Father While the child is in the womb it cannot cry but as soon as it is born it cries Whilst Paul did lie in the womb of his natural estate he could not pray but no sooner was he born of the spirit but the next news is Behold he prayeth Acts. 9. 11. Prayer is nothing but the turning of a mans inside outward before the Lord. The very soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of a mans soul into the bosome of God Prayer is nothing but the breathing that out before the Lord that was first breath'd into us by the spirit of the Lord Prayer is nothing but a choice a free a sweet and familiar intercourse of the soul with God Certainly it is a great work of the Spirit to help the Saints to pray Gal. 4. 6. Because you are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba father God hath no still-born children The Gemination Abba Father notes fiduciall filial and vehement affection The first is an Pareus Hebrew or Syriack word the Second a Greek whereby is signified the union of the Hebrews and Grecians or the Jews and Gentiles in one Church Abba Father What is Abba say others in Hebrew Father and it is added because in Christ the corner stone both peoples are joyned alike becoming sons whence soever they come circumcision from one place whereupon Abba uncircumcision from another whereupon father is named The concord of the walls being the glory of the corner stone The word Abba say others signifies Father in the Syriack Tongue which the Apostle here retaineth because it is a word full of affection which young children retain almost in all Languages when they begin to speak And he adds the word Father not only to expound the same but also the better to express the eager movings and the earnest and vehement desires and singular affection of beleevers in their crying unto God even as Christ himself redoubled the Mark 14. 36. word Father to the same purpose when he was in his greatest distress This little word Father saith Luther lisped forth in prayer by a Child of God exceeds the eloquence of Demosthenes Cicero and all other so famed Orators in the World 'T is certain that the Spirit of God helps the Saints in all their communions with God viz. in their meditations of God in their reading and hearing of the Word of God in their communions one with another and in all their solemn addresses to God And as to this the Apostle gives us a most special instance in that Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered When we are to pray there is in us sometimes an infirmity of ignorance so that we know not what to pray for either in regard of the matter or the manner And there is in us at other times an infirmity of pride and conceitedness so that we cannot pray with that humility and lowliness of spirit as we should spiritual pride having fly-blown our prayers Sometimes there is in us an infirmity of deadness dullness drowsiness c. so that we cannot pray with that warmth heat life spirit and fervency as we should or as we would and at other times there is in us an infirmity of unbelief and slavish fears so that we cannot pray with that faith and holy boldness as becomes Children that draw near to a Throne of Grace to a Throne of Mercy c. But now the Spirit helps these infirmities by way of instruction prompting and teaching us what to pray for and how we should spell our lesson and by telling us as it were within what we should say and how we should sigh and groan and by rousing and quickening and stirring of us up to prayer and by his singular influence and choice assistance opening and enlarging our hearts in prayer and by his tuning the Strings of our affections he prepares us and fits us for the work of Supplication And therefore every one that derides the Spirit of prayer in the Saints saying these are the men and the women that pray by the Spirit blaspheme against the holy Spirit it being a main work of the Spirit to teach the Saints to pray and to help them in prayer Now all the Saints having the Spirit and the Spirit being a Spirit of prayer and supplication there is no reason in the world why a Saint should say I would pray in secret but I can't pray I can't pour out my soul nor my complaint before the Lord in a corner Sixthly and lastly Thou sayest thou canst not pray thou hast not the gifts and parts which others have But thou canst mannage thy callings thy worldly businesse as well as others and why then canst thou not pray as well as others Ah friends did you but love private prayer as well as you love the world and delight in private prayer as much as you delight in the world and were your hearts as much set upon closet prayer as they are set upon the world you would never say you could not pray yea you would quickly pray as well as others 't is not so much from want of ability to pray in secret that you don't pray in secret as 't is from want of a will a heart to pray in secret that you don't pray in secret Jacobs love to Rachel and Sechems love to Dina carried Gen. 29. ch 34. them through the greatest difficulties Were mens affections but strongly set upon private prayer they would quickly find abilities to pray He that sets his affections upon a Virgin though he be not learned nor eloquent will find words enough to let her know how his heart is taken with her The application is easie He in Seneca complained of a Thorn in his foot when his Lungs was rotten So many complain of want of ability to pray in their closets when their hearts are rotten Sirs do but get better hearts and then you will never say you can't pray 'T is one of the saddest sights in all the world to see men strongly parted and gifted for all worldly businesses to cry out that they can't pray that they have no ability to pour out their souls before the Lord in secret You have sufficient parts and gifts to tell men of your sins your wants your dangers your difficulties your mercies your deliverances your duties your crosses your losses your enjoyments your friends your foes and why then are you not ashamed to complain of your want of parts and gifts to tell those very things to God in a corner which you can tell to men even upon the house-top c. But Fourthly Some may further object and say God is very well acquainted with all our wants necessities straits tryals and there is no moving of him to bestow any favours upon us which he
his own heart Look as the holy Spirit is not always a teaching Spirit nor always a leading Spirit nor always a comforting Spirit nor alwayes a sealing Spirit nor alwayes a witnessing Spirit nor alwayes an assuring Spirit to any of the Saints so he is not alwayes a supplicating Spirit in any of the Saints When he is grieved vexed quenched provoked he may suspend his gracious influences and deny the soul his assistance and what can a Christian then say or do But Secondly I answer Thou canst not pray but canst thou not sigh nor groan neither there may be the spirit of Adoption in sighs and groans as well as in vocal prayer Rom. 8. 26. The force the vertue the efficacie the excellency of prayer doth not consist in the number and flourish of words but in the supernatural motions of the spirit in sighs and groans and pangs and strong affections of heart that are unspeakable and unutterable Certainly the very soul of prayer lyes in the pouring out of a mans soul before the Lord though it be but in sighs groans and tears 1 Sam. 1. 13 19. One sigh and groan from a broken heart is better pleasing to God than all humane eloquence But Thirdly I answer Beg of God to teach thee to pray O beg the holy spirit that is a spirit of prayer God hath promised his holy spirit to them that ask it Luk. 11. 13. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall your heavenly father give the holy spirit to them that ask him Ezek. 36. 26 27. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will takeaway the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and doe them Ezek. 11. 19. And I will give them one heart I will put a new Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Zech. 12. 10. I will pour upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication Now Gracious promises are Gods bonds and he loves to see his people put them in suit God expects Isa 62. 6 7. Isa 42. 25 26. that we should be his Remembrancers and that we should pray over his promises When he had promised great things to his people concerning Justification Sanctification Preservation he subjoynes Yet I will for this be enquired of by Ezek. 36. 37. the house of Israel to doe it God looks that we should spread his gracious promises before him as Hezekiah Isa 37. 14. did Seanacheribs letter God is never better pleased than when his people importune him in his own words and urge him with arguments taken from his owne promises Though God be a very affectionate father and a very liberal father yet he is not a prodigal father for he will never throw away his mercies on such as will not stoutly and humbly plead out his promises with him God loves to take state upon him and will be sought unto both for his giving in of mercies and for his making good of precious promises Thou sayest thou can'st not pray why can'st thou not goe into a corner and spread the Promises last cited before the Lord and tell him how much it concernes his honour glory as well as thy own internal eternal good to make good those gracious promises that he hath made concerning his giving of his Spirit to them that ask him and his putting his Spirit within them and his pouring out a Spirit of grace and supplication upon them We read of Tamar that when Gen. 38. 18 25. Judah her father-in-law lay with her she took as a pledge his signet bracelets and staffe and afterwards when she was in great distress and ready to be burnt as an Harlot she then brought out her staff and signet and Bracelets and said by the man whose these are am I with child and thereby she saved her life The promises are as so many rich Mines they are as so many choice flowers of paradise they are the food life and strength of the soul They are as a staffe to support the soul and they are as a signet and Bracelets to adorne the soul and to enrich the soul and therefore poor sinners should bring them forth and lay them before the Lord and urge God with them there being no way on earth to save a mans soule and to prevent a burning in Hell like this Concerning precious promises let me give you these eight hints First that they are truly propounded stated by God Mark 10. 