are spirituall virtues green leaves which are good words and fruit which are good works Besides thou mayest know whether thou are sound in the maine by these things 1. Thou wilt walke more by rule then by example 2. And be willing to be searched in all things and not only to doe but to suffer for the name of Christ and to mourne in secret when God is dishonoured 3. Thou wilt do all to the glory of God 1 Cor. 10. 31. XV. The fifteenth stumbling block I have sinned that unpardonable sinne against the holy Ghost that God will not pardon in this life nor in the life to come there is no hope for me Mat. 12. 31 32. I have sinned against my light and the checks of mine own conscience I have sinned against the experimentall tastes of spirituall things I have crucified Christ afresh I have had many blasphemous thoughts in mine heart I have fearfully fallen away from my first love and I finde my heart as hard as a stone without all repentance for all this Answ Originall sin is the proper seed spawn and fountain of this sin aswell as of any other but every sinne against the light of minde and checks of conscience is not that sinne Rom. 7. 15 19. nor every falling away from the first love Revel 2. 4. Nay farther the sin against the Holy Ghost is not every blasphemous temptation for the dearest Saints and servants of God have been so as frequent experience doth prove not every sinne against knowledge is that sin against the Holy Ghost for the best of Gods people have so done Rom. 7. 19 20. Peter knew he ought not to deny his Lord and Master David knew he ought not to commit adultery nor kill yet strength of corruption drew him into both not every sinne against the truth of Christ and the Gospell is the sinne against the Holy Ghost as those in the Church of Corinth that denyed the Resurrection 1 Cor. 15. 12. and those in the Church of Pergamus that held the Doctrine of Balaam and the Doctrine of the Nicolaitanes yet are not accounted hopelesse but invited to repent of their opinions Neither is it every sinning against the gracious motions strivings and operations of the Holy Ghost for it is possible men may thus sinne and sometimes with an high hand and yet not sinne against the holy Ghost Act. 7. 51 52. Neither is it sinning against grace received for the most heavenly and gracious souls are daily perplexed with inseparable and invincible infirmities as doubts fears distracting thoughts distempered passions they may and doe too often quench the spirit 1 Thess 5. 19. and grieve him Ephes 4. 29 30. by suppressing his good motions nay a man may grosly fall and break his bones yet not quite fall away as Noah to drunkennesse Gen. 9. 21. Lot to incest Gen. 19. 33. David to murther and uncleannesse I suppose that these are recorded to caution them that stand that they fall not and to comfort them that are fallen that they despair not Now the Judgements of men are various as to the nature of this sinne some say it is despair others that it is presumption or an obstinate purpose of continuing in sinne or a fixed will never to repent an opposing of the known truth and an envying of our brothers graces c. Others say that the sinne against the Holy Ghost is this viz. An universall finall and wilfull falling away from the truth and common graces of the Holy Ghost once received and professed c. to a malicious obstinate and incurable opposition thereof c. 1 Here is the general nature of this sin a falling away 2 Here is the properties of this falling away 1. An Universall 2. Finall 3. Wilfull 3 The good from which he fals 1. From the truth once received and professed 2. From the common graces of the Spirit or Holy Ghost 4. The evill into which he backslides which is threefold 1. Blasphemous despiting of the Spirit of grace 2. Horrid contempt and malice against the Son of God 3. Violent persecution of the way of Christianity Now where these particulars dwell joyntly and act vigorously mark that man or woman for in Scripture sense that man doth commit the sinne against the Holy Ghost and this is the highest sinne against the saving remedy this is to sin wilfully mâ—liciously incurably this is to crucifie Christ afresh and to put him to an open shame and to tread him under foot and to count his bloud of the Covenant an unholy thing c. This sinne never can possibly be repented of for so the Apostle tels us Heb 6. 4 5 6. Again this sinne is impardonable so Christ tels us the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven nâ—ither in this world neither in the world to come Mat 12. 32. Heb. 10. 26. Mar. 3. 29. So this sinne is damnable for if it can never be repented and if it will never be pardoned it must needs alwaies be punished with eternall death and damnation but such is the love of the Almighty God that he hath placed that sinne in so high a degree that most men cannot commit that sinne if they would for there must be knowledge in the minde and malice in the heart and that not in an ordinary but in an extraordinary measure or else thou canst not commit that sinne Peter had knowledge in his minde but no malice in his heart when he denied his Master again Paul he had malice in his heart but no knowledge in his minde so that neither Paul nor Peter sinned against the Holy Ghost but take the malice in Pauls heart and the knowledge in Peters and joyne them both together in one man if that man deny Christ with cursing and swearing as Peter and persecute the Church of Christ with Paul then we may safely say that man hath sinned that unpardonable sinne But we may take notice by the way that those persons that are truly regenerate and born again cannot sinne against the Holy Ghost for the Scripture saith that the regenerate sinne not this great sinne Whosoever is borne of God sinneth not as in 1 Joh. 5. 16 17 18. For if the regenerate might sinne against the Holy Ghost then they might totally and finally fall away from God but that it is impossible as that Gods Promises Covenant and faithfulnesse should fail or that Gods Spirit grace and power preserving them should be overcome or that Gods immutable decree for their salvation should be shaken so that there is a vast difference between the sinning of a regenerate person and their sinning that sinne against the Holy Ghost 1. They that sinne against the Holy Ghost are not nor cannot be in any fear or trouble because they have sinned but are wickedly hardened for no person that ever sinned against the Holy Ghost either was or could be afraid perplexed or troubled in spirit about it such trouble being inconsistent with the nature of that
power but of God 2. In a sense warily understood there is a power in every creature 1. There is no power but of God essentially originally or habitually 2. There is a power in every creature distributively and virtually by way of participation Now there is no power in any beneath God himself essentially and originally in this sense all creatures are powerlesse and strengthlesse but then in the second place as God in whom all power is hath impowered man so farre man hath a power and although this talent or talents was given him by the Lord and was the Lords yet it being given man it becomes his and is called mans and God at the last commends or condemns the party for improving or not improving this power bestowed on him to speak after the manner of men let us then consider the most inconsiderable creatures as the Swallow the Pismire the Crane and the Sparrow all these have received a power from God and hath God given no power to man whom he hath made Lord of all these creatures Man hath a great power over the beasts for man is a superiour but the beasts themselves have a great deal of power over the grasse and hearbs for the beast is the superiour In a word if the Scriptures shall be our rule and the Spirit our guide and the glory of God our aime then the Scripture holds forth a twofold power that is distributed or given forth to the creature the first is common to all the second is proper only to some The first is naturall the second is spirituall The naturall power is given forth universally to every mothers sonne and daughter of us as one talent which we ought not to hide in a napkin so Pilat had received power as Christ tels him Joh. 19. 