2 Cor. 1. 9. upon the pronouncing whereof the Law lays heavy fetters and chaines of darkenesse upon the soul that keep it shut up to the hope that afterwards by the Gospel is revealed 3. The proper impressions of this condition must needs be fearfull And thence is this Spirit said to be the Author of bondage to fear And is therefore called the Spirit of fear 2 Tim. 1. 7. This is that fear which the Author to the Hebrews 2. 15. tells us that men may be all their lives long enslaved unto til Christ deliver them A fear of Death i. e. of eternal death the wages of sinne A fear that gives a convinced sinner a tast of hell here it is the very anguish and smart of the arrows of God sticking fast in Job 6. 4. a mans spirit the very wales and furrowes which when the back of conscience is plowed up with the knotted whips of its own guilt do fester and stinke and corrupt as David Psal 38 5 expresseth it that is make the spirit of a man a burthen to it selfe and that intolerable This is the condition which the Apostle expresseth and I am to handle under the notion of the Spirit of bondage i. e. That Work of Gods Spirit whereby he convinceth and terrifieth sinners in order to conversion 4. And when he doth so in the fourth place we are said to receive him that is to be through free grace the patient and submissive subjects of this influence of his bearing the indignation of the Lord because we have sined Lam. 3. 29 against him and laying our mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope until God shall command deliverance for us and pull us out of the horrible pit and out of the deep mire and clay and break those chains of hell and snares of death wherein we are fettered and bring us forth into a large place 5. The Subjects of this Work of the Spirit the Apostle expresseth under the pronoun Ye including the generality of believers among the Romans and in them the generality of beleevers among all Nations in all times these works being of a common nature to all the people of God there being nothing in any one Saint which renders him a more incapable subject of this work then in another and nothing in the Word elsewhere to priviledge one above another herein 6. And lastly the time of the Saints being under this work the Apostle plainly expresseth not to be then when by faith they could call God Father the influence of the Spirit of Adoption enabling them so to do delivered them out of that fearful condition whence it follows that the experience they had of this work was before their Adoption and relation to God thereby as before I have declared And so much shall suffice for this first Chapter the clearing of our Subject And this done wee will proceed to the handling of it in the following Chapters CHAP. II. Wherein the first grand Thesis or Proposition concerning this state of Bondage is explained I Shall begin with this state as a work of the Spirit of God laying this Thesis or proposition for a foundation of our following discourse That those convictions shakings and terrours The first Proposition or Thesis of conscience under which unregenerate sinners suffer bondage when the Law chargeth them home with the guilt of sinne and apprehensions of wrath are ordinarily the works of Gods blessed Spirit I say ordinarily because sometimes Satan brings or at least keeps souls and those the souls of Gods Elect too under this bondage He promiseth liberty when he tempts to sinne but brings into bondage when he accuseth for sinne And therefore we must make a distinction between the bondage which the holy Spirit and the bondage which the wicked spirit brings into or keeps under First therefore There is a bondage which admits and is mitigated by the conjunction of hope of liberty and works towards a deliverance and there is a bondage that excludes all hope and possibility in the apprehension of a sinner of ever being removed A bondage in which the chains with which the conscience is held and fettered are of the same nature with the Devils bonds of death chains of darknesse and despaire Now such as these the holy Spirit knits not except the despair be partial and bear relation only to humane helps and means of escape and such a despair is in every soul that makes out after Christ those that we speak of now Satan lays on the conscience these must needs call him Father because they are black dismal apprehensions like him Such he wrought in Kain and Judas that made the former desperately blaspheme the mercy of God the other deâ—perately to lay violent hands on himselfe and to those despairing terrours is a soul given up when justly excommunicated and therefore is said to be delivered 1 Cor. 5. 5. to Satan for that censure binding sinne upon a man and God having promised to ratifie that sentence in Heaven the Devill the tormentor is at hand to load such a soul with Matth. 16. 19. terrors enough if he do not contemptuously go on adding sin to sin but be any way sensible of it he endeavors to drive him to despair whence the Church is bidden upon this knowledge of Satans devices to comfort such a man and confirm comfort to him by absolution lest he be swallowed up of sorrow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. 8. 