THE CHRISTIANS DAILY WALKE in holy SECVRITIE and PEACE Being an Answer to these Questions 1. How a man may doe each present dayes work with Christian Chearefulnesse 2. How to beare each present dayes crosse with Christian Patience Containing familiar Directions Shewing 1. How to walke with God in the whole course of a mans life 2. How to be upright in the said walking 3. How to live without taking care or thought any thing 4. How to get and keepe true peace with GOD wherein are manifold helpes to prevent and remove damnable Presumption also to quiet and to ease distressed Consciences First intended for private use now though importunity published for the common good By HENRY SCVDDER Preacher of the Word The fourth Edition corrected and amended by the Author Thine eares shall heare a voyce behind thee saying This is the way walke ye in it Isa 30. 31. LONDON Printed by I. B. for Henry Overton and are to be sold at his Shop at the entring in of Popes-head Alley out of Lumbard-street 1631. The Epistle to the READER THE searching out of Mans true happinesse hath exercised the wits and Pens of many Philosophers and Divines with a different successe 1. Some by a mistake of the end â—ave erred about the meanes All their enterprises have ended in Vaâ—itie and Vexation whilest they have caught at the shadow of fruit 〈…〉 a hedge of thornes and have neglected the trâ—e it selfe whence the â—uit might have bin gathered with â—re certaintie and lesse trouble I maruaile not at Varroes report of 288. severall opinions about this subiect when I consider Mans naturall corruption whose understanding is so darkned that as those Sodomites were weary in seeking the doore of Lâ—ts house so in vaine have the wisest Heathen sought the happinesse which though like blind men they groped after it they could never find And his spirituall appetite and taste is so distempered that hee car iuage of the chiefe good no better then a sick-man can doe of the 〈…〉 meates 2. Others having the eyes oâ— their understanding lightned and their senses exercised to discerne both good and evill have concluded that mans true happiness consists in the soules enioyment 〈…〉 God by an holy conformity and 〈…〉 communion with him For What else is true happinesse then the enioyment of 〈…〉 chiefe good And that God the chiefe good appeares in this that all the properties which raise up goodnesse to the highest top of perfections are in God onely For he is the most pure perfect uniuersall primary unchangeable communicative desirable and delightfull good the efficient patterne and utmost end of all good without whom there is neither naturall morall nor spirituall good in any creature Our conformitie to him the Apostle Peter expresseth when hee saith that the Saints are made partakers of the Divine nature That is they are renewed in the Spirit of their minde and have put on the new man which after God is created â—n righteousnesse and true holinesse So that they have 1. A new 〈…〉 in their understanding faculâ—e that they know God not oneâ— as Creatour but as Redeemer 〈…〉 of the world and whilest they beâ—â—ld as in a mirrour the glory 〈…〉 the Lord with open face they are changed into the same image from glory to glory as by the spirit of the Lord. This knowledge is begun in this life in the knowledge of Faith and shall be perfected in the life to come in the knowledge of sense this is in a glasse that shall be face to face Secondly they have a new life in their will and affections that is they have disposition and inclinations in their hearts sutable and conformable to the directions of the Word This the Apostle Paul intended when he said of the Romans that they had obeyed from the heart the forme of doctrine whereunto they were delivered He saith not which was delivered unto you but whereunto you were delivered that is the Word is as a mould whereinto being cast you are fashioned according to it Hence it is that the Saints are said to be Sealed with the holy Spirit because as the Seale leaves its print upon the Waxe so the Spirit makes holy impressions in the soule this is called the writing of the Law in our hearts in allusion whereunto the Apostle compares the hearts of beleevers to Tables the Ministers to Pennes the Spirit to Inke without which the Penne can write nothing and the affections or Conversation of these beleevers to an Epistle and this is said to be read and understood of all men when they walke as examples of the Rule 2 Cor. 3. 2. 3. Hence it is that godlinesse hath a selfe-sufficiency ioyned with it 1 Tim 6. 6. Because a man is now in Communion with GOD whose face when a man beholds in righteousnesse hee shall be satisfied with his image Ps 17. 15. Hence comes that peace of Conscience joy unspeakeable and glorious and that holy triumph and exultation of Spirit which you may obserue in the Apostle Paul Having briefly shewed what this conformitie and communion with God is I will adde one or two words more to make it manifest that onely those are truely happy which are in this estate I may spare quotations of Writers who concurre in this opinion None of sound iudgement have denyed it the best Schoole-men have determined and concluded it and there is good reason for it For 1. mans utmost end is that it may be perfectly well with him which hee can never attaine unto without communion with God who is the chiefe of Spirits and the best of goods Other things are desired as subordinate to this The body is for the Soule as the matter for its forme or the instrument for its agent Humane wisedome and morall vertues are desired not for themselues but for the fruite that is expected by them as glory pleasure and riches Fame or glory is desired not so much for it selfe as for the opinion of others whence it s called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wordly and bodily pleasures are excessively desired as drinke in a Feaver or Dropsie better it is to be without the malady then to enioy that remedie Riches are desired not for themselves but for the sustenance of life Life is not so much desired for it selfe as for the enioyment of happinesse which when a man hath sought in the labyrinth of earthly vanities after much vexation and disquietment of spirit hee must conclude that it is onely in that truest and chiefest good which is the fountaine whence true delight first floweth and the obiect wherein at last it resteth Secondly That is mans happinesse in the possession and enioyment whereof his heart resteth best satisfied So farre a man is from true happinesse as hee is from full contentment in that which hee enioyes The Bee would not sit upon so manyflowers if shee could gather
with God out of Phil. 4 5. Now out of those Sermons and from fresh meditations and collections I have compiled into a short sum so much as I thinke may be sufficient to satisfie your desire touching these demands The best way to please God and the nearest readiest way to heaven also to get a chearefull and quiet heart in the mean time till you come thither is To walke with God in vprightnes being carefull in nothing but in every thing by prayers and supplications with thankesgiving to make your requests knowne unto God Whiâ—â— if you doe The peace of God â—â—ich passeth all understanding shall so establish and guard your heart and mind in and through Christ Iesus that you may live in an Heaven upon earth and may bee ioyous and comfortable in all estates and conditions of life whatsoeuer That you should walke with God in vprightnes is commended to you in the cloud of Examples of Enoch Noah Iob David Zacharias and Elizabeth with many other renowned in Scripture And is commanded to Abraham and in him to all the faithfull Gen. 17. 1. To live by faith which is to frame your life according to the will of GOD revealed in his Word the obiect of faith and to walke with God are all one Enoch was said to have walked with GOD what was this else but to beleeve and rest on God whereby he pleased him For according to what we live according to that we are said to walke The morall actions of mans life are aptly resembled by the Metaphor of Walking which is a moving from one place to another No man while â—e liveth here is at home in the â—lace where he shall be There â—â—e two coÌ„trary homes to which every man is alwaies going either to Heaven or to Hell Every â—…ction of man is one pace or step whereby he goeth to the one place or the other The holinesse or wickednesse of the action is the â—everal way to the place of happinesse or place of Torment So that Gods owne children while they live in this world as pilgrims and strangers are but in the way not in the Countrey which they seeke which is heavenly This life of saith and holinesse what is it but a going out of a mans selfe and a continuall returning to God from the way of â—in and death and a setled going forward in all those acts of obedience which God hath ordained to be the way for al his children to walk in vnto eternal life A godly life is said to be a walking with God in respect of foure things that concur thereunto First whereas by sinne we naturally are departed from God and have gone away from his waies which he hath appointed for us we by the new and living way of Christs death and resurrection and by the new and living workâ— of Christs spirit are brought neare to God and are set in the wayes of God by Repentance from dead works and by faith towards God in Christ Iesus which are the first principles of true Religion necessarily to be presupposed to be the first steps in this walking with God Now to beleeue to continue in the faith is to walke in Christ therefore to walke with God Secondly the revealed will of God is called Gods way because in it God doth as it were come forth of the secret of his holy Maiesty to shew his people their 〈…〉 to him so takes them aâ—… to himselfe according to â—…t in the Ps Righteousnes shall before him and shall set us in the 〈…〉 of his steps Now this way of righteousnesse revealed in the â—…ord is the rule of a godly life â—ee which walketh according â—â— God 's law is said to walk beâ—â—re God compare 1 King 8. 25. with 2 Chr. 6. 16. So that he which walketh according to Gods wil in the passages turâ—ings of his life keeping himselfe to this rule walketh with God Thirdly he that liveth a godly life walketh after the Spirit not after the flesh Hee is led by the Spirit of God having him for his guide wherfore in this respect â—he is said to walke with God Fourthly that a man may live godly it is requisite that by the eye of saith he see God present before him in all his actions thinking of him oft vpon al occasions remembring him in his wayes Setting the Lord alwayes before him as David did Seeing him that is invisible as Moses did Doing all things as S. Paul did preach as of God in the sight of God Now hee that so walketh that hee alwayes observeth Gods presence and keepeth him stil in his eye in the course of his life and that not only with a generall habitual but as much as he can with an actual inteÌ„tion to please and glorifie God this man must needs be said to walke with God Would you in a word know when you walke with GOD 1 When you daily goe on to repent of sinnes past beleeve in Christ Iesus for pardon and beleeve his Word for direction 2 When you walk not according to the will of man but of God 3 When you walke not after the flesh but after the spirit 4 When you set God before you walk as in his sight â—…en you walke with before afâ—â—r and according to God That â—ou may walke with God conâ—â—der these arguments farther convince and induce you First you are commanded to â—alke as Christ walked and it concernes you so to doe if you would approve your selfe to be member of his body for it is nonstrous nay impossible that â—he head should go one way and â—he body another Now our Savior observed al the three later â—â—quisiâ—es of walking with God The former namely justifying â—aith and repentance belonging â—ot to him because hee was without Sinne. Secondly it is all which the â—ord requireth of you for al his â—ove goodnesse shewed unto â—on in creating preserving reâ—eeming and saâ—ing you For what doth the Lord require of â—ou but to doe iustly and to love â—ercy and to walke humbly with our God Thirdly if you walke with God and keepe close to him you shall bee sure to goe in the right way in that good old way which is called the way of holinesse in a most streight most neere and to a spirituall man most pleasant way whose paths are peace which endeth in the rest of your soule For God teacheth his children to chuse this way And if they happen to erre or to doubt of their way they shall heare the voyce of Gods Spirit behinde them saying This is the way walke in it Fourthly if you walke with God you shall walke safely you shall not need to feare though ten thousands set themselves against you For his presence is with you and for you His holy Angels encampe about you
