The Apostle saith He hath wrought in us grace for grace Joh. 1. 16. So that the soul is now endeavouring to imitate Christ and to have some of every grace that is in Christ and this is also a help to try our souls by Vse 2. The second Use is of Exhortation to all the Saints that they love and prize Christ very highly that they make him the beloved of their souls as we see the Spouse doth the Saints should love Christ dearly because he is their All in all 1. He is their Saviour who died for them 2. He is their Root from whence all their good and happiness springeth upward to God 3. He is their Head through which is given down all their enjoyments 4. He is their Life and Crown of Glory 1. He is their Saviour who died for them to save them and them only from eternal damnation 1 Thes 1. 10. It was the blood of Christ which God accepted the pretious blood of Christ as Peter saith 1 Pet. 1. 19. And therefore how canst thou that callest thy self a Saint choose but love Christ deerly and account him precious who poured out his precious blood for thee Think on this for certainly it is highly to be prized that Christ the son of God should die on the Cross for poor souls to make them like himself 2. The Saints ought to love Christ because he is the Root that beareth all which God requires of them you are compleat in him Coll. 2. 10. He is a perfect Christ for poor imperfect Saints he makes up the wants of the Saints in his own obedience and offers it up to God as a sweet smelling savour How much then are all the Saints bound to love Christ as their Root or Bottom on which they stand in regard they are poor weak Creatures and can do nothing without Christ that is any better then dung in the sight of God Thirdly Christ is deerly to be beloved by the Saints because he is their head through which God gives all that they enjoy to them Nay God hath laid up all his fulness in Christ for the Saints as Col. 2. 9. For in him dwels all the fulness of the Godhead bodily and ver 3. Paul saith All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ And in the same Epistle chap. 1. ver 19. It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell By this you may see all Grace is laid up in Christ and that is the way through which God gives all these Treasures to the Saints our Comfort our assurance our earnest our All in all is through Christ And therefore let this exhort every Saint to follow Christ to love Christ and to account him pretious and though thou see vain and carnal hearts to slight Christ and their Obedience yet do thou love him the more t is a good warning for thee to quicken thee in thy love to him 4. He is their life and Crown no life out of Christ thou hast reason to love him who is thy life Col. â— 3 4. Our life is hid with Christ in God and when Christ which is our life shal appear then shall we appear How should this engage all the saints to love Christ seeing he is thy all in all and thou nothing at all Love him for thy own sake if thou hast not any better principles For I tell thee thou oughtest to love him deerly like the Spouse of Christ Vse 3. The third Use is to all that yet want this Assurance of Christ That they now whilest yet t is to day accept of mercy you see that all the Saints have a full Assurance of the Love of God and you see how God works on them you see that there is no life but in Christ Let all this set your hearts on work to look after this Christ that you may come to have all those high priviledges made yours and have your sins done away in the blood of Christ that you may no longer be children of wrath and under the curse but that you may be made like the Sons of God I shall not stand on this Use longer in regard here followeth a larger Invitation to all such to which I shall refer all that desire to be made partakers of this mercy and proceed to the next Use Vse 4. Which is the fourth and last and is also a Use of Comfort to all that do enjoy Christ and that can say upon good and sure grounds God is my God and Christ my Christ and let this Comfort all the Saints and bear up their spirits in every Condition this should be indeed the very life and comfort of the Saints to consider their neer relation to God and Christ this made the Apostle Paul say as he did in 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard what capacity God hath put the Saints in yet God hath revealed it to them by his Spirit Here is exceeding comfort that the great God should do such great things for the Saints as these are 1. He hath made them his sons 2. He hath made them heirs of heaven 3. He hath sealed up their souls to the day of Redemption 4. He hath given them the earnest of his Spirit 5. He hath made them partakers of his own nature 6. He will make them like himself 1. That they are his sons you may see in 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. Now are we the sons of God and not only called so but really to be so 2. God hath made all the Saints heirs of heaven Rom. 8. 17. so in Tit. 3. 7. They are made heirs of eternal life 3. Their souls are sealed up God hath set a seal on them Joh. 6. 27. Such a soul hath the Father sealed Their souls are sealed to the day of Redemption Eph. 4. 30. 4. God hath given the Saints the earnest of his Spirit as a pledge of his love till they enjoy him fully 2 Cor. 1. 22. so in Eph. 1. 