afflicted yet if the Body be well although the Body be afflicted yet if the Spirit be well it is some comfort but where both are down the Condition is sad and seldom doth any great Temptation befall a man but Soul and Body are both down at once though at first it falls upon the Spirit yet it descends into and fires the Body And therefore saith Paul I received a Messenger of Satan a thorn in my flesh buffeting of me As in the Comforts of the Holy Ghost though the Comforts be powred out upon the Soul and Spirit yet they run down upon the Body So in the troubles of Temptation though they seize first upon the inward man yet they â—un upon the skirts of the outward man also And thus you find it with Job Chap. 7.1 God had put Job into Satans hand only with this reserve See that thou spare his life The Devil having the power first he loads him with outward Afflictions and then with inward Temptations while he was under his outward Afflictions how sweetly did he carry it Blessing the Lord saying The Lord gives and the Lord takes away blessed be his Name but when the Volly of Temptations came then see what a sad Condition the good man was in how he was all on fire as if Job could not be found in Job while he was under these Afflictions he rebuked his Wife for saying Curse God and die but now being under Temptations himself he wisheth to die and curseth the day of his Birth In Job 7.15 My Soul chuseth strangling and death rather than my life but had this Temptation any influence upon his Body too It seems his heart and soul and spirit was much disquieted for he saith Why hast thou set me as a mark against thee ver 20. But was his Body fired with it too yes verse 13 14. When I said my Bed shall comsort me my Couch shall ease my complaint then thou skarest me with Dreams and terrifiest me with visions As now we find by Experience many poor souls cannot sleep while they are under their Temptations and if you will see the Sum and up-shot of all read what he saies at verse 20. I am a burden to my self and so many now Why should I live any longer I am a burden to my Family I am a burden to mine Acquaintance a burden to all my Friends I am a burden to my self who knows the burden of a poor tempted soul but he that bears it Heb. 11.37 Temptations are ranked among the greatest Afflictions They were stoned sawn asunder were tempted and in Heb. 2. it is said of our Savior That himself suffered being tempted yet he sinned not under his Temptation So that there is somwhat of a suffering in every Temptation although one be free from Sin And in Revel 12.12 it is said Wo to the Inhabitants of the Earth and of the Sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath And wherein is his wrath more seen than in his Temptations O! what a sad and woful condition is it then to lie under Temptations Yet let me tel you though there be some suffering in every Temptation and the least temptation is a great Affliction yet the Saints and People of God have no reason to be discouraged or cast down whatever their Temptations be Quest How may that appear Answ 1 Four Demonstrations of it First If Satan do therefore tempt the People of God that he may discourage them then have they no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted by Satan I say if Satans great design end and aim in all the Temptations of the Saints be to discourage them then they have no reason to be discouraged because they are tempted for then they should gratifie Satan and give him his end Now Satan doth tempt that he may tempt he tempts unto one sin that he may tempt unto another he tempteth a man to sin against the Law that he may make him sin against the Gospel and what greater sin against the Gospel than unbeleeving discouragements He knows or thinks such and such a person is gone from his Kingdom and he saith though I cannot hinder his Salvation but he will be saved do what I can yet I will hinder his Comfort and make him draw heavily and if I can but discourage him in his Duty I shall in time make him to cast it off His great design is to discourage and therefore whenever any Godly man is tempted he should say well through the Grace of Christ seeing Satans design is to discourage my design shall be to bear up my heart and spirit against all discouragements Answ 2 Secondly If God our Father doth pity his Children under their Temptations and the more they are tempted by Satan the more they are pitied by God then have they no reason to be discouraged whatever their Temptatioâ—â—â—e How is it with your own Bowels If you had two Childreâ— one that is in your house with you at home and another that is iâ— Spain or Italy abroad Quo gravior incumbit tentatio eo solet indulgentius agere cum suis Deus Brightm Apoc. 2.49 exposed to grâ—at Tempâ—â—tions is not your pity most towards that Child that is abâ—oâ—d and exposed to most Temptations Your Love may be expressed to him that is at home as much anothâ—◠〈◊〉 but your pitying love is most to him that is abroad As in the time of a Storm great Rain or Hail if you have one Child lie in youâ— boâ—om or sitting upon your knee and another that is abroad in the opâ—n fields though your love in one kind may run out to him thâ—t is upon your knee yet doth not your pitying Love run ouâ— more to him that is abroad in the open fields Thus it is with God he hath two sorts of Children Some that are exposed to more temptations and some that are exposâ—d to less though his Grace and Love may run out more in one kind to them that are less tempted yet his pitying Love runs out most unto those that are most tempted And upon this account you will find in Scripture that when God saw any of his Children were to go into any Sad Temptation he did either immediately before in or after more than ordinarily reveal himselâ— unto them the more you are tempted by Satan the more you are pitied by God it matters not whether your Temptation be great or smal if less you have the less pity if more you have the more pity why then should you be discouraged although your temptations be never so great Answ 3 Thirdly If all the Temptations of Gods People be overcome and broken before they do fall on them then have they no reason to be discouraged or cast down because they are tempted Now so it is Christ was a common Person not only in his death but in his life he did act and work and bear as a common person as our Second Adam all
Familiars according to that of the Psalmist Thou hast put mine Acquaintance far from me He that eateth Bread with me hath lift up his Heel against me Psal 41.9 John 13.18 Amongst his own Disciples one beâ—â—aid him another denied him and they al forsook him Thus were his Sufferings great and universal in regard of the Persons by whom and from whom he suffered Universal also they were as Aquinas observes in regard of the things which he suffered Wil ye instance in his Goods he is bereaved of his Cloathes and they cast lots for his Garment Wil ye instance in his Name and Honor he is crucified the Death of the Cross was a shameful Death therefore saith the Apostle Heb. 12. He endured the Cross and despised the shame Yea he was not only crucified but as matter of further shame he was crucified between two Theeves and as if al this were not enough they reproached and jeered him yea and he was reproached by al by Jews Soldiers and the Thief on the Cross the Jews spit in his Face before he came to the Cross as if Christs Face were the fowlest place for their Spit and when he was on the Cross they jeeringly put a Reed into his hand and said Hail Master King of the Jews with an Inscription on the Cross This is the King of the Jews Or wil ye instance in his Comforts He was troubled saith the Gospel began to be afraid and his Soul was heavy unto death Thus were his Sufferings great and Universal in regard of the thing suffered Universal also they were in regard of the Parts and Members of his Body wherein he suffered For what Part was there or Member of his precious Body which suffered not his Hands pierced with Nails and his Feet also his Back whipped and scourged his Side run through with a Spear and on his Head was a Crown of Thorns Al his Sences suffered also and that at the same time for in regard of his Feeling he was whipped pierced and wounded in regard of his Tast they gave him Vinegar and Gal to drink in regard of his Smel they crucified him in a filthy place the place of dead mens Skuls Golgotha in regard of his Hearing he was wearied with the Blasphemies and Derisions of the wicked Aquin. sum par 3. Q. 46. Art 5. and in regard of his Sight he saw his Mother and his Disciple whom he loved weeping Thus were his Sufferings Universal both in regard of the things that he suffered in regard of Persons from whom he suffered and in regard of his own Parts and Members wherein he suffered Surely therefore his Suffering was very great it was Vniversal As it was Universal so it was most extream the Schoolmen tel us That his grief was greater than al other griefs and indeed Dolor passionis Chrrsti fuit major omnibus doloribus Aquin. part 3. art 6. how could it be otherwise for the more excellent and worthy the Person is that doth suffer vile things from those that are vile the more afflictive is his Affliction to him Now Christ suffered vile things from the vile and he was the most excellent Person in the World the Lord of Life and of Glory who thought it no robbery to be equal with God And the more healthful that any man is the more afflictive is his death to him Sickness doth somtimes benumb a man and takes away the sence of his sickness but Christ suffered a painful cruel death in his ful strength and health being more free from Sicknesses and Diseases than any man yea the more sensitive the parts are wherein a man suffers Optime complexionatus erat cum corpus ejus fuit formatum miracuiose operatione spiritus sancti Aquin. ibid. the more extream is his pain Now those that were crucified were nailed to the Cross by their Hands and Feet which parts and places are the quickest and fullest of sence because there is a meeting of al the Ligaments and Sinews and to be racked in those parts where our sence dwels what extream torment is it Those that were crucified though they had somthing to stay their Feet did hang by their hands now to have the whol weight of ones Body hanging thus on our pierced hands and so to die by degrees what extream torment must it needs be Dum pais inferior in nobis patitur superior compatitur et dolorem quantum potest lenit et tolerabilius sit in Christo autem qui dominus Naturae erat ex voluntate sua fuit ista discontinuatio scil ut vires inferiores perfectissime et amarissime paterentur et partes superiores intellectus scil et voluntas toâ—a liter finirentur et nulla consolatio a deitate vel ab intellectu saltem naturaliter redundabat illo tempore in partem sensitivam et tunc potentiae sensitivae soli dolori vacantes acerâ—imum dolorem patiebantur ideo nullus homo tantum dolorem sensit in pâ—â—nalitatibus sicut Christus Abulens in Epist D. Hieron ad Paulinum Cap. 7. pag 41. Tom. 1. in Gen. The less succor the inferior part of Man hath from the Superior part of his Wil and Understanding the more doleful is the pain in the Sences Now when Christ suffered he did willingly suspend those Comforts from his Sence which by way of Sympathy might Naturally have flown in from his Understanding or supernaturally from the Love of God and therefore his Sence being left alone as it were to conflict with those pains they must be exceeding great and very dreadful exceeding doleful and extreamly painful 3. As the Sufferings of his Body were extream so they were long and lingering crucified Persons died a lingering Death they were two or three daies a dying indeed our Savior gave up the Ghost sooner But he suffered from the Cradle and though he sweat drops of blood in the Garden only yet he never was fully out of that Agony til he gave up the Ghost for a little before his Death he cried out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Now if his Sufferings were Universal Extream and Lingering then surely his Travel was a sore Travel in regard of his Body Secondly As for his Soul His Travel was a sore Travel in regard of that his Travel was a Soul-Travel It is here in special manner called the Travel of his Soul the Soul and Life and Spirit of his Sufferings was in the Sufferings of his Soul there was the viol of the Wrath of God powred out and there especially The Papists would perswade us that Christ did not suffer in his Soul Bellarmin de Christi anima Cap. 8. Socinus de Christo servatore pars 2. pars 3. Crellius contra Grotium Cap. 1. p. 25. of the same mind also are the Socinians and others not a little their Friends fighting though it may be ignorantly with their Weapons and Arguments who are risen amongst us For the cleering therefore of this profitable Truth
Christ be our great High-Priest and it be the Office of the High-Priest to bless and to give Peace then Christ by vertue of his Office also is engaged to give Peace unto his People Take all these Three together Christ the Second Person is engaged By his Endowments he received from the Father By his own Disposition By his Office And it appears plainly that there is a great engagement upon Jesus Chriâ—t to give Peace unto his Servants III. As the Father and the Son are engaged to give Peace and quietude unto the Saints and People of God So also the Spirit the Holy Ghost is engaged to give peace unto them For as I may so speak with Reverence he is as it were the great Executor of Jesus Christ When Christ died he made his Will and gave a Legacy to his Disciples My Peace I give unto you and then he sent the Comforter the Spirit from Heaven on purpose to beget peace within their souls Yea The Holy Ghost is not only this Executor to see this Will of Christ fulfilled but he is as it were our Advocate Indeed we have but one Advocate that is Christ But I say we have as it were two Advocates One in Heaven above and one in our bosom When a man sins a godly man sins Satan accuses him in Heaven And therefore saies John If any man sin 1 John 1.2 we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous But if a godly man sin Satan doth also accuse him to himself And therefore saies the Apostle We have the Spirit within us making intercession John 14.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Et sic translat Syriac And saies our Savior Christ I will send another Comforter So ye read it but it is the same word that is translated Advocate I wil send you another Advocate Yea the Spirit of the Lord is our Witness also For the Spirit shall bear witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God Now when the Spirit bears witness with a mans spirit that he is â—he child of God then he hath peace and quiet So that if you consider al theâ—e Ingagements the Father ingaged the Son ingaged the Holy Ghost ingaged for the peace and quiet of Gods Children Must you not needs conclude this Point and Doctrine and say Surâ—ly there is an inward peace and quietness of soul which ordinaâ—ily Gods People are endued withal Object But our Experience seems to speak the contrary for â—here are many of Gods own People that have not Peace and Quiet within them but are full of Doubts and Fears about their everlasting condition Answ The Second Doctrine therefore speaks to that It is possible this peace may be interrupted Object But some never had Peace all their daies O! saies one I have been a long while afflicted troubled two four six yeers and never yet had Peace and quiet within me Either therefore this Doctrine is not true or else I am not Godly Answ All that may be which you speak of and yet this Doctrine may be true General Rules have alwaies some exceptions Though the Garment that the Saints do ordinarily wear be white yet here and there some do go in black and go so a great while But that there may be no stumbling concerning this matter I shall desire you to consider with me some few Distinctions First Ye must know That there is a Fundamental Peace which the Saints and People of God have and there is an Additional Peace A Fundamental Peace which does Naturally arise and slow from their Justification Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God Rom. 5. And then there is an Additional Peace which arises from the sence of their Justification Possibly a Child of God may for a long time lose the latter but the former he shal never lose As a Woman that hath a great Joynture goes abroad some Journey and meets with Theeves and they take away all the money that she hath about her but yet saies she though they have taken away my spending Money they cannot take away my Joynture I have not lost my Joynture So now the Saints somtimes may lose their spending money they may lose the peace that arises from the sence of their Justification but as for the Peace that ariseth and issues from their Justification it self the first Peace that they shall never lose Peace is the Churches Joynture and that Peace they shal never lose Secondly Ye must know That there is a great difference between Peace Comfort and Joy A man may have Peace that hath no Comfort a man may have Comfort that hath no Joy one is beyond the other one a degree above the other As now it may be day-light and yet the Sun may not shine forth the Sun may shine forth and yet not noon-day Possibly a man may have Peace and yet not much Comfort only stayed upon God possibly a man may have Comfort and yet not much Joy But now many a poor soul thinks because he hath no Joy therefore he hath no Comfort and because he hath not much Comfort therefore no Peace Labor to know the difference between these Thirdly Ye must know That there is a Peace which lies in opposition to what one hath been and a Peace that is in opposition to what one would be A godly man a weak Christian when he considers what he would be and what he would have he hath no rest nor quiet But now come unto the same man and say thus You remember what a wicked life once you led ye were a Drunkard or ye were a Wanton What say ye would you be in that condition again Oh no saith he then I would not be in that condition for all the world Here now the Soul hath Peace in opposition to what it hath been though it hath not Peace and Quiet in opposition to what it would be Fourthly Ye must know That there is a Secret Dormant Peace and there is a wakened and Apparent Peace Peace in the Seed and Peace in the Flower As it is with many a wicked man for the present he hath great Comfort but when affliction comes and the day of death comes then he hath trouble trouble in regard of sin Why the sin and guilt was in his heart before only it lay sleeping there but now it is risen So with a Godly man in regard of his Peace possibly for the present he may be full of trouble but when affliction comes and the hour of death comes then he hath Peace and Comfort Why it was there before it was at the bottom only he was not aware of it he did not know of it For now ask such a weak Christian who is thus full of fear for the present ye see there is a Drunkard a Swearer a Wanton Would you be in his Condition would you be contented to be in that mans condition O no saies he I would not be in such a condition for all the world