10 11. Again have any of us done so much good or refrained so much evill as we might have done See Heb. 5. 12. see Jer. 35. 6. 18 19. Yea the worst of all created creatures the Devill himself hath a power First he hath the power of conquest for in Adams fall Satan conquered the whole world all mankinde they were the Devils conquest upon the fall so that when a man is converted then he is said to come out of the Kingdome of Satan but since this head doth begin to be bruised he cannot doe all things without leave There was a speciall temptation upon the countrey in his running their heard of swine into the sea and he had leave for that before he did it there was a speciall temptation upon Ahab in the lying spirit of the Prophets and he had a speciall leave and permission from God there was a speciall temptation coming down upon the Disciples and he would have had leave for that Simon Simon Satan hath desired you he was fain to aske leave before he can execute his power he is called in Scripture The Prince of the power of the aire the same words that are given unto God for good in Scripture are given also unto Satan for evill the Holy Ghost is said to enlighten a man Satan is said for to blinde him The god of this world hath blinded their eyes saith the Apostle the Spirit is said to rule in us Satan is said to rule in the children of disobedience the Holy Ghost is said to work in us mightily the same word is used for him also the Holy Ghost is said to fill the hearts of beleevers they were filled with the Holy Ghost so are mens hearts said to be filled with Satan Sayes Peter to Ananias Why hath Satan filled thine heart Now doth God impower Fowls and Fishes and Beasts of the earth and every one to act in his kinde and is man left powerlesse Nay hath the Devill himself a power and man none this is the errour of men not the language of the Scripture for the Lord is so just and his waies so equall that he never requires impossible things of his creatures Only take notice of this by the way although I doe affirme that all men have a naturall power yet I doe not say that every man naturally hath it in the same measure neither doe I say or affirme that naturall power can act in supernaturall things no more then a bird can live in the sea or a fish in the air See Rom. 1. 19 20. 2. There is a spirituall power and this is not given forth to all universally as the other is but only to those that are new born by this power according to the measure of the gift of Christ they can pray in the Spirit rejoyce in the Spirit and worship God in the Spirit by this power they pull down strong houses and cast down imaginations by this power they can keep down their corruptible body as Paul 2 Cor. 9. 27. Now if any body should say that a new creature hath no spirituall power I will aske him to what end is there so many precepts exhortations and perswasions to these people If no power in these men cease to teach man as good goe teach the Sunne Moon and Stars which way they shall goe the winde to blow or the sea to ebbe and flow goe teach the fish to swim the bird to flie for they have power but by their opinion man hath none and indeed if man spiritually should have no power to act goe and rase out these and the like ensuing Scriptures as requiring that of man which he hath no power to doe Luk. 13. 24. Rom. 15. 30. Heb. 12. 4. Heb. 12. 1. 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. 2 Pet. 1. 10. Phil. 2. 12. Jer. 4. 14. Mat. 11. 28. Jer. 3. 13. Let no man therefore say that he hath no power in any sense lest he make God the author of all his omissions which should be charged upon the creature not upon the Creator for he gives to every man some talent or talents as to some worldly and naturall talents as wisdome wealth and art c. and to others spirituall talents or gifts as to prophesie interpret work miracles c. Questionlesse there is no man that improves his talent so well as he ought and might improve it and God may upon the non-improvement of what we have deny us more and where he finds us faithlesse in a little it 's but meet that he should deny us much also God may very justly damn men for not improving what he gives them and call them to an account as a Lord doth his faithlesse and unprofitable servant and steward therefore the very Heathens that had but the very light of nature will be inexcusable at the day of Judgement for not walking and acting according to that light and instinct in them though they never heard Scripture Law nor Gospell So that to sinne against the law of nature onely is enough to damn men if the improving of the law of nature is not sufficient to save men for there is a knowledge of Christ faith in him obedience to him
keep the Gospel from being preached if he cannot do that he will labour to poyson the doctrine if he cannot do that he will endeavour to keep the people from hearing if he cannot prevaile in that he will endeavour to have them hear negligently if he cannot do that he will endevour to hinder them in receiving those things that doe most concern them if he cannot do that then he will do what he can to hinder them in the practise of what they have heard learned received and treasured up and if so no mervail that there is so much preaching and hearing and so little good done that we might even say the converting power of the Ordinances are gone we see not God in them it is even dark and professors themselves walk in the dark and are so beset with temptations that they have much adoe to hold up Surely there is a way if we could light on it there is a spirituall skill if we could attain it if we could find it we should take a Bible and read and understand what we read and effect it believe it and apply it and enjoy it O Lord poure out thy spirit and open those Seals wherewith our Bible is sealed the Key of Logick cannot open the Seales the Key of Rhetorick and Phylosophy cannot open it it is that golden Key the spirit of the Lord that can do it that spirit will shew us how much of the Scripture is already fulfilled what is now fulfilling and what is yet to be fulfilled yea this is the way to know what Scriptures are to be understood litterally and what spiritually this will help us how to know when Christ speaks Mysterially and when he speaks Regally when he speaks to us as a Priest or as a Pprophet c. Now is not this blessed Key of the Bible the Spirit of the Lord worth an asking Luke 11. 13. If ye then being evill know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy spirit to them that ask him Oh let us ask then that we may receive that our joy may be full it is no â—esse then the mighty work of God to give us understanding in his Word Luke 24. 25. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures by his holy spirit giving them understanding it is true the Word of God shineth as a true light yet as the cloudy pillar was darkness to the Egyptians so are the Scripures to carnall and corrupt mindes because it is spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. untill the Holy Ghost open the understanding it cannot apprehend there is no worse cloud to obscure the light of the spirit then confidence in our own wisdome 2 Cor. 2. 3 4. Psal 119. 18. 1 Cor. 3. 7. So that where God who hath the key of David opens not there the Gospel though never so powerfully preached is hid and nothing affecteth the stupid the drowsie hearer See 2 Cor. 2. 