attained to it cannot have it all times nor when they do enjoy it can have it in perfection but with some mixture of doubting and unbeleefe as I shall shew you when I come to the use of comfort yet may the poorest and weakest Christian attaine to it in some measure if he be not wanting to himselfe if he will use the meanes and do what in him lieth to obtaine it See two proofes of this First We have Gods expresse promise for this that all the faithfull shall attaine unto this assurance Esa. 60.16 Thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy redeemer Secondly We have the experience of Gods people in all ages for it Iob had this particular assurance that Christ was his I know saith he Iob 19.25 that my Redeemener liveth And so had David Psal. 6.1 O God thou art my God Yea he had it even then when he was most strongly assaulted with a tentation of infidelity Ps. 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And so had Paul He loved me saith he Gal. 2.20 and gave himselfe for me And 1 Tim. 1.15 He knew certainly that he was one of those sinners Christ came to save yea a chiefe one amongst them And though these were rare persons indeed and had a grâ—â—ter measure of faith and so of this particular assurance haply then any of us yet is the faith of the meanest of us the same in nature with theirs we have obtained the like precious faith with the best of them as the Apostle teacheth us 2 Pet. 1.1 we have the same spirit of faith with them saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.13 But least we might think that none but some rare persons have ever attained to this assurance the Apostle speaking in the name of all the faithfull saith 1 Ioh. 3.14 Wee know that we are translated from death to life and 5.19 We know that we are of God And the Prophet maketh this the profession of all the faithfull Esa. 45.24 Surely shall one say one as well as another even all the seed of Israel as he expresseth himselfe ver 25. in the Lord have I righteousnesse the righteousnesse of the Lord Iesus belongeth unto me I have it it is mine own Yea this is the profession of the whole Church the mother of us all Cant. 2.16 My well-beloved is mine and I am his And this is the first Motive If the popish conceit were true and we are all by nature in this and sundry other points rank Papists that we may hope well that Christ died for us and we shall be saved but sure of it we cannot be it is presumption for any man to say he is certaine of his justification then were we not to be blamed for neglecting to get this assurance but seeing it may be had how can we be excused that make so light account of it Secondly Consider the great and unspeakable necessity and benefit of it See this in three points First This and this only will free thy heart from all those changes and armies of fâ—ares that are wont to torment it What assurance hath the yongest strongest of us that we shall live till to morrow For what is our life saith the Apostle Iam. 4.14 â—t is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time and then vaniâ—â—eth away And if we be without this assurance when death commeth how full of terrour must our hearts then needs be Whereas if we were once sure that Christ is ours this would quiet our heart from this and all other feares So soone as Christ was come into the shiâ— Mar 6.51 the winde ceased presently and there was a calme Get Christ once into thine heart and it will be quiet For what need we feare any thing if we be once assured of Gods favour in Christ. The Lord is my light and my salvation saith David Ps. 27.1 whom shall I feare The destroying Angel might smite none in any house where the bloud of the paschall lamb was sprinkled Exod. 12.23 Come not neare any man saith the Lord to the destroyer Ezek 9.6 upon whom is the marke If once this bloud be sprinkled upon us if this mark be upon us we need feare no destroying angell We may be cast down but destroyed we cannot be as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 4.9 Whereas on the other side though we be of the number of those that Christ shed his bloud for and so God hath decreed never to lay our sins to our charge yet till we know so much till the spirit of God have sprinkled Christs bloud upon our hearts we can never be freed from the accusations and terrours of a guilty conscience Our hearts must be sprinkled from an evill conscience saith the Apostle Heb. â—0 32 Nothing will free us from an evill and guilty conscience but onely the sprinkling of Christs bloud upon it Secondly This and this only is able to make our hearts lightsome and comfortable in every estate when we know our selves to be in Gods favour through Christ. For 1 this giveth assurance we shall not want any thing that shall be good for us He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all saith the Apostle Rom. 8.32 how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 2 This will give a sweet rellish to every comfort of our life They did eat and were filled say the holy Levites in their thanksgiving Neh. 9.25 and became â—at and delighâ—ed themselves in the great goodnesse So David professeth Psal. 4.8 when he had seene the light of Gods countenance and rejoyced in it I will both lay me downe in peace and sleepe saith he this would make his sleepe sweet unto him Yea 3 this will make the bitterest afflictions sweet unto a man Son be of good comfort saith our Saviour Mat. 9. â— to the poore man that was sicke of a cold palsy a most heavie and uncomfortable sicknesse thy sins are forgiven thee On the other side what true sweetnesse can that man find in any pleasure or wealth that doubteth of Gods love in Christ when his conscience being awakned by God as that may fall out in the midst of his greatest jollity as it did with Baltasar Dan. 5 5. shall tell him thou maist be a vessell of Gods wrath and damned when thou diest for all this Thirdly and lastly This and this only will give a man boldnesse and liberty of spirit in prayer and every service he doth unto God and make it acceptable unto God Neither Aaron nor his sons could be consecrated nor made fit to serve God in the priest-hood till the bloud of their sacrifice was sprinkled upon them Exod. 39.21 And the Apostle telleth us Heb. 10.22 we can never draw neere to God with a true heart till our hearts be sprinkled from an evill conscience Lecture CXXII On Psalme 51.7 Iuly 7. 1629. NOw for the signes of true assurance it is necessary that every one of us should
poore services be as a sacrifice of a most sweet smelling savour unto God Lecture LXXIII on Psalme 51.5 Octob. 30. 1627. THis point may not be passed over without some application And it is to bee applied 1. By way of prevention unto carnall and wicked men who are apt to draw that comfort unto themselves from it that belongeth not unto them 2. By way of incouragement unto the people of God who receive not that comfort from it that they ought to doe First Many a carnall man is apt to stumble at this Doctrine and to blesse himselfe in his grosse sins by it after this manner The Lord saith he you see is not so strict and rigorous as to marke every thing that his people doe amisse hee is apt wee heare to passe by their slips and infirmities but the good things they doe at any time those hee taketh notice of and remembreth and taketh delight in and will undoubtedly reward And therefore saith hee why should my slips and infirmities disquiet mee And what are these slips and infirmities I pray you that he speaketh of Surely swearing ordinarily making himselfe merry now and then with deriding religion and good men breaking the Sabbath wantonnesse drunkennesse and such like Why should I saith hee suffer my mind to be troubled for these things Nay why should I not rather comfort my selfe and rejoyce in those good things I doe For I thanke God I am no Papist but professe the true religion I goe to Church I pray I heare the Word and receive the Sacrament I give to the poore I make conscience of my word I doe no man wrong And these are things I know that God liketh and delighteth in This was just the presumptuous conceit and perswasion of that Pharisee our Saviour speaketh of Luke 18.11 12. And certainly the world is full of such Pharisees even in these dayes Now to beat downe the presumption of these Pharisees I have three things to say First Consider who they are that the Lord standeth so graciously affected unto whose slips and infirmities hee useth thus to winke at whose imperfect services hee is wont thus to delight in and reward Not every one but such onely as are in Christ. Such onely are his children by adoption and grace But what is that to thee Seeing it is certaine thou art not in Christ. Because thou walkest and goest on impenitently in knowne sinnes There is no condemnation saith the Apostle Rom. 8.1 to them that are in Christ Iesus But who are they Hee answereth Which walke not after the flesh but after the spirit It is certaine thou art not the child of God because thou art not led by the spirit of God For so saith the Apostle likewise Rom. 8.14 As many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God and none but they Secondly Admit thou wert the child of God admit thou wert in Christ yet could not God beare with such faults as thine are nor take in good part such service as thou usest to doe unto him The Lord hath promised Mat. 3.17 To spare and beare with his children as a man spareth his son that serveth him In those good duties wherein he seeth our heart is set to serve him he wil beare with many defects and failings But he will not beare with the dearest child he hath in any grosse sinne Did he beare with David when he fell to adultery No no he beat him so sore for it as David complaineth heere ver 8. that he brake his bones with beating of him For such sinnes God is very terrible in the assembly of his Saints especially as the Prophet speaketh Psalme 89.7 Nay I say more the Lord will not passe by nor winke at in the dearest child he hath those very defects and failings that are in their best duties if they be reigning corruptions and not infirmities that is if they be not felt and striven against and mourned for Therefore we are required in doing of good duties to watch and observe our owne hearts Continue in prayer and watch in the same saith the Apostle Colos. 4.2 And to strive against our owne corruptions therein Strive with me and for me in prayer saith he Romanes 15.30 And to bewaile unto God our failings in them Spare mee according to the greatnesse of thy mercy saith Nehemiah 13.22 And if God will not winke at such faults as thine are in his dearest children canst thou hope that he will winke at them in thee that art still a child of wrath If God will not accept of the services that his dearest children doe unto him unlesse they be sensible of those corruptions wherewith they are stained canst thou hope that he will accept of thine And what talkest thou of thy serving of God or of any good thing that ever thou didst Alas thou couldest never serve God nor doe any good thing in thy life That which the Prophet saith Ieremie 6.10 of such as thou art their eare is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken thou couldst never in thy life heare one Sermon to any purpose the same may be said of all other duties of Gods service thou couldst never pray nor receive the Sacrament in thy life Yee cannot serve the Lord saith Ioshuah 24.19 to them that lived in idolatry And that which I say of the duties of Gods worship the same I say likewise of all other good workes Thou never didst worke of mercy in thy life thou didst never make conscience of dealing justly and truly with thy neighbour Matthew 12.34 How can ye being evill speake good things Luke 6.43 A corrupt tree bringeth not forth good fruit They that professe that they know God saith the Apostle Titus 1.16 but in their workes denie him being abominable and disobedient are reprobate unto every good worke The good things that such men seeme to doe are not onely defective in the manner or in the measure or in matter of circumstance as the best workes of the faithfull may be but they are utterly void of that which is the very substance and that giveth life and being to a good worke that is faith that worketh by love Gal. 5 6. The third and last thing I have to say to this man is this Thou not being Gods child nor being in Christ but living in the state of impenitency as thou dost and continuing therein shalt find the Lord every whit as austere and rigorous towards thee as he is indulgent and gracious towards his owne children This will appeare in three points First Though he beare with so many faults and frailties in his own children he will not beare with the least fault in thee But thou shalt give account even for every idle word that thou hast spoken at the day of Iudgement as our Saviour speaketh Mat. 12.36 Yea the Lord will bring every secret thought of thine into judgement Eccl. 12.14 Secondly Though he take the poorest and weakest services that his children doe him in
God Thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes saith David Psal. 26.3 therefore have I walked in thy truth If wee would set that oftner before our eyes meditate more seriously of that certainely it would make all Gods waies more easie and pleasant to us then they are On the other side he that hath no assurance of Gods love in Christ can never pray or heare or receive with any delight or comfort Wouldst thou know the true cause why it is so irksome a thing for thee to pray or to reade or to heare or to keepe the Sabbath that thou sayest of all these duties in thy heart as they did Mal. 1.13 O what a wearinesse is it Certainely thou hast in thee an evill heart of unbeliefe as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 3.12 Thou art not assured of Gods fatherly love to thee in Christ. Nor thou seekest not to be sure of it Get more faith and more assurance of Gods love and it will seeme no bondage to thee to serve God thou wilt finde ease and pleasure it Fiftly This and this only will cure us of that stone that is in our hearts and make them soft and fleshy make us able kindly to mourne for offending God by our sinnes When God once maketh thee able by the spirit of grace to see that Christ endured so much for thee that thy sinnes pierced Christ so then wilt thou bee able to mourne for thy sinnes saith the Prophet Zach. 12.10 as a man would mourne for the losse of his onely sonne When Mary was once assured by faith that her sinnes were forgiven yea how many sinnes God had forgiven unto her Luke 7.38.47 ô how she wept for her sinnes If thou wert indeed assured of the forgivenesse of thy sinnes and of Gods favour in Christ thou couldst never thinke of thy sinnes without griefe of heart And if thou desirest to grow more soft hearted labour to increase thy faith and to get more assurance of this speciall love of God to thee in Christ. Sixtly and lastly As no grace can grow in thy heart till thou have faith so as the measure of thy assurance of Gods love shall increase in thee so shall every saving grace increase and abound in thy soule Therefore the Apostle praying for the Ephesians Ephes. 3.19 that God would make them able to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge he giveth this for the reason of it that ye might be filled saith he with all the fullnesse of God And these are Motives strong enough if God be pleased to work with them to perswade our hearts to seek to be assured of Gods love in Christ to make our calling and election sure It followeth now I should shew you the Meanes how this may be attained but those I must I see leave till the next day Lecture LXXXII On Psalme 51.6 February 26. 1627. NOw then there be five things principally to be done by them that would get and preserve in themselves this assurance of Gods favour First If thou desire to get assurance of Gods speciall love to thee in Christ assurance that Christ is thine assurance of thy salvation thou must first settle this perswasion in thy heart that it is possible to be attained By harbouring this conceit in thy heart that it is presumption for any man to say he is sure of his salvation I hope well but it is not possible for me or any man to be sure of this thou makest thy selfe uncapable of this comfortable assurance Know therefore that though 1. It be a very difficult thing to get and keepe this assurance 2. Few attaine unto it 3. Though this assurance be not perfect in any while they live here but they that have it best have it with some mixture of doubting and unbeliefe 4. They that have had it in the greatest measure have not had it at all times Yet every true beleever may attaine unto it if the fault be not in himselfe â—or 1. God hath commanded the faithfull to make their calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 2. God hath promised that he will certifie and assure his people of this Ezek. 34.30 They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God 3. God hath given his people in all ages experience of the truth of this his promise in themselves Rom. 8.15 16. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare as if he should say once ye had it but yee have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba father This could not be without assurance of Gods favour and this he saith not of himselfe onely but of all the faithfull of all Gods children Gal. 4.6 Because ye are sonnes God hatâ— sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts This spirit witnesseth with our spiritâ— saith the Apostle Rom. 8.16 that wee are the sonnes of God We know saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.2 not of himselfe but of all Gods children that when Christ shall appeare we shall be like him And againe verse 14. We know we are translated from death to life And againe Chap 4.16 We have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us Nay I say more It is not onely possible for thee if thou be Gods child to have this assurance of Gods love in some measure but it is in some manner necessary thou shouldst have it thou must get it the hope thou talkest of is to little purpose without it Know ye not your owne selves saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.5 how that Iesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates that is except ye be unsound and counterfait in the profession of the faith His house we are Heb. 3.6 if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firme unto the end That hope that hath no confidence nor rejoycing in it is little worth Hope must bee as an anker of the soule both sure and stedfast as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.19 Well then seeing we both may and must get this assurance it standeth us upon to enquire how and by what meanes we may get it What is then next to bee done I answer Secondly We must bind our selves to a diligent and conscionable use of Gods ordinances which he hath sanctified to be the meanes whereby he will worke and increase all saving grace and consequently this in our hearts I will instance but in three and that briefly too First There is great force in the Word to worke in our hearts not onely faith Rom. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing but this blessed fruit of faith also the assurance of Gods favour The Scriptures were written to this end to breed in us this assurance These things have I written to you 1 Iohn 5.12 that ye may know that ye have eternall life And 1.4 These things write we unto you that your joy may be full that you may have
purpose in giving his Word to some is that some should be made inexcusable by it When the Lord sent the Prophet Ezekiel to preach he did not absolutely intend in sending him that all to whom he should preach should profit by him for hee telleth and assureth him of the contrary Ezek. 3.7 The house of Israel will not hearken unto thee for they will not hearken unto me for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted What was the Lords intent then in sending him unto them That is expressed Ezek. 2.5 Yet they shall know that there hath beene a Prophet among them As if he had said To make them without excuse to make their condemnation more just the Lord sent his Word unto them So when our Saviour saith Matth. 24.14 that before the destruction of Ierusalem the Gospell should be preached in all the world hee declareth that the intent of God in sending his Apostles to preach to all nations was for a witnesse to all nations that is to make them without excuse And our Saviour himselfe speaking of his owne ministery saith Iohn 9.39 For judgement am I come into this world not onely that those that see not might see but also that they which see might be made blind Thirdly and lastly It is expressely said that this grace of Gods spirit whereby men are made to profit by the meanes to repent and beleeve is peculiar and proper to the elect of God and not common to all men As many as were ordained to eternall life beleeved saith the Holy Ghost Acts 13.48 And Rom. 8.30 Whom he did predestinate them hee also called that is to say with an inward and effectuall calling And 11.7 The election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded And thus you have seene also the second point proved that every man to whom God giveth the ministery of the Word hath not so powerfull and effectuall grace given him as whereby he shall be converted Now let us come to the third and last point I propounded for the proofe of the Doctrine namely That the worke of Gods spirit whereby he maketh the meanes of grace effectuall to the conversion of any is most free it proceedeth meerely from Gods free grace and good pleasure The sonne quickneth whom hee will and whom he will he hardeneth Of his owne will saith the Apostle Iam. 1.18 begate he us by the word of truth So when our Saviour fell into an admiration at the worke of God in this case that he should hide the mysteries of his kingdome from the wisest men in the world and reveale them to babes Luke 10.21 hee could find no other reason of it but onely the good pleasure of God Even so ô father saith hee for so it seemed good in thy sight The conversion of a man you see dependeth wholly on the will and good pleasure of God upon the will of man it dependeth not at all They that beleeve in Christ saith the Evangelist Iohn 1.13 are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God This will appeare clearely to us in two points First Nothing that is in man before his conversion can moove or procure God to convert him Hee hath called us with an holy calling saith the Apostle 2 Timothy 1.9 not according to our workes but according to his owne purpose and grace Even when wee were dead in trespasses and sinnes hee quickened us saith the Apostle Ephesians 2.5 and addeth these words upon it By grace yee are saved As if hee should thus say Nothing but Gods free grace could bee the cause of the conversion of a man that had no goodnesse in him to move God to it but was dead in trespasses and sinnes Secondly Nothing that is in man before his conversion can hinder Gods worke in his conversion True it is the best of Gods Elect have beene apt to draw backe and to resist Gods grace in the worke of their conversion and even of them the Lord may complaine as Rom 10.21 All the day long have I stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gaine-saying people But when God is pleased to convert them hee doth by his grace overcome this rebellion that is in their will that they resist no longer Yet doth hee not convert any man against his will nor force the will of man to obey his call but hee changeth the will of man and taketh from it that frowardnesse and rebelliousnesse that was in it by nature and maketh it heartily willing to yeeld unto God I will take the stony heart out of them saith the Lord Ezek. 11.19 and will give them an heart of flesh God worketh in us to will of his good pleasure saith the Apostle Phil. 2.13 This may fitly bee resembled by the change that God wrought in the heart of Esau toward his brother Iacob Esaus heart and will was most strongly bent against Iacob he came against him with a great power and with a most cruell mind Genesis 32.6 yet when hee met him hee had no power to hurt him what was the cause of this Did God by force restraine him or bind him from hurting Iacob No verily God changed his will and heart that he was naturally affected towards him Gen 33.4 Hee ran to meet him and embraced him and fell on his necke and kissed him and wept in kindnesse over him And even so is it in this case The Lord in converting of a man doth not onely perswade him by effectuall arguments out of the word to repent and turne to God nor onely give a man so much grace as hee may bee able to repent and turne to God if hee wiâ—l himselfe but hee doth also infuse and worke the grace of repentance in him hee doth so change his will that hee doth most willingly repent and obey the call of God A new heart will I give you saith the Lord Ezechiel 36.26 27. and a new spirit will I put within you and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walke in my statutes and yee shall keepe my judgements and doe them And so saith the Apostle of Christ Act. 5.31 God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour not onely to perswade men to repent or to give them power to repent if they would themselves but to give repentance unto Israel to infuse this grace into them and to worke this change in their hearts So that you see the worke of mans conversion is wholly to bee ascribed to the grace of God to his will and good pleasure not to the naturall will of man at all It lyeth not in man either to further or absolutely to hinder it In which respect we shall find it is compared to the worke of creation 2 Cor. 5.17 and to the worke of raising men from death Iohn 5.25 and to the worke of generation Iohn 3.5 And what use had man of his owne will in any of these works What power
