in the midst of the years in the midst of the years make known in wrath remember mercy God came from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran his glory covered the Heavens that is God came forth to work the Exaltation of his Son and what course doth he take in order to it vers 5. Before him went the Pestilence and burning Coals went forth at his feet The Pestilence is here called a fore-runner of Christs Exaltation he sends it before him to make room and way for himself though we possibly and our capacities are too shallow to conceive how it should be brought about It is possible if God let us stand upon the Earth some few years we may be much more enlightened in this matter and may see that God was this day eminently working to that end And that is what I would say to that Head That Slaughter and slaughtering-Judgements work for and shall end in the making Christ glorious Thirdly What is that glory that shall be put on Christ in the issue and end of these things I answer in a few particulars 1. The Essential Glory of Christ in the day of his Glory shall be more abundantly seen and discovered then now it is and shall take more upon the hearts of all Persons Christ is as glorious in his Essential Glory as can be for he is infinitely glorious and more then infinite cannot be imagined but this Glory may be discover'd and manifested beyond what it is The Sun is always a glorious Body but you know the light of it is hid many times Clouds stand between and we cannot see it at some times as we can at others Christ is exceedingly glorious but little of his Glory hath been hitherto manifested to the Children of Men more Eyes shall see it and more Hearts be taken with it then at this day Something of Christs Glory is seen already by the Saints who have a spiritual Eye they see that that takes their Hearts and makes them cry out as the Spouse sometimes doth He is altogether lovely Some of the Saints see that in Christ which is more to them then all that is in this World they take more comfort and content in it more of joy and satisfaction to their Spirits When Christ came in the Flesh it is said John 1.14 The Word was made Flesh and dwelt amongst us and we saw his Glory the Glory as of the onely begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth That Glory that we do for the present behold in Christ and with which our hearts are taken it is rather for the most part that fulness of Grace that is in Christ for the good and benefit of Believers with that we are usually more taken then with his Essential Personal Perfections But the whole of Jesus Christs Glory shall yet shine forth so as it hath not done at any time therefore Psal 102.16 When the Lord shall build up Sion he shall appear in his Glory He is glorious now but he shall appear in his Glory hereafter beyond what he hath done at any time to this day suitable unto which is that Word Isa 33.17 Thine Eyes shall see the King in his Beauty they shall behold the Land that is very far off The best of Saints upon Earth if they see something in Christ that makes them in love with him in the day of his Glory there shall be abundantly more discovered that shall make them in love with him possibly more then ever they thought they should be for ever That is one part of that Glory shall come to this Branch of the Lord. 2. Christ shall in the end of this slaughter be made glorious in his Priestly Office as he is a Saviour he shall be made more glorious then ever It is the honour of Christ that he is a Saviour Act. 5.31 Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour But it hath been greatly to the disparagement of Christ and his dishonour in this his Office that he hath been so lightly esteemed of among the Children of Men that so few have taken hold of him for Life and Salvation Those that have believed on Christ have been a small number compared with the rest of the world and of these few they have been chiefly the poor low and little ones of the World persons of little esteem and account therefore Christ saith Mat. 11.5 The Poor have the Gospel preached unto them he saith it is preached to them because it is received by them the poor inconsiderable ones of the World have generally hitherto been the persons that have received Christ It is true some of the Great Ones of the World have courted Christ and professed to own him but not one of many have given up themselves unto Christ as a Saviour But now this shall be the Glory upon the head of Christ that Souls shall abundantly flock in unto him Before Christ makes an end of his work in the World he will so break the Hearts of Men that they shall flow in unto him in great abundance Hag. 2.7 And I will shake all Nations and the Desire of all Nations shall come and I will fill this House with Glory saith the Lord of Hosts Christ by his Sword Pestilence and Famine is shaking the Nations that is his way and when he hath done shaking the Nations the Desire of all Nations shall come It is Christ is here intended and he is called the Desire of all Nations because the Nations of the World shall generally come unto him and imbrace him such shall be the confluence and flowing in to Christ This is intimated in that known place Isa 60.8 Who are these that fly as a Cloud and as the Doves unto their Windows It is spoken about the access of Souls unto Christ and mark the Saints that shall be alive at that day they cry with wonder