11. These satanical terrours have sin in them and therâ—fore as such can no way be the effects of the Spirit of God Indeed the Spirit of God may cause them inchoativè by discovering to a man his sinne and misery but the improvement of these discoveries in such a measure and to such an issue is the work of Satan who in this as in things of other nature can counterfeit the very Spirit of God and so perswade a poor soul that 't is his duty to refuse comfort and despair of Salvation 2. I say these terrours when they are wrought by the Spirit of God are in unconverted sinners which makes a farther distinction between the worke of the Spirit of God and the spirit of Satan herein the Devil makes it most of his businesse to trouble converts As for unconverted wretches that are his fast enough he seldome disturbes them as a Souldier will not disturbe his own Quarters but his enemies a Magistrate will not if he be well advised harrasle his own dominions But the Spirit of God speakes terrour to the Consciences of unregenerate sinners to whom it belongs when he speaks Law he speaks to them that are under the Law Rom. 3. 19. 3. But therin is a difference also If the Spirit of God lay the conscience under terrours it is for conversion they are not penal only but medicinal also they are one sort of Gods â—ods by which he brings men within the bonds of the Covenant Ezek 20
If thou object But Sir these remedies are in vain prescribed to me who if I could do these things should have no need to complain of the disease seeing the very cure consists in being able to apply such means to effect it If I could be sensible of this sin and be humbled deeply for it and wait upon means as I ought my heart would be no longer such as you speak of I complain of an hard heart and an impenitent heart and you seem to bid me get a penitent heart that I may get a penitent heart And this seems absurd Answ 1. It may be this very case seriously taken into consideration will affect the heart when no other thing will And we find it by the experience of Gods called ones that they find nothing more usual then to be most sensible of their own hardnesse and insensiblenesse And 't is so because hardnesse of heart is not only a sin but a judgment Now sense of judgment may bring sense of sin I advise thee therefore to be sensible of it as a judgment that thou maist be made sensible of it in time as a sin 2 To one in thy condition this is the great and master sin and by consequence the most dangerous wound of thy soul and therefore 't is most sutable and likely to be successeful to begin the work of sorrow and humiliation at that sin As in a complication of many Diseases in a Patient the Physician thinks it most proper to apply himself to the Master-Distemper primarily and principally and the rest will abate with it they being but Symptomatical 3. When I bid thee labour for a spirit deeply affected with this sinne and to endeavor to reduce thy selfe to thy former convictions thereby I purposely prescribe this course Because I know if thou canst attaine an heart sensible of its own resistance to the Spirit of grace c. thou art so farre recovered And this advantage is peculiar to this condition that to be affected with it is to be recovered out of it And this is a great encouragement to labour for this frame of spirit As one sin begets another so humiliation for one will beget humiliation for all for the same tendernesse which renders the heart capable of the impression of godly sorrow for one sin renders it as penetrable by others 4. When I bid thee labour to recover thy former tendernesse I mean not as if I would have thee reduce thy selfe thereunto by a power in thy selfe but by addressing thy selfe to God by importunate prayer to take away that resistance hardness and impenitency of thy heart which so frequently repulseth the Spirit of God and rejecteth its own salvation Go to God and say Lord I have an hard heart an heart that cannot repent according to promise give me an heart of flesh c. Obj. But I have a great deal of joy and peace and the course you advise to will put all out of order again Ans 1. I have told thee before that t is better to break an unsound peace of conscience here then to continue it all our lives till Death and Hell breake it whether wee will or no. Especially seeing 2. The breaking of this false peace is a way to recover a true and sound peace Then wee are towards a peace with God when we fall out with our selves and our sins When we combine against his enemies in that work he is engaged to assist us and if we be once absolutely broken from them and engaged to the destruction of them ipso facto we become his confederates Obj. But I have had a great name for Religion and have borne my selfe high upon my comfortable attainements and enjoyments and I cannot bring my selfe to be willing to take the shame of a confession that I have beene beguiled my selfe and deluded others Answ Therefore t is likely thy acknowledgements will do thee more good as on the other side thy example in going on in so delusive a way will do far more hurt Peters dissimulation drew many to dissemble also Gal. 2. When eminent professors professe glorious discoveryes in a way of defiance to Ministery and Ordinances no wonder if divers minorum Gentium ambition being natural to men will either affirm the same things that they may not seeme inferiour to them or else be apt to believe such things attainable Thus I remember in Erasmus there is a story of a Popish Apparition which when one had confidently affirmed that he saw divers others in the company would needs professe to see it too So do deluded souls strengthen one another til the juggle of Satan be discovered 2. Here is thy glory and Gods put in the balance and it is a great trial of thy sincerity to see which thou wilt take My sonne give glory to God saith Joshua to Achan and so I to thee Friend give glory to God Let the pride of thy heart be abased and thy high looks be brought low that the Lord alone may be exalted Isa 2. 17. 