foure principally First The regenerate sinne against greater meanes of knowledge and obedience then other men doe and therefore their sinnes are greater more heinous and odious unto God then the sinnes of other men True it is that all wicked men doe sin against the meanes and that is that that doth aggravate the sinne of every man and will make him inexcusable as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 1.20 that he sinneth against the meanes God hath given him to keepe him from sinne But Gods people that live in his Church in the valley of vision as the Prophet calleth it Esa. 22.1 under the ministery of the Gospell enjoy farre greater and stronger meanes then all other men do For that is the power of God unto salvation as the Apostle calleth it Rom. 1.16 And proportionable to the greatnesse and excellency of the meanes that God vouchsafeth to any to keepe him from sinne is the greatnesse and heinousnesse of his sinne in the sight of God All men shall find one day that even the having of a sound ministery of the Word whether they profit by it or profit not even the having of such meanes will greatly increase the heinousnesse of their sinnes Whether they will heare or whether they will forbeare saith the Lord Ezek. 2.5 yet they shall know that there hath beene a Prophet among them As if he should say They shall know what it is to have had excellent meanes and not to be bettered by them So saith our Saviour of the Iewes that enjoyed his ministery Iohn 15.22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sinne that is their sinne had beene nothing in comparison of that that now it is but now they have no cloke no excuse for their sinne And for this cause he saith Mat. 11.24 that it should be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgement then for Capernaum The sinnes of Capernaum were more heinous and odious unto God then the sinnes of Sodom because they were committed against greater and stronger meanes then the other were Secondly The regenerate sinne against greater knowledge then other men doe and therefore their sinnes are greater and more heinous then other mens are True it is that all wicked men doe sinne against their knowledge and conscience for by the light of nature they know many things that they doe to be evill Iohn 1.9 Rom. 2.15 And this sinning against their knowledge and conscience is that that greatly increaseth the sinne of every naturall man Because knowing the judgement of God that they that commit such things are worthy of death saith the Apostle Rom. 1.32 yet they not onely doe the same but have pleasure in them that doe them This shall stop the mouth of all iniquity as the Psalmist speaketh Psal. 107.42 at the day of Iudgement when the bookes of conscience shall bee opened and men shall be judged according to that that is written therein Revel 20.12 But all that live in the Church sinne more against knowledge sinne against a farre greater light then any other man doth The light men have by nature is but a dimme light they that seeke God by that light do but grope after him as the Apostle speaketh Acts 17.27 The word is a farre clearer light and they that are instructed by it have a farre clearer knowledge then by any other meanes a man can have The commandement is a lamp saith Solomon Pro. 6.23 and the law is light And yet they that are inwardly inlightned by the spirit of God as all the regenerate are have a farre clearer light and knowledge of God then any man can have that enjoyeth the outward light of the word onely when in the hidden part the Lord hath made a man to know wisedome as David speaketh here For though the word be a most cleare light yet every naturall man hath such a vaile over his heart as he cannot cleerely discerne it but when the heart is once turned to the Lord and converted as the Apostle teacheth 2 Cor. 3.15 16. that evill is taken away The regenerate mans knowledge is farre greater and clearer then any other mans can bee and consequently his sin must needs be also greater then any other mans For the greater measure and degree of knowledge that any man hath the greater is his sin To him that knoweth to do well and doth it not saith the Apostle Iam. 4.17 to him it is sin What and to no body els yes but not so much to any other sin shall not be imputed and laid so heavy to the charge of any man as to him that hath sinned against his owne knowledge and conscience If you were blind saith our Saviour Iohn 9.41 ye should have no sinne that is nothing so much sin so hainous sin as now ye have The servant that knoweth his Lords will saith our Saviour Luke 12.47 and prepared not himselfe nor did according to his will shall bee beaten with many stripes And no marvell for all sins against knowledge are in some degree presumptuous sins and are committed with an higher hand and in more direct contempt of God then other sins are as appeareth by that opposition that is made betweene sins of ignorance and presumptuous sins both in Numb 15.27.30 and Psal. 19.12 13. Thirdly The regenerate sin against greater mercy and kindnesse they have received from God then other men do and therefore their sins are greater and more hainous then the sins of other men True it is there is no wicked man but he hath received much mercy and kindnesse from God The Lord is good to all saith the Psalmist Psalme 145.9 and his tender mercies are above all his workes And his sinning against this goodnesse and mercy of God is that that greatly increaseth the sin of every wicked man and will much aggravate his condemnation This is that that treasureth up wrath unto them against the day of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 2.4 5. But the mercies and kindnesses that God hath shewed to any wicked man are nothing if they be compared with that which he hath shewed to every regenerate soule They are but common mercies they are but as the crummes that fall from their masters table as that poore woman speaketh Matth 15.27 Remember mee ô Lord saith David Psalme 106 4 with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people The Lord hath shewed another manner of favour and love to his owne people he hath done more for the poorest wretch that is regenerate he hath given him more then all the world besides Hee hath given them his owne sonne To us a sonne is given Esa. 9.6 He hath given them a full and free pardon of all their sinnes Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sinne saith David Psalme 85.2 Hee hath given them his holy spirit Because yee are sonnes saith the Apostle Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the spirit of his son into your hearts He will give them the
preaching where Gods power appeareth wherein God preacheth aswell as man God teacheth the heart inwardly aswell as man doth teach the outward man And that that he saith of preaching may bee said of every other ordinance of God That is only true compleate baptisme wherein God hath baptized the party aswell as man that a true and compleate communion which God hath administred aswell as man that a true and compleat prayer when the spirit of God hath joyned with mee and prayed aswell as I. 1. Then and then onely shall wee have comfort in our baptisme when wee can find that wee have beene baptized of God Hee shall baptize you saith Iohn baptist speaking to the faithfull Matthew 3.11 with the holy Ghost and with fire Happy is that soule that can find hee hath beene baptized by that hand that can say thus As by Gods minister I had water sprinkled upon mee by the ordinance of God in mine infancy when I knew it not so now I doe verily know and feele that the Lord himselfe hath by his spirit sprinkled upon my soule the bloud of his deare Sonne that blood of sprinkling as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 12.24 hath assured mee that it was shed for mee and I doe verily know and feele that he hath saved me as the Apostle speaketh Tit. 3.5 by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy Ghost 2. Then and then only shall we have comfort in the Lords supper when we can find that as Gods minister hath by his appointment given us the bread and wine so the Lord himselfe hath given us the body and bloud of his owne son and commanded us to feed upon him Moses gave you not that bread from heaven saith our Saviour Iohn 6.32 but my father giveth you the true bread from heaven and he sheweth what hee meaneth by that verse 35. I am the bread of life No minister can give thee that true bread from heaven the body and bloud of Christ to feed upon the Lord onely can give thee that And as when thou goest to the sacrament at any time thou must seeke and expect to receive this from him thou must cry to God as they did there ver 34. Lord evermore give us this bread So if thou canst find that thou hast in the Sacrament by the eye of thy faith discerned God giving thee this bread and by the hand of thy faith received it of him ô happy thou it was the comfortablest supper that ever thou wert at in thy life 3. Then and then only can wee have comfort in our preaching and you in your hearing when we and you can find that the Lord is with us worketh with us in this ordinance of his When we that are preachers can find that our ministery is not in word onely but also in power and in the holy Ghost as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thess. 1.5 when we see God worketh with us and blesseth our ministery and it may be said of us as of them Actes 11.21 The hand of the Lord was with them and a great number beleeved and turned unto the Lord. And when you that are hearers can find that in your hearing the Lord openeth your hearts to attend with diligence and delight to that that you heare as hee did Lydias Actes 16.14 when ye can find that in the hearing of the word ye are taught of God drawne and effectually perswaded to beleeve and obey the truth that you heare as our Saviour saith all the Elect shall bee Iohn 6.44 45. when in the hearing of the truth of God delivered by any of his servants you heare withall that word behind you that is spoken of Esay 30 21. saying this is the way walke ye in it when in the ministery of the Word you can feele that mighty power of God that the Apostle speaketh of 2 Cor. 10 5. casting downe your imaginations and every high thing in you that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every one of your thoughts to the obedience of Christ finally when we can say of your teachers as that man did 1 Cor. 14.25 Of a truth God is in you certainly God worketh with you then I say and then onely can you have comfort in your hearing 4. Lastly Then and then onely can wee have comfort in our prayers when we can find the Lord hath bin with us in prayer And when is that 1. When wee find the Lord hath prepared our hearts to pray Lord saith David Ps. 10.17 thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine eare to heare When the spirit it selfe maketh intercession for us quickneth our prayers prompteth us in them How may we know that will you say Surely by two notes 1. When in our prayers we can cry Abba father for this is made a certain note of the spirits helping us in prayer Rom. 8.15 Gal. 4.6 2. When even then when we know not what to pray we can say nothing almost but grone sigh it out yet even the requests that we make are according to the will of God we desire nothing so much as mercy and grace this second note also of the spirits helping us in prayer the Apostle giveth Rom. 8.26.27 From hence now the foorth and last point will necessarily follow for you had the Reason of it already That a Christians chiefe care should be in every duty of Gods worship to find that God is with him in it that God worketh with him Purge thou mee with hysope saith David here wash thou mee And as Moses did in another case Exodus 33 15 16. so should wee all importune and expostulate with the Lord in this case If thy presence goe not with us saith hee carry us not up hence for wherein shall it bee knowne that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight Is it not in that thou goest with us So may we say Lord if thou accompany not thine ordinances and worke not with us in them to what purpose should we performe them How shall it appeare that we have found grace in thy sight The uses that this Doctrine serveth unto are two principally 1. For instruction 2. For exhortation And first this teacheth us the true cause why in this time of so long continuall use of all Gods ordinances there is so little fruit to be seene This is the generall complaint of these times 1. Gods faithfull ministers complaine of this and cry as Esa. 49.4 that they have laboured in vaine they have spent their strength for nought and in vaine they see no fruit of their labours And 2. the carnall man and enemy to the Gospell every where casteth this in our teeth Woe be to the world because of offences saith our Saviour Mat. 18 7. and surely this is a chiefe offence that many do miserably stumble at These that heare so much say they and read so much pray so much what
Holy Ghost intendeth to teach us in it wee must call to mind that which wee heard in the opening of the words the hysop had no other use in the purging of them that were legally uncleane but onely to sprinkle the bloud of the sacrifices and of the water of expiation upon them In which respect scarlet wooll also was used with the hysop to take up the more of the bloud and water which by the bunch of hysop was to bee sprinkled upon them Moses tooke the blood of calves and of goats saith the Apostle Hebrewes 9.19 with water and scarlet wooll and hysop and sprinkled both the booke and all the people And by this sacramentall rite of sprinkling the bloud and water upon the people with a bunch of hysop the Lords meaning was to apply the bloud of the covenant particularly unto them and to teach them sensibly that it did belong unto them This appeareth by the words that Moses used to the people when he sprinkled the bloud of their sacrifices upon them Behold saith he Exod. 24.8 the bloud of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you As if he had said the covenant is made with you this bloud whereby the Lords covenant is ratified belongeth to you So that Davids meaning here is to beg this of God that he would sprinkle the bloud of Christ upon him and as with a bunch of hysop apply it particularly unto him assure him it was shed for him and so purge him from his sins by it This was the onely way by which he hoped to receive benefit by the bloud of Christ and whereby hee looked to obtaine comfortable assurance of the pardon of his sins if the Lord would please as with a bunch of hysope to sprinkle the bloud of that sacrifice upon his heart The Doctrine then that we are to receive from hence for our instruction is this That no man can receive comfort by the bloud of Christ till it be sprinkled upon his heart and applyed to him by the spirit of God till God by his spirit do assure him that it is his that it was shed for him Two branches there bee of the Doctrine you see 1. No man can receive comfort by the bloud of Christ but hee that hath it sprinkled upon his heart and applyed unto him 2. None but the Lord himselfe by his holy spirit can apply and sprinkle the bloud of Christ upon the heart of any man and assure him that it doth belong to him For the first branch of the Doctrine I will give you three sorts and degrees of proofes First That the Lord in his word ascribeth the vertue and benefit that Gods people have by the bloud of Christ to the sprinkling of it upon them As it was in the type that David here alludeth too the Leper could not bee cleansed by the bloud of his sacrifice till it was sprinkled upon him Levit. 14.7 nor hee that had touched a dead body by the water of expiation till it was sprinkled upon him Num. 19.18 19. So speaketh the Scripture likewise of the bloud of Christ which was signified by those types it ascribeth the vertue of it and the benefit Gods people receive by it to the sprinkling of it upon them I will not trouble you with many proofes I will give you two only out of the old Testament and two out of the new The Prophet fore-telling Esa. 52.15 the benefit that the Gentiles aswell as the Iewes should receive by Christ saith he should sprinkle many nations As though he had said he should by his Gospel apply himselfe and his merits unto them and perswade them that they aswell as the Iewes had interest in them And I will sprinkle cleane water upon you Eze. 36.25 that is I will by my spirit apply unto you the bloud of my son and you shall be cleane from all your filthines and from all your idols I will cleanse you Then we shall be cleane from all our filthinesse when this bloud is once sprinkled upon us and not before And in the new Testament the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.2 that we are elected to be saved through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and through the sprinkling of the blood of Iesus Christ. As if hee had said None are elected unto glory but they must come to it this way they must bee sanctified by the spirit of God and made obedient to the will of God in all things and they must bee justified by the blood of Christ from all their sinnes And this our justification is thus expressed by the Apostle it is said to consist in the sprinkling of the bloud of Iesus Christ in the applying of it unto our selves and making it our owne And the bloud of Christ which is said to speake better things then the bloud of Abel that is to plead and cry for mercy unto God for us is called by the Apostle Heb. 12.24 the bloud of sprinkling that is that bloud which is sprinkled and applyed to us It is the purging of us with hysope you see the sprinkling and applying of the bloud of Christ to our owne hearts that yeeldeth us all the comfort that we have by it Secondly Christ and his bloud are oft compared in Scripture to such things as though they bee profitable and necessary yet can doe us no good unlesse they bee applyed as to a garment that must bee put on Rom. 13.14 to a healing and soveraigne salve Esa. 53.5 that must be laid to the very part that is sore to meat and drinke Iohn 6.53 that must be eaten and digested unto every part before it can nourish us Thirdly and lastly This is the maine thing that the Lord aimeth at both in his word and sacraments to apply Christ particularly unto his people As this was the forme of Gods covenant with Abraham and all his seed all the faithfull Genes 17.7 I am thy God and the God of thy seed So hath he commanded his servants in the ministery of his Gospel to make particular application of Christ and his merits to his people Speake to the heart of Ierusalem saith the Lord to his servants Esa. 40.2 and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished that her iniquity is pardoned And so our Saviour chargeth the Apostles Mark 16.15 to preach thâ— Gospel to every creature to every man that he should send them unto And what is it to preach the Gospel unto a man but to say unto him as the Angels did unto the shepheards Luke 2.11 Vnto you is borne this day a Saviour which is Christ the Lord And as for both the Sacraments the chiefe use they were ordained for is to apply Christ particularly to every worthy receiver and to assure him of his owne speciall interest hee hath in all his merits Thus speaketh the Apostle of baptisme Galat. 3.27 As many of you as have beene baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Thus speaketh he also of the
