manifestation of his love to him till to his daily prayer he added extraordinary prayer with fasting Dan. 9.3 compared with vers 23. And it was so with Cornelius as ye may see Act. 10.39 Thus we see the encouragement is great to take up every duty in its Season Experience tells us that the efficacy of co-ordinate means is in conjunction As for the preservation of bodily health there must be both Food and Raiment and Rest and the use of Physick sometimes as the matter requireth no one of these is sufficient So it is here Let none think his Soul will prosper though he use this or that Duty if any one known to be a Duty be willingly neglected in the season thereof It is the policy of Satan to separate one duty from another that so we may not be uniform in our endeavours Few are so bad as to use no means at all and few are so faithful to God and their own Souls as conscienciously to use All. This half-doing proves many a Souls undoing Therefore as we desire that our Souls should prosper we should as Caleb follow fully after God And in all as Psal 63.8 Follow hard after God As thriving Children do suck and draw hard sometimes at one Breast and sometimes at another 2. As we ought to exercise our selves in them all so we ought to exercise the principles of godliness in them all A few words to this 1. In general thus The principles of godliness ought to be exercised in them all so far as God's gracious ends and purposes in and by them so far as they are revealed to us may be answered and attained I shall instance in these two 1. This God hath revealed as one great end to be carried on in and by them all that this holy and blessed name may be sanctified in them all Lev. 10.3 This is done when the inward frame of our hearts is such when we address our selves unto God as that God himself may thereby see that we believe him to be a great God a gracious God a God in all respects infinitely glorious This is due unto him Psal 89.7 God is greatly to be feared in the Assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him And this David resolves upon Psal 5.7 But as for me I will come into thy house in the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple So far as our hearts attain this temper so far we answer God's end This is to serve him acceptably Heb. 12.28 2. This likewise God hath revealed as his intent and purpose that thereby he may communicate unto the people of his choice those spiritual gifts and graces whereby they may be enabled to that work he hath appointed them and be prepared for that happiness he hath promised them Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee Psal 133.3 For there the Lord commanded the blessing and life for ever-more The attainment of this end should be so deeply engraven upon our hearts that as the Bee moves from one flower to another to gather materials for Honey So should we from one Duty to another for supplies of grace suitable to our present necessities This was David's end Psal 63.1 2 3 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee c. For this end principles of godliness should be exercised to attain the fore-mentioned end And if so we are so much the more likely to attain this end the more grace we bring in exercise to a duty the more grace we are like to receive in and by that duty Matth. 25.29 Vnto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance Thus in general 2. As we desire our Souls should prosper principles of grace should be exercised in all the fore-mentioned duties I will instance only in one and that is the duty of Prayer both because that is and ought to be our every days work We ought in every thing both great and small to make known our requests to God believing his universal Providence that as there is nothing so great that is above his Power so there is nothing so little that is below his Care This we are injoined Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God And also because the better this duty is performed the better all other duties will be performed It hath an influence upon them all and is often put for the whole worship of God Rom. 10.12 13 Whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved And besides all the Providences of the day are sanctified by it 1 Tim. 4.5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and Prayer But then we must know this that if we desire prayer may be a sanctifying duty to us our hearts must be sanctified for it and grace must be exercised in it I shall not mention now what graces must be exercised but only in general so that the heart may be wrought off from all evil frames and composed and fixed the inward thought thereof gathered in and the affections raised so as feelingly and awfully believingly fervently and sincerely we may powre out our desires unto God and be able to say as Lam. 2.18 Their heart cryed unto the Lord. And Psal 119.145 I cryed with my whole heart hear me O Lord. This is one thing intended in that expression of Praying in the spirit Eph. 6.18 The spirit of a Man is an active thing and whatever it doth good or bad it doth to purpose Such gracious workings of the Soul in prayer are the very Soul of prayer and then the Soul prospers by prayer Jude vers 20 And ye Beloved building up your Souls in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Then are our Souls edified when we thus pray in the exercise of the graces of the Holy Ghost This is all I shall say to the former of the two last things proposed That in order to Soul-prosperity grace ought to be exercised in all the External Duties of Religion I now proceed to the latter As ever we desire our Souls should prosper the principles of godliness ought to be exercised in all other things wherein the visible part of Religion so far as it may be made visible to Men doth consist And here I shall only speak a little to three particulars 1. In all Providences It is seldom or never seen that any of the people of God continue in the same condition as to the things of this World any long time without some alteration more or less God is pleased many times to bestow many good things upon them which he never intended they should always enjoy Psal 102.10 Thou hast lifted me up and cast me down Now as we desire our Souls should prosper principles of godliness should
and fear before the Lord. The one is That the Lord knows them every one by name The other is That he hath a perfect knowledge of all their concernments How it is with them both in respect of their Souls and in respect of their Bodies and what they stand in need of for the wellfare both of the one and of the other We have both these exemplified in this Epistle written to one single person Gaius by name Who this Gaius was whether it was Gaius of Macedonia spoken of Act. 19. Or Gaius of Derbe spoken of Act. 20. Or Gaius of Corinth spoken of 1 Cor. 1.14 cannot I think be absolutely determined However 't is certain The Lord knew well which of them it was And the Lord did know that this Gaius to whom this Epistle was written was an eminent godly person one that had a gracious vigorous active Soul for God in a weak and consumptive Body And upon that account he directs his Servant John to write this Epistle to him that he might know how much he did live in his Care and what observation he made of him and his Condition This is a very great matter that an entire portion of Canonical Scripture as this Epistle is should be written for the instruction and consolation of one good man But we may wonder the less at it if we look a little backward we shall find such a portion written to one good woman but she was besides her eminent godliness a person of honour in the World she was a Lady That 's the second Epistle of John And that we may know that in these matters God is no respecter of persons we have a third instance of this in the Epistle to Philemon witten in the behalf of Onesimus a mean person comparatively A servant he had been and one that miscarried in his service and ran away from his Master But now having a saving work of God begun in him whereof Paul had good experience he writes that Epistle to Philemon on his behalf that he might receive him not only into Service but into Favour not only as a Servant but as a beloved Brother in the Lord. ver 16. It was a great priviledge that God vouchsafed these three Persons above others It 's true we find more Epistles written to particular Persons as two to Timothy and one to Titus but they were written on a more publick and general account And the substance of those three Epistles may be found in that to Timothy where Paul saith He wrote that he might know how to behave himself in the Church of God the House of the living God However though this was such a great matter with respect to these three Persons yet we know very well that God had not respect to them alone for Rom. 15.4 the Apostle tells us Whatever is written is written for our learning what is written to Gaius in this Epistle and what is in this single verse is written for our learning The Lord give us to learn what may be learnt by it In these words we have observable three parts 1. Something expressed It was exceeding well with Gaius in respect of his spiritual condition He was like to have a very comfortable journey to Heaven His Soul prospered 2. We have something implied sc That it was not altogether so well with Gaius in his outward condition especially in respect of his health Though he was a very godly man he was none of the strongest men He was weak and sickly 3. We have something desired 1. In general That he might prosper indefinitely spoken that he might prosper in all his concernments within doors and without 2. That he might be in health He prays that he might have a healthy constitution And both these as desired are amplified 1. By the manner thereof very heartily I wish above all things 2. By the measure or degree or pattern according to which he desires this prosperity might be proportioned and that is according to the degree and measure of his Soul-prosperity That thou mayest prosper as thy Soul prospereth It is not unfit to give you an account in a word or two of the choice of this Text. Ye may remember that the subjects of some foregoing Exercises were these two things 1. Concerning a dead Religion Many Professors of the true Religion as 't is professed by them it is a dead Religion and their works in and about it are dead works 2. We came to speak of a dying withering languishing Religion The observation was this A living Christian yet alive to God and that 's all may in respect of his Christianity be in a dying withering languishing condition Because what follows in that Epistle in Revel 3. did not give so fair a foundation to build that upon which I am now to speak of concerning a thriving and prospering Religion I have made choice of these words And the observation which I shall as the Lord shall enable me insist most upon will be this Doct. That of all prosperity Soul-prosperity is the most desireable prosperity But before I come to speak of that Point it will be requisite not only to shew how the Text bears it but it may be convenient to point out some few Observations which the words afford which I shall as briefly as may be pass through and the first is this 1. Obs Concerning the person of this Gaius who he was I told you it could not be absolutely determined but it seems to be very probable that it was Gaius of Corinth of whom the Apostle makes mention Rom. 16.23 That he was Paul's Hoste and the Hoste of the Church i. e. He was one that either Entertained the Brethren that went up and down to preach the Gospel gratis at his own charge or else that he had the chief oversight of that publick house that was for their entertainment there And that which may well lead us to this conjecture is that which we have vers 5 6. of this Epistle where John gives him this testimony That whatever he did to the Brethren and Strangers he did it faithfully and they bare witness of his charity So that either this was that Gaius or else as he had the same name so he had the same disposition He was charitable and hospitable And this let him very deeply into John's affection He loved him dearly calls him His beloved the same word is rendered Dearly beloved and prayeth for him Note Persons of publick Spirits that do good with what they have according to their ability especially for the promoting of Religion are most likely to have and it is fit they should have most prayers put up to God for their welfare and prosperity in every respect It is said Job 31.20 that The loins of the poor blessed him They had no blessing to dispose of but the meaning is They heartily prayed for a blessing upon Job and all that he had We read Act. 9.31 of a good woman her name was Dorcas She