30. Secondly That they shall certainly be performed 2 Cor. 1. 20. they being all made in and thorow Christ they are made first to Christ and then to all that have union and communion with him Sirtorius saith Plutarch paid what he promised with fair words but so doth not God Men many times say and unsay they often eate their words as soon as they have spoken them but God will never eat the words that are gone out of his mouth Isa 46. 10 11. My counsel shall stand and I will doe all my pleasure yea I have spoken it I will also bring it to pass I have purposed it I will also doe it Thirdly That they all issue from free grace from special love Hos 14. 4. from divine goodness Fourthly That they are all as Jer. 31. 3. unchangable as he is that made them Fifthly That they are all bottomed and Mal. 3. 6. founded upon the truth faithfulness and all sufficiency of God Sixthly That they are pledges and pawnes of great things that Heb. 13. 5. God will doe for his people in time Seventhly That they are most Heb. 6. 12. sure and certain evidences of divine favour and a declaration of the Num. 23. 19. heart and good will of God to his poor people Eighthly That they are the price of Christs blood Now how should all these things encourage poor souls to be still a pressing of God with his promises But Fourthly You say you cannot pray c. O that you would leave off objecting and fall upon praying If you cannot pray as you would nor as you should pray as well as you can Josephs brethren stood so long dallying delaying and trifling out the time that having a Journey to goe to buy corn they might have bought and returned twice before they went and bought once When Eliah called Elizeus he goes about the bush 1 Kings 19. 20. and he must needs goe bid his father and mother farewel before he could follow the Prophet O friends take heed of dallying delaying trifling going about the bush when you should be a faling upon the work of prayer What though
do defer Dan. 9. 19. not for thine own sake Look as there be two kinds of Antidotes against Poyson viz. hot and cold so there are two kinds of Antidotes against all the troubles of this life viz. fervent prayers and holy patience the one hot the other cold the one quickening and the other quenching and holy Daniel made use of them both Fervency to prayer is as the fire was to the spices in the Censor or as wings to the Bird or as oyl to the wheels and this Daniel found by experience God looks not for any James with horny knees through assiduity of prayer nor for any Bartholomew with a Century of prayers for the morning and as many for the evening but for fervency of spirit in prayer which alone carryes all with God Feeble prayers like weak pangs go over and never brings a mercy to the birth Cold prayers are still-born Children in whom the Father of spirits can take no pleasure Look as a painted man is no man and as painted fire is no fire so a cold prayer is no prayer Such prayers never win upon the heart of God that do not first warm our own hearts As a body without a soul much wood without fire a Bullet in a Gun without powder so are all prayers without fervency of Spirit Luther termes Prayer Bombarda Christianorum the Gun or Canon of Christians or the Christians Gun-shot The hottest springs send forth their waters by ebullitions Cold prayers make a smoak a smother Isa 1. 15. Ch. 65 5. in the eyes of God Lazy prayers never procure noble answers Lazy beggars may starve for all their begging Such as have a male in their flock and offer to the Lord a female Such as offer to the Lord the torn and the lame and the sick such as turn off God with their cold lazy sleepy and formal Mal. 1. 13 14. devotions are condemned cast and cursed by God David compares his prayers to incense and no incense was offered without Psal 141. 2. fire it was that that made the smoke of it to ascend 'T is only fervent prayer that hits the mark and that pierces the walls of heaven though like those of Gaza Isa 45. 2. made of Brass and Iron While the Child only whimpers and whines in the Cradle the Mother lets it alone but when once it sets up its note and cryes out right then she runs and takes it up So 't is with a Christian Psal 34. 6. This poor man cryed there is his fervency he cryed but it was silently and secretly in the presence of King Achish as Moses did at the Red-Sea and as Nehemiah did in the presence of the King of Persia and the Lord heard him and delivered him out of all his troubles here is his prevalency So Latimer plyed the Throne of grace with great fervency crying out Once again Lord once again restore the Gospel to England and God heard him Hudson the Martyr deserted at the Stake went from under his Chain and having prayed fervently he was comforted immediately and suffered valiantly I have read of one Giles of Bruxels a Dutch Martyr who was so fervent in his prayer kneeling by himself in some secret place of the Prison where he was that he seemed to forget himself and being called to his meat he neither heard nor saw who stood by him till he was lifted up by the armes and then he would speak gently to them as one awaked out of a Trance So Gregory Nazianzen speaking Paulin. Epist lib. 1. Epist 4. of his sister Gorgonia saith that in the vehemency of her prayer she came to a Religious impudency with God so as to threaten heaven and tell God that she would never depart from his Altar till she had her petition granted Let us make it our businesse to follow these noble examples as ever we would so Prince it in prayer as to prevail with God An importunate soul in prayer is like the poor beggar that prayes and knocks that prayes and waits that prayes and works that knocks and knits that begs and patches and will not stir from the door till he hath an alms Well Friends remember this God respects no more luke-warm prayers than he doth luke-warm persons and they are such that he hath threatned to spue out of his mouth Those prayers that are but lip-labour are lost-labour And therefore in all your Closet-prayers look to the fervency of your spirits My Seventh Advice and counsel is this Be constant as well as servent in Closet-prayer look that you hold on and hold out and that you persevere to the end in private prayer 1 Thes 5. 17. Pray without ceasing A man must alwayes pray habitually though not actually he must have his heart in a praying disposition in all estates and conditions Though Closet-prayer may have an intermission yet it must never have a cessation Luke 18. 1. And he spake a Parable unto them to this end that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint or as the Greek hath it not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shrink back as sluggards in work or cowards in war Closet-prayer is a fire like that on the Altar that was never to go out day nor Lev. 12. 6. night 1 Thes 3. 10. Night and day praying exceedingly Paul speaks like a man made up all of prayer like a man that minded nothing so much as prayer So Ephes 6. 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance Calvin makes this difference between praying alwayes in the beginning of this Verse and praying with perseverance in the end of this Verse By praying alwayes saith he he exhorts us to pray in prosperity as well as in adversity and not to quit the duty of prayer in a prosperous estate because we are not driven to it by outward pressing necessities and miseries and by praying with perseverance he admonisheth us that we be not weary of the work but continue instant and constance in its performance though we have not presently what we pray for So that praying alwayes is opposed to a neglect of the Duty in its proper times and seasons and praying with perseverance is opposed to a fainting in our spirits in respect of this or that particular suit or request that we put up to God When God turns a deaf ear to our prayers we must not fret nor faint we must not be dismayed nor discouraged but we must hold up and hold on in the Duty of prayer with invincible patience courage and constancy as the Church did Lament 3. 8 44 55 56 57. compared Col. 4. 2. Continue in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving We must be constant and instant in Closet-prayer we must wait upon it and lay all aside for it He that is only in his Closet by fits and starts will neither glorifie God nor advantage his own soul If we do not make a
tribulation Rom. 5. 3 4. And not only so but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and experience hope Grace alwayes thrives most when Saints are under the Rod. When Christians are under the Rod then their graces do not only bud but blossome and bring forth fruit as Aarons Rod did The Mum. 17. 8 snuffing of the Candle makes it burn the brighter God beats and bruises his links to make them burn the brighter he bruises his spices to make them send forth the greater Aromatical savour Bernard compares Afflictictions to the Tezel which though it be starp and scratching it is to make the Cloath more pure and fine The Jews were alwayes best when they were in an afflicted condition Well-waters arising from deep springs are hotter in the winter than they are in the summer Stars shine brightest in the darkest nights Vines grow the better for bleeding and Gold looks the brighter for scowring Juniper smels sweetest when in the fire Cammomile the more you tread it the more you spread it O Sirs this is a real and a rare truth but seldome thought on viz. that God will sometimes more carry on the growth and improvement of grace by a cross by an affliction than by an ordinance James 1. 3 4. James 4. 8 9. Afflictions ripen the Saints graces 2 Cor. 1. 