 First In case that God do not cal you forth to any work or special Employment Then Consider that you have now the more time to mind your own soul and to attend to your own Condition Some are so employed that they have not time enough to pray read meditate examine their own hearts and to look into their own Condition yea though a mans work do lie in the Ministry 't is possible that he may so mind his publick work as to neglect his private But now if thou hast no publick Employment or Service then you have the more time for to spend upon your own soul the more time to converse with the Lord in private and to look into your own Condition And if you be not called forth to work and yet are willing to work you shal be paid for that work and service which you never did As some men shal be punished for those sins which they did never commit in the gross act because they were willing and had a desire to commit the same so some shal be paid for that work and service for God which they never did perform because they were willing to have done the same Now is it not a great mercy to be paid for that work which I never did Such is the Priviledg of al those that are not called to Service and yet are willing to it Answ 2 Secondly In case That you are employed in Gods Work and Service and difficulties press in upon you Then Consider That the greater the Difficultie is the greater shall your Obedience be in carrying on the Work and the more you do follow after Dutie and redeem it from the hand of Difficulty the greater shall your Comfort and reward be when all is done And the more that any Service Work or
Ch. mâ—it 〈◊〉 cap. â—0 p. â— 2. is your Obedience in submitting unto your Condâ—tion and to the work thereof Luther said A poor woman knitting of a pair of stockens in a way of Faith doth a greater work than Alexander did in conquering the World It was the Speech of a good man that is now in Heaven The more Riches the more Debts for if a man be not in Christ al his present Riches wil be future Debts he wil wish O! that I had had less of them O! that I had had never a penny And I pray tel me who have most Promises in Scripture the Poor or the Rich the Oppressed or the Oppressor the High or the Low He that is most exercised hath the most Promises and a low Condition is an excellent Commentary upon those Promises When the Sun shines ye see not the Stars but in the night the Stars appear So whilst Prosperity shines upon us we do not see the Promises but when the night comes Adversity comes a dark and low Condition comes then we see those Promises which we saw not before But suppose that a Father hath two Children and to one he gives a brave Garment saying unto him Child take and wear this Garment but there is all thy Portion I shall give thee no more The other he gives a mean Garment to but saith he Child be contented it is nor thy Portion thy Brothers Garment is his Portion but though thy Garment be mean it is not thy Portion I have a good Inheritance for thee Will not this latter Child be contented will he be discouraged think you because he hath not so brave a Garment as the other hath Why take a wicked man and though he have a braver Garment yet it is all his Portion his Portion is in this Life there is all thou shalt have saith God there is thy Portion But now as for a godly man though he have a mean Garment yet it is not his portion O! you that are godly wil you then be discouraged because you have not so brave and fine a Garment as another hath Consider that the Lord himself is your Portion Object 2 O! but I praise the Lord I am not in a poor and low and base Condition my Condition is full enough but I am in an unsettled Condition I am never settled in my Condition somtimes in one Condition and somtimes in another could I be but set led though I had the lesser I should be contented but my Condition is never setled and therefore I am thus disquieted and discouraged have I not some reason now Answ 1 No For I pray what settlement would yon have here in this world The best Estate of men is altogether vanity Is there any settlement in vanity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stetit constitit constitutus sâ—â— Verily saith the Psalmist the best estate of every man or every man in his best estate is altogether vanity so you read it But in the Hebrew it is Every man standing Omnis homo stans as Montanus gives it every man in his most setled Estate so the word signifies Verily every man in his most setled estate is altogether vanity Answ 2 But suppose that your Condition be more unsetled than any others if God hath no design but Love upon you in your unsettlement then surely you have no reason to be disquieted because of this Now I pray why doth the Lord suffer the Condition of his People to be so unsettled in the world but that they may settle upon himself O! saith a gracious heart I see there is no abiding place here therefore I look for one that