I shall go up to the house of the Lord while he was sick and weak he could not do it 2. It very much indisposeth a Man for the solemn performance of the private Duties of Religion We have a clear instance of this Jam. 5.13 Is any afflicted Let him pray Is any sick Let him send for the Elders of the Church Is not sickness a great affliction It is Why then should not the sick pray Sickness and weakness indispose a person for the solemn performance of that duty 3. Persons subject to long continued weaknesses of body are often in much darkness of mind apt to question the grace of God in them and the love of God toward them For sickness and weakness indispose a Man's mind He cannot infer comfortable conclusions from his former experiences of God He is full of confusion like a skain of Silk that a Man can neither winde nor draw So it is with an infirm Man Psal 80.3 Heman when his life did draw nigh to the grave he saith His Soul was full of trouble It is a sad case a weak Body and a troubled Soul too Satan is very skilful at his work He knew this and therefore he reserved this as his last temptation for Job hoping that would stick to afflict his Body Now to Apply this 1. Let all such as God is pleased to bless with any competency of health and strength keep their hearts under the obligation that this lays upon them Deut. 8.16 The Lord gave them Manna to humble them We say Oh if we were fit for Mercy God would give it Thus Folks talk that never endeavour to be more fit If we should never have a Mercy till we were fit it would be long enough before we should have any God many times gives a Mercy first and makes a people humble afterward Well then considering that life and health and strength are given to every Man for the same end and purpose for which Paul improved them Phil. 1.21 To me to live is Christ Therefore we should every one of us while we are well set about doing of that which it will be very well if it be done before we are sick but 't is of absolute necessity to be done before we dye even what we have 2 Pet. 3.14 Give all diligence to be found in Christ Jesus in a state of union with him If a Man be not in Christ while he lives he cannot live to Christ nor shall he dye to Christ when he dyes Col. 1.27 Christ in us is the hope of glory Consider then 1. Though health and strength be a very great blessing yet it is a blessing quickly blasted Job observed it in his days Job 21.23 One dyes in his full-strength God gives him no warning at all Alas saith James what is a Man's life A vapour a little warm breath turned up and down in the nostrils when that is stopt a Man dyes 2. Consider this Say God should give us warning and do with us as he did with Jezabel cast us upon a bed of sickness and give us space to repent yet times of Bodily sickness and weakness are ill times to begin to look after a neglected Soul and to do neglected Duties Sicknesses and weaknesses bring a Man under many disadvantages of looking after Soul-concernments 2 Sam. 25.35 God smites Nabal he was sick ten days that was more time then many persons have yet he could no more repent then the very stone his heart dyed within him Therefore what we have Joh. 9.4 should be lay'd to heart The night will come when no Man can work Do the work that God calls to while it is called To day 2. If so be health and strength be so great a blessing then let all that do enjoy it take heed how they do any thing that may prejudice their health and do what God would have them do for the preservation of their health and not stick at any due charges suitable to what they are able to bear 1. Take heed of prejudicing your health They are very much to be blamed that will ride wind and weather to get money Matt. 6.25 The Body is more then Raiment Health and strength are better then riches Much more do they transgress that prejudice their health to gratifie a sensual lust For no Man ever yet hated his own flesh Eph. 5.29 I have read of one Theotinus who was very much given to drinking and had very sore eyes his Physitian told him he must either leave his drunkenness or lose his eyes Then saith he farewell sight He would rather lose his sight then leave his sin 2. Do what may be done to preserve health Therefore the Apostle saith to Timothy Drink no longer Water but use a little Wine for thy stomachs sake and thine often infirmities The poor Woman Mark 9. spent all she had upon the Physicians This is worth observation That we must so mind the wellfare of our Bodies for the preserving of health and strength when we have it and recovery of it when it is lost for the preservation of the health and well-fare of our Souls It is an hard matter to do those things out of obedience to God from a principle of grace which a principle of nature inclines a Man to Tit. 2.4 That they may teach the young Women to be sober to love their Husbands to love their Children Now for the Amplification of this wish 1. For the manner It was heartily Above all things Observe It is the duty of every gracious person to be hearty and real in his prayers desires and wishes for the prosperity of the people of God and for the health of those that are sick and weak The Apostle speaks to the praise of them Col. 1.4 That they loved all the Saints of God Ruth 4.11 The Elders said to Boaz The Lord bless thee and this Woman How heartily did the good Women bless God for their old neighbour Naomi Ruth 4.14 It is a rare thing to find such a spirit Corruption doth narrow and straighten Mens hearts Their eye is evil because God is good Corruption streightens but Grace enlargeth a Man's heart It is a brave spirit To rejoyce with them that rejoyce and to mourn with them that mourn Observe again Who it is that desires this so heartily It is John the beloved Disciple who pressed hearty love upon others 1 Joh. 3.18 And he expresseth it to Gaius Hence note Note It is the duty of every Minister to labour to exemplifie in his practice the Duties he presseth upon others The Prophet Hab. 2.4 speaking of those sad times in the captivity of Babylon saith The just shall live by faith But they might reply Can you do so your selves And he answers Yes Hab. 3.17 18 Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom yet will I rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation 2. Consider the pattern measure and degree according to which John desires this outward prosperity might be
and evidence of being filled with the Spirit Without all doubt a Soul full of the praises of God is so far full of the spirit of God and so far begins the work of Heaven upon Earth And therefore it is without all controversie that a truly thankful Soul so far and so long as it continues so is really a prosperous Soul 2. The prosperity of the Soul as it is very much promoted so it is and may be as much evidenced by the right Government and due ordering of our Affections of Likeing and Disliking Of Liking as Love Joy Delight Desire Of Disliking as Fear Sorrow and Grief Anger and Wrath. This is a large point I shall endeavour therefore to give you as much as I can in a little Consider then 1. Affections especially those of Liking were planted in the nature of Man at first to be to the Soul as Wings to the Bird which make her flight so easie So were these to make our approaches to God more delightful that it might be as meat and drink to us to do the Will of our Father And such a sweet harmony there was in Adam's Soul whilst he was as God made him that he could judge of things as they were affect things as he judged of them and act according as he affected Being made perfect after the Image of God he had all his affections at command according to the Will of God 2. By reason of Original corruption as those noble Faculties the Understanding Will and Conscience as I have lately shewed you so the Affections are most horribly polluted and are become so many fleshly and deceitful lusts They are as another Antichrist in the Soul ruling over Conscience which should rule all under God For as corrupt as they are every Man in his corrupted state is led by them more then he is by any thing else For as they Affect so they Judge so they Do what seems good in their own Eyes without considering any other rule as they did Judg. 21.25 till at last God give them up unto them As Rom. 1 24 Wherefore God gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts vers 26 For this cause God gave them up to vile affections The case of such is very sad For as it is one of the greatest blessings where grace is rewarded with grace As Psal 119.55 56 I have remembred thy name O Lord in the night and have kept thy law This I had because I kept thy precepts So this is one of the greatest curses when God punisheth sin with sin leaving Men to do what they will As Psal 81.11 12 But my people would not hearken to my voice Israel would none of me So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsels 3. To mortifie the inordinacy of these Affections that they may be fixed upon their proper Objects So as to Love what they ought to love and Hate what they ought to hate c. To keep them so in order that they be not moved but when there is cause and when there is cause not without measure To do this is one of the greatest and hardest works that a Christian hath to do It is said Gal. 5.24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts i.e. They are about it and make it their daily work and the better success they have in this work the more their Soul