good in Books and to heare good of men that are dead but they cannot indure good in the lives of others to be in their eyes especially when they come to compare themselves with them they love not to be out-sh ined As the Sunne goes his course though we cannot see it goe and as plants and herbes grow though we cannot perceive them even so it followes not that a Christian growes not because hee cannot see himselfe grow but if they decay in their first love or in some other grace it is that some other grace may grow and increase as their humilitie their broken heartednesse sometimes they grow not in extention that they may grow at the roote upon a checke grace breakes out more as wee say after a hard Winter usually there followes a glorious Spring Gods children never hate corruption more than when they have bin overcome by corruption the best men living have some corruptions which they see not till they breake out by temptations Now when corruptioÌ„s are made knowne to us it stirres up our hatred and hatred stirs up endeavour and endeavour revenge so that Gods children should not be discouraged for their falls When the truth of grace is wrought in a Christian his desires goe beyond his strength and his prayers are answerable to his desires Whereupon it is that young Christians often times call their estate in question because they cannot bring heaven upon earth because they cannot be perfect but God will have us depend upon him for increase of Grace in a daily expectation Christ is our Patterne whom wee must strive to imitate its necessary that our Patterne should be exact that so wee might see our imperfections and be humbled for them and live by faith in our sanctification Consider Christ upon the Crosse as a publique person that when he was crucified and when hee died hee died for my sins and this knowledge of Christ will be a crucifying knowledge this will stirre up my heart â—o use my corruptions as my sinnes used Christ as hee hated my sinne so it will worke the same disposition in mee to hate this body of death and to use it as it used Christ answerably as we see this clearely it will transforme us With our Contemplation let us joyne this kind of reasoning God so hated pride that hee became humble to the death of the Crosse to redeeme mee from it and shall I be proud and when wee are stirred up to revenge consider that Christ prayed for his enemies when we are tempted to disobedience thinke God in my nature was obedient to the death and shall I stand upon termes and when wee grow hard hearted consider Christ became man that he might shew bowels of his mercy let us reason thus when we are tempted to any sinne and it will be a meanes to transforme us from our owne cursed likenesse into the likenesse of Christ. When wee see God blasphemed or the like let us thinke how would Christ stand affected if he were here when hee was here upon earth how zealous was hee against prophanenesse and shall I be so cold when hee saw the multitude wander as sheepe without a Shepheard his bowells yearned and shall wee see so many poore soules live in darkenesse and our bowells not yearne Wee must looke upon Christ not onely for healing but as a perfect patterne to imitate for wherefore else did hee live so long upon the earth but to shew us an example And let us know that wee shall be countable for those good examples which we have from others there is not an example of an humble holy and industrious life but shall be laid to our charge for God doth purposely let them shine in our eyes that we might take example by them As the spirits in the arteries quickens the blood in the veines so the Spirit of God goes along with the Word and makes it worke Saint Paul speakes to Lydia but the Spirit speakes to her heart As it was with Christ himselfe so it is with his members Hee was conceived by the Spirit anointed by the Spirit sealed by the Spirit hee was led into the Wildernesse by the Spirit he offered up himselfe by the Spirit and by the Spirit hee was raised from the dead even so the members of Christ doe answer unto Christ himselfe all is by the Spirit we are conceived by the Spirit the same Spirit that sanctified him sanctifies us but first wee receive the Spirit by way of Vnion and then Vnction followes after when we are knit to Christ by the Spirit then it workes the same in us as it did in him When a proud wit and supernaturall truths meete together such a man will have some thing of his owne therefore in reading and studying of heavenly Truths especially the Gospell wee must come to God for his Spirit and not venture upon conceits of our owne parts for God will curse such proud attempts Many men thinke that the knowledge of divine Truths will make them divine whereas it is the holy Ghost onely that gives a taste and rellish for without the Spirit their hearts will rise when the Word comes to them in particular and tells them you must denie your selfe and venture your life for his truth When men understand the Scriptures and yet are proud and malicious wee must not take scandall at it for their hearts were never subdued they understand supernaturall things by humane reason and not by divine light Those that measure lands are very exact in every thing but the poore man whose it is knowes the use of the ground better and delights in it more because it is his owne so it is with those Ministers that can exactly speake of heavenly truths yet have no share in them but the poore soule that heares them rejoyceth and saith these things are mine This life is a life of Faith for God will trie the truth of our faith that the world may see that God hath such servants as will depend upon his bare Word it were nothing to be a Christian if wee should see all here but God will have his children to live by Faith and take the promises upon his Word The nature of Hope is to expect that which Faith beleeves what could the joyes of heaven availe us if it were not for our Hope it is the Anchor of the soule which being cast in heaven it stills the soule in all troubles combustions and confusions that we daily meete withall It is too much curiositie to search into particulars as what shall be the glory of the soule and what shall be the glory of the body rather study to make a gracious use of them and in humility say Lord what is sinfull man that thou should'st so advance him The consideration of this should make us abase our selves and in humilitie give thankes afore hand as Peter did 1 Pet. 1. 