Doctrinals as Justin Martyr Irenaeus Origen against Celsus Tertullians Apolog. c. As Also Philo Josephus Eusebius and others for History Me thinks it is preposterous to see men study so long the meaning of Gods Word before they know whether it be Gods Word or not As the Italians Melancthon mentioneth That would prove Christ was in the Bread before they believed well that he was in Heaven It is no questioning the Truth of Scripture to perswade men to the rightest course to be assured of its Truth I confess my self much offended at some mens doctrine who cry down Reason and Tradition here as if they were enemies to God and his Word and cry up nothing but Scripture and the Spirit Just like the Antinomians in the doctrine of Certainty of Salvation who cry up the Witness of the Spirit and cry down the trying by Signes and Evidences of Sanctification As if these were contrary which are co-ordinate If I had wanted either Reason Tradition or the help of the Spirit I should never have beleeved the Truth of the Scripture I confess for my part I cannot boast of any such Testimony or Light of the Spirit nor Reason neither which without Tradition would have made me beleeve that the Book of Canticles is Canonical and writ by Solomon and the Book of Wisdom Apocryphal and writ by Philo as some think or that Saint Pauls Epistle to the Loadiceans which is in the end of Bruno and others were not Canonical as well as Johns second and third Some men as soon as they hear talk of Reason and Tradition here they zealously cry out It is Socinianism and Popery Scripture is Gods written infallible Law Reason is the Eye by which I must read it The Spirit is the Physitian to cure the blindness of this Eye and in a common sense The very Life and Spirits The Church is the chief but not the onely House where these Records are kept Tradition hath chiefly three Offices It is to the unlearned where Scripture is The Proclaimer of it It is to the learned the Hand that delivereth it to them It is to some that never heard of Scripture a Herauld to proclaim the doctrine which it containeth And why must these needs be set together by the ears May they not yea must they not stand together and further each other The name of Antichrist Socinianism Arminianism for the things I renounce my self hath almost affrighted some men out of their Faith and others out of their Wits Is it any derogation from the Law to say A man must receive it from the hand that bringeth it and read it with his eyes c. A learned godly Divine is offended with Canterbury for these words Reason and ordinary Grace superadded by the help of Tradition do sufficiently enlighten the Soul to discern That Scriptures are the Oracles of God and he saith Here is the Socinians sound or right Reason before the Illumination of the Spirit and to please the Arminians ordinary or universal Grace comes in and the name of Tradition to please the Popish party And what all these are like to do without the special Grace of the Holy Spirit I leave it to any Protestant to judg But what will any Christian deny that there is such a thing as ordinary Grace or that Tradition is necessary to deliver us the Scriptures or hath every man special Grace who beleeveth Scripture to be Gods Word Is it not possible for an unregenerate man to beleeve that What kinde of Preaching would such a man use to Indians Turks or Infidels Are not men sanctified by the Word and must they be sanctified by a Word which they beleeve not that so they may beleeve it Indeed he that saith we may not onely know but know perfectly or know to Salvation without special Grace is mistaken But usually a common Grace and common Knowledg go before Special The same godly Divine against these words of Master Chillingworth The Scripture is not to be beleeved finally for it self but for the matter contained in it So that if men did beleeve the Doctrine contained in the Scripture it should no way hinder their Salvation not to know whether there were any Scripture or no saith I thought it had been necessary to have received those material Objects or Articles of our Faith upon the Authority of God speaking in the Scriptures I thought it had been Anabaptistical to have expected any Revelation but in the Word of God c. I should rather for my part think thus That the immediate Revelation of Scripture from God was not to me but to the first Witnesses and Penmen The way of Conveyance to us is another thing and is a Revelation too The best way is by Scripture which without Tradition no man would ever see or hear of Where this is not to be had there meer Tradition may save and is a Revelation sufficient to Salvation and not Anabaptistical Though Traditional unwritten doctrines to make up the defects of Scripture I abhor And I should ask the Dissenter first Whether men were not saved before Moses without Scripture And as Doctor Usher well observeth One reason why they might then be without it was the facility and certainty of Tradition For Methuselah lived many hundred yeers with Adam and Sem lived long with Methuselah and Isaac lived fiftie yeers with Sem So that three men saw all from the Beginning of the World till Isaacs fiftieth yeer Secondly And were not many saved by the Apostles doctrine many yeers before the New Testament was written And Jews before while the old was almost lost Thirdly What if some Ethiopians Armenians or Papists should by meer Tradition beleeve in Christ and who dare say That they may not should they not be saved He that saith No contradicteth Christ who saith That whosoever beleeveth in him shall not perish which way soover he came by it Will you hear Irenaeus in this who lived before Popery was born Lib. 3. cap. 4. Quid enim siquib de aliqua modica quaestione disceptatio esset Nonne oporteret in antiquissimas recurrere Ecclesias Mark he saith not Ad Romanam Ecclesiam vel ad unam principem in quibus Apostoli conversati sunt ab eis de praesenti quaestione sumere quod certum re liquidum est Quid autem si neque Apostoli quidem Scripturas reliquissent nobis nonne oportebat ordinem sequi Traditionis quam tradiderunt iis quibus committebant Ecclesias Cui Ordinationi assentiunt multae gentes barbarorum eorum qui in Christum credunt sine charactere vel atramento Scriptam habentes per spiritum in cordibus suis salutem veterem Traditionem diligenter custodientes c. Hanc fidem qui sine literis crediderunt quantum ad Sermonem nostrum barbari sunt quantum autem ad sententiam consuetudinem conversationem propter fidem perquam sapientissimi sunt placent Deo c. Sic per illam
strength of Faith but ordinarily to the very beeing of Faith and Churches 20. Not that the present Possession of Scripture is of absolute necessity to the present beeing of a Church not that it is so absolute necessary to every mans salvation that he read or knew this Scripture himself But that it either be at present or have been formerly in the Church that some knowing it may teach it to others is of absolute necessity to most persons and Churches and necessary to the well-beeing of all 21. Though negative unbelief of the authority of Scripture may stand with salvation yet positive and universal I think cannot Or though Tradition may save where Scripture is not known yet he that reads or hears the Scripture and will not believe it to be the Testimony of God I think cannot be saved because this is now the clearest and surest Revelation And he that will not believe it will muchless believe a Revelation more uncertain and obscure 22. Though all Scripture be of Divine Authority yet he that believeth but some one Book which containeth the substance of the Doctrine of salvation may be saved much more they that have doubted but of some particular Books 23. They that take the Scripture to be but the Writings of godly honest men and so to be only a means of making known Christ having a gradual precedency to the Writings of other godly men and do believe in Christ upon those strong grounds which are drawn from his Doctrine Miracles c. rather then upon the Testimony of the Writing as being purely infallible and Divine may yet have a Divine and saving faith 24. Much more those that believe the whole Writing to be of Divine inspiration where it handleth the substance but doubt whether God infallibly guided them in every circumstance 25. And yet more those that believe that the Spirit did guide the Writers to Truth both in Substance and Circumstance but doubt whether he guided them in Orthography or whether their Pens were as perfectly guided as their minds 26. And yet more may those have saving Faith who onely doubt whether Providence infallibly guided any Transcribers or Printers as to retain any Copy that perfectly agreeth with the Autograph 27. Yet do all these in my judgment cast away a singular prop to their faith and lay it open to dangerous assaults and doubt of that which is a certain truth 28. As the Translations are no further Scripture then they agree with the Copies in the Original Tongues so neither are those Copies further then they agree with the Autographs or Original Copies or with some Copies perused and approved by the Apostles 29. Yet is there not the like necessity of having the Autographs to try the Transcripts by as there is of having the Original Transcripts to try the Translations by For there is an impossibility that any Translation should perfectly express the sense of the Original But there is a possibility probability and facility of true Transcribing and grounds to prove it true de facto as we shall touch anon 30. That part which was written by the Finger of God as also the substance of Doctrine through the whole Scriptures are so purely Divine that they have not in them any thing humane 31. The next to these are the words that were spoken by the mouth of Christ and then those that were spoken by Angels 32. The Circumstantials are many of them so Divine as yet they have in them something Humane as the bringing of Pauls Cloak and Parchments and as it seems his counsel about Marriage c. 33. Much more is there something Humane in the Method and Phrase which is not so immediatly Divine as the Doctrine 34. Yet is there nothing sinfully Humane and therefore nothing false in all 35. But an innocent imperfection there is in the Method and Phrase which if we deny we must renounce most of our Logick and Rhetorick 36. Yet was this imperfect way at that time all things considered the fittest way to divulge the Gospel That is the best Language which is best suited to the Hearers and not that which is best simply in it self and supposeth that understanding in the Hearers which they have not Therefore it was Wisdom and Mercy to fit the Scripture to the capacity of all Yet will it not therefore follow that all Preachers at all times should as much neglect Definition Distinction Syllogisme c. as Scripture doth 37. Some Doctrinal passages in Scripture are onely Historically related and therefore the relating them is no asserting them for truth and therefore those sentences may be false and yet not the Scripture false yea some falshoods are written by way of reproving them as Gehezies Lye Sauls Excuse c. 38. Every Doctrine that is thus related onely Historically is therefore of doubtful credit because it is not a Divine assertion except Christ himself were the Speaker and therefore it is to be tried by the rest of the Scripture 39. Where ordinary men were the Speakers the credit of such Doctrines is the more doubtful and yet much more when the Speakers were wicked of the former sort are the Speeches of Jobs friends and divers others of the later sort are the Speeches of the Pharisees c. and perhaps Gamaliels counsel Act. 5.34 40. Yet where God doth testifie his Inspiration or Approbation the Doctrine is of Divine Authority though the Speaker be wicked As in Balaams Prophesie 41. The like may be said of matter of Fact for it is not either necessary or lawful to speak such words or do such actions meerly because men in Scripture did so speak or do no not though they were the best Saints for their own speeches or actions are to be judged by the Law and therefore are no part of the Law themselves And as they are evil where they cross the Law as Josephs swearing the Ancients Polygamy c. so are they doubtful where their congruence with the Law is doubtful 42. But here is one most observable exception conducing much to resolve the great doubt whether Examples binde Where men are designed by God to such an Office and act by Commission and with a promise of Direction their Doctrines are of Divine Authority though we finde not where God did dictate and their Actions done by that Commission are currant and Exemplary so far as they are intended or performed for Example and so Example may be equivalent to a Law and the Argument a facto ad jus may hold So Moses being appointed to the forming of the old Church and Commonwealth of the Jews to the building of the Tabernacle c. his Precepts and Examples in these works though we could not finde his particular direction are to be taken as Divine So also the Apostles having Commission to Form and Order the Gospel Churches their Doctrine and Examples therein are by their general Commission warranted and their practice in stablishing the Lords Day in setling the
of it for to add or diminish the least title that they thought it deserved eternall damnation And I refer it to any man of reason whether so many thousands of men through the world could possibly venture upon eternal torment as well as upon temporal death and all this to deceive others by depraving the Laws which they look to be judged by or the History of those Miracles which were the grounds of their Faith Is not the contrary somewhat more then probable 15. Furthermore The Histories of the Enemies do frequently mention that these Scriptures have been still maintained to the flames Though they revile the Christians yet they report this their attestation which proves the constant succession thereof and the faithful delivery of Christianity and its Records to us It would be but labour in vain to heap up here the several reports of Pagan Historians of the numbers of Christians their obstinacy in their Religion their Calamities and Torments 16. These Records and their Attestations are yet visible over the world and that in such a form as cannot possibly be counterfeit Is it not enough to put me out of doubt whether Homer ever wrote his Iliads or Demosthenes his Orations or Virgil and Oviâ— their several Works or Aristotle his Volums of so many the Sciences when I see and read these Books yet extant and when I finde them such that I think can hardly now be counterfeited no nor imitated but if they could who would have been at that excessive pains as to have spent his life in compiling such Books that he might deceive the world and make men believe they were the Works of Aristotle Ovid c. would not any man rather have taken the honor to himself so here the case is alike Yea these Scriptures though they have less of Arts and Sciences yet are incomparably more difficult to have been counterfeited then the other I mean before the first Copies were drawn I would here stand to shew the utter impossibility of any mans forging these VVritings but that I intend to make up in a peculiar Argument 17. VVhether any Enemy hath with weight of Argument confuted the Christian Cause VVhether when they have undertaken it it hath not been onely an arguing the improbability or assigning the Miracles to other causes or an opposing the Doctrine delivered by the Christians rather then these miraculous actions in question I leave those to judg who have read their VVritings Yea whether their common Arguments have not been Fire and Sword 18. It is an easie matter yet to prove that the enemies of Scripture have been incompetent VVitnesses First Being men that were not present or had not the opportunity to be so well acquainted with the Actions of Christ of the Prophets and Apostles as themselves and others that do attest them Secondly Being men of apparent malice and possessed with much prejudice against the persons and things which they oppose This I might easily and fully prove if I could stand upon it Thirdly They had all worldly advantages attending their Cause which they were all to lose with life it self if they had appeared for Christ. Fourthly They were generally men of no great Conscience nor Moral Honesty and most of them of most sensual and vitious conversation This appears by their own Writings both Doctrinal and Historical What sensual Interpretations of the Law did the very strict Sect of the Pharisees make What fleshly Laws have the followers of Mahomet VVhat Vices did the Laws of the Heathens tolerate Yea what foul errors are in the Ethicks of their most rigid Moralists And you may be sure that their lives were far worse then their Laws And indeed their own Histories do acknowledg as much To save me the labor of mentioning them Read Dr. Hackwels Apology on that Subject Sure such men are incompetent Witnesses in any cause between man and man and would so be judged at any impartial Judicature And indeed how is it possible that they should be much better when they have no Laws that teach them either what true Happiness is or what is the way and means to attain it Fifthly Besides all this their Testimony was onely of the Negative and that in such cases as it could not be valid 19. Consider also that all the Adversaries of these Miracles and Relations could not with all their Arguments or violence hinder thousands from believing them in the very time and Countrey where they were done but that they who did behold them did generally assent at least to the matter of Fact So that we may say with Austin Either they were Miracles or not If they were why do you not believe If they were not behold the greatest Miracle of all that so many thousands even of the beholders should be so blinde as to believe things that never were especially in those very times when it was the easiest matter in the world to have disproved such falshoods If there should go a Report now of a man at London That should raise the Dead cure the Blinde the Deaf the Sick the Possessed feed thousands with five Loaves c. And that a multitude of his Followers should do the like and that a great many times over and over and that in the several parts of the Land in the presence of Crouds and thousands of people I pray you judg whether it were not the easiest matter in the world to disprove this if it were false And whether if were possible that whole Countries and Cities should believe it Nay whether the easiness and certainty of disproving it would not bring them all into extreamest contempt Two things will be here objected First That then the Adversaries not believing will be as strong against it as the Disciples believing is for it Answer Read what is said before of the Adversaries incompetency and it may satisfie to this Secondly And consider also that the generality of the Adversaries did believe the matter of Fact which is all that we are now enquiring after The recitall here of those multitudes of Testimonies that might be produced from Antiquity is a work that my streight time doth prohibit but is done by others far more able Onely that well known passage in Josephus I will here set down In the time of Tiberias there was one Jesus a wife man at least if he was to be called a man who was a worker of great Miracles and a teacher of such who love the truth and had many as well Jews as Gentiles who clave unto him This was Christ. And when Pilate upon his being accused by the chief men of our Nation had sentenced him to be crucified yet did not they who had first loved him forsake him For he appeared to them the third day alive again according to what the Prophets Divinely inspired had foretold concerning him as they had done an innumerable number of very strange things besides And even to this day both the name and sort of persons
tittle SECT VIII 8. BUt the great aggravation of this misery will be its Eternity That when a thousand millions of ages are past their Torments are as fresh to begin as the first day If there were any hope of an end it would ease them to foresee it but when it must be for ever that thought is intollerable much more will the misery it self be so They were never weary of sinning nor ever would have been if they had lived eternally upon earth And now God will not be weary of plaguing them They never heartily repented of their sin and God will never repent him of their sufferings They broke the Lawes of the eternal God and therefore shall suffer eternal punishment They knew it was an Everlasting Kingdom which they refused when it was offered them and therefore what wonder if they be everlastingly shut out of it It was their immortall souls that were guilty of the trespass and therefore must immortally suffer the pains O now what happy men would they think themselves if they might have layen still in their graves or continued dust or suffered no worse then the gnawing of those worms O that they might but there lye down again What a mercy now would it be to dye And how will they call and cry out for it O death whither art thou now gone Now come and cut off thâ—s doleful life O that these pains would break my heart and end my being O that I might once at last dye O that I had never had a beeing These groanes will the thoughts of Eternity wring from their hearts They were wont to think the Sermon long and prayer long how long then will they think these Endless torments What difference is there betwixt the length of their pleasures and of their paines The one continued but a moment but the other endureth through all eternity O that sinners would lay this thought to heart Remember how Time is almost gone Thou art standing all this while at the door of Eternity and death is waiting to open the door and put thee in Go sleep out yet but a few more nights and stir up and down on earth a few more dayes and then thy nights and dayes shall end thy thoughts and cares and pleasure sand all shall be devoured by eternity thou must enter upon that state which shall never be changed As the Joyes of Heaven are beyond our conceiving so also are the pains of Hell Everlasting Torment is unconceivable Torment SECT IX BUt I know if it be a sensuall unbeliever that readeth all this he will cast it by with disdain and say I will never believe that God will thus Torment his Creatures What to delight in their torture And that for everlasting And all for the faults of a short time It is incredible How can this stand with the infiniteness of his mercy I would not thus Torment the worst enemy that I have in the world and yet my mercifulness is nothing to Gods These are but threats to awe men I will not believe them Answ. Wilt thou not believe I do not wonder if thou be loath to believe so terrible tidings to thy soul as these are which if they were believed and apprehended indeed according to their weight would set thee a trembling and roaring in the anguish of horror day and night And I do as little wonder that the Devil who ruleth thee should be loath if he can hinder it to suffer thee to believe it For if thou didst believe it thou wouldest spare no cost or pains to escape it But go to If thou wilt read on either thou shalt believe it before thou stirrest or prove thy self an Infidel or Pagan Tell me then Dost thou believe Scripture to be the word of God If thou do not thou art no more a Christian then thy horse is or then a Turk is For what ground have we besides Scripture to believe that Jesus Christ did come into the world or dye for man If thou believe not these I have nothing here to do with thee but refer thee to the second part of this book where I have proved Scripture to be the word of God But if thou do believe this to be so and yet dost not believe that the same Scripture is true thou art far worse then either Infidel or Pagan For the vilest Pagans durst hardly charge their Idol Gods to be lyars And darest thou give the lye to the God of Heaven And accuse him of speaking that which shall not come to pass and that in such absolute threats and plain expressions But if thou darest not stand to this but dost believe Scripture both to be the word of God and to be true then I shall presently convince thee of the truth of these eternall Torments Wilt thou believe if a Prophet should tell it thee Why read it then in the greatest Prophets Moses David and Isaiah Deut. 32.22 Psal. 11.6 9 17. Isai. 30.33 Or wilt thou believe one that was more then a Prophet Why hear then what John Baptist saith Mat. 3.10 Luk. 3.17 Or wilt thou believe if an Apostle should tell thee Why hear what one saith Jud. 7.13 where he cals it the vengeance of eternall fire and the blackness of darness for ever Or what if thou have it from an Apostle that had been rapt up in Revelations into the third Heaven and seen things unutterable Wilt thou believe then Why take it then from Paul 2 Thess. 1.7 8 9. The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power And 2 Thess. 2.12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness So Rom. 2.5 6 7 8 9 10. Or wilt thou believe it from the beloved Apostle who was so taken up in Revelations and saw it as it were in his visions Why see then Rev. 20.10 15. They are said there to be cast into the lake of fire and tormented day and night for ever So Rev. 21.8 So 2 Pet. 2.17 Or wilt thou believe it from the mouth of Christ himself the judg Why reade it then Mat. 7.19 13.40 41 42 49 50. As therefore the Tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so shall it be in the end of this world the Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth c. So Mat. 18.8 9. So Mark 9.43 44 46 48. Where he repeateth it three times over Where their worm never dyeth and their fire is not quenched And Mat. 25.41 46. Then shall he say to
