object but of the Churches desire is evident beyond all modest contradiction For He is not thus in the eyes Of infernal Spirits Their cry was What have we to do with thee Mat. 8.29 Jesus of Nazareth Art thou come to torment us before the time Nor Of graceless persons Their cry was Depart from us Job 21.14 for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes But that Christ is without compare in a Christians eye and the object of the desire of the Church of the first-born Heb. 12.23 whose names are written in Heaven will appear to a believing and unprejudiced Reader by a reflection of his Person and of his Affection but of these suffer a distinct though concise discussion Reflect the Person of Christ. Was it said of a Joseph Gen. 41.38 Is there such a Man as this Man in whom the Spirit of God is What then may be said of a Jesus Was it said also of a Job there is none like him in all the earth Job 1.8 What then may be said of a Jesus Was it said of David Thou art worth ten thousand of us 2 Sam. 18.3 Marg. 1. or as ten thousand of us What then may be said of a Christ my Soul reflect his Person as Man and as God-Man Reflect his Person as Man Was there ever such a Narration of Genealogie as Christ hath It ends thus Luk. 3.38 Who was the Son of Adam who was the Son of God Now this Christ was the beloved and begotten Son of God Christ was the beloved Son of God This is my beloved Son Mark 9.7 in whom I acquiesoe Christ is so beloved of the Father that he loves none out of him Christ is the begotten Son of God He that believeth on him is not condemned Joh. 3.18 but he that believeth not is condemned already why because he believeth not in the Name of the onely begotten Son of God Here is the Son of God the begotten Son of God the onely begotten Son of God All the Sons of Men are the Sons of God by Creation some of the Sons of Men are the Sons of God by Grace but Christ is the Son of God by Nature Christ is so the Son of God as there never was any nor ever will be any Is not this Christ now a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of the Churches desire Reflect the Person of Christ as God-Man Though Christ was true yet not meer Man Verus non merus Homo but God and Man God manifest in the flesh There have been many things wonderful in the world but the hypostatical Vnion the Vnion of Natures in Christ is the Wonder of Wonders 1 Tim. 3. ult That he who was with God that was from God yea that was God should be made flesh is the wonder of wonders That he who had eternity for his mansion and eternity for his measure should be an Infant of a day old is the Wonder of Wonders but thus it was Joh. 1.1 14. for the Word was made flesh and dwelt amongst us Is not this Christ now a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire Reflect the Affection of Christ No person ever lived as Christ lived for he lived to love and no person ever loved as Christ loved for he loved to dye and dyed out of love But suffer me to reflect his Affection in the freeness of it in the fulness of it in the firmness of it To these distinctly Reflect the Affection of Christ in the freeness of it Christ is free in love is first in love 1 John 4.19 We love him because he first loved us Had not Christ first fallen in love with Vs we had never fallen in love with Him Had not Christ first fired our hearts with love we had never bestowed a spark of spiritual Affection upon Him Not that we loved God but that he loved us That is not that we loved God until we were loved of God The motive for Christs love to Vs was not in Vs but in Himself for we were in our blood I will heal their backsliding Hos 14.4 I will love them freely Reflect the Affection of Christ in the fulness of it As it is free so it is full love Is the Sun full of light Christ is fuller of love It pleased both the Father Col. 1.19 and the Spirit that in the Son should all fulness dwell Is the Ocean full of water Christ is fuller of love Christ must needs be fuller of love than these of light and of water for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead personally Col. 2.9 If thou beest a beloved one a believing one then Christ loves thee more than others can hate thee Doth the God of this world which now lieth in wickedness hate thee Do the Gods of this world given up to a judicial hardness hate thee And do the men of this world who appear like armed Furies and act like incarnate Devils hate thee yet Christ loves thee more than these can hate thee Reflect the Affection of Christ in the firmness of it As it is free and full so it is firm love The love will last as long as the loved or the lover Peter denies Christ but Christ doth not deny Peter Though Peter hath been denying yet Christ is loving Mark 16.7 Go tell the Disciples and Peter Peter is particularly and especially named not in point of superiority according to the ambition of the proud Pope as if he were above the rest but he is named after all the rest in point of inferiority as if he were below all the rest forsaking Christ yea denying Christ with cursing and swearing Though Peter hath been denying yet Christ will be looking Luk. 22.61 62. will be loving The Lord turned and looked upon Peter And Peter went out and wept bitterly As if Peter's tears had fallen first from Christ's eyes Shall not now this Christ be a Person without compare in a Christians eye and the Object of a Christians desire But suffer a superadding of four things in order to a greater endearing of Christ and crying up him as a Person without compare and the Object of a Christians desire Christ is the Churches mercy Christ is the Being of Beings as God the Beauty of Beauties as Man the Blessing of Blessings as God-Man There had been no mercy but misery without Christ All the Churches blessings and benefits come along with Christ he is the mercy of mercies God in giving Christ giveth all things Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son c. how shall he not with him also freely give unto us all things There had been no Glory but Wrath without Christ no Mercy but Misery without Christ no Heaven but Hell without Christ Every mercy enters in at this door The Law and the voice from Mount Sinai came along with Moses but
