himselfe in darknes but that in his cold blood and more sober consideration will acknowledge and confesse that the state of notorious sinfulnes is the state of wretchednes and of death And that there is no hope for the Drunkard the Swearer the Lier the Vsurer the vncleane person the Sabbath-breaker the Sacrilegious Simoniacall and sinners of such infamous ranke but a fearefull looking for of iudgement and without repentance and forsaking their sinnes an eternall separation both from al possibilitie of grace and sound comfort in this life and from the fruition of the ioyes and blessednes of heauen hereafter I therefore endeuour and desire to come neerer and closer to mens consciences and to tell them that out of a conceit of their morall honestie and outward religiousnes they may perswade themselues that they are rich and encreased in spirituall store and haue need of no more for the attainment of heauen when in deed and truth as concerning the power of sauing grace and sincere exercise of religion they are wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked In these luke-warme times many there are who with the fruites of a temporarie faith and some light of the generall graces of the Spirit make a faire shew and win good reputation for their spirituall state both with their owne hearts and with the world abroad when to the eie of heauenly wisdom and in truth they are but only Blazing-stars and earthly minded not fixed in the same firmament with the Sunne of righteousnes nor of an heauenly stampe And if they rise not higher in their affections and conuersation from earth and earthly vanities when their rootlesse graces shall be withered and wasted away their fall will bee sudden and fearfull and their former vanishing flashes of vaine hope for future happinesse will be turned into horror and extremest miseries of despaire Most behooffull then is it for euery man in time to search and examine himselfe whether Christ Iesus be in him or no. And it is one of the worthiest and noblest imployment of the soule to reflect vpon it selfe and with an vndazeled and vndissembling eye thorowly to trie and descrie cleerely it owne state whether it be already washed with the blood of Christ and enliued with a supernaturall vigour and life of grace or yet lie polluted in it owne blood and vnder the power of the first death I wonder how any man can bee at rest and quiet vntill he be assured and secur'd in this point sith vpon it depends his euerlasting estate in another world Nay sith euen in this world euery vnregenerate man let him be otherwise neuer so great or adored aboue others neuer so absolute in all other excellencies and perfections whatsoeuer yet being out of the state of grace is a very limbe of Satan a child of darknesse and one of the familie of Hell The wrath and vengeance of God all the furie of the kingdom of darknesse the rage of all the creatures though hee little thinke vpon it are euerie houre readie and addrest to seize vpon him as a traitor and rebell to the highest Maiestie and to dragge him downe into the bottome of Hell Whereas the state of true Christians and Gods faithfull Ones is most comfortable and glorious euen in this life in this vale of teares and in these Tabernacles of clay For their comforts are not fading and earthly springing out of the sinfull pleasures transitorie glorie of the world not fastned vnto honors greatnes and possessions to the encrease of Corne and Wine and Oyle but they are of a right noble and heauenly temper framed and emplanted in the sanctified soule by the spirit of all comfort and therefore euerlasting and vnconquerable able to keepe a man in heart and resolution against the malice and cruelties of all aduersaries of all creatures They only are truly and soundly perswaded by the sweet and secret testimonie of the spirit and by the euidence and experience of their own holy life that after the approching and much longed for period of a few and euill daies they shall raigne with God almightie the holy Angels and glorified Saints in vnutterable and endlesse pleasures for euer and euer and therfore easily and resolutely with much indignation contempt ouer-looke and throw out of their hearts all worldly thoughtfulnes all excessiue desires of earth and earthly vanities all restlesse aspirations after transitorie honors the noble miseries of this wretched life They alone haue fastned the eye of their mindes illightned from aboue with sauing faith vpon the vnualuable pretiousnes and lasting beauty of their immortall crownes in heauen and therfore all the glittering and golden representations with which the flattering world hath formerly deceiued and dazled their eyes appeare to be nothing but darknes and desolations Their glorie indeed heere vpon earth doth not consist in outward pompe and state it doth not shine to carnall eyes it is vndiscernable to the sharpest sight of worldly wisedome and policie but inwardly and with spirituall fairenes their diuine graces make them so truly honorable and louely that somewhere in Scripture they are called the Glory of God and are as deare vnto him as the pretious ball and apple of his owne eye They are in so high esteeme and account with Angels that those excellent creatures with much ioy alacrity become their Guardians and seruiceable vnto them with extraordinarie care and tendernes All the creatures groane and desire to bee deliuered into their