1. when hee thought of an inheritance immortall and undefiled and that fadeth not hee gives
frame it hinders all the rest If we will hold out because the errour is in want of deepe apprehension of the miseries wee are in by nature let us labour therefore to have our hearts broken more and more Vpon this fault it was that the stony ground spoken of in the Gospell wants rooting therefore it is Christian pollicie to suffer our soules to be humbled as deepe as possible may be that there may be mould enough otherwise there may be a great joy in divine Truths and they may be comfortable but all will be sucked up like dew when persecution comes if it be not rooted What is the reason that Gods children sinke not to hell when troubles are upon them because they have an inward presence strengthening them for the holy Ghost helpes our infirmities not onely to pray but to beare crosses sweetening them with some glympes of his gracious countenance for what supports our faith in prayer but inward strength from God In prosperitie or after some deliverance its the fittest time for praise because then our spirits are raised up and cheared in the evidence of Gods favour for the greater the crosse is from which wee have beene delivered the more will the spirit be enlarged to praise God When ever we receive any good to our soules or to our bodies who ever is the instrument let us looke to the principall as in the gifts wee receive wee looke not to the Bringer but to the Sender Take heede of Satans policie that God hath forgotten mee because I am in extremitie nay rather God will then shew mercie for now is the speciall time of mercy therefore beat backe Satan with his owne weapons Whatsoever God takes away from his children he either supplies it with a great earthly favour or else with strength to beare it God gives charge to others to take a care of the fatherlesse and widdow and will he neglect them himselfe That is spirituall knowledge which alters the taste and relish of the soule for wee must know there is a bitter Antithesis in our nature against all saving Truthes there is a contrarietie betweene our nature and that Doctrine which teacheth us that wee must deny our selves and be saved by another Therefore the soule must first be brought to relish before it can digest there must be first an holy Harmony betweene our nature and truth If we will walke aright in Gods wayes let us have heaven daily in our Eye and the day of judgement and times to come and this will sterne the course of our lives and breed love in the use of the meanes and patience to undergoe all conditions let us have our eye with Moses upon him that is invisible A man may know that hee loves the world if he be more carefull to get than to use for we are but Stewards and wee should consider I must be as carefull in distributing as in getting for when wee are all in getting and nothing in distributing this man is a worldling though hee be moderate in getting without wronging any man yet the world hath gotten his heart because hee makes not that use of it he should It is a sottish conceit to thinke that wee can fit our selves for Grace as if a child in the wombe could forward its naturall birth If God hath made us men let us not make our selves Gods As naturall life preserves it selfe by repelling that which is contrary to it So where the life of Grace is there is a principle of skill of power and strength to repell that which is contrary It is the nature of the soule that when it sees a succession of better things it makes the world seeme cheape when it sees another condition not liable to change then it hath a sanctified judgement to esteeme of things as they are and so it overcomes the world In the Covenant of Grace God intends the glory of his Grace above all Now faith is fit for it because it hath an uniting Vertue to knit us to the Mediator and to lay hold of a thing out of it selfe it empties the soule of all conceit of worth or strength or excellencie in the creature and so it gives all the glory to God and Christ. What wee are afraid to speake before men and to doe for feare of danger let us be afraid to thinke before God therefore wee should stifle all ill conceits in the very conception in their very rising let them be used as Rebells and Traytors smoothered at the first The heart of man till he be a Beleever is in a wavering condition its never at quiet and therefore it s the happinesse of the creature to be satisfied and to have rest for perplexitie makes a man miserable if a man have but a little scruple in his conscience hee is like a shippe in the sea tossed with contrary windes and cannot come to the Haven The righteousnesse of Workes leaves the soule in perplexitie that righteousnesse which comes by any other meanes than by Christ leaves the