thou wilt not let them goe Deut. 32. 6. Doe ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Psal 95. 10. Forty years long have I been grieved with this generation it 's a people that do erre in heart they have not known my wayes So saith Elias to Ahab 1 King 21. 20. Thou hast sold thy self to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Psal 4. 2. O ye sons of men how long will ye turn my glory into shame how long will ye follow vanity and seek leasing Psal 58. 4. They are like the deaf adder which stoppeth her eare 5. which will not hearken to the voice of the charmer And because we are ready to excuse our selves from our impotencie the holy Ghost beares this upon them as a charge Jerem. 13. 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may ye do good that are accustomed to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. Having eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sin Deut. 29. 2 3. 3. Threatnings and curses are charged upon every one who abides not in all that is written in the book of the Law to do it Deut. 27. 26. And yet it 's beyond controversie that no flesh can keep the Law so as it requires else Jesus Christ died in vain Gal. 3. See Deut. 28. 4. We are not freed from an obligation to obey and run even we who are renewed in the spirit of our mind because the Lord drawes not For charges and commands are layed upon us under indispositions yea the Lord speaks to such as lived in suffering times who could not choose but they must be in much heavinesse Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes again I say rejoyce So speaks he to weak ones Eph. 6. 10. My brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might So speakes Christ to fainting John when in a swoon he could not command himself Rev. 1. 17. Fear not I am the first and the last And to the perishing disciples Mat. 8. 26. Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith And the mourner is most indisposed to believe Isa 50. 10. He that walkes in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay on his God We are bidden be upon the wing and ready though we be dumpish and indisposed 1 Thess 5. 17. To obey that pray without ceasing in all things give thanks Yea under all contrary dispositions and habits of unbelief we are to act Isa 41. 14. Fear not worm Jacob. 2. Our very graves owe living to God our sinful deadness ought to yield to Christ living in us our heaviness ows rejoycing to him as the night is to remove at the dawning of the day and the cloud is to dis-appear and vanish at the out-breaking of the Sun-light 3. We are to pray under deadnesse as David doth Psal 119. Quicken me in thy way quicken me in thy righteousness quicken me according to thy word c. v. 37 40 88 107 156 159. Deadnesse when David had much of the fulnesse of God hath been creeping on seven times and he seven times prays for quickening like one that is every hour in a swoon out of one swoon he falls in another he makes signs to such as are neer by to be comforted with wine and apples as the Spouse Cant. 2. 5. And therefore this is but a childish shift I am dead and indisposed and therefore will not pray nor believe nor hear nor goe about any such duties Because you are dead and indisposed are you therefore lawlesse and freed of all debt of duties which are imposed by either the Law of God or 2. the constraining love of Christ or 3. bonds and ties laid on you by the free grace of Christ and the state you are in being now translated from death to life Object I le goe about duties when I am free and spiritually disposed Answ 1. What warrant from the Word to delay duties that by present obligation of the Law of God are to be done while it is to day lest hardness of heart come on 2. What assurance can any man have tomorrow or the next hour more then the present hour when deadnesse is on that he shall be master of the Spirits breathing on him to fetch spiritual dispositions Now omission of praying and of other duties is a hainous sin Can sin be a hire to purchase or buy the breathings of the Holy Ghost Did ever man get sweet accesse to God through the Mediator Christ in prayer who delayes praying because he wants a praying disposition And can the Lord welcome in the Mediator Christ the man who fathers the sinful omission of prayer and other duties upon the holy Spirit of God Loose Professors delay their repentance upon this when they are old and a dying they shall be more fit for repentance 3. An indisposition to pray is a great affliction to a godly soul and the so afflicted is to pray to remove that indisposition and to seek in prayer a spiritual disposition to pray and that pray continually is not pray only when a spiritual disposition to pray is on for that should be far from praying continually and that Psal 50. Call upon me in the day of trouble suffereth no such exception Pray to me in trouble but not except ye be spiritually disposed For it hath this good sense call and pray in the day of trouble and in the hour when the spirit is under the soul-trouble of desertion and indisposition and when the Lord hides his face and shines not So the want of a spiritual disposition is the frowning of God upon the soul and it 's an ungracious heart which will not pray when the Spirit in his shining influences withdraws And therefore 4. It 's not the Spirit of the Lord but the spirit of Satan which suggests any such carnal arguing I have no heavenly disposition for the present therefore I will not pray for the Spirit of the Lord quickens men to duties and that is known to be a spirit from hell that weakens men in praying or in any duties CHAP. V. Influences of grace are due to the Saints by promise 2. Some are plagued with plenty of means 3. The scope of the place Deut. 29. 3. The great temptations which thine eyes have seen c. opened 4. The nature of the Lord's promise of influences 5. The efficient causes of influences from the Father and from the Son influences on the Man Christ 6. Influences from the Father how they are ours 7. Influences from the Son Christ which are promised to us how they are ours THere is another way of fetching influences of grace when we carefully use former grace as our Saviour saith to him that hath shall be given And so grace shall bring more grace Sowen wheat brings forth more wheat Psal 119. 1. Blessed are they that walk in the law of the Lord they shall doe no
twelve ports the foundation of the wall garnished with all manner of precious stones the building of the wall of Jasper what a bride the Lamb's wife is as shee is busked and adorned with the glory of God what a joyful company of harpers cloathed in white follow the Lamb Rev. 14. Rev. 19. Yea 4. Even in this life in the lower countrey and the out-fields the fruits that grow in the land are good Rom. 14. 17. Gal. 5. 22. Psal 72. 16. 1 Pet. 1. 4 5 6. Psal 16. 11. 1 Cor. 2. 9. what a life-guard for Kings sons Isa 6. 2 3 4. Psal 34. 7. Psal 91. 11 12. and on the other hand what golden nothings and clay-dreams does the spirit of the world follow after what spiritual gallantry is in the man that says and resolves time and all that Solomon had shall not satisfie me I must either be a King above time or have nothing Will a beggar aspire to a Kingdom or a sow seek after pearls what does the spirit of the world but lie and swear and whore and oppresse in the sons of disobedience the godly is of a far more excellent spirit 5. It s a poor spirit that acts in Cicero Seneca and other Pagans the bastard and the servants priviledge is little to a Kings heir and son As to the second the differences of that Spirit which is of God are considerable 1. The spirit John 14. 17. remains in his own and dwels in them as in his house Rom. 8. 11. as a man remains and works in a shop or work-house and the soul lives breaths acts discourses in the man so the spirit of adoption prays groans believs teacheth witnesseth speaketh heareth in the believer Matth. 10. 19. Rom. 8. 16 25 26. Now the world cannot receive this spirit John 14. 27. no more then the noble soul of man can find lodging in a brute beast try what spirit acts in you and the principles of your actions and you shall know the influences Every mans moral actings are as John's baptisme from Heaven or of Men what sparkles of influences kindle the heart in your actings 2. The Spirit of God John 16. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall guide the way to you in all truth Rom. 8. 14. as many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as are led driven either as a flock by the shepherd or as a ship by the wind are the children of God The Spirit is a Pilot and a Steersman acting and moving in the Saints directing counselling enspiring in all actings its easie to know the spirits leading by what it drives at Rev. 16. 13. For they are the spirits of divels working miracles which go forth to the Kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battel of that great day of God Almighty This he says of the three unclean spirits like frogs the Popes firebrands and incendiaries who came out of the mouth of the Dragon out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false Prophet What hellish influences must drive these men delivered up to such leaders There is a spirit who rules in the children of disobedience Satan the Prince of the air Eph. 2. The spirit of giddinesse and errour leads Egypt Isa 19. 14. The spirit of whoredome Hos 4. 12. Hos 5. 4. that inclines to Idolatry The spirit of lying 1 Kin. 22. 22. The spirit of errour 1 John 4. 6. The spirit of unbelief that was in the ten spies led and drive many Num. 14. 24. But Caleb had another spirit with him It 's the sin of the time we live in to persecute resist the spirit and the more outlettings of the spirit that appear in Steven the more the Jewes set themselves against him For Acts 7. 27. they cry out with a loud voice and stop their eares and run upon him when he saw heaven open being full of the Holy Ghost he was before full of the Holy Ghost but now there is a high spring-tide and a new mighty flowing of the influences of the Holy Ghost and the height of goodnesse and excellent actings of the spirit drawes out their malice to the full as Steven told them 51. Ye have alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to fall crosse with all the might in a hostile way upon the spirit O tremble to hate and fight against the marrow of godliness and to mock the spirit O that it were not this day the sin of Scotland and of the generality of the Ministers of the Gospel in this Land In the Prelates times the seekers of God met not with such bitternesse as even now they meet with 3. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Vphold me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12. It 's proper to natural men in whom the spirit dwels not to be vile slaves to lusts and the more of the spirit in any the more active are they in the Lords wayes and hardly can the spirit be where there are not influences of grace For it 's the Spirits office to be stirring and active as the horses of Egypt are flesh and not spirit that is lumpish dead feeble unable to save not spirited active to deliver and in this especially the actings of the spirit appear in the fiery spiritness of heavenly influences Would ye be carried on and helped in duties get the spirit and ye cannot misse heavenly influences the drinesse of the earth speaks the suspending of rain and dew in the clouds and a heaven of brass the man is dead and under bands and straitned in prayer then must the showres of influences be restrained Psal 51. 12. Vphold me with thy free spirit What then v. 13. Then I le teach transgressors thy wayes Take a work where there are an hundred wheels of which the higher moves the lower then when the first and highest moves not all the ninety and nine must stand When the spirit breathes not and influences are restrained what wonder if the soul be deadned For the Marigold loures and weeps in its kind and droops when the Sun is down our prayers would blow upon the North and South wind that they may blow The breathing and blowing of prayer do readily waken up the spirit though he must stir in praying also else we are dead and breathless 4. The spirit that is of God is a praying spirit Jude Praying in the Holy Ghost Of all the Tongues and Languages on earth the Holy Ghost loves most to speak prayer-wise and in the language of humble supplications Rom. 8. 29. We know not what we should pray for as we ought What then shall the work lie Nay the spirit takes it off the poor mans hand but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with sighs that cannot be expressed And rather or spiritual work be at a stand the Third Person lends a lift to the groaning soul that cannot pray
For the Spirit helps our infirmities And then praying is a mass of influences for faith for holy desires for sense of want yea and no man gets the spirit but the praying son Luke 11. 11. Only this shall bide a question How shall they pray for the Spirit that want the Spirit Answ Yea Magus though in the gall of bitternesse is commanded to pray Acts 8. 21. The Law commanded praying to God incarnate when he is revealed to be incarnate As the first command charges all to know the Lord practically in all the wayes of Law and Gospel by which he shal reveal himself and the Lord hath not abated a whit and come down from his holy rigorousnesse as if the Lord would make amends and give us as some Pelagians say a lower and milder Law which forbids not venials Et peccata quotidianae incursionis praecise sub periculo aeternae condemnationis Yea but there is not any Law nor Gospel which forbids not sin under the same penalty that the Law forbids and the Gospel forbids not adultery and murder in David but he is free from eternal punishment if he be humbled for these sins as he must be humbled for lesser and venial sins Psal 19. 12. Psal 51. 5. Psal 130. 3 4. God may strait all men to pay the very stock which he gave them in Adam 2. Are not men inexcusable when they will not await the wind and lie at the tide and use meanes but refuse to command body and legs to present themselves to the sea-side and the ship The body and legs have no influence on the winds so they declare that they hate the covenant and bargain of grace as well as the Law who refuse to stir in his ways 3. The first giving of the spirit is like the growing of lillies and flowers wilde on the mountaines plough or spade can do nothing to cause them so to grow in the garden and the infield Pelagians must not get their will their common universal grace is not the spirit of Adoption and those who say men can pray who never received the spirit of Adoption happily they may complement with the Lord in word but They deny prevening grace and in effect say that nature prevenes grace and men prevene God and not grace prevenes nature For if there be such a thing as prevening nature this were to say the child is born before the mother and the apple growes before the tree and the bloom is before the herb Nay to pray for the spirit and not to pray in the spirit shall never be my Divinity that were to buy Rubies and Jasper-stones with clay and common flints and rocks nay nature cannot trade without grace And while the Lord creates the rose-tree the rose-tree cannot seed nor bring forth rose-trees Oh but it concernes us much Ministers and Professors to have the spirit and to have more of it Too many Ministers in the Land cast never fire on the people they never warm hearts but by hewing and striking and hammering upon the Letter the fire of the Lord falls not down upon the sacrifice Ah our fleece is dry and we are like the Land not rained upon And let men speak Can ye live without the Spirit and his influences more then ye can live without God and without Christ in the world And who cries Lord can my dry bones live misse ye the anointing The complaining of the suspending of influences of the ebbing of the free manifestations flowings and out-lettings of free grace speaks a spiritual disposition For 1. The Church complains to God of it Isa 63. 17. 2. Yielding to a temptation is a pain to the Saints Psal 73. 21 22. 3. The Saints pray for influences of grace for teaching leading quickening inclining of the heart to the way of God uniting of the heart to fear the name of God then must the withdrawing of these be evil 4. When we pray against temptations to sin and not to be led into temptation 5. When we pray for the spirit of grace to be poured on us from on high we pray not for the giving of the bare habit for that could not hinder David Lot Peter Asa Iehoshaphat Aaron Hezekiah and others of the Saints to fall into sad and hainous transgressions but we suit also from the Lord the sanctified use and exercise of grace and so must suit influences 6. When we pray that God would not take his spirit from us Psal 51. 12. nor forsake us nor take the word of truth utterly out of our mouth Psal 119. 43. we then also pray that he would not withdraw gracious influences 7. A gracious finding how sweet safe and comfortable it is to be acted led moved guided by the sweet influences of the spirit cannot but be grieved at the departure of such a guide and counsellour 8. It 's lawful to seek sense of Gods loving countenance in joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. 1 Pet. 1. 7 8. in delighting in God and in duties relating to him and our brethren and in the consolations of the Holy Ghost and in the spirits work of sanctifying us then we may and are to be grieved at the withdrawings of God that we see not his power and glory in the Sanctuary as we have sometimes done Psal 63. 5. The spirit that is of God goes along with the word if we 1. consider the spirits relation to the word My spirit and my words Isa 59. 21. For the Gospel is the chief chair and seat of the spirit Rom. 1. 16. Isa 53. 1. The word is as it were the work-house and shop and the spirit the worker the word the ship or chariot and the spirit drives and stirs the promises The spirit honours so the word the spirit moves and acts when the word moves and acts the spirit utters not a groan but according to the will of God in the word Rom. 8. 26 27. Acts 10. 44. While Peter yet spake these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost fell upon those that heard the word When the ship or the chariot moves the Pilot or Steers-man and the Coach-man are moved with them The poor Minister often drives an empty coach and carries but sounds and letters but when the spirit strikes in with the word and is steers-man in the ship the vessel is afloat and sayls gallantly before the wind 2. The word preached is the breathing of the spirit and the spirit speaks and breaths through the word and it is the word of the spirit the holy Ghost prophesied well of you c. 3. The spirit is referred to the word as the soul to the body the body is but a lump of dead clay if the soul be removed and the word is so many sounds syllables and letters if the spirit act not this is a similitude and would be well exponed There is a two-fold power one subjective and material which comes from the Author the holy Ghost in which regard the word of God from the Author the Holy Ghost hath actu primo as touching the matter and efficient cause holiness liveliness divinity majesty of style even as contradistinguished from the spirit acting