and amazement Who are these that like Doves come to their Windows Doves you know fly in great flocks where they are plentiful and the meaning of this is multitudes shall subject themselves to Christ in truth and give up themselves to be saved by him Christ now doth sprinkle many Nations according to that Isa 52. here and there a few Souls in divers parts and places of the world but at length things shall be so ordered that even a Nation shall be born in a day and abundance of poor Hearts shall give up themselves unto the Lord Jesus This you have Numb 24.7 He shall pour the water out of his Buckets and his seed shall be in many waters and his King shall be higher then Agag And this is another part of the Glory that is to come unto Jesus Christ 3. Slaughter shall terminate in the Glory of Christ in this respect He shall be glorious in his Kingly Power he shall be owned as the Head and Lord and Law-giver the one onely Law-giver so shall he be owned Isa 33.22 For the Lord is our Judge the Lord
and thus to do will be a proof of your love to and esteem of this Branch of the Lord as more excellent to you then he was wont to be Saith David Psal 116. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications that is I will love him better then ever I did if he had but a little he shall now have more and what proof doth he give of it vers 14. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his People here was a proof it The Lord help us that have the Vows of God upon us to evidence that Christ is become glorious unto us by performing our Covenant God is known to be a Covenant-keeping-God and his People should be like their heavenly Father But again 3. A third thing required from them that escape a day of Calamity is this That Christ be owned in the Escape that he have the glory of it put it not upon your natural Fortitude and Courage your natural hardiness and boldness as some vaunting spirits are apt to do and to conclude thence was their preservation God doth not fear to strike the most fearless and sometimes the most fearless are in the greatest danger Put not thy escape upon the score of thy own Wisdom that thou hast acted thus and thus prudently for thy preservation if the Lord would he could easily have out-witted thee and if he had not been with thee in the acting the best of thy Wisdom would not have been useful take heed of boasting in Means if Means have been successful look up to that God that hath been pleased to bless them unto that end Psal 116.8 David puts the matter upon its proper Basis Thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Gracious hearts desire to cry as Moses and the Children of Israel did when they saw Pharoah and his Host sunk as Lead in the Sea and themselves preserved to their great amazement Exod. 15.2 The Lord is my Strength and my Song and He is become my Salvation He is my God and I will prepare him a Habitation my Fathers God and I will exalt him According to this time it shall be said said Balaam in his Prophecy What hath the Lord wrought This must you and I say What hath the Lord wrought The truth is Christ suffers much in the World and suffers much from his own People they rob him of his glory we are apt to give that honour that is due to him unto some one else but it should be our care to be found in the frame with them Jer. 50.28 The voice of them that flee and escape out of Babylon to declare in Sion the vengeance of the Lord our God the vengeance of his temple it is the work of escaping Ones to praise the Lord and declare his works Would you all have some token for good that the interest of Christ is promoted in you see whether it be your care to give Christ the glory of this Salvation of which you have been partakers 4. This is the requirement of Christ from them that are escaped That the sence of this Mercy should long rest upon our Spirits our goodness in every respect is apt to be like the morning-cloud and the early dew that soon passeth away and in this respect more then in many other things the sence of our deliverance is very apt to wear off the Soul but it is a frame that Christ much mislikes where he findes it an instance or two may serve to convince us of it Psal 78.10 11. They kept not the Covenant of God possibly by this may be intended the Covenants they made with God in distress they did not keep them why not it was because they forgot his Works and Wonders that he had shewed them and one sin draws many more after it oft times they forgot the Works of God and so their Covenant with God both are taken ill and the latter as ill as any that God should shew abundance of kindness to a People whilst they slight and dis-esteem and let the sence of that kindness slip out of their minds and therefore he complains of the same thing Psal 106.13 They soon forgat his Works they waited not for his Counsel They were the delivering-Works of God and all the wonders he had shewed them they soon forgot the sence thereof was crept out of their hearts in a little time All of us alive may say we have seen much of the goodness of God to us but if we should be of the number of them that soon forget his goodness we do very evilly requite the Lord. 5. This is the requirement of Christ from them that are escaped in the day of Calamity That we should be dedicated consecrated and given up to his Use and Service in our whole Course This is the obligation that Christ hath laid on our