or the frequency of the understandings apprehensions this Truth doth make a deeper impression so is longer retained which impâ—â—ssion and retention we call memory And as truth is thus variously presented to the understanding and received by it so also is the goodness of the object variously represented to the will which doth accordingly put forth its various acts When it appeareth only as good in it self and not good for us or suitable it is not the object of the will at all but only this Enuntiation It is good is passed upon it by the Judgment and withal it raiseth an admiration at its excellency If it appeare evil to us then we Nill it But if it appear both good in it self and to us or suitable then it provoketh the affection of Love If the good thus loved do appear as absent from us then it exciteth the passion of Desire If the good so Loved and Desired do appear possible and feasible in the attaining then it exciteth the passion of Hope which is a compound of Desire and Expectation when we look upon it as requiring our endeavor to attain it and as it is to be had in a prescribed way then it provokes the passion of courage or boldness and concludes in resolution Lastly if this good be apprehended as present then it provoketh to delight or Joy If the thing it self be present the Joy is greatest If but the Idea of it either through the remainder or memory of the good that is past or through the fore-apprehension of that which we expect yet even this also exciteth our Joy And this Joy is the perfection of all the rest SECT II. SO that by this time I suppose you see both what are the objects that must move our affections and what powers of the soul apprehend these objects you see also I doubt not what affections you must excite and in what order it is to be done Yet for your better assistance I will more fully direct you in the several particulars 1. Then you must by cogitation go to the memory which is the Magazine or Treasury of the understanding thence you must take forth those heavenly doctrines which you intend to make the subject of your Meditation for the present purpose you may look over any promise of eternal life in the Gospel any description of the glory of the Saints or the very Articles of the Resurrection of the body and the Life everlasting some one sentence concerning those Eternal Joyes may afford you matter for many yeers Meditation yet it will be a point of our wisdom here to have always a stock of matter in our memory that so when we should use it we may bring forth out of our treasury things new and old For a good man hath a good Treasury in his heart from whence he bringeth forth good things Luke 6.45 and out of this abundance of his heart he should speak to himself as well as to others Yea if we took things in order and observed some Method in respect of the matter and did Meditate first on one Truth concerning Eternity and then another it would not be amiss And if any should be barren of Matter through weakness of memory they may have notes or books of this subject for their furtherance SECT III. 2. WHen you have fetcht from your memory the matter of your Meditation your next work is to present it to your Judgment open there the case as fully as thou canst set forth the several ornaments of the Crown the several dignities belonging to the Kingdom as they are partly laid open in the beginning of this Book Let judgment deliberately view them over and take as exact a survey as it can Then put the question and require a determination Is there happiness in all this or not Is not here enough to make me blessed Can he want any thing who fully possesseth God Is there any thing higher for a creature to attain Thus urge thy judgment to pass an upright sentence and compel it to subscribe to the perfection of thy Celestial happiness and to leave this sentence as under its hand upon Record If thy senses should here begin to mutter and to put in a word for fleshly pleasure or profits let judgment hear what each can say weigh the Arguments of the world and flesh in one end and the Arguments for the preheminence of Glory in the other end and judg impartially which should be preferred Try whether there be any comparison to be made which is more excellent which more manly which is more satisfactory and which more pure which freeth most from misery and advanceth us highest and which dost thou think is of longer continuance Thus let deliberate judgment decide it and let not Flesh carry it by noise and by violence And when the sentence is passed and recorded in thy heart it will be ready at hand to be produced upon any occasion and to silence the flesh in its next attempt and to disgrace the world in its next competition Thus exercise thy Judgment in the contemplation of thy Rest thus Magnifie and Advance the Lord in thy heart till a holy admiration hath possessed thy Soul SECT IV. 3. BUt the great work which you may either promise or subjoyn to this as you please is To exercise thy belief of the truth of thy Rest And that both in respect of the truth of the Promise and also the truth of thy own Interest and Title As unbelief doth cause the languishing of all our Graces so Faith would do much to revive and actuate them if it were but revived and actuated it self Especially our belief of the verity of the Scripture I conceive as needful to be exercised and confirmed as almost any point of Faith But of this I have spoken in the Second Part of this Book whither I refer thee for some confirming Arguments Though few complain of their not believing Scripture yet I conceive it to be the commonest part of unbelief and the very root of bitterness which spoileth our Graces Perhaps thou hast not a positive belief of the contrary nor dost not flatly think that Scripture is not the Word of God that were to be a down-right Infidel indeed And yet thou maist have but little belief that Scripture is Gods Word and that both in regard of the habit and the act It s one thing not to beleeve Scripture to be true and another thing positively to beleeve it to be false Faith may be idle and suspend its exercise toward the Truth though it do not yet act against the Truth It may stand still when it goes not out of the way it may be asleep and do you little service though it do not directly fight against you Besides a great deal of unbelief may consist with a small degree of Faith If we did soundly beleeve That there is such a Glory that within a few days our eyes shall behold it O what passions would it
not of the world and therefore the world hates them who have forsaken all for Christ and having taken up the Cross do follow him with patient waiting till they inherit the promised Glory SECT V. 4. I Add That this Happiness consists in obtaining the End where I mean the ultimate and principal end not any end secundum quid so called subordinate or less principal Not the end of conclusion in regard of time for so every man hath his end But the end of Intention which sets the Soul a work and is its prime motive in all its actions That the chief Happiness is in the enjoyment of this End I shall fully shew through the whole Discourse and therefore here omit SECT VI. BUt it is a great doubt with many whether the obtainment of this glory may be our end nay concluded that its mercenary yea that to make Salvation the end of Duty is to be a Legalist and act under a Covenant of Works whose Tenor is Do this and Live And many that think it may be our end yet think it may not be our ultimate end for that should be onely the glory of God I shall answer these particularly and briefly SECT VII 1. IT 's properly called mercenary when we expect it as wages for work done and so we may not make it our end Otherwise it is only such a mercenariness as Christ commandeth For consider what this end is It 's the fruition of God in Christ and if seeking Christ be mercenary I desire to be so mercenary 2. It 's not a note of a Legalist neither It hath been the ground of a multitude of Late mistakes in Divinity to think that Do this and Live is onely the language of the Covenant of Works It 's true in some sence it is but in other not The Law of Works onely saith Do this that is perfectly fulfil the whole Law and Live that is for so doing But the Law of Grace saith Do this and Live too that is Beleeve in Christ seek him obey him sincerely as thy Lord and King forsake all suffer all things and overcome and by so doing or in so doing as the Conditions which the Gospel propounds for Salvation you shall live If you set up the abrogated duties of the Law again you are a Legalist if you set up the duties of the Gospel in Christs stead in whole or in part you err still Christ hath his place and work Duty hath its place and work too Set it but in its own place and expect from it but it s own part and you go right Yea more how unsavory soever the phrase may seem you may so far as this comes to trust to your Duty and Works that is for your own part and many miscarry in expecting no more from them as to pray and to expect nothing the more that is from Christ in a way of Duty For if duty have no share why may we not trust Christ as well in a way of disobedience as duty In a word you must both use and trust duty in Subordination to Christ but neither use them nor trust them in Co-ordination with him So that this derogates nothing from Christ for he hath done and will do all his work perfectly and enableth his people to Theirs Yet he is not properly said to do it himself he beleeves not repents not c. but worketh these in them that is enableth and exciteth them to do it SECT VIII IF I should quote all the Scriptures that plainly prove this I should transcribe a great part of the Bible I will bring none out of the Old Testament for I know not whether their Authority will here be acknowledged But I desire the contrary minded whose consciences are tender of abusing Scripture and wresting it from the plain sence to study what tolerable interpretation can be given of these following places which will not prove that Life and Salvation may be yea must be the end of Duty Joh 5.39 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have life Mat. 11.12 The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 7.13 Luk. 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate Phil. 2.12 Work out your salvation with fear and trembling Rom. 2.7 10. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality eternal life Glory honor and peace to every man that worketh good c. 1 Cor. 9.24 So run that you may obtain 2 Tim. 2.5 A man is not crowned except he strive lawfully 2 Tim. 2.12 If we suffer with him we shall reign with him 1 Tim. 6.12 Fight the good fight of faith lay hold on eternal life 1 Tim. 6.18 19. That they do good works laying up a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Phil. 3.14 If by any means I might attain to the Resurrection of the Dead I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling c. Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life and enter in by the gates into the City Mat. 25. Come ye blessed of my Father inherit c. for I was hungry and ye c. Mat. 9. Blessed are the pure in heart c. they that hunger and thirst c. Be glad and rejoyce for great is your reward in Heaven Luk. 11.28 Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it Yea the escaping of Hell is a right end of Duty to a Beleever Hebr. 4.1 Let us fear least a promise being left us of entering into his Rest any of you should seem to come short of it Luk. 12.5 Fear him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell yea whatsoever others say I say unto you Fear him 1 Cor. 9.27 I keep under my body and bring it in subjection lest when I have preached to others I my self should be a cast-away Multitudes of Scriptures and Scripture Arguments might be brought but these may suffice to any that beleeve Scripture SECT IX 3. FOr those that think this Rest may be our end but not our ultimate end that must be Gods glory onely let them consider What God hath joyned man must not separate The glorifying himself and the saving his people as I judg are not two Decrees with God but one Decree to glorifie his mercy in their salvation So I think they should be with us one Intention We should aim at the glory of God not alone considered without our salvation but in our salvation Therefore I know no warrant for putting such a Question to our selves as some do Whether we could be content to be damned so God were glorified Sure I am Christ himself is offered to faith in terms for the most part respecting the welfare of the sinner more then his own abstracted glory he would be
received as a Saviour Mediator Redeemer Reconciler Intercessor c. And all the precepts of Scripture being backed with so many promises and threatenings every one intended of God as a motive to us do imply as much If any think they should be distinguished as two several ends and Gods glory preferred so they separate them not asunder I contend not SECT X. 5. IN the Definition I call a Christians Happiness the end of his Course thereby meaning as Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 the whole scope of his life For as Salvation may and must be our end so not onely the end of our faith though that principally but of all our actions for as whatsoever we do must be done to the glory of God whether eating drinking c. so must they all be done to our Salvation That we may beleeve for Salvation some will grant who yet deny that we may do or obey for it I would it were well understood for the clearing of many controversies what the Scripture usually means by Faith Doubtless the Gospel takes it not so strictly as Philosophers do but in a larger sence for our obedience to all Gospel precepts To beleeve in his name and to receive him are all one but we must receive him as King as well as Saviour therefore beleeving doth not produce subjection as a fruit but contain it as an essential part except we say that Faith receives Christ as a Saviour first and so justifies before it take him for King as some think which is a maimed unsound and no Scripture faith I doubt not but the Soul more sensibly looks at Salvation from Christ then Government by him in the first work yet whatever precedaneous act there may be it never conceives of Christ to Justification nor knows him with the knowledg which is eternal life till it conceive of him and know him for Lord and King Therefore there is not such a difference between Faith and Gospel-obedience or Works as some judg Obedience to the Gospel is put for Faith and Disobedience put for Unbelief usually in the New Testament 6. Lastly I make Happiness to consist in this end obtained for it is not the meer promise of it that immediately makes perfectly happy nor Christs meer purchase nor our meer seeking but the Apprehending and obtaining which sets the Crown on the Saints head when we can say of our work as Christ of the price payd It is finished and as Paul I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth is layd up for me a crown of Salvation 2 Tim. 4.7 8. CHAP. III. What this Rest presupposeth SECT I. FOr the clearer understanding yet of the nature of this Rest you must know 1. There are some things necessarily presupposed to it 2. Some things really conteined in it 1. All these things are presupposed to this Rest. 1. A person in motion seeking Rest. SECT II. 2. AN End toward which he moveth for Rest Which End must be sufficient for his Rest else when 't is obtained it deceiveth him This can be onely God the chief good SECT III. 3. A Distance is presupposed from this End else there can be no motion towards it This sad distance is the woful case of all mankinde since the fall It was our God that we principally lost and were shut out of his gracious presence Though some talk of losing onely a temporal earthly felicity sure I am it was God we fell from and him we lost and since said to be without him in the world and there would have been no death but for sin and to enjoy God without death is neither an earthly nor temporal enjoyment Nay in all men at Age here is supposed not onely a distance from God but also a contrary motion For sin hath not overthrown our Being nor taken away our Motion but our well-being and the Rectitude of our motion When Christ comes with Regenerating Saving Grace he findes no man sitting still but all posting to eternal Ruine and making hast towards hell till by conviction he first bring them to a stand and by conversion turn first their hearts and then their lives sincerely to himself SECT IV. 4. HEre is presupposed a knowledg of the true ultimate End and its excellency for so the motion of the Rational Creature proceedeth An unknown end is no end it is a contradiction We cannot make that our end which we know not nor that our chief End which we know not or judg not to be the chief Good An unknown Good moves not to desire or endeavor Therefore where it is not truly known That God is this End and containeth all good in him there is no obtaining Rest. SECT V. 5. HEre is presupposed not onely a distance from this Rest but also the true knowledg of this distance If a man have lost his way and know it not he seeks not to return If he lose his gold and know it not he seeks it not Therefore they that never knew they were without God never yet enjoyed him and they that never knew they were naturally and actually in the way to Hell did never yet know the way to Heaven Nay there will not onely be a knowledg of this distance and lost estate but also affections answerable Can a man be brought to finde himself hard by the brink of hell and not tremble or to finde he hath lost his God and his Soul and not cry out I am undone Or can such a stupid Soul be so recovered This is the sad case of many thousands and the reason why so few obtain this Rest They will not be convinced or made sensible that they are in point of title distant from it and in point of practice contrary to it They have lost their God their Souls their Rest and do not know it nor will beleeve him that tells them so Who ever travelled towards a place which he thought he was at already or sought for that which he knew not he had lost The whole need not the Physician but they that are sick Mat. 9.12 SECT VI. 6. HEre is also supposed A superiour moving Cause and an influence there-from else should we all stand still and not move a step forward toward our Rest no more then the inferiour wheels in the Watch would stir if you take away the spring or the first mover This primum movens is God What hand God hath in evil Actions or whether he afford the like influence to their production I will not here trouble this Discourse and the Reader to dispute The case is clear in Good Actions If God move us not we cannot move Therefore is it a most necessary part of our Christian Wisdom to keep our subordination to God and dependance on him To be still in the path where he walks and in that way where his Spirit doth most usually move Take heed of being estranged or separated from God or of slacking your
of suffering for Christ when he usually appears most manifestly to his people Didst thou never see one walking in the midst of the fiery furnace with thee like to the Son of God If thou do know him value him as thy life and follow on to know him and thou shalt know incomparably more then this Or if I do but renew thy grief to tell thee of what thou once didst feel but now hast lost I counsel thee to Remember whence thou art fallen and Repent and do the first works and be watchful and strengthen the things which remain and I dare promise thee because God hath promised thou shalt see and know that which here thine Eye could not see nor thy Understanding conceive Beleeve me Christians yea beleeve God You that have known most of God in Christ here it is as nothing to that you shall know It scarce in comparison of that deserves to be called Knowledg The difference betwixt our knowledg now and our knowledg then will be as great as that between our fleshly bodies now and our spiritual glorified bodies then For as these bodies so that knowledg must cease that a more perfect may succeed Our silly childish thoughts of God which now is the highest we reach to must give place to a manly knowledg All this saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.8 9 10 11 12. Knowledg shall vanish away For we know in part c. But when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away When I was a childe I spake as childe I thought as a childe I understood as a childe but when I became a man I put away childish things For now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face Now I know in part but then I shall know even as also I am known Marvel not therefore Christian at the sence of that place of John 17.3 how it can be life eternal to know God and his Son Christ You must needs know that to enjoy God and his Christ is eternal Life and the souls enjoying is in knowing They that savor only of earth and consult with flesh and have no way to try judg but by sense and never were acquainted with this Knowledg of God nor tasted how gracious he is these think it 's a poor happiness to know God let them have health and wealth and worldly delights and take you the other Alas poor men they that have made tryal of both do not grudg you your delights nor envy your happiness but pity your undoing folly and wish O that you would come near and taste and try as they have done and then Judg Then continue in your former mind if you can For our parts we say with that knowing Apostle though the speech may seem presumptuous 1 John 5.19 20. We know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness And we know that the Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is True and we are in him that is True in his Son Jesus Christ This is the true God and eternal Life Here one verse contains the sum of most that I have said The Son of God is come to be our Head and Fountain of Life and so hath given us an understanding that the Soul may be personally qualified and made capable to know him God that is True the Prime Truth and we are brought so near in this enjoyment that we are in him that is True not properly by an essential or personal union but we are in him by being in his Son Jesus Christ. This we have mentioned is the only True God and so the fittest object for our understanding which chuseth Truth and this knowing of him and being in him in Christ is eternal life SECT VII ANd doubtless the Memory will not be Idle or useless in this Blessed work If it be but by looking back to help the soul to value its enjoyment Our knowledg will be enlarged not diminished therefore the knowledg of things past shall not be taken away And what is that knowledg but Remembrance Doubtless from that height the Saint can look behind him and before him And to compare past with present things must needs raise in the Blessed Soul an unconceiveable esteem and sense of its Condition To stand on that Mount whence we can see the Wilderness and Canaan both at once to stand in Heaven and look back on Earth and weigh them together in the ballance of a comparing sense and judgment how must it needs transport the soul and make it cry out Is this the purchase that cost so dear as the blood of God No wonder O blessed price and thrice blessed Love that invented and Condescended Is this the end of Believing Is this the end of the Spirits workings Have the Gales of Grace blown me into such a Harbour Is it hither that Christ hath enticed my Soul O blessed way and thrice blessed end Is this the Glory which the Scripture spoke of and Ministers preached of so much Why now I see the Gospel indeed is good tydings even tydings of peace and Good things tydings of great Joy to all Nations Is my mourning my fasting my sad humblings my heavy walking groanings complainings come to this Is my praying watching fearing to offend come to this Are all my afflictions sickness languishing troublesom physick fears of Death come to this Are all Satans Temptations the worlds Scorns and Jeers come to this And now if there be such a thing as Indignation left how will it here let fly O vile nature that resisted so much and so long such a blessing Unworthy Soul Is this the place thou camest so unwillingly towards Was Duty wearisom Was the world too good to lose Didst thou stick at leaving all denying all and suffering any thing for this Wast thou loath to dye to come to this O false Heart that had almost betrayed me to Eternal flames and lost me this Glory O base flesh that would needs have been pleased though to the loss of this felicity Didst thou make me to question the truth of this Glory Didst thou shew me Improbabilities and draw me to distrust the Lord Didst thou question the Truth of that Scripture which promised this Why my soul art thou not now ashamed that ever thou didst question that Love that hath brought thee hither That thou wast Jealous of the faithfulness of thy Lord That thou suspectest his Love when thou shouldst only have suspected thy self I hat thou didst not Live continually transported with thy Saviours Love and that ever thou quenchedst a motion of his Spirit Art thou not ashamed of all thy hard thoughts of such a God Of all thy mis-interpreting of and grudging at those providences and repining at those ways that have such an end Now thou art sufficiently convinced that the ways thou calledst Hard and the Cup thou calledst Bitter were
veterem Apostolorum Traditionem ne in conceptionem quidem mentis admittunt quodcunque Haereticorum portentiloquium est I have been the larger in proving an Immortal Life after this because I finde none doubt of the Authority of Scripture but they doubt of the Immortality of the Soul too among us This joyned with the Evident Vanity of all other Religions is an excellent medium to confirm us in the Christian Religion For if we must be happy or miserable for ever sure there is some true Religion teaching the way to Happiness That all other Religions are false any man that lives out of the dust and smoke of prejudice may see with one eye That there is a future Happiness or Misery is evident to Nature or else how would all Nations so universally acknowledg it The Ancient Barbarians beleeved the Immortality of the Soul as of the Getae Herodotus witnesseth Lib. 4. And of the Egyptians Diodorus Siculus l. 1. Biblioth numb 93. The very Inhabitants of Guiny Virginia Guiana Peru Chyna Mexico c. do beleeve a happiness and misery hereafter As Descrip. Reg. Afric Guineae cap. 21.44 Acosta lib. 5. c. 7 8. Hug. Linscot part 1. cap. 25. Jo. Lerius cap. 16. Sir Walter Rawleigh c. witness What Poet speaks not De Tartaro Campis Elisiis manibus And Philosophers of best note except Galen Epicurus Plinius c. As for Pythagoras and his Master Pherecides the Druides the Indian Brachmanes Socrates Plato Cicero Seneca they all acknowledg it Lege Marsil Ficinum de Immort Animae Yea Aristotle himself as is evident De anima lib. 1. context 65 66. Lib. 2. context 21. Lib. 3. context 4 6 7 19 20. Yet we must not take the same course with all men to convince them of Scripture Authority We must first deal with an Atheist In habitu Philosophico before we plead or directly prove Scripture Authority of which see learned Ludovicus Crocius Syntagm l. 1. p. 126. The validity of that Humane Testimony which here we have most use for dependeth not on any Authority thereto conferred from God as Romanists fondly imagine but on men as sensible rational and of common honesty The Testimony of the enemies is more strong then of friends Strabo witnesseth Lib. 16. Geogra of Moses and the ancient Israelites That they were truly righteous and godly men So doth Josephus testifie of John Baptist and James And Pliny of the Primitive Christians Lib. 10. Epist. 101. But I pass these as not intending a full handling of this subject The best that I know already extant on it is Grotius and Du Plessis and I would some able man would do yet more For my own part I have had so many rare convincing experiences of the fulfilling of Promises to me and answering Prayers by wonders of unusual Providences That serve mightily to conform me by seconding my Arguments And were it fit to speak so much of my own matters I would produce them for the confirming of others Were it not to digress I should here express my admiration That so many learned men should lean towards Rome meerly upon a conceit That there is a flat necessity of some Vltimately Decisive Judicial Expounder of Scripture and that must needs be their Church For they think it abominable that every man should be Judg. At present I would but know of them First Whether they speak of Fundamental plain places of Scripture or of more obscure and of less moment For the former First Where there is such Plainness there needs a Teacher to the Ignorant but not a Judg Among Christians Fundamentals are no Controversies Secondly And if the Judg mistake in Fundamentals if we obey him we must renounce our Faith Secondly If the Pope or his Councel of Prelates be Judg how shall all people in the Kingdoms of the World know what Exposition they give Hear their voices they cannot If by their written Canons who shall expound them to the people If another Pope or Councel who shall expound their Exposition and so in Infinitum I do not see but God speaks as plainly as the Councel of Trent and as easie to be understood Thirdly Doth the Pope and Prelates know the meaning of Scripture by rational means or by Euthusiasm or by some Superior Judg If by rational means why may not as learned Doctors know it as well by the same If by some other Judg Who is it If they beleeve Scripture or the Sense of it upon their own Authority who will regard such self idolizing wretches Fourthly If there be a means left of God for a true deciding all Controversies and resolving all difficulties in Scripture then why are not all resolved and why are we not perfect in knowledg The plain Truth is Christ is the onely proper Judg himself and hath left us his Laws and Magistrates to see that we obey them and Ministers to teach us the meaning of them Every man of these is bound to judg rightly of the Sense of these Laws every particular man that he may obey them And if he mistake he sineth and must answer it to God and in some cases to Magistrates and Overseers The Magistrate is to judg rightly when any is punishable and if he erre he must answer it to the Supream and he to God The Ministers are to judg rightly of the Sense of Scripture that they may teach them others and admonish and censure accordingly and if they mistake they are in Synods to consult for Information and in cases of difficulty beyond their own reach to obey the Decrees of such a lawful Synod But to expect a final decisive Judgment of all Controversies on Earth is vain And that Synods should be too bold in determining what God hath left doubtful and utterly uncertain is destructive to the Vnitie and Peace of the Church rather then conducible And for men to beleeve any of their Conclusions or obey any of their Canons when we are sure That they are contrary to the Word of God this were to change our Master and take them for Christ the Prophet who are but his Ambassadors and Vshers in his School When we have disputed and contended our selves aweary and wrangled the Church into flames and ashes yet that which God hath spoken obscurely and so left difficult in it self will remain obscure and difficult still And that which is difficult through the weakness and incapacity of the Readers will be far better cleared by a rational Explication then by a â—are Canon O when will the Lord once perswade his Churches â—o take his Scripture Laws for the onely Canon of their Faith â—nd that in their own naked Simplicity and Evidence without â—he Canons and Comments of men which are no parts of our Creed but helps to our understandings and bounds to our practice 〈◊〉 matters circumstantial which God hath left to mans determinaâ—ion When will the Lord perswade us not to be wise above what 〈◊〉 written but to acknowledg that to be beyond
