not from the spirit and often the meer office and the letter not the spirit prays and preacheth out of the man it 's far from that praying Rom. 8. 26. And learn to discern the literal fair influences in praying in the flesh and the sweet calm fiery also and spiritual paining influences of love-sicknesse Cant. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 c. 10. Conversing with spiritual men born of the spirit of the same Father John 5. John 3. 1 John 3. 14. Psal 119. 63. with Elias leaning on Christ's bosome in whom is fulnesse of the spirit declares a spiritual man None of the Disciples saw more spiritual and glorious visions then John in the book of the Revelation he would have desired to lean on and dwell in Christ's heart as in his bosome Brethren love one another the common nature and spirit of their Father dwels in them Fowls of the same feathers and colours haunt together Drunkards malignants swearers love to be together beware of wearying to haunt with the spirit and spiritual men and to loath a spiritual Ministery and to look upon spiritual doctrine as upon fancies If it be so with you you shall back to the flesh-pots of Egypt again it s a living near to the fountain to haunt much with the Saints and as the streams are one in the well so do the streams run in the same channel and love to stick together Natures of the same kind lambs with lambs love to live together Psal 119. 13. I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy Precepts A part of the Air keeps its being best in the whole Element whereas a part of the Air is corrupted in the bowels of the Earth where it is out of its own Element a part of water is best preserved in being in the element of water put it in a pit or hole of the earth it 's alone and it becomes rotten and unsavoury The Saints keep their spiritual being with the excellent ones in whom is all their delight Psal 16. 2. as being in their own element and no wonder if it be their woe to dwell long in Mesech and in Kedars tents with such as hate peace Psal 120. 5 6. Psal 57. 4 10. nor is this to flatter such as separate from Christ and his Ordinances nor to say Stand by thy self come not near me for I am holier then thou Isa 65. 5. and yet they themselves remain among the graves and lodge in the monuments Be rather frequenting Hospitals of sick ones making it your work to gain many it 's like to Christ Luke 16. 6 7 10. Matth. 9. 10 11 12 13. Luke 15. God ordinarily showers influences and promiseth influences to the flocking together of the godly and the pouring of his spirit on them Jer 50. 4 5 6. Zech. 8. 21 22 23. Mal. 3. 16. and two speaking of Christ Jesus himself comes in as third man Luke 24. 15 16 17 c. and as if they were the fit soyl he rains down influences of warmness and burning of heart on them while he opens the Scriptures to them v. 32. see Acts 2. 1 2 3 c. Joh. 20. 19. It 's a spiritual condition to talk of spiritual purposes when the well is full it must run over when there is a treasure and abundance in the heart the spirit comes to the tongue in Zachariah and Simeon Luke 2. 25 27. and grace seeths and boyls up to the tongue when the conceptions of the King Christ are the good matter indited by the heart Psal 45. 1. so to be filled with the spirit Ephes 5. 18 19. saith Paul speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and spiritual songs Giving thanks always for all things to God is the spirit's work in his abundant influences There is a spirit in men seen in language the sea-man talks of winds the husband-man of oxen and plowing the souldier of battels and wounds and the shepherd of flocks and the spiritual man of Christ redemption imputed righteousness and as the pilgrims heart and the pilgrims tongue the pilgrims thoughts are all upon his way and his home so is the spiritual man much upon Eternity Heaven Christ for the three noble Conferrers the transfigured man Christ glorified Moses and Elias speak of the celebrious heavenly subject the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and out-going of Christ when he was to leave the world The man hath been full of God who could not refrain from speaking of the Lord's testimonies before Kings and Princes have no great list to hear but of State matters of conquering new Kingdoms Psal 119. 46. the rotten unsavoury worldly and carnal speeches of many bewray how little of the spirit is within them It was Christ who had the fulness of the anointing of the spirit within him Psal 48. 8. I delight to doe thy will O my God thy law is within my heart In Sea and Land and House and Field by the way side journeying at every table when he should have eaten he made good that word ver 9. I have preached righteousness in the great Congregation lo I have not refrained my lips thou knowest O Lord. 10. I have not hid thy righteousnesse within my heart I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation I have not concealed thy loving kindness from the great Congregation Influences of grace are required for this as pag. 45. PART III. Influences of Grace CHAP. I. Of divers sorts of Influences HAving formerly spoken of Influences of grace in general we are now to descend to more specials Hence these particulars 1. Some influences are from Satan some from God 2. The way of Satans influences 3. It s lawful to dispute with Hereticks instruments of Satan but not lawful to dispute with Satan 4. Christ sought neither the Tempter nor the temptation 5. Some influences are natural some supernatural 6. Some moral some Physical 7. Some Prophetical some not 8. Some publick on the Church some personal 9. Some influences are given for the habit of grace or gifts some for the act some for both 10. Some proper to the head Christ some for the members 11. Some influences are fundamental some not 12. Some influences are given for saving graces actings some for the actings of a gift 13. Differences between acting of grace and acting of gifts 14. Some influences are viatorum of such as are in the way to their countrey some are comprehensorum of perfected ones some of grace some of glory For the fuller opening of the Doctrine of Influences some influences are from Satan some from God Influences from God are both moral when he commands good and forbids evil and real and physical in that all move in him as the first cause and mover in operations of nature 2. of grace 3. of glory But Satan being no Master or Lord of providence hath no real stirring in second causes his actings upon angel or mens soules are not physical but
thousand of the people that have set themselves round about me Psal 6. he prayes Lord rebuke me not in thy wrath have mercy on me return again O Lord deliver my soul That prayer is heard and the result is an heavenly disposition to part with wicked men 6. Depart from me ye workers of iniquity and a new disposition of assurance The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping And assurance that God heard the man is a new seed of praying to him again Psal 116. 3 4 5 6. Psal 18. 3 4 5 6. So Psal 31. after complaints and heavenly petitions v. 4. Pull me out of the net 9. Have mercy upon me O Lord make thy face to shine upon thy servant c. follow heavenly dispositions 1. Of commending the seeking of God v. 19. O bow great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee A disposition to encourage others to seek God v. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints c. A disposition to encourage fainters v. 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart How shall I get praying Praying helps to praying How shall I get holy dispositions Holy dispositions beget holy dispositions How shall I get courage and spiritual strength Psal 31. 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart that is be strong in the Lord and he shall make you strong in him So Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. The courage of faith is commanded and the argument is God shall strengthen thy heart and give thee courage As if we were the beginners of the good work so does the Lord frame his precepts promises to shake us out of our laziness that we abuse not his grace and gracious influences to wanton idleness So the Apostle Be strong in the faith and couragious and God shall strengthen your heart and furnish you So the Father speaks to his child lift at this burden I will lift your arms and strengthen them to lift the burden and to bear it 2. They are refuted hence who say The Lord bids us be of good courage and he knows courage and strength is from himself yea but so as you are to goe about acts of courage He bids us pray and he knows prayer is his own gift and the work of his Spirit It 's so here but he bids you pray that you may pray believe that you may believe So he commands heavenly dispositions and he only can give them So he commands heavenly habits and heavenly dispositions but yet so as ye act When a Physician enjoyns one for such a disease strive to have your body and cloathes to cast a good savour does he not enjoyn also that this sick man should carry about roses precious oyntments Would we act more in God and pray more and haunt more in heaven we should savour more of heaven And when men complaines of deadness it is with reflection on God he quickens me not and therefore I am dead his Son is the resurrection and the life and he sends no inflnences of life on me That is the physical cause and the Lord is free of your sinful deadness and unsavouriness in so doing Why complain of the moral faulty cause that is complain of your self complain that ye lie not among the roses ye are not much meditating and drawing life out of the precious promises ye are not often in wisedomes house ye are not much with the King at his banquet ye draw not near to his house of wine habits and heavenly dispositions grow from multiplyed spiritual acts and spiritual acts come kindly from heavenly dispositions My heart is fixed What is the particular disposition here aimed at For clearing of this know a disposition in general of which I spake above is one thing and this disposition is another These three must be differenced 1. The state 2. The temper and constitution 3. The disposition The state is to be renewed in Christ or in nature born of the spirit or yet remaining and walking in the flesh acted by the prince of the air that rules in the children of disobedience the birth and state of living is neither up nor down to the temper and constitution which is either strong and vigorous or weakly and sickly or betwixt these the state of living or birth consists in indivisibili if the man breath and live in nature or in Christ being now a translated person he hath a natural or a spiritual life but howbeit some be born again some are fathers and experienced radicated and confirmed Christians others are young men strong in the faith and both these are of a good spiritual temper and constitution But there are a third sort that are babes in Christ and though born again yet weakly and sickly frequent out-breakings much doubting liable to strong unmortified passions 1 John 2. 12 13 14. And to be born of God is common to all the three sorts and the essence and nature of the new birth agrees equally and univocally to them all all have their own influences finished to them from Christ but the spiritual tempers may differ as weak and strong healthy or sickly good or bad at least lesse good But as for dispositions of the regenerate they are qualities that go and come now anon I judge you will say the new-birth and the heavenly disposition are all one For David was born of God while he was under a wicked disposition to deflour Bathsheba to kill Vriah to be avenged no Nabal all which were bad dispositions when the new-birth is the new-birth and saving work of the spirit And again the spiritual disposition differs not a little from the spiritual temper 1. The spiritual temper is permanent as one is a weak man until he come out of his childhood for so many years or months he is Infant so long a child so long a youth So one is so long a babe in Christ and grows to be stronger in the faith and at length comes to be a father in Christ but even while the same babes age in Christ continues and the same weakly and sickly temper and inclination to yield to temptations in David new born and a babe good dispositions may be on to pray to praise to commit his life to God in extream dangers to make Psalms and yet Davids spiritual temper and constitution is and may be bad and sickly as Peter before our Saviours death is born again and a believer Matth. 16. 16 17. and by his much ignorance and frequent slips as acting Satans part in disswading Christ from the necessary work of redemption his carnal confidence in himself in saying he should never deny Christ his smiting off Malchus eaâ— his denial of Christ with an oath it appears that the spiritual temper was weak and much carnal nor can it be denied all that time when
unrenewed and full and extream at only that which is a worldly good thing the spirit is yet carnal and no saving influences can be there in the regenerate the affections are like two contrary rivers when the one river is full at the flowing in of the sea the river in the contrary coast is low and ebb so joy sorrow love desire c. as the Spirit prevails Rom. 7. as the flesh prevails in its motion so are they up in their fleshly exorbitancies and low in their motions and flowings toward God v. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. but the joy spiritual at the coming and receiving of the Gospel Acts 8. 5 6 7 8. the joy of believing Rom. 15. 13. the joy of the hope of glory Rom. 5. 2. Matth. 5. 12. the Joy in the midest of heaviness if need be for a season which is unspeakeable and full of glory 1. Pet. 1. 6 7 8. the joy in suffering under reproaches and the spoyling of our goods Heb. 10. 33 34. Acts 5. 41. 1 Thes 3. 9. the Joyingin Christian walking Phil. 4. 4. the joy of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and the like are all fruits of the spirit and have necessarily conjoyned with them heavenly influences to receive the Gospel Acts 8. to beleive with peace of mind Rom. 15. 13. to hope for glory Rom. 5. 2. Matth. 5. 12. to be comforted under heaviness even to love the holy afflicter 1 Pet. 1. 5 8. to all patience in suffering Heb. 10. 33 34. Acts 5. 41. to walke chearfully in our Christian course Phil. 4. 4 5. all which must be wanting in the false and bastard joy of the world and the like may be said of desire the more men waste their desires in worldly objects the less of the Spirit have they as these two are excellently conjoyned Psalm 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsels and afterward receive me to glory Influences in perseverance in the way of God by Gods counselling and leading are here insinuated and beside that a spiritual desire v. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in the Earth there is none I desire beside thee 15. Self-love is a note of Apostates in the last days 2 Tim. 3. 2. and of men in the state of nature where self-love prevails above the love of God for natural men make themselves the god of gods and the god of their false gods Exod. 20. 4. Judg. 2. 19. Psalm 81. 8. Amos 5. 26. Hos 13. 2. there be men who make themselves their last end it 's contrary to all true holiness and sanctification and so to all acts and influences of the Spirit for it is the proper work of the Spirit to make us holy and he bears the name of the holy Ghost and of the spirit of sanctification upon that reason and therefore where self is the mans god what room is left to holiness and to the influences of grace and where the love of God is spread abroad in the heart by the holy Ghost which is given Rom. 5. 5. and hath a seat in the heart John 21. 15. John 14. 15. Deut. 10. 12. Deut. 6. 4 5 6. Deut. 30. 6. as the habitual fear of God hath also what doubt is there but the Lord shall joyn actual influences of grace to his owne spiritual habits which should put us to self-denial and to be less wedded to the love of our selves and more to love the Lords Word Law and Testimonies Psalm 119. 11 47 72 97 127 128 c. to love Jesus Christ his cause and Gospel more then our own life Matth. 16. 25 26. then houses brethren sisters father mother wife children or lands Matth. 19. 29. Matth. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26. and where this habit of love prevailing in the heart is the Lord denies not actual influences to his own sincere followers and strength of grace to seal his truth with their blood Rev. 12. 10 11. Heb. 11. 33 34 35. Heb. 10. 32 33 34. and when self-confidence and self-love and carnal fear of losing life present prevails by reason of a temptation as is clear in Peter and the Disciples who deny and forsake Christ contrary to their undertaking Matth. 26. 31 32 33 34 35 v. 56 69 70 71 c. the Lord justly withdraws the influences of his spirit 16. The ignorance of the Gospel and the loathing of Christ renders all Pagans who hear the rumour of Christ but receive him not and all Reprobates within the visible Church in a worse condition then rocks and desarts are in for Sun clouds and rain send influences in them but the malignity and driness and coldness of the soil is the cause why they do not spring and blossome as the gardens and meddows but though the Lord send common helps to such Pagans and unbelievers yet it is justice that the Spirit in his influences should be a stranger to such as live strangers to the Son of God for the Son and Spirit go not contrary ways to their operations Carnal professors who study only a form of godliness and aim not at the power of godliness and do but bear the bare letters and outward bulk of baptism and the sound of the word preached and hate Christ and persecute the godly that are chosen by him out of the world come under the name of the world who cannot receive the Spirit nor his influences John 14. 17. and have a spirit of their own the spirit of the world 1 Cor. 2. 12. this spirit is their tutor and guide and such as are out of Christ are led by the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. and are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. Now can these two spirits the Spirit of God and the Divel lodge in one and the same dwelling and exercise their several operation on the same soul No. 17. The sad freatings and wrestlings at the providence of God incapacitates men for influences of grace thrice Psalm 78. the people are said to tempt the Lord and especially in asking meat for their lust v. 18. can he provide flesh for his people v. 20. and the Spirit of the Lord so tempted le ts not out his sweet and saving influences upon such as wrestle with his holy dispensations was there more of the Spirit letten out to Israel for murmuring at the red sea or less yea less Exod. 15. for after that they murmured again at Morat Exod. 14. and in the wilderness of Sin Exod. 16. 1. yea forty years in the wilderness Psal 95. 9 10. They tempted God and did erre in heart and that with their first murmuring in Egypt was a provoking cause of Gods withdrawing his Spirit all these forty years is called v. 8. The day of temptation for to tempt God is a great wickedness he who welcomes all dispensations with godly submission and can bow to his Lords will
no such sleeping but the heart is waking and breaks out in these acts first and misses him he knocks and says Open then she knew he was without They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him John 20. I sought him but I found him not Cant. 3. 2. there is a discerning that it was his knock and breathing And 2. his voice My heart waked at the voice of my Beloved 3. She knew his very words and repeats them Open to me my sister my love my dove c. though then sleeping 4. There is a spiritual wishing O! if I could open and overcome the temptation of carnal drowsiness this appears in the Spouses confession of the excuse he knocked and spake lovely and I refused rudely to open I have cast off my coat this is told by her by way of confession of sin I have put off my coat how shall I put it on for there may from the habit of grace arise an habitual and a conditional desire that the temptation had never assaulted and yet there is an absolute consent to the temptation and a wish that this sinful pleasure were not astray to the Law which is in effect a labouring to reconcile my carnal lust and the Lord 's holy Law and it is as if I should say Ah if I might enjoy my lawless pleasure and yet the Lord not be displeased some sick mans lusts after contradictions that in his fever he might drink wine and yet be free of a further pain of fever but all this is but a virtual fretting against God that ever he made such a Law Evah desired that the falsly supposed Godhead which Satan said should be the reward of eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge should have been really and truly in eating that fruit and that was a clear fretting against the wisedom of God who made such a law as laies bands upon men and forbids them to eat of all fruit Gen. 3. 2 3. yet would difference be made betwixt the carnal mans wish that he might enjoy his sweet lusts and not feel the smart of the evil of punishment and the spiritual mans woulding not to do the evil that he hates Rom. 7. 15 16. and yet he does it and so virtually desires there were nothing offensive and displeasing to God in it 4. From this habit it is that the Spouse sends commendation to absent Christ to speak so and desires the daughters of Jerusalem to tell him that she is sick of love for him Cant. 5. 8. 5. There are checks and soul-sorrow at the thoughts of the words he once spake Cant. 5. 6. my soul failed when he spake hence there are godly reluctancies and spiritual propensions of the spirit and renewed man entering dissent and protestations on the contrary Rom. 7. 15. For that which I do I allow not for what I would that I do not but what I hate that I do Hence the spirits spiritual counter-workings contrary to the flesh and the gracious pleadings in favours of Christ What do you is not this against free love Ah will you grieve such a beloved hence the inward prickings and cuttings of the heart like the wane-rest of the Horologue ever stirring and checking the conscience if experience say nothing of this thorn in the soul and of the weakness of the bones little is known of the work of the spirit 6. There is ever an holy apology and clearing of the renewed part that the spirit doth his part Rom. 7. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man v. 9. The renewed man would do good v. 16. consents to the Law that it is good and laies the blame upon the fleshly will and sin dwelling in the man v. 17. now it s no more I that do it but sin dwelling in me 7. From this habit it is that the renewed man is a captive a sufferer a complainer Rom. 7. 23 24. O wretched man that I am c. 8. The spirit is contrary to the flesh Gal. 5. 17. and when fire and water yoake in the cloud there is thunder and nature suffers pain and there are actions and passions and reactions on both sides and finally the habit of grace so far never rests as the flesh cannot get sin perfected without a battle and some thunder in the soul Hence we see did we improve the habit of grace how many spiritual actions we may set about and what wind and breathings we might fetch if we shouldâ—hoise up all the sails the very setting out to sea and laying all the sails open in their bredth and length to the heaven should create some wind we lay not open our affections in their length and bredth in the use of all the ordinances before the Lord Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81. nor do we improve the stock of habitual grace the not improving of the stock in trading brings on poverty CHAP. V. The fourth particular by which we fetch influences of grace is by heavenly and spiritual dispositions hence in this we speak 1. Of heavenly dispositions in order to heavenly influences 2. Of our actings to come under the influences of grace 3. Of the obstructions and impediments of heavenly influences and the contrary cures AS touching dispositions 1. What dispositions are and how differenced 2. Of the division of good and evil dispositions 3. Get heavenly dispositions and influences connaturally follow 4. Evidences that dispositions go and come 5. Spiritual dispositions are different from the affections 6. There are heavenly dispositions through all the powers and affections of the soul 7. Sinful dispositions are in all and they latently creep in 8. Actings and life under deadness 9. Many sweet actings there are under deadness 10. It 's fit to go about duties under deadness 11. Less of strong real influences and more of moral influence prove the obedience to be more perfect 1. Dispositions are moveable qualities of the soul beyond and above the habit inabling us to act graciously and to perform actions suitable to those dispositions I speak now of gracious dispositions for there are wicked and sinful dispositions added to the habit of sin original 2. Gracious dispositions are moveable qualities this differenceth the disposition from the habit of grace and therefore know wherein spiritual dispositions and spiritual habits agree and 2. wherein they differ 1. Both are above nature for we being born in sin mind conscience will and affections being polluted and corrupt in such heirs of wrath no man is born with habits of grace or gracious disposition 2. Through the want of both all are alike unfit by nature to be the work-house of the holy Ghost 3. Both the habit of grace as it is proved Book 2. and much more gracious dispensations are the purchase of the merit of Christ 4. Both are the supernatural gifts of God infused from above and neither of them acquired or purchased by natural actings
and then must you be dry and withered in all your actings whereas influences and manifestations are promised to the lovers of Christ Joh. 14. 21. he that hath my commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and manifest my selfe to him These sure are the revelations and manifestations of the Spirit John 15. 24. Christ puts a strong wall of difference between the hating world and the disciples v. 24. now they have both seene and hated both me and my Father but not so ye v. 26. when the comforter is come whom J will send unto you from the Father even the Spirit of truth which proceedeth from the Father he shall testifie of me v. 27. and ye also shall beare witnesse because ye have been with me from the beginning Here are actings of the spirit in the disciples who love the father and Christ that the spirit acteth them to bear witness of him to the world upon all hazards even to death and torment We see what workes and actings of the spirit is in the Spouse sick of love for Christ which are in that song of songs to be seen comparing Cant. 2. 5. Cant. 5. 8. with other places of the song these works of the spirit are seen 1. A desire to be kissed with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1. 2. 2. A spirituall smelling of his good oyntments Cant. 13. 3. A prayer to be drawn and a vow to run being drawn Cant. 1. 4. 4. A resolution to rejoyce in his love with all the virgins and chaste followers of Christ Cant. 1. 4. to rejoyce more in his love then in wine 5. A desire to be where Christ dwelleth in the tents of the Shepherds a sound Ministry Cant. 1. 7. 6. A profession of intimate love to Christ so as he lies as a bundle of myrrhe betwixt her brests all the night Cant. 1. 13 16. an extolling of Christ as the apple-tree among all the trees of the forrest Cant. 2. 3. and a delighting to taste the fruits of his love 7. A spiritual feeling in being taken into his celler-house of wine Cant. 2. 4. a desire to be refreshed and established with the promises and comforts of the preached Gospel Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love 8. The feeling of his love-imbracements when they are on v. 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand embraceth me 9. Because the whole song is a song of love there is a charge given not to offend Christ v. 7. 10. An eying of him by faith in his approaches in the delivery of his people in his coming in the flesh to save the world in the preached Gospel in all which his coming leaping over the mountains and skipping over the hills saith That no impediment of the enemies and the powers of hell and no evil deserving of sin can obstruct his gracious motions to save and comfort his own v. 8 9. 11. The discerning of Christ's calling us in the Gospel v. 10 11 12. My Beloved spake and said unto me Rise up my love my fair one and come away 12. The discerning of his desire of our worship of the Churches praying doctrine and discipline v. 14 15. O my dove let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for sweet is thy vice c. 13. The Churches claiming of interest mutual betwixt Christ and his Spouse v. 16. My Beloved is mine and I am his 14. The observing where Christ is his feeding among the lillies in his Church which is clean and comely by his beauty 16. He feedeth among the lillies 17. untill the day breake c. 15. The Spouses desire of his company v. 17. Turn my Beloved and be thou like a Roe or a young Hart upon the mountains of Bether a desire of being with him for ever in glory as Rev. 22. v. 17 20. 16. The Spouses careful seeking of Christ and spiritual restlesness till she find him Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. I sought him whom my soul loved I sought him but I found him not c. 17. The sweet spiritual smell of the so loved Church v. 6 c. 18. Chap. 5. The Spouses discerning of his knock and voice though she sleep 2. The acknowledging of her sinful denying to let him in 3. The Spirit of Christs acting upon her heart till the bowels of love were stirred in her v. 4. 4. The opening to him 5. The smell of her obedience which she felt like dropping myrrhe v. 5. 19. The Spouses swooning and falling dead at his departure 20. The Spouses praying and seeking him when now he had withdrawn himself and the missing of the sweet actings of the spirit to her sense v. 6. 21. Her seeking of him at the watchmen 1 6 7. 22. Her desire that other professors the daughters of Jerusalem may in prayer hold forth to Christ her spiritual state of love-sickness v. 8. 23. Her preferring of Christ to all other beloveds in Heaven or Earth v. 9. 14. The Spouses high exalting of Christ in all his parts endowments graces and lowliness My Beloved is white and ruddy v. 10 11 12 c. all these and many others the like teach that the spirit in such excellent operations and graces hath his dwelling and seat in an heart strongly filled with the love of Christ But who hates Christ 1. All persecuters of his members John 15. 18. If the world hate you ye know that it hated me before you And it is exponed v. 20. If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you And whoever loves not the Brethren are not translated 1 John 3. 14. and they who love them not hate them 1 John 3. 14. compared with v. 15. how carnal lust and the love of glory from men hindereth influences of the Spirit to love Christ See John 8. 42. If God were your father ye would love me 44. Ye are of your father the Divel the lusts of your father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye will do he was a murderer from the beginning v. 50. I seek not mine own glory The strong love of Christ in the heart is a chamber and a house for the Spirit to act in 2. Not desiring of God but an abhorring or a soul abhorring of God hinders influences of the Spirit 1. Are there any who abhor God such a sad word is spoken of the Jews Zech. 11. 8. Three Shepherds also I cut off in one month and my soul loathed them and their soul also abhorred me Departing from God as a whorish woman forsakes her huband is charged upon the confederat people harlotry upon every high hill and under every green tree Jer. 2. 20. even when they said We will not transgress Hos 4. 12. The spirit of whoredom hath caused them to erre and they have gone a whoring from under their God 13. And can the holy spirit
mildly p. 1 c. 12. p. 101 Whether by prayer or any other way we may wrestle out from under Gods desertions p. 1. c. 12. p. 109 Influences are given of God to various temptation p. 1 c. 12. p. 110 It s a gracious temper to weep when the Lord is absent or angry p. 1. c. 13. p. 113 Christs absence is sometimes as good as his presence p. 1 c. 13. p. 118 Sâ—metimes we may pray again the degree of God but it s not lawfull to resist his commanding will p. 1. c. 13. p. 120 We may weep over our own dry hearts when we want Influences but we cannot weep against the Lord because he gives not those Influences p 1. c. 13. p. 121 We are to meet all conditions of life with cloasing with Gods holy dispensations p. 2. c. 1. p. 123 The word is the rule of doing the spirit the real efficient cause p. 2. c. 1. p. 127. How the Lord can lay by a command supernatural duties on men impotent and dead in sin p. 2. c. 2. p 129. God in creating man is both a Creator and also a law giver p. 2 c 2. p. 138 We are to be humbled for sin original p. 2. c. 2. p. 140 How to fetch Influences p. 2. c. 3. p. 142 The fetching of Influences is by supernatural actings by the word and spirit idem How the Lord brings himself under a sort of necessity of conferring gracious Influences p. 1. c. 2. p. 147 A considerable difference betwixt the Lords promise of grace and his practise of grace p. 2. c. 3. p. 148 Civil professors are nearer to conversion and to Christ then the openly profane and flagitious p. 2. c. 3. p. 149 It requires of the dead that they live and that we must not cease from running when the Lord ceases from drawing p. 2. c. 3. p. 152 It s a sinful shift to put away duties because of indisposition p. 2. c. 3. p. 154 We are to pray away indisposition as a great affliction p. 2. c. 3. p. 155 Influence of grace are due to the saints by promise p. 156 The Lord hath given Influences by necessity of a promise idem The three persons the Father the Son and Spirit give Influences p. 2. c. 5. p. 159 The fulnesse of Influences on the man Christ ib. fluences p. 2. c. 5. 159 Christ hath the dispensing of prederminating Influences by office and covenant p. 2. c. 5. p. 161 The Influences in the Son are all for our use and good p. 2. c. 5. p. 163 The Influences of the spirit are mainely to be eyed if any have the spirit he cannot want the Influences of God p. 2. c. 6. p. 164 The glorious things which the spirit of God shews p. 2. c. 6. p. 165 The Spirit prevents nature nature prevents not the Spirit p. 2. c. 6. p. 169 We are to pray for Influences p. 2. c. 6. p. 170 Obedience is to be yeilded to the Spirit as to the Father and the Son p 2. c. 7. p. 173 Much renewal will is a note of a spiritual disposition idem There is four expressions in Scripture of wrongs we do to the Spirit 1 Vexing 2. Quenching 3 Tempting 4. Resisting p. 2. c. 7. p. 176 How to improve spiritual feelings p. 2. c. 7. p. 183 Watching is a spiritual condition and near to receive gracious Influences p. 2. c. 7. p. 184 To converse with the Saints is a mark of a spiritual condition p. 2. c. 7. p. 186 Spiritual conference frequently used speaks a spiritual condition p. 2. c. 7. p. 189 The Contents of the third part SOme influences are from God some from Satan Part 3. Ch. 1. Pag. 189 Satan keeps correspondence with the heart p. 191 It s not lawful to dispute with Satan yet with his instrument we may p. 192 Christ sought neither the temptation nor the tempter p. 193 Difference betwixt Satans instruments and these of the Lord p. 194 Christ under a necessitie of giving sanctifying influences ib. Moral and physical influences 195 Moral influences that are only moral are weak ib. Ordinary and extraordinary influences 296 Prophetical influences ib. It is dangerous to resist strong light and the influences thereof p. 197 Private and publick Church-influences ib. Strong influences under the Messiah in the New Testament p. 199 Gospel-influences are strong p. 200 Some influences are for the habit some for the actings of grace some for both p. 201 Influences proper to the head Christ and influences on the members p. 202 Mediatory influences are some way due to the broken in heart and what sort they of right have thereto A four-fold right to influences is considerable p. 203 Strong and mighty influences in Christ p. 204 Gospel-providence how far above the Law-providence of Adam p. 205 Mr Gee treats of prayer Sect. 4. p. 187 188 195. p. 207 Influences of Christ fundamental and not fundamental ib. The comfortable necessity that lies on Christ to confer influences of grace p. 208 Influences not fundamental not simply necessary p. 209 Influences of grace for the habit of saving grace and influences for a gift p. 210 How we may know when we act pray or hear c. from a gift and when we act from a grace p. 210 Some pray from a meer gift when they mistakingly imagine they pray from the saving habit of grace the mistake is habitual in hypocrites only actual hic nunc to sound believers p. 211 Grace sanctifies the gift used in all due and spiritual circumstances but the gift can never sanctifie the grace p. 213 The same word but not the same influences act upon all within the visible Church p. 214 We are not to rest upon the actings from a gift but watchfully to try when we act from a gift and when from a grace ib. Differences from the influences of grace and these of glory p. 221 The habit of grace is a permanent disposition ch 2. p. 222 The habit of grace is given through the merit and grace of Christ p. 223 From the habit of grace we perform suitable actings p. 224 Vital actions flow from supernatural habits p. 225 The difference of the habit of grace from other habits p. 226 We are to follow holy resolutions with prayer 2 godly trembling 3 faith 227 The falshood of â—owes ib. A strong habit of grace produces easie and connatural and strong actings of grace p. 229 Actions supernatural and influences suitable are some way due to the habit of grace cap. 3. p. 232 Sometimes the habit of grace is qualified with heavenly dispositions p. 233 We should pursue the dispositions of grace when they are added to the habit with spiritual actings p. 234 We are to stir up the habit of grace though deadned ib. The Lord by infusing the habit of grace comes under some necessitie to give suitable influences thereunto cap. 4. p. 235 Divers necessities under which the Lord is to confer influences of grace p. 236 Christ advocates
for the Elect yet not converted to bring them to himself p. 237 The Spirits office puts him under a necessity of giving influences p. 241 Vses from the Lords necessity of giving gracious influences p. 242 First to frame doubts about predestination to life and to misse eternal love before we misse inherent saving grace is Satans method p. 243 Whether the habit of grace may cease in the regenerate from all its opperations p. 244 The habit of grace is not eternal ib. The habit of grace ceaseth not p. 445 How many acts may we bring out of the habit of grace p. 237 There is a consenting to the temptation which is a wishing that Gods law and our lust might both stand and a virtual wishing that the law of God had never had being p. 238 Eight evidences that in the regenerate the saving habit of grace never ceaseth from emitting some influences p. 239 What dispositions spiritual are and how they differ from the habits of grace ca. 5. p. 240 Get heavenly dispositions and influences follow conaaturâ—lly p. 242 Dispositions are not ever alike but various and changeable ib. Evidences that dispositions go and come p. 243 Spiritual dispositions are different from the affections 244 There are heavenly dispositions in the mind as well as in the affections ibid Bad spiritual dispositions creep on in the children of God p. 246 There is some acting and life under much deadnesse in the regenerate ibid Many sweet spiritual actings may be under indispositions p. 247 No agreement betwixt these two Champions the flesh and the spirit p 248 Its fit to go about duties under indispositions ib Lesse of sweet real influences and more of moral influences from the word makes obedience more perfect p. 249 We can tell the actings when they are on and after they are over and gone p. 3. c. 6. p. 251. Differences betwixt spiritual heart burnings of the love of Christ and literal heat p. 252 1. Difference ib Feeling may be stronger after actings of the spirit are gone p. 253 Spiritual burning of heart leave some impression behind which literal heat doth not p. 254 2. Difference ib Improving of spiritual heat is known whereas in literal heat there is no such thing p. 3. c. 6 3 property of an heavenly disposition ib. What we are to doe under dispositions spiritual 301 Spiritual dispositions are at length victorious ib. How to get heavenly dispositions ib. 4 Property 302 Heavenly dispositions connaturally cast out acts suitable 303 5 Property 304 Heavenly dispositions cause a man act upon himself ib. The meetings of believers for godly conference is owned by the Lord cap. 11. p. 308 Small means of grace and short visits of Christ are to be highly esteemed at some time especially when love-flowings have been neglected ib. Sense is prouder then faith 309 Withdrawings of Christ teach us to try whether we have abused his manifestations formerly 310 Except we find Christ we cannot pray 311 How to judge of the nature of praying ib. Praying fitteth for praying 312 There degrees of discerning an answer ib. The real withdrawings of Christ make no change of legal interests in Christ ib. The life of grace depends on influences of grace 313 Christs right and acts in redeeming of us stand entire when we are deserted ib. What love-sickness is 314 The Lords wisdom in suspending influences of grace 315 Withdrawing of comforts upon wise and holy reasons ib. The wisedome of God appointing that we depend on him ib. How we may pray for comforts 316 How we may deprecate languishing pain in love-sickness ib. How we may pray for gracious influences 317 A two fold contradicting of the Lords will 318 Love-sickness from the want of Christ 319 As touching peace with God we have peace de jure de facto but as touching the blot and in-dwelling of sin we ought not to have peace with our selves under that blot ib. Ingredients of love-sickness 320 Pain of love-sickness ib. The righting of the complaining of the damned ib. Faith above sense 321 Faith with stronger influences then ordinary controuleth sense under desertion 322 The Idol of indignation an enemy to zeal 323 Spiritual savouriness active and passive 325 In Christ in his Spouse in his members ib. Q. Whether God commands all use of means external and internal and every part thereof p. 3. cap. 12. p. 328 Nature and grace whether grace be above natural dispositions 330 Whether grace be above natures properties 2 merits 3 actings ib. Whether God gives or denies sufficient grace to the man who does what he can 331 The natural wicked inability in all to know believe and love Christ prove there is no universal sufficient grace 332 The Jesuite Martinez de Ripalda cites divers texts for universal grace 333 That praevious actings in heathens must be the rule of the Lords giving or denying the Gospel is an unwritten tradition 335 Sinners under the fall are interdicted heirs ib. The connexion betwixt literal actings and supernatural influences p. 336 The new supernatural providence is set up by the second Adam By which the conversion of the Elect is brought to passe p. 337 The order betwixt natural and supernatural acting p. 338 What renewed and unrenewed men can do in their respective places p. 340 Corruption and temptation both increase the difficulty of using means p. 341 Influences work as God set them on ib The gracious heart may reflect upon it self in spiritual actings and purge it self ib. We may do more by the habit of grace then we do p. 342 3. Difference ib 4. Difference ib There is a sweet leading no violence spiritual in heart burning for Christ it is not so in the literal heat p 255 5. Difference the heavenly heat goes along with the Scripture opened and applyed not so in the literal heat p. 256 Hence considerable differences betwixt motions of the spirit and loose Enthysiasmes ib Literal heat is all upon the letter and forms not so as the spiritual heat p. 260 A believer may be under some straitning p. 3. c. 7. p. 262 A true and a false missing ib What straitning is and whence it is p. 263 Diverse sorts of straitnings ib Rules to be free of straitning and to get enlargment of spirit p. 264 Every heavinesse is not weakness of faith p. 265 How far we may undertake obedience upon supposal of grace ib How dispositions necessarily fetch influences ib We have not assurance to be delivered from sin hic et nunc p. 266 Except from hanious sins inconsistent with the state of saving grace ib How we are to rely on God for influences ib What enlargement of heart David speaks of Psal 119. 32 p. 267 We cannot engage in our strength of habitual grace to run in the wayes of the Lord p. 268 Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre c. opened ib. What use we are to make of our inability to run except God enlarge the heart cap. 8.
