if he had said Go lead on my God behold I follow as neer as close as I can è vestigiò I would not leave any distance but pursue thy footsteps step by step leaning upon thine everlasting arms that are underneath me and following thy maunduction Lot had almost perisht in Sodom for lingring when his God hastned him away Gen. 19.16 But Sampson till then invincible awoke too late from the bosome of his Delilah when the Philistines had shaved his seven locks And he thought to go out and shake off their cords wherewith they bound him as at other times but the Lord was departed from him and they took him and put out both his eyes Judg. 16.20 21. A Christâ—an is more then a man when he acts in concurrence with his God â—sal 27.1 The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid But if he resists the holy Ghost he doth not only grieve him but will if he go on resisting quench him and then he is all alone becomes heir to the curse of Reuben Gen. 49.3 4. he who was a while since the excellency of dignity the excellency of power is now weak as water and cannot excell The proverb tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There is a great deale of Time in a little opportunity It is good striking while the Iron is hot and lanching out whilst wind and tide serve Open all thy Sailes to every breath and gale of Gods good spirit Welcome every suggestion reverence every dictate cherish every illapse of this blessed Moniâ—or let every inspiration find thee as the Seal doth the Waxe or the spark the tinder and then as the Spouse tels her beloved or ever thou art aware thy Soul will make thee as the Charet of * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. a free and willing people Aminadab Step into the pool when the Angel stirs the water John 5.4 Keep touch with the motions of the spirit and all is well But if these three Rules are too generall and remote I shall now lay down some more particular and exact directions for checking the beginnings of sinne and these are of two sorts as Physitians have their Prophylactiques and their Therapeutiques Some for prevention of the fit and paroxysme others for the cure and removall when the symptomes of it are upon thee 1 Before the Paroxisme cometh prepare and antidote thy Soul against these lusts of the flesh by observing these advices Rule 1 The first is that noble counsell of Eliphaz to Job cap. 22. vers 21. Acquaint thy selfe now with God and be at peace Get thy heart fixed where thy treasure is have thy conversation in heaven and thy fellowship with the father and with his sonne Jesus Christ Flee to thy God to hide thee He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Aâ—mighty Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust his truth shall be thy shield and buckler Psal 91.1 3 4. Arise with thine arisen Lord and seek the things that are above Set thine affections there where Christ sits at the right hand of God If the Soul is not where it animates but where it loves awaken thinâ— and kindle it into holy passionate Extasies of love that thou mayest live in heaven all day long and which is the priviledge of the upright Psal 140 13. dwell in the presence of that God whom thy soul delighteth in The Tempter cannot reach thee there Be much in converse with God and the Devil will have litttle converse with thee or if he have it will be to little purpose How was the Majesty of King Ahasuenus incensed at that affront of Haman when he threw himself upon Queen Esters bed what will he force the Queen in our presence Esth 7.8 Keep but in the presence of thy Lord thy King thy Husband and the Ravisher will not offer to force thee there or if he do it wil be but in vain How secure is that Soul that lives under the deep and warme and constant sense of Gods being it's all in all What a munition of rocks is this against all assaults and incursions of the Tempter They are our tame and common Poultry whose wings sweep the ground as they flie and raise a dust but the generous Eagle soon mounts above this smoaky lower Region of the Aire till she makes the clouds a pillow for her head Put on Christian thy Eagles wings which are the same with those Doves wings which David pray's for Psal 55.6 and flee away that thou maist be at rest They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles c. Isa 40.31 When the soul is once but upon the wing heaven-ward O how easily then doth it soare away above this region of smoak and dust above this Atmosphaene of earnality and fleshly lustings into the pure free Aethereal aire the blessed serenity and rest of Gods life and kingdome which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 it is cold iron that shews its rusty scales they disappear when it is red hot Get but thine heart on fire heaven-ward be but ascending thither Eliah like in a flaming Chariot of holy longings and paintings after God and the lustings of the flesh shall no more appear to deform thy beauty then the rust of iron appears when the metal is Candent i. e. all over of a light and glowing ardour The Rule then is Be sick of love to thy dear Master and Lord and thou shalt not be sick of sin Stir up spiritual and holy lustings in thy soul after the love and favour the grace and image of thy God and thou shalt not fulfill the lustings of the flesh Study throughly the unchangeable natures the eternal laws and differences of moral good and evill To open this There are some things of a middle and indifferent nature neither good nor evill in themselves But if God commands or forbids any of these they are then good or evill indeed but only because or whilest he doth so The Ceremonial Law of the Old Testament stood in these things and is now abolished by the same Divine authority which enacted it And it is now the glory of Christian Religion that excepting the two Sacraments and a very few other positive institutions for great and weighty causes reserved the Evangelical Law of the New Testament consists of such preceps as carry their own Credentiall letters and are built upon morall grounds of everlasting equity and righteousnesse Wherefore the Romanists deserve very ill of Christian Religion nor are the Lutheran Churches to be excused who of their owne heads impose so many indifferent things now in the service of God under the Gospel and that for no