Lords supper 1 Cor. 10.16 The cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the blood of Christ As if he had said Is it not the making of it our owne Thus you have seene the first branch of the Doctrine confirmed to you that no man can receive comfort by the bloud of Christ but he that hath it sprinkled upon his heart and applyed unto him The second branch of it that none but the Lord himselfe can thus apply and sprinkle the bloud of Christ upon the heart of any man is also evident by the holy Scripture I will say unto them saith the Lord Hos. 2.23 thou art my people and they shall say unto me thou art my God When God shall once by his spirit say unto any soule of ours thou art mine one of my people of my redeemed ones when hee shall as with a bunch of hysop sprinkle the bloud of his son upon our heart and say to any of us as he did to his people Zac. 9.11 it is the bloud of thy covenant of the covenant which I have made with thee then shall wee have sound comfort in it and bee able with confidence to say to him againe thou art my God and to cry to him as poore weake Thomas the Apostle did Iob. 20.28 My Lord and my God till then we shall never be able to do it The spirit it selfe saith the Apostle Rom. 8.16 heareth witnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God As if he had said Though our owne spirit and conscience be never so confident in this point that wee are Gods children and Christ by his bloud hath made our peace with God this is to no purpose till Gods sanctifying spirit be in us and doth beare witnesse with our owne spirit in this point and assure us that Christ is ours we can never have sound comfort in him It is the spirit that beareth witnesse saith the Apostle 1 Ioh 5.6 because the spirit is truth As if he had said no witnesse is infallible or any thing worth in this case but the spirit of God And in this respect is the spirit of God called the comforter Ioh. 14.26 He could never be our comforter if he did not thus beare witnes with our spirits that we are Gods children that Christ is ours that his bloud was shed for us The reasons and grounds of the Doctrine are two according to the two severall branches of it First If you aske me Why can Christs bloud doe us no good unlesse it be sprinkled upon our hearts and applyed to us I answer Because reason and experience teacheth us that as the propriety a man hath in any good thing doth much increase his comfort in it And to this the holy Ghost alludeth Pro. 5.15 Drinke waters out of thine owne cistern and running waters out of thine owne well and 2 Thess. 3.12 Let them worke with quietnesse and eat their owne bread A little of a mans own is a great deale sweeter to him then a great deale that is another mans though he have some use of it so it is a great vexation and increase of misery to a man many times to see others enjoy a benefit which themselves have as much need of and can have no part in it And the greater they know the benefit to be the more are they vexed in this case Thus is it with a rebell that knoweth a pardon is granted to a great number that were every whit as unworthy of it as deep in the rebellion as himselfe and yet he can have no benefit by it And with a poore man that seeth a great dole given and multitudes releived by it and he can get nothing So is it certainly in this case the more any man knoweth of Christ and of the all sufficiency of that redemption that he hath made by his blood the greater must his torment and horror needs be when he shall find that he hath no part in it When like Tantalus he shall see there is water of life before him which others drinke of quench their deadly thirst by and he can get none of it himselfe This is that which the Apostle saith increaseth the torments of the devils themselves Iames. 7.19 The devils also beleeve and tremble They know Christ full well to bee an all-sufficient Saviour I know thee who thou art saith he Mar. 1.24 even the holy one of God But they tremble so much the more for that because they know withall that they neither have nor ever shall have any part in him Secondly If you aske me Why can none but God himselfe by his holy spirit sprinkle this bloud of his son upon our hearts I answer Because there is in every one of us an evill heart of unbeliefe as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 13 1â— and though in our peace and jolity wee thinke it is nothing to beleeve in Christ it is as easie by faith to feed upon his body and bloud in the Sacrament as it is to take and feed upon the bread and wine when our conscience shall bee once awakened we shall find our hearts not so strongly inclined to any sin as infidelity utterly unable to apply to our selves the bloud of Christ or to beleeve that God should ever love us so dearely as to give his son to dye for us Wee will bee apt then to flye from God as Adam did when his eyes were opened Gen. 3.8 And therefore the Apostle telleth us Ephe. 1.19 it is a worke of the exceeding greatnes of Gods power that any man is able to beleeve this Let us now make some use of this Doctrine unto our selves 1. For instruction 2. For exhortation 3. For comfort First This Doctrine teacheth us how to judge of popery that it is not onely a false and antichristian Doctrine that directly opposeth Christ and that in the most fundamentall point of his holy religion in the Doctrine of justification but that it is also a Doctrine of desperation and such as depriveth them that beleeve it of all true comfort in the houâ—e of death and time of distresse In which respect the holy Ghost hath most fitly resembled the teachers of it by those Locusts mentioned Rev. 9.5.10 1. They had faces like men and their Doctrine in shew hath no terror in it 2. They have the haire of women their Doctrine hath many inticements to allure men to the liking of them and to provoke unto spirituall lust and fornication 3. They have crownes of gold upon their heads they prevaile much and have great reverence and authority where they come But 4. they have tailes like unto scorpions and they have stings in their tailes saith the holy Ghost their Doctrine is such as will certainly in the end torment the conscience of them that receive it intolerably They can never have sound peace and comfort in their conscience that do beleeve it Their torment was saith the text ver 5. as the torment
also but not els 3. Lastly the Lord himselfe will judge thee at the last day by his Word and by that onely The word that I have spoken saith our Saviour Ioâ— 12.48 the same shall judge him at the last day And therefore it standeth thee upon to judge thy selfe by that too Secondly Now alas most men though they say they be undoubtedly assured of their salvation have no ground at all in Gods Word for this assurance they boast of Nay though the Word give most expresse and direct evidence against them yet are they most confident that they shall be saved for all that Though Gods Word say expresly Psal. 119.155 Salvation is farre from the wicked for they seeke not thy statutes Yet many a one that never seeketh after Gods Statutes taketh no paines for the Word nay shunneth it all that ever he can and though he may enjoy it without any labour or charge at all will not stirre out of his doores for it nay that counteth you all arrant fooles and hypocrites that take so much paines for it as many of you do yet is this man I say as sure of his owne salvation as any of you can be Though the Scripture say expresly yea though he that must judge us all at the last day say expresly Matth. 5.37 Whatsoever is more than yea and nay the least oath that is in our ordinary communication commeth of that evill one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Divell And though the Apostle say Iam. 5.12 Above all things my brethren sweare not by any oath least ye fall into condemnation least ye be damned yet have we many a one that sweare ordinarily not by faith and troth onely but by fowler oathes a great deale that yet never doubted of their salvation but are confident Christ died for them his blood hath been sprinkled upon their hearts Though the Scripture say expresly 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Neither fornicators nor wantons nor theeves nor drunkards nor raylors nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdome of God yet where have you any in Gods Church that are more confidently assured that have lesse doubt of their salvation than these men have But let God be true saith the Apostle Rom. 3.4 and every man a lyar Thou wilt one day find that the Lords testimonies against thee are very sure as the Psalmist calleth them Psal. 93.5 and that thine owne heart hath prophesied a lie unto thee that thou mightest perish as the Lord saith of them that prophesied peace unto the Iewes Ier. 27.10 I know thou art apt to alledge that thou hast repented and that thou dost believe in Christ and therefore thou hast the Word to build thy assurance upon But because neither thy faith nor thy repentance are according to the patterne according to the Word I may say of thy confidence thou reposest therein as Bildad doth of the hope of all hypocrites Iob 8.14 Thy hope shall be cut off and thy trust shall be as the spiders webb Lecture CXXIII On Psalme 51.7 Iuly 21. 1629. THE third and last signe whereby we may judge of our assurance and discerne whether God by his holy spirit hath sprinkled upon our hearts the bloud of his sonne and certified us that it was shed for us whether that assurance we seeme to have be of God or no is to be taken from the effects that this assurance hath wrought in us It is not possible for any man that knew before his owne wretchednesse by nature to be assured by Gods spirit that God hath so dearely loved him as to send his owne sonne to shed his bloud for him but this must needes worke a great change and alteration in him It must needs kindle in his heart an unfeined love to God Faith worketh by love saith the Apostle Galat. 5 6. As if he should say It cannot be idle but it is operative and full of vertue and the hand and instrument it worketh by is love It must needes make him that hath it desirous and studious to expresse his love to God by all meanes he can and to say with David Psalme 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord Yea the deeper sense a man hath had of his owne sinne and wretchednesse before the more will his heart be inflamed with love to God when once hee feeleth the bloud of Christ sprinkled upon his heart by Gods spirit the more studious will he be to expresse his love by any duty hee is able to performe Mary had had many sins forgiven unto her and therefore she loved much as our Saviour saith Luke 7 47. she thought no service too base too much for her to doe unto Christ who had so dearely loved her Shee waâ—hed his feet with her teares and wiped them with the haires of her head as you may see verse 38. of that chapter The Papists blaspheme our Doctrine touching this certainty a man may have of Gods favour and say it tendeth to loosenesse of life and liberty But they speake of it by heare-say as strangers doe of a thing that they never knew or had experience of in themselves For the true assurance of salvation which the spirit of God hath wrought in any heart hath that force to restraine him from loosenesse of life and to knit his heart in love and obedience to God as nothing else hath in all the world It is certainly either the want of faith and assurance of Gods love or a false and carnall assurance of it that is the true cause of all that licentiousnesse and lewdnesse that raigneth in the world But to speake distinctly yet briefly of this point you shall see the effects that true assurance will worke both in the inward and outward man First True faith whereby wee receive and apply Christ unto our selves will purifie the heart as the Apostle speaketh Actes 15.9 It will worke a thorow change and reformation even in the hidden part This difference the Apostle observeth Hebr. 9.13 74. betweene the sprinkling of the bloud of the sacrifices upon the people by the Priest under the law and the sprinkling of Christs blood upon the heart by the spirit of God that sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh saith he that is that made a man legally in the judgement of men cleane from all outward pollutions but Christs bloud being sprinkled by the spirit of God upon any heart will purge the conscience from dead works that is from all sins which as they deserve so will they certainly bring death eternall upon all that are not purged from them this saith he will purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God There is certainly an admirable vertue in the bloud of Christ when it is once by the spirit of God sprinkled and applyed to the heart of any man it will purge and heale it from all the corruptions that were in it before Vnto you that feare my name saith the Lord Malachi 4.2 shall the sunne of righteousnesse arise with
Nehemiah knew that God was his God and would remember him in goodnesse as is plaine by his prayer Neh. 13.22 because he had shewed such zeale in punishing the profanation of the Sabbath day And what shall we say then of such Magistrates as having good law and authority to punish swearing and whoring and profanation of the Sabbath have no zeale at all for the execution of such lawes but when any come to them for justice against such offences they are ready to put them off as much as is possible and to extenuate such faults and to say with Gallio Acts 18.15 I will be no judge of such matters and verse 17. Gallio cared for none of those things Certainly these men whatsoever they say have no true assurance that Christs bloud was shed for them if they had they would shew more love to God and care of his honour Lecture CXXIIII On Psalme 51.7 August 4. 1629. NOw concerning the meanes whereby we may attaine to a particular assurance of the pardon of our sins we must first understand that this is a supernaturall worke of the spirit of God and that no man is able of himselfe and by his owne endeavour in the use of any meanes whatsoever to attaine unto it It is the spirit that beareth witnesse saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 5.6 And againe The spirit it selfe saith the Apostle Paul Rom. 8.16 beareth witnesse with our spirits that we are the sons of God Yet doth the spirit worke this assurance in the heart of man not by immediate and extraordinary inspirations and revelations but by ordinary meanes And he that shall with an honest heart use these ordinary meanes hath no cause to doubt but that the Lord will be pleased by his holy spirit to work it in him And these meanes we find are of two sorts The first are more outward and bodily the second more inward and spirituall The first are those ordinances of God and exercises of his holy religion which he hath appointed and sanctified which as they were all ordained for this end principally to bring us unto salvation and to worke in us a comfortable assurance of it so he that useth them diligently and conscionably may obtaine it by them Of them all in generall specially of all the parts of Gods solemne and publique worship it is to be observed that David professeth this to be the cause why he was so in love with it why he desired the comfort and benefit of Gods worship and ordinances more then he did any thing in the world besides why he resolved to make this his only suit unto God that he might never be deprived of them One thing saith he Ps. 27.4 have I desired of the Lord that will I seecke after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of my life It is to be observed I say that he professeth this to be the chiefe cause why he was so highly in love with Gods house and ordinances That I may behold saith he the beauty of the Lord and visit his temple And what meaneth he by beholding the beauty of the Lord That he expoundeth himselfe in Ps. 48.9 We have thought of thy loving kindnesse O God in the midst of thy temple The loving kindnesse of God and his speciall mercy to his elect in Christ his favourable and cheerefull countenāce upon his servants that is the Lords beauty that is it that maketh him amiable to his people and that Gods people do behold they do think and meditate upon it farre more cleerly and comfortably in his house and temple in the use of his ordinances then any where els or by any other meanes in the world besides This made him in his troubles and banishment thirst and long after the sanctuary of God so as he professeth he did Psal. 63.1 Every place he lived in where he was deprived of the liberty and comfort of the sanctuary was unto him as a dry and thirsty land where no water is he could find nothing in it to refresh and satisfie the thirst of his soule And verse 2 he giveth the reason why he did so long after the sanctuary To see thy power and thy glory saith he so as I have seene thee in the sanctuary As if he had said I shall never see it so as I have seene it there And what meaneth he by the power and glory of God which he had seene in the sanctuary That he expresseth verse 3. Because thy loving kindnesse is better then life He had seene the mercy and loving kindnesse of God toward him in Christ he had obtained a more comforaable assurance and feeling of it in the Sanctuary in the use of Gods solemne worship and ordinances there then ever he did or could do in any place or by any meanes in the world besides All other places were to him as a dry and thirsty land where no water is in comparison of the sanctuary And certainely they that beleeve this to be so as David did they that know this to be so in their owne experience as he did and as many of you I doubt not have done will stand affected to Gods house and ordinances as he was will highly prize and esteeme of a sound ministery as he did will desire this above all things as he did that they may never want the benefit and comfort of it But to speake of this point distinctly I will instance in three parts of Gods worship onely for this and shew you what force there is in them to breed in the heart of Gods child the assurance of his favour to make him able to behold the beauty of the Lord and the light of his countenance The first of them is diligent and conscionable use of the Word of God both in the reading and hearing of it Two things there be which God hath spoken concerning his Word and the ministery thereof that may give a Christian good ground of hope that by a diligent and conscionable attendance upon this ordinance he may be able to attaine unto a comfortable assurance of Gods favour in Christ. The first is this That the Lord gave his Word and the ministery thereof to that end principally The maine thing that the Lord aimed at both in writing his holy Word and in sending of preachers to his Church is that he might by this meanes bring his people to the knowledge of himselfe and of his mercy in Christ. The second is this That the Lord will by his spirit accompany his Word and the ministery thereof in the hearts of his people and make it effectuall in them unto this end that he hath ordained it for For the first Of the Word in generall it is said that it was written principally for that end to breed in the hearts of Gods people sound comfort Whatsoever things were written asoretime saith the Apostle Rom. 15.4 were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scripture might have hope
unfeinedly and serve him with upright hearts that yet doe not know they doe so And though such may bee sure as you have heard in the former direction to attaine vnto assurance of Gods favour in the end yet would they certainly attaine unto it sooner and in better measure if themselves did know that they doe unfeinedly feare God and serve him with upright hearts Hereby wee know saith the Apostle 1 Ioh 3.19 that we are of the truth and shall before him assure our hearts When once we know we are of the truth of the number of those that are sincere and upright hearted then shall we assure our hearts even before God Now no man can know this well that is not carefull to observe consider and examine his owne waies Ponder the path of thy feet saith the Holy Ghost Pro. 4.26 and let all thy waies be established As if he had said By pondering and considering our doings well we may have them established make them stable and firme such as we may build sound comfort and assurance upon Hee that doth truth saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.21 that is hee that is indeed and in his practise not in profession onely a godly man commeth to the light that his deeds may bee made manifest that they are wrought in God As if hee should say Hee doth by the Word examine his deeds whether they bee so performed as God may bee pleased with them Certainely there is never a good duty wee performe at any time never a prayer wee make never a Sermon wee preach or heare never an almes wee give nay I say more never a bargaine wee make never a duty wee performe even towards men in our particular callings but it may give us assurance of Gods love if we can find it hath beene wrought in God that is done by the guidance of his spirit and with an upright heart For no man can doe any thing with an upright heart that is in faith and obedience and love to God till he be in Gods favour till he be in the state of grace and a justified man A corrupt tree saith our Saviour Mat. 7.18 a man that is in his naturall estate cannot bring forth good fruit As many as are led by the spirit of God saith the Apostle Rom. 8.14 they are the sons of God certainely Therfore also he telleth poore servants Col. 3.24 that did their service to their idolatrous and bad masters in singlenesse of heart fearing God that they knew even by this that they should receive of the Lord the reward of inheritance They might grow assured of their salvation even by doing the duties of servants with good and upright hearts And as any one duty performed with a good heart will give assurance of this in some measure so the more good works any man knoweth he hath done the longer he knoweth that he hath continued in a constant care to please God in all his waies the stronger his assurance shall be A strong and full assurance of salvation will not be gotten in a day or two by one or two good actions but by a constant continuing in wel doing and by long proofe and experience of the working of Gods grace in our hearts We desire saith the Apostle Heb. 6.11 that every one of you doe shewe the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end As if he should say You have good things in you now and such as accompany salvation such as may give you good assurance of your salvation you shew much labour of love ye have ministred to the Saints and yet do minister but if you would get full assurance of hope you must hold out and doe so still to the end Two things there be that are wont to be objected by many a good heart against this First If a man could certainely know that the duties hee performeth were done with an upright heart that in his conversation and course of life he were led by the spirit of God then he might indeed thereby get this assurance But there is all the difficulty every man may find by experience the truth of that which the Prophet speaketh Ier. 17.9 The heart is deceitfull above all things and desparately wicked who can know it To this I answer that though this be indeed an hard thing yet this is not impossible The Lord that knoweth our hearts as deceitfull as they be as the Prophet there speaketh verse â—0 maketh his children also able to know their owne hearts and the uprightnesse of them Hezekiah knew he had walked before God in truth and with an upright heart as himselfe professeth Esa. 38.3 And Peter certainely knew that hee did unfeignedly love the Lord and durst call the Lord himselfe to witnesse for this Ioh. 21.17 And there is no Christian but if hee would ponder the path of his feet and take heed to his to his waies according to the word and take paines to examine them by the rules thereof he might know the uprightnesse of his owne heart in them it might be made manifest unto him that they are wrought in God as our Saviour speaketh Iohn 3 2â— Yea when he is at the worst and most destitute of his assurance if he could examine his owne heart he should find in it evident arguments of uprightnesse as feare to offend God in any thing longing after his favour and prizing it above all things love of the brethren poverty of spirit and griefe of heart for it upon which he might ground good assurance that he is in the favour of God O the wrong we doe to our selves in the carelesse neglect of observing and examining our own waies This is a maine difference betweene the upright hearted Christian and the naturall man The one is ever best perswaded of his own estate when he thinketh least of his owne waies and doings he cannot abide to examine his owne waies or to thinke seriously of his owne doings If by any hand of God upon him or by a searching ministery they bee brought into his mind it is a death unto him Like unto the broken merchant that cannot abide to goe into his counting house to cast over his bookes On the other side The upright hearted Christian is never so comfortable as when he hath most seriously coâ—siâ—ered his owne waies when his heart hath beene so searched as he can looke into the bottome of it Let every man prove his own worke saith the Apostle Gal 6.4 and then shall he have rejoycing in himselfe alone and not in another A good man shall be satisfied from himselfe saith Solomon Pro. 14.14 He shall if he will take paines to examine his owne heart find sufficient ground of comfort in himselfe The second thing that many a good soule will object against this is That hee hath done what hee can to examine his owne heart and hee can find no truth of grace in himselfe nothing to ground any good assurance upon To this I
