are said to learn the Truth as it is in Jesus Eph. 4. 21. It is in Jesus originally and from really and from him it is communicated unto us by the Word We are thereby taught and do learn it for thereby as the Apostle proceeds we are renued in the Spirit of our mind and do put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness ver 23 24. First the Truth is in Jesus then it is expressed in the Word this Word learned and believed becomes Grace in the heart every way answering unto the Lord Christ his Image from whom this transforming Truth did thus proceed Nay this is carried by the Apostle yet higher namely unto God the Father himself whose Image Christ is and Believers his through the Word 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord whereunto add Chap. 4. 6. God who commanded light to shine out of darkness hath shined into our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ. The first pattern or example of all Truth and Holiness is God himself hereof Christ is the Image ver 4. Christ is the Image of God The brightness of his glory and the express Image of his person Heb. 1. 3. The Image of the invisible God Col. 1. 15. Hence we are said to see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ because he being his Image the Love Grace and Truth of the Father are represented and made conspicuous in him For we are said to behold it in his face because of the open and illustrious manifestation of the glory of God in him And how do we behold this glory in a Glass as in a glass that is in the Gospel which hath the Image and likeness of Christ who is the Image of God reflected upon it and communicated unto it So have we traced Truth and Grace from the Person of the Father unto the Son as Mediator and thence transfused into the Word In the Father it is Essentially in Jesus Christ originally and exemplarily and in the Word as in a transcript or Copy But doth it abide there No God by the Word of the Gospel shines into our hearts Chap. 4 6. He irradiates our minds with a saving light into it and apprehension of it And what thence ensues the soul of a believer is changed into the same Image by the effectual working of the Holy Ghost Chap. 3. 18. that is the likeness of Christ implanted on the Word is impressed on the soul it self whereby it is renewed into the Image of God whereunto it was at first created This brings all into a perfect Harmony There is not where Gospel Truth is effectually received and experienced in the soul only a consonancy meerly between the soul and the Word but between the soul and Christ by the Word and the soul and God by Christ. And this gives assured establishment unto the soul in the things that it doth believe Divine Truth so conveyed unto us is firm stable and immoveable And we can say of it in a spiritual sense that which we have heard that which we have seen with our eyes which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life we know to be true Yea a Believer is a Testimony to the certainty of truth in what he is much beyond what he is in all that he saith Words may be pretended Real effects have their Testimony inseparably annexed unto them 3. Hence it appears that there must needs be great Assurance of those Truths which are thus received and believed For hereby are the senses exercised to discern good and evil Heb. 15. 14. Where there is a spiritual sense of Truth of the Good and Evil that is in Doctrines from an inward experience of what is so good and from thence an Aversation unto the contrary and this obtained 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by reason of an habit or an habitual frame of heart there is strength there is stedfasiness and Assurance This is the teaching of the Unction which will not which cannot deceive Hence many of old and of late that could not dispute could yet dye for the truth He that came to another and went about to prove by Sophistical reasonings that there was no such thing as motion had only this return from him who either was not able to answer his cavilling or unwilling to put himself to trouble about it he arose and walking up and down gave him a real confutation of his Sophystrie It is so in this case when a soul hath a real experience of the Grace of God of the Pardon of sins of the Vertue and Efficacy of the death of Christ of Justification by his blood and peace with God by believing let men or Devils or Angels from Heaven oppose these things if it cannot answer their Sophisms yet he can rise up and walk he can with all holy confidence and Assurance oppose his own satisfying experience unto all their arguings and suggestions A man will not be disputed out of what he sees and feels And a Believer will abide as firmly by his spiritual sense as any man can by his natural This is the meaning of that Prayer of the Apostle Col. 2. 2. That your hearts might be comforted being knit together in love unto all riches of the full Assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mysterie of God and of the Father and of Christ. Understanding in the mysteries of the Gospel they had but he prayes that by a farther experience of it they might come to the Assurance of understanding To be true is the property of the Doctrine it self to be certain or assured is the property of our minds Now this experience doth so unite the mind and truth that we say such a Truth is most certain whereas certainty is indeed the property of our minds or their knowledge and not of the truth known It is certain unto us that is we have an assured knowledge of it by the Experience we have of it This is the Assurance of Understanding here mentioned And he further prayes that we may come to the Riches of this Assurance that is to an abundant plentiful Assurance And that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the acknowledgement of the Mysterie of God owning it from a sense and experience of its excellency and worth And this is in the Nature of all Gospel Truths they are fitted and suited to be experienced by a believing soul. There is nothing in them so sublime and high nothing so mysterious nothing so seemingly low and outwardly contemptible but that a gracious soul hath experience of an Excellency Reality Power and Efficacy in it all For instance look on that which concerns the Order and Worship of the Gospel This seems to many to be a meer
sole foundation of all our expectations of a blessed portion in that which is to come it certainly requires the best and utmost of our endeavours as to look into the nature causes and effects of it so especially into the wayes and means whereby we may be made partakers of it and how that participation may be secured unto us unto our peace and consolation as also into that Love that Holiness that obedience that fruitfulness in good works which on the account of this Grace God expecteth from us and requireth at our hands An Explication of these things is that which I have designed to ensue and follow after in these discourses and that with a constant eye as on the one hand to the sole rule and Standard of Truth the Sacred Scriptures especially that part of it which is under peculiar consideration so on the other to the Experience and Service unto the edification of them that do believe whose spiritual benefit and advantage without any other consideration in the World is armed at in the publishing of them Imprimatur Octob. 12. 1668. Rob. Grove R. P. Humph. Dom. Episc. Lond. Ã sac Dom. AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX Psalm 130. OUt of the depths have I cryed unto thee O Lord. Lord hear my voyce let thine ears be attentive to the voyce of my supplications If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities O Lord who shall stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou maist be feared I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous Redemption And he shall redeem Israel from all his Iniquities A PARAPHRASE Verse 1 2. O Lord through my manifold sins and provocations I have brought my self into great distresses Mine Iniquities are alwayes before me and I am ready to be overwhelmed with them as with a flood of waters for they have brought me into depths wherein I am ready to be swallowed up But yet although my distress be great and perplexing I do not I dare not utterly despond and cast away all hopes of relief or recovery Nor do I seek unto any other remedy way or means of relief but I apply my self to thee Jehovah to thee alone And in this my Application unto thee the greatness and urgency of my troubles makes my soul urgent earnest and pressing in my supplications Whilst I have no rest I can give thee no rest Oh therefore attend and hearken unto the voyce of my crying and supplications Ver. 3. IT is true O Lord thou God great and terrible that if thou shouldst deal with me in this Condition with any man living with the best of thy Saints according to the strict and exact tenor of the Law which first represents it self to my guilty Conscience and troubled soul If thou shouldst take notice of observe and keep in Remembrance mine or their or the Iniquity of any one to the end that thou mightest deal with them and recompence unto them according to the sentence thereof there would be neither for me nor them any the least expectation of deliverance all flesh must fail before thee and the spirits which thou hast made and that to Eternity for who could stand before thee when thou shouldst so execute thy displeasure Ver. 4. BUt O Lord this is not absolutely and universally the state of things between thy Majesty and poor sinners Thou art in thy Nature infinitely Good and Gracious ready and free in the purposes of thy will to receive them And there is such a blessed way made for the exercise of the holy inclinations and purposes of thy heart towards them in the mediation and blood of thy dear Son That they have assured foundations of concluding and believing that there is pardon and forgiveness with thee for them and which in the way of thine appointments they may be partakers of This way therefore will I with all that fear thee persist in I will not give over leave thee or turn from thee through my fears discouragements and despondencies but will abide constantly in the observation of the worship which thou hast prescribed and the performance of the Obedience which thou dost require having great encouragements so to do Ver. 5. ANd herein upon the account of the forgiveness that is with thee O Lord do I wait with all patience quietness and perseverance In this work is my whole soul engaged even in an earnest