wickednesses that were in Sodom and Egypt and that are in that place First Antichrist is like Egypt in regard of the most gross Idolatries Of all places Egypt was counted the most gross Idolatrous place They did not only worship the Sun Moon Stars as other nations did but Cats and Onions and any base creatures So the Papists worship stocks and stones and all kind of holy Reliques even the haire that came from the taile of that beast that Christ rode on and most base vile things that are too base to abuse an Auditory to rehearse Secondly It is compared to Egypt in respect of the cruelty of the Church of Rome None were so cruel and vild as Egypt And so of all men those that are under Antichrist are more cruel as if they were Messengers came from hell to shew the power of Malignant spirits and therefore they are said to be drunken with blood and so have their clothes died in scarlet with the blood of the Saints Rev. 17.4.5.6 But the chiefe thing I aime at is to shew the bondage Christians are in under antichrist the work of faith in delivering from it The bondage under Antichrist is 1. Outward in Estates and Lives 2. Inward a soul bondage 1. An outward bondage doth not he challenge power over Kings and Princes and to free people from Loyalty to their Princes that except there were a delusion upon the hearts of the great ones upon Earth It were unpossible for them to submit unto that base bondage Many crie out of the Godly that they are no good subjects they do not love to be under government but what do you think of Papists that do teach for to free subjects from their loyalty A Papist hath this expression concerning Antichrist The Pope their head He is the Sheppard and the Kings and Princes are Dogs and if Dogs will do their duty they must be at their Masters command but if they will be lazey and bite and not do as they ought the sheppard must remove them And for their Estates It s a woful estate that Countries are in in regard of their estates I read a speech of Bonner in a preface to the Treatise of Gardener that the Pope had neere as much out of England yeerly as the Revenues of the Crown came to And it was the speech of Innocent the fourth Pope of that name England was his pleasant Garden and a wel that never was drawn dry and in England many things grew abounded and many things were to be had from it So that the estates of men are in great bondage where Antichrist prevails as also the lives and liberties of men 2. But especially the thing which I will a little stick in is the soul bondage thus we have it in Rve. 18.13 The Merchandise was slaves and souls of men So that men that are under Antichrist are slaves and if there were but a true Heroicall spirit in men they would not suffer themselves to be under that slavery though they seem to be the bravest spirits yet being under Antichrist they are slaves And the souls of men are his Merchandise the souls of men are under bondage First This is a base subjection and slavery of the souls of men under Antichrist in that he takes upon him to make Articles of Faith that they are bound in conscience upon paine of Damnation to beleive whatsoever he shal say in his Chaire is infallible what a base bondage is this When as we know what most Abominable Sodomitical Horrible Monsters have been in that Chaire and yet they shall be bound upon paine of damnation to beleeve whatsoever they say is infallible Secondly Whatsoever his decrees are though having no footing in the word they are bound in conscience to obey upon paine of damnation So that if it were possible to obey all Gods Commandements they may be damned for want of obedience to some one of Antichrists comands which must needs be a miserable bondage for any man to make a new command that is not under the command of God and to make damnation to be the punishment of disobedience to it then men are in danger of Damnation a hundred of waies more then for sinning against Gods Law Thirdly Those that are under Antichrist are under great bondage in being kept from the rule of life from the Scriptures Wherein the counsels of Gods will concerning their Eternal Estate are revealed Those that are slaves are kept in dangers and cannot have the priviledges of subjects or of Children So Antichrist keeps all under him in the most base slavery in depriving of them from this priviledg of Children that they cannot know the mind of their Fathers and the great things of God that concerns their Eternal Estate what man that knows any thing of those great things concerning his Eternal Estate would be under that slavery And yet if so be we had continued under the bondage of Antichrist we must have been deprived of this Fourthly If they hear any thing of the word they are bound to take no other interpretation but the Churches the Preists give them though it be never so gross now to bind mens Consciencs to this is a most abinable Bondage And yet what vile Interpretations If it is Blasphemy for the Devil to say he will ascend and be like the highest no less to make God descend to be like the Prince of darkness to set the Kings stamp upon false coyne Now to bind mens consciences to their wicked interpretations of Scripture this is a most abominable bondage 5. This is a great bondage that no Ordinance can be administred but by the power of Antichrist and those he shall give power unto and this is a great bondage to the Church to be stinted in Gods Ordinances They are the Churches priviledges especially that of Prayer the spirit of Prayer and Supplication is one of the especial Priviledges of the Church Gal. 4.6 Because you are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father There he speakes of the liberty of Gods people as they are sons they have the fruit of their son-ship Now when as God doth give his spirit to his Church as part of their liberty for them to be restrained in their liberty to pray just no more then the Pope shal appoint and so to have no Ordinances but according to his power what abominable bondage is this and what heart that knows any true Christian liberty would be in such a bondage 6. He takes upon him power of absolving and binding keeping men under the guilt of sin and loosing of them from it when he pleases from this power over mens consciences is commited all manner of villanie 7. Another Bondage which is greater then all is that he keeps men under the rigor and curse of the Law by keeping men off from Christ and teaching the doctrin of justification to be by the works of the Law he keeps
