God gracious and merciful accept me in thy Beloved even Jesus Christ in whom alone thou art well pleased and for his sake let me not go from before thee without a blessing a blessing of pardon and of peace a blessing of thy Spirit and of thy grace a blessing of thy favor and of thy love in the Lord Jesus Thus Lord say of me Thou hast blessed me and that I shall be blessed for ever Amen Amen Here rising up and making thine humble adoration before the Throne ot Glory say Halleluiah Salvation be unto our God and to the Lamb for ever Amen Halleluiah 4. After all this if thy foul thoughts shall yet continue or renew their assaults as it may be they will for a time let them pass like lightening and so though they suddenly startle yet let them not long discontent thy soul for this slighting is the best resisting and thou shalt sooner be quit of them by a pious neglect then by an eager opposition Like angry Bees such are foul and blasphemous thoughts Isa 30.15 Ps 118.12 they are better avoided in passing by then in beating off This Direction is well attested by the experience of a Minister of Christ with whom I have had intimate acquaintance who being devoutly employed in the ministration of the holy Eucharist Satan to disturb his devotion and thereby disquiet his soul assaults him with the sudden suggestion of foul thoughts He startled with their appearance in so sacred an action began a contest of holy indignation which contest heightened their rage and the more entangled his soul In this secret trouble he observes how busie the Flies were in that hot season about the Cup which he was administring and that he in prudence as well as piety was regardless of their buzzing and kept himself intent upon the holy service This became presently his instruction from thence raising this sudden Meditation Sure Satan envies the sweet comforts of my soul in communion with my Jesus and therefore sends these busie Thoughts to suck up their sweetness which if I strive to beat off they do but the more disturb my soul I will therefore do with Satans suggestions as with the Flies pass them by in a silent contempt not think to drive them away by a forcible opposition And he thus resolv'd they soon vanish'd keeping his heart fixt upon his God and his eye intent upon the present Solemnity 5. And lastly O thou afflicted soul do wth thy God when assaulted with frightful thoughts as children do with their parents when they behold any frightful thing even cling closer and hold faster to him And doubt not when Satan sees that what he intends to drive thee from thy God draws thee neerer to him he will soon cease the violence of his temptations And when the Devil hath left thee Mat. 4.11 Isa 63.9 Mal 3.1 Angels will come and minister unto thee especially the Angel of the Covenant Christ Jesus he shall revive and glad thy soul with the quickening graces and chearing comforts of his Spirit CHAP. III. The Souls Conflict from some late Relapses into Sin AS Physicians make a soveraign Antidote of the Vipers flesh to destroy its poison Heb. 2.17 18. Heb. 4.15 16. so doth Christ a saving Medicine of Satans temptations to defeat his malice Christ being tempted even to sanctifie our temptations and to be himself at once our refuge and our pattern that as we are guarded by his power so we may be instructed by his example Mat. 4.4.7.10 Eph. 6.17 Jam. 4.7 And what is the instruction but that of spiritual wisdom and holy resolution in opposing the Word of God to the wiles of Satan and so resisting till he flie from us And when Satan is beat back in his temptations oh how do the comforts of Christs Spirit return upon our souls to quicken strengthen and establish them Whensoever then we hear the mournful complaints of languishing souls upon Relapses into sin Job 13.24 Job 14.17 Ps 43 2. that God accounts them his enemies seals up their transgressions and casts them off They are the passionate Expressions of a distrustful impatience Satan by his suggestions so aggravating their guilt and heightening their provocation Luk. 5.31 1 Joh. 1.7 that thereby the soul becomes wholly fixt upon the disease eying neither the Physician not his remedy neither Christ nor his blood Yea the soul becomes so overburdened with its debt that it views neither the Surety Heb. 7.22 Joh. 1.16 Luk. 24.47 Joh 3.16.34 nor his sufficiencie neither Jesus nor his fulness both which are presented to the Penitent in the Promises In this distress of soul hear the Words of Complaint yea hear the deep and mournful lamentations of the relapsed Saint plung'd in the sink of sin and sunk in the mire of uncleanness The Words of Complaint Oh woe is me how is the Crown fallen from my head How is all my joy and comfort fled from my soul How are my sins and my sorrows together increased Oh my backslidings from my God! Oh my sinful departings from my Saviour Wretched man how have I forsaken my first love cast off my former zeal and by my sinful Apostacie quenched yea griev'd the Spirit of my God So that whereas before I did delight in his serviâ—e I now shame and fear to come into his presence whereas before his Spirit did enlarge my heart with comforts now my sin doth fill my soul with horrors Oh what shall I do I have abused the mercy of my God despised his love profan'd his holiness and offended his Majesty And what hope of pardon from an abused mercy What hope of favor from a despised love What hope of Communion with a profan'd Holiness What hope of acceptance with an offended Majesty These the Words of Complaint And now to set open a safe Harbor for the humble and penitent not to set up a vain shelter for the profane and presumptuous Observe The Grounds of Comfort 1. The immutability of Gods love The grace and love of God as the Agent is not founded upon any motives or reasons in man as the Object as if merit or worth in man did either beget or continue favor or love in God No He justifies us when ungodly Rom. 4.5 Rom. 5.10 Eph. 2.6 Rom. 3.24 He reconciles us when enemies He quickens us when dead And therefore needs must it be that we are freely justified and so eternally saved by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Now if when enemies by wicked works we were reconciled by the death of Christ if when dead in trespasses and sins we were quickened by the Spirit of Grace how much more being reconciled being quickened shall our persons be accepted our sins pardon'd and our falls repair'd So that as by the operation of his Spirit we are regenerated so by the power of the same Spirit we shall be restored The love wherewith God loveth us in Christ it
practice and pattern of Gods Saints the grace and mercy which God hath vouchsafed to them in Christ not being only for their own salvation but also for others instruction For this cause saith the Apostle I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting For a pattern 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a compleat Image in whom men might view as most lively drawn forth the exceeding abundant grace of Christ in receiving to mercy so cruel a Persecutor of his Church and so horrid a Blasphemer of his Truth that so humble Penitents being more invited with the riches of Christs mercy and merits then discourag'd with the hainousness of their own pollution and guilt might believe on Christ the Saviour of the World unto everlasting life Indeed we soonest convince by argumen s drawn from our own experience Ps 27 13 14. Ps 34.11 Thus we make it an ordinary Medium and Method of perswasion to one in sickness saving Make use of such a Physitian for when I was taken with the like desperate disease he administred to me safe Physick and by Gods blessing hath wrought upon me an unexpected cure Luk. 22 32. Thus S. Paul converted David repenting Peter restored and others of Gods holy and now blessed Ones they seem to comfort and raise the dejected Sinner and relapsed Saint with arguments drawn from their own experience Why vain man dost thou delay to seek cure for thy wounds healing for thy sickness Take a Physitian upon our recommendation of whose grace and goodness of whose ability and skill we our selves have had so long and so large an experience and let not the distemper of thy disease make thee despair of cure our filthiness hath been as great as thine yet the blood of Christ hath cleansed us our wounds as deep as thine yet his balm hath cured us our souls as fainting as thine yet his grace hath revived us Do thou then exercise faith and repentance according to our example and thou shalt partake of grace and salvation according to our experience 3. Observe the most soveraign and sacred Restorative left us by Christ a worthy partaking the blessed Eucharist What can be a more divine Cordial to the fainting soul what more soveraign remedy to a wounded Conscience then the Covenant of Grace firmly seal'd the merits of Christs death really exhibited and the earnest of the heavenly inheritance visibly convey'd The whole sum of that Tremendum Mysterium that dreadful mysterie as the Antients call it the blessed Eucharist it is this the Communion of the body and blood of Christ 1 Cor. 10.16 in which Communion our Lord Jesus Christ powres forth h himself in the abundance of his mercy and riches of his merits He communicates himself as the Treasury of all Goodness the Fulness of all Graces Joh. 1.16 the Fountain of all Blessedness Wherefore then O thou afflicted soul having raised thy faith and renewed thy repentance attend the sacred solemnity of the blessed Eucharist thereby to have thy pardon seal'd thy weakness strengthened thy Corruptions subdued thy Peace of Conscience restored thy Joy of the Spirit enlarged and thine assurance of Gods love confirmed The Objections answered Here several Objections are made by the distrustful and doubting souls 1. Obj. Against the immutability of Gods love and stability Obj. 1 of his Covenant That sure God is not bound to perform the Promise when man neglects to fulfill the Condition and therefore though God do not forsake us yet we leaving him he may justly cast us off and reject us Ans True yet know concerning the faithful whom God hath received into his Covenant of grace Answ as he hath obliged himself never to depart from them so likewise to communicate that grace whereby he is ready to support and sustain them that they shall not totally and finally fall away from him Jer. 32.40 Heb. 8.10.12 And hereby it is that their backslidings though many yet are not perpetual but that fear God puts into their hearts doth restore them and that love he bears unto their persons doth accept them Wherefore as the house and ground stands firm though to distempered brains they seem to totter so the grace and covenant of God stands unmoveable though to distrustful hearts they seem to waver Lippientibus singularis lucerna numerosa est says Tertullian A fit allusion here As to a weak eye the candle which is single seems to have a double light so to a weak faith the Covenant of God which bears a single truth seems to carry a double sense So that notwithstanding all the doubtful Quaere's of a troubled heart and distrustful mind this remains as the surest and safest comfort of Gods children that He who is their Father is unchangeable in his love and constant in his promise 2. Obj. Against the merit of Christs passion and the benefit of his Obj. 2 intercession Some languishing and dejected soul may be so far from making the former testimonies of Gods love to be an encouragement for his rising that the thoughts thereof the more deject and cast him down and the merits of Christs passion with the vertue of his intercession are so far from administring him comfort that through despair they increase his sorrow and horror of soul Objecting that of the Apostle when he says Heb. 10.26 If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin and if so what will avail us Christs passion and intercession Answ To explain the true meaning of this Scripture is to repel the force of this objection Wherefore know Ans that if we examine the circumstances of this Text it will plainly appear that by sin here the Apostle doth mean the sin of Apostacie forsaking Christ and falling away to Judaisme a sin frequently committed in those times and sharply reproved in this Epistle And that this is meant of the sin of Apostacie the very Greek word does hint it somewhat to us which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word which denotes a defect on and falling away and that being as the Apostle expresseth it after the receiving the truth it can be rightly interpreted of none other sin but that of Apostacie And indeed the Apostle here speaks after the manner of the Hebrews with whom Apostacie was called sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As a fall ng away to Idolatry then with the Hebrews so falling away to Judaism with the Apostle is peculiarly called sin as indeed the sin most hateful and abominable And to them that thus sin by Apostacie v. 29. there remains no more sacrifice for their attonement for that they have counted the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing and have done despight to the Spirit of grace Yet more plaâ—n They who denied their Christian profession and fell off to Judaism could
