think of the Heathen and Infidel parts of the world and to see the Rebellion of the Prophane among us and that the Laws of God are unknown or despised by the most of men Alas what abundance are ruled by their lusts and self-conceitedness and corrupted wills and the customs of the world or the wills of men but how few are Ruled by the Laws of God! O how should it grieve an honest heart to see Gods Kingdom hindered by Infidelity and weakned divided and disturbed by Popery and Heresie and dishonoured by scandal and impiety as it is And to see the multitude and the violence and industry of corrupters dividers and destroyers and the fewness the coldness and remisness of the builders the healers and restorers All you that are loyal subjects to your Lord lament these waies of Rebellion and Disobedience and the diminutions and distempers of the subjects of his Kingdom and the unfaithfulness and negligence of his Ministers and bend your cares desires and prayers to the promoting of Gods Kingdom in you and in the world and befriend not any thing that hindereth its prosperity CHAP. XV. 14. THE third of these Relations and the next point in the Knowledge of God to be spoken of is that he is Our must Loving Father or Bountiful Benefactor As he is Good so he doth Good Psal. 119. 68. And as he is the chiefest Good so he bestoweth the greatest Benefits and therefore is thence by a Necessary Resultancy our Most Bountiful Benefactor The term Father comprehendeth in it all his three great Relations to us 1. A Father gives Being to his Children and therefore hath some Propriety in them and God is the first cause oâ— our whole Being and therefore we are his Own 2. A Father is the Governour of his Children and God is our Chief Governour 3. A Father tenderly Loveth his Children that are childlike loving and obedient to him and seeketh their felicity and so doth God Love and will make Happy his loving and obedient children who have not only their Being from him as their Maker but their New being or Holy nature from him as their Sanctifier And this last being the end and perfection of the rest doth communicate its nature to the rest as the Means And so 1. The new nature that God thus giveth us in our Regeneration is not from his common Love but is an act of special Grace proceeding from his special Fatherly Love 2. The Government that he exerciseth over them as his Regenerate children is not a Common Government such as is that of the meer Law of Nature or of works but it is a special Government by a Law of Grace a Justifying Remedying Saving Law or Covenant together with an internal illuminating quickning guiding spirit with Church-state and Officers and Ordinance all suited to this way of Grace Even as his Dominion or Propriety by Redemption and our Sanctification and Resignation is not a Common Propriety but a gracious Relation to us as Our Own Father who have the endeared Relation to him of being his Own Children All is from Love and in a way of Love and for the exercise and demonstration of Love so that when I call God Our Benefactor I precisely distinguish this last part of his Relations to us from the rest But when I call him a Father I mean the same thing or Relation which a Benefactor signifieth but with fuller aspect on the foregoing Relations and connotation of them as they are perfected all in this And here I. I shall briefly name the Benefits on which this Relation of God is founded And 1. Even in Creating us he acted as a Benefactor giving us the Fundamental Good of Being and the excellency of manhood 2. By setting us in a well furnished world and putting all things under our feet and giving us the use of Creatures 3. By entering into the Relation of a Governour to us and consequently engaging himself to terms of Justice in his dealing with us and to protect us and reward us if we did obey and making us capable of an everlasting happiness as our end and appointing us sufficient means thereto These Benefits denominated God the Great Benefactor or Father unto man in the state of his Creation But then moreover he is a Common Benefactor also 4. By so loving the world as to give his only begotten Son to be their Redeemer a sufficient sacrifice for sin 5. By giving out his Promise or Covenant of Grace and making a Common Deed of Gift of pardon Reconciliation and Eternal Life to all that will accept it in and with Christ to Gospel ends 6. By sending forth the Messengers of this Grace commanding them to Preach to every creature the Gospel or word of Reconciliation committed to them and to beseech men in Christs stead as his Embassadours as if God himself did intreat by them to be reconciled to God Matth. 28. 18 19. Mar. 16. 16. 2 Cor. 5. 19 20. 7. By affording some common mercies without and motions of his spirit within to second these invitations But though by this much God hath a Title to their dearest Love yet they have no Title to his highest Benefits nor are in the nearest Relation of Children or Beneficiaries to him But 8. When he begetteth us again to a lively Hope by his incorruptible seed and giveth us both to will and to do and when the Father effectually draweth us to the Son and reneweth us according to his Image and taketh away our old and stony hearts and giveth us new and tender hearts and giveth us to Know him and Love him as a Father then is he our Father in the dearest and most comfortable sense and we are his children that have interest in his dearest Love 9. And therefore we have his spirit and pardon Justification and Reconciliation with him 10. And also we have special Communion with him in Prayer Praises Sacraments and all holy Ordinances and Conversation 11. And we and our services are pleasing to him and so we are in the light of his countenance and under a special promise of his protection and provision and that all things shall work together for our good 12. And we have the promise of perfection in everlasting Glory II. And now as you see how God is our Benefactor or most Gracious and Loving Father let us next see what this must work on us And 1. Goodness and Bounty should shame men from their sin and lead them to Repentance Rom. 2. 4 5. Love is not to be abused and requited with unkindness and provocation He that can turn grace into wantonness and do evil because grace hath abounded or that it may abound shall be forced to confess that his damnation is just He that will not hate his sin when he seeth such exceeding Benefits stand by and heareth mercy and wonderful mercy plead against it and upbraid the sinner with ingratitude is like to die a double death and shall have no more sacrifice
The Divine Life IN THREE TREATISES THE FIRST Of the Knowledge of God THE SECOND Of Walking with God THE THIRD Of Coversing with God In SOLITUDE By RICHARD BAXTER LONDON Printed for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet and Nevil Simmons Bookseller in Kederminster 1664. A TREATISE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD. AND THE Impression which it must make upon the Heart and its necessary Effects upon our Lives Upon John 17. 3. By RICHARD BAXTER LONDON Printed for Francis Tyton at the three Daggers in Fleetstreet and Nevil Simmons Bookseller in Kederminster 1664. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE AND Exemplary Lady ANN COUNTESS OF BALCARRES MADAM IN hope of the fuller pardon of my delay I now present you with two other Treatises besides the Sermon enlarged which at your desire I preached at your departure hence I knew of many and great afflictions which you had undergone in the removal of your dearest friends which made this subject seem so suitable and seasonable to you at that time But I knew not that God was about to make so great an addition to your tryals in the same kind by taking to himself the principal branch of your Noble Family by a rare disease the embleme of the mortal malady now raigning I hope this loss also shall promote your gain by keeping you nearer to your Heavenly Lord who is so jealous of your affections and resolved to have them entirely to himself And then you will still find that you are not alone nor deprived of your dearest or most necessary friend while the Father the Son the sanctifying and comforting Spirit is with you And it should not be hard to reconcile us to the disposals of so sure a friend Nothing but good can come from God however the blind may miscall it who know no Good or Evil but what is measured by the private standard of their selfish interest and that as judged of by sense Eternal Love engaged by Covenant to make us happy will do nothing but what we shall find at last will terminate in that blessed end He envyed you not your Son as too good for you or too great a mercy who hath given you his own Son and with him the mercy of eternal life Corporal sufferings with Spiritual blessings are the ordinary lot of Believers here on earth As corporal prosperity with spiritual calamity is the lot of the ungodly And I beseech you consider that God knoweth better than you or I what an Ocean your son was ready to lanch out into and how tempestuous and terrible it might have proved and whether the world that he is saved from would have afforded him more of safety or seduction of comfort or calamity whether the protraction of the life of your Noble husband to have seen our sins and their effects and consequents would have afforded him greater joy or sorrow Undoubtedly as God had a better title to your Husband and Children and Friends than you had so it is much better to be with him than to be with you or with the best or greatest upon earth The heavenly inhabitants fear not our fears and feel not our afflictions They are past our dangers and out of the reach of all our enemies and delivered from our pains and cares and have the full possession of all those mercies which we pray and labour for Can you think your Children and Friends that are with Christ are not safer and better than those that yet remain with you Do you think that earth is better than heaven for you your self I take it for granted you cannot think so and will not say so And if it be worse for you it s worse for them The providence which by hastening their Glorification doth promote your Sanctification which helpeth them to the End and helpeth you in the Way must needs be good to them and you however it appear to flesh and unbelief O Madam when our Lord hath shewed us as he will shortly do what a state it is to which he bringeth the spirits of the just and how he doth there entertain and use them we shall then be more competent judges of all those acts of Providence to which we are now so hardly reconciled Then we shall censure our censurings of these works of God and be offended with our offences at them and call our selves blind unthankful sinners for calling them so bad as we did in our misjudging unbelief and passion We shall not wish our selves or friends again on earth among temptations and pains and among uncharitable men malicious enemies deceitful flatterers and untrusty friends When we see that face which we now long to see and know the things which we long to know and feel the Love which we long to feel and are full of the joyes which now we can scarce attain a taste of and have reacht the End which now we seek and for which we suffer we shall no more take it for a judgement to be taken from ungodly men and from a world of sin and fear and sorrow nor shall we envy the wicked nor ever desire to be partakers of their pleasures Till then let us congratulate our departed friends the felicity which they have attained and which we desire and let us rejoyce with them that rejoyce with Christ and let us prefer the least believing thought of the everlasting joyes before all the defiled transitory pleasures of the deluded dreaming miserable world And let us prefer such converse as we can here attain with God in Christ and with the Heavenly Society before all the pomp and friendship of the world We have no friend that is so able to supply all our wants so sufficient to content us so ready to relieve us so willing to entertain us so unwearied in hearing us and conversing with us as our blessed Lord. This is a friend that will never prove untrusty nor be changed by any change of interest opinion or fortune nor give us cause to suspect his Love A friend that we are sure will not forsake us nor turn our enemy nor abuse us for his own advantage nor will ever dye or be separated from us but we shall be alwaies with him and see his Glory and be filled and transported with his Love and sing his praise to all Eternity With whom then should we so delightfully converse on Earth and till we can reach that sweet delightful converse whom should we seek with more ambition or observe with greater devotedness and respect O that we were less carnal and more spiritual and lived less by Sense and more by Faith that we knew better the difference between God and Man between visible Temporals and invisible Eternals we should then have other thoughts and desires and resolutions and converse and employments and pleasures than too many have Madam it displeaseth me that it is no more elaborate a Treatise to which the present opportunity inviteth me to prefix your Name but your own Desire of the