p. 270 How men naturally complain of sin original 271 We do not so much as by strength of nature we may do and we adde to our own lameness and then we unjustly complain of God for our sinful impotencie ib. That spirit as the spirit lays no obligation on us but to move in Scriptural duties 276 No violence but from our selves hinders us to believe ib. God loves using of external means pro tanto ib. How far we may act to fetch the wind and to get influences ib. We are not to judge of our selves by occasional enlargednesse or deadning of the heart for the time cap. 9. p. 280 Enlargedness of heart and influences are near of kin 281 Branches of enlargedness of heart ib. Influences on the Angels and the glorified ones 283 Many straitned and dead ones reproved 284 Prayer begets holy dispositions to pray and heavenly dispositions to pray begets prayer and faith c. cap. 10. p. 287 Holy acts begets holy acts and holy dispositions beget holy dispositions ib. The Lord so frames his precepts and promises as our actings are suitably required to his influences 288 The differences of the 1. spiritual estate 2. of the temper 3. of the condition 289 What Davids present disposition was 291 The doubling of words noteth 1. certainty 2. addition of assurance 3. fieriness of affection ib. It s fit to make an eike to the holinesse of influences which the Lord offers to us 292 We may speak to God and professe in prayer the sincerity of our heart to God and the causes why 294 Its hard to guide well grace and glory so long as sin dwelleth in us ib. The Lords giving of grace layes bands on him to give more grace and to adde new influences to old 296 What a heart the repenting thief and what a heart Hezekiah brought out before the Lord in his dying ib. â— properties of holy dispositions 298 Dispositions spiritual are seeds of holy actings ib. Zeal bringeth forth holy actings 299 Heavenly dispositions are real helps to holy actings ib. Properties of heavenly dispositions to act under indispositions ib. A disposition counterworking a disposition 300 The spirit in an heavenly disposition at length prevaileth ib. 8 Pride and 9 Wordly mindedness hinder influences of grace lovelinesse and heavenly mindedness promote the same p. 362. c 10 Bastard zeal 11 Vncleanness 12 Malice 13 Wordly sorrow hinders the contrary graces promote influences p. 395 c. 14 Wordly and false joy 15 False love p. 398 c 16 Ignorance and hatred of the Gospel p. 400 17 Wrestling against providences obstruct the influences of God p. 402 God by his influences first acts and stirs by order of nature and in the same moment of time we act and stir without any violence p. 404 18 Heavenly and spiritual thoughts and considerations draw along heavenly influences as unclean thoughts do the contrary p. 405 Keep the oyl of the spirit clean if you would have heavenly influences to fall on the spirit p. 407 We are to act both morally and physically with the spirit p. 408 Prayers conclude not soveraignity ib Other impediments of influences from the mind will and affections p. 4. c. 4. p. 409 Heritical light ib A corrupt will p. 410 Hating of Christ and his grace obstruct influences p. 411 Diverse actings of the spirit in the Spouse sick of love for Christ hold forth influences the spirit as is cleared by the song of Solomon p. 412 Hating of Christ p. 414 The soul loathing of God ib The spirit gives no influences where there is no knowledg p. 415 Influences of the spirit are connatural to the spiritual man ib Sensuality and influence of the spirit are inconsistent ib Soul desires after God have sweet influences p. 416 Spiritual joy speak strong influences p. 417 Literal crying should not exceed the impulsion of the spirit within ib How hope and audacity hinder or promote influences p. 419 Moral acting cannot avail us whithout real influences of the spirit p. 420 Frequent acts of faith promote influences of the spirit ib Hope promotes influences p. 421 Sinful boldness obstructs influences ib Anger hindereth influences p. 422 How Elisha could not prophesie by reason of anger The influences of Musick therein ib A meek spirit is a fit work-house for influences of grace and high revelations instanced in Mosâ—s the man Christ John the beloved disciple p. 423 Horror and unbelieving fear an impediment of influences p. 425 Influences are considered two waies 1. Physically 2. Morally how men resisted the spirit p. 4. c. 5. p. 426 The Lord seeks not our consent to the first infusion of a new heart p. 427 We are married to Christ before we consent to be married p. 430 The Lord determines free will and doth no violence ib We are unexcusable in not doing our duty though the Lord deny his necessary influence p. 432 God acts in all both by the immediate influence of his power and of his person p. 433 The Lord most particularly leads his own p. 435 Two sort of causes one in fieri for the producing of and giving being to a thing another in facto esse for the preserving of the same in being God is both waies the cause of gracious actings ib. The right missing is to misse influences not of gifts and of common grace only but of special grace p. 436 A reprobate can no more miss the special guidance of the sanctifying spirit then a horse can miss the wings of an eagle that are not due to him ib Of the giving of the heart of God p. 437 We are more our own by law and less our own by Gospel ib Christ cares more for his own body then the members care for themselves p. 438 Christ care is rather now more when he is glorified then lesse ib. We vainly think that the habit of grace is given to be our justification and that as a dispensation from sin ib Inability to do without grace is pretented both by the lawless bankrupt and by the humble convert but for divers ends ib The unrenewed man would have come down to his way p. 343 There is a sad threatning against not using of outward means though no promise be made to the using of only outward means p. 344 The opposition made by hypocrites is only in the outward gate p. 345 Reprobates resist not the formal acts of regeneration p. 346 Mr. Baxters order of repentance p. 347 Doubts and reasons against Mr. Baxters new remedying law of grace made to all mankind p. 349 Vniversal redemption extols nature and free will and makes a moral season which heals not nature all the graces that the Gospel owns p. 352 The law teacheth but healeth not p. 357 Our formality in praying ib How nature beginneth and the spirit acteth on and with our literal acting p. 3. c. 14. p. 358 Some truth we must first physically hear and consider before we believe p. 359 Though it be true if the
only there is a negative withdrawing of influences upon the Lord's part which they want with a sort of natural yielding to the want thereof and yet they have and keep still their natural power to act actu primo as the first cause shall set them on work And the very like may be said of moral Agents God withdraws his influence they sin but find no positive violence comming from the Lord 's withdrawing to restrain them or impose upon them and they connaturally and with a virtual willingness yield to such withdrawings and keep an inferiour dominion over their own actings Hence 1. Moral Agents are to set to work to doe duties not to wait upon God's acts of influences but they are to act as if the influences of God were in their power for the influence from Heaven to the duty belongs to God he does not lay formal commands upon us to have or to want his influences and the duty is ours but we love more to look to God and judge anxiously his providence of withdrawing of influences then upon our own duty It s strange I judge his holy withdrawings and not my own sinful omissions 2. No man is to complain of the Lord 's withdrawing of influences You are joyful and well content to want them Men put out their own eyes and yet complain God hath made them blind Of this more hereafter But this Argument may be retorted and unpossible it is to defend the Dominion and Soveraignty of God by these Principles so if it be not in the dominion and soveraignty of God to procure or hinder the acts of final obedience or disobedience he cannot be Master of salvation and of the certain number of the saved but the free-will of man must be absolute ever here and the salvation of any must be physically impossible to the soveraign Lord. But by the Adversaries way it s not in the dominion and soveraignty of God to procure or to hinder the acts of final obedience or disobedience of any but it must be absolutely in the power of created free-will all things needful to be done both upon the part of the Lord's Decree and of the Lord's Influences being done to nill or will obey or disobey And 2. its in the power of created free-will to doe or obey and to refuse or disobey And 3. to have the strongest influences of God in its dominion and created power or to want them 4. Created freewill first stirs and concurs by order of nature before the soveraign Lord joyn his influence all these be the Principles of Pelagians Jesuits Arminians so shall created free-will have the dominion above and before the soveraign Lord of all the acts of obedience of all the chosen of God as to their number who shall be saved who not how many how few CHAP. VI. Q. Whether or no are we to believe pray praise read confer only then when the Spirit actually moves us to believe pray praise c. and not otherwise 1. Duties are to be done under spiritual withdrawings 2. The precept and the influence differ 3. We are and may pray at fixed hours THe Question is the same of elicite acts of love fear hope faith and of imperate acts of praying hearing praising only the difference is hardly can we set a time to believing the object sometime wakens us Psal 56. 3. What time I am afraid I le trust in thee otherwise that binds ever which is Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times The Lord hath more fixed a time for praying continually and for praising the Lord always 1 Thes 5. Psal 146. 1. 2. The question is alike in all actions and in spiritual and supernatural actions as whether the Husbandman may Plow and Sow at fit seasons or only when the Lord the cause of causes joyns his influence for these and the like are no less impossible without the connatural influences of God then the acts of praying believing without the supernatural influences of grace Now we would think it ridiculous should the Husbandman never plow but only when he is disposed to plow suppose he sleep longer in the morning then he should 3. The actual Influence cannot be a Rule for we cannot know or feel the actual influence of God Creator or of Grace but only when we are aworking 4. The question of the obligation is one thing and the question of ability to pray is another for Magus yet in the Gall of bitterness is under the obligation of a Commandement Acts 8. 22. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray God if perhaps the thoughts of thine heart may be forgiven thee And in a state of nature he is most unable and so far more indisposed to pray and repent And the believing Thessalonians are under a command to pray continually 1 Thes 5. 17. to praise to rejoyce ver 16. 18. what ever their indisposition be Now though the man fal'n in Adam be unable to keep and do the Law and natural men living in the visible Church be unable indisposed to believe in Christ and to pray yet except we say that such are under neither Law nor Gospel we cannot say that men because of their wretched estate are not obliged to pray believe love Christ walk with God Libertines say its unlawful and a taking of the Name of God in vain to aym at praying when the Spirit withdraws Suppose we could not reconcile our inability and our indisposition to pray nor the acting of strong grace and of weak will yet when God hath undeniably commanded duties and promised in the new Covenant grace and gives the new heart and the habit of grace no man hath warrant upon the account of the Lord 's denying influence to abstain from duties for upon the same account one might cast himself in the Fire and another in the Water why it may be the Lord shall deny his influence to the fire and water to burn or consume us and so the water shall not overwhelme me nor the fire consume me though I wickedly cast my self in fire and water Now what Familists and Libertines may object on the contrary should be heard Obj. 1. We are never to take the Name of God in vain but to pray without the acting of the Spirit is to take the Name of God in vain Ans The Antecedent is true we are never to take the Name of God in vain nor obliged to any sin but the Consequence is naught therefore we are not to pray nor obliged to pray except the Spirit either by disposition facilitate us or actually move us For the disposition or actual moâ—ion of the Spirit is neither our Rule nor a part of our rule For 1. The command to pray is the common obligiâ—g Rule to both Elect and Reprobate and obligeth all equally but neither the spiritual disposition nor the saving acting of the Spirit so equal to all is our Rule 2. The command is exposed to every one to
I say not inherently or personally for Christ's satisfaction is not a meer dying nor meer suffering for beasts may die and suffer much But such a dying and such a suffering for 1. Christ's dying and satisfying hath an excellency from the subject God-man who dyed Act. 20. 28. 2. It hath an excellent qualification from the patience submission willingness of God-man the like wherof could be in no simple Man in no Angel in no Creature for the personal influence of God was in him his obedience As for the damned in Hell their satisfaction is of another nature different from Christ's is only satispassion and pure torment not holy willing suffering as the Law requires sinless sufferings as contradistinguished from active obedience How be it the Law moral doth require patient and submissive suffering without dispairing or blaspheming in any reasonable Creature for the holy Law cannot but condemn sin and blasphemy adhering either to our acting or suffering Nor 6. Let it be said to the undervaluing of the righteousness of God through faith that inherent righteousness is the full end of Christ's bloud when in the state of glory there shal be no more pardoning of sin but perfect inherent holiness For 1. that inherent holiness in the estate of glory is not perfect legal holiness nor the formal cause of our justification in glory because all the glorified once sinned and so for eternity are such as have violated the Law 2. Our righteousness from the time forward shall not only be inherent for the righteousness of God is an everlasting righteousness Dan. 9. 24. and how that robe of Christ's surety-righteousness shall in the state of glory be laid by as an old useless garment and the robe of inherent righteousness in lieu of it put on for ever The Scripture does not speak What men without Scripture speak we care not 3. Nor is our inherent righteousness only either the adequate end of Christ's bloud or of faith and labours as if God intended as his only end to make us eternally Law-righteous whereas he shall eternally delight in us and lead us in glory as those that are freely redeemed in the bloud of the Lamb for the Lamb shall be the everlasting righteousness of all crowned with glory Rev. 4. 8 9 10. Rev. 5. 11 12 13. Rev. 7. 14 15 16. 3. Soveraignty challengeth submission to the will of God in doing and in suffering because it is his obliging will we fail not a little in the former when we pray because the Mast of the Ship is broken and death is at the bedside and we hear the Word because it is the fashion and abstain from fornication and from other works of darkness and put on a sort of holiness not because it is the will of God even our sanctification as for eating drinking sleeping waking they are spiritually minded who doe not these things for nature and lust but as wel-pleasing to the Lord and find a convincing and perswading reason in the holy commanding will of the Soveraign Lord why they ought to be done upon a spiritual account and the other is no less spiritual for many are sick and die many are poor and persecuted for weldoing because they cannot chuse but so it must be not because as Peter saith 1 Pet. 3 17. So is the well of God in a spiritual account to them for when holy Soveraignty hath laid on the necessity of dying of sickness and pain and a gracious spirit shall close with that this is spiritual patience 4. Because the Lord hath a dominion over second causes and as it were a strong lock upon all Creatures to open and sâ—ut at his pleasure and he puts a seal upon Sun and Stars Job 9. 7 8 9. that they cease and shine or shine not or go down we are to put our Amen and Seal to Soveraignties decrees I rise early and there is no bread ah Lord I lay in a soft bed and there is no sleep in the night but pain Say Amen Lord the Fig-tree blossoms not this year yet I will rejoyce in the Lord Hab. 3. 16 17. Soveraignty hath so appointed there is nothing but rolling of garments in bloud and captivity and spoils yet pray thy will be done in the Earth as it is done in the Heaven CHAP. VIII Divers Particulars in which Soveraignty appears 1. SOveraignty and the glorious liberty of God appears in 1. His Decrees 2. The Works of God especially 1. Of Creation 2. Of common Providence 3. Works of more special Providence 1. Works of Justice 2. Works of Free-grace The Soveraignty of his Decrees is 1. In these two solemn and celebrious Decrees of Election and Reprobation He loved Jacob and hated Esau before ever the children had done good or evil Rom. 9. this is a humbling thought to clay graciously disposed which dare not contradict the Soveraign potter The Lord might have appointed my chair before the Throne and my eternal crown to Judas and to Pharaoh and the same Lord might so have ordered as the furnace of the traitor Judas in Hell should have been my furnace in Hell 2. O what depth of love did the King chuse me or did he once name my name and write me for life eternal This is a hardning thought in the fallen Angels and reprobate men that they strive against and hate the providence permitting their fall and sin but doe neither strive against nor hate their permitted fall and sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 why doth he yet notwithstanding of his irresistible Decree find fault with our sin why doth he not blame his own Decree who hath resisted his will a graceless soul will flee upon eternal Decrees and Events that belong to God but is never humbled for sin and remission of duties The gracious soul is much upon these thoughts O the freedome of the eternal emanations of free grace and the depth of the outgoings of Soveraign justice and does mournfully complain of its own sinful actings Psal 51. 1 2 3 4 5. we are to say Amen to his way Soveraignty is not our Rule clay is not to watch over the Lord's acts of holy Soveraignty but in point of submitting to the opened and revealed Decrees but is to eye the rule watch over the heart in point of duties 2. All things to be and never to be are written in his book Psal 139. 16. the number of David's members all the hairs of the head are numbred Matth. 10. 30. all the piles of dust and sand all the drops of dew rain hail snow all the drops of the sea rivers lakes fountains of the Earth Isa 40. 12. Pro. 30. 4. all the ounces and dram weights of the hills and mountains are exactly weighed as in ballances and numbred by holy Soveraignty all the blasts of wind gathered in his fists Prov. 30. 4. he knows how many inches and spans are in the Earth from East to West and in the compass and circle of
and the least of Stars why made he me not the Sun nor the Earth say out of the lump of poor Nothing out of the which I came he might have made me the Globe of the Heaven of Heavens or an Angel but he would not 3. Why made not God the first Adam as perfect as the second Adam a house that can stand alone is better then an old house that needs aprop O quarrel not the Vine tree is a more noble plant then the thorn and the one must be propped else it grows not 2. The man Christ needs influences of graces as well as another man 3. The Angels and glorified Spirits need the like Man a house of clay needs a pillar of excellent matter of the gold of free-grace to hold him up in his actings 4. Why made he me not as holy as the man Christ why was this man born blind O cease he who gives not an account of any of his matters when he made you a man might have made you a snake or a stone he is debter of two eyes or of half an eye of the lowest gift or grace imaginable to no man close with all he does That is an evil wit that disputes with God Submission silent submission to the hardest dispensation makes the child of God victorious we are above all things in conquering when we are below all things in submitting for the Lord. 2. Job or any answer Job 38. 8. Who shut up the Sea with doors as if it had issued out of the womb Ver. 9. When I made the cloud the garments thereof and thick darkness a swadling band for it Job 26. 7. He stretcheth out the North over the empty place and hangeth the Earth upon nothing give a reason of East and West 3. The Lord puts forth Soveraignty on Jeroboam's arm to dry it up on Mephibosheth's feet upon the mans eye-holes Joh. 9. that they should be empty of eyes on Judas his bowels on Job's body smitten with boyls his outgoings of Soveraignty appear on the Fig-tree which he curseth on the Gourd of Jonah for he blasts it on the Fig-tree and Vine-tree for he marrs them Joel 1. 4. As it pleaseth him he setteth one piece of clay on the Throne to glister another bit of clay behind the mill where he sweats and is hungry Zeph. 3. 12. I will leave in the midst thereof an afflicted and a poor people or sick yea dryed up as Fish-ponds and Brooks use to be when the rest are swept away Joseph is rich and all the Corn of Egypt is his and his brethren want bread and are low like Carriers driving horses with loads on them 5. Job gets no leave to swallow his spittle Job 7. 19. Precious Israel is plowed Psal 129. 1. and her back made a field of bloud like two legs and a piece of an ear of a devoured sheep plucked out of the mouth of a Lion Amos 3. 12. the man Christ a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief a worm and not a man and all the Earth sitteth still and is at rest Zech. 1. 11. the wicked shine are fat their breasts are full of milk and you stumble at this Shall any teach the Almighty knowledge Job 21. 22 23 24. Amos 6. 1 2 3. Psal 73. 1 2 3 4 5 6 c. 6. Except Soveraignty what can silence the mind of one who stumbles and doubts and weeps because so many Infants are burnt in Sodom with fire so many in the old World are drowned with waters in the mothers womb and the cradle the young sucking children of the Amalekites of Babylon who never drew a sword against the people of God could never bow their knee to the Idol God Pel nor stretch out their hands to him perish by the sword and their heads dasht against stones O they were guilty of sin original yea and so were Moses David Samuel Noah Job and Daniel when they were in the womb and weeping on the breasts 7. Soveraignty determines what is just righteous Abel dies in bloud godly Josiah in war many bloody men smile out their soul in peace I took Sodom away saith the Lord Ezech. 16. 50. as I saw good a wall falls upon twenty seven thousand and kills them 1 Kings 20. the Lord shoots an arrow of the Pestilence at the camp of the Assyrians and without a misse takes away in one night an hundred and fourscore and five thousand chosen men Isa 37. 36. 2 Chro. 13 18. there fell of Israel at once five hundered thousand how many graves must be there Pharaoh and his Princes are drowned in the Sea Herod killed with worms then simple judgements as divided from sin prove nothing but how are we to stoop and tremble at holy Soveraignty 8. As touching gifts and graces much is to be seen of Soveraignty Elihu saith Job 32. 9. Great men are not always wise neither do the aged understand judgement Beautie is a debt that God ows not to pay to Absalom nor wisedom to Achitophel more then to a stark fool or to any man who is born as a wild Ass colt This Soveraignty gives faith to Abraham to Moses meekness to David sincerity to Josiah zeal to Job patience to the man Christ the fulness of the Spirit above measure there is more grace of godly painfulness given to Paul then to the dayly eye-witnesses of Christ I laboured more abundantly then they all 1 Cor. 15. you might have had wisedom and used it as Achitophel and yet saith one God hath given me no more grace therefore let God blame God that I doe as I doe if he had given me more grace I would have done better and if I had a heart according to the heart of God I would have been as holy sincere and zealous as David but he denyed it to me out of his absolute Soveraignty which is far above my will and my strength influences of grace both for the obtaining of the habits and the acts of Soveraign grace Ans These practical Propositions are to be considered 1. Prop. 1. It is proud nature which saith God is to be blamed for whether the Lord give or withhold more grace holiness and spotlesness doth essentially convey his Soveraignty Matth. 20. 15. Is it not lawful for me to doe what I will with mine own saith he who is Almighty For he who is in an unsearchable way above all law that binds the Creature can be subject to no blame Suppose the evil servant say Matth. 25. 24. Lord I knew thee that thou art an hard man reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not strowed That is thou seekest much obedience and a large harvest and sowest upon my heart little grace and gave me but one talent if thou hadst given me five talents or two talents I should have done as well as the servant who received five or two but thou didst not any such thing therefore blame thy self and so it is the very
complaint of the very malignant servant as also the rich Gluttons divinity reflects upon the gracious dispensation of God Luke 16. 30. Nay father Abraham but if one went unto them from the dead they will repent Which is as much as God is to be blamed that his five brethren repent not for he bestows not sufficient helps of salvation on them Q. 1. What is the book of Moses and the Prophets but a paper roll of letters and syllables would he send a Preacher from Hell and a Messenger from Heaven to give them sufficient warning and instruction of a Heaven and a Hell it were good but that he does not he then is to be blamed not my five brethren 2. He who shews mercy on whom he will and hardneth whom he will and that by a strong mighty will which no man can resist he can find fault with no man though he sin and harden his own heart For his absolute Soveraign will is far above me and my strength but so doth the Lord saith the carnal man Rom. 4. 18. 19. and the holy Ghost saith such an Objection is unworthy to be moved or answered nor becomes it base clay and the clay pot so to argue with the great potter and former of all things 2. Influences for getting of the habits or performing the acts of saving grace are the Lord 's own therefore Soveraignty is his Law he may bestow them or withhold them as he pleaseth especially if the Creature be willing to want these influences and if the Sun rejoyce with all his heart at the influences and concurring providences of God to the contrary sinful actings as he doth Exod. 5. 2 8 16 17 18. Psal 14. 4. Psal 10. 6 7 8. 4. 10 11. Psal 36. 3 4. Psal 84. 5 6 7 8. Prov. 1. 11 12. Prov. 2. 14. Prov. 4. 16. 17. Prov. 10. 23. Prov. 14. 9. Prov. 7. 18. Prov. 9. 17. Psal 49. 11. Luke 11. 39. Psal 5. 9. Psal 64. 6. 3. Though we could not conceal the Lord's concluding of all under unbelief and their guiltiness who are so concluded and the mystery of the Lord 's rejecting the Jews and calling the Gentiles with the free obedience of the one and free disobedience of the other and the Lord 's having mercy on whom he will and hardning whom he will with their willing running in ways of disobedience and rebellion and say as Paul Rom. 11. 33. O the depth c. yet adversaries have no cause of objecting this to us more then to the Scriptures of God 4. Prop. Gracelesness is satisfied with gracelesness and is no more desirous and thirsty for grace nor darkness after the Sun light or coldness desireth the fires heat yea as Satan cannot destroy Satan the body of sin cannot love to be subdued by grace and the man hating both Christ and his Father John 15. 24. and pleasing himself in that way who yet complains that God doth withdraw his grace and so cannot command us or exhort us to repentance is like to him who lies still in the furnace and loves to be burnt and complains that he is scorched and tormented and the Lord will not lift him out of the furnace 5. What a proud Pelagian nature is this for any to say had he the habit of grace which was in David he could act as David and could secure himself from adultery and murther but how did David who had David's heart fall in these horrid crimes can any interpose himself surety and put grace which he hath not or nature which he cannot command to undertake to obey God in all things were it not safer to be pained with the bondage of sin and be sick for Christ and his grace and never to interpose self to be surety for self but to be strong in free grace only Ephes 6. 10. CHAP. X. 1. Soveraignty in actings of grace 2. We are not to seek influences but such as are suitable to the Word 3. Of divers influences 4. How we complain of want of influences and how we may suit them 5. We are to act under indispositions 6. How we are to pray continualy 7. Not to act duties while we feel breathings of the Spirit is an unsafe Rule 8. Preparations before Duties 9. To wait on breathings before we act Duties how lawful how not LEt it be futher considered in these Particulars how unjust we are and how free the Lord is 1. Who ever complains of the want of grace and yet remains in the state of nature doth close with his want of grace For 1. The renewed mans complaining of the want of grace is neither in sense or godly feeling nor in faith and humble believing Nature can no more complain of the want of grace with any spiritual and godly sense then a sucking child can weep because he is not an understanding man of thirty years old for darkness cannot seek after the Sun light for so it should desire its own destruction nor can cold desire heat nor Satan be divided against Satan and therefore these are but feigned and counterfeit bemonings For the actings of sinful nature with delight say that the man hates grace which he professeth he so much desires for only grace can thirst after and long for grace Joh. 15. 24. If I had not done among them the works which no other man did they had not had sin but now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father Such a hatred of the fulness of grace Jesus Christ cannot consist with a lively desire of grace Prop. 2. It is a right Rule not to separate Soveraignty from the Word or the Omnipotency of grace from the Promise otherwise we make a sort of Idol of Omnipotency seek we them and pray for influences of grace not peremptorily hic nunc to every single acting Psal 119. 2. My soul cleaveth to the dust quicken thou me according to thy word Ver. 28. My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy word Ver. 107. I am afficted very much quicken thou me according to thy word v. 154. For 1. A gracious heart seeks no other out-lettings of grace to this or that duty but according to the promise Now the promise is not contrary to the Soveraign dispensation and there is no such Soveraignty but that there are many withdrawings of God whence follows deadness and the souls melting for heaviness Nor is there either promise or dispensation that the belever shall in every moment of time be lively and vigorous and have the heart lifted up in the ways of God except we would say Earth is Heaven and we are not for a time in heaviness if need be 2. There is a bastard literal heat and vigor of going about duties that comes not from the Word no bastardheat comes from the Word but by accident for the Spirit that speaks in the Word speaks his own spiritual and lively comforts and actings not that which may flow from a
not a Husband-man who for bears plowing and sowing upon the account only that he finds not a season so desirable as he craves and that he is indisposed to plow spiritually as a Christian He who observes the wind shall not sow and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap Eccl. 11. 4. So are we to refer to his holy Soveraignty the flowings of the Spirit and to set about holy duties as if these flowings were in our power We are to know that the command and precept of spiritual duties is laid on us as we are reasonable creatures as hearers of the Gospel not under the reduplication as spiritually or not spiritually disposed as the Creditor and the Law charge men to pay their just debts not as they are poor or rich but as they are debters yea precepts from the Lord bind the creature as the creature and moral precepts bind Men and Angels as capable to obey though not fit and disposed Therefore must we here distinguish betwixt nature capable or having at any time power to obey and the real or as it were the physical aptitude and idoneous disposition to obey The latter takes not away the obligation to pray or believe David's being overclouded with a temptation is not an excuse of adultery and murther nor is he thereby freed from praying Lord lead me not into temptation As 1. Under indispositions moral we rejoyce that sinful indispositions do befriend us and smile upon us to promote sin as some love them well who counsel them and joyn with them in drunkenness and are their brethren in iniquity so do we foment indispositions and welcome and fatten them and do not violence to our corruption and deadness and heardness and some expone false light to be God's secret and virtual approving Will they should commit the sin as Evah saw the fruit that it was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise Gen. 3. 6. Here Evah substitutes the tentation in place of the precept and false light fosters and cherisheth a sinful lust and a wicked disposition to sin It is a sort of tempting of the tempting disposition whereas is were good to complain under a sinful disposition as under the bondage of a part of the body of sin as Paul doth Rom. 7. for a sinful disposition is but a branch and bud of the body of sin which we are to wrestle against as a most dangerous opposite to spiritual obedience Indeed sometime a spiritual disposition to pray or praise or hope goes along with the command Now the obligation of the command to praise is ever one and its good when the man can say My heart is fixed I will praise Psal 5â— and the command to wait on the Lord lies ever on it is a rich mercy when the disposition goes along with the command as Psal 25. 15. Mine eyes are ever in the habit and holy disposition toward the Lord and Psal 130. 6. My soul waiteth for the Lord more then they that watch for the morning Farther not to pray till the Spirit move us and simply to abstain from praying or any other spiritual duty upon simple ignorance that we are not obliged to pray except the spirit move us is weakness in some godly who may be overtaken with that error but in knowing and judicious men who are Libertines it is wickedness and somewhat more then weakness for it is to abstain from spiritual duties though not considering or without religious weighing the Commandment pray continually and is a making of the Spirit 's acting our Bible and to confound the Scripture and the Spirit as Libertines did so Calvin saith of them and so do others 2. The sense of this pray continually cannot be pray assiduously at all occasions except the Spirit withdraw his influences for here three things are considerable If 1. The providential call of God to pray suppose that sickness incursions of Divels or extreme suffering be on If 2. A more special supernatural providence of a heavenly fervor and stirring of the Spirit be on If 3. Only the obligation of a command be on to pray upon all occasions Christian prudence directing to obey affirmative Precepts Now as to the First Ass 1. Suppose there be some seeming contradiction betwixt extreme pain and absence or withdrawings yet a seeming contradiction only and not real it is and the man is called to an habitual praying disposition because what commands obligeth us to be renewed in the spirit of our mind Ephes 4. 23. lays a tie on us to doe it without delay Isa 55. 6. Psal 55. 7 8. Joel 2. 12. and consequenter ever to be in a savoury disposition and to savour of the things of the Spirit whether the spirit actually heat the soul with such savoriness for otherwise our Saviour rebukes the disciples on no just ground when they were sleepy for want of an actual heavenly disposition to pray Could ye not watch with me one hour The physical indisposition to pray does not take away the moral obligation to pray then 2. Though pain and extreme soul-heaviness that the man cannot speak Psal 77. 4. and Hezekiah can but chatter as a crane or a swallow Isa 38. 14. and the Church can scarce breath out a word of prayer Lam. 3. 36. yet doth not the Lord in sending on a physical or judicial indisposition contradict his own moral tie which he hath laid on by his command to pray at all times Ass 2. If a more spiritual heat of Spirit enclining to pray or prophecy or preach or praise be on David Psal 39. 1 2 3. on Ezekiel chap. 3. 14. on Paul Acts 17. 16 17 22 c. on the same Royal Prophet Psal 57. 7 8 9 10. Psal 45. 1 2. then two fires being stirred should flame more vehemently when to this fire there is a command added now though Oars be laid aside as uselesse when the wind is fair and favourable on the Sayls and it be not possible that a man can both ride on a spirited nimble horse and also walk the same time on foot yet here by no means must the word or conscience of the command of God be laid aside For as the physical facility comes from the spirit 's holy impulsion and spiritual warmness that is on so the savoury and gracious morality flows from the considered and believed precept and the sanctified heart would close sweetly both with the one and the other for specially the moral or obediential part is from the command and the most genuine and kindly obedience comes from the Word It is the real and physical part that comes from the Spirit and that is onely so far good and morally lawful as the Spirit and Word goe along together Ass 3. It must be holden that duty as duty is a moral motive we are to be led withal and we to look with fear and trembling to the command what
ever withdrawing of the Spirit or of his influences there be its true what promises of a richer dispensation of grace are made in the Messiah Zech. 12. 10. Ezech. 11. 19 20. Isa 55. 11 12. Isa 44. 1 2 3 4 c. are to be considered by us but yet so no Scripture saith Stand still and act no duties until the Spirit of grace first strongly breath upon the heart that is to say no obeying of God is to be gone about until feeling of the breathings of the Spirit go before faith and praying and all duties and what is this but a tying of the spirit to our spiritual senses men then cannot be accused nor condemned for not calling upon God and not believing because natural men truly can say we could not walk before on◠Guide nor sayl without our Steers-man the Spirit Now the Spirit 's drawings we never felt and this were to render the Word of God useless it s enough to us the command cries to the conscience the voice of the Lord sounds in the Word and none can alledge any contrary actings of the Spirit As also how shall the feelings of the Spirit be known but by the Word and the Spirit not simply but the spirit with the word is the only Guide since we are bidden try the spirits whether they are of God or not 1 John 4. 1. and as hard it were to put converted ones to such a method it were to render Duties suspicious and dangerous and to condemn Scripture-light as guilty of darkness 2. We are now after Scripture is closed and the compleat Canon given to us to follow no duty but what is warranted by the Word and that the Spirit alone works not by the Word it must then be wild-corn and no part of the Lord's husbandry and so not from the Lord that we are not to pray while first we feel the actings of the Spirit for that position is both beside and contrary to the Word Something might be said for this we are not to eat while we feel hunger nor to sleep while we feel drouziness though if eating and sleeping be looked on as duties it cannot bear the weight of Scriptural truth yet to look to feelings as a Rule before we obey a Command of God and to make the feelings of breathings our Rule hath no colour of truth Ass 4. It may be looked on as another extremity to look to no actings nor dispositions of the heart before we pray for though the disposition of the heart be no rule morally obliging us yet to fall upon duties looking only to the Rule knowing the duty is a duty and sutable to the Rule and no more but to flie to acting in our own strength is not good For 1. It is required that beside it be an uncontroverted duty other Spiritual and Evangelick circumstances would be considered as whether Jehu intend the honour of God in killing the Priests of Baal whether the intended honour of God breath upon Pharisees in praying and in almes-giving or if only a thirst to be seen of men do blow the trumpet and encourage men to the work 2. The frame of the heart in doing would be looked to as we suppose Elisha did right in that he would not prophecy while as a passion of Anger was upon him and therefore called for a Ministrel to sing a Psalm and then the Spirit of the Lord acted upon him and whether while wrath is on pure hands can be lifted up to God see 1 Tim. 2. 8. possible out of eager opposition to Enthysiasts and Libertines we run on another extreme that we rush on duties upon no other account but only the Scripture is clear Do this in remembrance of me and that warranted us to eat at the Lord's Supper prepared or not prepared but to rush on the dutie while some preparation or self-examination go before is clear against another command of God Let a man try and examine himself and so let him eat some duties are of that nature that ex natura rei of themselves they require fixed preparations as the Priests sanctifying of themselves and these who offered before they came to the Altar Psal 26. 6. Exod. 40. 31 but whether this may warrant none to pray while they first prepare themselves to pray before they pray by praying and so that prayer which is preparatory must be prepared by another preparatory prayer and so without end spiritual preparations must in infinitum go on before spiritual preparations is another question A fixed and set preparation before every duty is not requisite but sure a preparing of the heart to seek the Lord should go before solemn actions 1 Sam. 7. 3. Job 11. 13. 1 Chron. 29. 18. 2 Chron. 12. 13. and beyond all controversie we sin against God and stumble many in headlong rushing upon duties not looking to a spiritual frame of heart in comming to the house of God and not taking heed to the feet and in yoaking the Cart before the Horse When we first sacrifice and then hear Eccles 5. 1. godly prudence which dwels with wisedom saith both a fools bolt is soon shot and a fools sacrifice is soon offered Some receive the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suddenly Mark 4. 16. 1. Sayling is more safely delay'd in the time of an extreme storm and sowing when the wind is mighty then attempted and if the affections be raveiled and the heart smoaking with some fiery disorders that distemper would be mourned for and prayed against headlong and precipitate duties done in hast argue great profanness and irreverence to the holy Lord whom we serve and worship 2. They speak an irreverent not eying of God 3. Want of bendedness of heart in holy duties I speak not this as if praying either set or instructed or ejaculatory suits were to be delayed Ass 5. To wait upon the flowings of the Spirit hath not one single meaning Libertines waiting on the actings of the spirit and there professed feriation and abstinence from praying hearing is a sad delusion 1. It s a hardning of the heart while it is to day and then the foolish Virgins had good reason to be foolish and to neglect the market and buy no Oyl while the market of Mercy was gone and over why the spirit blew never fair for their spiritual trading and therefore they are to be excused in that they sleeped all their life 2. It s a confounding of the Rule the Word of God and of the Spirit which quickens the Word and makes it effectual 3. It s to excuse all wicked men and to loose them from the law of God We can doe no better blame the Spirit say they which blows not and many other absurdities hence follow 2. To wait on the Spirit 's flowings that is with a lesse measure of the spirit to fetch more and by two talents to gain four is so lawful a waiting for the breathings of the spirit as to plow and wait