have no more Sacrifice for sin because Christ being denied none other Messias was to he expected and as for the Sacrifices of the Law they were now no more available to take away sin they being ended and fulfilled in Christ So then there is no more sacrifise for sin to wilful Apostates but there is still a sacrifice for sin to humble Penitents The merit of Christs passion shall nothing avail him that renounces his Christianity but it shall much avail yea effectually save him who bewails his iniquity Obj. 3 3. Obj. Against the renewing of Repentance And this Objection is raised from that of the Apostle Heb. 6.4 c. where he saith that it is impossible for those who were once enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come if they fall away to renew them again unto repentance From hence the relapsed Saint in his deep distress of Conscience frames this objection Seeing I have been once enlightened and have tasted the heavenly gift and have been partaker of the Holy Ghost and have tasted the good Word of God and the powers of the World to come and now having fallen away from my God by my multiplied iniquities it is impossible that I should be renewed again unto repentance Answ Answ This place as that other before mentioned is not to be understood of falling but of falling away not of the Children of God falling through sins of humane infirmity but of the Professors of Christ falling away through the sin of wilful Apostacie Of which sin many in the primitive times became guilty either through fear or through covetousness renouncing the faith of Christ and returning again to Judaism or Heathenish idolatry and of such it is that the Apostle here speaks when he tells us that they crucifie to themselves the Son of God afresh v. 6. and put him to an open shame For they that fell away to Judaism did as much dishonor injure and abuse Christ as if with the Jews they had actually spit upon him buffeted him and crucified him And for such to renew them again to repentance it is impossible Impossible non physicè sed moraliter as the School speaks Impossible according to the ordinary course of the Church according to the common and usual way of salvation otherwise our Saviour tells us in the like case With men this is impossible but with God all things are possible True it is Mat. 19 26. Novatus and his followers from this Heb. 6.4 and that Heb. 10.26 did deny repentance and admission into the Church not only to those who fell away from the faith but also who fell into any scandalous sin but for this were they justly condemned by the Church of God for Heresie So that this place of the Apostle is to be interpreted as meant of such professors of Christ who fall away from the faith by wilful Apostacie as did Judas and Julian Not of such servants of God who fall into sin through some prevailing temptation as did David and Peter 4. Obj. Against a partaking of the blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist Obj. 4 Alas how shall I so unworthy a person be a worthy partaker of that holy Sacrament And to receive unworthily 1 Cor. 11.27.29 is to increase the horror of my guilt not regain the favor of my God I believe indeed but alas it is but faintly I repent but it is but weakly And what shall I then so vile a sinner attend so dreadful a solemnity Answ O thou dejected yet penitent soul Answ who art dismaied in thy self having weakened the power of grace by thy relapses into sin oh let not the weight of sin or the weakness of grace so thy repentance be faithful and thy faith sincere let not either deter or detain thee discourage or withhold thee from this blessed Ordinance but attend unto our Saviours call and come at his gracious invitation Hearken and hear Come unto me Mat. 11.28 all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Even because weary come and be refreshed even because burdened come and be eased because weak come and be strengthened because poor come and be enriched because sick come and be healed because wounded come and be cured because sad come and be comforted because dull come and be quickened because relapsed come and be restor'd Come to this spiritual feast with thy wedding-garment Mat. 22.12 Gen. 27.15 the pure robe of Christs righteousness put on by faith and thus clothed with the sweet smelling raiment of our elder Brother thou shalt obtain a multiplied blessing from our heavenly Father even a blessing of righteousness of peace a blessing of mercy and of love of grace and of strength of comfort and of joy Râ—m 86. the testimony of the Spirit setting on the seal of the Sacrament for the recovering and continuing the renewing and confirming the assurance of Gods love in a communion with Christ in his fulness It remains then O thou afflicted soul that thou fix upon the immutability of Gods love and the stability of his Covenant together with the merit of Christs passion and the benefit of his intercession these the sure Grounds of Comfort Again do thou raise thy faith renew thy repentance and apply thy self to a worâ—hy partaking of the blessed Eucharist these the faithful Rules of Direction All which the God of mercy and compassion bless unto thy soul and make effectual to thy salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen CHAP. IV. The Souls Conflict from the daily Assaults of Sin WHich Conflict that it is truly spiritual and sincere will appear by these signs Rom. 7.21 22 24. 1. The sanctified person acts against the power whilst he groans under the weight of his sin Ps 51 2.7.10 He hates its pollution as well as dreads its guilt He abhors its filth as well as fears its punishment 2. The Saint of God in his spiritual conflict he is both earnest to discover his corruptions and zealous to subdue them 1 Cor. 9.27 whereas the Natural man seeks out his corruptions as the Coward does his enemy unwilling to find him and afraid to fight him 3. Whereas the Natural man like a Neuter in a State is offended with the tumult and uprore that disquiets him the Spiritual man like a loyal Subject is incensed against the Rebel-Lusts that raise this tumult Ps 18.23 and cause this disquiet 4. His heart does as suddenly startle at the motions of sin as the Lamb does at the presence of the Wolf and this from that great contrariety and secret antipathy which is betwixt sin and grace the flesh and spirit an antipathy as great as that betwixt light and darkness Christ and Belial 2 Cor. 6.14.15 heaven and hell Lastly above all the evils sin brings upon the soul this that
and salvation Rom. 8 33. oh how will it at once raise the mind with wonder and fill the soul with comfort and this in beholding how in every link in every mysterie Mercy and truth do meet together Ps 85.10 righteousness and peace do kiss each other O thou afflicted soul how will it strengthen thy faith and thereby confirm thy peace yea enlarge thy joy To behold Christ seal'd by the Father to the office of Mediation Joh. 6.27 1 Tim. 2.5 Luk. 4.18 1 Tim. 3.16 and anointed by the Spirit to the work of Redemption which Redemption he hath perfected by his Passion declared sufficient by his Resurrection and applies as effectual unto his Church in his Intercession So that S. Paul makes it his confident challenge to all in heaven in earth and hell saying Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect Rom. 8.33 34. Magnificentissima conclusio Bez. in loc it is God that justifieth who is he that condemneth it is Christ that died yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us 2. Humbly applying the Promises of life In this exercise of faith O distressed soul thou shalt experimentally find and feel how aptly the Graces of the Spirit are resembled by fire for that as fire by burning Mat. 3.11 so grace by exercising it further enlarges and spreads it self Thus Charity is increased by loving Patience by bearing Mercy by compassionating and Faith it self by believing The best exercise of Faith then is in application of the Promises and the best application of the Promises is in the supplication of Prayer when in a devout fervor we urge God with the truth of his Word and cast our selves upon him in his free grace for the performance of his Promise which as it is made so is it made good in Christ Jesus unto the faithful 2 Cor. 1 20. 3. The Grounds of Comfort as to a distrust of the sincerity of Repentance 1. A man may be truly sanctified and so through the power of grace in the work of the Spirit a sincere Penitent notwithstanding the reliques of sin to hinder his progress in holiness This we have made good by the example of S. Paul who in an high accent of sorrow and a full confession of guilt complains of a body of sin a law in his members and a being brought into captivity to that law of sin Rom. 7.23 24. which sin though it rules not as a King it hath no willing and ready obedience yet it sometimes bears sway as a Rebel and prevails upon the soul so that with the Apostle the good which he would v 15 19. that he does not and the evil which he would not that he does And this S. Paul speaks of himself not as personating the unregenerate estate which many do imagine but as engaged in the spiritual warfare as S. Augustine hath determined For observe S Aug lib. retr v. 18. v. 22. v. 25. to will saith the Apostle is present with me and what is it not the Spirit of grace that thus sanctifies the will Again I delight in the law of God after the inward man this the voice and the practice too sure of a man regenerate Again With my mind I my self serve the law of God Here the Apostle is certainly either a Saint or an Hypocrite Wherefore then from the example presented it is evident a man may be truly sanctified and so through the power of grace a sincere Penitent notwithstanding the reliques of sin which hinder his progress in holiness 2. The more stirring motions and prevailing power of corruptions is not always from the greater impiety but oftentimes from the fitter opportunity to sin Know then O thou afflicted soul though opportunity doth not beget yet it is worth thy enquiry whether it doth not help to bring forth thy sins of infirmity It may be thou art apt to be more angry and passionate then formerly but is it because thou hast less meekness or more provocation It may be thou findest unclean affections more defiling then formerly but is' t because thou hast less chastity or more temptation It may be thou feel'st more grudgings of impatience and distrust then formerly but is it because thou hast less faith or more affliction Mat. 26.35 compar d with v. 56. 2 King 8.12 13 No man knows what corruptions are in him till he be tempted and that occasion and opportunity by an unhappy midwifery bring them forth Besides the difference of thy condition in the world may have made a difference of estate in thy soul Thou art now it may be at ease and rest and if so know the Birds appear in a calm which hid themselves in the tempest Active imployments yea Deut. 32 15. Jer. 48 11. and an afflicted condition in the world silence and still many corruptions which when we are at ease then they appear and shew themselves not that lust hath then more more life but more advantage not more strength but fitter opportunity 3. Thy sight of sin is from more light of Grace Rom 7 7.8 9. Eph 4. â—8 1 Coâ— 6 11. Rev. 3.17.18 and thy sense of sin from more life of the Spirit Oh how many lustings and sinful corruptions are there which the soul till exercised in the ways of holiness takes no notice or knowledge of So that thy corruptions increased in their number at which thou art so much dismaied do not necessarily argue that thou hast formerly less iniquity but rather that thou art now able to make a more clear and full discovery of thine iniquity which discovery of sin is a good argument to proâ—e the growth of grace For as the dust and atomes in the air are not discern'd till the Suns beams present them to the eye so the lusts and corrupt affections of the heart they are not seen till the Beams of divine light do make their discovery to the soul The Rules of Direction 1. Apprehend aright what is the proper sign of a sincere Repentance even the hatred and detestation of sin accompanied with a striving and contending against sin which contention is to be continued weakening sin in its power till we mortifie it in its motions It is not then the not committing of sin which is in it self the proper sign of a sincere repentance For what were this but to send us to the Wilderness or the Cloyster for the only Penitents yea and not find them there neither seeing the sad experiences of the Godly do sufficiently witness that sins of infirmity and of daily incursion as Tertullian calls them they do too too often surprise the best of Saints Peccata quotidianae incursionis Tert. 1 Joh. 1.8 Ps 18.23 Heb. 12.1 and that in the best of duties Yea there is in most if not in all some particular sin of nature which by special appropriation we may with David call