Souls by carrying us through the distresses of this day That the rest of the time we spend in the flesh should not be spent according to the will of the flesh but according to the will of God that the rest of the time of our sojourning here might be spent in fear It is a kind of a new life that every one of us have received and this new Life should have Newness of Life going along with it saith the Apostle I beseech you by the mercies of God that you give up your selves Body and Soul as a Sacrifice to God which is but your reasonable service and such a mercy as this doth call for it that your Souls should be for God and your Bodies for God the Body hath received a great deal of mercy at this time that is preserved and kept the Clay-Cottage kept from tumbling to dust and ashes now all the members of the Body as well as the powers of the Soul ought to be for the Lord this the Lord expects and it is but your reasonable service which in common Justice should be given unto Christ Psal 116.8 9. For thou hast delivered my Soul from death mine Eyes from tears and my Feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the land of the Living that is I will walk as in his sight and presence I will look to maintain a good frame of Life and Conversation in the rest of the time I have to spend in the World And thus may you testifie unto your selves and others that Christ gains on you by your Escape this day if you be found in the discharge of those Duties which are expected from you And thus I have dispatched the Doctrinal part VSE I. If this be a proper effect of your Escaping in a day of slaughter to have the Branch of the Lord become lovely know this kindness hath been shewed us therefore it concerns us narrowly to see how this effect is wrought out Every Soul should turn his Eyes inward I would hope your Souls have been a little thus
are the glorious Perfections of this Branch of the Lord should we measure and guess at him according to the excellency found in any created being alas it would be infinitely short there is in Christ that Excellency that doth exceed and much out-do whatever glory is found upon any thing our eyes behold Shall I say As Solomon in his glory did out-shine the glory of all the Princes that were on earth in his time so and infinitely more doth the glory of Christ out-do whatever our eyes behold or whatever our hearts can conceive of and in our searching into his perfections we may come to do as the Queen of Sheba did when she beheld the glory of Solomon she gave this testimony What she had heard was true So may we give this testimony of Christ That what we have heard of his Perfections there is all in him nay the one half was not told us and if the Queen of Sheba was amazed at standing before Solomons glory how much more may we at Christs although we cannot see him in all his Perfections Thou canst not know him at present in this life according to all that Glory with which he is cloathed 2. If thou that art escaped art jealous that Christ is not become beautiful enough unto thee Remember that the highest pitch unto which the Soul can come in this life is to desire to see more of that beauty that is in him The highest pitch in any thing that is good in this life is to desire to be better The Desires of the Soul do out-go in this life any Acts that it is able to put forth David in the case of Holiness the highest pitch of his Holiness is expressed in his desire Psalm 119.5 O that my Ways were directed to keep thy Statutes he did keep them in some measure but the highest pitch unto which he got was to desire to keep them better so also Psal 68.11 Teach me thy ways O Lord I will walk in thy truth unite my heart to fear thy Name he was sensible that his heart did in some things wander from God he did not fear him as he should but the highest of his attainment lay in his desires Paul was a man very excellent in his day and doubtless did know and enjoy much of Christ yet the highest pitch he attained was largeness of heart and workings of desire exprest in Phil. 3.13 This one thing I do forgetting the things that are behind and reaching forth unto those things that are before I press towards the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus the desires of his heart were large And so the Spouse hath an high esteem of Christ she expresses the value she hath of him at a great rate Cant. 2.3 4. As the Apple-Tree among the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved among the Sons I sat down under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet unto my taste stay me with Flaggons comfort me with Apples for I am sick of love her heart was much taken with Christ seeing a great deal of Beauty in him but you shall see her desires did out-do any act she could put forth and therefore Cant. 4.16 she says Awake O North Wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out she would have her heart enlarged her Graces acted more strongly Now Soul take in this for thy comfort it is a good frame that thou desirest to prize Christ more and have this Branch of the Lord more glorious in thy account though thou canst not put forth such acts as thou wouldest Remember thou art in that frame that the best of Saints have been in 3. Consider this thou that art escaped and fearest that the Branch of the Lord is not become so glorious as it should be Remember that jealousie over thy heart is a good sign and gives