to their Wits again As for the Third The Sacrifice of God is a broken Spirit Psal 51. Your Hearts must be broken that is throughly humbled for your past Folly in order to your future Reformation You must be weary and heavy laden under a Sense of your Sins that Christ may give you rest broken that he may heal you The whole need not a Physician CHAP. VIII How much it concerns us to examin our selves whether we be wrought for Heaven or no. Sundry Motives to excite us to this necessary Duty WE now proceed to an use of Examination Is it so that none can come to Heaven till they be wrought and prepared for it by special Grace Surely 't is high time to turn your Thoughts inward and to stir up Conscience to do its Office methinks ye should in this have been before-hand with me I would be loth to suppose that ye should have heard all this which has been said under the foregoing Heads concerning the Nature and Necessity of this great Work with so little Self-Application as not to have put the Question to your own Hearts before now Am I thus wrought upon Have I experienc'd such a Change in the temper of my Spirit Godward as may encourage me to hope that I am past from Death to Life disposed and inclined to be happy in the â—â—joymenâ— of God c. A weighty Question indeed 't is all one as if you enquited whether ye were Heirs of Heaven or within a step of Hell Children of God or of the Devil Or as if a Line should be drawn to separate between the living and the dead in this Congregation On the one side lo here are so many Persons wrought upon and quickened by the Spirit of God who have the Principles and Seed of Eternal Life abiding in them On the other lo here are so many stupid carnal wretched Souls under the just Wrath and Indignation of the Almighty dead in Trespasses and Siâ—s liable every Moment to the severe Strokes of avenging Justice 'T is not to be wondered at if secret misgivings of Heart and consciousness of Guilt cause an exceeding Averseness in unregenerate Men to this work of Self-examination and make them even afraid of conversing with themselves As desperate Bankrupts who dread to look into their Books of Account being sensible that Matters are ill with them And it is also sad that there should be room for such a Question as this or at least any great difficulty in resolving it What! ye that have so long sate under the Means of Grace and had these things so often and so earnestly press'd upon you and not yet wrought upon not yet turned to God This is a sad Case yet I fear no sadder than true O happy Congregation if all yea or most in it were thus prepared and fitted for Heaven however be your case what it will 't is necessary ye know it Therefore in handling this Use I shall I. Lay down some Motives briefly to excite you to this Duty of Self-Examination II. Give some Directions for the more successful Management thereof III. Offer some Questions which ye may propose to your selves in order to the trial of your State I begin with the first of these Motive 1. Some competent Knowledg of your Spiâ—itual Estate and Condition is attainable I might have spoken higher but chose to proceed by Steps Ye may indeed meet with some who to excuse their â—â—n Ignorance or Sloth in this Matter will tell you â—â—at â—o Man can know whether he be in a State of Grace or no but that we must trust God with our Souls and hope the best And true it is that we must trust God with our Souls but 't is also as true that he hath so far entrusted us with them as to command our utmost Care and Diligence about them And he will quickly call us to an account how we have discharged our Trust what we have done with his Creature And if we be found to have betrayed our Souls by negligence and carnal Security it will not serve our turn to say that we trusted him with them unless ye can suppose that our Presumption should justify our Carelessness that is one Sin excuse anotheâ— I tell you therefore ye are not left under a necessitated unavoidable Ignorance in this Point Your unacquaintance with your own Souls as to their State Godward is wilful and affected I am not putting you upon Impossibilities Others have attained not 〈◊〉 to some competent Knowledg but even to a certainty 〈◊〉 the case and that both ways Thus Sinners are usâ—ally prepared for converting Grace viz. by a thoâ—oâ— conviction of the Sinfulness and Misery of their unregenerate State And on the other hand many good Christians have arrived to a comfortable quieâ—â—â—â— and some even to a transporting assurance of theâ— saving special Interest in the Love of God through Christ and consequently of their Right to Heavâ—â— and that by the same Means and Helps which are vouchsafed or offered to you Motive 2. To this end God hath given us the Facâ—ty or Power of Self-Reflexion that we might examiâ—â— our Hearts and Lives and so pass a right Judgmeâ—â— concerning our spiritual Estate Prov. 20.27 Tâ—e Spâ—â—rit of Man is the Candle of the Lord searching all 〈◊〉 inward parts of the Belly Conscience is set up as Light in the Soul not to be extinguish'd or put under 〈◊〉 Bushel but to observe and try our selves by 〈…〉 What Man â—â—â—weth the things of a Man 〈◊〉 Spirit of Man which is â—n him Were it not forâ—â— Self reflective Power we should not be capable of moral Government in a rational way how should we rectify what is amiss or enjoy the Comforts of sincere Obedience but by examining both our hearts and Lives Therefore I say Conscience is a Witness a Jâ—dg yeâ— and a Executioner too It not only bears Testimony but passeth Sentence and inflicts Punishment or yâ—eâ—â—â—â— Refreshment and Peace and so gives Men the fore lasts of Heaven or Hell while they are on Enâ—th Praemium ante praemium is or praejudicâ—â—m sâ—tâ—ri judicii 1 Joh. 3.20 21. If our Heart condemn us God is greater than our Heart and knoweth all things Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God Must ye not own such a Faculty Verily Conscience would flie in your Faces if ye should deny its Power Motive 3. Consider that God hath given you a sure Rule to try your selves by even his holy Word by which he himself will try you at last 'T is the nature of a Law to constitute what shall be due from us and what to us a Rule to live by and by which we must be judged Heb. 4.12 Tâ—e Word of God is quick and powerful sharperâ— than any two edged Sword and is a Discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart Here we may behold the Comliness or Deformiries of 〈◊〉 own Souls as a man doth his natural
neglect no Means nor Helps in order thereto Such Resolutions as these are most proper in your condition But if your Hearts still hang back let me ask ye what will ye resolve upon Vita humana sine proposito vaga est languida Will ye put the Matter to the venture and trouble your Heads no further about it but still go on at the old dull stupid rate If so this is wilfully to destroy your own Souls and whom can ye blame but your selves Will ye sit down in Despair This is to despise or undervalue the Riches of Gospel-Grace that are set before you Those that come to Christ he will in no wise cast out Again will ye delay for a while and put off the thoughts of these things till hereafter Answ This indeed is the common Case but almost as unreasonable as either of the other two Your times are not in your own Hands ye know not how soon your Souls may be required of you the longer ye delay the more difficult it is like to be and the Spirit that should help you will be grieved by your backwardness Satan will have the faster hold of you and if Death overtake you before the work be done ye are damned Therefore I say turn your Thoughts which way you will all other Resolutions will be found mad and dangerous except that of the Prodigal I will arise and go to my Father So do ye And here let me tell you 't is needful that your Resolutions be firm and steady lest those Difficulties which may afterwards arise in your way should discourage you and that they be speedy lest Death overtake you unprepared And also that in this whole business ye be sensible of your own Weakness and Insufficiency lest ye miscarry through foolish Self-Confidence But of that more by and by Direct 4. See that your Resolutions be forthwith put into practice By this it must appear that they are true and hearty if the VVill be determined in the case sutable Endeavours will ensue And here your work lies in the following Order 1. Humble your selves deeply in the Presence of God for all that Sin and Folly which hitherto ye have been guilty of Consider the Evil of Sin as it is contrary to the holy and pure Nature and Law of God Call to remembrance your own Sins and lay them to Heart that they may not be laid to your Charge In a particular manner bewail the Corruption of your Natures and more especially the estrangedness of your Hearts from God and Enmity against him with that inordinate propension to the Creature in which the Heart of the Old Man doth mainly consist Proceed then to consider those actual Transgressions which have all along issued from this Corruption viz. Your loss of precious Time misimprovement of Gospel Ordinances and Means of Grace your Pride Passion Earthliness Sensuality c. Confess these things humbly and feelingly in the Presence of God Labour to melt into an ingenuous Child-like Sorrow for having carried it so unworthily to so good and gracious a Father That Sorrow for Sin which proceeds only from fear of Punishment is the Sorrow of a Slave and may consist with as much Love to Sin as ever But Godly Sorrow is animated by holy Love to God which raiseth in the Soul a rational hearty Grief for its Transgressions against him an hatred of Sin and Resolution against it for the future This is Repentance from dead Works and toward God He that covereth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find Mercy Prov. 28.13 Yea as Matters now stand such is the wonderful condescension of the Law of Grace 't is an Act of Justice and Faithfulness as well as Mercy to forgive Sin wheresoever with true Repentance it is confessed 1 Joh. 1.9 If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins c. Therefore I say give Glory to God by an humble acknowledgment of your Sins Lay your selves low that his Glory may â—â—e advanced Put your Mouths in the Dust if so be there may be hope Justify his holy Law tho in so doing ye condemn your selves Say with the returning Prodigal Luk. 15.21 Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son c. 2. Thankfully acknowledg the Riches of Free-Grace in that God is yet pleased to offer you Terms of Reconciliation and Peace The Golden Scepter is held forth to you that ye may touch it and live Methinks this should encourage you and put Life and Vigour into your Proceedings and draw out your very Souls in sweet Returns of Love to God Lord is there yet Hope is there any Mercy for such an one as I Behold I come in Obedience to thy Call Blessed be God for Jesus Christ 3. Humbly implore pardoning Mercy for your past Sins and the help of Divine Grace for your present and future Duty As the necessity of your Case should make you very earnest and importunate in these Requests So ye have great encouragement given you to strengthen your Faith and Confidence in the Divine Goodness God delights in Mercy and hath proclaimed his gracious Name Exod. 34.6 9. Use this as an Argument in Prayer as the Psalmist did Psal 25.11 For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine Iniquity for it is great Plead the Merits and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ the Promises of the Gospel and assure your selves God is as ready to forgive as ye are to repent and forsake your Sins He will not despise a broken and a contrite Heart Psal 51.17 And since the work that lies before you is holy and spiritual therefore trust not to your own Resolutions or Strength Pray hard for the help of the Spirit â—ay your Souls open to the Influences of his Grace yield your selves to his Conduct Carefully strike in with all his Motions Lord here am I what wouldst thou have me to do Teach me the way wherein I should go incline mine Heart to thy Testimonies strengthen me with Might in my inward Man Magnify thy Power in my Weakness Speak Lord for thy Servant heareth draw me and I will run after thee 4. And now give up your selves unfeignedly to God in and through Christ If ye expect he should be your God that is your Portion Happiness Soul-satisfying Good ye must be his People devoted to his Love and Service The Covenant must be mutual else how should it be a Covenant Let this be done with great Freedom Chearfulness and Resolution of Spirit ye will never have reason to repent of your choice He will be your Shield and your exceeding great Reward 5. Live henceforth as becomes the Covenant-People of God Renounce your Lusts and Corruptions Let the time past of your Lives suffice you to have fulfilled the Inclinations of the Flesh Remember ye must now live at another rate than heretofore ye have done The Glory of God must be
his Conduct that he may bring us to God As all the Divine Favours and Blessings are communicated to us through Christ Ephes 1.3 2 Pet. 1.3 So we our selves and all our Sacrifices must be offered unto God the same way That is we must ascend unto him by the same Medium through which he descends to us or else no acceptance is to be look'd for 1 Pet. 2.5 How should guilty Rebels adventure into the Presence of the Holy Righteous Sin hating God but by him who hath made Atonement for our Sins Take â—eed therefore that you leave not him out Remember it is upon Terms of Grace that we are received into Covenant with God and of that Covenant Christ â—s the Mediatour who therefore has taught us to distinguish between Faith in God as God and in himself â—s Mediator Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me 'T is well for us that we have him to stand betwixt us and all Danger lest the consuming Fire should break forth upon us and our Blood be mingled with our Sacrifices Hence we find Repentance toward God and Faith â—oward our Lord Jesus Christ joined together as the Sum and Substance of the Apostle's Preaching Actâ— 20.21 The former of these is the changing of the Mind or the turning of the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Sin and Vanity to God as our End The latter is an â—pplying of our selves to Jesus Christ as the way to â—hat End That is we must return unto God as our God by alively Faith in his Son as our Prince and Saviour without whom neither Pardon nor Peace can be expected Not as if the Father was of himself averse to Mercy or Compassion but only prevail'd upon and as it were over-perswaded thereto by the Death-Merits and Intercession of his Son Have a care of such Blasphemous Conceits as these than which nothing is more directly contrary to the design of the Gospel But still remember it was not becoming the Majesty and Holiness of God nor agreeable to the ends of Government to receive such as we are into favour immediately but through a Mediator whom of his own free Love 〈◊〉 hath provided for us John 3.16 For God so loâ—â—â— the World c. So here verse 18. All things are of God 〈◊〉 who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus 'T is a greâ—â— Duty indeed to admire the love of the Son But Oâ—â—â— not forget to admire also the Father's love III. And because it is the Office of the Holy Spirit to apply and communicate the Grace of Christ therefore it concerns us to own eye and acknowledg hâ—â— accordingly in this whole business As Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 the Way to the Father So the Holy-Ghost is the Waâ—ness of the Son his Agent upon Earth his Advocaâ—â— with the Sons of Men to plead his Cause and to diâ—pense his Grace Who is therefore called by Tertulaâ—â— Christi Agens Vicarius and by a Learned Man 〈◊〉 our own the Supreme Minister of Christ's Kingdom Therefore tho' all the Persons or Subsistences in the blessed Trinity do concur to the production 〈◊〉 the new Creature yet this great work of Sanctification is by a certain peculiar eminency of Attribution ascribed to the Holy Spirit 'T is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 It is the Spirit that quickeneth enlighteneth and draweth or Souls to Christ and to the Father by him Therefore in all our Motions and Tendencies God ward we mâ—â—â— look unto this Spirit for help and act Faith upon him for the Assistances and Influences of his Grace If wâ—â— attempt any thing of this nature in our own strength we shall certainly be baffled in our endeavours and make nothing of it We ought to cry hard after the Spirit and carefully to observe all his Accesses to us and the impressions of his Grace upon us and always to strike in with his Motions to do most when he helps most and thus our work will be like to succeed and prosper in our Hand Great care is to be taken how we carry it towards him that we may not quench resist grieve or vex the Spirit either by stifling Convictions or running counâ—er to the dictates of Conscience or by foolish Delays â—nd Slothfulness The help of the Spirit is to be exâ—ected in a diligent humble conscientious attendance â—pon him in his own way viz. The use of his apâ—ointed Means O remember that your Duties Graâ—s and Comforts will all be dead things or nothing 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God be not the Life of them all His â—race must be thankfully acknowledged in all the â—rength we get in all the progress we make and we â—ust still depend upon him for more Yea we ought 〈◊〉 be more distinct and explicit in the workings of â—aith towards him than commonly we are We were â—ptized in the Name of the Holy-Ghost as well as of â—e Father and the Son The three Persons are one â—od equal in Power and Glory in this Trinity none is â—â—ore or after other none is greater or less than anoâ—â—er Whence then cometh it to pass that we are 〈◊〉 defective in that part of the Life of Faith which â—â—specteth the third Person This is a great dishonour 〈◊〉 him and an injury to our selves But I must not â—â—y to enlarge upon that here I only add 'T is the Office of the Spirit to help our â—â—firmities Rom. 8.26 Through him we must mortify the â—â—eds of the Body that we may live Ver. 13. By him 〈◊〉 Love of God is shed abroad in the Hearts of Believers 〈◊〉 5.5 He seals them to the day of Redemption â—â—itnesseth with their Spirits that they are the Children of God Is the earnest of our Inheritance But 〈◊〉 any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none 〈◊〉 his Thus I have shewed you the nature of this great work 〈◊〉 That it is the turning of a Person to God in Christ â—â—en to know love and live to him and all this by the â—â—ace and Help of the Holy Spirit Thus I say we must be qualified and prepared for â—â—e Heavenly Glory CHAP. IV. Of the several Steps whereby this blesseâ— Work is begun carried on and perfected in the Soul HAving thus far opened the Nature of that grâ—â—â— Work whereby we must be prepared for Hâ—ven if ever we come thither I come now to consâ—â—â— more distinctly the order wherein 't is carried on 〈◊〉 how 't is begun advanced and perfected And here I design not to trouble you with over â—â—â—rious Enquiries about the way and manner of 〈◊〉 Spirit 's working on the Souls of Men or how the â—â—ficacy of Grace is reconcilable with the natural liâ—â—ty of the rational Creature But shall content myâ—â—â— to wave Controversies and insist upon some few plâ—â—â— necessary acknowledged Truths as being most sâ—â—â— to the intent of this Discourse And they are 〈◊〉 that follow First There are certain previous workings of a 〈◊〉 common