Jam. 1.17 And it is not any thing that can add to its immutability for as to infinity in respect of extension so to immutability in respect of firmness there can be no accession of parts nor addition of degrees § 14. Wherefore as mans oath adds not to the truth of his word so nor Gods oath to the certainty of his promise So that meerly to shew unto the faithful Heb. 6.17 the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel he confirmed it by an oath which was for the greater testimony of his love in the stronger assurance of our faith being fixt upon the firm stability of his promise from which stability of pâ—omise we draw an infallible argument to prove the blessing of God upon them that fear him He will shew them his covenant Who is it now that feareth the Lord and in that fear approacheth a communion with Christ in his ordinance his holy Sacrament that God may now acquaint him with his Covenant in the manifestations of his love let him first see to this that he be acquainted with his secret in the operations of his grace § 15. And here that we rest not on moral principles or on a formal sanctity do we examine the operations of grace in a real holiness such as meer morality cannot reach nor formal hypocrisie counterfeit See we then what is the secret of the Lord with them that fear him in the operations of grace 1. In respect of their contritions and humiliations 2. In respect of their hungrings and thirstings after righteousness 3. In respect of their holy purposes and godly resolutions 4. In respect of their earnest prayers and fervent supplications 5. In respect of their humble assurance of Gods love and acceptance through Christ § 16. 1. Their contritions and humiliations in which their sight and sense of sin is not only in respect of the general corruption of their nature but also the particular and more enormous transgressions of their life yea they view sin not so much in its horror of guilt Psal 14.3 Col. 1 21. Eph. 2 12. Isa 59.2 as in its pollution of filth not so much as exposing to wrath and hell as setting at enmity with God and estranging the soul from Christ And thus doth Christs grace work upon their hearts with the Laws threatnings tempered with the Gospels promises thereby bruising and breaking them in contritions of soul mollifying and melting them in languishings of spirit Oh this the secret of the Lord these the operations of grace in Contritions and Humiliations § 17. 2. In hungrings and thirstings after righteousness which arise in the soul from faith in the promises of Christ those of Justification by his Blood and those of Sanctification by his Spirit yea that knowledg of God and of Christ which they had formerly being speculative now becomes practical and they find those Scriptures true in experience and trial which before they viewed only in fancy and notion Psal 27.4 So that nothing appears more beautiful to their souâ—s then the worship and service of their God nothing more joyous then communion with Christ and fellowship with his Saints And therefore do they breath forth their longings after righteousness with holy David Oh that our ways were made so direct Psal 119 5. that we might keep thy statutes And as they have no comfort in their souls till God speaks peace unto their consciences so nor have they quiet in their consciences till God give further grace unto their souls that grace of sanctification whereby they may perfect holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 § 18. 3. Holy purposes and godly resolutions which resolutions of their souls are conformable to the admonition of the Apostle Act. 11.23 even with purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. And whereas the purposes of the Hypocrite they are ab extra from without from Gods judgments or mans perswasions their holy purposes they are ab infra from within from the sense of Gods mercy and Christs love which does so powerfully affâ—ct their souls that they are with David at a Juravi I have sworne Ps 119.166 and I will perform it that I will keep thy righteous judgments They make it their solemn vow and sincere resolution to observe the Law of their God and the precepts of their Redeemer And according to the sincerity of their holy resolutions so do they order the integrity of their holy obedience even in an universal and impartial respect to all Gods commandments not allowing not approving yea Ps 119.6 not excusing or indulging themselves in the commission of the least evil of which their conscience is convinc'd that it is a sin against their just and holy God their good and gracious Father § 19. 4. Earnest prayers and fervent supplications How many oh how many are the deep sighs how many the mournful groans how many the secret wishes how many the pantings and longings which they feel in their souls as so many ebullitions of grace so many breathings of the Spirit And all these oft-times before they can in affiance of faith gain wing in prayer to present and enlarge themselves in supplications before the Throne of grace In which supplications they are not more earnest and importunate for justification then they are for sanctification for remission of sins then for newness of life yea they sue with as much fervency and importunity for holiness as for happiness for grace as for glory § 20. 5. Their humble assurance of Gods love and acceptance through Christ And for this know that the Spirit of supplication which gives them words to put up their prayer unto God through Christ the same Spirit doth often bring back word unto their souls that their prayer so put up is accepted whereby with David they taste and see that is Ps 34 8. experimentally find and feel that the Lord is God receiving even whilst they are praying an answer of their prayers returned into their bosom by a secret contentation of soul wrought by a sweet illapse of the Spirit And thus their souls become even transported with a divine joy and heavenly delight the spiritual communion they obtain with God through Christ in humble prayer being an earnest of that eternal communion they expect with God and with Christ in the heavenly presence Joh 17.24 Of which eternal communion and heavenly presence this blessed Eucharist is the Sacramental seals and pledge confirming unto us the truth and comfort of this doctrine and Text That the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Vers 15. Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net § 1. HIs guards are strong his fence is sure whose salvation is Christ which salvation is communicated to us in the promises of grace exhibited in the ministry of the Word and more plentifully conveyed yea more effectually confirmed in
me Isa 49.14 he hath withdrawn himself in the comforts of his Spirit from me so that I am desolate and afflicted the troubles of my heart are enlarged For thy comfort and direction 1. ◠Know Comfort is not of the necessary being but of the happy well-being of the Saints it is rather a partial reward then a particular grace an earnest of glorification rather then a part of sanctification It is the light not the heat of the Sun that makes the day and it is the grace not the comfort of the Spirit that makes a Saint 2. For thy direction 1. Be zealous to find out the Achan to discover the cursed thing if any there be which hath caused or occasioned this desertion and having found it be humbled in repentance for commonly Spiritual comforts take their first rise from Penitential sorrow § 24. 2. After humiliation enquire of God in the means of grace press near to him in his ordinances especially this of the blessed Eucharist And in this holy Sacrament hear Christs Venite ad me his Come unto me Mat. 11.28 extending it self to the hungry that they come and be satisfied to the thirsty that they come and be refreshed to the weary that they come and be eased to the weak that they come and be strengthened to the sick that they come and be healed to the fainting that they come and be revived to them that are fallen that they come and be restored yea to all that have faith and repentance that they come and be saved Here the treasury of heaven here the fountain of life here the storehouse of comforts are all set wide open Here O ye afflicted souls here you are at the right door knock and knock hard be not answered without admittance God loves an holy importunity and know the Lord is here Christ is here life is here salvation is here here dwells everlasting mercy here dwells eternal peace Oh look in look in with all reverence and faith into these sacred mysteries of grace and love and see see there the delights of Paradise and rivers of joy feeding them Oh how the Angels sing whilst devout souls exult at this blessed Feast of the Lord of life and Prince of peace § 25. 3. To preserve the comforts of the Spirit when received of God in Christ be faithful in the exercise of grace For God imprints his love upon the heart in the characters of grace which the more large the better read yea Grace is Gods seal and the more visible the stamp the more evident the assurance the more evident is our assurance the more full will be our comforts Further know the wayes of holiness are as beds of spices Cant. 4.16 the more we walk in them the more they requite the soul with their sweet delight and spiritual refreshments Thus must mans obedience be conformable to his devotion his conversation to his supplication not doing that which may drive God from him in justice whilst he would have God turn to him in mercy Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me c. Vers 18. Look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins § 1. AFfliction is the proper object of compassion misery the proper object of mercy And therefore we read how Pilate willing to release Jesus he brings him forth having his back furrowed with the whips his head harrowed with the thorns and his derisive purple stained yea drencht with blood and presents him thus ghastly a spectacle to the Jews with an Ecce homo Joh. 19.5 behold the man supposing so sad a sight would have moved malice to mercy and envy it self to compassion Now what Pilate did to the Jews with Christ Christ in a fit resemblance and apt allusion does with the Penitent to his Father he brings him forth in the Court of Conscience having his heart wounded with sorrow his spirit broken in contrition and his soul fainting in languishments of repentance and presents him so sad a spectacle to the Father with an Ecce homo Behold the man § 2. Behold the man once so lofty in his pride now so lowly in his penitence once so hardened in his rebellion now so humbled in his contrition once so obstinate a sinner now so pittiful a penitent And oh whilst this man of sorrows mourns in affliction how does the Father of mercies melt in compassion When the wounded sinner is presented by the wounded Son and the Penitents tears cry aloud with the Mediators blood how must the Fathers compassion needs melt into sins remission Of which sacred truth and heavenly comfort was David well assured when in this his Psalm of penitence he makes this prayer of faith Vide afflictionem Look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins § 3. Observe we in these words two particulars 1. The proper object of Divine mercy 2. The firm ground of the Souls peace 1. The proper object of Divine mercy it is affliction and pain Look upon my affliction and my pain 2. The firm ground of the Souls peace it is sins forgiveness Forgive me all my sins § 4. 1. The proper object of Divine mercy Look upon mine affliction and my pain This affliction and pain is either that of the penitent Sinner or that of the devout Saint That of the penitent Sinner who having withdrawn himself from the world and retired into the secret closet of his Conscience Isa 38. how does he with Hezekiah even Recogitare annos in amaritudine animae Overturn the Annals of his life in the bitterness of his soul And after a strict survey having faithfully observed the sins which he hath committed and the several circumstances by which they are aggravated he then sums them up into a Catalogue which is no sooner in his eye but sorrow is in his heart endeavoring to blot out those letters of guilt with his tears of repentance through faith in the blood of Christ § 5. And whilst he sets his sins in order before him Oh how does a secret affrightment chill his blood and make his heart to tremble in the apprehension of their loathsome filth and dreadful curse yea he beholding himself under the heavy sentence of the laws condemnation Oh how how is he wholly encompassed with terror and amazement When he looks within him Oh the terrors of an accusing conscience and a killing guilt When he looks without him Oh the horror of a deserved death and a tormenting Hell When he looks above him Oh the dread the dread of an offended Majesty and an avenging Judge Oh whither whither then shall this poor penitent fly for succour Where oh where shall his affrighted and afflicted soul seek for shelter Where but at the cross of his Redeemer § 6. And when Christ so full of pitty so full of love when he beholds the humble suppliant and sincere penitent in the lowest depth of his humiliations pouring out his complaint at the foot of his