And while you walke in his waâ—es they are charged to support you lest you should receive any harme Fifthly When you walkâ— with â—od though you be alone and â—ithout all other companions â—u doe walke with the best compaâ—y even such whereof there is â—ost need and best use While God and you walke together â—ou have an advantage above â—ll that walk not with him For â—ou have a blessed opportunity of that holy acquaintance with God which is required in Iob. You have opportunity to speak unto him to aske him his advice in every thing praying with assuraÌ„ce of a gracious hearing Abraham and his faithfull servant made use of their walking with God for these purposes Is it not a rare favor that the most high God shall vouchsâ—â—â— to come downe from Heaven and walke on earth with base man nay rather to call up man from earth to Heaven to walke with him It would be therfore shameful hatefull ingratitude not to accept this offer and not to obey this charge Sixtly â—o set the Lord alwaies in your sight is an excellent preservative and restraint from sinne With this shield chaste Ioseph did repell and quench the fiery darts of the temptations of his lewd Mistris For who is so foolish shameles as to transgresse wittingly the just lawes of a Father King and Iudge knowing that he is present and doth observe him with detestation if he so doe Seventhly to have the Lord alwayes in your eye and thought is an excellent remedie against spirituall stoth and negligence in good duties and it is a sharpe spurre to quicken you and make you diligent and abundant in the worke of the Lord. What servaÌ„t can be slothfull false in his Masters sight And what Master will keepe a servaÌ„t that wil not observe him and do his commands while â—e himselfe looketh on Eightly Walking with God in â—anner abovesaid doth exceeâ—ingly please God please Gods â—oly Angels please Gods faithâ—â—ll Ministers and doth please â—d strengthen all those good peoâ—â—e of God with whom you doe â—â—nverse It is to walk worthy â—â— Godin all well pleasing Ninthly Thus walking with God you shal be assured of Gods â—ercy and gracious favour Hee â—â—epeth covenant and mercy with â—ll his servants that walke before â—im with all their heart When â—ou doe thus walk in the light â—ou have a gracious fellowship with God and the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth you from all sinne There is no condemnation to you which thus walke Your flesh when you die shal rest in hope â—or to them that set God before â—heÌ„ he doth shew the path of life which wil bring them into his â—â—orious preseÌ„ce where are fulâ—esse of ioyes and pleasures for eâ—ermore Any one of these motives advisedly thought upon by a willing an humble and prayerfull person were enough to perswade to this holy walking with God Notwithstanding it is woefull to consider how few there be which walke thus For most men seeke not after God God is not in all their thoughts they walke in the vanity of their mindes After their owne lusts the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life walking according to the course of this world according to the will of Satan the Prince of the Power of the ayre the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Who refuse to return orto cal themselves into question though God doc wait and hearken for it no not so much as to say What have wee done But every one runneth to his course as the horse rusheth into the battell Now touching all that walke â—…us contrary unto God God hath â—…id that hee will set his face aâ—â—inst them and punish them seven â—…es even with many and sore â—…agues And if yet they will â—alke contrary to him he will â—alke contrary to them in fury and â—…nish them seven times and seven â—…mes more for their sinnes And if yet they will walke in impeniâ—ency notwithstanding Gods offâ—r of mercy to them in Christ Saint Paul could not speake of such with dry eies but peremptorily pronounceth that their end is destruction As for your selfe I will say no more but this Weigh well the premises Compare the way wherein you walke with God with all other wayes compare company with all other company compare guide with guides and compare the issues and end of this way with the issues and end of all other wayes and the choyce of your walke will easily and quickly be made Thus much be said in generall of walking with God CHAP. II. How to walke with God in all things at all times THE Commandement to walke with God is indefinite without limitation therefore must be understood to be a walking with him in all things and that at all times in all companies and in all changes conditions and estates of your life whatsoever To walke with God in grosse is not sufficient You are not dispensed with for any momeÌ„t of your life but all the daies of your life and each day of your life and each houre of that day and each minute of that houre you must passe the time the whole time of your â—welling here in feare even all â—he day long saith Salomon You must indevor to have a consciâ—nce voyd of offence alwaies â—s saith the Apostle You must â—ive the rest of your life not to the lusts of men but to the will of God taking heed lest at any time there bee in you an evill heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God 1. For this end Christ did redeeme you from the hands of your enemies that you might serve him in holinesse righteousnes which is the same with walking with God al the daies of your life without feare 2. The end of the instructions of the Word which is the light to your feet in this walking is that it be bound upon your hart 〈…〉 continually to lead keepe and â—alke with you at all times 3. The lusts of your owne â—eart and your Adversary the devill lye alwayes upon the advantage to stay you or to divert you out of your godly course so that upon every intermission of your holy care to please GOD they take their opportunity to surprise you 4. You are accountable unto God for losing mis-spending all that precious time wherin you doe not walke in his wayes 5. Besides he that hath much worke to do or that is in a long journey or is running a race for a wager hath no need to lose any time If you be cast behinde in your work and race you will hardly recover your losse but with much sorrow with renued â—aith and with more than ordinary repentance Wherfore when you do awake in the night or in the morning and while you are awake in the day and when you betake
way and affoordeth meanes to attain both through the commands and promises thereof in the doctrine of faith and repentance Now therefore bring your self to the Gospell Try your selfe thereby first whether your first faith and repentance were sound then set upon reforming getting pardon of particular and later offences But learne to put a difference betweene the Commandements of the Gospell and of the Law the Law exacteth absolute obedience The gracious Gospell doth through CHRIST accept of the truth of Faith and Repentance so that there be an endevour after their perfection It would be too long to shew you at large the signes of unfained Faith and Repentance I will for the present onely say this Have you been humbled heretofore and through the promises and commandement of the Gospell which biddeth you beleeue have you conceived hope of mercy relying on Christ for it and thereupon have had a â—â—ue change in your whole man so that you make God your utmost end and out of hatred oâ—… and love unto Christ and â—is wayes have had a will in all things to live honestly and to â—…devour in all things to keepe alwayes a good conscience to wards God and man desiring the sincere milke of the Word to grow by it loving the brethren desiring and delighting in communion with them then be you confident that your first faith repentance and new obedience was sound If upon tryall you finde that they were not sound then you must begin now to repent and beleeve it is not yet too late Touching reformation and obtaining of pardon and power of your particular sinnes doe thus Consider the Commandement which biddeth you to repent and amend Consider the Commandements which bid you to come unto Christ when you are weary and beavie laden with your sin beleeving that through him they shall be pardoned and subdued to this end Consider that Christ hath fully satisfied for such and such a sinne yea for all sinne and that you have many promises of grace and forgivenesse yea a promise that God will give you grace to beleeve in him that you may have your sinnes forgiven Consider that there is vertue and power in Christs death and resurrection appliable by faith through his holy Spirit for the mortifying the old man of sinne and quickning the new man in grace as well as merit to take away the guilt and punishment of your sinne Improve this power of Christ in you unto an actuall breaking off your sinnes and living according to the wil of Christ which is done by mortifying the old man of sinne and by strengthning the new and inner man of grace In mortifying your sinne doe thus Take all your sinnes especially your bosome sins those to which the disposition of your nature and condition of your place doth most incline you your strongest and Captaine sinnes and with them the body of corruption in you the originall and mother-sinne smite at them strike at the very roote arraigne them condemne them in your selfe dragge them all to the Crosse of Christ and nayle them thereunto that is by Faith see them all nayled with Christ to the Crosse whereon he was crucified and beleeve that not onelyin respect of their guilt but also of their raigning power they are al crucified with him dead and buried as is signified to you lively in your Baptisme When you see that your old man is crucified with Christ that the body of sinne should be destroyed you will take courage against sinne and will refuse to serve it sith by Christ you are freed from the dominion of it When you thus by faith put on the Lord Iesus Christ you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh Grieve heartily for your sinnes conceive deadly hatred against them displeasure against your selfe for them These like a corrasiue will eate out the core and heart of sinne Make no provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts of it but be sober in the use of all earthly things this by little and little will starve sinne Avoid all obiects and occasions of sinne yea abstaine from the appearance of it this wil disarme sinne When you feele any motion unto sinne whether it rose from within or came from without resist it speedily and earnestly by the Sword of the Spirit the Word of God as your Saviour did and as Ioseph did for which cause it must dwell plentifully in you Thus you shall kill sinne That you may strengthen the inner man by the Spirit whereby you may not onely mortifie the deeds of the flesh but bring forth the fruits of the Spirit doe thus First Apply Christ risen from the dead for you particularly beleeving that God by the same power quickneth you and raiseth you together with Christ to walke in newnes of life reckoning your selfe now to be alive unto God being dead unto sinne become the servant of righteousnesse This beleeving in Christ embracing and relying upon the precious promises of the Gospell doth draw downe Christ into your heart and doth more and more incorporate you into him by it he by his Spirit dwelleth in you wherby of his life grace you receive life and grace and so as the Apostle saith are made partaker of the divine nature flying the corruption which is in the world through lust Affect your heart with ioy unspeakeable and with peace in beleeving considering that you are iustified through our Lord Iesus Christ this Ioy of the Lord as a cordiall will exceedingly strengthen grace in the inner man Take heed of quenching or grieving the Spirit but nourish it by the frequent use of holy meditation prayer hearing and reading of the Word receiving the Sacraments by a Christian Communion with such as feare God and by following the motions of the Spirit of God which you shall know to be from it when the thing wherunto it mooveth is both for matter circumstance according to the Scripture the Word of the Spirit This is to be led of the Spirit and this will be to walke in the Spirit and then you shal not fulfil the lusts of the flesh Vpon your fasting day you shal doe well to renew your Covenant with God and in some cases so that it be done advisedly to enter into a particular vow to leave some grosse sinne with the occasions of it and to doe some necessary neglected dutie and to embrace all furtherances thereof This also will much strengthen your resolution against sinne and for holinesse There remaineth yet one principall work wherein a chiefe busines of the day of your fast lyeth for which all formerly spoken to maketh way and by which with the former meanes you may attaine to true reformation of your selfe reconciliation with your