4. Therefore let every Christian have a recourse to those promises in Scripture wherein he hath promised to open our blinde eyes and soften our hard hearts and fill us with the knowledge of his will and write his Law in our hearts and manifest himself to our soules our heavenly Father hath made his will and given us great wealth rich possessions and large legacies so that all his children are great heires wherefore we ought to come to him with an unshaken expectation and a frequent suing for all that is promised and not to suffer our heavenly Father to purse or keepe one penny that is due to us by promise but he shall be sure to heare of it and if he do not presently give in according to his covenant then let us draw a Petition and prefer it in the Court of Heaven where we have an Advocate pregared Jesus Christ the righteous to plead our case without a fee 1 Joh. 2. 1. Now this spirituall skill before spoken of which here I do endeavor to point at doth lye much in these three things 1. Consider whose Word it is and by whom it was spoken 2. Consider what he is that hath thus spoken to us by the Prophets 3. Consider what are the particular things or promises in it 1. Consider whose and by whom it was spoken and how it hath relation to us of these things or at least of some of them I have spoken somthing to in another Treatise but for two reasons I do write them here First because they are suitable and will fall in in order to what I have been writing in this Book Secondly because the Lord hath enlarged them upon my own heart well to return to the businesle in hand whose Word it is My friends that book which we call the Bible is the Word of God as we have proved at large in removing the first stumbling block the Prophets and Apostles were the mouth of God to the people as doth appeare in and by these Scriptures which I shall onely quote and leave the Reader to consider them Acts 3. 21. Heb. 1. 1. Acts 2. 4. Luke 10. 16. Mat. 10. 20. Now if these be the sayings of God they shall be undoubtedly made good so that every tittle of them shall be fulfilled Mat. 5. 18. Luke 16. 17. Tit. 1. 2. Heb. 10. 23. Obj. I grant this that it is the saying of God but what is that to me saith a misgiving heart Alas these precious promises that you lay before me are not mine they were made to the people then in being Answ They do belong to us as well as unto them and were written for our learning as well as theirs as doth appeare by these John 17. 20. Rom. 15. 4. 1 Cor. 9. 10. Rom. 4. 23 24. 1 Cor. 10. 11. By all which it doth fully appear that the promises and threatnings doe reach and relate to us as well as the people then in being to whom it was spoken 2 Pet. 1. 20. for no prophesie of the Scripture is of any private interpretation that is we must not analise or interpret them so as if the Prophesies thereof did relate only to the particular Times Places and Persons in by and to whom they were at first uttered c. 2. Let us consider what he is that hath thus spoken to us in the Old and New Testament by the Prophets and Apostles for it is of exceeding great advantage to us to know him They that know thee will put their trust in thee And the reason wherefore we have so little faith in him is because we have so little knowledge of him c. 1. He is one that waiteth to shew mercy and doth not afflict willingly Mch. 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity because thou dost delight in mercy therefore verse 19. he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquity and cast all our sinnes in the deepe of the Sea 2. He is one that hath
or what to thinke of it I know not only this I know that all those that live without God in the World and die in ignorance shall never goe to heaven 1 Thess 2. 8. Answ I must confesse if a man should goe about to know what God is by those definitions and descriptions that most men give of God a man may spend all his dayes in learning and yet die in ignorance So confused are most mens notions of God some declaring him to be that which he is not and others saying he is not what he is And for mine own part I can speak by sad experience who was my selfe about 14. years since at such a losse in my soul about this very thing that had not he that doth live in that inaccessible light that no mortall eye can approâ—h unto satisfyed my soul in some measure I had been mad for I was in that condition for the space of one moneth during which time I remained restlesse in my soul and sometimes felt the flames of hell burning within me as it were then I felt what a wounded conscience was and could say by experience who can beare it Well I set my selfe sometimes to reading severall Authours upon the attributes of God and the more I sought after the knowledge of him there the more ignorant I saw my selfe of him I inquired also of many Ministers and of some Antient professors but they could make out but little to my understanding at last I went to another Minister Mr. Stubbs by name and declared to him my condition and after a little serious consideration he gave me a milde and tender answer as one that did sympathise with me in my misery and as he was speaking to me or within few houres after my spirit was finely calmed and my trouble abated The substance of what he said unto me was in these two heads First that whereas I was so troubled that I did not know God he said that neither I nor any man under heaven did know him so as we ought to know him and as hereafter we shall know him Paul himselfe said he knew but in part Secondly he further said this my ignorance of God is not a willing ignorance and God never comes in flaming fire rendring vengeance upon those that are willing to know him but he comes to render vengeance upon those that are willingly ignorant of him With these and such like words the Lord was pleased to calme those stormes that were within me which mercy I trust I shall never forget c. And to proceed for the removing of this stumbling blocke that God hath in mercy removed from me Consider that God in himselfe is wonderfull and God in Christ is wonderfull see Isa 9. 6. Father and Son in the Spirit is wonderfull the Fathers wayes are in tho deep the Sonnes wayes are in the deep the holy Ghosts wayes are in the deep and so their foot-steps are not known Psal 77. 19. If any aske How can these be three and yet but one God I answer great is the mystery the Sonne in the Father and the Father in the Sonne and the Spirit of truth which is sent by the Father and the Sonne Joh. 14. 11. with 15. 26. 14. 26. God is incomprehensible there is something in Gods essence not to be inquired into and there are some things that may be known of God and some things not Rom. 1. 20. Of his great and glorious being we can see but the glimmerings Exod. 33. 20 23. No man can see and know him as he is and live in this sinfull body we may admire his essence but not comprehend it Rom. 11. 33. It is life eternall to know him as we may read Joh. 17. 3. But he dwelleth in that light that no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see 1 Tim. 6 16. No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten Son which is in the bosome of the Father he hath declared him Joh. 1. 18. And as he is immortall so he is invisible 1 Tim. 1. 17. 1 Joh. 4. 12. But more particularly how can these be three and yet but one God I answer they are distinguished not divided they be distinguished into Father Son and holy Ghost 1 Joh. 5. 