and heavy laden c. and wee are Ambassadors beseeching you to bee reconciled These and the like are the sure Word of God upon which thy faith must bee grounded so that thou commest to say thus to thy selfe well whatsoever come of it I am sure there is a corner stone on which whosoever is built shall not be ashamed nor deceived I am sure of it from a word that the Lord hath confirmed with a seale and with an oath and therefore I rest upon it And it is not a bare word that Christ hath given to assure us of this which is a signe it is a hard thing for us to beleeve it it is no easie thing for there is added to the word a seale and it is confirmed with an oath so then that is the first thing thou art to consider whether thy faith hath beene pitcht upon som such word and whether thou hast applied that word to thy selfe or no. In the next place beside this word there is a witnesse from the spirit there is a wondrous worke of the Holy Ghost which saith to a mans heart bee of good comfort feare not I am thy salvation If you say to me what needs the witnesse of the spirit is not the Word enough if Christ declare himselfe so farre that in plaine tearmes he is willing to match with us what need the speciall witnesse of the Holy Ghost I answer there is very great neede of it because the Word of it selfe is not able to comfort and quicken and releeve us it is not able to beget in us peace and joy and righteousnesse but it is even like a dead letter it is a cold dead thing able to doe nothing with the heart of man without the Spirit this we finde by experience the clearest arguments and the most comfortable that the Scripture useth to comfort a man in distresse that hath his Conscience troubled with the apprehension of his sin and of Gods wrath they are all nothing till it please God to send his owne Spirit to beare witnes to a mans spirit You will say what is this witnesse of the Spirit I answer it is a certaine divine expression of Christ to the soule whereby a man is secretly assured without any argument or reason that hee is his salvation for you must know that there are indeede two things besides that confirme this truth to us that is the ground wee have in the Word and the effects and fruits of sanctification but both these doe it by way of argument for when a man argueth thus I see this generall proposition All that believe shall bee saved but I am one that believe therefore I am one that am contained under the generall pardon this I say is by way of argument So againe I finde in my selfe the fruits and effects of sanctification and I am sure none are sanctified but they are also justified and they have received the Spirit of Christ therefore I know I am one that belongs to him all this is but the witnesse of our owne spirits for these are but collections that our owne spirits gather as a conclusion from the premisses but now the witnesse of the Spirit the witnesse of the holy Ghost it is a distinct thing from this therefore Rom. 8. 16. it is said to witnesse together with our spirits and therefore is a distinct witnesse from our spirits that indeede witnesseth the same things but the witnesse is distinct from that of our owne spirit and that is without any argument or reason at all being a secret manifestation made to the soule whereby wee are comforted and assured that our sinnes are forgiven and that Christ is willing to match with us Now consider if thou wouldest know whether thou bee one that is matched with Iesus Christ whether thou have this double witnesse or no of the Word and of the Spirit You will say hath every one this secret testimony I answer that every one hath it in some degree more or lesse for that same in Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit witnesseth with our spirits is a generall proposition it concernes all beleevers even with every mans spirit the Holy Ghost beares witnesse but then wee must take the words in the right sense It is true in some the Spirit speakes more evidently and audibly with joy unspeakeable and glorious the flashes of comfort are much more bright and glorious to some then to others and such speciall witnesses of the HOLY GHOST are very rare and dispensed to us for some speciall purposes commonly after some great humilitation or prayer or to prepare us for some great enterprize or some speciall conflict they are even as the apparitions to Abraham and Iacob and Paul were Acts 23. 11. Be of good courage Paul thou must beare witnesse of mee at Rome c. so when he was at Corinth Paul bee of good comfort I am with thee Acts 18. 9. All these were on speciall occasions so I say there are some speciall witnesses of the HOLY GHOST when the HOLY GHOST speakes evidently and these are dispensed to us according to the good pleasure of God and commonly it is added for some speciall purpose now I say not that every one hath this kinde of testimony but every one hath so much witnesse from the HOLY GHOST as doth uphold his spirit that Christ is willing to match with him that hee hath or may have interest in him and in all the priviledges of his death this I say every one hath more or lesse although those speciall degrees of the evident speaking of the Holy Ghost are dispensed but to some and to those that have it but for a speciall time this is the first thing The second thing thou art to enquire into if thou wovldest know if there bee any such match betweene Christ Iesus and thee what thy owne consent hath beene and is which herein is not in words onely but is given then when they heart and affections doe or can make this answer that thou art willing to match with the Lord Iesus and this I give as a signe to examine thy heart by for it is not in the power of any man living to bring his heart to this consent nor is any creature able to doe it you may as well bring fire and water to agree together as to bring the heart of a naturall man to be willing to match with the Lord but it is a speciall worke of the holy Ghost that must mould the spirit a new and breake all in pieces and cast thee into a new frame that must make thee willing to come into so neare a Communion with the LORD IESUS for our spirits are quite contrary to it Onely concerning this take this caution that it is not so much what thou art willing to say in any case or condition for it may bee a man may bee willing sometimes to match out of feare or hope or out
