sincere Christian he looks to the circumstance as well as the substance to the manner as well as to the matter of the command when he prayes he labours to pray fervently earnestly Jam. 5.17 18. he labours to get his heart into his prayers when he hears he will hear with attention and intention of spirit when he walks Mich. 6.8 1 Pet. 2.12 3.1 2 3. 1 Thes 2.10 2 Cor. 1.12 Psal 110.3 he endeavours to walk wisely humbly faithfully fruitfully circumspectly exemplarily winningly convincingly blamelesly when he obeys he desires and endeavours to obey freely willingly cheerfully O Sirs if we pray and pray not fervently if we hear and hear not fruitfully if we obey and obey not willingly if we shew mercy Isa 58.13 and do it not cheerfully if we sanctifie the Sabbath and not with delight all is worth nothing all will come to nothing Mark there are some circumstances accessary some necessary some wherein the being and some wherein the well being of a duty doth consist and if you abstract these from them the duty is worth nothing take away fervency and humility from prayer take away faithfulness and fruitfulness from hearing and take away willingness and delight from obedience and all will be worth nothing God regards not only the matter but the manner Criton the Papist could say That God loved better Adverbs than Nouns not to pray only but to pray well Non bonum sed bene agere Not to do good but to do it well is the great wisdom of a Christian what is the Sun without light or the fountain without water or the body without the soul or wood without fire or a bullet without a gun or a Ship without a rudder no more are words in prayer without the spirit of prayer God looks more at the manner than at the matter of your prayers And let thus much suffice to confirm the first particular But Secondly That obedience that springs from faith is an obedience that is only grounded upon the Word of God the Commands of God Ps 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Mat. 5.18 For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled John 10.35 If he called them Gods unto whom the word of God came and the Scripture cannot be broken Chap. 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day 2 Tim. 3.16 17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine fâ—r reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness that the mâ—n of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Now the reasons why that obedience that springs from faith is an obedience that is only grounded upon the Word of God the Commands of God are these five And the first is drawn from the supremacy and soveraignty of God who alone is to prescribe to man his duty he is our great Lord and Master he is our Lord and Law-giver Isa 33.22 For the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver the Lord is our King James 4.12 There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy who art thou that judgest another Now by the Laws of this Lord and Law-giver we must square all our actions Look as it would be very absurd in a servant to do that work which he thinks meet and not what his Master commands so 't is as absurd for men to think that God will accept of this or that at their hands when they can't plead his superscription and authority for what they do God will one day say to such Who hath required this at your hands Isa 1.12 O Sirs you must lay the command of God as a foundation for what you do or else all your buildings though never so glorious will certainly totter and fall in all you do you must be able to say Thus saith the Lord or else after you have done your best you may be undone for ever But Secondly God's promise and blessing is only annexed to God's command he that will have the sweet of the promise and the blessings of heaven he must look that his obedience be bottomed upon divine commands in holy actions 't is not thy performance nor thy grace nor thy warmth nor thy zeal but the command and the promise that is annexed to it that will bear thee out Gal. 4.28 Heb. 6.17 therefore we are called children of the promise and heirs of the promise The children of God in all their obedience should still keep an eye upon the command of God and the promise of God as ever they would run the race that is set before them Heb. 12.1 But Thirdly Our obedience must be grounded and bottomed upon a divine command because of that great corruption pollution blindness and darkness which is upon our minds and understandings which would carry us to what not if we were not to steer our Christian course by divine commands Col. 2.20 21 22. The Apostle condemns those things which had a shew of humility and great mortification because they were not bottomed upon a divine command and Christ condemned many practises of the Scribes and Pharisees because they were not bottomed upon a divine command As you may see by comparing the 6 15. and 23. Chapters of Matthew together But Fourthly Our obedience must be bottomed upon a divine command because else we can never be able to bear up our hearts comfortably couragiously confidently and resolutely under all the afflictions Psal 44 9 ult Ezek. 28.12 22. oppositions temptations persecutions and discouragements that we meet with in the wayes of the Lord and in doing the work of the Lord. All the Messages that the Prophets delivered were still grounded upon a divine command Acts 4.19 20. 5.29 Thus saith the Lord and this steeled their spirits in the work of the Lord this made them resolute and undaunted in the midst of all the afflictions and oppositions that they met with And so 't was a word of command that raised the spirits and encouraged the hearts of the Apostles in the work of the Lord in the face of all the oppositions threatnings and buffetings that they met with from the civil powers You know Absalom layes his bloudy command upon his servants as their highest encouragement to that bloudy work of killing his brother Amnon 2 Sam. 13.28 Now Absalom had commanded his servants his Assasines saying Mark ye now when Amnons heart is merry with wine and when I say unto you smite Amnon then kill him fear not have not I commanded you be
with those who say it is an Hebraism the plural righteousnesses noting that most perfect compleat absolute righteousness which Christ is pleased to put upon his people Upon the account of this righteousness of Christ the Church is said to be without spot or wrinkle Eph. 5.27 and to be all fair Thou art all fair my love Cant. 4.7 Col. 2.10 there is no spot in thee And to be compleat And ye are compleat in him which is the head of all principality â—nd power Rev. 14.5 And to be without fault They are without fault before the throne of God And so Col. 1.21 And to present us holy and unblamable and unreprovable in the sight of God But Fourthly This righteousness of Christ will answer to all the fears doubts and objections of your souls How shall I look up to God the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I have any communion with a holy God in this world the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I find acceptance with God the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I dye the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ How shall I stand before a Judgment-seat the Answer is in the righteousness of Christ Your sure and only way under all temptations fears conflicts doubts and disputes is by faith to remember Christ That was a rare speech of Luther Ipsâ— videret ubi anima mea mansura sit qui pro ea sic solicitus fuit ut vitam pro ea posuerit let him see to it where my soul shall rest who took so much care for it as that he laid down his life for it and the sufferings of Christ as your Mediator and Surety and say O Christ thou art my sin in being made sin for me and thou art my curse in being made a curse for me or rather I am thy sin and thou art my righteousness I am thy curse and thou art my blessing I am thy death and thou art my life I am the wrath of God to thee and thou art the love of God to me I am thy hell and thou art my heaven O Sirs if you think of your sins and of God's wrath if you think of your guiltiness and of God's justice your hearts will fail you and sink into despair if you don't think of Christ if you don't rest and stay your souls upon the Mediatory righteousness of Christ But Fifthly and lastly The righteousness of Christ is the best title that you have to shew for a Kingdom that shakes not Heb. 12.28 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. 2 Cor. 5.1 2 3 4. for riches that corrupt not for an inheritance that fadeth not away and for an house not made with hands but one eternal in the heavens The righteousness of Christ is your life your joy your comfort your crown your confidence your heaven your all and therefore whether your graces or gracious evidences do sparkle and shine or are clouded or blotted yet still keep a fixed eye and an awakned heart upon the Mediatory righteousness of Jesus Christ for that 's the righteousness by which you may happily live comfortably die and boldly appear before a Judgment-seat But The third Royal Fort that Christians should have their eyes their hearts fixed upon whether their graces or gracious evidences sparkle and shine or are obscured and clouded is the Covenant of grace The Covenant of grace is a new compact or agreement which God hath made with sinful man out of his own meer mercy and grace Deut. 4.23 Isa 55.3 54.7 8 9 10. Jer. 31.31 Psal 50.5 c. Hos 14.4 Tit. 3.6 Eph. 1.5 6 7. Chap. 2.5 7 8. Rom. 9.18 23. Jer. 32.38 39 40 41. Ezek. 36.25 26 27. wherein he undertakes both for himself and for faln man wherein he engages himself to make faln man everlastingly happy All mankind had been eternally lost and God had lost all the glory of his mercy for ever had he not of his own free-grace and mercy made such an agreement with sinful man This Covenant is called a Covenant of grace because it flows from the meer grace and mercy of God There was nothing out of God nor nothing in God but his meer mercy and grace that moved him to enter into Covenant with poor sinners In the Covenant of grace there are two things considerable First the Covenant that God makes for himself to us which consists of these Branches 1. That he will be our God 2. That he will give us a new heart a new spirit 3. That he will not turn away his face from us from doing of us good 4. That he will put his fear into our hearts 5. That he will cleanse us from all our filthiness and from all our Idols 6. That he will rejoyce over us to do us good Secondly here is the Covenant which God doth make for us to himself which consists in these things 1. That we shall be his people 2. That we shall fear him for ever 3. That we shall walk in his Statutes keep his Judgments and do them 4. That we shall not depart from him Upon many accounts I may not enlarge on these things but by these short hints 't is evident that the Covenant of grace is an entire Covenant made by God both for himself and for us O Sirs in the Covenant of grace God stands engaged to give whatsoever he requires 1 Chron. 28.9 First He requires us to know him and he has engaged himself that we shall know him Jer. 24.7 I will give them a heart to know me that I am the Lord. And Jer. 31.34 They shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them Heb. 8.11 But Secondly The Lord frequently requires his people to trust in him Psal 62.8 Isa 26.4 2 Chron. 20.20 And he has engaged himself that his people shall trust in him Zeph. 3.12 I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. But Thirdly The Lord frequently commands his people to fear him Deut. 6.13 Chap. 8.6 And he has engaged himself that they shall fear him Jer. 32.40 I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Hos 3.5 They shall fear the Lord and his goodness But Fourthly The Lord frequently commands his people to love him Deut. 11.1 Psal 31.23 O love the Lord all ye his Saints And he has promised and engaged himself that his people shall love him Deut. 30.6 The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul But Fifthly The Lord frequently commands his people to call upon him and to pray unto him Psal 50.15 1 Thes 5.17 c. And he has promised and engaged himself to pour upon them a spirit of prayer Zech. 12.10 I will pour upon the house of
Men of publick spirits shall never die as Jehoram did undesired and unlamented Men of publick spirits lye most open to snares temptations and oppositions c. This all sober Christians well understand and therefore they can't but pray hard for such The names the lives the liberties the estates and all the concernments of men of publick spirits alwayes lye nearest their hearts who lye neerest to the heart of Christ Men of the greatest name and of the greatest renown and that have had the greatest stock of prayers going for them all the world over have been men of publick spirits But Sixthly and lastly When Christians of publick spirits come to dye their publick spiritedness and general usefulness will be no small comfort and cordial to them Nehemiah was a man of a publick spirit and accordingly he pleads it with God Think upon me Neh. 5. ult See Chap. 13.22 O my God for good according to all that I have done for this people This was that which sweetned death to Hezekiah I beseech thee O Lord to remember now how I have walked before thee in truth 2 King 20.3 Acts 13.36 and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight And when David had served his generation he fell asleep Sleep is not more welcom and sweet to a labouring man than death is to him who has made it his business his work sincerely and faithfully to serve his generation Such Magistrates 2 Tim. 4.7 8 9. John 17. Ministers and Christians who have made it their business according to their different measures faithfully to serve their generation have found the King of terrors to be but the King of desires to them when death to men of narrow selfish spirits hath been like the hand-writing upon the wall Dan. 5.5 6. very terrible Many score Instances might be produced out of History to evidence this Take one for all Henry Beauford that rich and wretched Cardinal Bishop of Wâ—nchester and Chancellour of England a man swallowed up in self interest in the Reign of Henry the Sixth when he perceived that he must dye Acts and Mon. fol. 925. and that there was no remedy O! how terrible was death to him and O! how did he murmur and fret and vex at death that his riches could not reprieve him till a further time For saith he wherefore should I die being so rich if the whole Realm would save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it Fie upon death saith he will not death be hired will money do nothing I might instance in men of a higher rank but then I should exceed the bounds of an Epistle The second sort of men that my self and all others are bound 1. Highly to prize 2. Cordially to love And 3. Greatly to honour Are men of charitable spirits men of merciful spirits men of tender and compassionate spirits The Hebrew word for godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies merciful to note that the godly man is the merciful man and the merciful man is the godly man Loving kindness is an ingredient unto godliness The godly man is frequently called Chasid gracious or merciful it notes one that hath obtained mercy goodness grace piety and benignity from the Lord and that is pious kind The Italian form of begging is Do good to your selves gracious and merciful to others Though charity bounty is the most compendious way to plenty and giving to getting and scattering to encreasing and layings out to layings up Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth Ver. 25. The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Yet how few in our dayes do honour the Lord with their substance Prov. 3.9 Mic. 4.13 how few look a this as a duty to consecrate any part of their gain unto the Lord or of their substance to the Lord of the whole earth Most men now carry it as if God himself had last his propriety and as if there were no rent-penny due to his poor But yet some there are who have liberal hearts and open hands Deut. 15.11 some there are who do open their hands wide to the poor and needy Now here give me leave to say Mat. 25. Prov. 31.8 9. That these 1. Discharge their consciences in the duty of charity 2. These rightly improve the talents of mercy with which they are intrusted 3. These treasure up a stock of prayers Job 29.13 2 Tim. 1.16 both for themselves and theirs the blessing and the prayers of them that were ready to perish will come upon them and theirs 4. These evidence the liveliness of their faith James 2.17 Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone Ver. 18. Yea a man may say thou hast faith and I have works shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works Ver. 26. For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also 5. These take the surest way the readiest course to assure their own souls of Gods eternal favours and mercies to them 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that be rich in this world Ver. 18. That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Ver. 19. Aeterna vitae vera vlta Aug. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Charitable Christians are as wife Merchants happy Usurers parting with that which they cannot keep that they may gain that which they cannot lose 6. These take the surest way to draw down more outward mercies upon themselves The fountain is not diminished Pedagog 3. c. 7 Clemens Alex. but augmented by giving water to the thirsty The widows oyl did increase by running we do not lose but increase our mercies by imparting of them for God's honour and the comfort and benefit of others Luk. 6.38 Give saith Christ and it shall be given to you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom The Jews more large and loose garments so that they could bear away much in their bosoms Hence this expression into your bosom The meaning is That the Lord will largely reward the beneficence of his people yea that he will so reward them that they shall perceive that they are rewarded Honour the Lord with thy substance Prov. 3.9 10. so shall thy Barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine God will certainly bless their substance who honour him with their substance The Jews at this day Godw Heb. â—ntiq 27.7 though they are not in their own Countrey and though they have not a Levitical Priesthood yet those who will be reputed Religious amongst them do distribute the tenth of their increase to the
Rev. 22.17 And let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Augustin Where there are sincere desires of grace there are the seeds of grace the conception of grace the buds of grace Sincere desires of grace are those holy seeds those divine beginnings of grace in the soul out of which grace springs and grows up to its measure and perfection O Sirs look as no man can sincerely seek God in vain so no man can sincerely desire grace in vain A man may love gold yet not have it but no man loveth God but is sure to have him Wealth a man may desire and yet be never the neerer for it but grace no man ever sincerely desired and missed it And why it is God that hath wrought this desire in the heart and he will never frustrate the desire that himself hath there wrought let no man say I have no faith no repentance no love no fear of God no sanctifying no saving grace in me Doth he see a want of those things in himself yes that is it which so grieves him that he cannot love God stand in awe of him trust in his mercy repent of sin as he should yea but doth he seriously and unfeignedly desire to do thus yes he desires it above all things in the world and would be willing as it were to buy even with a whole world the least measure or dram or drop only of such grace Now let me ask him who is it that hath wrought this desire in him Not the Devil for he would rather quench it than kindle it in him not his own corruption for that is naturally averse to every thing that is good it must needs then be the work of the Spirit of God who works in us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure and who pronounceth all them blessed that thus desire after grace Kemnitius Ursini Catechis When I have a good desire saith one though it doth scarcely shew it self in some little slender sigh I must be assured that the Spirit of God is present and worketh his good work Wicked men do not desire the grace of the holy Spirit whereby they may resist sin and therefore they are justly deprived of it for he that earnestly desireth the holy Ghost hath it already because this desire of the spirit cannot be but from the Spirit Taffnies Book of the marks of Gods children Our faith saith another may be so small and weak as it doth not yet bring forth fruits that may be lively felt in us but if they which feel themselves in such an estate desire to have these feelings namely of God's favour and love if they ask them of God's hands by prayer this desire and prayer are testimonies that the Spirit of God is in them and that they have faith already for is such a desire a fruit of the flesh or of the Spirit it is of the holy Spirit who bringeth it forth only in such as he dwells in c. Then those holy desires and prayers being the motions of the holy Ghost in us are testimonies of our faith although they seem to us small and weak As the woman that feeleth the moving of a child in her body though very weak assureth her self that she hath conceived and that she goeth with a live child So if we have these motions these holy affections and desires before mentioned let us not doubt but that we have the holy Ghost who is the Author of them dwelling in us and consequently that we have also faith Again saith the same Author 1. If thou hast begun to hate and flie sin 2. If thou feelest that thou art displeased at thine infirmities and corruptions 3. If having offended God thou findest a grief and a sorrow for it 4. If thou desire to abstain from sin 5. If thou avoidest the occasions of sin 6. If thou doest thy endeavours against sin 7. If thou prayest to God to give thee grace all these holy affections proceeding from none other than from the Spirit of God Phil. 2.13 2 Cor. 8.10 12. ought to be as so many pledges and testimonies that he is in thee It is as impossible for us naturally to do the least good or to desire the least grace as 't is for a Toad to spit Cordials Sincere desires after God and Christ and Grace is sometimes the all that the people of God find in themselves This was all that Nehemiah could say of himself and the rest of his brethren Neh. 1.11 That they did desire to fear God's name And so the Church Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thy holiness And vers 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night So the Spouse Cant. 3.1 2 3. So David Psal 27.4 Psal 42.1 2. Psal 63.1 They must needs be sure of grace that have an unfeigned desire of it This is a Maxim that we must live and die with viz. That no man can truly desire grace but he that hath already grace certainly he that desireth grace hath grace to desire it It is an infallible sign that that man hath already some measure of grace that doth seriously desire to have it he would never seriously desire to fear God who stands not in some awe of him already nor he would never seriously desire to love God who has not in him some love to God already nor he would never seriously desire to believe who has not in him some faith already nor he would never seriously desire to repent that hath not repented already nor he would never seriously desire sanctifying grace whose heart in some measure is not already sanctified by the spirit of grace It is the very essence of righteousness saith one of the Ancients for a man to be willing to be righteous Angustine Pars magna bonitatis est vellâ— fieri boâ—um Sen. Ep. 34. And the poor Heathen could say It is a principal part of goodness for a man to be willing to be good It is natural for every one to desire his own natural good but to desire spiritual grace holiness sound sanctification faith unfeigned the true fear of God serious repentance c. is more than ever any natural man did or can do No man did ever desire to eat which had not eaten before nor no man did ever desire to believe that did not believe before all true desires after faith spring from faith as the root of them Certainly wicked men don't nor can't so much as desire saving grace Job 21.14 Isa 53.2 and that First Because grace is above the reach of nature 1 Cor. 2.14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The water riseth no higher than the springs from whence it came so natural men can ascend no
in their day have laid down such things for evidences or characters of grace which being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary will be found too light But here a mantle of love may be of more use than a lamp and therefore Secondly Many yea very many there are whose graces are very weak and much buried under the earth and ashes of many fears doubts scruples strong passions prevailing corruptions and diabolical suggestions who would give as many worlds as there be men in the world had they so many in their hands to give to know that they have grace and that their spiritual estate is good and that they shall be happy for ever Now this Treatise is fitted up for the service of these poor hearts for the weakest Christians may turn to many clear and well-bottomed evidences in this Treatise and throw the Gantlet to Satan and bid him prove if he can that ever any prophane person or cunning hypocrite under heaven had such evidences or such fair certificates to shew for heaven which he has to shew The generality of Christians are weak they are rather Dwarfs than Gyants 1 Pet. 2.2 3. 1 John 2.12 13 14. Isa 40.11 they are rather bruised Reeds than tall Cedars they are rather Babes than men Lambs than sheep c. Now for the service of their souls I have been willing to send this Treatise into the world for this Treatise may speak to them when I may not yea when I cannot yea which is more when I am not Famous Mr. Dod would frequently say He cared not where he was if he could but answer these two Questions 1. Who am I And 2. What do I hear am I a child of God and am I in my way But Thirdly Some there are who are so excessively and immoderately taken up with their Signs Marks and Evidences of grace and of their gracious state c. that Christ is too much neglected Where Christ was born they were all so taken up with their guests that he was not minded nor regarded when others lay in stately rooms he must be laid in a manger Luke 2.7 and more rarely minded by them their hearts don't run out so freely so fully so strongly so frequently so delightfully towards Christ as they should do nor as they would do if they were not too inordinately taken up with their Marks and Signs Now for the rectifying of these mistakes and the cure of these spiritual maladies this Treatise is sent into the world we may and ought to make a sober use of characters and evidences of our gracious estates to support comfort and encourage us in our way to heaven but still in subordination to Christ and to the fresh and frequent exercises of faith upon the person blood and righteousness of Jesus But O! how few Christians are there that are skil'd in this Work of Works this Art of Arts this Mystery of Mysteries But Fourthly Some there are who in these dayes are given up to Enthusiastical Fancies strange Raptures Revelations and to the sad delusions of their own hearts crying down with all their might all discoveries of Believers spiritual estates by Scripture Characters 2 Thes 2.9 10 11. Marks and Signs of Sanctification as carnal and low and all this under fair pretences of exalting Christ and maintaining the honour of his Righteousness and Free-grace and of denying our selves and our own righteousness Though sanctification be a branch of the Covenant of grace as well as Justification Jer. 33.8 Ezek. 36.25 26 27. yet there are a sort of men in the world that would not have Christians to rejoyce in their sanctification under a pretence of reflecting dishonour upon their free justification by Christ. There are many who place all their Religion in opinions in brain-sick notions in airy speculations in quaint disputations in immediate Revelations and in their warm zeal for this or that form of worship Now that these may be recovered and healed and prevented from doing further mischief in the world I have at this time put to a helping hand But Fifthly No man can tell what is in the breasts in the womb of divine Providence The Brathmanni had their graves before their doors The Sybarites at Banquets had a deaths head delivered from hand to hand by every guest at the Table The Egyptians in the midst of their Feasts used to have the Anatomy of a dead man set before them as a memorandum to the guests of their mortality The poor Heathen could say that the whole life of man should be meditatio mortis a meditation of death Dwell upon that Deut. 32.29 Prov. 27 1. no man can tell what a a day a night an hour may bring forth Who can sum up the many possible deaths that are still lurking in his own bowels or the innumerable hosts of external dangers which beleaguer him on every side or how many invisible arrows flie about his ears continually and how soon he may have his mortal wound given him by one of them who can tell Now how sad would it be for a man to have a summons to appear before God in that other world before his heart and life is changed and his evidences for heaven cleared up to him The life of man is but a shadow a post a span a vapour a flower c. Though there is but one way to come into the world yet there are many thousand wayes to be sent out of the world and this should bespeak every Christian to have his evidences for heaven alwayes ready and at hand yea in his hand as well as in his heart and then he will find it an easie thing to die The King of terrors will then be the King of desires to him and he will then travel to glory under a spirit of joy and triumph We carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may die a thousand several wayes several hours As many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many windows there are for death to enter in at Death needs not spend all his arrows upon us a Worm a Gnat a Fly a Hair a stone of a Raisin a kernel of a Grape the fall of a Horse the stumble of a Foot the prick of a Pin the pairing of a Nail the cutting one of a Corn all these have been to others and any of them may be to us the means of our death within the space of a few dayes nay of a few hours Don't it therefore highly concern us to have our evidences for heaven cleared sealed shining and at hand Naturalists tell us That if a man sees a Cockatrice first the Cockatrice dieth but if the Cockatrice sees a man first the man dies Certainly if we so see death first as to prepare for it as to get our evidences for heaven ready we shall kill it but if death sees us first and arrests us first before we are prepared
sent to tender him a great sum of gold which he refused saying He had rather be at his pease while they whom he ruled over had the gold than he to have the gold and they the Pease When some unworthy persons once accused him for keeping back somewhat from the publick he brought forth a wooden platter and did swear That it was all he had reserved to himself of the spoyls He was had in great honour and reputation among the people That Pilot dies nobly saith Seneca who perisheth in the storm with the Helm in his hand Aristides was a man of a publick spirit after the overthrow of the Persians when there was a Mass of treasure gold silver and rich apparel he would not touch it nor take so much as one farthing of it to himself he was in high esteem among the people Tully in his Book of Scipio's dream brings in a dead Father now in heaven as he supposed encouraging his son to do service for his Countrey wherein himself had given him a most noble and notable example upon a very high consideration viz. There is a most sure and certain place in heaven for every man that shall procure the weal of his Countrey either by freeing it from peril or increasing the happiness of it any way To hear a Gentile tell of heaven as of a thing certain to hear him tell of certain places provided there for those that should do vertuously to have the service of ones Countrey pressed on his soul with so celestial an argument what matter of wonder and admiration is it Another speaking of men of publick spirits saith Such ennobled spirits they are the dear off-spring Cicero the delight and care of God a divine race it is from the heavens they come down to us and to the heavens again when ever they take their leaves of us shall they triumphantly return A Cataline sayes the Satyrist a trouble of mankind grows as the weed Jur. almost every where but a Brutus a worthy Patriot that bears the welfare of others the true prosperity of his native Land upon his heart and sets his eyes perpetually thereon for good such an one is a rare jewel worthy of all honour and embraces where ever he is found Men of publick spirits of all men 1 Sam. 2.30 do most exalt the Lord and honour the Lord and therefore the Lord first or last will most exalt them and honour them In all the Ages of the world and in all the Nations of the world men of most publick spirits have been best beloved and most highly honoured A man of a narrow spirit is like the Hedge-hog that never goes abroad but to gather what he can for himself who ever suffer by it but a man of a publick spirit is like the Pellican that draws out her own blood for the good of others and therefore the light of nature as well as the Law of grace will lead men by the hand to honour such Fourthly Men of publick spirits do most and best answer to one of the noblest and highest ends of their creation Doth the Bee gather honey for it self Doth the Sheep yield wool for it self Doth not all creatures serve the community Non nobis solum nati said the Heathen By the Law of creation every man is bound to serve the publick to serve his generation A narrow a private spirited man is a shame to his Creation because he walks so contrary to the great intendment of God in it 'T is a base and unworthy spirit for a man to make himself the Center of all his actions The very Heathen man could say That a mans Countrey and his Friends and others challenge a great part of him That man sins against the very Law of his being who is swallowed up in his own private interests Men of publick spirits should not bear the sword of justice in vain for by the Law of creation they are bound so to handle it as to be a terror to evil doers Rom. 13.3 4 and a praise to them that do well 'T is cruelty to the good to spare the bad 't is wrong to the Sheep to let the Wolves alone 't is the death of the Lambs to spare the Lions If you will pity Cataline sayes one pity Rome much more let the whole have a share in your pity rather than a part Pereat unus magis quam unitas better have one injurious person sit mourning than a whole Nation languishing c. Men of publick spirits should be for the ease of all and the peace of all and the comfort of all and the encouragement of all and the safety of all But this Age is full of Droans and Cyphers and of spiritless lifeless men who look at nothing who design nothing who aim at nothing and who endeavour nothing but how to raise themselves and greaten themselves and inrich themselves and build up themselves though it be upon others ruinnes How many are there who are so swallowed up in their own interests and private concernments that Gallio-like they care not whether the publick sink or swim Acts 18.7 These put me in mind of Jothams Parable Judg. 9.8 9 10 11 c. The Trees went forth to anoint a King over them They go to the Olive to the Fig-tree and to the Vine but shall I leave my fatness saith the Olive shall I leave my sweetness saith the Fig-tree and shall I leave my wine saith the Vine and go up and down for other Trees This is the very temper spirit and carriage of many in our day If you go to them and desire them to lay out themselves for the publick good What say some shall we leave our ease our pleasure our profits And say others Shall we run this and that hazard Shall we lose such and such friends and create to our selves such and such enemies to serve other men to save other men to advantage other men we cannot do it we will never do it Learned Tully was a zealous Patriot and lover of his Countrey he wished two wishes though he never saw either of them effected one was That he might see Rome setâ—led in its just liberties and the other was That he might see every mans estate pâ—oportionable to his affection and love to the publick Deubtless if Tullies wish might take place in our times the purses of many would be more empty and the publick Coffers would be more full But Fifthly Of all men on earth there are none that have such a stock of prayers going for them as men of publick spirits Men of publick spirits are not only most highly prized and cordially loved and greatly honoured but they are also most upon the hearts of all sober and serious Christians when they are in the Mount with God The lives of such are most desirable and the deaths of such will be most lamented who make it their business to serve their generation 2 Chron. 21.20