forth opposing of the spirit 3. We are to acknowledge and adore the spirit in his actings and joyn hearty consent thereto 4. Self-denial 5. In a bewildered condition to desire to be led by the spirit 6. Spiritual facility in acting 7. To act much in publick works in the spirit 8. Much watching and praying 9. To converse with spiritual men 10. To be much in spiritual conference are all characters of a spiritual disposition THe third particular is what speaks a spiritual man and spiritual influences Ans He who puts himself under the guidance of the spirit is a spiritual man the will of the Guide should be master of the journey The Prophets Acts 13. Paul and Silas Acts 16. Philip Acts 8. accurately observe the command of the spirit as being as binding as the command of the Father and the Son The commands of God to the men of God were more legal in the Old Testament but the commands of the spirit now in the New Testament have more of free grace and perswasive leading Acts 10. 19. Acts 11. 12. Acts 18. 9 10 11. John 14. 16 26. John 16. 13. We shall speak hereafter of the lying under and obedient receiving of the breathings and influences of the spirit only here where there is a strong bensil of will and much freedom in obedience there is much of the spirit backdrawing in spiritual works proclaims much carnality but who had the anointing above measure was all will and all heart and all spirit to obey and suffer John 10. 17 18. Psal 40. 8 9. 2. The leading and drawing of the spirit when it bringeth forth running and is strongly closed with speaks a spiritual man Cant. 1. 4. Psal 119. 32. Cant. 3. 4. I held him and would not let him go Is not this violence sweet feelings and high commending of him follows when the spirits violence in drawing and the spouses violence in running meet there is a spiritual closing Cant. 1. 4. The King hath brought me into his chambers and what follows we will be glad and rejoyce in thee we will remember thy love more then wine See ver 12 13. Cant. 2. 3. I sate down under his shadow and his fruit was sweet in my mouth Delighting in him is followed with his delighting in the Spouse ver 6. His left hand is under mine head and his right hand doth embrace me 2. Here if in any it 's true to him that hath shall be given he that is willing to be led shall be led and keeping of the Commandments of Christ makes room for the Father and the Son to come hither and dwel fire makes more fire 3. A state of translation is to be gone about The man hath not the spirit till he be once over the water translated to the Kingdome of the dear Son of God Christ is not owner of the man that hath not the spirit If any have not the spirit he is none of Christ's Rom. 8. 9. Christ and the Spirit cannot be sever'd the spirit that is in the first heir is in all the rest and we should take it hard to be called or to be none of Christ's 3. Heed must be carefully taken that none of the Organs or parts of the new creation be broken A spiritual man cherisheth the spirit in all his operations he loves and honours his guide and leader The Scripture notes in four words the wrongs we doe to the spirit Isa 63. 10. They vexed his spirit of holiness the word is Psal 56. 6. they painfully wrested as they gave another figure or fashion to my words Ephes 4. 30. Grieve not the holy spirit The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to sadden rather then to anger Matth. 14. 9. Matth. 17. 23. Matth. 26. 22. Can a friend lodge in a house where he is every hour sadned is not this to chase him away and especially to sadden the King in the act of sealing your Writs and Evidences of Heaven is not this dreadful Ye shall know the spirit to be sadned when he acts deadly and lently as the man who rides on a lame and halting horse advances little in the way the fault is not in the Rider So when the man is straitned in praying and he knocks faintly life and liberty and godly boldnesse is away the tools of the worker being broken how unhandsome is the work 2. There should be an eike made to the working of the spirit there is needful a sort of helping of the spirit by widening opening and enlarging the heart the extending of love desires faith fear to their outmost borders there is an opening of the mouth wide commanded Psal 8. 10. Psal 24. 7. Lift up your heads and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors Cant. 5. 2. Open to me my sister my love my dove c. And this is needful under the actings of the spirit that we stretch the soul beyond it self and make an eike to the spirit of his own Hence that charge 1 Thes 5. 19. Quench not the spirit The word is Matth. 12. 20. Matth. 25. 8. Our lamps are out or quenched Mark 9. 44 46. Some cast water upon the fire and holy flamings of the spirit this makes a cold hearth-stone and mightily obstructs the working of God whereas we should adde new fewel to his fire and blow away the ashes and wrestle against deadnesse dulnesse faintnesse and stir up the grace of God 2 Tim. 1. 6. as smiths with the bellows blow up and quicken the flame do not quench it in your self by unbelief and uncheerful walking and break not one another know that so doe the enemies of Christ He trusted in the Lord that he would deliver him Let him deliver him since he delighted in him Psal 22. 8. That is to act Satans office when men cast water on the flamings of the spirit and crush the spirit and his actings in others 3. Acknowledge and adore the holy spirit as God and follow not Ananias to play the divel to the Holy Ghost to try if the holy Spirit shall find out hypocrisie Acts 5. Satan is the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 4. 3. who tempted the Son And a man may ride so neer the rotten margin on the bank of a mighty River as he will try the highest of free grace why but I may doe this and be pardoned Nay the holy Spirit never said Sin at will with greediness thou wast once a believer It 's dreadful to put a tryal upon the worth of an infinite ransome 2. Upon the most noble and transcendent actings of the spirit this God hath done in me therefore I have liberty to sin Tempted free grace is a transgression with so loud a cry it s heard all Heaven over 4. Joyn hearty consent to all the actings and influences moral or physical of the Holy Ghost and be not beaten from that There is an anger outed in the Father as the offended Law-giver
pursuing all that are out of Christ Ah who can drink unmixt wrath as Christ did and live and who may stand when he is angry then resisting is terrible 2. There is vengeance in readinesse and grinding of men to powder and everlasting burning for such as so far resist the Son as they say This man shall not reign over us 3. But there is a vengeance beyond a vengeance and fiery indignation and more then an ordinary hell to such as resist the spirit in the Prophets and doe despight to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 28 29 30. Matth. 12. 31 32. Killing of the Prophets and slaying of them is a sort of killing of the spirit in men as the Jews killed the Lord of glory in the man Christ wished there were neither in the world God nor the Spirit nor God incarnate and this is just as if men would put hands in so much of God and of the Spirit as they find acting any thing of God in others or themselves this hateful persecuting of godlinesse is the dreadful national sin of this age Find ye not the actings of the spirit sweet and heaven-like if so it speaks a spiritual disposition 4. Much of self-denial speaks much of the spirit he who will be least his own is most God's and partakes most of the divine nature The spirit loves the room of self I live not but Christ by his Spirit lives in me Gal. 2. and the spirit to speak so is the full predominant element in the acting not that nature sinless is wholly dead and passive as Familists and others teaâ—h and self appears to be sunk into nothing and is denyed as Matth. 10. 20. It 's not ye that speak but the spirit of your Father that speaks in you Though they be living persons in their nature and being Peter and John speaks and yet the spirit so discourses and lays aside the creature called self and sets up God that as if self were annihilated and not there at al I mind no Libertine annihilation the spirit as the predominant speaks in the man and acts in him rather then the man And the Spirit of the Father prayeth preacheth reigneth actech disputeth confesseth in the believer 1 Cor. 15. 10. But I laboured more abundantly then they all then must I in Paul be preferred and exalted above John the beloved Disciple and all the eminent Apostles O not I laboured more abundantly yet not I but the grace of God which was with me Acts 6. 10. And they were not able to resist the wisedom and the spirit by which Steven spake He saith not they were not able to resist and dispute against the sinful man Steven Acts 4. 8. Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said unto them made answer to the persecuting Rulers this is a far other thing then if he had said then answered Peter the Apostle for Peter was before this filled with the Holy Ghost but now the Holy Ghost in a new fulnesse and flowing of heavenly influences in the man Peter is Master-speaker In the Prophets this is cleer from 2 Pet. 1. 21. Prophecie came not of old by the will of man though the Prophet was not compelled to prophecie nor his will Physically sunken down to nothing but holy men of God spake as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 acted by the Holy Ghost 1 Pet. 1. 11. The Spirit of Christ spake in the Prophets before hand of the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow Though there be a difference betwixt the speaking of a Prophet and the acting of a believer there is much of self in the Prophets who bite with the teeth and cry peace Micah sets himself against such cap. 3. 8. But truly saith he I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of might and of judgement to declare unto Jacob his transgressions and to Israel his sin 3. There is little of self in children the children of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word given to sucking children of two years old Matth 2. 18. Acts 21. 21. are like such as are learning to walk there is little self-wisedom or of self-designes in the motions of young children So doth the spirit act with facility and without resistence in the sons of God Who may not see the colour of self and feel some savour of the creature of self in men O if we could savour in looking speaking acting of the spirit The rivers loths and fountains issue themselves in the Sea and be mixed therewith it s the salt Sea and not the rivers which ebb and flow the under-acting of sinlesse nature in spiritual actings hindereth not the work to be denied of the man and affirmed of the spirit So as we say not the man but rather God in the man acts and speaks Indeed things are not denominate from their externals a vessel of copper washed over with silver or a cup of brasse over-gilded and lustered with gold is not nor is named a vessel of silver or a cup of gold Though we name things by their skin and out-side yet when the hypocrite prays the Lord says the man prays Psal 18. 41. but the Spirit of God prays not in him Nor doth the Lord name Magus a true believer from his profession only the Holy Ghost saith he believed It 's good when the conversation speaks heaven and the spirit is visibly seen acting in the behaviour and walk of men It 's true there is much of renewed self as 1 Cor. 15 9 10. Gal. 2. 20. Rom. 7. 17 22. 1 Cor. 9. 20 21. in spiritual actings and this heightens the excellency of the actions corrupt self renders the act of praying and preaching wider and bigger but not better and excellenter especially in publick renewed self rendereth it excellenter And 5. Not unlike unto that touched before is a character of a spiritual man when the man is spiritually bewildered and doubts of all ways he walks in except the way he is sure to be of God Psal 143. 10. Teach me to doe thy will thy spirit is good lead me into the land of uprightness Hence these three follow 1. The spiritual man doubts of all ways and knows that he is a bewildered and ignorant traveller of himself and knows not by his own light 1. The way 2. The home and lodging Or 3. The guide It saith the spiritual man judgeth the spirit of God a good leader and guide it 's no sophisme à divisis thy spirit is good thou art a leader therefore the spirit is a good leader and guide it 's much to have the faith fixed upon influences of dayly guiding by God 3. It says I am willing to commit my goings to thee Take the guiding of me be father guide leader tutor king to me All these speak spiritual bewilderednesse And those two are well joyned 1. Sense of bewilderednesse and 2. Praying to the one onely guide in heaven and earth Psal 119. 19. I am
a stranger on earth hide not thy Commandments from me The Commandments are the way and a hid and covered way is a misery to a stranger or pilgrim A frequent sight of ignorance and errors and a being in love with the spirits leading is good Though a man could get the work through be it praying hearing reading warring governing eating and drinking yet he is not satisfied with the bulk of the work except the spirit be the doer This gracious spirit looks not so much to praying as to praying in the Holy Ghost nor to hearing as to hearing in the spirit of faith nor to fighting though David be stronger then the enemy except the spirit of the Lord lead the army Psal 60. 1 2 9 10. Psal 140. 7 8. Psal 18. 29 30 31. Nay it 's not enough to eat and drink except the spirit act the man to eat and drink for God Men spend and waste away their actings and call not for the spirit to get them compassed about We are men abundance to build the Temple and mighty Kings favour us and work-men have strength in legs and arms to lay stones in the wall O but that will not doe it Zach. 4. 6. Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts and so only is the Temple builded 6. There is a spiritual facility in the spiritual actings of a spiritual man 1. The acting is connatural and easie when it comes from an inward principle the stream naturally without violence flows from the fountain and so doth heat from the fire nor is it any pain to the earth to fall down and descend or for the light bodies fire and air to ascend it 's neither toyl nor labour to the Sun to give light for all these come from principles internal There is violence in the motion of an Horologue and therefore the wheels shall be worn out by time but the actings of the spirit are sweet and facile grace makes the Commandments not grievous it s no pain but easie to a gracious pastor to love Christ it breaks neither leg nor arm to desire Christ and be sick for him and to feed his flock for love to the chief shepherd 2. Psal 25. 9. The meek will he guide in judgement the meek will he teach is ways It 's easie for God to guide any man to guide and lead Lions and Unicorns but in the very object there is a facility to counsel a broken and danted spirit If a man be in his flower and prime and rich and mighty healthy and prosperous readily he will doe but what he will but if the man be in chains and broken and meekned with the rod of God he is easily bowed and counselled to what is good as iron red hot will bow and yield to the smitings of the hammer i'ts hard to lead a Lion The Lord speaks like the Lord to Job cap. 39. 9. Will the Vnicorn be willing to serve thee or abide by thy cribs Canst thou bind the Vnicorn with his band in the furrows or will he harrow the valleys after thee but it is easie to bind a lamb Meeknesse is easily led and drawn when the spirit comes in the man is made pliable for counsel he is a plowed and a broken man who saith Acts 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord what wilt thou have me to doe There was no pride in him but the fulnesse of the spirit of the anointing above all his fellows and all mankind who said not my will but thy will be done And if any living man should have had his will or a piece of his will it was a man whose holy will could never crook and it was now when sinlesse holy harmlesse nature was debating the greatest question that ever Heaven or Angels knew But the fulnesse of the spirit bids him quit his will and so he did The sweet passive tractablenesse of the spirit of grace will enjoyn the man to be ranged bridled and led of God there be some whom God can neither lead nor drive any inspiration fals upon him a moral influence this I should and ought to doe but I shall not I will not doe it let God doe his best and it is as if a burning cole were cast into the sea or river will it burn the sea will it be welcomed and received no it s presently quenched An unbroken Tyrant void of the spirit when he heard that charge Let my people goe They are my servants saith the Tyrant not thy people Exod. 5. 2. Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice and let Israel goe Let his influences be lodged with meeknesse O wrestle not against warnings but yield to them So are all gracious influences sweet delectable and easie is it pain nay its sweet and pleasant for a field of Roses of Vine-trees to receive showers and summer influences from the Sun and Heaven It was sweet for the baptised man Christ to receive and lodge the Holy Ghost who came down in the form of a Dove on him in all his influences 7. To act much in the spirit brings more abundance of the spirit 1. The more publick the work be the more is the man under the spirit Christ must have been under mighty flowings of the spirit who for the publick Catholick duty of redeeming mankind was willing to be suspended from the influences of his personal comfort and to be under that sad cloud of being forsaken of God that God might embrace us It 's the proper work of the spirit to glorifie God John 16. 14. He shall glorifie me saith Christ of the spirit for he shall receive of mine Then the more we glorifie God and Jesus Christ his Son we testifie we partake the more of the flowings of the spirit The Church hath so much the more of the spirit that she is willing to bear the Lord's indignation because she hath sinned Mic. 7. 9. and bear publick sufferings to illustrate the glory of his justice 2 We are also with Magdalen and other godly persons so far to be dead to the private comforts of love to Christ and his presence and waiting about the grave to anoint his body that we are to wait upon the more publick duties of resting in and of sanctifying of the Sabbath though otherwise the rescuing of the life of an oxe be mercy above this sacrifice If we have much of the spirit we shall patiently submit to the Lord's dispensation of his soveraign withdrawing of influences of comfort yea and delight in other inferior duties What though he will not feast me with the apples of the tree of life and suspend his comforts what if he withdraw joyful influences of believing of glorying and rejoycing in the Lord and feed the poor sinner with absence and exercise him with sad desertions 3. It 's a spiritual condition when Christ casts in feelings and discernable motions of the spirit and not only knocks but Cant. 5. 2 4.
