imperfection that desires to be searched in preaching hearing searching Sermons and desiring to be searched in Conference and that doubts not his conscience but would be searched throughly When men fret at the searching of their sins they will not be searched and are content to go on in presumptuous courses and think all is well it is a sign there is not so much as an Earnest But not to go farther that in the Revelation shews the truth of a little grace what saith he Thou hast a little strength what doth that little strength move the Church of Philadelphia to do Thou hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name Where there is a little strength there will be a keeping of the Word in obedience a keeping of it in conversation where is not a regard to Gods Word a moulding of the soul into it in obedience of it there is not so much as a little strength of grace and therefore those that live in rebellious courses have not so much as an Earnest to them yet Thou hast kept my Word and withal thou hast not denyed my Name Where a little strength is there they will not deny Christs Name they will hold out in the profession of the truth and confesse it if occasion serve and therefore where any are slight in their profession that give in if they be ready to dash upon any displeasure of any one if they be to venture their estates or so then they are ashamed of Christ and that profession which they took upon them they deny his Name at least they do not own it they have not so much as a little strength if they do not recover Peter was in such a temptation but he recovered his strength and got more strength and a firm standing upon it the shaking of Peter was for the rooting of him So God to shame his children suffers them sometimes to have dastardly spirits but they recover themselves they are ashamed of it but those that are common Politicians in this kind that will not stand out in a good cause to maintain their truth and profession when God thrusts his cause into their hands specially at such times when God saith to them Who is on my side who now is the time to appear then if they have not a word for God they will not own the quarrel and cause of God and Religion they have not a little strength for they that have a little strength here keep the Word and have not denyed the Name Those therefore that can fashion themselves to all Religions to all companies they will have a Religion mutable and flexible to their occasions where is the Earnest of the Spirit the Spirit as much as he is is strong and vigorous and powerful these men have not so much as a little strength that are as water which is fashioned to the vessel it is in like to the Samaritans as Joseph the Historian of the Jews writes of them When the Jewes prospered oh then they would be Jewes when the Jewes had ill successe then they were great enemies to the Jewes so you have many that are no friends to the afflicted to the disgraced truth but as long as the Cause of Religion is carried out with the Countenance of the State with the favour of great ones so far they will own it but if Christ once comes to be abased they will not know Christ nor his Cause I beseech you let us take notice of it it is a sign there is no grace at all where there is such an habitual disposition without shame or grief or repentance for Gods children sometimes may be overtaken with a spirit of dastardlinesse which afflicts them sore afterwards that they gather more strength A man may know if he be Gods child in such a state for it is universally true Gods children are never overtaken with a spirit of cowardlinesse and fear but they regain it and grow more strong upon it as we see in Cranmer and others God purposeth sometimes to let them see what they are in themselves without his support and strength but afterwards they gather new resolutions new purposes to stick firmer to the truth then ere before I might adde many other things but I go on to that which followes You see here now how we may try if we have any true Earnest in us at all or no. Now I beseech you let us labour to have this Earnest if we have it not to have this assurance especially let me desire those of the younger sort to labour to have the seal of this Spirit and the Earnest before they be further and further engaged into the world and before they be so hardened that they will not receive a contrary stamp to their corruptions It is a wondrous advantage that Gentlemen and others that are young before the world hath soiled them and before their understandings be darkened and their affections are crooked and carried away much with the stream and errours of the time they have much advantage above others for they have spirits fitter for grace fitter to receive the impression of this seal of the Spirit fitter for the Earnest Let us labour for this Earnest betimes what a comfortable thing will it be to carry along with the Earnest an assurance of a better estate from our youth to our age and from our age to our old age and so to heaven with us what a deal of comfort do young ones deprive and rob themselves of that will not be gracious betimes Let us labour to have the stamp of the Spirit set on us in our prime time in the strength of our years But I will presse the Point if the time will give leave afterwards Now we must know that God gives this Earnest not for himself but for us to secure us and that is one reason why it is called an Earnest There is besides bargaining another state and condition that Earnest is applyed unto which perhaps the Apostle aimes at as marriage whatsoever was before the Consummation of the marriage was a kind of Arrah a kind of Earnest to assure the affection of the contracted person and persons that loved one another till the Consummation of the marriage So Christ now contracts us on the earth and having love to us and taking our Nature on him that he might woo us in our own flesh and in our own nature taking upon him the Earnest of our flesh he gives us the Earnest of his Spirit and to assure us thaâ—… he loves us and that he means to make up the bargain afterwards he sends us love-tokens graces and comfort and joy Even as Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca he sent by his servants Bracelets and Jewels and such things to secure her of his love So Christ in heaven intending the consummation of the Match he sends us here graces and comforts of the Spirit and all to secure us all is for us I say
This being a truth that Gods Children when they have tasted of his mercie break forth into his praise it being the end of his favours and nature being inclined thereto this should stirre us up to this duty and that we may the better perform this holy duty let us take notice of all Gods favours and blessings Knowledge stirs up the affections blessing of God springs immediately from an inlarged heart but enlargement of heart is stirred up from apprehension for as things are reported to the knowledge so the understanding reports them to the heart and affections Therefore it is a duty that we ought to take notice of Gods favours and with taking notice of them To mind them to remember them forget not all his benefits Psal. 103. Praise the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefits insinuating that the cause why we praise not God is the forgetting of his benefits Let us take notice of them let us register them let us mind them let us keep diaries of his mercies and favours every day he renews his mercies and favours every day and we ought to renew our blessing of him every day we should labour to do here as we shall do when we are in heaven where we shall do nothing else but praise and bless him we ought to be in Heaven while we are on the earth as much as we may let us register his favours and mercies But what favours Especially spirituall nay first spirituall favours without which we cannot heartily give thanks for any outward thing for the soule will cast with it self till it feele it selfe in Covenant with God in Christ that a man is the Child of God Indeed I have many mercies and favours God is good to me but perhaps all these are but favours of the Traytor in the prison that hath the libertie of the Tower and all things that his heart can desire but then he looks for an execution he looks for a writt to draw him forth to make him a spectacle to all and so this trembling for fear of a future ill which the soul lookes for it keepes the soul from thankfulnesse It cannot be heartily thankful for any mercy till it can be thankful for spiritual fauors Therefore first let us see that our state be good that we are in Christ that we are in the covenant of Grace that though we are weak Christians yet we are true there is truth in Grace wrought in us And then when we have tasted the best mercies spirituall mercies when we see we are taken out of the state of nature for then all is in love to us when we have the first mercy pardoning mercy that our sins are forgiven in Christ then the other are mercies indeed to us not as favours to a condemned man And that is the reason that a carnall man he hath his heart shut he cannot praise God he cannot trust in God because he staggers in his estate because he is not assured he thinks it may be God fattens me against the day of slaughter Therefore I know not whether I should praise him for this or no. But he is deceived in that for if he had his heart enlarged to blesse God for that God would shew further favour still but the heart will not yield hearty praise to God till it be perswaded of Gods love For all our love is by reflection We love him because he loved us first and we praise and blesse him because he hath blest us first in heavenly blessings in Christ. Let us take notice of his favours let us mind them let us register them especially favours and mercies in Christ. Let us after think how we were pulled out of the cursed estate of nature by what ministery by what acquaintance by what speech and how God hath followed that mercie with new acquaintance with new comfort to our souls with new refreshings that by his spirit he hath repressed our corruptions that he hath sanctified us made us more humble more careful that he hath made us more jealous more watchful these mercies and favours will make others sweet unto us And then learn to prize and value the mercies of God which will not be unlesse we compare them with our own unworthinesse lay his mercies together with our own unworthinesse and it will make us break forth into blessing of God When we consider what we are our selves as Jacob said lesse than the least of Gods mercies We forget Gods mercies every day he strives with our unthankfulnesse the comparing of his mercies with our unworthiness and our desert on the contrary will make us to blesse God for his goodnesse and patience that he will not onely be good to us in not inflicting that which our sins have deserved Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And to name no more bút this one above all beg of God his holy spirit for this Blessing of God is nothing else but a vent from the spirit For as Organs and wind Instruments do never sound except they be blown they are dead and make no musick till there be breath put into them so we are dead and dull instruments therefore it is said we are filled with the Holy Ghost All Gods children they are filled with the spirit before they can praise God the spirit stirres them up to praise him and as it gives them matter to praise him for so it gives the Sacrifice of praise it self God gives to his children both the benefits to blesse him for and he gives the blessing of a heart to blesse him And we must beg both of God beg a heart able to discern spiritual favours to tast and relish them and to see our own unworthinesse of them and beg of God his holy spirit to awaken and quicken and enlarge our dead and dull hearts to praise his name Let us stir up our hearts to it stirr up the spirit of God in us every one that hath the spirit of God should labour to stir up the spirit as St. Paul writes to Timothy and as David stirs up himself Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy name so we should raise up our selves and stir up our selves to this duty And shame our selves what hath God freed me from so great misery and hath he advanced me to so happie an estate in this world doth he put me in so certain a hope of glorie in the world to come have I a certain promise to be carried to salvation that neither things present nor things to come shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus doth he renew his mercies every day upon me and can I be thus dead can I be thus dull-hearted Let us shame our selves And certainly if a man were to teach a Child of God a ground of humiliation if a Child of God that is in the state of grace should ask how
resurrection of the body If I fear the day of judgment I believe that Christ shall be my judge he shall come to judge the quick and the dead In all the miseries of this life considering that they are but short I believe the life everlasting So that indeed if we would dig to our selves springs of comfort let us go to the Articles of our Faith and see how there are streams of comfort from every one answerable to all our particular exigences and necessities whatsoever And to close up this point remember whatsoever means we use what prerogative soever we think of whatsoever we do remember we go to the God of comfort and desire him to blesse his Word in the ministery and desire him to work in the Communion of Saints with his Spirit to warm our hearts alway remember to carry him along in all that we may have comfort from the God of Comfort who comforteth in all tribulations Next words are That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble These words shew the end why God doth comfort us in all tribulation One main end is that we should be comforted in our selves that is the first And then that we being comforted our selves from that ability should be able to derive comfort to others we are comforted in all tribulations that we should be able to comfort them that are in any tribulation It is not St. Pauls case only and great men in Religion Ministers and the like it is not their lot and portion alone to be persecuted and troubled but We are all in this life subject to disquiets and discomforts Every one whosoever will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Therefore the Apostle saith not onely our tribulation but that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble Trouble is the portion of all Gods Children one with another I do but touch that by the way But that which I shall more stand upon it is the end one main end why God comforteth especially Ministers it is that they should be able to comfort others with the comforts that God hath comforted them withall That we may be able c. Now you must conceive that this ability it is not ability alone without will and practise as if he meant God hath given me comfort that I might be able to comfort others if I will that is not Gods end only that we may be able but that we may exercise our ability that it may be ability in exercise As God doth not give a rich man riches to that end that he may be able to relieve others if he will No but if thou be a Child of God he gives thee ability and will too he gives an inward strength So the meaning here is not that we may be able to comfort others if we will but that we may be both able and willing to comfort others And to comfort others not only by our example that because we have been comforted of God so they shall be comforted it is good but it is not the full extent of the Apostles meaning for then the dead examples should comfort as well as the living And indeed that is one way of comfort to consider the examples of former times but the Apostles meaning is that I should comfort them not only by my example of Gods dealing with me that they should look for the like comfort that is but one degree His meaning is further therefore that we should be able to comfort them by Sympathizing with them as indeed it is a sweet comfort to those that are in distresse when others compassionate their estate And not only so by our example and sympathy with them but likewise that we may be able to comfort them by the inward support and strength and light that we have found by the Spirit of God in our selves that is that that will enable us to comfort others from that very support and inward strength that we have found from God by those graces and that particuliar strength and comfort that we have had When there is a sweet expressing of our inward comfort to them shewing something in our comfort that may raise them up in the like troubles that we were in then the comfort will not be a dead comfort when it comes from a man experienced Personated comfort when a man takes upon him to comfort that only speaks comfort but feels not what he speaks there is little life in it we are comforted that we may comfort others with feeling having been comforted our selves before with feeling and comfortable apprehensions in our selves The point considerable in the first place to make way to the rest is this that Gods Children they have all of them interest in diuine comforts St. Paul was comforted that he might comfort others Divine comforts belong to all they are the portion of all Gods people the meanest have interest as well the greatest There is the same spiritual Physick for the poorest subject and the greatest Monarch there is the same spiritual comfort for the meanest and for the greatest Christian in the World St. Paul hath the same comfort as St. Pauls children in the Faith VVhat is the reason that they are communicable thus to all that they lie open to all God is the God and Father of all light and comfort Christ is the Saviour of all all the priviledges of Religion belong to all equally all are Sons and Heirs and all are alike Redeemed the Brother of low degree and the Brother of hâ—…gh degree they may differ in the references and relations of this life but in Christ all are alike Besides it is the nature of spiritual priviledges and blessings they are communicable to all alike without impairing the more one hath the lesse another hath not all have an equal share every one hath interest intire every one hath all without losse or hinderance to others As for instance the Sun every particular man hath all the good the Sun can do as well as all the World hath it is peculiarly and intirely every mans own every man in soliduâ—…m hath the use of it the Sun is not one mans more then another As a publick fountain or Conduit every man hath as much right in it as another So in Religion the graces and priviledges and favours they lie open as the prerogatives and priviledges of all Gods children and that is the excellency of them In the things of this life it is not so they are not common to all alike there is a losse in the division the more one hath the lesse another hath and that is the reason why the things of this life breed a disposition of pride and envy one envies another because he wants that that another hath and one despiseth another because he hath more then another hath but in the comforts of Gods Spirit and the prerogatives that are the ground of those comforts