out of any evil habit passion or ignorance but meerly from the liberty of his own wil because it pleaseth him and because he doth hate that which his own Conviction tels him is right and good Now have you sin'd thus Surely no for then you would not be troubled about it but be wel pleased with it Obj. 8. O! But yet I fear I have sinned this great Sin for I have forsaken God and God hath forsaken me God is gone Christ is gone and Mercy is gone O! what freedom once I had but now God is departed from me God hath forsaken me and I fear it is upon this account Because I have sinned this great Sin Ans But doth not David say How long O Lord wilt thou forget me forsake me And our Savior himself saith My God my God why hast thou forsaken me There is a gradual forsaking and there is a total As with a man that goes from his house possibly he goâ—s a Voyage or is from home a quarter half a yeer or a yeer but he doth not leave his House for his Wiâ—e his Children and Goods are there stil But another man goes awâ—y from his House the House is let and he carries away al his Goods this is a total departure the other gradual So now it is with the Lord he doth somtimes forsake his own Childrâ—n for a time but he doth not pul down his Hangings or carry away his Goods he doth not go away but returns again this is gradual But there is a total forsaking of a man and then he givâ—s him up to his Sin Now this is not the burden that you lie under for if God had thus forsaken you you would be given up to your Sins and you would give up your selves unto â—l Uncleanness Object 9 O! But I am afraid yet that I am under the worst forsaking and that therefore I have sinned this great Sin for I do lie despairing saying God is gone and Mercy gone I am in the dark O! I despair I despair and upon this account I fear I have sinned this great Sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost Answ For Answer You know what Heman said I remember God and am troubled O Lord saith he all thy waves are gone over my head the waves of thy wrath are gone over my head and yet a Pen-man of Scripture Aretius tels us of a certain man in his time It is no feigned story saith he but I saw the man with my own Eyes one that had been a most vile and desperate Sinner a Drunkard a Swearer a Wanton a Gamester and so he continued to his gray hairs but at the last it pleased God to set his Sins in order before him and the man was so troubled in Conscience that he threw himself down upon the ground calling unto Satan to take him away provoking Satan to take him away Devil take thy own I am thy own take thy own whereupon saith Aretius prayer was made for him Christians prayed they fasted and prayed they prayed night and day and it pleased God at last this poor man revived converted to God lived a godly life and died comfortably So that it is not an easy thing saith he to pronounce what the Sin against the Holy Ghost is But now whosoever you are that have labored under this fear as indeed this fear I know hath oppressed many give me leave to ask you four or five short Questions The First is Whether canst thou not find in thy heart to forgive men that do trespass against thee Do not you find a disposition in your own heart to forgive others Yes I praise the Lord that I do Now if you can find in your heart to forgive others I am sure God can find in his heart to forgive you and therefore you have not sinned this great sin which is unpardonable Secondly Whether I or no have you ever opposed the waies of God the People of God and that out of malice No I confess I have opposed them but the Lord knows I did it ignorantly it was not out of malice then remember the description of this Sin Thirdly VVhether I or no do not you desire to be humbled for every Sin though it be never so smal Yes for though I know that my greatest Humiliation cannot placare Deum make an attonement for my Sin yet I know that the least Humiliation in truth doth placere Deo please God and it is my Duty to be humbled for every sin for the least sin is a great evil and he that commands Humiliation for the one commands it for the other also and through Grace I desire to be humbled for every sin why then you cannot have sin'd against the Holy Ghost for it is impossible that they that sin this Sin should be renewed to Repentance Fourthly Whether I or no do not you desire above all things the breathings of the Spirit of God upon your heart Yes O! that God would come and breath upon my poor soul in Duty But those that sin against the Holy Ghost do despight to the Spirit of Grace Hebrews 10. Fiftly Where do you find in al the Bible That those that sin this Sin against the Holy Ghost are afraid that they have sinned it those that sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned against the Holy Ghost This alone satisfied Mistriss Drake a Woman much troubled in Conscience she was afraid she had sinned against the Holy Ghost Mr. Dod of blessed Memory came to her and told her That therefore she had not sinned the Sin against the Holy Ghost Because she feared she had sinned it for those that sin the Sin against the Holy Ghost are never afraid that they have sinned it and she acknowledged it did satisfie her and she was thereupon comforted Now therefore where is the man or woman that hath labored under such a fear as this O! I have sinned this unpardonable Sin Art thou one that fearest thou hast sinned it I tel thee from the Lord thou art free from it and thou maist go home and say thus Though I have sinned much for which the Lord humble me yet I bless God I am kept from this great Sin And O! my beloved what a mercy is it That among all the sins that we have committed That yet we should be kept from this great Sin The greater the evil is the greater is the mercy to be kept from it Now I pray What is the misery of this Sin Is it not a great misery to be past Prayer to be thrown out of the Prayers of the Saints For such a one pray not saith the Apostle Is it not a great misery for a man to be beyond the line of Mercy a man that hath sinned this Sin against the Holy Ghost is worser Spiritually than a man that is sick of the Plague outwardly for if a man be sick of the Plague ye pray for him and say Lord have mercy upon him but if a
is not the time of the Dragon but the red Dragon that is the Heathen Roman Emperor did persecute the Woman Rev. 12. standing before her to devour the man Child the Seed of the Church as soon as she was delivered verse 2 3. Yet this good and holy man thought that that must needs be the meaning of the forty two Months because the Interpretation came to him with such an impression Possibly therefore a good man may be much deceived by Impressions especially when they come with a particular word But where do we find in al the Scripture That we are to judg of Doctrines by Impressions No but by the written Word of God that is the only Rule whereby we must judg comparing Spiritual things Foxus in Apoc. 13. p 216. with Spiritual things and one Scripture with another Though there may be much comfort found in the way of Impressions especially coming with a word yet if the word be not set upon the heart according to the true sense and scope of it we have cause to fear that the Impression is not of God but an illusion of Satan For where do we find in Scripture That ever God did set a Word upon the Soul but in the true sense and scope of it The Devil brought a word to Christ and applied it not according to the true Scope thereof Cast thy self down saies he he shall give his Angels charge over thee this was not according to the Scope of the Scripture But if God set on a Scripture with a deep Impression it was alwaies according to the true sense and scope of the Scripture For example Nehemiah being at Prayer as ye read Chap. 1. God gave him a word with a sweet Impression and it was according to the true sense thereof So Acts 4. the Apostles were at Prayer and God gave a word to them out of Psal 2. and it was according to the true scope thereof Where do we find that ever God did set on a particular Word but according to the true meaning of it Have I therefore an Impression with a Word yet if the Word be not set on my Soul according to the true meaning and scope of it then have I cause to fear that it is rather a delusion of Satan than the Impression of God Though the Impression be of God yet if the Application be beyond the Impression I am stil in an Error There is an Impression of a Word and there is the Application of it the Impression may be Gods and the Application may be mine own The Lord gave Abraham a Word that his Seed should be as the Stars but he made a false Application thereof when he went unto Hagar for the fulfilling of that Word So the Lord gave a Word to Eliphaz Job 4.12 Now a thing was secretly brought to me and mine ear received a little thereof fear came upon me and trembling verse 14. Then a Spirit passed before my face it stood still but I could not discern it then I heard a Voyce saying Shall mortal man be more just than God verse 15. Here was an Impression with a Word and this was from God but he applies this to and against Job Chap. 5.1 the Impression was of God but the Application was his own Possibly then a man may have an Impression from God with a Word yet the Application may be his own but though the Impression be never so â—ul and deep yet if the Application be beyond the Impression he is stil in an Error And therefore seeing that it is an easie thing and usual even for the Children of Abraham to make Application beyond the Impression the safest sure I way is to keep cloâ—e to the written Word of God which is both the Judg of al our Doctrinâ—s and the only Rule of al our Practices and therefore above and beyond al Impressions whether with or without a Word And thus I have done with the Third Instance Instance 4 As for that Light and Law of Grace which is in the Saints the Light of the Scripture is beyond and more excellent than that For The Light and Law within us here is imperfect for we see but in part and know in part 1 Cor. 13.9 Now we see through a Glass darkly And lest any man should think that Paul spake this only of some Babes in Christ he speaketh out yet more expresly putting himself into the number ver 12. Now I know in part and this in part is set in opposition to what is perfect for saies he verse 9. We know in part and prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come c. verse 10. So that whatever Law or Light or Knowledg is within us now is imperfect but the Word of God written the Scripture and the Light thereof is perfect for saies the Psalmist The Law of the Lord is perfect Psal 19. The Law of Grace within and the Light within is not able to convince others If I feel a Light and Law within me and say this must needs be so for I find it thus within me I have a Light within me for it this wil not convince another But the Scripture by the breathing of the Spirit of God with it wil convince another and is able to convince another Tit. 1.9 Holding fast the faithful Word that he may be able by sound Doctrine both to exhort and convince gain-sayers How are gain-sayers to be convinced then what by the Light or Law within No but by sound Doctrine fetched from the faithful Word Quest Is there then no use of the Law and Light and Spirit within us doth not God speak and direct thereby Answ 1 Yea The Spirit of a man saith Solomon is the Candle of the Lord searching al the inward rooms of the Belly When God doth set up a Light or Candle in the Soul he may thereby go into al the inward Chambers of the Soul discovering those heaps of sin that are in the Soul Answ 2 Yea This inward Law and Light doth not only discover evil but it doth incline to good and strongly incline the Soul thereunto therefore it is called a Law not because it is a Rule to us for the body of death and sin is called the Law in your Members but because of its power and force to incline the Soul unto what is good Answ 3 Yea It doth not only incline a man unto what is good but it enables him thereunto It is that Principle upon which al his good actions grow and from whence they spring All true good must proceed from a good Principle and this Law and Light and Spirit within is that Principle whereby a man is enabled unto what is good But Secondly Though the Law and Light and Spirit within us be a Principle of good yet it is not the Rule of our Goodness or Lives For If the Law and Light and Spirit within be our Rule then what need the Scripture or the Word without any longer
But the Scripture and the Word of God written is a Rule stil it is setled in Heaven and doth endure for ever Psal 119. For ever O Lord thy Word is setled in Heaven verse 89. And saith Paul to Timothy I charge thee in the sight of God that thou keep this Commandement until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ Epist 1. Chap. 6. Ver. 14. Timothy doth not live in person to the appearing of Christ but those that succeed him do and shalâ— unto whom this charge is made And if ye look into Chap. 3. ye find that Paul saith to him These things write I to thee that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thy self in the House of God yet Timothy had a Light and Law and Spirit of God within him So that though a man have the Spirit Light and Law within him he is yet to be ruled by the Word of God written the Scripture and the Word written is yet to be a Rule unto him and as many as walk according to this Rule peace shal be upon them Object But if the Spirit that is in me be the same Spirit with that which did write the Scripture what need I wait on or be ruled by the Word without or the Scripture any longer Answ Because when the Spirit comes it takes of the things of Christ and opens them to you it is sent to open the Scripture to you not to take away the Scripture from you it is not sent to be your Rule but to be your help to understand the Rule Because although ye have the same Spirit which did write the Scripture yet you have not the same Inspiration of the Spirit All Beleevers in Pauls time had the same Spirit that Paul had but not the same Inspiration of the Spirit that is very divers 1 Cor. 12.11 the Apostle speaking of diversities of Gifts But saith he all these worketh that one and the self same Spirit dividing to every one as it pleaseth him So that though a man have the same Spirit wherewith the Scripture was written yet he may not have the same Inspiration But because People understand not this therefore they think that if they have the same Spirit they may lay by the Scripture as to their Rule But If the Law and Light and Spirit that is in me be my Rule then I may do any thing without Sin I may whore be drunk steal or any thing without Sin for it 's no sin to do what the Rule commands me and if the Spirit Light and Law within do command me to do it it is no sin to me because my Rule commands me to do it and Sin is a transgression of a Rule but the Law Light and Spirit may command me to do such things as these if it be my Rule for it may command any thing but Sin but it cannot be Sin if the Spirit do command for the very commanding of the Spirit takes off the sin of the Action because the Rule commands it O! what abominable Practices wil this Doctrine lead a man into viz. That the Law Light and Spirit within is his Rule Yea Thirdly If the Law and Light and Spirit that is in me be my Rule then am I my own Rule and so I am God for he that is his own Rule is God But if the Law and Light and Spirit within me be my Rule then am I my own Rule And what is al this but horrid blasphemy Surely therefore the Law and the Word without me is not my Rule Though the Law and Light and Spirit in me be my Principle yet it is not my Rule that is the Word and Scripture only Though the Law and Light and Spirit within be a great help unto us in our way to Life yet it must be tried by the Word written For if it be not tried by the Scripture then it must be tried by nothing But John 1.4 he saith Try the Spirits whether they be of God or no. 2. That Law or Light or Spirit within you is Christ in you but Christ in you is to be tried and examined 2 Cor. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own Souls know ye not that Christ is in you unless ye be Reprobates And if Christ without us Christ in the daies of his Flesh did submit himself to the tryal of the Scriptures Search the Scriptures saith he for they testifie of me then surely the Spirit of Christ in us wil not refuse the same Christ in us is not more priviledged than Christ without us but Christ without was tried by the Scriptures therefore Christ within us much more And if al that Light and Law and Spirit within us be to be tried by the Scripture then surely the Light of the Word written is a more excellent Light than that Light which is within And thus I have now done with the Fourth Instance Instance 5 As for Experience Christian Experience the Word of God written and the Light thereof is more excellent than Experience and the Light of it simply considered For so much Light as there is in Experience is borrowed from the Scripture and the Word of God written It is short of the Scripture for Scripture-Light extendeth unto al our Actions a light unto our Paths there is nothing hid from the Light thereof no Duty incumbent upon us that is hid from the Light thereof But though I have much Experience in this way yet I may have little or none in another my Experience cannot say nothing is hid from me and from my Light Though Experience be a great help to our Faith yet take it alone abstracted from the Word and it cannot heal our Unbelief The Staff that is in a mans hand is a good help to him but it cannot heal his lameness So is this Staff of Experience though it be a good help in my way yet it cannot heal the lameness of my unbeleeving heart but the word can and the Scripture doth Quest Is there then no use of our Experiences Is there no Light therein Answ 1 Yea much for it bâ—ingeth forth Hope Experience worketh Hope Rom. 5. Tribulation worketh Patience Patience Experience and Experience Hope verse 4 5. Here is the Genealogy of Hope but the next Parent of Hope is Experience So the Poor hath Hope Job 5.16 How so He counteth up many Experiments and when he hath done he concludes thus So the poor hath Hope it is Experience then which doth work Hope Answ 2 But though Experience be the Parent of Hope yet it is not the Ground of our Faith it is an Help unto Faith but not the first Ground of our Faith The Scripture and the Promise under Christ is Rom. 15.4 Whatever things were written afore time were written for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures might have Hope So that the Scripture and the Word of God written is the first Ground of our Faith and Hope And though we
Christ suffering in his Soul I shal deliver my self in these Four Propositions 1. That Christ did truly suffer in his Soul 2. That he did suffer in his Soul immediately 3. That he did suffer and encounter with the Wrath of God 4. That he did suffer and endure the very torments of Hel in this Life Prop. 1 Our Lord and Savior Christ did truly suffer in his Soul for it pleased the Father to bruise him and hath put him to grief Perspicuum est sicut Corpus flagellatum ita animam vere doluisse ne ex parte veritas et ex parte mendacium credatur in Christo Hierom. in Esa 53. Isa 53.10 And saith Christ himself My Soul is heavy unto Death he was in a great Agony Luk 22. insomuch as he sweat drops of Blood verse 42. Now an Agony signifies the sorrows of Combaterâ— entring the Lifâ—s with the sence of their utmost dangers of Life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matthew tels us that he began to be very sorrowful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be berounded or besieged with Sorrow Chap. 26.36 37. My Soul saith Christ is exceeding sorrowful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timorem significat sive metum impendentis mali et vixaliter inveniri apud bonos authores vereque Graecos Chamier Cap. 16. Lib. 5. Tom. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesychius Nam scopus loci est explicare infirmitates à Christo susceptas et quamvis aliquando 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cauâ—â—m genitivo notat internam causam motus vel actionis quae significatur verbo regente nunquam tamen significat causam externe impellentem ad actionem Ames Bellar. enervat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even unto death Mark tels us that he was sore amazed amazement notes an universal Cessation of the Faculties of the Soul from their several Functions he was afraid and he was sore afraid the Apostle saies that he was heard Heb. 5. in the thing that he feared ver 7. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used doth somtimes signifie Reverence or Piety but so it cannot be taken in this place for it 's said he was delivered or heard 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from his Fear But Amazement is more than Fear And Mark tels us that he began to be sore amazed Chap. 14.33 Yea he was not only amazed but he was very heavy and he began to be very heavy so we read it but the English word is too short 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he began to be so affected with evil as that he was as it were disabled for the minding of any thing else the word is compounded of a privative and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 People as if he began to be out of the Body 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significat maximam consternationem adeo ut nulla admittatur consolatio Nicol. Arnold Relig. Socinia pag. 501. it 's the same word that is used in Phil. 2.26 And was full of heaviness Now if our Lord and Savior Christ was thus sorrowful and exceeding sorrowful amazed and sore amazed heavy and his Soul heavy even unto death then surely he did truly suffer in his Soul But it may be that Crellius and the Socinians with their Friends wil tel us that his Soul suffered only by way of Sympathy and fellow-feeling with his Body Therefore Prop. 2 I ad in the Second place That as he did truly suffer in his Soul so he did suffer in his Soul immediately for look where the Disobedience of the First Adam began there the Obedience of the Second Adam did begin also Now the Disobedience of the First Adam was not only in his Body in eating with his mouth the forbidden Fruit but in his Soul likewise and he did eat with his Body because he did affect with his Soul to be like God there did his sin begin viz. in the Pride and Unbelief of his heart and therefore the Obedience of the Second Adam was not only to be performed with his Body but with his Soul and to begin there the Soul is not properly said to suffer when the Body suffers and by way of sympathy but when a grief is taken or an affliction Et sane nisi paenae fuisset particeps anima corporibus tamen fuisset Redemptor Calvin Institut Lib. 2. Cap. 16. which doth first arrest the mind and heart of men Now Christ did truly suffer in his Soul for as his active Obedience was Spiritual in his Soul as wel as Corporal in his Body so was and ought to be his passive also and if Christs Sorrow did not begin in his Soul why is it said that he troubled himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 John 11.33 When he saw her weeping and the Jews weeping he groaned in the Spirit and was troubled Quam pudenda fuisset haec mollities eousque torqueri ob communis mortis formidinem ut sanguineo sudore diffluerit neque posset recreari nisi Angelorum conspectu quod illa precatio ter repetita transeat caelix c. annon ex incredibili amaritudine animi profecta ostendit asperius et majus arduum fuisse Christi certamen quam cum morte communi Calvin ibid. but according to the Original and your Margent he troubled himself Why so but because this trouble of his did begin from within and upon this account he did sweat drops of Blood when his Body was in good health and free from every sickness the Body wil not sweat but when Nature is oppressed when it 's under some outward burden then it sweats Christ was under no outward burden of Disease only death was now approaching the fear of which alone simply considered could not make him sweat drops of Blood for saies he I have a Baptism to be baptized with and how am I streightened till it be accomplished Luk. 12.50 Surely there was some other evil the apprehension whereof did immediately fal upon his Soul which did run and flow over into his Body Christ did suffer in his Soul immediately That 's the Second Proposition Prop. 3 As Christ did suffer in his Soul immediately so he did suffer and conflict with the Wrath of God I do not say Neque tantum innuimus Deum fuisse unquam illi adversarium vel iratum quando enim dilecto filio in quo animus ejus acquievit irasceretur sed hoc nos dicimus Divinae severitatis gravitatem eum sustinuisse quoniam manu Dei percussus et afflictus omnia irati et punientis Dei signa expertus est Calvin ibid. that the Father was wroth or angry with his Person some do here distinguish of the wrath of God somtimes it is taken for the hatred of Persons so the Reprobates are called Vessels of Wrath Rom. 9.22 Somtimes it is taken for the execution of Corrective Justice so God is said to be wroth with his own People Deut. 4.21 Somtimes it 's taken for the execution of Vindicative Justice and