God which is Invocation and earnest prayer to God in the Name of Christ through the holy Ghost in particular large harty confessions and complaints against your selfe for your sinnes asking forgivenes making known your holy resolutioÌ„s asking grace and giuing thankes for that he is at one with you having giveÌ„ Christ for you and to you and for that he hath given you a minde to know him and the power of his resurrection with other the first fruits of the Spirit which is the earnest of your inheritance Let this solemn and more then ordinary seeking of GOD by prayer alone by your selfe be twise at least in the day of your Fast besides your ordinary prayers in the Morning Evening having thus made your peace with God you may nay ought to pray for the good or against the evill which was the occasion of the Fast But in praying you must in ferrency of spirit cry mightily striving and wrastling in prayer The extraordinary burnt offerings sinne offerings meate and drinke offerings besides the finâ—ffering of the Attonement and the continuall burnt offering meate and drinke offering to be offered the solemne day of the Fast under the Law which in the substance of it is the standard of religious Fasts doth shew that a Fast must be kept in manner as hath beene said For hereby we prepare sanctifie our selves and seeke to God in Christ hereby we by faith lay hold on Christ the onely true sacrifice for sin hereby we doe by him draw nigh to God and in token of thankfulnes doe giue our selves to be an whole and living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is our reasonable serving of God For your greater and more thorough humbling of your self and further exercise of your faith in God and love to your brethren and Church of God something yet is to be added You must represent to your thoughts also the sinnes and evils that are already upon or hanging over the head of your familie and neerest friends and of your towne Country or Kingdome where you live together with their severall aggravations lay them to heart considering that they by sinning doe also dishonour God your Father and doe bring evill of soule and body upon those whom you should love as well as your selfe And it is a thousand to one but that you are involved in their sinnes and become accessary if not by comand example counsell permission conniving not punishing familiarity with sinners or concealement yet in not grieving for them in not hating them and in not confessing and disclaiming them before God These also bring common Iudgements upon Church and State which you should prefer before your own particular wherin you may look to have your part You must therfore affect your heart with these thoughts and mourne not onely for your owne first but then for the abhominations of your family town country and Kingdome For the sins of Princes and Nobles for the sins of Ministers and People And not onely for the present sinnes of the Land but for the sinnes long since committed whereof it hath not yet repented Rivers of waters should runne downe from your eyes at least sighs and grones should rise from your heart because others as well as your selfe have forgotten Gods Law and have exposed themselves to his destroying Iudgements Doe all this so that you may poure out your heartlike water to the Lord in their behalfe This is to stand in the Breach the prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be servent though he have infirmities If it should not take good effect for others yet your teares and sighs shall doe good to your selfe it causeth you to have Gods seal in yourforehead you are marked for mercy God will take you from the evill to come or will make a way for you-to escape or will pturne the hearts of your enemies to you as it was with Ieremie or if you should be carried captive he will be a little Sanctuarie to you in the land of your captivitie or if you smart under the commoâ— judgement it shall be sanctified to you and if you perish bodily yet when others that cannot live and are afraid to die are aâ— their wits end you shall be able in the conscience of your mourning and of disclaiming your own others sins to welcome death as a messenger of good tidings and as a â—ortall to everlasting happines If it be a publike Fast all these things before mentioned are to â—e done alone both before and after the publike exercises which amongst the Iewes tooke up two â—ourth parts of the artificiall day â—t which time you must joine in publike hearing the Word read and preached and in praier with more than ordinary intention and fervency If you fast with your Family or with some few let convenient times bee spent in reading the Word or some good Booke or Sermons which may be fit to direct and quicken you for the present worke also in feruent prayer The other time alone let it be spent as I have shewed before If some publike or necessary occasion such as you could not well foresee or prevent when you made choice of your day of private fast happeÌ„ to interrupt you I doe judge that you may attend those occasions not withstanding your Fast but doe it thus if they may be dispatched with little adoe then dispatch them and after continue your fast but if you cannot I thinke that you had better be humbled that you were hindred breake off your fast and set some other day apart in stead thereof even as when a man is necessarily hindred in his vow The Benefit that will accrew to you by religious Fasting will be motive enough to an often use of it as there shall be cause It was never read or heard of that a fast was kept in truth according to the former directions from the Word but either obtained the particular thing for which it was kept or a better to him at least that tasted And besides that it will if any thing will obtaine the thing intended thus fasting will put the soule into such good plight and tune into such an habit of spiritualnesse that like as when against some speciall entertainment a day hath been spent in searching every sluts corner in a house and in rubbing and washing it it will be kept cleane with ordinary sweeping a quarter of a yeare or long time after I doe acknowledge that some have fasted and God hath not regardedit yea hee telleth some before-hand that if they fast he will not heare their cry But these were such who fasted not to God they onely sought themselves they would not hearken to his Word there was no putting away of sinne as loosing the bands of wickednesse c. No mortification of sinne no renewing
he What is that all no but he proceedeth to this last act of meditation and saith I will have respect unto thy wayes Gods holy nature attributes Word workes also what is dutie what is a fault what you should be and doe what you are and what you have done what be the miseries of the wicked what is the happinesse and what are the privileges of the godly are fit matter of meditating by the direct act of the understanding That which must settle your judgement and be the rule to direct your judgement what to hold for true and good must be the Canon of Gods Word rightly understood and not your owne reason or opinion nor yet the opinions or conceits of men for these are false and crooked Rules In seeking to know the secrets and mysteries of God and godlinesse you must not pry into them farther than God hath revealed for if you wade therein farther than you have sure footing in the Word you will presently lose your selfe and be swallowed up in a maze and whirlepoole of errors heresies These deepe things of god must bee understood with sobrietie according to that measure of cleare light which God hath given you by his Word When Sinne happeneth to bee the matter of your meditation take heed lest while your thoughts dwell upon it though your intention be to bring your selfe out of love with it it steale into your affections and worke in you some tickling motions to it and so circumvent you For the cunning devices of sinne are undiscoverable and you know that your heart is deceitfull above all things Wherefore to prevent this mischiefe 1 As Sinne is not to bee named but when there is just cause so is it not to be thought upon but upon speciall cause namely when it sheweth it selfe in its motions and evill effects and when it concernes you to try and finde out the wickednes of your heart and life 2 When there is cause to thinke of sinne represent it to your mind as an evill the greatest evill most lothsome most abominable to GOD and as a thing most hatefull and hurtfull to you Whereupon you must worke your heart to a detestation of it and resolution against it 3 Never stand reasoning or disputing with it as Eve did with Satan but without any plodding thereupon you must doe present execution upon it by sheathing the Word the Sword of the Spirit into the heart of it and by the deeds of the Spirit kill it And if you would insist long in meditating upon any subject make choise of matter more pleasant and lesse infectious It is needfull that you be skilfull in this first part of meditation for hereby you finde out and lay downe propositions Whence you may conclude who is to be adored who not what is to be done what not what you should be what not But the life of meditation lyeth in the reflect acts of the soule whereby that knowledge which was gotten by the former act of meditation doth reflect returne upon the heart causing you to assume and apply to your selfe what was propounded whence also you are induced to endevour to worke your heart unto that which you have learned it ought to be This though it be most profitable yet because it is tedious to the flesh is most neglected Wherefore it concerneth you which are well instructed in the points of faith and holinesse to be most conversant in this when you are alone whether of set purpose or in your journyings or otherwise You should therefore be well read in the booke of your conscience as well as in the Bible Commune oft with it and it wil fully acquaint you with your selfe and with your estate It will tell you what you were and what you now are what you most delighted in in former times what now It will tell you what streights and feares you have beene in and how graciously God delivered you what temptations you have had and how it came to passe that sometimes you were overcome by them how and by what meanes sometimes you overcame them It will shew what conflicts you have had betwixt flesh spirit what side you tooke what was the issue of the conflict whether you were grieved and humbled when sinne got the better whether you rejoyced were thankfull in any sort when Gods grace in you held his owne or got the better Your conscience being set aworke will call to remembrance your over-sight and advantages which you gave to Satan and to the lusts of your flesh that you may not doe the like another time It will remember you by what helpes and meanes through Gods grace you prevailed got a good conquest over some sinne that you may flye to the like another time If you shal thus take observation of the passages and conflicts in this your Christian race and warfare your knowledge will be an experimentall knowledge which because it is a knowledge arising from the often proofe of that whereof you were taught in the Word it becommeth a more grounded a more perfect and a more fruitfull knowledge than that of meere contemplation It is onely this experimentall knowledge that will make you expert in the trade and warfare of Christianitie Take me a man that hath onely read much of Husbandry Physicke Merchandise Policie and martiall affaires who hath gotten into his head the notions of all these and maketh himselfe beleeve that he hath great skill in them yet one that hath not read halfe so much but hath beene of long practice and of great experience in these goeth as farre beyond him in Husbandry in giving Physick in Trading in Policie in true feats of Armes as he goeth beyond one that is a meere novice in them Such difference there is betweene one that hath onely notions brain-knowledge of Christianitie and in may be some practice withal but severed from experimentall observation and him that taketh notice of his owne experiences and is oft looking into the Records of his owne Conscience throughly to peruse them The experiments which by this meanes you shall take of Gods love truth and power of your enemies falshood wiles and methods of your owne weaknesse without God of your strength by God to withstand the greatest lusts and strongest Divell yea of an abilitie to doe all things through him that strengthneth you will beget in you faith and confidence in God and love to him watchfulnesse and circumspection lest you be overtaken with sinne yea such humilitie wisedome and Christian courage that no opposition shall daunt you neither shall any drive you from the hold you have in Christ Iesus Where reade you of two such Champions as David and Paul and where doe you reade of two that recorded and made use of their experiences like these Wherefore next to Gods booke which giveth light and rule to your Conscience reade oft the
