sinner And you have seen the Excellency of this Grace laid down in many Glorious Priviledges and Royalties You have seen that God hath poured more honour upon the head of Faith than upon any other Grace Let all this perswade with us to put our selves upon the search and tryal whether wee have Faith or no. Put such a question as this to thy own soul Am I a Beleever yea or no Have I Faith yea or no It was a duty which the Apostle did commend to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether yee bee in the Faith prove your own selves And it is that which after this long discourse of Faith I would commend to you all That you would put your selves to the Tryal Examine whether you have Faith or no. Therefore hath God given us a faculty different from all Creatures whereby wee may reflect upon our selves Many there are who will winnow others but not sift themselves spel others but not read themselves searching others rather than themselves But let it bee your care every one to prove and examine himself The incouragement to this duty I will take from these two grounds 1. It is a thing possible to bee known whether you are Beleevers yea or no. 2. It is a thing necessary to bee known 1. It is a thing possible to bee known Hence have wee so many exhortations to examine and search If it were not possible to bee known in vain were these exhortations God doth not use to put us upon Impossibilities Though God in the Law may require that of a natural man which is impossible for him to do Rom. 8.3 because hee gave man once ability to do whatever is commanded yet in the Gospel Christ doth require nothing of the faithful which by Grace is not possible to bee done Possible then it is There is light enough in the Word if a man will bring his heart unto it and deal impartially with himself in the search whether hee hath Faith or no. The Papists indeed do say It is a thing impossible to know whether hee bee a Beleever or no. If men did know they did beleeve then they might be assured of their own Salvation But this say they no man can bee assured of A Position clean against Scripture Authority and Reason The Scripture is plain the Precepts of the Scripture plain 2 Cor. 13.5 Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work Let every man examine himself They who are commanded to try may upon Tryal know whether they have Faith or no. But every man is commanded to try God in the Gospel doth not put us upon Impossibilities Besides the examples of Scripture are plain The Eunuch a new Convert when Philip told him hee might bee baptized if hee did beleeve answered I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Act. 8.37 The like of the Father of the possessed Child when having but a weak Faith yet could say Lord I do beleeve Mar. 9.23 So Joh. 6.69 Wee beleeve and know that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Joh. 11.26 27. Beleevest thou this saith our Saviour to Martha there Shee answers Yea Lord I beleeve thou art that Christ that should come into the World Hence saith Augustine The Beleever seeth his own Faith whereby hee doth beleeve Again as soon as Faith is in us Vide fidelis ipsam fidem suam Ipsam fidem quando inest in nobis videmus in nobis Mentis nostrae fides nostra conspicua wee see it in us The mind is not ignorant of its own actions When it understands it knows it self to understand When it discourseth it knows it self to discourse When it desires it knows it self to desire To take away this act of the soul whereby a man reflecting upon himself and his own actions is able to know and judge of them were to destroy the Prerogative royal of an intellectual nature Now if the naked spirit of a man bee able to judge of his own actions here how much more the spirit of a man being helped by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.12 If Faith it self bee a witness Hee that beleeveth hath the Witness in himself 1 John 5.10 How much more when the Witness of Gods Spirit joynes with us when the Spirit witnesseth what place is left for doubting If Faith it self bee a Light How much more Quando Spiritus testatur quaenam relinquatur ambiguitas Fides est lumen seipsum visibilem faciens when Gods Light comes in with ours The Light of the Spirit to the Light of our Spirit Besides How shall a man receive the comfort of his own Faith as Hezekiah did Isa 38.3 and Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 if it bee not possible for a man to evidence to himself that hee doth beleeve Is it possible for a man to know his vitious actions to his humiliation and not possible to know his vertuous actions to his consolation If it bee granted of the one why should it bee denyed of the other Indeed I will grant thus much though it bee possible yet it is exceeding difficult 1. In respect of the deceits 2. In respect of the doubts and mis-givings of our own hearts 1. In regard of the deceits of a mans own spirit The heart is deceitful above measure who can know it Jer. 17.9 And take heed lest the Light within you Or That Light you think to bee within you prove darkness They that are much vers'd with their own hearts do finde an Hell of deceit in them Mens hearts are like some pictures If you look on one side there 's an Angel but on the other a Devil There are depths of deceit in the hearts of men which makes the work exceeding difficult Every way of man is good in his own eyes There is a Generation of men saith Agur who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their filthiness Such deceits there are in the heart that if a man will take all of trust which comes up hee will surely bee deceived You see this in the Children of Israel Deut. 5.27 28. They said Whatever the Lord said unto them they would do it It is like they spake as they meant at that time But hee that searched the heart saw deeper into them than themselves into themselves Hee espied deceits to lye low which they were not perhaps aware of And therefore saith Oh! That there were such a heart in them that they might keep my Commandements alway Hee saw they wanted yet the Heart This was but self-deceiving I might instance also in Hazael when the Prophet told him what beastly cruelty hee should exercise toward the Children of Israel What! saith hee Is thy servant a Dog that hee should do such belluine and beastly cruelty It may bee hee spake what was uppermost hee spake as hee meant for the time hee was not aware nor did hee discern the deceit of his heart hee thought his heart to bee far from that now
In the Act of prizing Christ that wee do not mean a bare and naked Estimate of Christ in the Understanding but such an one as prevails with the soul and commands the spirit of a man to do actions consonant and agreeable to that rate the Judgement set on Christ I say by prizing of Christ wee do not mean a bare acts of Dijudication what a man in his Judgement may conclude Christ to bee worth Many bee that will tell you they conclude Christ to bee worth a World who yet will not part with any thing for Christ. But I mean such an act of the understanding as brings up the Heart and the affections to close with Christ in that height which the Understanding rates him at I say such an Act of Appretiation as prevails with a man to do actions consonant and agreeable to the rate it pretends to set on Christ As you see the wise Merchant Hee did not barely judge that the Pearl was worth all hee had but hee did Actions consonant and agreeable to it Seeing hee could not injoy the Pearl without parting withall hee had to compass it hee sells all to compass the Pearl That is the first A soul taken with Christ doth not only barely judge and esteem Christ worth all but will part with all for the compassing of Christ 2. Here is something considerable in the Object Christ prized 1. Wee do not restrain and limit this only to the Person of Christ There is something in the Person of Christ which may prevail with an Unbeleever to esteem of him The dignity of his Person being God-Man having all beauties and excellencies in him This may raise up a kinde of esteem of Christ in the hearts of unbeleevers 2. Neither do wee limit it only to the Benefits of Christ and the great things which hee hath done for man in general in his humiliation death passion c. But wee are to take Christ in the extent of Christ Christ in his whole Latitude Christ in his Holiness Christ in his Laws Christ in his Government Christ in his Truth Totum Christi the whole of Christ Hee that prizeth not Christ in his whole latitude and extent doth not prize Christ at all as hee ought to do As wee say of Faith it doth not eligere Objectum it doth not chuse its Object single out what it will esteem and what not but prizeth of Christ fully in the latitude and extent of Christ of Christ in his Person Christ in his Beauties Christ in his Laws in his Holiness Truth Government And so highly that they sold themselves to gain a Truth lost themselves to save a Truth They have made this brave adventure thrown away themselves that they might keep up a Truth as you see it in Queen Maries daies in point of Transubstantiation So that is the second The soul taken with Christ is taken with All-Christ As all in him is lovely so the soul loves all and prizes and esteems of all of Christ 3. That which is considerable in the Measure is That a soul taken with Christ doth prize Christ above all comforts and contents in Heaven and Earth This Christ commands Mat. 16.24 If any man will come after mee let him deny himself If any It is set down indefinitly Not only you who are poor and have little to lose and deny your selves in but they who have most You that are rich you that have lands possessions have Crowns and Scepters If any poor any rich any beggar any Prince c. Hee must deny himself Not only in things unlawfull but lawfull Hee must yeeld up his sins as a snare his comforts estate and all as a Sacrifice for Christ if hee call for them Mat. 10.37 Hee that loves Father or Mother more than mee is not worthy of mee These relations are expressed but under these are comprized all the comforts and contents on earth And this was not only commanded but it is practised by those whose hearts are taken with Christ You see in Abraham who left all in Moses who prized more of the reproach of Christ than all the treasures in Egypt in David Psal 73.25 Whom have I in Heaven but thee or in Earth in comparison of thee As the World would bee nothing else but Angiae stabulum a noisome sink a prison to a godly man were it not that hee injoys something of Christ here So Heaven it self were but a gaudy Pageant Vanity if God and Christ were not there The Heaven which carnal men do fansy is a Turkish-Heaven an heaven of pleasures delights comforts but fleshly outward They conceive of it according to their Principle But the Heaven of a godly man it lies in God it lies in Christ Indeed That is not Heaven which is by God but that is Heaven which lies in God to a godly man It was the meditation of one Not Heaven O Lord but God Non coelum Domine sed Deus Christus and Christ Rather ten thousand times Christ without Heaven than Heaven without Christ Thus doth the soul that is taken with Christ prize Christ above all the comforts contentments of Heaven and Earth 6. Sign An heart taken with Christ the thoughts are taken up with Christ Such a man hee thinks Christ and hee speaks Christ hee lives Christ You know whatever a mans heart is taken with it is never off his thoughts never off his heart hee is never well but thinking and speaking of that hee loves The thoughts are the character of what the heart is taken withall If thy heart bee taken with Christ thy thoughts are taken up with him Christ is alwayes upon thy thoughts hee lies next to thy heart when thou goest to bed hee is with thee Cant. 1.13 and when thou awakest hee is with thee as David saith Psal 139.18 Indeed Gods people may have swarms of other thoughts but they are not entertained they are not welcome to them they are their burden and trouble They come in as Intruders and are not entertained as Guests A wicked man entertains them as Guests as friends but they come into a godly man as intruders never invited nor finde they welcome This is that Jeremiah speaks Jer. 4.14 How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee in a wicked mans heart they are Lodgers and entertained as Guests hee keeps doors open spreads a Table for them makes them a bed bids them welcome But in a godly man they crowd in and finde no entertainment And as the Thoughts are taken up with Christ so the Tongue Hee thinks and hee speaks Christ When Christ is in the heart the tongue will discourse and speak of him Whatever is in the heart and the heart is taken withall that a mans discourse is most taken up withall As Psal 37.30 The mouth of the Righteous speaketh wisdome and his Tongue talketh of Judgement And why because the Law of his God is in his heart vers 31. So here on the same ground Thy talk