expectation of thy approach unto me in a way of grace and mercy And for my encouragement therein hast thou given out unto me a blessed word of Grace a faithful word of promise wherein my hope is fixed Ver. 6. YEa in the performance and discharge of this duty my soul is intent upon thee and in its whole frame turned towards thee and that with such diligence and watchfulness in looking out after every way and means of thy appearance of thy manifestation of thy self and coming unto me that I excell therein those who with longing desire heedfulness and earnest expectation do wait and watch for the appearance of the morning and that either that they may rest from their night watches or have light for the duties of thy Worship in the Temple which they are most delighted in Ver. 7 8. HErein have I found that Rest peace and satisfaction unto my own soul that I cannot but invite and encourage others in the like Condition to take the same course with me Let then all the Israel of God all that fear him learn this of me and from my experience Be not hasty in your distresses despond not despair not turn not aside unto other remedies but hope in the Lord for I can now in an especial manner give testimony unto this that there is mercy with him suited unto your relief Yea whatever your distress be the Redemption that is with him is so bounteous plenteous and unsearchable that the undoubted issue of your performance of this duty will be that you shall be delivered from the guilt of all your sins and the perplexities of all your troubles General Scope of the whole Psalm THE design of the Holy Ghost in this Psalm is to express in the Experience of the Psalmist and the working of his faith the state and condition of a soul greatly in it self perplexed relieved on the account of Grace and acting it self towards God and his Saints suitably to the discovery of that Grace unto him A great design and full of great Instruction And this general Prospect gives us the parts and scope of the whole Psalm for 1. We have the state and condition of the soul therein represented with his deportment in and under that state and condition in ver 1 2. Out of the depths have I cryed
fearful expectation of judgement and fiery indignation as to the prevailing apprehension of their minds And Sixthly God secretly sends his Arrows into the soul that wound and gall it adding pain trouble and disquietness to its disconsolation Psalm 38. 2. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Ever and anon in his walking God shot a sharp piercing arrow fixing it on his soul that galled wounded and perplexed him filling him with pain and grievous vexation These arrows are Gods rebukes Psal. 39. 11. When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity God speaks in his Word and by his Spirit in the Conscience things sharp and bitter to the soul fastning them so as it cannot shake them out These Job so mournfully complains of Chap. 6. 4. The Lord speaks words with that efficacy that they piecce the heart quite through and what the issue then is David declares Psal. 38 3. There is no soundness saith he in my flesh because of thine anger nor is there any rest in my bones because of my sin The whole person is brought under the power of them and all health and rest is taken away and Seventhly Unspiritedness and disability unto Duty in doing or suffering attend such a condition Psal. 40. 12. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up His spiritual strength was worn away by sin so that he was not able to address himself unto any communion with God The soul now cannot pray with life and power cannot hear with joy and profit cannot do good and communicate with cheerfulness and freedom cannot meditate with delight and heavenly mindedness cannot act for God with zeal and liberty cannot think of suffering with boldness and resolution but is sick weak feeble and bowed down Now I say a gracious soul after much communion with God may on the account of sin by a sense of the guilt of it be brought into a state and condition wherein some more or all of these with other the like perplexities may be its portion And these make up the Depths whereof the Pfalmist here complains What are the sins or of what sorts that ordinarily cast the souls of Believers into these depths shall be afterwards declared I shall now shew both whence it is that Believers may fall into such a condition as also whence it is that oftentimes they actually do so Whence it is that Believers may be brought into depths on the account of sin Nature of the supplies of Grace given in the Covenant How far they extend Principles of the power of sin First The Nature of the Covenant wherein all Believers now walk with God and wherein all their whole provision for obedience is enwrapped leaves it possible for them to fall into these depths that have been mentioned Under the first Covenant there was no mercy or forgiveness provided for any sin It was necessary then that it should exhibit a sufficiency of Grace to preserve from every sin or it could have been of no use at all This the Rigteousness of God required and so it was To have made a Covenant wherein there was no provision at all of pardon and not a sufficiency of Grace to keep the Covenanters from need of pardon was not answerable to the Goodness and Righteousness of God But he made man upright who of his own accord sought out many inventions It is not so in the Covenant of Grace There is in it pardon provided in the blood of Christ It is not therefore of indispensible necessity that there should be administred in it Grace effectually preserving from every sin Yet is it on all accounts to be preferred before the other For besides the relief by pardon which the other knew nothing of there is in it also much provision against sin which was not in the other First There is provision made in it against all and every sin that would disannull the Covenant and make a final separation between God and a soul that hath been once taken into the bond thereof This provision is absolute God hath taken upon himself the making of this good and the establishing this Law of the Covenant that it shall not by any sin be disannulled Jor. 32. 40. I will saith God make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me The security hereof depends not on any thing in our selves All that is in us is to be used as a means of the accomplishment of this Promise but the event or issue depends absolutely on the faithfulness of God And the whole certainty and stability of the Covenant depends on the efficacy of the Grace administred in it to preserve men from all such sins as would disanull it Secondly There is in this Covenant provision made for constant peace and consolation notwithstanding and against the guilt of such sins as through their infirmities and temptations believers are daily exposed unto Though they fall into sins every day yet they do not fall into depths every day In the tenour of this Covenant there is a consistency between a sense of sin unto humiliation and peace with strong consolation After the Apostle had described the whole conflict that Believers have with sin and the frequent wounds which they receive thereby which makes them cry out for deliverance Rom. 7. 24. He yet concludes Chap. 8. 1. that there is no condemnation unto them which is a sufficient and stable foundation of Peace So 1 John 2. 1. These things have I written unto you that you sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous Our great business and care ought to be that we sin not but yet when we have done our utmost if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves Chap. 1. 8. What then shall poor sinful guilty creatures do why let them go to the Father by their Advocate and they shall not fail of pardon and peace And saith Paul Heb 6. 17 18. God is abundantly willing that we might have strong consolation who fly for resuge to lay hold on the hope set before us What was his condition who fled of old to the City of refuge for safety from whence this expression is taken He was guilty of blood though shed at unawares and so as that he was to dye for it if he escaped not to the City of Refuge Though we may have the guilt of sins upon us that the Law pronounceth death unto yet flying to Christ for refuge God hath provided not only safety but strong consolation for us also Forgiveness in the blood of Christ doth not only take guilt from the soul but trouble also from the conscience And in this respect doth the Apostle at large set forth the Excellency of his Sacrifice Heb. 10. The Sacrifices of the Old Law he
tells us could not make perfect the worshippers v. 1. which he proves v. 2. because they did never take away throughly and really Conscience of sin that is depths or distresses of conscience about sin But now saith he Jesus Christ in the Covenant of Grace hath for ever perfected them that were sanctified v. 14. providing for them such stable peace and consolation as that they shall not need the renewing of Sacrifices every day v. 18. This is the great mysterie of the Gospel in the blood of Christ that those who sin every day should have peace with God all their dayes Provided their sins fall within the compass of those infirmities against which this consolation is provided Thirdly There is provision made of Grace to prevent and preserve the soul from great and enormous sins such as in their own nature are apt to wound conscience and cast the person into such depths and intanglements as wherein he shall have neither rest nor peace Of what sort these sins are shall be afterwards declared There is in this Covenant Grace for Grace Joh. 1. 16. and abundance of Grace administred from the All-fulness of Christ. Grace reigneth in it Rom. 6. 