walk as they may say these people that make conscience of their waies surely they did come for conscience sake Their ways are according to that they profess We have a notable expression of some that came from another country for religion and yet walked so offensively as the name of God suffered much by them that the heathen said These are the people of the Lord and are gone forth out of his land Ezekiel 36.20 we dare not say we are among heathens but when they were among heathens they prophaned my holy name says God and so many Fleeing from their own Country profane the name of God in another Country that give occasion to the people among whom they are Fled to say look here are some that are gone from their own Land that profess themselves to be the people of the Lord and to Flee for religion look what kind of people they are thus Gods name is profaned let us take heed that we give no such occasion to the people with whom we live to say these are the people of the Lord that are Fled for religion 3. We should be careful to behave our selves as those that are Fled for religion as exiled people to be mortified to the things of the world and to be content with any condition that God shal cal us unto shal we repine when we meet with any trouble that were an argument we had too too delicate spirits when we Flee from great danger and yet think we should meet with no trouble at all 4. When we are Fled we should labor to get our spirits into a contented frame and walk in subjection unto God and give God praise as if we were in the greatest prosperity that we could have been in in our own Country we should not have our hearts dulled with any inconveniency but keep up our spirits free in the service of God It is a notable expression we have of David if you compare two Psalms together Psal 57. with the 108. and the 57. Psal was when he Fled from Saul and was in the care but mark how Davids spirit was kept up he was not dulled and stupified as many are that come from delicate houses and are faine to live in Sellars and blind holes their hearts begin to rise Oh! the fresh aire and brave living that once they had David was so and yet his heart was kept up In the shadow of thy wings wil I make my refuge a poor dark hole he was in and he counted that dark hole the shadow of Gods wings againe I wil cry to God most high though I be brought low and meane I have an interest in this high God and wil cry to that high God unto God that performeth al things Had God performed al things for David God promised David the kingdome and David is brought into a poor hole to shift for his life and yet David sayes he wil cry unto God that performeth all things for him He shal send from Heaven and save me though I be in this blind place the God of heaven regards me and shal send from heaven to save me vers 5. Be thou exalted above the heavens let thy glory be above al the earths vers 7. My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise al this was when he was in the Cave if you compare this with Psal 108. which was a Psalm of thanksgiving and rejoycing that he made upon his deliverance and the same expression that David had within the cave the same expressions he had when God had fulfilled his promises and he was Blessing his name for his great deliverance noting thus much look what temper of heart we should have in the enjoyment of the greatest mercies we should labor to have that temper of heart in our submissions unto God when we are Fled from danger 5. Again let it be our care when we are delivered from the danger that we apprehended our selves to be in to keep our selves in the fervency of our hearts and spirits for God and in the fervency of our love unto God and his truth as we had in danger Many when they are in danger of their enemies and afraid of them their hearts are in a great deal of fervency and zeal for God and his truth and if they can get a few together to fast and pray or hear a Sermon repeated how do they rejoyce but when they are in safety their hearts are dead and Flat and if they meet together to pray or to commune about the word their spirits are not so fervent as before the Lord keep this from us 6. Again let us labor to do al the good we can to the place which we are Fled from by our prayers or any other way we can as the people of God when they were from their own country yet they would remember Jerusalem so ought we to do for we are much bound to God for it in regard of the good we have received in it 7. Lastly let us labor to make that hiding place that God provides for us to deliver us from danger to be but a preparing place for greater danger let us not think because we have avoided some danger and are in some safety that al is well but this should be our care that those places that are our hiding places to hide us from some danger should be our preparing places for greater dangers afterwards and thus using these directions we shal honor God in our Fleeing and shal not have cause to repent us And thus we have done with that argument the answering the case of conscience about Fleeing CHAP. 13. How the Heart may be taken off from the fear of man First it is against the solemn charge of God Secondly It is an Idolizing of the Creature Thirdly It becomes not the State and Spirit and profession of a Christian Fourthly It dishonors God and the Cause of God Fifthly It mightily heartens the enemies of Gods people Sixthly It is threatned as a great judgment of God upon a people Seventhly The evil effects of the sinful feare of man 1. It distracts our thoughts 2. Weakens the heart 3. Eates out the true feare of God 4. It indisposeth us to any service 5. Insnares a Christian 6. It causeth other desperate fears 7. Procures the judgment of God in our destruction A VVord of Exhortation How the heart may be taken off from the fear of man There are two things that yet remain in this point namely to labor to take off the heart from the fear of man or any danger by shewing the evil that there is in the sinful fearing of man or of any danger that may befal us Secondly by laying down some means to bring off the heart from creature fear First A Christian must take heed of sinful fear of man and not to fear any creature in an inordinate sinful way for there is much evil in it more than we are aware of 1. In
you flee 3. Behave your selves as exiled people as men mortified to the things of the world 4. Get a contented frame of heart 5. When you are delivered keep your selves in the fervency of your spirits 6 Let those from whom you flee have your prayers Page 70 Chap. 13. How the Heart may be taken off from the fear of man First it is against the solemn charge of God Secondly It is an Idolizing of the Creature Thirdly It becomes not the State and Spirit and profession of a Christian Fourthly It dishonors God and the Cause of God Fifthly It mightily heartens the enemies of Gods people Sixthly It is threatened as a great judgment of God upon a people Seventhly The evil effects of the sinful fear of man 1. It distracts our thoughts 2. Weakens the heart 3. Eats out the true fear of God 4. It indisposeth us to any service 5. Insnares a Christian 6. It. causeth other desperate fears 7. Procures the judgment of God in our destruction Page 78 Chap. 14. Another Doctrine Much difference between Gods peoples spirits at several times Illustrated by examples Reasons 1. From the different dispositions their hearts are in to receive truths Which proceeds from Three Causes First the abatement of the strength that is opposite to that truth Secondly The stirrings or activity of those habits which are sutable to truth Thirdly The prevalences of self interest Reas 2. From the different representations of Truth Reas 3. Because the Graces of men do not burn so cleerly and purely at al times Reas 4. From the weakness of Grace the parts and members of it are not consolidated Reas 5. Because our hearts are sometimes filled with more heavenly consolations then at other times Reas 6. From the different breathings of the spirit of God Reas 7. Because men have somtimes a more clear and distinct sight of their call to suffer then at other times 3. Particular directions in this Case Reas 8. The different tempers of mans Body Reas 9. From the difference in the encouraging occurrency of Gods providence Page 97 Chap. 15. Containing the First Use Which teacheh us to entreat God not to take the advantage of us when our hearts are low Page 110. Chap. 16. Another Vse to teach us not to be discouraged at this different temper of our Spirits but to be humbled for it Five Helps against discouraging thoughts Two objections Page 113 Chap. 17. Containing the Third Vse of Direction branched into four particulars 1. If couragious and fit for service give God the praise Four reasons for it 2. Learn to rebuke unbelief 3. Labor to keep your hearts up The manner how that may be done in eight particulars 4. Improve this gracious working of God Page 119 Chap. 18. A fourth Vse To be restless till we get our selves into a good frame Page 128 Chap. 19. A Fifth Vse To see the misery of being alwaies unfit for service A Sixt Vse To teach us to long for Heaven Page 130 Chap. 20. Shewing the power of Faith to carry through the most difficult work Question What is there in Faith which helps the Soul Answered in four Particulars 1. It settles the Heart on the surest ground which is Gods call and Promises 2. It fetches in the greatest strength 3. It assists with the highest encouragements 5. Faith of its own Nature is a mighty strong principle The most illustrious work of Faith Thirteen remarkable things concerning Faith and the difficulties which it breaks through Page 133. Chap. 21. Vses of the Doctrine Use First Let none think God an hard Master when he puts them upon service because he affords them a principle to carry them through Use Secondly To Beleevers that they should expect to be put upon difficult things 1. Four considerations against discouragements It is not to be accounted an affliction to be put upon difficult things for 4. Reasons Use Thirdly Shewing it can be no concluding argument against a work because there are hindrances Use Fourthly When you have been carried through difficult services consider what it was which supported you Page 145 Chap. 22. Quest How to know whether Faith wil carry us through difficult works Answered in several particulars 1. Faith Goes upon spiritual grounds motives and ends 2. Makes men sollicitous and careful for the enjoyment of Gods presence with them 3. Causes men to carry themselves in a Gracious manner 4. To have an high esteem of the name of God 5 Makes them careful that they may not be frustrated of their end 6. It makes men satisfied with God Alone 7. Faith is a continued work That Faith which brought you out will carry you through Page 156 Chap. 23. Containing other uses of the point Use 5. Shews the reason why we faile in any thing we do it is for want of Faith Use 6. Labor to rise in indignation against your unbelief Use 7. Consider what it is to faile in that work which concernes thy eternal estate Page 162 Chap. 24. Helps to put on Faith in any undertaking 1. Set before you the example of our great Captain Jesus Christ 2. Make preparation for the work of Faith by Humiliation 3. Renew your Faith in the Covenant of Grace 4. In difficult times set Faith on work to purifie the heart 5. Take heed of shifting waies and dependances 6. Set loose from your own ends 7. Cast your selves upon the word of God 8. Plead the word with God in Prayer 9. Refuse no meanes that God puts into your hands 10. Do nothing with a slavish spirit 11. Be not discouraged by miscarriages that are past 12. Take heed of the disturbance of passion in your work 13. Observe the dependances one work hath upon another 14. Lisson not to Temptations 15. Take heed of perverse reasonings 16. Take heed of disorderly working in four cases 17. Vse resolution and courage 18. Look on your selves as Gods Instruments 19. Be constant though you find nothing come of it 20. Encrease not the difficulty by your carriage 21. Look most at your Encouragements 22. Vse not the difficulty in the way to reason against the work 23. Labor to harden your selves by Faith against al difficulties Page 165 Chap. 25. Containing a second consideration of the Text to wit and Allegoricall interpretation of Moses forsaking Egypt by Faith Warrant for Allegoricall interpretations Forsaking this world renouncing our naturall estate a difficult work Fourteen reasons of it Page 184 Chap. 26. How Faith carries the Soul through the Difficult work of forsaking Egypt Their Works of Faith 1. The discovering work in two particulars 2. The relying Work 3. The Surrendring work Question Resolved concerning the force of Natural Conscience in three Particulars shewing the great difference between the actings of Faith and Natural Conscience Application 1. Hence see the Ground of Miscarriages 2. A Rule of Direction Incouragements to Faith and Beleeving 3. Let delivered Persons see what delivered them Faith which acts by a power without us Twelve
to their Minister then upon their Minister to them the Minister is tyed to the whole directly and they are tyed to him by being tyed to one another and if there be liberty for one member of a Church to depart when he wil then there is liberty for another and so for all and if liberty for them to depart then there is liberty for the Minister too many cry out of the Minister if he leave his people when he list there is as much cause for a Minister to cry out of his people if they leave him when they list Secondly If there be such a tye upon a Minister to venture thus for his people he had need look to his cal and the especiall cause why in other places and we our selves when we were elsewhere were so ready to fear and Flee upon every occasion was because there did remain some kind of feare and suspicion of our call Thirdly If there be such a tye upon a Minister to his people his people had need labor what possibly they can to encourage their Minister there need be strong union in their spirits and they should take heed of catching of this body and that body or that melancholy suspicions be cast to hinder the least union that if time of danger come they may freely and chearfully venture themselves amongst them we know not what things God may call us to the way that we walk in and desire to walk in is that which the world and the Devil hate and though through Gods providence we have a breathing time yet if we resolve to walk in this way whatsoever befal we may meet with much before we die and as we are bound to venture all that we are or have for you so al that you are or have should be bound to us But in some cases a Minister may be so affraid as to Flee and yet not to sin as the Prophets Christ and the Apostles did Flee in the time of danger A minister may Flee if the persecution be personal and not general and so as his people be provided for otherwise by others and so as he may be more useful to his people being absent then he could have done being present and if he Flee being willing to returne again when God shal shew him his way and if people break their relations when things fal thus then certainly he may Flee In that Epistle of Augustine to Honorius he instanced in Athanasius and justifies his Fleeing because the Emperour was incensed and enraged against his person and he was willing to returne when God should give occasion I might instance in al these but I wil only instance in that if they Flee being willing to returne as God gives occasion As Saint Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14. if you compare it with that in Chap. 13. They Fled two or three times from several places and yet when there was respite they returned again to the very same places from whence they Fled In Chap. 13.14 They came to Antioch there the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable Women and the cheif men of the City and raised persecution against them and expelled them out of their coasts being persecuted from thence they came to Iconium where they sped as before in Chap. 14.5 From thence they went to Lystria at the begining of the verse where at first they thought them as Gods but afterwards so malicious were those of Antioch and Iconium that when they heard they were at Lystria they came to persecute them there so in all these three places they were persecuted even to death Yet at verse 21. they returned again to those three places thus you see the practice of the Apostles But if the relation be broke between minister people then they may depart In the time of persecution the case is more difficult it is not so difficult for a Minister to leave his people in regard of sickness and weakness of body as in the time of persecution and he is more bound to stay with them in the time of persecution then in the time of sickness Christ says the hireling when the Wolfe comes he Flyes from the Sheep A true Shepheard undertakes to venture his life against the Wolfe and for him to avoid that danger he undertakes that must needs be unfaithfulness Jacob was content to watch his Sheep in the night in the frost and cold as wel as in the day and in summer time The scripture doth not say if a Lyon come he is a hireling that shal Fly away if the danger be such as nothing but a miracle can preserve him and his life may be more useful to the Church in another place then to lay it down there then he is not as an hireling but as a wise Shepheard may avoid danger CHAP. 12. Containing the eighth particular to wit Answering some objections made against flying ob 1. Men may not leave their country Answ in two particulars ob 2. Should none stay to suffer Ans ob 3. God Alsufficient to help in greatest dangers Ans ob 4. Fleeing a ceasing to give testimony to the truth of God Ans ob 5. Many of Gods servants had power to fly and did not Ans ob 6. What shall become of those left behind if they are forsaken by men of ability Ans ob 7. If men would master their feares and stay a while the cloud would blow over Ans Ninth parcular Directions for ordering our selves when we do fly 1. Leave as litle guilt behind in the place as you can 2. Carry your selves so that the name of God may not suffer in the place to which you flee 3. Behave your selves as exiled people as men mortified to the things of the world 4. Get a contented frame of heart 5. When you are delivered keep your selves in the fervency of your spirits 6. Let those from whom you flee have your praiers AND now I come to the Eighth particular to answer some objections that may be made against this Object 1. It may be said men may not leave their country Answer We know a mans country may be left on many occasions as for merchandising to get estates to maintaine their families so Ruth and Abraham and his Sonns did For learning as the Queen of Sheba did surely then for Religion It is true if we see any opportunity of setting up Relgion in our own Countrie we are bound to set it up there rather then any where else but if not we may leave our country as the Evnuch travelled and left his countrie to come to Jerusalem for Religions sake Besides God hath a great work of providence in scattering his people and had it not been for persecution it is not like the word of God should have been spread abroad in divers countries Objection 2 But should none stay to suffer Answer For this we are to know that fleeing is a suffering and if it be examined to the bottome many plead with others to