3. This is the way to thy own greater esteem Humble thy selfe and the Lord will exalt thee in due time Hereby wilt thou give to those that are truly godly a firme proofe of thy sincerity and such a return to them will speak more then thy stay among them possibly would have done 4. If God do not bring thee thus low now he will hereafter What is temporary shame and contempt to everlasting shame and contempt Obj. But God may save mee without this way and I may be converted without the return of the spirit of Bondage Answ 1. No question by his royal prerogative he may do that which no earthly Prince may act above and contrary to his owne prescribed rules when he pleaseth But 2. T is unlikely that he will and t is unusually that he doth renew any man that is an Apostate from former convictions without deeep humiliations And indeed if he should this would encourage convinced sinners to cast off their cords and break the bonds of the spirit at their pleasure These are grievous affronts to God himselfe and t is reason that he should have reparations from us at our return to him Now the only reparation in this kinde is deep sense and humble selfe-condemning acknowledgment of our sin CHAP. XXIV Objections of another nature answered Object YEa But if this be so possibly it may be as much for Gods honor to reject me if I do really submit my self to my old Master and reduce my soul under the Spirits Bondage again so that here is a greater discouragement I fear God wil not receive so desperate an Apostate as I have been though I could be humbled never so much Answ 1. True it may be much for Caution to others to take heed of affronting resisting quenching the Spirit of grace that hee should let thy Conscience loose upon thee in damning terrours here and send thee to hel with them upon thy spirit to be thy companions
might occasion some trouble to themselves hereby as conceiving themselves excluded from the comfort of the Doctrine because though they have other works of the Spirit that accompany salvation yet they have not had experience of this assuring act For their sakes therefore let it suffice once for all to tell them that if the Spirit of God have wrought in them any work that accompanies salvation all that which shall hereafter be said concerning the priviledge of Assured souls is no less proper to them R. 1. For if there be but the least spark of grace in the soul the Spirit that works it will not undoubtedly go so ready a way to quench it as this in all likelyhood would be 2. Besides if the Spirit should do so it would testifie contrary to the Scripture which says that there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus c. Rom. 8. 1. Besides it were a flat counteracting of himself 3. For he would divide peace from grace when that is the fruit of this To understand the point in the sense propounded farther take notice by way of explication 1. That this Doctrine denies not but the best Saints of God after assurance may be under troubles of conscience again I told you upon the last Doctrine that a Saint may lose the actual Assurance of Gods love and there is nothing more frequent in Scripture then the sad complaints of precious people of God under such darknesse The Lord to take off all ground of expecting such an exemption from his people was pleased to hide his face from his own natural sonne and to withdraw from him the sensible comfort of his divine nature upon the crosse and before that left him to grievous temptations from Satan himselfe True there is difference in our Saviours case thine for Christ under his desertion was under part of that satisfactory punishment which Gods justice inflicted upon him for sinne Thy after troubles are not of that nature But herein the parallel holds that height of enjoyment of God and height of communion with God are no sufficient security to a soul of never losing the sense and comfort of them A prisoner many times may be detained even by the keeper after the Judge acquits him till hee pay his fees And it may be the holiest man may be unthankfull and so be clapt up again in the house of Bondage 2. That the dearest Saints of God after Assurance may fall not only into trouble of spirit again but into bondage of spirit also They may fall so low out of the assurance of Gods love that they may conclude him an Enemy and feele all the Terrours of GOD in the same kind as they did under the Spirit of Bondage at the first They may come to question all again and their Consciences may be as full of horror and blacknesse and as full of the hell of anguish and confusion as ever before I am perswaded David after his great falls was under as great fears of Hell as ever he was in his first conversion The answer of Nathan to him implyes so much The Lord hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye If David had not been afraid of death eternal which is the proper wages of unpardoned sinne 2 Sam. 12. 13. why doth Nathan adde that promise from God to encourage him Beside when he speaks of the horrible pit out of which God pull'd him where he stuckfast in mire and Psalm 40. 2. clay and could not lift a foot to relieve himself certainly we can rationally understand no other then the dungeon of Terror of which we are speaking A man whom the Judge and Jury acquits at the Assise may bee arrested at anothers suit and layd up again And so may a child of God after a discharge from the suit of conscience in his first conversion bee arrested again and as much fear the Law as ever 3. Nay possibly his after-terrors may be greater and longer then the former Hee may have a far more hideous dungeon and heavier chains then ever he was in before and lie longer by it For it may be 1. God intended providentially such a condition to him before but saw his weaknesse at the first conversion for the under-going of so heavy a burthen and therefore in pity forbare that rigor then til by the warme influence of some glances of love from his countenance he had fitted him with a proportion of strength to glorifie him in greater trials In measure saith he when it shooteth forth will he debate with it He stayeth his rough wind in the day of his east wind Isa 27. 