it are clear and pure directing us in our universal Duty the Promises are precious encouraging us by the prospect of the Reward the Threatenings terrible to preserve us from Sin There is an instrumental fitness in the Word preached to perfect the Image of God in us for the manner of conveying the Revelation to us has a congruity to work upon the subject to whom 't is revealed The first insinuation of Sin was by the Ear the first inspiration of Grace is by it Through the Ear was the entrance of Death 't is now the gate of Life In Heaven we shall know God by sight now by hearing When a Minister of the Gospel is inlightened from Heaven and zealous for the Salvation of Souls he is fitter for this Work than if an Angel were a ministring Spirit in this sense and imployed in this holy Office For he that Preaches has the same interest in the Doctrine declar'd by him his everlasting Happiness is nearly concern'd and therefore is most likely to affect others When a holy fire is kindled in the Breast it will inflame the Lips the Mind convinces the Mind and the Heart perswades the Heart But we must consider that as the Instrument cannot effect that for which 't is made without 't is directed and applyed for that end so without a superiour influence of the Holy Spirit that gives vital Power to the preaching of the Word 't is without efficacy What our Saviour speaks of the Natural Life is applicable to the Spiritual Man lives not by Bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from God's mouth A Minister with all his Reason and Rhetorick cannot turn a Soul from Sin to Holiness without the Omnipotent Operation of the Spirit The Apostle tells the Thessalonians that the Gospel came not to them in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost The Gospel then comes only in Word when it pierces no further than the Ear that is the sense to try Words and distinguish different Sounds and Voices But the Truth of God directed and animated by the Spirit doth not stop at the Ear the door of the Soul but passes into the Understanding and the Heart that make a change so real and great in the qualities of Men as is express'd by substantial productions 'T is therefore said We are begotten and born again by the incorruptible seed of the Word The Word becomes effectual for the increase of Holiness when 't is mix'd with Faith which binds the Conscience to entire Obedience 'T is the Word of God our King Law-giver and Judge the Rule of our present Duty and of future Judgment in the great day of decision The Divine Law is universal and unchangable and the Duties of it are not necessary for some and needless for others but must be obeyed without partiality notwithstanding the repugnance of the Carnal Passions When 't is seriously believed and considered the hearers are induced to receive it with preparation and resolution of yielding to it There is no Truth more evident nor injur'd than this that perfect Obedience is due to the Will of God declar'd in his Word This all profess in the general but contradict in particulars when a Temptation crosses the Precept Now the first act of Obedience to the Truth is the believing it with so stedfast an assent wrought by the Spirit that it purifies the Heart and reforms the whole Man 2. With Faith there must be joyn'd an earnest desire to grow in Holiness This is declar'd by St. Peter As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby In the Natural Life there is an inseparable Appetite of Food to maintain it the inward sense of its necessities causes a hunger and thirst after suitable supplies to preserve and improve it This is experimented in every one that is born of the Spirit they attend and apply the Word of God to them not merely to prevent the sharp reflections of Conscience for the impious neglect of their Duty for that proceeds from Fear not from Desire but to grow in Knowledge and Holiness not in an aiery flashy Knowledge that is only fruitful to increase Guilt and Punishment but substantial and saving Knowledge that is influential upon practice Hearing is in order to doing and doing is the way to Happiness 'T is not the forgetful hearer but the doer of the Word shall be blessed in his deed The bare knowledge of Evil does no hurt nor the bare knowledge of our Duty without practice does no Good Feeding without digesting the Food and turning it into Blood and Spirits affords no Nourishment nor Strength The most diligent hearing and comprehensive knowledge of our Duty without practice is not profitable The enemy of our Souls is content that Divine Truths should be in our Understandings if he can intercept their passage into our Hearts and Conversations He practices over continually the first Temptation to induce us by Guile to choose the Tree of Knowledge before the Tree of Life We are therefore commanded to be doers of the Word not hearers only deceiving our own Souls 3. That the Spiritual Life may be increased by the Word it must be laid up in the Mind and Memory and hid in the Heart David says I have hid thy Word in my Heart that I may not sin against thee His Affection to the Word caused his continual Meditation of it that it might be a living Root of the Fruits of Holiness in their season If there were the same care and diligence in remembring and observing the Rules of Life prescrib'd by the Wisdom of God in the Scriptures as Men use in remembring and practising Rules for the recovery of the Health of their Bodies and 't is justly requisite there should be more since the Life of the Soul infinitely excels the Life of the Body how holy and blessed would they be The Advice of the Roman Physician that is conducive for the Health of the Body is applicable to the Soul After a full Meal abstain from laborious Actions that the heat of the Spirits may be concentered in the Stomach for Digestion otherwise if diverted and imployed in Labour the Stomach will be filled with Crudities Thus after hearing the Word our thoughts should not be scattered in the World but we should recollect and revolve it in our Minds that it may be digested into practice 'T is said of the Virgin Mary She kept thâ—se sayings and pondered them in her heart There are powerful Motives to ingage us to a conscientious attendance upon this Duty Our Saviour tells us He that hears me that is with subjection of Soul hath Eternal Life And in one Instance he has declar'd how much approv'd and acceptable it was to him For when Martha was imployed about entertaining him and Mary was attentive to receive his Instructions he said Mary has chose the better part that shall not be taken from her His feeding Mary was more
make stubborn Spirits complyant Indeed some are so perverse in their Passions that the mildest words will incense them no submission no satisfaction will be accepted their Anger causes mortal and immortal Hatred But these are so far from being Christians they are not Heathens but devested of all Humanity 3. If Anger has rush'd into the bosom that it may not rest there cancel the remembrance of the Provocation The continual reflecting in the thoughts upon an Injury hinders Reconciliation The art of Oblivion if practic'd would prevent those resentments that eternize Quarrels For this end let us consider what may lessen the Offence in our esteem In particular if very injurious words are spoken against us by one in a transport of Anger they should be more easily despised when they seem more justly provoking for they proceed from Rage not from Reason and no Person that is of a wise and sober Mind will regard them but as words spoke by a sick Man in the height of a Calenture Now to make us careful to prevent or allay this Passion it will be requisite to consider the inclination and sway of our Natures some as soon take fire as dry thorns and retain it as knotty wood Now 't is a fundamental Rule of Life that our weakest part must be guarded with the most jealousie and fortified with the strongest defence There we must expect the most dangerous and frequent assaults of Satan There he will direct his Battery and place his Scaling-ladders Let therefore the following Considerations settle in our Hearts How becoming an understanding Creature it is to defer Anger For the Passions are blind and brutish and without a severe command of them a Man forfeits his natural dignity What is more unreasonable than for a Man deeply to wound himself that he may have an imaginary satisfaction in revenging an Injury Into what a fierce disorder is the Body put by Anger The Heart is inflamed and the boiling Spirits fly up into the Head the Eyes sparkle the Mouth foams and the other symptoms of Madness follow Inwardly the angry Man suffers more Torments than the most cruel Enemy can inflict upon him A Man of Understanding is of a cool Spirit It was the wise Advice of Pyrrhus to those whom he instructed in the Art of Defence that they would not be angry For Anger would make them rash and expose them to their Adversary He that hath not Rule over his own Spirit is like a City broken down and without Walls and consequently exposed to Rapine and Spoil by every Enemy Satan hath an easie entrance into them and brings along with him a train of Evils We are therefore directed to watch against Anger and not to give place to the Devil Eph. 4. Consider how honourable it is to pass by an Offence 'T is a royalty of Spirit an imitation of God in whose Eyes the ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit is of great price The greater the Offence the greater the Glory of pardoning it How pleasant it is The Soul is possess'd in Patience 't is cool and quiet there is a Divine and Heavenly Content of the Mind the Will and Affections The Breast of a dispassionate Man is the Temple of Peace Besides let us frequently remember our want of the Divine Compassion There is no Man so innocent unless he absolutely forgets that he is a Man and his many Frailties but desires that the cause of his Life in the day of Judgment may be tryed by the Tribunal of Clemency for no Man can then be saved but by Pardon The due Consideration of this will