This is made good by ten Arguments Page 60 to 65 Six considerable things about probabilities of grace Page 65 66 67 68 69 If a Christian can't say he has grace yet he should not say he has no grace for he may have grace and yet not know it Page 81 82 He that prizes the least dram of grace above ten thousand thousand worlds certainly that man has true grace in him Page 200 T is the wisdom and ought to be the work of every Christian to own the least measure of grace that is in him though it be mixed and mingled with many weaknesses infirmities Page 332 333 'T is the wisdom and should be the work of every Christian to look upon all his graces and gracious evidences as favours given him from above as gifts dropt out of heaven into his heart as flowers of Paradise stuck in his bosom by a divine hand Page 333 334 335 When you look upon your graces in the light of the spirit it highly concerns you to look narrowly to it that you don't renounce and reject your graces as weak and worthless evidences of your interest in Christ c. Page 335 336 337 The spirit does four things in respect of our graces Page 348 Christians may safely rejoyce in their graces Page 349 350 351 The more grace any man hath the more clear the more fair the more full the more sweet will his evidences be for heaven c. Page 378 379 380 381 382 When your graces are strongest and your evidences for heaven are clearest and your comforts rise-highest then in a special manner it concerns you to make it your great business and work to act faith afresh upon the free rich and glorious grace of God and upon the Lord Jesus Christ Page 382 383 384 385 H Of the hatred of sin An Hypocrite can't hate sin as sin Page 303 304 305 True hatred of sin includes six things Page 305 306 307 308 Of the heart and of keeping of it Where the constant standing frame of a mans heart desires and endeavâ—urs are set for God Christ Grace Holiness there is a most sure and infallible work of God upon that mans soul Page 127 128 129 130 131 132 A gracious heart is an uniform heart Page 161 162 163 164. A gracious heart sets himself most against his darling sin his bosom sin his constitution sin c. Page 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 He that has given up his heart and life to the Rule Authority and Government of Christ he has a saving work of God upon him Page 203 204 That man that will cleave to Christ with full purpose of heart that man shall certainly be saved Page 204 205 That man that makes it his principle care his main business his work of works to look to his heart to watch his heart to reform his heart that man doubtless hath a saving work of God upon his heart Page 205 206 207 208 209 210 Ten wayes shewing how men should keep their hearts Page 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 There are many that are great strangers to their own hearts Page 339 Of Hypocrites First an Hypocrites inside is never answerable to his outside An Hypocrites inside is one thing and his outside another thing Page 287 288 Secondly no Hypocrite under heaven is totally divorced from the love and liking of every known sin Page 288 289 290 291 Thirdly an Hypocrites heart is never throughly subdued to a willingness to perform all known duties Page 291 292 293 Fourthly There is never an Hypocrite in the world that makes God or Christ or holiness or his doing or receiving good in his Station Relation or Generation his grand end his highest end his ultimate end of living in this world Page 294 295 296 297 Fifthly no Hypocrite under heaven can live wholly and only upon the righteousness of Christ the satisfaction of Christ the merits of Christ for justification and salvation Page 297 298 299 300 Sixthly an Hypocrite never embraces a whole Christ he can never take up his full rest satisfaction and content in the person of Christ in the merits of Christ in the enjoyment of Christ alone Page 300 301 302 303 Seventhly an Hypocrite can't mourn for sin as sin nor grieve for sin as sin nor hate sin as sin nor make head against sin as sin Page 303 304 305 Eighthly no Hypocrite is habitually low or little in his own eyes no hypocrite has ordinarily mean thoughts of himself or a poor esteem of himself Page 308 309 310 311 312 Ninthly no Hypocrite will long hold out in the work and wayes of the Lord in the want of outward incouragements and in the face of outward discouragements Page 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 Tenthly no hypocrite ever makes it his business his work to bring his heart into religious duties and services Page 318 319 320 321 Eleventhly an hypocrite never performs religious duties from spiritual principles nor in a spiritual manner Page 321 322 323 324 325 Twelfthly no hypocrite in the world loves the Word or delights in the Word or prizes the Word as 't is a holy Word a spiritual Word a beautiful Word a pure Word a clean word Page 325 326 327 328 329 Thirteenthly and lastly an hypocrite can't endure to be tryed and searcht and laid open Page 329 330 331 I Of judging our selves We must not judge our selves Hypocrites by those things that â—he Scripture never makes a character of an Hypocrite Page 74 75 76 77. We must not judge our selves hypocrites for such things which being admitted and granted to be true would unavoidably prove the whole generation of the faithful to be Hypocrites Page 77 78 79 In judging of our spiritual estates and conditions we must alwayes have an eye to our natural tempers complexions c. Page 79 80 81 Of judgments Spiritual judgments are the worst of judgments Page 338 L Of love to the Saints No man can truly love grace in another but he that has true grace in his own soul Page 189 190 Six wayes whereby men may certainly know whether their love to the Saints be real or not Page 190 to 200 M Of singular manifestations Some Christians live under the singular manifestations of divine love Page 341 342 Of Melancholy The evil effects of Melancholy Page 72 73 74 Of merciful men Such as are truly and graciously merciful are blessed c. Page 34 35 36 Of true mourners Such as are true mourners are blessed Page 32 N Of Name and of a great Name Many Professors take up in a great Name Page 337 338. O Of Obedience If your obedience springs from faith then your estate is good then you have assuredly an infallible work of God upon your souls Page 132 Seven wayes to know when your obedience is the obedience of faith with the resolution of some considerable questions about obedience worthy of serious consideration Page 132 to 161 P Of the Promises The
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness How plainly how fully how with open mouth as I may say does he conclude his right to the crown of Righteousness so called partly because 't is purchased by the righteousness of Christ and partly because he is righteous that hath promised it and partly because 't is a just and righteous thing with God to crown them with glory at last who have for the Gospel sake and his glory sake been crowned with shame and reproach in this world and partly if not mainly because 't is a crown that can only be had or obtained in a way of righteousness and holiness from his graces and gracious actings in this world I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith yea 't is further observable that in the blessed Scripture we are strongly prest to do good works that by them we may make our calling election and salvation sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure By good works so say all the Latine Copies and so say some Greek Copies though not those that our English Translators have been pleased to follow and that is the reason why those words by good works are not in our English Bibles but he that shall seriously weigh the scope of the Apostle in this place he must of necessity grant that good works are to be understood thoâ—gh they are not exprest in the Text and that of the Apostle in 1 Tim. 6.16 17 18. seems plainly and strongly to sound the same way The second Maxim or Consideration SEcondly consider That true sound solid marks signs and evidences are the best way to prevent delusions there is no such deceit in sound and solid evidences as there is in fleshy joyes and in high and strange raptures by which many glistering Professors have been sadly deceived and deluded Young Samuel being not acquainted with any extraordinary manifestations of the presence and power of God took the voice of God from heaven to be the voice of old Ely 1. Sam. 3.5 Ah how many have there been in our dayes that have taken the irregular motions of their own hearts and the violent workings of their own distempered fancies and imaginations and Satanical delusions to be the visions of God celestial raptures divine breathings and the powerful impulses of the Spirit of God and so have been stirred up to speak write and act such things that have been not only contrary to the holy Word of God but also contrary to the very Laws of nature and Nations Satan by transforming of himself into an Angel of light hath seduced and ruined many Professors 2 Cor. 11.14 v. Gerson in his Book de probatione spirituum of the trial of spirits against whom as an Angel of darkness he could never prevail Gerson tells a remarkable story of Satans appearing to a holy man in a most glorious and beautiful manner professing himself to be Christ and because he for his exemplary holiness was worthy to be honoured above others therefore he appeared unto him but the good old man readily answered him that he desired not to see his Saviour in this wilderness it should suffice him to see him hereafter in heaven and withal added this pithy prayer O let thy sight be my reward Lord in another life and not in this and so he became victorious over Satan though he had transformed himself into a glorious Angel of light but such a a victorious crown has not been set upon every ones head to whom Satan has appeared as an Angel of glory See Dr. Casaubon and Dr. Moore concerning Enthusiasm Certainly they that stand so much so mightily for an immediate testimony seem to open such a gap to Enthusiasm as will not be easily shut yea how will they be ever able to secure to purpose poor souls from sad delusions for how easie a thing is it for Satan who is the father of lyes Joh. 8.48 who is an old deceiver Gen. 3.13 1 Tim. 2.14 who is the grand deceiver Rev. 12.9 Rev. 13.14 Rev. 19.20 Rev. 20.10 who has his devices Cor. 2.11 his wiles Eph. 6.11 his snares 1 Tim. 3.7 his depths Rev. 2.24 to find various artifices to counterfeit this immediate testimony and bear witness in the spirits stead so that when poor souls thinks that they have the Spirit of grace and truth to assure them that all is well and shall be for ever well with them they have none but the father of lyes to deceive them they have none but the devil in Samuels mantle to put a soul-murdering cheat upon them I am not fond of advising any poor souls to lay the stress of their hopes of heaven and salvation meerly upon immediate impressions lest they should subject themselves to infinite delusions O Sirs the way of immediate Revelation is more fleeting and inconstant such actings of the Spirit are like those outward motions that came upon Sampson Judg. 13.25 The Spirit came upon him at times and so upon every withdrawment new doubts and scruples arise but the trial of a mans estate by grace is more constant and durable saving grace being a continual pledge of God's love to us flashes of joy and comfort are only sweet and delightsom whilst they are felt but grace is that immortal seed that abideth for ever 1 John 3.9 But The third Maxim or Consideration THirdly consider In propounding of evidences for men to try their spiritual and eternal estates by there are two special Rules for ever to be minded and remembred and the first is this That he that propounds evidences of grace which are only proper to eminent Christians as belonging to all true Christians he will certainly grieve and sad those precious Lambs of Christ that he would not have grieved and sadded Look as there is a strong faith and a weak faith Mat. 15 28. and Chap. 8 26. It is one thing to shew you the properties of a man and another thing to shew you the properties of a strong man 1 Pet. 2.3 1 John 2.1 12 13 14. v. so there are evidences that are proper to a strong faith and evidences that are proper to a weak faith Now he that cannot find in himself the evidences of a strong faith he must not conclude that he has no faith for he may have in him the evidences of a weak faith when he has not the evidences of a strong faith in him in Christ's School House Church there are several sorts and ranks of Christians as babes children young men and old men and accordingly Ministers in their preaching and writing should sort their evidences that so babes and children may not be found bleeding grieving and weeping when they should be sound joying and rejoycing Secondly no man must make such characters marks or evidences of a child of God which may be found in an hypocrite a Formalist c. for this were to
Chap. 35.2 10. Jer. 33.9 11. Psal 132.16 and greater applause in the promise Mat. 10.32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men him will I confess also before my father which is in heaven I and before the Angels too Luke 12.8 Mat. 25 31-41 1 Cor. 6.2 3. 2 Thes 1.6 7 8 9 10. Rev. 3.9 Isa 60.12 13 14. Then certainly you have an interest in the promise When a man can shew his own heart daily in the glass of the promises a greater worth excellency and glory than all this world affords without all controversie he has an interest in the promises Thus those Worthies of whom this world was not worthy Heb. 11. and the Martyrs in all ages did commonly present better higher and greater things to their own souls in the promises than any their adversaries were able to propose to draw them off from Christ their profession or principles c. and by this means they did very couragiously honorably maintain their ground in the face of all the gay and golden temptations that they met withal Mat. 5.10 11 12 Burn my foot if you will said that noble Martyr S. Basil that it may da ce everlastingly with the Angels in heaven Crudelitas vestra gloria nostra Your cruelty is our glory said they in Tertullian and the harder we are put to it the greater shall be our reward in heaven Basiâ— will tell you that the most cruel Martyrdom is but a crafty trick to escape death to pass from life to life as he speaks It can be but a dayes journey between the Cross and Paradise Though the Cross be bitter yet it is but short A little storm as one said of Julians persecution and an eternal calm follows Adrianus seeing the Martyrs suffer cheerfully such grievous and dreadful things asked Why they would endure such misery 1 Cor. 2.9 when they might by retracting free themselves upon which one of them alledged that Text Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The naming of the Text and seeing them suffer such hard things cheerfully did by a blessing from on high so really and effectually convert him that afterwards he became a Martyr too Acts 16.25 When we see poor weak feeble Christians defying their torments conquering in the midst of sufferings singing in prison as Paul and Silas did kissing the stake as Henry Voes did clapping their hands when they were half consumed with fire as Hawkes did blessing God that ever they were born to see that day as John Noyes did calling their execution day their wedding day as Bishop Ridley did we cannot but conclude that they had an eye to the recompence of reward and they saw such great and sweet and glorious things in the promises that did so refresh delight and ravish their hearts and transport their souls that all their heavy afflictions seem'd light and their long afflictions short and their most bitter afflictions sweet and easie to them But The sixth Maxim or Consideration SIxthly consider That 't is granted on all hands that the least degree of grace if true is sufficient to salvation for the promises of life and glory of remission and salvation of everlasting happiness and blessedness Mark 16.16 John 3.16 36. Mâ—t. 5. John 6 40. are not made over to degrees of grace but to the truth of grace not to faith in triumph but to faith in truth and therefore the sense and evidence of the least grace yea of the least degree of the least grace may afford some measure of assurance Grace is the fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and the Tree is known by his fruit Mat. 12.33 I don't say An eminent Minister who was a famous instrument of converting many to God was wont to say that for his own pat he had no other evidence in himself of being in the state of grace than that he was sensible of his deadness that weak grace will afford a strong assurance or a full assurance for that rather arises from strength of grace than from truth of grace but I say weak grace may afford some assurance And oh that all weak Christians would seriously lay this to heart for it may serve to relieve them against many fears doubts discouragements and jealousies which do much disturb the peace and comfort of their precious souls though the least measures of grace can't satisfie a sincere Christian yet they ought to quiet his conscience and chear his heart and confirm his judgment of his interest in Christ The least measure of grace is like a Diamond very little in bulk but of high price and mighty value and accordingly we are to improve it for our comfort and encouragement A Goldsmith makes reckoning of the least filings of gold Slight not the lowest the meanest evidences of grace God may put thee to make use of the lowest as thou thinkest even that 1 Joh. 3.14 that may be worth a thousand worlds to thee Page 33. of a little piece called a choice drop of honey and so should we of the least measures of grace A man may read the Kings Image upon a silver penny as well as upon a larger piece of coyn The least dram of grace bears the Image of God upon it and why then should it not evidence the goodness and happiness of a Christians estate It 's a true saying That the assurance of an eternal life is the life of this temporal life I have read that Mr. Jordain one of the Aldermen of the City of Exeter would use to ask grown Professors whether they had any assurance which if they denied he would tell them that he was even ashamed of them In good earnest saith he I would study the promises and go into my closet and lock the door and there plead them to God and say that I would not go forth till he gave me some sence of his love He would often mention and try himself by these three Marks First a sincere desire to fear the name of God which he grounded upon that Neh. 1. ult Secondly a sincere desire to do the will of God in all things required which he grounded upon Psal 119.6 Thirdly a full purpose of heart to cleave to the Lord which he grounded upon Act. 11.23 The discovery of grace in thy heart though but one grain and that of mustard-seed will assure thee of thy election and final salvation Fords spirit of Adoption p. 248. These he would often press upon others and these he frequently tryed himself by and from these he had much assurance and comfort Mr. Stephen Marshal in a Sermon of his on Isa 9.2 saith Look and examine whether thou dost not loath thy self as a base creature and dost thou make this nothing Secondly Dost thou not in thy heart value and prize the meanest child of God more than the greatest men in the world
that have not the image of God the image of grace and holiness stampt upon them I pray God saith Mr. Marshal that many of God's people do not want these evidences If our souls saith another shall like of Christ for a Suiâ—or when we find no other jointure but the Cross Mr. Dod on the commandments page 313 314. we may be sure we are Christians A man may want the feeling of his faith and cry and call again and again for it and feel nothing all this while and yet nevertheless have true and sound faith For the feeling of and mourning for the want of faith and the earnest and constant desire of it is an infallible sign of faith For this is a sure Rule that so long as one feeleth himself sick he is not dead and the high estimation of faith joined with a vehement desire of it is a singular evidence that there is a sound and lively root of faith in our hearts 1. Pet. 1.2 Mr. Love his zealous Christian pag. 29. last part All the elect of God shall have the sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and the sprinkling of the bloud of Christ upon their hearts sooner or later I do not press the having of these things gradually but sincerely an elect person may want many a degree of grace but if he have them in sincerity Dr. Sibbs his commentary on the first Chapter of the second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians ver 22. pag. 491 492. though in the least measure it is a sufficient evidence of his election An earnest is little in regard of the whole perhaps we have but a shilling to secure us of many pounds so then the point is this That howsoever we may be assured of our estate in grace and likewise that we shall hold out yet the ground of this assurance is not from any great measure of grace but though t be little in quantity it may be great in assurance and security As we value an earnest not for the worth that is in it self but because it assures us of a great bargain we have an eye more to the consummation of the bargain than to the quantity of the earnest so it is here grace is but an earnest yet notwithstanding though it be little as an earnest is yet it is great in assurance and validity answerable to the relation of that it hath to assure us Though grace be little yet as little as it is seeing it is an earnest and the first fruits as the Apostle saith which were but little in regard of the whole harvest yet it is of the nature of the whole and thereupon it comes to secure A spark of fire is but little yet it is fire as well as the whole element of fire and a drop of water is but little yet it is water as well as the whole Ocean When a man is in a dark place put the case it be in a dungeon if he have but a â—ittle light shining into him from a little crevice that little light discovers that the day is broke that the Sun is risen Put the case there be but one grape on a Vine it shews that it is a Vine and that the Vine is not dead So put the case that there be but the appearance of a little grace in a Christian perhaps the Spirit of God appears but in one grace in him at that time yet that one grace sheweth that we are Vines and not thistles or thorns or base plants and it shews that there is life in the root Thus you see how fully this Reverend Doctor speaks to the case That friend that writes the life and death of Mr. John Marcol once Preacher of the Gospel at Dublin saith See his Treatise published by Mr. Winter Mr. Chambers Mr. Eaton Mr. Carryl and Mr. Mantou pag. 36 37. That in preparation for the Supper-Ordinance he would bring himself unto the Test and to say the truth was very clear in the discovering and making out his own condition being well acquainted with the way of Gods dealing with the soul and with the way of the souls closing with Christ Instance April 3. 1653. Upon search I find 1. My self an undone creature 2. That the Lord Jesus sufficiently satisfied as Mediator the Law for sin 3. That he is freely offered in the Gospel 4. So far as I know my own heart I do through mercy heartily consent that he only shall be my Saviour not my works or duties which I do only in obedience to him 5. If I know my heart I would be ruled by his Word and Spirit Behold in a few words saith he that writes his life and death the sum and substance of the Gospel By these Instances we may see that some of the precious servants of God have found a great deal of comfort support rest content and some measure of assurance from a lower rank of evidences than those that many strong Christians do reach unto c. But The seventh Maxim or Consideration SEventhly consider That all men and women that are desirous to know how it will go with them in another world they must peremptorily resolve to be determined by Scripture in the great matters of their interest in Christ the blessed Scripture is the great uncontroverted Rule This we believe when we first begin to believe that we ought not to believe any thing beyond Scripture Tertullian and therefore if a person can prove from Scripture that his graces are true or that he is in a gracious estate or that he has an interest in Christ or that he has sayingly graciously stricken Covenant with God then he must resolutely and peremptorily resolve to grant so much as unchangably to acquiesce in it to stick fast to it and to hear nothing against it from the world the flesh or the devil God hath plainly told us in his blessed Word who shall be saved and who shall be damned though not by name yet by the qualifications by which they are described in the Bible there are the Statute-Laws of heaven and the standing Rule by which all must be tryed every man must stand or fall be eternally blessed or eternally miserable as his condition is consonant to or various from the infallible characters of saving grace contained in the holy Scripture witness that Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this word it is because there is no light or no morning in them So John 12.48 He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day Mat. 5.18 For verily I say unto you till heaven and earth pass on jot or one title shall in no wise pass from the Law till all be fulfilled So John 10.35 And the Scripture cannot be broken or violated or made void but though this be an indispensable duty yet certainly there is especially in
possession of glory because God in the Scripture has said it Mat. 5 3-12 Rom. 8.1.13 Act. 10.43 Joh. 3.15 16 36. Chap. 6.37 38 39 40 c. O Sirs no man in his wits dares dispute against the Authority of Scripture or deny it as false and erronious and therefore if the Scripture say a man has grace he ought in conscience to subscribe to it against all objections or temptations to the contrary For ever remember this Till a man comes to be willing to have his spiritual and eternal estate to be determined by Scripture he will never enjoy any setled rest or quiet in his spirit When once the goodness of a mans estate is cleared up to him by the Word he is never to regard what Satan or carnal reason objects against him Satan is a lyar and a deceiver of neer six thousand years standing he is full of envy and full of malice and full of wiles devices and fetches and therefore give no credit to any of his reports against the report of the Word but stand by the testimony of the Word and the witness of your own consciences against all Satans cavils temptations objections and suggestions and then and not till then will you find rest to your souls He that would hold on cheerfully and resolutely in a Christian course and go merrily to his grave and singing to heaven he must maintain the testimony of the Word against all the gainsayings of sense or carnal reason he must hear nothing nor believe nothing against the Word nor against the goodness and happiness of his own estate or condition which has been evidenced to him from the Word Men will not be easily baffled out of their estates If some great man should come and lay claim to your estates you will not presently give them up though your evidences are not at hand or though they are blotted or though perhaps you cannot clearly make out your title yet you will not tamely and quietly give up your estates and yet how ready are many Christians upon every clamour of Satan against their souls and spiritual estates to give up all and to conclude that they are hypocrites and have no true grace and spiritual life in them c. But The eighth Maxim or Consideration EIghthly consider That a godly man may not only come to a sure knowledge of his gracious estate but it is also more easily attainable than many may I not say than most do apprehend or believe for if a gracious man will but argue rationally from Scripture he shall be forced to conclude that he has grace and that he has an interest in Christ and that he shall be saved unless he be resolved before hand boldly to deny Scripture-truths Sirs Rom. 8.15 look in what way the spirit of bondage doth ordinarily work fear terror and horror in the hearts of unconverted persons in the same way the spirit of Adoption doth ordinarily work hope and assurance in the heart of the Saints Now John 16.8 the spirit of bondage commonly awakens secure sinners and fills the hearts and consciences of poor sinners with fear horror and amazement by setting home upon their souls such practical syllogisms as these Every lyar shall have his portion in the lake Rev. 21.8 that burneth with fire and brimstone But I am a lyar Therefore I shall have my portion in that lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Or thus He that believeth not is condemned already John 3.18 I believe not Therefore I am condemned already Or thus He that hateth his brother is a murderer 1 John 3.15 and hath not eternal life abiding in him I hate my brother Therefore I am a murderer and have not eternal life abiding in me Or thus Christ shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire 2 Thes 1.7 8 to take vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gosspel of his Son I know not God I obey not the Gospel of his Son Therefore Christ shall be revealed from heaven in flaming fire to take vengeance on me Or thus Psal 9 15. The wicked shall be turned into hell I am wicked Therefore I shall be turned into hell Now in like manner the spirit of adoption brings the heirs of the promise to the assurance of hope Heb. 6.17 by setting home such practical syllogisms as these First Whosoever truly and heartily receives the Lord Jesus Christ are truly and justly reputed to be the sons of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies authority Such as receive the Lord Jesus have authority to be called the sons of God Others may call God father and themselves sons but they have not that right and authority to do it as believers have Mark 16.16 Joh. 3.16 18 36 Mat. 3.2 8. Luke 24 47. Act. 5.31 Chap. 3.19 Luke 13.3 Joh. 1.12 But I have received Christ all the wayes that the Word there can import I am heartily willing to receive the Lord Jesus Christ in all his offices viz. as a King to rule me a Prophet to teach and instruct me and a Priest to offer and intercede for me I am willing to receive him as a Sanctifier as well as a Saviour and to receive him as my Lord as well as to receive him as my Redeemer and to receive him upon his own terms viz. of taking up his Cross denying my self and following of him therefore I may safely boldly plainly and warrantably conclude that I am a son of God and that I have an interest in God according to the Scripture last cited which Scripture cannot be broken nor cannot fail nor cannot be unbound or loosed as the Greek word in that John 10.35 imports c. Secondly A gracious soul may argue thus All the great and precious promises concerning everlasting happiness and blessedness are made over to faith and repentance as the Scriptures do abundantly evidence Now he that really finds faith and repentance wrought in his soul so that he is able to say I am a repenting and a believing sinner he may truly and safely conclude that he shall be saved for all the promises of eternal happiness and blessedness do run out with a full stream to faith and repentance I readily grant that a strong hope results from the clear evidence it hath of both these We read in Scripture of a threefold assurance As first an assurance of understanding Col. 2.2 Secondly an assurance of faith Heb. 10.22 Thirdly an assurance of hope Heb. 6.11 And 't is a very choice note that acute D. A. hath upon it viz. That these three make up one practical Syllogism wherein knowledge forms the proportion faith makes the assumption and hope draws the conclusion I do saith the Christian assuredly know from the Word that can't deceive me That the believing and repenting sinner shall be saved my conscience also tells me that I do unfeignedly believe and repent therefore I do firmly hope that I shall how ever