Christ as you can What Pleasure do ye take is discoursing concerning the things of God In speaking of the Glory of His Majesty and the Wonders of his Grace the Holiness and Perfection of his Law c. What say ye Do such things as these are agree with you Or are they not a weariness to you Are ye nor ready to think that Lords-Days return too oâ— And that strict and serious Religion is intolerable Prociseness Do not your Hearts rise against it Are â—e not glad when the Service of God is over Tho sour thing ye would do to secure Heaven for a reserve who ye can enjoy the World no longer Is not this the very Temper of your Spirits And is it not very deplorable Alas what should ye do in Heaven with sod Hearts as these Would ye not be eternally weary oâ— an Eternal Sabbath Would not your ungracious Spirits be ever recoiling and uneasy Do ye not yet see that there is no coming to the new Jerusalem without new Hearts If not 't is because ye shut your Eyes Certainly if unregenerate Men might have â—n Haven of their own choosing it would be vastly different even quite another thing from that which Goâ— hath prepared for them that LOVE him But he should Men be happy against their own Wills Or it State to which the Temper of their Spirits is not suâ—ed So true is that great Saying of a Worthy Divine When God hath so determined that without â—â—â—ness none shall see him he lays no other Law upon unholy Souls than what their own impure Nature lay upon themselves Blâ—ssedness of the Righteouâ—â— pag. 46 By this time ye see or may see if ye will thâ—â— except the Decrees of God can be reverst the design of Redemption perverted the Office of the hâ—â— Spirit nullified the Institution of the Ministry aâ—â— Ordinances run down the Threarnings of the Gospâ—â— made of none Effect the Inheritance be attained without the earnest a new way found to Heaven which none ever discovered before and all this while the Righteous themselves are scarcely saved in a word unless the nature of things be quite overturn'd and palpable Contradictions made to agree none can come to Heaven till they be prepared and wrought for it by Divine Grace Lo this we have searched it so it is hear it and know thou it for thy good Heb. for thy self Job 5.27 CHAP. VI. Several Inferences of Truth drawn from the foregoing Discourse THus we have fully proved that except ye will be holy ye cannot be happy If this therefore be so clear and certain a Truth it must needs be also a very weighty and important one a thing much to be considered and closely applied because our Spiritual and Eternal Welfare and what is infinitely more than either the Glory of the Great God is so nearly concerned in it Now since there are many other Truths which have an intimate connexion with and dependance upon this great Doctrine let us begin with the Consideration of these for the informing of our Judgments Inser 1. We may learn from hence the great Worth and Excellency of real Holiness Real I say in opposition to that vain empty shew of Religion wherewith Multitudes make a shift to deceive themselves even because they know no better and that because they will not know Satan hath taken advantage by their own Corruption to blind their Minds and close their Eyes and thus they choose Darkness rather than Light because their Deeds are Evil. Hence it is that they see no Beauty in Holiness no more than they do the Form and Comliness of the great Pattern and Procurer of it Isa 53.2 They do not approve things that are excellent If they meddle with Matters of Religion they do but debase them First by forming low and unworthy Notions of them sutable to their own degenerate Tempers and Spirits then they act accordingly and after all highly value themselves upon what they have done Nevertheless the high Excellency of Holiness manifestly appears from the three following Particulars which may easily be drawn from what has been already delivered 1. It s Original 'T is from Heaven the blessed God is himself the Author of it as in the Text. He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God 'T is a Divine Work and that not a common Work neither but wrought in a way of special Grace and therefore it has a peculiar Excellency in it Insomuch that the Subjects of this great Change are denominated born of God Joh. 1.13 born from above chap. 33. as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be rendred Hereupon they are advanced to the Name and Relation of Children 1 Joh. 3.1 Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the Sons of God So called and not miscalled for so they are as vers 2. Now are we the Sons of God 2. The Nature of true Holiness speaks the Excellency of it 'T is the Soul's Conformity to the blessed God his Image drawn upon it a Participiation of the Divine Nature which sweetly and effectually inclines all the Faculties and Powers of our Souls God-ward and so far as it prevails upon us it takes away our unkind Aversion and Estrangedness from him and teacheth us to center upon him as our Portion Happiness and chief Good In short it is our devotedness unto God which implies a Separation from whatsoever stands in opposition against him as such So that had the Apostle been silent as to the Author of this great Work the very Nature of it might have told us whence it is for it bears the Image and Superscription of God upon it Little do the proud Despisers of Holiness consider what they say or against whom it is that they sprit themselves make a wide Mouth and draw out the 〈◊〉 Isa 57.4 To vilify this work is a dishonour to its Author To cast Dirt upon the Image is an affront to its great Original who scorneth their Scorners sits in the Heavens and laughs at them for he seeth that their Day is coming Psal 37 13. 3. The blessed End and Issue of Holiness shews you the worth of it it comes from above and thither it leads and is at last compleated in the Heavenly Perfection Judg then of the Way and Means by the End here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints They are high-born and a sutable Inheritance is designed them To think or speak slightly of Holiness is to contemn Heaven it self which is a State of Perfection therein Wo unto them that draw Iniquity with Cords of Vanity and Sin as it were with a Cart-Rope That put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness Isa 5.18 20. It may be at last they 'll say as one of their Predecessors did let me die the Death of the Righteous Not from any love to Righteousness but from a slavish Fear of the just Punishment of their Impiety and therefore those forced
Face in a Glass We need not say who shall ascend into Heaven The Word is high uâ— whereby we must search our selves And whether we will attend to it or no we must stand or fall by it at last Joh. 12.48 The Word that I have spoken the same shall judg him in the last Day ' This is one of those Books that shall be opened and the smal Sentence will pass according to what is written therein Rev. 20 12. They shall be judged according to their Works the Matter of Fact being recorded in their Book Conscience the Matter of Right in God's Law and the Conclusion in his Decree As Mr. Baxter upon the place Motive 4. We are expresly commanded thus to examin and try our selves yea it is mentioned as a great Absurdity that a Christian should be ignorant of himself 2 Cor. 13.5 Examin your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves c. As if he had said Is there any thing nearer to you than your selves any thing that ye are more concerned to know than your spiritual Estate that is whether Christ be in you or no. Are the ways to Heaven and Hell so much alike that a Man cannot know whither he is going if he would If the Ends be so vastly different surely there must be a proportionable difference in the Ways that lead to them Motive 5. Ye have comfortable Encouragement to expect the help of the holy Spirit in this work of Self-Examination Suppose ye be yet in an unregenerate State 't is true ye have then no full proper Covenant-Right to the Influences of the Spirit yet ye have great reason to hope that since he hath been often striving with you to bring you to a sight and sense of your spiritual Concerns he will not deny the help of his Grace if ye set your selves in good earnest to the Work by the assistance already received Prov. 1.23 Tâ—ru you at my Reproof behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you c. Now 't is the work of the Spirit to lead Men into their own Hearts to convince them of Sin and to quicken illuminate and draw dead dark disaffected Souls to the love of God and Holiness But if ye be already converted ye have then a Covenant-Right to the help of the Spirit ye have fâ—ll and propâ—â— Promises to plead in this Matter he is the Spirit of Christ your Head and therefore all the living Members by virtue of their Relation unto Christ are also nearly related to and interested in that Holy Spirit whole Office it is to refresh and comfort those Souls whom he hath first renewed by his Grace to discover to them the Grace which he has given them to witness with their Spirits that they are the Children of God and so to enable them to rejoice therein Motive 6. Think well how sad and wretched a case it is to be utterly in the dark as to your spiritual State Ye cannot tell what a Day may bring forth Prov. 27.1 For ought ye know ye may be in Hell the next hour because ye are uncertain whether God be your Friend or your Enemy whether ye have any saving Interest in Christ whether ye be sanctified by the Spirit or not Is not this a woful Case when thou liest down when thou risest up when thou goest out or comest in thou knowest not but that the very next Moment the divine Fury may rest upon thee Can'st thou think of Death and not tremble and of Judgment and not be astonish'd When thou art invited to a Funeral how can'st thou forbear thinking that it will quickly be thine â—wn Case and yet thou art ignorant what will become of thy immortal Soul at that Day Methinks this should make thee a Terrour to thy self and to all that are about thee Motive 7. Consider how impatient thou art of being in suspence or at uncertainty in Matters of far less consequence If thou have but a Law-Suit in Hand how uneasy till thou know the Issue if a Purchase to make how careful to see that the Title be good and the Conveyances firm and sure If thou be taken with any threatning Distemper how earnest and sollicitous art thou to know what the Physician thinks of thy Distemper Pray Sir What think you Did you ever see any in such a Case before Did they recover Do you hope the Distemper may go off But O how few are there that express any such Care about their Souls how few that will come to a Minister and enquire of him O Sir What shall I do to be saved I fear I am not yet wrought for Heaven I find my Heart dead to spiritual Things but vigorous and sprightly in its Pursuits after worldly Vanities I find I am out of my Element when engaged in Religious Duties What think you Is there any Hope O help me speedily lest Death overtake me unprepared for it O how seldom do we meet with any that shew such a concern for their Souls as this It were easy to heap up many more such Considerations as these to excite you to this necessary work of Self-Reflection I shall only add as follows without the Formality of making distinct Heads Think with your selves how common a thing it is for men to be mistaken about their spiritual Estate and withal how dangerous it is remember God himself will quickly judg you and the way to escape the Severity of his Judgment is to enter into Judgment with your selves 1 Cor. 11.31 If we would judg ourselves we should not be judged Moreover either ye are thus wrought for Heaven by renewing Grace or not If ye be the closest tâ—â—al will greatly refresh and comfort you by discovering that the work is already done Then may ye comfortably go on with the remaining part of Duty which is yet before you ye may come with boldness to the Throne of Grace as Children to a Father Ye may read or hear the VVord of God with Joy when the great Promises of the Gospel are all your own Ye may come with Confidence to the Lord's Table when ye know that Christ himself and all his saving Benefits are yours Ye may meditate delightfully upon the heavenly Inheritance when ye know that ye have a right to it This will support you under all the Sufferings of the present Life and will make them appear light Afflictions indeed And besides all this it will much conduce to the credit of your Profession by enabling you to go on chearfully in the ways of Religion as Men that do not repent of their Choice not despair of their Cause or of their God But on the other hand if ye be unregenerate Self-Reflection is one of the first Steps in order to your Recovery Psal 119.59 I thought on my Ways and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies So did the Prodigal when he came to himself Luk. 15.17 When once Men begin to be sollicitous about the Concerns
of their Souls and to enquire What have we done What are we doing Whither are we going How shall we escape the Wrath to come This looks hopefully indeed tho ye must not stop here neither nor take up with Convictions instead of Conversion However think not that your Wounds are like to be cured without being searched But if through a stupid unconcernedness as to the Affairs of your Souls ye think it not worth the while to give your selves all this trouble tho in the mean time ye are eagerly set upon this present World as the common Case is I can then tell you what your Case is without any further enquiry ye may spare the Labour of searching whether ye be regenerate or no for to deal plainly with you 't is certain ye are not Your brutish â—cupidity is evidence enough to prove that ye are asleep yea dead in Sin condemned already and that the Wrath of God abideth on you In a word as the Lord liveth there is but a step between you and Hell But yet a step there is your case is not quite desperate tho it be very dangerous I must say of you as of those Patients whose Condition seems very hazardous the Event is uncertain but while their 's Life their's Hope Some have recovered who seem'd to be in as ill Circumstances as you but let me tell you many to one have perish'd Even so is here some have been converted and saved who were once as dead and stupid about the Concerns of their Souls as ye are But many to one have been lost for ever Therefore to flatter you in such a condition might contribute much to your ruin which I am not willing to do Therefore I tell you there is just so much hope of your Salvation as there is of your awakening from this carnal Security and so repenting and turning to God and no more CHAP. IX Directions for the more successful management of this great Duty of Self-Examination HAving laid down the fore-going Motives to excite you to this necessary Duty of Self-Reflection and shew'd you of how ill signification it is for Men to be unconcern'd and indifferent about the State of their Souls I now come to give some Directions for the help of such as are sollicitous to know whether they be wrought for Heaven or no Direction 1. Take care that ye be impartial in your search that your Judgments be not perverted or biass'd either way by fear or favour but that ye may go according to evidence The greatest Danger indeed is on the one side viz. Lest Pride or Self-Love make you judg too favourably concerning your selves But here remember that such a mistake may prove your ruin 'T is necessary ye know the worst of your case while there is yet hope of redress Ye have already heard what Multitudes there are that perish by Presumption To think falsly that ye are in the way to Heaven will never bring you thither nor will it cure the Diseases of your Souls to suppose that ye are well enough already such Ravings are a sad Symptom that your noblest Faculties are impaired and distracted and therefore that your Distempers are so much the more dangerous But I need not enlarge upon this only remember that God will quickly try all over again and whatever your present Judgment be of your selves his final Judgment will be according to Righteousâ—ess On the other Hand some are so timerous and dejected in spirit that they know not how to believe any thing that is good and comfortable concerning themselves So far are they