us which is unâ—evealed in the Word and that to be doubtful which is darkly â—evealed Then the Contentions of the Church about the Mysteâ—ies of the Divine Decrees the nature of Internal Grace and way â—nd maner of the Spirits working c. will be more calmly managed Two things have set fire on the Church and been the plagues of it his thousand yeers and more First Englarging our Creed and making more Fundamentals â—hen God hath done Master Parker and Ludovicus Crocius have fully proved That the Creed for a long time contained no more â—hen Christs words in Matth. 28. do teach To beleeve in the Father Son and Holy Ghost and no more were they baptized â—nto Secondly Delivering our Creeds and Confessions in our own Humane phrase When men have learned more maners and humility then to acâ—use the Language of God as too general and obscure and have more dread of God and compassion on themselves then to make those Fundamentals which God never made so And when they reduce their Creed and Confessions first To their due extent or length secondly And to Scripture phrase and take this onely for a Touchstone of the Orthodox then and not tell then shall the Church have peace about Doctrinals If my judgment much fail not It seems to me no hainous Socinian motion which is so cryed out against of Chillingworths making viz. That every man subscribe to the whole Scripture as Gods Word with a promise to do his best for the right understanding of it No doubt many a Heretick would so subscribe and lurk under a false interpretation and so he may do also by their Humane Canons But I forget my self in thus digressing Reader As thou lovest thy Comforts thy Faith thy Hope thy Safety thine Innocency thy Soul thy Christ thine Everlasting Rest Love Read Study Stick close to Scriptures Farewel Jan. 18. 1649. THE SAINTS Everlasting REST. PART II. CHAP. I. SECT I. WE are next to proceed to the confirmation of this Truth which though it may seem needless in regard of its own clearness and certainty yet in regard of our distance and infidelity nothing more necessary But you will say To whom will this endeavour be usefull They who believe the Scriptures are convinced already and for those who believe it not how will you convince them Answ. But sad experience tels us that those thaâ— believe do believe but in part and therefore have need of further confirmation and doubtless God hath left us Arguments sufficient to convince unbelievers themselves or else how should we preach to Pagans Or what should we say to the greatest part of the world that acknowledg not the Scriptures Doubtless the Gospel should be preacht to them and though we have not the gift of miracles to convince them of the truth as the Apostles had yet we have arguments demonstrative and clear or else our preaching to them would be vain we having nothing left but bare affirmations Though I have all along confirmed sufficiently by testimony of Scripture what I have said yet I will here briefly add thus much more That the Scripture doth clearly assert this Truth in these six wayes 1. It affirms That this Rest is fore-ordained for the Saints and the Saints also fore-ordained to it Heb. 11.16 God is not ashamed to be called their God for he hath prepared for them a City 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor heart conceived what God hath prepared for them that love him which I conceive must be meant of these preparations in heaven for those on earth are both seen and conceived or else how are they enjoyed Mat. 20.23 To sit on Christs right and left hand in his Kingdom shall be given to them for whom it is prepared And themselves are called Vessels of mercy before prepared unto glory Rom 9.23 And in Christ we have obtained the inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after to the counsel of his own will Ephes. 1.11 And whom he thus predestinateth them he glorifieth Rom. 8.30 For he hath from the beginning chosen them to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth 2 Thes. 2.13 And though the intentions of the vnwise and weak may be frustrated and without counsel purposes are disappointed Prov. 15.22 yet the thoughts of the Lord shall surely come to passe and as he hath purposed it shall stand The Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever and the thoughts of his heart to all generations Therefore blessed are they whose God is the Lord and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance Psal. 33.11 12. Who can bereave his people of that Rest which is designed them by Gods eternall purpose SECT II. SEcondly the Scripture tels us that this Rest is Purchased as well as Purposed for them or that they are redeemed to this Rest. In what sense this may be said to be purchased by Christ I have shewed before viz. Not as the immediate work of his sufferings which was the payment of our debt by satisfying the Law but as a more remote though most excellent fruit even the effect of that power which by his death he procured to himself He himself for the suffering of death was crowned with glory yet did he not properly die for himself nor was that the direct effect of his death Some of those Teachers who are gone forth of late do tell us as a piece of their new discoveries that Christ never purchased Life and Salvation for us but purchased us to Life and Salvation Not understanding that they affirm and deny the same thing in severall expressions What difference is there betwixt buying liberty to the prisoner and buying the prisoner to liberty betwixt buying life to a condemned malefactor and buying him to life Or betwixt purchasing Reconciliation to an enemy and purchasing an enemy to Reconciliation But in this last they have found a difference and tell us that God never was at enmity with man but man only at enmity with God and therefore need not be reconciled Directly contrary to Scripture which tels us that God hateth all the workers of iniquity and that he is their enemy And though there be no change in God nor any thing properly called Hatred yet it sufficeth that there is a change in the sinners relation and that there is something in God which cannot better be expressed or conceived then by these termes of enmity and hatred And the enmity of the Law against a sinner may well be called the enmity of God However this differenceth betwixt enmity in God and enmity in us but not betwixt the sense of the forementioned expressions So that whether you will call it purchasing life for us or purchasing us to life the sense is the same viz. By satisfying the Law and removing impediments to procure us Title to and Possession of this Life It is
give them such rejoycings in it and yet never bestow it on them It cannot be Nay doth he give them the earnest of the inheritance Eph. 1.14 And Seal them with the Holy Spirit of promise Eph. 1.13 And yet will he deny the full possession These absurdities may not be charged on an ordinary man much less on the Faithfull and Righteous God SECT VI. SIxthly And Lastly The Scripture mentioneth particularly and by name those who have entered into this Rest. As Henoch who was taken up to God So Abraham Lazarus the thief that was crucified with Christ c. And if there be a Rest for these sure there is a Rest for all believers CHAP. II. Motives to study and preach the Divine Authority of Scripture SECT I. THus much may suffice where the Scripture is believed to confirm the truth of the point in hand viz. The certain futurity of the Saints Rest. And for Pagans and Infidels who believe not Scripture it is besides the intention of this discourse to endeavor their conviction I am endeavouring the consolation and edification of Saints and not the information and conversion of Pagans Yet do I acknowledg the subject exceeding necessary even to the Saints themselves for Sathans assaults are oft made at the foundation and if he can perswade them to question the verity of Scripture they will soon cast away their hopes of Heaven But if I should here enter upon that task to prove Scripture to be the infallible word of God I should make too broad a digression and set upon a work as larg as the maine for whose sake I should undertake it Neither am I insensible of how great difficulty it would prove to manage it satisfactorily and how much more then my ability is thereto requisite Yet lest the tempted Christian should have no relief nor any Argument at hand against the temptation I shall adventure upon a confirming Argument or two but I shall premise first a word of entreaty to my brethren of the Ministery to preach this a little more to their people And that not any body but some of the choicest whom God hath especially furnished for such a task would be pleased in a full Treatise to undertake it To which end I give them some of the Reasons of my request entreating the Lord to enable and perswade some of them to the work 1. I desire them to consider whether any thing yet published be neer compleat or such as the weight of the subject requires Whether much more may not be said and is necessary to be said then is yet said by any that hath writ on this subject 2. Whether if Christians who have opportunity do their duty would it not be a singular part of their work to endeavour the conversion of Pagans and Infidels And as I said before without some Arguments to demonstrate to them the verity of Scripture how are we furnished for such a work Or what have we to say but naked affirmation Yea how can we maintain the credit of Christianity if we were put to dispute the case with an unbeliever 3. Whether the assertion of some of our Divines that a naturall man without the extraordinary Testimony of the Spirit cannot be perswaded of the verity of Scripture notwithstanding all Arguments that can be produced be not very derogatory to the Authority of Scripture and do not justifie the world in their unbeliefe for it is not their sin to deny assent to that which hath not sufficient evidence As if we confessed to them we have not Arguments to convince you but you must be convinced by the Spirit without Arguments as if the Spirit did not deal with us as rationall creatures and did perswade without Argument and not by it As if many wicked men did not believe the truth of Scripture Yet I confesse ther 's great difference betwixt naturall and Spirituall beliefe 4. Is not this the ground-work of the whole Fabrick of Christianity And the very foundation of our faith And therefore should it not be timely and soundly laid and frequently and clearly taught 5. Is not Faith a rational Act of a rational Creature And so the Understanding proceeds discursively in its production And is not that the strongest Faith which hath the strongest Reasons to prove the Testimony to be valid upon which it resteth and the clearest apprehension and use of those Reasons And the truest Faith which hath the truest Reasons truly apprehended and used And must not that on the contrary be a weak or false faith which receives the Verity and Validity of the Testimony from weak or false Grounds though the Testimony of it self be the truest in the world Our Divines use to say concerning love to Christ that it is not to be measured by the degree of Fervor so much as by the Grounds and Motives so that if a man should love Christ upon the same Reasons as a Turk loves Mahomet it were no true love if he love him upon false grounds it must needs be a false love and if upon common grounds it can be but a common love And is it not then as clear that to believe in Jesus Christ upon the grounds that a Turk believes in Mahomet or to believe Scripture upon the same reasons that the Turk believes the Alcoran is no true Faith Supposing that both have the like verity of their Reasons 6. Is the generality of Christians able to give any better then some such common reason to prove the verity of Scripture Nay are the more exercised Understanding sort of Christians able by sound Arguments to make it good if an Enemy or a Temptation put them to it Nay are the ordinary sort of Ministers in England able to do this Let them that have tried judg 7. Can the Superstructure be firm where the Foundation is Sandy And can our Affections and Actions be sound and strong when our belief of Scripture is unsound or infirm Sure this Faith will have influence into all For my own part I take it to be the greatest cause of coldness in Duty weakness in Graces boldness in Sinning and unwillingness to die c. that our Faith is either unsound or infirm in this point Few Christians among us for ought I finde have any better then the Popish implicit faith in this point nor any better Arguments then the Papists have to prove Scripture the Word of God They have received it by Tradition godly Ministers and Christians tell them so it is impious to doubt of it and therefore they believe it And this worm lying at the root causeth the languishing and decay of the whole yet is it usually undiscerned for the root lieth secret under ground But I am apt to judg that though the most complain of their uncertainty of salvation through want of assurance of their own Interest and of the weakness of the applying Act of Faith yet the greater cause of all
their sorrows and that which shakes the whole building is the weakness of their faith about the truth of Scripture though perhaps the other be more perceived and this taken notice of by few There may be great weakness and unsoundness of belief where yet no doubtings are perceived to stir Therefore though we could perswade people to believe never so confidently that Scripture is the very Word of God and yet teach them no more reason why they should believe this then any other book to be that Word as it will prove in them no right way of believing so is it in us no right way of teaching 8. There is many a one who feels his faith shake here who never discovers it To doubt of our Evidences is taken for no great disgrace and therefore men more freely profess such doubts nay and some perhaps who are not much troubled with them because they would be thought to be humble Christians But to question the truth of Scripture is a reproachful Blalphemy and therefore all that are guilty here speak not their doubts 9. Is not the greatest battery by all sort of enemies especially made against this Foundation The first place that the Papist assaults you in is here How know you the Scripture to be the Word of God The Seekers who are the Jesuits By blows though they yet know not their own father will accoast you with the like question How know you that your Scripture and your Ministery is of God The Familists and Libertines do spit their venom here And some Christians by experience are able to testifie that Satans temptations are most violent here Yea and our own carnal deluded Reason is aptest of all to stumble here They talk of a Toleration of all Religions and some desire that the Jews may have free commerce amongst us it will then be time for us I think to be well armed at this point Let the ordinary Professors of our Time who are of weak judgments and fiery spirits look to it how they will stand in such assaults least as now when they cannot answer a Separatist they yield to him and when they cannot answer an Antinomian they turn Antinomians so then when they can much less answer the subtil Arguments of a Jew against Christ and the Gospel they should as easily turn Jews and deny Christ and the verity of the Gospel The Libertines among us think it necessary that we should have such a Toleration to discover the unsound who hold their faith upon Tradition and Custome I am no more of their mindes in this then of his who would have a fair Virgin to lye with him and try his Chastity and make its victory more honorable But if we must needs have such a triall its time to look to the grounds of our belief that we may be ready to give a reason of our Hope 10. However though I were mistaken in all this yet certain I am that the strengthening of our faith in the verity of Scripture would be an exceeding help to the joy of the Saints and would advance their confident hopes of Rest. For my self if my faith in this point had no imperfection if I did as verily believe the Glory to come as I do believe that the Sun will rise again when it is set O how would it raise my desires and my joyes what haste should I make how serious should I be how should I trample on these earthly vanities and even forget the things below How restless should I be till I were assured of this Rest and then how restless till I did possess it How should I delight in the thought of death and my heart leap at the tidings of its approach How glad should I be of the bodies decaies to feel my prison moulder to dust Surely this would be the fruit of a perfect belief of the truth of the Promise of our eternal Rest. Which though it cannot be here expected yet should we use the most strengthening means and press on till we had attained SECT II. THus much I have purposely spoken as to stir up Christians to look to their faith so especialiy to provoke some choise servant of Christ among the multitudes of Books that are written to bestow their labors on this most needful Subject and all Ministers to preach it more frequently and clearly to their people Some think it is Faiths honor to be as credulous as may be and the weaker are the rational grounds the stronger is the faith and therefore we must believe and not dispute Indeed when it s once known to be a Divine Testimony then the most credulous soul is the best But when the doubt is whether it be the Testimony of God or no a man may easily be over-credulous Else why are we bid believe not every spirit but try them whether they be of God or not And how should the false Christs and false Prophets be known who would deceive were it possible the very Elect to be given up of God to believe a lye is one of the sorest of Gods Judgments Some think the onely way to deal with such temptations to Blasphemy is to cast them away and not to dispute them And I think the direction is very good so it be used with some distinction and caution The Rule holds good against reall Blasphemy known to be such but if the person know it not how shall he make use of this Rule against it Further it is supposed that he who knows it to be Blasphemy hath Arguments whereby to prove it such else how doth he know it Therefore here lyes the sin when a man is by sufficient evidence convinced or at least hath Evidence sufficient for conviction that it is a Divine Testimony and yet is still cherishing doubts or hearkning to temptations which may feed those doubts when a man like Balaam will take no answer But he who will therefore cast away all doubts before he hath Arguments sufficient against them or could ever prove the thing in Question he doth indeed cast aside the temptation but not overcome it and may expect it should shortly return again It is a methodicall cure which prevents a relapse Such a neglecter of temptations may be in the right and may as well be in the wrong but however it is not right to him because not rightly believed Faith alwayes implies a Testimony and the knowledg usually of the matter and Author of that Testimony Divine Faith hath ever a Divine Testimony and supposeth the knowledg of the matter when the Faith is particular but always of the Author of that Testimony An implicite Faith in God that is a believing that all is true which he testifieth though we see no reason for it from the evidence of the matter this is necessary to every true Believer But to believe implicitly that the Testimony is Divine or that Scripture is the Word of God this is not to believe God
but to resolve our faith into some humane Testimony even to lay our foundation upon the sand where all will fall at the next assault It s strange to consider how we all abhor that piece of Popery as most injurious to God of all the rest which resolves our faith into the Authority of the Church And yet that we do for the generality of professors content our selves with the same kinde of faith Onely with this difference The Papists believe Scripture to be the Word of God because their Church saith so and we because our Church or our Leaders say so Yea and many Mininisters never yet gave their people better grounds but tell them which is true that it is damnable to deny it but help them not to the necessary Antecedents of Faith If any think that these words tend to the shaking of mens faith I answer First Onely of that which will fall of it self Secondly And that it may in time be built again more strongly Thirdly Or at least that the sound may be surer setled It s to be understood that many a thousand do profess Christianity and zealously hate the enemies thereof upon the same grounds to the same ends and from the same inward corrupt principles as the Jews did hate and kill Christ It is the Religion of the Countrey where every man is reproached that believes otherwise they were born and brought up in this belief and it hath increased in them upon the like occasions Had they been born and bred in the Religion of Mahomet they would have beeen as zealous for him The difference betwixt him and a Mahometan is more that he lives where better Laws and Religion dwell then that he hath more knowledg or soundness of apprehension Yet would I not drive into causless doubtings the soul of any true Believer or make them believe their faith is unsound because it is not so strong as some others Therefore I add some may perhaps have ground for their beliefe though they are not able to expresse it by argumentation and may have Arguments in their hearts to perswade themselves though they have none in their mouths to perswade another yea and those Arguments in themselves may be solid and convincing Some may be strengthened by some one sound Argument and yet be ignorant of all the rest without overthrowing the truth of their Faith Some also may have weaker apprehensions of the Divine authority of Scripture then others and as weaker grounds for their Faith so a lesse degree of assent And yet that assent may be sincere and saving so it have these two qualifications First If the Arguments which we have for believing the Scripture be in themselves more sufficient to convince of its truth then any Arguments of the enemies of Scripture can be to perswade a man of the contrary And do accordingly discover to us a high degree at least of probability Secondly And if being thus far convinced it prevailes with us to chuse this as the onely way of life and to adventure our souls upon this way denying all other and adhering though to the losse of estate and life to the Truth of Christ thus weakly apprehended This I think God will accept as a true Beliefe But though such a faith may serve to salvation yet when the Christian should use it for his consolation he will finde it much faile him even as leggs or arms of the weak or lame which when a man should use them do faile him according to the degrees of their weakness or lameness so much doubting as there remaines of the Truth of the word or so much weakness as there is in our believing or so much darkness or uncertainty as there is in the evidence which perswades us to believe so much will be wanting to our Love Desires Labors Adventures and especially to our joyes Therefore I think it necessary to speak a little and but a little to fortifie the believer against temptations and to confirme his faith in the certain Truth of that Scripture which containes the promises of his Rest. CHAP. III. SECT I. ANd here it is necessary that we first distinguish betwixt 1. The subject matter of Scripture or the doctrine which it contains 2. And the words or writings containing or expressing this doctrine The one is as the blood the other as the veins in which it runs Secondly We must distinguish betwixt 1. the substantiall and fundamentall part of Scriptureâ— doctrine without which there is no salvation and 2. the circumstantiall and less necessary part as Genealogies Successions Chronology c. Thirdly Of the substantiall fundamentall part 1. Some may be known and proved even without Scripture as being written in nature it self 2. some can be known onely by the assent of Faith to Divine Revelation Fourthly Of this last sort 1. some things are above Reason as it is without Divine Revelation both in respect of their Probability existence and futurity 2. others may be known by meer Reason without Divine Testimony in regard of their Possibility and Probability but not in regard of their existence or futurity Fifthly Again matter of Doctrine must be distinguished from matter of fact Sixthly Matter of fact is either 1. such as God produceth in an ordinary way or 2. extrordinary and miraculous Seventhly History and Phophesie must be distinguished Eighthly We must distinguish also the books and writings themselves 1. between the maine scope and those parts which express the chief contents and 2. particular words and phrases not expressing any substantialls Ninthly Also it s one question 1. whether there be a certain number of books which are Canonicall or of Divine Authority and 2. another question what number there is of these and which particular books they are Tenthly The direct expresse sense must be distinguished from that which is only implyed or consequentiall Eleventhly We must distinguish Revelation unwriten from that which is writen Twelfthly and Lastly We must distinguish that Scripture which was spoke or written by God immediatly from that which was spoke or writ immediatly by man and but mediatly by God And of this last sort 1. Some of the instruments or penmen are known 2. Some not known Of those known 1. Some that spoke much in Scripture were bad men 3. others were godly And of these some were 1. More eminent and extraordinary as Prophets and Apostles 2. Others were persons more inferiour and ordinary Again as we must distinguish of Scripture and Divine Testimony so must we also distinguish the apprehension or Faith by which we do receive it 1. There is a Divine Faith when we take the Testimony to be Gods own and so believe the thing testified as upon Gods word Secondly There is a Human Faith when we believe it meerly upon the credit of man 2. Faith is either first implicit when we believe the thing is true though we understand not what it is or secondly explicit when we believe and understand