glorious libertie and in the meane time with a secret and insensible reuerence they adore the sacred character of diuinitie that is stampt vpon them All the Saints acknowledge them to bee more excellent then their neighbours of the household of God and heires of heauen Nay the wicked themselues many times are confounded and stand amazed at the height of spirit and resolution that possesseth their hearts and at the sober vndanted maiestie that shines in their faces This and a thousand times more then this is the blisfull state of Gods children euen in this life Howsoeuer they be neglected and trampled vpon by the world and wicked men yet in the iudgement of God himselfe the blessed spirits and all men of true worth indeed they are the only Angels vpon earth and the royall citizens of this kingdome of Grace The prosecution of this point would bee comfortable but so I should be more tedious No more but this therfore at this time Certaine it is if a man were crowned with the royall state and imperiall command of all the kingdomes vpon earth if his heart were enlarged to the vtmost of all created capacitie filled with all the exquisite and vnmixed pleasures that the reach of mortalitie and most ambitious curiositie could possibly deuise and might without interruption and distast enioy them the length of the worlds duration they were all nothing to the enioyment of the pretious and peereles comforts of the state of Grace but euen for an houre
be no better then a broken staffe of reede whereupon if a man leane it will goe into his hand and pearce it yea and strike his heart too thorow with many sorrowes and that in the time of trouble they will all prooue but as a broken tooth and sliding foot To let them therefore passe and die and perish I come to two other branches of the negatiue part ciuill honestie and formall hypocrisie These indeed are the two great engines by which in this full light and glorious noonetide of the Gospell the prince of this world draweth many multitudes into his snares in this life and into chaines of darknesse in the life to come Sweetnesse of nature louelines of disposition fairenes of conditions a pleasing affability in cariage and conuersation an vnswaied vprightnes in ciuill actions and negotiations with men make a goodly shew But if there be an accession of profession of the Gospell of outward performance of religious exercises of some correspondence with the seruants of God why then the matter is strike dead There is the perfection Whatsoeuer is aboue is proud hypocrisie vaine-glorious singularitie phantasticke precisenesse when God knowes there may be all this and yet no power of religion no life of grace no true happinesse no hope of eternitie To the demonstration of which point before I proceed let mee preuent two obiections First I denie not but that morall vertuousnesse is good and excellent in it self the outward performance of religious duties and the exercise of the meanes of our conuersion are necessarie But if morall vertuousnesse were able to put on the greatest magnificence and applause that euer it anciently enioyed amongst the precisest Romans whereby it might worthily draw into admiration and iust challenge euen these times of Christianity yet in respect of acceptance with God and conformitie to his will and being not guided and â—anctified by supernaturall grace it is but at the best the very filthinesse of a menstruous clout And outward actions of religion be they performed with as glorious a shew and vndiscernable conueiance as euer they were by the most formal Pharisie yet seuered from a sound and sanctified hart the fountaine which giues 〈◊〉 sâ—eetnesse and acceptation to all outward seruices they are but all as the cutting off of a dogs necke and the offering of swines blood Secondly I doe not here by any meanes purpose the discomfort of that man whose soule is yet wrastling with the grieuous afflictions and terrors of conscience in the fore trauell of his new-birth I wish vnto him the sweetest comforts that either he in his deepest agonies can desire or the bowels of Gods tenderest compassions are wont to powre into broken and bleeding hearts and that the ioyfull light of his Sauiours countenance may break forth vpon his cloudy and drouping conscience with farre greater brightnesse then euer the clearest Sun vpon the face of the earth Neither doe I purpose the discouragement of him who hath happily passed the fearfull but necessarie pangs of remorse for sins and hath already by the grace of God laid hold vpon the merits and mercies of Christ by a true though a weake faith I wish that his soule as a new-borne babe in Christ may bee touched with the smoothest hand of the most wise charitable discretion and that it may be nourished with the sweetest milke of the most gratious and comfortable promises I euer esteemed it most bloody cruelty to quench the smoking flaxe or breake the bruised reed or to adde sorrow to him whom the Lord hath wounded and therefore rather infinitely desire to turne the smoking flaxe into a burning fire of zeale to refresh the weake and wounded heart with softest oyle of Gods dearest mercies to make the bruised reed a piller of brasse that it may stand strong and sure at the day of triall Whereupon I pronounce out of most certaine grounds of Gods eternall truth vnto the weakest faith if true and sound that the gates of hell with all the furie and malice of the