patiently for the harvest to sayl and wait till the Jewels and Gold come home and the Ship land is commendable this is to bring forth fruit with patience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. To wait upon the flowings of the Spirit which out of holy Soveraignty comes in a larger measure then is ordinary as an high spring-tyde as my heart is confirmed or prepared my heart is confirmed or prepared Is 1. To welcome and adore the Lord in these high manifestations and wisedom requires that the soul which is taken into the Kings chamber and finds many outlettings and sweet and rich accesse in praying should multiply bills and being heard for his own pardon as David was Psal 51. should put in a bill for building of the walls of Zion and so should the soul being in a higher strain and admitted to a more then ordinary feast of fat things eat and drink more abundantly Cant. 5. 1. as Esther finding the King on a strain of graciousness to her Esther what is thy Petition follows her suit and lays hold on the opportunity and her suit is not for the safety of one single man but for the lives of the whole Church of God even all the Jews 2. To leave off wrestling too soon is a sort of violence done and a damming up of the mighty flowings of the Spirit No doubt a lazy pursuing of the victory when we prevail with God is a mighty neglect 4. So to wait for the Spirit 's high manifestation as to set bounds to him and to look this shall be a great feast and the instruments are eminent is a limitting of God hope of that kind would be humble and submissive there being no word of promise as concerning the quantity and measure of the emanations and outlettings of the Spirit for that is his own Soveraignty to doe with his own as he thinks good we would be more careful to receive and believe and praise then to widen hope in order to instruments to wit such a shining Prophet beyond what is revealed sure believing his word is better then censuring Soveraignty Idolatry is here crafty and subtil Ass 6. If we speak of preparations going before the real and physical stirrings of saving grace there are not any upon our part except we say with Pelagians that we begin and the Spirit follows CHAP. XI 1. Our impotency to duties being reproved cannot excuse us in the omitting of them 2. The wicked habit in sleeping men is faulty 3. Therefore the withdrawing of influences excuses not 4. The Creatures sin is not from the Lord 's withdrawing of influences of grace formally but from our withdrawing of our hearts from his moral Commandment 5. The Objection of many if God would give me influences of grace as he did to Moses and David I would be as holy as any discussed the Objector and the Objection both answered 6. The non-sense of the Objection opened 7. A natural man hates influences both physical and moral though he wish physical influences 8. The Objection exalteth nature abuseth grace and many ways reproacheth God his Grace Soveraignty Wisedom c. Q. WHether or no doth our impotency to pray and believe clear and justifie us in that we believe not and pray not Ans Not at all for one and the same cannot be a just excuse and a due rebuke but the holy Ghost rebukes our cannot as a sinful cannot and so our impotency cannot be a just excuse So Joshua chap. 24. 19. Ye cannot serve the Lord. Isa 29. 11. I cannot read the book that is I am sinfully ignorant of prophecy Isa 44. 18. They cannot understand no more then blind men Jer. 6. Their ear is uncircumcised they cannot hearken The Lord grievously challengeth the people ver 11. I am full of the anger of the Lord and denounce wrath against this rebellious cannot for not only is the tree rejected as bearing evil fruit but also because the sap is sour and the bulk rotten Christ speaks rebukingly of some impotent cannot of the world Joh. 14. 17. I will send you the Spirit of truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the world cannot receive Rom. 8. 7. The wisedom of the flesh is not subject to the law of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither indeed can be Ver. 8. They that are in the flesh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot please God 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man cannot know the things of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a condemning of the natural man as he is opposed to the spiritual man who is praised as one who knows the secrets of God 2. And he is condemned as one who judgeth the things of the Gospel foolishness John 6. 44. No man can come to me except the father draw him And that is a most wicked shift of him who married a wife Luke 14. 20. therefore I cannot come we excuse such wicked weakness with this God help us we cannot without his grace doe better 3. The very sinful habit and power is reproved in the Word even the power as it is contra-distinguished from the sinful act Psal 14. 1. The habitual fool hath said in his heart there is not a God The habitual blindness and hardness of heart that may be in sleeping men the state of non-regeneration and the state of death and of uncircumcision of heart is condemned Eph. 2. 1 2. 3. Col. 1. 13. 14. Psal 14. 3. their poyson of nature Psal 58. 4. the uncircumcision of heart Jer. 9. 26. the sinful frame of the heart Gen. 6. 5. Gen. 8. 21. Hence of force it must follow that this is no good consequence the sleeping man or swooning man acting and committing no actual guiltiness and making no use of free-will is guilty and rebukable before God as the sleeping Wolf is bloudy the sleeping Lion is cruel because of the bloudy and cruel nature that is inherently in both when neither of them do actually devour so though influences to the material acts of sin be not in our power yet since we lodge that sinful power and virtually as is said consent to want the breathings of God and consent that the sinful acts have hous-room in the sleeping man we are thence guilty upon that account though we sleep and are patient in carrying sinful powers and sinful acts now inherent in us and the withdrawing of influences of grace upon the same account cannot be an honest excuse why I pray not yea the wicked impotency and indisposition and the three Disciples drouziness and sleepiness the same way physical being on them in the night Matth. 26. is a new guiltinesse moral for Christ commanded watching in vigorousnesse then and their actual not praying is another guiltiness 3. Under withdrawings of influences of grace we are guilty 1. In not considering the temptation signs and wonders we see and hear Deut. 29. 3. yea though the Lord 's not giving a new heart be not our sin formally yet our not having
the Pharisees meets the words of rebuke in Christ's mouth and bitterness in Herod resounds when John Baptist does rebuke his incest and adultery Take it for a sad condition when there is a practical contrariety and hatred betwixt the heart and the word of the Lord a heart loathing of the word and a rejecting thereof is dreadful whereas the esteeming of the word sweeter then the honey or the honey comb more then thousands of silver and gold the mans treasure his heritage his souls delight and love night and day his work meditation study wisedom do proclaim much of the new creation the word being the seed of the new birth and new creations must love the mother seed it s own native beginning as the streams are of the same nature and likeness with the fountain the Word tries all mens hearts see Joh. 7. 40 41 42 43 44 45 46. Luk. 4. 21 22 23 24 25 28 29. Acts 2. 12 13 37 38 39. Acts 7. 54 55 c. Acts 13. 38 42 43 44 45 46. Acts 14. 1 2 3 4 5 c. Acts 17. 34 35 36. Some believe some mock the natural man cannot close with the word Now Christ is given as a Leader and Commander to the people Isa 55. 4. charge him not as a misleading and a rash guide because he carries you through a wildernesse where there is neither flood nor fountain on the Earth nor dew or rain from Heaven you are withered and no influences come from him let faith complain of the barrenness of the Earth but justifie the driness of the clouds it s the wisedom of God that teacheth the believer to weep because he wants rain and moistness and is sinfully dry and yet to submit to him who denies rain and dew for he gives not here upon just grounds and holily I want deservedly for my just demerit Part. II CHAP. I. 1. God acts upon the creature first and not the creature first upon God 2. The Lord's dominion of influences on free will 3. Nor are we to be idle and sleep because the Lord is Master of his own influences 4. The Lord commands not us to have or want influences 5. Influences are not our warrant to act but the efficient cause thereof HItherto much hath been said of the Soveraignty of the Lord in divine influences Now are we to speak of the way of getting these influences and of the necessity of them and how we may fetch the wind 1. By natural actings 2. By supernatural actings by the word and promise 3. By the efficient causes of influences especially by the Spirit Hence the division of influences 1. By the infused habit of grace 2. By spiritual dispositions In all which our faith praying using of grace have their several influences What we may doe to fetch heavenly influences from God is above my reach to determine only let these Propositions be considered Prop. 1. God by order of nature first acts upon the creature and gives his stirring up influence to it We cannot in genere causae physicae first breath upon God he prevenes the Sun and the Sun riseth or riseth not as the Lord pleaseth to act upon it but no second causes do prevene the first or universal cause the Sun and Heaven do act first upon the Rose but the Rose doth not first act upon the Sun and Heaven Job 37. 7. He sealeth up the hand of every man that all men may know his works c. By the breath of God frost is given this shows that the host of creatures in Heaven and in Earth and the Sea are all dead passive sleepy cyphers and can do nothing if the Lord do not stir them God must be Father Lord and Author of all created actings and faith would without carefulness or unbelief commit all to so wise a Steersman though Phil. 4. 6. the Sea shall drown me the Fire consume me the Air suffocate me yet I desire to hear and obey that Be careful in nothing but pray Matth. 6. I shall perish for want ver 25. Take no thought They will kill me if I confess Christ Fear not Matth. 10. 28 29. your Father cares for two sparrows and for every hair of your head O but the Ship I am in is a sinking Matth. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful waken Christ by praying ah my little daughter is dead Fear not only believe Mark 5. 36. ah they shall deliver us to synagogues and prisons and bring us before Kings and all men shall hate us for Christ's sake True But there shall not one hair of your head perish it s but our unbelief which sees God suffering all to roll and reel as Fortune Nature and Devils will which makes us sinfully care For the Lord and Father of Christ cannot vace and Christ's not working is contrary to John 5. 17. but all are in a good hand Obj. But Heman saith Psal 88. 13. In the morning shall my prayer prevent thee So the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in piel antecessit antevert it praeoccupavit anticipavit it s to go before in time in earliness Psal 119. 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watch Deut. 23. 4. The Amalekites prevented you not with bread it s to go before in place Psal 68. 26. The singers went before its strange that any prayer could prevent God Ans Not properly he saith himself JOb 41. 11. Who hath prevented me the same word that I should repay him then our preventing of God should lay some debt upon God which is unpossible and as Paul observes Rom. 11. 35. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who gave him first Therefore 1. He speaks Psal 88. of God after the manner of men as if Heman in a manner were more early up in the morning to pray then the Lord were ready to hear the contrary whereof is true as if Heman's early praying wakened God Psal 44. 23. Awake why sleepest thou 2. There is a preventing of God as a Deliverer and a Comforter God's order is that our praying makes an impulsion and stirring on the Lord first and then he delivers and comforts Psal 24. 6. Psal 18. 6 7 16. and so in order to comfort and deliverance in genere mediorum moralium prayer wakens Heaven and puts the Lord a working but as touching the order of real and physical actings the Lord prevents us the string of the Harp or Viol is not said to touch the hand of the Musician but the Musician's hand toucheth the string hence is Musick Nor does the Axe stir and lift up the arm of the Carpenter but the Carpenter's arm lifts up the Axe therefore they who teach that our prayer and the actings of our free will can and may prevent grace in place of preventing grace give us nature and the creature preventing God we read of the Father drawing us and the Son with the odour of his ointments drawing sinners but to teach that nature prevents grace is to say we are
spirit 2. We are not to do any thing because God in his word hath commanded us to doe it but because the Spirit immediately acts in us to doe and immediate impulsion of the Spirit is now instead of the Law and of the word of God either written or preached but this is a wicked confounding of the efficient real cause and the strength of which we obey with the objective cause and morally directing commanding and perswading rule according to which we are to regulate and order our obedience yea and children can contradict this who know that the Mason who imploys his strength to build must be differenced from the Masons Rule and the Art plummet and line according to which he works for otherwise it s all one as to say the power or faculty visive of seeing were light were colours that are seen and the souldiers force and strength of apprehending a man and Law and justice according to which they do it were all one a gracious soul doth all acts of obedience upon the account of a command of God and fetcheth his moral and godly delight from the command of God the facility and strength of doing is indeed from the Spirit for whose help he desires to be thankful and to whom he desires to give all the praise and glory 2. It s a false Spirit which is so contrary to the word of precept and command 3. It s fit to subscribe to that Psal 127. 1. Except the Lord build the house they build in vain that build except the Lord watch the City the watchman waketh but in vain 1 Cor. 3. 7. So then neither is he that planteth nor he that watereth any thing but God that giveth increase But the holy Ghost never dreamed of such an inference therefore let builders watchmen and Ministers of the Gospel go to bed and sleep for God he alone shall build Cities and Houses and watch over men and all societies and bring all souls to Christ yea he hath commanded us to act and to help the Lord so he speaketh Judges 5. 23. 1 Cor. 3. 9. 1 Cor. 4. 1. and it hath a real truth though he needs no help from the creature and we are for his holy commands sake to act and to eye and trust in him who in all the acts of nature and oeconomy and art leads the way and in all the acts of grace yea we are to rejoyce that the Lord Jesus is Master of work and only Steersman CHAP. II. 1. What the natural man can doe to get influences the natural man can doe more then he does and can exercise the natural powers to come within the bosome of the net though he cannot hale himself to land 2. How the Lord can command the naturally blind to see and believe 3. How sin original deserves eternal wrath 4. It s such a sin in infants 5. The want of original righteousnesse and a power of believing is a sin in us 5. How the Lord commands impotent men THe greater doubt is how the Lord can command supernatural acts to a man drowned in nature but it s not here as when a Tyrant commands a child to wheel about the first heaven else he shall kill him for the so moving of the heaven is neither a moral duty nor was it ever a duty compassible by the physical power of the arm of a child or a strong man But the main intent of our Lord in laying on supernatural commands upon man unable to believe is that men may know what they can pay and what they owe and can never pay but not of their own pay the debt of faith the precept is not unrational where the end is rational 2. Not that the natural man may satisfie but that he may come and compone and acquiesce to a friendly Gospel treaty for nothing heightneth the price and worth of Christ more in the shining of free grace nothing kills and renders self-condemned the man more then a seen necessity of forgiving love yea the reading of the writ of the Law-debt with tears when this is holden out to us the Lord gave a bill of grace to those who had nothing to pay and he forgave them frankly is a strongly convincing dispensation 2. Something which is really little or nothing a natural man may doe to fetch the wind when he cannot command it and cannot sayl he may and often doth exercise the natural faculty of moving from place to place and comes as a meer natural man upon a meer natural motive sinfull curiosity and a purpose violently to apprehend Christ as the souldiers doe John 7. 45 46 47. yea with bloudy hearts and a purpose to persecute as the hearers of Peter doe Acts 2. and yet beside and contrary to the will and intent the man is wrought upon and converted before he go away as some go to Sea and sayl to India poor with no intention to be enriched with gold but only to get bread and yet they come again from India rich with Indian gold and many precious stones far beside their intention A man rude and ignorant goes to Athens upon no purpose to become learned yet providence so disposeth that he falls in love with learning and studying many years he returns from Athens a most learned man Now no man can say that either the Indian gold or the learning of Athens did contribute any real or physical strength to his loco-motive and natural faculty of journeying to India or Athens so neither can it be said the Spirit of grace or the Gospel of grace did add any new real and physical strength to Peter's hearers to cause them to come in under the stroke of the preached Gospel Now the Gospel is the power of God to salvation the Apostle useth such spiritual weapons of warefare to cast down strong holds it s the arm of the Lord Rom. 1. 16. 2 Cor. 10. 56. Isa 53. 1. and the preached Gospel is the triumphing chariot of Christ conquering Christ's office-house of free grace Now a man on his own feet and by his own strength though sick may come to the Physicians office-house where all his medicine boxes and helps and remedies of health are and be cured ere he goe a way and may go away with perfect strength and health yet he came to the Physicians house in no strength nor health which he received from his art and medicine The Word is the net the Fish may come in its own natural motion within the bosome of the net but it s the strength of the arms of the Fisher that hales the Fish to land the Fish catcheth not it self The word of God is a sharp two-edged sword and doth the work by the Spiriâ—â— Heb. 4. 12. The mouth of Christ is like a sharp sword Isa 49. 2. His arrows are sharp in the heart of the Kings enemies whereby the people fall under him Isa 45. 5. A man may in his own natural strength come in within the shoot
the second death Infants then dying Infants are no debtors to the compleat ransome of blood that Christ gave to deliver them from the wrath And when our Saviour blessed Infants and said Of such is the kingdom of heaven his sense must be that infants departing this life in infancie hold heaven by no Charter of Christ the heir of all are not washed from sin are not delivered from wrath to come nor obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ as it is in 1 Thessal 5. 9. 3. What debt is this who of Angels or men can pay the hire of free love to Christ ye were born beasts Tigers Lions Dogs and broods of Satan and the Serpents seed and Christ hath made you sons of God Kings and Priests to God heirs of life co-heirs with Christ partakers of the divine nature the first-born of God written in heaven 4. Never dream that your own strength or good parts of nature can fit and spiritually capacitate you for receiving influences for spiritual duties nature cannot more prepare it self for grace and a gracious state then a Thistle can change it self into a Vine-tree Christ is good at all indispositions of deadnesse of a natural state whom he quickens that man and he only shall live who can help a dead heart but he that is the resurrection and the life and he who raises the dead only can quicken such dead ones 5. It s a bold and proud Pen that would plead and advocate for such a hellish nature and except Satan and his sons Pelagians what do they but depose Christ from his office of the Physician of sinners and bid him go back to Heaven with his Medicaments of free grace There be here no sick folks free will is strong enough new habits of grace are useless the letter and moral acting of the word can raise dead souls shall we thus requite Christ for his free grace 6. Though there be no merit in diligent seeking and hearing the preached Gospel its good to lie near the fountain for all that as motion begets and augments vital heat and activity to move frequent seeking brings home influences so we are here in using means compare Cant. 3. 1 2 3. with v. 4. and Psal 22. 2. with Psal 18. 6. Gen. 32. 26 27 28. But of this hereafter CHAP. III. The second particular of fetching influences is by supernatural actings by the word and spirit 1. It s a question whether justified ones perform any moral actions without any influence of the habit of grace 1. Some heat and warmness may arise materially from actings in duties though customary formal dead 3. The exercises of spiritual actions are the best preparations for spiritual actions 4. Influences of grace oyl the wheels of the soul for more spiritual acting 5. Natural and literal actings though void of grace because they are some way under the institution of a divine command are nearer to saving actings of grace then the contraries of these actions are 6. A practise of free grace in the Lord is to be differenced from a promise of grace 7. How the Lord is under a necessity of giving influences THere be some actings even in renewed men partly from the Spirit partly from nature custome or formality The question is thus framed because it is a disputable question Whether justified ones doe any actions morally good from an only principle natural without any influence of the indwelling spirit at all since their sins after their being in Christ are not committed with the full bensil of the will for the Spirit in some measure retards and weakens the motion of the flesh Rom. 7. and the habit of sin original is weakned and remitted or slacked in its strength in the regenerate and therefore it would seem if the spirit do weaken retard and blunt the actions of the flesh that far more there is in all moral actions that are good morally some influence of the Spirit less or more So the Question is whether or no the children of God may safely set to work though their actions proceed from conscience natural power custome or a meer office with little influence of habitual grace to works of grace that they may fetch influences of grace 1. It s not unlike it may be so for the godly who went to the morning and evening prayers and sacrifices as is clear Psal 141. 2. Acts 3. 1. Luke 1. 8 9. might go about these duties sometime upon meer custome and the children of God who know their own backdrawing hearts shall not denie this and they may pray from a natural conscience and not so much as is required and otherwise they do mind the duty as an Ordinance of God and yet be inflamed with spiritual duties ere they end this is confirmed by family praying at set times so may a Pastor by necessity of his office preach and pray at the beginning with much deadness and coldness and more then an ordinary straitning of spirit and yet a fire flaught of a heavenly kindling falls upon the spirit before the work be ended Any who believes that the wind blows where it lists and that the influences of the spirit are various as touching their degrees may see the truth of this 2. The children of God appear dead cold and unbelievingly to complain in the beginning of praying and of a Psalm as is clear in David Psal 22. 2. exponing that of him as some verity it hath in some points of him v. 2. and in Ezekiah in his song Isa 39. 10. in Jonah 2. 1 2 3. and in the same David Psal 6. Psal 38. in the Church Psal 77. 1 2 3 4 5 6 c. in the afflicted soul Psal 102. 1 2 3 4. and yet there is confidence of believing triumphing rejoycing in God and praising ere the Prayer and Psalm be ended 3. The prayers of the children of God Psal 22. Ps 6. Ps 38. Psal 116. Habak 1. 12. of Heman Psal 88. of Ezekiah Isa 38. of Jonah c. 2. of Moses Psal c. of the Church Psal 102. Psal 89. hold forth to us admirable variety of up-lifting and down-casting of joy of believing of sinking and doubting of hoping and legal fretting strong ebbing and flowing of faith and fainting of light and darknesse as Psal 22. 2. O my God I cry by day and thou hearest not and in the night season I am not silent yet arising ver 3. But thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel Ver. 4. Our father 's trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them c. And again some fainting is in that v. 6. But I am a worm and no man a reproach of men and despised of the people Ver. 7. All they that see me laugh me to scorn c. At least this might brangle the faith of a sinful man such as David And again there is a rising v. 9 10. But thou art he that took me out of the womb thou didst make
the spirit Psal 119. 32. I shall run the ways of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Running speaks more of a spiritual capacity to receive drawing influences either actual or habitual and the enlarging notes straitning and that influences find us dead and bring vigourousness with them Though in this or that act of breathing there shine absolute liberty for who hired the Lord to moisten the withered tree yet there is place for that Question Whether the Lord hath not brought himself under a holy necessity of giving influences to which its answered in these 1. As there is a necessity of a Decree relating to means and end so is there a necessity of a promise as to the former The Lord created the first Vine-tree and the first Rose and they seeded and brought forth other Roses and Vine-trees the Lord first prevenes savingly the dead sinner by an infused habit as we shall hear puts the sinner under an obligation to duties and puts himself because of his intended end to save lost sinners as it were under an obligation of bestowing influences of grace though in another consideration they be given through soveraignty of grace because his holy decree carries him not to be wanting to his own seed nor to forsake the work of his hands Nature giving hunger and the holy and supreme Lord of nature giving appetite to eat and drink gives us also a power of concoction The Bird by an intended end lays one straw and one feather in the nest and so it must lay another and a third and a fourth for the Lord of nature intends a compleat house for the Eggs and the young birds and in like manner the Lord of grace hath a design of grace in his heart to bring many sons to glory And he must upon the like intention proceed to make the seed a tree but first he must make it a plant and ripen the grape and boyl it more with the heat of the Sun until he make it ripe for the wine-presse and the fat So must he add influences dayly of free grace for the perfecting of the work he hath begun in his holy decree as well as in the execution until he perfect it unto the day of the Lord Jesus But 2. There is need to distinguish betwixt a practise of free grace in the Lord some call it half a promise a promise of free grace And these must be cleared As to the former the Lord doth many things of meer grace relating to his free goodness 2. To his free decree of grace 3. To his holy order of working which he hath not promised to do As of his free goodness he creates the world he feeds the Ravens he preserves wicked Sodom from the sword and cursed Cham from being drowned when the whole world in godly Noah's time perished in the waters yet hath he engaged himself by promise to none of his creatures Angels or Men that he shall create the World that he shall feed the Ravens that he shall preserve Sodom 2. According to his free decree of grace he intends from eternity to save Jacob For he loved him before he had done good or evil and he ordains all the chosen to life eternal But because he decrees to bring Jacob and such to glory it follows not that he engaged by promise because of his eternal decree to bring Jacob to glory except we should say what ever God decrees to doe that also he promises to doe which were not good divinity 3. As to his order of working the Lord ordinarily from much labouring and painful sowing brings a rich harvest from careful watching he makes a safe City Yet there is not any promise in the word that from the simply careful use of means the desired end shall follow for the City is often well watched and yet surprized some sow much and reap little Psal 127. 1 2. Hag. 1. 6 9. Yet is there a practise of free grace in this order that the blind men cry Son of David have mercy on us yet they possiby intend only by the way side to beg and Christ of free grace gives them seeing eyes There is no promise of grace that Christ shall heal all blind men begging by the way who shall pray to the Son of David for seeing eyes or that the Lord Jesus who is as mighty now as ever shall send out influences to heal all the blind so crying for seeing eyes the Eunuch reads Acts 8. the Lord falls on him with influences of grace to reveal Christ in a saving manner to him not because he reads or because there is a promise made to save all who read the word Upon sinful ends the multitude Acts 2. come to hear the word their intention of hearing being mocking enemies was naught Yet by a practise of grace not by any promise of grace they are converted Now in this it may be said that the natural yea and faithless use of means hath some influence ex natura rei upon the effect not by promise yet by the decree of God and so by no merit because by no promise for another merit then what is founded upon free promise and not upon the worth and condignity of work and wages I hope never to acknowledge by his grace whom I desire to be my inward teacher and to me reading hearing use of means have a material influence as to the practise not to the promise of grace For according to the Philosophy I learned six is materially a number nearer of blood and kindred to eight then four is yet six and eight are numbers in spece and nature no less different then eight and four or then eight and two which are materially farther different then six and eight which are different only by two So the Embrio before life and the birth now quickened by life differ in nature and spece as living and not living differ Yet the Embrio the shaped organized body void of life is materially nearer to a living birth then the seed is to a living birth So I shall never teach that hearing reading literal considering of the weight of reasons in the Gospel from Heaven from the beauty and preciousness of Christ the excellency of free grace the happy condition of a communion with the Father and the Son Jesus Christ the sweetness of the love of Christ the torment of Hell though there be no acting of grace mixed therewith are unprofitable and hinder us from closing with Christ and that they confer not some influence materially of help in promoving towards Christ What these trusted in may doe as in another thing Hence though there be no promise no moral connection betwixt simple using of means and influences of Christ for saving grace and the incoming of the new creation into the soul yet comparatively a connection there is in this sense 1. As painful tilling sowing and labouring is nearer to a plentiful harvest then lazy sleeping in
thou wilt not let them goe Deut. 32. 6. Doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Psal 95. 10. Forty years long have I been grieved with this generation it 's a people that do erre in heart they have not known my wayes So saith Elias to Ahab 1 King 21. 20. Thou hast sold thy self to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Psal 4. 2. O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will ye follow vanity and seek leasing Psal 58. 4. They are like the deaf adder which stoppeth her eare 5. which will not hearken to the voice of the charmer And because we are ready to excuse our selves from our impotencie the holy Ghost beares this upon them as a charge Jerem. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye do good that are accustomed to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. Having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sin Deut. 29. 2 3. 3. Threatnings and curses are charged upon every one who abides not in all that is written in the book of the Law to do it Deut. 27. 26. And yet it 's beyond controversie that no flesh can keep the Law so as it requires else Jesus Christ died in vain Gal. 3. See Deut. 28. 4. We are not freed from an obligation to obey and run even we who are renewed in the spirit of our mind because the Lord drawes not For charges and commands are layed upon us under indispositions yea the Lord speaks to such as lived in suffering times who could not choose but they must be in much heavinesse Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes again I say rejoyce So speaks he to weak ones Eph. 6. 10. My brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might So speakes Christ to fainting John when in a swoon he could not command himself Rev. 1. 17. Fear not I am the first and the last And to the perishing disciples Mat. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith And the mourner is most indisposed to believe Isa 50. 10. He that walkes in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay on his God We are bidden be upon the wing and ready though we be dumpish and indisposed 1 Thess 5. 17. To obey that pray without ceasing in all things give thanks Yea under all contrary dispositions and habits of unbelief we are to act Isa 41. 14. Fear not worm Jacob. 2. Our very graves owe living to God our sinful deadness ought to yield to Christ living in us our heaviness ows rejoycing to him as the night is to remove at the dawning of the day and the cloud is to dis-appear and vanish at the out-breaking of the Sun-light 3. We are to pray under deadnesse as David doth Psal 119. Quicken me in thy way quicken me in thy righteousness quicken me according to thy word c. v. 37 40 88 107 156 159. Deadnesse when David had much of the fulnesse of God hath been creeping on seven times and he seven times prays for quickening like one that is every hour in a swoon out of one swoon he falls in another he makes signs to such as are neer by to be comforted with wine and apples as the Spouse Cant. 2. 5. And therefore this is but a childish shift I am dead and indisposed and therefore will not pray nor believe nor hear nor goe about any such duties Because you are dead and indisposed are you therefore lawlesse and freed of all debt of duties which are imposed by either the Law of God or 2. the constraining love of Christ or 3. bonds and ties laid on you by the free grace of Christ and the state you are in being now translated from death to life Object I le goe about duties when I am free and spiritually disposed Answ 1. What warrant from the Word to delay duties that by present obligation of the Law of God are to be done while it is to day lest hardness of heart come on 2. What assurance can any man have tomorrow or the next hour more then the present hour when deadnesse is on that he shall be master of the Spirits breathing on him to fetch spiritual dispositions Now omission of praying and of other duties is a hainous sin Can sin be a hire to purchase or buy the breathings of the Holy Ghost Did ever man get sweet accesse to God through the Mediator Christ in prayer who delayes praying because he wants a praying disposition And can the Lord welcome in the Mediator Christ the man who fathers the sinful omission of prayer and other duties upon the holy Spirit of God Loose Professors delay their repentance upon this when they are old and a dying they shall be more fit for repentance 3. An indisposition to pray is a great affliction to a godly soul and the so afflicted is to pray to remove that indisposition and to seek in prayer a spiritual disposition to pray and that pray continually is not pray only when a spiritual disposition to pray is on for that should be far from praying continually and that Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble suffereth no such exception Pray to me in trouble but not except ye be spiritually disposed For it hath this good sense call and pray in the day of trouble and in the hour when the spirit is under the soul-trouble of desertion and indisposition and when the Lord hides his face and shines not So the want of a spiritual disposition is the frowning of God upon the soul and it 's an ungracious heart which will not pray when the Spirit in his shining influences withdraws And therefore 4. It 's not the Spirit of the Lord but the spirit of Satan which suggests any such carnal arguing I have no heavenly disposition for the present therefore I will not pray for the Spirit of the Lord quickens men to duties and that is known to be a spirit from hell that weakens men in praying or in any duties CHAP. V. Influences of grace are due to the Saints by promise 2. Some are plagued with plenty of means 3. The scope of the place Deut. 29. 3. The great temptations which thine eyes have seen c. opened 4. The nature of the Lord's promise of influences 5. The efficient causes of influences from the Father and from the Son influences on the Man Christ 6. Influences from the Father how they are ours 7. Influences from the Son Christ which are promised to us how they are ours THere is another way of fetching influences of grace when we carefully use former grace as our Saviour saith to him that hath shall be given And so grace shall bring more grace Sowen wheat brings forth more wheat Psal 119. 1. Blessed are they that walk in the law of the Lord they shall doe no
