blesses them they shall be blessed and promises they shall be filled Mat. 5. 6. Righteousness imputed is and that with very good reason prized by Believers and Righteousness inherent is earnestly desired they long to be made more holy more holy in heart more holy in all manner of conversation to have cleaner hands hearts purer they groan earnestly to be sanctified throughout in Body Soul and Spirit and to be established unblameable in holiness to the end Doest thou vehemently desire to be bettered by every mercy To be refined more and more every time thou art cast into the furnace of affliction And to become more holy by every Ordinance thou engagest in This Sacra Fames holy hunger is in thee and thou art blessed 6. Those are in a State of Grace who prize the Word of God at an high rate All that are born again desire as new born Babes the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. Hark to our Lord. Joh. 8. 47. He that is of God heareth Gods words ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God With good reason do gracious Souls value the Word of God for it is the incorruptible seed whereof they are born again 't is the Food whereby they are nourished 't is the Physick whereby they are healed 't is the Cordial whereby they are revived 't is the Weapon wherewith they defend themselves against their spiritual Enemies Finally 't is the main Deed they have to shew for the heavenly inheritance If this Word of God be understood believed and received by thee in the love of it if thou desirest to be cast into the mould of the Word and in all things to conform to it if Davids language be thine Psal 119. 33 34 35. Teach me O Lord the way of thy Statutes and I shall keep it to the end Give me understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart Make me to go in the path of thy commandments for therein do I delight This will argue that thou hast a good and honest heart indeed 7. Those are in a state of grace who have the Spirit of Prayer The Apostle Paul assoon as ever translated into this state has this Character Behold he prayeth Act. 9. 11. 't is more than probable he had spoken the words of prayer many a time before while he was a zealous Son of the Jewish Church but now he prayed in Gods account now he prayed in the holy Ghost They that are hypocrites may excell in the gift of Prayer God may be much in their mouths and their expressions may be fluent and seemingly affectionate when yet he is far from their reins But the Spirit of grace and supplication is peculiar to the Saints Now such as have the Spirit of prayer their desires are drawn forth with greatest strength and fervour after Spiritual and eternal blessings They intreat the favour of God and fellowship with him with their whole heart they beg for the increase of Faith Fear and Love and every other grace and that they may be filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God and that being delivered from every evil work they may be preserved to his heavenly Kingdom Thus the Spirit makes intercession for them according to the will of God Rom. 8. 26 27. 8. They are in a state of Grace who love the brethren 1 Joh. 3. 14. Hereby we know we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren Now right love to the brethren is love with a pure heart and a good conscience 't is a fervent love 't is love to all the Saints though but poor in the world though of a different persuasion The image of God is loved wherever 't is found and the more of it is found 't is lookt upon as more lovely 'T is one thing to love the Saints because they are good natured because they are beautiful because they are bountiful because they are wise and discreet and 't is another thing to love them because they are holy And truly if the more holy they are the more we love them and the more plainly they deal with us by reprehension and advice in order unto our progress in sanctification and holiness the more and better we like them this is a clear and solid evidence of our being Saints our selves Moreover true Saints are of a publick Spirit they are concerned for the whole Church Militant and cry aloud that she may be preserved in purity unity and love and may more than conquer all enemies and come at last to be Triumphant 9. They are in a state of Grace who endure to the end and are not weary of well-doing He that endures to the end shall be saved says Christ and If ye continue in my word then are ye my Disciples indeed Joh. 8. 31. The sincerely Righteous ones not withstanding all difficulties oppositions trials tribulations hold on their way and they that have clean hands do wax stronger and stronger Job 17. 9. They fight the good fight of Faith to the last breath and by patient continuance in wel-doing they seek for glory honour and immortality and at last lay hold on eternal life Rom. 2. 7. Thus you have the Touchstone of the Word to prove your selves by And what this Word binds on earth is bound in heaven what this Word looses on earth is loosed in heaven If you continue in a state which this Word pronounces bad you will certainly be condemned but if your state be such as this Word declares good you will as certainly be acquitted rewarded and crown'd at the great approaching Day In the sixth place I am to inform you of the special seasons when this duty of self-proving is to be performed and the seasons are these 1. We ought to prove our selves before we engage in the ordinance of the Lords Supper There must be a Spiritual life or else there cannot be a fitness to be a guest at the Lords Table A dead Corps set at a Feast would be a frightful Spectacle to all there neither could a dead body eat any of the dainties prepared He that is dead in trespasses and sins is not a worthy Communicant for he wants the grace of Faith which is as the eye to discern the hand to receive and the mouth to eat the Lord Jesus who is the bread of life The Lords Supper is not an Ordinance designed to work the first grace for if 't were then none ought to be excluded the greatest Sinners are to be admitted to converting Ordinances and there would be no such thing as Excommunication in the Church of Christ But the design of it is to increase and strengthen and make more and more evident that grace which is already wrought Therefore we must prove what we are before we engage 1 Cor. 11. 28 29. But let a man examine himself and
so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgment to himself not discerning the Lords body We ought to prove our Spiritual state and examine our proficiency and eye the present frame of our hearts And though upon trial we cannot absolutely say we have grace yet if there be no black and apparent marks of unregeneracy and only probable signs of our being sanctified yet we ought to come to the Table that our Faith may be strengthned the work of sanctification carried on and our selves in that sealing Ordinance sealed unto the day of redemption Are we willing that every sin should die Are we willing that the world should be thrown out of the highest room in our hearts Are we willing to receive Christ and all the benefits he gives forth in this Ordinance Are we willing to resign and render our souls and all that is within us even our whole man to him If we can answer in the affirmative to all upon our coming to the Table we shall be made welcome whatever an unbelieving heart may fear and suggest to the contrary 2. We ought to prove our selves before solemn prayer and humiliation In solemn supplication Solomon speaks of it as necessary that every one should understand the plague of his own heart when he spreads forth his hands towards the house of God 1 King 8. 38. Now the heart must be examined what it ayls that the plague of it may be found out The Priest under the law was to look again and again upon the person suspected of leprosie The plagues of the heart lie deep many times and are not easily discerned there must be the more heedful examination And as we are to find out the plagues of our hearts so all our wants and weaknesses and all are to be spread before the God of all grace who can because most high perform all things for us and cure every malady and supply all our needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus 3. We ought to prove our selves after falls though believers shall never fall from a state of grace yet they may fall into several acts of sin And when their falls are more foul and scandalous their peace is broken The holy Spirit their Comforter being grieved their comfort and joy takes wings and flies away The guilt they contract fills them with fear and brings them under great bondage their evidences are blotted and their state seemsto be very questionable Now therefore it concerns them to prove themselves that they may find out the lurking corruption that betrayed them and that they may be sensible of the heinous nature and high aggravations of the sins they have committed that being truly humbled they may cry with fervency for pardon and cleansing and that the joy of Gods salvation may be restored David after he had defiled Bathsheba the Wife and murdered Vriah the Husband he renews the Search into himself he traces these filthy streams till he came to the fountain the original corruption of his nature he is sensible what an impure and deceitful heart he had and therefore cries out Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Psal 51. 10. he found that his fall had fill'd him with anguish and very much enfeebled him therefore he prays Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit v. 12. His sin stared him in the face and he begs that God would hide his face from it and withal he offers the acceptable sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart to him 4. We ought to prove our selves in the time of Spiritual desertion When God had withdrawn from the Psalmist and so far withdrawn as that he almost questioned whether ever he would return again and therefore cries out Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more then he communed with his own heart and his Spirit made diligent search Psal 77. 