14. it is called the Earnest of the Saints inheritance 5. He hath made every Saint a partaker of his own nature 2 Pet. 1 4. And 6. He will make them like himself 1 Joh. 3. 2. Put all these things together if thou art a Saint and apply the comfort to thy self here is an abundance of it well mayest thou cry out with Paul O the depth and riches of the love of God to make poor sinners so near to himself Two Questions answered The first is How shall we know a Godly man or a man in the state of Grace The second is How shall we know an Vngodly man or a man in the state of Nature BEcause many nay most miscarry herein thinking themselves godly when indeed there is no such matter therefore we shall endeavour to lay open to publike view so that every Conscience shall and must confesse who indeed is the Godly man and who the Ungodly And this we shall prove by Scripture and also by experience which
Eph. 4. 25. And grow up unto him who is thy head as in Eph. 4. 15. Thus much for the first Question The second thing is A holy Conversation what it is and the happiness that comes by it 1. What is a holy conversation A holy conversation is this When a man walks in the ways of God and godliness then he is said to have a holy Conversation as in 2 Pet. 3. 11. The Saints of God they are called to it as we see in 1 Pet. 1. 15 16. Our God is holy saith the Apostle and therefore ye ought to be so in all manner of Conversation that is as if he had said O ye Saints your God is a holy God and cannot endure sin especially in you therefore be ye holy that is be ye obedient unto your God do what he hath commanded you be ye godly call upon your Father walk in his ways let thy conversation be in heaven as the Apostle saith in Eph. 3. 20. A holy conversation is a heavenly conversation I shall not stand here any longer in regard I have laid down nine particulars whereby a godly man may be known I shall proceed to the benefits that come by a holy life and conversation you shall finde them to be many As 1. Thy Communion with God and the Lord Christ if thou live a holy life God will delight in thee to do thee good and will shew thee his salvation Psa 50. 23. and will have Communion with thee God is Light and therefore he will not have communion with darkness as Paul saith in 2 Cor. 6. 15 16 17 18. 2. The Saints will love and own thee if thou live a holy life then thou wilt have the benefit of their Communion otherwise if thou live ungodly they will not own thee Consider the benefit of this what it is to be owned among the Saints and servants of the Lord. 3. Thou will finde comfort in the course of thy life when the judgments of God fall on the wicked for disobeying his Commands and that they know not whether to flie from his hand and that the Lord say to such unprofitable servants get you from me into utter darkness for ever as in Matth. 25. 30. Of what benefit will this holy life be to thee that when thy Lord Christ cometh he shall finde thee doing his will as in Matth. 24. 46. 4. At the time of death thou wilt finde a benefit indeed when thou canst say as Christ said I have finished thy work which thou gavest me to do Joh. 17. 4. And I have glorified thee on earth What thinkest thou will it be of no value then that thou hast lived holy Thou mayest see of what worth the Apostle Paul makes it in 2 Tim. 4. 6 7 8. My departure is at hand but here is my comfort I have fought a good fight I have finished my course and kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness and for all them that love the appearing of Jesus Christ 5. And lastly After death thou shalt finde that God intends to judge the world by thy conversation in 1 Cor. 6 2 3. Nay even the Angels shall be Judged by it thou hadst need be holy indeed what a shame will it be to thee that thou hast lived fruitless and carnal when God shall open every mans book and shall judge the world and angels by thy life of what comfort will it be that thou haft been holy If it be so then let all that are Saints endeavor to outstrip one another in a holy life and conversation and that they all watch and have their Lamps ready with oyl to meet the Bridegroom Matth. 25. Read and consider this for the Lord Christ will come when we are not aware and as a thief in the night and as lightning that is soon come so will the Lord Christ Matth. 24. all the chapter Thirdly What it is to have a true fellowship with God Christ and the Saints and the blessedness and comfort it brings to those that have it First What this fellowship is with the Father and the Son as the Apostle John speaks of in his 1. Epist. ch 1. ver 2. 3. To have fellowship with God and Christ is a very high fellowship indeed Our fellowship is with the Father and the Son saith the Apostle that is God and Christ have given themselves with their treasures unto us and we are made partakers of the Divine nature of God and Christ dwels in the Saints as you may see 1 Joh. 4. 