It would be considered how really difficult the controversie is about the ceremonies and some other parts of conformity Perhaps few metaphysical questions are disputed with more subtilty than that controversie is managed with by Arch-bishop Whitgift Bishop Morton Doctor Burgesse Doctor Ames Cartwright Calverwood and others And how very easily possible and pardonable is it to unlearned persons or of weaker intellectuals being obliged in order to their practice to give a judgment in reference to these things one way or other to judge amiss Why should we expect every sincerely pious man to be able to hit the very point of truth and right in matters that belong as Bishop Davenant once said in another case non ad fidem fundamentalem sed ad peritiam Theologicam fortasse ne ad hanc quidem sed aliquando ad curiositatem Theologorum not to the foundation of our Faith but to the skill of Divines and perhaps not to this neither but sometimes only to their curiosity What were to be done in reference to so nicely disputable things made part of the terms of Christian communion is more the matter of our wish than hope till by a gracious influence God better mens minds or by a more deeply felt necessity bring us to understand what is to be done Our case is ill when only vexatio dat intellectum when nothing but sorrow and suffering will make us wise which is very likely from the righteous hand of God to be our common lot In the mean time 't is hard to think that he cannot be a sincerely pious man whose understanding is not capable of so difficult things as to make a certainly right judgment about them In absoluto facili stat eternitas And why should not the communion of persons going into a blessed eternity have the same measure And besides the different size and capacity of mens understandings and consequently of their conscientious determinations 2. There are also as differing relishes of these things which Christian love would oblige a man to consider with equanimity so as thereupon to refrain hard censures All good men have not the same relish of the various forms and modes of dispensing the Truths and Ordinances of Christ Some of our suffering Brethren in Q. Maries dayes are said to have found great spiritual refreshing by the Common Prayer And in our own dayes some may profess to have their hearts warm'd their affections rais'd and elevated by it They are no rule to us but it would less become us hereupon to suspect their sincerity than our own Others again cannot relish such modes of worship when in the Ministry of such as use them not they find a very sensible delight and savour And this by the way shews the great difference between such things as have their evidence and goodness from God himself and those that borrow their recommendableness only from humane device All good men in all the times and ages of the Christian Church have a constant value and love for the great substantials of Religion which have in them that inward evidence and excellency as commands and captivates a rectifi'd mind and heart whereas the meer external forms of it the outward dress and garb are variously esteem'd and despised liked and disliked by the same sort of men i. e. by very sincere lovers of God not only in divers times and ages but even in the same time How different hath the esteem been of the Liturgick forms with them who bear the same mind full of reverence and love towards Religion it self As that habit is thought decent at one time which in another is despicably ridiculous whereas a person in himself comely and graceful is alwaies accounted so by all and at all times Now this various gust and relish cannot but have influence more remotely upon the conscientious determination of our choice concerning our usual way of worshipping God For how should I edifie by what is disgustful to me Thô it be true that our spiritual edification lies more in the informing of our judgments and confirming our resolutions than in the gusts and relishes of affection yet who sees not that these are of great use even to the other And that it is necessary that at least there be not a disgust or antipathy What is constantly less grateful will certainly be less nutritive That is usually necessary to nourishment Thô alone it be not sufficient As it is in the matter of bodily repasts Who can without great prejudice be bound to eat alwayes of a food that he disrelishes though he may without much inconvenience for a valuable reason do it at some time And they that think all this alledged difference is but fancy shew they understand little of humane nature and less of Religion Thô they may have that in themselves too which they do not so distinctly reflect upon even that peculiar gust and relish which they make so little account of For have they not as great a disgust of the others way as they have of theirs would They not as much regret to be ty'd to theirs Have they not as great a liking of their own And doth not common experience shew that there are as different mental relishes as bodily How comes one man in the matters of Literature to savour Metaphysicks another Mathematicks another History and the like and no mans Genius can be forc't in these things Why may there not be the like difference in the matters of Religion And I would fain know what that Religion is worth that is without a gust and savour that is insipid and unpleasant much more that would being used in a constant course this or that way be nauseous and offensive If indeed men nauseate that which is necessary for them the Gospel for instance or Religion it self that is certainly such a distemper as if the grace of God overcome it not will be mortal to them and we are not to think of relieving them by withdrawing the offending object which it self must be the means of their cure But is there any parity between the substance of Religion which is of Gods appointing and the superadded modes of it that are of our own Upon the whole nothing is more agreeable either to this divine principle of Love nothing within our compass more conducible to our end the ceasing of our differences which are most likely to die and vanish by neglect or their ceasing to be inconvenient to us than to bear calm and placid minds towards one another under them to banish all hard thoughts because of them If I can contribute no way else to union from this holy dictate and law of the Spirit of love I can at least abstain from censuring my fellow Christians It is the easiest thing in the world one would think not to do Especially not to do a thing of it self ungrateful to a well temper'd mind and a great priviledge not to be obliged to judge another mans conscience and
without 'em a Prov. 1.32 The Prosperity of Fools destroyes ' em What doth Religion in this Case The Truth is there needs a great exercise of Religion to carry us safe thrô Freedom from Affliction b Job 1.5 Jobs extraordinary devotion upon his Childrens ordinary rejoycing in their prosperous Condition may Convincingly instruct us that there 's more danger in Freedom from Affliction than we are willing to suspect and it is more difficult to love and fear and trust God when we have the world than when we want it so that without Serious Godliness 't is impossible to withstand the insinuating and pleasing Temptation of flattering Prosperity and unless Faith be in Exercise we cannot do it with it What then is an afflicted Condition to be preferr'd Some that have had experience of both say Yes they have been afraid to come from under their Afflictions some sick Persons have been even afraid of Health thô they desir'd it lest what they got in their Sickness they should lose in their Health But yet the continuance of Afflictions breaks the Spirits and hinders that chearful serving and praising of God which is or should be the Life of a Christian thô many are better'd by Afflictions yet none are allowed to pray for Afflictions but against them and use all good means to avoid or remove them 't is one thing makes Heaven desirable the putting an end to all our Afflictions In short c Heb. 12.11 no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous whatever be the after-fruit of it This therefore is clogg'd with Vanity But what doth Religion in this Case Serious Godliness by Afflictions becomes more Serious God makes great use of Afflictions for the working and promoting of Piety and in this I think all experienced Christians are agreed they reckon sanctified Afflictions among the choicest Providences of their lives I commend the enlargement of this by your own Thoughts out of your own experiences And thus including these three Cases as in a large Parenthesis there 's one Case more that I would cautiously speak to which the Church Catholick truly so called may have more cause than ever tremblingly to consider and to seek more satisfying resolution than I can give for it's determination VI. What man upon Earth can peremptorily assert whether Peace or Persecution be just at such a time infallibly best for the Church of Christ 'T is easily granted that we must at all times pray for and endeavour the universal both outward and spiritual Peace of the Church and this that we may at all times do any thing but Sin to avoid or put an end to Persecution but let 's consider each as in the former instances That the Peace of the Church is beyond Expression desirable he is no Christian that denyes it those that are the greatest troublers of the Churches Peace do usually proclaim their Friendship to it calling their Affection to a party Love to the Church and the welfare of their party the Peace of the Church Now thô their Charity is too narrow to contract the Church into a party their Notion of Peace is large enough they would have it commensurate with the Church So that I need not be large to prove what no body denies Outward Prosperity was so much the Blessing of the Old Covenant that some confine it to that but others upon better Grounds expect more under the Gospel for d Luk. 1.74 75. this was no inconsiderable end of Christs coming into the World to deliver us out of the hands of our worldly Enemies to serve him without affrighting fears of men in Holiness before God and Righteousness before men all the dayes of our Life Which Prosperity when the Church hath enjoyed according to Christs purchase and Promise then they have walkt in the filial fear of the Lord and in the encouraging e Acts 9.31 Comforts of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed in number of Converts and increase of their Graces that were formerly converted But here as we use to say of pleasant weather 'T is pity fair weather should do any harm so 't is pity the Churches Prosperity should do any harm But alas the Church of Christian as little bear continual Prosperity as long Adversity a Calm is sometimes as dangerous as a Storm Many are the Temptations and Snares of a Prosperous condition it breeds Hypocrites Errors and Heresies spring up like Weeds in rank ground Professors are apt to grow Remiss and Careless Wanton and Secure to be too fond of the Present and to hanker after more Temporal Happiness than God judges good for them How hardly were the very Apostles awakened from dreaming of Christs temporal Kingdom and the very best of 'em from suing for great Offices at Court O the Divisions among Brethren when Pride makes them quarrelsome When the World favours the Church the Church slides into the World then their worldliness spoils their Christianity and their Christianity palliates their worldliness and so those things are mixt which can never be compounded But now Serious Godliness is the best Preservative against Surfeiting on Prosperity 'T is Grace in the Exercise and Growth that powerfully enables and necessarily provokes to improve the Churches Peace to all Spiritual advantages The Church of the Jews was never in such a flourishing condition as in Solomon's Reign and is it not well worthy our observation that the Posterity of his Servants who became Proselytes to the Jewish Religion were several Ages after his death doubly recorded by a Neh. 7.57.60 the Spirit of God above the Proselytes of former Ages 'T is Serious Godliness that keeps them humble and always upon their Watch against flattering Temptations that keeps them low in their own eyes and from despising others and what on this side great Grace could make David who had a b 1 Chron. 22.14 greater Summe of ready Money than ever any had in the World either before or since preferr that little of Scripture that was penn'd in his time before an innumerable Treasure c Psal 119.72 He had also a List of Worthies d 2 Sam. 23. never the like in the World yet he e Psal 16.3.119.63 preferrs the Communion of Saints before ' em To have our Conversation in Heaven when 't is best with us upon Earth this can only be effected by the Power of Godliness believe it Christians this is no easie matter What then Is a State of Persecution more Eligible Before I dare speak a word to this I must premise this Caution Let not Persecutors take encouragement to be more outragious in their Persecution and then scornfully tell you this is good for 'em their Pastors tell 'em 't is sometimes better for 'em than Peace This is like Julian who in every thing he did with a deep Reach and greater Malice than former Emperors to undermine and worm out the Christian Religion he still twitted the Christians with some advice
't is next to impossible to be too shye of Sin unless when Satan frights us into the omission of some duties for fear of the Sins that inevitably cleave to them In short I would have you understand this Instance to referr to Sins past not future to Sins already committed that there 's no other possible way of undoing what 's done but by Repentance not of Sins not yet committed as if I gave so much as the least encouragement to so much as the least Sin Thus understanding the instance I dare say it over again Serious Godliness will force something of good out of the Evil of Sin These are the Persons that cannot forget the Wormwood and the Gall of their Mortification x Lam. 3.19 20. their Soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in them These are the Persons that put a due estimate upon pardoning Mercy and love Christ the more for the more Sins he hath forgiven them As Christ said of Mary Magdalen y Luke 7.47 Her Sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much but to whom little is forgiven the same love little The Blessed Apostle that brands himself for the chief of Sinners z 1 Tim. 1.15 before Conversion dare own it that a 1 Cor. 15.20 he laboured more abundantly than all the Apostles after his Conversion and 't is peculiar to him to coyn words b Rom. 5.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1 Tim. 1.14 to magnifie the Grace of God in Christ Christians I beseech you let not any one take encouragement hence to Sin but let the worst of Sinners take encouragement hence to repent What thô thou hast been one of the vilest wretches upon earth thou mayest through Grace be one of the highest Saints in Heaven and the sense of what thou hast been may promote it The rising ground of a Dunghill may help to raise thy flight towards Heaven Once more Thô to your own Apprehension you have no Faith at all to believe any one word of all this nor any skill at all to know what to do yet Serious Godliness will make all this good to thee Here you see I take it for granted that one may be seriously godly who in his own present Apprehensions hath no Faith at all nor skill at all for any thing that is Spiritually good many may be in this like Moses their Faces may shine their Grace may shine to others and they themselves not c Exo. 34.29 know it Many that are dear to God live many years in the growing Exercise of Grace and yet dare not own it that they have any at all God bestows the Faith of Assurance upon those of his Children that are not able to bear up without it mistake me not as if it were not every ones duty to seek it and a great Priviledge to have assurance when others of his Children which have a stronger Faith live and 〈◊〉 without it To give you an Instance beyond all instances Our 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ who 't is certain could not want assurance yet died in as great desertion as 't was possible to befall him d Mark 15.25 with Mat. 27.46 When he had hung six hours upon the Cross He cried with a loud Voice My God my God why hast thou forsaken me q. d. This is beyond all my other Torment And when he had cryed again with a loud Voice with a vehement affection and a strong Faith e Verse 50. he lay'd down his Soul But what was that he spake with such vehemency the second time f Luke 23.46 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Father into thy hands I will commend my Spirit I will depose my Soul with thee I will thrust it into thy hands Now that Jesus Christ was under this unexpressible Desertion during the three hours preternatural Darkness 't is more than for the best of Christians to be so during their whole life which doth more than prove what I asserted That a Person of great Grace may be so much in the dark as not to see he hath any But what must he do in this case Can Serious Godliness afford any Relief Christians pray mark it these Persons they are and through Grace cannot but be seriously Godly and their serious Godliness finds 'em work enough and support enough to keep 'em from sinking They daily do what they complain they can't do g Isa 50.10 They do fear the Lord they fear nothing more than sinning against him they do obey the voice of his servants there 's none receive Instructions more Obediently thô they walk in Darkness they 'l never follow a false Fire if they have no light from God they 'l have none from any else They do trust in the name of the Lord they lye at Gods foot let him do what he will with them they do stay upon their God they come up from h Cant. 8.5 the Wilderness of the World leaning upon their beloved Religion is the whole business of their life and comparatively they do nothing else And thô they have not ravishing Comforts they have that Peace that exceeds i Phil. 4.7 all understanding that is meerly humane and that doth guard their hearts and minds through Christ Jesus against all the Stratagems and Fiery Darts of Satan Their State is good their Souls are safe and they can't but be happy in both Worlds And thus I have endeavoured to be so practical in the Doctrinal part that there needs but little to be added for the Application the Lord make that little to be like Chymical Spirits to be more effectual than a greater quantity Rouze up your selves to do your part that it may be so Vse 1 Set your hearts upon Serious Godliness This must be the first Use for you can make no Use at all of this Doctrine till you have made this Use of it Every thing without this is but an abuse of it you do not only wrong the truth but you wrong your selves what ever you say or do about it till you make it your business to experiment the truth of what hath been spoken in its Commendation and this I can assure you never any one repented of his down-right Godliness Therefore live in the practice of those plain Duties without which 't is in vain to pretend to Religion e. g. Daily read some Portion of the Old and New Testament not as your Child reads it for his Lesson but as 〈◊〉 Child reads it for his Profit Be more frequent in Prayer not as those that pass their Prayers by number but as those that pour out their Hearts to God in Holy fervour Let your thoughts be so fill'd with Heavenly Objects that you may in some respect make all things such you think of Discourse of the things of God not in a captious or Vain-glorious manner but as those that feel the Truths they speak of Receive the Sacrament not as a Civil Test but as sealing that Covenant
thee Lord is the fountain of Life But if this Reward be so Exceeding Great Quest will it not overwhelm us In the other World our Faculties shall be extended Answ and through the Mediator Christ we shall be made capable of receiving this Reward Put a back of Steel to a Glass and you may see your Face in it So Christs Humane Nature being put as a back of Steel to the Divine Gods Glory will be seen and enjoyed by us There is no seeing the Sun in the Circle but in the Beams so whatever of God is made Visible to us will be through the Golden Beams of the Sun of Righteousness Wherein appears the certainty of this Reward Quest God who is the Oracle of Truth hath asserted it Answ A Charter Legally confirmed under the Broad Seal is unquestionable The Publique Faith of Heaven is engaged to make good this Reward Gods Oath is laid at Pledge d Psal 58.11 Nay God hath not only Pawned his Truth the most Orient Pearl of his Crown but he hath given the Anticipation and First-fruits of this reward to his Saints in joy and Consolation Gal. 5.22 e Vae nobis si nec juranti Deo credimus Aug. which assures them of an Harvest afterwards But when shall we be possessed of this Reward Quest The time is not long Revel 22.12 Behold I come quickly Answ and my reward is with me Sence and Reason think it a long Interval but Faith looks at the Reward as near through a Perspective Glass the Object which is at some distance seems near to the Eye So Faith looking through the Perspective Glass of a Promise the Reward seems near Faith as it doth Substantiate so it doth Anticipate things not seen it makes them present Eph. 2.6 But why is this Reward at all deferred Quest 1. God sees it not fit that we should yet receive it Answ Our work is not done we have not yet finish'd the Faith A day Labourer doth not receive his Pay till his work be done Even Christs Reward was deferred till He had Compleated his Mediatory Work and said upon the Cross It is Finished 2. God defers the Reward that we may live by Faith We are taken with the Reward but God is more taken with our Faith No Grace Honours God like Faith Rom. 4.20 God hath given himself to us by Promise Faith trusts Gods Bond and Patience waits for the Payment 3. God adjourns the Reward a while to sweeten it and make it more welcom to us when it comes f Quo longius defertur eò suavins laetatuâ— After all our Labours watchings conflicts how comfortable will the Reward be Nay the longer the Reward is deferred it will be the Greater The longest Voyages have the largest returns If still it be asked When shall the time of this Reward be I say The righteous shall receive part of their reward at Death No sooner is the Soul out of the Body but it is Present with the Lord 2. Cor. 5.8 f Piae animae à Corporibus solutae cum Deo vivunt Calv. And the full Coronation is at the Resurrection when the Soul and Body shall be re-united and perfected in Glory Christians faint not in your Voyage thô troublesome you are within a few Leagues of Heaven Your Salvation is now nearer than when you First believed Rom. 13.11 Several Corollaries follow 1Vse Infomation Hence it is Evident that it is Lawful to look to the future Reward God is our Reward is it not Lawful to look to him Moses had an Branch 1 Eye to the Recompense of reward Hebr. 11.26 What was this Reward but God himself verse 27 As seeing him who is invisible Looking to the Reward quickens us in Religion 'T is like the Rod of Myrtle in the Travellers hand which is said revives his Spirits and makes him walk without being weary who that is subject to fainting-fits will not carry Cordial-water about him Branch 2 If God be such an Exceeding Great Reward then it is not in vain to engage in his Service 'T was a slanderous Speech Mal. 3.14 Ye have said it is vain to serve God The Infinite Jehovah gives a Reward that is as far beyond our thoughts as it is above our deserts How apt are persons through Ignorance or mistake to misjudge the wayes of God! They think it will not quit the cost to be Religious They speak evil of Religion before they have tryed it as if one should condemn a Meat before he hath tasted it besides the Vails g Psal 19.11 which God gives in this life Provision Protection Peace there is a Glorious Reward shortly coming God himself is the Saints Dowry h In uno Deo omnes florent Gemmae ad salutem God hath a true Monopoly He hath those Riches which are no where else to be had the Riches of Salvation He is such a Gold-mine as no Angel can find the bottom Eph. 3.8 The unsearchable Riches of Christ Is it vain then to serve God A Christians work is soon over but not his Reward He hath such an Harvest coming as cannot be fully Inned it will be alwayes Reaping-time in Heaven How great is that Reward which Thoughts cannot measure nor Time finish Branch 3 See the egregious Folly of such as refuse God Psal 81.11 Israel would none of me Is it usual to refuse Rewards If a man should have a vast Summ of Money offered him and he should refuse it his discretion would be call'd in Question God offers an incomprehensible Reward to men yet they refuse Like the Load-stone which refuseth Gold and Pearl and drawes the rusty Iron to it Man by his fall lost his Head-piece He sees not where his Interest lies He flies from God as if he were afraid of Salvation and what doth he refuse God for the Pleasures of the World i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiâ—tetus We may write upon them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These are like Noah's Dove which brought an Olive-branch in her mouth but quickly flew out of the Ark. And to lose God for these Perishableâ— is a Prodigy of Folly worse than that of Lysimachus who for a Draught of Water lost his Kingdom We Read in Scripture of two Cups Psalm 16.8 The Lord is the Portion of my Cup. They who refuse this Cup shall have another Cup to Drink of Psalm 11.6 Vpon the wicked he shall rain Snares Fire and Brimstone this shall be the Portion of their Cup. If God be such an immense Reward then see how little cause the Branch 4 Saints have to fear Death are men afraid to receive Rewards There is no way to live but by dying i Aliae haereditates in morte deseruntur sed ad solidam hujus Possessionem per mortem immittimur River Christians would be cloathed with Glory but are loath to be uncloathed they pray Thy Kingdom come and when God is leading them thither they are afraid to go what makes us desirous
plundered him of all lifting up his Eyes to Heaven said Lord thou knowest where I have laid up my Treasure * By this delighting in God we may undoubtedly know he is our Reward What shall we do to get God to be our Reward Quest Let us see our need of God We are undone without him Lift not Direct 1 not up the Crest of Pride Beware of the Laodicean temper Revel 3.17 Thou saist I am rich and have need of nothing God will never bestow himself on them that see no want of him Let us beg of God to be our Reward 'T was Austin's Prayer Lord Direct 2 give me thy self b Da mihi te Domine Aug. O do not put me off with Common Mercies Give me not my Portion in this life †Psal 17.14 Make over thy self by a Deed of Gift to me Be earnest Suitors and God cannot find in his Heart to deny you Prayer is the Key of Heaven which being turned by the hand of Faith opens all Gods Treasures Live every day in the Contemplation of this Reward Be in the Altitudes Branch 3 Think what God hath prepared for them that love Him c Nihil in hac vita dulcius sentitur nil ita mentem ab amore mundi seperat nil sic animam contra tentationes roborat nil hominem ita ad omne bonum opus excitat quam Gratia contemplationis Bern. O that our thoughts could ascend The higher the Bird flies the sweeter it sings Let us think how Blessed they are who are possessed of their Heritage If one could but look a while through the chinks of Heaven-door and see the Beauty and Bliss of Paradise if he could but lay his Ear to Heaven and hear the Ravishing Musick of those Seraphick Spirits and the Anthems of Praise which they Sing how would his Soul be Exhilerated and Transported with Joy O Christians meditate of this Reward Slight transient thoughts do no good They are like breath upon Steel which is presently off again but let your thoughts dwell upon Glory till your Hearts are deeply affected What Lord is there such an Incomprehensible Reward to be bestowed upon me Shall these Eyes of mine be blessed with Transforming Sights of thee O the love of God to Sinners Stand at this Fire of Meditation till your Hearts begin to be warm How would the reflection on this inmense Reward conquer Temptation and behead those unruly Lusts that have formerly conspired against us What is there a Reward so sure so sweet so speedy and shall I by sin forfeit this Shall I to please my Appetite lose my Crown O all ye pleasures of Sin be gone let me no more be deceived with your sugered Lies wound me no more with your Silver Darts Th◠stolen Waters are sweet yet the Water of Life is sweeter No stronger Antidote to expell Sin than the Fore-thoughts of the Heavenly Remunerations It was when Moses was long out of sight that Israel made an Idol to worship Exod. 32.1 So when the future Reward is long out of our mind then we set up some Idol-lust in our Hearts which we begin to worship Branch 4 This may content Gods People though they have but little Oyl in the Cruse and their Estates are almost boyled away to nothing their Great Reward is yet to come Thô your Pension be but small your Portion is large If God be yours by Deed of Gift this may rock your hearts quiet God lets the wicked have their Pay before-hand Luk. 6.24 Ye have received your Consolation A wicked man may make his Acquittance and write Received in full Payment But the Saints Reward is in reversion the Robe and the Ring is yet to come May not this tune their Hearts into contentment Christian what thô God denies thee a Kid to make merry f Luk. 15.31 if he will say Son all I have is thine is not this sufficient Why dost thou complain of the Worlds emptiness who hast Gods Fulness Is not God Reward enough Hath a Son any cause to complain that his Father denies him a Flower in the Garden when he makes him Heir to his Estate g Quid ultrà quaerit cui omnia suus conditor fit Prosper The Philosopher comforted himself with this that thô he had no Musick or Vine-Trees yet he had the Houshould Gods with him * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Christian thô thou hast not much of the World yet thou hast God and he is an inexhaustible Treasure It was strange that after God had told Abraham I am thy exceeding great Reward yet that Abraham should say vers 2. Lord what wilt thou give me seeing I go Childless Shall Abraham ask Lord what wilt thou give me when he had given himself Was Abraham troubled at the want of a Child who had a God was not God better than Ten Sons h Quid homini sufficit cui ipse conditor non sufficit Aug. Who should be content if not he who hath God for his Portion and Heaven for his Haven Let this exceeding Great Reward stir up in us a Spirit of Activity for God Our Head should Study for him our Hands work for him our Feet run in the way of his Commandements Alas how litle is all we can do Our Work bears no Proportion with our Reward Mercedi an tantae par Labor esse potest †Verinus The thoughts of this Reward should make us rise off the Bed of Sloth and Act with all our might for God i Spes proemii solatium fit laboris Hierom. It should add Wings to our Prayers and Weight to our Alms. A slothful Person stands in the World for a Cipher and God writes down no Ciphers in the Book of Life Let us abound in the work of the Lord. 1 Cor. 15.58 As Aromatical Trees sweat out their precious Oyls So should we Sweat out our strength and Spirits for Christ Saint Paul knowing what a Splendid Reward was behind brought all the Glory he could to God 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more abundantly than they all He outwrought all the other Apostles Saint Pauls Obedience did not move slow as the Sun on the Dial but Swift as the Sun in the Firmament * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys Did Plato and Demosthenes undergo such Herculean Labours and Studies who had but the dim Watch-light of Nature to see by and did but Fancy the pleasures of the Elizian Fields after this Life and shall not Christians much more put forth all their Vigour of Spirit for God when they are sure to be Crowned nay God himself will be their Crown If God be so great a Reward let such as have an Interest in him Branch 5 be chearful God loves a Sanguine Complection k Acceptior est Deo grata laetitia quam querula tristitia Bucholcer Chearfulness credits Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The goodness of the
corrupting Additions to Christianity as the circumstances of the Text shew vers 15. How like a Case this is to ours with our Popish Enemies I need not tell you And now in this Case when the Faith of many was overthrown so much hurt was already done and the danger of greater was so manifest partly by the most insinuating methods of Seduction partly by the terror of Persecution the great care was to secure the uncorrupted residue and preserve unextinct the true Christian Interest The urgency of this Case puts the solicitous concerned spirit of this great Apostle into an inexpressible Agony as his words do intimate I would you knew what conflict I have and not for these Colossians only but for them of Laodicea which was not very remote from Colosse and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh For it was a common Case and upon him lay the care of all the Churches So that hence his musing meditative Mind could not but be revolving many thoughts and casting about for Expedients how the threatning danger might be obviated and averted And these in the Text which he fastens upon and wherein his thoughts center how apt and proper they were to that Case and consequently to ours which so little differs will be seen 2. By our opening and viewing the Import of the Text it felf Wherein he 1. Proposes to himself the End which he apprehended was most desirable and above all things to be coveted for them That their hearts might be comforted A word of much larger signification than in vulgar acceptation it is understood to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies with profane as well as the sacred Writers not only to administer Consolation to a grieved Mind but to exhort quicken excite and animate to plead and strive with dull and stupid wavering and unresolved minds It was thought indeed comprehensive enough to expresse all the Operations of the divine Spirit upon the Souls of men when not only the Christian Church but the World yet to be Christianiz'd was to be the Subject of them as we see Joh. 16.8 In respect whereof that holy Spirit hath its name of Office the Paraclet from this word And it being the passive that is here used it signifies not only the endeavours themselves which are used to the purpose here intended but the effect of them wherein they all terminate a lively vigorous confirm'd State and habit of Soul And that not indefinite but determined to one thing the Christian Faith and Profession which the Apostles drift and scope plainly shewes 'T is not to be thought he so earnestly coveted and strove that they might be jocund chearful abounding with joy and courage in any course right or wrong But that they might be encouraged establish't confirm'd in their Christianity And if the word he here uses were large enough to signifie as was noted above all that was necessary to make men Christians it may as well all that is necessary to continue them such In short the end which the Apostle aims at the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intended to these Christians was their Establishment and confirm'd State in their Christianity as the Effect of all Apostolical or Ministerial Exhortations Perswasions Encouragments or any whatsoever endeavours made efficacious to that purpose by the powerful Influence and Operation of the holy Ghost And that it was no lower thing than this we have sufficient Evidence by comparing the close of the foregoing chapter with the beginning of this Where we find chap. 1.28 the avowed design of his preaching warning and teaching in all wisdom was that he might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus That whereas there were various Arts and Endeavours used to adulterate the Christian Religion and pervert men from the simplicity of it he might lose none but to his very uttermost keep all in a possibility of being presented perfect in Christ Jesus at last i. e. That they might be all entire compleat and persevering Christians to the end And for this he adds vers 29. he did labour striving according to his working which wrought in him mightly All his labour and the strivings of his Soul acted by divine Power and by a Spirit greater than his own did aim at this End And now hereupon he intimates how fervid these his strivings were chap. 2.1 I would you did but know what it is not for me to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what an Agony I endure how great this my conflict is for you and for them at Laodicea and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh And for what That their Hearts might be comforted as we read meaning manifestly the same thing he had exprest before that notwithstaning all endeavours of others to the contrary they might be compleat and confirm'd Christians to the last 2. We have next to consider in the Text the means or what expedients the Apostle conceives would be most effectually conducing to this blessed purpose They are two Mutual Love to one another And A clear certain efficacious Faith of the Gospel The former is shortly and plainly exprest The other by a copious and most Emphatical Periphrasis or Circumlocution He most earnestly covets to have them knit together by both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 compacted as the word imports in the one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and unto or into the other as that Particle signifies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 1. Mutual Love to one another q. d. The thing were done or much were done towards it if they were knit together in Love compacted made all of a Piece if by Love they did firmly cohere and cleave to one another For then it would be One and all and 't is scarce ever supposeable they should all agree to quit their Religion at once But if that were to be supposed he adds another thing that would put all out of doubt 2. A clear certain efficacious Faith of the Gospel For the several expressions that follow are but a descripton of such a Faith Where we are to note What he would have them apprehend And The apprehensive Principle 1. What he would have them apprehend viz. The Summ and Substance of the Christian Doctrine which he calls a Mystery both because it was so in it self and 't is often spoken of under that name by our Lord himself Mat. 13.11 and familarly by this Apostle Rom. 16.25 Epes 3.3 9. Col. 1.26 and elsewhere And because of the high pretence of the Gnosticks to the knowledge of Mysteries which sometimes he slights Especially being unaccompanied with Love as with them it most eminently was Thô I understand all Mysteries and all knowledge and have no Charity I am nothing 1 Cor. 13.2 Knowledge puffeth up love edifies chap. 8.1 Sometimes as here he makes the sincere Doctrine of the Gospel to outvy theirs herein intimating that such as made Profession of it could have no Temptation to go over