what we believe Both these are again Divine or humane 3. It is one thing to believe as Probable another thing to believe it as certain 4. It s one thing to believe it to be true conditionally another to believe it absolutely 5. We must distinguish betwixt the bare assent of the understanding to the truth of an Axiome when it is only silenced by force of Argument which will be stronger or weaker as the Argument seemeth more or lesse demonstrative and secondly that deep apprehension and firme assent which proceedeth from a well stablished confirmed Faith backed by experience 6. It s one thing to assent to the truth of the Axiome another to taste and chuse the good contained in it which is the work of the Will SECT II. THe Use I shall make of these distinctions is to open the way to these following Positions which will resolve the great Questions on foot How far the belief of the Written Word is of necessity to salvation and Whether it be the foundation of our faith And whether this foundation have been always the same Pos. 1. The Object of belief Is the will of God revealed or a Divine Testimony where two things are absolutely necessary first The Matter secondly The Revelation 2. All this Revealed Will is necessary to the compleating of our faith and it is our duty to believe it But it s onely the substance and tenor of the Covenants and the things necessarily supposed to the knowing and keeping of the Covenant of Grace which are of absolute necessity to the beeing of Faith and to Salvation A man may be saved though he should not believe many things which yet he is bound by God to believe 3. Yet this must be onely through ignorance of the Divineness of the Testimony For a flat unbelief of the smallest truth when we know the Testimony to be of God will not stand with the beeing of true Faith nor with Salvation For Reason layes this ground That God can speak nothing but Truth and Faith proceeds upon that supposition 4. This Doctrine so absolutely necessary hath not been ever from the beginning the same but hath differed according to the different Covenants and Administrations That Doctrine which is now so necessary was not so before the Fall And that which is so necessary since the coming of Christ was not so before his coming Then they might be saved in believing in the Messiah to come of the seed of David but now it s of necessity to believe that this Jesus the Son of Mary is He and that we look not for another I prove it thus That which is not revealed can be no object for Faith much less so necessary But Christ was not Revealed before the Fall nor this Jesus Revealed to be He before his coming therefore these were not of necessity to be believed or as some Metaphorically speak they were then to fundamentall Doctrines Perhaps also some things will be found of absolute necessity to us which are not so to Indians and Turks 5. God hath made this substance of Scripture-Doctrine to be thus necessary primarily and for it self 6. That it be revealed is also of absolute necessity but secondarily and for the Doctrines sake as a means without which Believing is neither possible nor a duty And though where there is no Revelation Faith is not necessary as a duty yet it may be necessary I think as a means that is our natural misery may be such as can no other way be cured but this concerns not us that have heard of Christ 7. Nature Creatures and Providence are no sufficient Revelation of this tenor of the Covenants 8. It is necessary not onely that this Doctrine be Revealed but also that it be Revealed with Grounds or Arguments rationally sufficient to evince the verity of the Doctrine or the Divineness of the Testimony that from it we may conclude the former 9. The Revelation of Truth is to be considered in respect of the first immediate delivery from God or secondly in respect of the way of its coming down to us It is delivered by God immediatly either by writing as the two Tables or by informing Angels who may be his Messengers or by inspiring some choise particular men So that few in the world have received it from God at the first hand 10. The only ways of Revelation that for ought I know are now left are Scripture and Tradition For though God hath not tied himself from Revelations by the Spirit yet he hath ceased them and perfected his Scripture Revelations so that the Spirit onely Reveales what is Revealed already in the Word by illuminating us to understand it 11. The more immediate the Revelation caeteris paribus the more sure and the more succession of hands it passeth through the more uncertain especially in matter of Doctrine 12. When we receive from men by Tradition the Doctrine of God as in the Words of God there is less danger of corruption then when they deliver us that Doctrine in their own words because here taking liberty to vary the expressions it will represent the Truth more uncertainly and in more various shapes 13. Therefore hath God been pleased when he ceased immediate Revelation to leave his Will written in a form of words which should be his standing Law and a Rule to try all other mens expressions by 14. In all the forementioned respects therefore the written Word doth excell the unwritten Tradition of the same Doctrine 15. Yet unwritten Tradition or any sure way of Revealing this Doctrine may suffice to save him who thereby is brought to believe As if there be any among the Abaâ—sines of Ethiopia the Coplies in Egypt or elsewhere that have the substance of the Covenants delivered them by unwritten Tradition or by other Writings if hereby they come to believe they shall be saved For so the Promise of the Gospel runs giving salvation to all that believe by what means soever they were brought to it The like may be said of true Believers in those parts of the Church of Rome where the Scripture is wholly hid from the vulgar if there be any such parts 16. Yet where the written Word is wanting salvation must needs be more difficult and more rare and Faith more feeble and mens conversations worse ordered because they want that clearer Revelation that surer Rule of Faith and Life which might make the way of salvation more easie 17. When Tradition ariseth no higher or cometh originally but from this written Word and not from the verbal Testimonies of the Apostles before the Word was written there that Tradition is but the preaching of the Word and not a distinct way of Revealing 18. Such is most of the Tradition for ought I can learn that is now afoot in the world for matter of Doctrine but not for matter of fact 17. Therefore the Scriptures are not onely necessary to the well-beeing of the Church and to the
Officers and Orders of Churches are to us as Laws still binding with those limitations as Positives onely which give way to greater 43. The ground of this Position is because it is inconsistent with the Wisdom and Faithfulness of God to send men to a work and promise to be with them and yet to forsake them and suffer them to err in the building of that House which must indure till the end of the world 44. Yet if any of these Commissioners do err in their own particular conversations or in matters without the extent of their Commission this may consist with the faithfulness of God God hath not promised them infallibility and perfection the disgrace is their own but if they should miscarry in that wherein they are sent to be a rule to others the Church would then have an imperfect Rule and the dishonor would redound to God 45. Yet I finde not that ever God authorized any meere man to be a Lawgiver to the Church in Substantials but onely to deliver the Laws which he had given to Interpret them and to determine Circumstantials not by him determined 46. Where God owneth mens Doctrines and Examples by Miracles they are to be taken as infallibly Divine much more when Commission Promise and Miracles do concur which confirmeth the Apostles Examples for currant 47. So that if any of the â—ings or Prophets had given Laws and formed the Church as Moses they had not been binding because without the said Commission or if any other Minister of the Gospel shall by Word or Action arrogate an Apostolical priviledg 48. There is no verity about God or the chief happiness of man written in Nature but it is to be found written in Scriptures 49. So that the same thing may in these several respects be the object both of Knowledg and of Faith 50. The Scripture being so perfect a Transcript of the law of Nature or Reason is much more to be credited in its supernatural Revelations 51. The probability of most things and the possibility of all things contained in the Scriptures may well be discerned by Reason it self which makes their Existence or Futurity the more easie to be believed 52. Yet before this Existence or Futurity of any thing beyond the reach of Reason can be soundly believed the Testimony must be known to be truly Divine 53. Yet a belief of Scripture Doctrine as probable doth usually go before a belief of certainty and is a good preparative thereto 54. The direct express sense must be believed directly and absolutely as infallible and the consequences where they may be clearly and certainly raised but where there is danger of erring in raising consequences the assent can be but weak and conditional 55. A Consequence raised from Scripture being no part of the immediate sense cannot be called any part of Scripture 56. Where one of the premises is in Nature and the other onely in Scripture there the Conclusion is mixt partly known and partly believed That it is the Consequence of those premises is known but that it is a Truth is as I said apprehended by a mixt Act. Such is a Christians concluding himself to be justified and sanctified c. 57. Where through weakness we are unable to discern the Consequences there is enough in the express direct sense for salvation 58. Where the sense is not unstood there the belief can be but implicit 59. Where the sense is partly understood but with some doubting the Belief can be but conditionally explicit that is we believe it if it be the sense of the Word 60. Fundamentals must be believed Explicitly and Absolutely CHAP. IIII. The first Argument to prove Scripture to be the Word of God SECT IIII. HAving thus shewed you in what sense the Scriptures are the word of God and how far to be believed and what is the excellency necessity and authority of them I shall now adde three or four Arguments to help your Faith which I hope will not onely prove them to be Divine Testimony to the substance of Doctrine though that be a usefull work against our unbelief but also that they are the very written Laws of God and a perfect Rule of Faith and duty My Arguments shall be but few because I handle it but on the by and those such as I finde little of in others writings least I should wast time in doing what is done to my hands 1. Those writings and that Doctrine which were confirmed by many real Miracles must needs be of God and consequently of undoubted Truth But the books and Doctrine of Canonicall Scripture were so confirmed Therefore c. Against the major proposition nothing of any moment can be said For it s a Truth apparent enough to nature that none but God can work real Miracles or at least none but those whom he doth especially enable thereto And it is as manifest that the Righteous and Faithfull God will not give this power for a seal to any falshood or deceit The usuall Objections are these First Antichrist shall come with lying wonders Answ. They are no true Miracles As they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thess. 2.9 lying in sealing to a lying doctrine so also in being but seeming and counterfeit Miracles The like may be said to those of Pharaohs Magicians and all other Sorcerers and Witches and those that may be wrought by Satan himself They may be wonders but not Miracles Object 2. God may enable false Prophets to work Miracles to try the world without any derogation to his Faithfulness Answ. No for Divine power being properly the attendant of Divine Revelation if it should be annexed to Diabolicall delusions it would be a sufficient excuse to the world for their believing those delusions And if Miracles should not be a sufficient seal to prove the Authority of the witness to be Divine then is there nothing in the world sufficient and so our Faith will be quite overthrown Object But however Miracles will no more prove Christ to be the Son of God then they will prove Moses Elias or Elisha to be the Son of God for they wrought Miracles as well as Christ. Answ. Miracles are Gods seal not to extoll the person that is instrumentall nor for his glory but to extoll God and for his own Glory God doth not entrust any creature with this seal so absolutely as that they may use it when and in what case they please If Moses or Elias had affirmed themselves to be the sons of God they could never have confirmed that affirmation with a Miracle for God would not have sealed to a lye Christs power of working Miracles did not immediatly prove him to be the Christ. But it immediately proved his Testimony to be Divine and that Testimony spoke his nature and office So that the power of Miracles in the Prophets and Apostles was not to aâ—â—est to their own greatness but to the truth of their Testimony conâ—â—rning Christ.
Whatsoever any man affirmes to me and works a real Miracle to confirme it I must needs take my self bound 〈◊〉 believe him Object But what if some one should work miracles to confirme a Doctrine contrary to Scripture Would you believe it Doth not Paul say if an Angel from Heaven teach any other Gospel let him be accursed Answ. I am sure God will never give any false teacher the power of confirming his Doctrine by Miracles else God should subscribe his name to contradictions The appearance of an Angel is no Miracle though a wonder Secondly But the maine assault I know will be made against the Minor proposition of the Argument and so the question will be de facto whether ever such Miracles were wrought or no I shall grant that we must not here argue circularly to prove the Doctrine to be of God by the miracles and then the miracles to have been wrought by the Divine Testimony of the Doctrine and so round But yet to use the Testimony of the History of Scripture as a humane Testimony of the matter of fact is no circular arguing SECT II. TOward the confirmation of the Minor therefore I shall first lay these grounds That there is so much certainty in some Humane Testimony that may exclude all doubting or cause of doubting or there is some Testimony immediately Humane which yet may truly be said to be Divine That such Testimony we have of the Miracles mentioned in Scripture If these two be cleared the Minor will stand firme and the maine work here will be done First I will therefore shew you that there is such a certainty in some Humane Testimony Both experience and Reason will confirme this First I would desire any rationall man to tell me Whether he that never was at London at Paris or at Rome may not be certaine by a Humane faith that there are such Cities For my own part I think it as certaine to me nay more certaine then that which I see and I should sooner question my own sight alone then the eyes and credit of so many thousands in such a case And I thinke the Scepticks Arguments against the certainty of sense to be as strong as any that can be brought against the certainty of such a Testimony Is it not somewhat more then probable think you to the multitudes that never saw either Parliament or King that yet there is such an Assembly and such a person May we not be fully certaine that there was such a person as King James as Queen Elizabeth as Queen Mary c. here in England Yea that there was such a man as William the Conqueror May we not be certaine also that he conquered England With many other of his actions The like may be said of Julius Caesar of Alexander the Great c. Sure those that charge all humane Testimony with uncertainty do hold their lands then upon an uncertaine tenure Secondly It may be proved also by reason For if 1. the first testifiers may infallibly know it and 2. also by an infallible means transmit it to posterity and 3. have no intent to deceive then their Testimony may be an infallible Testimony But all these three may be easily proved I had thought to have laid down here the Rules by which a certaine Humane Testimony may be discerned from an uncertaine but you may easily gather them from what I shall lay down for the confirmation of these three Positions For the first I suppose none will question whether the first testifiers might infalliby know the truth of what they testifie If they should let them consider First If it be not matter of Doctrine much lesse abstruse and difficult points but only matter of fact then it s beyond doubt it may be certainly known Secondly If it be those also who did see and hear and handle who do testifie it Thirdly If their senses were sound and perfect within reach of the object and having no deceiving medium Fourthly Which may be discerned 1. If the witnesses be a multitude for then it may be known they are not blind or deaf except they had been culled out of some Hospitalls especially when all present do both see and hear them 2. When the thing is done openly in the day-light 3. When it is done frequently and neer at hand for then there would be full opportunity to discover any deceit So that in these cases it is doubtless sense is infallible and consequently those that see and hear are most certaine witnesses 2. Next let us see whether we may be certaine that any Testimony is sincere without a purpose to deceive us And I take that for undoubted in the following cases 1. Where the party is of ingenuity and honesty 2. And it is apparent he drives on no designe of his own nor cannot expect any advantage in the world 3. Nay of his Testimony will certainly undo him in the world and prove the overthrow of his ease honour estate and life 5. And if it be a multitude that do thus testifie How can they do it with an intent to deceive 6. And if their severall Testimonies do agree 7. And if the very enemies deny not this matter of fact but only refer it to other causes then there is no possibility of deceit as I shall further anon evince when I apply it to the Question Thirdly VVe are to prove that there are infallible means of transmitting such Testimony down to posterity without depraving any thing substantiall And then it well remaine an undoubted truth that there is a full certainty in some humane Testimony and that to posterity at a remote distance Now this tradition is infallible in these cases 1. If it be as beforesaid in matter of fact only which the meanest understandings are capable of apprehending 2. If it be also about the substance of actions and not every small circumstance 3. And also if those Actions were famous in their times and of great note and wonder in the world and such as were the cause of publike and eminent alterations 4. If it be delivered down in writing and not only by word of mouth where the change of speech might alter the sense of the matter 5. If the Records be publike where the very enemies may see them yea published of purpose by Heralds and Ambassadors that the world may take notice of them 6. If they are men of greatest honesty in all Ages who have both kept and divulged these Records 7 And if there have been also a multitude of these 8. And this multitude of severall countries where they could never so much as meet to agree upon any deceiving councells much lesse all accord in such a design and lest of all be able to manage it with secrecy 9. If also the after preservers and divulgers of these records could have no more self-advancing ends then the first testifiers 10. Nay if their divulging and attesting these records did utterly ruinate in the
called Christians so named from him do remain Thus far Josephus a Jew by Nation and Religion who wrote this about eighty six years after Christ and fourteen years before the death of St. John Himself being born about five or six years after Christ. 20. Consider also how that every Age hath afforded multitudes of VVitnesses who before were most bitter and violent enemies And divers of these men of note for Learning and place in the world How mad was Saul against the Truth Surely it could be no favour to the Cause nor over-much credulity that caused such men to witness to the death the truth of that for which they had persecuted others to the death but a little before Nor could childish Fables or common flying Tales have so mightily wrought with men of Learning and Understanding For some such were Christians in all Ages 21. Nay observe but the Confessions of these Adversaries when they came to believe How generally and ingenuously they acknowledg their former ignorance and prejudice to have been the cause of their unbelief 22. Consider also how unable all the enemies of the Gospel have been to abolish these sacred Records They could burn the Witnesses by thousands but yet they could never either hinder their succession or extinguish these Testimonies 23. Nay the most eminent Adversaries have had the most eminent ruine As Antiochus Herod Julian with multitudes more This stone having faln upon them hath ground them to powder 24 It were not difficult here to collect from unquestioned Authors a constant succession of VVonders at least to have in several Ages accompanied the Attestation of this Truth and notable judgments that have befaln the persecutors of it And though the Papists by their Fictions and Fabulous Legends have done more wrong to the Christian Cause then ever they are able to repair yet unquestionable History doth afford us very many Examples And even many of those actions which they have deformed with their fabulous additions might yet for the substance have much truth And God might even in times of Popery work some of these wonders though not to confirm their Religion as it was Popish yet to confirm it as the Christian Religion for as he had then his Church and then his Scripture so had he then his special Providences to confirm his Church in their belief and to silence the several enemies of the Faith And therefore I advise those who in their inconsiderate zeal are apt to reject all these Histories of Providences meerly because they were written by Papists or because some Witnesses to the Truth were a little leavened with some Popish errors that they would first view them and consider of their probability of Truth or Falshood that so they may pick out the Truth and not reject all together in the lump least otherwise in their zeal against Popery they should injure Christianity And now I leave any man to judg whether we have not had an infallible way of receiving these Records from the first VVitnesses Not that every of the particulars before mentioned are necessary to the proving or certain receiving the Authentick Records without depravation for you may perceive that almost any two or three of them might suffice and that divers of them are from abundance for fuller confirmation SECT IV. ANd thus I have done with this first Argument drawn from the Miracles which prove the Doctrine and VVritings to be of God But I must satisfie the Scruples of some before I proceed First Some will question whether this be not 1. To resolve our faith into the Testimony of man 2. And so to make it a Humane faith And so 3. To jump in this with the Papists who believe the Scripture for the Authority of the Church and to argue Circularly in this as they To this I Answer First I make in this Argument the last Resolution of my faith into the Miracles wrought to confirm the Doctrine If you ask why I believe the Doctrine to be of God I Answer because it was confirmed by many undeniable Miracles If you ask why I believe those Miracles to be from God I Answer because no created power can work a Miracle So that the Testimony of man is not the Reason of my believing but onely the means by which this matter of Fact is brought down to my Knowledg Again Our Faith cannot be said to be Resolved into that which we give in Answer to your last Interrogation except your Question be onely still of the proper grounds of Faith But if you change your Question from what is the Ground of my Faith to what is the means of conveying down the History to me Then my faith is not Resolved into this means Yet this means or some other equivalent I acknowledg so necessary that without it I had never been like to have believed 2. This shews you also that I argue not in the Popish Circle nor take my faith on their common Grounds For First When you ask them How know you the Testimony of the Church to be Infallible They prove it again by Scripture and ther 's their Circle But as I trust not on the Authority of the Romish Church onely as they do no nor properly to the Authority of any Church no nor onely to the Testimony of the Church but also to the Testimony of the enemies themselves So do I prove the validity of the Testimony I bring from Nature and well known Principles in Reason and not from Scripture it self as you may see before 3. There is a Humane Testimony which is also divine and so an Humane Faith which is also divine Few of Gods extraordinary Revelations have been immediate The best Schoolmen think none of all but either by Angels or by Jesus himself who was man as well as God You will acknowledg if God reveal it to an Angel and the Angel to Moses and Moses to Israel this is a divine Revelation to Israel For that is called a divine Revelation which we are certain that God doth any way Reveal Now I would fain know why that which God doth naturally and certainly Reveal to all men may not as properly be called a Divine Revelation as that which he Reveales by the Spirit to a few Is not this Truth from God That the Senses apprehension of their Object rightly stated s certain as well as this Jesus Christ was born of a Virgin c. Though a Saint or Angel be a fitter Messenger to Reveal the things of the Spirit yet any man may be a Messenger to reveal the things of the flesh An ungodly man if he have better Eyes and Ears may be a better Messenger or Witness of that matter of Fact which he seeth and heareth then a godlier man that is blinde or deaf especially in cases wherein that ungodly man hath no provocation to speak falsly and most of all if his Testimony be against himself I take that Revelation whereby I know
