Rom. 12.1 Which is your reasonable Service So also Revel 2.19 I know thy work Charity and Service This latter Service is the saving Service that Service whereby in special manner we are called Gods Servants and in that respect we may be serviceable to God though not in the former Secondly As for the Service of special Employment that is also various Somtimes God doth cal a man to one kind of Service somtimes to another He hath several waies of employment he employed Moses one way in giving out the Law and hâ— employed Ezra another way in restoring of the Law Both were employed but their Employments were very different In 1 Sam. 30. we read that when David fought against the Amalekâ—tes to recover his Wives and substance some of his men stayed and tarriâ—d by the Stuff to preserve that and saith David verse 24. As his part is that goeth down to the Battel so shall his part be that tarryeth by the Stuff they shall part alike Now it may be you are one of those that stay by Christs Stuff being employed in some lower and meaner Service Christ hath a care of you and though you stay at home yet you even you shall have part in the Spoyl as well as those whose work and employment is more honorable Thirdly Yea though God do lay me by for the present yet he may use me afterward God did make use of Joseph but he first laid him by God did make use of Moses but he first laid him by God did make use of David but did he not first lay him by Quidam eundem putant Emman Sa. Alp. Salmeron in Acts 1. Vide Transl Syriac in Acts 15.22 And if Barnabas the Companion of Paul were the same person with Barsabas as some do verily beleeve though the Syriack Translation is plainly against it because the Name of boâ—h was Joses or Joseph as appears by comparing Acts 1.23 with Acts 4.36 And because this Joses was not called Barnabas from the beginning but named Barnabas by the Apostles Acts 4.46 If I say Barnabas were the same with Barsabas then it appears plainly that God doth not alwaies lay a man by to use him no more for what abundance of service Barnabas did the Book of the Acts doth declare yet he was first laid by in the choyce that was between him and Matthew for the lot fell on Matthew yet Barnabas is sent out afterwards by the Church Acts 11.22 and by God himself Acts 13.2 and much Service he did do for God So that though God do lay me by for the present yet he may use me afterwards Fourthly And if a man may be employed for God in some special Service yet may go to Hell when all is done and a man may not be employed and yet go to Heaven afterward then why should you be discouraged because you are not so employed Now what think ye of those which ye read of in Matth. 7. they say at the last day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name cast out Devils in thy Name and done many wonderful works in thy Name Works and great works and many and wonderful they did and all in the Name of Christ yet he wil say to them Depart from me for I never knew you or I know you not Yea did not our Savior Christ say concerning Judas I have chosen twelve and one of you is a Devil A Devil yet an Apostle what greater Work Service or Employment than the Work of an Apostle yet possibly a man may be an Apostle in regard of Employment and a very Devil in regard of Life On the other side how many good and gracious men are there in the world who were never used or called forth unto any special Service such as are now in Heaven and shal be so unto al Eternity What then though you be not employed or used as others are yet surely you have no just cause or reason to be discouraged in this respect Fiftly And if it be the property of a good man to rejoyce in the Service of others then why should you be discouraged because others are employed and you not A Godly man doth mourn for anothers sin as wel as for his own because he mourns for sin as sin and as a dishonor unto God So he rejoyces in the Service of another as wel as in his own becau e he rejoyces in the work it self and â—ecâ—use God is honored You would have Gods Cart to be driven through your Gate Why is it not because you may have some Toll thereby Paul said However Christ is preached and therefore I rejoyce and if Christs work be done whose hands â—oever the work comes through why should you not rejoyce And if it be our Duty to rejoyce then surely you have no Scripture ground and reason for your Discouragement in this regard Object 2 But I am not discouraged because I do want Employment or Service I have more work lies upon my Shop-board than I can turn my hand unto but I have a great deal of work to do and I have no skil to do it O! I want Abilities I want Sufficiencies I do want Endowments therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No For Gods greatest Works are not alwaies done by the greatest Parts and most choyce Abilities Gâ—deon did a great Work for God in his Generation yet saith he Judg. 6.15 O my Lord wherewith shall I save Israel behold my Family is poor in Manasseth and I am least in my Fathers House As if he should say if this great work be done it must be done by some strong and potent Family or Pâ—rson but as for me I am the least in my Fathers House and my Fathers House is the least in Manasseh yet saith the Lord to him I will be with thee and thou shalt smite Midian as one man I have read in Scripture that the People have been too many and the means too strong for God to work by but I never read that it was too smal or weak for God to work by God saith Who hath despised the day of smal things And if he wil not have us to despise the day of his smal things surely he wil not despise the day of our smal things Did not the weakness of the Apostles overcome the strength of al the world Who doth not see what weighty Buildings God hath somtimes laid upon our Laths He is able to make as great a hole with his Needle as with our Bodkin Answ 2 Our best Abilities for Gods Work are from the breathings of the Spirit of God Water is weak in it self but when the Wind blows upon it how strong is it So if the Spirit of God breath upon us we are strong though in our selves as weak as water Not by might nor by strength but by the Spirit of the Lord saith Zachariah And if ye look upon that great Service of the re-building of the
divers new Plates 6 Galen's Art of Physick with a large Comment 7 A New Method both of studying and practising Physick 8 A Treatise of the Rickets being a Disease common to Children wherein is shewed 1 The Essence 2 The Causes 3 The Signs 4 The Remedies of the Disease Published in Latin by Dr. Glisson Dr. Bates and Dr. Regemorter translated into English And corrected by N. Culpeper 9 Medicaments for the Poor Or Physick for the Common People 10 Health for the Rich and Poor by Dyet without Physick A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the Word of God at Dedham in Essex The Wonders of the Load-stone By Samuel Ward of Ipswitch An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. Ward Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr. Love's Caâ—e containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech Vox Pacifica or a perswasive to peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament Time Mr. Symsons Sermon at Westminster Mr. Feaks Sermon before the Lord Major Mr. Phillips Treatise of Hell of Christs Gâ—nealogy Eaton on the Oath of Allegiance and Covenant shewing that they oblidg not A Congregational Church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New England A Treatise of Politick Powers wherein seven Questions are Answered 1 Whereof Power is made and for what ordained 2 Whether Kings and Governors have an Absolute Power over the People 3 Whether Kings and Governors be subject to the Laws of God or the Laws of their Countrie 4 How far the People are to obey their Governors 5 Whether all the people have be their Governors 6 Whether it be Lawful to depose an evil Governor 7 What Confidence is to be given to Princes The Compassionate Samaritan Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians The Best and Worst Magistrate By Obadiah Sedgwick The Craft and Cruelty of the Churches Adversaries By Matthew Newcomen A Sacred Penegerick By Stephen Martial Barrissâ— Military Discipline The Immortality of Mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized King Charls his Case or an Appeal to all Rational Men concerning his Tryal Mr. Owâ—ns stedfastness of the Promises A Vindication of Free Grace Endeavoring to prove 1 That we are not elected as holy but that we should be holy and that Election is not of kinds but persons 2 That Christ did not â—y his Death intend to save all men and touching those whom he intended to save that he did not die for them only If they would beleeve but that they might beleeve 3 That we are not justified properly by our beleeving in Christ but by our Christ beleeving in him 4 that which differenceth one man from another is not the improvement of a common ability restored through Christ to all men in general but a principle of Grace wrought by the Spirit of God in the Elect. By John Pawson Six Sermons preached by Doctor Hill Viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive Branch of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Church of Christ 3 The Spring of strengthening Grace in the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus 4 The strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their strength 5 The Best and Worst of Paul 6 Gods