make us more hardly provoked and more easily appeased with those who offend us Let us pray for the descent of the Dove-like Spirit into our Bosoms to moderate and temper our Passions Meekness is the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. There is a Natural Meekness the product of the Temperament of the Humours in the Body this is a rare Felicity There is a Moral Meekness the product of Education and Counsel this is an amiable Vertue There is a Spiritual Meekness that orders the Passions according to the Rule of the Divine Law in conformity to our Saviour's Example This is a Divine Grace that attracts the esteem and love of God himself This prepares us for Communion with the God of Peace here and in Heaven To obtain this excellent frame of Spirit let us be humble in our Minds and temperate in our Affections with respect to those things that are the incentives of Passion The false valuations of our selves and the things of this World are the inward causes of sinful Anger Contempt and Disdain either real or apprehended and the crossing our desires of worldly enjoyments inflame our Breasts Our Saviour tells us he is meek and lowly and Meekness is joyned with Temperance as the productive and conservative cause of it He that doth not over-value himself nor inordinately affect temporal things is hardly provoked and easily appeased 3. I will consider the two other vicious Affections joyned by St. John with the Lusts of the Flesh the Lust of the Eyes and Pride of Life from which we must be purged or we are uncapable of the blessed relation of God's Children and of his Favour The infamous Character of the Cretians is proper to the ambitious covetous and voluptuous That they are evil beasts and slow bellies Covetousness is a diffusive Evil that corrupts the whole Soul 'T is radically in the Understanding principally in the Will and Affections vertually in the Actions 1. 'T is radically in the Understanding Men are first inchanted in their Opinion of Riches and then chained by their Affections The Worldly-minded over-value Riches as the only real and substantial Happiness the Treasures of Heaven which are spiritual and future are slighted as Dreams that have no existence but in the imagination They see no convincing charms in Grace and Glory the lustre of Gold dazles and deceives them they will not believe 't is Dirt. Gold is their Sun and Shield that supplies them with the most desireable good things in their esteem and preserves them from the most fearful Evils Gain is their main design and utmost aim their contrivances and projects are how to maintain and improve their Estates and the most pleasant exercise of their thoughts is to look over their Inventory 2. Covetousness is principally in the Will the place of its residence 't is called the love of Money There is an inseparable relation between the Heart and its Treasure We are directed If Riches increase set not your Hearts upon them 'T is observable that the eager desire to procure Riches is often subordinate to other vicious Affections either to Prodigality or Pride Prodigality excites to Rapine and Extortion from the violent motive of Indigence that is its usual attendant and from the conspiring Lusts of Sensuality which languish unless furnish'd with new supplies and nourishment Or Pride urges to an excessive
and of different degrees of Goodness the Vine the Fig-tree the Apple-tree if an Apple-tree produce the best Fruits in its kind though not equal to the Fruit of the Vine 't is perfectly good Thus in the World there are several Conditions of Life among Men some are in places of Dignity and Superiority others of subjection and service A Servant that is faithful and diligent adorns the Gospel and excels in that Relation and is equally accepted of God as others in a higher order He that gain'd two Talents was esteem'd as faithful as he that gain'd five because the profit resulting from the improvement was in proportion to the stock entrusted with him There is a Perfection Relative to the various Spiritual States of Christians here St. John addresses his Counsel to Christians under several Titles to Children to Young Men and Fathers with respect to their different Ages in Christianity A Child is perfect in the quality of a Child when he has the stature the strength the understanding that is becoming his Age though he is distant from that compleat state to which he will arrive in his mature Age. A young Man has the Perfection proper to his Age. A new Convert that has such degrees of Knowledge and Holiness as are suitable to the Means and his Time of advancement by them is esteem'd Compleat in that state of Grace Some are enter'd into the School of Heaven and are in the first Lessons of Christianity others have made a higher progress in it to the fulness of the Stature Beyond the Perfection attainable here there is an absolute Perfection of Holiness in the extent of its parts and intention of degrees 'T is our present Duty to aspire and endeavour after this but attain'd only in Heaven where every Saint is renewed into the perfect Image of God and made glorious in holiness the great end of our Saviour's Love in dying for us By gradations Christians ascend to that Consummate state the period of Perfection CHAP. VI. Particular Graces Consider'd the internal Principles of Perfection Divine Faith Doctrinal Justifying and in the disposal of Providence Doctrinal Faith is not Imagination nor Reason The Objects of it The Motives consider'd The Essential Perfections of God Faith a divine Revelation is the most reasonable Act of the Humane Mind God's Truth a Principle immediately evident His Jurisdiction reaches to mens Understandings God never requires our Assent to supernatural Truths but he affords sufficient Conviction that they are reveal'd by him God reveals himself in Scripture by humane expressions according to our Capacity We are obliged to believe supernatural Doctrines no farther than they are reveal'd To attempt the Comprehensive knowledge of them is perfectly vain 't is impossible impertinent and dangerous Curiosity often fatal to Faith An Answer to Objections that supernatural Doctrines are not reconcileable to Reason That when men use all means sincerely to know the truth of them and are not Convinc'd of it they shall not be Condemn'd for involuntary speculative Errors I Will now particularly Consider those Graces that are of a more Excellent Nature and have a more powerful Causality and Influence in the lives of Christians Faith and Love Hope and Fear are the internal Principles of Christian Perfection I will first discourse of Divine Faith the first principle and foundation of Religion as the Apostle declares He that comes to God must believe that he is and the rewarder of them that diligently seek him The belief of his Being and Bounty is the Motive of Holy Worship This Grace is most Honourable to God and beneficial to us The understanding is our Supreme Faculty and by submitting it to divine Revelation we pay the most humble Homage to him By Faith we Conceive of God becoming his divine Perfections in believing the Revelation he has made of his Nature which is as Incomprehensible as 't is Invisible and the declaration of his Will though the things promis'd are encompass'd with opposition and seeming impossibilities we glorifie his perfect Veracity and Omnipotence in the highest manner He that believes the divine Testimony sets his Seal that God is true ratifies his word in the most solemn manner Faith is most beneficial to us 'T is the root of the Spiritual Life from whence all other Graces derive their flourishing and fruitfulness 'T is not only productive of its own acts but excites and animates every Grace in its distinct exercise Like the animal Spirits that give motion and vigour to all the Senses Faith in Christ conveys to a weak Christain a kind of Omnipotence The Apostle declares I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me The most eminent effects of other Graces either active or suffering Fortitude Zeal Self-denyal Patience are attributed to Faith as the Honour of a Victory is ascribed to the General by whose Conduct and Courage the Battle is managed though 't is obtained by the Valour of the Soldiers By Faith we are justified from the guilt of our many and mighty Sins We are purified from their deep Pollutions We are adopted into the line of Heaven and are saved from misery extreme and eternal I will consider Divine Faith under three Heads 1. Doctrinal Faith 2. Justifying Faith 3. Faith in the disposal of all things by the ruling Providence of God Doctrinal Faith I will consider 1. In its nature 2. The objects of it 3. The motives 4. The efficacy 1. The nature of it All the notions of Faith agree in this 't is a dependance upon the truth of another Thus Trust is called Faith because it relies upon the truth of a Promise And one is said to keep his Faith inviolate when he performs the Promise that another relyed on Faith in the propriety of expression is an assent for the veracity of the speaker Accordingly Divine Faith is a firm assent of the Mind to things upon the authority of Divine Revelation 'T is distinguish'd from Imagination and from comprehensive Reason Fancy draws a Copy of those Objects that are perceived by the external Senses or compounds many Copies together but creates no images of things not perceptible by the Senses We can imagine Mountains of Gold because we have seen Gold and Mountains We conceive monstrous mixtures in Dreams but no actors can appear on the theatre of Fancy but in borrowed habits from sensible things But the Objects of Faith are such things as Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard and transcend the capacity of the Imagination to conceive and of the external Senses to represent Yet Infidels blaspheme the Eternal Truths of Divine Things as the fictions of Fancy 2. Faith is distinguish'd from Science acquired by Study and from Reason Reason implies a progress from one degree of Knowledge to another by consequences drawn from the first to the second But Faith asserts to things upon the account of superiour Authority that reveals them and commands us to believe them The same things may be