the lock we think may be there is some ward in the lock that is a little bent if that were mended it would do or the key is bent and rather then we wil throw it away we wil mend that may be I have bent some ward and a man wil reason al he can before he wil throw away the lock So when you have to deal with others that are of another opinion do not throw them away reason this way that way because there is much in ordering mens spirits in the communication of a truth unto them it is not alwaies the evidence of a truth that is sufficient to convince but the manner of presenting of the truth and that is the second reason of the difference of mens spirits Reason 3. The third reason is because that somtime the graces of men do not burne out so clearly and purely as they do at other times As in fire when you kindle a fire first there is a great deal of smoke and we see little brightness in the fire stay but a while and the smoak wil be consumed and the fire burne bright So in the graces of men and women sometime there is a great deal of corruption when grace is kindled at first a great deal of smother but grace continues and workes out that corruption and it burns more clearly So in the sun when it riseth in the morning it may be a great mist but when the sun is up a little while it consumes the mist and shines clearly So Children when they are young may be they have many il humors afterwards their natural strength consumes their humors and so they are more active and stirring so though the Godly have not that disposition of heart to do that for God they should yet when grace comes to burne more clearly they can do it Reason 4. Fourthly As grace is mixt at first so somtimes it is weak the parts and members not being consolidated and strengthened when an infant comes first into the world if you expose it to the cold it is not able to endure it which afterward it wil do when the Joynts are set and so young plants cannot endure that frost which they wil do afterwards And so Christians at first are as children carryed away with every wind of doctrine til afterward they come to be more strong and then they are fit for service As Christ would not have his disciples called to fasting and praying they were hard duties while they were weak he hath this expression no man puts new wine into old bottles nor sow a new peice of cloath into an old Garment for the bottles wil break and the garment wil rend in Math 9.16.17 The meaning is do not bring unsureable duties to mens spirits fasting and prayer is a duty but they are not strong enough for it yet noting when people grow strong they shal be fitter for duty service or suffering Reason 5. The fifth Reason is because somtimes our hearts are filled with more heavenly consolation then at other times that does refresh the souls of Gods people as with new wine that they can go forth as a Giant cal them to any duty and they can go through fire and water As for sin when a mans heart is warmed with sin and they have had delight and satisfaction in their sin come and speak what you wil against it and they can easily cast it off and so for duty when Gods people have been warmed by duty and their spirits are refreshed in Gods way with what resolution do they go and as that martyr Mr. Saunders sayd that which made the difference in him was because God was pleased to come in with such refreshments to his spirit that he felt the consolation of God not only upon his soul but flow into his body and that put a great deal of courage in him And in the stories that I have read of Scotland Mr. Knox reports of a young man of eighteen years of age that suffered martirdome under the Bishop of Glasgow and when he came to suffer he was mightily affraid and thought to have recanted and it pleased God that his spirit came in mightily to him at that time and he fell down on his knees and blest God Blessed Lord said he great is thy mercy to man kind and to me poor wretch that was like to forsake Christ my saviour and put my self into eternal damnation and now thou hast come with the consolation of Heaven and hast filled my heart and now I am freed from those fears that suppressed my soul let men do what they can I am ready And to God somtimes comes to fill the hearts of his people with mighty consolations and that makes a mighty difference Reason 6. The Sixth Reason is because sometimes the breathings of Gods spirit not only in consolation but in assistance comes more fully then at other times The spirit of God bloweth where it listeth and when it listeth John 3.8 Sometimes more fully somtimes more scantly Saies Christ in Math. 10.19 In that houre shal it be given you as Mr. Glover When he was in his dumps before yet when he was at the stake he cryed to his friend Austin he is come he is come And so it was with Sampson sometimes the miraculous work of Gods spirit came upon him and then he was strong and so in a spiritual way the spirit of God comes upon his people and then they are strong though they were weak before Isa 59.19 When the enemy shal come in like a flood the spirit of the Lord shal lift up a standard against him So when there comes a strong temptation like a flood that would bear him down then the spirit of the Lord shal lift up a standard and come in with abundance of assistance Reason 7. The seventh Reason is because somtimes a man sees his call to dutie to suffering a great deal more clear then at other times and that puts a great deal more strength As Moses now saw a further call to stand out against Pharoah and all his enemies and here is a great deal of deceit in the hearts of men when a man is loath to put himself to trouble he cannot be convinced of his call let us take heed of the deceit in this Question What shall we doe to take heed of the deceit in this Answer 1. When there is any work to doe either in doing or suffering hard things If you say I do not see the Lord call me Put it to your hearts againe and say deal truly and really with me doe you not see the Lords call Secondly observe this rule if so be you have put off service or suffering upon this ground do but examine whether you find upon this that your hearts be as stiring and lively in all other services as before Usually if men from sluggishness because they are loath to endure hardships shall put off the call of God their hearts wil fal more dead
spirit in those that have true Grace To that I Answer First There may be a difference discerned by that which hath been said there is somthing is constant Whether is that which lay at the root of grace in you still there If you do not find those two things constant viz. An approving of the life and power and strictness of godliness and a savor of that which is spiritual either in Ordinances or in Gods People all your good moods in the world though your hearts be never so up wil not discover the truth of grace Secondly Those that have only some good moods at some time and no bottom of any true grace they in their good moods are not humbled for that which was failing in them before their hearts indeed are somtimes up and they bless themselves in that but now this doth not make them look back how it was heretofore with them and to be ashamed and humbled for the wretchedness and distempers of their hearts formerly but where the heart is up for God in those that have truth of grace when their hearts are most up then they make use of this to be abased and humbled in their own thoughts for the deadness and distemper that was in their hearts before the good moods of others rather puff them up than further any work of humiliation for any evil that was in them before they think these good moods now and being in a good temper shall satisfie God for their evil distempers that were in them before But it is not so with a gracious heart a gracious heart when it does get up it makes use of this work of God upon it to be ashamed and confounded in its self for those evil distempers that were in it before The more the heart is up the more discovery it hath of its own baseness and vileness and wretchedness which others when their hearts are up have not Thirdly Gods People when their hearts are up that doth bring gracious discoveries of God unto them and of those things that do wonderfully spirituallize their hearts others though they have their hearts up they only have some affections but in those good moods of theirs they have not those Heavenly discoveries of God so as to purge their hearts and spirituallize their hearts and make their hearts to be more heavenly as it doth the godly Fourthly Those that have only good moods and no truth of grace when they have their good moods they are not by them carried out of themselves to a principle beyond themselves but they rest in the workings that they feel in their hearts whereas a gracious heart when God raiseth his heart and puts it into a better frame this carries it out of it self to a principle beyond it self and it dare not rest in those stirrings and workings it finds for the present to think now I am safe and well because of them but by these it is carried beyond it self Fiftly Where there are only good moods and not the truth of the work of grace they do not work so seasonably and orderly as the breathings of Gods spirit in his servants do but the breathings of a gracious heart coming from the spirit of God it works seasonably and orderly in their hearts when there is a spiritual use of them in that hour shall it be given to you saies Christ the spirit shal come upon you when you have most use whereas in others their good moods work only according to outward occasions and as means come in but now at those times when they have most use of them they are furthest from them Sixtly Where the heart is right and truly godly and God comes and breaths in it more than formerly such a one wil watch over it self and wil not be secure after this but the other grow less watchful and more secure upon such moods Seventhly Those that are truly gracious though they do not find their hearts up alwaies alike yet when they find their hearts down they count it their sickness and their disease and it is the disquiet and trouble of their spirits whereas others that have only some moods they are not sensible of their hearts being down as their sickness and disease and the burden and trouble of their souls Lastly In those that have grace when their hearts are up at any time it is but a preparation for some further service others having but moods their hearts being up this is the period of all their godliness in which they rest but the godly when their hearts are up at some time more than at others it is but a preparation for further Service 1 Chron. 29.18 The hearts of the people were up and David blest God for it and saies he prepare their hearts unto thee unsound hearts would say now our hearts are up and we have offered thus freely are we but in a preparation Yet David praies to God to prepare their hearts as if all their heart and affection at that time was but a preparation to further duty and this is the difference between the good moods of the greatest Hypocrite that come to the highest pitch and the difference between the breathings of Gods Spirit and by these means only presented to you it may be some help to discern the difference between good moods at some time and the different breathing of Gods Spirit in his people CHAP. 17. Containing the Third Vse of Direction branched into four particulars 1 If couragious and fit for service give God the praise Four Reasons for it 2. Learn to rebuke unbelief 3. Labor to keep your hearts up The manner how that may be done in eight particulars 4. Improve this gracious working of God USE 3. THirdly If there be such difference between the hearts of Gods People at some times and at other times This is an Use of Direction to all the people of God that are acquainted with this difference of Gods breathing upon their hearts in these Four Particulars First When you find your hearts up more at some times than at other times give God the glory Secondly Learn to rebuke your Unbelief Thirdly Labor to keep your hearts up Fourthly Improve this great working of God First If so be you find your hearts more up at one time than at another as Gods People do find much difference and can say somtime let my Beloved come into his Garden give God the glory and praise of it for it is a great mercy For 1. It doth prevent and deliver you from abundance of danger you were in when your hearts were down if a temptation had come what abundance of danger had you been in now God hath prevented that danger 2. If your hearts were right when they were down then you powred out your complaints to God of the deadness of your hearts now if God be come in it is a fruit of your seeking God and of your humiliation before the Lord now that which comes in as a fruit of
wickednesses that were in Sodom and Egypt and that are in that place First Antichrist is like Egypt in regard of the most gross Idolatries Of all places Egypt was counted the most gross Idolatrous place They did not only worship the Sun Moon Stars as other nations did but Cats and Onions and any base creatures So the Papists worship stocks and stones and all kind of holy Reliques even the haire that came from the taile of that beast that Christ rode on and most base vile things that are too base to abuse an Auditory to rehearse Secondly It is compared to Egypt in respect of the cruelty of the Church of Rome None were so cruel and vild as Egypt And so of all men those that are under Antichrist are more cruel as if they were Messengers came from hell to shew the power of Malignant spirits and therefore they are said to be drunken with blood and so have their clothes died in scarlet with the blood of the Saints Rev. 17.4.5.6 But the chiefe thing I aime at is to shew the bondage Christians are in under antichrist the work of faith in delivering from it The bondage under Antichrist is 1. Outward in Estates and Lives 2. Inward a soul bondage 1. An outward bondage doth not he challenge power over Kings and Princes and to free people from Loyalty to their Princes that except there were a delusion upon the hearts of the great ones upon Earth It were unpossible for them to submit unto that base bondage Many crie out of the Godly that they are no good subjects they do not love to be under government but what do you think of Papists that do teach for to free subjects from their loyalty A Papist hath this expression concerning Antichrist The Pope their head He is the Sheppard and the Kings and Princes are Dogs and if Dogs will do their duty they must be at their Masters command but if they will be lazey and bite and not do as they ought the sheppard must remove them And for their Estates It s a woful estate that Countries are in in regard of their estates I read a speech of Bonner in a preface to the Treatise of Gardener that the Pope had neere as much out of England yeerly as the Revenues of the Crown came to And it was the speech of Innocent the fourth Pope of that name England was his pleasant Garden and a wel that never was drawn dry and in England many things grew abounded and many things were to be had from it So that the estates of men are in great bondage where Antichrist prevails as also the lives and liberties of men 2. But especially the thing which I will a little stick in is the soul bondage thus we have it in Rve. 18.13 The Merchandise was slaves and souls of men So that men that are under Antichrist are slaves and if there were but a true Heroicall spirit in men they would not suffer themselves to be under that slavery though they seem to be the bravest spirits yet being under Antichrist they are slaves And the souls of men are his Merchandise the souls of men are under bondage First This is a base subjection and slavery of the souls of men under Antichrist in that he takes upon him to make Articles of Faith that they are bound in conscience upon paine of Damnation to beleive whatsoever he shal say in his Chaire is infallible what a base bondage is this When as we know what most Abominable Sodomitical Horrible Monsters have been in that Chaire and yet they shall be bound upon paine of damnation to beleeve whatsoever they say is infallible Secondly Whatsoever his decrees are though having no footing in the word they are bound in conscience to obey upon paine of damnation So that if it were possible to obey all Gods Commandements they may be damned for want of obedience to some one of Antichrists comands which must needs be a miserable bondage for any man to make a new command that is not under the command of God and to make damnation to be the punishment of disobedience to it then men are in danger of Damnation a hundred of waies more then for sinning against Gods Law Thirdly Those that are under Antichrist are under great bondage in being kept from the rule of life from the Scriptures Wherein the counsels of Gods will concerning their Eternal Estate are revealed Those that are slaves are kept in dangers and cannot have the priviledges of subjects or of Children So Antichrist keeps all under him in the most base slavery in depriving of them from this priviledg of Children that they cannot know the mind of their Fathers and the great things of God that concerns their Eternal Estate what man that knows any thing of those great things concerning his Eternal Estate would be under that slavery And yet if so be we had continued under the bondage of Antichrist we must have been deprived of this Fourthly If they hear any thing of the word they are bound to take no other interpretation but the Churches the Preists give them though it be never so gross now to bind mens Consciencs to this is a most abinable Bondage And yet what vile Interpretations If it is Blasphemy for the Devil to say he will ascend and be like the highest no less to make God descend to be like the Prince of darkness to set the Kings stamp upon false coyne Now to bind mens consciences to their wicked interpretations of Scripture this is a most abominable bondage 5. This is a great bondage that no Ordinance can be administred but by the power of Antichrist and those he shall give power unto and this is a great bondage to the Church to be stinted in Gods Ordinances They are the Churches priviledges especially that of Prayer the spirit of Prayer and Supplication is one of the especial Priviledges of the Church Gal. 4.6 Because you are sons God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father There he speakes of the liberty of Gods people as they are sons they have the fruit of their son-ship Now when as God doth give his spirit to his Church as part of their liberty for them to be restrained in their liberty to pray just no more then the Pope shal appoint and so to have no Ordinances but according to his power what abominable bondage is this and what heart that knows any true Christian liberty would be in such a bondage 6. He takes upon him power of absolving and binding keeping men under the guilt of sin and loosing of them from it when he pleases from this power over mens consciences is commited all manner of villanie 7. Another Bondage which is greater then all is that he keeps men under the rigor and curse of the Law by keeping men off from Christ and teaching the doctrin of justification to be by the works of the Law he keeps