some hope that Christ hath gotten some ground upon thee The wise man Prov. 14.15 saith The simple believeth every word but the prudent man looks well to his going Some are so simple to believe every good word their hearts speak if they find any thing that looks like good they are apt to conclude that all is right therefore the wise man Prov. 28.14 saith Happy is the man that feareth always I apply it unto this It is a good thing sometimes to bear a jealousie a constant jealousie over the heart lest it should not be wrought up to that pitch it ought The Author to the Hebrews gives us a warrant for holy jealousies and fears lest we should fall short They that have been most confident of the goodness of the frame of their spirits have sometimes been in none of the best Jehu cries Come see my Zeal for the Lord of Hosts when he had not one grain of true Zeal for the Lord of Hosts in him 4. Thou that wouldest have this Branch of the Lord glorious if thy heart work really this way Know this thou art accepted in this thy desire It will pass for a good improvement of this mercy of thy Escape I confess some things there are which I find the Lord is angry at He loves not to see souls sit down satisfied and pleased in ways of sin therefore he doth reflect upon them Psal 1.1 that sit in the seat of the scornful he is much angry with them that can contentedly take up in ways of sin and therefore you find him falling foul upon them that harden their hearts in ways of sin and also with those that content themselves with little measures of Grace when they have means to rise up unto greater He rebukes the Disciples Mat. 8.26 for the littleness of their Faith O ye of little Faith he upbraids them with the littleness of their Faith because he had long been with them himself as he doth hint unto them afterwards Have I been so long with thee and yet thou hast not known me But this observe also That where there is but a lesser measure of Grace if the heart be really working after more it is accepted and Christ receives it with good will The best instance I know in the whole Bible is that in Mark 9.23 24. where the Father of a Child possessed with a dumb Spirit comes unto Christ for cure Christ tells him All things are possible unto him that believeth and straightway he cried out and said with tears Lord I believe help my unbelief he had a little Faith and desired more therefore you find Christ doth not reject his little but hears him and calls unto the dumb Devil to come forth of his Child So if thou complainest that Christ is not exalted in thy heart to any great degree but thou longest he should be more believe it it shall be accepted as it is said in another case 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he
because of Israel that is a Soul is not an Israelite indeed because he crowds himself in among that number because he takes up the same Profession with them and pretends to be in the same Spirit with them Let it be minded what is the Foundation of your Hope think you you are not therefore Israel because of Israel because of them that do profess for God that will not be a foundation that is fit for you to build upon And then 2. Neither are they Israel because they are the Seed of Abraham This was a mighty thing which the Jewish People boasted of say they We are Abraham's natural Seed his Seed according to the flesh And possibly some also may reckon upon some such thing at this day we are the Children of them that do believe and our education hath been somewhat suitable thereto but not therefore Israel because of Abraham's Seed that is a mistake you should be watchful against From the consideration of this word it is evident People may reckon themselves Israel upon unsafe grounds and therefore we ought to be serious in our enquiry into this matter The other Scripture is in Isa 48. where you have the preceding things and somewhat more expressed vers 1 2. Hear ye this O House of Jacob which are called by the Name of Israel and are come forth out of the Waters of Judah which swear by the Name of the Lord and make mention of the God of Israel but not in truth nor in righteousness for they call themselves of the Holy City and stay themselves upon the God of Israel the Lord of Hosts is his name It is a Scripture worth your considering and it doth in the general teach us thus much That a People may be many things and may do many things that do seemingly bespeak them to be of the Israel of God but when the matter is more thorowly enquired into it will be found it is no such thing Take a few particulars out of the Text and observe what persons may be and do and yet really not be the Israel of God 1. They may be called by the name of Israel they may be reputed Saints pass for somewhat in the esteem and account of others suitable to which is that Scripture which you have Rev. 3.1 where the Spirit of God testifies concerning the Church of Sardis that they had a name to live but yet were dead In the opinion of those that did converse with them and that held communion with them they were indeed alive but when the Spirit of God came to pass a sentence on them and to determine really what their state was says the holy Ghost Thou art dead 2. Observe also that they were the Posterity of Jacob Hear ye O House of Jacob that are come forth out of the Waters of Judah that is you are some of the multitude of Judah's Off-spring they were the seed of them