is to come that hath a Foundation had I been settled in the world I should never have been fixed upon God himself but being unsettled in the world I learn to settle upon God himself God doth therefore carry his Children from Vessel to Vessel from Condition to Condition that their filthy scent may not remain Beloved there is no condition here below that is able to grasp or hold the Love of God to his Children every Condition is too narrow a Vessel to hold the Love of God in and therefore God doth lead his People into several Conditions that so he may have the suller vent for his Love So long as you are in one Condition you do not see or observe your own self and carriage therein and therefore God leads you into a new Condition that you may see what you did in your former Condition For Example When a man is in health he doth not then observe his own carriage in the daies of Health therefore God leads him into sickness and when he is sick then he doth observe what his carriage was while he was in health then saith he how wanton was I how worldly was I how vain was I when I was in health But when a man is sick then he doth not observe his carriage in that Condition therefore Gods leads him into health again and when he is in health then he seeth what his carriage was while he was sick and then saith he how froward was I how impatient was I when I was sick I say a man doth not observe the present carriage of his soul in his present condition and therefore God leads him into a new Condition and then he sees what his carriage was in the old condition Phylosophy tels us Sensibile positum juxta sensorium nulla sit sensatio That if a sensible Object be laid close to the Organ of Sence there wil be no sensation as if a Book be held close unto your eye you wil not be able to read a letter but hold it at a convenient distance and then you may read it al. So here so long as a man is in a condition and that is held close unto him he doth not see his own carriage therein but at a distance he doth wherefore the Lord doth remove him to some distance from his former condition and so he sees and observeth what he was and did therein It is an easie thing for a man to sing when the Psalm is set a Child can do it but it requires some skil to begin it requires some singing skil to turn readily from one tune to another but when the Psalm is begun every one can go on then A poor weak Horse can go on in the Road so long as he keeps the same way but when he comes to turn out of that way into another then he stumbles it requires some strength in a Horse to go readily over the Cart-wracks to go readily from one way into another this requires strength So every poor weak man may go on in the same way and in the same condition this requires no great store of strength but to carry the sameness of heart towards God in variety of Conditions this argues strength this requires skil What therefore if the Lord wil lead you from one condition to another and so draw
things This Doctrine lies upon the surface of the words and al the words together speak it but for the further opening and cleering of it First I shal labor to shew you that it is possible that a true Beleever one very precious in the Eyes of God may meet with most unworthy things from the hands of men Secondly That faith wil carry through these And Thirdly How and by what means faith wil carry a man through these First It is possible that a true Beleever one very precious in the eyes of God may meet with most unworthy usage from the hands of men these were hard things and unworthy that these Beleevers suffered yet they were such of whom the world was not worthy You know there is an old enmity between the Seed of the Woman and the Seed of the Serpent a malignant disposition in the men of the world against the Saints and People of God they must work as they are the wicked and men of the world are an unworthy people But because you judg your selves unworthy saith the Text Lo we turn to the Gentiles because ye judg your selves unworthy Go saith our Savior unto his Disciples and preach and if any be worthy stay the men of the world are unworthy an unworthy people Yea they are an unreasonable people absurd men impertinent men that have not Faith They are compared in Scripture unto beasts for their unreasonableness Beware of Dogs saith the Apostle When our Lord and Savior Christ did send out his Disciples to preach the Gospel Beware of men saith he I do not say takâ— heed and beware of Lyons and Bears but beware of men you shal find such unreasonable dealing by men therefore beware of men Now if the men of the world be an unworthy People and unreasonable wil ye wonder that the Saints and People of God meet somtimes with unworthy usage from them It is possible To raise it a little higher possibly the more precious a man is the more unworthy usage he may meet withal The Apostle Paul was a most precious man in his day and Generation