the end of his life which he suffered both in soul and body they were the compleating of his formerly begun and running obedience but were not his only obedience for us or his only suffering for us for he had done and suffered much from his incarnation before his last passion and death but the highest degree of his obedience whereby he bought deliverance unto us from sin and misery and whereby he bought unto us immortality and eternall blessednesse in heaven was his death on the crosse compleating our ransom 3. Whereas some have said that one drop of His blood was sufficient to redeem moe worlds then one if there wre any moe it is but an inconsiderat speech and destitute of Scriptural authority for when Christ had suffered all things before the time of His death it behoved Him to be crucified also Luke 24. 26. but it behoved Him not to suffer more then justice required for a ransom but only as much as was agreed upon and no less could satisfie Now this commandment He received of the Father that He should lay down His life for His sheep Ioh. 10. 18. For the wisdom of God thought good to testifie His own holiness and hatred of sin and to testifie His love to the elect world and riches of His grace toward them to whom He would be mercifull by inflicting no less punishment of sin on the Mediator His own dear Son taking upon Himself full satisfaction to justice for all the sins of all the Elect given unto Him to redeem then the death both of His body and soul for a season And indeed it was suteable to His holy and soveraign Majesty that for the ransom of so many thousands and millions of damnable sinners and saving of them from everlasting torment of body and soul no less price should be payed by the Son of God made man and surety for them then His sufferings both in His body and soul for a season as much as should be equivalent to the due deserved punishment of them whom he should redeem and it became the justice of the infinite Majesty offended to be reconciled with so many rebels and to bestow upon them heaven and eternal blessedness for no less price then the sufferings of the eternal Son made man whose humiliation and voluntary obedience even to the death of the cross was of infinite worth and value and therefore he yieldeth himself to the sufferings agreed upon in the covenant of Redemption both in body and soul. Of the sufferings of Christ in His soul. OUr Lords sufferings in His body did not fully satisfie divine justice 1. because as God put a sanction on the law and covenant of Works made with us all in Adam that he and his should be lyable to death both of body and soul which Covenant being broken by sin all sinners became obnoxious to the death both of body and soul So the redeemed behoved to be delivered from the death of both by the Redeemers tasting of death in both kinds as much as should be sufficient for their redemption 2. As sin infected the whole man soul and body and the curse following on sin left no part nor power of the mans soul free So justice required that the Redeemer coming in the room of the persons redeemed should feel the force of the curse both in body and soul. Ob. But how can the soul die seing it is by the Ordinance of God in creation made immortal Ans. The death of the soul is not in all things like to the death of the body for albeit the spiritual substance of the soul be made immortal and not to be extinguished yet it is subject to its own sort of death which consists in the separation of it from communion with God in such and such degrees as justly may be called the death of the soul from which sort of death the immortality of the soul not only doth not deliver but also it doth augment it and perpetuat it till this death be removed Obj. But seing the humane sould of our Lord could never be separated from the permanent holiness wherewith it was endued in the first infusion of it in the body and could never be separated from the indissolvable personal union with the second person of the God-head assuming it how could His soul be subject to any degrees of death Ans. Albeit the con-natural holiness of the soul of Christ could not be removed nor the personal union of it be dissolved no not when the soul was separated from the body yet it was subject by Christs own consent to be emptied of strength-natural to be deprived for a time of the clearness of vision of its own blessedness and of the quiet possession of the formerly felt peace and of the fruition of joy for a time and so suffer an ecclipse of light and consolation otherwise shining from His God-head and so in this sort of spiritual death might undergo some degrees of spiritual death The degrees of the suffering of Christs holy soul. AMong the deprâ—â—s of the death suffered by Christ in His soul we may number first that habitual heaviness of spirit which haunted him all the dayes of His life as was foretold by Isa. 53. 3. He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief We hear He weeped but never that he laughed and but very seldom that he rejoiced 2. He suffered in speciall sorrow and grief in the observation of the ingratitude of them for whom he came to lay down his life we hid as it were our faces from him he was despised and we esteemed him not Isa. 53. 3. 3. The hardnesse of mens hearts and the malice of his own covenanted people and the daily contumelies and despightfull usage he found from day to day increased his daily grief as by rivolets the flood is raised in the river he was despised and rejected of men Isa. 53. 3. 4. He was tempted in all things like unto us and albeit in them all never tainted with sin Heb. 4. 15. yet with what a vexation of his most holy soul we may easily gather by comparing the holinesse of our Lord with the holinesse of his servants to whom nothing is more bitter then the firie darts of the devil and his suggestions and sollicitations to sin especially if we consider the variety of temptations the hainousnesse of the sins whereunto that impudent and unclean spirit boldly sollicited his holinesse Matth. 4. and withall the importunity and pertinacy of the devil who never ceased partly by himself partly by those that were his slaves and partly by the corruption which he found in Christs disciples to pursue presse and vex the God of glory all the time he lived on earth 5. The guilt of all the sins crimes and vile deeds of the elect committed from the beginning of the world was imputed unto him by accepting of which imputation albeit he polluted not his Conscience yet he burdened his soul binding himself to bear
be suffered for sin by the sinner is the curse-everlasting of soul and body seing a meer creature cannot for ever satisfie for his rebellion how long soever we presuppose his duration under suffering And for obedience by way of doing perfectly what the Law doth crave it is utterly impossible because we are carnal sold under sin and cannot satisfie the Law and because we cannot satisfie the Law the Law becometh weak and unable to justifie and save us Rom. 8. 3. How the Covenant of works may be called the Covenant of nature ALbeit the Law written by nature in mens heart differeth from the Covenant for performance of the Law as hath been shown before yet the Covenant of works made with Adam before he fell tying him to keep that Law may be called the Covenant of nature First because the Covenant of works is grounded upon the Law of nature and doth exact nothing of man save that which God might require of him according to the Law of nature Secondly because when the Covenant of works was made with Adam it was made with all his natural posterity which was to spring of him by natural generation and so the obligation thereof did pass upon all his natural posterity by the Law of nature which maketh the child begotten to bear the image of the begetters Thirdly that the Covenant of works may justly be called the Covenant of nature appeareth by the force of the conscience being wakened from its sleepy security for it challengeth for sin according to that Covenant and pronounceth the sentence of God's wrath against the sinner For the conscience doth acknowledge the Judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death Rom. 1. 32. Fourthly because the conscience naturally inclineth a man to seek justification by his own works if it can any way find pretence for it as we may see in the Pharisee who in his speech to God doth judge himself a holy man because he is not amongst the worst of men and hath many good works above others to reckon forth and lay before God Luk. 18. 11. Fifthly the inclination of mans heart to expect a reward of every good work he doth whether it be in some part reall or only apparently such testifieth so much Iudg. 17. 13. Micah so reasoneth Now know I the Lord will do me good seing I have a Levit to my Priest And how miserably the conscience may be deluded in this case when men do dote upon their own well-deserving appeareth in Leah for Gen. 30. 18. Leah saith God hath given me my hire because I have given my maiden to my husband Sixthly this point is also made manifest by the natural ignorance of righteousness by faith and affectation to be justified by works which the Apostle finds fault-with in the Israelits Rom. 9. 31. They sought righteousness not by faith but as it were by works And Rom. 10. 3. being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their own righteousness to wit righteousness by works according to the tenour of the Covenant of works they did not submit themselves to the righteousness of God Seventhly the same course followed by Papists and other erroneous teachers testifieth the natural inclination of men to seek righteousness by works according to the tenour of the Covenant of works and not by faith in Christ Jesus that righteousness may come by grace only And so are some mens hearts glued to this error that they do transform justification by faith in justification by one work in stead of all as if the work of faith were the mans righteousness and not Christ him-himself laid hold on by faith Not considering that to the man that renounceth all confidence in any work of his own and flieth to Christ by faith Christ is made of God unto that man wisdom and righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. Last of all this natural inclination even of the regenerat to seek righteousness by works doth prove the Covenant of works to be naturally ingraft in all mens hearts as appeareth in the Galatians who being instructed in the doctrine of justification by faith in Christ without the works of the Law did easily upon a tentation offered look back with likeing to the way of Justification by works for which the Apostle reproveth them Gal. 4. 21. Tell me saith he ye that desire to be under the Law or Covenant of works and ver 9. But now after ye have known God or rather are known of God how turn ye again to weak and beggarly elements whereunto you desire again to be in bondage Obj. But the Galatians as it seemeth did not reject Justification by faith but did joyn with it Justification by the works of the Law thinking that the safest way was to joyn both together Ans. The inconsistency of these two wayes of Justification the Apostle sheweth Rom. 11. 6. For Justification by grace is no more by works otherwise grace is no more of grace and what Justification is by works is no more of grace otherwise work is no more works And therefore the Apostle makes the joyning of these two wayes of Justification to be nothing else but a plain seeking of Justification by the Covenant of works which cutteth a man off from any benefit by Christ Gal. 5. 2. and whosoever seeketh to be justified by the Lawâ— or Covenant of works is fallen from grace ver 4. For further clearing this matter we may distinguish two sorts of the Covenant of works The one is true genuine and of God's institution which God made with all men in Adam for perfect obedience unto God's Law out of mans own natural abilities There is another counterfeit bastard covenant of works of mans own devising which a sinner lying in his sins unable to do what the Law commands or to suffer what the Law being broken binds upon him of his own head devileth upon other conditions then God hath set and will have God to take his devised covenant in stead of perfect obedience to the Law that so he may be justified Such was the covenant which the carnal Israelits made with God in the wilderness and which their posterity did follow turning the Covenant of grace whereunto God was calling them into a covenant of works of their own framing For the grace which was offered to them in Christ under the vail of levitical types figures and ceremonies they turned into an external service of performance only of bare and dead ceremonies and into a ministry of the letter and death for they did not take up Christ to be the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believes in him but did think that both the moral and ceremonial Law was given unto them of God to the intent that they should do the external works of the moral Law so far as they could and when they transgressed the moral Law they should fly to the ceremonial Law and make amends for their faults by
