branches thus inobled I know it is the matter of your Prayers and let me beg you to joyn thereunto your utmost indeavours by a strict and pious education the common want of which hath stained the present age with as debauched a Nobility and Gentry as ever any time brought forth And Madam if to all this you shall add the winning motive of your own example so walking in all the Precepts of Christ and in all the virtues of the Holy Spirit that they may be won into the ways of God by the beauty of your feet O what an honour and rejoycing would this be to you in the near approaching day of Christ Jesus How many children have been brought into love with the ways of God by the holy example of Godly Parents And many more have perished by the contrary who are now cursing the Parents that begat them and the loyns that brought them forth I no way doubt of your Honours ready acceptance of this Present how mean soever it be Seeing it is a great bravery of mind as well to accept little kindnesses from them that have no better within their reach as to confer great ones For as by the latter you oblige love so by the former you incourage duty Thus the full Sea stocks Clouds richly while they pay again but by drops We have a pattern of it in God himself who as he gives the greatest Boons so he doth not disdain the least returns though they are made in Mites Luk. 21.2 3. Goats hair and Rams skins are as acceptable an Offering from them that were no better provided for the building the Tabernacle Exod. 23.4 5. as Purple and Scarlet so as it came from a willing heart Madam it is for the compleating the Temple of God in your soul that this Offering is made and though it is neither Purple nor Scarlet yet such as it is it comes from as willing a mind as ever Israelite offered from him that brought Gold and Silver to him that brought Goats hair and Rams skins And if your Honour be dispositioned like my Master you will accept of payment in Mites where it is the utmost and the All that is within the reach of a short arm But though it cannot reach so far as I would Prayer can For how incapable soever we are of other offices of respect and gratitude yet in Prayers and good wishes we stand next to immensity and infiniteness And it is nothing less then the great things of both worlds summed up in the blessed injoyment of God himself here much and hereafter much more that can be an answer to his Prayers who without ceasing bows the knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for this Blessing for you Madam and your Honourable and Honoured Relations as becomes Stepney Novemb. 15th 1682. Madam Your Honours highly obliged and humbly devoted Servant Matthew Mead. The Epistle to the READER Good Reader THough thy concern lies not much in knowing the reason of the publication of this Treatise yet it may not be amiss to give thee this short account of it That in April 1674 A Gentleman who was till then a stranger to me came with an earnest request that I would undertake the Preaching of a Sermon yearly on every May-day to the younger people I desiring to know his reason why to them rather then to others and why on that day rather then upon any other he told me that it had often been the grief of his Soul to behold the vitious and debauched practises of Youth on that day of liberty And did hope that many might be induced either by their own inclinations or by the counsels of their Parents or Masters rather to spend their time in hearing a Sermon then in drinking and gaming c. by which means many might be converted and saved The design being so honest and the reason so cogent I was perswaded to comply with it and began upon the following May Day and so it hath been continued ever since and I may say it not in any boast but to the praise of the glory of the grace of God with great success On May-day 1680 I took the Scripture here insisted on for the subject of my discourse and having then shewed the great advantage of bearing the Yoke of vfflictions and also the Yoke of the Spirit in conviction of sin in youth I did promise God granting life and liberty to treat of the Yoke of Christ in conversion in the next Anniversary course But before that day came I was much sollicited both by young and old they best know why to make publick the first Sermon which I had so Preached and it was fairly transcribed and sent to me by several hands for that end which yet I judged very improper but to answer their importunity I did promise that when I had finished the subject I would comply with their desires And therefore finding that I could not compass my design in the second May-day course I did for some Lords days following insist on the same subject till I had finished it And that thou hadst it no sooner the Bookseller is accountable and not I. However if it may be of any advantage to thy soul in breaking off the yoke of sin and lust and bringing thee under the yoke of Christ it comes in good time and to good purpose And when thou findest this benefit by it then pray for him that loves thy soul and desires thy Salvation and therein is November 15. 1682. Thy Real Friend Matthew Mead. THE CONTENTS CHAPTER I. SOmewhat praeliminary The Yoke explained What it is Litterally taken what taken Metaphorically CHAP. II. Afflictions called a Yoke in what sense they are good and for whom CHAP. III. Shewing the difference between the Yoke of the Spirit and the Yoke of Christ What the Spirits Yoke is Why convictions are compared to a Yoke Why sinners must come under the Yoke of the Spirit Why it is good to come under it betimes CHAP. IV. Contains some counsels and directions to persons of several Denominations with respect to the Yoke of the Spirit CHAP. V. The chief Doctrine propounded Christ hath his Yoke Wherein it consists The nature and properties of this Yoke VVhy the commands of Christ called a Yoke CHAP. VI. Holdeth forth the reasons of the Doctrine CHAP. VII Holdeth forth the last reason viz. from the good of obedience It is a necessary good a profitable good an honourable good a comfortable good CHAP. VIII Answers some objections against Early Obedience CHAP. IX More objections against Early Obedience answered CHAP. X. Wherein the reasons of slighting Christ are inquired into the evil of it aggravated CHAP. XI Wherein the Tryal of our state is pressed with seven reasons for it CHAP. XII Several rules for the knowledge of our estate are laid down both negatively and affirmatively CHAP. XIII Sheweth the truth of our subjection to Christ by such things as are necessarily antecedent to it
convictions Secondly It may respect the earliness of being And that seems rather to be the sense of the place Vatablus renders it from his Youth taking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 early impressions upon the conscience by the convictions of the Spirit are a great good to the soul It is good to bear this Yoke betimes for three reasons 1. Because the sooner it is done the easier it is done the longer we are before we come under it the harder it will be to bear it The longer thou continuest in sin the harder it will be to bear repentance If thy conscience be so charged with guilt that thou darest not look into it at ten or twenty years old what will it come to if thou lettest it run on till fifty or sixty The longer the Debt stands in the Book the heavier the account when we come to reckon for all the arrears of so many years actual sins added to the grand Debt of original sin Therefore it is good to bear this Yoke in your Youth Strength to bear it is then greatest and the burden to be born is then lightest Guilt of sâ—n encreases by lying and new guilt daily added to the old makes the burden still the heavier therefore it is good to comply with the spirit of God betimes Reas 2. The sooner it is begun the sooner it will be done the sooner this Yoke is put on the sooner it will be put off For it is but for a time that the soul bears it but how long or how little while is uncertain Paul lay under it three days and nights Acts 9.9 Acts 16.33 the Goaler for ought I can find not above an hour the three thousand in Acts 2. not above the length of one Sermon But some now adays are held days and months and years according as the Case requires But the sooner we come under this Yoke the less while it is like to lye Reas 3. How rich do such grow in Grace that by early conviction pass through the new Birth betimes He that sets up soonest is like to get the fairest estate if be improve his opportunities Ford of Bondage p. 75. If one go to be an Apprentice when he is a man there is a double inconvenience in it First His service will be much more irksome and tedious Secondly The prime of his days will be gone wherein he should have been trading for himself had he been his own man Though the work of the Spirit be better late than never yet it is an unknown loss the soul sustains by a late work He loses much joy and peace the thought of his living so long without God becomes many times a new wound when the old is healed the after pains of the new birth do abide upon some to their dying day And in this Case there is but little comfort though the work be real He loses much sweet communion with God He loses many rich experiences He loses a great accession of Grace Growth in Grace is a work of time and he that hath but little time can make but little improvement He loses many opportunities of service Nay he loses much in the degrees of Glory Hadst thou had more time to sow thy Harvest would have been â—â—â—ater for as a man sows so shall he reap 〈◊〉 â—â—â—refore he that spends the best of his time in the service of the flesh if he should be converted at last which yet few are he is like to prove but a feeble Christian The more our opportunities of service are if improved and the more our seasons of communion are if used aright the richer must we needs be both in grace experience and comfort therefore it is the most thrifty course to be an early Convert to bear the Spirits Yoke in our Youth CHAP. IV. Containing some useful counsel and directions to persons of several denominations with respect to the Yoke of the Spirit THere are three sorts of persons I would speak somewhat to by way of counsel and direction in this matter First To such as have born the Yoke of the Spirit with good success to whom the Spirit of bondage hath at last become the Spirit of adoption who are passed from a state of fear and terrour into a condition of hope and comfort Your Duty lyes chiefly in these three things be thankful be humble be fruitful First Study thankfulness and give the Glory of this work to the Spirit of God We are very apt to ascribe too much to means to this or that Minister alas they are but poor Instruments Who is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed 1 Cor. 3.5 even as the Lord gave to every man They have but the place of Instruments God is the great Agent and therefore all supernatural effects are to be ascribed to him alone Neither is he that planteth any thing neither he that watereth but God that giveth the encrease And therefore the Apostle Paul having called the Church of Corinth his Epistle in 2 Cor. 3.2 he doth in v. 3. call them the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with Pen and Ink but with the Spirit of the living God Ministers are but as Pens it is the Spirit of the living God that writes his Law in the heart by them and thus they become the Epistle of Christ and therefore let him that glorieth glory in the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.31 Is there not a cause Especially if it he considered 1. What a heart thine was when the Spirit of the Lord first took it in hand how hard how stubborn how dead how obstinate how long was the light opposed that shined in darkness and the attempts of the Spirit frustrated how great were the resistances made by it against Grace and how many the strong holds of Satan which were pulled down to bring about the Conquest Think how often the Spirits motions were slighted his counsels set at nought his strivings resisted Think how often he knocked how loud he called before he could be heard think how much unbelief how many confederacies with corruption what strong lusts what enmity to God and holiness lay in the way to obstruct the Spirits design O what a mighty power did he put forth to make sin a burthen and to fasten his Fetters upon the soul without which thy resistances had never been conquered nor thy thoughts brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2 Cor. 10.5 And hast thou not cause to be thankful 2. How many miscarry under the same convictions which have issued in a sincere conversion to thy soul Many by their sights of sin and Hell have been driven into utter despair as Cain and Spira Many have laid violent hands on their own lives as Judas many have stifled and sinned away their convictions and thereby have provoked the Spirit finally to withdraw and give them up to hardness of heart many have mistaken their convictions for
quenched and so quench it that it can never be kindled again Many do in this sense out-live their day of grace by sinning away the motions and strivings of the Spirit for though he strives long with many and longer with some sinners than others yet he will not strive always The Lord said My Spirit shall not always strive with man Gen. 6.3 Nay the Spirit may not only cease striving when the Ordinances are removed but he may cease striving while the Ordinances are continued and then the day of grace is past though the means of grace abide The general and revealed day of grace may possibly last as long as life lasts and the sinner may sit under the Gospel-call all his days and yet the secret and particular day of grace may be ended the Spirit may never strive more but leave the sinner to his lusts This is denied by some and hardly believed by any let me therefore make it out that so the danger of sinning away your particular day of grace may be a prevailing reason why you should mind Christ and his Yoke betimes lest you defer it till it be too late I shall therefore make out the truth of this five ways First By the unerring evidence of Scripture instance Was not Ishmael a sad instance of this truth He was descended of a godly father was in Covenant with God had the Covenant-seal upon him Gen. 17.26 injoyed all the means of grace for Abraham was King Priest and Prophet in his own house And therefore he was not without the strivings of the Spirit and yet for all this he is cast out of the Church and out of Covenant Cast him out saith the Lord Gal. 4.30 Now this casting out is a cutting him off and depriving him as a just punishment of his scoffing spirit of the means of grace Gen. 21.9 Gal. 4.29 and especially of the strivings of the Spirit of God And this was done when he was not above twenty years old Oh what a dreadful instance is this How should it awaken young ones that sit under the means of grace and fill them with trembling Here is Ishmael standing out against the strivings of the Spirit and losing his day of grace at twenty years of age So that his day of grace lasted but few years for he was thirteen years old when he was circumcised Gen. 17.25 and so sealed with the Covenant-seal and therefore he was but seven years under the priviledges of the Covenant Now how old are you How long have you been sealed with the Covenant-seal How long have you been under the means and have had the Spirit striving with you Surely much longer than ever Ishmael had and therefore how dangerous is thy case if thou art not yet come under the Yoke of Christ And what think ye of Esau Did not he sin away and out-live his day of grace Why else is it said That he would afterward have inherited the blessing and was rejected For he found no place for repentance though he sought it carefully with tears Heb. 12.16 17. His time for the blessing was past and gone he came too late and so lost it and was rejected and no tears could recover it again Now there is a great Mystery in this and it instructs us in three great and concerning truths 1. That by many the greatest blessings are less minded than things of smaller moment Here 's Esau preferring a morsel of meat before his birth-right 2. To prefer temporal benefits before the greatest spiritual blessings is an evident argument of a profane spirit For therefore Esau is called a profane person because he sold his birth-right a Type of spiritual blessings for a morsel of meat 3. He that neglects to secure to himself spiritual blessings when they may be had his judgment shall be to seek and mourn after them when it will be too late to find them Esau first sells the blessing profanely which God had bestowed and afterward seeks it with tears and is rejected And when was this that Esau thus profanely parts with his birth-right It was very early in the days of his youth This is easily gathered from the story of his hunting which ye have in Gen. 25.27 and so to the end of the Chapter where it it said that the boys grew and Esau was a cunning hunter v. 27. and coming faint out of the field v. 29. he desires his brother Jacob to feed him v. 30. Jacob offers him bread for his birth-right v. 31. Esau being very faint at the point to die the Text says v. 32. sells him his birth-right for bread and pottage Thus Esau despised his birth-right v. 33. And this was very early as soon as the boys were grown up So that Esau survived his day of grace many years The Spirit of the Lord left striving with him betimes And was it not the sin of the poor Jews Did not they out-live their day of grace Luke 19.44 Oh that thou hadst known in this thy day the things which belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Secondly If a man may fall away from the Faith once professed and that totally and finally then may he sin away the strivings of the Spirit and so out-live his day of grace Though a man cannot fall away from the work of grace finally yet from the word of grace he may though he cannot utterly depart from faith implanted yet he may from the faith professed The Apostle says 1 Tim. 4.1 That the Spirit speaks expresly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith Now when a man comes to depart from the Faith the word of faith the Scriptures and the profession of faith and that finally then the Spirit strives no more for his Conscience the next verse tells you is seared with a hot iron Thirdly It is evident in that God sometimes gives men up to their own lusts Psal 81.11 12. My people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me had no will to me so the Hebrew and what follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked in their own counsels And what is it for God to give a man up to his lusts but to let sin and corruption have the whole rule and sway in the Soul without the wonted checks and restraints of the Spirit This is called letting him alone in sin Ephraim is joyned to idols let him alone Hos 4.17 that is let him take his own course and pursue his lusts till God deal with him once for all Fourthly It appears in that judicial hardness of heart blindness and impenitency that he gives some up to which renders all the Ordinances utterly ineffectual like rain falling upon a rock that runs off without fruit Nay in this case the Ordinances do not only not soften but they harden for where God hardens every thing hardens every word every rod every
CHAP. XIV Shews our subjection to Christ by such signs as are the genuine effects of it CHAP. XV. Exhorts such as have taken up this Yoke to thankfulness to God who inclined their hearts thereunto The wisdom of taking up this Yoke manifested CHAP. XVI Directs our obedience as to Principles matter manner and end CHAP. XVII Exhorts to perseverance under the Yoke of Christ with arguments to press it and directions to guide in it CHAP. XVIII Contains matter of counsel to Christless sinners with motives and directions to further it THE GOOD OF Early Obedience LAMENT iii. 27. It is good for a man that he bear the Yoke in his Youth CHAP. I. Somewhat Prooemial The Yoke explained what it is Literally taken what Metaphorically THE Apostle tells us that great is the Mystery of Godliness 1 Tim. 3.16 and it is so not only in credendis the things which are to be believed but in agendis the matters that relate to practice There are Mysteries in the Precept as well as in the Promise Psal 55.22 If a man be commanded to cast his burthen upon the Lord then he himself hath none to bear and yet the Lord Christ lays a burthen upon every Believer Matth. 11.30 Rev. 2.24 where he is a Redeemer he sets the soul free from every Yoke it is under and if the Son make a man free John 8.36 he is then free indeed And yet none are more under the Yoke than the Lords Freemen being not without Law 1 Cor. 9.21 but under the Law to Christ When he takes off one he puts on another Take my Yoke upon you Matth. 11.29 Though Christ breaks our Fetters yet he brings us into Bonds though he delivers us from thraldom and slavery yet not from duty he redeems us from the power of sin but not from the power of the Precept and therefore to argue from liberty to licentiousness is a kind of Logick found only in the Devil's School Rom. 6.1 2. Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God forbid The right reasoning is from mercy to duty Ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Body and your Spirits which are Gods 1 Cor. 6.20 Redemption and service are in the design of the Gospel Luke 1.74 75. linked together That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life The freedom purchased by Christ makes service necessary for he quits us of our burden but not of our obedience he doth not set us free from service but changes our work and our Master Rom. 6.19 As ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness So that ye are Servants still It was the interest of the Flesh and fleshly lusts that was served before but now it is the interest of God and holiness the freedom then is from the Government of the God of this World who rules in the Children of disobedience Ephes 2.2 unto a voluntary submission and resignedness to the Divine conduct from the brutish drudgery of sin to the excellency of such an Empire Psal 19.11 whose Precepts carry their own reward with them besides the Glory that ensues So then the Yoke that hath a curse in it that Christ hath took off but the Yoke of obedience that he hath call'd us to put on and herein he hath excellently accommodated things to the great advantage of man For as it is his misery and burthen to be under the former Yoke which what it is I shall shew anon so it is as much his interest and happiness to be under the latter and therefore the earlier he takes it up the sooner he begins to be happy It is good for a man that he bear the Yoke in his Youth I shall not speak any thing of this Book in general only a little about the manner of penning it which is somewhat unusual each Chapter the last only excepted being penned according to the Order in which the Letters stand in the Hebrew Alphabet as some of the Psalms of David are For what reason the Spirit of God should direct the Pen-man of it this way it doth not appear Hierom labours to find out great mysteries in it but doth but beat the Air. This way of writing seems to be very useful for the help of the memory and may seem to hint as if God would have such Scriptures peculiarly remarked and remembred and that is the best reason I can give But whereas the first second and fourth Chapters begin with a single Alphabet the several Verses beginning with several Letters in their Order this third Chapter consisteth of a threefold Alphabet every three Verses in course beginning with the same Letter This Text which I have pitched upon falls under the Letter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Hierome makes to stand for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies Good and accordingly the 25th 26th and the 27th Verses do all begin in the Hebrew with the word Tobh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in the 25th Verse Tobh Jehovah Lekovau Good is the Lord to them that wait for him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the 26th Verse Tobh vejahhil vedumam It is good a man should both hope and quietly wait 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so here in the Text Tobh Laggebher Ki-jissa gnol bingnoraiu Good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth The only difficulty in the Text that needs explaining is What Yoke it is that is here meant The Yoke is sometimes taken Literally and sometimes Metaphorically A Literal Yoke is an Instrument of Wood or Iron fitted to the Necks of Creatures either to tame them or work them or punish them These are the three chief uses of the Yoke First It is for the taming of wild Beasts and making them tractable The Yoke and the Collar bow down the hard Neck Ecclus 33.25 Ephraim complains of himself As a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke Jer. 31.18 that is untamed and unruly Secondly It is an Instrument of labour by which Beasts do draw burthens Deut. 21.3 Take an Heifer that hath not drawn in the Yoke And hence ye read in Scripture of a Yoke of Oxen 1 Sam. 11.7 Luke 14.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jugum Boum from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 niph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 copulavit And so in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quia est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thirdly It is an Instrument of punishment Deut 28.48 Thou shalt serve thine Enemies in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he shall put a Yoke of Iron upon thy neck until he hath destroyed thee These are the uses of the Literal Yoke But then there is a Metaphorical Yoke and