will bee nothing to the soul that loves him Love is as strong as Death You see it in the Apostles They counted not their lives too dear to give to death for the Love of Christ It is not the Bloud which is in the veins the spirits which are in the arteries the Life in the Body which will be too dear There is a kinde of unquenchablenesse in Love like the stone in Thracia which burns in the Water Much Water cannot quench Love 1. Much Afflictions from God cannot quench our Affections to God As all our dealings to God doth not alter Gods affections to us so all Gods dealings to us will not alter our affections to God Si diligis Domine fac quicquid vis was the speech of Calvin Lord if thou love mee do what thou wilt And Jobs Though thou kill mee yet I will still trust in thee And the Church professeth the like Psal 44.17 18 19. All this is come upon us yet do wee not forget thee nor have wee dealt falsely in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned back nor have our steps gone out of thy paths Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death c. 2. Much afflictions for God shall not cool our affections to God Wee shall bee ready to go through a Sea through a Wildernesse through the sharpest incounters for Christ Nothing shall pose a strong Beleever When once the soul is perswaded of the Love of God by Faith then there follows abundance of love to God again 1 John 4. from 15. to 19. Whosoever confesseth that Jesus is the Son of God in him dwelleth God and hee in God And wee have known and beleeved the Love that God hath to us God is Love and hee that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him c. wee love him because hee loved us first And that of Mary Much was forgiven her and therefore shee loved much Whiles a man looks upon God as an enemy who hates him hee can never love him But when once the soul by Faith doth apprehend Gods love to him then doth the soul love God again The love of God begets love in the soul to God Amor Dei amorem animae parit No mans heart is warmed with the sense of Gods love but it is inflamed with love to God again As the Sun beams shining upon a Glasse begets a reflection of the Beams upon the Wall So the Love of God shed abroad in our hearts breeds a reflection of love back again to God 2. Strong in Faith and strong in Hope and expectations of the thing beleeved which is that which holds up our head and keeps the soul from sinking in the midst of all these worldly troubles 3. Strong Faith and strong Patience A strong Faith will bear strong Afflictions with strong Patience Faith doth strengthen a mans shoulders to bear evils and troubles with Patience A weak Tree is blown down with that which moves not a stronger Tree Weak shoulders sink under that burden which a strong one will bear away So a weak Faith would sink with that tryal which a strong Faith is able to undergo with strength of Patience And therefore it is Gods goodnesse still to proportion the Tryal to the strength A strong Faith can receive a mercy and bee thankful and can render a mercy and bee patient A strong Faith can injoy a blessing and bee chearful and can lose it and bee contented Hence saith Paul I have learned in all estates therewith to bee content I know how to abound and how to suffer want c. Hee was a man strong in Faith And the ground of all is this because a strong Faith having dear evidence and apprehensions that God is a Father doth conclude that all his dealings are for good All things shall work together for good to them that love God And hee hath said Hee will never depart from us from doing us good Faith like the Philosophers stone turns all into Gold sees all Gods dealings to bee for good If God then afflict a man why will Faith say It 's for good I have need of such Afflictions to work out such a strong corruption Are the Afflictions many why will Faith say I have need of many Afflictions because I have many corruptions Are they long why I have need of that too because sin and I are so hardly parted It is so hard to make a divorce betwixt sin and my soul and therefore the afflictions had need to continue long Faith sees that God aims at this to wean us from the World to win us closer to him to exercise and increase our Graces to weaken sin and corruption to make us more fruitful Therefore doth hee prune us that wee might grow more If a man lop Trees at sometimes they will wither and dye but if at other times they will be made more fruitful God useth to afflict the wicked at such time But the Saints when they may grow the more Therefore God winnows us fannes us to blow away the chaff Therefore hee puts us as Gold into the fire that wee may come out much more pure Strong Faith and strong Obedience Obedience is proportionable to our Faith The greater the Faith the more the Obedience A little Tree a young Tree may bring forth good fruit as well as a greater but not in equal quantity to the greater so hee that hath the least degree of true Faith lives a godly life brings forth some fruits of Obedience but they are not so plentiful in good works as those whose Faith is come to an higher degree Weak Faith doth obey and this Obedience is a willing a chearful a fruitful a constant an universal Obedience both 1. In respect of the Subject The whole Man and 2. In respect of the Object The whole Law There is a willing yeelding of the soul up to God to walk in every way of God As David Lord I am thine or as the Prophet Isaiah One shall say I am the Lords Otherwise it were not true Obedience But they are not able to act so much as the stronger They are as large in desires in affections to obey but not in expressions of Obedience But the stronger the Faith the stronger is the Obedience the stronger the Will the stronger the Affections and the spirit in his Obedience A Child may do actions as well as a Man but not with that strength as a man doth them hee cannot do them so strongly so vigorously A weak Beleever may pray hear c. but not pray so strongly so powerfully as others who have more Faith So that you see where there is strong Faith there is strong Obedience A strong Faith will follow God fully in every way In losing waies as well as in gaining waies In suffering waies as well as in doing waies In discountenanced waies as well as in such as the World doth countenance In strait waies
hath given thee a heart to love all Saints poor godliness as well as rich grace in russet and gray as well as grace in Silks c. And to love them as Saints as having the image of Christ on them To have communion with them to love brotherly communion to love them most where you see most grace c. So for hatred 1 He hates not all sin 2 He hates no sin as sin if any at all Now if God hath given thee a heart c. 3 To Ordinances So again 1 He loves not all the Ordinances 2 He loves not any Ordinance as an Ordinance Hee hath no savour in an Ordinance he hath no prizing of an Ordinance hee hath no hunger after an Ordinance no rejoycing in an Ordinance no care to walk answerable to the Ordinances If then God hath given thee a heart to do all this these are speciall evidences Thus you see in brief I have shewed you a taste of clearing evidences by which you may examine your own spirits c. 3 General Rule 3 If you would clear your sincerity then remember this Rule Take not up your evidences from the carriage of your spirits either when they are at best or when they are at worst but in a middle way wherein thou art most thy self this will best clear your sincerity If thou seek for an evidence when thy spirit is at the worst thou may sometime finde it too low to afford thee any thing if at the best thou may find it too high to be a continuing evidence and so in the one thou maiest bee discouraged in the other deceived many have flashes of affection in some present heat who yet have not soundnesse of spirit in them Herod heard the Word with joy here was a heat but all his joy would not inable him to part with his Herodias no soundnesse Let it be your wisdome to take up your evidences in a middle way neither when at best nor when at worst that is your most constant frame and that temper is most thy self in the other we are carried above our selves in comforts or cast below our selves in temptations and there is no sure judging not the best judging of the frame 4 Rule 4 Judge not of the sincerity of thy spirit by some particular acts But let the constant frame of your spirits and general conversation discover it If particular actions might determine the case wee should sometime conclude those unsound who are sincere and them sincere who are yet unsound You may look upon a child of God and see him sometimes to have his planetical and extravagant motions though the constant course and bent of his spirit bee Godward We read of David murthering and committing adultery fearful sins Wee read of Joseph swearing Job cursing the day of his Nativity falling out with his stars Jonah vexing Peter denying Thomas not beleeving And if you judge by the particular Acts though exceeding bad you will condemn the generation of the just On the Contrary you shall see Pharaoh desiring the prayer of Moses Balaam in a good mood desiring to dye the death of the righteous Saul condemning of himself Ahab humbling of himself Ninevey repenting Foelix trembling Herod hearing John Baptist joyfully And if we now judge by these particular actions though seemingly good wee shall justify those whom God condemns Wee have a maxime in Logick that no general Rule can bee stablished upon a particular instance and another that no particular instance can overthrow a general rule So here as no man can safely conclude from no better premises than from some few actions though in themselves materially and substantially good that the heart is therefore sincere So on the contrary no man ought to conclude because of some planetical and extravagant motions that a mans heart is unsound We are not to judge of sincerity by some particular actions good or evil but wee are to take up our judgement of our selves by the general frame bent and disposition of a mans heart together with his general and constant conversation in the ways of God and this will best discover our selves to our selves So much for the fourth Rule 5. Rule 5 The fifth Rule whereby we shall be inabled to clear the sincerity of our hearts is Be carefull to read your spirits and take exact notice of your hearts at sometimes more especially God in the wisdome of his Providence doth single out some special times wherein hee discovers the hypocrisy of the unsound and declares the sincerity of his own It is very seldome that God doth suffer a man to end his days before hee have tryed him and so discovered him one way or another The young man in the Gospel went on fairly for a long time and it is like thought his condition good enough but at last you see Christ put him to the tryall and by that discovered to him the unsoundnesse of his heart Herod hee went on fairely for a time hee heard John hee heard him often hee heard him gladly nay and reformed too in many things but at last God discovered his unsoundness God uncased him and made known the deceit of his heart So Saul went on for a while but at last God discovered him So Simon Magus and Balaam And as God hath times for the discovery of Hypocrisy in the wicked so hee hath some special times and occasions wherein he doth discover the sincerity of his own people Moses was a holy man but hee had the time of his tryall hee might have been esteemed the sonne of Pharaohs Daughter have enjoyed all the plenty and honour of the Court but hee refused to bee called the son of Pharaohs daughter sleighted all that honour and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin which are but for a season here was the discovery of his sincerity Heb. 11.24 25. Abraham hee was a holy man but yet he passed through times of tryall too And they were great ones To name but one God commanded him to offer up his son in sacrifice here was a triall a great triall Gen. 22.2 1 Had hee been only to have parted with a dutiful Servant it had been something but to part with a Son that is more 2 If with a Son yet but an adopted sonne the tryall had not been so great but this was a natural son 3 If with a natural son yet if hee had been but one of many that tryall had not been so great but this was not only his own but his only son 4 If with his own Son if with his only son yet if Abraham had been young and so probable to have had more the tryal had not been so great But it was with his own his only son and the son of his old age hee was never like to have more 5 Nay yet further though he had been c. yet if he had been an Ismael and not an Isaac the trial had not
forgo all Sin where sin is forgiven there sin is forsaken 3. A Third sort are they Who seek a pardon of Sin without sense of Sin who seek forgiveness of Sin without remorse for sin Men who are never troubled with any sense with any compunction of heart for sin Would you not take it for a dallying with you if one had greatly offended you and should come to desire you your forgiveness without any sense or remorse of it What do you think God will do This is certain Without blood there is no Remission of Sin as the Apostle speaks Christ was wounded and thou must be wounded too before thou hast a pardon Christ did bleed and conscience must bleed before ever he give a pardon It was a speech of Bradford He never left a duty till c. Will a man in good earnest beg a pardon who was never attached for Treason or so much as throughly sensible that he is guilty of it 4. A Fourth sort are such as cry for Forgiveness but yet never look after their Prayers Would you not think it a slighting if a man who had offended you should come and beg a pardon and as soon as he had said a few words to you should turn his back and go away and never expect nor wait for an answer from you Why thus do you deal with God You put up prayers but look not after them He who begs in earnest Oh! he will Diligently observe what Answer what Return God makes He will observe what word of Comfort God le ts fall what intimations God will afford to his spirit and will be exceeding chary of them As you see Benhadads servants did 1 Kings 20.31 32 33. After they had put up their requests the Text saith The men did diligently observe whether any thing would come from Ahab and did hastily catch at it So should we do Come with sackcloath put up our prayers with remorse and when that is done when we have prayed our prayers let us wait our prayers to see what intimations we shall receive from heaven Thus David Psal 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak Peace to his people and to his Saints c. Psal 5.3 In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and I will look up 5. A Fift sort who dally with God are they who follow not their prayers with endeavors to get assurance that their Sins are pardoned Who search not into the Covenant of Grace acquaint not themselves with the Promises of Grace search not into the Word of Grace frequent not the Means of Grace These men dally who frequent not the Word Sacraments c. and such like Means for the Assurance of Pardon A TREATISE OF THE Loves of Christ TO HIS SPOUSE BY SAMVEL BOLTON D. D. And MASTER of C. C. C. LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst and are to be sold at his Shop over against the Great Conduit in Cheapside 1656. A TREATISE OF THE LOVES OF CHRIST TO HIS SPOUSE CANT 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my Sister my Spouse Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes with one chain about thy neck A Text which after wee have been some while in Heaven wee shall bee able to understand Certainly none can speak fully to this Text but they who have the full injoyments of this Love But things that are not