8. He spares a tender bud when it first buds forth that he may exercise it with more hardship afterwards when it is able to bear more He wil not put new wine into old bottels Matth. 9. 17. i. e. proportion our work and strength 2. Such soules come out of light into darknesse and so their last enjoyments make their present troubles more intolerable Bitternesse upon our peace is mar mar Bitter bitterness Isa 38. 17. Had they continued in a dungeon of horrour stil after conscience had first committed them their continued experience of that condition by long acquaintance might have made it lighter But to be taken out of prison and cherished with some flashes of liberty and then shut up againe is an addition to their present Torment from the most grievous torture of all others in such a case the fresh remembrance of the comforts last parted withall Eclipses of the Sun because they come but seldome appeare more terrible 3. Conscience in such a case is apt to take all former experiences for meere dreames and delusions and is more difficultly brought to accept of any comfort now then formerly for feare of being so deluded againe and so bolts the door of the prison faster upon the soul then formerly Aprisoner that hath once had his prison-door set open to him and been permitted quietly to depart if after he hath enjoyed a shadow of liberty an Hue and cry fetch him back again will scarce adventure to goe forth againe when the doores are set open to him a second time for saith he I had better stay whiles I am here then goe forth and be fetched back againe So saith a poore soule in such a case Surely it is better for me not to receive any comfort then to take it and lose it againe as I have done once already I was deluded then with a fallacious liberty and peace and I may be so againe 4 Sins which trouble the conscience in such a second bondage are aggravated by the evidences of Gods love formerly enjoyed and so terrifie the soul more under their guilt Then every sin looâ—… like a blasphemy against the Holy Ghost an unpardonable sinne A man can tell what to plead before but now his mouth is stopped Ezr. 9. 10. Psal 51. 15. 40. 12 5 Then supports from God are
their bondage they could not hearken to Moses for anguish of heart Exod. 6. 9. Read over to a Noble man all his pedigree to a great man all his Titles and famous atchievments shew a rich man all his baggs and his writings and tell the Gentleman of all his pleasures how his hawke flies his dogs hunt where are the richest wines the merriest company c. things that would have taken heretofore now the news of them is like unpleasing meat to a nauseating stomack like jarring musick to a judicious ear Or in Solomons language Prov. 25. 20. As he that takes away a garment in cold weather and like vinegar upon nitre so is he that singeth songs to an heavy heart This heavinesse is the greatest heavinesse The Spirit of heavinesse Isa 61. 3. bitter bitternesse saith Hezechiah Isa 38. 17. 3. Soul-distracting despair I mean not that which shuts and barres the door of the heart against all reliefe blocks it up and besiegeth it on all hands yea even on the side of Heaven it selfe but that which excludes all possible means on this side the infinite Mercy of God and bloud of Christ when as David Psal 142. 4. a man looks on the right hand to Duties and Ordinances and good deeds and resuge fails they appear vestimenta inquinatorum they have guilt in them as wel as deficiency filthy rags he looks Isai 64. 6 on his left hand at the comforts of this life and at humane means to remove misconceived natural causes and finds that he cannot be ransomed by gold nor silver nor precious 1 Pet. 1. 8 stones that it is in vain to come before God with thousands of rams or ten thousand rivers Micah 6. 7 of oyle that his wounds will not be cured by Balsoms nor his Disease be cured by Potions And that there is no name but Christs in heaven or under heaven that can relieve him Acts 4. 12. This is indeed a complete work of the Spirit of Bondage till this a man is never brought low enough to be lifted up all the convictions horrors and anguish of conscience whiles removeable by other means then the blood of Christ are but sleight and superficial wounds and all the power which the Spirit exerciseth till this effects not a through Conquest a man never submits himself entirely to the Spirits handling till this time never accepts of his fetters and wears them without resistancy till now As a Prisoner never quietly submits to his condition till he finds all wayes of escape obstructed and no way to get those fetters off which pinch him but by that hand that put them on And thus these cords that bind a soul under sin may be made use of and twisted with others of a Gospel nature to draw a soul to Jesus Christ For here now properly comes in the discovery of Christ to such a soul ut infrà CHAP. IX A farther explication by assigning the means of its working Quest 2. HOw doth the Spirit work this bondage and fear in the hearts of sinners Answ The meanes is various 1. Occasional So sometimes affliction doth not only fetter a man in his body or estate but soul also Many times God brings down a proud heart as Manasseh by this way Manasseh never became the Spirits Bond-man till he was the King of Babylons captive Then and not till then he bowed himself greatly before the God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 33. 