into Hell God tries them in the Furnace of Afflictions to purify and prepare them for Heaven 2. 'T is a strong Cordial against fainting to consider that by virtue of the Paternal Relation he scourges every Son whom he receives for no Troubles are more afflictive and stinging than those that are unexpected Now when we are assured that there is no Son whom the Heavenly Father doth not chasten we are less surprized when we meet with Crosses Indeed there is hardly any kind of Affliction that may befal us but we have some instance in Scripture of the Saints suffering the same Are we poor and mean in the World we should consider that Poverty with Holiness is a Divine Complexion Jesus Christ the holy and beloved Son of God had not where to lay his Head Are we under bodily Distempers good Hezekiah was struck with an uncomfortable Disease as to the Quality of it and Gaius had a flourishing Soul in a languishing Body Are our dear Relations taken away Aaron and David lost some of their Sons by terrible Strokes Are our Spirits wounded with the sense of God's Displeasure Job and Heman were under strong Terrors yet the Favourites of Heaven Briefly how many most dear to God were called forth to extream and bloody Trials for Defence of the Truth How many Deaths did they endure in one Torment How many Torments in one Death yet they were so far from fainting that the more their Pains were exasperated the more their Courage and Joy was shining and conspicuous as the Face of the Heavens is never more serene and clear than when the sharpest North Wind blows 'T is the Apostle's Inference Seeing we are compassed with such a Cloud of Witnesses let us run with Patience the Race that is set before us This is further enforc'd by the following words If ye be without Chastening whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons If God doth not vouchsafe us the Mercy of his Rod 't is evident we are not part of his Fatherly Care The Bramble is neglected while the Vine is cut till it bleeds 'T is a miserable Privilege to be exempted from Divine Discipline and by Ease and Prosperity to be corrupted and made fit for Destruction St. Austin represents one expostulating with God O Deus ista est Justitia tua ut mali floreant boni laborent O God it is righteous with Thee that the Wicked should prosper and the Good suffer Dicis Deo ista est Justitia tua Deus tibi ista est Fides tua haec enim tibi promisi ad hoc Christianus factus es ut in seculo isto floreres in inferno postea torquereris God replies to him Is this your Faith Did I promise you Temporal Prosperity Were you a Christian for this that you might flourish in this World and be miserably tormented in Hell The Apostle represents the special Prerogative of God as the Father of Spirits and so hath a nearer Claim to us than the Fathers of our Flesh and that he is not liable to those Imperfections that attend the Earthly Relations They for a few days chastened us for their own Pleasure Human Love is a troubled irregular Passion mixt with Ignorance and prone to Error in the Excess or Defect Sometimes Parents are indulgent and by a cruel Compassion spare their Children when they are faulty sometimes they correct without Cause sometimes when the Reason is just yet they err in the manner or measure of the Correction so that their Children are discouraged But in God there is a perfect Union of Wisdom and Love of Discretion and Tenderness his Affection is without the least Imperfection His Will is always guided by infinite Wisdom If his Children offend he will chastise them with the Rod of Men that is moderately for as in Scripture things are magnified by the Epithet Divine or of God so they are lessened by the Epithet Human. Accordingly the Apostle declares to the Corinthians that no Temptation had befallen them but such as is common to Man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it As a prudent Physician consults the Strength of the Patient as well as the Quality of the Disease and proportions his Medicine so all the bitter Ingredients their Mixture and Measure are dispens'd by the wise Prescription of God according to the degrees of Strength that are in his People The Apostle specifies the immediate End of God in his Chastenings But he for our Profit that we may be partakers of his Holiness This is the supream Excellency of the Divine Nature and our Conformity to it is so valuable that it renders Afflictions not only tolerable but so far desirable as they contribute to it In the present State our Graces are imperfect and our Conformity to the Divine Purity is like the Resemblance of the Sun in a watry Cloud very much beneath the Perfection and Radiancy of that great Light Now God is pleased to fashion us according to his Image by Afflictions As a Statue is cut by the Artificer to bring it into a beautiful Form He is pleased to bring us into divers Temptations to try our Faith to work in us Patience to inflame our Prayers to mortify our Carnal Desires to break those voluntary Bonds whereby we are fettered to the Earth that we may live with those Affections wherewith others die And certainly if we make a true Judgment of things we have not the least cause to suspect the Love of God when he chastises us to take away Sin the only abominable Object of his Hatred and deep