governing these and so hath the same object with them as is said before it all comes to one And formally includes 1. What it is that we must Moderate or the faculty or principle of what kind soever internal and external from which the action flows 2. In what actions And 3. How or the measure and proportion to be observed in such our actions Which three are allwayes distinct in themselves though not alwayes easily distinguishable to us and therefore often seem coincident I shall therefore joyn them together in the prosecution of the Case For the general Object of Moderation or about what it must be exercised and appear Negatively 1. Not such things as are materially good About such things or in such actions as are materially good Moderation hath no place because all the good we can possibly do is too little so that there can be no excesse in these and therefore no Moderation for the Office of Moderation being to restrain excesse where there can be none of this that can have no imployment e. g. we cannot believe in hope love God and Christ too much nor hate sin and Sathan as the Schoolmen affirm in regard of his wholly loosing the Image of God too much In all our internal religious duties and actings of Grace as such no Moderation therefore can or ought to have place 2. Not about such things as are materially evil For herein we cannot be defective Where the object is absolutely forbidden us and no circumstances can make the action good there we are wholly to abstain or suppresse the action if in it there being inordinacy in the principle or faculty for though Moderation is to govern even the principle yet not in the choice of it's object but in it's exercise about a due object chosen that it exceed not And though we call any great acting upon an undue object or great omission towards due immoderate because of their excesse yet this is not properly immoderacy for so every sin would be it formally whereas those only which respect the moral quantity of our actions are properly immoderacies Both these sufficiently appear by what 's said before Positively But about such things as are in themselves of an indifferent nature and neither absolutely commanded as things materially good or absolutely forbidden as those materially evil but only conditionally according to the circumstances we are in Which though of an indifferent nature yet become morally good or evil to us as we are actually conversant about them In these properly may be excesse in regard of which Moderation is to take place to restrain and keep all within due bounds being formally the modification to use the School term for once of such actions Wherein we must carefully distinguish of the several formalities of the object Grace and Nature being conversant about the same object but not in the same respect For it's exercise therefore or what wherein and how we must practice it Which I shall speak of 1. Absolutely in reference to our selves for preserving peace within as it is to be exercised towards the good and evils of this life 2. Relatively or in relation to others for external peace wherein we must exercise it in civil and in Religious matters The former I shall call Moderation towards things the latter towards persons 1. Moderation towards things 1. First then for Moderation towards things as it is absolutely taken in reference to our selves this being so clearly injoyned in the Text as appears not only by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle not saying use Moderation towards all men but let it appear to all men which even that which is internal doth in our external conversation But though there be abundance of excellent fruit on this branch of Moderation yet in regard I conceive that towards persons principally intended I will not stand to shake it down but only point you out briefly the boughs on which it especially grows that you may gather it your selves and proceed to the second Moderation towards others which I shall only prosecute afterwards in all the following discourse Now the good things of this life being either internal of the mind as parts learning c. of the body as health strength beauty and the like or external as the riches honours relations and lawful pleasures of the World and what comprehended under them And the evils of this life such as are contrary to these as shallownesse of parts natural or acquired sicknesse weaknesse death deformity poverty losses of friends or estate infamy reproaches troubles warrs hunger thirst nakednesse imprisonment captivity banishment and such like we are towards these to exercise Moderation 1. Towards the good things of this life 1. We must moderate our Judgements in the valuation of them As forbidden fruit must not be looked upon so lawful must not be judged by us more desirable then it is As we may not undervalue these good things and with the Stoick despise and cast them away so we must not over-value them beyond their intrinsick worth and the ends for which God allows them the end and use being the measure of every things estimation For though every creature be good in it self and some better in themselves and to us than others yet those that are the best and best for us that the World affords are still but creatures who are most of them serviceable only to our bodyes that they may be serviceable to our Souls in the service of our Heavenly Father which when we too much estimate we quickly fall to admire and so bow down to them and commit idolatry with them For an overvaluation of the Judgement begets in us admiration and so an over-valuation of them also in our affections These sensitive objects make such impressions upon our imagination when absent and our passions when present that if Grace and Reason moderate not our Judgement of them our whole man becomes inflamed therewith and violently carryed out towards them by an excessive admiration of their seeming excellency love to them for the same and desire after them for their apprehended sutablenesse hope to obtain them seeming possible using means for obtaining them and delighting and glorying in them Therefore our Saviour prescribes wisely that our hearts may not be in them the light of our minds being single Matth. 