22. Isa 49. 5 6 7 8 9. Psal 89. 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37. 4. The promises of the covenant between the Father and the Son prove the same for if God give many children to Christ and if Christ undertake for these many children to bring them to glory to cast none of them forth but to raise them up at the last day and to lose none of them Then must Christ be Master of their free will and he must have a bar of strong influences on their heart that it shall not be in the power of Satan the world or sinful flesh to pluck them out of his hand Hence against all trepidation of mind this is removed what warrant have we that we can make use of the influences of grace that are in the hands of the Son these are a fowl flying in the wood which we cannot command take these answers 1. What ever Mediatory grace is in the Son they are gracious influences laid by for our good as what sums of money a rich man is to give out for the profit of Minors he mixes it not with his own but looks on it as none of his but to be expended for the good of others and the Minors having assurance of the faithfulnesse and care of their Tutors look upon it as their own we are by faith to look upon the treasury of Christ that is begun to be bestowed on us and that Christ shall not withdraw being a most faithful Tutor what is necessary for our best life 2. Christ being the best of Kings the most faithful of Priests and above all the Prophets Moses and who ever they were by office is to give out influences If we believe that Christ shall acquit himself as a King then shall his subjects find the outlettings of grace for repentance and remission Acts 5. 31. for Christ is worthy of his throue and chair of Princely state We are to believe as our high Priest he shall by vertue of his office apply by the Spirit the bloud of attonement and sprinkle the nations therewith As also when we sin he gives out influences for believing that our Advocate lives and intercedes for us and the acts of opening the heart to believe the Scriptures to be guided in all truth to be comforted and quickned come from Christ the great Prophet and if he be God what the Governour of Heaven and Earth does by his office if he feed all living things the Ravens move not the question what they shall eat to morrow nor the Lillies of the field how they shall be cloathed far more believers are to rest upon this Christ shall fully execute all his offices in all parts towards them 3. The Vine-tree by a flux of nature sends sap to the branches and the head does not deliberate nor interpose freedome of will to send down life and influences of life to the members but nature hath a strong hand in this at least love is soon resolved in the husband what shall be the influences of good communicated by him to the Spouse The great thing Redemption is purchased and will Christ stand and doubt of influences of grace to compleat the Redemption and to make out the life of glory until it come to the fruition and enjoyment thereof CHAP. VI. The two spirits of the world and of God 1 Cor. 2 12. and the differences in order to influences opened 3. The characters of the spirit of God and the relation of the spirit to the word 3. The spirit of Antichrist 4. The more of the spirit the more activity in the ways of God 5. The Spirit of God a praying spirit 6. No praying without the spirit 7. The suspending of influences 8. We are to pray for influences 9. Two-fold power and efficacy 10. The difference betwixt the spirits acting and the literal acting of the word BUt influences of the Spirit are mainly here to be eyed and if any have the spirit he cannot want the influences of God The Spirit is as it were all saving influences and such as are void of the spirit know not any thing of saving influences Yea the Father and the Son let out all their influences in and by the Spirit Therefore to open this consider 1. That there are two sorts 2. The characters and differences of the Spirit of God which speak a spiritual man and spiritual influences 3. What are the divers influences to be taken notice of The two spirits are clear 1 Cor. 2. 12. But we have not received the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God Paul had said that the world and the Princes of the world knew not the mystery of the Gospel why They had not crucified the Lord of glory had they known him As also the spirit teacheth it ver 10. how is that proved from the nature of an infinite spirit that searcheth all the things of the infinite God even as a mans spirit searcheth all the things of a man v. 12. How can we know the things of God they are far above us He answers we who have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God doe know the things that are graciously given us of God they know the things of God But v. 12. we are such Q. What is meant by the spirit of the world Ans It s the humane spirit by which we know Arts and Sciences and the things of a present world which is also the Spirit of God and a singular gift of God But there is somewhat more in this spirit a carnal spirit that is opposite to the Spirit that is of God a spirit that judges the depths of Gospel wisedom to be foolishnesse ver 13 14. Hence the differences of the two spirits 1. There are no saving influences due to the spirit of the world The worlds spirit sees the mysteries of Philosophy and Arts and the good things of a present flowing world and no more And as an old man sees all that a child can see and know and much more in a more solid way So the children of God often as Moses Solomon Daniel Paul see with the spirit of the world in this sense all which the men of the world see and in a more spiritual way and beside the Spirit of God in them knows higher things that are hid from the world and their spirit As 1. How Heaven lies how many Summers are in one year in that land 2. The rivers of wine and milk Isa 55. 1. the garden the second Paradise the tree of life that bears twelve manner of fruits every moneth and the leaves serve to heal the Nations and the pure river of water of life clear as chrystal proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb Rev. 22. 1 2. Rev. 2. 7. 3. What a plantation is there what streets of gold the rich citizens walk in with their feet Rev. 21. the structure of the new Jerusalem the
twelve ports the foundation of the wall garnished with all manner of precious stones the building of the wall of Jasper what a bride the Lamb's wife is as shee is busked and adorned with the glory of God what a joyful company of harpers cloathed in white follow the Lamb Rev. 14. Rev. 19. Yea 4. Even in this life in the lower countrey and the out-fields the fruits that grow in the land are good Rom. 14. 17. Gal. 5. 22. Psal 72. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 4 5 6. Psal 16. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 9. what a life-guard for Kings sons Isa 6. 2 3 4. Psal 34. 7. Psal 91. 11 12. and on the other hand what golden nothings and clay-dreams does the spirit of the world follow after what spiritual gallantry is in the man that says and resolves time and all that Solomon had shall not satisfie me I must either be a King above time or have nothing Will a beggar aspire to a Kingdom or a sow seek after pearls what does the spirit of the world but lie and swear and whore and oppresse in the sons of disobedience the godly is of a far more excellent spirit 5. It s a poor spirit that acts in Cicero Seneca and other Pagans the bastard and the servants priviledge is little to a Kings heir and son As to the second the differences of that Spirit which is of God are considerable 1. The spirit John 14. 17. remains in his own and dwels in them as in his house Rom. 8. 11. as a man remains and works in a shop or work-house and the soul lives breaths acts discourses in the man so the spirit of adoption prays groans believs teacheth witnesseth speaketh heareth in the believer Matth. 10. 19. Rom. 8. 16 25 26. Now the world cannot receive this spirit John 14. 27. no more then the noble soul of man can find lodging in a brute beast try what spirit acts in you and the principles of your actions and you shall know the influences Every mans moral actings are as John's baptisme from Heaven or of Men what sparkles of influences kindle the heart in your actings 2. The Spirit of God John 16. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall guide the way to you in all truth Rom. 8. 14. as many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as are led driven either as a flock by the shepherd or as a ship by the wind are the children of God The Spirit is a Pilot and a Steersman acting and moving in the Saints directing counselling enspiring in all actings its easie to know the spirits leading by what it drives at Rev. 16. 13. For they are the spirits of divels working miracles which go forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty This he says of the three unclean spirits like frogs the Popes firebrands and incendiaries who came out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet What hellish influences must drive these men delivered up to such leaders There is a spirit who rules in the children of disobedience Satan the Prince of the air Eph. 2. The spirit of giddinesse and errour leads Egypt Isa 19. 14. The spirit of whoredome Hos 4. 12. Hos 5. 4. that inclines to Idolatry The spirit of lying 1 Kin. 22. 22. The spirit of errour 1 John 4. 6. The spirit of unbelief that was in the ten spies led and drive many Num. 14. 24. But Caleb had another spirit with him It 's the sin of the time we live in to persecute resist the spirit and the more outlettings of the spirit that appear in Steven the more the Jewes set themselves against him For Acts 7. 27. they cry out with a loud voice and stop their eares and run upon him when he saw heaven open being full of the Holy Ghost he was before full of the Holy Ghost but now there is a high spring-tide and a new mighty flowing of the influences of the Holy Ghost and the height of goodnesse and excellent actings of the spirit drawes out their malice to the full as Steven told them 51. Ye have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to fall crosse with all the might in a hostile way upon the spirit O tremble to hate and fight against the marrow of godliness and to mock the spirit O that it were not this day the sin of Scotland and of the generality of the Ministers of the Gospel in this Land In the Prelates times the seekers of God met not with such bitternesse as even now they meet with 3. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12. It 's proper to natural men in whom the spirit dwels not to be vile slaves to lusts and the more of the spirit in any the more active are they in the Lords wayes and hardly can the spirit be where there are not influences of grace For it 's the Spirits office to be stirring and active as the horses of Egypt are flesh and not spirit that is lumpish dead feeble unable to save not spirited active to deliver and in this especially the actings of the spirit appear in the fiery spiritness of heavenly influences Would ye be carried on and helped in duties get the spirit and ye cannot misse heavenly influences the drinesse of the earth speaks the suspending of rain and dew in the clouds and a heaven of brass the man is dead and under bands and straitned in prayer then must the showres of influences be restrained Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free spirit What then v. 13. Then I le teach transgressors thy wayes Take a work where there are an hundred wheels of which the higher moves the lower then when the first and highest moves not all the ninety and nine must stand When the spirit breathes not and influences are restrained what wonder if the soul be deadned For the Marigold loures and weeps in its kind and droops when the Sun is down our prayers would blow upon the North and South wind that they may blow The breathing and blowing of prayer do readily waken up the spirit though he must stir in praying also else we are dead and breathless 4. The spirit that is of God is a praying spirit Jude Praying in the Holy Ghost Of all the Tongues and Languages on earth the Holy Ghost loves most to speak prayer-wise and in the language of humble supplications Rom. 8. 29. We know not what we should pray for as we ought What then shall the work lie Nay the spirit takes it off the poor mans hand but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with sighs that cannot be expressed And rather or spiritual work be at a stand the Third Person lends a lift to the groaning soul that cannot pray
For the Spirit helps our infirmities And then praying is a mass of influences for faith for holy desires for sense of want yea and no man gets the spirit but the praying son Luke 11. 11. Only this shall bide a question How shall they pray for the Spirit that want the Spirit Answ Yea Magus though in the gall of bitternesse is commanded to pray Acts 8. 21. The Law commanded praying to God incarnate when he is revealed to be incarnate As the first command charges all to know the Lord practically in all the wayes of Law and Gospel by which he shal reveal himself and the Lord hath not abated a whit and come down from his holy rigorousnesse as if the Lord would make amends and give us as some Pelagians say a lower and milder Law which forbids not venials Et peccata quotidianae incursionis praecise sub periculo aeternae condemnationis Yea but there is not any Law nor Gospel which forbids not sin under the same penalty that the Law forbids and the Gospel forbids not adultery and murder in David but he is free from eternal punishment if he be humbled for these sins as he must be humbled for lesser and venial sins Psal 19. 12. Psal 51. 5. Psal 130. 3 4. God may strait all men to pay the very stock which he gave them in Adam 2. Are not men inexcusable when they will not await the wind and lie at the tide and use meanes but refuse to command body and legs to present themselves to the sea-side and the ship The body and legs have no influence on the winds so they declare that they hate the covenant and bargain of grace as well as the Law who refuse to stir in his ways 3. The first giving of the spirit is like the growing of lillies and flowers wilde on the mountaines plough or spade can do nothing to cause them so to grow in the garden and the infield Pelagians must not get their will their common universal grace is not the spirit of Adoption and those who say men can pray who never received the spirit of Adoption happily they may complement with the Lord in word but They deny prevening grace and in effect say that nature prevenes grace and men prevene God and not grace prevenes nature For if there be such a thing as prevening nature this were to say the child is born before the mother and the apple growes before the tree and the bloom is before the herb Nay to pray for the spirit and not to pray in the spirit shall never be my Divinity that were to buy Rubies and Jasper-stones with clay and common flints and rocks nay nature cannot trade without grace And while the Lord creates the rose-tree the rose-tree cannot seed nor bring forth rose-trees Oh but it concernes us much Ministers and Professors to have the spirit and to have more of it Too many Ministers in the Land cast never fire on the people they never warm hearts but by hewing and striking and hammering upon the Letter the fire of the Lord falls not down upon the sacrifice Ah our fleece is dry and we are like the Land not rained upon And let men speak Can ye live without the Spirit and his influences more then ye can live without God and without Christ in the world And who cries Lord can my dry bones live misse ye the anointing The complaining of the suspending of influences of the ebbing of the free manifestations flowings and out-lettings of free grace speaks a spiritual disposition For 1. The Church complains to God of it Isa 63. 17. 2. Yielding to a temptation is a pain to the Saints Psal 73. 21 22. 3. The Saints pray for influences of grace for teaching leading quickening inclining of the heart to the way of God uniting of the heart to fear the name of God then must the withdrawing of these be evil 4. When we pray against temptations to sin and not to be led into temptation 5. When we pray for the spirit of grace to be poured on us from on high we pray not for the giving of the bare habit for that could not hinder David Lot Peter Asa Iehoshaphat Aaron Hezekiah and others of the Saints to fall into sad and hainous transgressions but we suit also from the Lord the sanctified use and exercise of grace and so must suit influences 6. When we pray that God would not take his spirit from us Psal 51. 12. nor forsake us nor take the word of truth utterly out of our mouth Psal 119. 43. we then also pray that he would not withdraw gracious influences 7. A gracious finding how sweet safe and comfortable it is to be acted led moved guided by the sweet influences of the spirit cannot but be grieved at the departure of such a guide and counsellour 8. It 's lawful to seek sense of Gods loving countenance in joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. 1 Pet. 1. 7 8. in delighting in God and in duties relating to him and our brethren and in the consolations of the Holy Ghost and in the spirits work of sanctifying us then we may and are to be grieved at the withdrawings of God that we see not his power and glory in the Sanctuary as we have sometimes done Psal 63. 5. The spirit that is of God goes along with the word if we 1. consider the spirits relation to the word My spirit and my words Isa 59. 21. For the Gospel is the chief chair and seat of the spirit Rom. 1. 16. Isa 53. 1. The word is as it were the work-house and shop and the spirit the worker the word the ship or chariot and the spirit drives and stirs the promises The spirit honours so the word the spirit moves and acts when the word moves and acts the spirit utters not a groan but according to the will of God in the word Rom. 8. 26 27. Acts 10. 44. While Peter yet spake these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost fell upon those that heard the word When the ship or the chariot moves the Pilot or Steers-man and the Coach-man are moved with them The poor Minister often drives an empty coach and carries but sounds and letters but when the spirit strikes in with the word and is steers-man in the ship the vessel is afloat and sayls gallantly before the wind 2. The word preached is the breathing of the spirit and the spirit speaks and breaths through the word and it is the word of the spirit the holy Ghost prophesied well of you c. 3. The spirit is referred to the word as the soul to the body the body is but a lump of dead clay if the soul be removed and the word is so many sounds syllables and letters if the spirit act not this is a similitude and would be well exponed There is a two-fold power one subjective and material which comes from the Author the holy Ghost
in which regard the word of God from the Author the Holy Ghost hath actu primo as touching the matter and efficient cause holiness liveliness divinity majesty of style even as contradistinguished from the spirit acting with it there is no word no book no speech of Angels or Men comparable to it There is 2. A formal power which agrees to the word actu secundo as the spirit going along with the word makes it effectual to enlighten to teach to rebuke to convince to perswade so our Divines say a modern Lutheran widely mistakes the efficacy of the word is from the spirit 2 Cor. 10. 4. the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty how mighty not of themselves but mighty through God We make not the word of it self a dead inky letter as Papists and Libertines both doe The like distinction is clear in a Sword or an Axe of steel both the one and the other from the matter and artificer that made them hath actu primo sharpness and aptness to cut Suppose the Artificer that made both be dead yet the sharpest two-edged sword that is except it be weelded by the arm of a valiant man can doe no good in war And the like may be said of the Axe both are dead things of themselves Hence 1. Since we are meer Messengers we cannot breath life in the word only like the Trumpeter that blows his warm breath through a dead trumpet of Brasse but he blows or breaths no valour or courage in the souldiers that was not in them before But if the spirit goe along and breath life in the hearers they shall live as speaking and acting are conjoyned Ezech. 2. 1. Son of man stand upon thy feet and I will speak to thee 2. Then the spirit entered into me when he spake to me and he set me on my feet So John 5. 25. Ezech. 37. 7 8. It not a little concerns Ministers and Hearers to pray that the spirit may go along with the word otherwise the shepherds singing through an â—aten reed shall never feed sheep or lambs and make them fat and people often receive in their ears a noise of words and syllables and are not fed with sounds It 's true Christ and the Prophets and Apostles preached in the spirit and in the lively power of God and yet nothing but the letter came to the ears of many of their hearers Isa 53. 1. Isa 28. 9. the hearers are but as weaned children Mat. 13. 13 14 15. the hearers are fatted hypocrites And a poor man speaks the letter of the word and happily deadly and weakly yet betwixt the speakers mouth and the hearers heart the spirit strikes in and the dead man lives 2. The letter of the word spoken by Christ lies dead until the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost come then he shall teach you all things in a lively way which the man Christ as man only did not and bring all things to your remembrance John 14. 26. 3. The light may remain only light and literal and uselesse the Disciples in the garden with Christ knew they should watch and pray yet they sleep The spirit brings not up literal light to spiritually quickning light John 16. 7. The spirit shall convince the world of sin because they believe not in me What did not all the Prophets convince the world of sinful unbelief Isa 7. If ye believe not ye shall not be established Isa 53. Who hath believed our report Did not Christ himself convince the world of sinful unbelief John 3. 18 36. John 5. 24. John 11. 26 27. and all the Ministers of the New Testament convince men that they ought to believe and receive Christ by faith But all these are but literal convictions until the spirit carry into the heart the marrow of the promises and threatnings of the Gospel with a strong hand and the natural man while he is in the mouth of Hell with Judas is convinced of the Law deserving and of unbeliefs desert but not of actual damnation The deceit of the conscience is this that all are under sin and the curse who believe not but God must give a general suspension against the Gospels decree and sentence of death for my unbelief and to most of mankind Ah this is not to be convinced of unbelief by the spirits working Nor in all this does the spirit adde any divine majesty and power to the word which was not in the word before when he effectually perswades and convinces As the hewer puts no metal in the Axe which was not in it before only he applies powerfully his strength and art to the effects which he produceth by the Axe and other tools by which he makes curious carved work Nor does the souldier adde any new sharpnesse to the Sword which it had not before only he useth the Sword for valorous exploits All that the spirit doth is in the powerful and effectual application of threatnings and promises in actual perswading to believe all the majesty and heavenly power the word hath actu primo from the immediately inspiring spirit and this is alike to all only much godly trembling is required that the spirit may in his mighty influences goe out with the word 2. Hence that is wild-fire and sparkles of hell not the spirit of Christ nor the influences of grace when a dumb spirit speaks not in the word but in signes images ceremonies devised by men as a dumb man speaks with his fingers The Spirit of God loves to work and act with his own tools in the testimonies and promises the Spirit of the Lord never bids burn the Bible Antiochus had such influences from hell and not from the Lord. Some make the Bible a horn-book for new beginners only as images are and the man must be all spirit turned into pure spirit why then do themselves speak write such fooleries why do they eat drink sleep hear such as are all spirit doe none of these But though holy men of God were far from making the spirit both Law and Gospel none had more of the secrets and mysterious visions of God revealed to him then John he saw Christ in his glory Rev. 1. 14 15 16. he saw Heaven open and the Throne and glorious company the new Jerusalem Yet Rev. 1. 3. he saith Blessed is he that readeth Can one that is all spirit speak of reading when he had seen all these visions of God Rev. 22. 18. he puts a seal of honour on Canonick Scripture he is charged to write in his divine Epistles These things I have written I write to you fathers c. When Christ is risen from the dead and entred in a most spiritual life Luk. 24. 27. he expones the Scriptures who so mock the Scriptures loath the Spirit also CHAP. VII Characters of a spiritual disposition are these 1. To be willing to be under the guidance of the spirit 2. Four expressions in the Scripture hold
forth opposing of the spirit 3. We are to acknowledge and adore the spirit in his actings and joyn hearty consent thereto 4. Self-denial 5. In a bewildered condition to desire to be led by the spirit 6. Spiritual facility in acting 7. To act much in publick works in the spirit 8. Much watching and praying 9. To converse with spiritual men 10. To be much in spiritual conference are all characters of a spiritual disposition THe third particular is what speaks a spiritual man and spiritual influences Ans He who puts himself under the guidance of the spirit is a spiritual man the will of the Guide should be master of the journey The Prophets Acts 13. Paul and Silas Acts 16. Philip Acts 8. accurately observe the command of the spirit as being as binding as the command of the Father and the Son The commands of God to the men of God were more legal in the Old Testament but the commands of the spirit now in the New Testament have more of free grace and perswasive leading Acts 10. 19. Acts 11. 12. Acts 18. 9 10 11. John 14. 16 26. John 16. 13. We shall speak hereafter of the lying under and obedient receiving of the breathings and influences of the spirit only here where there is a strong bensil of will and much freedom in obedience there is much of the spirit backdrawing in spiritual works proclaims much carnality but who had the anointing above measure was all will and all heart and all spirit to obey and suffer John 10. 17 18. Psal 40. 8 9. 2. The leading and drawing of the spirit when it bringeth forth running and is strongly closed with speaks a spiritual man Cant. 1. 4. Psal 119. 32. Cant. 3. 4. I held him and would not let him go Is not this violence sweet feelings and high commending of him follows when the spirits violence in drawing and the spouses violence in running meet there is a spiritual closing Cant. 1. 4. The King hath brought me into his chambers and what follows we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine See ver 12 13. Cant. 2. 3. I sate down under his shadow and his fruit was sweet in my mouth Delighting in him is followed with his delighting in the Spouse ver 6. His left hand is under mine head and his right hand doth embrace me 2. Here if in any it 's true to him that hath shall be given he that is willing to be led shall be led and keeping of the Commandments of Christ makes room for the Father and the Son to come hither and dwel fire makes more fire 3. A state of translation is to be gone about The man hath not the spirit till he be once over the water translated to the Kingdome of the dear Son of God Christ is not owner of the man that hath not the spirit If any have not the spirit he is none of Christ's Rom. 8. 9. Christ and the Spirit cannot be sever'd the spirit that is in the first heir is in all the rest and we should take it hard to be called or to be none of Christ's 3. Heed must be carefully taken that none of the Organs or parts of the new creation be broken A spiritual man cherisheth the spirit in all his operations he loves and honours his guide and leader The Scripture notes in four words the wrongs we doe to the spirit Isa 63. 10. They vexed his spirit of holiness the word is Psal 56. 6. they painfully wrested as they gave another figure or fashion to my words Ephes 4. 30. Grieve not the holy spirit The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to sadden rather then to anger Matth. 14. 9. Matth. 17. 23. Matth. 26. 22. Can a friend lodge in a house where he is every hour sadned is not this to chase him away and especially to sadden the King in the act of sealing your Writs and Evidences of Heaven is not this dreadful Ye shall know the spirit to be sadned when he acts deadly and lently as the man who rides on a lame and halting horse advances little in the way the fault is not in the Rider So when the man is straitned in praying and he knocks faintly life and liberty and godly boldnesse is away the tools of the worker being broken how unhandsome is the work 2. There should be an eike made to the working of the spirit there is needful a sort of helping of the spirit by widening opening and enlarging the heart the extending of love desires faith fear to their outmost borders there is an opening of the mouth wide commanded Psal 8. 10. Psal 24. 7. Lift up your heads and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors Cant. 5. 2. Open to me my sister my love my dove c. And this is needful under the actings of the spirit that we stretch the soul beyond it self and make an eike to the spirit of his own Hence that charge 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the spirit The word is Matth. 12. 20. Matth. 25. 8. Our lamps are out or quenched Mark 9. 44 46. Some cast water upon the fire and holy flamings of the spirit this makes a cold hearth-stone and mightily obstructs the working of God whereas we should adde new fewel to his fire and blow away the ashes and wrestle against deadnesse dulnesse faintnesse and stir up the grace of God 2 Tim. 1. 6. as smiths with the bellows blow up and quicken the flame do not quench it in your self by unbelief and uncheerful walking and break not one another know that so doe the enemies of Christ He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him Let him deliver him since he delighted in him Psal 22. 8. That is to act Satans office when men cast water on the flamings of the spirit and crush the spirit and his actings in others 3. Acknowledge and adore the holy spirit as God and follow not Ananias to play the divel to the Holy Ghost to try if the holy Spirit shall find out hypocrisie Acts 5. Satan is the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 4. 3. who tempted the Son And a man may ride so neer the rotten margin on the bank of a mighty River as he will try the highest of free grace why but I may doe this and be pardoned Nay the holy Spirit never said Sin at will with greediness thou wast once a believer It 's dreadful to put a tryal upon the worth of an infinite ransome 2. Upon the most noble and transcendent actings of the spirit this God hath done in me therefore I have liberty to sin Tempted free grace is a transgression with so loud a cry it s heard all Heaven over 4. Joyn hearty consent to all the actings and influences moral or physical of the Holy Ghost and be not beaten from that There is an anger outed in the Father as the offended Law-giver
pursuing all that are out of Christ Ah who can drink unmixt wrath as Christ did and live and who may stand when he is angry then resisting is terrible 2. There is vengeance in readinesse and grinding of men to powder and everlasting burning for such as so far resist the Son as they say This man shall not reign over us 3. But there is a vengeance beyond a vengeance and fiery indignation and more then an ordinary hell to such as resist the spirit in the Prophets and doe despight to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 28 29 30. Matth. 12. 31 32. Killing of the Prophets and slaying of them is a sort of killing of the spirit in men as the Jews killed the Lord of glory in the man Christ wished there were neither in the world God nor the Spirit nor God incarnate and this is just as if men would put hands in so much of God and of the Spirit as they find acting any thing of God in others or themselves this hateful persecuting of godlinesse is the dreadful national sin of this age Find ye not the actings of the spirit sweet and heaven-like if so it speaks a spiritual disposition 4. Much of self-denial speaks much of the spirit he who will be least his own is most God's and partakes most of the divine nature The spirit loves the room of self I live not but Christ by his Spirit lives in me Gal. 2. and the spirit to speak so is the full predominant element in the acting not that nature sinless is wholly dead and passive as Familists and others teaâ—h and self appears to be sunk into nothing and is denyed as Matth. 10. 20. It 's not ye that speak but the spirit of your Father that speaks in you Though they be living persons in their nature and being Peter and John speaks and yet the spirit so discourses and lays aside the creature called self and sets up God that as if self were annihilated and not there at al I mind no Libertine annihilation the spirit as the predominant speaks in the man and acts in him rather then the man And the Spirit of the Father prayeth preacheth reigneth actech disputeth confesseth in the believer 1 Cor. 15. 10. But I laboured more abundantly then they all then must I in Paul be preferred and exalted above John the beloved Disciple and all the eminent Apostles O not I laboured more abundantly yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Acts 6. 10. And they were not able to resist the wisedom and the spirit by which Steven spake He saith not they were not able to resist and dispute against the sinful man Steven Acts 4. 8. Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them made answer to the persecuting Rulers this is a far other thing then if he had said then answered Peter the Apostle for Peter was before this filled with the Holy Ghost but now the Holy Ghost in a new fulnesse and flowing of heavenly influences in the man Peter is Master-speaker In the Prophets this is cleer from 2 Pet. 1. 21. Prophecie came not of old by the will of man though the Prophet was not compelled to prophecie nor his will Physically sunken down to nothing but holy men of God spake as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acted by the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1. 11. The Spirit of Christ spake in the Prophets before hand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow Though there be a difference betwixt the speaking of a Prophet and the acting of a believer there is much of self in the Prophets who bite with the teeth and cry peace Micah sets himself against such cap. 3. 8. But truly saith he I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of might and of judgement to declare unto Jacob his transgressions and to Israel his sin 3. There is little of self in children the children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word given to sucking children of two years old Matth 2. 18. Acts 21. 21. are like such as are learning to walk there is little self-wisedom or of self-designes in the motions of young children So doth the spirit act with facility and without resistence in the sons of God Who may not see the colour of self and feel some savour of the creature of self in men O if we could savour in looking speaking acting of the spirit The rivers loths and fountains issue themselves in the Sea and be mixed therewith it s the salt Sea and not the rivers which ebb and flow the under-acting of sinlesse nature in spiritual actings hindereth not the work to be denied of the man and affirmed of the spirit So as we say not the man but rather God in the man acts and speaks Indeed things are not denominate from their externals a vessel of copper washed over with silver or a cup of brasse over-gilded and lustered with gold is not nor is named a vessel of silver or a cup of gold Though we name things by their skin and out-side yet when the hypocrite prays the Lord says the man prays Psal 18. 41. but the Spirit of God prays not in him Nor doth the Lord name Magus a true believer from his profession only the Holy Ghost saith he believed It 's good when the conversation speaks heaven and the spirit is visibly seen acting in the behaviour and walk of men It 's true there is much of renewed self as 1 Cor. 15 9 10. Gal. 2. 20. Rom. 7. 17 22. 1 Cor. 9. 20 21. in spiritual actings and this heightens the excellency of the actions corrupt self renders the act of praying and preaching wider and bigger but not better and excellenter especially in publick renewed self rendereth it excellenter And 5. Not unlike unto that touched before is a character of a spiritual man when the man is spiritually bewildered and doubts of all ways he walks in except the way he is sure to be of God Psal 143. 10. Teach me to doe thy will thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness Hence these three follow 1. The spiritual man doubts of all ways and knows that he is a bewildered and ignorant traveller of himself and knows not by his own light 1. The way 2. The home and lodging Or 3. The guide It saith the spiritual man judgeth the spirit of God a good leader and guide it 's no sophisme à divisis thy spirit is good thou art a leader therefore the spirit is a good leader and guide it 's much to have the faith fixed upon influences of dayly guiding by God 3. It says I am willing to commit my goings to thee Take the guiding of me be father guide leader tutor king to me All these speak spiritual bewilderednesse And those two are well joyned 1. Sense of bewilderednesse and 2. Praying to the one onely guide in heaven and earth Psal 119. 19. I am
a stranger on earth hide not thy Commandments from me The Commandments are the way and a hid and covered way is a misery to a stranger or pilgrim A frequent sight of ignorance and errors and a being in love with the spirits leading is good Though a man could get the work through be it praying hearing reading warring governing eating and drinking yet he is not satisfied with the bulk of the work except the spirit be the doer This gracious spirit looks not so much to praying as to praying in the Holy Ghost nor to hearing as to hearing in the spirit of faith nor to fighting though David be stronger then the enemy except the spirit of the Lord lead the army Psal 60. 1 2 9 10. Psal 140. 7 8. Psal 18. 29 30 31. Nay it 's not enough to eat and drink except the spirit act the man to eat and drink for God Men spend and waste away their actings and call not for the spirit to get them compassed about We are men abundance to build the Temple and mighty Kings favour us and work-men have strength in legs and arms to lay stones in the wall O but that will not doe it Zach. 4. 6. Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts and so only is the Temple builded 6. There is a spiritual facility in the spiritual actings of a spiritual man 1. The acting is connatural and easie when it comes from an inward principle the stream naturally without violence flows from the fountain and so doth heat from the fire nor is it any pain to the earth to fall down and descend or for the light bodies fire and air to ascend it 's neither toyl nor labour to the Sun to give light for all these come from principles internal There is violence in the motion of an Horologue and therefore the wheels shall be worn out by time but the actings of the spirit are sweet and facile grace makes the Commandments not grievous it s no pain but easie to a gracious pastor to love Christ it breaks neither leg nor arm to desire Christ and be sick for him and to feed his flock for love to the chief shepherd 2. Psal 25. 9. The meek will he guide in judgement the meek will he teach is ways It 's easie for God to guide any man to guide and lead Lions and Unicorns but in the very object there is a facility to counsel a broken and danted spirit If a man be in his flower and prime and rich and mighty healthy and prosperous readily he will doe but what he will but if the man be in chains and broken and meekned with the rod of God he is easily bowed and counselled to what is good as iron red hot will bow and yield to the smitings of the hammer i'ts hard to lead a Lion The Lord speaks like the Lord to Job cap. 39. 9. Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by thy cribs Canst thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the furrows or will he harrow the valleys after thee but it is easie to bind a lamb Meeknesse is easily led and drawn when the spirit comes in the man is made pliable for counsel he is a plowed and a broken man who saith Acts 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord what wilt thou have me to doe There was no pride in him but the fulnesse of the spirit of the anointing above all his fellows and all mankind who said not my will but thy will be done And if any living man should have had his will or a piece of his will it was a man whose holy will could never crook and it was now when sinlesse holy harmlesse nature was debating the greatest question that ever Heaven or Angels knew But the fulnesse of the spirit bids him quit his will and so he did The sweet passive tractablenesse of the spirit of grace will enjoyn the man to be ranged bridled and led of God there be some whom God can neither lead nor drive any inspiration fals upon him a moral influence this I should and ought to doe but I shall not I will not doe it let God doe his best and it is as if a burning cole were cast into the sea or river will it burn the sea will it be welcomed and received no it s presently quenched An unbroken Tyrant void of the spirit when he heard that charge Let my people goe They are my servants saith the Tyrant not thy people Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel goe Let his influences be lodged with meeknesse O wrestle not against warnings but yield to them So are all gracious influences sweet delectable and easie is it pain nay its sweet and pleasant for a field of Roses of Vine-trees to receive showers and summer influences from the Sun and Heaven It was sweet for the baptised man Christ to receive and lodge the Holy Ghost who came down in the form of a Dove on him in all his influences 7. To act much in the spirit brings more abundance of the spirit 1. The more publick the work be the more is the man under the spirit Christ must have been under mighty flowings of the spirit who for the publick Catholick duty of redeeming mankind was willing to be suspended from the influences of his personal comfort and to be under that sad cloud of being forsaken of God that God might embrace us It 's the proper work of the spirit to glorifie God John 16. 14. He shall glorifie me saith Christ of the spirit for he shall receive of mine Then the more we glorifie God and Jesus Christ his Son we testifie we partake the more of the flowings of the spirit The Church hath so much the more of the spirit that she is willing to bear the Lord's indignation because she hath sinned Mic. 7. 9. and bear publick sufferings to illustrate the glory of his justice 2 We are also with Magdalen and other godly persons so far to be dead to the private comforts of love to Christ and his presence and waiting about the grave to anoint his body that we are to wait upon the more publick duties of resting in and of sanctifying of the Sabbath though otherwise the rescuing of the life of an oxe be mercy above this sacrifice If we have much of the spirit we shall patiently submit to the Lord's dispensation of his soveraign withdrawing of influences of comfort yea and delight in other inferior duties What though he will not feast me with the apples of the tree of life and suspend his comforts what if he withdraw joyful influences of believing of glorying and rejoycing in the Lord and feed the poor sinner with absence and exercise him with sad desertions 3. It 's a spiritual condition when Christ casts in feelings and discernable motions of the spirit and not only knocks but Cant. 5. 2 4.