the living And so it containeth all the former in their highest perfection that is both Natural Life and Moral-Spiritual Life and the holy exercise thereof together with the full attainment and fruition of God in Glory the End of all ETERNAL That is simply eternal objectively as to God the principal object and Eternal ex parte post subjectively that is Everlasting THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL Not Natural life in it self considered as the Devils and wicked men shall have it But 1. It is the same Moral-Spiritual Life which shall have no End but endure to Eternity It is a Living to God in Love But only initial and very imperfect here in comparison of what it will be in Heaven 2. It is the Eternal felicity 1. Seminally for Grace is as it were a seed of Glory 2. As it is the Necessary way or means of attaining it and that preparation which infallibly procureth it The Perfect Holiness of the Saints in Heaven will be one part of their perfect happiness And this Holiness imperfect they have here in this life It is the same God that we know and love here and there and with a Knowledge and Love that is of the same nature seminally As the egg is of the nature of the Bird Whether it may be properly said to be formally and specifically the same quoad actum as well as quoad objectum yea whether the Objectum clare visum and the objectum in speculo vel aenigmate visum make not the act specifically differ I shall not trouble you to dispute And this imperfect Holiness hath the promise of Perfect Holiness and Happiness in the full fruition of God hereafter So it is the Seed and Prognostick of Life Eternal TO KNOW Non semper ubique eodem modo vel gradu Not to know God here and hereafter in the same manner or degree But to know him here as in a glass and hereafter in his Glory as face to face To know him by an Affective Practical knowledge There is no Text of Scripture of which the rule is more clearly true and necessary than of this that Words of Knowledge do imply affection It is the closure of the whole soul with God which is here called the knowing of God And because it is not meet to name every particular act of the soul when ever this duty is mentioned it is all denominated from Knowledge as the first Act which inferreth all the rest 1. Knowledge of God in the Habit is Spiritual Life as a Principle 2. Knowledge of God in the exercise is Spiritaal Life as an employment 3. The Knowledge of God in perfection with its effects is Life Eternal as it signifieth full felicity What it containeth I shall further shew anon THEE That is The Father called by some Divines Fons vel fundamentum Trinitatis the fountain or foundation of the Trinity and oft used in the same sense as the word GOD to signifie the pure Deity THE ONLY He that believeth that there is more Gods than One believeth not in any For though he may give many the Name yet the description of the true God can agree to none of them He is not God indeed if he be not One only This doth not at all exclude Jesus Christ as the second person in Trinity but only distinguisheth the pure Deity or the Only true God as such from Jesus Christ as Mediator between God and man TRUE There are many that falsly and Metaphorically are called Gods If we think of God but as one of these it is not to know him but deny him GOD The word GOD doth not only signifie the Divine perfections in himself but also his Relation to the Creatures To be a God to us is to be one to whom we must ascribe all that we are or have and one whom we must Love and obey and honour with all the powers of soul and body and one on whom we totally depend and from whom we expect our judgement and reward in whom alone we can be perfectly blessed AND JESUS CHRIST That is As Mediator in his Natures God and man and in his Office and Grace WHOM THOU HAST SENT That is whom thy Love and Wisdom designed and commissioned to this undertaking and performance The Knowledge of the Holy Ghost seemeth here left out as if it were no part of life Eternal But 1. At that time the Holy Ghost in that Eminent sort as sent by the Father and Son on the Apostles after the Resurrection and Ascension of Christ was not yet so manifested as afterwards and therefore not so necessarily to be distinctly known and believed in as after The having of the Spirit being of more necessity than the distinct knowledge of him Certain it is that the Disciples were at first very dark in this article of faith And Scripture more fully revealeth the necessity to salvation of believing in the Father and Son than in the Holy Ghost distinctly yet telling us that if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8. 9. 2. But presently after when the Spirit was to be sent the necessity of believing in him is expressed especially in the Apostles Commission to Baptize all Nations that were made Disciples in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Doct. THe Knowledge of the only true God and of Jesus Christ the Mediator is the Life of Grace and the necessary way to the life of Glory As James distinguisheth between such a dead faith as Devils and wicked men had and such a living and working faith as was proper to the justified so must we here of the Knowledge of God Many profess that they know God but in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient and to every good work reprobate Tit. 1. 16. There is a form of knowledge which the unbelievers had Rom. 2. 22. and a knowledge which puffeth up and is void of Love which hypocrites have 1 Cor. 8. 1. 13. But no man spiritually knoweth the things of God but by the spirit And they that rightly know his name will put their trust in him Psal. 9 10. Thus he giveth the regenerate a heart to know him Jer. 24. 7. and the new creature is renewed in knowledge Col. 3. 10. And vengeance shall be poured out on them that know not God 2 Thes. 1. 8. This saving Knowledge of God which is Eternal Life containeth and implyeth in it all these acts 1. The understandings apprehesion of God according to the necessary articles of faith 2. A Belief of the truth of these articles that God is and is such as he is therein described 3. An high estimation of God accordingly 4. A Volition complacency or Love to him as God the chiefest Good 5. A Desiring after him 6. A Choosing him with the rejection of all competitors 7. A Consent that he be our God and a giving up our selves to him as his people 8. An intending him as our Ultimate End in
the use of means in the course of our Conversations 9. A seeking him in the choise and use of means 10. An obeying him as our Soveraign Governour 11. An honouring and praising him as God 12. And an enjoying him and delighting in him in some small foretasts here as he is seen by saith but perfectly hereafter as beheld in Glory The affective practical Knowing of God which is Life eternal containeth or implyeth all these parts And every Christian that hath any of this Knowledge desireth more It is his great desire to Know more of God and to know him with a more affecting powerful knowledge He that groweth in grace doth accordingly grow in this knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ. The vigour and alacrity of our souls lieth in it The rectitude of our actions and the holiness of them floweth from it God is the excellency of our Hearts and lives Our advancement and our joy is here only to be found All other knowledge is so far desirable as it conduceth to the knowledge of God or to the several duties which that knowledge doth require All knowledge of words or things of causes and effects of any creatures actions customes Laws or whatsoever may be known is so far valuable as it is useful and so far useful as it is Holy subserving the knowledge of God in Christ. What the sun is to all mens eyes that God is to their souls and more It is to Know him that we have understandings given us And our understandings enjoy him but so far as they know him as the eye enjoyeth the Light of the sun by seeing it The ignorance of God is the blindness and part of the atheism of the soul and inferreth the rest They that know him not desire not heartily to know him nor can they Love him Trust him fear him serve him or call upon him whom they do not Know How shall they call upon him in whom they have not believed Rom. 10. 14. The heart of the Ungodly saith to God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him Job 21. 14 15. 22. 17. All wickedness hath admission into that heart or land where the knowledge of God is not the watch to keep it out Abraham inferred that the men of Gerar would kill him for his wife when he saw that the fear of God was not in that place Gen. 20. 11. It was Gods controversie with Israel because there was no truth nor mercy nor knowledge of God in the land but by swearing and lying and killing and stealing they brake out and blood touched blood Hos. 4. 1 2. They are called by God a foolish people sottish children of no understanding that knew not God though they were wise to do evil Jer. 4. 22. He will pour out his fury upon the heathen that know him not and the families that call not on his name Jer. 10. 25. As the day differeth from the night by the light of the sun so the Church differeth from the world by the Knowledge of God in Jesus Christ. Psal. 76. 1 2. In Judah is God known his name is great in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion The Love and Unity and peace which shall succeed persecution and malice in the blessed times shall be because the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea Isa. 11. 6 7 8 9. Hypocrites shall know him superficially and uneffectually and his holy ones shall know him so as to Love him fear him trust him and obey him with a knowledge effectual upon heart and life And he will continue his loving kindness to them that know him Psal. 36. 10. He is the best Christian that hath the fullest impression made upon his soul by the Knowledge of God in all his Attributes Thus it is our Life eternal to Know God in Christ. It is to reveal the Father that the Son was sent and it is to reveal the Father and the Son that the Holy spirit is sent God is the light and the life and felicity of the soul. The work of its salvation is but the restoring it to him and putting it in possession of him The beginning of this is Regeneration and Reconciliation the perfection oâ— it is Glorification beatifical Vision and Fruition The Mind that hath least of God is the darkest and most deluded Mind And the mind that hath most of him is the most lucide pure and serene And how is God in the Mind but as the Light and other visible objects are in the eye and as pleasant melodie is in the ear and as delightful meats and drinks are in the tast But that God maketh a more deep and durable impress on the soul and such as is suitable to its spiritual immaterial nature As your seal is to make a full impression on the wax of the whole figure that is upon it self so hath God been pleased in divers seals to engrave his Image and these must make their Impress upon us 1. There is the seal of the Creation sor the world hath much of the Image of God It is engraven also on the seal of Providential disposals though there we are uncapable of reading it yet so fully as in the rest 2. It is engraven on the seal of the holy Scriptures 3. And on the Person of Jesus Christ who is the purest clearest Image of the Father as also on the holy example of his life 4. And by the means of all these applyed to the soul in our sober consideration by the working of the Holy Ghost the Image of God is made upon us Here note 1. That All the revealed Image of God must be made on the soul and not a part only and all is wrought where any is truly wrought 2. That to the compleatness of his Image on us it is necessary that each part of Gods Description be orderly made and orderly make the Impress on us and that each part keep its proper place For it is a monster that hath feet where the head should be or the backside forward or where there is any gross misplacing of the parts 3. Note also that all the three forementioned seals contain all Gods Image on them but yet not all alike but the first part is more clearly engraven upon the first of them and the second part upon the second of them and the third part most clearly on the third and last To open this more plainly to you Unity in Trinity and Trinity in Unity is the sum of our holy faith In the Deity there is revealed to us One God in three persons the Father Son and Holy Ghost The Essence is but one the subsistences are three And as we must conceive and speak of the Divine Nature according to its Image while we see it but in a glass so