6 7. David enquires why his God had forsaken him and why he was so far from helping him and from the words of his roaring Psal 22. 1. and Job under desertion cries out why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so that I am a burthen to my self Job 7. 20. Spiritual desertions are very uncomfortable these are the hours wherein the powers of darkness buffet believers and unbelief and deadness and corruptions prevail Saints therefore should question themselves severely what they have been and done which has grieved and quenched the Blessed Spirit that they may lament their sin and loss and lament after God they are also to reflect upon former experiences of special kindness and call to remembrance their Songs in the night and the years of the right hand of the Most High and the consideration of Gods unchangeable love and his sure and everlasting Covenant should keep them from sinking into despondency Finally they are to observe the design of God in withdrawing and be the more humble distrustful of themselves depending on their beloved Lord and the more thankful and fruitful prizing the presence of God the more highly ever after 5. We ought to prove our selves in the time of affliction So says the Prophet Lam. 3. 39 40. Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins Let us search and try our ways and turn unto the Lord our God Conscience is many times awakened by affliction we should not hinder it from being busie and prying but hearken to it whatever it speaks to us Josephs Brethren made light of their cruelty towards their Brother for many years together But when they were in distress in Egypt then they lookt into themselves and they had a smart and stinging sence of their own unmercifulness and they cry out We are verily guilty concerning our Brother Affliction should cause us to consider our ways and though sins were palliated and excused before yet then we should acknowledge we are verily guilty When our sin hath found us out we should find that out and our Souls should be humbled within us and turn to him that smites us 6. We ought to prove our selves after our engaging in Ordinances 'T is good to examine before what we want and after what we have gained Ordinances are Talents and a vast improvement may be made of them if we are not wanting to our own interest Merchants that drive a Trade beyond the Seas when the Ships return they are careful to examine what is the produce of the ventures they send So should we in this Spiritual Trade we should ask our selves what we have gained And what is the produce of all our praying hearing fasting praising Whether we are such wise Merchants as to gain the Pearl of price Whether we thrive in grace and grow rich in faith rich in good works for this is to grow rich towards God And truely all the Silver
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE True TOVCHSTONE Which shows both GRACE and NATVRE OR A Discourse concerning Self-Examination by which both Saints and Sinners may come to know themselves WHEREUNTO Are added sundry MEDITATIONS relating to the LORDS SUPPER By Nathanael Vincent M. A. Minister of the Gospel Psal 26. 2. Examine me O Lord prove me try my Reins and my Heart E coelo descendit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 London Printed by J. Richardson for Tho. Parkhurâ—â— at the Bible and 3 Crowns in Cheapside 1681. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFUL Sir THOMAS PLAYER Knight and Chamberlain of the City of LONDON Much Honoured Sir GReatness and Goodness though more rarely joyned are not inconsistent God himself is Optimus Maximus the Highest and the Best of Beings Magistrates that are good do best deserve the Name of Gods on Earth Psal 82. 6. I said ye are Gods but ye shall dye like Men. And when Death seizes on them their Greatness is buried with them but their goodness accompanies them into another World and in this World perpetuates their Names and makes their Memory Blessed Rich men ought not to be High minded nor trust in uncertain Riches Wealth is but as it were a Castle in the Air and a High Wall in the conceit and fancy of him that has it The Rich man therefore is to rejoyce that he is made low because as the flower of the Grass he shall pass away Jam. 1. 10. Good Sir Weigh this World but in the right Scales and it will be found a Drop a Small Dust as the Prophets phrase is Goodness is the most real Grandeur Holiness the highest Honour Godliness the greatest Gain and Purity has the most solid and exquisite Delight and Pleasure for its concomitant In this degenerate Age wherein Sin is so much in fashion and become the Mode of the Times it is matter of rejoycing to see some Great men striving against the stream and manifesting to all that they are not afraid or ashamed of being Religious I wish more Great Men were good and that all good men were a great deal better Times would quickly alter with Manners and if more would lead good Lives more would see good days Go on I beseech you Sir To stand up for God and for your Country God and your Country will stand by you It is your Glory that you are a firm Protestant against Popery and against Atheism also and Prophaneness and that both in Word and Conversation Go on to be Faithful in that great Trust which most deservedly is reposed in you and to be a greater Treasure to your beloved City then that you are keeper of Go on to a Father to Orphans a Patron to Apprentices a Friend to Masters and one of the Darlings of London May you live long to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a publick Good and may your Name outlive you many Ages Stapleton the Jesuit put forth a Book Entitled Tres Thomae the Three Thomas's St. Thomas the Apostle Thomas of Becket and Sir Thomas More Every Christian will readily grant the preeminence to an Apostle but for the other two the Arch-Bishop and the Statesman The Thomas I addresse to does much outvy them and in saying this I cannot justly be charged with Flattery The proud Prelate Becket and the Unhappy Wit Sir Thomas More were for the Pope against their Kings But Sir Thomas Player is and will be for the King against the Pope and all his Adherents Many Trials of the Papists have of late been Printed in this Treatise is the greatest Trial of all and that is the Trial of our selves May your Conscience upon the perusal of it acquit you at present and pronounce you upright and may you be absolved and crowned at the great approaching day of Trial this is the Prayer of Sir Your most Humble Servant Nathanael Vincent TO THE READER Reader T IS an Argument of sufficient strength to prove that Man has lost his understanding by his sin that he is so unconcern'd about Himself so fearlesse of Eternal Ruine so negligent of Everlasting Salvation though prudent in secular and smaller matters yet he is perfectly phrantick in the greatest and most weighty concerns of another World If a man have a trial at Law is he thoughtful of the issue The Malefactour who is to be tried for his Life is sollicitous about the Judges sentence But though All must be tried and judged at the great Tribunal of the Lord of Heaven and Earth yet few very few regard it or think before hand what is like to be their unalterable Doom How truly lamentable is it that Souls should be thus drown'd in flesh and sensuallity So blinded by the Prince of Darkness as not to consider what is likely to become of themselves What must be their next Home when once they leave their present Tabernacle which is continually decaying and must fall down quickly may fall down suddenly To prove thy self is certainly thy Wisedom Ignorance of sins evil makes sin damnable ignorance of Satans wiles and devices makes them successful to destruction ignorance of a bad estate makes it so much the worse because 't is not probable it should be changed and not discerning the Grace that is in us keeps the Conscience and Heart upon the Rack Satan is gratified and the Comfort of the Spirit is refused Reader Converse with thy self will be very advantagious Why should Thou and thy self be perfect Strangers any longer Commune often with thy own Heart and reflect more upon thy Life this would be an excellent means to make both better I did not think when first I began to Preach upon this subject to have been so large upon it much less had I thoughts to make the discourse publick but the concurrent desire of a considerable number made me hope it had been already profitable unto many and might be useful unto more Reader Whether thou art to be reckoned among the Righteous or the Wicked be not unwilling to examine thy felf For if thou art serious in this matter the effect will be either a profitable fear and sorrow or good Hope and Peace and Joy Nathanael Vincent The CONTENTS THE Text Opened Page2 The Doctrine raised It highly concerns all to examine and prove themselves p. 3 self-Examination opened Six propositions premised p. 4 Seven things implied in Self-Examination p. 7. What of our selves is to be proved shewed in eleven particulars p. 12 Eight signs of our being in the Faith p. 19 Eight Evidences of Christ his being in us p. 27 The right manner of proving our selves in nine particulars p. 33 By what Rule and Touchstone this proof of our selves is to be made seven cautionary rules laid down to prevent mistaking p. 40 The right rule of judging p. 45 Nine signs of being in a state of Nature p. 46 Nine signs of being in a state of Grace p. 53 The special seasons when we are to prove our selves p. 62 Arguments perswading to Self-Examination p.