6.22 23. When Achan Josh 7.21 judged the Babylonish garment goodly and the silver and gold then he quickly coveted and took them Let thy Moderation therefore begin here and consider the character Solomon upon good experience gives them that they are all to us in this degenerate state vanity of vanities yea vexation of Spirit 2. Moderate thy will and affections in their love desires hopes after the getting or keeping these things according to the ends for which God allows them thee in particular and with subordination to his pleasure and providence in the event We must value love desire God and
other reason but because they will consequently rendring that yoak a hard one which Christ left easie and that burthen a heavy one which he would have light But now morall Good and Evil are not only such because God commands the one and forbids the other but because the things themselves are so essentially and unalterably As Mathematical truths and proportions are not such only because God will have them so but because the nature of the things cannot be otherwise Almighty power it selfe reveâ—ently be it spoken cannot make two parallel lines or surfaces meet though extended infinitely or the three angles of any straight-lined triangle amount to any lesse or more then two right angles in Geometry or in Arithmeticke alter the proportions between two and four to any other then that of double and half or between three and nine then that of a root and square or to name no more is it possible that a Seventh in Musique should ever become a Concord or a Vnison fifth or eighth a Discord for these things are in their very nature fixed and unchangeable they must be what they are or not be at all Thus there is an eternal Reason why that which is good should be so and commanded and why that which is evill should be so and forbidden which depends not so much on Gods wiâ—l as on his nature For if God could will that good should be evil and evill good he could deny himself and change his own unchangeable Divinity which is impossible And therefore I look upon that opinion of a modern ‖ Ziglovius Dutch Author though I would be so charitable as to believe he knew not and therefore meant not what he said as overthrowing all Religion The thing is this That God may if he please out of the vast soveraignty of his Will command all that wickednesse which he hath forbidden and make it out duty also forbid all that holinesse which he hath commanded and make it become sinne to us For my part I would choose rather to be an Atheist than to believe there is such a God as this in the world But I am sure the holy One of Israel cannot do so not through any defect but through infinite plenitude and redundance of all perfection Ex. Gr. There is an eternall fitnesse and comeliness that a reasonable creature should love and honour and obey it's Creator and contrarily an eternal horridness and indecencie that an immortal soul should forget contemn and affront the Father of spirits Now to affirm that God can dispence with the former nay make our fear of him or delight in him to be a sin and punish it with everlasting torments and to affirm that God can wink at or allow the latter much less command Atheism Blasphemy Pride Unthankfulness c. or make Hypocrisie Covetousness Revenge Sensuality to become duties and graces and reward them with everlasting happiness this were to utter the most hellish blasphemy and the most impossible contradictions in the world The heathen Plato in those divine discourses of his his Eutyphro and Theaetetus and otherwhere may well rebuke the madness of such Christians as this bold and vain speculator The sum of this Rule then is deeply possess and dye thy soul all over with the representation of that eveâ—lasting beauty and amiableness that is in holiness and of that horror and ugliness and deformity that eternally dwells on the forehead of all iniquity Be under the awe and majesty of such clear convictions all day long and thou shalt not fulfill the lusts of the flesh For the mind of man is wont to conceive before it 's own apprehensions and Ideas of good and evil as Jacobs sheep did before the Rods in the Gutter If thy notions of good and evil be right and clear thy lustings and desires will be from evil towards good all the conceptions of thy soul and their births will be fair and unspotted But if thy apprehensions be speckled confused and ring straked like his Rods the conceptions of thy mind thy lustings will be so too so great a truth is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that dark ignorance and folly lies at the bottom as the root and foundation of all wickedness * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plato in Theateto every immoral man is a fool even when he commits a known sin yet then he may be said not to know what he doth Luk. 23.34 All the Reason in the world takes the part of holiness and sin hath not one jot of true Reason to plead or alledge in its own behâ—lf Understand thy self be no stranger to thy own breast know the Rule 3 frame and temper and constitution of thy mind The wise man's eyes are in his head but the fool walketh in darkness Eccles 2.14 it is a true and sober maxim of the Platonist Demophil in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as far as a man is ignorant of himself so far forth he is to reckon himself guilty of madness and distraction The Satyrist complains of this Vt