soule unsetled because the Law of God promiseth life onely upon absolute and personall performance Now the heart of man tells him that this he hath not done and such duties he hath omitted and this breeds perplexitie because the heart hath not whereon to stay it selfe Glory followes afflictions not as the day followes the night but as the Spring followes Winter for the Winter prepares the earth for the Spring so doth afflictions sanctified prepare the soule for glory This life is not a life for the body but for the soule and therefore the soule should speake to the body and say stay body for if thou movest mee to fulfill thy desires now thou wilt lose mee and thy selfe hereafter But if the body be given up to Christ then the soule will speake a good word for it in heaven as if it should say Lord there is a body of mine in the earth that did fast for me and pray with me it will speake for it as Pharaohs Butler to the King for Ioseph Afflictions makes a divorce and separation betweene the soule and sinne it is not a small thing that will worke sinne out of the soule it must be the Spirit of burning the fire of afflictions sanctified heaven is for holinesse and all that 's contrary to holinesse afflictions workes out and so frames the soule to a further communion with God When the soule admires spirituall things it s then a holy frame and so long it will not stoope to any base comfort Wee should therefore labour to keepe our soules in an estate of holy admiration All those whom Christ saves by vertue of his merit and paiment to those hee discovers their wretched condition and instead thereof a better to be attained hee shewes by whom wee are redeemed and from what and unto what condition the Spirit informing us throughly that God enters into covenant with us Spirituall duties are as opposite tâ—â— flesh and blood as Fire to Water
Promise good or to disappoint us and he will be sure to make it good in our forgivenesse of sinne proceeding in Grace and strength against temptations in time of trouble Man is naturally of a short spirit so that if hee have not what hee would and when he would hee gives up and shakes off all there is not a greater difference betweene a child of God and one that wants faith then to be hastie such men though they may be civill yet they are of this minde they will labour to be sure of some thing here they must have present pleasures and present profits if God will save them in that way so if not they will put it to a venture There be many things to hinder this Grace of waiting there is a great deale oftedious time and many crosses wee meete with as the scorne and reproach of this world and many other trialls God seemes also to doe nothing lesse than to performe his promise but le ts comfort our selves with this that hee waites to doe them good that waite on him Wee should labour to agree mutually in love for that wherein any Christian differs from another it is but in petty things grace knowes no differeÌ„ce the Wormes know no difference the day of judgement knowes no difference In the worst things wee are all alike base and in the best things wee are all alike happy onely in this world God will have distinctions for order sake but else there is no difference Christians are like to many men of great meanes that know not how to make use of them we live not like our selves bring large Faith and wee shall have large Grace and comfort wee are scanted in our owne bowells therefore labour to have a large Faith answerable to our largeâ— Riches And though Christians be low enough in outward things and often times poorer than other men yet they are rich for Christ is rich unto them in their crosses and abasements that which they want in this world shall be made up in grace and glory hereafter Wee ought daily to imitate Christ in our places to be good to all as the Apostle saith be abundant alwayes in the workes of the Lord le ts labour to have large hearts that we may doe it seasonably and abundantly and unweariably the love of Christ will breede in us the same impression that was in him None come to God without Christ none come to Christ without Faith none come to Faith without the meanes none enjoy the meanes but where God hath sent it therefore where there was no meanes of salvation before the comming of Christ there was no visible intendment of God ordinarily to save them Preventing mercy is the greatest how many favours doth God prevent us with Wee never asked for our being nor for that tender love which our Parents bore towards us in our tender yeares we never asked for our Baptisme and ingrafting into Christ What a motive therefore is that to stirre us up that when we come to yeares wee may pleade with the Lord and say Thou hadst a care of mee before I had a being and therefore much more wilt thou now have a care of mee whom thou hast reconciled unto thy selfe and remember me in mercie for time to come If Gods mercy might be overcome with our sinnes wee should overcome it every day it must be a rich mercy that must satisfie and therefore the Apostle never speakes of it without the extensions of love the height and depth wee want words we want thoughts to conceive of it wee should therefore labour to frame our soules to have rich and large conceits and apprehensions of so large mercie God is rich in mercy not onely to our soules but in providing all wee stand in neede of Hee keepes us from ill and so hee is called a Buckler He gives us all good things and so he is called a Sunne Hee keepes us in good estate and advanceth us higher so farre as our nature shall be capable The Sunne shines on the Moone and Starres