that were in Covenant but yet notwithstanding many of them were Strangers to the Lord and not of Israel unto this day I beseech you mind it that Grace is not certainly and infallibly intailed upon every one of the Seed of Believers although it is very frequently seen that some or other of their Seed the Lord is pleased to chuse to himself and does set them apart to be the Instruments of his praise according to Isa 61.9 And their Seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their Off-spring among the People all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the Seed which the Lord hath blessed not onely the Seed of them which the Lord hath blessed but a Seed which are themselves blessed in their own persons It is the usual method of the Lord though he may pass by some yet he does take some other of the Seed to bring them near to himself But this I must let you know you must no further make reckoning of the interest of Parents in the Covenant but as a ground of Hope to you and an argument to plead with God you must not thence conclude that you your selves are in the Bond of the Covenant till some work be upon your hearts 3. They made a profession for God and therefore are said to swear by the Name of the Lord. Swearing by the Name of the Lord is an act of Worship a professed owning of God which shall be done by Saints when they are found in the best Spirit witness that word Isa 65.16 He that blesseth himself in the Earth shall bless himself in the God of truth and he that sweareth in the Earth shall swear by the God of Truth because the former troubles are forgotten and are hid from thine eyes It is spoken about times in which a great deal of mercy and good will be brought forth and then there shall be swearing by the Name of the Lord it is a professed owning of God and thus did this People do and yet there was nothing of God in them nothing of Truth nothing but hypocrisie and deceit bound up in their Spirits 4. Observe also they did reckon themselves of Israel they were right in their own opinion and esteem they called themselve the Holy City It is a marvelous easie thing for a Soul to get a good opinion of himself to stand right in his own apprehensions but I would not have you build too much upon this It is an excellent caution which the Apostle gives Rom. 12.3 For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly then he ought to think but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith I say unto every man among YOU he speaks unto Professors be not too hasty and forward to conclude well concerning your selves but let every man judge himself to be no more then according to the measure of Grace he hath received My Friends be your Profession what it will and your approbation among others what it can you are really no more nor will you stand for more in the day of Christ then according as there shall be somewhat of God found upon your Souls 5. Observe also they had much confidence that God would own them and therefore it is said They stay'd themselves upon the God of Israel they profess that they do act Faith on God and are full of confidence that they shall be owned of God and not rejected by him But after all this see what a character the Spirit of God gives of this People v. 4. Because I knew that thou art obstinate and thy Neck is an Iron sinew and thy Brow Brass a People very wretched and wicked very rebellious against God not in the least subjecting themselves to God and to his mind after all the profession they have made and their pretence to be Israel Seriously consider these things and tell me if there be not cause that each Soul of us should fear lest we be found short
yet the Blessings of Israel stand open for thee and the Door of Grace is wide open be confident if thou dost enter in close with and accept of Grace it will be as well with thee as with any of the Israel of God Consider thy hearty closing with Christ will not onely let thee into Mercy and Blessing of the present Day but it will let thee into Blessings of all kinds it will bring a Blessing upon thee in every Work and Way it will let thee into a part and share in the highest Priviledges that the Children of Men are capable of it will let thee into Sonship and Friendship with the great and holy God it will make thee blessed for Time and for Eternity Therefore fight not against thy own Mercies mind really and heartily what freeness and heartiness there is in the great God in setting before sinners all the Grace of the Covenant and what gladness it doth produce when poor Souls are willing to kiss the Son it will not onely produce Joy in thy own Soul it will not onely make glad the hearts of many of thy Relations and of thy Friends for possibly thou hast Relations and Friends that long to see Christ formed in thee that in every petition at the Throne of Grace their hearts are working for thy Soul and begging that thou mayst be a plant of Righteousness of the Lords own planting and nothing would glad them more then to see thee a Son and Heir of the Kingdom of God but also there will be Joy in Heaven Father Son and Spirit are gladded to see the designs of the death of Christ graciously accomplished upon the hearts of poor sinners Remember therefore I do this day in the Name of Christ invite thee to partake of all the Mercies which be the Mercies of Gods Israel And truly the Mercies of Israel are many there is Pardon there is