fear O to what a height of holy boldness and familiarity with God had this man of God arrived to But Ninethly a godly man may argue thus To such who are poor in spirit the Kingdom of heaven belongs Mat. 5.3 By poor in spirit is not meant poor in substance that not being a thing praise worthy in it self Chrysost in loc but the broken and humble in heart who hath no high thoughts or conceits of himself but is lowly in his own eyes as a young child Blessed are the poor in spirit that is non habentes inflantem spiritum who hath no lofty or puffed up spirit Augustin Hilar. Tertullian The poor in spirit are those that are lowly being truly conscious of their own unworthiness Nulli pauperes spiritu nisi humiles none are poor in spirit but the humble Blessed are the poor in spirit that is blessed are they whose spirits are brought into such an humble gracious frame as willingly quietly and contentedly to lye down in a poor low condition when it is the pleasure of the Lord to bring them into such a condition Blessed are the poor in spirit that is blessed are they who are truly and kindly apprehensive and sensible of their spiritual wants poverty and misery There are some that are poor in estate and others that are poor in spirit and there are some that are poor spirited in the cause of God Christ the Gospel and their own souls and there are others that are poor in spirit there are some that are spiritually poor as all are that are destitute of grace and others that are poor in spirit there are some that are Evangelically poor and others that are superstitiously poor as those Papists who renounce their estates and vow a voluntary poverty The poverty that hath blessedness annexed to it is only an Evangelical poverty that see their need of God's free grace to pardon them that see their need of Christs righteousness to cloath them that see their need of the Spirit of Christ to purge change and sanctifie them that see their need of more heavenly wisdom to counsel them that see their need of more of the power of God to support them and of the goodness of God to supply them and of the mercy of God to comfort them and of the presence of God to refresh them and of the patience of God to bear with them c. that see their need of greater measures of faith to conquer their fears and of greater measures of wisdom to walk holily harmlesly blâ—mlesly and exemplarily in the midst of temptations snares and dangers and that see their need of greater measures of patience to bear their burdens without fretting or fainting and that see their need of greater measures of zeal and courage to bear up bravely against all sorts of opposition both from within and from without and that see their need of greater measures of love to cleave to the Lamb and to follow the Lamb whither ever he goes and that see their need of living in a continual dependance upon God and Christ for fresh influences in-comes and supplies of grace of comfort of strength whereby they may be inabled to act for God and walk with God and glorifie God and bring forth fruit to God and withstand all temptations that tend to lead the heart from God and that see nothing in themselves upon which they dare venture their everlasting estates and therefore flie to the free rich sovereign and glorious grace of God in Christ as to their sure and only sanctuary Luke 18.13 Phil. 3.9 Blessed are the poor in spirit that is blessed are they that are truly apprehensive and sensible of their spiritual poverty that see themselves fallen in the first Adam from all their primitive purity excellency and glory There are five things we lost in our fall 1. Our holy Image and became vile 2. Our Sonship and became slaves 3. Our Friendship and became enemies 4. Our Communion and became strangers 5. Our Glory and became miserable And that see an utter inability and insufficiency in themselves and in all other creatures to deliver them out of their fallen estate But I am poor in spirit therefore the Kingdom of heaven belongs to me Tenthly a godly man may argue thus Such as are true mourners are blessed shall be comforted Mat. 5.3 That is such as mourn for sin with an exceeding great mourning that mourn for sin with a funeral sorrow as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies that mourn for sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beati lugentes Blessed are they that mourn The way to Paradise is through the valley of tears Some report of Mary Magdalen that she spent thirty years in Galba weeping forâ—er sins as a man mourneth for the loss of his only Son Zech. 12.10 or as Jacob mourned for Joseph or as David mourned for Absalom or as the people mourned for the loss of good Josiah 2 Chron. 35.24 25. That mourn for secret sins as well as open for sins against grace as well as for sins against the Law that mourn for sin as the greatest evil in the world that mourns for his own sins Ezek. 7.16 as David did Psal 51. or as Ephraim did Jer. 31.18 19. or as Peter did Mat. 26.75 or as Mary Magdalen did Luke 7.38 And that mourns for the sins of others as well as for his own as David did Psa 119.136 158. and as Jeremiah did Jer. 13.17 or as Lot did 2 Pet. 2.7 8. or as they did in that Ezek. 9.4 That mourns under the sense of his spiritual wants that mourns under the sense of his spiritual losses as loss of communion with God loss of the favour of God loss of the presence of God loss of the exercise of grace loss of the joyes of the Spirit loss of inward peace c. or that mourn not only for their own afflictions and miseries but also for the afflictions and miseries of Joseph as Nehemiah did Neh. 1.2 3 4 or as Ieremiah did Ier. 9.1.2 or as Christ did when he wept over Ierusalem Luke 19.41 42. or that mourns because he cannot mourn for these things or that mourns because he can mourn no more or that mourns because God has so little honour in his heart in his house in his life in the world in the Churches But I am a true mourner therefore I am blessed and shall be comforted Eleventhly a godly man may argue thus They which truly hunger and thirst after righteousness are blessed and shall be filled Mat. 5.6 They are not therefore blessed because they hunger and thirst but because they shall be filled blessedness will be in fulness not in hunger but hunger must go before filling that we may not loath the loaves Aug. de verbis Domini Serm. 5. Or they that are hungring and thirsting as the Greek runs being the participle of the present tense intimating that where ever this is the present disposition of
the God of mercy such who shew most mercy to them to whom God shews most mercy these are blessed and shall obtain mercy Now mark to such who are thus graciously thus spiritually thus divinely merciful do these precious promises belong Psal 41.1 Blessed is the man that considereth the poor and needy Prov. 22.9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poor Prov. 14.21 He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth but he that hath mercy on the p or happy is he Prov. 11.25 The liberal soul shall be made fâ—t and â—he that watereth shall be watered also himself That 2 Cor. 9.8 is very remarkable And God is able to make all grace abound towards you that ye alwayes having all sufficiency in all things may abound to every good work Behold how words are here heaped up to make grace and all grace and all grace to abound and who is it to unto the liberal man the merciful man Job 29.13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the widows heart to sing for joy Luke 6.38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom Behold and wonder at the height of these expressions that you have in this Text we account it good measure when it is heaped up but when it is heaped up and pressed down that 's more but when it 's heaped up and pressed down and then heaped up and running over again this is as much as possible can be made this is as much as heart can wish O Sirs those that are of merciful spirits they shall have mercy heaped up pressed down and running over certainly that man must needs be in a happy and blessed condition that can be in no condition wherein he shall not have mercy yea mercy heaped up and running over to supply all his necessities Mat. 25.35 Come ye blessed of my father receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world Come ye blessed that 's their estate receive the kingdom that 's the issue and reward and why so I was hungry and you gave me meat I was thirsty and you gave me drink c. But I am truly and graciously merciful therefore I am blessed and shall obtain mercy c. But Thirteenthly A godly man may argue thus They that are pure in heart are blessed and shall see God that is enjoy him and live for ever with him Mat. 5.8 But I am pure in heart therefore I am blessed and shall see God By the pure in heart here in the Text we may safely understand the sincere and single hearted Christian 1 Tim. 1.5 Jam. 1.8 1 Pet. 1.22 Prov. 20.6 Eccl. 2.21 1 John 1.8 James 10.3 John 3.2 Luke 1.5 6. in opposition to the double minded Christian as you may easily perceive by comparing the Scriptures in the margent together Mark purity is two-fold First simple and absolute and in this sense no man is pure in this life no not one Secondly respective and in part and that is the purity here meant A pure heart is a plain simple heart without fraud or guile like Nathaniel in whom there was no gâ—ile 't is a heart that is evangelically blameless and sincere But secondly purity is opposed to mixture purity consists in the immixedness of any thing inferior that metal we account pure metal which hath not any baser than it self mixed with it if you mix gold with silver the silver is not made impure by the mixture of gold but if you mix lead or tin with it it 's made impure Remember once for all viz. that a pure heart is such a one as hath cast off and cast out the love and allowance of every known sin and mingles not with it though never so small such a heart as hath renounced every known way of sin though there is corruption remaining in it c. yet it can solemnly and seriously appeal to God that there is no known way of sin but it hates and abhors and strives against and will upon no terms allow of This heart in the language of the Gospel is a pure heart yea 't is such a heart as dares venture upon the trial of God himself Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me or any way of pain or of grief or of provocation as the Hebrew hath it or any course of sin that is grievous to God or man A gracious heart a pure heart can neither allow of any way of wickedness nor wallow in any way of wickedness nor make a trade of any way of wickedness nor give up it self to any way of wickedness Though sin may cleave to a pure heart as dross doth to silver yet a pure heart will not mix nor mingle with sin and lead me in the way everlasting or in the way of eternity or in the way of antiquity as the Hebrew hath it that is Jâ—r 6.16 that good old way that leads to peace and rest to heaven and happiness Evangelical purity of heart lies in this that it will not admit any known sin to mingle with the frame and purpose of the heart a pure heart like a pure fountain will still be a working and a casting out the mud and filth that is in it Though sin may cleave to a regenerate man as dross doth to the silver yet it mingles not with the regenerate part nor the regenerate part mingles not with it no more than oyl mingles with the water or water mingles with the oyl Now you know though the water and the oyl touch one another yet they do not mingle one with another so though grace and sin in a regenerate man may as it were touch one another yet they don't mingle one with another Dear hearts look as we truly say that that gold is pure gold that is digged out of the Mineral though much dross may hang about it and as we truly say that such and such an Air is pure Air though at times there be many fogs and mists within it and as we truly say that such and such springs are pure springs though mud and dirt and filth may be lying at the bottom of those springs and as we truly say that face is a fair face though it hath some freckles in it so we may as truly say that such and such a heart is a pure heart though there may be much sinful dross and filth cleaving to it The Jews report that when Noah sent forth his sons to people the world he delivered to every one of them some Reliques of old Adam it may be fabulous for the history but 't is true in the morality the Reliques of his sinful corruptions cleaves close to us all Beloved the best the wisest the holiest and the most mortified Christians on
that Jesus Christ may still set up his Laws in my heart and exercise his dominion over me Now doubtless there is not the weakest Christian in the world but can venture himself upon such an appeal to God as this is and without all peradventure where such a frame and temper of spirit is there the dominion of Jesus Christ is set up and where the dominion of Christ is set up there sin has no dominion Mat. 6.24 but where the dominion of Christ is not set up there sin is in full dominion Christ's dominion cannot consist with sins dominion nor sins dominion cannot consist with Christ's dominion Now by these eight things if men are not resolved before hand to put a cheat upon their own souls they may know whether their sins have dominion over them or no and so accordingly conclude for or against themselves But Fifteenthly and lastly A godly man may argue thus There is no condemnation to them who walk not after the flesh Walking in Scripture signifies to hold on a course of life Gen. 5.22 17.1 but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 But I walk not after the flesh but after the spirit therefore there is no condemnation to me Walking after the flesh notes a course of sin and walking after the spirit notes a course of godliness Now to such as keep off from a course of sin and that keep on in a course of godliness there is no condemnation there is not one condemnation for God the father won't condemn such a person nor Jesus Christ won't condemn such a person nor the holy spirit won't condemn such a person nor the word of grace won't condemn such a person nor no commandment or threatnings will condemn such a person no nor such a mans own heart nor conscience if it be rightly informed won't condemn him and therefore well may the holy Ghost say to such a one there is no condemnation to such a one there is not one condemnation c. ☞ Now thus you see by comparing spiritual things with spiritual things and by a rational arguing from Scripture a man may attain unto a comfortable certainty of his gracious state and safely and groundedly conclude his interest in Christ Now this assurance of Gods favour by the witnessing of our own spirits which assurance is deduced by way of argument syllogistically is more easily attained than many may I not say than most Christians imagine for let a gracious man but clear himself of heart-condemning sins 1 Joh. 3.20 21. and rationally argue as before has been hinted and he will speedâ—ly reach to some comfortable supporting soul-satisfying and soul-quieting assurance there being an infallible connexion between the forementioned graces and future glory These fifteen arguments may well be lookt upon as fifteen sure and infallible evidences of the goodness and happiness of a Christians estate O that you would often every day think on this viz. That the undoubted verity of Gods promises proveth an inseparable connexion between true faith and eternal glory John 3.14 15 16. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life John 5.24 Verily verily these serious asseverations or protestations amount almost to an oath I say unto you he that heareth my words and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life He hath it in the promise he hath it in the first Fruits Rom. 8.23 he hath it in the earnest Ephes 1.13 14. and he hath it in Christ his Head Ephes 2.6 Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is Baptised shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner stone Elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded John 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Verse 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting Life John 2.25 Jesus said unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live Verse 26. And whosoever liveth and believeâ—h in me shall never dye John 20.31 But these are written that ye may believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name Look as certainly as the unbeliever shall be cast into outer darkness so certainly shall the Believer be partaker of the glorious inheritance of the Saints in light for certainly the Promises are as true as the threatnings Acts 16.30 31. Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Josh 23.14 chap. 21.45 The Apostle speaks not doubtingly perhaps thou shalt be saved nor they do not say Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and it may be thou mayest go to Heaven but they speak boldly confidently peremptorily believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved O my Soul what greater certainty and security can any man have than the infallible promise of that God that is truth it self who will not who cannot deny his word but the same love and free Grace that moved him to infuse grace into his childrens souls will move him also to keep the word that is gone out of his mouth and to make good whatever he hath promised thus you evidently see that the Promises prove an inseparable connexion between Grace and glory between Faith and everlasting Life so that let me but prove that I have a saving Faith and the Scriptures last cited prove infallibly that I shall be saved O labour as for life daily to give a firm and fixed assent to the truth of those blessed Promises last cited and hold it as an indisputable and inviolable Principle That whosoever believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ or whosoever hath received Christ as his Lord and Saviour shall be certainly saved 1 Tim. 1.15 1 John 1.9 Heb. 6.17 18. â—zek 32.11 and chap. 18.32 1 John 5.10.14 Jam. 2 19. This is the person that hath the Word the Promise the Covenant the Oath of that God that cannot possibly lye or dye for the pardon of his sin and for the Salvation of his Soul Now O my Soul what security couldest thou ask more of a deceitful man than that which the great Iehovah â—he faithful God of his own accord hath given to thee viz. his word and his Oath Now not to believe God upon his Promise and Oath is to make him a Lyar yea the worst of Lyars yea 't is
to do worse than the Dâ—vils â—â—r they believe and tremble Though the word of the Lord desâ—rves the greatest credit that any mortals can give unto it he being truth it self that hath said it though it had no Oaths nor no Asseverations to be its surety yet God in his infinite condescending love to poor sinners that he may sink the truth of what he saith deeper into the hearts and minds of his people and leave the fairer and fuller print in our assents to the same he sets on the word of Promise with the weight of Asseverations and Oaths yea and to all these he hath annexed his Broad Seal the Lords Supper and the Privy Seal of his Spirit O unreasonable unbelief shall not the Oath of God silence all Disputes A man would never desire of any honest man so much as God hath condescended to for the confirmation of our Faith witness his Promises his Covenant his Oath and his Seals and therefore let us give glory to him by believing and quietly rest upon his faithfulness O Sirs that soul that dares not take his sanctification as an evidence yea as a choice and sure evidence of his interest in Christ and of the Lords precious love to him according to the Promises of his favour and Grace several of which hath been but now under consideration that Soul ought to acknowledg it as his sin yea as his great sin for which he deserves to be smartly rebuked as making God a loud Lyar. O my friends it is a spiritual peevishness and sinful crossness that keeps many good men and women long in a sad dark doubting perplexed and disconsolate condition and certainly 't is no small sin to set light by any work of the blessed Spirit and the joy comfort and peace that we might have by it ah how many are there that fear the Lord who quench grieve vex and provoke the holy Spirit by denying his work and by quarrelling against themselves and the blessed work of the Spirit in them Certainly 't is the duty of every Christian to hear as well what can be said for him as what can be said against him Many poor Psal 77.2 Psal 88. Job 15.11 chap. 16.8 9. weak and yet sincere Chr stians are often apt to be too sowre rigid and bitter against their own souls they love to practise a merciless severity against themselves they do not indifferently impartially consider how the case stands between God and their own souls It is in this case as Solomon speaks in another There is that maketh himself rich Prov. 13.7 Ever since man ceased to be what he should be he striveth to seem to be what he is not It is not the outward shew that shews what things are and yet hath nothing And there is that maketh himself poor and yet hath great Riches That is there be those in the world that pretend they are rich and make a shew before men as if they were men of great estates whereas indeed they are exceeding poor and needy There are not a few that stretch their wing beyond their nest that bear a port beyond their Estates that trick up themselves with other mens plumes laying it on above measure in cloaths in high entertainments in stately Buildings in great Attendance c. when not worth one groat in all the World but either they dye in Prison or lay the key under the door or compound for twelve pence in the pound c. And there are others again that are exceeding rich and wealthy and yet feign themselves and look upon themselves to be very poor and needy To apply this spiritually 'T is the damning sin of the self-flattering Hypocrite Rev. 3.17 to make himself rich to make himself significant to make his condition better than 't is And it is the vanity the folly of some sincere Christians to make their condition worse than indeed it is to make themselves more miserable and unhappy than indeed they are Ah Christians 't is sad with you tâ—s night with you when you read over the evidences of Gods love to your souls as a man does a Book which he intends to confute Is it not sad when Christians shall study hard to find evasions to wheel off all those comforts refreshings cheerings and supports that are tendered to them that are due to them and that they may upon Gospel-grounds justly claim as their portion as their inheritance And O that all such Christians would seriously and frequently lay to heart these eight things First that they highly dishonour the blessed God and the work of his Grace by denying that which he hath done for them and wrought in them Secondly they are spiritual Murderers they are self-Murderers they are soul-Murderers for by this means they stab and wound their own precious souls and Consciences through and through with many a deadly dart Now is there any Murder like to spiritual Murder to self-Murder to soul-Murder surely no. But Thirdly They are Thieves for by this means they rob their own precious souls of that joy peace comfort rest content assurance and satisfaction which otherwise they might enjoy Now there is no theft to spiritual theft and of all spiritual theft there is none to that which reaches the precious and immortal soul Mark all prevalent Disputes about our personal integrity they do hold off the Application and tasts of comfort though they do not disanul the title and right Even the good man will walk uncomfortably so long as he concludes and strongely fears that his Estate is sinful for sensible comfort riseth or falleth cometh on or goeth off according to the strength of our judgment and present apprehensions observe it is not what indeed our estate is but what we judg of it which breeds in us sensible comfort or discomfort a false heart may even break with a timpany of foolish joy upon an erring perswasion oâ— his estate and so may a sound sincere heart be very heavy and disconsolate upon an unsound misconstruction and judging of its true condition But Fourthly They bear false witness against Christ his Spirit their own Souls and the work of Grace that is wrought in them O how many dark doubting drooping Christians are there who if you could give them ten thousand worlds yet would never be brought to bear false witness against their poorest Neighbour Brother or Friend and that out of Conscience because of that Command Thou shalt not bear false witness c. who yet make no Conscience no bones of it frequently to bear witness against the Lord Jesus Christ and his gracious works upon their own hearts But Fifthly they joyn with Satan and his work and his suggestions and with that strong party he has in them against the Lord Jesus Christ and his work and his weak party in them See Mr. Dod on the Commandments p. 310 311. and p. 321 322 323 324. Sin is Satans work and Grace is Christs work Now how sad is it
to see a Christian fall in with Satans work in him against the work of Christ that is in him Satan has a strong party in their souls and Christ has but a weak party now how unjust is it for them to help the strong against the weak when they should upon many accounts be a helping the wâ—ak against the strong a helping the Lord against the mighty a helping weak grace against strong and mighty corruptions An how skilful and careful are many weak Christians to make head against the work of Christ in their own Souls and to plead hard for Satan and his works in them as if they had received a Fee from him to plead against Christ and their own Souls O Christians that you would be wise at last and let Baal plead for Baal let Satan plead for himself but do you plead for Christ and that seed of God that is in you Well remember this John 1.3 9. that as fire is often hid under the embeâ—s so grace is often hid under many soul distempers and as a little fire is fire though it be even smothered under the embers so a little Grace is Grace though it be even smothered under much corruption Now by these short hints you may easily perceive how many Royal Commands these poor Christians transgress who deny and bely the blessed work of the Lord in them But Sixthly They rob the Spirit of all the honour and glory that is due unto him for that blessed work of grace and holyness that he has formed up in their hearts O what a grief and dishonour must it be to the holy Spirit that when he hath put forth a power in mens hearts Rom. 8.11 equivalent to that by which the world was created and by which Christ was raised from the dead to find it overlookt and not at all acknowledged Spiritus sanctus est res delicata the Holy Spirit is a very tender thing but do these poor doubting Souls carry it â—enderly to him surely no. Dear Christians the standing Law of Heaven is Quench not the Spirit 1 Thes 5.19 Now if the word Spirit is not here taken essentially for the three persons in Trinity nor yet metonymically for the fruits of the spirit but Hypostatically for the Third person in Trinity as some conceive then you must remember that you may grieve and quench the Spirit 1. Not only by your enormities Isa 63.10 2. Nor only by refusing the Cordials and comforts that he brings to your doors yea that he puts to your mouths Psal 77.2 3. Nor only by slighting and despising his gracious actings in others Acts 2.13 4. Nor only by Fathering those sins and vanities upon him Mark you cannot despise the gifts or graces of any that are sincere but by interpretation you judg the Spirit and despise the Spirit as it is said of the poor in Prov. 17.5 that are only the Bâ—ats and fruits of Satan and your own hearts But also in the fifth place by misjudging and miscalling the precious Grace that he has wrought in your Souls as by judging and calling your Faith fancy your sincerity hypocrisie your W sdom folly your light darkness your zeal wild-fire c. Now O Sâ—rs will you make Conscience yea much Conscience of Quenching the Spirit in the four first respects and will you make no Conscience of Quenching the Spirit in this fifth and last respect O how can this be O why should this be But Seventhly They keep Grace at a very great under for how can Grace spring and thrive and flourish and increase in the soul when the soul is full of daily fears and doubts that the root of the matter is not in it or that the root is still unsound Job 19.28 1 Thes 1.5 or that the work that is past upon it is not a work in power or that t is not a special and peculiar work but some common work of the spirit which a man may have and go to Hell But Eâ—ghthly and lastly They very much discourage dishearten and dâ—sanimate many poor weak Christians who observing of them of whom they have had very high and honourable thoughts for the Grace of God that they have judged to be in them to be still a questioning of their integrity and still a doubâ—ing of the graciousness and goodness of their conditions do begin to question their own Estates and conditions yea and many times peremptorily to conclude that surely they have no grace they have no interâ—st in Christ and that all this while they have but put a cheat upon their own souls Now O that all poor weak dark doubting Christians would never leave praying over these eight things and pondering upon these eight things till they are perfectly cured of that spiritual malady that they have been long labouring under and which has been very prejudicial to the peace and comfort of their own souls Dear hearts a gracious soul may safely boldly constantly and groundedly say that which the Word of the Lord saith Now the Word of the Lord saith Matth. 5.3 4 6 8. That the poor in spirit are blessed and that they that mourn are blessed and that they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness are blessed and that they that are pure in heart are blessed and therefore he is blessed And assuredly he that cannot embrace and seal to these as true and blessed evidences of a safe and happy condition is greatly to lament and mourn over his unbelief and earnestly to seek the Lord to perswade his heart and to satisfy and over-power his Soul in this thing as the poor man in the Gospel did Mark 9.24 And straightway the Father of the Child cryed out with tears Lord I Believe help my unbelief O Sirs the condition of the Promises last cited being fulfilled the Promises themselves must certainly and infallibly be fulfilled else the great and blessed God should lye Josh 21.45 chap. 23.14 15. 1 John 5.10 11 12. be unrighteous unfaithful and deny himself which is as impossible as for God to dye or to send another Saviour or to give his glory to Graven Images Assâ—redly the too hard the too harsh the too severe the too jealous thoughts and conjectures and the too humble if I may so speak censures and surmises that many weak doubting Christians have of themselves or of the goodness or graciousness of their Estates by reason of the weakness of their Graces or depth of melancholy or the present prevalency of some unmortified lusts or the subtilty of Satan shall never make void the faithfulness of God or the Promises of God which in Christ Jesus are all Yea and Amen Doubtless God will never shut any poor weak doubting Christian out of Heaven 2 Cor. 1.20 because through bashfulness or an excess of modesty or the present darkness thaâ— is upon his understanding or through the ungroundedness of some strong fears of an eternal miscarriage he cannot entertain such good thoughts such
honest thoughts such gracious thoughts of himself or of the goodness or happiness of his condition as he should entertain and as he would entertain if once he could but be too hard for the World the Flesh and the Devil O that you would remember this for ever viz. That the Lord never makes any Promises to support comfort cheer and encourage his people against their sadness darkness doubts and droopings but they shall support comfort cheer and encourage his poor people in that condition for otherwise the Lord should provide means for an end out of his infinite Wisdome love and tender care and compassion towards his people and yet they should never attain that end but thus to imagine is no small folly yea 't is little less than Blasphemy Well Sirs this is to be for ever remembred viz. That whatsoever gift or Grace of God in man brings him within the compass of Gods Promises of eternal favours and mercies that giâ—t that Grace must needs be an infallible sign or evidence of Salvation but such are the gifts and Graces specified in the fifteen particulars but now cited and therefore that Soul that really finds those gifts and Graces in himself or any of them shall certainly be saved But The Ninth Maxim or Consideration NInthly Consider this That in divers men there are divers degrees of Assurance and in one and the same gracious Soul there are different degrees of Assurance at divers times but there is in no man at any time in this life perfection of degrees for our understanding and knowledg in this Life is imperfect both as to the faculty and its acts 1 Cor. 13.12 For now we see through a glass darkly Gr. in a Riddle but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know even * As is not a note of equality but likeness so that the sense may be this look as God knoweth me after a manner agreeable to his infinite excellency so shall I know God according to my capacity not obscurely but perfectly as it were face to face as also I am known A clear distinct immediate full and perfect knowledg of God is desirable on earth but we shall never attain to it till we come to Heaven this Well is deep and for the most part we want a Bucket to draw withal the best of men can better tell what God is not than what he is the most acute and judicious in Divine knowledg have and must acknowledg their ignorance witness that great Apostle Paul who learned his Divinity among the Angels and had the Holy Ghost for his immediate Tutor yet he confesses that he knew but in part certainly there is no man under heaven that hath such a perfect compleat and full assurance of his Salvation in an ordinary way as that one degree cannot be added to the former Neither is there any repugnancy in asserting an infallible assurance and denying a perfect assurance for I infallibly know that there is a God and that this God is holy just and true and yet I have no perfect knowledg of a Deity nor of the holiness justice and truth of God for in this life the most knowing man knows but in part Dear friends in the Church of Christ there are Believers of several growths there are Fathers young men Children and Babes 1 John 1.13 14. 1 Pet. 2.2 And as in most families there are commonly more Children and Babes than grown men so in the Church of Christ there are commonly more weak staggering doubting Christians than there are strong ones grown up to a full assurance Some think that as soon as they be assured they must needs be void of all fears and filled with all joy in believing but this is a real mistake for glorious and ravishing joy is a separable accident from Assurance nor yet doth Assurance exclude all doubts and fears but only such doubts and fears as ariseth from infidelity and reigning hypocrisy But The Tenth Maxim or Consideration TEnthly Consider we have no ground from Scripture to expect that God should either by a Voice from Heaven or by sending an Angel from about his Throne or by any glorious apparitions or strong impressions or by any extraordinary way of Revelations assure us that we do believe or that our Grace is true or that our interest in God and Christ is certain or that our pardon is sealed in Heaven or that we are in a justified state and that we shall be at last undoubtedly saved O no! But we are to use all those blessed helps and means that are appointed by God and common to all Believers for the obtaining of a particular Assurance that we are Believers and that our state is good and that we have a special propriety in Christ and in all the fundamental good that comes by him Mark he that will receive no establishment no comfort no peace no assurance except it be administred by the hand of an Angel and witnessed to by some Voice from Heaven c. will certainly live and dye without establishment comfort peace or assurance Gregory tells us of a Religious Lady of the Empresses Bed-Chamber Vide Gregorii Epistolae á Lapide in 8. ad Rom. v. 16. whose name was Gregoria that being much troubled about her Salvation did write unto him That she should never cease importuning of him till he had sent her word that he had received a Revelation from Heaven that her sins were pardoned and that she was saved To whom he returned this Answer That it was a hard and altogether a useless matter which she required of him It was difficult for him to obtain as being unworthy to have the secret Counsels of God to be imparted to him and it was as unprofitable for her to know and that first because such a Revelation might make her too secure and secondly because it was impossible for him to demonstrate and make known unto her or any other the truth and infallibility of the Revelation which he had received to be from God so that should she afterwards call into question the truth of it as well she might her troubles and doubtings concerning her Salvation would have been as great as they were before O therefore let all Believers that would have sure establishment sound comfort lasting Peace and true and sweet assurance of the love of God and of their interest in Christ c. take heed of flying unto Revelations Visions or Voices from Heaven to assure them of their Salvation and of the love of God and of their interest in Christ c. If you who are advantaged to consult H story please to do it you will find upon Record that where one hath been mistaken about searching his own heart and trying his wayes and observing the frame and temper of his own spirit many hundreds have been eternally deceived and deluded by Voices Visions Apparitions Revelations 2 Thes 2.9 10 11 12. and strange impulses and strong