prince and powers of darkenesse shall neuer preuaile against it That neither Angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor depthes below nor heights aboue nor the creatures of tenne thousand worlds shall euer bee able to worke a separation of it from that infinite loue of God which first planted it in the heart or a disunion of it from Christ which inspires it continually with life spirit and motion It is not difference of degrees and measure that takes away the nature and being of it A small drop of water is as well and truely water as the whole Ocean a little sparke is as truely fire both in essence and quality as the mightiest flame the hand of a little child may receiue a pearle as well as the hand of the greatest Giant though not hold it so strongly a weake faith may be a true faith and so a sauing faith as well as the full perswasion and height of assurance This onely I must aduise in this point that if this graine of mustard seed watered with the dew of grace grow not towards a great tree if this sparke enkindled by the spirit of God spread not into a big flame if this small measure of faith be not edged with a longing feruencie after fulnesse of perswasion and seconded with an assiduous and serious endeauor after more perfection it was no sound and sauing faith but onely a counterfeit shew and a deceiuing shadow But yet for all this I cannot without a woe speake good of euill and euill of good I must not put darkenesse for light and light for darkenes Wise Salomon hath taught vs that hee that iustiâ—ieth the wicked and hee that condemneth the iust euen they both are an abomination to the Lord. And therefore I must tell you that a man may be great in the eye of the world and in the iudgement of the greater part for his ciuill honesty and solemne performances of outward duties of religion to which many thousands neuer attaine and yet himselfe be not onely a stranger from the life of God and right happinesse and holden fast vnder the power and tyrannie of the first death but also by accident being pust vp with a conceit of an imaginarie perfection become a violent opposite to the power of religion and true godlinesse The reason whereof may bee this Our corrupt nature as in matters of vnderstanding and opinion worketh in euery man a too too much loue of his owne inuentions and conclusions all opposition inflames the affection and sets on foot the wit to find out arguments for their proofe lest hee seeme to haue beene too weake of iudgement in framing them or too inconstant in not defending them euen so also in matters of life and conuersation and the more plausible a mans course is and the more gloriously it is entertained of the world the stronger is his resolution to continue in it and the more impatient hee is
soules in the high point of saluation For men of greatest noblenes and pregnancie of spirit of most rich and vniuersall endowments of mind without the power of grace and a sanctified humilitie the fairest branch springing thence and the true crowne of Christianity are readiest to make an idoll of their great sufficiencie with a disdainefull preiudice to passe by the simplicitie of the Saints out of a flattering conceit of their owne hearts to thinke their spirituall state as good as the best and most blessed from God when as yet they haue no part in the first resurrection For when they find themselues far aboue others in all other excellencies and whatsoeuer remarkeable worth the world takes speciall notice of they conceiue also that in a proportionable congruitie as indeed it should be they are inferiour to none in those sacred apprehensions of heauen and taste of eternall life Vpon this consideration I was bold out of a Christian iealousie to treate on this argument being persuaded of their great wisedome and gratious humility to listen to any heauenly message which might either discouer or preuent spirituall danger Thine in Christ Iesus Robert Bolton A DISCOVRSE ABOVT THE STATE OF TRVE HAPPINESSE PSALM 1. 1 Blessed is the mâ—n that doth not walke in the counsell of the wicked nor stand in the way of sinners nor sit in the seat of the scornefull 2 But his delight is in the Law of the Lord and in his Law doth he meditate day and night THere is no greater encouragement or stronger motiue to stirre a man to an eager and earnest pursuite of the meanes then to purpose vnto him an end wherein at length his heart may repose as in a concurrence of all comforts and contentments To which there is no possibilitie of attainment but by purenesse of heart holinesse of life constancie in a course of sanctification which only leade vnto the face and presence of God where and with whom alone is the highest perfection of blisse a riuer of infinite pleasures the well of life and endlesse rest of all created desires For the capacitie of mans soule cannot possibly be filled with the sufficiencie of any creature no not with a world of creatures for they are all nothing to the worth of a mans soule Christ himselfe hauing preferred it in valuation What shall it profit a man though he should win the whole world if he lose his owne soule And therfore can neuer be free from motion and vexation vntill it reach vnto either in certaine hope or actuall fruition an obiect infinite as well in excellencie of nature as duration of time Blessed then was the wisdome of the disposer of these heauenly Songs of Dauid whether it was