that there was a fight at York c. to be of God though wicked men were the chief witnesses For I take it for an undeniable Maxime That there is no Truth but of God onely it is derived unto us by various means SECT V. 2. ANd as I have evideently discovered the full certainty of this Testimony of man concerning the forementioned matter of Fact So I will shew you why I chuse this for my first and main Argument and also that no man can believe without the foresaid Humane Testimony First then I demanded with my self By what Argument did Moses and Christ evince to the world the verity of their Doctrine And I finde it was chiefly by this of Miracles and sure Christ knew the best Argument to prove the divine Authority of his Doctrine and that which was the best then is the best still If our selves had lived in the dayes of Christ should we have believed a poor man to have been God the Saviour the Judg of the world without Miracles to prove this to us Nay would it have been our duty to have believed Doth not Christ say If I had not done the Works that no man else could do ye had not had sin That is Your not believing me to be the Messias had been no sin For no man is bound to believe that which was never convincingly revealed And to tell you my thoughts If you will but pardon the novelty of the Interpretation I think that this is it which is called the sin against the Holy Ghost when men will not be convinced by Miracles that Jesus is the Christ. That which some Divines judg to be the sin against the Holy Ghost an opposing the known Truth onely out of malice against it It s a Question whether Humane Nature be capable of it And whether all Humane opposition to Truth be not through ignorance or prevalency of the sensual lusts And so all malice against Truth is onely against it as conceived to be Falshood or else as it appeareth an enemy to our sensual desires Else how doth mans Understanding as it is an Understanding naturally chuse Truth either real or appearing for its object So that I think none can be guilty of malice against Truth as Truth And to be at emnity with Truth for opposing our sensuality is a sin that every man in the world hath been in some measure guilty of And indeed our Divines do so define the sin against the Holy Ghost that I could never yet understand by their definition what it might be some placing it in an Act incompatible with the Rational soul and others making it but gradually to differ from other sins which hath cast so many into terror of soul because they could never finde out that graduall difference The sense of the place which the whole context if you view it deliberately will shew you seems to me to be this As if Christ had said While you believed not the Testimony of the Prophets yet there was hope The Testimony of John Baptist might have convinced you yea when you believed not John yet you might have been convinced by my own Doctrine Yea though you did not believe my Doctrine yet there was hope you might have been convinced by my Miracles But when you accuse them to be the works of Beelzebub and ascribe the work of the Divine Power or Spirit to the Prince of Devils what more hope I will after my Ascention send the Holy Ghost upon my Disciples that they may work Miracles to convince the world that they who will believe no other Testimony may yet through this believe But if you sin against this Holy Ghost that is if they will not believe for all these Miracles for the Scripture frequently calls Faith by the name of Obedience and Unbelief by the name of sin there is no other more convincing Testimony left and so their sin of unbelief is incurable and consequently unpardonable And therefore he that speaketh against the son of Man that is denieth his Testimony of himself it shall be forgiven him if he yet believe by this Testimony of the Spirit but they that continue unbelievers for all this and so reproach the Testimony that should convince them as you do shall never be forgiven because they cannot perform the condition of forgiveness This I think to be the sense of the Text And the rather when I consider what sin it was that these Pharisees committed for sure that which is commonly judged to be the sin against the Holy Ghost I no where finde that Christ doth accuse them of but the Scripture seemeth to speak on the contrary that through ignorance they did it for had they known they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory And indeed it is a thing to me altogether incredible that these Pharisees should know Christ to be the Messiah whom they so desirously expected and to be the Son of God and judg of all men and yet to crucifie him through meer malice charge them not with this till you can shew some Scripture that chargeth them with it Obiect Why then there is no sin against the Holy Ghost now Miracles are ceased Answ. Yes though the Miracles are ceased yet their Testimony doth still live The death and Resurrection of Christ are past and yet men may sin against that death and Resurrection So that I think when men will not believe that Jesus is the Christ though they are convinced by undeniable Arguments of the Miracles which both himself and his disciples wrought this is now the sin against the Holy Ghost And therefore take heed of slighting this argument SECT VI. SEcondly And here I would have those men who cannot endure this resting upon humane Testimony to consider of what necessity it is for the producing of our Faith Something must be taken upon trust from man whether they will or no and yet no uncertainty in our Faith neither First The meer illiterate man must take it upon trust that the book is a Bible which he heares read for els he knows not but it may be some other book Secondly That those words are in it which the Reader pronounceth Thirdly That it is translated truly out of the originall languages Fourthly That the Hebrew and Greek Copies out of which it was translated are true Authentick Copies Fifthly That it was originally written in these languages Sixthly Yea and the meaning of divers Scripture passages which cannot be understood without the knowledg of Jewish customes of Chronologie of Geography c. though the words were never so exactly translated All these with many more the vulgar must take upon the word of their Teachers And indeed a faith meerly humane is a necessary preparative to a faith Divine in respect of some means and Praecognita necessary thereto If a Scholar will not take his masters word that such letters have such or such a power or do spell so or so or
of poor Fishermen Tentmakers and such like must write the Laws of the Kingdom of Christ must dive into the Spiritual Mysteries of the Kingdom must silence the Wise and Disputers of the world and must be the men that must bring in the world to believe Doubless as Gods sending David an unarmed Boy with a Sling and a Stone against an armed Gyant was to make it appear that the victory was from himself So his sending these unlearned men to Preach the Gospel and subdue the world was to convince both the present and future generations that it was God and not man that did the work 4. Also the course they took in silencing the learned adversaries doth shew us how little use they made of these Humane helps They disputed not with them by the precepts of Logick Their Arguments were to the Jews the Writings of Moses and the Prophets and both to Jews and Gentiles the miracles that were wrought They argued more with deeds then with words The blinde the lame the sick that were recovered were their visible Arguments The Languages which they spake the Prophesies which they uttered and other such supernatural gifts of the holy Ghost upon them these were the things that did convince the world Yet this is no president to us to make as little use of Learning as they because we are not upon the same work nor yet supplied with their supernatural furniture 5. The reproaches of their enemies do fully testifie this who cast it still in their teeth that they were ignorant and unlearned men And indeed this was the great rub that their Doctrine found in the world it was to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness and therefore it appeared to be the power of God and not of man This was it that they discouraged the people with Do any of the Rulers or Pharisees believe on him but this people that know not the Law are accursed 6. To conclude The very frame and stile of these sacred Writings doth fully tell us that they were none of the Logicians nor eloquent Orators of the world that did compose them This is yet to this day one of the greatest stumbling blocks in the world to hinder men from the reverencing and believing the Scriptures They are still thinking sure if they were the very words of God they would excell all other Writings in every kinde of excellency when indeed it discovereth them the more certainly to be of God because there is in them so little of man They may as well say If David had been sent against Goliah from God he would sure have been the most compleat souldier and most compleatly armed The words are but the dish to serve up the sense in God is content that the words should not onely have in them a savor of Humanity but of much infirmity so that the work of convincing the world may be furthered thereby And I verily think that this is Gods great design in permitting these pretious spirits of divine Truths to run in the veines of infirm Language that so men may be convinced in all succeeding ages that Scripture is no device of Humane Policy If the Apostles had been learned and subtil men we should sooner have suspected their finger in the contrivance Yea It is observable that in such as Paul that had some Humane Learning yet God would not have them make much use of it least the excellency of the Cross of Christ should seem to lye in the inticing words of mans wisdom and least the success of the Gospel should seem to be more from the ability of the Preacher then from the Arm of God Besides all this It may much perswade us that the Apostles never contrived the Doctrine which they Preached by their sudden and not premeditated setting upon the work They knew not whether they should go nor what they should do when he calls one from his Fishing and another from his Custome They knew not what course Christ would take with himself or them no not a little before he leaves them Nay they must not know their imployment till he is taken from them And even then is it revealed to them by parcels and degrees and that without any study or invention of their own even after the coming down of the Holy Ghost Peter did not well under stand that the Gentiles must be called All which ignorance of his Apostles and suddenness of Revelation I think was purposely contrived by Christ to convince the world that they were not the contrivers of the Doctrine which they Preached SECT IV. 2. LEt us next then consider how far short the learned Philosophers have come of this They that have spent all their days in most painful studies having the strongest natural endowments for to enable them and the learned Teachers the excellent Libraries the bountiful incouragement and countenance of Princes to further them and yet after all this are very Novices in all spiritual things They cannot tell what the happiness of the Soul is nor where that happiness shall be enjoyed nor when nor how long nor what are the certain means to attain it nor who they be that shall possess it They know nothing how the world was made nor how it shall end nor know they the God who did create and doth sustain it but for the most of them they multiply feighned Deities But I shall have occasion to open this more fully anon under the last Argument CHAP. VI. The third Argument SECT I. MY third Argument whereby I prove the Divine Authority of the Scriptures is this Those Writings which have been owned and fulfilled in several Ages by apparent extraordinary Providences of God must needs be of God But God hath so owned and fulfilled the Scriptures Ergo They are of God The Major Proposition will not sure be denied The direct consequence is That such Writings are approved by God and if approved of him then must they needs be his own because they affirm themselves to be his own It is beyond all doubt that God will not interpose his Power and work a succession of Wonders in the world for the maintaining or countenancing of any forgery especially such as should be a slander against himself All the work therefore will lye in confirming the Minor Where I shall shew you first By what wonders of Providence God hath owned and fulfilled the Scriptures And secondly How it may appear that this was the end of such Providences 1. The first sort of Providences here to be considered are those that have been exercised for the Church universal Where these three things present themselves especially to be observed first The Propagating of the Gospel and raising of the Church secondly The Defence and continuance of that Church thirdly The improbable ways of accomplishing these And first Consider what an unlikely design in the judgment of man did Christ send his Apostles upon To bid a few ignorant Mechanicks Go
this is a lower excellency then Scripture was intended to And thus I have done with this weighty Subject That the Scripture which contains the Promises of our Rest is the certain infallible VVord of God The reason why I have thus digressed and said so much of it is because I was very apprehensive of the great necessity of it and the common neglect of being grounded in it and withall that this is the very heart of my whole Discourse and that if this be doubted of all the rest that I have said will be in vain If men doubt of the Truth they will not regard the goodness And the reason why I have said no more but passed over the most common Arguments is because they are handled in many books already which I advise Christians to be better versed in To the meer English Reader I commend especially these Sir Phil. Mornay Lord du Plessis his Verity of Christian Religion Parsons Book of Resolution Corrected by Bunny the Second Part. Dr. Jackson on the Creed and come forth since I begun this Mr. White of Dorchester Directions for Reading Scripture Mr. John Goodwins Divine Authority of Scripture asserted though some of his Positions I judg unsound yet the Work for the main is commendable Also Read a Book Called A Treatise of Divinity first Part. Written by our honest and faithful Countryman Colonel Edward Leigh a now Member of the House of Commons Also Vrsins Catachism on this Question and Balls Catachism with the Exposition which to those that cannot read larger Treatises is very usefull For the Question How it may be known which books be Canonical I here meddle not with it I think Humane Testimony with the forementioned qualifications must do most in determining that As I begun so I conclude this with an earnest request to Ministers that they would Preach and People that they would study this subject more throughly that their Faith and Obedience may live and flourish while they can prove the Scripture to be the Word of God which contains the Promise of their Everlasting Rest. CHAP. VIII Rest for none but the people of God proved SECT I. IT may here be expected that as I have proved That this Rest remaineth for the people of God so I should now prove that it remaineth onely for them and that the rest of the world shall have no part in it But the Scripture is so full and plain in this that I suppose it needless to those who believe Scripture Christ hath resolved that those who make light of him and the offers of his Grace shall never taste of his Supper And that without holiness none shall see God And that except a man be regenerate and born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God That he that believes not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him That no unclean person nor covetous nor railer nor drunkard c. shall enter into the Kingdom of Christ and of God Ephes. 5.4 5. That the wicked shall be turned into hell and all they that forget God That all they shall be damned that obey not the Truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes. 2.12 That Christ will come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power And Christ himself hath opened the very maner of their process in judgment and the sentence of their condemnation to eternal fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Matth. 25. So that here is no Rest for any but the people of God except you will call the intollerable everlasting flames of Hell a Rest. And it were easie to manifest this also by Reason For first Gods Justice requires an inequality of mens state hereafter as there was of their lives here And secondly They that walk not in the way of Rest and use not the means are never like to obtain the End They would not follow Christ in the Regeneration nor accept of Rest upon his conditions they thought him to be too hard a Master and his way too narrow and his Laws too strict They chose the pleasures of sin for a season rather then to suffer affliction with the people of God They would not suffer with Christ that so they might raign with him What they made choise of that they did injoy They had their good things in this life and what they did refuse it is but reason they should want How oft would Christ have gathered them to him and they would not And he useth to make men willing before he save them and not to save them against their wils Therefore will the mouths of the wicked be stopped for ever and all the world shall acknowledg the Justice of God Had the ungodly but returned before their life was expired and been heartily willing to accept of Christ for their Saviour and their King and to be saved by him in his way and upon his most reasonable tearms they might have been saved Object But may not God be better then his Word and save those that he doth not promise to save Answ. But not false of his word in saving those whom he hath said he will not save Mens souls are in a doleful case when they have no hope of Happiness except the Word of God prove false To venture a mans eternal salvation upon Hope that God will be better then his word that is in plain English that the God of Truth will prove a lyer is somewhat beyond stark madness which hath no name bad enough to express it Yet I do believe that the description of Gods people in England and in America must not be the same because as Gods Revelations are not the same so neither is the actual Faith which is required in both the same and as the Written and Positive Laws in the Church were never given them so obedience to those meer Positives is not required of them Whether then the threats against unbelievers be meant of Unbelief privative and positive only and not negative such as is all non-believing that which was never revealed Or whether their believing that God is and that he is a Rewarder of them that seek him will serve the turn there Or whether God hath no people there I acknowledg again is yet past my understanding CHAP. IX Whether the Souls departed enjoy this Rest SECT I. I Have but one thing more to clear before I come to the Use of this doctrine And that is Whether this Rest remain till the resurrection before we shall enjoy it Or whether we shall have any possession of it before The Socinians and many others of late among us think that the soul separated from the body is either nothing or at least not capable of happiness or misery Truly if it
to stir against the Lord. O how the reviews of this vvill feed the flames of Hell With vvhat rage vvill these damned wretches curse themselves and say Was damâ—nation vvorth all my cost and pains vvas it not enough that I perished through my negligence and that I sit still vvhile Satan played his game but I must seek so diligently for my own perdiâ—tion Might I not have been damned on free-cost but I must purchase it so dearly I thought I could have been saved without so much ado and could I not have been destroyed without so much ado How wel is all my care and pains and violence now requited Must I work out so laboriously my own damnation vvhen God commanded me to vvork out my Salvation O if I had done as much for Heaven as I did for Hell I had surely had it I cried out of the tedious vvay of Godliness and of the painful course of Duty and Self-denial and yet I could be at a great deal more pains for Satan and for death If I had loved Christ as strongly as I did my pleasures and profits and honors and thought on him as often and sought him as painfully O how happy had I now been But justly do I suffer the flames of Hell who would rather rather buy them so dear then have Heaven on free cost when it was purchased to my hands Thus I have shewed you some of those thoughts which will aggravate the misery of these wretches for ever O that God would perswade thee who readest these words to take up these thoughts now seasonably and soberly for the preventing of that unconceivable calamity that so thou mayest not be forced in despite of thee to take them up in Hell as thy own Tormentor It may be some of these hardened wretches will jest at all this and say How know you what thoughts the damned in Hell will have Ans. First VVhy read but the 16 of Luke and you shall there finde some of their thoughts mentioned Secondly I know their understandings will not be taken from them nor their conscience nor Passions As the Joyes of Heaven are chiefly enjoyed by the Rationall soul in its Rationall actings so also must the pains of Hell be suffered As they will be men still so will they act as men Thirdly Beside Scripture hath plainly foretold us as much that their own thoughts shall accuse them Rom. 2.15 and their hearts condemn them And we see it begun in despairing persons here CHAP. III. They shall lose all things that are comfortable as well as Heaven SECT I. HAving shewed you those considerations which will then aggravate their misery I am next to shew you their Additonall losses which will aggravate it For as Godliness hath the promise both of this life and that which is to come and as God hath said that if we first seek his Kingdom and Righteousness all things else shall be added to us so also are the ungodly threated with the loss both of spiritual and of corporal blessings and because they sought not first Christs Kingdom and righteousness therefore shall they lose both it and that which they did seek and there shall be taken from them even that little which they have If they could but have kept their present enjoyments they would not much have cared for the loss of Heaven let them take it that have more minde of it But catching at the shadow and loosing the substance they now finde that they have lost both and that when they rejected Christ they rejected all things If they had lost and forsaken all for Christ they would have found all again in him for he would have been all in all to them But now they have forsaken Christ for other things they shall lose Christ and that also for which they did forsake him But I will particularly open to you some of their other losses SECT II. FIrst They shall lose their present presumptuous conceit and belief of their Interest in God and of his favour towards them and of their part in the merits and sufferings of Christ. This false Belief doth now support their spirits and defend them from the terrors that else would seiz upon them and fortifie them against the fears of the wrath to come Even as true Faith doth afford the soul a true and grounded support and consolation and enableth us to look to Eternity with undaunted courage So also a false ungrounded Faith doth afford a false ungrounded comfort and abates the trouble of the considerations of Judgment and damnation But alas this is but a palliat salve a deceitful comfort what will ease their trouble when this is gone VVhen they can Believe no longer they will be quieted in minde no longer and rejoyce no longer If a man be neer to the greatest mischief and yet strongly conceit that he is in safety his conceit may make him as cheerfull as if all were well indeed till his misery comes and then both his conceit and comforts vanish An ungrounded perswasion of happiness is a poor cure for reall misery VVhen the mischief comes it will cure the mis-belief but that belief can neither prevent nor cure the mischief If there were no more to make a man happy but to believe that he is so or shall be so happiness would be far commonner then now it is like to be It is a wonder that any man who is not a stranger both to Gospel and Reason should be of the Antinomian faith in this who tell us that faith is but the believing that God loveth us and that our sins are already pardoned through Christ that this is the cheif thing that Ministers should preach that our Ministers preach not Christ because they preach not this that every man ought thus to believe but no man to question his Faith whether he believe truly or not c. But if all men must believe that their sins are pardoned then most of the world must believe a lye And if no man ought to question the truth of his faith then most men shall rest deluded with an ungrounded belief The Scripture commandeth us first to believe for remission of sins before we believe that our sins are remitted If we believe in Christ that is accept him cordially for our Saviour and our King then we shall receive the pardon of sins The truth is we have more ado to Preach down this Antinomian faith then they have to Preach it up and to Preach our people from such a believing then they have to preach them to it I see no need to perswade people so to believe the generality are strong and confident in such a belief already Take a congregation of 5000. persons and how few among them all will you finde that do not believe that their sins are pardoned and that God loves them Especially of the vilest sinners who have least cause to believe it Indeed as it is all the work of those men to perswade