the evil of Division and misery of distracting multiplicity The Lord our God is One God 1 Cor. 8 6. Perfection hath unity and simplicity We fell into Divisions and miserable distraction when we departed from God unto the Creature For the Creatures are Many and of contrary qualities dispositions and affections And the heart that is set on such an object must needs be a Divided heart And the heart that is Divided among so many and contrary or discordant objects must needs he a distracted heart The confusions of the world confound the heart that is set upon the world He that maketh the world his God hath so many Gods and so discordant that he will never please them all and all of them together will never fully content and please him And who would have a God that can neither please us nor be pleased He that maketh Himself his God hath a compounded God and now corrupted of multifarious and now of contrary desires as hard to please as any without us There is no Rest or Happiness but in Unity And therefore none in our selves or any other creature but in God the only center of the soul. The further from the Center the further from Unity It is only in God that differing minds can be well united Therefore is the world so divided because it is departed so far from God Therefore have we so many minds and wayes and such diversity of opinions and contrariety of affections because men forsake the Center of Unity There 's no Uniting in any worldly carnal self-devised principles or practises When Holiness brings these distracted scatterd souls to God in him they will be one While they bark at Holiness and cry up Unity they shew themselves distracted men For Holiness is the only way to Unity because it is the closure of the soul with God All countreys and persons cannot meet in any one interest or Creature but each hath a several interest of his own But they might all meet in God If the Pope were God and had his perfections he would be fit for all the Church to Center in But being man and yet pretending to this Prerogative of God he is the grand divider and distracter of the Church The Proverb is too true So many men so many minds because that every man will be a God to himself having a self mind and self will and all men will not yield to be one in God God is the common interest of the Saints and therefore all that are truly Saints are truly united in him And if all the Visible Church and all the world would heartily make him their Common Interest we should quickly have a Common Unity and Peace and the Temple of double faced Janus would be shut up They that sincerely have One God have also one Lord and Saviour one spirit one faith one Baptism or holy Covenant with God even because they have one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in them all And therefore they must keep the nuity of the spirit in the bond of Peace Eph. 4. 3 4 5 6. Though yet they have different degrees of gifts vers 7. and therefore differences in opinion about abundance of inferiour things The further we go from the trunk or stock the more numerous and small we shall find the branches They are one in God that are divided in many doubtful controversies The weakest therefore in the faith must be received into this Union and Communion of the Church but not to doubtful disputations Rom. 14. 1. As the antient Baptism contained no more but our Engagement to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost so the antient Profession of saving faith was of the same extent God is sufficient for the Church to Unite in A Union in other Articles of faith is so far necessary to the Unity of the Church as it is necessary to prove our faith and Unity in God and the sincerity of this antient simple belief in God the Father Son and Spirit The Unity of God is the Attribute to be first handled and imprinted on the mind even next unto his Essence Deut. 6. 4. The Lord our God is one Lord. And the unity of the Church is its excellency and attribute that 's first and most to be esteemed and preserved next unto its Essence If it be not a Church it cannot be One Church and if we be not Saints we cannot be united Saints If we be not Members we cannot make One Body But when once we have the Essence of Saints and of a Church we must next be solicitous for its Unity Nothing below an essential point of faith will allowâ—ns to depart from the Catholike Unity love and peace that is due to Saints And because such essentials are never wanting in the Catholich Church or any true member of it therefore we are never allowed to divide from the Catholike Church or any true and visible member It is first necessary that the Church be a Church that is a People separated from the world to Christ and that the Christian be a Christian in Covenant with the Lord. But the next point of Necessity is it that the Church be One and Christians be One. And he that for the sake of lower points how True soever will break this holy bond of Unity shall find at last to his shame and sorrow that he understood not the excellency or necessity of unity The prayer of Christ for the perfection of his Saints is that they all may be One as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be one in us that the world may believe that thou hast sent me And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them that they may be One even as we are One I in them and thou in me that they may be made perfect in One that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them as thou hast lved me Here it appeareth that the Unity of the Church or Saints is necessary to convince the world of the truth of Christianity and of the Love of God to his people and necessary to the glory and perfection of the Saints The nearer any Churches or members are to the divine perfections and the more strictly conformable to the mind of God the more they are One and replenished with Catholick Love to all Saints and desirous of Unity and Communion with them It is a most lamentable delusion of some Christians that think their ascending to higher degrees of Holiness doth partly consist in their withdrawing from the Catholike Church or from the Communion of most of the Saints on Earth upon the account of some smaller differing opinions And they think that they should become more loose and leave their strictness if they should hold a Catholike Communion and leave their state of separation and division Is there any strictness amiable or desirable except a strict Conformity to God Surely a strict way
to be here and the covetous man among his gains and the sensual man among his recreations and merâ—y companions It is good to be here the Christian that can get nigh to God or have any prospect of his Love in his ordinances concludeth that of all places upon earth It is good to be here and that a day in his Courts is better then a thousand Psal. 84. 10. But O to depart and be with Christ is far better Phil. 1. 23. With Infinite goodness we shall find no evil no emptiness or defect when we perfectly enjoy the perfect Good what more can be added but for ever to enjoy it O therefore think on this Christians when death is dreadful to you and you would fain stay here as being afraid to come before the Lord or loth to leave the things which you here posfess shall Goodness it self be distrusted by you or seem no more desirable to you Are you afraid of Goodness even of your Father of your Happiness it self Are you better here then you shall be with God Are your houses or lands or friends or pleasures or any thing better then Infinite Goodness meditate on this blessed Attribute of God till you distast the world till you are angry with your withdrawing murmuring flesh till you are ashamed of your unwillingness to be with God and till you can calmly look in the face of death and contentedly hear the message that is posting towards you that you must presently come away to God Your Natural birth day brought you into a Better place then the womb and your gracious Birth day brought you into a far Better state then your former sinful miserable captivity And will not your Glorious birth day put you into a better habitation then this world O know and choose and seek and live to the Infinite Good and then it may be your greatest joy when you are called to him CHAP. X. 9. HAving spoken of these three great Attributes of God I must needs speak of those three great Relations of God to man and of these three works in which they are founded which have flowed from these Attributes This one God in three Persons hath Created man and all things which before were not hath Redeemed man when he was lost by sin and sanctifieth those that shall be saved by Redemption Though the external works of the Trinity are undivided yet not indistinct as to the order of working and a special interest that each person hath in each of these works The Father Son and Holy Ghost did create the world and they also did Redeem us and do Sanctifie us But so as that Creation is in a special sort ascribed to the Father Redemption to the Son and Sanctification to the Holy Spirit Not only because of the order of operation agreeable to the order of subsisting for then the Father would be as properly said to be incarnate or to die for us or mediate as the Son to create us which is not to be said For he created the world by his Word or Son and Spirit Joh. 1. 3. Psal. 33. 6. and he Redeemed it by his Son and Sanctifieth it by his Spirit But Scripture assureth us that the Son alone was incarnate for us and dyed and Rose again and not the Father or the Spirit and so that the humane nature is peculiarly united to the second person in glory and so that each person hath a peculiar interest in these several works the Reason of which is much above our reach The first of these Relations of God to man which we are to consider of is that he is our Creator It is he that giveth Being to us and all things and that giveth us all our faculties or Powers Under this for brevity we shall speak of him also as he is our Preserver because preservation is but a kind of continued Creation or a continuance of the Beings which God hath caused God then is the first efficient cause of all the creatures from the greatest to the least Gen. 1. And easily did he make them for he spake but the word and they were created They are the Products of his Power Wisdome and Goodness Psal. 33. 6. Joh. 1. 3. Psal. 148. 5. He commanded and they were created He still produceth all things that in the course of nature are brought forth Psal. 104. 30. Thou sendest forth thy spirit they are created thou renewest the face of the earth And from hence these following impressions must be made upon the considering soul. 1. If All things be from God as the Creater and Preserver then we must be deeply possessed with this truth that All things are for God as their ultimate end For he that is the Beginning and first cause of all things must needs be the End of all His Will produced them and the Pleasure of his Will is the End for which he did produce them Isa. 43. 7. I have created him for my glory Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evil I think the Chaldee Paraphrase the Syriack and Arabick give us the true meaning of this who concordantly translate it The wicked is kept for the day of evil as Job hath it 21. 30. The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath And 2 Pet. 2. 9. To reserve the unjust to the day of judgement to be punished God made not the wicked as wicked or to be wicked but he that gave them their Being and continueth it will not be a loser by his Creation or preservation but will have the glory of his Justice by them in the day of wrath or evil for which he keeps them and till which he beareth with them because they would not obediently give him the glory of his Holiness and mercy So it is said of Christ Col. 16 17. For by him were all things created that are in Heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible all things were created By him and For him If they are By him they must needs be For him So Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created This Pleasure of Gods will is the End of all things and therefore it is certain that he will see that all things shall accomplish that end and his will shall be pleased Rom. 11. 36. we have all in few words For of him and through him and to him are all things and to whom be glory for ever Amen Of him as the first efficient that giveth them their Beings and Through him as the Preserver disposer and conducter of them to their end and To him as the Ultimate end If you say But how is the pleasure of Gods will attained from the wicked that break his Laws and displease his will I answer Understand but how his will is