Vessel that your heart may not be too big for your business nor your work too big for your heart But your self par negotio being like the Ant or Pismire that doth rather abound in Pectore in the Breast ubi animus est where the mind lies than in Ventre in the Belly ubi stercus est where the dung lies and if your Estate be great to account your self Gods Steward not his Treasurer and if it be little to study rather how to give an account of your little than to encrease unto much These are excellent things in regard of your Callings and Estates As for your Recreations and outward Mirths It is an excellent thing for a man so to be merry as he may not grieve for his Mirth afterwards to have your part and share in the Saints breakings as wel as in their rejoycings so to rejoyce in the Creature as not to forget the Creator so to rejoyce in the Servant as not to forget the Master so to rejoyce in your Inn as not to forget your Home so to recreate your self as you may not take pleasure in your pleasure but to rise from this Table with an appetite not with a glut and to be a bungler at the best Recreation and to make al your Recreations as so many Engagements to serve God the more freely and cheerfully These are excellent things in regard of your Mirths and Recreations As for the Works of God and his Dispensations It is an excellent thing for a man to know what Gods Design is yet to admire where you cannot understand to praise God for his Judgments as wel as for his Mercies for his Hel as wel as for his Heaven and though the vial be powred out upon your Relation yet to bless God and at least to be silent remember Aaron And in al Gods dealings stil to make a good and candid Interpretation for that wil argue your Love to God which wil argue his Love to you for that which ends in your Love to him came from his Love to you These are excellent things in regard of Gods Works and Dispensations As for Truth and Error It 's an excellent thing for a man so to mind the Truth of the Times as he do not neglect the Power of Godliness and so to mind the Power of Godliness as he do not neglect the Truth of the Times an excellent thing for a man so to mind new Truth as not to lose old Truth and so to keep the old Truth as not to neglect new Truths And in al times to stand free from the Monopoly of an Opinion for it is the property of an Error to monopolize the man and to engross his thoughts words and actions but he that placeth his Religion in one Opinion hath no Religion in Truth though his Opinion be true Good therefore it is to stand cleer and free from these Monopolies These are excellent things in regard of Truth and Error As for your Death It is an excellent thing for a man to desire to die and yet be contented to live to desire Death for the enjoyment of God and to be contented to live for the Work of God to give up your daies to God as an act of your Faith which you have received from him as an act of his Love to say in truth if my Father have any more work for me to do I shal live longer if his work be done I am willing to go home to my Father though I ride home behind the worst Servant that he keeps in his House An excellent thing it is to die standing or kneeling to die on that ground where I should live and to live on that ground where I would die These are excellent things in regard of Death Now excellent things do become those that are the Seed the visible Seed of Christ Are you therefore the visible Seed of Christ then these excellent things do become you for his delight is in the Saints and such as excel in Vertue Now therefore as you do desire to answer unto Christs delights O labor more and more to excel in vertue And thus I have done with this great Argument Christ in Travel the greatness of his Travel his Assurance of Issue and his delight and satisfaction in the sight thereof Christ shal certainly see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied and if you do not yet see the issue of his Travel accomplished on your Soul yet stay wait and expect for saith the Text He shall see the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied and in due time you shal see it too and be satisfied Wherefore wait on the Lord and again I say Wait on the Lord. FINIS M R Bridge's New Works viz. 1. Scripture-Light 2. Christ in Travel 3. A Lifting up for the Down-cast c. THE GOOD MAN'S PEACE Sermon I. PSALM 42.11 Stepney April 16. 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I will yet praise him who is the health of my Countenance and my God IN these Words ye read of the sad Discouragements of a gracious Spirit with those Remedies that he applied and used against them The Discouragements are exprest in Two Words under Two Similitudes Cast-down Disquieted As a man is bowed or cast down under the weight of some heavy burden so art thou cast down O my soul saies David And as the Sea in the time of a storm is much disquieted so art thou also disquieted wiâ—hin me O my Soul The Remedies that he useth against these Discouragements are Two Self-Reprehension and Self-Admoni ion First He doth chide himself for his diffidence and distrust in God Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me He chides and rebukes himself for it Secondly He doth admonish and call upon himself for to wait upon and hope in God Hope thou in God Why First Because I shal yet be delivered For I shall yet praise him Secondly Because Salvation belongs unto him alone He is the health of my Countenance Or the Salvation of my Countenance Thirdly Because he is in Covenant with me and I with him He is my God The health of my Countenance and my God I begin with the former part of this Verse wherein you may observe these Three things First That there is an inward Peace and Quietude of Soul which the Saints and People of God ordinarily are endued with This is implyed Secondly It is possible that this Peace may be interrupted so far as Gods People may be much discouraged cast down and disquieted Thirdly That the Saints and People of God have no reason for their Discouragements what ever their Condition be VVhy art thou cast down and why art thou thus disquieted within me thou hast no reason for it The latter of these being the main is that indeed which I specially aim at But because the two former will give the better rise unto this
way of beleeving and then Christ wil give you more Ye know how it was with Nathaniel When Nathaniel beleeved upon what Christ had spoken saies Christ unto him Beleevest thou because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree I wil shew thee greater things thou shalt see the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the son of man So wil the Lord Christ say to a poor soul I have spoken a word unto thee and I gave thee a little peace and doest thou beleeve because of the word I have spoken unto thee thou shalt see greater things and I wil give thee abundance of peace Look into Isa 48. vers 18. and there you shal find the Lord speaking thus O that thou hadst hearkened to my Commandements then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the Sea When the Lord speaks and cals upon people to beleeve if then they do hearken to him then shal their peace be like a river And when does the Lord cal in a special manner upon people to beleeve When he gives out a word and when he gives them a little peace then he is calling upon them to beleeve now return and now beleeve saies the Lord. Ye know how it was with Eliah when they wanted rain and had wanted rain for a long time Eliah sends his servant towards the Sea to see if he could perceive any rain coming and Eliah fals down upon his face in prayer his servant goes but no sign of rain he goes again and no sign of rain and the seventh time Eliah's servant perceives a cloud of the bigness of an hand and he comes down unto his Master and tells him he had seen a cloud the bigness of a mans hand Whereupon Eliah concludes and saies Come let us up I hear the noise of many waters So say I you have been upon your face and have been much discouraged yet if you have been at prayer and a little refreshment comes though it be but the bigness of an hand yet conclude and say surely there is more rain a coming Come O my soul Why art thou cast down and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God and wait on him I hear abundance of rain a coming When our Savior Christ sometimes speaks peace he doth at the first speak by a smal word and if that be improved then he speaks more Ye know how it was with Mary she was at the Sepulcher and had been enquiring after her Lord and saies she to the Angells they have taken away my Lord and the Angells talked â—o her and could not comfort her But at last comes our savior Christ and he speaks to her and then she was comforted But what does he say to her onely one word Mary so when a man is in trouble the Lord comes sometimes and speaks but a word he takes a promise it may be and sets on a word thereof upon the soul and the heart answers Rabboni my Lord. Doth the Lord therefore speak but one word unto thee yet stir up thy self in beleeving and hearken to him for he wil speak yet more fully and playnly onely when he speaks listen hearken diligently unto him and improve what he sayth so shal your peace be as a River and your righteousnes as the Ocean And thus I have done with the first Argument TRUE PEACE MAY BE INTERRUPTED Sermon II. PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney April 23. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. Doct. 2 IT is possible that the Saints and People of God may be much discouraged and cast down Though there be an inward Peace and quietness of Soul which they are ordinarily indued with yet possibly this Peace may be interrupted and themselves much discouraged and cast down Here are two words in the Text speak as much Cast-down Disquieted And three times in this Psalm the Psalmist saith His Soul was cast down within him yet this David was a man of great Peace and Comfort ordinarily And as with David so it was is and will be with other Saints This is so ordinary a case that â—he Holy Ghost hath provided a standing Psalm or Prayer on purpose for such as are in this condiâ—â—on Psalm 102. the Title A Prayer or Psalm of the afflicted when he is over-whelmed and poureth out his complaint before the Lord. In Psal 119.25 he saith My belly cleaves to the dust and that is low indeed And vers 28. My soul melteth for heaviness I am not only sad and heavy but my soul melteth for heaviness Canticles 5. The Spouse saith Her heart was gone or my soul failed within me And if we look into Psalm 143. we find at the 4. vers that the Psalmist saith My Spirit is over-whelmed and my heart within me is desolate What do all these expressions high great and many speak but this Truth that is now before us For the more full cleering and opening of it I shall labor to shew First How far it is possible for a good man to be discouraged or cast down Secondly How it doth come to pass that he is so discouraged Thirdly How those Discouragements can stand with his Grace and goodness Fourthly How they may be healed and cured Quest 1 And First If you ask How far the Discouragements of the Saints may reach For will some say I know it is possible that the most gracious holy man may be much discouraged but not with such discouragments as mine are Answ 1 I Answer What are yours Are you so far disquieted discouraged cast down as to refuse the word promise or consolation that is brought unto you So far may the discouragments of the Saints extend Psal 77. vers 3. I remembred God and was troubled He doth not say I remembred my sin and was troubled but God Yea I was not onely troubled but I did complain and my spirit was overwhelmed within me But when the promise came and mercy came and comfort came did he refuse that too yes vers 2. my soul refuseth to be comforted Answ 2 Secondly Are you so far discouraged disquieted cast down that your very body feeleth the smart of your discouragements that you do not onely refuse the promise and al comfort for your soul but even for your body Then look into Psal 102. and see if your case may not be paralleld vers 4. My heart is smitten and withered like grass so that I forget to eate my bread vers 5. By reason of the voice â—f my groaning my bones cleave to my skin vers 6. I am like a Pelican of the wilderness and I am like an Owl of the desâ—rt vers 9. I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping vers 10. Because of thine indignation and thy wrath for thou hast lifted me up and cast me down vers 11. My dayes are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like grass O! but I am not
and then he recovers his Peace O saies he what an extraordinary blessing and mercy is this Now God will somtimes raise the price of this Commodity from an ordinary to an extraordinary blessing and therefore he doth suffer his own Children and deerest Servants to be thus discouraged and their peace to be interrupted Thirdly God is a tender Father and he would have all the Love of his Children he would not have his Children to love their Nurse more than himself Our Joy and Peace and Comfort is but the Nurse of our Graces now when God sees that his Children fall in love more with the Nurse than with himself then he removes the Nurse and causes their Peace to be suspended and interrupted he will not have the Nurse to be loved more than himself Fourthly Somtimes God doth suffer this cloud to arise upon the Peace and Comforts of his People Ignorandum non est consolationes spirituales esse infantium ciâ—um lac dulce quo Deus nutrit suos a mundi voluptatibus avocat ut harum volupâ—atum inescati dulcedine alias omnes consolationes contemnant amoris Divini dulcedine capti omnem amorem mundi abjiciant Deus negat suis consolationes ut siant perfectiores Granateus that he may train them up unto more perfection Comfort is the Childrens Milk ye may observe therefore that the weaker Christian hath somtimes more lively sensible Comforts than the stronger Christian hath Why but because this inward Joy and Peace and Comfort is that Milk and sweet Honey whereby they are drawn off from the pleasures and sweetness of the world and as these Comforts do wean us from the worlds comforts so we have need to be weaned again from these weaners which God doth somtimes by restraining of them and so we grow up unto more perfection Fifthly Somtimes again God sees his Children do grow vain and light and froathy and wanton and secure under their Peace and Comfort and then he withdraws himself hides his face and so they do lose their Comfort This was the case in Canticles 5. where the Spouse saith My soul failed within me at verse 6. But why I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself And why had he withdrawn himself He comes and makes a tender of Love and Mercy verse 2. and she would none verse 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them that is I am now laid to sleep they are words that import security and upon her security he withdraws himself and being withdrawn her soul fails within her And thus it is many times with the Children of God in their particulars the Lord sees that they grow secure vain froathy and wanton under their peace and comfort then he withdraws himself and their peace faileth Sixtly Our Lord and Savior Christ is a tender Chyrurgion who hath set all our bones which we our selves have broken by our sins You know that a wise and an honest Chyrurgion though he desire his Patient may be quickly cured yet if he sees the Plaister doth not lie right he takes it off again for it is not laid right saith he So doth Christ do he sees that the Comforts of his People somtimes are not right laid and therefore saith he though I desire this poor wounded soul may be quickly cured yet because this Comfort this Promise this Experience doth not lie right it must be taken off again Now the Comforts of the Saints are so laid somtimes as the very laying of them doth breed discomfort As in the sowing of Seed it is not enough that the Seed be good but it must be well sown else the very sowing thereof may cause weeds So though Light be sown for the Righteous yet somtimes it is so sown as that the very sowing thereof doth breed these weeds of fears and discouragements that you may say and that without Prophesie Here is a poor soul that ere long will be much discouraged though for the present full of comfort Object But this is hard to say Can ye foretel a mans Discouragements even in the time of his Comfort who is there among all the Saints so comforted concerning whom you may say surely this man will be much discouraged again Answ 1 First When a man a good man doth lay his Spiritual Comfort upon outward Blessings you may say before-hand this mans Comfort will never hold but ere long he will be much disquieted and this was the reason why the Saints in the time of the old Testament labored under so many Discouragements even because they measured the Love of God so much by these outward blessings Psal 143.4 Therefore my Spirit is over-whelmed within me Why so Verse 3. Because the enemy prevailed He measured Gods Love too much by these outward things and therfore when the Enemy broke in upon him he thought God did not love him and so he was over-whelmed thus in regard of all outward blessings Seest thou therefore a man who raiseth his perswasion of Gods Love from the smiles of any Creature say of such a man before-hand O this poor soul ere long wil be in the dark and under some discouragements Answ 2 When a man is unthankful for true Peace and unhumbled for false Peace he cannot hold his Peace long Before a man is converted he hath Peace within For when the strong man keeps the house all is at Peace but it is false Peace after a man is converted he hath Peace within and it is true Peace God expecteth that a man should be humbled for his former false Peace and thankful for his present true Peace Now when God sees one both unhumbled for false Peace and unthankful for his present true Peace the Spirit of the Lord is grieved so it withdraweth and the soul is comfortless Answ 3 When a man doth raise his Comfort only from somwhat that he doth find within himself from Grace that he doth find within and not from Grace without from Christ within and not from Christ without then his Comfort will not hold Perpetuum est quod habet causam perpetuantem that is perpetual which hath a perpetuating cause Grace without is perpetual Christs own personal Obedience in the merit of it is perpetual but the actings of Grace within us are not perpetual or not perpetually obvious to sight and therefore cannot perpetually comfort Indeed our Grace within and obedience is in some respects a cause of our Peace First a Causa sine qua non a cause without which we can have no Comfort for a godly man can have no comfort if he have no obedience Secondly A cause which doth removere prohibens remove what hinders our Comfort namely our sin Thirdly A Cause witnessing for there are three that bear witness The Spirit Water and Blood Water which is our Sanctification is one Fourthly A Cause confirming for by our Obedience and Sanctification our