eternal preparation for his Dying Saints The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech on the Scaffold The King's Speech on the Scâ—ffold The Magistrates Support and Burden By Mr. John Cordel The Discipline of the Church in New England by the Chu ches and Synod there A Relation of the Barbadoes A Relation of the Repentance and Conversion of the Indians in New England By Mr. Eliot and Mr. Mayhew The Institutes of the Laws of England by John Cowel Octavo A description of the Grand Signiors Seraglio or the Turkish Emperors Court By John Greaves Octavo The reigning error Arraigned at the Bar of scripture and Reason By Franscis Fulwood Octavo The state of Future Life By Thomas White Twelves The Royal and delightful Game of Picquet written in French and now rendered into English Octavo De copore Politico or The Elements of Law moral and politick By Thomas Hobbs of Matnisbury The London Dispensatory in Latin in Folio The London Dispensatory in Latin in Twelves These several Books of Physick and Chyrurgerie will shortly be printed in English Riverius Observations with fifteen hundred and seventie other Histories and Observations of other men Riolanus Anatomy Bartholinus Anatomy All the Works of Daniel Sennertus except some few not proper for Translation The Idea of Practical Physick being a compleat Body of Physick And Fernclius his Works Francisci Tayleri Capitula Patrum Hebraicè Latinè edita Una cum Annotationibus sensum locorum difficilium Exprimentibus Francisci Taylâ—ri Lamentationes Jeremiae vatis Denuo è fontibus Hebraicis translatae cum Parâ—phrasi Chaldaica Masora magna parva Commentariis Rabbi Shelomoh Jarchi Abeâ— Ezrae è Buxtoâ—fii Bibliis magnis excerptis Eleven Books made in NEW-ENGLAND by Mr. Thomas Hooker And printed from his own Papers written with his own hand are now Published in three Volums two in Quarto and one in Octavo Viz. The Application of Redemption by the Effectual work of the word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost sinners unto God The first Book on 1 Pet. 1.18 19. The second on Math. 1.21 The third on Luk. 1.17 The fourth on 2 Cor. 6.2 The fift on Math. 20 5 6 7. The sixt on Revel 3.17 The seventh on Rom. 8.7 The eight on Joh. 6.44 The Ninth on Isa 57.15 The Tenth on Act. 2.37 The Last Viz. Christs Prayer for Beleevers On Joh. 17. Riolanus Anatomy in which with the Anatomy is exactly described 1 The Diseases incident to every Part of the Body of Man 2. How the Diseases are Seated in each Part. 3. The Cure of each Disease as it s Seated in that Part. Mr. Burroughs on 1 Cor. 5.7 and 18 19 29. And fifty nine Sermons on Matthew 11. 28 29 30. Are Printing SCRIPTURE-LIGHT The most Sure LIGHT Compared with 1. Revelations and Visions 2. Natural and Supernatural Dreams 3. Impressions with and without the VVord 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. SCRIPTURE-LIGHT The most Sure LIGHT Sermon I. 2 PET. 1.19 We have also a more sure Word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a Light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn and the Day-star arise in your hearts IN these words ye have an Exhortation to a great Duty Viz. Attention or taking heed to the Word of God in dark and dangerous Times
work Thus I say the Father is ingaged by vertue of his Commandement He is ingaged also by vertue of his promise And therefore if ye look into Psal 29. ye shal see what the Lord hath promised vers 11. The Lord wil give strength unto his people the Lord wil bless his people with peace Here is the promise the Lord wil bless his people with peace Yea if ye look into Isa 26. ye shal find there that the Lord hath promised to keep the peace of his people for them vers 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee So ye read the words but according to the Hebrew â—hey ought to be read thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou wilt keep peace peace twice peace Thou wilt keep peace peace for him whose mind is stayed on thee So that the Lord is not onely ingâ—ged to gâ—ve peace unto his people but he is by promise also ingaged to keep their peace for them Yea the Lord is ingaged by Purchase Christ hath purchased peace for his people and what Christ hath purchased for them God the Father is ingaged to give unto them Read the purchase in Eph. 2.13.14 But now in Christ Jesus ye who were somtimes afar off are made nigh by the blood of Christ For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wal of partition between us Having abolished in his flesh the enmity even the law of commandements for to make in himself of twain one new man so making peace vers 16. And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross having slain the enmity thereby and came and preached peace unto you that were a far off and to them that were nigh So that thus ye see its the purchase of Jesus Christ this inward peace and quietness of soul it is Christs purchase and what Christ the Son hath purchased God the Father is engaged to give Yea the Father is engaged to give peace unto his people by al those Chastisements that they do meet withal And therefore in Isa 40. which I named before The Lord commands us to comfort and speak comfortably unto his people upon this account For she hath received of the Lords hand double for al her sins Even because a fullness of Chastisement had been upon them Thus I say God the Father by vertue of his Prerogative by vertue of his Commandement by vertue of his Promise by vertue of Christs Purchase by vertue of Chastisements that are laid upon his people is engaged to give peace unto his children II. But now proceed a little and ye shal see That as the Father is engaged So the Son also is engaged to give peace inward peace and quietude of soul unto his Servants He is engaged by those Qualifications and endowments that he received from God his Father for this end and purpose The spirit of the Lord is upon me saies he and he hath anointed me Isa 61. Why that I might comfort those that mourn That is one end But I pray look into Isa 50. and consider the 4. vers The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary he wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned They are plainly the words of Christ as wil appear to you if you read but the following words The Lord God hath opened mine ear and I was not rebellious neither turned I away the back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheekes to them that plucked off the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitâ—â—ng So that these are the words of Christ Wel what doâ—h Christ say hear He tells us that he hath received the tongue of the learned to comfort those that are distressed and troubled in conscience for to help poor wearied souls Why doth he say the tongue of the learned The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned All men desire to hear the Learned and it is the greatest piece of learning in the world to speak a word in due season by way of comfort to those that are weary this is the greatest piece of Ministerial learning and sayth Christ he hath given me the tongue of the learned Wel but al learned men have not Wisdom to speak in season Mark what follows He hath given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary But hath Jesus Christ such skil at this work in comforting those that are troubled Yes He wakeneth morning by morning As a Master is early up in the morning to teach his Schollers So hath God the Father been teaching of Christ from al eternity this great skil morning by morning He wakeneth morning by morning he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learn'd This is the piece of learning saies Christ which I have been learning morning by morning of my Father from eternity and this is that great learning which he had attained unto So that in regard of this endowment which he hath received from the Father he is engaged to give peace unto his people for he hath received the tongue of the learned for this end and purpose that he might speak a word in season to them that are weary He is engaged also by his own Disposition his sweet loving and tender disposition He is a Lyon indeed of the Tribe of Judah but not that roaring Lyon seeking to devour He is a King indeed but he comes meekly riding upon an Asses Colt He doth not lift up his voyce in the streets When our Lord and Savior Christ left the world he saies unto his Disciples My Peace I give unto you my Peace I leave with you Joh. 14.27 not as the world gives Peace but my Peace I give unto you And assoon as ever Christ rose from the dead again and met with his Disciples what doth he say unto them When they were all met together Peace be unto you Joh. 20.19 As it was his last words when he left them so it is the first word that now he useth when he seeth â—hem again But O Lord we have sinned greatly since we saw thee Be it so yet Peace be unto you But O Lord here is Peter among us that hath denied thee since thou sawest us Be it so I know it very wel yet Peace be unto you Peace when he went away and Peace when he came again this is his Language and this is his disposition still Thus he is engaged Yea He is engaged by Office to give Peace unto his People Ye know the Apostle calls him our great High-Priest It was the work of the High Priest in the Old Testament to bless the People and when he did bless the People What did he say But The Lord bless ye and give ye Peace Now then If Jesus