prospers It is said Prov. 16.32 He that is slow to anger is better then the Mighty and he that ruleth his spirit then he that taketh a City Not he that is never angry for the anger of the new Creature is a duty Eph. 4.26 Be angry and sin not but he that is slow to anger is of greater excellency then he that conquers a City He is more set by in the sight of God for the strength of his Soul whereby he conquers himself then ever any Man was or will be for his Bodily strength whereby he conquers others It is more honourable to be a Paul then an Alexander Prov. 14.29 He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly He that is slow to wrath is a Man of understanding much resolution being requisite to keep that or any other affection especially when it is stirred within its due bounds Jam. 3.13 Who is a wise Man and endued with knowledge amongst you let him shew out of a good conversation his words with meekness of wisdom And great need there is to exercise this wisdom when occasions are given which may kindle that affection to preserve the spirit in a meek and quiet frame For as sanctified affections are as a gentle wind to the Soul whereby it moves aright toward God with a calm and well-composed warmth in every duty So unruly affections are as a storm a very Hurricane to the Soul so as like a River in a great tempest the Banks are over-flown and much mud and slime are left behind He that can prevent the rising of such a storm or can speedily allay it is a Man of understanding indeed 4. The Soul is then spiritually thriving and prosperous when the inordinacy of the affections is mortified so as 1. Every affection acts as a saving grace in the Soul when the affection of Love is renewed by the spirit of God into the grace of love and so fixed upon God in Christ that other things are respected only in subordination thereunto When the affection of Fear is renewed into the grace of Fear so as to keep the heart under an holy awe of God as David's was Psal 119.161 My heart standeth in awe of thy word So when the affection of sorrow is renewed into the grace of sorrow into that godly sorrow for sin which the Apostle saith worketh Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 In a word when Love Joy and Delight open the heart unto God as unto the chiefest good and Fear Grief and Sorrow shut the heart against sin as the greatest evil 2. When that which is unmortified as still something of the flesh remains in them when they are sanctified is so far subdued by that which is wrought by the spirit in them that they are kept in a suitable plyableness to all the Dispensations of God to every Providence wherewith we are exercised rejoicing when he would have us to rejoice and as he would have us to rejoice Mourning when he calls us to mourning and as he would have us to mourn Being angry when God would have us to be angry and so far as he would have us to be angry Angry as Christ was Mar. 3.5 And when he looked round about them with anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts When this is the business the Soul labours in and strives to attain unto more and more and is really humbled before God when any defects are observed and pardon pleaded and resolutions increased in the
to his Chamber because he believes that he doth it out of love and care for his health And surely those Souls who when they are under the lash of Divine Rods and are tossed with storms and tempests perhaps more then any they know of can thus exercise their faith and find satisfaction in the promises of God so as to rejoice in tribulation in hope of a good issue surely they are prosperous Souls Thus the Soul of Habakkuk prospered when he exemplified his own Doctrine That the just should live by faith in the time of the Invasion of the Babylonians by his own practice Hab. 3.17 18 Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom c. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation It is observable what I have read to this purpose Magdeburg Cent. 5. cap. 10. that when Attila King of the Huns came into France Lupus Bishop of Troges met him and asked him who he was that made such spoil and devastations in the World He answered Dei se esse flagellum That he was the scourge of God whereupon he commanded the City-Gates to be set open unto him and welcomed him with these words Faustè ingrediatur flagellum Dei Whilst the Rod is in Gods hand there is no danger If this were so as it related by good Authors the Mans heart was in a good frame his faith was above his fears This is the third Particular 4. The Soul prospers when grace is so exercised that it grows more and more clear in point of Covenant-interest Observe here these two things 1. When it grows into such a well-grounded hope and comfortable apprehension thereof as ordinarily it prevails over fears and doubts though it doth not wholly silence them nor free the Soul from them This is that which the Apostle calls The joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 Arising from the solid satisfaction which the heart receives by a firm adhering to Christ in whom all fullness dwells for perfecting the work of Redemption and Salvation who is a faithful and merciful High Priest and able to save to the uttermost all those that come to God by him This is surely Soul prosperity 2. Much more when the joy of faith grows into the joy of spiritual Sense which is called Full joy Joh. 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that you joy may be full 1 Joh. 1.4 These things write we unto you that your joy may be full When the love of God is shed abroad in the heart as Rom. 5.5 When the spirit doth tell us a thing in the Ear as the expression is 1 Sam. 9.15 It is said there The Lord told Samuel in his Ear. that we are sealed to the day of Redemption witnessing unto us our Adoption so as the Soul knows it is no delusion but the very voice of the Spirit of God as Abraham knew that it was God himself that spake to him and commanded him to go and sacrifice his Son and no temptation from Satan so as the Soul can say as Psal 116.7 Return to thy rest O my Soul the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee Now I see the invisible God is my God All the Greatness and Goodness all the Truth and Faithfulness all the Power and Wisdom yea all the Holyness and Justice of the Eternal and Ever-living God are the things which are the portion of my Soul Now I see that all the Eternal counsels of God wrought from all Eternity to make me Eternally happy Now I know that Jesus Christ came from the bosom of the Father for me and my Salvation That my sins are put upon his account and his righteousness is put upon my account Now I know my place where I shall stand in the great day of the Lord even at the right hand of my Saviour and hear that joyful sentence Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father This is in some sense I think the uttermost hight of the Souls prosperity For when ever the Soul is thus high in point of Comfort it is as high in point of Holiness Whilst this continues the Soul can do and suffer any thing for God which he calls unto As the believing Hebrews whilst they knew their interest in the enduring substance Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance The heart being thus enlarged it goes not a foot-pace but runs the way of Gods Commandments Psal 119.32 I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart That which we have Ephes 3.17 18 19. is clear to this purpose The Apostle prays on their behalf that they might know the breadth and length and depth and highth of the love of God And why did he pray so It was that they might be filled with all the fullness of God according to the uttermost measure attainable in this life and in full and absolute perfection in the life to come Thus I have given you all that I shall say concerning those things which particularly demonstrate the truth and reality of the Souls prosperity Only I desire to leave these two things with you in the conclusion to prevent mistakes 1. That none ought to argue against themselves that their Souls do not prosper because as yet they come short it may be at sometimes altogether short of what hath been laid down in this fifth and last particular They are seldom so clear in point of their Covenant interest as to feel the joy of Faith much less the joy of Sense To endeavour to be clear in this matter is every ones duty 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure To attain it is part of our Reward But when it is not attained yet the Soul may be thriving and prospering for all that Moses his face did shine and he did not know it Exod. 34.19 This was at his second being with God in the Mount We read of no such thing at the first time We may see by this that God doth not communicate himself in the same measure at all times alike to any of his Servants It hath been so of old and is so now Many partake much of the quickening presence of God when they have but little or none at all of the comforting presence of God Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light c. Hence it is that they oftentimes as sadly complain as Zion did but all without cause Isa 49.14 But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me q. d. I am cast out of his love not only forsaken but forgotten when it was neither so nor so as ye see vers 15 Can a Woman forsake her sucking Child c. They may forget yet will I not forget thee 2. Though all that hath been hitherto said