13. They dwell in them by the spirit and the Saints they dwell in God and Christ their very life is in God Here is a neer one-ness indeed this fellowship is worth much it is to live in the bosom of God it is to be very nearly acquainted with God God speaks by his Spirit to the Souls of his Saints I am your God and Father Come unto me in my Son and I will hear you The Saints they bring the Lord Christ with them and come into the presence of God and there they make their minds known unto him they lay their souls open before him and then the Lord drops in some refreshing and sends the soul away with sweet content And this is the fellowship the Saints have with God and Christ Before I go any further I shall speak a word or two by way of advice to the Saints and it is this Is it indeed such a neerness that you have with God and the Lord Christ Let this then advise you that you behave your selves with holy reverence Is the holy God so near you and the Lord Christ in you Dear friends how ought you to carry your selves then in the presence of your God and Lord God expects reverence from you as you see in Psal 89. 7. Look to your hearts that they wander not from God when you come into his presence and that you walk holily with your God where-ever you are Consider I say the great neerness that is between God and you and let the consideration of it drive away all carnal delights that thou mayest delight in thy God to have fellowship with him Secondly What is it to have fellowship with the Saints To have fellowship with them is to be partners in the same enjoyment I shall draw a comparison here of fellowship in outward things And although indeed spiritual things should be compared with spiritual things yet this will much open the word Fellowship and make it plain There are many things to be observed in fellowship amongst men that deal together as 1. They give in their names 2. They promise to hazard all alike 3. They bring in every man his share 4. They send all away to Sea 5. They patiently wait for a Return 6. When it returns they receive the profit For the first the Saints all give in their names to follow the Lord Christ and the wayes of God together 2. They promise to hazard all
themselves to Christ and follow him in that way he commands I shall draw one Observation more which lieth in the way that is Obs 4. That there is an unseparable mutual union betwixt Christ and every Saint From these words My Beloved is mine and I am his there is the union as if the Spouse had said I am united to Christ and he to me as the Vine is to the branches Joh 15. 5. so is Christ to me and I to him and as the head is to the members so is Christ to the Saints and the Saints to Christ and as the head is governour of the body so is Christ over the Saints and the Saints act by his light and motion This union is mutual as it is with the consent of will and truth of love so it is unseparable the love of Christ never changes it holds out for ever As the Prophet Jeremy c. 31 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting love therefore in loving kindness have I drawn thee Christ will never depart from his Saints he will never leave them untill he hath saved them to the utmost point of salvation Heb. 7. 25. There is no peace no quiet neither in Christ nor in the souls of the Saints longer then they enjoy each other And that made the Apostle Paul say Our life is hid with Christ in God Our life is in Christ there is no life for a Saint out of Christ Again God hath given all the Saints to Christ All that the Father giveth me saith Christ shall come to me and all those that come to Christ shall never be plucked out of his hands Joh. 10. 28. So likewise in Hos 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever The Spouse of Christ is joyned to him for ever there is no separation See one Scripture more 1 Thess 4. 17. At the time of death when all ungodly men shall for ever be separated from Christ then is the time for the Saints to enjoy their Beloved fully and for ever You see now that this is a truth that there is both a mutual union and unseparable between Christ and the Spouse which is his Church or the Saints Well now from these Heads or Observations there will proceed Uses The first will be a use of Examination to all in general whether we have this assurance of Christ yea or no. The second will be a use of Exhortation to all the Saints that they love and prize Christ dearly as it is their duty The third to all that as yet are without Christ that they be perswaded to give up themselves to him The fourth is a use of Comfort to the Saints in general The first Use is of Examination to search our hearts and souls thorowly whether we have Christ or no And in the doing of this beware that you do not look on those Evangelical Marks and Signes in the Word of God as notions but bring thy heart to the Word and see what thy Portion is there and what thy fruits appear to be and what Condition soever thou finde thy self in deal plainly with thy self if thou finde thy self yet in a state of Nature then think it thy duty to confess it and do not deny it because it is a sad Condition but own it and take those courses to come out of it that thou findest hereafter mentioned 2. Consider the equity of this Duty and the great need all men and women have to be sure of Christ You must have Christ or else you are but Reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Again God chooseth and setteth apart the Godly for himself as you have it in Psal 4 3. and therefore I tell thee of nothing but what thou standest in great need of and which thou art required to do if thou intendest to be a sharer in the Lord Christ Therefore now let us put the Work upon examination and search after our assurance and if we are willing to see our selves in our own condition then take notice of these marks which follow First Take notice what men and women are by Nature 2. Consider what the work of Conversion is and what blessed effects there is that followeth this work First Consider what estate all are in by nature All by nature are the children of wrath Ephes 2. 