and they shine upon the earth so doth God shine in goodnesse upon us that we might shine in our extentions of goodnesse unto others especially unto them of the houshold of Faith Wee are stiled in Scripture to be good and righteous because our understandings our wills and affections are our owne but so farre as they are holy they are the holy Ghosts we are the principle in our actions as they are actions but the holy Ghost is principle of the holinesse of the action the gracious governement of the new creature is from the Spirit if the holy Ghost take away his Governement and doe not guide and assist us in every holy action wee are at a stand and can goe no further Every man naturally is a God unto himselfe not onely in reflecting all upon himselfe but in setting upon divine things in his owne strength as if hee were principall in his owne actions comming to them in the strength of his owne wit and in the strength of his owne reason this seed is in all men by nature untill God have turned a man out of himselfe by the power of the holy Ghost Those that care not for the Word they are strangers from the Spirit and those that care not for the Spirit never make right use of the word the word is nothing without the Spirit it is animated and quickned by the Spirit the Spirit and the Word are like the veines and arteries in the body that give quickning and life to the whole body and therefore where the Word is most revealed there is most Spirit but where Christ is not opened in the Gospell there the Spirit is not at all visible When Christ comes into the soule by the Spirit then hee carrieâ— himselfe famiâ—iarly discovering the secrets of God the Father and shewing what love there is in God towards us it teacheth us how to carry our selves in all neglects and when we are at a losse it opens a way for us it resolves our doubts it comforts us in our discouragements and makes us goe boldly to God in all our wants As wee may know who dwells in a house by observing who goes in and them that come out so we may know that the Spirit dwells in us by observing what sanctified speeches hee sends forth and what delight hee hath wrought in us to things that are speciall and what price wee set upon them whereas a carnall man pulls downe the price of spirituall things because his soule cleaves to some thing that hee joyes in more and this is the cause why hee slights the directions and comforts of the Word but those in whom the Spirit dwells they will consult with it and not regard what flesh and blood saith but will follow the directions of the Word and Spirit A Christian will not doe common things but first hee sanctifies them and dedicates himselfe his person and his actions to God and so sees
and have a care to sanctifie the Lords Day Revel 1. 10. Iohn was ravished in the Spirit on the Lords Day God takes nothing away from his children but instead thereof hee gives them that which is better happy is that selfe-deniall that is made up with joy in God Happy is that povertie that is made up with Grace and comfort Therefore let us not feare any thing that God shall call us unto in this world It is hard to perswade flesh and bloud hereunto but those that finde the experience of this as Christians doe finde withall perticular comforts flowing from the presence of Christs Spirit Saint Paul would not have wanted his whippings to have missed his comforts Christ doth chiefely manifest himselfe unto the Christian soule in times of affliction because then the soule unites it selfe most to Christ for the soule in time of prosperitie scatters and looseth it selfe in the creature but there is an uniting power in afflictions to make the soule gather it selfe to God Christ tooke upon him our nature and in that nature suffered hunger and was subject to all infirmities therefore when wee are put to paines in our callings to troubles for a good conscience or to any hardshippe in the world wee must labour for contentment because we are hardly made conformable unto Christ. There is not any thing or any condition that befalls a Christian in this life but there is a generall Rule in the Scripture for it and this Rule is quickned by Example because it is a practicall knowledge God doth not onely write his Law in naked Commandements but hee enlivens these with the practise of some one or other of his servants who can read Davids Psalmes but hee shall read himselfe in them He cannot be in any trouble but David is in the same c. As children in the wombe have eyes and eares not for that place but for a civill life afterwards among men where they shall have use of all members even so our life here is not for this world onely but for another we have large capacities large memories large affections large expectations God doth not give us large capacities and large affections for this world but for heaven and heavenly things Take a Christian that hath studied mortification you shall see the life of Iesus in his sicknesse in a great deale of patience and heavenly mindednesse when his condition is above his power his strength above his condition As men doe cherish young plants at first and doe fence them about with hedges and other things to keepe them from hurt but when they are growne they remove them and then leave them to the winde and weather so God be sets his children first with proppes of inward comforts but afterwards he exposes them to stormes and windes because they are better able to beare it Therefore let no man thinke himselfe the better because hee is free from troubles it is because God sees him not fit to beare greater When wee read the Scriptures we should read to take