sort of men the Lord doth speak Deut. 29. 18 19. shewing that he makes his covenant with his people lest there should be among you saith he a root that beareth gall and wormwood And it come to pass when he heareth the words of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of my own heart to add drunkenness to thirst It is possible few shall be found so impudent as that they dar in expresse termes professe this their mis-belief of Gods justice yet they are not a few who foster this error in their heart who having as it were made a Covenant with death and hell are far from fearing to perish in their sins In this sort are all they to be ranked who conceive that all the threatnings in the Scripture are given forth to the intent that men being bridled by terrors might compose themselves to a more humane and social life among others who lest they should seem Atheists in word do cry up Gods mercy bounty and love to man so as they make small reckoning of the Lords truth and justice even as if the justice of God in punishing rebels could not consist with his mercy to the penitent or as if the end of creating man could not be obtained if obstinat sinners be destroyed 2. The main cause of such error is an obstinat purpose to walk after the counsel and imagination of their own heart and because they cannot quiet their conscience in following their own wayes except in promising to themselves impunity in their sinning they presume confidently to go on in their own wayes against all threatenings and so do blow their consciences blind Such profane presumption although it deserveth to be beaten with a rod rather then to be reasoned with yet let the Pastor deal with the presumer as he ought to do with other desperat like sinners and in the first place let him propose for remedy of this evil what the Lord doth speak against such a person Deut. 29. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lye upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven And as he findeth this work upon him So let him deal with him 2. Some are near of kindred to such persons who do not reject all threatenings yet do think in their heart that none are in danger except grosse flagitious and notorious sinners but as to themselves they conceive because they are not the worst of men they are without the reach of divine justice especially if their conversation be according to humane laws so regulated as they have the reputation of honest neighbours With such men Christ dealeth Luk. 13. 1 2 5. when word came concerning the Galileans whose blood Pilaâ— mixed with their sacrifices Christ saith to them Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all Galileans because they suffered these things I tell you nay but except ye repent you shall all likewise perish This is the remedy prescribed by Christ to such men 3. Some there are who hope to be absolved before God and do absolve themselves in their own conscience by their good works and obedience done to the law Of this sort was Paul before his conversion who till the time that the spiritual light of the law brake in upon his mind and killed the conceit of his own inherent righteousnesse was no mean man in his own eyes Rom. 7. 9. Such was the rich young man in the Gospel who said to Christ that he had keeped all the commands from his youth up till Christ did prove him a covetous Idolater who put a higher price on his riches then upon Christ and the kingdom of heaven Such were the Pharisees who by their obedience to the law such as it was doubted nothing to absolve themselves and that God should absolve them also But that the met-yaird should be no longer then their cloath or the law of further extent then their imagined possible practice they admitted no metonymie or figurative speech in the law whereby under one branch of a duty commanded all duties of that kind are comprehended and all faults contrary to the duty are forbidden As for example they counted not the sixth command to be violat except the man did take away his neighbours life nor the seventh command broken except by grosse adultery and violation of the marriage-bed nor the eighth command transgressed except another mans goods were openly or privately taken away whose mistake Christ doth correct Matth. chap. 5. and 6. 2. Such men as those are far from repentance far from humbling themselves before God and seeking remission of sin through Christ for they are ignorant of the righteousnesse of the Gospel by faith in Jesus Christ and of the way of coming to ability for doing any acceptable work by faith in Christ and therefore they go about to establish their own righteousnesse Rom. 10. 3. and 9. 31. 32. The false ground which they do lay for their own absolution is this they think to be justified by their works against which ground the Apostle hath pronounced condemnatory sentence Rom. 3. 20. By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in Gods sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin 3. With this sort we may joyn these who not only come short of the obedience due to the law but also are in conscience convicted of many transgressions of the Lords law yet they conceive that God will not exact of them or of any man who is about to obey his law more then the man can in the common infirmity of flesh overtake and do perswade themselves that God will be satisfied with all them in whom is a willingnesse to obey the law their false ground which they lay is this that God will accept a mans will for the deed And to this purpose they do abuse the Scriptures Isa. 1. 19 If you be willing and obedient you shall eat the good things of the land And 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. But here is their error whereupon they purchase from their conscience mis-informed an unwarrantable absolution first they lay down for a ground that they must be justified by works 2. Because they know they do come and shall come short in obedience they turn the condition of the covenant of works into other terms then God hath appointed and make the will of a man to obey the law so far as he is able to be the condition of the covenant which God disclaimeth 3. They deceive themselves in this that what is spoken to converted believers in Jesus Christ already justified by faith aiming at new obedience they do apply to themselves lying under the curse
licentious libertine is not compelled at all to sin but to say and do that which is right and to hearken to the Word of God rather then to his own erring conscience for the scandalous sectary schismatick or heretick lyeth in a twofold sin the one is in his spirit believing and embracing an error the other in his external words and deeds corrupting the minds and maners of Gods people If after conference and disputation the sin of his misled mind cannot be taken away yet the correcting of him by Church-censures and civil punishment may restrain and bind him up from troubling and infecting others with his leaven and ill example and so his sinning externally is cut off and he made in so far to cease from evil wherein he doth not sin in so far because sin is not every transgression of the ditement of the conscience simply but the transgression of the law and ditement of the conscience speaking according to the law is a sin It is true indeed that whosoever doth judge the ditement of his conscience to be the Law of God and yet doth the contrary must by interpretation of his deed be holden guilty of sin because he who by fear or hope can be moved to do contrary to the ditement of his erring conscience in effect doth professe he may be moved by hope or fear to do contrary to the ditement of his conscience well informed Mean time it is expedient not only for the good of the society of Gods people but also for the good of the erroneous person himself that he be curbed and hindered by these that have lawfull power from doing yet more harm and restrained from following the course of sin and filling up the full measure of sinning which he was about to do CHAP. X. Of such as do please themselves in a condition not pleasing God because they conceive they can pray well under any condition SUndry there are who think their souls to be in a good case and condition when they can pray much and that with freedom of spirit when possibly they do not watch over their hearts nor wayes as becometh them This sicknesse even converts are subject unto sundry times but it may be most clearly seen in those who put a sort of worth and merit in effect upon their religious exercises as we may see in many Israelits in Isaias time chap 58. They did reckon themselves among them that did seek God daily who delighted in his wayes and did approach unto him ver 2. yet because God did not grant their petitions they fell on chiding him ver 3. Wherefore have we fasted say they and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our souls and thou takest no knowledge The history also of Korah Dathan and Abiram is notour wherein we see what esteem Korah and his complices had of their own holinesse and of their accesse to God in their prayers that they durst hazard and lay their lives in pawn that God should make them as welcom when they came with their cenferes to pray before him as Aaron and Moses yea and more welcome then they Such a sort of deceit is that whereby some fanaticks enthusiasts and hereticks do foster themselves in their own folly and imagine they are no small men in Gods account because they find a sort of eloquence in their prayers which they conceive God would not give unto them except he were well pleased with their persons prayers and wayes and that the true convert also is subject to this sicknesse appeareth by this that Moses in charity judged many who countenanced the conspiracy to be godly persons otherwayes and therefore exhorted them to forsake the unhappy society of these wicked men And sure it is that sundry of the sons of Korah did repent and flye from the company of the obstinat transgressors for it is clear that all the sons of Korah did not perish Numb 26. 11. and frequent mention is made of the posterity of Korah in the Chronicles and Psalms But we need not insist much here seing experience teacheth that many go on confidently in maintaining schisme and error perswading themselves of the goodnesse of their course and condition because their prayers do flow according to their wish from day to day And many are who if they find fredom in prayer for any particular concerning themselves or others do assure themselves that it shall come to passe which they pray for And if their spirits be straitned in praying for spâ—â—itual and promised graces they fear they shall not be satisfied in the particular they pray for For remedy of this self-deceit men must know that it is one thing to pray much and another thing to be heard and their prayers and persons accepted The Jews are told by the Prophet Isaiah chap. 1. 15. that albeit they put up many petitions the Lord will not hear them because their hands were full of blood 2. Carnal affection may easily creep in and stir up a fervency of prayer Iam. 4. 3. you ask and obtain not because you ask amiss that you may bestow what you pray for upon your lusts 3. Saints may pray earnestly for that which God is not minded to grant unto them as Samuel prayed for Saul that he might be continued King 1 Sam 16. 1. And David may pray for the life of Bathshebas child and not prevail 4. On the other hand prayers put up from a straitened heart in a sad condition may prove no lesse pleasing unto God then when the supplicant doth find most inlargement of spirit and fredom of prayer How oft did the Pâ—almist cry out of the deeps when his spirit was overwhelmed within him when darknesse and the cords of death did straiten him as Ps. 61. 1. is holden forth And the Apostle Rom. 8. giveth us to understand that the spirit of the convert may be so straitened by afflictions bodily and spiritual that they are not able to set their words in order before God yea nor have clear notions of their necessities and desires but in stead of an oration do sigh and groan unto God Wherefore if a man shall in the sense of his sins and wants have his daily recourse unto Christ and be carefull to bring forth the fruits of the spirit praying for what is promised with submission to God what measure and at what time he pleaseth to give he may be sure his person and prayers are acceptable as we are taught 1 Ioh. 5. 14 15. This is the confidence that we have in him that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us and if we know that he heareth us whatsoever we ask we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him CHAP. XI Of the converts esteeming the peace of God to be but a carnal security VVE have brought forth some examples of the first sort of the conscience erring by esteeming an evil condition to be a good condition Now let us look upon some