you flee 3. Behave your selves as exiled people as men mortified to the things of the world 4. Get a contented frame of heart 5. When you are delivered keep your selves in the fervency of your spirits 6 Let those from whom you flee have your prayers Page 70 Chap. 13. How the Heart may be taken off from the fear of man First it is against the solemn charge of God Secondly It is an Idolizing of the Creature Thirdly It becomes not the State and Spirit and profession of a Christian Fourthly It dishonors God and the Cause of God Fifthly It mightily heartens the enemies of Gods people Sixthly It is threatened as a great judgment of God upon a people Seventhly The evil effects of the sinful fear of man 1. It distracts our thoughts 2. Weakens the heart 3. Eats out the true fear of God 4. It indisposeth us to any service 5. Insnares a Christian 6. It. causeth other desperate fears 7. Procures the judgment of God in our destruction Page 78 Chap. 14. Another Doctrine Much difference between Gods peoples spirits at several times Illustrated by examples Reasons 1. From the different dispositions their hearts are in to receive truths Which proceeds from Three Causes First the abatement of the strength that is opposite to that truth Secondly The stirrings or activity of those habits which are sutable to truth Thirdly The prevalences of self interest Reas 2. From the different representations of Truth Reas 3. Because the Graces of men do not burn so cleerly and purely at al times Reas 4. From the weakness of Grace the parts and members of it are not consolidated Reas 5. Because our hearts are sometimes filled with more heavenly consolations then at other times Reas 6. From the different breathings of the spirit of God Reas 7. Because men have somtimes a more clear and distinct sight of their call to suffer then at other times 3. Particular directions in this Case Reas 8. The different tempers of mans Body Reas 9. From the difference in the encouraging occurrency of Gods providence Page 97 Chap. 15. Containing the First Use Which teacheh us to entreat God not to take the advantage of us when our hearts are low Page 110. Chap. 16. Another Vse to teach us not to be discouraged at this different temper of our Spirits but to be humbled for it Five Helps against discouraging thoughts Two objections Page 113 Chap. 17. Containing the Third Vse of Direction branched into four particulars 1. If couragious and fit for service give God the praise Four reasons for it 2. Learn to rebuke unbelief 3. Labor to keep your hearts up The manner how that may be done in eight particulars 4. Improve this gracious working of God Page 119 Chap. 18. A fourth Vse To be restless till we get our selves into a good frame Page 128 Chap. 19. A Fifth Vse To see the misery of being alwaies unfit for service A Sixt Vse To teach us to long for Heaven Page 130 Chap. 20. Shewing the power of Faith to carry through the most difficult work Question What is there in Faith which helps the Soul Answered in four Particulars 1. It settles the Heart on the surest ground which is Gods call and Promises 2. It fetches in the greatest strength 3. It assists with the highest encouragements 5. Faith of its own Nature is a mighty strong principle The most illustrious work of Faith Thirteen remarkable things concerning Faith and the difficulties which it breaks through Page 133. Chap. 21. Vses of the Doctrine Use First Let none think God an hard Master when he puts them upon service because he affords them a principle to carry them through Use Secondly To Beleevers that they should expect to be put upon difficult things 1. Four considerations against discouragements It is not to be accounted an affliction to be put upon difficult things for 4. Reasons Use Thirdly Shewing it can be no concluding argument against a work because there are hindrances Use Fourthly When you have been carried through difficult services consider what it was which supported you Page 145 Chap. 22. Quest How to know whether Faith wil carry us through difficult works Answered in several particulars 1. Faith Goes upon spiritual grounds motives and ends 2. Makes men sollicitous and careful for the enjoyment of Gods presence with them 3. Causes men to carry themselves in a Gracious manner 4. To have an high esteem of the name of God 5 Makes them careful that they may not be frustrated of their end 6. It makes men satisfied with God Alone 7. Faith is a continued work That Faith which brought you out will carry you through Page 156 Chap. 23. Containing other uses of the point Use 5. Shews the reason why we faile in any thing we do it is for want of Faith Use 6. Labor to rise in indignation against your unbelief Use 7. Consider what it is to faile in that work which concernes thy eternal estate Page 162 Chap. 24. Helps to put on Faith in any undertaking 1. Set before you the example of our great Captain Jesus Christ 2. Make preparation for the work of Faith by Humiliation 3. Renew your Faith in the Covenant of Grace 4. In difficult times set Faith on work to purifie the heart 5. Take heed of shifting waies and dependances 6. Set loose from your own ends 7. Cast your selves upon the word of God 8. Plead the word with God in Prayer 9. Refuse no meanes that God puts into your hands 10. Do nothing with a slavish spirit 11. Be not discouraged by miscarriages that are past 12. Take heed of the disturbance of passion in your work 13. Observe the dependances one work hath upon another 14. Lisson not to Temptations 15. Take heed of perverse reasonings 16. Take heed of disorderly working in four cases 17. Vse resolution and courage 18. Look on your selves as Gods Instruments 19. Be constant though you find nothing come of it 20. Encrease not the difficulty by your carriage 21. Look most at your Encouragements 22. Vse not the difficulty in the way to reason against the work 23. Labor to harden your selves by Faith against al difficulties Page 165 Chap. 25. Containing a second consideration of the Text to wit and Allegoricall interpretation of Moses forsaking Egypt by Faith Warrant for Allegoricall interpretations Forsaking this world renouncing our naturall estate a difficult work Fourteen reasons of it Page 184 Chap. 26. How Faith carries the Soul through the Difficult work of forsaking Egypt Their Works of Faith 1. The discovering work in two particulars 2. The relying Work 3. The Surrendring work Question Resolved concerning the force of Natural Conscience in three Particulars shewing the great difference between the actings of Faith and Natural Conscience Application 1. Hence see the Ground of Miscarriages 2. A Rule of Direction Incouragements to Faith and Beleeving 3. Let delivered Persons see what delivered them Faith which acts by a power without us Twelve
to their Minister then upon their Minister to them the Minister is tyed to the whole directly and they are tyed to him by being tyed to one another and if there be liberty for one member of a Church to depart when he wil then there is liberty for another and so for all and if liberty for them to depart then there is liberty for the Minister too many cry out of the Minister if he leave his people when he list there is as much cause for a Minister to cry out of his people if they leave him when they list Secondly If there be such a tye upon a Minister to venture thus for his people he had need look to his cal and the especiall cause why in other places and we our selves when we were elsewhere were so ready to fear and Flee upon every occasion was because there did remain some kind of feare and suspicion of our call Thirdly If there be such a tye upon a Minister to his people his people had need labor what possibly they can to encourage their Minister there need be strong union in their spirits and they should take heed of catching of this body and that body or that melancholy suspicions be cast to hinder the least union that if time of danger come they may freely and chearfully venture themselves amongst them we know not what things God may call us to the way that we walk in and desire to walk in is that which the world and the Devil hate and though through Gods providence we have a breathing time yet if we resolve to walk in this way whatsoever befal we may meet with much before we die and as we are bound to venture all that we are or have for you so al that you are or have should be bound to us But in some cases a Minister may be so affraid as to Flee and yet not to sin as the Prophets Christ and the Apostles did Flee in the time of danger A minister may Flee if the persecution be personal and not general and so as his people be provided for otherwise by others and so as he may be more useful to his people being absent then he could have done being present and if he Flee being willing to returne again when God shal shew him his way and if people break their relations when things fal thus then certainly he may Flee In that Epistle of Augustine to Honorius he instanced in Athanasius and justifies his Fleeing because the Emperour was incensed and enraged against his person and he was willing to returne when God should give occasion I might instance in al these but I wil only instance in that if they Flee being willing to returne as God gives occasion As Saint Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14. if you compare it with that in Chap. 13. They Fled two or three times from several places and yet when there was respite they returned again to the very same places from whence they Fled In Chap. 13.14 They came to Antioch there the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable Women and the cheif men of the City and raised persecution against them and expelled them out of their coasts being persecuted from thence they came to Iconium where they sped as before in Chap. 14.5 From thence they went to Lystria at the begining of the verse where at first they thought them as Gods but afterwards so malicious were those of Antioch and Iconium that when they heard they were at Lystria they came to persecute them there so in all these three places they were persecuted even to death Yet at verse 21. they returned again to those three places thus you see the practice of the Apostles But if the relation be broke between minister people then they may depart In the time of persecution the case is more difficult it is not so difficult for a Minister to leave his people in regard of sickness and weakness of body as in the time of persecution and he is more bound to stay with them in the time of persecution then in the time of sickness Christ says the hireling when the Wolfe comes he Flyes from the Sheep A true Shepheard undertakes to venture his life against the Wolfe and for him to avoid that danger he undertakes that must needs be unfaithfulness Jacob was content to watch his Sheep in the night in the frost and cold as wel as in the day and in summer time The scripture doth not say if a Lyon come he is a hireling that shal Fly away if the danger be such as nothing but a miracle can preserve him and his life may be more useful to the Church in another place then to lay it down there then he is not as an hireling but as a wise Shepheard may avoid danger CHAP. 12. Containing the eighth particular to wit Answering some objections made against flying ob 1. Men may not leave their country Answ in two particulars ob 2. Should none stay to suffer Ans ob 3. God Alsufficient to help in greatest dangers Ans ob 4. Fleeing a ceasing to give testimony to the truth of God Ans ob 5. Many of Gods servants had power to fly and did not Ans ob 6. What shall become of those left behind if they are forsaken by men of ability Ans ob 7. If men would master their feares and stay a while the cloud would blow over Ans Ninth parcular Directions for ordering our selves when we do fly 1. Leave as litle guilt behind in the place as you can 2. Carry your selves so that the name of God may not suffer in the place to which you flee 3. Behave your selves as exiled people as men mortified to the things of the world 4. Get a contented frame of heart 5. When you are delivered keep your selves in the fervency of your spirits 6. Let those from whom you flee have your praiers AND now I come to the Eighth particular to answer some objections that may be made against this Object 1. It may be said men may not leave their country Answer We know a mans country may be left on many occasions as for merchandising to get estates to maintaine their families so Ruth and Abraham and his Sonns did For learning as the Queen of Sheba did surely then for Religion It is true if we see any opportunity of setting up Relgion in our own Countrie we are bound to set it up there rather then any where else but if not we may leave our country as the Evnuch travelled and left his countrie to come to Jerusalem for Religions sake Besides God hath a great work of providence in scattering his people and had it not been for persecution it is not like the word of God should have been spread abroad in divers countries Objection 2 But should none stay to suffer Answer For this we are to know that fleeing is a suffering and if it be examined to the bottome many plead with others to
humiliation and much seeking of God surely that should be the matter of our praises 3. This is a gracious visitation of God God comes in with this and here is the presence of God and therfore there is much cause of praise 4. It is an argument that God hath some especial service for you to do now those that are godly count this a great mercy for God to have any employment for them now that they have received an evidence to their souls that God intend to imploy them this is a great mercy Secondly Learn to check your Unbelief when your hearts were down you were ready to say it would never be otherwise now check your hearts and bring your hearts to this conclusion I will never think it in vain to seek God though I do not find him come in presently and I will learn though I may judg my self worthy that God should leave me yet I will never determine that God will not come in because I see Gods waies are not as my waies and Gods thoughts are not as my thoughts Oh take heed of judging the waies and thoughts of God according to your waies and thoughts Thirdly Is God come in and do you find that you have a spirit of courage and boldness more than before now you find God sweetly breathing upon you to put life into that dead and to raise that heavy heart of yours do you find God sweetly and comfortably enlivening your souls and putting the spirit of confidence in that unbeleeving heart of yours Labor to keep your hearts thus There is a great deal of difficulty when a thing is fallen down to get it up but when a thing is up if one be careful it is not difficult to keep it up It is a notable expression that David had when he found the hearts of the people got up in their willing Offering 1 Chron. 