then they came to him 6. It teaches them to see the emptiness of the Creature and what a vain thing the World is In our ease and prosperity we are apt to surfeit by excess in sensual fruitions The lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life are the young mans Trinity Hence that of the Apostle 1 John 2.14 15 16. I write to you young men though the expression there hath a spiritual sense and what doth he write unto them Love not the world nor the things that are in the world for all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eye and the pride of life is not of the Father This is a rare Lesson for young men but how seldome do any learn it till they come into the School of affliction How have I known many young ones wholly given to pride and pleasure but when God hath brought them under the Rod fetter'd them with afflictions made their Bed upon the Brink of the Grave O how have they then cryed out of their follies their mispending precious time their neglecting God and their souls their regarding lying vanities and so forsaking their own mercies and what strong resolutions have they then made never to return to these follies again And these things are great Preparatories to conversion Now then if afflictions obviate those evils which through the corruption of our Natures are occasioned by prosperity if they are inlightening and helpful to great discoveries and if they are preparatory to Grace and conversion then surely it must be good for a man to bear the Yoke of affliction betimes CHAP. III. Shewing the difference between the Yoke of the Spirit and the Yoke of Christ What the Spirits Yoke is Why convictions are compared to a Yoke Why Sinners must come under the Yoke of the Spirit Why it is good to come under it betimes THE next sense in which I am to speak of this Yoke is that of conviction of sin to make way to the last Notion of it which more especially design to insist upon and that is the Yoke of Gospel obedience and subjection the one is the Yoke of the Spirit the other is the Yoke of Christ These two are not the same but very different Yokes especially in these four things First The Yoke of the Spirit is grievous the Yoke of Christ is not grievous 1 John 5.3 the Yoke of the Spirit is very heavy the Yoke of Christ is very light Matth. 11.30 Secondly It is the heaviness of the Spirits Yoke which makes Christ's Yoke easie It is not easie to all no they that never felt the Spirits Yoke to them Christ's Yoke is a burthen And therefore when Christ says My Yoke is easie it points to them whom he calls to come and take it up and who are they Why the heavy laden and weary ver 28. They who are wearied by the Spirits Yoke shall thereby find ease under Christ's Yoke Thirdly The Yoke of the Spirit is but for a time and then to be taken off and never put on again but the Yoke of Christ is always to be kept on never to be put off the soul is under a perpetual obligation to Duty and obedience to Christ Jesus Fourthly The Yoke of the Spirit is to prepare us for the Yoke of Christ for Christ's Yoke can never be put on till the Spirit by his Yoke hath fitted the neck for it The soul will never obey Christ till it be conquered to Christ and that will never be till the Spirit in conviction put his Yoke and Fetters upon it I shall now speak somewhat of the Spirits Yoke and if ever the Lord give such another Call to this Work then I shall speak of Christ's Yoke more largely And in speaking of the Yoke of the Spirit in conviction I would insist a little upon these four things First That the Spirit hath his Yoke Secondly Why the convictions of the Spirit upon the soul of a Sinner are compared to a Yoke Thirdly Every Sinner that shall be saved must come under this Yoke of the Spirit Fourthly Therefore it is good to come under it betimes and why First That the Spirit hath his Yoke There is such a thing upon the consciences of Sinners at one time or other as the Yoke of the Spirit As the Spirit hath his joys and comforts so he hath his Yokes and Bonds as he hath a liberty which he brings some into so he hath a thraldom which he brings some under And it is first bondage and then liberty He is a Spirit of liberty to none but to whom he is first a Spirit of bondage The Spirits Yoke described And if you ask me What this Yoke of the Spirit is It is that state he brings the Sinner into and holds him in before his conversion to prepare him for his conversion and that is a state of sensibleness of sin and wrath which flows from the convincing work of the Spirit The Spirit of the Lord whereever he comes to work a saving change doth first put his Yoke upon the Sinners neck that is he doth convince the soul of the evil of sin and of its liableness to the wrath of God and so fills it with fear and horrour so that the poor Creature looks upon it self as utterly lost and undone so long as it abides in that state This is the Spirits Yoke It is called so in Scripture Lam. 1.14 The Yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come upon my neck the Lord hath delivered me into their hands from whom I am not able to rise up Into their hands that is into the hands of sin and she was not able to rise up from under them Prov. 5.22 and why Because the Spirit had bound them upon her as a Yoke Secondly Why are the convictions of the Spirit compared to a Yoke First A Yoke is very heavy and burdensome So is sin when once the conscience is truly convinced of it Mine inquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burthen they are too heavy for me Psal 38.4 And therefore a soul under the sense of sin is said to be heavy laden Matth 11.28 Secondly A Yoke bows the Back by reason of its weight Hence is that expression of the kindness of God to Israel Lev. 26.13 I have broken the Bonds of your Yoke and made you go upright implying that the Yoke causes a man to bow and stoop under it so doth conviction of sin it bows the soul under it I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long Psal 38.6 Thirdly A Yoke is a galling wounding thing so is conviction O how it wounds with the sense of sin and dread of wrath Prov. 18.14 and a wounded Spirit who can bear Foarthly A Yoke is a taming thing It tames the wildest Beast so conviction tames the most unruly Sinner though he be never so raging
in his lusts yet when the Spirit of God doth but set sin close to the conscience O how pliable is he So it was with Saul he breathed nothing but threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord Acts 9.1 but Christ no sooner smites him with a word from Heaven but how tame and pliable is he He trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do v. 6. And hence the convictions of the Spirit are fitly compared to a Yoke Thirdly Every Sinner that ever shall be saved must come under this Yoke of the Spirit he must be brought to a conviction of his lost estate There is a necessity for this and I will shew you why Reason 1. Because it is essential to sound conversion What is conversion but a turning from sin to God and how can a man turn from sin without a true sense of sin or how can he turn to God till he be made to see and feel the want of God therefore it is absolutely necessary Reas 2. It is the constant method of God with all that are capable of the work First He shews man his sin then his Saviour first his wound then his cure first his malady then his remedy first his danger then his Redeemer Gen. 3.10 15. Thus God began with Adam and Eve he first opens their eyes to see their sin and misery their nakedness and shame and then makes them a promise of the seed of the Woman God will have sense of misery go before the participation of mercy He look upon man and if any say I have sinned and it profited me not he will save his soul from going down to the pit and his life shall see the light Job 33.27 28. The Israelites are first stunâ— with the fiery Serpents Numb 21.6 8. and then the Brazeâ— Serpent is set up for them to look to for healing Peter's three thousand Converts werâ— first pricked in their hearts and then he applies the promise Acts 2.37 39. The Gaolâ— is first struck with a Spirit of trembling anâ— then Jesus Christ is held out to him for salvâ—tion Acts 16.29 31. Reas 3. God will not frustrate and makâ— void the use of the Law There would be 〈◊〉 conviction of sin no sight of the misery of natural state but for the Law therefore say St Paul I had not known sin but by the Law Rom. 7.7 How could he what should discover it to him Sin had not been sin but for the Law and therefore nothing can discover it but the Law which is Index sui obliqui 1 Joh. 3.4 for sin is a transgression of the Law The Spirit himself could not fasten this Yoke upon the Sinners neck but by the bond of the Law Rom. 5.13 for sin is not imputed where there is no Law Look how the Needle goes before to pierce the Cloth and so makes way for the Thred to sew it so the Law goes before to break the heart and so makes way for the Gospel to heal it The Spirit makes use of it as a School-master to bring us to Christ Gal. 3.24 Bonnerges makes way for Barnabas and John for Jesus Reas 4. The soul lyes under no promise of good from Christ till it come under the Yoke of the Spirit Then it is sensible of sin and sensible Sinners lye under the promise of Christ There is not one promise in all the Gospel made of Christ to a Sinner as he is a Sinner if there were it would be in vain For as such he could not receive it nor can it belong to him for he is under another Covenant Reas 5. Without this he can never set a true estimate upon the blood and Grace of Jesus Christ The Pearl of Pardoning Grace shall never be cast before Swine that wallow in their sins Though Christ be free of his bloud yet we shall see the want of it before we have it that we may know the worth of it when we enjoy it He discovers himself in such a way as the Sinner may prize him most and when is that but when sin lyes with the greatest load upon conscience When the Yoke of the Spirit is heaviest then redemption by Christ is sweetest When he sees his Case at worst then he prizes Christ most When he is made to know how wretched his state is then he considers how precious the bloud of Christ is Reas 6. Till the soul comes to bear the Yoke of the Spirit it can never be brought to close with Christ upon Gospel terms It is sense of sin and misery that must bow the soul to Gods conditions of mercy The reason why so many Sinners perish under the Call of Christ is not because they totally reject him but because they don't make a right close with him they don't come up to God's terms There are stated Conditions which every one that would have Christ and benefit by Christ must come up to and what are they Why he that would have Christ must have whole Christ Christ in all his Offices not only as Priest but as King and Prophet And this necessarily suposes a renouncing all sin and lust a resolute owning and adhering to his Truths and Ordinances and an unfeigned resignation of heart and soul to his will in all things This is the right receiving of Christ Now there are but few that can come up to this they would have Christ but they would not part with their lusts they would have a justifying Christ but not a sanctifying Christ a Christ to pardon and save them but not to purge and cleanse them There is such a close League between the natural man and his lust that till conscience be convinced and sin imbittered the soul will not be divorced and so long Christ can't be received therefore there is a necessity that every Sinner that would be saved should come under the Spirits Yoke Fourthly It is good to come under the Spirits Yoke betimes to bear the Yoke in a mans Youth A mans Youth may have a twofold respect either to the earliness of profession or to the earliness of being First To the earliness of profession Our first entrance into the ways of God is called in Scripture our Youth Jer. 2.2 I remember the kindness of thy Youth that is of her first espousals to God as the next words explain it It is a blessed thing when our profession of God and Religion begins in sound and thorow convictions It is good to bear the Yoke of conviction in the Youth of our profession For that profession of Religion that is not founded in conviction of sin will never hold out it cannot last long it is Seed sown in stony ground which though it may spring up for a while yet when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word it will wither away for want of depth of Earth to take root in Mat. 13.20 21. It is good therefore to found an early profession in sound
conversion resting in them and so perishing in the place of the breaking forth of children Hos 13.13 Now that others should eternally miscarry under those means that have been blessed to thy conversion that they should perish under the same convictions which have been to thee the pangs of the new birth O what mercy is this While some despair and others presume thou art brought by a sight of sin to close with Christ upon Gospel terms And hast thou not cause to be thankful 3. This Yoke of the Spirit being once taken off shall never be put on again thou shalt never come under it more Doth not the Scripture say as much Rom. 8.15 Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear In whomsoever the spirit of bondage once becomes a spirit of adoption he is never a spirit of bondage more in that soul If after he hath once sealed our adoption to us he should again impress fears of eternal wrath upon us he would herein be contrary to himself Object But are not many of the Children of God after Grace wrought full of fears and apprehensions of Hell and wrath Answ We must distinguish between bondage by desertion and bondage by the Spirit in conviction A Believer under desertion may be in bondage by his own spirit but not by the spirit of God When God doth suspend the wonted influences of Grace and comfort a mans own conscience may fill him with fears of Hell and dread of wrath but this is not from the suggestions of Gods spirit but from the mistake of his own He can never be a spirit of bondage more And is not this cause of thankfulness 4. How great the advantage is that comes by complying with and yielding to the spirit in convincing work For where he is complyed with in the beginning he carries it on to perfection If he convinces of sin and the soul fall under it by humiliation and repentance he will convince of righteousness too and so raise it up again by faith and dependance Nay by an early compliance with the strivings of the spirit when he first comes to discover to thee thy lost estate thou hast secured his presence for ever and he shall carry on this work of conviction so long as there is any one lust remaining A Believer hath need of the convictions of the spirit so long as he lives It is a mistake to think the convincing work of the Spirit is over when it hath discovered to a man his lost estate and so brought him to a close with Christ there is a great deal of convincing work yet to be done as there is a sinful estate so there is a sinful frame of heart Now though the Believer can no more need the convictions of the Spirit as to the former for his estate is changed yet he always needs them as to the latter Though he was convinced of the filthy nature and damning consequences of sin to prepare him for Christ and conversion yet there are convictions of necessary use to the carrying on and compleating the work of sanctification There is a great deceitfulness in sin more than the Believer ever yet saw and therefore he wants conviction of that There is a great power in remaining lusts to draw the heart from Christ he wants further conviction of that There is a gradual secret hardening of heart which in-dwelling sin works to even in the regenerate he wants further conviction of that Nay how many secret spiritual lusts hidden and close corruptions are there in the heart which at first entrance into a state of Grace the Believer never saw they lye in the heart undiscerned till the Spirit comes in with further light So that a Believer always needs the convincing work of the Spirit it is essentially necessary to the perfecting of Grace and holiness Now he that yields to the convictions of the Spirit at first doth thereby secure them to the last He shall never cease enlightening striving counselling so long as there is any one lust remaining His influences shall abide till he hath got the mastery of every sin and judgment be sent forth to victory over every corruption He dwelleth with you Matth. 12.20 and shall be in you John 14.17 O what cause of thankfulness have such as have born the Spirits Yoke with success Secondly Your Duty is to be humble Remember your Bonds so doth the Church Lam. 3.19 20. Remembring mine affliction and my misery the Wormwood and the Gall my soul hath them still in remembrance and is humbled in me One excellent means to cure spiritual pride is to look often back to the days of your soul distresses therefore God when his people were settled in the promised Land often remembers them of their wilderness state that they might not pride themselves in their present possessions Deut. 8.2 Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the Wilderness to humble thee And ver 3. He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger And ver 14 15. Beware lest thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the Lord thy God who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness wherein were fiery Serpents and Scorpions and drought where there was no water that he might humble thee No man will be lifted up under his present mercies that doth but seriously and frequently reflect upon his lost estate and the means and manner of his deliverance O think often of the sighs and sorrows the tears and terrours the griefs and groans of thy sinking Spirit in the Day when the Arrows of God stuck there How long thou hast formerly lain at God's foot begging for one Drop of the bloud of Christ to pardon sin one Dram of Grace to secure thy Estate one glympse of comfort to refresh thy wearied and heavy laden spirit and then be proud if thou canst Thirdly Labour to be fruitful This is the great end of the Spirit in all his convictions He convinceth of sin to break off the Sinner from it he convinceth of righteousness that the Sinner may seek after it and he convinces of the necessity of holiness that he may get it and grow up in it so that ye sin against and frustrate the whole design of the Holy Ghost in his work in the heart without this For ye are therefore made free from sin and become servants to God that ye might have your fruit unto holiness Rom. 6.22 And the same Apostle tells you cap. 7.4 Ye are become dead to the Law by the Body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that ye should bring forth fruit to God Labour therefore to be fruitful for this is that which secures the Spirits influences to your great advantage Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit John 15.2 Secondly This Doctrine affords matter of counsel to such as never were under the
like sense of sin and sight of a lost estate So that there is mercy even in being under the Spirits Yoke And therefore Secondly Do not be unsensible of the mercy of being under the bondage of the Spirit though it is not a Case that hath comfort in it yet it is a Case that hath mercy in it And no present misery of any condition should make us to overlook the mercy of that condition You see sin in its filthy nature and damning guilt and thereupon are filled with dread and fear and is not this a mercy Though to do sin is the most unprofitable work yet to see sin is the most profitable sight For so long as sin is unseen Christ will be unsought The remedy is never desired till our misery be discerned and felt Your conscience is full of trouble and you are weary and cry out under the burthen of your soul-troubles and is not this a mercy How shall the burthen of sin be removed if conscience be not troubled under it The more the Sinners conscience is at peace the more sin is in power The strong man armed keeps that house Luke 11.12 Besides it is the design of God that sin shall be the trouble of every Sinners conscience sooner or later here or in Hell Hell is full of troubled consciences there is not one soul there but lyes under terrour of conscience for sin for that is the worm that never dies Mark 9.44 And is it not a mercy to be troubled for sin here rather than in Hell Here the trouble is but for a season there it will be for ever Here the end of your trouble for sin is peace and comfort Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning Psal 30.5 But in Hell your trouble will end in desperation and everlasting horrour Whatever therefore your troubles are yet reckon it for a mercy that God hath brought you to a real sense of your sin and misery for that this is the only way to drive you out of your selves to Christ You had been undone but for this undoing Thirdly Do not be weary of the Spirits operation in his carrying on the work of conviction lest by growing weary of his work you make him weary of working There are two things Sinners express a great weariness under viz. the Word and the Rod. To sit long under the Word or to lye long under the Rod O what a weariness is it Now to be weary of these is to be weary of the Spirits work for by these he calls and knocks and strives to make his voice to be heard and therefore they often go together and hence you read of chastising and teaching Psal 94.12 The Rod prepares us for hearkening to the Word and the Word teaches us to understand the Rod and therefore the Spirit sometimes uses them together He binds them in Fetters and holds them in Cords of affliction and then shews their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded Job 36.8.9 10. and so opens their ear to discipline and commands that they return from iniquity Why then should any be weary of the Spirits work And yet that it is so is most evident For why do Sinners so many ways stifle the motions of the Spirit in the soul sometimes looking on spiritual troubles as mere melancholy sancies and as such shake them off Sometimes they are stifled by shame lest others should think them mad and distracted Sometimes they are stifled by declining that Ministry that deals most with the conscience and will not let them alone in sin Sometimes by running into idle debauched company that scoff away the troubles of a convinced conscience Sometimes by over business in worldly matters The cares of this World choke the Seed and it becomes unfruitful Matth. 13.22 And is not this a great sin it is murder to destroy a Child in the womb I charge you young ones with this sin this day before the Lord. And I will prove you guilty of it For what is the reason that the Word preached hath so little success that so few of you are converted from your sins and lusts to Christ I tell you this is the reason You have stifled the motions of the Spirit of God in your souls you have resisted and quenched him you have broken his Yoke from off your neck and do ye understand what ye do Do ye know the mischief of this sin It drives the Holy Spirit out of the heart You say to him depart Job 21.14 you are weary of his striving to make you weary of sinning It greatly gratifies Satan For his design is to harden the heart against the impressions of the Spirit and so lead Sinners to a Hell through a Fools Paradise It provokes the Lord to give you up to your own hearts lusts and vile affections Rom. 2.24 26. And I am perswaded that it is the Judgment that many of the young Generation of this day lye under It provokes him to take away the Gospel And I am afraid that this Judgment is at the door for why should God continue it to a Generation that slight and reject it And wo to such as shall be found to have had a hand in sinning away the Gospel It is this sin that makes Hell hot indeed It will be one of the saddest reflections in that state for a damned Sinner to recal the many sweet motions of the Spirit which in his day of Grace he had In such a Sermon how was my heart touched and my conscience awakened But all came to nothing In such a sickness how did the Spirit of God deal with me and set sin home and made it a burthen What promises and resolutions did I then make to shake off sins to leave my former wicked courses but it came to nothing Had I then yielded to the strivings of the Spirit and hearkened to his calls and counsels I had never felt these flames But my slighting God breaking the Spirits Yoke by resisting and quenching his motions this is that which hath brought this endless misery upon me O what a dreadful thing is it to be weary of the Spirits work when he comes to convince of sin Quest But when may a man be said to be weary of the Spirits work Answ First When he cannot endure an awakening convincing Ministry nor searching truths but declines those Doctrines that interrupt him in the way of his lusts and disturb the quiet of his conscience as Felix did Paul's Sermon of righteousness and judgment to come because it made him tremble the Doctrine came too close to his conscience and therefore he dismisses the Preacher to a fitter season Acts 24.25 Secondly When he is over-hasty for peace and comfort then he is weary of the Spirits Yoke This is the Case of most they are no sooner under the sense of sin but they must have comfort The Arrows of the Almighty are sharp and when they go deep do cause an unspeakable