7. There are three that beare record and these three are one he is so eternall as is nâ—t onely without beginning and ending but by and in him all things begin and end For the further clearing hereof Consider at the first the Lord made man of the dust of the earth and breathed in him the breath of life and he became a living soul and in this soul there is a spirituall substance as is God but finit and not being of it selfe so is not God the Lord stamped his owne likenesse of an holy Trinity in Unity and of an holy Unity in Trinity as the soul is but one essence yet there ariseth three diverse faculties in that one substance first there is the Minde secondly there is the Will thirdly there is the power of doing or working the minde conceiveth and understandeth things the will affecteth the object according as the minde first conceiveth of the thing and from this minde conceiving and will affecting there proceedeth the working power by which something is done the minde so conceiving resembleth the Father the will having his affections begotten by the minde conception resembleth the Son begotten of Father and the power of doing proceeding both from the minde and will resembleth the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son and as these three Father Son and Spirit make but one God so these three faculties doe make but one spirituall substance or soul But as the Father worketh not without the Son nor the holy Ghost without the Father and the Son so neither doth the minde or will or working power effect any thing apart but joyntly together yet as we attribute Creation to the Father Redemption to the Son Illumination to the Spirit so to the minde we attribute understanding to the will we attribute both well or ill affecting and to the working power we attribute the thing wrought or done And as in that one God no person is before or after another in time but only in order so neither in that one soul is the minde before the will in time nor the working power behinde them in time for the power of working is before the thing wrought There is no distinction but only in order for there is no sooner the soule in the body but there exist all them three and without any one of them the soul cannot be If any demand who created all things I answer God Who redeemeth man fallen God Who doth inlighten man God yet there are not three but one God So if any man demand What is that in me that understandeth I answer the soul What is that willeth or affecteth any thing I answer the soul What is that whereby I am
cups out of which you drink on the bed-steeds where you lye on the wals of the house where you dwell on the garments which you wear and on the foreheads of all them whom ye meet and on your own selves in every member of your body and faculty of the soul Psal 39. 5. Every man at his best estate is vanity Where is the glory of Solomon the sumptuous buildings of Nebuchadnezzar the nine hundred Chariots of Sicera the power of Alexander the authority of Augustus that commanded the whole world to be taxed all these at their best estates weâ—e but vanity nay take Solomon for beauty Samson for strength Achitophell for policy Haman for favour Ahasael for swiftnesse Alexander for great conquests and yet all these at their best estate are altogether vanity Wherefore centre not in any creature comfort take not up thy rest in any thing be this side God the God of rest and peace for all is mutable that hath the name of creature upon it only the Creator is immutable and unchangeable in all that he saith or doth if he be once a Father he will be ever a Father if once a Friend he will be ever a Friend if he once love thee he will never hate thee and for this ground it is we are commanded to love him with a supreme love if we love father mother wife or children more then he we be not worthy of him nay we cannot be his disciples unlesse we in a sense hate all theâ—e for his sake Luk. 14. 26. Moses desired to see the Lord that he might know him more perfectly and the Lord told him Exod. 33. 20. Thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live and Paul renders the reason of this 1 Tim. 6. 16. who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen or can see in a word man is so vailed and clouded and narrow spirited that at the highest degree he can know God but only in his attributes and that but in part neither for he is wonderfull in every attribute and as the Prophet saith such knowledge is too wonderfull for me wherefore to winde up all and for the removing of this stumbling block endevour to beleeve in one God Father of all and in one Lord Jesus Christ redeemer of all and in one sanctifying Spirit of grace it is the office of the Father to Elect the office of thâ— Sonne to Redeem and the office of the Holy Ghost to Sanctifâ—e those and only those whom the Father hath elected and the Sonne redeemed Endevour in the Name of the Lord to see the Father love thee freely and the Sonne manifesting that unto thee and the Spirit beginning to evidence it in thee further endevour to see that the Father loves thee as redeemed by the Sonne the Sonne looks upon thee and loves thee as being given by the Father for him to redeem and the Holy Ghost seeing the love of the Father in choosing thee and the love of the Sonne in redeeming thee he also sets his love upon thee and will shortly manifest it unto thee and evidence it in thee this is that intenall eternall Word by which all things were made supported ruled quickned enlightned and judged this glorious infinite wisdome was vailed in flesh and so God manifest in the flesh was the mirror of Angels the terrour of Devils the expectation of the new creation in a word it is as easie to compasse the heaven with a span and to contain the sea in a nut-shell as to apprehend or comprehend this internall eternall being in the fulnesse thereof we may as soon fill a bag with wisdome and a chest with virtue and a circle with a triangle as the heart of man with the knowledge of God man may have some glimerings and know him in part and this is life eternall but dark man is so narrow spirited that in all things God is above him he saith of himself to man My waies are not your waies nor my thoughts your thoughts for as the heavens are higher then the earth so are my thoughts above your thoâ—ghts and my waies above your waies Isai 55. 9. as if the Lord had said there is as vast a difference between my knowledge of you and your knowledge of me as there is distance between the heaven and the earth my dispositions and dealings both for mercy and goodnesse and for firmnesse and faithfulnesse are as farre above your understanding as the highest heavens are above the very centre of the earth and farre higher for the one is unmeasurable yet finite whereas the other because infinite is for greatnesse and amplitude and immensity inconceivable The best of men that have bowels of compassion some tender heartednesse some ingenuity and readinesse to remit a wrong or some firmnesse or faithfulnesse in making good what they promise what is all this to that which is in God for so much as God is above man in point of Majesty so he is above man in mercy he is a guide to lead you a staffe to uphold you a cordiall to strengthen you a plaister to heal you he will stand you in stead when friends forsake you he is as swift to shew mercy as he is slow to anger he will carry you through the hardest services with the greatest swiftnesse if he give us more knowledge of him we shall live more upon him and delight more in him and be more conformable unto him true happinesse lies only in our injoyment of a sutable good a pure good a totall good an eternall good and God is only such a good the treasure of the Saints is the knowledge of God the presence of God the favour of God union and communion with God the pardon of sin the joy of the Spirit and peace of conscience all which câ—mes into the soule by the knowledge of Christ and is clouded again in the absence of Christ a man wiâ—hout this knowledge of Christ and God is as a workman without hands a painter without eyes a traveller without legs a ship without sails or a bird without wings or as a body without a soul all our discouragements doe flow from our ignorance and want of faith in this Almighty God viz. it springs from our ignorance of the riches freenesse fulnesse and everlastingnesse of Gods love or from our ignorance of the power glory sufficiency and efficacy of the death and of the sufferings of Christ Jesus our Lord or from our ignorance of the worth glory fulnesse and compleatnesse of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ or from our ignorance of that reall close spirituall glorious and inseparable union that there is between Christ and our precious souls To drive further into this mystery time would fail me strength fail me light would fail me I doe rather lispe then speak in the things of God and therefore must I needs stammer in so mysterious a point as this