and yet what unworthy usage had he It is said in 1 Cor. 4.11 Vnto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place and labor working with our own hands being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it being defamed we intreat we are made as the filth of the world and the off-scouring of all things unto this day We are the filth we are made the filth of the world and the off-scouring of al things unto this day Some think that the Apostle here doth relate unto that of one man dying for the People the guilt of al the People being upon him Others that it is a similitude taken from a kind of Tumbrel and Vessel that goes up and down the City that ye throw al the filth into But I rather take the two Greek words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to relate unto that in Lament 3. verse 45. Thou hast made us as the off-scouring and reffuse in the midst of the People In the Hebrew Thou hast made us the off scouring and the filth and reffuse in the midst of the People Thus Paul was made and yet Paul a precious man he labored more abundantly than they al. So that I say it is possible that the more precious a man is the more unworthy usage he may meet withal from men Yea to raise it a little higher It is possible that a man may meet with most unworthy dealings therefore because he is precious in the eyes of God not only in regard of men but in regard of God For God doth somtimes so order things in his Providence that he doth put men to suffer hard things because they are precious in his Eyes Vnto you it is given not only to beleeve but to suffer Suffering somtimes is a Gift it is a great Gift A suffering Gift saith Chrysostom is a greater Gift than the Gift of Miracles for saith he if God do give me a Gift to work Miracles by I am in Gods debt but if God do give me a suffering Gift he is pleased thereby to become my Debtor suffering somtimes becomes as a reward for Doing Ye read of the Heifers that brought home the Ark out of the Philistims Country that when they brought the Ark home the Israelites they take the Heifers and they offer up the Heifers unto God for a Sacrifice why so saith one it is an il requital to the Heifers No the Heifers could not have a higher Honor put upon them this their Suffering is a Reward for their Doing And so what greater Honor can a man have after al his Doing for God than to be called forth to Suffer and to bear witness to the Truth Indeed we do not think thus but you wil say O! surely God doth not love me because he puts such hard suffering work upon me But I pray tel me Suppose that a General should have some great Work or Service to do and he should single and pick some half a dozen Soldiers for to go upon this work would these Soldiers say surely the General doth not prize us he doth not honor us nor love us because he puts us upon this hard Service No but they wil say the contrary surely the General prizeth us loves us and honors us because he puts us upon such a hard Service as this is So here it doth rather argue that the Lord doth honor love and prize you in that he puts you upon a hard work and Service But now if these things be true then surely this first Branch is sufficiently made out That a man may be very precious in the Eyes of God and yet meet with most unworthy usage from the hands of men That is the first thing Quest Secondly You wil say How shall a man be able to go through these hard things and Sufferings what will carry him through them Answ True saving Faith wil do it and nothing but this Faith wil do it I had verily fainted in mine affliction saith David but that I beleeved It is Faith and Faith alone that wil keep from fainting under suffering And to make this out a little unto yâ—u First The more assurance of Gods Love any man hath the more able he wil be to encounter with Sufferings and with afflictions the sight of Gâ—ds Love doth cause Love in us to God Amor amoris causa Love is the cause of Love and much Water cannot quench Love it endures al. Now the Assurance of Gods Love grows upon Faith it is the Flower of Faith Faith is the Stalk Assurance is the Flower Assurance is the Cream of Faith Let us draw neer with ful assurance of Faith Secondly The more that any man is â—ble to gather up and to mannage his Experiences the more able he wil be to suffer to encounter with Sufferings Experience is