Detestation and to render us Partakers of the Divine Nature And the present peaceable Fruit of Righteousness is the Product in those who are duly exercised by their Troubles It is an Allusion to the Reward of the Conquerors in the Olympick Games who had a Crown of Olives the Emblem and Shadow of Peace But true Peace a Divine Calm in the Conscience shall be the Recompence of all that exercise their Graces sutable to an afflicted State In short the Apostle assures Believers that they are chastened of the Lord to prevent their Condemnation with the World The correcting Rod delivers them from Hell This Consideration changes Thorns into Roses and extracts Honey out of Wormwood if the way be stony or showery that leads to Blessedness a Christian should willingly walk in it To conclude from the Consideration of what the Scripture declares concerning Temporal Evils let us lift up the Hands that hang down and the feeble Knees and make streight Paths for our Feet lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed i. e. In our Affliction let us take Courage and Resolution from the Promises and live in a holy Conformity to God's Will that
some are denominated his Children for by this Evangelical Constitution God is pleased to receive Believers into a filial Relation Indeed where there is not a cordial Consent and Subjection to the Terms of the Covenant visible Profession and the receiving the External Seals of it will be of no advantage but the publick serious owning of the Gospel entitles a Person to be of the Society of Christians and Filius and Foederatus are all one Thirdly There is Sonship that arises from supernatural Regeneration that is the communicating a new Nature to Man whereby there is a holy and blessed Change in the directive and commanding Faculties the Understanding and Will and in the Affections and consequently in the whole Life This is wrought by the Efficacy of the Word and Spirit and is called by our Saviour Regeneration because it is not our Original Carnal Birth but a Second and Celestial 'T is with the new Man in Grace as with an Infant in Nature that has the essential Parts that compose a Man a Soul endowed with all its Faculties a Body with all its Organs and Parts but not in the Vigor of mature Age. Thus renewed Holiness in a Christian is compleat and entire in its Parts but not in Perfection of Degrees there is an universal Inclination to all that is holy just and good and a universal Aversion from Sin tho the Executive Power be not equal And regenerate Christians are truly called the Children of God for as in Natural Generation there is communicated a Principle of Life and sutable Operations from whence the Title and Relation of a Father arises so in Regeneration there are derived such holy and heavenly Qualities to the Soul as constitute a Divine Nature in Man whereby he is Partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself from hence he is a Child of God and has an Interest and Propriety in his Favour Power and Promises and all the Good that flows from them and a Title to the Eternal Inheritance II. I will shew what is included in our Love to the Children of God First The Principle of this Love is Divine The Soul is purified through the Spirit to unfeigned Love of the Brethren Naturally the Judgment is corrupted and the Will depraved that carnal Respects either of Profit or Pleasure are the quick and sensible Incitements of Love and till the Soul be cured of the sensual Contagion the Inclination can never be directed and the Desires fastned on the supernatural Image of God in his Saints As Holiness in the Creature is a Ray derived from the infinite Beauty of God's Holiness so the Love of Holiness is a Spark from the sacred Fire of his Love St. John exhorts Christians Let us love one another for Love is of God Natural Love among Men is by his general Providence but a gracious Love to the Saints is by his special Influence The natural Affection must be baptized with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to refine it to a Divine Purity Secondly The Qualifications of this Love are as follow 1. It is sincere and cordial it does not appear only in Expressions from the Tongue and Countenance but springs from the Integrity of the Heart 'T is stiled unfeigned Love of the Brethren 't is a Love not in Word and Tongue only but in Deed and Truth A counterfeit formal Affection set off with artificial Colours is so far from being pleasing to God the Searcher and Judg of Hearts that 't is infinitely provoking to him 2. 