his countenance upon us and not when he hides his face from us e Ps 4. 7. Let him kisse me saith the spouse with the kisses of his mouth f Cant. 1. 2. Ps 63. 3. that is let him shew me some love tokens As the Rabbins say Moses died ad osculum oris dei with a kisse from the mouth of God for his love is sweeter then wine and better then life good or evill affects not till apprehended Job lamented not at all his losses till a messenger related them to him Nor did Jacob rejoyce that Joseph was alive till he knew it Who joyes in an inheritance befallen him till he know it Nor can we joy in Christ a Saviour till vve knovv him to be our Savionr Indeed Paul knovves it already yet he would fain know it better for the strongest faith is subject to shakings as the brightest stars to twinkling as Noahs Ark to tossing with the waves or as a ship at anchor to shaking with the winds 2 Cor. 4. 8. 9. Perplexed saith Paul but not in despair persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed Thus we see the faith of those that have drunk deepest of the cup of Gods love is subject to fainting and winnowing but it shal never fail Luk. 22. 2. Object 1. If any shall object a man may be saved by faith of adherence though hee hath not faith of evidence that is by resting upon Christ for salvation though he come not to know particularly that Christ is his as appeares by these texts * Iob. 13. 14. Ps 51. 11. 12. Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his servant that walketh in darknes and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord Esa 50. 10. and stay upon his God c. Answ I answer first iâ—s true there may be faith in Christ and by consequence salvation obtained by those that know not that Christ is theirs Or a man may be saved by faith of Adherence without some kind of evidence But there is a twofold evidence 1. Of salvation and that Christ is ours 2. Of promises upon which our adhaerence is grounded Ioh. 6. 40. Heb. 11. 13. Heb. 11. 13. Zach. 1â— 10. Voluntas estceca sine ratione Now a man can have no faith no not of adhaerence without an evidence of promises upon which his adhaerence is built for faith is an act of the understanding as well as of the will for the will acts by the understanding or else it were an irrationall act But Quisquis credit rationabiliter credit as Bishop Davenant whoever beleeves must at least have a reason of his faith for he must be ready to give a reason of his faith as Peter speaks 1 Pet. 3. 15. And though the promises may be but darkly seen or apprehended in a weak beleever yet so farre as faith acteth so farre he seeth a promise to ground his faith upon As all that were cured by the brazen Serpent saw the Serpent more or lesse though more dimly Perhaps sometime a weak beleever can see no promise yet he hath a promise and at that time he may not be able to act his faith though he hath faith If we beleeve not yet he abideth faithfull 2 Tim. 2 13. But secondly though a man may be saved by faith of adherence without evidence of the spirit or comfort as before is said yet no man can live or die comfortably till hee know Christ is his in particular As a condemned man that hath his pardon granted shall not die yet he hath little joy in his life till he know of it So such a man may goe to heaven but he will goe mourning to heaven As Christ went to heaven being taken up in a Câ—oud Or as the kine that carried the Arke went right but they lowed as they went Obj. 2 No man can know Christ to be his in particular for then he must know it either by the word or by the spirit inwardly perswading his heart of it Not by the word which speaks onely in generall ordinarily as Whosoever believeth c. As many as recieved him c. But mertions not in particular that we have received him that we beleeve or are beloved Dan. 9. 23. c. except to a few sparingly Luke 1. 28. as to Daniel O Daniel greatly beloved and Mary Haile Mary greatly beloved highly favoured c. Now our hearts make the application thus But I beleeve in him I have received him Ergo. But our hearts are deceitfull above all things and therefore are not to be trusted unto Yea there is a generation that are pure in their owne eyes whose hearts are not washt from their filthinesse s Prov. 30. Gal. 6. 3. Rev. 3. 17. and many think themselves something when they are nothing being deceived in their own imagination And if you say the Spirit of God perswades my conscience how do you know it is the Spirit of God and not a delusion I answ That we may know particularly Gal. 6. 4. Christ is ours is without all question else why are we commanded to prove ou selves whether we be in the faith to make our calling and election sure The Papists themselves say all Gods lawes are possible even legal much more Evangelicall and therefore it is possible to make our calling and election sure 2. Why hath God left signs to prove our faith t Matt. 5. 4. 5. 6. 1 Iohn 3. 