Apostle Galat. 2.20 The life that I now live As if hee had said The reformed religious and holy life that I now live since my conversion and calling I liue by the faith of the Sonne of God that faith I have in Christ who loved me and gave himselfe for me As if he had said This faith that assureth me of that speciall interest that I have in Christ of that speciall love that Christ hath borne to mee is the onely cause of whatsoever goodnesse is in me And for the second that nothing but faith will breed true goodnesse and grace in the heart we have as plaine a proofe Hebrewes 11.5 6. Enoch had this testimony given of him that he pleased God but without faith it is impossible to please God As if he should have said A man cannot please God in any thing that he doth till he have faith till he be justified by faith and reconciled unto God through Christ. Though the habit of faith and all sanctifying graces which the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.9 calleth the seed of God be by the Spirit of God infused into the heart of man altogether and at one time yet the act and exercise of faith is the first of all and that that setteth every other grace on worke As the earth though it be made soft by those showers that fall upon it in the winter-time and bring forth some blade of the seed that is cast into it yet is it not thereby made fruitfull unto man it never yeeldeth any good and perfect fruit till it have received the sweet heat of the Sun into the bowels of it in the spring time even so is it with the heart of man It may bee and is oft softened by the judgements of God and terrours of the Law God maketh my heart soft saith Iob 23.16 and the Almighty troubleth mee Even by the trouble of his mind and terrours that God disquieted him with his heart was softened And some beginnings also of reformation and goodnesse have beene thereby wrought in it such was that confession of sinne and goodly words that God oft wrung from Pharaoh by his judgements Exodus 9.27 I have sinned the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked and 10.16 Hee cryeth unto Moses to this effect Good Moses forgive me and pray to the Lord for me Such was that repentance and reformation of the wicked Israelites that the Prophet speaketh on Psal. 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God And such is the repentance and goodly words that many a wretched man in his sicknesse is wont to utter thus farre forth the winter-showers and stormes of Gods judgements and terrours may work upon mans heart But till Christ Iesus the Sun of righteousnesse as the Prophet calleth him Mal. 4.2 like the comfortable and quickning heat of the Sunne in the spring doe shine upon a man and bee by faith received into his heart it can never bring forth any fruit that is good indeed and acceptable unto God And the true cause why some are fruitfull in grace and goodnesse and some other though they enjoy the same or greater meanes yet no grace will grow in their hearts nor come unto any perfection is this which the Apostle giveth 2 Thes. 3.2 All men have not faith But though the Lord let this visible Sunne shine upon all men indifferently upon the reprobate as well as upon the elect he maketh his Sunne saith our Saviour Matth. 5.45 to rise on the evill and on the good yet doth he not let the Sunne of righteousnesse to shine into every heart but to his elect and peculiar people onely The Lord God is a Sunne and shield saith David Psal. 84.11 but to whom To them that walke uprightly Vnto you that feare my name saith the Lord Mal. 4.2 shall the Sun of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings Not that their walking uprightly and fearing of his name was the cause that moved God to be as the Sun unto them but because it was a marke and note of them whom God would vouchsafe this mercy unto Now if any man shall aske me how faith commeth to be the breeder and worker and increaser of all true goodnesse in a man I answer you two wayes First By receiving Christ into his heart by making Christ his by uniting him unto Christ as nearely and as truely as the members of the body are united unto the head and as the branch is unto the vine By faith we receive Christ and make him our owne as the Evangelist teacheth us Iohn 1.12 By faith hee dwelleth in our hearts as the Apostle speaketh Ephesians 3.17 And as it is not possible but that heart in which Christ dwelleth must needs be renewed and have saving grace bred in it He that abideth in me and I in him saith our Saviour Iohn 15.5 the same bringeth forth much fruit If any man bee in Christ saith the Apostle 2 Corinthians 5.17 hee is a new creature As the living members must needs receive sense and motion from the head and the scion sap from the slocke it is ingrafted into And this is that which the Apostle teacheth 1 Corinthians 6.17 He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit As if he had said No man can by faith receive Christ and be united unto him but he must needs together with Christ receive the Spirit of Christ also So till we be thus united unto Christ it is not possible for us to have any true goodnesse in us As the branch cannot beare fruit of it selfe saith our Saviour Iohn 15.4 except it abide in the vine no more can ye except ye abide in me And 6.53 Verily verily I say unto you except ye eat the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye have no life in you I know well that this union that faith maketh betweene Christ and the soule is mysticall and such as the reason of man is not able to comprehend And so the Apostle speaketh of it This is a great mystery saith he Ephesians 5.32 But yet you see this is clearely taught us in the holy Scripture and this every faithfull soule doth in some measure feele to be true in his owne experience So soone as ever thou dost truely believe in Christ and renouncing all other confidence dost wholly rest and put thine affiance in him thou hast received Christ and made him thine owne and so soone as thou hast received him thou hast also with him received into thine heart his holy Spirit the Spirit of grace and sanctification whereby thou art made a new man Hee that hath the Sonne saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 5.12 hath life that is the life of grace here which is the beginning and pledge of that life of glory which he shall be sure to have in heaven and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Secondly The faithfull soule by exercising and making use of his
doth make and which may rise in your mindes against it And indeed if it were an objection of Papists onely I would never trouble you or my selfe about it But wee are all by nature ranke Papists in this and in many other points of religion and I know this first reason will seeme strange and absurd to many of you and that you will be ready to say what Shall every man in the matter of religion rest upon the instruction and perswasion hee hath from his owne private spirit This fond conceit saith the Papist hath already and still must needs bring into the Church an infinite variety of opinions in religion Quot capitatot sensus so many men so many mindes and opinions there must needs bee in religion if every ones private spirit bee supreame judge and determiner what is truth in the matter of religion Is it not a farre surer way for all men to depend and rest upon the Doctrine and instruction of the Church according to the ordinance of God then upon that which their owne private spirit teacheth them Aske the priests concerning the law saith the Lord Hag. 2.11 and againe The priests lips shall keepe knowledge saith the Prophet Mal. 2.7 and the people should seeke the law at his mouth Now unto this I have Foure things to answer First That though this Doctrine that every true beleever hath the spirit of God and that the spirit of God will teach him bee strange and ridiculous to such as are sensuall not having the spirit as the Apostle speaketh of some Iude 19. and indeed to every naturall man yet to the regenerate man it is not so The spirit of truth saith our Saviour Iohn 14.17 the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for hee dwelleth in you and shall bee in you Every true beleever every true Christian hath the spirit of God and knowes and finds in himselfe that hee hath it Because ye are sonnes saith the Apostle Galathians 4.6 God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba father Hee could not pray els nor cry Abba father unto God And he that hath it not let him scoffe and â—lout at it never so much is in a wofull case certainely and will find it to be so one day He that hath not the spirit of Christ is none of his saith the Apostle Rom. 8.9 Secondly The spirit that every faithfull man hath to teach and instruct him is not his owne private spirit as they scornefully and blasphemously call it for 1 it is the spirit of God even the same that first indited the holy Scriptures and inspired the holy Prophets and Apostles in the writing of them and is therefore best able to instruct and teach us in the true meaning of them Wee have received saith the Apostle â— Cor. 2.12 not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things which are freely given us of God And 2 besides it is not mans private spirit because it is one and the same in all the faithfull throughout the world and teacheth them all one and the same thing By one spirit saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.13 wee are all baptized into one body whether we be Iewes or Gentiles bond or free and have beene all made to drinke into one spirit As if hee should have said As all the faithfull throughout the world enjoy the same outward Sacraments so is the inward grace that is sealed thereby one and the same in all the faithfull throughout the world and teacheth them all one and the same thing So that this teaching that every true beleever hath and must have from the spirit is no cause of the diversity of opinions that is in the world no no it is the following and hearkning unto our own naturall and carnall spirits that is the true cause of that if we were all taught by the spirit of God we should agree better in opinion then we do Yea it is one and the same spirit that is in all the faithfull that are now living that it was in all the faithfull in old time and teacheth us now no other thing then it did teach all the faithfull from the beginning of the world So the Apostle alluding unto David and to the faithfull in his time saith 2 Cor. 4.13 We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeved and therefore have I spoken we also beleeve and therefore speake Thirdly Wee doe not say that that teaching and perswasion which every faithfull man receiveth inwardly in his owne heart from the spirit of God is the supreame judge and determiner what is true and what erroneous in the matters of faith and religion from which no appeale is to bee made for all hereticks and selfe-conceited persons will bee apt to pretend that but wee have a certaine rule given us whereby that which the spirit of God teacheth a man inwardly may be knowne and discerned from all opinions and motions that come from a false and fantasticall spirit and that is the written Word of God That Doctrine that is consonant to the Word is of the spirits teaching that that swerves from the Word comes certainely from a false and erroneous spirit By this rule we must judge of the spirit that is in other men Beloved beleeve not every spirit saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 4.1 but try the spirits whether they bee of God But how shall wee try whether the Doctrine that our teachers bring us bee such as they received and learned of Gods spirit or no Why wee must try it by this rule To the law and to the testimony saith the Prophet Esa. 8.20 if they speake not according to this Word it is because they have no light in them As if hee should have said they were never taught of God And this is also the rule whereby wee must try every opinion in religion that wee hold every motion and inclination that wee find in our hearts whether it bee of the spirit of God yea or no the spirit never disagreeth from the Word Behold saith the wisdome of God Proverbes 1.23 I will powre out my spirit unto you I will make knowne my words unto you And Esa. 59.21 This is my covenant with them saith the Lord my spirit that is upon thee and my word which I have put in thy mouth The spirit and the Word goe alwaies together Fourthly and lastly The spirit of God useth to teach the conscience by the ministery of the Word that is in the Church of God and not either by immediate inspirations and enthusiasmes or by any other outward meanes ordinarily but by this onely And by this also a man may judge whether that that hee holds in religion bee of the spirits teaching yea or no. Whether the good things that seeme to bee in him were wrought by the spirit of God that is if hee have learned and
I cannot I want the spirit of prayer for I have no faith and the spirit of prayer in the spirit of adoption that perswadeth us of Gods fatherly 〈◊〉 and witnesseth to our spirits that wee are his children Rom. 8.15 16. Now I have no such witnesse in mee My heart is so oppressed with sorrow that it is even utterly dead and indisposed to prayer Certainely this hath beene the case of many a good soule A tentation indeed it is but 〈◊〉 one as the best either have or may be subject unto The Apostle acknowledgeth it in the name of all the faithfull Rom. 8.26 Wee know not what to 〈…〉 For answer to this objection I have two things to say 〈…〉 What we are to judge of them that are in this estate 2. What 〈◊〉 they are to take that are in this case For the first we must know two things First They that have any truth of grace at all in them have in them certainely the spirit of prayer though it may bee they 〈◊〉 it sad they 〈◊〉 it not in themselves As the first thing the childe be in to speake is to cry my father and my mother Esa. 8.4 For this is given by the Holy Ghost as the common badge to know all Gods servants by that they are able to pray Thus Paul discribeth Gods people 1 Cor. 1.2 All that in 〈◊〉 place call upon the name of Iesus Christ our Lord. And 2 Timothy 2.12 For 〈◊〉 righteousnesse with them that call on the Lord with a pure heart 〈◊〉 4.6 Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts crying Abba father So that I may reason thus with the weakest of Gods servants that are in this case thou art poore in spirit and 〈◊〉 for nothing more therefore thou hast truth of saving grace on thee for Christ calls thee blessed Matth 5.3 4. Thou lovest such as are godly even because they are godly therefore thou hast truth of grace in thee For so saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.14 Wee know that we have pâ—â—â—ed from â—â—â—th to life because wee love the brethren Thou art afraid to doe any thing that might offend God therefore thou hast truth of saving grace in thee For the Holy Ghost saith Psalme 128.1 Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Why then from hence thou maist undoubtedly conclude thou hast in thee the spirit of prayer And whereas thou 〈◊〉 than thou hast it not because thou feelest not in thy selfe the spirit of adoption thou feelest 〈…〉 in thy selfe I answer 1. Thou maist leave saith though thou seek it 〈◊〉 for a time neither maist thou judge of thy state by thy feeling In the Churches 〈…〉 her beloved had with drawne himselfe and 〈◊〉 gone Cant. 5.6 Nay in Christâ— owne feeling his father had forsaken him Matth. 37.46 â— Thou hast said though thou feelest it not 1 If thou mourne for nothing 〈◊〉 thou for the 〈◊〉 of it as that poore man did Mar 9.24 as the 〈◊〉 that cryeth was not borne dead or the man that feeleth himselfe sick hath life in 〈◊〉 If there 〈◊〉 nothing so much as to beleeve and to be rid of thy infidelity For Christ saith such are blessed Mat. 5.6 which they could not be if they had not saith Even the will is of grace Phil. 2.13 As lusting after a woman is adultery â—at 5.28 so on the contrary lusting after faith is faith The second thing we must know touching the state of these men that complaine they cannot pray is this That a man may not onely have in him the spirit of prayer though he feele it not but he may also have the use of it and pray most effectually and acceptably when in his owne feeling his heart is 〈…〉 indisposed unto prayer when he is to overwhelmed with griefe and his thoughts to distracted and troubled that he is unable to utter or conceive a prayer in any fit words or method at all this is evident both by examples and by reason also When Dâ—vidâ— spirit was overwhelmed when he was so troubled that he could not speake as he complaineth Psal. 77.3 4. yet even then he prayed and prayed most effectually as he saith verse 1. I cryed unto God with my voice even unto 〈◊〉 with my voice and he gave care unto me How could that he 〈◊〉 â—â— such verse 4. he was so troubled that he could not 〈◊〉 He 〈…〉 could not doe it distinctly and orderly but he could cry to God 〈…〉 make a noise as he saith Psal. 38.8 I have rowed 〈…〉 oâ— my heart and 55.2 I mourne in my complaint and make a noise yet God gave care to that prayer When Hezechiah was so oppressed with sorrow that he could not speake he could but chatter like a 〈…〉 mourne like 〈◊〉 as he complained Esa. 38 14. yet eveâ— then the spirit of prayer was in 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 effectually in him that chattering and mourning of his was a prayer and 〈…〉 unto God as appeareth by verse 5. I have heard thâ— prayer 〈…〉 apostle tells us Rom. 3.26 27. that the spirit it selfe maketh 〈…〉 in according to the will of God when wee are in that case that we know not what to pray when wee can doe nothing but sigh and groane unto God and can utter no requests unto him And David even when he had strong motions unto despaire prayed yet most acceptably Psal. â—1 22 And to 〈◊〉 for the Lord is able enough to understand our desires though we expresse them not to him in words You that are tender mother 〈…〉 Doe you never understand what your little ones doe 〈◊〉 and what they would have Doe you never relieve nor succour them till they can speake to you O the Lord doth as much and 〈◊〉 more 〈◊〉 you this way then you do the Dragons and Ostriches This made 〈…〉 thus to God Psal. 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and 〈…〉 not hiâ— from thee and 〈◊〉 7 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the 〈…〉 145 19. He will 〈…〉 of them that feare him 〈…〉 cry and will save them 〈…〉 you that are tender 〈…〉 moved with the groanes 〈…〉 of your children 〈…〉 is with the Lord the 〈…〉 of his children 〈…〉 much more and give in 〈◊〉 to our prayers then any 〈…〉 wee can 〈◊〉 Thâ— Lâ—rd is said Psalme 102.20 to 〈◊〉 the groaning of the 〈◊〉 And when Hezechiah in his prayer could but chatter God 〈◊〉 him word not â—â—ely that hee heard that prayer but tells him what it was that made that prayer so effectual with him Esa. 5â— 5 I have seene thy teares 〈…〉 faithfull themselves have had more comfort and confidence in their 〈…〉 in their prayers they could 〈◊〉 unto God then in any words 〈…〉 use in prayer Psalme 39.12 Hold not thy peace 〈…〉 My friends scorne mee but mine eye 〈…〉 is he prayed and that way sought comfort 〈…〉 expressed the desires of his heart to God by 〈…〉 by words O happy soules