29.18 O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare their hearts unto thee So let it be thy prayer and it is my prayer for thee Is thy heart up more than before Pray O God of Abraham Isaac and Israel keep this in the thoughts of the heart of this man or woman for ever be careful now to keep your hearts up so when you are well or otherwise if you should lose this through this negligence 1 It wil make you cal into question the truth of these gracious breathings yea you wil think it was but a meer flash such as Hypocrites may have yea not cal this into question only but to cal the truth of al into question this is that which makes men take the foundation of al because their hearts somtimes are raised and they through their negligence let them fall and lose that spiritual life and courage once they had and so bring abundance of sadness upon their hearts now as you would have an evidence of the truth of Gods work upon you and the truth of grace labor to keep up your hearts 2 Labor to keep up your hearts otherwise if they fal off again the waies of God wil come to be very tedious to you As a man that walks unevenly in regard of the unevenness of his leggs or the unevenness of the way he is quickly tired and so if a Christians way be up and down and there be not an evenness in his way he is quickly discouraged and a main means to help one to go on with freedom and courage in Gods waies is to go on in an even course 3 If so be you lose this you lose the beauty of your profession the beauty of the waies of Godliness consists much in the constancy and if your way be up and down there is no beauty in your conversation it takes away the convincing power of your way and conversation if others saw your hearts up and saw a constant evenness in your way this would mightily convince them that it is a work of Gods Spirit upon your hearts but somtimes your hearts are up and down again somtime you are patient and meek at other times you are passionate and fretting this doth not convince them that it is the work of Gods Spirit but only the stirring of a natural spirit 4 By this means you wil cause God to walk differently with you if you keep not up your hearts when God hath raised them though God be in a way of mercy you wil cause him to walk in a way of displeasure against you 5 Again When your hearts are up that is the thing that the Devil doth most watch to give you a trip in As when Daniel walked so strictly in al the matters of the Kingdom as they could find no fault in him they accused him in the matter of his God of his Religion so saies the Devil if I should tempt him to such and such sins I cannot prevail but there is such a way I may prevail and the Devil doth labor there most to trip you As he did with Christ in another case when you are on the top of the pinacle then he labors to throw you down It is true it is the work of God that hath brought you up to the pinacle but there the Devil doth labor to throw you down Quest You wil say How shall we come to keep up our hearts whenas our hearts are in a better frame than at some other times Answ First When your hearts are up labor to make use of that grace that raised your hearts improve it so as to make your hearts more holy and more upright A Tree if it sprout upward only and do not run down in the root proportionably it wil wither and die and so if grace do work only upward in abilities and performances of duties and joy and such things and do not proportionably work downward in the root it is like it will come to little and you will soon lose all Secondly Work that grace you find in your inward as wel as outward man Do not think it enough that you have stirrings of Grace to enable you to do duties but improve this grace for the working out of corruption consider the corruptions of your heart and now take the advantage to work them out Thirdly be sure you take nothing that is Gods due at this time that is if God have raised your hearts though the peace and joy of it be yours the Glory of it is Gods do not be fingering of that take heed of lifting up of your hearts in a way of pride it is enough your heart is lifted up in a way of grace and you must be content with that but many when God gives them a lift in a way of Grace they cannot be content with their part the peace and the joy but they lift up themselves in a way of pride and would have some of Gods part of the Glory and that spoils all Fourthly When you
are in the best condition prepare for the greatest suffering to lie down at Gods feet and this will keep the heart in a sweet frame many when they have got their hearts up for service they never think of suffering now they are in a safe condition and free from trouble and they bless themselves and when trouble falls upon them unexpectedly their hearts sinke and they think God is come against them in displeasure and if that raysing of spirit had been true God would have kept me from suffering such and such hard things thou art deceived in that a gracious heart that is wise when he is most enabled to do service he wil prepare for suffering Fifthly Take heed of depending upon the old stock do not rest on grace received but keep thy heart sensible of a need of a supply of grace many when they have been seeking of God and have in some measure got that they prayed for they think they have stock enough and they can trade prety well in the world but though we had a hundred times as much grace as we have and had not supply from Christ we should fail Sixthly Watch against the least declineing and account it a very great evil to decline and therefore be often calling of your selves to an account at such and such a time it was so with me how is it now is it now as it was then when people decline it is hard it is tedious to them to think of returning and therefore they decline and decline and loose all wherefore observe the beginning of your declinings and cal your selves to an account dayly that when you abate in the least degree you may reforme it Seventhly Do not content your selves with what you have but yet get higher and higher the heart must be in motion upward or downward therefore the way to get establishment is to be in a continual motion upwards as in 2 Pet. 3.17.18 Saies the Apostle beware least you also being led away by the eror of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness God hath brought you into a good temper take heed you do not fal from your steadfastness how shall we do grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ Labor to get higher Eightly Improve that you have well and that wil be the way to contrive that you have God justly takes it from you if you do not improve it It were a blessed thing if our hearts might be kept up constantly our lives would be comfortable to our selves and wonderfully comfortable to others we should cause the people of God to rejoyce in us otherwise it takes away the comfort that Gods people might have in us though we be up at sometimes there is a great deal of crosness at other times There is a notable expression for this of Saint Paul to the Philippians 1 Phil. 3.4 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you Sometime a Minister of God may thank God upon the remembrance of such and such workings upon the hearts of his people but never to think of them but to thank God this is a great matter Alwaies in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy Sometime a Minister can make his request with joy for his people but at other times it is with sorrow but people should labor so to walk as that a Minister may make request with joy for them And so we pass to the last thing Fourthly If God have raised your hearts improve it we have but a little time and we have not many opportunities and therefore we had not need lose any time then it is not often we have abilities to do for God and therefore when we have them we should improve them As a Scholler that hath a weak Body and is not alwaies fitted for study if he find himself fitted at any time he is loth to lose one hour of his study then So with a Merchant or Marriner that lay long for a wind when it does come he is greedy of that opportunity so we are fain to lie long for a wind we see our duty and are convinced of it but we want the breathings and assistance of Gods Spirit and wait for a wind if God do come in seasonably we had need improve it if we had improved al those times that were sit what abundance might we have got by this time When we are fit for outward imployment we may do more in one hour than we could have done in ten hours before