is called a new begetting or new birth without which none can enter into heaven Joh. 3. 3 5 6. A renewing us and making us new men and new creatures so far as that old things are past away and all become new Eph. 4. 23 24. Col. 3. 10. 2 Cor. 5. 17. It is a new creating us after the Image of God Eph. 4. 24. It maketh us Holy as God is Holy 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. yea it maketh us partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. It giveth us repentance to the acknowledging of the truth that we may recover our selves out of the snare of the Devil who were taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. It giveth us that Love by which God dwelleth in us and we in God 1 Joh. 4. 16. We are redeemed by Christ from all iniquity and therefore it is that he gave himself for us to purifie to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Tit. 2. 14. It is an abundant shedding of the Holy Ghost on us for our renovation Tit. 3. 5 6. and by it a shedding the Love of God abroad in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. It is this Holy Spirit given to believers by which they pray and by which they mortifie the flesh Jud. 20. Rom. 8. 26. 13. By this Spirit we live and walk and rejoyce Rom. 8. 1. and 14. 17. Our joy and peace and hope is through the power of the Holy Ghost Rom 15. 13. It giveth us a spiritual mind and taketh away the carnal mind that is enmity against God and neither is nor can be subject to his law Rom. 8. 7. By this Spirit that is given to us we must know that we are Gods children 1 Joh. 3. 24. 4. 13. For if any man have not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8 9. All holy graces are the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 22 23. It would be too long to number the several excellent effects of the sanctifying work of the spirit upon the soul and to recite the Elogies of it in the Scripture Surely it is no low or needless thing which all these expressions do intend Quest. 3. If you think it a most hainous sin to vilifie the Creator and his work and the Redeemer and his work why should not you think so of the vilifying of the sanctifier and his work when God hath so magnified it and will be glorified in it and when it is the applying perfecting work that maketh the purchased benefits of Redemption to be ours and formeth our Fathers Image on us Quest. 4. Do we not Doctrinally commit too much of that sin if we undervalue the Spirits sanctifying work as a common thing which the ungodly world do manifest in practice when they speak and live in a contempt or low esteem of grace And which is more injurious to God for a prophane person to jest at the Spirits work or for a Christian or Minister deliberately to extennate it especially when the preaching of grace is a Ministers chief work sure we should much fear partaking in so great a sin Quest. 5. Why is it that the Scripture speaks so much to take men off from boasting or ascribing any thing to themselves Rom. 3. 19. That every mouth may be stopped and why doth not the Law of works exclude boasting but only the Law of faith Rom. 3. 27. Surely the actions of nature except so far as it is corrupt are as truly of God as the acts of grace And yet God will not take it well to deny him the glory of Redemption or Sanctification and tell him that we paid it him in another kind and ascribed all to him as the author of our free will by natural production For as Nature shall honour the Creatour so Grace shall also honour the Redeemer and Sanctifier And God designeth the humbling of the sinner and teaching him to deny himself and to honour God in such a way as may stand with self abasement leaving it to God to honour those by way of reward that honour him in way of duty and deny their own honour Quest. 6. Why is the Blaspheming and sinning against the Holy Ghost made so hainous and dangerous a sin if the works of the Holy Ghost were not most excellent and such as God will be most honoured by Quest. 7. Is it not exceeding ingratitude for the soul that hath been illuminated converted renewed quickened and saved by the Holy Ghost to extenuate the mercy and ascribe it most to his natural Will O what a change was it that Sanctification made what a blessed birth day was that to our souls when we entered here upon Life Eternal Joh. 17. 3. And is this the thanks we give the Lord for so great a Mercy Quest. 8. What mean those texts if they consute not this unthankful opinion Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you to Will and to do of his good pleasure Eph. 2. 7 8 9 10. God hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus that in the ages to come he might shâ—w the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus For by Grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Not of works lest any man should boast For we are his workmanship Created to Good works in Christ Jesus The like is in Tit. 3. 5 6. 7. Joh. 15. 16. Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain 1 Joh. 4. 10. Herein is Love not that we loved God but that he loved us 1 Cor. 4. 7. For who maketh thee to differ and what hast that thou that thou didst not receive Joh. 6. 44. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can be know them because they are spiritually discerned Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit that is plainly the fleshly birth produceth but flesh and not spirit if any man will have the spirit and so be saved it must be by a spiritual begetting and birth by the Holy Ghost Act. 16. 14. The Lord opened Lydia's heart that she attended to the things that were spoken of Paul c. Was the Conversion of Paul a murdering persecuter his own work rather then the Lords when the means and manner were such as we read of Act. 22. 14. The God of our Fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will and see that just one and hear the voice of his mouth c. He was chosen to the Means and to faith and not only in faith to salvation When Christ called his Disciples
and ours in him must therefore be principally maintained 2. The Knowledge of God as our Soveraign King must bring the whole man in subjection to him Our Understaendings must be subject to his Doctrine and resigned to him as teachable and tractable When we know what is his Law and Will we must rest in it though we know not the Reasons of it We take not on us to be competent Judges of all the Reasons of the Laws of men but must obey them without disputing the Reasons with the limitations after to be mentioned How much more must we submit to the wisdome of the Infallible Law-giver that cannot deceive or be deceived Our Wills also must be fully subject to his Will revealed by his Precepts We must desire no more to move us or to stop us but to know what God would have us do As the first wheels in a watch or other engine moveth all the rest so the Will of God must move all our Wills and Rule our Lives We must take heed above all things in the world lest our Wills which are the lower Wheels should have any such defects distempers reserves any carnal byas interest or inclination that makes them unfit to receive the Law of God or be Ruled by his Will We must imitate our Lord Heb. 10. 7. and learn of the Prophet Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy Will O God With chearful readiness to obey we must stand waiting for the word of his Command and say as Psal. 143. 10. Teach mee to do thy Will for thou art my God And as Samuel 1 Sam. 3. 9. Speak Lord for thy Servaent heareth When a mans selfish carnal Will is mortified and his Will lies flat before the Lord and wholly applieth it self to his Will and it is enough to a man to move him in the greatest matters to know that it is the Will of God this is a state of true subjection Thus must we be in subjection to the Father of Spirits submitting even to his sharpest dispensations Heb. 12. 9. And all the Church is subject unto Christ Ephes. 5. 24. And this is essential to our holy Covenant and Christianity it self When God is taken to be our God and we give up our selves to be his People when Christ is taken to be our Saviour and we give up our selves to him as his members and redeemed ones it essentially containeth our taking him for our chief Governour and giving up our selves to him as his subjects Take heed of that wisdome that would overtop the Wisdome of God and be your Guide itself without depending on his Wisdome This is the foolish damning Wisdome of the World Take heed of that Concupiscence or Will that would be your Ruler and overtop the Will of God For this is the grand Rebel and greatest Enemy of God and Us. 3. And Subjection must produce Obedience Subjection is the Consent of the Will to be Subjects and to Obey Obedience is the actual performance of Commanded duties Subjection is the root of Obedience and Virtually containeth it Obedience is the fruit of subjection and supposeth it If God be your Master shew it by his fear or service Mal. 1. 6. It is not calling Christ our King but obeying him before all that will prove us subjects Mat. 7. 21. Not every one that saith unto mee Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven Rom. 12. 1 2. I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God your Reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be you transformed or turned into other men by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect Will of God And this is the Will of God even your sanctification 1 Thes. 4. 3. 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh arm your selves likewise with the same mind For he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the Will of God Yea we should stand perfect and compleat in all the Will of God Col. 4. 12. And by the power of the Word of God every thought should be brought in obedience unto Christ 2 Cor. 10. 5. Our obedience should be publick and exemplary Rom. 16. 19. For so is the Will of God that with well doing we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men 1 Pet. 2. 15. Obedience is better than sacrifice 1 Sam. 15. 22. Whatever you do therefore keep close to the Law of God 4. To this end we must labour to know the Law and be acquainted with Gods Will. The book of Nature must be studied the holy Scripture must be searched Joh 5. 39. and meditated in both day and night Psal. 1. 2. Princes must have this Book continually in their hands Deut. 17. 18 19 20. Josh. 1. 8 9. Rich and poor must learn it that they may Obey it Deut. 6. 6 7. 5. And our subjection to God obligeth us to a subjection to the Officers that he sets over us If any man say to Judges Justices and Constables I will obey the King but you are not Kings therefore I will not obey you he shall suffer as disobeying the King in his Officers Contempt of Magistrates and Ministers reflects on God 6. Yea hence we must practically understand in what respect to obey our Governours Not meerly as the Officers of men not only as chosen by the people but as the Officers of God that from him have their Authority The Atheistical Politicians that derive Authority no higher than the Sword or the Peoples choice or natural strength do teach men to obey their Governours but as a little Dog submits unto a Mastiff or so far as their Commodity perswadeth them but not for conscience in obedience to God And they teach men to look to no higher end than common preservation and liberties and not to expect protection or reward from the absolute Soveraign In a word they entice all Princes and people into damnable rebellion against the Lord as much as if they should entice all Constables and Justices to hold their places without dependence on the Prince But God teacheth us that there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation For he is the Minister of God to us for good even the Minister of God an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Rom. 13. 1 2 4. Wherefore we must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake For they are Gods Ministers continually attending upon this very thing and for this cause we must pay them tribute vers 5