is mans time The good Emperour not hearing a Cause or doing some charitable Act in the day would complain at night unto his Courtiers Sirs I have lost a day 2 Cor. 6.2 Hoc Nunc nullum habet crastinum Aug. Delays are dangerous yea Delay is the Mother of Danger Delay is almost as bad as Denyal There is a word which is the Lords Adverb and the Devils Verb Early say God stay sâ—y the Devil Now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation This Now saith one hath no to morrow Take heed of playing the Courtier with thy Soul the Courtier do all things late he riseth late dineth late goeth to bed late and repenteth late Henry the fourth asked the Duke de Alva if he had seen the great Ecclipse of the Sun which had lately been no said the Duke I have so much to do upon Earth that I have no leisure to look up to Heaven Let thy Thoughts be taken up with Death Ambrose I have not saith one so lived that I am afraid to die or ashamed to live longer Death is a Theam worthy the most serious and solid the most spiritual and sanctified meditation Be much through Christ in prayer Multiply cries and cry mightily unto Christ that Heaven may be thy Haven that Paradise may be the Port for thy Soul Prayer is the first and should be the last Dish If ye be Christs ye must Pray while ye live and Pray when ye die ye must live and die Acts 7.59 praying Thus Stephen did They sloned Stephencalling upon the name of the Lord and saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Yea thus a greater than Sephen Luke 23.34 the Lord and Life of Stephen the Lord Jesus Christ did Father forgive them for they know not what they do When the Heart-blood of Christ was comming forth then was the heart-prayer of Christ also comming forth Rev. 8.3 4. Gen. 48.16 Father forgive them for they know not what they do We read of an Angel that stood at the Altar The Angel is Christ the Angel that redeemed Jacob from all evil the Angel of the Covenant The Altar is Himself who sanctifieth prayer as the Altar did the Gift This Angel which is Christ had a golden Censer his own Body Mal. 3.1 To him was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all Saints or that he should add to the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was befere the Throne Christ by his Intercession perfumes the prayers of his being the only High Priest of the New Testament And the smoak of the Incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand It is such a prdyer that I intend a pure prayer a Gospel prayer a prayer that passeth a Christ that passeth out of the Angels hand that passeth through the hand of the Son 1 Sam. 1.15 Rom. 8.26 to the heart of the Father Now what is this Prayer but a pouring out of the Sonl to God what is pure prayer but a breathing out that before God which was first breathed in by the Spirit of God As Fear is so principal a Grace that it is sometimes put for all grace Now I know that thou fearest God Gen. 22.2 seeing thou hast not with-held thy Son thine only Son And as Faith is so principal a Grace that it is sometimes put for all Grace Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith so Prayer is so principal a part of Worship that it is sometimes put for all worship Mat. 21.13 Luk. 18.1 1 Thes 5.17 My house shall be called an house of prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves Pure Prayer is imposed therefore incumbent Christ spake a Parable that men ought alwaies to pray and not to faint To pray alwaies is not to faint in prayer Pray without ceasing Pray there is the Act without ceasing there is the Duration of that Act. As it is the duty of a Christian of Christs making to pray so it is the property of this person to pray A living Child is a crying Child Until the Child come out of the womb it cannot cry but when it come into the World it cry So long as a a man is in the womb of a natural state Gal. 4.6 he cannot cry Father Father Because ye are Sons God hath â—sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts Act. 9.11 crying Father Father Was Paul ever said to pray until converted from his Pharisaical state Go for behold he prayeth He who was a Persecutor before is a Prayer now Soul if God design thee for Heaven he will put thee upon prayer yea Mat. 6.6 upon closet-prayer But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet 'T is death to a living man long â—o hold his breath If we breath we live if we breath not we die Thus 't is death as it were to a truly gracious soul long to be kept from inward and intimate converse and communion with God and Christ with God in Christ. A declining of this Duty will prove a drawn Flood-gate unto great Iniquity Where is that man like to stop who declines this Duty Eph. 6.18 Praying alwaies there 's the Duty