may see verse 3 4 5. I acknowledge my transgression and my sin is ever before me Against thee thee onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me So doth he likewise Psal. 25.16 Turne thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and afflicted They that seeke to God for mercy must judge themselves unworthy to find mercy as Benhadads servants did when they sued to Ahab for mercy they went with ropes on their heads and sackcloth about their loines 1 King 20.32 The Lord is plentifull in promising his mercy to such miserable humble and dejected soules Psal. 9.12 He forgetteth not the cry of the humble and 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble Therefore is this title given to the Lord he is called a God that comforteth the abject 2 Cor. 7.6 Thirdly If thou be one that fearest to offend God in any thing thou needst not doubt of his mercy for thou hast his promise Luke 1.50 His mercy is on them that feare him from generation to generation Fourthly If thou canst trust in his mercy and rely and rest upon it certainly it belongeth to thee That maketh David pray thus Psal. 33.22 Let thy mercy ô Lord be upon us according as we do hope in thee and 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that hope in his mercy Fiftly If Christ be the onely ground of thy hope and confidence to find mercy with God if thou trust to obtaine it onely through the merit of his bloud There is no comming before the mercy-seat of God but through him This was notably figured unto Gods people in the ceremoniall law 1. None might goe into the holy of holies where the mercy-seat stood to obtaine mercy for Gods people but the High-priest onely who was a figure of Christ Heb. 9.7 2. He might not upon paine of death presume to come before the mercy-seat to obtaine mercy for Gods people without incense which signifyed the intercession of Christ. Levit. 16.13 The cloud of the incense must cover the mercy-seat that he die not 3. He must not come before the mercy-seat without the bloud of the sacrifice which signified the bloud of Christ Heb. 9.7 Into the second Tabernacle went the High-priest alone not without bloud which he offered for himselfe and for the errours of the people Levit. 16.14 He shall take of the bloud of the bullocke and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy-seat No hope of comfort at Gods mercy-seat but onely through the merit of Christs bloud who is therefore called our hope 1 Tim. 1.1 But having him for our High-priest we may goe boldly to the throne of grace and may obtaine mercy and find grace to helpe in time of need as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 4.16 And so much shall serve to be spoken of the first dutie which concerneth the Lord himselfe Seeing the Lord is so infinite in mercy labour thou to know that hee is so unto thee Lecture XXV On Psal. 51.1 2. May 16. 1626. NOw for the second duty which concerneth the Lord himselfe it is that which the Prophet exhorteth us unto Psal. 29.2 Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name that is carry your selves toward him accordingly give him his due If we know and beleeve indeed that God is so gracious and mercifull specially if we know and beleeve he is so unto us how can we choose but love him and feare to offend him and cry shame upon our selves that we are no more willing and desirous to serve and please him Therefore doth the Apostle pray for the Ephesians Ephes. 3.18 19. that God would make them able to comprehend with all Saints what is the length and breadth and deapth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that they might be filled with all the fullnesse of God as if he should say If once you fully knew this love that God hath borne to you in Christ it would even fill you with all the fullnesse of God that is with all the sanctifying and saving grace of God Many deceive themselves miserably in this point and challenge to themselves an interest in Gods speciall mercy without any ground at all I will therefore shew you five notable effects that the true knowledge of this marvellous mercy and goodnesse of the Lord must needs worke upon them that have it Whereby as by certaine notes you may try your selves whether you do indeed beleeve and know that this speciall mercy of the Lord doth belong unto you First It will make men afraid to offend him Nothing hath that force to work in a man the true feare of God as this hath Psal. 130.4 There is mercy with thee that thou maist be feared and Hos. 3.5 They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in those daies And that is the right feare of God which the knowledge of Gods mercy doth breed in us Secondly He must needs grieve and be troubled when he hath offended him Nothing hath that force to melt and breake the heart with godly sorrow for sinne as the true knowledge of the Lords marvellous mercy and loving kindnesse towards us Zach. 12.10 I will poure upon them the spirit of grace that is the spirit of adoption which shall perswade them of my fatherly love towards them as it is called Rom. 8.15 and they shall looke on him whom they have pierced and then they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son And what was it that made Mary Magdalen weepe so abundantly for her sinnes Luk 7.38 Our Saviour telleth us verse 47. it was her love that grew from the consideration of Gods marvellous mercy in pardoning her so many foule sinnes Thirdly He must needs take delight in the service and worship of God Nothing hath that force to make the worship of God sweet unto us as the true knowledge and consideration of the mercy and goodnesse of God As for me saith David Psal. 5.7 I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy That is that that shall draw me to thy house and make me love it and Ier. 31.12 They shall come and sing in the height of Zion and shall flow together to the goodnesse of the Lord. So David giveth this for the cause why he begged so earnestly of God that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life Psal. 27.4 to behold the beauty of the Lord that is how amiable and gracious the Lord is As if he should say I can no where behold and see that so well as in his house and that is the thing that maketh me so farre in love with the house of God O if men knew the sweetnesse and infinitenesse of Gods mercy they would love his house and delight more in it then they doe Fourthly He must needs desire earnestly to know the will of God
such as love their sins Psal. 11.5 The wicked and him that loveth violence doth his soule hate Of such as goe on in their sins Psal. 68.21 God will wound the head of his enemies Who are these He answereth in the next words which are an exegesis or interpretation of the former such as goe on in their trespasses To such doe all the curses of the law all those sentences of the holy Scripture that set forth the severity of God belong not to such as feele their sins to be a burden to them and desire to turne unto God 1. Tim. 1.9 10. Know this that the Law is made the curses of the Law are written and appointed for the lawlesse and disobedient for the ungodly and for sinners for the unholy and profane c. The second objection is this Though God be infinite in mercy and his common mercies be over all his workes yet his speciall mercy belongeth to none but to his elect and they are but a few Mat. 20.16 Many are called but few are chosen The greatest part of men are vessels of wrath as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 9.22 predestinated and ordained unto damnation Iude 4. And I have so lived as I see cause to feare I am of that number at least I cannot be sure that I shall find mercy with God though I should turne unto him I answer That though 1. the Lord did indeed in his eternall counsell predestinate some unto life and some unto perdition 2. and that the number of the Elect bee small in comparison of the reprobate yet hath no poore sinner that desireth to turne to God any just cause given him to be discouraged from it by this Doctrine This I will prove to you by three reasons First Because no man ought no man can say and conclude that he is a reprobate because of the life he hath lead That he is in the way that leadeth unto destruction he may know but that he is one of those that God did in his eternall decree appoint unto destruction he cannot know 1. Because God hath not by his word or spirit reveiled this to any particular man that he is a reprobate excepting only him that hath sinned against the holy Ghost which sin thou art farre enough from that desirest to repent and to turne to God Concerning the election of particular men God hath indeed given testimony both by his word 1 Thess. 1.4 5. and by his spirit also Rom. 8.16 The spirit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit that wee are the children of God 1. Iohn 5.10 He that beleeveth in the Sonne of God hath the witnesse in himselfe But Gods spirit never testified unto any man that he is a reprobate So that to every man that is so conceited we may say as Paul in another case doth Galat. 5.8 This perswasion commeth not of him that calleth you It commeth not of God And as our Saviour saith Matth. 5.37 Whatsoever is more then this commeth of the evill one Besides 2. God hath hertofore and may still call most wicked men at the very last houre of their lives and so declare them to be his elect who of all men in the world were most unlikely to be of his Elect as wee see in the example of the thiefe Luke 23.40 Secondly As no man can justly say he is a reprobate because God neither by his word nor spirit hath testified any such thing of him so such sinners as I now speake of have just cause to judge that they are not reprobates that God hath not appointed them to wrath but to obtaine salvation by our Lord Iesus Christ as the Apostle speaketh 1 Thes. 5.9 For those whom God hath made vessels of wrath are fitted unto destruction as the Apostle saith Rom. 9.22 They goe on still in the way that leadeth unto destruction and are hardened in their sins Though the greatest part of men shall not find mercy with God yet the cause of this is not in the Lord it is in themselves only because they seeke it not Hos. 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe God sheweth himselfe ready enough to receive even such unto mercy but they care not for it So speaketh Christ even of Ierusalem though she had killed and stoned his Prophets Matth. 23.37 How often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Henne gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not That sinner therefore that findeth God hath wrought in him a desire to get under Gods wings a desire to repent and to turne unto God is in the way that leadeth unto life God is preparing and fitting him for glory and therefore he hath just cause to judge that he is no reprobate but a vessell of mercy Rom. 9.23 Thirdly and lastly No man is to judge of his present or future estate nor of Gods purpose towards him by the secret will of God but by his reveiled will Deut. 29.29 The secret things belong unto the Lord our God but those things that are reveiled belong to us and to our children for ever We may not in this case pry curiously nor enquire into the secret counsell of God but reverently admire it and cry with the Apostle Rom 11.33 ô altitudo ô the depth Remember what befell the men of Bethshemesh 1. Sam. 6.19 God smote aboue fifty thousand of them for looking into the Arke of God Looke thou enquire thou into the reveiled will of God and there thou shalt find enough to encourage thee to turne unto him and to assure thee that thou needest not doubt to find mercy and grace with him if thou canst now seeke it First God hath reveiled in his Word that he doth not desire nor take pleasure in the destruction of any wicked man no not in his temporall destruction Hee gave the old World warning of the Floud an hundred and twenty yeares before it came that by their repentance they might have prevented it as you shall see by comparing 1 Peter 3.20 with Gene. 6.3 He gave Pharaoh and the Aegyptians warning of the plagues they enforced him to bring upon them that by their repentance they might prevent them And in giving them warning of the fiery haile he expressely saith he did it to that end that they might save their servants and their cattell from that destruction Exod. 9.19 Send therefore now and gather thy cattell and all that thou hast in the field c. When his people had so deeply provoked him to bring them into miserable captivity and he had assured them by his Prophets that he would do it yet how oft was his heart turned within him and his repentings kindled together as the Prophet speaketh Hosea 11.8 How oft and how earnestly doth he warne them of it How many meanes doth hee use to perswade them that by their repentance they would prevent it See for proofe of this Ieremy 26.2 3. And 36.2 3 6 7. And if hee take no pleasure in the destruction
to open his griefe and make his moane and powre out his heart unto Nature taught Haman that wretched man when hee was full of heavinesse for the honour that was done to Mordecai to ease his heart that way Est. 6.13 Hee told Zeresh his wife and all his friends euery thing that had befallen him In which respect great Princes have esteemed it a cheife part of their happinesse to have some speciall bosome friend whom they might make use of this way Such a one was Hushai to David 2 Sam. 15.37 and Zabud to Solomon 1 King 4.5 Now there is no such friend in the world for this purpose as the Lord is Trust in him at all times saith David Psal. 62.8 ye people powre out your hearts open your greifes before him God is a refuge for us Thus Anna the mother of Samuel told Ely that shee had done 1. Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull spirit and have powred out my soule before the Lord. Thus did Samuel her son seeke to ease his heart when it was full of heavinesse 1. Sam. 8.21 Hee rehearsed all their words in the eares of the Lord hee made his moane to God Thus did Iob My friends scorne mee saith he Iob 16 â—0 counted him an hypocrite Oh heauie affliction for a man in his case to bee so iudged of and censured by such men as they were but mine eye saith he powreth out teares unto God as if hee should say That is all the helpe I have Thus did Hezechiah when he was in that paine and anguish of spirit as the poore mother in trauell whose child is even come to the birth and shee wanteth strength to bring it forth as hee complaineth to the Prophet Psa. 37.3 He taketh Rabshakehs blasphemous letter and goeth up to the house of the Lord and spreadeth it before the Lord ver 14. As if he had said Behold Lord what hee hath written O that wee would acquaint our selues so with the Lord that wee might make him our bosome friend and make this use of him in all our sorrowes Secondly The Lord is able and none but hee to yeeld us helpe in this case and restore us to our comfort He maketh sore saith Eliphaz Iob 5.18 and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole This is the Lords peculiar prerogative to comfort a soule that is any distres He is the father of mercies and God of all comfort as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor 1.3 I even I am he saith the Lord Esa. 51.12 that comforteth you And therefore David when hee had lost his feeling and comfort cryeth oft earnestly to God to restore it to him Psal. 51.8 Make me to heare joy and gladnesse As if he had said though never so much bee delivered to me for my comfort by the skilfullest of all thy servants I shall bee utterly uncapable of it and remaine still deafe of that eare till thou make me able to heare it And vers 12. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation And 86.4 Rejoyce the soule of thy servant for unto thee doe I lift up my soule And thus should every one of us cry unto God for helpe and comfort when we are in the like case Thirdly The Lord as he is able and none but he to revive such a soule so is he most ready to doe it he is very pitifull and of tender mercy as the Apostle speaketh Iames 5.11 specially to his servants who are wounded in spirit yea he hath bound himselfe by promise to helpe such Psal. 34.18 The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saueth such as bee of a contrite spirit and 147.3 He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth vp their wounds and Esa. 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him that is farre off and to him that is neere saith the Lord and I will heale him So that wee may boldly go to God and seeke to him for comfort and even challenge him vpon these promises that he hath made unto us and say unto him as Psal. 85.6 Wilt thou not reviâ—e vs againe but let us remaine so dead hearted that thy people may reioyce in thee Fourthly The Lord doth therefore many times withdraw himselfe from his people and deprive them of the sence of his favour of purpose to make them more importunate in seeking to him by prayer I will goe and returne to my place saith the Lord Hos. 5.15 till they acknowledge their offence and seeke my face in their affliction they will seeke mee early And this was the cause why our Saviour was so harsh with the woman of Canaan and caryed himselfe so strangely toward her a great while even to try her faith and encrease her fervencie and importunitie in seeking to him by prayer Mat. 15.22.28 Fifthly and lastly Gods servants that have beene in this case have recovered their comfort this way even by fervent prayer when nothing else was able to doe it and have set their Probatum est upon it When David was in that case that hee said in his hast he was cast out of Gods sight Psalme 31.22 Neuerthelesse saith hee Thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee as if hee had said By prayer I found comfort and thereupon hee inferreth verse 23. O love the Lord all yee his Saints as if hee should say Who would not love so gracious a God that is so ready to bee found of them that seeke him though it be in so weake a manner as I did So Psal. 77. when he was in that case that he said verse 3. he remembred God and was troubled he complained and his spirit was overwhelmed within him yet even then he found comfort by prayer ver 1. I cryed vnto God with my voice even unto God with my voice and he gave eare vnto me The sixth and last direction that I am to give to them that being afflicted in minde desire to recover their comfort is this Admit thou canst not finde comfort by any of the former meanes yet consider well and bend thy minde to meditate of that mercie and goodnesse of God whereof David speaketh heere and thou hast heard the handling of this Doctrine and thou shalt finde that thou hast no cause to doubt but that hee loveth thee First Consider the goodnesse of the Lord to all his creatures even to the worst men that live and even that may be a great helpe to thy faith in this case Alas thou wilt say that is a poore helpe if God be no otherwise good to me if he love me no otherwise then he loveth them what comfort can that yeeld me O say not so for the holy Ghost in the Word hath oft commended this to us for a helpe to our faith and bids us observe how good the Lord is to all his creatures and even to wicked men for the confirming of our owne hearts in the assurance of his love to vs. So saith
on me and on my fathers house but not on thy people that they should bee plagued And see how long and how heavily the wrong that he had done lay upon Pauls conscience he could never forget it 1 Tim. 1.13 I was a persecutor and injurious And so it will do upon every one of our consciences one day if we have bin injurious to any man howsoever we sleight it now and make nothing of it upon pretence either of the basenes or of the badnes of the parties we have done wrong unto Remember what I told you of the Gibeonites and how Davids heart smote him for wronging Saul as bad a man as could live 1 Sam. 24.5 But of all the hurts and wrongs we have done unto men by our sins the hurt that we have done them in their soules if we have bin any way the cause of their eternall perdition that may be to us a just cause of sorrow and trouble of mind for our sins O the bloud of soules which wee have destroyed by our sins will lye heavy and give an intollerable weight to our sins when God shall charge us with it And that we may and many doe make themselves guilty of diverse wayes Not only 1. by drawing and forcing others to sin by our authority as David did here both the messengers he sent to bring Bathsheba unto him 2 Sam 11,4 and Ioab whom he commanded to make away Vriah 2 Sam. 11.15 and as Absalom did his servants to murder Amnon 2 Sam. 13.28 and as Paul had done upon whose conscience this lay a long time that he had compelled many to blaspheme Act. 26.11 And 2. by drawing others unto sin either by our example or perswasion as David and his messengers did Bathsheba here 2 Sam. 11.4 and as full many a one dayly doth by being the authors beginning of sin unto others as the Prophet speaketh Mica 1.13 But even 3. by with-holding from any the helpe and meanes that God hath charged us to afford them for the preserving of their soules from perdition As you all will account that nurse that famisheth the child by with-holding the breast and food from it to have bin a murderer of it as much as if she had poisoned or cut the throat of it And surely many of us have just cause to feare God will one day say to us concerning the soules of any that have perished in our flocks that are ministers or in our families that are parents or masters as he doth to the Prophet Ezek. 3.18 His bloud will I require at thy hand Now for the second branch of the Doctrine Though our sins may justly trouble us in all these respects yet the chiefe thing above all others that should move us to hate sin and to mourne for it is the consideration of that offence we have committed by our sins against the Lord our God Observe the proofe of this in three points First This is that that hath had chiefe force in keeping Gods people from sin when they have bin tempted unto it As we see in the example of Ioseph Genes 39.9 How can I doe this great wickednesse and sin against God He considered not so much the wrong he should do his maister though that he knew was very great as the offence he should cōmit against God So David professeth Ps. 19.11 I have hid thy word in mine heart that I might not sin against thee The cause why he loved Gods word so much and tooke such paines by meditation prayer to make it his owne was that he might bee kept from sinning against God Secondly This is that that hath broken the hearts of Gods people and caused them to melt in sorrow for sin after they have committed it that they have done the thing that God is displeased with that hee is grieved and dishonoured by This was Davids maine griefe here And so in the confession he maketh to Nathan 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord. And Psal. 41.4 Lord be mercifull unto me heale my soule for I have sinned against thee This was the maine thing that troubled the prodigal child that he had displeased his father Lu. 15.18 I will go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Against thee thee only have I sinned and done evill in thy sight Thirdly and lastly this is the principall thing that distinguisheth the obedience repentance and sorrow for sin which is sincere from that that is counterfeit An hypocrite we know may make great shew of obedience of doing the will of God 2 Chron. 25.2 Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart The main thing that approveth the truth sincerity of our obedience is this when in doing the good things we do we respect the Lord himselfe we doe that that we doe because we would not offend him because we desire to please and honour him When we live not to our selves but to the Lord Rom. 14.7 8. Thus the Apostle proveth the sincerity of heart that was in those weak Christians that did make conscience both of using not using the meats prohibited by the law of Moses that both of them did it to the Lord Rom. 14.6 So an hypocrite may be able to mourn deeply for sin and wish with all his heart it were undone in respect of the mischiefe punishment of sin that either he feeleth or feareth As we see in the examples of Cain Saul and Ahab Iudas But this is a certaine note of Gods child when the chiefe thing that maketh us mourne for sin is that we have displeased grieved our father by it Therfore is true repentance called by the Apostle Act. 20.21 Repentance toward God Such a repentance as the respect we have unto God hath wrought in us And the sorrow for sin that causeth repentance unto salvation is called 2 Cor. 7.10 A sorrow that is according to God So it is said of Gods people that they lamented after the Lord. 1 Sam. 7.2 This sorrow proceedeth not from selfe love as the other doth but from love to God when though a man know himselfe to be reconciled to God and delivered from the wrath to come yea because he doth so and hath the spirit of grace that assureth him of Gods favour therfore he mourneth is troubled in heart that he hath by his sins offended grieved so good a father This is that sincere sorrow that God promiseth to worke in the hearts of his people Zac. 12.10 I will powre upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him not for themselves as one mourneth for his only sonne Lecture XLIIII On Psalme 51.4 Decemb. 26. 1626. IT Followeth now that wee proceed unto the grounds and reasons of the