11 12. Sometimes the death of friends especially if unexpected and the thoughts of mortality occasioned thereby Sometimes seeing the strictness of those we converse with Sometimes a reproof a notorious sin which God leaves a man unto sometimes the soul-troubles of others declaring their cases and complaining are catching c. 2. Instrumental and thus ordinarily God useth the Word as his mighty instrument by which he pulls down strong Holds and casts down imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledg of God and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. This Word is the instrument of conviction and so of this Bondage arising thence Hebr. 4. 12. Yet is it not the bare word that can work it no though we concur to it and labour by meditation conference and other means to do it for when we have done all We receive it saith the Text. If you ask What word doth the Spirit work this bondage by I answer By the Law generally and principally though some Gospel-considerations may sometimes be admitted to whet and sharpen the edge of the Law I mean the History of the Gospel which aggravates that bondage by exemplifying the misery of being under the curse of the Law the intolerablenesse of lying under the wrath of God in the person of Christ barely suffering for imputed sin by discovering a rich and unvaluable Treasure and spreading all the glory of it before a man who must not lay hands on one farthing token of it c. But the Gospel concurs only per accidens as the sight of Lazarus in heaven increased the hell of Dives and the plenty in the gates of Samaria that Princes misery who was to dye without tasting of it 2 Kings 7. 19. But I say The Law is the proper and ordinary instrument of the Spirit in this work It is the School-master whose lash makes sinners backs smart Gal. 3. 24. which convinceth men as transgressors James 2. 9. Causeth the knowledg of sin Rom. 3. 20. Worketh wrath i. e. manifests it worketh the sense of it into the soule Rom. 4. 15. Maketh the offences of sinners to abound discovers millions of sins more then he dreamed of Rom. 5. 20. Quickens sin in the conscience and puts a weapon into its hand to kill the sinner under its guilt chap. 7. 9. It is therefore called by the Apostle 2 Cor. 15. 56. The strength of sin i. e. that which onely armes sin with terrour and makes its guilt an intolerable guilt The Spirit interprets the Law to a mans conscience and armes it with its curse to pronounce against every sin and this Law thus armed arrests and endites and accuseth and convicteth and condemneth the sinner and when it hath done so it stops there it is fain to do as Felix with Paul to leave him bound without any mitigation Acts 24. 27. or qualification of his misery till the same Spirit whose servant the Law is be pleased to let him free CHAP. X. Evidences of the Spirits usual working in this way before Conversion Quest 3. BUT how appeares it that the Spirit of God ordinarily works first this way Ans 1. Because the Spirit of God as to the order and manner of his working deals not with man as we use to do with stocks and stones We translate them from place to place and condition to condition barely by an act of extrinsecal power As we do raise a stone to the top of a steeple and prop him up there contrary to
an hard matter to get out of this subject because I know there is nothing in this Gospel-surfeited age which damns more souls then a presumptuous and heady confidence of ignorant and besotted men that run away with a few shredds and odd ends of Gospell and build a general perswasion upon them that they are the persons to whom they belong and yet they never had any such work wrought upon them as may give any judicious Minister or Christian any grounds of hope that they are within a thousand leagues of the borders of the Kingdome of God CHAP. XVIII Some support to souls under this Spirit and satisfaction in a double case of Conscience HEnce also we may draw support to persons that are in this condition 'T is some comfort to a patient that he is in a way of recovery though he be not assured that he shall recover yet when he apprehends such symptomes upon himselfe as usually go before recovery in others how much are his spirits refreshed with this 'T is the comfort of a Traveller when he knows he is in the way to his journies end after long wandring in a wildernesse whereby he is encouraged to proceed though perhaps it be a very difficult passage rocky dirty uncomfortable every way in it self though his horse be dull or set hard in his pace the weather bad yet saith he I am in the way to my journies end and I may if I carefully observe directions attain it at last and this hope puts spirits into him whenever the difficulties that I have spoken of discourage him Now who ever thou art that art in a like condition though the way which the Spirit of bondage conducts thee in be attended with many difficulties discouragements yet cheer up thou art in an hopefull way to thy journeys end 'T is the way in which thou mayst arrive at the joyful liberty of the Spirit of Adoption Q. But I am before told that I may yet misse of the end and what comfort then can therebe in such a way wherein I may miscarry after I have gone through abundance of difficulties A. I answer True thou mayst yet there is much comfort or support rather Fr 1. Though thou mayst fall yet thou mayst not In thy former condition it was not so with thee The way thou wast in there was nothing in it but certain destruction that way led directly without all peradventure to the chambers of death Prov. 7. 2. 7. thou wast without hope Eph. 2. 