14. which were in vain if it were impossible 3. How could we else call God father if we could not know him to be our Father 2. Rejoyce our names are written in heaven 3. Be thankfull that we are made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light u Col. 1. 12 4 Desire the comming of Christ 5. Or triumph over death w 1 Cor. 15 55. if we could not know Christ to be ours 4. This Paul John Thomas knew yea the whole Church of Corinth 2 Cor. 5. 1. 5. It is cleer by these Scriptures 1 Joh. 5. 13. 1 Joh. 4. 13. 1 Cor. 2. 12. Heb. 10. 34. Caution Not that any know it perfectly without some reluctancy of the flesh because we know but in part our assurance proceeds from knowledg x Gal. 5. 17. 1 Cor. 13. Col. 2. 2. and the most perfect faith is mixt with some diffidence y Heb. 3. 12. Yet the least measure of faith hath this Knowledge in some degree for the weakest faith must apprehend some promise it rests upon or else we believe presumptuously as we heard before And secondly though the word doth not witnesse in particular and a naturall conscience is blind and deceitfull a Icr. 17. 9. Tit. 1. 15. yet a conscience inlightned by the spirit cannot be deceived in any thing necessary to salvation because the spirit hath promised to lead us into all saving
of his understanding It is said of Christ he knew no sinne k 2 Cor. 5. 21. because he did no sinne So here we are required to study to know Christ not with bare speculation but practically and operatively Phil. 3. 10. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection that is that we may finde the operation of that power in our souls which Christ shewed in raising himselfe from the dead And this appears in 2. particulars First whereby he gives us power against the love and dominion of sinne to feele vertue and strength from Christ to crucifie our sinnes that crucified our Saviour They that are Christs saith Paul have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof l Gal. 5. 24. And if we know Christ to be ours we know that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sinne might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sinne m Rom. 6. 6. 1 Cor. 15. 31. Eph. 4. 21. And truly there is nothing more powerfull to mortifie sinne then the knowledge and meditation of the sufferings of Christ If one should kill our father would we hug and embrace him as our friend let him eate at our table and not rather hate and detest the very sight of him and seek to be revenged of him If a Snake should sting thy dearly beloved spouse to death wouldst thou preserve it alive warme it at the fire hug it in thy bosome and not rather stob it with a thousand wounds And were not our sinnes the causes and instruments of Christs death Were not they the whips that scourged him the nayles the cords the speares the thornes that wounded him and fetcht his heart bloud from him And can we love our sinnes that kild our Saviour Can a spouse love her husband and her heart embrace an adulterer We complaine of the sinne of Judas and of the Jewes and seeme to hate them and spit at the mention of them and can we love our Judas sins that set them all on work and put Christ to death And certainly he knowes nothing of Iesus Christ savingly as the truth is in Jesus that hath not put off the old man which is corrupt according to deceitfull lusts n Eph. 4. 21. 22. Though not totally yet abating the love and power of them daily as a man wounded mortally daily weakens Or as a tree cut at the root daily withers by little and little or as a dead man in the grave daily rots stinks and wasts for so saith Saint Paul by our rejoycing in Christ I die daily o 1 Cor. 15. 31. There were five Monkes that were studying what was the best meanes to mortifie sinne One said to meditate of death the second to meditate of judgement the third to meditate of the joyes of heaven the fourth to meditate of the torments of hell the fifth to meditate of the love and sufferings of Christ And indeed this is the strongest motive of all Camer reports that Solomon had Camer a glasse wherein if a worme were put and one prickt it so that the bloud issued it would break the glasse I am sure if any thing the bloud of Christ will break our hearts As they say the bloud of a Goat will dissolve the Adamant Secondly wee must study to know the power of his resurrection in raising us up to newnesse of life changing our natures creating in us new hearts and making us new creatures p Eph. 4. 21. 23. 24. That we may be able to say with Paul I live yet q Gal. 2. 20. Col. 3 1. 2. Phil. 3. 