from presumptious Self-Conceit that they run into a quite contrary extream and standing in their own Light cannot discern the Evidences of their Sincerity Fain they would be assured that their Hearts are right with God but have not strength of Spirit enough to conclude that it is so through meer Fear lest it should prove otherwise They vehemently wish it but cannot perswade themselves to believe it still thinking 't is too good News to be true Like Old Jacob when they told him that Joseph was alive his Heart fainted for he believed them not Gen. 45.26 or as the poor Jews when the Lord turned again the Captivity of Zion they were like them that dream Psal 126.1 They could scarce believe their own Senses and Understandings in the Matter Even so it is with many poor melancholly doubting Christians they desire to be sincere but fear that they are not so And those Evidences of true Grace which to another would be discernable to them are not so Now I say tho such Persons be safe in the Hands of Christ notwithstanding all their Doubts and Jealousies concerning themselves and so their mistake cannot prove destructive as in the former Case Yet it is of consequence ill enough both in point of Duty and Comfort Prudence will reach us to be wary and cautious in so great an Enquiry to suspect our own Deceitful Hearts and to watch them narrowly lest they should betray us to vain Hopes and Humility will teach us to entertain low Thoughts of our selves But still 't is unnatural to shut our Eyes against that Light which should refresh and comfort us and unthankful to overlook or deny the Richos of Grace which have been laid out upon us Rear as well as Favour is an Enemy to right and impartial Judgment Direct 2. This Enquiry must be managed with a great deal of Care and Seriousness 'T is a Matter of Life and Death that is before you and therefore ye had need have your Wits about you A mistake on the one Hand may destroy your Souls forever On the other it may greatly obstruct your spiritual Comfort and growth in Grace Therefore the most sober judicious Consideration is here necessary Call in your wandering Thoughts keep them close to the work let them not give you the slip lest they grow masterless and unruly Commuâ—e with your Hearts and let you Spirit make diligent search Psal 77.6 There 's no trifling in Matters of this Nature 't is not a few slighty transient thoughts that will serve the turn the Principles of Grace lie deep in the Soul ye must search for them as for hid Treasure if you would discover them And there are depths of Wickedness too which must in like manner be searched after with great Care and Strictness 〈◊〉 if ye would pass a right Judgment of your own Case ye must excite your sluggish Hearts to the work and if your Thoughts fly off from the Business let Reason interpose its Authority otherwise a thousand Impertinences will intrude upon you and so ye will be left in as great darkness and uncertainty in reference to your spiritual Estate as ye were in before In a word intensness of thought is needful in this work that so nothing may escape your observation which might any way conduce to clear up the Point in Hand Direct 3. See that ye proceed with due order and method in this
uneasy to our selves and to all about us till we be reduced and set right again So then this sensual corrupt Self-Love must be mortified but lawful and just Self-Love must be improved as was said before 6. In assigning the Notion of our chief or ultimate End God's Glory and our own Salvation must not be separated For our intention must take in both but then the latter must be considered as in full Subordination to the former We may and ought to desire our own Eternal Happiness that God may be glorified therein who is well pleased and delighted in the Welfare and Perfection of his holy ones Our supreme End must fall in with his who made all things for himself that he alone may have the Glory 7. Therefore to love God only or chiefly for our selves as a means to our own Happiness is greatly to affront and dishonour him by preferring our selves before him the Creature before the Creator the silly Interest of a crawling Worm before the glorious all-comprehending Interest of the supreme infinite Majesty 'T is to invert the order of things while we make our selves the end and consider him but as a means in order thereto As if we were better or more amiable than he or our Happiness more valuable than his Glory Such Profaneness is not to be endured but abhorred Know ye not that the whole Creation has no worth in it but what is derived from God and to be measured by its Relation to him 8. To love God with a pure raised transcendent superlative Love for himself as the most amiable and perfect Good from by and to whom we and all things else are And then to love our selves and all other Objects for him as the supreme ultimate End of all this is the true Method of holy Love towards greater Measures whereof the best of us should be ever aspiring Is it not highly reasonable that he who is best should be most loved That he who is the Author of our Beings should be our End That we should aim at and intend him in all in a word that the love of our selves should be subjected to the highest and purest Love of God Urge these things upon your selves take pains with your own Hearts to bring them to such a Frame plead the Cause of God with your Souls till the Fire kindle and ye be carried up above Self to Him and all by the help of the Holy Spirit 'T is true indeed he needs not you nor your Love neither can ye be profitable to him thereby Job 22.2 3. Your Goodness extendeth not to him Psal 16.2 The advantage is like to be your own and should not the Glory be his As carnal inordinate self-seeking is no better than self-destroying So to go our of our selves and to be as it were estrange I from and lost to our selves that we may seek God live in him and enjoy Communion with him this I say is the true way to advance our own Interest while we seem to overlook it because by this Means we shall find our selves and our All in God with infinâ—te advantage How much some of the People of God have been carried out in holy Zeal for his Honour â—bove their own particular Self-Interest ye may see Exod 32.32 Numb 14.12 Rom. 9.3 Which places I must not now stay to enlarge upon 9 But here it must be remembred that God being immaterial and invisible is not an Object of Sense nor directly of sensitive passiâ—nate Love Therefore the Heart may be inwardly deeply predominantly and therefore sincerely for God tho as to the passionate part we may find our selves more sensibly carried out towards other Objects Because the nearness and sensibleness of the Creature promoteth such sensible workings in the lower sensitive Faculties and corporeal Spirits As for example A sincere Christian may be more feelingly affected towards a dear Friend or Relation or some other Creature-enjoyment than towards God himself yet doth it not therefore follow that his Heart is more for these things than for God because were he put to trial he would forsake all these Enjoyments rather than forsake God or quit his Interest in him whereby it appears that his Mind and Wiâ—l are more for God tho the lower sensitive Appetite work most feelingly toward sensible Objects 10. Therefore tho it be essential to Holiness to love God for himself as our absolutely ultimate End and therefore better than our selves yet there may be some secret conception or beginning of this Love in a Soul long before the Person in whom it is perceives it Because we are apt to judg of our selves by what appears most sensibly in us and to overlook what lies more deep and inward Now as was said before love to self and to the Creatures operates in a more sensible passionate feeling manner than holy intellectual Love doth Because God being a Spirit is not so near to our Senses and Passions as the Creature is Therefore because I would not make sad the Hearts of any whom God would not have made sad Ezek. 13.22 nor give an advantage to Satan to disquiet the Soul of the weakest sincere Christian Let me say to such as follows Supposing that ye are satisfied that God as God is infinitely more amiable than your selves and that he is your absolutely supreme chief or ultimate End and therefore that ye ought to love him as such above your selves Again if ye do earnestly desire that Happiness which consists in so loving him above any other Happiness whatsoever Tho in the mean time ye dare not say that ye love God for himself above your selves but are it may be more sensibly and feelingly concerned for your own Welfare that ye may escape the Wrath to come than for his Glory Yet ye he wail this and desire an Heart to love God more for himself And to refer your own Interest and all to him Why if the Case be thus with you I would not have ye be discouraged or cast down For it seems to me that ye have the seeds and beginnings of this holy Love to God for himself whereof we have been speaking And our Lord will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. Let me therefore earnestly beseech you to pray hard for further Influences of the Spirit of Love and take pains with your own Hearts to raise them more above self unto God that your Spark may become a Flame and that ye may be even swallowed up of holy Love So will ye find that Comfort Peace and Assurance which ye are so pensively seeking and enquiring after O learn at length to pore less upon your own poor dark drooping Souls and look more at him who is LIGHT and in whom there is no Darkness at all As for the common sort of the ignorant Pretenders to the Love of God and Holiness all this will seem to them more ado than needs Nor is it difficult to confound their Pretences without going thus high
our Souls towards God and the serious Discharge of Religious Duties To conclude this Head Be not so intent upon any one part of Duty as to overlook the rest Then shall we not be ashamed when we have respect unto all God's Commandments Psal 119.6 I esteem thy Precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way vers 128. 4. Continue instant in Prayer The People of God are called in Scripture a Generation of Seekers Psal 24.6 So Psal 27.8 When thou saidst Seek ye my Face my Hâ—aâ—t said uâ—to thee Thy Face Lord will I seek How 〈◊〉 do we find this Duty press'd upon us Pray always pray and faint not watch unto Prayer Pray to your Father which seeth in secret Pray every where pray without ceasing c. Yea we find the holiest Persons frequently employed in this holy Duty Psal 55.17 Evening and Morning and at Noon will I pray and cry aloud and he shall hear my Voice Psal 109.4 I prayer so it is in the Hebrew As if he were made up of Prayer It were easy to heap up more Examples but I forbear O Sirs it is on our Knees that we must get Strength to walk with God The actuating of holy Desires and presenting them to God must needs tend in its own Nature to strengthen those Habits of Grace from which such Desires proceed Besides as it is the performance of an undeniable Duty should not a People seek unto their God a most reasonable piece of Service so an answerable Blessing may be expected upon it God is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him Open thy Mouth wide and I will fill it Psal 81.10 Ask for great things and with great Earnestness come not with mean poor narrow thoughts of the Divine Goodness be not cold nor lazy in your Requests Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5. A learned Divine mentions secret Prayer in the fore-front of those Duties to which our Souls are naturally most backward Mr. Baxter Now one would think our own Necessities should even constrain us to it Alas how should we live without it and how much doth it concern us to strive against our Indisposition to it How sweet is a Duty when rescued out of the Hands of Difficulties O Sirs whence is it that God hears no oftner from us and with no greater fervency Surely frequent and earnest Approaches to the most holy God would be a great means to make us more like him Remember God has ways enow to bring you to your Knees What if dark Clouds should arise upon you or some sharp Affliction befal you then 't is likely you would come crying after him and seek him early Hos 5.15 But why not without so much ado why should not gentler Methods prevail with you Be but acquainted with your own Hearts and you need not want either Matter or Motives for this great Duty Never expect to grow in Grace without keeping up Life and Fervency in Prayer Give me leave to shut up this Head with a Passage which I lately met with in the Life of the Excellent Mr. Philip Henry To the Publisher whereof I here return my most humble Thanks 'T is as follows Pag. 75. Be sure you look to secret Duty keep that up whatever you do the Soul cannot prosper in the neglect of it Apostacy generally begins at the Closer-door secret Prayer is first neglected and carelessly performed then frequently omitted and after a while wholly cast off and then farewel God and Christ and all Religion 5. Learn the Art of holy Meditation 'T is by this that we draw in Life Strength and Sweetness from those great Gospel-Truths which inconsiderate Persons lay by as if they were dead or useless things 'T is this that enlargeth our Knowledg and clears our Apprehensions in spiritual Matters and sets on work our Resolutions Affections and all the Faculties and Powers of our Souls 't is a Soul-improving Duty indeed Nor can you want Matter for such Meditation if you will but see your Thoughts at work and keep them close to it Meditate upon the glorious Excellencies and Perfections of the blessed God his Power Wisdom Goodness Holiness Truth All-sufficiency Think I say on these and think again till becoming Impressions be wrought upon your own Spirits changing you from Glory to Glory 2 Cor. 3.18 Think not upon God in a slighty or ordinary manner but with the greatest Reverence and Admiration lest you take his Name in vain whereof you may be guilty in thought as well as in words Let every Thought of God be mighty upon you and participate in some sutable Measure of the greatness of its Almighty Object Think much on your blessed Redeemer who he was what he did what he suffered and why as also what he has further promised to do Thus let Christ dwell in your Hearts Think on the Holy Spirit of Grace call to mind his Influences and Operations upon your Souls how infinitely you are obliged to him how much you have still to do with him How direct and explicite you ought to be in your actings of Faith upon him as well as upon the Father and the Son And how careful you should be to carry becomingly towards him Think on the Holiness Purity and Perfection of the Divine Law how sweet how reasonable how advantageous that Obedience is which God has required of us O how I love thy Law it is my Meditation all the Day Psal 119.97 Think on the Heavenly Perfection what the Saints in Glory and the blessed Angels are doing what they are enjoying till your Souls be on the Wing longing to be joined to that holy and happy Society Think on the Graces wherein you are most defective consider the reasonableness and necessity of them and how ill you can live without them or without greater degrees of them Plead the cause of every Grace with your own Hearts and in the midst of your Meditations lift up your Eyes and your Souls to Heaven for help therein O that you would be perswaded to try this Course to engage your selves in the frequent and solemn Exercise of this great Duty of Meditation the advantage would be great every way And that you may be the fitter for this more stated Exercise of Meditation it will be very useful in the midst of your Employments and Business in the World to be often sending up a Thought or Ejaculation towards Heaven Direct 3. If your Endeavours thus far prove successful so that you find more Grace and Strength coming in thereby lay out your selves so much the morâ— for God Much is expected from them to whom much is given Your Talents are to be traded with noâ— hidden in a Napkin As the Goodness of God abounds toward you you must endeavour to abound in the Work of the Lord that so it may appear that the Grace bestowed upon you is not in vain 1 Cor. 15.10.58 Surely 't