smart no wounds to the wounds of God in the conscience A wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 In this Case it is very natural to cry out for comfort But to seek the cure for a wound before it is searched and cleansed is to make the remedy worse than the disease Vnseasonable comfort is ever unsound comfort And when it comes before the Sinner is fit for it it is then unseasonable and such comfort is from Satan not from the Comforter for he first makes the soul fit to receive comfort and then applies it Quest When is the soul prepared and fit to receive comfort Answ Five things must concur to make up this meetness for comfort First The heart must be truly broken and humbled under a sense of sin Comfort is proper for Mourners and therefore the promise is made to such I will restore comfort to his Mourners Isai 57.18 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Humiliation fits for consolation Secondly When weariness of the burthen of sin drives the Sinner to Christ Many run to Christ under their convictions that yet are not fit for comfort for it is smart that drives them and not guilt sorrow and not sin and therefore they seek more for peace and ease than for pardon and righteousness Though such may desire comfort yet they are not fit for it Matth. 11.28 for rest is for the weary and heavy laden Thirdly When it is made freely willing not only to come to Christ but to close with and receive him upon his own terms that is as a Prince to rule as well as a Priest to redeem and save when it is as willing to submit to the Duties of his Yoke as to reap the benefits of his Cross as desirous to be sanctified as saved to be freed from sins reigning power as well as from its damning guilt Then is it fit for comfort Fourthly When the Work of conversion is actually wrought in the soul then it is fit for comfort A state of sin cannot be a state of comfort There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Isai 57.21 The Spirit of God cannot be a comforting Spirit where he is not a converting Spirit Could he be supposed to work peace without Grace he would harden the Sinner in sin instead of turning him from it and so contradict his own design which is first to work Grace and then peace first he converts and then he comforts Fifthly When a man makes conscience of Duties and uses all means for the obtaining comfort as if it were to be obtained by doing and yet at the same time depends upon the Spirit for comfort as if he had done nothing Some look to their Duties for comfort and so slight the Spirit whose work is to give comfort and others look that the Spirit should do all and so sinfully neglect those means by which comfort comes in Means without the Spirit cannot comfort and the Spirit in the neglect of means will not but when a man depends upon the Spirit in the use of means then he is fit for comfort But if the heart be not broken if sin be not a burthen if the will be not bowed to Christ by converting Grace it is not prepared nor fit for comfort the season of comfort is not yet And therefore to desire it without labouring for a meetness for it is to be weary of the Spirits Yoke Thirdly Then a man is weary of the Spirits Yoke when he uses improper remedies skins over the wounds the Spirit makes in the soul with wrong Plaisters turning from a loose conversation to a profession of Religion and so by an empty form of godliness bringing in a delusive peace to the undoing of his soul Know this That nothing can administer true quiet to a wounded conscience but the bloud of Jesus Rom. 5.1 It is the cunning of Satan to hurry a troubled Sinner to an empty profession of Religion that so he may take upshort of Christ and conversion He is for any work but a saving work Take heed therefore of using improper remedies for the cure of soul-wounds and which is a necessary caution in this place take heed of imprudent Guides and unskilful Conductors of thy soul in this Case There needs one of a thousand to be an Interpreter in this matter Job 33.23 All that take upon them to be Preachers are not fit for this work they do not skill how to deal with a wounded conscience some make the wound too wide some bind it up too soon some use improper remedies for healing There are many spiritual Mountebanks as well as natural that poyson sick souls as others do sick Patients Of all things therefore take heed what spiritual Physicians you go to when you are under a wounded conscience and sick of sin for he that shall bind where God looseth or loose where God binds is unskilful in the word of righteousness Heb. 5.13 and knows not how or when to apply either the terrours of the Law or the comforts of the Gospel Fourthly Then a man is weary of the Spirits work when he breaks off his Yoke Such were they in Jer. 5.5 They have altogether broke the Yoke and burst the bonds This is done by stifling the Spirits motions refusing his counsels blotting out the impressions he makes Indeed a state of conviction is not a state to continue in therefore we ought to labour in the use of God's appointed means to get out of it Though it is a mercy to be brought under the Spirits bonds and bondage yet the mercy is not with reference to the state it self but to what follows therefore it is good to pass through it but not to continue in it Convictions are like travailing pangs which are a mercy as being greatly helpful to the forwarding the birth but if they continue ever long they spend natural strength and destroy the Mother and the Infant too Hence that of God to Ephraim Hos 13.13 The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him he is an unwise Son for he should not stay long in the place of breaking forth of Children To stay long in the birth destroys both the birth and the Bearer too The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed and that he should not dye in the pit Isai 51.14 But yet take heed of making more haste than good speed Though it is a Duty to labour to get from under the state of bondage yet it is a sin to break the Yoke of the Spirit of bondage therefore take heed of this The present Duty is to wait the Spirits season Eccles 3.1 To every thing there is a season there is a time to kill and a time to heal ver 3. a time to break down and a time to build up this is the Spirits season And then it follows ver 4. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh a time to mourn and a time to dance
that is your season His killing and breaking time is your weeping and mourning time but when his healing time comes then is your time to laugh and dance Be willing therefore to be slain by the coming of the Commandment Rom. 7.9 and to lye dead under the Spirits wounds till the healing and reviving time comes Is there not a promise that the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings Mal. 4.2 and that he that goeth forth and weepeth bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again with rejoycing Psal 126.6 bringing his sheavs with him And therefore do not dare to use any indirect means in hopes of relief he that would see a good issue of this work must stay the time Lam. 3.26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 4. While you are under the Yoke of the Spirit give diligence to make a right use of it by improving your convictions while you are under them lest the Spirit cease his work and leave you and so your convictions die and wither and come to nothing This is a very common case for whence is it that convictions do so seldom end in conversion Many are convinced and yet few converted they have many and strong convictions yet perish under them they are made to see their lost estate and yet never come to Jesus Christ Now whence is this but from the slighting and not improving their convictions Of all duties therefore be sure make Conscience of this when the Spirit strives then do you strive when he works then is your time to work I pray consider four things First Prov. 17.16 What a price to get wisdom this work of the Spirit puts into our hands and shall it be a price in the hand of fools that have no heart to it no desire to obtain it The strivings of the Spirit time your seasons of grace For though every day is a time to repent and believe in yet a man hath not his special seasons and opportunities for this every day Opportunity is more than time it is the nick and season of time it is time fitted for action a conjunction of time and means together to bring a thing about When God shews a man his undone condition by reason of sin and makes a tender of Christ to him and the Spirit strives with him to bring him to accept the tender then is his season As the Lord said to David 2 Sam. 5.24 When thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry-trees then thou shalt bestir thy self for then shall the Lord go out before thee Secondly Consider how easie the conversion is of those sinners that comply with and duly improve the seasons of the Spirit All things are easie in the Spirits seasons Great births are brought forth with easie travail How came Sarah barren Sarah to have a Son at ninety years old Gen. 18.10 why God came according to the time of life and Isaac is born So when the Spirit comes according to the time of life when his season is to bring life to a dead Soul then it lives you must know that Isaac was not so much the Son of Abrahams loyns as of Gods promise begotten by the Power of God making good the promise and therefore called a child of promise Gal 4.28 So is every Believer born not of the will of the flesh Joh. 1.13 but of God By the power of God put forth through the promise And hence all things in conversion become easie How difficult soever they are to the Creature yet in the Spirits season they are easie because of a Divine power How hard a work is it to repent and turn from sin a very difficult duty therefore compared to cutting off a limb But yet in the Spirits season how easie is it Zacheus says Christ make haste and come down Luk. 19. â— here is the season of Christ upon his Soul and how easily is his repentance brought about vers 8. Behold Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have taken ought fiom any man by false accusation I restore him fourfold How hard a work is the work of believing no duty more difficult It is easier to keep all the commands of the Law than that one command of believing And yet when the season of the Spirit comes how easie is it For now all things concur to bring it about the Commandment comes the eyes are opened sin is made burdensom the need of Christ is felt and by these means the Spirit draws and then the sinner runs Ah how easie are all things in conversion made by the Spirits seasons to the Soul that complies with them and improves them Thirdly Consider this is the highest and last of means for conversion 1 It is the highest it is that which puts efficacy into all other means which without it can operate nothing It is that which can make the weakest means as successful against the proudest lusts as the Rams horns were against Jericho though her walls reached to Heaven 2 It is the last means that God ever uses to convert sinners he hath appointed no other means to succeed this and therefore if you sin against your convictions you quench the Spirit and he may be so quenched as never to be kindled again and then your conversion becomes a thing impossible And therefore Fourthly Consider what a mischief it brings upon you not to improve the convictions of the Spirit Is it not a mischief when all the Ordinances and means of Grace are rendred fruitless and unsuccessful This is an effect of not improving the Spirits convictions Nay is it not a mischief to turn the edge of that Word against your Souls that was designed against your sins This is a fruit of not improving the Spirits convictions Is it not a mischief when the heart grows harder and harder under softning means This is a fruit of not improving the Spirits convictions Is it not a mischief to be delivered up to a cannot in believing Why he that improves not the convictions of the Spirit provokes him finally to depart and then the sinner is delivered up to a cannot in believing Therefore they could not believe Joh. 12.39 Is it not a mischief when the Oath of God seals up a persons or a peoples destruction Why thus it is when the convictions of the Spirit are not improved I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Psal 95.11 And who were these They were a people that had long resisted the strivings of the Spirit O therefore be diligent to improve your convictions while you are under them And if you ask me how they must be improved I shall give only this one answer and that is By hastening to Jesus Christ for pardoning and converting Grace You never improve your convictions aright till you are brought by them to a saving
unless it be bene The manner of doing what we do is as much as the matter done Most men miscarry herein they take up in the bare performance of a duty rest in the opus operatum the work done Like the blind Papists who bead out their Prayers and serve God by tale Prov. 4.23 The heart must be watched in every duty for it is the frame of the Spirit that makes up obedience And therefore the Precept doth not only prescribe the Quid but the Quomoch It doth not direct the matter only but the manner too Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 valde vehementer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they should be kept exceedingly Sept. Psal 119.4 Cursed is he that doth the work of the Lord deceitfully Jer. 48.10 He may do the work of the Lord and yet be cursed for not observing the manner as well as the matter b Some preach Christ out of envy Phil. 1.15 It is not hearing the Word unless we take heed how we hear Luke 8.18 It is not prayer if it be not fervent prayer c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jam. 5.16 If prayer be not right it is Thuribulum sine prunis a Censer without fire Giving is not Charity unless there be a drawing out the soul to the hungry 1 Cor. 11.20 Isai 58.10 Eating and drinking at the Lords Table is not eating the Lords Supper v. 27. unless it be done worthily that is by a believing soul in a believing frame Love to God is not love unless it be with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might Deut. 6.5 Whatever duty we do it is not serving God Heb. 11.28 unless we are fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 It is another matter to serve God than the world thinks of Slightness of service implies a degrading God in our conceptions Josh 24.19 it is a sign we have cheap thoughts of him when every thing serves the turn 4. There must be a right end A man may lose the prize by shooting short as well as wide of the mark Shechem submits to be circumcised but not as it was a token of the Covenant of God but as a token of his desire to be in Covenant with Jacobs daughter Gen. 34.17 18 19. and so his end was to gratifie his lust Jehu destroys the house of idolatrous Ahab a good work a work to which he was anointed and called of God and yet God threatens to avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu 2 Kings 9.6 7. Hos 1.4 A strange thing that God should anoint Jehu for that work to shed the blood of the house of Ahab and bid him go and do it and declared his approbation of it Thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes nay rewarded him for doing it 2 Kings 10.30 and yet that after all this God should avenge it upon his house What should be the reason of this Because though the work was good yet his end was bad It was not zeal for the Lord of Hosts that was but in pretence his end was to get the Kingdom Plainly then a man may do what God requires and yet in the doing of it serve his own ends Now the Yoke of Christ directs our ends which is in all things that God be glorified 1 Cor. 10.31 So that in all these instances it appears to be a very extensive Yoke and so must the Christians obedience be Ye are my friends if you do whatever I command you Joh. 15.14 Fifthly And it follows from the former It is a laborious Yoke Indeed there is a blessed rest our Lord Christ hath promised to all that put on this Yoke Matt. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and ye shall find rest to your souls that is a rest from the dominion of sin from the condemning power of the Law from the accusations and charges of Conscience But it is not a rest from labour that is the priviledge of Heaven they rest from their labours Revel 14.13 Here we labour to enter into rest Heb. 4.11 The very notion of taking up the yoke imports labour and diligence And so do all those imployments to which the Christian calling is compared in Scripture It is compared to running a race to wrestling to fighting All works that call for the utmost strength skill and industry The more strings an Instrument hath the greater art and skill is requisite to handle it well A Christian hath more to do than ever Adam in Innocency had his state is better but his work is greater Adam was to obey the Law only but the Christian is to obey both Law and Gospel First He is to keep the whole Law it is to be his Rule as much as it was Adam's though not upon the same Sanction and severe Conditions Which Command may I break upon the priviledge of interest in Christ or refuse to obey as a part of Gospel-liberty And if every Command of the Moral Law requires obedience as it doth how great is his Duty But this is not all For Secondly He owes obedience to the Gospel too For this is more peculiarly the Yoke of Christ And how many Duties go to make up Gospel-obedience There must be believing in Christ repenting of sin denying our selves renouncing the world crucifying the flesh with its affections and lusts cutting off the right hand plucking out the right eye cleaving to the truths of Christ contending for the Faith praying in the Spirit watching in all things resisting temptations growing in grace worshipping God in the Spirit abounding in hope rejoycing in Christ Jesus c. O how laborious a work is it to take up the Yoke of Christ Indeed Christ says it is easie Matt. 11.30 my yoke is easie but this is in opposition to grievousness 1 John 5.3 not to diligence and industry Christ quits us of our burden but not of our duty Sixthly The Yoke of Christ is a lasting Yoke not to be worn at pleasure and then laid off I have given you statutes and judgments says Moses Deut. 4.5 as the Lord commanded me and then v. 9. Take heed lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life And Isa 59.21 My words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed from henceforth and for ever The meaning of this promise is that his people shall never want the guidance and direction of his Word and therefore they should always follow the guidance of it David begs to be taught the Statutes of God for this very reason that he may keep them to the end Psal 119.33 There is no exemption from Duty no room for intermissions in our obedience Upon those words of Solomon Eccles 3.1 Eccles 3.1 There is a time for every thing v. 2. a time to be born and a
all that see their need and trust to his supplies And therefore it is all the reason in the world we should obey his Call and take up his Yoke who injoyns no obedience but what he gives strength and power to perform Fifthly It is he into whose hand the Judgment of the World is committed he is ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead Acts 10.42 And this is what you all profess to believe you say in your Creed that he is ascended into heaven and from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead and it is so for the Father hath committed all judgment to the Son John 5.22 He it is who disposes of all persons to their eternal condition the power of life and death salvation and damnation is in his hand He is the Husbandman who appoints the reapers to gather the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them but to gather the wheat into his barn Mat. 13.30 He is the Bridegroom who takes the wise Virgins in with him to the marriage but excludes the foolish Mat. 25.10 Mat. 25.14 He is the man who travelling into a far Country delivered his goods to his servants to one five talents v. 15. to another two to another one v. 19. and after a long time comes againe and reckons with them blessing and rewarding the diligence of the faithful v. 21. v. 31. and dooming the unprofitable servant into utter darkness And is there not great reason then why every one should take up his Yoke especially considering that it is made up of those Laws that are the rules both of his Government and of his Judgment as he rules by them so he will pass Sentence by them the same Laws that are now given by Christ for a rule of life shall then be the rule of Judgment Our Lord Christ tells you so John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the words that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day If you will not submit to his word to guide you you must submit to it to try you you may decline his Precepts but you cannot decline his Sentence You will not obey him when he says Mat. 16.24 Follow me but you cannot resist him when he says Depart from me It is most rational therefore you should submit to his Precepts Mat. 7.23 or ye can't escape his wrath Psal 2.12 3. God the Holy Spirit he calls for thy obedience and for an early submission to the Yoke of Christ and therefore it is that he begins his work in the Soul betimes I know not nor is it for me to say how early but certainly it is very early There are none of you of any competent age but the Spirit of the Lord hath been dealing with you to bring you under the Yoke of Christ * Among such as are religiously educated there is scarce a child of ten years old but the holy Spirit hath been at work in his heart Increase Mather in his Book about Conversion pag. 134. The Gospel is the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 and the Call of the Gospel is accompanied with a work of the Spirit where the Gospel calls outwardly the Spirit calls inwardly and this is the highest way of Gods calling There is no work of God beyond the striving of the Spirit in the heart and doubtless the Spirit strives less or more with all under the word He cannot be said to strive with all in the same manner nor in all with equal power and efficacy for then all would as well be brought under Christs Yoke as those that are But that he strives with all in one degree or other is evident For whence is it that many are under such frequent and strong convictions and that they are made to see sin and feel the burden of it convinced of their undone condition under it convinced of the necessity and equity of obedience and a holy life it is from the striving of the Spirit And whence is it that many are brought to take up the Yoke of Christ formally and feignedly that have no work of sound conversion wrought in their hearts So did the stony ground hearer he hears the word Mat. 13.20 and receives it and what is the receiving it but conforming to it So did Simon Magus Acts 8.13 he believed and was baptized and so came under the Yoke of Christ And whence is this but from the power of the Spirit put forth to convince of sin and of the equity of the ways of Christ This doth it Through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves to thee Psal 66.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentientur in te Arias Mont. virtus nolentium nulla est The word which we render submit signifies in the Hebrew to lye Your Margent reads it feigned obedience and to feign obedience when the heart is not right with God is a lye And whence is it that many are wearied out of their lusts and brought to a free and willing submission to Christ and his Yoke but from the irresistible power of the Spirit Acts 7.51 And whence is it that many do resist the Spirit of Grace How could he be resisted if he did not put forth his power and strive with the sinner Resistance is a forcible opposition made by one against another in his onsets and attempts So that it is most evident that the Spirit of the Lord strives with all to bring them under the Yoke of Christ at one time or other Now I pray do but consider what reason there is for your compliance with the Spirit herein First Consider what his work and design is It is to prepare the way of the Lord into the heart to break the Yoke of sin to destroy that confederacy with corruption which will be the ruine of thy Soul and so to captivate the heart to the obedience of Christ Whatever means he uses this is the end he pursues If he wound us if he break us if he empty and out us of our selves it is but to bring us to a more ready and free subjection to the Laws of Christ Wounds of Conscience are painful things and spiritual troubles are grievous troubles the burden of sin is a heavy burden but so long as these things are under the management of the Spirit as instrumental to a ready obedience to the Lord Christ there is all the reason in the world why you should undergo them Secondly Let it be considered how uncertain his striving is you don't know how long or how little while it will last He begins betimes but you know not how soon he may have done If you refuse his calls and repulse him when he knocks you have no promise he will knock again To be sure the more you resist him the sooner you quench him and where he is once utterly
you There is a general and a particular day of Grace The general day of Grace is when the Gospel is brought to a people and the Ministry of it set up by God whereby life and salvation is tendred to all in the blood of Jesus Christ The particular and special day of Grace is when the Gospel is not only preached and Salvation tendred but when the Spirit of the Lord doth accompany it and carry it home to the hearts of sinners sometimes inlightning their minds sometimes convincing their consciences sometimes working inward fears and terrors from a sense of their undone condition sometimes stirring up good affections and desires sometimes working them to strong purposes and resolutions to repent and turn and obey Now where the Spirit doth thus inwardly strive with any sinner that is his particular day of grace his special season of finding and obtaining mercy Seek the Lord while he may be found Isai 55.6 Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 If ever a sinner be converted and brought into obedience to Jesus Christ this is the time And it is very dangerous to neglect or defer our closing with Christ for it is very uncertain how long or how little while the opportunity may be afforded Who knows when his day of grace begins or when it will end Job 14.5 As no man knows the number of his months so much less doth he know the length of his day of grace Acts 1.7 It is not for you as Christ says in another case to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath kept in his own power And the reason why God hides it from us may be because he would have us lose no opportunity of saving our Souls but imbrace the first tenders of mercy lest God should take our refusal and never tender it more If you repulse the Spirit of God when he knocks you have no promise that ever he will knock again and if he leaves off you are undone for ever The harvest is past the summer is ended and we are not saved Jer. 8.20 God will not wait long upon a lingring sinner he takes delays for denials and so departs and the day of grace ends Most certain it is that the day of grace may be sinned away and that whether you consider it in the general or particular notion of it First Take it in the general notion of it for the injoyment of the means of grace and the Ministry of the Word and Ordinances and this may cease God may deprive a people of a converting Ministry and converting Ordinances and may give them Statutes not good as he did to Israel Ezek. 20.24 25. Because they despised my statutes polluted my Sabbaths and their eyes were after their fathers idols therefore I gave them or gave them up to statutes that were not good and judgments whereby they should not live It is a judicial process of an offended God because of abused mercies they had the Statutes and Judgments and Ordinances of God which were just and good and tended to life as vers 21. But because they slighted these therefore he gave them up to the Statutes and superstitious Inventions of men which were not good but tended to death and destruction It is a dreadful judgment when for slighting and rebelling against the Statutes and Judgments of God he gives a person or a people up to Statutes and judgments that are not good And this seems to be the very judgment that God is giving this Nation up to at this day we have slighted the Yoke of Christ and therefore he is giving us up to the Yoke of Antichrist we have been weary of pure Worship and Ordinances and have been lusting after the Romish inventions and therefore the righteous God seems to be giving us up to them and saying to us as to that people v. 39. As for you O house of Israel thus saith the Lord God go ye serve ye every one his Idols When men will not stoop to nor owne those ways of Christ which are for their good it is just with God to give them up to those ways that are not for their good When men receive not the love of the truth that they may be saved for this cause God sends them strong delusions that they should believe a lye and be damned 2 Thess 2.10 11 12. And these are the Statutes that are not good and the judgments whereby they shall not live Sometimes he gives them up to a blind Ministry the sword of the Lord is upon the arm and the right eye of the Idol-shepherd insomuch that his arm is dried up and his right eye utterly darkned Zach. 11.17 He closeth the eyes of the Prophets and Rulers and Seers together with a spirit of deep sleep so that the vision of all is become as the words of a book sealed which neither unlearned nor learned can read Isai 29.10 11 12. Sometimes he gives them up to a profane and debauched Ministry The Priest and the Prophet have erred through strong drink they are swallowed up of wine through strong drink they erre in vision and stumble in judgment Isai 28.7 From the Prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land Jer. 23.15 They cause my people to erre by their lies and by their lightness v. 32. Sometimes he doth utterly take away his Ordinances and means of Grace Behold saith the Lord the days come that I will send a famine in the land not a famine of bread which yet is a sore judgment and makes the mother eat the child of a span long Lam. 2.20 nor a thirst for water for a draught whereof Lysimachus to save his life sold his Kingdom but of hearing the word of the Lord. Amos 8.11 And this was the judgment of God upon Israel We see not our signs there is no more any Prophet neither is there any among us that knoweth how long Psal 74.9 Amaziah and his Courtiers shall not need to pack away the Prophets and forbid them preaching nigh the Court as Amos 7.12 for God will as a woful Plague to an unworthy people remove them And Israel shall be without the true God and without a teaching Priest and without Law 2 Chron. 15.3 And this is what our Lord Christ so severely threatned Mat. 21.43 The kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof And how sadly hath this word been accomplished upon them for sixteen hundred years together The seven Churches of Asia as also those of Africa that vast Continent thrice as big as Europe are sad instances of this It is plain then that the day of grace in regard of the injoyment of the Ordinances may be sinned away But Secondly The Sinners particular day of grace may be lost and sinned away he may not only sin away the Ordinances but the strivings of the Spirit too he may resist it till it is