our judgment for that which has least Now 't is certainly much more suitable to the reasonable Mind to acknowledge that things may be true which we are not able to conceive and comprehend than to deny the natural and proper sense of many clear and express texts of Scripture that declare those things And by this we may judge of the Glosses of Socinus and his followers who without reverence of the Majesty of God and the sincerity of his Word rack the Scriptures to make them speak what they do not and use all Arts to silence them in what they do reveal Unhappy men 〈◊〉 that affect to be esteem'd Ingenious and Subtil to the extreme hazard of their own Salvation How much safer and more easie is it to believe the plain sense of the Scriptures than the turns and shifts that are invented to elude it and extricate Heretical Persons out of the difficulties that attend their Opinions I shall add the Doctrine of the Trinity is so expressly set down in the Gospel of Christ that 't is impossible the Son of God who is Infinite and Eternal Love who gave himself for our Redemption should have declar'd it and engag'd his Disciples in all Ages and Places in an Error of such dreadful Consequence as the Worshipping those who are not God 2. 'T is alledged that if a Person sincerely searches into the Scripture and cannot be convinc'd that the supernatural Doctrines of the Trinity and others depending upon it are contain'd in them he shall not be Condemn'd by the Righteous Judge of the World for involuntary and speculative Errors To this I answer 1. This pretence has deceiv'd many who were guilty of damnable Heresies and there is great reason to fear deceives men still The heart is deceitful above all things and most deceitful to it self Who can say that neither Interest nor Passion neither Hope nor Fear neither Anger nor Ambition have interven'd in his Inquiry after Truth but he has preferr'd the knowledge of Divine Truths before all Temporal Respects and yet he cannot believe what the Scripture reveals of the Nature of God and the oeconomy of our Salvation let this Imaginary Man produce his Plea for I believe there was never any such There are many that make reason the Soveraign Rule of Faith and determine such things cannot be true because they cannot understand how they can be true Prodigious Inference the most absurd of all Errors that makes the narrow Mind of Man the measure of all things This is the proper Principle of that horrible Compofition of Heresies and execrable Impieties which so many that are Christians in Profession but Antichristians in Belief boldly Publish They will choose to Err in matters of Infinite Importance rather than Confess their Ignorance And which is astonishing they will readily acknowledge the defectiveness of Reason with respect to the understanding of themselves but insolently arrogate a right to determine things in the Nature of God 'T is true Ignorance the more invincible is the more excusable but when the Error of the Mind is from a vicious Will both the Error and the Cause of it are sinful and inexcusable When the corrupt Will has an Influence upon the Understanding and the Mind is stain'd with some Carnal Lust when a Temptation diverts it from a serious and sincere considering the Reasons that should induce us to believe Divine Doctrines their Unbelief will be justly punish'd The Scripture declares That an evil heart is the cause of unbelief Pride and obstinacy of Mind and Carnal Lusts are the Cause that so many renounce those Eternal Truths by which they should be saved 2. 'T is alleged That speculative Errors cannot be Damnable To this I answer 1. The Understanding of Man in his Original State was Light in the Lord and regular in its directions now 't is dark and disorder'd and in the points of Religion that are reveal'd any Error induces guilt and if obstinately defended exposes to Judgment Some Truths are written because necessary to be believed others are to be believed because written 2. According to the quality of the Truths reveal'd in Scripture such is the hurtfulness of the Errors that are opposite to them Some Truths are necessary others profitable some Errors are directly opposite to the Saving Truths of the Gospel others by Consequence undermine them Those who deny the Lord that bought them are guilty of damnable Heresies capital Errors not holding the head 3. The Doctrine of the Trinity is not a mere speculative Truth nor the denial of it a speculative Error the Trinity is not only an Object of Faith but of Worship In Baptism we are dedicated to the Sacred Trinity in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost which clearly proves they are of the same Authority and Power and consequently of the same Nature for 't is impossible to Conceive of three Infinite Beings for by necessity one would limit another The Apostle declares without Controversie great is the mystery of Godliness God manifest in the flesh The Nature and End of this Divine Mystery is to form the spirits of Man to believe and love and obey God For in it there is the clearest Revelation of God's admirable Love to Men of his unspotted Holiness his incorruptible Justice the great Motives of Religion In that Divine Doctrine we have the most ravishing Image of Piety and Vertue the most becoming the Nature of God to give and of Man to receive Briefly God Commands us to believe in his Son without Faith in him we are uncapable of Redemption by him When Christ perform'd Miraculous Cures he requir'd of the Persons whether they did believe in his Divine Power and what he declar'd himself to be Electing Mercy ordains the Means and the End The Apostle gives thanks to God because he has chosen the Thessalonians to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and the belief of the Truth Holiness and Faith in the Doctrine of the Gospel are indispensable qualifications in the Learn'd and Ignorant that would be saved by the Son of God 'T is a high Contempt of the Truth and Goodness of God not to yield a firm Assent to what he has reveal'd concerning our Salvation by his Incarnate Son He that believes not the Record that God hath given of his Son makes God a Liar This infinitely provokes him and inflames his Indignation To dis-believe the Testimony that Jesus Christ has given of the Divinity of his Person and Doctrine is to despise him it robs him of his Essential and his acquir'd Glory by the work of our Redemption There can be no true Love of God without the true knowledge of him as he is reveal'd not onely in his Works but in his Word Our Saviour who is the Way the Truth and the Life has declar'd when he gave Commission to his Apostles to preach the Gospel to the World whoever believes and is baptised shall be saved whoever believes not shall
be damned We cannot make Laws to be the Rule of God's Judgment but must receive them However some may flatter Erring Persons in their Security it will be found in the great Day that Infidelity in the Light of the glorious Gospel will have no Excuse before God The Doctrine of the Gospel is like the Pillar of Cloud and of Fire that was darkness to the Egyptians but inlightned the Israelites in their Passage out of Egypt 't is conceal'd from the Proud and reveal'd to the Humble The Humane Mind is imperious and turbulent and averse from submitting to God's Authority who Commands the Wise and most Understanding to yield full Assent to his Word as the meanest Capacities The Natural Man receives not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discern'd There is no proportion between the Faculty and the Object You may as well see an Angel by the Light of a Candle as see the great Mysteries of the Gospel by the Natural Mind their reality beauty and excellency so as savingly to believe them Faith is the Fruit of the Spirit who is stil'd the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation who discovers the Object and inlightens the Mind to see it and by free preventing Grace inclines the Will to embrace it The Holy Spirit alone can pull down strong holds and cast down Imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bring into Captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. The Spirit overcomes the Pride of the Natural Understanding by the Authority of the Revealer and inlightens the Ignorance of it by the Infallible Revelation Violence and Temporal Respects may by Terrors and Allurements make Men Hypocrites but cannot make them sincere Believers there will be a Form of Religion without and Atheism within 'T is special Grace inspires the Elect of God with Light to see Spiritual things and requires special Thankfulness Let us Humbly pray to the Father of Mercies and of Lights that he would reveal the Mysteries of his Kingdom to the Minds of Men. If the Gospel be hid 't is hid to those that are lost in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them who believe not lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine into them CHAP. VII The Power of Faith to overcome all that is opposite to our Salvation A Speculative Assent to Supernatural Truths is not Saving The Efficacy of Faith against the Temptations of the World proceeds from the Nature of its Objects and the degrees of Assent and the frequent application of them to our Hearts There is an incomparable difference between the good and evil things that are present and those that are future The Evidence and Importance of future good things and our interest in them fixes our Assent and makes it effectual Justifying Faith consider'd in its Nature and Purifying Virtue Faith in the disposals of Divine Providence is a Fundamental Principle from whence many Practical Consequences are derived The Heathens had very disparaging Conceits of God's Providence The Scripture declares that nothing happens without the knowledge the Will either permissive or approving and the Ordering Providence of God This is very influential to the Lives of Men. 