impressions especially among the Romanists and within these few years have not many hundreds in this Nation fallen under the same woful delusions who are all for crying up a Light within and a Christ within c. And this you are seriously and Conscientiously to observe in opposition to the Papâ—sts who boldly and stoutly affirm That assurance of a mans Salvation can be had by no other means than by extraordinary Revelation Witness the Councel of Trent who have long since said That if any man say that he knoweth he shall certainly persevere or infallibly be assured of his Election except he have this by special Revelation let him be Anathema Without all peradventure God will one day cross and curse such a wicked Councel that curseth that Anathematizeth his people for asserting and maintaining that that may certainly be obtained in this life as I have sufficiently proved by ten Arguments in my Treatise called Heaven on Earth from page 1. to page 26. I think there is a great truth in that confession of Faith that saith that infallible Assurance doth not so belong to the essence of Faith 1 John 5.13 Isa 50.10 Mark 9 24. 1 Cor. 2.12 1 John 4.13 14. Heb. 6.11 12. Ephes 3.17 18 19. 2 Pet. 1.10 but that a true Believer may wait long and conflâ—ct with many difficulties before he be partaker of it yea being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given him of God he may without any extraordinary revelation in the right use of ordinary means attain thereunto and therefore 't is the duty of every one to give all diligence to make his Calling and Election sure But The Eleventh Maxim or Consideration ELeventhly Consider that probabilities of Grace of sincerity of an interest in Christ and of Salvation may be a very great stay and a singular support and a special cordial and comfort to abundance of precious Christians that want that sweet and blessed Assurance that their Souls do earnestly breath and long after There are doubtless many thousands of the precious Sons and Daughters of Zion comparable to fine Gold Lam. 4.2 that have not a clear and full Assurance of their interest in Christ nor of the saving work of God upon their Souls who yet are able to plead many probabilities of Grace and of an interest in Christ Now doubtless probabilities of Grace and of an interest in Christ may serve to keep off fears and doubts and darkness and sadness and all rash and peremptory conclusions against a mans own Soul and his everlasting welfare and may contribute very much to the keeping up of a great deal of peace comfort and quietness in his Soul The probable grounds that thou hast Grace and that God has begun to work powerfully and savingly upon thee are mercies more worth than ten thousand Worlds will you please seriously and frequently to dwell upon these ten particulars First That though many weak gracious souls don't enjoy communion with God in joy and delight yet they do enjoy communion with God in sorrow and tears Hos 12.4 Isa 38.3 Psal 51.17 A man may have communion wi h God in a heart humbling a heart melting and a heart abasing way when he hath not communion with God in a heart reviving a heart cheering and a heart comforting way T is a very great mistake among many weak tender spirited Christians to think that they have no communion with God in duties except they meet with God embracing and kissing cheering and comforting up their Souls And O that all such Christians would remember this once for all viz. That a Christian may have as real communion with God in a heart humbling way as he can have in a heart comforting way John 20 11-19 a Christian may have as choice communion with God when his eyes are full of tears as he can have when his heart is full of joy when a godly man upon his dying bed was askt which were his most joyful dayes either those before his Conversion or those since his Conversion upon which he cryed out O give me my mourning dayes again Give me my mourning dayes again for they were my joyfullest dayes Many times a poor Christian has never more joy in his heart than when his eyes are full of tears But Secondly Though many poor weak doubting trembling Christians dare not say that they do love the Lord Jesus Christ 'T was a famous saying of Austins he loves not Christ at all that loves not Christ above all yet they dare say that they would love the Lord Jesus Christ with all their hearts and with all their Souls and they dare say that if it were in their power they would even shed tears of blood because they cannot love Christ both as they would and as they should Blessed Bradford would sit and weep at Dinner till the tears fell on his Trencher because he could love God no more So the poor doubting trembling Christian mourns and laments because he can love Christ no more A man may love Gold and yet not have it but no man loveth God but he is sure to have God saith Augustine A good man once cryed out I had rather have one Christ than a thousand Worlds Thirdly Though many poor weak doubting trembling Christians dare not say that they have Grace yet they dare say that they prize the least dram of Grace above all the gold and silver of the Indies Cardan saith that every precious stone hath an egregious vertue in it The same we may say of every saving Grace were all the world a lump of gold and in their hands to dispose of it they would give it for Grace yea for a little Grace Now certainly no man can thus highly prize Grace but he that has Grace No man sees the worth and lustre of Grace no man sees a beauty and excellency in Grace nor no man can value Grace above the gold of Ophir but he whose heart has been changed and whose eyes has been opened by the Spirit of Grace Bâ—t Fourthly Though many poor doubting trembling Christians dare not say that their condition is good that their condition is safe and happy yet they dare say that they would not for ten thousand Worlds change their conditions with the vain and debauched men of the World who delight in sin who wallow in sin who make a sport of sin and who live under the Reign and Dominion of sin they had rather with Lazarus Luke 16. be full of sores and full of wants and live and dye in rags and after all be carried by Angels into Abrahams bosom than with Dives every day to fare sumptuously and be cloathed gloriously and perish eternally Though they are poor and wicked men Rich though they are debased and wicked men exalted though they are empty and wicked men full though they are low and wicked men high though they enjoy nothing and wicked men enjoy every thing yet they would
not for as many worlds as there be men in the world change conditions with them But Fifthly Though poor doubting staggering trembling Christians dare not say that they don't sin because there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 And because no man can say I have made my heart clean 1 John 3.6 8 9 10. I am pure from my sin Prov. 20.9 And because in many things we offend all James 3.2 And because if we say We have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1.8 yet they dare say that they would not willingly wilfully wickedly resolutely maliciously and habitually sin against the Lord to gain the whole World though they dare not say they don't sin yet they dare say if they might have their choice they would never dishonour God more nor Crucify the Lord of glory more nor grieve the Spirit of Grace more nor wound Conscience more nor cloud the face of God more nor darken their evidences for Heaven more nor interrupt their communion with God more c. But Sixthly Though poor doubting staggering trembling Christians dare not say that God is their God or that Christ is their Redeemer or that the Spirit is their Comforter yet they dare say that if God and Christ and the Spirit and grace and glory and holiness and happiness were offered to them on the one hand and all the honours pleasures profits delights and carnal contents of the World were offered them on the other hand they had ten thousand times rather Cant. 5.10 Deut. 26.17 Psal 73.25 Phil. 3.6 7 8. they had infinitely rather choose God and Christ the Spirit grace holiness everlasting happiness than the contrary Look as Rachel cryed out Give me Water or I dye So these poor hearts are stil crying out O Lord give me thy self or I dye Give me thy Christ or I dye Give me thy Spirit and Grace or I dye Give me pardon of sin or I dye Lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me or I dye Bring me under the bond of the Covenant or I dye O Lord let all these things be done or I am undone and that for ever Lord let the men of this World take the World and divide it among themselves let me but enjoy thy self thy Christ thy love and I shall say my Lot is fallen to me in a pleasant place and verily I have a goodly heritage Psal 16.5 6. But Seventhly Though poor doubting staggering trembling Christians dare not say that they have Grace in their own hearts yet they dare say that they dearly love Acts 11.23 Psal 15.4 Psal 16.3 Lam. 4.2 1 Thess 1.2 3. Heb. 11.38 and highly honour and greatly prize the Graces of the Spirit which they see sparkling and shining in the hearts and lives and lips of other Saints And they dare say that there are no men in all the world that are so precious so lovely so worthy and so honourable in their eyes or so high in their esteems as those who have the Image of God of Christ of holiness most clearly fairly and fully stampt upon them But Eighthly Though poor doubting trembling Christians dare not say that they have such strength and power against their sins as they would have or as they should have or as many of the dear Saints of God have who often lead Captivity Captive Psal 65.3 Gal. 5.14 yet they dare say that when the Lord is pleased now and then by his Spirit Power Word Grace c. to help them though it be but a little against their sins to help them in any measure to subdue their sins or to assist them to bring any one sin or another to an under or to arm them against any temptations occasions or provocations to sin there are no such times or seasons of joy comfort delight refreshing and content to their Souls as these are The language of their Souls in such a day as this is is this O that it might be alwayes thus with us O that every day we might lead Captivity Captive O that every day we might have our lusts at an under O that every day we might triumph over the old man O that every day one lust or another might fall before the power the Spirit the presence the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ But Ninthly Though poor doubting staggering trembling Christians dare not say that they make so much advantage Psal 4.3 Psal 66.19 20. Psal 138.3 Lam. 3.55 56 57 58. so much earnings of the Sermons they hear or of the Prayers they make or of the Scriptures they read or of the communion of Saints that they enjoy as others do yet they dare say that they would not for all the World cast off Praying or Hearing or Reading or the Communion of Saints and give up themselves to the wayes of sin and Satan and the World But Tenthly and lastly Though poor doubting staggering trembling Christians dare not say that Christ is their Saviour yet they dare say that they desire and endeavour to honour Christ as their Lord though they cannot see Christ bestowing himself on them as their Redeemer John 20. â—8 yet they are willing to make a resignation of themselves up to him as their King they are willing to resign up their hearts and lives to the Government of Jesus Christ though they cannot find comfort yet they will oppose sin though they cannot comprehend Christ yet they will not willingly offend Christ though they cannot see their own propriety in Christ yet they desire nothing more than that Christ may claim a propriety in them though they cannot see Christ as a friend yet they can look upon sin as an enemy though they cannot close with the Promises yet they will close with the Precepts though they cannot close with the Priviledges of a Christian yet they will close with the Services of a Christian though they cannot share in the comforts of a Christian yet they will side with the duties of a Chrâ—stian though they cannot clear up their interest in Christ yet they are willing to yield subjection to Christ though they want strength to throw themselves into the arms of Christ to save them yet they will cast themselves at the feet of Christ to serve him though they want the light of comfort and consolation yet they will walk in the light of commands and directions Isa 50.10 All men will grant that these ten things are strong probabilit es of Grace but give me leave to say that they are withouâ— all controversy most sure sound solid and infallible evidences of true Grace and of an interest in Christ and Salvation and therefore all those poor doubting staggering and trembling Christians that find all these or any of these ten things in their own Souls they ought for ever to bless the Lord and speak well of his Name upon these accounts And therefore O
Promises to trust in the name of the Lord Isa 50.10 Job 13.15 and to stay themselves upon their God Job in a cloudy stormy day resolves to trust â—n the Lord though he should slay him and so must you And O that this rule were more seriously minded and effectually observed by all doubting trembling and staggering Christians But The Thirteenth Maxim or Consideration THirteenthly Consider you must never judg your selves unsound The grand Rule by which we must try and judg of our spiritual and eternal estates is the word of God Isa 8.20 in this Scripture the Prophet plainly shews whither we must go with our doubts fears scruples questions and with whom we must consult and of whom we must take advice and that is the Law and the testimony or Hypocrites by those things which the Scripture never makes a Character of an unsound Christian or of an Hypocrite or of Hypocrisy Mark as you are to receive no comfort but what is backt with clear Scripture nor no evidences for the goodness and happiness of your spiritual estate and condition but such as are backt with clear Scriptures so you are to receive you are to admit of no Arguments nor pleas nor reasonings to prove your self an Hypocrite or unsound or that you have no Grace or that your spiritual estate and condition is not good but such Arguments pleas and reasonings as are backt with clear Scriptures Now tell me O thou weak doubting staggering trembling Christian if thou canst where are those clear Scriptures that proves wandring thoughts in Duty or that proves narrowness or straitness of Spirit in a duty to be characters of an Hypocrite or of hypocrisy or of one that is unsound tell me O thou sighing Christian if thou canst where are those clear Scriptures that proves the want of a good memory for the best things or the want of those gifts or abilities that many Christians have to Pray to speak to discourse to open Scripture or to dispute for the concernments of Christ and his Kingdom to be characters of an Hypocrite or of hypocrisy or of one that is unsound Tell me O thou distressed Christian if thou canst where are those clear Scriptures that will justify thee to conclude that thou art an Hypocrite because thou art without the present evidence of thy sincerity Are there not many of the precious sons and daughters of Zion comparable to fine gold Isa 50.10 1 John 5.13 Gen. 44. Lam. 4.2 who have true Grace and sincerity in their hearts though for the present it be hid from their eyes Josephs Brethren had their mony in their sacks though they did not see it nor know it till they came to their Inn and opened them So many of the dear children of God have sincerity in their hearts though for the present they do not see it nor know it O Sirs t is Christs work not Graces to evidence it self so clearly and fully to our eyes as to enable us to own it t is one thing for the Spirit of God to work Grace in the Soul and another thing for the Spirit to shine upon his own work now till the Spirit shines upon his own work the Soul is in the dark 1 Cor. 2.12 the Graces of the Spirit are best seen in the light of the Spirit as we see the Sun best by his own light T is good for doubting Christians when they are in the dark to hold fast this conclusion viz. that they may be upright though at present they are not able to see their uprightness Now though this will not bring in a full Tyde of comfort into their Souls yet it will keep them from despair and it will support and uphold their hearts till the Spirit who is a Messenger of a thousand shall shew them their uprightness Tell me O thou mourning Christian if thou canst where are those clear Scriptures that proves deadness dulness and indisposedness in duty though it be sadly lamented bewailed and mourned over and much striven against yea though it be the great grief and burden of the Soul to be characters of Hypocrites or of hypocrisy or of one that is unsound Tell me O thou disquieted Christian if thou canst where are those clear Scriptures that proves the want of those enlargements ravishments joyes comforts In all Soul cases God expects we should consult his word and cleave to his word without warping or turning aside either to the right hand or to the left John 12.48 That book that shall try you at last and that shall save you or damn you in the great day is the only book by which you must make a judgment of your present and future estates Clemens of Alexandria speaking of the Word saith it is the touchstone of truth and falshood peace or assurance that some others have to be characters of Hypocrites or hypocrisy or of one that is unsound and yet upon the account of the above mentioned things on the one hand and under a sensible want of the things last cited on the other hand how exceeding apt and prone are many poor weak doubting trembling Christians confidently and peremptorily to conclude themselves to be Hypocrites and to be unsound and that they have not a dram of Grace nor no saving interest in Christ at all O Sirs remember this once for all that as you must never admit of any Arguments Pleas or Reasonings for the comfort peace and refreshment of your souls but such as are attended with the evidence of clear Scripture but such as are backt with pregnant Scriptures So you must never admit of any Pleas Arguments or Reasonings to trouble vex perplex and disquiet the peace of your souls but such as are attended with clear Scripture evidence but such as are well backt with Canonical Scripture Now if this choice Rule were but wisely observed and carefully frequently and conscientiously practised by many weak doubting trembling Christians how would it set them at liberty from their fears doubts and misgivings of heart how would it knock off all their chains and wipe all tears from their eyes and remove that sadness that lyes like a load upon their hearts and how soon would it bring them into a condition of peace comfort quietness and settlement O Sirs every working and appearance of hypocrisy doth not presently prove the person in whom it is to be an Hypocrite A man may be hypocritical either 1. Really Or 2. In Opinion and fancy many of the dear children of God are very apt and prone many times both to suspect and falsly charge the true estate of their souls A child in a distemper may question the inheritance which is entailed on him c. But remember this if thy heart be upright all comfort is thy portion for as our distrustful fears do not prejudice the reality of the estate of grace So our frequent suspitions that we are hypocrites does not cut us off from the title and right of promised
and harder than before So many men when they are a little Sermon-sick or under some smart pangs of Conscience or under some startling or amazing Judgments O then they will be willing to let Israel go then they will be willing to let drunkenness go and pride go and uncleanness go and worldliness go c. but when their sickness is over and the pangs of Conscience abated and Judgments removed O then they return with the Dog to his vomit 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. and with the Sow to the wallowing in the Mire again There was a man well known to a Minister in this City who in the time of his sickness was so terrified in his Conscience for his sins that he made the very bed to shake upon which he lay and cryed out all night long I am damn'd I am damn'd I am damn'd and this man in the dayes of his outward and inward distresses made many and great protestations of amendment of life if God would be pleased to recover him in a little while he did recover and being recovered he was as bad and as wicked if not worse than he was before So in the time of the great sweat in King Edwards dayes as long as the heat of the Plague lasted all sorts and ranks of people were still a crying out Peccavi Mercy good Lord Mercy Mercy Mercy Then Lords and Ladies and other persons of quality cryed out to the Ministers For Gods sake tell us what we shall do to avoid the Wrath of God take these bags pay so much to such a one whom I have deceived and so much restore unto another whom in bargaining I over-reached O give so much to the Poor and give so much to such and such Pious uses But after the sickness was over they were just the same men that they were before Men in time of trouble are very ready to cry out Arise and save us Jer. 2.27 And with them Deliver us this time Judges 10.15 And with the Samaritans who when God had sent Lyons among them enquired after the manner of his Worship 2 King 's 17.25 26. And yet after all this to remain as vile and wicked as they did Jer. 2.20 For of old time I have broken thy yoke and burst thy bands and thou saidest I will not transgress when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wandredst playing the Harlot A wicked mans willingness to be rid of his sins is transient not constant 't is like the morning Cloud and the early dew that passeth away Hos 6.4 Hos 11.7 Psal 78.34 37 57. Hosea 7.16 The Jews were a very unstable people a people bent to backsliding a people that would often start aside like a deceitful Bow Sometimes when the Judgments of God were heavy upon them or when they were under the reign of some good Kings then down went their Groves their Altars their Idols and their High places but soon after you shall have them as much set upon Idolatry as before sometimes they were willing to be rid of their Idols and at other times they were mad to go a whoring after their Idols But now a godly man when he is himself he is never unwilling to be rid of his sins yea to be rid of all his sins the fixed standing and abiding disposition and bent of a godly mans Soul of a godly mans will is to be rid of every sin and thrice happy is that man that is habitually under such a choice and blessed frame Thirdly A transcendent willingness a superlative willingness an overtopping willingness to be rid of sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of Grace in the Soul When a mans willingness to be rid of his sins overtops his unwillingness when a man is more willing to be rid of his sins than he is to continue in sin then his spiritual state is certainly good A gracious heart had much rather if it were put to his choice live without all sin than to have allowance to wallow in any sin he had rather live without the least sin than to have liberty to live in the greatest or the most flesh-pleasing sin 'T is certain that sin is more afflictive to a gracious Soul than all the losses crosses troubles and tryals that he meets with in the World 2 Sam. 24.10 David cryes not perii but peccavi not I am undone but I have done foolishly He does not cry Take away the pestilence but take away the iniquity of thy servant Dan. 9.5 Nor Daniel cries not out O we are sadly reproached we are greatly distressed we are wofully oppressed Hos 14.2 but We have rebelled And the Church cryes not out Take away our Captivity but take away all iniquity 't is not take away our chains but take away our sins 't is not take away our afflictions but take away our pollutions 't is not take away all our enemies lives but take away the lives of all our lusts 2 Cor. 11.16 ult And so Paul cryes not out of his reproaches or persecutors or bonds or chains or stripes or perils Rom. 7.23 or prisons he rather glories in these But he cryes out of a Law in his Members rebelling against the Law of his mind and bringing of him into Captivity to the Law of sin which is in his Members Paul does not cry out O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from all my sorrows and sufferings Verse 24. But O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death A sincere heart when he is himself had much rather be rid of his sins than of his sufferings yea of the least sins than of the greatest sufferings 'T was a sweet saying of Bernard I had rather saith he that God should better my heart than remove his hand I had rather that God should continue my strokes than my sins And the same noble spirit was working bravely in Job when he was under the heavy hand of God See Job 7.20 21. Job 34.31 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more But now graceless men are much more willing to be rid of their afflâ—ctions See Exod. 10.17 than to be rid of their sins witness Pharaoh who cries out take away the Frogs Exod. 8.8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said Intreat the Lord that he may take away the Frogs from me and from my people and I will let the people go that they may do Sacrifice unto the Lord. 'T is not intreat the Lord that he would take away this proud heart or this hard heart or this besotted heart or this blind mind or this perverse will or this benummed Conscience that is in me and my people but intreat the Lord that he may take away the Frogs from me and my people
A graceless heart is more abundantly willing to be freed from punishment the effect of sin than 't is willing to be freed from sin the cause of punishment A gracious heart sees more filthiness in sin than in Frogs and had rather be rid of his sins than of all the Frogs or Toads that be in the World See what a sad spirit was upon the children of Israel in that Numb 21.6 7. Heb. Burning Serpents thus they are called from the effect of their biting which caused a mortal burning and consequently such an excessive thirst as killed them And the Lord sent Fiery Serpents among the people and they bite the people and much people of Israel dyed Therefore the people came to Moses and said We have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the Lord that he take away the Serpents from us Now mark in the fifth verse you have them murmuring against God and Moses and divine dispensations and nauseating of the Wheat of Heaven as light meat because they came lightly by it they distrust the Providence of God they let fly at God their spirit swels against the holy one of Israel and they scorn deride revile and contumeliously and despitefully speak against Moses and though they had often smarted for these sins yet they are at them again upon this God sends an Army of Fiery Serpents among them and they bite and devour many of them And now they run to Moses who but a little before they had despised and are very importunate with him to pray to the Lord to take away the Serpents from them They do not desire Moses to improve his interest in Heaven that God would take away their proud hearts their distrustful hearts their murmuring hearts c. but that God would take away the Serpents they were much more desirous to be rid of their Serpents than they were to be rid of their sins So those in Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity because thy sins were encreased I have done these things unto thee They do not cry out of their sins but they cry out of their afflictions Why cryest thou for thine affliction unsound hearts are more ready and willing to be rid of their afflictions than they are willing to have their Souls bettered or their lives mended or their lusts subdued by them Pilate was unwilling to condemn Jesus witness his seeking to release him and his washing his hands and his pleading his innocency c. Matth. 27.17 18 22 23 24. but yet the prevailing part of his will carryed him forth to deliver up Jesus to be scourged and Crucified v. 26. So Herod was unwilling to behead John Baptist witness that word The King was exceeding sorry Mark 6.26 But yet the prevailing part of his will carried him forth to cut off John's head v. 27. whose head was more worth than Herods Kingdom So Darius was very unwilling to cast Daniel into the Lyons Den witness his being sore displeased with himself and witness his setting his heart on Daniel to deliver him and witness his great unquietness of spirit for he could neither eat nor drink nor sleep the night after he was cast into the Lyons Den and witness his great joy at Daniels safety Dan. 6.14 18 19 20. All which did clearly argue a very great unwillingness that Daniel should suffer and yet the prevailing part of Darius his will carried him forth to sacrifice Daniel to the Lyons yea to that which was worse viz. the lusts of his enemies v. 16 17. By all these instances 't is most evident that the prevalent part of a wicked mans will stands most strongly byafs'd towards sin But now the prevalent part of a Christians will is to be rid of sin If the Lord should say to a gracious Christian Ask what thou wilt O Christian and it shall be granted to thee the Answer would be Lord rid me of my sins Lord take away mine iniquities Lord mortify my corruptions Lord whoever lives let these lust dye Lord drown these Egyptians in the Sea of thy Sons blood who have so violently and unweariedly pursued after the Blood of my precious Soul Lord kill and crucify all these sinful evils that have killed and Crucified the Lord of life and glory Psal 5.2 7. Lord wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Lord purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Lord carnal reason and flesh and bloud would fain have such and such pleasurable sins and such and such profitable sins indulged and spared but Lord the earnest the ardent desires of my soul are that I may be rid of them and that Justice to the heighth may be done upon them Lord be but the death of my sins and my soul shall say My lot is fallen in a pleasant place and verily I have a goodly heritage Lord cleanse me but from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit and I shall cry Hâ—sanna to thee Matth. 21.9 Psal 16.6 2 Cor. 7.1 Lord let me but out live my lusts and follow them to the Grave before others follow me to my Grave and I shall say it is enough And thus every gracious Soul is more willing to be rid of his sins than he is to keep his sins A Porter cannot be more willing to be rid of his burden nor a sick man to be rid of his disease nor a Beggar of his nasty louzy rags nor a Prisoner of his chains than a gracious Soul is willing to be rid of his lusts c. Fourthly That Soul that does not nor through Grace assisting will not allow himself or indulge himself in a course of sin or in the common practise of any known sin that Soul is certainly a gracious soul The evil that I do Rom. 7.15 I allow not So Psal 119.1 3. Blessed are the undefiled in the way that walk in the Law of the Lord they also do no iniquity that is they allow not themselves in the practice of any iniquity Blessed souls live not in the service of sin they live not in an ordinary practice of any iniquity 1 John 3.9 Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God He that has the seed of God the seed of Grace and Regeneration in him he cannot allow himself in away of sin he cannot give himself over to a voluntary serving of sin he cannot make a Trade of sin So Prov. 16.17 The highway of the upripht is to depart from evil that is it is the ordinary usual constant course of an upright man to depart from evâ—l An honest Traveller may step out of the Kings Highway into a house a Wood a Close but his work his business is to go on in the Kings Highway So the business the work