Threatening may be repealed then you have no cause to fear in this respect Now a Threatening is therefore given that it may not be fulfilled Joshuah knew this so well that he professeth to the Lord That therefore he fled to Tarshish because saith he O Lord I knew that thou art a merciful God As if he should say I knew O Lord thou art so merciful a God that though thou hast threatened Nineveh yet thou wilt reverse thy Threatening But a Promise once given unto a soul shal never be reversed or repealed It may rise up to an Oath as somtimes it doth for when God gives a Promise to a soul and opposition ariseth if then God gives out the same Promise again it amounts to an Oath As I live saith the Lord I will never reverse this Promise that I have made to thee But a Promise once given shal never be reversed or reâ—ealed Gal. 3. you have the case that is now before you Saith Paul at verse 15. I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made And therefore saith the Apostle the Promise shall not be disanulled although the Law came after the Promise But if the Promise that the Lord gave to Abraham was not disanulled by the Law that came four hundred and thirty years after verse 17. Wherefore then serves the Law Verse 19 he tels you It was added because of transgression So now say you If that the Promise that God hath given heretofore be not disanulled and made void by the Threatening that follows after wherefore then was the Law or the Threatening given unto my soul It was added because of transgression God had some transgression of yours to discover unto you that you did not think of and therefore the Threatening and the Law came after But the Promise is quite out of sight and I have lost it And did not the Jews also lose the sight of the Promise which was given to Abraham When the Lord gave the Law and they stood quaking and trembling before Mount Sinai did not they then lose the sight of the Promise that was given to Abraham So say I although thou hast lost the sight of the Promise that once thou hadst and a threatening be come in the room of it the Promise that was once given thee it may be four hundred and thirty daies ago or many years ago shal never be disanulled or reversed And the reason is this Because God doth not repent in the matter of the Gospel Ye read in Scripture that God is said somtimes to repent It repented the Lord that he made man somtimes it is said that the Lord doth not repent I am not a man that I should repent How are these two reconciled God doth repent and God doth not repent Thus to our present Purpose God repents as to the matter of the Threatening but God never repents as to the matter of the Promise God repents as to the matter of the Threatening and therefore saith the Lord to Jeremiah I am weary of my repenting I have threatened and threatened and I am weary of threatening Here God repented as to the matter of the threatening but God never repents as to the matter of the Promise And therefore saith the Apostle in Rom. 11. The Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance And the Promise is a great Gift So then as to the matter of the Promise God doth never repent Wherefore poor soul hast thou a Promise given thee may be five years ago may be ten years ago may be twenty years ago and hast thou lost the sight of this Promise and instead of the Promise is there a Threatening come upon thy soul that makes thy heart quake and tremble I here tell thee from the Lord the Promise that was once given unto thee though now thou hast lost the sight of it shall never be repealed or recalled O! what matter of incouragement is here is here matter of discouragements nay rather here is matter of great incouragement Object O! but yet this is not my case I do not only want Assurance of Gods love but I have Assurance of Gods displeasure I do not only want Assurance of my Salvation but I have Assurance of my damnation I do not only want the testimony of the spirit bearing witness with my spirit that I am the child of God but I have another testimony within my soul beaâ—ing witness to me that I am a reprobate and have I not cause to be discouraged Answ 1 No not yet for it may be you look upon the back-side of Gods dispensation if we look upon the face of Gods dispensation we see his love and good pleasure but if we look on the backside thereof we conclude nothing but anger displeasure It may be it is so with you in this case But Answ 2 Secondly If you find no such testimony of reprobation as you speak of in al the scripture then you have no reason to fear or to be discouraged in this respect now search the scripture and you shal not find in al the word any ground for such a testimony of reprobation We read indeed of Francis Spira notorious for his despair when his friends came to comfort him having spake comfortable words unto him That he said why go ye about to comfort me comfort belongs not to me for I am a reprobate O! said one of his friends do not say so for none are able to say so yes said he as the elect of God have a spirit within them bearing witness that they are the children of God so reprobates have another spirit bearing witness with their spirits that they are not the children of God but the children of Satan and such a spirit of reprobation have I. But my beloved if there be such a spirit or a testimony of reprobation as this is either it must be from the spirit of God or from the spirit of Satan if from the spirit of Satan then he is a lyer not to be beleeved if it be from the spirit of God how doth it suit with the word for the spirit of God is called the Comforter can such a spirit of reprobation come from the comforter and if you have such a testimony as this is either you must have it from the word or from the spirit of God alone without the word if from the word then from the threatening for it is not from the promise nor from the command if from the threatening a threatening may be repealed a threatening may be reversed as you have heard and if you have it from the spirit of the Lord how can it be that the spirit should be called a Comforter surely therefore if you have such a spirit of reprobation in your bosom it is from Satan and he is a Lyer But my beloved I wil in this appeal to you
it self We read of Saul indeed That when he was forsaken he cryed out and said God hath forsaken me the Philistims are upon me God hath forsaken me but it is in order to an outward evil the Philistims are upon me But the Saints when they are forsaken are sensible of this evil simply for it self and think the time long and tedious when they are so forsaken O Lord saith David how long wilt thou hide thy face from me what for ever But I say Was ever man forsaken was ever man quite forsaken of God that was sensible of this evil only and simply for it self Fourthly Did you ever read in al the Word of God That ever a man was finally forsaken who was tender in the point of sin who sate mourning after God We read in the Romans That when God gave up the Gentiles to their sins they gave up themselves unto al uncleanness and were past feeling The Saints and People of God on the contrary in the time of their Desertion are tender in the point of sin and they mourn after God When was a man ever forsaken whose heart was in this frame Fiftly Did you ever read that Christ did finally forsake a man in whose heart and soul stil he did leave his Goods Furniture and Spiritual Houshold-stuff A man somtimes goes from home and somtimes he doth quite leave his house There is much difference between those two If a man leave his house and comes no more then he carries away all his goods and when ye see them carried away ye say this man wil come no more But though a man ride a great Journey yet he may come again and ye say surely he wil come again why Because still his Goods Wife and Children are in his House So if Christ reject a man and go away finally he carries away all his Goods Spiritual Gifts Graces and Principles But though he be long absent yet if his Houshold-stuff abide in the heart if there be the same desires after him and delight in him and admiring of him and mourning for want of him ye may say surely he wil come again Why Because his Houshold-stuff is here still When did Christ ever forsake a man in whose heart he left this Spiritual Furniture Sixtly Did ye ever know a man finally forsaken of Christ who did long after the presence of Christ as the greatest good and looked upon his absence as the greatest evil and affliction in all the world being willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ and to serve him in the lowest and meanest condition so he might but enjoy him We find that the Saints desire above all things to be kist with the kisses of Christs mouth and therefore the Book of the Camicles doth so begin chap. 2. ver 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth even because that is the first and the chiefest of the Saints desires in this Life but if Christ wil not kiss me with the kisses of his mouth saith a gracious soul yet I am willing to kiss his feet as Mary did There is a time a coming when he wil kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for ever but for the present if I can but kiss his feet here I have hope to be kissed by him in Heaven Now I say Did Christ ever forsake a man finally who did thus long after Christ himself Can those that are forsaken mourn after his presence as the best thing and for his absence as the greatest evil in al the world I appeal to your own