10. not I but Christ lives in me that we are risen with Christ seeking and setting our affections on the things above and not on earth having felt the spirit of Christ in our hearts like a loadstone drawing our hearts to heaven whither he is ascended Or as the Sunne drawes up the â—â—pours from the earth that whereas before we were like mouls alwayes moving in the earth now we are like the Eagles soaring up to heaven being clothed with the Sunne and having the Moone under our feet CHAP. IX That the knowledge of Jesus Christ and him crucified is the sweetest and most excellent knowledge ANd thus I have finished the first particular viz. What knowledge of Christ is to be studied of us consisting of foure particulars namely The knowledge of 1. Speculation 2. Application 3. Affection 4. Operation 2. Now followeth the second particular Why wee ought especially to study to know Iesus Christ and him crucified And that for these three reasons Because it is the most 1. Excellent Knowledg in the world 2. Profitable Knowledg in the world 3. Comfortable Knowledg in the world First the knowledge of Christ is the most excellent knowledge I count all things as losse not onely for the gaining of Christ but for the excellencie of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord saith Saint Paul a and yet to gaine Christ is much Phli 3. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more then to know him Nay more In him are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge Colos 2. 3. Now treasures we know are abundance of precious Thesauri sunt Divitiae congregater Aq. things So Chrys Aquin. Theoph. In Christ there is all rich and precious knowledge a fountaine of riches Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome and knowledge of Christ Rom. 11. 33. Nay further In him are All treasures He that knoweth Christ hath all profitable knowledge so that he need know nothing else to make him happy And contrarily Si quishaberet librum ubi esset tota scientia non quaereret nisi ut sciret illum librum sic nos non oportet amplius quaerere nisi Christum Aquin in Col. 2. 3. if he know all things else and knowes not Christ he hath no rich or precious knowledge no treasures of knowledge but empty and unprofitable knowledge 3. Nay yet more All treasures are HID in him As men do hide and lay up their treasures from the sight and knowledge of men so there is such a vast sea of treasures and riches in the knowledge of Christ as men cannot apprehend And that in two respects 1. propter debilitatem intellectus as a candle is not seen of the blind so our understandings are not able to discerne them 1 Cor. 2. 14. And secondly propter velamen oppositum as a candle in a dark Lanthorne for they are not fully revealed As Aquin. Hence saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath Rom. 8. 18. Nos habemus non limpidos sed lippos occulos Acquin 1 Cor. 2. 10. not seene the riches that are to be found in Christ any further then they are revealed by the spirit of Christ d Reas 1. Now the reason why the knowledge of Christ and him Crucified is so excellent Is because it hath a more excellent and higher revelation then the knowledge of all other things Adam had
be no Lord he will be no Saviour for therefore he died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of quick and dead Rom. 14. 9. Sign 10 The tenth signe of a man that knowes Christ savingly is when the utmost end of all his actions is supernaturall even to yield obedience unto God commanding them and the advancing of his glory as a faithfull servant aimes at his masters profit when whatsoever he does it is to the glory of God when he lives not to himselfe but to him that died for him and rose again when he is more grieved at Gods dishonour then his own and is content to be abased that God may be glorified for now the will is elevated above nature to look at a higher principle then it selfe even the glory of God Thus did Ioseph it is not in me saith he but God shall give Pharaoh an answer a Gen. 41. 16. so Daniel there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets but as for me this secret is not revealed to me for any wisedome that I have more then others c. b Dan. 2. 28. 30. And the disciples when they healed the lame man told them why look you so earnestly upon us as though by our own power and holinesse we had made this man walk the God of Abraham c. c Act. 3. 12. And lastly to name no more Saint Paul tels them d 1 Thes 2. 4. 6. we speak not as pleasing men but God which tryeth our hearts v. 6. Nor of men sought we glory nor of you nor yet of others And hence it is that our Lord Christ makes it a mark of a righteous man e Ioh. 7. 18. he that seeketh the glory of him that sent him the same is true and there is no unrighteousnesse in him And this is made a mark of a vessell of honour by Paul f 2. Tim. 2. 20. Nihil agit ultrà sphaeram activitatis suae He is a vessell sanctified for his masters use And the reason is because nothing can move above its principle the stream can rise no higher then the fountain nor can nature go beyond nature as water cannot heat except fire be in it Caut. Not but that some risings of self remaines in the best as in David when he numbred the people and the disciples when they reasoned which of them should be greatest but they are lamented and repented off and mourned under as their greatest burthen as did Hezekiah who humbled himselfe because his heart was lifted up 2 Chron. 32. 25. Contrarily a naturall man makes a god of himselfe hath no higher end in all his actions then himselfe his own ease credit happinesse c. As God complaineth Israel is an empty vine yet he bringeth forth fruit to himselfe Hos 10. 