4. I Will now Consider the Power and Efficacy of Faith to overcome all that is opposite to our Salvation I shall premise there is a common delusion that has a pernicious Influence into the Minds and Lives of many that those are true Believers who yield a dry and barren Assent to the Mysteries of the Gospel without the practical Belief of them They do not foment and authorise doubts by the pretence of Reason nor excite revolts in their Minds and entertain Objections against supernatural Truths but they never felt the spirit and power of Faith in raising them above the low descents of Carnal Minds and setting their Affections on things above The Love of the present World like a stupifying Wine causes in them a forgetfulness of Heaven and that which is the most dangerous Idolatry in the sight of God is seated in their Hearts The Understanding submits to divine Revelation but the Will is Rebellious against the divine Commands They believe what is necessary to believe but not what is necessary to do They are satisfied with a speculative Faith that costs nothing and will go with them to Hell for the Devils believe supernatural Truths They are rich in the Notions of Faith but poor in the Precepts of Obedience Now in the Language of Scripture saving Faith and knowledge of divine things are productive of such Affections and Actions as are correspondent to the Nature of the things believed If the Head be inlightned and the Heart in Darkness if one professes never so fully his Assent and Adherence to all the Articles of Faith and the Beams of Faith are not visible in his Conversation he is an Infidel He that sayes I know Christ or which is Equivalent believe in him and keeps not his Commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him Every habitual Sinner is an Unbeliever Unfeigned Faith receives the Word of God in all its parts Doctrines Commands Promises not only as Infallibly true but Superlatively good and precious and intirely embraces them with a despising of all things that may come in Competition with them and expresses the esteem and love of them in the practise The two inseparable properties of Saving Faith are 't is Humble and Submissive to divine Revelation 't is Dutiful and Obedient to divine Precepts This being premis'd I will consider the power of Faith proceeding 1. From the Nature of the Objects upon which 't is exercis'd 2. From the degrees of its Assent and Adherence to them 3. From the serious and frequent Application of the Objects to our Heart 1. From the Nature of the Objects upon which 't is exercis'd now between them and the most enticeing good things and the most fearful evil in this present state there is an incomparable difference The Apostle tells us This is the victory that overcomes the World even our Faith Victory supposes a Fight and a Fight supposes an Enemy The Enemy is declar'd the VVorld including the Men of the VVorld and the things of it This Enemy is in Combination with the Devil and the Flesh. He is stil'd the Prince of this World that manages the Temptations of it for the ruine of Souls He tryes his poisons according to the dispositions of Men in hopes of working in them He presents to some a charming Cup to intoxicate them with the pleasures of Sin he tempts others with things of Lustre with Titles of Honour and Dignity that dazle their Minds that they cannot give a true and safe judgment of things he allures others with Riches And as heat is doubled by reflexion so he enforces his
Government of the VVorld his VVord is as Powerful Lift up your Eyes on high and behold who hath created these things that bringeth out their host by number he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might for that he is strong in power not one faileth He is not only the God of the hills but of the valleys There is nothing so inconsiderable but is under the immediate disposal of his Providence A Sparrow worth but half a farthing does not fall to the ground nor a hair of our heads without his disposal All the Casualties and Contingencies in the World are order'd by him The Arrow shot at a venture was directed by an Invisible Eye and Hand to smite the King of Israel between the Joynts of his Harness and wound him to Death The most arbitrary and free Causes are under his determining Influence The Hearts of kings are in his hands and are turn'd by him as rivers of waters which a Gardiner turns into several Channels for to make his Ground fruitful Sin that is directly contrary to his Law is not only permitted and restrain'd but order'd as a means to illustrate his Providence Justice and Goodness Joseph's malicious brethren sold him into Egypt but God sent him to make provision for the Family of Jacob in a time of extreme Famine He permitted the lying Spirit to deceive Ahab by inspiring his false Prophets to encourage him to go to Ramoth Gilead that he might Fall in Battle He gives Riches and Honour to his Enemies who presumptuously break his Laws of the greatest Consequence and foresees they will abuse them and prodigally perish It was an incredible Conception to the Heathen that One God was able to govern the World But his Power and Understanding are truly infinite and 't is more easie to him than for a Man to lift a Feather The Accidents in this World are innumerable but cannot distract an infinite eternal Mind nor cause weariness in the Almighty Every Agent must be united by active Power with the Objects upon which it immediately works The Power of God is his Essence not a separable quality he is intimate and present with all things One Sun is sufficient to measure Times distinguish Seasons and to preserve an intire World of living Creatures the meanest Worm or Herb is cherish'd by its Heat as if all its Influences were confin'd for their preserving And is not an infinite God sufficient to support and dispose all things 3. Divine Providence is more special and tender towards God's peculiar People The Eyes of the Lord run to and â—ro through the whole Earth to shew himself strong in behalf of those whose Hearts are perfect towards him His tender Mercies his extensive Attribute is over all his Works But more eminently exercised according to their degrees of Goodness and his Propriety in them Our Saviour inferrs by the clearest Consequence that the Divine Providence that reaches to the falling of a Sparrow is much more concern'd for his People accordingly encourages his Disciples Fear not ye are of more value than many Sparrows God is the Saviour of all Men especially of those who believe Now as when the reason of a Command has a direct aspect upon us it more strongly binds us to obey God so when the reason of a Promise has a peculiar respect to us it engages God more strongly to preserve us God has a Right to all Mankind by a general Tenure but a special Interest in the Godly He is the King of Nations and the King of Saints 'T is his dearest Title above all the Titles of Majesty ascribed to him They are precious in his esteem his Treasure his Jewels the most valuable part of his Treasure the Jewels of his Crown the most radiant and rich Jewels Propriety and preciousness engage his powerful and propitious Providence for their Good They are exposed to many Evils for their Relation to him their Heavenly Father and for his Image shining in them For thy sake we are killed all the day long They are like a flock of Sheep among Wolves and Tigers unable to defend themselves His compassionate Love excites his Power for their preservation The Zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall do this His Love inclines him and his Promise ingages him never to leave nor forsake them When they are ready to despair he is ready to deliver Now the firm belief of the universal Providence of God and his special Care for his People is like a Rudder to a Ship without which 't is constrained to yield to every Storm but guided by it sails with every Wind to it s design'd Port. When God enter'd into a Covenant with Abraham he assures him I am the almighty God walk before me and be perfect Every deflection from our Duty proceeds either from the hope of obtaining some temporal Good or the fear of incurring some temporal Evil These Passions are very forcible in Mens Breasts We see how powerful they are in sensitive Creatures even in a Grey-hounds coarsing a Hare Hope adds Wings to the Feet of the one and Fear adds Wings to the Feet of the other Men without Faith in God will break through his Laws when Temptations work on their Hope or Fear for they are under the dominion of Sense But the belief of God's All-sufficiency that he is a Sun to supply us with all truly desirable good things a Shield to secure us from all destructive Evils confirms our Dependance on him and ingages our Obedience to him This conduces to our present Peace and future Blessedness There are secret springs of Providence that work sometimes in an extraordinary manner for the preserving his People Joseph was raised from a Prison to a Principality The poor Prophet was fed by a Raven when the wicked King was like to starve in his Palace The malicious design of Haman to destroy the whole Nation of the Jews was frustrated and reflexively pernicious to himself by a strange concurrence of Circumstances ordered by Divine Providence The faithful Companions of Daniel who resign'd themselves to his Will and Wisdom were rescued from the Furnace and Fury of the proud King by an Angel But many times the Saints of God are involved in common Calamities Inundations Earthquakes the Pestilential Air Sword Famine make no difference between the innocent and the guilty The Sun rises upon the evil and the good the Thunder falls on the good and evil Nay as our Saviour tells his Disciples They shall weep and lament when the World rejoyces But he comforts them with the assurance that their Sorrow shall be turned into Joy The Apostle declares We know all things work together for good to them that love God There are mysterious depths in the Oeconomy of Providence that the short Line of our Reason cannot sound But we may rely upon the Promise of God who can bring Light out of Darkness We have an illustrious proof of his
Contemplation of its Goodness and Equity constrains the Mind to assent to it From hence we may infallibly inferr that the radical difference and distinguishing character between a Saint and one in the state of polluted Nature is the affection of Love with respect to its objects and degrees Love to God as our sovereign Happiness is the immediate Cause of our Conversion and Re-union with him Love to vicious Objects or when with an intemperate current it descends to things not deserving its ardent degrees alienates the Heart from God Holiness is the order of Love The excellency of holy Love will appear in the following Considerations 1. Love has the supremacy among all the Graces of the Spirit This in the most proper sense is the Fire our Saviour came to kindle on the Earth The Apostle declares that Charity is greater than Faith and Hope which are Evangelical Graces of eminent usefulness For 1. 'T is the brightest part of the Divine Image in us God is Love 'T is the most adequate Notion of the Deity and more significant of his blessed Nature than any other single Attribute The most proper and honourable Conception we can form of the Deity is Love directed by infinite Wisdom and exercised by infinite Power Faith and Hope cannot be ascribed to God they imply imperfection in their Nature and necessarily respect an absent Object Now all things are present to the Knowledge of God and in his Power and Possession But Love is his Essential Perfection the productive Principle of all Good Love transforms us into his likeness and infuses the divinest temper into the Soul In the acts of other Graces we obey God in the acts of Love we imitate him This may be illustrated by its contrary There are Sins of various kinds and degrees Spiritual and Carnal Spiritual such are Pride malignant Envy irreconcilable Enmity delight in Mischief which are the proper Characters of the Devil and denominate Men his natural Sons Carnal Sins which the Soul immerst in Flesh indulges all riotous Excesses Intemperance Incontinence and the like of which a meer Spirit is not capable denominates Men the Captives and Slaves of Satan Now Spiritual Sins induce a greater guilt and deeper pollution than Carnal The exacter resemblance of the evil one makes sinful Men more odious to God 2. Love is more extensive in its influence than Faith and Hope their operations are confin'd to the Person in whom they are The Just lives by his own Faith and is saved by his own Hope without communicating Life and Salvation to others But 't is the spirit and perfection of Love to be beneficial to all Love comforts the afflicted relieves the indigent directs those who want Counsel 'T is the vital cement of Mankind In the Universe Conversation and reciprocal Kindness is the Blood and Spirits of Society and Love makes the circulation 3. Love gives value and acceptance to all other Gifts and Graces and their operations The Apostle tells us Though I have the gift of Prophestes and understand all Mysteries and all Knowledge though I have all Faith and could remove mountains and have not Charity I am nothing And though I bestow all my Goods to feâ—d the Poor and though I give my Body to be burned and have not Charity it profiteth me nothing Without Charity Faith is but a dead assent Hope is like a Tympany the bigger it grows the more dangerous it proves The most diffusive Beneficence without Love is but a sacrifice to Vanity 'T is not the richness of the Gift but the love of the giver that makes it accepted and rewarded in Heaven The Widows two Mites cast into the Treasury of the Temple were of more value in our Saviour's account than the rich Offerings of others For she gave her Heart the most precious and comprehensive Gift with them The giving our Bodies to be burned for the truth and glory of the Gospel is the highest expression of Obedience which the Angels are not capable of performing yet without Charity Martyrdom is but a vain-glorious blaze and the sealing the Truth with our Blood is to seal our Shame and Folly Sincere Love when it cannot express it self in suitable effects has this priviledge to be accepted in God's sight as if it were exuberant and evident in outward actions for God accepts the Will for the Deed If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to what a Man hath and not according to that he hath not 4. Love is the perfection of the Law the sum and substance of every Precept All particular Duties though distinguished in the matter are united in Love as their principle and centre St. Austin observes That all other Vertues Piety Prudence Humility Chastity Temperance Fortitude are Love diversified by other names Liberal Love gives supplies to the Poor patient Love forgives Injuries Love is the end and perfection of the Gospel Now the end of the Commandment is Charity out of a pure Heart and a good Conscience and Faith unfeigned Some restrain the word Commandment to the Law thinking that the Gospel is only compounded of Promises But they misunderstand the difference between the two Covenants 'T is not in that the one commands and the other does not command but in the nature of the Duties commanded The Law commands to do for the obtaining of Life the Gospel commands to believe for Salvation This is the command of God that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is by the Apostle used for the Doctrine of the Gospel As the end of a Science or Art is the perfection of the Understanding in those things which are the proper subject of the Science The end of Philosophy is Knowledge and Moral Vertue the end of Rhetorick is Eloquence Thus the end of the Gospel the Divine Doctrine of our Salvation is Love a Coelestial Perfection Faith in the redeeming Mercy of God is the product of the Gospel not of the Law and Love is the end of Faith Now the end is more excellent than the means to obtain it In this respect Love is greater than Faith Briefly Love is stil'd the Bond of Perfection as it unites and consummates other Graces comprehends and fastens them Love to God draws forth all the active powers of the Soul in Obedience He that with a full and fervent Will applyes himself to his Duty will more easily pleasantly and exactly perform it The Love of God will form the Soul into a more entire conformity to his Nature and obedience to his Law and raise it to a greater eminency of Holiness than the clearest knowledge of all Precepts and Rules can do 4. Love never fails The Gifts and Graces of the Spirit are dispensed and continued according to our different states Some are necessary in the present state of the Church with respect to our Sins and Troubles from which there is no perfect freedom here Repentance is
the vital Members From hence we are inform'd how to judge of our Hopes whether they are saving and will attend us to the Gates of Heaven If they purifie us they will certainly be accomplish'd in Heavenly Blessedness If we be like our Saviour in Grace we shall be like him in Glory But carnal and loose Hopes will issue in disappointment Our Saviour tells us that every visible Christian in a spiritual sense is a builder and raises a fabrick of Hope that may appear fair to the Eye but there is a time of tryal a coming that will discover how firm it is 'T is our Wisdom to descend to the foundation of our Hope that we may understand whether it be a Rock that cannot be shaken or the quick Sand that cannot bear the weight of it Those who hear the Words of Christ and do them build upon a Foundation more stable than the Centre the perfect Veracity of God is engaged in his Promises But those who hear without doing build upon the sinking Sand. Carnal Men will pretend they hope for Salvation only for the infinite Mercies of God and Merits of Christ 'T is true these are Eternal Foundations but to secure a Building the Superstructure must be strongly fasten'd to the Foundation or it cannot resist a Storm If we are not united to Christ by the sanctifying Spirit and a purifying Faith our Hopes will deceive us When Sin has dominion which is certainly discovered by the habitual course of Mens Lives when there is a remanent affection to it in Mens Hearts which is known by their reflections upon past Sins with pleasure and the prospect of future Sins with desire their Hope is like a Spider's web that can bear no stress Hope is subordinate to Faith and Faith is regulated by the Promise Some believe without Hope they are convinc'd of the reality of the Future State of the Eternal Judgment and the consequents of it but are careless and desperate in their wickedness Others hope to be well hereafter without belief of the Gospel Indeed there is none can bear up under despairing Thoughts when they are raging in the Breast He that is absolutely and with consideration hopeless falls upon his own Sword The Tempter deals with Sinners according to their conditions If they are swimming in Prosperity he stupifies Conscience and induces them to be secure if they are sinking in deep Distress he is so skilful in all the arts of aggravation that he plunges them into Despair And both Temptations are fatal but the most perish by fallacious hopes 'T is strange that the greatest number of Professors are more unwilling to suspect the goodness and safety of their condition than to mistake and be deceived for ever But they are so strongly allur'd by worldly Objects that though in their Lives there are the visible marks exclusive of Salvation they are unconcerned They are satisfi'd with carnal vain hopes which are the seed of all Evils committed and the spring of all Evils suffered Hope that should incourage Holiness emboldens Wickedness and that should lead Men to Heaven precipitates them into Hell How great will their fall be from a conceited Heaven into a real Hell Hope of all the Passions is the most calm and quiet but when utterly disappointed in a matter of high concernment 't is most turbulent for the consequent Passions Despair Impatience Sorrow Rage are the cruel tormentors of the Minds of Men. Now