every such person whensoever such occasions do invite me to it And do we now need to be told what such an impartial truly Christian love would do to our common preservation and to prevent the ruine of the Christian Interest 1. How greatly would it contribute to the vigour of the Christian life for so we should all equally hold the head from which all the body by joynts and bands having nourishment ministred and knit together encreaseth with the increase of God As afterwards in this Chapter verse 19. Thus as it is in that other parallel text of Scripture Speaking the truth in love we shall grow up into him in all things which is the head even Christ from whom the whole body fitly joyn'd together and compacted by that which every joynt supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of it self in love Eph. 4.15 16. Obstructions that hinder the free circulation of blood and spirits do not more certainly infer languishings in the natural body than the want of such a diffusive love shuts up and shrivels the destitute parts and hinders the diffusion of a nutritive vital influence in the body of Christ 2. It would inspire Christians generally with 〈◊〉 sacred courage and Fortitude when they should know and even feel themselves knit together in love How doth the revolt of any considerable part of an army discourage the rest or if they be not entire and of a piece Mutual love animates them as nothing more when they are prepared to live and die together and love hath before joyned whom now their common danger also joyns They otherwise signifie but as so many single persons each one but caring and contriving how to shift for himself Love makes them significant to one another So as that every one understands himself to be the common care of all the rest It makes Christians the more resolute in their adherence to Truth and goodness when from their not-doubted love they are sure of the help the counsels and prayers of the Christian community and apprehend by their declining they shall grieve those whom they love and who they know love them If any imagine themselves intended to be given up as Sacrifices to the rage of the common Enemy their hearts are the apter to sink they are most expos'd to temptations to prevaricate and the rest will be apt to expect the like usage from them if themselves be reduc'd to the like exigency and be liable to the same temptations 3. It would certainly in our present case extinguish or abate the so contrary unhallow'd fire of our anger and wrath towards one another as the Celestial beams do the baser culinary fire which burns more fervently when the Sun hath less power Then would debates if there must be any be manag'd without intemperate heat We should be remote from being angry that we cannot convey our own Sentiments into anothers mind which when we are our business is the more remote we make our selves less capable of reasoning aptly to convince and because anger begets anger as love doth love render the other less susceptible of Conviction Why are we yet to learn that the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God What is gained by it So little doth angry contention about small matters avail that even they that happen to have the better cause lose by it and their â—dvantage cannot recompense the dammage and hurt that ensues to the Church and to themselves Our Famous Davenant k Sent. ad Dur. speaking of the noted controversy between Stephen Bishop of Rone who he saies as much as in him lay did with a Schismatical Spirit tear the Church and Cyprian who with great lenity and Christian charity professes that he would not break the Lord's peace for diversity of opinion nor remove any from the right of communion concludes that erring Cyprian deserv'd better of the Church of Christ than Orthodox Stephen He thought him the Schismatick whom he thought in the right and that his Orthodoxy as it was accompanied was more mischievous to the Church than the others Error Nor can a man do that hurt to others without suffering it more principally The distemper of his own Spirit what can recompense and how apt is it to grow in him and while it grows in himself to propagate it self among others Whereupon if the want of love hinders the nourishment of the body much more do the things which when it is wanting are wont to fill up its place For as naturally as love begets love so do wrath envy malice calumny beget one another and spread a poyson and virulency through the body which necessarily wastes and tends to destroy it How soon did the Christian Church cease to be it self and the early vigour of primitive Christianity degenerate into insipid spiritless formality when once it became contentious It broke into parties Sects multipli'd animosities grew high and the grieved spirit of love retired from it which is grieved by nothing more than by bitterness wrath anger c. as the connexion of these two verses intimates Eph. 4.30 31. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all Malice And to the same purpose is that 1 Pet. 2.1 2. Wherefore laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and all evil speaking as new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby By this means Religion once dispirited loses its majesty and awfulness and even tempts and invites the assaults and insultation of Enemies 4. It would oblige us to all acts of mutual kindness and friendship If such a love did govern in us we should be alwaies ready to serve one another in love to bear each others burthens to afford our mutual Counsel and help to one another even in our private affairs if called thereto especially in that which is our common concern the preserving and promoting the Interest of Religion and to our uttermost strengthen each others hands herein It would engage us to a free amicable conversation with one another upon this account would not let us do so absurd a thing as to confine our Friendship to those of our own Party which we might as reasonably to men of our own stature or to those whose voice and hair and look and meen were likest our own It would make us not be ashamed to be seen in each others Company or be shy of owning one another We should not be to one another as Jewes and Samaritans that had no dealing with one another or as the Poet notes they were to other Nations Non monstrare vias eadem nisi sacra colenti not so much as to shew the way to one not of their Religion There would be no partition-wall thorough which love
Sinners converted know the addictedness of an unconverted mans Heart to his Corruptions They have tasted most of the bitterness of Sin and of the sweetness of pardoning Mercy They know most of the terror of the Lord and therefore they should be most in perswading of 2 Cor. 5.11 and sorrowing for Sinners Paul so eminent in Sin was as famous for Compassion to Sinners Gal. 6.1 The overtaken with a fault he wills should be gently set in joynt with the Spirit of meekness He could not speak of Sinners without Weeping Phil. 3.18 He had great heaviness and sorrow of Heart for his unconverted Brethren Rom. 9.2 Who is weak and I am not weak who is offended and I burn not 2 Cor. 11.29 He commends meekness toward Sinners upon this very ground for we saith he Tit. 3.3 our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice and envy hateful and hating one another § 13 3. They that mourn for others Sins must more mourn because those Sins are offensive and dishonourable to God and hurtful to Sinners than because they are injurious to themselves that mourn over them To mourn for Sins of the times because hurtful to us is not Zeal for God or Charity to Sinners but self-love Godly Sorrow is when we sorrow for Sin as against God All Sorrow for our selves and our worldly Interest is but worldly Sorrow and dedolendus est iste dolor 'T is to be repented of when it puts the other-out of place We frequently mourn for the miscarriages of the times but more as they are afflictive than Sinful because we suffer rather than because Gods Honour or Souls suffer If we were not our selves concerned in the suffering of our worldly Interest few would hear of our mourning The complaint of What wilt â—â—ou do to thy great Name is much rarer than What shall become of my Family my Estate The precious Water of our Tears is not to be cast upon such Dunghils into such Sinks Sin brought in Tears and they should be principally shed for Sin 'T is observed by some that God who in times of publick mourning for Sin commands baldness forbids it for worldly troubles Isa 22.12 Lev. 21.5 4. They that mourn for others Sins should mourn more in secret § 14 than in open complaining Thus Jeremy ch 17. v. 13. I will mourn in secret places for your Pride Our Father saith Christ seeth in secret Mat. 6.18 though he recompenseth openly Publick Exercises of Religion may gain most applause and be most advantageous to observers but they testifie not so much sincerity to the Conscience as those in secret He mourns most truly that hath no other Witness thereof but the alseeing God Fasting and so Mourning is Feasting and Rejoycing to one that eyes only the eye of man in these services when men observe them Mat. 6.16 Our Saviour forbids appearing unto men to fast by putting on a wreathed grim sowre Countenance a lowring Look not that he forbids open expressions of sorrow used by Saints of old but the counterfeit semblance of Sorrow to make an Ostentation of Sanctimony to be noted by men Nor doth Christ here tax Mourners for seeming to fast when they did not but for desiring to be known abroad to fast when they fasted in private 2 Kings 10.16 'T is a Jehu's zeal which may be seen only and desires to be so 5. They that mourn for others Sins must mourn to an high degree § 15 who have been the occasions furtherers and promoters of their Sins either by neglecting to reprove them for restraining them from or giving them Examples of Sinning This Sanctified Conscience will make one of the bitterest ingredients into Sorrow for the Sins of others 'T was the trouble of David that he had occasion'd the Death of the Priests by receiving relief from Ahimelech 1 Sam. 22.22 I have occasion'd the Death said David to Abiathar of all the Persons of thy Fathers House I doubt not but some whom God hath converted may say Lord I have some way or other furthered the Sins of this or that great Offender if so what canst thou do less than drop the Balsom of thy Tears into his wounds of Sin Thô God have pardoned the Sin to thee and layes it not to thy Charge holy Compassion should put thee upon laying it to thy Heart This undoubtedly is a due piece of Spiritual Restitution of what thou hast wrong'd him of Canst thou do less than beg with Tears and Sobs that God would be more merciful to his Soul than thou hast been Canst thou do less than with an holy ingenuity endeavour to bring him home to that God from whom thou taughtest him to wander 6. They that mourn for the Sins of others must mourn with an § 16 Holy Reflexion upon themselves and that in these three particulars 1. They must reflect upon themselves with Sorrow because they have the same impure Natures that the most to be lamented Sinner in the World hath The holiest in thâ— World may say Lord this most extravagant Sinner speaks but the Sence of my Nature My Nature answers his as Face answers Face in the Glass But of this before 2. With a Reflection of Examination 1. Whether you have not some way or other furthered this Sinner in his much to be lamented impieties either by not endeavouring to hinder him from Sin so much as you might or by prompting him to it more than you ought If so how deeply this is to be resented you heard before 2. Whether the same open Sins that are acted by him the noted Offender or Sins almost or altogether as bad are not acted and entertain'd by thee in secret places 2 Chro. 28.10 Are there not with you even with you sins against the Lord your God or at least in thy Heart If so doubtless 't is thy duty to cast the first Stone at thy self and as Christ said to the Daughters of Jerusalem to weep first under the sence of thy own Unholiness and to remember thô thy Sins are not so infamous as those of a publick Sinner yet by being secret they may be Sins of greater danger And that First by occasioning Hypocrisie in contenting thy self with visible appearances of Holiness and freedom from open impieties Facile accedit tentator ubi non timetur reprehensor 2. Thy secreet Sins may be more dangerous in regard by their secrecy thou shalt not be so happy as to meet a reprover The loudly snorting Sinner every one will be ready to jog with a Reprehension whilest thou that sinnest silently in secret shalt be freed from any wholsom molestation by holy Reprehension He that would be watchful wants either a severe Censurer or a faithful Reprover 3. Thy secret Sins are not so like to trouble and awaken thy drowsie Conscience the Sins of publick offences having oft been the occasion to make People both asham'd of Sin and afraid of Vengeance 3.
Word by the Rod as Shepherds let loose their Dogs to hunt the stragling Sheep into their Bounds As Parents use Bug-bears to make their Children run into their Arms all in Love and to keep them in it by keeping them from excursions XI Another Means to keep our selves in the Love of God is to keep in our Hearts a quick sense of the Pardon of Sin of the wonderfull love of the Lord to a poor sinfull Soul to pardon great and many sins This puts such an Obligation upon a Sinner that he cannot chuse but express his great love to the Lord for it See a famous Instance of this in Mary Magdalen who having received this great Mercy from the Lord Luc. 7.38 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came where he was in Simon the Pharisees house kneeled down at her dear Saviours feet and instead of Water her Eyes were Ewers and she wept tears upon the feet of Christ and washed his feet with them so abundant were they and then instead of a Towel she wiped his washen feet with the hair of her Head and not only so but kissed his feet All which thô the envious Pharisee blamed yet the Lord Jesus allowed and highly praised with tart reflexion upon the proud Pharisee who omitted those Civilities which that humble loving Convert performed Moreover the Lord that knew her Heart testifies for her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she did it all in much love to him for the forgiveness of her many sins 1. Because Forgiveness of Sin is an act of the greatest Grace condescension and kindness of God to a poor Soul Because by the guilt of Sin a Soul is bound over to eternal Death and Wrath in Hell there to make satisfaction which will be ever a doing and never done Pardon of Sin loosneth the Sinner from that by Christs satisfaction for him 2. Because every one thus Pardoned Psal 51.12 Vphold me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thy ingenuous or generous Spirit is made truly sensible of the Kindness of God to him in it and by converting Grace hath an ingenuous and noble Spirit created in his heart that will never suffer him to forget it nor think he can ever sufficiently prize or express it XII A further Means to keep our selves in the Love of God is not only to love the Lord but to keep up our Love to him to the height Such a love as the Bride and Bridegroom have to each other which is brisk and highest then Jer. 2.2 Rev. 2.4 5. I remember saith the Lord the love of thine espousals And again I have somewhat against thee because thou art fallen from thy first love repent and do thy first works The Lord commands our Love towards him in the most intense degree of Affection with all the heart with all the soul with all thy might Cum omni valdè tâ—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all thy utmost power Deut. 11.1.13.22 Cap. 19.9 Cursed be the deceiver that hath this Male in his flock Mal. this Masculine Love and yet giveth God the lame and the lean The highest Love of the Soul is a Present for the greatest King in the world Therefore labour to keep up thy Love to the height towards God Thou canst never be excessive in thy Love to God to the Creature thou mayst and commonly art But behold the perversness of Man in this Affection We stint our Love to God where it should know no bounds nor measures and we are boundless in our love to Creatures which alwayes ought to be bounded XIII If we will keep our selves in the Love of God let us labour to grow in Grace and to carry on the work of it in our Souls to the highest perfection This is grounded upon the Verse immediately before the Text viz. Ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy Faith where the Participle building agrees with the Verb in the Text keep your selves in the love of God Noting this growth in Grace and Knowledge to be an effectual means to keep our selves in the Love of God Whether we understand this Clause building up your selves in your most holy Faith to be understood of the Doctrine of Faith or the Grace of Faith or of both for we cannot well sunder them they being helps to each other according to that of Peter who puts them both together to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and this is a Soveraign Remedy against falling away 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Now there is good reason why our growth in Grace and particularly in Faith is a principal means to keep our selves in the Love of God 1. Because the Power of God goes with Faith to keep us firm unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are kept thereby as with a strong Guard 2. Because by building up our selves in our most holy Faith we please God without Faith we cannot do that and we gain upon his Love for we are in the way of God and doing his Will this is the Will of God even our Sanctification He that hath my commandments and doth them Joh. 14.21 he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me my Father and I will love him Joh. 15.9 10. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love XIV A great Means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is this to Pray in the Holy Ghost ver 20. the verse after my Text Now we shall see how forcible and cogent this means is Consider 1. All good things come from God Jam. 1. Prayer is the Key of Gods Closet and Treasury we are meer Beggers and have nothing of our own but are fain to beg our daily Bread of God who keeps us from Hand to Mouth God will have it so because he will have us know to whom we are beholding for all Moreover he Loves to see our Face and hear our Voice and the oftner the more welcome And this he doth as tender Fathers use to do with their Children who know what they need but will have them come to them for all with bended knees for their Fathers Blessing nor shall they come in vain 1. For the Lord commands it and approves it Mat. 6.9 2. He hath annexed great Promises to Prayer 3. Even the Holy Spirit Rom. 8.15 26 27. And hath given us a Mediator to Intercede and plead for us by Office Heb. 4.15 16. and this is the great Office of his High-Priest-hood Heb. 2. two last verses By all which we see how seasonably the duty of Prayer and the Priviledge of Prayer is here annexed ver 20. to keep our selves in the Love of God How can Friends maintain their Amity without frequent converse Abraham was called the Friend of God Jam. 2.23 Gen. 18.17
to the end and ye see what power he had with God in Prayer for wicked Sodom God communicated his Secrets to him as one Friend to another and Abraham made Intercession to him as Favourites of Princes for Malefactors So did he for Sodom and ye know how far he prevailed for he was a Righteous man Jam. 5.16 and such a mans Prayer prevaileth much And what was Abrahams Righteousness even the Righteousness of Faith by Imputation Rom. 4. and this Faith living and working XV. We keep our selves in the Love of God when we declare a publick Spirit for the Cause of God in his Church against the Enemies of it by being zealous for his Glory and valiant for his Truth in our Station Judg. 5. This is lively asserted in the Song of Deborah and Barak who after she had praised some for their appearing and others for not appearing in this Cause dispraised the Lord she praised above all for his presence with his People and for that Spirit of Love he poured out upon them in these Words vers 31. So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Now the Reason why this publick Spirit in the Cause of God is expressed by our Love to God is this Because God is so much concerned in it 1. As to his Honour to defend and deliver his People from his and their Enemies as the Midianites were 2. As to his Power in reducing thirty thousand to three hundred Jud. 7. as in Gideons case all that lapped He as a poor Barley Cake tumbled all the Enemies down and by a small company And a Woman in Deborahs case that is by her self and Jael Judg. 4.21 destroyed Jabin and Sisera's mighty Host To omit many other instances of publick Hearts in this case signally owned by God because they signally appeared for God Thus Moses Exod. 2.11 13. Judg. 5.9 This was their Love Thus saith Deborah My Heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offer themselves willingly bless ye the Lord. Zebulun and Napthali jeoparded their lives unto Death in the high places of the Field and thus did Issachar ver 15. But Reuben Gad Manasseh Dan and Asher are branded for their Cowardise I say all this appearing in the defence of all that was dear to God and them is called Love to God Therefore we may in no wise exclude this Noble publick Spirit in the cause of God and his People from the Love of God for there is no principle in the World like to the Love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.8 Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt Maimon Which love me and keep my Commandments Illa praecipuè quae ad arcendas pravas superstitiones pertinent Grot. Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pij dicti sunt Ezek. 16.33 36 37. chap. 23.5 Jer. 2.2 I remember the love of the Espousals to animate and inflame the Soul to do great things for God This Spirit was marvellous in David whose very Name was from Love Therefore it is the duty of every Child of God to pray for the Spirit of God which only sheds all divine Love abroad in the Heart Rom. 5.5 which God inspires as he pleaseth XVI A great means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is to be Sincere and Sound in the Worship of God Mark this well for herein lyes the Love or Hatred of God as appears plainly in the second Commandement Exod. 20. ver 6. Therefore Idols and Idolaters are called our Lovers Hosea 2.5 7. Jer. 8.1 Hosea 13. They kissed the Calves ver 2. Therefore our Hankering and embracing of a false Worship provokes God to jealousie Therefore the Lord deals with Superstition and Idolatry in his People after the Law of Harlots and Adulterers The Scripture is full of this Language There is no higher Act of Love in God than to espouse a People to be his own and to give them a Rule of Worship of his own Institution and to hold them to it as he did Israel And when a People follows God and serves God according to his own appointments there are no higher Acts of Love towards him in Gods account God is enamoured with such a People God in his highest acts of jealousie was inraged against his Idolatrous people Psal 78.59 They kissed their Idols giving them all the tokens of Love and Homage 1 King 19.18 Job 31.27 They burnt their Children to them as the costlyest Sacrifice as Abraham would his Isaac in Love to God but God only tryed him by it Mark 7.7 Colos 2.22 Mat. 15.2 3 6. Rev. 17.4 5. he calls them his Hephsibah and his Beulah Isa 62.4 We see it also in the instance of good Kings how the Lord prized and praised them for this very thing for Reforming and setting up the true Worship of God as David Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah how the Lord prospered them because their Hearts were right and perfect with God in this thing On the other side how he hath branded and blasted all those that were false herein For this was David a man after Gods own Heart fulfilling all his Wills which is chiefly meant in the point of Gods Worship Act. 13.22 As for the Wills of men in the Worship of God by their Inventions Traditions and Commandements he tells you he hates them and they are Abomination to him And no wonder for what intrencheth more upon the Honour of Gods Wisdom and Soveraignty than this That he doth not know best how to appoint his own Worship but must be fain to be beholding to Man for his devices and dictates in the Case This though it seems very gay is Whorish and Poysonous this golden Dress and Cup is intoxicating XVII A great Means of keeping in the Love of God is keeping up the Communion of Saints in all the parts and duties of it What this is we shall see according to Scripture The Communion of Saints is our Participation of all the good things of God in common whereunto all the Saints and only they have right consisting in our Union to God as our chiefest good this is with God as a Father with the Son and Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 1.3 2 Cor. 13.13 1. We have Communion with the Father as Children and all in the greatest Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.16 17. This is procured by Christ 1 Joh. 2.23 only obtained by Believing Joh. 1.12 And maintained by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 Who walk not in darkness but in light 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 2. We have Communion with Jesus Christ the Son of God By which we are made partakers of him of his Nature and of his Grace and of his Glory all which is done by Faith that uniteing and marrying Grace and this works such Conjugal Love between Christ and his Church as makes them
and manner of Preaching 1. For the Subject-matter of Gospel Preaching it is determined by the Apostle expressely to be Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 Two things Ministers have to do about Him in preaching Him to them that are without 1. To set him forth to People Gal. 3.1 to paint him in his Love Excellency and ability to save 2. To offer him unto them freely fully without any limitation as to Sinners or their sinful State And then Christs Laws or Will to be published to them that receive Him and are his for the Rule of their walk and his promises for the measure and foundation of all their hopes and Expectations and his Grace and fulness for their supply in every case till they be brought to Heaven This was the simplicity of the Gospel that remained but a little while in the Christian Church for Ceremonies amongst the Jews Col. 2. and sinful mixtures of vain Philosophy amongst the Gentiles did by degrees so corrupt the Gospel that the Mystery of Iniquity ripened in the production of Antichrist It was a sad Observation of the Fourth Century that it became a matter of Learning and Ingenuity to be a Christian The meaning was that too much weight was laid on Notions and matter of Opinion and less regard had unto the soundness of the Heart and Holiness of the Life In the beginning of the Reformation from Popery the Worthies whom God raised up in several Countreys did excellently in retrieving the Simplicity of the Gospel from the Popish mixtures but that good work took a stand quickly and is on the declining greatly How little of Jesus Christ is there in some Pulpits It is seen as to success that whatever the Law doth in alarming Sinners it is still the Gospel voice that is the Key that opens the Heart to Jesus Christ Would Ministers win Souls let them have more of Jesus Christ in their dealing with men and less of other things that never profit them that are exercised therein 2. As for the manner of successeful Preaching I shall give it in a Negative and Positive from these two places 1 Cor. 1.17 2. 1. 4. What this negative disowns is our inquiry The Words are full for Christ sent me not to baptize but to Preach the Gospel not with wisdom of Words lest the Cross of Christ should be made of none effect Again I came not to you with excellency of speech or of Wisdom declaring to you the Testimony of God Again And my speech and my Preaching was not with inticing words of mans Wisdom These are the words of the Holy Ghost concerning a way of Preaching that is unprofitable a way that seems was in use and respect with the Corinthians and honest Paul was despised by them for his simple and plain way different from theirs I shall only instance in things that this Scriptural Negative doth check and reprove in the way of Preaching 1. The establishing and advancing of Divine Truth upon the Foundation of humane Reason As if there were some weakness and insufficiency in those methods and arguments of working on mens Consciences that the Holy Ghost prescribes The great Foundation of all a Minister hath to say is Thus saith the Lord and a grave declaring of the Testimony of God in this matter is Ministers Duty 1 Cor. 2.1 and will have more Authority on mens Consciences than many humane Reasons There is a rational Preaching as it is called wherein men do not satisfie themselves to make use of Reason as a Tool and Instrument and then its use is excellent but will establish it as a Judge and Dictator in all Divine matters and Truth and so in effect turn all their Preaching into little better things than the Lectures of the Philosophers of old save that the poor Pagans were more sincere in their Morals and serious in delivering their Opinions Let a Minister therefore still think with himself that a plain Scripture Testimony is his main argument and accordingly let him use it When he teacheth Philosophy and when he teacheth men the Will of God about Salvation he is in distinct Provinces and his management of his work therein should be very different 2. It is to Preach with excellency of Speech and words of mans Wisdom when men think to reach the Gospel-end on Sinners by force of even spiritual reason and perswasion This corrupt thought riseth in some from an imagination that moral suasion is all that is needfull for converting a Sinner and in some this thought rises on a better account the Light of the Glory of God in the Gospel shines so brightly in upon their own Hearts that they fall into this Conceit That no man can stand before that Light which they can hold forth Melancthon's mistake at first till Experience made him wiser Hast thou a clear Knowledge of Gospel Mysteries and the word of Exhortation is with thee also so that thou art qualified to urge beseech and plead warmly with sinners on Christs behalf Take heed of this Snare lest thou think that thy Wisdom and Gifts can promote and carry on the Gospel-design on men 3. This also is check'd in the Apostles words the setting forth the beauty of the Gospel by humane Art The truth of the Gospel shines best in its bare Proposal and its Beauty in its simple and naked discovery We may observe from Church-History that still as Soundness of Doctrine and the Power of Godliness decayed in the Church the Vanity of an affected way of speaking and writing of Divine things came in Quotations from the Fathers Latine and Languages are pitiful Ornaments unto Preaching if a man design Conversion and Soul-edification And yet more despicable are all playing on words Jinglings and Cadencies which things are in all the Rules of true Eloquence justly exploded and yet some men reckon much on them But would any man think his Friend in earnest with him that would accost him in any affair with such sort of Language and Gesture 2 The Positive is in demonstration of the Spirit and of Power 1 Cor. 2.5 1. Paul preach'd so as gave a demonstration that the Holy Ghost was in him sanctifying Him This is a plain and blessed thing happy is the Minister that manageth his work so that if the hearers get not a demonstration of great Parts and Learning yet they have a demonstration of the sanctifying Spirit of God in the Minister 2. Paul preach'd so as gave a demonstration that the Spirit of God was with him assisting and helping him in his work even when he was amongst them in much weakness fear and trembling vers 3. Happy is the Minister that can preach this way he must be a depender upon assistance from the Holy Ghost 3. Paul preached so as a demonstration of the Power of the Holy Ghost was given to the Hearts of the Hearers The Spirit of God so wrought on them by his Power in and by †2 Cor. 4.2 Commending our selves to â—â—ery
conscientious respect unto it Force and Fear rule all This is that Discipline in whose execution the blood of an innumerable company of Holy Martyrs hath been shed that wherein all the vital Spirits of the Papacy do act themselves and whereby it doth subsist and although it be the Image of Jealousie or the Image of the first Beast set up by the Dragon yet it cannot be denyed but that it is very wisely accommodated unto the present State of the Generality of them that are called Christians amongst them For being both blind and carnal and having thereby lost all Sense and Experience of the Spiritual Power of the Rule of Christ in their Consciences they are become an Herd not fit to be governed or ruled any other way Under the Bondage of it therefore they must abide till the vail of Blindness be taken away and they are turned unto God by his Word and Spirit for where the Spirit of the Lord is there and there alone is Liberty SECT VII Unto the foregoing particular Instances with respect unto the Church I shall yet add one more general which is indeed comprehensive of them all or the root from whence they spring a root-bearing Gall and Wormwood And this is concerning the Catholick Church What belongs unto this Catholick Church what is comprized in its Communion The Apostle declares Heb. 12.22 23 24. It is the Recapitulation of all things in Heaven and Earth in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.10 His Body his Spouse or Bride the Lambs Wife the glorious Temple wherein God doth dwell by his Spirit An holy mystical Society purchased and purified by the blood of Christ and united unto him by his spirit or the Inhabitation of the same spirit in him and those whereof it doth consist Hence they with him as the body with its head are mystically called Christ 1 Cor 12.12 And there are two parts of it the one whereof is already perfected in Heaven as unto their spirits and the other yet continued in the way of faith and obedience in this world Both these constitute one family in Heaven and Earth Ephes 3.15 In Conjunction with the holy Angels one Mystical-Body one Catholick Church And although there is a great difference in their present state and condition between these two branches of the same Family yet are they both equally purchased by Christ and united unto him as their Head having both of them effectually the same principle of the life of God in them Of a third part of this Church neither in Heaven nor in Earth in a temporary State participant somewhat of Heaven and somewhat of Hell called Purgatory the Scripture knoweth nothing at all neither is it consistent with the Analogy of Faith or the promises of God unto them that do believe as we shall see immediately This Church even as unto that part of it which is in this world as it is adorned with all the graces of the Holy Spirit is the most beautiful and glorious effect next unto the forming and production of its Head in the Incarnation of the Son of God which Divine Wisdom Power and Grace will extend themselves unto here below But these things the glory of this State is visible only unto the eye of Faith yea it is perfectly seen and known only to Christ himself We see it obscurely in the light of Faith and Revelation and are sensible of it according unto our participating of the graces and privileges wherein it doth consist But that spiritual light which is necessary to the discerning of this Glory was lost among those of whom we treat They could see no reality nor beauty in these things nor any thing that should be of advantage unto them For upon their principle of the utter uncertainty of mens spiritual estate and condition in this world it is evident that they could have no satisfactory perswasion of any concernment in it But they had possessed themselves of the notion of a Catholick Church which with mysterious Artifices they have turned unto their own incredible secular Advantage This is that whereof they boast appropriating it unto themselves and making it a pretence of destroying others what lies in them both temporally and eternally Unto this end they have formed the most deformed and detestable Image of it that ever the world beheld For the Catholick Church which they own and which they boast that they are instead of that of Christ is a company or society of men unto whom in order unto the constitution of that whole society there is no one real Christian grace required nor spiritual Vnion unto Christ the Head but only an outside profession of these things as they expresly contend A Society united unto the Pope of Rome as its head by a subjection unto him and his rule according to the Laws and Canons whereby he will grant them This is the formal reason and cause constituting that Catholick Church which they are which is compacted in it self by horrid Bonds and Ligaments for the ends of Ambition worldly Domination and Avarice A Catholick Church openly wicked in the generality of its rulers and them that are ruled and in its State cruel oppressive and died with the blood of Saints and Martyrs innumerable This I say is that Image of the Holy Catholick Church the spouse of Christ which they have set up And it hath been as the Image of Moloch that hath devoured and consumed the Children of the Church whose cryes when their cruel step-mother pittied them not and when their pretended Ghostly Fathers cast them into the flames came up unto the ears of the Lord of Hosts and their blood still cries for vengeance on this idolatrous generation Yet is this pretence of the Catholick Church pressed in the minds of many with so many Sophistical Artifices through the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive proposed with the allurements of so many secular advantages and imposed oftimes on Christians with so much force and cruelty that nothing can secure us from the Admission of it unto the utter overthrow of Religion but the means before insisted on A spiritual light is necessary hereunto to discern the internal spiritual beauty and glory of the true Catholick Church of Christ Where this is in its power all the paintings and dresses of their deformed Image will fall off from it and its abominable filth will be made to appear And this will be accompanied with an effectual experience of the glory and excellency of that grace in the souls of those that believe derived from Christ the sole head of this Church whereby they are changed from Glory to Glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The Power Life and sweetness hereof will give satisfaction unto their souls to the contempt of the pretended order of dependance on the Pope as an head By these means the true Catholick Church which is the body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all growing