nemo in sesè tentat descendere Juvenal nemo Dare to unlock thy bosom to ransack every corner of thy heart let thy Spirit accomplish a diligent search Feel the pulse of thy soul visit it often ask it how it doth Survâ—igh thy self and blush to leave any terra incognita any region of thy mind undiscovered God hath charged and entrusted every man with his own soul and what folly is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be busie in what doth not concern thee and neglect what chiefly doth so the affairs of thy own mind is any thing neerer thee or of such consequence to thee as thy self O let thy charity then begin at home Thou owest this duty to thy self to take an exact account daily of the posture and order of thy inward man With how great confusion doth the Spouse acknowledge this neglect Cant. 1 6. They made me the keeper of the vineyards but my own vineyard have I not kept If ever thou wouldst be dextrous in suppressing the first risings of sin enquire what advantages the tempter hath against thee where that nescio quid tenerum molle lieth in thy soul as Cicero calls it against which temptation plants it's chiefest battery and artillery what thine own iniquity is Psal 18.23 which is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sin that doth so easily beset thee Heb. 12.1 See what grace is principally wanting in thee which is weakest in what instances thy greatest failleur betrays it self in which of thy passions and affections thou art most peceable and what lustings of the flesh they are which give thee the frequentest alaâ—mb and threaton the greatest dangers be making these researches and explorations daily compare thy heart with the Law of the eternal God and with the dictates and maxims of thine own conscience See where thy greatest discrepancy and non conformity to these from time to time ariseth
the only begotten Son of the eternall God had flesh lusting in them unto sin Which is as convincing an Argument that humane nature is blemished and infected that it hath received a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a stain and venome as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are of a pestential disease whose breakings out display the contagion within If the Carbuncle and the Tokens proclaim the Plague or the spots discover a pestilential feaver or the Variolae those postulous efflorescencies which we commonly name the Small Pox argue the praecipitation of the blood by some latent malignity Certainly the lustings of the flesh in all men demostrate that the very nature of man on Earth is now blasted and corrupted Methinks the Divine perfection and our owne imperfection are the two greatest Sensibles in the world both of them equally that is immensely clear and discernable For the former is no lesse illustriously undenyable then is the being light and beauty of the Sun in the Firmament at noon day And the later is no lesse evident and conspicuous than the obscurity and horrour of Midnight-darknesse Not to see the one is to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without God in the world and not to feel the other for it is like the Aegyptian darknesse Exod. 10.21 that may be felt by all that are not past feeling is to be without or besides ones self Now since all the reason in the world consents to the truth of that Aphorisme of the Philosopher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the best and most excellent mind is the parent of the Universe Hierecles most divinely concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Carm. Isa 57.20 and an Almighty everliving goodnesse is the Source and root of all things since heaven and earth say Amen and again Amen Hallelujah to that Oracle of the Psalmist The worke of God is honourable and glorious Psal 111.3 And all that God made was very good Gen. 1.31 No wonder if it puzzled all philosophy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whence humane nature came to be thus vitiated and debauched What are the fountains of this great Deep of sinne within us which like the troubled Sea is perpetually thus casting out mire and dirt Sure enough so universall an effect as this calamity of mankind must have a cause as universal The Sâ—cinians here and others will have us believe that we all are born as innocent as Adam in Paradise that is say they in an aequilibrium and perfect indifferency to good and evill assigning no other cause of the generall corruption of mens lives and manners but the infection of example and evill custome which is methinks as wise a guesse as to affirm the Wolf and Vulture to be bred and hatch't with as sweet and harmlesse a nature as the innocent Lamb or loving Turtle but only the naughty behaviour and ill example of their auncestors and companions have debauched them into ravennousnesse and ill manners The Manichees as St. Austin tels who was himselfe for severall years before his conversion of that heresie thought that all the evill in the world sprang from an Almighty and an eternall principle of evill counter-working and over-bearing God whom they held the opposite eternal principle of goodness But since the very formall notion of God involveth infinite perfection and that of sin meer imperfection it is a perfect contradiction that evill should be infinite if good be so It were to make imperfection perfect and meer impotency Omnipotent Therefore there can be but one God who is Almighty goodnesse And as possible it is that the Sun should darken the world by shining as Almighty goodness should do any hurt in the world or make any evill God is the Author of all the good in the world but sin and misery are of our making Hos 13.9 Much wiser than either of the two former was the conjecture of the Pythagoreans and Platonists though Heathens who having nothing else to consult as wantâ—ng the divine Revelation of holy Scripture but their own faculties embraced the conceit that all humane souls were created in the beginning upright and placed