to invocat his holy name for the right use-making of his affliction The ninth question is how remission of sin may be said to be granted in respect of sins to come IT is commonly said that the convert in his justification hath the remission of sins by-gone and sins to come whereupon the question is moved how this can stand with daily renewed remission of daily sins on the one hand daily renewed remission seemeth not necessary first because we believe that remission of all sin is the priviledge of all believers in Christ and the abridgement of the special articles of faith set down in the Apostles Creed as it is called holdeth this forth 2. Because it is certain that Christ in his death did compleat the payment of the price of redemption from all sin as 1 Ioh. 1. 7. The blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins 3. We are said to be not under the law but under grace and so fred from the curse of the law 4. Because if daily remission of sin be necessar to be granted then it presuppones that both original sin and every actual sin flowing forth from it daily must be taken notice of reckoned for and repented of daily which is impossible On the other hand the convert seeth that every transgression of and disconformity to the law is sin and the Apostle 1 Ioh. 1. 8. speaking of himself and other converts saith If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us And Christ hath taught us as oft as we pray for our daily bread to pray also for the remission of sins The question is how the doubt of the convert may be cleared 2. For answer We must grant to the convert that original sin remaineth in the believer and is not only an exceeding sin as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 7. 13. but also is the fountain of all actual sins which doth pollute the conscience and sometimes also the outward man 2. We must grant also that there cannot be an actual and properly called remission of sins which are not yet committed for no man is guilty of that fault wherewith he cannot be charged for such a remission were a dispensation and licence to sin such as the Pope granteth to his slaves to gratifie them in allowing their vile lusts for inriching himself with the price of that iniquity 3. If such an actual remission of sins were given in justification the once justified person could never become a daily debtor by his daily transgressions contrary to the declaration of Christ in one of the articles of the Lords prayer 3. For solving the doubt then we must distinguish the significations and acceptions of remission of sin For 1. it is taken for remission purchased by Christ by virtue of the covenant of Redemption in favours of the elect but not applied unto the elect before the mans conversion Heb. 10. 12 13 14. But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever sat down on the right hand of God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot-stool For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 2. It is taken for remission promised by Christ to all that shall believe in him to be bestowed on them so soon as they shall turn to him Act. 26. 18. Thirdly it is taken for the sentence of absolution judicially applyed and adjudged to the actual believer Eph. 1. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace 4. For the actual remission of all sins past before his conversion Rom. 3. 25. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past through the forbearance of God 5. For a constant right to daily remission of sin and accesse to the fountain opened up in the house of David that is to all the children of the houshold of faith in Christ Zech. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness 4. So then the convert hath first the actual remission of all sins preceeding his conversion and withall his state changed from being a child of Sathan to be a child of God Secondly he hath right unto daily remission of sins as they fall out after conversion for Christ speaking of the remission had in the time of conversion calleth it a washing of the whole man Joh. 13. 10 He that is washen needeth not to wash save his feet but is wholly clean to wit for the state of his person accepted in Christ and for the application of his right unto daily remission Christ teacheth all his disciples daily to pray for it which Christ calleth the washing of the believers feet Joh. 13. 10. 5. For answer to the objections made against the necessity of daily renewed remission of sin let it be remembred that the article of our Creed is so far from making daily remission of sin not necessar that of necessity it must be extended not only to the remission of sins past before conversion but also to the right made unto us for daily remission of the sins which run daily from the relicts of corrupt nature not fully mortified for otherwayes the believer could not have quiet consolation in the daily exercise of renewed repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. 2. As to the second objection concerning the perfect purchase made by Christ of remission by-past and to come It doth prove indeed that there is no other sacrifice for sin nor price of redemption from sin save that which was compleated on the crosse but it doth not prove that we must only once make application of this purchase for Christ keepeth the full purchase in his own hand and doth let forth the application thereof as we stand in need in his own order and by degrees till he perfect us in sanctification and glorification also 6. As for the third objection we must not think that when we are loosed from the Law as a covenant of Works we are loosed also from the commands of the Law for the covenant of Works prescribed in the Law is posterior both in order of nature and time to the natural writing of the Law in mans heart Rom. 2. 15. And therefore when the covenant of the law of Works is taken off the authority of the Law to direct and command all moral duties doth remain and can no more be dissolved then the obligation of the reasonable creature to be obedient to the Creator can be abolished and therefore when the believer falleth in a transgression he meriteth death and destruction as the wages of sin But Christ our Advocat who liveth for ever to make intercession for us holds off the execution of deserved wrath and giveth to the believer the grace of renewed repentance
from whence thou art fallen Or the thing we are to examine is our deeds words and thoughts actually done or omitted the neglect of which examination is reproved Ierem. 8. c. and Revel 2. 19 20. 7. The third thing to be looked unto in the court of Conscience is the rule whereby we are to examine our selves in all or any of the former respects which is the revealed will of God in holy Scripture wherein is set down to us what we should believe and what we should do and what is the reward of the obedience of faith and what is the punishment of disobedience And here if the Conscience be not well informed and the rule closly cleaved unto the erring Conscience may swallow down the grossest idolatry and cry up Diana for a great goddess Act. 19. 28 and make the murtherers of the Saints conceive that in killing them they do God good service Ioh. 16. 2. 8. The fourth thing is the judicial process of the Conscience for giving such a sentence of direction for what is to be done or of absolution or condemnation in the point examined and found done or not done which process if the Conscience be well informed is after the maner of clear reasoning by way of Syllogisme wherein we lay down the rule given by the supreme Law-giver in the major or first proposition Then we do lay our selves to the rule in the minor or second assumed proposition and from the comparison of our selves with the rule we give out sentence in the third room which is called the Conclusion As for example If the Conscience be about to give direction for what is to be done it reasoneth thus What God hath appointed to be the only rule of faith and maners I must take heed to follow it as the rule But the holy Scripture God hath appointed to be the only rule of faith and maners Therefore I must take heed to follow the Scripture as the only rule Or more shortly the Lord hath commanded to repent and turn unto him offering reconciliation in Christ therefore it is my duty so to do But in the process of the Conscience unto conviction or absolution sometime moe sometime fewer reasonings are used As for example for conviction the process goeth thus That which God hath commanded me I should have â—one But to repent and turn to Him He hath commanded me Therefore I should have repented and turned to God Again He that hath not obeyed the Lord in repenting of his evil wayes and turning unto God is under great guiltiness and worthy of death by the sentence of the Law But such a one am I may every impenitent person say of himself And therefore may conclude of himself I am under great guiltiness and worthy of death by the sentence of the Law Likewayes in the process of the Conscience a humbled person well informed may reason thus That way of reconciliation which God hath appointed a self-condemned sinner to follow I am bound to follow But this way and no other hath God appointed that the sinner convinced of sin and of deserved wrath should flee to Christ Iesus the Mediator that by Him he may be justified sanctified and saved Therefore this way of reconciliation and no other I am bound to follow Again Whosoever by the grace of God in the sense of sin and deserved wrath is fled unto Christ for righteousness and eternal life and in Christs strength is endeavouring to give new obedience to the will of God is undoubtedly a true believer and child of God But such a one am I may the humbled sinner fled to Christ say of himself Therefore I am by the grace of God undoubtedly a true believer and a child of God And yet again he may go on to strengthen his faith and to comfort himself in the Lord thus Whosoever in the sense of sin poverty and weakness hath fled to Christ the Redeemer resolved never to part with Him and hath consecrated himself in the strength of Christ to endeavour to give new obedience to the will of God he is an heir with Isaac of the promised blessings and may hope to have them perfectly in possession at last But such an one am I may the humbled sinner fled to Christ say of himself Therfore I am an heir of the promised blessings with Isaac and may hope to have them perfectly in possession at last Such a process as this doth the Conscience of the regenerat man follow when he reneweth the acts of his repentance and sentenceth himself worthy of what the Law pronounceth against his sin and when he reneweth the acts of his faith in Christ through whom alone he is fred from the deserved curse of the Law 9. As to the fifth thing to be observed in the court of Conscience which is the execution of the sentence it hath pronounced because the Conscience is set over the man by God as Judge-depute therefore it goeth about in the name of God by and by to execute as it may the sentence justly pronounced by it and according to the nature of the sentence of condemnation or absolution pronounced by it it stirreth up divers motions and affections in the heart some of them sad and sorrowfull some of them joyfull and comfortable The sad and bitter passions that follow upon the sentence of conviction and condemnation justly pronounced are shame grief fear anxiety vexation and such-like whereby the guilty sinner is either fretted as with a worm or fired and tormented Of this we have an example in our first parent Adam who being convicted in his conscience of sin and deserved wrath did flee from the face of God all amazed and a frighted Gen. 3. 