puts in his hand by the hole of the door if this follow my bowels were moved for him And it 's a spiritual condition when the soul fails and the spouse falls a swoon at these words Open to me my sister my love c. Cant. 5. 2 6. And these lesser feelings would be turned into consent and into fixed resolutions as the spouse I opened to my welbeloved I sought him but I found him not I called him but he answered me not And that came from the feeling of his hand put in by the hole of the door ver 4. compared with ver 6. For that word Quench not the spirit 1 Thes 5. 19. includes an affirmative that is cherish kindly and yield sweetly unto the flowings and sweet influences of the spirit 8. A watching condition is a spiritual condition The Spirit of God is much seen in keeping the soul watching Ephes 6. 18. Praying with all prayer and supplication in the spirit is joyned with watching For it 's added and watching thereunto with all perseverance and Jude conjoynes praying in the Holy Ghost with ver 21. looking for or watching after the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life The spirit is willing Matth. 26. 4. forward watchful so is the â—enewed part but the flesh is weak sleepy and lazy And as much as the man hath of the spirit so much holy watchfulnesse hath he and Matth. 25. 26. the evil servant that digged his Masters talent in the earth is called wicked and slothful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sleepy in opposition to the watching and painful servant who ver 20. gained five talents to five talents Drowziness counter-works the knocking 's and gracious influences of the Spirit of Christ's calling Cant. 5. and answers Christ's piercing words Open to me my sister my love c. with a carnal excuse from drowzinesse it 's not time of night for Christ to seek lodging I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Cant. 5. 3. The flesh is a sleeping thing and a dead were we more diligent and painful we might be richer lesser motions closed with become the seed of larger motions The moving of the bowels at Christ's spiritual stirrings that he makes upon the heart grows to this I rose to open to my welbeloved Watching guards against sleeping and watchfulnesse puts the soul upon a resolution to watch sleeping guards no more against watching then then the privation fences off the habit or doth set a man to work against life We sit not watchfully upon the motions of the spirit to warm them and to draw life out of them as the Hen by careful sitting upon dead Eggs bringeth forth living birds Who would think a tree and a huge tree can come from a sorry plant or sixty or an hundred grains of wheat in harvest to be in one single grain cast in the earth in sowing time Can the flesh wait for the Lord is not hope an act of life Yea it 's lively hope opposite to a dead and rotten hope and waking is nearer to life and influences of life then sleeping which is the death of the man as touching the exercise of the sensitive life Then since the spirit is a spirit of life and a quickning and living spirit Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 15. the more watchfulnesse in any the more of the spirit For when the spirit enters in the dry bones they become an army of living men whereas before they were farther from life and spirit then sleeping bones Let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober For they that sleep sleep in the night 2 Thes 5. 6 7. The night is far spent let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and in envying Rom. 13. 13. This is like the putting on of the Lord Jesus which is a work of the spirit for sleeping men put not on their garments Ministers especially are to watch yea to watch in all things then in sleeping they must watch 2 Tim. 4. 5. And hardly can fighting and enduring hardnesse as a good souldier of Jesus Christ commended to the Minister 1 Tim. 6. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 3. consist with sleeping if we know how near Satan the roaring Lion who sleeps not is to our quarters and camp 1 Pet. 5. 8. Who can sleep and be secure and resist Satan or stand against him stedfast and fixed in the faith ver 9. Christ is much upon this by Matthew Marke and Luke Watch Watch and pray and lest it slip them again I say to you Watch Matth. 26. 38 40 45. Matth. 24. 42. Matth. 25. 13. Mark 13. 23. Mark 14. 38. Luke 17. 26 27 c. Luke 21. 8 38. cap. 2. 2 46. How can sleeping men receive influences of grace doth the Lord cast influences upon sleeping mens bosomes So are we to act as our acting way be fathered on the spirit as the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon upon Sampson and they fight and the Spirit of the Lord upon Zechariah the son of Jehojadah and he prophecied 2 Chro. 24. 20. Luke 1. 64. the father of John Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophecied Simeon came by the spirit into the Temple This acting in the spirit is opposed to acting in the flesh and in the spirit of Satan as Bullinger of one brother who slew his brother and pretended the spirit and Pareus tels us the like As the Lord the Father and Son never spake to Abraham Moses to Patriarks or Prophets but he made them know it was the Lord so neither does the spirit act in any though the way seem violent as in Phineas and Samuel their executing of justice but the Spirit makes it known that it is the Spirit and that he is not in the mighty wind nor in the fire but in the calm voice So Samuel leisurely and advisedly convinceth Agag ere he kill him and gives a reason to his conscience from divine justice 1 Sam. 35. 32 33. though Samuel then had laid down the sword It 's an useful word Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost and Ephes 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit What is there a praying in the flesh yea if preaching may be from a principle of the flesh out of envy and strife Phil. 1. 15. so may praying be from some rotten principle of fleshly presumption Lord Lord open to us Which us to us workers of iniquity Matth. 25. 11. Luke 13. 25 26. And 2. some prayer flows from fleshly despair and not from the spirit Rev. 6. 16. Mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne And 3. The enemies of David cry to the Lord out of fleshly fear and unbelief not in the spirit Psal 18. 41. There is a praying out of deadness and from the flesh
his actings from a gift to be actings from grace but 1. An habitual delusion such as was in the five foolish virgins all their life and until the market of buying oyle was spent and over cannot fall into a regenerate man for the Lord reveals his state to him 2. A child of God may all his life not put a distinct difference between the gift of preaching in Judas and the grace of preaching for there is no certainty of faith of the saving grace of others as touching particular men 3. There is in the Saints a spiritual sense of discerning Christs voice and here two things are to be distinguished 1. The actings of sense 2. The objects of sense and spiritual discerning the acts of sense in order to others are not infallible either in the habit or the act the eleven may all their life mistake Judas But as touching the object the saving influences and actings of God have them in some singular and peculiar thing by which actu primo and in themselves they may be discerned As Christs preaching had such grace in it never man spake like him Pauls preaching in the evidence and demonstration and power of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. had something that a spiritual discerning might take up the garden flower and the wild flower that grows in the mountains are like other yet the senses of seeing and smelling find a difference It 's dreadful when Christs preaching and the Apostles speaking and praying in the holy Ghost brings forth mocking and persecution and the miracles of Christ that were done by the power of God are fathered upon the Prince of devils it 's hard to perswade men of the naughtiness of their own heart What comes from self comes from grace the heart because it is the mans own is good to God the prayers are the mans own and good the lamps they are our own and they shine and therefore the shining is from the oyl of grace within and yet the lamp is empty 2. As to others hardly see we what condition they are in and because the smell of dead bones comes not through marble-stones in the Tomb therefore the paintry of a profession satisfies us yet it was not want of charity that made Micah 7. 2. say The good man is perished out of the earth and there is none upright among men they lie in wait for blood As now it 's called morosity rash judgment to say that the generality of Ministers and too many time-covenanters know little of any work of the Spirit on their hearts 10 Divis There are influences proper to the way to the Country and influences proper to the end and to the Country or influences of grace and influences of glory Influences for the way though they come from Christ our life yet for the most part they come by some meanes the word the seals prayer faith in the promises what influences they have who never heard the Gospel but have the law of nature within and book of creation and of providence without by which they may read and spell a Godhead and duties they owe to God Creator is harder to determine But they shall be witnesses to judge us and shall justifie Sodom Matth. 10. 15. But did we read more meditate more the covenant of grace we should have more of the influences of grace the influences of glory are the immediate and eternal out-lettings of God without word or faith or praying The tree of life hath growing on it apples of life all the moments of the year that is a long summer and a long year the tree is ever green ever blossoming eternally bearing fruit and the inhabitants eternally feasting on the fruit The river of life runnes for ever and ever flowes eternally and never ebbs they eternally drink in life and joy from him which sits upon the Throne and the Lamb. So many millions of glorified ones as there are so many eternal and immediate dependencies and living beames of glory united to the Son of righteousness because Christ is our life Col. 3. 4. therefore must heaven be a life of immediate influences of grace in the first glorious conserving power of God in preserving bodies of clay in a being of 1. Incorruption and immortality beyond sickness cold pain old age and death 2. In a state of glory free of shame 3. In a state of bodily strength power and activity free of weakness 4. In a state of spirituality free of a necessity of earthly helps eating drinking sleeping 1 Cor. 15. 42 43 44. 2. It must be an immediate out-letting of God in the fourth life of eternal blessedness and glory above the life of nature 2. The life intellectual of reason 3. The life of grace in the vision of the face of God 1 John 3. 2. Rev. 22. 4. Job 19. 26. knowing him 4. In the influences of fulness of joy and delights or pleasures and that so long as Christ-God shall live for evermore Now these three 1. Fruition of God as the last end and satisfaction in him onely seeking no other lover but God in Christ 2. Loving and adhering to God there being no room for faith and hope 1 Cor. 13. 13. whence comes filling of the concupiscible part desire delight 3. Praising him eternally and the Lamb. These three I say have both the consideration of duties and of a reward in both considerations the Lord lets out his immediate influences on that blessed company in all these 1. We are sick of love after our prison here rather then for our choisest life 2. We seek not the earnest and first fruits of this life CHAP. II. The nature of the habit of grace that there is 2. Such a habit is clear in the word 3. It 's purchased by Christs merit 4. Hath supernatural actings flowing from it 5. Influences without this habit are but delusions 6. Differences betwixt the habit of grace and other habits 7. Resolutions must be followed with prayer 2. Godly trembling 3. Faith 8. The stronger the habit of grace is the stronger and and more connatural are the acts flowing from it THe third particular is how the Saints may fetch the holy breathings of the Spirit by supernatural habits And touching this we shall speak to these 1. What the habit of grace is 2. How it is the seed of influences of grace 1. What necessity there is of the connexion betwixt the habit of grace and how we may fetch breathings of the Spirit from the habit of grace As to the first The habit of grace is a fixed disposition infused in the soul by the Lord purchased by Christs merit of his death by which we perform supernatural duties 1. A habit is a heavenly disposition or quality gracious by which the man even sleeping is denominated a convert a believer a translated man from darkness to light Col. 1. 13. Acts 2. 44. Acts 4. 4. 1 John 3. 14. 2. It is a fixed quality different from a spiritual disposition as
Psal 57. 7. My heart is fixed or disposed O God or prepared but his heart was not ever and alwayes fixed and prepared to praise though he had ever the habit and seed of God in him after his conversion 3. It is a fixed disposition infused in the soul by the Lord as a permanent quality so Isa 44. 3. I will pour water on him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground What is that flood I will pour my spirit upon thy seed Zech. 12. 10. And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication Ezek. 11. 19. And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh And also that this is an inbiding and permanent quality infused of God and an habit not acquired by our industry by which the Saints are and really are named anointed renewed born again new creatures is clear 2 Cor. 3. 3. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in the fleshly tables of the heart So this habit is called the seed of God 1 John 3. 9. The anointing saith John 1. 2 and 20. which ye have received of him and abides in you 27. Yea the Father and the Son making their abode in the soul John 14. 13. The well of water springing up to life eternal in the believer John 4. 14. Rivers of living waters flowing out of the belly By which the Saints are said to be denominated quickened Ephes 2. 1 4 and 5. and to be light in the Lord whereas they were once darkness Ephes 5. 8. new creatures 2 Cor. 5. 17. born of God 1 John 5. 1. 1 Iohn 3. 2. Now this is infused and no more an acquired habit then regeneration conversion translation is acquired 4. This new fixed disposition is given through the merit of Christ Acts 5. 30. Whom ye slew and hanged on a tree v. 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins Then is Christ the giver of repentance and of all spiritual habits not simply but as crucified and made a meriting Prince 2. The Father hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ then also with the habit of sanctification 3. We are sanctified by the the willing offering that Christ made when he gave himself a sacrifice once for all Heb. 10. 8 9 10. and the people sanctified by his blood Heb. 13. 12. Then in the merit of this blood must we have the habit of sanctification 4. If the conscience be purged by the blood of sprinkling from dead works Heb. 9. 14. then is the heart of stone removed which is nothing but this deadness in us before our conversion and new birth and if this be done so that we are sprinkled with clean water cleansed from all our filthinesse and idols and the heart of stone taken out of us and a new heart of flesh even a new heart given us not for our own doings but for his own names sake Ezek. 36. 22 25 26 32. that is from the precious and onely saving grace of Jesus Christ as it is exponed in the New Testament Acts 3. 16 25 26. Acts 4. 12. Rom. 3. 24 25. Ephes 1. 17. Coloss 1. 13. Acts 10. 42 43. So for Davids sake is exponed in the New Testament for the Son of Davids sake and for the Lords names sake is all one with this for the merits and death of Christ 5. Christs blood is a ransome not to buy us from wrath only and from the evil of punishment but also from the evil of iniquity and sin and so from the bondage of our vain conversation 1 Pet. 1. 18. from all iniquity Tit. 2. 19. from living to sin 1 Pet. 2. 24. and so to purchase the grace of the new birth and to make us Kings and Priests to God Rev. 1. 5 6. 6. The Spirit poured on the thirsty ground Isa 44. 3. on the house of David Zech. 12. 10. is either a gift of nature or a grace The former can be said by none but Pelagians and Socinians for if the only principle of the life of God and the new birth be a work of our industry Christ died in vain if it be a free grace we must receive it out of Christs fulness For out of his fulness we all receive John 1. 16. 5. By this supernatural habit we perform supernatural duties and new acts of life for Isa 44. By the Spirit given they shall spring up as among the grass as verse 4. willows by the water course They shall graciously professe and swear a covenant to the Lord v. 5. One shall say I am the Lords and another shall call himselfe by the name of Jacob and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord and sirname himself by the name of Israel And when the Spirit is poured on the house of Jacob the second acts flowing therefrom are acts of believing and looking on Christ whom they pierced and mourning over Christ and being in bitterness as if his first-born were dead So Ezek. 36. the putting in the new heart hath walking v. 27. in the Lords statutes keeping his judgments The first young motions and life-stirrings of the circumcised heart are the loving of the Lord Deut. 30. 6. the returning and obeying the voice of the Lord v. 8. Then 1. saving influences in spiritual actings in praying praising hearing are meer delusions without this new habit not the motions and actings of a living man from influence of life But some cozeners by the art of Satan have made dead images to speak but that speaking or laughing or weeping was but counterfeit and from no kindly influence of life in the dead stone The heavy elements move downward and that from an inward principle of nature but the motion of the wheeles in a horse-mill is not from nature within but from the beasts that draw the wheels nor is the motion of the several pieces of the horologe from a principle of life but from art And the actings of men destitute of such a supernatural habit suppose they give all their goods to the poor and give their bodies to be burnt yet are there no influences of the life of Christ in these actions they come from composed art and industry of hypocrisie custome formality and vain-glory and such
been strong influences of grace when they refused deliverance and believed a better resurrection Heb. 11. 35. 2. When there is a strong habit of love and of soul-love to Christ there are strong and painful acts of diligent seeking as Cant. 3. There be three acts of seeking and not finding 1. In the bed 2. About the streets and the broad way 3. At the watchmen and yet no giving over until she find him whom her soul loves Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. The habit of love even going on to love-sicknesse produces strong praying fervent adjuring of the daughters of Jerusalem to tel Christ that she is sick of love for him and a most pathetick song of praising of Christ in all his excellencies Cant. 5. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy and the chief among ten thousand v. 11. His head is as the most gold his locks are bushy and black as a raven 12. His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of water c. And there must be strong love within when such high expressions came out Psal 42. 1. As the Hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my soul after thee O God v. 2. My soul thirsteth for God for the living God Psal 84. 2. My soul longeth yea even fainteth for the courts of the Lord my heart and my flesh cryeth shouteth aloud out for the living God Now answerable to these must be the actual breathings of God strong impressions even until the soul be like the thirsty ground like the chased hart dying swooning and fainting and in a fever of love-sickness for Christ all which argue there must be valid and mighty influences upon the soul Ah little of the love of Christ is a feast that soon fills and satisfies us Dry faint and dead acts of praying and seeking speak weak influences and coldness of indifferency whether we have Christ or want him CHAP. III. A supernatural habit is a seed of influences 2. We are to improve the habit of grace 3. The habit of grace in order to the three persons brings a necessitie of gracious influences 4. The Lord is under divers necessities to confer influences 5. Christ intercedes for the non-converted 6. Christs Office 7. The Spirits office put both under a necessity of conferring of influences 8. Divers uses result from the necessity that the Lord hath brought himself under to confer influences 9. How the habit of grace is acted upon how it ceaseth not AS to natural powers the God of nature hath prepared influences to seeds and plants apt to grow There are prepared of God also influences for their actual growing So to the Sun fire clouds he hath in readinesse such influences though he freely let them out so to supernatural powers and habits he must let out and prepare supernatural influences The habit of grace is a sort of new nature a heavenly power a kind of seed of spiritual actings and a weight that inclines the soul to acting and by a sort of a pleasantly refreshing disposition swayes and drawes habitually the man to supernatural acting In nature suitable influences are due to the powers as the habit of musick inclines the man to singing and a natural instinct draws the bird to build its nest and the Lord hath ordained suitable influences for this instinct so this habit of grace as a weight inclines the soul to act not by any necessity of exercise but by necessity of specification it inclines not by determining to the act but only habitually Therefore influences suitable to this habit must be some way due as in nature so also in grace A habit of grace in the renewed man does not determine him continually to pray believe praise God while the habit is in him Hence 1. Because corruption is in David though as a broken and subdued habit he sins in numbring the people he is violently carried to be avenged on Nabal he commits adultery and murther which doe weaken the habit of grace 2. If the habit of grace be strong and much of the fulness of God in Steven in John Baptist in Paul they act in the way of God accordingly 3. If the habit of grace be qualified with a super-added disposition heavenly and spiritual there are boylings and stirrings in the heart as in Paul to pray Acts 20. after the spirit in him hath been graciously and heavenly exhorting the Church of Ephesus he kneels down and prayes and Acts 17. 16. while he is waiting for Silas and Timothy there is upon his mind a burning fever when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry And there will be some sweet akings and gnawings of the heart pressing the man to pray praise and sing Psal 57. 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise 2. What are we to doe in such a case then Answ We are to pursue these warmings and flamings of the habits of grace with new spiritual actings and exercises of grace as David verse 8. Awake up my glory awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early And therefore know 2. That a kindled habit of grace qualified with an heavenly disposition of grace is a fire near the flaming and the call of God to you to pray hic nunc Besides the command of God for praying continually smite the iron while it is hot throw the rod while it is green sail while the Lords wind and tide doth call stir up and blow upon the grace of God in you happily we blow upon the gift of praying when we should stir up the grace of praying Yea 3. Suppose the habit of grace were not kindled or in any near disposition to flame but there were deadness on the soul and the habit of grace lying deadned and covered with ashes yet is there warrant to blow aside the ashes to stir the fire and to smite upon the flint seven times until it cast fire David Psal 42. and Psal 43. three times Ps 42. 11. and Ps 43. 5. chides his casten down and unbelieving soul and wakens up and puts upon the habit of faith and Psal 103. and Psal 104. four times he wakens up his soul to bless the Lord and all that is within him to praise the Lord Psal 1â—6 7. he charges his soul to return to its rest It is dreadful to smother and bear down these births of God and to blast and wither such buddings of the Spirit and also to yield to carnal deadness and to lie down under it but let us await at the pool and when the Angel comes down and troubles the water step in and be healed As the Martyr condemned to die was under great deadness of spirit when he was in the prison and going to the place of execution yet coming to the place a gale of the wind of the Spirit blew fair and he cryed out to his Christian friends to whom he made known his former deadness now he is come he is come
it 's clear of the habit of grace John 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall send you the Comforter Christ sends him the Father sends him in Christs name John 14. 26. he shall receive of mine and shew it to you Now the holy Spirit the Comforter dwells in the Children of God not personally though he be said to dwell in them and to speak in them 1. In the habit and divine power given to them to confess Christ before men Matth. 10. 19. Acts 4. 8. or in preaching working of miracles Acts 6. 8. or in praying Acts 6. 10 11. Acts 7. 55 56. 2. In actuating that power in giving grace actually to will and to do to confess prophesie Luke 1. 27 41 42. Luke 2. 27 28. to pray Acts 7. 55 56. as the Lord is said to thunder in the clouds to give rain not that he is personally united with the clouds but because he creats in the clouds the power of thunder and raining and doth actually determine the clouds to rain 5. Supernatural habits and supernatural dispositions are neer to other as the fire and the flaming of the fire the clouds and the rain the sea and the ebbing and flowing of the sea not that the disposition is the very operation and second act of the habit but because the diposition is a quality superadded to the habit or the neerer principle and power of spiritual acting Stephen and Peter and John were full of the holy Ghost habitu from the time that the holy Ghost was given them but when they are conveyed to answer before the rulers they are said to speak being full of the holy Ghost Acts 4. 8. Acts 7. 55 56. which is either an enlargement of the habit of grace or a new spring-tide of the same sea or a new infused disposition promised by our Saviour and given 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 12. 11 12. Matth. 10. 19. Mark 13. 11. in that same hour And 3. There is much nearness of heavenly habits dispositions and heavenly influences and they are like other as life and breathing fire and the flaming of the fire get heavenly dispositions and influences of grace to pray to praise to believe almost connaturally follow When the tide of the Spirit flows Steven and the Apostles must preaâ—â— and boldly confess their precious Master Christ Jesus and this is great condescension of love that the spirit and the sinful believer are fellow-workers for the Spirit to act in the man Christ or in the elect Angels is not so much a wonder for they never â—inned influences upon us who have but a sort of obediential power as we are sinners such as is the power of swimming in iron is lowliness of love What is it for the Spirit of grace and glory to beat upon such broken and mistuned harps and to bring forth such excellent actings as praying praising confessing believing rejoycing in God in such unhandy tools What holy trembling is required in us that we offend not such an honourable and glorious help and that we neglect not to joyn his own habit to his own influences when he renders the work sweet and easie O let us lend our heart and give organs and a work-house to the Spirit who comes down to sigh in sinners He mourns like a dove and weeps like a father who hath lost his first-born in heirs of glory Q. But is not the habit of grace and spiritual dispositions all one and the same Answ They are not one For 1. The habit is the seed of God that remaines alwayes in us 1 John 3. 9. and the anointing that dwels in us 1 John 2. 20 27. but a disposition comes and goes ebbs and flowes A child of God will be under deadness and witheredness the soul cleaving to the dust dropping away for heaviness like a bottle in the smokâ— when the man with the habit of grace will pray like one sweating and rowing with oars against the tide and stream Why doth David pray so often to be quickened if he was ever in a lively disposition 2. Doth not experience teach that there be times when David saith 2 Sam. 7. 27. Thy servant hath found his heart to pray this prayer Was not this so much as to say the heart and disposition to pray is lost sometimes and is away Psal 57. 7. My heart is fixed O Ood my heart is fixed or prepared 3. To say that spiritual dispositions are as permanent and constant as habits is to deny the going and coming of the Spirit in Christs love-visits Now certain it is the Spouse is not ever sick of love for Christ as Cant. 2. nor is there such a flaming of love dispositions as when the Spouse saith Cant. 1. 5. A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved to me he shall lodge all the night between my breasts When a sleepy drowsiness is on that she suffers the welbeloved to knock and stand and knock while his head is full of dew and his locks wet with the rain of the night and refuses to open yea positively gives a reason that she cannot lodge him in the house nor between her breasts I have put off my coat how shall I put it on Such a spiritual love-sicknesse is far off 4. When a contrary disposition to adultery is on and Davids hand at the pen writing a letter to contrive the killing of innocent Vriah and the unbelieving fear of losse of life is upon Peter so that he denieth his Lord there could not be an heavenly disposition to make spiritual songs to pray to praise to confess Christ before men on either the one or the other 5. If those heavenly disposition were ever in it it should speak much against the liberty of the blessed Spirit whose breathings and out-lettings are soveraignly free Now by this the work of grace should be like the work of nature we see the fountain alwayes casts out her streames the Sun ever gives light the work grace hath a day and a dark night and Sun-light and Moon-light that we are in a state of outlawry when he withdraws to be humbled to the dust for abused love-visits and may know what is Christs and what is ours the fire is ever alike disposed to cast heat a mill-stone if not hindered is alike disposed to fall to the earth or down the mounrain Q. Are not spiritual dispositions nothing else but the hearts affections Answ Dispositions heavenly are different from the affections much more then they are different from the habit of grace 1. The spiritual dispositions goe and come the heart and affections of love joy sorrow remain 2. The heart is one thing and the heavenly preparedness of the heart is another thing As the subject iron differs from the fierceness and heat in iron and the water differs from the cold and heat that goes and comes from and to the water so dispositions are spiritual qualities and the affections the subject the heart is
9. Lord I have called daily unto thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee Psal 102. the afflicted soul saith v. 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass And here though buried and dead bones scaâ—tered at the grave mouth as when one heweth timber speak and pray to God Psal 141. and the Church so overwhelmed so that they cannot speak Psal 77. 4. yet they speak prayers 2. There is holy complaining layed in the bosome of an apprehended angry God and though arrows of God stick in the flesh Psal 38. 1 2 3 4. Psal 119. 25. My soul cleaveth to the dust 28. My soul droppeth away for heaviness 83. I am become like a bottle in the smoke Psal 42. 1 2. Psal 6. 1 2 3 prayes and complaines in a holy way to God Like a crane or a swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a dove mine eyes fail with looking upward O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me 3. It 's half a closing with a sinful disposition when it paines us lesse Paul protests against the fleshes sinful disposition Rom. 7. 15. I allow not the evil which I doe 2. He disowns it v. 17. It 's no more I that doe it but sin in me 3. He condemes himself for it v. 18. I know in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good 4. He complaines of it 23. I am led captive to the law of sin 5. His complaining so grows that he ends in an out-cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death and triumphs victoriously in Christ v. 25. From which it is clear that Paul and the flesh part open enemies and that there is no treaty of peace betwixt the spirit and the sinful disposition flowing from the flesh as if the flesh and the spirit were two free co-equal independent Lords and Princes and each must have his own kingdome and princedome to himself and the one must not encroach upon the other for the flesh and its complices must down and the spirit must be up in Christ Nor is there any arbitrary agreement of the matter for the spirit yields no liberty to sin nor gives away one jot or tittle of the holy Law to say Herod by the new covenant may keep his lust and Herodias so he gladly hear John the Baptist 4. There ought to be a going about of all duties of praying believing hearing praising c. under the lowest ebbings of the spirit and the saddest deadness so deadness and indispositions be the sin and sinful affliction and the afflictive sin of the child of God for our obedience to God is the more spiritual that it hath no moral motive from sense and comfort but rather the contrary save onely the word of command So excellently Christ Heb. 10. 9. Loe I come to doe thy will to suffer wrath and the curse for man but Psal 40. 8. I delight to doe thy will thy Law is within my heart His delight was in that saddest commandement to speak so in laying dow his life for his sheep and so had no sense to bear him up for an agony and sadnesse and sorrow to death was upon the holy Saviour when he obeyed and that peculiar law was in the inner part of his heart It 's true his Father loved him for it John 10. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I might take it again But 1. It 's a question if in the act of suffering he felt that love when he complained that he was forsaken of God 2. Therefore the Father loved Christ and Christ did abide in his love because he kept his Fathers commandements John 15. 11. because they were the Fathers commandements 2. It 's a temptation to act under deadness which actually blunts the heart therefore to obey under a formal temptation is more spiritual obedience As for Christ to pray to believe to exhort his disciples to watch and when pain wrath the actual pressing curse puts him to tears and hideous cries Heb. 5. is a perfect copy to all obedience lesse thanks to you to pray when the heart is oyled with real influences and feasted with some holy and the bridegrooms hony-comb and the feelings of the out-lettings of freest love as what praise to a wheel to roll down the mount or for the fire to cast heat or the Sun to yield light Feelings of the strong impulsions and breathings of Christs love carry along such a strong necessity of obeying Christs love being a stronger and a more imperious commander then a fiery Law almost steals away the elective power but to pray under the frame and current of a dead disposition working and re-acting on the contrary from a principle that is strongly real but from pure moral influences from the pure spiritual commands 1 Thess 5. 17. Pray without ceasing and Psal 50. 15. Call upon me in the day of trouble is the most spiritual and perfect obedience That wine hath the most kindly taste and colour of wine and is preserved most connaturally that hath it's being on the mother grape it 's not so when there is something of art I know not what to preserve it by steel or something like that Hence appears the decitfulnesse of our hearts when the delight in the duty comes rather from a meer physical cause less moral to wit from the heavenly flamings of quickening influences not from the command the only kindly mother and moral motive of obedience The withdrawing of the rayes and beams of the personally near Godhead now as it were under a cloud which was wont to give the savourness of strong delight made our Redeemers obedience as is said the more excellent 2. It speaks much of savoury graciousnesse when the temptation is cos gratiae a whetstone to grace and to the spirit of adoption and as sailes and oares to praying and does not blunt us in duties 3. The greater combate with nature the more perfect is the obedience Abraham's natural disposition was strong to love Isaac his onely sonne to let the child take his good night at his aged mother but the command of Jehovah his God in covenant so prevailed as he would shift the temptation and hid the matter from the mother Sarah and strongly second the design of Gods trying with resolved pure spiritual obedience from only the command of God CHAP. VI. The place Luke 24. 32. Did not our heart burn c. is opened 2. Believers can tell the history of the actings of the Spirit 3. Feelings may be strongest after the actings of the Spirit 4. The differences between literal heat and spiritual heat in many particulars 5. And betwixt the Spirits actings with the Word and Enthusiastical raptures There be other holy dispositions most considerable specially these 1. Burning of heart 2. Enlargedness of heart 3. Fixedness of heart 4. Love-sickness after Christ Besides these there be special dispositions to pray