premised 1. The Children of men do owe obedience unto God as their rightful Lord and Governour and consequently it concerns them to examine whether the Lord has been obeyed or other Lords have had and still have the dominion over them Man did not make himself neither is he able to perserve himself and he is farthest off from being able to redeem and save himself therefore man is not his own 't is impious in him to speak that language Psal 12. 4. Who is Lord over me But that God who gave him his being who holds his soul in life and alone can redeem and save his soul from wrath does justly lay claim to him as his subject and require obedience from him 2. The Sons of men are under a law which they are obliged to keep as a rule of righteousness God himself has given them a law which is holy just and good they are therefore to examine what respect they have had to this law Whether it has been kept as it ought like the apple of the eye Or whether it has been hated and broken and cast behind the back For sincere obedience and life and death and disobedience are joyned together Deut. 30. 19 20. 3. We are all of us not only under a law but under the eye of our Lord and Law-giver continually He compasses our path and our lying down and is acquainted with all our ways Psal 139. 3. And shall we be ignorant of our own ways His eyes behold his eye-lids try the children of men Psal 11. 4. When we would look more intently our eye-lids are more contracted Gods eye-lids are mentioned to signifie how intently he eyes when he tries the Children of men and shall not they prove and try themselves 4. Naturally we are prone to nothing but what is contrary to that Law and Rule we should walk by The Apostle sticks not to say that the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the law of God neither indeed can it be Rom. 8. 7. And as the heart of man is desperately wicked so 't is deceitful above all things and it manifests its deceitfulness in concealing and hiding that it may hold fast its wickedness Those that have such hearts how jealous should they be of them How careful to prove and to pry into them And suppose there be a new nature given yet upon proof 't will be found that there is too too much of the old remaining 5. We are endued with a power of self-reflection and may take notice both of our hearts actions There is a law written in our hearts by nature which does in part discover what we should do and be but the Word of God much more fully informs us of our duty We may erect a Bar or Tribunal in our own souls and call our selves before it Conscience can first be Witness and afterwards a Judge And truly a right judging of our selves is one way to escape being condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 31. 6. All must be Summoned to give an account of themselves unto God at last Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us must give accout of himself unto God 2 Cor. 5. 10. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body whether it be good or evil Should we not then try and prove our selves before hand repent of our evil deeds believe in the Mediator and throughly amend our doings that we may be found of our Lord and Judge in peace These propositions premised I shall open the nature of this duty of self-proving 1. Self-proving implies a serious Inquisition and Search into our selves Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search And truly a diligent search is but needful for as Augustine observes Grande profundum est homo Man is a great deep and therefore 't is difficult for a man to sound himself and to come to the bottom of his own heart Job speaks of the secrets of nature and says there is a path which no fowl knoweth and which the Vultures eye though it be so piercing hath not seen Job 28. 7. But the secrets of the heart are more abstruse and hard to be found out The Heathen Poet advised Tecum habita Dwell with thy self our thoughts should dwell much upon our selves that we may find out the utmost of our selves Our whole man is to fall under our inspection our ways our words our senses our souls are all to be lookt over 2. Self-proving implies a fear of self-deceit The Apostle cautions against being deceived by man Eph. 5. 6. Let no man deceive you with vain words against being beguiled by Satan 2 Cor. 11. 3. But I fear lest by any means as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ He cautions also against self-deceit 1 Cor. 3. 18. Let no man deceive himself He that is not jealous over himself will easily mistake and may go out of the World mistaken and after death the mistake will be impossible to be corrected we must therefore take heed to our selves that our spirits deal not treacherously 3. Self proving implies using the Light of the Word of God This Word is quick and powerful and as the Anatomists Knife dissects all the parts of the Body and lays even the inmost of them open unto view so the Word like a sharp and two edged Sword does pierce through all and divides between Soul and Spirit i. e. between Nature and Grace for the natural man is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the meaning may be that the Word discovers not only the corruption in the Affections and the inferior faculties of the Soul but also that depravation and sin which is in the faculties which are Superior and discerns what the intents and thoughts and reasonings of the heart are Heb. 4. 12. Unless we make use of the light of the Word we shall be lost in the dark while searching our selves The Word makes manifest the very secrets of the heart and hereby 't is plain that God who searches the heart is the Author of this Word and does accompany it 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. We find an Hearer convinced of all and judged of all the secrets of his heart are made manifest and worshipping God he acknowledges God is in the Preachers of a Truth 4. Self-proving implies comparing our selves with that Rule whereunto we ought to be conformed The Commands of God lay an obligation upon the whole man We are required to cleanse our hands and purifie our hearts Jam. 4. 8. We must be holy in all manner of Conversation and our affections must be set on things above not on Earthly things our Minds also and Consciences must be purged from their defilements Now a comparison is to be made between what we should be and what we are This bringing our selves to the right
Rule will discover our obliquities and cause us the better to understand our selves The Apostle in another case condemns the folly of them Who measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves among themselves Let us remember Vivendum est regulis we must walk by Rule and that is the Word and by the Word we must at last be judged therefore 't is our wisdom to see whether heart and life are agreeable to it 5. Self-proving implies Self-accusing and self-condemning for what is evil Upon examination having found out our iniquities we must hold up our guilty hands at Gods Bar and acknowledge all we know all that Satan can justly lay to our charge Nay all that is down in the Book of Gods own remembrance Psal 51. 3. I acknowledge my iniquity and my sin is ever before me And as upon the discovery of sin we are to be our own Accusers so also to judge and condemn our selves We must readily justifie the Lord in the greatest severities at present nay we must acquit him upon supposition of eternal severity if he should make us to feel his wrath and greatest indignation for ever 6. Self-proving implies approving and taking comfort in that grace and goodness that has been wrought in us by the Spirit As we are to be strict in the search after sin so grace is in no wise to be overlookt The least degree of true grace is great matter of praise nay will occasion eternal thanksgiving God does not despise the day of small things neither should we but must own the good things though but some good things which are in us in Christ Jesus Philem. 6. Breathings after God prizing of Christ weariness of sin and longing to be holy must in no wise be unobserved in this work of Self-examination 7. Self-proving will never be to any purpose unless there be a crying unto the Lord himself to search us that we may not pass a wrong judgment upon our selves What depth is there that He cannot fathom What can be concealed from him who knows all things Jer. 17. 10. I the Lord search the heart though 't is deceitful above all things it cannot deceive me I try the Reins David therefore prays Examine me O Lord and prove me try my Reins and my Heart Psal 26. 2. and Psal 139. 23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way ever lasting In the second place I am to shew what of our selves is to be proved 1. We are to examine and prove what is our common and allowed practice A Sanguine man is not denominated Pale as Aristotle observes when he is Pale through fear nor a Pale man Sanguine when he blushes through shame A good man may sometimes fall into that which is evil and a bad man may sometimes hit upon an action that is good The Tree is to be judged by the ordinary Fruit it bears The Apostle speaks of his manner of life that it was godly in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 3. 10 12. But if it be our manner to be workers of iniquity our doom will be at last to be excluded the Kingdom Luk. 13. 26 27. 2. We are to examine what course we are resolved still to take If the wicked man will forsake his way and turn to God mercy is promised and abundant pardon Esa 55. 7. If the prodigal come home to his Fathers House he shall be received with joy his former riot being forgotten and forgiven so that the door of hope is open even to the ungodly man if he will but deny his ungodliness But if the enemies of God will not lay down their Weapons but refuse and rebel still this argues the state to be bad and destruction to be near the Lord may quickly come to a resolution to ease himself of such Adversaries Esa 1. 24. 3. We must examine what company is most acceptable to us If we we love the ungodly who hate the Lord if the wickedness of others whereby God is dishonoured is not the matter of our dislike as long as they thwart not but promote our secular and carnal interest if we like the company of Fools and Sinners are the worst Fools well enough 't is a sign we are Fools our selves Fools indeed who venture to be destroyed and to go to Hell for company Prov. 13. 20. But if the Saints are lookt upon as the most excellent ones and delighted in as the best Society Psal 16. 3. if we love them that are born of God it shews that we our selves are born of him 4. We must examine of what nature our Communication is The Tongue is the index of the heart and shews what is in it As evil Communications corrupt good manners so they are a sign of a corrupt heart from whence they proceed A Tongue that is not bridled but rails lies backbites and is obscene impious and prophane is an argument that Religion is but vain Jam. 1. 26. But when the Tongue not out of any carnal design but delightfully talks of the Word of God when we sit in the house when we walk by the way when we lie down and when we rise up 't is a sign the Word is in the Heart and that the Heart is renewed and changed by the Word Deut. 4. 6 7. 5. We must examine what thoughts as welcome guests are suffered to lodge within us 'T is said of wicked men that God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10. 4. but wicked and vain thoughts are delightful and abide in them Proud revengeful covetous filthy and all sinful thoughts are vain thoughts because they are to no good end or purpose nay to very bad purpose Now if such thoughts as these lodge in the heart the heart is not washed from its wickedness and they will hinder salvation Jer. 4. 14. But if holy thoughts are cherished and there is a complacency in them more of them are desired and sinful thoughts are a burthen which the heart is weary of and does conflict with and wishes their expulsion This does speak a gracious frame of spirit 6. We must examine what power we have of Spiritual discerning The Gospel is hid from the natural man which proves him in a lost state 2 Cor. 4. 3. The things of the spirit of God are foolishness to him and he counts it the greatest wisdom to secure things visible That Rich man Luk. 12. thought he had been mighty provident and prudent in laying up goods for many years But if we are Saints indeed we have a faculty of Spiritual discerning and judge quite otherwise and our judgment is this and that judgment is true namely That all are fools and poor and miserable that are not rich in Grace rich towards God and that have made no provision for Eternity God called the forementioned Rich man a Fool upon this score And as the Lord calls the worldly-minded Fools