to do this daily so when we are to comfort others we ought not onely to comfort them but to search them as much as we can what sin is in them and what miserie is upon them and acquaint them with their own estate that they are in as far as we can discerne we may judge of them partly by our selves For we must not prostitute comforts to persons that are indisposed till we see them fitted God doth comfort but it is the abject Christ heales but is the wounded spirit he came to seek but it is to those that are lost he came to ease but it is those that are heavy laden Therefore that we may comfort them to purpose we ought to shew and discover to them what estate they are in that we may force them to comfort if they be not enemies to comfort and to their own souls He is an unwise Physitian that administers cordials before he gives preparatives to carry away the noysome humours they will do little good we ought therefore to prepare them this way if we intend to do them good And then when we see what need they stand in bring them to Christ and the Covenant of Grace that is the best way to comfort them to bring them to see that God is their father when we discern some signs of grace in them For this is the maine stop in all comfort that there is none but they shall find by experience they are ready to say you teach wondrous comforts that there is an inheritance in heaven that God hath provided and on earth there is an issue of all for good and there is a presence of God in troubles this is true but how shall I know this belongs to me This is the cavil of flesh and blood that turnes the back to the most heavenly comforts that are The main and principal thing therefore in dealing with others and with our own hearts is to let them see that there are some signs and evidencies that they are in the covenant of grace that they belong to God Unlesse we see that all the comfort we can give them is to tell them that they are not yet sunk into hell and that they have space to repent But as long as men live in sinful courses that they are not in the state of Grace we can tell them no comfort except they will devise a new Scripture a new Bible if they do so they may have comfort but this word of God and God herein speaks no comfort to persons that live in sin and will do so we should labour therefore to discern some evidence that they are in the state of Grace And ofttimes those are indeed most intitled to comfort that think it furthest from them therefore we should acquaint them with the conditions of the covenant of grace that God looks to truth therefore if we discern any true broken humble spirit a hungring and a thirsting after righteousnesse and a desire of comfort Blessed are those that hunger and thirst it belongs to them we may comfort them If we see spiritual poverty that they see their wants and would be supplied blessed are the poore in spirit be of good comfort Christ calls such If they see and feel the burden of their sins we may comfort them Christ calls them Come unto me yee that are weary and heavy laden If we descern spiritual and heavenly desires to grow in grace and overcome their corruptions if we discover and descern this in their practise and obedience God will fulfil the desires of them that fear him And he accepts the will for the deed There is a desire of happinesse in nature that comforts not a man it is no sign of grace to desire to be free from hell and to be in heaven it is a naturall desire every creature wishes well to heaven but if there be a desire of the meanes that tend to heaven a desire of Grace these are evidences of grace these are the pulses that we may find grace by when they see their infirmities and groane under them and would be better and complain that they are not better and are out of love with their own hearts there is a combat in their hearts they are not friends with themselves When we see this inward conflict and a desire to better and to get victories against their corruptions though there be many corruptions and weaknesses a man may safely say they are in the state of Grace they are on the mending hand For Christ will not break the brused reed nor quench the smoaking flax And where he hath begun a good work he will perfect it to the day of the Lord. He will cherish these weak beginnings therefore we may comfort them on good ground Then besides that in our dealing with them when we have discovered by some evidence that they belong to the covenant that we see by some love to good things and to Gods Image in his Children and by other evidences then we may comfort them boldly and then to fetch from our own experience what a comfort will it be to such When we can say my estate was as yours is I found those corruptions that you groane under I allowed not my self in them as you do not when a man can say from his own experience that notwithstanding these I have evident signs of Gods spirit that I am his then he can comfort others by his own experience And what a comfort is it to go to the experiments of scripture it is an excellent way As now let a man be deserted of God David will comfort him by his experience Psal. 77. Where he saith he found God as his enemie and as Job saith the terrors of God drank up his spirit be of good comfort David would come and comfort thee if he were alive If the terror of God be against thee for sin that thy conscience is awakned be of good comfort Christ if he were on earth would shew thee by his own example that he indured that desertion on the Cross. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If thou be molested and vexed with Satan Job will comfort thee by his example his book is most of it combating and comfort and so for all other grievances go to the scriptures whatsoever is written is written for our learning Pray to God and he will heare thee as he did Elias Oh but Elias was an excellent man The scripture prevents the objection Jam. 5. he was a man subject to infirmities if God heard him he will hear thee Believe in Christ as Abraham did the Father of the faithful in the promised Messias and he will forgive thee all thy sins Oh but he had a strong faith What hath the scripture to take away this objection In Rom. 5. This was not written for Abraham onely but for those that believe with the faith of Abraham I but I am a wretched sinner there
argument of praising and blessing of God and that we should answer him in the like that as he hath devised all the waies that may be of comforting us of turning all to our good that that we suffer our selves and that that others suffer so we should study by all means and waies to set forth his glory and no way to grieve the spirit of so gracious a God that thus every way intends our comfort VERS V. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolations also abound by Christ. HEre the blessed Apostle shewes the reason why his heart was so inlarged as we see in vers 3. in the middest of his troubles and persecutions to blesse God there was good reason for as his afflictions so his consolations abounded It is a reason likewise of his ability to comfort others the reason why he was fitted to comfort others because he found comfort abound in himself in his sufferings so they have a double reference to the words before But to take the words in themselves As the Suffrings of Christ abound c. It is an excellent portion of scripture and that which I should have a great deal of encouragement to speak of if the times and disposition of the hearers were for it for it is a text of comfort for those that suffer persecution that suffer affliction for the Gospel Now because we do not suffer or at least we suffer not any great matter except it be a reproach or the like which is a matter of nothing but a chip of the cross a trifle therefore we hear these matters of comfort against the disgrace of the crosse of Christ with dead hearts But we know not what we are reserved to therefore we must learn somewhat to store up though we have not present use of it The severall branches of divine truths that may be observed from these words are first this That the sufferings of Christians may abound They are many in this world and they may be more still Secondly what we ought to think of those sufferings what judgment we are to have of them They are the sufferings of Christ. Thirdly that being the sufferings of Christ he will not destitute us of comfort but we have our comfort increased in a proportion answerable to our troubles The fourth point is by whom in whom all this is this strange work is by Christ the ballancing of these two so sweetly together crosses and comforts they come both from one hand both from one spring the sufferings of Christ and the comforts of Christ and both abound our troubles are for him and our comforts are by him So here is sufferings and comfort increase of suffering increase of comfort sufferings for Christ and comfort by Christ you see them ballanced together and you see which weighs down the ballance comfort by Christ weighes down sufferings for Christ the good is greater then the ill It is a point of wondrous comfort The Ark you know mounted up as the waters mounted up when the waters overflowed the world so it is here in this verse there is a mounting of the waters a rising of the waters above the mountaines afflictions increase and grow higher and higher but be of good comfort here is the Ark above the waters here is consolation above all as our sufferings for Christ increase so our consolations likewise by Christ increase For the first I will be very short in it The sufferings of Christ abound in us There is no bodie in this world but first or last if they live any long time they must suffer and as a man is in degrees of goodnesse so his sufferings must abound the better man the more sufferings Sufferings abounded in St. Paul it doth not abound in all that was personall in St. Paul to abound in sufferings it doth not go out of the person of St. Paul and such as St. Paul was All must suffer but not in a like measure there are several cups all do not abound in sufferings as all do not abound in grace and strength Those that are of a higher ranck their sufferings abound more God doth not use an exact proportion in afflictions but that which we call geometrical a proportion appliable to the strength of the sufferer Christ as he had more strength then any so he suffered more then any and St. Paul having an extraordinary measure of strength he suffered more then all the Apostles the sufferings of Christ abounded in him but all must suffer What is the reason of it What is the reason that troubles abound thus Surely if we look To God we shall see reasons enough the Divel the world our selves If we look to God and Christ we are ordained to be conformable to Christ we must be conformable to Christ in sufferings first before we be in glorie It is Gods decree we are called to sufferings as well as to be believing we must answer Gods call every Christian must resolve to take up his Crosse every day some degree of the Crosse or other reproach for Christs sake is a suffering the scorn of the world is the rebuke of Christ. We are called to suffering as well as to Glorie it is part of our effectual calling it is an appendix an accessorie thing to the main we must take grace with suffering and it is well we may have it so too it is well that we have the state of grace here and glorie hereafter with suffering If we look to the divel there must be suffering Satan is the Prince of the world he is the prince of an opposite Kingdom If we consider what place we live in when we are taken out of the world to the blessed estate of Christians to be members of Christ and heirs of heaven the world is strange to us and we are strangers to it Crosses and afflictions are necessarie for them that are travellers we would think else that we were at home and forget our countrie considering the condition we live in we must have sufferings If we consider the disposition of the parties among whom we live they are people of an opposite spirit therefore they maligne us because we are taken from among them And though there be no opposition shewed to them yet it upbraids enough their cursed estate when they see others taken from them that speakes loud enough that their course is naught that they see others mislike it The world that is led by the spirit of Satan malignes them that are better then themselves There is opposition between the seed of the Serpent and the seed of the woman so long as there are wicked men that are instruments and Organs of the divel Gods Children must be opposed while there is a Divell suffered to be the God of the World and so long as he hath so strong a faction in the world as he hath the Children of disobedience in whom he rules Gods Children shall never
We have a guard that keeps us from despair from sinking God delivereth us from our selves by this inward guard There is not the vilest Atheist that lives but let God open his conscience and let loose himself upon himself to see what he deserves to see what he is ready to sink into if he see not Gods mercy to deliver him if he see not an Intercessor a Mediator to come between God him what would become of him Therefore saith Saint Paul in Philip. 4. The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds for so the word is in the Original shall guard your hearts and minds We have not onely a guard outward but we have a peace in us the Spirit of God the strengthening power of God the sight of the love of God God delivers us as from all others so from our selves Judas had no enemies God let him loose to himself what became of him Achitophel had no enemy God let him loose to himself too and then we see what a desperate conclusion he came to So whosoever thou art that contemnest Religion that makest any thing of greater moment and respect then that if thou hadst not an enemy in the world but all were thy friends as Judas had all to be his friends the Pharisees were his friends he had money of them but God opened his conscience and he could not indure the sight of it it spake bitter things to him when God opened an inward hell in his conscience So God doth deliver us outwardly and inwardly and the inward is double partly from despair partly from the rage of corruptions as I said before Is it not God that tyes up our corruptions There is such a world of sin in the heart of a man as often he finds the experience of it when he meets with a fit temptation to his disposition that Gods Children complain of themselves that the sins of their hearts have deceived them so God delivers men from the rage of lusts he tyes up their corruptions and delivers them from them And when we fall and are ready to despair for them he delivers us from despair He doth deliver he is perpetually delivering it implies that we alway stand in need of deliverance Therefore we should alway look up to God he is the breath of our nostrils In him we live and move and have our being in him we stand and in him we are delivered in the middest of all our enemies it should stir up our hearts thankfully to depend upon God he that hath delivered us he doth deliver us if he should not continue his deliverance we should be continually in extream danger VVho hath delivered us and doth deliver us c. A Christian is never in so great perplexity but God is delivering of him even in trouble So the Church saith Lamentations 3. It is Gods mercy that we are not all consumed The Church was in a pittifull estate then one would have thought they were as low as almost they might be yet notwithstanding the Spirit of God in those blessed men that lived in those times they saw that they might have been worse then they were and they saw that there was some danger from which they were delivered It is thy mercy that we are not all consumed God delivered them from extremity Nay in troubles God doth deliver so as there may be a distinction for the most part between his and others When I gather my Jewels it shall be known who serves me and who serves me not Mal. 3. God continually delivers more especially at sometimes As we say of providence providence is nothing but a continued act of creation And it is true the same power that created all things of nothing the same power sustains all things God upholds all things with his right hand For even as it is with a stone which is upheld by a mans hand let him withdraw his hand and down it falls so naturally all things as they are raised out of nothing so they will fall to their first principles except they be sustained by that continuall act of creation which we call providence to maintain them in the order wherein they were set at the first So there is a continuall act of deliverance till we be delivered out of all troubles and set in a place where there shall be no more annoyance at all either from within us or without us God doth still deliver O let this move us to a reverence of the eye and Majesty of the great God of the presence of God Who will willingly provoke him of whom he stands in need to deliver him Let God withdraw his deliverance his preventing deliverance or his rescuing deliverance for as I said there is a double deliverance he prevents us from trouble he delivers us that we do not fall into it and when we are fallen into it he rescues us If God should not thus deliver us there is no mischief that any others fall into but we should fall into the like were it not for his preventing deliverance As St. Austin saith well A man that is freed from sin ought to thank God as well for the sins that he hath not committed as for the sins that he hath had forgiven for it is an equall mercy that a man fall not into sin as for his sin to be pardoned And so for troubles too it is Gods mercy to prevent troubles as well as to deliver out of trouble when we are fallen into it Who would not reverence this great God what miscreant wretches are they that inure their tongues to swearing to tear that Majesty that if he should withdraw his deliverance and protection from them what would become of them Where there is perpetuall dependance upon any man how doth it inforce reverence and respect even amongst men Itis Athiesm therefore for men to inure their tongues to speak cursed language to inure their hearts to entertain prophane thoughts of God and to neglect the consideration of his Majesty Holy men in Scripture are said to walk with God that is to have God in their eye in all times in all places as he had them in his eye to delight in them to prevent troubles and to deliver them from troubles when they were in them We should take notice of Gods speciall providence in this kind that God by deliverance often gives us our lives and it should teach us to consecrate our lives to God Who doth deliver us In whome we hope or trust or have affiance that he will yet deliver us The holy Apostle doth take in trust here the time to come he speaks as if he were assured of that as of any thing past and he doth found his hope for the time to come upon that which was past and present As he saith in Romans 5. Experience breeds hope so it doth here in the Blessed Apostle He hath delivered and he doth deliver and why should
communion in duties one to another one prayes for another there is a mutuall entercourse of duty and those that truly believe the communion of Saints do truly practise the duties belonging to that blessed society that is they one pray for another I meane here on earth here we have a command here we have a promise here we have mutuall necessities I have need of them and they have need of me we have need one of another In heaven there is no such necessity yet there may be as Divines grant a generall wish for the Church because the Saints want their bodies and because they want the accomplishment of the elect Where there is want of happinesse there will be a generall desire that God would accomplish these daies of sin but for any particular necessities of ours they cannot know them Abraham hath forgotten us and Israel knows us not There is a communion of Saints and this blessed communion and society trade this way in praying for one another God commands that we should pray one for another Every Christian is a Priest and a Prophet now the Priests duty was to pray and the Prophets duty was to pray Now as the Priest carried the tribes on his brest onely to signifie that he had them in his heart and that he was a type of Christ who hath us in his heart alway in heaven to make intercession for us so in some sense every true Christian is a Priest he must carrie the Church and people of God in his heart he must have a care of others he must not onely pray for himself but for others as he himself would have interest in the Common prayer Our Father as Christ teacheth us Not that a Christan may not say My Father when we have particular ground and occasion to go to God but Chrst being to direct the Church of God he teacheth us to say Our Father there is therefore a regard to be had by every true Christian of the estate of others The reason is Gods Children sometimes cannot so well pray though they have alway a spirit of prayer that they can groane to God yet in some cases they cannot so well pray for themselves as in sicknesse Affliction is a better time to pray in then sicknesse for affliction gathers and unites the spirits together it makes a man more strong to pray to God but sicknesse distempers the powers of the soul it distempers the instruments that the soul works by it distempers the animall spirits which the understanding useth they are inflamed and distempered and confused Now the spirits that are the instruments of the soul being troubled with sicknesse sicknesse is not so fit a time for a man to pray for himself though God hear the groanes of his Spirit as David saith My sighs are not hid from thee yet notwithstanding it is good at this time to send for those that can make a more distinct prayer though it may be they be great Christians therefore saith-Saint James James 5. 13 14. Is any man afflicted let him pray is any man sick let him send for the Elders of the Church and let them pray for him not that he is not able to pray for himself but let them help by joyning together with him to God And the prayer of faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him up Nay I add more for the illustration of the point it is so true that God regards the prayers of one for another that he regards the prayer of weak ones for grand ones great Christians are helped by mean ones yea Pastors are helped by the people St. Paul a man eminent in grace and place a grand Christian and for place an Apostle yet he was helped by the prayers of the weak Corinthians so that a weak Christian in grace and place may help a greater Christian then himself both in grace and in place Parents are helped by the prayers of their Children Magistrates by those that are under them the rich are helped by those that are poore the Ministers by the prayers of the people You helping by your prayers The prayers of the people prevail for the Ministers for though there be a civill difference which shall all end in Death yet notwithstanding in the Communion of Saints there is no difference A poore man may be rich in faith as St James saith and one may have as much credit in the Court of heaven as another As St. Austin saith well God hath made the rich for the poor and the poor for the rich the rich to relieve the poor and the poor to pray for the rich for herein one is accepted for another St. Paul stands much upon the vertue and efficacy of the prayers of the Corinthians for himself a great Apostle And so in Rom. 15. I beseech you for the love of Christ and for the blessed work of the Spirit strive by Prayer together with us As ever you felt Christ do good to you and as ever you felt the efficacy of the Spirit strive with God wrastle by prayer for me and so in every Epistle he begs their prayers And Ministers need the prayers of people to God as well as any other or rather more for as God conveys much good to others by them so Satan malignes them more then other men Aime not at small nor great but at the King of Israel pick out him so the Devill aimes not at small nor great but at the Guides of Gods people at the Leaders of his armie I will smite the Shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered Therefore pray for them that they may have abilities that they may have parts and gifts and that they may have a willing mind a large heart to use them that they may have successe in using them that they may have strength of the outward man that they may have protection from unreasonable men Pray for us that we may be delivered from unreasonable and absurd men 2 Thessalonians 3. Absurd men for none but absurd men will wrong those that God conveys so much good by as he doth by the Ministery it is their lot to be vexed with such men oft-times and therefore pray for us What is the reason of this that mean Christians may help great Christians by their prayers God will have it thus great Christians have not the Spirit of prayer alike at all times though it be supposed they have it yet the more help there is the more hands are put to the work the sooner it is dispatched As in the removing of a burden the more joyn together the sooner it is remoed and so in the drawing of any thing the more hands the speedier dispatch So when we would draw blessings from heaven the more prayers there be that offer violence to God the more we draw from him If it be a judgment that hangs over our heads the more there be that labour to put away the judgment