Souls and Bosoms herein whoever you are that labor under this fear that Christ is gone and he wil return no more suppose that God hath hid his face from you seems to forget you and to be angry with you yet in the midst of all these darknesses Do you find an evil Spirit an envious malicious Spirit from the Lord seizing upon you Do you find that you can find in your heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Yea rather do you not find the contrary though you want the sence of Gods Love Have you not the sence of your own sin and when you want the sence of your own perfection have you not some sence of your own imperfection Don't you look upon this Desertion as the greatest Affliction in al the world Can you not mourn after God and his Presence Doth not Christ every foot send in one token of his Love or another to visit your souls And are you not willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ O yes I must needs say though I have fears that Christ is gone and wil return no more yet I praise the Lord I do not find an envious malicious persecuting Spirit in my soul unto the Saints and People of God I don't find that my heart is willing to forsake Christ and the good waies of Christ But I find that I can mourn for the absence of Christ simply for it self and look upon it as the greatest affliction in the world That I am ever willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ And to be in the lowest and meanest Condition so he would but return unto my soul again Yea and I must needs say That every foot I receive one token or other one Promise or another to visit me in my condition Then be of good comfort though Christ be absent yet he wil return again and with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil he gather your souls unto himself again and thus I say it shal be with all the Saints Surely therefore they have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their Desertions be Why therefore should not every one say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Quest Vpon all this account I see I have not so much reason for my Discouragement but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart from sinking in the time of Desertion when God hides his face What shall I do then and this may be the condition of us all that I may bear up my heart against this Discouragement even when I am most in the dark and Christ hides his face from me or forsakes me Answ 1 First Take heed that ye don't measure Gods eternal Affection by some present Dispensation There is an Eternal Displeasure against a man and there is a present Displeasure with a man Eternal Displeasure or hatred cannot stand with Eternal Love but Eternal Love and present Displeasure may stand together A Father may be displeased with the Child for the present and yet may love him with Paternal Love So God may and doth love though for the present displeased But when men measure Eternal Affection by present Dispensation then they are quite discouraged and you will find all Discouragements in this case do arise from hence Some there are that do walk by particular Providences Experiences Words Manifestations and In-comes of Love and when they have them then
a fault and a man takes the one and correct him and let the other go it argues rather that he is his Father than not So though Chastisements do not alwaies argue God to be our Father yet it doth rather argue his Fatherly Love than not Answ 2 And is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints When a man is a friend to another not only his Purse is his Friend his Estate is his Friend his Staff is his Friend but his Sword is his Friend So if God be a Friend to a man then not only his Love is his Friend and his Mercy his Friend but his Sword is his Friend his Anger is his Friend Now God is a Friend to all the Saints and therefore his very Anger and Justice is a Friend too But Answ 3 In the third place What are those visible Characters of Love which are engraven upon an Affliction First If Affliction be a blessing to one then it doth come from Love and if a man can bless God under Affliction then it is a blessing to him Jobs Affliction was a blessing to him Why Because he blessed God under it The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name c. Secondly If an Affliction do end in our Love to God then it comes from Gods Love to us for our Love is but a reflection of Gods Love and it doth flow from his and if I can say I love God never the worser for this Affliction then I may say God loves me never the lesser notwithstanding this Affliction Thirdly If an Affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from Love As many as he loveth he chastiseth And blessed is the man whom thou chastiseth and teachest out of thy Law So that if Affliction be a teaching Affliction then it doth come from Love Fourthly If it be laid on in measure and imposed in due and seasonable time so as a man may grow thereby then it doth come from Love When a man intendeth to kill and destroy a Tree or to bring it unto the fire he cuts it at any time so as it shal grow no more but if he cut it in a due time it argueth that he intendeth it for growth So when God pruneth and cuts by Afflictions in such a time as men may grow in Grace it argues his Love Fifthly When God is especially present in Affliction and more present in an Affliction than at another time it argues that the Affliction doth come from Love Now whoever you are that make this Objection and fear the Affliction doth not come from Love are you not able to say Thus I find it indeed though I have been much afflicted yet through Grace I have bâ—en able to bless the Lord under my Affliction and to say The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away c. I love the Lord never the lesser for mine Affliction and the Lord hath taught me much in this mine Affliction I have gained more by my sickness than by many a Sermon yea and he hath cut me in due time for if I had not met with such an Affliction at such a time I did not know what evil I should have fallen into and this I must needs say I have had more of Gods Presence in my Affliction than ever I had before Well then be of good Comfort though your Affliction be very grievous yet it doth come from Love And thus it is with all the Saints and People of God and therefore why should they be discouraged whatever their Affliction be Object 8 But though a Christian have no reason to be discouraged in regard of his own private Affliction yet hath he not reason to be discouraged when it goes ill with the Publick And thus it is now with us we see how it is with this poor Nation Troubles and Calamities from every Part therefore I am thus discouraged and have I not cause to be cast down and to be much disquieted now Answ Indeed this is a sad thing and O! that we could weep day and night and pray too for this poor bleeding Nation If ever Gods People here in England had cause to be afflicted troubled and humbled under the hand of the Lord and to run together in Prayer surely they have reason now yet saith the Scripture Say to the Righteous in evil times it shall go well with him Did ever any Calamity come down like a storm upon a Kingdom but God did provide some hiding for his own Children Did he not provide an Ark for Noah in the time of the Flood and a Mountain for Lot in the time of the fire of Sodom The worst that man can do is but to kill his neighbor Death is the worst that can fall and what is death but an in-let to Eternal Life unto the People of God When the Saints in the Primitive Times came to bear witness by their deaths unto the Truth of Christ then they said Now we begin to be Christians indeed now we begin to be like to Christ There is a Three-fold Death Spiritual Death in sin Eternal Death for sin And Temporal Death which came in by sin If God spare me from the two former Deaths the Spirituâ—l Death and Eternal Death and only inflict the Temporal Death have I any cause to complain Thus it is with the Saints though they die Temporally yet they are free from the Spiritual and Eternal Death and what Godly man may not say I could not live long in Nature and shall I now bear witness unto the Truth with this little spot of time that remains Christ died for us the Just for the Unjust and shal not I that am unjust be willing to die for the just The worst of all is Death the worst of Death is gain When my Body is broken may I not say if Godly now a poor Pitcher is broken and shall go no more to the Well now a poor Prisoner my soul is delivered and I go home unto my Father But if you look into Rev. 7. you shal â—ind what a glorious issue God doth give unto al his People in the times of publick troubles ver 9. After this I beheld and so a great multitude which no man could number of all Nations Kindreds and People stood before the Throne and before the Lamb cloathed with white Robes and Palms in their hands A Robe is a Garment of Majesty Palms are an Ensign of Victory and saith he I saw them with Robes and Palmâ— The world looks upon my Servants as poor and of low spirits but saith Christ I look upon them as under a royal Princely Garment in Robes and of a Princely spirit And though the world look upon them as discomforted yet saith Christ here they shal overcome for they have Palms in their hands but who are these This Scripture tels ver 14. These are they which come out of great Tribulations and have washed their Robes and made them