hath taken us up againe and set us on our feete Nay though wee have given him just cause a thousand times to cast us off and dishinherit us to leave us to our selves and Satan yet hath his love beene so unchangeable towards us that nothing could move him to cast us off Nay he hath given us assurance by his spirit Rom. 8 38 39. that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall bee able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Iesus our Lord. So that we have just cause to say as the Prophet Mic. 7.18 Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage that retâ—ineth not his anger for ever because hee delighteth in mercy And this is also that that greatly amplifieth the goodnesse of God in this point that it is so rare If we would consider how many have fallen some to Popery and other heresies some to profanesse some to the utter hatred of Religion some to worldlinesse that were once farre before us in knowledge and in profession how many that were first are become last Mat. 19.30 How many there are whom we may dayly looke upon that are like those the Apostle speaketh of 2 Pet. 2.18.22 that once were cleane escaped from them that live in errour but now with the dog are turned to their owne vomit againe and as the sow that was washed to their wallowing in the mire Many that are like unto Saul who though he had received excellent gifts of Gods spirit even another heart 1 Sam. 10.6.9 and never in his life fell into so grosse sins as David did yet he fell away quite from God and lost all grace and was quite forsaken of God 1 Sam. 16.14 and 28.15 whereas many of us that like David have had far stronger corruptions yet are still kept in the state of grace be it that none of those that have thus quite fallen away were ever truly regenerate and we may say of them as 1 Iohn 2.19 They went out from us but they were not of us for if they had beene of us they would no doubt have continued with us But what is it that hath made us to stand when so many that seemed much stronger then wee have fallen quite away Surely nothing but the meere grace and goodnesse of the Lord. It is not of him that willeth saith the Apostle Rom. 9.16 nor of him that runneth but of God that showeth mercy And thus have I in some measure put you in minde of the infinite goodnesse and bounty the Lord hath shewed to every one of us that are his people Now the consideration of this marvellous goodnesse and bounty of God towards vs doth greatly aggravate our sins and make them out of measure sinfull There is no sin we have committed no commandement of God that we have transgressed but we have thereby sleighted and despised shewed contempt unto grieved and dishonoured that God that hath beene so good and gracious a father unto us Thus doth the Lord aggravate Davids sin 2 Sam. 12.7 9. I annointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy masters house c. and if that had beene too little I would mereover have given thee such and such things wherefore hast thou despised the commandement of the Lord. Thus did God plead with Israel Mic. 6.3 5. O my people what have I done to thee and wherein have I wearied thee that thou makest so slight account of offending me testifie against me and then in the two next verses he putteth them in minde of the great goodnesse hee had shewed toward them that by that meanes he might bring them to a consideration and feeling of their sins Thus doth the Lord aggravate the sins of his people Deut. 32.6 Doe ye thus requite the Lord ô foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee This was that that made Mary Magdelene weepe so aboundantly Luke 7.38 she had a deepe apprehension of Gods goodnesse towards her verse 47. This was that that lay so heavy upon Davids heart heere Against thee thee onely have I sinned Nay it is not possible that any should ever haue a true assurance and sence of Gods fatherly goodnes wrought in his heart by the spirit of God but it will have this effect in him Zach. 12.10 I will powre out upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall bee in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitternesse for his first borne Why doe our sins trouble us no more Surely we are not soundly perswaded of Gods fatherly goodnesse and love towards us the spirit of grace was never powred upon us I know 1. That the most men make the lesse account of sin because they say they know the Lord is so gracious and mercifull nothing doth so much keepe them from being troubled for their sinnes as this they cannot thinke it possible God should like much the worse of them for any of their sins because he is still so good and bountifull unto them but are ready to say to their soules with the Epicure Eccles. 9.7 Goe thy way eate thy bread with joy and drinke thy wine with a merry heart for God now accepteth thy workes 2. Yea they embolden themselves to sin by this more then by any thing because they know and are peswaded the Lord is so infinite in goodnesse and mercy they turne the very grace of God into wantonnesse Iude 4. If a childe should thus resolve with himselfe rush I know my father beareth that affection to me that though I bee never so stubborne and rebellious against him though I grieve and dishonour him never so much yet he will never cast me off and therefore I care not for offending him all men would say that wretch had lost all naturall affection and had not the nature or heart of a child in him No more hath that man certainely any true or sound assurance of Gods fatherly love and goodnesse towards him that doth not hate sin that is not afraid of sin that cannot mourne for sin out of this respect above all others that by his sin he hath offended and grieved and dishonoured so good and gracious a father as the Lord hath beene unto him Lay aside saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.1.3 all malice and all guile and hypocrisies enuies and evill speakings because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yee have tasted knowne with feeling that the Lord is gracious Lecture XLVI on Psalme 51.4 Ianuary 23. 1626. IT followeth now that we proceed to the uses that
neighbours here now whom I know to be faulty this way and whom it may be I shall not see here this twelve-moneth againe I have the more willingly enlarged my selfe in the application of this point and though I see small hope to prevaile with any of you for the belly hath no eares and the Ale-house-haunter is usually a scorner and derider of Gods Word yet because I know that that is unpossible with men is possible with God as our Saviour spake in a case not much unlike to this Luke 18.27 and God hath oft wrought by a Sermon as great wonders as this commeth to I will conclude my speech to you with that prayer that Noah once made for his sons Genesis 9.27 God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem. The Lord perswade you to shun and forsake these tents of wickednesse to love and frequent better the assemblies and congregations of his people where his ordinance and service is to bee found The third and last rule whereby we are to judge what sins are greater and more hainous then other is this The sins that are committed by such as are of speciall note above others for the profession of true religion and piety are geater then the sins of other men This is plaine by that speech of the Apostle Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish shall be upon every soule that doth evill upon the Iew first and also upon the Gentile Why upon the Iew first rather then upon the Gentile Because God received more contempt and dishonour by the sins of such then of other men The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you saith the Apostle Rom. 2.24 The second use that this Doctrine serveth unto is for the examination of our selves and for the triall of the truth and soundnesse of our repentance which it highly concerneth us to know and to take heed wee bee not deceived in it 1. It is no good argument to prove we have truly repented because we have sometimes found deepe remorse and trouble of mind for our sins For so had Ahab and Iudas as we have often heard 2. Neither is it a good argument we have truly repented because we have now left the sins wee were heretofore given unto For the Apostle speaketh of certaine hypocrites that were cleane escaped from them that live in errour that had escaped the pollutions of the world even through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. 2 Pet. 2.18.20 By what notes may we then judge of the truth and soundnes of our repentance surely by these two principally 1. When we can grieve for our sins hate and forsake them chiefly out of this respect because the Lord is offended grieved and dishonoured by them when our sorrow is according to God as the Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 7.10 when our repentance is repentance towards God as the same Apostle calleth it Acts 20.24 2. When our sorrow for sin our hatred and forsaking of it groweth from faith and when the knowledge and perswasion we have of Gods fatherly goodnesse and mercy rather then of his power or his justice and anger against sin can make us to mourne for our sins to hate and forsake them For so is true repentance described Zac. 12.10 I will powre upon them the spirit of grace and of supplication and then they shall mourne as one mourneth for his only sonne And in 1. Pet. 2.1 3. Lay aside all malice and guile and hypocrisies and envies and evill speakings if so bee that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Would we therefore know the true cause why our hearts are so hard and senslesse why wee cannot grieve and mourne more for our sins why wee cannot more willingly forsake and cast off many of our sins surely the Lord hath not yet powred upon us the spirit of grace nor given us thereby a sound assurance of his mercy and fatherly love towards us in Christ. We have not yet tasted though it may be we know it and can acknowledge it with our tongues and discourse learnedly and eloquently of it nor have we attained to a particular a lively and comfortable assurance that the Lord is gracious For if we had certainly nothing would be so effectuall to worke in us a sound griefe of heart for sin nothing would cause us so much to hate and abhorre sin as this that wee have thereby offended and grieved and made so light account of so good and so gracious a father as the Lord is unto us This was that that above all things so much troubled and afflicted the heart of David here Against thee thoe onely have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight Lecture XLVII On Psalme 51.4 Ianu. 30. 1626. FOlloweth the third use that this Doctrine serveth unto And that is for exhortation to perswade every one of us that forasmuch as every sin is an offence against the Majesty of almighty God a contempt done unto him and a despising and sleighting of his commandement that therfore we would take heed how wee give our selves liberty either to commit the smallest sin that wee are tempted unto or to make light account of any sin that we have committed upon this conceit that it is but a small one Certainly we are bound to take notice of to be humbled for and to strive against the very least of our corruptions the very least transgression of the law of God even our passionatnes aptnes to be angry without cause and to exceed therein even of our mispending of our time and trifling it out both when we are alone and in company yea even on the Sabbath day and our formality in Gods worship and of our unprofitablenes that we do so little good and of that delight we take to heare and speake of the faults of others and of the unsanctifiednesse of our thoughts yea even of our very dreames that savour of corruption as it may appeare by the equity of that law we read of Deut. 23.10 11. Three speciall motives there be besides the reasons you have heard of the last day in the use of instruction that may be effectuall to perswade us unto this First He that giveth liberty to himselfe in the smallest sins will be in danger by little and litle to grow careles of and to fall into greater sins and so in the end to loose all grace all conscience of sin A little leaven saith the Apostle Gal. 5.9 leaveneth the whole lampe And this is that that our Saviour teacheth us Mat. 5.19 Whosoever shall breake one of the least commandements and shall teach men so that is justifie defend and allow himselfe or others in it he shall be called the least in the kingdome of heaven that is he shall be of no worth of no reckoning for grace among the people of God Dead flyes saith Solomon Eccle. 10.1 cause the oyntment of the Apothecary to send forth a stinking savour so doth a little folly him
must carefull to give good example unto your children cause it to appeare unto them in your whole conversation that your selves doe unfainedly feare God and love good things See three notable presidents and examples of this care 1. In Abraham of whom God giveth this testimony Gene. 18.19 that hee knew him that he would command his sons and his house after him to keep the way of the Lord hee would goe before them himselfe in that way 2. In Ioshua I and my house saith he Iosh. 24.15 will serve the Lord. 3. In David Ps. 101.2 I will walke in the uprightnesse of mine heart in the midst of mine house Without this neither your commandements nor correction nor instruction will doe them any good Therefore Paul requireth this even of Timothy and Titus men of such rare and extraordinary gifts to see they gave good example as well as teach well 1 Timothy 4.12 Bee thou the example of the beleevers And Titus 2 7. In all things shew thy selfe a patterne of good workes As if hee had said you shall hardly doe good upon the people by your doctrine if they shall not discerne in your lives that your selves do beleeve and make conscience of that which you teach and perswade them unto On the otherside there is great force in example to draw others either to good or evill See the force of a good example even in an inferiour specially such a one as we love They that obey not the word saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.1 may without the word be wonne by the good conversation of the wives And the example of a superiour of one whom we not only love but reverence in our hearts is of more force then any inferiours can be The Apostle saith Galat. 2.14 that Peter by his example compelled the Gentiles to doe as the Iewes did But domesticall examples specially the example of parents is of more force with their children to do them either good or hurt then all other examples are See the force it hath to draw our children to goodnesse at least in outward conformity in three notable examples It is said of Amazia King of Iuda 2 Kin 14.3 He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord yet not like David his father he did according to all things as Ioash his father did And of Azaria or Vzziah his son â— Kin. 15 3. Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that Amaziah his father had done And of Iotham his son 2 Kings 15.34 Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord he did according to all that his father Vzziah had done And on the other side see the force that the parents example hath to corrupt their children in three other examples The first of Zacharia the King of Israel of whom it is said 2 Kings 15.9 Hee did evill in the sight of the Lord as his fathers had done he departed not from the sins of Ieroboam hee would be of his fathers religion The second is of the Samaritans of whom it is said 2 King 17 41. These nations feared the Lord made some kind of profession of the true religion as the ten tribes had done and served their graven Images too both their children and their childrens children did thus as did their fathers so doe they unto this day The example of their fathers drew them unto that idolatry and rooted them in it The third is of the kingdome and Church of Iudah of which wee read Iere. 17.1 2. that the maine reason why they were so setled in their idolatry that there was no hope of reclaiming them it was graven upon the table of their heart as with a pen of Iron or with the point of a Diamond the reason of it I say is rendered to bee this that their children remembred their altars and their groves by the greene trees upon the high hills And certainly so it is also in these dayes A chiefe cause why profanesse and impiety doth so cleave to the hearts of most men that no meanes are powerfull enough to reclaime them is the evill example of parents O thinke of this you that are parents and if nothing els will reclaime you from lewdnesse and make you carefull to take heed to your wayes yet let your love to your children doe it that you may not corrupt them by your evill example Is it not wrong enough that you have done unto them in conveying into them so corrupt and cursed a nature but will you also by your evill example make them two-fold more the children of hell then they were by nature The fourth meanes parents must use for the saving of their childrens soules is this They must take heed how they dispose of them when they place them abroad from them And as every true Christian will bee carefull of placing of himselfe that however he do for other commodities and conveniences he will not live where hee shall want the meanes of grace but resolveth with David Psal. 23.6 I will dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life So will hee in placing of his children be carefull that they may doe so too They must take heed what schoole-masters and tutors they send them to what services and what marriages they place them in 1. The Apostle Paul reporteth Act. 22 3 that he was sent by his parents to Ierusalem the best schoole the best Vniversity the best colledge to Gamaliel the best teacher the best tutour there where he was was taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers and learned to bee to zealous towards God 2. As for services it is threatned as a great curse to Gods people that their children should serve the greatest Noble man yea the greatest Prince in the world if he be a wicked man and enemy to God yea though they serve him in the highest offices that may be Thy sons that shall issue from thee saith the Lord to Hezechiah Esa. 39.7 shall be Eunuches in the palace of the King of Babylon 3. For marriages we see the care of Abraham first Gen. 24.3 4. and of Rebecca after Gen. 27 46. that their children might by no meanes match with the Canaanites Certainly in this point most parents do evidently bewray they have no care at all of their childrens soules In placing of their children any of these three wayes they aime at nothing but this that they may get that that may make them able to live and to live in credit but as for living under the meanes of grace for living so as they may live eternally that they have no respect at all unto Whereby they shew themselves to be wholy sensuall not having the spirit as the Apostle speaketh Iude 19. The fift and last meanes without which all the former are to no purpose is prayer Parents must be earnest with God in prayer for their children Solomons mother calleth
yeeld his people helpe this way as he was the other and more willing too 3 If the principall worke he came into the world for was not to cure the bodies of men but to heale their soules 4 If we have his expresse promise for the healing of our soules of all their corruptions which they had not for the curing of their bodily infirmities How commeth it to passe that so many then were cured by him of all their bodily infirmities and we have little or no helpe at all from him for the healing of our soules Surely one of these three things must needs be the cause of it 1. Either we doe not so earnestly desire helpe for our soules this way as they did for their bodies the punishment of our sins we would faine be delivered from but whether we be freed from the power of them or no we are indifferent 2. Or we doe not seeke to Christ for helpe in this case of ours as they did in theirs Pardon of sin and mercy with God and comfort and peace we looke to have through Christ alone but we seeke not to him for grace to sanctifie us and mortifie sin in us nor looke to receive that benefit by him also Or els 3 we seeke not to Christ for helpe this way in that manner as they did that is in faith and full assurance of heart to receive helpe from him in this case But of us it may be said in this case as the Apostle speaketh in an other Iam. 4.2 3. We desire to have grace and cannot obtaine we fight and warre against our lusts and yet have not victory over them because we aske not we seeke not to Christ we aske and receive not because we aske amisse that is we aske not in faith in confidence and assurance to obtaine it of God through Christ. Let us therefore stirre up our selves to take hold of Christ and these promises and confidently expect the performance of them to our selves in our owne particular cases and so by faith draw vertue from Christ to drie up all the filthy issues that are in our foules As the Israelites looking on the brasen serpent in faith healed them Num. 21.8 9. So let thine eyes be upon Christ with expectation dependance upon him as Iehoshaphat speaketh 2 Chron. 20.12 in another case for helpe and vertue will be derived from him to cure thee All things saith our Saviour Mat. 21.22 whatsoever ye shall aske in prayer beleeving having his promise for them as in this case we have ye shall receive And if thou canst beleeve saith he thou maist have helpe against that spirit that hath possessed thy son from his very childhood though my Disciples could not cast him out Mar. 9.23 all things are possible to him that beleeveth Certainely it were possible enough for any of us to get power over our strongest corruptions and to attaine to a farre greater measure of mortification then we are yet come unto if we would imploy our faith in this worke if we would make claime to these promises and rest upon them and confidently expect strength and helpe from God through Christ against them Say not any of you alas I am so sinfull and unworthy a wretch that I dare not presume to beleeve and be so confident that Christ will helpe me For First Thy unworthinesse will not barre thee from receiving helpe from Christ. In all the cures he did upon men he had no respect at all to the worthinesse of the persons Mat. 8.16 He healed all that were sicke without all respect of persons He selleth not his grace but giveth it freely Esa. 55.1 Every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money Secondly The more unworthy thou feelest thy selfe to be the more fit thou art to receive helpe from him For God giveth grace to the humble Iam. 4.6 And among all that received helpe from Christ those had the strongest faith and did most confidently expect helpe from him that had in themselves the deepest sense of their owne unworthinesse as is evident in the example of the Centurion Luke 7.7 8. and of the woman that had the bloudy issue Mar. 5.27 33 34. and the woman of Canaan Mat. 15.27 28. Neither say secondly Alas I cannot beleeve I go to Christ I pray against my hardnesse of heart and against my frowardnesse and against my blasphemous thoughts c. but I cannot pray in faith nor certainly beleeve that God will give me helpe against them For First Do as the poore man did that went to Christ to have his sonne dispossessed Mar. 9 24. mourne and weepe for thy unbeleefe that thou canst not give credit unto God Secondly Do againe as he did pray heartily to God to helpe thy unbeleefe Mar. 9 24. Thirdly Then know assuredly thou hast a true faith though a weake one and that this weake one will be sufficient to procure helpe to thee from him as it did for that poore man Mar. 9.25 Thirdly and lastly Say not this is contrary to mine owne experience and to the experience of all the godly who though they have had true faith yet they could never obtaine power from Christ to vanquish their lusts I have in my prayers against my corruptions called to mind these promises you have spoken of and made claime to them and am never the nearer Yea Paul though he had so much faith yet complaineth Rom. 7.23 that the law of his members did bring him still into captivity to the law of sinne The faithfull do indeed receive from Christ their justification in this life fully and perfectly but as for their sanctification it is but litle that many of them do receive as appeareth by the strong corruptions that may be discerned even in the most of them To this I answer First Christ doth not utterly destroy sinne in any beleever so long as he liveth here For he seeth that would not be good for us in many respects as we heard in the handling of the Doctrine Secondly He doth give to some of his servants a greater measure of sanctification and power to overcome their corruptions then he doth unto other Ephes. 4.7 To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Thirdly Every beleever is in some measure sanctified by Christ and his corruption hath received from him a deadly blow that it shall never reigne more he hath so much strength given him as he shall never be quite overcome nor brought under the dominion of sinne any more but shall be made able to maintaine warre against it For Christ hath made us all Kings and Priests unto God Rev. 1.6 And Rom. 6. â—4 Sinne shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace Fourthly Proportionable to the measure of our faith shall our sanctification be and our strength to overcome our corruptions And