ye continue in well-doing and nothing is well done where grace is not exercised But if it be so ye look for glory and immortality and eternal life Then following after righteousness holiness c. Eternal life is as it were within reach we may lay hold on it 1 Tim. 6.12 Thus Paul had reason on his side 2 Tim. 4.7 8. A good sight well managed a good course well finished a good faith well preserved Henceforth is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness Not because of this but because of the free promise of God for though a Man's Soul prosper to his dying day yet eternal life is the gift of God Roman 6.23 Rev. 2.10 4. Much sweet peace Because there will be a sweet agreement between a Man's Resolutions and his Performances both in respect of Doing and Suffering the Will of God 1. In doing what God requires The principles of spiritual life the first day they are received so incline the heart heaven-ward that such resolutions are taken up as Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my ways Now when grace is not exercised and the Soul prospers not then there is no keeping up this resolution good purposes are broken off That divine principle which should keep the heart from back-sliding is kept under and oppressed by the contrary working of corruption Such a Soul deals with God as that Son did with his Father to whom he promised to go but went not But now so far as the Soul prospers Performances will be answerable to Resolutions See Paul's resolution Act. 24.16 And herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward Men. Heb. 13.18 Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly And see his performance Phil. 4.12 I know how to be abased and I know how to abound It must needs be so for the more the Soul prospereth every work of Religion will be the better performed with more delight with less wearyness with more constancy and less destraction 2. Sweet peace because of sweet agreement between a Man's resolutions and his performances in respect of suffering what God imposeth and inflicteth whether upon a Man's own personal account or upon the common account of Religion when the first principles of Soul-prosperity are infused the Soul is inclined to comply with Christs injunction Luk. 9.23 If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross daily and follow me And the more the Soul prospereth the more the Will is melted down into the Will of God to suffer what God will and that in submission to his Will Psal 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Or upon the common account of Religion Heb. 11.35 others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Know then that all unquiet workings in our Spirits and all sinking discouragements in such a day and hour of tryal come not from our condition how sad soever it be or in how great danger soever we may apprehend our selves to be of losing all we have as from our Corruption because our Souls prosper no more It is observable what we have to this purpose in Matth. 5 Blessed saith our Saviour are the poor in spirit vers 3. The meek the mourners the pure in heart and those that hunger and thirst after righteousness in the following verses And then vers 10 Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake And why is this put in the last place but to shew unto us that now the Soul prospers There is poverty of spirit there is purity of heart there is meekness and hungring and thirsting after righteousness Now suffering in these is such as becomes a Christian This is enough to prove this That the more the Soul prospers there will be the more peace because the more agreement betwixt a Man's Resolution and Performance both in respect of Active and Passive obedience A prospering Soul makes this his business To magnifie Christ whether it be by life or by death Phil. 1.20 5. There is much sweet peace in a prospering Soul because of that sweet agreement which there is between God and such a Soul which if it be felt passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 and therefore all expression But possibly this Peace may not be proclaimed so as every prospering Soul may hear it and believe it rather often doubting that it is not concluded But for certain it is and in due time God will let them know it Psal 85.8 I will hear what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace to his Pecple and to his Saints And it is as certain such Souls are at peace with God for then they follow hard after God as Psal 63.8 desiring nothing more then reconciliation with him their eyes dropping down tears as Lam. 1.16 because the Comforter which should relieve my Soul is far from me Blessed are such mourners for they shall be comforted Matth. 5.4 Thus we have some of the desirable effects of Soul prosperity in this life 2. For the effects and consequents of Soul-prosperity for the future in reference to the World to come thus in a word it hath a most blessed influence into Eternity Then Soul-prosperity is perfected in holyness Heb. 12.23 The Spirits of just Men made perfect Ephes 5.27 Without spot or wrinkle And perfected in happyness in the full enjoyment of God It sees God so far as seeing imports enjoying Then it may be said without a figure to such a Soul as Isa 60.1 Arise and shine thy light is come the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee Thus ye have the reasons of the point SERMON VI. IF this be so Vse 1 That of all prosperities Soul-prosperity is the most desirable prosperity Then from hence we may infer That it is the most rational thing in the World for all those that believe they have immortal Souls in mortal Bodies to mind the well-fare and prosperity of their Souls above all things else in the World This is certainly to act according to the best and highest principles of reason that ever any Man did from the beginning of the World to this day It may be supposed by what ye have heard that ye are now fully satisfied in the truth of the Doctrine and believe that nothing prospereth in your hand with prosperity truly so called and as it is a blessing but when and where the Soul prospereth therefore none to be minded like that none but in subordination to that And seeing it is a principle planted by the God of Nature in the heart of Man by Nature to mind that above all things else wherein he firmly believes his happiness above all things doth consist And withal seeing to Prosper and to be happy though the words be two are but one and the same thing And that ye are perswaded a Man is only so far
the great work next to the glorifying of his Father and therein he did glorifie his Father that was in his heart to accomplish in and by that mysterious work of his Incarnation in taking upon him Man's nature and for which he made himself of no reputation in the World for which he suffered so much and still doth so much by his intercession in Heaven to this day that as Isa 53.11 he might see the Travel of his own Soul and be satisfied in the complete and Eternal prosperity of all their Souls which God the Father gave unto him and for which he engaged himself John 6.38 39 40 For I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent me And this is the Fathers will which sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day In 1 Pet. 2.25 Christ is said to be the Shepherd of Souls Now a faithful Shepherd though he will be ready to do his Master what good service he can in any thing yet his chiefest care is for his Master's flock Such a faithful Shepherd is Jesus Christ he highly minds the meanest thing wherein any of his are concerned Satan to his own great vexation cannot overlook this Job 1.10 Hast thou not made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side And we know that when he was visibly in the World he was exceeding helpful to the Bodies of Men yet his chiefest care was over his peculiar flock as the Shepherd of Souls He laid down his Natural life to procure their Spiritual life That dead Souls might live and living Souls prosper That they might have life and live in abundance Joh. 10.10 11. For this end he ever lives to make intercession for those that come unto him that they might be saved to the uttermost Heb. 7.25 And as the effect of his intercession according to his promise Joh. 16.16 he sends the Spirit of Grace into their hearts to work in them all the graces that accompany Salvation And to abide in them to preserve what he hath wrought that in believing their Souls might be saved Heb. 10.39 And that they might receive the end of their Faith the Salvation of their Souls 1 Pet. 1.9 This is the first thing that Jesus Christ minded this most in our behalf that for this cause he came into the World to seek and to save lost Souls Luk. 19.10 2. This is the great end he aims to carry on by all his Ordinances The Law of God that is the whole Doctrine revealed in the word is for the Conversion of Souls Psal 19.7 And for Edification of Souls Act. 20.32 I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up The Sacraments are Spiritual Food for Souls 1 Cor. 10.3 4 And did all eat the same Spiritual meat And did all drink the same Spiritual drink Yea Excommunication that dreadful Ordinance so it be managed according to the mind of Christ for it is a delivering a Man to Satan yet it is with reserence to the good of his Soul 1 Cor. 5.5 To deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus For this end he appointed the Ministry to be a standing Ordinance unto the end of the World that they might watch over Souls Heb. 13.17 This was that which the Apostles aimed at according to their Commission from Christ Paul saith That he was made all things to all Men that by all means he might save some 1 Cor. 9.22 In his removal from one place to another he aimed at the conveying of some Spiritual gift where ever he came for the good of Souls Rom. 1.11 For I long to see you that I may impart to you some Spiritual gift In all his prayers for those to whom he wished all the good that might be this was the great thing he desired in their behalf that their Souls might prosper Eph. 3.14 15 16 17 That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner Man That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith c. Gal. 6.18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your Spirit Prospering Souls were his joy and Crown Phil. 4.1 3. This was and is the great end of all his Providential Dispensations They are or may be all them either Food or Physick for the Soul Thriving in holiness as ye have heard is Soul-thriving Now this is the end that all comforting desirable Providences seem to drive on Obad. vers 17. But upon Mount Zion there shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness All afflicting saddening Providences are for the same purpose Heb. 12.10 God chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Yea for this very cause it often goes very ill with many of those that live highly in the love of God in their outward condition that their spiritual condition may prosper and flourish Isa 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Which is the sickness and otherwise would be the death of the Soul and its destruction Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes And therefore he acknowledgeth to the praise of the wisdom and rich grace of God that in very faithfulness to the interest of his Soul the hand of the Lord had been upon him so as it was Now lay all this together That this was the great end of Christ's Incarnation Death and Suffering and Intercession The great end for which all Ordinances and Providences are appointed to be subservient unto and it will evidently appear that this was and is above all things else most upon the heart of Christ in our behalf that our Souls might prosper therefore it ought to be most upon our hearts and it is most rational it should be so 3. It is every way most agreeable to the best and highest principles of reason with all possible diligence and seriousness to mind that the neglect whereof will be our utter undoing to all Eternity and bring both Body and Soul under the most absolute and unavoidable wo and misery that ever befell or possibly can befall any Creature that ever God made next unto the Devil himself That principle of self-preservation planted in the heart of Man by Nature if improved cannot but teach him this That it is most rational for him to mind that the neglect whereof would bring this ruine upon him Now what wo and misery is laid up for a neglected perishing unprospering Soul ye have fully expressed beyond what can be conceived in one verse Matth. 25.41 whereof I shall mention but these two particulars