Temple when they came out of Babylon ye shal find That so long as they went forth in the strength of outward Powers the Command of Cyrus and the like they were much hindred and the Enemies then caused the Work of the Lord to cease but when the Lord stirred up the Spirit of Haggai Zechariah Zerubbabel and others to build then they went on and prospered Why Because they went forth in the strength of the Spirit of the Lord not in the strength of mans Command or of their own Abilities Answ 3 Though the Work of the Lord be carried on not by Might nor by Strength but by the Spirit yet this Spirit doth not alwaies breath and work alike Christ sent out his Disciples for to preach to cast out Devils and by the Spirit of the Lord they did preach and cast out the Devils yet they had not then received so great a measure of tâ—e Spirit as afterwards when he breathed on them saying Receive ye the Holy Ghost yea and though he did thus breath upon them when he left them yet they did not then receive in so great a measure of the Spirit as afterwards for they were still to wait for the Promise that is the Spirit Acts 1. so that though God wil carry on his own Work by his own Strength and by his own Spirit yet the assistance thereof is not alwaies alike somtimes it is more and somtimes it is less even where it fals in truth and power Answ 4 But though the Spirit doth not alwaies work alike yet if God cal you to any Work or Service you shal have so much assistance as is needful for you only you must know that Dabitur in hora it shall be given in that hour it shal not â—â—e cold and stale by you but when you come to use it then it shal be given out unto you more or less but sufficient Before Moses came to his work he complained of want of Abilities his stammering Tongue and want of Elâ—quence c. but when he was warm at his work and was engaged in it then we read of no such Complaints Gods Call is our Wal and Strength Go in this thy might saith God to Gideon and what Might was that the verse tels you it was the might of his Call for saies the Lord in the next words Have not I sent thee Judges 6.14 Our Might then is in Gods Call not in our own Abilities and a little warm assistance is better than much cold and stale ability Object 3 But I fear the Lord hath not called me to this Work but that I am an Intruder into the Work of the Lord because I do want Abilities Answ 1 Nay But if the Lord do somtimes cal a man first and doth furnish him with Abilities afterward then you have no reason to make such Conclusions Now ye know how it was with Saul God did first call him and then he gave him another Spirit he had not that other ruling Spirit before he was called to rule but after So the Apostles were first called to their Office and then Christ did furnish them with Abilities Who hath made us able or meet Ministers not of the Letter c. When were they made meet or able what before they were called No but afterwards Gods Call is not like to mans mans Call doth alwaies presuppose abilities Gods Call doth somtimes bring them Answ 2 And if Gods Porters whom he hath set to keep the door of Opportunity do judg you able then are you to rest in their Judgment A large and effectual door is opened saies Paul God hath a door whâ—ch when he calls a man to work he doth then open to him this Door is kept by certain Porters whom God hath appointed to keep the same and if they judg that you have abilities then are you to rest and acquiesce therein for though I am to judg of mine own Grace and not another yet others are to judg of my Gifts and Abilities and not my self Some wil judg oâ— their own Gifts and of others Graces this is evil but in reference to work and external Service others are to judg of mine Abilities and not my self as I am to judg of mine internal Grace and not another Accordingly Luther counselled Spalatinus who having many sad thoughts of leaving his Ministry This is saith Luther to him a Diabolical Temptation and you know not now why you are afflicted with it we which are Spectators know it better therefore you ought rather to trust us than your self who in the Lord before the Lord yea the Lord by us doth exhort you to go on in your Work unto which he hath called you So say I now to you you doubt of your Call because you do want abilities but do those Porters judg you able who are set to judg then are you in this case rather to rest in their Judgment than in your own Now Gods Porters have judged you meet for his Work and have opened the door of Opportunity to you and therefore you have no reason to be thus discouraged in this respect only remember this That the weaker your Legs are the faster you must hold on the hand of free Grace Object 4 O! but I fear that I am not called to this Work but that I am an Intruder because I meet with so many difficulties in my way Answ 1 Do you meet with Difficulties in your way What vertue or vertuous Action is there but hath some stone upon it Nulla Virtus sine lapide there is no vertue but hath some stone or other that is rouled upon it As Christ himself had a stone rouled on him so every Work of Christ and Truth of Christ and way of Christ hath one stone or other that is rouled upon it Yet ye must know that there is a Pearl lying under that Stone and the heavier the stone is the more precious is the Pearl the harder the Nut and Shell is to crack the sweeter is the Kernel Nisi ipse elevasset lapidem non inventa fuiâ—â—â— sâ—b eo haec margarita Hâ—b Proverb and in due time Christ wil send his Angel to roul away the stone from your Work and his Service and that before you are aware When the Women said as being at a stand and not knowing what to do Who shall roul away the stone Then did the Angel come and rouled it away for them before they were aware of it Peter had the Brazen Gates opened for him when he came to them they did not stand open before but when he came at them then did they open to him And if you go on in your way and work which God doth lead you to the Brazen Gates which are now shut against you shal then open to you if I say you go on in your work in way of Faith as following the Conduct of the Lord. Answ 2 And if Gods cleerest Call to a work have alwaies been followed with the greatest
is with al the Saints they are led by Gods Call into their Condition and they can shew their Patent they can say here is my Call Now if a man do not live upon the Condition it self but upon Gods Call into his Condition and God doth cal his People into whatsoever condition they are then they have no reason to be discouraged by reason of their Condition Again Thirdly If there be no Condition that a godly man can fall into but there is some mercy that is mixed with it and Jesus Christ hath paid for that too then a man hath no reason to be discouraged whatever his condition be Now you know what Solomon saith Shall a living man complain is not a living Dog better than a dead Lyon Some Mercy stil that is mixed with Misery and Jesus Christ hath paid the Reckoning godly men have nothing to pay not any thing to pay Suppose you were invited to a great Feast and some of the Dishes were not so wel dressed or cooked up as you desire would you find fault would you complain No Why Because this feast doth cost me nothing the Master of the Feast may find fault but I am a Guest and it cost me nothing and therefore I have no reason to complain Beloved the Lord Jesus Christ is the great Master of the Feast and of al the Comforts which you have and he hath paid all your reckoning there is nothing for you to pay and if you bring in your Prayers your Tears your Obedience as matter of Payment they wil not be taken â—o saith Christ I have paid al my self witness these empty Purses these empty Veins of mine as for you O my Friends ye are welcom but you have nothing to pay not a penny not a faâ—thing I say there is no condition that a godly man can fal into but there is some mercy that is mixed withal and Christ hath paid the reckoning for the mercy too surely then the People or God have no reason to be discouraged by reason of their condition Object 1 But wil some say I am in a poor low mean base and despised condition and therefore I am thus disquieted as for those that are in a prosperous estate and condition they may well bear up their heads and be of good comfort Rich men indeed and those that are in a prosperous condition have many opportunities of serving God publickly and privately which a poor man hath not they have time to frequent the Ordinances in the week to converse much with God in private whilst the poor man is fain to be at work for his living and glad he can get his living too there is no man knows the misery of a poor condition but those that are in it and such is my condition and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason for it Answ No for whosoever you are that speak or think thus Do you know what the burden of Prosperity is You see a Town somtimes upon the side of a Hill and you say what a fine Town is there what pleasant Meadows are about it what excellent Woods what clean Waies unto it Thus you speak at a distance But when you draw neer unto this Town and go through some of the Lanes you find them very dirty and then you say I did not think at a distance that there had been such a dirty Lane about this Town I saw nothing but fine and clean Meadows when I was at a distance I did not think there had been such dirty passages to it So when you look upon Prosperity at a distance you think there is