them pleasing them and shewing them respect while they take no notice of God at all as if they believed not that he is there Hence it is that the men of God were wont to speak though reverently yet familiarly of God as children of their Father with whom they dwell as being indeed fellow-citizens with the Saints who are his houshold Abraham calleth him Gen. 24. 40. The Lord before whom I walk And Jacob Gen. 48. 15. God before whom my Fathers Abraham and Isaac walked And David resolveth Psal. 116. 9. I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living Yea God himself is pleased to use the terms of gracious condescending familiarity with them Christ dwelleth in them by faith Eph. 3. 17. His spirit dwelleth in them as his house and temple Rom. 8. 9. Yea the Father himself is said to dwell in them and they in him 1 Joh. 3. 24. He that keepeth his Commandements dwelleth in Him and He in him and 3. 12. If we love one another God dwelleth in us 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and He in us because he hath given us of His spirit 15. Whoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God 16. God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Yea God is said to walk in them as they are said to walk with Him 2 Cor. 6. 16. For ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Our walking with God then is not only a sense of that common presence which he must needs afford to all but it is also a believing apprehension of his Gracious presence as our God and reconciled Father with whom we dwell being brought near unto Him by Christ and who dwelleth in us by his spirit 9. To walk with God as here we are in flesh includeth not only our believing his presence but also that we see him as the chief cause in the effects in his creatures and his daily providence that we look not on creatures as independent or separated from God but see them as the Glass and God as the represented face and see them as the letters and words and God as the sense of all the creatures that are the first Book which he appointed man to read We must behold his glory declared by the Heavens Psal. 19. 1. and see Him shining in the Sun and see his Power in the Fabrick of the world and his wisdom in the admirable order of the whole we must tast the sweetness of his Love in the sweetness of our food and in the comforts of our friends and all our accommodations we must see and Love his Image in his Holy ones and we must hear his Voice in the Ministry of his Messengers Thus every creature must become a Preacher to us and we must see the Name of God upon it and thus all things will be sanctified to us while Holiness to the Lord is written upon all Though we must not therefore make Idols of the creatures because God appeareth to us in them yet must we hear the message which they bring us and reverence in them the Name of the Creatour which they â—ear By this way of conversing with them they will not ensnare us or deceive or poyson us as they do the carnal unbelieving world but as the Fish brought money to Peter to pay his tribute so every creature would bring us a greater even a spiritual gain When we behold it we should say with pleasant admiration This is the work of God and it is wonderful in our eyes This is the true Divine Philosophy which seeketh and findeth and contemplateth and admireth the Great Creatour in his works When that which sticketh in the creature it self whatever discovery it seem to make is but a childish unprofitable trifling like learning to shape all the letters aright without learning to know their signification and sense It is God appearing in the creatures that is the life and beauty and use and excellency of all the creatures wthout him they are but carkasses deformed useless vain insignificant and very nothings 10. Our walking with God doth contain our willing and sincere attendance on him in the use of those holy duties in which he hath appointed us to expect his grace He is everywhere in his essential presence but he is not everywhere alike to be found in the communications of his grace The assemblies of his Saints that worship him in holy communion are places where he is likelyer to be found then in an Ale-house or a Play-house You are likelier to have holy converse with him among the holy that will speak of holy things to your edification then among the senseless ignorant sensualists and the scornful enemies of Holiness that are the servants of the Devil whom he useth in his daily work for the deceiving and perdition of the world Therefore the conversation of the wicked doth grieve and vex a righteous soul as it s said the Sodomites did by Lot 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. because all their conversation is ungodly far from God not savouring of any true knowledge of him or love to him but is against him by enmity and provocation If God himself do dwell and walk in all his holy ones then they that dwell and walk with them have the best opportunity to dwell and walk with God To converse with those in whom God dwelleth is to converse with him in his Image and to attend him at his dwelling And willfully to run among the wicked is to run far away from God In his Temple doth every man speak of his Glory Psal. 29. 9. when among his brutish enemies every man speaketh to the dishonour of him in his word and wayes He is otherwise present with those that are congregated in his Name and for his worship then he is with those that are assembled for wickedness or vanity or live as brutes without God in the world And we must draw as near him as we can if we would be such as walk with God We must not be strange to him in our Thoughts but make him the object of our most serious meditations It s said of the wicked that they are far from God and that God is not in all their thoughts Ps. 73. 27. Ps. 10. 4. The thoughts are the minds employment It dwells on that which it frequently thinks of It is a walk of the Mind and not of the Body which we are treating of To mind the world and fleshly things is contrary to this walk with God we are far from him when our thoughts are ordinarily far from him I know that it is lawful and meet to think of the business of our callings so far as is necessary to the prudent successful management of them and that it is not requisite that our thoughts
talents and must make it our daily study and business to do him the greatest service we are able whatever it may cost us through the malice of the enemies being sure our labour shall not be in vain and that we cannot serve him at too dear a rate It is not as idle companions but as servants as souldiers as those that put forth all their strength to do his work and reach the Crown that we are called to walk with God And all this is done though not in the same degree by all yet according to the measure of their Holiness by every one that lives by faith Having told you what it is to Walk with God as to the Matter of it I shall more briefly tell you as to the Manner The nature of God of man and of the work will tell it you 1. That our walk with God must be with the greatest reverence were we never so much assured of his special love to us and never so full of faith and joy our reverence must be never the less for this Though Love cast out that guilty fear which discourageth the sinner from hoping and seeking for the mercy which would save him and which disposeth him to hate and fly from God yet doth it not cast out that Reverence of God which we owe him as his creatures so infinitely below him as we are It cannot be that God should be known and remembred as God without some admiring and awful apprehensions of him Infiniteness Omnipotency and inaccessible Majesty and Glory must needs affect the soul that knoweth them with reverence and selfe-abasement Though we receive a Kingdome that cannot be moved yet if we will serve God acceptably we must serve him with reverence and godly fear as knowing that as he is our God so he is also a consuming fire Heb. 12. 28 29. We must so worship him as those that remember that we are worms and guilty sinners and that he is most High and Holy and will be sanctified in them that come nigh him and before all the people he will be glorified Lev. 10. 3. Unreverence sheweth a kind of Atheistical contempt of God or else a sleepiness and inconsiderateness of the soul. The sense of the Goodness and Love of God must consist with the sense of his Holiness and Omnipotency It is presumption pride or blockish stupidity which excludeth Reverence which Faith doth cause and not oppose 2. Our walking with God must be a work of humble boldness and familiarity The Reverence of his Holiness and Greatness must not overcome or exclude the sense of his Goodness and compassion nor the full assurance of faith and hope Though by sin we are enemies and strange to God and stand a far off yet in Christ we are reconciled to him and brought near Eph. 2. 13. For he is our Peace who hath taken down the partition and abolished the enmity and reconciled Jew and Gentile unto God Ver. 14 15 16. And through him we have all an access to the Father by one spirit we are now no more strangers and forraigners but fellow-Citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God ver 18 19. In him we have boldness and access with confidence by the belief of him Eph. 3. 12. Though of our selves we are unworthy to be called his children and may well stand a far off with the Publican and not dare to lift up our faces towards heaven but smite our breasts and say O Lord be merciful to me a sinner Yet have we boldness to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the vail that is to say his flesh And having an high Priest over the house of God we may draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 19 20 21 22. Therefore whensoever we are afraid at the sight of sin and Justice let us remember that we have a great high Priest that is passed into the heavens even Jesus the Son of God and therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 14 15 16. He that alloweth us to walk with him doth allow us such humble familiarity as beseemeth those that walk together with him 3. Our walking with God must be a work of some holy pleasure and delight We may unwillingly be drag'd into the presence of an enemy and serve as drudges upon meer necessity or fear But walking together is the loving and delightful converse of friends When we take sweet counsel of the Lord and set him alwaies as at our right hand and are glad to hear from him and glad to speak to him and glad to withdraw our thoughts from all the things and persons in the world that we may solace our selves in the contemplations of his excellency and the admirations of his Love and Glory this is indeed to walk with God You converse with him as with a stranger an enemy or your destroyer and not as with God while you had rather be far from him and only tremble in his presence and are glad when you have done and are got away but have no delight or pleasure in him If we can take delight in our walking with a friend a friend that is truly loving and constant a friend that is learned wise and holy if their wise and heavenly discourse be better to us then our recreations meat or drink or clothes what delight then should we find in our secret converse with the most high most wise and gracious God! How glad should we be to find him willing and ready to entertain us How glad should we be that we may employ our thoughts on so high and excellent an object what cause have we to say My meditation of him shall be sweet and I will be glad in the Lord Ps. 104. 34. In the multitude of my thoughts within me my sorrowful troublesome weary thoughts thy comforts do delight my soul Ps. 94. 19. Let others take pleasure in childish vanity or sensuality but say thou as David Ps. 119. 14 15 16. I have rejoyced in the wayes of thy Commandements as much as in all riches I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy waies I will delight my self in thy statutes and will not forget thy Word Ver. 47. I will delight my self in thy commandements which I have loved Let scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledge Prov. 1. 22. but make me to go in the path of thy commandements for therein do I delight Psal. 119. 35. If thou wouldst experimentally know the safety and glory of a holy life delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart Ps. 37. 4. Especially when we draw near him in his solemn worship and when we separate our selves on his holy dayes from all our common worldly thoughts to be conversant as in