1. and our Lord Christ of the Pharisees All their workes they do is to be seen of men g Matth. 23. 5. They may say of all their best actions though never so specious as Nebuchadnezzar said of his Babel is not this great Babel that I have built for the honour of my name So all they do is for the honour of their name like windmils which go because the wind blowes or like marigolds that open because the Sun shines upon them Now these their hearts are not upright in them Hab. 2. â—4 but like false servants that sell their masters wares well but then purloyn and rob them of the gaines He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his own glory c. John 7. 18. and such cannot have part in Christ John 5. 44. How can you beleeve that seek honour one of another And it is a mark of those that were counterfeit beleevers they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God Iohn 12. 43. CHAP. XXI The eleventh signe of the saving knowledge of Christ is the witnesse of the Spirit THe eleventh and last sign I shall mention is the witnesse of the spirit Rom. 8. 16. The spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that we are the children of God Some make this the only mark to prove our interest in Christ and deny all signs from the fruits of the spirit but this were to deny the fruit grown upon the tree to be a signe that the tree is alive but our Saviour tels us a tree is known by the fruit and the Lord hath left them in Scripture as infallible markes and therefore to deny them were to impute folly or unfaithfulnesse to God himselfe which were the greatest Blasphemy Yet we exclude not the witnesse of the spirit as a certain evidence of our part in Christ a 1 Ioh. 5. 6. Eph 4. 13. Eph. 4. 30. Which consists in two particulars 1. First The spirit perswades my conscience I am the child of God Rom. 8. 16. A witnesse is for manifestation and confirmation 1 Cor. 2. 12. 1 Cor. 2. 12. As it were a secret voice speaking to our hearts and saying as Christ to the leper be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee b Matth. 9. 2. 2. Secondly in an inward ravishiâ—g joy and comfort which the spirit workes and leaves with this assurance which is that hidden Mannah which that man that feels it in himselfe cannot expresse to others c Rev. 2. 17. which is called the Lords Supping with us d Rev. 3. 20. and his chearing us as with flagons of wine e Cant. 2. 5. and hence the spirit is called the Holy Ghost the comforter for he fils the heart sometimes by this testimony with such joyes is unspeakable the soule for the time being with Paul in his rapture rather in heaven then on earth though here he hath but a taste yet the fulnesse thereof are the joyes of heaven it selfe 1. For the Kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the Holy-Ghost Rom. 14. 1. Quest How shall I know that it is not a delusion Answ I answer this voice God sends usually when the soule is mourning and full of heavinesse as we give wiâ—e to them that are of a heavy heart Blessed are f Iohn 16. 20. they that mourne for they shall be comforted Matth. 5. 44. And likely either when they are waiting upon God in his ordinances to find Christ as Mary waited at the sepulchre to see him Or wrestling with God in prayer c. as Cornel. Acts 10. 31. Dan. 9. 31. But as for dreams visions and Enthusiasmes though Jacob Gen. 28. when he slept saw a vision of Angels and was comforted and diverse others yet God seldome now speakes by visions but by his word and spirit Heb. 1. 1. and therefore visions are to be usually little regarded 2. The spirit witnesseth alwayes according to the word and that by discovering the promises in the word to our consciences perswading us that they belong to us a 1 Iohn 3. 14. Matth. 5. 3. It fils his heart with love and thankfulnesse to God and makes him
been too strong for thee I doubt Doubt 3 because I doubt I have so many temptations that I nothing but doubt though I know the word is true and I cannot object against it But God hath said being justified by faith we have peace with God Rom. 5. 1. I answer there is a twofold doubting either from want of faith which is not properly doubting but totall infidelity and distrust or secondly from weaknesse of faith when it assents to the promises yet is joyned with suspicions and feares Now these may stand with faith as the poor man that wept saying Lord I beleeve help my unbelief a Mark 9. 24. for the root of infidelity within us will oppose faith b 1 Thes 3. 10. Heb. 3. 12 1 Pet 5. 