they be accomplished 2. Our Faith will be joyned with Godly sorrow and repentance Act. 20. 21. Testifying both to Jews and Greeks Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ The Hypocrites Faith is usually without Repentance he is stranger to godly sorrow and yet he is full of confidence or his repentance is without Faith he lies down like Cain or Judas under the burthen of his guilt and utterly despairs of mercy I grant that weak believers have strong temptations to despair But the God of hope bears up their hearts by an unseen hand so that they neither desperately destroy themselves nor come to this resolution since there is no hope but they must be damn'd they will be damn'd for something and so run out to all excess of riot If our Faith be true Sin will be our grief and detestation and there will be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a change in our minds and rendring our hearts unto God 3. If we are in the Faith Christ is no longer a stone of stumbling but exceeding precious in our esteem 1 Pet. 2. 6 7. He is lookt upon as the power of God and the wisdom of God The wisdom of God in contriving such a way of salvation is admired and the power of Christ to save to the uttermost is believed The Apostle counted all things but loss dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord Phil. 3. 8. 'T is impossible a man should be a true Believer and not have an high value for the Lord Jesus His Person is precious He is the Fathers equal his Darling and the Brightness of his Glory He is the Angels wonder and they all are commanded to worship him Heb. 1. 3. 6. He is the Churches Head and supplies the whole Body with his fulness Eph. 1. ult And gave him to be Head over all things to the Church which is his Body the fulness of him that filleth all in all And as the Person of Christ so the Blood of Christ is said to be precious 1 Pet. 1. 19. Ye were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot His benefits are precious True Faith counts Him altogether lovely and hinders any offence from being taken at him Matth. 11. 6. 4. Our Faith will purifie our hearts Act. 15. 9. And put no difference between us and them purifying their hearts by faith Faith is persuaded of the holiness of God and that he searches the heart and trieth and weigheth the spirits of the children of men 't is also persuaded that only the pare in heart shall see God or are fit to see him Mat. 5. 8. No wonder therefore if the consequent of Faith be a following after holiness without which no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12. 14. Faith moreover takes notice of the End of Christs dying which was that he might sanctifie and cleanse his Church and present it unto himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it might be holy and without blemish Eph. 5. 26 27. and hence we have a plae for holiness which is very effectual to obtain it Finally Faith applies the promises of sanctification the promises of a new heart and of a new spirit Ezek. 36. 25 26. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And by such promises as these Believers who account them exceeding great and precious are made partakers of the Divine nature and escape the corruption that is in the World through lust 2 Pet. 1. 4. 5. If we are in the Faith our faith will work and work by love Ephes 5. 6. For in Christ Jesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love The Apostle tells us that faith without works is dead as the body is dead without the spirit Jam. 2. ult Faith derives strength from Christ whereby we yield obedience to the will of God as well as relies upon his justifying righteousness But all works will not prove the truth of faith but such works as proceed from love We must pray because we love God we must hear because we love him we must live to him because we love him There is a threefold love to God of Desire of Benevolence and Complacency now though all that have true faith may not arrive so high as to delight in God yet all true believers do desire after God above all and they bear such good will to him as to wish him glorified more by themselves and others and this shews the sincerity of their love 6. Our Faith will be weary of its contrary and we shall cry with earnestness that the Lord would help our unbelief The man in the Gospel was very much troubled at his infidelity and therefore cried out with tears to Christ Lord I believe i. e. I believe in part and desire to believe more strongly help thou my unbelief Mat. 9. 24. Unbelieving injections against God against Christ against the Spirit of grace against the Word of truth are felt as so many buffets and blows upon an heart that truly believes The believer desires to have his Assent to the Word of God more strong that it may have the stronger influence and that his affections and actions may be such as may suit his believing every syllable of the Bible to be true He desires his reliance upon God upon Christ and upon the promises may be more firm and steady And oh what a value does he put a well-grounded assurance of the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. ult 7. If we are in the Faith our faith will give us victory over this present world 1 Joh. 5. 4. 5. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world and this is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith The believer is so wise as nihil admirari to admire nothing in this world Our Lord Jesus himself had but little of this world and cared not for it when Satan offered him all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them he despised the offer The Apostles were poor in the world and yet the special favourites of heaven certainly the world is not a matter of extraordinary value Most Saints have had but little of it and those who have had much of it have lived above it Moses by Faith despised the pleasures of sin and the treasures of Aegypt and prefer'd even reproaches for Christ and afflictions with the people of God before them Though David was a King and wore a Crown of pure gold on his head yet his faith made him look upon himself as a
new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are past away and all things become new The old Adam and deceitful lusts are put off and the new man put on which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness This Spirit of Christ mortifies the deeds of the Body Rom. 8. 13. and causes those who are led by him to walk in the Lords Statutes and he fills them with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the praise and glory of God 7. If we are in Christ and he in us we shall endeavour to walk as he walked He is the unerring Pattern to be followers of Christ is certainly to go right 'T is in vain to say that we abide in him unless in some measure we resemble him and long to be more and more conformable to the Image of the Son of God The Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 2. 6. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk even as he walked When we go about doing good when 't is our meat and drink to do the work and business of our heavenly Father when we walk in meekness and humility not rendring evil for evil or railing for railing but overcome evil with good then the same mind that was in Christ our Lord is also in us and 't is evident that Christ is in us of a truth 8. If Christ be in us we shall account it our happiness to be where he is and to behold his glory As long as we are upon Earth we are in a vale of Tears Sin remaining we cannot be free from trouble the remainders of flesh and corruption will make us sigh and cry O wretched Rom. 7. 24. But when we are absent from the Body we shall be present with the Lord 2 Cor. 5. 8. and then we shall be compleatly freed from whatever is matter of complaint and sorrow Believers value Heaven though the hypocritical and carnal are earthly minded The Apostle propounds it as the highest comfort that Believers shall certainly be with the Lord and shall be ever with the Lord 1 Thes 4. ult And Christ himself prays for this as the top of his Disciples happiness Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me may be with me where I am that they may behold my glory This he promises to his Disciples to bear up their hearts and arm them against all fears and troubles whatsoever Joh. 14. 3. If I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there ye may be also In the fourth place follows the Manner how we are to prove our selves 1. In Self-proving Self-love and Self-flattery must be banished Wicked men are said to flatter themselves in their own eyes until their iniquity be found to be hateful Psal 36. 2. that is till punishment overtake them and throughly convince them how hateful sin is in the eyes of an holy and Righteous God Self-flattery has undone thousands rather than have bad thoughts of themselves and their own condition they will frame a strange conception of God and think him like themselves and 't is ordinary to cry peace and promise safety to themselves till sudden destruction come upon them Psal 50. 21 22. These things hast thou done and I kept silence and thou thoughtest I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver We must therefore deal plainly with our selves and pass a true judgment 2. A sufficient time must be allotted and allowed for this matter What is our time given us for but that we may make provision and sure work for Eternity Qui cito pronunciat ad pauca respicit He that judgeth hastily commonly judgeth amiss We must sequester our selves from other business that we may have a full conference with our selves Commune with your own heart upon your Bed says David and be still Psal 4. 