dust of their feet against them Acts 18. 6 7. 4. That we might apply our selves unto God in the use of those meanes that he hath appointed for the working of faith in us Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for the meat that perisheth but for that which endureth unto everlasting life Isa 55. 3. Incline your eare and come unto me hear and your soule shall live 5. That we might wholly deny our selves and search and by searching finde in the Covenant of grace matter of free conveyance of power to beleeve whatsoever is required to be beleeved Rom. 10. 17. Joh. 5. 39. Psal 119. 9 98 99 104 105. Rom. 4. 6. The soul being brought thus far on his journey toward heaven as 1. To be powerfully convinced by the Spirit of God as in Joh. 16. 8. this Spirit doth convince us of our own naturall misery and of Christs supernaturall al-sufficiency to remove it In the next place the soul begins to enquire after a remedy and finds that there is no other name given under heaven whereby it can be saved but by Christ alone so the soul begins to hear what Christ saith in his Word to poor sinners Mat. 11. 28. Come to me saith Christ I will give thee rest Isa 55. 7. I will abundantly pardon thee Isa 55. 1. Come come come to me saith Christ Revel 22. 17. Take the water of life freely If thou doest confesse and forsake thy sin thou shalt finde mercy Prov. 28. 13. 1 Joh. 1. 9. Nay if thou canst not forsake them if thou dost but truly confesse them he will pardon thee Jer. 3. 13. Mica 7. 18. 19. But if thou finde not the conditions of the promise wrought in thee then apply those absolute promises that are made without condition viz. They shall be all taught of God Joh. 6. 45. And I will blot out all thy sins for my own Name sake Isa 43. 25. Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will remember no more I will sprinckle clean water upon you and you shall be clean Ezek. 36. 25. and again I will give you a new heart and take away the stony heart Ezek. 36. 26. Isa 48. 9. 28. 11. Dan. 9. 17. 1 Joh. 1. 1 2. He the Lord Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins Heb. 8. 12. For I will be mercifull to their unrighteousnesse and their sins will I remember no more Rom. 5. 20. Where sinne abounded grate did much more abaund Rom. 4. 5. But to him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God Rom. 5. 6. For when we were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly 2. Cor. 5. 21. For he hath made him to be sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Isa 5. 3. 6. The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all 1 Pet. 2. 24. Who his own selfe bare our sins in his own body on the tree that we being dead unto him should live unto righteousnesse by whose stripes we are healed Now all this is written that we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us as in Heb. 6. 18. and so sit down quiet in hope of eternall life which God that cannot lie hath promised before the world began Tit. 1. 2. In a word Our heavenly Father hath made his Will and given us poor undone sinners great wealth rich possessions and large legacies so that all his children are great heires Rom. 8. 17. Wherefore we ought to have an unshaken expectation and a frequent seeking for all that is promised and not to suffer the heavenly Father to purse or keep a penny that is due but he shall be sure to hear of his promise made to us in his Will and Covenant and if he do not presently give in according to Covenant let us draw a petition and preserre it in the Court of heaven where we have an Advocate prepared Jesus Christ the righteous to plead thy cause without a see 1 Joh. 2. 1. Isa 43. 25. Now when a soul begins to clear up and to beleeve and apply these and the like pretious promises the Devill comes in as a roaring Lyon like a Jaylor that hath lost a prisoner the World comes and holds forth her two fair breasts of profit and pleasure to a lure the soul to returne to its first state of security and so both the World and the Dâ—vill lay siege against our owne misgiving hearts and so all three bending their forces together to cheat the soule or at last to ingage the whole man to put a stop to this blessed worke they begin againe to cheat the soule under more specious pretences covering all the grosse sins flowing from the deceitfull heart with the mantle of Religion and so promise the soule peace and bring it into trouble promise it honour and bring it to disgrace promise it liberty and bring it into bondage promise the soule life and bring it to death and so hide pride under the name of decencie and bring in Covetousnesse under the name of good husbandry clothe Drunkennesse under the name of good fellowship and hide Frowardnesse under the name of Zeale so that sin sings to us and sinks us it kisseth us and betrays us Who would imagine that whiles a man cries out against Pride Covetousnesse Cruelty Treason Heresie Blasphemy c. that he himselfe should be the spring from whence these issue In a word a man may as well tell the starres and number the sands of the sea as reckon up all the deceits in ones own heart At length the poore soule is awakened again and begins to see it is cheated on every side and so breaks forth in these or the like words thoughts or both Well saith the poor soule you have convinced me of sinne or rather the Spirit of God in the of reading the forementioned Scriptures and you have also laid before me the remedy but unlesse you can as an instrument in Gods hand take away all the stumbling blocks that are in my way to heaven I see I shall do nothing but fall for the Devill is ever and anone casting a stumbling block in my way and so doeth the World and so doth my owne deceitfull desperate wicked heart my worst enemy of all that I no sooner have gotten over one stumbling block but another is laid in my way and I walk in the dark and see little or no light and so am ready to fall over every block and my falling so often doth make me so weak that I fear I shall fall so long that I shall never be able to rise again see in Psal 140. 10. 1 Pet. 2. 8.
Jer. 6. 21. For answer unto which let me acquaint the reader that I have had a little experience of these blocks in the way of a sinner to its Saviour The first stumbling block that lyeth in the way is this saith one I am sometimes unsatisfied and remain staggering and doubting whether the Scriptures called the Old and New Testament be the Word God yea or no. Answ If the Scriptures be not the Word of God then there is no rule to walk by but that every man may walk according to his own heart and as it seems good in his own eyes and this is a most pleasing bait whereby our Rantors and new upstart wantons are insnared and become the tribe of disobedience begotten by the seed of the Serpent and travelling towards the land of confusion and they will shortly arrive at the anger of God and be cast into the pit of his eternall displeasure But that the Scriptures are the Word of God it will clearly appear if we consider 1. By the powerfull effects that the Word hath and doth work upon the consciences of men as to avoid the evill and to chuse the good besides many wonderfull effects that have been wrought thereby in all ages 2. It doth appear that the Bible is the Word of God because it holds out holinesse more then any book in the world and they hold forth a self-denying spirit more then any book besides in the world by all which it doth appear that it is the Word of God 3. It doth further appear to be the Word of God because we finde many of the same things written in our hearts by the Finger of God his Spirit bearing witnesse with ours that