with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit there 's the Direction If we would prepare for death we must be much in prayer To this end reflect the Income of prayer and Influence of prayer Be much in the reflection of the Income of prayer A Soul in Christ would not lose his Incomes of prayer for a world for a thousand worlds if there were so many Oh what have thy Tears and thy Triumphs been in a Closet Oh what have thy Sighs and thy Sights been in a Closet O what have thy Shines and thy Smiles been in private prayer Oh how melted have thy Soul been and mortified have thy sin been when thou hast been engaged and enlarged in private prayer Have not thy Soul been sent away with more of the sanctifying and with more of the sealing work of the Spirit too Davids Incoms of prayer were great and he valued them greatly I love the Lord why because he hath heard my voice Psa 116.1 2. and my supplications because he hath enclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him so long as I live What an estimate is set upon the Income of Prayer Be much in the reflection of the Influence of Prayer Prayer hath a great Influence for instance Pure Prayer through Christ had an Influence and Command over the four Elements Aire Fire Earth Water Over the Air. Elias which was Elijah praved earnestly in prayer he prayed Jam. 5.17 18. so the Greek That is he prayed earnestly for the ingemination hath this force that it might not rain and it did not that it might rain and it did Over the Fire Thus it had in
give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Interest in Christ cannot be lost Interest is a great thing and will not lie Interest some way other at some time or other byass persons As Thou hast Interest in Christ so Christ hath Interest in Thee Joh. 17.12 and this cannot be lost All that thou hast given me I have kept and none of them are lost A Being in Christ cannot be lost Inheritance with Christ cannot be lost Art in Christ then though thou mayest leave the Earth yet thou shalt not lose Heaven To an Inheritance incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you Would ye prepare for Death be then in the reflection of Eternity Time passeth Eternity standeth Eternity is a fixed Now. Of Eternity there is no Finis Xeuxis Aeternitati pingo A famous Painter being asked why he was so curious and long in drawing his Lines answered I paint for Eternity Thus what we do we should do for an Eternity we should meditate and pray for an Eternity we should preach and hear for an Eternity Should any one ask me what Time is might I not answer it is nothing else but a meditation of Eternity Psa 27.13 Job 10.22 There is a Land which is called the Land of the living so there is a Land which is called a Land of darkness as darkness it self There is a two-fold Eternity that of the Blessed that of the Cursed There is a two-fold life after death a life in eternal Triumph or a life in eternal Torment a life in eternal Gain or a life in eternal Loss Mat. 25.46 And these the Goats shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous the Sheep into life eternal It is prudential therefore in this short life to think upon that life which will be endless Trismegistus Plato Drexelius of Eternity p. 3 4. Ex hoc momento pendet Aeternitas The Soul saith one is the Horizon of Time and Eternity What another saith of God that I may say of Eternity what God is that I know not what God is not that I know So what Eternity is that I know not what Eternity is not that I know It is good in Time while we are sailing to have an Eye still upon our Compass and think upon Eternity Cast but an eye upon some Dials and you may find this Inscription Vpon this Moment hangs Eternity Our Glass is running our Time will go into an Eternity be therefore much yea much more in the reflection of an Eternity Would ye prepare for Death improve then the Spirit As the Soul is the Life of the Body so Christ is the Life of the Soul and his Spirit the Soul as it were of our Souls Light is in the Air but dwells in the San Good if Christ be thine is in the Flesh but dwells in the Spirit It would argue great power to convert Clay into Gold and a Pebble into a Pearl a greater change is wrought in the Soul and requires greater power It is as great a Miracle to see Grace growing in the carnal and corrupt heart of man in the dark and dead heart of man in the treacherous and timpanious heart of man in the wanton and worldly heart of man as to see the Stars growing upon the Earth and yet this the power of the Spirit doth The Spirit is the principal Verb in the Sentence be much then in the improving of this Spirit But what manner of Spirit is this Spirit Quest Sol. There are three Divine Subsistences in one Divine Essence Father Son Spirit As there are three that bear witness on earth the Spirit and the Water 1 Joh. 5.7 8. and the Blood and these three agree in one so there are three that bear record in Heaven the Father the Word the holy Spirit and these three are one They are not three Gods but one God A Trinity in Vnity and an Vnity in Trinity looks like the Mystery of Mysteries 'T is called the eternal Spirit Heb. 9.14 Who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God 'T is also written The Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is 2 Cor. 3.17 there is Liberty I am writing of this Spirit Officially and the Offices of this Spirit follow 'T is an enlivening Spirit All men in their Naturals are dead dead in Sin Persons in red