9. 10. The Lord called unto Adam and said unto him where art thou And he said I heard thy voice in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid my self But the Conscience after it is furnished by the Gospel to absolve the penitent believer fled to Christ doth stir up more sweet and comfortable motions in the heart such as are peace comfort joy gladness exultation confidence and such like An example whereof we see in Paul 2 Cor 1. 2. Our rejoycing saith he is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world So the Conscience after it is wounded by the mans transgression doth the part of a Iudge citing the man before its Tribunal and the part of an Officer presenting the man at the Bar and the part of an Accuser challenging the man for his transgression and the part of the Recorder producing the book of Statutes and the part of sufficient witnesses proving and convincing him of the deed done Again it doth the part of a Iudge pronouncing sentence and condemning the convicted transgressour and the part of a Sergeant and Marshal binding the condemned wretch and the part of the
they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand c. But that we insist not too long in this argument whereof the Orthodox divines have written abundantly in their disputations against the foresaid errour because the adversaries take their pretended arguments from the instability of mens will in the mater of perseverance and from the freedom and power of mans changeable will in the mater of conversion and saving faith and from the maner of Gods speaking to the mixed multitude of both called and not chosen and to them that are both called and chosen we shall content our selves for clearing this covenant betwixt the Father and the Son Mediatour and Redeemer to make the mater fast concerning the elect founding their conversion faith repentance perseverance and salvation upon the unchangeable covenant of Redemption fixed upon the setled agreement between God and God the Son Mediatour and Redeemer as shall be proven from five places of Scripture The first proof is from vers 13. of Isa. 52. to the end of Chap. 53. THe first place is Isa. 52. vers 13. and forward to the end of chapter 53. where we have first the two parties contracters God the Father and Christ for the Father brings forth his confederat Son to be incarnat by covenant his servant whom he imployes in the whole work of Redemption as the meritorious cause and accomplisher of it behold My servant saith God the Father by his Spirit speaking by the Prophet Chap. 52. 13. Next both parties are sure of the event of the paction and of the accomplishing of the whole work gloriously behold saith he My servant shall deal prudently and prosperously He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high vers 13. Thirdly he tells the proper price which Christ the Son shall pay for the Redemption of his people agreed upon by paction to wit the exinanition and humbling of the Son incarnat unto the ignominious death of the crosse that His visage shall be marred more then any man and His form more then the sons of men vers 14. and more particularly Chap. 53. 2. He hath no form nor comelinesse and when we shall see Him there is no beauty that we should desire Him He is despised and rejected of men a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief c. vers 2. 3. He was wounded for our transgressions vers 5. He shall make his Soul an offering for sin vers 10. Fourthly Christ the Son of God incarnat is assured and confirmed of the sweet fruit of his passion in the conversion of many nations whom he should sprinkle with the blood of the covenant and sanctifie by the water of His holy Spirit Chap. 52. 15. He shall sprinkle many nations c. Fifthly God and Christ are agreed and well pleased in the conversion of so many as are elected and given to Christ to have in Him the right of adoption Chap. 53. 10. He shall see his seed that is He shall regenerat the elect and make them His children and see them so to His satisfaction Sixthly no meritorious nor impulsive cause is found in the persons redeemed for which the punishment due to them should be transferred upon the Mediatour Christ our Redeemer for they should be found in themselves but despisers of Christ because of His sufferings Chap. 53. 4. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted Seventhly no sin nor meritorious cause of punishment is found in Christ the Redeemer for which He should be smitten Chap. 53. 5. 9. He was wounded for our transgressions he had done no violence neither was any deceit in his mouth Eigthly peace and reconciliation and healing of our sinfull and miserable sicknesses and deliverance from wrath are purchased by the price of His blood Chap. 53. 5. the chastisment of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed Ninthly these sufferings Christ did not endure unwittingly or unwillingly but by consent by covenant deliberatly Chap. 53. 7. He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before his shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth Tenthly the cause of this covenant whereby the price is called for an yielded unto and payed is the only free grace of God and His good pleasure Chap. 53. 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him He hath put him to grief Eleventhly It is agreed between the Father and the Son that our sins should be imputed unto Him and His righteousnesse imputed unto us and that the redeemed should believe in him and so be justified Chap. 53. 11. he shall see of the travell of his Soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge or faith in Him shall My righteous servant justifie many for he shall bear their iniquities Twelfthly It is agreed between the parties that for whom Christ should lay down His life He should stand intercessour also for bringing unto them all the purchased graces and blessings Chap. 53. 11. he bare the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressours the rest of the world beside the elect He interceeded not for Ioh. 17. 9. 10. Hence it followeth that God and Christ did not bargain for the Redemption of all and every man no not for the Redemption conversion and salvation of all and every man to whom the Gospel was to be preached for many were to be called who were not chosen to whom the gift of saving faith was not to be given nor the power of God to salvation was never to be revealed and this is the observation which the Evangelist makes upon the 1. of Isa. 53. Ioh. 12. 37. c. But though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him that the saying of the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled which he spake Lord who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed therefore they could not believe because Isaiah said again Isa. 6. 9. 10. he hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts c. Secondly it followeth hence that election and Redemption were not for the foreseen faith or works of the elect redeemed but of the meer grace and goodwill of God and all done for them and in them contrair to their deservings for it is said Isa. 53. 6. all we like sheep have gone astray and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Thirdly it followeth hence that it was agreed upon that saving grace and conversion and sanctification should infallibly and invincibly come to passe and be given to the redeemed Isa. 52. 13. Behold My servant shall deal prudently and prosperously and vers 15. be shall sprinkle many nations and Isa. 53. 11. by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Fourthly hence it followeth that the agreement is past for their finall perseverance
cast out and were broken off the true olive tree So also the obligation of the baptized who turn the true covenant of grace in aâ—oâ—her of their own framing doth still stand tying them to perform the condition of the true covenant and their right to the external priviledges of the confederat doth remain still in some sort even when they are inter-dyted from the honourable possession thereof by excommunication For the Apostle teacheth us that the excommunicat remain as to their ecclesiastick state albeit not as to their present ecclesiastick condition citizens and members of the Church and subject to Jurisdiction ecclesiastick and to Christs discipline because when they are judged and are under censure they are said to be within the Kirk and not without it 1 Cor. 5. 12. What have I to do to judge also them that are without do not ye judge them that are within And these that were delivered unto Sathan as to their present external condition remained notwithstanding as to their external state the domesticks of God under the discipline of God's house and were pressed by the censure laid on them to learn to cease from their sinfull course and specially from these faults for which they were censured and corrected by their excommunication 1 Tim. 1. 20. Hymeneus and Alexander were given over to Sathan that they might learn not to blaspheme that is that being humbled and brought to repentance they might return to the acknowledgement of the truth and to a reverent speaking of holy things and so the right to be counted brethren and members of the Church albeit under censure restraint and dis-respect till they repented was not taken altogether from them even under excommunication nor yet were the private duties of charity due to brethren in that fearfull condition to be altogether denied unto them even when the possession of the former honour of blamelesse brethren was taken from them for the Apostle will have them albeit excommunicat to be esteemed still censured brethren and not looked upon as enemies â— Thess. 3. 14 15. If any man obey not our word by this epistle note that man to wiâ— by putting the censure of excommunication on him and have no company with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemy but admonish him as a brother and this is so much the more carefully to be observed that the constitution of the visible Church of such and such members and the use of excommunication may be the better understood least the excommunicat being over-burdened by the sharpness of the censure should seem to themselves altogether excluded from Church-society and so despair of returning to the full possession of their priviledges but might know that the right of citizens of the city of God was reserved unto them and was to be restored by way of possession after their repentance and that they were not cut off from the Christian charity of the brethren no not when they were lying under the sentence that they might so much the sooner return to repentance and to the possession of their Ecclesiastick honour Obj. But here there ariseth a greater doubt and objection how and upon what reason God doth require the condition of faith which men cannot perform except it be given of God as the Apostle testifieth Ephes. 2. 