6. destroying and crucifying the body of sin But this Provision in the Covenant of Grace against peace-ruining soul-perplexing sins is not as to the administration of it absolute There are Covenant Commands and Exhortations on the attendance whereunto the administration of much Covenant-Grace doth depend To watch pray improve faith to stand on our guard continually to mortifie sin to fight against temptations with stedfastness diligence constancy are every where prescribed unto us and that in order unto the ensurance of the Grace mentioned These things are on our part the condition of the Administration of that abundant Grace which is to preserve us from soul-entangling sins So Peter informs us 2 Ep. 1. v. 3. The divine power of God hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness We have from it an habitual furnishment and provision for obedience at all times Also saith he v. 4. He bath given unto us great and pretious promises that by them we might be partakers of the Divine Nature What then is in this blessed estate and condition required of us that we may make a due improvement of the provision made for us and enjoy the comforting influence of those Promises that he prescribes unto us v. 5 6 7. Giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity That is carefully and diligently attend to the exercise of all the Graces of the Spirit and unto a conversation in all things becoming the Gospel What then shall be the issue if these things are attended unto v. 8. If these things be in you and abound ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not enough that these things be in you that you have the seed and root of them from and by the Holy Ghost but you are to take care that they flourish and abound without which though the root of the matter may be in you and so you be not wholly devoid of spiritual life yet you will be poor barren sapless withering creatures all your days But now suppose that these things do abound and we be made fruitful thereby Why then saith he v. 10. If you do these things ye shall never fall What never fall into sin Nay that is not in the Promise and he that sayes when he hath done all that he hath no sin he is a Lyar. Or is it never fall totally from God No the preservation of the Elect of whom he speaks from total Apostasie is not suspended on such conditions especially not on any degree of them such as their abounding imports But it is that they shall not fall into their old sins from which they were purged v. 9. Such Conscience wasting and defiling sins as they lived in in the time and state of their Unregeneracy Thus though there be in the Covenant of Grace through Jesus Christ Provision made of abundant supplies for the souls preservation from entangling sins yet their Administration hath respect unto our diligent attendance unto the means of receiving them appointed for us to walk in And here lyes the latitude of the New Covenant here lyes the exercise of renewed Free-will This is the field of free voluntary obedience under the Administration of Gospel Grace There are extreams which in respect of the event it is not concerned in To be wholly perfect to be free from every sin all failings all infirmities that is not provided for not promised in this Covenant It is a Covenant of mercy and pardon which supposeth a continuance of sin To fall utterly and finally from God that is absolutely provided against Between these two extreams of absolute perfection and total Apostasie lyes the large Field of Believers obedience and walking with God Many a sweet heavenly passage there is and many a dangerous depth in this field Some walk near to the one side some to the other yea the same person may sometimes press hard after Perfection sometimes be cast to the very border of destruction Now between these two lye many a soul-plunging sin against which no absolute provision is made and which for want of giving all diligence to put the means of preservation in practice Believers are oftentimes overtaken withal Fourthly There is not in the Covenant of Grace Provision made of ordinary and abiding consolation for any under the guilt of great sins or sins greatly aggravated which they fall into by a neglect of using and abiding in the forementioned conditions of abounding actual Grace Sins there are which either because in their own nature they wound and waste conscience or in their effects break forth into scandal causing the name of God and the Gospel to be evil spoken of or in some of their circumstances are full of unkindness against God do deprive the soul of its wonted consolation How by what means on what account such sins come to terrifie conscience to break the bones to darken the soul and to cast it into inextricable depths notwithstanding the relief that is provided of pardon in the blood of Christ I shall not now declare that they will do so and that Consolation is not of equal extent with safety we know Hence God assumes it to himself as an act of meer Soveraign Grace to speak peace and refreshment unto the souls of his Saints in their depths of sin entanglements Isa. 57. 18 19. And indeed if the Lord had not thus provided that great provocations should stand in need of special reliefs it might justly be feared that the negligence of Believers might possibly bring forth much bitter fruit Only this must be observed by the way that what
he not contain himself but that he must roar and cry out Yea must he roar thus all the day long as he speaks Psal. 32. 3. and groan all the night as Psal. 6. 6. What is the matter with all this roaring sighing tears roaring all the day all night long Ah let him alone his soul is bitter in him he is fallen into depths the Lord is withdrawn from him trouble is hard at hand yea he is full of anxiety on the account of sin there is no quietness nor soundness in him and he must thus earnestly and restlessy apply himself for relief Alas what strangers for the most part are men now adayes to this frame How little of the workings of this Spirit is found amongst us And is not the reason of it that we value the world more and Heaven and heavenly things less than he did that we can live at a better rate without a sense of the love of God in Christ than he could do and is it not hence that we every day see so many withering Professors that have in a manner lost all Communion with God beyond a little lip-labour or talking the filthy savour of whose wounds are offensive to all but themselves and so will they go on ready to dye and perish rather than with this holy man thus stir up themselves to meet the Lord. Heman was also like unto him Psal. 88 11 13. What sense he had of his depths he declares v. 3. My soul saith he is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave And what course doth he steer in this heavy sorrowful and disconsolate condition Why saith he O Lord God of my salvation I have cryed day and night unto thee let my prayer come before thee encline thine ear unto my cry v. 1 2. Day and night he cryes to the God of his salvation and that with earnestness and importunity This was his business this was he exercised about all his dayes This is that which is aimed at if a gracious soul be brought into the depths before mentioned and described by reason of sin when the Lord is pleased to lead him forth towards a recovery he causeth him to be vigorous and restless in all the duties whereby he may make Application to him for deliverance Now wherein this intensness and earnestness of the soul in its Applications unto God doth principally consist I shall briefly declare when I have touched a little upon some considerations and grounds that stir it up thereunto First The greatness of mens concernments may well put them on this earnestness Men do not use to deal with dull and slothful spirits about their greatest concerns David tells us that he was more concerned in the light of Gods countenance than the men of the world could be in their Corn and Wine Psal. 4. 6 7. Suppose a man of the world should have his house wherein all his stock and riches are laid up set on fire and so the whole be in danger under his eye to be consumed would he be calm and quiet in the consideration of it Would he not bestir himself with all his might and call in all the help he could obtain and that because his portion his all his great concernment lyes at stake And shall the soul be slothful careless dull secure when fire is put to its eternal concernments when the light of Gods countenance which is of more esteem unto him than the greatest increase of Corn and Wine can be to the men of the world is removed from him It was an argument of prodigious security in Jonah that he was fast asleep when the Ship wherein he was was ready to be cast away for his â—â—ke And will it be thought less in any soul who being in a storm of wrath and displeasure from God sent out into the deep after him shall neglect it and sleep as Solomon sayes on the top of a Mast in the midst of the Sea How did that poor creature whose heart was mad on his Idols Judg. 18. 24. cry out when he was deprived of them You have taken away my Gods saith he and what have I more And shall a gracious soul lose his God through his own folly the sense of his love the consolation of his presence and not with all his might follow hard after him Peace with God joy in believing such souls have formerly obtained Can they live without them now in their ordinarily walking can they choose but cry out with Job O that it were with us as in former dayes when the candle of the Lord was upon our Tabernacle Chap. 29. 2 3 4. and with David O Lord restore unto me the joy of salvation Psal. 51. 12. for Oh my God I remember former enjoyments and my soul is cast down within me Psal. 42. 6. They cannot live without it But suppose they might make a sorry shift to pass on in their pilgrimage whilst all is smooth about them what will they do in the time of outward tryals and distresses when deep calleth unto deep and one trouble excites and sharpens another Nothing then will support them they know but that which is wanting to them as Hab. 3. 17 18. Psal. 23. 4. So that the greatness of their concernment provokes them to the earnestness mentioned Secondly They have a deep sense of these their great concernments All men are equally concerned in the Love of God and pardon of sin Every one hath a soul of the same immortal constitution equally capable of bliss and wo. But yet we see most men are so stupidly sottish that they take little notice of these things Neither the guilt of sin nor the wrath of God nor death nor Hell are thought on or esteemed by them they are their concernments but they are not sensible of them But gracious souls have a quick living sense of spiritual things For First They have a saving spiritual light whereby they are able to discern the true nature of sin and the terror of the Lord. For though they are now supposed to have lost the comforting light of the Spirit yet they never loose the sanctifying light of the Spirit the light whereby they are enabled to discern spiritual things in a spiritual manner this never utterly departs from them By this they see sin to be exceeding sinfull Rom. 7. 13. By this they know the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 15. 11. And that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. By this they discover the excellency of the love of God in Christ which passeth knowledge the present sense whereof they have lost By this they are enabled to look within the vail and to take a view of the blessed consolations which the Saints enjoy whose communion with God was never interrupted This represents to them all the sweetness pleasure Joy Peace which in former dayes they had whilst God was present with them in Love By this are