12. Now this valley of Achor or trouble is the opening of a door of hope unto thee Hos 2. 15. 2. Thou art under the conduct of one whose discovery if thou wilt follow thou art assured not to fall away 'T is thy own fault if thou do so The Spirit that hath led thee so farre is an unerriug guide a faithfull conductor never any one miscarried that once came into this way but for neglect of his counsell and turning aside into by ways of his own Prov. 1. 32. 'T is the turning away of the simple that destroys them See also v. 33. 3. This fear is a good prognostick of thy successe therein A man that is suspicious asks many questions of all he meets and takes notice of their directions and thereby is preserved from mistakes Certainly fear of erring is a great preservative against it As on the otherside there is no more fearfull symptome of a dangerous Apostacy then self-confidenc◠This had like to have undon Peter no wonder therefore if the Apostle Paul direct those that labour for salvation Mat. 26 33. to do it with fear and trembling Phil. 2. 12. And Solomon pronounceth a blessing on him that feareth always This fear is one great security against evil Prov. 14. 16. The wise Prov. 28. 14. man feareth and departs from evil 4. If thou continue in this self suspecting fear and follow God in the use of all his own ordinances if thou shouldest miscarry at last it would be a singular case Gods usual dealing with persons under such a work is otherwise I dare say very few if any that pursue their convictions so ever miscarry 5. There are some conjectural symptomes of a saving conviction whiles one is under it Qu. But what are those A. I answer over and above that fear before spoken of which indeed if it drive not from but rather spur on to duty is the better as I but now shewed likewise there may be a probable judgment made to another and possibly to thy selfe of the issue from these following notes I. If the sinnes a man is convinced of be not only actual but also and principally 1. Original when he sees not onely his actions damnable but his nature even before he had a being condemned when he complains not only or principally of such particular sins but alike or more feelingly complains under the body of death that he is possest withall For this man is most likely to be seriously converted from sinne who doth not onely aym at the branches or shrowds but lays the Axe of repentance at the very root To another who is convinced onely of the evill of one or two master sinnes though they may make a stir in the conscience for a while and that may drive the man to a wall so that he sees he must kill them or they will kill him and thereupon the man reformes and is taken notice of for a renewed man sinne will come in at a posterne door as fast as he drives it out at the great gate nay all his labour will be no other then Hercules his was about the many heads of Hydra as the Poets fancy they multiplying upon him as fast as he cuts them off It being proper to sinne when dealt with single crescere per damnum to gain by losing and grow by being cut down One particular sinne may destroy another For There is scarce a lust in a man but as it is contrary to grace so is it opposite to some other lust so that what Covetousness loseth commonly Prodigality gains and so vice versâ But if Original sin by such convictions be assaulted such a man goes a compendious way to a through Conversion he begins at the right end Indeed conviction of some actual sin usually begins this work but leaves it never it till it strike Original too 2. Not only open and scandalous but secret and of those especially Spiritual sins Many a man may be grieviously terrified under the guilt of such or such a notorious sin and forsake it and yet may not be really converted shame of the world disadvantage in point of estate or possibly the downright blowes of a powerful Ministry will not let him enjoy that quietly But when a mans conviction is deepest for undiscerned sins secret inward sins spiritual sins such as formality hypocrisie hardnesse of heart c. this is a good signe this conviction is likely to end in effectual conversion Because the grief and
spirits into a temper inconsistent with their gravity nay youthful lâ—sts if they will yet take no denyal must fight for their quarters and dâ—ive the new intruders out of doors Friends I appeal to your own spirits how many Parents and Masters are there in the World who if their childrâ—n and servants begin to entertain any relâ—gion scruples though never so necessary are apt to lay to them as Pharaoh to the Isrâ—elites ye are idle ye are idle theâ—efore you are so inquisitive after those things Go theâ—efore now and work Exod. â—5 17. 18 And thus becomes the word of our Saviour verâ—fied upon them the cares of this woâ—ld and the deceitfulnesse of riches choak the seed and iâ— becometh unfruiâ—ful Mat. 13. 2â— Thus aâ—… the naiâ—s which the Spirit fastens by the Master â—f â—ssemblies driven out by others Eccles 13. 11 of the Worldâ— making How many prâ—fâ—ne scâ—ffers jear out such blessed guests out of the soul of those with whom they are familiar Lastly how many idle drunkâ—n câ—mpanions drown the blessed convictions of the Spirit of God in themselves and otâ—ers together with their own estates and parts in strong liquors Oh you that have often by scurrilous scoffe broken these bonds of the consciences of others take heed when the Spirit comes to fetter your own if ever you be so happy and that is somewhat rare to those that sit in the seat of the scornfull your bonds will be made strong Is 28. 