puts in his hand by the hole of the door if this follow my bowels were moved for him And it 's a spiritual condition when the soul fails and the spouse falls a swoon at these words Open to me my sister my love c. Cant. 5. 2 6. And these lesser feelings would be turned into consent and into fixed resolutions as the spouse I opened to my welbeloved I sought him but I found him not I called him but he answered me not And that came from the feeling of his hand put in by the hole of the door ver 4. compared with ver 6. For that word Quench not the spirit 1 Thes 5. 19. includes an affirmative that is cherish kindly and yield sweetly unto the flowings and sweet influences of the spirit 8. A watching condition is a spiritual condition The Spirit of God is much seen in keeping the soul watching Ephes 6. 18. Praying with all prayer and supplication in the spirit is joyned with watching For it 's added and watching thereunto with all perseverance and Jude conjoynes praying in the Holy Ghost with ver 21. looking for or watching after the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life The spirit is willing Matth. 26. 4. forward watchful so is the â—enewed part but the flesh is weak sleepy and lazy And as much as the man hath of the spirit so much holy watchfulnesse hath he and Matth. 25. 26. the evil servant that digged his Masters talent in the earth is called wicked and slothful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sleepy in opposition to the watching and painful servant who ver 20. gained five talents to five talents Drowziness counter-works the knocking 's and gracious influences of the Spirit of Christ's calling Cant. 5. and answers Christ's piercing words Open to me my sister my love c. with a carnal excuse from drowzinesse it 's not time of night for Christ to seek lodging I have put off my coat how shall I put it on I have washed my feet how shall I defile them Cant. 5. 3. The flesh is a sleeping thing and a dead were we more diligent and painful we might be richer lesser motions closed with become the seed of larger motions The moving of the bowels at Christ's spiritual stirrings that he makes upon the heart grows to this I rose to open to my welbeloved Watching guards against sleeping and watchfulnesse puts the soul upon a resolution to watch sleeping guards no more against watching then then the privation fences off the habit or doth set a man to work against life We sit not watchfully upon the motions of the spirit to warm them and to draw life out of them as the Hen by careful sitting upon dead Eggs bringeth forth living birds Who would think a tree and a huge tree can come from a sorry plant or sixty or an hundred grains of wheat in harvest to be in one single grain cast in the earth in sowing time Can the flesh wait for the Lord is not hope an act of life Yea it 's lively hope opposite to a dead and rotten hope and waking is nearer to life and influences of life then sleeping which is the death of the man as touching the exercise of the sensitive life Then since the spirit is a spirit of life and a quickning and living spirit Rom. 8. 1 Cor. 15. the more watchfulnesse in any the more of the spirit For when the spirit enters in the dry bones they become an army of living men whereas before they were farther from life and spirit then sleeping bones Let us not sleep as do others but let us watch and be sober For they that sleep sleep in the night 2 Thes 5. 6 7. The night is far spent let us walk honestly as in the day not in rioting and drunkennesse not in chambering and wantonnesse nor in strife and in envying Rom. 13. 13. This is like the putting on of the Lord Jesus which is a work of the spirit for sleeping men put not on their garments Ministers especially are to watch yea to watch in all things then in sleeping they must watch 2 Tim. 4. 5. And hardly can fighting and enduring hardnesse as a good souldier of Jesus Christ commended to the Minister 1 Tim. 6. 12. 2 Tim. 2. 3. consist with sleeping if we know how near Satan the roaring Lion who sleeps not is to our quarters and camp 1 Pet. 5. 8. Who can sleep and be secure and resist Satan or stand against him stedfast and fixed in the faith ver 9. Christ is much upon this by Matthew Marke and Luke Watch Watch and pray and lest it slip them again I say to you Watch Matth. 26. 38 40 45. Matth. 24. 42. Matth. 25. 13. Mark 13. 23. Mark 14. 38. Luke 17. 26 27 c. Luke 21. 8 38. cap. 2. 2 46. How can sleeping men receive influences of grace doth the Lord cast influences upon sleeping mens bosomes So are we to act as our acting way be fathered on the spirit as the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon upon Sampson and they fight and the Spirit of the Lord upon Zechariah the son of Jehojadah and he prophecied 2 Chro. 24. 20. Luke 1. 64. the father of John Baptist was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophecied Simeon came by the spirit into the Temple This acting in the spirit is opposed to acting in the flesh and in the spirit of Satan as Bullinger of one brother who slew his brother and pretended the spirit and Pareus tels us the like As the Lord the Father and Son never spake to Abraham Moses to Patriarks or Prophets but he made them know it was the Lord so neither does the spirit act in any though the way seem violent as in Phineas and Samuel their executing of justice but the Spirit makes it known that it is the Spirit and that he is not in the mighty wind nor in the fire but in the calm voice So Samuel leisurely and advisedly convinceth Agag ere he kill him and gives a reason to his conscience from divine justice 1 Sam. 35. 32 33. though Samuel then had laid down the sword It 's an useful word Jude 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost and Ephes 6. 18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit What is there a praying in the flesh yea if preaching may be from a principle of the flesh out of envy and strife Phil. 1. 15. so may praying be from some rotten principle of fleshly presumption Lord Lord open to us Which us to us workers of iniquity Matth. 25. 11. Luke 13. 25 26. And 2. some prayer flows from fleshly despair and not from the spirit Rev. 6. 16. Mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne And 3. The enemies of David cry to the Lord out of fleshly fear and unbelief not in the spirit Psal 18. 41. There is a praying out of deadness and from the flesh
with a challenge of her refusing to open Ah! why did I not opâ—n while he did â—ovingly 〈…〉 knock and lovingly speak Open 〈…〉 my â—â—ster my love c. sense of Christ with chalâ—â—â—â—â—d good 〈◊〉 with tears for 〈◊〉 in the woman thâ—◠〈…〉 his feet with tears sense with faith going along 〈…〉 is commendable it s a spiritual case 〈…〉 up our recâ—nnings what we have profited spiritually by the heart-â—â—â—ingâ— wrought by Christ and this is a third diffrence The moral and 〈◊〉 man 〈◊〉 so â—â—prove his hear as to call himself to a reckoning nor 〈…〉 say wheâ— neere am I to God for my stirring 〈◊〉 reforming religion its kindly life-heat that makes the man more lively and vigorous While he spake The third particular who works burning of heart in these men speaking Jesus Christ when Christ takes the bellows and the fan and stirs up the fire it must needâ— burn boldly and when Christ casts in a coal in the soul it must make heart-flamings John 4. I am he that speaks to thee that made a fire in the womans heart then she leaves well and water-pot and runs to the City So Matth. 9. 9. Matth. 4. 20 21 22. with a word he kindles a fire in the brests of fisher-men who knew nothing of him before and hath an inward work upon the heart Cant. 5. He put in his hand by the hole of the door and my bowels were moved for him that was fire in the bowels and what did Christ here but speak words and this is the fourth difference with little pain but a word speaking he makes a fire There is a huge deal of violence in Esaus running sweating hunting Jacob stirred not after works but staid at home and believed and faith made him blessed the spirit drives not but by the words leading and perswading But is there no violence in the natural and literal heat Yea for Bâ—als priests to cut and bleed themselves with knives and cry till noon and to shout to a deaf God must have in it much violence and it s a very unnatural fire and its a most unnatural wild-fire heat to slay their young children to Molech A man who forces a sigh when a sigh forces not him is a sufferer but what violence is in the constraining Gospel-promise what compulsion is there in love or love-sickness when Christ makes love a key that opens all doors how strongly and how sweetly doth the word of promise carried on by the spirit of Christ force thy soul there is a huge deal of force and violence in fairâ—heed sickness as when a man makes and counterfeits distraction and madness and runs naked While he opened the Scriptures The fourth particular is the fewel that makes the fire the Scriptures opened and opened by Christs key Is not my word like a fire saith the Lord Jer. 23. 15. Yea in Christs baptizing there is fire John baptizeth with water and no more as a cold and watry seal but Christ Matth. â— 11. batizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire The word of prophesie was in Jeremiahs bowels as a fire shut up and this is the fift difference betwixt the literal and spiritual heat the heavenly heart-burning goes along with the Scriptures 2. With the Scriptures so opened and applied by the spirit of Jesus as by a strong power burning coals are cast into the heart As touching the former the difference betwixt this and the Libertines spirit or the Enthusiasts are to be observed and the spirit of the children of God 1. Christs spirit extols the Scriptures It is written saith Christ against Satan Have ye not read in the Scriptures saith Christ against the Sadduces Matth. 22. Search the Scriptures saith Christ they bear witness of me He taught the multitude and disciples as it s written in the Scriptures He rebukes them Luke 24. v. 25. as fools and slow of heart for not believing the Scriptures When he would carry in real influences of grace to the heart he carries them along by the Scripture and opens the understanding that they may understand the Scripture Luke 24. 45. that is the spirit of Satan in some who boast that they are beyond and above the word of the Kingdom and such must be beyond and on the other side of heaven 2. They who wait for the Lord and whose soul waits for God they hope in his word Psalm 130. 5 6. Libertines souls cannot wait for the Lord as the watch for the morning 3. It s a work of the spirit strongly to convince the conscience of not believing in Christ John 16. 7 8. now to believe in him is the sum of the Scriptures of the Gospel Enthusiasts extol perswasions by raptures according to which the brother killeth the brother as Bullinger relates in place of the Scripture-convictions of the spirit 4. The work of the spirit is to comfort for its the spirits office and the sound comfort is patience and comfort of the Scriptures bringing hope Rom. 15. 4. The spirit of Enthusiasts perswades men of peace and comfort without and beside the promises of the Gospel 5. The words of the book of the Law melt the heart of godly Josiah 2 Kings 19. 22. and the Lord looks to him that trembles at his word to dwell with him Isa 66. 2. The Enthusiasts boldly mock the word as an instrument of carnal and fleshly regeneration and seek a new birth from a spirit alone separated from the word 6. Deep humiliation is wrought by the word 2 Kings 22. 14. the pride of Satan reigns in the spirits of Enthusiasts who despise Scripture humility and reproach tears and the work of repentance as a work of the Law and the flesh 7. Strong and couragious fighting even to overcoming gets for a reward the hid manna the white stone and the new name written thereon which no man can read but he that receives it now fighting and overcoming is by the word of the spirit Rev. 2. 17. Eph. 6. 17. and faith in the word 1 John 5. 4. Enthusiasts tell us of a dumb and Scriptureless perswasion by which men are perswaded they are chosen to salvation and can know others by the face that are so chosen 8. The true spirit leads unto all truth John 16. 13 and opens the true sense of the Scriptures and leads no man by a new wild-fire light nor doth the spirit of God sway and determin a topick conjectural way while there is a speculative doubting as touching any light from Scripture whether the course be lawful or warranted by the word or not for the spirit of God leads by Scriptures infallibility Isa 59. 20 21. 9. The actings of the true spirit are gentle civil human and he bids us follow whatsoever is of good report whatsoever things are pure Phil. 4. 8 9. The spirit of Enthusiasts leaving Scripture licences men to abominations which Heathens abhor 10. The actings of the spirit of Christ are seasonable Matth. 10. 19.