they taught to value all the fruits of the blood of Jesus Christ of the enjoyment of many whereof they are at present cut short and deprived All which with other things of the like nature and importance make them very sensible of their concernments Secondly They remember what it cost them formerly to deal with God about sin and hence they know it is no ordinary matter they have in hand They must again to their old work take the old cup into their hands again A recovery from depths is as a new conversion Oft-times in it the whole work as to the souls apprehension is gone over afresh This the soul knows to have been a work of dread terror and trouble and trembles in it self at its new tryals And Thirdly The Holy Ghost gives unto such poor souls a fresh sense of their deep concernments on purpose that it may be a means to stir them up unto these earnest Applications unto God The whole work is his and he carries it on by means suited to the compassing of the end he aimeth at And by these means is a gracious soul brought into the frame mentioned Now there are sundry things that concur in and unto this frame First There is a continual thoughtfulness about the sad condition wherein the soul is in its depths Being deeply affected with their condition they are continually ruminating upon it and pondering it in their minds So David declares the case to have been with him Psal. 38. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Thine arrows stick fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sins for mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me my wounds stink and are corrupt because of my foolishness I am troubled I am bowed down I go mourning all the day long I am feeble and sore broken I have roared for the disquietness of my heart Restlestness deep-thoughtfulness disquietness of heart continual heaviness of soul sorrow and anxiety of mind lye at the bottom of the Applications we speak of From these Principles their prayers flow out as David adds v. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee This way all his trouble wrought He prayed out of the abundance of his meditation and grief Thoughts of their state and condition lye down with such Persons and rise with them and accompany them all the day long As Reuben cryed The child is not and I whither shall I go So doth such a soul the Love of God is not Christ is not and I whither shall I cause my sorrow to go God is provoked death is nigh at hand relief is far away darkness is about me I have lost my peace my joy my Song in the night what do I think of duties Can two walk together unless they be agreed Can I walk with God in them whilst I have thus made him mine enemy What do I think of Ordinances Will it do me any good to be at Jerusalem and not see the face of the King to live under Ordinances and not to meet in them with the King of Saints May I not justly fear that the Lord will take his holy Spirit from me until I be left without remedy With such thoughts as these are sin-entangled souls exercised and they lye rolling in their minds in all their applications unto God Secondly We see the Application it self consists in and is made by the prayer of Faith or crying unto God now this is done with intenseness of mind which hath a twofold fruit or property 1. Importunity and 2. Constancy It is said of our blessed Saviour that when he was in his depths about our sins that he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryes and tears Heb. 5. 7. Strong cryes and tears express the utmost intension of Spirit And David expresseth it by roaring as we have seen before as also by sighing groaning and panting A soul in such a condition lyes down before the Lord with sighs groans mourning cryes tears and roaring according to the various working of his heart and its being affected with the things that it hath to do and this produceth First Importunity The power of the importunity of Faith our Saviour hath marvelously set out Luke 11. 8 9 10. as also Chap. 18. 1. Importunate prayer is certainly prevailing And importunity is as it were made up of these two things frequency of interposition and variety of arguings You shall have a man that is importunate come unto you seven times a day about the same business and after all if any new thought come into his mind though he had resolved to the contrary he will come again And there is nothing that can be imagined to relate unto the business he hath in hand but he will make use of it and turn it to the furtherance of his plea. So is it in this case Men will use both frequency of interposition and variety of arguings Psal. 86. 1. I cry unto thee daily or rather all the day He had but that one business and he attended it to the purpose By this means we give God no rest Isa. 62. 7. which is the very character of importunity Such souls go to God and they are not satisfied with what they have done and they go again and somewhat abideth still with them and they go to him again and the heart is not yet emptied they 'l go again to him that he may have no rest What variety of arguments are pleaded with God in this case I could also manifest in the same David But it is known to all there is not any thing almost that he makes not a plea of the Faithfulness Righteousness Name Mercy Goodness and kindness of God in Jesus Christ the concernment of others in him both the friends and foes of God his own weakness and helplesness yea the greatness of sin it self Be merciful to my sin saith he for it is great Sometimes he begins with some Arguments of this kind and then being a little diverted by other considerations some new plea is suggested unto him by the Spirit ane he returns immediately to his first employment and design all arguing great intension of mind and spirit Secondly Constancy also flows from intenseness Such a soul will not give over untill it obtain what it aims at and looks for as we shall see in our process in opening this Psalm And this is in general the deportment of a gracious soul in the condition here represented unto us As poor creatures love their peace as they love their souls as they tender the glory of God they are not to be wanting in this duty What is the reason that controversies hang so long between God and your souls that it may be you scarce see a good day all your lives Is it not for the most part
prayer Hence he teacheth and enjoyns us to pray or plead for the forgiveness of our debts to God that is our sins or trespasses against him which make us debtors to his Law and Justice even as we forgive them that so trespass or offend against us as to stand in need of our forgiveness Matth. 6. 12. Many are ready to devour such as are not satisfied that the Words of that Rule of Prayer which he hath prescribed unto us are to be precisely read or repeated every day I wish they would as heedfully mind that prescription which is given us herein for that frame of heart and spirit which ought to be in all our supplications It might possibly abate of their wrath in that and other things But here is a Rule for all prayer as all acknowledge as also of the things that are requisite to make it acceptable This in particular is required that before the searcher of all hearts and in our addresses unto him in our greatest concernments we profess our sincerity in the discharge of this duty and do put our obtaining of what we desire upon that issue This a great Crown that is put upon the head of this duty that which makes it very eminent and evidenceth the great concern of the Glory of God and our own souls therein 2. We may observe that no other duty whatever is expresly placed in the same series order or rank with it which makes it evident that it is singled out to be professed as a token and pledge of our sincerity in all other parts of our Obedience unto God It is by Christ himself made the instance for the tryal of our sincerity in our Universal Obedience which gives no small honour unto it The Apostle puts great weight on the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother because it is the first Commandment with promise Ephes. 6. 2. All the Commandments indeed had a promise Do this and live life was promised to the observance of them all But this is the first that had a peculiar promise annexed unto it and accompanying of it And it was such a Promise as had a peculiar foundation through Gods Ordinance in the thing it self It is that the Parents should prolong the lives of their Children that were obedient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 20. 11. They shall prolong thy dayes that is by praying for their prosperity blessing them in the name of God and directing them in those wayes of Obedience whereby they might live and possess the Land And this Promise is now translated from the Covenant of Canaan into the Covenant of Grace The blessing of Parents going far towards the interesting their Children in the Promise thereof and so prolonging their dayes unto eternity though their dayes in this world should be of little continuance So it is said of our Saviour that he should see his seed and prolong his dayes Isa. 53. 10. Which hath carried over that Word and that which is signified by it unto eternal things But this by the way As the singular Promise made to that Command renders it singular so doth this especial instancing in this duty in our prayer render it also For though as all the Commandments had a Promise so we are to carry a Testimony with us of our sincerity in Universal Obedience in our addresses unto God yet the singling out of this instance renders it exceeding remarkable and shewes what a value God puts upon it and how well he is pleased with it 3. That God requires this forgiveness in us upon the account of the forgiveness we receive from him which is to put the greatest obligation upon us unto it that we are capable of and to give the strongest and most powerful motive possible unto its performance See Ephes. 4. 32. 