possible to bee expressed are not totally to bee omitted and therefore wee will lanch into the main Ocean And when wee are not able to apprehend this love let us cast our selves in and let it comprehend us Some things in the General wee premise 1. For the Author or Penman it was Solomon inspired by the Spirit of God 2. For the Title of the Book it is called The Song of Songs or a most excellent Song So it is called for the excellency and sublimity The doubling of the words declare the excellency As when the Scripture speaks of base things by doubling the words they are more debased as it was said of Cham Gen. 9.25 A servant of servants shall hee bee that is a vile slave So when it speaks of good things by doubling the words it declares the excellency of the thing Deut. 10.17 The Lord your God is God of Gods and Lord of Lords Thus much for the Title 3. As concerning the Matter there is difference among Interpreters 1. Aben-Ezra a Jewish Rabbin thinks it to bee an History of the Church of God from Abraham to Christ 2. Another thinks it to bee an Hystory of the Church from Christ to the freedome of the Church by Constantine a Roman Emperour who lived in the beginning of the fourth Century 3. Another makes it contain a prophetical Hystory of the condition of the Church from David to the end of the World And divides the book into these two parts The Church 1. Under the Law 2. Under the Gospel 1. The Church under the Law from David to the death of Christ which is continued from the beginning of the Book to the sixth verse of the fourth Chapter 1. As it was from David to the Captivity which saith hee is contained in the first Chapter and the two first verses of the second Chapter 2. As it was in the Captivity from the second verse of the second Chapter to the fifteenth verse of the second Chapter 3. As it was after the Captivity till the death of Christ the abrogation of the Church under the Law which continues from the fifteenth verse of the second Chapter to the sixth verse of the fourth Chapter 2. And from that to the end of the Book is contained an Hystory of the Church Evangelical till Christs second comming Of this mind is Brightman But to leave this wee think and with us goes the stream of Orthodox Interpreters that the subject matter of this Book is a Parabolical Hystory of the mutual loves betwixt Christ and his Church set down under the persons of the Bridegroom and his Bride And thus much of the Book in general Wee will now draw neerer to our Text. In the former Chapter we read how the Church the Spouse of Christ doth declare her exceeding love to Christ and her high appretiations of him with her earnest desire to injoy him whom her soul saw so precious and that Christ might discover to her how kindly hee took her affection In this Chapter hee doth again enter into a singular commendation of the excellency of the Church declaring also his unfeigned love to her The whole Chapter contains these parts 1. A singular commendation of the Church by Christ which is set down allegorically from the first verse to the fifth and from the tenth to the fourteenth verse 2. A gracious profession of Christs love to his Church from the fifth verse to the tenth 3. The Churches reply with Christs answer again to her vers 15 16 17. In the Churches reply 1. A commendation of her head and
yet here hee that beleeves most and loves most makes most haste The more the soul beleeves and the more the heart is taken with Christ the greater are the desires to bee with him Till Simeon had gotten Christ into his armes hee was unwilling to dye but after hee had Christ in his armes Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for my eyes have seen thy salvation Indeed here are but the Espousals between Christ and the soul Some Broken-Rings Contracts Espousals betwixt Christ and us But then is the great Marriage-day the Solemnization of our Nuptials to all eternity Here wee do see him but dimly and darkly at the best and there are oftentimes clouds come in and interpose themselves between Christ and us but then wee shall see him face to face and never shall there cloud come between Christ and us to all eternity There wee shall see him in his Glory his full discoveries Here wee injoy him but in part The distance is great betwixt him and us All which distance doth arise from that within us Were it not for sin wee might bee in Glory even in Grace But then wee shall injoy him in fulness Heaven is the place which God hath intended to set forth himself to his People in his Glory to all eternity Where there shall bee no fears no sin never smoak of distrustfull thoughts shall arise more Where there shall bee no sorrow no tears All sighing and sobbing shall pass away and nothing but joy shall keep the house Wee are now the Sons of God But it doth not yet appear what wee shall bee for wee shall see him as hee is 7. Sign A heart taken with Christ thinks nothing too much to do nothing â—â—o much to suffer for Christ You know Love cannot bee posed Wee say there is no difficultie in Love Things impossible to others are easie to them who love And things burthensome to others delightfull to them who love If once thy heart bee taken with Christ thou wilt think nothing too much to do nothing too much to suffer for him As Christ thought nothing too much for us because his heart was taken with us neither shall wee think any thing too much for Christ Wee read how prodigal the Saints have been of their Riches their Blood their Lives for Christ because they loved him 1. They have not accounted their estates too dear for him Heb. 10.34 They took joyfully the spoiling of their goods 2. They have not accounted their lives too dear Rev. 12.11 They loved not their lives to death for him If they must dig in Mines or be cast to bee devoured by Wild-Beasts for Christ as it was the usual sentence of Christians Christiani ad nâ— talla ad Ecstias in the primitive times they were willing to do and suffer it See this in the Virgin of whom Basil speaks who was condemned to death because shee would not worship Idols And the like of old Polycarp and others This is certain A soul taken with Christ knows no difficulty in its love It loves him with an unlimited an uncircumscribed love which no duty no difficulty can pose 8. Sign A heart taken with Christ is exceedingly cast down with the withdrawings and absence of Christ The comforts of the soul are laid up in Christ and when hee is gone all is gone Comfort gone Joy gone the Heart gone with him As Mephibosheth said Take all now my Lord is come back so the soul saith Take all take the World take Riches take Heaven and Glory so far as Heaven and thou are two things That my Lord may return with my soul Datkness is terrible to the soul and this is thick darkness and therefore saith with Absolom let mee see his face mea non prosunt sine te nothing besides thee can either satisfie or profit mee 9. Sign A heart taken with Christ is fully content and satisfied with the injoyments and possession of Christ The possession of the thing beloved doth content the soul so far as there is satisfaction and contentment with it The reason why wee do not meet with full contentments and satisfactions here in the possession or our loves is because they want of fulness But now it is not so with Christ Hee is able to brim the soul to satisfie the spirit to answer all the desires of the heart and therefore the heart taken with him needs must rest satisfied and contented with him Such a gulf of desire is in the soul of men that if God should cast in a thousand worlds there would bee no contentment except Christ bee cast in And Christ is so full contentment that if God bestow him they will neither need nor desire any more And thus much shall serve for the use of tryal wee will now come to an use of Exhortation and conclude this Use of Exhortation 1. To them of his Church 2. To them who are not of the Church 1. To them of his Church Is it so that the heart of Christ is so much taken with his Church and People 1. Direction to them of the Church 1. Walk suitably to this love Dignities and suitable walkings to dignities must go together Now this suitable walking wee will express in these five things 1. Walk chearfully 2. Walk thankfully 3. Walk humbly 4. Walk watchfully 5. Walk obediently 1. Walk chearfully Walk as Heirs of such a Mercy Here is a truth speaks comfort when all the world speaks nothing but terrour 2. Direction to them of the Church 2. Beware of abusing this love Precious things are committed to us by a word of Caution This is a precious Truth and therefore let mee adde to it this word of Caution Beware of abusing this Love of Christ Christs Love are his bowels and hee will never indure to have his bowels injured his love abused You know a man will not have his Love injured the abuse of his power of his wisdome greatness doth not touch a man so nearly as the abuse of his Love This is an injury men cannot indure So to speak after the manner of men Christ can least indure his Love should bee abused There is no abuse like it Therefore beware of it Now this Love of Christ is injured these wayes and beware 1. When wee slight the intreaties reject the tenders cast aside the offers and beseeches of his Love When love stoops to you when the mercy and goodness of Christ doth as it were come on its knees to you and intreats you to do this or not to do that And yet you will stop your ears pull back your shoulder slight the intreaties This is an abuse 2. When the Love of Christ doth slacken our hearts to duty loosen our ingagements makes us more remiss to or in service This is to abuse his Love Wee should reason from Mercy to Duty and not from Mercy to Liberty Abundance of Grace calls in for abundance of Duty The Love of Christ should constrain us as
a glass the glory of the Lord wee are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 In nature the meat is digested into the nature of the eater Here the eater is turned into the nature of the meat The contemplation of his Glory makes you glorious They will bee 5. Soul-winning Thoughts Love you know is of an attractive nature Amor amoris Magnes Nothing wins more than Love Love is the Loadstone to draw Love again As the Sun shining upon a Glasse begets a reflection of the beams back again so the love of God shed abroad in our hearts begets a reflection of love back again toward God You see Mary Much was forgiven her shee had tasted of much love from God and shee returned much love again to him Shee loved much The Power of God doth shake the heart The Majesty of God doth dread the heart The Justice of God doth awe the heart But it is the Mercy of God the Love of God which doth perswade win and draw the heart Nothing wins a mans heart to God but his Love The fear of God dread of God may bring a mans feet into his wayes but it is the Love of God which brings his Heart into his wayes They are 6. Soul-quickening 7. Soul-comforting thoughts Oh then that wee were but wise to improve this Doctrin this truth to the good of our souls I tell thee Christian if thou wouldest give this truth but scope in thy heart it would help thee and relieve thee of all the burdens under which thou groanest 1. Dost thou labour under a proud heart this would humble thee 2. Dost thou labour under a dejected heart this would raise thee 3. Under a dark heart this would comfort revive thee 4. Under a dead heart this would quicken thee and put the Spirit of Heaven into thee whiles thou art on earth 5. Under an hard heart this would break thee Nay this would melt thee dissolve thee into waters I say the more thou gets up with Elijah into this Chariot of love the more would the mantle of sin and corruption depart from thee 6. Under a worldly heart This would dead thy heart for ever to the World and set thee all on flame with the fire of heavenly affections I am confident of it whatever a Christian desires to injoy whatever a Christian desires to bee rid of if hee can but dwell upon this truth and bee able to manage it Hee shall have it more fully hee shall have it more quickly than any other way Wouldest thou bee rid of a proud heart wouldest thou have an humble heart wouldest bee rid of a dead heart and desirest a quick heart wouldest bee rid of an hard heart and have a broken heart wouldest bee rid of an unbeleeving of a doubting of a dejected heart and wouldest bee mighty in Faith full of comfort Why do but let thy soul bee carried captive with this Truth bee but content this Truth should master thee bee but willing to entertain it beleeve it imbrace it I am confident on it all this will bee done I may set down a probatum est to it Oh! That wee were wise to manage this Truth There are many look upon this but as a pleasant dream a Chimera a fiction And some beleeve it but slightly there wants depth of earth And some there are poor souls to whom the comfort of this truth belongs who think this is too good news for them They think if they should own it it would bee but too great a sale for too small a Boat rather overturn them than do them good rather ruine them than help them And therefore they must feed upon black thoughts upon Hell upon justice upon sin upon their corruptions Ah! Poor souls Satan deludes you you take a way to undo your selves Either to discourage you to say there is no hope or else to break you that you shall never bee able to do God service Look as long as you will into Hell pry as long as you will into the dark vaults of your souls rake as long as you will into the kennel of your hearts You shall finde nothing in Hell but Hell in your hearts but sin and having found it run from him That man looks too much on sin who shutteth his eyes from a mutual interview of love between God and his soul And hither you must come at last Free-Grace must bee owned Free-Mercy must bee acknowledged and advanced by you if ever you would bee saved if ever you would bee comforted You mâ—y think what you will but sure I am 1. There are no Christians more chearfull 2. None are more thankfull 3. None are more humble 4. None are more beleeving 5. None are more active 6. None are more couragious 7. None more serviceable and usefull toward God and men than they who lye continually at the breast of the promise than they who set up Gods Free-Grace and own that good which God makes out to them Thou mayest bee a Christian but thou wilt bee a sad Christian an uncomfortable Christian a dark Christian a deserted Christian a dead Christian an unserviceable Christian if thou dost go on to feed upon black thoughts and wilt not own that comfort which Christ tenders imbrace that good which Christ speaks and beleeve the Riches of his Grace and Mercy to poor sinners Do but sit down and from the sight and sense of thine own unworthiness take but occasion to advance Free-Grace and Mercy Let there bee place for that to come in Let those thoughts finde entertainment And thou shalt quickly finde a strange change in thy spirit 1. Thou who couldest not mourn before shall now bee able to poure our tears as if thou wert all turned to water 2. Thou who before couldest not beleeve couldest not bee comforted wilt even think it a wonder that ever thy heart should bee so dark so doubtful 3. Thou who before wast dead shalt now finde a spirit of life come into thee and make thee active in the work of the Lord. Make but the Experiment and thou wilt converse more with the promise with the Love of Christ with the Free-Grace of God whiles thou livest if you would but remove your unbelief But who shall remove this stone God alone must do it But if this were done this truth would let in a flood of mercy upon you and even sink and over-whelm you in a Sea of mercy and glory where now you go drooping and hang down your heads because you will not own that portion which Christ hath left you nor that comfort which Christ doth tender and speak to you 4. Direction to them of the Church 4. Direction to them of the Church 4. Labour for a reciprocall affection a mutual taking between Christ and us Is Christs heart taken with you Oh! let your hearts bee taken with him Doth Christ love you Oh! do you love Christ Are you