all the Saints in the world that say Our Father praying for him He must needs be rich that hath a world of factors that hath a stock going in every part of the world A Christien hath factors all the world over he is a member of the mysticall body and many prayers are made for him it is a great comfort And it is a great encouragement for us to pray for one another considering that God will so far honour us St. Pauls health here it was a gift by the prayers of many But thou wilt object I am a weak Christian a sinful creature what should God regard my prayers Alas my prayers will do you little good Yes they will do much not onely for thy self but for others what are prayers are they not incense kindled by the fire of the blessed Spirit of God Are they not in themselves good motions stirred up by the Spirit themselves in their nature are good though they be imperfect and stayned The Spirir that stirs them up is good the good Spirit of God We know not how to pray but the Spirit teacheth us The Mediator through whom they are offered who mingles his odour with them Revel 8. 3. He is the Angel that mingleth odours with the prayers of the Saints and makes them acceptable to God The person likewise that offers them is good what is he 〈◊〉 is he not Gods Child do not parents love tohear the voyce of their Children if therefore the person be good though weak and the prayer be good and the Spirit good and the Mediatour so good then let no man be discouraged not onely to pray for himself but to pray for others God would hear the Corinthians though they were stained with Schisme and with other weaknesses they were none of the most refined Churches that Saint Paul wrote to as we may see in the first Epistle yet saith Saint Paul my health and deliverance is a gift and a gift by the prayers of many weak and strong joyning together It is the subtilty of Satan and our own hearts joyne with him in the temptation What should I pray my conscience tells me this and that Doest thou mean to be so still then indeed as it is Psal. 66. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer but if thou have repented thee of thy sins and intenedst to lead a new life for the time to come God will heare thy prayers not onely for thy self but for others God will bestow gifts upon others by meanes of thy prayers To go on Thanks may be given by many persons Gods end in delivering St. Paul by prayer was that he might have many thanks for many prayers when they were heard once that thanks may be given by many on our behalfe that is because we are delivered and restored to health and strength again to serve the Church as we did before you see here how Prayse follows prayer Many prayers and then many praises these follow one another Indeed this is Gods order and we see in nature where there is a receiving there is a giving We see the earth it receives fruit it yields fruit as Christ saith of the good ground sixty-fold many-fold You see bodies that receive the Sun they reflect their beams back to the Sun again The streams as they come from the Sea so by an unwearied motion they return back again to the Sea And men do eate the fruit of their own flocks they reap the fruit of their own Orchards and Gardens In nature whatsoever receives it returns it back again The influence and light that those heavenly bodies the stars and the Planets c. have from the Sun who is the chiefe light of all they bestow it upon the inferiour bodies you see it in nature much more is it in grace what we receive from God by gift obtained by prayer he must have the praise for it many prayers many praises As soon as ever a benefit is received presently there is an obligation a natural obligation and a religious obligation upon the receipt of a benefit there must be some thought of returning something presently It teacheth us what a horrible sin ingratitude is It is the grave of all Gods blessings it receives all and never returns any thing back again As those Lepers they never came back again to thank Christ but only the tenth a poore Samaritan Men are eager to sue to God restlesse till they have that they would have but then they are barren and unfruitfull they yield nothing back again After prayer there must be praise and thanksgiving It condemneth our backwardnesse and untowardnesse in this kind like little Children they are ready to beg favours but when they come to thanksgiving they look another way as if it were irksome to them So it is with our nature when we go about this heavenly duty we give God a formall word or two Thanks be to God c. But we never work our hearts to thankfulnesse That thanks may be given By many As the prayers of many are mighty with God to prevail so likewise the praises of many are very grateful and acceptable to God Even as it is with instruments the sweetnesse of musick ariseth from many instruments and from the concord of all the strings in every instrument when every instrument hath many strings and all are in tune it makes sweet harmonie it makes sweet concord So when many give God thanks and every one hath a good heart set in tune when they are good Christians all it is wondrous acceptable musick to God it is sweet incense more acceptable to God then any sweet favour and odour can be to us That is one reason why God will have many to pray to him that he may have many praises God doth wondrously honour concord especially when it is concord in praising of him It is a comely thing for Brethren to live in unity as it is Psalme 131. If to praise God be a comely thing and if concord be a comely thing then when both meet together it must needs be wondrous beautifull and wondrous acceptable to God when many brethren meet and joyn to praise God Therefore it is said Act. 2. in the Churches new conversion they met all together as one man they were of one heart and one soul and they were given to prayer and to praising of God a blessed estate of that beginning Church they were all as one man of one heart of one spirit of one soul. As the blessed Angells and blessed spirits in heaven they all joyn together as it is in Revel 14. The blessed man heard a voice in heaven as the voyce of many waters and of great thunder and he heard the voice of harpers and they sang a new song there were many harps but one song one thanksgiving one Heart one spirit in all wondrous acceptable to God This should make us in love with
of God By the grace of God my conversation hath been in godly sincerity and not in fleshly wisdom For St. Paul was wondrous jealous of his heart for fear of pride not I saith he 1. Cor. 15. I laboured more then they all O not I but the Grace of God that was in me he was afraid of the least insinuation of spirituall pride and so he saith here Our rejoycing is the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and sincerity by the grace of God And then the extent of this conversation thus in simplicity and sincerity in regard of the object it hath been thus In the world towards all men that I have conversed with they can say as much wheresoever I have lived And more abundantly to you-ward my care and Conscience hath been to carry my self as I should more abundantly to you-ward with whom I have lived longest This is an excellent evidence of a good man that he is best liked where he is best known Now St. Paul had lived long amongst them and he was their father in Christ and therefore saith he my conversation is known especially to you-ward Many men are best trusted where they are least known their publick conversation is good and plausible but their secret courses are vile and naught as those know that are acquainted with their retired courses but you saith the Apostle with whom I have lived longest with whom I have been most you can bear witnesse of my conversation that I have lived so and so in the world and more abundantly to you-ward This is our rejoycing c. We see here the temper and disposition that St. Paul was in he was in a glorying in a rejoycing estate We see then that A Christian take him at the worst his estate is a rejoycing estate Our rejoycing is this The word in the originall is more then joy for it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a glorying our glorying is this which is a joy manifesting it self in the outward man when the heart and the spirit seeme as it were to go outward and as it were to meet the thing joyed in A Christian hath his joy his glorying and a glorying that is proper to himself it is a spirituall joy as it followes after Our rejoycing is the testimony of our conscience So goodis God that in the worst estate he gives his Children matter of rejoycing in this world he gives them a taste of heaven before they come there He gives them a grape of Canaan as Israel they tasted of Canaan what a good land it was before they came thither so Gods Children they have their rejoycing St. Paul swears and protests it 1. Cor 15. By our rejoycing in Christ Jesus I die daily as verily as we joy in all our afflictions so this is true that I say that I die daily Therefore we should labour to be of such a temper as that we may glory and rejoyce A Christian hath his rejoycing but it is a spiritual rejoycing like his estate Every creature hath his joy as St. Chrysostome speaks we do all for joy all that we do is that we may joy at length it is the centre of the soule As rest is to motion so the desire of all is to joy to rest in joy So that heaven it self is termed by the name of joy happinesse it self Enter into thy masters joy Every creature hath his joy proper to him every man hath his joy a carnall man hath a carnal joy a spiritual man hath a holy joy First he joyes in his election which was before all worlds that his name is written in heaven as it is Luke 11. Rejoyce in this that your names are written in heaven and not that the divells are subject unto you And then he joyes in his justification that he is freed from his sins Rom. 8. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through Christ and we rejoyce in afflictions being justified first there is the way how this joy comes in A Christian being justified by faith and freed from the guilt of his sin it worketh joy And then there is a joy of sanctification of a good conscience of a holy life led as we see here our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience c. And then there is a joy of glory to come We rejoyce under the hope of glory saith the Apostle Rom. 5 so a Christians joy is suitable to himself There is no other man that can glory and be wise because all men but a Christian they glory in their shame or they glory in vanishing things A Christian is not ashamed of his joy of his glorying because he glories not in his shame Therefore the Apostle here justifies his joy our rejoycing is this I care not if all the World know my joy it is the testimony of my conscience As if he should say Let others rejoyce in base pleasures which they will not stand to a vow let others rejoyce in riches in honours in the favour of men let them rejoyce in what they please my joy is another kind of joy I rejoyce in the testimony of my conscience A Christian as he hath a joy so he hath a joy that he will stand to and make it good There is no other man but he will blush and have shame in his forehead that joyes in any thing that is baser then himself that joyes in outward things he cannot stand to it and say This is my joy but a Christian hath the warrant of his conscience for that which he joyes in and therefore he is not ashamed of it Another man dares not reveal his joy All the subtiltie of the world is to have the pleasures that sin will afford and yet withall they study to cover it that it may not appear Where is the joy of the ambitious His study his thought and his joy is to have respect Haman-like and yet he studies to conceal this he dares not have it known he dares not avow it This is my rejoycing for then all the world would laugh at him for a vain person Again the joy of the base-minded man is in his pleasure but he dares not avow this he dares not say my rejoycing is this for then every man would scorn him as a beast The rich man he joyes in his riches but he dares not be known of this for he would then be accounted a base earthly-minded man Every man would scorn him He studies to have all the pleasure and all the comfort that these things will afford and yet to cover them Because he thinks that there is a higher matter that he should joy in if he were not an atheist A Christian is not ashamed of his joy and rejoycing I rejoyce in this saith he For it is well bred it is bred from the Spirit of God witnessing that his name is written in the Booke of Life witnessing that his sins are
estate is not good because it is not such an estate So foolish and as a beast was I before thee saith David because I regarded such things No marvell if men be uncomfortable that are led away by scandals Look to faith goe to the Word to the Sanctuarie I went to the Sanctuary saith he and there I saw the end of these men So conscience must be suffered to have its work to be led by a true rule Again conscience sometimes concludes not comfort when there is ground of comfort from the remainders of corruptions and infirmities whereas we should be driven by our infirmities to Christ. And conscisence sometimes in good men doth not exercise its work in good men it is drawn away with vain delights even in the best men And conscience of its owne unworthinesse and of the greatnesse of the things it lookes for being joyned together it makes a man that he joyes not when he hath cause As for instance when the soule sees that God in Christ hath pardoned all my sins and hath vouchsafed his Spirit to me and will give me heaven in the world to come to such a wretch as I am here being a conflict between the conscience and sense of its own unworthinesse and the greatnesse of 〈◊〉 good promised the heart begins to stagger and to doubt for want of sound faith Indeed if we look on our own unworthinesse and the greatnesse of the good things promised we may wonder but alas God is infinite in goodnesse he transcends our unworthinesse and in the Gospell the glorie of Gods mercy it triumphs over our unworthinesse and over our sins whatsoever our sin and unworthinesse is his goodnesse in the Gospel triumphs over all In Innocency God should have advanced an innocent man but the Gospel is more glorious for he comes to sinners to condemned persons by nature and yet God triumphs over their sins and unworthinesse he regards not what we deserve but what may stand with the glory of his mercy therefore we should banish those thoughts and enjoy our own priviledge the promises of heaven and happinesse and all comforts whatsoever so much for the answer of that objection Now if we would joy in the witnesse of a good conscience we must especially in the time of temptation live by faith and not by feeling not by what we feele for the present but as we see Christ in his greatest horrour My God my God why hast thou forsaken me he goes to my God still We must live by faith and not by sense And then if we would rejoyce in extremities remember that God works by contraries God will bring us to heaven but it must be by hell God will bring us to comfort but it must be by sense of our own unworthinesse He will forgive our sins but it must be by sight and sense of our sins he will bring us to life but it must be by death he will bring us to glorie but it must be by shame God works by contraries therefore in contraries believe contraries When we are in a state that hath no comfort yet we may joy in it if we believe in Christ he works by contraries As in the Creation he made all out of nothing order out of confusion So in the work of the new creation in the new creature he doth so likewise therefore be not dismayed Remember this rule likewise that in the covenant of Grace God requires truth and not measure thou art not under the law but under the covenant of Grace A little fire is true fire as well as the whole element of fire A drop of water is water as well as the whole Ocean so if it be true faith true grief for sins true hatred of them true desire of the favour of God and to grow better truth is respected in the covenant of Grace and not any set measure What saith the Covenant of Grace He that believes and repents shall be saved not he that hath a strong faith or he that hath perfect repentance So Saint Paul saith as we shall see after This is our rejoycing that in simplicity and sincerity we have had our conversation among you he doth not say that our conversation hath been perfect So if we would have joy in the testimony of conscience we must not abridge our selves of joy because we have not a perfect measure of Grace but rejoyce that God hath wrought any measure of Grace in such unclean and polluted hearts as ours are for he least measure of Grace is a pledge of perfection in the world to come This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience c. Hence we may gather clearly that A man may know his own estate in Grace I gather it from the place thus Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity c. Where there is joy and the ground of joy there is a knowledge of the estate but a Christian hath glorying and a ground of glorying in himself and he knowes it he hath that in him that witnesseth that estate he hath the witnesse of conscience therefore he may know and be assured of it If this testimony were not a true testimony it were something but all men naturally have a conscience and a Christian hath a sanctified conscience and where that is there is a true testimony and true joy from that testimony therefore he may be assured of his salvation and have true joy and comfort a Heaven upon Earth before he come to Heaven it self If conscience testifie of it self and from witnessing give cause of joy much more the Spirit of God comming into the conscience The Spirit beares witnesse with our spirits If our spirit and conscience bear witnesse to us of our conversation in simplicity and sincerity and from thence of our estate in grace much more by the witnesse of two By the witnesse of two or three every thing shall be confirmed but our spirits and conscience and the Spirit of God which every Child of God hath witnesseth that we are the Children of God Rom. 8. The Spirit witnesseth with our spirits that we are the sons of God Therefore a Christian may know his estate in Grace The spirit of a man knowes himself and the Spirit of God knowes him likewise and it knowes what is in the heart of God and when these two meet the Spirit of God that knowes the secrets of God and that knowes our secrets and our spirit that knowes our heart likewise what should hinder but that we may know our own estate It is the nature of conscience as I told you to reflect upon it self and upon the person in whom it is to know what is known by it and to judge and condemne and execute it self by inward fear and terrour in ill and in good by comfort and joy in a mans self It is the property that the soul hath above all creatures to return and recoyle upon it self If this be