in our mind and this will conduce much to the composing our souls when their Words of Complaint are answered with Grounds of Comfort and Rules of Direction CHAP. I. The Souls Conflict from the importunate Crowd of Vain Thoughts OUr secret Thoughts are commonly the immediate issue of our inward Principles vile affections still begetting vain imaginations and holy desires administring matter for divine thoughts Wherefore when our Lord Jesus Christ sets up his Throne in the Heart he there governs by the golden Scepter of his Grace which Grace it is that casts down every high imagination and brings into captivity every vain thought to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which vain thoughts however they may seem small sins yet their strength of evil like that of the Egyptian caterpillars it is in their number Ps 10 5.34 35. whereby they prevail oftentimes to eat up every green thing in the land every good motion in the heart And this importunate crowd of vain Thoughts is not the least of Satans temptations in which he is right Beelzebub the God of Flyes Mat. 12.24 for as busie Flyes were to the Altars sacrifices so are vain thoughts to our holy services their continual buzzing disturbs the Mind and distracts its devotion This Cogitationum tumultus this tumult and crowd of vain Thoughts was once S. Bernards trouble of which he complains Bern. de inter Dem. that introeunt exeunt they pass and repass come in and go out and will not be controll'd Amovere volo nec valeo I would fain saith he remove them but cannot either as slie Thieves they creep in undiscern'd or as bold Guests they force admittance though they find no welcome Now because nothing is more dreadful to the godly man then sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so says S. Chrysostom that to him is death that to him is hell Even therefore though no exorbitancie of life be discerned by man yet is he afflicted deeply afflicted for the very risings and rebellions of his Thoughts which being in the secret closet of the Heart can only appear unto God And in this his affliction hear we his Complaint The Words of Complaint Oh the perplexing trouble of my distracting thoughts How do they by their slie insinuations and secret importunities continually disturb the quiet of my mind and make my holy duties become a weariness to my soul They cool the heat they damp the vigor they dead the comfort of all my devotions Even when I pray God to forgive my sins I then sin whilst I am praying for forgiveness yea whether it be in the Church or in the Closet so frequently and so violently do these vain Thoughts withdraw mine heart from Gods service that I cannot have confidence he hears my suit because I know by experience I do not hear my self and therefore sure needs must God be far off from my prayer whilst my Heart is so far out of his presence hurried away with a crowd of vain Imaginations The Grounds of Comfort 1. These vain Thoughts O thou afflicted soul being indeed thy burden they shall not be thy ruine and though they do take from the sweetness yet they shall not take from the sincerity of thy devotions Yea 2 King 10.16.31 Ps 26.2 3. hereby thy sincerity is approv'd for that some external interest of temporal relations may make us guard our words our actions but it must be some internal Principle of holy fear which makes us to watch our thoughts our desires If then thy devotions were not sincere thy heart would not be troubled for to be taken off from a work we regard not Ps 119 115. is no disquet to the mind but it is an argument we set a value and esteem upon the work in hand when we are loth to be disturbed in the doing Ps 7.9 139.2 Jer. 11.20 2. It is no little glory which we give to God in the acknowledgment of his omnipresence and omniscience that we own him present in the Closet of our Hearts and privy to the first risings of our most inward thoughts And as it is the excellencie of Gods law that it reacheth our thoughts to discern and judge them Heb. 4.12 Luk. 2.35 so it is the riches of Gods mercy that it goes beyond the number of our thoughts to remit and pardon them Were it not indeed for the multitude of Gods compassions Ps 51.1 Gen. 6.5 dangerous yea desperate were our condition in the multitude of our sinful imaginations Which Imaginations being in number infinite are not to he forgiven but by those Mercies which are infinite and numberless Ps 145 8 9. This oh this is the sure foundation of firm comfort to the soul the tender mercies of its God! 3. It is much the experience of Gods children even the devoutest Saints that their thoughts of God and of Christ of heaven and of holiness are very unsteady and fleeting Like the sight of a Star through an Optick glass when held by a Palsey-hand such is our view of Divine objects we are long in finding them and soon lose them our thoughts wavering through our minds weakness Besides when we are most intent and our eye fixt then is Satan ready to strike us on the elbow Ps 57.7 Ps 31.21 22. and by some suggestion to shake us from our steadiness and disturb our devotions Indeed as Satan so the World and the Flesh they are most importunate suitors and let our communication with God and with Christ in fervent Prayer or any other holy service be ne'r so earnest and secret yet will they thrust in upon the soul for reception and audience Yea though we observe our Lords command and watch unto prayer Mar. 13.33 yet in our strictest Watch how do these enemies slip by our Guards If we stop and turn back some vain Thoughts yet even then whilst we are busied in that watchful care how are we surprised with some other as vain imaginations notwithstanding all our care and watchfulness Think not then O distressed soul think not 1 Cor. 10 13 in the common condition of Gods children that thou art cast out of Gods favor 4. Know thou hast the gracious mediation of an alsufficient Saviour to supply thy defects and procure an acceptance of thy sincere though imperfect Devotions In thy Saviours mediation Heb. 2.17 Joh. 6.27 Luk. 4.18 Rom. 8.34 Heb. 7 25. behold him a merciful and a faithful High Priest seal'd of the Father and annointed by the Spirit to this very office that being entred the Holy of Holies and set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high he should ever live to make intercession for us so that he he it is who compassionately toucht with a feeling of our infirmities Heb. 4 15. presents the sincere desires of our souls and holy purposes of our hearts as the firstlings of our flock made acceptable unto God through
in its filthiness is the mother Answ Jer. 4.14 Answ True if we find the mother hug and kiss the child the Heart I mean embrace and indulge the thought then indeed though the foul suggestion be only an egg laid in our nest yet because we brood it with our own warmth it becomes the issue of our own corruption and lays a black stain and guilt upon the soul Wherefore seeing as naturally tender children affect the womb so do corrupt thoughts the heart that bears them Know O thou afflicted soul if thy foul thoughts be of thine own begetting or begotten of thee thou shalt find a secret disposition of liking and of loving to them and an inward softness will be ready to foster and to cherish them Ps 119.113 But if they are the objects of thy hate which startle and affright thy soul and thou findest a secret antipathy against them and an inward abhorring of them then they are certainly altogether from without and so I have our Saviours warrant to assert and thou his word to believe that they defile not the man Mat. 15.18 19. But what is it that thy troubled soul still objects Thou sayest Obj. 2 Never any of Gods children were in this condition and sure it is some strange corruption discern'd by Satan which makes him thus tempt and it is some heavy displeasure conceiv'd by God which makes him thus permit the temptation Answ Thus to be afflicted is no new thing Answ 2 Cor. 2.11 and that with Gods Saints even I the least of those who minister to the Flock of Christ can witness to thee that in the service of my Ministry amongst other afflicted Consciences I have met with more then two or three even very many who had been thus buffeted by Satan and with such violence of fury for length of time even for some years that they have pin'd away and languished in their Convulsion-fits of secret tortures brought down to the very gates of death yea of hell too concealing their temptations because asham'd to utter them And these have been persons of no mean piety who observ'd Satans assaults to have been most violent when their devotions had been most enflam'd Yea their first conflict with these foul temptations was some time after their thorow-conversions when having given up their names unto Christ they had been exercised in solemn humiliations and graciously enlarg'd yea ravish'd with the sweet delights of holiness in their communions with God and with Christ in prayer and in praises Good souls thus brought to Mount Tabor they thought of building Tabernacles but alas Mat 17.4 they were presently made to come down and bearing their Cross Luk. â— 23 follow Christ to Mount Calvary yea to the grave and to hell that the glory of their victory and triumph might be the greater And blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 1.3 who in the power of his Spirit and grace was pleased to make these very Grounds of Comfort and Rules of Direction to become effectual to their restoring 3. It appears then that these faedae tentationes as Casuists call them these foul and filthy temptations even of Infidelity Blasphemy Atheism and the like they are Satans scare-crows when his baits fail when he cannot allure and win the soul by carnal pleasures and worldly delights then he seeks to fright and deter it from duties of holiness by secret horrors and dreadful suggestions Which dreadful suggestions rightly considered Job 30.15 Ps 88.16 they bring more of terror then of guilt to the soul being so contrary to the light of Nature and the dictate of Reason not rais'd by man but cast in by Satan And being thus cast in they have their passage thorow not their dwelling in the heart they make their entrance as bold Intruders but find not entertainment as welcom Guests Wherefore as many good Thoughts which only come into the mind by sudden motion and like sparks die as soon as brought forth as those do not argue a regenerate estate so many evil Thoughts which thrust into the heart by a sudden irruption and are opposed as soon as discern'd they do not prove a state unregenerate The Rules of Direction 1. Rightly inform thy judgment by making it a part of thy spiritual understanding to discern aright between the temptation Phil. 19.10 Heb. 5.14 and the evil of the temptation Which evil of temptation lies in the consent of the Will which Satan may perswade but cannot enforce So that if the temptation be consented to it brings guilt upon the soul but if repulst it returns upon Satan 2. Strictly examine thy Conscience for the discovery of what transgressions may have occasion'd these temptations For sometimes they are the punishment of sin though themselves not a sin to be punisht they are a just affliction when they are not a condemning guilt If â—inah gad abroad her chastity suffers a Rape Gen. 34.1 as the punishment of her curiosity and to wander in our thoughts from God is oftentimes punish'd with meeting a Bug-bear in our way Thoughts of Blasphemy or the like to fright us back and drive us neerer to him Yea when we become disobedient to Gods will not laid low in our humble submissions he suffers Satan to buffet us even against our wills sore vext with his foul suggestions and thus our grieving his Spirit Eph. 4.30 is by a Lex taliâ—nis justly chastised with a grieving ours Again observe that when we have had our Eagles flight soaring aloft in spiritual ravishments and then been pufft up with spiritual pride 2 Cor. 12 7. Luk. 10.10 God as once to chastise this sin and subdue this lust he justly suffers Satan who for his pride fell from heaven like lightening 2 Cor. 12.8 to buffet and afflict the soul with these affrighting terrors which like lightening amaze with horror though they do not wound with guilt Further yet as thou examinest thy self to find out what sins have occasioned these temptations so examine what sins have been caused or occasion'd by them as what deadness of heart what impatiencie of spirit what neglect of Gods service what weariness in holy duties what froward discontent what repining distrust and the like 3. Now having rightly inform'd thy Judgement as to the quality and nature of these temptations and strictly examined thy Conscience as to the cause or occasion of them the best way to free thy self from their violence and vexation is this 1 Do thou prostrate thy self in Gods presence and in a deep humiliation of soul with fasting and prayer Mat. 17 21. do thou supplicate the Throne of Grace to obtain the mercy of thy God through the merits of thy Saviour for the free and full pardon of whatsoever sin hath occasioned these temptations or hath been it self caused by them 2 When thou hast made this humble supplication with all earnest contrition then cite Satan