Considerable and useful Directions in this matter Page 187 Chap. 26. Containing the second Allegoricall sence of the words viz. Concerning Antichrist The wickedness of Sodom and Egypt compared with the wickedness of Antichrist 1. Idolatry 2. Cruelty The bondage of Christians under Antichrist 1. Outward in Estates and lives 2. Inward a Soul bondage The baseness of this shewed in several particulars concerning Ceremonies worse then Egyptian bondage Faith must deliver us Deliverance difficult in several particulars The work of Faith in delivering people from this bondage in 6. or 7. Considerations Quest Whether men may not reject the yoke of Antichrist upon other grounds besides Faith Ans In 10. Particulars Page 199 THE EXCELLENCY OF HOLY COURAGE IN EVIL TIMES Hebrews 11.27 By faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible CHAP. I. The words Opened Six Doctrines raised HAVING finished Moses his Choyce namely what he did choose the excellency of his spirit in making such a choice and the principle of faith that enabled him thereunto from this Chapter vers 25.26 I now proceed to speak of another excellent fruit of the faith of this Worthy of the Lord as it is set forth in vers 27. and here we are to observe two things 1. The act of his Faith 2. The Argument by which it was strengthened to act First In the act we are to observe two things 1. That notable work of his going from Egypt notwithstanding the wrath of the King 2. His constancy he endured in all that he did Secondly The argument by which his faith was strengthened was that sight he had of the Invisible God The opening of the words with the several Doctrines in the Text. By faith he forsook Egypt By this forsaking of Egypt the faith of Moses was much set out for him to undertake such a work as that was to carry so many thousands out of Egypt into a wilderness not knowing what might become of them they being unable to resist their enemies and not knowing what provision they should have this was very much Not fearing the wrath of the King He could not but think he was in danger of Pharaoh and his company to bee pursued by them for howsoever Pharaoh seemed willing at last to give them leave to be gone yet such was the disposition of Pharaoh which Moses was not ignorant of that he might quickly change his mind and follow them with all his power to cut them off as it appeares he did Yet Moses feared no such matter but he went on his way for he endured as seeing him who is invisible Object But it seems Moses did forsake Egypt for fear of the wrath of the King Answ It is true Time was that in forsaking Egypt he did fear the wrath of the King in Exod. 2.14 it is said Moses seeing two Hebrews smiting one another he said to him that did the wrong Why smitest thou thy fellow And he said Who made thee a Prince and a Judge over us Intendest thou to kil me as thou didst the Egyptian And then Moses feared and upon that he fled And if we understand the Text of this his first forsaking Egypt we may thus reconcile the Apostle with that place First he fled not fearing so much the King as that he should offend God if he offered himself to the danger and did not make an escape he should have tempted God by presuming Thus Osiander Or thus He fled not for fear in respect of himself but least his calling should be hindred if he staied So Simler But these words are rather to be understood of his second forsaking of Egypt The first time he forsook Egypt out of fear but the second time he forsook Egypt out of Faith and he did not fear after he had slain the Egyptian he was afaid but when he came to take al the People of Israel with him then he forsook Egypt and did not fear the wrath of the King From whence we have these Observations Doct. 1. First That wicked men especially when they have power are very fierce and outragious in their wrath when any thing crosseth them Certainly Moses apprehended this wrath of Pharaoh great in that the Holy Ghost makes it a notable fruit of his Faith not to fear the wrath of the King It appeared his wrath was great in regard of the power he raised against them had it not been for Moses Faith he would have feared Doct. 2. Secondly Faith wil keep a gracious heart from immoderate fear of all the men in the world let them be never so great and have never so much power Doct. 3. Thirdly There is a great deal of difference between the spirits of Gods People at somtimes and other times There was a time when Moses was afraid now he goes on and is not afraid Doct. 4. Fourthly Faith wil carry a man through very hard services and difficult works that God cals him unto Doct 5. Fifthly That it is the honor of the People of God to endure in the waies of God notwithstanding all the hardships they meet withall Doct. 6. Sixthly The sight of an invisible God is a strong means to carry one on in the waies of God notwithstanding al oppositions and difficulties they meet withall These are the Doctrinal Conclusions we have in verse 27. CHAP. II. Handling the first Doctrine Doct. 1. That the wrath of wicked men especially when they have power usually is very fierce and outragious FOr the proof of this Point It must be acknowledged that somtimes God indeed restrains it but usually it is so There is in every one a great deal of distempered wrath that doth break forth and vent it self when occasion serves and when temptation comes in most vile and fearful effects and fruits A furious man saith the Holy Ghost in Prov. 29.22 aboundeth in transgression Those that have hearts distempered with Passion Anger and Wrath they are such as abound in transgressithere breaks most horrible things from them when they are in the heat of their passion and anger not caring almost what they say or do all the Commands of God are broken then We read of Moses when he came down from the Mount Exod. 32.19 and saw the people in their sin his anger was stirred and he broke both the Tables but there his anger was good for though both the Tables were broke yet not one Commandment was broke But usually our wrath and anger is not good and in our passion all the Commandments in both Tables are broke The Hebrew word that signifieth to transgress doth signifie Anger because it is seldom that any in their passion do not transgress It is the speech of one that if there were two principles of things as the Heathens are conceited there is one principle from whence comes all good and another principle from whence comes all evil then Anger should be the principle of all Evil and God the principle of all Good
so such a one comes no longer to live the life of care he doth not tremble any more And suitable to his expression so was his life speaking of Eudoxia the Empres saies he what wil she do wil shee bannish me the earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof Wil she cut me asunder so was Isaiah Wil she drown me John was cast into the Sea Will she stone me So was Steven Will she behead me so was Paul Will she take away my substance my heart is taken a way from that already It is reported of Illaria meeting with theeves say they are you not affraid no saith he I have nothing to loose but We will Kill thee saith he I am prepared to die And to a Heart seeing it hath nothing to loose and it is prepared to die it doth not fear it values no evil in the creature nor any good in it and therefore it is not affraid Now it is faith that glorious and mighty grace takes the heart off from all creature Evil and creature good and by this you may know the work of Faith in your Souls When you feel a principle within you taking you from the creature and lifting you aboue creature comforts and creature evils that is the glorious work of Faith And that is the Seventh thing Eightly Faith doth interest God in the cause of a Beleever Whatsoever cause a beleever doth undertake wherein he doth exercise faith his Faith doth interest God in it so that it hath not only the countenance command and faithfulness of God to help it but the Name of God and God himself As in England if a man hath a debt and knows not how to get it he will turne it over to the King and if he can interest the King in the debt He thinks that will be a way to help himself So here when a beleever is in a straight and he knows not what to do he looks this way and that way and sees nothing but fears and Terrours and knows not how to help himself yet if he can but turne over the cause to God and interest him in the cause he is quiet Ninthly Faith hath a notable work to help against fear in that it fils the heart with spirituall good and the true boldness that is in any heart comes from the fulness of spirituall good that is in their Souls As the Naturalists observe the reason why the Lyon hath that courage and boldness Is because he hath a heart compacted and filled with strong spirits Many things when they are empty are weake but when they are filled ful of that which is sutable to them it makes them strong So when a Soul hath a fulness of spiritual good in it it is very strong Look what is the reason of the boldness and courage and impudence of wicked men in their sin the contrary is the reason of the boldness and courage of Gods people in the way of God The speciall reason of the courage and boldness of the wicked in a way of evill is the fullness of wickedness that is in their souls And therefore in that fact of Ananias and Saphira Acts. 5.3 saith the Apostle Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie unto the holy Ghost If Satan had not filled your hearts you could not have been thus bold to have lied to the holy Ghost And so it is a notable passage we have in Esther 7.5 speaking concerning Haman saith the King Who is he and where is he that durst presume in his heart to do so In the Hebrew it is who hath filled his heart to do this who hath a heart so ful as to venture upon such an evill as this As the filling of the heart with evill makes it bold and couragious in that which is evill so the filling of the heart with spirituall good makes it forward in that which is good As it is observed concerning Steven after Steven was filled with the Holy Ghost how bold was he he could look upon the face of his persecuters with boldness in Acts 6.15 and the Councell looked upon him and saw his face as it had been the face of an Angel because his heart was filled with the Holy Ghost And so the Apostles were very feareful before the Holy Ghost came down upon them but when they were filled with the Holy Ghost they had no more feare And so Elisha how full of courage was he when the three Kings came to him saith he Had it not been for Jehosaphat I had not seen thy face What was the reason he had the Spirit of Elijah double upon him and therefore he was bold As there is a Plerophorie of evil that causeth boldness so there is a Plerophorie of good that filleth the heart with boldness and nothing doth so fil the heart as faith that fetcheth of the fulness of Christ and of his fulness we are full In the Tenth place Faith hath a great deale of power to cause boldness and take off the heart from the feare of Man because Faith doth acquaint a beleever with the waies of God towards his people and therefore he doth not fear A beleever comes to have skill in the passages of Gods Providence and his dealings towards his people and thereby he comes to know that it is Gods ordinary way to suffer the enemies of his people to rage against them and prevail against them and to have much power over them and yet they are his people And it is no argument that God hath forsaken them because of their affliction And therefore you know the Scripture speaks oftentimes of Gods leading his people through the Fire and the Water and that God will be with them there Isa 43.2 It is the way of God to choose his people and set his heart upon them in the Fiery Furnace when he intends the greatest good to his people He brings them through Fire and Water and setteth them in wealthy places Psal 66.12 And if one be acquainted with Gods way he doth not fear If a souldier be not acquainted with the way of his General when he seeth him undertake great things and brings them into danger he is affraid but one that is acquainted with the way of his General how he will lay his stratagems and knows that it is his way to go through such dangers he is not affraid And so it is true carnal Hearts assoon as they see any danger they are affraid because they have not the skil to understand the mind and will of God in his way towards his people when as the people of God know that it is the ordinary way of God to work good out of Evil. As Luther saies He doth kill that he may quicken and cast down that he may raise up And the like and so he goes on in three or four lines together but saith he For to know this this is the art of arts and the Knowledg of Knowledges very few do know and understand this way
shall never goe on in quiet before them and they are ready to put us out of our way And thus we see wherein the power of Faith lyeth to help against fear There are two things yet behind for the explication of the point To shew the difference between that boldness of spirit and audaciousness that men have that have no Faith and that Fearelesness that comes by Faith As also to shew how farr we may lawfully avoid danger without feare of men CHAP. 9. How Audatiousness and boldness of spirit differ from Faith 1. Audatiousness make us bold to sin 2 It appeares in Causes that concerns our selves then those which concern God 3. Boldness the curing of one pasion with another Faith the curing of passion by Grace 4. Natural boldness makes men rash and henders consultation 5. The cause of immodisty 6. It is suden and violent 7. It proseeds and lives upon outward encouragements 8. The ishew of ignorance 9. Or despair 10. More Outward then Inward FAITH helps against feare but it must be granted that men may be much helped against feare by a meer audaciousness of spirit Quest But how shall we know the difference Answ Audaciousness of Spirit though when it proves to be in Gods cause it seems to be faith yet there are many differences First Where it is Audaciousness of spirit when occasion serves they wil be bold in Sin against God as well as bold in that which is good for God but now where faith is though it doth make the soul to be bold and fearless for God in the way of God yet there are none so affraid of sin they tremble at the appearance or occasion of sin many that are mightily bold in sin are mightily affraid when they are in danger others that are fearless in the way of God thay have no boldness in the way of sin Wicked men that have had the basest spirits of all have been bold in sin As Manasseh how audacious was he in sin and when he came into danger how feared he It is said he was found among the thorns 2 Cor. 33.11 And so Ahaz what a bold spirit had he in sin when he came into danger what a base spirit had he he was affraid and shook like an aspine leafe And so it is reported of Caligula in Isa 7.2 That was a bold wretch in sin yet when he heard it thunder he would run into a bench hole And some may go so far as not only to be bold in sin but to be bold in some danger too and it may fal out to be in the cause of God but know if there be any boldness in sin and if you do not fear every sin al your boldness and fearlesness in any thing else never comes from faith Secondly Where there is natural audaciousness then men are especially bold in causes that concern themselves more than in causes that concerne God When any business concerns themselves in which they are opposed they care not for any one that have more power then them selves but they are not so in the cause of God but others that are truly gracious that are feareless from their faith they are very yeildable and shamefaced in their own cause in things that concern themselves but in â—hings that concern God there doth appear another spirit they have a new spirit Thirdly Where the boldness is meerly natural there is a curing of one passion with another but the boldness that comes from faith is the curing of passion with the contrary grace As thus where the boldness comes from natural audaciousness there is the curing of the passion of fear with the passion of wrath and anger they are never fearless and bold but when their passion of anger is stirred up where faith cures the passion of fear it cures it not by stirring up another passion but by Sanctifying of this and bringing in the true fear of God into the soul it doth not put out one evil with another but puts out an evil with a stream of the contrary good Fourthly Where men are naturally audacious and bold usually their boldness hinders their consultation they have not command over their spirits they are carried on rashly and headily in their boldness therefore in Isa 35.4 The word that is translated feareful it signifies a rash heart it is the same word you have in Isa 32.4 The heart of the rash shal understand knowledg to shew that fearfulness doth cause rashness where it is immoderate but where feare is moderate and guided right it makes men to have power to consult of things and advise of things and examine of things but your bold impudent people care not nor consider not what they say but where fear is rightly ordered by saith the heart is able to consider and advise best Fifthly Again Audaciousness when it is natural makes men to forget the distance that is between one man and another makes them immodest care not what they say to superiors that are above them but when men are feareless by faith though they wil not be hindred in their way by feare of them yet they know how to give due respect to them that are in Superior place which a natural Audacious spirit doth not Sixthly Again Natural Audaciousness is sudden and violent but a man that is feareless by faith doth not presently get up to this boldness of spirit but it comes by degrees and several steps first more fearful and then less and so by degrees he gets power over that spirit of his which before he found feareful but the other is violently up and doth not come by degrees Seaventhly Natural Boldness it is according to outward encouragements but the fearlesness that is from faith is by the breathings of Gods spirit upon his heart according to the several breathings of Gods spirit upon their hearts so they are more or less feareful the other boldness being natural it works always alike if they have but the same outward encouragements but Gods people though they have the same outward encouragements yet they are more fearless at some times then at other times because they have not the Spirit of God breathing upon them alwaies alike Eightly Natural boldness comes from ignorance and insensibleness because people do not know or are not sensible of the danger they are in but faith discovers the danger and makes men sensible of the danger and then it helps it is nothing to be bold when one is not sensible and doth not understand the danger but a gracious heart conceives aright of the danger and is sensible of it and then faith lifts above sence and above reason Ninthly Men that are naturally bold it is through desperateness because they have nothing to loose and care not what become of themselves but by faith men are not fearless because they are desperate but they see help in God and in Christ and his mercy the more they hope the less they fear but the other are desperate and