5. First or last God will make every Rod yea every twig in every Rod to be an Ordinance to every afflicted Saint By Afflictions God many times revives quickens and recovers the decayed graces of his People By Afflictions God many times enflames that love that is cold and he strengthens that faith that is failing and he puts life into those hopes that are languishing and new spirits into those joyes and comforts that are withering and dying Musk say some when it hath lost its sweetness if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers its sweetnâ—â—â— again So doth smart afflictions recover and revive our decayed graces I have read a story of a Sexton that went into the Church at night to rob a woman who had been buried the day before with a Gold ring upon her finger according to her desire now when he had opened the Grave and Coffin and loosed the sheet he fell a rubbing and chafing her finger to get off the Gold Ring and with rubbing and chafing of it her spirits returned she having been but in a swoon before and she revived and lived many years after Smart Afflictions are but the rubbing and chafing of our graces The smarting Rod abaseth the loveliness of the world that might entice us it abates the Iustiness of the flesh within that might incite us to vanity and folly and it abets the spirit in his quarrel to the two former All which tend much to the recovering and reviving of decayed graces But The Sixth end to which the Rod serves that is to try the child to make a discovery of the spirit of the child Some Parents never see so much of the badness of the spirits of their Children as they do when they bring them under the Rod and other Parents never see so much of the goodnesse of the spirits of their Children as they do when they chastise them with the Rod 'T is so here when God afflicts some O the pride the stoutness the crosness the hardness the peevishness and stubborness of spirit that they Exod. 5. 2. Jer. 44. 15 16 17 18 19. discover Isa 1. 5. Jer. 5. 3. When he afflicts others O the murmuring the roaring the complaining the howling the fretting the vexing and the Amos 4. 6 13. quarrelling spirit that they discover Num. 14. 27 29 36. Deut. 1. 27. Isa 58. 3 4. Isa 59. 11. Hos 7. 14 15. Jon. 4. 1 2 3 4 5 8 9. Sometimes when God afflicts his dearest People O what a spirit of Faith what a spirit of Prayer what a spirit of Love what a spirit of Patience what a spirit of meekness what a spirit of humbleness what a spirit of submissiveness do they discover Job 13. 15. 2 Chron. 1. 2 3 4 5 6 12. Isa 26. 16 17. Hos 5. 14 15. Job 1. 20 21 22. Lev. 10. 1 2 3. 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2 Kings 20. 16 17 18 19. And at other times when God afflicts his poor People O what a spirit of unbelief what a spirit of slavish fear what a spirit of impaciency what a spirit of displeasedness c. do they discover Gen. 15. 2 3. Gen. 12. 13 19. Gen. 20. 2 5. Gen. 26. 7 8 9 10 11. Psal 31. 22. Psal 116 11. 1 Sam. 21. 10 11 12 13 14 15. Job 3. 3 13. Jer. 20. 14 15 16 17 18. By smart Afflictions God tryes the graces of his People and discovers what is in the spirits of his People Deut. 8. 2. Psal 66. 10 11. Rev. 3. 18. 1 Pet 1. 6 7. The fire tryes the Gold as well as the Touch-stone Diseases try the Art of the Physitian and Tempests try the skill of the Pilot. Every smarting Rod is a Touch-stone both to try our graces and to discover our spirits Prudent Fathers will sometimes cross their Children to try to discover the dispositions of their Children Heb. 12. 5 21. And so doth the Father of Spirits deal sometimes with his Children The manner of the Psylli which are a kind of People Plin. lib. 28 of that temper and constitution that no Venom will hurt them is this if they suspect any Child to be none of their own they set an Adder upon it to sting it and if it cry and the flesh swell they cast it away as a spurious issue but if it do not quatch nor cry nor is never the worse for it then they account it for thei own and make very much of it The Application is easie But The seventh and last end of the Rod Is to prepare fit the Isa 48. 10. chastised for greater services favours and mercies Many a Child and many a servant had never been so fit for eminent services as they are had they not been under a smarting Rod. 'T is very usual with God to cast men into very great Afflictions and to lay them under grievous smarting Rods that so he may prepare and fit them for some high and eminent services in this world Joseph had never been so fit to be Governour Gen. 41. 40 41 42 43 44. of Egypt and to preserve the visible Church of God alive in the World if he had not been sold into Egypt if his feet had not been hurt in the Gen. 45. 7 8. stocks and if the Irons had not entred into his soul Nor Moses had never been so fit to be a Leader and a Deliverer of Israel as he was if he had Gen. 50. 20. not been banished Fourty Yeares in the Wilderness before Nor Davids Crown had never sat so well nor so close nor so long on his head as
Thus Job did Job 1. 20 21 22. Yea and thus Jesus did John 18. 11. Shall I not drink the Cup that my Father hath given me to drink Though the Cup was a bitter Cup a bloody Cup yet seeing it was put into his hand by his Father he drinks it off with a Father I thank thee The Rod in its self sounds nothing but smart and blood to the Child but the Rod in the hand of a Father sounds nothing but love kindness and sweetness Rev. 3. 19. Whom he loves he chastens You should never look upon the Rod but as it is in the hand of your heavenly Father and then you will rather kiss it than murmur under it But The Fifth Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to cleave and cling close to God under the Rod. O how doth the Child cling and hang upon his Father when he takes up the Rod let such a Child-like Spirit be found in you when the Father of Spirits takes up up the Rod. When the Rod was upon Davids back O how doth he cleave to God even as the Wife cleaves to her Husband for so much the Hebrew word Dabak in that Psal 63. 8. imports So when Job was under the Rod O how doth he cling about God! Job 13. 21. Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job will hang upon a killing God So the Church in that Psal 48. 15 16 17 18 c. So those hundred fourty and four thousand that had their Fathers names written in their foreheads Rev. 14. 1 6. O Friends you never shew so much Child-like love nor so much Child-like ingenuity nor so much Child-like integrity as you do shew when under the smarting Rod you are found clinging about the Lord and hanging upon the Lord by an exercise of grace When Antistenes held up his Staffe as if he intended to beat on of his Scholers out of his School the Scholar told him that he might strike him if he pleased but he should never find a staffe of so hard wood as should ever be able to beat him him from him When no Staff no Rod no Affliction can drive us from Christ it is a sure argument that we have profited much in the School of Christ But The Sixth Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to prepare to meet the Lord whilest the Rod is in his hand Am. 4. 12. Therefore thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel Now there is a two-fold preparation The First is a Negative preparation and this lyes in taking heed of sinning against Light and Conscience for those sins that are against a clear Light and an awakened Conscience are most wounding wasting terrifying and damning Secondly There is a Positive preparation and that consists in repentance returning to the Lord and in abasing and humbling your selves before 2 Chron. 7. 14. the Allmighty As there is no running from God so there is no contending with God for what is the chaff to the Whirlwind or the stubble to a consuming fire And therefore the voyce of the Rod is Prepare to meet the Lord in a way of faith and repentance prepare to meet the Lord in an exercise of grace prepare to meet the Lord with prayers and tears and strong cryes But The Seventh Lesson that you are to learn by the Rod or by the raging Pestilence is to acknowledge Gods soveraign power and authority over the Rod to bow it or break it or burn it or take it off or lay it more or less on as he pleaseth Mic. 6. 13. Deut. 28. 58 59 60 61. All diseases and sicknesses are under the command of God they are all his Sergeants his servants to execute his pleasure That Mat. 8. 5. is an observable Text Christ tells the Centurion that he would come and heal his servant the Centurion tells him that he was not worthy that he should come under his roof only if he would but speak the word his servant should be healed For saith he vers 9. I am a man under Authority having Souldiers under me I say to this man go and he goeth and to another come and he cometh and to my servant do this and he doth it Now when Jesus heard this he marvelled and said to them that followed Verily I say unto you I have not found so great faith no not in Israel vers 10. But wherein did the greatness of the Centurions faith appear why in this very acknowledgment that all diseases were to Christ as servants and that they were as much under the command of Jesus Christ as any servant under heaven is under the command of his Master When Christ bids them go and afflict such a man they go and torment such a man they go and kill such a man they go and so when he calls them off they come off at his call Dear Friends it is a very great point of faith to believe these five things First that God is the author of all the diseases malladies and sicknesses that be in the World and that he sets them on and call them off at his own good will and pleasure Amos Lev. 26. Deut. 28. 3. 6. Is there any evil in the City and hath not the Lord done it He speaks of the evil of punishment and not of the evil of sin It was a mad Principle among the Manichees who refer'd all calamities to the Devil for their author as if there could be evil in the City and the Lord have no hand in it Secondly It is a great point of Faith to believe that all diseases and sicknesses are limited by God in respect of places God sent diseases of all sorts into Egypt but he forbad them Goshen Exod. 8. 20 21 22 23. Chap. 9 23 24 25 26. Ponder seriously upon these Scriptures Gods shooting his arrows into one Town and not into another into one City and not into another into one Kingdome and not into another into one family not into another doth sufficiently evidence that all diseases and sicknesses are limited by the Holy One of Israel in respect of places Thirdly It is a very great point of Faith to believe that all sicknesses and diseases are limited by God in respect of persons that they are so is evident in that Psal 91. 3 8. Isa 65. 12. But who lives in the faith of this truth Sometimes in the same house one is infected and the other is not sometimes in the same bed the one is smitten and the other is not sometimes at the same table the one is taken away and the other is left c. and this doth roundly evidence and witness that all sicknesses and diseases are limited by God in respect of persons as well as in respect of places But Fourthly It is a great point of Faith to believe