4. that is when you are retired do this and be at leisure to understand what your hearts have to say for or against themselves If we commune but little but seldom with our hearts we may live and die ignorant of them 3. Self-proving ought to be managed with all possible seriousness and concernedness of spirit Matters which relate to our Estates and Livelihood are minded seriously and especially we do not trifle in matters of Life and Death But how much more serious should we be in a business upon which our eternal welfare does so very much depend A Mistake about our selves and our Spiritual Estate would be an undoing mistake indeed and after Death 't will be perceived and lamented but 't will be too late to rectifie and amend it And how much will it increase our woe to go out of the World with confidence that all 's Well and find our selves in Hell immediately after our dissolution where our condition will be so very ill and never never to be altered Our fear therefore must be the greater of being deceived and our care the more diligent to prevent it 4. We must be willing to Examine and Ransack our selves to the very bottom to know the worst to know the best to know the whole of our selves Travellers have taken a great deal of pains and gone many a weary step to view the greater World Man is a Microcosm little World And as in the greater World there is Terra Incognita much Land unknown so 't is in this lesser World much of it remains undiscovered Curiosity acts the Travellers in the viewing of Cities and Nations but truly Necessity should make us to take a view of our selves because Self-ignorance is so dangerous and damnable We are endued with a great many powers and faculties we have various affections desires and inclinations many imaginations reasonings and designs All these are corrupted by nature and need be renewed by the grace of God We should therefore be the more strict in searching that Sin wherever it lurks may not escape our knowledge and that grace also may be made manifest 5. All along the aid of the Spirit of God is to be called in David says Whither shall I go from thy Spirit and whether shall I flee from thy presence Psal 139. 7. The Spirit searcheth all things even the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. Surely then the Spirit can discover the deepest things in Man 'T is the work of the Spirit to reprove the World of Sin He takes away the Fig leaves of excuses and presents Sin naked and bare He wipes off the paint that is upon Sin and shews the exceeding sinfulness of it that it may be lamented and abhorred He discovers also the truth of Grace and he does both infallibly His light and help therefore is the more to
be desired 6. Self-proving must be presently Delays are dangerous life is uncertain 't is sad to be at uncertainties in reference to a future a better life Now is the time to obey the call of the Gospel and now is the time to make our calling sure it concerns us to be speedy and to give diligence to do it 2 Pet. 1. 10. Sinners had need to make haste and to find out their sores quickly and their lost Estate while a Physician and a Saviour is near them Saints have reason to be speedy in Self-trial for perhaps it may be long before a well-grounded assurance be attained 7. Self-proving must frequently be renewed We must not take one or the first report of our own hearts but must call them to Task and bring them to the Touchstone again and again We must observe our selves what we are before Men and what we are in secret when only God takes Cognisance of us We must observe what we are in good Company and what in bad And if we are good only for Company truely we shall be bad also for Company sake We must try and see how we carry it in prosperity and how under affliction what we are in duty and what we prove in the hour of temptation A Painter if he will give an exact Description of a City or a Palace will draw a prospect of it Eastward Westward Northward Southward So we should often view our selves in several conditions in several actions in several trials and temptations that we may be able to judge the more truely 8. In Self-proving we must never give over till we have brought the matter to an issue If we cannot sound our selves the first or second or tenth or twentieth time yet we should not cease but hold on the rather in Self-examination The Woman in the Gospel which had lost the piece of Silver did light a Candle and sought diligently till she found it Luk. 15. 8. In like manner we should take the Candle of the Word of God and seek diligently till we find whether we have grace or no. Christ asked concerning the Tribute Money whose Image and Superscription it had So we should ask Whose Image we bear If the Image of God be upon us his Superscription is upon us and we really belong to him But if the Image of Satan be upon us he lays claim to us as his Children because in regard of evil we resemble that Evil One Well let us not give over in searching till we know whose we are Both Sin and Grace are worth finding out Sin that it may be dealt with as an Enemy and subdued Grace that it may be own'd with thankfulness and consolation 9. After we have done all we must look unto the Holy Ghost for his sealing and witness As the Spirit by discovering Sin and Hell and Wrath works bondage and fear so the Spirit infuses Grace shines upon that grace discovers the truth of it and works assurance The Holy Spirit of God dwells in the Saints and seals them to the day of redemption Eph. 4. 30. His work is to witness their Adoption so that with confidence they cry Abba Father Gal. 4. 6. The Apostle speaks of a twofold testimony concerning the Saints Adoption the testimony of their Spirits the testimony of Gods Spirit Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our Spirits that we are the Children of God The Spirit of Believers comparing their Hearts and the Word together may give a testimony that they are the Children of God But if this testimony be single 't is not so valid as one Witness under the old Law was not a full Evidence This Testimony when alone will be cavel'd at and contradicted by the Accuser of the Brethren and will be questioned by the heart it self But when the Spirit of the Lord superadds his Testimony then there is Light and Liberty then Adoption is apparent God is confidently called Father peace and joy follows the State is now clear'd Grace is evidenced and future Glory is upon good ground expected In the fifth place I am to inform you by what Rule and Touchstone this proof of our selves is to be made If our Rule be false or insufficient our judgments of our selves must needs be wrong Before I discourse concerning the right Touchstone I shall lay down some cautionary Rules in this matter 1. We must not try our selves so as to judge of our Spiritual and Eternal State by the Moral Law taken in its utmost latitude and extent By the Law indeed is the knowledge of Sin and having discovered Sin it leaves the Sinner under the curse and condemnation Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things that are written in the Book of the Law to do them If therefore we were to try our selves by the Law and the exceeding bredth of it all even the best must conclude themselves accursed because in many things all do transgress and offend Jam. 3. 2. David prays against a strict sentence according to the just Law of God for according to this he knew it would go ill with him and all flesh besides Psal 143. 2. Enter not into judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified And the Apostle affirms By the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight Rom. 3. 20. Blessed be God! that through Jesus Christ is preached unto us the forgiveness of sins and by Him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Act. 13. 38 39. 2. When looking into the truth of our Graces we must not prove our selves by the characters of Grace in the higher actings of it Some are but Lambs and yet are truely of Christs Fold though they cannot keep pace with the stronger of the Flock Such therefore the great Shepherd has promised to carry in his bosom Esa 40. 11. Some are but babes in Christ and yet are truely the Children of God as well as those who are strong men If we look upon Abraham we find him strong in Faith believing against hope and thereby giving glory to God Rom 4. 18 20. We find David rejoycing and professing that God was the gladness of his joy and his Soul is satisfied and ravished with a sence of his excellent loving-kindness Psal 43. 4. The Apostle Paul is fully persuaded of the love of God is got above all doubts and fears and insults over all as being confident that nothing shall be able to separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord Rom. 8. ult He is not terrified at Death but desires to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. 23. But now these which I have mentioned are the higher actings of Grace And if weak Believers should try themselves by such examples as these Satan would get advantage and their doubts and discouragements would
believe a lye This the Apostle tells us will end in damnation 2 Thes 2. 11 12. I grant that true Saints may fall into Error but the Elect of God shall not finally be deceived in those doctrines which are fundamental and of absolute necessity to be believed in order to Salvation True Saints do still hold the Head and build upon the Rock Christ though some of their building may be wood and hay and stubble Those therefore who deny the Lord that bought them and make light of the blood of Jesus the price of the Churches redemption are none of the Sheep of Christ and will bring upon themselves swift destruction 2 Pet. 2. 1 2. 9. They never were but in a state of Nature who are total and final Apostates Such are compared to the stony ground and in time of temptation falling away Christ says they had not root in themselves Mat. 13. 21. so 1. Joh. 2. 19. If they had been of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest they were not all of us The utter Apostate shall be fill'd with his own ways and ripen himself apace for ruine Gods Soul shall have no pleasure in him his drawing back will be to perdition Heb. 10. 38 39. and his last state worse than his beginning Thus the Word describes a State of Nature 2. In the second place I am to describe out of the same Word of God and give the signs of a State of Grace and to shew you what are those things which accompany Salvation Now the Scripture pronounces them in a safe and good estate 1. Who come to the light and are willing to be searched True Gold does not fear the Touchstone and true Grace can abide the trial sincere Souls upon this very account like that preaching best which searches most whereas unsound Israel could not bear the words of the Prophet Amos 7. 10. There is a kind of Spiritual instinct in true Believers which inclines them both to a jealousie of themselves and a desire to have their hearts laid open whereas Hypocrites love the dark and are contentedly nay gladly ignorant of themselves Our Lord speaks very plain Joh. 3. 20 21. Every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be discovered but every one that doth truth cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Doest thou like the Word when 't is most quick and powerful When 't is most sharp and piercing Doest thou bring thy heart to the Lord and say Search it O God Even throughout and look into every corner and let no corruption lye concealed let not so much as one lust be hid or spared This willingness to be thus examined and proved and to have the reins and heart tried argues truth of grace 2. They are in a State of Grace who are truely contrite and broken because of Sin Psal 34. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit He that is indeed contrite has been convinced of Sin by the Spirit of God and has been made to see the evil in it and the evil that will follow upon it His sin and his misery have been perceived He is grieved because he has sinned against the Lord and wishes that his sorrow might be more abundant because his sin has so much abounded and he laments over a corrupted heart and nature which inclines him to nothing else but sin His heart troubles him which is so hard as well as wicked He accuses himself he judges himself before God he loaths himself in his own sight And now all sin is hated he will divorce the Herodias and consent that the Benjamin should go Nay the sin which was like Benjamin the darling is a Benoni matter of the greatest sorrow This hatred of all sin argues spiritual and saving understanding Psal 119. 104. Through thy Precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Sin ruines none but those that love it Those that hate it generally implacably and to the death shall never dye and be destroyed by it Certainly thou art sincere if thou hatest thy lusts that formerly were thy Lords and if thou canst truely cry with David Psal 119. 133. Order my steps in thy Word and let no iniquity have the dominion over me 3. Those are in a State of Grace who receive Jesus Christ the Son of God To reject Christ binds all our guilt upon us and fixes us under wrath and 't is in effect to refuse Salvation But to as many as receive him to them he gives power to become the Sons of God even to them that believe in his name Joh. 1. 12. If Christ be rightly and indeed received he is received just as God offers him as a Prince to Rule as well as a Saviour from Wrath to give Repentance as well as remission of Sins Act. 5. 31. Christ must be received as an able Saviour as a willing Saviour as the onely Saviour and the whole of that Salvation whereof he is the Author must be valued When he is received there is a consent to cast all that offends him out of the heart to make room for him and truely all of Christ is welcom His strictest commands his mortifying and sanctifying Spirit his Yoak his Burthen his Reproach his Cross are welcom for his sake as well as his Crown If we do not sit down and count the cost and first of all well understand and then fully agree to the Articles and Terms on which Christ is to be received we may easily deceive our selves 4. Those are in a State of Grace who desire after God above all and yield and give themselves unto the Lord. The Psalmist was a sincere Saint who said Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee i. e. none as my great help as my chief happiness besides thee And notice is taken of the grace of God bestowed upon the Churches of Macedonia because they gave their own selves to the Lord 2 Cor. 8. 5. If thy eyes have been opened to see that God is a far greater good than the Creature and a greater good to thee and thou desirest and chusest the Lord himself who is so gracious and alsufficient as incomparably the best portion and art as willing to be his portion as to have him thine this willingness shews thou art of the number of his people and that his powerful grace has been at work in thee Psal 110. 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power God is called the portion of Jacob and Israel is styled the rod of his inheritance Jer. 10. 16. God and his people chuse each other 5. They are in a State of Grace who hunger and thirst after righteousness Our Lord pronounces such blessed and if he
and Gold that ever was created is but dross in comparison of these riches To go to Ordinances and from them as the Door turns upon the Hinges and to remain just as we were will turn to no account nay to an ill account We are not to rest therefore in opere operato the work done but examine what light what heat what strength what grace what peace we gain by attending upon God or else we may live and dye like lukewarm and mistaken Laodicea who said she was rich and increased with Goods and had need of nothing and knew not that she was wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Rev. 3. 17. 7. 'T is not amiss if there be some Self-proving every day that keeping of the heart with all diligence Prov. 4. 23. implies a daily watching and calling it to an account and that pondering the path of our feet required vers 26. implies both wariness before and a tracing our Steps afterwards to see whether they have been right or wrong step towards God or from him Pythagoras an Heathen advises every night to ask our selves such Questions as these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where have I sinn'd What have I done What duty have I let alone Thus bad and good deeds every night Will be thy chiding or delight In the seventh place I come to the Arguments persuading all to this examination and proving of themselves 1. Satan is very subtle he does endeavour to conceal and hide both Sin and Grace Sin in the wicked that they may not perceive the evil nature and tendency of it till it has actually and utterly ruin'd them and Grace in them that do believe that their hearts may be tormented with doubts and fears and straitned in thanksgiving unto God Satan is a lying Spirit and upholds his Kingdom by deceit and falshood His work is to fill Gods Children with false fears and his own with false hopes and he has many wiles and stratagems to do both 'T is good therefore to be aware of him and to be the stricter in searching of our selves that he may not impose upon us nor make us call evil good and good evil Let us take great heed for Satan is the Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12. 10. and will accuse them to themselves as well as accuse them before God he will transform a true Saint and make him look in his own apprehension like a meer reprobate And as he is the Accuser of the Brethren so he is the Excuser of the wicked and makes them say they shall have peace till the anger of the Lord and his jealousie smokes against them and eternal Vengeance overtakes them 2. The heart is deceitful above all things Jer. 17. 9. as it is unknown to others so it hides it self from the view of the man himself Need there is then of Self-examination The heart of man will represent Sin as profitable as pleasant as creditable and in fashion and that there is no such danger in the commission of it but that 't is time enough hereafter and easie enough to repent and obtain a pardon The heart will extenuate sin after 't is done and take notice of the mercy of the Lord but shut its eyes against his justice and holiness 't will call any thing almost by the name of saving-grace and from very weak and insufficient premisses conclude the State is safe Such cheats therefore must be more narrowly eyed and we must bring them to the Heart-searcher that they may be discovered 3. There is no Grace but has its counterfeit When abundance of Brass and bad Money is abroad there is the greater care to try before we take There is a world of counterfeit Grace at this day Many take themselves to be something when they are nothing and so deceive themselves every one therefore should prove his own work that he may have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Gal. 6. 3. 4. that is that he may have not only the good word of others but the joyful approbation of his own Conscience that his work is good and wrought in God There is a precious faith that ends in the salvation of the Soul and there is a counterfeit faith that dures only for a while and in time of temptation fails There is a saving knowledge which is life eternal and there is a notional knowledge which only puffs up him that has it and makes sorrow and stripes at last to be the more There is a sincere love to Christ that has a vehement flame which many Waters cannot quench which no Floods can drown and there is a love which is only a painted Fire a love in word and shew and not in heart and deed and truth There is a Zeal which God is mightily pleased with as that Zeal in Phineas and there is a Zeal not according to knowledge There is a true Humility which makes us like to Christ and gives the Soul rest and there is a shew of Wisdom and Humility to be found even in the Synagogues of Satan and Antichrist All grace therefore whether in pretence or true must be tried by the Word which if rightly applied is infallible in its decision 4. Many do actually go out of the World mistaken in themselves surely then we should be serious in Self-trial The foolish Virgins because their Lamps were burning and neatly trimm'd that is they profess'd and talkt high and made a glistering shew came with full expectation of admission into the Kingdom Therefore with confidence they knock and with confidence they speak Lord Lord open unto us Mat. 25. 11. But the answer is I know you not The Door contrary to their expectation is shut for ever against them and they are sentenc'd to burn too in Hell though their Lamps on Earth did burn and blaze in a glorious profession of Religion Some are brought in pleading with the Lord Jesus when He says He knew them not We have eat and drank in thy presence and thou hast taught in our Streets Luk. 13. 26. As if they should say Lord 't is very strange thou shouldst not know us None more flocked after thee than we did none were more forward to hear thy Word we were Guests at thy Table many a time and yet dost thou not know us Hear their pleas see their confidence of being let in and yet behold them thrust out unto Eternity 5. Hypocrites may go very far and yet remain but Hypocrites and miscarry Therefore we should examine and see that we go farther An Hypocrite may have a name that he is alive he may bend his Knee and lift up his Eye and speak as it were with the tongue of an Angel he may pray and prophesie so as to gain mans approbation but yet that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16. 15. How far did the Apostle Paul go before his Conversion