of an upright man is to depart from evil 't is possible for an upright man to step into a sinful path or to touch upon sinful facts but his main way his principal work and business is to depart from iniquity As a Bee may light upon a Thistle but her work is to be gathering at Flowers or as a Sheep may slip into the dirt but its work is to be grasing on the Mountains or in the Meadows Certainly there is no man in the world so abominable wicked but that he may now and then when he is in a good mood or when he is under distress of Conscience or bleeding under a smarting rod or beholding the hand-writing upon the Wall or under a sentence of death depart from evil but this is not his course this is not his business this is not his work this is not his highway Thieves do but now and then step into the Kings Highway to take a purse they do not keep the Kings Highway But now the upright mans Highway his common and ordinary course is to depart from evil and therefore he cannot allow himself liberty to walk in an evil way Titus 2.11 12. For the Grace of God that bringeth Salvation hath appeared to all men without distinction of Nations Sex Age or condition teaching us that denying ungodlyness and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present World Under the name of ungodliness he compriseth all the breaches of the first Table and under the name of worldly lusts he compriseth all inordinate desires against the second Table and those three words soberly righteously and godly have a threefold reference the first to our selves the second to our neighbour and the third to God We must live soberly in respect of our selves righteously in respect of our neighbours and godly in respect of God And this is the sum of a Christians whole duty Now if the Grace of God which bringeth Salvation teaches Saints to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts then certainly Saints that are taught by that Grace cannot live nor allow themselves in ungodliness or worldly lusts without all peradventure Heaven is for that man and that man is for Heaven that can appeal to Heaven that he allows not himself in the practice of any known sin Thus David did Search me O Lord sayes he and know my heart Psal 13â— 24 try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me 'T is a most sure sign that sin hath not gained a mans heart nor consent but committed a rape upon his Soul when he allows not himself in it but cryes out bitterly to God against it as Paul did Rom. 7. If the ravished Virgin under the Law cryed out she was guiltless Deut. 22.25 26 27. Certainly such as cry out of their sins and that would not for all the world allow themselves in a way of sin such are guiltless before the Lord. That which a Christian does not allow himself in that he does not do in divine account c. But now the whole Trade the whole life of formal and carnal Christians is nothing else but one continued web of wickedness there is no wicked unregenerate person in the world but lives in the daily practice of some known sin or other but allows himself in some Trade or way of wickedness or other as you may evidently see by comparing of these following Scriptures together Prov. 1.20 to 33. Jer. 5.3 Jer. 44.16 17 18 19. Jer. 9.3 4 5 6. Jer. 7.8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. Psal 50.16 17. Isa 66. 3. Matth. 7.23 Rom. 6.12 13 19. Rom. 8.5 Luke 13.27 Ephes 2.2 3. Phil. 4.19 Titus 3.3 2 Pet. 2.14 Sin is a sinners absolute work it is his main work and the sinner is besides himself besides his Calling as it were when he is besides his sin Fifthly He that conflicts most with heart-sins and is most affected with spiritual sins Psal 19.12 Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts Psal 30.6 7. Isa 64.7 and that laments and mourns most over secret sins invisible sins sins that lye most hid and remote from the eyes of the World he is certainly a gracious soul Grace in truth and grace in power will rise and conflict and make head against the most inward and secret vanities of the Soul as against secret self-love and secret hardness of heart Isa 63.17 and secret unbelief Mark 9.24 and secret carnal confidence and secret hypocrisie and secret envy and secret malice and secret vain-glory and secret fretting and murmuring and secret lustings and secret runnings out of the Soul after the meat that perisheth and secret pride hence Hezekiah humbles himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 32.25 2 Sam. 24.10 Psal 42.11 and so David he humbles himself for the pride of his heart in numbring of the people And how does the same Prophet chide himself for sinful dejection of spirit Psal 73.22 Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why art thou disquited in me And how does he at another time be-fool himself and be-beast himself for his secret grudging and fretting at the prosperity of the wicked So foolish was I and ignorant I was as a beast before thee And so Paul was most affected and afflicted with a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind Inward pollutions and defilements did sit closest and sadest upon his spirits And the same Apostle in that 2 Cor. 7.1 is for keeping down the filthiness of the spirit as well as the filthiness of the flesh he is for inward cleansing as well as for outward cleansing Rom. 7.22 23 24. Having therefore these Promises dearly beloved let as cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God So Mr. Bradford was a man that had attained to so great and eminent a heighth of holiness that Doctor Taylor the Martyr calls him That Saint of God John Bradford and yet O how sadly does he bewail his secret hypocrisy True Grace makes opposition as well against the being of sin in a mans nature Col. 3.5 as against the breakings out of sin in a mans life True Grace will make head against the corruptions of the heart as well as against the excursions of the feet 't is as willing and desirous to be rid of a polluted heart as 't is willing and desirous to be rid of a polluted hand It would fain have not only sinful acts but also sinful dispositions and not only irregular actions but also inordinate affections mortified and subdued O friends heart-sins are root-sins they are the springs that set all the wheels a going the Fountain that sets all the streams a running the fire that sets the Furnace a smoaking the Bellows that sets the fire a burning Certainly a proud heart hath more of Satan in it than a proud look and a wanton heart is more vile than a wanton eye
A gracious heart that is weary of sin will certainly and habitually fall a striving against it Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh for these two are contrary the one to the other Now contraries are naturally expulsive each of other Such a pair as a Jacob and an Esau such Twins as an Isaac and an Ishmael cannot lye quietly together in the same womb no nor live quietly together in the same house but there will be a mutual prosecuting and persecuting each of other Fire and Water may as well agree in the same Vessel as grace and sin in the same heart True Grace hath a real repugnancy and contrariety to all sin and remember this once for all that saving Grace is not contrary to sin because it is open and manifest nor to sin because it is private and secret nor to sin because it is of this or that consequence but to sin as sin whether publick or private because both the one and the other are contrary to the Law of God the will of God the glory of God the nature of God the designs of God c. As it is with true light though it be but a beam yet it is universally opposite to all darkness or as it is with heat though there be but one degree of it yet it is opposite to all cold So true Grace it is opposite to all sin it cannot comply with any known sin Look as sin and Grace were never born together and as sin and Grace shall never dye together so sin and Grace can never be reconciled together There is a natural contrariety between sin and Grace and therefore you can never reconcile them in the heart The opposition that Grace makes against sin is inward as well as outward 't is against sin wheresoever it is Nothing will satisfy a gracious soul but the destruction of sin Rom. 6.6 Knowing this that our old man is Crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendred destroyed signifies weakned and the strength of it broken and made idle fruitless and uneffectual So Psal 51.2 Wash me throughly or multiply to wash me or play the Fuller upon me from mine iniquity David looked upon his sin his stain to be so inveterate so ingrained that it would hardly be ever gotten out till the cloth were almost rub'd to pieces and cleanse me from my sin David was as desirous to be cleansed of the Leprosy of sin as ever any poor Leper was willing to be cleansed of his Leprosy under the Law And so ver 7. Purge me with Hyssop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow All the Sacrifices of expiation of sin in the old Law were done by blood and that blood was sprinkled upon the people by a bunch of Hyssop so called from the Hebrew word Ezob by reason of the nearness of the sound In the legal sprinklings made with Hyssop was shadowed out the washing away of sin through the blood of Christ Rev. 1.14 Job 9.30 The Brides garments are made white in the blood of the lamb and not by any washings in Snow water When a gracious Soul looks upon sin he cries out Lord raze it raze it down to the ground Lord let not one stone be left upon another In every gracious Soul there is such a detestation and such an indignation against sin that neither Mountains of Gold nor Rocks of Pearl nor honour nor applause nor favour on the one hand nor frowns nor threats nor neglects nor scorns nor contempt on the other hand 〈◊〉 win the Soul over to sin or make the Soul one with sin Look how it was between the Lord and Amalek so it is between a gracious soul and his sins Now if you turn to that Exod. 17.16 you shall find how it was between the Lord and Amalek Because the Lord hath sworn that the Lord will have war with Amalek from Generation to Generation Or as the Hebrew has it The hand upon the throne of the Lord Gods hand is laâ—d upon his own Throne as swearing to root out Amalek or because Amaleks hand is lifted up against Gods Throne that is the Church so called in Jer. 4.21 and Crown of Glory Isa 62.3 therefore God will have perpetual wars with Amalek God could as soon be reconciled to Amalek as a gracious Christian can be reconciled to his sins Others sense the words thus that Moses had a solemn Oath as it were laying his hand upon Gods Throne for asseveration and assurance that he and the people will have an irreconcilable war with the posterity of Amalek And so every gracious soul is resolved to make an irreconcileable war with sin But now where there is only common Grace there a man deals by his sins as David did by his son Absolom banish him his Court for a time and afterwards receive him into full favour and court him as much or more than before An unsound heart may fall out with his sin and be very angry with its sin for the consequence of it for the shame it brings upon his person for the blot it leaves upon his name and for the stinging guilt and convulsion fits which it causeth in his Conscience and yet this very person be in a very close and strict league with sin and his heart inwardly and strongly adhering unto sin But a gracious heart will be still a restraining of sin a curbing of sin a crossing of sin a making head against sin and a withstanding it in all its workings Anger may be reconciled but hatred cannot Eightly Where the very prevailings of sin are ordinarily made serviceable to high and holy to gracious and spiritual ends Ezek. 16.61 63. Ephes 2.7 6 7. there certainly is a saving work of God upon that mans soul As when they produce more Soul-loathing Soul-humiliation Self-judging Self-abasement Self-abhorring or when they fill the Soul with a grea◠〈◊〉 admiration of the freeness and riches of Grace or when they keep down pride and prevent the despising of others or produce holy shame or when they make the blood of Christ more precious and dear to the Soul or when they engage a Christian so much the more to watch and pray and pray and watch that he may either be kept from the hour of temptation or in the hour of temptation or when every fall makes sin more bitter to the soul than ever and Christ more sweet to the Soul than ever and all the means of Grace more delightful to the Soul than ever and heaven more desirable to the Soul than ever or when sin is made the prevention of sin or when sin through the over-ruling hand of Grace is made an occasion of more Grace as that good man said As I get hurt by my Graces So I get good by my sins You know all the
should make it our great business and work to come up to them and to imitate them to the life O friends the examples last cited should be very awakening very perswading very convincing and very encouraging because in them you may see that though abstinence from the appearance of evil be a difficult thing yet 't is a possible thing Shall we love to look upon the Pictures of our friends and shall we not much more love to look upon the holy examples of those eminent Saints that had the lively picture of Grace and the lovely Image of Christ fairly stampt upon their hearts and lives 'T is both our Mercy and our duty to eye the examples and to follow the footsteps of those Christians that have been most eminent in Grace as you may plainly see by comparing of these Scriptures together Prov. 2.20 Heb. 6.12 1 Thes 1.6 Phil. 4.9 2 Tim. 3.10 11 12. Heb. 12.1 Phil. 3.17 1 Cor. 11.1 Titus 2.7 He that would fain write a fair hand had need have his eye often upon his Copy and he that would fain abstain from all appearance of evil he had need often to eye the gracious examples of such who have made Conscience of abstaining from appearing evils as well as from apparent evils But Eighthly and lastly Consider what some refined Heathens and civilized Pagans have done in this very case There are stories of Heathens that would not look upon excellent Beauties lest they should be ensnared Dâ—mocritâ—â— pluckt out his own eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanness Socrates speaketh of two young men that flang away their Belts when being in an Idol-Temple the lustrating water fell upon them detesting saith the Historian the garment spotted by the Flesh Alexander would not see the woman after whom he might have lusted Scipio Africanus warring in Spain took New Carthage by storm Aure victor at which time a beautiful and noble Virgin fled to him for succour to preserve her Chastity he being four and twenty years old and so in the heat of youth hearing of it would not suffer her to come into his sight for fear of a temptation but caused her to be restored in safety to her Father So when Demâ—sthenes the Oratour was asked an excessive sum of money to behold the beautiful Lais he answered He would not buy repentance so dear neither was he so ill a Merchant as to sell eternals for temporals Nor Caesar would not search Pompeyes Cabinet lest he should find new matters of revenge Memorable is the story of the children of Samosâ—ta that would not touch their Ball but burnt it because it had touched the Toe of a wicked Heretical Bishop as they were tossing and playing with it Now shall some refined Heathens shall civilized Pagans abstain from the appearance of evil from occasions and temptations to sin and shall real Christians fall short of them Shall blind nature do more than Grace Shall men fallen in the first Adam do more than those that are raised and enlivened by the second Adam But to prevent all mistakes let me add though many Heathens have abstained from the appearance of some evil yet they have not abstained from the appearance of all evil neither have they abstained from the appearance of any evil out of a hatred of evil nor from any principles of saving light or life or love nor out of any regard to any Royal Law of God nor out of any regard to the honour or glory of God but either out of vain-glory and popular applause the Pole-stars by which they steered all their actions or out of Hypocrisy which set a tincture and Dy upon all their actions what Writer hath more golden Sentences than Seneca against the contempt of Gold yet if Tacitus and others of his contemporaries may be credited none more rich none more covetous than he as if out of design he had perswaded others to cast away their money that he himself might come and gather it up again c. And thus you see that there are very great reasons why every Christian should avoid the very shew suspition or appearance of evil c. But Eleventhly and lastly He that sets himself resolutely mostly habitually against his bosome sins his constitution sins Psal 18.26 his most prevalent sins c. he has certainly a saving work a powerful work of God upon his Soul True Grace will make a man stand stoutly and stedfastly on Gods side and work the heart to take part with him against the most darling sins though they be as right hands or as right eyes True Grace will lay hands upon a mans most beloved lusts and cry out to Heaven Lord Crucify them Crucify them down with them down with them even to the ground Lord do Justice do signal Justice do speedy Justice do exemplary Justice upon this Head-lust this Master-sin Lord hew down root and branch let the very stumps of this Dagon be broken all in pieces Lord curse this wild Fig-Tree that never more Fruit may grow thereon Certainly God and Christ is set up highest in that mans heart who bends most of his thoughts strength and endeavours against his constitution sins against the sins of his Place Calling condition and complexion 'T is very observable that the Jews after they had been in the Babilonish Furnace for Idolatry they ever hated and feared that sin as much as the burnt child dreads the Fire yea they would dye any death rather than admit an Idol Josephus tells us how stoutly they opposed Pilate and Petronius that would have set up Caesars Statue in their Temples offering their throats to the Swords of the Souldiers rather than they would endure that Idol in Gods house O when once the heart of a Christian comes thus to be set against all his Golden and Silver Idols then we may safely say Behold a true Israelite in whom there is no guile He that finds his lusts his bosome his darling lusts begin to fall before him 〈◊〉 6 1â— as Hâ—mâ—â— once begun to fall before Morâ—eoai he may safely and confidently conclude that he is of the seed of the Jews and that the seed of God abideth in him 1 John 3.9 But having discoursed so largely as I have concerning bosome sins darlâ—ng lusts head-corruptions in my other writings I need say no more at this time And thus you see that there are Eleven particulars in regard of sin and a Christians actâ—ngs about it that speaks out a true saving work of Grace to be in the Souls of the Saints But c. Secondly Where the constant ordinary standing and abiding purpose disposition frame and general bent of a mans heart soul spirit desires and endeavours are fixed and set for God for Grace for Holiness in heart and life there is a most sure and infallible work of God past upon that mans soul the constant bent and the setled purpose of a true child of God is for God for Grace for Holiness in heart
Oppressor no Defrauder c. A formal Professors obedience to Divine Commands does principally lye in negatives he considers not so much what the Command requires as what it prohibits and he pleases himself rather in abstaining from evil than in doing of good in being outwardly reformed than in being inwardly renewed he thinks it enough that he turns from sin though he makes no Conscience of turning to God If you ask him concerning affirmative Commands there you will find him speechless Ask him art thou holy art thou humble art thou heavenly art thou sincere art thou a Believer dost thou set up God as the great object o thy fear dost thou love God with a superlative love is the Sabbath of the Lord a delight unto thee c. Now here you strike him dumb he looks upon the neglect of these things as no sins Isa 8.13 Psal 18.1 Isa 58 1â— because they are not such scandalous sins as the others are Remember Sirs sinful omissions many times leads to sinful commissions as you may see in the Angels thaâ— fell from Heaven to Hell and as you may see in Adam who fell from his highest glory into a woful gulf of sin and misery But Fourthly If your obedience spring from Faith then you will endeavour to obey God in the Spirit of the Command as well as in the letter of the Command In every Command of God there is an intra and an extra one part of Christs Law binds the Flesh and another part binds the Spirit Thou shalt do no Murther Matth. 5.21.22 Verse 27 28. there is the letter of the Command Thou shalt not be angry with thy Brother without a cause there is the Spirit of the Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery there is the letter of the Command Thou shalt not look upon a Woman to lust after her there is the Spirit of the Command The Pharisees of old did not look to the Spiritâ—ality of the Law but only to the Letter of the Law they rested wholly upon an outward conformity to the Law when their hearts were full of Hellish lusts they were all for the outside of the Law they regarded not the inside of the Law they were all for washing of Platters and Cups and for beautifying of Tombs like an Adulteress Matth. 23.23 Phil. 3.6 Rom. 7.9 Could a man come up to all affirmative and negative Precepts in his outward conversation yet if he were not spiritual in all these his obedience would be but as a body without a Soul The Pharisees rise high in their outward obedience and yet Christ clearly and fully convinces them that they were wretched Adulterers and Murderers though they were not guilty of any such outward crimes c. whose care is to paint and set a fair face upon a foul matter they were all for paying Tythe of Mint and Annise and Cummin but they regarded not the inside of the Law they omitted the weightier matters of the Law viz. Judgment Mercy and Faith While Paul walked by the letter of the Command he was blameless in his own account but when he came to walk by the Spirit of the Command then sin revived and he dyed Friends there are the more general duties of Religion as Hearing Praying Reading Receiving Fasting Repeating Discoursing c. Now these all lye in the very letter of the Command and there are the more inward and spiritual duties of Religion as the exercise of Faith fear love hope joy patience contentation humble submission and chusing of God and cleaving to God and delighting in God and admiring of God and exalting of God and following hard after God and holy Meditation and Self-examination c. Now all these lye in the very spirit of the Command Now in the exercise of these more spiritual duties our fellowship and communion with God mainly lyes In the more general duties of Religion an hypocrite may manifest the excellency of his gifts but in the more spiritual duties of Religion a sincere Christian doth manifest both the excellency and efficacy of grace Mark an unsound heart looks no further than to the bare letter of the command to bare hearing and bare praying and bare preaching and bare fasting and bare giving and bare receiving and bare suffering he looks no further than to that part of the command which only binds the flesh or outward man and if he does but observe that in the gross he thinks he hath done marvellous well like a melancholy man that matters not what melody and harmony he makes so he does but touch the strings of the instrument But now a found a sincere Christian he looks to the Spirit of the command and if he does not come up to that in sincere desires in gracious purposes in fixed resolutions and in cordial endeavours he can have no peace no rest no quiet no comfort O Sirs as ever you would see God and enjoy God another day you must labour not only to obey the letter of the command but also to bring your hearts to the sincere obedience of the Spirit of the command This is a very close piercing distinguishing and discovering sign But Fifthly If your obedience springs from faith then you will labour not only to obey God in the matter but also in the manner of the command not only in the substance of the command but also in the circumstance of the command God requires the manner as well as the matter and God looks upon that work as not done that is not done in a right manner Did not the Lord command sacrifice and did not Cain offer sacrifice Gen. 4.5 and yet God had no respect to him nor to his offering because his sacrifice was not offered up in a right manner his offering was not offered up by a hand of faith he offered his offering but because he did not offer himself as an offering to God his offering was rejected by God A work may be materially good Luther that is not formally and eventually good and this was Cain's curse How frequently did God command the Jews to pray Isa 1.15 and yet he plainly tells them When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear He commanded them to sacrifice and yet he saith To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices Verse 11. and all because they did not manage their prayers nor sacrifices in a right manner their hands were full of bloud and their hearts were full of sins and their lives were full of lewdness and therefore all their services were vain oblations yea an abomination to God An unfound heart looks no further than to the substance of the command if he has heard and prayed and fasted and read and repeated and given alms and received the Lord's Supper he strokes himself and blesses himself and hugs himself and thinks all is well and so he looks no further But now a sound
O what sweet communion what delightful communion what high communion what commodious communion what Soul-satisfying Soul-ravishing Soul-filling Soul-contenting communion with God does he then enjoy When the Child walks wisely and obedientially before his Father what sweet and delightful converses and communion is there between the Father and the Child but if the child walk foolishly stubbornly rebelliously disobediently the prudent Father will carry it severely strangely frowningly and at a distance though his heart be still full of love to his child and though he won't disinherit him yet he wont be familiar with him The application is easie c. Seventhly To keep down the body and to bring it into subjection to the soul 1 Cor. 9.27 But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection By spiritual exercises the Apostle d d subdue his flesh to the obedience and discipline of the spirit in former times they had several exercises as wrestling and running for the prize Now such as were slow pursie unweildy and lazy were cashiered they would not admit such to be of their society or company who wrestled and run for the prize Them that were admitted to those exercises kept their bodies at an under and did not pamper their bodies with dainties and delicates To these the Apostle alludes of idleness there comes no goodness when the spirit is not acting in that which is good that the flesh may be kept under the flesh will take an advantage to be very active in those things that are evil that the spirit may be kept under the flesh is like an unruly beast which through rest idleness and high feeding grows wild and masterless Now the only way to tame this beast is to work him hard so the way of wayes to keep the body under is to keep up the soul as much as may be in the full exercise of holiness and obedience such as have most pampered their bodies Deut. 32.13 14 15 16 17. Jer. 5.7 8 c. Rev. 3 16 17 18. have been the greatest enemies to their own souls and how many are there this day that pamper their bodies but starve their souls that adorn their bodies but defiles their soul that trick and trim up their bodies with gold and silver and silks whilst their souls are naked of all grace holiness and goodness like the Laodiceans of old The body it self if you set too high a price upon it will make a cheap soul a man may be as happy in Russet as in Tissue and he is certainly an unhappy man whose outside is his best side our bodies are but dirt handsomly tempered and artificially formed we derive our pedigree from the dust and are a kin to clay and therefore we need not scruple the keeping of it under by holy exercises and by all wayes of Gospel-obedience c. Eighthly To the profit and advantage both of sinners and Saints 1. To convince sinners to silence sinners and to stop the mouths of sinners let but one man that walks wisely humbly circumspectly convincingly exemplarily blamelesly come into a Town a Parish a Family made up of drunkards swearers Sabbath-breakers whore-masters c. and his holy walking will convince them and condemn them 1 Pet. 2.12 15. Chap. 3.13 16. 2. To the profit advantage and encouragement of the Saints The strict exact walking Christian provokes the slight loose Christian to mend his manners and to order his steps and conversation aright and the lively active Christian puts the dull heavy sluggish Christian to a blush and spurs and quickens him up to a more lively walking with God and the warm flaming zealous burning Christian puts heat and warmth into the cold formal frozen Christian and the free liberal bountiful Christian provokes others to be free noble and liberal for the supply of the necessities of the Saints 2 Cor. 9.1 2. Chap. 8.1 2 3 4 19 20 c. The ninth and last though not the least end is the honour and glory of the great God God's grace is the spring and God's glory is the end of all a Christians obedience God's glory is the ultimate end Rom. 14.7 8. Phil. 1.20 21. the primary end the universal end the Sea to which all a Christians actions like so many Rivers move and bend 'T is true many poor low mean base ends may creep into a Christians performances but here mark 1. They are disallowed 2. They are loathed and abhorred 3. They are resisted and striven against 4. They are lamented and mourned over 5. The gracious soul would willingly be rid of them if a Christian might have his choice he would never be troubled with any base end any more Beloved you must alwayes distinguish between a mans setled and his suggested ends a mans setled end may be one things and his suggested end another thing Now for ever remember this That the great God alwayes makes a judgement of men according to their setled ends according to the universal frame of their spirits and not according to those ends that may be suggested to them by the world the flesh or the devil It is in this case as it may be with a man that shoots at a mark he aims aright at the mark but his elbow may meet with a jog which may carry the arrow quite another way than what he intended or as it is with a man that is sailing to such a Haven or to such a Harbour he steers a right course by his Compass but the winds blowing contrary and the Sea running high he is forced into such a creek or such a Harbour which he never intended c. Is it requisite for the clearing of the sincerity of our hearts Qu. that we have a continual eye to the glory of God in every action we do First Ans You must distinguish between an actual aim and intention and an habitual aim and intention For the first an actual aim and intention of the Spirit in every particular action that a man doth to the glory of God is utterly impossible whilst we carry about us with a body of sin and death The Angels and spirits of just men made perfect do thus actually aim at the glory of God in all they do but 't is a work that will be too high and too hard for us whilst we are here in a polluted estate This was so high a mark that Adam mist it in his innocency no wonder then if we often miss it in our sinful state and condition But Secondly There is an habitual inclination in us in every action we do to aim at the honour and glory of God though there be not the actual intention of the spirit in every action we do it is with us as with a man travelling towards a Town or City he thinks in the morning to go to such a Town such a place where he purposes to lye the first night and therefore sets forth towards it and though he doth not think of this every step