'T is pure the attractive Cause of it is the Image of God appearing in them Our Saviour assures us that Love shall be gloriously rewarded that respects a Disciple upon that account as a Disciple and a righteous Man as a righteous Man The holy Love commanded in the Gospel is to Christians for their Divine Relation as the Children of God as the Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost 3. From hence it is universal extended to all the Saints The Church is composed of Christians that are different in their Gifts and Graces and in their external Order some excel in Knowledg and Zeal and Love in active Graces others in Humility Meekness and Patience that sustain and adorn them in Sufferings some are in a higher Rank others are in humble Circumstances as in the visible World things are placed sutably to their Natures the Stars in the Heavens Flowers in the Earth and our special Respects are due to those whom the Favour of God has dignified above others and in whom the Brightness and Power of Grace shines more clearly for according as there are more Reasons that make a Person deserving Love the degrees of Love should rise in proportion But a dear Affection is due even to the lowest Saints for all have Communion in the same holy Nature and are equally instated in the same blessed Alliance 4. It must be fervent not only in Truth but in a degree of Eminency St. Peter joins the two Qualifications See that ye love one another with a pure Heart fervently Our Saviour sets before us his own Pattern as a Pillar of Fire to direct and inflame us This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you As I have loved you Admirable Example His Love was singular and superlative a Love that saves and astonishes us at once for he willingly gave his precious Life for our Ransom This we should endeavour to resemble tho our highest Expressions of Love and Compassion to the Saints are but a weak and imperfect Imitation of his Divine Perfection I shall add farther This Love includes all kinds of Love 1. The Love of Esteem correspondent to the real Worth and special Goodness of the Saints 'T is one Character of a Citizen of Heaven that in his Eyes a vile Person is contemned however set off by the Glory of the World and the Ornaments of the present State that as a false Mask conceal their foul Deformity to carnal Persons but he honours them that fear the Lord tho disfigured by Calumnies tho obscur'd and depress'd by Afflictions and made like their blessed Head in whom there was no Form nor Comeliness in the Judgment of Fools In our Valuation Divine Grace should turn the Scales against all the natural or acquired Perfections of Body or Mind Beauty Strength Wit Eloquence human Wisdom against all the external Advantages of this Life Nobility Riches Power and whatever is admired by a carnal Eye The Judgment and Love of God should regulate ours A Saint is more valued by God than the highest Princes nay than the Angels themselves considered only with respect to their spiritual Nature He calls them his peculiar Treasure his Jewels the first-Fruits of the Creatures sacred for his Use and Glory in comparison of whom the rest of the World are but Dregs a corrupt Mass. They are stiled his Sons being Partakers of that Life of which he is the Author and
Benefit For if they do not feel the Blow how shall they take notice of the Hand that strikes If they are not softened with Sorrows how shall they receive the Divine Impression If they have no sense of his Displeasure how shall they fear to offend him for the future If the Medicine doth not work how can it expel noxious Humours 2. The neglect of Chastenings doth not only render them unprofitable but exposes to greater Evils 1. It provokes God to withdraw his Judgments for a time This the Sinner desired and thinks himself happy that he is at ease Miserable Delusion This Respite is the Presage of his final Ruin 'T was the desperate State of Judah as God expresses it Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more The words of an anxious Father that has tried all Methods Counsel Kindness Corrections to reclaim a rebellious obstinate Son and finding no answerable Effect gives him over to follow the pernicious swinge of his corrupt Desires No Severity is like the suffering him in his licentious Courses Thus when God hath used many gracious ways to reduce the Sinner by his Word Spirit and Judgments but he is inflexible to the Calls of the Word impenetrable to the Motions of the Spirit and insensible of afflicting Providences when after a Combate with the Rod Sin comes off unwounded and the Rod retires this Calm is more dreadful than the fiercest Storm nothing can be more fatal to the Sinner for by this Divine Desertion he is given over to a reprobate Mind and vile Affections he goes on undisturb'd in his Sins and every day increaseth his Enmity against God and provokes God's Enmity against him 'T is not conceivable that one who is not made pliable to the Grace of God by Afflictions should submit when he is in pleasant Circumstances and dispos'd to enjoy sensual Satisfactions If the Whip and Spur cannot break and tame the unruly Beast certainly the rich Pasture will never make him manageable So that God's ceasing to punish the Sinner at present is so far from being a Favour that 't is the Effect of his deepest Displeasure for it contributes to his hardning 'T was the Case of Pharaoh when any of the Plagues were removed Indulgence occasioned his Induration As Water taken from the Fire freezes sooner and harder than if the thinner Parts had never been evaporated by the former Heat so when Men are taken off from the Fire of Affliction they are more confirmed in their vicious Courses than if they had never been afflicted 2. The slighting of lighter Strokes provokes God sometimes to bring more dreadful Judgments in this Life upon Sinners No Man can endure that his Love or Anger should be despised Nebuchadnezzar commanded the Furnace to be heated seven times hotter for those who contemned his Threatnings God tells the Israelites