good demand It is not baptisme but the demand of a good conscience When the conscience hath fed on Christ it demands boldly as it is Rom. 8. of Satan and all enemies Who shall lay any thing to our charge it is God that justifieth it is Christ that died or rather that is risen again It boldly demands of God who hath given his Son the bold demand of conscience prevails with God and this comes by faith in Christ. Now this is strengthened by the Sacrament here are the visible representations and seales that we are incorporate more and more into Christ and so feeding upon Christ once our conscience is pacified and purged from all dead works and we come to have a continuall feast Christ is first the Prince of righteousnesse the righteous King and then Prince of peace first he gives righteonsnesse and then he speaks peace to the conscience The Kingdom of God is righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost So that all our feast and joy and comfort that we have in our consciences it must be from righteousnesse A double righteousnesse the righteousnesse of Christ which hath satisfied and appeased the wrath of God fully and then we must have the righteousnesse of a good conscience sanctified by the Spirit of Christ we must put them together alway we can never have communion with Christ and have forgivenesse of sins but we must have a Spirit of sanctification There is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared Where there is mercy in the forgivenesse of sin there is a disposition to fear it ever after Therefore if for the present you would have a good conscience desire God to strengthen your faith in the blood of Christ poured out for you desire God to strengthen your faith in the crucified bodie of Christ broken for you that so feeding on Christ who is your surety who himself is yours and all is yours you may ever have the feast of a good conscience that will comfort you in false imputations that will comfort you in life and in death and at the day of judgement This is our rejoycing in all things the testimony of our conscience first purged by the blood of Christ and then purged and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ that we have had our Conversation in simplicity and sincerity c. Our rejoycing is this that in simplicity and sincerity This is the matter of this testimonie of Conscience that is simplicity and sincerity Saint Paul glories in his simplieity and sincerity And mark that by the way it is no vain glorying but lawful upon such cautions as I named before but to add a little A man in some cases may glory in the Graces of God that are in him but with these cautions First if so be that he look on them as the gifts of God Secondly if he look on them as stained with his own defects and so in that respect be humbled Thirdly if he look upon them as fruits of his justification and as fruites of his assurance of his salvation and not as causes And then if it be before men that he glories not when he is to deale with God When men lay this and that imputation upon a man he may rejoyce as Saint Paul doth here in the testimony of his conscience in simplicity and sincerity The matter of the testimony of Conscience wherein he glories is simplicity and godly sincerity or as the words may well be read in the simplicity and sincerity of God such as proceeds from God and such as aimes at and looks to God and resembles God For both simplicity and sincerity come from God they are wrought by God and therein we resemble God and both of them have an eye to God a respect to God so it is in the originall in the simplicity and sincerity of God There is not much difference between simplicity and sincerity the one expresseth the other if you will have the difference simplicity especially respects men our conversation amongst men Simplicity hath an eye to God in all things in Religion opposite to hypocrisy in Religion Simplicity that is opposed to doublenesse where doublenesse is there is alway hypocrisy opposed to sincerity and where simplicity is there is alway sincerity truth to God But it is not good to be very exact and punctuall in the distinction of these things they may one expresse the other very well Simplicity Saint Paul's rejoycing was that his conscience witnessed to him his simplicity in his whole conversation in the world his whole course of life which the Scripture calls in other places a walking Saint Paul meanes this first of himself and then he propoundes himself an example to us How was St. Paul's conversation in simplicity Not onely if we consider Saint Paul as a Christian but consider him as an Apostle his conversarion was in simplicity It was without guile without seeking himself without seeking his owne for rather then he would be grievous to the Corinthians the man of God he wrought himself because he would not give any the least scandall to them being a rich people he had rather live by his own labour then to open his mouth he did not seek himself In a word he did not serve himself of the Gospell he served Christ he did not serve himself of Christ. There are many that serve themselves of the Gospell that serve themselves of religion they care no more for religion then will serve their owne turne Saint Paul's conversation was in simplicity he had no such aime he did not preach of envy orof malice or for gain as he taxeth some of the Philippian teachers Some preach Christ not of simplicity and sincerity but of envy c. Then again as an Apostle and a teacher his conversation was in simplicity because he mingled nothing with the Word of God in teaching his doctrine is pure What should the chaffe do with the wheat Jer. 20. What should the drosse do with the Gold he did not mingle his own conceits and devices with the Word for he taught the pure Word of God the simple Word of God simple without any mixture of any by-aimes So the blessed Apostle was simple both in his Doctrine and in his intentions Propounding himself herein exemplary to all us that as we look to hold up our heads with comfort and to glory in all estat es whatsoever so our consciences must bear us witnesse that we carry our selves in the simplicity and sincerity of God Now simplicity is when there is a conformity of pretention and intention when there is nothing double when there is not a contradiction in the spirit of a man and in his words and carriage outwardly That is simplicty when there is an exact conformity and correspondence in a mans judgement and speech in his affections and actions When a man judgeth simply as the truth of the thing is and when he affects as he judgeth when he loves
to the truth of the cause and not to his own honour or profit or pleasure he was content to be no wiser then the Book of God would have him to be to be no richer or greater in the world then God would have him but committed himself to God in simplicity and sincerity how did God maintain him wondrously to admiration I instance in him to shew how base distrust causeth things to be no better carried then they are Now to incourage you to go to the grace of God to go to the Fountain and not to be held under carnal wisdome under these pretexts Oh if I do not hearken to carnal wisdome I shall be a beggar I shall never rise I shall never do this or that in the world I shall never escape this and that danger Fie upon those base conceits S. Paul here renounceth the regiment of carnal wisdome what became of him did he want a guide Grace took him up Not by carnal wisdome but by the Grace of God When we come under the government of God we come under the government of grace And we shall want nothing either for heaven or earth that is for our good Whatsoever we had that was good before we were gracious that we keep still and it is under a better guide Were we learned before were we wise before had we authority before were we noble before we lose none of these when we come under Christ but he advanceth and elevates these he makes them better If we were wise he makes us graciously wise if we were learned if we were noble he makes us doubly noble we lose nothing but we are under a sweeter government the government of grace which is a mild government a government that tends to the advancing of us above our selves that advanceth us to be the Spouse of Christ and the heires of heaven Those that are in Christ Jesus and are led by his Spirit they are his In Rom. 8. there is excellently set down the prerogatives that they have those that lead their conversation in simplicity and sincerity those that are in Christ and in the Spirit and in Grace there is no Damnation to them And then again if they suffer any thing saith he The afflictions of this world are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed If they have any infirmities saith he The Spirit helps our infirmities The Spirit teacheth us how to pray when we know not how to pray If we suffer any evil God turns all to good All things shall work together for the best to them that fear God For infirmities in other things we have Christ and he makes intercession in heaven Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people that are in Christ that are in Grace that are in the Spirit such as S. Paul was here it is Christ that is dead or rather that is risen again and makes intercession for us And if he have given us Christ shall he not with him give us all things else If he have given us Christ he will give us grace to bring us to heaven See the excellent estate of a Christian that is under the regiment of Christ that is led by the Spirit That Chapter may serve instead of all And see the sweet combination here how he knits these things together My rejoycing is this that I have not had my Conversation in fleshly wisdome but by the Grace of God Here is a knitting together of divers things that seem to differ as here is wisdome and simplicity I have had my conversation by the grace of God by wisdome and yet in simplicity For it is wisdome to be simple when a man hath strength of parts it is wisdome to bring them parts to simplicity It is wisdome to be simple concerning that which is evil for a man to be simple there is his best way there is wisdome joyned with his simplicity Then again besides Wisdome and Simplicity here is Our Conversation and Gods Grace both joyned together S. Paul by grace guided his conversation So God stirres us to do all that we do we see but he opens our eyes to see we hear but he opens our ears we believe but he opens our hearts to believe This I speak to reconcile some seeming difference Doth Gods Spirit do all and we do nothing We do all subordinately we move as we are moved we see as we are enlightned we hear as we are made to hear We are wise as far as he makes us wise we do but it is he that makes us do Saint Paul here led his conversation but it was grace that moved him to lead it graciously Well then he that joynes simplicity and wisdome together the wisdome of the Serpent and the simplicity of the Dove he that trusts in God and grace and yet in trusting to grace doth all that he can and goes on in a Christian course he shall rejoyce Our rejoycing is this that we have had our Conversation in simplicity and according to the rule of Grace not by fleshly wisdome Consider seriously of it what a joy will this be that we have led our lives by a rule different from the world that we have led our lives and courses according to the motion of Gods blessed Spirit this must needs bring joy and rejoycing with it in what estate soever The world joyn these together simplicity and sincerity of life where they see them that they may slander them that they may lay imputations upon them they see they are courses opposite to theirs and they lay load on them But what doth God where there is simplicity and wisdome and a holy Conversation he addes his Spirit he joyns the Spirit of grace which is a Spirit of joy alwaies As light and comfort go with the Sun so the Spirit of joy and comfort go alway with the Spirit of grace Saint Paul here in regard of the world was afflicted he received the sentence of death he was slandered and misused yet to God-ward saith he Our rejoycing is this that we have led our Conversation according to Grace according to the motion of Gods blessed Spirit and not with fleshly wisdome If this be so that the joy of Gods Spirit goes with the grace of Gods Spirit and that those that lead their conversation by grace have a rejoycing above all imputations and slanders whatsoever Let this be an incouragement to us to lead a godly life we all seek for joy every creature seeks for joy if we would have joy within us if we would have a spring of joy let us labour to lead a conversation by this rule by grace by the motion of Gods Spirit which is ready to guide us if we commit our selves to his guidance But by the Grace of God To come then to make an Use of trial whether we lead our lives by this gracious wisdome or no and not by carnal wisdome And then to come to direct us how to lead our lives
hath all to do again Another man sees an end of his work but in this the Devil and corruption hath undone all again We enforce good things on people on the Lords day but within one day ill company and imployment in worldly businesse overthrowes all the Sea banks are down they must be new repaired Therefore there is a necessity laid on us of the Ordinances to our lives end till our soules be in heaven there is a necessity of repairing them We cannot be too diligent in our places And those that have the oversight of others let them make conscience of it it is needful And mark here in the next Point the language of Canaan the language of the Spirit of God that he puts the name of Grace upon every benefit especially those that concern a better life Grace usually we take to be nothing but a gracious frame of heart the new creature as we call it but indeed in the language of the Holy Ghost every free gift of God that concerns our soules any way is a grace The very Ministery is a grace It is the grace and free love of God to give us the Ministery The very heart to imbrace it and to hear it is a grace The very heart to give almes is a grace saith S. Paul 2 Cor. 9. Thanks be to God for this unspeakable gift for this unspeakable grace that you had a heart to give so that every thing that is good it is a Grace a gift of God Saint Paul conceived of his coming to them as a grace Indeed the Grace of God moved and directed S. Paul to come to them It is Grace that God directs the Preacher to speak to the people It is a grace that the Minister speaks gracious things It is a greater grace when you close with and entertain that which is spoken all is of Grace Your ready minds to do good it comes of God it is a grace your acceptance of God as well as eternal life all is of free grace The ground of it is this as Austin as I said defines Predestination well It is a destinating and ordaining to a supernatural end to everlasting salvation in the world to come and a preparing of all means to that end Why now as it is a grace that God pulls oft some men to an eternal estate of salvation in heaven to a supernatural estate that they could never attain without his especial Grace so the preparing of all means to that end it falls within the compasse of Predestination within the grace So when we have any means prepared to bring us to that end the offer of the Word and the Spirit of God disposing us to imbrace the Word this preparing of the means to that end it falls within the compasse of Predestination we may gather our Election by it when we see the Word sent in favour and have gracious hearts to receive it this is a preparation wrought to bring us to heaven a man may know his Election by it all is of grace that falls within the decree of grace When God decrees to bring a man to heaven all that helps to the main must needs be grace The Minister is a grace the Word a grace opportunities to do good a grace the communion of Saints a grace all that helps a man forward is a grace A gracious heart sees God in every thing it sees Gods love in every thing it considers of every thing that befalls it as a Grace Why From this disposition especially because with the grace there is grace to make a blessed use of and to improve every thing If this be so let us look upon every benefit that concerns salvation though it be remote even the very direction of good speeches to us account it a grace It is the grace of God that I have this opportunity especially the publick Ministery Saint Paul calls it a grace let us think of it as a grace And as we do in Clocks we go from the hammer that strikes to the wheeles and from one wheel to another and so to the weights that make it strike we go to the first weight the first wheel that moves all and leads all So when we see good done look not to the good done onely but go to the wheeles to the weights what moves it and makes it strike what sets all a going The grace and free love of God when good things are spoken when any good is done go higher to the first wheel that sets all a going to the grace and free love of God This is the language of the Scripture and of the Spirit of God thus we must speak and think to the end that God may have the glory of his grace in whatsoever good is done or offered When Abigail met David and diverted him from his bloody intention to kill Nabal and gave him counsel another way O blessed be God and blessed be thou and blessed be thy counsell So when opportunities are offered to do good and to hinder us from evil intentions O blessed be thou and blessed be thy counsel When a benefit is done if it be a benefit of this life take it as a grace coming freely from God So a poor man his almes is a grace Thanks be unto God for this unspeakable gift saith S. Paul It is grace in him that hath it that God should respect him so much as to relieve him It is grace in the party that gives it that he hath a heart enlarged to do it So when any thing outward or spiritual is done that is good look on it as a grace put that respect on it and that will make you holy-minded to give God his own Our life should be a praising and blessing of God we should begin the employment of heaven while we are on earth How should we do that In all things give thanks Every good thing from God take it as a grace as a largesse not as due not as coming by chance but as a grace and this will make us improve it as a grace for the best it will make us to give God the glory and improve it to our own good when we are thankful for grace that we may have cause to account it a grace Our hearts would not be so full of Atheisme and our tongues so full of blasphemies if we had learned this lesson our lives would be a praising of God And that we may not want matter to feed a thankful spirit alway consider what good things we have are of grace we deserve not so much as a crumb of bread therefore we pray Give us this doy our daily bread Every thing is a Grace especially the things of a better life How shall I know that the Minister is a grace or a good speech from a Minister to be a grace as S. Paul saith here I intended you a second grace that is to speak gracious thing to you I shall know it if by that