22. You that to secure your selves from those motions have many a time made the Tavern your asylum your refuge I cannot say Sanctuary thinke when God shall give your consciences a commission to keep an Assizes in your souls you will not find so easie a discharge from its Court as from a drawers bar and a Vintners reckoning You have broken the Spirits prison once and again it may be and therefore take heed when he takes you next you 'l pay for all hee 'l lay you fast enough for flinching His own iniquities shall take the wicked and he shall be holden with the cords of his own sinnes Prov 5. 22. or I am almost affraid to read the next words v. 23. yet take them for your warning it may be it will be worse with you the spirit may leave you to die without instruction c. CHAP. VI. A branch of the fourth Caution of the preceding Chapter concerning over-hastening of comfort Wherein is also a case concerning measures of conviction and humiliation NOr are those impatient souls altogether blamefree who because they long for the peace-full fruit of the lips will not stay the ripening of it but greedily devour it green who though the spirit have them in cure and the necessity of their disease require their confinement to rules of Physick yet will be ruled by their own heads and adventurously break those bonds and cast those cords from them as grievous and unnecessary They Psal 2. 3. cannot endure to serve an apprenticeship under a Spirit of bondage and then be made free in his way and time but hastily lay violent hands on Christian liberty and are very angry though perhaps they more need it if a Minister do but mention a searching convincing truth which may reduce them to their Master again I have my self visited those ignorant souls upon their death-beds who have called out for nothing but comfort comfort when they might had they seen their own need have rather cry'd for conviction conviction Nay among some persons 't is as much accounted a solaecisme in Divinity to search any ones conscience as it is in manners to be iniquisitive into his secrets But beloved take this for a certain rule those that run away from a Spirit of bondage and will set up with a stock of comforts without his leave as too many do wil quickly break and turn arrant bankerupts in the matter of their spirituall condition Hee that beleeves makes not haste Q. But Sir how long will you have us continue under a Spirit of bondage what measures of humiliation are requisite to true conversion and sound comfort how many years must wee serve ere you will allow us to set up A. Truly friends it is past my Skill to determine precisely neither is it necessary I should The Lord knowes I could wish it were in my power to heal every conscience the first houre in which it is smitten But the Lord thinks not fit to deal so with many of his Saints and therefore I say there is danger lest wee snatch comfort before it is fit for us or wee for it And this is all that I desire to caution you against in this that hath been said But that I may not leave you altogether unsatisfied in this point and especially that I may wound no broken ones I shal give you some rules to judg when God gives you a manumission from the Spirit of bondage and by that you may guesse when you are too hasty 1. In generall As soon as the soul is brought to see a through necessity of Jesus Christ and accordingly to close with him with true Faith it may take comfort For certainly to such an one Christ belongs The waters belong to every one that thirsteth and they are in a blessed condition that hunger and Isa 51. 1. thirst after righteousnesse And to whomsoever Matt. 5. 6 Christ belongs immediatly comfort belongs as he that hath right to an inheritance hath right to all the incomes of it Gods Ministers are bound not to defer comfort one minute from a soul concerning whom they have but sufficient grounds in charity to believe in Christ Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord Is 40. 1. And Heb. 6. 17 18. the H. Ghost tells us that God intends comfort to all that fly for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before them 2. As soon as I am within any promises reach and compasse so soon belongs comfort to mee And that depends on the former Obj. But will not any troubled soul cry out for Christ and lay hold upon Christ in extremity A dying man will never dispute with himself whether he shall send for a Physician a condemned man upon the gallows whether he shall accept of a pardon and a drowning man whether he shall scramble up a rock if it be within his reach And is every such soul fit for comfort 2. A. I answer therefore more particularly 1. I ought not to refuse comfort when I find my soul weary of the bonds and fetters of sin as much or more then of the fetters of trouble and anguish for sinne Beloved when the chains of corruption are as grievous as pangs of conscience when I hate Satan as a tempter as much as I hate him as a troubler when I groan as much to be delivered from the body of death as from the weight of wrath then I am ripe for comfort But Rom. 7. 24 when I hear my heart cry louder Oh