at other times they do but bungle and trouble themselves and little good comes of it but when they are fit for work and the work goes off well what encouragement is it And so if we had taken all advantages that we found in our hearts since we came to the knowledg of Gods waies what abundance might we have done Indeed in comparison of that which God is worthy of though we had spent al our lives in his service it would have been but little but in comparison of that we have done it might have been abundance Quest But you wil say How shall we improve this time Answ First When God is come into you look back to former neglects in your running with God in the time of unfitness Many times you have said I am unfit for duty and therefore you have left it undone which you ought not to have done Now if God have put your hearts into a fitness labor to make up your former neglects in your running with God If a man decay in his Estate and break through negligence and he be set up again it is expected he should make up former neglects and so doth God expect of us Secondly Set upon those duties that you never could do before Thirdly Gather up al the experiences of God towards you at this time if you have had more manifestations of Gods presence with you than before treasure them up Fourthly When God doth grant unto you peace and joy make use of all the peace and comfort you have for the furtherance of the work of your grace and that is a mighty improvement of that which God doth give you do not only improve your grace but that which comes in Many that have comfort and peace rest in that as the fruit of al the good they do as their reward but they do not look at that as a means of further service Fiftly Improve this work of God upon your hearts by watching al opportunities let time now be precious unto you let there none be lost Sixtly Labor for that Christian skil to make up the graces of God every way according as God calls for the use of them There are divers uses of Gods graces somtime for life and comfort at other times for defence somtimes to draw in at other times to let out as Isa 2.4 They shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning books they should have peace and their
instruments should be of another fashion But in Joel 3.10 it is otherwise They shal beat their plow-shares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears So apply it to grace somtime grace is to bring life and nourishment to the soul at other times it is to bring in grace As Faith somtime it is to close with Christ and bring nourishment from him at other times Faith is to be a Shield Many Christians look upon the work of grace to bring life and strength to themselves but have not skil to make use of grace as a shield So Hope somtimes it is to prop the soul at other times it is to be a Helmet So we should labor to understand the use of graces according to the several imployments that God calls for somtime one way somtime another And this is the Third Use CHAP. 18. A fourth Vse To be restless till we get our selves into a good frame USE 4. A Fourth Use is this If it be so that Gods people are in such a different frame of spirit somtime they are afraid and their hearts are down at other times they have a spirit of courage and fitness for any service that God wil have them to do This should teach us when our hearts are down and not in that fitness we desire to be restless till we get our selves in a good frame Somtime the Godly have their hearts in a good frame and therefore it is possible to be had and we should never be in rest til we had got it Quest But how shall we get up our hearts when they are not in a frame fit for service Answ First Be sensible of the evil of an unserviceable heart so as to be humbled before God for the want of it and be more sensible of the evil of that than sensible of the evil of want of peace and comfort Many when they find their hearts down and not in that degree fit for service that they desire they are troubled for it but the reason is because their hearts being down there arise doubts of their condition and their peace is hindred and they cannot have comfort in it but they are not so much troubled because they are unserviceable and want hearts fitted for duty and that is the reason why their hearts are kept down Now this should be our care to be more sensible of the unserviceableness of our hearts than of the unpeaceableness of our hearts Secondly Observe which way the strength of your spirit is let out and labor to recal your hearts from that as thus If the strength of a mans spirit be not for God it is let out to somwhat else it is alwaies working some way or other if it be not let out to some one particular object it is scattered and divided into divers objects Now if your strength be not let out for God call your hearts to an account where is the strength of my heart which way runs it If it can be discerned which way the strength of your heart is let out whether to any creature or any lust that should be your care to get it off Thirdly When you come to present your selves before God in his Ordinances come with hearts panting after strength as when you come to the Word Prayer or Sacraments bethink your selves beforehand I come before the Lord that I may get this dull heart of mine quickned in such and such a particular I find my heart unserviceable in such a particular Now my heart presents it self before God and pants after God to be fitted for service in such a particular it is much may be done when we come to the presence of God panting for help from God in such particulars Fourthly Observe the beginnings of Gods coming into your hearts and acknowledg them and improve them and follow them many times God is coming into the heart and because God comes not in fully as much as they would at first they take no notice of the beginnings of the work of God to imbrace them and improve them There are a great many sparks have fallen upon your hearts if they had been gathered together they might have been a flame by this time but because God did not come in with a flame all together they did not regard that you said what can a spark do upon my heart if you had improved that little you might have had more by this time Fiftly Labor to recall all those soul quickning Truths that ever you have felt working upon your hearts there was a time my heart was more lively I can remember since God did come in with his truth and work mightily upon my heart labor to recal those truths and set them fresh before your hearts with as much power as possibly you can and keep your hearts in view of them continually and by meditation chafe them into your hearts though the flesh be benummed yet if it be rubbed and exercised there will come strength and so those soul quickning Truths that you have found before have quickned your hearts if you present them afresh before the heart and chafe them by meditation they wil get some strength and life into the heart Lastly Look into the present condition you are in and exercise the duties sutable to your present condition CHAP. 19 A Fifth Vse To see the misery of being alwaies unfit for service A Sixt Vse To teach us to long for Heaven USE 5. BUt now in the next place If Gods people find such a difference between themselves that at somtimes it is far otherwise with them than at other times Hence then what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies down and alwaies unfit for service This is a thing that does not usually befal