conquered over all enemies whatsoever and his conquest is ours Well then we see the foundation of the Church and of every particular Christian Christ Jesus whence comes the stability and firmnesse of the Church that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it It is built upon the rock upon Christ. So all the stablishing that a Christian hath it is from this rock his being built upon Jesus Christ If we were built upon man we could not stand if we were built upon Angels we could not stand if we were built upon any thing in the world we could not stand but being built upon Jesus Christ who is all in all to a soul that is stablished in him there must needs be an everlasting stablishing It is a fond Objection of some and unlearned against the principles of Divine truth that we may fall as well as Adam in Paradise as well as the Angels in heaven As if there were not a wide and broad difference between the state of grace and the state of nature A Christian hath more strength then the Angels in heaven or then Adam in Paradise ever had he hath a more firm consistence because he stands by grace By grace we stand as the Apostle saith A Christian hath promises of perseverance Adam and the Angels had none and therefore to fetch a reason of falling away from grace from the proportion we have to that condition is a meer Sophisme not rightly discerning the disparity It is not alike with the Angels and Adam and us for we stand by grace out of our selves being stablished in another We have not onely a promise of happinesse as the Angels and Adam had happinesse and a blessed estate but they had no promise to stand and be confirmed A poor weak Christian hath a promise to be stablished and confirmed Therefore those proud Sectaries that are between us and the Papists and joyn rather with them then us that trouble the Church so much they make an idle objection concerning falling away from grace to say Did not Adam fall away What is that to the purpose was Adam under the same Covenant as we are now in Christ Is there not a new promise made to us in Christ better then ever Adam could attain to Besides we are founded upon a better Adam upon the second Adam God-man we have not onely a better foundation but better promises that Adam and the Angels themselves wanted And therefore the Covenant of grace is said to be an everlasting Covenant I will marry thee to my self for ever Hos. 2. A Christian is not to be considered abstractively or alone for then indeed he is a weak creature as weak as other men are but consider him in his Rock on whom he is built consider him in his Husband to whom he is united and knit consider him in his head Christ look upon him as he is thus founded and stablished oh he is an excellent person See him in the difference betwixt him and others Those that are not stablished by a firm judgment and will and affection and so by faith in Jesus Christ what consistence what stability have they Those who have the firmnesse they have in the favour of men it is but vanity those that have the firmnesse they have in riches what are they how soon do they leave it all those that have the firmnesse they have in dependance upon any creature be it never so great alas they are nothing they are all vanity Both we our selves in depending and the things we depend upon are vanity therefore we are vanity because we fasten upon that which is vanity things have no more firmnesse then that hath upon which they lean those that have but a weak prop to support them when that falls they fall together with it Now those that are not founded upon Christ by knowledge and love and united to him by faith alas what standing have they when all things else besides God are vain For nothing hath a being but God and a Christian so far as he leans upon God Were not all things taken out of nothing and shall not they all turn to nothing must not this whole world be consumed with fire There must be a new world a new heaven and a new earth but this and all the excellencies in it as they were raised out of nothing so they shall come to nothing God he is I am that I am saith he and Christ he is yesterday to day to morrow and the same for ever A man cannot say of any creature in the world that it was yesterday and shall be to morrow and for ever We may say it of Christ he is Alpha and Omega the first and the last he was and is and is to come and therefore those that are founded upon him that have their happinesse in him they are firm as he is firm and those that build upon any other thing they vanish as the thing vanisheth There is nothing in the world hath such a Being but it is subject in time not to be it is onely a Christian that is in Christ who is as firm as Christ is and Christ can never be but that which he is for of necessity God must be alwayes like himself he is Jehovah I am I am at all times and Christ he is Jehovah A Christian therefore and none but a Christian hath a firm stablishing in Christ. Without this stablishing in Christ what are we what are wicked men Chaffe that the wind blowes away they are grasse c. things of nothing carried away with every blast but a Christian is a stone a rock built upon Christ Jesus But to come to the Person who it is that stablisheth He that stablisheth us in Christ is God Wherein we may consider these two Branches God must stablish God will stablish Can none stablish the soul upon Christ but God No For God is the onely maker of the Marriage between Christ and the Church The same God that brought Adam and Eve together in Paradise brings the Church and Christ together And as he gives Christ to the Church and hath sealed and appointed him to be wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption being made of God unto us for that purpose as the Apostle saith so he works the consent of the Church a consent in heart and spirit to take and embrace Christ. Now it is God onely that can work the heart to Christ None can come unto me except God the Father draw him It is God that gives Christ to be the husband of the Church and that brings the Spouse the Church to Christ. For first it is God by his Spirit that discovers to the soul its hideous desperate and woful estate without Christ and by the Spirit in the Ministery of the Word layes open the riches and excellency that is in Christ and the firmnesse and stability that is to be had in him and so drawes us with the Cords of a man
a Christian to be cowardly because he hath death and hell conquered and every thing is made serviceable to help him to heaven But for another man to set light by these things it is more madnesse No man but a Christian can be stout and couragious except it be from a false spirit especially in things that are above mans natural power as death it is eternal and what man can stand out against the eternal wrath of God And therefore those that put on a Roman stoutnesse and courage though they seem to have strong spirits it is but false either they are besotted with sensuality or else with a spirit of pride When they look before them and see eternity and see their sins and that they must all appear at the day of Judgment they cannot be strong Let us labour therefore to have our hearts stablished by the Spirit of God and try our selves often by propounding Queries how we do things with what minds and upon what grounds Again another Evidence whereby we may know that we have spiritual strength and stability in Christ wrought in us by the Spirit of God is this when it makes us desire the coming of Christ when it makes us think of death and of the time to come with joy and comfort and that for the present it gives us boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremities He that in extremity can go to God in Christ it is a sign his heart is established Hypocrites in extremity flye to desperate courses as Saul and Achitophel did but in extremity the soul that is stablished goes to God My God my God saith Christ so Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him I say it is an evidence of a soul stablished upon Christ by the Spirit of God to have boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremity nay when God seems to hide himself which is the principal extremity of all as in Divine temptations when God seems to be an enemy then for a man to fight and wrastle with God and tug with the temptation and not to let God go though he kill him this is a true Israel a conquerour of God this is a heart fortified by the Spirit It is an argument of a heart established when besides for the present for the time to come he can chearfully and boldly think how it will be with him when death shall come that he shall go to Christ that the Match shall be fully made up that is begun by God between Christ and him for the contract is in this world but the nuptials are celebrated in heaven and in confidence hereof can say Come Lord Jesus come quickly A heart that is not stablished saith Oh come not Wherefore art thou come to torment us before our time say the Devils to Christ so an unstablished heart at the hour of death is afraid it shall be tormented before the time and therefore come not come not saith such a soul. But the soul that is stablished upon Christ and upon the promises in Christ of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting by the Spirit of Christ that saith Come Lord Jesus come quickly I have been larger upon this Point then I intended these unsettled times moved me to speak a little more then ordinary that we might labour to have our hearts stablished that whatsoever comes we may have somewhat that is certain to stick to that our estate in Christ may be sure whatsoever becomes of our state in the world otherwise VERSE XXII Who hath anointed us and also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THe Apostle having formerly laid open the riches of a Christian In this Verse he cometh to shew his strength His riches consisteth in the promises of God in Christ His strength in being stablished upon those promises Now that which he had spoken of more generally in the word stablishing he unfolds in three borrowed Terms Anointing Sealing Earnest Implying therein the manner of the Spirits establishing a Christian. He who stablisheth us how is that wrought By the Spirit anointing by the Spirit sealing and by the earnest of the Spirit which three terms do all argue assurance For you know that in the old Law Kings Priests and Prophets were anointed that is they were authorized and confirmed in their places And for sealing Writings among our selves are sealed for security And an Earnest secures Contracts and Bargains So that whatsoever may serve to strengthen a Christians faith and assurance is here laid down God to help our soules by our senses fetcheth it from humane affaires applying words borrowed from earthly commerce by a heavenly anagogical sense to spiritual things First the sure estate of a Christian is set down in the general by stablishing and then in particular we are anointed and sealed and have the Earnest of the Spirit God in the Covenant of grace doth our part and his own too he gives faith and strengthens faith and seales us he gives us promises he doth stablish us upon those promises and works our hearts to an embracing of them he anoints us and seales us and gives us the Earnest of the Spirit All in the Covenant of Grace depends upon the faithfulnesse of God and not upon ours but upon ours dependantly as he is faithful in stablishing us Now because the holy Apostle would have us settled in the excellency of the state of a Christian in the Covenant of grace you see how large-hearted he is he useth four words implying one and the same thing Stablishing Anointing Sealing and giving Earnest all of them words used in ratification amongst men God is pleased to stoop to speak to us in our own language to speak of heavenly things after an earthly manner and therefore he sets down the certain estate of a Christian by borrowed speeches This is a gracious condescending of God stooping as it were lower then himself and indeed so he alwayes abaseth himself when he deales with man coming down far below himself To come to the words in particular And hath anointed us This word hath a double reference The holy Ghost carries our minds first to the relation and proportion that is between the graces of the Spirit of God and the oyntment with which in former times they were anointed in the Jewish Politie And it hath reference likewise and relation to the persons that were anointed The persons were Kings Priests and Prophets Now God hath anointed us in Christ. The order is this First Christ himself as Mediatour is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes but for his fellowes The oyntment is first poured on the head of spiritual Aaron and then it runs down to all the skirts of his garment that is to the meanest Christian. Even as the least finger and toe is actuated and enlivened and moved by the soul and spirits that the head and the chief vital parts are so every Christian though he be but as the toe or
When a man is without grace he goes lumpishly and heavily about the service of God he is drawen and forced to prayer and to hearing and to conference and meditation he is dead and dull and frozen to good works but when a man hath received this sweet anointing of the Spirit his heart is enlarged to all duties whatsoever he is prepared to every good work Again oyl makes chearefull so doth grace it makes chearful in adversity chearfull in death chearful in those things that dismay the spirits of other men so much grace so much joy for even as light and heat follow the fire so the spirit of joy doth follow this spiritual anointing Conscience of the interest he hath in the favour of God in Christ and the evidences of grace stamped upon his heart an assurance of a better estate in the world to come wonderfully enlarge the soul with spiritual joy that which makes a man lumpish and heavy and earthly is not the Spirit of God the Spirit of God is a Spirit of joy and it puts a gracious chearfulnesse in the heart of a Christian if there be mourning it is that it may be more chearful for light is sowen to the righteous sometimes in mourning God loves a chearful giver and a chearful thanksgiver all must be sweetened with chearfulnesse now this comes from the Spirit of God and he that is anointed with the Spirit in some measure partakes of spiritual joy and chearfulnesse Againe ointment you know is of a healing nature as Balme and other sweet ointments have a healing power and vertue the Scripture makes mention of the Balme of Gilead so grace hath a healing power repentance that is of a purging spiritual joy of a healing nature there must you know be first a cleansing and then a healing and strengthening so some graces are purgative and cleansing some againe are strengthening and healing repentance is a good purgation it carries away the malignant and evill matter but the Cordial that strengthens the soul is joy The joy of the Lord is your strength Nehem. 8. and so the grace of faith and love tend to cherrish and corroborate the soul so that I say these graces this Balme of the Spirit hath a special Soveraign power to heale us to heale us both from the guilt of sin and from the dominion and rule and filthy stain of sin it hath both a purging and a Cordial vertue Thus you see that upon good grounds the graces of Gods Spirit that he communicates to the Elect and only to them that are in Christ they are called anointing and they will have the effect of an ointment in us if we receive this anointing Let us therefore try our selves by these whether we be anointed or no what chearfulnesse is there what joy what strength what nimblenesse to that which is good what soveraignty hath grace in our hearts you have a company that professe Religion but make it serve their owne turne that make heaven to come under earth that make the service of God to stoop to other ends Beloved grace it is a superiour thing and Religion makes all subordinate Grace and Religion wheresoever it is in truth is of a ruling nature and so it is sweet and it is strong wheresoever it is it is curing and purging and cleansing wheresoever it is therefore I beseech you let us not deceive our selves I need say no more of the Point you may enlarge it in your own meditations I come to the persons As this anointing hath reference to the ointment so it hath relation to the persons that were anointed Now the persons anointed were first dedicated by anointing they were consecrated to God and separated from the world And as they were dedicated and separated so they were dignified by this anointing it raised them above the common condition And likewise with this anointing God gave them qualifications suitable You have three eminent persons that were anointed and so raised above the common condition of other men Prophets to teach the people Priests to offer sacrifice Kings to govern them Now Christ is principally all these He is the principal Prophet of his Church the Angel of the Covenant He is Logos the Word because as the inward word the mind of a man is known by the outward word so Christ is called the Word because as a Prophet he discovers his Fathers mind and makes known his Fathers will unto us And he is the great high Priest he makes atonement between God and us he stands between his Father and us And he is the great King of his Church that rescues it from all its enemies to protect and defend it But as Christ hath received this anointing primarily and above his fellows yet as I said before he hath received it for his fellows Every Christian hath his anointing from Christs anointing all our graces and all our oyatment is derived from him He saith the Appostle Rev. 1. hath loved us and washed us in his blood he loved us first which is the cause of all and then he washed us in his blood he did not onely shed his blood for us but he washed us in his blood he hath applied his blood to our souls and by applying that and sprinkling it upon our souls he hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father And indeed the great King of heaven and earth he is and will be attended upon by none but Kings and Priests he hath no servants but such as are anointed he is followed of none but eminent persons such as are separated from the world and dignified above all other people for the glory of his followers tends to his honour therefore those whom God chuseth to be his atendants he qualifies them gives them the hearts of Kings royal qualifications and the hearts of Priests and the hearts of Prophets But this in the general To shew it therefore in particulars A Christian is anointed he is a person severed from the world dedicated to God and dignified above others and that from good reason because God hath given him an inward qualification which is the foundation of all And first he is a true Prophet for he hath received the anointing of the Spirit 1 Joh. 2. whereby he is enabled to discern of things he knowes what is true honour to be the child of God he knowes what is true riches Grace he knowes what is true Nobility to be born of God what is true pleasure Peace of conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost he can discern between seeming and reall things and onely he that hath received this anointing of the Spirit And again as a Prophet he knowes not onely the things but the doing of the things he hath with the anointing of the Spirit ability to do that which he knowes the grace of God teacheth him not onely the duty that he should live justly and soberly and godly but teacheth him to do the things for God writes his Lawes in