Praeparatio Evangelica OR A Plain and Practical DISCOURSE CONCERNING The SOUL'S Preparation FOR A Blessed Eternity Being the Substance of several SERMONS Preach'd at LEEDS By TIMOTHY MANLOVE Minister of the Gospel Heb. 12.14 Follow Peace with all Men and HOLINESS without which no Man shall see the LORD 1 Joh. 4.16 God is LOVE and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation LONDON Printed for Nevill Simmons Bookseller in Sheffield Yorkshire And sold by George Coniers at the Ring in Little Britain 1698. To the Diligent and Serious READER CVstom obligeth me to say something by way of Preface and the weight of the Subject before us is such as requires the utmost Diligence to press the serious Consideration of it upon all to whom it is presented That the Soul of Man is in its own Nature fitted for Immortality being capable of subsisting and acting in a state of separation from the Body and therefore designed thereto is a Truth commonly acknowledged amongst Christians yea and amongst Pagans too as I have proved at large in a former Treatise Now if this be a Truth 't is certainly a very important one how little soever considered by the unthinking World Must we live for ever Surely it highly concerns us to examinâ— whither we are going what State wâ— are like to enter upon when the uncertain Term of our present Life shall be at an end Shall it be well or ilâ— with us to all Eternity The Resolution of this great Question depends upon our Behaviour whilâ— we are in the Body for accoraing to that we must be judged whether it bâ— good or bad 2 Cor. 5.10 The Goodness or Wickedness of ouâ— Actions is to be measured by their agreeableness or disagreeableness to thâ— Divine Law which is norma officiâ— judicii a Rule to live by and by which we must be judged The Duties which God hath enjoinâ— are such as in their own Nature do manifestly tend to qualify and fâ—â— us for that eternal Blessedness which he hath prepared for his holy ones It is therefore of great consequence to understand in some competent measure the Nature of the Heavenly Felicity because the more clear and distinct our Apprehensions are in this Matter the more will our Hearts be raised to desire it and our Endeavours quickened in the pursuit of it and the better we shall understand the way that leads to it The absolute necessity of Holiness in order to our everlasting Happiness is rather confessed than well understood by the generality of those that bear the Christian Name and this not for want of sutable Means and Helps in order to such Knowledg but for want of Hearts to use them Prov. 17.16 Men's thoughts are otherwise taken up and their carnal Minds are averse from Considerations of this nature That Holiness is necessary because God hath commanded it is a very great Truth and nothing but the Truth but yet it is not the whole Truth neither For besides this legal Necessity of it there is also a natural Necessity in the case it being as impossible in the nature of the thing that we should be happy without being holy as that a blind Man should be delighted with Colours or one that is deaf with Sounds and Harmony And this will appear if we consider what it is that must make a rational immortal Spirit compleatly blessed namely the enjoyment of the most holy glorious blessed God whereunto an unholy Soul is utterly indisposed and disaffected and therefore cannot be happy till its Temper be altered and made sutable to the Object that is holy The Saints in Glory are taken up with God admiring loving praising and delighting in him as their chief Good their only Soul-satisfying Portion yea and as infinitely and amiably good in himself and withal injoying the most sweet and refreshing sense of his Love to them without any Clouds Darkness or Interruptions Now this kind of Happiness is no way sutable to the Genius and Disposition of an unsanctified Heart and how should a Man be happy while his very Soul is averse to and at Enmity against that which alone can make him so This is the woful case of the far greater part of the World which loudly calls for our deepest Lamentations over it and our utmost Endeavours to redress it To this purpose I have thought meet to publish the following Discourse wherein I have laboured to lay open our Way and our End beginning with the latter according to the order of intention I have therefore first laid down a short plain scriptural Account of that blessed State reserved in Heaven for true Believers and then proceeded to open the Nature of that great Work of Grace whereby we must be prepared wrought or made meet for that State Each of these gives Light to the other the End and Way are so near a-kin that they differ rather in degree than in kind Grace is Glory begun Glory is Grace perfected If these things were well weighed and compared together the advantage would be very great every way Give me leave to mention some few Particulars 1. This would effectually put to silence the ignorant Cavils of foolish Men who complain that the ways of Holiness are too strict and precise for them Did they but better know what the Bless'd Above are doing and what they are enjoying they would quickly see reason to conclude that the greatest Diligence and Care we can use is all little enough to ripen us for so holy so glorious so perfect a State 2. It would certainly pull down the groundless Presumptions of Self-deceiving Hypocrites who promise to themselves Heaven at last tho they be utter Strangers to that vital Power of Religion without which there 's no coming thither No wonder that Men who hope for they know not what hereafter live they know not or care not how while they are here But whatsoever a Man sows that shall he also reap Gal. 6.7 3. This would also shew us what way and manner of religious Worship is like to be most acceptable to God and advantagious to our selves viz. That which tends most to refine and spiritualize our Hearts and so to fit them for Heaven 4. And consequently what ends we ought to propose to our selves in every religious Duty Namely that we may get as near unto God and be as inward with him as possibly we can till we come to the State of full and perfect Communion with him 5. And what need there is of Divine Grace to elevate and raise our Hearts to such high and holy things as these Alas what poor work shall we make with spiritual things if we be left to our selves 6. This will greatly support the People of God under the difficulties of their present State and Work Their spiritual Conflicts will soon be over and Heaven will make amends for all The end to which the dispised ways of
glorious Body As to which I shall only say that suiable Object will not be wanting to the Organs or Power wherewith they shall be endued Finally tho it will remain true to all Eternity thâ—â— we were once Sinners yet 't will be as true that wâ— are pardoned and reconciled through Christ and therefore that the Guilt of our Sins shall never separate between us and our God or make us unfit for Commâ—nion with him any more 2. The actual Enjoyment of God This it is which must compleat the Happiness of the Soul for this enâ— it was prepared by Grace and advanced to that high Perfection in Glory whereof we have been speaking viz. that it might perfectly enjoy the most glorioâ—â— perfect God Under this Head there are two things which must bâ— distinctly considered tho they cannot be really divided 1. The lively actings of the Soul towards God 2. It s constant reception of Communications from him 1. All the Faculties and Powers of the perfected Soul shall be taken up with God acting towards him terminating upon him resting in him The Vnderstanding shall be employ'd in contemplating the gloriouâ— Excellencies of the Divine Nature His Power Wisdom Goodness his Truth and Faithfulness his glorious Holiness that Attribute of Attributes as one calls it which runs as it were through all the rest and casts a Glory upon every one Exod. 15.11 Glorious in Holiness his awful Majestick Soveraignty c. all these will then appear to open view 'T were easy to enlarge upon each of these and 't is sit you should do so let me help you a little His Power by which he made the World stretched out the Heavens laid the Foundations of the Earth or hanged it upon nothing poised by its own weight set bounds to the proud waves of the Sea and restrained the madder Rage of the tumultuous People Yea that Power whereby he first drew them unto Christ and made them willing in the Day of their Espousals with him Even that exceeding greatness of his Power according to the working of the might of his Power Ephes 1.19 and by which they have been kept through Faith unto Salvation His Wisdom that appears so eminently in the Order and Harmony of all his Works And particularly which framed and contrived the wonderful Design of our Redemption by Jesus Chriâ—â— This manifold Wisdom of God which the Angels desire to look into will then shine forth conspicuously to the ravishing of all the Beholders especially those who have shared most deeply in the blessed Effects of it His Goodness an Attribute which he delights to honour Thus when Moses prays Exod. 33.18 I beseech thee shew me thy Glory vers 19. He said I will make all my Goodness pass before thee c. Thus we read of the Riches of his Goodness Rom. 2.4 And that none is good save one that is God Luk. 18.19 O how lovely and attractive will the Divine Goodness appear to us in all the various Aspects and Manifestations of it when we come to Heaven Verily if there could be any room for Grief in those Regions of Blessedness it must certainly arise from the remembrance of the many Affronts and Indignities which we had formerly put upon this blessed Attribute by slighting undervaluing or entertaining mean low narrow thoughts of it c. But here as Goodness will triumph in overlooking the Contempts which have been put upon it so it will not suffer us to disquiet our selves about them The Glory of his Truth and Faithfulness will appear in the fulfilling of those exceeding great and precious Promises which he made The True and Faithful God And particularly in this that he never suffered us to be tempted above what we were able 1 Cor. 10.13 How will this be admired when we are got safe out of the reach of all Temptations The Excellency of Holiness will then be known iâ— that Holy Place and the Divine Majesty for ever adored by his holy Ones But I must not stay to enlarge upon these I have shewed you the way exercise your own Thoughts and you cannot want Matter Only see that your Hearts be sutably affected as yâ—â— go on Thus the Eyes of our Understandings being opened strengthned enlarged shall for ever feed upon the Divine Glory Faith will be turned into Vision we shall waâ—k by sight Stop here a little and consider what you have been reading How pleasant a thing is knowledg to the Soul tho it be but that of inferior Objects But how much more delâ—â—â—â—ful will it be to know him who iâ— the Fountain of Bâ—mâ— the Cause of Causes the Spriâ—â— of Action the Source and Original of all Perfection the everlâ—sting I AM What is all other Knowledge compared to this Then shall the Eye be satisfied with seeing and our Joy not Sorrow encreased by oâ—â— Knowledg What we know of God in our present-state is nexâ— to nothing in comparison of what we shall then know We now see but darkly as in a Glass our Thoughts oâ— God are weak confused and childish as the Apostlâ— speaks 1 Cor. 13.11 12. But when that which iâ— perfect is come these childish things must be put away and a more noble manly Knowledg succeed in theiâ— room A sight of his Back-parts is now no small Privilege but his Face shall then be seen Exod. 33.23 Moreover our Knowledg shall be transforming ouâ— Eye shall affect our Hearts or as a Learned Man expresseth it we shall look our selves into his Likeness Psal 17.15 I will behold thy Face I shall be satisful with thy Likeness 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is If after all this you desire to know whether we shall immediately behold the pure Essence of God I answer stay till you come thither 't is certain that we shall see him in his wonderful Works we shall see him in our glorified Head Who is the brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1.3 But as for the very Essence of God whether we shall behold that I cannot tell but for many Reasons strongly incline to the Negative Our Wills shall for ever cleave unto God as the most amiable perfect Good in himself and the most sutable Good for us And as such we shall love him and rest in him with the highest Delight and Complacency Our Hearts will be entirely and unchangably fixed and determined for God There will be no idolatrous dividing of them between Him and the Creature We shall love him with a full and perfect Freedom of Spirit and yet be sweetly constrained thereto by an happy Necessity It will then be as easy and infinitely more pleasant to love him as now it is to love our selves our own Felicity or our dearest Friends To live with him and in him will be our very Element To breath is not more natural here on Earth than to love God will be in Heaven Indeed nothing else will there be valued no
better Frame 'T is past doubt that true Grace tends in its own Nature to heal all the Diseases of the Soul to rectify all its Faculties and Powers and so the Passions and Affections amongst the rest That is to take them off from wrong Objects to moderate their Excesses to turn them into a right Channel nor are these tendencies fruitless the Effect is in part accomplisht So far as this great Change takes place and prevails in the Soul the Affections of Love Desire Joy Delight Hatred Sorrow Fear and the rest will be moving towards their proper Objects and Ends. We shall hate and abhor what is displeasing to God mourn that we have so often offended earnestly desire to be accepted with him and to enjoy more of him hunger and thirst after Righteousness And therefore we shall strive to love God more seelingly and so to rejoice and delight in him and tho many Impediments and Difficulties arise in our way yet still Grace will be tending to these things And we are greatly wanting to our selves if we do not daily endeavour to stir up the Grace of God that is in us that all the Powers of our Souls may be quickened more and more in their Motions by it If we stay till our Affections stir of themselves we may wait long enough 'T is our part actively to concur with and by that gracious Help which is afforded us in order to the quâ—ckening and spiritualizing of them and bringing them more under the command of the Will till at length they be accustom'd and inured to move more naturally freely and strongly Heaven-ward Nor must we faint or be discouraged tho we find our Hearts sluggish and averse to such work as this We must persist in duty notwithstanding this Indisposition And wait for God's Help in his own way Yea we must cast our selves into his Arms tho he may seem as it were to shut up himself from our Prayers and to withhold the sweet Influences of his Grace It may be he withdraws to see how we will take it shall we not lament and follow so much the harder after him what tho we have not sensible Comfort let us stay our selves on him and against Hope believe in Hope Rom. 4.18 Duties are sweet when recovered out of the Hand of Temptations and Difficulties we are bound but God is free What you want as to the seeling of Affection make out in deep and rational Resolutions for God and ye will get ground even while ye think ye lose it 5. Even the Body it self must be sanctified that is presented or devoted unto God and used for him This is the Will of God that every one of us possess his Vessel in Sanctification 1 Thess 4.3 4. That Sin reign not in our Mortal Body but that we yield our Members as Instruments of Righteousness unto God Rom. 6.12 13. Our Bodies are for the Lord they are Members of Christ c. 1 Cor. 6.13 15. Temples of the Holy-Ghost vers 19. The Body must be used as a Servant to the Soul and both employed in the Service of God 1 Cor. 6.20 Glorify God in your Body and in your Spirit which are God's 'T is true indeed that bodily Exercise profiteth little without or in comparison of that which is spiritual 1 Tim. 4.8 To bow the Knee while our Spirits remain stubborn and unbroken To lift up our Eyes Heaven-ward if our Souls be not also lifted up To draw nigh to God with our Lips when our Hearts are far from him is an Addition of Hypocrisy to all the rest of our Iniquity But on the other hand 't is as true that if our Souls be for God our Bodies will be subservient to them and their Members accordingly used by them The Eyes will be opened to behold the wonderful Discoveries which he hath made of himself in his Works and in his Word The Ears to hear the Instructions of Wisdom The Lips to praise and magnify Him and by spiritual Discourse to edify others feed many and minister Grace to the Hearers Therefore tho our Hearts must be first look'd at in the Service of God Yet care must also be taken that our Words and Deportment be also sutable and becoming because outward Worship is expressive of that which is inward and reflects back again upon the Heart it self As Habits are strengthened and increased by the Acts which flow from them so are internal Affections by correspondent Expressions and Behaviour in Duty Tho we must not so cry up and magnify the Externals of Worship as to overlook the inward Life and Soul of it as Hypocrites who love to be seen of Men are wont to do So on the other Hand we ought not to pretend our good Meanings or Spirituality in Divine Worship to excuse us from befitting Gestures or outward Demeanour therein Nor must we be forward to judg and censure others as if they were meer Ceremonious Hypocrires because they seem to put Religion into a more fine or formal dress than we our selves have been used to In short let us neither be rude nor antick in Matters of this Nature but let the Frame of our Spirits as also our Words and Gestures be reverent grave and serious lest we be found guilty of prophaning holy things God is to be worshipped by the whole Man Thus ye see that our intellectual and sensitive Faculties yea and our Bodies too must according to their several Capacities be all sanctified and devoted unto God Which is fully comprehended in those Words of the Apostle 1 Thess 5.23 And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly And I pray God your whole SPIRIT and SOVL and BODY be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Thus much for the first Head viz. That this great Change consists in turning unto the Lord from whom we have so deeply revolted II. Since it is only in and through Jesus Christ that God is reconcilable to fallen Man 't is highly necessary that we have a due regard to him in this Matter Joh. 14.6 No Man cometh unto the Father but by me So vers 19. of this Chapter God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself Neither is there Salvation in any other Acts 4.12 As God himself is our ultimate End so Jesus Christ is the principal means and way to bring us to that End The Will of God is so fully declared in this Point viz. That we can have no access to the Father but by the Son that it would be insolent daring Presumâ—ption for us to attempt it any other way Never think of approaching the Presence of God transacting with him presenting your selves or services to him or of expecting any Favour from him but in and through Christ Joh. 5.23 He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him 'T is therefore requisite that we set an high value upon this great Mediatour that we dearly love him and sincerely commit our selves to