the publick Ministry of his Word and Sacraments so in the private duties of thy Closet devotions And if thy duties of devotion in prayer and praises be not perfunctory and formal thou shalt find by sweet and gracious experience that they are the food and nourishment of thy soul And therefore as the body when it wants its meals so the soul Psal 36 8. Psal 63.5 when it omits its prayers shall feel an hungring and griping in it self and a good argument it is those devotions afford some solid sustenance when the soul upon the want of them does feel a sensible emptiness Wherefore whatsoever are thy affairs or engagements in the World cherish thy desires and longings after God and Christ in thy soul and when thou hast not the opportunity of retirement and privacie for thy devotions retreat thy thoughts into the secret Closet of thy Heart and let thy Mind so swift of wing as moves further in a moment then the Sun in a day let thy Mind send forth its winged Messengers some heavenly Desires which taking a sudden flight to the Throne of grace Gen. 8.11 shall like Noahs Dove return thee an Olive-branch of peace and comfort into thy bosom Do thou by some secret ejaculatiâ—ns as by some coals from the Altar keep alive thy fervor of holy devotion and zeal of ardent love unto thy God and unto thy Jesus 2. The Grounds of Comfort as to a distrust of the sincerity of Faith in particular 1. Thy not being assured thou dost believe is from the pressing weight of temptation not the total want of faith As it was with S. Peter Mat. 14.31 so is it with the faithful whilst the waters are smooth Peter walks with confidence but when the winds begin to be boisterous and the sea rough he then sinks with fear and in this his fear he cries out Lord save me upon which Christ stretcheth forth his hand holds him up saying Why didst thou doubt O thou of little faith Thus is it with the Godly whilst they have a Calm within the cheerful light of Gods countenance shining forth upon their souls then they go on willingly and freely in the ways of holiness rejoycing in his love Ps 30.7 But when God hides his face then they are troubled when a tempest of temptation ariseth in their souls then they fear and doubt sink and cry And oh the tender mercies of their compassionating Jesus He is nigh unto them when they call upon him Ps â—45 18 He rebukes Satan stills the tempest revives the soul and returns in the sweet embraces of his love This know then O thou afflicted soul thou mayst have true faith in a firmness of adherence even when thou hast it not in a cleerness of evidence and so mayst truly believe when through the violence of temptation thou canst not for the present evidence to thy self that thou hast faith 2. However thy doubts and fears may dull and damp yet shall they not dead and destroy thy faith It was a large testimony of the Apostles faith when S. Peter as the mouth of the rest did to confidently answer our Saviour with a Lord Mat. 6.68 69. whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life and we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the living God Yet in the houre of trouble and of trial see how fear damps their faith in that when Christ was apprehended Mar. 14.50 they all forsook him and fled yet behold their faith recovers its strength and they who fled from the face of a small Band in the Garden Act. 5.27.41 Act. 2 36. dare afterwards stand in the face of an whole â—ouncil in Jerusalem yea and preach him Lord and Christ whom they denied their Lord and Master And now if the strong Pillars of the Church be shaken what shall the weak Reeds do If the glorious Lights of the World suffer an Eclipse Mat. 5.14 what shall the smoaking Flax do Why here 's our comfort our Lord and Saviour doth assure us that a bruised reed he will not break Mat. 12.20 and smoaking flax he will not quench Wherefore O distressed soul though thou art as weak in faith as a reed yea as a bruised reed yet thou shalt not be broken though there be no more fire of grace in thee then that of smoaking flax yet shalt thou not be quenched Be thy measure of grace ne'r so small the least good desire holy purpose or sincere endeavour though hid under a multitude of infirmities yet will Christ in his tenderness of love so cherish it with the breathings of his Spirit till he send forth judgment unto victory that is till by a continued growth in grace and renewed strength in the inward man thou mortifie sin and subdue thy corruptions Rom. 8.37 yea become more then conqueror through him that loved thee How many then are like Mary of whom we read that whilst she wept and sought for Jesus though he stood by her and talked with her yet is it said Joh. 20 14. she knew not that it was Jesus Thus many poor souls and sincere believers in a trial of temptation they are weeping and mourning after Christ yea refuse to be comfo ted because they cannot find him lodging in their hearts by faith whereas he is indeed neer them and in them by his Spirit and in their mournings speaks to them to be comforted and yet they know not that it is Jesus him whom their soul seeketh But after some languishings of sorrow and distractions of fear Christ discovers hlmself to the soul as he did unto Mary and then oh how is their joy redoubled in their faith reviv'd 3. There can be no true sense of the want of faith without some measure of true faith as no man can be sensible of sickness who hath not some life Now that is a true sense of the want of faith which is like the sense we have of the want of meat accompanied with an eager desire and hungring after it Mat. 5.6 which hungring desire cannot be in the soul from Satan or the flesh but is most assuredly a work of the Spirit and grace Wherefore when that poor man in the Gospel a weakling in faith cries out Lord I believe help mine unbelief Maâ— 9.24 from a principle and seed of faith opening and dilating it self for increase he desires and cries out for more faith so that he could not have said Lord help mine unbelief if he had not already believ'd And further because a willing mind in desires after godliness 2 Cor. 8.12 is a real conversion unto God therefore is it rightly said that an Heart truly desirous to repent and believe is indeed a repenting and believing heart As a woman then that feels the stirrings of the child though but weakly yet hath good hope she is conceiv'd so O thou afflicted soul when thou feel'st the secret pantings
no condemnation then no punishment For what is punishment but the execution of the just condemnation which is past by God upon the guilt of sin S. Augustine then gives us a short and full resolution that verè Christus communicando nobiscum sine culpa poenam culpam solvit poenam Christ by communicating with us of punishment without sin hath taken away both sin and punishment The afflictions then of the faithful they proceed from God as a provident Father not as an avenging Judge and are not for satisfying of his justice but the reforming of their lives To close What is it that most retards our pace tyres our spirits and dulls our vigor in the way to life and glory but the Corruption in our hearts and the Cross on our shoulders By so much then shall we the better bear our Cross by how much we the more subdue our Corruption To instance Root out Vainglory and ô how much is taken away from the weight of â—nfamy Root out Pride and ô how much is taken away from the weight of Poverty Root out Wrath and ô how much is taken away from the weight of Injury So that the better to bear our Cross what can be more effectual then this to reform our lives 2. To the exercise of a sincere repentance join the invocation of fervent prayer Ps 86.7 See Davids resolution In the day of my trouble I will call upon the Lord. And according to his resolution see his practice Ps 116.3 4. The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow then called I upon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul And for our encouragement to this duty we have the comfort of Gods promise Ps 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me O the divine power of fervent prayer which by an holy importunity does even vincere invincibilem overcome him who is invincible Exod. 32.10 Let me alone says God to Moses let me alone Domine quis tenet te saith the Father Lord who holds thee Why the instance and importunity of Moses prayer Let not then O afflicted soul let not the extremity of thy distress dead the vigor of thy faith or damp the importunity of thy devotion No as the thickest darkness of the night is nearest to the dawning of the morn and the lowest Ebb to the Tides return Thus the greatest misery which in natural men prompts to despair in the spiritual man becomes a ground of hope and a rise of comfort knowing well that of David is good instruction as well as true devotion a maxim of faith as well as a petition of prayer Ps 60.11 Help Lord for vain is the help of man When our affliction then is sharpest let our devotion be hottest and the more fervent is our prayer the more near shall be our help The tears of the afflicted when poured forth in fervent prayer cannot so fâ—ll to the ground but that their cry does ascend unto heaven and prevail with God for a blessing So that he shall either overshadow them with his wing or support them with his hand either protect them by his power or sustain them with his grace either give them deliverance out of troubles or strength to undergo them And indeed by so much a greater blessing it is to be strengthened to undergo troubles then to have present deliverance out of them by how much spiritual graces are more excellent then temporal mercies Ps 4 1. Ps 32.7 A greater blessedness was that of Davids when enlarged in his distress then when encompassed with songs of deliverance Hear me when I call O God of my righteousness thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress Upon this saith S. Chrysostom excellently Chrys in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He saith not thou hast kept trouble quite from me or thou hast quite rid me out of trouble but that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a wonder and paradox to the world In the midst of my distress 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast placed my soul in rest Let it be thy prayer then O distressed soul in all thine afflictions that God will either support thee by his grace or deliver thee by his power And so 3. To the invocation of fervent prayer join an humble submission unto Gods will For that God oftentimes deals with his children by way of exchange and commutation denying them wealth he gives contentment denying peace he gives patience denying an end of troubles he gives strength to undergo them Such is Gods wisdom that he knows and such is his goodness that he gives what is best and fittest for hâ—s to receive 1 Pet 5 6 7. Wherefore S. Peter's admonition is savingly good Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time casting all your care upon him for he careth for you Casting all your care upon him what may not Benjamin then have his sack and Christ his bag may not the Master provide for his family and the Father for his children Yes sure When the Apostle then will have us to cast all our care upon God he does not exclude any prudential providence but all sinful diffidence he does not forbid any moderate care but all immoderate carefulness Wherefore so cast we our care upon God as that in all things we humbly submit unto his will With old Eli in our greatest dangers and deepest necessities say It is the Lord 1 Sam. 3.18 1 Macch. 3.60 let him do what seemeth him good Or as Judas Macchabaeus in the midst of the calamities of his Nation As the will of God is in heaven so let him do Indeed a greater proof of grace there cannot be then this in the midst of afflictions humbly to submit unto the will of God For though there be no striving with our Maker yet how does froward Nature still prompt us to a quarrel in our murmuring against him Oh in how sweet and divine a temper then is that mans soul who when Gods hand is upon his back he hath his own hand presently upon his mouth and is at David's Tacui Domine quia tu fecisti Ps 29.10 I was dumb and opened not my mouth because it was thou Lord that didst it 4. To an humble submission unto Gods will join a patient expectation of his help Hear the Psalmists advice sound and saving Ps 37.6 7. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light and thy just dealing as the noon-day Gods children must have a patient expectation of Gods help for without him all is but vanity all policie and strength all wisdom and wealth without God they are but like Jonahs gourd Jon 4 7 8. when the sun beats hottest when trouble and affliction is the