below to have an earthly mind and earthly thoughts it is a shrewd presumption that he is but onely a titular Christian and hath not received this inward and spiritual anointing It was a speech of the Martyrs in the Primitive Church when they were asked their names they gave this answer Christianus sum I am a Christian and that satisfied all questions so when we are basely tempted to courses unbefitting our dignity answer them from our Baptisme I am baptized into Christ and so am become a Christian and this is unbeseeming the profession of Christianity I beseech you let us remember our calling we are called to be Prophets Kings and Priests and not onely here but in the world to come we shall be so we must not think to be Kings in Heaven except we begin it here It is with a Christian as it was with David he was anointed many yeares before he was actually a King upon the Throne while Saul lived he did not enjoy the Kingdome So we are anointed in this world in part we are Kings while we are here Kings over our selves and over the world a Christian sees all under him that is worldly he treads the Moon under his feet but our anointing hath then especially its effect when we are in heaven as Davids anointing it had its special effect when Saul was dead We must now carry our selves as those that shall be Kings those that are not Kings here shall never be Kings hereafter those that are not Priests here shall never walk with Christ in heaven in long white Robes for ever Eternal life is begun here in all the parts of it And therefore I beseech you if our memories be so shallow that we cannot remember other bonds let us remember our Baptisme let us read our duty in our Baptisme what are we baptized into Into Christ that is to take the Name of Christ upon us to be Christians which name implies these three to be a King Priest and Prophet What do we then when we sin We reverse our Baptisme in some sort let it be an aggravation then when we are tempted to sin it is Treason to God I shall leave my Captain under whose banner I have vowed to fight against the Devil the world and the flesh and to forsake my colours is the greatest treachery Yea it is sacriledge and so God accounts it when thou prophanest thine eyes and thine eares in seeing and hearing of vanity as you do when you frequent Play-houses and the like I say it is sacrilegious Kings and Priests were dedicated persons and to imploy dedicated things about any other businesse then to God is sacriledge it is a committing of folly with thy soul. Men have slight conceits of Religion and scarce a tincture of it if they did deeply consider what Religion is that it seizeth upon the soul that it alters and changeth it that whosoever will have benefit by the Promises he must have an inward qualification and be anointed with the Spirit they would have better conceits of it then they have and hence it is therefore that men make so little conscience of giving liberty to their eares and eyes to hear and see vanity and defile themselves in evil courses and cleave to the occasions of sin Let us oft I beseech you be stirred up to think of our high prerogatives with high admiration what love what love hath God shewed That we should be called the sons of God that we should be made Kings and Priests to God the Father And if every you hope to have comfort by Religion you must find this anointing in your selves raising you above other men to holy duties to be Kings and Priests and Prophets Who hath anointed us and sealed us c. You see then a Christian is stablished this way in Christ because he is anointed by the Spirit of God he is dedicated and consecrated to God Hence before I go on to that which followeth in that the Apostle coupleth anointing and sealing and earnest to the Promises observe this briefly None have interest in the Promises of mercy none can find comfort by them but such as find some change in themselves The Promises of God as I have often said are the riches of a Christian and his inheritance take all from him you must needs leave him this you cannot take this from him and as an Usurer thinks he is a rich man though he have not two pence in his house but all that he hath is in Bills and Bonds so a Christian though haply he have not much in actual possession yet he is rich in that he hath Gods bonds in the promises but now a man cannot say that he is interessed in the promises that he can lay claim to them if he be an unfruitful man an unhallowed man that hath not the sweet oyntment of the Spirit changing of him as it is said of Saul into another man for God wheresoever he reconciles himself and gives any promise of favour and mercy there he works a qualification Of necessity it must be so because he is reconciled to amity now in friendship there must be a correspondent similitude of disposition and sympathy Now as long as we are in our natural estate and remain unhallowed and defiled we are in such terms as God and we cannot meet in amity and therefore wheresoever the promises of the favour of God and reconciliation are of force there must be a change God when he intends to shew favour to any he alters and changeth them that they may be such as he may have content and complacency and delight in We see then there is a necessity of examining our selves in this point If thou be anointed examine thy self what inward power of grace thou hast what sweet work of the Spirit whether thou find in thee a principle above corruption that makes thee rule above that which the world is inthralled unto undoubtedly as our title to heaven it is out of our selves by the promises we have of salvation and reconciliation in Christ so the evidences must be found in our selves there must be anointing and sealing and the Earnest of the Spirit therefore I beseech you think seriously of what I have delivered of that Point before But we shall have occasion in the particulars after to speak more of this I go on therefore to the second word Who hath sealed us The same God that anoints us seales us Anointing and sealing go both together both are to secure us of our estate in Christ both wrought by the Spirit of God Now Christ is the first sealed Job 6. Him hath God the Father sealed Christ is sealed to be our Redeemer that is God hath set apart Christ from others hath distinguished him and sealed him and set a stamp upon him to be the Messiah sealed him to the great work of Redemption first by the graces of the Spirit for he is full of them having received the Spirit above measure and not
things Magistrates and Officers go with their broad Seal and deliver things that they would have carried with authority sealed and the Seal of the Prince is the authority of the Prince so that a Seal is to make things authentical to give validity to things answerable to the value and esteem of him that seales These four principal uses there is of sealing Now God by his Spirit doth all these for God by his Spirit sets the stamp and likenesse of Christ upon us he distinguisheth us from others from the great refuse of the world he appropriates us to himself and like wise he authorizeth us and puts an excellency upon us to secure us against all when we have Gods Seal upon us we stand against all accusations Who shall separate us from the love of God we dare defâ—… all objections and all accusations of conscience whatsoever a man that hath Gods Seal he stands impregnable it so authorizeth him in his conscience for it is given us for our assurance and not for Gods God seales not because he is ignorant He knowes who are his But what is the Spirit it self this seal or the graces of the Spirit or the comforts of the Spirit what is this seal for that is the question now whether the Spirit it self or the work of the Spirit or the comfort and joy of the Spirit I answer indeed the Spirit of God where it is is a sufficient seal to us that God hath set us out for his for whosoever hath the Spirit of Christ is his and whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his but the Spirit is the Authour of this sealing and the sealing that is in us is wrought by the Spirit so that except you take the Spirit for that which is wrought by the Spirit you have not the right comprehension of sealing and so the Spirit with that which the Spirit works is the seal for the Spirit is alway with his own seal with his own stamp Other seales are removed from the stamp and the stamp remains though the seal be gone but the Spirit of God dwells and keeps a perpetual residence in the heart of a Christian guiding him moving him enlightning of him governing him comforting him doing all offices of a seal in his heart till he have brought him to heaven for the Holy Ghost never leaves us it is the sweetest inhabitant that ever lodging was given to he doth all that is done in the soul and he is perpetually with his own work in joy and comfort though he seems sometimes to be in a corner of the heart and is not discernable yet he alway dwells in us the Spirit is alwayes with the stamp it sets upon the soul. What is that stamp then to come to the matter more particularly what is that that the Spirit seales us with especially what is that work I answer the Spirit works in this order for the most part and in some of these universally First the Spirit doth together with the Word which is the instrument of the Spirit the Chariot in which it is carried convince us of the evil that is in us and of the ill estate we are in by reason thereof it convinceth us that we are sinners and of the fearful estate that we are in by sin this is the first work of the Spirit on a man in the state of nature it convinceth us of the ill that is in us and of the ill due unto us and thereupon it abaseth us therefore it is called the Spirit of bondage because it makes a man tremble and quake till he see his peace in Christ. When the Spirit hath done that then it convinceth a man by a better by a sweeter light discovering a remedy in Christ who is sealed of God to reconcile God and us And as he enlightneth the soul convinceth it of the all-sufficiency that is in Christ and the authority that he hath being sent and sealed of God for that purpose so he works on the affections he inclines the heart to go to God in Christ and to cast himself on him by faith Now when the soul is thus convinced of the evil that is in us and of the good that is in Christ and with this convincing is enclined and moved by the holy Spirit as indeed the holy Spirit doth all then upon this the Spirit vouchsafeth a superadded work as the Spirit doth still adde to his own work he addes a confirming work which is here called Sealing that seal is not faith for the Apostle saith After you believed ye were sealed so that this sealing is not the work of faith but it is a work of the Spirit upon faith assuring the soul of its estate in grace But what need confirmation when we believe Is not faith confirmation enough when a man may by a reflect act of the soul know that he is in the state of grace by believing It is true as the natural conscience knows what is in a man as the natural judgment can reflect so the spiritual understanding can reflect and when he believes he knowes that he believes without the Spirit by the reflect act of the understanding except he be in case of temptaton what needs sealing then This act of ours in believing and the knowledge of our believing it is oft terribly shaken and God is wondrous desirous as we see by the whole passage of the Scripture that we should be secure of his love he knowes that he can have no glory and we can have no comfort else and rherefore when we by faith have sealed to his truth he knowes that we need still further sealing that our faith be current and good and to strengthen our faith for all is little enough in the time of temptation and therefore the single witnesse of our soul by the reflect act knowing that we do believe when we do believe it is not strong enough in great temptations for in some tryals the soul is so carried and hurried that it cannot reflect upon it self nor know what is in it self without much ado therefore first the Spirit works faith whereby we seal Gods truth Joh. 3. He that believes hath put to his seal that God is true when God by his Spirit moves me to honour him by sealing his truth that Whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved then God seales this my belief with an addition of his holy Spirit so that this sealing is a work upon believing and as faith honours God so God honours faith with a superadded seal and confirmation But yet we not come particularly enough to know what this Seal is When we honour God by sealing his truth then the Spirit seales us certainly then the Spirit doth it by presence by being with us in our soules What then doth the Spirit work when we believe How shall we know that there is such a spiritual sealing I answer the Spirit in this seaâ—…g works these four things First a secret voyce or
errours of the times Thus we have unfolded to you the sealing of the Spirit and you see the Spirit of God not onely anoints but seales Now we should labour to have our hearts thus sealed by the Spirit Can we desire and never be at quiet till our Instruments be sealed till our acquittances till our Charters be sealed and shall we be patient not to have our soules sealed Let us labour by all means to have the Image and likenesse of Christ stamped upon our soules especially that is wondrous comfortable when we can find somewhat in us like to Jesus Christ. To encourage us to this let us consider that death and Judgment will come and God will set none at his right hand but his sheep that have his mark those that he sets his stamp and Image upon those he will set on the right hand in the day of Judgment And how comfortably in the hour of death can the soul commend it self to God when it sees it self stamped and sealed by the Spirit of Christ when he can say to Christ Lord Jesus receive my soul that thou hast redeemed by thy blood that thou hast sealed by thy Spirit and that thou hast set thine own stamp upon acknowledge thine own likenesse though it be not as it should be what a comfort I say hath the sealed soul at the hour of death and so in all other extremities and in times of trouble and danger those in whom God sees his own Image and likenesse he will own and to those he will alwayes shew a distinct and respective love in hard times What a difference is between that soul and others in the time of affliction as in the time of pestilence and war the soul that is sealed knowes that he is marked out for God for happinesse in the world to come whatsoever befalls him in this world and he knowes that God in all confusion of times knowes his own seal those that are sealed God hath a speciall care of I say therefore in Ezek. 9. they are said to be marked in their foreheads not that there was any visible mark on them but it is a phrase to signifie what speciall care God had of his people specially in times of destruction God will as it were set them out in those times and make special provision for them thus Josiah was taken away from the evill to come and Lot was taken out of Sodom when fire and brimstone was to come from heaven and Pella a little Village was delivered when the general destruction came upon Jerusalem So that I say God hath a speciall care of his little ones in this life and if he take them away yet their death is precious in his sight He will not part with them but upon special consideration he sees if they live it will be worse for them he sees it is better for them to be gathered to himself and to the soules of men made perfect in heaven And as he hath a special care of them in regard of outward miseries and calamities so in regard of spiritual contagion and infection as Rev 7. there Gods holy ones were sealed so many of such a tribe c. which is to signifie to us that God hath alwayes some that he will keep and preserve from the universal infection and contagion of Antichrist in the worst times God hath alwayes a Church in the worst times in the obscurest ages of the Church eight or nine hundred years after Christ especially nine hundred years when Egyptian darknesse had overspread the world and there was little learning and goodnesse in the world God had alwayes sealed ones marked ones that he preserved from the danger of dark times and so he will alwayes have a care of his own that they be not led away with that soul-hurting errour Popery another manner of mischief then men take it for The Scripture is more punctual in setting down the danger of those especially in lighter times of the Church that are carried away with that sin then any other sin whatsoever they have a contrary mark those that have the mark of the Beast it is contrary to the mark of Christ it is far from being the mark and seal of the Spirit that implicite bloody faith Theirs is the bloody Church pretend what they will and they stand out to blood in the defence of all their cruel superstitious and bloody decrees Those persons I say that are deeply died in Popery that have the mark of the Beast they are in a clean opposite condition to those that are marked with the Spirit that Christ marks for his Let us not fear therefore I say if we have the Spirit of God stamped upon us though in a little measure if it be true let us not fear death Christ knowes his own mark even in death and out of death And let us not fear afflictions nor evil times Christ will know his seal He hath a book of remembrance for those that are his Mal. 3. for those that mourn for the sins of the times and when he gathers his Jewels those shall be his he will gather his Jewels as a man in his house gathers his jewels he suffers his luggage to burn in the fire so God in common calamities he suffers luggage wicked men to go to wrack but he will free his own Let us labour therefore for this seal to have our soules stamped with the Spirit of God to have further and further evidence of our state in grace that in the time of common calamity we may be free from danger free from errour and destruction But you will say What shall I account of it if there be but a little sign of grace Be not discouraged when the stamp in wax is almost out it is currant in Law put the case the stamp of the Prince be an old coyn as sometimes we see it on a King Harry groat yet it is currant money yea though it be a little crackt So put tbe case the stamp of the Spirit be as it were almost worn out it is our shame and ought to be our grief that it is so yet there are some evidences some pulses some sighes and groans against corruption we mourn in our spirits we do not joyn with corruption we do not allow our selves in sin there is the stamp of the Spirit remaining though it be overgrown with the dust of the world that we cannot see it Sometimes Gods children though they have the graces of the Spirit in them yet they yield so much to their corruptions that they can read nothing but their corruptions when we bid them read their evidences they can see nothing but worldlinesse nothing but pride and envy c. though there be a stamp on them yet God holds the soul from seeing it so that they can see nothing but corruption this is for their negligence God gives them up to mistake their estates because they will not stirre up the graces of the Spirit
because they grieve the Spirit and quench the Spirit by doing that which is contrary to the Spirit Let us therefore that we may have the more comfort preserve the stamp of the Spirit fresh by the exercise of all grace and communion with God and by obedience and by faith honour God by believing and he will honour thee by stamping his Spirit on thee more and more And let this be our work every day to have the stamp of the Spirit clear Oh what a comfort it is to have this in us at all times if a man have nothing in him better then nature if he have nothing in him in regard of grace if he have not Christs Image upon his soul though he be a King or an Emperour yet he shall be stript of all ere long and be set on the left hand of Christ and be adjudged to eternal torments It is the folly of the times come up of late there is much labouring for Statues and for curious workmanship of that kind and some pride themselves much in it and account it great riches to have an old Statue Alas alas what a poor delight is this in comparison of the joy that a Christian hath by the seal of the Spirit and what is this to the ambition of a Christian to see the Image and representation of Christ stamped in his soul that he may be like the second Adam that he may be transformed more and more by looking on him and seeing himself in him to love him considering that he hath loved us so much for we cannot see the love of Christ to us but we must love him the more and be transformed into him Now this transforming our selves into the Image of Christ is the best picture in the world therefore labour for that every day more and more There is besides the common broad seal of God his Privy Seal as I may call it It is not sufficient that we have the one that we have admittance into the Church by Baptisme but we must have this privy seal which Christ sets and stamps upon the soul of the true Christian Alas for a man to build onely on the outward seals and outward prerogatives which in themselves are excellent yet the standing upon them betrayes many soules to the Devil in times of distresse It is another manner of seal then the outward seal in the Sacrament that will satisfie and comfort the conscience in the apprehensions of wrath at the hour of death or otherwayes It must be this privy seal and then comes the use of those publick open known seales the broad seales then a man with comfort may think upon his Baptisme and upon his receiving the Communion when he hath the beginnings of faith wrought in him by the Spirit of God when a man finds the beginnings of faith in him then he may make use of the broad seal to be a help to his faith We must not be so prophane as to think slightly and irreverently of Gods Ordinances they are of great and high consequence for when Satan comes to the soul and shakes the confidence of it and saith Thou art not a Christian and God doth not love thee Why saith the soul God hath loved me and pardoned my sins he hath given me promises and particularly sealed them in the Sacrament here is the excellency of the Sacrament it comes more home then the Word it seales the general promise of God particularly to my self I am sealed in the Sacrament and withall I find the stamp of the Spirit in my heart and therefore having the inward work of the Spirit and God having fortified the inward work and strengthened my faith by the outward seal I can therefore stand against any temptation whatsoever They are excellent both together but the speciall thing that must comfort must be the hidden seal of the Spirit Let us labour therefore to be sealed inwardly and observe Gods sealing-dayes as we use to speak which though it may be every day if we be in spiritual exercises yet especially on the Lords Day for then his Ordinance and his Spirit go together Now as there is a sealing of our estates that we are the children of God so there is of truths and both are in the children of God as for instance this is a truth Whosoever believes in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life now the same Spirit that stirred up the soul to believe this seales it in the soul even to death and in all times of temptation and likewise there is no promise but upon the believing of it it is sealed by the Spirit upon the soul for those truths onely abide firm in the soul which the Spirit of God sets on What is the reason that many forget the comforts and consolations that they hear because the Spirit sets them not on the Spirit seales them not What is the reason that illiterate men stand out in their profession to blood whereas those that have a discoursive kind of learning they yield the reason is this the knowledge of the one is sealed by the Spirit it is set fast upon the soul the Spirit brings the knowledge and the soul close together whereas the knowledge of the other is onely a notional swimming knowledge it is not spiritual Those therefore that will hold out in the end and not apostatize those that will stand out in the hour of death against temptation and those that will hold out in the time of life against solicitations to sin they must have a knowledge suitable to the things they know that is they must see and know heavenly things by a heavenly light spiritual things by the Spirit of God And therefore when we come to hear the Ministers of God we should not come with strong conceits in the strength of our wit but with reverend dispositions with dependance upon God for his Spirit that he would teach us together with the Ministers and close with our soules and set those truths we hear upon our soules we shall never hold out else And it must be the Holy Ghost that must do this for that which must settle and seal comfort to the soul must be greater then the soul especially in the time of temptation when the terrours of the Almighty are upon us and when the hell within a man is open when God layes open our consciences and writes bitter things against us and our consciences tell us our sins wondrous near they are written as it were with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond upon our soules now I say those truths that must satisfie conscience that is thus turmoiled must be set on by that which is above conscience the Spirit of God who is above our spirits can onely set down our spirits and keep them from quarrelling and contending against the truth and quiet the conscience and this the Spirit doth when it sets the truth upon the soul. And therefore when our soules are disquieted