because they sure not with your own carnal Temper Or will you try to put asunder what God has join'd together Or expect to be saved without being first sanctified The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand Prov. 19.21 If ever ye come to to Heaven ye must first be conformed to the holy Image of Jesus Christ or sanctified by his Spirit Is not eternal Life the Gift of God and has he not told us the way in which he hath determin'd to give it and is it not downright madness to expect it out of God's way If therefore you be sollicitous concerning your everlasting Welfare do not take the preposterous course of those Persons who beginning at the wrong end first amuse themselves about the eternal Decrees of God remember secret things belong to him revealed to you therefore turn your Thoughts inward examin whether you have been effectually called so as to consent to the holy Covenant and if so ye may comsortably conclude concerning your Election 2 Pet. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.5 But because there are some Persons who affect to cavil against this sort of Doctrine I have thought meet to transcribe part of the 17th Article of the Church of England Valeat quantum valere potest Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to Everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due Season They through Grace obey the Calling They be justified freely They be made Sons of God by Adoption They be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ They walk religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to Everlasting Felicity c. To conclude you must either acknowledg the Decree of Election or say that all Men shall be saved 〈◊〉 that none shall be so For nothing can be more evident than that God decrees whatsoever he effects 2. Redeeming Love hath joined Sanctification and Salvation together It was no part of our Blessed Saviour's design to procure the admission of unholy Souls while such to Heaven That would have been to have laid Heaven and Hell common But he hath made way for the Communication of that Grace which must fit us for Glory and then for our entrance thereinto 1 John 3.8 He that committeth Sin is oâ— the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning Foâ— this purpose the Son of God was manifested that â—e might destroy the works of the Devil Matth. 1.21 He shall save his People from not in their Sins Tiâ—â— 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purity unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works Ephes 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it The Grace of the Redeemer was never intended to exempt us from the Obligation of Obedience to our Creator but to bring us back thereto The promisory part of the Law of Innocency is indeed ceased by reason of our Incapacity A guilty Creature can lay no claim to Life and Happiness by virtue of a Covenant which required perfect and perpetual Obedience as the Condition thereof But then the preceptive part of that Law is still so far in force that the least violation of the Divine Law is Sin And the least Sin makes perpetual Punishment our due except pardoning Mercy interpose for our deliverance And here it is that the Grace of the Redeemer takes place Tho' perfect Obedience be still commanded us yet it is not insisted upon as a condition whereupon our Eternal Happiness is suspended Sincerity shall be accepted through the Maths and Mediation of Jesus Christ who hath in his own Person fulfilled all Righteousness and withal offered up himself a Sacrifice to satisfy Divine Justice for our Disobedience Pray be clear in these things Do not expect that Christ will save you unless you â—ay down your Arms and submit to the Divine Soveraignty How can there be Peace between God and your Souls so long as ye resolve to persist in your Rebellion Is Christ the Minister of Sin Or shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid Jesus Christ is exalted by the Father to be a Prince and a Saviour To give first Repentance and then Forgivness To turn Men's Hearts from Sin and then to pardon it If ye expect to be saved any other way than through the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ say so and then we shall know that ye are Infidels But if not then know ye that Sanctification is an essential part of that Salvation which Christ hath designed for his Peopel 3. It is a manifest affront to the holy Spirit of God to imagine that Men can be saved without being wrought for it by his renewing Grace 'T is in effect to nullify or deny the Office of the Holy-Ghost as if his gracious Operations upon the Souls of Men were needless or superfluous things Or at least that Men may attain to Happiness without them Is this to believe in the Holy-Ghost or is it not rather to blaspheâ—â— him Do ye not tremble to approach so near to theâ— pardonable Sin If Men may be saved without being sanctified 〈◊〉 what purpose are all the Influences of the Spirit 〈◊〉 God upon his People If Holiness be so needless 〈◊〉 thing that a Man may come to Heaven well enouâ—â— without it why doth the Spirit strive so long wâ—â— poor Creatures to make them holy Why doth 〈◊〉 still follow them with the earnest Solliciâ—ations of 〈◊〉 Grace notwithstanding their unkind Resistance froâ— one Ordinance and Providence to another Hâ—â— great a work is it to quicken Illuminate and draw 〈◊〉 God a dead blind disaffected Soul and to uphoâ—â— and carry on the work as has been already openeâ— What mighty Power doth the Spirit put forth inâ—â—â— this and dare ye say 't is more than needs Or promâ—â—â— to your selves Salvation without it This would 〈◊〉 not only to tread under Foot the Son of God as have heard under the former head but to do despâ—â—â— unto the Spirit of Grace I wonder not that such Men make a scoff at the Spiritual Worship of God the Lord convert and pâ—â—don them for they know not what they say nor whâ—â— they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 But measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves 〈◊〉 not wise or understand it not 2 Cor. 10.12 Surely in God's account none are look'd upon as 〈◊〉 Worshippers but they who worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to woâ—â— him Joh. 4.23 But that brings me to 4. The Institution of the Gospel-Ministry and
Ordinances is a further Proof of this great Truth 〈◊〉 works by his appointed Means Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God The Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 As also the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.2 And well may it be so called by way of eminency because greater measures of Grace are given under the Gospel-Dispensation than were usual before Now the sacred Office of the Ministry is institured in subserviency to the Influences and Operations of the holy Spirit 'T is he that qualifies Ministers for their work assists them in it and makes it successful to the attainment of its end Moreover the Sum and Substance of that Errand upon which we are sent ye have in the latter end of this Chapter Vers 18 19 20. Namely to tell you that God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself hath committed unto us the word of Reconciliation Now then we are Ambassadours for Christ as tho' God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christ's stead be ye reconciled to God Our business therefore is to treat with Sinners in the Name of God and the Redeemer That we may perswade them to comply with the offers of Free Grace And to edify strengthen and help the Joys of those who have heartily complied Ephes 4.11 12 13. And O how strict a charge is laid upon us That we be instant in Season and out of Season reprove rebuke exhort with all Long-suffering and Doctrine For the time will come when c. we may now say 't is already come 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4. And that we watch for your Souls as they that must give an account Heb. 13.17 and warn you of your danger that your Blood may not he required at our Hand Ezek. 3.18 And who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2.16 Well then if Men may be saved without being wrought for it c. of what use is the ministerial Office Or why are we so strictly charged Moreover the whole Course of Rellgious Duty that is appointed us with that Seriousness and Spirituality therein required doth fully prove the Point we have in hand The holy reverent Worship of God in his Ordinances doth powerfully tend to raise our Souls nearer to him and to make them more like him to heal our spiritual Distempers and to refine and purify all our Faculties and Powers and so to prepare and sit us for the State of Heavenly Perfection Therefore we must not look upon such appointments as if they were only meer arbitrary Injunctions to exact homage from us But tho' Soveraign Authority is to be acknowledged in them we must also consider how infinite Wisdom and Goodness has sured out Work to our End our present Duty to our future Happiness that by the one we might be prepared for the other From whence 't is evident that Holiness is necessary to the Work and Business of our present Life as also to our future Blessedness We can neither serve nor enjoy God here or hereafter without being wrought thereto by his Grace I mention nor the heartless Service of Hypocrites as not being worth taking notice of Hence also ye may learn what ends to propose to your selves in every part of Divine Worship But I proceed 5. None but those who are thus wrought upon have any right to the Heavenly Felicity according to the Tenour of the Gospel-Covenant Unregenerate Persons as such are peremptorily excluded even by the Law of Grace it self Ye cannot produce the least Syllable in Scripture whereupon to ground those hopes of Heaven wherewith such Men are wont to flatter themselves But I can shew you enough to confound and overthrow their wicked Presumptions for ever The Sentence of their Condemnation is legible in almost every Leaf of the Bible yet will they not consider it nor lay it to Heart He that believeth not is condemned already he shall not see Life but the Wrath of God abideth on him Except a Man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God Joh. 3.3 18 36. If ye live after the Flesh shall die without HOLINESS no Man shall see the Lord. These are the true and faithful Sayings of God All this was settled long before thou wert born if thou hast any exceptions against it thou comest too late with them as one says Assure your selves that these sacred Constitutions cannot be disanulled Your Unbelief shall not make the Truth of God of none effect ye will quickly faâ—d whose word shall stand his or yours 〈◊〉 true indeed Pardon and Life are freely offered by the Gospel-grant if thou wilt repent and turn to God throuâ—â— Christ Otherwise it brings upon thee an heavier Coâ—demnâ—tion than thou wert under before John 3.10 a sorer Punishment Heb 10.29 The câ—â—â— speaks it self Thou canst plead no Interest in the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace unless thou come up to the Terms thereof Abused Mercy turns to greater Indignation Therefore it much concerns you to inquire what those Terms are and not to venture your Souls upon Uncertainties Behold the Judg standeth before the Door Jam. 5.9 What is the Chaff to the Wheat saith the Lord Jer. 23.28 Mat. 3.12 6. None but those who are thus wrought upon have the earnest and first Principles of the Heavenly Felicity How then should they have the thing it self Do ye expect the Fruit without the Seed the Perfection of Holiness and Happiness without the Beginnings thereof the Inheritance without the Earnest How can these things be How absurd are such Hopes as these Would ye be perfect Men in Christ without first going through the Infant-State of Christianity That is being converted and becoming as little Children As for the truly Godly they have Eternal Life abiding in them even that saving transforming practical Knowledg of God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent which is the Inchoation thereof But the Ungodly are not so being dead in Trespasses and Sins To be carnally minded is Death They sow to the Flesh what then can they expect reasonably to reap but Corruption Would ye sow one sort of Grain and reap another Know therefore that the holy Spirit of God working in the Souls of Believers sutable Inclinations Heaven-ward and Desires after it that is rational judicious holy Desires doth thereby give them an earnest of it but still remember If any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8 9. 7. The Guilt of Sin which all unregenerate Persons are under stands between them and Heaven I hope ye know that ye are Sinners and that ye must be justified before you can be glorified The weight of Guilt must needs press you down into everlasting Darkness if it be not taken off by pardoning Mercy and Grace And do ye not also know that there is no Pardon without true Repentance And withal that true Repentance is nothing less than the turning of the Soul from
the Judgment their Practice gives the Lie to their Profession They say and do not or they say one thing and do the quite contrary They are like the troubled Sea when it cannot rest whose Waters cast up Mire and Dire Isa 57.20 The Body which was made to be a Servant is become their Ruler and this is one of those things which the Earth cannot bear Prov. 30.21 22. A thing greatly to be lamented Lam. 5.8 From hence it is that these Convulsions and Disorders do proceed Professing to be Wise they are become Fools and that more especially as to those things wherein they are most concerned to have their VVits about them Wise to do Evil but to do Good they have no Knowledg Tit. 1.16 They profess that they know God but in Works they deny him being abominable disobedient and unto every good work reprobate With their Mouths they shew much Love but their Hearts go out after their Idols They would be happy but cannot endure the thoughts of that which alone can make them so They enquire the way to Zion but set their Faces quite contrary They pretend to believe the Evil and Danger of Sin but will not be perswaded to leave it They oft complain of the Vanity of this VVorld and of the Crosses and Disappointments they met with in it but will not be prevailed with to set their Hearts upon a better Yea many of them are sondest of these present Enjoyments when they grow old and cannot but know that they must quickly leave them Yea some of thein hate and revile others for living in some measure up to the Rules of that Religion which they themselves profess The time would fail me to mention the thousandth part of that Nonsense whereof they are continually guilty So besotted a thing is a carnal Heart As if their Lusts had not only bereaved them of all due Sense of Religion but of their Wits too both together Thus the Case stands with unregenerate Persons till the Grace of God rectify these disorders and bring their Souls into a better Frame And O how great a work is this See what the Apostle speaks of it Ephes 1.19 And what is the exceeding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 transcendant Hyperbolical greatness of his Power to us ward who believe according to the working Energy of his Mighty Power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Might of his Power c. Therefore Sirs lay the Ax to the Root of the Tree consider thorowly and bewail deeply your original Corruption Pray hard for renewing Grace it will signify little for you to empty some of the Streams while the Fountain is disregarded which will fill up all again Corruption lies deep in you and will take a great deal of pains to master it and root it out nor can ye expect that God will do it without the concurrence of your own Endeavours with and under his Grace Phil. 2.12 13. Infer 4. Learn also from hence the Weakness Wickedness or both of those Persons who go about to deny or obscure the Doctrine of special Grace Their Weakness I say in disowning a thing so manifest both by Scripture and Experience Their Wickedness in attempting to rob God of the Glory which is due to him on this account They cry up the natural Freedom of Man's Will but consider not its moral Impotency or Indisposition to that which is God it's cursed Aversion from God and Holiness which will never be overcome but by the Power of Free Grace I know indeed that if Men were truly willing then the work were done and therefore the Obstinacy of their Wills makes them inexcusable John 5.40 Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life But I also know that if ever they be made willing it must be in the Day of God's Power Psal 110.3 No Man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him That is their Wills are so corrupt that they cannot find in their Hearts to renounce their Lusts and give up themselves to the obedience of the Gospel They affect a distance from God care not for coming near him They are dead in Trespasses and Sins Tho still they have natural Faculties intellective and elective Powers else we might as well preach to Walls as Men yet when all 's done 't is Grace that must sanctify and heal these Faculties and determine them God-ward or else they are lost for ever That some are thus wrought upon is plain Matter of Fact ye need go no further then the Text for Proof thereof And 't is as plain that others are left under the Power of their own willful Enmity and Alienation from God In short that any are sanctified and saved is to be ascribed to special Grace that the rest perish is their own doing not strictly and properly because they could not but because they would not do otherwise The Destruction which falls upon them is of their own chusing in that they will not be perswaded to forsake the way that leads to it Prov. 8.36 He that sinneth against me wrongeth his own Soul All they that hate me love Death The Law of Grace is establish'd ordered in all things and sure The Terms of Salvation are unalterably settled and God will judg Men accordingly without respect of Persons and so shall the Sentence of Judgment be executed too Moreover God gives unto all Men such degrees of Grace and Help as is meet for him to give and more by far than they duly improve And if they would rightly use what they have so far as they are able they have great encouragement to expect more therefore his proceedings with them for their willful Neglects are beyond all just exception Again if over and above all this he give to some Persons as 't is certain he doth yet greater Proportions of Grace even so much as shall effectually work upon them and fit them for Heaven who can say unto him what dost thou May he not do what he will with his own Is there any Injustice in all this What say ye Are not some Persons saved Are they not saved by Grace Is not this Grace the Gift of God Doth God give it in time and did he not decree to give it from Eternity Where then are your Cavils against Election and special Grace Surely you will not deny but that Multitudes perish by their own wilful final Impenitency through the Righteous Judgment of God because they hated him and would not that he should reign over them Infer 5. Lastly Ye may learn from hence how exceeding dangerous it is to resist and quench the Spirit of Grace Ye have heard it fully proved that there is a great work which must be done upon your Souls or ye are undone for ever And dare ye neglect the offered Help of the Spirit Do ye not yet know that by a commoner sort of Grace he usually prepares Men for special Grace And can ye expect the latter while ye despise or