booke of your Conscience See what is there written for or against you When you finde that your selfe and life is according to the rule of God booke keepe fast to that with comfort but wherein you finde your selfe not to be according to this rule give your selfe no rest untill in some good measure at least in indevour you doe live according to it I have insisted the more largely on this point of meditation because of the rarenes necessitie and profitablenesse of it manie of Gods people omit it because they know not how to doe it and because they know not their neede nor yet the benefit which they may reape by it I have indevoured to shew you how That you have neede to meditate Consider that reading hearing and transient thoughts of the best things upon whatsoever occasion leave not halfe that impression of goodnesse upon the soule which they would doe if â—y meditation they might be recalled and be made to stay and â—t sometime upon it Without â—his meditation the good food of the soule passeth thorow the understanding either is quite â—ost or is like raw indigested â—â—eate which doth not nourish those creatures that chew the â—â—d till they have fetched it â—acke and chewed it better Meditation is in stead of chewing â—he cud All the outward meanes of Salvation doe little good in comparison except by meditation they be pondered and laid up in the heart 2. That meditation will doâ— you much good know it by these 1 It doth digest ingraft and turne the spirituall knowledge tendered in Gods ordinances into you and it doth frame and turne you into it so that Gods will in his Word and your will become one willing the same things 2 Meditation fitteth for prayer nothing more 3 This Meditation maketh for practice of godlinesse nothing more 4 Nothing doth perfect make a man an expert Christian more then this 5 Nothing doth mak a man know and enjoy himselfe with inward comfort nor is a clearer evideÌ„ce that he is in state of happines then this For in the multitude of my thoughts within me â—aith David to GOD thy comforts delight my soule And he doth by the Spirit of GOD pronounce every man blessed that doth thus meditate in Gods Law day and night CHAP. IX Of keeping Company as in the sight of God SECTION 1. VVHen you shall be in company of whatsoever â—…rt you must amongst them â—alke with God Directions hereunto are of two â—…rts First shewing how towards â—ll Secondly how towards good â—r bad First in whatsoever companie you are your Conversation in word and deede must be such as â—aâ— procure 1 Glory to God â—2 Credit to Religion 3 All â—…utuall lawfull content helpe and â—…ue benefit to each other For these â—…re the ends first of societie secondly of the variety of the good â—ifts that GOD hath given unto men to doe good with To attain these ends your conversation must be 1. holy 2. humble 3. wise 4. loving First it must be holy you must as much as in you is prevent all evill speech behaviour which might else breake forth being alike carefull to breake it off if it be alreadie begun in your company Suffer not the name and Religion of God nor yet your brothers name to be traduced but in due place and manner contest against either Be diliget to watch and to take all good occasions to utter and to nourish good speech and good motions even whatsoever may tend to the practice and increase of godlinesse and honestie Secondly your conversation must be humble You must give all due respect to all men according to their severall places and gifts reverencing your betters submitting to all in authoritie over you Esteeme your equals better then your selves in honor preferring them before you Condescend unto and tender them of the lower sort Thirdly you must be wise and â—iscreet in your carriage towards all and that in divers particulars 1. Be not too open nor too reserved Not over-suspicious nor over-credulous For the simple beleeveth every word but the prudent looketh well to his going 2. Apply your selfe to the severall conditions dispositions of men in all indifferent things so farre as you may without sin against God or offence to your brother becomming all things to all men comporting with them in such sort that if it be possible you may live in peace with them and may gaine some interest in them to doe them good But farre be it from you to be as many who under this pretence are for all companies seeming religious with those that be religious but indeed are prophane and licentious with those that are prophane licentious for this is carnal policy and damnable hypocrisie no true wisedome 3. Intermeddle not with other mens businesse but upon due calling 4. Know when to speake and when to be silent How excellent is a word spoken in season As either speech or silence will make for the glory of God and for the cause of Religion and good one of another so speake and so hold your peace 5. Be not hastie to speake nor be much in speaking but onely when just cause shall require for as it is shame and folly to a man to answer a matter before he heare it so it is for any to speake before his time turne This is commended to you in the example of Elihu in Iob. Likewise know that in the multitude of words wanteth not sin but he that refraineth his lips is wise 6. Be sparing to speake of your selfe or actions to your owne prayse except in case of necessary Apologie and defence of Gods cause maintained by you and in the clearing of your wronged innocency or needfull manifestation of Gods power and grace in you but then it must be with all moddestie giving the prayse unto God Neither must you cunningly hunt for prayse by debasing or excusing your selfe and actions that you might give occasion to draw forth commendations of your selfe from others This seeking of prayse any way argueth pride and folly But doe prayse-worthy actions seeking therein the prayse of God that God may be glorified in you then you shall have prayse of God whatsoever you have of maÌ„ Howsoever follow SalomoÌ„s rule Let another prayse thee not thine owne mouth a stranger and not thine owne lips 7. As you must bee wise in your carriage toward others so you must be wise for your selfe which is to make a good use to your selfe of all things that fall out â—â— company Let the good you seâ— be â—â—â—â—er of conâ—ent and of thankes to GOD and for your imitaâ—ion Let the evill you see be matter of grefe humiliation and a warning to you lest you commit the like sith you are made of the same mould that others are made of If men
of GOD is twofold or one and the same in different degrees The first is an actuall entring into and mutuall imbracing of Peace betweene GOD and man The second is the Manifestation and Expression of this Peace The first is when God and man are made friends which is when GOD is pacified towards MAN and when man is reconciled unto God so that now God standeth well affected towards man and man hath put off Enmitie against God which mutuall* Attonement and Friendship Christ Iesus the onely Mediator betwixt God and man hath by his satisfaction and intercession wrought for man and by his Spirit applieth unto and worketh in man For untill this Attonement be made and applied God in his just Iudgement and Hatred is an Enemie unto man for sin and man in his evill minde and unjust Hatred is an Enemy unto GOD and unto all goodnesse through sinne This first Peace is Peace of God with man inherent in God working the like disposition of Peace in man towards God and is the fountaine from which the second 〈…〉 The second kinde or rather further degree of Peace of God is the operation and manifestation of the former Peace which is a peace of God in man wrought by the Spirit of God through the apprehension that God is at peace with him This Peace is partly and most sensibly in the Conscience which is called Peace of Conscience and may also be called peace of Iustification according to that Being iustified by faith wee have peace with God c. And it is partly in the whole reasonable man whereby the will and affections of the soule agree within themselves and are subiect to the inlightned minde conspiring all of them against the commonadversary the flesh which yet remaineth in everypart this may be called peace of Sanctification according to that of the Apostle Being made free from sinne and become servants of God you have your fruit in holinesse This is the agreement of all the members to become servants to righteousnesse unto Holinesse Not but there will be warring alwayes in our members but it is not the warring so much of one Member against another as the warring of the Flesh in every member against the Spirit which also warreth against the flesh in every member Which lusting and fighting of flesh against the spirit beginneth in man as soone as the Spirit hath wrought the former peace of Holines in setting each member into dueframe and order Moreover this peace of Sanctification consisteth in this that albeit a Sanctified man must never be nor ever is at peace with sin so that it doth not assault and molest him or that hee should subject himselfe to it or have it absolutely subject to him in this life yet hee hath a peace and quiet after a sort and in comparison from sinne is so much that he is freed from the dominion and power of sinne to hurt him or to reduce him to his former bondage unto sinne Now so farre as a man getteth a conquest over his lusts that they are kept under and forbeare to assault and molest him so farre he may be said to have this peace of Sanctification The Conscience when it is awake and stirring and in the Act of enquirie and of Inditing accusing condemning man for sinne doth withall Pricke Lash Gripe Sting and Wound the heart with unutterable unconceiveable griefes feares and terrours through the apprehension of Gods infinite eternall and iust Wrath for sinne Now when GOD by his Spirit giveth any true hope and assurance unto a man that his lustice is satisfied concerning him through Christ and that now all Enmitie and Wrath is done away on Gods part and that hee loveth him in Christ with a Free Full and Everlasting love hereby he speaketh peace to the Conscience having done away all the guilt of sinne which before molested it through sense of Gods anger and feare of punishment Hence ariseth peace and comfort in the Conscience which therefore is called Peace of Conscience Thus the mind ceaseth to be perplexed and by faith in Christs death through the Spirit becommeth quiet with an Heavenly tranquility resting on the Word of promise and according to the measure of cleare apprehension of Gods love in Christ in the same measure the minde is at sweet agreement within it selfe without feare or trouble and in the same measure hee hath peace of Conscience flowing from the assurance of Iustification As soone also as a man beginneth Actually to be at Peace with God his lusts doe beginne to be at Warre with him rebelling against the law of his minde which yet may by little and little be subdued and conquered though not all lusts at any time nor yet any one fully in this life yet by vertue of the peace now made with God if he wil improve it by seeking helpe of God if withall he take to him the Compleate armour and doe fight manfully under Christs bāner he may so prevaile against them that he shall be assaulted with fewer Temptations from his owne concupiscence than hee was wont in so much that they do not so oft nor so strongly assault him as in former times Now so farre forth as the powers and faculties of man agree in their fight against sinne and doe so subdue it that it doth not assault and molest him hee may be said to have the peace of sanctification The first peace whereby God is pacified and is become propitious and gracious to man is absolutely necessary to the very being of a Christian The second which riseth from the manifestation of this Peace unto a man and the sensible feeling of the operatiō of this Peace in man is not necessary to the being of a Christian at least in a sensible degree of it but to the well-being of a Christian it is necessarie For a man may be in the favour of God and yet be without the sense of this Peace in himselfe Because this peace of Conscience doth not flow necessarily from the being in GODS favour but from knowledge and assurance of being in his favour Now a man in many cases may loose for a time his sense of Gods favor his faith being over-clouded with feares and unbeliefe as it was with David after his adultery with Bathshebath and murther of Vriah who yet was upheld secretly by his right hand as the Prophet was in another case by vertue of that first peace of GOD yet untill GOD did give him the sense and feeling of His loving Countenance hee was without the second Peace the peace of Conscience Yea though God by Nathan in the outward Ministery of his Word had given him assurance of Gods loving kindnesse saying The LORD hath put away thy sinne thou shalt not dye That first peace is absolute and admitteth of no degrees The second which floweth thence both in respect of peace of Conscience and in respect of good