of the Physician who often conceals the danger lest the sick Man's fears and phansie might do him more hurt then his Physick doth him good But it is otherwise in Soul-sickness a clear insight into the Disease is of great use that every one should understand according to that expression 1 Kings 8.38 the plague of his own heart and what strength it hath got over him how long it hath been growing upon him and by what means and occasions he fell into it These are good steps toward spiritual health This is required in order to cure Jer. 3.13 Know and acknowledge thine iniquity And then distinctly to understand the way of cure and to follow those directions which Jesus Christ the great Physician of our Souls prescribes is a far greater and better step Having premised these things I shall now lay before you what is prescribed by him 1. When the Body is full of corrupt humours there is need of Purging Physick Even such need hath the Soul when it is over-grown and oppressed with corrupt lusts which are the noisome steams of Original corruption It was well with them of whom it is said 1 Pet. 1.22 that they had purified their Souls This is commanded Jam. 4.8 Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit This is absolutely necessary for as sin is to the Soul as sickness is to the Body so the purging out of these corrupt lusts is to the Soul what this purging Physick is to the Disease Joh. 15.2 Every branch in me saith Christ I will purge that it may bring forth more fruit In Mal. 3.3 it is prophesied That God will sit as a Refiner and as a Purifier of Silver and purifie the Sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in Righteousness Now this purging and emptying the heart of the evil treasure that is in it is all one with mortification and wherever and in whom soever this is neglected that necessary and commendable practice of abounding in the External duties of Religion avails nothing to Soul-prosperity Ye see this exemplified in the Pharisees Matth. 6. Nay though the Soul be alive to Christ yet if this be neglected the Soul prospers not This is evident in those Church members in Corinth Paul supposed them to be in Christ Yet their unmortified lusts clearly proved it against them that they did not thrive their Souls did not prosper They were but Babes in Christ They were in a comparative sense in respect to what they ought to have been and might have been but very Carnal still 1 Cor. 3.2 3. This then ought to be taken notice of that besides the real foundation of universal mortification that is laid in at first in the Soul's Conversion to Christ wherein the absolute and un-interrupted Reign of Original sin is broken yet the continual exercise of mortification is to be minded and taken up otherwise it is not like to go well with the Soul For it is in this case as it was with the Monarchies Dan. 4.12 Though their Dominion was taken away yet their lives were continued for a season So it is here for Original sin is like Leaven which being mingled with the Dough the Bread will always more or less taste of it So that the most mortified Christian hath still more mortifying work on his hands which he must dispatch Those that are in Christ Rom. 8.1 and savour the things of the Spirit vers 5. Yet are pressed to a further progress in this duty vers 13 but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the Body ye shall live This in general 2. When by communing with our own hearts and observing the out-goings of our own Spirits we clearly see that we are among the transgressors not among the righteous I mean among the sick and not among the sound then speedily and seriously to set our selves to the use of such purging and mortifying means as Christ hath prescribed in his word And here I desire you to note that the means appointed in this case to be used come under a double consideration 1. Some there are which we may not desire nor adventure upon but as the Providence of God according to the condition we are in calls us to make use of 2. There are other means which whatever our condition be we ought immediately and daily to apply our selves to make use of as the matter requires and upon special occasions in a manner more then ordinary For the former of these they are of two sorts 1. The Evil of Affliction And 2. The Evil of Sin 1. The Evil of Affliction of what kind soever it be or for what cause soever it comes to be our portion whether upon our own Personal account or upon the Common account of Religion These are the means that God makes use of Dan. 11.35 And some of them of understanding shall fall to try them and to purge and to make them white Isa 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away their sin And they are fit means for they have a great tendency to awaken the Conscience as Gen. 42.21 And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother To break the unruliness of our Spirits and to make us willing to hearken to what God speaks unto us in his word Hos 5.15 I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early And therefore when God is pleased to exercise us this way we ought to improve them for this end And it is a great aggravation of sin and a great evidence of an heart greatly unmortified not to do it Isa 57.17 For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Therefore Hear the Rod and who hath appointed it Mic. 6.9 Yet for all this we may not desire to come under the lash of any of God's Rods when we are free in hope that we may thus improve them For who knows afore-hand but that when he hath his desire and is under the Rod that it will not either be with him as it was with Ahaz 2 Chron. 28.22 And in the time of his sickness he did trespass yet more against the Lord. This is that King Ahaz Or otherwise with him that it was with Nabal whose heart was as unsensible in him as a stone during the time of his sickness 1 Sam. 25. This we are sure of that there needs an Almighty power to work with them to make them have any effectual influence to purge out so much as one of those lusts which hinder the well-fare and prosperity of the Soul And what ground we have to hope that God will put forth any such
power with any of his Rods especially when we our selves without any call from God have called for them and desired them would be well considered of 2. As the Evil of Affliction is not to be desired for this end but only to be made use of for this end when God brings it upon us So it is with the Evil of Sin God is pleased often to make use of his peoples miscarriages to work much this way bringing Soul-health out of Soul-sickness Thus God wrought with Peter Compare Matth. 26.33 with John 21.15 And with Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.26 Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart And thus he wrought with David That great sin of his through the mighty working of the Spirit of God upon his heart occasioned as great exercise of his Repentance and of his Faith as ever he gave any evidence of in the whole time of his life from the first day of his Conversion to the time of his Death So that incestuous Corinthian his sorrow was so deep that he was in danger to have been swallowed up by it Thus the Lord is pleased to work as we have heard that skilful Physicians according to the rules of Art can temper poisonful ingredients into wholesome Medicines But this is proper for them only to medle withal that are skilful in their Art So this is a divine skill proper only to the great Physician of Souls But this we may not apply our selves unto I mean not to give way to sin in hope that Faith and Repentance may thereby be set on work and our Souls prosper the better after it No No Man ought to give way to the least sin though he had the greatest ground of hope that might be that he might be preserved thereby from a greater sin It 's true in respect of the evil of suffering when there is no remedy but one of them must be chosen the less may be chosen to avoid the greater But in respect of the evil of sin we ought not to swallow a Gnat in hope thereby to avoid a Camel Not to take up a Moat in hope thereby to shift off the Beam but stand out against all and leave the success to God Rom. 3.8 I once met with a godly Man who being in great heaviness under the sense of the hardness of his heart was tempted to adventure upon some great sin and then his heart would melt and break presently But the Lord graciously preserved him and wrought in him that tenderness in a great measure which he desired whereas yielding to that temptation had been the way to have been hardened by the deceit of sin as that young Man Dr. Preston speaks of who being in much anguish of spirit for his wicked course of life and often resolving upon a course of Reformation was tempted to do but once more as he had done and then he should never be troubled more He yielded to the temptation and he was never troubled any more as he had been but was given up to work all iniquity with greediness We see then it is God's sole Prerogative to bring Good out of Evil and as I said Soul-health out of Soul-sickness But this way we ought to abhor Only when this comes to be our sad condition we ought to do as Manasses did 2 Chron. 33.12 13 When he was in Affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly And prayed unto him He besought the Lord and he prayed that is he prayed and he prayed and humbled himself greatly So did Peter Matth. 26. ult Thus ye see there are some means we ought not to adventure upon in hope to make use of them for the prospering of our Souls 2. There are some other means which ought immediately and daily though at some times more solemnly then others to be made use of according as we find that we have contracted any guilt or defilement upon our Souls either great or small more or less and that is in the renewed exercise of Repentance and Faith to apply our selves to the Lord Jesus Christ that he would wash us and purge us both from the one and the other 1. In the renewed exercise of Repentance and godly sorrow reallizing the sad consequences that may possibly follow and are very likely to follow the least sin that is slighted and indulged Thus Job 42.6 Wherefore I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes He was no vile person he had not committed any gross sins but guilty he was of many unadvised speeches of some mixture of that corruption which is contrary to that grace wherein he was so eminent I mean of impatience and of distrustfulness as to God's delivering him These were his failings and for these he renewed the exercise of his Repentance even to abhorring himself so as he was vile in his own eyes whilst he was pretious in the eyes of God This is a great Purger 2 Cor. 7.11 For behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves c. Jam. 4.8 Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded 2. In the exercise of Faith that draws and purges Hereby virtue is drawn from Christ As that Diseased Woman said and found it by experience when she touched him It was the touch of Faith by which her fountain of blood was stopped Mark 5.28 29. Thus faith also purifies Act. 15.9 That which we have Mal. 4.2 is very considerable to this purpose Christ is said to be the Sun of Righteousness And when he ariseth and shineth upon the Soul he ariseth with healing in his wings What are these wings The wings of the natural Sun are the beams of the Sun whereby light and heat are conveyed from the Sun And the wings of the mystical Sun the Sun of Righteousness are the Gospel of Christ and the Spirit of Christ These are the healers Ezek. 47.8 There were the waters of the Sanctuary which healed the waters of the Sea When these waters have free course according to what the Apostle prayed for 2 Thes 3.1 so as they meet with no stop in the mouths of the Ministers nor in the hearts of the people their healing efficacy will evidently appear It is said indeed in the fore-mentioned chapter of Ezekiel v. 11. that the miry places were not healed In such places where the water hath not its free course but stops it mingles with the softer parts of the Earth and makes Mire So the truths of the Gospel though they meet with no stop in the mouths of the Ministers yet if they meet with obstructions in the hearts of the hearers so as the motions of the Spirit are not observed and the operations of the Spirit resisted Then corruption mingles even with the word it self turning the freeness of the grace of Christ into wantonness and the efficacy of his grace into laziness This makes a miry polluted dirty Soul Therefore