the Word of the most High God it alters not but as the Lord is gracious in his promise so will he be faithful in the performance Answ Answ General promises have their particular application and so become as the object of faith so the support of the soul in each particular condition Indeed it hath been the priviledge of some more devout souls and more divine tempers by an experienc'd communion with God in prayer to implore him for particular blessings with as firm an assurance as if they had had a particular promise Thus it is reported of good Latimer Bishop in the beginning of Reformation that he had frequent in his prayers and firm in his confidence these three things Queen Elizabeths obtaining the Crown His sealing the Truth with his blood and the third which he used to express with greatest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of devotion and vehemencey of zeal was this The Gospel restor'd once again once again in England All which God hath fulfilled But what said I all fulfilled No sure Upon perusing this passage of History I was affected in my thoughts observing the duplication of the good Fathers prayer that it was for the Gospels restoring once again and once again in England I hope the Spirit of prayer and of prophecie here went together and as the Gospel hath been already once again restor'd unto our fathers so it shall be once again restor'd unto us and unto our children as it hath been once restor'd from Romish Superstition so it shall be once again restor'd from Heretical Schismatical and Sacrilegious Profanation And this oh this do we further with our prayers our teares our deepest humiliations I call to mind the Historical tradition concerning S. Augustine That his mother Monica frequently applying herself to S. Ambrose that famous Bishop with bitter mournings for her son then a blasphemous Maniche and of a dissolute life though after an Orthodox Father and of a religious conversation S. Ambrose observing her continual lamentations dismist her with these words of comfort and confidence that Tot lachrymarum filius c. The son of so many tears should not perish Oh! did the Sons of this Church for their Mother as Monica the Mother did for her Son Isa 62 6 7. Luk. 18 7. importune God with prayers and tears day and night giving him no rest I could with confidence make particular application of Christs general promise and tell them in the words of S. Ambrose a little chang'd Tot lachrymarum Mater The Mother of so many tears the Church of so many prayers shall not be ruin'd The gates of hell even the policie of men and devils shall not prevail against her But oh I fear I fear our prayers have been so long out of the Church that most men leave the Church out of their prayers However then it be a divine priviledge of Gods devoutest Saints to have a secret perswasion and impulse of the Spirit for the asking by prayer and believing through faith particular blessings as if given in particular promises yet that which is the pattern of our practice is an application of the general promises to our particular conditions with an humble submission unto God in the order of his providence to dispose of our distress and of our deliverance as shall make most for his own glory and his Churches good And though God set a long date of time to the performance of his promise yet let not our hearts faint nor faith fail seeing there is certainly no void and empty space no vacuum in his providence but the interval is that of preparing the seed to harvest the fitting his people for deliverance and as the sharper Winter makes the Spring more fruitful the harvest more plentiful so the sharper affliction makes our graces more pure our deliverance more glorious Obj. 2. I have long expected and could with patience have Obj. 2 longer waited for the the salvation of my God did not the blasting of my hopes make my faith to wither In stead of recovery behold a festering of my wound I expected a mitigation but I find and feel an aggravation of my distress I did hope for a deliverance but now am prest down with a greater trouble Answ Answ If God increase thy burden continue thou instant in prayer and he will doubtless either increase thy strength or else hasten thy deliverance That of S. Paul stands firm God is faithful who will not suffer those that are his to be tempted above what they are able 2 Cor. 10.13 Theoph. in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Theophylact God proportions our burden to our strength or else gives strength propor ionable to our burden so that the force of Satans temptations shall not exceed the power of Gods grace Wherefore Thou relying upon the promise of thy God neither shall thine affl ction in its burden of weight nor in its length of continuance so damp thy faith or dead thy devotion as to destroy thy soul Further take this admonition That thou cherish an expectation of distresses happening and withall make good a preparation against the happening of distresses for nothing more discomposeth the frame of soul or disturbeth the peace of mind then when our troubles are sudden beyond expectation and our hearts unfenc'd without preparation We say Quae alii diu patiendo sapiens diu cogitando levia facit Those things which others make light by patience in long-suffering the wise man makes light by patience in long foreseeing Good it is then in afflictions still to expect the worst And thus what ill befalls us will be the lighter and what good happens to us it will be the sweeter Expect we the worst not in a distracting fear but in a wary prudence not in an ill presaging distrust but in a well resolved faith Neither may we fancie groundless troubles and thereby create crosses to our selves To fear shadows argues either guilt of Conscience or weakness of Judgment Neither may we yet anticipate Gods work by imposing a certainty of event upon probable afflictions For this were to double our cross if the evil happens and to create a cross if it happen not Thus O thou afflicted soul it remains firm as a sure Rule of Direction That whatsoever is the weight or continuance of thy trouble thou stay thy self upon the Promise waiting by prayer and patience for the salvation of thy God O Blessed JESVS the Lord of life Prince of glory and Captain of our salvation who hast vanquisht Satan and all the powers of darkness O give victory to all languishing Souls in their Spiritual Conflicts Guide them with thy councels sustain them with thy grace refresh them with thy comforts preserve them in thy love and crown them with thy glory Amen Amen Halleluiah THE Preacher's Tripartite BOOK III. TO Establish TRVTH and PEACE IN SEVERAL SERMONS Against the present Heresies and Schisms ESPECIALLY As to The Gospels Ministry Infants Baptism The Mystery of the Trinity
either to confirm your faith or give some reasons why you desert it yea you will have the advantage happily of gaining him who seeks to pervert you 5. An itching curiosity and affectation of novelties This is that which hath made so many Seekers that they are become a Sect. Seek and ye shall finde saith our Saviour Seek is the precept Matth 7.7 ye shall finde is the promise But no wonder if men finde what is not intended in the promise when they seek what is not commanded in the precept let Humility seek and it findes Truth but let Curiosity seek and it finds Heresie let Prayer seek in a devotion of Piety and it finds Grace and Peace but let Passion seek in an affectation of Novelty and it findes wrath and a curse To be setled in mind is a right means to be established in truth and to be wise unto Sobriety Rom. 12.3 is a temper for all those who will be sincere in the Faith But he who still is affected with novelties no wonder if he be soon infected with Heresies they that have the itch of curious disputings no wonder if they get the Scab of Heretical opinions 6. Covetous desires and ambitious designs All Heresie and Schism we finde still cherished with the warm zeal of a full purse Had not the Church of Rome those strong attractives of Cardinal Dignities Papal Indulgences Ecclesiastical Immunities and Spiritual Benefices I believe she would finde few Patrons of her cause and gain few Proselytes to her profession The Foxes would not trouble the Vineyard were it not for the Grapes neither would Heresie and Schism so much rend and tear the Church were it not for her Revenues That poorer Fry and meaner Sect of Quakers would not as they do 2 Tim. 3 6. Creep into houses and boast themselves in so poor a Triumph as a leading captive silly women were it not as some mens ruined estates can tell them That there-out they suck no small advantage And I refer it to the Consciences of most Ministers whether the sequestred Living was not the strongest Argument to convince their Judgments to a deserting as well as a dissenting from what they had subscribed yea I refer it to the Conscience of every Sacrilegious Invader of the Churches possessions whether this be not the great weight which keeps down his wishes of the Churches restoring even the thoughts of vomiting up the morsels he hath so greedily swallowed giving up the possessions he hath so covetously seized When covetous and ambitious mindes see profit and preferment soonest obtained by Faction what Schism what Heresie yea what Perjury will they not allow embrace and follow Primianus and Maximianus heads of two Donatist factions St. Augustine tells them That were it not for Faction Primianus would be Postremianus and Maximianus Minimianus The like we may say of the greatest Patriarchs of Heresies and Schisms That were it not for Faction kept up by covetousness and ambition they would soon become as low in esteem as in merit as mean in degree as in desert To close then from the Premisses we may infer That Heresie is the cursed Issue of most cursed Parents The father that begets it is the Devil and the mother that conceives it is the Flesh And as Domitius used to say Nil nasci potuit nisi detestabile infausium Suet. That of him and Agrippina nothing could be begotten but what was ominous and odious hateful and monstrous and such was Nero. The like may be said as to this cursed Brood That of the Devil and the Flesh nothing can be begotten but what is horrid and hainous Carnal and Diabolical and such is Heresie Joh. 8 44. Satan he is the Father of lies and therefore as Ignatius saith Ignat. ep 1. ad Trall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heretical opinions they must needs be Satans off-spring the Devils inventions And as Heresies are from Satan as the Father of lies so begot of the Flesh as the mother of corruption Gal. 5.20 and therefore the works of the flesh are manifest saith the Apostle amongst which are reckoned up with adultery and murders Seditions and Heresies Some carnal affection either of pride and pertinacy of spirit or of impurity and prophaneness of life or of envy and malice or of slothfulness and indifferency or of affectation and curiosity or of covetousness and ambition some one or more of these carnal affections it is that gives birth to Heresie and is as the Womb to bear so the Paps to nurse this ugly and deformed Brat the perfect likeness of its father the Devil And thus we have done with our proposed task To shew you by what means Satan draw's men to the sin and involves them in the guilt of Heresies Now give me leave to close with a few words of Application Applic. Be we sincere in our obedience as a cheif means of being sound in the Faith and be we sound in the Faith otherwise it will be in vain to plead the sincerity of our obedience For this is our Calling to walk worthy of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all well pleasing Col. 1.10 Of which general notion the Greek Scholiast gives us this equal distribution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in words in works and in opinions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Hom. 5. in 1 Tim. or Doctrines of Faith And therefore with St. Chrysostome True Faith is compared unto a sound Ship without which we cannot pass the Sea of this troublesome World to the safe Harbor of Heavens rest For suppose we a man Chaste Temperate Hospitable Just in his Dealings Zealous in his Devotions for such was Pelagius such was Donatus yea such were many of the Arrians of the Macedonians even to an high repute amongst the Orthodox themselves as St. Basil and Nazianzen both will witness Suppose we then I say a man to be Chaste Temperate Hospitable Just in his Dealings Zealous in his Devotions but withal that he is an Heretick and then hear what St. Augustine will tell us August tom 7. de Bapt. l. 4. c. 18. Nulli utique dubium est propter hoc solum quod Haereticus est regnum Dei non possessurum There is no doubt at all but for this alone That he is an Heretick he shall not inherit the Kingdom of God And this of St. Augustine does well accord with that of St. Paul 2 Thes 2.13 14. Where he gives us to understand That if we hope to obtain Salvation and glory by Jesus Christ it must be through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth And O thou blessed Spirit of Grace so sanctifie us through the Truth that we be not led away into the errors of the wicked but amidst the many Heresie which are amongst us let it be manifest that we are approved Amen THE SECOND SERMON UPON 1 COR. 11.19 There must be also Heresies among you that they which are