persons and hardly known to the wisest physitians The Spleen is most commonly accused and often guilty and the Stomack Pancreas Mesentery Omentum Liver yea and Reigns not rarely are the root sometimes by obstructing humors and that of several qualities and sometimes by Stones and sometimes by various sorts of humours and sometime by Vesicles But obstructed if not tumified Spleens are most suspected Such a black distinct humour called Melancholly which hath of old been accused is rarely if ever found in any unless you will call either blood or excrementitious humours by that name which are grown black by mortification for want of motion and spirits But the blood it self may be called Melancholly Blood when it hath contracted that distemper and pravity by feculency sluggishness or adustion which disposeth it to the Melancholly effects But sometimes persons that are sound are suddenly cast into Melancholly by a fright or by the death of a friend or by some great loss or cross or some sad Tydings even in an hour which shews that it cometh not always from any humour called Melancholly nor for any foregoing Disease at all But the very act of the mind doth suddenly disorder the passions and perturbe the Spirits and the Disturbed Spirits in time vitiate the blood which containeth them and the vitiated blood doth in time vitiate the Viscera and parts which it passeth through and so the disease begining in the Senses and Soul doth draw first the Spirits and then the humors and then the parts into the Fellowship and Soul and Body are sick together And it is of great use to the Physitian to know where the Depravation did begin whether in the mind or in the body and if in the body whether in the blood or in the Viscera for the cure must be fitted accordingly And yet the Melancholly Brains may be eased and the mental depravation much kept under though an obstructed yea a scarrhifyed Spleen continue uncured many years And though the Disease begin in the mind and Spirits and tâ—â—â—ody be yet sound yet Physick even Purging often cureth it â—â—ough the Patient say that Physick cannot cure Souls For the Soul and Body are â—onderfully copartners in their diseases and câ—re and if we know not how it doth it yet when experience teâ—â—eth us that it doth it we have reason to use such means I. Right usage and diet are a great part of the Cure Of the first I spake before The Patient must be pleased delighted dealt with as capable kept from solitude and from musing and from sad and troubling words and things and their objections wisely answered and their judgments in Religion kept from troubling mistakes by right information especially they must be kept in diverting business and if it could be hard labour even to good transpiration and sweat to actuate contemperate and purifie the blood and excite the igneous spirits which are the instruments of the motion and purification of the blood and of life it self it would greatly help the Cure especially such exercise twice a day before Dinner and Supper an hour or two together discipate and concoct indigested matter excit natural heat and expels excrements As to Diet it must as Physick be fitted to the case of the body The Disease is sometimes in dry bodies and sometime in those that are moist and fat It is sometime in overheated blood and sometime in that which is overcold and sluggish And these must have quite different cures You may thus perceive the differences in the main One sort of Melancholly Persons are only sad misgiving fearful of troubled thoughts despairing as undone and solitary musing and cannot be satisfied and comforted much silent and dull to action and will hardly stir rather over cold than hot troubled with wind and ill digeâ—â—ion But there is another sort that have overheated blood that are fierce talkative bold boasting laughing that have seeming visions and raptures unruly confident and these must have another manner of remedy and are almost mad already And those that have dry lean bodies must have a moister dyet and medicine than the cold moist and fat I. For the most part all of them are meerly melancholly and not overheated near to madness should eat but sparingly so as may not spoil digestion though some of them have a greedy Appetite they should forbear Cheese and Beef and Swines Flesh and raw Fruits and for other things not be over curious in the quality But those that have hot and dry bodies should avoid fasting and eat as much as they can well digest but not more and should eat boyled Burrage and Lettice and Stew'd Prunes Stew'd or Rosted Apples half an hour before meat and raw Apples if experience of windiness or Rheum forbid it nor II. And for Physick though the overheated talkative confident sort be neer to Bedlam I shall briefly offer a little for prevention if there be hope 1. Be sure that they taste no Brandy or hot waters unless you would have them presently stark Mad no nor any hot Wines strong Liquors or aromatick things such as Ginger Pepper Cloves or any of the like nor Mustard Horse-Radish Garlike Onyons or any biting thing 2. Let them purge much with Sena in Whey Take three Gallons of clarified whey put in it two handful of Balm and as much fumitory if the time of years serve and as much Borage boil it to two Gallons and put it into a stean Pot of earth that hath a Spigot at the bottom or a small barrel and put into it in a thin Canvass Bag two ounces of Sena an ounce of Epithyme an ounce of bruised Anniseed and an handful of ground Ivie called Ale-hoof bruised and two gads of Steel to sink it when it hath stood two days or less drink a Pint every morning in bed and lie an hour after it and if it give not three stools drink near a pint more at five a Clock continue this three weeks at least every day having another vessel ready when the first is done Or else boyl all the same herbs in three points of Whey to half the quantity strein it and put in it three drams of Senna and a dram of bruised Anniseed let it stand cold an hour and half and after warm on gentle Embres one hour drink it the next morning and so on for three weeks 3. Boyl six sliced Pippens or Permains in three pints of Whey to a quart strein it and drink a pint every morning in bed and if you can sleep an hour after it and the other pint at night instead of other Breakfast or Supper Do this many weeks when you take not the purging Whey And if you drink the like instead of beer at Dinner to a hot dry body it is best 4. But it is the ordinary colder sad despairing Melancholly that I intend in these Prescripts And for such use these following means 1. If it be in the heat of Summer and they be not very cold the
day you cannot indeed expect in this world but that 't is possible that your darkness may be much more dispell'd and 't is your fault if it be not So far as darkness remains the Prince of darkness has Power the world has an advantage and there is danger of being reduced to the works of darkness The want of greater light is the cause of doubts and fears disconsolateness and confusion How little do you know of Christ in comparison of what you ought or might Are you got beyond the surface of Gospel Mysteries how far from searching into the heart of them and discerning the depths of wisdom the â—eigâ—th of love in them Hence it is that your admiration and affection are no greater You are engaged in a warfare 't is dangerous fighting in the dark especially with an enemy that fights best there You are travelling in a very narrow way the less of light is in you you will find it the more difficult to keep this way For shame be not Babes in knowledge but in understanding be ye men 1 Cor. 14 20. Let it very much humble you to consider the small progress you have made in knowledge notwithstanding the great advantages you have had of improvement 2. Compare all other Knowledge and this Knowledge of Christ together and see the vast difference in point of excellency and this will stir you up to grow therein The Philosophers of old how restless were their minds how endless their inquiries the farther they went the more they were puz'led and after long study they came to understand that they fully understood nothing That Wise King of Israel after he had diligently employed his large understanding about humane knowledge he cryes out as a man exceedingly vexed and disappointed Eccles 1 18. In much Wisdom there is much grief and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow But the knowledge of Christ is of another nature He that rightly understands the Lord Jesus understands how to have his guilt removed his heart renewed his conscience calmed his Soul secured and that for ever This knowledge is not a vexation but a satisfaction to the Spirit both because of its certainty and because of the superabundant grace and fulness in Christ who is known Here it may truly be said Intellectus est in quiete the better Christ is understood the more the Soul that understands him is at rest 3. You must not lean to your own parts and understandings Men of the greatest natural capacities have been men of the greatest mistakes and the foolest errours and herein they have embraced for the truths of Christ and the reason is because their hearts being proud God thwarted them and their pride blinded them In your ordinary secular affairs 't is not safe to confide in your own wisdom but even here you are to acknowledge God Certainly then when searching into the Mysteries of the Gospel you must be sensible that the sharpest understanding has need of illumination from above You must indeed be fools that you may be wise 1 Cor. 3 18. A sight of your folly and weakness must make and keep you very humble Such the Lord has promised to guide in judgeâ—â—nt and to teach his way Psal 25 9. 4. Heedfully attend to the word of the truth of the Gospel this is the great means to infose and to increase the knowledge of Christ 'T is called the word of Christ Col. 3 16. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom Because Christ is the Author of it and the principal subject therein treated of The Gospel informs you of his Natures divine and humane of his Offices Prophetital Priestly Kingly of his benefits justification adoption regeneration strong consolation and such like Conarer in animos summâ vi inserere infigere infulcire amorem amorem autem imo vero ardorem potius literarum verè Sacrarum Conarer ad legendum illas extimulare ad perscrutandum animare ad medirandum nocturrâ versandum manu versandum diurnâ ad insenescendum aâ— immoriendum denique quanta maximâ possem vâ—â—â—mentiâ inflammare Mart. Dorpiuâ— De laud. Pauli p. 6. The Gospel informs you what he did what he suffered and how he eyed his Churches good in both It informs you where Christ is gloriously present in the highest Heavens where he is graciously present he walks in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks and accompanies his own institutions with a mighty and gracious efficacy Oh study this Gospel more take it in at your eyes by reading it at your ears by hearing it nay receive it into your very hearts the Gospel is that which brings you to the knowledge of Christ and so makes you wâ—fe unto Salvation 5. Look unto Jesus himself for in him are had all treasuries of Wisdom and Knowledge Col. 2 3. The Sun is seen by its own light the knowledge of Christ is derived from himself He is the greatest and best of Prophets who teacheth like him He not only reveals the things of peace but also gives the power of spiritual discerning 't is from Him that we have the Ey-salve to make us see Prov. 3 18 and the more of this Ey-salve we see the clearer What kind of Master would that be that were well skilled in all sorts of learning and were able also to give parts and capacities to all his Scholars that they might be all excellent Christ is such a Master as can give subtlâ—â—y to the simple and reveal those things to babes which are above the wise and prudent of the world 'T is said of Jesus that He opened the Disciples understandings thâ—t they might understand the Scriptures Luk. 24.45 There was good reason why the Apostle should wish that the Lord Jesus might be with Timothy's Spirit 2 Tim. 4 22. that he might be better instructed and that he might be a better instructer 6. Cry for more Knowledge and eye the promise of the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation The Psalmist who was wiser then his enemies that understood more then his teachers that had greater understanding then the Ancients Psal 119 98 99 100 how often and how earnestly does he cry to be taught of God v. 33 34. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it to the end give me undâ—rstanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart He that has the greatest measure of knowledge has reason to beg for more And â—hat which is an encouragement to prayer is the readiness of the Father of lights to give Wisdom liberally without upbraiding and likewise the promise he has made of his Spirit who is styled by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of wisdom and revelation Eph. 1 17. The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God these are the truths of Christ in the Gospel and the Spirit reveals them which also could more have entred into the heart of men 1 Cor. 2
because he cannot be at once in all parts of his Dominions but God is omnipresent filling Heaven and Earth If thou goest up to Heaven he is there if thou make thy Bed in Hell behold he is there if thou dwellest in the uttermost parts of the Sea there shall his Hand lead thee and his right Hand shall guide thee All things are within his reach wheresoever any thing is doing or to be done there God is who is present in every place and with every person He stands at our right hands and so may well guide them so to do will cost him no travel nor trouble In him we live and move and have our being not at a distance from him not out of him but in him 2. God can easily Govern the world because of his almighty Power he is stronger than all his Word is enough to accomplish all his will The wisest of men are foolish creatures and the strongest are weak Kingdoms and Nations have frequently proved ungovernable to potent Princes Such breaches have been made as they could not heale and such tempests have risen as they could not lay Nay that man is not found in the world who hath Power sufficient to Govern himself How often doth his will rebel against his reason Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor His judgement sees and votes for that which is good but his will chooseth what is worse his sensual appetite longs for it and that must be gratified whatever the cost be We sometimes see that wise men gracious and holy men cannot curb their own passions but they take heâ—d and hurry them into great and uncomely extravagancies But now God is of infinite Power as he hath an arm long enough to reach so strong enough to rule all things He binds the Sea with a girdle and stayes its proud waves saying hither shall ye go and no further He makes the wrath of man to praise him though it be more boisterous than the Sea and the remainder thereof he shall restrain Job hath sundry passages to this purpose worthy of our remark Job 26. take some of them thus He hangeth the world upon nothing He hath compassed the waters with bounds He divideth the Sea with his Power the Pillars of Heaven tremble and are astonished at his reproof And then he closeth thus in verse 14. Lo these are part of his ways but how little a portion is heard of him and the Thunder of his Power who can understand The Power of his Thunder is great which discovered the forrest and makes the hinds to calve what then is the Thunder of his Power when God doth but whisper a rebuke into the eare of a man that maketh his beauty to consume like a moth what then can he do nay what can he nor do when he thunders from Heaven In short his Power is irresistible and his will in all things efficacious He can master all difficulties and conquer all enemies and overcome all opposition when he hath a mind to work who shall let him he askes no leave he needs no help he knows no impediment Mountains in his way become plaines his counsel shall stand and the thoughts of his heart to all generations 3. Thirdly God is fit to Govern the world upon the account of his wisdom and knowledg His eyes run too and fro through the Earth He observes all the motions and wayes of men He understands what hath been is and shall be Hell is naked before him how much more Earth His eye is upon the conclave of Rome the Cabals of Princes and the closets of particular Persons Excellently doth David set forth the divine Omniscience Psal 139. Thou knowest my down-sitting and my up-rising and understandest my thoughts afar off Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my ways there is not a word in my tongue but O Lord thou knowest it altogether thou hast beset me behind and before He knows not only what is done by man but also what is in man all his goodness and all his wickedness all his contrivances purposes and designs The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it do you ask who the answer is ready Jehovah He searcheth the heart he tryeth and possessâ—th the reins Those are dark places far removed from the eyes of all the world but Gods eyes are like a flame of fire they carry their own light with them and discover those recesses run thorow all the Labyrinths of the heart they looke into each nooke and corner of it and see what lurks there what is doing there O! what manner of Persons should we be with what diligence should we keep our hearts since God observes them with so much exactness Men may take a view of the practices of others but God sees their principles and to what they do incline them Yea He knows how to order and command the heart not only how to affright it with terrours and to allure it with kindnesses and perswade it with arguments but likewise how to change and alter and mend it by his Power He cannot only debilitate and enfeeble it when set upon evil but also how confirm and fix and fortifie it when carried out to that which is good The hearts of Kings are in the hands of the Lord and he turned them as the Rivers of Water 4. Fourthly God is fit to Govern the world upon the score of his long-suffering and forbearance Those that have the reins of Government put into their hands had need be Persons of excellent and cool Spirits for if they have a great deal of Power and but a small stock of patience they will soon put all into a flame That man who hath but a little Family to mannage will in that meet with trials and exercises enough How much more he that is set over a Kingdom and unspeakably more yet he that is to Govern the world especially considering the present State of the degenerate world and how things have been ever since Sin made an entry into it The whole world now lyeth in wickedness there is not a man in it but doth every day offer a thousand affronts to God and provokes him to his face Angelical patience would soon tire and be spent and turn into such fury as would quickly reduce all into a Chaos There is not an Angel in Heaven but if there were a commission given him he would do immediate execution and sheath the Sword of vengeance in the bowels of malefactors But now to his glory be it spoken God is infinite in patience slow to anger and of great kindness Though he be disobeyed abused grieved vexed pressed with the sins of men even as a cart is pressed that is laden with sheaves yet he spares and bears and waites How loath is he to stir up all his wrath and to pour out the Vials thereof He counts that his strange work when he goeth about it his bowels do
you sober and in patience possess your souls Oh that when it may be said here is the cursed hellish rage and Bedlam frantick Fury of Atheists and Papists it may also be said here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints When there are those that make it their design and business to destroy and confound all things do you rejoyce in this That God Governs all wisely powerfully graciously so that those things which have the most frightful aspect the most amazing passages which we hear of or meet with are the Products of an Eternal Counsel and shall at last it may be ere long issue in an happy close however affairs go now God hath bid us say to the Righteous it shall be well with him Do you evidence the powerful and comfortable influence that Gods Government hath upon your Spirits by these three things 1. First by the k eping up your spirits yet have need of Patience ye may find a little will not serve your turn lay up therefore good store of it and then fetch out of that store and let patience have its perfect work but withal cast not away your confidence for it hath great recompence of reward We will not fear such the Church though the Earth be removed and the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea let the wicked fear where no fear is but let the Saints be fearless in the midst of fears Why are ye fearful said Christ to his Disciples when the Ship was almost covered with Waves He sets men above God in his thoughts whose fear of man prevails against his faith in God that man either is altogether forgetful of God or his thoughts of him are low and unbecoming for certain he doth not sanctifie the Lord of Host in his heart let your faith be preserved in vigour and exercise What though the Beast have seven Heads and ten Horns great subtilty and no less power yet the Lamb shall overcome 2. Evidence it by your perseverance in Godliness hold on your way make not use of any sinful means neglect not any part of your duty to secure your selves and avoid danger do not offend God be not beholden to the Devil for your liberty and peace what though there be Lions in the way go on and proceed boldly so long as it is the way of God you may live by faith while you walk by rule you may walk believingly and cheerfully while you walk regularly the wound that a man gets by sin will put him to far greater smart and pain that all his sufferings for God and godliness would have done He than purchases the favour of men with the frowns of Conscience will find he hath made a very hard bargain every step from God is a step to ruin if any man draw back Gods soul will have no pleasure in him whereas he that walks uprightly walketh safely 3. Make it to appear by the Raisedness of your expectations so the Church did in her low condition Micah c. 7. v. 8. Rejoyce not against me O mine Enemy though I fall I shall rise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me at midnight she looked for the dawning of a glorious day and so do you that is a very sweet place which you have in the 2d Joel of 20 21. where the Prophet speaking of the Northern Army saith his stink shall come up and ill savour shall come up because he hath done great things and then he adds fâ—â—â— not O Lord 〈…〉 rejoyce for the Lord will 〈◊〉 great things and so we may say â—t 〈◊〉 day God will do great things such as shall out do all that his â—n â—â—â—les have done Gods last works in the world will be his greatest works and by them he will get himself a glorious name and I hope he will speed it he that shall come will come and will not tarry therefore incourage your selves in the Lord your God do your duty and quietly wait for your expectation shall not be cut off Quest What are the hindrances and helps to a good Memory in Spiritual things SERMON XIV I. COR. XV. II By which also ye are saved if ye keep in Memory what I Preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain THere is no Complaint more common among Religious Persons than the weakness of their Memories thinking perhaps that defect doth imply least guilt or it may be mistaking their carelesness for forgetfulness or else there is really some special frailty in that faculty to heal which is the design of this Discourse For the Occasion and coherence of these words in the Text it is evident that the Apostle Paul in the Verse foregoing begins to recite and prove the Doctrine of the Resurrection from the Dead which he doth there declare to be a great point of that Gospel which he had preached unto them which also they had received and wherein they did stand And then he adds here By which Gospel also ye are saved if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you unless ye have believed in vain In which words we have a Discovery 1. Of mens utmost happiness viz. Salvation ye are saved that is not only rescued out of your Pagan State nor only that ye stand fair for salvation but ye are saved already For Heaven doth really begin upon Earth and every true Saint is at present a Citizen of the Heavenly Jerusalem 2. Of the only means for the Attaining of it viz. the Gospel by which ye are saved For that reveals the Object That directs lost Man which way to arrive at it That assures us that a passage is open'd into Heaven That incourages and inclines us seriously to endeavour after it 3. Of the special Grace necessary in respect of this Gospel viz. believing unless ye believe c. for hereby we credit what is revealed we imbrace what is offered and we rely on what is promised without which acts of Faith the Gospel signifies nothing to us And Hearing by which Faith comes is included in it for so the Apostle joyns them vers 14. then is our Preaching vain and your Faith is also vain 4. Of the particular Faculty that is requisite for this end viz. the Memory if ye keep in memory what I have preached unto you For though the main thing hereby intended be to keep in the heart a constant and effectual belief of the Gospel and particularly of this Article of the Resurrection yet to keep in memory the Form of sound Words is also necessary in order thereunto and therefore it is said in the TEXT that ye retain with what WORDS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quibusdam verbis Tremel Quâ— sermone Bez. Arab. Qua ratione Syr. Vulg. or REASONS I preached unto you 5. The Relation or Influence which this last of keeping in memory hath upon all the rest And this exprest 1. By way of Condition in the beginning of the Verse ye are saved if ye keep in
Mat. 12.35 The good man out of the good Treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things And you may commonly know what treasure is within by what is brought out As if you go among vain or wordly men their foolish carnal and worldly discourse plainly shews what Treasure they have within So the wise religious and godly communication that good men entertain you with doth evidence what is laid up in their memories as he that hath nothing but farthings in his Pocket can produce nothing from them but Brass but he that hath all Guineys there brings forth Gold 5. By fitting things laid up in memory for use and practice which is plainly the work of God by his Grace For a notional memory is of little use without a practical As Treasure in a Chest is no way so useful though there be much of it as a penny in the Purse when there is occasion for it The Fringes that were appointed to the Children of Israel Numb 15.39 40. Were to this end that ye may look upon it and remember all the Commandments of the Lord and do them And that everlasting Mercy of God is promised Psal 103.18 To those that remember his Commandments to do them And certainly they why commit things to their memories on this design to practice them shall be able to remember them when they have need of them in the course of their practice And thus the Memory is by sanctifying grace restored which is the fourth Point V. I come in the fifth placâ— â—o shew the Ordinary Impediments of a good memory or the Causes of a bad one which as ever you desire better memories you must beware and seriously strive against And they are these 1. A weak or dark Vnderstanding Such indeed may have a great sensitive memory as we see in Children yea in some brute Creatures but a sound rational memory they cannot have for except a thing be clearly known it can never be clearly remembred If reason be weak and the mind be poor what can the memory be stored with but from the senses And you shall observe that your ignorant people commonly have the worst memories especially of spiritual matters Mat. 13 19. When any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sowr in his heart Words will be remembred to little purpose when things are not understood And therefore labour for more knowledg and a clearer understanding Beg it of God and according to your capacities use all means to increase it 2. A Carnal careless Heart that is mindless of good things for those things which we little heed we never remember Vt impressio fortior ita memoria tenacior Holdsw Lect. p. 231. According to the impression on the heart is the Retention in the memory Such an heart as this can retain abundance of a Play or a Song but of a Chapter or Sermon next to nothing for every thing keeps what is connatural to its self Nay a good mans memory in a remiss negligent frame quite differs from what it was in a religious frame and some Scriptures which were utterly insignificant to him at one time read and heard and forgotten have bin quite new to him at another when his heart hath bin rightly disposed As you know wax when it is hard receives no impression while it is so but soften the same wax and then it receives it and nothing can be retain'd in the memory if it be not first reâ—eived by the memory And therefore many of you that complain of your bad memories have more reason to lament your old dead and hard hearts and to be restless till they be renewed 3. A Darling Sin Any bosom Sin as it fills and imploys every faculty so it debauches monopolizes and disorders them all Grace though it rule every Family yet ruffles none it composes the mind and imploys the memory in a rational manner It rules like a just King orderly but the serving of any lust breeds a civil war between one faculty and another and that distracts the whole Soul whereby every power thereof is weakned And particularly the memory being prest to serve the stronger side is so stuffed with the concerns of that tyrant lust that it cannot intend any spiritual matter And therefore whatever right eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee Mat. 5 29. or else thy memory will never be â—ured A Table-book that is written and blotted all over must be wip'd before you can write any new matter upon it and so must the lines of thy darling Sin be effaced by real mortification before any good things will abide legible in thy memory 4. Excess of â—oâ—ldly cares is destructâ—â—â— to the memory Our Saviour hath plainly told us that no man can serve God and Mammon The memory is but finite though capacious and a superabundance of wordly thoughts within must needs shoulder out better things that should be thâ—re Especially these thoughts being more natural to our depraved hearts and arising from sensible things will so stuff the memory that there is no room for spiritual matters Hereupon we find that young persons that have few wordly cares have better memories than others Qui magis reminiscirentur quam pueruli ut recentiores animae ut nondum immersae domesticis publicis curis Tertull. de Anima cap. 24. as some of the Ancients observe More especially when such cares and thoughts crowd in just after we have been Reading or Hearing Gods Word Mat. 13 22. He also that received seed among thorns is hâ— that heareth the Word and the care of this world and the â—eceitfulness of riches choke the Word and he becometh unfruitful And therefore if you would heal your memories moderate your eares considering that immoderate care or labour is justly blessed or cursed of God so that it doth no man any real good you would not overload a Beast why will you overload your own Spirits particularly be sure that if possibly you can you settle and digest your spiritual matters in your mind after Reading and Hearing before they be disordered and confounded with worldly cares 5. Surfeiting and Drunkenness are great enemies to the Memory These do each of them infallibly disorder the brain and disable it from its functions Excess of meat doth this more insensibly but yet really a full belly seldom hath a clear head but that of drink is most evident Prov. 31 4 5. It is not for Kings ô Lemuel it is not for Kings to drink Wine nor for Princes strong drink that is in excess lest they drink and forget the Law It s plain that a drunken man forgets what he said and did and too many sad instances are apparent of many that have drunk away not only their Estates their Health their Credit but their very Souls and bâ—â—ins and all and are grown very sotts for Hos 4 11. Whoredom and Wine and
as Seneca that could do the like and also repeat two hundred Verses beginning at the last if the same person cannot remember those directions and promises which conduce to his practice and comfort But now a Practical memory is a sanctified faculty wherein good things are received perhaps not so distinctly yet safely sweetly readily for use As an ill Husband may have more tools in his Shop but seldom working with them he scarce knows where to find them whereas a good Workman though he hath fewer yet he knows where to find them and how to work better with them So thy memory may serve thy turn if thou canst remember his Commandments to do them if thou canst remember the Antidote when in danger of the poyson the cordial when thy Spirits are fainting if thou canst then hear the voice behind thee saying This is the way when thou art ready to turn aside on the right hand or on the left A rich miser may have great sums in his Chests or in his Papers but in respect of use the poor Womans Leather purse by her side shall be readier Be not dismayed at thy shallow memory if thou canst remember what is necessary for thee in time of need Doubt 2. My misery saith a poor Soul is this That one thing puts out another when I am secure of one notion and grasping for another I lose them both Ans Memory may be said to be Present and Actual or Future and Potential Many things may slip out of a present and actual Memory that yet may stick in the memory potentially like things that are mislaid but not lost In this case Indeavours are construed by our heavenly Father for Attainments and all you grasp for is counted by him your own As a covetous oppressour that would devour every fair House or Estate he sees is guilty though he obtain them not So every blessed Truth thou reachest after shall be reckon'd thy own though some of them be stoln from thee But here the former direction hath place namely To send up an holy Ejaculation when you lock up any thing that God would secure it and produce it in due time Many things poor Christians have thought that they had quite forgot till the time of need came For example Christ had said Mat. 17 22 23. That the Son of Men should be betrayed kill'd and rise again the third day which at the present they understood not but in Luk. 24 8. it is said then that they remembred his words And so through Gods grace it will be with you Object 3. But saith another my Memory is quite gone I can remember just nothing I would I fain would but I cannot Ans Perhaps thy natural Family is decayed for so far as it is organical or sensitive it may decay even as your Eye-sight doth for as the natural Spirits abate so these decay and you may know that by your forgetting of other things As you forget Texts so you forget faces as you forget spiritual Doctrines so you do temporal business yet you ought to grieve for this because this Decay is the fruit of Sin not only of Original but very likely of thine Actual Sins either of thy intemperance or violent passions or excessive cares And as ye ought to mourn for it so for the same reason ye ought to prop it up to succour it and to improve it as well as you can and especially to practise what you do remember for there is many that complain they can remember little while others complain that these very people practise a great deal less But for you that make this unfained complaint you should not be quite discouraged Labour to remember at least the scope and drift of all and though much be lost yet your labour is not quite lost A sive or riddle in a pond of water seems to be top full but take it out of the pond it s presently emptyed true but yet it is washt hereby even so a poor Christian while he is Reading or Hearing feels himself full of heavenly notions but when he ceaseth finds his heart quite empty again O! but the heart is washt for all that and made more holy It s said of one Cassius Severus that when the Roman Senate doomed his Books to be burnt yes says he but you must next burn me too for I have them written in my mind Oh if the Book of our memory be much effaced yet if we can have the will of God written in our heart God will accept the soundness of our hearts and the sincerity of our indeavours though our memories be shattered VIII And so I come to the Eight and last thing which is some short Application of all First Magnify God for your Memories especially you that have good Memories be not proud of them but be very thankful I have somewhere read of Simon Tharvey a Cornish-man that would so boast of his skill in Philosophy and Divinity that he could on the sudden answer any problem that was proposed unto him And the Historian says that his parts and memory were so smitten that he could not repeat the Lords Prayer nor remember his ABC Alas a little crack spoils them O give God the glory of this Faculty and say fearfully and wonderfully am I made And if your Memories have some strength and faithfulness in them praise him the more for you have a great advantage beyond others you have a treasure which others want Many a poor Christian would be content to forget all his earthly concerns so that he could but remember the things of eternal life Be sure then that ye be truly thankful 2. Let all Gods Ministers that preach or that write labour to consult Peoples Memories and to that end observe some proper Method in their Books and Sermons Adjuvatur memoria Intellectu Ordine Curâ— Erasm A confused or cryptical method confounds the memory and a multitude of naked Heads over-presseth it but a clear connexion and a proper method greatly assists it The Holy Ghost himself hath in several places particularly stooped down to us herein in divers of the Psalms in one Chapter of the Proverbs in the whole Book of Lamentations he hath proceeded Alphabetically for the relief of the memory That matter manner and method surely should be used by us which is most proper not only to inform peoples understandings but to prevail with their wills to awaken their consciences and also which may best stick with them when they are parted from us for the work of conviction conversion and comfort are generally perfected by after-thoughts And therefore seeing Peoples Memories are so weak let us do what we can to relieve and help them 3. Labour to improve your Memories to have them cured and strengthned Content not your selves with such treacherous Memories satisfy not your selves with fruitless complaints of them but proceed to a vigorous indeavour to amend them Consider 1. This is Possible and this is proved by
experience Many have come by the help of God to remember more and better than they did before and why should not you increase the number of such proficients It is not fit for a Christian to despond in any such case but to be up and doing When a Ship leaks it is not presently cast away for says the Master this Vessel may yet do me Service you have leaking Memories I but being careen'd they may be much more serviceable than ever they were Obj. O but I shall never attain any Memory Ans I tell you despondency spoils all Indeavours neither do you sit thus down in other cases If your Body or Brain be weak you will try experiments you 'l go to one Physitian after another as long as you have a penny left be not then more careless of your noblest parts The cure is possible at least in some good measure 2. It is Reasonable that your Memories which have bin sinks of Sin should become Helps to Heaven All our faculties are given us for this end and is it not highly reasonable that they should be so applyed It is apparent that our Memories have bin grievously perverted and therefore as we have yielded our members Servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so we should yield our members Servants to righteousness unto holiness Rom. 6 19. Seeing God hath given us a noble faculty should we neglect or abuse it can others remember the world and their lusts and shall not we remember the holy things that refer to a better world nay can we remember a thousand unprofitable hurtful and sinful matters and not those things that do most nearly and highly concern us It is intolerable 3. This is Necessary It is an unquestionable Duty That fundamental Law propounded in the Old Testament Deut. 6 5. and confirmed in the New Matt. 22 37. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy Soul and with all thy mind doth oblige us to strain every faculty to the utmost in Gods behalf One end also of Christs coming into the world was to repair our depraved faculties and shall we suffer him to dye in vain The Text I am upon shews how necessary it is as a means of Faith and Salvation We find by experience that this faculty is miserably corrupted and therefore it is undoubtedly necessary that it be renewed Obj. We can do but what we can let it be never so necessary Ans And I pray how far have your indeavours travelled in this business have you carefully used the fore-mention'd means and continued in the use of them no no your impotency is wilful you cannot because ye mind it not or else certainly if inherent grace were weak assistent grace would be ready at your service 4. A good Memory is very helpful and useful It is not a vain thing that is thus prest upon you For 1. It is a great means of Knowledg For what signifies your Reading or Hearing if you remember nothing It is not eating or drinking but digesting your food that keeps you alive and so it is in this case Prov. 4 20 21. My son not only attend unto my words incline thine ear unto my sayings but keep them in the midst of thy heart Then are they life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh 2. It is a means of Faith as is plain in my Text unless ye have believed in vain For though Faith doth rest purely on the Word of God yet when the Word and works of God are forgotten Faith will stagger Hence our Saviour saith Matt. 16 9. O ye of little Faith do not ye understand neither Remember the five Loaves of the five thousand c. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit whereby Satan is foiled but if this Sword be out of the way by reason of Forgetfulness how shall we conflict with this Enemy 3. It is a means of Comfort If a poor Christian in distress could remember Gods promises they would inspire him with new life but when they are forgotten his Spirits sink Our way to Heaven lyes over Hills and Vales when we are on the Hill we think we shall never be in our dumps again and so when we are in the Valley we fear we shall never have comfort again But now a faithful Memory is a great help Psal 77 10 11. But I said This is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right Hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old So also Psal 119 52. I remembred thy Judgments of old O Lord and have comforted my self 4. It is a means of Thankfulness We are all wanting in this Duty of Thankfulness and one cause thereof is forgetfulness of the mercies of God Hence ungrateful men are said to have bad memories What abundant matter of thanksgiving would a sanctified Memory suggest to every Christian Hence holy David calls upon himself Psal 103 2. Bless the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits By which forgetfulness and such other means it comes to pass that Praise and Thanksgiving hath so little which should have so much room in our daily devotions 5. It is a means of Hope For experience works Hope and the Memory is the Storehouse of experience therein we lay up all the instances of Gods goodness to us heretofore Lament 3 21. This I recal to mind therefore have I hope Hence they who do not trust in God are said in Scripture phrase to forget him And one reason of mens impatience and dejectedness in trouble is assign'd by the Apostle Heb. 12 5. And ye have forgotten the Exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto Children My Son despise not thou the chastening of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him 6. It is a means of Repentance For how can we repent or mourn for what we have quite forgotten As therefore there is a culpable remembrance of Sin when we remember it in kindness so there is a laudable remembrance of Sin when we remember it with displeasure Ezek. 16 63. That thou mayst remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth more But alas we write our Sins in the Sand and foolishly imagine that the eternal God forgets them just as soon as we though in such cases he hath said and sworn Amos 8 7. Surely I will never forget any of their works 7. It is a means of Vsefulness No man should nor indeed can be singly religious when one spark of grace is truly kindled in the heart it will quickly indeavour to heat others also so for counsel we are born we are new born to be helpful unto others Herein a good Memory is exceeding useful out of which as out of a Storehouse a wise Christian may bring forth matters both new and old Such may say Psal 44.1 Psal 48.8 We have heard with our Ears and