judge it fit for their humiliation and the promoting of the work of their salvation and especially for the glory of holy Soveraignty they are to believe that the Lord shall absolutely confer upon them fundamental and amply necessary influences of grace but not that he shall bestow on them absolutely non-fundamental influences Assert 4. It s not lawful to engage to run the ways of the Lords commandments leaning to the habit of grace and the stock within the Believer Peter relied on this I am ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing habitual grace and faith to go with thee to prison and to death Luke 22. 33. and John 13. 37. Peter is angry because Christ lesseneth his stock and habit of grace and strength of faith Lord why can I not follow thee now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This habit of grace is not Christ neither the Spirit and therefore the enlarging of the heart upon the supposal whereof David engageth to run the way of the Lords commandments is not the only habitual enlarging of the heart but he supposeth also that the Lord must add his actual breathings and influences of grace else he cannot run nor move at all in the way of God John 15. 5. 1. Cor. 12. 2. 2 Cor. 3. 3. Assert 5. Far less can we engage to run the way of the Lord upon our own strength For 1. The Apostle James rebukes such as say they shall go to such a City and buy and sell and say not if God will James 4. 10 11. far less can we engage to spiritual duties on our own strength 2. This is carnal presumption for men to lay wagers on their own strength and to say with Peter and the Disciples they 'l do wonders 3. Men believe not the wickedness of their own hearts nor see they to the bottome of soveraignty the depth of sin original 4. It s contrary to godly watchfulness and an hardning of the heart as Prov. 28. 14. Blessed is the man who fears always but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischiefe 5. It s atheism to suppose that influences of saving grace are as due and connatural to men now fallen in sin as influences natural are some way due to the falling of rain the rising and going down of the Sun the growing of trees the ebbing and flowing of the sea and that we have dominion of free-will over the saving breathings of the holy Ghost Whereas 6. The Gospel bids us pray and by faith rely on the Lord for influences of grace and give the glory and praise of the breathings of the Spirit to God 7. It s against that humble self-denial and godly trembling and humble despairing of our own strength that should be in us in our undertakings of obedience So an huge deal of pride 2. want of mortification to self must be lurking in our undertakings Assert 6. It s not lawful to blame the Lord for our sinful omissions for that is to father our sin upon the holy Lord nor is that Isa 63. 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy ways and hardened our hearts from thy fear a complaining against God It s 1. a tacit complaining of themselves that they are grosse matter and the dunghil on which the Sun with his beams stirs up a stinking smell which is not the Suns fault 2. As Gods active hardning of us is a punishment of sin the Church may lawfully complain of it to God and deprecate that and all the like sad evils of punishment yet it shall never follow that God is the author or the cause of the sins of our being passively hardned of God or of active hardening of our selves 3. It s a prayer for softning and grace not to erre return for thy servants sake v. 16. thou O Lord art our Father our Redeemer thy Name is from everlasting 2. None of the Saints yielding to temptations do blame the Lords withdrawing but blame themselves and clear the Lord. Psalm 51. Against thee thee only have I sinned thou hast taught me wisedom in the inward parts here is a clearing of the Lord. Isa 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing v. 4. since the beginning of the world men have not perceived a God beside thee 5 8. So Lam. 3. 34. Assert 7. A Believer may undertake in the strength of God Psalm 119. 33. Cant. 14. Draw me we will run Grace and the Spirit in his sweet breathings being undertakers one may undertake for a journey when Christ engages for such a chariot the midst whereof is paved with love O be humble and lay not great wagers upon self ye know not sin original as a sin but ye know it as a meer punishment What we are sinners by nature and we can do no otherwise Pharaoh and Judas knew it so CHAP. VIII Q. 4. Is there no running except God enlarge the heart what then can we do ASsert 1. Without some enlargement of heart there is no running the negative is true none come to Christ except such as the father draws John 6. 44. John 15. 5. and the affirmative is true all that are drawn and have heard and learned of the Father do run and come apace Cant. 1. 4. John 6. 44. There is a spiritual riches in heavenly and spiritual suppositions O for more of Christ to ern his praises with a shout which might waken Angels and Men all men in this side and in the other side of the Sun and that all creatures might hear and put to their seal and cry Amen to the Psalm Assert 2. The use we are to make of our sinful weakness is not to sit still he loves death who says I cannot heal my self art and skill must only do it therefore I le seek to no Physitian if the Lord will not do it let me die The husbandman were mad who would say my plowing sowing early rising and late labouring can never make the corn to grow except God give the increase therefore I le fold my hands and take the other sleep and if another say God only creates the wind therefore I le never set my foot in a ship so is it here what can the dead and the sick sinner do if the Physitian Christ will neither quicken nor cure his influences of life are above my reach therefore I le never make out to Christ nor ask for the Gospel if Christ will not heal us we must pine away in our sins how then shall we live this is to tempt Christ and to bring him under a new miraculous way to heal and save the sinner in his dream without hearing the Gospel which is that God should bring bread and cloathing to the sleeping mans bed-side The contrary is Phil. 2. 13. work because he works Cant. 1. Draw and we will run the Spouse saith not Lord draw that we may sleep 2. Our impotency leads us to turn sinful wickedness in mournful confession and godly complaining as the Saints
God of nature by a sort of necessity must give influences to the egg so prepared to be a living bird when the heart is boyling and seething with thoughts of the King the tongue is the pen of a ready writer When the heart is fixed Psal 57. 7. as if he were master of influences he humbly out of the abundance of the heart engageth to sing and give praise I my self will awake early There is here fire therefore the Lord shall blow upon his own kindling no question we may cast water on our own coals The heart of the two disciples is burning like an oven while Christ speaks to them by the way Luke 24. 31. yet they fortifie themselves and fetch reasons to strengthen unbelief so as they seem to fetch unbelief and unbelief comes not on them unsent for ver 21. We trusted that it was he who should have redeemed Israel we are beguiled This is the third day the women said he was risen again but none saw him Strangle not heavenly dispositions they shall break out Prop. 3. For the branches of enlargedness of heart there is a fulness of the holy Ghost in the Baptist in Steven which was not a transient disposition but a permanent habit but this breaks out in something more then an habit The Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson in mighty influences when he broke the cords and carried away the ports of the City Psal 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter like a boyling and seething pot and that puts him to speak of the King Elihu Job 32. 18. I am full of matter the spirit within me constraineth me 19. Behold my belly is as new wine which hath no vent it is ready to burst like new bottles There was a heavenly spring a new fountain broken up in him and excellently beyond all the friends he pleads for the Lord his soveraignty O what fulness above measure above his fellows was in the man Christ the law was in his heart and the fulness of grace and as it were to overtake the running over well he takes whole nights to prayer and for Preaching and working miracles he hath not leisure to sleep or eat If there be a fire in Jeremiah's bowels what wonder then prophecying flame out of his mouth and he confess he was weary with forbearing Jer. 20. and God obtains his holy end The people are warned of their sin when Micah saith in opposition to the empty Prophets Micah 3. 6. But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the Lord and of judgment and of might and that fulness fetches influences from heaven to declare unto Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin This condemns the cold indifferent and dead actions of many who are far from that whatsoever ye doe doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the heart or soul which sayes some duties are soul-less actions and actions dead without heart and soul Isaiah would have us if we fast aright to give bread and not that only Isa 58. 10. but to draw out or vomit out so the word the soul to the hungry There is often great scarcity of the soul in our actions every acting in Gods way being an act of hypocrisie and a dumb and dead action When shall we lay the Lords glory to heart and do things from the soul Ah prayers without a soul what influences of grace are here hearing and no soul-hearing 2. There is a wideness and an all-ness in regard of wisedome Solomon had wisedome and largeness of heart as the sand that is on the Sea-shore 1 Kings 4. 29. So Paul Col. 1. 9. We cease not to pray that ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedom Eph. 1. 8. Christ hath abounded overflowed to us in all wisedome and prudence Col. 3. 16. Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisedome Here is wideness of heart 2. And Solomon was but a shadow and the sand of the sea which none can number a shadow of a shadow in comparison of Christ Col. 2. 3. In whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome And therefore he went about doing good up and down sowing good deeds to the world Acts 10. 38. Whom God anointed with the holy Ghost and with power Here is wideness of heart and abundance of influences and acting of good night and day 3. The wisedome of Angels is large Hence that wise as an Angel of God and also the fulness of God in their affections teacheth us that wideness of heart is outed in continual acting and so in multiplied breathings of God and Angels doe not walk and run onely but fly with wings cheerfully to doe the Lords will and what influences must be there when each having six wings they cease not night nor day to cry one to another Holy holy holy Lord God of hosts Almighty which was and which is to come the whole earth is filled with his glory Rev. 48. Isa 6. 3. 4. The glorified see him face to face that is wideness of heart and they serve him night and day and weary not Rev. 14. 2 3 4. Rev. 7. 9. 5. The more the Prophets and Apostles saw of God the more the heart is enlarged to teach and to warn every man Col. 1. 3. There is an enlargement of heart in loving Christ and in the experimental knowing and feeling thereof and in godly fear and joy Eph. 4. 19. Paul prays that the Ephesians may comprehend the love in all the dimensions of it That ye may be able to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye may be filled not that it may be in you but be filled 2. with fulness that is a wide fill 3. with the fulness of God that is yet wider 4. with all the fulness of God and then follow influences above the prayers of the godly v. 20. He is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us Of the latter Isa 60. 5. when the Gentiles shall be brought in to the Church Thou shalt see and flow together thine heart shall fear and be enlarged And hence wideness of heart in acting the Church shall willingly receive them and with joy also and hold open their gates night and day v. 11. and influences of grace and glory shall so be rained on the Church that her Sun shall no more goe down nor her Moon withdraw it self v. 20. All her people shall be righteous 21. A little one shall become a thousand and a small one a strong nation Nor shall they be weary in running Psal 92. 14. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age they shall be fat and flourishing The oyl burns and the oyl grows for Isa 40. 31. They shall run and not be weary A glimmering of newes come that Christ is risen and John and Peter try their speed who shall be first at the grave and Magdalen outruns
the disposition of the heart see what hearts ye can bring out before the Lord its true the repenting thief could not as Hezekiah say Lord I have walked before thee with a perfect heart or as Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought the good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith yet the crown is laid for love and such as love his appearance though all cannot wind up to be such fighting souldiers as Paul was the repenting thiefs flock was small his race short yet what he wanted of inherent grace that Hezekiah and Paul had he had it of free righteousness and Christ crucified was the gloriation of both David brings not out his fixed heart in his extream danger as building his peace on it the influence of works on justification and peace is not causative no more then the poor bride can say she hath put a debt upon the bride-groom to love her with marriage love because she wears his golden chains his bracelets and jewels it s the bridegrooms comliness that he puts upon her nor can roses and lillies say our Creator is our debtor oweth us love because we are subjects bearing his colours smell vertue and beauty of the Creator What would the rose be if the Creator should take all from it he gave to it We know such a rock to be covered with water therefore its full sea here is smoke therefore here is fire And ah what a heart in death can the unrenewed man bring forth before the Lord except he say Lord I was never in Christ Lord I never wept for sin Lord I never did a good work for Christ but all for my self Lord I prophesied in thy name but I was never born again but hated all those that were born again 2. How strongly may the believer argue who hath any heavenly fixedness of heart or any thing of Christ in him It s a sort of holy obligation with reverence that he shall bring forth to acting all his own holy dispositions it speaks an ingaging of holy unchangeableness that he shall perfect the good work he hath begun but be not ye lazy and do not ye sleep and say God shall do of all his grace that is a strong argument that the man who habitually uses such logick hath nothing to do with Christ Ah the Spirit will do whether I will or not and in the mean time thou livest a sensual beast know that thou but foments lies of the holy Ghost Jude puts these two together v. 19. sensual not having the Spirit and before v. 8. Likewise all these filthy dreamers defile the flesh dreaming and filthiness are conjoyned Men dream the influences of grace shall go along with their dispositions for good and they are but natural dispositions at the best and the Lord never said he would perfect nature and finish works of nature that are begun in swinish dreamers woful secure dreaming destroys external professors men will not awake neither are they afraid of that condition but a trembling professor is the surest and safest professor Verse 7. I will sing and give praise V. 8. Awake my glory awake psaltery The fourth point in the text tells us what this fixedness of heart produced in David I will sing so we are led to the rest of the characters and properties of the heavenly disposition of fixedness for it brought forth holy actings as singing of praise and awaking of his gift and grace which flow from holy dispositions hence the second property of holy dispositions 1. Once grace brings forth another and so holy dispositions holy actings faith and trusting in God brings forth claiming of God as the mans own Psalm 16. 1. In thee do I put my trust Hence v. 2. O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord. The disposition of believing brings forth speaking Psalm 116. 10. I believed therefore I spake 2. A disposition of loving God brings forth praying Psalm 18. 1. I will love thee O Lord my strength 3. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised Hannah Jonah Hezekiah David the afflicted soul Psalm 102. graciously sad and heavy pray and call on God in that case 3. The disposition of felt mercy brings forth praises Psal 30. 