3. In this estate thou art in darkness and hadst nothing to do with Christ thou hadst no fellowship with him neither wast thou any way taken with the Commands of God as to see any loveliness in them every soul in the world in this estate is alienated from God and as Adam hid himself from God for fear of his sin so do all poor creatures run from God for fear of punishment and as they are by nature they never desire to have to do with God the guilt of sin lies hard on every unregenerate soul and that makes him a stranger both to God and his wayes and therefore now let us search into our souls and try if our condition be not such a one as this is 2. Let us consider what the work of Conversion is and we shall finde it to be A changing of this nature and a quickening of the soul as you may see in Eph 2. 5. It is a working over of the soul into obedience to the Commands of God And usually the great God is pleased to do it by these six particular degrees which follow First By Illumination 2. By Inspiration stirring up the soul to do the will of God 3. By Operation working up the soul to the love of Christ 4. By Direction teaching us to do the will of the Lord. 5. By assisting us to do that which is directed to us 6. By a full evidence of his Spirit that we are the Sons of God First The Lord illuminates the soul the poor soul being in darkness and knowing no way to come out the Lord enlightens him and brings him to see his miserable estate John 1. 5. the Lord shews the soul the filthiness of sin and his lost and undone condition that he is in by nature and his great need of Christ makes him to long for his Assurance of the love of Christ more then ever he did for any thing in the world and now being enlightened all things to him are as bad as may be sin is exceeding sinfull to him and he sees himself loaden with it and therefore he is like those in the Acts who were so enlightened Men and brethren what shall we do to be saved Acts 2. 37. 2. The Lord works by Inspiration carrying on the soul to Actions of life making him fit for such service as is now to be done makes him still in motion and ready not only to see but obey As Paul saith in Rom. 6. 17. Ye obeyed from the heart the doctrine delivered This is worth something to have the heart lifted up to God in Obedience and to have the soul at an utter enmity with sin striving against it in a continual motion never
making any peace with it Therefore now try and search whether thou hast this Spirit of the living God acting in thee carrying up thy soul to actions of life and power If thou art inspired by the Spirit of God then take it for ever granted that these effects will follow 3. The Spirit of God is an operative Spirit it acts in the soul spiritual things it begets its own likeness in the soul it molds the soul in the new mold of Obedience to the Commands of God The spirit of God works in the soul these operative Acts. First It works Faith 2. It makes the soul live by Faith 3. It drives him to see all in Christ and nothing in himself 1. It works faith in the soul to believe that there is no way to come to God but by Christ and that it is the work of God to draw the soul to him John 6. 29. 2. This Faith will work up the soul to lay hold on him it will cause the soul to reach forth it self to Christ to see him to be the Son of God and to trust and relie on him for life 3. The Spirit of God doth by Faith work a mortifying of sin as it is in Rom 8. 10. If Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Where these works of the Spirit of God come it operates it carries the soul to a new frame of life He that is in Christ is a new creature saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 17. This work of Faith lifts up the soul to that spiritual Combat between the spirit and the flesh I see saith Paul a law in my members warring against the Law of my minde It is by this work of Faith that all the Saints hold out in this warfare that they still continue a Resolution against sin to kill that and to bring every lust into subjection Secondly It makes the soul live by faith that is it makes him as it were see feel and enjoy all the Riches of God in the Lord Christ you may in part see in the 11. to the Hebrews what it is to live by faith It is to cast thy self with a full confidence upon God and Christ for life and salvation To live by faith is to do these three things 1. To put credit and confidence in God that what is looked for we shall enjoy 2. To look for our happiness only in Christ and not in our selves 3. To rest satisfied as if we already had our desire to live by faith is to credit what God sayes to Rely on him to trust him with confidence that whatsoever he hath promised to us his poor creatures he will make good Heaven and earth shall pass away saith Christ but not one jot or title of my word or promise shall fail It is to cast our selves on God and Christ believing that he will and is fully able to save even to the utmost in every condition 2. Again to live by Faith is to live by something without our selves it is to see all in Christ and nothing in our selves it is to look on our own righteousness as dung and wholly to submit to the righteousness of Christ as you also may see in Phil. 3 8 9 10. 