out some thing for our selves as when wee read any Promise this is mine when wee read any Prerogative this is mine it was written for me as the Apostle saith What soever was written aforetime was written for our learning c. As the Spirit is necessary to worke faith at the first so is it necessary also to every act of Faith for Faith cannot act upon occasion but by the Spirit and therefore wee should not attempt to doe or to suffer any thing rashly but begge the Spirit of God and waite for the assistance because according to the increase of our troubles must our Faith be increased for the life of a Christian is not onely to have the Spirit worke Faith at first but upon all occasions to raise up our former graces for Faith stirres up all other graces and holds every grace to the Word and so long as Faith continues we keepe all other graces in exercise There is no true Christian but hath a publike spirit to seeke the good of others because as soone as he is a Christian hee labours for selfe deniall he knowes hee must give up himselfe and all to God so that his spirit is inlarged in measure unto God and to the Church and therefore the greater portion a man hath of the Spirit of Christ the more he seekes the good of others If we would have hearts to praise God we must labour to see every thing we receive from God to be of Grace and abundance of Grace answerable to the degrees of good whatsoever wee have more than nature is abundant Grace whatsoever wee have as Christians though poore and distressed in our passage to heaven is abundant Grace There are three maine parts of our salvation first a true knowledge of our misery and secondly the knowledge of our deliverance and then to live a life answerable The holy Ghost can onely worke these he onely convinceth of sinne and where hee truly convinceth of sinne there also of righteousnesse and then of judgements That wee may be convinced of sinne the Spirit must worke a cleare and commanding demonstration of our conditionin nature It takes away therefore all cavills turnings and windings even as when wee see the Sunne shine wee know it is day the Spirit not onely convinceth in generalls that wee are all sinners but in particulars and that strongly Thou art the man this convincing is also vniversall of sinnes of nature of sinnes of life sinnes of the Vnderstanding of the Will and of the Affections of the misery of sinne of the danger of sinne of the solly and madnesse of sinne of sinnes against so many motives so many favours proud Nature armes it selfe with deftnesse strong translations strong mitigations It s necessary therefore that the holy Ghost should joyne with mens consciences to make them confesse I am the man The convincing of the Spirit may be knowne from common conviction of conscience by this that naturall conviction is weake like a little Sparke and convinceth onely of breaches of the second Table and not of Evangelicall sinnes Againe common conviction is against a mans will it makes him not the better man onely he is tortured and tormented but a man that is convinced by the Spirit hee joynes with the Spirit against himselfe hee accuseth himselfe hee takes Gods part against himselfe hee is willing to be laid open that hee may finde the greater mercie It is not enough to know that there is a righteousnesse of Christ but the Spirit must open the eyes of the soule to see else we shall have a naturall knowledge of supernaturall things It s necessary to have a supernaturall sight to see supernaturall things so as to change the soule and therefore the Spirit onely workes Faith to see Christ is mine Further onely the Spirit can worke the conscience to be quiet because he is greater than the conscience and can answer all inward objections and cavills of flesh and blood
unlesse therefore the holy Ghost apply what Christ hath done the conscience will not be satisfied The best men in the estate of Grace would be in darkenesse and call their state into question if the holy Ghost did not convince them and answer all cavills for them and therefore we must not onely be convinced at the first by the Spirit but in our continued course of Christianity This therefore should make us to come to Gods Ordinances with a holy devotion Oh Lord vouch safe the Spirit of Revelation and take the scales from mine eyes that as these are truths so they may be truths to me doe thou sway my soule that I may cast my selfe upon thy mercy in Christ. Spirituall convincing is not totall in this life but alwayes leaves in the heart some dregges of doubting though the soule be safe for the maine as a shippe that rides at anchor is tossed and troubled but the anchor holds it so it is with the soule that is convinced weakely it is sure of the maine yet it is tossed with many doubts and feares but the anchor is in heaven The Spirit of God doth so farre convince every Christian of the Righteousnesse of Christ as preserves in him such a power of Grace as to cast himselfe upon the mercy of God God will send his Spirit so farre into the heart as it shall not betray it selfe to despaire he will let such a beame into the soule as all the powers of hell shall not quench When we neglect prayer and set upon duties in our owne strength and in confidence of our owne parts if we belong to God we shall be sure to miscarrie though another man perhappes may prosper and therefore wee should be continually dependant upon God for his direction and for his blessing in whatsoever wee goe about As many women because they will not endure the paine of childbirth doe kill their children in the wombe so many men who will not be troubled with holy