8. you are saved of grace by faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Ans. The equity of the duty required doth not depend upon mens present power or strength of whom the condition is required but upon this ground that ability was given to Adam and to his posterity in him for all injoyned service and so the duty of believing in Christ is founded upon mans naturall obligation to obey the morall law for by vertue of the first command Adam was bound and we in him not only to believe the word of God already revealed unto him but to believe also every word of God to be revealed and he was bound to give unto God the glory of all his attributes not only of these which already did shew forth themselves in his works but also of these attributes which as yet did not put forth themselves in actuall exercise for as it cannot be denied that man was bound to give God the glory of his avenging justice upon his threatning to inflict the punishment of death in case man should sin albeit he could not see the execution of it before he fell So also it is manifest he was bound to give God the glory of his goodnesse and mercy albeit no object of shewing mercy was yet to be found and that partly because it was his duty to give the glory of all perfections unto God whereof mercy is one and partly upon the experience he had of Gods manifested goodnesse in his creation and Gods making a covenant with him about eternall life upon so easie and equitable tearms upon the same ground even after the fall Adam was bound not to despair nor flye nor hide himself from God from whom it was impossible he could escape It cannot then be reasonably denied but man by the law of nature is bound to give credit to God when he speaketh and bound to trust in God when He offereth himself as a friend and a father to him and when God bids him seek his face he is bound to obey him and seek his face and to follow after more and more near communion with him It is true indeed that Adam in his integrity could not formally and actually believe in God as a Redeemer partly because this mystery was not yet revealed partly because he not having yet sinned had not need of a Redeemer or of remission of sin but yet the power and ability of believing in God according as God should let forth his will and the power to adhere unto God and rest on his goodnesse and good-will was given to man in his creation for this perfection was a part of the image of God wherein man was created even as the habit of shewing mercy on the miserable though such an object was not to be found while man continued in the state of innocency was a part of that original holinesse in him and if this ground hold not sinners by their sinning once should make themselves free to sin for ever after and exempt themselves from all the duties of the morall law upon this pretence that they were unable to give obedience to it which is most unreasonable And 2. Because the hearers of the Gospel esteem themselves able to perform the condition of the covenant of grace offered and to believe in Christ yea and to give credit or not to what is preached unto them as they see reason is it not equitable then to put all men to it who judge themselves able to perform what is required to the end that after experience and tryall taken of themselves they should either acknowledge their naturall inability to believe in Christ and so go
the fathers Secondly the Apostle observeth the wonderfull mercy of God that while he is finding fault with the incredulity of the fathers who lived under this old covenant he will avenge this their incredulity ignorance foolishness and ingratitude by telling them that he will make a new covenant and give them that were then living a taste of it for recovering them finding fault with them he saith the dayes come that I will make a new covenant Thirdly this covenant of grace mâ—de with the Church is procured by Christ to this end that the covenant of Redemption might be brought unto a reall accomplishment by the covenant of Grace This observation is grounded upon this that Christ is called the Mediatour of this better covenant Heb. 8. 6. For he will draw up a clear covenant of grace with his people that the blessings purchased unto them according to the covenant of Redemption may be applyed unto them by this covenant of grace and reconciliation Fourthly the preaching of the promise of this new covenant is a most fit mean to draw on and close this covenant of grace between God and his people who are the called according to his purpose This observation is gathered from Ieremiahs preaching and Pauls preaching of this unto the hearers of the Gospel to this very intent and purpose Fifthly in the promising and preaching of this covenant of grace God will have all mens opinions thoughts and conceptions about this mystery limited unto and depending upon his mouth alone revealing the same in his Word This observation is gathered from the Lords invitation of all men to take heed what he is to say and what he is to let forth in this mater Behold the dayes come saith the Lord wherein I will do such and such things which now I fore-tell I will do Sixthly both the making and way of making a covenant with man dependeth absolutely on God either to make a covenant or not to make what covenant he pleaseth to make upon what conditions he pleaseth and with what persons he pleaseth to make his covenant No man ever preveened God desiring him to make a covenant but God did preveen all men he preveened Adam once before his fall and again by preaching the Gospel in his audience after the fall he preveened the fathers in the wilderness he preveened his posterity that have lived or shall live in the latter dayes promising to make a covenant with those who were not come into the world but were to come long after the promise Seventhly the Lord will have all men to understand that the end of his covenanting with men both in that old dark form and in the new clear form is his own glory For he hath made all things for himself even the wicked for the day of evil This observation is gathered partly from this that the Lord bringeth forth his soveraignty for a reason of his rejecting of the misbelieving fathers in the wildernesse I despised them I regarded them not I Lorded it over them as the originall may bear And partly from this that he bringeth forth his own will and pleasure for a reason of his shewing grace to their posterity I will forgive their sins c. 8. He sheweth also that in his works he doth not depend upon man but that all his works are known unto him from the beginning and that it is determined by himself what and how and by what means he will do every thing This may appear from this that he doth fore-tell what he is to do about the saving of his elect Jews and Gentiles being no lesse certain to do what he promised about the posterity to come then he was certain of what was past already about their incredulous fathers 9. The Lord will have us to know that laying aside the consideration of his decrees it is simply in the power of God to punish sin in whom he will and to pardon sin through a Mediatour to whom he will that is to have mercy on whom he will have mercy and to pardon whom he will pardon This is collected from this that the fathers do sin in the wildernesse and justly perish and the posterity do sin and are graciously pardoned 10. In all this proceeding no violence is used upon the will of men whether of them that perish or of them that are saved The saved do walk freely and willingly in the way of salvation as their hearty choise and these that perish walk willingly in the way of perdition God proceeds with both by a volunâ—ary covenant as this place doth shew 11. In them that perish the meritorious and culpable cause of their perdition is in themselves but in them that are saved no cause is found at all but the cause is found in Gods grace alanerly This is collected from this that the Lord giveth the reason of the perdition of the misbelieving fathers from their sins and transgression of covenant they transgressed my covenant and I despised them and of the salvation of their posterity no other cause but this their sins I will not remember any more 12. The Lords justice is cleared in the perdition of them that perish because he gave precepts and promises and other morall motives to hinder them from sinning and to move them to keep his wayes albeit he did not effectually impede their running on to sin according to their inclination and pronenesse to follow their own way This is collected from this that the Lord saith he made a covenant with their fathers and they did break it 13. It pleaseth God not only to give his precepts unto men concerning their duty but also to condescend so far unto them as to open up in a part his decrees and deep designs about mens salvation that they being admitted somewhat near to the treasures of His wisdom goodnesse justice and mercy might be so much the more wise and the more stirred up to discharge their duty and make use of his dispensation This we collect from his revealing of the decree of election of the posterity of Israel and drawing them effectually into a covenant of grace with himself 14. The Lord doth reveal to the world the doctrine of election unto life only in the general and doth not descend to the nomination of them in particular This is collected from this that he doth promise to convert and draw into a new covenant of grace the posterity of Israel and Iudah without nameing particularly these that were designed for that salvation 15. Albeit the Lord keepeth up the names of the elect except of some few before their conversion yet he giveth forth marks and evidences whereby after their conversion they may be known both to themselves and others This we collect from this that He sets down infallible marks of the elect who are to be Gods covenanted people or worshipers of God that they do know God and have his law written in their hearts and inward parts 16. As for the reprobation of
and of the duty required of them that are delivered by Christ. The second is a false religion or damnable errour in judgment about the maters of salvation and Gods worship In which errour so long as a sinner doth lye he cannot be humbled for the damnable course he is in or put question about his way The third is dissembled unbelief and atheism covered over with gross hypocrisie which under hand doth reject the rule of examination The fourth is the brutish stupidity of the cauterized conscience The fifth is a vain pretense of fear to examine themselves least it drive them to desperation The sixth is a lazy delaying of examination from day to day The seventh is immoderat care for things of this life 4. Concerning all these impediments hindering self-examination these three things are observable in general 1. albeit all or some of these evils may fall upon the reprobat yet are they not their proper maladies for some of the elect before their regeneration may lye for a time under one or moe of these evils Wherefore the Pastor hoping the best of all because he knoweth not the marks of reprobation must deal with all his hearers to guard them against all these evils that the elect whom God will bless with the faith and obedience of his commands may be saved Secondly we must distinguish between a voluntary examination of the conscience whereunto the godly do in their best condition set themselves daily and a forced examination and wakning up of the conscience whether the sinner will or not This sort of examination may come either by preaching of the Word an example whereof we have in â—elix the Governour who at the hearing Pauls discourse of vertues and vices fell a trembling Act. 24. 25. Or this wakening of the conscience may come by affliction whereof we have an example of Ioseph's brethren whose consciences did lye sleeping securely under the guilt of distressing their brother Ioseph but by affliction at length were wakened Gen. 42. 21. The Pastors part here is not only to exhort men to a voluntair examination of themselves but also by the sword of the spirit must labour to open the apostums of proud sinners discovering unto them as occasion serveth their wickedness and denouncing the wrath of God against them if possibly the Lord shall give them repentance as he did to the hearers of Peter Act. 2. 37. Thirdly let not a Preacher be too sollicit and anxious about the success of his labours when he hath to do with obstinat sinners whose consciences cannot be wakened neither by challenges nor threatnings nor exhortations But after he hath used means publickly and privately let him commit the mater unto God who will have mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth It may suffice him that all Christs sheep will at length hear his voice Only let not the Pastor despair utterly of any man but even toward those that are excommunicat let him follow such a course as may reduce them unto repentance as the Apostle giveth direction 2 Thess. 