discouraged Page 267 Obj. But besides National miseries I have many Personal Afflictions therefore c. Page 268 Answ Negatively for 1 It is no new-thing for the Saints to be personally afflicted ibid. 2 When they are afflicted they are in some respects more sensible of their affliction than the wicked are ibid. 3 As they will be sensible of affliction so they are very apt to be much discouraged by reason of them ibid. Four things considerable to cleer this Truth Page 269 1 What the Sufferings of the Saints are ibid. 2 Whence they proceed 3 What accompanies them 4 What follows them Page 269 For the first 1 They are parts of Christs Purchase for them ibid. 2 They proceed from Gods love Page 270 3 Much supporting Grace accompanies them Page 271 4 They bring forth quiet fruits of Righteousness Page 272 Object 1. My afflictions are without end therefore c. Page 273 Answ Negatively For God takes away your comforts for a time that you may not be drunk with them ibid. Object 2. My Afflictions are not usual but new ones and strange Page 274 Answ You think so but not truly ibid. Object 3. I want all kinds of Mercies my Afflictions have no bottom ibid. Answ It was Davids case ibid. Object 4. But my dearest friends hate me therefore c. Page 275 Answ negatively For Our greatest Enemies may prove our greatest Friends ibid. Object 5. But my afflictions expose me to all Temptations therefore c. Page 276 Answ negatively For 1 May be you are mistaken ib. 2 God by affliction cals a man to some other work ibid. 3 No affliction doth expose a man to a new sin that makes him sensible of his former sin ibid. 4 When a man thus fears it is a sign of Grace Page 277 Object 6. My sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what sin it is therefore c. ibid. Answ negatively For So it was with Jonah so with David c. ibid. It is somtimes better for a particular sin to lie undiscovered Page 278 Object 7. But I fear my afflictions come from Gods displeasure therfore c. ibid. Answ negatively For 1 Afflictions argue Gods love rather than his hatred ibid. 2 Is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints ibid. 3 But what are those visible Characters of love engraven on affliction Page 279 1 If affliction be a blessing then it comes from love ibid. 2 If affliction end in our love to God then it comes from Gods love tâ— us ib. 3 If affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from love ibid. 4 If iâ— be but in measure and at a seasonable time then it comes from love ibid. 5 God is more especially present in affliction than at other times Page 279 Object 8. But our whol Nation is afflicted therefore c. Page 280 Answ negatively This is a sad thing If ever England had cause to be humbled under the hand of the Lord it is now Yet say to the Righteous in evil times it shal go wel with him ibid. Quest What must we do to bear up against all discouragements Page 282 Answ 1 If you have assurance of Gods love in Christ hold to that if you have it not this afflâ—ction shal bring you to it ibid. 2 Remember much your Fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings ibid. 3 Labor more to be a stranger to the world and to live by Faith ibid. 4 Consider what Christ hath born and left you to bear Page 283 5 Consider frequently and seriously what abundance of good you and others may get by your afflictions ibid. 6 When afflictions come look not only on the evil of it but on the good of it too ibid. Sermon XI INSTANCE VIII Object Either men think they are not called forth to work for God or they want abilities or they have no success therefore Page 285 Answ negatively For 1 Is Family work nothing There is a three-fold sweat saith Luther Political Ecclesiastical Domestical Page 286 2 Is it nothing to be trusted with the work of your Christian Station ibid. 3 Is it nothing to be imployed to comfort others ibid. Object 1. But God doth not imploy me in the world I am an useless Creature therefore c. ib. Answ 1 It is a great blessing to be imployed in any Service of God ibid. 2 The more a man doth for God the more he doth honor God Page 287 3 By being imployed we are kept from Temptations ibid. 4 Great imployment is the mercy promised ibid. 5 The more serviceable a man is for God the more will God be apt to pardon his failings Page 288 6 If a man be faithful in Gods work God will bless him Page 288 7 The serviceable man for God is the only man that doth live and speak when he is dead ibid. I may be Gods Servant though I am not imployed by him in his Service For Page 289 1 The Service of God is two-fold either publick or private The private Service is the saving Service though we have no publick imployment ibid. 2 Special or publick imployment is various also either in a mean or a great imployment ibid. 3 Though God do not use me at present he may use me afterwards Page 290 4 A man may be so imployed and yet go to Hell and he may not be imployed and yet go to Heaven ibid. 5 You must rejoyce when others are imployed ibid. Object 2. But I want abilities therefore c. Page 291 Answ negatively For 1 Gods greatest works are not alwaies done by the greatest abilities ibid. 2 Our best abilities are from God ibid. 3 The Spirit of God doth not alwaies breath alike Page 292 4 If God call you to a work he will give you needful assistance in that time ibid. Object 3. I fear I intrude into Gods work because I want abilities ibid. Answ Negatively 1 God somtimes first calls a man and then gives abilities afterward ibid. 2 If Gods door-keepers do judg