hath not said that all men without exception shal be saved by Christs death albeit he saith Christ died for all but Salvation is promised to all onely under the Condition of Repenting and Beleeving in Christ that dyed I call them conditions not for which GOD ordained men to life but conditions to which they were ordained by which as by the fittest way man being a reasonable and voluntary agent God might glorifie himselfe in bringing them to eternall life Wherefore notwithstanding Christs infinite merit whereby he satisfied for mankinde and notwithstanding the universalitie of the offer of salvation to all to whom the Gospell is preached both Scripture and experience shew that not all nor yet the most shall be saved and that because the number of them which repent and unfainedly beleeve whereby they make particular and actuall application of Christ and his merits to themselves are fewest For of those many that are called few are chosen Wherfore let none ignorantly dreame of an absolute universall redemption as many simple people do Not yet let any think that because of the large extent of Christs Redēption they may be saved when they wil. For thogh Christ bee said to suffer to take away the sinnes of the whole world yet the Scripture saith that the whole world of unbeleevers and of ungodly men shall perish eternally Many wil yeeld that they must have faith and repentance and that they must be ingrafted into Christ and become new creatures else they cannot looke to be saved but they thinke they are all this already whence followeth quiet of Conscience Whereas when it commeth to the tryall their faith and repentance are sound not to be sound As shall thus appeare They thinke they have faith nay more they presume further that they have true faith and that they are truly religious and in state of grace It is not enough for a man to seeme to himselfe to bee religious for he may deceive his owne heart a close hypocrite may thinke himselfe to be something when yet he is nothing deceiving himselfe as no doubt the foolish Virgins did But many will think that they have good reason to judge that they have true faith c. and that 1 Because they beleeve the whole Scripture to bee the good Word of God 2 They beleeve not onely that there is a GOD but that Iesus Christis the Sonne of God and Saviour of the world yea according to the letter they beleeve all the Articles of the Christian faith 3 They thinke they are beleevers because they have beene Baptized and have given their names unto Christ they professe the onely true Religion they have the very true forme of godlinesse in all the externall exercises of Religion so that it may be said of many of them as it was said of the lewes They seeke God daily and delight to know his waies as a Nation that did righteousnesse c. Whereas if they beleeve no more nor no better they may know that their faith is onely an historicall and generall faith or onely a temporary faith at the best necessary indeed to Salvation but not sufficient to save The Devils beleeve as much as the first and very hypocrites may and doe professe and doe as much as the second and third The Apostle Paul having to doe with hypocriticall Iewes who because of the Sacraments and forme of knowledge and profession though without practice did nourish in themselves a vaine perswasion that they should be saved he removeth this false ground of their hope thus saying He is not a Iew which is one outwardly but he is a Iew which is one inwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but that which is of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose prayse is not of men but of God In like manner Saint Peter doth give all Christians to know that that Baptisme which is only a putting away of the filth of the flesh doth not save but that Baptisme which giveth proofe that the heart is sprinkled from an evill conscience as well as the body washed with pure water shewing it selfe by the answer which a good conscience maketh in beleeving in truth consenting unto and imbracing the new Covenant whereof Baptisme is a seale of which anciently men of yeares made profession when they were Baptized Neither is it any thing worth to have the forme of godlinesse in profession when the power thereof is denyed by an evill conversation as you may see by the exceptions which God taketh against the Iewes albeit they seemed to love Sacrifices and Sacraments Prayers Fastings and Sermons For howsoever such as these are most apt to claime an interest in Christ yet so long as their faith is not a particular faith drawing with it affiance sole reliance on Christ for Saluation declaring its truth and life by indevouring to performe the new Covenant on their part by new obedience in an endeavour unto all manner of good workes Our Saviour professeth that hee knoweth them not but biddeth them depart from him because they were workers of iniquity But secondly many of these presume that their faith is a lively saving faith that because as they thinke they have repented and are become new creatures And all because they have had such an inlightning as by nature man cannot attaine unto nay the Word hath affected them much and somwhat altered them from what they were namely 1 when they were hearing a Sermon or when Gods rod was over them they have mourned wept and shewed some kinde of humiliation 2 At the hearing of Gods precious promises in the Gospel in the glad tydings of Salvation they have felt a taste of the heavenly gift and of the good Word of God and of the powers of the world to come And 3 they finde that they doe not commit many of those sinnes which they were wont to commit and that they doe many good duties towards GOD and man which they were wont not to doe 4 They desire that Gods people should pray for them 5 They desire to dye the death of the righteous and to goe to heaven when they dye And 6 which is more some can say that sometimes they have wished that they could leave sinne and that they had grace to doe well Besides 7 They see that the best of them that truly feare God both Ministers and others are well perswaded of them But what of all this These men as neere as they come yet going no farther are farre from Salvation For the Common gifts of Gods Spirit given unto men in the Ministery of the Gospell may elevate a man higher and carry him farther towards heaven than nature art or meere humane industry can doe and yet if the saving graces of the same Spirit be not added hee will be left farre short of
kinde of the sinne if you wel observe it it being a wilfull and malicious refusing of pardon upon such tearmes as the Gospell doth offer it scorning to be beholding unto God for it You may perceive what it is by this description The sinne against the holy Ghost is an utter wilfull and spitefull reiecting of the Gospell of Salvation by Christ together with an advised and absolute falling away from the profession of it so farre that against former knowledge and conscience a man doth maliciously oppose and blaspheme the Spirit of Christ in the Word and Ordinances of the Gospel and motions of the Spirit in them having resisted reiected and utterly quenched all those common and more inward gifts and motions wrought upon their hearts and affections which sometimes were intertained by them in so much that out of hatred of the Spirit of life in Christ they crucifie to themselves a-fresh the Sonne of God and doe put him both in his Ordinances of Religion and in his members to open shame â—reading underfoot the Sonne of God counting the bloud of the Covenant wherewith they were sanctified an unholy thing doing despight to the spirit of grace If you shall heedfu'ly looke into these places of the Scripture which speake of this sinne and withall doe observe the opposition which the Apostle maketh betweene sinning against the Law and sinning against the Gospell you shall clearely finde out the nature of this sinne But to resolve you of this doubt if you be not overcome with Melancholy for then you will answer you know not what which is to be pittied rather than regarded I would aske you that thinke you have committed the sinne against the holy Ghost these Questions Doth it grieve you that you have committed it Could you wish that you had not committed it If it were to be committed would you not forbeare if you could choose Would you take your selfe beholding to God if hee would make you partakers of the bloud and Spirit of his Sonne thereby to pardon and purge your sinne and to give you grace to repent Nay are you troubled that you cannot bring your heart unto a sense of desire of pardon and grace If you can say yea then albeit the sinne or sinnes which trouble you may be some fearefull sinne of which you must be exhorted speedily to repent yet certainly it is not the sinne against the holy Ghost It is not that unpardonable sinne it is not that sinne unto death For he that committeth this sinne cannot relent neither will he be beholding to GOD for pardon and grace by Christs bloud and spirit he cannot desire to repent But he is given over in Gods just judgement unto such a reprobacy of minde pollution and deadnesse of conscience perversnesse and rebellion of will and to such an height of hatred and malice that he is so blasphemously despitâ—fully bent against the Spirit of holinesse that â—t much pleaseth him rather than any way troubles him that hee hath so maliciously and blasphemously rejected or fallen from persecuted and spoken blasphemously against the good way of Salvation by Christ and against â—he gracious operations of the Spirit and against the members â—f Christ although he was once convinced clearly that this is the â—nely way of Salvation and that those graces and gifts were from God that they were the deare children of God whom he doth â—â—w despight Others if not the same object â—â—us God will certainely conâ—â—mne them because S. Iohn â—â—th said if their hearts condemne â—em God is greater than their â—arts hence they in ferre God will condemn them much more For they say their hearts doe condemne them There is a double judgement by the heart and conscience It â—â—â—gâ—â—h a mans state or person â—â—â—theâ—â—e be in state of grace â—â—â—â—â—â—o Also it judgeth a mans â—…lar actions whether they be good oâ— no. I take it that thâ—i place of Iohn is not to be understood of judging or condemning the person For God in his finall judgement doth not judge according to what a mans weaâ— and erroneous conscience judgeth for so it cannot choose buâ— be more or lesse in this life making it the square of his judgement to condemne or absolve any For many a man in his presumption iustifieth himselfe iâ— this life when yet God will condemne him in the world to comâ— and many a distressed soule liâ—â— the Prodigall and humble Puâ—â— liâ—an coÌ„demneth himselfe wheâ— yet God will absolve him For a man may have peace with God yet God for reasons best known to his wisedome doth not presently speake peace to his conscience as it was with David in which case man doth judge otherwise of his estate than God doth This place is to be understood of iudging of particular actions namely whether a man love his brother not in word and tongue onely but in deed and truth according to the exhortation ver 18. Which if his Conscience could testifie for him then it might assure his heart before God and give it boldnesse to pray unto him in confidence to receive whatsoever hee did aske according to his will But if his owne conscience could condemne him of not loving his brother in deed and truth then God who is greater thaÌ„ his hart but wherein greater greater in knowing mans heart and the truth of his love knowing all things must needs condemn him therein much more Even as Peter in the question whether hee loveth Christ or no he appeales to Christs omniscience whereby he proveth his love towards him saying Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee This is the full scope of the place Yet this I must needs say that the holy Ghost hath instanced in such an act namely of hearty loving the brethren which is an infallible signe of being in state of grace whereby except in case of extreame melancholy or phrensie and in the brunt of a violent temptation a man may judge whether at that present he be translated from death to life yea or â—o If any shall think the place to be understood of judging the person he must distinguish between that judgement which the heart doth give rightly and de iure and that which it giveth erroneously But suppose that you trying your selves by this your hearts doe condemne you of not loving the brethren can you conclude hence that you shall be finally damned God forbid All that you can inferre is this you cannot have boldnesse to pray unto him untill you love them nor can you assure your selves that you shal have your petitioÌ„s granted And the worst you can conclude is that now for the present you are not in state of grace or at the least you want proofe of being in state of grace You must then use all Gods meanes of being ingrafted into Christ and must love the children of GOD that you may have proofe thereof Did Paul love