Letters while they live in the Region of depraved Nature are dead they are at most and at best but imbalmed Jacobs and Josephs lifeless and loveless motionless and actionless There may be an artificial Motion but there cannot be a natural Motion without natural Life Joh. 6.63 A Watch may go a Clock may go a Jack may go but these go not as a man goeth It is the Spirit that quickeneth 'T is an enlightening Spirit As God and Christ so the Things of God and Christ are out of the Viow of a person Godless and Christless It is the Spirit of God that unmasks and unveils God that discovers the things of God The Apostle speaking of those things which were invisible inaudible and inconceivable connects 1 Cor. 2.9 10. and connexes this But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God In these words there is an Assertion and the Reason for that Assertion The Assertion God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit The Reason for that Assertion Now herein ye have the Conclusion and the Comment The Conclusion The Spirit searcheth all things The Word here search is metaphorical taken from such as search in Mines for Gold and Silver they will dig deep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will break the several Clods and Clots of the Earth all to pieces to find out the Golden Ore The Comment Yea the deep things of God the Depths of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so the Greek Some men are born naturally blind but all men are born spiritually blind and cannot see the Depths of God without the Spirit of God 'T is a bearing Spirit The Spirit is not a barren but a bearing Tree Gal. 5.22 23. it bears Variety The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law no law of Condemnation 'T is a Witnessing Spirit He that believeth hath the witness in himself Evidences quoad extra 1 Joh. 3.24 Rom. 8.16 He that hath the Fruit hath the Tree that hath Faith hath the Spirit for Faith is a fruit growing upon this Tree There are many things subordinately evidential but the Spirit is primarily and principally as well as infallibly evidential as to interest in Christ. By this we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit that he hath given us The spirit himself witnesseth together with our Spirits that we are the
give thee the desires of thine heart Heart-desires are great desires are greatest desires are the best desires Now it is Christs Prerogative Royal to give the Desires of the Heart A Master may give much a Father may give more these may give Bags and Barns House and Land Silver and Gold but they cannot give Grace and Glory they cannot give Christ more of a Christ more of the Grace of Christ and more of the Spirit of Christ It is time now to distinguish between our Goods and our Good between our Goods and our God Christ is a seasonable Good As there is a season for every thing so every thing is beautiful in its season To every thing there is a season and a time for every purpose under the Heaven Now Christ as he is the Author of good so he is the Timer of good and if he be the Timer of good then certainly he must needs be a Timely-good The season of a mercy greatly accents the mercy Gen. 22.13 For a Lamb to be caught by the Horns in a Thicket when the Knife was in the hand of the Father to slay the Son was in season Exod. 14.16 Dan. 3.24 25. For the Waters to divide and Sea become Land to the Israelites when the Egyptians were in the pursuit of them like so many armed Furies was in season For the three Children to be in the Furnace and for Christ then to appear with them and make up that holy Mess was in season For a Soul to be afflicted Isa 54.11 tossed with tempest and not comforted and for Christ then to say I will lay thy Stones with fair colours and will lay thy foundations with Saphires is not this in season For the Soul to be dark and for Christ to enlighten it for the Soul to be dead and for Christ to enliven it for the Soul to be doubting and for Christ to resolve it and for the Soul to be distressed and for Christ to relieve it is not this in season In my distress Psa 120.1 I cried unto the Lord and he heard me For a Soul to be hard and for Christ to soften it for a Soul to be haughty and for Christ to humble it for a Soul to be tempted and for Christ to succour it and for a Soul to be wounded and for Christ to heal it is not this in season I even I am he that comforteth Thee Isa 51.12.8 Christ is a satisfying Good A Wooden Loaf a Silver Loaf a Golden Loaf will not satisfie a hungry man the man must have Bread The Dainties and Dignities of the World the Grandeur and Glory of the World the Plenty and Prosperity of the World the Puff and Popularity of the World will not satisfie a soul sailing by the Gates of Hell and crying out of the Depths it must be a Christ. Children or I die was the cry of the Woman a Christ or I die a Christ or I am damned is the doleful Ditty and doleful Dialect of a despairing or desponding Soul He that loveth silver Eccl. 5.10 shall not be satisfied therewith nor he that loveth abundance with increase It is a good observation that the World is round but the Heart of man is triangular Now all the Globe of the World will not fill the triangular Heart of man What of the World and in the World can give quietness when Christ the Sun of Righteousness goes down upon the Soul The Heart is a Three-square and nothing but a Trinity in Vnity and an Vnity in Trinity will satisfie this Not Riches nor Relations not Barns nor Bags