that this above all things else hath a powerful influence into its spiritual well-fare and prosperity For this keeps life in faith and heart in hope and enables the Soul to live in the exercise of them both and in the exercise of Repentance and keeps the heart warm with love to Christ In the exercise of which graces as hath been shewed Soul-prosperity doth consist and is much promoted 1 Joh. 3.3 And every one that hath this hope purifieth himself as he is pure Zech. 12.10 I will powre the spirit of grace and supplication and they shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him Luk. 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven for she loved much 2 Cor. 5.14 15 For the love of Christ constraineth us c. Therefore as ever we desire that our Souls should prosper let us be much in the meditation of the Materials whereof the garment of this Righteousness is made that we may distinctly understand it and let every humbled Sinner wrestling against the workings of his unbelief and making out after an interest in Christ adventure to apply it and to receive it as that which is freely offered unto him Rev. 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come And let him that is athirst Come and whosoever will let him take the Water of life freely And so put it on though by a weak and trembling faith and continue still to do it that so in due time when the only-wise God sees it best for us we may know we have it This is the way to find rest to our Souls For consider but these two things 1. That as the imputation of Adam's sin was the original of all ungodliness and the undoing of all our Souls so the imputation of this Righteousness to the Soul and the clothing of the Soul with it is the original of all the principles of godliness which are the life and prosperity of the Soul for by the merit of his death Christ purchased them all and by his intercession and pleading this he applyeth them all 2. Consider this That it is as great yea and greater satisfaction to Christ himself to see an humbled conflicting Soul receive it put it on apply it and plead it for what grace and mercy soever it stands in need of I say it is a greater satisfaction to Christ himself to see such a Soul do it then it is to the Soul it self that doth it though he know he hath done it so as is accepted Isa 53.11 He shall see of the travail of his Soul and be satisfied He accounts all the travails of his Soul all his sufferings all his obedience to the Law satisfied for in this And thus much of that Garment of Righteousness which is wrought for the Soul by Christ himself 2. The Soul that prospers must be clothed with the Garment of Righteousness wrought in the Soul by the Spirit of Christ The righteousness wrought in the Soul is the same with that which is called Saving grace and true holiness It is called Righteousness because it is the impression of God's Righteousness upon the Soul in the exercise whereof the Soul works unto God as the chiefest good and utmost end by a right rule set in the Word and therefore often expressed by Vprightness and Sincerity Every Soul that is clothed with the outward garment the Garment of Righteousness wrought for him is also clothed with the inward Garment of Righteousness wrought in him though all are not so well clothed with it as some are but in some measure All are For these two garments though they are distinguished yet they are always worn together and never divided Where Christ is Righteousness to the Soul he hath wrought this Righteousness in the Soul He that puts on Christ puts on The New Man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness Eph. 4.24 Hence it is that when those whose Souls did prosper are said to be righteous Persons as Noah Gen. 7.1 Abel Matth. 23.35 Abraham Isa 41.2 Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 And Lot 2 Pet. 2.8 his Soul is said to be a righteous Soul And when it is said That the righteous shall shine as the Sun in the firmament Matth. 13.43 And enter into Eternal Life Matth. 25.46 We must understand it that they were clothed with both these Garments both that of Righteousness wrought for them and that of Righteousness wrought in them And whereas it is said 1 Cor. 6.9 That no unrighteous person can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven We must understand it of those who have not the double clothing of Righteousness He that hath not both hath neither And he that hath the one hath the other And so far as a Man knows that he is clothed with the One so far he knows that he is clothed with the Other and he that questions either will question both He that is in doubt that he hath not the One is in doubt that he hath not the Other In the prosecuting of this point something had need to be said to each of the four Particulars 1. I shall shew what the garment of Righteousness wrought in us is The materials whereof it is made 2. I shall shew that without this garment whatever profession is made of interest in that other Garment of Righteousness which is wrought for us the Soul cannot prosper 3. That the better the Soul is clothed with this garment the more it doth and the better it will prosper 4. Some Directions in reference to the clothing our selves with and well using of this Garment 1. What this Garment of Righteousness wrought in us is or the Materials whereof it is made Ye may take this brief description of it It is that Heaven-born Principle of spiritual life which contains in it the whole seed of God the universal principle of godliness enclining the heart seriously to endeavour that every known truth may be heartily submitted unto every gracious principle exercised every corruption mortified every duty performed every infirmity bewailed the conversation in all things rightly ordered every Providence improved and all as in the sight of God Ye see this garment is made up of several pieces I can do no less and I shall do more then speak a little to each of them 1. It is that Heaven-born principle of spiritual life which contains in it the universal principle of godliness As Original sin is a universal principle of Corruption levening throughout the whole lump of Man's nature So this principle of Righteousness wrought in the Soul graciously renews the whole Man though not wholly The new Creature is born at once though it grows by steps and degrees Therefore every one that thinks or desires to be clothed with it must put on the whole Armour of God Eph. 6.10 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 Giving all diligence add to your faith vertue c. Col. 3.12 13 Put on as the elect of
Paul had it Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me And he exhorts all that when they have put on the whole armour of God and have every grace ready for exercise yet then to Be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6.10 11. 3. Let this be thought on too That though we ought to rest upon Christ for his assistance herein as if he were to do all and we our selves were to do nothing at all yet we ought so to stir up our selves and exercise our most serious thoughts and endeavours herein as if no help at all were to be expected from him Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to do Thus I have shewed you the expressions in the Text leading me that way that what in a natural way is necessary for the health and well-fare of the body that in a spiritual way is as much necessary for the health well-fare and prosperity of the Soul And this I have shewed in four Particulars I told you when I entred first upon this use That when in the use of these means all begins to be well within the Soul begins to thrive and prosper Yet it may possibly have its fainting fits sometimes by reason of continued afflictions sometimes from a deep sense of invincible infirmities For the more of these gracious principles there are in the heart and the more they are exercised the more sad impression the least failing makes upon the heart No marvel if it be with such as it was with Jonah when the waters compassed him about and the reeds were wrapt about his head then he said his Soul fainted within him Jon. 2.5 6 7. And David had like to have done so when false witnesses were risen up against him I had fainted saith he unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Psal 27.12 13. Now as when Nature is almost spent and bodily strength fails there is need of relief by some comfortable Cordials As that poor Man 1 Sam. 30.12 being faint David's Men gave him something and then his spirits came to him which it seems were departing from him Now as the Lord Jesus was very tender over those that came from far to hear him and had been three days with him lest they should faint in their way homeward and therefore he wrought a miracle to relieve them Matth. 