Purging there is Adoption Sonship there is the Spirit to comfort you to lead you in every work and way there be the Promises made over to them there is mercy now and for ever A Kingdom the Lord has prepared for them that love him I invite thee to take a part in these things this day and forget it not that thou hast had a Call from the Lord at this time Soul I tell thee if thou dost stand it out against this Call of God truly though thou art escaped and thy life is given thee for a prey yet thou maist possibly be sealed up unto destruction thou maist be left to dye in thy sins and to fall for ever under the weight of divine displeasure for thy neglect and contempt of Gospel-Grace Be confident as Jesus Christ is now waiting upon poor Souls and offering Mercy to poor Sinners so when he comes to the glory that is reserved for him he will be found of power sufficient to recompence all that have trodden under foot the Blood of the Son of God and made light of those overtures of Mercy that have been tendred to them The Light is now with thee and the Lord is calling of thee therefore make peace while thou art in the way lest the Lord come forth against thee in his hot displeasure VSE IV. SOme methinks there are that are of trembling hearts and they cry It is true I am escaped but I fear I am none of the Israel of God My Use therefore would be to such as are of trembling spirits When they consider how good God has been to them they may possibly tremble lest at last they should lose the Mercy of this Mercy because they are not found among the Israel of God Many a Soul there is possibly cries out Israels Priviledges are too great for me to hope to have a part in them and Israels Spirit is a Spirit more excellent then ever I have been found in and therefore though I am escaped this day yet I want that which is the best piece of the Mercy of an Escape I would answer Know this O Soul that among the Israel of God there are many that are of fearful Spirits although they are really among the number of the Lords precious Ones they have not an Eye to see it nor Faith to believe it and so may possibly go mourning many days But what are thy Objections What makes thee fear Do not fear thou know'st not what nor why As we are to give a reason of our Hope so I would not have you fear without a reason Objection 1. Methinks the Soul says Gods Israel are a chosen People and the Election of God lies deep it is a secret lock'd up in his Bosom and I fear I have no part in the Election of God I fear the eternal thoughts of God did not concern themselves about such a weak and worthless Worm as I am Answer It is true the Election of God is a secret in the heart of God and secret things belong unto God things written and revealed belong to us It is not for me or thee to climb Heaven to search Records and at first dash to turn over the leaves of the Book of Life and to see whether we may find our Names therein written It is a great mistake upon which many run that would think to prove the truth of their being called by finding out whether they are elected or no it is an endless it is an impossible work This therefore know is thy work and mine to consult what effects of Electing Love we can finde upon our Souls if any thing of that be in thy heart thence thou mayst safely conclude thou wast in the heart of God from Eternity There is a Scripture that answers fully I think whatever the Soul can say in this matter 1 Thes 1.4 5. Knowing Brethren beloved your Election of God for our Gospel came not unto you in word but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake Consider whether the Gospel hath had its work upon thy heart whether it hath come with power upon thy Soul and if so others may know and thou mayst know from thence thine Election Election is an act of God that he passeth from Eternity but Calling is a work and Fruit of Election upon the Soul of a poor Sinner by which it may come to discover that it was in the thoughts of God before the foundation of the World was laid If therefore thou canst trace the footsteps of Gods going upon thy Soul and of his working in a Gospel-way upon thy heart thy Soul is safe and the thoughts of God thou mayst conclude were towards thee before thou hadst a being But Objection 2. The Soul objects I fear God hath not been at work upon me I could conclude Gods election of me if I could find a work of the Gospel passed upon my Soul I know the work of the Gospel is to cleanse and purifie the heart but sin and filthiness
dwells in me that I cannot think the Lord has been effectually at work upon my Soul That the work of the Gospel is to purifie the heart is plain from Joh. 17.17 Sanctifie them through thy Truth thy Word is truth so 1 Pet. 1.22 Seeing ye have purified your hearts in obeying the Truth thorow the Spirit unto unfained love to the Brethren The Gospel if it works it works to the purifying of the heart Answer As it is a work of the Gospel to cleanse and purifie the heart so it is not all the work it does nor is it the first work it doth nor the work that is first manifest upon the Soul The Law it humbles the sinner and makes him see his need of Christ the first work of the Gospel is to give the sinner hope that he may be delivered out of his undone condition and the next is to make him willing to subject to and accept of the Grace of God in the Gospel Psal 110.3 Thy People shall be willing in the day of thy Power