more probable Arguments then our Baptism and common Profession and name of Christians they will stifly deny that ever they neglected Christ in hunger nakedness prison c. and if they did yet that is less then stripping imprisoning banishing or killing Christ in his Members till Christ confute them with the sentence of their condemnation Though the heart of their hopes will be broken at their death and particular Judgment yet it seems they would fain plead for some hope at the general Judgment But O the sad state of these men when they must bid farewell to all their Hopes when their Hopes shall all perish with them Reader if thou wilt not believe this it is because thou wilt not believe the Scriptures The holy Ghost hath spoke it as plain as can be spoken Prov. 11.7 When a wicked man dieth his expectation shall perish and the hope of unjust men perisheth Prov. 10.28 The hope of the righteous shall be gladness but the expectation of the wicked shall perish See Isai. 28.15 18. Job 27.8 9. For what is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him Job 8.12 13 14. Can the Rush grow up without mire Can the Flag grow without water whilst it is yet in its greeness not cut down it withereth before any other herb So are the paths of all that forget God and the Hypocrites hope shall perish whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a Spiders Web He shall leane upon his house but it shall not stand he shall hold it fast but it shall not endure Job 11.20 But the eyes of the wicked shall fail and they shall not escape and their hope shall be as the giving up of the Ghost The giving up of the Ghost is a fit but terrible resemblance of a wicked mans giving up of his hopes For first As the soul departeth not from the body without the greatest terror and pain so also doth the hope of the wicked depart O the direful gripes and pangs of horror that seize upon the soul of the sinner at Death and Judgment when he is parting with all his former hopes Secondly The soul departeth from the body suddenly in a moment which hath there delightfully continued so many years Just so doth the hope of the wicked depart Thirdly The soul which then departeth will never return to live with the body in this world any more and the hope of the wicked when it departeth taketh an everlasting Farewel of his soul. A miracle of Resurrection shall again conjoyn the soul and body but there shall be no such miraculous Resurrection of the damned's hope Me thinks it is the most doleful Spectacle that this world affords to see such an ungodly person dying and to think of his soul and his hopes departing together and with what a sad change he presently appeares in another world Then if a man could but speak with that hopeless soul and ask it what are you now as confident of salvation as you were wont to be Do you now hope to be saved as soon as the most godly O what a sad answer would he return They are just like Corah Dathan and their Companions while they are confident in their Rebellion against the Lord and cry out Are not all the people holy They are suddenly swallowed up and their hopes with them Or like Ahah who hating and imprisoning the Prophet for foretelling his danger while he is in confident hopes to return in peace is suddenly smitten with that mortal Arrow which let out those hopes together with his soul Or like a Thief upon the Gallows who hath a strong conceit that he shall receive a Pardon and so hopes and hopes till the Ladder is turned Or like the unbelieving sinners of the world before the Flood who would not believe the threatnings of Noah but perhaps deride him for preparing his Ark so many years together when no danger appeared till suddenly the Flood came and swept them all away If a man had asked these men when they were climbing up into the tops of Trees and Mountains VVhere is now your hope of escaping Or your merry deriding at the painful preventing preparations of godly Noah Or your contemptuous unbelief of the warnings of God What do you think these men would then say when the waters still pursued them from place to place till it devoured their hopes and them together Or if one had asked Ahab when he had received his wound and turned out of the battel to die what think you now of the Prophesie of Micaiah will you release him out of prison do you now hope to return in peace Why such a sudden overthrow of their hopes will every unregenerate sinner receive While they were upon earth they frustrated the expectations as I may say of God and man God sent his messengers to tell them plainly of their danger and said It may be they will hear and return and escape but they stiffened their necks and hardened their hearts The Minister studied and instructed and perswaded in hope And when one Sermon prevailed not he laboured to speak more plainly and piercingly in the next in hope that at last they would be perswaded and return till their hopes were frustrate and their labor lost and they were fain to turn their exhortation to lamentation and to sit down in sorrow for mens wilful misery and take up the sad exclamation of the Prophet Isai. 53.1 Who hath believed our report And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed So did godly parents also instruct their children in Hope and watch over them and pray for them hoping that at last their hearts would turn to Christ. And is it not meet that God should frustrate all their hopes who have frustrated the hopes of all that desired their welfare O that careless sinners would be awaked to think of this in time If thou be one of them who art reading these lines I do here as a friend advise thee from the word of the Lord that as thou wouldst not have all thy Hopes deceive thee when thou hast most need of them thou presently try them whether they will prove currant at the touchstone of the Scripture and if thou finde them unsound let them go what sorrow soever it cost thee Rest not till thou canst give a reason of all thy hopes till thou canst prove that they are the hopes which grace and not nature only hath wrought that they are grounded upon Scripture-promises and sound evidences that they purifie thy heart that they quicken and not cool thy endeavours in godliness that the more thou hopest the lesse thou sinnest and the more painful thou art in following on the work and not grow more loose and careless by the increasing of thy hopes that they make thee set lighter by all things on earth because thou hast such hopes of higher
fighting and bloodshed to get a step higher in the world then their brethren while they neglect the Kingly dignity of the Saints what insatiable pursuit of fleshly pleasures whilest they look upon the Praises of God which is the joy of Angels as a tiring burden what unwearied diligence there is in raising their posterity in enlarging their possessions in gathering a little silver or gold yea perhaps for a poor living from hand to mouth while in the mean time their Judgment is drawing neer and yet how it shall go with them then or how they shall live eternally did never put them to the trouble of ones hours sober consideration what rising early and sitting up late and labouring and caring year after year to maintain themselves and their children in credit till they dye but what shall follow after that they never think on as if it were onely their work to provide for their bodies and onely Gods work to provide for their souls whereas God hath promised more to provide for their bodies without their care then for their souls though indeed they must painfully serve his Providence for both and yet these men can cry to us May not a man be saved without so much ado And may we not say with more reason to them May not a man have a little Air or Earth a little credit or wealth without so much ado or at least may not a man have enough to bring him to his grave without so much ado O how early do they rowse up their servants to their labour up come away to work we have this to do or that to do but how seldom do they call them Up you have your souls to look to you have Everlasting to provide for up to prayer to reading of the Scripture Alas how rare is this language what a gadding up and down the world is here like a company of Ants upon a Hillock taking uncessant pains to gather a treasure which death as the next passenger that comes by will spurn abroad as if it were such an excellent thing to dye in the midst of wealth and honors or as if it would be such a comfort to a man at death or in another world to think that he was a Lord or a Knight or a Gentleman or a Rich man on earth For my part whatever these men may profess or say to the contrary I cannot but strongly suspect that in heart they are flat Pagans and do not believe that there is an eternal glory and misery nor what the Scripture speaks of the way of obtaining it or at least that they do but a little believe it by the halves and therefore think to make sure of Earth lest there be no such thing as Heaven to be had and to hold fast that which they have in hand lest if they let go that in hope of better in another world they should play the fools and lose all I fear though the Christian Faith be in their mouths lest that this be the faith which is next their hearts or else the lust of their Senses doth overcome and suspend their Reason and prevail with their Wils against the last practical conclusion of their Understanding What is the excellency of this Earth that it hath so many Suiters and Admirers what hath this World done for its Lovers and Friends that it is so eagerly followed and painfully sought after while Christ and Heaven stand by and few regard them or what will the world do for them for the time to come The common entrance into it is through anguish and sorrow The passage through it is with continual care and labor and grief the passage out of it is with the greatest sharpness and sadness of all What then doth cause men so much to follow affect it O sinful unreasonable bewitched men Will mirth and pleasure stick close to you Will gold and worldly glory prove fast friends to you in the time of your greatest need will they hear your cries in the day of your calamity If a man should say to you at the hour of your death as Elias did to Baals Priests Cry aloud c. O Riches or Honor now help us will they either answer or relieve you will they go along with you to another world and bribe the Judg and bring you off clear or purchase you a room among the blessed why then did so rich a man want a drop of water for his tongue or are the sweet morsels of present delight and honor of more worth then the eternal Rest and will they recompense the loss of that enduring Treasure Can there be the least hope of any of these why what then is the matter Is it onely a room for our dead bodies that we are so much beholden to the world for why this is the last and longest courtesie that we shal receive from it But we shal have this whether we serve it or no and even that homely dusty dwelling it will not afford us alwayes neither It shall possess our dust but till the great Resurrection day Why how then doth the world deserve so well at mens hands that they should part with Christ and their salvation to be its followers Ah vile deceitful world How oft have we heard thy faithfullest servants at last complaining Oh the world hath deceived me and undone me It flattered me in my prosperity but now it turns me off at death in my necessity Ah if I had as faithfully served Christ as I have served it He would not thus have cast me off nor have left me thus comfortless and hopeless in the depth of misery Thus do the dearest friends and favorites of the world complain at last of its deceit or rather of their own selfâ—deluding folly and yet succeeding sinners will take no warning So this is the first sort of neglecters of Heaven which fall under this Reproof SECT III. 2. THe second sort to be here reproved are the prophane ungodly presumptuous multitude who will not be perswaded to be at so much pains for salvation as to perform the common outward duties of Religion Yea though they are convinced that these duties are commanded by God and see it before their eyes in the Scripture yet wil they not be brought to the constant practice of them If they have the Gospel preached in the town where they dwell it may be they will give the hearing to it one part of the day and stay at home the other or if the master come to the congregation yet part of his family must stay at home If they want the plain and powerful preaching of the Gospel how few are there in a whole Town that will either be at cost or pains to procure a Minister or travell a mile or two to hear abroad Though they will go many miles to the market for provision for their bodies The Queen of the South shall rise up in Judgment with this generation and condemn them for
sincerely shall be Justified and Saved there is requisite in us 1. A Certainty of Knowledg That such a Proposition is written in Scripture 2. A Certainty of Assent or Faith That this Scripture is the Word of God and True Also in respect of the Minor Proposition But I do sincerely Believe or Love c. there is requisite 1. A Certainty of the Truth of our Faith in point of Being 2. And a Certainty of its Truth in point of Morality or Congruence with the Rule or its Right-being And then followeth Assurance which is the Certainty that the Conclusion Therefore I am Justified c. followeth necessarily upon the former Premises Here also you must carefully distinguish betwixt the several degrees of Assurance All Assurance is not of the highest degree It differs in strength according to the different degrees of Apprehension in all the forementioned Points of Certainty which are necessary thereunto He that can truly raise the foresaid Conclusion That he is Justified c. from the Premises hath some degree of Assurance though he do it with much weakness and staggering and doubting The weakness of our Assurance in any one point of the premises will accordingly weaken our Assurance in the Conclusion Some when they speak of Certainty of Salvation do mean only such a Certainty as excludeth all doubting and think nothing else can be called Certainty but this high degree Perhaps some Papists mean this when they deny a Certainty Some also maintain That Saint Paul's Plerophory or full Assurance is this Highest degree of Assurance and that some Christians do in this life attain to it But Paul calls it Full Assurance in comparison of lower degrees and not because it is perfect For if Assurance be perfect then also our Certainty of Knowledg Faith and Sense in the â—â—â—mises must be perfect And if some Grace perfect why not all and so we turn Novatians Catharists Perfectionists Perhaps in some their Certainty may be so great that it may overcome all sensible doubting or sensible stirrings of Unbelief by reason of the sweet and powerful Acts and Effects of that Certainty And yet it doth not overcome all Unbelief and Uncertainty so as to expel or nullifie them but a certain measure of them remaineth still Even as when you would heat cold water by the mixture of hot you may pour in the hot so long till no coldness is felt and yet the water may be far from the highest degree of heat So faith may suppress the sensible stirrings of unbelief and Certainty prevail against all the trouble of uncertainty and yet be far from the highest degree So that by this which is said you may Answer the Question What Certainty is to be attained in this Life and what Certainty it is that we press men to labour for and expect Furthermore you must be sure to distinguish betwixt Assurance it self and the Joy and Strength and other sweet Effects which follow Assurance or which immediately accompany it It is possible that there may be Assurance and yet no comfort or little There are many unskilful but self-conceited Disputers of late fitter to manage a club then an Argument who tell us That it must be the Spirit that must Assure us of our Salvation and not our Marks and Evidences of Grace That our comfort must not be taken from any thing in our selves That our Justification must be immediately believed and not proved by our Signs or Sanctification c. Of these in order 1. It is as wise a Question to ask Whether our Assurance come from the Spirit or our Evidences or our Faith c as to ask whether it be our meat or our stomack or our teeth or our hands that feed us Or whether it be our Eye-sight or the Sun-light by which we see things They are distinct Causes all necessary to the producing of the same Effect So that by what hath bin said you may discern That the Spirit and Knowledg and Faith and Scripture inward Holines and Reason and inward Sense or Conscience have all several parts and necessary uses in producing our Assurances which I will shew you distinctly 1. To the Spirit belong these particulars 1. He hath indited those Scriptures which contain the promise of our Pardon and Salvation 2. He giveth us the habit or power of Believing 3. He helpeth us also to Believe Actually That the Word is true and to receive Christ and the priviledges offered in the promise 4. He worketh in us those Graces and exciteth those Gracious Acts within us which are the Evidences or Marks of our interest pardon and Life He helpeth us to perform those Acts which God hath made to be the Condition of Pardon and Glory 5. He helpeth us to feel and discover these Acts in our selves 6. He helpeth us to compare them with the Rule and finding out their qualifications to Judg of their Sincerity and Acceptation with God 7. He helpeth our Reason to Conclude rightly of our State from our Acts. 8. He enliveneth and heighteneth our Apprehension in these particulars that our Assurance may accordingly be strong and lively 9. He exciteth our Joy and filleth with comfort when he pleaseth upon this Assurance None of all these could we perform well of our selves 2. The Part which the Scripture hath in this Work is 1. It affordeth us the Major Proposition That whosoever Believeth Sincerely shall be saved 2. It is the Rule by which our Acts must be tryed that we may Judg of their Moral Truth 3. The Part that Knowledg hath in it is to Know that the foresaid Proposition is written in Scripture 4. The Work of Faith is to Believe the Truth of that Scripture and to be the matter of one of our chief Evidences 5. Our Holiness and true Faith as they are Marks and Evidences are the very Medium of our Argument from which we Conclude 6. Our Conscience and internal Sense do acquaint us with both the Being and Qualifications of our inward Acts which are this Medium and which are called Marks 7. Our Reason or Discourse is Necessary to form the Argument and raise the Conclusion from the Premises and to compare our Acts with the Rule and Judg of their Sincerity c. So that you see our Assurance is not an Effect of any one single Cause alone And so neither meerly of Faith by Signs or by the Spirit From all this you may gather 1. What the Seal of the Spirit is to wit the Works or fruits of the Spirit in us 2. What the testimony of the Spirit is for if it be not some of the forementioned Acts I yet know it not 3. What the Testimony of Conscience is And if I be not mistaken the Testimony of the Spirit and the Testimony of Conscience are two concurrent Testimonies or Causes to produce one and the same Effect and to afford the Premises to the same Conclusion and then to raise our Joy thereupon So
that they may well be said to Witness Together Not one laying down the intire Conclusion of it self That we are the Children of God and then the other attesting the same entirely again of it self But as concurrent Causes to the same Numerical Conclusion But this with Submission to better Judgments and further Search By this also you may see that the common distinction of Certainty of Adherence and Certainty of Evidence must be taken with a grain or two of salt For there is no Certainty without Evidence no more then there is a Conclusion without a Medium A small degree of Certainty hath some small glimpse of Evidence Indeed 1. the Assent to the truth of the promise 2. and the Acceptation of Christ offered with his benefits are both before and without any sight or consideration of Evidence and are themselves our best Evidence being that Faith which is the Condition of our Justification But before any man can in the least Assurance conclude that he is the Child of God and Justified he must have some Assurance of that Mark or Evidence For who can conclude Absolutely that he shall receive the thing contained in a Conditional Promise till he know that he hath performed the Condition For those that say There is no Condition to the New Covenant I think them not worthy a word of confutation And for their Assertion That we are bound immediately to Believe that we are Justified and in special Favour with God It is such as no man of competent knowledg in the Scripture and belief of its truth can once imagine For if every man must believe this then most must believe a lye for they never shall be Justified yea all must at first believe a lye for they are not Justified till they believe and the believing that they are Justified is not the faith which Justifieth them If only some men must believe this how shall it be known who they be The truth is That we are Justified is not properly to be Believed at all For nothing is to be Believed which is not written but it is no where written that you or I are Justified only one of those premises is written from whence we may draw the Conclusion That we are Justified if so be that our own hearts do afford us the other of the Premises So that Our Actual Justification is not a matter of meer Faith but a Conclusion from Faith and Conscience together If God have no where promised to any man Justification immediately without Condition then no man can so believe it but God hath no where promised it Absolutely therefore c. Nor hath he declared to any man that is not first a Believer that he loveth him with any more then a common love Therefore no more can be believed but a common love to any such For the Eternal Love and Election is manifest to no man before he is a Believer SECT V. 2. HAving thus shewed you what Examination is and what Assurance is I come to the second thing promised To shew you That such an Infallible Certainty of Salvation may be attained and ought to be laboured for though a Perfect Certainty cannot here be attained And that Examination is the means to attain it In which I shall be the briefer because many writers against the Papists on this point have said enough already Yet somewhat I will say 1. because it is the common conceit of the Ignorant Vulgar That an Infallible Certainty cannot be attained 2. and many have taught and printed That it is only the Testimony of the Spirit that can assure us and that this proving our Justification by our Sanctification and searching after Marks and Signs in our selves for the procuring of Assurance is a dangerous and deceitful way Thus we have the Papists the Antinomians and the ignorant Vulgar conspiring against this doctrine of Assurance and Examination Which I maintain against them by these Arguments 1. Scripture tells us we may know that the Saints before us have known their Justification and future Salvation 2 Cor. 5.1 Rom. 8.36 Joh. 21.15 1 Joh. 5.19 4.13 3.14 24. 2.3 5. Rom. 8.15 16 36. Ephes. 3.12 I refer you to the places for brevity 2. If we may be certain of the Premises then may we also be certain of the undenyable Conclusion of them But here we may be certain of both the Premises For 1. That whosoever believeth in Christ shall not perish but shall have everlasting life is the voyce of the Gospel and therefore that we may be sure of That we are such Believers may be known by Conscience and internal Sense I know all the question is in this Whether the Moral Truth or Sincerity of our Faith and other Graces can be known thus or not And that it may I prove thus 1. From the natural use of this Conscience and internal Sense which is to acquaint us not only with the Being but the Qualifications of the Acts of our Souls All voluntary Motions are Sensible And though the heart is so deceitful that no man can certainly know the heart of another and with much difficulty clearly know their own yet by diligent observation and examination known they may be for though our inward Sense and Conscience may be depraved yet not extirpated or quite â—â—â—â—inguished 2. The Commands of Believing Repenting c. were in Vain especially as the Condition of the Covenant if we could not know whether we perform them or not 3. The Scripture would never make such a wide difference between the Godly and the Wicked the Children of God and the Children of the Devil and set forth the happiness of the one and the misery of the other so largely and make this Difference to run through all the veins of its doctrine if a man cannot know which of these two estates he is in 4. Much less would the Holy Ghost urge us to give all diligence to make our Calling and Election sure if it could not be done 2 Pet. 1.10 And that this is not meant of Objective Certainty but of Subjective appeareth in this That the Apostle mentioneth not Salvation or any thing to come but Calling and Election which to Believers were Objectively Certain before as being both past 5. And to what purpose should we be so earnestly urged to examine and prove and try our selves Whether we be in the Faith and whether Christ be in us or we be Reprobates 1 Cor. 11.28 and 2 Cor. 13.5 Why should we search for that which cannot be found 6. How can we obey those precepts which require us to Rejoyce always 1 Thes. 5.16 to call God our Father Luk. 11.2 to live in his Praises Psal. 49.1 2 3 4 5. and to long for Christs Coming Rev. 22.17 20. 1 Thes. 1.10 and to comfort our selves with the mention of it 1 Thes. 4.18 which are all the Consequents of Assurance Who can do any of these heartily that is not