a of a wound in his Spirit or a sting in his Conscience whereby he was prest down as it were to Hell as before he was caught up to Heaven Others understand it of the reproaches and persecution of his enemies wicked men are likened unto thorns 〈◊〉 Scripture Others again understand it of some bodily distemper an acute tormenting pain such as Stone or Gout or the like Of this opinion are some Ancient and many modern writers Augustine freely confesseth se nescire quid sit that he did not know what it was The Apostle himself tells us be it what it will that it was a Messenger of Satan he sent it though God gave it A godly man at the same time and by the same means may be both afflicted of God and buffeted of Satan God and Satan both though with a different design and to a different end may have a hand in the same affliction God intending the good and Satan the hurt of a Child of God What a gracious God do we serve who overrules Satan in all his devices against us so that he cannot have his ends upon us Thus I have briefly paraphras'd upon the words of my Text and set before you several useful noâ—es from them as they lay in my way The main observation which I shall insist and dilate upon is this Obs That one great design of God in all his dispensations to his People is to prevent and cure the pride of their hearts This you see was the thing God design'd in letting Satan loose to afflict and buffet the Apostle and therefore he gave him a thorn in his Flesh This was his design in leading the Children of Israel such a dance in the wilderness They might well have gone from Egypt to Canaan in less then 40 weeks yet there he made them to wander for the space of 40 years and why was it the Spirit of God tells us Deut. 8 2. that it was to humble them There are other reasons also assign'd but this was the first and greatest reason Elihu informs us Job 33 17. of Gods various dealings with the sons of men and of his various ends therein and amongst the rest this is none of the least to hide pride from man Two ways may God be said to hide pride from man 1. By pardoning it and so this very word is used in another place to note the gracious act of God in the pardoning the Sin of man Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven whose Sin is cover'd or hide 2. As God hides pride from man by pardoning it so also by preventing it to hide pride is all one with hindering it and in this sence it is here taken God is said to hide pride from man not by pardoning it when 't is acted but by hindering and keeping man from the acting of it I might shew you how God designed this in his creating man at first he made him of the dust of the earth and this might keep him humble even the sense of his Original God designed this in his way of redeeming man by his Son Jesus Christ we are thereby given to understand that we could no more have redeemed our selves then we could have Created our selves that we are as much beholden to a Redeemer for Salvation and Eternal life as to a Creator for our Natural life Yea God designs this in his way and method of saving man which is by his Grace and not by works of Righteousness which we do we must condemn our selves beforâ—â—e'l justifie us and renounce our own Righteousness if ever we will be made righteous and why is this but that pride should be excluded and that no Flesh might ever Glory or exalt it's self in his sight Yea farther I might let you see how this is Gods design in his more inferiour providence and dispensations This is his design in his exalting his people not that they might be made proud but more humble that they might think and say with David what are we Lord and what are our Fathers House that thou shouldst bring us hitherto This is his design in afflicting them therefore he brings them low that they might be more lowly minded affliction is the Physick by which he brings down that swelling which is in their Souls This is his design in deserting them therefore he hides his face that he may hide pride from his people he leaves them as he did Hezekiah that they might know what was in their hearts For this reason he leaves them to be reproacht and persecuted by men For this reason he leaves them to be tempted and buffeted by Satan For this reason he leaves them to be overcome or overtaken by Sin By their sins and falls they are made more watchful and more humble too Peter was too much opiniated of his own strength and love to Christ Lord says he tho all thy Disciples forsake thee I will not forsake thee but after his fall he was Crest fallen and more modestly conceited of himself Our Saviour said to him Simon son of Jonah lovest thou me more then these he answered Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee he speaks to the reality not to the degree of his love to Christ He had done now comparing with and preferring himself before the rest of the Disciples The main reason of the point is this because pride is a sin that is most hateful unto God he hates all sin but more especially this sin There are six things that God hates Prov. 6 16 17. yea there are seven that are an abomination to him and the first and chiefest of those is pride he hates a proud look but he hates more a proud heart Prov. 16 5. Every one that is proud is an abomination to the Lord not abominable only but an abomination in the Abstract James 4 6. 1 Pet. 5 5. twice it is said in the new Testament once in the Epistle of James and the second time in the first Epistle of Peter that God resisteth the proud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he fights and sets himself in battle array against them He opposeth them because they oppose him nay if it were in their power they would depose him too they would be God to themselves this is the Devillish nature of Pride that when as other sins are against Gods Laws this sin is against his Soveraignty and his being other sins are a turning from God this is a turning upon him Hence it is that God is said to behold the proud a far off as if he could not endure the sight of them Ps 119 21. Prov. 16 5. Isa 25 11 23.8.2.12 13. He hates the proud with his heart he curseth them with his mouth he punisheth them with his hand for proof of this peruse the Texts in the Margent I hasten to what I principally intend Is this so Doth God design in all his Dispensations to prevent and cure the pride of the hearts then let
degree you will let it alone and little trouble your selves about it This therefore is a Second thing that you must be convinced of and one would think there needed not much ado to bring you to this Conviction Pride indeed is such a hateful thing that few will own it the proudest persons would be accounted humble But if you look into your selves you will easily discover the manifest Symptoms and Indications of this evil disease run over the foregoing effects of Pride and then consider how many of them are found in your selves Effects do always imply and suppose their proper Causes Some bless themselves and say they thank God they are not proud because they do not follow Fashions and go brave in their Attire because they do not affect great Titles and high Places but would rather move in a lower sphere but let such know this Plague may be in their hearts though they have no such tokens of it in their faces Little do men think what a humble outside what contempt of honourable Places and Titles what meanness and plainness of Apparel in themselves what exclaiming and crying out against Pride in others yea what confessing and bemoaning of this sin to God will consist with the prevalency and predominancy of it in their own hearts You remember I distinguish'd in the beginning betwen fleshly and spiritual Pride and the latter is much the worser sort and more hateful to God he is a Spirit and as he likes best of spiritual worship so he hath the greatest dislike of spiritual Pride What matters it then that thou art not lifted up with aiery Titles with gay Apparel and the like so long as thou art puft up with things of a more spiritual Nature as with thy Gifts and Knowledge thy Priviledges and Enjoyments thy Graces and Duties Pride is a Worm that will breed in any of these The Apostle Paul was like to have been catch'd in this Snare by means of his being caught up into the third Heaven A Christian if he hath not a care may be proud of his very Humility it is hard starving this sin when as there is nothing almost but it can live upon But I remember I was too long in the first Direction therefore I must be the shorter in this and those that follow 3. Be much in the Meditation of Death and Judgment The serious Direct 3 and frequent meditation of Death will be a means to kill Pride Some to mortifie the Pride of their hearts have kept a Death's-Head or a dead mans skull always in their Chambers it is of more use to have the thoughts of Death always in their Minds What is man but a little living Clay and what is his Life but a Vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away Augustine doubted whether to call it mortalis vita vel vitalis mors a dying life or a living death One says of mans Life that it is a little warm Breath turn'd in and out at the Nostrils The Prophet Isaiah tells us that mans Breath is in his Nostrils and therefore in nothing is he to be accounted of And as for this reason man is not to be accounted of by others so neither by himself 't is but a little a very little while more and you must be gone hence and be seen no more your Breath goeth out and all your thoughts perish and you your selves will rot and perish and shall rotting and perishing things be proud things Shall man be lifted up with what he hath who shortly himself must not be I mean in this world Now you differ it may be from other men and are above them in riches and greatness in parts and priviledges but two Questions may clip your wings and keep you from soaring too high in your own conceits 1. Who made you to differ I suppose none of you will say as one once did that you made your selves to differ you 'll confess I hope that you have nothing but what you have received and so there is no room for pride or glorying therein If you excel in any gift or grace you must say of it as he of his Hatchet alas it is but borrowed 1. How long will there be this difference Death is at hand it stands at the door and that will level you with those that are lowest In the grave whither we are all hastning there is no differece of skulls there the rich and the poor the learned and the unlearned do all meet together the dead bones of men are not distinguish'd by the ornaments or abasures of this temporal Life As the meditation of Death will be a means to mortifie Pride so will also the meditation of Judgment The time will come when you must be accountable unto God for all you have and do enjoy all your mercies and enjoyments are but as so many Talents with which you are intrusted and for which you must give an account You are not owners but stewards of them and the time will come when you must give an account of your Stewardship So the Apostle Paul concludes Rom. 14.12 Every man must give an account of himself to God He must give an account of himself in his natural capacity as a man in his civil capacity as a great or rich man and in his spiritual capacity as a good or religious man he must give an account of all his Receipts of all his Expences what he hath received of God and how he hath laid it out for God A serious Reflection upon this one thing will have a double Effect 1. It will make you careful 2. It will keep you humble you will not easily over-reckon your selves for any thing when you consider the reckoning that you must make for all things Especially if this be added that the more you do receive the greater will be your Reckoning that is a sure word of our Saviours Luke 12.48 To whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required When God sows much he expects to reap much he requires not only an improvement of our Talents but a sutable and proportionable improvement of them that they should be doubled that two Talents should be be made four and five Talents ten 4. Consider the many and great imperfections of your Graces and Direct 4 Duties 1. Consider the imperfections of your Graces How much water is mingled with your wine and dross with your silver and honey-comb with your honey how much greater your ignorance is than your knowledge your unbelief than your faith how the love of the world is as much if not more than your love of God if you were perfect in Grace and Holiness then you would have no Pride at all how is it then that you are so proud and conceited when Grace is so imperfect when you are so short of what is attainable and of what others have attained should that man be proud who hath so little love to God and delight in him as thou hast
renders them comly in the sight of men yea and in the sight of God too As the Ornament of a meek and quiet spirit so the Ornament of an humble and lowly spirit is in his sight of great price Indeed all along this was the great Requisite in the People of God The main thing that he required of them was to do justly to love mercy and to walk humbly with and before him so the Prophet informs us Mic. 6.8 To do justly and to love Mercy that is the Sum of all Duty to man to walk humbly that is the Sum of all Duty to God 8. Set before your eyes the Examples of humble and lowly Persons Direct 8 Some are greatly influenc'd by Examples more than they are by Precepts 1. Look upon the most eminent Saints that ever were upon the earth and you will find they were most eminent for humility Jacob thinks himself less than the least of Gods Mercies David speaks of himself as a worm and no man Agur says that he was more brutish than any man The Apostle Paul says of himself 1 Tim. 5.15 Eph. 3.8 that he is the chiefest of sinners and less than the least of all Saints How does that great Saint and Apostle vilifie and nullifie himself Bradford that holy man and Martyr subscribes himself in one of his Epistles a very paintâ—d Hypocrite The Apostle Peter said unto our Saviour Depart from me Luke 5.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for I am a sinful man O Lord a man that is a great sinner Thus the heaviest ears of Corn do always hang downwards and so do those Boughs of Trees that are most laden with fruit 2. Look upon the Angels of God the elect Angels they excel in strength and so they do in humility likewise they readily condescend to minister unto the Children of men that are abundantly inferior to themselves they take charge of them and bear them up as it were in their arms Are they not all ministring Spirits says the Apostle to the Hebrews The Interrogation is an Affirmation The greatest Angels do not disdain to minister to the least Saints When they have appeared to men they have utterly rejected the reverence they would have shewn them and have openly declared themselves our fellow-servants that we and they have but one common Lord. 3. Look upon the Lord Jesus Christ himself he is the great instance of humility though he was in the form of God and thought it not robbery to be equal with God yet he was made in the likeness of men and took upon him the form of a Servant and made himself of no reputation or as the word signifies he emptied himself of all his Glory he sought his Fathers glory and not his own yea he humbled himself so as to become obedient unto Death even the death of the Cross The very Incarnation of Christ is condescention enough to pole both men and Angels what then was his Crucifixion When you feel any Self-exaltation then remember and reflect upon Christ's Humiliation and think how unsutable a humble Master and a proud Servant is a humble Christ and a proud Christian This alone through the Spirit 's assistance is sufficient to bring down the swelling of the Spirits Direct 9 9. Use all Gods dealings with you and dispensations towards you as so many Antidotes against this Sin You hear they are design'd by God I pray you let them all be improv'd by you for this very end and purpose Hath God shined into your hearts and given you the knowledge of his Glory in the face of his Son Jesus Christ says Judas not Iscariot How is it Lord that thou dost manifest thy self unto us and not unto the World Hath he quickned and saved you from Sin and Death Say then By Grace we are saved not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his Mercy he hath saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Is Grace and Life preserved and increased which was at first infused into your Souls give God the Glory Say Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name be the praise Yea let all Gods outward Dispensations have this operation upon you Let Mercies humble you if God gives you worldly wealth and honour and lifts you up above others in Estate or Esteem say as David Who are we Lord and as Jacob We are less than the least of thy Mercies Let Afflictions humble you if God lays his hand upon you then lay your mouths in the dust if he smites you upon your backs do you smite upon your own Thighs We are call'd upon in Scripture to humble our selves under the hand of God 2 Chro. 33.32 You read of Manasseh how when he was in affliction he humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers May your Afflictions have the like effect Direct 10 10. Be much in the Duty of Prayer Give thy self to it If Pride doth not hinder Prayer Prayer will subdue Pride and whilst thou art in this Duty make this one of thy chief Petitions that God would cure thee of this evil disease Some are ready to wonder why Prayer in all cases is one of our chief Directions and Prescriptions they may as well wonder why Bread in all Meals is one chief part of our Food Why Prayer is the principal thing that calls in God to our Assistance without whose help we shall never be able to master the Pride of our hearts This was the course the Apostle took when he was like to be exalted above measure he besought the Lord thrice that is often a definite Number for an indefinite he did not only pray that God would take the Thorn out of his Flesh but that he would also cure the Pride that was in his heart he knew if the Cause were taken away the Effect would cease Oh for this do you beseech the Lord again and again pray and that earnestly that God by his Spirit would help thee to mortifie the Pride of thy Spirit be humbled as Hezekiah was for the Pride of thy heart in times past and pray as Paul prayed that God would prevent and cure the Pride of thy heart for time to come Desire God to use what Preservatives and Medecines he pleaseth so that the Cure be effected Beg of God that he would help thee on with this Ornament and cloath thee with Humility he hath promised to give Grace to the humble do you pray that he would give you the Grace of Humility Quest Wherein is a middle worldly condition most eligible SERMON XVII PROV XXX VIII IX Remove far from me Vanity and Lies give me neither Poverty nor Riches feed me with food convenient for me Lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord or lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain MY Text presents you with a short yet very pithy Prayer of Agur concerning whom
be without the help of an Omnipotent Spirit which only is able to enlighten our Minds and turn our Hearts from the power of Satan unto God All which supposes the Third Person of the Trinity the Holy Ghost By this 't is very manifest that such is the frame of the Christian Religion such the great Fundamentals thereof that without the supposing the Truth of the Doctrine of the Trinity of Persons in the Godhead the Christian Religion is gone 't is lost And how to comprehend this Mâ—stery is impossible There is no contradiction in this Doctrine nothâ—ng in it contrary to our Reason for 't is not said that Three Gods are One but Three Persons are One One God But how to fathom the Mystery we are at a loss 't is certainly beyond Us. So much concerning the Nature and Persons of the Godhead 3. Those Doctrines that have regard unto the ACTS of God are also very profound and mysterious 1. There are the Immanent Acts of God which do not terminate on any Objects ad extra off from God such as Divine Knowledge and the Decree whether of Election or Reprobation 2. Transient Acts such as terminate on an Object off from God namely the Works of Creation and Providence In my discoursing about the Immanent Acts of God I might be very distinct in considering what is very much insisted on by the School-men with reference to the Knowledge of God and acquaint the Reader with the many Distinctions that are used by that sort of men but if I do so I shall exceed the Bounds allotted me I will therefore pass by the Doctrine of Praescience which whatever may be said of it by some has such difficulties in it as admit not of our Solution and make some search into these profound Doctrines about the Decrees of Election and Reprobation That God has decreed the Salvation of some particular Persons is evident enough to any that will deliberately consult the Word of God and that 't is the Vnchangeable Determination of God That such as die in their Sins shall be eternally damned is as manifest The Eternal Decree of Election is so clearly so fully and distinctly reveal'd in Scripture that few or none presume wholly to deny it and such is the known Nature of Election that 't is not easie to believe the Doctrine of Election but withal we must take in the other of Reprobation for Election is but of some and if but some are taken the other are left they are not chosen they are refused they are reprobated But how this Doctrine of Gods leaving or reprobating any from all Eternity is reconcileable to these other that concern the Glory of Divine Goodness and Righteousness is above us The Sublapsarians have done very much towards the clearing up of this by supposing all in their lapsed estate under the guilt and pollution of Sin and God from all Eternity concern'd for his own Glory to Elect some who by being interested in the Blood of Christ should through the sanctification of the Spirit obtain Salvation with eternal Glory but left others to themselves who continuing in Sin are determined to die Hereby the glorious Grace of God in the eternal purpose of Calling Justifying Sanctifying some and thereby preparing them for Heaven is excellently displayed and the purposing from Eternity to leave others to themselves in their Sins for which after much long-suffering they shall be eternally damned is no way inconsistent with that goodness that is so infinitely extended to the Vessels of Mercy but does most fully illustrate how just and righteous God is in condemning them for their Sins and Transgressions Besides 't is obvious enough that the Decrees are but internal Purposes which have no influence on the thing decreed Decreta nil ponunt in Esse Though there is a certainty of the Event yet neither the Sin nor Destruction of the Reprobate is an Effect of the Decree What is here said towards the clearing up the Difficulties that attend this Doctrine is very well urged by the Synod of Dort and 't is no more than what has great countenance from the Holy Scriptures which suppose all in a laps'd and fallen Estate and therefore represents the Elect as Chosen in Christ Ephes 1.4 and Predestinated unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ Elect according to the Fore-knowledge of God the Father through Sanctification of the Spirit c. 1 Pet. 1.2 All which Expressions seem to suppose the Elect in a fallen estate standing in need both of a Redeemer and Sanctifier even as the Reprobates are said Jude 4. to have been before of Old ordained unto Condemnation which Condemnation does presuppose a Judicial Procedure and the Sentence past against them for their Sin which sufficiently suggests that they were considered to have been in a sinful a fallen state Nevertheless it must be acknowledged That this does not remove the difficulty it only supposes it to be insuperable and therefore to be passed over in silence The great Difficulty is How the Absolute Decree of Reprobation is consistent either with the Goodness or Righteousness of God or those other Methods which are taken for the salvation of all men What of Goodness is there in destinating men to eternal Misery or what of Justice in purposing to punish them for ever without any regard to their Sin even before any evil done or how can the unalterable secret Decree for their damnation accord with the sincerity of God in the many Offers which are made of future Glory 'T is true supposing the consideration of their faln state as antecedent to the Decree 't is goodness enough that any are chosen out of the sinful Mass and it would have been a righteous thing for God to have proceeded against all to a Sentence of Condemnation and seeing Christ has died and thereby satisfied Justice and the Spirit strives and that common Grace which is sufficient to enable men to do more towards their Salvation than they do is offered them and that 't is their Sin which is the only proper cause of their denying due Subjection unto Christ these things seem to be cleared up only the greatest difficulty remains to wit How 't is supposeable that such who came pure out of the hand of God can be considered as fallen without some respect unto the anteceding Decree of God What! is their Fall on the supposition of which depends all the Discoveries of the glorious Perfections of God made unto us in the Scriptures a meer casual hit One would assoon think that this curious and beautiful Fabrick the World was owing only unto the casual concourse of Epicurean Atoms for its being so as that the Glory and Beauty the Wisdom and Harmony that shines forth most illustriously in the Christian Religion should be only the product of Casualty or Chance but if the Fall or Sin of man must be considered to be decreed by that God the Purity and Holiness of whose Nature is infinite
great Truth and if duely weighed will afford relief to such as are perplexed with the profoundness of some Doctrines c. For by this t is manifest That the Mysteriousness of the Doctrines the surprizing manner in which they are reveal'd the difficulties about the Hebrew Points and some Instances in Chronology the various Readings and the like they all serve as a spur to our Faith and a furtherance to our Salvation We have Arguments enough to convince us of the Truth of Scripture the certainty of a divine Providence and therefore we ought not to be unbelieving though we meet with some Difficulties that our Reason cannot overcome This should satisfy us that how great soever the difficulties may be how far soever they transcend our Understandings yet there is in 'em no Implication and if so they are in themselves reconcileable and although finite worms are not acquainted with the true Methods of Conciliation yet God who is Infinite in all perfections is These difficulties should not in the least stumble our Faith but rather engage us to be the more strong in believing 2. As by Faith we behold the Accomplishment of the Promises which are not comprehended by our Reason and can thorough the Mysteriousness of Doctrines and Providences see that they are of God so by Faith we are enabled to put our trust and Confidence in God even when under the darkest Dispensations Faith never appears so much in its lustre as when the greatest difficulties lie before it Then t is that the Believer puts his trust in the Power Wisdom Mercy and Faithfulness of God when under the obscurest Dispensations When there are some difficult Appearances in the Sacred Scriptures that relate to some Doctrines and when some Providences seem to be contrary to the discoveries that are made of God's Faithfulness c. then 't is that our Faith appears in its beauty for thereby we shew the just apprehensions we have of God's Power Wisdom Mercy and Faithfulness That God has promised to extend his Compassions to Believers that he will order all things to work together for their good is evident enough in Scripture but yet notwithstanding this all things seem to be against them they are afflicted and under sore temptations they lose their temporal Estates are deprived of their Liberty are sick weak and in great distress several thwarting Providences attend them all things are seemingly against them thus it was with good old Jacob he is bereaved of his Children Joseph is not Sâ—meon is not and Benjamin must be taken away All these things sayes he are against me Gen. 42.36 But yet this was the time for Jacob to exercise his Faith as he did in the following Chapter ver 14. q. d. The Lord Almighty be with you with him I leave you to him I commit my Concerns if I am bereaved I am bereaved i. e. the will of the Lord be done Thus it was with Job God had suffered the Tempter to break in upon him God himself seemed as if he was resolved he should die and yet then could Job say Though he slay me yet will I put my trust in him Job 13.15 So with Habakkuk chap. 13.17 18 19. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vines though the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat though the slocks shall be cut off the Fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet will I rejoyce in the Lord the Lord God is my strength he will make me to walk in mine high places Many other Instances might be given all which concur to evince That then is the time to put our trust in the Lord when we are in the dark and can see no light when there are in the Providences of God somewhat above us that we cannot reach unto then 't is that we are to look unto a Rock that is higher than our selves then are we called to put our trust in the Wisdom and Mercy and Faithfulness of him who hath promised to be with us to uphold and support us as said David At what time I am afraid I will trust in the Lord for though my Heart and my Flesh fail yet God will be the strength of my heart and my portion for ever On the other side when at the sight of the prosperity of the wicked the Believers feet were almost gone and his steps did well-nigh slip t is his Confidence in God that is then his stay The Providences of God in this Instance are remarkable for though God had said that the wicked shall not prosper nor live out half their days yet behold they live and their houses are safe from fear they prosper in the world they increase in riches How is this consistent with the threatning or how can the righteous see this and not be troubled Surely when they enter into the Sanctuary they see the End of all and are abundantly satisfied their Faith is hereby tried but yet they can say Good is God to Israel They begin to reason with God and will say Wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherously but still conclude that the Lord is righteous Jer. 12.1 Though Clouds and Darkness are round about him yet Righteousness and Judgment are the Habitation of his Throne For notwithstanding all the dark Dispensations the Godly do still put their trust in the Lord they stay themselves on his Wisdom Power Mercy and Faithfulness the doing which all should endeavour when under dark Dispensations 2. Hereby the Grace of Patience is to the Glory of God held up in a continued exercise Patience is not to be consider'd to consist meerly in an enduring the conflict of Temptations and Afflictions with a quiet calm and sedate temper of Spirit but also in a quiet waiting for and expectation of the accomplishment of some great and glorious Promises in looking and patiently waiting for the End when we shall see with much clearness what now lieth in the dark and out of our view But if we hope for what we see not then do we with Patience wait for it saith the Apostle Rom. 8.25 Now there seems to be some inconsistency between Doctrine and Doctrine between some Doctrines and Providences yea and between Providences and Providences but yet we must conclude That 't is not so and that the time will come when our Lord will not speak any more in Parables unto us when the Vail shall be done away and when we shall find every thing to answer the Truth and Holiness of God no inconsistency in any of the Doctrines and Providences but the exactest Agreement and most excellent Harmony every one Doctrine and Providence concurring to the illustration of each other all which shall be seen with great satisfaction when we shall depart hence and be with the Lord. Now we know but in part we see but through a Glass darkly but then we shall know as we are known and see Face
as the the troubled Sea Isa 57.20 which cannot rest it will be casting out the mire and dirt which before lay at the bottom Nullum vinditae genus tam in promptu habet quam hoc maledicendi Davenantius Prov. 25.28 The evil of the heart is usually vented first at the mouth but it will soon appear in the other Members When once the mouth is full of cursing and bitterness the feet will be swift to shed blood till destruction and misery be in mens ways Rom 3.14 15 16. He that will not be overcome of evil must take care to rule his own spirit He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like to a city broken down and without walls easily overcome Nothing can conduce more to the calming of our spirits when they begin to rise against such as are offensive to us Psal 103.10 Psal 130.3 2 Sam. 16.6 7 10. than to consider how obnoxious we have been and still are to the great God David's patience towards Shimei was admirable when he cast stones at him and cursed him still as he went No doubt the consideration of the sins whereby he had provoked God made him the more calm toward that vile wretch Use 3. Rest not in this That you are not overcome of evil but endeavour as much as you can to overcome evil with good Do not your Relations perform the duties of their place to you be you the more circumspect and diligent to perform the duty of yours to them Are Neighbours unkind to you let the law of kindness be in your mouth and acts of kindness in your hands to them Vis ut ameris â—na Do any hate you let your love work to overcome that hatred 1. Keep your hearts in a constant awe of God commanding you When they draw back as they will be apt to do think of God standing by you and saying Have not I commanded you If others make no great matter of sinning against God do you say as Nehemiah But so will not I because of the fear of God Neh. 5.15 This was it that kept Samuel to the duty of praying for a people that had dealt very unworthily by him As for me says he God forbid that I should sin against the Lord 1 Sam. 12.24 in ceasing to pray for you 2. Have much and often in your eye the great example of all goodness Christ whose name you bear He met with a great deal of evil from an unthankful World yet he went about doing good still Acts 10.38 How kind was he in word and deed to his greatest enemies to the very last When Judas came to betray him the worst word he gave him was Friend Mat. 26.50 Friend wherefore art thou come And when Peter in zeal for his Master's safety had drawn and cut off the ear of one of the Officers that came to take him he touched his ear and healed him Luke 22.51 Consider him therefore who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself Heb. 12.3 lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds If he whom you call Lord and Master did thus should not you do so much rather To further you in this work take these few Considerations 1. By doing thus you will shew your selves to be genuine Christians and truly spiritual Jam. 3.14 15. To render evil for evil is devilish good for good something humane but no more than Publicans used to do but to render good for evil that is Christian What do ye more than others Mat. 5.46 The fruit of the spirit is in all goodness Eph. 5.9 If then there be found in you such fruits of the Spirit as are mentioned Gal. 5.22 Love joy peate long-suffering gentleness goodness c. it will be a token that the good Spirit of Christ is in you 2. It will tend very much to amplifying of the Kingdom of Christ Haec illa virtus est qua primitiva ecclesia excelluit accrevit ferendo non resistendo ad hanc quia redditi sumus inhabiles res Christianismi in deterius ruunt in dies Aretius 2 Cor. 13.11 and the bettering of the World One great reason why Christianity hath made no greater progress in the world in latter times is because Christians have not been so much conversant in this duty as they were in the Primitive times The rendring evil for evil makes the World a doleful place an house a Bedlam for fury and disorder A City a Wilderness for rapine and confusion A Kingdom a Land that eateth up the Inhabitants thereof as was said of that Numb 13.32 But to render good for evil tends to make the World a peaceable habitation where God and Men may delight to dwell If this duty were more practised the Wolf would sooner dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard lie down with the Kid as is prophesied Isa 11.6 3. It 's a sign that God hath more blessings in store when he hath given a Man a heart to perform this duty His labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. Besides the eternal reward in Heaven God doth usually give a temporal reward on earth There is this encouragement given to afford bread to an hungry enemy That God will reward it Prov. 25.21 22. Saul was among the Prophets when he presaged good to David for not suffering him to be hurt when his Spear was taken from him while he lay sleeping 1 Sam. 26.25 Blessed be thou my son David thou shalt both do great things and also shall still prevail It hath been observed That such children as have been without cause discouraged by their parents so as not to have a like share in their favour nor a portion of their substance with the rest and yet have continued every way dutiful to them have been blest by God above the rest And such Servants as have had hard and froward Masters and yet have continued diligent and faithful in their Service have been wonderfully prospered when they have set up for themselves 4. This is the most glorious way of overcoming others It 's God's and Christ's way Hosea 11.4 I drew them with cords of a man with hands of love What glory would it be to a man that it should be said of him as Psal 9.6 Thou hast destroyed cities if he himself be in the mean time destroyed by his own lusts To be slow to anger is better than the mighty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato and he that ruleth his own spirit than he that taketh a city Prov. 16.32 5. Hereby you will keep a sweet serenity in your own spirits There is not only glory and honour but peace to every one that worketh good Rom. 2.11 How was David transported with joy when Abigail had been a means of keeping him from avenging himself with his own hand on Nabal and his house His mouth was full of blessings He blesseth the Lord God of Israel that sent her he blesseth her advice 1 Sam. 25.32 33.