Therefore Soul if thou dost make this Objection this I would say to thee Consider whether thou canst find that the Gospel hath done its first work upon thy heart hath made thee willing to accept of Grace in the Gospel-way and to bow and fall at the foot of Jesus Christ As to thy Holiness the holiness of thy heart will at first discover it self hardly by any other ways then by thy love to Holiness then by thy hatred of Sin and thy fighting against the Corruptions that be in thy Soul thy Conquest and Victory over Sin must be the work of time the fruit of much pains and long waiting many excellent Souls have not attained unto this Paul himself found impurity remaining and Corruption like to bear him down and therefore cries out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this Body of Death But then Objection 3. The Soul objects and says But I have been but a little time under any Soul-Work and therefore I may soon be mistaken I may reckon I am an Israelite and may be but an Edomite still for it is but a little while that I have had any workings upon my heart I have gone indeed from Duty to Duty for a long time together but I have sat in and under them like a Stock or a Stone and moved not and therefore whether the Workings that are upon me are genuine or whether they be spurious and not of the right kind I know not Answer I answer therefore The work of Grace upon the heart is wrought in a little time a little time doth it there are indeed many preparations to it the Soul may fall under many convictions and many struglings may be in the heart of a poor creature before the new Creature is formed but Grace is infused into the heart in a moment at once It is the Devils design to oppose young Converts and puzzle them with endless questions about their state I would therefore that thou shouldst consult for thy satisfaction which way is the bent of thy Soul Canst thou say thy desire is for Communion with God for fellowship with Father Son and Spirit Thou wouldst fain see him who is invisible and fain wouldst know him whom to know is Eternal Life If the bent of thy heart be really for God it is bent and bowed though it hath not been long with God thou mayest conclude I think with some comfort the Lord hath been at work upon thy Soul and thou art one of the Israel of God though thou art but a little one of that Tribe But then Objection 4. Says the Soul Many of much longer standing and of much more raised confidence have afterwards miscarried and it has appeared that their Souls have not been right with God and therefore my heart trembles lest I should not be an Israelite indeed Answer To this I would answer That indeed it is so and it may be thought of with sorrow of heart that many Souls after long profession have been but empty Vines bringing forth fruit onely to themselves And happy is he that by other mens harms learns to beware A holy fear and jealousie over thy heart is very good and there is great cause for it considering the many and great miscarriages that are among Professors They say of Trees that are well rooted being shaken with the Wind they are made to root the better It may be thus may thy Temptations touching thy state be if thou art rooted in Christ thy Temptations may be for thy further setling in thy state But yet to be always perplexing thy self with questions about thy state may not onely marre thy comfort but may spoil thee in thy growth also and may prove a great hindrance to thee My poor thoughts are therefore these Be sure to make use enough of Christ see thy All in him that he is thy Righteousness for Justification and that from him is the work of thy Sanctification he must begin it and it is he also that must carry it on lie at his foot live upon him and let all thy expectations be from him and whoever may fall I think thou wilt stand and wilt be found one of the Israel of God that shall be made glorious in the day of Christs Glory I am perswaded if thou canst do as is hinted in Isa 45. ult see thy Righteousness in him and thy Strength in him and canst glory in Christ it is a good ground to thee to hope that thou art of the Israel of God with whom it is like for ever to go well Objection 5. The Soul may object and say further But alas I have had few Visions of God and that makes me fear Israel of old had many and he had sometimes very glorious Visions that did greatly comfort and strengthen and bear up his Soul Answer I answer That visions of God indeed are exceeding sweet very sweet but the dispensing and giving them forth is in the hand of God and he must do it how and when he pleaseth and it is good in his sight sometimes to let his own People sit in darkness and see no light Hast thou seen the face of God at any time If thou hast had but some Visions of him though not so many as thou wouldst yet it is ground of rejoycing to thee and thou oughtest from thence to conclude much to thy own comfort A little hint of Good Will is given in to be lived upon in after times However which way is it thy Soul does press Art thou waiting for the manifestation of the love of God in Christ Are these the things which thou art seeking of together with a Conformity to the mind and will of God If so thou hast cause of Thankfulness and Joy Briefly Watch against those devices of Satan whereby he labours to do thee hurt and put thee besides thy present proper work Thou art one of them that are escaped this day and God