in my own words but in his that I know you dare not dis-regard 1 Thes. 5.11 12 13. Wherefore comfort your selves together and Edifie one another even as also ye do And we beseech you Brethren to know them which labour among you and are Over you in the Lord and admonish you And to esteem them very highly in Love for their Works sake and be at peace among your selves Obey them that have the Rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your Souls as those that must give an account that they may do it with Joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for you Heb. 13.17 Thus you see part of your duty for the Salvation of others SECT XVIII ANd now Christian Reader seeing it is a Duty that God hath laid upon every man according to his ability thus to exhort and reprove and with all possible diligence to labour after the Salvation of all about him judg then whether this work be conscionably performed Where shall we find the man almost among us that setteth himself to it with all his might and that hath set his heart upon the Souls of his brethren that they may be saved Let us here therefore a little enquire What may be the Causes of the gross neglect of this Duty that the Hinderances being discovered may the more easily be overcome 1. One Hinderance is Mens own Gracelesness and Guiltiness They have not been ravished themselves with the heavenly delights how then should they draw others so earnestly to seek them They have not felt the wickedness of their own natures nor their lost condition nor their need of Christ nor felt the transforming renewing work of the Spirit How then can they discover these to others Ah that this were not the case of many a learned Preacher in England and the causes why they preach so frozenly and generally Men also are guilty themselves of the sins they should Reprove and this stops their mouth and maketh them ashamed to reprove 2. Another Hinderance is A Secret Infidelity prevailing in mens hearts Whereof even the best have so great a measure that causeth this duty to be done by the halves Alas Sirs we do not sure believe mens Misery We do not believe sure that the threatnings of God are true Did we verily believe that all the unregenerate and unholy shall be eternally tormented as God hath said Oh how could we hold our tongues when we are among the unregenerate How could we chuse but burst out into tears when we look them in the face as the Prophet did when he looked upon Hazael Especially when they are our kindred or friends that are near and dear to us Thus doth secret unbelief of the truth of Scripture consume the vigour of each grace and duty Oh Christians if you did verily believe that your poor carnal ungodly neighbors or wife or husband or child should certainly lie for ever in the flames of Hell except they be throughly recovered and changed and that quickly before death do snatch them hence Would not this make you cast off all discouragements and lie at them day and night till they were perswaded and give them no rest in their carnal state How could you hold your tongue or let them alone another day if this were soundly believed If you were sure that any of your dear friends that are dead were now in Hell and perswading to repentance would get him out again would you not perswade him day and night if you were in hearing And why should you not do as much then to prevent it while he is in your hearing but that you do not believe Gods Word that speaks the danger Why did Noah prepare an Ark so long before and perswade the world to save themselves but because he believed God that the flood should come and therefore saith the Holy Ghost By faith Noah prepared the Ark. And why did not the world hearken to his perswasion and seek to save themselves as well as Noah but because they did not believe there would be any such deluge They see all fair and well and therefore they thought that threatenings were but wind The rich man in Hell cries out Send to my brethren to warn them that they come not to this place of torment He felt it and therefore being convinced of its truth would have them prevent it But his brethren on earth they did not see and feel as he and therefore they did not believe nor would have been perswaded though one had risen from the dead I am afraid most of us do believe the predictions of Scripture but as we believe the predictions of an Almanack which telleth you that such a day will be rain and such a day wind you think it may come to pass and it may be not and so you think of the predictions of the damnation of the wicked Oh were it not for this cursed Unbelief our own Souls and our neighbors would gain more by us then they do 3. This faithful dealing with men for their Salvation is much Hindered also by our want of Charity and Compassion to mens Souls We are hard-hearted and cruel towards the miserable and therefore as the Priest and the Levite did by the wounded man we look on them and pass by Oh what tender heart could endure to look upon a poor blind forlorn sinner wounded by sin and captivated by Satan and never once open our mouths for his recovery What though he be silent and do not desire thy help himself yet his very misery cries aloud Misery is the most effectually suitor to one that is compassionate If God had not heard the cry of our Miseries before he heard the cry of our prayers and been moved by his own pity before he was moved by our importunity we might have long enough continued the slaves of Satan Is it not the strongest way of arguing that a poor Lazare hath to unlap his sores and shew them the passengers all his words will not move them so much as such a pitiful sight Alas what pitiful sights do we dayly see The Ignorant the prophane the neglecters of Christ and their Souls their sores are open and visible to all that know them and yet do we not pity them You will pray to God for them in customary duties that God would open the eyes and turn the hearts of your ignorant carnal friends and neighbors And why do you not endeavor their conversion if you desire it And if you do not desire it why do you ask it Doth not your negligence convince you of hypocrisie in your prayers and of abusing the high God with your deceitful words Your neighbors are neer you your friends are in the house with you you eat and drink and work and walk and talk with them and yet you say little or nothing to them Why do you not pray them to consider and return as well as pray God to convert and turn them
None in the world hath that interest in their hearts as you You will receive that counsel from an undoubted friend that you would not do from an enemy or a stranger VVhy now your children cannot choose but know that you are their friends and advise them in love and they cannot choose but love you again Their love is loose and arbitrary to others but to you it is determinate and fast nature hath almost necessitated them to love you O therefore improve this your interest in them for their good 3. You have also the greatest authority over them You may command them and they dare not disobey you or else it is your owne fault for the most part for you can make them obey you in your business in the world Yea you may correct them to inforce obedience Your authority also is the most unquestioned authority in the world The authority of Kings and Parliaments hath been disputed but yours is past dispute And therefore if you use it not to constrain them to the works of God you are without excuse 4. Besides their whole dependance is on you for their maintenance and livelihood They know you can either give them or deny them what you have and so punish or reward them at your pleasure But on Ministers or neighbors they have no such dependance 5. Moreover you that are parents know the temper and inclinations of your children what vices they are most inclined to and what instruction or reproof they most need But Ministers that live more strange to them cannot know this 6. Above all you are ever with them and so have opportunity as to know their faults so to apply the remedy You may be still talking to them of the word of God and minding them of their state and duty and may follow and set home every word of advice as they are in the house with you or in the shop or in the feild at work O what an excellent advantage is this if God do but give you hearts to use it Especially you mothers remember this you are more with your children while they are little ones then their fathers be you therefore still teaching them as soon as ever they are capable of learning You cannot do God such eminent service your selves as men but you may train up children that may do it and then you will have part of the comfort and honor Bathsheba had part of the honor of Solomons wisdom Pro. 31.1 for she taught him And Timothe's mother and grandmother of his piety Plutrach speaks of a Spartan woman that when her neighbors were shewing their apparel and jewels she brought out her children vertuous and well taught and said These are my ornaments and Jewels O how much more would this adorn you then your bravery What a deal of pains are you at with the bodies of your children more then the fathers And what do you suffer to bring them into the world and will not you be at as much pains for the saving of their souls You are naturally of more tender affections then men and will it not move you to think that your children should perish for ever O therefore I beseech you for the sake of the children of your bowels teach them admonish them watch over them and give them no rest till you have brought them over to Christ. And thus I have shewed you reason enough to make you diligent in teaching your children if reason will serve as me thinks among reasonable creatures it should do SECT XII LEt us next hear what is usually objected against this by negligent men Object 1. We do not see but those children prove as bad as others that are taught the Scriptures and brought up so holily And those prove as honest men and good neighbors that have none of this ado with them Answ. 1. O who art thou man that disputest against God Hath God charged you to teach your children diligently his word speaking of it as you sit at home and as you walk abroad as you lye down and as you rise up Deut. 6.6 7 8. and dare you reply that it is as good let it alone VVhy this is to set God at defiance and as it were to spit in his face and give him the lye VVill you take it well at your servants if when you command them to do a thing they should return you such an answer that they do not see but it were as good let it alone VVretched worm darest thou thus lift up thy head against the Lord that made thee and must judg thee Is it not he that commandeth thee If thou dost not believe that this Scripture is his word thou dost not believe in Jesus Christ for thou hast nothing else to tell thee that there is a Christ. And if thou do believe that this is the word of God how darest thou say It is as good disobey it This is devillish pride indeed when such sottish sinful dust shall think themselves wiser then the living God take upon them to reprove and cancel his word 2. But alas you know not what honesty is when you say that the ignorant are as honest as others You think those are the honestest men that best please you But I know those are the most honest that best please God Christ saith in Luk 8.15 that an honest heart is that which keepeth the word of God and you say they are as honest that reject it God made men to please himself and not to please you And you may know by his Laws who please him best The Commandments have two Tables and the first is Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and the second Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self First seek the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness Mat. 6.33 3. And what if some prove naught that are well brought up It is not the generality of them will you say that Noahs family was no better then the drowned world because there was one Chaus in it Nor Davids because there was one Absalom Nor Christs because there was one Judas 4. But what if it were so Have men need of the less teaching or the more you have more wit in the matters of this world you will not say I see many labor hard and yet are poor and therefore it is as good never labor at all you will not say Many that go to School learn nothing and therefore they may learn as much though they never go Or many that are great tradesmen break and therefore it is as good never trade at all Or many great eaters are as lean as others and many sick men recover no strength though they eat and therefore it is as good for men never to eat more Or many plow and sow and have nothing comes up and therefore it is as go 〈…〉 to plow more VVhat a fool were he that should reaso◠thus And is not he a thousand times worse that shall reason thus for mens
If God were not more willing of our company then we are of his how long should we remain thus distant from him And as we had never been sanctified if God had stayed till we were willing so if he should refer it wholly to our selves it would at least be long before we should be glorified I confesse that Death of it self is not desirable but the souls Rest with God is to which death is the common passage And because we are apt to make light of this sin and to plead our common nature for to patronize it let me here set before you its aggravations and also propound some further considerations which may be useful to you and my self against it SECT II. ANd first consider What a deal of gross infidelity doth lurk in the bowels of this sin Either paganish unbelief of the truth of that eternal blessedness and of the truth of the Scripture which doth promise it to us or at least a doubting of our own interest or most usually somewhat of both these And though Christians are usually most sensible of the latter and therefore complain most against it yet I am apt to suspect the former to be the main radicall master sin and of greatest force in this business O if we did but verily believe that the promise of this glory is the word of God and that God doth truly mean as he speaks and is fully resolved to make it good if we did verily believe that there is indeed such blessedness prepared for believers as the Scripture mentioneth sure we should be as impatient of living as we are now fearful of dying and should think every day a yeer till our last day should come We should as hardly refrain from laying violent hands on our selvs or from the neglecting of the means of our health and life as we do now from overmuch carefulness and seeking of life by unlawful means If the eloquent oration of a Philosopher concerning the souls immortality and the life to come could make his affected hearer presently to cast himself head long from the rock as impatient of any longer delay what would a serious Christians belief do if Gods Law against self murder did not restrain Is it possible that we can truly believe that death will remove us from misery to such glory and yet be loth to dye If it were the doubts of our own interest which did fear us yet a true belief of the certainty and excellency of this Rest would make us restless till our interest be cleared If a man that is desperately sick to day did believe he should arise sound the next morning or a man to day in despicable poverty had assurance that he should to morrow arise a prince would they be afraid to go to bed Or rather think it the longest day of their lives till that desired night and morning come The truth is though there is much faith and Christianity in our mouths yet there is much infidelity and paganisme in our hearts which is the maine cause that we are so loth to dye SECT III 3. ANd as the weakness of our Faith so also the coldness of our Love is exceedingly discovered by our unwillingness to dye Love doth desire the neerest conjunction the fullest fruition and closest communion Where these desires are absent there is only a naked pretence of Love He that ever felt such a thing as Love working in his brest hath also felt these desires attending it If we love our friend we love his company his presence is comfortable his absence is troublesome when he goes from us we desire his return when he comes to us we entertain him with welcome and gladness when he dyes we mourn and usually over-mourn to be separated from a faithful friend is to us as the renting of a member from our bodyes And would not our desires after God be such if we really loved him Nay should it not be much more then such as he is above all friends most lovely The Lord teach us to look closely to our hearts and take heed of self-deceit in this point For certainly what ever we pretend or conceit if we love either Father Mother Husband Wife Childe Friend Wealth or life more then Christ we are yet none of his sincere Disciples When it comes to the tryall the question will not be Who hath preached most or heard most or talked most but who hath loved most when our account is given in Christ will not take Sermons Prayers Fastings no nor the giving of our goods nor the burning of our bodies in stead of love 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3 4 8 13. 16.22 Ephes. 6.24 And do we love him and yet care not how long we are from him If I be deprived of my bosom friend me thinks I am as a man in a wilderness solitary and disconsolate And is my absence from God no part of my trouble and yet can I take him for my chiefest friend If I delight but in some Garden or Walk or Gallery I would be much in it If I love my Books I am much with them and almost unweariedly poaring on them The food which I love I would often feed on the clothes that I love I would often wear the recreations which I love I would often use them the business which I love I would be much employed in And can I love God and that above all these and yet have no desires to be with him Is it not a far likelier sign of hatred then of love when the thoughts of our appearing before God are our most grievous thoughts and when we take our selves as undone because we must die and come unto him Surely I should scarce take him for an unfeigned friend who were as well contented to be absent from me as we ordinarily are to be absent from God Was it such a joy to Jacob to see the face of Joseph in Egypt and shall we so dread the sight of Christ in glory and yet say we love him I dare not conclude that we have no love at all when we are so loth to die But I dare say were our love more we should die more willingly Yea I dare say Did we love God but as strongly as a worldling loves his wealth or an ambitious man his honor or a voluptuous man his pleasure yea as a drunkard loves his swinish delight or an unclean person his bruitish lust We should not then be so exceeding loth to leave the world and go to God O if this holy flame of love were throughly kindled in our brests in stead of our pressing fears our dolorous complaints and earnest prayers against death we should joyn in Davids Wilderness-lamentations Psal. 42.1 2. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God My soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God The truth is As our knowledg of God is exceeding
heart more glad then theirs that have Corn and VVine and Oyl Psal. 4.6 7. Act. 2.28 out of Psal. 16. Thou shalt fill me full of Joy with thy countenance If it be the countenance of God that fills us with Joy then sure they that draw neerest and most behold it must needs be fullest of these Joyes Sirs if you never tryed this Art nor lived this life of heavenly contemplation I never wonder that you walk uncomfortably that you are all complaining and live in sorrows know not what the Joy of the Saints means Can you have comfort from God and never think of him Can Heaven rejoyce you when you do not reâ—member it Doth any thing in the world glad you when you think not on it Must not every thing first enter your judgment and consideration before it can delight your heart and affection If you were possest of all the treasure of the earth if you had title to the highest dignities and dominions and never think on it sure it would never rejoyce you Whom should we blame then that we are so void of consolation but our own negligent unskilful hearts God hath provided us a Crown of Glory and promised to set it shortly on our heads and we will so much as think on it He holdeth it out in the Gospel to us and biddeth us Behold and Rejoyce we will not so much as look at it And yet we complain for want of Comfort What a perverse course is this both against God and our own Joyes I confesse though in fleshly things the presenting of a comforting object is sufficient to produce an answerable delight yet in spirituals we are more disabled God must give the Joy it self as well as afford us matter for Joy But yet withal it must be remembred that God doth work upon us as men and in a rational way doth raise our comforts He enableth and exciteth us to minde and study these delightful objects and from thence to gather our own comforts as the Bee doth gather her honey from the flowers Therefore he that is most skilful and painful in this gathering Act is usually the fullest of this spiritual sweetness Where is the man that can tell me from experience that he hath had solid and usual Joy in any other way but this and that God worketh it immediatly on his affections without the means of his understanding and considering It is by beleeving that we are filled with Joy Peace Rom. 15.13 and no longer then we continue our believing It is in hope that the Saints Rejoyce yea in this hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 and no longer then they continue hoping And here let me warn you of a dangerous snare an opinion which will rob you of all your comfort some think if they should thus fetch in their own comfort by believing and hoping and work it out of Scripture promises and extract it by their own thinking and studying that then it would be a comfort only of their own hammering out as they say and not the genuine Joy of the Holy Ghost A desperate mistake raised upon a ground that would overthrow almost all duty as well as this which is their setting the workings of Gods Spirit and their own spirits in opposition when their spirits must stand in subordination to Gods They are conjunct causes cooperating to the producing of one and the same effect Gods Spirit worketh our comforts by setting our own spirits awork upon the promises and raising our thoughts to the place of our comforts As you would delight a covetuous man by shewing him gold or a voluptuous man with fleshly delights so God useth to delight his people by taking them as it were by the hand and leading them into Heaven and shewing them himself and their Rest with him God useth not to cast in our Joys while we are idle or taken up with other things It is true he sometime doth it suddenly but yet usually in the foresaid order leading it into our hearts by our judgment and thoughts And his sometime sudden extraordinary casting of comforting thoughts into our hearts should be so far from hindring our endeavors in a meditateing way that it should be a singular motive to quicken us to it even as a tast given us of some cordial or choiser food will make us desire and seek the Rest. God feedeth not Saints as birds do their young bringing it to them and putting it into their mouths while they lye still in the nest and only gape to receive it But as he giveth to man the fruits of the earth the increase of their land in Corn and wine while we plow and sow and weed and water and dung and dress and then with patience expect his blessing so doth he give the joys of the soul. Yet I deny not that if any should so think to work out his own comforts by meditation as to attempt the work in his own strength and not do all in subordination to God nor perceive a necessity of the Spirits assistance the work would prove to be like the workman and the comfort he would gather would be like both even meer vanity Even as the husband mans labor without the sun and rain and blessing of God So then you may easily see that close meditation on the matter and cause of our Joy is Gods way to procure solid Joy For my part if I should finde my joy of another kinde I should be very prone to doubt of its sincerity If I finde a great deal of comfort in my heart and know not how it came thither nor upon what rational ground it was raised nor what considerations do feed and continue it I should be ready to question how I know whether this be from God And though as the Cup in Benjamins sack it might come from Love yet it would leave me but in fears and amazement because of the uncertainty As I think our love to God should not be like that of fond lovers who love violently but they know not why so I think a Christians Joy should be a grounded rational Joy not to rejoyce know not why Though perhaps in some extraordinary case God may cast in such an extraordinary kinde of joy yet I think it s not his usual way And if you observe the spirits of most forlorn uncomfortable despairing Christians you shall finde the Reason to be their ungrounded expectation of such unusual kinde of joys and accordingly are their spirits variously tossed and most unconstantly tempered Sometime when they meet with such Joys or at least think so then they are cheerful and lifted up but because these are usually short-lived Joys therefore they are strait as low as hell and ordinarily that is their more lasting temper And thus they are tossed as a vessel at sea up and down but still in extream whereas alas God is most constant Christ the same Heaven the same and the Promise the
and Groans How then should I long for my finall full recovery There is no sickness nor pain nor weeping nor complaints O when shall I arrive at that safe and quiet Harbor where is none of these storms and waves and dangers when I shall never more have a weary restless night or day Then shall not my life be such a medley or mixture of hope and fear of joy and sorrow as now it is nor shall Flesh and Spirit be combating within me nor my soul be still as a pitched Field or a Stage of contention where Faith and Unbelief Affiance and Distrust Humility and Pride do maintain a continual distracting conflict then shall I not live a dying life for fear of dying nor my life be made uncomfortable with the fears of losing it O when shall I be past these soul-tormenting fears and cares and griefs and passions When shall I be out of this frail this corruptible ruinous body This soul contradicting ensnaring deceiving flesh When shall I be out of this vain vexatious World Whose pleasures are meer deluding dreams and shadows whose miseries are real numerous and uncessant How long shall I see the Church of Christ lie trodden under the feet of persecutors or else as a ship in the hands of foolish guides though the supream Master doth moderate all for the best Alas that I must stand by and see the Church and Cause of Christ like a Footbal in the midst of a crowd of Boyes tost about in contention from one to another every one running and sweating with foolish violence and laboring the downfal of all that are in his way and all to get it into his own power that he may have the managing of the work himself and may drive it before him which way he pleaseth and when all is done the best usage it may expect from them is But to be spurned about in the dirt till they have driven it on to the Goal of their private interests or deluded fancies There is none of this disorder in the Heavenly Jerusalem there shall I finde a Government without imperfection and obedience without the least unwillingness or rebellion even a harmonious concent of perfected Spirits in obeying and praising their Everlasting King O how much better is it to be a Door-keeper there and the least in that Kingdom then to be the Conqueror or Commander of this tumultuous World there will our Lord govern all immediatly by himself and not put the Reins in the hands of such ignorant Riders nor govern by such foolish and sinful deputies as the best of the sons of men now are Dost thou so mourn for these inferior disorders O my soul and yet wouldst thou not be out of it How long hast thou desired to be a Member of a more perfect reformed Church and to joyn with more holy humble sincere souls in the purest and most Heavenly worship Why dost thou not see that on Earth thy desires flie from thee Art thou not as a childe that thinketh to travel to the Sun when he seeth it rising or setting as it were close to the Earth but as he travelleth toward it it seems to go from him and when he hath long wearied himself it is as far off as ever for the thing he seeketh is in another world Even such hath been thy labor in seeking for so holy so pure so peaceable a Society as might afford thee a contented settlement here Those that have gone as far as America for satisfaction have confessed themselves unsatisfied still When wars and the calamities attending them have been over I have said Return now my soul unto thy Rest But how restless a condition hath next succeeded When God had given me the enjoyment of Peace and Friends and Liberty of the Gospel and had settled me even as my own heart desired I have been ready to say Soul take thy ease and rest But how quickly hath Providence called me Fool and taught me to call my state by another name When did I ever begin to congratulate my flesh its felicity but God did quickly turn my tune and made almost the same breath to end in groaning which did begin in laughter I have thoughts oft-times in the folly of my prosperity Now I will have one sweet draught of Solace and Content but God hath dropped in the Gall while the Cup was at my mouth We are still weary of the present condition and desire a change and when we have it it doth not answer our expectation but our discontent and restlesness is still unchanged In time of peace we thought that war would deliver us from our disquietments and when we saw the Iron red hot we catched it inconsiderately thinking that it was Gold till it burned us to the very bone and so stuck to our fingers that we scarce know yet whether we are rid of it or not In this our misery we long for peace and so long were we strangers to it that we had forgot its name and begun to call it REST or HEAVEN But as soon as we are again grown acquainted with it we shall better bethink us and perceive our mistake O why am I then no more weary of this weariness and why do I so forget my resting place Up then O my soul in thy most raised and fervent desires Stay not till this Flesh can desire with thee its Appetite hath a lower and baser object Thy Appetite is not sensitive but rational distinct from its and therefore look not that Sense should apprehend thy blessed object and tell thee what and when to desire Believing Reason in the Glass of Scripture may discern enough to raise the flame And though Sense apprehend not that which must draw thy desires yet that which may drive them it doth easily apprehend It can tell thee that thy present life is filled with distress and sorrows though it cannot tell thee what is in the world to come Thou needest not Scripture to tell thee nor Faith to discern that thy head aketh and thy stomack is sick thy bowels griped and thy heart grieved and some of these or such like are thy daily case Thy friends about thee are grieved to see thy griefs and to hear thy dolorous groans and lamentations and yet art thou loth to leave this woful life is this a state to be preferred before the Celestial glory or is it better to be thus miserable from Christ then to be happy with him or canst thou possibly be so unbelieving as to doubt whether that life be any better then this O my soul do not the dulness of thy desires after Rest accuse thee of most detestable ingratitude and folly Must thy Lord procure thee a Rest at so dear a rate and dost thou no more value it Must he purchase thy Rest by a life of labor and sorrow and by the pangs of a bitter cursed death and when all is done hadst thou rather be here without it Must he