3 14 15. For removing of the first impediment of self-examination BUt that we may speak more particularly of the cure of these seven evil diseases for removing of the first impediment to wit gross ignorance it is not needfull to say much of catechetick instruction seing in all Churches it is presupposed there is some form of a Catechise wherein the rudiments of saving knowledge are set down by way of question and answer for the use of children and of the ruder sort come to years Only we offer to those that intend the holy ministery this overture for disposing and preparing people for a more easie up-taking of some formed Catechise Because most part of formed Catechises are somewhat larger then they can be read at one time or being read can be explicat any other way then by parcels so many questions and answers at one time and so many at another time which how hardly it can be all explicat to the whole congregation in a long time experience may bear witness therefore it may serve to good purpose if so many of the ruder and ignorant sort as may well be gathered together into one place at one time the Pastor should profess before them all that he purposeth to hold forth unto them a short sum of saving doctrine in six or seven heads of doctrine so that in the space of an hour or thereby before they dissolve their meeting they may if they be attentive and willing to learn have some measure of found light and understanding of the grounds of true religion After which preface used let him so shortly or plainly as he is able speak something first of the creation of the world by God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost the only one true God in three persons and something also of the creation of Adam and Eve our first parents according to Gods Image in wisdom holiness and happiness and something of the covenant of works made between God and them including their posterity the summe of which covenant is this Do this and live but if thou sin thou shalt die Secondly let him speak somewhat of the breach of the covenant of works by our first parents in whose loynes we are all made guilty of death according to the tenor of that covenant Thirdly let him speak of the remedy provided in the counsell of God before time but revealed timously after the fall of our first parents to wit the covenant of Redemption between God and God the Son designed Mediatour Christ Jesus our Lord the sum whereof is Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the woman shall tread down the head of the serpent c. That is to say it is agreed in the counsell of God that the second person shall be born of a woman and suffer for the sins of the elect and destroy sin and death the works of the devil Fourthly let him speak of the covenant of grace and reconciliation between God and believers in Christ the summe whereof is this whosoever do acknowledge their sin and flye to Jesus Christ for relief from sin and wrath shall not perish but have eternall life Fifthly let him speak of the two seals of this covenant to wit Baptisme and the Lords Supper whereby the covenant with the benefits held out therein to all believers is sealed Sixthly let him speak of the necessity of amendment of life and bringing forth of good works for glorifying God and probation of the sincerity of their â—aith Last of all let him speak of the day of Judgment when Christ shall come in the clouds and perfect to all his elect and believers in him all his promises of righteousness and eternal life and cast all the wicked and unreconciled into the fire of hell The same course may be taken with ruder ignorants in private whose conscience is wakened with terrour After that about the space of an hour
so doth harden and obdure himself against all threatenings and goeth on in his own wayes resolved to take ease and pleasure in the world so long as he liveth and not to make himself miserable before the time Such was the desperation of carnall Israelits Isa 22. 13. who hearing the threatenings of the Prophets concerning the just Judgments of God to come upon them when they should have humbled themselves in prayer and fasting in sackcloth and ashes and sought mercy from God they did set themselves to make good cheer and to feast one another saying Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die Of this sort were also these in Ezekiels time chap. 33. 10. Thus ye speak saying If our sins and transgressions be upon us and we pine away in them how shall we then live They do not deny that they are loadened with iniquity they doubt nothing of the righteousnesse of the threatned Judgment but comparing the justice of Gods Judgment with their sins and laying aside all thought of a remedy from Gods mercy they flatly despair as if there had been no remedy provided in the Word of God for them or as if the threatenings had been pronounced as sentences pronounced absolutely without exception of their repentance 5. The causes of this evil are specially these three the first is grosse misbelief of Gods Word contemning all threatenings as but the words of an angry prophee stirred up to vent his passions against people The second is the perversenesse of corrupt nature so hardened with the custom of sinning that the conscience not being terrified with Gods threatenings is nothing moved with inward accusations which they know to be just whereupon they resolve neither to seek for mercy nor care for reconciliation with God not to shed with their carnal pleasures and sinfull lusts but will go on in their own wayes and take their hazard The third is a false perswasion that it is impossible they can be reconciled to God arising partly from the vileness of their former life and grosseness of their sins partly from the ignorance of the Gospel and of the rich grace of God offered to the worst of sinners who shall forsake their former wayes and flye unto Christ and partly arising from the ignorance of the scope and end of the law which is appointed to be a pedagogue to lead and draw men unto Christ after their conviction of sin by the law how grievous soever their sins have been 6. The remedy of this sort of secure desperation is very hard and in some incurable namely these who do not believe the threatenings and go on still in unbelief or do believe the threatenings but are so wedded to their lusts that they will not change their course and maner of sinfull carriage come what may come but resolve to eat and drink and be merry while they live Concerning whom the Prophet Isaias sayeth chap. 22. 14. It was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hostes surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die saith the Lord of hostes The best ground of hope is of such who through ignorance of the end of the law and offer of the Gospel have taken up a false perswasion of their desperat estate Now because the Pastor hath no warrand to read the decree of any mans reprobation in particular his care must be in private and publick to waken epicures and all besotted in their sins out of their deadly sleep laying before them from Scripture the unextinguishable fire of hell and the torments of the damned to be endured for ever by the impenitent and unbelieving sinner on the one hand and on the other hand making offer of remission of sin and reconciliation to all who shall forsake their former vitions wayes and be content to embrace Christ Jesus for their righteousnesse sanctification and salvation And to this end let him certifie all his hearers that threatenings are not intended of God to drive any man to desperation but to lead all to repentance that they may be saved and that the exception of repentance and faith in the Redeemer is to be understood in every threatening for so the Lord hath made a plain commentary upon all his threatenings and all his promises also that he be not for ever mistaken which is this in summe that by his threatenings he doth not intend to make any man to despair but to repent and turn to God and that by his promises he doth not intend that any man should presume to sin or turn his grace into wantonnesse as is at large set down Ezek. 33 from ver 10. to ver 21. and chap. 18. from ver 21. to the end Of anxious tormenting desperation ANxious and tormenting desperation is when a sinner from the apprehension of his guiltinesse of irremissible sins and fear of inextricable wofull misery wherein he hath thrown himself doth cast away all hope of relief to be had and so is tortured and vexed within himself without rest In this sort of desperation the miserable man having wrestled a while doth either turn himself to a carnal temporary consolation in this world and maketh choyce of a carelesse and secure desparation that he may be rid of present anxiety or else he resolveth to dispatch himself by some sort of self-murder counting it more easie to die by his own hand than to live and endure the tormenting vexation of his own mind 2. As for that sort of anxious desperation which after the sore byteing of the conscience once wakned falleth back again in carnal security it is most perilous and giveth very small hope to the Pastor or faithfull friends who perceive the man after fearfull wakening of his conscience to have fallen back to his old wayes and turned carelesse of the means of salvation for such a man is of set purpose and resolvedly wicked Such was the desperation of Cain who after a whiles lamentation and houling for the curse pronounced upon him by God plucked up his heart departed from the society of the Church where God giveth his presence and goeth into the land of Nod or voluntary banishment and giveth himself over to building of Cities Gen. 4. 13 14. Such also was the desperation of Esau who when he saw he was excluded from the spiritual blessing of the birthright laments a little and then turned himself toward the earthly blessing and sought all his consolation in it Gen. 27. 34 38. yet such men must be dealt with if God possibly may bless the means 3. As for the other sort of anxious desperation except it be cured by Gods blessing of the means used it draweth on voluntary and deliberat self-murther We put a difference between brute self-murther and voluntary or deliberat self-murther for this beastly brute self-murther may befall mad persons furious melancholious distracted persons or such as are beset by some evil spirit in whom the faculty of reasoning is so impeded that without the use of