had faith they should not doubt of their iustification nor of Gods love to them in Christ But many doubt that they have no faith or if they have any it is so little that it cannot be sufficient to carry them through all oppositions to the end unto salvation First if you have any faith though no more then as a graine of Mustard-seed you should not feare your finall estate nor yet doubt of Gods love for it is not the great quantitie and measure of faith that saveth but the excellent property and use of faith if it be true though never so small For a man is not saved by the worth of his faith by which he beleeveth but by the worth of Christ the person on whom hee beleeveth Now the least true faith doth apprehend whole Christ as a little hand may hold a Iewel of infinite worth as well though not so strongly as a bigger The least infant is as truly a man as soone as ever it is endued with a reasonable soule as afterward when it is able to shew forth the operations of it though not so strong a man even so it is in the state of Regeneration Now you should consider that God hath Babes in Christ as well as â—ld men feeble minded as well as strong sicke children as well as whole in his familie And those that have least strength and are weakest of whom the holy Ghost saith they have a little strength in comparison yet they have so much as through God will enable them in the time of greatest trials to keepe Gods Word and that they shall not deny Christs Name Also know God like a tender father doth not cast off such as are little feeble and weake but hath given speciall charge concerning the cherishing supporting and comforting of these rather than others And Christ Iesus hee will blow up and not quench the least sparke of faith This which I have said in commendation of little faith is onely to keepe him that hath no more from despaire Let none herby please or content himselfe with his little faith not striving to grow and be strong in faith If he do it is to be feared that he hath none at all or if he have yet he must know that hee will have much to doe to live when he hath no more than can keepe life and soule together and his life will be very unprofitable and uncomfortable in comparison of him that hath a strong faith But you will say you are 1 so full of feares and doubtings 2 you are so fearefull to dye and to heare of our comming to iudgement and 3 you cannot feele that you have faith you cannot feele joy and comfort in beleeving wherefore you feare you have no faith First if you having so sure a word and promise doe yet doubt and feare so much as you say it is your great sinne and I must blame you now in our Saviours name as he did his Disciples then saying Why are you fearefull why are yee doubtfull O yee of little faith But to your reformation and comfort observe it he doth not argue them to be of no faith but onely of little faith saying O yee of little faith Thus you see that some feares and doubtings doe not argue no faith Secondly Touching feare of death and judgement some feare doth not exclude all faith Many out of their naturall constitution are more fearefull of death than others Yea pure nature will startle and shrink to think of the separation of two so neare and so ancient and such deare friends as the soule and body have been Good men such as David and Hezekiah have shewed their unwillingnesse to die And many upon a mistaking conceiving the pangs and paines of death in the parting of the soule out of the body to be most torterous and unsufferable are afraid to dye Whereas unto many the neerer they are to their end the lesse is their extremitie of paine and very many goe away in a quiet swoone without paine And as for being moved with some feare at the thought of the day of Iudgement who can thinke of that great appearance before so glorious a Maiesty such as Christ shall appeare in to answer for all the things he hath done in his body without trembling The Apostle calleth the thoughts thereof the terror of the Lord. Indeede to bee perplexed with the thoughts of the one or other argueth imperfection of faith and hope but not an utter absence of either You have other and better things to doe in this case than to make such dangerous conclusions viz. that you have no faith c. upon such weake grounds You should rather when you feele this over-fearefulnesse to die and come to Iudgement labour to finde out the ground of your error and study and indevour to reforme it Vnwillingnesse to dye may come from these causes First From too high an estimation and from too great a love to earthly things of some kinde or other which maketh you afraid and too loath to part with them Secondly You may bee unwilling to die because of ignorance of the super abundant and inconceivable excellencies of the happinesse of Saints departed which if you knew you would bee willing Thirdly Feare of death and comming to Iudgement doth for the most part rise from a conscience guilty of the sentence of condemnation being without assurance that when you dye you shall goe to heaven Wherefore if you would be free from troublesome feare of death and Iudgement Learne 1 to thinke meanely and basely of the world in comparison of those better things provided for them that love God and use all things of the world accordingly without setting your heart upon them as if you used them not 2 While you live here on earth take your selves aside oft times in your thoughts and enter into heaven and contemplate deeply the ioyes thereof 3 Give all diligence to make your calling and election and right unto heaven sure unto your selves But let me give you this needfull Item that you be willing and ready to judge it to be sure when it is sure and when you have cause so to judge Let your care bee onely to live well joyning unto faith vertue c. and you cannot but dye well Death at first appearance like a Serpent seemeth terrible but by faith you may see this Serpents sting taken out which when you consider you may for your refreshing receive it into your bosome The sting of death is sinne the strength of sinne is the Law but the Law of the spirit of life in Christ hath freed you from the law of sinne and of death I confesse that when you see this pale horse death approaching it may cause nature to shrinke but when you consider that his errant is to carry you with speede unto your desired home unto a state of glory how can you
Castle to steppe into or an Army of friends to rescue him this mans feare is quickly over and forgotten The other doth not onely see great danger but is surprized by his enemies is taken and carried captive and is a long time in cruell bondage and feare of his life til at length he is redeemed out of their hand Such a feare as this can never be forgotten You may evidently know whether you had sufficient griefe and feare in your first conversion by these signes Had you ever such and so much griefe for sin that it made you to dislike sinne and to dislike your selfe for it and to bee weary and heavie laden with it so as to make you heartily confesse your sinnes unto GOD and to aske of him mercie and forgivenesse Hath it made you to looke better to your wayes and more carefull to please God Then be sure it was a competent and sufficient griefe because it was a godly sorrow to repentance never to be repented of Againe are you now grieved and troubled when you fall into particular sinnes then you may be certaine that there was a time when you were sufficiently grieved and humbled in your Conversion For this latter griefe is but putting that griefe into further act whereof you received an Habit in your first Conversion If you can for the present find any proofes of Conversion it should not trouble you though you know not when or by whom or how you were converted any more then thus that you know that God hath wrought it by his Word and Spirit When any field bringeth forth a croppe of good corne this proveth that it was sufficiently plowed For GOD doth never sow untill the fallow ground of mens hearts is sufficiently broken up Now as for those of you which remember that you have had terrors of conscience and it may bee ever and anon feele them still who feare that these were not beginnings of Conversion but rather beginnings of Desperation and Hellish torments you should know that there is great difference betweene these and those Those feares and horrours which are onely flashes and beginnings of hellish torment are wrought onely by the Law and spirit of bondage giving not so much as a secret hope of Salvation But those feares which make way unto and which are the beginnings of Conversion are indeed first wrought by the Law also yet not onely for the Gospell hath at last some stroke in them partly to melt the heart broken by the Law partly to support the heart causing it by some little glimpse of light to conceive possibilitie of remedy Compare the terrors of Cain and Iudas with those of the men prickt at Peters Sermon with S. Pauls and the Iaylors and you shall see both this and the following differences 2. The former terrours and troubles are caused either onely for feare of Hell and fierce wrath of God but not for sinne or if at all for sinne it is onely in respect of the punishment These tending to conversion are also caused through feare of Hell but not onely The heart of one thus troubled aketh because of his finne and that not onely because it deserveth hell but because by it he hath offended and dishonoured God 3. Those who are troubled in the first sort do continue head-strong and obstinate retaining their wonted hatred against God and against such as feare GOD as also their love to wickednes onely it may bee they smoother and bite in their ranckor through the spirit of restraint that for the time it doth not appeare But in the other will appeare some alteration towards goodnesse As whatsoever their opinions and speeches were of Gods peoples before now they begin to think better of them of their waies So did they in the Acts before they were prickt at heart they did scoffe at the Apostles and derided Gods gifts in them but afterwards said men and brethren they conceived reverently of them and spake reverently to them See the like in Paul in his readinesse to doe whatsoever Christ should enjoyne him The Iaylour also in this case quickly became well affected to Paul and Silas 4. The former sort when they are troubled with horror of conscience flie from God and seeke no remedie but such as is worldly and carnall as jollitie company-keeping musicke and other earthly delights as in building and in their lands and livings according as their owne corrupt hearts and as carnall men will advise them whereby sometimes they stupifie and deaden the Conscience and lay it asleepe for a time Thus Cain and Saul allaied their distempered spirits And if they have some godly friends which shall bring them to Gods Ministers or doe themselves minister to them the instructions of the Word this is tedious and irkesome to them they cannot rellish these means nor take any satisfaction in theÌ„ But the other are willing to secke to God by seeking to his Ministers to whom God hath given the tongue of the learned to minister a word in season to the soule that is wearie and though they cannot presently receive comfort wil not utterly reject them except in case of Melancholicke distemper which must not bee imputed to them but to their disease And in application of the remedy as there were two parts of the griefe so they must find remedies for both or they cannot be fully satisfied First they were troubled with griefe for feare of Hell for taking away whereof the bloud of Christ is applyed together with Gods promise of forgivenesse to him that beleeveth and a commandement to beleeve all this is applied to take away the guilt and punishment of sinne Secondly they were troubled for sinne whereby they had dishonored and displeased God now unlesse also they feele in some measure the grace of Christs Spirit healing the wound of sinne and subduing the power of it and enabling them at least to will and strive to please God they cannot be satisfied As it was with David though God had said by the Prophet The Lord hath put away thy sinne that is forgiven it yet he had no comfort untill God had created in him a cleane heart and renewed a right spirit within him Whereas if feare of Hell be off it is all that the former sort care for 5. As for the first sort it may be while they were afraid to be damned they had some restraint of sinne and it may be made some proffers tending to reformation but when their terrours are over and forgotten then like the dogge they returne to their vomit and like the sowe that was washed to their wallowing in the mire of their wonted ungodlinesse But as for them whose terrours were preparations to Conversion when they obtaine peace of Conscience they are exceeding thankefull for it and are made by it more feaâ—efull to offend And although they may and oft doe fall into some particular sinne or sinnes for which