God and out of a due regard to the internal and eternal welfare of their own souls shall every day redeem an hours time from their sleep or sports or feedings to spend with God in secret they shall find by experience that the Lord will make a few hours sleep sweeter and better than many hours sleep to them and their outward sports shall be made up with inward delights and for their common bread God will feed them with that bread that came down from heaven Sirs was not Christ The Evangelist applies these words to Christ Mat. 12. 15 16 17 18. his Fathers servant Isa 4â— 1. Behold my servant whom I uphold mine elect or choice one in whom my soul delighteth or is well pleased I have put my spirit upon him he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles Christ is called Gods servant in regard of his humane nature and in regard of his office of Mediatorship and did not he redeem time from his natural rest rather than he would omit private prayer Mark 1. 35. And in the morning rising up a great while before day he went out and departed into a solitary place and there prayed Christ spent the day in preaching in healing the sick in working of miracles and rather than these noble works should shut out private prayer he rises a great while before day that he might have some time to wrestle with his Father in secret So Luke 6. 12. And it came to pass in those dayes that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God O sirs did Christ spend whole nights in private prayer for the salvation of your souls and will you think it much to redeem an hours time from your natural rest to seek and to serve him in a corner and to make sure the things of your everlasting peace The redeeming of time for private prayer is the redeeming of a precious treasure which if once lost can never fully be recovered again If riches should make themselves wings and fly away they may return again as they did to Job or if credit and honour and worldly greatness and renown should fly away they may return again as they did to Nebuchadnezzar If success and famous victories and conquests should make themselves wings and fly away they may return again as they did to many of the Roman Conquerors and others But if Sophocles Phocilides c. time whom the Poets paint with wings to shew the volubility and swiftness of it fly from us it will never more return unto us A great Lady of this Land on Queen Elizabeth her dying bed cried out Call time again call time again a world of wealth for an inch of time but time past was never nor could never be recall'd The Aegyptians drew the picture of Time with three heads The First was of a greedy Wolf gaping for time past because it hath ravenously devoured even the memory of so many things past recalling The Second Of a crowned Lyon roaring for time present because it hath the principality of all action for which it calls aloud And the Third was of a deceitful Dog fawning for time to come because it feedes fond men with many flattering hopes to their eternal undoing O that all this might prevail with servants to redeem time for private prayer And if my counsel might take place I should rather advise servants to redeem some time for private prayer from their sleep or lawful recreations or set meales c. than to spend in private prayer that time which their masters call their time especially if their Masters be unconverted and in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity and that for these five Reasons First Because this may be a means to prevent much Sin on the Masters side Masters that are in their unregenerate estate are very apt to storm and take on and let fly against God and Christ and Religion profession c. When they see their servants spend that time in private prayer or in any oother religious excercise which according to their understanding is their time and ought to be wholly spent in following their businesses Now gracious servants should have that honourable respect and that tender affection and that Christian compassion to their Masters souls as to do to the utmost all that lyes in them to prevent their Masters from contracting guilt upon their souls or from Jude 22 23. making work for repentance for hell or for the Physitian of souls The Persians the Turks and many Indians are so compassionate that they erect Hospitals not only for lame and diseased Men but also for Birds Beasts Dogs that are either aged starved or hurt O then what tender compassions should gracious servants exercise towards their Masters souls which are Jewels more worth then heaven and earth But Secondly Because this may be a means to convince the Judgments and Consciences of their Masters that there is some worth some excellency some sweetness c. to be found in private prayer and in other closet duties for when Masters shall observe their servants to redeem time for closet duties from their very sleep recreations dinner suppers they will be ready to conclude that certainly there is more worth more goodness more sweetness more excellency more glory more gain in closet duties than ever they have understood felt or experienced c. and that there very poor servants are better and more righteous than themselves Sotomen reports that the devout life of a poore Captive Christian woman made a King all his Family imbrace the Faith of Jesus Christ Good works convince more than Miracles themselves I have read of one Pachomius a souldier under Constantine the Emperor how that his Army being almost starved for want of necessary provision he came to a city of Christians and they of their own charity relieved them speedily and freely he wondering at their free and noble charity enquired what kind of people they were whom he saw so bountiful it was answered that they were Christians whose profession it is to hurt no man and do good to every man hereupon Pachomius convinced of the excellency of this Religion threw away his Arms and became a Christian a Saint Look as Husbands sometimes 1 Pet. 3. 1 2. are won by the conversation of their wives without the word so Masters may sometimes be won by the gracious carriage and conversation of their servants without the word The servants redeeming of time for private duties upon the hardest and severest tearms may be so blest to the Master that it may issue in his conviction conversion and salvation There is a may-be for it and a very may-be should be a sufficient encouragement for every gracious servant to do all he can to save the soul of his Master from going down into the infernal Pit But Thirdly Because the servants redeeming of time from his sleep recreations meals for
with Hannah thou can'st but weep out a prayer or with Moses stammer out a prayer or with Hezekiah chatter out a prayer yet do as well as thou can'st and thou shalt find acceptance with God 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not The Publicans prayer had not much Rhetorick or eloquence in it God be merciful to me a sinner and yet God accepted it He Luke 18. 13. prayed much though he spake little and God did not turn a deafe ear upon him That God that once accepted a handfull of meale Lev. 2. 1 2. Chap. 6. 15. Luke 21 3. for a sacrifice and a gripe of Goats hair for an oblation and the poor widows two mites as if they had been two millions will certainly accept of what thou art able to do though thou dost fall short yea much short of what thou oughtest to doe Lord saith Luther thou commandest me to pray I cannot pray as I would yet I will obey for though my prayer be not acceptable yet thine own commandement is acceptable to thee If weak Christians would but put forth in prayer that little strength they have God would quickly renew their spiritual strength he would certainly carry them on from strength to strength he would Isa 49. 29 30 31. Psal 84. 7. still by secret assistances and secret influences help them on in their heavenly trade As a loving indulgent Father will take his little Child in his armes and carry him on in his way home ward when his strength begins to fail him and he can walk no further and the way proves dirty slippery or uneven So doth God by his Hos 11. 3. I taught Ephram also to go as a nurse doth the infant taking them by their arm When Gods poor Children come to a fowl way or a rough place he takes them up in his own arms and helps them over the quagmire of Crosses and the difficulties of duties and over all that straitness and narrowness and weakness oâ— spirit that doth attend them in their closet performances 'T is observable that when the King of Israel was to shoot the Arrow 2 Kings 13. 16. he did put his hand upon the Bow and Elisha did put his hand upon the Kings hand So when we go into our Closets we are to put up our hand and then the Spirit of God likewise will put his hand upon our hand he will put his strength to our strengâ—h or rather to our weakness Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities lifts with us or helpeth together The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth properly signifie such a help as when another man of strength and ability steppeth in to sustain the burden that lieth upon our shoulders be it a logg or a piece of timber setting his shoulders under it to lift up and bear part of it with us or to help us as the nurse helpeth her little child upholding it by the sleeve When a poor Christian sets himself to closet prayer or to mourn or to believe or to obey c. then the Spirit comes in with new help and new influences and new assistances and so carryes him on in all these noble services That child that doth but stammer at first in time will speak plainly and fluently O how many Christians are there that now can pray with much freedom liberty and fluency who at first could only sigh out a prayer or stammer out a prayer or weep out a prayer Thou saiest thou canst not pray but didst thou but stir up thy self to obey that command Matth. 6. 6. as well as thou canst thou dost not know but that a power may go forth with the command that may enable thee to act suitable to the command In Matth 9. 