too strict for them they had itching Ears Isa 30.10 Speak unto us smooth things But their Righteous Judg will not flatter them The Flames of Hell will confute their Folly Lo this is the Portion of them who forget God thus shall their hopes fall and rise no more So dangerous are their Presumptions to themselves 2. They are also dangerous to others who froâ— hence take encouragement to cherish the like groundless Hopes Thus they mutually harden one another against God as if they had made a Covenant with Death and an Agreement with Hell For they have made Lies their Refuge and under Falshood have they hid themselves Isa 28.15 As Noise and Company puts greater Boldness into Armies than there is in single Person alone so is it here As if God would spare them because of their Multitudes tho his Holiness Truth and Justice are engaged to the contrary How should such Men prosper Job 9.4 Why say they we take no greater liberty nor hope better for our selves that our Neighbours do What shall none be saved but a few strict precise Persons who pretend to greater Holiness and Diligence than all about them God forbid Thus they go on But stay a little and consider the matter as you go If ye be in the wrong it is not your following a Multitude therein that will serve to excuse you Have ye never read that Christ expects his Disciples should do more than others Mat. 5.47 And that he hath chosen them out of the World and therefore they are not of it nor must be conformed to it Know therefore that those very Persons who are most earnest and diligent in the way to Heaven are withal most sensible in how many things they fall short of their Duty and least prone to flatter themselves with presumptuous Hopes And are ye they that shall escape in your â—gross Negligence and vain Confidence No such matter 〈◊〉 Fourthly and Lastly It is very unnatural thus to sooth up your selves with vain Hopes The Principle of Self preservation is most deeply implanted in human Nature and accordingly is wont to take place in all other Cases but this where yet there is most need of it If your Lives Liberties Estates Reputations c. were in danger how thankful would ye be to any that would warn you of that Danger and help you to avoid it But while your Souls are exposed to the utmost hazard ye cannot endure to be told the truth of the case They hate him that reproveth in the Gate And thus they play about the sides of the Pit and so drop in one after another without so much as thinking seriously whither they are going as Flies about the Flame of a Candle till it catch hold upon them O more than brutish Stupidity Is it not enough that Satan will do his worst to deceive you but must ye also favour the Deceit and take part with your Enemy against your selves While your Friends stand by and pitty you but cannot help you because ye are resolved to have your own way Were not your Understandings made to enquire after Truth Is it not natural to them so to do Why then do ye keep them in an affected Ignorance of those things for which they were principally given you And all this while the Light shines round about you tho ye close your Eyes against it and that in a matter of everlasting consequence even the One thing needful It is not necessary that you be richer or greater in the World more honoured or respected by others or that ye fare more deliciously than your Neighbours But 't is highly necessary that your Peace be made with God through Christ and the Diseases of your Souls healed by the Grace of the Spirit or else you are ruined for ever to all Intents and Purposes How unnatural a thing is it to lay out your selves so earnestly in providing for the Flesh while the better part even the immortal Soul is betrayed starved and undone Have ye not been told already that your foolish Presumptions cannot be supported except the very nature of things be overturned Because Holiness is essentially included in the true Happiness of the rational Creature And therefore to expect the one without the other is to separate a thing from it self As if a Man should put out his own Eyes that he might see more clearly Would not this be very natural think ye Ye see then how vain sinful dangerous and unnâ—tural it is thus to abuse your selves I have considered these Particulars distinctly tho indeed they cannot really be divided being most intimately connected together and involved one in the Nature of another for Vanity in a reasonable Creature is sinful If idle Words must be accounted for to be sure idle Hopes will not pass free Again that which is sinful must needs be dangerous nor doth any thing else deserve to be called dangerous but Sin for 't is this that puts a Sting into all Dangers whatsoever But he that walks uprightly walks surely And then again to run wilfully upon so much Vanity Sin and Danger is certainly unnatural if Self-Destruction deserve to be so called And so it appears how greatly those Persons are to be reproved who thus cheat and impose upon themselves Object But some will be ready enough to say That this is strange kind of Doctrine and that it is like 1. To drive Men to Despair And so 2. to distract them And then at last 3. to break their Hearts To which I answer Answ It may perhaps be strange to you and so much the more is the pity that ye should be no better acquainted with your Bibles But 't is not the less true for all that As for the rest of the Objection 1. Ye ought not to despair of finding Mercy with God through Christ upon Gospel-Terms The infinite Goodness of God and the sufficiency of Christ's Satisfaction are not to be doubted of as great Sinners as you have been pardoned And many also have perish'd who never sinned at the rate that ye have done Take that along with you as the former Consideration may keep you from sinful Despair let the latter keep you from Presumption Let me therefore tell you withal that you ought to despair of being saved in any other way but what God had appointed He is merciful indeed but he is also just and true Except ye repent ye shall perish The wicked shall be turned into Hell If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die c. Do not think that God will falsify his Word to justify your Presumptions Will ye slight his Mercy and then complain of him as unmerciful As to the 2d Have not such Persons the plain Symptoms of Distraction upon them already Are they not laying violent Hands upon themselves How can they be madder than they are and yet they must not be told of it for fear of distracting or disturbing them That is we must not use our Endeavours to bring them
To these I would say If as ye profess ye truly love God whence is that ye think no more of him And that ye speak no more of him And delight no more in converse with him Are no more concerned when he is dishonoured Nor grieved for your own Sins and the Sins of others against him How comes it to pass that so many Religious Duties are wholly neglected by you And others so miserably trifled in and slubber'd over Whence is it that your Lusts are so much indulged and that ye keep in league with his Enemies c. Is this the Love ye speak of It might well become you to know your selves better Thus much for the Use of Examination CHAP. XI The Exhortation in several Branches 1. To those who are not yet wrought for Heaven directing them what Methods to take in order to their Conversion IT may justly be expected that the Issue of the fore-going Examination will be various according to the different State or Circumstances of the Persons who shall think it worth their while to concern them selves seriously therein 1. 'T is not uncharitable to suppose that some may find great reason to conclude that this renewing Change has not yet passed upon them a sad Conclusion God knows but necessary to be made where 't is true O happy Congregation indeed if this were an unreasonable Supposition happy I say if all among you were thus wrought for Heaven 2. 'T is likely there may be others not altogether without hopes that this great Change is wrought upon them nor yet without Fears of the contrary but full of Doubt and Hesitations about it 3. And surely there are some among you who through Grace are able comfortably to conclude that they are indeed passed from Death to Life whose Hopes do quiâ—e overrop their Fears in his Matter Now that which I would endeavour through God's Assistance is to speak a word in season to all these in order To the first sort with deep concern for them trembling over them travelling in biâ—th with them till Christ be formed in them Help Lord To the second with a due Mixture of Tenderness and Judgment Compassion and Discretion To the third with humble Thankfulness and an Heart enlarged in Love to God and our Redeemer that our Joy may be full All this I say I would do but of my self can do nothing O for more Faith in the blessed Spirit of our glorified Head And now I proceed to the Exhortation 1. To those who are yet in an unregenerate State Come come bestir your selves what have ye been doing all this while what are ye dreaming of It is high time to awake out of sleep and to hasten your escape from the Wrath to come while there is yet Hope Little know ye but your Glass may be almost run and yet alas your great Work is undone Let me say to you as Gen. 19.17 Escape for your Lives look not behind you lest ye be consumed If therefore ye would be converted and saved let me also press upon you the following Directions O Lord my God I beseech thee send me good speed this day and grant that the strong holds of Satan may be broken and the Interest of thy Son my Lord be advanced and that the Kingdom of Glory may be hastened Lord remember the Requests tho too few and cold that have been put up to Heaven both in publick and in secret on this behalf and give a gracious Answer Even so Amen Direct 1. Set your selves in good earnest to the serious Consideration of your Spiritual Concerns Exercise your most sober deliberate Thoughts about them Ye wiâ—l find one Day that it would have been better for you not to have had Reason than not to use it about the Interests of your Souls Better I say that ye had filled up the room of the meanest Guâ—t Worm or Mole in the Creation than of Men if ye do not improve â—nd use your noblest Faculties â—o their proper Ends. Ye can think naturally and easily early and late with much earnestness and constancy about other Matâ—ers how to buy and sell and get Gain and other such important Trifles â—pardon the Contradiction for 't is of your own making But lâ—t me ask you have ye no thoughts to spare about your Eternal Concerns where ye must dwell for ever what shall become of your immortal Souls when they must abide in Flesh no longer Do not these things deserve to be thought of What do ye think your Reason was given you for Can ye expect to be sanâ—tified and saved without any Endeavours of your own in order thereto Or is it likely your Endeavours should be to any purpose unless your Minds be first awakened to proceed rationally in the Matter To ask your selves what ye are Whence ye came Where ye are placed Whither ye are going What ye have to â—o Try to answer these things to your selves I must not stay to enlarge upon them Do not expect to become Religious by chance it must be by choice through Grace or not at all And is it likely that the Will should act blindly in the Case or chuse the Ways of God before the Understanding be convinced of the Worth and Excellency of them And what Conviction without Consideration I thought I had told you before that God works upon Men as rational Creatures upon the Will by the Mediation of the Understanding But 't is the design of Satan to keep you asleep in carnal Security to find your Thoughts other employment that he may divert you from considering these things for which your Reason was principally given you And are ye willing thus to be led blindfold to Hell Lord open their Eves that they may see O think how ye will ever be able to answer it to God or your own Consciences that ye have been so stupidly inconsiderate as to the things of your everlasting Peace All Wickedness may be resolved into Inconsiderateness Isa 1.3 4. My People doth not consider Ah sinful Nation a People laden with Iniquity Well then Sirs if ye think your Souls worth so much Labour I would offer to you some Particulars to be considered in the following order 1. Consider well how sinful and miserable an unregenerate State is As for the sinfulness of it It is a State of Hostility against Heaven In Scripture account all unregenerate Men are Enemies to God yea Enmity it self Rom. 8.7 Col. 1.21 They are said to contemn him despise him and to cast him behind their back They kick against him they hate and abhor him Zeâ—h 11.8 My Soul loathed them and their Soul also abhorred me Is not this think you a sinful State indeed And is it not in some respect so much the worse in that they profess or pretend to the contrary With their Mouth they shew much Love but in reality they do alienate themselves from him who has the most full and absolute propriety in them They rebel against their most
Righteous Governour and ungratefully abuse the Riches of his Mercy and Goodness They tread under-foot the Son of God and will not that he should reign over them and therefore are justly accounted Enemies and must expect to be treated accordingly Luk. 19.27 But those mine Enemies which would not that I should reign over them bring hither and slay them before me They do despite unto the Spirit of Grace Heb. 10.29 And in all this they prefidiously break their baptismal Covenant wherein they were solemnly devoted to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost And withal they wilfully destroy themselves and wrong their own Souls But that brings me to the other Consideration An unregenerate State is a miserable State How should it he otherwise Can a Man harden himself against God and prosper No no Such Persons are under the Wrath and Indignation of the Almighty an Abomination to him he is of purer Eyes than to behold them His holy Law is armed with most dreadful Curses and Threatnings against them God shall wound the Head of his Enemies and the hairy Scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his Trespasses Psal 68.21 They are Slaves of Satan led Captive by him at his Will who employs them in treasuring up unto themselves Wrath against the Day of Wrath Even the Offers of Gospel-Grace which are daily made to them as they aggravate their Sin will also make their Condemnation heavier Thus that which was designed for their Good becomes the savour of Death unto Death unto them What shall I say They are Heirs of Hell condemned already in Point of Law tho Judgment has not yet passed the final Sentence They are not sure of being spared an hour longer One would think this should make them ill at ease till the Affairs of their Souls be in a better posture 'T is wonderful to think what shift they make to avoid the Anticipations of Hell in their own Breasts Put all this together and then tell me whether it be not a miserable State Psal 50.22 Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tare you in pieces and there be none to deliver 2. Think next what great things God himself has done in order to your deliverance from this sinful miserable State Tho your Transâ—ressions be many and heinous he has provided a Ransom for you the Blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all Sin Tho your Natures be exceedingly corrupted his Holy Spirit is able and ready to help and heal you if ye do not willfully resist and grieve him Prov. 1.23 Turn ye â—t my Reproof behold I will pouâ— out my Spirit unto you Tho your spiritual Enemies â—e strong â—ubâ—â—â— and maâ—â—gnant they cannot destroy you unless ye oâ—stinately side with them The Standing Office of the Minisâ—â—y is appointed to treat with you in order to your Reconciliation and Peace with Gâ—d 2 Cor. 5.20 Notwithstanding all the Affronts ye have done to the â—iviâ—e Patiencâ— God still waits to be gracious to you Tho ye little deserve â—o be thus treated 't is yet put to your choice that ye may be happy if â—e will be holy A Throne of Grace is ereâ—â—ed for your encouâ—â—â—â—ment God hath swoâ—n by himself that he delâ—gâ—â—s noâ—â—n your Ruin and Destruction buâ—â—â—â—her that ye should repeâ—t and live He condescends in a way of â—â—â—creâ— and Forgiveness to reason the Case with you Turn 〈◊〉 turn ye why will ye die Cease to dâ— evil â—â—â—â—n to 