the people of God though somtimes their hearts are down in comparison of other times yet to be alwaies down and unserviceable this do not use to be the condition of the Servants of God this is a sad miserable condition to be so as if you never felt the power of God upon your hearts never felt the Spirit of God breathing upon you never felt the grace of God stirring upon you you come and hear the Word and those Truths that are soul-quickning warming Truths that stir others and their hearts lie lumpish as a Log that lies in a flash of water seven yeers together and is never stirred by them Like unto a vessel in a House that is cast aside and lies moulding and rotting that is never imployed nor fitted for any service are these Vessels of Honor In 2 Tim. 2.21 the Scripture speaks of Vessels that are in a great house that are Vessels of honor and he describes them that they are purged and fitted for the masters use and prepared for every good work Now if a vessel lie alwaies moulding and rotting and never used this is for the fire and not for use So those hearts that are alwaies moulding and rotting and never fit for service they may fear they are
other works and his name suffer some dishonour by it yet he will have a care they shall not faile in the maine work and were we not sure of this that God will have a care that our unbeleeving hearts shall not spoile us in that maine work we have to do about our Eternal estate we could never have comfort know the covenant wil not bear this the covenant will beare that God should let our faith faile in some works but it will not beare this that God should suffer the least degree of faith to faile in that work which concerns the eternal good of the soul Christ is called the mighty counseller and the maine work of Christ is to counsel the soul in those things that concern its eternal estate and notwithstanding all its unworthiness he will counsel it so far as it shall not miscarry in that great business yet Christ doth not alwaies afford his counsel in every particular action As God deales in the way of his counsel so of his power though he may withdraw his strength so as not to assist our faith in some particular actions yet in the maine and great business that concerns our eternal estate we shall not want necessary strength As a Father that is going along with his child may be he goes in such waies as the child is in danger of many a fall to get many a knock and sore bruise the father will say to him have a care take heed but if he come to a way that if the child fall he lose his life the father wil not content himself with saying take heed but he takes hold on him till he be past that place so God in all our ordinary business saies look to your Faith exercise your faith but for all that we get many a fall and many a knock but then may be there comes another work that concerns our eternal estate which if we faile in we are undone for ever god takes hold of the soul there and will not let them miscarry in that which is the infinite mercy of God to us and were we not sure of Gods mercy in that respect being conscious to our selves of our unbeleeving hearts we might fear yea conclude we should faile CHAP. 24. Helps to put on Faith in any undertaking 1. Set before you the example of your great Captain Jesus Christ 2. Make preparation for the work of Faith by Humiliation 3. Renew your Faith in the Covenant of Grace 4. In difficult times set Faith on work to purifie the heart 5. Take heed of shifting waies and dependances 6. Set loose from your own ends 7. Cast your selves upon the word of God 8. Plead the word with God in prayer 9. Refuse no meanes that God puts into your hands 10. Do nothing with a slavish spirit 11. Be not discouraged by miscarriages that are past 12. Take heed of the disturbance of passion in your work 13. Observe the dependances one work hath upon another 14. Lisson not to Temptations 15. Take heed of perverse reasonings 16. Take heed of disorderly working in four cases 17. Vse resolution and Courage 18. Look on your selves as Gods Instruments 19. Be constant though you find nothing come of it 20. Encrease not the difficulty by your Carriage 21. Look most at your Encouragements 22. Vse not the difficulty in the way to reason against the work 23. Labor to harden your selves by faith against all difficulties NOw doth God call you to any service or work that hath any difficulty in it you see what it is that will help David by Faith in Psal 18.29 Says he could break through a troop and leap over a wall and break a bow of Steel and Paul could do all things through Christ that strengthened him As Christ said of Miraculous faith so it may be said of Justifying Faith If you had faith but as a graine of mustard seed you should say unto this mountaine be removed hence to yonder place and unto this Sycamine tree be thou plucked up by the roots and be thou planted in the Sea and they shall obey you in Math. 17.20 And in Luke 17.6 And so Faith if it come to a sin that is rooted it will be able to pluck it up by the roots and to remove mountains There is nothing more weake and unuseful then on ordinary conceited faith that is but a bare opinion and groundless hope but nothing more strong and usefull then true Faith it hath the quintessence of all graces as the root of the herb hath the vertue and quintessence of all the fruite and branches in it so faith hath the quintessence of all grace and therfore it will do great things As it was said of Luther that had much faith he could do whatsoever he would So it may be said of Faith and the Scripture saith so of it Faith can do what it will it was the speech of Christ to the woman O Woman great is thy Faith be it unto thee as thou wilt In Math. 15.28 Those whose faith is great it shall be to them as they will but know it must be exercised it is not enough to have it in the habit but the activity and exercise of it wherefore for the putting on of your Faith 1. Let us set before us the example of our great Captaine the Lord Jesus Christ you know what difficult works Christ undertooke for the salvation of man such difficult works as all the Angells in heaven and creatures in the world would have sunke under But Christ went through them and there was a work of Faith in Christ that carried him through though it was not such a work of faith as ours Justifying Faith yet he had a Faith his trust in his father that did help to carry him through great and difficult works In 2 Heb. 12.13 Christ is propounded as an example unto us Saying I will declare thy name unto my brethren in the midst of the Church will I sing praise unto thee Christ in his own person did praise God and he sung praises in the hearts of his people so that by the way take this as a comfortable note to encourage us to publique duties while we are praysing of God Christ is praysing of God while we are singing of psalms to God in a gracious manner Christ is praysing of God the father And again I will put my trust in him it is a speech of Christ unto the Father Christ put his trust in the Father and the example of the work of Faith in Christ to carry him through all the works he had to do is brought as an incouragement unto Christians to cast their relyance on God the Father to carry them through all the hard works they have to do And as Christ did not only praise God in his own person but in the Church so Christ did not only in his own person trust in the Father and so was carried through the difficult works he had to do but he trusted