as Grace inclineth a renewed soul to every holy Truth and duty and yet such a soul in its infancy of Grace hath not a sufficient immediate aptitude or promptitude to the receiving of every holy truth or the doing of every holy duty but must grow up to it by degrees But the addition of these degrees is no specifical alteration of the nature of man or of that grace which was before received Having been so long upon this first Consideration that Walking with God is most agreeable to humane nature I shall be briefer in the rest that follow II. TO Walk with God and live to him is incomparably the Highest and Noblest life To converse with men only is to converse with Worms whether they be Princes or poor men they differ but as the bigger vermine from the lesser If they be Wise and Good their Converse may be profitable and delightful because they have a beam of excellency from the face of God And O how unspeakable is the distance between his Wisdom and Goodness and theirs But if they be foolish ungodly and dishonest how loathsome is their conversation What stinking breath is in their profane and filthy language in their lies and slanders of the just in their sottish jears and scorns of those that Walk with God which expose at once their folly and misery to the pitty of all that are truly understanding When they are gravely speaking evil of the things which they understand not or with a fleering confidence deriding merrily the holy commands and waies of God they are much more lamentably expressing their infatuation than any that are kept in chains in Bedlam Though indeed with the most they scape the reputation which they deserve because they are attended with persons of their own proportion of wisdom that alwayes reverence a silken coat and judge them wise that wear gold lace and have the greatest satisfaction of their wills and lusts and are able to do most mischief in the world and because good men have learnt to honour the worst of their superiours and not to call them as they are But God is bold to call them as they are and give them in his word such names and characters by which they might come to know themselves And is it not a Higher Nobler life to Walk with God then to Converse in Bedlam or with intoxicated sensualists that live in a constant deliration Yea worse then so ungodly men are children of the Devil so called by Jesus Christ himself Joh. 8. 44. because they have much of the nature of the Devil and the lusts of their father they will do yea they are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. They are the servants of sin and do the drudgery that so vile a Master sets them on Joh. 8. 34. Certainly as the spirits of the just are so like to Angels that Christ saith we shall be as they and equal to them so the wicked are nearer kin to Devils then they themselves will easily believe They are as like him as children to their Father He is a lyar and so are they He is a hater of God and godliness and godly men and so are they He is a murderer and would fain devour the holy seed and such are they He envyeth the progress of the Gospel and the prosperity of the Church and the increase of Holiness and so do they He hath a special malice against the most powerful and successful Preachers of the Word of God and against the most zealous and eminent Saints and so have they He cares not by what lyes and fictions he disgraceth them nor how cruelly he useth them No more do they or some of them at least He cherisheth licentiousness sensuality and impiety and so do they If they do seem better in their adversity and restraint yet try them but with prosperity and power and you shall see quickly how like they are to devils And shall we delight more to converse with brutes and incarnate devils than with God Is it not a more high and excellent conversation to Walk with God and live to Him then to be companions of such degenerate men that have almost forfeited the reputation of humanity Alas they are companions so deluded and ignorant and yet so wilfull so miserable and yet so confident and secure that they are to a believing eye the most lamentable sight that the whole world can shew us out of hell And how sad a life must it then needs be to converse with such were it not for the hope that we have of furthering their recovery and Salvation But to Walk with God is a word so high that I should have feared the guilt of arrogance in using it if I had not found it in the holy Scriptures It is a word that importeth so high and holy a frame of soul and expresseth such high and holy actions that the naming of it striketh my heart with reverence as if I had heard the voice to Moses Put off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Exod. 3. 5. Methinks he that shall say to me Come see a man that walks with God doth call me to see one that is next unto an Angel or glorified soul It is a far more reverend object in mine eye then ten thousand Lords or Princes considered only in their fleshly glory It is a wiser action for people to run and crowd together to see a man that Walks with God then to see the pompous train of Princes their entertainments or their triumphs O happy man that Walks with God though neglected and contemned by all about him What blessed sights doth he daily see What ravishing tydings what pleasant melody doth he daily hear unless it be in his swoons or sickness what delectable food doth he daily tast He seeth by faith the God the Glory which the blessed Spirits see at hand by nearest intuition He seeth that in a glass and darkly which they behold with open face He seeth the glorious Majesty of his Creatour the Eternal King the Cause of Causes the composer upholder preserver and governour of all the worlds He beholdeth the wonderful methods of his providence And what he cannot reach to see he admireth and waiteth for the time when that also shall be open to his view He seeth by Faith the world of Spirits the hosts that attend the throne of God their perfect righteousnesse their full devotednesse to God their ardent love their flaming zeal their ready and chearful obedience their dignity and shining glory in which the lowest of them exceedeth that which the Disciples saw on Moses and Elias when they appeared on the holy Mount and talkt with Christ. They hear by faith the heavenly consort the high and harmonious Songs of praise the joyful triumphs of crowned Saints the sweet commemorations of the things that were done and suffered on earth with the praises of him that redeemed them by his
powerfully illuminate Many among men have pretended to Infallibility that never could justifie their pretensions but have confuted them by their own mistakes and crimes But none can deny the Infallibility of God He never yet was deceived or did deceive He erreth not nor teacheth errour Nicodemus knew Christ was to believed when he knew that he was a Teacher come from God Joh. 3. 2. Christ knew that the Jews themselves durst not deny the truths of John's Doctrine if he could but convince them that it was from Heaven and not of men It is impossible for God to lye It is the Devil that was a Lyar from the beginning and is yet the Father of lyes No wonder if they believe lyes that follow such a Teacher And those that follow the flesh and the world do follow the Devil They that will believe what their fleshly interest and lusts perswade them to believe do believe what the Devil perswadeth them to believe For he perswadeth them by these and for these What marvel then if there be found men in the world that can believe that Holiness is Hypocrisie or a needless thing that those are the worst men that are most careful to please God that the world is more worthy of their care and labour than their salvation is that the pleasures of sin for a season are more desirable than the everlasting happiness of the Saints that cards and dice and mirth and lust and wealth and honour are matters more delectable than Prayer and meditating on the Word of God and loving him and obeying him and waiting in the hopes of life eternal that gluttons and drunkards and whoremongers and covetous persons may enter into the Kingdom of God c. What wonder if a thousand such damnable lyes are believed by the Disciples of the Father of lyes what wonder if there are so many Saint-haters and God-haters in the world as to fill the earth with persecutions and cruelties or make a scorn of that which God most highly valueth and all this under pretences of Order or Unity or Justice or something that is good and therefore fit to palliate their sin Is there any thing so false or foul or wicked that Satan will not teach his followers Is he grown modest or moderate or holy or just Is he reconciled to Christ to Scripture to Godliness or to the Godly Or is his Kingdom of darkness at an end and hath he lost the earth Or are men therefore none of the servants of the Devil because they were baptized as Simon Magus was and call and think themselves the servants of Christ As if still it were not the art by which he gets and keeps Disciples to suffer them to wear the livery of Christ and to use his name that he may thus keep possession of them in peace who else would be frighted from him and fly to Christ He will give them leave to study Arts and Sciences and to understand things excellent of inferiour use so be it they will be deceived by him in the matters of God and their salvation He can allow them to be learned Lawyers excellent Physicians Philosophers Politicians to be skilful Artists so be it they will follow him in sin to their damnation and will overlook the Truth that should set them free Joh. 8. 32. Yea he will permit them when there 's no remedy to study the holy Scriptures if he may but be the expounder and applyer of it Yea he will permit them notionally to understand it if they will not learn by it to be converted to be holy and to be saved He can suffer them to be eminent Divines so they will not be serious Christians Thus is the world by the grand Deceiver hurried in darkness to perdition being taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. But the Sanctified are all illuminated by the Holy Ghost by whom their eyes are so effectually opened that they are turned from darkness unto light and from the power of Satan unto God Act. 26. 18. The Father of Glory hath given them the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ that the eyes of their understanding being enlightned they may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the Glory of his inheritance in the Saints Eph. 1. 17 18. Certainly that illumination of the Holy Ghost which is so often mentioned in Scripture as given to all true believers is not a fansie nor an insignificant name And if it signifie any thing it signifieth somewhat that is much above the teaching of man All that walk with God are taught of God! And can man teach like God God hath accesse unto the heart and there he doth transcribe his Laws and put them into our inward parts And they that walk with him have not only his Word to read but his Spirit to help them to understand it and being with him in his family yea he dwelleth in them and they in him he is ready at hand to resolve their doubts when he gave them his fear he gave them the beginning of wisdom Psal. 111. 10. He causeth them to incline their ear to wisdom Prov. 2. 2 6. and to apply their hearts unto it Psal. 90. 12. and maketh them to know it in the hidden parts Psal. 51. 6. It is his Law that they have determined to make their rule They live as under his authority They are more observant of his Will and Government than of any Laws or Government of man And as they obey man in and for the Lord so they do it in subordination to him and therefore not against him and his Laws which being the standard of Justice and the Rule of Rulers and of subjects both they are in the safest way of unerring wisdom who walk with God according to that Rule and refuse to turn aside though commanded by man or enticed by Satan the world or flesh 5. He that walketh with God is the most considerate person and therefore hath great advantage to be wise The frequent and serious thoughts of God do awaken all the powers of the soul so that drowsiness doth not hinder the understanding and so occasion its deceit There is scarce a more common and powerful cause of mens folly and delusion and perdition in all the world than that sleepiness and stupidity which hindereth Reason from the vigorous performance of its office In this sensless case though a man both know and consider of the same Truths which in their nature are most powerful to cleanse and govern and save his soul yet sluggishness doth enervate them He knoweth them as if he knew them not and considereth them as if he never thought of them They work little more upon him then if he believed them not or had never heard of them even as a dream of the greatest matters moveth not the sleeper from his pillow In this senslesse state the Devil can do almost any thing with a sinner He can