were not troubled that is we may believe and yet want assurance because that is another distinct act that followeth upon our casting of our selves upon God And so many of the dear children of God sometimes they can hardly say that they have any assurance but yet notwithstanding they can say if they do not belye themselves and bear false witnesse against themselves that they have cast themselves upon Gods mercy they have performed the first act of faith and this faith is not fruitlesse altogether Now there be many things that may hinder this other act viz. that act of faith whereby I am assured of my state in grace sometimes God together with my believing will present such things to the soul as wholly take it up so that a man cannot have definitive thoughts upon that that God would have him think of As when God will humble a man for his boldnesse in adventuring upon sin he takes not away the Spirit of faith but God to humble him throughly he sets before him his anger sets before him terrour even hellish terrours that will make him in a state little different from a reprobate for the time so that he is farre from saying that he hath any assurance at that time yet notwithstanding he doth not leave off he casts himself upon Gods mercy still though God kill him yet he will trust in him and yet he feels nothing but terrour and this I say God doth to school him and to humble him and to prepare him for the feeling of assurance after These things we must observe that we give not a false evidence of our selves that though we have not such assurance as we have had and as others have yet I say alway there is some ground in us where upon we may be assured that we are Gods if we could search it Such ought to labour for assurance and such will in time come to assurance And therefore we should be farre from alowing that Doctrine which is as if a man should light a candle before the Divel as we use to say to help him against our hearts by a Doctrine of doubting as if our naughty hearts were not ready enough of themselves to doubt It is the prophanenesse of the world they will not use the means that God hath appointed to this end nay they had rather stagger and take contentment assurance in their own waies if God will love me in a loose course so it is but to give diligence to make my calling and election sure I had rather believe the Popish Doctrine that I ought to doubt and only to be of a good hope Whereas we ought constantly to labour to be assured of our state in grace that God may have more honour and that we may have more comfort from him again and walk more chearfully through the troubles and temptations that are in the world A Carnal proud person he swells against this Doctrine because he feels no such thing and he thinks what is above his measure is hypocrisie he makes himself the measure of other Christians and therefore he values and esteems others by his dark state for a carnal mans heart it is like a dungeon a man in a dungeon can see nothing because he hath no light but he that hath the light he can see the dungeon the heart of a Christian hath a light in it there is the Spirit in him and therefore he can see his own estate and he can tell what is in him upon due search now in a carnal man all is dark he sees nothing because his heart is in a dungeon his eye is dark his heart is full of darknesse all is alike to him he sees no difference between flesh and Spirit and therefore he holds on in a doubting hope and confused disposition and temper of soul But a Christian that labours to walk in the comforts of the Holy Ghost he is not content with such a confused state and therefore we ought to abhor that Doctrine by all means and to justifie this Doctrine that we ought and that we may have assurance of salvation in this world The second thing which I observe and which I joyn to the former is the Doctrine of Perseverance An Earnest you know I told you is made up with the Bargain but it is never taken away so that the Point is this That Gods Children as they may be assured of their salvation So They may be assured that they shall hold out to the end I think many of you think these two Points to be so clear that it is unnecessary to divide them for if we be assured of our salvation there must needs be perseverance to the end for what kind of assurance is it to be in the state of grace to day and not to be to morrow But if you ask some degenerated followers of Luther that leave him in his sweet and comfortable Doctrines and take up some errours of his and some others that would divide these hot they are against the Papists for denying the Doctrine of assurance of salvation but when they come to perseverance they hold that a Christian may fall away altogether these things cannot stand together for undoubtedly it is most sure and just and right that these truths follow one the other assurance of salvation and perseverance and therefore if they maintain that we ought to be assured of salvation and not doubt of Gods love surely then they cannot with the same Spirit and the same ground doubt that God that hath begun a work will finish it to the day of the Lord there is no question but that the one followes the other because an earnest as it assures us of salvation so it assures us of perseverance Herein an Earnest differs from a pawn or pledge a pledge it is given but it is taken away again but an Earnest when it is once given is never taken away again but as it is a part of the bargain so it is filled and made up with the bargain so grace is a part of glory and is never taken away but made up with perfect on of glory From this we see then that he that is in the state of grace is undefeasable he perseveres to the end because he hath the earnest of the Spirit if God should take away his Spirit from him he should take away his earnest and if he take away his earnest he takes away that for which he gives it assurance of salvation and so should overthrough all But God never repents of his earnest man oft-times repents of his earnest and wisheth he had not made such a fruitlesse bargain but God never doth but where he gives the first fruits he makes up the harvest where he laies the foundation he makes up the building where he gives Earnest he makes up the bargain where he begins a good work he finisheth it to the day of the Lord once his for ever his We cannot be so sure of
this hope saith the Apostle purgeth himself he that finds some little beginnings of grace and comfort the beginings of heaven upon Earth he frames himself to the perfect state in heaven for it is the nature of faith and hope wheresoever they are to frame the disposition of the person in whom those graces are planted by the Spirit to the condition of that that soul believes and hopes for it is in the nature of the thing it should be so For doth not hope in any man that hopes to appear before some great person make him alter his attire and fashion his carriage and deportment as may be plausible before the person whom he goes to and doth not faith and hope of better things where they are in truth fashion and dispose every man to be such as may be fit for heaven The title to heaven we have indeed by Christ but the soul knowes there must be a qualification No unclean thing shall enter into heaven and therefore where the Earnest is there is a continual desire to be better a continual relinquishing of corruptions more and more a perfecting of the work of mortification and the work of grace more and more for the same Spirit that is an Earnest and gives us any beginning of a better life it likewise stirres us up it fits and prepares us for that state that is kept for us it is impossible it should be otherwise In what strength the Earnest is in that strength sanctification and mortification are and therefore persons that live in sins against Conscience that defile their tongues and defile their bodies let them talk what they will it is but a presumptuous conceit it is not the voyce of Gods Spirit but of carnal presumption for wheresoever the Spirit is an Earnest of heaven it is alwayes preparing and fitting the soul for that glorious happy estate And wheresoever likewise this Earnest of the Spirit is wheresoever this grace is begun in truth there is a desire of accomplishment an earnest desire of the coming of Christ to finish all to finish the bargain Rev. 22. The Spirit and the Spouse say Come that is the Spouse by direction of the Spirit where the Spouse is guided by the Spirit and so far as the Spouse is guided by the Spirit she saith Come Come Lord Jesus come quickly Except in two Cases Except the Christian hath grieved and wounded his conscience grieved the Spirit and then it is loath to go hence Unlesse likewise the spirit of a Christian be careless and would settle things in better order before he go to Christ for this is the fruit of presumption and carelesnesse that it grieves the Spirit of God and the Spirit being grieved grieves them he makes that which should be their comfort their going to Christ by death he makes it terrible for as we see a weak eye cannot endure the light so a gauled guilty conscience trembles to think of Christs coming though the Earnest be there yet if the soul tremble that the soul be wounded stay a while Oh stay saith the Psalmist before I go hence and be no more seen When the wife hath been negligent she would have her husband stay but when she hath been diligent then the wife is willing her husband should come but perhaps things are not settled as they should and therefore she doth not desire his coming as at other times But take a Christian in his right temper he is willing to dye nay he is willing and glad and joyful to go to Christ then he knowes the Earnest shall be accomplished with the bargain then he knowes what God hath begun he will perfect then he knowes all the Promises shall be performed when all imperfection shall be removed and all enemies shall be conquered c. A carnal man doth not say as the Spirit in the Spouse speaks Come Lord come but stay Lord stay and as the Devil that possessed that person What have we to do with thee Art thou come to torment us before our time they think of it with quaking For otherwise they that have the Earnest of the Spirit have joyful thoughts of it and wishes answerable to those thoughts Again wheresoever this Earnest is in truth the Earnest of the Spirit there is growth for it is the nature of things imperfect to come to their perfection that they may encounter with whatsoever is contrary to them and that they may do their functions that they are fitted by for God Now God having fitted the new creature to serve him and to go through all the impediments in this world and all the crosses where he hath begun this work it will labour to come to perfection As in the natural body we are not content to live but when we have life we desire health and when we have health we are not content with that but we desire strength not onely health but strength to perform that we should do So where the spiritual life is begun the living soul is not content to live to find an Earnest a little beginnings but if he have that he would have health he would not have any spiritual disease to lye on the soul that might hinder it in the functions of it and together with health it desires fuller and fully strength because it hath many temptations to encounter with many corruptions to resist many actions to do many afflictions perhaps to bear all which require a great deal of strength wheresoever grace is in truth it is alwayes with a desire of growth and answerable to that desire will be the use of all the means of growth Again to name one or two more and so end Wheresoever the Spirit is as an Earnest it doth as the seal doth spoken of before that as it hath a quieting power an assuring power it quiets the soul wheresoever it si it is given to stay the soul to comfort it that the whole shall be performed in time and therefore the soul that hath the Earnest of the Spirit so far forth as he hath this Earnest it quiets and stayes the soul. A man may know true faith from false and true Earnest from presumption by this as we know other things I say it stills and quiets the soul and it will endure the tryal We say of Alcumy gold it is counterfeit it will not strengthen the heart true gold hath a corroborating power to strengthen the heart whether it be so or no let the Alcumists look to it but it is true that true Eanest the beginnings of faith though it be but in a little measure it hath a quieting a stilling a strengthening power to strengthen and corroborate the soul for it is given for that purpose And a man that hath the least grace will endure the search as true gold will endure the touchstone the false will not and it is a sign that a man hath true grace in him although it be with much
the soul as the soul is in the body for as all beauty and motion comes from the soul to the body so to the soul from the Spirit all comes of the Spirit and therefore every saving grace is a sign that the Spirit is in us In a word the Spirit is in us in the nature of fire as in other things so in this in transforming wheresoever the Spirit dwells he transforms the soul he transforms the party like himself holy and gracious Those therefore that find the Spirit transforming and changing them in the use of the Ordinance of the Word they may know that they have the Spirit sealing them and being an Earnest to them They may know likewise that they have it wrought by the Spirit for every one grace you may knowspiritual graces are with conflict for what is true is with a great deal of resistance of that which is counterfeit Comforts and graces that are not the Earnest of the Spirit are with little conflict but where there are true comforts and graces of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit it is with much conflict with Satan and with himself for there is a great deal of Envy in the Divell against the man that walkes in the Spirit Thinks he what such a base creature as this is to have the Earnest of heaven to walk here as if he were in heaven already and to defie all opposite powers Nay I will trouble his peace he shall go mourning to heaven if he go there this is the reasoning of the cursed spirit and hereupon he labours to shake the assurance and perswasion and the grace and Comfort of a Christian it is with much conflict and temptation not onely with Satan but with his own heart Our hearts misgive us when we are guilty of some sins as alwaies there is guilt on the soul so much guilt so much doubt till the soul be free from giult it wil never but be casting of doubts and therefore there is alwaies resistance in us and there must be a higher power then the heart and soul of a man to set the heart down and quiet it It is alwaies in conflict And the gracet and comforts of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit are alwaies in the use of meanes holy means and it carries a man above the strength of nature it carries a man to the practice of that which he could not do by nature to pardon his enemies to pray for them to overcome revenge and to enjoy prosperity without pride in a comfortable measure and it enables him to practise the last Comandement That he shall be content with his estate and not lust after others and the first Comandement the graces of the holy Spirit enables a man to love God and to rejoyce in him above all as his best portion it makes his joy spiritual and it makes him delight in all connatural things that are like the Spirit as whatsoever is spiritual is connatural to the Spirit If a man have the graces of the Spirit he joyes in spiritual company he joyes in the presence of God he hates sin as being contrary to the Earnest of the Spirit he hates terrour of conscience and the way unto it he will look on good things as God lookes on them and as the Spirit looks on them and every thing that is spiritual he relisheth he savours the things of the Spirit Now be cause I will not detract your thoughts there are some six or seven properties of the Spirit in one Chapter that you may have them all together in Rom. 8. I will not name all but such as are easie First of all it is said in the 9. ver that the Spirit where it is it dwells as in a house now wheresoeve the Spirit is he is dwelling and ruling for the holy Ghost will not be an underling to lusts and he repaires and makes up the breaches of the soul where the Spirit dwells all the breaches are made up Ignorance to knowledge he begets knowledge and affection and love he prepares all he prepares his own dwelling and it is familiar and constant to the Spirit a dwelling implyes familiarity and constancy he is not in us as he is in wicked men that have the Spirit As Austin saith The Spirit of God knocks at their hearts but he doth not dwell there To go on that is the first The Spirit dwells in us if we have the Spirit And then the Spirit doth subdue the contrary for the Spirit when it comes into a man it pulls down all the strong holds it makes way for it self and therefore it is said to mortifie the deeds of the flesh ver 13. If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit you are led by the Spirit Those therefore that by the help of the Spirit by spiritual reasons subdue their corruptions they are led by the Spirit those that cherish corruptions or mortifie them not by spiritual reasons but out of civil respect to carry authority among men and therefore they would be free from aspersions as might disable their reputation they have not the Spirit Thirdly as many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God the Spirit leads them as the Angel that went before the Israelites from Egypt unto Canaan so the Spirit of God like the Angel goes before us and leads us the way and removes the lets it doth lead us I say sweetly and not violently as the Devil leads his that are possessed with his spirit So that those that have the Spirit working grace and comfort in them sweetly he leads them and yet strongly too for it is strongly because it is against corruption and opposition from without but yet sweetly preserving the liberty and freedom of the soul. We by nature are like children or blind men we cannot lead our selves and therefore the Spirit leads us Those therefore that have the Spirit it leads them they submit themselves to the guidance and leading of the Spirit That is another evidence A fourth is this That it is a Spirit of adoption it assures us that we are the sons of God it gives us assurance of our adoption that we are the sons of God the same Spirit that sanctifieth us it witnesseth to us it makes us holy it witnesseth to us that we are the sons of God And then again the Spirit stirres up sighs and groans that cannot be expressed when we are not of our selves able to pray this is an evidence of the Earnest of the Spirit when we can send our sighes and groans to God I say God will hear the groans the voice of his own Spirits for whence come those sighes and groanes to God why should we not rather sink in despair in troubles but because the Spirit is in us Those therefoore that in extremity having nothing to comfort them and yet are able to send forth sighes and groans to God they may certainly know that they