to prove a man to be regenerat but he must be proven also a true believer in Christ a man reconciled to God a man justified and an adopted child 2. It is necessary therefore for proving a man to be regenerat to know the right description of the regenerat man which is given by the Apostle Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Iesus Christ and have no confidence in the flesh Wherein the Apostle holdeth forth the truly regenerat circumcised in heart 1. He is not sinlesse but so sensible of his sinfulnesse as he hath no confidence in himself nor any thing else in himself 2. He is not free of accusations or tentations and doubts but he flyeth to Christ for righteousnesse 3. He is not an idle and unfruitfull branch but a worshiper of God in spirit and truth 1. He is burdened with sin 2. He cometh to Christ for relief 3. He puts on Christs yoke Math. 11. 28 29. If a man have these three properties joyntly in him he is a regenerae man and may defend his interest in the state of grace and right to righteousnesse and eternall life through Jesus Christ. 3. Divine operations and saving graces which accompany salvation such as are faith repentance unto life hope Christian love to God and men for Gods cause effectual vocation justification reconciliation adoption go together in time by Gods gift but one of them goeth before another in order of nature for effectual calling goeth before faith and faith goeth before hope and before charity or love Again these graces which are given to the redeemed child of God joyntly in respect of time do not shew themselves in their evidence alike soon in time nor do they equally manifest themselves when they do appear in time And so the evidences of repentance may be discerned in not a few converts before faith in Christ do shew it self in them clearly So also love to God and his Saints oft-times may be discerned in a regenerat man before he himself dare affirm any thing of his faith in Christ. 4. Albeit there be many regenerat persons who for the present time cannot perceive in themselves any undoubted signs of their conversion yet it is certain also that there be many who to their own unspeakable comfort are assured of their regeneration and that they are translated from death to life and that they have received the spirit of adoption and earnest of eternal life as is pointed out in the experience of the Ephesians chap. 1. 14. And this is certain also that all who are fled to Christ for refuge should by all means labour to make their calling and election clear and certain to themselves 2 Pet. 1. 10. And to this purpose we are commanded to examine our selves and try whether we be in the faith or not whether Christ by his Spirit be in us or not 2 Cor. 13. 5. for otherwise except a convert know certainly the blessednesse of his own state and that he standeth in grace and favour with God it is not possible for him to give hearty thanks to God for the change of his state from being an enemy to be made a reconciled subject and child of God It is not possible for him to rejoyce in the Lord or set chearfully himself to serve God or comfortably call on God as a father to him in Christ Wherefore all who in the sense of their sins and fear of deserved wrath are fled for refuge unto Christ should deal by prayer earnestly with God that he would graciously grant unto them his Spirit by whose operation in them they may know the saving graces which he hath freely bestowed upon them of which gift of the holy Spirit the Apostle doth speak 1 Cor. 2. 12. 5. The knowledge of a mans own regeneration hath many degrees of clearnesse and assurance by reason of the variety of conditions wherein a man truly converted may be For many doubts may arise in the man regenerat which may darken his sight and hinder the assurance of saving grace granted unto him whereof sundry causes may be found and in special these four among others 1. In a man illuminat and renewed by the holy Spirit there remains a great deal of ignorance much doubting mixed with faith by reason of unskilfulnesse of the convert to examine and discern this blessed change made in him where through that cometh to passe in many young converts which will be seen in infants who have a soul indeed but do not know or perceive that they have a soul till they come to some years of discretion yea many sound Christians are oft-times at a stand about their regeneration and know not what to make of their faith or repentance especially when they feel the power of the body of death the strength of natural corruption in themselves and great indisposition for any spiritual exercise they are forced with the Apostle to cry miserable man that I am who shall deliver me Rom. 7. 24. mean time for weaknesse of their faith they are not able at the first to wrestle against discouragment and to come up unto the Apostles thanking God through Christ. 2. By the tentation of Sathan oft-times the perswasion of holy men is darkened so as they cannot see the evidences of their own regeneration clearly for Sathan sets himself to vex the Saints who are delivered from his kingdom and bonds whom albeit he know that he cannot destroy them yet he will not cease to trouble them that at least he may make them some way unfit for Gods service and marr their cheerfulness in his service and because he feareth harm from them unto his kingdom by their dealing with the unconverted to repent their sins and to turn unto God therefore he finds them work at home in their own bosome and puts them to defend themselves and to forbear to invade his subjects till they be setled themselves 3. Oft-times the Lord is offended by the sins of the regenerat and specially by their grosse transgressions for which his Spirit being grieved doth for a time cease from comforting them and doth not bear witnesse with their spirits that they are the children of God as he hath formerly used to do 4. Oft-times the Lord by suffering doubts to arise in their hearts useth to try and exercise the faith of his children and thereby to stir them up to the pursuing of the duties of piety and righteousnesse more vigorously and sincerely that after victory obtained over these tentations they may be more confirmed in their faith and more diligent in his obedience 6. It may come to passe that while the true convert doth most doubt of his own regeneration that the work of Gods special grace may be observed in him and clearly seen by others more experienced in the wayes of God and indued with the spirit of discretion The reason whereof is because howsoever the weak convert and child of light walking
found the spirit of consolation with-drawn from him and the wrath of God breaking his bones and consuming the marrow thereof Ps. 51. 8 9 10 11 12. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice c. 2. In answering this doubt we must proceed sutably to each degree severally In curing this case in the fiâ—â—t degree let the afflicted admit all the just aggravations of his sins against the Law which the conscience doth presse for by extenuation of sin neither is Gods justice glorified nor the conscience satisfied and consolation or hope of remission of sin must not arise from the few number oâ— lightnesse of sins but from the multitude and largenesse of Gods mercy and therefore we must not cut short the reckoning with the Lords law nor must we diminish the weight and estimation of our evil deservings but course must be taken that by the sense of guiltinesse the judgment of the afflicted person be not so confounded â—nd perplexed as if his case were desperat and possibility of salvation were passed but rather let the afflicted humble himself under the mighty hand of God who alone can destroy and make alive and who usually bringeth down to death and brink of hell and bringeth back again and who alone doth work wonders This doubt then arising from the multitude of sins may be loosed first by a fresh consideration of the infinit excellency and worthinesse of Christ Jesus God manifested in the flesh and of the incomprehensible value of the price of redemption payed by him for all who flye unto him for the Father hath declared himself satisfied by him in behalf of the redeemed for whom he did offer himself Matth. 3. 17. saying This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased And Heb. 7. 25. â—his is he who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to God by him Secondly by consideration of the infinit largenesse of Godâ— bounty grace and mâ—rcy wherein he hath set no bounds to himself in pardoning and abolishing the sins of those that come unto him how grosse and grievous soever they have been Isa. 44. 22. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee And Isa. 1. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scaâ—â—et they shall be as white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wool And Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me saith Christ all ye that labour and are heavy loaden and I will give you rest Thirdly by the consideration of the many examples and experiences of the mercy of God manifested in the pardon of hainous sinners both in the old and new Testament set down in Scripture of set purpose to invite such as are troubled with the sense of their manifold sins to come unto Christ the Mediator or to God in Christ reconciling the world to himself by not imputing sins to them who embrace the offer of grace and reconciliation tendered unto them in the Gospel As to the second degree wherein the doubt is augmented by the addition of the sins against the Gospel unto the sins against the Law by despiseing or slighting the means of salvation offered in the Gospel true it is that the despising or slighting of the offer of grace in Christ cannot be sufficiently aggreged because the sins of Sodom and Goâ—orah will be found lighter being laid in the ballance with the contempt of the Gospel Matth. 10. 14 15. yet notwithstanding when God is entered in reckoning with a sinner and is begun to challenge him for his sins against the Law and the Gospel also and hath by his terror humbled the man there is mercy insinuated unto that person in the bosome of the threatening Wherefore the soul born down with the sense of ill-deserving by his sins against both Law and Gospel must be exhorted to humble himself before God and flye in unto Christ who of set purpose 〈◊〉 he might answer this doubt hath declared that whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man it shall be forâ—iven him to wit if he repent this injury done to Christ Matth. 12. 32. and he standeth knocking at the door of luke-warm Laodicea with an ofter of coming in to them and supping with them that shall open to him notwithstanding they have slighted him long in their senslessenesse of sin nakednesse and misery As to the third degree wherein the afflicted doth suspect that he hath sinned against the holy Ghost because he hath sinned against the light of his conscience and diâ—ement of the holy Spirit let the afflicted consider that the sinning in actual grosse out-breakings against the light of the conscience is indeed a high provocation of God to his face for which the offender is to be humbled all the dayes of his life Secondly let him learn to glorifie Godâ— Justice who hath made a proud rebell to be scourged with scorpions and sore bitten with the remorse of a slighted and contemned conscience Thirdly let those particular transgressions objected to be done against the light of the conscience be examined with their motives and circumstances and out of the bitter rod of Gods correcting the offender that he should not perish with the world let the afflicted take up the Lords love in judging him that he may not be condemned As also let the Pastor or the prudent friend who goeth about to comfort the afflicted carefully observe if the afflicted be grieved for grieving of the holy Spirit if he desire and long after the consolation of God whom he hath offended if he purpose to walk more circumspectly afterward and eshew the snare he hath taken into or what other evidences of repentance can be seen in him whereof use may be made to assure the afflicted that he hath not sinned unto death Because the sin against the holy Ghost as it is described unto us in holy Scripture is either a malicious refusing and opposing wittingly and wilfully of Christ Jesus after that the Spirit of Christ hath convinced the person that Christ is the Redeemer and this was the sin of some Pharisees desperat professed and irreconciliable enemies to Christ Mat. 12. 24. to 33. or it is a totall apostasie from Christ after they have known him to be the Redeemer joyned with a malitious oppugning of the christian Religion as it is set forth Heb. 10. 26 27. to 32. and whosoever falleth in this sin he neither repents him of it nor desires to repent or be reconciled with God And therefore let the humbled and afflicted penitent longing to be reconciled unto God through Christ and to find the sense of his favour granted or restored not suspect himself any more guilty of this sin but let him make use of the offer of grace in the Gospel and of the example of penitents mentioned in Scripture Who knoweth how soon the