by God in happier mansions in purer and higher regions of the Universe untill at length they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Hierocles phraseth it i. e. till they fell from the divine life and became inhabitants of earthly Tabernacles bringing their fallen and degenerate natures along with them This opinion had of old the generall consent of the Jewes as appeareth Jo. 9.2 and yet hath as Men. Ben Israel in his Book De Resurrectione mortuorum witnesseth Among the Christians Origen is in the number of it's Sectaries in his books 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and some few of the Ancients But as much as is necessary for us to know about this great enquiry God hath blessed be his goodnesse sufficiently revealed in the three first Chapters of Genesis compared with Psal 51.5 Eccles 7.29 Rom. 12 5 c. And he is as wise as he need be in so great a point that knows how to understand these Scriptures according to the Analogie of Faith and consistently with the Divine perfections and that so believeth them as to put that and no other sense and interpretation upon them which is worthy of the glorious attribute and excellent Majesty of the living God Although some difficulties will remain perhaps insuperable to us in this our present estate on earth Use 2 Exhortat I have already in some measure discovered the Mysteries and secrets of this blessed art of checking sin in the beginnings of it Let me now perswade the practise of these holy Rules let us resolve in the strength of Christ to resist these lustings of the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. Take the exhortation of the Apostle watch ye stand fast in the faith quit your selves like men 1 Cor. 16.13 Let me press this with a few considerations 1. The more thou yeeldest the more thou mayest Sin is unsatiable it will never say it is enough Give it an inch it will take an ell See the sad example of Peter denying his Lord Matth 26. 1. He was only timerous he follows afar off vers 58. 2. At the next step he denies his Lord openly before them all vers 70. 3. He adds an oath to it vers 72. And lastly vers 74. he falls a cursing and swearing as if he meant to out-sin the vilest there It is no wisdome to try conclusions between fire and Gun-powder in the heap Who but a fool would unlock the door of his house when it is beset with Thieves and excuse it he did but turn the key that was all Why he need do no more to undo himself they will easily do all the rest 2. It is the quarrel of the Lord of Hosts in which thou fightest Caesarem vehis fortunam caesaris let thy courage rise in proportion to the goodnesse of thy cause and the honour of that great Prince Captain under whose
Pro. 17.17 All Times 2. Quamdiu The Duration of this Trust How long Sol. All the day long Psal 44.8 All our lives long All the dayes of their Appointed Time must Gods Job's not only Wayt but Trust till their change come Yea for ever Isa 26.4 nay for ever and ever Psal 52.8 Having thus unlockt the Cabinet The Jewel or Truth that we find laid up in it is This. viz. It is the great indispensable Duty of All Believers at All Times Observation to Trust in the Lord and in Him Alone All that I have to say on This practical Truth I shall Couch under these six Generals 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Trusting in God is a Believers Duty 2. What it is To Trust in God 3. What is and ought to be the grand and sole object of a Believers Trust 4. What are Those sure and stable Grounds Those Corner stones on which the Faithful may firmly Build Their Trust in God 5. What are Those special and signal seasons which call aloud for the exerting of This Trust 6. How Faith or Trust puts forth exerts demeans bestirs it self in such seasons 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Trusting in God is a Believers Duty The Lord is or at least he should be The (e) Meton Adjuncti Actus pro Objecto Confidence of All the ends of the Earth Psal 65.5 Trust in the Lord with All thy Heart Prov. 3.5 On the Arm of His Power Isa 51.5 On the (f) In verbis ejus So Chald. Paraph. renderâ— our Text. Word of His Truth In his faithful Promises in His freest mercies Psal 52.8 In His full Salvation Psal 78.22 2. What it is To Trust in God Sol. 1. Negatively To presume on God To Tempt God To conceive false Hopes of Gods gracious favour and protection whilst in a way of sin is Not To Trust in God To gallop down a precipice and To say Confidently I shall not fall To cast our selvs down headlong from a Pinâ—cle of the Temple and yet To expect the protection of Angels Matth. 4.6 7. To Teach for Hire and To Divine for Money and yet to (g) Mic. 3.11 lean upon the Lord saying is not the Lord among us None evil can come upon us To bless a mans self in his Heart and to say he shall have peace though he walk in the imaginations of his evil heart Deut 29.19 All this is not to Trust in God but To Trust in (i) Job 15.31 Vanity and to spin the Spiders web Job 8.13 14. 2. Positively and so more generally and more particularly 1. More Generally To Trust in God is To Cast (k) Ps 55.22 our burthen on the Lord when 't is too heavy for our own shoulder To Dwell in the secret (l) Ps 91.1 places of the Most High when we know not where to lay our Heads on earth To look to our Maker and to have respect To the Holy One of Israel Is 17.7 To (n) Isa 36.6 lean on our Beloved Can. 8.5 To stay our selves when sinking on the Lord our God Isa 26.3 In a word Trust in God is that High Act or Exercise of Faith whereby the Soul looking upon God and casting of it's self on His goodness power promises faithfulness and providence is lifted up above carnal fears and discouragements above perplexing doubts and disquietments either for the obtaining and continuance of that which is good or for the preventing or removing of that which is evil 2. More particularly Fot the clearer discovery of the Nature of Divine Trust we shall lay before you It 's Ingredients Concomitants