Ordinance every Providence every thing hath a commission so to do Rom. 11.8 Make the heart of this people fat make their ears heavy shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and convert and be healed Isai 6.10 Ye read in Rom. 1. of a threefold giving up v. 24. God gave them up to uncleanness v. 26. God gave them up to vile affections v. 28. God gave them up to a reprobate mind There is a gradation in this judicial process of God Here is the practice of sin and a giving up to that then a love and delight in sin and a giving up to that and at last a sensless stupidity in sin and then a giving up to that And these are the three saddest judgments on this side Hell God brought ten sad Plagues upon Pharaoh but there was one greater than all and that was a hardned heart Exod. 10.27 I have hardned his heart saith the Lord Exod. 7.13 And how is this done How can God be said to harden a sinners heart Non infundendo malitiam 〈◊〉 subtrahendo gratiam not by infusing any evil qualities that were not there before but by withdrawing the striving of his Spirit and leaving a man to be acted by his own lusts which do quickly work to hardening the heart and therefore that which is called a hardening the heart there is by the Apostle here explained by giving up to uncleanness to vile affections to a reprobate mind Which imports no more but a dereliction of the Spirit a ceasing to strive any longer Fifthly If a man may possibly commit the unpardonable sin the sin against the Holy Ghost then he may out-live the strivings of the Spirit and sin away his day of grace But this is possible for a man to do so did those Pharisees and Scribes Mat. 9.34 Mark 3. They commit this sin v. 22. And the Lord Christ charges them with it and tells them they shall never be pardoned nor saved by reason of it v. 29 30. So that they out-lived their day of grace Therefore the thing is most evident that a man may so long go on in sin and so far resist the Spirit in his strivings with the Soul as that his day of grace may be past and gone It may be sinned away How long the Spirit of the Lord may continue to strive with a sinner before he gives over and strives no more that I think is a question too hard for any man to determine to say thus long the Spirit will strive but no longer thus long the sinners day of grace shall continue but no longer is beyond the skill of any man 1. Because things that are purely arbitrary come under no rule 2. The Scripture is silent as to any positive determination herein God hath no where said how long it shall be how long he will wait to be gracious And where the Scripture doth not determine who can We ought not to have an ear to hear where the Scripture hath not a tongue to speak 3. It is most certain that the day of grace hath differing periods It is not of the same length to all one sinner hath the glass of his opportunity sooner run out than another To some God calls and sets open the door of grace for them and if they will enter well and good if not he shuts the door upon them and never opens it more To others he shews much long suffering he calls aloud Rom. 9.22 and strives much and knocks often at the sinners door before he will take a denial To some God lays the ax to the root of the tree Mat. 3.10 and says either bear or burn either for fruit or fire Luke 13.6 7. To others God comes looking for fruit one year after another before he gives the word for the cutting them down 4. The patience of God doth not determine the thing For that may be continued to a sinner when the Spirit hath given him over and done striving with him there may be a long day of forbearance where the day of grace is past The Lord awaken sinners to consider this for they are very apt to presume upon Gods patience and think that a season of repentance whereas the repentance and conversion of the sinner doth not depend so much upon Gods patience as upon the Spirits strivings It is this that puts a price into our hands to get wisdom Prov. 17.16 this makes the season of grace the patience of God may be for a contrary end it may be only for the filling up the measure of our iniquity And therefore sinners may possibly live long under Gods patience and forbearance and yet the season of the Spirits strivings may be at an end But yet though none can say how long or how little while the sinners day of grace shall last yet these two things may be safely said concerning it First The greater the means of grace is the shorter the day of grace is the old world had not so great means but then they had a longer day My Spirit shall not always strive with man yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years Gen. 6.3 It is not meant of the days of his life that he should live so long but it is meant of the day of grace so many years God would give them to repent in so many years his Spirit should strive with them before judgment was executed The people of Israel had greater means than the old World but then their day of grace was shorter Forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness Acts 13.18 And afterwards in Canaan still as their priviledges were inlarged so their day was shortned Never were their injoyments so great as by the coming of Christ in the flesh but yet this shortned their day of grace the more as you may see in that Parable of the Fig-tree Luke 13.6 7. And in that Commission which Christ gives to his Disciples Luke 10.10 11. Into whatever city ye enter and they receive you not go out into the street and say Even the very dust of your city we do wipe off against you notwithstanding be ye sure of this that the kingdom of God is come nigh to you As if he should say Tell them this is their day of grace which since they slight God will shake off them as you do the dust of your feet The more lively and awakening the Ministry you at any time sit under is the shorter your day of grace is for it either converts or hardens it either betters your estate or makes it worse If it be not a savour of life to life it will be a savour of death unto death 2 Cor. 2.16 It never leaves sinners as it finds them If your spiritual estate be not bettered by it the Spirit of the Lord will not strive long and then your conversion is impossible There are three sad evils
which the Gospel brings upon impenitent sinners Their Judge will be severer Their Hell will be hotter Their Season of Grace and time of the Spirits striving will be shorter For he will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth Rom. 9.28 Secondly The more profligate and desperate in sinning men grow under the Gospel the sooner will the Spirit cease striving For a man may and many a man doth by his own sin shorten his day of grace and provoke God to strive by his Spirit no more Eliphaz speaking of the sinners of the old World says They were cut down out of time and their foundation overflowed with a flood Job 22.16 And therefore what shall we think of England's Priviledges Will they last long I am afraid they will not considering the desperate wickedness of the Nation that reigns in all sorts this may justly cause God to cut them down out of time and cause a flood of judgments to overflow their foundations The abominable pride gluttony drunkenness uncleanness swearing lying Covenant breaking oppression injustice perjuries together with the Errours Heresies Schisms Blasphemies Idolatries and Atheism of the day and I will add the unrighteous persecution of the Ministers and Members of Christ for nothing but their adhering to the word and Kingly Office of Christ these things I fear have brought the Nations day and mercies to a near period And though I speak it with trembling yet I must say it That without a speedy repentance the Lord will shortly do one of these two things either he will remove this generation from the Gospel or else he will remove the Gospel from this generation Thus you see where the force of this reason lies delay of so great a Duty is greatly dangerous whether you look to the indisposition it works or to the uncertainty of life or to the uncertain duration of the day of grace which may be sinned away and then if you would come to Christ you cannot Then shall they call upon me but I will not answer Prov. 1.28 29 30. they shall seek me early but they shall not find me for that they hated knowledge and did not chuse the fear of the Lord They would none of my counsel they despised all my reproof Salvation is not a thing to be had at your time but at Gods time and Gods time is now in your youth Most agree that it is a reasonable thing that sin should be forsaken that the Yoke of Christ should be taken up but not so soon it is too early and this is it upon which most men perish they slight Gods time When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered Hos 7.1 A man never discovers more iniquity and more love to sin than in setting light by Gods time of healing The foolish Virgins would fain have entred in with the Bridegroom but when they should have entred their oyl was to get and when they would have entred the door was shut Mat. 25.10 Ye read in Revel 10.1 2 6. of an Angel that hath in his hand a little book open and he swears by him that lives for ever and ever that time should be no longer This Angel is interpreted of Christ and the little book in his hand is the Gospel and it is said to be open because he makes known the whole counsel of God for our Salvation it is Christ that gives out the Gospel and means of grace and it is he that limits the time of mans injoying it beyond which he cannot injoy it for he sweareth that time shall be no longer CHAP. VII Containing the last Reason viz. from the good of Obedience It is a necessary good a profitable good an honourable good a comfortable good Reas 8 THE last but not the least reason is what is hinted here in the Text viz. the goodness of the undertaking there can be no greater reason of obedience than the goodness of it All true obedience springs from love and the object of love is good and when a man loves and obeys God because of the goodness of his Precepts this is excellent Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loves it Psal 119.140 There is nothing proves our regeneration and being made partakers of the divine nature like this 1 Pet. 1.4 for then we have the same object of love as God hath Purity and goodness is the object of Gods love and it cannot but be so because of its suitableness to his nature and therefore to have the same object of love with God argues the Soul changed into the likeness of God Carnal minds have no relish of heavenly things They that are after the flesh savour the things of the flesh Rom. 5.8 That man is undoubtedly born of God that loves the word because it is good and obeys it because it is pure The great argument by which Duty and Obedience is inforced upon the Creature is the good of obedience Deut. 5.29 The Lord commanded us to do all these Statutes to fear the Lord our God Deut. 6.24 Hear it and know it for thy good Job 5.27 And Deut. 10.12 13. What doth the Lord require of thee but to fear him and to walk in his ways and to love him and serve him with all thy heart and with all thy soul To keep the commandments of the Lord and his statutes which I command thee this day for thy good And here in the Text It is good for a man that he bear the Yoke in his youth And the great motive upon which good men labour to confirm themselves in heart and life to the precepts of God is the goodness of them The commandment is holy just and good Rom. 7.12 The mandatory part of the word hath an inviting loveliness Manton on Psal 119. p. 456. As the promises of pardon and eternal life suit with the hunger and thirst of the Soul and the natural desires of happiness so the holiness and righteousness of the precept suit with the notions of good and evil that are in mans heart and this draws forth compliance and consent I consent to the Law that it is good Rom. 7.16 It is good for me to draw near to God Psal 73.28 There is no likelier means to prevail upon considering minds to come under the Yoke of Christ betimes than to let them see how much duty is their real interest and that obedience is not burden so much as blessedness for that there is an universal good in Religion It is a necessary good a profitable good an honourable good a pleasant good First It is a necessary good Nothing in the world is of equal necessity with this there are many things useful but this is that one thing needful So our Lord Christ says One thing is needful Luke 10.42 and that is subjection to Christ Martha was careful about his entertainment but Mary sate at his feet one
mercy impotent He could do no mighty work Mark 6.5 you make the Lamb turn Lion you lay your selves under a necessity of damnation for all wilful refusers of Christ must perish Thirdly It is necessary to preserve the rectitude of Nature if a man would be under the government of mind and understanding and keep reason in the Throne and be able to subdue the inordinacy of appetite he must come under the Yoke of Christ nothing else can do it Philosophy may give rules but it is Religion that gives power How like a brute is man that is led by sense and governed by appetite the glory of his Being is lost A beast in the shape and figure of a reasonable Creature man without but brute within There is no middle thing every man is either a Saint or a Beast If he don't conform to Christ which is the truest improvement of mind and will he is under the government of sense and swayed by appetite and what makes a man more a beast than this Fourthly It is necessary to prove your right to and interest in Christ The pretence and claim to this is very common but right and interest is very rare therefore it is good to put things out of doubt Let every man prove his own work Gal. 6.4 Know ye not that Christ is in you except ye be reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 How may this be known why the Apostle tells you 1 Joh. 2.3 Hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments And v. 5. Whoso keepeth his word in him is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him Your obedience is the best test of your interest nothing proves your relation to his Person like your subjection to his Precepts Hereby we know that we are of the truth and shall assure our hearts before him 1 Joh. 3.19 Many boast great things about their interest in Christ and have great joys and transports flowing from it and yet all may be but the birth of a dream the fruit of fancy and fond opinion and it is no other where subjection to Christ is left out He that saith I know him and keeps not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him 1 Joh. 1.4 That is a sharp rebuke of Christ to those false Disciples Luke 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say Christ hates their pretences of relation to him while they slight his Precepts and disown his Government Fifthly It is necessary to shew our gratitude to a Redeemer which can no way be expressed as it ought but by a dutiful subjection to his precepts Let us not love in word and in tongue says the Apostle but in deed and in truth 1 Joh. 3.18 We never express our thankful sense of redeeming love to the life till we make his Laws the rule of our life And thus doth David Psal 116.8 9. Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living The greatest love that ever God shewed was to give Jesus Christ And the greatest grace that ever Christ manifested was the grace of Redemption when he gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity Tit. 2.14 And the highest obedience the Creature can act is when it springs from a grateful sense of the Fathers love in giving Christ and of Christs grace in giving himself When we lay the foundation of our obedience where God hath laid it in the Blood of his Son when we love God from a sense of his love to us in Christ 1 Joh. 4.19 When mercy melts and wins us Rom. 12.1 When the grace of God appearing teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts Tit. 2.11 12. and to live soberly righteously and godly in the world this is excellent The Apostle says That faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 And it doth so two ways by way of gratitude and by way of instrumentality It first apprehendeth love and leaves the impression of it upon the Soul and so begets such a love in the Soul to God as works a dutiful subjection to all his Precepts This is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous 1 Joh. 5.3 The end of Redemption is duty Christ had no design to diminish the Soveraignty of God or lessen mans duty in any of his undertakings but to make us more capable of service and to render duty more easie There is mercy provided for our failings but no relaxation of obedience the Gospel requires as perfect holiness as ever the Law did yet we have a double relief provided by sincerity on our part and mercy on God's Though there be no indulgence by Christ to the least sin yet there is pardon provided for the greatest Christ came not to be a minister of sin to deliver us from obedience but he came to deliver us from the slavery of obedience not that we might not serve God but that we might serve him without fear Luk. 1.74 that is with peace of Conscience and joy of heart And therefore great is the gratitude we owe to Christ and it can no way be expressed but by a voluntary resignation to his will and subjection to his Yoke Sixthly It is necessary for the confirming our Faith in the promises of God There is an inseparable connexion between the Precepts and Promises the one is as essential a part of the Covenant of Grace as the other there is you shall as well as I will I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people Heb. 8.10 I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Ezek. 36.27 There is obedience injoyned as well as mercy promised The Covenant is of Gods contriving not ours he prescribes the conditions and propounds the rewards not we Our work is intire submission and hearty consent we are neither to alter nor debate And in this Covenant our eternal happiness is secured by an unfeigned consent of will to take Christ upon the conditions God hath prescribed and what are they Christ and his Yoke that is Christ to rule as well as to save for he came not only to be a Saviour but a Law-giver The Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King he will save us Isai 33.22 As Law-giver he prescribes the rule of obedience as King he rules by the Law he prescribes as Judge he will try us by the Law of his Government and save those that have sought his precepts Psal 119.94 and therefore our faith in the promise of eternal rewards must be supported by our faithfulness to the commands the greater our obedience the higher is our hope of acceptance I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept
pleasure in Unrighteousness no but the contrary Who can reckon up the clamours it causes without and within Who can number the troubles of strife and variance How great is the pain of malice and envy What torments and horrours do blood and murder fill the Soul with Add to this that while unrighteousness is the bane of conversation which turns the world into a den of savage beasts where one devours another righteousness is the bond of humane Society which consults glory to God honour to Religion quietness to Conscience and happiness to Mankind And the same may be said of Godliness there can be nothing so truly pleasant and sweet Look upon the knowledge of God in Christ and how pleasant is that The Scripture calls it life eternal Joh. 17.3 One part of the pleasure of Heaven consists in knowing God and therefore this light must needs be sweet here And if it be sweet to know him how sweet is it to be united to him And that whether ye consider the misery of a state of distance and enmity Heb. 12.29 in which God is a consuming fire and we as briars and thorns and this is the state of every man by nature Eph. 2.12 without God in the world Or whether you consider the objects to which all are united that are not in union to God Their union is with their corruptions they are in Covenant with sin their Souls are glewed to their lusts some to pride some to covetousness some to uncleanness and how transcendently sweeter must the pleasure of union to God be than this Or whether ye consider the nature of this union as it is spiritual and indissoluble It is a spiritual union and therefore the pleasure of it is spiritual it is not to be seen nor felt nor tasted by common senses and therefore the natural man is so far from receiving it 1 Cor. 2.14 Prov. 24.7 1 Cor. 1.18 that he scoffs at and derides it Such wisdom is too high for a fool and therefore it is to him foolishness but the more spiritual and sublime the greater must the pleasure of it be to the Heaven-born Soul It is an inseparable union which can never be dissolved nothing can break it Death it self which can untye all other unions that of friend and friend that of man and wife that of body and soul which of all is the nearest yet it cannot râ—â—ch to dissolve this though the Soul and the body part yet God and the Believer part not neither as to body nor Soul for while the Soul is hereby taken up into a full communion the body is not left alone in the grave Rom. 8.38 39. Death cannot separate from the love of God in Christ. Therefore ye read of the dead in Christ 1 Thess 4.16 Mark it dead and yet in Christ though Dead This is meant of the body for the spirit dies not The body is in union to God when rotting in the dust therefore it is said to sleep in Jesus 1 Thess 4.14 O how sweet must union to God be upon this account that it is indissoluble though it had a beginning it shall never have an end Or whether ye look to the many and great blessings which flow from this union to God Such as pardon of sin the grace of Adoption the indwelling of the Spirit a participation of all Grace a title to all the Promises and blessings of the Gospel Oh how pleasant and sweet must these things needs make out union to God to be And where there is this union to God how delightful and sweet must all worship and service and all obedience to his commands be For by virtue of this union to God the Believer derives such power and strength from him as makes every duty not only possible but pleasant And where a man is much in obedience he is much in communion and much communion with God brings in much comfort and much comfort makes the life sweet and pleasant Therefore no life to the life of godliness Is there pleasure in living in Heaven Why a life of godliness is a conversation in Heaven our conversation is in heaven Phil. 3.20 Hath God pleasure in his own life why godliness is the life of God Eph. 4.18 As Holiness is the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 so the acting of Holiness is the Divine life Now as the life of God being the highest life must necessarily be filled up with the highest pleasures and delights so a Believer partaking of the life of God which is of all the highest must proportionably partake of the pleasures of God which are of all the greatest And thus you have the first consideration which makes the Yoke of Christ pleasant and that is the matter of his service Secondly Consider the state in which this service is commanded and this Yoke injoyned to be put on and that is a state of regeneracy and renovation Without this obedience is not only difficult but impossible The proud neck of nature cannot bow to the Yoke of Christ Luke 19.14 Mat. 12.33 We will not that this man rule over us The tree must be good before the fruit can be good Good works don't make a man good they prove his state to be good but they do not make it good that is God's work Hence that in Ezek 36.26 27. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh and I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them So that it is first a new heart and a new spirit and then a new life first a good tree and then good fruit first spiritual habits and then spiritual acts In Creation every creature is fitted and furnished with such faculties and powers as are suitable to those actions which are proper to its nature So it is in the new Creation We are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works Eph. 2.10 First a new creation and then a new conversation and this makes Duty a delight Things are easie or unpleasant according to the inclination and poise of our spirits All pleasure and delight in doing arises from a suitableness between the heart and the work if there be Precepts upon us and a defect of Principles within us much may be done but there can be little pleasure in doing A sick man may eat and drink as a healthful man doth but he hath no pleasure in it all things are savourless and against stomach he hath no delight in it But it is for other ends that nature may be supported and life preserved he can't live without taking something But a man of a sound body and healthful temper acts not only his judgment in eating but his pleasure and delight his appetite is stirred up by the sweetness that