will satisfie a convinced and deserted Soul Abite hinc abite longé This person can say concerning his Bags as a great person upon a sick if not upon a dying Bed did concerning his Bags Away and away for ever though there be Bag upon Bag yet they are altogether insignificant in a dying hour these Bags they are but as so many cyphers before a figure or without a figure This is the cry of despairing and desponding Souls Oh satisfie us early with thy mercy Psa 90.14 that we may rejoyce and be glad all our daies Christ is an incomparable Good Christ is the chiefest Good As he is the Gift of Gifts Summum Bonum If thou knewest the Gift of God So Christ is the Good of Goods Joh. 4.10 He is much fairer than the Sons of Adam Christ as God had the perfection of Grace and as Man Psa 45.2 had the perfection of Nature All are Blacks to this Beauty Publius Lentâ—lus President in Jâ—dea in the days of â—â—erius Caesar wrote an Epistle to the Senate at Rome concerning Jesus Christ and saith among other things that for his singular Beauty he surpassed the Children of men Christ is an eternal Good Things below are mutable and mortal mutability and mortality are stamped upon and legible in the face of all things here below Riches make to themselves wings Ye shall not need to send them away they will go away without sending Places are wasted What is Nineveh Joâ— 4.11 that great City wherein were more than six score thousand persons that could not discern between their right hand and their left It is reduced to a small Village What shall we say of Jerusalem the City of God the perfection of Beauty the Joy of the whole Earth Not one stone was left upon another It s true of persons as well as places The Patriarchs are dead the Prophets are dead the Apostles are dead Zach. 1.5 Our Fathers where are they and the Prophets do they live for ever But Christ is an eternal Good Consider Christ as God and so Eternity is his Mansion and his Measure Consider Christ as God and Eternity is his Mansion Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy c. Look upon Christ as God and so Eternity is his Measure Psa 90.2 From Eternity to Eternity thou art God Fear not Death Christ is thine and he a Rock Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I. Psa 61.2 Though David was high Christ was higher though David was King of Israel yet Christ was Rock of Israel As Christ was the Rock of Old Testament Saints so he is the Rock of New Testament Saints They all drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them 1 Cor. 10.4 Quest Sol. 1. and that Rock was Christ But what manner of Rock is this Rock Christ is a high Rock Material Rocks and Mountains are high This was given in charge to the Children of Israel to destroy all those places Deut. 12.2 wherein the Nations served their Gods upon the high Mountaines This Mistical Rock Christ is high very high The Heavens are high but Christ is higher He is holy and harmless Heb. 7.26 separated from Sinners and made higher than the Heavens This Rock Christ is higher than fallen Souls higher
then through Grace Assurance of another Life after Death for there can be no Assurance of this Life against Death To this end suffer a concise Discussion of these following Queries But Quest 1. Sol. Joh. 20.28 is Assurance attainable in this Life Yea I dare be peremptory and positive herein that Assurance is attainable in this Life My Lord and my God Mine and Thine are words of propriety These Pronouns Me Thee Mine Thine My Meum Tuum Luth. Thy they are strains of Love and drop like Honey-combs sweetness of Affection The sweetness of the promises as says one is couched and lodged in Pronouns My Thy Me Thee Mine Thine Thomas Job 19.25 was assured my Lord and my God Thus Job I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand in the latter day upon the Earth This knowing is knowing upon great certainty knowing without all wavering As if he had said my judgment is fixed and my Faith confirmed in this thing It is as clear to me that Christ is my Redeemer and that this Redeemer of mine liveth as if I had already seen him alive My Faith makes this as evident to me now as my experience shall hereafter Thus David The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress Psal 18.2 and my deliverer my Rock in him will I trust my Buckler and the Horn of my salvation and my high Tower Thus Paul I am perswaded the word signifieth an assured Confidence I am assiredly confident 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but of what that not Death Life Angels Principalities Powers things present things to come height depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.38 39. which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Places might be multiplied in order to the evincement of this Truth that Assurance is attainable in this Life May the Church speak My Beloved is mine Can. 2.16 and I am his he feedeth among the Lillies That their hearts might be comforted Col. 2.2 being knit together in love and to the full assurance of understanding Hereby we know that we know him 1 Joh. 2.3 if we keep his Commandments To know that we know is assuredly to know infallibly to know The barbarous and bloody Papists deny an infallible Assurance and grant only a conjectural one the reason they give is the mutability of mans will but the Salvation of a Soul depends not upon the mutability of mans but upon the immutability of Gods will I am Jehovah and I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye Sons of Jacob are not consumed But what is this Assurance Quest that is attainable in this Life Soul Assurance or evidence for Interest in Christ is that internal and infallible Certainty Descr which a believing person hath of Salvation through free grace written with the Blood of a crucified Christ In this Description for I dare not pretend unto a Definition six things fall under Discussion the matter the manner the subject the object the motive the medium but to these distinctly The matter This is Certainty Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is a certain thing Hoc aliquid nihil a real thing and an assured Soul can realize this thing The world is a cheat and its motto is This Something is Nothing The world is a mass of mutabilities a mass of uncertainties Oxen and Sheep Asses and Camels to day but none to morrow but now Assurance is a certainty I have read of one who said Lord I am assured of thy Love Mrs. Bretterg and so certain am I of that as I am certain that thou art the God of Truth Assurance is not a Physical notion or a mathematical conclusion it is not conjectural but real The Soul that hath passed through the sealing work of the Spirit can say as Jacob did to Joseph I know it my Son I know it Gen. 48.19 I am not under a mistake concerning the Lads I know what I do Thus those who are assured can say God is theirs and Christ theirs and Grace theirs and Glory shall be theirs We are alwaies confident knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.6 7 8. not by sight We are confident I say and wiling rather to be absent from the body that we may be present with the Lord. If the Soul goes down to the dust with the Body what presence have we with God when we die we are confident and this is doubled yea we are alwaies confident The manner As there is the matter which is certainty so there is the manner of this certainty which is internal and infallible but to these distinctly Internal The very Heart and Soul of man is concerned here Assurance is a work within a work upon the Heart Rom. 10.10 With the Heart man believeth and with the Tongue confession is made unto Salvation The Heart is the happy or unhappy soil for good or evil All good or evil begins in the Heart The Soul is invisible and so is this work of Assurance upon the Soul The word of Assurance is my Redeemer My Father and your Father my God and your God is the Dialect of the Gospel And Mary said Luke 1.46 47. but what did she say she sayeth this My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour Infallible As it is external so it is invisible and infallible Assurance is an internal and invisible Certainty for it is from the Spirit of God and who may charge the Spirit of God with fallibility and fallacy In Cathreda Shall the proud Pope pretend to Infallibility when and while in the Chair and shall the Spirit when the Lord is that Spirit be charged with fallibility and fallacy The Spirit is the Tree upon which groweth all that fruit that is brought forth to God The Spirit is that infallible Testimony within Our Gospel came not to you in word only 1 Thes 1.5 it came in word but not in word only it came also in power and in the holy Spirit and in much assurance The Subject Now this is a believing person This Assurance or Evidence for Interest in Christ is that Internal and infallible Certainty which a believing person hath It is a believing person whether Jew or Gentile whether man or woman that launch forth into this great deep It is a believing person that is able to engage a Lion and a Bear and doubts not but to make a Conquest upon a Goliah also Though there may be Grace where there is no Assurance yet there can be no Assurance where there is no Grace Though there may be Faith where there is no Assurance Heb. 10.22 yet there is no Assurance where there is no Faith for it is an Assurance of Faith Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith
of Devils The Lord is slow to Anger and of great Power and will not at all acquit the wicked Now the Power of God Jer. 39.18 is made over by promise unto the People of God who make him the Object of their Trust I will surely deliver thee and thou shalt not fall by the sword but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee because thou hast put thy trust in me saith Jehovah His Presence As the power so the presence of God is made over by promise unto the People of God What would the Joys of Heaven be were it not for the presence of God there but as a Funeral Banquet Psal 16.11 where there is much provision but no meat In thy presence is fulness of joy and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore To be with the Lord for a moment is a Heaven upon Earth but to be with the Lord for ever is the Heaven of Heavens The presence of God is the Heaven of Heaven the Joy of Heaven the Life of Heaven and of All that shall arrive there Now the presence of God Isa 43.2 is made over by promise to the People of God When thou passest thorough the waters I will be with thee and thorough the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest thorough the fire thou shalt not be burnt nor shall the flame kindle upon thee God is with his in the fire and in the water though these be amazing and amusing elements and his presence is more than deliverance If God be with his though all evil be upon them yet no evil toucheth them The presence of the chief Good is banishment to all evil His Pardon Pardon of Sin is a singular mercy of the