we are his and both bearing witnesse that this is his Word 4. In respect of the matter of the Scripture it doth appear to be the Word of God for there cannot be more glorious matter for the creature to be centred upon so also for the sweet dependency of the creatures one upon another beasts nourish men and grasse them 5. The Scripture doth appear to be the Word of God because those things that have been promised the rein have in the appointed time come to passe in all ages so that things have fallen out in every age according to their severall prophesies and all this being so doth make it plainly appear to be the Word of God Now when a poor sinner converted hath gotten over this stumbling block and is in some measure satisfied that this is the Word of God so that the subtle Devill and his own deceitfull heart cannot cheat him here then he casts in a second stumbling block II. It is true it cannot be denyed but this is the Word of God and were it truly translated as it was left by the Prophets and Apostles in Hebrew and in Greek it were something but alas the Scripture is corrupted by a spirit of ignorance or a spirit of self-ends in our translations Answ It is possible here and there a word is not so clearly translated but what is that to thee seeing thou art not to build thy faith and adventure thy soul upon God as held forth in any single text but according to the harmony of Scriptures or generall scope and so they be truly translated as to instance in the Scriptures of the Old Testament Christ exhorted them to read the Scriptures and it cannot appear that the Bible should be corrupted since for besides the Apostles there were many thousands of learned Jewes that came to professe the Gospell Act. 21. 20. Jam. 1. 1. And the truth being so gloriously planted it doth appear it could not be corrupted the generality of Scriptures are truly clearly and faithfully translated so that whosoever readeth and understandeth affecteth beleeveth and applyeth and practiseth what is there held forth it is able to make him wise throughly furnished unto every good work c. and so we come to the third stumbling block III. I cannot but grant saith the doubting sinner but that the Scriptures are the Word of God as hath been proved and that they are not so much corrupted by the Translators but in the main and generall bulk are pure and clear but what is all this to me saith the poor soul If God had spoken particularly to me by his Prophets and Apostles as he did to the Jewes and Gentiles then it it were something but alas these promises were made to the people then as being and what is that to me unlesse God had spoken to me as he did to them Answ The promises do belong unto us now in being as well as unto them as doth clearly appear by these and the like Scriptures Rom. 15. 4. For whatsoever was written afore-time was written for our learning Joh. 17. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also that shall beleeve in me through their word 1 Cor. 9. 10. Saith he it altogether for their sakes for our sakes no doubt this is written Rom. 4. 23 24. Now it was not written for his sake alone but for us also 1 Cor. 10. 11. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples unto us and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come Peter tels us from the Lord 2 Pet. 1. 20. that we must not make the Scripture speak in a private sense that is wee must not analyse or interpret them so as if the Prophesies thereof did relate only to the particular times places and persons in by and to whom they were at first uttered c. IV. After the sinner is got over the three former stumbling blocks he begins to run the waies of Gods Commandements and in his way he meets with a fourth block It is true saith he the Scriptures are the Word of God and in the main truly translated and they speak to me upon whom the ends of the world is come as well as unto the people in former ages But how shall I know what they mean The Scripture is to be understood in a spirituall sense the Book is sealed to me I cannot open the seal I want the Key of the Bible the Spirit of the Lord Isa 29. 11. Answ It is true the word is a spirituall word for holy men of old spake as the Spirit gave them utterance and the Apostles spake as the Spirit gave them utterance Act. 2. 4. So that neither the learned man nor the unlearned man can understand this Book till the Spirit of God doth open this unto them see Isa 29. 11 12. And the Apostles themselves although they had been a long time with Christ and heard his woâ—ds and seen his miracles yet Christ after his resurrection must come and open their understandings before they could understand the Scriptures Luk. 24. 45. Again the Scriptures are sometimes to be understood in a literall sense sometimes in a spirituall sense and sometimes in both sometimes as they are exprest sometimes as included sometimes as
Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost 1 John 5. 5 6 7 8 9. 18 19 21. Mat. 28. 19. Ephes 4. 4 5 6. and 1 John 2. 22 23. and 2 John 9. 10. and 1 Tim. 2. 4 5 6. and 2 Tim. 3. 15. 1 John 2. 22. Acts 4. 10. 12. and 1 Cor. 3. 10 11. Isaiah 45. 21 22 23. 4. A true Church may be known by this also I say a true Church that is perfectly joyned together for of such a Church I am now speaking 1 Cor. 1. 10. I say that this Church doth hold that Jesus Christ is very God and very Man of the very Substance of the Virgin Mary begotten by the spirit of God 1 Joh. 4. 23. 2 Joh. 7. and 1 John 4. 3. That Jesus Christ is God and Man doth further appeare in these Scriptures Mat. 16. 13 14 15 16 17 18. Isaiah 53. 11. 1 Pet. 2. 24 25. 1 Corinth 15. 2 3. 2 Timoth. 2. 4 5 6. 5. That the same Lord Jesus Christ dyed for the sinnes of the people being crucified at Jerusalem and rose againe and ascended into Heaven whereby there is a way opened for all sinners whom God shall draw and make willing freely to come to God and their duty so to doe and whosoever doth come and none else he doth wash away their sinnes in his owne bloud and present them to his Father pure in his owne purity John 8. 24. Acts 4. 10 11 12. Acts 10. 38 39 40 41 42 43. and 1 Cor. 15. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8. Act. 22. 8. Acts 2. 36 37 38. Rev. 22. 17. Isa 55. 1 2. Col. 1. 22. 28. Ephes 5. 27. 2 Peter 3. 14. Colos 2. 10. 6. A true Church sound in the Faith and holy in Conversation doth hold that this same Jesus Christ being the onely God and Man in one person remaines for ever a distinct Being from the Saints and Angels notwithstanding their Vnion and Communion with him Col. 2. 8 9. 19. and 1 Tim. 3. 16. 7. A true Church doth hold that precious faith or comming to God is a spirituall and peculiar gift of God and that there is no freenesse or willingnesse in any naturall man to that which is spiritually good but an absolute enmity thereto so that no naturall man can by any thing that he can doe bring himselfe into a state of grace or holinesse or sit himselfe thereto 8. A true Church sound in the Faith doth hold that we are justified and saved by grace and saith in Christ and not by workes Rom. 1. 16 17. 31. Rom. 8. 13. Rom. 9. 31 32 33. and 10. 3 4. Act. 15. 24. Gal. 1. 6 7 8 9. Gal. 5. 2. 4 5. Ephes 2. 8 9 10. and 1 John 1. 6. 8. 1 John 3. 3 4 5 6 7 8. and 2 Pet. 2. 19 20. 9. A true Church doth hold that God meerly of his good pleasure without the fore-sight of any good in the creature elected a certaine number by name unto eternall salvation and hath decreed also to effect all the wayes for them and in them to bring them thereto Ephes 1. 4. Mat. 24. 22. 24. 31. Rom. 8. 33. and 9. 11. and 1 Tim. 5. 21. and 2. 2. 10. and 1 Pet. 1. 2. and 2 Pet. 1. 10. and 2 Thes 2. 13. 10. A true Church holds that no person that is so elected and regenerated shall fall away out of that state and be damned but shall be undoubtedly kept by the power of God in that state of regeneration unto salvation 2 Tim. 2. 19. Titus 1. 2. and Mat. 24. 