Effects I. The Ingredients of Trust in God They are three 1. A clear knowledge or Right Apprehension of God as Revealed in His Word and Works They and They only That (o) Psal 9.10 Know Thy Name will Trust in Thee The grand Reason why God is so little Trusted is because He is so little Known Knowledge of God is of such necessity to a Right Trust that it is put as a Synonyma for Trust I will set Him on high beause He hath (p) Psal 91.14 Known i. e. Trusted in my name 2. A full Assent of the Understanding and Consent of the will to Those Divine Revelations as True and good wherein the Lord proposeth Himself as an Adequate Object for our Trust This Act the Greeks expresse by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Latines by Credere Fidem habere Testimonium recipere The Hebrews by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All importing Believing or giving credit to Thus the Israelites are said To (q) Ex. 14.31 believe the Lord and his Servant Moses And Thus the Soul that Trusts looks upon the words of Promise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 (r) 1 Tim. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as faithful and worthy of All Acceptation 3. A firm and fixed reliance Resting or Recumbency of the whole Soul on God Or a firm perswasion and special Confidence of the Heart whereby a Believer paticularly applies to Himself the faithful Promises of God and certainly Concludes and determines with himself That the Lord is Able and willing To make good to him the good promises he hath made This indeed is the very Formality of Trust one of the Highest and Noblest Acts of Faith This is That which the Greeks term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and which Paul so frequenly useth in several of His Epistles Thus Abraham is said to be strong in Faith giving glory to God and was fully (Å¿) Rom. 4.21 perswaded that what he had promised he was able and willing to perform This the Latines call Fiducia The Schools Fiducia fidei The Hebrews by a word that signifies To lean on or cast the weight of ones body on for support and stay Thus Isa 10.20 The house of Jacob shall no more stay upon him that smote them but shall (t) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 firmiter innitetur incumbet stay upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel in Truth Thus for the Ingredients of Trust 2. The Concomitants of an Holy Trust and these are 1. An Holy quietness security and peaceableness of Spirit springing from a full perswasion of our safety By this the Soul is freed from distracting cares and jealousies about our state and condition Hence that of the Prophet Isa 26.3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect (u) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pacem peace whose mind is staied on thee because He trusteth in thee An holy security I say not a carnal security like theirs mentioned Zeph. 1.12 that were setled on their lees that said in their hearts the Lord will not do good neither will he do evil nor like that of the Scarlet whore Rev. 18.6 that saies in her Heart I sit as a Queen and shall see no sorrow No but an Holy security as we have it Prov. 8.10 The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower The Righteous runneth to
out and cast it from thee cut it off and cast it from thee to note two things 1. That we our selves must engage in the mortifying of our lusts Sinners with their own hands must pull out their own eyes T is not enough to cry unto God for help and in the mean time to be careless and idle as if nothing were to be done on our part mortification is a work incumbent upon us although we are impowred thereunto by the Spirit If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Rom. 8.13 Rom. 8.13 we must mortifie although by the Spirit the duty is ours though the strength be Gods so here if thy right eye offend thee thou thy self pluck it out and cast it from thee 2. That we must be a willing people in this as in all other duties a Christian dieth to sin is not put to death 2. T is not said if thine eye offend thee observe it more then ordinary look narrowly to it but pluck it out To note that nothing less is like to do our souls good then the mortifying the killing the cutting off of our corruptions Let a mans hand be cut off it is a dead member immediately It is not so with plants when they are cut off from their roots they will grow and sprout again and so it is with the most inferiour sort of sensitive creatures for instance cut worms into several pieces every part will live and stir hence the learned call them insecta When the head of a fowl is separated from its body it will live and flutter for some time but this cannot be said of the most noble sort of creatures this is a sure rule in nature Vnitas indivisibilitas est comes perfectionis multitudo divisibilitas imperfectionis Union is a sign of perfection divisibility of imperfection the more perfect any being is the more united it is to its self and the less any part of it can live nisi in toto but in the whole so that this phrase is a great elegancy to note the killing of our beloved lusts if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee c. 3. T is not only said pluck it out but cast it from thee to note that it is not enough for a man to leave his sin for the present but he must renounce it for ever We must not part with sin as with a friend with a purpose to see it again and to have the same familiarly with it as before or possibly greater Amantium irae amoris redinte gratio est the falling out of Lovers is the renewing of love We must not only shake hands with it but shake our hands of it as Paul did shake the Viper off his hand into the fire pluck it out and cast it from thee Thus much for the Explication of the words for I shall have occasion only to deal with the former part of these two Verses at this time 2. I am to give you the Observations I shall speak but a few words to some of