plural number if a convinced or deserted Soul may speak The Pardon of Pope Alexander the Sixth Heb. 8.12 was for Thirty thousand Years but this Pardon notwithstanding the prodigious length of it was not worth the having worth the hearing for God onely can forgive Sin I will be merciful unto their unrighteâ—◠〈◊〉 their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Here are three words unrighteousness sins and iniquities to indicate and intimate that God will forgive all kinds and degrees of sins Ex. 34.7 The number of words imply the number of sins The Scripture in propounding Gospel-Immunties sometimes useth three words Jer. 31.34 forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin sometimes two words I will forgive their Iniquity Jer. 33.8 and will remember their Sin no more sometimes but one word I will cleanse them from all their Iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me His Providence The works of God are distinguished into two sorts of Creation and Providence It is not good to out-run Providence Perkin ' s Golden Chain Acts 17.28 Isa 43.1 4. and it is as bad to loyter and lag behind it God's Providence saith one is either General which extends it self to the whole world in whom we live and move and have our Being or Special which he sheweth towards his Church Oh Jacob and Israel Fear not I have called thee by thy name thou art mine I will give men for thee and people for thy life All Creatures have a teaching Voice and read us Divinity-Lectures of Divine Providence Is not that a true Axiome in Divinity Gen. 22.14 Providence is a Creation continued Abraham called the name of the place where the Ram was caught Jehovah-jireh the Lord will see or provide noting the special Providence of God in Distresses as it is said unto this day In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen Now this Providence of God is his most wise just Descriptio and powerful discerning disposing and preserving of all things and persons according to his eternal and immutable knowledge and will for such ends as himself hath purposed from everlasting Mat. 10.29 30. Are not two Sparrows sold for a Farthing the tenth part of a Roman Peny and of our Coin an Half-peny Farthing and not one of them shall fall on the ground without your Father But the very hairs of your head are all numbred The hairs of our heads are innumerable to Vs but they are numerable to God These words at once intimate God's Care of all and Satan's Malice against all God will have an Account of every Hair The Enemies cannot pull off a Hair but God will call them to a Reckoning for it The Efflux of his Spirit As the Power and presence of God the Pardon and Providence of God so an Efflux of the Spirit of God is laid and left Isa 44.3 under promise I will pour water upon the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thine off-spring Is not deadness of Spirit the Grave as it were of many Graces The Spirit of God is not the light within every man God the Father Son Faldo 's Key c. p. 85. and Holy Spirit without distinction as a Generation of a late Edition not for want of Ignorance or being too much proselited and become the Spawn of the Romists assert The Soul without the Spirit and its Gales is like a Ship without Sails and Wind. Now Joel 2.28 a greater dimension and efflux of the Spirit is laid and left under promise And it shall come to pass that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh His Goodness God is good very good and doth good Psal 27.13 He is abundant in goodness and truth I had fainted had I not believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Had not the goodness of God been laid under promise how should it have been believed For as the Precept is a Rule for Obedience so the Promise is a ground for Faith The goodness of God is unto wonder and this is the matter of the Psalmist's wonder Psal 31.19 Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for those that fear Thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men His Faithfulness Man is unfaithful but God is faithful 2 Tim. 2.13 Though we believe not yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself This is not spoken of Vnbelievers but of persons that might be very unbelieving Though our Faith be reduced to a low ebb though Fear hath taken the wall of Faith though Fear be at flood Pontius Centurio Clark ' s Mirror p. 206. and Faith at ebb yet he abideth faithful he cannot deny himself One of Caesar's Captains taken by Scipio had his life proffered him with an honourable place in Pompey's Army if he would leave Caesar and serve Pompey but he answered I will rather dye than falsifie my Faith to Caesar Did man thus say Psal 89.33 What may God then say