1 9. Christ bid the Palsie man rise and walk Take up thy bed and go unto thine house The Palsie man might have objected Alas I am carried by four I am not able to stir a limb much less to rise but least of all to take up my bed and walk c. Oh but he rouseth up himself as well as he could and a power went forth with the command that enabled him to do what was commanded So Matth. 12. 10 14 There was a poor man that had a withered hand and Christ commands him to stretch forth his hand he might have replied My hand is withered and if I might have as many worlds as there be men in the world to stretch it forth I could not stretch it forth yea if my very life if my very salvation did lie upon stretching forth my withered arm I could not stretch it forth Oh but he throws by all such plea's and complies with Christ's command as well as he could and a power went forth and healed his hand O sirs if you would but pray in your closets as well as you can you do not know but that such power and virtue might flow from Christ into your hearts as might carry you on in your closet duties beyond expectation even to admiration others have found it so and why not you why not you Well remember that God is no curious nor critical observer of the incongruous expressions that falls from his poor children when they are in their closet duties he is such a father as is very well pleased with the broken expressions and divine stammerings of his people when they are in a corner 'T is not a flood of words nor studied notions nor seraphical expressions nor elegant phrases in prayer that takes the ear or that delights the heart of God or that opens the gates of glory or that brings down the best of blessings upon the soul but uprightness holiness heavenlyness spiritualness and brokenness of heart these are the things that make a conquest upon God and that turns most to the souls account But Fifthly Thou sayst thou canst not pray but if thou art a child of God thou hast the Spirit of God and the Spirit of God is a Spirit of prayer and supplication That all the Children of God have the Spirit of God is most evident in the blessed Scriptures Take these for a taste Zach. 12. 10. I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication Psal 51. 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from me Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received not the Spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God 1 Thes 4. 8. Who hath given unto us his holy spirit 1 John 3. 2â— Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Chap. 4. 13. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath
given us of his Spirit That all the Children of God have the Spirit of God may be further made evident by an induction of these seven particulars First They are all sanctified by the Spirit 1 Cor. 6. 11. Ye are sanctified by the Spirit of our God I do not say that they are all equally sanctified by the Spirit but I say they are all really sanctified by the Spirit Though all the servants of Christ have their Talents yet all have not Mat. 25. 15. their ten Talents nor all have not their five Talents nor all have not their two Talents some have only their one Talent Though Benjamins Mess was five times as much Gen. 43. 32 33 34. as his brethrens Mess yet every one of his brethren had their Mâ—ss so though some Christians have five times more measures of the Spirit and more measures of light of love of holiness of heavenly mindedness c. than others have yet every Christian hath some measures of the Spirit and some measures of grace and holiness c. Though some are Babes in Christ 1 Pet. 2. 2. 1 John 2. 12 13 14. and others are Children in Christ though some are young Men in Christ and others are old Men in Christ yet every one of them is John 3. 8. born of the Spirit of Christ Though none of the people of God in this life have the Spirit in perfection yet every one of them have so much of the Spirit as will bring him to salvation every Christian hath so much of the Spirit as will bring Christ and his Soul together and therefore without all peradventure every Christian hath so much of the Spirit as will at last bring Heaven and his Soul together Secondly They are all led by the Spirit Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God are the Sons of God Every Child of God hath a twofold Guide the Word without and the Spirit within Isa 30. 20 21. How the Spirit leads by the rule of the Word and how he leads Prov. 6. 22. Ephes 5. 9. to God and leads to Christ and leads to Truth and leads to Righteousness and leads to Holiness and leads to Happiness I shall not now undertake to shew Thirdly They are all upheld strengthned by the Spirit Ps 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit or underprop me or sustain me as the Hebrew hath it with thy free voluntary Spirit or as the Greek turns it with thy noble princely Spirit So Eph. 3. 16. To be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man By the inner man some understand the regenerate part of man others by the inner man do understand the soul with all its noble faculties and motions Take the words which way you will 't is certain that all the spiritual might and strength that a Christian hath he hath it from the holy Spirit Though the Spirit strengthens every Christian in the inner man yet I do not say that the Spirit strengthens every Christian alike in the inward man Some have stronger corruptions to subdue than others and more violent temptations to with-stand than others and greater difficulties to wrestle with than others and choicer mercies to improve than others and higher and harder duties of Religion to mannage than others and accordingly they are more strengthned in the inner man than others Fourthly They are all partakers of the first-fruits of the Spirit Rom. 8. 23. Our selves have the first-fruits of the Spirit which are but as a handful of corn in respect of the whole crop All the grace 2 Cor. 1. 22. and all the holiness which we have from the regenerating Spirit at first conversion is but a drop to that Sâ—a a mite to those Talents which we shall receive in the life to come Fifthly They are all taught by Isa 59. 21. the Spirit John 14. 26. The holy-Ghost whom the father will send in my name he shall teach you all things This promise primarily belongs to the Apostles Secondarily to all believers Though these words were spoken at first to the Apostles only yet they were not spoken of the Apostles only Isa 54. 13. In the words there are three things promised to the Apostles First Immediate illumination by the Spirit of God Secondly A full knowledge of all those truths belonging to their Apostolical office and that were necessary for them at that juncture of time Thirdly Absolute infallibility as to matter oâ— Doctrine There are also three things promised to all beleevers First Mediate illumination teaching truths by the Spirit of truth in the use of the meanes of grace Secondly Knowledge of all truth necessary to salvation Thirdly infallibility too so far forth as they adhere and keep close to the spirits teaching in the word Philo saith That the primitive Christians were called Tillers because as husbandmen till their fields and manure their grounds so did they teach their Families and nurture their Children and servants with good instructions O what choice teachings of the spirit were these primitive Christians under who made it so much their business their work to teach those that were under their charge So John 1. 2 27. But the 1 Thes 4. 9. 2 Cor. 3. 8. anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth Not that we know all things simply or that we need not a Ministry to teach and instruct us but he speaks comparatively you shall not be so helped by any instructions without the Spirit as with the Spirit The Spirit shall declare the truth as it is in Jesus more clearly more freely more particularly more certainly more universally more 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11 12. 1 Tim. 4. 1. John 16. 25 Isa 48 17. Eccl. 11. 5. effectually than any other is able to doe The Spirit this holy unction shall teach the Saints all things not all things knowable for that is impossible for finite creatures to attain unto Who knows the motions of the heavens the influences of the stars the nature of the creatures or how the bones doe grow in the womb of her that is with child who knowes the reason why the River Nilus should overflow in the summer when waters are at the lowest or why the load-stone should draw Iron to it or incline to the Pole-star Pliny tells us of one that spent Lib. 11. c. 9. eight and fifty years in learning out the nature of the Bee and yet had not fully attained to it How is it possible then for the wisest naturalist to enter into the deep things of God! Paul that learned his divinity among 1 Cor. 13. 9 10 11. the Angels and that had the holy-Ghost for his immediate teacher tells us plainly That he knew but in part and O then how little a part of that part do we know But the Spirit teacheth