4. That this duty is more directly and expresly required in the New Testament than in the Old Required then it was but not so openly so plainly so expresly as now Hence we find a different frame of Spirit between them under that dispensation and those under that of the New Testament There are found amongst them some such Reflections upon their enemies their Oppressors Persecutors and the like as although they were warranted by some actings of the Spirit of God in them yet being suited unto the Dispensation they were under do no way become us now who by Jesus Christ receive grace for grace So Zechariah when he dyed cryed the Lord look on and require but Stephen dying in the same cause and manner said Lord lay not this sin to their charge Elijah called for fire from Heaven But our Saviour reproves the least inclination in his Disciples to imitate him therein And the reason of this difference is because forgiveness in God is under the New Testament far more clearly especially in the nature and cause of it discovered in the Gospel which hath brought life and immortality to light than it was under the Law For all our Obedience both in matter and manner is to be suited unto the discoveries and Revelation of God unto us 5. This Forgiveness of others is made an express Condition of our obtaining Pardon and Forgiveness from God Mat 6. 14 15. And the nature hereof is expresly declared Chap. 18. 24. Such Evangelical Conditions we have not many I confess they have no causal influence into the accomplishment of the Promise but the non-performance of them is a sufficient barr against our pretending to the Promise a sufficient evidence that we have no pleadable interest in it Our forgiving of others will not procure forgiveness for our selves But our not forgiving of others proves that we our selves are not forgiven And all these things do shew what weight God himself layes on this duty Secondly Observe that this Duty is such as that there is nothing more comely useful or honourable unto or praise worthy in any than a due performance of it To be morose implacable inexorable revengeful is one of the greatest degeneracies of humane nature And no men are commonly even in this world more branded with real infamy and dishonour amongst Wise and Good men than those who are of such a frame and do act accordingly To remember Injuries to retain a sense of Wrongs to watch for Opportunities of Revenge to hate and be malitiously perverse is to represent the Image of the Devil unto the world in its proper colours He is the great Enemy and self avenger On the other side no Grace no Vertue no Duty no Ornament of the mind or Conversation of man is in it self so lovely so comely so praise worthy or so useful unto mankind as are Meekness Readiness to forgive and pardon This is that principally which renders a man a good man for whom one would even dare to dye And I am sorry to add that this Grace or duty is recommended by its raritie It is little found amongst the Children of men The consideration of the defect of men herein as
It is only this a Saviour is born a way of escape is provided and further they do not proceed Yet this they say is a matter of great joy as it was indeed It is so to every burdned convinced sinner a matter of unspeakable joy and rejoycing Oh blessed words a Saviour is born This gives life to a sinner and opens a door of hope in the valley of Achor The first rescue of a sin distressed soul. Upon the matter it was all that the Saints for many Ages had to live upon and that not in the enjoyment but only the expectation They lived on that Word the seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head that is a way of deliverance is provided for sinners This with all diligence they enquired into 1 Pet. 1. 10 11 12. and improved it to their eternal advantage As of old Jacob when he saw the Waggons that his Son Joseph had sent to bring him unto him it is said his Spirit revived So did they upon their obscure discovery of a way of forgiveness They looked upon the Promise of it as that which God had sent to bring them unto him and they saw the day of the coming of Christ in it and rejoyced How much more have Sinners now Reason so to do when the substance of the Promise is exhibited and the news of his Comeing proclaimed unto them This then is a great matter namely that terms of Peace and Reconciliation are proposed in that it is made known that there is forgiveness with God Upon these Considerations then we pursue that Exhortation which we have in hand If any of you were justly condemned to a cruel and shamefull death and lay trembling in the expectation of the execution of it and a man designed for that purpose should come unto him and tell him that there were terms propounded on which his life might be spared only he came away like Ahimaaz before he heard the particulars would it not be a reviving unto him would he not cry out Pray enquire what they are for there is not any thing so difficult which I will not undergoe to free my self from this miserable condition Would it not change the whole frame of the spirit of such a man and as it were put new life into him But now if instead hereof he should be froward stubborn and obstinate take no notice of the Messenger or say Let the Judge keep his terms to himself without inquiring what they are that he would have nothing to do with them would not such a person be deemed to perish deservedly doth he not bring a double destruction upon himself first of deserving death by his crimes and then by refusing the honest and good way of delivery tendred unto him I confess it often times falls out that men may come to enquire after these terms of Peace which when they are revealed they like them not but with the young man in the Gospel they go away sorrowfull The cursed wickedness and misery of which condition which befalls many convinced persons shall be spoken unto afterwards At present I speak unto them who never yet attended in sincerity unto these terms nor seriously enquired after them Think you what you please of your Condition and of your selves or choose whether you will think of it or no pass your time in a full regardlesness of your present and future Estate Yet indeed thus it is with you as to your eternal concerns you lye under the sentence of a bitter shamefull and everlasting death you have done so in the midst of all your jollity ever since you came into this world And you are in the hand of him who can in the twinkling of an eye destroy both body and soul in Hell fire In this state and condition men are sent on purpose to let you know that there are terms of Peace there is yet a way of escape for you And that you may not avoid the issue aimed at they tell you that God that cannot lye hath commanded them to tell you so if you question the truth of what they say they are ready to produce their warrant under Gods own hand and seal here then is no room for tergiversation or excuses Certainly if you have any care of your eternal estate if you have any drop of tender blood running in your veins towards your own souls if you have any rational considerations dwelling in your minds if all be not defaced and obliterated through the power of lust and love of sin you cannot but take your selves to be unspeakably concerned in this proposal But now if instead hereof you give up your selves unto the power of unbelief the will of Sathan the love of your lusts and this present world so as to take no notice of this errand or message from God nor once seriously to enquire after the nature and importance of the terms proposed Can you escape shall you be delivered will your latter end be peace The Lord knows it will be otherwise with you and that unto Eternity So the Apostle assures us 2 Cor. 4. 3 4. If our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not lest the light of the Glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God should shine into them If you receive not this word if it be bid from you it is from the power and efficacy of Sathan upon your minds And what will be the end Perish you must and shall and that for ever Remember the Parable of our Saviour Luke 14. 31 32. What King going to make warre against another King sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with Ten Thousand to meet him that cometh against him with Twenty Thousand or else while the other is yet a great way off he sendeth an Ambassage and desireth conditions of Peace That which he teacheth in this Parable is the necessity that lyes on us of making peace with God whom we have provoked and justly made to be our Enemy as also our utter impotency to resist and withstand him when he shall come forth in a way of Judgement and Vengeance against us But here lyes a difference in this matter such as is allowed in all similitudes Amongst men at variance it is not his part who is the stronger and secure of success to send to the weaker whom he hath in his Power to accept of terms of Peace Here it is otherwise God who is infinitely powerfull justly provoked and able to destroy poor sinners in a moment when now he is not very farre off but at the very door sends himself an Ambassage with Conditions of Peace And shall he be refused by you will you yet neglect his offers How great then will be your destruction Hear then once more poor sin-hardened sensless souls ye stout-hearted that are far from Righteousness Is it nothing unto you that the great and