Being justified by Faith wee have Peace with God Rom. 15.13 Now the God of all hope fill you with joy and peace in beleeving An unbeleeving-heart is a stormy heart an unpeaceable-heart All things Above us Within us Quae supra nos Intra nos Infra nos Contra nos Below us are all against us whilst wee are Unbeleevers 1. Above us wee have an angry and displeased God 2. Within us wee have a stormy and troublesome Conscience threatning nothing but death like the troubled Sea casting up mire and dirt as Isaiah speaks Isa 57.20 There is no Peace saith my God to the wicked 3 Below us we have there all the Creatures our enemies ready upon Gods commission to execute his displeasure upon us But now being Beleevers all is at Peace 1. All above us is at Peace The Controversy betwixt God and us is ended Faith takes up the quarrel betwixt God and us Wee have Peace with God Rom. 5.1 2. All within us is at Peace A peaceable God makes all at Peace Tranquillus Deus Tranquillat omnia when once our Peace is made in the Court of Heaven which is upon the first act of beleeving Then follows Peace in the Court of Conscience Peace which passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 Our rest is to behold God at rest our Peace is to see him at Peace Eum quierem aspicere Quâ—â— esceâ—e est 3. All below us are at Peace with us Wee have Peace with all the Creatures All are now our Friends Job 5.23 The stones of the Field shall bee at league with thee the Beasts of the Field shall bee at peace with thee c. Thou shalt know that Peace shall bee in thy Tabernacle Prov. 16.7 When a mans wayes please the Lord hee will make his enemies to bee at peace with him When before upon our Rebellion with God all the Creatures were our enemies now being reconciled all are made friends 1. Faith makes us the Servants to the God of Peace in whose service there is Peace Prov. 3.17 All his Paths are Peace Every step of Godliness hath Peace with it And the reward of whose service shall bee Peace Psal 29.11 The Lord will bless his people with Peace Psal 85.8 The Lord will speak Peace to his people at the last though they meet with much trouble for the present war within and war without war with lusts war with Satan yet the God of Peace shall tread down Satan under our feet at last and put an end to this war Rom. 16.20 They shall have a Peace in the Conclusion And a Peace after war is the surest and most setledst Peace Psal 37.37 Mark the upright man The end of that man is Peace Though there bee stormes and troubles in the way yet the end of the journey that shall bee Peace A calm after stormes and never shall there arise storme more to all Eternity 2. Faith makes us subjects to the Prince of Peace unto Christ who is called our Peace Ephes 2.14 And our Peace hee is 1. Not only meritoriously by shedding his Blood for the purchase of our Peace Col. 1.20 Christ is our Peace having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross So Isa 53. The chastisement of our Peace was upon him Or that chastisement which did meritoriously procure our Peace was upon him God directed all the war against him that wee might have Peace As Jonah was thrown into the Sea that the storm might cease so Christ upon the Cross into the Grave that God and wee might bee at peace together But Christ is not only our Peace thus meritoriously by procuring Peace for us But also â— Efficiently by working of Peace in us Christ hath not only wrought Peace for us but hee works Peace in us Pacifying our Consciences calming our stormy spirits setling and establishing his Peace in us Christ is called the Prince of Peace as the King is the Fountain of Honours and bestows them where hee will so Christ is of Peace and bestows it when and where hee pleaseth Wee read that Moses was a man of Peace but hee was not a Prince of Peace Hee could not bestow Peace hee could not instill peaceable and calm affections into the mutinous Israelites But Christ hee is not a man of Peace but King of Salem Prince of Peace who is able to bestow Peace who can calm the most stormy and troublesome spirits with as much ease as hee did the Winds and Waters which was but with a word Peace and bee still Now Faith makes us one with Christ who is the Prince of Peace Christ joyned God and us together and Faith joynes Christ and us together in whom wee have Peace John 16 33. â— In mee yee shall have Peace Faith makes us subjects to this Prince of Peace whose Kingdome and reign over his people doth not consist in meat and drink but in Righteousnesse and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost 3. Faith doth interest us into the Covenant of Peace and therefore being Beleevers wee must needs have Peace I say Faith doth interest us into the Covenant of Peace the Gospel of Peace the alone condition whereof is beleeving Whosoever beleeveth shall bee saved Time was that Hoc age do this was the condition of life do this and live So ran the old Covenant But now Crede Beleeve and bee saved The Law required works It 's called a Covenant of Works but the Gospel Faith It s a Covenant of Grace Made out of meer Grace and performed of meer Grace wherein God promiseth pardon of sins upon meer Mercy and Grace 4. Faith doth instate us into the conditions of Peace Faith gives us the grounds of Peace Justification Reconciliation with God pardon of sin and Sanctification of the whole man As there is no Peace where God is not propitious so there 's no Peace where the sinner is not sanctified A Beleeving heart is an holy heart and an holy heart is a peaceable heart Grace and Peace and Righteousnesse and Peace are still coupled together To shew that where there is no Grace there is no Peace and where there is Grace there is Peace though not ever in the Possession Gratia est bonum initiale Pax est bonum finale and sensible injoyment yet ever in the hope and assurance of the promise of Peace Grace is the root and Peace is the fruit A good Conscience is a continual Feast They who do the work of God shall have the Peace of God Gal. 6. They who walk according to this Rule Peace shall bee on them c. Hence the Psalmist Psal 119 165. Great Peace have they that love thy Law They which love the Law of God shall have the Peace of God Object But you will say Many have Peace who yet are not Beleevers Object And many are Beleevers and yet want Peace Therefore Peace is not a Fruit of Faith Ans Now to meet and to resist this Objection Answ which like a two-edged-sword
there 's nothing but Sin in us in stead of beauty blackness in stead of comliness deformity It discovers there 's nothing but Damnation and Hell in us nothing but Hell in our parts Hell in our Principles Nay Hell in our prayers That not our persons only but our prayers stand in need of Christ that if hee save not our prayers as well as our persons our Prayers will damn us Faith is such a Grace as is raised up upon the ruines of our selves not the Substance but the Sin the ruine of our sinful selves the ruine of our self of Pride of Self-confidence self-sufficiency all which are thrown down before Faith bee raised As the Shipmans Fatal Star which they say is never seen but before wrack and death so Faith is never seen but before the wrack and death of sinful nature which hath one wrack by Faith but the Universal wrack by death And this is the first work and the mighty work of Faith which must bee done before wee come over to Christ As the Opinion of something in themselves was that which kept off the Jews from comming to Christ so it doth us And therefore Faith empties us of this Opinion makes us poor that so wee may bee fit to receive the Gospel The poor receive the Gospel The Gospel is but a merciful Hospital for the relief of the Poor Blind Naked Lame and lost sinners Here 's nothing for those who are Rich and Full and think they want nothing Faith empties the Soul of that Opinion of strength to help it self Though a man were convinced hee had nothing yet if hee have such a conceit as this That hee can help himself that hee is able to recover and winde himself out of that condition wherein hee is hee would then stand upon his own bottom bee a Buckler to himself and would never come over to Christ That which kept the Prodigal from his Father was not the Opinion of any worthiness in himself hee saw hee was poor and ready to famish but hee thought hee could recover himself live of himself without the help of a Father And this conceit kept him off So the Woman with the Bloody-Issue It was not her opinion that shee had no need of Christ which kept her off from comming to Christ but shee thought shee was able to purchase help out of her own store without going to him And even to the last penny shee conceited shee should have help when shee had spent all not before Then shee came And whilest a man hath a conceit that hee is able to work out his own Peace compass his own happiness Though hee bee poor yet conceits hee is able to inrich himself Though naked yet hee is able to weave a web of Righteousness to cloath himself Though in debt yet hee is able to make payment Though undone yet hee is able to recover himself I say so long as a man hath this conceit thinks hee hath any strength of his own to winde himself out of the misery into which hee sees himself to bee plunged so long hee will never come over to Christ This conceitedness will keep off the Soul from Christ Men you know will rather make use of their own gold than of others of their own cloaths than of others of their own friends than of others of their own power than of others Men will dig to the Clay as Pliny saith before they will go borrow water of their neighbours Such a spirit there is in man that hee will sound the bottome try the utmost what hee can do before hee will call in for anothers help But now when Faith comes and discovers us not only to bee miserable but unable to extricate our selves out of this misery not only to bee poor but unable to inrich our selves not only under the burden of sin but unable to cast off this burden not only indebted but unable to pay in prison but unable to come forth then will the soul hasten and come over to Christ Now this is that which Faith doth It doth not only empty a man of all opinion of Righteousness in the discovery of his misery but also it empties a man of all that opinion of strength to help himself out of this misery 1 Neither do 2 Nor suffer That hee can neither do nor suffer any thing to relieve himself That all his doings and sufferings are too short to help him That the state of nature is not only a state of misery but a state of impotency and utter disability to do any thing to help it self Hence the Apostle saith Rom. 5.6 8. That wee were not only sinners but without strength not able to help our selves out of this condition of sin Wee were dead in trespasses and sins So that wee were unable to do or if any thing yet dead works such as set us further in debt but wipe off no score Hence Christ saith Without mee yee can do nothing All our actions are so many Cyphers so many Nothings 1. Wee can do nothing to please God our best works but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Gift of an Enemy The Sacrifice of Fools They that are in the flesh cannot please God 2. Wee can do nothing which is truly really and substantially Good What Nathaniel spake doubtingly concerning Christ Joh. 1.46 Can there any good thing come out of Nazaret may preremptorily bee here affirmed No good can come out of an evil heart No good fruit from a bad root Do men gather Grapes of Thorns or Figs of Thistles Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean It 's impossible 3. Wee can do nothing to settle a sound and substantial Peace in our Consciences though wee skin them over for a time calm and still them for a time yet wee cannot work a sound cure nor settle a substantial Peace there 4. Wee can do nothing which may purchase any blessing or favour from God Non ex merito operis sed ex largitate donantis Though God reward the works of wicked men sometimes as hee did Ahab Jehu Nebuchadnezzar yet it is not That the works deserve a reward but because hee is a plentifull rewarder Thus Faith discovers the impotency and utter dis-ability to help our selves Hence wee are said 1. Not to bee able to think a good thought 2. Cor. 3.5 Not that wee are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves All our sufficiency is of God 2. Not to bee able to understand 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him nor can hee know them because they are spiritually discerned 3. Not able to will any thing that is good Phil. 2.13 God worketh the will and the deed of his own good pleasure 4. Not able to begin a good work Phil 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that hee that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ
Light of it Men will not seek after the Physitian before they feel themselves to bee sick for ease till they bee prest with burdens for a Plaister before they bee wounded for heavenly Riches before sense of their spiritual beggery for inlargement and pardon before they bee in Prison for Mercy before they smart under the sense of Misery Nor for a Christ till the soul do finde a necessity in the want of Christ Hence the Law is said to bee our Schoolmaster to bring us to Christ And it is upon this ground among others because it doth discover sin to us and lash us and humble us for it And then wee are ready to go from Sinai to Sion from the Law of Moses accusing to the Gospel of Christ excusing from the Law condemning to the Gospel absolving 2. God doth discover to the soul the fulness and al-sufficiency of Christ Who is able to save to the uttermost them that come to God by him and Heb. 7.25 That there 's enough in him to justifie and save so vile a sinner as thou hast been Christ his Righteousness is an everlasting Righteousness such as an eternity of sinning is never able to expend and draw dry As our Faith can never out-grow the Righteousness of Christ so neither can our sins Rom. 1.17 It is said to bee A Righteousness revealed from Faith to Faith The more Faith not the less but the more Righteousness is revealed The broader the Eye of Faith the wider the Righteousness beheld As all the Faith in the World could never over-clasp the Righteousness of Christ So all the sins in the World are not able to non-plus or pose it As it cannot bee over-lookt or comprehended by any Faith So it cannot bee exhausted by any sins Both of these wee have set down Joh. 16.8 9 10. I will send the Spirit and hee shall convince the World of sin There is Humiliation Of Righteousness That is that there is A compleat and Al-sufficient Righteousness in mee That I am able to save to the utmost to pardon sin This God discovers Faith must have a bottom to rest on An Al-sufficient Saviour No man will throw his soul away 3. With the fulness God discovers the freeness of this Righteousness to all commers How willing God is to bestow Christ on you and how willing Christ is to bestow himself upon you Hence wee have such invitations Ho! Every one that thirsteth come yee to the Waters Isa 55.1 And Let him that is a thirst come Rev. 22.17 And Come to mee all yee that are weary and heavy laden Matth. 11.28 And Him that comes to mee I will by no means cast out Joh. 6.37 4. God stirs up the soul to pursue Christ with inlarged desires and earnest prayers kindles desires in the soul after him Oh! That God would bestow Christ on mee I see I am in misery I see I am a sinner Oh! That thou wouldest bestow Jesus Christ upon my poor soul As the poor pursued Hart doth pant after the Brooks of water So panteth such a soul after the Lord Jesus Now Christ upon any termes is desireable 5. Now God works the Grace of Faith in the soul whereby the soul doth draw nigh to Christ and throws it self into the arms of Christ embraceth him with all his might casts it self wholly on him for Life and Salvation Have you not seen how a tender Infant in the apprehension of danger runs into the arms of the Parent for succour so doth the soul pursued by the Law and affrighted by the apprehensions of Gods wrath flye into the bosome and armes of Christ for succour bespeaking him with all the termes of Love and Confidence My Lord My God My Hope My Fortress My Strength My Redeemer save mee else I perish Hide mee in the clefts of this Rock Pitty mee Succour mee Thou who art a Saviour Lord save mee Thou that art Mercy shew mee Mercy And here now begins the Life of a Christian though as yet hee feel little motion Strong is hee now in desiring though feeble in performing Resolved hee is by any means to stick to Christ yet not sensible of any union with him Hee admires the brightness of the Beams of his Mercy shining in the Gospel but feels little warmth of joy and comfort in his heart Hee hungers after the Word but feels little nourishment Here is the beginning of true Faith Now then would you know whether you have Faith try your selves Have you found that God hath thus wrought in you what hast thou been thus humbled in the sight and sense of sin deeply affected with the fulness and freeness of the Grace of God in Christ so as to raise up in thee those earnest longings and pantings after him so as thus to cast and venture thy soul upon him this useth to bee the manner and way of Gods working Faith in us by which wee may come to know whether this Faith bee wrought in us or no. 2. Some Evidences are taken from the Grace it self In which because Faith doth admit of degrees some having stronger Faith some weaker Though all of us have as it is in 2 Pet. 1.1 The like precious Faith the same Faith for kind yet all have not the same Faith for degrees In some it is strong in some it is weak Sincere in all All men are not of like age all Trees not of the like growth Wee read of a little Faith Oh yee of little Faith Faith though little Wee read of a great Faith Oh Woman great is thy Faith All Beleevers are not of the like stature in Christ Some are but Babes and some are grown men there 's a little Faith comparatively and there 's a great Faith Therefore lest I should unsure the weak in satisfying the strong I will here give you 1. Some Evidences of a weak Faith 2. Some Evidences of a strong Faith 1. The Evidences of true Faith though weak 1. The weakest Faith hath strong desires to close with Christ in the Termes of the Gospel Is willing to take Christ in the whole latitude and extent of Christ not only totum Christum but totum Christi Christ in all his Offices not only as a Priest but as a King to whom the soul is as willing to yeeld Subjection as to have Salvation from him as desirous to submit to his services as to injoy his Priviledges to do duty as to partake of his bounty to throw it self at the feet of Christ with strong desires though it may bee for the present but with weak assurance of Mercy from him Quest But who doth not thus desire Christ who is not willing to accept of Christ Answ It is impossible that any Unbeleeving man should desire Christ in the latitude and extent of Christ Hee may desire him for Salvation but not for Sanctification as a Priest but not as a King to rule and govern him to bring every thought into subjection to himself for happiness but not for holiness
and see 4. Nathaniels desire to bee satisfied hee goeth out with him and that is the summe of the discourse between Philip and Nathaniel The second discourse is between Christ and Nathaniel from vers 47. ad finem In which you have five things observeable 1. Christs profession or commendation of him vers 47. Jesus saw Nathaniel comming to him and saith of him Behold an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile 2. Nathaniels reply ver 48. Whence knowest thou mee which may bee construed two wayes 1. Either by way of question being convinced that hee spake right and that hee discovered his heart to him hee demands how it came to pass that hee knew his spirit so right as though hee had said it is true I desire to walk uprightly and sincerely with God but how canst thou tell that how is this discovered to thee art thou able to judge of the heart none knoweth that but God only 2. Or the words may bee conceived as a blunt and more rude reply whence knowest thou mee you never saw mee before nor I you and how then can you give so high a commendation of one you are no more acquainted with And I take them in this last sense because hee came with such a prejudice against Christ ver 40. 3. Christs further and clearer manifestation of himself to him vers 48. Jesus answered before Philip called thee under the Fig-tree I saw thee as though hee had said I there saw enough to discothy sincerity I saw what there thou didst or because I saw thee when thou thoughtest none did thou mayest well think I know thy heart 4. Nathaniels noble confession or profession of Christ vers 49. Nathaniel said Rabbi thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel 5. We have Christs commendation of this act of his Faith v. 50. Jesus answered because I said I saw thee under the Fig-tree beleevest thou with a promise of future and fuller revelation thou shalt see greater things than these Here you see that Christ passeth by his failings which were 1. His prejudice against Christ because of the place can any good thing c. 2. His rude reply to Christ when he discovered himself to him whence knowest thou mee these Christ passeth by and falls into the commendation of his present act of Faith So gracious a Saviour wee have that when wee present him with our duties hee will not remember our infirmities Hee saith I will remember your sins no more viz. to object them against us to upbraid much less to condemn us for them Hee did not object agaâ—nst Manasseh his witchcrafts and idolatries nor against David his Murder and Adultery nor against Matthew that hee had been a Publican and an Oppressor nor against Zacheus that hee had been an Extortioner nor against Mary Magdalen that shee had been an Adulteresse nor here against Nathaniel his behaviour towards him when once the soul comes in hee receives it and remembers its sins no more but hides and covers them In the Text observe three general parts 1. An open commendation of Nathaniels Faith because I said c. 2. A silent reprehension of others unbelief Beleevest thou 3. A gracious promise of future and fuller Revelation thou shalt see greater c. In the first consider 1. The Person commending Christ 2. The Person commended Nathaniel 3. The thing for what his readiness to beleeve 4. The ground of his Faith because I said I saw thee under the Fig-tree beleevest thou as if hee had said doth so small a thing induce thee to beleeve I have wrought no miracles raised no dead c. I shall do greater things in the sight of others heal the sick give sight to the blinde cleanse the Lepers cast out Devils raise the dead and yet many of them will not beleeve For the promise of fuller Revelation the words are thou shalt see greater things than these which is promised Either as a reward of his former Faith or for the increase of his present Faith and in these words hee points at what after miracles hee would do Thus you see the parts of the Text laid open to you but there is one thing yet which is necessarily to bee unfolded in the Text before wee leave the general view of it which is the ground of his beleeving which was Christs saying that hee saw him under the Fig-tree The question is Quest How so small a thing as this saying that hee saw him under the Fig-tree could bee likely to produce so noble a confession and profession of Christ or make him to beleeve Ans Wee will not now speak of Gods working by it for so wee know nothing is so small but by his working in and by it may prove admirably efficacious as on the contrary if hee work not no thing though never so great otherwise and seemingly promising will bee able to do any thing as wee see in the Jews who although they saw his miracles such as none but a God could do yet they beleeved not Wee will consider the thing in it self and so I finde these two things in it which might draw out such a confession and make him put forth such an act of Faith Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree 1. It may bee hee was then taken up with the meditation of the Messiah who was to come for at this time their thoughts were all full of it Luk. 2.25.48 and so God might now suggest to him that hee would reveal him to him 2. Or it may bee out of evidence and conviction of the omnipresence of Christ that hee could see him under the Fig-tree Nathaniel thought that hee had been alone and no eye had seen him and therefore when such an evidence was brought to his spirit that Christ saw him yea not only his person and outward actions but his heart also hee was thereupon convinced of the divinity of Christ and so cryeth out Rabbi thou art the Son of God c. Quest 2. But you will say How did this discover that Christ was the Son of God or the divinity of Christ Ans Hee knew that corporally hee was not there and therefore although his eyes told him that Christ was a man yet in that when absent hee could see him under the Fig-tree it did discover and declare him to bee God But 2. I think this speech of Christ which was the ground of Nathaniels Faith had not only relation to his seeing of Nathaniels person but to some special peece of service which Nathaniel was then upon Either meditation prayer or the like which Christ saw and his heart in it as if Christ had said I saw not only thy person under the Fig-tree but also the workings of thy spirit there I saw in them the uprightness and sincerity of thy heart and the goings out of thy soul when thou wert there alone which brought such a conviction of the divinity of Christ with it that it made him