what will become of the hope of the Hypocrite when God shall take away his Soul He may feed and cherish it while he lives but in the fatal moment when he dyes his blazing presumption will expire not to be reviv'd for ever But the Righteous has hope in his death The sanctified Spirit inspires and preserves Life in it till 't is consummate in that Blessedness that exceeds all our Desires and excludes all our Fears for ever 2. The Hope of Glory should be a constant and commanding motive to purifie our selves Hope is the great spring of actions in this World it enters into all our designs and mixes with all our endeavours The Husbandman ploughs in all the Frosts and Snows to which he is exposed in hope of a fruitful Harvest The Mariner sails through dangerous Seas often inrag'd with Storms and Tempests and among Rocks and Sands for a hopeful Venture How much more should the Hope of Heaven make us active and ardent in seeking for it considering we have infinitely greater security of obtaining it the Word of God and the Object is above all comparison with the things of this World Here the wisest and most diligent are uncertain to obtain their Ends the trifles which they earnestly expect and are certain after a while to lose them But if we in the first place seek the Kingdom of God we shall certainly obtain it and 't is unforfeitable for ever I will conclude with the efficacy of this Argument declar'd by the Apostle The Grace of God that bringeth Salvation has appeared unto all Men teaching us that denying Ungodliness and worldly Lusts we should live godly righteously and soberly in this present World looking for that blessed hope the glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. This will keep us stedfast and unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord. 4. The Fear of God is a Grace of excellent efficacy to perfect Holiness in us 'T is the Apostle's direction perfecting Holiness in the fear of God The Divine Wisdom has annex'd Rewards and Punishments to strengthen the authority of the Law to work upon Hope and Fear which are the secret springs of Humane Actions and for the Honour of his Goodness and Justice that are principally exercised in his Moral Government That Hope may be a powerful motive to do our Duty and Fear a strong bridle to restrain from Sin the reward must exceed all the temptations of Profit or Pleasure or Honour that can accrue by transgressing the Law and the penalty of all the Evils that may be inflicted for obedience to it From hence it is that divine Hope and godly Fear have such a commanding conquering power in the Hearts of true Believers and are so operative in their Lives that they will not neglect their Duty to avoid the greatest Evil nor commit a Sin to obtain the greatest Good The Grace of Fear I have discours'd of in another place and shall be the shorter in the account of its nature and cleansing Vertue here Fear introduces serious Religion preserves and improves it 'T is the Principle of Conversion to God and knocks at the door of the Soul that Divine Love may have admission into it It arises from the conviction of Guilt and the apprehension of Judgment that follows When Paul discoursed of Righteousness and Temperance and Judgment to come Felix trembled The Prisoner with the assistance of Conscience made the Judge tremble This Fear has more torment than reverence According to the greatness and
guilt Now the more we are conform'd to our meek and forgiving Saviour the more we approach to Perfection And the more the Corrupt Nature in us is provokt and fierce upon Revenge the doing Good for Evil is the more sure proof of excellent Vertue and clear Victory over our selves 8. The more receptive persons are of Spiritual Counsel and Admonition for the preventing or recovery from Sin they are the more Holy 'T is David's desire Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindness and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent oil which shall not break my head There is no Counsel so truly valuable as that which proceeds from Wisdom and Love in matters of Importance If a Friend discovers by indications and symptoms a disease that insensibly has seiz'd on us does not his compassionate Advice endear him to us How much rather should we meekly and thankfully receive a prudent and seasonable reproof of a Spiritual Friend for the healing our Souls whose Diseases are far more dangerous and less discernable than those of the Body 'T is the most sacred and beneficial Office of Friendship and like the Compassionate Love of the Angel to Lot in leading him out of Sodom And as the most Excellent Metal Gold is most pliant and easily wrought on so the most Excellent Tempers are most receptive of holy Counsels Yet the Natural Man is very averse from a meek submission to reproof for Sin A vicious Self-love of which Pride is the production makes us to overvalue our Reputation now to reprove implies a Superiority which occasions Impatience and Disdain Though the Duty be perform'd with Prudence and Tenderness and respective Modesty yet 't is usually very unacceptable Men will excuse and extenuate and sometimes defend their Sins nay sometimes recoil with Indignation upon a faithful Reprover 'T is as dangerous to give an Admonition to some proud Spirits as 't is to take a Thorn out of a Lions Foot 'T is therefore evident that when a just Reproof is receiv'd with Meekness and Acceptance there is a great Love of Holiness as when one takes a very unpleasant Medicine it argues an earnest desire of Health He is an Excellent Saint that when Conscience has not by its directive Office prevented his Falling into Sin and a sincere Friend endeavors to restore him is not angry at the Reproof but sorry he deserves it Lastly The deliberate desire of Death that we may arrive at the state of perfect Holiness is the effect of excellent Grace There is no desire more natural and strong than of the enjoyment and continuance of Life There is no fear more insuperable than of certain and inevitable Death Those who do not fear it at a distance are struck with Terrors at the aspect and approaches of it Carnal Men whose Heaven is here at the fearful apprehensions and foresight of it are ready to sink into Despair Nay holy Men who have the prospect of Coelestial Happiness beyond Death and believe that the pangs of Death are throws for their deliverance to Eternal Life are apt to shrink at the thoughts of their Dissolution If the change from an earthly to a heavenly state were not by our being uncloth'd but to be cloth'd upon with Glory which St. Paul declares to be the desire of Nature the hopes of seeing Christ in his Glory and being transformed into his Likeness would so inflame their Affections that they would be impatient of being absent from him But the necessity of dying that we may ascend into his reviving presence is so bitter that Divine Grace is requisite to induce us to consent to it St. Peter was an ardent lover of Christ and appeals to our Saviour's omnisciency for a testimony of it Lord thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee yet our Saviour immediately tells him When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch out thy hands and another shall carry thee where thou wouldst not signifying his Death The circumstance when thou arâ— old implies an unwillingness to dye when the natural term of Life was near expiring Yet Peter had been a spectator of our Saviour's glorious Transfiguration and of his triumphant Ascent to Heaven from Mount Olivet The best of us have reason to joyn in the language and desire of the Spouse Draw us to thy blessed presence and we will run after thee So strong is the band of natural Love that fastens the Soul and Body and such a reluctancy there is against a Dissolution But St. Paul declares I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better He was contented to live for the Service of Christ but desirous to dye to enjoy his Presence in the Sanctuary of Life above This was his fixed and unsatisfied desire How few are arriv'd to such a heigth of Spirituality This desire is the fruit of Faith with respect to the Reality and Glory of the Eternal State and our interest in it According as the revelation of the invisible Kingdom is in our Minds such is its attractive power in our Hearts 'T is the effect of Divine Love in a degree of eminence To vanquish the Terrors of Death that are insuperable to Humane Resolutions and with a clear and chearful Spirit to leave the Body in the Grave that we may for ever be freed from Sin and made like to Christ in Purity and Glory is the effect of Love stronger than Death 2. Use is to excite us to follow Holiness to make it the great design study and endeavour of our Lives to grow in Grace 'T is true the beginning the prosecution and perfection of Holiness is from God but 't is by the subordinate concurrence of the renewed Mind and Will the leading Faculties that we are advancing towards Perfection God gives Vertue to the Seeds Temper to the Seasons and Form to the Fruits but Men are to plant and water the Fruits of the Earth Without God our Endeavours are weak and ineffectual but by his Blessing are successful I will first set down Directions how we should follow Holiness Secondly Answer the Carnal Allegations against our striving after Perfection Thirdly Proceed to add other Motives to enforce the Duty Fourthly Propound the Means that may be effectual for this excellent End 1. We must in our early Age follow Holiness Men commonly deceive Conscience and elude their Duty by delays They are unwilling to be holy too soon and in an excellent degree They presume there will be time enough hereafter for to reform themselves after their Voluptuous Affections are satisfied after their Worldly Acquisitions they will forsake their Sins and become holy But this is unaccountable Folly rather a Delirium than Discourse There are innumerable Contradictions of which the Lives of Men are compounded they complain as if Time were intolerably short and waste it as if it were intolerably long They use all Arts that Months may seem as Hours and Years pass as Days But in no