5. O Lord thou hast brought up my soul from the grave v. 3. Hence that Sing unto the Lord O ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness 4. David's joyful disposition to glory in the Lord brings forth his dancing before the Ark with all his might and his constancy therein to be yet more vile before the Lord what ever Michol said to the contrary and this is most sutable to the nature of heavenly dispositions motion comes kindly from the wheels when they are oyled the heavenly dispositions oyles and anoints the soul and renders the powers more active as they anointed wrestlers of old to make them more nimble and active in wrestling 2. The very intention apointment of God speaks so much God hath ordained heavenly dispositions for heavenly actings as he hath appointed the plant to be a tree the seed to be growing corn bread the Lord sends a praying disposition on David as a seed of praying a praising disposition that he must rise at midnight and praise Psalm 119. 62. and prevent the dawning and the night-watches to cry and pray v. 147 148. And an hoping disposition on Job that when he is dead bones lying in a bed he must profess his perswasion to see his living Redeemer stand the last man on the earth and desires his words were printed in a book and graven with a pen of iron and lead in the rock for ever Job 19. 24 25 26 27. And dispositions on Elihu to plead for the Lords Soveraignty so as if he should hold his tongue he should give up the ghost his belly should burst like new wine-bottles Job 32. 19. And Job must plead for God and for his own integrity that he was not an hypocrite as his friends slanderously said his disposition pressing him so as he saith Job 13. 19. Who is he that will plead with me for now if I hold my tongue I shall give up the ghost And the Lord gives such a disposition of zeal for God to Moses though he was a man of a meek disposition that he breaks the two Tables of stone containing the written law when he heard of the peoples worshipping of the golden calfe and such a heavenly self-denying disposition to prophecie on Jacob that in his testament he curses his two sons Simeon and Levi for their unjust anger against the Sichemites and there is such an impression of zeal and a feaver against Idolatry on Pauls spirit at Athens Acts 17. that he must dispute against their false gods Nor are we to think that holy dispositions are but as sailes to the ship and wings to the bird which adde no strength to the
thy son make me as one of thy hired servants 3. Is not spiritual hunger humble David had a great room in the house and was a type of the chief cornerston and prepared in abundance for the building of the house and was a man according to Gods heart but when he was banished ah how happy was a door keeper in his house Psal 84. 3. The room of a sparrow or a swallownest beside his Altar is a Kings inheritance v. 4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they will be still praising thee saith David at such a time Qu. But are not love-dispositions now under desertion and the Lords withdrawing the stronger and more powerful in Christ 1. The very withdrawing of Christ as touching his end is mercy and requires strong missing Christs hard pulling to be away suites strong holding on our part I will not let thee goe for there is strength and bones in love to resist a contrary 2. Dispositions heavenly in the affections make a huge deal of noise and tumult as here there is pathetick charging to tell Christ her love-sickness under desertion and it 's good when desires for Christ under absence are strongest that faith humbly and submissively waiting on in hope is stronger also when it makes least noise and tumult as the deepest river without rumbling runs quietly down the banks But 1. Learn to husband well love-feasts of nearer and sweeter presence believe for the time to come pray for the time to come hear and observe for the time to come lay up love in store for times of spiritual scarcity Ah we waste dispensations of the love of Christ and swallow them over without humble believing and godly watching and fear and waste prodigally feasts of love we then learn to grow in experimental knowledge in solidity of believing sense is wanton and feeds it self and we neglect faith and the growth thereof 2. Be submissive when influences are withdrawn examine whether they have been abused and if you might not have made five ten and had a richer stock if you had been spiritually diligent and if so mourn for the abuse of these showres for Paul tells that the Lords working in us to will and to doe which is showring of influences of grace is the great teaching argument that lays bands on us to will and to doe and the Lords teaching David wisdome in the hidden part Psal 51. 6. which was holy breathings and inspirations of the spirit to make the letter of the word effectual is an argument of heightning his sin of adultery and murther and he layes bonds on his own heart to improve influences Psal 119. 33 Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it to the end Certainly the Lords sending the first and latter rain on his garden of red wine and watering it every moment must lay bands on his people to be plants of righteousness and his blowing with the North and South wind of his spirit upon his garden requires the duty of the flowing of the spices and their thriving and the spirit of the Fathers purging calls for bringing forth of more fruit and the spirits leading requires that we should willingly follow such a guide and the Spirits teaching requires that we be docile and spiritual and the Spirits convincing that we bow and yield to his conviction The Spouse then under the withdrawing of Christ v. 6. is here put to see her poverty and speak by others her case to Christ when she neglected to speak to Christ when he was nearer to her then now If you find him tell him There is then some spiritual capacity without which the daughters of Jerusalem cannot pray and that is if they find him not Christ cannot be prayed unto and if the faith meet not with him as Immanuel Paul saith well Rom. 10. 13. How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed 2. Can one call on God or cry to him Abba Father who never laid hold on him as a Father Know then that unbelief is an iron door betwixt Christ and many who pray or rather cry to him for many pray to an unknown Christ Could Jacob wrestle with an unfound and farre-off God Hos 12. 4. He wept and made supplication to him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with us Can any knock and neither find the right door nor 2. know the King and the Lord of the house within ye never went into the Kings chamber nor to his house of wine and how can ye speak to him Obj. 1. You lay much weight on the quality and worth of prayer when you say we must first find Christ before we can pray to him Answ Praying must have some spiritual quality in it since itâ—s a work of the Spirit for speaking of words is not praying The legion of devils in the possessed man Mat. 8. spake words and made a suit to Christ but they prayed not Davids enemies cry even to the Lord Psal 18. 41. but pray not The damned in hell speak words to God but they blaspheme and quarrel with holy justice but pray not 2. The lowest discernable breathing out of a sigh through the holy Ghost hath as well the nature of prayer as an eighth part of an ounce of gold partaketh of the nature of gold no less then a mountain of gold 3. The groaning of the Spirit of the Lord is in every praying and therefore let none be beguiled who are destitute of the Spirit for no man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. It 's not want of charity nor unnecessary discouraging of any to say a thistle is a thistle and not a rose a thorn is a thorn and not a vine-tree Where the spirit of grace joynes no influences of saving grace can you call that speaking to God a work of saving grace It were good men were not permitted to treasure up pieces of brass and copper and suffered to dream they have a treasure of gold 4. Sense of deadness in prayer oftner speaks the life of prayer and a godly sense of blindness is a large measure of seeing John 9. 41. Obj. 2. Then must we not pray till me first find Christ Answ Not so neither for praying fitteth for praying Stirring of the birth brings and increaseth lively heat better mar praying especially if you dare not dissemble then restrain or omit praying Obj. 3. I cry and I am not heard Answ The godly man may move the same doubt Job 19. 7. Psal 22. 2. 2. There are degrees of discerning an answer and degrees of the Lords opening to the knocking of faith it were sit yet Magus prayed more Acts 8. 22. and that he went about means with more sense of deadness If you find my beloved The Spouses withdrawing beloved v. 6. is her beloved Christ is a seeking yet sayes she he is my beloved The interest in Christ is moral or in
meet with the Lord 's wrathful rebuke then with his softening and pitying mercy CHAP. II. The Lord keeps an order in sending influences 2. He maketh short work on some 3. There is a confluence of influences at one time and in one work 4. Despising of the Word 5. Refusing of Ordinances 6. Persecuting of the Prophets 7. Resisting of the operations of the spirit do all obstruct influences 8. Praying and praising promove influences 9. Hardening of the heart 10. Not profiting by means 11. Remaining in nature 12. Actings in wrath rancor malice bitternesse and inordinate passion obstruct influences 13. Keep the oyl of the spirit clean if ye would have influences 14. We are to act morally and physically with the spirit 15. Prayers obstruct not soveraigntys acting THe Lord 's ordinary way of working is here to be observing the spirit confers not upon Peter's hearers Acts 2. influences of faith and of gladly receiving of the word v. 41. at the first before he bestow influences to the pricking of the heart for sin v. 37. nor does the spirit act upon Saul Acts 9. and the Jayler Acts 16. for their rejoycing in the Holy Ghost and believing and applying Christ and the promises at the first until first a law-law-spirit humble and make the proud to tremble Then the spirit must use divers instruments and shoot arrowes and influences of law and wrath and wound the heart with arrows of love as the Artist the Carpenter useth sundry tools according to the diversity of timber that he works on and the Lord here accommodates his influences according to the nature of the soyl It 's like Christs spirit made shorter and more expedite work on the hearts of James John for when Christ said unto them Follow me Matth. 4. 19 22. they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 straigthway or immediately leave their nets and their father and follow him It 's as little time betwixt Christs word to the man sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and walk and his walking Mark 2. 12. for immediately 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he took up his bed and went forth before them all It 's like Matthew's conversion is of the same nature Matth. 9. 9. Luke 5. 27 28. in which the Lord gives proof that as some Castles fall at the first shooting of the Canon so there is no standing out nor resisting of Christ for when he adds strength of omnipotency the work of humiliation of conviction of saving faith or repenting are all quickly done as if tilling sowing and harvest were all in one day or one hour 2. We see also that gracious influences are threeded as it were upon gracious influences every beating of the smiths hammer brings forth at once many sparkles of fire and a shour of rain is the falling of millions and hosts of drops of rain at once So in fervent prayer there must be a cluster of gracious influences in every sigh and groan there is an acting of the spirit Rom. 8. 26. The work of the spirit must be maimed imperfect if godly watching 2. Prayer 3 Fervent desire 4. Humble sense of unworthiness 5. Faith on the promise 6. Love to our Father have not every one their several influences of grace When the seven stars arise above the Horizon if six ascend the seventh must also ascend in all which the poor sinner is far below the influences of grace they are sent out as soveraignty thinks fit and here the Lord rains down showrs of grace and a showre is made up of a multitude of drops yet in the general may sinners counter-work and restrain as it were the influences of grace they may resist the word Zech. 7. 12. They made their hearts like an Adamant stone lest they should hear the Law Now the Lord cannot give influences out with the preached word where men turn away their ears from the Law Prov. 28. 9. and Act. 7. 57. they stop their ears Wicked men cannot be avenged on the Spirit in his person or in his several operations of saving grace yet they avenge themselves on the message and break in pieces the chariot that carries the Spirits operations and trample upon his word be in love with the word to count it your heritage Sweeter then the honey and the honey-comb and you as David upon suit shall have influences to be kept from presumptuous sins Psal 19. 7 8 9. compared with v. 13. and Psalm 119. 40. Behold I have longed after thy precepts therefore Quicken me in thy righteousness 2. Men can refuse to come and partake of Ordinances and to be Baptized as the Pharisees do Luke 7. 29 30. and so reject the counsel of God and refusing to be among the golden Candlesticks and the Assembly of his Saints comes neer to trampling on the blood of the Covenant doing despite to the Spirit of grace Heb. 10. 25 26 29. Rejoyce to stand within Jerusalem Psal 122. for the Church is his vineyard love a room in his Church for it lies neer to the Sun and is under the watering and showres of grace So Christ speaks to the Spirit Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North-wind and come thou South blow upon my garden that the spices thereof may flow out So there is a commission given that the Spirit in its efficacy blow upon the plants and flowers that grow there the Church is also his garden of red wine which he waters every moment Isa 27. 3. Acts 7. 51. Ye do alway resist the holy Ghost then must they obstruct the gracious actings of the holy Ghost this proves it to be true that Steven said that they resisted the holy Ghost Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of that just one of whom ye are murtherers saith he they who cast down the lodging they injure the indweller the godly prophet is the house and lodging of the holy Ghost 2 Chro. 36. 12. Zedekiah humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord. Now the Spirit acted on the Prophets when they spoke 2 Pet. 1. 12. then esteem the feet of the messengers of God to be pleasant upon the mountains for they bring glad tidings of peace and that they only do who have these gifts of the Spirit to pray and believe Rom. 10. 14 15. 4. The speaking against the manifest operations of the Spirit of the Lord by which Christ cast out divels draws so deep as the sin against the holy Ghost Matth. 12. and such are deprived of pardon of faith to lay hold on pardon and such having done despite to the spirit of grace must indite war against the Spirit and all his operations therefore cherish and obey the Spirits actings be willing to be led by him close with the counsels and breathings of the Spirit speak to edification that which ministers grace to the hearers and that cherishes the