8. and neither is it our case alone though we are ready to say no body hath so many temptations as we have c. but of all Gods people Simon Satan c Luk. 22 31. hath desired to winâ—ow thee as wheat c. But I have prayed that thy faith shall not faile thee 2. Secondly I answer Paul saith indeed we have peace with God and so we have for God is at peace with us though we do not alwayes discerne it as the root remaines sometimes when the flower is gathered But he doth not say we have peace with the world with the divel with our lusts c. for the world will now hate us that loved us before and the divel will tempt and assault us bitterly that seemed quiet before and our own sinfull lusts will now wound vex and trouble us that we regarded not before and God will ost afflict us more then he did before Fourthly Doubt 4 I doubt because I cannot act faith my faith failes me I cannot rest my soule upon Christ I answer we must distinguish between the habit and the act of faith the habit or grace of faith that is the inward principle or quality of faith infused by the holy-Ghost this never failes but is an abiding quality now abideth faith hope charity c. 1 Cor. 13. But the act of faith may cease for a time and doth in the best sometimes especially in time of temptation as it was in Abraham when he said of his wife she is my sister in David who said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul and in Peter when he denied Christ and forswore him A man may have a hand yet somtimes through distemper not be able to put it forth yet God hath promised Though we believe not that is sometimes are not able to act faith yet God is faithfull be cannot deny himselfe 2 Tim. 2. 13. Fifthly Doubt 5 I doubt because I want assurance comfort when some rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious they have tasted hidden Manna and have gotten the white 1 Pet. 1. 8. stone and the new name which no man knowes but they that have received them and are filled with peace that passeth all understanding 1. I answer first comfort is not the standing dish of a Christian in this life as we make not a meale of sweet meats but they are as a second course to close up the stomack your conduit pipes do not runne sweet water all the yeere but at a Kings Coronation or at some day of speciall solemnization we give Cordials onely when men are sick Our Lord Christ after his resurrection appeared indeed to his Disciples but hee was quickly gone it was but a sight and away as Latimer said of the spirit it is going and coming comfort is reserved for Heaven and we have but a taste on earth to teach us to walk by faith and not by sight and to teach us to expect our life of comfort in Heaven and not on earth 2. Comfort is not of the essence of faith but a degree of glory Christ himselfe wanted comfort when he cried out 2 Cor. 5. 7. Iohn 20. â—9 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me but he wanted not faith but he still called him his Lord his God So David when he prayed to God to restore to him the joyes of his salvation had no joy nay instead of it he roared all day Psal 32. So Iob Heman and others and yet their faith failed not Now we are not to believe so long as comfort lasts but so long as the promises last which are better then comfort without them if we have not the shining of his countenance let us be glad of the shining of his graces if we have not the sun-light of his spirit let us be glad of the star-light of the fruits of his spirit if we have not the Holy-Ghost the comforter let us be glad of the Holy Ghost the humbler sanctifier c. He that makes joy and comfort the ground of his faith to rest upon rests upon an inconstant object and will be tossed up and down daily with continuall feares let us bring our feeling down to our faith and not our faith to our feeling he that will not beleeve God in his promises would hardly beleeve if he had comfort from him how shall we prove our comfort but by the promises 3. That is the strongest faith that can believe without comfort yea when God frownes upon us as Iob did though he kill me yet will I trust in him Every body can say the sunne shines when we see the light and feel the heat as Christ said to Thomas thou wilt not believe except thou seest but blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed as David did Psal 42. 11. Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me still trust in God c. and Isa 50. 10. he that feareth the Lord though he walks in darkenesse and seeth no light yet let him stay himselfe in the Lord and trust in his God Sixthly Doubt 6 I doubt because I have strong lusts still remaining when as you know faith purifieth the heart a Hab. 3. 17. and if any be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away and all things are become new b 2 Cor. 5. 17. and they that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof c Gal. 5. 17. But I am the old man I find the old inclination to old sinnes c. I answer Christ and sin cherished allowed d Psal 66. 18. 1 Iohn 3. 9. cannot stand together but Christ and â—in mourned under may dwell together as in Paul that cryed out O wretched e Rom. 7. 24. ult man that I am who shall deliver me c. and in my mind I serve the Law of God but in my flesh the Law of sin For grace is seen as well in opposing as overcomming corruption because corruption would never dislike corruption The Lord lookes not so much what we are but what we would be neither doth he measure us so much by our actions as by our affections Caution