do Psalm 51. 5. Jer. 14. 4. Isa 64. 8 9. Dan. 9. 5 6 11. Psalm 116. 6 7. 3. Cain Pharaoh Saul Magus never complain of themselves Heathens complain of sin original not as mans sin but as Socinians and Pelagians complain of it as mans misery and the Lords fault and sin with reverence to his holiness in that God and the step-mother nature have dealt worse with man in bringing him into the world naked weeping weak sick dying then with bulls that are born with thick skins and have horns to defend them It s a shameful accusing of God to deny original sin to be a transgression of the Law such as deserveth death eternal Ah our pride who dare bark against God when we should weep over our own wolfish and beastly nature Assert 3. We do not so much in the use of means as our lameness doth permit The Lord hath drawn a bill in the conscience that the blind will not so much as open their eye-lids we may be a law to our selves Rom. 1. 14 15. we know God by nature and glorifie him not as God Rom. 1. 2. 15. we may go many miles farther toward God by Natures light but we sit still 2. Yea we blow out the candle and here the criple and lame man breaks his own legs and arms the second time and complains of the Physitian Christ that he will not heal him against his will he who adds to his sickness a poyson drink cannot father his death upon the Physitian Ah we stir not broken legs and arms upon and towards the Physitian Christ 3. The criple may move and creep toward the Physitian The motion of such as stepped in the pool immediately after the Angel troubled the water John 5. was not a motion of perfect nature nor a perfect motion but yet a means of health it was Christ rejects not criple and sickly motions in using means towards himself Assert 4. The motions of the Spirit to come to the renewed mans case serve as legs to bear the criple-man but not as eyes for Psalm 119. 105. Thy word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path Yea a doubt it is if the motions of the Spirit as the Spirit without the word lay an obligation on us to follow these motions except when the Spirit speaks to Paul and Barnabas to go to Macedonia not to Bythinia and then the word of the Spirit becomes formally the word of the Lord as the word of Christ from his mouth is the word of God but heed is to be taken in a special manner when the bastard spirit speaks to Becold to Hichol and such wizards for God speaks like God and his own know his voice and the children of the Divel know also their fathers voice learn to go as far as you can in the way to Christ 1. No violence but from your own heart stands in your way the birth helps it self in the womb to come out work with the tide or against it he who rowes with oars in a manner helps the wind they desire not to sail who will not stir a foot to the ship 2. Hearing in Lydia and the Gaoler reading in the Eunuch diligent taking heed to the word of the Gospel preached by Phillip in the Samaritans the woman of Samaria conferring with Christ have in them though they come not up to the nature of a perfect duty somewhat of the ordinance of Christ and Christ loves to be in his own ordinances pro tanto its true the unrenewed man cannot use the means formally as they are referred to Christ and for Christ until his will and intention be renewed yet he is in the way to Christ and materially he comes to Christ nor is walking to the ship on dry land an act of sailing nor the sick mans journeying to the Physitian or his simple receiving of medicine an act of healing its good to come to the work-house of the spirit the preached Gospel and to lie under the breathing of the Lord when the word is spoken lend the letter of the Gospel lodging in the outer house the ear and literal understanding go in to the Potters house and stand beside the furnace and behold what work the Lord hath 3. Upon the wheels towards others and how many he meets with in the way of his ordinances frames the new creature in them makes a real change in them that you wonder at them knowing thy were blind and now they see 2. As for renewed ones these cases are considerable 1. When the letter of the Law is granted there is something and a great something wanting Psal 119. 29. remove from me the way of lying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be grace over thy Law to me which is first a suit that deeper and deeper spiritual impressions of God in the Law may be engraven on him till he be filled with all the fulness of God and influences may amount to a strong habit following of hearing reading conferring meditating with much praying for spiritual teaching from him as all along through Psal 119. would make us rich in influences 2. The natural man never misses life and quickning influences in the word the spiritual doth Psalm 119. 50. This is my comfort in mine affliction for thy word hath quickned me It s not a bad property of the earth to gape and thirst for rain there is no such gaping and thirsting in the rock the stone is never parched for want of rain but this parchedness is a neerest disposition for influences of sope and moisture from the clouds and though the thirsty man pray not yet thirst it self calls for watering influences as the Lord disappoints not nature so uses he not to frustrate gracious thirst of suitable influences of grace and these are put together and both are satisfied Psalm 145. 15 16 19. So his way Matth. 5. 6. Luke 1. 53. if thirsts for life and not for the bare condemning letter 3. There is something which we call fetching of the wind and casting of a board again to wind to the right harbour and it is a sort of courting the wind and that is the case of the soul that would live upon influences its fit to pant and gape and carefully wait on for the holy breathings of the Lord could we wait in the way that the Spirit uses to come and attend him in ordinances he must come that way as Zacheus cast himself in that way of Christ providence places two blind beggars in Christs way the Lord thereby bestows the Son of Davids mercy on them and providence placed the woman of Samaria at the well of Jacob and Christ must needs go thorow Samaria and her way she looked for water from Jacobs well and looked not for the Messiah yet she meets with him and feels his influences before she goes hence but we are with ordinances to lie at the tide and wait for and seek the flowings of
Peters temper was weak but when he gave a confession of Christ Matth. 16. he was under a gracious disposition and Peters continuing with Christ in his temptations did suppose a gracious dispoâ—â—tion in these acts of his and the rest of the believing Disciples Luke 22. 29 30. 3. The Lords Disciples are all born again Judas excepted but it were hard to say that John the beloved Disciple was of the same temper before the death of Christ with Peter who proved more sinfully rash in many things then John 2. A disposition is a transient impression that may be left upon the spirit by an occurrence of providence which though it sometime continue long is not necessarily alway so Upon the supposed death of Joseph Jacob refused to be comforted upon the departure of the Ark Phineas daughter in law is disposed to die for sorrow which in a great part was a gracious disposition it s like this great deliverance left a strong impression on Davids spirit and brought out praising of God But to the particular this disposition is a fixedness of resolution to believe pray praise having its rise from this present merciful deliverance it s opposed to the trepidation and doubting of unbelief which made him say elsewhere One day or other I shall perish by the hand of Saul which also saith that this was not ever Davids condition but being deserted of God he was under a contrary disposition but good it were alway to keep the heart under such a fixedness Ah but we are up and down out and in as touching stedfastness and unmoveableness in the work of the Lord the Galatians did run well a while the balasting of saving grace is most necessary it was a sad word 2 Tim. 1. 15. This thou knowest that all they which are in Asia are turned away from me John 6. 66. from that time many 2. of his disciples 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 took them to things behind went backward and 4. walked no more with him they left both Christ and the profession of Christ It was a sad suspending of influences when all the Disciples forsooke him and fled Matth. 26. My heart is fixed my heart is fixed The second particular is the doubling of the words In this and in the following words we have divers considerable characters and properties of heavenly dispositions 1. The doubling noteth the heat and fervour of affection in David as that My God my God notes the heat of faith two gripes of faith is better then one so saith the tripling of that prayer O my Father O my Father remove this cup Matth. 26. There is fire in the desire Psalm 57. 1. Be merciful to me O God be merciful to me and twice in this Psalm v. 5. Be thou exalted O God c. and again v. 11. Be thou exalted O God Psalm 46. that is doubled the Lord of hosts is with us v. 7 11. for his mercy endureth for ever is repeated twenty six times in one Psalm 1. In sinners in Christ it could not be it notes a sort of distrusting of the Spirit they will not believe the heart at the first word Not unto us O Lord that is not enough the heart is ready to steal the Lord's glory therefore he addeth not unto us but unto thy name give the glory therefore the doubling of it speaks the certainty Gen. 41. 32. 2. It notes that we are to make an eik to our assurance my heart is fixed O God therefore two witnesses are better then one he says it over again my heart is fixed for we shall deny that any such heavenly disposition was in the hour of temptation and say all is but false work in so doing he blows the coal when he finds it smoaking and blows twice and strikes the iron again and again when he finds it hot So he awakes up tongue and voice musick and harp gift and grace to praise the Lord as when he finds his heart in a praising disposition he desires an eik of all creatures in heaven and earth Psalm 103. all the Angels all his hosts all his works in all places of his dominion to joyne with his soule to blesse the Lord v. 20 21 22. 3. It notes a fiercenesse and a strong flaming of the affection and a sort of violence of assenting to the influences of grace which brought on that holy disposition which teacheth us when holy dispositions offer a divine violence to the soul to joyn our violence to his violence we will run that is our violence Draw me that is his violence Psalm 119. 32. I will run the way of thy commandments and press my self to willing and hot obedience if thou shall or when thou shall enlarge my heart 2. To this purpose we are to meet his actings of love Cant. 1. 4. The King brought me into his chambers with extolling and praising his love we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine the upright love thee 3. Let us intend and enlarge the acting of our heart to him Christ puts in his hand by the hole of the door which was a strong inward stirring of the Spirit of Jesus and the Spouse meets this with bended and mighty acts of loving obedience As 1. My bowels were moved for him For whom for him my Beloved who did stand and knock while his head was full of dew and his locks wet with the drops of the night v. 2. 2. I rose up to open to my Beloved and my hands dropped with myrrh and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh upon the handles of the lock Here are both repentance in rising to open whereas she excused and shifted the business before and sense of the savouriness and heavenly feeling as of a sweet smell of myrrh joy sense of joy and delight in obedience to him 4. There is a formal holy violence offered to him the Angel Christ wrestles with Jacob which is a sort of fighting and opposing his strength to Jacobs strength and he opposeth trying and tempting reason to Jacob Let me go for its dawning and Jacob opposeth his violence on the contrary I will not let thee go until thou bless me And the Beloved is wrestling to win away after long absence and much painful seeking Cant. 3. 1 2 3. but the Spouse offers violence on the contrary with all her strength I held him and would not let him go until I brought him to my mothers house and unto the chambers of her that conceived me 5. Its sit to meet a thirst of the Lords Spirit in a flowing of feeling with a thirst of faith when Christ saith to Thomas John 20. 27. Reach hither thy finger and behold my hand and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side this was a great condescension of Christ in bestowing on him a flowing of feeling and Thomas answers it with a strong act of the application of faith My Lord and my God 6. When
thy son make me as one of thy hired servants 3. Is not spiritual hunger humble David had a great room in the house and was a type of the chief cornerston and prepared in abundance for the building of the house and was a man according to Gods heart but when he was banished ah how happy was a door keeper in his house Psal 84. 3. The room of a sparrow or a swallownest beside his Altar is a Kings inheritance v. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee saith David at such a time Qu. But are not love-dispositions now under desertion and the Lords withdrawing the stronger and more powerful in Christ 1. The very withdrawing of Christ as touching his end is mercy and requires strong missing Christs hard pulling to be away suites strong holding on our part I will not let thee goe for there is strength and bones in love to resist a contrary 2. Dispositions heavenly in the affections make a huge deal of noise and tumult as here there is pathetick charging to tell Christ her love-sickness under desertion and it 's good when desires for Christ under absence are strongest that faith humbly and submissively waiting on in hope is stronger also when it makes least noise and tumult as the deepest river without rumbling runs quietly down the banks But 1. Learn to husband well love-feasts of nearer and sweeter presence believe for the time to come pray for the time to come hear and observe for the time to come lay up love in store for times of spiritual scarcity Ah we waste dispensations of the love of Christ and swallow them over without humble believing and godly watching and fear and waste prodigally feasts of love we then learn to grow in experimental knowledge in solidity of believing sense is wanton and feeds it self and we neglect faith and the growth thereof 2. Be submissive when influences are withdrawn examine whether they have been abused and if you might not have made five ten and had a richer stock if you had been spiritually diligent and if so mourn for the abuse of these showres for Paul tells that the Lords working in us to will and to doe which is showring of influences of grace is the great teaching argument that lays bands on us to will and to doe and the Lords teaching David wisdome in the hidden part Psal 51. 6. which was holy breathings and inspirations of the spirit to make the letter of the word effectual is an argument of heightning his sin of adultery and murther and he layes bonds on his own heart to improve influences Psal 119. 33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it to the end Certainly the Lords sending the first and latter rain on his garden of red wine and watering it every moment must lay bands on his people to be plants of righteousness and his blowing with the North and South wind of his spirit upon his garden requires the duty of the flowing of the spices and their thriving and the spirit of the Fathers purging calls for bringing forth of more fruit and the spirits leading requires that we should willingly follow such a guide and the Spirits teaching requires that we be docile and spiritual and the Spirits convincing that we bow and yield to his conviction The Spouse then under the withdrawing of Christ v. 6. is here put to see her poverty and speak by others her case to Christ when she neglected to speak to Christ when he was nearer to her then now If you find him tell him There is then some spiritual capacity without which the daughters of Jerusalem cannot pray and that is if they find him not Christ cannot be prayed unto and if the faith meet not with him as Immanuel Paul saith well Rom. 10. 13. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed 2. Can one call on God or cry to him Abba Father who never laid hold on him as a Father Know then that unbelief is an iron door betwixt Christ and many who pray or rather cry to him for many pray to an unknown Christ Could Jacob wrestle with an unfound and farre-off God Hos 12. 4. He wept and made supplication to him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us Can any knock and neither find the right door nor 2. know the King and the Lord of the house within ye never went into the Kings chamber nor to his house of wine and how can ye speak to him Obj. 1. You lay much weight on the quality and worth of prayer when you say we must first find Christ before we can pray to him Answ Praying must have some spiritual quality in it since itâ—s a work of the Spirit for speaking of words is not praying The legion of devils in the possessed man Mat. 8. spake words and made a suit to Christ but they prayed not Davids enemies cry even to the Lord Psal 18. 41. but pray not The damned in hell speak words to God but they blaspheme and quarrel with holy justice but pray not 2. The lowest discernable breathing out of a sigh through the holy Ghost hath as well the nature of prayer as an eighth part of an ounce of gold partaketh of the nature of gold no less then a mountain of gold 3. The groaning of the Spirit of the Lord is in every praying and therefore let none be beguiled who are destitute of the Spirit for no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. It 's not want of charity nor unnecessary discouraging of any to say a thistle is a thistle and not a rose a thorn is a thorn and not a vine-tree Where the spirit of grace joynes no influences of saving grace can you call that speaking to God a work of saving grace It were good men were not permitted to treasure up pieces of brass and copper and suffered to dream they have a treasure of gold 4. Sense of deadness in prayer oftner speaks the life of prayer and a godly sense of blindness is a large measure of seeing John 9. 41. Obj. 2. Then must we not pray till me first find Christ Answ Not so neither for praying fitteth for praying Stirring of the birth brings and increaseth lively heat better mar praying especially if you dare not dissemble then restrain or omit praying Obj. 3. I cry and I am not heard Answ The godly man may move the same doubt Job 19. 7. Psal 22. 2. 2. There are degrees of discerning an answer and degrees of the Lords opening to the knocking of faith it were sit yet Magus prayed more Acts 8. 22. and that he went about means with more sense of deadness If you find my beloved The Spouses withdrawing beloved v. 6. is her beloved Christ is a seeking yet sayes she he is my beloved The interest in Christ is moral or in
a manner legal the Father made him ours by free gift the withdrawing of influences 2. The shining and smiling 3. the suspending of influences needful for the act of feeling is physical and real The Lords outward dispensations make no change of 1. Covenant-interest the Covenant is eternal the Lords absence from his own is not eternal Nor is there change in relation of interest no distance of miles no frowning or hiding of his face makes Christ leave off to be a husband a head a ransom-payer a Father 2. Faith layes hold on right and on propriety When the heirs possession is suspended and an out-lawed heir here is an heir the use of the breathings and influences is removed the mill stands and grindeth not the ground is plowed yet the same Lord and heritor of mill and land remaines Hang not your rights writs and charters upon your sense or upon the ups and downs of the Lords dispensation nor doth a believers heaven stand in the particular out-lettings of the Lords free grace or his withdrawings though the more of the Spirit any hath the more doth their spiritual life and being depend upon the operations of grace as all things that grow and have life depend upon the influences of the Sun and Heaven trees and plants and flowers and herbs suffer a sort of death by the departure of the Sun from them and they begin to live again when in the spring the Sun moves near toward them so are the out-goings and gracious influences of the Sun of righteousnesse to the renewed ones in whom is the life of Christ for Christ keeps in being his own life and cannot but keep it in being and operation Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousness v. 11. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the Spirit that dwelleth in you See both the life of grace in this life is kept in being by the Spirit and the life of the body which shall be made spiritual in the resurrection is restored again by the Spirit of Christ 2. Deserted soules under the Lords withdrawing would neither cast away their confidence nor be too securely comforted when the Lord withdrawes to speak to the former the right in Christ is entire 2. The bargain of Redemption Christs act of buying and dying and paying a price for his own 3. The care of the trust and charge of redeemed soules committed to Christ 4. The act of Atonement made by Christ accepted by God by which justice and the law stands fully satisfied are all whole and untouched under desertion For our obedience is neither in whole nor in part neither in toto nor in tanto any penny of satisfaction to the law but payed upon another account All these 4. stand entire and the land and shore sail not and move not though the green Sailer judgeth so because he and the vessel are in sail 2. Nor is it safe to sleep and lie and be secure when the Spirit in his flowings withdraws It speaks some out-cast or out-lawry and the child should not be quiet when he knows the Father is displeased nor would Ministers heal them with all Gospel and hony and lay aside all Law for what cures help the disease and the first fever the same are good some way for the second fever and recidivation I am sick of love As Cant. 2. Greek wounded of love the Hebrew word imports weakness Judg. 16. 11. If they bind me with ropes I shall be weak as another man Hence it implies languishing pain through want of the feeling and enjoying of Christs presence Cant. 2. 5. Cant. 3. 1 2 3. Cant. 3. 6 8. 2. It implies sicknesse and weakening of the person as in Amnons love to his sister Tamar 2 Sam. 13. 1 2 3 4. It comes from apprehended wrath and the curse of the Law Psal 90. 8. Psal 32. 3 4. Psal 6. 1. Psal 38. 1 2 3 4 c. Dan. 9. 11. Rom. 7. 24. Isa 33. 24. Job 13. 24. Psal 77. 7 8. Psal 88. Psal 80. 7 19. 3. It imports the feeling of that pain The second act of sicknesse Matth. 9. 12. as to the pain through want of feeling and enjoying God 1. Two things are here 1. The want of the life though the believer be still loved chosen redeemed translated from death to life but the Lord who can put a check-lock and an iron bar on all our comforts withdrawes and lets the Spouse swoon and stayes not the heart with flagons of wine and apples that is with the effectual applying of the word of promise by which the heart is established or strengthened Jam. 5. 8. Rom. 1. 11. and by which we stay and rest our selves upon the word the Lord 2 Chron. 32. 6 7 8. Acts 14. 21 22. 2. There is here suspending and the want of the consolations of the Spirit the comforter which is the other want Now the Lord hath holy and necessary reasons why he suspends influences to the feeling and knowledge of these rich comforts 1. His holy Soveraignty Now soveraignty never acts separated from infinite wisedome when it 's most abstract from the object as in making a world or not creating any thing in ordaining of the same lump some to be vessels of honour and some of dishonour There is a reason of the object but never a reason concludent or so objectively binding and limiting the Lord but the contradicent to wit no created world no ordaining of some to honour and some to dishonour should be as good As we see in thousands and millions of possible worlds of other men other Angels and other creatures which he can create 2. Infinite wisedome judges it fitter that old Jacob weep and be not comforted that Joseph be sold into Egypt then be a rejoycing free Patriarch at home that the man Christ lie before him with tears and strong cries then that it be otherwise 3. To infinite wisedom it is clear that a creature and a sinful creature cannot so measure out sense and comfort as the only wise God as it is not so fit all the members of the house servants children strangers should be their own stewards of the bread wine and dainties of the house spices ointments myrrhe aloes and cassia as that there should be one wise and faithful servant over the family that all and every one hand over head run not to the heap Therefore is the Lord to be adored in his wisedome as much in withdrawing influences of sense and comforts as in bestowing them Judge if all the fatherless infants and pupils and minors of the earth were left to be fathers and tutors to themselves how would it be with their inheritances If all the sick on earth were their own only Physicians whether old or
are the influences of saving grace and though there be no promise made to the chosen do this and ye shall be converted yet Christ hath by his blood merited conversion and influences for conversion to them and as in Christ all providences are redemptory providences so hath the Lord ordained according to the decree of predestination and of redemption that hearing coming to such a place where Acts 2. Peter preaches where the Gaoler heares Paul Acts 16. to the well of Jacob where the woman confers with Christ beyond her intention are means of the conversion of such as are ordained to salvation so as providences of themselves natural are sometimes through the intention of God made redemptory providences for the conversion of the chosen 3. There is no connexion promissory betwixt natural or literal acting begun and spiritual acting and heat of the life of Christ As these actings are considered in themselves they seem to be one web but the one part of the web is course and grosse cloth the other is silk and cloth of gold they depend one upon another as some providential and general means and are intended of God 2. there is a coevistence betwixt them by a practise of grace not by a promise of grace 3. There is an order of priority and posteriority betwixt them 4. There is a vicinity material betwixt them as five is a number nearer to seven then three and yet three five seven all differ among themselves in nature and essence to hear is nearer to hearing in faith then no hearing at all or obstinate turning away the ear they are knit together as a piece of institution watered if I might so speak with a command and a heavenly acting of God for as was said before the literal acting some way falls under a commandmâ—nt he who commands hearing in faith commands hearing also 4. If there be a literal fixedness of consideration in looking to the duty and some literal missing and sense of deadness it puts the man in the borders of a spiritual duty and hardly wants the soul so acting the saving flowings of the Spirit the very bulk and body of a promise may give some literal wakening to a dead soul and the skaddings of a threatning maâ— put the dead soul in some motion 2 Sam. 12. 1 2 3 4. David gives a literal hearing by the light of a natural conscience to Nathans general parable At length when the Spirit sets it on by application thou art the man David v. 10 11 12 13. comes to some life of confession I â—ave sinned and there begin the spiritual seeds of Psalm 51. Indeed these two the literal part and the spiritual part make as it were in gross one bulk or body of a work but they are conjoyned as the clay and the gold in Nebuchadnezzars image they are joyned by God not by congruiâ—y or decency on the Lords part but of free grace not by promise not by merit nay not as work and wages but accidentall as touching their natures yet the wise Lord intends the one â—or the other it 's therefore good to be about means the waiting at the tyde is not sailing yet it makes way for sailing What connexion is there betwixt Saul's journey in seeking his fathers asses and Samuel's anointing him King of Israel none at all but a providential union there is but no man can say that there is here either a divine institution or a gracious promise yea or a congruity of means and end of work and wages though there be something of a marred institution in dead and dull hearing tied to saving believing here the same sweet breathing that falls on the rose acts on the hemlock which to me is some mystery to others merit of congruity which is detestable to others a free promise but it being examined well is but merit to others half a promise however the dispensation forbids laziness and commands all even though yet in nature to go about duties as creatures rational covenanted externally with God CHAP. XIII Q. 13. What the unrenewed and the renewed can do in the respective dead condition at the use of means 2. Influences work as God sets them on 3. A gracious heart reflects upon it self 4. We may do more by the habit of grace then we do 5. Divers cases of renewed and unrenewed 7. No promise is made to using of external means only yet a sad threatning is made to the not using of them 8. The opposition by unbelief that reprobates make to the Gospel IT is a matter of difficulty to determine because of the various cases what we may here do in the using of means 1. Unrenewed men and renewed both can do less in using of means when two mountains and two rivers are in the way then when one only is before them an unrenewed having both his natural corruption and a strong temptation against him can do no less So Naaman by his office being obliged to go to the house of the Idol-God Rimmon and not yet converted could more hardly abstain from that outward Idolatry then now when to natural corruption fear of offending his master the King of Assyria is added No doubt Pilate naturally loathed and hated Christ as Herod Acts 12. did the Apostles and the Gospel but when Pilate is afraid to offend the people and to seem an enemy to Caesar and Herod willing to pleasure the Jews it 's no wonder then both be not only weakned in using the means to believe in Christ but also positively oppose Christ and the Gospel and if both had been engaged in a profession of Christ as many now are they might have used means more largely to believe and preferred Christ not in their heart and real estimation of mind to men pleasing but in some externals also but that should be no concludent argument that they really loved Christ because a name may put men to hazard court and means and life rather then deny Christ 2. This seems a considerable difference the earth cannot plow and sow wheat of it self yet when it is plowed and laboured and seeded it can enlive and nourish the sown corn but though we can do much more in the using of means then we do yet means work upon us if they be only external by no necessity of nature but according as he stirs who hath mercy on whom he will though men run and will Nor can we deny but the child of God indued with an habit of grace hath actu primo a power to draw life from the head as the living members can draw nourishment from the stomach through the liver and veins yet the Sun and heaven hath influence in all actings of nature the necessity of actual grace doth not remove any of the vertue and power of the habit of grace so doth the renewed heart lie fair to a Gospel-command and as actions vital are immanent and received often on themselves so here the heart renewed can work upon
lodging to the spirit to breath in Let nature stir first in the using of means First bow the knee stretch out the hands should the Spirit from above first bow the knee and first physically act upon the hands to lift them up nay nature begins in its order before the heat and fire of the spirit come flaming goes not before smoking but contrarily smoking leads the way to flaming the flaming of faith of love of paining desires in their spiritual vigour go not before stirring of the lips and lifting of the eyes to Heaven to pray that is no more true then refreshing and cooling of the heart go before eating and drinking will ye say I will not pray while first the spirit flame I will not hear while first I believe and I will not lay up the promises in the heart while first the heart burns in heat of love with the promises You then say I will not throw about the key until the door be first opened I will not hear the word until the Lord give me faith whereas the way of God is that faith as the end comes by hearing as the means leading to the end Rom. 10. and Gal. 3. Ye received the Spirit by the hearing of faith then of necessity our hearing and lending attention to Christ by the outer entry the ear must go before faith as the mean before the end whereas faith comes by hearing as vital heat is stirred up by running so it is true some inward burnings and flamings of spirit begin like smoking before flaming Psal 39. 1. Psal 45. 1. Acts 17. and then follows spiritual acting of praising preaching praying in which case there is as it were in the soul a fever and an inward boyling of a pot that must run over or new wine that must break the vessel and force vent so that silence or no acting must torment and pain the poor man but that is not ordinary for the set way is that we set to acting and the spirit strikes in as he thinks fit and the believer is to blow and stir the fire under the ashes as if he were seeking the wind and must stir and dig some fire and warmnesse out of the letter and let the spirit blow and flame as he will If any say a preparing of the heart goes well before acting that is true also if any say God commands not simple hearing but hearing mixt with faith what ever truth were in that as hearing without faith is sinful formality yet he commands in a divine order that we should hear to the end we may believe and the Lord commands not that we may believe that we may hear as nature ordains not growing and nourishing that the living creature may eat and sleep but by the contrary nature appointeth eating and sleeping that we may grow and be nourished If any say the Lord commands not hearing as to the substance of the act but saving spiritual and humble trembling at the Word and hearing in faith and this he commands to be done in believing and trembling at the Word in the same act in which he commands hearing It shall be denyed that in the order of begetting faith this is necessary that they ever be on and the same act the Lord preached to Adam Gen. 3. 15. the seed of the woman shall break the head of the serpent Adam by the Law of God of nature was first to hear and consider this first Gospel-truth and then to believe it and receive it in faith he was a rational and moral agent in believing and was not obliged in one and the same to hear and believe but as a rational agent he was first to hear and then to believe after consideration of the Gospel now heard and received in the ear and mind And the like may be said of Pagans at the first hearing of the Gospel they must hear and literally consider the letter of the Gospel before they believe As for the Lord 's commanding to believe to pray to read to praise sure we are to begin our duty of natural stirring in these acts though in another kind of cause God must first act us thereunto nor is the Lord 's stirâ—ing of us by omnipotent grace enjoyned to us but we are commanded to doe our duty and to pray for his drawing that we may run but yet by order of nature we are to doe our parts first in our physical way before we feel the stirring of divine influences Obj. He cannot pray he cannot believe and yet God commands him to believe Answ But his cannot as Mr. Fenner saith does not hinder If a wicked mans cannot only did hinder him he might excuse himself before the tribunal of Christ Lord thou knowest I did my best I would have been ruled by thy Word but I could not I would have been humbled and reformed better then I was but I could not For the culpable only hindering cause is Prov. 1. 29. They hated knowledge the fear of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they chused not They would none of my counsel they despised all my rebuke These four acts of wicked will are set down as the only faulty cause of their non-conversion and their not hearkning to wisedoms cry But if God had given efficacious grace which he out of his absolute liberty denyed certainly they would have been converted true and who denyes that All that have heard and learned of the Father come to me John 6. 45. If all such come and none miscarry then thou would have come also to Christ Surely after I was turned I repented Jer. 31. 19. but that is the cause of non-conversion physical and leaves not the blame on the holy Lord for the wicked will not yet remains and the conscience lays not the blame there but loves to have a physical bar of non-conversion to block up the way of moral non-conversion and four times subscribeth and consenteth to the absence and want of the Lord 's saving influence therefore except the unbeliever could say I had a desire hic nunc to abandon my lusts and to believe only this hinders God refâ—sed the sowing of a gracious power in me to believe pray repent and as an austere master he reaps and exacts believing and praying from a man who doth his best and all that in reason and justice can be craved of a man lays upon me threatnings commandments punishments who am only fettered against my will from obeying Hence faithful Mr. Fenner pag. 8. the moral and faulty reason why the wicked do not repent and come out of their sins is not because they cannot though they cannot but because they will not His reasons are 1. The wicked think they have power and yet they will not doe according to their thoughts what is the reason they hope to repent on their dead beds but because they think they have power or at least they are able to beg power of Jesus Christ Now by their