for it is a communion with him in his own nature which is holiness Now thus every good man walks with God and hath a daily communion with him so far as holiness is in exercise How often may we hear the Children of God complaining of the want of communion with God! this arises from a mistake of the thing They judge of fellowship by sensible fruitions and of communion by comfort So much as God gives out of the comfort of his presence and the light of his face so much communion they partake of And where this is not injoyed there all communion is denied Whereas communion with God may be maintained and yet present comfort may be left out Though they cannot walk by the light of his countenance yet they may walk by the light of his counsels So did Job Chap. 23.8 9 10 11 12. Behold I go forward but he is not there backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I can't behold him he hides himself on the right hand that I cannot see him But he knows the way that I take my foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips Here you may see Job walking with God when at the same time he cannot find him He walketh by the light of his will revealed when he can't walk by the light of his face discovered and so hath a communion with him in his counsels though not in the light of his countenance And this makes the Yoke of obedience pleasant it is a walking with God you have hereby communion with him in his Holiness when you want the comforts of his presence and this makes your way sweet though God doth not shine upon your path This I take to be the meaning of that of David Psal 112.4 Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darkness Holiness yields a sweetness and comfort when it may be the light of Gods face yields none 2. Godliness is attended with the pleasure of a witnessing Conscience He that follows its guidance shall never want its witness God leads man by a twofold guide the Word and Conscience the Word without and Conscience within the Word is a light to us and Conscience is a light in us the Word directs the Conscience and Conscience directs the conversation And he that follows the guidance of Conscience as it is guided by the Word shall never want a witness to the goodness of his state and heart He that opposes and violences Conscience shall find it witnessing against him but he that is guided by it shall have it a witness for him As the Spirit of God is first a Counseller and then a Comforter so Conscience is first a guide and then a witness And what greater pleasure than the witness of a mans Conscience to the goodness of his conversation As a condemning Conscience is the greatest torment as being a degree of Hell so a witnessing Conscience is the greatest comfort as being a first-fruits of the joy of Heaven Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 A witnessing Conscience brings with it an unspeakable sweetness and comfort As for instance First What is it that satisfies a man when nothing else can it is the witness of his Conscience A good man is satisfied from himself Prov. 14.14 Secondly What is it that gives confidence and boldness towards God it is a witnessing Conscience 1 John 3.21 If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have boldness so the word is rendred in Heb. 10.19 Having brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus A good man hath a threefold boldness and confidence from a witnessing Conscience 1. A boldness in Prayer Let us come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 There are three things which together cause this boldness First The Throne God is upon to whom we make our requests viz. a Throne of Grace and Mercy Let us come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 Secondly The advantage we have by Jesus Christ at the right hand of God Who ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.15 Thirdly The help of the Spirit whereby we are inabled to call him Father and who makes intercession in us Rom. 8.15 26. 2. Boldness and confidence in the midst of all dangers He shall not be afraid of evil tidings Psal 112.7 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear no evil Psal 23.4 The righteous is bold as a lion Prov. 28.1 3. Boldness and confidence in the day of Judgment 1 John 4.17 That we may have boldness in the day of judgment And how sweet must this be to dye and go to the Bar of God confidently assured of the goodness of our case Thirdly What is that which comforts and supports a man when all else it may be witness against him It is a witnessing Conscience Sometimes men may witness against him and falsly charge him as in Jobs case yet then Conscience supports him in the testimony whereof he can appeal to God as in Chap. 10.7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked Sometimes God seems to witness against him Thou writest bitter things against me Job 10.17 Job 13.26 Yet then to the upright there arises light in darkness Psal 112.4 Sometimes Satan witnesseth against a man accuses him of hypocrisie and unsoundness of heart in the ways of God as he did Job of serving God for by-ends Job 1.9 10. yet then Conscience supports him as it did good Hezekiah in the testimony whereof he appeals to God Remember Lord Isai 38.3 how I have walked before thee with an upright heart Fourthly What is that which fills the Soul with peace and joy when troubles and distresses are upon us it is the witness of Conscience This made Paul and Silas sing in the Stocks This made the Martyrs triumph in the midst of the flames As sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 O what a sweet thing is a witnessing Conscience it fills a man with the richest and the most lasting peace 1. With the richest peace and therefore it is called the Peace of God Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus That this is the peace of Conscience is evident in that it is said to keep the heart and mind And it is called the Peace of God First Because of the greatness and excellency of it according to that Hebraism whereby things great and excellent are intitled to God Psal 36.6 As the mountains of God the Cedars of God Psal 80.10 the increase of God Col. 2.19 c. Secondly Because he gives it When
Great peace have they that love thy Law and nothing shall offend them Psal 119.165 Eighthly The pleasures of sin are distracting pleasures and this arises from the contrariety of one lust to another As all sins are contrary to grace so some sins are repugnant and contrary one to another Therefore you read of serving divers or differing lusts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3.3 and from the repugnant commands of differing lusts the service of sin must needs fill the mind with distraction for in gratifying one lust the sinner displeases another if he serves pride he displeases covetousness c. But now in Religion there is nothing contrary Virtutes sunt inter se connexae there is a delightful harmony and correspondence among all the graces of the Spirit he that acts one grace doth not contradict another because of the harmony that is between them and this makes the pleasure of godliness greater than the pleasure of sin can be because it is a pleasure without distraction Indeed the mind may be and too often is distracted from the efficacy of indwelling lusts but not from any contrariety in the graces of the Spirit for one duty forwards another and helps another and makes another the more easie Ninthly The pleasures of sin are wasting and expensive pleasures they waste the strength of the sinner And thou mourn at the last day when thy flesh and thy body are consumed Prov. 5.11 They waste the estate sin is a very chargeable thing it cannot be maintained without great cost Some mens lusts cost them more in a day than their families do in a year many a man starves his wife and children to feed his lusts and many a wife robs her husband to gratifie her lusts and by this means many a fair Estate hath been brought to a morsel of bread But the pleasures of godliness are not so they neither waste the strength nor the estate Not the strength for though the youth faint and be weary and the young men utterly fail yet they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall run and not be weary they shall walk and not faint Isai 40.30 31. Nor the estate for though Religion calls for open-handedness and honouring God with our substance yet it calls but for a part unless in extraordinary cases but lust will have all it is like the horsleech that always crys Prov. 30.15 Give give it is never satisfied One lust is more chargeable to a sinner to maintain than all the graces of the Spirit are to a Believer Godliness never wasted any man but one lust hath consumed many Estate and Body and Soul and all Tenthly The pleasures of sin are confuted pleasures The Word of God confutes them it calls them folly Prov. 15.21 madness Eccles 2.2 vexation of spirit Eccles 1.14 lying vanities Jon. 2.8 Good men have confuted them by renouncing and disclaiming them espousing the worst of Religion rather than the best of sin Chusing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to injoy the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.25 Wicked men have confuted them sometimes upon a dying bed sometimes under convictions Oh how have they cryed out then against the accursed pleasures of sin and of the folly and madness of their hearts for delighting in such swinish lusts Luther says one drop of an evil conscience swalloweth up a whole Sea of worldly joy * Vna guttula malae conscientiae totum mare mundani gaudii absorbet So that the pleasures of sin have had many confutations But whoever confuted the pleasures of godliness The Word of God never did no that commends and ratifies them Prov. 3.17 Her ways are ways of pleasantness Prov. 3.17 Good men never did no they justifie them and that living and dying Wisdom is justified of her children Mat. 11.19 The enemies of godliness never did nor could they may reproach and scoff at the ways of God but confute them they cannot Eleventhly The pleasures of sin are depending upon the creature a man must keep up a communion with carnal objects to maintain them But the pleasures of godliness are independent that is as to the creature the Soul need not be beholden to any creature whatever to support and feed them they flow from God himself In the pleasures of sin the creature lets out it self but in the pleasure of holiness God lets out himself and all the creatures in the world cannot let out so much sweetness as God nor such kind of sweetness as God doth The creature communicates but to sense but God communicates to the Soul Twelfthly The pleasures of sin are unsatisfying pleasures and needs they must because they are unsuitable and disproportioned to the Soul which is a Spirit whereas the pleasures of sin are suited to sense and flesh So that you may as soon make up a number with only cyphers or make a meal of a shadow as feed rational Spirits with sinful pleasures And this is the reason why the Soul makes such frequent diversions in its pursuit of carnal delights and goes from one pleasure to another it is not because it is better but because it is new Affectation of variety proceeds only from sense of want and is a confession upon tryal that there is not in such an injoyment what was expected But the pleasures of godliness are satisfying pleasures Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house how so thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures and he that drinks of this river cannot but be satisfied and satisfied abundantly He that drinks of the water I shall give him shall never thirst more Clitorio quicunque sitim de fonte levarit vina fugit John 4.14 The Soul takes up with these divine refreshments and looks no farther it crys out with Jacob I have enough Gen. 33.11 Thirteenthly The pleasures of sin are short and transient They are not only vain but vanishing The wicked mans prosperity is compared to a candle now how soon is the candle of the wicked put out Prov. 24.20 Therefore the triumphing of the wicked is said to be short and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment Job 20.5 This was one reason why Moses and it was when he was grown to years of discretion too Heb. 11.24 25. chose to suffer affliction with the people of God rather than to injoy the pleasures of sin because they were but for a season but momentany Therefore fitly compared to the crackling of thorns under a pot Eccles 7.6 much noise but little heat and soon extinct O what pleasure did the rich man take in his abundance but how long did it last He reckoned upon many years but it did not continue many hours Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee Luke 12.20 It is impossible that the pleasure of sin should last long when the life of the sinner is so short Indeed
and dulnesses Are they any of the precepts of Religion that cause this that cannot be for there is no duty God commands but what hath a certain and direct tendency to the comfort and happiness of the creature And therefore the promises are not only said to rejoyce the heart but the precepts too Psal 19.8 The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart Is it any Grace of the Spirit we are called to the exercise of that is of a dejecting tendency no that cannot be neither for Peace and Joy are the proper fruit of Grace Rom. 15.13 filled with peace and joy in believing The highest exercises of Grace bring forth the sweetest Peace and the richest Comfort which is evident in this that in Heaven where the Saints are in the highest exercise of Grace there they injoy the most perfect comforts and delights Therefore if Religion prohibits no lawful delights if its precepts impose no besotting services if it improves those graces the perfection whereof is attended with perfect joy and delight then Religion is no melancholy besotting thing there is nothing in it but what is desirable and lovely and therefore whereas the Objection says farewel all good days when once young ones come to be Religious I say nay the word of God says they must never look to see good days till then 1 Pet. 3.10 11. He that will love life and see good days Psal 34.12 let him refrain his tongue from evil and his lips that they speak no guile let him eschew evil and do good Let no man therefore be discouraged from taking up the Yoke of Christ upon this pretence Object 4. Another prejudice that lieth in the way of young ones to hinder their taking up the Yoke of Christ betimes is the difficulty of it The duties Religion binds upon us are an intolerable burden its laws are very rigid and its precepts uneasie it commands duty utterly contradictory to our affections and interests to deny our selves to love our enemies to bless them that curse us to mortifie our members to cut off our right hand and pluck out our right eye John 6.60 c. These are hard sayings who can hear them difficult duties and who can perform them who can enter in at this strait gate and walk in this narrow way without fainting Now I would obviate this Objection thus Answ 1. Either this is the way to Heaven and there is no other or it is not If it be not then the Bible is a lye and the whole of Religion is a grand cheat and God in all his precepts and promises is the greatest Impostor and Deceiver that ever the world knew But who hath a forehead to assert this which is the highest Blasphemy that can be imagined And if this be the way to Heaven and there is no other as most certain it is Jesus Christ himself the true and faithful witness every where attests it Matt. 7.14 Strait is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life And vers 21. Not every one not any one that says to me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdom of heaven but he that doth the will of my father which is in heaven Matt. 5.29 30. If thy right eye offend thee pluck it out if thy right hand offend thee cut it off and cast it from thee for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish than that thy whole body should be cast into hell Matt. 16.24 Matt. 16.24.25 If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me for whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it Matt. 18.3 Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven Most evident it is by these and a hundred Scriptures more that there is no other way to Heaven but this and if so then no difficulties should deter us from it how many and great soever they be We should account no pains no labour too much in so important a concern as this Luk. 10.42 which is the one thing needful Nay difficulties in the service of God should rather excite than discourage will ye serve God with that which cost you nothing consider that though the gate be strait Matt. 7.14 and the way narrow yet it leads to life 2. Hath not the service of sin its difficulties too yea greater than any that are imposed by the Yoke of Christ the commands of sin are unreasonable brutish full of contradiction and therein full of difficulty and slavery as I have said and therefore the carnal sinner is in this self condemned in that he objects the difficulties of Religion thereby to keep off the Yoke of Christ and yet at the same time yields a willing obedience to his lusts notwithstanding all the difficulties that attend them which are as great or greater than those of Religion can be Suppose that Religion doth call a man to part with all as sometimes it doth doth not lust do the same Pools Apology for Religion p. 63. and where one man hath sacrificed his all to Religion many have sacrificed their all to their lusts How many have drunkenness and gluttony undone how many have been brought to beggery by pride and excess how many have been brought to a morsel of bread by the whorish woman Prov. 6.26 Besides whatever a man loses for God and Religion God hath engaged to make it up again Matt. 19.29 But if a man wasts all upon the service of his lusts who makes up that again there is none to make up his loss but the wast will make guilt great and his account grievous It may be you account it hard that Religion and the service of God require so much of your time and doth not the world and lust require as much of their followers and that for meer dreams and shadows and why should it be more burdensome to live to God than to the Flesh or to spend time in seeking and serving God for eternal blessedness than in seeking and serving the world for empty vanities which either we cannot get or if we do we cannot keep Doth Religion at any time expose a man to sufferings to corporal pains and death So doth lust much more O how great are the pains of Hatred the torments of Envy that one lust of Vncleanness what pains and miseries hath it exposed men unto and where one dies a Martyr for Christ thousands dye Martyrs to their lusts having their days shortened by excess in sin besides the endless torments that follow after So that they who complain of the difficulties of Religion find greater in the way of their lusts and therefore are self-condemned in that they serve them without complaining 3. The difficulties of Religion do not arise from the nature of the Precept but from
the indisposition of the subject It is the flesh that makes the commandment grievous This indisposition of the Subject may be considered two ways 1. As it is in its full strength and efficacy And thus it is in all unregenerate persons whereby every command of God is a burden The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the law of God nor indeed can be Rom. 8.7 2. As being in part cured and taken away by a saving principle and habit of Grace wrought in the heart And thus it is in all such as are converted to God so that the power of Sin is in part broken and the power of Grace in part set up and hence the believer is acted by contrary principles there is the new man and the old the flesh and the spirit the regenerate part and the unregenerate and these are the two armies in the Shulamite which ye read of Cant. 6.13 That is the flesh with its lusts and the spirit with its Graces opposing one another in the whole of a Christians obedience There is a will and a will not a delight and a regret in the same person about the same precept So far as Grace is wrought duty is easie so far as Sin remains and interposes obedience is a burden Were sin fully destroyed out of our natures and grace perfected there would be no difficulty in any duty no burden in obedience because there would be an universal and compleat suitableness between the heart and the work as there is in Heaven between the will of a Saint and the will of God so that it is remaining lust that makes duty difficult Labour therefore to shake off sin and beg of God to write his Law in your hearts and then nothing in Religion will be difficult Object 5. Another stone of stumbling to hinder young Ones from taking up the Yoke of Christ is the scoffs and scorns that attend it The serious professors of Christianity are a sect every where spoken against Acts 28.22 One while they are Puritans and Precisians another while Sectaries and Schismaticks another while Fanaticks and Whiggs varying the phrase according to the mode of the times And who can endure to be made the scoff and jeer of the age by reason of this many are ashamed of Christ and his Yoke Now to remove this stumbling stone I would have these eight things seriously considered Answ 1. This is no new thing Have there not in all ages been some tongues set on fire of Hell from Ishmaels day till now the Devil hath never been without his Instruments to vilify and throw dirt in the face of Religion and of the servants of God who profess and owne it Was not holy David the song of the Drunkard was not the Apostle Paul branded for an Heretick Acts 24.14 a base fellow Acts 17.18 * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Est avis sic appellata parva vilis nec esui apta neque ad delectandum solita in triviis cadentia semina legere ex hoc homines nullius pretii spermologos appellare consueverunt Clar. in loc a pestilent fellow a mover of sedition a sectary nay a ringleader of the sectaries Acts 24.5 and yet one of the best men that ever lived in the World Our Lord Christ himself holy harmless undefiled separate from sinners Heb. 7.26 as he was yet was he not free from the reproach of wicked tongues Matt. 11.18 What was he but an enemy to the government a friend of publicans and sinners a glutton a winebibber a blasphemer and what not in the censure of the Tories of that day And shall the Disciple be above his Master or the Servant above his Lord It is enough for the Disciple that he be as his Master and the servant as his Lord Matt. 10.24.25 if they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more shall they call them of his houshold And why do they deal thus by Christ but to lessen the number of his followers if we let him alone all men will believe on him John 11.48 It is the Devils cunning to keep Religion and its followers under censure and reproach that young ones may be kept from inquiring into it and may suspect rather than search and condemn that out of ignorance and upon vulgar clamour which upon knowledge they could not but love and profess The Devil doth by Religion as the Heathens of old did by its professers and followers wrap them up in the Skins of wild Beasts and then throw them to be torn in pieces and devoured He burdens Religion with scandals and prejudices and so makes many hate and decry it who would otherwise see a Beauty in it and imbrace it This is the present design the Devil is driving on He hath as one says tryed the rage of the mighty the knowledge of the learned but these have not prevailed against Religion therefore now he sets the Apes and Drollers upon it 2. Hath not the Holy Ghost warned and instructed us in this before hand that there should be a scoffing generation in the last days 2 Pet. 3.3 There shall come in the last days scoffers but why doth he say in the last days shall come scoffers Not because the foregoing days were free from this evil for they have been in all ages as I said before But the last days shall be more infested with them that is First They shall be more numerous in the last days than ever before All ages have had them but the last days shall abound with them And it is so for never was the number of scoffers at Religion so great as at this day Secondly They shall be more notorious in the last days than ever before And no doubt but this age hath out done all the former in the degrees of this sin that is with greater impudence of fact and with more circumstances of guilt Formerly it was done covertly but now openly in all companies upon all occasions in all places not only in Taverns and Play-Houses but in Presses and Pulpits There are three sorts of persons that are great Enemies to Religion and the last days shall abound with them And they are furious persecutors subtle deceivers and profane scoffers 3 Who are they that thus make a scoff and jeer of Religion and its followers are they men of wisdom and understanding men of conscience and vertue no such thing But they are under one of these two Characters either they are persons of great ignorance or of great bruitishness men of blind minds or debauched consciences First Men of blind minds and such as are ignorant of Religion either of the power of its precepts or of the sweetness of its comforts Orat. 20. Nazianzen speaks of some ignorant persons that condemned learning because they had not the skill to attain to it It may be said of Religion as was said of old of art it hath no Enemy but the ignorant Had