actions doe stifle holy motions therefore let us take hee de of murdering the motions of the holy Spirit but let us entertaine them that when they are kindled they may turne to resolution and resolution into practise This is a common Rule that wee cannot converse with company that are not spirituall but if they vexe us not they will taint us unlesse we be put upon them in our callings wee should therefore make speciall choise of our company and walke in a continuall watchfulnesse It is rebellion against God for a man to make away himselfe the very Heathens could say that we must not goe out of our station till wee be called It is the voyce of Satan Cast thy self down but what saith S. Paul to the Iaylor Do thy self no harme for we are all here Wee should so carry our selves that wee may be content to stay here till God hath done that worke he hath to doe in us and by us and then he will call us hence in the best time He is a valiant man that can command himselfe to be miserable and hee that cannot command himselfe to endure some bondage and disgrace in the world it argues weakenesse Christ could have come downe from the Crosse but he shewed his strength and power by enduring their reproaches and torments The reason why many Christians stagger and are so full of doubts is because they are idle and labour not to grow in grace therefore we should labour to grow in knowledge and mortification for in that way wee come to assurance Whatsoever good is in a naturall man is depraved by a selfe-end selfe-love rules all his actions hee keepes within himselfe and makes for himselfe he is a god to himselfe God is but his Idoll This is true of all naturall men in the world they make themselves their last end and where the end is depraved the whole course is corrupted The sense of assured hope cannot be maintained without a great deale of paines diligence and watchfulnesse 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling election sure Insinuating that it will not be had without it it is the diligent and watchfull Christian that hath this assurance otherwise the holy Ghost will suffer us to be in a dampe and under a cloud if wee stirre not up the Graces of the Spirit It is grace in the Exercise and love in the Exercise that 's an earnest and so Faith and Hope in the Exercise is an earnest Iâ— Grace be asleepe you may have Grace and not know it therefore wee should labour to put our graces into exercise Those that have assurance of their salvation have oftentimes troublesome distractions because they doe not alwayes stand upon their guard sometimes they are lifted up to heaven and sometimes cast downe even to hell yet alwayes in the worst condition there is something left in the soule that suggests to it that it is not utterly cast off He to whom this pilgrimage is over-sweete loves not his country yet the pleasures of this life are so sutable to our nature that we should sit by them but that God followes us with severall crosses therefore let us take in good part any crosse because it is out of heavenly love that we are exercised least we should surfet upon things here below In melancholy distempers especially when there goes guilt of Spirit with it we can see nothing but darkenesse in wife children friends estate c. Here is a pittifull darkenesse when body and soule and conscience and all are distempered now let a Christian see God in his Nature and Promises and though he cannot live by sight in such a distemper yet let him then live by Faith Though God doe personate an enemy yet faith sees a Fatherly nature in him it apprehends some beames of comfort Though there be no sense and feeling yet the Spirit workes a power in the heart whereby the soule is able to claspe with God and to alledge his Word and Nature against himselfe The reason why the world seeth not the happy condition of Gods children is because their bodies are subject to the same infirmities with the worst of men nor are they exempted from troubles they are also subject to fall into grosse sinnes and therefore worldly men thinke Are these the men that are happier than wee They see their crosses but not their crownes they see their infirmities but not their graces they see their miseries but not their inward joy and peace of conscience To walke by Faith is to be active in our walking not to doe as wee list but it is a stirring by rule Since the fall we have lost our hold of God and wee must be brought againe to God by the same way wee fell from him wee fell by infidelity and we must be brought againe by Faith and lead our lives upon such grounds as Faith affords We must walke by Faith looking upon Gods Promise and Gods Call and Gods Commandements and not live by
humility and for this purpose God hath furnished us with the Spirit of all Grace Let us therefore remember when we have any dutie to doe to pray unto Christ to blow upon us with his Spirit God doth not so much looke at our infirmities as at our uprightnesse and sinceritie and therefore when we are out of temptations wee should consider and examine what God hath wrought in us and then though there be infirmities and failings yet if our hearts be upright God will pardon them as wee finde that David and others were accounted upright and yet had many imperfections Watching is an exercising of all the graces of the soule and these are given to keepe our soules awake we have enemies about us that are not asleepe and our worst enemy is within us and so much the worse because so neere we live also in a world full of temptations and wicked men are full of malice wee are passing through our enemies Countrey and therefore had neede