tremble stand and bee astonished stand and bee amazed Lord who is hee that shall bee saved May men do thus much and yet fall short of Heaven what will become of thee that dost nothing what will become of thee thou Drunkard what will become of thee thou Swearer thou prophane Person Worldling if it bee thus with the green Tree what will become of the dry Tree if it bee thus with them that appear to bee good what will become of them that appear to bee evil Thus you see the astonishing height which yet an unsound spirit may reach unto How much may bee done by a man and yet bee unsound here and fall short of Heaven hereafter So that now I shall trouble you but with one Doctrin And I beleeve before I have done it it will trouble you And that shall bee from the general the whole body of the Text together and it is this Doct. It is possible for a man to do much in the wayes of God even to abound in all outward Performances and yet bee false at the heart and yet have an unsound spirit here and miss of Heaven hereafter This Doctrin you see the Text speaks plainly To this I will adde but one Instance more which may prove the whole Doctrin and that you have Matth. 19.16 to 23. You read there of ones comming to Christ. A young man a rich man one who had great Possessions and a Ruler too as Luke expresseth it Luk. 18.18 All which was rare A young man a rich man a Ruler to come to Christ you shall read there his business also Hee came not to tempt him Non animo tentantis sed voto discentis to insnare him aothers did but to learn and be instructed by him And the thing hee desires to bee instructed in is not some frivolous trifling matter which others came to Christ withall But that which was the matter of his inquiry was a matter of eternal concernment viz. What hee might do that hee might bee saved that hee might inherit everlasting life Here was something here in this A young man a rich man a Ruler to come to Christ with desire to bee instructed how hee should come to eternal life You shall now hear Christs answer vers 17. If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandements There was some special reason why Christ makes him such an answer for in Joh. 6.28 29. Christ answers the same question in another manner Quaerebat opera Christus ostendit mandata But Christ did here consider the quality of the Person who demanded Hee was a Work-monger and Christ puts him to working Christ gave him Physick sutable to his distemper Christ puts him to the Commandements that hee might convince him in that to bee imperfect wherein hee thought himself to bee perfect and would make that his foil which hee thought to bee his greatest glory Well Christ having put him upon the Commandements the young man demands which of the Commandements as if hee had said There is none of them but I have already done Christ you see puts him to the Moral Law Seeing hee will have Heaven and bee justified by Moses Moses shall bee his Judge and there rehearseth diverse Precepts of the second Table The young man you see makes answer in vers 20. All these things have I kept from my youth what lack I yet Hast thou any more to command Is there any more to bee done This was now much hee said If wee may beleeve him 1. Hee obeyed Hee was not only one who did know the Commandements but one who kept the Commandements 2. Hee obeyed universally not some but all All these things have I kept 3. Hee had obeyed constantly All these things have I kept from my youth And sure there was much of truth in what hee said For it is said upon this Christ looked upon him and loved him as Mark relates Mark 10.21 No question hee had obeyed the letter of the command there was none could detect him but Christ however hee failed in the Spirit of the command Hee did not break them in the outward action though hee did not keep them in the inward affection And yet for all this this man was unsound as hee discovers himself to bee afterward for all this this man fell short of Heaven And yet alas How far doth this man excel a thousand of us So that you see the Doctrin plain in the gross in the bulk scil That it is possible for a man to do much in the wayes of God and yet to be unsound at heart to abound in all outward Performances and yet to miss of Heaven in the end But wee 'l come to clear it to you in the Particulars And wee will follow this Method in these four Particulars 1. Wee will clear it to you in diverse instances from the word that it is possible so to do 2. Wee will shew how this may stand both 1. With Gods ends 2. With Satans ends 3. With mans own ends To do much to abound in duty and yet not to bee sincere 3. Wee will shew you the grounds whence it ariseth that a corrupt heart may abound in all outward Performances 4. Wee 'l shew you where the fault is how it comes to pass that all this may bee done and yet the heart still remain unsound In which I shall desire that they who are men and women of tender spirits would not presently make conclusions against themselves and by so doing gratifie Satan discourage their own souls grieve Gods Spirit and wound and weaken themselves in the wayes of Grace But hear all for I cannot say all at once and then spare not but come to conclusions with your selves I shall desire so to cast down the unsound as not to weaken the sincere And to bring in those that are without as not to cast down those that are within So to help the one as that withall I hurt not the other 1. For the first then Wee will clear it in some particulars that it is possible for a man to do much to go far in outward performances of duty and yet to bee rotten at heart c. 1. It is possible for a man to hear the word nay and hear it often nay and abound in hearing time after time Sabbath after Sabbath Nay and yet more to hear it with affection too and yet not to bee sincere 1. That hee may hear the Word This is plain and needs no proof 2. That hee may hear it often abound in hearing This you see here in the Text and Ezek. 33.31 32. where the people frequented to hear Ezekiel They did not only sometimes but they heard him often They did abound in hearing 3. They may not only hear and hear often but hear with affections Wee read of these four Affections which were stirred in the hearing of the Word and that in such who were unsound 1. The affection of wonder and astonishment which indeed is the
themselves to some general and common duties of a Christian And there are many men who are mended thus They will hear a Sermon and do some outward duties But they are not new made And this is but like the putting of a new peece of cloath into an old garment the rent will bee made worse Christ sets this down in the parable The unclean spirit is cast out for a time but afterward returneth with seven spirits worse than himself and so his last end proves worse than his beginning Mat. 12.43 c. 3. There is a Formal Change when men in outward appearance do seem to walk in all duties of holiness and to forbear the commission of any gross sin And yet never had their hearts wrought upon All this while it is but their practises not their Principles that are truly changed And these are the men that do so much Of these St. Paul speaks 2 Tim. 3.5 Having a form of godliness yet denying the Power From such turn away By which phrase I told you was implied that though an Hypocrite hath nothing in him which is essential to a Christian as a Christian yet may hee bee the compleat Resemblance of a Christian in all those things which are not essential to him Hee may bee the compleat picture of a godly man from top to toe in every member every limb every duty for the externals of it 4. There is a Spiritual Change wherein the frame and constitution of the inward man is changed and all is made new 1. Not new for substance of soul and body 2. Not new for faculties of soul and body As new understanding new will c. Here a mans new Practises flow from new Principles Here are not only new Wayes but here is a new Heart Hee hath a new Life in him a new Spirit in him by which hee is moved And the want of this is the great Crack the great Fault the Ground why a man may do much in the wayes of God and yet miscarry at last But there will bee one great Objection which seems to throw down all this The Objection is this Object Nature cannot act ultra Sphaeram above it self Nature cannot go any further than Nature As wee say of the Water Quantum descendit tantum ascendit Water can rise no higher than it falls So may it bee said of Nature Nature cannot act above Nature cannot act above her Principle But to do these things is above the power of Nature Therefore hee who doth these duties is above a state of Nature Answ For answer of this Wee say it is true in the Main A man that hath no more than meer Nature in him cannot act above meer Nature But Nature may bee strengthened from above There may bee higher Principles set in Nature which may inable a man to go higher than common Nature though not yet above one in state of Nature A man may bee inabled to act above Nature yet the Principle is not so high as to inable a man to act above a man in the State of Nature For the better clearing of this Wee may consider Nature in diverse forms or ranks 1. There is meer Nature with those reliques as some say But rather I say restored Principles which God gave to man after hee had lost all that hee might bee a Man not a Devil For when by sin wee had lost all if God had not out of pitty to mankinde restored something wee should have been as bad as Devils in the world one devoure murther commit all outrage upon another Now in this state something may bee done not much 2. There is nature civilized and moralized Nature refined by moral Principles which whether they bee in nature before and so but husbanded and improved or whether they were some common gifts of the Spirit wee will not now dispute but conclude this latter Now by these a man may bee inabled to do above the common sort of men hee having higher Principles than meer nature fallen and therefore is able to do more in all the works of morality works of Justice Righteousness Charity c. This you see in the Heathens who far excelled the common sort of men their Principles being far higher 3. There is Nature sublimated and raised yet higher by implantation of higher Principles than these are by the help of which a man may bee inabled to do above the purest natures of the Heathens and yet but Nature The knowledge of God of Christ of Sin of Grace Heaven Hell together with the implantation of some general Principles common gifts and graces of the Spirit may so sublimate a man that by the help of these a man may not only bee wrought up to do more than meer Nature fallen but more than Nature strengthened with moral Principles is able to do You see this in Judas Demas Herod c. whose actions were above meer Nature as comming from higher Principles but yet not above men in the state of Nature This work upon men though not so much as spiritual yet it is more than meer Moral Though hee have not so high a Principle as a spiritual man yet is his Principle higher than a meer moral mans And by the help of that common Illumination general workings of the Spirit broken workings of humiliation hee may bee inabled to pray hear read confer fast profess and what not for all outwards and yet want the Sanctifying Spirit of Christ There may bee a supernatural work of the Spirit upon some men whereby nature may bee strengthened from above and yet they may want the saving work of the Spirit You see then distinguished Heb. 6.4 There were some who were inlightened and had tasted of the Heavenly gift This was a Supernatural work but yet this was not a Saving work vers 9. I am perswaded better things of you and such as accompany salvation though I thus speak Thus you see the Objection cleared And the fourth thing laid open viz. Where the fault is that a man may do thus much and yet bee unsound I adde but thus much to it more 1. Hee is a man who was never humbled for sins And this is a sure Rule The heart never broken was yet never sound 2. Hee is a man that was never truly cast out of himself and therefore can go no higher than himself in all hee doth 3. Hee is a man was never fully changed hee walks in new wayes with an old heart 4. Hee is a man who is carryed upon holy works with a slavish spirit Hee would sin but dares not Hee doth Duty but hath no minde to do it What the Apostle saith of himself the good I would do I do not and the evil I would not do that do I Hee on the contrary must say if hee speak truth The good I would not do I do and the evil I would do that I do not I dare not Hee is a man who hath no principle of spiritual life in him Hee
it is sufficient to evidence a mans sincerity Indeed if a man had a Male in his flock and should offer to the Lord a female If â—â—ee had a better and should give God a worse If hee had strength and yet served the Lord with weakness this would declare the heart to bee unsound But when a mans strength is in the work though that strength bee but weakness yet it will evidence the sincerity of the heart And there is no reason that you should look upon those Prayers as cast as lost Prayers where your strength is in them When thou hast been with God and performed a duty although but weakly many imperfections in it much unbeleef much hardness much deadness and coldness yet if your strength have been in the duty you may rise up without confusion and shame upon this ground your strength hath been in it your heart doth not condemn you you are able to clear this to your spirit your strength hath been in the work But now such are here condemned and cast who have a Male in their flock and offer to the Lord a Female God curseth such Cursed c. Mal. 1.14 When you have strength and serve God with weakness when you will turn off God with your cold your lazy sleepy and formal devotions and will not take any pains with your own hearts in these holy works This discovers your spirits to bee unsound and false to God 2. Character Where the heart is sincere in Prayer there is no rest or content to the soul till the heart bee wrought into the work A sincere heart in Prayer is an heart-sincerity in Prayer not a tongue in Prayer not an head in Prayer but an heart in Prayer Prayer is not lip-work or head work but heart work And where the heart is sincere hee is not content till the heart bee in the work Hee is not content to bee down on his knees if his heart bee not up To have an hand in the work if his heart bee not also in it A sincere heart labours to get his heart into the work Hee prayes in prayer Jam. 5.17 There is an affective collation with the duty If hee confesseth sins hee desireth to get affections sutable to the confession of sin An heart wounded and broken under the sight and sense of sin If hee prayes for pardon hee labours to get an heart apprehensive of the want and also of the worth of mercy and seeks a mercy as a condemned man a pardon If hee pray for Grace or the subduing of lusts still hee labours to get an heart sutable to the things hee wants and that which hee doth desire It was the speech of Bradford that hee would never leave a duty till hee had brought his heart into the frame of the duty Hee would not leave confession of sin till his heart was broken for sin Hee would not leave petitioning for Grace till his heart was quickened in desire He would not leave gratulation till his heart was inlarged with the sense of the mercies he enjoyed and quickned in the return of praise But now an unsound heart if hee can but post over a duty If but say his prayers though hee have never laboured to get his heart into them yet he is well enough This is to draw neer with our lips