〈◊〉 well Come now and let 〈◊〉 reason together saith the Lord tho your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Sâ—â—w tho they be red like Crimson they shall be as Wool Isa 1.16 17 18. In a word Matters are brought so far in order to your Recovery that nothing but your own Wilfulness and final Impenitency can be your ruin 3. And now consider what it is that God expects from you in compliance with the Methods of his Grace viz. That from a deep sense of your past Folly and a belleving Apprehension of his Mercy and Goodness in Christ ye do sincerely turn unto him through this great Mediator and then all 's your own Are not these Terms highly reasonable Are they not full of rich Grace and Benignity Can ye imagin that Divine Mercy should stoop lower Would ye be saved from Wrath while ye resolve to persist in your Enmity against God What then would become of his Holiness and Purity of his Truth his Government his inflexiâ—le Justice and Righteousness Would ye have an Interest in Christ while ye wilfully reject him Would ye be saved by his Blood without being sanctified by his Spirit and governed by his Law Or would ye have the Graces and Comforts of the Holy-Ghost while ye are still quenching and resisting his Influences In short can ye tell what ye would have Think well of it and ye will find either that you Desires are utterly immodest and unreasonable or eâ—se that he is ready to grant them 4. Consider also how many Millions are got safe to Heaven who were once at as great a distance from it as you The Saints now in Glory were by nature Children of Wrath as well as others besides the Guilt of many actual Transgressions How long did many of them stand it out against the Calls of Divine Grace as ye have done but at last they yeilded and so escaped Methinks this Consideration should animate and encourage you yea and even enflame you with a generous Ambition oâ— attaining the same Happiness Have so many poor Sinner found Mercy why then stand ye looking one upon another as if ye could not find your hands Are ye content to pine away in your Iniquities Oâ— up and be doing and the Lord in great Mercy be with you 5. Consider how little the World or Flesh signify to counter ballance the ruin of your immortal Souls What would it profit a Man if he should gain the whole World c. Ye are grosly ignorant of the nature and capacities of your own Souls if ye think that terrene or sensual Delights and Enjoyments will satisfy them Isa 55.2 c. What tho the Flesh should be abundantly provided for and fair deliciously every day ye will still find something within you that is not filled And so in the fulness of your sufficiency ye will be in straits Job 20.22 And besides Creature-enjoyments are uncertain as well as insufficient They may be taken from you ye must be taken from them Will it be any Relief to your miserable Souls in another World to remember the fleshly Prosperity and Ease ye had in this Will your Possessions Spâ—rt and Jollity follow you into Eternity Or will not the remembrance of them rather cut you to the very Heart When being doom'd to everlasting disconsolate Darkness ye shall not be able to forget how foolishly ye destroy'd your selves for meer Trifles O consider this and do not hazzard your Souls for a thing of nought How fast are ye posting continually
give me more Is not the case quite contrary I have called and ye have refused I have siretched out my Hand and no Man regarded c. Prov. 1.24 What got he slothâ—ul Servant by saying I knew thee that thou art an hard Man Mat. 25 24. Did this excuse him for hiding his Lord's Money tho but one Talent in the Earth Let me make the Matter yet plainer by a familiar Comparison Suppose some great Prince or Nobleman famous for Bounty and Kindness to the distressed who beholding a forlorn helpless Creature miserable wretched poor and blind and naked and taking compassion on him should say to him Friend come to my Door I have fully supplied the Wants of many whose Circumstances were as bad as thine and I delight so to do Now tho in all this here be not a full direct Promise made to this poor Wretch yet would ye not take him for a mad Man who should make light of such an Intimation and Encouragement Poor Sinner thou art the Man so the Case stands between Christ and thee And because thou art blind he appoints his Servants to lead thee to him and this is the Errand upon which I am come this day do not say but that help was offered thee 8. Consider how little all that ever ye have done in Matters of Religion will avail you if ye go not through with the Work If ye be but almost perswaded to be Christians ye will be but almost sayed It may be ye expect great Matters from your frequent customary Attendance upon Gospel-Ordinances and your making a more strict Profession of Religion than many others do But O remember The Kingdom of God is not is Word but in Power 1 Cor. 4.20 Many will say in the great Day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thâ— Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils Mat. 7.22 which are greater things than ye can pretend to Yet will he profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye that work Iniquity Vers 23. The foolish Virgins had Lamps of Profession Mat. 25. but perished for want of Oil viz. true Grace In short aâ— that ever ye have done in the Service of God will prove but lost labour as to any saving Benefit except your Hearts be effectually wrought upon and turned to God as has been fully opened and proved already O consider this well have ye done and some of you suffered to many things in vain if it be yet in vain Gal 3 4. Yea hath so much labour been bestowed upon you in vain Chap. 4.11 So much Grace received in vain 2 Coâ— 6.1 O how bitter will the remembrance of these thing be one Day How will it pierce you to the very Heart to think alas is all my Profession Prayers Hearing c. come to this Namely the Hypocrites Reward It had been well for me that I had never known the way of Righteousness rather than to have rested thus in an outward shew of Religion Alas that I should be brought so nigh the Kingdom of God and yet fall short forever of it 9. Consider how long the Divine Patience hath born with you already Where had ye been before this Day but that ye have had to do with a God who is merciful and gracious and long-suffering How easily could he long since have taken your guilty Souls out of your Bodies and sent them into a place where the Evil of Sin and Danger of delaying Repentance are better known How have ye despised the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering Even that Goodness which leads you to Repentance Rom. 2.4 How many Instances have ye had of the Divine Benignity and Compassion towards you And yet how little Effect has all had upon you Line upon Line Precept upon Precept here a little and there a little and yet all has not prevailed with you to repent and turn to God Are ye not ashamed do ye not blush to think of your vile Ingratitude and Disingenuity towards him Do ye not tremble to consider what the Consequence of such Obstinacy is like to be Do ye imagin that the Spirit of God will always strive with the wilful Despisers of his Grace O remember lento gradu ad vindictam procedie ita divina c. Divine Wrath proceeds slowly to Vengeance but will compensate that slowness with the weight of it when it comes Laesa patientia fit furor As the Gospel-Dispensation is most spiritual so spiritual Judgments are more common to those who trifle under it than perhaps most Men consider But I proceed Direct 2. Follow on these Considerations till sutable Convictions arise from them and your Hearts be sensibly affected with them Think not that some general slighty superficial Thoughts about these things will serve the turn No no they are Matters of greater consequence than so they nearly concern you and therefore must be laid to Heart Urge them home upon your own Spirits apply them close they have a Work to do not only upon your Vnderstandings but upon your Wills Hearts and Affections It is not enough that ye acknowledg these things to be true but ye must press the Matter further if they be Truths they are weighty Truths indeed O labour to feel the weight of them that they may go to the quick apply them strictly and warmly to your own Souls It is says one a great part of a Christian's Skill and Duty to be a good Preacher to himself There is more in this than most Christians are aware of or use to practise this is a lawful and a gainful way of Preaching No Body here can make question of thy Call nor deny thee a Licence nor silence thee if thou silence not thy self Imitate the most powerful Preacher and plead with thy own Soul as he is wont to do with his Hearers Mr. Baxter Tho such Considerations may wound pierce or gall you for the present 't is so much the better ye must be wounded that ye may be healed ye must be broken that ye may be bound up The truth is ye have wounded your selves already and so much the worse by how much ye are less sensible of it your putrified Ulcers must be search'd to the bottom if ever ye expect a thorow Cure Your sluggish Hearts must be awakened to purpose ye have slept too long O labour to be deeply convinced of your past folly till ye groan under the weight of that Guilt which ye have contracted Remember ye are ruined to all Intents and Purposes if your Guilt be not removed and therefore your present Case is not to be rested in There is yet hope for you but no time to trifle in Therefore Direct 3. 'T is highly necessary that ye now come to some besitting Resolution in the case In general that ye resolve to do your utmost to put your spiritual Concerns into a better posture And that henceforth ye will strive earnestly to enter in at the strait Gate And
enquire What shall I do to be saved than How shall I know that I shall be saved And indeed this is the most likely way to get assurance or however such necessary support as may keep you from sinking It is one thing to have Grace another thing to know that ye have The former is absolutely necessary to Salvation the latter is not so Moreover Little things are not easily discerned a little Faith Love Repentance c. tho sincere are not so soon discovered Therefore I say again take pains with your own Hearts to bring them nearer to Christ labour to be carried out towards him with a more full bent and resolution of Soul even such as may clearly turn the Scale for him against all other Interests whatsoever and this is the most dutiful safe and ready way to know that you are sincere Strong Grace will speak for it self Children and weak Persons are apt to be peevish and full of Complaints but with those that are more healthy and vigorous it is not so Well then either you are now willing to comply with the Offers of the Gospel or not if not 't is a sign you are yet in your Sins and that this great Change has not yet passed upon you But if you be willing know that the Law of Grace is as much in force as ever and therefore 't is both your Duty and Interest to give up your selves to Christ as tho you never had done it before And this is the true way to revive and discover any Sparks of Grace in you which at present lie hid under many Doubts and Discouragements Cast your selves at the Feet of Christ open your Case to him Lord I have a treacherous deceitful Heart I know not how to trust it I dare not say that I have as yet heartily accepted of thee as thou art offered in the Gospel but since thou art still pleased to renew the Offer Lord I desire from the botrom of my Soul to do it now O do thou keep this in the imagination of the Thoughts of my Heart and prepare my Heart into thee 1 Chron. 29.18 Direct 5. Let not the Sense of your present Wants nor the Fears you are under make you forget or undervalue the Mercies which you have received What tho you have not the special Comforts of Assurance Have you therefore nothing to blest God for Has he not in some measure awakened you from the gross and brutish Stupidity of a carnal unregenerate State And made you sollicitous about your spiritual and eternal Concerns Has he not followed you with the Offers of his Grace and the Strivings of his Spirit from one Ordinance and Providence to another Has he not given you some tendencies of Soul towards him some Desires after him some Breathings and Longings for an Interest in him Doth he not still wait to be further gracious to you Are not the Arms of his Love and Grace stretched forth towards you and ready to embrace you Doth he not offer to take you by the Hand and reach you to go What say you to all this Is there no Tribuâ—e of Thankfulness due for so much Kindness Do you think he will take it well at your Hands that so great Favours should be extenuated and made nothing of by you As if he had been a Wilderness or a Land of Darkness to you Jer. 2.31 How can you entertain hard Thoughts of so good a God! How can you affect estrangedness from him any longer Is ingratitude for what you have received the way to get more or rather to forfeit what you have already Do ye not know that to be much in thankfulness would familiarize and sweeten the Thoughts of God to you and should not ingenuity it self teach you to acknowledg his Favours VVould not this mightily tend to drive away that Darkness Fear and bitterness of Spirit whereof you are still complaining Surely the nearer you get to God in the exercise of Love and Praise the more your Clouds and Doubts will vanish the remembrance of Mercy and Kindness received is in its own Nature pleasant and refreshing to the Soul And the more you own him the more Light and Comfort you may expect from him What tho you have not all that you could wish 'T is certain you have much more than you deserve yea contrary to your ill-deservings Therefore I say thank God heartily for what you have received and do not forget his Benefits Direct 6. Observe well whether your own Safety and Comfort be not too eagerly look'd at in your Desires after Assurance while in the mean time any Glory which may redound to God thereby is but coldly or not at all regarded It much concerns you that your ends and aims be rightly ordered and settled in this Matter Carnal self too oft intrudes into and so corrupts our Desires even after spiritual things VVatch your Hearts narrowly here 't is ten to one but you find them very faulty Our own VVelfare and Peace may indeed be aimed at but in full Subordination to the Divine Glory VVhat is the interest of a VVorm to the honour and interest of the great God How can you expect to prosper while Self is so much look'd at and God so little Know ye not that even your Souls themselves and all their Hopes and Comforts must be entirely submitted to his all-comprehending Interest VVell then let me ask you what is it that makes you so desirous after Assurance Is it only that you may be more safe or that you may be more serviceable That your Minds may be more quiet or that you may with more Heart and Vigour lay out your selves for God in-Praise Thankfulness and Obedience If it be the Honour of God that you design in it know that he is glorified by the Humility Self-resignedness Patience and Constancy of his Servants even when they are under great Doubts and Fears and this he expects from you as most sutable to your present Circumstances You must not expect all plain way God is wont to make Men feel the bitterness of their former Disobedience and to lay them low in Self-abhorrence before he build them high in Comfort and Assurance He delights in glorifying his Grace and Power by supporting his People under their Fears and Conflicts as well as in refreshing them with the Joys and Comforts of his holy Spirit And are ye not willing to submit to his Methods Here 's carnal Self with a witness VVhat may he not do what he will with his own Remember the Disciples in Christ's School are not all of one standing it is enough that all the Sincere are in safe Hands Labour therefore rather to be sincere than to know that you are so Direct 7. Lay not too great a Stress upon the stirrings of Affections and the passionate feeling thereof in religious Exercises These are no sure Marks to judg of your State by Because they ebb and flow variously according to the Temper and Disposition