the Lord doth not onely give forth encouragement in time of discouragement and proportion his encouragements unto our discouragements but he doth make your discouragements occasional rises and bottoms unto your incouragements and comforts The Lord caused a deep sleep to come upon Adam and then he took a Rib from his side wherewith he made a help for him so doth God cause a deep sleep to come upon you in your discouragements out of which he taks a Rib and â—uilds up a help for you making the discouragements of the Saints to contribute to their very incouragements Hosea 2.14 Behold saith the Lord I wil allure her that is the Church his people and bring her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her and I wil give her her vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for a door of hope But a wildernessed condition is a lost condition and what comfort can one have in a lost condition True saith God ye cannot in and by your selves but there I wil speak friendly and comfortably to her and of al the times that I chuse to preach Gospel to a poor soul I chuse to do it in a wildernessed and lost condition But though the Lord do speak comfortably to us if we be in a wilderness a dry barren place where no food nor comfort is how can we be but discouraged Nay saith the Lord but I wil give her her vinyards from thence But if we sin murmur in the wilderness as the Israelites did the Lord wil cut us off as he did them a wilderness is a place of trouble wherein we are apt to murmur be discouraged Nay saith the Lord but I wil give her her vinyards from thence and the vally of Achor for a door of hope The valley of Achor was the valley of Perturbation trouble and of great discouragement when the men of Israel sled and fel before the men of Ai for the sin of Achan Joshua 7. vers the last yet it was an in-let to the Land of Canaan to the Land of rest Now saith the Lord look as it was with them though the Valley of Achor was a Valley of Trouble and Perturbation yet it was the door by which the Israelites came into the Land of Rest So shall it be with you I will make your Troubles and Discouragements the very door of your Hope the Valley of your Discouragements shall be the door and an in-let unto all your Rest and Comfort God takes the same way with the Members as he went with the Head Christs Cross an in-let of Glory his suffering time was the Valley of Achor to his Disciples and was it not a door of Hope unto them and unto all the Saints This is Gods way Discouragements bring Encouragements and the more Discouragements the Saints have the more Encouragements they shall have yea their Discouragements shall contribute to their Encouragements and be a door of Hope to them Now if the Valley of Achor shall by Promise be a door of Hope why should we be discouraged whatsoever the Valley of Achor be whatever our condition be Answ 5 A praying man can never be very miserable whatever his condition be for he hath the Ear of God the Spirit within to indite a friend in Heaven to present and God himself to receive his desires as a Father 't is a mercy to pray though I never have the mercy prayed for thereby God doth come down to us and we go up to God It is the souls Converse with God on Earth and a great ease to a burdened troubled Spirit for thereby he may go and empty all his heart into the bosom of his best friend Now every godly gracious man is a praying man more or less he prayeth It 's spoken as an Argument of Pauls â—onverâ—ion Behold he prayeth as Speech is common unto all men so Prayer unto all Christians God hath none of his Children born dumb as soon as one of your children is born it cries and it sucks and it â—lâ—eps So with every man that is born of God as sooâ—â—s â—e is both he cries unto God in Prayer he sucks the breast of â—he Promi e and he sleeps in the bosom of God by Divine Contentmentâ— beiâ—g dead unto all the world it may be he cannot pray as 〈◊〉 would but though he cannot pray as he would not hear as hâ—â—â—uld nor perform any duty as he would yet he prayeth it may be said of him behold he prayeth turn him where you will and behold he prayeth sick yet behold he prayeth tempâ—ed yet behold he prayeth at home or abroad yet behold he prayetâ— and can he be miserable while he prayeth Surely no why then should he be discouraged whatever his condition be Answ 6 If the matter of the Saints discouragements be but a cloud that wil blow over and melt away then no reason for their Discouragements whatsoever their condition be Now thus it is with the People of God though they be in a dark and very dark condition yet their darkness is but the darkness oâ— a cloud and as he said Nichecula est cito transibit it is but a cloud it wil soon over So may they say concerning every matter of their discouragement it is dark indeed but this darkness will over there is a storm comes down upon us but we shall see Land again the Shore again it is but a cloud but a cloud And upon this account David comforted his own heart here and checkt his soul for his immoderate dejection Why aâ—t thou cast down c. Hope in God For I shall yet praise him I shal be delivered this cloud will oveâ— it will not last it is but the darkness of a cloud Quest But how shall it appear that it is â—ut a cloud and the darkness of a cloud I think it is night and dark night with my soul yea such a night as shall never know morning indeed if I did know that the matter of my discouragement were but a cloudy darkness then I would conclude and say there is no reason for this discouragement but how shall I know whether this darkness be the darkness of a cloud or of the night Answ 1 First If the darkness be such as comes immediately after the rising and shining forth of the Promise then it is but the darkness of a cloud not of the night the Sun doth not rise to set immediately and therefore if darkness comes immediately after Sun-rising it is certainly the darkness of an Eclipse or of a Cloud not of the night There was a fair Promise rose and shined upon Joseph when the Lord said That his Sheaf should be higher than all the Sheaves of his Bâ—â—thren yet presently after that there arose a darkness upon him but iâ— was the darkness of a cloud and not of the â—igh 〈◊〉 why so Because he had a Promise first which did shâ—◠〈◊〉 â—â—m So David had a fair Promise of the Kingdom whâ—â—
and wil no bread down with you but leavened bread sowr bread the bread of mourning wil you thus keep your passover your christian feast some of you have been doubting fearing trembling cast down discouraged many years and is it not yet time to bewail your unbelief to honor free Grace what wil you alwaies grieve the Spirit the Father and Christ alwaies be frustrating of Christs work wil ye alwaies be eating old leaven is it not yet time to say why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in him for I shal yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Quest I know indeed that I have no just and scripture reason for my discouragements but I see there is much reason against it yet I am one of a troubled spirit I would fain have it otherwise that at last I might glorify free Grace what should I do that I may bear up against al discouragements that I may not be discouraged whatever my condition be Answ The onely way which the Psalmist useth here is to hope trust beleeve in God and how we should use our faith in Christ as that we may not be discouraged followes after for the present take these directons First If we would not be discouraged in any condition Then never lay your comforts upon your condition nor be in love with any condition for it self let not your condition it self be the cause or bottom of your incouragements Hang a cloak or garment upon a rotten peg and that wil break and the garment fal down now there is no condition but is a rotten peg every condition is alterable no condition so firm and fast but is exposed to many changes it is a rotten hold God is Pillars his name is Adonai which signifies so much and in Isa 26. we are commanded to trust in the Lord for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength or the rock of ages And saith the Psalmist my flesh faileth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 73.26 and my heart faileth but God is the rock of my heart for ever so the Hebrew Lay your comforts upon your own condition and you do but build on the sand which wil be carryed away with every wind and storm and tempest but if upon Christ himself upon God himself ye build upon the Rock and though the flouds and stormes and winds do rise and beat upon you yet you shal not lose your comforts because they are built upon a rock Secondly Be sure that you think of Christ in a right way and manner Christus titulos â—ibi sumit qui presenti rerum conditioni conveâ—iant unde varium suae gloriae radium in singuliâ— Epistolis ad Ecclesias spargit pro vaâ—ia fortuna qua sunt Ecclesiae quo docet illud immensae divinae majestatis inprimis esse mente contemplandum quod in rem preseniem maxime conducat Brightâ—n in Apocal. 2. P. 43. as he suteth with your condition and as he is held forth in the Gospel We are very apt to have mis-thoughts of Christ as Satan doth transform himself into an Angel of light so he would transform Christ before you into an Angel of darkness But the scripture holds him forth under such Relations as do make him very amiable unto poor sinners Are you accused by Satan world or your own conscience He is called your Advocate Are you ignorant He is called the Prophet Are you guilty of sin He is called A Priest and high Priest Are you afflicted with many enemies inward and outward He is called a King and King of Kings Are you in streights He is called your way Are you hungry or thirsty he is called bread and water of life Are you affraid you shal fal away and be condemned at the last He is our second Adam a publick person in whose death we dyed and in whose satisfaction we satisfyed As there is no Temptation or affliction but some promise or other doth especially sute there withal So there is no condition but some Name some Title some Attribute of Christ doth especially sute with it and as you do not look on Christ but in reference to your condition so you are not to look upon your condition alone but with Christs Attribute sutable thereunto if you look upon Christs Attribute of love without your condition you may presume if on your condition without Christs Attribute of love you may despair think on both together you wil not be discouraged Thirdly If your discouragements begin to arise and press in upon you check your self and say why should I multiply thoughts without knowledg why should I tire out my soul with these thoughts am I able to ad one cubit to my spiritual state am I by al my thoughtfulness able to alter my condition yea doth not my thoughtfulness set me at a farther distance from the mercy desired The truth is the only way to lose the comfort desired is to be sollicitous about it as the only way to have an outward blessing is to be content to go without it So the only way to have a spiritual or outward affliction removed is to be contented that it should be continued if God and Christ wil have it so But you wil have your affliction presently removed and you must presently know that you are in the state of Grace and the child of God or else you wil be discouraged and as the bird in the net the more it strives the more it is intangled so with you also Wherefore do temptations afflictions desertions come and Satan joyn with them and say unto thy soul this wil ever be answer wel but I therefore beleeve the contrary because thou sayest so Satan who art a Lyar yet if God wil have it so I am contented I leave it to him whether I shal ever be in this condition or not is not my question but now O Lord let me serve thee that is al my desire let me see thee as thou pleasest when thou pleasest I have done Lord I have done I have been questioning and questioning my condition these many years I see there is no end of that yea the more I do the more I may I get nothing by it why therefore O my soul should I tear out my self with this kind of thoughtfulness thus check your selves Fourthly When ever you think of any thing which is in it self terrible or matter of discouragement be sure that you mingle the Consideration thereof with those sweet things which God hath given and prescribed to you There is nothing terrible but God hath joyned some comfortable thing with it the Name of God is terrible he is called the great and dreadful God but to sweeten this he is called the God of all Consolations Death is terrible it 's called the King of Terrors but to sweeten this it is called a Sleep The day of Judgment is terrible but to sweeten that our present Advocate shal
your own condition and pitch upon sin as a breach of Gods Law a transgression of the Law of God a dishonor done to God and as a breach of the Law of Love between Christ and you Thus I say if you would be humbled and not discouraged rather mourn over your Condition in order to your Sin than for your Sin in order to your Condition Answ 4 Fourthly In your Humiliation take heed that you do not meddle too much with Gods Prerogative and with Gods Peculiar In Humiliation a man is to meddle with that which belongs to man Some things there are that are peculiar to God and are his Prerogative You see how it is with the Birds of the Air so long as the Birds fly up and down here in the Air they do live comfortably but if the Birds do fly up to the Element of Fire it wil burn their Wings and they will fall down head-long So here so long as a man in his Humiliation keeps within his own Compass and Element he may walk comfortably there but if a man in Humiliation will soar up unto Gods Prerogative certainly his Soul wil fal down upon the Earth and be much discouraged Now I pray what is more the Prerogative and Peculiar of God than this To know who is a Reprobate and who is not When a man is humbled and grieved about his Sin and he finds that he hath sinned much against God and thereupon he concludes himself to be a Reprobate is not this â—o come upon Gods Prerogative The Scripture tels a man indeed what he is for the present That a man for the present is a Drunkard or a Swearer or a Sabbath-breaker or an Adulterer and therefore the Scripture tels him for the present that he is in the state of Nature and under the wrath of God but doth the Scripture tel him that he is a Reprobate that he can never be converted and turned to God Surely this is Gods great Prerogative to know his Secret which he reserves to himself and therefore when a man goes to be humbled before God and concludes O! I am a Reprobate and there is no hope for me and I shal never be converted this is to soar too high into Gods Prerogative and he wil burn his wings and he wil fal down into great Discouragement Therefore in al your Humiliation take heed that you do not fal upon any thing that is the Peculiar and Prerogative of God for then you wil not be humbled but discouraged Answ 5 Fifthly The more you are humbled and grieved by the Sight of Gods free Love and Grace the more you wil be humbled and the less discouraged When you come to Humiliation you are humbled because you have sinned against God but how do you present this God to your own soul Do you present him as a Judg only or as a Father also Do you present the Lord unto your soul only under the Notion or Attribute of his Greatness or under the Notion and Attribute of his Goodness also Luther said thus When my heart is brisk and jolly I present God unto my self under the notion of his Greatness but when my heart is low and fearing then I present God to me under the notion of his Goodness One while I consider Christ as my Example another while as my Gift when my heart is too high then I consider Christ as my Example when my spirit is too low I consider Christ as my Gift So do you also I know you wil say I cannot somtimes present the Lord unto my soul under the notion of a Father because I have no assurance of his Love Yet you may consider the Lord as gracious in himself as good in himself and loving in himself and say I have thus and thus Sinned against a gracious God and although thou hast not assurance of Gods Love to thee in Particular yet if you can present God to your soul under the Notion of his general Goodness as good in himself you will never be discouraged but be humbled Answ 6 Sixtly and lastly If you would be truly humbled and not be discouraged not discouraged and yet humbled then beat and drive up all your sins to your unbeleef and lay the stress and weight of all your sorrow upon that Sin As in matter of thankfulness if a man do run up every Mercy unto the Fountain Mercy the Blood of Jesus Christ he wil be most thankful So in the matter of Humiliation If a man do run up every Sin unto the Fountain the Head Sin he wil be most humbled Now what is the great Sin the Fountain Sin the Head Sin of al your Sins but Unbelief and beleeve it he is never far from Faith that is humbled for his Unbeleef and he wil never be discouraged that is not far from Faith Now therefore if at any time you find your soul in any Sin then say This hath my Unbeleef done I did not think that I had had such an unbeleeving heart O! what an unbeleeving heart have I This even all this Sin hath my Unbeleef brought forth Now the Lord heal my unbeleeving heart A soul grieved for unbeleef wil never be discouraged too much nor be humbled too little he wil be humbled in truth for sin because he is humbled for his unbeleef which is the mother Sin yet he wil not be discouraged because he is humbled for that which doth cause al discouragements Lay therefore the weight of your sorrow upon this Sin and you shal be truly humbled without unjust discouragement And thus I have dispatched the first particular by al which you see That a Gracious Godly man though he hath just cause for humiliation yet he hath no just and scripture reason to be discouraged for his Sin though he have Sinned and Sinned greatly yet no discouragement is to grow upon this condition And thus I have done with the First Instance A LIFTING UP In case of WEAK GRACE Serm. V PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 2 SOmtimes the Discouragements of the Saints do arise from the weakness of their Graces O! saies one I am a poor feeble and a weak Creature some are strong in the Lord and in the power of his Might who do a great deal of Service for God in their day but as for me I am a poor Babe in Christ if a Babe and so am able to do little or nothing for God Therefore I am thus discouraged and cast down have I not just cause and reason for it Answ No For God is able to make all Grace to abound towards you that ye alwaies having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good Work 2 Cor. 9.8 And if God have recompenced your weakness with Wisdom then surely you have no cause to complain of your weakness Admonemur nullam creaturam propter parvitatem contemnendam esse quando qui dem quod illis in