he takes yet it 's his purpose in his journey to rest there at night or as it is with a man that comes to Church his end is to hear the Word of the Lord yet in every word he hears spoken he hath not the thought of his end upon his spirit but he is there by vertue of his first intention So here though in every particular there be not an intention of spirit to level this or that action to the glory of God yet it is the main drift and habitual scope of a mans spirit that Gods glory may be the end of all his actions Thirdly There is a mediate and there is an immediate eying or looking to the glory of God as when I forbear such or such a sin because God by such a command hath forbidden it or I do such or such a duty because God hath commanded it Now in eying of the command of God I eye the glory of God immediately though not mediately But Fourthly In some particular or special cases I ought actually to eye the glory of God As 1. In some eminent or extraordinary service that I am to do for Christ Or 2. In some special testimony that I am call'd to give for Christ or his Gospel Or 3. In some great thing that I am call'd to suffer for Christ or his Gospel or his interest But Fifthly The more a Christian actually eyes the glory of God in all he does the more 1. He glorifies God 2. The neerer you are the life of heaven and the more you act like the glorious Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect 3. The more will be your joy comfort and peace both in life and death and in the day of your account 4. The more strong will be your confidence and assurance that your spiritual estate is good and that you shall be saved for ever 5. The better you will be able to bear up under all the false hard and sowre censures of this world 6. The more you will be temptation proof 7. The more glorious and weighty will be your crown of glory at last he shall be highest in heaven who has actually aimed most at the glory of God in this lower world And thus you see how you may know whether your obedience is such an obedience as springs from faith or 〈◊〉 Now if upon trial you shall find that your obedience is the obedience of faith then you may safely and groundedly conclude that you have a saving work of God upon your hearts But Fourthly A gracious heart is an uniform heart Ubiquity is a sure evidence of integrity He that is truly good will be good in bad times and in the worst of places Psal 119.112 1 John 3.9 Hosea 6 4. principles of grace and holiness are lasting yea everlasting they are not like the morning cloud nor the early dew A gracious soul will be steddy and fixed in his principles in the worst times in the worst places and under variety of dispensations let times and places be what they will he will not dishonour his God nor blemish his profession nor wound his conscience to preserve his safety or to secure his liberty An upright man is a right man So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jashar is rendred by the Septuagint Judg. 17.6 He is one that will not be bowed or bent by the sinful customs or examples of the times and places where he lives Gen. 6.9 Abraham was righteous in Chaldea and Noah was perfect in his generation though it was the worst in the world and Lot was just in Sodom Job 1. and Job was upright in the Land of Uzz which was a place of much prophaness and superstition and Nehemiah was couragious and zealous in Damasco and Daniel was holy yea eminently and exemplarily holy in Babylon The several generations wherein these holy men lived were wholly devoted to wickedness and superstition and yet these precious gracious souls had wholly devoted themselves to the Lord and his service Psal 119.20 So David My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgments at all times Let the times be never so dangerous licentious superstitious idolatrous or erronious yet David's heart was strongly carried forth to Gods judgments that is to his Word for under this title Judgments you are to understand the whole Word of God So there were some in Sardis that were of the same spirit with the worthies last mentioned Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Psal 119.1 2 3. In polluting times pure hearts will keep themselves pure a holy heart will keep himself undefiled even in defiling times Rev. 14.4 These are they which were not defiled with women when others are besmeared all over Dan. 3.17 18 19 20. he will keep his garments white and clean The three Children or rather the three Champions were so highly resolved to keep themselves pure from the abominations of their day that it was neither Nebuchadnezzars musick that would flatter them nor his fiery furnace that could scare them from their God or from their Duty or from their Religion Let the times never so often turn you shall find that he that is really holy he will be holy under every turn no turns shall turn him out of a way of holiness Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger The Lawrel keeps its freshness and greeness in the Winter season a gracious soul is semper idem let the wind Psal 125.1 and the world and the times turn which way they will a gracious soul for the main will still be the same he is like mount Zion which cannot be removed Job 27.5 6. Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live A gracious heart is in some measure like the heart of God without variableness or shadow of changing That Christian that is not for substance Jam. 1.17 the same that once he was was never what he ought to be A gracious heart is firm and fixt for God and godliness both in prosperity and in adversity take him among the good or among the bad take him in storms or calms in Winter nights or in Summer dayes take him among friends or foes take him at bed or board take him in health or sickness take him in an Ordinance or out of an Ordinance take him in his work or take him at his recreations take him in his commerce or in his converse take him living or take him dying and you shall still find that the byass of his soul is still God-wards Christ-wards Holiness-wards and Heaven-wards A gracious man will stand his ground Josh 24.15 Psal 112.7 Mal. 3.6 The poor Heathen could say that
higher than nature Spiritual things can neither be discerned nor desired but by those that are anointed with the eye-salve of the Spirit The natural man is dark and blind and he sees no beauty nor excellency in grace that he should desire it or be in love with it Man in his natural estate is without Eph. 2.12 There are five withou t s 1. Without Christ 2. Without the Church 3. Without the Promise 4. Without hope 5. Without God in the world Now every natural man being under these five withouts how is it possible that he should have any serious desires after grace Such is the corruption of our nature that if you propound any divine good to it it is entertained as fire by water or wet wood with hissing propound any evil then 't is like fire to straw 't is like the foolish Satyr that made hast to kiss the fire 't is like that unctious matter which Naturalists say sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed Rom. 8.7 The contrariety and enmity that is in every natural mans heart against God and Christ and grace and holiness may sufficiently satisfie us that the natural man is a meer stranger to serious and sincere desires after God or Christ or grace or the great things that belong to his everlasting peace Such sincere and serious desires as these Oh that Christ were mine Oh that I were married to his person Oh that I were cloathed with his righteousness Oh that my soul were adorned with his grace Oh that I was filled with his Spirit Oh that he would be my King to rule me and my Prophet to teach and instruct me and my Priest to make an atonement for me Oh that I might enjoy choice and high communion with him Oh that I might sin no more against him Oh that I may do nothing unworthy of him Oh that after death I might live for ever in the enjoyments of him c. I say such serious and sincere desires are not to be found in the natural mans breast Secondly Because grace is contrary to nature The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 Fire cannot desire water nor water fire because they are contrary one expelling the other for either the water will quench the fire or else the fire will lick up the water So here nature would have a man love himself and seek himself and exalt himself but grace will have a man love God and seek God and exalt God c. Take nature when 't is most adorned enriched raised elevated c. yet then you shall find it at enmity with God and grace Ergo c. Thirdly Because grace is not only above nature and contrary to nature but it is even a hell to nature grace and holiness is a hell to a natural man See my Treatise on holiness page 64 65 66. Look as a glorified estate would be a hell to every wicked person Coelum est altera gehenna damnatorum saith one of the Ancients Heaven is another hell to the damned so would a gracious estate also Grace puts a man to take up the Cross of Christ to deny his natural self his sinful self his religious self his relative self and to give up a mans self to the strictest and exactest wayes of God and to crucifie his lusts and to pull out his right eye and to cut off his right hand c. And oh what hard work is this yea what a hell is this to nature c. Fourthly Wicked men don't nor can't so much as truly and seriously desire saving grace witness their daily withstanding and slighting the offers of grace Compare these Scriptures Prov. 1.20 ult Chap. 8.1 12. Ezek. 24.13 Mat. 23.37 Luke 19.41 42 c. Fifthly Wicked men don't nor can't so much as truly and seriously desire saving grace witness their common ordinary habitual provoking vexing quenching resisting and grieving of the spirit of grace Turn to these Scriptures Gen. 6.3 Isa 63.10 Act. 7.55 Eph. 4.30 Sixthly Wicked men don't nor can't truly and seriously desire saving grace witness that enmity hatred rage and madness that is in them against the Saints whose hearts and lives are enamel'd with grace Gen. 3.15 Psal 34.21 Psal 44.10 Job 31.29 Amos 5.10 c. I have read of a desperate wretch that when he came to die he gave good portions to all his children but one and to him he would give but twelve pence and being asked the reason of it he made answer he was a Puritan I have heard him say said his wretched father That he had a promise to live on let us now see whether a promise will maintain him or no. Certainly wherever there are true serious desires after grace there is a dear love to those upon whose hearts the work of grace is past Now by these short hints 't is evident enough that wicked men don't nor can't sincerely seriously desire grace certainly such that are poor in spirit and that mourn for their spiritual defects and that hunger and thirst after grace and holiness after a righteousness imparted and a righteousness imputed must confess themselves to be in a blessed estate and consequently in a state of grace for what true happiness is there out of it or else they must contradict our Saviour and charge truth it self with untruth who hath pronounced them blessed that are so qualified so affected Were this well weighed and seriously considered of how would it comfort refresh support and stay up many a troubled soul and what a well-spring of life would this be to many a wounded spirit Doubtless the greatest part of a Saints perfection in this life witness Pauls own ingenious confession after fourteen years conversion Rom. 7.15 18 19 21 22. say some and who ever went beyond him and how exceedingly do most fall short of him consisteth rather in will than in work and in desire and endeavour more than in deed There is so much good in good desires that it is the main that the godly have to speak of and to reckon of make an inventory of a Christians estate and search every room if you find not these you find nothing and if you set these down in the inventory you set down even all he is worth for another world Daniel is called a man of desires and so is every gracious man a man wholly made up of gracious desires Dan. 10 11. Mark God makes a judgment upon the sons of men according as their desires stand he that desires to steal he is a Thief in the account of God and he that desires to commit adultery he is an adulterer in the account of God and he that desires to oppress he is an oppressor in the account of God and he that desires to deceive he is a deceiver in the account of God and he that desires to persecute he is a persecutor in the account of God and he that desires to prophane the
then his desire Luke 17.5 are most for faith you shall then find him with the Disciples crying out Lord increase our faith But now though a wicked mans heart rise against every grace yet it rises most strongly against those particular graces which are most opposite and contrary to those particular lusts which are a wicked mans bosom lusts Mat. 26.8 9. his darling sins c. Hence the covetous heart rises and swells most against liberality as you see in Judas Rev. 3.15 16 17. Luke 19. What need this waste Flesh and bloud looks upon all as lost that is laid out upon Christ his servants and services And the luke-warm Christians heart rises and swells most against zeal and fervency and the griping Userers heart rises and swells most against restitution Job 21.14 15. and the adulterers heart rises and swells most against purity chastity continency and the ignorant mans heart rises and swells most against light and knowledge Eccles 7.10 the ignorant man is willing to go to hell in the dark and ready and bold enough to conclude that we never had such sad and bad times as we have had since there hath been so much preaching and so much hearing and so much fasting and so much praying and so much light and knowledge in the world But now it is quite otherwise with a true child of God Rom. 7.22 23. for his heart rises and swells most against the Toad or Toads that are in his own bosom and the daily and earnest desires of his soul are that God would make him eminent in every grace yea that God would make him most eminent in those particular graces which are most opposite and contrary to those particular lusts and corruptions which more peculiarly more especially he hath cause to call his iniquity Psal 49.5 or the iniquities of his heart and of his heels Look as we have some dirt more or less that will still cleave to our heels whilst we are in a dirty world so there is some defilements and pollutions that will still be cleaving to all our duties services wayes and walkings in this world which we may well call the iniquity of our heels Now a gracious heart rises most against these c. Thirteenthly No man can truly love grace in another but he that has true grace in his own soul 1 John 3.10 No man can love a Saint as a Saint but he that is a real Saint no man can love holiness in another but he that has holiness in his own soul no man can love a good man for goodness sake but he that is really good We know that we have passed from death to life 1 John 3.14 This Text you have opened in the first Maxim of this Book because we love the brethren Sincere love to the brethren is a most evident sign of a Christians being already passed or translated from death to life that is from a state of nature into a state of grace such a poor soul that dares not say that he has grace in his own heart yet dares say before the Lord that he loves delights and takes pleasure to see the holy graces of the Spirit sparkling and shining in the hearts lives and lips of other Saints secretly wishing in himself that his soul were but in their case and that dares say before the Lord Psal 15.1 4. Psal 16.3 He that loves his brother saith Augustine better knows his love wherewith he loves than his brother whom he loves that there are no men in all the world that are so precious so lovely so comely so excellent and so honourable in his account in his eye as those that have the Image of God of Christ of grace of holiness most clearly most fairly and most fully stampt upon them When a poor Christian can rejoyce in every light in every Sun that out-shines his own when he sees wisdom and knowledge shining in one Saint and faith and love shining in another Saint and humility and lowliness shining in another Saint and meekness and uprightness shining in another Saint and zeal and courage shining in another Saint and patience and constancy shining in another and then can make his retreat to his closet admiring blessing of the Lord for the various graces of his Spirit shining in his children and be frequent and earnest with God that those very graces might shine as so many Suns in his soul doubtless such a poor soul has true grace and is happy and will be happy to all eternity In Tertullian's time the Heathen would point out the Christians by this mark See how they love one another Now to prevent mistakes I shall shew you the several properties of sincere love to the Saints First True love to the Saints is spiritual it is a love for the Image of God that is stampt upon the soul 1 John 5.1 Every one that loveth him that begat 1 John 4.7 loveth him also that is begotten of him A soul that truly loves loves the father for his own sake and the children for the fathers sake If the Image of God be the load-stone that drawes out our love to the Saints then our love is real to them he that does not love the Saints as Saints he that does not love them under a spiritual notion he hath no true affection to them Naturally we hate God Gen. 3.15 1 John 3.12 because he is a holy God and his Law because it is an holy Law and his people because they are a holy people 'T is only the Spirit of God that can inable a man to love a Saint for the image of God that is in him many there are which love Christians for their goods not for their good they love them for the money that is in their purses but not for the grace that is in their hearts many like the Bohemian Cur fawn upon a good suit Love to the Saints for the Image of God stampt upon them is a flower that does not grow in natures garden No man can love grace in another mans heart but he that hath grace in his own men do not more naturally love their parents Prov. 29.10 Ezek. 25.15 and love their children and love themselves than they do naturally hate the image of God upon his people and wayes I have read of one who was so lusty and quarrelsom that he was ready to fight with his own image so often as he saw it in a glass O! how many are there in these dayes that are still a quarrelling and fighting with the image of God wherever they see it True love is for what of the divine nature for what of Christ and grace shines in a man it is one thing to love a godly man and anther thing to love him for godliness Many love godly men as they are Politicians or Potent or Learned or of a sweet nature or affable or related or as they have been kind to them
Hebrew runs Any way of pain or of grief or of provocation that is any course of sin that is grievous or provoking to the eyes of divine glory A real Saint can neither allow of sin nor wallow in sin nor be transformed into the image of sin nor mix it self with sin 'T is possible for a sincere Christian to step into a sinful path or to touch upon sinful facts Gal. 6.1 Prov. 16.17 and now and then in an hour of temptation to slide to trip and to be overtaken unawares but his main way his principle work is to depart from iniquity As a true traveller may now and then step a few steps out of his way who yet for the main keeps his way keeps the road or as a Bee may now and then light upon a thistle but her main work is to be gathering at the flowers or as a Sheep may now and then slip into the dirt or into a slow but its main work is to be grazing upon the mountains Certainly O soul if sin be now thy greatest burden it shall never hereafter prove thy eternal bane God never yet sent any man to hell for sin to whom sin has commonly been the greatest hell in this world God has but one hell and that is for those to whom sin has been commonly a heaven in this world That man that hates sin and that daily enters his protest against sin that man shall never be made miserable by sin Sin in a wicked man is like poyson in a serpent it is in its natural place it is delightful to a sinner but sin in a Saint is like poyson in a man's body it is offensive and the heart rises against it and is carried forth to the use of all divine Antidotes whereby it may be expelled and destroyed nothing will satisfie a gracious soul but the heart bloud of his lusts Now he shall never be damned for his sins whose heart is set upon killing his sins Seventeenthly Such a poor soul that dares not say that God is his God or that Christ is his Redeemer or that he has a work of grace upon his heart yet can say with some integrity of heart before the Lord that if God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness were offered to him on the one hand and all the honours pleasures profits delights and carnal contents of the world were offered him on the other hand he had infinitely rather ten thousand thousand times chuse God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness than the contrary Certainly such a soul has true grace in him and a saving work past upon him for none can freely seriously habitually resolutely chuse God and Christ grace and glory holiness and happiness as their summum bonum chiefest good but such who are really good 1 John 4.19 Deut. 7.6 7 8 9. 26.17 18 19. Look as our love to God is but an effect of his love to us We love him because he first loved us so our chusing of God for our God is but an effect of God's chusing us for his people we chuse him because he first chose us Such who in their serious choice set up God and Christ above all other persons and things such God will certainly make happy and blessed for ever God never did nor never will reject those or damn those who really chuse him for their God and for their great all The greatest part of the world chuse their lusts rather than God and the creatures rather than Christ Luke 12.21 they chuse rather to be great than gracious to be rich in this world than to be rich towards God to be outwardly happy than to be inwardly holy Mat. 10.42 to have a heaven on earth than to have a heaven after death and so they miscarry for ever That soul that with Mary has chosen the better part that soul with Mary shall be happy for ever every man must stand or fall for ever as his choice has been But Eighteeenthly Canst thou truly say in the presence of the great and glorious God that is the searcher of all hearts Psal 139.23 24. that thou hast given up thy heart and life to the rule authority and government of Jesus Christ and that thou hast chosen him to be thy Soveraign Lord and King and art truly willing to submit to his dominion as the only precious and righteous government and as the only holy and heavenly sweeâ— and pleasant profitable and comfortable safe and best dominion in all the world and to resign up thy heart thy will thy affections thy life thy all really to Christ wholly to Christ Isa 26.13 and only to Christ Canst thou O poor soul look up to heaven and truly say O dear Lord Jesus other Lords viz. the world the flesh and the devil have had dominion too long over me but now these Lords I do heartily renounce Isa 33.22 I do utterly renounce I do for ever renounce and do give up my self to thee as my only Lord beseeching thee to rule and reign over me for ever and ever O Lord though sin rages and Satan roars and the world sometimes frowns and sometimes fawns yet I am resolved to own thee as my only Lord and to serve thee as my only Lord and my greatest fear by divine assistance shall be of offending thee and my chiefest care shall be to please thee and my only joy shall be to be a praise a name and an honour to thee O Lord I can appeal to thee in the sincerity of my heart Psal 65.3 Rom. 7.23 that though I have many invincible sins weaknesses and infirmities that hang upon me and though I am often worsted by my sins and overcome in an hour of temptation yet thou that knowest all thoughts and hearts thou dost know that I have given up my heart and life to the obedience of Jesus Christ and do daily give them up to his rule and government and 't is the earnest desire of my soul above all things in this world that Jesus Christ may still set up his Laws in my heart and exercise his dominion over me Now certainly there is not the weakest Christian in all the world but can venture himself upon such an appeal to God as this is and without all peradventure where such a frame and temper of spirit is there the dominion of Jesus Christ is set up and where the dominion of Christ is set up there sin has no dominion for the dominion of sin and the dominion of Christ are inconsistent and therefore such a soul is happy and will be happy to all eternity But Cant. 8.5 Acts 11.21 22 23 Psal 71.16 Isa 61.10 Nineteenthly That man that will venture his soul upon Christ and that will lean upon Christ and cleave to Christ with full purpose of heart and that will cleave to his bloud and cleave to his righteousness and cleave to his merits and satisfaction in
the face of all fears doubts disputes cavils and objections and though it cannot clear its title to Christ yet will stay and hang it self upon Christ for life and happiness that man is certainly a Believer and will be everlastingly saved Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13.15 if I must die I will die at his feet and in the midst of death expect a better life Mat. 15.22 to 28 that man acts faith to purpose that can love a frowning God and hang upon an angry God and follow hard after a withdrawing God Psal 63.1 8. yea and trust in a killing God as here Job had his Feverish sits and his impatient slips and yet he kept up his heroical resolution to lean upon the Lord whilst he had but one minute to live and this speaks out not only the truth but also the strength of Job's faith in the midst of his extraordinary combats when the soul is peremptorily and habitually resolved to cleave to the person of Christ and to cleave to the merits of Christ Gen. 2.24 Ruth 1.14 15 16 17. Est 4.16 and to cleave to the transactions of Christ with the Father for the salvation of sinners as the wife cleaves to her husband or as the child cleaves to the father or as Ruth cleaved to Naomi or as the Ivy cleaves to the Oak with an If I perish I perish then 't is safe then 't is happy then 't is out of the danger of hell then 't is within the Suburbs of heaven God never did nor never will cast such a man to hell whose soul is drawn forth to a secret resting saying leaning and relying alone upon Christ for the obtaining of all that good and all that glory that he has purchased and his father has promised But Lastly That man that makes it his principle care his main business his work of works to look to his heart to watch his heart and to reform his heart that man doubtless has a saving work of God upon his heart There are two things which a gracious soul most looks at his God and his heart Though a gracious man looks to the cleansing of his hands yet his principle care is the reformation of his heart the cleansing of his heart according to that of the Apostle James Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded And that of the Prophet Jeremiah James 4.8 Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Man must labour after a clean inside as well as a clean outside the conversation must not be only unspotted before the world but the heart also must be unspotted before God the heart is as capable of inward defilements as the body is of outward defilements 2 Cor. 7.1 O Sirs though heart-defilement is least taken notice of yet heart-defilement is the worst defilement and the most dangerous defilement in the world heart-defilement is spiritual defilement Eph. 6.12 Vide â—â—za and spiritual defilement is the defilement of divels which of all defilement is the most hateful odious and pernicious defilement The hypocrites only care is to keep his life from defilement but the sincere Christians care is mainly to keep his heart from defilement for he very well knows that if he can but keep his heart clean he shall with more ease keep his life clean if the fountain be kept pure the streams will run pure The heart is the spring of all actions and therefore every action is as the spring is from whence it flows if the spring be good the action is good that flows from it if the spring be evil the action is evil that flows from it Mâ—â— 2.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil things Certainly the great work of a Christian lieth with his heart the reformation of the heart is the highest and choicest part of reformation Prov 23.26 because it is the reformation of the noblest part of man and is that which God looks most after The reformation of the heart is indeed the heart of reformation there is nothing reformed to purpose till the heart be reformed if the heart be naught all is naught if that be very naught all is very naught if that be stark naught all is stark naught but if that be reformed all is reformed A gracious man's watch is mainly about his heart Create in me a clean heart Psal 51.10 Psal 86.11 Psal 119.36 Psal 119 80. Psal 27.8 See Psal 119.2 Acts 8 37. Heb. 8.10 Jer. 31 33. O God and renew a right spirit within me Unite my heart to fear thy name Incline my heart unto thy testimonies Let my heart be sound in thy statutes that I be not ashamed When thou saidest seek my face my heart answered Thy face Lord will I seek Psal 119.10 With my whole heart have I sought thee Ver. 11. Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Incline my heart unto thy testimonies and not unto covetousness Rom. 1.9 The heart of man is the fountain of life or death and therefore sin in the heart in some respects is worse and more dangerous than sin in the life and hence 't is that the sincere Christian doubles his guard about his heart Luther hit it when he said I more fear what is within me than what comes from without the storms and winds without do never move the earth 't is only vapours within that causeth earth-quakes as Philosophers observe Mat. 23 25-30 Hypocrites as our Saviour testifies are all for the outside they wash the platters and the cups and beautifie the tombs like an adulteress whose care is to paint and set a fair face upon a foul matter but now a sincere Christian Psal 50.23 though he has a special respect to the well-ordering of his life yet his main business and work is about his heart O that this ignorant heart were but more enlightned O that this proud heart were but more humble O that this prophane heart were but more holy O that this earthly heart were but more heavenly O that this unbelieving heart were but more believing O that this passionate heart were but more meek O that this carnal heart were but more spiritual O that this luke-warm heart were but more zealous for God and Christ and the Gospel and the great concernments of eternity O that this slight heart were but more serious O that this dull heart were but more quickned O that this dead heart were but more enlivened c. The highest and hardest work of a Christian lieth with his heart Mark common light common conviction education enforcement of conscience principles of common honesty and morality the eye of man the fear of man the examples of man the laws of man and
of spiritual life 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 5.13 c. and runs invisibly through all the body Fountains were to be kept pure by the Roman Laws of the twelve Tables and the heart that is the spring and fountain of all actions is to be kept pure by the Laws of the great God Men keep the heart principally from hurt because every wound there is mortal O that men were as wise for their souls God's eye is mainly upon the heart The heart well guarded and watcht keeps all in security Alexander was safe while Antipater kept the watch so all within that little world Man will be safe while the heart is strongly guarded The heart is the fountain the root the store-house the primum mobile the great wheel that sets all a going and therefore above all keepings keep your hearts 'T is a foolish thing to watch the out-works and leave the Fort-Royal without a guard so 't is a foolish thing to watch the out-works the eye the ear the tongue the hand the feet though these must all be watcht and to leave the heart which is a Christians Fort-Royal without a guard Omnia si perdas animam servare memento If all things else must needs be lost Yet save thy soul what e're it cost He that makes it his business to watch and weep and sigh and groan most over his own heart he doubtless is in a gracious estate he that makes it his work his daily work his greatest work 3 John 2. his work of works to keep a continual guard upon his heart he certainly is in a blessed estate he that lamentingly cryes out O that my soul did but prosper as my body O that my inward man were but in as good a frame as my outward man O that this proud heart were but more humble O that this hard heart were but more softned O that this carnal heart were but more spiritual O that this earthly heart were but more heavenly O that this unbelieving heart were but more believing O that this passionate heart were but more meek O that this slight heart were but more sericus O that this blind heart were but more enlightned O that this dull heart were but more quickned O my heart my heart when wilt thou be better O my God my God! when shall my heart be better O bring it into a gracious frame and for ever keep it in a gracious frame He that thus lamentingly cryes out of his heart he certainly has an honest heart and will be happy for ever O Lord my memory is weak and my utterance is bad and my understanding is dark and my gifts are low and my affections are flat and my temptations are strong Psa 39 22 23 24 and my corruptions are prevalent but thou who art the great heart searcher thou knowest that I would fain have my heart in a better temper I had rather have my heart brought into a gracious frame and kept in a gracious frame than to have all the riches of the Indies than to be an Emperor yea than to be King over all the earth If it be indeed thus with thee thou art blest and shalt be blest for ever 2 Cor. 8.12 For if there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not I know the Apostle speaks this in point of alms but 't is applicable to the case in hand and to a hundred other cases God measures his people not by their works but by their wills if their wills be to be more holy humble heavenly and to have their hearts alwayes in a most gracious frame then they are accepted of God for every good man is as good in the eye of God in the judgment of God and in the account of God as he would be Not long before famous Mr. Banes died some friends that were with him in his Library which was an excellent one fell a commending of it I saith he there stand my books but the Lord knows that for many years lost past I have studied my heart more than Books O no Minister to him no Scholar to him who studies his heart more than his books nor no Christian to him who studies his heart more than his day-books or more than his Shop-books or that studies his heart more than his counting-house or that studies his heart more than a good bargain c. That man is for heaven and heaven is for that man who makes it his greatest business in this world to watch his heart to guard his heart the hypopocrite looks most to externals but the sincere Christian looks most to internals the hypocrites main watch is about his lips but a sincere Christians main watch is about his heart the hypocrites main work lyes without doors but the sincere Christians main work lyes within doors All know that know any thing that both nature and grace begin at the heart but art begins at the face A painter doth not begin a picture at the heart a picture hath but a face but an outside And as nature begins at the heart but art at the face so grace begins at the heart but hypocrisie at the face at the outside of Religion Every man is that really that he is inwardly Rom. 2.28 29. He is not a Jew which is one outwardly neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Jew which is one inwardly and circumcision is that of the heart in the spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of men but of God Certainly that man that makes it his great business to watch his heart and to keep his heart alwayes in a gracious frame that man is a gracious man 'T is true our hearts are like our watches seldom got to go well and when they do go well how hard a work is it to keep them going well The motions of our watches are not constant sometimes they go faster and sometimes they go slower and often they stand in need of mending Though in these and many other respects our hearts are like our watches yet if we make it our grand work to keep a constant guard upon our hearts and our main design in this world to have our hearts brought and kept in a gracious frame our spiritual estate is good and we shall be happy for ever c. In my other Writings there are variety of special evidences which the Christian Reader if he please and if need require may make use of in order to the further clearing up of his gracious estate and therefore let these twenty suffice at this time And thus much for this Chapter c. CHAP. III. Now in this Chapter I shall treat of sound saving repentance of repentance unto Life yea of that Evangelical repentance that hath the precious Promises of remission of sin and salvation running out unto it My purpose at this time is not to handle