them that I may reserve my self for that which I mainly intend 1. Observ That the eye and the hand are excellent and useful parts of the body of man You see here our Saviour singles out these from all other parts as being very precious if thy right eye offend thee c. if thy right hand offend thee c. 1. As for the eye our Saviour tels us that it is the light of the body Mat. 6.22 the light of the body is the eye what is the world without the Sun but a dark melancholy dungeon what is a man without eyes but monstrous and deformed monstrum horrendum informe cui lumen ad emptum the two eyes are two luminaries that God hath set up in the Microcosme mans little world Zech. 2.8 Gal. 4.15 when God would express his tender love unto his people he calls them the apple of his eye he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye and the like phrase St. Paul makes use of when he speaks of the love of the Galatians unto himself I bear you record that if it had been possible ye would have plucked out your eyes and have given them to me I have read of the Emperour Adrian that with an arrow by accident put out one of his servants eyes he commands him to be brought to him and bids him ask what he would that he might make him amends the poor man was silent he pressed him again he told the Emperour he would ask nothing but he wished that he had the eye which he had lost intimating that an Emperour was not able to make satifaction for the loss of an eye Oh be very watchful over this excellent part make a covenant with your eyes Job 31.1 Shut your eyes from seeing evil Isa 33.15 Set no wicked thing before your eyes Psal 101.3 as the Apostle saith in another case Doth not even nature teach you God hath made a covering for the eye that opens and shuts with a great deal of easiness to teach us that it is expedient sometimes that the eye be closed and not holden open to every object 2 As for the hand it is the prime part for action Aristotle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an instrument of instruments without this there could be no Cities no Towns no Merchandize no Husbandry no Manufacture without this man would differ but a little from the beasts that perish for what would his reason stand him in stead if he had not an hand to improve it The Naturalists observe that man could neither do nor say without this useful and necessary part for if a man did not eat with his hands he must as a bruite feed with his mouth and by that means the lips would become so thick that he would not be able to speak with any distinctness and indeed we find by experience that they that have thick lips have an imperfection in their speech Jam. 4. ◠Oh improve this excellent part for God a good life is expressed in Scripture by a clean hand cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded it is the greatest absurdity imaginable to plead a good heart as many do and yet have a foul and wicked hand this is as if a man should say here 's a tree that bears ill fruit but it hath an excellent root 2. Observ That offences are from our selves or the cause of stumbling and falling is from our selves some lust or other some right eye sin or some right hand sin if thy right offend thee c. sin unmortifi'd will very much endanger a mans falling truly if you would not have your right eye or your right hand offend you you must offend them pluck it out and cast it from thee cut it off and cast it from thee if you would see clearly in Gods way ye must pluck out your right eye if
Falls of Godly and Wicked 79. Family sins 177. Family Instructions 195. Family Duties 202. Faults How to bear with others Faults 401. How to correct them 204. Fight Against sin how to bee managed 331. Flesh What meant by Flesh and Spirit 84. G God Alwaies justified by Good men 455. Why hee doth not hinder sin 167. How hee is manifested to us 417. 418 Wee must not limit him 452. Hee can do no wrong 455. His Goodness 21. 340. 421. 435. His justice in punishing 174. His power 434. Good Moral Good and evil eternally distinguished 89. Grace all from Christ 679. Growth in it 318. Truth of it not dâ—â—rees to bee examined p. 319. Gentleness To be observed in Reproofs 208. H. Hand What meant by right Hand 40 41. Excellency of it 43. Heart Must be narrowly watched 58 93. 165. And much laboured withall 684. Health the proper time for working out Salvation 119. Holiness is communicative 214. Christ the pattern of it 24. Hope Nature of that Christian Grace 430. From Creatures vain 565. Hospitality 287. Humility the souls ballast 454. Makes us thrive 21. Makes good men have the worst thoughts of themselves 663. Hypocrisie what it is 657. Why compared to leaven ibid. Danger of it 659. Six signs of it 666 c. How to cure it 671 672 c. Motives to use those means 675. I. Impatience 452. Inconstancy in all things 255. Indeavours not vain before Conversion 28 29. Inequality between men inconsiderable 254. Intercession of Christ its power 311. Justice An exact and easie Rule of it 249. Rules for it in Trade 260 c Advantage must not be taken of mens ignorance 263. It must be mixt with Charity 275. Gods Justice in punishing 174. Injury How it must be prosecuted 4â—4 L. Law It is six fold 324. When Lawful things undo us 562. How wee may know that wee abuse them 564 c. Do not all that is Lawful 264. Liberty What Liberty Gods Spirit gives 518 c. How to deal with others in matters of Liberty 258. Love It will put Life into us 506. The best preservative against the least sin 88. In the Will and in the Appetite 221. To God and Christ how distinguished 222. What is it to Love Christ 222. Twelve Characters of it 224. Do all out of Love to God 22. False Love 237. Want of Love to him the greatest sin 238 c. Brings the greatest punishment 240. Motives to Love him 241 c. How to inflame our Love to him 244 c. How to increase the flame 247. M. Marriage 579. Misery Of a sinner 360 c. Of those that love not Christ 240 368 Ministry Difficulty of that Imployment 118. Meditation Two benefits of it 477 Makes the Efficacy of Ordinances continue 682. Morning Morning thoughts to be observed 54. Mortification A continued Act. 63. Mourn For the sins of others 179. Moderation What it is 382. The Rule of it 384. In what things to be used 388. How towards good things of this life 389. How towards the evil 394. Towards persons 397. In Civil matters Actively 397. Passively 401. In Religious Negatively 405 Positively 408. Reasons to inforce this duty 412 c. N. Neighbour Duties toward him much to bee regarded 266. O. Obedience It must be compleat 59 62 63. Occasions Of sin to be avoided 56 95. Omniscience Of God to be beleeved in prayer 338 c. His Omnipotence also 340 434. Opinions Moderately to be contended for 408 409. Original sin 84. 