earnest of the Spirit I neede not name to you particular places they are so exceeding frequent If any man have not the Spirit of Christ hee is not his Rom. 8. but if you have the Spirit you are sure you have the Sonne Consider therefore whether you have this Spirit in you or no whether thou walke according to the Spirit or the flesh guided and led by the Spirit of Christ in all for that is the way to know if thou have the Spirit A man may walke after the vanity of his owne heart A man may walke after the vanity of his owne mind when yet he hath some good motions and good desires so that if thou wouldest try thy selfe whether thou hast the Holy Ghost the spirit of thy Husband thou shalt find it by thy constant course as you have it Gal. 5. If you have the spirit live in the Spirit that is consider what thine ordinary course is whether thou be guided by the Holy Ghost or no. To know whether this spirit dwell in us or no wee must not take it upon conceit and fancy but you shall finde it by reall and sure effects If you have the Spirit he will be as fire in you I will Baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is the Holy Ghost shall be as fire now the nature of fire is to discover it selfe where it is If the Spirit be in thee hee will bee as the Pilot in the ship hee will direct thy course and build up the Kingdome of Christ in thy heart that is the third thing consider whether thou have the Spirit of the Sonne Fourthly if thou wouldest know whether Christ have matched with thee then be sure of this that he hath washed thee from thy filthinesse looke to that as another marke whereby thou maist discerne it For though IESUS CHRIST marry thee when thou art in thy bloud yet when thou art married once he suffers thee not to continue so but hee will clense and wash thee from it as we see in this Chapter the Apostle exhorts Husbands to love their Wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himselfe for it that hee might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word that he might presentit to himselfe a glorious Church not having Spot or Wrinckle or any such thing but that it should bee holy without blemish marke it when Christ hath married thee his end is to present thee pure to wash thee Now consider whether thou find thy selfe cleansed from thy filthinesse and from all filthinesse for when hee washeth any hee washeth them from top to toe though not fully in respect of degrees yet he suffers not any spot or wrinckle to remaine constantly upon them For the meaning is not that this wishing is perfected suddainly when wee come to heaven there shall not bee the least wrinckle at all but notwithstanding he so washeth them here that there is no spot remaines that is they allow not themselves in any sinne that they wallow not in any puddle hee so clenseth them from every sinne that it doth not abide there a beleever is still purifying himselfe though he be still defiled therefore consider with thy selfe whether Christ have thus clensed thee from all pollution of flesh and spirit Beside in this washing hee doth not onely clense thee from all outward defilements but he will wash thee from thy filthy nature not onely from the outward staynes but from that swynish nature for though a swine be washed cleane if she retuaine her nature shee will be ready to fall into the next puddle shee meetes with but now when Christ washeth his Church hee washeth them from the filthinesse of their nature even every man whom hee washeth Therefore consider if thou finde this purifying of the Holy Ghost or no for whosoever is washed by Christ there is a certaine simplicity and plainnesse of heart that though he fall into sinne yet his heart is upright with Christ as wee see in 2. Cor. 11. 3. 4. I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy for I have prepared you for one husband to present you a pure Virgin to Christ I feare least as the Serpent beguiled Eve so your minds should bee corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. Marke the Apostle speakes of the Church as it is in this life my endeavour is to present you as a Virgin what is that that you bee not corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ but that you may have a plaine heart that hath no deceit that there be not a double minde Christ so farre cleanseth that the heart is upright in every thing therefore by that thou shalt know whether thou be washed or no for though Iesus Christ marry us when we are Ethiopians yet when he hath married us he puts a beauty upon us Consider whether this beauty be put on thee or no whether thou bee so washed from thy filthinesse that there doth a new beauty appeare that that naturall blacknesse of thine bee removed throughout indeed it is removed but in part for degrees but yet there is a generall throughout removing of it all over Lastly if thou wouldest know whether thou be matched or no with him consider whether thou have the wedding garment In Mat. 22. and Luke 14. you shall finde the parable of the King inviting men to the marriage of his sonne and there are many that come but one of them wanted a wedding garment What is the meaning of that many men come to the wedding for cheare many for the benefit they might receive or such by respects because they would doe as others doe because they might escape censure many motives there might be to bring men to this marriage feast but now to have the wedding garment that is the tryall Now what is the wedding garment It is a wedding affection it is to love the Bridegroome himselfe his person for we are not onely guests wee are not so to understand it but such guests as withall are married to the Son Now he that comes to this wedding without a conjugall wedding affection he comes without the wedding garment therfore consider with thy selfe whether thou have that affection or no. You will say what is this marriage affection I answer it is such an affection whereby a man pitches on Christ hee chuseth him before all others as his Husband the wedding affection is such an affection as when one prefers her husband before all others Consider whether there be such an affection that thou canst preferre Iesus Christ before all things in the world besides Againe consider whether thy affection bee fixed on his person for the affection of an harlot may be towards her husbands goods and toward the commodities and benefits by him but art thou able to love the person of Iesus Christ so as to delight in him and desire his presence and seekest him so