the Saints all things that is First He teacheth them all things needful for the salvation of their souls all things necessary to bring John 17. 3. them to heaven Secondly All things needful to life and godlyness 2 Pet. 1. 3. Thirdly all things needful to their places callings sexes ages and conditions Fourthly All things needful for you to know to preserve you in the truth and to preserve you from being deluded and seduced by those false teachers of whom he speaks vers 18 19 22 23 26. And certainly this is the main thing that John hints at in that expression The all things spoken of in Vers 27. according to the ordinary Scripture style must necessarily be interpreted only of all those things which are there spoken of But Sixthly They are all comforted by the Spirit Acts. 9. 31. They John 14. 16 26. and Chap. 15. 26. and Chap. 16. 7. walked in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. For the Kingdom of God is not meat and driâ—k but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy-Ghost 1 Thes 1. 6. And ye became followers of us and of the Lord having received the word in much affliction with joy of the holy-Ghost Not that all Christians have alwayes actual comfort or actual joy O no For as the Air is sometimes clear sometimes cloudy and as the Sea is sometimes ebbing sometimes flowing so the comforts and joyes of the people of God are sometimes ebbing and sometimes flowing sometimes clear and sometimes cloudy Hudson the Martyr being deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediatly and suffered valiantly So Mr. Glover the Martyr was deserted in Prison but as he was going to the stake he lookt back and cried out to his friend He is come he is come meaning the Comforter and so he laid down his life with joy Rachel wept and would not be comforted she gave so much way to weeping that she would not give the least way to comfort and so 't is many times with the choicest Saints My soul refused to be comforted Psal 77. 2. 'T is not my purpose at present to insist on the several wayes whereby the people of God refuse comfort and fall short of those strong consolations which God is willing that they should receive The Sun may operate where it doth not shine and a man may be in a state of salvation and yet want consolation a man may fear the Isa 50. 10. 2. Lord and obey the voice of his servant and yet walk in darkness and see no light There is no Christian but may sometime have trouble in his conscience and grief in his heart and tears in his eyes and fears and questionings in his soul whether God be his Father and whether Christ be his Redeemer whether Mercy belongs to him yea whether any Promise in the Book of God belongs to him c. Joy and comfort are those dainties Psal 30. 6 7. those sweet-meets of heaven that God doth not every day feast his people with every day is not a wedding day nor every day is not a harvest day nor every day is not a summers day The fatted Calf is Luke 15. 22 23. Eccl. 3. 4. Rom. 12. 15. not kil'd every day nor the Robe the Ring is not every day put on every day is not a festival day nor a dancing day As there is a time to sing so there is a time to sigh as there is a time to laugh so there is a time to weep and as there is a time to dance so thereis a time to mourn All tears will never be clear wip'd from our eyes till all sinbe quite taken out of our hearts But notwithstanding all this yet gracious â—ouls have alwayes sure and choice grounds of consolation they have the promises they have the first fruits of the Spirit they have union with Christ and they have right to eternal life though they have not alwayes sensible comforts The Job 13. 15. Psal 42. 5. children of God have alwayes cause to exercise faith and hope on God in their darkest condition though they have not alwayes actual joy and consolation The comforter alwayes abides with the Saints though he doth not alway actually comfort the Saints John 14. 16. The Spirit many times carryes on his sanctifying work in the soul when he doth not carry on his comforting work in the soul the Spirit many times acts in a way of humiliation when he doth not act in a way of consolation the Spirit many times fills the soul with Godly sorrow when he doth not fill the soul with holy joy The actings of the Spirit as to his comforting work are all of his own soveraign will and pleasure and therefore he may abide in the soul when he doth not actually comfort the soul But Seventhly The people of God These words saith Zanchy are a inetaphor taken from Merchants who having bâ—ught goods seal them as their own and so transport them to other places Eph. 4. 24. first or last are sealed by the Spirit Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed by the holy Spirit of promise The nature of sealing consists in the imparting of the image or Character of the Seal to the thing sealed To seal a thing is to stamp the character of the Seal on it Now the Spirit of God doth really and effectually communicate the image of God to us which image consists in righteousness and true holiness Then are we truly sealed by the Spirit of God when the holy Ghost stamps the image of grace and holiness so obviously so evidently upon the soul as that the soul sees it feels it and can run and read it then the soul is sealed by the holy Spirit So Ephes 4. 30. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption The Person of the Holy-Ghost is here set forth in the Greek with a very great energy such as our Tongue is not able fully to express Here are three words that have three Articles every word his several Article by it self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit not a Spirit and not holy but the holy nor of God but of that God 2 Cor. 1. 22. Who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the spirit in our hearts In these Scriptures you see that the Spirit is a seal Now a seal among men is First For secresie Secondly For distinction Thirdly For authority Fourthly For certainty A writing sealed is authentick and for ensureing In the three Texâ—s last cited if you compare them together you may observe these Six things First The Person sealing and that is the Father Secondly In whom in Christ Thirdly With what seal the Spirit of Promise Where are all the Persons in the Trinity making us sure of our inheritance Fourthly When after ye believed Fifthly
The End which is twofold 1. Subordinate and that is the certainty of our salvation 2. Ultimate and that is the praise of his glory Sixthly The Time how long this seal and earnest shall thus assure us and that is till we have the compleat possession of what it is an earnest To prevent mistakes and disputes about the Sealings of the Spirit on the one hand and to support comfort and encourage the poor people of God on the other hand let me briefly hint at the Spirits â—pecial sealing times As First Conversion times are often the Spirits sealing times Luke 15. 22 23. Upon the Prodigals return the fatted Calf is killed and the best Robe is put upon his back and the Ring is put upon his hand and shooes on his feet Some by the Robe understand the Royalty of Adam others the Righteousness of Christ And by the Ring some understand the pledges of Gods love Rings being given as pledges of love and by the Ring others understand the seal of Gods holy Spirit men useing to seal with their Rings Among the Romans the Ring was an ensigne of vertue honour and nobility whereby they that wore them were distinguished from the common people I think the main thing intended by the Robe and the Ring is to shew us that God sometimes upon the sinners conversion and returning to him is graciously pleased to give him some choice manifestations of his gracious pleasure and good-will and to seal up to him his everlasting love and favour And hence it comes to pass that some that are but babes in Christ are 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. 1. John 2. 12 13 14. Acts 9. 3 4 5 6. so diligent and active in religious duties and so consciencious and dexterous in the exercise of their Graces At first conversion God helps some of his people to read their own names written in legible letters in the Book of Life No sooner are some converted but the Spirit stamps his seale upon them Secondly Beleeving times are sealing times Ephes 1. 13. When they were in the very exercise of their faith when they were acting Rom. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 8. of their faith for so much the Original imports the Spirit came and sealed them up to the day of redemption He that honours Christ by frequent actings of faith on him him will Christ honour by setting his seal and mark upon him Thirdly Humbling times mourning times are sealing times When a holy man was askt which were the joyfullest dayes the comfortablest dayes that ever he enjoyed he answered his mourning dayes His mourning dayes were his joyfullest dayes and therefore he cried out O give me my mourning dayes give me my mourning dayes for they were my joyfullest dayes Those were dayes wherein God sealed up his everlasting love to his soul Job 22. 29. Isa 29. 19. When the Prodigal had greatly humbled himself before his father then the best Robe and the Ring were put upon him Luke 15. 17 24. There are none that long for the sealings of the Spirit like humble souls nor none set so high a price upon the sealings of the Spirit as humble souls nor none make so choice an improvement of the sealings of the Spirit as humble souls And therefore when mens hearts are humble and low the Spirit comes and sets the privy seal of heaven upon them Fourthly Sin-killing sin-mortifying sin-subduing times are the Spirits sealing times Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written that no man knowes saving he that receiveth it God will give to the victorious Christian a secret love-token whereby his soul may rest assured of the unspeakable love of God and of its freedom from condemnation White stones were of very great use among the Romans and among the Athenians and served to acquit the accused in Courts of Justice When Malefactors were accused arraigned and condemned in their Courts they gave them a Black stone in token of condemnation but when they were acquitted they gave them White stones in token of absolution And to this practise the holy Ghost seems to allude He that is victorious over Isa 56. 5. his lusts shall have a new Name that is better than the names of sons and daughters and he shall have the pardon of his sins writ in fair letters upon the white stone so that he may run and read his absolution The victorious Christian shall 1 John 1. 7. have assurance of the full discharge of all his sins he shall have a clear evidence of his Justification and a blessed assurance of his eternal Election all which are hidden and mysterious things to all but those that have experienced and tasted what these sweet meats of Heaven mean Among the Romans there were solemn feasts held in honour of those that were victorious in their sacred Games Now those that were to be admitted to those Feasts were wont to have their names written on white shels and white stones and by these Tickets they were admitted Now some think the holy Ghost alludes to this practise and so would hint to us a privy mark whereby victorious Christians may be known and admitted as bidden guests to the heavenly banquet of the hidden Manna according to Rev. 19. 9. O sirs when predominate lusts are brought under when bosom sins lye slain in the soul then the Spirit comes and seals up love and life and glory to the soul Fifthly Suffering times are sealing times Act. 7. 55 56 59 60. Rev. 1. 9 10. 2 Cor. 4. 15 16 17. The primitive Christians found Acts 5. 40 41 42. Psal 71. 20 21. Psal 94. 19. Rev. 1. 9 10. them so and the suffering Saints in theÌ„ Marian dayes found them so When the Furnace is seven times hotter than ordinary the Spirit of the Lord comes and seals up a mans pardon in his bosom and his peace with God and his title to heaven When the world frowns most then God smiles most when the world puts their iron chains upon the Saints legs then God puts his golden chains about the Saints necks when the world puts a bitter cup into one hand then the Lord puts a cup of consolation into the other hand when the world cries out Crucifiè them crucifie them then commonly they hear that sweet voice from heaven These are my beloved ones in whom I am well pleased Blessed Bradford looked upon his sufferings as an evidence to him that he was in the right way to heaven And saith Ignatius It is better for me to be a Martyr than to be a Monarch Sixthly Self-denying times are the Spirits sealing times Matth. 19. 27 28 29. First There is sinful self which takes in a mans lusts Secondly There is natural self which takes in a mans arts parts gifts with Reason Thirdly There is religious self which takes in all a mans religious duties and services whether ordinary or