when he saw others sought to make him affraid because it would have been a dishonor to God and his cause Fifthly Besides sinful fear is that which doth mightily hearten the enemies of Gods people and dishear tens Gods people it makes the enemies of Gods people so much the more bold the fear of anenemy heartens an Enemy as Gideon when he came to the Host of his enemies and heard their communication that they were affraid of Gideon then he was so much the more heartned and so the spies that went to the land of Canaan when they heard that the fear of them was amongst the people this heartened them and so when one knows his adversary is affraid of him he will be heartned a dog will follow another that runs from him And this discourages the people of God when they see others afraid in the cause of God Sixthly It is a great evil because it is that which is threatned as a great judgment of God upon a people it is not only a sin but a punishment for some former sin in Deut. 28.65.66 This is Gods judgment against wickedness and therefore a sore and great evil that Christians should count to be upon them if the spirit of fear be upon them Seventhly The evil of it appears in the evil effects that proceed of it upon ourselves as 1. The distraction of our thoughts and therefore the word that is translated Rash in Isa 32.4 It signifies Fear because it doth distract the thoughts of people and makes them do they know not what It is reported as an excellency that was in Alexander and Caesar and other valorous spirits that they were in the time of danger able to command their thoughts and to consult and mannage any business for usually fear distracts ones thoughts 2. Again it weakens the heart exceedingly though a sudden fear may cause some strength and the putting forth of the spirit yet usually it doth weaken the spirit In 1 Cor. 2.3 Weaknes and Fear go together in Deut. 20.3 Fainting of spirit and Fear go together 3. Fear of man is that which doth exceedingly eate out the true fear of God as love of the creature eats out the love of God and joy in sinful things eates out the true joy in God So fear of the creature eates out the fear of God In Isa 57.11 Of whom hast thou been affraid or feared that thou hast lyed and hast not remembred me as if God should say my fear and the fear of the creature cannot stand together 4. Sinful fear makes one altogether unfit for any service to be used in any employment for God in Judg 7.3 God gives a command to the people by whom he would do great things that all that were of a fearful heart should return back again as If God should say they are not fit for me 5. The fear of man is a great snare 29. Prov. 25. It brings a man to many sinful courses and shifting ways and to commit sin against God in Isa 57.11 Of whom hast thou been afraid or feared that thou hast lyed many servants when they have done any thing that they are affraid of the displeasure of their Masters or Mistresses they are afraid and lie and so in other cases when as people are possessed with the fear of man they wil take any sinful courses and lie to avoid danger you know what the Psalmist says in Psalm 19. The fear of the Lord is clean but the fear of man is very impure the fear of God purgeth the heart but the fear of man defileth the heart and exceedingly polluteth it I was affraid says Saul of the people and I obeyed their voice In 1. Sam. 15.24 And so many in Scripture were convinced that it was Christ but they were affraid and did not confess him in John 12.42 6. The fear of the creature hath abundance of evil in it in that it brings most desperate fears if you give way to the fear of any creature to fear any danger and so to avoid it in a sinful way you bring your selves by this means to most desperate fears As it was the desperate condition of Francis Spira when he was affraid of those that had power over him and so denyed Christ against his conscience Oh the dreadful horrors of conscience that he was sunke into and so it is usual for men that wil balke the waies of God against conscience when their consciences are enlightned their hearts are Burdened with such fears as they cannot stand under them other manner of fears then the fear of man in Jer 1.17 God says unto Jeremiah be not dismayed at their faces least I confound thee before them it is the same word that is translated before dismayed do not fear least I fear thee be not dismayed least I dismay thee and to reconcile both translations the meaning may be do not fear least I so fear thee as to confound thee with fear so that you see this note is clear By fearing the creature fearing danger we come to plunge our selves into the most desperate fears of al And let this be a warning from God to us all be not dismayed and affraid in any way of God least God fear you in another manner take heed you be not terrifyed least God terrifie you many dreadful examples we have how many upon their sick beds and death beds have had dreadful fears that they have done things against conscience out of fear 7. And the last evil that wil come upon us in sinful fear is the judgment of God in our destruction in Revela 21.8 Amongst those that shal be cast out into the lake of fire and brimstone are the feareful and therefore we had need take heed of sinful fear and make God to be our only fear But now that we may conclude this argument in a word of Exhortation as sinful fear is a most dreadful evil so the trrue fear of God is a most precious Jewel in Isa 33.6 The fear of the Lord is called the treasure of Gods people sinful feare hath a treasure of evil and therefore to be avoided Oh then let us take heed of sinful fear of the creature as the Lord by the prophet Isa 55.4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart be not affraid do not plead and say I am of a fearful nature says God say to them that are of a fearful heart be not affraid so say I to you that are the people of God in the way of God though you be by nature fearful you that are of a fearful nature be not affraid whatsoever your natures have been yet if your hearts have been brought under the power of the Gospel now there is a spirit of magnanimity put into you Give me says Lactantius speaking of the power of Christian religion upon the hearts of men a man fearful of pain of death if once Christian Religion prevails in his heart he shal presently contemn crucifying fyre yea that cruel
any thing so we fear the contrary let us but mortify our love to the creature and we shal mortify the fear of the creature 2. Let us get and keep our interest in God and that wil keep us from the fear of the creature 3. Let us labor to see clearly that the cause we are in is Gods Cause 4. Look to the call of that cause though the cause be good if we have not as all to that cause we cannot be helpt against Fear 5. Labor to bring your Hearts to count it Honor and Riches and pleasure enough to be employed in Gods service any way whatsoever comes of it if I should endure such and such troubles in it yet the wil of God be done God cals for my estate and liberty and comfort to be employed this way and that is enough that any thing I have may be employed in Gods way and if it be lost in Gods service it is well lost if the Heart be brought to this disposition it wil not fear the loss of any thing 6. Keep the conscience upright in Gods way Job 11.14.15 If iniquity be in thy hand put it far from thee and let not wickedness dwel in thy tabernacle for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot yea thou shalt be steadfast and not fear When the Heart begins to decline in the least degree then it is filled with Fear 7. Keep a close and ful and comfortable communion one with another let there be no fear with one another as that is a notable place 1 Cor. 16.10 Concerning the care of Saint Paul over Timothy because he was young and so weak That he might be with the Church without fears As a means to help Timothy in his way against whatsoever troubles he met abroad so whatsoever dangers there be abroad in the world you will find this a notable means to strengthen your hearts to be without fear of all the world to keep close one with another 8. If you will needs fear fear prosperity rather then trouble and indeed there is more cause to fear our ease and our prosperity then to fear any trouble in the world there is more cause to fear the favors of men then their threatnings there is more cause to fear the world when it comes like a Fox then when it comes like a Lyon the joys of this present world are to be feared by a Christian now Christians fear altogether present adversity but you should labor to fear prosperity 9. Lastly consider how little good fear of any creature will do it will never a whit free you from the evil you fear But rather bring it sooner as when Peter was affraid of the waves and affraid of sinking did it help him No it rather brought the waves upon him and so in trouble your fear cannot help you and deliver you but bring trouble sooner upon you And therefore that is an observable note the difference between John and the other disciples when Christ was apprehended all the disciples fled except John and John stood when he was in the Priests Hall and when he was upon the Cross he said to him behold thy Mother so that he was not affraid of his life now their was not one of all the Disciples that fled for there lives but dyed violent Deaths and their lives were taken away and John that did not flee lived fourscore years after Christ and continued in his ministry So that you see God many times will preserve such as are least affraid and let such as are affraid fal into the trouble that they are affraid of at that time they are affraid or afterwards And thus we have finished the second Doctrinal conclusion from these words that faith cures sinful Fear CHAP. 14 Another Doctrine Much difference between Gods peoples spirits at several times Illustrated by examples Reasons 1. From the different dispositions their hearts are in to receive truths Which proceeds from Three Causes First the abatement of the strength that is opposite to that truth Secondly The stirrings or activity of those habits which are sutable to truth Thirdly The prevalences of self-Interest Reas 2. From the different representations of Truth Reas 3. Because the Graces of men do not burn so cleerly and purely at al times Reas 4. From the weakness of Grace the parts and members of it are not consolidated Reas 5. Because our hearts are somtimes filled with more heavenly consolations then at other times Reas 6. From the different breathings of the spirit of God Reas 7. Because men have somtimes a more clear and distinct sight of their call to suffer then at other times 3. Particular directions in this Case Reas 8. The different tempers of mans Body Reas 9. From the difference in the encouraging occurrency of Gods providence WEE come now to the next Doctrinal conclusion which was raised from hence there was a time when Moses was affraid he did forsake Egypt out of fear now Moses by faith did forsake Egypt and was not affraid The Point is Doct. There is a great deal of difference between the Spirits of Gods people at some time from that they are at other times Now Moses seems to have further courage and strength then formerly we have many examples in scripture and dayly experience of this that there is a wonderful difference between the spirits of Gods people at sometimes and at other times As Elijah was a man of mighty courage that could look Ahab on the face and when Ahab said art thou he that troublest Israel nay saith he it is thou and thy Fathers house at another time he fled from Jezebel and God said to him what dost thou here Elijah art thou fleeing from a woman that but the other day hadst such a courage And so David there was a time when David was affraid and behaved himself with much folly in his fear as in the change of his behavior before the King of Gath at another time as in Psalm 23. He would not fear what man could do unto him though he walked in the vally of the shadow of Death And so in many Psalms you have his heart mightily dejected in the beginning of the Psalm and before he had done mightily raised And so Abraham sometime he had mighty strength and confidence of his Faith at other times his faith failed him and he was fain to equivocate and shift for himself And so Jeremiah God said he would make him as a Brazen wal and he would give him a spirit of courage at another time Jeremiah was mightily dejected because of the reproach he met withal and he would speak no more in the name of God unto the people And so Peter there was a time when he was affraid of a poor damsel at other times who so bold as Peter as in Acts 2.14 And so Joseph of Arimathea he was a disciple of Christ but secretly for fear of the Jews but afterward he came boldly and begged the body of Christ at
it prevailes mightily because the heart is ingaged in God and his truth and indeed if so be we did understand aright we should see more of our own good to consist in God then in our selves and this is the ground and principle of self denial when as the soule shall come to see my good is more in God then in my selfe and therefore I will deny my good and comfort so far as it is in my selfe and I will seeke my good and comfort in God and indeed no men in the world seek themselves more then the Godly only the one seeks himself in himself and the other seeks himself in God the one is engaged to his self-ends and self-praise and the other makes himself only ingaged in God and when a man comes to be thus engaged in God then any truth prevails with a mighty strength more then before And this is the first reason which is a principal one that causeth the heart to be at a different condition at one time from that it is at another Reason 2. The second Reason is in regard of the differences of their presentations of a truth though when we are indisposed let the truths come never so powerfully it is all one but if the heart be fit in any reasonable manner to receive a truth there may be a great deal of difference in the manner of the representation of a truth somtimes the truth comes more cleerly and with more evidences more particularly more powerfully Somtimes it comes with greater evidence of the spirit of God then at other times there is not only a little gloss of a truth of God but the shine of it that a man cannot shut his eyes against it somtime the truth comes more particularly to the heart God doth not only present a truth in the general to him that this is a duty Christians must do but it shal come to the particular frame of the heart and shal meet with every objection and he shall find the secrets of his thoughts to be discovered and answered so that the truth shal come like a key that is fitted to a lock if you bring a key to the lock though it may be like the right key and as strong a key as the right is yet if it be not indeed the right if it miss but in one ward of the lock never so little you may spoil both the lock and the key but you cannot open the lock though you have never so much strength but come with a key suted to that lock and do but turn it and it opens presently So when it pleaseth God to come with his truth to our souls we were backward and we heard many truths but they did not meet with all our objections and therefore it was stopped with some one or other but afterward it pleased God so to dispose of things and to bring the truth so fully to the heart as it meets with every objection and then the heart quietly yeilds and therefore it is said God opened Lydias heart Paul preached to others and had much wringing with them and could not prevail but Saint Paul came to Lydia and he prevailed presently because God did so dispose of Lydias heart as it was fitted to the truth Saint Paul spoke of as many when they come to hear the word cannot but say the truth of God hath met with me in every particular and I have no secret object on in my heart but it is answered somtimes the truth comes more powerfully then at other times as in Isaiah 8.11 For the Lord spake thus to me with a Strong hand instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people God did not only tell the prophet his duty but he spake with a strong hand so when God comes sometimes he tels you what you ought to do but he doth not alwaies come with a strong hand as sometimes he doth Job 36.10 He openeth also their Eares to discipline and commandeth that they returne from iniquity does not God command men at al times to returne from their iniquities doth not god command men in prosperity to return from their Iniquities yes but in the time of affliction ordinarily the truth comes with more commanding power then he sealeth instruction as in Job 33.16 when people came to hear the word they heard instructions to do such and such duties but those instructions did not come with command they were not sealed but in affliction God seals them if a man see a writing and see the hands of others to it it is somthing to perswade him to see others are of that opinion but when he sees the broad Seal to it then it comes with authority and so when men come and hear the word of God they think it is but our opinion and cast it off but in affliction those truths come with authority and have the seal of Heaven upon them and then they prevail you have other manner of thoughts of them then before that which Saint Paul spoke it was in power to the hearts of the people and they could not resist the spirit wherewith Stephen spake because he was ful of faith and power So sometimes God speaks with so much power as they cannot stand out we may see the different spirits of men by the different representation of a truth in our selves or in others somtime when God pleaseth to convince us and work upon us we admire it our selves did we not hear these things before what was it that kept me from being convinced I never was stirred before and now methinks there is such mighty power in them as I cannot stand against them what was the matter and so in others let there be two men that shal go upon the same principles and their ends shal be the same and both their hearts shal be upright and yet they cannot yeild to the same thing because the same thing is presented to the one one way and he sees it cleerly and the same thing is presented to another another way and he cannot see it And therefore it should teach us to have patience when we have to deal with such as do not see a thing clear As when we come to a lock that we have not the right key and we try and it wil not open we do not presently throw it away but we think it may be there is some dust in it we pick that out and try again if it do not open then we think may be we did not put in the key right too far or not far enough and if it do not open then we think may be we did not turn the right way we try again if it do not open then we think we did not turn strong enough we try again if it do not open then we think may be we have not the right key if I choose another key that would open it Then we try again if it do not open it we are loath to loose
keep me from temptation now do not cast me down now God hath promised In 1 Cor. 10.13 He wil not suffer his people to be tempted above their strength Somtime the Godly can say my heart is fixed speak Lord here I am to do thy will some times Gods people are able to endure any danger and then God brings his people to the tryal As the disciples after the holy ghost came upon them then they were called to suffer they never were put to such tryals before and when God grants mercy to his people this way it is a mercy indeed CHAP. 16. Another Vse to teach us not to be discouraged at this different temper of our Spirits but to be humbled for it Five Helps against discouraging thoughts Two objections USE 2. THe second use of this point is this If there be such a difference between the hearts of Gods people at some time from that they are at others hence is an incouragement to the servants of God to teach them though they do not feel their hearts always in the same temper and to have the same spirit to do good not to be discouraged it is true we should be humbled for want of having our hearts up at any time but be not discouraged because it is no other but what befals the most dear servants of God and though you do not find your hearts up always as at some time do not therefore conclude there is now no good at al in me for Gods people are ready and prepared for every good work and my heart is thus dul and heavy and dead and it wil never be otherwise with me I am afraid whensoever I shal be called to the service of God my heart wil be thus and I shal forsake God and betray the cause of God Do not reason thus to discourage your selves take heed of those determining thoughts to determine that your hearts wil be always so because they are so for the present there is a great deale of difference between the spirits of Gods people at some times and at other times and therefore there may be so in you For your help against these discouraging thoughts First Consider that you have union with a principle that is ful of al Grace though you do not feel the influence of it at all times alike you have union with a principle so ful that you have no cause to determine against your selves Secondly Know you have promises that are ful of Grace for the encouraging of Gods servants Promises that there may be drawn abundance of good from and therefore you cannot determine that it shall not be otherwise with you Thirdly know the glory of God is as deare and precious to him as your own souls are to you and therefore if so be the cause the honor of God depend upon it know God wil take care for his own honor you are afraid you should betray the cause of God because you find your hearts so down now and perhaps if they were so down then when God calls you to stand for his cause it might be so but what is it that troubles you you are afraid to bring guilt and misery upon your selves and dishonor God but know the glory of God is precious to him and being it is engaged in you that you should dishonor him being one of his he wil take care of you Fourthly Consider how God hath come in graciously to supply his people in the time of need he hath filled their spirits in the time of straights when he hath called them to any hard work and they have done that which they thought they should never have done as it is with wicked men you see some so vile and wicked as you could never have thought they should have been so the Godly though somâ—imes their hearts are down yet at other times they have such assistance and enlargement and fulness of the spirit as one would never have thought they should have had Fifthly God hath made a mighty difference in your estates from that they were before and therefore why should you not hope that God will make a difference between that we are now and that we may be hereafter If God have wrought the least degree of saving grace in you he hath made more difference between you and one that is in his natural condition than there is between you and the gloryfied Saints as I have noted before and if God have made such a great difference why should you disturbe your selves to think it wil never be other then it is now Sixthly nay I appeal to you have you never found your hearts up for God was there never a time that there was quickning and enlarging of your hearts for God that you have felt some comfortable fitness for service or suffering Object I cannot but say it hath been so with me but it is gone and down again there are none but have some flashings and stirrings and some good moods and mine may be no more for all I know grace is a constant thing and the heart is established with it and therefore though I feel my heart a little up sometimes yet they are but such flashings as any may have that have no grace Answ To that I answer There are some works of Grace that are steady and constant that do more immediately flow from the principles and being of Grace and there are other works of Grace that are more remote that are not so steady and constant 1. There are some that are steady and constant as these two things take Gods people and consider of them in any condition if they know but their own hearts they will find these two things First An approving of the life and power and the strictness of the waies of Godliness Secondly they wil find a savor of that which is spiritual either in Ordinances or in Gods People their hearts will savor them though their hearts be very much down yet these two things they find constant 2. But for the abilities to perform duties for abilities in service or suffering they do not lie so next the root of Grace they are but as the Leaves or the blossoms or the fruit now though the sap be constant at the root yet the blossoms leaves and fruit are not Object But you wil say Being there may be good moods in men take the worst of all though their hearts be naught sometime yet their hearts are up at other times and may not you instead of encouraging Gods Servants encourage the wicked they may think we hear there is a difference between Gods People they are not alwaies alike so it is with me somtimes I am distempered but at other times thanks be to God it is better with me and so instead of taking away discouragements from those that are weak there may be encouragement to the wicked and therefore where lies the difference between the good moods that some have that have no true Grace and the difference of