into a Chamber into a Closet and give vent to thy Soul there and is not this a great mercy when thy Soul hath been like a troubled Sea and thou hast cryed forsaken and forgotten out of the hand of God and out of the heart of God too thou hast gone to thy knees and told Christ of thy sins and sorrows who sends not away sad from his presence and is not this a great mercy Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly to the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Leigh The Cherubims or Mercy-seat saith one was a Type of the Throne of Grace unto this Throne of Grace may those actually Christs have Access they may come as the Sons of the New Testament and are not to come as the Servants of the Old If they come believingly they may come boldly or according to the Greek with boldness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with liberty and confidence of speaking all our mind but this Access and obtaining mercy is thorough Christ Jesus the Lord their High-Priest Rom. 5.2 and Intercessor Those actually Christs have a Gospel-Propriety in Audience from God at the Throne of Grace Is it nothing to have mans ear but what is it then to have Gods Ear who is all Ear as well as all Eye hearing all things as if he had but one thing to hear as well as seeing all things as if he had but one thing to see God heareth not Sinners but he heareth Saints I sought the Lord Psal 34.4 6 15. and he heard me and delivered me from all my fears Christ by those actually his may be consulted as an Oracle and have his Ear. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles Is it not a great mercy to have Christs Ear especially when thou hast none other Ear to hear thy cryes The eyes of Jehovah are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry Those actually Christs have a Gospel-Propriety in Assistance from God at the Throne of Grace For a poor Soul to go to the Throne of Grace and be ammated there to go to the Throne of Grace and be assisted there is not this a great mercy Oh says the Soul though it is my duty to pray at all times and hath been my mercy to pray many times yet I cannot pray now my heart is like a Wâ—â—derness now like a Desart now my heart is dark and drad and down now that I cannot pray Is it so yet let there be no declining of duty for there shall be assisting in duty Like wise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities Rom. 8.26 for we know not what we shâ—â—ld pray for as we ought but the Spirit himself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Is not this a Metaphor taken either 1. from one that lifts a piece of timber which he cannot do alone but as he is at one end so he hath one at the other end that helps him to lift it Thus must the Spirit help thee in Prayer or thy Prayer will never pass thorough the hand of the Son unto the heart of the Father Or 2. from a Norse that takes hold of the Child to assist it in gâ—â—ng and prevent its falling Thus the Spirit must take hold of the Soul in Prayer Prayer being a breathing out that before God which was first breathed in by the Spirit of God Or 3. from an old Man that leans upon his staff and cannot go without it Thus thou mayst go unto duty but thou wilt not go unto God in that duty without the Spirit Those actually Christs have a Gospel-Propriety in Acceptance with God at the Throne of Grace Oh saith the Soul I fear I have lost all my Prayers and all my Tears He hath a Bag for my Sins but I fear he hath not a Book for my Prayers and a Bottle for my Tears But Soul art actually Christs then person and performance then Soul and Service are accepted with God thorough Christ Jesus Eph. 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To the praise of the Glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved Or according to the Greek wherein he hath freely made us free or freely accepted us Those actually Christs are Heirs of Gospel-Promises Are not the Promises great things Bilney Glover and Spira thought them so yet those actually Christs are Heirs of the Promises Are not the Promises great things when the Soul cryes for a Promise as the Woman for Children Children or I dye A Promise saith the Soul or I dye Christ in a Promise or I dye Does the Soul say I do not know that ever God brought and blessed any Promise to my Soul But Soul hast a Propriety in the Prince of Life then thou hast a Propriety in the Promise of Life for 2 Cor. 1.20 All the Promises of God in Christ are Yea and in Christ Amen to the Glory of God by us But what are those things which are laid under Promise Quest Eternal Life that is laid under Promise Sol. 1. Is Life nothing Natural Life nothing This is Spiritual yea this is Eternal Life Eternal Life is made up of Grace and Glory and yet this is laid under Promise In hope of Eternal Life Tit. 1.2 Non ab aeterno sed ante multa saecula Grotius which God that cannot lye promised before the world began Before the world began not from Eternity saith one but before many Ages Either God decreed from Eternity to promise Eternal Life or he did promise Eternal Life from the beginning of Ages in that famous promise Gen. 3.15 of the blessed Seed Is not Eternal Life worth the hearing worth the heeding worth the having worth the holding and yet this is laid and left under promise Pardon of sin that is laid under promise Ask a desponding doubting drooping Soul and he will tell you that pardon of sin is a singular mercy of the plural number What would not a cast man a condemned man give for a Pardon What would not a Soul cast down with the sight and sense of sin give for a sight and sense of the pardon of it Is not that a sweet word I will be merciful to their unrighteousness Heb. 8.12 their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more Power against sin is laid under promise Oh saith the Soul I am not a match for this Achan for that Goliah of Gath for these sons of Zerviah within Oh saith the Soul I find a Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind Oh I find fleshly Lusts warring against the Soul Is it so with thee so it is with me but power against sin is laid under promise As the way of the Lord is strength to the upright so they that wait upon the Lord and keep his way shall renew their strength Isa 40.31