24. Phil. 1. 6. 1 Per. 1. 5. Rom. 8. 1. and 6. 22. and 8. 30. Ephes 4. 30. and 5. 27. Heb. 12. 2. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Prov. 24. 1◠1 John 3. 9. Jude 24. Mat. 7. 24 25. Besides the Lord hath engaged by way of promise that none of his shall fall finally John 10. 27 28 29. and 4. 14. and 3. 36. and 5. 24. and 6. 40. 47. 54. and 14. 16. and 1 Cor. 1. 8. 1 Pet. 2. 6. and 2. 1. 10. 1 Sam. 12. 22. Psal 94. 14. Prov. 10. 30. A true Church doth hold that God is to be worshipped according to his owne will but those that slight his Ordinances and despise the duties of his worship doe manifestly declare that they are none of those that shall be saved Jer. 10. 15. Psal 14. 4. Jude 18 19 20 21. 12. That Church that is perfectly joyned one to another in one spirit doth hold that the dead shall rise and that there is a day of Judgement Acts 17. 30 31. 1 Cor. 15. 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21. Heb. 9. 27. 1 Pet. 4. 17. Jude 6. Rev. 20. 12 13. Rom. 2. 16. In a word to say no more a true Communion of Saints according to a Gospel-institution is a Communion of Saints arising from a clear apprehension of their Union with Saints 1 Cor. 12. 13 14. for by one spirit we are all baptised into one body whether we be Jews or Gentiles bond or free 〈◊〉 have been all made to drink into one spirit for the body is not one member but many ver 20. for now are they many members but one body Now when a Saint comes to see that every one in whom the Lord Jesus appeareth is a member together with him in the same body whereof Christ is the head then his heart longeth to joyne himselfe in fellowship with such who have fellowship with the Father and the Son 1 John 1. 3. Obj. But I am a little unsatisfied in this saith some soule I heare that those Churches that walk nearest to those Rules before laid downe doe suffer some to speake and teach amongst them that are not Ministers but private Members pray Sir how is that exercise proved Answ Their exercising their gifts may be proved by these four demonstrations 1. By examples in the Jewish Church where men though in no Office either in Temple or Synagogue had liberty publiquely to use their gifts as doth clearly appeare by these Scriptures Luke 2. 42. 46 47. Luke 4. 16 17 18. Acts 8. 4. and 11. 19 20 21. and Chapt. 13 14 15 16. chap. 18. 24 25 26. 2. By the Commandement of Christ and his Apostles Luke 9 10. chap. 10. 1. 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. 1 Cor. 14. 1. 5. 30 31. 3. It will appeare plainly by the prohibiting of women to teach in the Church hereby liberty being given unto men their husbands or others 1 Tim. 2. 11 12. 1 Cor. 14. 34 35. 4. This will yet more fully appeare by those most excellent ends which by this meanes are to be obtained As 1. The glory of God in the manifestation of his manifold graces See 1 Pet. 4. 10 11. 2. That the gifts of the Spirit in men be not quenched 1 Thes 5. 19 20. Quench not the Spirit despise not prophesying that is Stop not the motion of the Spirit in your selves nor restraine the gift thereof in others Despise not prophesying that is Contemne not the Word
ye would set some time and persons apart to heare and receive the private petitions and grievances of the poor Widows and Fatherless so much neglected by the former power for they have poured out their complaints in the midst of their wants and their cry came up before the Lord before the dissolving of the late Parliament Consider I request you That the earth and all thereen is the Lords not our Store-house and ye are at present his Stewards wherefore as in Prov. 3. 7. Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to doe it So in the end ye shall be able to say with Job That ye have not withheld the poore from their desire nor caused the eyes of the Widow and Fatherless to faile nor seen any perish for want of cloathing nor seen any poore in the streets without covering I could almost say to you as once Abraham did to the Lord Gen. 18. 27. Behold now I have taken upon me to speak which am but dust and ashes I would begg leave to present a few things more to your serious consideration The next thing is That when ye make inquisition for ravening wolves prophesied of by Christ and his Apostles Mat. 7. 15. compared with Acts 20. 29. that come to us in Sheeps cloathing that ye would not do as the late Parliament did stop the Wolf's mouth in one Town and let him go and devour or at least deceive the Sheep in another if he be adjudged unfit to bite or devour in one place let him be held as unfit in another lest ye should do as if in effect they did put out the fire in Canne and send it to Marlborough or endeavour to stop the plague in Bristoll by sending the infected persons to London The next thing that I would begg of you for this poor nation is That whereas the last Power did promise much and perform little be ye more like God I both humbly and earnestly request you by promising less then ye intend to perform that ye may appeare to us in very deed to be like him He promised the Children of Israel only the Land of Canaan but besides that he gave them two other Kingdomes which he never did promise to give them And to Zacharias Luke 1. 20. He promised to give him his Speech again at the Birth of the Child but beside that he gave him the gift of prophesie so that as Paul saith He can give and do abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think And yet that say ye abide in him ought so to walk as ye have him for an example See Eph. 3. 20. 1 Joh. 2. 6. The next thing I would beseech of you most noble and honoured Senators is this That ye would endeavour to unite all the Saints sound in the Faith to an union in the spirit of Love Though England be but as a garden to the whole world all the people in it but a handfull and scarce one of twenty of this handfull godly men yet were these few Saints united by the blessed Spirit so as their hearts might agree together as touching any thing they ought to ask and were so well affected to lift up one voice and one heart according to the will of God they would have the things they ask so as nothing should be too hard for them to do all the world could not stand before them nor undermine them for they would be wise in the Lords wisdome and strong in him and in the power of his might Shall Herod and Pilate agree Turks and Pagans agree Beares and Lyons agree Tygers and Wolves agree and shall not Saints agree If the Saints were but once united Antichrist would soone be destroyed Oh let not our Supream Power under God be angry and I will speak but this once Oh let me then say to you as once Mordecai did to Hester Hest 4. 14. If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall their enlargement come and deliverance arise from another place or power but thou and thy Fathers house shall be destroyed and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdome for such a time as this And under correction let me tell you the work is the Lords and if ye will not carry it on he will lay you aside with shame and raise up those that he will own and bless And whereas most of the Godly people in England are crying mightily to God for you to purge out self-seeking and to plant a spirit of Government in you and to furnish you with naturall and spirituall abilities suitable to the work that lyeth before you but if ye begin to flag as the former power did and so let the work stick in the Birth and every one minding his owne things not the things of Jesus Christ then let me tell you that all the Lords people in England and the other Nations will be praying to him and wrestling with him and give him no rest night nor day till the Lord turne you also out of doores and bring in those that he will own and bless FINIS A Table shewing the principall things in this TREATISE OF the state of Nature 1 Of the state of Grace ibid. The severall degrees in each of these states ibid. How a soul yet in