ends and Natures occasions may be secured and answered to the full without these additionals Ornaments then are rather matter of indulgence than precept of permission than injunction 2. That plain simple Apparel as it is a real so 't is a sufficient Ornament to the body For if Nakedness be our shame Apparel that hides it is so far its beautifying and adorning When therefore we say God gave cloaths for an Ornament we do not say that he gave ornaments distinct from cloathing 3. That Ornaments are either Natural or Artificial Natural such as Nature has provided as the hair given by God and Nature to the woman 1 Cor. 11 1â— to be her glory and for her covering Artificial such as are the product of ingenuity and witty invention In which as God has been not illiberal so Man has been very prodigal Eccles 7.29 and not content with primitive simplicity has found out many inventions 4. It is evident that God allowed the Jews the use of Artificial Ornaments as distinct from necessary Apparel Exodus 32.2 Aaron said to the people Bring us of the golden ear-rings that are in the ears of your wives your sons and your daughters Ver. 25. And when Moses saw that the people were naked for Aaron had made them naked to their shame amongst their enemies That Moses stood c. It seems then that to be stript of their ear-rings was in some sense to be made naked to be exposed to shame in the sight of their enemies 5. That yet there was some difference between the Indulgence granted to the male Pisgah sight and that to the female sex And this Dr. Fuller observes from the order and placing of the words Wives Sons Daughters intimating that those Sons were in their minority under Covert-parent as he explains it and so much seems to be implyed Isa 61.10 where we find indeed the Bridegrooms Ornaments but onely the Brides Jewels as if the Masculine Sex was restrained to a more Manly and grave sort of Ornaments when as the Female was allowed a greater degree of finery and gallantry And when God permitted the Jewish Women to borrow of their Neighbours and Inmates Jewels of Silver and Jewels of Gold the use was limited to their Sons and Daughters Exod. 3.22 and grown men not considered which is also evideâ—â—ly inferr'd from Judg. 8.24 where the Army Conquered by Gideon are said to have worn golden ear-rings for they were Ishmaelites clearly implying That their Golden Ear-rings were an Ornament peculiar to the Ishmaelites and not common to the Israelites 6 That tho there might be something Typical or Symbolical in the Jewels wore by the Jewish Women as I conceive there was that yet the use of them was of common right to the Females of other Nations as indeed they were of ordinary use long before the Jewish Polity was setled Gen. 24.23 The man took an ear-ring of gold of half a shekel a quarter of an ounce and two bracelets for her hands Rebecca's of ten shekels five ounces 2 These things premised I lay down these Conclusions Conclusion 1. Whatever pretends to ornament which is inconsistent with Modesty Gravity and Sobriety and whatever is according to godliness is no Ornament but a Defilement Modesty teaches us not to expose those parts to view which no necessity no good end or use will justifie Humility teaches us to avoid curiosity in-decking a vile Body which ere long must be a feast for Worms Good husbandry will teach us not to lay out on the Back what should feed the Bellies of a poor Family And Holiness will teach us not to keep such a stir about the Outward when the Inward Man is Naked Charity will teach us not to expend superfluously on thy own Carkase when so many of thy Fathers Children want necessary Food and Raiment And Godly wisdom will teach us not to trifle out those precious Minutes between the Comb and the Glass Tertul. inter pectinum speculum between Curling and Painting which should be laid out on and for Eternity Let me recommend one place from the Apostle 1 Pet. 3.2 3 4. While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair and of wearing of gold or putting on of apparel but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price Whence these things offer themselves to your observation 1. That plaiting the hair wearing of gold or golden Ornaments are not simply and in themselves condemned but onely so far as they are either our Chiefest Ornament or as we are too Curious too Costly Excessive or Expensive in them for otherwise the putting on of Apparel which is joyn'd in the same thred and texture of the Discourse and Sentence would be condemned also 2. That the rule for Regulating these Ornamentals is That they be visibly consistent with a chaste conversation I say visibly consistent It must be such a chaste Conversation as may be beheld whilst they behold your chaste conversation That pure vestal fire of Chastity that burns upon the Altar of a Holy Heart must flame out and shine in chastity of words actions cloathing adorning for whenever God commands chastity he commands whatever may feed and nourish it manifest and declare it and forbids whatever may endanger it wound or weaken blemish or impair it 3. That Godly fear must be placed as a severe Sentinel to keep strict guard over the Heart that nothing be admitted that may defile our own hearts nothing steal out that may polute anothers we must keep watch over our own Hearts and other mens Eyes Neither lay a snare for the Chastity of another nor a bait for our own This chaste Conversation must be coupled with fear 4. Which Holy Fear and Godly Jealousie will have work enough abour the matter of Ornament that we neither mistake in our Judgment as if these outward Adornings with Gold with Plaited Hair were of such grand concernment nor were in our practise in an immoderate care and superfluous cost about them 5. To render that Rule which he hath laid down Practicable he gives us a pattern ver 5. After this manner in the old time the holy women that trusted in God adorn'd themselves Where note 1. That they must be holy women that are the standard of our Imitation not Painting Jezabel nor Dancing Dinah nor Flaunting Bernice but Holy Sarah Godly Rebecca Prudent Abigail 2. They must be such as were in the old time when Pride was pin-feathered not such as now since Lust grew fledg'd and high-flown such Examples as the old time afforded when plain cleanliness was accounted abundant Elegancy such as the Worlds Infancy produced not such as an old decrepit Age grown twice a Child recommends to us 3. They must be such as could trust in
Three Doctrinal Observations which my thinks do clearly result from the words thus explain'd with respect to what went before in the chapter viz. Obs I. Not teaching in the publick Assemblies but a patient breeding bearing and bringing up of children when God opens the Womb is the commendable Office of a good Woman in a marriage state 'T is clear from the Apostles discourse in the foregoing verses that he might take off such Women who from the pride of their Gifts were apt to take a liberty in publick Church-meetings which doth in no wise appertain to them he enjoyns them silence and enforceth it from this reason of the Womans subjection and certain sorrow inflicted for her forwardness in the transgression And that such a temporal penalty might not obstruct their eternal felicity he shews it doth not become the weaker Vessel n 1 Pet. 3.7 to be so puft up as to be talking publickly about Church-matters in the Assemblies where they ought to behave themselves modestly and not indecently o 1 Cor. 14.35 but rather by a patient demeanor suitable to their condition * L. Viv. de Christianâ Foem p. 21. to glorifie God in the Parturition and Education of an holy seed to serve him If so be the Lord hath called them into that eligible and honourable estate of Marriage qualified them with an ability to conceive and blessed them with a power of bringing forth and if he is pleased to exercise them with the many troubles of breeding but yet gives them a miscarrying Womb for ends best known to himself p Hos 9.14 they are more eminently called to patience quietness and meekness of spirit which in the sight of God is of great price q 1 Pet. 3.4 not desponding of Gods mercy in that doleful condition Some Improvement of this First Point may be made in a short Application for the Reproof Applicat 1. Of such malapert Women who mind not their own business the duties properly appertaining to their Sex but contrary thereunto as the Apostle speaks in this Epistle r 1 Tim. 5.13 14. will be Busy-bodies speaking the things they ought not as the Pepuzens of old * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pandect Can. Tom. 2. p. 50. thrusting themselves into Church-Assemblies and invading the Ministerial Function Yea those who tho they do not as some have done contradict the pure Doctrine of the Gospel in the faces of Christian Congregations yet at least in their Conferences do imagine that all their Teachings and conceited Opinions should pass for uncontrollable Dictates and Doctrines If Women professing godliness did really labour more after those things which the Apostle here looks upon as most commendable for their Sex Christians in our Age had not had so many sad Experiments of the inconveniencies which have risen from the liberty of speech in Church-matters which some who would be reputed godly Women and of great attainments have usurped to themselves And if preaching in a fixed Church do not belong unto Women then be sure baptizing doth not Both are to be performed only by Men called and solemnly set apart for the Ministerial Office ‖ See Mr. N.C. on Tit. 1.5 Hence those Women who from an unwarrantable Indulgence of such as made Baptism absolutely necessary to the salvation of all did usurp a liberty and power to baptize weakly children did evidently contradict the Apostolical Canon as may be gathered from what in the Hampton-Court-Conference * Fuller Ch. Hist lib. 10. ad an 1603 4. against the Arguings of some of the then Bishops for the permission of Midwives in case of necessity to baptize Infants King James did assert from our Saviours Commission Å¿ Mat. 28.20 Go preach and baptize c. That it was essential to the lawful Ministration of that Ordinance that it should be performed by a Minister duly called Again it is for the Reproof of 2. Such soft and delicate Women who like the pleasure but are impatient of the pain which ordinarily attends those in a married state To say nothing of those bad Women who from a lustful cruelty or cruel lustfulness as Augustin speaks * De Nupt. conj l. 1. c. 15. do wish that their issue should perish rather than live and therefore do use ill Arts either to prevent Conception or procure Abortion which must needs be very displeasing to God who in his Law t Exod. 21.15 hath breeding-bearing Women much upon his heart to provide for their safety There be some who from pre-apprehensions of their own pains forbear to render their Husbands their due u 1 Cor. 7.3 4. not well weighing the ill consequents of such forbearance Others are ready to conceit 't is a discouragement to them to take pains when very well able about the nursing and education of their children 'T is true they are not of such Nun-like dispositions as some others idolizing a single life for their ease regarding not to be serviceable to God in their Generation according to their capacities when called For our Apostle in this Epistle w 1 Tim. 5.14 wills young Women to marry bear children not as too many in our Age to bear children when not married guide the house give none occasion to the adversaries to speak reproachfully Yet they are so greatly addicted to sensual pleasures in the married state that they like not to take pains in going through their appointed time with their child-breeding and child-bearing but do so over-eagerly pursue their Appetites Frolicks and Fancies that they too often forget the condition into which God hath brought them and so deprive themselves and their Husbands of those blessings which if they did behave themselves soberly and Christian-like they might well hope for at Gods hands supposing them to continue duly careful as they should be to forbear excess in Diet and violent Recreations and to suppress vehement Passions using that moderation in all things which their condition notably calls for Which leads me to the Obs II. That the sorrows of child-bed should not dishearten Chrisâ—ian Women from entring into a marriage-state We plainly see here lest the pains of child-bed should deter good Women from enjoying the comfort of the Marriage-bed Paul doth in my Text introduce the great benefit of Womens Temporal and Eternal safety that they might not despond under the Temporal chastisement of child-bearing sorrows if they were true Believers and liv'd in subjection to God and their Husbands wherein their Husbands act agreeably to Gods Word so that through Gods gracious vouchsafement they should receive no final damage by their Grand-Mother Eves being first seduced but upon their unfeigned returning to God and resigning entirely to him they should find in his favour life x Psal 30.5 The penalty of their sorrows being converted into a blessing by the sanctifying Spirit they shall receive comfort in their sharp and tedious throws and the thousand pains they sustain in
Wife who is not carried away with an affectation of glorying splendor and artificial handsomeness but with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which in the sight of God is of great price e and 4. Then her heart will not upbraid or reproach her f Job 27.6 with the glittering of her Pendants when her pangs in travail have taken her g Micah 4.9 10. as a penitent Gentlewoman on a dangerous sick-bed once with much sorrow told me That her foregoing priding her self in hers did and greatly wound her spirit But her modesty humility and discretion will be Evidences of her unfeigned Faith For as an excellent big-bellied woman * Mrs. Eliz. Joceline once wrote to her Husband with reference to her Daughter she would not have her bold modesty and humility being the ground-work of all vertue Again she is to govern her self 2. With Temperance she should moderate her senses especially take caâ—e to govern well those of Tast and Touch. For Temperance indeed is such a Vertue as doth keep a mean in desiring and avoiding such bodily pleasures as are perceived by those senses about the proper use of creature enjoyments so that in eating and drinking as well as other actions a Christian may be kept in the best temper for the glorifying of God h 1 Cor. 10 31. And in looking upon Temperance as a fruit of the Spirit i Gal. 5.23 Here may come under consideration more strictly and particularly the good Wifes Sobriety and Chastity in her conjugal Relation 1. Sobriety which more strictly respects the moderation of the Appetite and sense of tasting for the desiring of that which is convenient and the avoiding of Riot Whilest exercised about meat and drink for the shunning of Intemperance in either the breeding and big-bellied Woman is highly concern'd to take special care for her own and the child's safety Plato determin'd * L. 7. de leg 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That big-bellied Women above all should so govern themselves during that space that they may be neither carried away to many and furious pleasures nor oppress'd with grief but live a mild quiet and pacate Life Many have miscarried by an inordinote giving way to their Appetites and feeding immoderately upon various Dainties So that such should not despise the divine direction given unto Manoah's Wife by the Angel k Judges 13.4 11 12 13 14. For tho that was given in an extraordinary case yet as to the equity of the thing in some proportion it certainly suggests moderation in that which is ordinary 'T is true in case of a lingring appetite there is a considerable allowance to be made unto pregnant women yea after conception before the growing big lest they should miscarry as too many modest ones have done by a not discovering of it in due season But out of that case childing-Wives who have put on the Lord Jesus Christ l Rom. 13.14 they are to eat and drink for health and not for pampering of the flesh which is done by excess in the quantity rather than in the quality of the Food 'T is odious in men to be given to immoderate drinking but in women and those professing godliness it is abominable Excess in Meats and Drinks puts Violence upon Nature by Intemperance and may cause the Death of the Mother or Child or both at once to the desperate woundnig of the Conscience when God makes inquisition for blood m Psal 9.12 and 51.14 Acts 16.28 yea and may too often precipitate into Immodesty Whereas the Christian Wife should indeed be adorned with 2. Chastity which for the matter was partly hinted before in conjugal fidelity and sanctimony This strictly respects the other sense afore-mentioned and requires a keeping of the heart and body from uncleanness n Prov. 4.23 Mat. 5.28 1 Thes 4.4 It may be granted Men yea Husbands are generally more prone to Incontinency And were I discoursing to them I might remember them as well as their Wives of that famous saying of the Roman Orator * In voluptatis Regno nullum omninò esse posse hominibus cum virtute comercium Cicero de Senect That in the predominancy or Kingdom of sensual pleasure men can have no commerce with vertue and therefore are concern'd to be watchful and moderate especially considering what the great Philosopher hath said That of all the desires of the body men are apt to be faulty this way ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. c. 14. Yet sith the Command of God reaches those of each Sex both are under a religious band in the marriage-state and as one saith ‡ Charron of Wisd l. 3. c. 12. the pleasure therein must be mingled with some severity it must be a wise and conscionable delight o Heb. 13.4 1 Cor. 7.5 and 2.2 It much concerns the Christian Wife to give check to any suggestion much more to any parley which is in a tendency to violate her matrimonial contract or to bring her into any carriage unbecoming that honourable state she is brought into or the undue use of the undefiled bed o Heb. 13.4 1 Cor. 7.5 and 2.2 So that however some of the Papists in magnifying a single Life would appropriate chastity unto Virgins whom they themselves do debauch in their Nunneries Yet we find from Scripture and the Ancient Fathers that there is chastity and continency in a marriage-state as opposed to that in a single life * See Chameir Tom. 3. l. 16. cap. 14. In the Exercise of this with the precedent Graces the good Wife having well learned the lesson of self-denial can bear her burden in humble confidence of aids from above in the hour of her child-bed sorrow and a safe deliverance in the best way For being thus qualified she hath from the precious promise in my Text a sure ground of a comfortable exemption from the curse in child-bearing and of the removal of that Original Guilt which otherwise greatens the sorrows of women in such a case Reas I might now could I have staid have shew'd to you the Reasonableness of all this I have been discoursing 1. From the fidelity of God who hath passed his word for the preservation in due Circumstances of all those thus qualified as you have heard Which indeed was Sarahs support with reference to her child-bearing because she judged him faithful who had promised p Heb. 11.11 He who is most faithful and cannot lye hath said They who are not weary of well-doing shall reap if they faint not 2. From the evidence of their own sincerity The continuance in these Christian and Conjugal Exercises of Faith Charity Holiness with Sobriety shews notwithstanding their Frailties which are no other spots than those may be on Gods own children q Deut. 32.5 that they are in a safe state which must needs be great support supposing the worst that can befall them by their pains And
if they are brought into the honourable state of marriage and in due time God do bless them with blooming hopes of the Fruits of their bodies and the unknown pains of a woman in travail come upon them a Gen. 38.27 Psal 48.6 1 Sam. 4.19 Micah 4.10 they may live by saith upon Gods power and promise and expect salvation in an happy separation 'twixt them and the Babes God hath enabled them to conceive in the appointed season Yea and then tho their pains should come as sharply upon any of them as they did upon Rachel and Phineas his Wife causing a separation betwixt their own souls and bodies their souls may go in a very sure way out of a great cross here to receive a Crown of Glory hereafter Believe it Virgins These Graces are the necessary qualifications to fortifie your tremulous souls apt to be full of fear * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. in Medea against all Occurrences if you have the real Ornaments of Christ's Spouse you need not torment your selves with carking thoughts your mystical Husband will take care of you to make what you greatly fear the matter of your joy 2. If you are already married and that in the Lord who hath opened your Wombs and given you power to conceive it behoves you as righteous Hand-maids of the Lord 1. To continue in the constant exercise of these Graces Certainly you who are blessed in being instruments for the propagation of Mankind when you find you have conceiv'd and grow pregnant are highly concern'd to put on and use these Ornaments A great work you are usually busie about in preparing your child-bed-linnen And I shall not discourage but rather encourage you to make necessary provision for your tender selves and babes I easily yeild according to the instinct of Nature as other Females and with the help of their Mates you ought to be somewhat indulg'd to make ready and feather your Nests wherein to lay your selves and your young b Luke 9.58 But the Modesty and Moderation you have heard of will not allow you above your rank to be costly in superfluous fine Feathers when Christs poor Ministers and Members up and down do expect your Charity Oh! I beseech you good Christian women let your chief care be lest you should die in your sorrows to be array'd in that truly spiritual fine linnen clean and white which is the righteousness of the Saints wherewith the Lamb's wife maketh her self ready c Rev. 19.8 This this is the principal thing the Grace of Faith Charity Holiness and Sobriety speak true Christian prudence And if you therefore take care to put on these you will be the most surely guided in a subordinate care about other circumstances And if God hath given any of you real proof already of performing his promise in my Text by vouchsafing temporal salvation to you it behoves you to take care 2. To record the Experiments he hath given you of making good his word to you in particular Hath God vanquish'd your fears wip'd away your tears and heard your prayers Engrave the Memorials of his goodness and faithfulness upon the tables of your hearts You have the great Example of our dear Lord and Master Jesus Christ who when he had been greatly troubled for Lazarus whom he loved groaned in spirit and wept making his requests known to his Father on his behalf which was graciously answered he with great devotion of heart lift up his eyes and said d John 11.41 with ver 3 35 38. Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me Let every ingenuous and grateful Mother whom God hath safely delivered from her child-bearing pains and peril imprint a grateful remembrance of so signal a mercy with indeleble characters in her mind Lord thou hast regarded the low estate of thine maiden when I was in an agony and well-nigh spent with repeated pains thou didst stand by me and my babe yea thou didst admirably help us making way for it to pass the bars into this world safely keeping us both alive yea and it may be when our friends verily thought with sadness that my child could not have seen the light and I should shortly have shut mine eyes upon it being ready to despair of bringing it forth then didst thou find a way for us both to escape e 1 Cor. 10.13 When the above-noted Gentlewoman * Mrs. Joceline Oct. 12. 1622. was made a Mother of a Daughter whom shortly after being baptiz'd and brought to her she blessed and then gave God thanks that her self had lived to see it a Chrsstian Having dedicated it to the Lord in his Ordinance she accounted it an additional mercy to her bringing her forth and so would have it communicated to others support As Paul when he was made sensible of great mercy in his deliverance by superadded Favours he thank'd God and took courage f Acts 28.15 so should every joyful Mother thank God and be of good courage for the time to come and good because by how much the more common the better it is She should communicate her rare Experiment to encourage others who are apt to look upon themselves as a most miserable Off-spring * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eurip. in Med. when their pangs come upon them that they may be helped For well said the Greek Tragaedian ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Il. in Helen It becomes one woman to be at hand to help another in her labour Thus we briefly see this Doctrine teacheth care to men and women both in a single and a married-state It doth also 2. Administer comfort as to the good Wives themselves so likewise to the Husbands of such good Wives 1. To good Wives themselves who are qualified as you have heard but yet in an hour of temptation are apt to walk very heavily from pre-apprehensions of grievous pains yea and it may be from great fear of Death in their appointed sorrows that are coming upon them grown weary with their heavy burthens Whereas a constant abiding in the fore-mentioned Graces and Duties is a sure ground of good hope that you shall pass well through your child-bed sorrows which be sure shall be no obstacle at all to your eternal welfare And if you be eternally sav'd 't will be better for you than to be only temporally deliver'd Yes But you 'l say You shall have a rough passage And if as Sabina a Christian Martyr when she travail'd being in Prison you shall cry out as she was heard to do in her child-bearing throws whereupon some asked her how she would endure the torments her persecutors had prepared for her if she shrunk at those To whom she said I now bear the punishment of my sin but then I shall suffer for my Saviour It may be answered Notwithstanding be of good chear The Apostle certainly brings in my Text as an Antidote against discouragement and to chear up suspicious and fearful
God does as it were take weak Christians by the hand and communicate his strength to them by which they are enabled to do what is required of them As it follows in this Chapter with respect to Prayer likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lifts with us and against us at the other end of the Burden And so it is in all the Duties of Holiness the Spirit lifts with helps the infirmities of Believers and strengthens them thereunto I can do all things through Christ strengthning of me Philip. 4.13 That he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man Eph. 3.16 I may allude to that of Elisha 2 Kings 13.16 He said to the King of Israel put thine hand upon the bow and he put his hand upon it and Elisha put his hands upon the Kings hands So we put our hands upon the bow attempt to believe pray mortifie sin and the like and then the Holy Spirit puts His hand upon Ours to confirm and strengthen us in all these Was it not for this we could do nothing Joh. 15.5 was it not for this Leading we could not move one step in the path of Holiness IV. A Fourth thing included in this Leading of the Spirit is his Regency and Gubernation Where he Governs there he Leads So vice versa and his Leading is ever attended with Rule and Authority 'T is like a Generals Leading an Army who Authoritatively disposes and orders all its motions like Moses his leading the People of Israel who had the Rule and Government over them As to Christ they are put together Behold I have given him for a Witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People Isa 55.4 Such a Leading is this of the Spirit in Gracious Souls He has the Regiment of them He Commands and Orders them in their Course as he pleases they are subject to his Will steer'd by him in their Motions as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl Ship is by the Pilot or the Chariot by him that drives it These are the Things on the Spirits part which do constitute his leading 2. To fill this up there is something on the Creatures part And that is their yielding up of themselves to the Guidance and Conduct of the Spirit Their free willing Bishop Halls Remains p. 147. Hollingsworth of the Spirit p. 65. spontaneous following of him in what he moves and dictates to them Without this 't is not Leading for that imports Motion after something that goes before And that Motion too must be Voluntary or else 't is being Hal'd and Dragg'd not Led This is the Disposition and Carriage of the Sons of God towards the Spirit He excites them to be Holy Heavenly-minded to resist and mortifie Corruption to Pray Hear Gods word perform other Religious Duties yea to take up their Cross in all they readily comply with him As David in that particular Case VVhen thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27.8 He will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths Isa 2.3 Draw me we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 Here 's the Spirits Leading and the Believers following of him It 's set forth v. 1. by walking after the Spirit it supposes a Principle of Life dead things may be drawn but they cannot properly be said to be led where the Spiritual Life is such do willingly conform to what the Spirit directs them unto But this I shall say no more of in this Explanatory part it being a thing that requires our Practice rather than any large Explication of it Thus I have opened the Nature of the Spirits Leading But it being a point of great Importance and the due stating of it being highly Necessary upon sundry Accounts I will further speak to these Four things about it Four things opened about the Spirits Leading 1. The Matter or Terminus what the Spirit leads unto 2. The Rule by which he leads 3. The Way and Manner wherein he leads 4. The Extent and Measure of it The matter of it 1. The Matter what the Spirit leads unto This is of great Extent but all may be reduc'd to these two things Truth and Holiness Truth is seated in the Vnderstanding and speaks the Spirits Leading of that Faculty Holiness reaches to the Heart within and Conversation without and speaks the Spirits Leading of Both in their utmost Comprehensiveness These he leads and guides unto but not in the least to their Opposites Error and Sin Every Agent is for that which comports and suits with his own Nature and against that which is contrary thereunto Therefore the Spirit being a Spirit of Truth and of Holiness this determines him to lead to these and to these only So his Conduct is stated in Holy Writ John 16.13 When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth Eph. 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth Psal 23.3 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his Names sake This Holiness includes in it Holy Affections the Exercise of the several Graces and these the Spirit guides unto 2 Thes 3.5 The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ The avoiding and mortifying of sin and this the Spirit guides unto If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live immediately it follows As many as are led by the Spirit shewing that the Mortification of sin is one special thing which the Spirit leads to Gal. 5.16 walk in the Spirit after his Guidance and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the flesh why because he always makes this the matter of his Guidance to keep men off from the Lust of the Flesh from all sinful ways and Courses He 's a Good and Holy Spirit in himself and therefore all his Motions tend to what is Good and Holy As Satan he being the Evil Spirit suitably to his Nature does excite and urge to what is Evil Acts 5.3 John 13.2 So e contra the Spirit of God He being the Good Spirit does excite and urge to what is Good and to nothing else How do they blaspheme this Holy Spirit who do wicked things and yet presume to say the Spirit leads them thereunto This must be laid down as a Principle of undoubted verity that the sole and whole tendency of the Spirits Leading is to Purity Obedience Universal Holiness and in no case to sin and wickedness II. The Rule by which he leads The Rule of it And that in short is the Written VVord God guides by the Spirit the Spirit guides by the VVord He is our Guide and the Word is our Rule The Spirit himself as to his own Actings has no External