may please God in some respect secundum quid as Ahabs Humiliation A flat necessity both of coming to God as the End or our chief Good and to Christ as the way to the Father * Viz. As it is put for all obedience to the Commands proper to the Gospel Which part of this turning goes first The terminus a quo considerable before the terminus ad quâ—m in order of nature Object Answ. § 5. As the Will turns from evil so at the same time to God and the Mediator 1 To the Godhead in order of Nature 2 To the Mediator as the way which is by Faith John 14.6 Acts 20.21 5.31 11.18 26.20 What justifying Faith is It s proper Act is the Acceptation of Christ offered * So Doctor Prestons judgment is and Master Woollis against the Lord Brook p. 94. It is an Accepting of Christ offered rather then the belief of a Proposition affirmed So that excellent Philosopher and Divine Love to Christ whether it be not Essential to justifying Faith See more of this in the Positions of Justification Love to Christ must be the strongest Love Luke 14.26 Doctor Sibbs Souls Conflict Justifying Faith is the Accepting Christ both for Saviour and Lord. So that our Subjection to Christ as our Lord is part of that Faith which justifieth How this differs from the abhorred doctrine of the Socinians you may see in the Aphorisms of Justification What Christ doth for us upon our Acceptance Covenanting with Christ is an essential part of our actual Conversion and of our Christianity Next Christ delivereth himself to the sinner and he delivereth himself up to Christ. Lastly The believer persevereth in this Covenant and all the forementioned grounds of it to the death Heb. 10.29 Matth. 24.13 Revel 2.26 27. 3.11 12. John 15.4 5 6. 8.31 15.9 Col. â— 23 Rom. 11.22 § 6. The Application of this Description by way of Examination Whether thy Infant Baptism will serve or no I am sure thy Infant Covenant will not now serve thy turne But thou must Actually enter Covenant in thy own person John 15.4 5 6. Matth 24.13 Heb. 10.38 39. * I speak not this to the dark and clouded Christian who cannot discern â—hat which is indeed within him Deut. 32.29 § 7. Why called People of God 1 By Election 2 Special Redemption 3 Likeness to him 1 Pet. 1.16 4 Mutual Love 5 Mutual Covenanting 6 Neer Relations 7 Future Cohabitation ☜ §. 1. Confirmation from other Scriptures The Truth confirmed from other Scriptures 1 Affirming the Saints to have been predestinate to this glory Isa. 14.24 2 That it is procured for them by the blood of Christ. Paul Hobson * I confesse the later is the more proper expression and oftner used in the Scriptures Exod. 23.22 Psal. 11.5 Psal. 5.5 Isa. 63.10 Lam. 2.5 Paul Hobson Iâ—a 53.11 § 3. 3 It is promised to them § 4. 4 The means and motions towards it do prove that there is such an end * Mr. Burroughs thinks this is meant of the violence of persecution but Lukes phrase coâ—â—uteth that § 5. 5 So do the beginnings fâ—â—â—tasts earnests and seals 2 Cor. 1.22 5.5 §. 6. 6 Some have entered it already § 1. ☜ a I mean not an absolute necessity as if what is said were not convincing b I believe Mr. Eliot in New England will have more comfort in his work for those Indians then we in England in our controversies and contentions about inferiour things c By Testimony I mean not the cure of the understandings disability for that 's necessary either by common grace to work a common Faith or by speciall grace for speciall Faith Doct. Presion on Attributes pag. 57. d I mean it is now to us the onely ordinary sufficient means of revealing Christ. Religio 〈◊〉 Chiâ—â—â—â— pâ—r Apostâ—los tradiâ—a Scripta est super scripta Prophetarum Apostolorum fundata Dr. Sutlive Contra Bellarm. de Monach pag. 11. See Dr Jackson of Saving Faith Sect. 2. cap. 2. pag. 143. c. See this more fully in Dr. Preston on the Attributes pag. 61 62 63 64. Yet we acknowledg it belongs to the Church first To be a Witness and Keeper of the Scriptures secondly To judg and discern betwixt Scriptures which are true and genuine and which are false and supposititious or Apocryphal thirdly To divulge and preach the Scriptures fourthly To expound and interpret them Dr. Whitaker De Sacra scriptura Q. 3. contr 1. cap. 2. pag. 203 204. * I would fain know of any Papist why their Church believes the Scripture to be the Word of God If the Laiety must believe it upon the authority of the Church and this Church be the Pope and his Clergy then it followeth that the Pope and Clergy believe it on their Authority As Paraeus in Thâ—mat Seculari xv Et quia Papa solus vel cum praelatis est Ecclesia ideo Papa praelati Scripturis credunt propler seipsos lâ—icos voluit crâ—dere Scripturis propter Papam praelatos a Sicut in Poloniá ubi non solum preces recitant â—ala criminosa contra Christianos corum magistratus continentes sedetiam aâ—dacter sâ—â—e on â—â— christianorum metu imprimunt quaecunque volunt ut testatur Buxtorsius Synagogae Judaicae c. 5 p 170. 1 Pet. 3.15 b As Graserus when he saw his legs begin to swell with a Dropsie said Euge Deo sit laus gloria quod jam mea instet liberatio horula gratissima Melch. Adam in vita Graseri § 2. Impias argumentationes si ratio refutare non possit fides irridere debet quae ratiocinationes evertit in captivitatem redigit omnem intellectum in Christi obsequium August * Though 〈◊〉 extend 〈…〉 far as 〈…〉 a Sequor te non quâ— duâ—is sed quo trahis inquit Scaliger ad Câ—rdanum in Exercit * He that doubts of this let him see Dr. Jackson of Saving Faith pag. 146.147 And Mr Pinkes Sermons of the Sincerity of Love to Christ * Articulus 6. fidei Judaicae sic se habet Credo perfectâ fide quod omne quodcunque prophetae docuerunt locuti fuerunt veritas sincera sit Oâ—tvus autem sic Credo perfecta fide quod lex tota perinde ut ea bodierno tempore in manibus nostris est it a per Deum ipsummet Mosi tradita sit vid. Buxtorf Synagogae Judaicae cap. 1. pag. 4.5 § 1. § 2. The word Foundation being a Metaphor is to be banished dispute till first explained a Ad benè esse fidei perfectionem b Necessitate praecepti * Primario propter se Secundario propter aliud A facto ad jus ad licitum vel debitum non valet Argum. As Peter Gal. 2.11 12.13 § 1. 2 Tim. 3.16 * Donum Miraculorum linguarum dandarum fuisse extraordinarium et a solis Apostolis peculiari privelegio dato a Christo
attamen ex cis confirmari possumus credâ—re Pet. Martyr Loci Commun cap. 8 pag. 38. vid. plura ibidem f Non per alios dispositionem salutis nostrae cognovimus quam perâ— eos per quos Evangelium pervenit ad nos quod quidem tunc preconiavêrunt postea verò per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt fundamentum columnam fidei nostrae futurum Irenaeus adver haeres l. 3. c. 1. * Aquin. summ 3. q. 55. 2. c. §. 5. What the sin against the Holy Ghost is * How Hunnius was assaulted with this temptation that he had sinned against the holy Ghost you may read in his life and death And it is stil a common temptation Matth. 12.24 c. Mar 3.28 Joh 5.39 33. 45 46 47. Joh. 15 22.24 a Act 3.17 b 1 Cor. 2.8 * Nunc non ut olim sunt necessaria miracula priusquam crederet mundus necessaria fuere ad hoc ut mundus crederet ut August de Civit. Dei lib. 22. c. 8. §. 6. * Yet do I believe that that of 2 Pet. 1.20 is generally mistaken as if the Apostle did deny private men the liberty of interpreting Scriptures even for themselves When it is in regard of the object and not of the interpreter that the Apostle calleth it Private As if he should say The Prophets are a sure Testimony of the Doctrine of Christianity but then you must understand that they are not to be interpreted of the Private men that spoke them for they were but types of Christ the Publique person so Psal. 2. 16. c. are to be interpreted of Christ and not of David only a private person and but a type of Christ in all so that Peter answereth the Question of the Eunuch in Acts 8. Of whom doth the Prophet speak of himself privately or some other more publike man This is I think the true meaning of Peter c The Vse of Church Governours and Teachers and how far they are to be obeyed d Oportet discentem credere Aristot. in Analytic post e Tit. 1.7 1 Cor. 4.1 1 Cor. 12.16.17.21 Luke 12.42 Heb. 13.3.17.24 1 Tim. 3.5 Act. 20.28 1 Tim. 3. â— 5. 1 Pet. 5.2 1 Cor. 4.15 d Haec duo dictat ipsa ratio Primò In mysteriis quae superant rationem non nitendum esse ratiocinantis Logicá sed Revelantis authoritate Secundò In consequentiis deducendis aut obscuris in Religione interpretandis magis fidendum esse caetui in nomine Domini legitimè congregatis quam privatis spiritibus seorsim sapientibus recalcitrantibus Doct. Prideaux Lect. 22. de Auth. Eccl. pag. 361. See Doctor Jackson Eternall truth of Scripture lib. 2. chap. 1.2 3 4 5 6. * I may say of many of them for doctrine as Fulbeck of Bracton Britton c. Direct p. 27. There be certaine ancient writers whom as it is not unprofitable to read so to relye on them is dangerous their books are Monumenta adorandae rubiginis of more reverence then authority Argument 2. § 1. I take it for granted that good Angels could not be guilty of forging the Scripture § 2. Not of man * Mahâ—mâ—â— was 〈…〉 by the Arabian soldiers for their commander In his Alcoâ—an he confesseth himself to be a sinner an Idolater an Adulterer given to Lechery His Laws run thus Avenge your selves of your enemies Take as many wives as you can keep and spare not Kill the Infidels he that fighteth lazily shall be damned and he that killeth most shall be in Paradise He saith that Christ had the Spirit and Power of God and the soul of God and that he is Christs servant See Alcoran Azoar 2.3.6 Also Azoar 18.4.11.13 He confesseth that Christ is the Spirit and word and messenger of God that his doctrine iâ— perfect that it enlighteneth the old Testament and that he came to confirm it yet denyeth him to be God Magnus fuit Sanctus magnus Dei amicus magnus propheta c. Vide Thom. Bradwardin de Causa Dei lib. 1. cap. 1. Corol. part 32. § 3. Vid. Wigandum in Method ante comment in mino prophetas Joh. 7 48.49 Acts 10. § 4. Argum. 3. §. 1. Object §. 2. * Cum Romani in victoriosae antiquitatis memoriam templum singulari schemate a facere decrevissent ab omni illâ deorum immo daemoniorum multitudinâ— quaesierunt usquequo durare pusset tam excellentis operis tam operosa constructio Responsum est Donec virgo pareret Illi ad impossibilitatem Oraculum retorquentes templum aeternum solennem illam machinam vocaverunt Nocte autem cum virginali thalamo virginius flos Mariae egressus est ita cecidit confractum est illud mirabile et columnarium opus ut vix appareant vestigia ruinarum Bernard in Natal Domini Serm. 23. 1 Sam. 7.12 * To speak my heart All that I fear is lest Master Herbert be a true Prophet and the Gospel be in its solar motion travelling for the West and American parts and qultting its present places of residence and unworthy professours and possessours And then farewell England But else not §. 3. * Not that Miracles are still necessary but speciall providences do much confirme Nec jam opus est Miraculus cum in omnem terram verbum sonuerit Doct. Humfredus Jesiutis part 1. pag. 114. §. 4. * About the time of the silencing of Ministers how many Churches in England were torne at once with terrible lightning and almost no place else but Churches were touched especially in the lower part of Devonshire where many were scorched maimed and some their brains struck out as they sat in Church And at the Church of Anthony in Cornwall neer Plimouth on Witsunday 1640. See the Relation in Print §. 5. * Was it not neer a Miracle that God wrought for Mistris Honywood when she threw the glass up to the wall saying if this glassbreak not I may be saved c. and yet took it up whole §. 6. Psal. 2.2 3 4 5. a Morneâ— Grotius Doct. Jaâ—â—son Parsons Resolut part 2. c. b Ask them in New England whether Mistris Hutchinsons and Mistris Dyers most hideous monstrous births were not convincing providences against their Antinomian Anti-scriptural heresies as if God from heaven had spoke against them and yet Old England will not take warning See Nicephor Eccl. hist. Tem. 1. li. 4. cap. 13. where Tertulli Jul. Capitolinus Orosius c. do mention c The Legion of Malta in the time of Mar. Aurelius who procured by prayer both Thunder on the enemies and raine for the Army See the Epist. of M. Aurelius in Justin Martyrs Apolo Xiphitin in Vita Aurelij Melch. Adam in vita Myconij Recorded by Sozom. and others Jam. 5.13 14 15 16. Psal. 73.26 August de Civitate Dei lib. 33. Argum. 4. §. 1. §. 2. Lege Epistolam Vâ—ssii de Samuele apparente Saulo in Joan Beverovitii Epistolis Et D. Prideaux Hypomnemata pag. 261 262
tells us plainly who shall be saved and who shall not So that if men would but first search the Word to find out who be these men that shall have Rest and what be their properties by which they may be known and then next search carefully their own hearts till they find whether they are those men or not how could they chuse but come to some Certainty But alas either men understand not the nature and use of this duty or else they will not be at the pains to try Go through a Congregation of a thousand men and how few of them shall you meet with that ever bestowed one hour in all their lives in a close Examination of their title to Heaven Ask thy own Conscience Reader When was the time and where was the place that ever thou solemnly tookest thy heart to task as in the sight of God and examined it by Scripture Interrogatories Whether it be Born again and Renewed or not Whether it be Holy or not Whether it be set most on God or on creatures on Heaven or on Earth and didst follow on this Examination till thou hast discovered thy Condition and so past sentence on thy self accordingly But because this is a Work of so high Concernment and so commonly neglected and mens Souls do so much languish every where under this neglect I will therefore though it be Digressive 1. Shew you That it is possible by trying to come to a Certainty 2. Shew you the hinderances that keep men from trying and from Assurance 3. I will lay down some Motives to perswade you to it 4. I will give you some Directions how you should perform it 5. And lastly I will lay you down some Marks out of Scripture by which you may try and so come to an infallible Certainty Whether you are the People of God for whom this Rest Remaineth or no. And to prepare the way to these I will a little first open to you what Examination is and what that Certainty is which we may expect to attain to SECT III. THis Self-Examination is An enquiry into the course of our lives but more especially into the inward Acts of our Souls and trying of their Sincerity by the Word of God and accordingly Judging of our Real and Relative Estate So that Examination containeth severall Acts 1. There must be the Tryal of the Physical Truth or Sincerity of our Acts That is An enquiry after the very Being of them As whether there be such an Act as Belief or Desire or Love to God within us or not This must be discovered by Conscience and the internal sense of the Soul whereby it is able to feel and perceive its own Acts and to know whether they be Real or Counterfeit 2. The next is The Tryal of the Moral Truth or Sincerity of our Acts Whether they are such as agree with the Rule and the Nature of their Objects This is the discursive work of Reason comparing our Acts with the Rule It implyeth the former knowledg of the Being of our Acts and it implyeth the knowledg of Scripture in the point in question and also the Belief of the Truth of Scripture This Moral Spiritual Truth of our Acts is another thing far different from the Natural or Physical Truth as far as a Mans Being differeth from his Honesty One man loveth his wife under the notion of an harlot or only to satisfie his lust Another loveth his wife with a true Conjugal Affection The former is True Physical Love or true in point of Being but the latter only is True Moral Love The like may be said in regard of all the Acts of the Soul There is a Believing Loving Trusting Fearing Rejoycing all True in point of Being and not counterfeit which yet are all false in point of Morality and right-being and so no gracious Acts at all 3. The third thing contained in the Work of Self-Examination is The Judging or Concluding of our Real Estate that is of the habitual temper or disposition of our Hearts by the quality of their Acts Whether they are such Acts as prove a Habit of Holiness or only some slight Disposition or whether they are only by some Accident enticed and enforced and prove neither Habit nor Disposition The like also of our Evil Acts. Now the Acts which prove a Habit must be 1. Free and chearful not constrained or such as we had rather not do if we could help it 2. Frequent if there be opportunity 3. Through and Serious Where Note also That the Tryal of the Souls Disposition by those Acts which make after the End as Desire Love c. to God Christ Heaven is always more Necessary and more Certain then the tryal of its Disposition to the Means only 4. The last Act in this Examination is To Conclude or Judg of our Relative Estate from the former Judgment of our Acts and Habits As if we find sincere Acts we may Conclude that we have the Habits so from both we may Conclude of our Relation So that our Relations or Habits are neither of them felt or known immediately but must be gathered from the knowledg of our Acts which may be felt As for Example 1. I enquire whether I Believe in Christ or Love God 2. If I find that I do then I enquire next whether I do it sincerely according to the Rule and the Nature of the Object 3. If I find that I do so then I conclude that I am Regenerate or Sanctified 4. And from both these I conclude that I am Pardoned Reconciled Justified and Adopted into sonship and title to the Inheritance All this is done in a way of Reasoning thus 1. He that Believes in Spiritual Sincerity or He that Loves God in Spiritual Sincerity is a Regenerate Man But I do so Believe and Love Therefore I am Regenerate 2. He that Believes in Sincerity or He that is Regenerate for the Conclusion will follow upon either is also Pardoned Justified and Adopted But I do so Believe or I am Regenerate Therefore I am Justified c. SECT IV. THus you see what Examination is Now let us see what this Certainty or Assurance is And indeed It is nothing else but the Knowledg of the forementioned Conclusions that we are Sanctified Justified shall be Glorified as they arise from the premises in the work of Examination So that here you may observe how immediately this Assurance followeth the Conclusion in Examination and so how necessary Examination is to the obtaining of Assurance and how conducible thereunto Also that we are not speaking of the Certainty of the Object or of the thing in it self considered but of the Certainty of the Subject or of the thing to our Knowledg Also you may observe that before we can come to this Certainty of the Conclusion That we are Justified and shall be Glorified there must be a Certainty of the Premises And in respect of the Major Proposition He that Believeth
raise within us Were we throughly perswaded That every Word in the Scripture concerning the unconceivable joyes of the Kingdom and the unexpressible Blessedness of the life to come were the very Word of the Living God and should certainly be performed to the smallest tittle O what astonishing apprehensions of that life would it breed what amazing horror would seize upon our hearts when we found our selves strangers to the conditions of that life and utterly ignorant of our portion therein what love what longings would it raise within us O how it would actuate every affection how it would transport us with joy upon the least assurance of our title If I were as verily perswaded that I shall shortly see those great things of Eternity promised in the Word as I am that this is a chair that I sit in or that this is paper that I write on would it not put another Spirit within me would it not make me forget and despise the world and even forget to sleep or to eat And say as Christ I have meat to eat that ye know not of O Sirs you little know what a through belief would work Not that every one hath such affections who hath a true Faith But thus would the acting and improvement of our Faith advance us Therefore let this be a chief part of thy business in Meditation Produce the strong Arguments for the Truth of Scripture plead them against thy unbelieving nature answer and silence all the cavils of infidelity Read over the Promises study all confirming Providences call forth thine own recorded experiences Remember the Scriptures already fulfilled both to the Church and Saints in former ages and eminently to both in this present age and those that have been fulfilled particularly to thee Get ready the clearest and most convincing Arguments and keep them by thee and frequently thus use them Think it not enough that thou wast once convinced though thou hast now forgot the Arguments that did it no nor that thou hast the Arguments still in thy Book or in thy Brain This is not the acting of thy Faith but present them to thy understanding in thy frequent meditations and urge them home till they force belief Actual convincing when it is clear and frequent will work those deep impressions on the heart which an old neglected forgotten conviction will not O if you would not think it enough that you have Faith in the habit and that you did once beleeve but would be daily setting this first wheel a going Surely all the inferior wheels of the Affections would more easily move Never expect to have Love and Joy move when the foregoing Grace of Faith stands still And as you should thus act your assent to the Promise so also your Acceptation your Adherence your Affiance and your Assurance These are the four steps of Application of the Promise to our selves I have said somewhat among the Helps to move you to get Assurance But that which I here aim at is That you would daily exercise it Set before your Faith the Freeness and the Universality of the Promise Consider of Gods offer and urging it upon all and that he hath excepted from the conditional Covenant no man in the world nor will exclude any from Heaven who will accept of his offer Study also the gracious disposition of Christ and his readiness to entertain and welcome all that will come Study all the Evidences of his love which appeared in his sufferings in his preaching the Gospel in his condescention to sinners in his easie conditions in his exceeding patience and in his urgent invitations Do not all these discover his readiness to save did he ever yet manifest himself unwilling remember also his faithfulness to perform his engagements Study also the Evidences of his Love in thy self look over the works of his Grace in thy soul If thou do not finde the degree which thou desirest yet deny not that degree which thou findest look after the sincerity more then the quantity Remember what discoveries of thy state thou hast made formerly in the work of self-examination how oft God hath convinced thee of the sincerity of thy heart Remember all the sonner testimonies of the Spirit and all the sweet feelings of the favor of God and all the prayers that he hath heard and granted and all the rare preservations and deliverances and all the progress of his Spirit in his workings on thy soul and the disposals of providence conducing to thy good The vouchsafing of means the directing thee to them the directing of Ministers to meet with thy state the restraint of those sins that thy nature was most prone to And though one of these considered alone may be no sure evidence of his special love which I expect thou shouldst try by more infallible signes yet lay them altogether and then think with thy self Whether all these do not testifie the good will of the Lord concerning thy salvation and may not well be pleaded against thine unbelief And whether thou maist not conclude with Sampsons Mother when her husband thought they should surely die If the Lord were pleased to kill us he would not have received an offering at our hands neither would he have shewed us all these things nor would as at this time have told us such things as these Judg. 13.22 23. SECT V. â— WHen thy Meditation hath thus proceeded about the truth of thy Happiness the next part of the work is to meditate of its Goodness That when the Judgment hath determined and Faith hath apprehended it may then past on to raise the Affections 1. The first Affection to be acted is Love the object of it as I have told you is Goodness Here then here Christian is the Soul reviving part of thy work Go to thy Memory thy Judgment and thy Faith and from them produce the excellencies of thy Rest take out a copy of the Record of the Spirit in Scripture and another of the sentence registred in thy Spirit whereby the â—â—anscendent glory of the Saints is declared Present these to thy affection of Love open to it the Cabinet that contains the Pearl shew it the Promise and that which it assureth Thou needest not look on Heaven through a multiplying Glass open but one Casement that Love may look in Give it but a glimpse of the back parts of God and thou wilt finde thy self presently in another world Do but speak out and Love can hear do but reveal these things and Love can see It s the bruitish love of the world that is blinde Divine love is exceeding quick sighted Let thy Faith as it were take thy heart by the hand and shew it the sumptuous buildings of thy Eternal Habitation and the Glorious Ornaments of thy Fathers house shew it those Mansions which Christ is preparing and display before it the Honors of the Kingdom Let Faith lead thy heart into the presence of God and draw as neer as possibly thou