If ye will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me Then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your Sins He will change the Rods into Scorpions and will scourge them for their continued Rebellions 'T is the intent of that Expostulation Shall one take up a Snare from the Earth and have taken nothing at all Shall God remove his Judgments while Sinners are careless and unreformed as if they might be final Conquerors over them no he will multiply and greaten them It may be at first God blasts part of the Estate and the Sinner is not apprehensive of his Hand then he comes nearer and snatches away a dear Relation if still the Sinner is unaffected he strikes his Body with a lingring or acute Disease if still he be not concern'd for God's Displeasure he wounds his Spirit makes him sick in Sense and Conscience at the same time fills him with Terror by the Reflection upon his wicked Ways and the fore-sight of that dreadful Tribunal before which he must appear so that altho he cannot live he dare not die tho his Earthly Tabernacle be ready to fall upon him he is afraid to go out and meet the supream Judg and if this doth not work a sincere thorow Change God casts him into Hell to the Company of the Giants those bold Rebels that fought against God Briefly as under the Law an incorrigible Son that neglected his Father's Reproofs was to die without Mercy so an unreformed Sinner who kicks against the Pricks and refuses to submit to God's Corrections shall be cut off in his Obstinacy Justice will proceed to Excision and Acts of Vengeance against him 3. Fainting under Chastenings is pernicious to Sufferers for it renders them utterly indisposed for the Performance of Duty and uncapable of receiving the Comforts proper for an afflicted State 1st It renders them utterly indisposed for the performance of Duty Hope draws forth all the active Powers of the Soul 't is the great Motive to Diligence and Instrument of Duty Despair like extremity of Cold that checks the Spring and binds up the Earth that its Fruits cannot appear hinders the free Exercise of Reason and Grace and cuts the Sinews of Obedience He that is hopeless of a good Issue out of Troubles will neither repent nor pray nor reform but indulges barren Tears instead of real Duties Besides it often falls out that the same Affliction is sent from God's Displeasure upon his People for their Sins and is the Effect of the Rage of Men against them upon the account of their professing his Name Such is the Wisdom and Goodness of God that by the same fiery Trial he may refine his Servants from their Dross and Impurities and render the Glory of the Gospel more conspicuous The Hatred of Religion and a blind Fury may transport Men to Acts of Cruelty against the Saints but 't is by the permission of the universal Soveraign who hath the Hearts of all in his Hands and fuffers their Rage for holy Ends. The Enemy designs against their Faith but God's Aim is to make them reform their Lives Now if either through strong Fears or the stinging sense of Troubles upon the account of Religion our Courage fails we are presently in danger of falling away and denying our Master The faint-hearted Person is usually false-hearted and for want of Resolution being frighted out of his Conscience and Duty chooses Sin rather than Suffering and thereby justly deprives himself of the Crown of Life that is promised only to those who are faithful unto the Death Besides not only the loss of Heaven but the Torments of Hell are threaten'd against those who withdraw from the Service of God to avoid Temporal Evils The fearful and unbelieving are in the front of those that shall have part in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Now what Folly is it when two Evils are propounded to choose the greatest that is Eternal Death rather than Temporal and of two Goods to prefer the less a
admits of no Apology and Defence Nay it aggravates the Sin and Sentence of such depraved Creatures As there is in Vertue and Holiness a Divine Degree of Perfection that makes Persons not capable of departing from their Duty so there is a Diabolical Degree in Sin when the Soul is so depraved that it cannot abstain from doing Evil. And as consummate Vertue is most worthy of Esteem and Praise so when a vicious Habit contracted by long Custom in Sin absolutely possesses the Soul 't is most worthy of Abhorrence Now only Divine Grace compels Sinners to come to Christ and to partake of saving Mercies that is changes the Biass of the Will and makes it obedient to the Heavenly Call God is the supream Mover and turns all Occurrences in the World to his Purpose and Praise and the Hearts of Men are not exempt from his Dominion but he turns them as the Rivers of Waters The effectual Operation of Grace does not violate the native Freedom of the Will but is congruous to it God's drawing is by teaching Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father comes to me When the Author of the Gospel is the Teacher of it the most stupid and obstinate Sinners shall be convinc'd and obedient To make this more clear I will briefly consider the Intellectual Frame of Man and the natural Subordination of the Faculties in their various Operations As the Spring in a Watch so the Understanding is the first Mover