3. To live by Faith is to rest satisfied in every dispensation of God that all is for the best to us and to look on all things as if they were already done according to Gods promise or our own desire so that our content may be in every thing as well as if we had all things All things are yours saith Paul you are Christs and Christ is Gods there is a full enjoyment of all 4. The Spirit of God works also by direction directing of every soul whom it hath wrought the former effects in to do the will of God to walk in the wayes of his Commandments whispering in every soul and saying This is the way walk in it This duty thou must do and that evil thou must leave undone And therefore examine thy self doest thou not finde the Spirit of God telling thee thou must perform Duties of holiness and refrain the evil of sin if not I dare say thou art yet in thy sins 5. The Spirit of God works also by assisting us to do that which it directs us to it never directs us to do a Duty and leaves us No it stay by us and enables us to go thorow it and not only so but even with sighs to God for us which cannot be by us uttered it helps our infirmities Rom. 8. 26. Examine thy soul when didst thou ever go to God by prayer or any Duty else that this Spirit was not ready to assist thee and to thy comfort take notice of this for time to come and thou shalt finde this truth if ever thou hast had this work on thee 6. God closes up all our comfort in this life in this last degree of his working that is by a full witness of his Spirit that we are his sons and daughters And this is a very high enjoyment indeed yet no higher then all the Saints do enjoy and indeed thou art not a Saint till thou hast this Witness in thy soul And this the Apostle Paul affirmeth in Gal. 4. 6 7. Because ye are sons God hath sent the witness of his spirit to testifie it to you and therefore ye are no more servants Again in 1 Joh. 3. 2. Now are we the sons of God And in Joh. 1. 12. He gives all that through faith lay hold on him power to be his sons God doth evidence to all the Saints their interest in Christ and this is to them a sure Record as 1 Joh. 5. 7. 8. This is the new name and the white stone spoken of in Rev. 2. 17. which none knoweth save he that hath it This is that earnest which Paul tells the Ephesians of in chap. 1. 14. And this also you may see in Phil. 1. 13. and 4. 30. After you believed you were sealed with the holy Spirit the which Spirit you see is that which seals all the Saints to the day of Redemption and all this is given to the Saints to assure them that God is their Father and Christ their Husband as the Spouse in the Text doth witness And yet further take notice how God doth this great work he gives the Spirit as the earnest of our Inheritance as a man gives one pound or one shilling in earnest to pay a thousand so the Lord gives his Spirit in earnest of enjoying his presence in Heaven for ever And the soul that hath this Earnest may be sure that as God is God he shall have the whole sum made good to him And that all the Saints may know this is true God will set a seal on their souls to confirm them and therefore thou mayest say on good grounds if thou hast this seal and this earnest that thou canst not miss of Christ Again the Spirit assures us by working in us a fruitfulness
minde be what it will let thy judgement be how it can I tell thee except thou finde these in thee thou art yet a stranger to the life of God and godliness And yet further see what fruits these are in Gal. 5. 22. and so to the end of the chapter a spiritual man bringeth forth spiritual fruit as you finde in this Scripture he is full of love humbleness patience thanksgivings these are fruits fit for a godly man to bear and by these thou mayst know him Further Doest thou not see now who are the godly men in these dayes if thou doest not I will tell thee the reason is either because thou art carnal or else blinded with some forms or other in which thou doest take more delight then in the power of truth and that is also the reason why thou lovest not the godly man for his godliness but for his Judgement sake the examples of which are so sad in these dayes that it is a shame to name them Well now know that t is not thy form but thy fruit that makes it appear that thou art godly and God is glorified in thy fruits of righteousness and not in thy foolish fancy for which thou so frettest thy self See what Christ saith Joh. 15. 8. To be a disciple is to be fruitfull and in that God is glorified I shall close up this first Question with the saying of David in Psal 4. 3. Know that God hath set apart the godly man for himself and therefore they must needs be fruitfull Now a word or two by way of Comfort to such as are truly godly and also of advice Dear Saints Is it so that a godly man is such a one as these nine particulars prove and art thou so indeed delude not thy self but speak to thy soul art thou so Then to thine everlasting comfort consider in what relation thou standest 1. To God 2. To Christ 3. To the Saints and Angels For the first As thou standest to Godward thou art his son a son of God See 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. And because thou art so he hath sent forth his Spirit into thy heart whereby thou art made acquainted with that adoption of Son-ship Now God is thy Father and when thou hast to do with his name thou doest it in that relation My Father as Gal. 4. 