your selves against blasphemous and vile thoughts and temptations In the second place When you are thus armed whensoever these blasphemous and fearefull thoughts rise in you or are cast into you Take heed of two extremities First doe not contemne them so as to set light by them for this giveth strength to sinne and advantage to Satan Secondly Be not discouraged nor yet faint through despaire of being rid of them in due time or of withstanding them in the meane time For then Satan hath his end and his will of you But carry your selves in a middle course Plod not too much on them dispute not too much in your selfe with them presume not of your owne strength but by lifting up of your hearts in prayer call in GOD Sayd to resist and withstand them present some pregnant Scripture to your mind such as is direct against them whereby you may with an holy detestation resist them according to CHRISTS example with It is written Now when you have done all this then if it bee possible thinke on them no more Thirdly Indevour at all times to make Conscience in the whole course of your life of your thoughts even of the least thoughts of euill yea of all thoughts and this will be a good meanes to keepe out all evill thoughts If it cannot prevaile thus farre yet you shall have this benefit by it when your heart can tell you that you would in every thing please God and that you make conscience of lesse sinfull thoughts than those vile ones with which you are troubled then you may be sure that you may be and are Gods children and are sanctified notwithstanding those blasphemous thoughts and Devilish temptations Againe Some doubt they are not sanctified because they have fallen into some of those grosse sinnes yea it may be into worse then those which they committed in their state of unregeneracie I answer such You are in very ill case if you doe not belye your selves and if so you are in ill case because you belye your selves I advise you that have thus sinned in either to repent speedily and to aske forgivenesse God by his Spirit doth as wel cal you to it as he did Israel saying Returne to the Lord thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie take with you words and turne unto the Lord and say unto him take away all our iniquitie and receive us graciously then will God answer I will heale your back-sliding I will love you freely You say that you are backeslidden suppose it were so he saith I will heale your backsliding c. reade Ier. 3. 12. 13. Mic. 7. 18. 19. You must not doubt but that grosse sinnes committed after a man is effectually called are pardonable It is the Devils policie to cast these doubts into your heads wholly to take you up by shutting out all hope of grace and mercie that you might have no thoughts of returning and seeking unto God for mercie But beleeve him not he is a Lyar. For it may befall one that is in state of grace to commit the same grosse sinnes after Conversion which he did before if not greater than the same Did not David by his adultery and murther exceed all the sinnes that ever he committed before his Conversion Did not Salomon worse in his old age then even in his yonger dayes Did Peter commit any sinne before his conversion like that of denying and for swearing his Master Why were the fals of these Worthies written but for examples to us on whom the ends of the earth are come First That every one that standeth should take heede left he fall Secondly That if any be fallen into any sinne by any occasion that he might rise again as they did and that they may not despaire of mercy No man though converted hath any assurance except hee himself be in special sort watch full and except hee have speciall assistance of Gods grace to be preserved from any sinne except that against the holy Ghost But if he be watchful over his waies and doe improove the grace of God in him after Conversion seeking unto God for increase of grace then he as well as the Apostle Paul may be kept from such grosse sinnes as are of the foulest nature otherwise not Indeede they that are borne of God have received the most sweet annointing of the Spirit the seed of grace which ever remaineth in them Whence it is that they sinne otherwise in state of regeneracie then they did in state of unregeneracie in so much that the Scripture of truth notwithstanding the regenerates particular grosse sinnes saith that whosoever is borne of God sinneth not not that they are free from the act and guilt of sinne for in many things wee sinne all saith Saint Iames but because they sinne not with full consent They are not servants to sinne They doe not make a trade of sinne as they did in their unregeneracie Neither doe they sinne the sinne unto death which all unregenerate men may and some do yet for all this it may and oft doth come to passe that partly from Satans malice and power and partly from the remaines of corrupt nature partly from Gods iust iudgements on many because they stood not on their watch or because they were presumptuous of their owne strength or because they were over-censorious and unmercifull to them that had fallen that true converted soules may fall into some particular grosse sinne or sinnes for matter greater then ever before Conversion Others yet complaine and say they feare they have never repented they feele that they cannot repent for they cannot grieve as they ought They can poure out flouds of teares more then enough for crosses but many times they cannot shead one teare for sinne They do nothing as they ought to doe They live in their sinnes still How then can they bee said to have repented and to be sanctified If by doing as you ought you meane perfectly well in every point and circumstance of the Law never any meere man did thus If you could so doe as you ought What need have you of CHRIST to supply your defects and to redeeme you But if by doing as you ought you meane a doing according as God now qualifying the rigour of the Law by the graciousnesse of the Gospell doth require of you and in Christ will accept of you namely to will and endevour in truth to doe the whole will of God then if you will desire and endevour to mourne for sinne to repent and obey as you should you may truly bee said to doe as you ought and as you should And in this case whatsoever is wanting to the perfection of deed Faith in Christ Iesus who kept the lawfully and as he ought for you doth supply the defect thereof For the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in all though not fully by any which walke not after the
flesh but after the Spirit And as for weeping at crosses sooner and more than for sinnes this doth not alwaies argue more griefe for one than for the other For weeping is an effect of the body following much the temper thereof also sense apprehendeth a naturall object or matter of bodily griefe in such sort that the body is wrought upon more sensibly then when a spirituall object of griefe is onely apprehended by Faith Wherefore bodily teares flow easily from sense of crosses and more hardly from thoughts of sinne For spirituall obiects doe not ordinarily worke passions in the body so soone or so much as bodily and sensible obiects doe Griefe for a crosse is more outward and passionate thence teares but spirituall griefe is more inward sad and soaking in which cases teares lye so farre off and the organs of teares are so much contracted and shut up that they cannot be fetcht or wrung out but with much labour When you are bidden in Scripture to mourne and weep for your sins nothing else is meant but to grieve much and to grieve heartily as they doe who weepe much at outward calamities Besides it is not unknowne that even in naturall griefe dry griefe is many times greater than that which is moistned and overfloweth with teares And some softer effeminate spirits can weep at any thing when some harder spirits can weepe at nothing As the greatest spiritual ioy is not expressed in laughter so neither is the greatest spirituall griefe expressed in teares God regards the inward sighing of a contrite heart more then the outward teares of the eyes An Hypocriticall Saul being overcome with kindenesse and a false-hearted Ahab being upon the racke of feare may in their quames and passions weepe and externally humble themselves and that in part for sinne when a deare child of God may not be able to command one teare The time when Gods Children have most plentie of teares is when the extremitie and anguish of griefe is well over namely When their hearts beginne to melt through hope of mercy Zach. 12. 10. And as for leaving sinne altogether Who ever did in this life Who ever shall Sith there is no man that liveth and sinneth not But mistake not you may through GODS grace have left sinne when yet sinne hath not left you For whosoever hateth sinne and resolveth against it and in the Law of his minde would not commit it but is drawne to it by Satan and by the law of his members and after it is done doth not allow it but disclaimes it with griefe this man hath left sinne And if this bee your case It may be said of you as the Apostle said of himselfe It is not you that doe evill but it is sinne that dwelleth in you that doth it Many yet complaine They cannot Pray Reade Heare Meditate nor get any good by the best Companies or best conference which they can meete with They are so dull so forgetfull so full of distractions and so unfruitfull when they goe about or have beene about any thing that is good that they feare they have no grace at all in them yea it maketh them sometimes to forbeare these duties and for the most part to goe about them without heart It is not strange that it should be so with you so long as there is a Satan to hinder you and so long as you carry about the old man and body of sinne in you Moreover Doe you not many times goe about these holy duties remissely negligently onely cursorily and customarily without preparation thereunto not looking to your feete and putting off your shooes before you approach unto Gods holy things and holy presence Doe you not many times set upon these holy duties in the power of your owne might and not in the power of Gods might or have you not beene proud or too well conceited of your selves when you have felt that you have performed good duties with some life or are you sure that you should not be spiritually proud if you had your desirein doing al these Further doe you not mis-call things calling that no Prayer no Hearing c. or no fruit because you doe them not so well nor bring forth so much as in your enlarged spiritually covetous desires you long to doe and have If it bee thus with you then first mend all these faults confesse them to GOD and aske mercie Next bee thankefull for your desires to Pray Reade Heare c. And for your longing to doe all these as you should Prosecute these desires but alwayes in the sense of your owne insufficiencies and in the power of Gods might then all the forementioned duties shall bee performed with lesse difficultie and with more fruit and comfort Yet because in all these duties you travell to heaven-ward against the hill and your passage is against Winde and Tyde and with a strong opposition of enemies in the way you must never looke to performe them without sense of much difficulty and little progresse in comparison of what you aime at in your desires It concernes you therefore to plye your Oares and to apply your selves by all meanes to worke out your Salvation with feare and trembling I meane with feare to offend in any the aforementioned duties not in feare that you have no grace because you cannot performe them as well as you should and would For sith that you feele and bewaile your dulnesse deadnesse and unprofitablenesse in holy services it argueth that you have life because no man feeleth corruption and disliketh it by corruption but by grace I am sure that such as have no true grace can and doe daily faile in all these duties but either they find not their failings or if they doe yet they complaine not of them with griefe and dislike If you heartily grieve because you doe no better your desires to doe as you should doe are a true signe of grace in you For that dutie is alwaies well done in Gods account where there is truth of indevour to doe it well and true griefe that it is done no better And whereas you say that by reason of want of spirituall life in holy duties you have beene made to neglect them altogether I pray what have you got thereby but much griefe â—â—d unrest But tell me how is â—â— with you are you pleased with your selfe in your neglect or is it so that you can have no peace in your hearts untill you set your selves diligently to do those duties again as well as you can If so it is a signe that you are not quite destitute of saving grace Others when they have beene at holy exercises and in good company have felt joy and sweet comfort therein but afterward oft-times much dulnesse hath suddenly seazed upon them Which maketh them fear they have not root in themselves and that their joyes and comforts were not sound This dulnesse after fresh-feeling-comforts