humiliation and much seeking of God surely that should be the matter of our praises 3. This is a gracious visitation of God God comes in with this and here is the presence of God and therfore there is much cause of praise 4. It is an argument that God hath some especial service for you to do now those that are godly count this a great mercy for God to have any employment for them now that they have received an evidence to their souls that God intend to imploy them this is a great mercy Secondly Learn to check your Unbelief when your hearts were down you were ready to say it would never be otherwise now check your hearts and bring your hearts to this conclusion I will never think it in vain to seek God though I do not find him come in presently and I will learn though I may judg my self worthy that God should leave me yet I will never determine that God will not come in because I see Gods waies are not as my waies and Gods thoughts are not as my thoughts Oh take heed of judging the waies and thoughts of God according to your waies and thoughts Thirdly Is God come in and do you find that you have a spirit of courage and boldness more than before now you find God sweetly breathing upon you to put life into that dead and to raise that heavy heart of yours do you find God sweetly and comfortably enlivening your souls and putting the spirit of confidence in that unbeleeving heart of yours Labor to keep your hearts thus There is a great deal of difficulty when a thing is fallen down to get it up but when a thing is up if one be careful it is not difficult to keep it up It is a notable expression that David had when he found the hearts of the people got up in their willing Offering 1 Chron. 29.18 O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and of Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the hearts of thy people and prepare their hearts unto thee So let it be thy prayer and it is my prayer for thee Is thy heart up more than before Pray O God of Abraham Isaac and Israel keep this in the thoughts of the heart of this man or woman for ever be careful now to keep your hearts up so when you are well or otherwise if you should lose this through this negligence 1 It wil make you cal into question the truth of these gracious breathings yea you wil think it was but a meer flash such as Hypocrites may have yea not cal this into question only but to cal the truth of al into question this is that which makes men take the foundation of al because their hearts somtimes are raised and they through their negligence let them fall and lose that spiritual life and courage once they had and so bring abundance of sadness upon their hearts now as you would have an evidence of the truth of Gods work upon you and the truth of grace labor to keep up your hearts 2 Labor to keep up your hearts otherwise if they fal off again the waies of God wil come to be very tedious to you As a man that walks unevenly in regard of the unevenness of his leggs or the unevenness of the way he is quickly tired and so if a Christians way be up and down and there be not an evenness in his way he is quickly discouraged and a main means to help one to go on with freedom and courage in Gods waies is to go on in an even course 3 If so be you lose this you lose the beauty of your profession the beauty of the waies of Godliness consists much in the constancy and if your way be up and down there is no beauty in your conversation it takes away the convincing power of your way and conversation if others saw your hearts up and saw a constant evenness in your way this would mightily convince them that it is a work of Gods Spirit upon your hearts but somtimes your hearts are up and down again somtime you are patient and meek at other times you are passionate and fretting this doth not convince them that it is the work of Gods Spirit but only the stirring of a natural spirit 4 By this means you wil cause God to walk differently with you if you keep not up your hearts when God hath raised them though God be in a way of mercy you wil cause him to walk in a way of displeasure against you 5 Again When your hearts are up that is the thing that the Devil doth most watch to give you a trip in As when Daniel walked so strictly in al the matters of the Kingdom as they could find no fault in him they accused him in the matter of his God of his Religion so saies the Devil if I should tempt him to such and such sins I cannot prevail but there is such a way I may prevail and the Devil doth labor there most to trip you As he did with Christ in another case when you are on the top of the pinacle then he labors to throw you down It is true it is the work of God that hath brought you up to the pinacle but there the Devil doth labor to throw you down Quest You wil say How shall we come to keep up our hearts whenas our hearts are in a better frame than at some other times Answ First When your hearts are up labor to make use of that grace that raised your hearts improve it so as to make your hearts more holy and more upright A Tree if it sprout upward only and do not run down in the root proportionably it wil wither and die and so if grace do work only upward in abilities and performances of duties and joy and such things and do not proportionably work downward in the root it is like it will come to little and you will soon lose all Secondly Work that grace you find in your inward as wel as outward man Do not think it enough that you have stirrings of Grace to enable you to do duties but improve this grace for the working out of corruption consider the corruptions of your heart and now take the advantage to work them out Thirdly be sure you take nothing that is Gods due at this time that is if God have raised your hearts though the peace and joy of it be yours the Glory of it is Gods do not be fingering of that take heed of lifting up of your hearts in a way of pride it is enough your heart is lifted up in a way of grace and you must be content with that but many when God gives them a lift in a way of Grace they cannot be content with their part the peace and the joy but they lift up themselves in a way of pride and would have some of Gods part of the Glory and that spoils all Fourthly When you
are in the best condition prepare for the greatest suffering to lie down at Gods feet and this will keep the heart in a sweet frame many when they have got their hearts up for service they never think of suffering now they are in a safe condition and free from trouble and they bless themselves and when trouble falls upon them unexpectedly their hearts sinke and they think God is come against them in displeasure and if that raysing of spirit had been true God would have kept me from suffering such and such hard things thou art deceived in that a gracious heart that is wise when he is most enabled to do service he wil prepare for suffering Fifthly Take heed of depending upon the old stock do not rest on grace received but keep thy heart sensible of a need of a supply of grace many when they have been seeking of God and have in some measure got that they prayed for they think they have stock enough and they can trade prety well in the world but though we had a hundred times as much grace as we have and had not supply from Christ we should fail Sixthly Watch against the least declineing and account it a very great evil to decline and therefore be often calling of your selves to an account at such and such a time it was so with me how is it now is it now as it was then when people decline it is hard it is tedious to them to think of returning and therefore they decline and decline and loose all wherefore observe the beginning of your declinings and cal your selves to an account dayly that when you abate in the least degree you may reforme it Seventhly Do not content your selves with what you have but yet get higher and higher the heart must be in motion upward or downward therefore the way to get establishment is to be in a continual motion upwards as in 2 Pet. 3.17.18 Saies the Apostle beware least you also being led away by the eror of the wicked fall from your own stedfastness God hath brought you into a good temper take heed you do not fal from your steadfastness how shall we do grow in grace and in the knowledg of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ Labor to get higher Eightly Improve that you have well and that wil be the way to contrive that you have God justly takes it from you if you do not improve it It were a blessed thing if our hearts might be kept up constantly our lives would be comfortable to our selves and wonderfully comfortable to others we should cause the people of God to rejoyce in us otherwise it takes away the comfort that Gods people might have in us though we be up at sometimes there is a great deal of crosness at other times There is a notable expression for this of Saint Paul to the Philippians 1 Phil. 3.4 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you Sometime a Minister of God may thank God upon the remembrance of such and such workings upon the hearts of his people but never to think of them but to thank God this is a great matter Alwaies in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy Sometime a Minister can make his request with joy for his people but at other times it is with sorrow but people should labor so to walk as that a Minister may make request with joy for them And so we pass to the last thing Fourthly If God have raised your hearts improve it we have but a little time and we have not many opportunities and therefore we had not need lose any time then it is not often we have abilities to do for God and therefore when we have them we should improve them As a Scholler that hath a weak Body and is not alwaies fitted for study if he find himself fitted at any time he is loth to lose one hour of his study then So with a Merchant or Marriner that lay long for a wind when it does come he is greedy of that opportunity so we are fain to lie long for a wind we see our duty and are convinced of it but we want the breathings and assistance of Gods Spirit and wait for a wind if God do come in seasonably we had need improve it if we had improved al those times that were sit what abundance might we have got by this time When we are fit for outward imployment we may do more in one hour than we could have done in ten hours before at other times they do but bungle and trouble themselves and little good comes of it but when they are fit for work and the work goes off well what encouragement is it And so if we had taken all advantages that we found in our hearts since we came to the knowledg of Gods waies what abundance might we have done Indeed in comparison of that which God is worthy of though we had spent al our lives in his service it would have been but little but in comparison of that we have done it might have been abundance Quest But you wil say How shall we improve this time Answ First When God is come into you look back to former neglects in your running with God in the time of unfitness Many times you have said I am unfit for duty and therefore you have left it undone which you ought not to have done Now if God have put your hearts into a fitness labor to make up your former neglects in your running with God If a man decay in his Estate and break through negligence and he be set up again it is expected he should make up former neglects and so doth God expect of us Secondly Set upon those duties that you never could do before Thirdly Gather up al the experiences of God towards you at this time if you have had more manifestations of Gods presence with you than before treasure them up Fourthly When God doth grant unto you peace and joy make use of all the peace and comfort you have for the furtherance of the work of your grace and that is a mighty improvement of that which God doth give you do not only improve your grace but that which comes in Many that have comfort and peace rest in that as the fruit of al the good they do as their reward but they do not look at that as a means of further service Fiftly Improve this work of God upon your hearts by watching al opportunities let time now be precious unto you let there none be lost Sixtly Labor for that Christian skil to make up the graces of God every way according as God calls for the use of them There are divers uses of Gods graces somtime for life and comfort at other times for defence somtimes to draw in at other times to let out as Isa 2.4 They shall beat their swords into plow-shares and their spears into pruning books they should have peace and their
instruments should be of another fashion But in Joel 3.10 it is otherwise They shal beat their plow-shares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears So apply it to grace somtime grace is to bring life and nourishment to the soul at other times it is to bring in grace As Faith somtime it is to close with Christ and bring nourishment from him at other times Faith is to be a Shield Many Christians look upon the work of grace to bring life and strength to themselves but have not skil to make use of grace as a shield So Hope somtimes it is to prop the soul at other times it is to be a Helmet So we should labor to understand the use of graces according to the several imployments that God calls for somtime one way somtime another And this is the Third Use CHAP. 18. A fourth Vse To be restless till we get our selves into a good frame USE 4. A Fourth Use is this If it be so that Gods people are in such a different frame of spirit somtime they are afraid and their hearts are down at other times they have a spirit of courage and fitness for any service that God wil have them to do This should teach us when our hearts are down and not in that fitness we desire to be restless till we get our selves in a good frame Somtime the Godly have their hearts in a good frame and therefore it is possible to be had and we should never be in rest til we had got it Quest But how shall we get up our hearts when they are not in a frame fit for service Answ First Be sensible of the evil of an unserviceable heart so as to be humbled before God for the want of it and be more sensible of the evil of that than sensible of the evil of want of peace and comfort Many when they find their hearts down and not in that degree fit for service that they desire they are troubled for it but the reason is because their hearts being down there arise doubts of their condition and their peace is hindred and they cannot have comfort in it but they are not so much troubled because they are unserviceable and want hearts fitted for duty and that is the reason why their hearts are kept down Now this should be our care to be more sensible of the unserviceableness of our hearts than of the unpeaceableness of our hearts Secondly Observe which way the strength of your spirit is let out and labor to recal your hearts from that as thus If the strength of a mans spirit be not for God it is let out to somwhat else it is alwaies working some way or other if it be not let out to some one particular object it is scattered and divided into divers objects Now if your strength be not let out for God call your hearts to an account where is the strength of my heart which way runs it If it can be discerned which way the strength of your heart is let out whether to any creature or any lust that should be your care to get it off Thirdly When you come to present your selves before God in his Ordinances come with hearts panting after strength as when you come to the Word Prayer or Sacraments bethink your selves beforehand I come before the Lord that I may get this dull heart of mine quickned in such and such a particular I find my heart unserviceable in such a particular Now my heart presents it self before God and pants after God to be fitted for service in such a particular it is much may be done when we come to the presence of God panting for help from God in such particulars Fourthly Observe the beginnings of Gods coming into your hearts and acknowledg them and improve them and follow them many times God is coming into the heart and because God comes not in fully as much as they would at first they take no notice of the beginnings of the work of God to imbrace them and improve them There are a great many sparks have fallen upon your hearts if they had been gathered together they might have been a flame by this time but because God did not come in with a flame all together they did not regard that you said what can a spark do upon my heart if you had improved that little you might have had more by this time Fiftly Labor to recall all those soul quickning Truths that ever you have felt working upon your hearts there was a time my heart was more lively I can remember since God did come in with his truth and work mightily upon my heart labor to recal those truths and set them fresh before your hearts with as much power as possibly you can and keep your hearts in view of them continually and by meditation chafe them into your hearts though the flesh be benummed yet if it be rubbed and exercised there will come strength and so those soul quickning Truths that you have found before have quickned your hearts if you present them afresh before the heart and chafe them by meditation they wil get some strength and life into the heart Lastly Look into the present condition you are in and exercise the duties sutable to your present condition CHAP. 19 A Fifth Vse To see the misery of being alwaies unfit for service A Sixt Vse To teach us to long for Heaven USE 5. BUt now in the next place If Gods people find such a difference between themselves that at somtimes it is far otherwise with them than at other times Hence then what a miserable thing is it to be alwaies down and alwaies unfit for service This is a thing that does not usually befal the people of God though somtimes their hearts are down in comparison of other times yet to be alwaies down and unserviceable this do not use to be the condition of the Servants of God this is a sad miserable condition to be so as if you never felt the power of God upon your hearts never felt the Spirit of God breathing upon you never felt the grace of God stirring upon you you come and hear the Word and those Truths that are soul-quickning warming Truths that stir others and their hearts lie lumpish as a Log that lies in a flash of water seven yeers together and is never stirred by them Like unto a vessel in a House that is cast aside and lies moulding and rotting that is never imployed nor fitted for any service are these Vessels of Honor In 2 Tim. 2.21 the Scripture speaks of Vessels that are in a great house that are Vessels of honor and he describes them that they are purged and fitted for the masters use and prepared for every good work Now if a vessel lie alwaies moulding and rotting and never used this is for the fire and not for use So those hearts that are alwaies moulding and rotting and never fit for service they may fear they are