you able you must rest on their judgment Page 293 Though I am to judg of mine own grace yet others and not I must judg of my abilities ibid. Object 4. I fear I am an intruder because I meet with so many difficulties ibid. Answ 1 What good action doth not ibid. 2 The greatest Call from God usually finds the greatest difficulties Page 294 Obiect 5. God I beleeve hath called me to his Service but I am unserviceable ibid. Answ That is ill indeed ibid. But this complaâ—nt sheweth you are willing to serve God therefore be not discouraged Page 295 Object 6. I work and have no success in my work therefore c. ibid. Answ Negatively 1 You may mistake the success Page 296 2 Gods dearest Children here somtimes labored all night and caught nâ—thing Page 296 Object 7. I fear God hath imployed me in the way of judgment and not of mercy therefore Page 297 Answ negatively For 1
If you love God the more for your imp oyment it came from Gods love to you ibid. 2 If God dâ—th any way acquaint me with his design therein he doth imploy me in love to me ibid. 3 He that is imployed in love hath high thoughts of the imployment bâ—t low thoughts of his own actings under it ibid. 4 He that is imployed in love is very tender of the Name of God Page 298 5 He that is imployed in love doth grow in grace ibid. 6 He will not pockâ—t up much for himself in Gods Service ibid. 7 He will do Gods work without any great noise of himself Page 299 8 He is willing to be used and contemed to be laid by ibid. 9 He will do Gods work fully though he do his own work by haâ—fs ibid. 10 When God calls a man in judgment he haâ—h ordinarily more skil to destroy what is mans than to set up what is Gods ibid. Quest Suppose that God shall not use me â—n his Seâ—vâ—ce or if he do I meet with such difficulties what must I do then not to be discouraged Page 300 Answ 1 If you are not called to publick Service then 1 Consider you have the more time to mind your own soul ibid. 2 If you be not called to work and yet be willing to work you shall be paid for that service you never did ibid. 2 In case you be called forth Page 301 1 Consider the greater the difficulties are you meet withal the more is your obedience in carrying on the work ibid. 2 The more assistance mâ—y you look for ibid. 3 In case you have no success in your work ibid. 1 Consider that the less success you have the more are you free from envy Page 302 2 Hereby are you kept from that great temptation of resting on your own labor Page 302 Sermon XII INSTANCE IX My afflictions are seated in my condition it self therefore c. Page 304 Answ negatively For 1 A good mans outward condition may be very bad Page 305 2 It may be worse in regard of the world than the condition of a wicked man ibid. 3 It may be worse after his conversion than it was before ibid. Yet a godly man must not be discouraged For 1 I demonstrate If a good mans condition be carved out by the hand of his Teacher he hath no reason to complain ibid. 2 If a man doth not live upon his condition it self but upon his call to it he haâ—h no reason to be discouraged Page 306 3 If there can be no condition of a godly man without mercy Christ hath paid for then he may nâ—t be discouraged Page 307 But I am a poor man in so mean a condition that I cannot serve God as the rich may therefore c. ibid. Answ Negatively For Do you know the burden of prosperity Bâ—rden and Service go together Numb 4. Page 308 Luther did a greateâ— woâ—k in way of Faith than Alexander did in conquering the world The more riches the more debts Page 309 Object 2. I am in an unsetled condition somtimes high somtimes low therefore c. ibid. Answ Negatively 1 For what settlement would you have in this world of vanity Page 310 2 If God loves you in your unsetled condition you need not be discouraged ibid. Object 3. I am troubled not for my outward condition but for the condition of my soul have I not cause now to be discouraged Page 311 Answ Negatively For 1 If you want Ordinances God will make that want to be an Ordinance to you ibid. 2 If you want memory know that there is a head memory and a heart memory the last is the principal and wil suffice if the other be wanting Page 313 3 As for yoar deadness it is some life to feel ones own dâ—adness ibid. 4 Aâ— for your unprofitableness under means there is great difference beâ—ween less fruitful and unfruitful for ib. 1 Though a g od man be unfruiâ—ful he will be sensible of it Page 314 2 Though a good man may be too unfruitful yet he doth not cumber the ground ibid. 3 He desires to use means to bring forth fruit ibid. 4 God wil prune him but not cut him down ibid. Object 4. I fear I am an Hypocrite therofore c. Page 314 Answ Negatively For 1 Though you have lain long dead under the means Christ may at length rowl away the stone ibid. 2 Gods Children usually think they are Hypocrites Page 315 3 Did ever Hypocrite long for Gods presence in Christ as the best good ibid. Object 