extraordinary Fourthly There is moral self which includes a freedome from gross hainous enormous wickednesses and a fair sweet harmless behaviour towards men Fifthly There is relative self which takes in our nearest and dearest relations in the flesh as Psal 45. 7 8 9 10 11. Wife Children Father Mother Brothers Sisters c. Now when a man comes thus universally to deny himself for Christ's sake and the Gospels sake and Religion sake then the Spirit of the Lord comes and seals him up unto the day of redemption This is a truth confirmed by the experiences of many Martyrs now in Heaven and by the testimony of many Christians still alive Seventhly Sacrament times are sealing times In that feast of fat things God by his Spirit seals up his love to his people and his covenant to his people and pardon of sin to his people and heaven and happiness to his people There are many precious souls that have found Christ in this Ordinance when they could not find him in other Ordinances though they have sought him sorrowingly In this Ordinance many a distressed soul hath been strengthned comforted and sealed I might give you many instances take one for all There was a gracious woman who after God had filled her soul with comfort and sealed up his everlasting love to her fell under former fears and trouble of Spirit and being at the Lords Supper a little before the bread was administred to her Satan seemed to appear to her and told her that she should not presume to eat but at that very nick of time the Lord was pleased to bring into her mind that passage in the Canticles Eat O my friends Cant. 5. 1. But notwithstanding this Satan still continued terrifying of her and when she had eaten he told her that she should not drink but then the Lord brought that second clause of the Verse to her remembrance Drink yea drink abundantly or be drunk as the Hebrew hath it my beloved or my loves as the Hebrew hath it All faithful souls are Christs Loves and so she drank also and presently was filled with such unspeakable joyes that she hardly knew how she got home Which soul-ravishing joyes continued for a fortnight after and filled her mouth with songs of praise so that she could neither sleep nor eat more than she forced her self to do out of conscience of duty At the fortnights end when God was pleased to abate her measure of joy she came to a setled peace of conscience and assurance of the love of God so that for twenty years after she had not so much as a cloud upon her spirit or the least questioning of her interest in Christ But Eighthly When God calls his people to some great and noble work when he puts them upon some high services some difficult duties some holy and eminent imployments then his Spirit comes and sets his seal upon them Jer. 1. 5. Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctifyed thee and I ordained thee to be a prophet unto the Nations The Lord sending the Prophet Jeremiah to denounce most dreadful judgements against a rebellious people an impudent brazen-faced Nation he assures him of his eternal election and of his choice presence and singular assistance in that work that he set him about vers 8 17 18 19. Thus the Lord dealt with Peter James and John Matth. 17. 1 to the 6th and thus he dealt with Paul Acts 9 to 23. Ninthly When they are taken up into more than ordinary communion with God then is the Spirits sealing time When was it that the Spouse cried out My beloved is mine and I am his but when Christ brought her to his banquetting house and his banner over her was love Cant. 2. 16. 3 4 5 6. compared c. Tenthly and lastly When Christians give themselves up to private prayer when Christians are more than ordinarily exercised in secret prayer in Closet duties then the Spirit comes and seals up the Covenant and the Love of the Father to them When Daniel Dan. 9. 20 21 22 23. had been wrestling and weeping and weeping and wrestling all day long with God in his Closet then the Angel tells him that he was a man greatly beloved of God or a man of great desires as the Original hath it There was a gracious Woman who after much frequenting of Sermons and walking in the ways of the Lord fell into great desertions but being in secret prayer God came in with abundance of light and comfort sealing up to her soul that part of his Covenant viz. I will take the stony heart out of Ezek. 11. 19 20. their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh that they may walk in my statutes and keep mine ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God And thus I have given you a brief account of the Spirits special sealing times Now mark This seal God sets upon all his wares upon all his adopted children for sooner or later there are none of his but are sealed with this seal God sets his John 3. 3. 2 Thess 2. 13. Heb. 12. 14. seal of Regeneration he stamps his Image of Holiness upon all his people to difference and distinguish them from all prophane moral and hypocritical persons in the World Doubtless the sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost imprinting the draughts and lineaments of Gods Image of Righteousness and Holiness upon Man as a seal or signet doth leave an impression and stamp of its likeness upon the thing sealed is the seal of the Spirit spoken of in Scripture 2 Tim. 2. 19. The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity But to prevent mistakes you must remember that though the Spirit of the Lord first or last will set his seal upon every real Saint yet the impression of that seal is not alike visible in all for some bear this impression as Babes others as men grown up to some maturity All Gods adopted children bear this impression truly but none of them bear it perfectly in this life Sometimes this seal of Regeneration this seal of Holiness is so plain and obvious that a man may run read it in himself and others and at other times 't is so obscure and dark that he can hardly discern it either in himself or others This seal is so lively stampt on some of Gods people that it discovers it self very visibly eminently gloriously but on others it is not alike visible And thus I have made it evident by these seven particulars that all the children of God have the Spirit of God Now mark The Spirit of God that is in all the Saints is a Spirit of prayer and supplication Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba
and lively seasons for closet-Closet-prayer is the mornings before a mans spirit be blunted or cooled deadned damped or flatted by worldly businesses A man should speak with God in his Closet before he speaks with his worldly affairs and occasions A man should say to all his worldly businesseg as Abraham said unto his young men when he went to offer up his only Isaac abide you here and I will goe yonder and worship and then return to you again He that will attend Closet-prayer without distraction or disturbance must not first slip out of the world into his Closet but he must first slip into his Closet before he be compassed about with a crowd of worldly employments It was a Precept of Pythagoras that when we enter into the Temple to worship God we must not so much as speak or think of any worldly business least we make Gods service an idle perfunctory and lazy recreation The same I may say of Closet-prayer Jerome complains very much of his distractions dulness and indisposedness to prayer and chides himself thus What dost thou think that Jonah prayed thus when he was in the Whales belly or Daniel when he was among the Lyons or the Thief when he was upon the Cross Thirdly When men or women are under rash and passionate 1 Tim. 2. 8. distempers for when passions are up holy affections are down and this is a very unfit season for Closet-prayer for such prayers will never reach Gods eare which do not first warm our own hearts In the Muscovy Churches if the Minister mistake in reading or stammer in pronouncing his words or speak any word that is not well heard the hearers doe very much blame him and are ready to take the book from him as unworthy to read therein And certainly God is no less offended with the giddy rash passionate precipitate and inconsiderate prayers of those who without a deliberate understanding do send their petitions to heaven in post-hast Solomons advice is worthy of all commendation and acceptation Be not Eccl. 5 2. rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter any thing before God Or as the Hebrew may be read Let not thy heart through hast be so troubled or disturbed as to tumble over and throw out words without wisdome or premeditation Good men are apt many times to be too hasty rash and unadvised in their prayers complaints and deprecations Psal 31. 2. 2 Psal 116. 11 Job 10. 1 2 3. Jer. 18. 15. 18. Jon. 4. 2 3 4. Matth. 20. 