when he had done that did God secondly take off thy heart from all creature props creature confidences and dependances After that did God cast in a word and promise into thee and by his spirit mightily draw thy heart to close with it and fasten upon it did God draw out a work of Faith to close with this wisdom Faithfulness and power for the carrying of thee through when thou sawest no strength in thy self nor didst not know what should become of thee wert willing wholly to venture upon God to give up thy self unto him to be at his dispose were thy ends good and right in this work didst not thou find that there was a principle in thee carrying thee beyond thine own thoughts beyond any strength that thou couldest possibly conceive to be in thy self and that hath brought the work to an issue beyond they expectation surely there was faith in this and if there were faith in this consider what I have to say to thee First Know that this work is wonderfully acceptable to God God looks upon such works of nature as lovely as the young man that came to Christ Christ loved him in Mark 10.21 But if it be a work of faith God looks upon it and accepts it indeed says the scripture These obtained a good report by faith Heb. 11.39 They obtained a good report indeed not only before men but before God Secondly being a work of Faith thou mayest have abundance of peace and joy in it we never have gone through difficulty but it is pleasant to us if we have gone some voyage and have passed through difficulties through many storms and tempests we prize it the water that David longed for when it was got with so much difficulty he thought it too good to drink but powred it before the Lord. In 2 Sam. 23.16.17 As Jacob saies of the portion he gave to Joseph Gen. 48.22 This I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow So any thing that we get hardly it is the more prized so that when we get through difficulties by our faith that we should prize much and rejoyce in Thirdly If so be that Faith hath carried thee through difficulty Let this encourage thee for ever for time to come certainly there is no difficulty wil stand before thee if difficulties have begun to fal they wil fal and wil not be able to stand before thee You may reason as Hamans friends If thou beginnest to fall before Mordecai thou wilt fall Est 6.13 and therefore thou maist cal this work by the name that David called that place where his enemies began to fal before him Baal-perizem because God had made a breach upon his enemies 2 Sam. 5.20 he took that but as a pledg that God would make al his enemies fal before him And so hath God made some difficulties fal before thee then al difficulties wil fal Fourthly Let God have al the glory neither thy self nor the means those things that we do by Faith God is in them little of our selves or nothing at al Boasting is excluded saies the Apostle Rom. 3.27 By the Law of Faith or by the Law of Works By the Law of Faith and therefore that which is done by faith excludes al boasting from our selves and gives God the glory 1. Because Faith of al Graces hath least rooting in our selves as for Justice and Temperance and Patience and Love they have some assistance in Nature but faith hath nothing at al and therefore God must have the glory of that chiefly 2. Faith of al Graces hath the least influence into that which it doth though it be under the rank of efficient causes it is but an instrumental cause and though an instrument be an efficient it is the least efficiency of al and therefore the glory belongs to God 3. Of al Graces Faith is the most emptying Grace it carries a Creature out of it self unto another and therefore whatsoever we do by Faith we must give God the glory 4. Attribute nothing to means for though thou usest means ye whatsoever was done by Faith was done above means beyond means and might have been done without means 5. Hath God carryed you through any difficult work and was this a principle Labor to prize the word of God upon which thy faith was built to nourish and increase this Joy 6. If you have found your faith hath carried you through great things take heed thy Faith do not fayl thee in less things that will be a shame As a marriner that hath been in great stormes and tempests and hath wrought through them if afterward he should come and perish in the haven or in some ordinary tempest for want of Skill that would grieve him more so for a Souldier that hath been in desperate battels afterwards to be overcome with a little strength he looseth his honor this is possible that a Christian by his faith may be carried through wonderful great things and yet his faith may fail him afterwards in lesser things as many a man may escape great dangers and recover great success and yet afterwards die of a cold and those that God hath carried through great things may faile in lesser but it is an infinite shame take heed to your selves in that As David speaks concerning Saul 2. Sam. 1.21 The shield of the mighty is vilely cast away as though he had not been anointed with Oyl God hath given thee fayth as a shield and it was the shield of the mighty and now it is vilely cast away an ordinary temptation comes and thou failest as if thou hadst not been anointed with oyl when God carried thee through difficult works thou wert anointed with oyl and now you fal as if you had not been anointed with oyl you have been carried through many difficulties in that work of leaving of your country now when you come here your faith will not serve you to order your ordinary business and affaires but it fails fowly in every ordinary dealing with man and in your private dealings in your family what a shameful thing is it that such a one as hath had such power as to look upon the face of his enemies and to testify for the truth before them when he hath to deal with a servant or child or Wife he fails shamefully and when he comes to deal with brethren he knows not how to behave himself as if he were not anointed with oyl as if he never had faith nothing but nature as ful of frowardness and pettishness of spirit and all outward distempers as those that never were acquainted with Faith And so faith hath carried you through great difficulties enabled you to deny your self to get to the ordinances and when you are under them it fails you in assistance to make use of them and to give God the Glory of them but you rather defile them and spoile them what a shameful thing is this Be ashamed and confounded in
one another Let that name that is held out â—n your profession be dear to you and make that an argument to curb passion and to order you in your dealings one with another 5. Moses was mightily careful that he might not be frustrat of his end he went out of Egypt that he might come to Canaan and when there was any danger that he was like to be frustrated in this how it troubled him it went to his heart and he cried to God that God would let him see that good land so if it be out of faith that you come from your country great care will be had that you be not frustrate of your end wherefore came you came you not to enjoy God to have further communion with God to walk with God in a more close way then you could do before are you careful to attaine your end doth it trouble your souls when at any time you see any danger to be frustrate of your end doth it come near to you that you find for the present you have attained so little of your end those that come out of other ends let this go but if you come out of Faith you will be mightily careful to attaine the end for which you came that work that is done out of faith will work mightily to the end and never leave working till it come at its end 6. If so be you came out of your country by Faith your souls will be satisfied with God alone and the cal and promise of God is that which your souls will have recourse unto continually for the satisfaction of your souls so Moses when he was in straight he presently had recourse to the call and promise of God to bring his people out of Egypt and that satisfied him 7. As it will quiet and satisfie the soul so that Faith that brought you out will carry you through all difficulties now you meet with many difficulties and some you thought not of if it were out of faith that you came and that faith were a continued work it will carry you through the difficulties you meet withall do you find that upon the difficulties you meet withall your hearts sink you may fear it was not Faith that first brought you out I would not have any gather any sinister conclusion from this which hath been said to think that we make comparisons between our country and Egypt no but we bless God for the good we received in our own country and do desire the good of it as far as we can but only to shew the work of Moses in forsaking Egypt But in those that came from Egypt there was a mixt company and those mixt company were a continual trouble and disturbance to those that were the Israel of God Numb 11.4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting and the children of Israel also wept again and sayd who shal give us flesh to eate the mixt multitude they began the sin and the children of Israel fell with them And so into these countries there are come many of the people of God that were gracious out of faith but there are a great many that are the mixt multitude that were of broken estates they knew not how to live and coming upon those ends the people of God are troubled with such and they are the gratest contemners of the waies of Godliness they have kindness from the people of the country but they meet with trouble from this mixt company especially when any of those do creep into the Church and come to be members of it but for those that come from their country by faith we hope we shal enjoy comfortable communion with all such and thus much for this fourth use CHAP 23. Containing other vses of the point Use 5. Shews the reason why we faile in any thing we do it is for want of Faith Use 6. Labor to rise in indignation against your unbelief Use 7. Consider what it is to faile in that work which concerns thy eternal estate USE 5. FIftly If so be that it be Faith that carries through difficulties heâ—ce we see the reason why we faile in any thing that we doe it is want of Faith It is not such a let nor such a hinderance no know it is the unbeleiving heart it may be thou wentest in the resolution of thy own heart and thought to carry it through in the strength of thy own spirit and that would not do As the Apostle saith Heb. 11.29 By Faith they passed through the red sea as by dry land which the Egyptians assaying to do were drowned So by Faith such and such passed through such and such works to the glory of God But others at other times would assay to do them by their own resolutions and they failed and were drowned it is true resolution may do great matters but to carry a soule in a gracious manner through any difficultie it wil faile Know therefore where lay the cause of thy failing and lay thy hand on the right place and accuse thy self of an unbeleiving heart USE 6. And upon that labour to rise in indignation against thy unbeleiving heart as suppose a man hath been in some great work and some have letted him and so let him as to spoyle his work his heart riseth against him I was in a good forwardness and such a one came and spoyled my work and so look upon thy unbelieving heart I was in such a work that God set me about but my unbelieving heart came and hindered me and Gods name lost the glory and my own soul was wounded USE 7. Againe doth thy heart faile thee if my unbelieving heart make me faile in this work what if I should faile through unbelief in that great work that concernes my eternal estate what should become of me then I seldom undertake a work but my unbelieving heart makes me faile in it now there is a work of infinite consequence and nothing can carrie me through that but Faith and if my unbelieving heart come and spoyl me in that it were better I had never been borne it hath done me hurt enough in such and such things I had need have a care it doe not spoile me in that As if a man should say there are such and such businesses I have miscarried in and I have lost much by them but there are such and such works if I miscarrie in I am undon it is as much as my life is worth and therefore I had need take heed of those things that have been hindrances to me in my other works So if unbelief have done you hurt in these works take heed it do not hinder you in the maine work And for a word to those that are weake who are ready to be discouraged and think they shall miscarry Know God hath a speciall care of all his people though never so weak to keep off hinderances in that maine work though God do suffer them to faile in
in his Father in the hearts of his people that they might be carried through the difficult works they have to do 2. When any difficult work is to be done labor to make preparation for the work of Faith by humiliation before you undertake the work and according to the nature of any difficult services there must be a proportionable measure of humiliation before you undertake that work therefore when God hath called to extraordinary works usually Gods people have made preparation for their faith by extraordinary humiliation as Nehemiah Ezra and Esther that were to undertake great works which they were to be carried through by faith they made preparation by extraordinary humiliation before hand It is in the putting forth of a new act of faith as it was in the first act of Faith as especially humiliation was a preparation for faith at first so especially humiliation is a preparation for the putting forth of a new act of Faith after we have it 3. When any difficult service comes to be performed let there be oft renewing of Faith in the great covenant of Grace and do not only think to exercise faith in this particular work but let your care be about renewing Faith in the great covenant let the great Charter be renewed and inferiour grants wil come in Thus God dealt with Abraham when any thing befell Abraham that he was in a great straight then God renewed his Covenant with him I am God Alsufficient God thought this a special meanes to carry him through If you have renewed the covenant in which all the promises are included this is a great help to Faith Shall not God who hath given us his Son with him also give us al things else the soul may reason strongly thus 4. Faith must be set on work when any difficult service is to be done for the purifying of the heart though you beleeve God will be with you and strengthen you in the work yet unless you make use of Faith to purifie the heart as well as beleeve you may miscarry in the work if there be any lust that lies next the heart you wil never be able for to do great things for sin as it is of a defiling nature so it is of a weakning nature If you would have a spirit of power you must have a sound mind In Nehemiah 13.3 When they were about a great work they separated the mixt company when you are about any great work Exercise Faith to purge your hearts from corruption Saies David Psal 18.32 It is God that girdeth me with strength and makes my way perfect The girding of him with strength and making his way perfect went together therefore labor that the way with God in your own hearts may be perfect and clean and then God will gird you with strength 5. In difficulties labor to exercise faith to get you off from all shifting waies and creature dependances It is observable of those that have to deal with mettals when they are working of Gold that they might have it work the easier they will mixe other mettals with it and upon the mixing of Lead and tinne with Gold it works the easier but it is a great deal worse it were better they would take more pains in the working of it it would be purer Just so do many Christians that are ill workemen in the waies of God when they are working of good actions and they find them difficult and go somwhat hard off they will be mixing their own carnall pollicy and shifting courses and to that end the work may go off easier but though it be easier to be done yet it is a worse peece of work after it be done then it would have been if it had been done with more paines Labor to exercise Faith to get you off from al creature dependances if the heart by Faith be given up to God alone it will do mighty things but if so be we would have two strings to our bow that if such a means do faile we may have some other to rest upon we shall never do any great thing And therefore when God would use any of his people to do great things he first took them off from al creature helps they had before as I have met with an observation that one hath from Moses about this In Acts 17 22. It is said Moses was an Eloquent man a man of mighty words Yet if you read the Story in Exod. 4.10 you shall hear Moses complaine that he was slow of speech and not eloquent This is answered Moses was a man of mighty words but when God was about this work and a little before God took away his excellency in words that he might have further dependance upon God then before he had whether there be any reality in this or no I know not yet certainly it is the way of God when men have any creature helps God doth take them off from them that they might have a sheere work of Faith for when the creature is used it doth usually rob God of a great part of his honor Therfore when Gideon had so many thousand God said it was too great a multitude for him to deliver his people by 6. Faith must take us off from our own ends too and ingage God in the business as much as we can let God be seen in the work though we be not seen let God have the glory though it be not known who did that difficult work great things will be done when God is ingaged in the business And it is a special work of Faith to take us off our own ends when you come to a great work you think to exercise faith and not being taken off from your own ends Faith looseth its vertue and power 7. When we come to any work that is difficult let us labor to exercise Faith to cast our selves upon the word to find out some promise and to roule upon it to venture our selves and the might of our work upon that word as namely thus Suppose it be a work for the subduing of any sin that word in Rom. 6.14 Sin shal not have dominion over you look at the word and make more account of it then of all your endeavors against sin whatsoever if it be laboring to get from under that difficulty the guilt of Conscience and delivering your selves from the terror of it That word in Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus If it be for the doing of any work that we are called to that word that hath vertually a promise in it he worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26.12 If it be to stand against any opposition that word which God gave to Joshua Joshua 1.5 I will be with thee and will not leave thee Exercise Faith to get a word and to rest your souls upon it 8. Take this word and plead it with God in prayer when you enter on any difficulty do as it