us saith Paul Rom. 8.31 who can bee against us To hurt us hee meaneth The Lord is my light and my salvation saith David Psalme 27.1 whom shall I feare And 49.5 Wherefore should I feare in the dayes of evill when the iniquitie of my heeles shall compasse mee about Why David what maketh thee so secure in the midst of danger Hee telleth you verse 15. God will redeeme my soule from the power of the grave for hee shall receive mee On the other side hee that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ must needes bee vexed with continuall feares feare of death and feare of troubles It is Christ only saith the Apostle Heb. 2.15 that delivereth them who through the feare of death were all their life time subject to bondage Thirdly This bringeth with it unto us all good things Seeke ye first the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse saith our Saviour Matth. 6.33 As if he had said Make your salvation sure make this sure unto your selves that God is reconciled unto you that you are in his favour and all these things shall be added unto you O that men could beleeve Christ in this that this is the best way to be certaine of all earthly comforts so farre as they shall bee good for us He that spared not his own son saith the Apostle Rom. 8.32 but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things Yea this sweetneth all Gods blessings to us and giveth a pleasant relish unto them when we can tast in them Gods love unto us in Christ. When Iob speaketh Iob 29.1 7. of the comfort he tooke in all Gods blessings in the time of his prosperity in his children and riches in that honour and esteeme God gave him among all men he giveth this for the reason of it verse 3. His candle his light the comfortable assurance of his savour shined upon my head Yea this will not onely susteine and keepe us from fainting in times of common trouble and calamity as Iob saith there Iob 29.3 By his light I walked through darknesse While the light of his countenance shined upon me I could walke cheerefully in the darkest and saddest times But it will also sweeten the bitterest afflictions that can befall our selves in particular when we know they are but the chastisements of our father that loveth us dearely though hee thus correct us The cup which my father hath given me saith our Saviour Iohn 18.11 shall I not drinke it All hope of deliverance and comfort in danger and distresse groweth from the assurance of Gods favour Vpon this David grounded his hope Psal. 42.5 Why art thou cast downe ô my soule c. Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the helpe of his countenance To this he ascribeth all the deliverances the Church had received from the Lords right hand Psalme 44.3 They got not the land in possession by their owne sword neither did their own arme save them but thy right hand and thine arme and the light of thy countenance because thou hadst a favour unto them The sting of death saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.56 and if of death then of all other afflictions sure is sin and if the sting of them be once gone certainely there can be no deadly paine in them And thus Christ comforteth a poore man that was sicke of a dead palsy a disease that dulleth the spirits and maketh the heart as heavie as any disease can Matth. 9.2 Sonne be of good cheere thy sinnes be forgiven thee On the other side he that doubteth of Gods love to him in Christ what comfort can hee have in life or in death in prosperity or in adversity specially if God shall be pleased to awaken his conscience What sweetnesse can a man find in all his wealth or pleasure or good cheere when it hath this bitter tang and loose with it that his heart shall say to him I may be a vessell of wrath for all that Alas Cain had as much as all this commeth to and Esau and Dives who are all now firebrands in hell Must not the joy that all such men seeme to take in their prosperity be such as the Apostle speaketh of 2 Cor. 5.12 in the face onely and not in the heart And if this be their condition in their greatest prosperity then what comfort can they have in their affliction and in their death thinke you What is the hope of the hypocrite saith Iob 27.8 though he hath gained when God taketh away his soule Fourthly If we were once assured of Gods speciall love to us in Christ this would make us yeeld obedience unto God and do his service not grudgingly or as of necessity but as out of love and willingly and cheerefully For a good man a bountifull a kind man saith the Apostle Rom. 5.7 some will even dare to die And if the goodnesse and bounty of a man have such force with us that we thinke we can never do too much for him will not the assurance of this marvellous bounty and goodnesse of God to us in Christ make us to say with David Psal. 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me what might I doe to please and honour him that hath so dearely loved me This will make us pray with boldnesse and zeale O God thou art my God saith David Psal. 63.1 early will I seeke thee When our Saviour taught his Disciples and in them us all to pray Matth. 6.9 he biddeth us begin thus Our father which art in heaven Till our hearts doe thus conceive of God that he is our father that he loveth us with a fatherly love we can never pray aright We may say a prayer and that is all that the most of us doe but we can never pray with our hearts till then Therefore also the Apostle teacheth us Rom. 8.15 16. that the spirit that maketh us able to cry in our prayers unto God that is to pray fervently and earnestly is the spirit of adoption that spirit which witnesseth with our spirits that wee are the sonnes and daughters of God that assureth us God is our father and maketh us able to call him father yea to cry to him Abba father And as this will make us able to pray with comfort so will this also make us able to heare and reade and meditate in the Word with cheerefullnesse and a good appetite As new borne babes saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2.2 3. desire the sincere milke of the Word if so be that yee have tasted that the Lord is gracious This will make us keepe the Sabbaths even whole Sabbaths without wearisomenesse Yee shall keepe every man my Sabbaths saith the Lord Levit. 19.3 Why so What may move us to doe this willingly and cheerefully I am the Lord your God saith he In a word this will make us walke cheerefully in every duty of obedience in every way of
to our hearts and wayes But secondly On the other side A constant care to please God in all our wayes and a feare to offend him will certainly bring to us a comfortable assurance of Gods favour sooner or later in one measure and degree or other See by how many promises the Lord hath bound himselfe to this To him that ordereth his conversation aright saith the Lord Psalm 50.13 I will shew the salvation of God As if the Lord should say I will cause him to see and know that hee shall bee saved So when David had said Psalm 85 8. God will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints God will speake peace to the heart of every godly man hee addeth verse 9. Surely his salvation is nigh unto them that feare him As if hee had said Certainely it will not bee long before God give to every soule that truly feareth him a comfortable assurance of his salvation though he doe delay it for a time he will not doe it long To you that feare my name saith the Lord to his people Matth 4.2 shall the sunne of righteousnesse arise with healing in his wings So that to every soule among you that truly feareth God I may boldly say Though it bee night with thee yet thou seest no light nor comfort thou art continually disquieted with feares and doubts of thy salvation yet certainly the sunne of righteousnesse will arise upon thee with healing in his wings thou shalt see the comfortable light of Gods countenance and have a sweete and full assurance of his favour Light is sowne for the righteous as the Prophet speaketh Psalme 97.11 and gladnesse for the upright in heart Thou hast in thee the seed of comfort and assurance and thou shalt surely see it spring and tast of the fruit of it Fifthly and lastly If by all these meanes wee cannot get or recover the comfortable assurance of Gods favour there is yet one thing more to bee done one helpe more to bee used that hath more force to doe us good this way then all the rest Wee must by faith rest upon Christ and cleave unto him But some may object and say this is an absurd direction to bid us rest upon Christ by faith that so we may get assurance For if I had faith I know I should have assurance of Gods favour For what is faith else but a full perswasion and stedfast assurance that Christ and all his merits belong to me and my sins through him are pardoned But alas by this I know I have no faith because I have no assurance of these things To such as object thus I answer That they are much deceived in defining faith thus and that this is a dangerous mistake and such as hath bred much needlesse feare and trouble of mind in many a good soule For the better understanding therefore of this fift and last point three things must bee distinctly considered 1. That assurance of Gods favour is not of the essence and being of true faith 2. Wherein then the nature and essence of true faith consisteth 3. That though true faith may be without this assurance yet if it be put forth and exercised it will certainely breed assurance sooner or later in one degree or other For the first That there may bee true saith where there is no assurance is evident in two examples to omit many more that might bee produced When David cryed out unto God Psalme 22.1 Why hast thou forsaken mee Why art thou so farre from helping mee and from the words of my roaring Doubtlesse hee wanted the assurance of Gods love and of his salvation And yet even at that time hee had true faith or els hee could not have prayed as hee did and said My God my God So when the Prophet cryed Psalme 88.14 Why castest thou off my soule Why hidest thou thy face from me his assurance was gone yet if hee had not had true faith at that time hee could not have prayed as hee did verse 1. O God of my salvation I have cried day and night before thee So that assurance of Gods favour and of the pardon of our sinnes is not faith it selfe but onely a fruit of it and such a fruit of this tree it is as is not to bee found on it at all seasons It is I say a fruit of faith and such as none can attaine unto till first hee have faith For 1. It is the spirit of adoption witnessing with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of God Romanes 8.16 that breedeth this assurance in us and that spirit wee cannot have till first wee have faith Galathians 4 6. Because yee are sonnes God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your hearts First wee must bee sonnes before wee can have this spirit and wee must first have faith before wee can bee the sonnes of God Galathians 3.26 Yee are all the children of God by faith in Christ Iesus And Iohn 1.12 So many as received him even to them that beleeve on his name to them hee gave power to become the sonnes of God So Paul telleth the Ephesians 1.13 that they were sealed with the holy spirit of promise after they had beleeved in Christ. 2. Assurance of salvation is ever accompanied with peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost Now neither of these can bee in any heart till first it have true faith they are the fruits and consequents of faith Being justified by faith saith the Apostle Romanes 5.1 3. wee have peace towards God and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God And 15.13 The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving Secondly If you would know wherein then the essence and being of true justifying faith consisteth I answer In foure acts of the soule whereof the former two are acts of the understanding the other two of the will First I must know Christ aright and that which the Gospell revealeth to us concerning him And that consisteth in three points principally 1. That Christ is an all sufficient Saviour both to deliver me from the wrath of God due to my sinnes and to bring me to eternall life For this the Gospell plainely revealeth to us Iohn 3.16 God so loved the world c. 2. That Christ and all his merits are offered by the Lord to me as well as to any other For Gods servants and Ministers are commanded by him to proclaime in his name a generall pardon and to make this generall offer of him unto all to whom they preach without excluding any Mar. 16.15 Preach the Gospell to every creature And what is it to preach the Gospell unto them but to say unto them as the Angell did to the shepheards Luke 2.10 11. I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people For unto you is borne this day in the city of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord. And as Peter to the Iewes Acts 2.39
be said which the Prophet speaketh of Israel Hos. 10.1 Israel is as an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit to himselfe As if hee had said In all good things he doth as he doth them out of selfe-love so he seeketh himselfe onely in them The meanest worke we doe in our calling if we doe it to the Lord and serve him in it will yeeld us assured comfort and reward also the best Sermon we can preach or heare if we do it not to the Lord but to our selves will yeeld us no comfort or reward from God Verily I say unto you saith our Saviour Mat. 6.2 they have their reward And so much for the first property that is required to the right manner of performing of all good duties they must be done to the right end In the other two I will be very briefe The second property required to the right manner of performing good duties is this they must be performed not with the outward man onely but with the heart See this 1 in the generall and 2 in some particular and speciall duties No obedience or service pleaseth God unlesse it be done feelingly and with the affection of the heart That is the thing God calleth for principally My sonne give me thy heart saith he Pro. 2â— 26 Fervâ—nt in spirit serving the Lord saith the Apostle Rom. 12.11 As if he had said No service pleaseth God unlesse it be done with fervencie of spirit This was the thing that God so much commendeth in the obedience of Iehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.6 that his heart was lift up in the waies of the Lord. As though he should say Hee stirred up himselfe to walke in Gods waies with zeale and affection This also the Lord praiseth Hezekiah for 2 Chron. 31 21. In every worke that he began in the service of the house of God and in the law and in the commandements to seeke his God he did it with all his heart and prospered See this also in sundry speciall parts of our obedience and service unto God First No mans preaching pleaseth God unlesse hee preach with affection and zeale I serve God saith Paul Rom. 1.9 with my spirit in the Gospell of his sonne Secondly No mans hearing pleaseth God or will doe him any good unlesse he heare with affection If God open not your hearts as he did Lydias Act. 16.14 and make you able to heare with affection though you had as good preachers as Paul was your hearing would be to no purpose Thirdly No mans praying pleaseth God or will doe himselfe any good though his words be never so many or so good unlesse he pray with his heart with feeling and affection of heart The effectuall â—ervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much saith the Apostle Iames 5.16 As if he should have said The most righteous mans prayer that is will not be effectuall nor availe much with God unlesse it be fervent Fourthly Our singing of Psalmes pleaseth not God unlesse it be done with affection and feeling Our singing saith the Apostle Eph. 5.19 must be a making of melody in our hearts to the Lord. As if he had said The Lord regardeth no melody but that Fiftly The duties we performe to men in our callings please not God unlesse we doe them with affection of heart Whatsoever ye doe saith the Apostle to the servant Col 3.23 doe it heartily as to the Lord. As if hee had said Els you serve not God in any thing you do nor must looke for any acceptance or reward from him Sixtly and lastly The workes of mercy that wee doe though wee should give all wee have to the poore please not God unlesse they be done with affection and with a compassionat heart Whosoever hath ability and seeth his brother hath need saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 3.17 and shutteth up his bowells of compassion from him though he open his purse and give him never so much how dwelleth the love of God in him Let every one of us apply this to our selves for the time will not permit me to doe it The third and last property required in the manner of that obedience and service wee doe to God is this if we desire to doe it in the right manner we must doe it in humility In the best duties wee doe wee must find cause of humbling in our selves because wee have done them so poorely and so corruptly When yee have done all those things that are commanded you saith our Saviour Luke 17.10 say wee are unprofitable servants As if hee had said Say this is nothing to that that I should have done Whatsoever ye doe in word or deed saith the Apostle Col 3 17. doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus As though he should say Acknowledge and feele the need you have of Christ to make the best things that you doe acceptable unto God Thus did Nehemiah when he had done a better worke and service to God then any of us are ever like to doe while we live yet see how he was humbled in himselfe Neh. 13.22 Remember me ô my God concerning this also and spare me pardon me according to the greatnesse of thy mercy Without this there can be no uprightnesse of heart in us how good duties soever we performe Behold saith the Prophet Hab. 2.4 his soule which is listed up is not upright in him Lecture LXXXIX On Psalme 51.6 May 13. 1628. IT followeth now that we proceed to the third and last signe and note whereby uprightnesse of heart and truth of saving grace may bee discerned and judged of namely The bent of a mans mind and will the purpose and desire of his heart towards God We must therefore know that one of the surest notes of uprightnesse of heart and truth of grace is this when howsoever wee faile in our practise and obedience yet God hath our heart Yea that is such a signe as a poore Christian may find comfort in when he cannot in the most of them that you heard of before In the handling of this signe I will for the helpe of your understanding and memory observe this order 1. I will shew you what I meane by it 2. I will confirme it unto you 3. I will answer that which may bee objected against it 4. I will make some application of it First therefore the Lord is then said to have our heart when the two principall faculties of our soule that is to say our mind and our will are for God 1. When in our mind we allow and consent to the will of God in all things and can say as David doth Psal. 119.128 I esteeme all thy precepts concerning all things to be right And even in those things wherein through our corruption and weaknesse we do offend against the law yet we can say of the law with the Apostle Rom. 7.12 The law is holy and the commandement is holy and just good 2. When our will is to please God in all things we desire nothing