God alone with that but above all beg of God that he would encrease in us and renew the Earnest and the stamp of the Spirit that we may have somewhat in our soules wherein we may see the Evidences of a Christian estate I might adde many things to this purpose but this is sufficient to any Judicious Christian to encourage us to labour for the Spirit above all things in the world all other are but grasse but fading but grace and glory grace and peace and joy nay the very Earnest of the Spirit is better then all earthly things for the Earnest of it is joy unspeakable and glorious and peace that passeth all understanding If the Promise and the Earnest here be so I beseech you what shall the accomplishment of the promise be if the Promises laid hold on by faith so quicken and cheer the soul and if the giving a teste of heaven lift a Christians spirit above all earthly discouragements what shall it be when the Spirit shall be all in all in us if the Earnest be so comfortable But I go on to the next Verse VERSE XXIII Moreover I call God to record upon my soul that to spare you I came not yet to Corinth IN this Verse the Apostle labours to remove suspition of levity and inconstancy there were jealousies in the minds of the Corinthians which were also fomented by some vain-glorious Teachers amongst them that laboured to undermine S. Paul in the hearts of the Corinthians as if he had not loved the Corinthians so well as they did therefore he is so carefull to clear himself in their thoughts from suspition of inconstancy and want of love to them because suspition grounded upon the lightnesse in his carriage might reflect upon his doctrine He knew well enough the malice of mans nature and therefore he is very curious and industrious to make a clear passage for himself into the hearts of these Corinthians by all means possible as we heard in part out of the 17. Verse Moreover I call God to record c. Saint Paul is here purging himself still to clear himself First he labours to clear himself from the suspition of inconstancy and want of love to them in not coming Secondly he sets down the true cause why he did not come I came not to spare you You were much to blame in many things and among the rest of the abominations among you you cherished the incestuous person and many of you doubted of the resurrection I should have been very severe if I had come therefore I came net to spare you hoping that my letter would work upon your spirits so that I need not be severe to you therefore do not suspect that for any ill mind I came not for it was to spare you that I might not be forced to be severe Then the third thing is the sealing of this speech with a serious oath I call God for record upon my soul that I came not to spare you So here is the wâ—…ping away of suspition And the setting down the true cause why he did not come And the ratifying and confirming it by an oath he makes his purgation here by an oath These three things I will briefly touch First of all you see here he avoids suspition of lightnesse which the Corinthians had of him partly by the false suggestion of proud Teachers among them who fomented their suspitious dispositions because they would weaken S. Paul's esteem among the Corinthians they had a conceit he was an uncertain man he promised to come and did not now here he declines that suspition Where first Observe these two things briefly First that the nature of man is inclined to suspition And secondly that it is the duty of men to avoid it as much as may be and to wipe it away if it cannot be avoided Mans nature is prone to suspition Mans nature is prone to suspect ill of another though never so good Christ could not avoid it because he conversed sociably with other men he was thought to be a Wine-bibber a companion of sinners And God himself was suspected of Adam in innocency the Devil is so cunning that he calls God himself into question as if he had not meant so well to him What will that impudent spirit do that will bring the creature in suspition of him that is goodnesse it self God knowes that when you eat your eyes shall be open and you shall be as Gods knowing good and evil Do you think that he intends you any good in forbidding you to eat c He did not spare Christ innocency it self cloathed with mans flesh and will he spare to bring uncharitable suspitions upon others surely he will not And then mans nature of it self is prone to suspect and think ill of another From many grounds Sometimes out of experience of the common infirmities thnt men meet with in the world out of the experience of the falshood of men they are many times prone to suspition But most commonly it is out of guiltinesse that men think ill of others because others have cause to think ill of them none are so prone to suspition as those that are worst themselves because they judge others by their own hearts The better sort of people think of others as they are and as they deserve themselves but others because they are naught they think others are so because they deserve ill they think others have deserved an ill opinion of them so many times it comes of guilt because we are not as we should be Then again it ariseth from a guilty conscience in another respect we think because men have cause though they have no wrong to themselves yet because our own hearts tell us we are ill we suspect them So from an uncharitable disposition and guiltinesse of conscience it oft-times comes Then again sometimes from the concurrence of probabilities the suiting of circumstances that makes things somewhat probable whereupon suspition may be fastened Sometimes when there is a concurrence of probabilities of the likelihood of things there suspition is prone to rise for suspition is not a determining of a thing it is but a slight kind of conceit it is more then a fear and lesse then judgment of a thing It is more then fear for he that fears suspects not suspition is a degree to judgment it doth not fully judge for then it were not suspition it is more then fear suspects not but fears It conceives slightly that such a thing should be done and yet he dares not say it is done Suspition is nothing else but an inclination of the soul to think and imagine ill of another a looking curiously under a thing or person As we use to say Envy pries into things an envious person searcheth so a suspitious person looks under to see if he can see matter of ill to fasten his ill soul upon So it inclines the soul to think
ready to any action This I mention onely as a ground A Christian that hath given his name to Christ is either in a state of joy or else should labour for it The second which is the main is That The Word of God as it is unfolded is that that helps this joy We are helpers of your joy we Ministers S. Paul spake of himself as a Minister The Word of God is a helper of joy especially as it is unfolded considered as it is dispensed in the Ministery You know the Word of God it is called The Word of reconciliation because it doth unfold the Covenant between God and us It is called The Word of the Kingdom The Word of life c. which all are causes of joy therefore the Word breeds joy Psal. 19. 8. One commendation of the Statures of God is that They comfort the heart and refresh the heart He followes the commendations of the Word at large The Statutes of God are perfect converting the soul The Testimonies of God are sure making wise the simple And among the rest of the commendations as a commendation issuing from the rest The Statutes of God are right rejoycing the heart The Word of God is a Cordial especially to refresh and solace the heart Saint Paul Rom. 15. 4. makes it the scope of the Word Whatsoever was written afore-time was written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope So likewise 1 Cor. 14. He that Prophesieth speaketh to men to edification to exhortation and to comfort He that prophesieth that unfoldeth the Word he speaketh to men to edification to exhortation and to comfort So the end of the Word and the end of prophesying the Ministery of the Word is to help our joy our comfort to support us against all ills eithert felt or feared by greater arguments then the ill is For that is to comfort and rejoyce to make any to joy it is to support the soul against all grievance either spiritual or outward either felt or feared and that from stronger arguments then the grievances are If they be equally poized it is no comfort if the comfort be inferiour it is no comfort As the Heathen man complained of those comforts he had I know not how it is but the Physick I have to cure the grievance of my mind it yields to the malice of the disease the disease is above the cure So it is true of all Philosophical comforts that are fetched out of the shop of nature the Physick yields to the disease the malady or disease exceeds the remedy therefore there is no comfort Comfort is when the inward support is greater and stronger then the grievance is whatsoever it be Now such comfort must onely be fetched out of the Word The Scripture is a common treasury of all good and comfortable doctrines but especially as it is dispensed in the Ministery as it is divided by the Ministers of God thereafter as they see the necessity of Gods people and the exigents they are brought to accordingly they should draw comfort out of this common treasury Thereupon that that Christ saith of himself Esay 50. Thou hast given me the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to the weary soul it is true of all the true Ministers of Christ that have that spiritual anointing that have the same Spirit that Christ had God hath anointed them that they might speak a word in season to poor distressed soules God hath given them the tongue of the learned for this very end and purpose God hath given them a healing tongue for a wounded soul. Indeed they carry Physick in their tongues and the very leaves the very words have a medicinal force When those that are true Ministers speak a word in season to a wounded distressed soul the Spirit goes with the Word and it hath wondrous efficacy for the comfort and raising up of the soul. Experience shewes this Now to give a few instances how it is done how the Ministers do it how they are helpers of our joy They do it first of all by acquainting people with the ill estate they are in for all sound comfort comes from the knowledge of our grief and freedome from it They acquaint people with their estate by nature that they are in the state of damnation that they are under the curse of God under the wrath of God that they are in a spiritual bondage they labour that they together with the Spirit of bondage may make people to see their state of bondage For they must plow before they sow and the Law must go before the Gospel The Law shewes the wound but the Gospel heales the wound Now they must know the wound the commanding part all the threatening part of the Word They must know what they are before they can know their comfort Therefore John Baptist he came before Christ he made way for the sweet doctrine of Christ that came with blessing in his mouth Blessed are the poor in spirit Blessed are they that hunger and thirst Blessed are those that suffer persecution c. Even as to Elias there was a strong wind came before the still voyce so there must be somewhat to rend and to open the heart before this oyl of comfort can be poured in Now that is the first thing the Ministers help people to comfort by helping them to understand themselves what they are in the state of nature They labour to search the wound first to cure the soul as much as they can of all guile of spirit that the soul may not be guilefull to misunderstand it self And when they have done this then they breed joy by propounding and shewing the remedy which is in Jesus Christ then they open the riches of Gods love in Christ then open the sweet box of oyntment in Christ they shew to man his righteousnesse As you have an excellent place in Job Chap. 33. 14. of the whole force of the Ministery it is followed at large what the Minister doth to bring a man to joy he begins verse 14. God speaks once and twice but man perceives it not In visions and dreams by night when deep sleep falls upon them then he opens the eares of man and seales instruction c. He chastiseth him with pain upon his bed and the multitude of his bones with strong pain so that his life abhorres bread He speaks of a man that is brought down by the sight of sinne His flesh is consumed away it cannot be seen his bones stick out c. A strange description of a man in a disconsolate estate his soul drawes near to the grave and his life to the destroyers What of all this what is the way to bring him out of this If there be a messenger with him an interpreter one of a thousand one that hath the tongue of the learned to shew a man his righteousnesse then God is gracious to him
part Prophane men Hypocrits Dan. 7. Quest. Ans. To make a St. there must be 1. a Separation 2. Dedication 3. Qualification 4. Conversation Quest. Answ. Civil man who True Saint wherein different from an hypocrite Simile Grace sweetens all a Christians conversation use of salutations Quest. Blessing what Answ. Salutations should be holy Gods name taken in vain in Salutations Salutations to be omitted 1. In serious businesse 2. To an Heretick Quest. Grace what Answ. Doctr. A Christian needs Grace when he is in state of Grace Reas. We run daily into new breaches Ephes. 1. How to conceive of God To maintain Gods Grace daily Quest. how to have continual assurance of Grace Ans. 1. abase our selves Labour to be rich in grace Quest. Answ. How to know we are in Gods favour 1. By joy of the Spirit 2. By the graces of the Spirit 3. By going to God in extremity Observ. Obser. The disposition of Gods Children to be thankfull Ephes. 〈◊〉 To blesse God what We add nothing to God when we blesse him 1. It is a duty to God 2. It stirs up others 3. It is good for our selves 2. To mind them Spirituall favours especially to give thanks for Why a carnal man is unthankful Beg the spirit To stir up our selves to praise God To shame our selves for unthankfulnesse Motions to thankfulnesse 1. it is the imployment of heaven 2. It mitigates crosses God how considered the object of praise Doct. God as the Faâ—â—â—â— of Christ to be praysed Use 1. To bless God for Christ. God the Father of mercies because the Father of Christ. God is stiled Father of mercies 1. Because Christ his justice is satisfied 2. Because he is naturally mercifull All Gods attributes without mercy terrible Mercie what Kinds of Gods mercie Simile Forgiving mercies the principal Men prone to presume of Gods mercies to whom Gods mercy is unlimitted Gods Wrath to presumtuous sinners Simile Simile Object Use 2. To those that are in the state of Grace An encouragement to come to God Simile Late Repentance seldom true Mercy the greatest terror to impenitent To imitate God in mercy Men unmerciful to their own souls Gods mercy should comfort us in all estates To be fit for mercy I. Get broken hearts Quest. Answ. How to improve mercy daily Thankfulnesse for mercy Comfort what 1 The thing it self 2. Comfortable reasons 3. By the Spirit Comfort stronger then the maladie Comfort not compleat in this life Philosophicall reasons will not comfort God of comfort 1. That he can create it out of nothing God only can make something of nothing Out of contraries In what order God is 〈◊〉 God of comfort Conclusion Whatsoever the means of comfort be God is the spring Ground of unthankfulnesse in wicked men Ground of thankfulnesse in Christians Ground of prayer To seek to God in the use of things comfortable Double application Quest. Answ. Christians ground of comfort in all estates Quest. Answ. Christians are uncomfortable 1 Ignorance 2. Passion 3. Aggravating the grievance 4 Forgetfulnesse of Gods comforts 5. Looking to the streame forgetting the spring Object Answ. God comforts his children in all tribulation Comfort answerable to all miseries in this life Inward comfort best To comfort What. Use. To go to God in the use of meanes We must not tempt God by neglecting meanes Ashame for Christians to be over much disconsolate Quest. Answ. How to derive comfort from the God of comfort 1. Look to the grievance especially sin Comforts against sin Luther No comfort for such as go on in sin Comforts for those that are relapsed Caution 2 Comfort against other grievances General comforts 1. The Covenant of Grace 2. The promise of mitigation 3. In the presence of God 4. Consider the end all work for good Simile 5. The promise of finall deliveanec To keep a daily course of comfort 1. Keep the soul in a good temper 2. Renew our resolutions Dayly feed on Christ. To be thankful 6. To be fruitful 7. Labour for sinâ—…erity And growth 8. Not to grieve the spirit 9. Be conversant in the scripture 10. To study Principles of Religion Observ. All are subject to discomforts In Comforting others there must he Ability Will. Example Sympathy Doctr. Gods children have all of them interest in divine comforts Reason The priviledges of religion are common to them 2. They are not impaired by being communicated Use Comfort to weak Christians Doctr Comforts derived to men by men Every Christian to Communicate his comfort Simile Reason 1. To trie our obedience God not tied to means Reason 2. To knit us in love to one another Use We are debtors of the comforts we have To be able to comfort others Take notice of their grievance 2. To labour for bowels of compassion Graces of communion what 3. Get experience our selves Simile Quest. Answ. Why experience is such a help to comfort others 1. It increaseth knowledge It gaines confidence in the speaker How to comfort others from our experience 1. Search out their sin and misery 2. Shew them their interest in the covenant of grace Comfort belongs to them that think themselves furthest from it 3. To comfort them from our owne experience 4. By experience of Saints in scripture Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Wisdom of the Apostle Use. To depend on Gods ordinance The ministers Simile 2. Common Christians Difference in gifts and Grace How to distinguish men of great parts Simile Use. 3. To see the goodnesse of God in this ordinance Ground of praising God Doctrines Doct. The sufferings of Christ abound in us â—ll suffer not alike Reas. 1. In respect of God Râ—as 2. In respect of Satan Reas. 3. In respect of the word Reas. 4. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of the good in us 2. The evill in us Afflictions necessary to purge corruptions contracted by the peace of the Church Object Ans. August Afflictions in the most peaceable times Three-fold suffering in the Church Use. How to judge of afflicted men Doctr The sufferings of Christians are the sufferings of Christ. Christ three waies taken in scripture Quest. Ans. They are the sufferings of Christ. 1 Because of Christ mystically 2. They are for Christs cause 3. By way of sympathy 4. He is present with us Differences between sufferings of Christ and ordinary crosses 1. Sufferings as creatures 2. As men 3. As holy men Use encouragement to suffer for Christ. Christ persecuted by wicked men Encouragement to do good to Christians Consolation what Doctr. Comfort proportionable to sufferings Reas. 1 Troubles enlarge the capacity of the soul. Because they humble it 2. They exercise grace Reas. 3. From Gods wisedom Reas. 4. We have a nearer presence of God Reas. 5. Then we pray most Disproportions of sufferings and comfort Use 2. To judge aright of those that are afflicted Simile Use 3. Thankfulness Object Answ. What hinders comfort in afflictions No comfort to wicked men Doct. 4. Consolation 〈◊〉 bounds by