he was of the straitest Sect and touching the righteousness of the Law blameless and yet though his life was without blame his heart was without grace Hypocrites how far soever they go do either allow themselves in sin or place a confidence in their own righteousness If we would therefore go beyond them we must grieve for all sin and hate it We must worship God in the Spirit and rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3. 3. 6. To be unwilling to Try and Prove our selves is a very bad symptom The decay'd Tradesman cares not to be at home for fear of being dunn'd by his Creditors neither does he like to look into his Books because he suspects that he owes more than he is worth So unsound Professors like not to dwell with themselves for fear Conscience should fill their Ears with a dreadful sound and reproach them with their offences and they are loath to study the volume of their own hearts because they suspect they shall find little but what is stark naught there Sin is a work of darkness where the light is fear'd and shun'd 't is a sign that sin bears sway and where it reigns it will ruine Joh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the World and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil 7. Though it be very bad with us yet 't is really good to know the very worst of our selves Hardness of heart and unsensibleness of sin is a very great plague the infliction of which argues God to be very angry but conviction of sin is the work of Gods Spirit When the Comforter is come he shall convince the World of Sin Joh. 16. 8. Indeed if a bad condition were unchangeable and there were no difference between an unregenerate Sinner and an Apostate Angel 't were another matter But the truth is though our state and hearts are both bad yet both may be alter'd for the better And if we are sensible that we are under the power of darkness we shall be the more importunate that God would deliver us and translate us into the Kingdom of his dear Son If we perceive that our hearts are old and evil 't will make us to cry with more fervency that the Lord would give us the new heart and the new spirit promised in his new Covenant 8. There may be great disconsolateness where there is truth of grace if it be unknown The children of light may walk in darkness the heirs of salvation may complain as if they were near lost and the friends and favourites of Heaven may think and speak as if God accounted them his Enemies Hark unto Heman Psal 88. 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou bast afflicted me with all thy waves And vers 15. 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me and while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Believers being made alive are also endued with Spiritual Sence and cannot be indifferent as to Gods love and hatred as others are If they have not some assurance of the one they cannot but have some dread of the other they should therefore prove themselves that they may know the love that God has to them and that they may joy in God through Jesus Christ by whom they have received the atonement Rom. 5. 11. 9. There is a day of Trial and Judgment appointed and very near at hand God has appointed a day in which he will judge the World in Righteousness Act. 17. 31. and truely the Judge standeth before the Door Jam. 5. 9. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh And if we cannot abide the Trial of our own Consciences now how shall we abide the Trial of him who is greater than our Consciences and knoweth all things It concerns us to call our selves to a severe account and believe in Jesus that we may be justified and then at that day we shall not be condemned Let us watch and work that our Lord when he comes may find us so doing Let us store up Scripture evidences that we are his Children and then we shall have boldness in the day of Judgment and not be ashamed before him at his coming Gods Judgment hereafter will be according to truth names and shews how insignificant will they be at the great day Therefore let us look to it that our graces be true that as such they may be found and own'd at last 10. A well grounded assurance is possible to be obtained Let us never give over Trying our selves till we have it We are commanded to give all diligence to make our calling and by our calling our Election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. We must not cast away our confidence when once we have gotten it but hold the beginning of it firm unto the end Assurance of the love of God of what value is it What a relish does it give to every Mercy What sweetness does it put into the bitterest Cup of Affliction How undaunted does it make us at the approach of the last Enemy And with what courage and confidence to commend our departing Souls into the hands of him that has redeemed them Before I come to the Application I am to resolve several Cases of Conscience concerning the Subject I am upon Now the Cases will be of two sorts some relate to Sir and a State of Nature and others relate unto a State of Grace I begin with those Cases relating to Sin and a State of Nature Case 1. And the first is this Is it not better for Sinners to continue ignorant of themselves than by an over-strict search to fill their souls with trouble and horrour Is it not a wiser part to keep themselves quiet while they are so than to raise a storm and tempest that may not be laid in hast Now they receive their good things now they receive their consolations now they can take their ease eat drink and be merry they can feast and laugh and sing and time runs very swift being spent in carnal jollity Why then should they look into the state of their Souls and put an end to all their peace and joy and comfort Ans 1. Sinners ignorance of themselves and the wretched condition they are in does but add to their misery Secure indeed they are in a sence but farther off from safety It was the misery of Ephraim that Strangers had devoured his strength and gray hairs were here and there upon him and yet he knew it not Hos 7. 9. Self-ignorance and carnal security makes the hearts of the Sons of Men fully set in them to do evil and causes their state to be nearer a kin to desperate Such will fearlesly add Sin to Sin and draw iniquity with cords of vanity and treasure up more and more wrath unto themselves against the day of wrath 2. Their peace and joy can be but short at longest Pleasures for evermore can be found alone in Gods Prefence The pleasures of sin and sense
18. Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Ephraim had the seal of the Covenant administred to him in infancy which was Circumcision and therefore he calls the Lord his God and has the greater encouragement to cry to him to circumcise and turn his heart unto himself And surely under the New Testament the Covenant is not made more narrow nor our arguments and encouragements fewer to plead for converting grace Let Sinners therefore beg that as they have been baptized with Water in the Lords name so they may be justified by the blood of Christ sanctified by his Spirit and effectually turned unto God Till the Lord does turn you you must needs remain unconverted And when once you are made earnest that you may be sincere Converts you are earnest for that which is most agreeable to the will of God and 't is a sign that the work is already begun There could never be strong desires to be turned if the heart were not in some degree turned to desire it Case 6. The sixth Case is this How far may Sinners go and yet fall short of Grace and Heaven This is of great concernment to be fully resolved that we may not be mistaken in our selves therefore I shall be the larger upon it Many with Agrippa are almost persuaded to be Christians that are not Christians altogegether Many with him in the Gospel are not far from the Kingdom of Heaven who yet never come thither the case such is sad for they are miserable after they were near to happiness they are like a Merchant that is Shipwrackt and loses all and himself too within sight of shore they sail as it were by Heaven to Hell and their being once so near Heaven will make Hell the more doleful and intolerable Now how far Sinners may go and yet still remain but in a State of Nature I shall shew in these particulars 1. They that have no true grace may own and acknowledge the Christian Faith to be true 'T is affirmed of Simon Magus that he believed Act. 8. 13. The miracles that were wrought by Philip for the confirmation of the Gospel gained his assent that it was the Gospel of God and of undoubted truth In like manner Nicodemus while a Stranger to Regeneration was convinced and did confess that Christ was a Teacher sent from God Joh. 3. 1 2. Now as I go along I shall shew wherein such as have no grace do fail that the unsound may be convinced of their hypocrisie and the truely gracious may be the better able to discern their sincerity Though the forementioned persons believe the truth of the Gospel they do not apply it to themselves nor heartily embrace the goodness of the Gospel but prefer their lusts their pleasures and their profits before Gods Kingdom their assent is weak and does not influence their Consciences affections and conversations and so proves ineffectual to Salvation Jam. 2. 14. What doth it profit if a man say he hath Faith and have not Works Can Faith save him And v. 26. As the Body without the Spitit is dead so Faith without Works is dead also 2. They that have no grace may solemnly be admitted into the visible Church Simon the Sorcerer was baptized and yet Peter tells him afterwards that he was in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity Act. 8. 13 23. Multitudes of the Jews of old were circumcised in their flesh whose hearts were never circumcised Jer. 9. 25 26. Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Judah and Edom and the Children of Ammon and Moab for all these Nations are uncircumcised and all the House of Israel are uncircumcised in their hearts How many by Baptism are admitted into the Church of Christ and rest herein not caring to partake of the Blood of Christ and least of all to partake of the Spirit of Grace and Holiness which are signified by the Water in that institution What did it profit the Jews that they were circumcised in their flesh if after they did not answer their infant Cirumcision by a circumcised ear and heart and an holy and obedient Conversation And in like manner what will the being baptized with Water avail if the filthiness of Sin be not purged but loved and there be not an answer afterwards of a good Conscience towards God 1 Pet. 3. 21. 3. They that have no true grace may be forward in profession and by talking at an high rate attain unto some reputation for Godliness thus Sardis had a name and fame that she liv'd and yet was dead Rev. 3. 1. But these forward Professors when unsound drive on some carnal design as the ravenous Birds when they soar never so much aloâ—at have their eyes downward and are looking after something that they may prey upon Under all their profession their hearts they neglect and suffer them to be full of pride and passion and love of the World they have no desire after inward purity and besides they wilfully and wofully fail many times in their dealings with men and in regard of those duties which in their capacities and relations are incumbent upon them 4. They that have no true grace may engage in all the publick Ordinances that Christ has instituted they may pray and hear and be admitted unto Communion and Church-fellowship and yet not be the real Members of Christ and be shut out of the Kingdom Those persons had eat and drank in our Lords presence and had heard him teaching many a time unto whom he speaks after this terrible manner There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of Heaven and you your selves thrust out Luk. 13. 26 28. These hypocritical engagers in Ordinances seek not the Lord himself in his Ordinances His favour and the communications of his sanctifying Spirit they prize not they desire not and though Ordinances leave them as proud and wanton and unbelieving and earthly-minded as they found them they are unconcerned for to have better hearts than they had is not any piece of their design 5. They that have no true grace may attain to a great measure of notional knowledge That Servant who was beaten with many stripes did know the will of his Master Luk. 12. 47. We all have knowledge says the Apostle 1 Cor. 8. 1. unsound as well as sincere An Hypocrite may have great light in his understanding but that light makes him high-minded his knowledge is without affection to Spiritual things his head is very clear but his heart is very cold He is acquainted with the truth but he holds it in unrighteousness Is it not a sad sight to see Children that have the Rickets with great Heads but Arms weak and unable to do any thing and Legs small and feeble and unable to go Here is