the state of Nature may be brought to Christ 2 Which is first in the soul Faith or Repentance fully discovered 12 A great question answered why doth the righteous God promise life to him that doth believe and threaten eternall death to them that do not believe seeing that it is not in the power of the Creature to believe And there are five reasons for it 17 Conviction goeth alwayes with Conversion 18 Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins go together ibid. Many sweet promises made to a soul convinced of sinne 19 20 One and twenty stumbling-blocks cast in a Christians way to Heaven by the World Flesh and Devil 21 What those blocks are and how to remove them 22 The first stumbling-block cast in the way is to cause a soule to question whether the Scriptures be the Word of God 23 Proved by five Arguments that they are the Word of God 24 The second stumbling-block is that the Scriptures are corrupted by a spirit of ignorance and self-ends in the Translators 25 Proved that the generality of Scriptures are truly clearely faithfully translated ibid. The third stumbling-block cast in the way is that the promises were made to the Jews and Gentiles heretofore in being What hath any man to do to apply them now 26 Proved by severall Testimonies in holy writ that the people now in being may and ought to apply the promises as well as they 27 The fourth stumbling-block cast in the way is that I know not what the Scriptures mean they are to be understood in a spiritual sence the Book is sealed 28 Proved that the same God that hath commanded us to read
how meane soever the speakers gifts seeme unto thee Set not lightly by the declarations and applications of the Scriptures either by such as have the extraordinary gifts of prophesying see 1 Cor. 14. 15. or by the ordinary gifts 3. For the fitting and tryall of men for the Ministery 4. For the preserving pure the doctrine of the Church which is more indangered if some one or two alone may onely be heard and speak Act. 2. 42. 5. For the debating and satisfying of doubts if any doe arise Act. 13. 15. 6. For the edifying of the Church and conversion of others alwayes provided that he have the gift of the Spirit to speak unto edification exhortation and comfort 1 Cor. 14. 3. Now to say no more in order to the removing of this last stumbling block let me exhort thee in the name and fear of the Lord to inquire and make diligent search amongst all sorts of Assemblyes prophesying and pretending to Christ for such a Congregation that of lively stones have built up a spirituall house and set down therewith many at the feet of Christ hear his words and endeavour to be serviceable to his Lambs thy fellow Members so shalt thou dwell in his house and behold his glory and inquire in his Temple Psal 27. 4. and thou being thus planted in his house shall flourish in his Courts Psal 29. And this is all I shall lay before thee or commend unto thee as touching the removing those stumbling-blocks that lye in a Christians way to Heaven and the maine end next to the glory of God that put me upon removing these stumbling blocks is that we might keep up faith in our soules which will be of singular use unto us viz. 1. It will purifie the heart Acts 15. 9. 2. It will enable us to heare the word with profit Heb. 4. 2. 3. It will inable us to overcome the world 1 John 5. 4. 4. It will inable us to overcome the Devill Ephes 6. 16. 5. It will make mercies present that are absent Heb. 11. 1. 13. 6. It will fill the Soule with joy unspeakable 1 Pet. 1. 8. 7. It will multiply peace in the Soule Rom. 5. 1 2. 8. It will assure a Soule that God will answer his prayers James 1. 5 6. 9. It will inable us to be fruitfull in well-doing even to shew forth our faith by our workes James 2. 18. it will inable us not only to do the thing commanded but as it is commanded Rom. 14. 23. 10. It will not only give us the title of honour of being called the children of Abraham but it will furnish us with a heart and principle to walke in the steps of our Father Abraham to come forth of our own Countrey as he did if God call us and to trust upon God although he had but a bare word for it and to give God as he did his own time to make God his owne promise and to part with the nearest and dearest thing for God at first word and to look through all difficulties and impossibilities unto the fulnesse of God and so to believe in hope against hope and so to wait upon God as not to neglect the meanes Faith Prayer Hope c. for the accomplishment of the mercy promised yea this faith will help the soule to act in Spirituall duties from Spirituall ends as from the sence of Divine love that doth as it were constraine the soule to waite upon God and to waite upon God and to act for God in love to God the choice and pretious discoveries that the soul hath formerly had of the beauty and glory of God whilst it hath been in the service of God the blessed love-letters the glorious kisses and the sweet imbraces that a believing soul hath had from Christ in his service this doth provoke and move the soule to wait upon him in the way of his Ordinances but an unbeliever doth put himselfe upon religious duties only from externall motives as the Eare of the creature the Eye of the creature the reward of the creature and the keeping up of a name amongst the creatures and a thousand such lâ—ke considerations and as we may see in Jehu Saul Judas Demas and the Scribes and Pharisees c. It would much heighten our Faith if we did seriously consider the sweet condescentions of our tender Lord God to all staggering misgiving weak Christians viz. Luke 9. 56. but The Son of Man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them 1 Tim. 2. 5. I am saith Christ willing that all should be saved and come to knowledge of the truth Mat. 9. 13. I came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to repentance Heb. 2. 15. I am saith Christ to deliver those that were all their life time subject to bondage Jer. 3. 12. Heb. 8. 12. I am very mercifull and will be mercifull and will pardon thy Sins Isa 43. 25. Though thou deservest nothing of me yet I will pardon thy Sins for my owne name sake and though it doth seeme impossible to thee that I should be so mercifull Mark 9. 23. Consider all things are possible to him that believeth Obj. O but I am the child of wicked Parents and the Lord hath said he will visit the sinnes of the Fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation Answ If a wicked Father and Mother beget a Son that seeth all his Parents sinnes and considereth and doth not such like that Sonne shall not bear the iniquity of his Father Ezek. 18. 14. 20. Ezek. 16. 3. to the 13. besides we finde in Scripture that wicked Parents had good Children 2 Kings 16. 20. wicked Ahab had good Hezekiah Idolatrous Ammon zealous Josiah 2 Kings 22. 2. see 2 Kings 21. 21 22. and ungodly Saul had a godly Jonathan nay if thou be a Bastard the child of a Whore that doth not hinder thee neither to be saved for Gods servant Jeptha was a Bastard so was his servant Phares who is reckoned in Christs owne Genealogie compare Judges 11. 1. with Heb. 11. 32. compare Gen. 38. 18. and 29. and Ruth 4. 12. with Mat. 1. 3. in a word he that is borne a Bastard if he be borne againe of the Spirit he is reckoned among the Sonns of God Obj. But I am an old Sinner and have one foot already in the grave saith another trembling Soule Answ Christ doth call some at the ninth houre yea some at the eleventh houre and saith Jer. 3. 5. returne unto me and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon thee I will multiply pardons for thee Isa 55. 7. Nay if thou hast been an Idolater an Adulterer a Thief a Drunkard yet we finde in Scripture such were many of the Lords deare ones that are now in Heaven 1 Cor. 9. 6. 9 10 11. Tit. 3. 3 4 5 6 7. What shall we say Christ left his own glory and came into the world to save Sinners Joh. 17. 5. 1. Tim. 1. 15. though he