to miscarry for his own part was the disturbance of his passion when he came to strike the rock to get water for the people for not sanctifying the name of God but did it in a passion that was the thing that made him miscarry as in Psalm 106.32.33 They angred him also at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes So you may be have done some works so as you have found God strengthning of you at length you come to a work where may be there is more difficulty then before and there being more difficulty your hearts are disquieted take heed you miscarry not now it is a special thing to carry on a hard work well to go on with quietness disquiet and passion do much hinder as it was the case of the people of Israel in the beginning of Exodus When Moses came they could not harken to him because of the anguish of heart and the greatness of their bondage So to apply it spiritually you are sensible of some griâ—vous bondage under some corruptions and you have much anguish of spirit that you cannot overcome such and such corruptions but take heed you be not so disturbed in your hearts as your being in anguish under that bondage hinder you from hearkning to the Lord in his word and conceiving the mind and will of God a right and knowing how to order your selves in a right way it was so with them and truly this is just the case of many people because they are sensible of the bondage they are in under their corruptions they are so troubled and their hearts are in such a toile and tumult that they cannot hearken to any thing that should guide themselves in this work 13. Another rule for the ordering of your Faith to help you through difficult works is to observe the dependances that one work hath upon another many see a work God would have them to do and they presently set upon that and do not observe what dependance this hath upon somwhat else and so miscarry Suppose a Mariner or some other should have a work to go and pull such a cable such a rope he goes to the place that is in view to pull that rope but may be there is some other line that holdes it in some other place and they may pull their hearts out and never pull the thing they would So many are striving and laboring and tugging in many duties but there is some secret holdfast that they observe not that those duties have dependance upon and they can never bring their work to pass As one complaines of the difficulty of getting a heart to go to God in prayer God knows I have been in prayer have striven with my soul with al my might as in the presence of God for to get up my heart you strive and tug at this and may be you think of some promise and exercise faith too but there is some corruption that seems to be a great way off from this that this hath dependance upon which makes this difficult and you should set your faith on work to deliver your selves from that and then it will come off better as now may be you have been striving to get your hearts up to God in prayer and if you look well to it it may be the frowardness and petrishness and passion of your hearts in your families with servants or wife or husband is that which keeps down your heart when you come into Gods presence you should first have set your faith on work to have cured that and if you had cured that you might have got up your hearts many slip over many corruptions and look at duties a great way off and they strive and take pains but if they had true Christian wisdome they should look what difficulty and hinderance lay between them and that dutie and they should labor to take away that And so for faith we cannot beleeve in God and in the promises may be there lay a sluggish heart in your particular calling it may be so far off though you think there be but little dependance of Faith in that And so in affliction you would faine have your hearts be patient may be there laie a dead lumpishness of heart and drowsiness of spirit and therefore look narrowly to corruption though never so far off and set thy heart in general against all one as well as another 14 Againe take need of listening to temptation when as you are about any hard work there will come abundance of temptation what you go through this work those that have been stronger then you have miscarried it is a mighty hard work and you are a poor creature If it be the work of the Lord go to it with a naked upright heart If I miscarry so it is and do not mind temptations A very observable place it is of Nehemiah in Nehemi 6.3 When he was about the great work of God the adversaries sent as if they would parly with them and it was for nothing but to hinder his work but mark what he saies I am doing a great work so that I cannot come why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you so do you say to temptation temptation would faine have you come reason the case but say I am about the worke of the Lord why should the work cease and I spend my time and strength about reasoning with you 15. Another rule for the putting on of your faith may be this when you are doing any great work God calls you to do Take heed of perverse reasonings as thus When God calls me to do any service I should reason if I were able to do thus and thus I could beleeve but who can beleeve when they have such a heart so unable to do any thing and so unable to overcome any corruption What a perverse reasoning is this If I could do this I could beleeve you should reason I must beleeve that I may do this as If one should say if I could do any work I hope I should have strength you must have strength to do your work or if I were at my journies end I could go you must go to be at your journies end If I were over Sea I could venture into a Ship you must venture into a Ship that you may come over Sea And so if I could do such a thing I could beleeve how should strength come in but by beleeving Wilt stay beleeving till thou canst get strength it is as much as if one should say I wil stay going into a Ship til I get over Sea his going into the Ship is a means to get over Sea and so beleeving is the way to get strength and therefore do not reason from thy want of strength to hinder faith but rather reason from thy want of strength to further faith 16. Again when you go about any work that is difficult take heed of any disorderly
some notes to shew you who those are that are delivered from this Egypt by Faith And who those are that seem to be delivered upon other grounds 1. Those that are delivered by Faith are those that are wel grounded in the Doctrinal and maine points of Religion Faith can never work off the soul from the Government and Ceremonies of Antichrist unless it be well grounded in the doctrine and principles of Religion if I see men crie out of Antichrist and of the Government of Antichrist and it appears that they have not a competent measure of knowledg in the grounds of Religion and Principles of Faith they are to be suspected As many come and examine them about Church Government and they wil tell you a great deale not but that Christians should labor to have knowledg in that but come to examine them the Principles of Religion and there they are silly and ignorant if they be not grounded in them it appears it is not a work of Faith 2. If it be a work of Faith it is a work of much Humiliation and Prayer was there a time you were under the power and bondage of Antichrist how came you from under it did God shew you the evil of it and you sought God in much Humiliation and prayer for the taking off