the doctrine of Repentance at large but only to speak so far of it as may speak it out to be evidential of the goodness and happiness of a Christians spiritual and eternal condition NOw before I come to open my self more particularly give me leave to premise this in the general viz. That there is a repentance that does accompany salvation 2 Cor. 7.10 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved Acts 11.18 When they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God saying Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life Mat. 18.3 And Jesus said verily I say unto you except you be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven Acts 3.19 Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Having premised thus much in the general give me now leave to say That there are three parts of true sound saving repentance unto all which forgiveness of sin is promised And the First is contrition or grief of heart for sins committed Now this is called sometimes godly sorrow 2 Cor. 7.10 and sometimes a contrite spirit Isa 66.2 and sometimes a broken and contrite heart Psal 51.17 and sometimes the afflicting of our souls Levit. 16.29 and sometimes the humbling of the heart 2 Chron. 7.14 Lamen 3.20 and sometimes a mourning Zech. 12.10 and sometimes a weeping Mark 14.72 All repenting sinners are mourning sinners David repents and waters his couch with his tears Psal 6.6 Hezekiah repents and humbles himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 32.26 Ephraim repents and Ephraim bemoans himself and smites upon his thigh and is even confounded Jer. 31.18 19. Mary Magdalen repents and weeps and washes Christs feet with her tears Luke 7.38 The Corinthians repented and they were made sorry after a godly manner 2 Cor. 7.9 Repentance in the Hebrew is called Nacham an irking of the soul and in Greek Metamelia after grief and Metanoia after wit and in the Latine Poenitentia All which do import that contrition or sorrow for sin is one part of true repentance O! the sighs the groans the sobs the tears that are to be found among repenting sinners Luth. Tom. 3.457 c. Luther hit the Mark when he said What are all the Palaces of the world to a contrite heart yea heaven and earth seeing it is the seat of divine Majesty Secondly 'T is very observable that all mourning persons for their sins are within the compass of the promise of forgiveness of sins Zech. 12.11 In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Zech. 13.1 In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness Jer. 31.18 I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning of himself c. Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy on him or as the Hebrew has it I will having mercy have mercy on him As soon as Ephraims heart is troubled for his sins Gods bowels are troubled for Ephraim as soon as Ephraim like a penitent child falls a weeping at God's foot God like a tender indulgent father falls a bemoaning of Ephraim Ephraim could not refrain from tears and God could not refrain from opening his bowels of mercy towards him So Isa 57.15 And how can the contrite heart be indeed revived and cheered without forgiveness of sins without a pardon in the bosom Melancthon makes mention of a godly woman who having upon her death-bed been in much conflict and afterwards much comforted brake out into these words Now and not till now did I understand the meaning of these words Thy sins are forgiven There is no comfort to that which arises from the sense of forgiveness Isa 40.1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith your God speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem and cry unto her that her iniquities are pardoned And why is the mourning soul pronounced the blessed soul Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted but because the mourning soul is the pardoned soul But what is that sorrow or mourning for sin Qu. that is a part of true repentance The resolution of this question is very necessary for the preventing of all soul-deceits and mistakes and for the quieting setling and satisfying of souls truly penitent and therefore I shall give these eight following Answers to it First It is a sorrow or grief that is spiritual that is supernatural no man is born with godly sorrow in his heart as he is born with a tongue in his mouth Godly sorrow is a plant of God's own planting 't is a seed of his own sowing 't is a flower of his own setting 't is of a heavenly off-spring 't is from God and God alone The spirit of mourning is from above 't is from a supernatural power and principle there is nothing that can turn a heart of stone into flesh but the spirit of God Ezek. 36.25 26. Godly sorrow is a gift from God Job 23.16 God makes my heart soft No hand but a divine hand can make the heart soft and tender under the sight and sense of sin Nature may easily work a man to mourn and melt and weep under worldly losses crosses and miseries as it did David's men 1 Sam. 30.4 But it must be grace it must be a supernatural principle that must work the heart to mourn for sin Secondly godly sorrow is a sorrow for sin as sin 't is a mourning rather for sin than for smart 't is not so much for loss of goods lands wife child credit name c. but for that a holy God is offended a righteous Law violated Christ dishonoured the Spirit grieved and the Gospel blemished c. Peter's sorrow was godly but Judas his sorrow was worldly Peter mourns over the evil of sin but Judas mourns over the evil of punishment David mourns over his sin Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Psal 51.4 And so 2 Sam. 24.10 And David's heart smote him after he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done foolishly David does not cry out take away the threatned famine but take away the iniquity of thy servant nor he does not cry out take away the enemies of thy servant but take away the iniquity of thy servant nor he does not say take away the pestilence from the Land but take away the iniquity of thy servant But now when Pharaoh was under judgments he never cryes to the Lord to take away his sins
his confessions he appears before the Lord with ropes about his neck as Benhadad's servants and with tears in his eyes his confessions savour of contrition of heart and not of ostentation of spirit contrition of heart Levit. 23.27.28 and confusion of face is the common result of a penitential confession David waters his couch with his tears Psal 6.6 and he mingles his meat with his tears Psal 42.3 and Ezra and Daniel confess their sins with wet eyes and blushing cheeks Confession without contrition Ezra 9. Dan. 9. neither pleaseth God nor profiteth man confession is the language of the tongue contrition is the language of the heart and God looks for both Luke 18.13 The Publican does not only confess his sins but he smites also upon his breast as a man full of grief and sorrow lying in the dust and renting of garments and putting on sackcloath and ashes were of old required of those that confest their iniquities The spirit of repentance is a spirit of mourning Penitential confessions are commonly attended with grief in the heart Compare these Scriptures together Psal 51.17 Isa 61.1 57.15 Job 16.20 Psal 119.136 Jer. 9.1 Jer. 31.18 19. and with shame in the face Psal 38.18 For I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin He tels you not only that he will declare his iniquity but he tells you also that he will be sorry for his sin The same spirit you may find working in Jacob Hosea 12.4 yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him The people of God in the day of their confession do not only say we have sinned but they also draw water and pour it out before the Lord in token of contrition 1 Sam. 7.6 Every sin is as a sword in a penitent mans bosom and therefore whilst confessions are in his mouth you shall mostly find either tears in his eyes or sorrow in his heart And indeed true confession of sin is many times rather a voice of mourning than a voice of words sometimes a penitent man's eyes will in some sort tell what his tongue can in no sort utter many times the penitent is better at weeping than he is at speaking Psal 39.12 Hold not thy peace at my tears Tears have a voice as well as bloud hath and are very prevalent Orators with God Psal 6.8 The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping Penitent tears are undeniable Ambassadors and they never return from the throne of grace without an answer of grace Tears are a kind of silent prayers which though they say nothing yet they obtain pardon they prevail for mercy and they carry the day with God as you may see in that great and clear instance of Peter he said nothing he confest nothing that we read of but went out and wept bitterly and obtained mercy That prescription that God gave to the Leper in the Law is worthy of your most serious consideration 't is in that Levit. 13.45 And the Leper in whom the plague is his cloaths shall be rent and his bead bare and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip and shall cry unclean unclean In these words the Leper stands charged with four things 1. To go in rent or torn garments to note that there must be brokenness and sorrow of heart joyned with confession of sin 2. To go bare-headed and that partly that men might not mistake him but mainly to shew his humility under his present misery 3. To put a covering upon his upper lip Some read it upon his Mouchaches The Jews in their mournings used this Ceremony among the rest of covering their chin mouth Mouchaches all under the nose Now the use of this Ceremony in the Leper was partly to preserve others from being infected by his loathsom breath and partly to shew that God takes no pleasure nor delight in the breathings the prayers of spiritual Lepers of wicked men God loves not to hear good words drop from an ill mouth and partly to note that shame that must be mingled with his sorrow 4. Twice to proclaim his own uncleanness unclean unclean And thus you see that there was to be a closs connexion between the Lepers confession and his contrition and thus 't is with the true penitent he does not only cry out unclean unclean but he also rents and tears his garments that is he joyns contrition to his confession But to prevent mistakes and that I may not shoot an arrow instead of giving a cordial to the weak and weary soul let me only give you this short hint viz. That when the true penitent can't pour out his soul in heart-melting confessions before the Lord yet then he can mourn over his own hardness of heart when he is at worst he can grieve that he cannot grieve and mourn that he cannot mourn and melt that he cannot melt and break that he cannot break and he can bless God for every rod and every stroak and every word and every work and every Ordinance and every frown and every reproof and every cross and every comfort that has the least tendency to the melting and mollifying of his soul The true penitent alwayes sets a very high price and value upon a broken heart though he has not the happiness alwayes to have his heart broken I know that sometimes the penitent soul is so shut up that if he might have all the world he cannot mourn he can only sit down and sigh and groan nay if all the joys and delights of heaven were to be bought for one single tear he can't shed it and yet all this time he can grieve that he cannot grieve for sin and he can be sorry that he cannot be sorry for sin and without all peradventure this is in a measure true godly Gospel-sorrow for sin c. But now wicked men confess their sins but they never grieve for their sins they confess their sins but they are not ashamed of their sins Compare these Scriptures together Jer. 6.15 8.12 Zeph. 3.5 Isa 3.9 Isa 42.23 Heb. 6.6 Caligula used to say of himself that he loved nothing better in himself than that he could not be ashamâ—d c. Aug. confes lib. 2. cap. 3. they confess their sins but they can't blush for their sins Though men of good names and of good natures would be ashamed to be found doing of base things things that are below them that are not worthy of them yet the generality of sinners are so bold and base so ignorant arrogant and impudent so frontless and graceless c. that they are no wayes ashamed no not of those very sins that has put Christ to an open shame yea that has put the Sun and Moon to a blush Most sinners in these dayes have brows of brass and whores foreheads that cannot blush they are so far from being ashamed of their sins that they think it a shame and disgrace not to
sin not to swear and whore and curse and be drunk and prophane Sabbaths and dispise Ordinances yea there are many that are so far from being ashamed of their abominations that they even glory in them like those in that Phil. 3.19 They shew their sins as Sodom they make both a sport of acting and a jest of confessing their sins Thus Austin confesseth that it was sometimes with himself before the Lord wrought upon him I was stricken with such blindness as that I thought it a shame unto me to be less vile and wicked than my companions whom I heard boast of their leudness and glory so much the more by how much they were the more filthy therefore saith he lest I should be of no account I was the more vicious and when I could not otherwise match others I would feign that I had done those things which I never did lest I should seem so much the more abject by how much I was the more innocent and so much the more vile by how much I was the more chast But for a close remember this The true penitent knows that the more God has been displeased with the blackness of sin the better he will be pleased with the blushing of the sinner and therefore he can't but blush when either he looks upon sin within him or God above him But Seventhly Penitential confession 't is believing and fiducial 't is mixt with some faith Hosea 14. â— though not alwayes with a strong faith 't is not like the confession of a Malefactor to the Judge but like the confession of a child to his father or like the confession of a sick man to his Physician As a penitent man has one eye of sorrow upon his sin so he has another eye of hope upon pardoning grace Thus David Psal 51. though he had sinned greatly yet he hangs upon free mercy and begs his pardon believingly Thus Daniel Dan. 9.9 To the Lord our God belongs mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Thus Sechaniah Ezra 10.2 Ezra 10.2 And Sechaniah the son of Jehiel one of the sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra we have trespassed against our God and have taken strange wives of the people of the Land yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing If it were not for hope the heart would break there was hope among them that Israel would repent and there was hope among them that God would have mercy upon their repentance And the same spirit was working in the Prodigal I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee Luke 18.18 Though he was a Prodigal yet he would go to God as to a father who knew how to pity and forgive the mourning and repenting child When confessions of sin are mingled with hopes of mercy and the soul draws neer to God as a father then the heart breaks most and melts and mourns most That confession of sin that is not mixt with some hope of pardon and with some faith in the mercy of God is not penitential but desperate Cain in some sort confesses Gen. 4.16 but then he flies into the Land of Nod and there he falls a building and planting partly in contempt of the dreadful doom God had past upon him and partly to drown the noise of his conscience and despairing of ever obtaining pardon in this world 2 Cor. 5.1 2. or enjoying a house not made with hands in another world Judas likewise confesses his most hainous sin I have sinned in betraying innocent bloud but having no hope of pardon Mat. 27.3 4. no faith in that innocent blood he had shed he goes out and hangs himself Judas had no faith to mingle with his confession he confesses despairingly not believingly and so goes forth and strangles himself Since Adam fell in paradise there has not been one wicked man in the world continuing in that state that has ever mixt faith with his sorrows believing with his confessing 't is only the penitent man that confesseth sin believingly and that is pardoned graciously The confessing penitent reasons thus with God Lord though I am a sinful creature yet thou art a merciful God though I am unworthy of mercy yet thou forgivest sins freely though my sins reach as high as heaven yet thy mercies teach above the heavens I am here ready and willing to accuse and condemn my self and therefore be thou as ready and as willing to absolve me and forgive me O Lord though my sins are very many yet thy mercies are exceeding more though I have multiplied my sins yet thou canst multiply thy pardons though I am a sinner a very great sinner yet there is mercy with thee that thou mayest be feared and loved served and trusted and therefore in the face of all my sins provocations and unworthiness I will look up for mercy and wait for mercy But Eighthly and lastly True penitential confession is joyned with reformation That confession of sin that carries forgivness of sin with it Psal 51.10 is attended with serious desires and earnest endeavours of reformation therefore forsaking of sin is annext to confession of sin Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Confession of sin must be joyned with confusion of sin or all 's lost God will never cross the book he will never draw the red lines of Christ's bloud over the black lines of our transgressions except confessing and forsaking go hand in hand He that does not â—orsake his sin as well as confess it forsakes the benefit of his confession And indeed there is no real confession of sin where there is no real forsaking of sin 't is not enough for us to confess the sins we have committed but we must peremptorily resolve against the committing again the sins we have confest we must desire as freely to forgo our sins as we do desire God to forgive us our sins Confession of sin is a spiritual vomit now you know a man that is burdened in his stomack is heartily willing to be rid of that â—oad on his stomack that doth oppress nature and so a man that is real in his confession of sin is as heartily willing to be rid of his sin that lyes as a loâ—d upon his conscience as any sick man can be heartily willing to be rid of that load that lyes upon his stomack The penitential confessor doth as heartily desire to be delivered from the power of his sins as he does desire to be delivered from the sting and punishment of his sins This is observable in the confession of good Sechaniah Ezra 10.2 3. We have trespassed against our God and taken strange wives of the people of the Land Now therefore let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and such as are born of them
shall surely live he shall not die Negative righteousness and holiness is no righteousness no holiness in the account of God Luke 18.5 Mat. 20.13 14. It was not the Pharisees negative righteousness nor his comparative goodness that could prevent his being rejected of God or his being shut out of heaven or his being turned into hell It is not enough that the Tree bears no ill fruit but it must bring forth good fruit else it must be cut down and cast into the fire that Tree that is not for fruit is for the fire Mat. 7.19 Every tree that brings not forth good fruit sayes Christ is hewn down and cast into the fire Heaven at last will be found too holy and too hot to hold such as please themselves as satisfie themselves with a negative righteousness All that negative righteousness and holiness can do is only to help a man to one of the coolest chambers and easiest beds in hell True repentance brings the heart and life not only off from sin but on to God too it takes a man not only off from the wayes of death but it engages him to walk in the paths of life Psal 119.3 They do no iniquity Nazianzene speaking of true repentance very aptly compares the soul to a pair of writing tables out of which must be washed whatsoever was written with sin and instead thereof the writing of grace must be writupon the soul both being necessary to true repentance Jer. 31.19 Job 40.4 5. Jer. 4.1 they walk in his wayes Prov. 13.14 The Law of the wise is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death Prov. 15.24 The way of life is above to the wise that he may depart from hell beneath Psal 34.14 Depart from evil and do good We read in Scripture of God's returning to us as well as of our returning to God in both there is repentance When God returns to us he repents of the evil of punishment that he hath brought upon us and when we return to God we repent of the evil of sin which we have committed against him The true penitent does not only sadly smite upon his thigh and say what have I done but he also speedily faces about and cryes out I will do so no more When God calls for true repentance it is with an if thou wilt return O Israel return unto me And when the people of God do provoke and encourage one another to repentance Hosea 6.1 it is with a come let us return unto the Lord. Repentance unto life is not a turning from sin to sin nor 't is not a turning from prophaness to civility nor 't is not a turning from civility to formality but 't is a turning from darkness to light Acts 26.18 't is a turning from the wayes of iniquity into the wayes of piety 't is a turning from sin to God In this respect Israel's repentance was very defective witness that sad complaint of the Prophet Hosea 7.16 They return that is they make a shew of repentance but not to the most High So they in that Joel 2.12 have the half turn but returned not to the Lord with all their hearts So Jehu went far and gave many a half turn but never turned to the most High and that was his ruin at last Such a repentance as brings the soul never the neerer to God is a repentance never the neer but that repentance that brings the soul neerer to God is a repentance never to be repented of And let thus much suffice to have spoken concerning that Evangelical Repentance that hath the precious promises of remission of sin and salvation running out unto it c. CHAP. IV. Several have observed to my hand 'T is better that a hundred hypocrites should perish than that one poor Christian should want his portion Cotton on the Covenant page 78. how far an Hypocrite may go but my design in this Chapter is to shew how far an Hypocrite cannot go Many have discovered at large what an Hypocrite can do but my scope in this Chapter is to shew what an Hypocrite cannot do Some have shewed what an Hypocrite is and I shall now shew what he is not Some have shewed the several rounds in Jacob's Ladder that an Hypocrite may climb up to but my business and work in this Chapter is to shew you the several rounds in Jacob's Ladder that no Hypocrite under heaven can climb up to FIrst An Hypocrites inside is never answerable to his outside an Hypocrites inside is one thing Mat. 23.25 26 27 Luke 11.39 and his outside another thing an Hypocrite is outwardly clean but inwardly unclean he is outwardly glorious but inwardly inglorious Hypocrites are like Apothecaries gally pots having without the title of some excellent Preservative but within they are full of some deadly poyson they are like the Egyptian Temples that were beautifull without but within there was nothing to be found but Serpents and Crocodiles and other venemous creatures Hypocrites trade more for a good name than for a good heart for a good report than for a good conscience they are like Fidlers more careful in tuning their Instruments than in watching their spirits Erasmi â—â—milia Hypocrites are like white silver but they draw black lines they have a seeming sanctified outside but stuff'd within with malice worldliness pride envy c. Like window cushions made up of velvet and richly embroydered but stuff'd within with hay An Hypocrite may offer sacrifice with Cain and fast with Jezabel and humble himself with Ahab and lament with the tears of Esau and kiss Christ with Judas and follow Christ with Demas and offer fair for the holy Ghost with Simon Magus Acts 8.23 and yet for all this his inside as bad as any of theirs An Hypocrite is a Cato without and a Nero within a Jacob without and an Esau within a David without and a Saul within a Peter without and a Judas within a Saint without and a Satan within an Angel without and a Devil within Rom. 2.28 29. An Hypocrit is a Jew outwardly but an Atheist a Pagan Lucian a Turk inwardly I have read of certain Images which on the outside were covered with gold and pearl resembling Jupiter and Neptune but within were nothing but spiders and cobwebs a fit resemblance of Hypocrites Hypocrisie is but an outside like cloth of Arras fair and beautiful without but if you look to the inside you shall find nothing but rags and ends That Monk hit it that said To be a Monk in outward shew was easie but to be a Monk in inward reality was hard To be a Christian in outward shew is easie but to be a Christian inwardly and really is very hard An Hypocrites inside never ecco's or answers to his outside his inside is vicious and his outside is Religious But let all such hypocrites know that dissembled sanctity is double iniquity and accordingly at last they
world the flesh and the devil Well remember this for ever There are three things an hypocrite can never do 1. He can never mourn for sin as sin 2. He can never mourn for the sins of others as well as his own Moses Lot David Jeremiah Paul and those in that Ezek. 9.4 6. mourned for others sins as well as their own but Pharoah Ahab Judas Demas Simon Magus never did 3. He can never hate sin as sin But Eighthly No hypocrite is habitually low or little in his own eyes no hypocrite has ordinarily mean thoughts of himself 1 Cor. 8.1 2. John 7.49 9.34 or a poor esteem of himself no hypocrite loves to lessen himself to greaten Christ to debase himself to exalt Christ no hypocrite loves to be out-shin'd all hypocrites love to write an I not a Christ upon what they do The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself Luke 18.11 12 Munday and Thursday were the Pharisees fasting dayes because Moses went up to the Mount on a Thursday and came down on a Munday saith Drusius God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the week I give tythes of all that I possess All hypocrites stand not only upon their comparisons but also upon the disparisons I am not as this Publican All hypocrites stand much upon their negative righteousness and their comparative goodness There is no hypocrite in the world but sets down his penny for a pound and alwayes prizes himself above the Market 2 Kings 10.15 16. And when he was departed thence he lighted on Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him and he saluted him and said to him Is thine heart right as my heart is with thy heart and Jehonadab answered it is if it be give me thine hand and be gave him his hand and he took him up to him into his chariot and he said come with me and see my zeal for the Lord. Comets make a greater blaze than fixed Stars Come see my zeal for the Lord. Jehu his words were for the Lord but his project was for the kingdom The Actor in the Comedy said with his mouth O coelum O heaven but with his finger he pointed to the earth Lapidaries tell us of a stone called the Chelydonian stone that it will retain its vertue no longer than it is enclosed in gold a fit emblem of an hypocrite of a Jehu John 12.43 Jehu made a great blaze but he was but a Comet An hypocrite alwayes loves the praise of men more than the praise of God he loves more to be honoured by men than to be honoured by God John 5.44 How can ye believe which receive honour one of another and seek not the honour which cometh from God only Nothing below that power which raised Christ from the grave can make an hypocrite purely nothing in his own eyes An hypocrite is alwayes a great thing in his own eyes Accius the Poet though he were a Dwarf yet would be pictured tall of stature The application to the hypocrite is easie and when he is nothing a great nothing in others eyes he can't bear it An hypocrite can't endure to be out-shin'd in gifts in graces in experiences in duties in communion with God in spiritual enjoyments An hypocrites heart is full of pride when his deportment is most humble he alwayes thinks best of himself and worst of others he looks upon his own vices as graces and he looks upon other mens graces as vices or at least as no true currant coyn A proud spirit will cast disgrace upon that excellency that himself wants Eusebius Eccl. Hist l. 4. c. 13. as Licinius who was joyned with Galerius in the Empire he was so ignorant that he was not able to write his own name he was a bitter enemy to learning and as Eusebius reports of him he called the liberal Arts a publick poyson and pestilence The emptiest barrels makes the loudest sound the worst metal the greatest noise and the lightest ears of corn hold their heads highest An hypocrite may well lay his hand upon his heart and say is it not so with me is it not just so with me But now sincere Châ—istians they are men of another spirit of another temper of another mettle of another mind their hearts lye low when their gifts and graces and spiritual enjoyments are high Abraham is but dust and ashes in his own eyes Gen. 18.27 The higher any man is in his communion with God the more low that man will be in his own eyes Dust and ashes are poor base vile worthless things and such a thing as these was Abraham in his own eyes So Jacob was a plain man Gen. 32.10 an upright man and lo what a low esteem had he of himself I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy servant c. In the Hebrew it is I am little before thy mercies for the Hebrews have no comparative Gen. 31. from ver 38. to 41. The least mercy saith Jacob is more worth than I more weighty than I and therefore they are wont to express this by a positive and a preposition When Jacob had to do with Laban he pleads his merits but when he has to do with God he pleads nothing but grace setting a very low esteem upon himself he looks upon himself as less than the least of mercies and as worse than the worst of creatures the least of my mercies are greater than I deserve and the greatest of my troubles are less than I deserve saith Jacob. The language of a plain hearted Jacob is this O Lord I might with Job have been stript of all my comforts and enjoyments at a clap and set upon a dunghil I might with Lazarus have been begging my bread from door to door Lam. 5.9 or I might have been getting my bread with the peril of my life because of the sword of the wilderness or I might have been with Dives in hell a crying out for a drop of water to cool my tongue A sincere Christian cannot tell how to speak good enough of God Luk. 16.24 nor ill enough of himself Agur was one of the wisest and holiest men on earth and see how greatly he debases himself Prov. 30.1 2. Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man Agur had seen Ithiel God with me and Ucal God almighty and this made him so vile and base in his own eyes this made him villifie yea nullifie himself to the utmost Job was a non-such in regard of those perfections and â—grees of grace of integrity of sanctity that he had attained to beyond any other Saints in the World in his time and day You know no man ever received a fairer or a more valuable certificate under the hand of God or the broad Seal of
of the heart Hypocrites are heartless in their cryes and therefore they cry and howl and howl and cry and all to no purpose they cry and murmur and they howl and repine they cry and blaspheme and they howl and rebel and therefore they meet with nothing from heaven but frowns and blows and disappointments Isa 29.13 Wherefore the Lord said for as much as this people draw neer me with their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart far from me Ezek. 33.31 And they come unto thee as the people cometh and they sit before thee as my people and they hear thy words but they will not do them for with their mouth they shew much love but their heart goeth after their covetousness Though this people flocked to the Prophet in troops as men and women do to places of pleasure and though they carried it before the Prophet as if they were Saints as if they were the people of God as if they were affected with what they heard as if they were resolved to live out what the Prophet should make out to them yet their hearts run after their covetousness Though these hypocrites profest much love and kindness to the Prophet and paid him home with smooth words seemed to be much affected delighted ravished and taken with his person voice and doctrine yet they made no conscience of bringing their hearts into their duties An hypocrite may look at some outward easie ordinary duties of Religion but he never makes conscience of bringing his heart into any duties of Religion When did you ever see an hypocrite a searching of his heart or sitting in judgment upon the corruptions of his soul or lamenting and mourning over the vileness and wickedness of his spirit 'T is only the sincere Christian that is affected afflicted and wounded with the corruptions of his heart When one told blessed Bradford that he did all out of hypocrisie because he would have the people applaud him He answered It is true the seeds of hypocrisie and vain glory are in thee and me too and will be in us as long as we live in this world but I thank God it is that I mourn under and strive against How seriously and deeply did good Hezekiah humble himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 32.25 out of the eater came meat out of his pride he gat humility O Sirs A sincere Christian makes it his great business to get his heart into all his Religious duties and services to get his heart into every way and work of God 2 Chron. 17.6 Psal 86.12 Jehoshaphats heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord. So David I 'le praise thee 2 Chron. 22.9 Cant. 3.1 2 3 4 5 6. It is reported that when the Tyrant Trajane commanded Ignatius to be ript unbowelled they found Jesus Christ written upon his heart in characters of gold here was a heart worth gold That 's the golden Christian indeed whose heart is writ upon all his duties and services O Lord with all my heart And so Psal 119.7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart Ver. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee So Jehoshaphat he sought the Lord with all his heart Isa 26.8 The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee Vers 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Lamen 3.41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens Rom. 1.9 For God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Pauls very spirit his very soul was in his service Phil. 3.3 For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Ver. 25. With the mind I my self serve the Law of God A sincere Christian is alwayes best when his heart is in his work and when he can't get his heart into his duties Oh how does he sigh and groan and complain and mourn at the foot of God Lord my tongue has been at work and my head has been at work and my parts have been at work and my eyes and hands have been at work but where has my heart been this day Oh it is and must be for a sore and sad lamentation that I have had so little of my heart in that service that I have tendered to thee This is the daily language of an upright heart But now all the work of an hypocrite is to get his golden parts into his duties and his silver tongue into his duties and his nimble head into his duties but he never makes conscience of getting his heart into his duties If any beasts sacrificed by Heathens who ever lookt narrowly into the intrails was found without heart this was held ominous and construed as very prodigious to the person for whom it was offered as it fell out in the case of Julian Hypocrites are alwayes heartless in all the sacrifices they offer to God and this will one day prove ominous and prodigious to them But Eleventhly An hypocrite never performes religious duties from spiritual principles nor in a spiritual manner An hypocrite is never inclined moved and carried to God to Christ to holy duties by the power of a new and inward principle of grace working a sutableness between his heart and the things of God An hypocrite rests himself satisfied in the meer external acts of Religion though he never feels any thing of the power of Religion in his own soul An hypocrite looks to his words in prayer and to his voice in prayer and to his gestures in prayer but he never looks to the frame of his heart in prayer An hypocrites heart is never toucht with the words his tongue utters an hypocrites soul is never divinely affected delighted or graciously warmed with any duty he performs An hypocrites spiritual performances never flow from spiritual principles nor from a heart universally sanctified though his works may be new yet his heart remains old his new practises alwayes spring from old principles and this will prove the hypocrites bane Vide Isa 1.10 to 16. as you may see in that Isa 1.15 When you spread forth your hands to heaven I will hide my eyes and when you make many prayers when you abound in duty adding prayer to prayer as the Hebrew runs I will not hear your hands are full of blood These were unsanctified ones their practises were new Mat. 6. chap. 23 Luke 18. but their hearts were old still The same you may see in the Scribes and Pharisees who fasted prayed and gave alms but their hearts were not changed renewed sanctified nor principled from above and this proved their eternal bane Nicodemus was a man of great note name John 3.4 No man can understand