sealing of the Spirit Eph. 4. 29 30. So singing Psalms and Hymns and spiritual Songs with making melody in the heart to the Lord is a proclaiming that there is some fulness of the Spirit if the Spirit could speak in the Saints the two native languages of the Spirit would be praying for that is the cry of the Spirit Rom. 8. 15 23 26. and singing praises Eph. 5. 18 19 20. The way to have influences of the Spirit is to pray continually and fervently and to give thanks always for all things unto God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Eph. 5. 20. 5. A wicked hardening of the heart is as if ye would cast water on a weakly smoaking fire of green timber that cannot be a seat an office-house to the Spirit and his actings such are interdited of the spiritual seeing and of the Spirits hearing of the Spirit Rom. 11. 8. God hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear to this day It 's dreadful when Prophets preach some stark blind and dead one of the chief and noble operations of the Spirit is illumination and he is a seeing and an enlightning and a hearing spirit 1. Wink not before the shining beams of the Sun yield heartily to the convictions of the Spirit John 16. 7. such as waste away the light of conscience and the convictions of the Spirit are not entrusted again with new actings of the Spirits enlightning 2. Be tender and stand in awe of smaller sins it speaks much of the spirit in David to be smitten with the renting of the lap of Saul's garment 6. Some make themselves uncapable of the actings of the Spirit who seeing great temptations signs and miracles have plenty of means yet remain blind and hard-hearted and dull of hearing Deut. 29. 2 3 4. Heb. 5. 11 12. Joh. 12. 37 38 39 40. if we would improve the actings of the Spirit and delight in the Lords way we should have new influences to walk in his paths Psalm 119. 35. and God teacheth David good judgements for saith he I have believed thy commandments v. 66. So are they-far from new influences who abuse so many plagues and so many deliverances from these plagues as Pharaoh did and crush the motions of a trembling conscience as Felix did a doubt it may be if ever the like acting of a Law-spirit visit such men again 7. All such who remain in the state of unrenewed nature are uncapable of the actings of the Spirit nor does the Spirit lodge in sensual and beastly men Jude v. 19. nor can the world receive the Spirit of truth John 14. 17. no more then the spirit and breathing of a horse can lodge in aâ—pismire It 's true John Baptist was full of the holy Ghost from the womb Luke 1 15. and the Spirit acts him with joy v. 41. when Mary saluted her but John Baptists sin Original was both then pardoned as touching the damnation thereof and subdued as touching the dominion of it Otherwise another spirit acts and works by nature in the sons of disobedience Eph. 2. 2. and these two strong ones can remain and dwell both in one castle then seek translation and to be with Christ if ye would have the Spirit and his influences multitudes no more complain of the want of the influences of the Spirit then a dead mans corps complains of cold of hunger of thirst or of influences of life from the living soul nor complain they of sickness Oh it speaks life to be pained for the waâ— of the Spirit and his influences what wonder that ye cannot perswade a sleeping man that he sleeps 8. Some actings of bitterness wrath clamour anger and malice in the Saints may sadden the Spirit of God darken the evidence of the Spirits sealing unto the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30 31. It must be a sort of suffering to the Spirit and a casting water on the fire and a deadning to David as touching vigorous and lively operations that he acted adultery and murther which moves him to pray for the restoring to him again the joy of the Lords salvation and to be upholden by the Lords free spirit Psal 51. 12. Can a King dwell even in a palace when it is burning and smoaking about his ears therefore holy actings teaching of sinners praying praising Psalm 51. 13 14. 15. to be kind one to another and tender-hearted to forgive one another as Christ did Eph. 4. 32. and to act as the Spirit and to be holy and heavenly in one walk puts the Spirit in a sweet composed temper to act and breath abundantly in his flowings of love and grace 9. It would be observed that influences of the Spirit are contempered with the actings of grace with which they concur the spirit of adoption acts in the grammer of prayer to cry Abba Father and he comes down to the language of children learning to speak and to say Abba and the Spirit helps our infirmities O it must be great help that the Spirit yields it must be creating of new heavens or removing of mountains or dividing of the sea or something like say some nay the Spirit helps us with a groan his influences come down to sigh and weep and mourn like a dove in a Saint Rom. 8. 26. Cant. 2. 14. Ezech. 7. 16. and if so it 's no wonder that the Spirit breaths not on our wild fire anger Well does the Spirit breathe on Christs holy anger he was angry and grieved Mark 3. 5. and was saddened at the offending of God To be angry at the sin of offenders and yet so as to compassionate the soul of the offender this is to fix a fit seat for the influences of the spirit nor can we receive the influences of that spirit who applieth and intimateth pardon and forgiveness when our anger is such to these who injure us as we cannot forgive them and if anger lodge and take chamber in the bosome and brest of a fool can the Spirit breathe supplications in such a brest when the fountain is troubled and muddy with clay it gives no representation of the face and image to the beholder Psalm 119. 135. Make thy face to shine on thy servant but the soul is a dusty and muddy glasse most unfit to receive the irradiations and beams of such a transcendent sun of glory yea it 's some way fitted v. 136. rivers of water run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law Then a soul mourning for sin is fit to be shined upon by the Lord when the man Christs soul is exceeding sorrowful even to the death Matth. 26. 38. then is his soul fit to receive dartings of the spirit to pray most humbly with his face on the ground v. 39. most believingly O my Father O my Father most fervently with tripple praying 44. more earnestly Luke 22. 44. or more bendedly then
the wound green the tender hand of Christ lovingly and compassionately binds up such broken ones Isa 61. 1. Psal 147. 3. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds and bones easily know their own place of bones when his hand puts them in place 4. Iron is the strongest and hardest of mettals yet being hot in the furnace receiveth any impression or figure and bones yield to the smiting of the hammer which it doth not when it 's cold and stiff when the cross hath graciously melted and softened the soul then it receives influences of grace and is ready to receive as Saul Act. 9. 6. trembling and aâ—tonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to doe The proud self arrogant spirit will not receive nor lodge impressions of grace from heaven be not then high-minded but fear otherways there shall be no rain on you and you shall not be ingraffed in Christ 9. Worldly mindedness and savouring of the things of the flesh keeps the soul both under deadness and distance from God the light of glory and the heart and conversation in heaven brings forth that which hath a strong influence of grace with it Phil. 3. 20 21. We look from heaven for our Saviour the Lord Jesus who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body when the soul is in heaven and we all 2 Cor. 3. 18. with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord we are neer to the receiving of the aspects of the glorified Redeemer But such as mind earthly things whose God is their belly Phil. 3. 19. can no more receive influences of grace then earth-worms or the Serpent that eateth the dust neither can heaven and the life to come have an impression in the gracious influences of God upon a wretched man who worships clay and hath no heaven but gold how can influences of God be received in the heart of an Idolater Heavens glory upon the soul is so transparent that bread and hunger had no influence upon Moses for forty days when he was in the mount with God and then rays and influences of glory could not but besweetly received on the soul it 's clear in such as stand and live before the throne who are under the eternally shining summer Sun and receive eternally influences of glory Rev. 7. 15. the Lamb leading them they serve God night and day in his Temple v. 16. and see his face Rev. 22. 4. and reign for ever and ever v. 5. and the Disciples forgot bread and garments yea and houses for themselves to dwell in for the three tabernacles were for Christ and Moses and Elias not to shelter them from frosts and rain and hail for they feared not the like injuries to glorified bodies the Disciples say It 's good for us to be here and so it 's good for us to part with houses with ships with fishing with nets with plucking of ears of corn or buying of bread yea it 's good to part with Ordinances preaching to the Jews or Gentiles with working of miracles healing the sick or casting out of divels influences of glory were as connaturally received in the soul that is neer God and heavenly minded as the Moon and Stars receive light from the Sun and dry fewel receives fire where clay and the earthy and drosy part of the Lords creation and his foot-stool can receive no light at all so if earthly mindedness have fixed a seat in the affections the spirit of grace and glory cannot shine through gross and earthy hearts give us corn wine and oyl and the influences of the lovely countenance of God say worldlings we do little value whereas it is night and winter and hell for a child of God when the Lord withdraws influences of faith and feeling loving rejoycing and neer communion with God worshippers of God never miss gracious influences when the soul is sick after Christ influences of God for the high praise of Christ abound Cant. 5. 6 7 8 9 10 11 c. and Psal 63. 1. when the soul thirsteth for God and the heart and flesh cry out for the living God Psal 88. 1 2. and the soul panteth as the hart for the water brooks for God Psal 42. 1. which are crying signs of a heart in heaven then influences of grace like an high spring-tyde and like a full river flow most abundantly even to the satisfying of the soul as with marrow and fatness and to the tongue praising of God with joyful lips and the remembring of God in the bed in the night-watches Psal 63. 4 5 6. and to the extolling of the Lord as God and King Psal 88. 1 2 3. and the breaking of the heart and bones when God is reproached Psal 42. 3 10. 10. Fiery zeal hinder influences burn the Samaritans with fire from heaven say the Disciples O Paul say fiery followers of the Law would destroy the Law of God and have Christ and grace all but received ye the spirit or his influences by the Law ye know not the wild-fire of revenge and the spirit of anger that leads you saith Christ to the Disciples even to the mild beloved disciple John Luke 9. 54. Come saith Jehu and see my zeal for the Lord liar come see my zeal for Jehu and for Jehu his new Kingdom but there were here no influences of the spirit of grace for 2 Kings 10. 31. Jehu took no heed to walk in the Law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam which made Israel to sin Therefore Jehu his fire in killing Baal's priests and Achab's seed being from false principles carnall and selfe ends and called by the holy Ghost Hos 1. 4. blood-shed and murder to be avenged of God must come from bastard influences And when our saviour rights the fire of zeale in John and James he condemnes the Spirit and the influences that made them so brutishly to startle Luke 9. 55. 2. He reduces them to the faith and sound believing of his coming in the world which was to save mens lives not to destroy them v. 56. it 's a notable healing of the too hot blood that is in fierie zeale to believe soundly the meekness of Christ therefore would hot and wild-fire influences be well tried whence they come from Heaven or from Hell for so some who kill the Lords Apostles judge then if sparkles of fire can come from heaven John 16. 2. when it is nothing so Ophni and Phinehas are publickly zealous for the Lord Moses meek in the injury done to him by Miriam and by Core and Dathan and his is fiery against the golden calf in the Lords cause hence influences from God set them a work and eat them up as zeal for the Lords house eat up David Psalm 69. 9. Psalm
119. 139. and Christ John 2. 17. 11. Fleshly uncleanness put them of Sodom to mock and persecute Lot a preacher of righteousness Gen. 19. 9. and their not hearing of Lot prove their influences were not of God The holy Ghost clears to us that David 2 Sam. 11. all along was carried by no saving influences for there we find 1. His idleness 2. His sluggishness in sleeping in day light when the Ark and people of God were in the fields 3. His adultery 4. His sending for Vriah to cover the matter 5. His causing Vriah to be drunk 6. His bloody letter to Joab to kill Vriah 7. His bloodshed 8. His Atheistical talking the state of the war 9. Whereas David mourned for the death of Saul and Abner his enemies and his not looking with godly trembling on workes of divine justice in the Army he passeth this over as a chance of war in all which the spirit that led him in composing heavenly Prayers and Psalms was now far away What actings of the Spirit can swine and dogs receive from God 2 Pet. 2. 12. 22. O but a clean hearth-stone and a chaste holy and clean house would be kept for the kindlings and flamings of the holy Ghost See Tit. 2. 3 4. 1 Thess 4. 2 3 4. 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. let the holy Ghost his temple that he dwells in be neat pure undefiled for influences are the breathings of the Spirit and the holy Spirit breaths not on bruite beasts and on slaves to the lust of the flesh 12. Malice and hatred called man-slaughter 1 Joh. 3. 15. must bemist the soul and darken and benight or over-night both conscience mind will and affections and so as stones or rocks or the sea sands can receive no influences from Sun and clouds to bring forth wheat and barley neither can the heart stuffed with malice for the very incapacity of the soil is the cause why such ground cannot close with such impressions and influences of God 2 Sam. 23. 1. The Spirit of the Lord spake by me there must be quickning influences his word was in my tongue The man that ruleth in the fear of the Lord shall be as the light of the morning when the Sun riseth a morning without a cloud as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain The just Prince and Ruler full of love and mercy to the people of God and full of righteousness is like a morning without a cloud that hath clear influences of a shining Sun the Lord quickning him with light of love mercy and righteousness to the people whom he feeds that he is as the earth receiving from the influence of the Sun clouds and rain warmness that casteth up tender grass and corn But v. 6. The sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands 7. But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear and they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place Then malice reigns so in wicked men that if a man touch them and keep society with them in duties of love they bleed the hands of these that touch them as briars and thorns doe except the hands be fenced with iron and steel He notes the Nations to whom David and Joshua offered peace but they blood the people of God and prepare war as is clear in the Ammonites to whom David sent a message of love and they came against him with the sword and war now they are such thorns as are for the fire saith David and that they may be burnt they require no influences of Sun and rain Prov. 4. 17. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence Acts of hatred are their meat and drink and what influences of the spirit can their way which is the way of darkness v. 19. require Rom. 3. 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood for v. 17. the way of peace they have not known and there is no fear of God before their eyes Be meek and gentle as Christ Isa 42. 2 3. Isa 53. 7. a lamb dumb before the shearer Luke 23. 34. 2 Cor. 10. 1. and that holy meek one lay neer the Sun and the influences of the Spirit Isa 11. 2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest on him the Spirit of wisedom and understanding the spirit of counsel and might the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord Joh. 3. 34. for God giveth not the Spirit by measure to him neither acteth the Holy Ghost in his sweet breathings on bloody and cruel hearts of persecutors 13. Wordly sorrow counterworketh sound repentance and godly carefulnesse holy defences holy anger against our selves godly fear vehement desire zeal for God revenge such by which we are not to be satisfied with our selves who have committed such wickednesse now all these require influences of the Spirit 2 Cor. 7 9 10 11. 2. The Law-Spirit of bondage being hellish fear Rom. 8. 15. and must be another spirit then the witnessing spirit and the influences of the one different from the other as good wheat that comes of the plowing and sowing of the husband-man and wild corn that comes from no plowing or husbandry but such wild oats grow of their own accord in mountains and in the house-tops Rom. 8. 15 16 17. 3. The hypocritical sorrow of Esau weeping for the blessing and yet saying in his heart he would kill his brother could have no influences of the Spirit Genes 27. 38 41. for heart-prophanness which was in Esau Genes 25. 32. Heb. 12. 16 17. cannot consist with saving influences and Malach. 2. 13. the covering of the Altar with tears crying and weeping to God was bastard sorrow for they married the daughter of a strange God and compare David's godly sorrow Psal 51. wherein he seeks the new heart and the free Spirit to be restored to him there were there strong influences of the Spirit with his weeping and mourning for Absolom when he was killed and the difference is clear this latter seems to be but a wordly sorrow such as mourn excessively for their dead friends 1 Thes 4. 13. banish the Spirit of faith and hope which cheareth the heart with the comfort of the last resurrection Much sorrow spent on it's a case of conscience to be remembred the death of a father brother husband wife children loss of goods argues a carnal mind and blunteth the stirrings of the Spirit consider Martha her grief for her dead brother and her unbelief in tying the not dying of her brother to Christ's presence bodily as man John 11. 21. and her sorrow well near drowns her faith ver 39 40. 14. False joy in corn wine and oyl in full barns Psalm 4. 7. Luke 12. 19. in the pleasant things of a present world must not a little oppose the Spirit in his influences for where that joy is