of our natural animal Spirits Tho lively Affections in Duty are very desirable and should be endeavoured after yet in trying our spiritual Estate the inward deep rational workings of our Souls towards God are mainly to be look'd at viz. a fixed and high estimation of him above all in our Understandings and hearty Resolution for him and cleaving to him in our Wills with correspondent Endeavours to please him and be accepted of him through the whole course of our Lives In these things it is that the Life of Grace and Duty doth consist Those are the holiest Souls who are inwardly and deeply most inclined towards God resolved for him and sollicitous to please him Not those who have the most transporting Passions or moveable Affections The sacred Recesses of the Mind as I may allude to that of the Poet Persius Satyr 2d are more inward the affectionate Part comes more into view God is not an object of Sense and therefore more fit for the Understanding and Will than the Passions to work upon The grand Essentials of Holiness are more deep and steady passionate strivings of Affection make a greater noise but are nothing near so valuable Besides weak Judgments and strong Passions oft go together The wisest and weightiest Persons are usually most sedate and composed Direct 8. Remember that God often makes the fullest discoveries of his Love to his People when they are engaged in the most difficult Self-denying Parts of Duty and Obedience It would be endless to tell you of the transporting Joys which many of the martyrs have found in their sharpest Sufferings When all Men have forsaken them God hath stood by them and comforted them He hath visited them in their Prisons and enlarged their Souls with spiritual Refreshments when their Bodies have been under confinement He hath enabled them to triumph in the very Flames and to baffle their Enemies by their Patience Magnanimity and Chearfulness in Suffering Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks Stephen had Heaven opened to him when his Enemies were raging against him The three Children in the fiery Furnace have one walking with them like the Son of God 'T is true indeed we are not to run upon Sufferings till God call us thereto but if it please him so to do we ought thankfully to accept of such a Call as a Prize put into our Hands for the exercise of our Graces and the advancement of our Comforts But on the other Hand if you be for taking up with a cheap and easy Religion and excusing your selves from the more difficult self-denying Parts of Duty it is a sign your Graces are but weak at best and therefore your Comforts are not like to be strong Would you sow sparingly and reap plentifully How can you expect full Assurance-of the Love of God while you care not how little you lay out your selves for him And what tho you are not called to the fiery Trial Yet if you will but set your selves earnestly to the frequent diligent spiritual Exercise of religious Duties to the mortificaiton of your beloved Lusts and to the doing of all the good you can in the several places wherein you stand you will certainly find Difficulties enow to exercise your Graces and to make way for your greater Comforts because the Flesh will draw back from such work as this the World is at hand ready to entangle you Satan will do his worst to hinder you and so will all his Instruments Accustom your selves to self-denying Obedience and in so doing you may expect the Comforts of the Holy Spirit Direct 9. Understand aright the ordinary Methods which the Spirit takes in comforting the Souls of Believers lest you abuse your selves by expecting what is unusual or extraordinary 'T is certain that none have a Right to the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace but those who comply with the Terms of that Covenant Nor can any have the Comforts of Assurance who do not know that they have so complied Now 't is the Spirit that enables us to assent to the Truth of the Gospel and particularly to the Truth of the Promises that are made to sincere Believers And it is he that inclines our Hearts by his Grace to accept of the Benefits offered and to perform the Duties required that is truly to repent of our Sins and to give up our selves to God in Christ And when we have so done our Case is safe But in order to the comfort of Assurance 't is further requisite to discern our own sincerity in this Covenant-closure and from thence to conclude that we are in a justified State and have a Right to the heavenly Felicity Now here we stand in need of further help from the Spirit that we may be enabled to discern the Grace which he has wrought in us and so to draw that comfortable Conclusion viz. that we are passed from Death to Life Thus you see the Spirit comforteth Believers and gives them Assurance of Salvation in a rational way by helping them to discover the Evidences of their Sincerity And it is foolish Presumption to expect Assurance any other way as if the Spirit would enable Men to rejoice in they know not what or to conclude they shall be saved they know not why We must be able to give a reason of the Hope that is in us 1 Pet. 3.15 So doth the Apostle here in the words of the Text. O do not deceive your selves by expecting enthusiastical Impulses irrational Raptures inward Voices to tell you that you are the Children of God But rather endeavour to get such a Frame and Disposition of Soul as becomes his Children and thence to conclude that you are such The sanctifying operations of the Spirit in Believers are the Witness or Evidence of their Adopuon Take care also that you deceive not your selves by expecting such Raptures of Joy as are extraordinary all are not fit for such degrees of Comfort nor would know how to manage themselves if they had it But if you have so much as tolerably supports your Spirits and keeps them from sinking bless God and be humble And have a care of Peevishness or Imparience Direct 10. Distinguish carefully between your State in the main and the more remote Accidents or Circumstances wherewith it may be attended Between what 's necessary to the Being of a sincere Christian as such and what 's further requisite to his Well-being Growth and Comfort Or if you will between foundation and building work If these things be confounded it is scarce possible you should have any settled peace and quiet in your Souls Those who have truly consented to the Covenant of Grace that is whose Hearts and Lives are in the main for God Christ Holiness and Heaven such I say are in a justified State â—â—d have a Right to eternal Life But then it must be remembred that even such Persons themselves are oft guilty of great Defects and Intermissions in the exercise of Grace and in
not our own selves but in him and for him Then will the rich and mighty Sense of those glorious words be felt and therefore understood 1 Joh. 4.16 God is LOVE and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Then shall we be filled with all the Fulness of God Eph. 3.19 The more we love him the more we shall enjoy him This holy Love is the end of Vision and therefore rather to be called Beatifick than it The Acts of the Understanding are in order to those of the Will and the Divine Glory in the compleat Blessedness of his Holy Ones the End of both 'T is the Saying of a great Divine Mr. Baxter You are deceived if you think that any one Notion speaketh more to you of Heaven and of your ultimate End than the LOVE of GOD. Then will the weary Soul be at rest and never more disturbed with fruitless Desires and Endeavours after things which cannot profit It hath now found its Center no more of broken Cisterns 't is got to the Fountain of living Waters It can now say I am at ease I have enough I have all If all Love have or rather is Complacency and Delight in the very nature of it as St. Augustine and many others after him observe O how pleasant wilâ— it be perfectly to love so perfect so glorious an Object The God of Love fit us for it The more we love him the nearer are we to Heaven Be sure you remember that or else I lose my labour ye your Souls As for the vital Power of the Soul that acteâ—â— both in the workings of the Understanding and Wiâ—â— and makes them lively and vigorous and will be eveâ— ready to yield obedience to the Divine Pleasure everâ— thing of Duty will be con-natural to it 2. The perfected Soul shall receive everlasting Influences and Communications from God It s most enlaâ—ged Capacities shall be compleatly filled As in the first formation of the new Creature we are first actâ—â— by the Grace and Power of God and then act toward him and by so acting are fitted to receive more from him so will it be when we come to Heaven The glorious perfected Soul is a Creature still and therefore holds its ALL in full dependence upon its God it offers nothing to him but what it hath first receive from him He is the Alpha and Omega the Beginniâ—â— and the End the First and the Last the Fountain 〈◊〉 that Blessed LIFE by which it lives In his LIGHâ— it sees Light and by the continual effusions of hâ—â— LOVE shed abroad upon it 't is constrained to loâ—â— him His mighty Hand enables it to bear this weighâ— of Glory the Light wherein it rejoyceth is that of hâ—â— Countenance and his attractive Love determines it 〈◊〉 himself It owns him in all and is ever wrapt up 〈◊〉 the highest admiration of condescending Goodness 'T is more sensible than ever of its own nothingness as it is that God is All in All. As Heaven is a State of the highest Advancement so it is of the deepest Humility The nearer they are to God says one the more apprehensive of their distance For as the same Reverend Person Mr. Howe observes elsewhere the distance even of a glorified Creature from the Glorious God is still infinitely greater than between it and the silliest Worm the minutest Atom of Dust Hence we find that even the Seraphims veil their Faces before the infinite Majesty Isa 6.2 The Four and Twenty Elders fall down before him and cast their Crowns before his Throne worshipping him that liveth for ever and ever Rev. 4.10 11. Chap. 5.14 Thus run the Triumphant Praises of the New Jerusalem Noâ— unto us O Lord not unto us but unto thy Name give Glory Such are the Exercises such the Fruitions of those blessed Souls who have washed their Robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb. Rev. 7.14 15. c. Such is the Glory to which they are advanced tho they were sometimes afar off as well as we Now they are near indeed they stand in his Presence and he that sits upon the Throne dwells among them they know him love him and live to him and feel by inward sweet vital Experience that they are known of him beloved by him and that he lives in them As for the Adjuncts and concurrent Circumstances c. of this blessed State I shall only say The Place is glorious The Throne of the Eternal God â—sa 66.1 Thus saith the Lord The Heaven is my Throne Thus the Great Mediatour Rev. 3.21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as 〈◊〉 also overcame and am set down with my Father in his Throne The light of the Sun or Moon will be needless â—here for the Glory of God doth lighten it and the Lamb 〈◊〉 the Light thereof Chap. 21.23 The Society will be sutable even Angels and glorified Saints all whose Happiness will be ours and ours theirs for narrow Selfishness hath no place there But that which crowns all the rest is this Blessedness shall be Eternal Rev. 3.12 Him that overcometh will I make a Pillar in the Temple of my God and HE SHALL GO NO MORE OVT O blessed Words and thrice blessed State Happy they that are safe landed all dangers are over with them for ever I cannot name it without fear of missing it yet I have Hope The Lord forgive the Remnants of Vnbelief Faintness and Impatience that are in us We would needs have the Crown without overcoming God help us patiently to wait and quietly to trust our Almighty All-wise and most gracious Guide Thou shalt guide me with thy Counsel and afterward receive me 〈◊〉 Glory Psal 73.24 If any Man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my Servant be if any Man serve me him will my Father honour John 12.26 Therefore let us not be slothful but Following of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Heb. 6.12 Thus I have given you a poor weak imperfect Account of the Heavenly Felicity Nevertheless from what hath been said 't is easy to inser how utterly unfit the best of us were and all unregenerate Person still are by Nature for this blessen State nor will it be amiss to make some enquiry how the Nature of Man came to be so corrupted and ill-disposed to its Supreme Happiness and Ultimate End Of both these briefly because it will prepare you to understand whaâ— is to come after 1. 'T is manifest that unregenerate Persons as such and therefore all of them are utterly unfit for Heaven This is a most evident Truth he that runs may real it Even they themselves might easily discern it were they not blinded and befooled by their Lusts Onâ— would think it should not I am sure it ought not 〈◊〉 scape their Notice how averse their Hearts are from God Christ Holiness and by consequence from Heaven tho something
there is but they know not well what which they pretend to desire under that Name Carnal they are and therefore savour not the things of the Spirit The Spirit â—f their Minds is inwardly and deeply disaffected towards God Enmity even in the Abstract against him alienated from him no Pulse no Breathing no Tendency towards him they care not for coming near him but gladly would if they knew how secure themselves from him Their Thoughts and Affections are taken up with other Objects their Time and Strength are laid out in pampering and caring for that Flesh which they carry to and fro with them and therefore they love the World as affording sutable Provision for it But the love of the Father is not in them This their Way is their Folly yet their Posterity approve their Sayings Psal 49.13 And now judg ye whether such Persons be fit for the Heavenly State or no review the Description which hath been given of it What! Shall Men imagin themselves meet for the Enjoyment of God so long as they hate him industriously exclude him from their Thought avoid all Acquaintance with him prefer the most empty Trifles before him persist in wilful Rebellion against him How should this be At how vast a distance are such Men from Happiness Certainly as one says the Notion and Nature of Blessedness must be changed or else the Temper of their Spirits either they must have new Hearts created or a new Heaven if ever they be happy 2. Let us enquire a little how the Nature of Man came to be so depraved and unfit for its Happiness and End Certain we are that from the beginning it was not so God made Man upright but he quickly lost his Integrity by with-drawing himself from his dear Dependance upon and Subjection to his Maker he would needs have his Concerns in his own Hands and be at his own disposal Thus he sought out many Inventions changed his ultimate End fell from God to himself and so â—â—came unholy and unhappy both at once and was upon the very brink of the extremest Misery and past all hope of recovery if Infinite Wisdom and Goodness had not stept in to his Relief Thus by one Man Sin entered into the World by this woful Apostacy human Nature became so corrupted this it was that introduced those wretched Distempers of Spirit which make Men so unfit for Heaven as ye have heard Hence it is that by Nature we are Children of Wrath. Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Our first Parents could not transmit to their Posterity that Holiness and Purity of Nature even that Holy Image of God which they had lost themselves Therefore we are estranged from God even from the Womb shapen in Iniquity and conceived in Sin And for that reason not fit for the Heavenly Glory till we have received a new Nature i. e. till we be wrought for this self-same thing So necessary it is that a mighty Change pass upon us to prepare us for a blessed Eternity And indeed the very Nature of that change is not obscurely intimated and pointed at in what has been spoken Which now we come more largely and distinctly to treat of CHAP. III. A further Enquiry into the Nature of that great Change whereby the Souls of Believers are wrought and prepared for Heaven I Know not who thou art that readest these Lines but if this kind of Doctrine seem strange or uncouth to thee as most things do that are not after the common Mode I counsel thee to shut the Book stopâ— little and before thou proceedest any further consider well what thou hast read already particularly what hath been delivered concerning the Blessedness of Holy Souls in Heaven namely that it consists in a perfect fitness for the Enjoyment of God and in the actual Enjoyment of him in knowing him loving him delighting and resting in him admiring adoring serving and praising him to all Eternity and in receiving the most sweet and refreshing Influences and Communications from him Digest this well form as distinct a conception of it as thou canst And then put the Question to thy own Reason What kind of preparation seems necessary to fit a Man for such an Happiness as this And especially ask thy self how should a Man's Heart be disposed and affected towards God in this World that he may be qualified for perfect Happiness and rest in the Enjoyment of God in a better World Think well how thou wouldst answer this Question as if it were for thy Life yea know that the Life of thy Soul is concerned in it This by God's Blessing will prepare thee to understand and believe what I am about to offer to thee But if thou wilt not exercise thy Reason as a Man I expect not thou should'st become a sincere Christian For let me tell thee serious Godliness or true Christianity is the most rational manly thing in the World And now I proceed to the Point in the following method I. I will set before you some general Account of the Nature of this great Change II. I will endeavour to shew you more distinctly the several steps whereby this blessed Work is begun carried on and perfected in the Soul As for the first of these in general you may observe as follows I. This great change consists in turning unto the LORD from whom we have so deeply revolted We fell from God in the Loins of our first Parents as Levi payed Tithes in Abraham Heb. 7.9 10. We brought not original Righteousness but Natures exceedingly corrupted into the World with us and many actual Transgressions have proceeded from that Corruption so that our Iniquity is become exceeding sinful therefore we must be deeply humbled for the Wickedness of our Hearts and Lives and so return unto the Lord from whom we are fallen Isa 55.7 Let the Wicked forsake his way and the Vnrighteous Man his Thoughts and let him return unto the Lord c. Chap. 1. 16 17 18. Wash ye make you clean put away the Evil of your doings cease to do Evil learn to do well Come now and let us reason together saith the LORD Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no Pleasure in the death of the Wicked turn ye turn ye why will ye die O Sirs ye must turn or die All your Idols must be renounced especially carnal SELF to which the rest are subservient Whatever stands in Competition or Contrariety to God so far as it doth so must be rejected with the greatest Abhorrence and Detestation that you may cleave entirely to him They that are far from God shall perish Psal 73.27 You must be brought near to him or else you cannot possibly escape none but he can satisfy the vast Desires of your Souls how then should ye be happy while ye affect a distance from him 'T is a perfect Contradiction as shall be shewn in its proper place All our Faculties and Powers must be wrought upon or