and obstructions by his own blood bringing forth unto beauty and Glory this Redemption or Forgiveness of sin as the price of it And let the Glory of the Gospel which alone makes this discovery of Forgiveness in God dwell in your hearts Let your minds be exercised about these things You will find effects from them above all that hath as yet been brought forth in your souls What for the most part have you hitherto been conversant about when you have risen above the turmoyling of lusts and corruptions in your hearts the entanglements of your Callings business and affairs what have you been able to raise your hearts unto perplexing fears about your Condition General hopes without savour or relish yielding you no refreshment Legal Commands Bondage-duties distracted Consciences broken Purposes and Promises which you have been tossed up and down withall without any certain rest And what Effects have these thoughts produced have they made you more holy and more humble have they given you delight in God and strength unto new obedience Not at all Where you were there you still are without the least progress But now bring your Souls unto these Springs and try the Lord if from that day you be not blessed with spiritual stores 8. If the Lord be pleased to carry on your Souls thus far then stirr up your selves to choose and close with the way of forgiveness that hath been revealed Choose it only choose it in comparison with and opposition unto all others Say you will be for Christ and not for another and be so accordingly Here venture here repose here rest your Souls It is a way of peace safety Holyness beauty strength power liberty and glory you have the Nature the Name the Love the Purposes the Promises the Covenant the Oath of God the Love Life Death or Blood the Mediation or Oblation and Intercession of Jesus Christ The Power and Efficacy of the Spirit and Gospel Grace by him administred to give you Assurance of the excellency the oneness the safety of the Way whereunto you are engaging If now the Lord shall be pleased to perswade your hearts and souls to enter upon the path marked out before you and shall carry you on through the various exercises of it unto this closure of Faith God will have the Glory the Gospel will be Exalted and your own Souls shall reap the Eternal benefit of this Exhortation But now if not withstanding all that hath been spoken all the Invitations you have had and Incouragements that have been held out unto you you shall continue to despise this so great salvation you will live and dye in the state and condition wherein you are why then as the Prophet said to the Wife of Jeroboam Come neer for I am sent unto you with heavy Tydings I say then 9. If you resolve to continue in the neglect of this Salvation and shall do so accordingly Then Cursed be you of the Lord with all the Curses that are written in the Law and all the Curses that are denounced against Despisers of the Gospel Yea be you Anathema Maranatha Cursed in this World alwayes untill the comeing of the Lord and when the Lord comes be ye cursed from his presence into Everlasting destruction Yea Curse them all ye holy Angels of God as the obstinate Enemies of your King and Head the Lord Jesus Christ. Curse them all ye Churches of Christ as despisers of that Love and Mercy which is your portion your Life your Inheritance Let all the Saints of God all that love the Lord curse them and rejoyce to see the Lord comeing forth mightily and prevailing against them to their everlasting ruine Why should any one have a thought of compassion towards them who despise the compassion of God or of mercy towards them who trample on the blood of Christ Whilest there is yet hope we desire to have continual sorrow for you and to travail in soul for your conversion to God but if you be hardened in your way shall we joyn with you against him shall we preferre you above his Glory shall we desire your salvation with the despoyling God of his honour Nay God forbid We hope to rejoyce in seeing all that vengeance and indignation that is in the right hand of God poured out unto Eternity upon your Souls Prov. 1. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33. Rules to be observed by them who would come to stability in Obedience The first Rule Christ the only infallible Judge of our spiritual condition How he judgeth by his Word and Spirit That which remaineth to be further carried on upon the Principles laid down is to perswade with Souls more or less intangled in the depths of sin to close with this Forgiveness by Believing unto their Peace and Consolation And because such persons are full of pleas and objections against themselves I shall chiefly in what I have to say endeavour to obviate these Objections so to encourage them unto believing and bring them unto settlement And herein whatever I have to offer flowes naturally from the Doctrine at large laid down and asserted Yet I shall not in all particulars apply my self thereunto but in Generall fix on those things that may tend to the Establishment and Consolation of both distressed and doubting Souls And I shall do what I purpose these two wayes First I shall lay down such General Rules as are necessary to be observed by all those who intend to come to Gospel peace and Comfort And then Secondly shall consider some such Objections as seem to be most comprehensive of those special reasonings where with distressed persons do usually intangle themselves I shall begin with General Rules which through the Grace of Christ and Supplyes of his Spirit may be of use unto Believers in the condition under consideration RULE I. Be not Judges of your own Condition but let Christ judge You are invited to take the comfort of this Gospel Truth That there is Forgiveness with God You say not for you so said Jacob My way is hid from the Lord Isa. 40. 27. and Sion said so too chap. 49. 14. The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But did they make a right Judgement of themselves We find in those places that God was otherwise minded This false Judgement made by Souls in their intanglements of their own Condition is oft-times a most unconquerable hinderance unto the bettering of it They fill themselves with thoughts of their own about it and on them they dwell instead of looking out after a Remedy Misgiving thoughts of their distempers are commonly a great part of some mens sickness Many diseases are apt to cloud the thoughts and to cause misapprehensions concerning their own nature and danger And these delusions are a real part of the persons sickness Nature is no less impaired and weakened by them the Efficacy of Remedies no less obstructed than by any other reall distemper In such
observed that special cases are so varied by their Circumstances that it is very rare that any Resolutions of them are every way adequate and suited unto the Apprehensions of them that are exercised with them I shall therefore call things unto some general heads whereunto most of the Objections that distressed sinners make against their own peace may be reduced and leave the Light of them to be applied in particular unto the relief of the souls of men as God shall be pleased to make them effectual Second General Head of the Application of the Truth insisted on Grounds of Spiritual Disquietments considered The first Afflictions Waies and means of the Aggravation of Afflictions Rules about them That which now lyeth before us is the second part of the second General Use educed from the Truth insisted on Our aim is to lead on souls towards peace with God through a gracious perswasion of their Interest in that forgiveness which is with him And it consists as was declared in a Consideration of some of those disquietments which befall the minds of men and keep them off from Establishment in this matter And first such disquietments and objections against the peace of the soul and its acceptance with God will arise from Afflictions they have done so of old they do so in many at this day Afflictions I say greatned unto the mind from their Nature or by their Concomitants do oft-times variously affect it and sometimes prevail to darken it so far as to ingenerate thoughts that they are all messengers of wrath all tokens of displeasure and so consequently evidences that we are not par doned or accepted with God Now this is a time of great Afflictions unto many and those some of them such as have innumerable aggravating circumstances accompanying of them Some have come with a dreadfull surprizal in things not looked for such as falls not out in the providence of God in many Generations Such is the condition of them who are reduced to the utmost extremity by the late consuming fire some have had their whole families all their posterity taken from them in a few daies they have been suddenly bereaved as in the Plague Some in their own persons or in their Relations have had sore long and grievous tryals from Oppressions and Persecutions and these things have various effects on the minds of men Some we find crying with that wicked King This evil is of the Lord why should we wait any longer for him and give up themselves to seek relief from their own lusts Some bear up under their troubles with a natural stoutness of spirit some have received a sanctified use and improvement of their trials with joy in the Lord. But many we find to go heavily under their burdens having their minds darkned with many misapprehensions of the Love of God and of their own personal interest in his Grace It is not therefore unseasonable to speak a little to this Head of trouble in our entrance Outward troubles I say are oftentimes occasions if not the causes of great inward distresses You know how the Saints of old expressed their sense of them and conflicts with them The complaints of David are familiar to all who attend unto any communion with God in these things so are those of Job Heman Jonah Jeremiah and others neither do they complain only of their troubles but of the sense which they had of Gods displeasure in and under them and of his hiding of his face from them whilest they were so exercised It is not otherwise at present as is known unto such as converse with many who are either surprized with unexpected troubles or worn out with tryals and disappointments of an expected end They consider themselves both absolutely and with respect unto others and on both accounts are filled with dark thoughts and despondencies Saith one I am rolled from one trial unto another the clouds with me return still after the rain All the billows and water-spouts of God go over me In my person it may be pressed with sickness pains troubles in my Relations with their sins miscarriages or death in my outward state in wants losses dis-reputation I am even as a withered branch Surely if God had any especial regard unto my soul it would not be thus with me or some timely end would have been put unto these dispensations On the other hand they take a view of some other Professors they see that their Tables are spread day by day that the Candle of the Lord shines continually on their tabernacle and that in all things they have their hearts desire Setting aside the common attendencies of humane nature and nothing befalls them grievous in the world Thus it is with them And surely had I an interest in his Grace in Pardon the God of Israel would not thus pursue a Flea in the Mountains nor set himself in battel array against a leaf driven to and fro with the wind he would spare me a little and let me alone for a moment but as things are with me I fear my way is hidden from the Lord and my Judgement is passed over from my God These kind of thoughts do perplex the minds of men and keep them off from partaking of that strong consolation which God is abundantly wiling they should receive by a comfortable perswasion of a blessed Interest in that forgiveness that is with him And this was the very case of David or at least these outward Troubles were a special part of those depths out of which he cryed for relief by a sense of Pardon Grace and Redemption with God I answer to these Complaints First That there are so many excellent things spoken concerning Afflictions their Necessity their Usefulness and the like such blessed ends are assigned unto them and in many have been compassed and fulfilled by them that a man unacquainted with the exercise wherewith they are attended would think it impossible that any one should be shaken in mind as to the Love and favour of God on their account But as the Apostle tells us that no Afflictions are joyous at present but grievous So he who made in the close of his Trials that solemn profession That it was good for him that he had been affected yet we know as hath been declared how he was distressed under them There are therefore sundry Accidental things which accompany great Afflictions that seem to exempt them from the common Rule and the promise of Love and Grace As 1. The Remembrance of past and buryed misearriages and sins lyes in the bosom of many Afflictions It was so with Job Thou makest me saith he to possess the sins of my youth See his plea to that purpose chap. 13. 23 24 25 26 27. In the midst of his troubles and distresses God revived upon his spirit a sense of former sins even the sins of his youth and made him to possess them he filled his soul and mind with thoughts of them