be deceived judgment ought not to be pronounced but upon a full hearing and a through debate ad pauca respicit qui cito pronunciat it is not judgment but fond opinion that is passed upon a matter without hearing all that is fit to be said about it therefore so great a matter as this is should not be determined but upon mature deliberation As it is said of counsel omne consilium in festinatione captum stultitia est all counsel taken in hast is folly The same may be said of judging our selves all hasty precipitate judgment is folly the way to come to a rational certainty is to make a full inquiry Hypocrites and carnal sinners overlook what is evil and judge by any good they find and weak Christians overlook what is good and judge themselves by the evil that is discovered this is judgement upon hearing but of one side and he that doth so is an unjust Judge though he should happen to pass a just judgment * Qui aliquid statuerit alterâ parte inauditâ aequum licet statuerit haud aequus est there must be a searching out the case that neither sin may be passed by on the one hand nor grace overlooked on the other Rule 2. Another thing in this inquiry is the light of the spirit this is very necessary in such a work Solomon says The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 But the spirit of the Lord is the light of this candle without which he cannot see into the inward parts of the belly It is this that brings to light the hidden things of darkness and makes manifest the counsels of the heart 1 Cor. 4.5 What is the meaning of that Prayer of David Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me He doth hereby beg for such a measure of the spirits light and aid which searcheth all things 1 Cor. â—2 10 as may enable him to such a search of his heart whereby he may be fully assured of the goodness of his estate You will never be able to come to a true knowledge of your state and heart but by the spirits light and help Rule 3. Another means is frequent and repeated tryals It is not enough for a man that would be satisfied of his spiritual condition to bring his heart to the touchstone now and then it must be done often according to the variety of conditions occasions and temptations In our Law a man can be but once tryed for one fact because his life shall not be always in hazard But in spiritual matters the oftner we are brought to the bar the better frequent tryals do not hazard our case but tend to put it out of hazard How should a man know much of his spiritual state that seldom converseth with his own heart It was a good rule Tecum habita A mans business lies most within doors and therefore he should often descend into himself Davids counsel is Commune with your own heart upon your bed Psal 4.4 The word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak to your own heart the expression is not limited and therefore may take in all those ways of speaking by which a man may keep up a secret inward and profitable communion with his own soul And this is advised to be done upon the bed which notes Retiredness and Frequency First Retiredness In the bed a man is retired from the distracting noises and hurries of the World * Nox tempus accomodum est rebus considerandis diligentius examinandis tum enim animus sedatior esse solet Moller in Loc. and so is at leisure for the work Secondly Frequency As oft as a man lies down upon his bed he should go down into his heart and call himself to account every night where his heart has been and what it hath done every day Rule 4. Try till the matter be fully determined and you come to a rational and well grounded satisfaction in your selves that so you may have an answer in readiness to put all doubts and scruples to silence Rule 5. Another way is by observing and fixing upon the fittest seasons There is a time for every thing there is a time to try and a time to trust without tryal a time to look inward and a time when it is more proper to look upward Every time is not a fit season for this work sometimes the Soul is beclouded tempted deserted defiled by new sins and these are times wherein it is set against it self and now all is naught all is Hypocrisie praejudicium tollit judicium it is commonly seen so When Heman is under the hiding of God how is judgment blinded and all Grace is hid If David be under a cloud presently he is cast off He that looks upon his face in a broken glass will appear a most deformed creature As he that walks in a dark night is apt to think every bush a Thief he fansies nothing but objects of fear and terrour so it is in this case And therefore in such a condition it is better to call uppn the Soul as David did to trust and wait Multiply direct acts of Faith more and reflect less It is an excellent piece of wisdom to take the proper season for every duty Rule 6. If upon good evidence thou art able to prove the sincerity of thy heart to Christ don't question the goodness of thy state because of the Hypocrites carnal confidence The foolish Virgins thought their Oyl as good as that of the wise but the Oyl of the wise Virgins was of the right kind notwithstanding that Many a corrupt Judge passes a wrong sentence but a righteous Judge that guides himself by evidence and Law may do right for all that Many a man may be rich in a Dream but what then may not therefore a waking man know what his Estate is or whether it be his or not The Turk is confident of his Religion the Jew as confident of his the Papist is certain of his to an infallibility and yet this doth not hinder but that a Protestant may certainly know that he is in the true way and that they are wofully deceived and given up to believe lies Rule 7. Be sure to make use of a right rule to judge by for Rectum est index sui obliqui No man can make a true judgment but by a right rule if that be crooked or false the judgment that is made by it must needs be wrong If the touchstone be not right you can never judge of the metal Before I shew you which is the true rule let me warn you against some false rules which many try and deceive themselves by First Some measure themselves by themselves such the Apostle speaks of 2 Corinth 10.12 They measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves
is magnus in magnis as Austin says yet he is not parvus in minimis though his work be great in some of his children yet it is not little in any and therefore is to be owned in all Shall a Child deny its being because it is not a Man the great Oak was once a little Plant nay a small Acorn The blessing on man in the first Creation was increase and multiply In the second it is grow in grace so that it shall grow for there is a blessing in it And therefore for believers to compare themselves with Saints of the highest attainments and to make those things to be a measure of the truth of Grace which are evidences of Grace in its growth and strength this is a false measure Thirdly Another false rule of judging by is much corruption because they find much filthiness in their natures strong lusts stirring within and too often breaking out into actual sins therefore they conclude they have no Grace Now this is a false rule to judge by For First There is no believer but by this rule would condemn his own state For where is that man that hath not much indwelling sin which too often breaks out into actual sin indwelling lust may be mortified in some more than in others and the habits of corruption more weakned but yet there is much in the best Look on Abraham a great believer the Father of the faithful and yet how much sin did he discover once in Egypt Genes 12.13 another time in Gerar Genes 20.2 Look on Moses a man of great Grace and yet how much doth corruption break forth in that fourth chapter of Exodus what unbelief doth he discover what plea's to excuse his unwillingness to go on Gods errand Exod. 3.11 Exod. 4.1 Exod. 4.10 Exod. 4.13 V. 14. One while who am I that I should go to Pharaoh another while they will not believe me then I am not eloquent at last send by whom thou wilt send as much as to say I will not go so that the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses The like you may see in Samson what corruption doth he discover insomuch that if the spirit of God had not put him into that Catalogue of believing worthies Heb. 11.32 you would hardly have judged him one and yet Samson is recorded for a true Saint Heb. 11.39 though he had much corruption Secondly God will not reject little Grace if it be true where there is corruption though it be much If there be but little Gold in the Ore and much dross yet the Refiner separates the dross and preserves the Gold It is said of Christ his fan is in his hand and what is the use of the fan but to cast out the chaff the chaff is more than the wheat but Christ will not suffer the least grain of wheat to fall to the ground Amos 9.9 Satan hath a sieve in his hand and he sifteth us Christ hath a fan in his hand and he fanneth us now the use of the sieve is to let out the best and keep in the worst the fan casteth out the worst and keepeth in the best Satans work is to sift us Luk 22.31 Satan hath desired to sift you that is to countenance sin and destroy Grace But Jesus Christ he fanneth us that is he purges corruption out of us and nourishes and preserves Grace in us so then though your Grace be never so little it shall be preserv'd and though your corruption be never so much it shall be destroyed And therefore Thirdly You ought to be humbled under sin and make it matter of mourning but not to deny your Grace though under much and great sin There is a great deal in sin to humble us it divests us of our spiritual priviledges it spoils our communion with God that should be matter of humbling it dishonours honours God and grieves the spirit that should be matter of humbling it defiles the soul and wounds the conscience that should be matter of humbling but though every sin ought to be bewailed yet our state is not therefore to be condemned Fourthly Another false rule of judging is by the frame of their hearts because upon search they find their hearts dead carnal listless to duty wandring from or distracted in duty hence they give it against themselves and judge their state carnal because the frame of their heart is so And no wonder that it is so though it ought not to be so if you do but consider three things 1. The goodness of a believers state will give him no acceptance with God in any duty unless the frame of the heart be right in it A carnal frame shall do more to spoil a duty than a spiritual state can do to give it acceptance this is most evident by that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 11.29 30. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to himself There is a worthiness of state and a worthiness of frame now every believer hath a worthiness of state in an Evangelical sense for every ordinance and therefore for the Lords Supper but yet he may be unworthy in regard of the frame of his heart and where it is so an unworthy frame shall do more to bring judgment than a worthy state can do to prevent it therefore it is said in the next verse for this cause many are weak and sick among you and many sleep 2. God may carry it to a believer under a carnal frame of spirit in duties as if he were no believer when he comes to God in a carnal frame God may carry it to him as if he were in a carnal state he may shut his ear and reject his services 3. A believer may injoy as little peace when the frame of his heart is not right as if the state of his soul were not right for it is common with such a one to judge of his state by the frame of his heart If his heart be dead and carnal he judges his state to be a dead carnal state but this ought not to be for by this rule he will be forced to condemn himself a thousand and a thousand times over even as oft as he finds his heart out of frame And where a believer judges his state to be carnal he can enjoy no more of the peace of his state though it be spiritual than if it were carnal But this is a false rule to judge by For First A carnal frame is one thing and a carnal state is another many a man may be found under a very carnal frame and yet his state be spiritual and good It was the case of Christs own Disciples therefore he tells them Matt. 18.3 Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven The Disciples were converted as to their state but yet they were in a carnal frame for they were contending among themselves about
a temporal Kingdom which they expected Christ would set up and who should be greatest in it so Mark explains it chap. 9.34 therefore our Lord tells them they shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven without a new conversion they must be converted from their carnal frames as well as from a carnal state hence you may learn that a man may have a right to Heaven and yet be very unfit for it there must be a double right jus haereditarium and aptitudinarium a right of inheritance and a right of fitness in our first conversion we derive a right of inheritance for then our state is changed but a right of fitness lies in after conversions by which our carnal frames are subdued We need but one conversion as to the former but we need many as to the latter First Because this though the former cannot is a conversion that may be lost a man may be in a quickned frame to day and under deadness to morrow he may be spiritual in this duty and yet carnal in the next Secondly Because it is a conversion that admits of degrees a man cannot be less or more converted as to his state but as to his frame he may there is no one believer more born of the spirit than another and yet one believer may be more spiritual than another and he that is so yet considered as to the measure of spiritual mindedness which is attainable and which he is appointed and called unto may himself be said to be carnal and may be filled with complaints because of the shortness of his attainment This I take to be the meaning of that complaint of the Apostle I am carnal Rom. 7.14 Doth he therein condemn his state no that had been sin But he bewails the frame of his heart that in such a spiritual condition into which by Grace he was brought he should have in him such a carnal disposition and frame of spirit Secondly A Believer is not to judge himself by what is unfixed and mutable for so the frame of the heart is what more volatile and unstable now caught up to Heaven anon sunk down to the Earth Cant. 6.12 now like the Chariots of Aminadab agil and swift to run the way of Gods Commandments anon like Pharaohs Chariots that drove heavily having their wheels took off Exod. 14.25 or like the wheels in Ezekiels Vision that sometimes went Ezech. 1.21 and sometimes stood still one while the acts of Faith are high another while giving way to Unbelief Oh how inconstant are the frames of good mens hearts look on David and now his mountain stands strong Psal 30.7 and the next word is thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled At one time you shall find him rejoycing in God at another why art thou cast down O my soul was it not so with Peter Matt. 26. V. 35. V. 72. Lord though I should dye with thee yet will I not deny thee And by and by I know not the man so that he who judges himself by the frame of his spirit will change the opinion of his state as often as the frame of his heart changes And therefore when you find your hearts dead and carnal your duty is to make this matter of mourning but you ought not to make it matter of doubting You must pray and strive and use all Gods means for the removing it but you ought not to judge your state by it lest you deny the Grace of God in you because of it This is another false rule of tryal Many more I might instance in but these may suffice to shew you how carnal and ignorant persons are apt to misjudge their state by false rules on the one hand and how weak believers are apt to misjudge theirs by false rules on the other and to caution you on both sides And now I come to shew you which is the true and right rule you are to judge your selves by and that is the word of God I do not mean the moral Law that is not a proper rule to try weak Grace and imperfect obedience by for that condemns for the least sin Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to do them Galat. 3.10 The Law indeed is a rule to know sin by I had not known sin but by the Law Rom. 7.7 and to know our natural and undone estate by Rom. 7.9 It inlightens convinces accuses condemns and kills but it is not a rule to judge our estate in Christ by or the truth of our Grace by For by the Law nothing is Grace but what is perfect nothing goes for obedience though our sincerity be never so great if our failing be never so little And therefore he that trys himself by this rule must needs condemn all the Grace of God in him as no Grace because it is not perfect Grace he must be continually tormented in his own spirit about his state because the least sin subjects him to the wrath of God A Believer is under the Law for conduct but not for judgment it is the guide of his path but not the judge of his state The Believer is bound to obey it but he is not to stand and fall by it It is a rule of life and for the substance of it it is moral and eternal and can no more be abrogated than the nature of good and evil can be altered And therefore it obliges Believers as much as others though upon other motives and to other ends for they are not to expect life and favour from it nor fear the death and rigour that comes by it the Law hath no power either to justifie a Believer or condemn him and therefore can be no rule to try his state by We should labour to live to the precepts of the Law but try our state by the rule of the Gospel for that is the rule we are to stand and fall by And it is a comfortable rule for in the sense of it affections go for actions and indeavours for performances so that if our affections be real and our indeavours sincere the rule adjusts our state and gives us confidence before God The ready way to come to a right determination about our condition is wisely to apply to our selves those Characters and marks which the word lays down concerning state and state for it describes both the natural and spiritual man it characterizes both a state of Nature and a state of Grace it shews by positive signs who are subjects to his Yoke or Rebels to his Government So that it is easie for a man by a right use of this rule to make a judgment what his state is As a wicked man by applying the characters of the natural state may certainly know that he is out of Christ an enemy to him and that his condition is a lost condition for the works of the flesh are manifest Galat. 5.19 So would the good man but wisely
apply the marks of Grace to his own heart as he finds them laid down in the word he might certainly know that his state is good for the fruits of the spirit Gal. 5.22 are as manifest as the works of the flesh As God is principium essendi the cause of the being of Grace so the word of God is principium cognoscendi the rule by which we judge of the truth of Grace and therefore to the law and to the testimony Isai 8.20 Solomon says The commandment is a lamp and the law is light Prov. 6.22 as a lamp it is the guide of our way as a light it is the tryal of our state And so the former verse clears it when thou goest it shall lead thee there it is a lamp to guide us when thou awakest it shall talk with thee there it is a rule to try us Try your state therefore by this rule and believe nothing either for or against your selves but according to the word of God This is the rule God will try us by and therefore we should try our selves by it The judgment of God concerning us will be according to the word John 12.48 Rom. 2.16 So should ours be But in making use of the word for a rule of tryal it will be your wisdom to observe these three directions 1. You must take negative and positive signs together Many judge themselves by negative signs only and not by positive but this is to deceive themselves for negative holiness can never commend us to God whose commands are positive as well as negative A man may abstain from that which is positively evil and yet be but negatively good So did the Pharisees Luke 18.11 2. In trying your selves by the word you are not to look so much to the habit and principle of Grace in its being as to the properties and effects of Grace in its working for properties best prove principles and effects bear witness to their causes That which constitutes godliness is the habit and principle of Grace but that which evidences godliness is the properties of it Formae nos latent We do not know the internal forms of things but their natures become known by their properties and effects Our knowledge is for the most part à posteriori from effects the principles of Grace in us are not evident to us but by the motions and effects of them in our souls and lives 3. In judging your estate by the word you are not to look for perfect signs in your selves I mean such as do exactly answer to the latitude of the Law for these are not to be found in any Believer upon earth And if we look for such signs we shall be so far from receiving any satisfaction concerning our state that the more we try the more we shall distrust the more we prove our subjection to Christ the more we shall disapprove it We are to look for true signs but not for perfect for such as are common to the weakest believer not for such as are above the strongest The least grace discovered in a believer if sincere and true is a sure sign of his good estate in Christ though it be not enough to satisfy his desire yet it is enough to satisfy his judgment though it be not sufficient to fill up his measure in Christ yet it is a sufficient sign to make out the truth of his interest in Christ And that is the seventh general rule laid down for the carrying on the tryal of our state that we be sure to make use of a right rule Rule 8. As the word of God must be your rule so Conscience must apply it and give testimony according to it for the word of it self proves nothing but as conscience applys it and argues from it The word doth no where say this or that man is converted to Christ is a child of God and in a state of salvation no but it describes that state to which salvation is promised and then Conscience evidences that to be our state and so infers a certainty of salvation from the word The word lays down things in plain propositions Conscience makes the assumption and then draws the conclusion The word says Any man that is in Christ is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 there is the proposition now the good mans Conscience helped by the spirit as I shall shew anon that makes the assumption thus but I am in Christ and then draws the conclusion therefore I am a new creature The word says They that are Christs sheep hear his voice and follow him John 10.27 Conscience says but I hear his voice and follow him and thence concludes therefore I am one of Christs sheep And this is that wherein the true testimony of Conscience doth consist in giving evidence according to the rule laid down and by that either condemning or acquitting Hence that of the Apostle He that believes on the son of God hath the witness in himself 1 John 5.10 truly so hath the unbeliever too for Conscience by the light of the word witnesseth against him if he would but hear it The word says the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God 1 Cor. 6.9 but says Conscience Thou art unrighteous and thence concludes therefore thou shalt not inherit the kingdom of God And hence the Apostle speaks of a condemning Conscience 1 John 3.20 If our hearts condemn us It witnesseth in the sinner to condemnation and in the Believer to justification Object 1. But you will say if it be thus why doth not every Believer know his own state why are they so often calling the goodness of their state into question and so full of doubts and fears about their condition if they have a witnessing Conscience why is it thus Answ It is possible they may have witnessing Consciences and yet may know little of the goodness of their state For First They may not possibly be acquainted with their own Consciences nor keep up a communion with their own hearts as they ought Psal 4.4 It is no new thing for a good man to be a stranger to himself who might otherwise be satisfied from himself Prov. 14.14 Secondly They may have Conscience witnessing to the goodness of their state and yet not credit the testimony As a bad man is deaf to the testimony of his Conscience when it witnesseth against him from the power of self-love so is a good man to the testimony of his conscience when it witnesseth for him from the power of jealousie and suspicion He can look forward to apprehend the right object but can't look inward to apprehend his own act He can believe the testimony of the word but cannot believe the testimony of his own Conscience though it speaks according to the word though he hath truly received Christ yet he will not receive the testimony of Conscience witnessing to his state in Christ Thirdly Many may have witnessing Consciences and yet