and Doctrine for a special End that Extraordinary Guidance and Direction from the Spirit which no common Believers now have so They and They only became Infallible Wherefore although Saints now are partakers of a special Assistance and Guidance from the Spirit in Prayer and in their General Course of Life quoad veritatem rei yet this does not make them infallible in the One or impeccable in the Other it being vouchsaf'd to them but in such a Degree as is consistent with their present state and subservient to the End of the Spirit in his present Operations in them Which is but to guide them to necessary Truth and Holiness to help them in their Infirmities and the like but not to advance them to Apostolical Endowments Of which now the Evangelical Doctrine being published and sealed there is no Necessity And thus I have gone over the Doctrinal Explication of the Leading of the Spirit I come now to resolve some Practical Enquiries about it which will be in stead of the Application The First is this How may We as to Our selves or Others know 1. Enquiry whether We or They be led by the Spirit of God It highly concerns us to be very inquisitive about this Both because our Sonship to God must be evidenc'd by it for the Text is express As many and no more then as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God and also because there are great Mistakes in Men about this The Most lay claim to it when yet God knows but very few partake of it in truth and reality How many please themselves with the thoughts of their being led by the Spirit when 't is most obvious they are not Every man in the World is acted by Some Spirit or Other Omnes Homines aguntur aliquo Spiritu Orig. Now there being different and contrary Spirits some Evil and some Good the Question is What that is which we are led and acted by There 's the Spirit of the World 1 Cor. 2.12 by which the Men of the World are led There 's the Corrupt and Sinful Spirit Do you think that the Scripture saith in vain Jam. 4.5 The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy by this all in the Unregenerate state are led There 's the Spirit of Whoredom Hos 4.12 the Spirit of perverseness Is 19.14 the Spirit of seduction 2 Tim. 4.1 under the Conduct of which too many are These are the Evil Spirits within Us which influence Men in their Actings And then there 's the Grand Evil Spirit without the Devil the Spirit that worketh in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2.2 And Oh what an Heart-piercing Soul-afflicting thing is it to consider how the Generality of Men are led by this wicked Spirit All these Spirits are Evil. In Opposition to which there are Other Spirits that are Good And they are either the Renewed Spirit in Gods people the Heart as sanctify'd as having a Vital Supernatural Principle infus'd into it which leads and inclines to Holiness Or the Renewing Spirit Gods own Spirit of whom the Text speaks These Spirits are contrary to the Former both in Themselves and also in their Leadings For as They are all for what is Evil so These are all for what is Good And the Contrariety is such betwixt them as that they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 incompatible in the same Subject in their full entire Power and Strength So as that a person can be led but by One of them Both cannot lead together I mean as to a Mans General Course and as to their Absolute Power and Dominion in Him The Text speaking of the Leading of Gods Spirit the Enquiry must be confin'd to that And so it s laid down How may we know whether we be led by the Spirit of God For the Resolution of which I must refer you to what I have been upon Having said so much in the Opening of the Thing it self by the comparing of your selves with that you will be able to determine your own Case whether it belong to you or not It would be superfluous for me to enlarge again upon those Heads in the Application which I have already been so large upon in the Explication Only therefore to give some brief Direction I would desire you to look back 1. To the Essential and Constitutive Acts included in the Holy Spirits Leading viz. Guidance Inclination of the Heart to Good Corroboration Gubernation Art thou One that art guided by this Spirit to and in the great Duties of Christianity One who art strongly inclined to what is good One that feelest an inward Divine strengthning for Doing and Suffering One that art ruled and governed by this Spirit Surely thou art led by Him But if it be otherwise thou art led not by This but by some Other Spirit 2. To the Matter or Terminus of the Spirits Leading Truth and Holiness Do thy Opinions carry Truth in them thy Practices Holiness Oh then thou art led by the Spirit But what shall we say to those who are led away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the error of the wicked 2 Pet. 3.17 or led away 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with divers lusts 2 Tim. 3.6 why 't is a concluded Case these are not led by the Spirit The Course discovers the Guide The Fruits of the Spirit ever accompany the Leading of the Spirit Principiata respondent suis Principiis If the Action be Holy Spiritual and Good such as suits with the Holy Spirit it then proceeds from Him but if it be sinful and wicked Satan and thy own evil Heart are thy Leaders in it and to it Whoever doth not righteousness is not of God 1 John 3.10 nor led by his Spirit What live in Drunkenness Vncleanness Sensuality Injustice Malice Hatred And yet pretend to the Conduct of the good Spirit What a Delusion is this to thy self what a Reproach and Injury to the Blessed Spirit 3. To the Rule by which the Spirit leads the written VVord of God He Indited this Word and he Guides by it The Spirit and the Word go hand in hand together Is your Faith regulated by this Your Conversations steer'd by this hereby you may know that the Spirit leads you But if any Believe Live Speak not according to this VVord 't is because there 's no light in them Is 8.20 He that knoweth God heareth us he that is not of God heareth not us hereby know we the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of Error 1 John 4.6 Oh let all take heed of fathering any thing upon the Holy Spirit which does not comport with nor is founded upon the Holy Scriptures The Enthusiast is very bold with the Spirit but his Arrogance and Folly shall be made manifest at one time or another 4. To the manner of the Spirits Leading He leads with Power and Efficacy Well what do you find of this what have you more than a bare directive Light is there a Power working in
you Eph. 3.20 effectually to incline and draw you to what is Good To beat down and subdue the innate Renitency and Reluctancy of the Will Oh here 's the Leading of the Spirit To find out which two things must be searcht into 1. Whether it be the Spirit of God that leads us 2. Whether he leads us in a peculiar and saving or only in a common and general way Now the first must be found out by the foregoing Heads the last by that Head which I am now upon If the Spirit work in me as a Spirit of Power as well as of Light and Direction I may conclude I am led by Him I beseech you lay these Tryals and your Hearts close together and the Decision then will be easie and safe And pray consider as the Spirits Leading must evidence your Divine Sonship so the Things set before you must evidence the reality of that Divine Leading A Second Enquiry is What Inducements are there to excite and move men to endeavour to attain and live under this Leading of Gods Spirit 2. Enquiry Answ Many and Great Oh how strong are the Motives that are proper for the urging of this 1. As First The Excellency of the Thing The Person leading he is excellent the great Spirit of God The Act Divine and Supernatural Leading that is excellent The Object which this tends unto and terminates in that is excellent as the Loving of God Delighting in God Conformity to God all carry a transcendent Glory and Excellency in them Oh did but sinners know what this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this Conduct and Guidance of the Spirit is what a blessed thing 't is to possess and feel it how earnest would they be in their Desires and Pursuits after it I 'me sure The Saints that have it would not be without it no not one Day for Millions of Worlds 2. The Necessity of it The Leading of the Spirit Oh how highly necessary is it who can be without it What becomes of the poor blind Man that has none to guide him Of the weak Child that has none to uphold it Alas the poor sinner in both respects does more need the Spirits Leading inwardly than either of These need external Leading Such is our Spiritual Blindness our Aptness to wander our Ignorance of our Way our lyableness to fall into Pracipices and the like as that without a Divine Hand to guide us we are lost And such too is our Spiritual Debility and Weakness as that if the Spirit of God do not hold us up in our Going taking us by our arms Hos 11.3 we fall immediately How absolutely necessary therefore is the Spirits Leading both for Direction and also for Sustentation 'T is true God has planted in Man a Natural Faculty to guide and direct him in his Actings the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Understanding Reason Conscience to be his Director and Monitor as to what he is to do And this in things of a meer Natural and Moral Consideration may be of great use to him Prov. 20.27 the Spirit of man is the Candle of the Lord Ah but as to things of a Spiritual Consideration the matters of Evangelical Faith and Practice he must have an higher Guide and Leader even the Holy Ghost or else in these things he 'l be at an utter loss Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Prov. 16.9 a mans heart deviseth his way but the Lord directeth his steps The Natural Light separate from what is Supernatural is a very incompetent and insufficient Guide which evinces the Necessity of the Spirits Guidance 3. As the Natural Guide is defective and insufficient so there are other Guids which are destructive and damnable such as Satan Deprav'd Nature Indwelling Sin the Flesh the World Oh what dangerous Guides are these If they be our Leaders whither will they lead us why first to sin and wickedness here and then to Hell hereafter 'T is with them as with Solomons Whore Prov. 7.27 Her house is the way to Hell going down to the chambers of Death Can the Course be good when the Guide is bad and can the End be good when the Course is bad neither can be expected The Conversation Naturally comports with the Leader and the End judicially comports with the Conversation So that if these lead you this will inevitably follow upon it you 'l be very wicked in this Life and very miserable in the Life to come And besides this pray consider what a base thing it is for such a Creature as Man to be under the Conduct and Government of such base things as These Oh what a Debasement is it to him who is of such a Divine Extract and Original to be at the beck and ordering of such vile Things as Satan Sin and the rest Yet this is the misery of the Falne State upon Adams Fall Man has sadly lost his way and has put himself under woful Guides And one great thing done in his Restauration to his Primitive State is to reduce him to God as his First and Best Guide and Leader To drive this a little further in a word know that where 't is not the Leading of the Good Spirit it is the Leading of the Evil Spirit For One of these it must be not a Man in the World but he 's led by One of them Now do you not dread the thoughts of being led by Satan Oh it will be so unless you be led by this Holy Spirit of God What the Devil thy Leader Oh dreadful What comes after a Devil leading but a Devil tormenting 4. Weigh the Way and Manner of the Spirits leading You see how the Conduct of the Opposite Leaders is stated well how does this Leader manage his Conduct with great exactness and Wisdom he so leads as never to mislead so as always to direct with the deepest Judgment For as in all his Other Acts so in This he is the Spirit of Wisdom and Vnderstanding the Spirit of Counsel the Spirit of Knowledge Isa 11.2 I will instruct thee says God and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye i. e. with great care and accuracy Psal 32.8 Thus the Spirit leads And He does this with infinite Truth and Faithfulness also As the wise man personating his Father says I have taught thee in the way of wisdom I have led thee in right paths Prov. 4.11 And as Abrahams Servant in the Particular Case before him Blessed be the Lord God of my Master Abraham which hath led me in the right way Gen. 24.48 And as the Psalmist with respect to Gods Conduct of Israel in the Wilderness He led them forth by the right way Psal 107.7 Such a Leading is this of the Spirit as to Believers in their whole course he always leads them in the right way And then he leads safely in
reference both to the Way and to the End He led them on safely Psal 78.53 I do but allude to it Here 's no such Leader as Those the Prophet speaks of Is 9.16 The Leaders of this people cause them to err they that are led of them are destroyed Oh who then would not be desirous to be led by him The skilfullest faithfullest safest Guide the Traveller pitches upon O Christian wilt not thou do the same for thy precious and immortal Soul 5. The Advantages Benefits Blessings that attend and result from this Leading of the Spirit are great and glorious As to instance in a Few inward Peace and Comfort whereever the Spirit is a Leading Spirit there he is or will be a Comforting Spirit A Readiness to all Dutys of Holiness so as to do them spontaneously and with Delight Gal. 5.18 If ye be led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law i. e. so as in your Obedience to act from a servile Spirit and from the meer External Compulsions of the Law but having the gracious Conduct of the Spirit this will make you do all Freely with the greatest Promptitude and Alacrity Sonship to God so it here comes in as many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God As it leads to Conversion it makes us the Sons of God as it leads after Conversion it evidences us to be the Sons of God as has been already said If the Spirit be thy Leader God is thy Father And what a Priviledge is this John 1.12 1 John 3.1 And then as the Consummation of all comes the Glory and Blessedness of Heaven as the certain portion of such who are led by the Spirit Death and Hell are not more sure upon the leading of Sin and Satan than Life and Heaven are sure upon the leading of this Spirit God ever saves in Heaven such whom he leads on Earth Gal. 6.26 As many as walk according to this Rule mercy and Peace be upon them Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel Psal 73.24 and afterward receive me to Glory All being put together and seriously weighed have I not said enough and enough to excite you all to attain and close with this Blessed Leading of the Spirit of God Much more might have been added by way of Motive but if what has been said will not prevail I despair of ever prevailing with you A Third Enquiry follows 3. Enquiry How may this Leading of the Spirit be attained What is to be done by us that we may be thus led by Him Answ In order to this take the following Directions 1. There must be the having of the Spirit before there can be the Leading of the Spirit This Order is founded in the Nature of the Thing We cannot expect to participate of the Spirits Operations such as are saving before we participate of the Spirit Himself Therefore pray attend upon the Gospel by which He is convey'd to Sinners and then when you have once received him he will not be * Non est spiritus sanctus otiosus movet Mentes et ducit Mel. Idle and Ineffective but an Operative and Leading Spirit in you 2. The Antecedent First leading of the Spirit must be had before there can be the having of his Subsequent and Secondary Leading That is to say He must First lead you to God by Conversion first bring you into a state of Grace and then way is made for his subsequent Leading and Direction When he has been a quickning Spirit in the infusing of a vital Principle into the Soul then succeeds this Act which I am upon And not till then for who will attempt to lead a thing that is dead This Method of the Spirit therefore must be regarded and comply'd with 'T is first Sanctification then Manuduction in the several Things contained therein 3. Be willing to follow the Leading the Motions of the Spirit He gives again and again his secret Guidance to you shewing what you are to do what not if this be followed and comply'd with he 'l continue it if not he 'l withdraw and leave you to follow the Conduct of your own Inclinations a sore Judgment Psal 81.11 12. My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me So I gave them up unto their own Hearts Lust and they walked in their own Counsel Oh dreadful Word The same will the Spirit do upon our rejecting or resisting of his Leading He may long strive but he will not always strive Gen. 6.3 If the person led shall once begin to struggle with him that leads him and shall refuse to follow his Guidance what is then to be done but to leave him to himself Continued rooted allowed Resistance to to the Spirit makes him so to cast off a person as to lead him no more His Initial Workings in this are to be closed with or he goes no further That one Act in the Leading of the Spirit viz. his Powerful Inclining of the Heart to comply with what he leads unto secures all the Rest If thou art an Opposer of the Spirit he will not be thy Guide Yield to Him and close with Him and he will not withhold this Grace from thee 4. Let your dependance be upon God and his Spirit for Guidance and Direction Would you have Him to lead you Oh let your Trust and Relyance be upon him and see that you renounce all confidences in yourselves He that thinks he has Wisdom or Grace enough in himself to order his Conversation aright shall never find the Spirit to be a Guide to him The meek will he guide in Judgment the meek will he teach his way Psal 25.9 VVhen a man is brought to this meek humble Frame then he is in the way of the Spirits Leading Prov. 3.5 6. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thy own understanding In all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Christian Prudence Caution and Circumspection is our Duty but do we lay the stress of our Confidence upon that The steps of our strength shall be straitned and our own Counsel shall cast us down as he speaks Job 18.7 Mans goings are of the Lord how can a man then understand his own way Prov. 20.24 So long as thou thinkest thou canst go by thy self the Spirit will not take thee by the hand to lead thee 5. Pray much for this Grace of the Spirit It being a free and Arbitrary Act on his part he will be sought to for it and give it forth in that way which best suits with his Soveraignty Psal 25.5 Psal 5.8 Psal 31.3 Psal 139.24 Psal 143.10 How much was David in Prayer to God for this Lead me in thy Truth and teach me Lead me O Lord in thy Righteousness Make thy way strait before my face For thy names sake lead me and guide me Lead me in the way Everlasting Teach me to do thy will for thou art my
God thy Spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness Oh what a desirable Mercy is this Leading Mercy And Sirs will you not pray and pray servently for it Yea will you not every day make this your request Blessed God and Spirit let me be led by thee this day First he works as a Spirit of Prayer in the Drawing forth of the Souls Desires after this Mercy and then as a Guiding and Leading Spirit And the Former is a good Plea for the latter Psal 143.8 Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk for I lift up my Soul unto thee Oh that we might all follow these Directions and then we should have not the Thing only but a large Measure thereof It may in the Fourth place be quâ—ery'd What Duties are incumbent upon those who are led by the Spirit 4. Enquiry Answ Such as these 1. They should more and more follow the Leadings of the Spirit I hope I speak to some of you who have These and live dayly under them if so what is your Duty Why in an Higher Degree to obey and fall in with them The Following of them as that is Simply and Absolutely considered is to be suppos'd and granted from your being led by the Spirit for the Former is necessarily included in the Latter And therefore 't is not This as considered in it self that I am so much to press upon you as the Manner Degree and Measure of it And in this respect the Best stand in need of Counsel and Quickning for who do so follow the Spirits Leading as they ought VVe have an excellent Guide one that leads us with infinite Wisdom and Faithfulness that directs us to nothing but what is Good and Good for us Ah but here 's our sin and misery we do not carry our selves as we ought in such an Obeying and Following of his Conduct as that requires As to this therefore I would excite you to follow the Spirits Leading thus 1. More Exactly So as to act just as he would have you act to move just as he would have you move to keep pace with him step by step in all his Holy Motions VVhat Israel did to the Cloud At the Commandment of the Lord they journyed and at the Commandment of the Lord they pitched as long as the Cloud abode upon the Tabernacle they rested in the Tents And when the Cloud was taken up in the Morning then they journyed whether it was by day or night that the Cloud was taken up they journyed Numb 9.18 that we should do to the Holy Spirit in the exact Ordering of all our Motions by and according to his Guidance This should be the Aim and Endeavour of every one of us though through weakness and infirmity we cannot Actually and Vniversally come up to it 2. Follow the Spirit more fully God gives this high Character of Caleb that he followed him fully Numb 14.24 Art thou one that art led by the Spirit Oh follow him fully Whatever Truth he would have you believe let it be believed Whatever Duty he would have you practice let it be practis'd whatsoever Sin he would have you mortifie let it be mortifyed As the Scribe said to Christ Master Matth. 8.19 I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest so do you say to the Spirit I will follow thee whithersoever thou leadest me Excite me to Good I 'le do it restrain me from Evil I 'le shun it Blessed are they who thus follow this Leader 3. Do this more Vniformly and Constantly in being more eaven Fixt and Steddy in holy walking 4. More Readily and Freely Oh there should be no Demurring Disputing Consulting with Flesh and Blood hanging back in the Case but a Willing Ready Chearful Complyance with whatever the Spirit leads us unto How well does this comport as with the Nature and Essence so with the Matter and Manner of his Leading 5. Follow him so as to make further Progress in the way wherein he guides you so as continually to be getting nearer and nearer to the End of your Journey 6. And Lastly Follow him with stronger Resolution and Purpose of Heart whatever Difficulties Discouragements Dangers you meet with yet resolve that nothing shall make you leave your Guid or the Holy Course that he has led you to And thus I would perswade you to rise higher and higher in your Following of the Spirit 2. Let it be your great and constant care and endeavour to get the Spirits Leading continued to you You have it pray keep it Can it be well with a Christian when This is suspended or withdrawn from him How does he Wanderand Bewilder himself when the Spirit does not Guid Him How backward is he to good when the Spirit does not bend and incline him thereunto How unable to go when the Spirit does not uphold him What vile Lusts and Passions rule him when the Spirit does not put forth his holy and gracious Government over him Oh 't is of infinite concern to all that belong to God to preserve and secure to themselves the Spirits Leading Take a good Man without this and he 's like a Ship without a Pilot a Blind Man without a Guid a poor Chlid that has none to sustain it the rude Multitude that have none to keep them in any Order What a sad difference is there in the same Person as to what he is when the Spirit leads him and as to what he is when the Spirit leaves him Oh therefore let us always keep him with us I may allude to that passage of Moses to Hobab Numb 10.31 And he said leave us not I pray thee forasmuch as thou knowest howe we are to encamp in the Wilderness and thou mayst be to us in stead of Eyes So let none of us let the Spirit depart or occasion his Leaving of Vs for in the Wilderness he will be as Eyes to us to direct and shew us our way How dismal would the state of the Israelites in the Wilderness have been if there they had not had the Cloud to guide them So 't is in the thing before us But does the Spirit at any time do this to Gods People Object does he ever suspend and withdraw his Guidance from Persons who once liv'd under it Answ Answ Yes too often 'T is what he usually does when his Leadings are not followed This is a thing that grieves him and when he is Grieved he Departs withholds and recalls his Former Gracious Influences though not Totally and Finally yet for a time and in such a Degree As a Guide that is to conduct the Traveller if this Traveller shall refuse to follow him or shall give unkind usage to him what does the Guide then do why he recedes and leaves him to shift for himself 't is thus in the Case in hand If we comply with the Spirit in his Motions and use him tenderly he will hold on in his Leading of us but if otherwise he 'l concern
himself no more about us Oh take heed how you carry your selves towards him Not only upon Ingenuity Jer. 2.17 its base to be unkind to our Guid Hast thou not procured this to thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way But also upon the account of self-Love for as we behave our selves to him so he will behave himself to us Ita nos tractat ut a nobis tractatur 3. Labour after the having of the Leading of the Spirit in an higher Degree and Measure than what as yet you have attained unto 'T is not enough meerly to keep it but there must be a Getting more of it As there should be a Rise in our following so we should press after a Rise in the Spirits Leading of us And that in a threefold respect that he lead us 1. More Extensively as to the Object 2. With greater Light and Clearness Power and Efficacy as to the Manner 3. With more Eavenness and Constancy as to the Duration and Continuance of it He guides you to Truth but does he guide you to all Truth He guides you unto Truth but does he guide you into Truth and is this his Constant and Continued working in you Oh this high Measure of it we should aspire at and pant after taking up with nothing short of it And so as to Holiness and Practical Godliness the same is to be endeavoured after There is indeed much Mercy in the lowest Degree of this Act and they that have the lest should be thankful but yet a fuller Proportion may and ought to be desired by every Child of God And surely they who experience what this Leading of the Spirit is never think they have Enough of it 4. So live as that it may appear to others that you are led by this Spirit Christians your Actions and Conversations should be such as may suit with the Spirit that leads you Such as may evidence to the world that you are not in pretence only but in truth and reality under a Divine and Supernatural Conduct Do we lay claim to this Oh then what Good do we do more what Evil less than Others do VVhat live in sin do Evil things be Proud Worldly Covetous Passionate Unclean Malicious Fraudulent and yet pretend you are led by the Holy Spirit Lord what an Indignity and Affront do you put upon Him what a Cheat and Fallacy upon your own Souls Pray never talk of This unless your Lives be Holy and Good For ye who are real Saints oh that you would oft think of this and look upon it as one of the highest Engagements to Circumspect Walking You that are Guided by such a Word without and such a Spirit within What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy Conversation and Godliness 5. Be very thankful for this glorious Mercy Led by the Spirit admirable Love VVhat Thankfulness is due to Father Son and Spirit for it for all These have an hand though the last be more Immediately concerned in it VVhen you know not your way this Spirit shews it to you when you are weak and feeble not able to go this Spirit strengthens you I taught Ephraim also to go taking them by their arms Hos 11.3 VVhen Others are left to the Conduct of their Own Light Vnderstanding Inclinations which lead them to Sin and Death you are under the Conduct of this Gracious Spirit which leads you to Grace and Glory what cause have you to admire this Distinguishing Grace How great is the Fathers Love in this who as Fathers here when they send their Sons into Foreign Countreys and they themselves cannot be with them they send a Tutor or Governour with them in all their Travels to instruct and govern and take care of them Just so does your Heavenly Father do for you in and by his Spirit in this state of your Pilgrimage and absence from him How great is the Love of the Son in this for he has Purchased and now does Actually send this Spirit to be your Teacher Monitor and Guid. And how great is the Love of the Spirit too in this All his Operations carry infinite Goodness and Condescension in them but none more than this his tender and patient Guiding of us Should not all the Persons therefore be heartily sincerely and with the greatest enlargedness of Heart blessed and adored for it Especially considering how they design and aim at the exalting of Themselves by this very Act. As in the Miraculous Leading of the People of Israel out of Egypt through the Red Sea and so on set forth Isa 43. V. 12. that led them by the right hand of Moses with his glorious arm dividing the Water before them V. 13 14. that led them through the deep as an Horse in the Wilderness that they should not stumble As a Beast goeth down into the Valley the Spirit of the Lord caused him to rest so didst thou lead thy people for what end to make thy self a Glorious Name Surely so in that Spiritual and Gracious Leading that I am treating of the great God whether Essentially or Personally considered designs much Glory and Adoration to Himself And let him have it for he well deserves it from all that have any Experience of this Grace A Fifth Enquiry May such who are led by the Spirit fetch comfort from it 5. Enquiry Is this a solid Bottom for any to build Holy Joy upon Undoubtedly it is You who have it may rejoyce and that greatly For 1. It 's a clear Evidence a deciding Argument of your being the Sons of God And what a Soul-rejoycing Priviledge is that Sons of God this assures of dear Affection tender Care strong Protection constant Provision free Access to God ready Audience of Prayer a gracious Presence in every Condition a favourable Acceptance of all Duties a good Inheritance and Portion and what not All These Blessings are yours if ye be the Sons of God and so you are if led by the Spirit Oh then what a Ground of Comfort is this 2. As 't is a certain Evidence of Sonship here so 't is a certain Pledge of Heaven and Salvation hereafter And that both upon the account of the Relation which it instates in For if Sons then Heirs Heirs of God and Coheirs with Christ Rom. 8.17 And also upon the account of the Leading it self For whereever that is as 't is in Order to Salvation so this Salvation by it shall certainly be obtained Never did any perish that liv'd under the Spirits Guidance and Conduct God ever saves where the Spirit leads All that he guids come safe to the End of their Journey to their Eternal Rest 3. Besides the Things which are wrap'd up in this Leading besides the Matter and Manner of it all of which carry in them Ground of the highest Joy consider but two things Further about it 1. That it is Abiding Permanent Continuing The Spirit does not lead and
must be damned or saved for ever might understand in things necessary to Salvation what we mean and aim and drive at it hath made me tremble to hear some soar aloft that knowing men might know their parts while the meaner sort are kept from the knowledge of Christ and put their matter in such a dress of words in such a stile so composed that the most stand looking the Preacher in the face and hear a sound but know not what he saith and while he doth pretend to feed them indeed doth starve them and to teach them keepeth them in ignorance Would a Man of any Bowels of compassion go from a Prince to a condemned man and tell him in such Language that he should not understand the conditions upon which the Prince would pardon him and the poor man lose his Life because the proud and haughty Messenger must shew his knack in delivering his message in fine English which the condemned Man could not understand but this is course dealing with a Man in such circumstances that call for pity and compassion Paul had more Parts and Learning but more self-denyal than any of these when he said 1 Cor. 2.1 And I Brethren when I came to you came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God 4. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing Words of mans Wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power 2 Cor. 3.12 Seeing then we have such hope we use great plainness of speech 13. and not as Moses which put a vail over his face that the Children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished Some put a vail upon their words that people of mean Education that yet have Souls that must be damned or saved cannot look into those truths that shall never be abolished but what is this but a cursed preferring their own parts and praise before the Salvation of Eternal Souls and the preaching themselves and not Christ which will not be their praise but shame at the Eternal Judgment when some shall plead they stand there condemned because the Learned Preacher would not stoop to speak to them of Eternal matters in Language that they might have understood 4. This Eyeing of Eternity would stir us up to improve our Interest in God and Men for a continual succession of Men in the Ministerial Function In God by Prayer that the Lord of the Harvest would send forth Labourers into his Harvest In men whether such as have Children of pregnant parts studious and bookish serious in Religion and inclined to this Imployment that they would give them to God and give them Education in order to it which would be the Honour of Parents to have such proceed from their loins that shall be Embassadors to call the blind ungodly World to mind Eternity to escape Everlasting Damnation and obtain Eternal Life or whether they be such as have no Children so qualifyed or disposed yet have riches to be helpful to such as have such Children but not an Estate to bring them up for there is a necessity of a standing continued Ministry Men in all Ages are hasting to Eternity those that were our Ancestors in former Ages are already there and have taken up their Lodgings where they must for ever dwell and we are following after them and what a mercy is it that we have the Gospel preached unto us wherein we have directions how to escape Everlasting Torments and obtain Eternal Joyes in the other Eternal World to which we are a going and those that shall live after us when they have been upon the stage of this World awhile shall follow us and our Fathers into Eternity and give place to those that follow after them thus this World doth often change its Inhabitants What is the Life of Man but a coming into time and a going out into Eternity Oh how needful is it then that while they make their short stay on Earth they should have preaching Ministers to warn them of Eternal Misery and teach them the way to Eternal Glory Those that are now engaged in the work will shortly be all silenced by Death and Dust and how desirable is it that your Children and posterity should see and hear others preaching in their room and the Honourableness of the Office might allure young men to encline unto it is it not an Honour to be an Embassador of the great Eternal God to propound Articles of Everlasting peace between him and Everlasting Souls What is buying and selling Temporal Transitory things in comparison of a calling wherein it is mens work and business to save Souls from Eternal Misery and to bring them to the Eternal Enjoyment of the glorious God Thus in some few particulars we have shewed the Influence that the Eyeing of Eternity will have upon us in what we do Do you so Eye Eternity and the rest here for want of room omitted you shall by experience find out which will be better than knowing of them in the notion only because they are told you The Conclusion of this Discourse shall be some particular uses omitting many that it would afford 1. Is there an Eternal State Such unseen Eternal Joyes and Torments Who then can sufficiently lament the blindness madness and folly of this distracted World and the unreasonableness of those that have Rational and Eternal Souls to see them busily imployed in the matters of time which are only for time in present Honours Pleasures and Profits while they do neglect Everlasting things Everlasting Life and Death is before them Everlasting Joy or Torment is hard at hand and yet poor sinners take no care how to avoid the one or obtain the other Is it not matter of lamentation to see so many Thousands bereaved of the sober serious use of their Understandings That while they use their reason to get the Riches of this World they will not act as rational men to get the joyes of Heaven and to avoid Temporal Calamities yet not to escape Eternal misery Or if they be fallen into present Afflictions they contrive how they may get out of them if they be sick reason tells them they must use the means if they would be well if they be in pain Nature puts them on to seek after a Remedy and yet these same Men neglect all duty and cast away all care concerning Everlasting matters they are for seen pleasures and profits which are passing from them in the enjoyment of them but the unseen Eternal Glory in Heaven they pray not for they think not of Are they unjustly charged Let Conscience speak what thoughts they lye down withal upon their pillow if they wake or sleep fly from them in the silent night what a noise doth the cares of the World make in their Souls With what thoughts do they rise in the Morning of God or of the World Of the things of time or of Eternity Their thoughts are