15.32 So without doubt he is as tender to prevent Soul-fainting Isa 57 15 16 to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the Souls which I have made Something therefore must be said to this Therefore though I cannot descend to particulars that would be too great a work I shall only give some general rules which may be indifferently applyed to all cases Let then every Soul that is ready to faint 1. Do as Jonah did in the place before quoted chap. 2. ver 7 My Soul fainted within and I remembred the Lord. Remembrance implies dependence Psal 20.7 But we will remember the name of the Lord our God This is prescribed for a fainting Soul Isa 50.10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Now we must know that the Name of the Lord may have reference to that name Exod. 34.5 6 7 The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious c. This is very chearing For a fainting Soul may sometimes take encouragement from an Attribute of God when he doubts whether he may touch with a promise or no. Or it may have reference to that name Jer. 23 6 The Lord our Righteousness Certainly when a Soul seeth nothing in it self whereby it can challenge any interest in any ground of comfort yet because there is grace and mercy enough in the name of God and merit and righteousness enough in the Son of God such a Soul may see ground enough to resolve as Isa 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him Psal 34.5 They looked to him and were lightened and their faces were not ashamed Though all the clouds were not presently scattered yet they had some light And a little Candle in a dark room in a very dark night though it do not make it day as the Sun doth yet it is some reviving till the day do appear 2. Let it be well considered what God imposeth upon fainting Souls as one great part of their work in such a season Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved When thou art ready to faint under thy burden cast it upon me saith the Lord Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden Do then as David did he hears the command speaking in general unto all Psal 27.8 Seek ye my face and seeth himself concerned in it and therefore resolves Thy face Lord will I seek It is observable that when Christ commanded the blind Man to come unto him Mar. 10.49 Be of good comfort say those that were by-standers the Master calls thee Such commands in this case may sometimes be of greater use then promises and more effectual for the silencing of doubts and discouragements For the best are apt when in the dark to dispute their interest in the promises till they have disputed themselves out of all heart to close with them But Commands are not to be disputed but obeyed See Luk. 5.5 There was discouragement enough They had fished all night and caught nothing nevertheless say they at thy word we will let down the Net 3. Taking it for granted that a fainting Soul in obedience to the command of Christ is willing if able to come to Christ and to close with him And if the question were put to him as it was to Rebecca Gen. 24.58 Wilt thou go with this man He would answer as she did I will go And hearing the terms whereon he promiseth to be ours can and doth yield unto them as heartily as Laban did to Jacob's and desire as he did Gen. 30.34 I would it might be according to thy word Then let every fainting Soul know his right and claim it and know his duty upon this account and set about it 1. Know his right and claim it What 's that Even the promises of God as his inheritance for those that yield to Christ's terms are received into the number of his adopted Children Joh. 1.12 And if Children then Heirs Rom. 8.17 Heirs of what See Gal. 3.29 And if ye be Christs then are ye Abraham's
some Communion with God some drawings nigh in holy duties some good hopes through grace of acceptance with God unto Eternal Life yet within a while overcome again with deadness and darkness strange flatness and coldness growing upon the face of the whole Soul again so as it is nothing the same it was Thus we see that though the state of grace be sure 2 Tim. 2.19 yet the workings of grace are variable The nature of it is unchangeable but the degrees of it are subject to many changes the operations of it to many alterations So that though the principles of godliness be always like themselves yet the most godly Souls that prosper most are not always like themselves 3. As there may be such a sad and sudden change in the most prosperous Soul that lives so that may be lost in such a change which will not be recovered but with very much difficulty A Ship may easily be born down the stream but it is hardly fetcht up again A Man may lose more strength in a few days sickness then can be recovered in many days I have read of Henry the First King of England a sober and temperate Prince that he surfeited with eating a Lamprey which cost him his life Thus one intemperate meal may overthrow the temperance of a Man's whole life for the same History saith of that King that he did seldom or never eat but when he was hungry or drink but when he was thirsty yet thus he came to his end Thus it may be in this matter which we are speaking of Even the Soul that mounts aloft by the supplies of grace as upon Eagles wings if spiritual drowsiness creep by degrees upon it and that it begins to dally with duties or to dally with sin it may cost much spiritual wrestling and striving with God much heart-humbling and mourning in the sight of God before it recovers its former height and heavenly temper If a Watch be let fall and receive a bruise it must be all taken asunder before it be brought to its former exactness and evenness of motion Read the 5 ch of the Canticles at the beginning there ye may perceive what hard work the Church had in seeking after Christ before she found him again We read of David's first days as his best days 2 Chron. 17.3 And though it may easily be proved that he recovered his former stature both in grace and comfort yet it may as easily be proved that he found it no easie matter to recover either the one or the other And this his 7 penitential Psalms do sufficiently prove 4. Yet for all this much may be done this way so as a prospering Soul may continue in its prosperous state more then the most careful Man in the World can do for the continuance of the prosperity of his worldly estate A Man may be looking to and taking care for the well managing of his estate and yet whilst his eye is upon it he may see it upon the wing and flying away from him as the Eagle towards Heaven far enough out of his reach See Job 1.14 Job's Servants with great care and diligence attended their Master's business for the securing his Cattel and improving his ground each of them according to their place and yet ye know how suddenly all was lost so that it came to be a Proverb As poor as Job But there is more certainty of God's prospering serious endeavours in minding Soul-prosperity For if the occasions of sin be watched against one day as well as another if the first risings of sin be checked and suppressed if grace be exercised suitable to the Providence of the day and Communion with God in the duties of Religion be made our great business of the day so far and so long as it is so so far and so long the Soul will continue to prosper And why all this may not be done one day as well as another no reason can be given The promise of the assistance of the spirit for all this is ready one day as well as another And God is a God hearing prayers for all this one day as well as another And therefore what is done one day may be done another It is said of Enoch Gen. 5.22 That though the age he lived in were very corrupt yet he walked with God and lived in some degree of eminency in the exercise of the principles of godliness above others of the Servants of God that were his contemporaries and he had this testimony the Spirit of God witnessing together with his Spirit That he pleased God Heb. 11.5 And it is well known that the blessed Apostle Paul as he began so he continued fighting a good fight finishing his course keeping the faith and living by faith to his dying day as he saith Gal. 2.20 2 Tim. 4.6 7 And though his outward condition was for the most part very low yet his spiritual condition was very thriving and flourishing though the one perished daily yet the other was renewed 2 Cor. 4.16 5. Our labours and endeavours how much soever we abound therein will not be in vain but be abundantly recompensed in the blessed fruits and effects thereof When a prospering Soul is carried on with a full gale in its holy course the precious influences of the Spirit of God in and by the Ordinances of God will be fixed and the word will be an abiding word and not like those human Ordinances the Apostle speaks of Col. 2.22 which perish in the using And as the matter requires the word which ye hear at one time will be brought to remembrance at another time as Joh. 14.26 and put the Sword of the Spirit into your hands so as to resist the assaults of Satan and discover a temptation in time of temptation before the heart be ensnared by it 2. To keep the heart humble and heaven-ward under a confluence of all worldly comforts To keep it calm and well-composed under all provocations from Men and afflictions from God so as to run with patience the race that is set before us holding on till our course be finished To be much above distracting fears in time of danger all of them being mightily subdued in the reverential fear and awe of God yea to have our thoughts of death full of comfort and our hopes of Eternal happiness full of well-grounded confidence To be able to live to God whilst we live and to dye to God when we dye These and many such like are the effects and blessed consequences of this so far as it prospers So as all such whose Souls do prosper see cause daily not only to bless their God but also as it is Isa 65.16 To bless themselves in their God whatever their condition be Therefore let not these consolations of God seem small unto us but engage us according as we are commanded Deut. 4.9 To keep our Souls diligently lest we forget the things which our eyes have seen and lose those things
which our hearts have wrought These things being premised I proceed to the Directions necessary as I suppose to be observed in this case 1. Souls that prosper being through the assistance of the quickening presence of the Spirit of God with them well recovered out of that spiritual deadness benummedness their hearts were sunk into must take heed of Relapses Sin as ye have heard is the Souls sickness Therefore as ye ought to take heed that there be not any unmortified root of bitterness in you as Heb. 12.15 So take heed of relapsing into that sin or those sins whether of Omission or Commission whatever they were which brought your Souls into and kept them in that unprospering and unthriving condition under which ye groaned and from which ye find your selves now in some good measure so happily recovered Those that are recovered out of a dangerous Disease if they be not very careful may relapse again And Relapses though they are not always mortal yet they are always dangerous It is so with the Soul In Levit. 