no dirty Lanes no foul Passages to it and from it but when you come neer unto it then you find many a dirty passage and you say O! what dirty sloughs are here The Truth is the more Prosperous I speak now of outward Prosperity a mans Condition is the more opportunities he hath of doing and receiving good But if you look into Numbers 4. you shal find That every opportunity of Service carries a burden with it and therefore the Service of the Levites is often and in many verses of the Chapter called a burden I wil name but one which is the last According to the Commandement of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses every one according to his Service and according to his Burden Service and Burden do here go together Burden and Service Service and Burden And now poor soul is it a burden to you that you are freed from a burden hath not our Lord and Savior Christ said and do you not find it in Experience That the poor receive the Gospel is not a living Sprig of a Tree better than a dead Arm The poor Hen you know so long as she lives is upon the Dunghil and there she is scraping and picking up her living but when she is dead then she is brought unto the Masters Table The Hawk on the contrary while he is living is carryed upon the Fist and upon the Arm and hath good flesh and provision made for him and a house to sit in but when the Hawk dieth then he is thrown out unto the Dunghil So in this case so long as a poor godly man is living here it may be he is upon the Dunghil and picking up his living a little and a little but when he dieth then he is brought into his Masters presence But the rich ungodly man when he dieth though while he lived he had great provision yet then he is thrown out unto the Dunghil and comes no more into his Masters Presence O! you that are godly though in a low condition would you then change your condition with the wicked The lower your Condition is the higher is your Obedience if you submit unto the work of your Condition this is Angelical Obedience for the Angels though in order of Nature they are above Men yet at the Command of God they are ministring Spirits unto Men attend and look to Men that are much below them in Nature and the lower the work is that they do in tending Men the higher is their Obedience to God So say I The lower the work of your Condition is the higher and more Angelical Luc. 6. Vae vobis divitibus quoniam accepistis hic consolationem vestram non simpliciter dicit Christus quoniam consolationem recipitis in hac vita sed addit Vestram quasi ista sit ipsorum portio ultra quam nihil illis boni sit expectandum amplius unde in Graeco pulchre positum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Musculus in Matth. â— p. 67. Non est simplex verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—ed compositum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat antein 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non tamen simplic ter recipâ—re â—t haâ—eâ—e fed portionem solatâ—i sui jam accepisse et jam habere â—t â—oâ—tea mâ—llam aliam et â—â—hil amplâ—â—â— vel petere possit vel expectare deâ—ent
is in the plural number Elohim and so when the Prophet in Isa 26. doth exhort unto Trusting in the Lord he gives this reason at verse 4. For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength so you read it but according to the Hebrew thus Trust in the Lord for ever for in Jehovah jah is everlasting strength For in Jehovah jah Jah is an abridgment or an abreviation of Jehovah noting the Son of God and so when Jesus Christ comes in the latter end of the world to sit upon his glorious Throne the converting Jew shal praise him under that name singing as you read in Revel 19. Halelujah praise the Jah which if you compare with Psalm 68. you shal find is to be understood of Christ at verse 4. Sing unto God sing praises to his Name extol him that rides upon the Heavens by his Name Jah rejoyce before him extol him that rideth upon the Heavens by his Name Jah and they shal sing Hallelujah Now if you look into the 18. verse of that Psalm you shal find the reason why this Jah is to be praised for saith the Psalm Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led Captivity captive thou hast received Gifts for men Which words Ephes 4. are applied to Christ But unto every one of us is given according to the measure of the Gift of Christ verse 8. Wherefore he saith when he ascended up on high he led Captivity captive and gave Gifts unto men So that when the Prophet doth exhort us to trust in Jehovah Jah he exhorteth us to trust in the Lord in Christ and therefore I say both according to the old and new Testament Faith is the repose or recumbency of the soul upon God in Christ But yet that is not all A man that doth repose upon God in Christ trusting in him doth trust unto him for some good thing that lies out of sight and therefore the Apostle saith That Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11. where he gives divers Instances of Abraham Sarah Moses and others who all did repose upon God for somwhat that lay out of view and this indeed is only worthy of the name of Faith I will trust a man that is most unworthy I will trust a Thief I will trust a Lyer so far as I can see him But as Parisiensis saith well this is Fides Deo digna Faith worthy of God to repose on God for somwhat that lies out of sight and out of view and when a man doth thus stay himself upon God in Christ for somwhat that lies out of sight then he is said to trust in God and when a man doth continue thus then he is said for to wait on God This is the First But then Quest 2 Secondly How may it appear that Faith and the exercise thereof will quiet the soul suppress or allay Discouragements Answ You know how it was with Hannah when she had received a word from God She went away saith the Text and looked no more sorrowful her heart was quieted Why she had a word from God and though before she was a woman of a sorrowful Spirit yet having received a word from God and beleeving that word her heart was quiet Prov. 16.3 Commit thy Works unto the Lord there is Faith and thy thoughts shall be established there is Quietude And if you look again into Isa 26. you shal find that the Scripture is most expresâ— for this verse 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is staid on thee because he trusteth in thee Mark the words First The Lord doth here engage himself to give peace unto those that do stay upon him that have this Faith of Relyance though they have not yet attained to the Faith of Assurance to be able to say I know my sin is pardoned and that Christ is mine yet if they can but stay themselves upon God the Lord doth hereby engage himself to give peace unto them yea he doth noâ— only engage himself to give peace unto such a soul as staies himself upon God but double Peace you read it in your English perfect Peace thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace but in the Hebrew it is Peace Peace thou wilt keep him in double Peace he shall have Peace and Peace not Peace and Doubting not Peace and no Peace but if he stay himself upon the Lord he shall have Peace Peace he shall have double Peace Yea the Lord doth not only engage to give Peace unto such a soul but to keep him in Peace Thou wilt keep him in perfect Peace or in Peace Peace and all upon this account Because he trusteth in thee not because he prayed not because he humbled hiâ—self though that is his Duty and he doth thereby placere Deo though not placare Deum but because he trusteth in thee because he stayeth himself upon thee And ye know that if ye have a business depending at Law though for the present you be much troubled about it yet if you have a Friend a Lawyer that is able faithful and willing to look to it if you can but leave your business with him it doth very much quiet your heart the very leaving your business with him doth quiet your mind So here If a man can but leave his business and his Cause and his Things with God then he is at rest and he may say Return unto thy rest O my soul as David did which is done by Faith And to cleer this a little Three or Four things there are that do ordinarily cause disquietude or discouragement First The darkness that is in the Understanding for when a man is in the dark especially if he be alone he is very apt to be skared and to be disquieted Secondly Inordinate and unruly Affections and Passions especially that of Fear whereby the soul is benighted Thirdly Guilt of Conscience Though there be much water that doth beat upon the Ship at Sea yet it sinketh not but when there is a leak a hole in the Ship then the Ship sinketh and the water doth become its grave So though there be many troubles that beat upon a man yet his heart doth not sink but when there is a leak in his Conscience when there is a hole there when a man hath a guilty Conscience then he sinketh and his heart fails him And Fourthly The apprehension of Gods Greatness with our distance from him Now Faith cures all this for in opposition to the first of Darkness Faith brings Light into the soul and shews a man his Way and his Warrant for what he doth Secondly It doth pare and take off those inordinate and unruly affections and passions that are in the soul and therefore in Psalm 37. at ver 1. and 7. you shal find that fretting and trusting are set in opposition Fret not thy self because of the evil Doer verse 3. but trust in the Lord. And again verse 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him fret not thy self