to have our wits about us the devill also is at one end of every good action and therefore we had neede to keepe all our graces in perpetuall exercise we should watch in feare of jealousie taking heede of a spirit of drowsinesse labouring also to keepe our selve unspotted of the world It may be asked how we shall know the Scripture to be the Word of God For answer Doe but grant first that there is a God it will follow then that he must be worshipped and served and that this service must be discovered to us that wee may know what hee doth require and then let it be compared what Word of God can come neare to be the same with this Besides God hath blessed the superstition of the Iewes who were very strickt this way to preserve it for us and the Heretickes since the Primitive Church have so observed one another that there can be no other to this Word But now wee must further know that we must have some thing in our soules suitable to the truthes contained in it before we can truely and savingly beleeve it to be the Word of God as that we finde it to have a power in working upon our hearts and affections Luke 24. 32. Did not our hearts burne within us when he opened to us the Scriptures Againe it hath a divine operation to warme and pacifie the soule and a power to make a Felix tremble it hath a searching quality to divide betweene the marrow and the bone we doe not therefore onely beleeve the Scriptures to be the word of God because any man saith so or because the Church saith so but also and principally because I finde it by experience working the same effects in me that it speakes of it selfe and therefore let us never rest till when we heare a promise wee may have some thing in us by the sanctifying Spirit that may be suitable to it and so assuring of us that it is that Word alone that informes us of the good pleasure of God to us and our duty to him There is in God a fatherly anger after conversion he retaines that and this Fatherly anger is also turned away when in sinceritie we humble our selves There is one saith well A child of anger and a child under anger Gods children are not children of wrath but sometimes they are under wrath when they doe not carry themselves as sonnes when they venture on sinnes against conscience c. but if they humble themselves and reforme and flie to God for mercie then they come into favour againe and recover the right of sonnes Wee may know that God loves us when by his Spirit he speakes friendly to our soules and wee by prayer speake friendly to him againe when wee have communion and familiaritie with him whom God loves to them hee discovers his secrets even such secrets as the soule never knew before Hee reveales them to us when our hearts are wrought to an ingenuous confession of sinne and when we have no comfort but from heaven even as a father discovers his bowells most to his child when it is sicke so God reserves the discoverie of his love especially untill such a time when wee renounce all carnall confidence therefore if wee can assure our soules that God loves us let us then be at a point for any thing that shall happen to us in this world whether it be disgrace or contempt or whatsoever because we may fetch patience and contentednesse from hence that Gods love supplies all wants whatsoever After a gracious pardon for sinne there are two things remaining in us Infirmities and Weakenesses Infirmities are corruptions stirred up which hinders us from good and puts us forward to evill but yet they are so farre resisted and subdued that they breake not forth into action Weakenesse is when we suffer an infirmitie to breake out for want of watchfulnesse as if a man be subject to passion when this is working disturbance in the minde it is infirmitie but when for want of watchfulnesse it breakes forth into action then it is weakenesse and these diseases are suffered in us to put us in minde of the bitter roote of sinne for if we should not sometimes breake forth into sinne wee should thinke that our nature were cured Who would have thought that Moses so meeke a man could have so broken out into passion we see it also in David and Peter and others and this is to shew that the corruption of nature in them was not fully healed but there is this difference betweene the slippes and falls of Gods children and of other men when other men fall it setles them in their dregges but when Gods children falls they see their weakenesses they see the bitter roote of sinne and hate it the more and are never at quiet till it be cast out by the strength of Grace and Repentance Therefore let no man be too much cast downe by his infirmities so long as they are resisted for from hence comes a fresh hatred of corruption and God lookes not upon any sinne but sinne ungrieved for unresisted otherwise God hath a holy end in suffering sinne to be in us to keepe us from worse things There is none that out of sinceritie doe give themselves to holy conference but are gainers by it Many men aske questions and are inquisitive to know but not that they might put in practise this is but a proud desire to taste of the tree of knowledge but the desire of true affected Christians is to know that they might seeke Christ we gaine oftentimes by discourse with those that are punies in Religion Saint Paul desires to meete with the Romanes though they were his converts that he might be strengthened by their mutuall faith Rom. 1. 12. When once the Spirit doth fasten the wrath of God upon the conscience of one whom he meanes to save then there followes these afflicting affections of griefe and shame and from hence comes a dislike and hate of