sealing of the Spirit Eph. 4. 29 30. So singing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs with making melody in the heart to the Lord is a proclaiming that there is some fulness of the Spirit if the Spirit could speak in the Saints the two native languages of the Spirit would be praying for that is the cry of the Spirit Rom. 8. 15 23 26. and singing praises Eph. 5. 18 19 20. The way to have influences of the Spirit is to pray continually and fervently and to give thanks always for all things unto God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Eph. 5. 20. 5. A wicked hardening of the heart is as if ye would cast water on a weakly smoaking fire of green timber that cannot be a seat an office-house to the Spirit and his actings such are interdited of the spiritual seeing and of the Spirits hearing of the Spirit Rom. 11. 8. God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear to this day It 's dreadful when Prophets preach some stark blind and dead one of the chief and noble operations of the Spirit is illumination and he is a seeing and an enlightning and a hearing spirit 1. Wink not before the shining beams of the Sun yield heartily to the convictions of the Spirit John 16. 7. such as waste away the light of conscience and the convictions of the Spirit are not entrusted again with new actings of the Spirits enlightning 2. Be tender and stand in awe of smaller sins it speaks much of the spirit in David to be smitten with the renting of the lap of Saul's garment 6. Some make themselves uncapable of the actings of the Spirit who seeing great temptations signs and miracles have plenty of means yet remain blind and hard-hearted and dull of hearing Deut. 29. 2 3 4. Heb. 5. 11 12. Joh. 12. 37 38 39 40. if we would improve the actings of the Spirit and delight in the Lords way we should have new influences to walk in his paths Psalm 119. 35. and God teacheth David good judgements for saith he I have believed thy commandments v. 66. So are they-far from new influences who abuse so many plagues and so many deliverances from these plagues as Pharaoh did and crush the motions of a trembling conscience as Felix did a doubt it may be if ever the like acting of a Law-spirit visit such men again 7. All such who remain in the state of unrenewed nature are uncapable of the actings of the Spirit nor does the Spirit lodge in sensual and beastly men Jude v. 19. nor can the world receive the Spirit of truth John 14. 17. no more then the spirit and breathing of a horse can lodge in aâ—pismire It 's true John Baptist was full of the holy Ghost from the womb Luke 1 15. and the Spirit acts him with joy v. 41. when Mary saluted her but John Baptists sin Original was both then pardoned as touching the damnation thereof and subdued as touching the dominion of it Otherwise another spirit acts and works by nature in the sons of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. and these two strong ones can remain and dwell both in one castle then seek translation and to be with Christ if ye would have the Spirit and his influences multitudes no more complain of the want of the influences of the Spirit then a dead mans corps complains of cold of hunger of thirst or of influences of life from the living soul nor complain they of sickness Oh it speaks life to be pained for the waâ— of the Spirit and his influences what wonder that ye cannot perswade a sleeping man that he sleeps 8. Some actings of bitterness wrath clamour anger and malice in the Saints may sadden the Spirit of God darken the evidence of the Spirits sealing unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30 31. It must be a sort of suffering to the Spirit and a casting water on the fire and a deadning to David as touching vigorous and lively operations that he acted adultery and murther which moves him to pray for the restoring to him again the joy of the Lords salvation and to be upholden by the Lords free spirit Psal 51. 12. Can a King dwell even in a palace when it is burning and smoaking about his ears therefore holy actings teaching of sinners praying praising Psalm 51. 13 14. 15. to be kind one to another and tender-hearted to forgive one another as Christ did Eph. 4. 32. and to act as the Spirit and to be holy and heavenly in one walk puts the Spirit in a sweet composed temper to act and breath abundantly in his flowings of love and grace 9. It would be observed that influences of the Spirit are contempered with the actings of grace with which they concur the spirit of adoption acts in the grammer of prayer to cry Abba Father and he comes down to the language of children learning to speak and to say Abba and the Spirit helps our infirmities O it must be great help that the Spirit yields it must be creating of new heavens or removing of mountains or dividing of the sea or something like say some nay the Spirit helps us with a groan his influences come down to sigh and weep and mourn like a dove in a Saint Rom. 8. 26. Cant. 2. 14. Ezech. 7. 16. and if so it 's no wonder that the Spirit breaths not on our wild fire anger Well does the Spirit breathe on Christs holy anger he was angry and grieved Mark 3. 5. and was saddened at the offending of God To be angry at the sin of offenders and yet so as to compassionate the soul of the offender this is to fix a fit seat for the influences of the spirit nor can we receive the influences of that spirit who applieth and intimateth pardon and forgiveness when our anger is such to these who injure us as we cannot forgive them and if anger lodge and take chamber in the bosome and brest of a fool can the Spirit breathe supplications in such a brest when the fountain is troubled and muddy with clay it gives no representation of the face and image to the beholder Psalm 119. 135. Make thy face to shine on thy servant but the soul is a dusty and muddy glasse most unfit to receive the irradiations and beams of such a transcendent sun of glory yea it 's some way fitted v. 136. rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Then a soul mourning for sin is fit to be shined upon by the Lord when the man Christs soul is exceeding sorrowful even to the death Matth. 26. 38. then is his soul fit to receive dartings of the spirit to pray most humbly with his face on the ground v. 39. most believingly O my Father O my Father most fervently with tripple praying 44. more earnestly Luke 22. 44. or more bendedly then
cannot a soul filled with hellish and divelish sorrow such as was the case of wakened Judas receive influences of the Spirit to see a pierced Lord and to be in bitterness as one is for his only son Zech. 12. 10. but must despair and receive influences of hell for hardness and impenitency Obj. But we see the Church lament 3. very unbelievingly quarrelling with God v. 8. When I shout and cry he shutteth out my prayer 10. He was unto me as a Bear lying in wait and as a Lion in secret places And v. 18. I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Yet verse 24. The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him then doth not unbelief and sorrow of sad and half despairing so incapacitate and deaden the soul to receive influences of believing Answ There is a far other consideration of a soul under prevailing corruption that is either yet not converted and of a converted man under a strong prevailing temptation when two contrary champions the flesh and the spirit are standing in battel array in the fields each one enemy attending the motions of another as in the former consideration there is a great difference betwixt green timber dry withered fewel or betwixt dry fire-wood fewel though dry yet soaked some days in water in this ease influences of the spirit from heaven influences of the flesh from hell do not so quickly exchange lodgings and go and come to and from divers subjects neither an unrenewed man nor a David under prevailing lust are such fitly disposed fields for showres of influences as in a moment they can cast off deadness and put on a spiritual disposition to receive influences of grace though there be an active celerity on the Spirits part for he can go and come quickly and this is to be seen in a soul under spiritual exercise even now there is a sad complaining I said in my haste I am â—ast out from before thy face and yet with the same breath nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication Then under sense of being cast out of Gods favour there are also influences to pray and to pray in faith and when the Christian fainting saith My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord Lam. 3. 18. she also saith The Lord is my portion saith my soul v. 24. It 's clear then that fainting and feeling are neer to other and so influences for the one and for the other are neer to other the quickness and celerity of influences is evident in the suddain ups and downs of the soul as the shining of the Sun in March and the showring of the clouds are so neer to other he comes in his shinings as a fire-flaught in the midst of our sad louring and dumpish deadness and when the Lord pleaseth his visits are speedy and swift CHAP. III. How the soul is under plenty of means and dispositions heavenly and yet under scarcity of influences 2. Praying and love to the word according to the will of precept all along through Psalm 119. 3. Delighting in the word reading and meditating thereon fetch heavenly influences 4. Hence 18. obstructions of influences 1. Hardness and blindness 2. Vnbelief 3. Deadness 4. Security 5. Irreligious prophaness and Atheism 6. Vnconstancy 7. Deceitfulness 8. Pride 9. Worldly-mindedness 10. Fiery preposterous zeal 11. Vncleanness 12. Malice and bitterness 13. Worldly sorrow 14. False joy 15. Self-love 16. Wilful ignorance of the Gospel and hatred of Christ 17. Impatient fretting against providences the contraries of all which help to fetch heavenly influences Lasty the Lords manner of contributing his influences makes us not passive lumps and blocks the word shews that God lays a holy necessity on our will so that we are most willing and free agents in spiritual actings 18. Vain and wanton thoughts obstruct influences THe heart as including will and mind and affections is the publick Inne and lodging that receives all influences 1. There is a sweet proportion betwixt the influences of the spirit and the new heart Quest How is it then that the soul is under sweet dispositions and plenty of means and yet wants influences Answ This is to shew the absolute freedom of grace as Cant. 1. the Spouse is in a sweet condition Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for his love is better then wine 3. Because of the savour of thy good oyntments thy name is oyntment poured out therefore do the virgins love thee 4. The King brought me into his chambers yet she stands in need of a pull draw me v. 7. Tell thou me O thou whom my soul loves where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon-day Here is a soul in love longing to be embraced and kissed smelling Christs precious oyntments taken in to the Kings chamber yet the prayer to be drawn and to be instructed where to find him teacheth that some are at the well-head and yet thirsty and in Christs banqueting house and yet the praying of such to be drawn speaks want of influences and hunger for more except Christ intimately apply his influences to will and to do Cant. 2. 4. He brought me into his banqueting house his banner over me was love 6. His left hand is under my head and his right hand doth embrace me What is here wanting is not this paradise come down from heaven but the prayer v. 5. Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love is a strong evidence that the Spouse even in Christs arms and in his house of wine where are all the refreshments of heaven is not sick only but fallen into a deep swoon if Christ hold not up the head and stay the soul with quickning influences what then could you make of heaven it self and of Christs sweetest embracements if he teach not how to improve the fulness of this free love in sweetest actings of heavenly duties When John is in heaven and sees heavens glory yet if the present actings of the spirit go not betwixt him and Angel-worship he roves influences must then make Christ to be Christ and heaven to be heaven and the Spirit must open and let out upon the withered soul streams of the well of life otherwise there is the banqueting house of wine and there is yet the hungry and swooning Spouse there is heaven and fulness of glory and there is yet miscarrying John grace must make it self our grace and he will have us to know to whom we owe the thanks both of Christ and of the outletting and emanations of free grace and of the well of life and of the flowings and streamings of that fountain and so the created habit of grace is not to be rested on but Christ acting in his free grace is all in all 2. The Lord gives influences according to his will of pleasure but we must stir and pray and act according to
obey the Scripture is clear and though we cannot give a natural and philosophick reason no matter 18. If we should distinguish betwixt thoughts and conquering and victorious thoughts 2. Betwixt fixed and wanton carelesly feeling thoughts 3. Betwixt guarded and well watched hearts and masterless hearts we should know that we hinder and obstruct influences though Soveraignty dispense gracious influences by sinful thoughts the thoughts being the wings of the soul can influences have a seat on thoughts marred by us surely no more then a bird can flie with broken wings and the God of nature doth not joyn his influences with causes impossible to act he concurs not with the bird to flie when the wings are broken nor the running of a dead horse though one should ride on a carrion and use spur and rod. But when the thoughts are seasoned with the heavenly disposition of a renewed heart as the buds and blossoms of the vine-tree are in a neerest way to receive influences from the God of nature to become excellent wine-berries and the most refined earth neer to be turned into gold and to receive influences for that effect so a heart gratified with heavenly dispositions must be a subject for heavenly thoughts and if there be a holy heart heavenly meditations come out in the night Psal 63. 6 7. Psalm 139. 17. Phil. 3. 19 20. 2. The Lord contempereth the actings of the spirit to the subject being a moral agent and all our gracious actings run through the channel of a spiritual judgement as running the race in Christ came from known and well considered joy set before him Heb. 12. 1. Moses chose Saints suffering more then Court-honour for heaven or the recompense of reward looked with another face and representation on the understanding then a poor time Court of clay did the superexcellent knowledge of Jesus Christ is so praised by Paul as his heavenly understanding looks on it as his all yea his only all and his all things beside are stated to his mind as loss and dung So to Abraham's mind a tent that shepheards sleep in is judged good enough and the world a bottomless lodging because there stands in the eye of his mind a rightly considered City that hath a foundation whose maker and builder is God Heb. 11. 18. And the cause of Christs bearing patiently the cross was his sanctified judgement of injuries and spitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he under-judged and in his mind under-prised shame and reproach Heb. 12. 2. as a-very shaddow of a shaddow and as nothing and the glory of his Father in a redeemed and ransomed people looked braid and fair and great on his understanding Know and consider well 1. God an infinite fair transcendent God and the silly poor nothing and kindless nature 2. Judge rightly of time and how nothing yesterday and the last year is and weigh in your understanding vast high and braid and deep and long eternity if you have ballance with scales that can bear eternity 3. Understand well obedience faith the weight of the love of Christ never quenched with many floods and sin hatred of Christ and the horror thereof 4. Take a right view of heaven how it lies in length and bredth and a right impression of the fire that is never quenched and the habitual knowledge of the Lords name wants not influences for trusting in God Psalm 9. 10. knowledge where to find God in Christ hath actings of the Spirit to live and dwell with him to hold him Cant. 1. 7. Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Joh. 4. 10. to pray to come to him Joh. 6. 45. a soâ—l in darkness and the gross ignorance of God is not capable of influences of grace as the centre and bowels of the earth and deep pits receive no Sun-light We can draw on sinful dispositions yea we created these dry clouds that are above our withered hearts by making our inordinate affections Stewards and Caterers to lay in provision for our flesh Rom. 13. 14. 2. We can ask leave at our flesh to take a little sleep and excuse it Prov. 6. 10. Yet a little flumber 3. Under drowsiness and security we can refuse to open and let Christ in Cant. 5. 3. and that brings on sad withdrawings of the actings of the Spirit v. 6. 4. Violence done to sweet dispositions when they give warning of our debt may draw to a wronging of the holy Ghost who is dreadfully jealous if we counter-work the actings and breathings of the spirit and react against the out-lettings and flowings of the anointing and of the well within springing up to eternal life he puts in his hand by the hole of the door the Spouse is convinced that it is Christ the beloveds voice and his knock and his very words and no other yet he is not yielded unto but resisted 2. We keep not the oyl clean that it may shine more clearly in the lamp inky blackness defaces the beauty of the white rose and the lilly the dustiness and filth of lusts dimness darkens the precious stone that it loseth lustre and colour when a judicial darkness even on a believer it covereth the habit of grace and darkens the spiritual strain the sin of the spirit is out of measure sinful the spirit judicially sleeping sees and hears less in the Prophet Jonah then carnal reason in the Heathen Mariners for Jonah sleeps the Heathen men do wake and fear when wrath from Heaven blows on their ship the lesser habit of grace that is young and green in the repenting theif doth more in adhering to Christ because actual breathing of the spirit is stronger and more vigorous then the more rooted and experienced habit of grace in the Apostles when it is now overwhelmed with the base fear of suffering for he confesses him to be a King on the Cross the Disciples fleeing forsake him and the Lord preaches that we are more debtors to the Spirit of Christ then to the habit of grace praying praising believing hoping loving joying as acts of kin to the Spirit gladden the Spirit what should we then do to fetch the wind grieve not the Spirit but keep the fountain pure and clean from the muddiness of lusts for in the light of the Spirit you see your own spots 1 Joh. 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he also is pure 2. Yield not to indispositions complain of them to God and pray them away as Psalm 61. 2. Psalm 31. 22. Psalm 102. 3 4 5. Lam. 1. 2 3 4 5 c. 22 23. Obj. But it is easie so to say Be strong in the Lord I am at huge distance from the Lord Answ 1. The Lord speaks to believers as to moral agents the actings of faith is in us both moral and also physical or real though moral acting in some sense be real and not imaginary as the fowler with sweet songs works in a manner morally or by way of
of the Lord the husband act in a whorish spouse who grieves that spirit See Psalm 106. 39. Can refreshings come from the fountain of living waters to such as Jer. 2. 13. forsake the fountain and hew them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no waters or can the Spirit dwell and act in that soul which abhors God and the spirit of God and his operations no man will lodge in an Inne in which he knows they lie in wait for his life Isa 63. 10. They rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit 2. There are who say Job 21. 14. to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways and who Prov. 1. 29. hate knowledge Now the spirit of the Lord is a spirit of knowledge and needs none to counsel him and teach him knowledge Isa 40. 13 40. And to one is given by the same spirit saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 12. 8. the word of wisedom to another a word of knowledge by the same spirit and he is Ephes 1. 17. the spirit of wisedom and revelation who gives the knowledge of Christ the Spirit then will not be a teacher to such as hate the master teacher and all his instructions Wil a man be an instructer to a Disciple or Apprentice who to his knowledge hates and flies from him and abhors him who abhors mocks and does despite to the Spirit and will the Spirits going forth be as the pleasant morning in such a man sure the Spirit teacheth not convinceth not guideth not in all truth any John 14. 26. John 16. 7 13. but such only as Christ sendeth him unto John 14. 16 17. 16. 7. I will send him unto you v. 13. He shall guide you He shall shew you things to come John 15. 26. And therefore he comes to this Psalm 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee What is such a man how is he known by another There be three notes by which he is known v. 23. 1. Nevertheless though I be a beast and a tempted fool doubting of a providence I am continually with thee O blessed company Then follow two observable actings and influences of the Spirit 1. The confirming and upholding influence the supernatural manutenentia upholding of the Spirit Thou wilt hold me fast by my right hand 2. There is the guiding John 16. 13. and leading of the Spirit Psal 143. 10. Psal 73. 14. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel So every element acts and moves most connaturally in its own place the river moves most connaturally within its own channel it 's violent in its motion when it runs above and without its own banks the wind moves naturally in the air but most violently and unkindly in the bowels of the earth for there it causes earthquakes and swallows up houses and Cities The Spirit of the Lord acts and breaths sweetly in a believer but the spirit that moves in a possessed man is proven to be the spirit of the Divel not of God because he moves most connaturally and casteth the possessed one who is his house in fire and water Mark 9. he is not a gracious guest who sets on fire his own lodging Isa 26. 9. With my soul I have desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me early will I seek thee and that is a work of the spirit to learn righteousness when the Lords judgements are on the earth v. 12. Lord thou wilt ordain peace for us for thou also hast wrought all our works in us The Spirit refers all acting on earth to God for the good of his Church and there follow many expressions of faith and liveliness to the end of the Chapter v. 13 14. the Lords that ruled over us beside thee are dead the people v. 16. prayed to thee in trouble v. 19. Our dead men buried in Babylon shall live and be delivered Could we desire and thirst after God the Spirit should act more abundantly in us 3. From our joy or delight and our sadness and sorrow arise impediments of spiritual influences As 1. Carnal sensual delights and the Spirit cannot be together Jude v. 19. sensual not having the spirit The more men are drowned in sensual lusts the less of the Spirit they have or nothing at all The Apostle Phil 3. makes an opposition betwixt such whose God is their belly and mind earthly things corn wine and oyl and mind not spiritual things and so benow nothing of the Spirit and himself and sound believers who have their conversation in heaven which must speak much spiritual mindedness and mighty influences of the Spirit by which the mind the apprehensions and thoughts the affections hope faith love delight haunt heaven and eternity much The Scripture calls some swine 2 Pet. 2. 22. some other dogs Rev. 22. 15. Does the holy Spirit dwell and breath in and through a prophane and unclean man such as are swine and dogs It 's strange that the preaching of the Gospel and Satan lodge together in Judas Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a devil John 6. 7. Matth. 10. 1. And when he had called the twelve disciples he gave them power against unclean Spirits to cast them out and to heal all manner of sickness v. 7. Goe and preach 2. Influences of grace spiritual joy persevering to the end can no more find good soil to grow in a rocky stony proud and graceless heart then corn can grow on stones and rocks Matth. 13. 20 21. though there be a receiving of the word with joy and delight that joy is but false mettal The only cure of this is if we would have our spiritual desires as touching grace and glory and other things annexed to this is to listen to that Psalm 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart What was spoken of love-sickness after Christ the same is true of soul-delighting in Christ that in any precious actings of the Spirit goes along with both Psalm 63. 7. The soules following hard after God Psalm 63. is a fruit of the other v. 6. When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night-watches then v. 5. My soul shall be satisfied with marrow and fatness my soul shall praise thee with joyful lips Psal 51. 11. Take not thy spirit of holiness from me Why what special fruit of that spirit doth he seek v. 12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and firmly sustain me with thy free spirit a willing a princely ruling spirit Joy hath a strong impulsion and hath vehement expressions as clapping of the hands Psalm 47. 1. Shouting Psal 63. 7. In the shadow of thy wings I rejoyced Heb. I shouted And Matth. 5. 12. Rejoyce 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rejoyce and leap for joy as in a dance It 's excellent to strong impulsions of the Spirit to
the Spirit of Christ makes him withdraw Cant. 5. 2 6. Here unbelief binds up the wind and breathings of the spirit as it doth the mighty actings of Christ Mat. 13. An unbeliever as touching his state is a Pagan and doth the holy spirit dwell in an Heathen Lively hope for there is a dead and withered hope is no less a fruit of the spirit then faith This is a specifick difference between an unconverted Pagan who wants the spirit and a convert who hath the spirit The former is one who has no hope and so is without God and without Christ and without the Spirit of God in the world and so is not capable of influences Ephes 2. 12 13 14. and one whom the Lord according to his abundant mercy hath begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. For in such a man there be many actings of the Spirit As Faith 2. Perseverance therein v. 4 5. Rejoycing in God v. 6. Patient believing in the furnace v. 7. Love v. 8. all which are fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 22. And hope under deadness spreads abroad the sailes and hoises them up to receive and gather in the wind it brings home influences of grace to lie at the tide and wait until the wind blow sweetly and fairly from the Spirits earth Hope is the onwaiter expecting showrs of influences in the conscionable using of the means The hope of him who purifies not himself 1 John 3. 3. shall wither hope to the end still flourishing growes on the right tree and speaks a communion with the spirit which hath conjoyned with it the obedience of children the not fashioning our selves to former lusts and holiness like unto God who hath called us 1 Pet. 1. 13 14 15 16. otherwise the hope shall be a broken tree and hath nothing to doe with the Spirit Many say they hope well and it 's good to hope well and live upon thoughts that they shall be saved yet are profane and godless walking after their lusts this is sinful boldness and the spirit dwells in none such There is a boldness of faith in access to God and in approaching to the throne of grace Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4. Heb. 4. 16. by which Davids soul makes her boast in the Lord Psalm 34. 2. It hath these undoubted graces of the spirit faith praying glorying in tribulation patience the love of God spread abroad in the heart by the holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. 5. The fifth Class of impediments come from these two 1. Despair and anger What workings and saving impulsions in the spirit can be in Cain Saul and Judas is not conceivable Hope that makes not ashamed Rom. 5. as is said dwells sweetly with the spirit 2. The violence of the passion of anger overclouds the soul so that Elisha is not capable to receive prophetical influences and to prophesie he was so incensed against wicked Jehoram 2 Kings 3. But when the minâ—â—rel played the hand of the Lord came upon him and he prophesied Theodoret saith with the sweetness of the harmony of the Psalms the mind of Elisha was calmed and composed from the storm of anger The sound of musick saith Cajetan makes an inward contracting and gathering together of the actings of the mind and so an elevating of the heart to God Here it is as when blood runs out at mouth or nose the cutting of a vein in the arm makes a diversion of the blood and causes it run in its right channel The sweetness of musick drawes the soul to a bended attention to consider the harmony that it may the more greedily drink in delectation Peter Martyr on the place saith As David by singing a spiritual song chased away the evil spirit from Saul so would Elisha waken up the good spirit by heavenly Psalmes as the sounding of a Trumpet hath influences upon the mind of souldiers to valorous and heroick acts in warre Now musick spiritual the matter being Psalmes to God and it 's like Elisha called for some of the Levites who could sing psalmes on the harp as they were used in publick worship can withdraw the soul in anger from acts of revenge to acts of spiritual attentionâ— musick 2. That being done the soul is setled and the blood for the Physical definition of anger is a kindling of the blood about the heart the moral description of it being a desire of revenge to hold off a contrary and to preserve nature and when the blood is setled and fallen from the heart the organs of prophecying are in a little better frame then when the soul and heart is boyling like a pot in heat and flaming of anger 3. By bending of the mind to a spiritual object the sweet musick in praising of God the some of anger is removed and a spiritual disposition to praise which is nearer by nature to spiritual prophetical influences then the flamings of sinful carnal anger as aer insitus the air that is within in the ear fits the organs to receive the sound and lumen insitum fitteth the eye to receive the species and images of colours and so to see by the contrary the foming of anger within hinders the incoming of prophetical influences as a contrary holds out a contrary Intus apparens prohibet extraneum So the Apostles wills us to put away anger if we would pray rightly 1 Tim. 2. 1 8. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without wrath and doubting or contending Anger drowns the soul and renders it like green wet timber unfit to receive the flaming and soul-warming influences of the spirit of adoption 2. A meek quiet spirit like that of Christs is the fittest work-house of heavenly influences Christ the most lovely and meek of men and an infallible copy thereof Mat. 11. 29. Isa 53. 6. Isa 40. 11. Isa 42. 2 3. had the most frequent influences of the in-dwelling Godhead as Isa 61. 1 2 Psalm 45. 7. John 3. 34. 2. Moses was the meekest man on the earth and much of the actings of the spirit were on his soul and he had the most near manifestations of God The Lord spake to him mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches he beheld the similitude of the Lord Numb 12. 8. Deut. 34. 10. Exod. 34. 5 6. Q. What Prophet was fourty dayes in the mount with the Lord and eat not but Moses Exod. 33. 11. There arose not a Prophet like unto Moses c. 3. John the disciple of love called the beloved disciple gets the name of divine and he saw more glory and more of the visions of God then Peter who is the pretended Vicar of Christ and Head of the Catholick Church so doe Papists dream of an Head-ship For John saw Christ in his glory Revel 1. which made him fall dead at his
himself in person but by a Deputy who represents his person and Princes being far distant the sea intervening transact matters of peace and warre with other Princes and States by their Ambassadors and Legates whom they send For God is said to be with Moses mouth not onely giving him eloquence and a tongue but the Lord spoke in him to Pharaoh Exod. 4. 15. I will be with thy mouth and with Aarons mouth and teach you what to doe Gen. 46. 4. Fear not Jacob to goe down to Egypt I will go down with thee into Egypt And I will surely bring thee up again my power shall be with thee to protect thee my wisedome to lead thee this had been much but he meets with Jacobs fear ah I goedown to Egypt God is not in that Idolatrous Land Fear not saith he I the Lord in person shall go with thee to bless thee to act in thee Jer. 1. 19. They shall fight against thee but they shall not prevail against thee Why For I am with thee to deliver thee Immediatione suppositi God was Jeremiah's immediate deliverer for v. 18. he had promised before to be with Jeremiah by the immediation of his power and grace For behold I have made thee this day a defenced city an iron pillar and brazen walls against the whole Land c. The Lord is present by the gracious mettal of zeal faith invincible courage he put in his Prophet So Christ Luke 24. 49. Behold I send the promise of my Father unto you What will he be away himself then No for he saith Matth. 28. 29. to the same disciples Loe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am with you alway even unto the end of the world 2. The Spirit acts in his own John 14. 17. He dwels with you and shall be in you v. 26. He shall teach you all things John 16. 13. He will guide you in all truth 3. Psal 73. 24. Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel He may doe that though absent by infusing into the Prophet the habit of wisedome nay he is nearer hand v. 2. Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand That is more then power 4. The action of leading that is ascribed to God is his only action Deut. 32. 12. So the Lord alone led Jacob and there was no strange God with him Now the eyes legs wisedome and will of the guide and leader are the travellers It 's true he led them by right hand of Moses but who then shall lead Moses for Moses needed a guide as they Isa 63. 12. Yea but he was leader in person himself He led them through the deep as an horse in the wilderness that they should not â—â—umble Now a horse is not led by giving him power to guide himself but the leader holds the bridle and directs the way to the horse So the Lords Christ's gentle driving of the ewes with lamb and Christ's carrying the lambs in his bosome Isa 40. 11. is an action immediate of Christ and his Spirit The warmness of life that comes from Christ's own bosom and from the Spirit spreading warm love abroad in the heart speaks the personal acting of the Son and Spirit So drawing John 6. 44. Cant. 1. 4. speaks the nearness of the Father of Christ and of Christ in his acting 5. This is to be considered There are two sorts of causes on in fieri another in facto esse The Creator in a manner is but half a cause the father begets a son the carpenter builds a ship the Mason raises up the frame of a goodly house But the son lives when the father is dead the ship sailes thousands of miles and the house stands hundreds of years when the carpenter and the mason are far from them for they are causes in fieri onely the making of houses and ships But there are some causes doe more The soul is a cause of the living man and when the soul is removed the man dies the face looking on the glass is the cause of the image both in its production and conservation remove the face and the image vanisheth away the Sunne is the cause of day-light which is transfused through the aire from the East to the West When the Sun goes down to another Horizon day-light vanisheth away because the Sun not by a deputy and by vertue communicated to another is the cause of the aires enlightning but is the cause of day-light both as touching the creating of it in fieri and as touching the preserving of it or in conservari facto esse So is God the cause of all creatures both as touching being and continuation being the Lord made all things and when they are made the house of heaven and earth should return to nothing if the Lord should withdraw his causative influence But in a special manner the Lord is every waâ— the cause of grace of our spiritual life and of all our actings of grace The new life should turn to nothing if Christ withdraw his gracious influence and it is that our poor little image and spiritual breaths are in his hand both touching production and conservation by his graces breathing Hence if the Angel of his presence goe with us his hand in our right hand Psal 73. 23. let us say 1. As Moses after the Lord had promised Exod. 33. 15. If thy presence goe not with me carry me not hence Ah who refuse a journey except God goe with him and be at his right hand and fixes the mind on this I will not goe to the pulpit as a Minister nor to the bench as a Judge nor to the field as a souldier except the Lord lead me and hold me by his right hand Doe ye misse influences of grace and the leading of the Spirit in a spiritual way of eating sleeping waking buying journeying It is good Obj. I cannot stir without God and his influences that I know Answ The sparrow and the raven the lyon and the wolf cannot stir without Gods influences of nature Ah that is poor and hungry Many have no more help of God to be lead in eating and drinking for God then the raven and the lyon Obj. I cannot pray nor hear without the influences of God Answ Ah you miss influences of God as concurring with a gift but ye miss not his gracious and saving influence to pray and hear in faith and feeling to concur with the Spirit of grace 2. Judas the traitor cannot preach and cast out devils without a common influence of a God with his gift and that is all your missing The renewed man misses that which in a manner is his due as a renewed man and that is the presence of the spirit of grace in his acting If a horse want a leg he shall soon miss it when he comes to running for four legs are due to him by nature but the horse in running misseth not the wings of an eagle for wings are not