13.18 19 20. we read that out of a bile that is healed there may spring up a Leprosie a Disease far more dangerous then the former It is a sad but a true charge upon the Lord 's professing People of old Hos 11.7 that they were bent to back-sliding And this proneness hath been as is too often reduced into the act And no marvel for whatever is nought and reigns in the hearts of the worst Men there is still a remainder of it in the best of Men. Now it is as certain as that two and three make five that if the most prosperous Souls be not well look't unto according to the suitableness of the temptation every old ill quality will break forth again For every thing that is natural as all ill qualities are to the Soul and this of relapsing and back-sliding as natural as any will return to their state if special care be not taken to hinder it As a stone that is thrown up into the Air will fall down again when the force of the Arm that threw it up is spent And water will have its course downward when once the damm that stopt it is broken down This particular then is necessary to be spoken to and that somewhat largely which shall be recompenced in speaking more briefly unto those other Directions that follow For if this be neglected none of the rest will be observed Consider then 1. That relapsing and back-sliding in its general nature is directly and in a special manner contrary to the exercise of those principles of godliness which have the same influence into the health and well-fare of the Soul as natural heat and radical moisture have into the health and well-fare of the Body I mean Faith and Repentance By the exercise of Faith we come to Christ Joh. 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me And by the exercise of Repentance we turn unto God Joel 2.12 Turn ye unto me with all your heart Now relapsing and back-sliding is a departure from God Heb 3.12 a drawing back Heb. 10.38 2. To bring this yet more closely to the matter I am speaking unto we must take notice that this relapsing or back sliding comes under a double consideration 1. There is a relapsing or back-sliding which proceeds from the want of the principles of godliness This is to be charged upon those that after illumination and conviction having given up their Names to Christ and engaged in the profession of Religion Fall first from the practice and it may be at last from the very profession of Religion First from all appearance of exact and circumspect walking to vanity and loosness and then it may be to open prophaneness as they 2 Pet. 2.20 If after they have escaped the polutions of the World through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again entangled and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning These do not fall from the grace they had but do indeed discover that they never had any For every one that hath the true principles of godliness in his heart shall persevere in his gracious state The Seed of God will remain in him though he do not always remain in his gracious frame The new-born Christian is born a Conquerour his victory bears date from his birth 1 Joh. 5.4 For whosoever is born of God overcometh the World and shall at last be more then conquerour Rom. 8.37 2. There is a relapsing and back-sliding through weakness or rather as the truth is for want of the exercise of the principles of godliness whereby the heart is drawn sometimes one way and sometimes another way from God 1. Sometimes through violence of temptation and the unmortified inclination of the heart into some outward act of sin which may come under the observation of others as we may see in Peter several times he was surprized with selfish fears which brought forth sad effects Once when he tempted Christ not to hazard himself at Jerusalem Matth. 16.21 22 23. This was from his fear lest if it should go ill with his Master it would not go well with him This appears by Christ's thereupon pressing upon him and all that would be his Disciples the duty of Self-denyal and the Doctrine of the Cross ver 31. And then after that when Christ was arraigned Matth. 26.70 And after both these we find him falling into a grudging of the same Disease Gal. 2.11 12. So John the beloved Disciple was twice surprized so far to forget himself as twice to give that worship to the Creature which was due to God alone Rev. 19.10 and ch 22.8 There are other gross corruptions which as the Apostle saith are manifest works of the flesh It would be an astonishing thing if any that ever were alive to God much more if any whose Souls did ever prosper should back-slide so far as into such dead works This were a high degree of quenching the Spirit for Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh 2. There is a back-sliding through weakness or rather through want of exercise of the principles of godliness into many inward and spiritual evils which no eye seeth but the eye of the most holy God who seeth all things such as spiritual dullness and listlesness unto that which is good as Isa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thee that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee So as private duties are either omitted in their Season or shuffled up in a slight and formal manner Though God be the object of the duty yet the enjoyment of God is not made the end of the duty when the heart grows vain goes in and out constant in nothing but inconstancy assuming unto it self a lawless liberty as if there were none to observe it none to judge easily drawn away to forgetfulness of God sliding
away without any observation from under the power of all obligations to the contrary Relapses of this nature though they do not presently make any great noise in the World yet it will not be long before they will be seen in sad effects and be discerned in more visible miscarriages If they be indulged they are great enemies to Soul-prosperity and will prove the very bane and break-neck of that thriving and prosperous frame the Soul was grown or growing into This is then seriously to be considered of by all those whose Souls begin to prosper and when it begins to be better with them then it hath been in respect of their inward frame and temper of the hidden man of the heart as ever they desire they may continue so and lose the things which they have wrought to beware of relapses Ye have heard that ye are not exempted from them nor exempted from a possibility Heb. 3.12 Take heed Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God As if the Apostle had said That which I speak to one I speak to another I speak to all therefore let every one take heed Now that which I find in Scripture pressed upon us for preventing such relapses is to have a watchful eye over and a constant hand upon all the inward workings and stirrings of the inward Man for from thence they have their rise as ye may observe in several sorts of Trees their decay is first observed in the withering of the boughs but it begins in the root which fails in sending up sap into them as formerly Even so it is here which way soever relapses are discover'd they begin from within Psal 44.18 Our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way Professours first fall from their apprehensions of the necessity of circumspect walking their convictions of the goodness of the ways of God wear off and their affections decay and the works of the flesh break forth and manifest themselves by degrees Therefore as ever we desire to hold fast what we have received be sure to keep the heart with all diligence as Prov. 4.23 Where 1. Our personal care is required Keep thy heart 2. Our principal care Keep it with or above all keeping As it is with the heart naturally considered if that begin to tremble or be in fear or apprehension of danger the blood and spirits as it is observed will forsake the outward parts and run to that to guard and succour it the least wound therein being mortal if it be but with the pricking of a Pin. Thus the heart is kept in its natural capacity but the matter we are speaking of is touching the keeping of the heart in its spiritual capacity and keep it we ought with all diligence watch it by night and by day at home and abroad when we are in company and when we are alone at all times and in all places yea as the Apostle presseth it on Timothy Watch in all things 2 Tim. 4.5 Now this keeping this watching the heart hath special reference to the inward workings and stirrings of corruption 1. To prevent in the strength of Christ so far as may be prevented in this state of imperfection the first risings of them of any one kind whatsoever however to prevent if possible and possible it is that the Corruption and the Temptation may be kept asunder Matth. 26.41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Otherwise there will be sad work and the prosperity of the Soul will begin to fade and that upon the sudden Though Hezekiah as holy a Man as he was and how much soever his Soul did prosper and prosper it did exceedingly yet he had always a root of pride in him which though it did not stir him to shew his Treasures to every body yet when he fell into the temptation by occasion of the visit he had from the King of Babylon by his Ambassadours then the Corruption and the Temptation did meet and ye may read in the history how much the well-fare of his Soul was prejudiced by it So it was with David he had though a Man after God's own heart the same root of the same corruption in him yet it did not break forth so as to abate any thing of his Souls prosperity till the temptation met with it To have his subjects numbred neither had it then if he had watched as Peter did to keep the temptation and the corruption asunder See Act. 8.20 Thy money perish with thee said Peter to Simon Magus The temptation was suitable for Peter was out of money Act. 3.6 Silver and gold have I none And Peter was not so perfect as to be beyond the power of the temptation but he kept the temptation from mingling with what corruption soever was in his heart and so the gracious frame of his heart continued untoucht by it So David 2 Sam. 16.10 And the King said what have I to do with you ye Sons of Zerviah so let him curse c. He was subject to the same passions with other Men but by the assistance no doubt of the Spirit of God he kept the temptation and the corruption asunder and so his Soul prospered the better for that tryal 2. If there should be as there is great danger there may be a sad meeting so it is and so it will be found betwixt the corruption and the temptation then endeavour by the assistance of the spirit that your own spirits may immediately rise up in indignation against it and after some hearty ejaculations for the present with the first opportunity with hearty loathing and inward self abhorrency bring forth the temptation and the corruption to the law of God and see them there condemned and to the blood of Christ and see them there pardoned and to the spirit of Christ that thereby all may be subdued and mortified Really a Soul that desires to prosper and to continue to prosper should as kindly work in a heart-melting and a heart-humbling way for these sinful stirrings of the heart before God as for sinful words and sinful actions before Men Psal 73.22 So foolish was I and ignorant even as a beast before thee It is or should be with the Soul that prospers as it is with the eye if a small dust get into it it will never leave twinkling and watering till it be out 2 Chron. 32.26 Hezekiah humbled himself greatly for the pride of his heart Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death He speaks of the law in his members warring against the law of his mind vers 23. This is the way to prevent relapses into sin which is the Soul's sickness and if not prevented or timely healed will overthrow the prosperity of prospering Souls SERMON XIII 2ly AS Souls that begin to prosper and have any desire to continue so ought to keep themselves