to be at his owne disposing not at ours It should be your care onely to be present at GODS Ordinances and when you reade or heare the Word or will of God to indevour to beleeve and obey it As when hee saith Thou shalt love the Lord thy GOD with all thy heart Thou shalt beleeve in the name of the Lord thy God and trust in his Name Thou shalt obey the voyce of the Lord thy God and serve him and such like Attend to the Word heedfully and because this Word is infallibly true and excellently good bring your thoughts and heart to beleeve and to approve it and say within your selves these are true these are good this I ought to doe this I would beleeve and doe Lord helpe mee and I will doe it O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy statutes In such like agitations and reasonings of the reasonable soule it pleaseth GOD to give his grace both to will and to doe his Commandements But secondly doe not say that you have not faith and the feare of God and love to him all which God of his free grace promised as you heard to you absolutely which graces are indeed the conditions fore-going the reward promised when as in truth you have them For what kinde of duties be these thinke you Are they Legall which require perfect exact and full degrees of faith feare and love Or are they not Evangelicall Such as doe require truth in all these and doe not exact ful perfection in degrees If you have desire if you can desire to feare him which is the scantling of the feare of Gods people as Nehemiah calleth it so if you desire to beleeve and will to obey in the inmost longing of your soul according to the measure and strength of grace in you this according to the Tenour of the blessed Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ is true and acceptable through Christ for whose sake GOD doth accept the will for the deede in all such cases wherein there is truth of will and endevour but not power to doe Furthermore if you thinke that it is your well doing that must make you acceptable to God you are in a proud and dangerous errour Indeede God will not accept of you if you doe not indevour to doe his will but you must propound to your selfe another end than to be accepted for your well-doing You must doe your dutie to shew your obedience to God and to shew your thankfulnes that God hath pleased and doth please to accept you in his Sonne Christ and that it is your desire to be accepted through him But I would have you which are pressed with the load of your sinnes looke neerely judiciously and impartially into your selfe it may be you have more faith feare of God and obedience then you are aware of or then you will be knowne of Can you grieve and doth it trouble you that you have so little faith so little feare of GOD and that you doe shew so little obedience and is it your desire and indevor to have more and to doe as well as you can though you cannot doe so well as you should then you have much faith feare and â—bedience For to grieve for little â—aith feare and obedience is an â—videntsigne of much faith feare â—nd obedience For whence is â—his trouble and griefe but from Gods saving graces And to â—rieve for little sheweth that you â—ong for and would have much Let this suffice to be a full answer to the principall doubts whereof fearefull hearts will â—ake no answer Never yeeld to your feares waite on God still â—or resolution of your doubts in â—is best time For it is not man that can but it is God that both â—an and will speake peace to his people not onely outward but inward peace In the meane time though you can have no feeling comfort in any of GODS promises yet consider God in the Lord and that Christ is Lord of all you are his creature you owe to him all obedience wherefore you will as much as you can keepe your selfe from iniquity and you will strive to doe his will let him do with you as hee pleaseth yea though he kill you or though he give you no comfort till death you will trust in him and will obey him and it is your desire to rest and hope in him as in your Redeemer then whether you know that God is yours or no I am sure he knoweth you to be his this is an argument of strong faith And you are upon a sure ground The foundation of God remaineth sure The Lord knoweth his and who be they Even all that professing his name depart from iniquitie And whosoever in his heart would he in truth doth depart from iniquity Something remaineth yet to be answered Many say that doe what they can they are assaulted still so thicke with temptations that they cannot have one houres quiet What of that Doth this hinder your peace with God that the Devill the World and your lusts Gods sworne enemies are not at peace with you So long as you have peace of Sanctification in this degree that the faculties of soule and body doe not mutinie one against the other but hold a good correspondencie in joyning together against their fleshly lusts which fight against the soule you are in good case I meane when the Vnderstanding Conscience Will and Affections are all willing to doe their part against sinne their common enemy Not but that you shall find a sensible warring opposition in all these while you live here even when you have most peace in this kinde but how The unsanctified part of the understanding is against the sanctified part of the understanding and unsanctified will against the sanctified will and so in all other faculties of the soule flesh in every part lusteth against spirit in every part spirit in every part lusteth against flesh in every part For as every sanctified part hath the spirit so it hath likewise the remaines of the flesh fighting one against the other Now if that your faculties and powers be ruled all by one spirit you have a good agreement and good peace within you notwithstaÌ„ding that the flesh doth so violently warre against this spirit For this warring of sinne in your members against the spirit the warring of the spirit against sinne argueth clearely that you have peace with God and this warre continued will in time beget perfect peace But let no man ever looke to have peace of sanctification perfect in this life For the best are sanctified but in part Wherefore let no man professing Chrisâ— think that he shal be freed from temptations and assaults risinâ— from within or comming from without so long as he liveth in this world Are not Christians called to be Souldiers Wherefore wee must arme our selves that we may stand by the power of Gods might and quit our selves like
understand aright in what state you stand Which if you will observe it it will be an excellent furtherance towards the obtaining of peace Now I will shew by what meanes you may havâ—… cause and mattâ—… your judgement to worke upon whence it may give you peace and comfort If you would have peace and comfort in your soules then first and chiefly you must get and cherish the Spirit of God in you that it may speake peace to you and may give you matter for your spirit to worke upon whereby you may conclude you are in Gods favour For though I grant that you can have no feeling witnesse to your selfe say whatsoever can besaid untill your spirit can witnesse that you are Gods children yet your spirits are not to bee trusted in their witnessing but onely so far forth as the Spirit of God doth witnesse to your spirits that it is so that you are indeed his children Whatsoever comfortable conceits a man may have in himselfe of his good estate in grace heâ— an have no true joy and 〈…〉 by the holy Ghost whose proper work it is to comfort and is therefore called the Comforter For by him only a man can know and by him a man may know the things which are given him of God But it will be said the Spirit bloweth where it lusteth how is it possible for any man by any meanes to get it In respect of mans owne abilitie it is as unpossible for him to get the spirit to come into and to move in his hart as it was for those impotent folke which lay waiting at the Poole of Bethesda for the Angels comming to move the waters to cause the said moving of the waters yet they wayting the waters were moved and ever and anon they that waited and gave not over waiting at the Poole were benefited Thus if men will wait in the use of the meanes wherein and whereby GOD doth give and continue his holy Spirit to men they may looke to have it The first meanes to get the spirit is to be an empty soule sensible of the losse of that holy Spirit which once you had in Adam you must mourne and hunger and thirst after the Spirit If you will doe thus you may expect the receiving of the Spirit For God saith that hee will powre water upon him that is thirstie c. I will powre my spirit upon thy seed saith he to the Church Secondly that your heart may be stirred up to long for the Spirit you must know that there is an holy Ghost and not onely so but must know him to bee God and you must beleeve him to bee the comforter And as it is in our Creede give him this honour and glory as to beleeve in him and conceive of him as the proper Author of sanctifi atten and comfort this is the way to have the Spirit and to be sure of it that you have it Our Saviour saith that the not knowing or beleeving hereof is the cause why the World receive not the Spirit Thirdly bee constant and diligent in waiting for the having and for the increase of the gifts of the Spirit in the holy exercises of Religion as reading hearing and meditating of the Word of God especially of the blessed Hystory and promises of the Gospell c. You must wait for it in the motions and stirring of GODS Word in you by Gods meanes then as Cornelius and his company received it at Peters Sermon and as the Galathians at the hearing of saith so may you For the Gospell is called the Ministery of the Spirit Fourthly Pray for the Spirit and though you cannot pray wel without the Spirit yet sith it is Gods will that you should pray for it set about Prayer for it as well as you can then God will enable you to pray for the spirit and you shall have it For Christ saith If yee that are evill know how to give good gifts to your children How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that aske him As these are means to get the spirit so they are meanes to continue nourish and increase the graces of the Spirit Fifthly If you would keepe and nourish this Spirit you must take part with it in its lusting against the flesh you must not resist but willingly receive the comforts and motions of the spirit and must doe your best to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit you must take heed that you neither grieve nor quench the spirit It is grieved when it is resisted crossed or opposed any way It is quenched as fire is two wayes first by throwing on water all sinfull actions as they be greater or smaller are as water they doe accordingly more or lesse quench and abate the Spirits operations Secondly fire may bee quenched and put out by with-drawing of wood and fewell All neglect or negligent using of the Word Sacrament Prayer Meditation and holy conference and communion of Saints doe much chill and quench the spirit Whereas the daily and diligent use of all these doth much increase strengthen stirre up and inflame it whence must needs follow much peace and comfort Now when you have gotten this holy Spirit and have any proofes of the holy Spirits being in you then you ought to rest satisfied in the Spirits witnesse to your spirit your spirit should doubt no more For even in this that God hath given you his spirit the very being of it in you is a reall proofe and the greatest confirmation that can be of your being instate of grace For when you have this Sâ—â—â—it I You are annointed what greater confirmation would you have of being made Kings and Priestâ— to God 2 You are also by this spirit sealed to the day of Redemption what greater confirmation can there be of Gods Covenant and of his Will and Testament towards you 3. It is likewise the Earnest of your inheritance which giveth present being and beginning to the Covenant and bindeth to the perfect fulfilling it in its time wherefore you are so surely Gods when he hath given you his Spirit that unlesse you can thinke he will lose his Spirit the earnest which he gave you you can have no cause to thinke that hee will lose you or not fulfill the promise of Salvation maâ—â— unto you whereof his Spirit is the earnest and part of the Covenant This Spirit doth witnesse to a man that he is the child of God two wayes First by immediate witnesse suggestion Secondly by necessary inferences by signs from the infallible fruits of the said spirit by which later witnes you may know the former to be a true testimony from Gods spirit the spirit of Adoption and not from a spirit of errour and presumption For this spirit of Adoption is a spirit of grace and supplication it is a spirit of godly sorrow and it is a