6. Consider of what comfort this is to thee God is thy Father and this is not all thou shalt be made like him nay thou shalt see him as he is in the brightness of his glory And therefore let this advise thee that thou set not thy heart on any thing wherein thou mayst grieve his Spirit for he hath given it thee as thy earnest till thou enjoy him fully And further Thy life is hid in God therefore live up in thy affection to him where thy life is Again thou art a Child therefore with all dutiful reverence honour thy Father thou hast heard already how it must be done great will be thy comfort in the doing of it Vse 2. Secondly consider in what relation thou now standest to the Lord Christ he is thy Lord nay he is thy friend he is thy brother and he is not ashamed to own thee so Heb 2. 11 12. nay thou art a joint-heir with him If thou art a godly man here is comfort enough for thee thou art an heir of heaven I say if the Spirit of God doth witness this to thee what canst thou desire more see Rom. 8. 15 16 17. Gal. 4. 7. Well take this advice now in thy way if Christ be thy Lord give up thy self to him honour thy Lord if he be thy friend be faithful to him deal not deceitfully with thy friend I am brief in this for want of time else how far might I enlarge it I say if Christ be thy brother then love him dearly let thy love be as the Spouses in the Canticles Thou art also betrothed to him Art thou an heir of heaven then fit thy self for thy heavenly society prepare thy self to meet thy Lord thy brother and husband in the air that thou mayst for ever be with him 3. Art thou godly then see how thou standest in relation to the Saints and blessed Angels thou art a Citizen of the same City one of the same family a member of the same body and a branch of the same vine and much more might be said Thou art a Citizen with the Saints see Eph. 2. 19. and of the same houshold Thou art come unto Mount Sion to the Assembly of the Saints as Heb. 12. 22 23 24. and this is of infinite comfort to thee that thou art a Citizen of the new Jerusalem and that thy Companions are to be all Saints and Angels Take this advice now that thou make the Saints thy fellows here love them for they indeed are most fit for thy company it will be a great happiness to thee Art thou a member of the same body a branch of the same Vine what comfort is this to thee thy nourishment proceeds of the same root if thou art such a one thou canst not conceive of half thy comfort it affords thee I shall end my desires to thee with that advice which I know is wholsom for thee namely seeing thou art a member of the body of Christ act like a member and seeing thou art a branch of the same Vine let thy fruit appear abundantly that God may be glorified in thee through the Lord Jesus Christ Phil. 2. 14 15. Mat 16 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed this to thee A wicked man an ungodly man knows not one title of this Psal 92. 6. The second Question is How shall we know a man in the state of nature or an Vngodly man I shall briefly and plainly discover such a man in doing of it I shall observe the same method that I did in the other Question Then if thou wouldst know an ungodly man my answer is Thou shalt know him by the same nine particulars that I used to prove a godly man by I mean by the Rule of contraries And then the first Mark will be this An ungodly man is an unconverted man he is still in the Old man he hath not yet had the work of God upon him such a man hath had no change wrought in him he is the same that ever he was he sees no ugliness in sin neither doth he apprehend any loveliness in Christ such men live ungodlily they are men of unclean lips nay their minds and consciences are defiled Tit. 1. 15. They are to every good work reprobate Again an ungodly man never yet repented truly neither can he endure to be governed by Christ the yoke of Christ is too heavy for him he cannot endure it Again an ungodly man walks in darkness and therefore note him his works are so he can delight to swear or lye or to be drunk or else to scoff and mock at godly men and by these he is discerned 2.
Gospel-Mysterie OR The great Vnion that is betwixt CHRIST and the SAINTS From Cant. 2. 16. WITH A true Way to discern a Godly man from a Carnal or Vngodly man AND The way how the Saints return after Back-sliding Also The Worth of a good Conscience By Robert Dornford Revel 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man will open I will come in and sup with him LONDON Printed by R. W. for Francis Tyton and are to be sold at the three Daggers in Fleet street neer the Inner-Temple-Gate 1652. Christian Reader I Have made bold to present thee with a few lines in which it is like thou mayest find much weakness I shall humbly intreat thee to bear with that and to lay aside all prejudice that may arise in thy heart and do desire thee to read it over on this consideration That God makes use of weak Instruments for many good ends And this I will assure thee that I do not tell thee of