is with us Though in all our wants we have no other to supply us yet he is still with us to perform his promise that no good thing shall be wanting to them that fear him Though we may have none else to strengthen and help us and support us in our weakness yet he is alwaies with us whose Grace is sufficient for us to manifest his strength in weakness Though we have no other to Teach us and to resolve our doubts yet he is with us that is our chiefest Master and hath taken us to be his Disciples and will be our Light and Guide and will lead us into the Truth Though we have none else to be our Comforters in our agony darkness or distress but all forsake us or are taken from us and we are exposed as Hagar with Ishmael in a wilderness yet still the Father of all consolations is with us his Spirit who is the Comforter is in us And he that so often speaketh the words of Comfort to us in his Gospel and saith Be of good chear let not your hearts be troubled neither be afraid c. will speak them in the season and measure which is fittest for them unto our hearts Though all friends turn enemies and would destroy us or turn false accusers as Job's friends in their ignorance or passion though all of them should add affliction to our affliction yet is our Redeemer and Justifier still with us and will lay his restraining hand upon our enemies and say to their proudest fury Hitherto and no further shalt thou go He is angry with Job's accusing friends notwithstanding their friendship and good meaning and though they seemed to plead for God and Godliness against Job's sin And who shall be against us while God is for us or who shall condemn us when it is he that justifieth us Though we be put to say as David Psal. 142 4. I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soul Yet we may say with him vers 5. 3. I cryed unto thee O Lord I said Thou art my refuge and my portion in the Land of the Living Bring my soul out of prison that I may praise thy Name The righteous shall compass me about for thou shalt dâ—al bountifully with me 2 3 I poured out my complaint before him I shewed before him my trouble When my spirit was overwhelmed within me then thou knewest my path in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me Thus God is our refuye and strength a very present help in trouble Psal. 46. 1. Therefore should we not fear though the earth were removed and though the mountains were carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled c. vers 2 3. Though as David saith Psal. 41. 5 6 7. Mine enemies speak evil of me when shall he dye and his name perish And if he come to see me he speaketh vanity his heart gathereth iniquity to it self when he goeth abroad he telleth it All that hate me whisper together against me against me do they devise my hurt An evil disease say they cleaveth fast unto him and now that he lyeth he shall rise up no more Yea my own familiar friend in whom I trusted that did eat of my bread hath lift up his heel against me Yet we may add as he v. 12. And as for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity and settest me before thy face for ever Though as Psal. 35. 7 c. Without cause they have hid for me their net in a pit which without cause they have digged for my soul 11. And false witnesses did rise up they laid to my charge things that I knew not they rewarded me evil for good 15 16. In my adversity they rojoyced and gathered themselves together the abjects gathered themselves together against me and I knew it not they did tear and ceased not with hypocritical mockers in feasts they gnashed upon me with their teeth 20. For they speak not peace but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the Land Yet vers 9. My soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoyce in his salvation 10. All my bones shall say Lord who is like unto thee who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him yea the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him Though friends be far off the Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all Psal. 34 18 19. The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate v. 22. Therefore I will be glad and rejoyce in his Mercy for he hath considered my trouble and hath known and owned my soul in adversity and hath not shut me in the hand of the enemy When my life was spent with grief and my years with sighing my strength failed because of mine iniquity and my bones were consumed I was a reproach among all mine enemies but especially among my neighbours and a fear to mine acquaintance they that did see me without fled from me I was forgotten and as a dead man out of mind I was like a brokrn vessel I heard the slander of many fear was on every side while they took counsel together against me they devised to take away my life But I trusted in thee O Lord I said Thou art my God my times are in thy hand deliver me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute me Make thy face to shine upon thy servant Save me for thy mercies sake O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues Psal. 31. Thus God is with us when men are far from us or against us His people finde by happy experience that they are not alone Because he is nigh them evil shall not come nigh them unless as it worketh for their good He is their hiding place to preserve them from trouble the great water-floods shall not come nigh them he will compass them about with songs of deliverance Psal. 32. 6 7. 3. And as God is with us thus Relatively and Efficiently so also Objectively for our holy converse Whereever our friends are God is still at â—and to be the most profitable honourable and delightful Object of our thoughts There is enough in him to take up all the faculties of my soul. He that is but in a well furnished Library may find great and excellent employment for his thoughts many years together And
Mala in solitudine anxia est sollicita si honesta sunt quae facis omnes sciant si turpia quid refert neminem scire cum tu scias O te miserum si contemnis hunc testem inquit Seneca That is A good conscience will call in the croud or witnesses not caring who seeth A bad conscience is anxious and sollicitous even in solitude If they be things honest which thou dost let all men know If they be dishonest what good doth it thee that no man else knoweth it when thou knowest it thy self O miserable man if thou despise this witness Something is suspected to be amiss with those that are alwaies in their Chambers and are never seen Tell not men that you cannot bear the light It is he that doth evil that hateth the light lest his deeds should be reproved 9. Solitude is too like to Death to be desirable He liveth that doth good and he is dead that is useless Vivit is qui multis usui est Vivit is qui sentitur qui vero latitant torpent mortem suam antecesserint inquit Sen. He liveth that is profitable to many He liveth that is observed or perceived but they that lye hid and drowsie do anticipate their death And it is the most culpable death and therefore the worst to have Life and not to use it 10. A life of holy Communion is likest unto Heaven where none shall be solitary but all as members of the Heavenly Jerusalem shall in harmony Love and Praise their Maker These Reasons seem to me sufficient to satisfie you that no man should choose a Solitude without a special necessity or call nor yet should it be taken for a life of greater perfection then a faithful serving of God in publick and doing good to more I Shall now come to the Affirmative and tell you for all this that If God call us into Solitude or men forsake us we may rejoyce in this that we are not alone but the Father is with us Fear not such Solitude but be ready to improve it if you be cast upon it If God be your God reconciled to you in Christ and his Spirit be in you you are provided for Solitude and need not fear if all the world should cast you off If you be banished imprisoned or left alone it is but a Relaxation from your greatest labours which though you may not cast off your selves you may lawfully be sensible of your ease if God take off your burden It is but a cessation from your sharpest conflicts and removal from a multitude of great temptations And though you may not cowardly retreat or shift your selves from the sight and danger yet if God will dispense with you and let you live in greater peace and safety you have no cause to murmure at his dealing A fruit tree that groweth by the high-way side doth seldome keep its fruit to ripeness while so many passengers have each his stone or cudgel to cast at it Seneca could say Nunquam a turba mores quos extuli refero Aliquid ex eo quod composui turbatur aliquid ex his quae fugavi redit inimica est multorum conversatio I never bring home well from a crowd the manners which I took out with me something is disordered of that which I had set in order something of that which I had banished doth return the conversation of many I find an enemy to me O how many vain and foolish words corrupt the minds of those that converse with an ungodly world when your ears and minds who live in Solitude are free from such temptations You live not in so corrupt an Air as they You hear not the filthy ribbald speeches which fight against modesty and chastity and are the bellows of lust You hear not the discontented complaining words of the impatient nor the passionate provoking words of the offended nor the wrangling quarrelsome words of the contentious nor the censorious or slanderous or reproachful words of the malicious who think it their interest to have their brethren taken to be bad and to have others hate them because they themselves hate them and who are as zealous to quench the charity of others when it is destroyed in themselves as holy persons are zealous to provoke others to Love which dwelleth and ruleth in themselves In your Solitude with God you shall not hear the lyes and malicious revilings of the ungodly against the generation of the just nor the subtile cheating words of Hetericks who being themselves deceived would deceive others of their faith and corrupt their lives You shall not there be distracted with the noise and clamours of contending uncharitable professors of Religion endeavouring to make odious first the opinions and then the persons of one another one saying Here is the Church and another There is the Church one saying This is the true Church Government and another saying Nay but that is it One saying God will be worshipped thus and another Not so but thus or thus You shall not there be drawn to side with one against another nor to joyn with any faction or be guilty of divisions You shall not be troubled with the oaths and blasphemies of the wicked nor with the imprudent miscarriages of the weak with the persecutions of enemies or the falling out of friends You shall not see the cruelty of proud oppressors that set up lyes by armed violence and care not what they say or do nor how much other men are injured or suffer so that themselves may tyrannize and their wills and words may rule the world when they do so unhappily rule themselves In your Solitude with God you shall not see the prosperity of the wicked to move you to envy nor the adversity of the just to be your grief You shall see no worldly pomp and splendour to besool you nor adorned beauty to entice you nor wasting calamities to afflict you You shall not hear the laughter of fools nor the sick mans groans nor the wronged mans complaints nor the poor mans murmurings nor the proud mans boastings nor the angry mans abusive ragings As you lose the help of your gracious friends so you are freed from the fruits of their peevishness and passions of their differing opinions and wayes and tempers of their inequality unsuitableness and contrariety of minds or interests of their levity and unconstancy and the powerful temptations of their friendship to draw you to the errors or other sins which they are tainted with themselves In a word you are there half delivered from the VANITY and VEXATION of the world and were it not that you are yet undelivered from your selves and that you take distempered corrupted hearts with you O what a felicity would your solitude be But alas we cannot overrun our own diseases we must carry with us the remnants of our corrupted nature our deadness and dulness our selfishness and earthly minds our impatience and discontents and worst