of some by respect I say he may be willing to doe any thing and to bee married to Iesus Christ but it is another thing when a man can say that it is the inward bent of his will to have it done it is the bent of his inward affection the streame of them runnes that way this must bee wrought by the Holy Ghost And take heede thou bee not deceived in it for there are many unsound and false conceits some there are that are willing to match with Iesus Christ when they are in extremity when they are on their death-bed when they know not how to shift for themselves but alas such a consent is farre off from being a right consent there is no freedome in this consent that contract that is made thorow threatning it is but a compelled and constrained consent this is not that which thou canst ground on and yet this is a frequent thing when men are in straits that they know not what to doe then they are willing to match with Christ. Besides it may bee a man is willing to match with Iesus Christ for a time to serve him for a fit for a moneth or a yeere but art thou willing to make an everlasting covenant with him you know that such a covenant is required in Marriage that women give up themselves to their husbands so long as they live together Now ordinarily when a man considers this seriously What must I forsake my pleasure for ever must I live to Iesus Christ and no more to my selfe must I bestow all my time upon him and have no more liberty here a man makes a stand hee is not willing to make such a covenant with him such an everlasting Covenant therefore consider whether thy consent be for perpetuity Moreover it may bee thou art willing to match with him in some good mood when thou art in a good fit but that may bee but a flash There are many that for a fit in some good mood when their hearts are wrought on by some powerfull preaching of the Word or some transient action of the holy Ghost they are willing to match with Iesus Christ but this holds not Besides againe many are willing to match with Christ hereafter but they are not content to doe it for the present but you know it is essentiall to the Marriage Covenant that it be in verbis de praesenti for the present that is I doe take this man for my wedded husband c. not that I promise I will but that I am willing at this time to give up my selfe to him this present resigning of ones selfe this is the consent that makes the Marriage But that wee may shew all these false consents I will runne thorow them briefely First there is in some an errour concerning the person when men are ready to take Iesus Christ and yet do not conceive aright of him Whereas the Lord hath dealt plainely with us as if he meant not to circumvent us and tells every man aforehand that if he will match with him he must make account to take up his Crosse and deny himselfe he must make account to bee wholly to him Now when a man lookes on Christ and conceives him under another notion and thinks he shall live another kinde of life more free and loose and thinkes this strictnesse is not required at his hands by Christ now there is an errour in the person and that makes the Marriage frustrate therefore take heede you bee not deceived in this for thou must know this that when thou art once married to the Lord then thy will must bee subject to his will thou must bee content to obey him in all things thou must bee content to forgoe all and resisine up thy selfe to him and live no longer to thy selfe but to him Yet there is another errour that commonly runnes along with mens consent when it is not right which is when a man is not willing to take the Lord alone but joynes others with him when a man will so match with Iesus Christ that hee seekes other things too when hee will seeke honours with him and seeke wealth and seeke the pleasures of this world Now if thou match with Christ know this that thou must be content with him alone thou must not joyne pleasures and Christ together thou must not joyne covetousnesse and him together thou must not seeke praise with men and think to match with Iesus Christ thou must bee content to bee divorced from all other things and be to him alone and take heede that this deceive thee not And lastly consider whether this consent that thou give be a perfect consent for there is a certaine imperfect consent that deceives many when a man hath as I may so speake a kinde of wambling that way but it doth not boyle up to that full height of resolution when a man makes some kinde of offer he makes well toward it but he doth not fully resolve to match with the Lord Iesus and this is that that excludes many from this match that though they have a kinde of willingnesse and velleity yet it doth not come to a fixed solid peremptory resolution Now you must know this that whosoever matcheth with Iesus Christ must be so fully resolved that he must bee shooke off againe with nothing this resolution when it is imperfect and by halves when thou doubtest whether thou shouldest doe it or no this is a consent that is not accepted all this while there is an errour on thy part this is the second thing to bee considered as thou must consider whether thou beleevest the consent of Iesus Christ so I say in the second place if thou wouldest know whether there bee a match betweene Iesus Christ and thee consider what thy owne consent is and take heed thou bee not deceived in it Thirdly to know whether there bee a match betweene the Lord and thee consider whether there bee an union made betweene you and him now this union with Christ it is not meerely a relative union such as is betweene husbands and wives but besides this there is a reall union when CHRIST sends his Spirit into the heart therefore thou must consider whether thou have the Spirit of thy Husband dwelling in thee or no for except thou have the holy Ghost to dwell in thy heart it is impossible that there should bee any match for there will bee alwayes jarres and dissentions betweene you when thou hast the same Spirit then there is the same will the same desires you love and hate the same things therefore in considering whether there be a match or no this is a great thing it will not deceive you consider whether thou have the Spirit of thy husband I finde that the Apostle in all his Epistles hee takes this as the sure argument to perswade himselfe and others that they were grafted into Christ that they had received the