when yet our hearts are far from God This is to offer God a bulk and carkass of duty without the life and spirit of duty and so it is abominable to God A body without a soul stinks so here your Confessions of sins are Commissions of sins Iterations of sins when your hearts are not sensible and affected with sinnes you confesse Hee that remembers sinne with delight doth commit the sinne again He that remembers sin without sorrow doth but revive his former guilt hee removes it not A man may displease a man as much with the Confession of a fault as in the Commission of the fault If a man had offended you and should come in a sleight way to confess his fault you would be more offended at him for his confession than for his fault So when you shall come before God and confess your sins without any compunction for your sinnes without any sense of sin or sorrow for it you do aggravate your sins and increase guilt instead of removing guilt from your souls An hard heart and a dry eye in the confession of sin is an aggravation of your sins 3. Character An heart sincere in Prayer doth thirst after Communion with God in Prayer If a duty leaves the soul on this side God unlesse it have carried the soul over to God and brought a man to some further Communion with him with his mercy his love his grace his Spirit the soul is not content with duty Others they make duty the end of duty prayer the end of prayer And therefore if they can but rid their hands of a duty though they had no communion with God in it yet they are well enough But now a sincere heart hee looks above a duty hee looks upon duty but as a bridge to convey him over to God as a means to bring God and his soul into neerer communion and if yee have not seen God and found God in a duty if his spirit hath not conversed with God as a Father as a friend as a child with his father as a man with his friend he hath no content in duty Obj. But you will say how shall a man know when he hath Communion with God in duty Answ For the answer of this I must first tell you that there is a great mistake among men and women of a tender spirit about this point that they think they have no communion with God unles they have met with God in an heart-chearing and an heart-comforting way when God comes in with joy with comfort with chearings and inlargements Then they are willing to grant you they have had communion with God But if God have come in in an heart breaking humbling and casting down their souls in the sight and sence of their sinnes and imperfections They do not think they have Communion with God And therefore I must tell you first in the general That you may have Communion with God as well in an heart humbling as an heart reviving an heart Comforting way In the life to come in heaven all our Communion with God is with Comfort with fulness of joy At his right hand is fulnesse c. Psal 16.11 with thee there is a fountain of joy Then all tears shall bee wiped away from our eyes But in this life on earth we have mixed communion and have communion with God as well in humblings as in comfortings You go upon a duty and you think to meet God one way and hee comes in another way Sometimes you expect God in a comforting and God comes in in a quickning way Sometimes thou expects God in an heart breaking way and God comes in in a comforting
way As the wind sometimes it blows up rain sometimes it blows away rain So the Spirit of God which bloweth where and when and how it listeth sometimes blows up rain comes into the soul in an heart humbling and breaking way And sometimes it blows away rain and comes into the soul in a cheering and heart comforting way In both these the soul hath communion with God in joys and tears in mournings as well as comfortings And that in the general to answer the mistake of weaker Christians Quest And now to the answer of the question How a man shall know when he hath had communion with God in a duty 1 I Answer 1 In general then thou meetest with God and hast communion with God in duty when God hath inabled thee to act grace in a duty An unregenerate man may act parts and gifts in a duty but he cannot act grace hee hath none to act If then God do inable thee to act grace in a duty to act thy faith to close with promises to act thy repentance for sinne to act love to God All or any of these graces thy soul hath then communion with God in duty 2 Again When the performance of a duty doth lead the soul in better frame a more humble frame or in a more watchful frame when the heart is more quickned or more broken When the heart is farther set against sin more resolved to walk with God and obey him when the frame of a mans spirit is changed or bettered in any of these ways it is a sign that thou hast had communion with God in duty though God hath not come in with fulness of comfort with chearings or joys In this life most of our communion lyes in quickning grace In the life to come our communion is risen up to full comfort our life then is all joy And so much shall serve for the third Character and the answer to the Objection 4. Character A heart sincere in Prayer doth rise up praying from Prayer hee goes away with the affections of and affections to prayer after the Prayer is done The Duties of an unsound heart they come but from a cistern his devotion is a stinted devotion When the Prayer is done his affections are done also the water is all run out his affections are then done also perhaps before But the Duties of a godly man they arise from a spring a fountain and his heart is not runne out with his Prayer hee hath affections of Prayer when the Prayer is done hee riseth up praying from Prayer The much hee hath done is but a little of that which his soul desires to do An unsound mans actions are as big as his heart perhaps larger but for a sincere spirit the heart is still bigger then the action all he doth is but a little of that hee desires to do I say where there is sincerity there is a desire of more all is but a little of that abundance that is in his heart When hee hath mourned for sinne hee wisheth still he could mourn more Hee hath an affection of sorrow within him larger than any expression of sorrow hee can shew So you see David Rivers of tears runne down mine eyes because men keep not thy law Not that David had so much moisture within him as to swell a river poor man hee had not so much moisture in him but he had such an affection of sorrow that if hee had had as many tears as would have swelled a River made a Sea they should all have been laid out for sin And indeed if a man had wept a sea of tears and his affections of mourning did end with his expressions of sorrow hee had not yet wept at all nor shed one true tear of godly sorrow for sin So again when hee hath prayed still his heart is above his action and hee riseth up praying from prayer with a praying spirit affections when the Prayer is done This was that which made Christ commend the poor Widdows charity shee gave but two mites and yet hee saith shee had given more than all the rest Her heart was bigger than her action her affections than her expressions of charity Others they gave but their purses were larger than their hearts they emptied their hearts but not their purses Shee her heart was bigger than her purse shee emptied her purse but not her heart thus shee gave more So this is the fourth a sincere heart is larger than his duty hee riseth up praying from Prayer all hee doth is but a little of that hee desires to do but a little of that abundance that is in his heart Others their actions are as large nay larger than their hearts they have little heart to the duty and their heart is gone hath done before the duty bee done A wicked man doth sin out of the abundance of his heart as Christ saith out of the abundance of the heart come c. Mat. 12.34 Hee is never weary of sinning hee hath a fountain for that but though hee sin out of the abundance of his heart yet hee doth not pray out of the abundance of his heart his heart â—s done before his Prayer is done if not they end together Well think of it hee who yet hath not this Principle which I speak of hath not yet a Gospel Principle though hee do neveâ— so much hee is not yet under the conditions of Grace and Mercy These are the lowest terms of the Gospel 5. Character A heart sincere in Prayer doth eye it self in Prayer it is a heart that diligently observes it self in the duty views all the workings of the soul and takes notice of all the imperfections of the spirit in duty As to gather comfort and praise God if right so to bee humbled and afflicted if amiss And indeed our sincerity is as much discovered in lamenting the imperfections of a work as in the most perfect performance of it Where then the heart is sincere the soul takes notice of the imperfections that do accompany it and when the duty is done falls a lamenting the imperfections of its Faith of its sorrows the deadness of its desires Ah! it now laments that hee hath beheld so much sin with no more sorrow looked upon so many abominations with no more mourning That hee hath had no more Faith to close with the Promises of pardon of Grace of purging That hee hath had so barren so shallow so sleight thoughts of Gods love That hee hath been so cold in his affections again towards God That he hath had so sleight conceptions of sin and no more sorrow for it That his heart hath been no more affected with the miseries of others nor no more inlarged to seek God for them That there hath been so much earth in Heaven so many carnal thoughts so much distractions in his spiritual imploiment Ah! my Brethren a good heart sits down when duty is done and goes and mourns over all his Prayers weeps over all
where Obedience is sincere it ariseth from such a spirit A sound perfect c. spirit 2. As it comes from a right rise so hee walks by a right Rule in his Obedience and that 's the whole will of God revealed in his Word if God saith do hee doth if God saith do not hee will not do If hee have no command from Heaven hee stands still like a ship becalmed and wanting a wind hee will not stir Those things which are motives to others move not him But when a command comes his sails are filled he is carried on with strength in obedience to it Col. 4.12 Wee have the same metaphor Bee filled with all the will of the Lord let the will of God his command bee the only motive that carries you on in the service of God Thus you see it was with David he had respect to the Commandements he had not respect to the world to men to his own ends advantages which are the spring of others obedience but hee hath respect to the Command he eyes that hee will obey if there be a Command A Sincere heart doth not only do things good in themselves and such as God hath commanded but hee doth them because God hath Commanded them Gods preceps are the ground of his practise Psal 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy Precepts Oh that my ways were directed c. 3 He obeys after a right manner c. 4 He levels his actions to right ends As nothing below God is the spring of his obedience so nothing below God is the end of his obedience Gods grace is the spring Gods glory is the end of all his obedience An unsound heart hath base and unsound ends credit repute profit esteem or the like Hee now makes not the world his end no not the world to come the salvation of his soul the end of all his obedience Indeed this is a secondary a subservient a subordinate end but not the ultimate end the primary the universal end Gods glory is the Sea to which all his actions like so many rivers move and bend It is true I grant that other ends may creep into the performance of good actions and that not only lower but baser ends than this But wee are to distinguish between a mans setled and his suggested end a mans setled end may bee one thing yet his suggested end bee contrary God reckons according to the setled end the universal purpose and frame of his spirit and not according to suggested ends It is in this case as it may bee with a man that shoots at a mark hee aims aright at the mark but there may come a jog upon the elbow which may carry the arrow another way than hee intended Or as it is with a man that sets out to go to such a haven he sets out aright and steers aright by his compasse but the winds blow contrary and carry him whether hee would not But then as the Apostle If I do the thing I would not it is no more I but sinne It was Bernards case hee had set upon a good work and levels his action to the glory of God that was his aim his end but there were other ends suggested pride ostentation vain-glory which hee observing encounters them in this manner Abi hinc nec propter te incepi nec propter te desinam Abi hinc c. get hence avoid you were not the ground of my beginning this work nor will I for you conclude this work And it would bee our wisdome when a man hath set his heart aright in the beginning when hee hath set out aright if any other ends bee suggested to reject them in the like manner being neither the spring of the action nor the end of the action Obj. But you will say further Is it requisite for the clearing of the sincerity of our hearts that wee have a continuall eye to the glory of God in every action wee do Is there required such an actual intention of the spirit in every particular action c. that he should aim at Gods glory Ans For the Answer of this I must lay down this distinction There is first an actual Secondly An habitual aime and intention For the first of these An actual intention of the spirit in every particular action that a man doth to the glory of God It is utterly impossible in the state and condition of this life it is possible for Angels and glorified Saints to do it for they are in Gods vision and it is all their work in heaven but it is impossible for us to do it here below no it was not possible for Adam in his innoâ—ency to do it But now secondly There is an habitual inclination in us in every action we do to aim at Gods glory though there be not the actual intention of the spirit in every action we do It is with us as with a man travelling towards a town hee thinks in the morning to go to such a town such a place hee aims to bee at at night and therefore sets out towards it and though hee doth not think of this every step hee takes yet it s his purpose in his journey to rest there at night Or as it is with a man who comes to Church his end is to hear the word of God yet in every word he hears spoken he hath not the thought of his end upon his spirit but he is there by vertue of his first intention So here though in every particular there bee not an intention of spirit to level this or that to this end yet it is the drift and habitual scope of the spirit that Gods glory may bee the end of his actions Nay Thirdly Though wee are not able to do it in the actual intention yet it must bee our care to renew our habitual intention and as farre as wee can to draw up these habitual purposes into actual levellings of these and these particular actions to the glory of God There are some go further in this than others Assure your selves the nearer you come to an actual intention of spirit for Gods glory in particular acts the nearer you are the life of heaven How ever let us so renew our first thoughts habitual intentions as that wee may thereby keep in the right path the right way till wee come to our journies end at night So much intention a Travailer holds up as to keep him in the right way to keep him from going into by paths although not so much as shall make him in every step hee takes to think of his first intention the end of his journey So much for the second Character 3. Character 3. Sincere obedience is a fruitfull obedience It is a growing obedience hee contents not himself with the measures hee hath but labours after perfection Phil. 3. vers 12. to the 15. I have not yet attained nor am already perfect c. A sincere heart hee aims at