14. To conclude Vindictive Justice will be doubly honoured upon them that are final rejecters of this grace Though conscience would have had matter enough to work upon for the torment of the sinner and the justifying of God upon the meer violation of the Law of nature or works yet nothing to what it now will have on them that are the despisers of this great salvation For of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall he be thought worthy that hath trodden under foot the Son of God when it is willful impenitency against most excellent means and mercies that is to be charged upon sinners and when they perish because they would not be saved Justice will be most fully glorified before all and in the conscience of the sinner himself All this considered you may see that besides what reasons of the counsel of God are unknown to us there is abundant reason open to our sight from the great advantages of this way why God would rather save us by a Redeemer then in a way of Innocency as our meer Creator But for the answering of all objections against this I must desire you to observe these two things following 1. That we here suppose man a terrestrial inhabitant cloathed with flesh otherwise it is confessed that if he were perfect in heaven where he had the Beatifical Vision to confirm him many of these forementioned advantages to him would be none 2. And it is supposed that God will work on man by Moral means and where he never so infallibly produceth the good of man he doth it in a way agreeable to his nature and present state and that his work of Grace is Sapiential magnifying the contrivance and conduct of his Wisdom as well as his Power otherwise indeed God might have done all without these or any other means 3. The knowledge of God in Christ as our Redeemer must imprint upon the soul those Holy Affections which the design and nature of our Redemption do bespeak and which answer these forementioned ends As 1. It must keep the soul in a sense of the odiousness of sin that must have such a remedy to pardon and destroy it 2. It must raise us to most high and honourable thoughts of our Redeemer the Captain of our Salvation that bringeth back lâ—st sinners unto God and we must study to advance the Glory of our Lord whom the Father hath advanced and set over all 3. It must drive us out of our selves and bring us to be nothing in our own eyes and cause us to have humble penitent self condemning thoughts as men that have been our own undoers and deserved so ill of God and man 4. It must drive us to a full and constant dependance on Christ our Redeemer and on the Father by him As our life is now in the Son as its root and fountain so in him must be our faith and confidence and to him we must daily have recourse and seek to him and to the Father in his Name for all that we need for daily pardon strength protection provision and consolation 5. It must cause us the more to admire the Holiness of God which is so admirably declared in our Redemption and still be sensible how he hateth sin and loveth Purity 6. It must invite and encourage us to draw near to God who hath condescended to come so near to us and as sons we must cry Abba Father and though with reverence yet with holy confidence must set our selves continually before him 7. It must cause us to make it our daily imployment to study the Riches of the Love of God and his abundant mercy manifested in Christ so that above all books in the world we should most diligently and delightfully peruse the Son of God incarnate and in him behold the Power and Wisdom and Goodness of the Father And with Paul we should desire to know nothing but Christ crucified and all things should be counted but loss and dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord Phil. 3. 8. That we may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and heighth and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge that we may be filled with all the fulness of God 8. Above all if we know God as our Redeemer we must Live in the Power of holy Love and Gratitude His Manifested Love must prevail with us so far that unfeigned Love to him may be the predominant affection of our souls And being free from the spirit of bondage and slavish fear we must make Love and Thankfulness the sum of our Religion and think not any thing will prove us Christians without prevailing Love to Christ nor that any duty is accepted that proceedeth not from it 9. Redemption must teach us to apply our selves to the holy Laws and Example of our Redeemer for the forming and ordering of our hearts and lives 10. And it must quicken us to Love the Lord with a redoubled vigour and to obey with double resolution and diligence because we are under a double obligation What should a people so Redeemed esteem too much or too dear for God 11. Redemption must make us a more Heavenly people as being Redeemed to the incorruptible inheritance in Heaven The blessed God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 3. 12. Lastly Redemption must cause us to walk the more carefully and with a greater care to avoid all sin and to avoid the threatned wrath of God because sin against such unspeakable Mercy is unspeakably great and condemnation by a Redeemer for despising his grace will be a double condemnation Joh. 3. 19. 36. CHAP. XII 11. THE third Relation in which God is to be Known by us is as he is our Sanctifier and Comforter which is specially ascribed to the Holy Ghost And doubtless as the Dispensation of the Holy Ghost is the Perfecting dispensation without which Creation and Redemption would not attain their ends and as the sin against the Holy Ghost is the great and dangerous sin so our Belief in the Holy Ghost and Knowledge of God as our Sanctifier by the Spirit is not the least or lowest act of our faith or Knowledge And it implieth or containeth these things following 1. We must hence take notice of the certainty of our common original sin The necessity of sanctification proveth the corruption as the necessity of a Redeemer proveth the guilt It is not one but all that are Baptized that must be Baptized into the Name of the Son and Holy Ghost as well as of the Father which is an entering into Covenant with the Son as our Redeemer and with the
Holy Ghost as our Sanctifier So that Infants themselves must be Sanctified or be none of the Church of Christ which consisteth of Baptized Sanctified persons Except a man be born again even of the Spirit as well as water he cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven For that which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Joh. 3. 3 5 6. and therefore the fleshly birth producing not a Spiritual creature will not save without the Spiritual birth The words are most plain not only against them that deny Original sin but against them that misunderstanding the nature of Redemption do think that all Infants are meerly by the price paid put into a state of Salvation and have the pardon of their Original sin in common attending their natural Birth But these men should consider 1. That this text and constant experience tell us that the new Birth doth not thus commonly to all accompany the natural birth and yet without the new birth none can be saved nor without Holiness any see God 2. That Pardon of sin is no mans upon the bare suffering of Jesus Christ but must be theirs by some Covenant or Promise conveying to them a Right to the benefits of his suffering And therefore no man can be said to be pardoned or saved without great arrogancy in the affirmer that hath not from God a promise of such mercy But no man can shew any Promise that giveth Remission of Original sin to all Infants Produce it or presume not to affirm it lest you fall under the heavy doom of those that add to his holy Word The Promise is to the faithful and their seed The rest are not the children of the promise but are under the commination of the violated Law which indeed is dispensable and therefore we cannot say that God will pardon none of them but withal we cannot say that he will unless he had told us so All the world are in a necessity of a Sanctifier and therefore most certainly even since Christs death they are naturally corrupted 2. And as our Belief in the Holy Ghost as Sanctifier engageth us to acknowledge our Original sin and misery so doth it engage us to magnifie his renewing work of grace and be convinced of the necessity of it and to confess the insufficiency of corrupted nature to its own renovation As no man must dishonour the work of our Creator and therefore our faculties of Reason and natural Freewill are not to be denyed or reproached so must we be as careful that we dishonour not the works of our Redeemer or Sanctifier and therefore the viciousness and ill disposedness of these faculties and the thraldom of our wills to their own misinclinations and to concupiscence must be confessed and the need of Grace to work the cure It is not ingenuous for us when God made it so admirable a part of his work in the world to Redeem us and save us from our sin and misery that we should hide or deny our diseases and make our selves believe that we have but little need of the Physician and so that the cure is no great matter and consequently deserveth no great praise I know the Church is troubled by men of dark yet self-conceited minds that in these points are running all into extreams One side denying the Sapiential method and the other the Omnipotential way of God in our recovery One plainly casting our sin and misery principally on God and the other as plainly robbing the Redeemer and holy Spirit of the honour of our recovery But it is the latter that my subject leadeth me now to speak to I beseech you take heed of any conceit that would draw you to extenuate the honour of our Sanctifier Dare you contend against the Holy Ghost for the integrity of your natures or the honour of your cure surely he that hath felt the power of this renewing grace and found how little of it was from himself nay how much he was an enemy to it will be less inclined to extenuate the praise of grace then unexperienced men will be Because the case is very weighty give me leave by way of Question to propound these considerations to you Quest. 1. Why is it think you that all must be Baptized into the Name of the Son and Holy Ghost as well as of the Father Doth it not imply that all have need of a Sanctifier and must be engaged to that end in Covenant with the Sanctifier I suppose you know that it is not to a bare Profession of our belief of the Trinity of persons that we are baptized It is our Covenant entrance into our happy Relation to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost that is then celebrated And therefore as Infants and all must be thus engaged to the Sanctifier so all must acknowledge their necessity of this mercy and the excellency of it It is essential to our Christianity that we value it desire it and receive it And therefore an error inconsistent with it proveth us indeed no Christians Mat. 28. 19. Quest. 2. Why is it think you that the Holy Ghost and this renewing work are so much magnified in the Scripture Is not the glory of it answerable to those high expressions undoubtedly it is I have already told you elsewhere of the Elogies of this work It is that by which Christ dwelleth in them and they are made a habitation of God by the spirit Eph. 3. 17. and 2. 22. They are made by it the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 6. 19. It is the Divine Power which is no other then Omnipotency that giveth us all things pertaining unto Life and Godliness 2 Pet. 1. 3. Think not I beseech you any lower of this work then is consistent with these expressions It is the opening of the blind eyes of our understanding and turning us from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God and bringing us into his marvellous light Act. 26. 18. Eph. 1. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 9. It is an inward teaching of us by God Joh. 6. 45. 1 Thes. 4. 9. an effectual teaching and anointing 1 Joh. 2. 27. and a writing the Laws in our hearts and putting them in our inward parts Heb. 8. 10 11. I purposely forbear any exposition of these texts lest I seem to distort them and because I would only lay the naked Word of God before your own impartial considerations It is Gods work by the Spirit and not our own as ours that is here so much magnified And can all this signifie no more but a common bare proposal of truth and good to the intellect and will even such as ignorant and wicked men have Doth God do as much to illuminate teach and sanctifie them that never are illuminated or taught and sanctified as them that are This work of the Holy Ghost is called a quickning or making men that were dead alive Eph. 2. 1 2. Rom. 6. 11 13. It