unrenewed and full and extream at only that which is a worldly good thing the spirit is yet carnal and no saving influences can be there in the regenerate the affections are like two contrary rivers when the one river is full at the flowing in of the sea the river in the contrary coast is low and ebb so joy sorrow love desire c. as the Spirit prevails Rom. 7. as the flesh prevails in its motion so are they up in their fleshly exorbitancies and low in their motions and flowings toward God v. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24. but the joy spiritual at the coming and receiving of the Gospel Acts 8. 5 6 7 8. the joy of believing Rom. 15. 13. the joy of the hope of glory Rom. 5. 2. Matth. 5. 12. the Joy in the midest of heaviness if need be for a season which is unspeakeable and full of glory 1. Pet. 1. 6 7 8. the joy in suffering under reproaches and the spoyling of our goods Heb. 10. 33 34. Acts 5. 41. 1 Thes 3. 9. the Joyingin Christian walking Phil. 4. 4. the joy of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. and the like are all fruits of the spirit and have necessarily conjoyned with them heavenly influences to receive the Gospel Acts 8. to beleive with peace of mind Rom. 15. 13. to hope for glory Rom. 5. 2. Matth. 5. 12. to be comforted under heaviness even to love the holy afflicter 1 Pet. 1. 5 8. to all patience in suffering Heb. 10. 33 34. Acts 5. 41. to walke chearfully in our Christian course Phil. 4. 4 5. all which must be wanting in the false and bastard joy of the world and the like may be said of desire the more men waste their desires in worldly objects the less of the Spirit have they as these two are excellently conjoyned Psalm 73. 24. Thou shalt guide me by thy counsels and afterward receive me to glory Influences in perseverance in the way of God by Gods counselling and leading are here insinuated and beside that a spiritual desire v. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and in the Earth there is none I desire beside thee 15. Self-love is a note of Apostates in the last days 2 Tim. 3. 2. and of men in the state of nature where self-love prevails above the love of God for natural men make themselves the god of gods and the god of their false gods Exod. 20. 4. Judg. 2. 19. Psalm 81. 8. Amos 5. 26. Hos 13. 2. there be men who make themselves their last end it 's contrary to all true holiness and sanctification and so to all acts and influences of the Spirit for it is the proper work of the Spirit to make us holy and he bears the name of the holy Ghost and of the spirit of sanctification upon that reason and therefore where self is the mans god what room is left to holiness and to the influences of grace and where the love of God is spread abroad in the heart by the holy Ghost which is given Rom. 5. 5. and hath a seat in the heart John 21. 15. John 14. 15. Deut. 10. 12. Deut. 6. 4 5 6. Deut. 30. 6. as the habitual fear of God hath also what doubt is there but the Lord shall joyn actual influences of grace to his owne spiritual habits which should put us to self-denial and to be less wedded to the love of our selves and more to love the Lords Word Law and Testimonies Psalm 119. 11 47 72 97 127 128 c. to love Jesus Christ his cause and Gospel more then our own life Matth. 16. 25 26. then houses brethren sisters father mother wife children or lands Matth. 19. 29. Matth. 10. 37. Luke 14. 26. and where this habit of love prevailing in the heart is the Lord denies not actual influences to his own sincere followers and strength of grace to seal his truth with their blood Rev. 12. 10 11. Heb. 11. 33 34 35. Heb. 10. 32 33 34. and when self-confidence and self-love and carnal fear of losing life present prevails by reason of a temptation as is clear in Peter and the Disciples who deny and forsake Christ contrary to their undertaking Matth. 26. 31 32 33 34 35 v. 56 69 70 71 c. the Lord justly withdraws the influences of his spirit 16. The ignorance of the Gospel and the loathing of Christ renders all Pagans who hear the rumour of Christ but receive him not and all Reprobates within the visible Church in a worse condition then rocks and desarts are in for Sun clouds and rain send influences in them but the malignity and driness and coldness of the soil is the cause why they do not spring and blossome as the gardens and meddows but though the Lord send common helps to such Pagans and unbelievers yet it is justice that the Spirit in his influences should be a stranger to such as live strangers to the Son of God for the Son and Spirit go not contrary ways to their operations Carnal professors who study only a form of godliness and aim not at the power of godliness and do but bear the bare letters and outward bulk of baptism and the sound of the word preached and hate Christ and persecute the godly that are chosen by him out of the world come under the name of the world who cannot receive the Spirit nor his influences John 14. 17. and have a spirit of their own the spirit of the world 1 Cor. 2. 12. this spirit is their tutor and guide and such as are out of Christ are led by the prince of the power of the air the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. and are taken captive by him at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. Now can these two spirits the Spirit of God and the Divel lodge in one and the same dwelling and exercise their several operation on the same soul No. 17. The sad freatings and wrestlings at the providence of God incapacitates men for influences of grace thrice Psalm 78. the people are said to tempt the Lord and especially in asking meat for their lust v. 18. can he provide flesh for his people v. 20. and the Spirit of the Lord so tempted le ts not out his sweet and saving influences upon such as wrestle with his holy dispensations was there more of the Spirit letten out to Israel for murmuring at the red sea or less yea less Exod. 15. for after that they murmured again at Morat Exod. 14. and in the wilderness of Sin Exod. 16. 1. yea forty years in the wilderness Psal 95. 9 10. They tempted God and did erre in heart and that with their first murmuring in Egypt was a provoking cause of Gods withdrawing his Spirit all these forty years is called v. 8. The day of temptation for to tempt God is a great wickedness he who welcomes all dispensations with godly submission and can bow to his Lords will
obey the Scripture is clear and though we cannot give a natural and philosophick reason no matter 18. If we should distinguish betwixt thoughts and conquering and victorious thoughts 2. Betwixt fixed and wanton carelesly feeling thoughts 3. Betwixt guarded and well watched hearts and masterless hearts we should know that we hinder and obstruct influences though Soveraignty dispense gracious influences by sinful thoughts the thoughts being the wings of the soul can influences have a seat on thoughts marred by us surely no more then a bird can flie with broken wings and the God of nature doth not joyn his influences with causes impossible to act he concurs not with the bird to flie when the wings are broken nor the running of a dead horse though one should ride on a carrion and use spur and rod. But when the thoughts are seasoned with the heavenly disposition of a renewed heart as the buds and blossoms of the vine-tree are in a neerest way to receive influences from the God of nature to become excellent wine-berries and the most refined earth neer to be turned into gold and to receive influences for that effect so a heart gratified with heavenly dispositions must be a subject for heavenly thoughts and if there be a holy heart heavenly meditations come out in the night Psal 63. 6 7. Psalm 139. 17. Phil. 3. 19 20. 2. The Lord contempereth the actings of the spirit to the subject being a moral agent and all our gracious actings run through the channel of a spiritual judgement as running the race in Christ came from known and well considered joy set before him Heb. 12. 1. Moses chose Saints suffering more then Court-honour for heaven or the recompense of reward looked with another face and representation on the understanding then a poor time Court of clay did the superexcellent knowledge of Jesus Christ is so praised by Paul as his heavenly understanding looks on it as his all yea his only all and his all things beside are stated to his mind as loss and dung So to Abraham's mind a tent that shepheards sleep in is judged good enough and the world a bottomless lodging because there stands in the eye of his mind a rightly considered City that hath a foundation whose maker and builder is God Heb. 11. 18. And the cause of Christs bearing patiently the cross was his sanctified judgement of injuries and spitting 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he under-judged and in his mind under-prised shame and reproach Heb. 12. 2. as a-very shaddow of a shaddow and as nothing and the glory of his Father in a redeemed and ransomed people looked braid and fair and great on his understanding Know and consider well 1. God an infinite fair transcendent God and the silly poor nothing and kindless nature 2. Judge rightly of time and how nothing yesterday and the last year is and weigh in your understanding vast high and braid and deep and long eternity if you have ballance with scales that can bear eternity 3. Understand well obedience faith the weight of the love of Christ never quenched with many floods and sin hatred of Christ and the horror thereof 4. Take a right view of heaven how it lies in length and bredth and a right impression of the fire that is never quenched and the habitual knowledge of the Lords name wants not influences for trusting in God Psalm 9. 10. knowledge where to find God in Christ hath actings of the Spirit to live and dwell with him to hold him Cant. 1. 7. Cant. 3. 1 2 3 4. Joh. 4. 10. to pray to come to him Joh. 6. 45. a soâ—l in darkness and the gross ignorance of God is not capable of influences of grace as the centre and bowels of the earth and deep pits receive no Sun-light We can draw on sinful dispositions yea we created these dry clouds that are above our withered hearts by making our inordinate affections Stewards and Caterers to lay in provision for our flesh Rom. 13. 14. 2. We can ask leave at our flesh to take a little sleep and excuse it Prov. 6. 10. Yet a little flumber 3. Under drowsiness and security we can refuse to open and let Christ in Cant. 5. 3. and that brings on sad withdrawings of the actings of the Spirit v. 6. 4. Violence done to sweet dispositions when they give warning of our debt may draw to a wronging of the holy Ghost who is dreadfully jealous if we counter-work the actings and breathings of the spirit and react against the out-lettings and flowings of the anointing and of the well within springing up to eternal life he puts in his hand by the hole of the door the Spouse is convinced that it is Christ the beloveds voice and his knock and his very words and no other yet he is not yielded unto but resisted 2. We keep not the oyl clean that it may shine more clearly in the lamp inky blackness defaces the beauty of the white rose and the lilly the dustiness and filth of lusts dimness darkens the precious stone that it loseth lustre and colour when a judicial darkness even on a believer it covereth the habit of grace and darkens the spiritual strain the sin of the spirit is out of measure sinful the spirit judicially sleeping sees and hears less in the Prophet Jonah then carnal reason in the Heathen Mariners for Jonah sleeps the Heathen men do wake and fear when wrath from Heaven blows on their ship the lesser habit of grace that is young and green in the repenting theif doth more in adhering to Christ because actual breathing of the spirit is stronger and more vigorous then the more rooted and experienced habit of grace in the Apostles when it is now overwhelmed with the base fear of suffering for he confesses him to be a King on the Cross the Disciples fleeing forsake him and the Lord preaches that we are more debtors to the Spirit of Christ then to the habit of grace praying praising believing hoping loving joying as acts of kin to the Spirit gladden the Spirit what should we then do to fetch the wind grieve not the Spirit but keep the fountain pure and clean from the muddiness of lusts for in the light of the Spirit you see your own spots 1 Joh. 3. 3. He that hath this hope in him purifies himself as he also is pure 2. Yield not to indispositions complain of them to God and pray them away as Psalm 61. 2. Psalm 31. 22. Psalm 102. 3 4 5. Lam. 1. 2 3 4 5 c. 22 23. Obj. But it is easie so to say Be strong in the Lord I am at huge distance from the Lord Answ 1. The Lord speaks to believers as to moral agents the actings of faith is in us both moral and also physical or real though moral acting in some sense be real and not imaginary as the fowler with sweet songs works in a manner morally or by way of
joyn strong and vehement actings of ours High-bended and fervent acts of obedience come not but from strong habits of grace but here I speak of mighty stirrings of influences here we would beware of straining affectation of shouting and expression of delight some bring more out then is within when literal crying and shouting does exceed the inward impulsion of the Spirit it 's dreadful to lye of the Holy Ghost and of his impulsions but to the point Our actings would be proportioned to the Spirits stirring Mighty rivers come from a huge arm of the Sea some streams flowing from little small fountaines run scarce the fourth part of a mile 1 Cor. 15. 10. Strong labouring câ—mes from strong and abundant grace I laboured more abundantly then they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me A strong influence of the Spirit calls for a strong virtual consent especially when the Spirits impulsion of joy is strong Cant. 1. 12. While the King sitteth at his table and feasts the Spouse with quickening influences and satisfies her soul as with marrow and fatness my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof The spikenard is here the precious oyl or oyntment of spikenard John 12. 1 2 3. that is the smell of her actings of joy delight love were strong and exceeding savoury as his table was a Kings table and fat and the actings of his spirit strong then followes a suitable strong expression of delight v. 13. A bundle of myrrhe is my beloved unto me he shall lie or lodge all night betwixt my breasts And Cant. 2. 4. the King brought me into his house of wine that is into the chamber of the most spiritual and soul-delighting consolations of the Gospel that rejoyce and cheer the heart as excellent wine doth one that is fainting as Psal 104. 15. Prov. 31. 6 7. compared with 2 Cor. 1. 6. 2 Thess 2. 18 19. And the Spouse joynes to this a most vehement disposition of soul-sickness of love for Christ v. 5. Stay me with flagons and comfort me with apples for I am sick of love As also godly sorrow for sinne 2 Cor. 7. 10 11 15. a special work of the Spirit and princely and kingly gift of his Spirit who was raised from the dead to act this sorrow in us Acts 5. 31. as also swoooning and dying at the absence and withdrawing of Christ the beloved Cant. 5. 6. is a fruit of the Spirit and to sleep and eat and drink and rejoyce when the holy Spirit is saâ—ned and when he withdraws his actings is a dismal and sad token though there may some influence of corruption be in sorrowing because the Spirits actings are suspended as they are our comforts or apples to delight children and not as duties that we owe for Christs love to us and conscience of his command which saith Phil. 4. 