healing in his wings This sunne did never arise and shine upon any heart but it brought an healing vertue with it See the proofes of this in foure particulars First This will soften the heart more and make it apter to mourne for sin then any other thing is able to doe I will powre upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Ierusalem saith the Lord Zach. 12.10 the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall looke upon mee whom they have pierced and they shall mourne for him as one mourneth for his only sonne As if hee had said thus When the spirit of grace hath made a man able to see that his sins pierced Christ that Christs bloud was shed for his sins this will breake his heart and make him mourne and grieve more for his sins then for any other thing in the world Secondly this will make a man more afraid to sin to offend God then any other thing is able to do The children of Israel shall returne and seek the Lord their God and David that is Christ the sonne of David their King and they shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse in the latter dayes that is in the dayes under the Gospel saith the Prophet Hos. 3.5 As though he should say When Gods people have once by seeking found the Lord their God and Christ their King know him to be their God and their King and tasted of his marvellous goodnesse and love unto them this will make them ever after more fearefull to offend him then any other thing can possibly doe Thirdly This will breed in a man a greater delight in the word and meanes of grace a greater desire and appetite unto them then any other thing is able to doe As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that yee may grow thereby saith the Apostle 1 Peter 2.2 3. if so bee that yee have tasted that the Lord is gracious As if hee should have said The man that knoweth the Lord is gracious and gracious to him and that hath also tasted the sweetnesse of this assurance of Gods speciall love to himselfe must needs desire and long after Gods word as much as ever babe did after the mothers breast Fourthly and lastly This will make a man more carefull in all his wayes to please God then any other thing is able to doe I have walked in thy truth saith David Psalme 26.3 and made conscience to doe and practise what thou teachest me in thy word and he had given this for the reason of it in the beginning of the verse For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes As if hee should say I know and am fully assured as if I saw it with mine eyes of thy loving kindnes and speciall favour towards me and that maketh me walke in thy truth And these are the effects that the true assurance will worke in the heart and inward man But secondly It will not rest there hee that hath it cannot content himselfe with the reformation of his owne heart and life hee cannot but declare openly and professe himselfe to bee Gods servant hee cannot but put forth himselfe to doe him all the service and honour that hee is possibly able to doe 1. For profession it is to be observed that those whom Gods spirit sprinkleth the blood of Christ upon whom he setteth this marke and seale upon he setteth it not upon their hearts only but upon their fore-heads also as you may read Ezek. 9.4 Rev. 7.3 so as those among whom they live may discerne and take notice that they are Gods people When once God hath said to any mans heart by his spirit as he doth to his people Esa 43.1 I have called thee by name thou art mine that man cannot choose but say to him againe as David doth Psal. 116.16 O Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant Nay what he hath heard in the eare as our Saviour speaketh in another case Matth 10.27 he cannot but preach on the house tops He cannot but declare and professe himselfe openly to bee Gods servant and one of his people Thus the Prophet Esa. 44.5 bringeth in the faithfull glorying in this open profession of their homage One shall say I am the Lords another shall call himselfe by the name of Iacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord. As if he had said Every one shall be ready upon all occasions and by all meanes to declare himselfe to be one of Gods people of his Church and houshold And 2. for that care that all such have to doe God all the honour that possibly they can in the places and callings that God hath set them in wee have three notable examples The first is of Ioshuah as hee was the master of a family Who as he was a man that had obtained this particular assurance that God was his God God had said unto him Iosh 1.15 As I was with Moses so will I be with thee I will not faile thee nor forsake thee So doth hee professe not onely that hee would be Gods servant and at his command but that his whole family should be so too As for me and mine house saith he Iosh 24 15. we will serve the Lord. The second example is of Paul a minister and preacher of the Gospel Who when he had spoken of his marvellous diligence and faithfulnes in his ministery giveth this for the reason of it 2 Cor. 5.14.15 For the love of Christ constraineth us saith he because we thus judge that one dyed for all then were all dead we were all by nature dead and damned men and that hee dyed for all that they which live should not henceforth live to themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose againe As if hee had said I that know I was a dead and damned man and that Christ dyed for mee to save and deliver mee out of that estate hold my selfe bound to doe him all the honour and service that I can by enlarging his kingdome and know I can never doe enough for him that hath done so much for mee as hee hath done The third and last example is of David a magistrate of whose noble resolution you may read Psal 1 18.28 Thou art my God and I will praise thee saith he thou art my God and I will exalt thee As hee was confidently assured that God was his God out of the aboundance of his heart his mouth speaketh thus once and againe so was he resolutely determined to improve his power and authority to the uttermost in standing for God and advancing of his honour Let us now make some application of this and examine our selves by this third and last signe and we shall find that the assurance of their salvation that most men glory in is vaine and counterfeite such as Satan or their owne deceitfull hearts not the holy spirit of God hath wrought in them Because they are so barren
that none shall receive benefit by the death of Christ but such only as doe beleeve in him God so loved the world saith our Saviour himselfe Ioh. 3.16 That he gave his only begotten Sonne that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have life everlasting And it is certaine that all men have not faith as the Apostle speaketh 2 Thes. 3.2 Nay it is evident that there be but very few of them that live in the Church and professe the truth that have true faith And when thy conscience shall be awakened beloved thou wilt finde that there is in thee an evill heart of unbeleefe as the Apostle calleth it Heb. 3.12 that there is no one sinne that thou art more strongly inclined to then to infidelity that though now in the time of health and peace thou thinkest it the easiest thing in the world to beleeve in Christ it is a matter of of extreame difficulty to beleeve aright Two evident reasons there are for it First All men are by nature utterly unable to beleeve There is in the bloud of Christ a fountaine opened to us by the Gospell for sinne and for uncleannesse as the Prophet speaketh Zach. 13.1 And if we could get into that fountaine if we could make use of and apply to our selves the water of that fountaine certainely it would cleanse us perfectly from all our sinnes But alas we are like unto that poore impotent man that lay at the poole of Bethesda Ioh. 5.7 he knew well enough that if he could have got into the poole so soone as the Angell had stirred the water he should have beene perfectly cured but he could not of himselfe get into the poole And so is it with every one of us by nature the fountaine of Christs bloud is able to cleanse us throughly from all our sinnes and this fountaine is by the Ministery of the Gospell opened even unto us it is not shut against any of us none of us are barred or excluded from it but though it be thus opened we cannot get into it of our selves No man can come to mee saith our Saviour Ioh. 6.44 Except my Father which hath sent me doe draw him The Lord must by his spirit change our hearts he must draw us unto Christ by his mighty and out stretched arme and make us able to beleeve in him or we shall never come unto him Yea the Apostle calleth this Eph. 1.19 a worke of the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power that any man is made able to beleeve in Christ aright And this helpe this grace God doth not vouchsafe to all he draweth not all but whom it pleaseth him The winde bloweth where it listeth saith our Saviour Ioh. 3.8 So is every one that is borne of the Spirit The Sonne quickneth whom he will saith hee Ioh. 5.21 Nay hee vouchsafeth this mercy but to few Who hath beleeved our report saith the Prophet Esaâ— 53.1 And to whom is the arme of the Lord reveiled And this is the first cause why so few doe truely beleeve The second is this that some are through Gods just judgement upon them for some former sinnes smitten of God with a supernatuall inability to beleeve Therefore they could not beleeve saith our Saviour out of the Prophet Esay Ioh. 12.39 40. because God had blinded their eyes and hardned their hearts Oh then beloved seeing there be so few in comparison that shall have any benefit by Christ it standeth us upon to take heed we be not deluded any longer with a conceit of the common interest that all men have in Christ but diligently to enquire whither wee our selves be of that small number or no whether we can finde in our selves those notes whereby Christ hath marked his owne sheepe and whereby hee will owne them for his Certainely as the Lord himselfe knoweth them that are his as the Apostle speaketh 2 Tim. 2.19 so he hath set that marke upon them as whereby themselves also may know that they are his I know my sheepe saith he Ioh. 10.14 And I am knowne of mine Wee know saith the Apostle 1 Ioh. 4.13 that we dwell in him and he in us O what a happinesse is this to a Christian to be sure of this And on the other side what sound comfort can a man have in life or death if he be not sure of this Alas the more confident that any man is of his interest in Christ the more wofull will his case bee if when hee shall appeare before Christ Christ will not owne him because he findeth not his marke upon him or if when his owne conscience shall be awakned he shall looke and search for Christs marke upon himselfe and cannot be able to finde it When Christ shall say to them that were confidently perswaded that they had great interest in him I tell you I know you not whence you are depart from me as we read Luke 13.27 28. he will one day say to many such persons there shall bee weeping and gnashing of teeth saith our Saviour If you aske mee What marke is that Christ useth to brand his sheepe withall whereby he will owne them and whereby themselves may know that they are his I answer It is his holy Spirit which he giveth to all that truly believe in him He that is joyned to the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Corinth 6.17 is one spirit As if he had said He hath in him the very same spirit that is in Christ. If any man have not the spirit of Christ saith the Apostle Romans 8.9 hee is none of his Therefore also is the holy Spirit called the Lords seale that he setteth upon his and whereby he doth use to marke them After ye believed in Christ saith the Apostle Ephes. 1.13 ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise When once a man findeth that he hath this seale this marke upon him he may confidently and comfortably conclude that certainely he is Christs and Christ is his and till then hee can never know it Hereby wee know saith the Apostle 1 Iohn 3.24 that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath given us and 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit But may not this marke be counterfeited will you say May not a man easily mistake and be deceived in this and thinke he hath the Spirit of Christ when he hath it not indeed I answer Yes that hee may or els wee should not bee so oft and so earnestly charged as we are 2 Corinth 13.5 to examine our selves to prove our owne selves and Galat. 6.4 Let every man prove his owne worke But yet by the fruits and effects of the Spirit that he findeth in himselfe the true believer may certainely know that the Spirit of Christ doth dwell in him indeed I have oâ—t had occasion heretofore to speake of sundry fruits of faith and effects of the Spirit whereby he that is in Christ and hath
doth the spirit of God also in his ordinary manner of teaching the heart of man by the holy Scriptures which the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.19 calleth a more sure word of prophesy then any of those extraordinary revelations were speake so expresly as the people of God that have beene taught by him have beene so certaine of the truth that they have beene willing to seale it even with their dearest bloud So the Evangelist saith Luke 1.1 that all the parts of the Gospell all the articles of our faith were most surely beleeued among the faithfull And Peter saith of himselfe and the rest of the elect Apostles Ioh. 6.69 We beleeve and are sure that thou art that Christ the sonne of the living God And our Saviour saith of them all Ioh. 17.8 that they knew surely that be came out from God and beleeved that God did send him The people of God by the teaching of the holy spirit do attaine you see not unto a probable opinion onely but to an undoubted certainty of knowledge and faith And from this certainty hath growne that marvellous courage and comfort that the holy Martyrs have expressed in all their sufferings They were â—laine for the Word of God saith the Apostle Revel 6.9 and â—or the testimony which they held They did professe and give testimony to the truth of God which they had learned in his Word and they did hold fast this their testimony and would not by any meanes be drawne from it and therefore they were slaine If a man have no certainty in the matters of religion but is wavering and unsetled in it certainely he was never yet taught of God Fiftly No man can attaine to this undoubted certainty in religion by any other meanes but by the teaching of the spirit of God Though a man be a constant hearer of the most excellent teacher and enjoy all other the best meanes of knowledge that are upon earth yet shall he never bee able to attaine to a cleare and certaine knowledge in the matters of his salvation till the spirit of God doe teach and instruct him When Peter had made this confession of his faith Matth. 16.16 Thou art Christ the sonne of the living God Iesus answered and said unto him verse 17. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-jona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my father which is in heaven Marke two things in this speech of our blessed Saviour 1. That till a man be taught of God he can never understand and know no not thus much 2. That he is a blessed and happy man that can find in himselfe that hee is taught of God Why but may you say May not flesh and bloud reveale so much to a man May not a naturall man be perswaded of this that Iesus is Christ the sonne of the living God I answer that he may say so and he may thinke so and he may in some sort know it to be so and be able to prove it to be so but he cannot be fully perswaded of this article he cannot beleeve it with all his heart as Philip speaketh Acts 8.37 till God by his holy spirit have revealed it unto him and perswaded his heart of it No man can say that Iesus is the Lord saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12.3 but by the Holy Ghost As if he had said He cannot say and professe it from the full perswasion of his heart till the Holy Ghost hath taught it him that hee is so indeed No man can have a cleare and certaine perswasion in matters of religion but onely he that hath the spirit of sanctification and is instructed and guided by it Certainely saith Elihu Iob 32.8 there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the almighty giveth them understanding There bee many arguments whereby a man may bee convinced and forced to acknowledge that the holy Scripture is undoubtedly the Word of God 1. The marvellous consent of all the holy Writers that penned it 2. The certaine fulfilling of all the Prophesyes contained in it 3. The strange miracles that have confirmed it 4. The admirable providence of God in preserving of it 5. The testimony that the Church and Saints of God in all ages have given unto it 6. The divine and supernaturall doctrine contained in it But none of all these arguments can undoubtedly perswade the heart certitudine fidei that the holy Scripture or any doctrine contained in it is the Word of God till we be taught it of God till the holy spirit of God have inwardly certified and assured us of it Therefore is this knowledge this cleare and certaine knowledge in matters of faith and religion called Pro 30.3 the knowledge of the holy and 9.10 The knowledge of the holy is understanding A carnall man by his naturall parts and by the helpe of learning of hearing of study and conference may know much in religion and teach it also excellently and maintaine it strongly against any adversary but this cleare and certaine knowledge this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that carryeth with it as with full saile the whole man to the love and obedience of it that makes a man able and willing to suffer and die for the truth can no man have till the holy spirit of God have sanctified his heart and perswaded him in the truth Sixtly and lastly Proportionable to the measure of the spirit of grace and sanctification that any faithfull man hath received shall the measure of his knowledge and certainty be in the matters of his faith and religion He that is spirituall saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.15 by whom though he oppose him to the naturall man he meanes not every one that hath the spirit and is regenerate but him that hath the spirit in a greater measure then many other of the regenerate have as appeares by the opposition he makes Chap. 3 1. betweene them that are spirituall and them that are â—aâ—es in Christ. He that is spirituall saith he judgeth all things that is to say is not only certaine of the truth that himselfe holdeth but can judge and clearely discerne and reject any errour that is held by other men yet he himselfe is judged of no man As if he had said He is so certainely assured of the truth that hee holdeth that the contrary judgement of other men whatsoever they bee cannot over-sway him or cause him to stagger Grow in grace saith the Apostle 2 Peter 3.18 and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. The holyer and more spirituall a man is the more hee growes in grace in the feare of God in sorrow for sinne and hatred of it and in the love of goodnesse the better and with the more certainty of assurance shall hee know the mystery of Christ the clearer and more certaine assurance shall hee have in spirituall things And thus having opened and confirmed this first reason of the Doctrine I come to answer a maine objection which the Papist
him the son of her vowes Pro. 31.2 she had beene wont to pray much for him They should not onely use these meanes but pray earnestly to God to give them wisdome to know what they may do to destroy corruption and breed grace in their children They should pray as Manoah did Iudg. 13.8 Lord teach me what I shall do to the child that thou hast given me We should do as the woman of Canaan did complaine to God of the corruption that is in our childrens natures and desire him to heale it Have mercy on me O Lord saith she Mat. 15.22 my child is miserably vexed with a divell And as Iob did Iob 1.5 offer sacrifice daily for them pray daily for them that God would forgive them their sins Now to conclude all this that I have said touching the Meanes that parents are to use for the restraining and weakning of that corruption in their children which they have infected them with and to breed grace in them Though I cannot assure you that if you use these meanes you shall see the effect and fruit of them in every one of your children but you may justly object that many parents that have been as carefull as is possible in the use of these means have had as ungracious children as any others for the Lord is the God of all grace and the onely author of it 1 Pet. 5.10 and he giveth successe and fruit to all meanes thereof 1 Cor. 3.6 and he worketh herein most freely according to the good purpose of his owne will as the wind bloweth where it listeth Ioh 3.8 he hath mercy on whom he will and whom he will he hardneth Rom. 9.18 Yet have I two things to say for your incouragement and comfort that are Christian parents 1 None have more cause to expect and with patience to wait for a blessing from God in the use of the meanes of grace towards any then you have towards your children because of the promises God hath made to you concerning your children Gen. 17.7 Psal. 22.29 30. Esa. 44.3 And the fruit of your labour may appeare hereafter though it do not yet as experience hath proved in many good mens children that for a long time lived most ungraciously 2. Admit God be never pleased to vouchsafe a blessing to your labours in your children yet shall your labours and the fruit of them rebound into your own bosome Psal. 35.13 For 1 you highly please God in doing your duty and he accepteth your worke neverthelesse Esa. 49.4 2 Cor. 8.12 which will yeeld you unspeakable comfort 2 Cor. 1.12 2 You have hereby delivered your owne soules so as the sins and damnation of your ungracious children shall never be imputed unto you Ezek. 3.19 Lecture LVII On Psalme 51.5 May 15. 1627. WE have already heard that from these words being opened and cleared from the cavills of the Anabaptists these three doctrines do naturally arise 1. That every infant so soone as it is borne and conceived standeth guilty of sinne before God and is by nature the child of wrath 2. That this sinne that every infant standeth guilty of by nature and whereby it doth deserve eternall damnation is derived to it from Adam by the parents 3. That this sin which every infant is guilty of and which is derived to it from Adam by the parents is the chiefe sin and that which above all others may make us odious and abominable unto God The two former of these doctrines we have already finished it followeth now that we proceed unto the third and last of them We must therefore observe that David doth not mention heere the sinfullnesse and corruption of his nature wherein he was borne and conceived to lessen or extenuate the murder and adultery that he had committed as if his meaning had beene to say unto God Lord there is cause thou shouldst pitie me and have mercy on me and not lay these sinnes to my charge seeing I could do no otherwise I did but my kind the corruption of my nature which I received from my parents was the cause of it No no he hath no purpose at all heere to minse or lessen his sin to excuse or defend himselfe before God but for his further humiliation and abasing himselfe before God he aggravateth his sinne and ascendeth in his confession to an higher step and degree of it As if he had said I have not onely sinned against thee and done this evill of adultery and murder in thy sight but I have done it out of the corruption of my vile nature I was not drawne to it through the violence of any sudden tentation but mine owne filthy nature drew me to it I am not onely guilty of this adultery and murder but I am more vile then so for I have in me and had so soone as I had any being a fountaine of all sinne for which thou maiest justly abhorre me and I loath my selfe much more then for my other sinnes For when they are repented of and I am delivered from the guilt and power of them yet this cursed root of all sinne that is in me will never be destroied till I be destroied my selfe This is the meaning of David here And therefore 1. He doubleth the words of this complaint which he maketh here unto God of his originall sin the corruption of his nature I was brought forth in iniquity and in sinne my mother conceived mee 2. He setteth before this his complaint of the corruption of his nature this word of attention behold as if hee should say this this is it that humbleth me most of all And from these words then wherein David doth in this manner complaine unto God of the corruption of his nature we have this doctrine to learne for our owne instruction That our originall sinne that corruption of nature wherein wee were borne and conceived is the sinne of all others fro which the Lord may most justly abhorre us and for which we should be most humbled and abased in our selves See the proofe of both the branches of this doctrine distinctly First That this is the sinne for which the Lord may most justly abhorre us Man saith Eliphaz Iob 15.16 that is every man which must needs be understood in respect of his nature is filthy and abominable in his sight And the Apostle Ephes. 2.3 We are even by nature the children of wrath As if he had said If we had no other sinne but that the very sinfullnesse of our nature maketh us worthy of Gods wrath and odious unto him This truth the Lord shaddowed out to his people under the law by sundry ceremonies For whereas you shall find few or no lawes made for the shutting men out from the tabernacle which was a type of heaven for actuall sinnes there are many against them that were defiled with such impurities as did typify the corruption of our nature by originall sinne The leper though he were a King might not be