all our Doctrine and Worship And oh if hereby we profess our selves Christians that thus we baptize thus we believe thus we worship thus we bless how great is that Apostacie even from Christianity it self which will deny our Baptism destroy our Creed abolish our Worship and if possible deprive us of our Blessing To close this Beloved Let us as by the profession of a true faith so by the exercise of an holy life O let us so regain and keep firm the love of God the Father that by the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord we may so hold fast the communion of the Holy Ghost Act. 2.3 that our fiery trial shall be but as the Apostles fiery tongues not to consume and destroy but to fortifie and prepare us even to a more firm founding and more glorious building up the Church in the unity of divine Faith and the uniformity of holy Worship Further in the manner and form of Baptisms administration we observe that the Holy Ghost is the third Person in the sacred Trinity and very God upon which it will be very seasonable to enlarge our selves For that which brought Satan like lightening down from Heaven carrying Hell with him it was his rebellious pride of Ero similis Altissimo I will be like to the most High and failing in that proud attempt of advancing the creature to equal the Creator he hath ever since made it his malicious design to depress the honor of the Creator to the condition of a creature witness the horrid Idolatries among the Heathens and the blasphemous Heresies amongst Christians The horrid Idolatries among the Heathens Rom. 1.23 Changing the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like unto corruptible man and to birds and to four-footed beasts and to creeping things The blasphemous Heresies amongst Christians Heresies denying the thrice blessed and glorious Trinity especially the eternal Godhead and the incommunicable subsistence of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And amongst the many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fighters against the Holy Ghost since the Pentecost tongues silenc'd the Heathen Oracles and the preaching of the Gospel banished their idolatrous worship amongst the many fighters I say against the Holy Ghost the militant Church of Christ hath been chiefly assaulted and infested by the Arians Macedonians and Photinians of old time and by the Socinians and Anabaptists of later years Yea even at this day there are too too many amongst our selves who pretend most to the Spirit yet are most blasphemous against the Spirit heretically denying the Divine nature and eternal Godhead of the Holy Ghost Wherefore in a secret zeal to this sacred truth of the Holy Ghosts Divinity a zeal enkindled by that Spirit which descended in fiery tongues upon the Apostles give me leave to explain and confirm to you these two particulars First That the Holy Ghost is the third Person in the sacred Trinity proceeding from the Father and the Son Secondly That this third Person thus proceeding is very God 1. The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the sacred Trinity proceeding from the Father and the Son And what we here speak in so ineffable a mystery let it be salvâ reverentiâ with due reverence to the Divine Majesty The Holy Ghost is the third Person of the Trinity Mat. 10.20 Joh. 15.26 and we prove it thus The Holy Ghost is called in Scripture the Spirit of the Father not as sent by the Father but proceeding from the Father his mission is temporary and his procession is eternal And it is worth our observation that the Holy Ghost here is said to proceed as the Son is said to be begotten even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 1.14 by an immanent act so proceeding from him as being of the same essence with him And as the Holy Ghost is called the Spirit of the Father Gal. 4.6 Joh. 16.15 so also of the Son And seeing Christ saith All that the Father hath are mine what the Holy Ghost receives by procession from the Father the same he receives also from the Son and that by one immanent act of eternal spiration from them both which act of spiration was signified by our Saviour when he breath'd upon the Apostles Joh. 20.22 thereby giving them the Holy Ghost Now that the Holy Ghost thus proceeding from the Father and the Son is a distinct person from the Son and the Father is most firmly proved from that of S. John where we have expresly the Comforter Joh. 15.26 the Spirit of truth sent by the Son from the Father And lest any should think the Spirit the same in person as he is in essence with the Father our Saviour answers the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Neuter with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Masculine to denote say the Antients the distinct person of the Holy Ghost An Heterosis like unto this we have in the Text In textu legitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsum in margine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ipsa verbum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conteret est masculinun Disciple all nations 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Neuter yet is it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Masculine The like very aptly observe in the Septuagint upon Gen. 3.15 A dispute it is whether to read ipse ipsa or ipsum he she or it shall bruise thy head The Septuagint resolves the doubt that it is not meant of mankind in general as the Rabbins would have it and so read ipsum it nor yet of the blessed Virgin in particular as the Romanist contends for it and so read ipsa she but of Christ himself and that is ipse he For so the Septuagint reads it with an Haeterosis I will put enmity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between thy seed and between her seed where the Antecedent is in the Neuter but the Relative they give us in the Masculine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not she nor it but he pointing unto Christ He shall bruise thy head Many very many the like observations I might give you very frequent in sacred Writ but I instance in these as to second the Father's Note upon that of S. John so to hint unto you how necessary to the interpreting and so to the understanding of sacred Scripture humane literature is however cryed down and declaim'd against by the Illiterate and the Enthusiasts 2. The Holy Ghost the third Person in the sacred Trinity is very God Of this we have several proofs in sacred Scripture giving him the Names the Attributes the Works and the Worship of God To give you a cursory view only of these First The Names of God Whereas it is said the Lord Deut. 32. â—2 Isa 63.14 even Jehovah led Israel in the wilderness the Prophet he tells us this Jehovah was the Spirit of the Lord even the Holy Ghost Again that in the Acts is plain and full Why hath Satan filled thine heart saith S. Peter to
is an everlasting love Jer. 31 3. a love that will not end in hatred This is that God himself tels us by the Prophet I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3.6 therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed 2. The stability of Gods Covenant God tells us he will make an everlasting Covenant with his people And how is it everlasting Jer. 32 40. Why says God I will not turn from them to do them good This Covenant of Grace declared by the Prophets and confirm'd by Christ was long before made to Abraham Gen. 22.16 The sum of which Covenant the Apostle gives us Heb. 6. where he tells us that when God made promise to Abraham because he could swear by no greater Heb. 6.13 14. he sware by himself saying Surely blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee Surely the Greek is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Erasmus and the Vulgar render nisi unless Unless blessing I shall bless thee and multiplying I shall multiply thee And so indeed it is right the usual manner and form of an execratory Oath among the Hebrews the sense which is depending upon this expression being implied by the Figure Aposiopesis So that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nisi benedicens benedixero tibi as if the Lord had said Unless blessing I shall bless thee and multiplying I shall multiply thee let me not be accounted God that is let me not be accounted faithful and true And thus because God could swear by no greater He sware by himself Now this being the form of Gods Covenant by way of an oath what is the substance and matter of it Why this Blessing I will bless thee and multiplying I will multiply thee Which gemination of words is to signifie a cumulation of Gods blessings And thus our former Translation may be a good Gloss which reads these words thus I will abundantly bless thee and multiply thee marvellously Which promise was made good to Isaac and the Jews in temporal blessings and an earthly inheritance the Types and Figures of Christ and the faithful to whom this promise is made good in spiritual graces and an heavenly kingdom And therefore this Covenant made unto Abraham Ps 105 10 is call'd an everlasting Covenant which it could not be if not extended to the times of the Gospel in respect of those spiritual graces and heavenly blessings bestowed upon Christ and by him upon his body the Church Now it is said that God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel Heb. 6.17 confirm'd it by an oath And wherefore this Was it to make his obligation more firm No but to make our consolation the more sure v. 18. it was that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have strong consolation By two immutable things his promise and his oath in which it was impossible for God to lye to lye that is to revoke or recall his word whereby man might be disappointed of his hope Now we must know Gods covenant is not made the more firm or sure by oath then by promise for Gods truth as his nature is without any variableness or shadow of change Jam. 1.17 and it is not any thing that can possibly add to its immutability As to infinity in respect of extension so unto immutability in respect of firmness there can be no accession of parts or addition of degrees Wherefore as mans oath adds not to the truth of his word so nor Gods oath to the certainty of his promise and therefore meerly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel he confirm'd it by an oath Which was for the greater testimony of his grace in the stronger assurance of our faith being fixt upon the firm stability of his Covenant 1 Joh. 2.1 3. The merit of Christs passion and benefit of his intercession both which we are directed to by S. John My little children these things I write unto you that ye sin not and if any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins He is the propitiation for our sins in the merit of his passion and he is our Advocate with the Father in the office of his intercession In the merit of Christs passion it is that he became our ransom 1 Tim. 2.6 and so we saved by his death and in the benefit of Christs intercession it is Rom. 5 10. that we are said to be saved by his life for that he lives to make intercession for us So that as the end and purpose of Christs passion was our redemption so the very end and purpose of Christs intercession is our salvation And thus is Christ become our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our Great High-Priest Heb. 4.14 Heb. 2 17. Heb. 3.1 whose proper and peculiar office it is to make attonement for his people and therefore Christ can no more reject a penitent sinner then he can deny himself an alsufficient Saviour Wherefore see S. Pauls confident challenge that he makes Rom. 8 34. Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Who is it that condemneth since it is Christ that died for us redeeming us with the price of his blood Oh what filth will not this Fountain cleanse what wound will not this Balm cure what guilt will not this merit expiate But further yet who is he that condemneth since it is Christ who not only died 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather who is risen again having by his almighty power led captivity captive and triumphed over Satan the Law Eph. 4 8. Heb. 8 1. Ps 110.1 and Sin even death the grave and hell and is set down at Gods right hand until he make all his enemies his footstool Yet is not this all Who is it that condemneth since it is Christ who not only died rose again and is set down at the right hand of God but who also makes intercession for us This the Complement of all Consider we must if we will rouse and raise our faith consider we must the price of Christs blood in his passion the power of his might in his resurrection and the glory of his Regal dignity in his session at Gods right hand yet above all consider Christ being our Advocate with the Father his intecession in his Priestly office and then have we the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 7 25. our Saviours saving us unto the uttermost even in that he lives to make intercession for us Hereby it is that he is able to save us to the uttermost whether it be in perpetuum as the Vulgar or in plenum as Erasmus whether it be for perpetuity of time or fulness of measure Christ is