4. Rejoyce alwayes in the Lord c. and here we would beware of worldly sorrow that causeth death Sorrow and heart-breaking because of the breaking of created comforts as if God were not the soules portion and the Saints all in all should be eschewed this sorrow blunts and deadens the soul from drinking in influences of glory as far Luke 9. v. 32. also Law-sadness dumpish servile down-casting because it deadens and kills as the Law doth must be eschewed indeed sadness that Evangelically mortifies and deadens to created spiritual comforts may quicken the believer to a more vigorous delighting in Christ himself who is more then comfort Psal 119. My soul droppeth away for heaviness and that puts fire in the soul to pray Strengthen thou me according to thy word It appears to be spiritual sorrow that breaks out in prayer Matth. 26. 38 39. Psal 18. 4 5 6. Psal 61. 2. Psal 102. 4. There are in the fourth Class two affections hope and audacity or fool-hardiness which would be taken heed unto Now with hope which looks to good to come and hardly attained we must take in faith one of the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22. Sometimes one affection in its carnality will counterwork another Luke 24. 41. The disciples believe not for joy and wondering But the special ground is unbelief the wide desire of unbelief thinks God cannot be so abundantly good as to restore to them Christ from the dead and the carnal reasoning of wondring contradicts a possibility of the resurrection over-acting of one affection to wit of joy when it 's literal counter-works the actings of the Spirit in the faith of the promises Hence must Christ soften the heart with swasory actings before the man believe and consider what Christ does morally Luke 24. He opens the Scriptures to the two disciples Luke 24. 27. He rebukes their unbelief v. 25. and as to his own disciples he sent them word with eye-witnesses who saw him that he was risen again but their words seem idle tales to them Luke 24. 11. And he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart Mark 16. 14. 3. He appeared and spake to them 4. He made their senses witnesses by causing them see and touch his hands and feet 5. He did eat with them which was an action of life 6. He wrought a miracle of bringing multitudes of fish to their net but all is to little purpose until he take a real and effectual way by the working of the Spirit Luke 24. 45. Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures Then the opening of the Scriptures though in the mouth of Christ avail little to faith except the Spirit of Christ open another lock even the heart This is one of the first works of the Spirit to convincethe conscience of unbelief John 16. 8 9. and when the Spirit hath taken that castle and brought the soul to be sensible of unbelief he can easily take in the rest of the works frequent casting to of new oyl to the lamp keeps it shining and new fewel causes the fire to flame Frequent repeated acts of believing bring the disciples to get the grace to doe greater works then Christ did because Christ went to the Father John 14. 14. Believe influences of grace and have influences of grace abundantly furnished to you ask the Spirit in faith and the Father is as willing to give the Spirit as a Father is to give bread to his hungry child so here faith makes a fair wind Luke 11. 9 10 11 12 13. It is not so in nature the husbandmans natural faith that it shall be a sweet warm fruitful Summer makes not a fruitful Summer The Sea-mans natural faith believing fair winds and no storms at all makes it not to be so for often faith here is but fancy but faith acting dayly upon the precious promises of the word brings strong gales and summer-influences of heart warmness of the Spirit and in a manner creates new blowings of the North and South-wind fainting under the breathings and knocking 's of
the Spirit of Christ makes him withdraw Cant. 5. 2 6. Here unbelief binds up the wind and breathings of the spirit as it doth the mighty actings of Christ Mat. 13. An unbeliever as touching his state is a Pagan and doth the holy spirit dwell in an Heathen Lively hope for there is a dead and withered hope is no less a fruit of the spirit then faith This is a specifick difference between an unconverted Pagan who wants the spirit and a convert who hath the spirit The former is one who has no hope and so is without God and without Christ and without the Spirit of God in the world and so is not capable of influences Ephes 2. 12 13 14. and one whom the Lord according to his abundant mercy hath begotten again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. For in such a man there be many actings of the Spirit As Faith 2. Perseverance therein v. 4 5. Rejoycing in God v. 6. Patient believing in the furnace v. 7. Love v. 8. all which are fruits of the spirit Gal. 5. 22. And hope under deadness spreads abroad the sailes and hoises them up to receive and gather in the wind it brings home influences of grace to lie at the tide and wait until the wind blow sweetly and fairly from the Spirits earth Hope is the onwaiter expecting showrs of influences in the conscionable using of the means The hope of him who purifies not himself 1 John 3. 3. shall wither hope to the end still flourishing growes on the right tree and speaks a communion with the spirit which hath conjoyned with it the obedience of children the not fashioning our selves to former lusts and holiness like unto God who hath called us 1 Pet. 1. 13 14 15 16. otherwise the hope shall be a broken tree and hath nothing to doe with the Spirit Many say they hope well and it 's good to hope well and live upon thoughts that they shall be saved yet are profane and godless walking after their lusts this is sinful boldness and the spirit dwells in none such There is a boldness of faith in access to God and in approaching to the throne of grace Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4. Heb. 4. 16. by which Davids soul makes her boast in the Lord Psalm 34. 2. It hath these undoubted graces of the spirit faith praying glorying in tribulation patience the love of God spread abroad in the heart by the holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5. 1 2 3 4 5. 5. The fifth Class of impediments come from these two 1. Despair and anger What workings and saving impulsions in the spirit can be in Cain Saul and Judas is not conceivable Hope that makes not ashamed Rom. 5. as is said dwells sweetly with the spirit 2. The violence of the passion of anger overclouds the soul so that Elisha is not capable to receive prophetical influences and to prophesie he was so incensed against wicked Jehoram 2 Kings 3. But when the minâ—â—rel played the hand of the Lord came upon him and he prophesied Theodoret saith with the sweetness of the harmony of the Psalms the mind of Elisha was calmed and composed from the storm of anger The sound of musick saith Cajetan makes an inward contracting and gathering together of the actings of the mind and so an elevating of the heart to God Here it is as when blood runs out at mouth or nose the cutting of a vein in the arm makes a diversion of the blood and causes it run in its right channel The sweetness of musick drawes the soul to a bended attention to consider the harmony that it may the more greedily drink in delectation Peter Martyr on the place saith As David by singing a spiritual song chased away the evil spirit from Saul so would Elisha waken up the good spirit by heavenly Psalmes as the sounding of a Trumpet hath influences upon the mind of souldiers to valorous and heroick acts in warre Now musick spiritual the matter being Psalmes to God and it 's like Elisha called for some of the Levites who could sing psalmes on the harp as they were used in publick worship can withdraw the soul in anger from acts of revenge to acts of spiritual attentionâ— musick 2. That being done the soul is setled and the blood for the Physical definition of anger is a kindling of the blood about the heart the moral description of it being a desire of revenge to hold off a contrary and to preserve nature and when the blood is setled and fallen from the heart the organs of prophecying are in a little better frame then when the soul and heart is boyling like a pot in heat and flaming of anger 3. By bending of the mind to a spiritual object the sweet musick in praising of God the some of anger is removed and a spiritual disposition to praise which is nearer by nature to spiritual prophetical influences then the flamings of sinful carnal anger as aer insitus the air that is within in the ear fits the organs to receive the sound and lumen insitum fitteth the eye to receive the species and images of colours and so to see by the contrary the foming of anger within hinders the incoming of prophetical influences as a contrary holds out a contrary Intus apparens prohibet extraneum So the Apostles wills us to put away anger if we would pray rightly 1 Tim. 2. 1 8. I will therefore that men pray every where lifting up holy hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without wrath and doubting or contending Anger drowns the soul and renders it like green wet timber unfit to receive the flaming and soul-warming influences of the spirit of adoption 2. A meek quiet spirit like that of Christs is the fittest work-house of heavenly influences Christ the most lovely and meek of men and an infallible copy thereof Mat. 11. 29. Isa 53. 6. Isa 40. 11. Isa 42. 2 3. had the most frequent influences of the in-dwelling Godhead as Isa 61. 1 2 Psalm 45. 7. John 3. 34. 2. Moses was the meekest man on the earth and much of the actings of the spirit were on his soul and he had the most near manifestations of God The Lord spake to him mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches he beheld the similitude of the Lord Numb 12. 8. Deut. 34. 10. Exod. 34. 5 6. Q. What Prophet was fourty dayes in the mount with the Lord and eat not but Moses Exod. 33. 11. There arose not a Prophet like unto Moses c. 3. John the disciple of love called the beloved disciple gets the name of divine and he saw more glory and more of the visions of God then Peter who is the pretended Vicar of Christ and Head of the Catholick Church so doe Papists dream of an Head-ship For John saw Christ in his glory Revel 1. which made him fall dead at his
descend more particularly to enquire 1. What influences are 2. Whencâ— they come 3. The necessity of influences 4. How they are above us and of the Soveraignty of him who best ows them 5. What we may doe to fetch them INfluences are acts of God concurring with created causes under him and a sort of continued Creation as God of nothing makes all things so in his providence he gives a day to all borrowed beings in their being preserved by him and they are the Lords debtors in being acted by him or then they could not stir nor move 2. The same free goodnesse which is a sort of grace which moved God to create the Sun and give it being so also â—â—ts him to give influences to the motions and actings of the Sun the end that moves the Man to make the Plough and the Cart moves him to draw the Plough and drivâ— the Cart by Beasts so that in reference to the end there is debâ—tum quoddam connaturale some connatural dueness of influences all Creatures are dead Cyphers which sigâ—ifie nothing except the influence of God add a figure to them and they lie dead if he stir them not Some Cows let not down their Milk but to their own Calves and the Creatures are as Pictures and Idols who let out no Efficacy no Vertue except the Lord act upon them Sometimes the Sea ebbs not the Wind blows not the Sun shines not the Fire burns not because this influence is as it were the Charm that is a wanting and he hath a sort of a checklock upon all second causes 3. Though God move and must act in all in causes natural and free so as in some sense he must concur in willing and nilling yet he out of Soveraignty of grace stands more aloofe in bestowing influences to gracious and supernatural nilling and willing for Predestination and free Election to glory here hath place for that he prepared in his eternal decree so many outlettings and emanations of free acts of grace to carry to glory so many selected Angels and Men and denyed these outgoings of free love to others he intending they should be to Angels and Men both their grace and song of praise he hath not given out such refined influences of free love to other Creatures to the motions of Sun and Moon to the Seas ebbing and flowing 4. Q. What then is the fountain cause of gracious influences and breathings of the Spirit Ans Sure Jesus Christ must be the meritorious and fountain cause of such influences For 1. We suppose that Christ is the head of the elect Angels God having purposed to save man of grace he gave this mighty separating influence distinguishing the Standing and Elect Angels from the falling and reprobate Angels else it cannot be said they are Elect Angels as 1 Tim. 5. 21. nor can their standing be of free grace for they could not stand except the Lord had chosen them to stand as the means as he chose them to glory as to the end except the Lord had joyned his predeterminating acting to cause them to stand and reconciled them Colos 1. 20. to himself giving to them medicinal confirming grace that they never should be sick Now the Elect Angels are the special Messengers and New Covenant Officers miniâ—tring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation Heb. 1. 14. And the Angels Ezek. 1. are acted in all their motions by that Jehovah whose glory Isaiah saw Isa 6. 1 2 3. John 12. 37. of which Jehovah also Ezekiel 1. v. 28. as v. 12. And the four living creatures went every one straight forward whither the Spirit was to go they went and they turned not when they went And also verse 20. They are then rightly called the Angels of the Lord Jesus 2 Thes 1. 7. for they cover their faces it is noâ— blushing for sin and their feet with wings Isa 6. while they stand before and see the face of their Soveraign and high Master and so its clear that the actings of special and supernatural providence toward and about the redeemed Church come from Christ as head of Angels and as the heir of all things who makes all things new Heb. 1. 2 3. Rev. 21. 5. and who works with the father Joh. 5. 17. in a new-covenant providence to make new Heavens and new Earth and to act all for the elects sake Colos 1. 16. 17. yea and this Spirit at whose direction the living creatures move and rest come and go Zech. 1. 12 20. is the same spirit promised and sent by Christ John 16. 7 13 14. of which Christ he shall receive of mine and give it to you by the influences of this Spirit sent by Christ are the Redeemed led Rom. 8. 14. directed Acts 16. 6 9 10 14. sealed and confirmed Eph. 4. 30. having received the earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 22. taught guided the Word made effectual John 16. 13. convinced of sin and throughly rebuked vers 7 8 9. comforted Joh. 14. 16. and the memory sanctified and quickned to remember necessary truths Joh. 14. 26. and the whole man made able by the anointing for all things 1 John 2. 20 27. Hence these influences of grace are from the spirit not as from the third person of the blessed Trinity simply for so the spirit is the power of God sometimes as Judge sitting and by a Judicial power making tormenting convictions dreadfully effectual upon the consciences of Divels Matth. 8. 29. Luke 4. 34 35. of which the chains of darknesse may be a part 2 Pet. 2. 4. Jude v. 6. as also neither from the spirit as the power of God Creator Job 26. 13. Job 32. 8. in making and governing all Psal 104. 30. but from the Spirit as the fruit and purchase of Christs death and merits and as saving grace is from Christ the fountain so also the saving influences of Christ as Mediator and of stirring us up to will and do Phil. 2. 13. and to stand and persevere in the state of grace must be dispensed covenant ways Jerem. 32. 3 37 38 39 40. Isa 59. 20 21. Isa 54. 10 11 12. by his bloud So Christ speaketh to the spirit Cant. 4. 16. Stir up thou North wind come forth thou South blow upon my garden that the spice thereof may flow out Where Christ commands influences of the spirit of the North and South wind though of contrary qualities of cold and heat moist and dry both in sharp rebukes and sweet consolations to fall upon his Church and garden and it is his desire as Spouse and Mediator that the Spirit breath upon and make efficacious the word otherwise there is but deadnesse Ezech. 37. 9. Come from the four winds O wind How upon these slain that they may live John 3. 8. And the flowing of the spices is the souls being quickned revived comforted and the graces increased by the breathings of the spirit Hence 1. the