Original sin is sin properly so called Author Imperf operis l. 1. cont Julianum nihil esse peccati in homine si nihil est propriae voluntais vel assensionis hoc mihi hominum genus quod vel leviter sapit sine dubitatatione consentit Lib. Imperfec operis 2. Quod admoneri non potest ut caveatur imputari non potest ut puniatur nunquam autem Legislator ad hanc venit amentiam ut praeceperit cuiquam noli ita vel ita nasci Lib. de peccato merit remis c. 9. c. 26. si peccator genuit peccatorem justum quoque justum gignere debuisse Item Deum qui propria peccata remittit aliena non imputare item parvulis melius esse ex parentibus non nasci Vt jure damnabiles esse imo comparari parricidis in quibus sit causa ut filii nascantur ad damnationem Vide l. 3. cont Julian c. ultimo Item lib. 5. cont Julian c. 11. lib. 5. 1. oper imperfec lib. 1. cae Mr. Baxter 's Preface to his Confession God will judge none on the meer terms of the law of nature nor condemn them only for original sin They that say otherwise do too injuriously extenuate both the grace of God and the sin of man Are not Infants condemned to death and condemned heirs of wrath Rom. 5. Eph. 2. 1 2. 3. 2. Where hath the grace of God made original sin to be no sin or pardoned sinne Hath Christ washed all Infants in his blood Is that a supposed wrath Eph. 2. Insants are not washed in Christs blood according to Pelagians and Arminians but must be saved by some other name then by the name of Jesus Infants are not washed in Christ's bloud according to Pelagians and Arminians but must be saved by some other name then by the name of Jesus God in creating man is both a creator and also a law-giver We are to be humbled for sin original No man can bring himself in a spiritual capacity to receive grace How to fetch influences The Spirit of grace hath his own influence in actions which the regenerate perform out of custome and formality at least in the progress of these actions 2. Sermon on Pray continually pag. 35. How the Lord brings himself under a sort of necessity of conferring gracious influences A practise of grace and a promise of grace in God A Considerable difference betwixt the Lord's promise of grace and his practise oâ— grace Civil professors are nearer to conversion and to Christ then the openly profane and flagitious and how they are also farther distant External use of means is to be gone about as nearer to conversion then no use of means or extreme prophaneness All even the most indisposed are under a command It s a sinful shift to put away duties because of indisposition We are to pray away indispositions as a great affliction The Lord hath given influences by necessity of a promise A clearing of the place Deu. 29. 3. the great temptations c. August lib. 1. con 6. Nec mater mea nec nutrices meae sibi ubera implebant sed tu mihi Domine per eas dabas mihi alimentum infantiae secundum institutionem tuam divitias usque ad fundum rerum dispositas tu etiam dabas nolle amplius quam dabas nutrientibus me dare mihi velle quod eis dabas dare enim mihi per ordinatum effectum volebant quo ex te abundabant Ripening of guiltinesse makes way to ripening of free grace The three persons the Father Son and Spirit give influences The fulness of influences on the man Christ Influences of the Father upon his own The Lord's beginning of a good work in us brings the Lord under a necessity of conferring influences to the end How shall our short arm reach these influences Christ hath the dispensing of predeterminating influences by office and covenant The influences in the Son are all for our use and good The spirit of the world The glorious things which the spirit of God shews How the spirit of God dwels in his own The spirit of the world in the Antichrist and divers other spirits lead the world Liberty of stirring follows the spirit Praying is proper to the spirit Baron de peccato mort veniali The spirit prevenes nature nature prevenes not the spirit Characters of a spiritual soul We are to pray for influences The spirit conveys the word the spirit's relations to the word A two-fold power of the word Of the power of the word and the power of the spirit and how they are differenced Speaking in the spirit is not ever saving to the hearers The spirit's convictions In the spirit's conviction there is some new strength added to the word A state of pure spirit and of all spirit beyond the word in this life is a fancy Obedience is to be yielded to the spirit as to the Father and the Son Much renewd will is a note of a spiritual disposition Four expressions in Scripture of wrongs we doe to the spirit Vexing of the spirit and violence done to his actings Saduing of the spirit and the signs of it Quenching of the spirit We are to make a sort of eike to the spirit Tempting of the spirit 4 Resisting of the spirit and persecuting of godliness The spirit above self speaks a spiritual one he who is least his own is most God's To doubt as a bewildered man of all ways and to desire to be led of God is a spiritual character Spiritual facility is a spiritual character A publick spirit declares a spiritual man How to improve spiritual feelings Watching is a spiritual condition and near to receive gracious influences To converse with the Saints is a mark of a spiritual condition Spiritual conference frequently used speaks a spiritual condition How Satan knows the actings of the heart Satan keeps correspondence with the heart It 's lawful to dispute with Satans instruments not with Satan Christ sought not the tempter nor the temptation but in a sort a patient in being tempted Differences between Satans influences and these of the Lord. Christ under a necessity of giving sanctifying influences Moral and physical influences Moral influences that are only moral are weak Ordinary and extraordinary influences Prophetical influences It 's dangerous to resist strong light and the influences thereof Private and publick Church influences Strong influences under the Messiah in the New Testament Gospel-influences are strong Some influences are for the habit some for the actings of grace some for both Influences proper to the head Christ and influences on the members Mediatory influences are some way due to the broken in heart and what sort of right they have thereunto A four-fold right to influences is considerable Strong and mighty influences in Christ Gospel-providence how far above the law-providence of Adam Mr Gee treats of prayer Sect. p. 187 188 195. Influences of Christ fundamental and not fundamental The
comfortable necessity which lies on Christ to confer influences of grace Influences not fundamental not simply necessary Influences of grace for the habit of saving grace and influences for a gift How we may know when we act pray or hear c. from a gift and when we act from a grace Some pray from a meer gift when they mistakingly imagine they pray from the saving habit of grace the mistake is habitual in hypocrites only actual hic nunc in sound Believers Grace sanctifies the gift used in all due and spiritual circumstances but the gift can never fanctifie grace The same word but not the same influences act upon all within the visible Church We are not to rest upon the actings from a gift but watchfully to try when we act from a gift and when we act from a grace Calvin praelect in Jerem. 15. 18. distinguendum inter ipsam doctrinam quae pura fuit inter ipsos homines prophetas nunc autem dum in seipsum descendit propheta fatetur se agitari multis cogitationibus quae carnis infirmitatem redoleant nec careant omni vitio Differences betwixt the influences of grace and these of glory The habit of grace is a permanent disposition The habit of grace is given through the merit and grace of Christ From the habit of grace we perform suitable actings Vital actions flow from supernatural habits The differences of the habit of grace from other habits We are to follow holy resolutions with prayer 2. Godly trembling and 3. Faith The falshood of vowes A strong habit of grace produces easy and connatural and strong acts of grace Actions supernatural and influences suitable are some way due to the habit of grace Sometimes the habit of grace is qualified with heavenly dispositions We should pursue the dispositions of grace when they are added to the habit with spiritual actings We are to stir up the habit of grace thoughâ— deadned The Lord by insusing the habit of grace comes under some necessity to give suitable influences thereunto Divers necessities under which the Lord is to confer influences of grace Christ advocates for the elect yet not converted to bring them in to himself John 17. 6 9 10. The Spirits office puts him under a necessity of giving influences Vses from the Lords necessity of giving gracious influences First to frame doubts about predestination tâ— life and to miss eternall love before we miss inherent saving grace is Satans method Whether the habit of grace may cease in the regenerate from all its operations The habit of grace is not eternal The habit of grace ceaseth not How many acts we may bring out of the habit of grace There is a consenting to the temptation which is a wishing that our lust and Gods Law might both stand and a virtual wishing that the Law of God had never had being Eight evidences that in the regenerate the saving habit of grace never ceaseth from omitting some influences What dispositions spiritual are and how they differ from the habits of grace Get heavenly dispositions and influences follow connaturally Dispositions are not ever alike but various and changeable Evidences that dispositions goe and come Spiritual dispositions are different from the affections There are heaven'y dispositions in the as well as in the affections Bad spiritual dispositions creep on on the children of God There is some acting and life under much deadness in the â—egenerate Many sweet spiritual actings may be under indispositions No agreement betwixt these two champions the flesh and the Spirit It 's fit to go about duties under indispositions Less of sweet real influences and more of moral influences from the word makes obedience the more perfect We can tell the actings of the spirit when they are on and after they are over and gone Differences betwixt spiritual heart-burnings of the love of Christ and literal heat 1. Difference Feeling may be stronger after actings of the spirit are gone 〈◊〉 Difference Spiritual â—arning of heart leaves some impression◠〈◊〉 which literal heat 〈…〉 〈…〉 4. Difference There is sweet leading no violence spiritual in heart-burnings for Christ it s not so in the literaâ— heart 5. Difference The heavenly beat goes along with the Scriptures open and applied not so the literal heat Hence considerable differences betwixt motions of the Spirit and loose Ensiasms Literal heat is all upon the letter and forms not so as the spiritual heat David was Ps 119. and a believer may be under some straitning A true and a false missing What straitning is and whence it is Divers sorts of straitnings Rules to be free of straitning and to get enlargement of spirit Every heaviness is not weakness of faith How far we may undertake obedience upon supposal of grace How dispositions necessarily fetch influences We have not assurance to be delivered from sin hic nunc How we are to rely on God for influences What enlarging of heart David speaks of Psal 119. 32. We cannot engage in our strength or habitual grace to run in the ways of the Lord. Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre c. opened What use we are to make of our inability to run except God enlarge the heart How men naturally complain of sin original We do not so much as by strength of nature we may do and we add to our own lameness and unjustly complain of God for our sinful impotency The Spirit as the Spirit lays no obligation on us but to move in Scriptural duties No violence but from our selves hinders us to believe God loves using of external meanes pro tanto How farre we may act to fetch the wind and to get influences Branches of enlargedness of heart Mr. Leigh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 active eructare evomere tanquam ebrium Metaph. depromere producere Influences on Angels and the glorified ones Many straitned and dead ones reproved Prayer begets heavenly dispositions to pray and heavenâ—y dispositions to pray beget prayer and faith c. Holy acts beget holy acts and holy dispositions beget holy dispositions The Lord so frames his precepts and promises as our actings are suitably required to his influences The differences of the 1 Spiritual state 2 Of the temper 3 Of the condition What Davids present disposition was The doubling of words or sentences noteth certainty 2. Addition of assurance 3. Freeness of affection It 's fit to make an eike to the holiness of influences which the Lord offerâ— to us We may speak to God and profess in prayer the sincerity of our heart to God and the causes why It 's hard to guide well grace and glory so long as sin dwells in us The Lords giving of grace laies bands on him to give more grace and to add new influences to old What a heart the repenting thief and what an heart Hezekiah brought out before the Lord in his dying 2. Property of holy dispositions Dispositions spiritual are seeds of holy actings Zeal
bringeth forth holy actings Heavenly dispositions are real helps to holy actings Properties of heavenly dispositions to act under indispositions A disposition counter-working a disposition The Spirit in a heavenly disposition at length prevaileth 3. Property What we are to doe under dispositions spiritual Spiritual dispositions are at length victorious How to get heavenly dispositions Heavenly dispositions connaturally cast out acts suitable 5. Prop. Heavenly dispositions cause a man act upoâ— himself The meeting of believers for godly conference is owned by the Lord. Small meanes of grace and short visits of Christ are to be highly esteemed at some time especially when larger love-flowings have been neglected Sense is prouder then faith Withdrawings of Christ teach to try whether we have abused his manifestations formerly Except we find Christ we cannot pray How to judge of the nature of praying Praying fitteth for praying There are degrees of discerning an answer The real withdrawings of Christ make no change of legal interests in Christ The life of grace depends on influences of grace Christs right and acts in redeemâ—ng of us stand entire when we are deserted What love-sickness implies Withdrawing of comforts come from wise and holy reasons in God The wisedome of Gods appointing that we depend on him How we may pray for comforts How we may deprecate languishing pain in love-sickness How we may pray for gracious influences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A two-fold contradicting of the Lords will A love-sickness from the want of Christ As touching pardon we have peace with God jure de facto but as touching the blot and indwelling of sin we ought not to have peace with sin or with our selves as under that blot Ingredients of love-sickness The pain of love-sickness The righting of the complaining of the damned Saith above sense Faith with stronger influences then ordinary controlleth sense under desertions The Idol of moderation is an enemy to true zeal Spiritual savouriness active and passive Savouriness in Christ in his Spouse in single members Whether God commands all use of means external and internal and every part thereof Nature and Grace Whether grace be above the disposition of nature Whether grace be above natures prayers Whether grace be above natures merit Whether God gives supernatural grace as due to natures acting Whether the Lord tieth grace to works of nature though not as by merit yet by condition Whether God gives or whether God denies not sufficient grace to the man who doth what he can The natural wicked inability of all to know believe and love Christ proves that there is no such thing as sufficient grace given to Brasilians and Indians those of China Martinez de Ripalda Jesuita tom 1. de ente supernaturali l. 1. disp 20. sect 4. num 17. p 180. Dum deum ante ostium audio recolo illud Apoc. 3. Ecce ego sto ad ostium pulso si quis operuerit mihi januam Introibo ad illum mihi persuades nunquam per deum stare tanquam causam moralem inquam ego Jesuitae respondens ut concursus naturae in affectum virtutis salutaris non sit ac proinde auxilia gratiae pulsantia excitantia voluntatem suadendo tantum ut Pelagius suasu nihil virium novarum additur libero arbitrio quibus talis concursus edendus erat salutaris nulli conatus naturae in bonum defuisse aut deesse alias operante voluntate quantum ex se est neque deus neque salus hominis appropinquaret si quidem ex defectu gratiae supernaturalis homo per eum concursum qui potuit esse salutaris non promoveretur in salutem Martinez ib. sect 7. num 29. Gratia supernaturalis adeo frequens ut continua providetur homini animum advertenti ad bonum honestum ut eo auxilio juvetur ad amorem honesti ergo ex lege providentia supernaturali dei semper assistit gratia praeveniens supernaturalis homini agenni quod in se est in amorem honesti adeoque frustranea esset tanta frequentia illustrationum supernaturalium gratiae The Jesuit Ripalda citeth many texts of the Gospel for universal grace to Brasilians and to all which were never intended by the holy Ghost Suarez de gra lib. 12. c. 32. Suarez lib. 3. de aux c. 2. Suarez de praedest lib. 2. c. 6 7 18. Cumel 1 2 4. 109. az 3. disp 1. Bellar. to 3. l. 2. de gra lib. arb c. 6. seque Greg. de Val. 1 2. disp 8 9. 3. puncto 4. Vasquez 1. part disp 97. c. 5. Bonav m. 2. d. 18. art 2. c. 1. Alb. Magnus in 2. d. 28. art 1. ad 4. Si hoc fecerimus quantum in nobis est deus inevitabiliter dat gratiam Marsilius in 4. 9. 20. potest homo interioribus dei motionibus vel etiam excitamentis exte ioribus facere quod in se est quod si faciat deus dat illi charitatem Dominico Sotus h. 1. de nat gra c. 18. ad 2. ita deus est omnibus praesentissimus ad ostium pulsans et a se nihil omnino desit officii quin perditissimo etiam cuique opem ferat Stapleto Antid in Rom. 9. Antidot in Joan. c. 6. Curiel l. 2. controv 4. num 134. Vega. l. 13. III. Trident. c. 12. Driedo de capt tra 5. c. 3. Viguerius inst c. 10 9. 4. auxilium speciale semper est paratum homini facienti quod in se est The Gospel-promise or Gospel-threatning of sending or denying the Gospel to Pagans who act or who omit such previous performances is an unwritten tradition Sinners under the fall of Adam are now enterdited heirs and declared Idiots not worthy of the trust of grace The connexion betwixt literal acting and supernatural influences The new supernatural providence set up by Christ the second Adam by which the conversion of the elect is brought to passe and influences accordingly given Corruption and temptation both encrease the difficulty of using of means Influences work as God sets them on The gracious heart may reflect upon it self spiritual actings and purge it self 1. Case We may do more by the habit of grace then we do 2. Case We vainly look thaâ— the habit of grace is given to be our justification and that for a dispensation for sin 3. Case Inability to do without grace is pretended by the lawless bankrupt and by the humble convert but for divers ends Fenner's Wilful impenitency page 60. 4. The unrenewed man would have God to come down to his way Pag. 62 63. 5. The natural man would be in heaven without means 6. No promise made to using of external means only 7. But there is a sad threatning to the nâ—t using of means external anâ— yet no promise made to the only using of means external The opposition made by Reprobates to Christ in the Gospel is only in the outer gate Reprobates resist not the formal acts of Regeneration Mr. Baxter's order of
that the Lord is to be blamed for my non-conversion Our sinfull will not not the Lord's refusal of a power is the culpable cause of our non-conversion The sinful cannot School-men make conversion to Christ the purchase of free will the absurdity thereof Sin original must be pardoned to Pagans in Christs blood of which they never heard say Dominicans Dominicans gross as Jesuits in the matter of grace and free will Cumel dico quinto Deus quantum in se paratus est aâ— dandum omnibus gratiam suam ad vocandum omnes adultos juxta illud Deus vult omnes salfâ—eri ac proinde dicitur communiter quod in potestate cujusvis hominis est salvari quia potest habere per divinum auxilium non quidem ex merito aut dispositione sua aut quia ex innatis viribus aut naturae conatibus ex lege obligetur Deus ad danda auxilia gratiae primam vocationem seu gratiam proveniâ—â—tem sed ex liberali magnisica largitione dei providentis Mat. 11. venite ad me omnes Ib. Qua-propter si homo peccator ita se gereret vitamtra duceret ut nullum novum impedimentum gratiae adhiberet aut obicem nullumque obstaculum tunc auxilium gratiae verè reciperet â—on quidem ex debito sed ex dei largitione qua ipse est ad omnium ostium pulsat unde non ponenti obicem cernimus Deum dare gratiam Conc. trid sess 6. 11. 13. Deus neminem deserit nisi prius deseratur ab ipso sed per hoc nihil tribuitur homini sed tantum quod possit illam gratiam impedire per peccatum vel quod possit vitare peccatum contra legem naturae quo possit illum impedire Prosper epist ad Aug. de Massiliensibus vide Jansenium cap. 18. ib. lib. 12. just c. 13. ad capessenda tam magnifica tamque praecelsa paritatis integritatis praemia quantuslibet jejuniorum vigiliarum lectionis solitudinis ac remotionis labor fuerit impensus condignus esse non poterit qui hoc industriae suae merito vel laboris obtineat Hilarius Epist dicunt hominem ad hanc gratiam qua in Christo renascimur pervenire posse per naturalem scilicet facultatem petendo quaerndo pulsando ut ideo accipiat ideo inveniat ideo introeat quia bono naturae bene usus ad istaÌ„ salvanteÌ„ gratiam initialis gratiae ope meruerit per venire Corn. Jans de haeres pela l. 8. c. 18. Item posse hominem exterrita supplici voluntate velle sanari supplex enim illa voluntas nihil est aliud quam voluntas ex fide supplicans deo pro sanitate et siquid fides non justificatorum petendo mereatur impetrationis quam meriti potius rationem habet unde cum in errore Massiliensium haereret Augustinus frequenter meriti rationem quam in fide oratione collocabat per impetrationem exponit putans inquit Augustinus lib. de praed 5. 5. c 3. fidem non esse donum dei sed à nobis esse in nobis per illam nos impetrare dei dona item ut per illam daretur quod posceremus utiliter Jansen in Aug. tom 1. lib. 8. c. 18. Vnde possit ratio reddi electorum rejectorum sive cur unus prae alio assumatur deo viz. sic habente occasionem sive colorem cur non irrationabiliter ut Cassilianus Coll. 13. loquitur sive caeco quasi modo irrefragabili aliqua constitutione inconsulta hominis voluntate gratiam salvantem uni prae aliis largiretur Hilarius in Epist ad August Prosp Epist ad August Qui autem credituri sunt quive in ea fide quae deinceps per dei gratiam sit juvanda mansuri sunt praestitisse ante mundi constitutionem There may be much seeking and using of mâ—ans and no influences Using of means would be in humility Influences not entertained breed loathâ—ng of the Gospel We may maâ—â—e influences of grace The order of the Lord in conferring of influences A confluence of heavenly influences at one time and in one work Resisting of the Word hinders not influences Refusing of Ordinances hâ—nders not influences Despising and persecuting of the Prophets obstruct influences Resisting of the operations of the Spirit is â—o obstruct influenences Praying and praising promove the Spirits influences Hardning of the heart obstructs influences Not profiting by means obstructs influences Remaining in nature obstructs influences Actings of bitterness wrath malice â—ancor sadden the spirit Influences of the spirit are contempered according to the habit of grace Sorrow worldly obstruct influences 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We cannot expeditely change our spirit from carnal dispositions to spiritual but the Spirit can go and come with great celerity How the soul is under plenty of means and possibly sweet dispositions and yet under scarcity of influences These are together often praying and actual influences and dâ—ties and influences the former according to the Lord's will of precept the latter according to his will of pleasure are interwoven all along Psal 119. Of the sweet nearness betwixt love of the word and the word hid in the heart Psalm 119. v. 11. and spiritual influences Of the word hidden in the heart Felt deliverance wants not influences As the light of faith and softness easily admits an influence of grace so hardnessâ—s and rockineâ—s hardly receive any such impression 2. Vnbelief obstructs influences Influences of grace do no violence to the rational power of nilling and willing 3. Deadness hinders influences 4. Security obstructs influences 5. Atheism obstructs influences 6. The hearts unconstancy doth much obstruct the influences of God 7. Heart-deceitfulness obstructs influences 8. Pride obstructs influences humility capacitates to receive them 9 Worldly mindedness obstructs influences and heavenly mindedness promoves it 10. Fiery bastard zeal hinder influences 11. An unclean heart cannot receive influences of the Spirit 12. Malice and bitterness obstructs the influences of God 13. Worldy sorrow obstructs influences 14. False joy obstructs influences 15. Self-love obstructs influences 16. Ignorance of the Gospel and hatred of Christ obstruct the influences of the Spirit 17. Wrestling against providence obstruct the influences of God God by his influences first acts and we in the same moment of time follow him and act under him and no violence is here 18. Heavenly thoughts and spiritual consideration draw along heavenly influences as earthly and unclean thoughts extinguish influences All actings of grace go thorow the channel of a sanctified judgement which wants not influences of grace Our drawing on of sinful dispositions Keep the oyl of the Spirit clean if you would have heavenly influences to fall on the Spirit We are to act both morally and physically with the Spirit Pâ—ayers conclude not Soveraignty Heretical light hinders the spirits breathings A corrupt will hinders the spirits breathings Hating of grace and of Christ hinders influences Divers actings of the spirit in the spouse sick of love for Christ in Solomon's song of songs speak and hold forth influences of the spirit Hating of Christ Soul-loathing of God obstructs influences The Spirit gives influences where there is no knowledge Influences of the spirit are connatural to the spiritual man Where there is soul-desiring of God there be many influences Sensuality and influences of the spirit cannot be together Spiritual joy speaks strong influences Literal crying should not exceed the impulsion of the spirit within Godly sorrow may help influences How hope and audacity promove or hinder influences One affection counter-works another and hinders faith Moral acting cannot avail us without real influences of the spirit Frequent acts of faith promove influences of the spirit Hope promoves influences Sinful boldness obstructs influences Anger hindereth influences How Elisha could not prophesie by reason of anger A meek spirit is a fit work-house of influences instanced in the man Christ in Meses John Vnbelieving fear an impediment of influences The Lord seekâ— not our consent to the first infusion of a new heart We are maried to Christ before we câ—â—sent to the mariage The Lord determines free-will and does no violence to it We are inexcusable in not doing our duty though the Lord deny his necessary influence God acts in all both by the immediate influence of his power and of his peâ—son The Lord particularly leads his own Two sorts of causes one in fieri for the producing of and giving being to a thing another in facto esse for the preserving of the same thing in being God is both wayes the cause of gracious actings The right missing of influences is to miss influences special The giving of the heart to God We are more our own by law and lesse our own by the Gospel Christ cares more for his own body then the members care for themselves Christs care is now rather more when he is glorified then less
me hope when I was on my mothers brest c. So is there Psal 102. fainting ver 3. My bones are consumed like smoke and my bones are burnt as an hearth Ver. 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass And ver 12. there is a rising of faith But thou O Lord shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance to all generations Ver. 13. Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion Psal 77. 4. Thou holdest mine eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speak Ver. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever It s low enough now and yet how doth the Church lift up her head Ver. 13. Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a Lord as our God So Lam. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. 7 8 c. compared with ver 2 22 23. in which actings under unbelief and customary formality with some glimmering of fainting faith eying the command of God in the darknesse when there is no light Isa 60. 10 11 c. there go along some farther actings of the spirit not that we think there is any truth of that of the School-men To him who doth what he can by the strength of nature God denies not helps and influences of grace Yet in these we see God comes along with his influences But if we say 4. That there are in the renewed child of God some stirrings of the spirit in all these acts we go about under deadness then one act of praying and the influence of grace makes way physically to another and that to a third for to say nothing of the promise To him that hath it shall be given of which hereafter I do but provoke to the experience of the Saints if here the second pull of prayer be not stronger then the first and the third then the second and the fourth above the third for when the wheels are a going the Organs of the spirit do not weary And there is a reserve of fresh strength and a stronger recruit and supply in Jacobs wrestling until the dawning reserved and more strength of heavenly violence to prevail with God then in his wrestling all the night Gen. 32. 26. Let me go saith the Angel of the Covenant Christ for the day breaketh And he said I will not let thee go except thou blesse me 28. As a Prince thou hast power with God saith the Lord to him And we see one throwing about of the key when the lock of the door is rusted maketh the second throwing obout more easie and the third throw does yet more and the seventh or the tenth throw makes the passage of the iron bolt yet most easie and the door at length with little violence is opened when now the rust and straitnesse is removed And a flaming of the fire prevailing over a dry tree makes easie way to a second flaming and that to a third and so to all the rest till the timber be consumed and the fire be fully victorious Believing adds to believing praying begets more praying and we see motion breeds warmnesse and that stronger motion and cold hearts that are dead and almost frozen by one smiting of influences grow hotter and by two or three or seven actings of the spirit grow yet hotter and yet more â—ot And there is something in that Cant. 6. 11. I went down to the garden of nuts 12. Or ever I was aware my soul made me like the chariot of Aminadab or of my wilâ—ing people There is some stiffnesse upon the living man when he first begins to move but a little motion makes him more agile Dr. Preston may aim at the like truth If a man saith he were to run a race if he were to doe any bodily exercise there must be strength of body he must be fed well that he may have ability but the use of the very exercise it self the very particular act which is of the same kinde with the exercise is the best thing to fit him for it So in this dutie of prayer it 's true to be strong in the inner man to have much knowledge to have much grace makes a man fit and able for the duty But if you speak of the immediate preparation for it I say the best way to prepare us for it is the very duty it self as all actions of the same kind increase the habits so prayer makes us fit for prayer and that is a rule The way to godlinesse is the compass of godlinesse it self that is the way to grow in grace is the exercise of that grace I wish this man of God and others more experienced then I had said more of this unknown subject and that the Lord would sit builders in both Kingdomes to draw up a body of Theologia practica that Divinity were more in our hearts it s too much in the heads of many only I speak here of preparation to receive influences D. Preston of the preparation to duties to praying under indisposition But I would not be understood so as if I thought acts of influences which are acts of Omnipotency might be sharpened and facilitated by our actings Only my meaning is that the passive capacity of the soul may be widened and enlarged to receive showres of quickening influences from the Lord by frequent acts Experience in my weak apprehension may speak influence of grace oyls the wheels of the soul Prov. 1. 5. A wise man will hear and encrease learning and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels We grow hot like hot iron redded in the fire by praying and are softned and macerated like dry and parched ground by frequent showres and though the heart be frozen and cold when we begin to duties of praying praising meditating conferring of the word hearing yet incalescimus we grow warm by acting the rising of the Sun causeth the Ice to drop off the houses It s a naughty heart that is in the same case after frequent prayer that it was in before It says that the man hath been sweating at the letter and bark of the duty little of the bark or letter of the duty takes glewing with the heart but hardly can the grace of the duty go along with the heart but there is much that cleaves to the heart so that influences thaw the heart Luke 24. 32. Did not say the Disciples our hearts burn within us while he talked with us by the way and while the opened to us the Scriptures Cant. 1. 4. When the King brought me into his chambers we will be glad rejoyce in thee and remember thy love more then wine Sure when the influences of Christ are fiery and live coals it is no wonder they leave lively warmings upon the heart Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North wind and come thou South and blow vpon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out It must be a speech to the Spirit to breath upon the Saints that they may smel and flow more in the actings of
meet with the Lord 's wrathful rebuke then with his softening and pitying mercy CHAP. II. The Lord keeps an order in sending influences 2. He maketh short work on some 3. There is a confluence of influences at one time and in one work 4. Despising of the Word 5. Refusing of Ordinances 6. Persecuting of the Prophets 7. Resisting of the operations of the spirit do all obstruct influences 8. Praying and praising promove influences 9. Hardening of the heart 10. Not profiting by means 11. Remaining in nature 12. Actings in wrath rancor malice bitternesse and inordinate passion obstruct influences 13. Keep the oyl of the spirit clean if ye would have influences 14. We are to act morally and physically with the spirit 15. Prayers obstruct not soveraigntys acting THe Lord 's ordinary way of working is here to be observing the spirit confers not upon Peter's hearers Acts 2. influences of faith and of gladly receiving of the word v. 41. at the first before he bestow influences to the pricking of the heart for sin v. 37. nor does the spirit act upon Saul Acts 9. and the Jayler Acts 16. for their rejoycing in the Holy Ghost and believing and applying Christ and the promises at the first until first a law-spirit humble and make the proud to tremble Then the spirit must use divers instruments and shoot arrowes and influences of law and wrath and wound the heart with arrows of love as the Artist the Carpenter useth sundry tools according to the diversity of timber that he works on and the Lord here accommodates his influences according to the nature of the soyl It 's like Christs spirit made shorter and more expedite work on the hearts of James John for when Christ said unto them Follow me Matth. 4. 19 22. they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straigthway or immediately leave their nets and their father and follow him It 's as little time betwixt Christs word to the man sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and walk and his walking Mark 2. 12. for immediately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he took up his bed and went forth before them all It 's like Matthew's conversion is of the same nature Matth. 9. 9. Luke 5. 27 28. in which the Lord gives proof that as some Castles fall at the first shooting of the Canon so there is no standing out nor resisting of Christ for when he adds strength of omnipotency the work of humiliation of conviction of saving faith or repenting are all quickly done as if tilling sowing and harvest were all in one day or one hour 2. We see also that gracious influences are threeded as it were upon gracious influences every beating of the smiths hammer brings forth at once many sparkles of fire and a shour of rain is the falling of millions and hosts of drops of rain at once So in fervent prayer there must be a cluster of gracious influences in every sigh and groan there is an acting of the spirit Rom. 8. 26. The work of the spirit must be maimed imperfect if godly watching 2. Prayer 3 Fervent desire 4. Humble sense of unworthiness 5. Faith on the promise 6. Love to our Father have not every one their several influences of grace When the seven stars arise above the Horizon if six ascend the seventh must also ascend in all which the poor sinner is far below the influences of grace they are sent out as soveraignty thinks fit and here the Lord rains down showrs of grace and a showre is made up of a multitude of drops yet in the general may sinners counter-work and restrain as it were the influences of grace they may resist the word Zech. 7. 12. They made their hearts like an Adamant stone lest they should hear the Law Now the Lord cannot give influences out with the preached word where men turn away their ears from the Law Prov. 28. 9. and Act. 7. 57. they stop their ears Wicked men cannot be avenged on the Spirit in his person or in his several operations of saving grace yet they avenge themselves on the message and break in pieces the chariot that carries the Spirits operations and trample upon his word be in love with the word to count it your heritage Sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb and you as David upon suit shall have influences to be kept from presumptuous sins Psal 19. 7 8 9. compared with v. 13. and Psalm 119. 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts therefore Quicken me in thy righteousness 2. Men can refuse to come and partake of Ordinances and to be Baptized as the Pharisees do Luke 7. 29 30. and so reject the counsel of God and refusing to be among the golden Candlesticks and the Assembly of his Saints comes neer to trampling on the blood of the Covenant doing despite to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 25 26 29. Rejoyce to stand within Jerusalem Psal 122. for the Church is his vineyard love a room in his Church for it lies neer to the Sun and is under the watering and showres of grace So Christ speaks to the Spirit Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out So there is a commission given that the Spirit in its efficacy blow upon the plants and flowers that grow there the Church is also his garden of red wine which he waters every moment Isa 27. 3. Acts 7. 51. Ye do alway resist the holy Ghost then must they obstruct the gracious actings of the holy Ghost this proves it to be true that Steven said that they resisted the holy Ghost Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of that just one of whom ye are murtherers saith he they who cast down the lodging they injure the indweller the godly prophet is the house and lodging of the holy Ghost 2 Chro. 36. 12. Zedekiah humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. Now the Spirit acted on the Prophets when they spoke 2 Pet. 1. 12. then esteem the feet of the messengers of God to be pleasant upon the mountains for they bring glad tidings of peace and that they only do who have these gifts of the Spirit to pray and believe Rom. 10. 14 15. 4. The speaking against the manifest operations of the Spirit of the Lord by which Christ cast out divels draws so deep as the sin against the holy Ghost Matth. 12. and such are deprived of pardon of faith to lay hold on pardon and such having done despite to the spirit of grace must indite war against the Spirit and all his operations therefore cherish and obey the Spirits actings be willing to be led by him close with the counsels and breathings of the Spirit speak to edification that which ministers grace to the hearers and that cherishes the