in the reasonable Creature the Understanding has a double Faculty the Apprehensive to discover the Good and Evil in Objects presented to it and the Judicative to compare and ponder the Good and Evil discern'd in things and accordingly to esteem or disvalue to approve or dislike The Will chooses what the Understanding commends and rejects what the Judgment condemns The Affections of Desire and Delight are from the Choice of the Will the Affections of Aversation and Flight are from the Rejection of the Will The Pursuit or Neglect of Things the Application or Opposition we make in our Actions and Practice to them is from the Delight or Distaste of Things in our Affections But when Lust enter'd into the Soul it perverted this Order As the strong Tide of the Sea pouring into Rivers turns them back to their Springs in a Course contrary to their natural Motion thus the Heart overflowing with a strong Tide of Corruption empties it self into the Head the Spring of Actions the unholy Affections work upon the Will to reject the Offers of Grace in the Gospel and the corrupt Will works upon the Mind to vilify them 'T is to be observ'd that the Tempter works upon Mens Minds in the unnatural way he makes use of the disorder'd Affections to pervert the Will and of the perverted Will to divert the Understanding from due Consideration of Objects and to corrupt its Judgment But God works by the Understanding on the Will and Affections according to the regular Dependance of those Faculties The first Beam of saving Grace shines into the Mind with so strong a Light discovering Spiritual and Eternal Things in their Reality and Glory that the Will and Affections are drawn to choose and embrace and to follow them with Zeal and Constancy In this blessed Work we are to consider the Revelation of the Object and the Irradiation of the Mind As in the discerning of Corporal things there must be Light in the Eye or there can be no Seeing and Light in the Air or there can be no Sight So the great Mysteries of Godliness which are of impossible discovery without Revelation are made known in the Gospel and the Understanding is illuminated to see them in their Reality and transcendent Goodness as the Apostle expresses This is a faithful saying and worthy of all Acceptation that Jesus Christ is come into the World to save Sinners He prays for the Ephesians That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory may give them the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation in the Knowledg of him that the Eyes of their Understanding being inlightened they may know what is the Hope of his Calling and what the Riches of the Glory of his Inheritance in the Saints Altho the Evidence of Faith be not so clear as that of Sense yet 't is so sure that the Adherence of Faith is more firm to its Objects tho future than of Sense to things present With the Irradiation of the Mind there is such a determining fluence on the Will and the Affections that Christ and Heaven are joyfully chosen before all things In converting Sinners there is not a bare proposal of the Objects of Faith with the Motives to believe and accept them and Men are left to their own Discretion and Choice The Holy Ghost who certainly knows the manner and efficacy of his own Operations expresses converting Grace by the exceeding Greatness of his Power toward them that believe according to the working of his mighty Power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the Dead and set him at his own Right-hand in Heaven 'T is true the Principle of Resistance in corrupt Nature is not quite extinguish'd but actual Resistance is overcome by the holy Spirit who works to will and to do of his good Pleasure In the Human Will we are to consider the Faculty of choosing and refusing which includes in it Freedom and Liberty without which it ceases to be a Will 2. The Depravation of it and this consists in a necessity of choosing the Evil of Sin represented as pleasing to the Carnal Affections and rejecting the Law of God which is holy and good The sinning Will contracted this necessity Now Grace does not destroy the Nature of the Will but changes its Quality of Carnal and Earthly makes it Holy and Heavenly this is exprest by a new Heart and a new Spirit And when the Spirit of the Mind is renewed by illuminating Grace and the Will and Affections of the Heart are renewed by purifying Grace the Will does as freely and necessarily choose Spiritual and Eternal Things as in the State of Nature it chose Things pleasing to the corrupt Appetites God draws Sinners to himself with the Cords of a Man in a rational way without Violence to their Faculties and fastens them by Bands of Love He instructs the Soul and infuses such a Principle and Disposition as is sutable to the Doctrine When the Will is directed and drawn by the illuminating Guidance of the Mind to choose and embrace the most excellent Good and the other Faculties to obey this is Man's true Liberty In Heaven the unvariable fixing the Will upon God our Supream Good is its Perfection and Felicity The outward Means of inducing Men to comply with God's Call is the preaching of the Word If it were the Will of God he can immediately create Men as Adam in compleat Stature and with the Perfection of Reason but he makes use of Second