the natural the Instruments of Sense and Motion are bound up the apprehensive Faculties that discover dangers and the active Powers that resist or avoid them are suspended from their exercise Now spiritual Security is call'd a Sleep as it implies ignorance of dangers that threaten the Soul and unpreparedness to prevent them Accordingly in opposition to carnal security Watchfulness consists in two things in the foresight of approaching Evils and furnishing our selves with means and using them for our safety There is the Life of Grace in every regenerate Person but Watchfulness implies the lively exercise and activity of Grace In the present state the spirit of Slumber is apt to steal upon us even the wise Virgins slumber'd and slept The three Disciples at Christ's Transfiguration in the Mount when it might be imagin'd there could be no inclination in them and no temptation to sleep for that the glorious Light would powerfully excite and actuate the visive Spirits yet fell asleep and at his private Passion in the Garden when there was the greatest cause of their sorrow and simpathy yet were siez'd with unwelcome heaviness for which our meek Redeemer so gently reprov'd them Could ye not watch with me thus one hour The best are liable to relapses into security till they shall be awakened and raised by the Omnipotent Voice of the Son of God at the last day to Immortality and Perfection Watchfulness may be consider'd either with respect to the preventing Evil or the doing Good With respect to the preventing Evil there are such Motives as should make us very circumspect lest we be overtaken and overcome by Temptations 1. If we consider the Subtilty and Strength the Malice and Diligence with the mighty numbers of our Spiritual Enemies there is great reason we should not only be awake but watchful to oppose them 1. The Tempter is surprizingly subtle and understands all the arts of circumventing and corrupting us He knows the several Characters of Mens Dispositions the commixture of their Humours all the radical Causes of their different Inclinations and of those Lusts that have dominion in them He knows the various impressions of Nature from the Sex the Age the Country from inherent or external Causes from Health or Sickness Nobility Obscurity Riches Poverty Prosperity Adversity He tempts to Sensuality in Youth and Covetousness in Old Age like the possess'd person in the Gospel that was sometimes cast into the Fire and sometimes into the Water Men often exchange their Lusts and deceive themselves as if a dead Palsie were the Cure of a burning Fever Sometime he will try to cool the Zeal of the Saints who are serious in working out their Salvation by suggesting that their diligence is not necessary But if he cannot recall them to their former security by the allurements of Sense he will discourage their Hopes and represent God as irreconcileable and damp their Resolutions in seeking his Favour and doing their Duty Thus by stratagem and ambush or by open assault he attempts to ruine their Souls 2. His strength is superiour to ours Evil Spirits are stil'd Principalities and Powers and spiritual Wickednesses We are frail Flesh and Blood But we are encouraged that by our vigilancy and the assistance of the Holy Spirit we shall be preserved against his utmost Power and Cruelty For greater is he that is in the Saints than he that is in the World 3. His Malice is deadly Nothing can allay his Torment but the involving Men under his Judgment and Misery 4. His Activity and Diligence is equal to his Malice The Spirits of Darkness never slumber nor sleep They are not capable of weakness or weariness as our faint Flesh is He is restless in following his pernicious designs What is recorded of Martellus the Roman General is applicable to Satan If he obtains a Victory he fiercely insults and pursues it if he be repuls'd he returns afresh His Spight is never spent He tempted our Saviour with distrust of God's Providence with Presumption and Vain-glory and being foil'd in all attempts 't is said he departed for a season and afterward made use of Peter as his Instrument to make him decline his Sufferings for the Salvation of Men. 5. He has a mighty number of Principalities and Powers and spiritual Wickednesses under his Commands There was a legion in one Man St. Peter earnestly excites us to watchfulness for our adversary the Devil with innumerable infernal Spirits goes about seeking whom he may devour He is the most formidable and least fear'd Enemy in the World We are surrounded with invisible Enemies sooner felt than seen and usually not discerned but by the Wounds they give us and yet the Senses of Men are unguarded and all the Gates are open to give them an easie entrance into their Souls And tho' their operations in destroying Souls are secret yet the deadly effects of their Hatred are visible for how few are there in whom the signs of the Spiritual Life appear 2. The World is the store-house of his Temptations the Men of the World to allure us to Sin or terrifie us from our Duty The things of the World are suitable to our vicious Appetites and foment them like Food that is pleasant but unwholsome and seeds the Disease He puts a gloss and flattering colours upon earthly things to give them a lustre in our Imaginations 3. In our depraved state we are very receptive of his Temptations The Innocence of the first Adam did not secure him from seduction The Carnal Affections are like Gun-powder a spark sets all a-fire and we cannot easily quench the unruly Flame when 't is inspir'd by the Tempter 'T is true he cannot immediately act upon the Soul But as in Paradise he made use of the Serpent to deceive the Woman and of the Woman by her blandishments to allure Adam so he makes use of the carnal part in every one which proves as fatal as the Serpent and the Woman were All the corrupt Appetites and disorder'd Affections are manag'd by him and draw Men with unforc'd consent to yield to him He knows the insidious party within us that will admit his Temptations When the Heart is dejected and sorrowful he sends in Terrors and Griefs knowing that his Faction within are ready to receive them When 't is cheerful and lively he sends in vain Thoughts excites the Carnal Affections which are ready to comply with his design and betray the Soul to Folly and Security Now considering our Enemies without and the deceitful Heart as the traytor within that keeps correspondence with the Tempter our danger is infinite We are not by priviledge exempted from Temptations nor invulnerable in our encounters with the Powers of Darkness but by vigilance and managing the Armour of God we are victorious There is no Saint on Earth but may fall as foully as David did without a constant jealousie over his Heart and Ways 'T is said While the Husband-man slept the envious
Covenant with Christ in that Ordinance is of great use for the advancing of Grace The Religious Observation of the Lord's day makes us more holy The frequent discussion of Conscience is very instrumental to increase Holiness It must be distinct in comparing our Actions with the Rule serious and sincere as previous to divine Judgment with resolution to reform what is amiss and frequent I Will now proceed to declare the means that are effectual for our obtaining Holiness in degrees of eminence 1. Unfeigned Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the meritorious efficient and exemplary Cause of inherent Holiness and Actions flowing from it The Death of Christ was our Ransom not only to release us from the Curse of the Law but the dominion of Sin These were inseparable in the design of our Redeemer and are in the accomplishment of it None are pardon'd but they are sanctified If the reimpression of the Image of God in us had been only requisite for the restoring us to his Favour our Saviour's dying had been unnecessary his Instruction and Example with the sanctifying Spirit 's Operations had been sufficient But till our Guilt was expiated the Fountain was sealed no emanations of Divine Grace flow'd forth Christ gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie us to himself a peculiar People zealous of good works Christ is the efficient Cause of our Holiness We receive from God the Author of Nature the Natural Life with all its Faculties and by the concurrence previous and concomitant of his powerful Providence we act in the order of Nature But the Supernatural Life is conveyed to us from the Son of God the Mediator Of his fulness we receive Grace for Grace Our increase is from our Head the Fountain of Spiritual Sense and Action The Holy Spirit who inspires us with the divine Life confirms and improves it was purchased by his Sufferings and is confer'd in his Exaltation As in the operation of the sensitive Faculties though the Eye be clear and qualified for sight yet 't is necessary there be a supervenient Light to irradiate the Air and actuate the visive Spirits that there may be a discovery of Objects Thus after the Soul is renewed by habitual Grace there is necessary the exciting assisting Grace of the Spirit to draw it forth into exercise every hour The Sun is the heart of the World from which all vital cherishing Influences are derived Thus from the Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings continual Influences proceed without which the Life of Grace would languish and decay In this there is a disparity between the visible Sun and the spiritual though the fruitfulness of every Plant is from his vital Heat and descending Influences yet the quality and kinds of the Fruits is from the Sap that distinguishes them Grapes are from the Vine and Peaches and Apples are from several Trees but every Grace in the Saints is from the descending influences of Christ. Now Faith is the means by which we receive the emanations of Grace from Christ. The Apostle tells us The Life that I live in the flesh is by Faith in the Son of God The first plantation of Holiness and the highest perfection of it