5. But a few are elected and I fear I am not one therefore c. ibid. Answ Negatively For This is no prejudice to the growth of your comfort Page 317 1 As for Election It is true that there is a certain number only that are elected ib. 2 This number is unalterable ibid. 3 God knows them all certainly ibid. 4 A man may know himself to be one of those Elect. ibid. Three things here to be noted Page 318 1 That some are elected ib. 2 That a man may be assured he is one of them ibid. 3 The way to know it is not to begin aloft but at your Vocation as Paul did putting Election last ib. 2 Christ died for al men both Jew and Gentile but not for every particular man with intention to save him ibid. Vniversal Redemption is an enemy to an afflicted soul Page 319 I shal cleer this Point thus 1 This Doctrine makes void the satisfaction of Christ for actual sins for they that hold Vniversal Redemption say That thousands are damned for those sins which Christ hath satisfied for ib. 2 The intercession of Christ joyned with the death of Christ is a great comfort to a Christian but this Doctrine parts Christs death and intercession telling us Christ died for all but that he doth not intercede for all Page 320 3 This Doctrine is an enemy to free Grace ibid. 4 It destroys the assurance of Salvation Page 321 5 The mercy of God is made by it to depend on our performance of Conditions Page 322 Object 6. If Christ did not die for all how can I know he died for me ibid. Answ They that make this Obiection holding Vniversal Redemption do answer it themselves Yet to know further Page 323 1 There is a faith of Relyance and a faith of Assurance I have ground to rely on Christ because he died for sinners ibid. 2 The act of Reliance is below the act of Assurance but he that relies on Christ shall be saved ibid. Object 7. I am perswaded that never any good man was in my Condition Page 323 324 Answ Negatively For 1 The Saints usually think so ibid. 2 If it were so God works new things ordinarily ibid. Application 1 What great necessity we have to consider our condition whether we be in Christ or no for every one will say he beleeveth ibid. 2 If you do not beleeve you are here invited to it by this
and become his Enemy and did not Job's Friends think that God loved them and was their Friend and his Enemy yet if you look into Job 42. you find that God was more pleased with Job for he was fain to pray for them before they could be accepted and know ye not that it is Christs usual manner to personate an Enemy when he intends the most Friendship to seem a stranger when he intends the most communion It is said that God was angry with Moses Exod. 4. yet even then he gave him such a Promise of mercy as he had not before ver 14 15 16. Ye know what Davids choyce was Lord let me fall into thy hands and not into the hands of men for with thee is mercy It is somtimes a mercy to be immediately chastised by the hand of God our Father God might turn us over to the hands of men but if God wil take us into his own hand and chastise with his own hand immediately there is love in it If a Prince should say to his Officers My whol Kingdom is before you do right and execute Justice and Judgment but as for such and such a Family if they shall commit any fault I wil chastise them immediately with mine own hand you shal not meddle with them I wil do it my self would not this argue love Thus it is with the Saints in the time of Desertion then God takes the soul into his own hand all Creatures and Officers of his Anger stand by and meddle not in other Afflictions God turns us over to his Officers but in Desertion there he doth correct immediately and therefore though he strikes yet there is Love at the bottom and the more Christ doth sympathize with you in any Affliction the less cause you have to be discouraged Christ is our sympathizing High-Priest in al our Afflictions but the more we are like to him in any Affliction the more he doth sympathize and his heart let out the more unto us Jesus Christ was in Desertion himself and not only forsaken but for our sakes under the wrath and displeasure of God his Father and therefore when he sees a soul not only deserted but under anger and displeasure of God then he saith O! there is a soul that is in my case and so he does most commiserate and compassionate that person have you then any reason to be discouraged in this respect Object 3 But this is not my case For I am not only deserted forsaken under manifestations of Christs displeasure but I have sinned and drawn down this Desertion upon my own soul and therefore now it is that I am thus discouraged and have I not reason for it Answ No For God doth not alwaies desert and forsake his People for their sins somtimes he doth and somtimes he doth not as appears by comparing the 3d and 5th Chapters of the Canticles and it may be he doth now withdraw from you not for your sin and if there be but a may be of it there is