spiritual mysteries by carnal reason and fame among the Pharisees and he fasted and prayed and gave alms and paid tythes c. and yet a meer stranger to the new birth Regeneration was a paradox to him How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born This great Doctor was so great a Dunce that he understood no more of the doctrine of Regeneration than a meer child does the darkest precepts of Astronomy 1 Cor. 2.14 Look as water can rise no higher than the spring from whence it came so the natural man can rise no higher than nature An hypocrite may know much and pray much and hear much and fast much and give much and obey much and all to no purpose because he never manages any thing he does in a right manner he never carries on his work from inward principles of faith fervency life love delight c. Will the hypocrite delight himself in the Almighty Ans No he cannot delight himself in the Almighty Job 27.10 Job speaks of the hypocrite as is evident ver 8. 1. To delight in God is one of the highest acts of grace and how can an hypocrite put forth one of the highest acts of grace who hath no grace An hypocrite may know much of God and talk much of God and make a great profession of God and be verbally thankful to God but he can never love God nor trust in God nor delight in God nor take up his rest in God c. 2. An hypocrite knows not God and how then can he delight in that God whom he does not know An hypocrite has no inward saving transforming experimental affectionate practical knowledge of God and therefore he can never take any pleasure or delight in God 3. There is no sutableness between an hypocrite and God and how then can an hypocrite delight himself in God There is the greatest contrariety imaginable 'twixt God and an hypocrite God is light and the hypocrite is darkness 2 Cor. 6.15 16 God is holiness and he filthiness God is righteousness and he unrighteousness God is fulness and he emptiness Now what complacency can there be where there is such an utter contrariety 4. Every hypocrites heart is full of enmity against God and how then can he delight himself in God The carnal mind is enmity against God Rom. 8.7 To delight in God is Christianorum propria virtus saith Hierom. for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be The best part of an hypocrite is not only averse but utterly adverse to God and all goodness The Eagle saith the Philosopher hath a continual enmity with the Dragon and the Serpent And so an hypocrites heart is still full of enmity against the Lord and therefore he can never delight himself in the Lord. 5. The stream cream and strength of an hypocrites delight runs out to himself and to this lust or that to this relation or that to this creature-comfort or that to this worldly enjoyment or that or else to arts parts gifts priviledges c. and therefore how can he delight himself in the Almighty An Hypocrite alwayes terminates his delight in something on this side God Christ and Heaven Look as the Apricock-tree though it leans against the wall yet it is fast rooted in the earth so though an hypocrite may lean towards God and towards Christ and towards heaven yet his delight is still rooted fast in one creature-comfort or another c. Mark 6. God nor Christ is never the adequate object of an hypocrites delight An hypocrite is never principled to delight himself in a holy God neither can he cordially divinely habitually delight himself in holy duties An hypocrite may reform many evil things and he may do many good duties and yet all this while it is only his practises but not his heart or principles that are changed and altered Mark though an hypocrite hath nothing in him which is essential to a Christian as a Christian yet he may be the compleat resemblance of a Christian in all those things which are not essential to him An hypocrite in all the externals of Religion may be the compleat picture of a sincere Christian but then if you look to his principles and the manner of his managing of holy duties there you will find him lame and defective and as much unlike a sincere Christian 1 Sam. 19.13 16. as ever Michal's Image was unlike to David and this will prove the great crack the great break-neck of hypocrites at last O Sirs It is considerable that outward motives and natural principles have carried many Heathens to do many great and glorious things in the world Did not Sisera do as great things as Gideon the difference did only lye here that the great things which Gideon did he did from more spiritual principles and raised considerations than any Sisera was acted by Heb. 11. And did not Diogenes trample under his feet the great and glorious things of this world as well as Moses The difference did only ly in this that Moses trampled under his feet the gay and gallant things of this world from inward gracious principles viz. faith love c. and from high and glorious considerations viz. heaven the glory of God c. whereas Diogenes did only trample upon them from poor low prineiples and from meer outward carnal external considerations The favour of men the eye of men the commendations of men the applause of men and a great name among men were golden apples great things among the Philosophers The application is easie Mark A sincere Christian he looks to the manner as well as to the matter of his duties he acts and performs duties not only from strength of parts and acquired qualifications but from strength of grace and infused habits Rom. 11.24 Ezek. 36.25 Jer. 31.33 Rom. 3.5 2 Cor. 5.19 2 Pet. 1.4 Eph. 3.17 2 Cor. 13.5 he acts from God and for God he acts from a new heart he acts from the Law written in his heart he acts from the love of God shed abroad in his heart he acts from the divine nature communicated to him he acts from the spirits in-dwelling in his heart he acts from the fear of God establishing his heart These be the springs and principles of a sincere Christians spiritual life and actions and where they act and bear rule it is no wonder if such motions and performances as the world may admire but not imitate Sauls life after his conversion was a kind of constant miracle 2. Cor. 11. so much he did and so much he suffered and so much he denyed himself that if he lived in these dayes his life would be a miracle but yet if we consider the principles that he was acted by the great wonder will be not that he did so much but that he did no more Gal. 2.20 For saith he
Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me Fox Acts and Monum It was a great saying of blessed Bradford That he could not leave a duty till he had found communion with Christ in the duty till he had brought his heart into a duty-frame he could not leave confession till he had found his heart touched broken and humbled for sin nor petition till he had found his heart taken with the beauties of the things desired and carried out after them nor could he leave thanksgiving till he had found his spirit enlarged and his soul quickned in the return of praises And it was a great saying of another that he could never be quiet till he found God in every duty Nunquam abs te absque te â—ecedo Bern. Meditat and enjoyed communion with God in every prayer O Lord said he I never come to thee but by thee I never go from thee without thee A sincere Christian that is taken with Christ above all can't be satisfied nor contented with duties or ordinances without he enjoyes Christ in them who is the life soul and substance of them But now hypocrites they do duties but all they do is from common principles from natural principles and from an unsanctified heart and that marrs all Remigius a Judge of Lorraigne tells this story That the Devil in those parts did use to give money to Witches Preston's four Treatises which did appear to be good coyn it seemed to be currant at first but being laid up a while it then appeared to be nothing but leaves Hypocrites they make a great profession and are much in the outward actions of Religion they make a very fair shew they hear they read they pray they fast they sing Psalms and they give alms But these duties being not managed from a principle of divine love nor from a principle of spiritual life nor from a sanctified frame of heart turn all into leaves they are all lost and the Authors of them cast and undone for ever and ever But Twelfthly No hypocrite in the world loves the Word or delights in the Word or prizes the Word as 't is a holy Word a spiritual Word a beautiful Word a pure Word Luther said he would not live in Paradise if he might without the Word but with the Word he could live in hell it self a clean Word Psal 119.140 Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it There are no hearts but men after God's own heart that can love the Word and delight in the Word and embrace the Word for its holiness purity and spirituality witness Paul Rom. 7.12 Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandement holy and just and good Well and what then why saith he Ver. 22. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man But is this all No saith he Ver. 25. With the mind I my self serve the Law of God Holy Paul delights in the Law as holy and serves the Law as holy just and good A sincere heart is the only heart that is taken with the Word for its spirituality purity and heavenly beauty None can joy in the Word as it is a holy Word nor none can taste any sweetness in the Word as 't is a pure Word but sincere Christians Psal 19.8 9 10. The statutes of the Lord are right rejoycing the heart These several Titles Law Statutes Testimony Commandements Judgments are used promiscuously for the whole Word of God commonly distinguished into Law and Gospel The commandements of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes The fear of the Lord is clean that is the doctrine of the Word that teacheth the true fear of God enduring for ever The judgments of the Lâ—rd are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than honey and the honey comb or as the Hebrew hath it Sweeter than the droppings of honey combs The Word of God as it is a pure Word a spiritual Word a clean Word a holy Word so it rejoyces a sincere heart and so it is sweeter than the very droppings of honey combs The Word as it is a pure Word a holy Word is more sweet to a sincere Christian than those drops which drop immediately and naturally without any force or art which is counted the purest and sweetest honey There is no profit nor pleasure nor joy to that which the purity of the World yields to a sincere heart Psal 119.48 My hands will I lift up to thy commandements which I have loved Sometimes the lifting up of hands betokens admiration when men are astonished and ravished they lift up their hands I will lift up my hands to thy commandements that is I will admire the goodness spiritualness holiness righteousness purity and excellency of thy commandements Luther would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible he took such sweet pleasure and excellent delight in it Rabbi Chiia in the Jerusalem Talmud sayes That in his account all the world is not of equal value with one word out of the Law Mr. Fox The Martyrs would have given a load of Hay for a few Chapters of the Bible in English Some of them gave five marks for a Bible they were so delighted and taken with the Word as it was a holy Word a pure Word a spiritual Word Dolphins they say love musick and so do sincere Christians love the musick of the Word It 's upon record that Mary spent the third part of her time in reading the Word she was so affected and delighted with the holiness and purity of it King Edward the sixth being about to lay hold on something that was above the reach of his short arm one that stood by espying a boss'd Bible lying on the Table offered to lay that under his feet to heighten him Sir John Hayward in vita but the good young King disliked the motion and instead of treading it under his feet he laid it to his heart to express the joy and delight that he took in the holy Word But now neâ—er did any hypocrite since there was one in the world ever love God as a holy God or love his people as a holy people or love his wayes as holy wayes or love his word as a holy word There is no hypocrite in the world that can truly say with David Thy word is very pure therefore thy servant loveth it Saul could never say so nor Ahab could never say so nor Herod could never say so nor Judas could never say so nor Demas could never say so nor Simon Magus could never say so nor the Scribes and Pharisees could never say so nor the Stony ground could never say so nor Isaiah's hypocrites could never say so 'T is true Isa 58. some of these did rejoyce in the Word and
upon all your graces and gracious evidences as favours given you from above as gifts dropt out of heaven into your hearts as flowers of Paradise stuck in your bosoms by a divine hand A man should never look upon his graces or his gracious evidences Of thine own saith David have we given thee 1 Chron. 29.14 but should be ready to say these are the jewels of glory with which God has bespangled my soul 1 Cor. 4.7 What hast thou that thou hast not received What gift what grace what experience what evidence hast thou that thou hast not received All the light and all the life and all the love and all the joy and all the fear and all the faith and all the hope and all the patience and all the humility c. that thou hast with all the evidences that arise from discovery of those graces are all grace gifts they are all from above Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above Jam. 1.17 and cometh down from the father of lights Look as all light flows from the Sun and all water from the Sea so all temporal spiritual and eternal good flows from heaven All your graces and the greatest excellencies that are in you do as much depend upon God and Christ as the light doth upon the Sun or as the Rivers do upon the Sea Joh. 15.1 2 3 4 5. Psal 87.7 or as the branches do upon the root All my springs are in thee all the springs of comfort that I have communicated to my soul and all the springs of grace that I have to quicken me and to evidence the goodness and happiness of my spiritual estate and condition to me they are all in thee When a Christian looks upon his wisdom and knowledge it concerns him to say Here is wisdom and knowledge I but 't is from above here is some weak love working towards Christ but 't is from above here 's joy and comfort and peace c. but these are all such flowers of Paradise as never grew in natures garden Now when a Christian looks thus upon all those costly Diamonds of grace of glory with which his soul is bedeckt he keeps low though his graces and gracious evidences are high Where this Rule is neglected the soul will be endangered of being swell'd and pufft It was a great saying of a very worthy man that is now with God viz Mr. Fox That as he often got much good by his sins so he often got much hurt by his graces Dear hearts when you look upon the stream remember the fountain when you look upon the flower remember the root when you look upon the Stars remember the Sun and when ever you look upon your graces then be sure to remember Christ the fountain of grace else Satan will certainly be too hard for you Satan is so subtile so artificial and so critical that he can make your very graces to serve him against your graces conquering joy by joy sorrow by sorrow humility by humility fear by fear and love by love if you don't look upon all your graces as streams flowing from the fountain above and as fruits growing upon the Tree of life that is in the midst of the Paradise of God Therefore when one of your eyes is fixt upon your graces let the other be alwayes fixt upon Christ the fountain of grace 1 John 16. Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Here they eye their graces and the fountain of grace together So Paul I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 who loved me and gave himself for me Paul eyes Christ and his graces together so Peter eyes Christ and his graces together Lord John 21.15 thou knowest â—hat I love thee So those Worthies of whom this world was not worthy they eye Christ and their graces together Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the Author and finisher of our faith 2 Cor. 5.17 Though grace be a new creature a noble creature a beautiful creature an excellent creature yet grace is but a creature Col. 1.17 Phil. 4.12 13. Cant. 4. ult and such a creature that is strengthned maintained cherished and upheld in your souls in life and power in beauty and glory by nothing below the spiritual internal and glorious operations of Christ Col. 1.10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God Ver. 11. Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness Now when ever you look upon grace as a lovely beautiful creature O then remember that might and glorious power of Christ by which this creature is preserved and strengthned Christians your graces are holy and heavenly plants of Christ's own setting and watering and will you mind the plants more than that noble hand that set them 'T is Christ alone that can cause the desires of his people to bud and their graces to blossom Isa 58.11 35.6 7. and their souls to be like a watered garden green and flourishing and therefore let the eye of your souls be firstly mostly and chiefly fixt upon Christ But The third Proposition is this When you look upon your graces in the light of the Spirit it highly concerns you to look narrowly to it that you don't renounce and rejecty our graces as weak and worthless evidences of your interest in Christ and of that eternal happiness and blessedness that comes by Christ The works of grace saith my Author which consists in those divine qualities of holiness and righteousness Grotius in Rom. 8.16 c. Gal. 5.22 â—â— is a sure Mark a blessed character whereby men may know whose children they are even as the Spartans or Lacedemonians of old are said to know what stock and linage they were of by a mark that was made upon their bodies by the head of a Lance or Speer I readily grant that you must not trust in your graces nor make a Saviour of your graces but yet you ought to look upon your graces as so many signs and testimonies of the love and favour of God to your souls What certainty can there be of Election Remission of sin Justification or Glorification if there be not a certainty of your Sanctification and Renovation if that perswasion that is in you ahout your grace or sanctification be false then that perswasion that is in you concerning remission of sin predestination justification and eternal salvation is false This highly concerns all them to consider that would not be miserable in both worlds I know many cry up Revelations Impressions Visions yea the visions of their own hearts and speak lightly and slightly of the graces of the Spirit of sanctification of holiness as evidences of the goodness and
mercies and in my own outward mercies O! how much more then ought I to rejoyce in the saving and distinguishing graces of the Spirit especially when I consider that the least dram of grace is more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds Hab. 3.18 Gal. 6.14 Phil. 3.3 as every awakened conscience will tell you when they come to dye Mark firstly mostly and chiefly a Christian is to rejoyce in God and Christ but secondarily and subordinately he may rejoyce in those graces and in those gracious evidences that God has given into his soul Firstly mostly and chiefly a Wife is to rejoyce in the person of her Husband but secondarily subordinately she may rejoyce in the bracelets in the ear-rings in the jewels in the gold chains that are given her by her Husband But The tenth Proposition is this viz. That that assurance that the people of God may rise to by the sight of their graces and upon the sight of their gracious evidences in the light of the spirit is not so clear and bright and high and full a that it utterly excludes all fears doubtings conflicts 1 Cor. 13.12 Phil. 3.12 13 14. or spiritual agonies Our knowledge of God of Christ of our selves and of the blessed Scripture which is the Rule of tryal is imperfect in this life And how then can our assurance be perfect David a man eminent in grace and holiness had his up-hills and his down-hills his Summer days and his Winter nights Psal 73.25 Psal 42.5 11. Now you shall have him upon the Mountains singing and saying The Lord is my portion and presently you shall have him in the Valleys sighing and saying Whâ— art thou cast down O my soul why art thou disquieted within me Job 3. Psal 77. Psal 88. The same is evident in Job Heman and Asaph Such an assurance as shall exclude all fears doubts conflicts agonies iâ— very desirable on earth but shall never be obtained till we come to heaven The grievous assaults of Satan the power of unbelief and the prevalency of other corruptions in a Christians heart may be such as may shake I don't say overturn that assurance which a Christian may gather from the sight and evidence of his graces in the light of the spirit Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth as well against the spirit as it is a spirit of consolation as it lusteth against the spirit as it is a spirit of sanctification and therefore such an assurance as shall exclude all sorts and degrees of fears and doubts Doubting is not a vertue as the Papists would make us believe but 't is a fruit of the flesh and a thing most contrary and opposite to the nature of faith Jam. 1.5 Mat. 21.21 13.31 And therefore Christians should pray hard to be rid of their doubts is not attainable in this life whilst we are in this old world we shall have water with our wine gall with our honey and some clouds with our brightest Sun-shiny dayes c. Most Christians think that as long as they have any doubtings they have no assurance but they consider not that there are many degrees of infalible certainty below a perfect or an undoubting certainty Doubtless some darkness more or less will overspread the face of every Christians soul and unbelief in one degree or another will be making head against their faith and hypocrisie in one degree or another will be making head against sincerity and pride in one degree or another will be making head against humility and passion in one degree or another will be making head against meekness and earthly-mindedness in one degree or another will be making head against heavenly-mindedness c. yet as long as a Christian has the sight of his graces or his gracious evidences he may and ought to walk in much peace comfort and joy Such Christians as are resolved to lye down in sorrow till they have attained to a perfect assurance must resolve to lye down in sorrow till they come to lay down their heads in the dust Our graces are imperfect and therefore that assurance that arises from the sight and evidence of them must needs be imperfect 1 Thes 3.10 perfect signs of grace can never spring from imperfect grace Now if this were seriously apprehended studied and minded by many weak Christians they would not at every turn call their spiritual estates into question as they do because they find some seeds and stirrings of pride hypocrisie vain-glory and other sinful humours and passions working in them But The eleventh Proposition is this viz. When all your signs and evidences of the happiness and blessedness of your condition fails you and are so clouded obscured darkned and blotted that you can't read them that you can't take any comfort from them then it highly concerns you to keep up high and precious and honourable thoughts of God of Christ of his word and of his wayes in your souls Psal 97.2 Cant. 5.6 7. When Christ was withdrawn from his Spouse and when the watchmen that went about the City had smote her and wounded her and when the keepers of the walls had took away her vail from her yet then she keeps up in heart very high precious and honourable thoughts of Christ Ver. 10. My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest among ten thousand Ver. 16. His mouth is most sweet and he is altogether lovely or his mouth is sweetnesses and he is altogether desirablenesses or all of him is desires or he is wholly desirable Here she breaks off her praises in a general Elogy which no words can express enough Alas saith the Spouse I want words to express how sweet how lovely how comely how desirable how eminent and how excellent Christ is in my eye and to my soul Hag. 2.8 he is the desire of all Nations de jure and all that is perfect in heaven or earth is but a dim shadow of his excellency and glory Where Christ is there is heaven heaven it self in the Spouse's eyes without Christ would be but a low little thing The Spouse looks upon Christ as the sparkling Diamond in the ring of glory So David when he was wofully clouded and benighted when all was dark within him and dark about him and dark over him Psal 73. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain See Psal 77. Psal 88. 1 Sam. 30.6 and washed my hands in innocency Ver. 21. My heart was grieved and I was pricked in my reins Ver. 22. I was as a beast before thee or I was as a great beast or as many beasts in one as the Hebrew word Behemoth imports Ver. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth that is my outward man and my inward man faileth me And yet mark at this very time when the Psalmist was thus overcast he keeps up in him very high precious and honourable thoughts of God Ver. 1. Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean
heart Ver. 23. Nevertheless I am continually with thee thou hast holden me by my right hand Ver. 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory Ver. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Ver. 26. God is the strength or rock of my heart and my portion for ever Ver. 28. It is good for me to draw near to God So the Church in that Micah 7. When God had hid his face from her Ver. 7. When she sate in darkness Ver. 8. When she was under the indignation of the Lord. Ver. 9. When the righteous man was perished and there was none upright among men Ver. 2. And when her enemies rejoyced insulted and triumphed over her Ver. 8. ver 10. Yet now even now she keeps up in her soul very high precious and honourable thoughts of the Lord. Ver. 7. My God will hear me Ver. 8. When I fall I shall arise when I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Ver. 9. He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousness I might give you twenty more instances but enough is as good as a feast Dear Christians when your graces are not transparent when your evidences for heaven are blotted and when the face of God is clouded O then keep up in your hearts high precious and honourable thoughts of God and Christ and of his Word and wayes Acts 27.20 c. When your Sun of righteousness is set in a cloud when great darkness is upon your spirits when all Moon-light and Star-light of your graces and gracious evidences fails you Psal 22.3 yet then say with David Thou art holy O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel and with Ezra Thou hast punished me less than mine iniquities deserve Ezra 9.13 Neh. 9.33 and with Nehemiah Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly and with the Church The Lord is righteous Lam. 1.18 In the darkest night and under your deepest soul-distresses say Well if I perish if I should miscarry for ever yet I will maintain and keep up in my heart high and precious and honourable thoughts of God and Christ Say well though my graces are obscured and my evidences for heaven are blurred and soyled yet I shall to my last breath say the Lord is good and his Word is good and his wayes are good yea though he should slay me yet I will trust in him Job 13.15 and entertain noble and glorious thoughts of him This is the way of wayes to have your graces cleared and strengthned your evidences brightned your comforts restored and your assurance confirmed But The twelfth Proposition is this viz. That it is the great duty and concernment of Christians to keep the evidences of their gracious and happy condition alwayes bright and shining Christians should make conscience of blurring and disfiguring the golden characters of grace in their souls The least character of grace in the soul is more worth than all the gold of Ophir yea more worth than ten thousand thousand worlds Eph. 4.30 Psal 51.11 12 and therefore every gracious Christian should be marvellous careful that he does not by wilful omissions or sinful commissions cloud dim or darken the least character of grace such as blot or lose their evidences for heaven they lose the comfort of their lives in this world Satans master-piece is first to work Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory by committing this or that hainous sin and then his next work is to rob them of their evidences for glory that so though at the long run they may get safe to heaven that yet Jacob like they may go halting and mourning to their graves Satan knows that whilst a Christians evidences are bright and shining a Christian is temptation-proof Satan may tempt him but he can't conquer him he may assault him but he can't vanquish him Satan knows that whilst a Christians evidences for heaven are bright and shining no afflictions can sink him nor no opposition shake him nor no persecution discourage him nor no outward wants perplex him and therefore he will use all his power and policy all his arts crafts and parts to draw poor Christians to blot and blur their evidences for glory Satan knows that a man may lose one friend and easily get another lose his Trade in one place and soon get a Trade in another place lose health and get it lose an estate and get an estate c. But if he loses his evidences for heaven he knows it will cost him many a prayer and many a sigh and many a groan and many a tear and many a sad complaint before he recovers his lost evidences and therefore his grand design is to plunder a Christian of his evidences for heaven O Sirs keep but your evidences for heaven alwayes bright and shining and then heavy afflictions will be light and long afflictions will be short 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. and bitter afflictions will be sweet and then every evidence fainly written in your hearts will be a living comfort to you in a dying hour When the tokens of death are upon your bodies and you shall see the lively characters of grace shining in your souls Luke 2.29 you will then cry out with old Simeon Lord now let thy servant depart in peace and with the Spouse Make hast my beloved Cant. 8. ult and be like to a Roe or to a young Hart upon the mountains of spices Rev. 22.20 Phil. 1.23 and with the Bride Come Lord Jesus come quickly and with Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ When a man's evidences for heaven are either lost or blotted and blur'd then he will be ready to cry out wiâ—h David O spare me yet a little that I may recover strength before I go hence and be seen no more Isa 38.3 and with Hezekiah to turn his face to the wall and weep There are four things that above all others a Christian should labour to keep 1. Christ 2. His own heart 3. The Word 4. His evidences for heaven bright and shining But The thirteenth Proposition is this viz. It is the high concernment of every Christian either when he is in the dark or when his graces shine brightest and when his evidences for heaven are clearest and his springs of comfort rise highest then to have his heart and the eye of his faith most firmly fixt upon these three royal Forts or these five Cities or refuge It must be granted that though our graces are our best jewels yet they are imperfect and do not give out their full lustre they are like the Moon which when it shines brightest hath her dark spots and therefore a Christian had need have his eye his heart fixt upon the five following royal Forts