the flesh less danger and damage in overworking then in too much indulging the outward man For where one man sails his course of piety with too full a gale of zeal an hundred lie becalm'd with lukewarmness Rev. 3.16 In the Close Beware of attributing to duties what is proper to Christ A chief reason doubtless though little notice be taken of it a chief reason it is of dryness and barrenness in holy performances that we have an overprising opinion an overvaluing esteem of them For the softning and melting the raising and enlarging the comforting and reviving the heart Ps 11â— 32 Isa 57 18. 2 Cor. 1.3 Ps 34 15. these are all the works of Christ and his Spirit not to be attain'd by labour and toil but by humility and faith Hear David The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open unto their cry First Gods eyes are upon their persons and then his ears are open unto their prayers It is not the duty we perform but the promise Christ gives or rather Christ in the Promise which brings rest to the soul And he vouchsafe thee O thou afflicted soul a gracious portion of this spiritual rest as a pledg and earnest of that full inheritance even rest eternal Amen CHAP. VII The Souls Conflict from the misapprehension of Gods withdrawing the Comforts of his gracious presence SUch is the deceitfulness of mans heart and the subtlety of Satans suggestions that many there are who forsake God yet think they have him and many that have him yet think themselves forsaken of him Many are so enlighten'd that they come near to the Kingdom of Heaven which yet are cast down to Hell Again many there are so dejected as to come nigh to Hell which yet are received to Heaven The discomforts of the faithful through their frailty do cause their great dejection Isa 49 14 Isa 14.12 13. but the enlightenings of the wicked through their pride make for their greater condemnation Such is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the exceeding craft and cunning of Satan Eph. 6.11 in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his arts and methods of temptations made the more expert by many thousand years experience such I say is Satans art and cunning that he suits his suggestions to our affections and tempers his temptations to our dispositions And therefore the va n Enthusiast who prides himself in his fancied converses with God and conceiteâ— raptures of his spirit him Satan heightens in his presumption But the afflicted Saint from whom God hath hid his face and withdrawn the comforts of his gracious presence him Satan presseth down in his dejections He heightens the Enthusiast in his presumption by feeding his fancy with renewed delusions of false joys and the imagined ravishments of Gods love Again he depresseth the afflicted Saint in his dejection by filling his heart with renewed jealousies of false fears and imagined terrors of Gods wrath Thus there is none more near or dear unto man then himself yet none more a stranger more an enemy For what man is he that can fadom the depth Jer 17 9. and so know the deceitfulness of his own heart Again what man is he that doth not cause the wounds and destroy the comforts of his own soul by diffidence impatience throwing off the healing balm and casting away the reviving cordials of grace and mercy Ps 143 9. So that well might S. Bernard cry out in a devout gloss upon the Psalmists text Libera me Domine ab inimico meo id est à me ipso Deliver me O Lord from mine enemy that is from my self See this true in the afflicted Saint dejected in soul distressed in conscience deep in desertions Oh! how doth his soul become cruel to it self refusing to be comforted With him Mourning observes no method but his full sorrow poures out its Complaints as a bottle doth its liquor in sudden and disordered eruptions rather thâ—n effusions Thus then complains the languishing Soul The Words of Complaint Oh! what a misery is it to have been happy The thoughts of those comforts I once felt sharpen the sense of those sorrows I now feel Time was when from the Mount Nebo of Divine Contemplation I could by the Perspective of Faith take a view of the Heavenly Canaan in the riches pleasure and glory of it But now my belly cleaveth unto the dust I lie down in the valley and shadow of death clouds of darkness cover me and the light of all heavenly comforts is hid from mine eyes Those holy duties Ordinances and Promises which have been as honey sweet to my soul at once feeding and delighting mine inward man they are all become bitterness and barrenness anguish and distress misery and mourning Oh what were those quickening beams from the Sun of Righteousness those refreshing those ravishing delights in communion with God through Christ Alas O my soul those blessed delights were but pleasant dreams and now thy fancied Paradise is become a real Wilderness And oh how do I wander and weary my self in a maze of perplexities the bitter waters of Marah flowing in upon my soul and the fiery Serpents of hellish fears stinging my Conscience All my streams of Comfort are turn'd into floods of Sorrow and oh that I could drown my sorrow in tears But my misery is beyond moans my grief beyond tears yea my torments beyond death For I have lost that treasure those joys that bliss which I would willingly redeem with the loss of life O sweet and joyful presence O sad and dreadful absence of my Jesus and oh the filthy lusts of my foul heart which have made him quit his lodging and be gone and with him all peace all comfort all joy all life all bliss are fled from my soul Woe is me that I should receive mercy to make miserable once enjoy a Saviour and after cast him off to the loss of all salvation yea to the heightning the horror of my condemnation Oh he came in love and he is gone in anger and woe is me I not only lose his favor but also bear his displeasure He is gone and I fear never oh this this the deep wound more deadly then death it self He is gone and I fear never to return more In his favor is life and therefore when he hides his face in wrath needs must my soul be in death Oh! my spirits waste my strength faints my flesh consumes mine whole man languisheth yea my stroke is heavier then my groans my sorrow more bitter then my complaints so that with Job My soul is weary of my life and yet though my life be full of torment death is full of terror lest be everlastingly shut out from Gods presence Oh Eternity Eternity how does this gulf swallow up my soul how does this weight more heavy then a mountain press down my drooping heart and crush my fainting spirits yet whilst there is life there is hope though my
God my Jesus be gone from me yet will I mourn after him if happily I may find him whom my soul loveth O return return my joy my Jesus For till thou dost return I shall lie down in sorrow without thee my soul refuseth to be comforted The Grounds of Comfort 1. As thy distress is not without a promise thy misery without a Redeemer so nor is thy state and condition without many presidents even a cloud of witnesses whose sad experience will give full testimony to this certain truth Ps 55.5 That God oftentimes not only withholds the comforts of his good Spirit but also afflicts with the terror of our own hearts That oftentimes he hides the grace of the Gospel and discovers the rigor of the Law Ps 88.14 15.16 revealing guilt and concealing mercy yea oftentimes he rebukes the heart with secret checks of conscience and convictions of Spirit so that in the sad apprehension of sin and guilt death and hell the soul languisheth with frights and fears with horror and amazements Yet further he oftentimes renews the charge of former sins in the Court of Conscience making a man to possess the iniquities of his youth Job 13.26 and by his Spirit writing such bitter things against him that the soul is struck with the deep impressions of dread and horror in the apprehension of Gods shutting the gate of mercy and peace Ps 77.7 8 9. his refusing to be intreated or to hearken to any terms of reconciliation so that no holy duties or sacred ordinances for a time either administer comfort or discover love That this is the sad experience of the most eminent Saints the Book of Job and Psalms of David will sufficiently testifie And yet withall this testimony too they give of God and of Christ that he lifteth up those that are cast down Ps 37 24 42.11 147.7 8. 148.3 he healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds yea he gives liberty to the Captive health to the sick life to the dead and the divinest comforts to the most dejected souls so that they rejoice in his salvation and exult in his praises 2. This the condition of our present estate to be freed from the discomforts of afflictions as from the power of sin but in part Our graces are imperfect and therefore needs must our peace Our life 's a pilgrimage 1 Pet. 2.11 2 Cor. 10.4 a warfare and so hardship travel danger distress yea conflicts and wounds they are proper to our condition and therefore we may not think them strange but expect them with resolution bear them with patience and pass them through with constancie The day that hath no night no cloud the joy that hath no mourning no grief the crown that hath no cross no care is reserv'd for heaven not found on earth peculiar it is to the state of blessedness and eternity So that I cannot but question the uprightness of that mans heart who never question'd the goodness of his estate I cannot but doubt that mans assurance who never doubted and fear those comforts which were never discomforted There is certainly a woe to that peace which Satan does not sometimes disquiet True it is God could send forth his Saints as the Sun in its course to attract the eyes of all Beholders and make them in their splendor of graces ouâ—vie Solomon in his lustre of glory But this God hath not thought so agreeable to his wisdom in his dispensations to his Church and chosen 1 Cor. 1. â—3 14 c. he will rather have the Saints excellencie cloth'd with humane frailty and their inward worth vail'd with outward contempt Yea their life is so hid with Christ in God Col. 3.3 that themselves oftentimes feel not the quickenings discover not the actings of their own graces for that a cloud of secret trouble darkens the light of all their comforts Doubtless had Adam continued in his primitive integrity God would have communicated himself to man not only by faith and reason but also by sense and external manifestation But now he conveys spiritual things in a spiritual manner We walk by faith and not by sight As is the manifestation of the Divine presence 2 Cor. 5 7 1 Cor. 13 9. such is our participation of Divine comforts all in part and imperfect 3. Though thy comforts are fled from thee yet the God of thy comforts abides with thee though thou wantest Christ in that blest Communion of joy and peace yet thou hast not lost him in that best communion of grace and life Spiritual joy though a sweet flower of Paradise yet a fading flower though a spiritual yet a temporal blessing a separable adjunct of grace and so not of the necessary being but of the happy well-being of a Christian a partial reward rather then a particular vertue Let this then be a firm ground of solid comfort That though thy light of Joy be extinguisht yet thy seeds of Grace are preserv'd thy heart hath its holy affections though emptied of its divine consolations For tell me who is' t that supports thy soul but the same God who conceals his love Does he not incline thine heart to fear and faithful obedience Ps 23 3 4. Isa 2â— 8 even when now he withdraws himself from thy soul in the light and comforts of his countenance And if so what thou dost possess is far more precious then what thou hast lost Communion w th Christ in the sanctifying influence is more excellent then communion with him in the comforting light of his Spirit Besides having the fountain thou wilt not be long without the streams having Christ the fulness of comforts thy soul shall not long remain discomforted God will lighten thy candle uncloud thy sun restore thy comforts Ps 7 120 21. This is Davids confidence Thou Lord which hast shewed me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth thou shalt increase my g eatness and comfort â—e on every side Hear Gods profession and promise Isa 57.15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity whose name is Holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones And how revive them why by healing them with his grace leading them with his councels and restoring comforts to them See then the mercy is thine the promise is thine only thou must know and acknowledge the time of dispensing the season of performing is Gods who orders all things in number weight and measure 4. Those rebukes of the Spirit which so much torture thy conscience and that hiding his face which so much sads thy heart is all from a fatherly tenderness of care and love not from an avenging severity of justice and wrath God deals with the soul as David