when the soul is compassed with thick darkness sincerity will open a Casement and thereby let light into the soul Psal 112.4 Unto the upright there ariseth light in darkness in the darkest whereas Hypocrisy is like painted windows keeps out light Sincerity will be like windows of Glass transparent let in light 6 Motive 6 Sincerity doth fence the heart against apostacy Partial and Total Wee will now come to the means to get a sincere heart Cure Hypocrisy Which is in which I shall indeavour to apply my self to the cure of an hypocrite But before I come to lay down the means of cure I must tell you this 1 It is a difficult cure 2 A painful cure 1 A difficult cure 1 Hard to cure It is one of the hardest cures are wrought upon the souls of men A cure seldome wrought Wee have heard of a bloody and Idolatrous Manasses an unclean Mary an oppressing Publican a persecuting Paul and many other fearful and great open and notorious sinners wrought upon brought to life But where have we read of the return of a Judas of a Simon Magus where do wee read of one example of such as have been grosse hypocrites who have afterward been savingly wrought upon I confesse it is all one with God to do the one as the other it is as easy with him to change the heart of an hypocrite as any other for infinite power and grace knows no difference but it is a thing not so usually done And though as easy in respect of God yet more difficult quoad nos And so I would have you understand me that the difficulty is in respect of us 1 It is hard to convince such a man that hee needs a cure 1 Hard to Convince you see it in Rev. 3. vers 16 17. God tells them they were luke-warm neither hot nor cold there was their distemper and yet you see what thoughts they had of themselves in the 17. vers Thou sayest thou art rich and increased in goods and hast need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked So you see it is hard to convince such a man Another man is easily convinced the very lives of them who are holy are convictions to his Conscience and if the word be held out he is ready to fall down as not able to stand up under the light and evidence of it In such men wee have a friend within them even their own natural consciences are on our side and ready to take part with us against themselves and fly in their own faces telling them such and such things ought not to bee done But now in the other neither the examples of holy men nor precepts of the word do so farre convince them for in outward appearance they walk as blamelesly as the best Nay and natural Conscience is also for them and being satisfied with some general performances of duty is ready to take part with them and to withstand any conviction that can bee alledged You see this in the Scribes and Pharisees they walked blamelesly in the general to the eyes of the world as you hearby his confession in opposition to the Publican and they fasted and prayed and did much and by that the mouth of conscience was stopped the quarrels of conscience were answered and you finde how hard it was for Christ himself to convince them They were so far from being convinced by his example that they thought themselves more strict than hee he did but they would not accompany themselves with sinners and therefore they gave ouâ—the was a wine bibber a glutton a friend of Publicans and for his doctrin this was so farre from convincing them that they thought their lives more strict than his precepts they were followers of the Law exact and rigid in legal observances and thought his doctrin too licentious too full of liberty for them So that is the first it is hard to convince them Hard to humble them 2 It is hard to humble them Humiliation follows conviction if hard to convince hard to humble Do wee denounce threatnings against sinners alas they are none of them these threatnings do not concern them but others for their parts they walk unblameably in the world It is not the mercyes nor the judgements the promises nor the threatnings the word nor the works of God which humble them In others there may be some natural tenderness some remorse of spirit when they hear of Gods judgements against sin But for this man it is not all the terrors of the Lord not all the humbling breaking discoverys of sin or judgement which fasten upon him to humble him No mans heart so hard as the Hypocrites hee hath not only a natural hardnesse but a contracted hardnesse nay a fortified and strengthened hardnesse his heart is fortified against all reproof against all the denunciations of wrath and judgement You have a taste of it in the Scribes and Pharisees You know they were Hypocrites hee who knew their hearts better than they knew their own tells them so And it was not all the miracles hee did in his life nor all the wonders which hee shewed at his death which could break and humble their hard hearts you see the Sun was darkned the earth quakes and trembles the vail of the Temple was rent the graves open the rocks cleave asunder yet all this doth not move their hard hearts Hard to reclaim them 3 It is hard to reclaim them for 1 The Devil hath got greater power in them than in others 2 The Forts of Sinne and Satan are more strengthned in them 3 The means of reclaiming lesse efficacious Hee is able to sit out Sermons and duties without any manner of working upon his spirit at all That which moves others moves not him which works upon the hearts of others doth leave his heart unwrought upon He is a man as I told you prayer-proof Sermon-proof and Ordinance-proof no Mercy no judgement no promise no threatning no word no works no prayer no Sacraments no physick no salve no counsell no advice no light of nature no light of example no private help no publick exhortation prevails with his heart hee 's a man in the fore-lorn hope his condition neer desperate Custome in the use of things doth take away the power of working You see in your bodies a little thing works upon the humors when you are not used to it whereas if accustomed to it a much greater will not stir the humors I have read that Mithridates by accustoming himself to eat Poyson at last durst venture upon poyson as meat nothing did hurt him The customable use of things takes away the power of working So it is here the custome of Ordinances in a formal way doth take away the power of working by them You see it in the Sacrament may bee when you came first to the Sacrament then Conscience had some natural tendernesse in
suffered to lye upon thy spirit in serious consideration would e'ne half work the cure it would cure all gross Hypocrisy strike down all by-ends and base ends which thy spirit aims at in the doing of holy duties and vvould do much in the cure of close Hypocrites in the mending of false Principles an honest heart vvould not bee false to God though God should not see him hee loves God hee is the friend of God and you knovv a friend vvill bee true to his friend as vvell absent from him as present vvith him vvhen hee sees him not as vvell as vvhen his eyes are on him But I am not novv to deal vvith a true sincere heart I am laying dovvn means for the cure of a false heart and a great one this is Think and beleeve there is a God and this God an all-seeing God vvho knovvs thy heart and spirit And as hee is all eye to see so hee is all hand to punish thee if thy heart bee not sound vvith him 3. Means 3. Means of cure is Thou must bee nevv made the vvay to mend thee is to nevv make thee thou must bee all undone again taken in peeces and made up again before ever thou canst be better Some peecing and patching up vvill not serve the turn but thou must have a nevv making before thou bee better There is no mending the stream till there bee an healing of the fountain The fountain and spring within thee is infected and corrupted the heart is unsound and what can bee expected from an unclean heart but unclean acts from an unsound spirit but unsound services and therefore this must bee made new before ever you bee cured Thou must have a new Judgement for thou seest by a false light Thou must have a new will for this is corrupt Thou must have a new heart for this is desperately wicked I tell thee there is no mending thee but by new making thee You may go and patch up your selves but it is but like the putting of a new peece of cloth into an old garment it breaks out again and the rent will bee made worse 4. Means 4. Is Prayer which is instar omnium Oh! desire God with David to make thy heart sound in his Statutes sound in Prayer sound in hearing sound in obedience That all thou doest may arise from right Principles have a right rise go by a right rule and bee directed to a right end Pray that God would give thee sound Principles and sound purposes That that little measure of Grace hee implanteth in thee may bee accompanied with abundance of sincerity and truth of heart And having gotten a sincere heart let it bee your care to fence and guard your heart against Hypocrisy I will give you but one preservative which is this 1. Before you go upon any duty clear the sincerity of your hearts make your end as high as may bee Set out aright loose off well begin in God in Gods strength in Gods grace in Gods assistance A good beginning will make as good a close 2. When thou art upon the duty then look to thy heart suffer no base no by-ends to steal in to poison all thou doest Keep thine eye stedfast upon God in the doing of the duty Do the duty as if there were no men no hopes no fears no rewards in the World as if none but God and thou were in the World 3. Afterwards when the duty is done if there hath been any thing if God have quickened inlarged inflamed humbled thy heart give God all the glory Beware least it bee with thee as it was with Paul and his company that when a fire is kindled a viper come out of the heat Hath God kindled a fire in thy heart warmed inflamed thy spirit Oh! beware that a viper come not out of the heat a viper of pride of vain glory Know this they that seek Gods glory in the work will give God the glory when the work is done If then there have been any good let God inherit all the glory but if any evil take it to thy self for it came from thee and let it bee thy work to lament it to bee humbled for it And now this Rule will bee of special use There are four uses 1. This will fence thy heart guard and strengthen thy heart against Hypocrisy this will keep out Hypocrisy here is no place of entrance for it 2. It will keep down Hypocrisy for Hypocrisy gets no ground so long as it is seen and mourned for 3. This clears the heart in the main that thou art no Hypocrite though there may bee Hypocrisy in thee yet being seen fought against mourned for resisted it reigns not it shall not denominate thee an Hypocrite 4. It will clear thee of the sin of Hypocrisy God will never charge thee for that which thou chargest thy self withall hee will not impute that to thee which thou imputest to thy self That which is thy misery God will never impute to thee as sin Hypocrisy seen mourned for sighed under resisted fought and prayed against shall never bee a condemning Hypocrisy And so much shall now serve for the first branch of the exhortation with the motives to get sincerity with the remedies to cure Hypocrisy and preservatives against it Second Branch of the Exhortation is Having gotten Clear sincerity labour to clear this to your own souls that your hearts are sincere It is a thing possible to bee cleared a man may come to evidence to himself the sincerity of his own graces and gracious performances And it is a thing necessary to bee known in respect of your peace of your comfort So necessary that you can neither live with comfort nor dye with comfort unless you bee able in some measure to clear the sincerity of your hearts the integrity of your spirits And being a thing so necessary I will here lay down some Rules and directions for the better inabling of you to this present duty 1. Rule 1. Make a through and sound search deceits lye low Hypocrisy is spun of a fine thread and is not discerned without diligent search A false evidence is the fruit of a superficial search Though gross Hypocrisy is seen without search yet close Hypocrisy must bee narrowly searcht into otherwise you shall not bee able to discover it Here you must not only read over your selves in your actions but in your affections not only in your practises but also in your Principles Hypocrisy lyes low it is a root sin The heart of man is deceitful above measure saith the Lord who knows it Jer. 17.9 like a crested picture on the one side an Angel on the other a Devil And I must tell you that sin lyes at the bottome of a deceitful heart and therefore it will ask some pains to discover it It was a fair speech of the Children of Israel Deut. 5.29 Whatever the Lord shall say unto us wee will do And it may bee they meant