that which I partake not of but of that which I have both heard and learned seen and felt and do offer it to thee not as my own fancy but thou seest it no more then the Word of God witnesseth and therefore whether I please man or no it matters not much I know many Pretenders to be Saints yet deny the Power of Godliness The Lord turn all the hearts of his People away from them In a few words my desire is that thou and I may not have a name to live yet be dead that we may not own the titles of Saints and yet live as carnal as others which many do at this day But it is no more then we may expect in regard the Lord CHRIST and the Apostles have foretold of Wandring Stars and Clouds without water carried about with wind I tell thee whosoever thou art either Spiritual or Temporal here is something for thee to do And therefore weigh that which thou readest in the ballance of Truth and the Lord make both thee and me not only hearers of his will but doers also Which is the earnest desire of Thy Christian Friend R. D. A great Neerness Betwixt CHRIST and the SAINTS THe words of Scripture on which I shall discourse is in the 2. Chap. of Canticles My Beloved is mine and I am his In this and also in the whole Treatise we have the Expostulations of Love betwixt Christ and the Saints I shall not stand upon the variety of it but shall keep to the words in which we have chiefly these four parts 1. We have the Spouses assurance of Christ My Beloved is mine 2. We have her great esteem of Christ He is her Beloved or He is greatly beloved of her 3. We have her assent to Christ I am his 4. We have the Union betwixt them I shall endeavour to open these Heads in order according as they lie And from the first thing I take notice of the Observation will be this That every Saint of God hath a full assurance of the love of Christ My Beloved is mine There is no being a Saint untill thou canst say Christ is my Christ untill Christ be thine and in thee thou art but a Reprobate 2 Cor. 13. 5. But the Spouse here hath a full assurance that Christ her beloved is hers the Spirit of God doth witness this unto her as it appears by that Scripture in Rom. 8. 15 16 17. where the Apostle saith that the Spirit of God doth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God This in it self were enough to prove the truth of what hath been said but take a place or two more for confirmation 1 Joh. 3. 1 2. The Saints they have a full assurance that they are the sons of God saith John And if thou art a son of God then thou canst not fail of the love of Christ See Rom. 8. 9. If any man hath the Spirit of God then Christ is his if he hath not Christ is none of his It is this assurance of the love of Christ that makes the Saints so confident it was that which made them lay down all lives and all for him I know that my Redeemer liveth saith Job c 19. v. 25 26. From the second thing I take notice of the Observation will be this Obs 2. That Christ is deerly beloved and highly prized by every believing Soul I am now upon the cleerest truth and the easiest proved that is and therefore shall not stand long on it Only by the way take notice That it is one thing to love Christ after this manner and another thing to tell of loving him Many speak high words and fine smooth speeches but they love not Christ so as to part with all for him But Christ is so deerly beloved to the Saints that are Saints indeed that all things are as nothing when it comes to competition with Christ To you that believe saith the Apostle Peter Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. There is nothing so dear to a poor Saint as his dear Christ who shed his blood for him The Apostle Paul how doth he declare his dear affection to Christ Phil 3. 7 8 9. I saith he account all lost for Christ nay more then lost I account all dung that I may win Christ and be found in him You may take notice a little how the Spouse by which is meant the Saints doth express her love to Christ Cant. 1. 7. O thou whom my soul loveth and so almost all the Canticles is filled with the like expressions by which you may easily see that it is a dear love the Saints have to Christ Christ is so highly prized you see by Paul that all things are by him accounted dung nothing is so lovely in all the world as the Lord Christ Thirdly from the Spouses assent to Christ we may draw this Observation Obs 3. That all the Saints do give themselves freely to Jesus Christ Or That all the Saints are given to Christ Thev are given to him by a twofold gift First God gives them to him Joh. 6. 37. All that the Father giveth me saith Christ shall come to me and Joh 10. 29. My Father which gave them me is greater then all and therefore no man is able to pluck them out of my hands Secondly the Saints give up themselves to Christ I am his saith the Spouse to do what please him with me and now I am to follow him whithersoever he goeth as it is in Mat. 16. 24. He that hath given himself to Christ as the Spouse as all the Saints do he is to bear his Crosse although in a field of blood The Saints they give themselves to Christ to be at his dispose to obey what he commands as appears plainly in Joh 10 27. My sheep hear my voice saith Christ I know them and they follow me But I shall not stand here in regard I know that all that are Gods must witness to this That the Saints do give