Conscience may not witness it s witnessing act may for a time be suspended and this is frequently so Partly from the contraction of new guilt when sin is committed Conscience is silenced guilt spoils the testimony Partly from the hidings of God for Conscience speaks no peace to us unless God speak peace to that And therefore it is very possible that a good man may not always know his own state and yet he may have the witness in himself And would he but be careful to keep Conscience clean from guilt and defilement and be diligent to attend to its testimony he would quickly attain to satisfaction in his spiritual state for Conscience purged and sanctified is a faithful witness that will not lye especially when joyned in its testimony to that which is the great witness of all and that is the spirit Rom. 8.16 The spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are the Children of God And that brings me to the last general rule to be observed in this tryal Rule 9. The way to come to a true satisfaction about your state is to call in the assistance of the spirit of God beg his testimony for there is no witness like his And that First Whether ye look to the clearness of it no testimony can be so full It is such a testimony as removes all perplexing doubts and fears 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost what room for questionings and hesitancies against the spirits testimony * Culverwell's Whitt Stone p. 113. Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his spirit 1 John 4.13 No witness so satisfying as this if God should send an Angel from Heaven as he did to Daniel Dan. 9.23 to tell us we are greatly beloved it would not be so full and satisfying as this Secondly It is a sure testimony and that 1. Whether you look to the object of his testimony the work of God in the heart he never witnesses to the goodness of that state where there is not a work of Grace wrought and therefore to talk of comforts and ravishing joys from the spirit without a true conversion to Christ first wrought is a meet self delusion the spirit of God hath no hand in it and so to boast of the comforts of the spirit while we walk not in the counsels of the spirit it is a meer pretence there is no such thing found among Christians as this The spirit witnesses to his own work and therefore cannot be deceived in the object of his testimony 2. If you look to the nature of the testimony for it is the witness of him who is truth it self and therefore he is called the spirit of truth John 16.13 the testimony that he gives to the goodness of a believers state is infallible and certain Thirdly It is a prevailing testimony that bears down all the testimonies that can any way be brought against us As the intercession of Christ in Heaven for us prevails over all charges that are brought there against us sin may charge and Satan may charge and the Law may charge but yet the intercession of Christ prevails against all and silences all Who is he that condemns it is Christ that dyed yea rather that is risen again who is at the right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8.34 So is the testimony of the spirit in the heart a prevailing testimony the believer hath many adversaries wicked men whose tongues are set on fire of Hell reproaching traducing of them and ready to witness falsely against them And Satan is not wanting to bring in new charges against them but this blessed witness of the spirit in the heart prevails against and carrys the Soul above all Fourthly It is an abiding testimony that lasts till testimonies shall be needed no more There would be no need of witnesses if things were clear and not apt to be called in question but so it is with the work of God in the heart it is ever and anon called in question and hence arises the need of the spirits testimony There will be no need of this way of witness in Heaven for there is no doubts nor fears nor calling our state into question but during the present state it is necessary for new hidings and new temptings and new sinnings will cause new doubtings and questionings concerning our state and therefore the testimony of the spirit shall abide and out last all our doubts and fears I know this testimony may be and is sometimes suspended a good man may not have it at all times it is rare that any one hath Sometimes nay too often he sins it away sometimes for wise ends God takes it away for it is an arbitrary priviledge but he that hath had it once really shall never lose it finally though it may be suspended it shall never be totally lost for it is an abiding witness and therefore he that hath it is said to he sealed to the day of redemption Ephes 4.30 this sealing is not to be taken for the regenerating work of the spirit but for his witnessing work for it is a sealing that follows after believing After that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise Ephes◠1.13 and this seal shall never be broken off it shall abide to the Day of redemption And therefore above all things beg the testimony of the spirit concerning your condition for neither the word of God nor Conscience can evidence the goodness of our state without the witness of the spirit nay the highest measure of Grace wrought in the heart cannot of it self be an evidence of the goodness of our state without the spirits testimony as Grace cannot act it self without the spirits help so nor can it evidence it self with out the spirits light as the being of Grace is from the work of the spirit renewing so the evidence of Grace is from the work of the spirit witnessing And therefore in this work rely much upon the testimony of the spirit And thus I have answered the question more generally CHAP. XIII Shews the truth of our subjection to Jesus Christ by some things necessarily antecedent to it Secondly I come now to a particular and distinct answer to the question How a man may know that he is indeed under the Yoke of Christ There are two ways by which you may make a judgment of your selves A Priori A Posteriori 1. By such things that always precede it and are antecedent to it or causal of it 2. By such things as are the natural effects and consequences of it First By such things as are antecedent to it For you must know that taking up Christs Yoke is not presently done it is not the next work of a carnal sinner there are many things to be done in him and upon him before this work can be done by him No natural man as such can bear Christs Yoke it is impossible
three heads and speak a little distinctly to each of them that so you may know how to make use of them in the tryal of your state The first is The enlightening the mind The second is The convincing the Conscience The third is The inclining the will 1. There is a saving illumination of the mind There can be no coming to Christ out of the darkness of a natural state till the light of God break in to shew us the way Spiritual things cannot be discerned by natural light The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The object is supernatural God in Christ and the mysteries of the Kingdom and therefore cannot be discern'd but by a supernatural light Psal 36.9 In thy light we shall see light By nature we know little of God but nothing of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 or the mind of Christ till God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shine into our hearts The first creature that God made in the World was light and the first work of God in the soul is light The will of man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rational appetite it is acted by the guidance of the mind and therefore God deals first with the mind and understanding of man And hence it is that Christ is made a Prophet as well as a King he doth not subdue the will meerly by an unaccountable power but by a saving light And because the mind must first be inlightned in this work therefore Christ first appears in the office of a Prophet not only revealing the will of God as a rule of obedience but inlightening the mind to see the reasonableness of complying with the rule He doth not only bring light unto the soul by the revelation of the word but he brings light into the soul by the communication of his spirit We have received the spirit of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2.22 This I call a saving illumination for that light which the Lord works in such as are brought home to Christ is of a saving nature and hath saving effects First It is in its own nature as saving as any Grace in the will or affections for it is a work of the same spirit and wrought for the same end to bow the soul to Christ It is an essential part of that Image of God after which we are renewed Colos 3.10 And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him So that this light differs not only gradually but specifically from the highest light that is in hypocrites and formal professors A hypocrite may have much notional knowledge great measures of light in spiritual things from the common work of the spirit but in the highest degree of it it is not saving for as to saving light so he is in darkness until now Secondly It hath saving operations and effects and that both as to believing and obeying First As to believing They shall all be taught of God and what then John 6.45 every man that hears and learns of the father comes to me This coming to Christ is believing and this believing is the fruit of Gods teaching so that this is a saving operation Secondly As to obedience As it is said of the two blind men whom Christ cured that as soon as they had received their sight straight way they arose and followed him Matt. 20.34 David says the sun arises and man goes out to his labour till the evening Psal 104.22 23. when the sun of righteousness arises in the heart it is so So that this is a saving operation Now let this be a rule of tryal for young ones have you been prepared for subjection to Christ by a saving illumination do you know any thing of being called out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet 2.9 can you say I was blind John 9.25 but now I see the soul that is savingly inlightened it sees that in sin it never saw before it sees that in Christ it never saw before That soul is far from the Yoke of Christ that was never inlightened with the light of Christ 2. The second thing is the convincing of the conscience Where the soul is brought to take up the Yoke of Christ it is the fruit of through convictions There must be a threefold conviction wrought upon the sinner before ever he will stoop to Christ A conviviction of sin a conviction of righteousness and a conviction of judgment this is through conviction and all conviction short of this leaves the soul short of Christ And therefore when ever the spirit of God comes to convince the soul to conversion he convinces of all these as you see John 16 8. When he is come he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment First He convinces of sin This is the next end of illumination He sets up a light to see sin and then applys the guilt of sin to the Conscience for though a man lies under the infinite guilt of sin and the dreadful wrath of God for it yet till the spirit of God do set this home upon a mans Conscience he never sees his condition nor considers with himself what to do No it is the being pricked at heart that causes this Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked in their heart and what then then they cry out men and brethren what shall we do And therefore the spirit first deals with a man about his sins so he did to the first sinners he opens their eyes to see their nakedness and shame their sin and misery before the seed of the woman is promised Gen. 3.10.15 There is one instance instead of a thousand and that is of Paul I call it so because he tells you that Jesus Christ set him up for a pattern in his dealing with sinners 1 Tim. 1.16 And therefore look how Christ dealt with him to bring him under his Yoke and so he deals with all Now the first great work upon Paul was conviction of sin The Spirit of Christ by the word set sin home upon his Conscience and there the work began This is meant by the coming of the Commandment Rom. 7.9 When the commandment came sin revived and I dyed You may see it more particularly expressed in Acts 9.3 4 5 6. There shined round about him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and he said who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks And he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me do Here 's a light and a voice there shined
of curing And therefore purposes resolutions legal repentings self righteousness and all self devised means which the sinner is wont to run to for ease in this case Job 6.20 shall be in vain and to no purpose This is another degree of the spirits work whereby all the proud helpers do stoop under him as it is Job 9.13 he makes him see himself lost and no help at hand that so he may go for help where God hath laid it Psal 89.19 I have laid help upon one that is mighty And indeed nothing so convinces the soul of the need of Christs righteousness as the experienced insufficiency and emptiness of all other remedies Then shall they know that I am the Lord when is that when all her helpers shall be broken Ezek. 30.8 And for a poor thirsty soul to find all brooks dryed up and failing oh what would he then give for one draught of this living water Secondly He convinces of the fulness of this righteousness that there is enough in it to justify and save the vilest of sinners that lay hold of it For it is an infinite righteousness so that no sin can exceed it and it is an everlasting righteousness so that no sin can wast it And indeed there is nothing becomes a more sutable incouragement to a soul made empty and naked and stript off all than to see a fulness of righteousness in a Redeemer For that is the first question an undone sinner makes about Christ What is he what hath he done what is the virtue of his blood is he able to save and recover such an undone wretch as I am justice I dread but can't satisfy it mercy I need but can't merit it I have an unsupportable burden of guilt but can't remove it can Christ remove this curse and make my peace with God can he be a City of refuge to me from that avenger of blood that pursues me Now in answer to all these solicitous inquiries of a soul distressed by sin the spirit convinces of righteousness of the infinite fulness and satisfactoriness of it by an undeniable argument for that it hath satisfied the infinite justice of God as appears evidently in this that he is gone to the Father John 16.10 and ye see him no more Here then you have another rule to try by they that have taken up the Yoke of Christ are such as have been made to see the need of the righteousness of Christ That this and none but this can stead the soul Now pray consider have you that are young ever been convinced of righteousness may be you have been convinced of sin alas what is that without this you have felt the wound but have found no plaister and however you have skinned it it is far from healing Have you ever been made to see the need the fulness of Christs righteousness that your all as to life and hope lies there that this righteousness hath fulfilled the law of God for you that this righteousness hath satisfyed the justice of God which you could never have done that this righteousness hath not only redeemed you from Hell but hath purchased for you all Grace and Glory Grace here and Glory in Heaven and that this is the righteousness you must be found in if ever you are taken into favour with God this is the true notion of being convinced of righteousness Now what do you experience of this work of the spirit for let me tell you it is not enough to be convinced of sin but it must be of righteousness also this is as needful as that to bring you to Christ Many are convinced of sin and what do they under such convictions why they betake themselves to repentings and hearing and praying and reforming and then think the wound is healed and their state safe Ah poor creatures this though good in its designed and appointed use if this be all they have to trust to it is as surely a way of perishing as any other Why then do so many betake themselves to this way and rest in it alas it is because they never were convinced of righteousness and they that were never convinced of the righteousness of Christ never yet took up the Yoke of Christ Thirdly Nor is this enough to bring the soul into subjection to Christ to convince it of sin and then of righteousness but it must be convinced of judgment too What is that you 'l say not to meddle with the various senses that others give of it By judgment here I understand the work of grace and sanctification in the Believer And indeed I see not how any other of those senses that are commonly put upon it can so well agree with it as this for the office of the spirit here is to carry on the work of conviction so as to put honour upon Jesus Christ in all his offices In convincing of sin he puts honour upon him as a Prophet in convincing of righteousness he puts honour upon him as a Priest dying for sin and in convincing of judgment he puts honour upon him as a King renewing and working Grace in the heart And the Holy Ghost uses the same word in the same sense elsewhere As in Matt. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment to victory till the work of sanctification be prevalent over all lusts and corruptions So that by judgment the work of sanctification is intended and the following words clear it John 16.11 for then the Prince of this world is judged And indeed there is as great need of conviction of judgment as there is either of sin or righteousness for if a man be not convinced of sin he will never be weary of it if he be not convinced of righteousness he will never seek it and if he be not convinced of holiness he will never labour after it When once a man is convinced of righteousness the next work is believing in Christ and when once he is convinced of holiness the next work is taking up the Yoke of Christ And therefore whereever any soul is brought to take up the Yoke of Christ it is the fruit of the spirits work convincing of the necessity of holiness So then here is another rule of tryal They that have taken up the Yoke of Christ are such as have been made to see a necessity of holiness as well as of righteousness That it is not enough to be pardoned and to have their persons accepted but they must be changed their natures renewed Indeed no man will take up Christs Yoke without such a conviction as this Convince him of righteousness and then he will seek to be saved by Christ but if he be not convinced of the necessity of holiness he will never be brought to obey Christ Many a man is convinced of sin and yet not convinced of righteousness that man never comes to Christ And many are convinced of sin
and of righteousness and yet are not convinced of judgment these see the need of the blood of Christ to take away guilt but they see no need of the Grace of Christ to renew their hearts and these will never take up the Yoke of Christ But when the spirit of the Lord carries on the work to a through conviction both of sin and of righteousness and of judgment then it is that the soul is made willing to take up the Yoke of Christ And this brings me to the third preparatory work whereby a man is fitted to take up this Yoke 3. The third thing is the inclining the will There can be no taking up the Yoke of Christ till this be done for wherein lies our subjection to Christ but in a consent of will to take him for our Lord as well as our Saviour and yielding a ready obedience to his laws as well as relying on his merits And herein the most difficult part of conversion lies to bring the will to a free subjection to Jesus Christ There is no part so vitiated and corrupted by the fall as the will The blindness of the mind the stupidness of the conscience is not so great as the obstinacy and rebellion of the will By nature we are willingly subject to no Law but the Law of the members to no will but the will of the flesh Israel would none of me Psal 81.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had no will to me We will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19.14 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life John 5.40 It is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be Rom. 8.7 There is that enmity and opposition that reluctancy and stoutness of spirit against Christ and his ways such proneness to evil and aversness to good such strong prejudices such deep reasonings such solicitations of Satan such downright rebellion that a voluntary subjection to Christ is an impossible thing Psal 110.3 till God puts forth the all conquering arm of his power and subdues the soul to himself So desperately bent is the heart of every natural man against Christ and so strongly under the impulsion of indwelling lust to vitious practices that neither the promises of life and salvation can allure it nor the threatenings of Hell and Damnation deter it no fear nor hope no danger nor reward can stop it till an Almighty power do it And therefore to talk of moral suasions as sufficient to subdue and bring the will over to Christ is an idle dream of such as either never felt the day of Christs power in their own souls or else contradict their own experiences There is no power can reach to pull a man out of the hands of his sin but the power of the spirit of God As no man can convert himself so no means can reach to do it by the same reason that any one man perisheth in the enmity of his will to Christ and holiness all men would if left to themselves because there is the same original enmity to the things of God in all as there is in any And therefore the government of Christ in the soul is not by choice and consent first had but by power and conquest As it was with Israel God promiseth them the land of Canaan for a possession but it was not a land uninhabited that they might go and possess at pleasure without any more to do no but the Canaanites and the sons of Anak dwelt there and had it in possession and therefore if they will have it they must fight their way into it Thus it is here John 17.6 the elect are Christs by donation given to him by the Father and his by right of Redemption for he dyed for them and bought them with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 but yet Satan hath the possession and by the power of sin and lust detaineth Christs right So that if Christ will be possessed of his right it must be by conquest And therefore his first entrance into the heart is by way of victory Hence ye read of one sitting upon a white horse with a Bow and a Crown and he went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 This is the Lord Christ He is said to sit upon a white horse a horse betokens war a white horse betokens victory and triumph And he is said to have a Bow and a Crown the Bow is an instrument of war the Crown is a token of Government The Bow stands before the Crown to shew us that where-ever Christ reigns in any heart it is by conquest and victory first obtained The Bow makes way to the Crown Every Soul is first a Captive to Christ before it is a Subject Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor. 10.5 VVe never submit to his Scepter till we are first overcome by his power They shall be a willing people in the day of thy power Psal 110.3 It is a mighty power that brings the sinner to a submission and resignedness of will to Christ The Soul is first Captivated by his power and then freely submits to his termes This Royal Fort of the will is never yielded up nor the everlasting doors of the heart set open for the King of glory to come in till his power makes way for his presence and therefore this King of glory is said to be The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel Psal 24.8 It is his mightiness makes him appear glorious We should never own him nor open to him as King of glory if we did not feel his might by way of victory He alwayes first makes his entrance as the Lord strong and mighty and then the everlasting doors are set open to him to come in as King of glory So that it is manifest that the Government of Christ in the heart is first by way of conquest Not that this is done by any violent compulsion it implies a contradiction that the will can be compelled but by a supernatural power sweetly attemper'd in its manner of working to the nature and disposition of the will whereby the obstinacy is cured the enmity taken away and the will brought over to a free submission to Jesus Christ Thus God works in us to will Phil. 2.13 So that it is an act of omnipotent Grace in regard of God and yet the will hath still the dominion of its own act It is not forcibly compelled but worketh by a self-motion to that to which it is actuated by the power of Divine Grace And when the mind is thus savingly inlightened and the Conscience effectually convinced and the will by the powerful quickening of God sweetly framed for a full conformity and obedience to the divine will then is a man throughly prepared and fitted to take up the yoke of Christ And this is one way by which you may make a judgment in this matter If the mind hath been savingly inlightened
If the Conscience hath been effectually convinced of sin of righteousness and of judgment And if the will by a powerful touch of God hath been throughly subdued to the Divine Will then are you brought under the Yoke of Christ And this is a judgment a priori by such things as always precede an actual subjection to Christ and are causal of it CHAP. XIV Shews our subjection to Christ by such signs as are the Genuine Effects of it 2. WE may make a judgment a posteriori By such marks and signs as are the natural effects and proper fruits of subjection to Christ Effects bear witness to their causes the reflection of the Sun-beams upon the Earth proves its shining without looking upward And this to weak and less discerning Christians may be the most proper measures to try their State by VVho desires a better proof of Life then Sense and Motion or better Knowledge of a Tree then by its Fruits if the Tree be good Mat. 7.20 the Fruit will be good By their Fruits ye shall know them Now there are two things which are the constant effects and natural fruits of this Yoke of Christ and they are dying to sin and living to God Putting off the old man and putting on the new Crucifying the Flesh and Sowing to the Spirit And where ever a man is brought into subjection to Jesus Christ these are the inseparable effects of it by which it may be known First then take the temper and disposition of the heart towards sin for a rule of tryal He that bears Christs Yoke will no longer bear sins Yoke VVhere the one is once put on the other is dayly putting off There is an irreconcileable odds in every man that is under the power of grace to sin and lust and it appeares 1. In searching out of sin let us search and try our ways Though a good man knows much evil by himself yet he desires to know more Though he sees many lusts and corruptions in his heart yet he is sensible that there are many he sees not for who can understand his errours as we know but in part of the things of God 1 Cor. 13.9 so we know but in part of the things of our own hearts First convictions discover much but not all they leave much sin undiscover'd and of the sin that is discovered there is much evil in it that is not Hence that of Job chap. 13.23 How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin It is a great mistake to think the convincing work of the spirit is over when once it hath discovered to a man his sinful estate and brought him to close with Jesus Christ there is need of conviction in order to Sanctification as well as in order to Conversion There are sinful frames of heart as well as a sinful estate and though a Believer need the convictions of the Spirit but once as to his sinful estate yet he needs them always as to the carnal frames of the heart Therefore he cryes out that which I see not teach thou me Job 34.32 As there is a height and depth in the love of Christ Eph. 3.18 19. which passes knowledge so there is also in the lusts of the heart And as it is the light of the Spirit which shews us the unsearchable riches of the former So he also discovers to us the unseen filthiness of the latter And this is a great reason why many good men complain of sin more after Conversion than they did before and still the more they grow into acquaintance with their own hearts the more they complain of indwelling lusts It is not because their lusts increase but because their light increases Not because they sin more but because they see more of sin As other Graces of the Spirit so that of Light is a growing thing and the more the light of the Spirit is increased the more of the evil of sin is discovered But notwithstanding their complaints of what they see yet still they desire to see more Though a Believer finds delight only in the fight of his graces yet he finds a profit in the knowledge of his sins There are two things which testifie aloud to the goodness of our state One is when we desire to feel more of the Grace of Christ the other is when we desire to know more of the hidden lusts of our own hearts The one makes us more humble and thankful the other makes us more vigilant and watchful This is one thing the hypocrite fails in he never searches to know his secret sins he prides himself in his seeming graces but he never searches to know his hidden corruptions He may boast with the Pharisee Luke 18. of his Fasting and Praying but he can't truly pray with David Search me O God and know my heart try me and see if there be any wicked way in me Psal 132.23 24. 2. This enmity in Believers against sin appears in the confession of sin whereby the Believer accuses and charges himself before God For this is a great blow to sin Confession is an act of mortification By our Law no man is bound to accuse himself but by the Law of God he is He shall confess that he hath sinned and shall bring his Trespass Offering Lev. 5.5 6. The Offering for sin is not enough without the confession of sin only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord. Jer. 3.13 The Antinomians are against the Confessing of sin in the Children of God and we have others leaven'd with the same Spiritual Pride they look upon it as a servile work below the dignity of a Christian State But till a Believer get above the committing of sin how can he be above the confession of sin it is a duty as needful as the labour of the pump is to the leaking vessel what the Ship leaks in the pump must cast out And therefore this hath been the practise of good men in all times not only of David 2 Sam. 24.10 Psal 32.5 Neh. 1.6 Ezra 9.6 Dan. 9. and Ezra and Nehemiah and Daniel c. in the Old Testament but of Believers in the New Testament VVe find not only young converts at this work Mat. 3.6 Act. 19.18 but the most eminent Saints Rom. 7.14 18 21. it is an indispensable part of true Repentance In some cases it is a duty to confess our sins to man Jam. 5.16 as in case of publick scandal to the Church Or of private injury to our Neighbour Or in case of Spiritual Troubles that so we may have the advantage of good mens Prayers and Counsels But it is in all cases necessary to confess sin to God Josh 7.19 It is a great Glory done to him It puts honour upon all his attributes My son said Joshua to Achan give glory to the Lord and make confession to him It is the way to stop the progress of sin While it is