Peace you may find This is the putting of the hand into the side of Christ but blessed are they who believe and yet have not seen RULE III. If you have at any time formerly received any especial or Immediate pledge or testimony of God given unto your souls as unto their Sincerity and consequently their Regeneration labour to recover it and to revive a sense of it upon your Spirits now in your darkness and trouble I am perswaded there are but few Believers but that God doth at one time or other in one duty or other entring into or coming out of one Temptation or another give some singular Testimony unto their own souls and consciences concerning their Sincerity and his Acceptance of them Sometimes he doth this in a duty wherein he hath enabled the soul to make so near an approach unto him as that it hath been warmed enlivened sweetned satisfied with the presence the gracious presence of God and which God hath made unto him as a token of his uprightness Sometimes when a man is entring into any great Temptation Trial difficult or dangerous duty that death it self is feared in it God comes in by one means or other by a secret intimation of his Love which he gives him to take along with him for his furniture and provision in his way and thereby testifies to him his Sincerity And this serves like the food of Elijah for forty daies in a wilderness condition Sometimes he is pleased to shine immediately into the soul in the midst of its darkness and sorrow wherewith it is surprized as not looking for any such expression of kindness and is thereby relieved against its own pressing self-condemnation And sometimes the Lord is pleased to give these tokens of Love unto the soul as its refreshment when it is coming off from the storm of Temptations wherewith it hath been tossed And many other times and seasons there are wherein God is pleased to give unto Believers some Especial Testimony in their consciences unto their own Integrity But now these are all wrought by a transient operation of the Spirit exciting and enabling the heart unto a spiritual sensible apprehension and receiving of Gods expressing kindness towards it These things abide not in their sense and in their power which they have upon our Affections but immediately pass away They are therefore to be treasured up in the mind and judgement to be improved and made use of by Faith as occasion shall require but we are apt to lose them Most know no other use of them but whilst they feel them yea through ignorance in our duty to improve them they prove like a sudden light brought into a dark place and again removed which seems to increase and really aggravates our sense of the darkness The true Use of them is to lay them up and ponder them in our hearts that they may be Supportments and Testimonies unto us in a time of need Have you then who are now in the dark as to your state or condition whether you are Regenerate or no ever received any such refreshing and chearing Testimony from God given unto your Integrity and your Acceptance with him thereupon call it over again and make use of it against those discouragements which arise from your present darkness in this matter and which keeps you off from sharing in the consolation tendred unto you in this Word of Grace RULE IV. A due spiritual Consideration of the Causes and Effects of Regeneration is the ordinary way and means whereby the souls of Believers come to be satisfied concerning that work of God in them and upon them The principle or causes of this work are the Spirit and the Word He that is born again is born of the Spirit Joh. 3. 6. and of the Word Of his own Will begat he us by the word of his Truth Jam. 1. 18. We are born again by the Word of God that abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1. 23. Where ever then a man is regenerate there hath been an effectual work of the Spirit and of the Word upon his soul. This is to be inquired into and after Ordinarily it will discover it self Such impressions will be made in it upon the soul such a change will be wrought and produced in it as will not escape a spiritual diligent search and enquiry And this is much of the duty of such as are in the dark and uncertain concerning the accomplishment of this work in themselves Let them call to mind what have been the actings of the Spirit by the Word upon their souls What Light thereby hath been communicated unto their minds what discoveries of the Lord Christ and way of Salvation have been made to them what sense and detestation of sin have been wrought in them what satisfaction hath been given unto the soul to chuse accept and acquiesce in the Righteousness of Christ what Resignation of the heart unto God according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace it hath been wrought unto Call to mind what Transactions there have been between God and your souls about these things how far they have been carryed on whether you have broken off the Treaty with God and refused his Terms or if not where the stay is between you and what is the Reason since God hath graciously begun to deal thus with you that you are not yet come to a through close with him in the work and design of his Grace the defect must of necessity lye on your parts God doth nothing in vain Had he not been willing to receive you he would not have dealt with you so far as he hath done There is nothing then remains to firm your condition but a resolved Act of your own Wills in answering the mind and will of God And by this search may the soul come to satisfaction in this matter or at least find out and discover where the stick is whence their uncertainty doth arise and what is wanting to compleat their desires Again this work may be discovered by its Effects There is something that is produced by it in the soul which may also be considered either with respect unto its Being and Existence or unto its Actings and Operations in the first regard it is Spirit Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit which is produced by the effectual operation of the Spirit of God it is Spirit A new Creature 2 Cor. 15. 17. He that is in Christ Jesus who is born again is a new Creature a new life a spiritual life Gal. 2. 20. Ephes. 2. 1. In brief it is an habitual furnishment of all the faculties of the soul with new spiritual vital principles enabling a person in all instances of Obedience to lead a spiritual life unto God This principle is by this work produced in the soul and in respect of its Actings it consists in all the gracious operations of the Mind Will Heart or Affections in the duties of Obedience which God hath required
the soul. 1. Because they are unexpected The soul looks not for them upon the first great conquest made of sin and universal engagement of the heart unto God When it first sayes I have sworn and amstedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Judgements commonly there is peace at least for a season from the disturbing vigorous actings of sin There are many Reasons why so it should be Old things are then passed away all things are become new and the soul under the power of that universal change is utterly turned away from those things that should foment stir up provoke or cherish any lust or temptation Now when some of these Advantages are past and sin begins to stir and act again the soul is surprized and thinks the work that he hath passed through was not true and effectual but temporary only Yea he thinks perhaps that sin hath more strength than it had before because he is more sensible than he was before As one that hath a dead arm or limb whilst it is mortified endures deep cuts and launcings and feels them not when spirits and sense are brought into the place again he feels the least cut and may think the instruments sharper than they were before when all the difference is that he hath got a quickness of sense which before he had not It may be so with a person in this case he may think lust more powerfull than it was before because he is more sensible than he was before Yea sin in the heart is like a Snake or Serpent you may pull out the sting of it and cut it into many pieces though it can sting mortally no more nor move his whole body at once yet it will move in all its parts and make an appearance of a greater motion than formerly So it is with lust when it hath received its deaths wound and is cut in pieces yet it moves in so many parts as it were in the soul that it amazes him that hath to do with it and thus coming unexpectedly fills the spirit oftentimes with disconsolation 2. It hath also in its actings an Universality This also surprizeth there is an universality in the actings of sin even in Believers There is no evil that it will not move to there is no good that it will not attempt to hinder no duty that it will not defile And the reason of this is because we are sanctified but in part not in any part wholly though savingly and truly in every part There is sin remaining in every faculty in all the Affections and so may be acting in and towards any sin that the nature of man is liable unto Degrees of sin there are that all Regenerate persons are exempted from but unto solicitations to all kinds of sin they are exposed and this helps on the Temptation 3. It is endless and restless never quiet conquering nor conquered it gives not over but rebels being overcome or assaults afresh having prevailed Oft-times after a victory obtained and an opposition subdued the soul is in expectation of Rest and Peace from its enemies But this holds not It works and rebels again and again and will do so whilst we live in this world so that no issue will be put to our conflict but by death This is at large handled elsewhere in a Treatise lately published on this peculiar subject These and the like Considerations attending the actings of indwelling sin do oftentimes intangle the soul in making a Judgement of it self and leave it in the dark as to its state and condition A few things shall be offered unto this Objection also 1. The sensible powerfull actings of indwelling sin are not inconsistent with a state of Grace Gal. 5. 