to miscarry for his own part was the disturbance of his passion when he came to strike the rock to get water for the people for not sanctifying the name of God but did it in a passion that was the thing that made him miscarry as in Psalm 106.32.33 They angred him also at the waters of strife so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes So you may be have done some works so as you have found God strengthning of you at length you come to a work where may be there is more difficulty then before and there being more difficulty your hearts are disquieted take heed you miscarry not now it is a special thing to carry on a hard work well to go on with quietness disquiet and passion do much hinder as it was the case of the people of Israel in the beginning of Exodus When Moses came they could not harken to him because of the anguish of heart and the greatness of their bondage So to apply it spiritually you are sensible of some griâ—vous bondage under some corruptions and you have much anguish of spirit that you cannot overcome such and such corruptions but take heed you be not so disturbed in your hearts as your being in anguish under that bondage hinder you from hearkning to the Lord in his word and conceiving the mind and will of God a right and knowing how to order your selves in a right way it was so with them and truly this is just the case of many people because they are sensible of the bondage they are in under their corruptions they are so troubled and their hearts are in such a toile and tumult that they cannot hearken to any thing that should guide themselves in this work 13. Another rule for the ordering of your Faith to help you through difficult works is to observe the dependances that one work hath upon another many see a work God would have them to do and they presently set upon that and do not observe what dependance this hath upon somwhat else and so miscarry Suppose a Mariner or some other should have a work to go and pull such a cable such a rope he goes to the place that is in view to pull that rope but may be there is some other line that holdes it in some other place and they may pull their hearts out and never pull the thing they would So many are striving and laboring and tugging in many duties but there is some secret holdfast that they observe not that those duties have dependance upon and they can never bring their work to pass As one complaines of the difficulty of getting a heart to go to God in prayer God knows I have been in prayer have striven with my soul with al my might as in the presence of God for to get up my heart you strive and tug at this and may be you think of some promise and exercise faith too but there is some corruption that seems to be a great way off from this that this hath dependance upon which makes this difficult and you should set your faith on work to deliver your selves from that and then it will come off better as now may be you have been striving to get your hearts up to God in prayer and if you look well to it it may be the frowardness and petrishness and passion of your hearts in your families with servants or wife or husband is that which keeps down your heart when you come into Gods presence you should first have set your faith on work to have cured that and if you had cured that you might have got up your hearts many slip over many corruptions and look at duties a great way off and they strive and take pains but if they had true Christian wisdome they should look what difficulty and hinderance lay between them and that dutie and they should labor to take away that And so for faith we cannot beleeve in God and in the promises may be there lay a sluggish heart in your particular calling it may be so far off though you think there be but little dependance of Faith in that And so in affliction you would faine have your hearts be patient may be there laie a dead lumpishness of heart and drowsiness of spirit and therefore look narrowly to corruption though never so far off and set thy heart in general against all one as well as another 14 Againe take need of listening to temptation when as you are about any hard work there will come abundance of temptation what you go through this work those that have been stronger then you have miscarried it is a mighty hard work and you are a poor creature If it be the work of the Lord go to it with a naked upright heart If I miscarry so it is and do not mind temptations A very observable place it is of Nehemiah in Nehemi 6.3 When he was about the great work of God the adversaries sent as if they would parly with them and it was for nothing but to hinder his work but mark what he saies I am doing a great work so that I cannot come why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you so do you say to temptation temptation would faine have you come reason the case but say I am about the worke of the Lord why should the work cease and I spend my time and strength about reasoning with you 15. Another rule for the putting on of your faith may be this when you are doing any great work God calls you to do Take heed of perverse reasonings as thus When God calls me to do any service I should reason if I were able to do thus and thus I could beleeve but who can beleeve when they have such a heart so unable to do any thing and so unable to overcome any corruption What a perverse reasoning is this If I could do this I could beleeve you should reason I must beleeve that I may do this as If one should say if I could do any work I hope I should have strength you must have strength to do your work or if I were at my journies end I could go you must go to be at your journies end If I were over Sea I could venture into a Ship you must venture into a Ship that you may come over Sea And so if I could do such a thing I could beleeve how should strength come in but by beleeving Wilt stay beleeving till thou canst get strength it is as much as if one should say I wil stay going into a Ship til I get over Sea his going into the Ship is a means to get over Sea and so beleeving is the way to get strength and therefore do not reason from thy want of strength to hinder faith but rather reason from thy want of strength to further faith 16. Again when you go about any work that is difficult take heed of any disorderly
working of your heart about that work The disorderly work of the heart may be discovered in two or three partâ—culars First To look at the success it looks at the duty principally for one to look at the success more then at duty this is a miscarriage and a hinderance to the work of faith Secondly If you do look at the success yet do not look at the particular success though Faith do assure of the general success it doth not alwaies assure of the particular success Thirdly take heed you do not judg of the final success by some hinderances in the work at first as many because they have not success at the beginning they judg of the final issue by that Fourthly Above all take heed of determining before hand that you shall have no success I may go about the work but it will never go on it will never thrive As a servant that is froward will say well I may go about the work but there will never come no good of it so many will go about the work God sets them to do but they determine before hand nothing will come of it This is a sinful boldness who art thou man or woman shal you be so bold with God may you determine what Gods way shall be you may say I deserve that nothing should come of that I do but when it comes to determination it is boldness and sinfulness against God what should not I determine I that am thus and thus vild will God succeed any work in my hand you may say I that am thus and thus vild deserve that God should blast all that I do but do not determine that I shall never overcome this hard heart of mine and I shal never get a patient spirit This is that which the prophet speaks against Hosea 7.13 Though I have redeemed them yet they speak lies against me So though God have redeemed men and hath given them mercy yet they speak lies against God that they shall never have such and such a mercy that they labor for or when God is in a way of redeeming of you and stirring your hearts for you to say there shal never be no success nor help this is to speak lies against God be humbled for that you have been guilty of before and take heed of determining of the success for time to come for assuredly whatsoever unworthinss you see in your selves yet know it is a temptation of the Devil and a provoking sin 17. Againe it must be our care together with our faith to put on that we do with resolution and courage As the Psalmist saith in Psal 310.24 Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart So when you go to any difficult work put on your faith with all the resolution you can natural resolution helps much against difficulty It is a notable speech of Seneca the mind of man gets whatsoever it commands it self if it will lay a command and charge upon it self it may obtaine it That he saies concerning naural resolution natural resolution is a mighty help to overcome difficulty a man shall be able to do more then he thought he could have done but if this be added with faith that we can make use of our Faith and then lay a necessity on the work it must be done whatsoever I hear it is the command of God this is a mighty thing to help forward the work 18. Another rule is in all services that God calls you to look upon your selves as Gods instruments in Gods hand and look upon the work as Gods work enjoined by him and done for him and not your own I am nothing what is an instrument an axe to the building of an house the work is hard and difficult it is not mine but Gods I am not the principal efficient but the instrument and not in mine own hand but in Gods and such a weak instrument in the hand of a skillful workman in his own work may do great things 19. Again whatsoever work God calls you to do go aâ—out iâ— continuing in it though you find nothing come of it expect God to come in while you are working and do not say if God did come in I could have incouragment to work work expecting God to come in while you are working and though you have been working these many years and found nothing yet if God do come in it will be while you are working As David said to Solomon his Son up and be doing and the Lord be with you 1. Chron. 22.16 So say I to you do not say what shall I be doing without the Lord be doing and the Lord wil come in But I have been doing and the Lord hath not come in Yet whensoever the time comes that God wil come in comfortably it wil be while you are working therefore be doing and the Lord will be with you 20. Again let us take heed we do not increase the difficulty by our disorderly carriage this we are many times guilty of that when God sets us about any work and there be some hardness in it we make it abundantly more hard by our untoward carriages As a man that is fettered by pulling and haling he pulls the skin off his legs and by that means makes it harder to beare his fetters then before the people of Israel that went out of Egypt and went to Canaan through the wilderness it was a hard iourney but they made it abundantly harder by their carriage From Egypt unto the borders of Palestine was but seventy miles and to Jerusalem but a hundred miles and yet by their ill carriage they made it a businese of fourty yeares so though indeed we are to go through a wilderness a difficult work yet through our ill carriage we make it more difficult Let us take heed we do not make it more difficult really by our complaints of it we complaine things are difficult when indeed they are not so in themselves but because of the sluggishness of mens spirits in making complaints of the difficulty of the work 21. Againe be not all poring upon the difficulty and looking at those things that are hard and may discourage you in the work that God set you about but look at those things that may encourage you also if there be any hardness in a work men are alwaies looking upon that and they never look upon any sweet that may incourage them it is never like that they shall goe on Children if they have a sore upon the body the finger usually will be touching of that though it makes the sore to be worse and causeth it to be more and more angry and keeps it from healing So many if they have any thing that is hard in their work their thoughts will be upon that Difficulties in any work are like to bitter pills that God gives us to take down But what a childish thing were it for any that have pills to take down that are bitter for
thing that Gods heart is upon as the highest thing that he wil do is upon those that are sensible of their spiritual bondage of this spiritual Egypt to deliver them And though thou art not sure he wil do it for thee yet this is a great incouragement Object But though he may do it for others yet I am so vile that though I have seen my sin I have stil gone on therefore he wil not do it for me Answ 2. Wherefore know in the second place that the great designe that God hath in this work is not only to manifest his power but to set out before men and Angels to all eternity the Riches and Glory of his free Grace And therefore those objections of thy unworthinss may be taken away for thou maiest see God doth not intend to goe on with thee in a way of retribution or distributive Justice if thou dost so and so and so he wil do so and so for thee but he goes this way to work that his great designe is to magnify his free Grace And whosoever he does deliver it is for this end to shew to men and Angels what the power of his infinite free Grace is able to do and this is a great Incouragement 3. Further Jesus Christ hath already removed all differences that are between God the Father and thy soul the difficulties which make such a mighty vast dismal distance between God and thy soul is the wrath of God and the justice of God and the curse of the Law Now it hath been the work of Christ to take away all these difficulties So that when thou lookest up and seest thy sin against an infinite God that is infinitely holy and infinitely just and seest the curse of the Law against thee thou thinkest these are great difficulties how is it possible for me to get over these know it is the work of Christ that great Savior of the world to remove those difficulties and if he had not undertook it it had been impossible for any soul to come to God But he hath done it and therefore thou hast liberty to come to God if thou hast but an heart to venture upon his free Grace if thou saiest how can I know that Christ hath removed these difficulties for me It s the work of Faith that gives thee an interest And therefore do not stay for any thing else If thou doest but venture upon Faith thou needest not take care as those Women did who shall roule away the stone Who shall remove the difficulties of the curse of the Law who shall pacifie the wrath of God that is burning against me for my sin If thou doest beleeve Christ hath done it Fourthly Christ hath not only removed the difficulties between God the Father and thy soul but there are many gracious promises in the Gospel for the removing of all difficulties in thy soul that thou hast as much right to lay claime to as any one in the world that ever was delivered by Christ Whatsoever ground any had to claime these promises before the applying of them thou hast the same ground the great hinderance that is in thee is an hard heart a stout stubborne spirit marke what is said that there shall be a way prepared for the Lord Make his way strait every high Mountain shal be brought low every valley shal be filled up every crooked way shall be made strait every rough way shall be made plaine Luke 3.4.5.6 Now who hath right to laie hold on these promises this applying of them doth give interest doest thou find thy heart proud and canst not pul it down saies the Lord every high mountaine shal be cast down dost thou say I have an unbeleeving heart I know not how to beleeve Gods word but my heart sinks down in unbeliefe that is as a valley dejected Every vally shal be filled up I have a perverse crooked heart every croked way shall be made strait I have a rough knotty heart every rough heart Every rough way shall be made plaine So that Christ hath not only made things cleer between God and thee but in thy own Soul Object But he doth not make it clear for all Answ Thou hast as much ground to beleeve as any had before they did beleeve I will take away thy strong Heart saith God This is revealed to all and therefore thou art to make use of them And whosoever did get good by them they could not see any interest they had to them more then thou canst see USE 3. A Third use is this If Faith be that which does deliver from this spiritual Egypt Then those that are delivered let them see what hath brought them out and magnifie the work of God let them stand and admire the Grace of God in delivering them from al difficulties and in carrying them through that were so poor and weak as they were know it was not thy endeavor but the work of Faith and the work of God in thee Faith workes by a power out of us and not by our own power And God delivers the Soul from this spiritual Egypt by Faith Because he would have the Glory of it Therefore now if it have been a work of Faith let this Exhortation prevail with you Labor to exercise your Faith in going through the Wilderness to Canaan There was a time you were in bondage under sin and Satan and the Law And now thou art delivered from the Law and brought to Grace Is it Faith hath done it Let this Faith be imployed to carry thee on through the wilderness unto Canaan And all the Rules that I will give unto you shall be from the People of Israels going through the wilderness unto Canaan when they were delivered from Egypt Direction 1. First They were not to stir but upon Gods Direction when the cloud and the pillar of fire went before them So in thy way keep close to the Direction of God Let thy Faith stick close to the word and not to the Direction of thine own Heart Direction 2. Secondly When they were delivered this was a great Evil their Murmuring because of the hardships they met withal take heed thou beest not guilty of this Let not thy heart run out too far to murmur against the waies of God when you meet with any hardships being God with his outstretched Arm and his mighty hand hath delivered thee God forbid thou shouldest be murmuring upon every difficulty Direction 3. Thirdly Take heed you do not limit the Holy One of Israel God was Angry with them because they limited the Holy One of Israel Psalm 78.19 Can God prepare a table in the Wilderness say they So many when they are in the way to Heaven and they find any difficulty can God help such a one as I say they Take heed of limiting God do not propound Limits to to what God can do No nor to what God wil do Direction 4. Fourthly Take heed of slighting any thing that God