your hearts from it and shewing you his good way and did you find your hearts comming off was by that meanes that is a good argument it was of Faith but many their Consciences tell them it was not a work of Humiliation and Prayer that brought off their hearts they are to be feared 3. If it be a work of Faith it alwaies le ts in light as in the point of the government of Christ many cry out against Antichristian government and come and examine them about it and they have no more light no other arguments nor further understanding then before but only a bitterness of spirit against it If a man grow bitter against those things which before he yeilded too he had need have more light but if they grow exceeding bitter against them and have no further light and understanding then before it is an argument it is a distemper of heart rather then any thing else And therefore casting off all at once is very suspitious where it is of Faith God lets in light by degrees It s said of Luther in his reformation First he saw the evil of one thing and then the evil of another and so by degrees saw the evil of all And so those that forsake the bondage of Antichrist By Faith first God makes them suspect their way surely this is not the right way there is some better way and then they fall a praying and humbling of themselves and they fall examining and so they come to see the evil of one thing and then they examine another and so light comes in by degrees and then their hearts rise against them and if according to the measure of Light that you have your hearts do come off that is a good signe 4. If you break from Antichrist by Faith it will make you a Separate from the world aswel as Separate from them Many are Separates from any thing that hath but the least dependancy upon Antichristian government but they conform themselves to the world that there appears no difference between them and the world in their loose courses that man that is a conformist to the world is not a Non-Conformist to Antichrist by Faith 5. If Faith take you off from the bondage under Antichrist it wil take you off from the bondage under any lust That man that hath not the power of Faith to take him off from any Lust That man is not by Faith taken off from the bondage of Antichrist If Faith delivere from the bondage under Antichrist it will deliver from the bondage under Sin and Sathan and therefore though men do crie out of the bondage of Antichrist never so much and yet they go on under the bondage of any Lust it is not of Faith 6. That Soul that is taken from under the power of Antichrist by Faith is subject to the power and goverment of Christ and the Word If Faith takes from the one it puts under the other nothing but the Word can be the ground of Faith and if Faith takes a Soul from under the bondage of Antichrist Such a Soul finds the Word comes with divine power and majesty upon the heart and it laies a trembling heart under the power and majesty of the Word and it dares not goe from it no not in no other thing You plead for the Word in such and such things but there are other things you do not yield to the power of the Word in this is very suspitious Those that by Faith are brought from the power of Antichrist their hearts are put mightily under the power of the Word and they ly with trembling spirits before the majesty and Authority of the word 7. If it be Faith that takes off the Heart such a one is not content that he is taken from under the Antichristian government unless he meetes with Christ in the Ordinances he does not content it self with the bare huskes and to make all his Religion to consist meerly in Church discipline and Church constitution and to think therefore he hath Religion enough because he hath the Ordinances and yet never finds any panting of Heart after union and communion with Christ Jesus in this way of Church Government but goes on from year to year mearly in the outward performances of Religion I do not speak against the thing it self but to shew it is not of Faith if men do not pant after union with Christ if they be not sensible of the want of it and do not labor for the enjoyment of it 8. If it be Faith that brings thee from this way certainly thou wilt grow more Spirituall As thy heart will pant after Christ so there wil be a Spiritualness of thy Soul in the waies of Christ because thou comest neerer to the rule And this is the difference between Actions of Religion and civil Actions civil Actions that are done by civil rule have not alwaies success but a Spirituall Action that is done by the rule that hath a Spirituall success though not an outward success it does make the heart ever more Spirituall But for people though they be come from the yoake of Antichrist yet to be as dead as ever no more Spiritualness in their way then before no more savour of Godliness in their society and company then before those that knew them before can say I knew them a great deale more spirituall and savoury in that which is good then they are now This is a dangerous thing 9. Againe If it be out of Faith such a one will give all the glory unto God for his deliverance and he wil walk humbly in his own eyes and think I was disobedient and wretched and should have gone on in that way but God by his grace and power hath come and hath taken off my heart and it does magnifie the grace of God It doth not perke up it self and contemne others to think I have got more wisdom and understanding then others and so attribute it to his wit and understanding but it gives the glory to God and instead of censuring others he prays for them and saies it is not all the arguments under Heaven can convince them for I had arguments enough but they were all as nothing til it pleased God by his Grace to set them upon my heart and so though they may see arguments as wel as I they will not do Therefore he pitties others and prays for them and he hath a reverent respect to the Grace of others though they be not in the same way that he is in he doth not presently cast them off saying surely there is no Grace and Godliness in them this is a signe of a proud spirit there are none that are gracious but know there was a time when they went on in that way and yet they did not goe against their light but were willing to understand Gods mind and yet til God came in their hearts were not taken off and therefore they learn to have good thoughts of those that are godly though in other waies But especially if it were out of Faith that you were brought from this Antichristian Bondage it will not leave in thee the Spirit of Antichrist many are far from being under Antichristian bondage and yet have an Antichristian Spirit a Spirit of pride a domineering Spirit a Crooked Perverse Spirit and this is a great evil that in the way of Christ there should be manifested an Antichristian Spirit this should be lamented with tears of blood Now so much as an Antichristian spirit does rule in any though they be from under his Goverment so much it is to be suspected it was not the work of Faith but somwhat else that took them off We should have the spirit of Christ the spirit of Love and Humillity and gentleness and peace and as we would make it appear we are taken off from the yoak of Antichrist by Faith let us shew the Spirit of Christ as Faith hath taken us off from Antichristian power so we should exercise Faith to go on in the waies of Christ as beseems those that are delivered from Antichristian power FINIS Eorum certitudo A. Mont. Interliâ—