himselfe or Ezra or whomsoeuer in that he prefixed this excellent Psalme as a preface to all the rest wherein is proposed and comprised a matchlesse happines whereby the godly man may euen in this life flourisâ— like a Palme tree and grow like a Cedar in Lebanon refreshed continually with riuers of ioies and comforts shed into his heart by the spirit of God and may stand like mount Zion vnasâ—onished and vnremouâ—d at that great and fearefull day when the wicked shall call for the mountaines to couer them and wish they had neuer bin What ingenuous mind would not be inflamed with zeale to the prosequution of those meanes which leade vnto an end as full of happines as the Sunne is full of light and the Sea of waters What heart not possessed with an iron sâ—ew would not thirst and long after found and vndissembled sinceritie euen as the Hart brayeth after the riuers of water and as the drie ground gapeth for drops of raine sith by it alone wee purchase and put on an vnconquerable resolution issuing from an assurance of being in Christ and from the clearenesse of a good conscience whereby we may walke euen as bold as Lions thorow this valley of teares amid the mercilesle vexations of prophane men nay we may walke vpon the Lion and Aspe the young Lion and the Dragon we may tread vnder feet and hereafter be sure to be satisfied with the fulnesse of ioy in the presence of God and with pleasures at his right hand for euermore This happie man is here described vnto vs by many arguments First are laid downe his markes and properties negatiue and affirmatiue in the two first verses Secondly his happinesse is liuelily set out by a similitude in the third verse Illustrated by an opposition of the miserie and vnhappie condition of the wicked in the fourth and fifth verses Concluded with the causes of them both to wit of the happinesse of the godly and vengeance vpon the wicked in the last verse The negatiue properties in the first verse are three Hee doth not walke in the Counsell of the wicked He doth not stand in the way of sinners He doth not sit in the seat of the scornofull amplified with a threefold gradation in the persons actions and obiects of the actions The gradation in the persons the wicked sinners and scornefull implies all forts of vngodlie men The gradation in the actions walke stand and sit all manner of commerce and correspondence with them The gradation in the obiects the counsell way and feare all kind of iniquitie inward corruptions or outward impieties The whole verse laboureth with an emphaticall exaggeration to set downe hiâ— blessed forbearance of sinne and communicating with sinfull men The second verse containing his imploiment in pietie seemeth to answer in opposition the three negatiues with three affirmatiues His delighting in the Law of the Lord is opposed to the counsell of the wicked His mediation and exercise in that Law to the way of sinners Day and night there is his constancie and habit oppos'de to the seate of the scornefull Why then let the prophane and flattering world say what it will let sensuall and vnsanctified men iudge as they lift That man and that man alone is truly and euerlasting happie That walketh not in the counsell of the wicked that is that doth not delight in their vaine imaginations sinfull affections lustfull desires speculatiue wantonnesse In their proud and swelling thoughts which conceiue mischiefe and bring forth a lie chaffe bring forth stubble the wind and bring foorth the whirlewind That doth not partake with their impotent passions vnhallowed policies their exorbitant and indirect proiects for their pleasures honours and profits Whose soules desire not to come into the secret of their cruell consultations and malicious designments In a word whose heart hateth and abominateth all venome of inward pollution that hath either fountaine or seate in any power of the soule That standeth not in the way of sinners That is that breaketh not into open prophanenesse that imitateth not their actions and conuersation Whose mouth is not full of bitternesse and lying whose lippes aâ—e not infected with the poison of Aspes whose hands are not ful of bribes
and falshood whose fâ—et are not swift to run after mischiefe vanitie and leaud companions That â—itteth not in the seate of the scornefull That is that confineth not himselfe to the chaire of iniquitie that confirmeth not himselfe in his malice and hardnesse of heart that doth not make a mooke of sinne and iest with the sacred word of God that doth not direct the poisonous arrow of a spiâ—â—full tongue euen at the apple of Gods own cie his dearest Saints and seruants That with the scorner doth not dare the highest maiestie of the Almightie to whet his glittering sword and take hold on iudgement to put on his habergeon of righteousnesse and the garments of vengeance for clothing saying as it is Isai. 5.19 Let him make speed let him hasten his worke that we may see it and let the counsell of the holy one of Israel draw neere come that we may know it Thus farre his forbearance of sinfull actions Now followes his practise in actions of pietie But his delight is in the Law of the Lord. That is the whole doctrine diuinely inspired is the very ioy of his heart and delight of his soule It is sweeter vnto him then hony the hony combe It is more pretious vnto him theÌ„ gold yea then much fine gold It is more worth vnto him then heauen and earth And when