of this speech is given at verse 30. Because they said he hath an unclean Spirit And indeed if these men did not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost our Lord and Savior Christ should tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is for unless it be in this Scripture you shal not find either in the Gospel or in the Epistles That the Sin against the Holy Ghost is any where mentioned in express words Now our Lord and Savior would not tel us that there is an unpardonable Sin and not tel us what it is but he saith expressly That whoever doth blaspheme or speak against the holy Ghost shal never be forgiven And he chargeth those Jews that they blasphemed and spake against the Spirit of God or that work which was done by the Spirit and therefore without doubt they did then sin the unpardonable Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Quest 2 But Secondly Why is it here said That he that sinneth this Sin shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come is there any forgiving of sins in the world to come Answ Chrysostom saith As men are punished in this world and in the world to come so they are pardoned in this world and in the world to come Pardoned in this world when any temporal Affliction for sin is removed So I also understand that Parable in Matth. 18. at the latter end and pardoned in this life when a man is justified Rom. 4. pardoned and forgiven in the world to come So saith the Apostle in Acts 3.19 That your sins may be blotted out in the day of refreshing Which day of refreshing compared with the Speech which you have in Heb. 2. speaking of the World to come shews that the day of Refreshing is the time of the World to come but it is an usual phrase with Scripture noting the eternity of misery and therefore if you look again into Mark 3. you shal find That whereas here in Matthew the words run thus Shall not be forgiven either in this World or in the World to come Mark hath it thus He shall never be forgiven that Never being the Explication of this not in this World nor in the World to come The Words being thus far opened the Doctrine then will presently be this That the Sin against the Holy Ghost Doct. is the Unpardonable Sin That whosoever sins against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven either in this world or in the world to come For the opening of this great Truth which I shal the rather desire you to hearken unto because as it lies out of the ordinary Road so it makes your way clear to the laying hold of the former words of Gods Mercy I say for the opening of this Truth we must enquire into two Things First What this Sin against the Holy Ghost is for people are very ignorant of it Secondly How and in what respect this Sin against the Holy Ghost is above all other sins the Unpardonable Sin First If you ask What this Sin is I Answer both Negatively and Affirmatively First Negatively It is not that sin whereby men do barely deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost possibly a man may deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet not sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysostom in Math. 12. For as Chrysostom observes in his time there were divers Hereticks that did deny the Personality and the Deity of the Holy Ghost and yet afterwards repented and were received into the bosom of the Church And ye do not find that these Pharisees who are here charged with this sin did either deny the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost So that plainly then the Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in this The meer and bare denying of the Personality or the Deity of the Holy Ghost Secondly As it doth not consist therein so neithâ—r doth it consist in every opposition or in a bare opposition unto the work of the Holy Ghost as distinct from the Father and the Son Unto God the Father belongs Power unto the Son Wisdom unto the Spirit Holiness The Work of the Father is to Create the Work of the Son to Redeem the Work of the Spirit or the Holy Ghost to Sanctifie Aâ—d hereupon some havâ— thought That opposition unto Holiness is the Sin against the Holy Ghost But you find here it is a blasphemy therefore not every opposition And if you look into Acts 7. you find that Stephen speaking of the Jews saith at verse 51. Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ear ye do alwaies resist the Holy Ghost yet they did not sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost Why for Stephen praies for them at the last verse Lord lay not this sin to their charge But now saith the Apostle John in 1 John 5.16 There is a sin unto Death I do not say that ye shall pray for it Had they in Stephens account sinned this Sin unto Death he would not have prayed for them but he did pray for them So that this Sin against the Holy Ghost doth not consist in every opposition unto the Work of the Holy Ghost as it is distinct from the Father and the Son Thirdly As it doth not consist therein so it is not necessary that every man that sins the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be an Universal Apostate back-sliding from the Profession of the Gospel and the Power thereof I know it is ordinarily thought so but I say it is not necessary that whosoever doth sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost should be a Gospel Apostate back-sliding from the Gospel and the Power thereof once profest for these Pharisees who sinned against the Holy Ghost never profest the Gospel neither do we read of any back-sliding in them from the Power of the Gospel once profest and yet they sinned against the Holy Ghost Surely therefore such a Gospel-Apostacy is not of the essence of the Sin against the Holy Ghost Only here I must distinguish concerning the word Apostacy A man may be said to be an Apostate two waies either because he doth decline and fall away from the Profession of the Truth and Power of Godliness once profest or else because he doth rebel against Truth revealed and the Will of God manifested and wil go no further I wil express it thus Five or six men go a great Journey suppose to Wales or into the North to Scotland when they come about the middle of the way two or three of them say these waies are dirty and longer than we intended and therefore we wil go no further but say the other Let the way be as dirty and as long as it may be we wil go on and on they go Which of these men do depart one from the other do those that go on depart from them that stay No those that wil
the time of his Liberty he was loose in the time of his Imprisonment he was sullen and when he was at the Stake he was mad with horror of Conscience mad O! but true saving Faith wil not flinch and give in at last The three Children did not only come to the Fire but rid out the storm But I say no more in this only thus Seventhly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he doth not bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness but true saving Faith doth it suffers and brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness So that now you see by al this that it is Faith alone it is true saving Faith and Faith alone that wil carry a man through Sufferings But then Quest Thirdly You wil say How and by what means can Faith do this What is there in Faith to do it to carry a man through hard things and through all Sufferings although they be never so great Answ 1 First It is the work of Faith to make a man resign and give up his wil to the wil of God and when a man can do so what may he not suffer Answ 2 Secondly It is the work of Faith the proper work of Faith to cleave close unto the Commandement of God True Satan I am an unworthy Creature but God hath commanded me to beleeve True I am a great Sinner but God hath commanded me to beleeve Faith doth peremptorily stick unto the Commandement and it leaves God to answer unto the Objections and Inconveniences that follow upon his Obedience to the Commandement it leaves that to God By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out obeyed not knowing whether he should go Now when a man can do this what may he not suffer Answ 3 Thirdly It is the proper Work of Faith to close with the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the fulness of the Spirit the Promise of the Father Now when a mans heart is filled with the Spirit of God what may he not suffer Pray do but consider the Apostles after that the Spirit came upon them you know they would suffer any thing though it were never so great before the Spirit came upon them though they had the Personal presence of Christ they could not suffer any thing though it was never so smal Now Faith doth close with the Promise of the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the Spirit of God the Promise of the Father Answ 4 Fourthly It is the proper Work of Faith to look upon the recompence of Reward By Faith Moses had an Eye to the recompence of Reward and so chose Affliction with the People of God Saith our Savior to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled How so Lord Saith he I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House there are many Mansions Faith shews one the Glory and the Joyes of Heaven and when a man sees those things what may he not suffer Answ 5 Fiftly The more that a man can see the hand of God as a Father upon the Rod the more able he wil be to suffer and the more cheerful Ye bring a Child to School and he sees the School hung with Rods in every corner a Rod and the Child is afraid but if his Fathers House be set with Rods the Child is not afraid in his Fathers House Now Faith true savâ—ng Faith wil shew one the hand of a Father upon the Rod. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith Answ 6 Sixtly The more a man can see to the end of his Affliction and Suffering the more able he wil be to go through it Now Faith tels a man that there is an end No temptation saith the word of Faith hath befallen you but what is common and with the Temptation there is an out-let there is a door a door in the Ark although the door may be under water and the out-let may be under water Faith doth not only tel a man that there is an end but that the end shal be good and al shal work together for his good yea it tels a man that his affliction shall be but for a moment and that moment shal be recompenced with abundance of Comfort Psal 30. ver 5. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favor is Life Weeping may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning So also in Isa 54. verse 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Faith tels us this Now when a man knows and considers this what may he not suffer Answ 7 Seventhly It is the proper work of Faith to look on both sides of the Dispensation there is a dark side and there is a light side in Affliction and Suffering Sence and Reason looks only on the dark side but Faith looks to both sides of the Dispensation It is written of Mr. Latimer the blessed Martyr that when he was to go to the Stake taking leave of his fellow Prisoners saith he Be of good Comfort O my Friends and Brethren for though we go to the Stake to day and be burnt to Fire we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out we shal make such a Fire in England to day as shal never be quenched he saw both sides of the Dispensation because he beleeved Faith wil shew one both sides of the Dispensation Answ 8 Eightly It is the proper Work of Faith to see one contrary in another or through another it wil see the Smiles of God in the midst of Frowns it wil see Love in the midst of Anger it will see Order in the midst of Confusion it wil see Mercy in the midst oâ— Misery it wil see a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor Faith it looks upon things with the Prospective of the Promise and the Promise speaks on this wise in Deut. 32. verse 36. saith the Lord there The Lord shall judg his People and repent himself for his Servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Faith I say sees one contrary in another or beyond another and when a man can do so what may he not suffer And Answ 9 Ninthly and lastly If God do engage to help and succor in afflictions and if the Lord do count himself engaged to succor deliver and help in Affliction because men trust in the Lord surely Faith can do very much in the day of Affliction Now I pray look into Scripture and you shal see that the Lord is engaged upon this account in Psal 37. last And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the
discouraged Page 267 Obj. But besides National miseries I have many Personal Afflictions therefore c. Page 268 Answ Negatively for 1 It is no new-thing for the Saints to be personally afflicted ibid. 2 When they are afflicted they are in some respects more sensible of their affliction than the wicked are ibid. 3 As they will be sensible of affliction so they are very apt to be much discouraged by reason of them ibid. Four things considerable to cleer this Truth Page 269 1 What the Sufferings of the Saints are ibid. 2 Whence they proceed 3 What accompanies them 4 What follows them Page 269 For the first 1 They are parts of Christs Purchase for them ibid. 2 They proceed from Gods love Page 270 3 Much supporting Grace accompanies them Page 271 4 They bring forth quiet fruits of Righteousness Page 272 Object 1. My afflictions are without end therefore c. Page 273 Answ Negatively For God takes away your comforts for a time that you may not be drunk with them ibid. Object 2. My Afflictions are not usual but new ones and strange Page 274 Answ You think so but not truly ibid. Object 3. I want all kinds of Mercies my Afflictions have no bottom ibid. Answ It was Davids case ibid. Object 4. But my dearest friends hate me therefore c. Page 275 Answ negatively For Our greatest Enemies may prove our greatest Friends ibid. Object 5. But my afflictions expose me to all Temptations therefore c. Page 276 Answ negatively For 1 May be you are mistaken ib. 2 God by affliction cals a man to some other work ibid. 3 No affliction doth expose a man to a new sin that makes him sensible of his former sin ibid. 4 When a man thus fears it is a sign of Grace Page 277 Object 6. My sin is the cause of my affliction and I know not what sin it is therefore c. ibid. Answ negatively For So it was with Jonah so with David c. ibid. It is somtimes better for a particular sin to lie undiscovered Page 278 Object 7. But I fear my afflictions come from Gods displeasure therfore c. ibid. Answ negatively For 1 Afflictions argue Gods love rather than his hatred ibid. 2 Is there any thing in God that is not a friend to all the Saints ibid. 3 But what are those visible Characters of love engraven on affliction Page 279 1 If affliction be a blessing then it comes from love ibid. 2 If affliction end in our love to God then it comes from Gods love tâ— us ib. 3 If affliction teacheth the mind of God then it doth come from love ibid. 4 If iâ— be but in measure and at a seasonable time then it comes from love ibid. 5 God is more especially present in affliction than at other times Page 279 Object 8. But our whol Nation is afflicted therefore c. Page 280 Answ negatively This is a sad thing If ever England had cause to be humbled under the hand of the Lord it is now Yet say to the Righteous in evil times it shal go wel with him ibid. Quest What must we do to bear up against all discouragements Page 282 Answ 1 If you have assurance of Gods love in Christ hold to that if you have it not this afflâ—ction shal bring you to it ibid. 2 Remember much your Fellowship with Christ in his Sufferings ibid. 3 Labor more to be a stranger to the world and to live by Faith ibid. 4 Consider what Christ hath born and left you to bear Page 283 5 Consider frequently and seriously what abundance of good you and others may get by your afflictions ibid. 6 When afflictions come look not only on the evil of it but on the good of it too ibid. Sermon XI INSTANCE VIII Object Either men think they are not called forth to work for God or they want abilities or they have no success therefore Page 285 Answ negatively For 1 Is Family work nothing There is a three-fold sweat saith Luther Political Ecclesiastical Domestical Page 286 2 Is it nothing to be trusted with the work of your Christian Station ibid. 3 Is it nothing to be imployed to comfort others ibid. Object 1. But God doth not imploy me in the world I am an useless Creature therefore c. ib. Answ 1 It is a great blessing to be imployed in any Service of God ibid. 2 The more a man doth for God the more he doth honor God Page 287 3 By being imployed we are kept from Temptations ibid. 4 Great imployment is the mercy promised ibid. 5 The more serviceable a man is for God the more will God be apt to pardon his failings Page 288 6 If a man be faithful in Gods work God will bless him Page 288 7 The serviceable man for God is the only man that doth live and speak when he is dead ibid. I may be Gods Servant though I am not imployed by him in his Service For Page 289 1 The Service of God is two-fold either publick or private The private Service is the saving Service though we have no publick imployment ibid. 2 Special or publick imployment is various also either in a mean or a great imployment ibid. 3 Though God do not use me at present he may use me afterwards Page 290 4 A man may be so imployed and yet go to Hell and he may not be imployed and yet go to Heaven ibid. 5 You must rejoyce when others are imployed ibid. Object 2. But I want abilities therefore c. Page 291 Answ negatively For 1 Gods greatest works are not alwaies done by the greatest abilities ibid. 2 Our best abilities are from God ibid. 3 The Spirit of God doth not alwaies breath alike Page 292 4 If God call you to a work he will give you needful assistance in that time ibid. Object 3. I fear I intrude into Gods work because I want abilities ibid. Answ Negatively 1 God somtimes first calls a man and then gives abilities afterward ibid. 2 If Gods door-keepers do judg you able you must rest on their judgment Page 293 Though I am to judg of mine own grace yet others and not I must judg of my abilities ibid. Object 4. I fear I am an intruder because I meet with so many difficulties ibid. Answ 1 What good action doth not ibid. 2 The greatest Call from God usually finds the greatest difficulties Page 294 Obiect 5. God I beleeve hath called me to his Service but I am unserviceable ibid. Answ That is ill indeed ibid. But this complaâ—nt sheweth you are willing to serve God therefore be not discouraged Page 295 Object 6. I work and have no success in my work therefore c. ibid. Answ Negatively 1 You may mistake the success Page 296 2 Gods dearest Children here somtimes labored all night and caught nâ—thing Page 296 Object 7. I fear God hath imployed me in the way of judgment and not of mercy therefore Page 297 Answ negatively For 1