no reason for discouragement But suppose it be so look I pray into Isay 57. again and see what the Lord hath promised to a poor soul in this condition ver 17. For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Wil ye say the Lord doth not only hide his fâ—ce from you but he hath smitten you So here Wil ye say O! but I have sinned and drawn this desertion upon my self So here For the iniquity of his Covetousness I was wroth and smote him Will ye say O! but I have sinned on both sides of this Desertion I have sinned before the Desertion came which sin was the cause of it and I have sinned since I have been deserted by my frowardness and peevish carriage So here For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and hid me there is sin on the one side and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart there is sin on the other side of Desertion Here is sin on both sides what then is there any hope or comfort or mercy for a heart in this condition Yes saith the Lord I will restore comfort unto him and to his mourners O! but it is not comfort that my soul desires but I have a foul filthy unclean wicked heart of mine own O! that my heart were healed Is there any hope of healing mercy in this condition Yes saith the Lord in the Text I have seen his waies and will heal him O! but though I be healed I shal sin again and wander from God again nay saith the Lord But I have seen his waies and will heal him and will lead him also But I see no means or likelihood of al this how can it be Yes very well for saith the Lord ver 19. I create the fruit of the Lips Peace peace peace to him that is afar off and I will heal him again O! what Comfort is here what an upholding Promise is here Can you read it or think of it and your heart sink before it Object 4 This is but part of my condition for I have sinned Christ hath forsaken me I have sinned Christ hath smote me and he goes on smiting goes on angry goes on displeased I have been deserted a long while in the dark a long while and I am so far from the light that it doth even grow darker and darker my condition being more sad every day than other every day I am more deserted and my condition worser have I not reason to be cast down and discouraged now Answ No For when was it worst with the Israelites They had an ill time of it al the while they were in the Land of Egypt a dark time but was it not worst with them immediately before their deliverance Did not the Task-Masters then beat them When was it worst with David ill at al times in the Wilderness but was it not worst with him at Ziklag when he had lost his Wives and his own men took up stones against him Psal 10. we read that David saith Why standest thou afar off O Lord and hidest thy self in the time of trouble hiding is more and worâ—er than standing afar off When the Sun is going down then it seems to be far off but when it is hidden then it is set and is further off So saith David Lord thou art not only afar off but even out of sight quite out of sight and art hidden from me his Desertion grew higher and higher And if you look into Psal 13. you find that he speaks to the like purpose How long wilt thou bide thy face from me how long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever As hiding is more than standing afar off so it is worse than forgetting For as Musculus observes wel forgetting is but Remissio amoris a man that loves another may forget him yet he may love him well but
hiding the face is Irae testimonium the testimony of anger and it is as if David should have said Lord thou doest not only restrain thy Love towards me but thou doest shew tokens of thy displeasure and anger and thy displeasure riseth So Psal 22. ver 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me I cry in the day time but thou hearest not ver 2. How can this be saith Augustine that God should forsake Christ in his Sufferings for these words are spoken of Christ when God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself Yes very well saith he for Christ was a common Person stood in our stead and place and so personating of us he saith Why hast thou forsaken me yea and Lord thou hast not only forsaken me but my Desertion ariseth yet higher for I cry in the day time and thou hearest not But you may see this abundantly made out in Job 30.20 I cry unto thee and thou doest not bear me I stand up and thou regardest me not thou art become cruel to me with thy strong hand thou opposest thy self against me Ver. 27. My bowels boyled and rest not the daies of affliction prevented me I went mourning without the Sun I am a brother to Dragons and a companion to Owls And ver 26. When I looked for good then evil came unto me and when I waited for light there came darkness Thus you see that it may be the condition of Gods own People to be worser and worser and their condition more and more dark in their own apprehensions and therefore no reason why you should