the heart is once enkindled with loue there the imagination embraceth with dearest apprehension the thoughts are impatient of any other obiect all the powers of the soule are vnited in a strong endeauour for the attainment The whole mind must needs be possest with meditation If he delight in the Law of the Lord hee must needs meditate therein And this feruencie of the heart cannot possible be enclosed within the compasse of the breast it will spread it selfe in speech and actions As is plaine Psalm 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement The reason followes For the Law of his God is in his heart And Psalm 119 167. My soule hath kept thy testimonies for I loue them exceedingly And this loue delight meditation and exercise in the Law of God of this happie man is not as a morning cloud and as the morning dew before the Sunne but like the light of the Sunne that shineth more and more vnto the perfect day It is not for a start for feare for restraint for reputation for aduantage or to couer the terrors of conscience for a while with a few flashes of deceiueable comforts out of some misapplied promises in the word of God but it is out of a free resolution and with vndaunted constancie day and night But giue me leaue I beseech you before I proceed to the explication of the rest or deduction of Doctrines from these particulars to propose vnto you this generall Doctrine which hath his strength from the body of the Psalme and the maine scope of the spirit of God There is in the booke of God proposed and offored vnto vs an happinesse standing in opposition to all the vaine felicities which ancieÌ„t Philosophers deuisde out of their deep speculations or prophane men frame out of their corrupt affections not consisting in pleasures riches honours greatnes in ciuill honesty formall hypocrisie or the whole possibility of nature but in supernaturall grace and the blessed consequents The whole book of Ecclesiastes Salomons sacred retractations is a large and sound demonstration of this Doctrine Salomon was sonne vnto the worthiest king that euer swayed scepter vpon earth and he was predecessor in the royall line vnto the Sonne of God and so matchlesse for nobility if true happinesse had consisted therein He was king of Ierusalem the lady of the world the perfection of beauty and the ioy of the whole earth Hee gaue siluer as stones and gaue cedars as the wild figtrees that grow abundantly in the plaine He built him houses and planted Vineyards He prouided him men fingers and women fingers and the delights of the sonnes of men Whatsoeuer his eyes desired he with held it not from them and withdrew not his heart from any ioy For wisedome and vnderstanding hee had a large heart euen as the sand that is on the sea shore It speculatiue knowledge hee excelled the wisedome of all the children of the East and all the wisedome of Egypt Hee was able to discourse from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon euen vnto the Hyssope that springeth out of the wall In wisedome of politie and gouernment there was none like vnto him before him neither after him shall arise the like vnto him So that Salomon was the most fit and absolute man that euer liued both for ability in vnderstanding abundance in possession and desire in searching to take an exact measure and the â—tmost extent of the worth and sufficiencie of all creatures and to raise from them the best contentments they could possiblie afford Yet when he had wearied himselfe in the variety of passages of this life and in the book of Eâ—clesiastes becomes a publick penitentiary to the whole Church and to all posterity see his iudgement he vtterly disauowes and disclaimes them all as miserable comforters as meere shadowes and dreames wherin there is no more matter of sound comfort then there is light in the greatest darknesse or taste in the white of an egge He saies of laughter thou art mad and of ioy haâ— is this that thou doest And whereas wisedome and knowledge are the most incomparable treasures this transitorie world hath he saith that in the multitude of wisedome is much griefe and hee that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow And of these and all other things vnder the sunne yea and if to the glory of all created natures were an addition of ten thousand excellencies that neuer man saw or enioyed hee hath pronounced of them all in respect of true happinesse and diuided from the grace and feare of God and a sanctified heart that they are all vanity And if he had staied there it had beene well that argues but a passiue imperfection and a weakenesse of being in the things themselues but they are vexation of spirit Nothing in themselues yet full of power and actiuity to inflict vengeance and vexaâ—ion vpon the spirit of a man The spirit of a man being sound in sincerity and seconded with a good conscience is able to beare out his infirmities and all the miseries incident to his nature It is able to passe by with a resolute and contented patience the lying imputations of the prophanest malice It is able by the grace of God to encounter with the terrors of death and the fearefulnesse of the graue yea to endure with a gratious humility euen the prâ—sence of God and Angels at that great day But a wounded and an afflicted spirit who can beare If the eye bee darke how great is that darkenâ—sse If the spirit of a man which should refresh all the faculties of