pray against his sin as it is said Austin did in his Natural State who was afraid that God should grant his request He prayed one thing and desired another But he prays as David did wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Psal 51.2 Oh the sighs and groans that a gracious heart sends up to God under the load and burden of sin We groan being burdened 2 Cor. 5.4 Hence that of the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death never did poor Prisoner more long and wish to be freed from his chains then the Believer doth to be rid of his sins None can know what the wrestlings of a gracious heart are with God against Corruption but they that have been wearied with the burden of it 2. He mourns and sorrows under it as the daily burden of his Soul Grace softens the heart and then sin makes it mourn They shall be on the mountains like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity Ezek. 7.16 And this is sorrow of the right kind There is a great deal of sorrow caused by sin that is not right therefore the Apostle speaks of being made sorry after a Godly manner I rejoyced not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to Repentance for ye were made sorry after a Godly manner 2. Cor. 7.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye sorrowed according to God And it is known from all other sorrow By its object and that is sin Sin more than any thing and special sin more than any sin 1. Sin more than any thing more than suffering more than affliction more than Hell Nothing in the world causes that sorrow in a gracious heart as sin doth Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight sayes the poor prodigal Luk. 15.21 he doth not say I am full of wants ready to famish for bread but here is his wound father I have sinned So as it was with David 2 Sam. 24.10 I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant He doth not say take away this judgment this pestilence nay he is willing to bear it ver 17. Lo I have sinned and done wickedly but those Sheep what have they done Let thine hand be against me He is willing to indure the smart so as God would remove the guilt He would quietly bear his hand in chastisement for sin so that his heart were but towards him in the pardon of sin It is not smart but guilt that is the chief cause of sorrow in a gracious heart Now the hypocrite cryes out more because of smart then guilt Punishment causes sorrow when sin doth not Pharaoh is under a plague of Frogs and he presently calls for Moses and Aaron and what must they do Intreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from me Exod. 8.8 he doth not say that he may take away my sin from me he was very sensible of the plague of frogs but had no sense of the plague of his heart So that here you see the difference between David and Pharaoh David is for the taking away of sin rather then of judgment Pharaoh is for the taking away of judgment but not a word of the taking away of sin 2. True sorrow for sin is more for special sins then for any other sin Though all sin is matter of sorrow yet special sins above all And it must needs be so for by these God hath been most dishonoured By these he hath so often broke with Jesus Christ By these he hath given the deepest wounds to his own Conscience By these Satan hath so long maintained his power and rule in the Soul And so easily insnared and overcome him The hypocrite never sorrows for his special sins His sorrow as it is feigned so it is either for some petty sins or such as are common to him with others But he feels no remorse for his bosom lusts nor comes near to that which is the chief cause of controversie between God and his Soul His beloved lust lies secure in his heart without the least disturbance or notice taken of it 3. He maintains a constant conflict against sin And this is a natural effect of hatred for hatred stirreth up strife Prov. 10.12 hence ye read of striving against sin Heb. 12.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a military word and implies an opposing and fighting as against an enemy to whom a man is resolved not to yield And the enemy is here said to be sin which is the greatest enemy in the world and makes the fiercest war for it wars against the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 against the grace of the Soul against the peace and comfort of the soul against the life and salvation of the Soul Hence it is that the life of a Christian is a continual warfare The Age that men observe in Civil Wars is from sixteen years old to sixty but this war commences from the first moment of taking up the Yoke of Christ to the last moment that a man lives in the world Every man that is born again is born a man of strife as Jeremy speaks in another sense he keeps up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 15.10 a truceless war with sin Cant. 6.13 what is the company of two armies in the Shulamite but the lusts of the Flesh and the Graces of the Spirit in continual conflict and opposition of each other So the Apostle explains it Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh And mark the Tense it is not said it did lust viz. at the first working of grace or it will lust viz. when grace is come to more strength and maturity but it lusteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the present Tense and so it notes two things 1. That so soon as ever Grace is wrought in the heart it shews it self in strifes and contests with lust and corruption it lusteth against the Flesh or else it is not Grace 2. That this contest once begun will never end so long as any one lust remains in the heart Nor can it for this hatred of sin wrought by grace in the heart is so radicated in the new nature and so essential to it that as grace is increased so this hatred is heightened and needs it must for all hatred springs from love amor odii causa it is love to God and Christ which works to hatred of sin and therefore as love grows stronger so our hatred of sin still grows greater so that this contest can never end but in the death and destruction of every lust Other enemies a Christian can love and pity and forgive and pray for but he hath no pity for sin It is a hatred wrought by the Spirit of God which is full of indignation and revenge What indignation it wrought in you yea
them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his name What or who can be too hard for such as walk in the ways and worship of Christ with the strength of Christ Now the Lord Christ helps two ways 1. By his powerful intercession he is ever praying and pleading for you Heb. 7.25 2. By his Almighty Spirit for how are your sins mortified but by the Spirit Rom. 8.13 And how are your hearts quickened in duty but by the Spirit Joh. 6.63 And how are you guided in the ways of God but by the Spirit Joh. 16.13 And how are you taught but by the Spirit 1 Joh. 2.27 And who upholds you in your course but the Spirit Psal 51.12 Besides the grace the Spirit works in you at first you have spiritual incomes and supplies of the Spirit daily Phil. 1.19 And is not the Believers help then greater than his work now it was not so under the Law there was great service but little assistance but now the Christians help is greater then his work Phil. 2.13 for it is God that works in you to will and to do The works of Gospel Obedience are more sublime more spiritual and therefore more difficult than any of the works of the Law but so far as we have Communion with the power and strength of the Spirit to actuate and inable us they are all easy and pleasant Gospel duties may be difficult in respect of divine imposition but they are easy in regard of divine cooperation The Father sets the Child a Copy and bids it write the Child knows not how but yet takes the Pen and then the Father guides the hand and the Child writes after the Copy Lord sayes Austin give what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt 4. The wisdom of taking up Christs yoke appears in this that under this yoke though the weakness of your obedience is great yet the truth of your obedience is accepted God looks at truth in the inward parts Psal 51.6 O the many weaknesses that God passes by in his people where he finds the heart and affection true to him though there be much commanded yet the least you do is accepted Were it not for this there could be no serving him If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities who could stand But there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared Psal 130.3 4. God will not take advantage of your fallings and infirmities I will spare them as a man spares his son that serves him Mal. 3.17 O what a sweetness must this put into service how easie must it needs make the yoke of Christ when the least we do is accepted as a handful of goats hair was for the Temple when it came from a willing heart What reason therefore have we to bless the Lord that ever inclined our hearts to stoop to the yoke of Christ The wisdom of taking up Christs yoke is evident in this that herein true liberty consists This may seem a Paradox for sinners do therefore indulge themselves in their lusts because there is liberty and they therefore refuse Christs yoke because it abridges their liberty they cannot live as they list Now you must know there is a twofold liberty 1. A carnal liberty wherein a corrupt base heart takes a latitude to it self to live and act according to its own vitious inclinations without any restraint or controul Indeed the yoke of Christ is an enemy to this liberty and it were not worth the taking up if it should not for this liberty is only the licentiousness of lust and no man such a slave as he that is thus at liberty He is a servant to corruption 2 Pet. 2.19 Under the devils rule led captive by him at his will 1 Tim. 2.26 He is held in the chains of Hell and will you call this liberty are not the Saints at liberty in Heaven and yet there is none of this liberty there will ye call this liberty to be loaded with the guilt of sin to be bound over to damnation to be vexed daily with an accusing Conscience to have all the threats of the word lye against thee to have wrath hanging over thy head every moment and God ready to throw thee into Hell is this liberty when thou art in such a dreadful case that thou darest not think of dying for fear of hell and damnation better be the veryest gally slave in the world then thus at liberty But then 2. There is a Spiritual liberty which is wrought out for us by Christ the purchase of his blood John 8.36 If the son make you free then are ye free indeed And he that partakes of this liberty may well be said to be free indeed for he is freed from the curse of the Law Gal. 3.10 He is freed from the condemning power of sin Rom. 8.1 He is freed from the Spirit of Bondage Rom. 8.15 And he is freed from the dominion of sin Rom. 6.14 And a man never enjoyes this liberty till he comes under the yoke of Christ and is there not reason to bless God for drawing the heart to Christ 6. The wisdom of taking up Christs yoke appears in this that the longer you are under it the easier you will find it I will make it out in three things 1. The longer you wear it the lighter it will be it is not so in other matters A little burden in tract of time is heavy and the longer it lyes the heavyer it is because of a wast of strength by long bearing but Christs burden the longer it is born the lighter it is because though the burden is not diminished yet your strength is increased Psal 84.7 Job 17.9 They go from strength to strength He that hath clean hands shall grow stronger and stronger And as spiritual strength increases so spiritual difficulties must needs abate 2. The more progress you make in obedience the greater testimony you shall have from conscience of the uprightness of your hearts with God and you can't imagine unless you ever felt it what peace this brings in 2 Cor. 1.12 Nothing gives conscience that advantage to witness aloud to our case as godly sincerity in our obedience to Christ 3. Much obedience brings in much comfort The more seed the more sheaves that Christian is likest to injoy most comfort that walks most close with God in the way of obedience He hath comfort in the most difficult duties even in his sufferings for Christ and they are the most pinching part of his Yoke And yet as the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ 2 Cor. 1.5 And therefore Christ bids us rejoyce even in persecution Matth. 5.11 12. He hath comfort in the worst of times To the upright there ariseth light in darkness Psal 112.4 When the figtree doth not blossom Hab. 3.18 yet then he can joy in the God of his salvation CHAP. XVI Directs our obedience as to principles matter
by and we shall stand or fall according as they are sound or corrupt The Apostle hints this to us Rom. 2.16 in telling us that at the day of judgment God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ Now principles are the great secrets of men hid from all but God and a mans own heart Nothing is more latent they are as the spring to a Clock you see the hand move but that which causes the motion is not seen Actions are manifest and may be seen by all but principles are secret and discerned by none but God takes strict notice of them and will judge us according to them Nothing therefore concerns a man more than to see that the principles of his obedience be right Now the great principles that a man is acted by and that carry him on in gospel obedience are these three Faith Love Self denial 1. Faith This is the great principle of all acceptable obedience without which no obedience can please God the Apostle is peremptory in it Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God And therefore all gospel obedience is called the obedience of faith Rom. 16.26 There is a twofold obedience to the gospel 1. Obedience to the call of the gospel whereby fallen sinners are invited and by various methods of grace perswaded to return to God and live Now there can be no obeying the gospel in this sense without faith For how can a man turn from his sins and take Christ upon the terms of the gospel resigning himself to the guidance of his word and spirit without faith 2. There is obedience to the rule of the gospel which directs and guides us how to live and walk so as to approve our wayes to God For the gospel is not only the power of God to salvation Rom. 1 16. but it is the will of God also for our guidance and direction and all obedience to it as such is the fruit of faith Therefore we are said to live by faith Gal. 2.20 and to walk by faith 2 Cor. 5.7 And living and walking take in the whole course of a Christians obedience in the language and sense of the Scripture As the gospel hath not only its credenda but its agenda not only truths to be imbraced but duties to be practised so faith hath both a receptive and a dispensing property it receives the truths of the gospel and imbraces them 1 Thes 2.13 Ye received the word not as the word of men but as it is in truth the word of God And it hath a dispensing property too whereby it payes homage to Christ in all capacities it doth not only receive the Law at his mouth as a Prophet and rest upon his merits as a Priest but subjects to his yoke as a King Faith is an active principle it doth as freely submit to the government of Christ as it readily accepts of pardon and salvation by him By faith Abraham obeyed Heb 11.8 This is one principle of obedience 2. Another principle is love And this is of as great importance as the other nay faith it self is deficient without this for faith works by love Gal. 5.6 This love as it is the Christians badge and character Let them that love thy name be joyful in thee Psal 5.11 So it is the great principle of obedience The Law being a ministration of death 2 Cor. 3.7 Eccles 12.13 the great principle of obedience there was fear Fear God and keep his commandments but the gospel is a ministration of life and glory and the great principle there is Love if a man love me he will keep my words Joh. 14.23 Love is vertually all obedience and therefore our Lord Christ reduces all the precepts to this Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Matt. 22.37 39. and thy neighbour as thy self So that the substance of Religion is contained in this It is not Circumcision as the Jew would nor uncircumcision as the converted Gentile would but faith that works by love Gal. 5.6 There is no such principle of obedience as Love This will be evident if you consider but eight properties of it 1. It is an appretiative principle that prefers and values Jesus Christ above all It sees such a beauty and excellency in him that it counts all loss and dung in comparison of him Phil. 3.8 And he that thus loves Christ can't but obey him 2. Love is an opening principle Open to me my sister Cant. 5.2 and ver 6. I opened to my beloved Christ can have no entrance into the heart if love do not let him in This is the opening grace It is so in God the Father What makes him open his eternal counsels and purposes of grace and mercy to poor creatures but love It is so in God the Son What made him open heaven and come into the world open the virgins womb and be born open his side and let out his blood and so open a new and living way for us to the Father Heb. 10.20 What makes him open his arms to receive returning sinners and open the gates of glory for them but love It is so in God the Holy Ghost What makes him open blind eyes and deaf ears and hard hearts but love And look how love works in God to us so it works in us to God it opens the ear to hearken to him it opens the mouth to speak for him it opens the hand to work for him it opens the heart to entertain and imbrace him 3. Love is a liberal principle it is all for giving it is the most bountiful affection Love is all for laying out upon its object It is so with God Divine love expresses it self in acts of bounty Joh. 3.16 Luk. 11.13 Psal 84.11 Heb. 8.10 Ephes 2.5 God so loved the world that he gave his son He gives Christ He gives his Spirit He gives grace and glory He gives himself I will be their God So it is said of Christ He loved us and gave himself for us And look how love acts in God and Christ so it acts in all that are born of God he that loves God gives all to God he gives not only his time and strength and talents but he gives himself I am my beloveds Cant. 6.3 4. Love is a laborious principle It is alwayes doing Amor nescit ferias it hath no days of leisure it sets all the wheels of the soul in motion And therefore the holy Ghost joyns love and labour together God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love Heb. 6.10 Your work of faith and labour of love 1 Thes 1.3 As the word of God is objectum practicum a thing not only to be known but obeyed so love is principium operativum not a meer notion swimming in the brain but a devout affection quickning the heart to obedience I have lifted up my hands to thy commandments which I have loved Psal 119.48 If any thing keep a
salvation of others then we ought not to count our lives dear IV. When external duties are commanded internal obedience is therein required and chiefly intended For every precept is given to the whole man and therefore binds the inward man as well as the outward or else we are obliged to be hypocrites and seem what we are not When we are commanded to repent to hear to pray to do good works they are not the outward acts only that Christ calls for but the inward graces and affections And therefore you never obey the precept whatever duties you perform unless they be done in spirit and truth V. Observe the station and condition God hath set thee in and the circumstances thou art under and attend to the duties thereof For that which is the duty of one may not be the duty of another and that which is a great duty at one time may be no duty at another One man may be a Magistrate another a Minister and so may be obliged to those duties which are no duties to another VI. Lastly whatever duties conduce most to Gods glory whatever have the greatest tendency to our own salvation and the salvation of others whatever may put the greatest honour upon religion and render it lovely among men and put to silence the ignorance of the foolish 1 Pet. 2.15 in these things lye the proper acts and exercises of obedience And therefore these are the works chiefly to be attended to by all that are under the Yoke of Christ but we must not so be concerned in the greatest as to neglect the least Qui minima spernit paulatim decidit Spiritual decays begin in the neglect of lesser duties Remember that of Christ to the hypocritical Pharisees These ye ought to have done and not to leave the other undone Matt. 23.23 And that in Matt. 5.19 Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven 3. If you would carry it becomingly under the Yoke of Christ as you must look that the principles of your obedience be right and that the matter of your obedience be in right exercises so you must see to the manner of your obedience It is not the bare doing what God commands that is obedience unless it be done in a right manner Most men miscarry herein taking up in a bare performance of duty and resting in opere operato in the work done Like the blind Papists that bead out their devotions and serve God by tale How few watch over their hearts in duty or look to the frame of their spirits in obedience whereas this is the great thing God looks at And therefore the precept doth not only direct in the matter to be done but also in the manner of doing not only what but how Take heed how ye hear Luke 8.18 Take heed ye do not your alms before men Matt. 6.1 Now what doth our Lord Christ mean by these take heeds but to shew us how possible it is for a man to miscarry in the very doing of duty if he do not make as much conscience and shew as much care in the manner of doing as in the matter to be done Malum ex quolibet defectu Tho all requisites must concur to make an action morally good yet any defect makes a good thing evil And therefore in all instances of obedience the manner is carefully to be attended to For 1. This is the great distinguishing character between a true believer and an hypocrite It is not in the matter done but in the manner of doing both may be ingaged in one and the same duty and yet it may be an act of grace in one and an act of sin in the other The good man prays so doth the hypocrite but the one prayes with faith and fervency the other draws nigh to God with his lips when the heart is far from him Matt. 15.8 The good man serves God so doth the hypocrite but the one brings the male of the flock Mal. 1.13 the other brings the torn and the lame and the sick The one serves him deceitfully the other acceptably Heb. 12.28 2. A duty that is materially good may be formally evil by failing in a right maner Good becomes evil and duty is turned into sin by an undue manner of performance It is iniquity even the solemn meeeting Isa 1.13 3. It makes God disown his own appointments and reject the very performances which the precept makes a duty When ye come to appear before me who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts Isa 1.12 It was Gods requirement as you may see Deut. 12.5 To the place which the Lord your God shall choose to put his name there to his habitation shall ye seek and thither ye shall come So that they had the command of God for treading his Courts and yet here God rejects his own appointments Who hath required this at your hand Though God required it yet not of such as they were nor in such a manner as they appeared So in v. 13. Bring no more vain oblations incense is an abomination to me But were not these oblations and incense of Gods own institution Yes but because they were feignedly performed therefore they were not accepted and so became vain and abominable But there is a farther hint in the words for oblations were from the people incense was from the priests so that when he saies their oblations are vain and incense an abomination he doth therein reject the specious worship and services both of priests and people He that offereth an oblation is as if he offered swines blood Lev. 11.7 and he that burneth incense as if he blessed an Idol Isai 66.3 And if God rejects that worship which he himself appointed and so was right for the matter because not done in a right manner what shall become of that worship which is neither right for matter nor manner where the commandments of God are made of none effect by the traditions of men this Matt. 15.6 wherever it is renders the worship of God vain for so the Lord Christ himself hath determined the case Matth. 15.9 In vain do they worship me teaching for Doctrines the commandments of men O that our superstitious will-worshippers would consider this who have to use the Phrophets phrase the broth of abominable things in their vessels Isa 65.4 and as ever they would avoid the devils meat let them shun feeding upon his broth For little innovations in the worship of God open a door for the gradual entrance of the most abominable idolatries And so the house of prayer becomes by degrees a den of thieves Matt. 21.13 4 A man may lay himself under great vengeance and judgement from God in the doing the very thing which God commands for want of a right manner Cursed be the deceiver that hath a male in his flock and voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing Mal.