20 21. witness David Job Jeremiah Jonah and the Disciples No Christian to him that doth wisely seriously weigh over his prayers and praises before he pours out his soul before the Lord. He never repents of his requests who first duly deliberates what to request but he that blurts out whatsoever lyes uppermost and that brings into the presence of God his rash raw tumultuary and indigested petitions confessions complaints c. he doth but provoke God he doth but brawl with God instead of praying to him or wrestling with him Suiters at Court observe their fittest times and seasons of begging they commonly take that very nick of time when they have the King in a good mood and so seldome or never come off but with good success Sometimes God strongly enclines the heart to Closet-prayer sometimes he brings the heart before hand into a praying frame sometimes both body and soul are more enlivened quickned raised and divinely enflamed than at other times sometimes Conscience is more stirring working and tender c. O now strike while the Iron is hot O now lay hold on all such blessed opportunities by applying of thy self to private prayer O Sirs can you take your fittest times seasons and opportunities for plowing and sowing and reaping and buying and selling and eating and drinking and marrying c. And can't you as well take your fittest times and seasons to seek the Lord in your Closets Must the best God be put off with the least and worst of your time the Lord forbid Neglect not the seasons of grace slip not your opportunities for Closet-prayer thousands have lost their seasons and their souls together My Third Advice and counsel is this Be marvelous careful that you do not perform Closet Duties meerly to still your Consciences you must perform them out of Conscience but you must not perform them only to quiet Conscience Some have such a light set up in their understandings that they cannot omit An ill Conscience saith Austin is like a scolding wife a man saith he that hath an ill Conscience he cares not to be at at home he cares not to look into his own soul but loves to be abroad Closet-prayer but Conscience is upon their backs Conscience is still upbraiding and disquieting of them and therefore they are afraid to neglect Closet-prayer least Conscience should question arraign and condemn them for their neglects Sometimes when men have greatly sinned against the Lord Conscience becomes impatient and is still accusing condemning and terrifying of them and now in these Agonies they will run to their Closets and cry and pray and mourn and confess and bitterly bewail their transgressions but all this is only to quiet their Consciences and sometimes they find upon their performances of Closet-duties that their Consciences are a little allayed and quieted and for this very end and purpose do they take up Closet-prayer as a charm to allay their Consciences and when the storm is over and their Consciences quieted then they lay aside Closet-prayer as the Monk did the net when the fish was caught and are ready to transgresse again O Sirs take heed of this for this is but plain hypocrisie and will be bitternesse in the end He that performs Closet-prayer only to bribe his Conscience that it may not be clamorous or to stop the mouth of Conscience that it may not accuse him for sin he will at length venture upon such a trade such a course of sinning against Conscience as will certainly turn his troubled Conscience into a seared Conscience And a seared Conscience is like a sleepy Lyon when 2 Tim. 4. 2. he awakes he roars and tears his prey in pieces and so will a seared Conscience when 't is awakened roar and tear the secure sinner in pieces When Dionysius Conscience was awakened he was so troubled with fear and horrour of Conscience that not daring to trust his best friends with a razor he used to singe his beard with burning coals as Cicero reports All the mercy that a seared a benummed Conscience doth afford the sinner when it doth most befriend him when it deals most seemingly kind with him is this that it will not cut that it may kill it will not convince that it may confound it will not accuse that it may condemn it will spare the sinner a while that it may torment him for ever it will spare him here that it may gnaw
down into your hearts nor you cannot have your hearts too frequently carried up to heaven and therefore you cannot be too frequent in Closet-prayer But Sixthly Consider that you are under frequent wants and frequent sins and frequent snares and frequent 1 Pet. 5. 8. Job 1. 7. temptations and frequent allurements and frequent tryals and frequent cares and frequent feares and frequent favours and therefore you had need be frequent with God in your Closets But Seventhly Consider you are the favourites of heaven you are greatly beloved you are highly honoured you are exceedingly esteemed and valued in the Court of the Most High and remember that the Petitions of many weak Christians and of many benighted Christians and of many tempted Christians and of many clouded Christians and of many staggering Christians and of many doubting Christians and of many bewildred Christians and of many fainting Christians c. are put into your hands for a quick and speedy dispatch to the Throne of Grace so that you had need be frequent in your Closets and improve your interest in heaven or else many of these poor hearts may be wronged betrayed and prejudiced by your neglect Such as are Favourites in Princes Courts if they are active diligent careful and watchful they may doe much good for others they may come as often as they please into their Princes presence and with Queen Esther have Esth 8. for asking what they please both for themselves and others Esth 7. O what a world of good may such doe for others that are Gods Favourites if they would be but frequent with God in their Closets O Sirs If you have not that love that regard that pitty that compassion to your own souls as you should have yet O let not others suffer by your neglect of private prayer O let not Zion suffer O let not any particular Saint suffer by your being found seldom in your Closets Certainly It might have gone better with the Churches of Christ and with the concernments of Christ and with many of the poor people of Christ if most Christians had been more frequent with God in their Closets But Eighthly and lastly Consider that this liberty to approach nigh Sanguis Christi clavis Coeli to God in your Closets cost Christ his dearest blood Ephes 2. 13. Heb. 10. 20. Now he that is not frequent with God in his Closet tells all about him that he sets no great value upon that liberty that Christ hath purchased with his blood The incomparable the unparalel'd 1 Pet. 1. 19. price which Christ hath paid down upon the nail above sixteen hundred years agoe that we might have liberty and free access to his Father in your Closets argues very strongly yea irrefragably the superlative excellency of that liberty O therefore let us improve to purpose this blessed purchase of our Lord Jesus by being frequent with God in our closets 'T is disputed by some whether one drop of Christs blood was sufficient for the pardon of our sins and redemption of our souls My intention is not to dispute but to offer a few things to your Consideration First It must be granted that One little drop of Christ's blood is more worth than heaven and earth Luther by reason of the hypostatical union a drop of Christ's blood was of an inestimable worth and excellency and the value of his passion is to be measured by the dignity of his person But Secondly a proportion was to be observed betwixt the punishment due to men and that which What is the blood of the Grape or the blood of a son an only son to the blood of a Saviour was suffered for man that his sufferings might be satisfactory two things were necessary Poenae gravitas as well as personae dignitas That the least drop of Christ's blood was not sufficient for the redemption of our souls may thus appear First If it were then the Circumcision of Christ was enough for there was a drop if not many drops of blood shed Secondly Then his being Crown'd with a crown of Thorns was sufficient for it is most probable that they drew blood-from him Thirdly Then all Christ's sufferings besides were superfluous and vain Fourthly Then God was unjust and unrighteous to take more than was due to his justice But for any man to affirm that God hath taken beyond what was his just due is high blasphemy Fifthly Then Christ was weak and imprudent to pay more than he needed for what need was there of his dearest heart blood if a drop from his hand would have saved our souls Let School-men fancie what they please 't is certain that not one dram of that bitter Cup that Christ drunk off could be abated in order to his Fathers full satisfaction and mans eternal redemption Christ hath given under his own hand that it was necessary that he should suffer many things Mark 8. 3. Luke 24. 26. O Sirs shall Christ shed not only a few drops of blood but his very heart blood to purchase you a freedom and liberty to be as often in your Closets with his Father as you please and will you only now and then give God a visit in private the Lord forbid My Second Advise and counsel is this Take the fittest seasons and opportunities that possibly you can for Closet-prayer Many take unfit seasons for private prayer which do more obstruct the importunity of the soul in prayer than all the suggestions and instigations of Satan As First When the body is drowsie Cant. 3. 1. and sleepy this is a very unfit season for closet-prayer Take heed of laying cushions of sloath under your knees or pillows of idlenesse under your elbows or of mixing nods with your petitions or of being drowsily devoted when you draw neer to God in your closets Secondly When a mans head and heart is filled with worldly 1 Cor. 7. 35. Ezek. 33. 31. cares and distractions this is a very unfit season for closet-prayer When Dinah must needs be gadding abroad to see fashions Shechem Prince of that country meets with her and forces her virginity So when our hearts Dinah-like must needs be a roving and gadding abroad after the things of the world then Satan the Prince of the air usually seizes upon us commits a rape upon our souls and either leads us off from prayer or else he doth so distract us in prayer that it were better not to have prayed at all than to have offered the sacrifice of foolish and distracted prayer I have read a story how that one offered to give his horse to his fellow upon condition he would but say the Lords Prayer and think upon nothing but God the proffer was accepted and he began Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name But I must have the bridle too said he no nor the Horse neither said the other for thou hast lost both already The application is easie Certainly the most free