sate under the means yet you have no just cause and reason for Discouragement for though you may be weak in regard of others yee you may be strong in regard of your former self and be more strong in the Lord and in the power of his might than you have been heretofore And to cleer that Consider The more extensive a mans Obedience is unto Gods Commandements the more he is grown in Grace Weak Christians are much in some Duties and therein they are most intense but little or nothing in others and as they grow in Grace so their hearts are dilated and extended unto other Duties The more exact and accurate a man is in Duty the more he doth grow in Grace and the more he grows in Grace the more exact and accurate he doth grow in his Duty He that writes better than he did before doth not write more Paper or make more Letters only he doth write more exactly and accurately So the gâ—own Christian doth not perform more duties than he did before but the same more exactly The more a man sees and understands his Christian Liberty and yet doth walk more strictly the more he doth grow in Grace Some think they grow in Grace because they have more understanding in their Christian liberty though they do walk more loosly these are deceived in their spiritual growth but if I know my Christian liberty more fully and now do walk more strictly in my life then do I grow in Grace indeed Now is it not thus with you yes through Grace I am able to say That I see my Christian liberty more than I did heretofore and yet I am morâ— strict in my life though I cannot yet pray as I would and hear as I would and perform duty as I would yet I do perform my duties with more exactness than formerly and though I have not so much affection as I had in this or that work of God yet now I find that I am more dilated and my obedience is more extended and extensive unto Gods waies and Commandements than before Then though you are stil weak in regard of others yet you are grown stronger in regard of your former self and therefore certainly you have no just cause or reason to be discouraged in this regard Quest But suppose that I am yet but weak in Grace and Temptations or discouragements press in upon me in regard of the weakness of my Grace what shal I do that I may be able to bear up my heart against those discouragements Answ 1 Then consider what a great charge God the Father hath given to Christ of those that are weak Isa 42.1 Behold my servant whom I uphold mine Elect in whom my soul delighteth I have put my spirit upon him c. but why vers 3. A bruised Reed shal he not break and the smoaking Flax shal not he quench This is my Charge saith the Father which I give to my Son And upon this account he came into the world That those who have life might have it in abundance and for this cause he did die for us Rom. 5.6 For when we were yet without strength in due time or according to the time that is the time appointed by the Father Christ died for the ungodly Answ 2 Consider also what charge our Savior Christ did give unto his Apostles and in them to al the Ministers of the Gospel concerning those that are weak in Grace Peter Peter said our Savior Lovest thou me then feed my sheep And again Lovest thou me then feed my lambs And again thirdly Lovest thou me feed my lambs Have a care of those that are weak in Grace Al the time that Christ lived upon Earth he went about doing good healing al sicknesses and diseases and condescending to the weaknesses of men One comes to him and thought to have stollen her cure yet Christ did bear with her Another comes and puts an If upon his wil Lord If thou wilt thou canst make me clean And he did bear with him Another comes and puts an If upon his power Lord If thou canst do any thing c. Yet Christ did yeild to him And when he left the world then he charges his Apostles with the weak Saints Feed my Lambs and again Feed my Lambs Answ 3 Consider also what a great mercy it is to have a little Grace though it be but a little For though you have never so little Grace yet if you have Grace in truth you have union with Christ you have communion with the Father you have your own nature taken away and are partakers of the divine nature you have a right and title unto al the promises yea unto al the Ordinances yea unto al the Creatures Your afflictions are not curses the curse is taken out of every cross you have an interest in al that Christ hath done and suffered you are made partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light an inheritance uncorruptible undefiled that fadeth not away you have God for your Portion Christ for your Savior the Spirit for your Comforter Heaven for your Inheritance the Angels for your Guard and all the Creatures in the Earth under your feet this and all this you have though you have never so little Grace and can you read over al this Inventory of mercies and sit discouraged in the midst of them Answ 4 Yet if al this wil not prevayl in the time of your Temptation think with your self and consider seriously How much you shal weaken your self yet more and more by your discouragements in this kind Al discouragements weaken humiliation weakens not the greatest humiliation doth not weaken but the least discouragement doth upon what account soever Now if al discouragements do weaken then what an unreasonable thing is it for me to be discouraged at the sight of my weakness but so it is that discouragements even from the sight of our own weakness do yet more and more weaken surely therefore it is an unreasonable thing for a man to be discouraged at the sight of his own weakness wherefore lift up your hands O! ye Saints and be ye lift up O! ye drooping souls Wee aâ—e commanded ye may read our Commission Isa 35.3 To strengthen the weak hands and to confirm the feeble knees and to say to them that are of a fearful spirit be strong fear not And if it be our duty to say and speak thus then it is your duty to encourage your self in the Lord and to say to your self be strong O my soul and fear not Be thankful for your little and in due time you shal have much labor also for much yet be content with little even with little Grace if God wil have it so And thus I have done with the Second Instance A LIFTING UP In case of MISCARRIAGE OF DUTIES Serm. VI PSALM 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my Soul Stepney May 14. 1648. and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 3
Threatening may be repealed then you have no cause to fear in this respect Now a Threatening is therefore given that it may not be fulfilled Joshuah knew this so well that he professeth to the Lord That therefore he fled to Tarshish because saith he O Lord I knew that thou art a merciful God As if he should say I knew O Lord thou art so merciful a God that though thou hast threatened Nineveh yet thou wilt reverse thy Threatening But a Promise once given unto a soul shal never be reversed or repealed It may rise up to an Oath as somtimes it doth for when God gives a Promise to a soul and opposition ariseth if then God gives out the same Promise again it amounts to an Oath As I live saith the Lord I will never reverse this Promise that I have made to thee But a Promise once given shal never be reversed or reâ—ealed Gal. 3. you have the case that is now before you Saith Paul at verse 15. I speak after the manner of men though it be but a mans Covenant yet if it be confirmed no man disanulleth or addeth thereunto Now to Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made And therefore saith the Apostle the Promise shall not be disanulled although the Law came after the Promise But if the Promise that the Lord gave to Abraham was not disanulled by the Law that came four hundred and thirty years after verse 17. Wherefore then serves the Law Verse 19 he tels you It was added because of transgression So now say you If that the Promise that God hath given heretofore be not disanulled and made void by the Threatening that follows after wherefore then was the Law or the Threatening given unto my soul It was added because of transgression God had some transgression of yours to discover unto you that you did not think of and therefore the Threatening and the Law came after But the Promise is quite out of sight and I have lost it And did not the Jews also lose the sight of the Promise which was given to Abraham When the Lord gave the Law and they stood quaking and trembling before Mount Sinai did not they then lose the sight of the Promise that was given to Abraham So say I although thou hast lost the sight of the Promise that once thou hadst and a threatening be come in the room of it the Promise that was once given thee it may be four hundred and thirty daies ago or many years ago shal never be disanulled or reversed And the reason is this Because God doth not repent in the matter of the Gospel Ye read in Scripture that God is said somtimes to repent It repented the Lord that he made man somtimes it is said that the Lord doth not repent I am not a man that I should repent How are these two reconciled God doth repent and God doth not repent Thus to our present Purpose God repents as to the matter of the Threatening but God never repents as to the matter of the Promise God repents as to the matter of the Threatening and therefore saith the Lord to Jeremiah I am weary of my repenting I have threatened and threatened and I am weary of threatening Here God repented as to the matter of the threatening but God never repents as to the matter of the Promise And therefore saith the Apostle in Rom. 11. The Gifts and Calling of God are without Repentance And the Promise is a great Gift So then as to the matter of the Promise God doth never repent Wherefore poor soul hast thou a Promise given thee may be five years ago may be ten years ago may be twenty years ago and hast thou lost the sight of this Promise and instead of the Promise is there a Threatening come upon thy soul that makes thy heart quake and tremble I here tell thee from the Lord the Promise that was once given unto thee though now thou hast lost the sight of it shall never be repealed or recalled O! what matter of incouragement is here is here matter of discouragements nay rather here is matter of great incouragement Object O! but yet this is not my case I do not only want Assurance of Gods love but I have Assurance of Gods displeasure I do not only want Assurance of my Salvation but I have Assurance of my damnation I do not only want the testimony of the spirit bearing witness with my spirit that I am the child of God but I have another testimony within my soul beaâ—ing witness to me that I am a reprobate and have I not cause to be discouraged Answ 1 No not yet for it may be you look upon the back-side of Gods dispensation if we look upon the face of Gods dispensation we see his love and good pleasure but if we look on the backside thereof we conclude nothing but anger displeasure It may be it is so with you in this case But Answ 2 Secondly If you find no such testimony of reprobation as you speak of in al the scripture then you have no reason to fear or to be discouraged in this respect now search the scripture and you shal not find in al the word any ground for such a testimony of reprobation We read indeed of Francis Spira notorious for his despair when his friends came to comfort him having spake comfortable words unto him That he said why go ye about to comfort me comfort belongs not to me for I am a reprobate O! said one of his friends do not say so for none are able to say so yes said he as the elect of God have a spirit within them bearing witness that they are the children of God so reprobates have another spirit bearing witness with their spirits that they are not the children of God but the children of Satan and such a spirit of reprobation have I. But my beloved if there be such a spirit or a testimony of reprobation as this is either it must be from the spirit of God or from the spirit of Satan if from the spirit of Satan then he is a lyer not to be beleeved if it be from the spirit of God how doth it suit with the word for the spirit of God is called the Comforter can such a spirit of reprobation come from the comforter and if you have such a testimony as this is either you must have it from the word or from the spirit of God alone without the word if from the word then from the threatening for it is not from the promise nor from the command if from the threatening a threatening may be repealed a threatening may be reversed as you have heard and if you have it from the spirit of the Lord how can it be that the spirit should be called a Comforter surely therefore if you have such a spirit of reprobation in your bosom it is from Satan and he is a Lyer But my beloved I wil in this appeal to you
never have a Promise take heed you do not say I shall never be Comforted take heed you do not say I shal never have the Testimony of the Spirit bearing witness with my Spirit that I am the Child of God do not say thus I shal never be helped I am in a sad condition and I shal never be better I am in an uncomfortable condition and I shal never be comforted I want Assurance and I shall never have Assurance Beloved this ye cannot say for who knows what God will do whose waies are in the deep and whose foot-steps are not known You know how it is with a sick person If the Physitian come and tels him there is hope of life then his heart dies not but if the Physitian saith to him Sir you are in a great and dangerous Feaver and I would wish you to settle your Estate and look out for comfort for your soul for the truth is you will never be recovered then his heart dies So here take a poor soul that wants Assurance If he saith there is hope that I may be assured he is not discouraged but if he saith I have no Assurance and I shall never have it then he is quite discouraged it is this word Never that doth discourage O! I shal never be encouraged and I shall never have Assurance and I shall never have the Testimony of Gods Spirit Take heed that you do not say I shall never be Assured that is a Temptation take heed of the word Never in this case Answ 5 Fiftly and lastly Carry this for a Rule with you and remember it much That the less Assurance you have the more precious your obedience may be and the more kindly God may take it at your hands It is no great matter for a man to write and to work by the Day light or Candle light but for a man to write or to work in the dark is hard So here it is no great matter comparatively for a man to pray and to work spiritually while he is in the light but for a poor soul to pray and to work towards God and to be obedient when he is in the dark and hath no Assurance of the Love of God is somthing I confess indeed that the more Assurance you have the more full your Obedience will be but the less Assurance you have the more ingenuous may be your Obedience I say The more full your Assurance is the more full and large your Obedience will be but the less Assurance you have the more ingenuous your Obedience may be Every Child will serve his Father for his Portion and for his Inheritance but when a Child shall doubt of his Fathers Love yea when a Child shall conclude and say I know that my Father will dis-inherit me I know that my Father will bestow nothing upon me yet I will serve him because he is my Father will not all men say Here is ingenuity indeed in this Child So between God and you It is good for a Christian to be obedient at all times and the more Assurance you have the more you are bound to obey but doth thy soul fear that God will dis-inherit thee and yet doest thou say However it be I will obey God for he is my Father though I cannot see him yet wil I serve him and though I have no Comfort from God yet will I be obedient to him for it is my Duty he is my Father The Lord will take this kindly at thine hands and what thou wantest in the largeness shal be made up in the ingenuity of thine Obedience Wherefore then doest thou want Assurance of the Love of God Comfort thy self with this and say within thine own soul well though I do want Assurance I hope through Grace I am in some measure Obedient and the less Assurance I haâ—e the more kindly God takes my Obedience at my hand and therefore why should I be discouraged or cast down Think and think often of this Rule and it will help you to be obedient and bear up your hearts also in the want of Assurance And thus I have done with the Fourth Instance A LIFTING UP In case of TEMPTATION Sermon VIII PSALM 42.11 Stepney May 28. 1648. Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me c. Instance 5. SOmetimes the Discouragements of the Saints are drawn From their Temptations And thus they Argue with themselves I am a poor Creature that hath labored under many Temptations never any so tempted as I have been These two three four five six or many yeers that I have lyen under these Temptations and no relief comes no help comes have I not reason then to be discouraged and cast down Answ No No reason yet I grant That the least Temptations are great Afflictions for the more a man is unfitted by Affliction for Gods Service either in doing good or receiving good the worser and more heavy is that Affliction to a gracious Spirit Now though God doth so over-rule the Temptations of his People that they receive good thereby as appeareth afterward yet the Temptation in it self doth indispose a man unto what is good The more a man is tempted unto what is evil the more a man is hindred from what is good It is an Affliction to a gracious heart to be conflicting fighting and combating with a man but in Temptations we do combate and conflict immediately with Satan who is the Prince of the Air with Principalities and Powers with that evil One who for his devouring Nature is called a Lyon for his Cruelty is called a Dragon and for his subtilty an old Serpent and in every Temptation a poor soul goes into the field with Satan and fights a Duel with him Satan hath saith Christ to Peter desired you in which Duel and Combat a man doth not miscarry for this present Life barely but if he miscarry he miscarries to all Eternity he dies is killed and slain to all Eternity O! what a mighty hazard doth a poor soul â—un in every Temptation The Chast and good Woman counts it an Affliction to her so long as she lives if she be but once violenced if a filthy person meet her in the field and violence her though she do not consent unto him she wrings her hands and saith I am undone for ever Now these Temptations are the Solicitations of an unclean Spirit and what though a man do not consent unto them yet thereby his soul suffers violence O! saith a gracious soul what though I do not consent yet what an infinite misery is it to be thus abused defiled and violenced by these Temptations The more any affliction doth seize on soul and body the greater it is it is Comfort in a Family that the Wife is well when the Husband is sick or that the Husband is well when the Wife is down where both are down at once it is a sad Family indeed So though the Soul be
now from home and travelling 〈…〉 a strange Countrey and do you think it is possible 〈◊〉 â—ould it not be a wonder that meeting with so many cross waiâ—s you should never be at a stand about your Condition or question your way whether you be right or no Give me leave to propound you a Parable Suppose two men one goes very brave fares deliciously is very merry and full of money yet hath no Lands no Calling nothing left him no friends to maintain him nor no honest way known to bring him in money and yet he is full of it The other works hard fares meanly goes plainly and he is oft complaining I fear I shal want and miscarry yet he hath a Calling some Land good Friends and some Money Which of these two think you doth come most honestly by his Money Will you not all say the latter For though he hath but little yet he works hath a Lawful Calling waies known for to bring it in But as for the other though fine brave and looks high yet he hath nothing to bring it in I sear he comes not well by it So Spiritually there are two sorts of People in the world One that is very confident of his Salvation and full of Comfort yet he prayeth not in private reads not meditates not examineth not his own heart takes no pains about his soul but is often spending keeping ill company will be somtimes drunk swear and be unclean yet he is very confident he shall go to Heaven The other praies hears reads meditates walketh with all strictness in his life and conversation yet he is alwaies doubting and fearing but through Grace he hath some Comfort Which of these two think you is in the best condition and comes most honestly by his Comfort Will you not say surely the latter for though he fears yet he is alwaies doing working Heaven-ward The other though confident and ful of Comforts hath no good way for to bring them in and therefore surely his Evidence for Heaven is stolen his Comforts are all stolen But as for the other though he hath but little Comfort yet he comes truly by it Thus it may be with you whilst others swaggering it and braving it out with their Comfort and false Confidence go to Hell and perish everlastingly It is a sure Rule That Gods Promise of Mercy doth suppose our Misery if he promise health he supposeth our sickness if he promise Grace it supposeth our sin Now though in the times of the old Testament God promised much outward Blessing yet in the times of the new Testament the Mercy promised is To send the Comforter the Spirit who shall bear witness unto our Spirits that we are the Children of God often our Savior saith I wil send the Comforâ—â— Why but to show that in the times of the Gospel the People of God shall labor under doubtings and be full of fears about their Spiritual estate and therefore though you do doubt of your Child-ship which is your evil yet your state herein is no other than what may be the state and condition of Gods own People in these Gospel times why therefore should you be discouraged in this respect Object 3 But I do not only doubt of my Child-ship I am not only tempted to doubt whether I be the Child of God or no but I labor under sad and searful temptations I am tempted to strange and horrid things such as I fear to name I am even tempted to make away my self tempted with blasphemous thoughts to doubt whether there be a God or no whether the Scripture be true and to say that I have sinned against the holy Ghost such and such things I am tempted to as my very soul and flesh doth tremble at and have I not just cause and reason now to be discouraged and cast down Answ I confess this is sad indeed I do not read in Scripture though I read of many sins of the Godly that ever any Godly man did make away himself It is a good Speech of Austin Sibi auferendo presentem vâ—tam abnegant futuram Men by taking away their present life deâ—â— themselves their future life But because saith Mr. Perkins 〈…〉 â—one this whose lives have been counted honest 〈…〉 â—ly therefore my Sentence is thus I dare not 〈…〉 damned because of their former life and I dare not say they are saved because of their sinful death yet for the Temptation it self I say if it do not come to act as there is no Duty which a Godly man doth perform but a wicked man may do the same yet remain wicked so there is no Temptation which a wicked man may yield unto but a godly man may be tempted unto yet remain godly was not Christ himself tempted by Satan to throw himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple yet he did it not Only my Counsel and Advice from the Lord is If any be troubled with such a Temptation be sure you reveal it and discover it presently and as for those horrid blasphemous suggestions which lie so heavy upon your souls which make your heart and flesh to tremble at the rising of them Ye have read how it was with the King of Moab when he could not break through the Hoast of Israel nor make them cease from following the Victory he presented unto their view a horrible Spectacle sacrificing on the walls his own dear Son and Heir to the Crown that so the Israelites being not able to endure the view of that inhumane sight might give over the Victory Thus doth Satan do when he cannot drive a gracious soul out of the field any other way then he presenteth such horrid inhumane suggestions to him that he may scare him from the good waies of God it is not in our power to hinder Satan from presenting these things to our thoughts When you come into wicked ungodly and prophane Company if they wil swear and curse and blaspheme you cannot hinder them from speaking nor your self from hearing you may sit down and mourn saying O! what Blasphemy is here what Cursing is here but do what you can they will fill your Ears with these things Now Satan being a Spirit he is able to present these Blasphemies to your Spirits and you cannot hinder it you may cry out and say O! what Blasphemy is here O! what a burden is this to my soul But he can present them to you whether you wil or not and did he not present these things unto Christ himself All these things will I give thee saith he if thou wilt fall down and worship me what greater Blasphemy can be imagined than that the God of Heaven and Earth as Christ was should worship Satan yet hereunto he did tempt our Lord and Savior And if our God doth so order the Temptations of his Children as that thereby they are kept from sin have they any reason to be discouraged now by these horrid Temptations Many a man is kept from