attainable in the present Life is by Faith that unites us to Christ. A sincere reliance on him for continual supplies of Grace gives vertue and efficacy to the means prescribed in the Word We are commanded to grow in Grace and in the experimental knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ the effectual means to obtain it 3. Contemplate our Saviour as the exemplary Cause of our Holiness His Pattern is not only a powerful one which is considered before but means to bring us to Perfection We are directed to look to Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith that we may run the race set before us till we come to its period and perfection In the Gospel there is a divine representation of the Obedience and Sufferings of our Saviour wherein every Grace that adorns the Children of God is exactly represented and all the Afflictions and tender Tryals wherewith God exercises them in order to their Glory were consecrated by his Example This is not a dead Object proposed to our view but has a vital efficacy to transform us into his Likeness as the sight of the Brazen Serpent conveyed a healing Vertue to the wounded Israelites The Apostle tells us that we all with open Face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The Gospel is the Glass wherein there is a permanent Image of Christ in his Life and Death a full manifestation of all his Vertues and this sight by the operation of the Spirit changes us into his Likeness from Glory to Glory that is by several degrees of Grace to a full conformity to him in Glory As a Painter often fixes his Eye upon the Object to form in his Imagination the Idea that guides his Hand in the designing and colouring the Face that the Copy may resemble the truth of Nature in the original So we should consider the Holiness and Perfection of our Saviour's Actions and draw the first Lines of Resolution to imitate him and every day endeavour to fill and compleat them in Actions till Christ be form'd in us Let us often compare our Lives with the Life of Christ that we may see our Imperfections in his Excellencies which will discover them and how to correct them Now in that particulars are most instructive I will consider two Examples of our Saviour for our Imitation in Duties of difficult practice The first is the Duty of Admonition wherein great Prudence is requisite mix'd with tender Love lest the Reproof be taken for a Reproach and the Person be provok'd and not reform'd and with Zeal that may give efficacy to our Counsel A Reproof must be managed like binding of a wounded part which must be neither too strait nor too slack lest it should oppress and exasperate the Wound or lest there be not a close application of the Medicine Of this mixture of Affections we have a clear discovery in our Saviour's carriage towards his Enemies 'T is related in the Gospel That a Man with a wither'd hand was present in the Synagogue and some watched whether our Saviour would heal him on the Sabbath-day that they might accuse him of profaning it And when he propounded the question whether it were lawful to do good or evil on the Sabbath-day they maliciously held their peace which occasion'd his looking on them with Anger being grieved for the hardness of their Hearts This exact Pattern we should follow joining mild Severity with melting Compassion in reproving offenders The other instance is how to Compose our Spirits and resign our Wills to God in the approaches of very afflicting Evils Our Saviour in the apprehension of
his impendent Suffering exprest a great perplexity Now is my soul troubled and what shall I say The fearful expectation of the just and heavy punishment due for our Sins perplex'd his Holy and Humane Nature he address'd a Request to God Father save me from this hour but it was with a Revocation but for this cause came I to this hour it was subordinate to his main desire Father glorifie thy Name When he was seized by his bloody Enemies and Peter struck with his Sword one of them he repress'd his rash Zeal with that Consideration The Cup which my Father has given shall I not drink of it He regarded his Soveraign Will in giving it and with Submission drank of the dregs of it How instructive is this to us to take the hottest and bitterest Potion that God our Father and Physician prepares for us 2. Prayer is an Effectual Means to obtain an increase of Spiritual Blessings 'T is the Law of Heaven that Blessings are to be obtain'd by Prayer for this is most Honourable to God and Beneficial to us 'T is the Supreme Act of Religious Worship discover'd by the Light of Nature to the Heathens Prayer is the Homage due to his Eternal Greatness the most glorious acknowledgement of his All-sufficiency that he is Able and Willing to relieve our Poverty from his immense Treasures notwithstanding our unworthiness for we are less than the least of his mercies and deserve the severe inflictions of his Justice 'T is the setting our Seal to his Truth that he is a God hearing Prayer 'T is very beneficial to us for it engages us to receive his Benefits with Adoration and Thankfulness and prepares us to receive new Favours and by our obtaining Blessings in this way we have a more Clear and Comfortable Sense of his Love that gives the sweetest Tincture and Relish to them 'T is true Prayer is not requir'd to inform God or to incline him to be Gracious and sometimes from his exuberant Goodness he prevents our desires but we cannot regularly expect his Blessings without the Sense of our Wants and Prayer to supply them Now all Blessings are originally from God but some are immediately from him As the Sun inlightens the World by its presence in the Day and the Moon and Stars inlighten it in the Night by Light borrowed from the Sun St. James tells us Every good and perfect gift descends from above from the Father of Lights All Blessings in the order of Nature the Qualities of the Body Beauty Strength Health or the Endowments of the Mind Knowledge Wit Eloquence are his Gifts all Temporary Talents Riches Power Dignity are from him by the mediation of second Causes but there are more precious and perfect Gifts that come from him immediately as the Father of Lights Sanctifying Graces and Spiritual Comforts by the Illumination and Infusion of the Holy Spirit The first sort of Blessings we are not to pray for absolutely for they may be pernicious by our abuse of them to our Souls and are often bestowed upon Reprobate Sinners But the other kind saving Graces deserve our most ardent desires As the hart pants after the water-brooks our Souls should seek after the Favour of God and Sanctifying Grace the infallible Testimony and effect of it We must pray for them unsatisfiedly not content with any thing else nor without excellent degrees of them David breaks out his ardent desires O that my wayes were directed according to thy Statutes O that my Soul may be baptiz'd with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to purifie and refine me from all my dross that as Gold taken from a vein of Earth receives such a lustre from the Fire as if it were the sole product of Fire so my renovation by the Spirit may be so intire that all Carnality may be abolish'd Our Prayers should be for our perseverance in well-doing Perseverance is a most free Gift of God a new Grace superadded to what we have received without it we shall forsake God every Hour God promises to give the sanctifying Spirit as a permanent Principle of Holiness in his People to cause them to walk in his Statutes and declares for this I will be enquired of by the house of Israel We must imitate Jacob who wrestled with the Angel and would not let him go till he had blest him This is an Emblem of fervent Prayer wherein we strive with the strength and sinews of our Souls and as it were offer violence to the King of Heaven to bestow Spiritual Blessings upon us Carnal Men are intemperate greedy and passionate in their desires of Temporal Blessings tho' Reason Religion and Experience of their Vanity should regulate them They are impatient and insatiable and will bear no denial nor delay but with regret and reluctancy But how remiss and cold are their desires for spiritual and eternal Blessings they invite a denial Their Prayers are defective in the Principle they do not understand the value and their want of them Divine Grace the gift of God's saving Mercy the dear purchase of the Sufferings of Christ the precious fruit of his Holy Spirit are of little price in their esteem Our Saviour tells the Samaritan Woman If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that asks thee Give me to drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee living water We are encouraged to be earnest and resolved Suppliants for the Graces of God's Spirit because we are assur'd he is most willing to bestow them Our Saviour sometimes encourages us from the resemblance of a Father who cannot so unnaturalize himself and devest his tender Affections as to renounce his own off-spring to deny a Child necessary Food for his subsistence Will he give him a stone for bread or a serpent for a fish If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask it Sometimes he excites us to pray and not to faint from the Parable of an incompassionate Stranger a Judge that was overcome by importunity to afford relief to one in distress God delights to hear and answer those Prayers that are for his best Blessings When Solomon prayed for Wisdom to Rule his People God was so pleas'd that he gave him Wisdom in an Eminent Degree and as an accession Riches and Honour If we imitate Solomon in his Prayer we shall have his Acceptance St. James directs us If any man wants wisdom let him ask it of God who gives liberally and upbraids no man the Wisdom to manage Afflictions that may be for his Glory and our Spiritual Advantage He gives Liberally which either respects the Affection of the Giver or the Measure of the Gift or the repeated Acts of Giving and upbraids not neither with their unworthiness nor the frequency of their Addresses Liberality among men is a costly Vertue and but