104. Ordinances To be frequented 203 686. Their vertue from Christ 621. What wee must do to make their Efficacy abide 679. What we must avoid for that end 688. P. Parents Must instruct their children 195. They must command them to obey it 197. Persons Must not be respected 184. Pleasure Pleasant things dangerous 57. Power of God 434. No Power to convert our selves 27. Threefold Power 26. Men can do more than they do 28. Poor A stock to be made for them 298. Prayer Necessity of it 102. For our Relations 213 214 For Charity 296. Why God hears wicked men sometimes 336. Wicked men are bound to pray 336. Why God will not give without prayer 341. To pray in Faith what 335 337 c. How for temporal things 345 c. How for spiritual 346 c. To be made with an eye to Christ 435 343. Distraction in Prayer 468. Danger of careless thoughts in Prayer 463 c. Answer of Prayer makes a mercy sweeter 493. Do nothing but what you can pray God to bless 24. Praise Incourages to do well 205. Prosperity A time for Trust in God 439. How it must be done 440 c. Propriety In Goods and Lands lawful 289. Promises To be beleeved in Prayer 342. A ground of our trust 435. They quicken the soul 507. Providence of God 339 437. Prudence in avoiding sufferings 640. Q. Quickening What it is to Quicken 500. Means of spiritual Quickning 504. Ten Quickning Considerations 509 c. R. Rashness In making vows to be avoided 591. Reason It must alwaies govern 98. Rational Arguments to be used 212. Recreation to be moderate 579. Regenerate Not without conflicts 325. Relation Study to save our Relations 190. Gods Relation to us a ground of trust 435. Religion A Christians business 573. Wherein it doth consist ib. seq When it is our business 577. How to make it so 583 c. Sweetness of it 584. When promoted by vows 592 c. And how 596. To be secured above all things 638 How to preserve it among enemies to it 640. It bindes the duties of the second Table upon us 267. How to converse with men of a different Religion 646 647 c. Repentance when it is true 81. Madness to defer it 19. Reproof Sin to be Reproved 179. Discovers beloved sins 52. How to manage it 2â—0 201 208. 398. Qualifications of a Reprover 180. Of a Reproof 182 183 c. 649. What must be Reproved 181. Win the affections of those you Reprove 212. Season of Reproof is to be marked 182 c. 280. Resolution against beloved sins 55. Revenge not to be taken 265. Rewards great incouragements 206. Riches not to be confided in 272. S. Scruples not to be cherished 17. Self-Knowledge How excellent 91 244. To be got in Solitude 54. And in Sufferings 55. Self-denial of great advantage 628. Salvation Of our friends should be laboured 190. Strife al ouâ— it 37 38 504 505. Sensual ty 569. Security 571. Sick Instruction to Sick persons of great advantage 112. How to be dealt withall 113. The same method improper for all 115 Errours which they are subject to 116 117. Sin to be killed 42. Never to live again ibid. It is from ouâ— selves 44. Ugliness of it 91. Why expressed by the parts of our body 45. Of Belâ—v d Sins 46. Whence they proceed 47. 12 Marks to discover them 50 c. Nine Helps to subdue them 55. Smallest Sins to be avoided 73 328. 331. Means against its first rising 88 c Take heed of beginning of Sin 107. In our children as well as selves 198. Eight waies of becomming guilty of other mens Sins 163. Five devilish sins 164. Sin how to be cured by Revulsion 101 Sloth three-fold 500. Ten Remedies against Spiritual Sloth 504 c. Eight Questions to Slothful Christians 314. Spirit the witness of it 318 521. We may know that we have Gods Spirit 313. What to walk in it 85. When activity is from Gods Spirit 416 c. Superiours must uphold their authority 193. How to be reproved 210. Superfluities to be cut off 297. Sufferings how prudently to be avoided 646 c. Or couragiously to be indured 631. c. T. Temper of body may incline to sin 46 47. Temptations how to be resisted 94 96. Thanksgiving due to God continually 480. Specially from his children 481 c. The grounds of it 482 c. For every thing 484 c. For afflictions 486. The reasons of that 487 c. How to obtain this frame of Spirit 491 492 c. Thoughts a conscience to be made of them 463. Time care to be had of it 575. Trouble inward and outward meet sometimes together 364. Whence it arises 365 c. To live among the ungodly a great Trouble 633 c. Truth not all equal 408. Trust what it is to Trust in God 428 Effects of it 431. Obâ—ect of Trust 432. Grounds of Trust in God 439 450. V. Verbs Active Verbs how sometimes used 26. Unthankfulness several sorts of Unthankful men 495 496. The evil of this sin 497. Vows the nature of them 588. Whether lawful to make them 589. When they are useful in Religion 592 c. How they promote it 596 c. Danger of breaking them 604. They must bear some proportion to mercies 605. W. Way A four-fold Way 503. Weakness very great in us unto good 27. Word of God the best weapon 85 99. Worldly-mindedness hinders its operation 689. Moderation in our words 397. Watchfulness necessary in doing our duty 504. Against our enemies 33 580. Worship how to conceive of God in it 416 c. He is tender of it 462. We must worship him in Christ. 423. Zeal Consistant with Moderation 407. FINIS