it self We read of Saul indeed That when he was forsaken he cryed out and said God hath forsaken me the Philistims are upon me God hath forsaken me but it is in order to an outward evil the Philistims are upon me But the Saints when they are forsaken are sensible of this evil simply for it self and think the time long and tedious when they are so forsaken O Lord saith David how long wilt thou hide thy face from me what for ever But I say Was ever man forsaken was ever man quite forsaken of God that was sensible of this evil only and simply for it self Fourthly Did you ever read in al the Word of God That ever a man was finally forsaken who was tender in the point of sin who sate mourning after God We read in the Romans That when God gave up the Gentiles to their sins they gave up themselves unto al uncleanness and were past feeling The Saints and People of God on the contrary in the time of their Desertion are tender in the point of sin and they mourn after God When was a man ever forsaken whose heart was in this frame Fiftly Did you ever read that Christ did finally forsake a man in whose heart and soul stil he did leave his Goods Furniture and Spiritual Houshold-stuff A man somtimes goes from home and somtimes he doth quite leave his house There is much difference between those two If a man leave his house and comes no more then he carries away all his goods and when ye see them carried away ye say this man wil come no more But though a man ride a great Journey yet he may come again and ye say surely he wil come again why Because still his Goods Wife and Children are in his House So if Christ reject a man and go away finally he carries away all his Goods Spiritual Gifts Graces and Principles But though he be long absent yet if his Houshold-stuff abide in the heart if there be the same desires after him and delight in him and admiring of him and mourning for want of him ye may say surely he wil come again Why Because his Houshold-stuff is here still When did Christ ever forsake a man in whose heart he left this Spiritual Furniture Sixtly Did ye ever know a man finally forsaken of Christ who did long after the presence of Christ as the greatest good and looked upon his absence as the greatest evil and affliction in all the world being willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ and to serve him in the lowest and meanest condition so he might but enjoy him We find that the Saints desire above all things to be kist with the kisses of Christs mouth and therefore the Book of the Camicles doth so begin chap. 2. ver 1. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth even because that is the first and the chiefest of the Saints desires in this Life but if Christ wil not kiss me with the kisses of his mouth saith a gracious soul yet I am willing to kiss his feet as Mary did There is a time a coming when he wil kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for ever but for the present if I can but kiss his feet here I have hope to be kissed by him in Heaven Now I say Did Christ ever forsake a man finally who did thus long after Christ himself Can those that are forsaken mourn after his presence as the best thing and for his absence as the greatest evil in al the world I appeal to your own Souls and Bosoms herein whoever you are that labor under this fear that Christ is gone and he wil return no more suppose that God hath hid his face from you seems to forget you and to be angry with you yet in the midst of all these darknesses Do you find an evil Spirit an envious malicious Spirit from the Lord seizing upon you Do you find that you can find in your heart to forsake God and the good Waies of God Yea rather do you not find the contrary though you want the sence of Gods Love Have you not the sence of your own sin and when you want the sence of your own perfection have you not some sence of your own imperfection Don't you look upon this Desertion as the greatest Affliction in al the world Can you not mourn after God and his Presence Doth not Christ every foot send in one token of his Love or another to visit your souls And are you not willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ O yes I must needs say though I have fears that Christ is gone and wil return no more yet I praise the Lord I do not find an envious malicious persecuting Spirit in my soul unto the Saints and People of God I don't find that my heart is willing to forsake Christ and the good waies of Christ But I find that I can mourn for the absence of Christ simply for it self and look upon it as the greatest affliction in the world That I am ever willing to kiss the feet of Jesus Christ And to be in the lowest and meanest Condition so he would but return unto my soul again Yea and I must needs say That every foot I receive one token or other one Promise or another to visit me in my condition Then be of good comfort though Christ be absent yet he wil return again and with great mercy and with everlasting kindness wil he gather your souls unto himself again and thus I say it shal be with all the Saints Surely therefore they have no reason for their Discouragements whatever their Desertions be Why therefore should not every one say Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Quest Vpon all this account I see I have not so much reason for my Discouragement but it is an hard thing to bear up ones heart from sinking in the time of Desertion when God hides his face What shall I do then and this may be the condition of us all that I may bear up my heart against this Discouragement even when I am most in the dark and Christ hides his face from me or forsakes me Answ 1 First Take heed that ye don't measure Gods eternal Affection by some present Dispensation There is an Eternal Displeasure against a man and there is a present Displeasure with a man Eternal Displeasure or hatred cannot stand with Eternal Love but Eternal Love and present Displeasure may stand together A Father may be displeased with the Child for the present and yet may love him with Paternal Love So God may and doth love though for the present displeased But when men measure Eternal Affection by present Dispensation then they are quite discouraged and you will find all Discouragements in this case do arise from hence Some there are that do walk by particular Providences Experiences Words Manifestations and In-comes of Love and when they have them then
Callâ—ng and your Elâ—ction sure As for Universal Redemption ye â—ust know That Christ did indeed die for all men but it 's no where said That he died for all the particular men of the world with intention to save them which is the thing in question but that he died for all that is both Jew and Gentile is very true and if ye look into Scripture and observe how when and upon what occasion this Speech came in you will easily see this is the meaning of it In the times of the old Testament Christ is not said to die for all but he bare the sins of many Esai 53. not of all but of many and so whilst Christ lived preaching only to the Jews and commanding his Disciples not to go into the way of the Gentiles it 's said He gave himself a ransom for many not for all but for many but when the Apostles preached to the Gentiles then it 's said indeed and not before That Christ died for all Why Because they held forth Christ to the Gentile as wel as to the Jew And therefore if ye look into 1 Tim. 2. you shal find That whereas the Apostle had said verse 4. Who would have all men to be saved and ver 5.6 Foâ— there is one Mediator who gave himself a ransom for all He explains this in regard of the Gentiles verse 7. Whereunto I am ordained a Preacher and an Apostle a Teacher of the Gentiles and thus it is a reason why they should pray for all even for the Heathen Magistrates ver 1. And to the same purpose doth the Apostle John speak Epist 1. Chap. 2. Ver â— And he speaking of Christ is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the whol world not for the sins of the whol World as oâ—r Translation gives it But as the Greek Trem. et Bod. et non pro nostris tantum sed etiam pro totius mundi nequaquam hanc ' interpretationem fert phrasis verto ergo et non pro nobis tantum sed etiam pro toto mundo sic et Arabs c. porro usitatum est Hebrais totum mundum dicere pro certa universitate quorundum de quibus in subjecta materia agitur c. Ludov. de dien In Joan. 1.2 and the ancient Syriack renders it for the whol world but why and how is Christ the Propitiation for the whol World What is Christ the Propitiation for every particular man in the World No but the whol World is opposed to the Jews unto whom he wrote for to the beleeving scattered Jews did he now write as appears by the Title of this Epistle called an Epistle General which Title only those Epistles of James Jude and Peter have which were written to the scattered Jews 1 Pet. 1. 1 James 1.1 So that in this sense it is true Christ died for all that is for the Jew and Gentile but that he died for every particular man in the world with intention to save him is no where to be found in the Scripture As for the comfortableness of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption whereas it 's said That it is Conducible to the comfort of such as are afflicted and troubled in Spirit If this Doctrine of Universal Redeâ—ption be indeed an Enemy to the comfort of a poor doubting afflicted soul Joannes qui natione Judaeus erat ne existimaretur docuisse pro Judaeis tantum Christum propitiationem esse quando dixit est propitiatio pro peccatis nostris adjecit pro totius etiam mundi peccatis ut etiam Gentes significareâ— Cyrill L. 11. Cap. 19. then you have no reason to be discouraged in regard of this Objection or of your own Condition in this respect Now to cleer that take these Four or Five Arguments Arg. 1. That Doctrine which doth enervate or make void the Satisfaction of Christ for actual sins cannot be a friend but a great enemy to the faith and comfort of a poor doubting and afflicted soul for he is especially troubled for his actual sins and the great comfort that he hath lieth in this That Christ hath satisfied for them Now what saith the Doctrine of Universal Redemption to the Satisfaction of Christ for actual sins It plainly tels us that a man may be and thousands are damned for those very sins which Christ hath satisfied for and it must needs â—ay so for if Christ died for all the particular men in the world then all the particular men in the world may be saved and if they may be saved then Christ did bear their actual sins on the Cross or else a mans sins may be pardoned which Christ did not bear on the Cross and if Christ did bear the actual sins of all the Particular men in the world then those that are damned must be damned for those very sins which Christ did bear and satisfie for or else they are not damned for them But men are not only damned for their final unbelief but for sins against the Law for the Law is made for the ungodly and Rom. 2.12 As many as have sinned without Law shall also perish without Law And because of these things saith the Apostle speaking of actual sins against the Law the wrath of God cometh upon the Children of disobedience Now if men be damned for their actual sins against the Law and Christ have born them on the Cross and satisfied for them then men are damned for those very sins which Christ hath satisfied for and if so then what is this but to enervate and make void the satisfaction of Christ If you pay a debt and afterward be thrown into prison for the same debt doth not the imprisonment make void the satisfaction of your payment Yet thus now it is according to the Principles of this Doctrine of Universal Redemption surely therefore that Doctrine is no friend but a great enemy to the faith and comfort of a poor doubting and afflicted foul Arg. 2 The Intercession of Christ in conjunction with the Death of Christ is a great Pillar of our Christian Consolation Rom. 8.33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect Ver. 34. Who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who shall separate us from the Love of God c. So that our comfort is not only laid on the Death of Christ nor on the Intercession of Christ alone but upon the connexion of these two together And indeed what comfort would the Jews have in the bare Sacrifice if the High-Priest did not take the Blood thereof and carry it into the Holy Place sprinkling the Mercy-Seat for them whom the Sacrifice was offered for But according to this Doctrine of Universal Redemption the Intercession of Christ is parted from his Death for though it tel you that Christ died for all yet it tels you that he
I say trust in the Lord first before you do work at all Answ 5 Fiftly If you would trust in the Lord so as you may not be discouraged what ever your Condition be Then trust in the Lord Jesus Christ in the first place before you trust in the Promise Christs Blood is the great and first Object of our Faith In times of the old Testament they came to Christ by the Promise because Christ was not then come but promised now Christ is come we come to the Promises by Christ Yet mistake not there is a Promise of Christ and a soul must come to Christ in that Promise But I speak of particular words and Promises Some wil not trust in Christ unless they have this or that particular word set upon their hearts and spirits and so indeed do rather rest on the bare letter of the Word or the sence and impression that is made upon the soul by the setting on of the Promise But al the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Christ therefore is first and if a man doth trust in the Promise first and so go unto Christ afterward then when he wants a particular Word or a Promise he wil not trust in Christ but be quite discouraged But when a man doth trust in the Lord Christ first and in particular Promises afterwards then though a particular Promise doth not shine forth yet his Faith lives and he is not diâ—couraged wherefore venture upon Jesus Christ first and then upon the Promise as given unto thee by the hand of Christ Answ 6 Sixtly if you would so trust in the Lord as you may not be discouraged whaâ—â—â—er your Condition be Then if ever it pleaseth the Lord to give our a Promise to you never let it go but hold it fast although you see nothing but the contrary unto the thing promised This was Abrahams case the Lord gave Abraham a Promise but Abraham saw the contrary to the thing promised yet Abraham did not dispute the Promise he did not stagger at the Promise and say Surely the Lord hath not given me this Promise it â—â—s but a delusion and I was deceived No but Abraham stil beâ—â—s up to the Promise and doth not dispute or stagger at the same So must you do likewise if ever the Lord give out a Promise to you hold it keep it never let it go although you do see the contrary Object O! but this is hard work indeed and if I should do so I fear that I should presume and that I should tempt the Lord What! trust in the Lord when there is no means in view yea when I see the contrary unto the thing promised I would do it but I fear I should presume and tempt the Lord. Answ Tempt the Lord say ye Dost thou know what it is for to tempt the Lord It is said oâ— the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and said Is God amongst us And when thou sayest after al the experience of Gods preâ—ence with thee Is God with me Is hot this rather for to tempt the Lord It is said of the Children of Israel That they tempted the Lord and limited the Holy One of Israel and when you limit God and say I shal never receive this Mercy for now I do see the contrary Is not this rather for to tempt the Lord Properly and according to Scripture Phrase to tempt the Lord is to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust and therefore if you look into Psal 78. you shal find that these two go together at verse 18. They tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their Lust To put God upon a work for the satisfying of ones Lust is indeed to tempt the Lord Every putting God upon a tryal is not a tempting God but to put God upon a tryal for the satisfying of ones lust this is to tempt the Lord And therefore it is said the wicked Jews came to our Savior Christ tempting him and saying Shew us a sign Gideon desired a sign and yet he did not tempt the Lord Why Because he did not desire a sign to satisfie his Lust but to strengthen his Faith But now these Jews came and desired a sign to satisfie their Lust and therefore saith our Savior Christ unto them Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation How comes the word Adulterous in there Why look as it is with a woman that is nâ—ught filthy and unworthy her Husband sending a Message to her and warning her to take heed of such Company when the Messenger comes I doubt saith she whether you come from my Husband or no and what sign have you that you come from my Husband she knows that he comes from her Husband but because she may go on in her sin she asketh a sign How may I know that you come from my Husband So it was with these wicked Jews they asked a sign that so they might go on in their sins whereupon our Savior saith Ye wicked and Adulterous Generation But now when a poor doubâ—ing fearing trembling soul shal desire to beleeve and would fain have some token from the Lord to strengthen his Faith he is not Adulterous then nor doth he tempt the Lord nor presume for is it presumption for a man to keep the Sabbath day No Why Because it is commanded Is it presumption for a Child to obey his Parents No Why Because it is commanded So it is commanded for a soul to beleeve when al comforts are out of sight and when he sees nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised Presumption properly is the taking of a thing before it 's given or offered But in this case the Promise is given and therefore no presumption for to hold it fast There is a Two-fold Preâ—umption which you read of in Scripture One whereby men do rest upon their own Workâ— for Salvation without Christ So the Jews did and therein they presumed of mercy before it was given unto them Another whereby men do as they think or in their way rest on Christ for Salvation and yet live without Works and Obâ—dience and therein they preâ—â—me also because they take mercy â—hen it 's not given them Eâ—â— if I râ—â—l on the Promise or on Chrâ—st that I may be made the more holy doing what I can to be fruitful in every good work yet resting upon Christ for al this is no presumption Why Because I do not take mercy before it is offered and though I hold the Promise fast when I see nothing but what is contrary to the thing promised yet this is no presumption Why Because I do what 's commanded For saies the Apostle Let them that suffer according to the Will of God commâ—â— the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as unto a Faithful Creator Now Creation-Work is out of nothing it is light out of darkness Yet thus are we commanded to commit our souls unto God and therefore though al fail and