under the bondage of Antichrist look how much difference there is between misery and sin so much difference there is betwixt their bondage and the bondage of Antichrist 4. They were Liable to the bondage of Egypt but they were not liable to the plagues of Egypt They were free from them but those that are under the bondage of Antichrist are liable to the plagues that shall come upon Antichrist But it must be faith that must deliver from this bondage It is a difficult work as it was a difficult thing to be delivered from Egypt so it is a difficult thing that cannot be done without faith to be delivered from this 1. Wee know most part of the Christian world is educated and the principles that are dropt into them from them are Antichristian principles 2. Though it be a bondage there is a great deale of outward pomp and Glory in their Idolatrous worship that does much take sensual people that doe live by sence they will not worship God in such a meane way as others do but there is a great deale of pompe and outward shew 3. Though it be a bondage to the soul yet they give abundance of liberty to the flesh and though somtimes they suffer pennance and put the flesh to some hardship somtimes yet those that are rich may give way to their lusts and live as they list for they may quickly be freed with a little mony 4. Besides there are so many examples of great men and learned men and some that are Godly that doe yeild to a great part of the yoaks and their examples are mighty ingagements 5. Besides If so be they begin to flinch presently there are such violent afflictions and persecutions thundring out of excomunications and loss of estates and so many dangers that men are in 6. Besides It is hard Because in the other of Christs government there are but a few meane men and to come and yeild to them this is hard to flesh and blood and there must be a great deal of self deniall to yeild to the government of Christ they count that the greatest bondage especially considering there may be miscarriages many Scandals amongst those that are Godly do profess the waies and ordinances and liberties of Christ that except the heart be gracious there is a great deal of difficulty in submitting to it and people know not what to do but rather buckle under their bondage 7. Besides It is a fruit of the curse not that all that are under that bondage are under the Eternal Curse But as all outward judgments are part of the curse so it is a part of the curse to be under the bondage of Antichrist and not to labor to get from it I do not say that al that are sick and weak are cursed but it is a part of the curse So men that are under that bondage are under part of the curse that God wil give them over to beleeve Lyes and though a man hath never so much Learning and understanding yet if there be a curse of God upon it never talk of his learning and understanding if his parts were a hundred times more they could not help him It is the work of Faith to deliver from it Quest What is the work of Faith in delivering people from this bondage Answer There are these six or seven things that delivers from this bondage under Antichrist 1. Faith discovers unto the soul the spiritualness of the government of Christ and without that there cannot be a true deliverance from the bondage of Egypt 2. Faith shews unto the Soul the fullness of the Administration of all Christs offices of his Preistly Prophetical call and Kingly offices Now until the soul understands this it is never brought off from the government of Antichrist to the government of Christ 3. Faith shews the fulness and Glory that is in the world which is the rule for ordering and guiding of us in al our waies 4. Faith shews the necessity of a divine rule for a spiritual efficacy and that no humane invention can cause a spiritual efficacy now the settling of this principle is never done but by Faith 5. Another work of faith is to discover the beauty and glory that is in the Ordinances of Christ barely administred no man but by the eye of Faith can see the true lustre and beauty and glory of a divine Ordinance except there be some outward earthly excellency mingled with it As I told you in the exposition of that place in Hosea They made them Altars God would have an Altar of Earth and if they would have it of Stone they must not lift up an instrument to hew it and grave it but it must be plaine Now a carnal eye cannot see the beauty of Gods Ordinances unless it have some outward excellency It must be the eye of Faith to discover the beauty of Christs Ordinances in the naked beauty of them And till that they are not willing to come from under the power of Antichrist 6. Faith discovers to the Soul the reality and certainty of all the admirable and glorious promises that are in the Gospel made unto the true Church of God Promises of the glorious presence of God with his people and promises of abundance of spiritual good as it might ask half an hour to shew some excellent promises that are made to the Church which a carnal Eie doth not see But Faith discovers there is abundance of certainty and reality in them and when by Faith they see them this takes off and enables them to go through any difficulties to be partakers of them 7. Again Faith does discover the fearful threats against those that follow Antichrist and those Revel 14.9 10. that do receive the mark of the Beast but in their hand secretly they shall have their portion in the Lake that burns for ever and shall be cast out from the presence of the Lord. They that read these threats make nothing of them but when they read them by Faith then the soul trembles and feares till it comes from under that bondage it hears a voice continually crying to it Revel 18.4 Come out from among them Oh my people come out least being partaker of their sin you also be partakers of their Plagues Now Faith by discovering these things brings the heart from under that Antichristian bondage Quest But may not men reject the yoake of Antichrist upon other Grounds besides Faith Answ Many times a spirit of contradiction may bring them from under the yoke of Antichrist though one good cannot be opposite to another good yet one evil may be opposite to another evil and many men may oppose the government of Antichrist by that which is evil in them but if it be not by the principle of Faith it is not right and it may be upon other principles Quest But how shall we know that we do forsake this bondage from Antichrist by Faith Answ I will give you
some notes to shew you who those are that are delivered from this Egypt by Faith And who those are that seem to be delivered upon other grounds 1. Those that are delivered by Faith are those that are wel grounded in the Doctrinal and maine points of Religion Faith can never work off the soul from the Government and Ceremonies of Antichrist unless it be well grounded in the doctrine and principles of Religion if I see men crie out of Antichrist and of the Government of Antichrist and it appears that they have not a competent measure of knowledg in the grounds of Religion and Principles of Faith they are to be suspected As many come and examine them about Church Government and they wil tell you a great deale not but that Christians should labor to have knowledg in that but come to examine them the Principles of Religion and there they are silly and ignorant if they be not grounded in them it appears it is not a work of Faith 2. If it be a work of Faith it is a work of much Humiliation and Prayer was there a time you were under the power and bondage of Antichrist how came you from under it did God shew you the evil of it and you sought God in much Humiliation and prayer for the taking off your hearts from it and shewing you his good way and did you find your hearts comming off was by that meanes that is a good argument it was of Faith but many their Consciences tell them it was not a work of Humiliation and Prayer that brought off their hearts they are to be feared 3. If it be a work of Faith it alwaies le ts in light as in the point of the government of Christ many cry out against Antichristian government and come and examine them about it and they have no more light no other arguments nor further understanding then before but only a bitterness of spirit against it If a man grow bitter against those things which before he yeilded too he had need have more light but if they grow exceeding bitter against them and have no further light and understanding then before it is an argument it is a distemper of heart rather then any thing else And therefore casting off all at once is very suspitious where it is of Faith God lets in light by degrees It s said of Luther in his reformation First he saw the evil of one thing and then the evil of another and so by degrees saw the evil of all And so those that forsake the bondage of Antichrist By Faith first God makes them suspect their way surely this is not the right way there is some better way and then they fall a praying and humbling of themselves and they fall examining and so they come to see the evil of one thing and then they examine another and so light comes in by degrees and then their hearts rise against them and if according to the measure of Light that you have your hearts do come off that is a good signe 4. If you break from Antichrist by Faith it will make you a Separate from the world aswel as Separate from them Many are Separates from any thing that hath but the least dependancy upon Antichristian government but they conform themselves to the world that there appears no difference between them and the world in their loose courses that man that is a conformist to the world is not a Non-Conformist to Antichrist by Faith 5. If Faith take you off from the bondage under Antichrist it wil take you off from the bondage under any lust That man that hath not the power of Faith to take him off from any Lust That man is not by Faith taken off from the bondage of Antichrist If Faith delivere from the bondage under Antichrist it will deliver from the bondage under Sin and Sathan and therefore though men do crie out of the bondage of Antichrist never so much and yet they go on under the bondage of any Lust it is not of Faith 6. That Soul that is taken from under the power of Antichrist by Faith is subject to the power and goverment of Christ and the Word If Faith takes from the one it puts under the other nothing but the Word can be the ground of Faith and if Faith takes a Soul from under the bondage of Antichrist Such a Soul finds the Word comes with divine power and majesty upon the heart and it laies a trembling heart under the power and majesty of the Word and it dares not goe from it no not in no other thing You plead for the Word in such and such things but there are other things you do not yield to the power of the Word in this is very suspitious Those that by Faith are brought from the power of Antichrist their hearts are put mightily under the power of the Word and they ly with trembling spirits before the majesty and Authority of the word 7. If it be Faith that takes off the Heart such a one is not content that he is taken from under the Antichristian government unless he meetes with Christ in the Ordinances he does not content it self with the bare huskes and to make all his Religion to consist meerly in Church discipline and Church constitution and to think therefore he hath Religion enough because he hath the Ordinances and yet never finds any panting of Heart after union and communion with Christ Jesus in this way of Church Government but goes on from year to year mearly in the outward performances of Religion I do not speak against the thing it self but to shew it is not of Faith if men do not pant after union with Christ if they be not sensible of the want of it and do not labor for the enjoyment of it 8. If it be Faith that brings thee from this way certainly thou wilt grow more Spirituall As thy heart will pant after Christ so there wil be a Spiritualness of thy Soul in the waies of Christ because thou comest neerer to the rule And this is the difference between Actions of Religion and civil Actions civil Actions that are done by civil rule have not alwaies success but a Spirituall Action that is done by the rule that hath a Spirituall success though not an outward success it does make the heart ever more Spirituall But for people though they be come from the yoake of Antichrist yet to be as dead as ever no more Spiritualness in their way then before no more savour of Godliness in their society and company then before those that knew them before can say I knew them a great deale more spirituall and savoury in that which is good then they are now This is a dangerous thing 9. Againe If it be out of Faith such a one will give all the glory unto God for his deliverance and he wil walk humbly in his own eyes and think I was disobedient and wretched and should have gone on in that way but God by his grace and power hath come and hath taken off my heart and it does magnifie the grace of God It doth not perke up it self and contemne others to think I have got more wisdom and understanding then others and so attribute it to his wit and understanding but it gives the glory to God and instead of censuring others he prays for them and saies it is not all the arguments under Heaven can convince them for I had arguments enough but they were all as nothing til it pleased God by his Grace to set them upon my heart and so though they may see arguments as wel as I they will not do Therefore he pitties others and prays for them and he hath a reverent respect to the Grace of others though they be not in the same way that he is in he doth not presently cast them off saying surely there is no Grace and Godliness in them this is a signe of a proud spirit there are none that are gracious but know there was a time when they went on in that way and yet they did not goe against their light but were willing to understand Gods mind and yet til God came in their hearts were not taken off and therefore they learn to have good thoughts of those that are godly though in other waies But especially if it were out of Faith that you were brought from this Antichristian Bondage it will not leave in thee the Spirit of Antichrist many are far from being under Antichristian bondage and yet have an Antichristian Spirit a Spirit of pride a domineering Spirit a Crooked Perverse Spirit and this is a great evil that in the way of Christ there should be manifested an Antichristian Spirit this should be lamented with tears of blood Now so much as an Antichristian spirit does rule in any though they be from under his Goverment so much it is to be suspected it was not the work of Faith but somwhat else that took them off We should have the spirit of Christ the spirit of Love and Humillity and gentleness and peace and as we would make it appear we are taken off from the yoak of Antichrist by Faith let us shew the Spirit of Christ as Faith hath taken us off from Antichristian power so we should exercise Faith to go on in the waies of Christ as beseems those that are delivered from Antichristian power FINIS Eorum certitudo A. Mont. Interliâ—
more precious in the exercise you should prize one exercise of Grace more excellent then the whol world People prize grace in the habits Oh that God would bestow Grace upon them but they do not set a price upon every gratious act but come to this to set a high price upon every act of Grace as wel as the habit and you will not complain of difficult works 3. The more difficult services you are called to the more opportunitie you have to honor God you have don but a litle all this while and the most part of your time hath been to little purpose if God will give you an opportunitie to doe a great deale in a little time will you murmure at it and count it your affliction 4. Difficult works are for the improvement of your graces If a man have a stock and he have had some improvement for it but not full he hath some mony ly dead by him or is not improved for that advantage it might if he shal find a way to improve every penny of his stock to the utmost advantage will he count this an affliction he counts it an advantage who grow rich but those that have the full improvement of their stock Men count it a misery to have their stockly by them and not improved why do not you count it a misery to have gracely by you and not exercised Would you count it a happiness that God should shew you a way to improve your outward stock to the full and would you not count it a happiness that God should shew you a way to improve your grace to the full USE 3. The third use is this If Faith enables to carry through difficult works then it can be no concluding argument against a work because there fall out many hinderances in the worke for faith carries through nothing but that which is the work of God and if it be to carry through hinderances then hinderances and blocks in the way can be no concluding argument that this is not the work of God this is our weakness we set upon many works and before we begin we consider whether it be the work of God and we have considered and consulted with God and his people and we find it is Gods work and we begin to set upon it and we would go on and alwaies think it Gods work if things went on wel but as soone as we find any let that stops us we begin to cal in question whether it were Gods work or no. It is true when we find any hinderances in our work it should make us reflect our thoughts upon our cal to it and see that be right and further it should make us humble our selves before God to take away whatsoever hinderance God should lay in our way out of any displeasure for though God somtimes do lay hinderances as an honor to improve our graces yet somtimes hinderances may be as chastizements to us and therefore it is useful for to humble our soules before God that we may have more assurance nothing is between God and us and that our hinderances do not come as a fruit of his displeasure and the hinderances we meet withall should make us keep more close to the rule because Faith will beare us out in nothing but according as we goe to the rule and so we should improve hinderances to stir up our Faith But to make hinderances and hard things that fall out to be an argument to think it is not the work of God that is a great evil And for that I only speak this one thing that is the way of God towards Jacob in that work of his when God called him to goe from Laban into his own country You may read the story at your leisure God from Heaven calls Jacob to goe to that Journey It was the work of God Jacob might think it being Gods work I shall meet with no hardship but if you read the story you shall find it was one of the most hard Journeys that ever he undertook in his life as it appeares by these six things First After he went Laban followed him with an intent to mischeife him but that God stopt him and there was some danger that Jacob was in God freed him from that Secondly His wise's nurse dyed that was a great help to his wife God took away even a right hand to his wife Thirdly His wife dyed in that Journey this was a mighty cross he might think God comes mightily to crosse me Fourthly After this His Daughter Dinah goes out and shee is defloured Fiftly After this His two Sons Symeon and Levi goe and commit that wofull outrage and murdered so many innocent people Sixtly His Brother Esaw came with rage and fury against him intending to destroy him and he was mightily affraid of his Brother Esaw Now this may quiet many that are to goe any Journy first let them see the call of God and then go on in it whatsoever fals out take it rather as a tryall of your Faith then any stop of God in your way And so you that are weake that have friends that undertake hard works and hard voyages you think they may doe it before danger come but if danger come you are ready to think that it is not the right way if you have no other argument but that know it comes from weakness and you are to lay downe that weakness and not to disturbe your selves and your friends by your weakness to think it is not the way of God because of those hinderances and that is the third use USE 4. Fourthly if Faith be the principle that carries through such difficult works Hence who ever have been carried through difficult works look back to what God hath carried you through reflect upon it and see what it was that did it such and such works God called you to may be as he did Moses to forsake your owne country which you have done not out of any outward necessity but in bare obedience to God now may be you may meet with many hinderances and inconveniences you might have stayed and lived comfortable and full handed enough if you could have dispensed with those things that others did some hardship you had in leaving of those things and then the example of others might come and make the work difficult But through Gods mercy the work was undertaken and gone through now what is it that carried you through was it your own naturall resolutions the strength of your own purposes was it any assistance you hade from any friends or any help that we can imagine from any creature upon the reviewing of it cannot you say as in the presence of God I know not what in the world carried me through but Gods giving me an heart to depend upon him in it After what manner did God work upon thy heart did he first prepare thy heart by a work of humiliation to seek him and make up thy peace with him