sense of sin begun in the afflicted by Gods mercy and that the afflicted cannot now be hindered from repentance nor be keeped in his former snare doth change himself as if he were an angel of light and setteth all at nought the measure of sorrow which the afflicted hath already and shews unto him how unanswerable the proportion of his sorrow is unto the multitude and hainousnesse of his sins and so spurreth him on to mourn more and more that if it be possible he may distemper and distract him or make him pine away and perish in his sorrow without faith or consolation in Christ this is one evil Another evil is this the affectation of such a degree of sorrow smelleth of seeking some sort of expiation of sin and compensation of the pleasure taken in sin by suitable sorrow for it unto which practical error we are by nature too too prone for as by nature we strive to be justified by works according to the covenant of works written in the children of Adam so when we see our selves come short of the righteousnesse of works we go about as is to be seen in Papists to supply the defect of works by some one sort or other of our sufferings and satisfactions for sin in special that by sorrow and tears in abundance we may wash away the guilt and pollution we have contracted by sin And in this course we run on naturally after wakening of the conscience to exact pennance and punishment on our selves till the deluded heart say it is enough And then as if all were well the deceived sinner resteth himself which deceit of the heart the oftener it hath place and prevaileth without being observed it is the more dangerous A third evil following on this practical error is by it the free grace of God and merits of Christ are greatly obscured and both the mans consolation and sanctification are marred the loss that the afflicted sustaineth on the one hand and the drawing on of new guiltinesse by such a course on the other hand is covered under the vizard of humiliation A fourth evil followeth this error which is this the afflicted person so long as he continueth in this mistake he giveth way to the tentation and doth of set purpose foster his own misbelief that he may thereby foster and augment his own sorrow and afright himself with dreadfull imaginations what shall become of him that he may augment his affected heavinesse of spirit and make the fountain of his tears run the more abundantly A fifth evil is the afflicted so long as he suspends his going to Christ because he hath not mourned sufficiently for sin he fosters another fault unawars to wit a purpose to lay down any more sorrowing for sin if once he had overtaken his imagined measure of sorrow and had his accesse so made unto Christ. This deceit of the heart is brought to light in the practice of some Antinomians who allow themselves once to mourn for sin that their mourning may make way for faith in Christ but after they apprehend they have once repented and casten their burthen on Christ and do number themselves among believers they scorn to mourn any more for sin they harden themselves against all remorse of conscience and do reject secret challenges as groundlesse and make themselves merry with their own fancy and reckon all penitents to be under the spirit of bondage which evils if the afflicted person would perceive to follow upon his error which as a net is spred before his feet to keep him from going to Christ and following the course and exercise of repentance all the dayes of his life he would take heed better to his steps 4. The afflicted must be informed or called to mind concerning sorrow for sin that it is not commended from the quantity or measure of it but from the quality or sincerity of it Now sincere sorrow for sin is best discerned by the hatred which the mourner hath against sin by the mourners humiliation of himself before God by his abhorring himself both for his sin and for the hardnesse of his heart under sin by his purpose to strive against all sin by his flying in unto Christ for relief from sin by his entertaining and renewing of godly sorrow after he hath believed in Christ according as he findeth the inherent roots of sin to be springing up in him This is indeed sincere and godly sorrow which causeth repentance never to be repented of 5. Fifthly and last of all the afflicted must be exhorted not to linger any more but flye to Christ and let him be humbled so much the more as he is not so humbled as he should and would be let him call to minde that Christ came not only to comfort mourners for sin but also to call sinners unto repentance for Christ hath not put such a measure of sorrow whereof we are speaking to be the condition of the covenant of Grace he doth not fell his precious wares nor his gifts of grace for the price of mens tears but let him remember that whosoever is so destitute in his own sense of all good as he finds neither the sense of sin nor repentance nor faith nor any other good thing in himself which may commend him to God but by the contrair much evil of all sorts and yet cometh to Christ is no doubt the poor in spirit whom Christ hath pronounced blessed Matth. 5. 3. and that the sense of his sin and misery in the measure which he hath of it is the evidence of eye-salve already bestowed upon him to encourage him to buy of Christ all the riches which he holdeth forth to the poor in spirit Revel 3. 18. CHAP. VII Wherein the Christians doubt whether he be regenerat because he findeth not his righteousness exceeding the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees is answered THere are some regenerat persons who in the sense of their sins and acknowledgment of their unworthinesse and inability to help themselves are fled unto Christ and have given over themselves to him by faith and are endeavouring to bring forth fruits suteable to repentance who for all this fall a doubting whether they be renewed whether their faith be true and saving faith and the reason which they give of their doubting is because the reformation of their life whereunto they have attained appeareth unto them not to exceed the righteousnesse which may be found in some Pagans or in Scribes and Pharisees of whom Christ hath said in the Evangel Matth. 5. 20. I say unto you that except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven This doubt is followed with grief anxiety of mind and fear least all vertues in them be found nothing but counterfeit and this case except it be speedily cured cannot chuse but draw after it heavy and hard consequences For curing whereof we must confesse that many Pagans and Infidels
whether every sincere convert shall remain in the covenant of Grace if possibly they have so far abused grace as to defile themselves again with the pollutions which they seemed to repent of before And this erroneous opinion of the instability of the covenant of grace they do apply to themselves for when they have found by experience the power of sin as it were not only rageing but in appearance reigning in them as the conscience of their relapsing in their old sins beareth witnesse And when they know their nature so corrupt and ready to sin yet more they doubt if this condition can stand with being in the covenant of Grace and whatsoever they have found of their being in this covenant they now fear that they be fallen from grace because they have as they conceive broken the covenant of Grace on their part therefore they apprehend also that God in justice being provoked oft-times by them hath now at last dissolved the covenant of Grace on his part for say they it is no reason that God should be tyed unto them in covenant who so many wayes have violated that covenant but as Adam by sinning excluded himself from all benefit of the covenant of Works So is it reason that every one who have violated the covenant of Grace as I have done should be excluded from the covenant of Grace And here the afflicted doth stand as a miserable man uncertain what to do in which condition horrible temptations and heavy suspicions of their state do arise namely that they are in the condition and case wherein Esau was who when he had sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage found no place for repentance albeit he sought the blessing with tears Now what torment may be in the conscience of the afflicted in this case it is easie for them who at any time have felt the wrath of God to conjecture And this doubt doth vex the man most who is conscious of his often abuse of the grace of God for what shall I do saith he shall I defile my self and go and wash and again defile my self and go and wash and by this means augment my own guiltinesse from day to day what is if this be not to abuse the grace of God 2. That this evil may be removed we must confesse that there are many who after some remorse for some sins raised by a natural and unrenewed conscience do weep now and then as Saul did for his injust persecution of David and do think that by their tears they have washen away their sin and attained to some sort of quietnesse in their conscience for a time who yet do not cease from their wickednesse but remain in their natural state strangers from God and Christ. We must also acknowledge that some of the regenerat in their carnal security falling back in their old sins ordinarily are sharply chastised by God and indeed no wonder is that such as have once attained to peace with God do meet with broken bones after they have abused the grace of God in giving way to their sinfull lusts which was the case of David Ps. 51. 3. As for those who fall in open grosse scandalous sins which defile the whole man soul and body both it is safest for them whether they were before that time converted or not to let alone long disputation whether they were regenerat or not before their fearfull fall and to stir up themselves to a deep search of the wickednesse of their nature that they may be humbled before God and in the sense of their in-born sin and grosse actual out-breakings flye unto Christ for pardon and grace to bring forth better fruits then they have done 4. As for these who have not fallen in grievous open transgressions but in their wrestling against sin not obtaining the victory they would or hoped to have do find themselves polluted in their spirits and put to the worse in their conflict against their sinfull lusts and passions and that very frequently and thereupon they apprehend that either they were never in the state of grace or if they were in it that they have abused and broken the covenant of grace To these we answer that every transgression of the commands albeit it be a violation of the covenant of works yet is not a dissolution of the covenant of grace for it is one thing to fail in a duty which the covenanted party should have done another thing to break or dissolve the covenant of grace for it is provided in the covenant of grace as a special article that God will forgive the sin of his confederat people when they confesse their faults and sue for pardon according to the promise of mercy to the covenanted Ier. 31 32 and lest any humble sinner should be discouraged and not receive this solution of his doubt let him consider the words of the Apostle Gal. 6. 1. expresly set down for their comfort who having resolved to live holily justly and temperatly are overtaken in an offence and are not purposed to abuse mercy or turn the grace of God into lasciviousnesse and 1 Iob. 2. 1. These things I write unto you to wit believers in Christ carefull to live holily that ye sin not but if any man sin we have an advocat with the father Iesus Christ the just one And this article of the covenant for granting daily remission according to the necessity of the Saints maketh the covenant of grace perpetual and to be daily made use of as we are directed in the Lords prayer And in this doth the covenant of grace differ from the covenant of works which by any one sin is so violat as the curse doth follow till the sinner run in to the covenant of grace in Jesus Christ And by this doctrine a door is not opened unto sinning but the door only is closed to keep in the true convert from desperation and running away from Christ and to help him out of the mire of discouragement wherein he is fallen lest he sink in it and despair Neither is the study of holinesse hindered by this way or the diligence of the convert slakened in the duties of new obedience and pleasing of God but only servile fear in the maner of serving God is taken away and the obligation of love to God who is found to be so mercifull is more strictly tyed upon us which love as it is augmented daily by new confirmations of faith and fresh experiences of his grace to us doth cast out servile fear as the Apostle teacheth 1 Ioh. 4. 18. As for the afflicted convert his fear that he be like Saul who though he felt remorse and shame when all the beholders in his army saw him so confounded by Davids loyall carriage toward him yet did he not repent this sin at all nor amend his life at all there is no ground to suspect himself to be like unto him or to Esau who was solicitous only for an earthly blessing