be discouraged in this respect Object 5 But my Desertions have been so long that I fear it will never be otherwise with me God is now gone Christ is now gone Comfort gone and I fear now that Christ will never return again and this is that which even sinks my soul I confess the least desertion and forsaking is a great evil but though I were under the greatest cloud in the world I should bear it if I did but think that Christ would return again but I find in Scripture that there is a final rejection mentioned as well as a present desertion the Saints and People of God are it may be deserted for a time but they are never rejected David was deserted but he was not rejected Saul was rejected finally rejected and I fear that I am not only deserted for the present but finally rejected that God hath even cast me off and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason for it now Answ 1 No not yet For first it is usual with the Saints in affliction to think that God is gone and wil return no more there is no affliction which the People of God meet withal and they meet with many wherein they are so apt and prone and ready to write a Never upon their condition as in this case of Spiritual Desertion If a godly gracious man fal sick he doth not say presently or conclude I shal never recover again if he be persecuted by Enemies he doth not conclude presently that he shal never be delivered but if God hide his Face at any time then comes out this Never I shal Never be delivered I shal never be restored to comfort again So Psal 13. How long wilt thou hide thy face what for ever So Psal 77. Will the Lord cast off for ever ver 7. Will he be favorable no more is his mercy clean gone for ever and doth his Promise fail for ever more This is the proper place and ground where this unbeleeving conclusion grows when they are in this condition they rise to a Never O! it wil never be otherwise with me Christ is gone Mercy is gone and I shal never see the face of God again This is usual and most usual with the Saints in this Condition Answ 2 Secondly Therefore you shal observe That when God doth give out a Promise to his Children in this condition the Promise is so cast and laid as may most obviate and face this Objection and take off our Never Psal 9.18 The needy shall not alwaies be forgotten the expectation of the poor shall not fail for ever So Psal 103. The Lord is merciful and gracious ver 8. Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy he will not alwaies chide neither will he keep his anger for ever So Iâ—ay 57. ver 16. For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth God seeth that in this condition his People are apt to write a Never upon their condition and therefore that he may condescend unto their Infirmities when he comes to give out a Promise he doth not barely promise Mercy but he puts in the Ever into his Promise that he may take off our unbeleeving Never Answ 3 Thirdly If it be made out unto you by Scripture That God or Christ is not so gone but that he wil return again then will you not say surely I have no reason for my discouragements Now for the cleering of that give me leave to propound several Questions to you First Did ye ever read in al the Word of God that a man was finally rejected and forsaken but an evil Spirit from the Lord did seize upon him presently Saul was finally rejected and the Text saith That an evil Spirit from the Lord seized upon him and what is the evil Spirit but an envious Spirit The envious man in the Gospel is the evil man and this evil Spirit seized on Saul as soon as God did forsake him for an envious malicious persecuting Spirit came upon him against David and the Saints with him So when God forsakes a man finally a persecuting Spirit enters him When God forsakes his own Children Satan that evil Spirit comes to them for when God goes Satan comes but there is much difference between a tempting Satan and a persecuting Satan tempting Satan comes to the Saints when they are deserted but a persecuting Satan doth not enter into them But did ye ever know or read of any finally rejected but an evil persecuting Spirit seized on them from the Lord Secondly Do you read of any in al the Word whom God did finally forsake that could not find in their hearts to forsake God and his Waies God doth not forsake us unless we forsake him Ye have rejected me saith the Lord and therefore I have rejected you Possibly a good man may want this sence of Gods Love but then he hath the sence of his own sins possibly he may want the feeling of his own perfection which is Divine Love but then he hath the feeling of his own imperfection But I say Did you ever read in al the Word of any man finally forsaken that could not find in his heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Thirdly Did ye ever read in al the Word That God did ever forsake a man who was sensible of his forsaking and complained thereof simply for