Death where note 1. His Submission to the will of the Father He puts himself into his Fathers hands and Subjects himself to his pleasure 2. His design the Fathers glory Glorify thy Name He doth not say simply let my Agony and Death come but Glorify c. q. d. This being the means of thy Glory which thou hast fixt upon here I am do to me as seemeth good in thy Sight Hence observe First The best way to quiet and compose our Spirits in time of distress is the Prayer of Faith Wrastle with God and you Conquer your own Tumultuatings 1. Sam. 1.10 11 18. Secondly That Soul will be heard who forgets or neglects himself in Comparison and Prayeth for the Accomplishment of the Will and Glory of God So doth Christ here and God heard him See Heb. 5.7 Thirdly Our Exemption from suffering may sometimes be inconsistent with the Glory of God Save me from this hour saith Christ but for this cause came I unto this hour Father Glorify thy Name The Ground of the Point lyes in his Correction of his first Petition Fourthly The best and most Effectual means to prepare our selves to meet God either in the way of Mercy or Judgment is to resign our selves to the Soveraign Will of God to be disposed of for his Glory 1. I shall prove the Doctrin 2. Open the Nature of this resigned Frame of Spirit 3. Give some Arguments manifesting that it is our Duty especially in a Day of Distress 4. Apply the whole Before I enter upon the first I lay down this Supposition That believer who is prepared for Affliction is prepared for Salvation that the same qualification fits for both these dispensations I know some are Vessels of Wrath fitted only for Distruction Ro. 9.22 If the Apostle did there Treat of a Moral preparation which I know he doth not then we must Distinguish between Destruction and Affliction and of the fitness of the Vessels of Wrath for that and Saints for this But to decide this matter Our Doctrine and Question speaks of an Holy Gracious Preparation for Sufferings to bear them quietly and benificially not of a judicial Aptitude for Ruin much less an Eternal act of Preterition which is the Apostles meaning there This premised I suppose none will deny him who is holily qualified for Suffering to be in a blessed readiness for comfortable Dispensations and Providences Now that the above mentioned Resignation to the will of God for his Glory Prepareth a Soul both for Mercy or Judgment Suffering or Deliverance appeareth as follows 1. In that we find Holy Men of Old in this Spirit ready for either Dispensation Tribulation or Comfort Adversity or Prosperity Job shall be our First Instance his Resignation is notably expressed Chap. 1.21 Naked came I out of my Mothers Woumb and Naked shall I return Thither The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh Blessed be the Name of the Lord. The good Man upon the first gust of the Storm that beats Terribly upon him falls down at the Feet of God acknowledging his Soveraignity and Adoring his Name Well in this Frame he met with greater Tryals afterward and how did he bear them See James 5.11 Ye have heard of the Patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very Pitiful and of tender Mercyes In this Spirit he bear Affliction Patiently and received Mercy Plentifully God had two Designs on Job to Try and Bless him and Job's humble Spirit equally quallified him for both Take David for a Second Example By Absaloms Rebellion he was brought to a great Strait that must flye to prevent the Surprize of his Person Now take notice of his Frame 2 Sam. 15.25 26. And the King said unto Zadack carry back the Ark of God into the City If I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his Habitation But if he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here I am let him do to me as seemeth good unto him David was not without hopes of being Restored to his Throne and yet he had fears of the Contrary but whether God would dispose of him that way or this he Submits to his Pleasure Resigns himself to his Will and this prepared him for Suffering and qualified him for Deliverance Isa 41.2 'T is said that God call'd Abraham to his Foot i. e. to an intire Subjection to his Will He disputed nothing that God revealed refused nothing which he commanded what was this for why to fit him for great Tryalls Mercies Gen. 12.1 2 3 4. Cap. 22.1 2 3 10 16 17 18. this was Pauls Frame Acts 20.22 23 24. 2. That Frame is most fit to meet the Lord in the way of Judgment or Mercy which Christ chose to suffer in and so to enter into Glory In the Text this was his case he was shortly to meet with two Contrary Dispensations He was to bear our Sin and to Conflict with the Wrath of God for it to Suffer the Violence of Hell and the World and to Dye an accursed Death but with all immediately he is to be Glorified at the Right Hand of the Father Both these he had in his Eye in this Chap. v. 23 24. He expected a double Glory upon his Death here by the Propagation of the Gospel in Heaven by the Exaltation of his humane Nature Chap. 17.15 and both these he looked for Heb. 12.2 Well how will he prepare himself for Suffering and Glory even by lying at his Fathers Foot in the Text. And now he can grapple with all his Enemys and now he can wait for his reward Matt. 26.39 42 44. 'T was in this Spirit that he went to meet his betrayer v. 45 46. This all the Evangelists mention for our Example Certainly Christ knew what was the best preparation for Judgment or Mercy and Chose it for himself and was therein our Pattern 3. That 's the best way to meet God in the way of his Judgments or Mercies which himself prescribeth but a Resigned humbled Spirit to his Will and Pleasure is commanded by himself to qualify us for such Dispensations 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves therefore under the mighty hand of God and he shall Exalt you in due time q. d. bear my Afflicting hand and you shall feel my Supporting Exalting hand 4. That 's the best Preparation for Mercy or Judgment which God aimeth at in Afflicting and Rewardeth in Delivering his People and this is a Resigned Frame an Obedient Submiss Subdued Will to the Will of God If he afflict his Children 't is because they are Froward if he Cherrish them t is for the Compliance with his Pleasure Ephram was Smitten for his Stubborness and Comforted for his Obedience Jer. 31.18 19 20. God hath no Contention with us but our Crosness because our Wills Thwart his and our ways contradicts his First we resist his Commanding Will by Disobedience and then his chastizing Will
by Impatience and he in his Wisdom and Love is resolved to bring us to his Foot Well! If we Comply before hand when we see the Storm approaching God's end is Attained and he either lay's down his Rod or Mitigateth the Chastizement yea he will e're long Embrace and Comfort broken and humble Ephraim Indeed this Frame superseed's Affliction for Judgment upon Saints are not to Destroy but Subdue them to their Fathers Will. And if we meet our angry Father in this Spirit he may Correct a little but he will certainly Comfort much 5. Lastly a resigned Soul meeteth God in the way of Judgments or Mercies to great advantage They are so far from doing him harm that they do good therefore it must needs be a blessed Preparation for either Physick never works so well as when the Body is antecedently prepared nor is any Person so certainly profited by Judgments or Mercies as he that is ready to entertain them I know God can do an unprepared Soul good by any Providence but I am sure none can come amiss to such as be prepared What then will prepare us to receive Chastizments Profitably The Apostle tells us Be Subject to the Father of Spirits and Live Heb. 12.9 Comply with his Will resign your selves to his Pleasure and what ever he doth will be a quickning in proving Providence Qu. What is the Nature of this Resignation to the Will of God for his Glory Or wherein doth it consist Ans I shall reply to this Quere by laying down something implyed in it and then speak to the Proper Nature thereof It implies many things I shall Instance only in a few for Brevity's sake 1. It supposeth a Lively exercise of Faith For as no Unbeliever ever did resign himself freely to the Will of God so no believer if Faith be not in Exercise can do it Yea it must be an active Faith will enable us to put our selves into the Hands of God especially in a Day of Affliction to deal with us according to his Pleasure I say that Soul must have a good Acquaintance with and a blessed Confidence in him whom he trusteth with his Life and All. Paul therefore tells us in case of Suffering he knew whom he had Trusted 2 Tim. 1.12 Therefore our Saviour here when he Referreth himself to God expresseth his Faith in that very Resignation Father Glorify c. He believed God to be his Father and that his Father loved him and now he is Satisfied that his Father dispose of him Psal 31.14 15. But I trusted in thee Lord I said thou art my God What then my times are in thy Hands q. d. 't is not only thy Perogative to dispose of me and my Days but I refer them Voluntarily to thee He put them into the hands of his God and trusted them with him There be many Perticulers that the Faith of a resigned Soul is Exercised in As That God is his God Faith must have Interest in him whom it Trusteth Isaac will Suffer his Father to Bind and Sacrifice him Why Abraham was his Father and God who had given the command for it was his God Gen. 22. And it believes that all the will of God is Good Good in it self and good for the resigned Soul A believer may know that there may be Pain and Affliction in Suffering according to the Fathers Pleasure but 't is withal assured 't is his good pleasure Heb. 12.10 And such a Soul believes that it 's God and Father is kind loving and tender that he will not oppress that he will not overwhelm He believes that God Glorifies not himself to the damage of his People but that his Glory and their Benifit are inseparably Linkt together Yea it is in Christ the Redeemer of the Soul putteth it self into the Fathers Hands and it expects Power and Strength from its God to bear the Sufferings and carry through them When Moses forsook Egypt and his Interest there and chose to Suffer Affliction with the People of God He did this in Faith Eying him who is Invisible Heb. 12.24 c. And David in the like case was well Satisfied in the good will of God to him 2 Sam. 15 25 26. Chap. 25. 5. 2. Consequently 't is an high act of Love He that loves his Heavenly Father will be disposed of by him but it must be above becoming the glorious Objection which it is fiâ—t Matt. 22.37 A Love that prefers his Will and Glory before all things else A Love in Comparison of which all other Love is hatred Luke 14.26 A Constraining love 2 Cor. 5.13 14. Abraham loved Isaac well why then did he offer him up at the Command of God O 't was because he loved God better This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and nine of his Commandments are greivous 1 Jo. 5.3 What no Command greivous Not Self-denial not bearing the Cross No! Those Commands are not greivous because the Soul loves God better then it self We have a great word Rev. 12.11 They loved not their Lives unto Death why because their love of Christ was stronger then Self-love Rev. 14.4 We Read of some that followed the Lamb where ever he went Into Tribulation of all sorts they followed the Lamb Why Love constrained them Christ therefore resigned himself into the Fathers hands for he loved his Father Love will lay the Soul at Gods Feet Love will follow and Obey the Fathers call in all things Love will keep stedfastly in the way of the Will of our beloved It argues little Love to Christ when we seek to evade Suffering for his Name by finding out Carnal Shifts He that loves the Father and Son is as to the main resolved into their Will 3. To come nearer to my Intendment This resignation of our Wills to the Pleasure of God for his Glory respect's Sufferings and Dutys Principally For there is no difficulty Ordinarily to comply with the good Will of God in Distributing Mercy and Favour But to have our Wills Resolved into his in case of difficult Duty and hard Sufferings which Cross our corrupt Nature and press upon our Pamper'd Flesh is a great Work far above the Sphear of an unregenerate Person and a special Effect of the Spirit of God in and upon the Hearts of Saints But because our Subject leads to consider the matter in case of Afflictions only I shall confine my Discourse thereto Only adding this by the way that where a Soul disputeth no Sufferings it Submits to all Dutys If it be resigned to the Will of the Lord in the one 't is Subjected to him in the other also 4. Therefore the Resignation I spake of consists in several things 1. In referring our selves to the Will of God in a Day of Tryal in the very things we fear Our Lord Jesus dreaded nothing like this Hour that was coming upon him It troubled and amazed his very Soul v. 27. gladly would he be saved from it had it been
contending with its Father Upon this Principle our Lord Christ built his resignation in the Text. 'T is impossible to submit willingly to the pleasure of an Enemy Enmity excludes submission Rom. 8.7 let there be a sense of reconciliation and resignation will follow 2. We must be exercised in the mortification of pride and passion For pride will swell and passion tumultuate they who are used to have their wills shall find it hard if not impossible to let God have his without reluctancy No self-will will tumultuate against God himself according to custom You know how it was with peevish Jonah I do well to be angry with proud Joram this evil is of the Lord why should I wait upon him any longer And how with Pharaoh Exod. 5.2 they were persons used to have their wills When the Devil desired God to afflict Job chap. 1. 11. 2. 5 he presumed that Job having had much prosperity could not bear a great cross without flying in God's Face Consequently 3. If we have been inured to sufferings the Task is easier yet Lam. 3.27 28. Paul was accustomed to afflictions and see what he saith Acts 21.13 Phil. 4.11 12. 4. Keep the sense of your own great sinfulness upon your hearts This will stop your mouths when you would complain of the holy hand of God upon you Lam. 3.39 wherefore doth a living man complain I will bear the indignation of the Lord saith the Church elsewhere because I sinned against him 5. Christ pray'd himself into this frame Jo. 12.27 28. The more impatient and discontent we be the more need of Prayer Christ did not tarry till the hurry were over but cryed to his Father while it continued And observe How he Prayed and what He Prayed brokenly and uttered the Sense and very Case of his Soul No matter how abrubt the Prayer be so it be the Representation of our Hearts Thus did David Psal 61.2 Where doth he Pray in Banishment When when his Spirit is overwhelmed How doth he Pray he Cried Thus Hannah Prayed her self composed Remember Resignation is the work of the Spirit of God and therefore you must plead for it before you have it 6. Subdue your Carnal Reasonings by the Reasonings of Faith So did Holy David when the Flesh had Reasoned him into Impatience he went into the Sanctuary and was composed Psal 73.16 17. And to help in this Combat between Faith and Sense take these following Considerations 1. That all things are good from Gods Will. I am sure all Providences be They are good because he Willeth them Psal 119.68 Thou art good and thou doest good Himself is good and Will therefore are his ways good also No matter what Sense and Reason say God cannot do amiss And therefore Jeremy lays down this as a Principle before he dare Argue about Gods Judgments Chap. 12.1 And so David Psal 73.1 So Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.19 2. That what becomes God to do or order becomes us to suffer If God bring the Affliction we may bear it If it be for his Glory it cannot be for our Disadvantage God will not do what is Evil and we may very well submit to what is good Job 1.21 3. 'T is our Folly and Bruitishness when there is any Impatience of Gods Will. Jonah was Mad with Passion when he told God he did well to be Angry at the Dying of the Guord Jonah 4.9 Psal 73.21 22. 4. That God hath managed as unlikely Providences for the good of his People as these that he is bringing upon us and having such experience of his Wisdom and Faithfulness 't is reason we submit especially having the Promise too Rom. 8 28. 5. That when there is a contrariety of Will between Two Parties the Best the Wisest the Holiest should carry it If either God must not have his Will or we want ours 'T is all the reason in the World we should submit and imbrace the Cross patiently Methinks there should be no Debate about this matter 6. That God will be Glorified Levit. 10.3 This silenc'd Aaron and what are we This was Answer enough to Christ himself in the Text and are we too good or too proud to acquiesce in it 7. That God is Glorified upon others on harder Terms then any proposed to us Our Cup is nothing so bitter as the Lord Jesus's was nor like that of the Primitive Christians and Martyrs then and since They were scourg'd with Scorpions we in comparison but with small Rods. 8. Lastly That submission breaks the Blow God will not contend with a resigned Soul Satis est prostrasse But his Day falls heavily upon the Unquiet Proud and Obstinate With the froward he will behave himself frowardly Read Isa 2.11 12. As Incouragements to Resignation Consider 1. This frame is a greater Blessing then Deliverance Christ chose it rather then that the Cup should pass away And the Father rather granted it Certainly what the Father and Son preferred is best 2. This once attain'd Sufferings are Free-will-offerings Now Affliction is not an Absolute Necessity but the Souls Choice And what an Honour is it to be willing persons in such an hard case If we submit willingly we have a Reward if not a necessity of suffering however lies upon us to allude to 1 Cor. 9.16 17. David acknowledged that God put a special Honour upon him and his People when they offered willingly 1 Chron. 9.14 How much greater Honour is it to offer our selves to the pleasure of God in a suffering-season 3. This is evidently the Duty of the Day Fear is on every side The Fury of Bruitish Men is very high many of our Brethren are already opprest and bear it quietly God calls us to resignation to his Will in all Providences and aloud by the Voice of his Word And Refuge fails us Why that we may have no possibility of Evading this Duty And being it s now seasonable it should be beautiful and desirable in our Eyes Eccles 3.11 4. If we resign to the Will of God Faith shall be kept alive and our hold of our relation to and interest in God continued Christ in the height of his Sufferings could call God his God and commit his Spirit confidently into his hands Psal 31.5 5. If we survive and out-live the Storm God will make us eminently Vessels of Honour 1 Pet. 5.7 What great persons were Abraham and Isaac after they had resolved themselves into the Will of God Gen. 22.16 c. Nay the benifit thereof extended to their Posterity for many Generations What a blessed end had patient resigned Job James 5.11 6. If we Die in this Frame and Day according to the Will of God it shall be no loss but infinite advantage Isa 57.1 2. See it in David and Christ Psal 16.8 9 10. After Paul had submitted himself to the Will of God and the Lord Jesus Acts 20.24 21.13 How confident was he at his Dissolution and in what a Tryumphant Frame do we find him 2 Tim. 4.8
When proud unbroken impatient Souls Suffer and Die in Dread and Horrour the resigned Christian shall Expire in Peace and Confidence Quest How may a Gracious Person from whom God hides his Face trust in the Lord as his God SERMON XXIX The Text is Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul And why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet Praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God 1. UPon the Proposal of this Case to me I rather chose this Text than that in Isa 50.10 because I thought God and our selves were both to be considered in the just resolution of the Case before us for we must as well look within as above our selves and accordingly here we see that David's first look was into himself and then his next look was towards his God So that I thought this Text most suited to the Case 2. When and upon what occasion this Psalm was Penned I will not now enquire into but when ever it was David was then under black dispensations of Divine Providence and under dreadful Consternations of Spirit and put very severely to it how to Encourage and Support himself 3. The Text may be considered 1. As an History of 1. Davids troubles and afflictions 2. Davids Sence and temper of Spirit under them and concerning them 3. Of the Course he took to help himself 2. As a Doctrine to teach Gods Saints and Servants 1. To what they are liable 2. And by what and how they are to be relieved and supported 3. As a Directory 4. In the Text then we have observable 1. Davids self Arraignment for immoderate despondencies and dejections under the present hand of God upon him Why cast down And why disquieted within me 2. His self Encouragement and Instruction Hope thou in God 5. So that you see David 1. Cites himself to his own Court to account for his own disquietments and dejection and here his scrutiny is severe and close 2. He offers somethings to himself as a fit Course and expedient for self redress Hope thou in God and 3. The remedying Proposal is closely argued and urged For I shall yet Praise him c. I shall have Cause an Heart and an Opportunity to Praise God Times and things will be better with me than now they are I shall have cause to Praise God for he is the health of my Countenance I shall have an Heart to do it for He is my God and I accordingly now avouch him to be such I value him and confide in him as such And I do hence infer that I shall have Opportunity and a Call for to Praise acknowledge and adore him in the Solemnities of his own House First Let me then consider these words as they relate unto David and give us the History of Davids Excercise and Self-Relief And here 1. The Patient or Afflicted Person was Holy David A Man after Gods own Heart Enamoured on God devoted to him delighted in him constant and chearful in his attendencies on God exceeding sensible and observant of all Divine approaches to him and Withdrawments and Retreats from him Thirsting and Panting greatly after the Solaces and Entertainments of Gods House and Altars and bitterly lamenting the loss and absence of those Solemnities wherein he formerly had so copiously and frequently pleased himself afflicted mightily with those derisions and reproaches which reflected so severely upon God through him though nothing could sour or abate his adoring and delightful thoughts of God yet it struck him to the heart to hear Men always saying where is thy God Add hereunto that David was a King a Prophet a type of Christ a Man of vast experiences and improvements and such a peculiar Favourite to God as that he was encouraged to more than ordinary expectations from him of which he had great Seals and Earnests and yet we see he could not be excused from great Storms and Agonies and Anxieties of Spirit 2. That which this good Man underwent was a great dejection and disquietment in his own Spirit by reason of some great afflictions that befel him Gods Providence toucht him in his dearest and most valuable Mercies for he was an exile from Gods Altars Gods great Enemies toucht him in that which lay nearest to his Heart for they Reproacht him with his God and consequently with and for all his religious Hopes and Duties thus striking at his God through him All this afflicted him the more in that hereby great jealousies and suspicions were arising of Gods deserting him and dismal fears and thoughts of Gods having hid his face from him And he saw no likelihood in the posture and presages of second Causes that ever it would be better with him And hence his Spirit was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vet edit consternêtis chad par conturbaris Syr. coâ—â—ristas me Arab. deijcis te v. 6. bowed down and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b that is disquieted within me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 70. tumultueris adversum me Targ. conturbas me v. 6. Syr. Ar. stupidus es personas in me ut aliâ— disquieted within him he was as stripe of all Composures Strength and Comforts His Passions they were apt to mutiny his confidences to decay and wither and the serenity of his Spirit to decline Sorrows encompast him like a Cloud prest him down like a great Burthen bound him down like a Chain came in upon him like a Flood and rusht in on him like a dissolute and surprising Host And very difficult he found it to keep up his Religion in its just Reputation with himself whilst thus afflicted in it and upbraided with it 3. The Course he takes to help himself is this 1. He surveys his troubles and takes the exact demensions of them observing what impressions and effects they had upon his own Spirit and 2. He takes his Soul to task about them as being 1. Fittest to resolve the Case 2. Every way responsible and accountable for his resentments and deportment and for the impressions and effects of troubles 3. Most capable of self correction instruction and encouragement and consequently of self redress and most concerned therein And 4. As that which must be active too David was confident of help from God and this his confidence is quickned and kept up by Arguments and Pleas He knew no help could be expected any where but in and from God And he concludes and argues that God could work and give it because he was the God and that he would consider him in mercy because he was his God And these things must be remembred argued and revived upon his own Soul and were so 4. And with his own considerate and religious Soul this matter is debated here What! Davids Soul my Soul A Soul and therefore great in its Original Capacity and End A Gracious Soul and therefore near and dear to God encouraged by his promises and providence to
trust him serve him and to cleave to him What! Davids Soul fitted for God and for self management converses and improvements Why should this Soul be thus disquieted and cast down He was not so vain and idle as to expect relief from Heaven by so engaging God for him as to neglect himself inward as well as other work must be performed 5. Observe the manner of his d scoursing with himself it is expostulatory He cites and challenges searches and chides himself and hints these things unto himself That 1. Something was attended to that it should not 2. Some thing was not attended to that should 3. That therefore all ought to be set and kept right as to his inward thoughts and sentiments with reference to his present Case and Cure 4. And that because mistakes and rashness in such important matters are dangerous and sinful in their tendency consequences and effects Hence then 1. He observes his pressures and the temper and behaviour of his Spirit under them and he finds some trucklings of Spirit which he dislikes and wonders at 2. He is Solicitous to know the most that can be found alledged and urged to countenance and justifie these disquietments and dejections 3. All this be searches after in order to a fair and an impartial Tryal and in this Tryal he concludes that nothing objected can hold weight 4. He is aware of other things that are to be produced for the suppression and rebuke of his dejectedness and for the revival and encouragement of his Soul through hope in God 5. These things he is ready and willing to produce and urge and so to adjust the whole concern And 6. Hereupon he drives the thing up to its utmost height and turns a faithful and impartial self censurer and instructour that so he may not be buffeted in the dark and prove a sinful Instrument in his own dejections and distress nor he baffled by these his Sorrows 6. His Self-arraignment and Discourses being finished thus he now proceeds to Self-instruction and Encouragement Grace in the Heart and God in the Eye when Saints have dealt faithfully and closely with themselves afford them no small relief under their Pressures and Discouragements from what they feel Here then Observe 1. What David advises himself unto Hope thou in God 2. How he Argues and Enforces this his Counsel upon himself For I shall yet praise him 1. The Counsel which he offers to himself is this viz. To Hope in God He would not look upon his Case as desperate But 1. Commit his Case and Soul to God and leave them wholy with him 2. And so expect Protection and Redress from God in doing thus And what is Hope but a desirous expectation of these Mercies and Reliefs from God which present Exigencies and Concerns may need and call for whereas Gods Name and Promises are our Encouragements thereto This David proposes to and urges upon himself in his dejected frame of Spirit as his best Succour and Support and as his choicest Refuge and Remedy and he was very apprehensive of this That his Soul must be active herein if he would be benifited hereby And hence he suffered not his Spirit to be Idle nor to be guilty of any culpable application and improvement of that great but oft times much abused Truth We can do nothing of our selves 't is God alone must help us But he turns Counsellor and Commander and becomes a strict Inquisitor and most impartial Judg to his own Soul and by the meek exercise of all just Providence and Authority towards his own Spirit he works himself up to his Hope in God by an Eye fixed there and thence and thus expects his help And though he was deeply sensible of his own doleful State at present and very prone to aggrevate his own Calamity and apt to give up all for lost yet he resolves upon all fit Enquiries after help and with Authority and great force of Argument he here Commands and so prevails upon himself to hope in God Such work requires good Consideration great Resolution and the just exercise of all Authority over our selves 2. His Arguments and Motives hereunto are impregnated with very great Sense and Strength and urged upon himself as the just Rate thereof Hope thou in God For he is 1. God 2. Thy God 3. The Health of thy Countenance And 4. One whom thou shalt certainly and for ever Sym. Praise as such And 5. Do it Yet viz. As lamentable and hopeless as thy Case appears at present through seeming difficulties or unlikely-hoods God and our Selves well understood deeply considered and skilfully urged and improved give Gracious Hearts the best Encouragements and Supports under the severest Accidents of Time And they will very strangely animate our Hopes in God under our soarest Troubles and Dejections David 1. Had Confidence in God And 2. Reasons for it 3. And Skill and an Heart to urge them When he reviewed himself he saw that his Soul was gracious and so he knew God valued it It was bent for praising God and so he knew that he should have an opportunity and cause to do it through some signal Favors from him He had an Interest in God and he would neither lose it nor neglect it and he had great experience of Gods former Mercies and he would not forget them And when he thinks on God then Praises must be thought on too and every thing relating to it and all the Divine Perfections within the Circumference of his Knowledg must have their fresh Remembrances and powerful Sense Revived upon his own Heart For he concludes that 1. God is Eminent and Infinite in all Perfection 2. That his Eminence shall be evident and conspicuous in the Salvation and Relief of now Dejected David 3. And that most suitably to all the Circumstances and Pressures of his Afflicted State And that 4. Rather much beyond than any way beneath his present Hope And hence he calls God the Health of his Countenance His Thoughts and Hopes are in their highest Flights and Vigor He looks upon God as his Saviour Hope and God and judges God resolved and propence to appear and act accordingly on his behalf He looks for such illustrious Signals of Gods Favor and Respects as shall 1. Embolden him undauntedly to face his Enemies without any marks of a dejected and disturbed Soul upon his Face 2. Such as shall shame his Enemies and humble their contemptuous and proud Looks and shame those Insolencies whereby they had upbraided him with his God and make them readily acknowledg that there is no Rock like Davids God and that his Hope and Refuge were not vainly fixed there 3. Such as should redeem his Holy Hopes and Courses from Contempt and Scorn and make his embittered Enemies to wish themselves even in Despised Davids Case for David here expects Salvation as something visible speedy and compleat even in the Land of the Living Well therefore might he say Hope thou in God thereby