my sorrow and oh my grief then oh my sinne and oh my guilt when it follows God and Means with oh give me comfort and never with oh give me grace when it cryes oh that I had peace and cryes not Oh that I had holinesse this soul is not ripe for comfort Comfort would undo that soul 2. I ought not to refuse comfort when I can be contented to take Christ upon his own termes to teach and rule as well as redeem and save my soul When I can freely deny resigne part with every thing for him can give up my self to be made any thing by him when I value Christ so as that I will not entertain any thing a minute longer though it bee never so dear to me that displeaseth him even my dearest lust my greatest profit my entirest friends my fullest comforts For then I am emptyed of self and hungry after Christ and so fall under the promise he filleth the hungry with good things But when I am disposed only to take Christ partially cling Luke 1. 53. about the Crosse of Christ but hang loose from the yoke of Christ when my mouth is open to Christ but my ear shut this is sad When I drive the bargain for Christ to farthings and half pence the Lord bee gracious to me in this one thing c. Comfort to me in such a condition is bane See how the Apostle joynes Prince and Saviour together Act. 5. 31. how Christ joines a promise of ease and layes on his yoke at once Mat. 11. 28 29 30. 3. Then I am fit for comfort when I can be contented if God see fit and needfull for me to be longer without it when I can in the sincerity of my heart pray Lord if my rotten â—eart be not broken enough break it more if my sâ—sâ—erd wounds be not throughly searched lance them and search them more If there be any way of wickednesse within me search me Lord and try me till thou find it out if I Psal 139 23 24. would be proud of thy favour if thou shouldest discover it to me or turn thy grace into wantonnesse or get above ordinances and duties of Religion or proudly despise my bretheren that are lower then I or any infirmity of this kind would attend my full stomach let me fast from comfort longer here is a soul that if any is ripe for comfort But till a man come to this frame it is a signe hee is not throughly broken his bondage hath not tamed him enough and therefore comfort to this man would be like raw meat it would never digest with him the Lord hath not yet gotten the absolute mastery over and possession of his will and therefore no wonder if he lay more Irons upon him Some parents will not give their children any thing of that dish that they impatiently cry for and they say our Bishops were not to be admitted till they three times refused it I am sure David was not long kept out of his kingdome when hee had professed an indifferency to keep or lose it as the Lord saw most fit 2 Sam. 15. 25. And observe the Lords usual dealings with his people he seldome gives any comfort when men must have it or there is no quiet with them what ever grace they have or lust they master by the continuance of soul troubles they must have comfort or else in Hamans unthankfull strain they cry All this availeth me nothing And if persons Ruth 5. 13. of such impatient spirits get comfort under that disposition temper of soul 't is as Rachel became a mother by importunity but died in child-birth with Benjamin So do such oftentimes undo themselves with the comfort which their importunity hastened to them More of this kind might be added but I forbear now as knowing shall have cause to resume the same Argument again CHAP. VII Certain other improvements of this Truth THis truth also may be enlarged by way of 1 Exhertation to depend wholly on this Spirit for a bâ—essed Issue of and comfortable deliverance from this Bondage It is he onely that makes the wound can heal it as the rust of Acâ—illes his Sword onely cured the wounds which it made He hath the Key of David if hee open the Heart to receive comfort all the jealousies fears of a mans own Spirit all the malâ—ce of Satan and all the other hinderances that possibly can be imagined cannot shut it out So on the other side if he shut the door all the promises in the word applyed by the greatest Barnabasses on earth and by all the Angels in bleaven cannot open it Apoc. 3. 7. Wee are apt to depend upon Ministers and meanes for peace but Christ makes us oftentimes like the troupes of Tema to return ashamed at our Job 6. 20. disappointment from such failing brooks Let the meanes be never so good if this Spirit do not annoint them with the oil of gladness they cannot make your faces shine Christ was the most powerfull comforter in his ministery that could be yet that he might do this work effectually he is annointed by the Spirit Is 61. 1. 2 3. The spirit of the Lord is upon me because he hath annointed me to proclaim liberty to the capives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound c. Friends I speak not these things to dissuade you from the use of such means onely to warn you that you lay not the stresse of your expectations upon means but rather that you use them in dependance upon and with addresses to the Spirit to make them effectuall For my part I suspect that peace and comfort which comes in a grosse neglect and contempt of Ordinances and Duties or is attended with it I doubt such persons get out of prison by a false key the devill can pick the lock and let out the Spirits prisoners he can file off their chaines and set them free from trouble but they had better have kept in prison then have been beholden to him for their liberty when men are delivered from a conscientious bondage to an unconscionable liberty they had need pray to God to free them from that liberty This I speak to prevent a mistake of my drift in this use To returne to what I intend Beloved if the Spirit have brought you under bondage apply your selves to him that he will accomplish his end in your troubles that he will manage them to the subduing of your proud hearts to the destruction of the flesh that your spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 2. Let this convince us that the ministery of the Gospel excludes not the preaching of the Law as instrumentall to conversion I know the Law alone converts no man neither doth the Spirit of Bondage yet it prepares the way of the Lord the Spirit working thereby to levell high thoughs c. that lift themselves up against Christ Ministers are the Servants of the Spirit and