this Work I wil admire and though I cannot reach it yet I wil not blaspheme and â—peak against it And if heretofore Christian thou hast found God breathing upon thy heart in any Ordinance publick or private Hinc discimus quantopere nobis ab odio fratrum câ—â—ndum est quandoquidem eo sit ut quandoque odio hominis in ipsam Dei vâ—ritatem feramur precipites Cartw. Harm â—ag 357. or in any Way of God take heed as for thy life that thou dost never speak evil or blaspheme that way of God wherein thou hast sound the Spirit of God breathing This Sin is alwaies accompanied with invidentia fratrum with the envy of the Saints and therefore some have thought the Sin against the Holy Ghost did consist in it in the envying of the Saints but though that be not it yet that accompanies it Canst thou not find thy own heart rise to those heights of Graces that others do take heed you never envy the Saints lest you fal from envying those that are good to oppose Goodness it self which is the proper Work of the Holy Ghost And if indeed you would be kept from this great Transgression then take heed of al declinings and the steps thereof There are three steps as in our Conversion to God so in our Apostacy declining and going out from God Three steps in our coming in to God First a mans Affection is taken with that which is good Then his Judgment is convinced And then his Wilstrikes in and he resolves with al his heart and soul to cleave to the Lord for ever So in a mans Declining and going out from God First a mans Affection declines Then his Judgment alters I thought so and so indeed before but now I am of another mind And then it comes to his Will and he wil go on and let Parents say and Ministers say and Friends say what they wil yet he wil go on and that because he wil. Now saith the Apostle If any man sin wilfully after he hath received the knowledg of the Truth there remaineth no more Sacrifice for sin therefore as you desire to be kept from this great Transgression doth your Affections decline take heed your Judgment do not alter Doth your Judgment alter take heed that your Wil be not perverse O! take heed of al Declinings and the stepâ— thereof But finally Forsake not the Assembling of your selves together as the manner of some have been but as heretofore provoke one another to Love and good Works and so much the more as you see the day approaching and what I say to you I say to al and to mine own soul Let us breath after the Spirit and walk in the Spirit For there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit O! let us pray to God for his keeping Grace it is he alone that keeps us and the Lord keep al our souls from this great Transgression OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Wherein is shewed besides other things I. That a man may possibly fall into the same Sin again and again yet be a true Disciple II. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity III. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off By William Bridge Preacher of the Gospel at Yarmouth LONDON Printed by Peter Cole in Leaden-Hall and are to be sold at his Shop at the sign of the Printing-Press in Cornhil neer the Royal Exchange 1656. OF THE SIN OF INFIRMITY Matthew 26.43 Preached At Stepney And he came and found them asleep again for their eyes were heavy IN the Verses next precedent and consequent you may see the difference between the true and the false Disciple both sin'd but they differ in their sin and in the issue of it The true Disciple sleeps when he should have prayed and he slept again and again that was his sin for our Savior commanded them to watch and pray but Christ wakened them and would not leave them sleeping he came to them with his wakening mercy and they were awakened that was the issue of their sin But the false Disciple Judas was awake and he watched unto what was evil the good Disciple slept unto what was good and the false Disciple watched unto what was evil that was his sin For while Christ yet spake ver 17. Lo Judas one of the Twelve came and with him a great multitude with Swords and Staves from the chief Priests and Elders of the People Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he hold him fast and forthwith he came to Jesus and said Hail Master and kissed him This was his Sin wherein our Savior leaves him and doth not awaken him but suffered him to go on leading him forth with the Workers of iniquity That was the issue of his Sin In this 43. verse you have the true Disciples Sin and his Lords Grace his dealing by Christ and Christs dealing by him First He slept when he should have been at Prayer which Sin is described by the Cause thereof and by the Repetition of it The Cause of it in these words For their Eyes were heavy this sin therefore was a Sin of Infirmity a Sin of Weakness and so our Savior cals it verse 41. for saith he The Spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak The Repetition of this Sin you have in these words He found them asleep again Christ had wakened them before and commanded them to pray but they slept again and again thus did they deal by Christ Secondly But how did Christ deal by them he did not leave them in their Sin not cast them off as he did deal by Judas but he came to them again and as they slept again so Christ came again his waking Grace and Mercy was as high as their slumbring Sin they sin again and he comes again So that the Doctrine from the whol verse is this Doct. Though a man do sin again and again yet if his sin be a Sin of Infirmity Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off For the opening and cleering whereof Three things will fall under our Consideration 1. That a man may possibly fall into the same sin again and again yet be a true Disciple 2. That this Sin may be but a Sin of Infirmity 3. That being so Christ will not leave him in it but will come again and not cast him off First It is possible that a good man may fall into the same sin again and again I confess it is an Evil thing so to do and a great Evil In some respects it may be worser to fal into the same sin than to fall into others for this may more wast ones Peace and destroy the Assurance of Gods Love sins against Light do the most darken Now when we have repented
Deus vult à suo templo exulare Ita est sed ulterius addo quod vitrum quam expeâ—s est coloris propâ—ii tam facile refert alicnoâ— quibuscunque enim liquoribus imbuitur statim concolor efficitur sub hoc igitur typo voluit Deus à suo obsequio arcere eos omnes qui non servant unam vivendi rationem sed in diversâ— studia seruntur et nunc hos nunc illos mores imitantur Mendoza in Reg. 1. Cap. 1. pag. 300. what a blessed fâ—anâ—e of heart is this fixed Spirit Surely it is that Grace wherein God is much delighted An unsetled Soul God cares not for nor for any Work or Service that is done by him We read of hundreds and thousands of Vessels of Gold Silver and Brass that were in the Temple but not of one Crystal Glass or Vessel why so saith one but because that is of a brittle fragile and uncertain Nature which as it hath no color of its own so its apt to receive the color of any Liquor So iâ— an unsetled man and unconstant whom God cares not for in his Temple and Service Who cares for the Service of a Fool or regards the Prayers Desires or Pâ—titions of a Fool If a Fool knock earnestly at your door you say to your Servant Go not to the door it is the Fool that knocketh and if a Fool com and speak to you you regard not what he saith Now an unconstant unsetled Soul is a foolish Soul It is the property of a Fool to be alwaies a beginning he begins a good work and then he leaves it off then he begins another and he leaves off that Stultus semper incipit vivere the Fool doth alwaies begin to live And the same word in the Hebrew and Scripture Phrase that signifies an Unconstant man signifies a Fool 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 stultus insipiens varius mobilis levis inconstans and if ye look into Eccles 5. ye shal find that the Sacrifice of Fools is called so upon account of Unconstancy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Unsetledness for saies Solomon When thou vowest a Vow unto God defer not to pay it for he hath no pleasure in Fools pay that which thou hast vowed ver 4. And therefore if an unsetled man pray and knock at Gods door he wil say Let him alone regard him not 't is that unsetled Fool that unconstant Fool who is off and on to and fro in my Service God hath no pleasure in Fools and an unsetled unestablished soul is a Fool in Scripture Language surely therefore he is so in the eyes of God But if a man be fixed and established the Lord delighteth in him Ut venti in autumno arbores non tollunt sed folia secum in auras ferunt sic tristia leves tamen mentes movent fortes et in pietate firmas non evertunt Origen Homil. 13. in Numb Maximum malae mentis indicium sluctuatio Sen. and in al those Works and Services that are done by him Establishing Grace is a great Mercy 5. And it is also the Character of a good and gracious person whereby he is distinguished from the ungodly of the World A good man lives and dwelleth at the sign of a setled Conversation he is planted by the Rivers of Water Psal 1. the wicked are as the Chaff that are driven to and fro not setled not planted It is true indeed that a moral civil man may be naturally of a fixed Spirit serious staid and setled in his Moralities but though he be setled in what is Morally good yet he is also setled upon his Lees in what is Spiritually evil setled in prejudice against the Saints and against the Power of Godliness setled in his neglect of the Sabbath c. and though he be of a fixed Spirit and temper Naturally yet that fixation doth not arise to any high or great matter It 's an easie thing to cast up the Account truly Virtus est circa difficile bonum sed in parvis opeâ—ibus constantem esse non est difficile Aquin. where the Sum is smal Morality is a smal Sum. When did ye hear of a Boat cast away in the River the narrow Waters 'T is the Ship that puts to Sea that doth make the Shipwrack smal Boats seldom miscarry in the narrow Waters Now the Civil Moral man doth trade in the narrow Waters and he boasts that he doth not miscarry some make Shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience but as for me saith he I walk constantly evenly and these many yeers have made no Shipwrack of my Profession as others have done But I pray what is the reason He never put to Sea he never yet did lanch forth into the great Ocean of the Gospel he trades in the narrow Waters of his own Righteousness and therein he is exact and constant But now take a godly gracioâ—s man and he doth abound in the work of the Lord and ye◠〈◊〉 â—â—shed in it according to that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.58 Therefore my beloved Brethren be ye stedfast unmovable alwaies aâ—ounding in the Work of the Lord Why For as much as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Surely therefore it is a great Mercy and blessing to be setled in the Truth and established in the good Waies of God a Mercy for a Nation a Mercy for a Church a Mercy for a Particular Person to be thus established And therefore In the Second place It is worthy of al our Prayers which is the Second Part of the Doctrine for saith the Doctrine It is a great Blessing and worthy of all our Prayers to be setled and established in the good Waies of God First It is that Mercy Grace and Blessing which we al need Man in his best estate or according to the Hebrew Expression Man in his most consistent and setled estate is altogether vanity Man at the best is a poor wavering and unsetled Creature yea saith the Scripture God saw no stability in his Angels and therfore if we do naturally labor under such instability we have al need to pray and to pray much for this Grace of Establishment Secondly It is God only who doth give out this Grace it belongs unto him alone to establish Nations Churches and Persons 1. He is able to establish those who do come to him for it Rom. 16.25 Now to him that is of power to establish you c. 2. He is willing to do it 2 Thes 3.3 But the Lord is Faithful who will establish you and keep you from evil 3. He is engaged to do it for he hath promised to do it as hath beâ—n proved already and it is his Prerogative 2 Cor. 1.21 Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God As for a Land or Nation it is the Lord alone tâ—at doth settle it He looseth the Girdles of Princes and maketh them to wander or stagger
like a drunken man Job 12.25 Again He girdeth their Loynâ— with a Girdle verse 18. He speaketh the word and it standeth fast who said to Solomon and so to al the Princes of the Earth If thou wilt walk before me in integrity of heart and in uprightness to do according to all that I have commanded thee and wilt keep my Statute â—and my Judgments then I will establish the Throne of thy 〈◊〉 as upon Israel for ever 1 Kings 9.4 5. As for a Church it is â—e alone who doth settle and establish it Psal 87 â—â— â—â—â—â—â—d of Zion it shall be said this and that man was born in her and the Highest himself shal establish her And as for a â—â—â—icuâ—â— person â—t is God alone that doth settle him both in hâ—â—â—â—â—wâ—rd and Spiritual Condition In his outward Condition Prâ—â— 15.25 The Lord â—â—ll destroy the House of the proud â—ut he will estâ—blâ—sh the â—â—rder of the Widdow And in his Spâ—â—iuaâ— Estâ—â— and Condition 2 Thes 2.17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ hâ—â—â—elf and God our Father comfort your heart saith the Apostle and establâ—sh you in every good word and Work and Psal 90.17 the Psalmist doth address himself unto God for this saâ—ing Establish thou the Work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And if it be so great a Blessing to be thus setled and established if we have so great need of establishing Grace and it belongs unto God alone to work it then surely it is not only a matter worthy of our Prayer but our Duty also to say and pray with the Psalmist Stabâ—ish thou O Lord the work of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it And thus you have the Doctrine cleered in the Parts thereof If it be so great a Mercy and Blessing to be setled fixed Applicat and established in the Truth and good Waies of God then what cause have al thoâ—e that me now established to praise the Lord and say I was a poor unsetled person but through Grace I am now setled The more unto lâ—d the Times are and men in the Times the greater is the Mercy to be truly fixed and established Hath the Lord therefore setled your heart in these unsetled Times O! then give thanks unto the Lord and say My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Object O! but I cannot find this fixation of spirit in my soul nor that stedfastness in my life as I desire and therefore I cannot praise the Lord as I should Answ It may be so Yet know that there is much difference between variety of Grace and Instability of Spirit The exercise of various Graces is a great Blessing Instability of Spirit is a great Evil Ye may exercise one Grace which you did not exercise before and you may perform one gracious Work which you did not before yet this no instability of Spirit You must know also That there is a kind of shaking which is consistent with this true Setledness and Establishment of heart Ye see how it is with the Ships in the Harbor and with those Ships which lie at Anchor though they be not driven and tossed up and down with the Waves of the Sea yet in the time of a storm they do move and are shaken So it may be with thy soul Though thou hast cast Anchor within the Vail and art come into thy Harbor yet thou maist be somwhat moved and shaken But though you be in some measure shaken yet you are not tossed up and down as those that are not at Anchor and therefore O! what cause have you in these unsetled Times for to praise the Lord If Establishment be so great a Blessing what a sad Condition are those in that are not established not setled not fixed either in their Judgments or Lives Not a Mountebank come to Town but they must run to him for some of his Salves not a wandring Star appear but they must go to him for some of his Light These are those unlearned and unstable souls these are those that are laid out for a prey unto Satans Instruments as Satan goes up and down seeking whom he may devour so do his Instruments and there are a People that through the just Judgment of God shal be a prey unto them and who are those but these unlearned and unstable souls Some again are unsetled in their Lives and Practices somtimes they are for God and somtimes against him somtimes for his Service and somtimes against it These are those that are contrary to al men and to themselves These are those that are like to Ephraim whose Righteousness is like the morning dew fading and vanishing And both these are as the Picture or Map in the Frame which you may carry from one Room to another hang it in this room and it suits wel with it carry it into another Room hang it up there and it suits wel with that and whatever Room you hang it in it can comply therewith whereas if it be in no Frame only glewed or plaistered to the wall ye cannot remove it without tearing of it So in this ease Take a good and gracious fixed Soul and you may sooner tear him than remove him from the Truth or the good Waies of Christ but an unsetled person is for every Room and for every Company carry him into one Company and he can comply with it carry him into a second third or fourth he can comply with al Why but because his heart is unfixed not established But wo unto him for he is upon the Road to Apostacy Instability is the high way to Apostacy O! the sad condition of those that are not established Quest What shall we do then that we may be established It is a Mercy and great Blessing for a Nation Church and Particular person to be sâ—tled What shall we do that in all these respects we may be established Answ I As for a Nation or Châ—â—â—tian State It must first settle Religion such a Naâ—ion can never be setled til Religion be setled for Religion is the main Mâ—st and if that be not strengthened al the Tackling wil be loose Esai 33.23 The Tacklings are loosed saith the Prophâ—t they could not wel strengthen their Mast they could not sprâ—â—d their Sâ—â—l and Deut. 28.9 it 's said The Lord shal câ—mâ—â—â—â—â—e Bâ—â—ssing upon thee in thy Store-houses and in all that th usâ—â—â—t â—â—aâ—â— hand unto and he shal bless thee in the Land which the Loâ—d thy God giveth thee verse 8. Yea The Lâ—â—â—d shâ—◠〈…〉 if thou shalt keep the Commandemâ—nt oâ— he Lord 〈…〉 walk in his Waies v. 9. And all the peoplâ— of thâ— Earth sâ—â—â— be afraid of thee verse 10. And if ye look inâ—o thâ— Book of the Kings and Chronicles ye shal observe that in the latter Daies of he Kingdoms of Israel and Judah before theâ—â— Caâ—â—â—â—ty these Kingdoms were unsetled only upon
Ordinance you cannot withstand him wherefore saith the Apostle Take unto you the whol Armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand stand therefore having your loyns girt about with Truth having on the Breast-plate of Righteousness and your feet shod wâ—th the preparation of the Goâ—pel of Peace Above all take the Shield of Faith and take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit and pray alwaies with all manner of prayer and supplication and watch thereunto c. Ephes 6.13 14 15 16 17 18. Answ 6 Sixtly The more delight and contentment that you find in the good Waies of God the more your hearts wil be fixed established and staked down to them Comfort and Establishment go together 2 Thes 2.17 A man wil never hold to that work long which he finds no comfort and delight in when the Devil draws a man from Duty he doth not tel him at the first that the Duty is naught or evil but he labors to clog the way of that Duty with many Difficultieâ— for saith he if I can make this man draw heavily and uncomfortably in his Duty he wil soon cast it off And indeed what is the reason that men are so off and on to and fro in the good Waies of God but because they do not find delight and contentment in them Do you therefore desire to be fixed and established labor more and more then to make your way to Heaven easie and comfortable to you Now that the way to Heaven may be made sweet and easie to you 1. Be sure that you do not separate between Gods Commandement and his Promise there is no one thing which God hath commanded us to do but he hath promised strength and Grace to perform it with If I look upon the Command alone then the Work doth seem hard to me but if I take in the Promise then it is most sweet and easie 2. Be sure that you apply your self unto Gods Work according unto Gods Method let that be first which he hath made first and that last which he hath made last A Fâ—gge or â—â—llet is easily drawn from the Stack if you begin aloâ—â— but if you wil take out that first which doth lie below it wil come haâ—dly So in regard of Duties there are some Duties which do lie above and some that lie beneath some are to be performed firâ—t and some after first you must beleeve and then do good Trust in the Lord saith the Psalmist and do good But if you wil do good before you beleeve then it wil come off with difficulty Gods own Method observed makes his way sweet and easie 3. Be sure that you improve and make use of that variety which God hath given you Varietas refocillat variety refresheth and Gods variety is most refreshing But if I wil hold my self only to one Duty when God hath given me many and so neglect Gods variety no wonder that his Work is made hard and tedious Are you therefore weary with praying Apply your self unto Reading Aâ—e you weary in Reading Away then to Conference Possibly youâ— heart may be backward to Prayer but by that time you have been a while Reading and Meditating you shal be fit for Prayer and having been a while at Prayer you shal be more fit for Conference but if you wil keep your self only to one Duty your way to Heaven wil be more difficult Observe therefore Gods variâ—ty and neglect not the same 4. Be sure that you do not stint your self unto any Work or Duty so as to say Thus far wil I go and no further If a man be in a Journey and hath fixed al his Stages he rides in continual pain and fear lest he should not reach his appointed place by his time appointed But if he say I wil go as far as the Providence of God wil carry me then he rides more at ease in his mind al the day long So in our Journey to Heaven if you say thus far I wil go this day and no further then you wil go in continual pain lest you should not reach your appointed Stâ—ge but if you say I wil pray morning evening and as much as I can hear as much as I can read and meditate as much as I can I wil go as far for Hâ—â—ven this day as I can then the Work or God wil come off wâ—th more ease and â—weetness and with less difficulty I speak not this against set tiâ—â— of Pâ—ayer and Duâ—y but against stinting and â—â—nting God â—nd your own hearts O! let us take heed of â—â—aâ— 5. If you would so sweeten the Waies of God as that you may be more fixâ—d and established therein then labor more and moâ—â— to naturâ—â—ze them unto your own souls violent things nevâ—â— hold natuâ—â—â— things do The Sun is constant in rising every 〈◊〉 for it 's natural The Stone if thrown up into the Aâ—r doth descend conâ—tantly for it 's natural So iâ— the Woâ—k of God be Natural to you you wil be constant in it and though you be puâ— by it yet you wil return again and again Labor therâ—fore to naturallize the Work of God to your own soul so shal it be more and more sweet and easie and you wil be more fixed setled and established therein for it is delight that doth give fixation Answ 7 Seventhly If you would be fixed and established in the good Waies of God then consider these ensuing Motives 1. Thereby you shal rid and free your selves from Temptations which wil otherwise press in and return upon you The Jews saw that Pilate was wavering and not fixed for Christ so they came upon him with new volleys of Temptations and carried him at the last but when the Disciples saw that Pauls heart was fixed on his Journey to Jerusalem they gave over their siege and lâ—ft him to his own thoughts and though Naomi did perswade Ruth to return unto her own Country and Kindred yeâ— at the last she left speaking to her for saith the Text She saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her Ruth 1.18 As an unsetled Spirit doth lie open unto new Temptations and doth invite them so a setled fixed and established heart shal be freed from them This fixation of Soul is a great honor unto your Profession and thereby ye shal walk worthy of the Gospel Phil. 1. he that is unsetled unconstant and uneven in his course doth bring no honor unto his Profession but laies stumbling-blocks before the blind and doth offend the World do you not see say they Qui servat constantiam servat dignitatem what a giddy and unsetled People some of these Professors are but there or there is a man that doth walk closely with God there is a Christian indeed he that keeps his constancy keeps his dignity Thereby you shal rejoyce the hearts of those that are set over you in the Lord who