Saints and Martyrs yea and of Jesus Christ himself are a full proof of this Truth Proposi II. Though Men be Great and Good yet may their Souls be cast down and disquieted within them My Soul refused to be comforted my Spirit was overwhelmed in me Psal 77.2 3. 'T is hard and rare for the best Men to keep their Spirits composed and equal when troubles urge them closely The time would fail me and the limits of this discourse would be transgrest should I but shew you from sacred writ what passionate escapes might be observed from Gods Worthies there Proposi III. Good Men should therefore well discern and weigh what troubles and anxieties are upon them and not increase their loads and sorrows by being strangers to themselves Psal 77.6 1 Cor. 10.13 Eccl. 7.14 2 Cor. 12.7 9. Psal 119.28 and they should well distinguish too betwixt what God inflicts upon them and what they cause unto and lay upon themselves and sift their troubles to the bottom they must observe what it is that troubles them and so survey their sufferings and not subject themselves to strange Confusions and Amusements Lam. 3.20 for t is not what we think of what afflicts us but what God really inflicts upon us that we must mind And they must carefully observe in all their sorrows what Ministers to grief and what to shame and what to their Awakening and Refining and what serves to prevent a greater mischief to them 1 Cor. 11.30.32 and to what use God may put their sufferings as to the Church and World and to the unseen State and then resolve it with themselves for what how far and why they are or ought to be dejected and disquieted Proposi IV. What troubles and resentments by gracious Persons are observed should be discoursed by them with their own Souls Psal 4.4 they are to ask themselves how these evils came upon them Is it the immediate hand of God that layes them on if so what have I done against the Lord my God Have I neglected or negligently managed any parts of publick or private Worship as Prayer Praise Thanks Hearing Sacraments or Sanctification of the Lords Day Have I dishonoured God by misrepresenting him to others or to my self Have I reflected any dishonour upon my Christian Calling Have I neglected the exciting and improving of the Grace of God in me in any of its Principles or Functions Or have I behaved my self unworthily or indecently towards others or my self Or is it by the Tongues or Hands of Men that God afflicts me If so what instances of injuriousness negligence indiscretion or immoderate passion can I or others charge upon my self What undue heats or ferments have they discerned in my Spirit by rash or wrathful words or actions If any failures have been on my part where when and how and why were they committed by me If none of these are have been or can be charged upon me what do I undergo from God or Man that Gods great Favourites have not undergone before me And why may not I repair unto the same Encouragements and Consolations which have Relieved and Supported them when they have been exercised as I am What! can not I pledge the best Men in the most bitter Cups but I must presently entertain dismal and undue thoughts of God and make censoriously the worst Constructions of what he lays upon me For to think or say that God deals unfaithfully or unkindly with me is to conclude and utter what neither the Name nor Love of God nor the experiences of his best and wisest Servants will allow of therefore our calm and close debatings of these matters with our selves put us into a fair way to obtain Composures and Relief Proposi V. Good Men when most disquieted and dejected are then to discourse their gracious Selves Heb. 12.5 and to consider what is within them as well as what is laid upon them Psal 44.17 they should remember whose who and what they are by Grace and so repress the tumults and despondencies of their own Spirits for they that are Sanctified can never be forsaken of their God Proposi VI. A revived Sence of God of their Interest in him and of their expectations from him afford great Succours and Supports to gracious Souls and ought to be pleaded and urged upon them by themselves when all things look dreadfully towards them both within and about them Hab. 3.17 18. impatience and despondency are best rebuked Hereby a Sence of God must be revived for as we think of God so shall we value our relation to him and fix and keep our confidence in him and proportionate our expectations from him and 't is to this end that we have such glorious and great accounts of God in sacred writ as to his attributes of Power Wisdom Patience Grace c. Riches and Honour are with him all Kingdom Glory and Power are ascribed unto him and t is with him how things shall go with us and in all the parts of his Creation It is Peace or War with us serenity or disturbance in us and Good or Evil towards us as God himself determineth concerning us Job 34.29 and he that worketh all things after the Counsels of his own Will is to be concluded and believed to be as Good and Gracious as he is either Wise or Great for as Power is his Majesty and Holiness is his Glory so Mercy is his Riches and to him it is a pleasure to be kind and bountiful and a Name of Praise and Joy to be abundant in Compassions and Remissions Jer. 9.24 33.8 9. Mic. 7.18 And yet this is not all but our relation to and interest in him must be revived in the remembrances thereof upon our own Hearts Deut. 33.29 Isa 41.10 Jer. 3.4 5. Heb. 11.16 Hab. 3.18 Every relation is for relative purposes and designs and so affords us great Encouragements Psal 23.1 6. My God! the God of my Life I will say to God my Rock why hast thou forgotten me Psal 42.8 9. O my Strength to thee will I sing for God is my Defence and the God of my Mercy Psal 59.17 68.20 thus David encouraged himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30.6 and here the Foundation of our liveliest hopes is fixt for as Gods infinite perfection assures us that he can do all things so his relation to us and our interest in him assures us that he will be gratious to us and hereto may we safely trust and in the Sence hereof may we address to God by Prayer and Hope Psal 5.2 12. 109.26 119.114 And then the sence and value of what we are to look for is to be lively too upon our heart Slighty and Contemptible Thoughts and Estimations of what we look for will never considerably stem the Tide nor stop the Fluxes of our Sorrows and Discouragements Gods Favour is a valuable Blessing and as the Root of all the rest his Face is glorious and delightful when indeed
it shines upon the Soul the Rays and Beams which this Gods Blessed Face diffuses and transmits are supplies of Grace for all the Duties of a dark and stormy Season 2 Cor. 12.7 9. Supports of Spirit under troubles 2 Cor. 1.5 Col. 1.11 12. deliverance from them when most of God may be discovered and most Good brought to pass thereby Psal 34 19. and great Advantages to Souls by such Exercises whilst they abide upon them James 1.2 12. Rom. 5.3 5. 2 Cor. 4.16 18. Rom. 8.18 and so a consequent Emboldning of the Heart and Face towards God others and themselves Psal 86.16 17. 119.41 42. 109.25 27. Proposi VII Good Men can never settle and compose their own disturbed Spirits till they proceed to actual solid Hope in God Psal 146.5 8. Rom. 4.18 21. Here is the Souls only Anchor and Repose from the great God alone there it must expect great things for nothing can be too great for him to give or do if once he be resolved upon it from their God they may look for special and peculiar Favours and Reliefs in just and full agreements with all his Covenant-Relations to them and Engagements for them Zeph. 3.17 Jer. 3.23 Psal 68.20 and Deut. 33.26 29. Isa 25.9 And what have good Men to keep their Spirits up but hope in such a God 't is only his Omnipotence can weigh against the difficulties his Faithfulness against the Improbabilities and his Grace and Promises against the Jealousies and Disheartnings that arise from the delays of their defined and expected Mercies all other expectations and encouragements are but vain these hopes in God have their sure Footing Heb. 6.17 20. Psal 9.10 119.38 41. 23.4 Their hope as he is God is All-sufficient as he is their God he tenderly and compassionately careth for them and he thinks himself concerned both to fulfil and justifie their Hopes And as he is thus theirs by Covenant he will both seasonably and effectually make their chearful Looks to testifie the absolute Satisfactions of their Hearts in their Experienced Accomplishments of all his gracious Promises to them And as he is the health of their Countenance so they account the Sanctuary and Spiritual Unveylings and Returns of his Face to be the Glory and Salvation which they are most concerned and carried out to look for and to Glory in Psal 106.2 4 5. Here therefore they may safely trust and rest themselves who otherwise cannot but be as restless as Noah's Dove whilst from the Ark and as discontented and distracted as wandring Cain under the Execution of Gods dismal Doom and Curse upon him He only that is confident that God is trusty and that so commits himself and all to God as such and this under great expectations that God will keep and answer all his hopes and trust and that here stays and rests his Thoughts and Soul in this that God is certainly his Friend and God and will accordingly befriend him in the best Season and to the highest purpose and advantage He I say only can thus still the Tumults of his own Spirit Proposi VIII Good Mens Hope in God should never be discouraged by any difficulties or unlikelihoods in the way Rom. 4.18 22. Seeing the Patron of their Expectations is so great as God so near as their God and so much in their Eye of 1. Expectation as the Health of their Countenance And 2. Of their Resolution and Design as to make him the Object of their Praises and the Avouched and Adored Author and Giver of their Mercies And 3. Of their Affection and Delight as no ways thinking of such joyful work as Praise till he appear nothing can justifie Dejections where God concerns himself to help Psal 55.22 It is no great matter how things appear within before us or about us whilst God stands well affected towards us and can be truly called our Praise and God Heb. 10.35 37. Isa 8.13 51.12 13. Nothing can change or hinder him and why should any thing discourage His whom Grace hath brought to trust in him Rom. 8.31 39. Proposi IX What ever Gracious Souls expects from God they still determine and refer all to his Praise and Service Luke 1.72 75. Psal 119.7 17. 116.7 9. they neither desire expect nor use any Salvation or Supports ultimately for themselves Ezra 9.13 14. Psal 56.12 13. Gods Excellence is observed in all and his Glory is designed and pursued by all and indeed God is the End and Sweetness of all Mercies Rom. 11.36 And this was resolved upon by Holy David as both his Sanctuary-Honour his House-Enrichment and his Hearts delight The Health of his Countenance must be the Inhabitant of his Praises Thirdly Let us now consider this Text as a Directory to guide us to and in the Resolution of this Case before us The Case is this How may a Gracious Person from whom God hides his Face trust in the Lord as his God Now if you compare the Case and Text together you will find them Paralel in these particulars 1. In the Persons David that Holy Person was concerned in the Text and a Gracious Person is here concerned in the Case That David was a Gracious Person none can doubt that read and mind his Holy Breathings in the Psalms nay they must conclude him to be greatly such for what Raptures Fervours and Appeals what Holy Agonies and Flights of Spirit What Glorious Accounts of God and Providence And what Instances of Holy Confidence in God may you discern 2. In their Cases The One is cast down and disquieted and Gods Face is hidden from the other Now Gods hiding of his Face insinuates mostly some distast taken and thus it hints the Cause to be something neglected or committed or not well managed and performed which therefore God cannot approve of in any of his Favourites for God dislikes all Nonconformity to his Will either in the matter manner principle means or end of any Instance of Deportment towards God our selves or others though sometimes this hideing of Gods Face may be for other purposes not now to be Insisted on The Soul is cast down and disquieted saith the Text And thus we have the terrible Impressions and Effects of this Ecclipsed Face of God upon the Spirit of a Gracious Person the Case is doleful though Gods Design therein be Wise and Merciful for the sensible Tokens of Gods Gracious Face or Presence may be and are often times removed or with-held to try the Soul to awaken dormant Principles and Graces to their most seasonable and advantageous Exercises To prevent some greater Mischiefs which would arise from Divine Consolations unseasonably or unfitly placed To make and to expose to publick View some Monuments of Signal Deliverances Salvations and Supports and to form some Glorious Mirrours and Examples of Signal Patience and Submissions to the Will of God And all this may be done to serve more Glorious Purposes than any Man in Flesh can be aware of and
and Bitternesses lie deep within it self and they are not be intermedled with by Strangers Prov. 14.10 The Countenance of a Man is but the Index of his Spirit 't is in the Soul that Joys and Sorrows Center and Seat themselves Prov. 15.13 Many Infirmities or Distresses may easily be undergone by a sound Heart but if the Spirit it self be wounded how dreadful are its Wounds Prov. 18.14 The Spirit of Man is Gods Vicegerent and a great Mirrour of himself and as it Accuses and Condemns when it well understands and minds it self so it is the Vail and Representative of its God unto it self in Rom. 2.15 1 John 3.19 21. It can you see both Summon in and Search it self It can both Challenge and Discourse it self It can Command Reprove Exhort Encourage Enlarge Restrain it self It can Arraign its Temper Principles Purposes Actions Sufferings and Designs and make it self Inquisitor Judg Jury Witness and Executioner to it self It can look every way and make both Heaven and Earth good things and bad some way or other Serviceable to its own Concern and turn all the Memorials and Notices of its God to Self-improvements and Relief It is capable of Moral Government and of full Joys and Sorrows Congenial with its Contracted Principles Temper and Behaviour here It is capable of Converse and Communion with its God of Grace and Comfort Heaven or Hell It can perceive its own Distresses and Concerns Enjoy the best things and Improve the worst and so Consider all things as to Accept Refuse Approve Condemn and so resolve upon or wave a matter as it sees to be most fit nor needs it to truckle under any thing but Guilt and Wrath when plunged thereinto by its own Folly and Neglect The Text here shews you what the Soul of Man can do and if it be replyed That David's Soul it was Gracious and that Grace only brought it thus to be Disciplined and Tutoured by it self 'T is Answered That Grace can have no such effects on Stones and Bruits which Grace and diligent Care might make good use of And all Souls might do thus with and by themselves did they not by Sin degrade themselves For all Souls have Imperative Directive and Active Powers Infer II. Graceless Sinners are under dreadful Circumstances when Troubles comes upon them Rom. 2.8 9. Isa 50.11 57.20 21. 10.3 33.14 For when their Miseries surprise and overflow them should they then say Why so disquieted and cast down They have that within them which will rather say Oh why disquieted no more seeing there is so little ground of Hope from God 1 Thes 5.3 All is so Vile and Foul within them and all so Frightful and Amazing to them whether they look within about them or above them as that the greatest wonder is How they escape Distractions Souls so neglected and degraded and every way Devoted to the Will and Service of the Devil Such manifold and mighty Sins abounding in and from them and such great Wrath to be Inflicted on them such clear and numerous Presages of fearful Storms approaching towards them such an Inhabitant and Tyrant as Satan to make them do be lose and slight even any thing but what they should A God so much Incenst against them and every way so Resolved and Engaged to Ensnare and Ruin them And their own Spirits amidst all this so much estranged from uneasie in so frightful to and so much at variance with themselves so as that they never can be Reconciled to themselves again Why should not these Souls be disquieted and cast down when Troubles come upon them like Messengers with these heavy Tidings from the God of Heaven That they shall see his Face no more What Succour Hope or Refuge hath the Dejected Soul but God What Sanctuary is there for it in its Storms and Chases but the All-sufficient Jehovah And how can Mercy and Redresses be expected from him whom they can no way comfortably call their God whilst as yet unconverted Persons They have neither Encouragement nor an Heart to seek him acceptably and successfully Prov. 1.24 31. Their present Troubles are but the Harbingers and Foretasts of Eternal and Unmixed Wrath to come Providence serves the Writ and gives the Summons Conscience confounds and holds the Prisoner fast under the seizures of Gods Providence Justice draws up the Bill against them and Vengeance fixes them to their Wracks and they have nothing left them but their Fearful Expectations and Reproaches Heb. 10.26 31. Deut. 32.37 Let these Men Read Job 18.7 21. 27.8 9. Infer III. Excellent is the Case and Temper of Gracious Souls in 2 Cor. 1.12 Phil. 1.20 Isa 41.10 17. A good Heart within them A clear Way before them A good God for them A good Understanding of their Case and State And such Encouraging Refreshments and Supports so ready for them at their Call when truly needful to them What greater requisites than these can we mention and propose unto our selves to render our Condition easie safe and happy here What need we more to calm and cheer up our disturbed Spirits with Rom. 8.31 39. 2 Cor. 12.7 9. The God! my God! the health of my Countenance and One that yet is to be praised by me And therefore One that I must fully and may safely Hope in Why may not these things bear a Gracious Spirit up and quicken and embolden it to bid defiance to all Attempts which Earth or Hell can make to ruin and unhinge it The Gracious Soul as such is fit for any thing and it is Entitled to the greatest Blessings from its God and in due Season shall possess them what God by Grace hath made and brought it to renders it fit for Gods great Blessings and Supports And what God promises it may safely trust to and confidently relie upon The Text here shews you what the Gracious Soul can do it can restrain it self from its immoderate Sorrows by its faithful dealing with it self and by making a right Judgment upon whatever doth at any time befal it and as there is something in it apt to raise Storms and vexatious Resentments of its Pressures and Afflictions So are there certain Principles and a Seed of God within them and that in God above them and before them which will not always suffer their Sorrows and Dejections to transgress their stated Bounds and Rules because the composed and still Soul is fittest for Communion with God Hope in him Service to him and Consolation from him See here how narrowly David observed himself How skilfully he discoursed himself how powerfully he restrained himself and how readily he could and did Enlarge Encourage and Exalt himself you may discern in him that Grace will not admit of nor Countenance any unfit Reflections upon God it will not fall heavily with its Censorious Carpings upon his Providence nor in an Angry Pet of Frowardness and Impatience fall out with him It threatens no Revenge to Evil Men it
House of Jacob is a Fire and the House of Joseph a Flame and the House of Esau as Stubble Obad. 1.18 God takes notice of the least Injuries done to his Children by their Enemies nay of their very Omissions and Neglects Deut. 23.3 4. The Moabite and the Ammonite were not to enter into the Congregation of the Lord to the Tenth Generation because they met not the Children of Israel with Bread and with Water when they came out of Aegypt and what then will become of them that grudg Gods Children Bread that robs them of their Spiritual Bread and Water of Life would take from them the Allowance their Father hath given them and so would starve their very Souls 3. Whoever shew'd Kindness to the Godly in vain A Cup of Cold Water given to a Disciple in the name of a Disciple or because he belongs to Christ shall not wants its Reward Christ takes the least Respect shewn them as done to himself Visiting the Prisoners Clothing the Naked Releiving the Poor are acceptable Offices and usually followed with some Blessing even in this Life And I wonder wherein are they that this Day Persecute Gods Children the worse for them or for any Countenance they have shewn them Nor are they ever like to be if it be not their own fault by stirring up Gods Jealousie and pulling down his Vengeance upon their own Heads Were but Truth effectually beleived what an alteration would it make upon the Spirits of Men How would those that are at present so unkind to the truly Religious become their Friends and Favourers And the Governours of Judah would say in their Hearts the Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my Strength in the Lord of Hosts their God Zech. 12.5 Quest Whether it be expedient and how the Congregation may say Amen in publick Worship SERMON XXXI The Text is Neh. 8.6 And Ezra Blessed the Lord the great God and all the â—â—ople answered Amen Amen OMnipotent and Eternal goodness never wants Instruments to deliver his Church from slavery or reform it from degeneracy All the Empires and Emperors in the World have served the Kingdom of God and been as Scaffolds set up about the House of God to be taken down when that is built up and finished They have been as Gibeonites and Nethamins to the Temple of the Lord. The Assyrian was Gods Rod upon Israels Back Persian was here Gods Shepherd whose Spirit was stirred up to raise up the Jews Alexander was a Servant and the Romans have been but Gods slaves to do his Will against their own The State of the Church at this juncture was the end of a desolation or beginning of a reformation The Jews had weathered out Seventy Years in Captivity wherein multitudes of them were wore off a Remnant being left God raised up Cyrus and moved him to set them free from Babylon according to the Prophesie of Isa 45.1 Two Hundred and Ten Years before Many of the People through lazy worldliness or despondency chose rather still to lie among the Pots in Caldea than return to Jerusalem to build their City and Temple though Cyrus gave them not only liberty by Proclamations but Accommodations for the Work But God raised up the Spirit of Zerobabel Joshuah Nehemiah and Ezra to carry it on This Ezra was a great Man of God one of the great Synagogue a Prophet a Scribe a Priest Some will have it that as Jehoiakim cut and burnt the roll Jer. 36.23 So the Caldeans burned all the Books of the Law and so Ezra restored them as a Prophet by Revelation or his Memory but this is false for Daniel 9.2 understood by Books the expiration of the Seventy Years and Cyrus himself read the Prophesie of Isaiah for Ezra 1.2 he says the Lord charged him to build his House at Jerusalem But he was a Prophet as he was directed by Gods Spirit to compose this History of his and a perfect Scribe living to Malachi's time he wrote the complete Old Testament and made a perfect Copy But here he Officiates as a Priest the Son of Seraiah Ezra 7.1 from Phineas Eleazar and Aaron to serve the Lord. When they had neither Temple nor Tabernacle they set up the worship of the God of Heaven in theopen Heaven which was neither Typical nor Topical but Natural and Evangelical Worship Upon the First Day of the Seventh Month in a Pulpit in the Street the People meeting as one Man Ezra 3.1 he read the Law of God and that distinctly giving the Sence of it verse 8. from Morning to Noon and all the Congregation stood attentively and at Noon probably he Dismissed them with a Blessing according to Numb 6.23 Gods command Bâ—â—â—re at the opening the Book Praying to God and praising him for his good hand over them and his good word before them he Blessed the Lord ere he Blessed the People and Ezra Blessed c. In which words there is 1. The Priests or Ministers Office Blessing And 2. The Peoples Office and all the People answered Amen Amen 3. The great God in the midst of this great Congregation the Object of the Priests Office and the Peoples also whence this Doct. That it is a lawful and laudable Practice for People in the conclusion of publick Prayer or Praysing God to pronounce an Amen This will answer the Question which is whether it be expedient and how the Congregation may say Amen in publick Worship 1. I will explain what is meant by Amen 2. Shew what warrant there is for the Practice 3. Deduce some inference from all 1. Then there is Amen Substantive and that is God himself who is what he is Alpha and Omega Truth it self Isa 65.16 he that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself in the God Amen or of Truth Jesus Christ is God and the Amen the faithful and true Witness Rev. 3.14 he is that God in whom we may bless our selves his Being is of himself as God and he gives being to his Word 2 Cor. 1.20 all the promises of God being in him yeâ— and Amen whether Hebrew or Greek Old Testament or New Promises in him they are compleated and by him they are fulfilled 2. There is Amen Affirmative a Phrase used in the beginning of any momentous Truth as an asseveration what is Amen Matth. 16.28 Luke 9.27 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or verily Our Saviour hath this Phrsae peculiar to himself Amen Amen to give confirmation to the Doctrine and to raise our Attention and Faith or to show that not only Truth is spoken but by him who is Truth it self 3. There is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Optative Amen which is as much as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let it be so Blessed be God by us and Blessed be we of the Lord or as Jer. 28.6 It is expounded Amen the Lord do so the Lord perform the words which thou hast spoken This Amen was used to be set to when good was spoken as 1 Kings 1.36 when David
to redress and check his own despondent Spirit 7. And here the State and Temper of Davids Spirit is remarkable for it was 1. Sensible of Gods hand and Mans upon it 2. Observant of its own resentments and deportment under its Grievances 3. Therefore much conversant with it self 4. Desirous of some Redress but yet from God alone and not only desirous But also 5. Duly provident and industrious to obtain it looking within to see its Maladies and above to get Relief and Succour for having Grace to act it and God to help it and a Covenant of Promises to encourage and support it it was resolved and at work to Act most like its considerate and gracious Self and to make its best of God Secondly Let us now consider these words as they contain what is Doctrinal to us as giving us some Notices of our present State and Duty of what we are liable unto viz. To be cast down and disquieted and of what we are to do when exercised thus viz. 1. To discourse our selves And 2. To urge our Hope in God upon our selves and to press upon our selves what may enforce it and encourage it For 1. We find that all passages of Sacred Writ are upon Record for our Instruction and Advantage Rom. 15.4 2 Tim. 3.16 17. And why not this amongst the rest 2. We are exhorted to take the Prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord for an example of suffering Affliction and of Patience James 5.10 And such was David Acts 2.30 3. And in this Great and Exemplary Prophet we have this Four-fold Mirrour 1. A Mirrour of the Calamities whereto the best of Men may be exposed viz. To be cast down and disquieted Dreadful Afflictions and Dismal Apprehensions and Constructions arising from them and deep Resentments of them are incident to the holyest and best Men. I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I have Roared by reason of the disquietness of my Heart Thy Arrows stick fast in me and thy Hand presseth me sore Psal 38.2 6 8. I need not tell you what pressures were upon the Spirit of the Lord Christ and how they were resented by him 2. A Mirrour of that peculiar work at home which gracious Souls in their Afflictions are to mind Psal 77.6 11. 4.4 They must search into and commune with themselves about what lies upon them and how it is born and taken by them 3. A Mirrour of that redress and remedy whereunto they must repair when thus exercised and afflicted Psal 94.19 56.3 Let me not be ashamed for I put my trust in thee Psal 25.20 None but God and nothing but hope in him can give relief unto the troubled Soul And then 4. A Mirrour of that Grace and Wisdom which prompts and fits Men to Discourse themselves and to hope in God Hope thou for I shall yet let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee Psal 25.21 Here you may see the Holy poyse and bent of gracious Souls Sufferings though never so manifold and mighty and continuing will never bring the graceless Soul home to it self or God Only great thoughts of God and a due space of his relations and promises to us and of his interest in us can make us bear up our despondent and afflicted Spirits by fixed hope in God and bring us to discourse our selves to purpose The Power and Tendency of Holy Principles and of gracious dispositions are here conspicuous and legible in my Text take then the Sense thereof in this comprehensive proposition following Doctr. When gracious Souls are cast down and disquieted within themselves they should discourse themselves and revive those thoughts and such a Sense of God upon themselves as may encourage and enforce their hopes and confidence in God Psal 77.6 10. Holy David he is here a pattern to us all For here you see that in the greatest Agonies and Conflicts of his Spirit with what attempted thus to bear and keep it down David here 1. Makes a right and amiable representation of God to himself he sets him always before him as the Lord Jesus did Acts 2.25 and that 1. As God 2. As his God 3. As the health of his Countenance 4. As One that he should praise and therefore he expected the glorious appearances of this God for him 5. As One who in his great and gracious appearances for his Releif would master all those difficulties which any ways might threaten to obstruct the passages of his desired and expected Succours to him For I shall yet i. e. let things be as they will at present praise him 2ly He thence expects great things Such as are matters of high praises and acknowledgments to his God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laudabo Targ. Confitebor ei vul lat and infers them from these cheering considerations of his God 3ly He improves what he discovers and infers for the fixing of his hope in God 4ly And all this is to rebuke and moderate his otherwise too extravagant dejections and disturbances arising from excessive Sorrows Fears and Cares So that you see that no sorrows or dejections must banish or divorce us from our selves and God and from just hopes in him No Calamities should lay gracious Persons Prostrate at their Feet But they must conflict and argue with themselves and bring their Sorrows to the impartial Test and Scrutinies lest they promote their own distresses by sinful negligences and inadvertencies and make themselves to be the less receptive of those Encouragements and Supports which they might otherwise derive with ease from him who is their God and under strong propensions and engagements to act and to approve himself accordingly for their good Good Men are too propense and apt to make their Cups more bitter than ever God intended they should be whilst they attend more unto the resentments of their afflicted than to the hopes advantages and Principles of their gracious selves We wrest Gods dealings with us and then we censure him for what we bring upon our selves But Grace directs to better things and prompts Men first to self-discourses and debates about what is so very hard upon them that so the malady with its impressions and effects upon them being well understood the remedy may the better be considered and improved by them for as we can do nothing without God so he mistakes the proper state methods of Divine Redresses and Releifs that looks for any thing from God whilst he neglects himself But let me shew you the reach and purport of this Doctrine in these few following Propositions Proposi I. No Man so Great or Good in this World but he may fall under pressing and uncomfortable Circumstances Heb. 1.12 7.8 and Psal 34.19 the arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson thereof drinketh up my Spirits the terrours of God set themselves in battle array against me Job 6.4 We have here neither a continuing City nor resting Place the troubles of the Patriarchs