17. There are in the same person contrary principles the flesh and the spirit these are contrary And there are contrary actings from these principles The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these actings are described to be great vigorous in other places Lust wars against our souls Jam. 4. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 1 l. Now to war is not to make faint or gentle Opposition to be flighted and contemned but it is to go out with great strength to use craft subtlety and force so as to put the whole issue to a hazard So these lusts war such are their actings in and against the soul. And therefore saith the Apostle You cannot do the things that you would see Rom. 7. 14 15 16 17. In this conflict indeed the understanding is left unconquered it condemns and disapproves of the evil led unto and the will is not subdued it would not do the evil that is pressed upon it and there is an hatred or aversation remaining in the Affections unto sin but yet notwithstanding sin rebels fights tumultuates and leads captive This Objection then may receive this speedy Answer Powerfull actings and workings universal endless struglings of ind welling sin seducing to all that is evil putting it self forth to the disturbance and dissettlement of all that is good is no sufficient ground to conclude a state of Alienation from God see for this the other Treatise before mentioned at large 2. Your state is not at all to be measured by the opposition that sin makes to you but by the opposition you make to it be that never so great if this be good be that never so restless and powerfull if this be sincere you may be disquieted you can have no reason to despond I have mentioned these things only to give a specimen of the Objections which men usually raise up against an actual closing with the Truth insisted on to their consolation And we have also given in upon them some Rules of Truth for their relief not intending in them absolute satisfaction as to the whole of the cases mentioned but only to remove the darkness raised by them so out of the way as that it might not hinder any from mixing the Word with Faith that hath been dispensed from this blessed testimony that there is forgiveness with God that he may be feared Verse 5 6. PRoceed we now to the second part of this Psalm which contains the deportment of a sin-perplexed soul when by Faith it hath discovered where its Rest doth lye and from whom its relief is to be expected even from the forgiveness which is with God whereof we have spoken There are two things in general as was before mentioned that the soul in that condition applies it self unto whereof the first respects its self and the other the whole Israel of God That which respects its self is the description of that frame of heart and spirit that he was brought into upon faiths discovery of forgiveness in God with the duties that he applied himself unto the grounds of it and the manner of its performance v. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
are is known Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing of the Word Dispensation of the Sacraments they are all appointed to this purpose they are all means of communicating Love and Grace to the soul. Be not then heartless or slothfull up and be doing attend with diligence to the Word of Grace be fervent in prayer assiduous in the use of all Ordinances of the Church in one or other of thern at one time or other thou wilt meet with him whom thy soul loveth and God through him will speak peace unto thee Thirdly There is Expectation in it which lyes in a direct opposition to all the actings of unbelief in this matter and is the very life and soul of the duty under consideration So the Psalmist declares it Psal. 62. 5. My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is only from him The soul will not cannot in a due manner wait on God unless it hath Expectations from him unless as James speaks he looks to receive somewhat from him chap. 1. 7. The soul in this condition regards forgiveness not only as by its self it is desired but principally as it is by God promised Thence they expect it This is expressed in the fourth Proposition before laid down namely that sin-distressed souls wait for God with earnestness intention of mind and expectation As this ariseth from the redoubling of the Expression so principally from the nature of the Comparison that he makes of himself in his waiting with them that watch for the morning Those that watch for the morning do not only desire it and prepare for it but they expect it and know assuredly that it will come Though darkness may for a time be troublesome and continue longer than they would desire yet they know that the morning hath its appointed time of return beyond which it will not tarry and therefore they look out for its Appearance on all occasions so it is with the soul in this matter So sayes David Psal. 5. 3. I will direct my prayer unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and look up So we the words before are defective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the morning or rather every morning I will order unto thee We restrain this unto prayer I will direct my peayer unto thee But this was expressed directly in the words foregoing In the morning thou shalt hear my voice that is the voice of my prayer and supplications as it is often supplied And although the Psalmist doth sometime repeat the same thing in different Expressions yet here he seemeth not so to do but rather proceeds to declare the general frame of his spirit in walking with God I will saith he order all things towards God so as that I may wait upon him in the waies of his appoinment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and will look up It seems in our Translation to express his posture in his prayer But the Word is of another importance It is diligently to look out after that which is coming towards us a looking out after the Accomplishment of our Expectation This is a part of our waiting for God yea as was said the life of it that which is principally intended in it The Prophet calls it his standing upon his watch tower and watching to see what God would speak unto him Hab. 2. 3. namely in answer unto that prayer which he put up in his trouble He is now waiting in Expectation of an answer from God And this is that which poor weak trembling sinners are so encouraged unto Isa. 53. 3 4. Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees say unto them that are of a fearfull heart be strong fear not behold your God will come Weakness and discouragements are the effects of Unbelief These he would have removed with an Expectation of the coming of God unto the soul according to the Promise And this I say belongs unto the waiting of the soul in the condition described Such a one doth expect and hope that God will in his season manifest himself and his Love unto him and give him an experimental sense of a blessed interest in forgiveness And the accomplishment of this purpose and promise of God it looks out after continually It will not despond and be heartless but stir up and strengthen it self unto a full expectation to have the desires of his soul satisfied in due time as we find David doing in places almost innumerable This is the duty that in the first place is recommended unto the soul who is perswaded that there is forgiveness with God but sees not its own interest therein Wait on or for the Lord. And it hath two properties when it is performed in a due manner namely patience and perseverance By the one men are kept to the length of Gods time by the other they are preserved in a due length of their own duty And this is that which was laid down in the first Proposition drawn from the words namely that continuance in watching until God appears unto the soul is necessary as that without which we cannot attain what we look after and prevailing as that wherein we shall never fail God is not to be limited nor his times prescribed unto him We know our way and the end of our Journey but our stations of especial rest we must wait for at his mouth as the people did in the wilderness When David comes to deal with God in his great distress he sayes unto him O Lord thou art my God my times are in thine hand Psal. 31. 14 15. His times of trouble and of peace of darkness and of light he acknowledged to be in the hand and at the disposal of God so that it was his duty to wait his time and season for his share and portion in them During this state the soul meets with many Oppositions difficulties and perplexities especially if its darkness be of long continuance as with some it abides many years with some all the daies of their lives Their hope being hereby deferred makes their hearts sick and their spirit oftentimes to faint and this fainting is a defect in waiting for want of perseverance and continuance which frustrates the End of it So David Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord. Had I not received supportment by faith I had fainted And wherein doth that consist what was the fainting which he had been overtaken withall without the supportment mentioned it was a relinquishment of waiting on God as he manifests by the Exhortation which he gives to himself and others v. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Wait with courage and resolution that thou faint not And the Apostle puts the blessed Event of Faith and Obedience upon the avoidance of this evil Gal. 6. 9. We shall reap if we faint not Hence we have both encouragements given against it and promises that in the