the time of his Liberty he was loose in the time of his Imprisonment he was sullen and when he was at the Stake he was mad with horror of Conscience mad O! but true saving Faith wil not flinch and give in at last The three Children did not only come to the Fire but rid out the storm But I say no more in this only thus Seventhly Though a wicked man may suffer much and that upon the account of his Religion yet he doth not bring forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness but true saving Faith doth it suffers and brings forth the quiet fruit of Righteousness So that now you see by al this that it is Faith alone it is true saving Faith and Faith alone that wil carry a man through Sufferings But then Quest Thirdly You wil say How and by what means can Faith do this What is there in Faith to do it to carry a man through hard things and through all Sufferings although they be never so great Answ 1 First It is the work of Faith to make a man resign and give up his wil to the wil of God and when a man can do so what may he not suffer Answ 2 Secondly It is the work of Faith the proper work of Faith to cleave close unto the Commandement of God True Satan I am an unworthy Creature but God hath commanded me to beleeve True I am a great Sinner but God hath commanded me to beleeve Faith doth peremptorily stick unto the Commandement and it leaves God to answer unto the Objections and Inconveniences that follow upon his Obedience to the Commandement it leaves that to God By Faith Abraham when he was called to go out obeyed not knowing whether he should go Now when a man can do this what may he not suffer Answ 3 Thirdly It is the proper Work of Faith to close with the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the fulness of the Spirit the Promise of the Father Now when a mans heart is filled with the Spirit of God what may he not suffer Pray do but consider the Apostles after that the Spirit came upon them you know they would suffer any thing though it were never so great before the Spirit came upon them though they had the Personal presence of Christ they could not suffer any thing though it was never so smal Now Faith doth close with the Promise of the Gospel whereby the Soul doth receive the Spirit of God the Promise of the Father Answ 4 Fourthly It is the proper Work of Faith to look upon the recompence of Reward By Faith Moses had an Eye to the recompence of Reward and so chose Affliction with the People of God Saith our Savior to his Disciples Let not your hearts be troubled How so Lord Saith he I go to prepare a place for you In my Fathers House there are many Mansions Faith shews one the Glory and the Joyes of Heaven and when a man sees those things what may he not suffer Answ 5 Fiftly The more that a man can see the hand of God as a Father upon the Rod the more able he wil be to suffer and the more cheerful Ye bring a Child to School and he sees the School hung with Rods in every corner a Rod and the Child is afraid but if his Fathers House be set with Rods the Child is not afraid in his Fathers House Now Faith true savâ—ng Faith wil shew one the hand of a Father upon the Rod. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away saith Faith I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord hast done it saith Faith Answ 6 Sixtly The more a man can see to the end of his Affliction and Suffering the more able he wil be to go through it Now Faith tels a man that there is an end No temptation saith the word of Faith hath befallen you but what is common and with the Temptation there is an out-let there is a door a door in the Ark although the door may be under water and the out-let may be under water Faith doth not only tel a man that there is an end but that the end shal be good and al shal work together for his good yea it tels a man that his affliction shall be but for a moment and that moment shal be recompenced with abundance of Comfort Psal 30. ver 5. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favor is Life Weeping may endure for a night but Joy cometh in the morning So also in Isa 54. verse 7. For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercy will I gather thee In a little Wrath I hid my Face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Faith tels us this Now when a man knows and considers this what may he not suffer Answ 7 Seventhly It is the proper work of Faith to look on both sides of the Dispensation there is a dark side and there is a light side in Affliction and Suffering Sence and Reason looks only on the dark side but Faith looks to both sides of the Dispensation It is written of Mr. Latimer the blessed Martyr that when he was to go to the Stake taking leave of his fellow Prisoners saith he Be of good Comfort O my Friends and Brethren for though we go to the Stake to day and be burnt to Fire we shal light such a Candle in England as shal never be put out we shal make such a Fire in England to day as shal never be quenched he saw both sides of the Dispensation because he beleeved Faith wil shew one both sides of the Dispensation Answ 8 Eightly It is the proper Work of Faith to see one contrary in another or through another it wil see the Smiles of God in the midst of Frowns it wil see Love in the midst of Anger it will see Order in the midst of Confusion it wil see Mercy in the midst oâ— Misery it wil see a door of Hope in the Valley of Achor Faith it looks upon things with the Prospective of the Promise and the Promise speaks on this wise in Deut. 32. verse 36. saith the Lord there The Lord shall judg his People and repent himself for his Servants when he sees that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left Faith I say sees one contrary in another or beyond another and when a man can do so what may he not suffer And Answ 9 Ninthly and lastly If God do engage to help and succor in afflictions and if the Lord do count himself engaged to succor deliver and help in Affliction because men trust in the Lord surely Faith can do very much in the day of Affliction Now I pray look into Scripture and you shal see that the Lord is engaged upon this account in Psal 37. last And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the
constant in seeking Earthly things it is shame to be inconstant in seeking heavenly things ibid. 5 If you be not constant in Good you will be constant in evil ibid. 6 The more unconstant you are the more you make the way to Heaven difficult Lastly Go to God by Prayer for fixation Page 450 FINIS The Contents The great Things Faith can do On Hebrews 11.32 Sermon I. THe Text Opened Page 1 2 DOCT. Saving Faith will do very great things Page 3 Opened by three Propositions 1 Saving Faith is a working Grace ibid. 2 Saving Faith will do great things 3 How saving Faith comes to do great things First Proposition proved ib. 1 True Faith hath the spirit of the Gospel in it ibid. 2 'T is a friend to work ibid. 3 'T is the first worker in the soul ibid. 4 It is an universal work Page 4 5 It works best alone ibid. 6 It works best somtimes in the dark ibid. 7 It works best at last ibid. II. What are those great things Faith can do Page 5 Answ Faith will do as great things now as it did under the old Testament ibid. 1 Is it not a great matter to overcome temptations ibid. 2 Is it not a great matter to perform duties to the hazard of life ibid. 3 Is it not a great matter to mortifie fears ibid. 4 Is it not a great matter to mortifie your cares ibid. 5 Is it not a great matter to have your griefs asswaged ibid. 6 Is it not a great matter to be kept steady in times of changes Page 6 7 Is it not a great matter to be a stranger to the world ibid. 8 Is it not a great matter for a man to be faithful under all his betrustments ibid. 9 Is it not a great matter to see things invisible ibid. 10 Is it not a great matter for a man to live in dependance only upon Christ ibid. More Comparatively There are three great Agents in the world â—ut Faith works beyond them all Page 6 1 Compared with Power Page 7 2 Compared with moral Honesty This is Proved by three Reasons ibid. 3 How it may appear that faith can do more than Gospel Gifts and common grace It is made to appear by four Arguments Page 8 9 III. How comes it to pass that true faith can do such great things Page 10 Answered by four Reasons 1 It goes forth in the might of Gods Promise ibid. 2 It goes forth in the might of Gods Power ibid. 3 It goes forth in the strength of Gods Call ibid. 4 It goes forth in the sence of what God and Christ hath done for the Soul Page 11 Application 1 The Reason why men do no great things in their Generation is because they want Faith ibid. 2 If you would do great things call in for faith Page 12 Quest How shal we improve our faith to do great things Page 13 Answ 1 Study much the greatness of God ibid. 2 Keep close to Gods Ordinances ibid. 3 Do not chide off your heart from beleeving Page 14 4Vse your faith to do smal things ibid. 5 Look much upon the Call you have to any work Page 15 Notes from Verse 32. 1 The number of Beleevers under the old Testament it seems was not smal ibid. 2 God will own that Faith that is but weak at first ibid. 3 From Sampson I collect it is possible a great sinner may be a true Beleever ibid. 4 Note from Jeptha a bastard may be a true beleever ibid. 5 From the mentioning of David Samuel and the Prophets c. consider when God hath extraordinary work to do be raiseth up extraordinary men Page 17 Lastly You see what high esteem God hath of Faith ib. The Great Things Faith can suffer ON Hebrews 11.35 Sermon II. The Text opened Page 20 21 DOCT. True saving Faith will suffer great things ib. Three Propositions 1 A true Beleever may suffer hard things 2 Faith wil carry him through them 3 How Faith can carry him through them ibid. The first Proposition proved Page 21 22 23 Quest Secondly How shall a man be able to go through these hard things ibid. Answ True saving Faith will do it Proved by four Reasons Page 23 24 Object We have read of many that suffered hard things yet had not this faith ibid. Answ 1 A wicked man may suffer as an evil Doer Page 25 2 A wicked man doth not suffer upon choyce ibid. 3 He doth not lay the stress of all upon Faith ibid 4 He suffers not cheerfully but discontentedly ibid. 5 He will rest upon his sufferings ibid. 6 He will yield at last Page 26 7 He doth not bring forth the quiet fruits of Righteousness ibid. Quest Thirdly By what means can Faith do this ibid. Answ 1 It is the work of saith to submit to Gods will ibid. 2 It is the work of Faith to cleave to the Commandement of God ibid. 3 It is the work of faith to close with the Gospel Page 27 4 It is the work of faith to look upon the recompence of râ—ward ibid. 5 The more one sees the hand of God as a Father in sufferings the more able a man will be to suffer ibid. 6 The more a man can see to the end of his affliction the better he will go through it ib. 7 It is the proper work of faith to look on both sides of the dispensation Page 28 8 It is the proper work of faith to see one contrary in another ibid. 9 If God engage to help us faith can suffer much in afflictions ibid. Application If any man be to suffer great things let him call for faith Page 29 Object These are no suffering times ibid Answ Bless God for your Gospel Liberty Consider the sufferings of your Brethren ibid. Particular applications to several conditions ibid. Who knows how soon suffering times may come Page 30 Quest How shall we strengthen our Faith that we may be able to suffer ibid. Answ 1 Consider frequently what great things the Lord hath done for you already ibid 2 Study much the Book of the Revelations which is a standing Cordial for suffering times Page 31 3 Consider frequently the great gain of suffering Page 32 That suffering times are gaining times proved by ten Arguments Page 32 1 Suffering times are teaching times ibid. 2 Suffering times are sin-discovering times ibid. 3 They are self-bethinking times ibid. 4 They are growing times ib. 5 They are truth-adorning times ibid. 6 They are uniting times Page 33 7 They are praying times ib. 8 They are soul-assuring times ibid. 9 They are weaning times ib. 10 They are Heavenly and glorious times ibid. Three Observations from the Words Page 34 1 Consider the Persons that suffered mentioned in the text whence I collect That greatness of sufferings are no argument to make you doubt of your Salvation ibid. 2 They suffered in hopes of a better Resurrection whence consider what those men are that would steal from you the hopes of a better Resurrection Page 35 3 They suffered all by faith whence observe That it is no easie thing to beleeve Page 36 FINIS
whether do you not think that there is many a soul now in heaven that whilst he lived said I am sure to go to hell you know that ordinary Story of the woman that took a glass in her hand and throwing it on the ground said As sure as this Glass breakes I shal be damned and the Glass broak not Wel then thy condition is not alone others of Gods people may be and have been led in this way of temptation and therefore no reason why thou shouldest be cast down or discouraged Object But yet this doth not reach my case or condition For I do not only want the Assurance of Gods love and of mine own Salvation but I have wanted Assurance this two this four this six this eight this ten years and I have continued so long doubting in unbelief and my heart is so hardened with it that I am affraid I shal never be healed or saved O! I have sate under such and such precious Gospel-means and if ever I should have Assurance of Gods love I should have had it before this I have sate under many a comfortable Sermon and under the Gospel preached many years and yet have no Assurance of my Salvation surely if the Lord would ever have bestowed Assurance upon me I should have had it ere this but stil unbeleeving and stil I do want Assurance and my heart hardened under unbelief and therefore I am thus discouraged have I not cause and reason now Answ 1 No not yet For our evidence for heaven is in Gods keeping our comforts as wel as our Graces and our evidence for heaven as wel as our heaven and Salvation and he wil bring it forth when we have most need in a due time though not in our time And if you look into Isa 46. you shal see what a Gracious promise the Lord makes unto hard-hearted sinners An invitation and promis together vers 12. and 13. hearken unto me ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousness I bring near my rightousness it shal not be far off and my Salvation it shal not tarry O! but I have no râ—ghteousness to lay my assurance upon wel yet saith the Lord never speak of thy righteousness man I wil bring near my righteousness O! but my heart is dead and hard stout Then hearken unto me ye stout-hearted â—aith God O! but I am far off from righteouâ—ness Be it so yet hearken to me ye stout-hearted that are far from righteousness I wil bâ—ing near my righteousness it shal not be far off and my Salvation shal not tarry Answ 2 But that you may have more ful satisfaction in this I shal desire you to consider Three or Four Propositions Prop. 1 First Though it be possible for a man to attain to ful Assurance of Gods love yeâ— he may have saving Faith that hath no Assurance Faith and Assurance differ and therefore sâ—ith the Apostle draw near with ful Assurance of Faith Assurâ—nce of Faith comforts but the â—eliance of faith saves It is poâ—â—â—ble that a man or woman may have such an Assurance as that they never doubted of Gods love Prima pars salutis est nullam sperare salutem Ideo terret nos ira Dei ut ad fiduciam illius nos urgeat Luther but ordinarily a man never had assurance of his Salvation that never doubted of his Salvation The first step to Salvation is to see that there is no Salvation we must go to heaven by hell gates and he that is not troubled sometimes with Satan is possessed by him I say ordinarily a man never had Assurance of his Salvation that never doubted of his Salvation a man may have true saving faith that yet hath no Assurance of his Salvation This is the first Prop. 2 Secondly As a man may have true saving faith and yet no Assurance so a man may have strong Faith and Assurance yet many doubts fears and mistrustings may be left in his soul It is observed to my hand that of al the Churches the Church of the Thessalonians are most commended for their faith and their Graces So that they were examples to al that believed 1 Thes 1.7 yet in Chap. 3. vers 10. The Apostle saith There was something lacking in their faith Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face and might perfect that which is â—acking in your faith Something was lacking in their faith yet they were examples of faith unto al the Churches Prop. 3 Thirdly As a man may have strong faith with Assurance and yet some doubts and fears may be left in the soul stil so a man may have strong faith and Assurance yet for a long time may be deprived of the feeling of it And therfore whereas the spouse in the Canticles in one place saith I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine in another place she saith I sought him whom my soul loveth and I found him not I opened to my beloved and he was gone and my heart failed I called and he answered not Prop. 4 Fourthly As a man may have strong faith and yet for a great time may be deprived of the feeling of it so it is possible a man may be a Godly Gracious man yet may continue and go on doubting for a long time yea possibly he may dye doubting also The Godly and the wicked are contrary now for the wicked you shal find that a wicked man may think his condition good yet it may be very naught he may have hope and perswasion that he shal goe to heaven and he may die in these perswasions yet he may goe to hell Rev. 3. ye read thus of the Churches of Laodicea at vers 16. So then because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I wil spew thee out of my mouth I would thou wert cold or hot vers 15. These were very wicked had these people any thoughts of mercy or did they think their spiritual condition was good Râ—â—d vers 17. Because thou saiest I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor blind and naked So that I say a wicked man may think his condition good and yet it may be very naught Yea daily experience tels us besides the Parable of the foolish Virgins That he may die in these perswasions So on the contrary a man may think his condition naught and go fearing and trembling a long while yea even die under these fears yet his condition may be very good Consider it rightly I know indeed ordinarily God doth come in with some comfort or other unto a child of God before he dies but I would be loath to say and you wil be loath to think that certainly that man goes to hel that doubteth of his Salvation or that dies doubting of his Salvation No possibly a man may doubt and fear and doubt long even die doubting without a setled assurance of Gods love yet he may