great favour to be received as a Servaat who deserve to be punished and excluded as an Enemy Humbled Sinners do very much consider their ill deserts and how are they filled with admiration at the free grace of God in his Son Jesus which is the ground of their hope and encouragement By the grace of God they are what they are they have what they have they hope what they hope for Case 3. The third Case follows How may we be sure that our desires after God and grace are sincere 'T is a Maxim in practical Divinity That the desires after Grace are Grace but they must be true desires Now these may thus be known 1. Sincere desires spring from knowledge and serious consideration The Lord is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unknown God to them that indeed desire after him he has caused his goodness which is his glory to pass before them and the desirableness of that goodness has been perceived Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me and then it follows they shall return to me with their whole heart The eyes must be anointed with eye-salve the judgment must be inlightned and informed concerning the Lords perfections and fulness and riches of grace and mercy and willingness to communicate of these riches then desires after him will be real and well-grounded 2. Sincere desires are prevailing my meaning is that God and Grace are desired more than any thing the World than all the World besides An Author tells us that Tepidit as est parvus amor boni Lukewarmness implies some little love to that which is good but there is a greater love to that which is evil and vain And what does the little love then signifie If God be not desired above all he is not truely at all desired That was a sincere desire Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee That is All things comparatively to thee are undesirable in my esteem In the Roman State 't was said Nec ferre potest Caesarve priorem Pompeiusve parem Caesar could not endure a superior and Pompey could not brook an equal God will have neither superior nor equal in our hearts they that love him truely give him the highest room of all 3. Sincere desires bear up against opposition Though the Flesh does lust and Mammon and Satan joyn with it yet the Spirit does lust against it Gal. 5. 17. There is a longing to be deliver'd from the body of Sin to be rid of that evil which is present when good is about to be done Rom. 7. Where there are desires after Grace indeed the remainders of Sin are irkfom and we shall sigh and wish that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus may make us free from the law of Sin and Death 4. Sincere desires are great enemies to delays Davids Soul made haste to God and to do his duty Psal 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy commandments and he desires that God would make haste to him Psal 101. 2. I will behave my self wisely in a perfect way Oh when wilt thou come to me So Psal 70. 1. Make haste O God to deliver make haste to help me O Lord. And when God did withdraw from him he cryes out How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy face from me Ps 13. 1. Every day does seem a year and every year does seem an age to longing Souls when the Lord with-holds his quickening and comforting presence from them 5. Sincere desires are extended to every thing which God propounds in his Word as desirable Not some onely but all the benefits of Christ are longed after all his Offices are prized Sincere ones see a necessity of Christ a Priest upon the Cross they love to hear him as a Prophet in the Pulpit and are very desirous to submit to him as a Prince upon the Throne Nay they yield their hearts to be his Throne The Laws of God are dear to them they desire to keep them all to be filled with all the fulness of God to stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God Nay they aspire so high as to beg that they may do his will on Earth as 't is done in Heaven Mat. 6. 10. 6. Sincere desires are industrious Solomon speaks of a desire of the slothful which kills him because his hands refuse to labour Prov. 21. 25. He perishes for want of the good desired because he will not take pains to obtain it True desires are accompanied with a fear of missing what is desired not so as to make unbelieving conclusions but to quicken unto diligence Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after Then we desire really when we seek diligently And where is diligence and pains better employed than when seeking the Lord who has told us as certainly as he is so certainly he will be a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11. 6. 7. Sincere desires are never quite satisfied here in this World What is said concerning earthly riches Crescit amor nummi quantum ipsa pecunia crescit may be applied to the true riches Crescit amor quantum divitiae love to them and covetousness after more increases as they increase He that has most grace is most desirous to have more 'T is true indeed our Lord tells us Joh. 6. 35. He that cometh unto me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst But if this be referr'd to Spiritual things the meaning is he shall not so hunger and thirst as to despair and be tormented with despair of satisfaction or else the passage may be referr'd to the things of this World that impia fames that sinful and eager hunger and thirst after them shall cease Sincere Souls never can in this World and they think they never can prize their Lord Jesus love and fear and serve their God sufficiently and therefore desire still to do all this more and better they forget the things behind and are still reaching forward and if you ask when they will be satisfied David shall answer Psal 17. ult and what he speaks of himself is applicable to others As for me I shall behold thy face in righteousness and be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness Case 4. A fourth Case may be this How may we be able to discern whether in Religion we are acted meerly by slavish fear yea or no Though carnal security is that which ruines the most of men yet a slavish fear yea or no Though carnal security is that which ruines the most of men yet a slavish fear is to be found also in the ungodly Such a fear there was in those we read of Psal 78. 34. When the hand of the Lord was stretched out and slew many of them the rest feared and sought him and yet
for in his House Ordinances are administred that they may behold the beauty of the Lord and enquire in his Temple Ps 27. 4. Case 7. The seventh Case follows What are the lower degrees of true Grace Grace in Scripture being compared to a grain of Mustard seed which is indeed the least of all seeds that are sown in the field Mat. 13. 31 32. Hereby there is an intimation given us that Grace is but little in the first beginnings of it and because small 't is not so easie to be discerned Yet the least measure of true Grace being of far greater value and more precious than Gold that perishes 't is worth our while to bring it to the Touchstone that it may be proved and known Before I resolve the Case wherein I must be very wary lest the unsound presume and lest the sincere be discouraged I shall premise these particulars 1. True Grace has different degrees and the higher and lower degrees are vastly different from each other Such a difference as there is between a grain of Mustard-seed and the Plant grown up so that the Birds of the air may lodge in the branches of it Such a difference as there is between a new born infant and a man grown truely such a difference there is between weak and strong Grace and yet as the infant has all the parts which the man hath and is of the same kind with him so weak grace and strong grace are of the same kind and the weak is true and saving as well as the strong That there is a difference in the degrees of Grace is evident Some are babes and some are strong men Heb. 5. 13 14. Some are styled little children some young men and some are called Fathers 1 Joh. 2. 12 13. 2. True Grace is consistent with little knowledge in the things of God There may be a great measure of notional knowledge where there is no true Grace at all and there may be true Grace where there is a great weakness as to understanding The Disciples when first they were chosen out of the World and regenerated by the Spirit understood but little of the Gospel Peter himself would have disswaded Christ from dying not knowing that his blood was to be the price of the Churches Redemption Mat. 16. 21 22. The very Apostles themselves wondred what the Resurrection of Christ from the dead should mean Surely they had not then much light and yet they had true Grace And though these and such like great Articles of the Christian Faith are more fully revealed so that 't is necessary to salvation to know them yet in some heads the knowledge is but little where yet the heart is truly turned unto God and prizes Christ above all 3. Where there is true Grace there may be many doubts and fears Our Lord says unto Peter O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Mat. 14. 31. And unto all his Disciples he speaks thus Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Mat. 8. 26. Faith they had and yet 't was little and this faith is own'd though accompanied with doubts and fears Doubting believers for ought I know are the far major part of them Sincere Souls are prone to be jealous of themselves and they apprehend how much it stands them upon to make sure work for Eternity Hereupon Satan and the remainders of unbelief take the advantage and they are still questioning their state and are full of fears that nothing is wrought in them but what is common unto Hypocrites 4. Where there is true Grace there may be much corruption I grant that Grace reigns wherever it is in truth and yet much Sin may remain though it be an underling thus the Oyl is at the top of the Vessel though the Water which is under it be a far greater quantity Grace is compared unto smoaking Flax now in the smoaking Flax there 's much of stench and cloudiness and but little heat and yet this heat is taken notice of and cherisht and the promise is Mat. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall he not break and smoaking Flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment unto victory 5. Those that have true Grace may fall into Sins that are foul and scandalous and by such falls they break their bones disturb their peace and wound their Consciences and weaken themselves exceedingly so that they are the apter to stumble and fall again upon the next temptation When notorious Sins are thus committed by Believers Grace is at a very low ebb and yet the living Water which springs up to everlasting life so Grace is called is not quite dried up It is strange yet not so strange as true that righteous Lot who vexed his soul from day to day because of the Sodomites unlawful deeds should give way to drunkenness first though 't is not so strange that he should commit incest afterwards for he that is drunken knows not what he does Though he was delivered out of Sodom yet he carried but too much of Sodom within him in his heart David a man after Gods own heart yet in his heart there did kindle an impure and hellish flame of lust whereby Bathsheba was scorched and hurt as well as himself and which was the occasion of the death of poor Vrijah Now though David's joy was quite gone yet the Sanctifying Spirit was not clean departed though his operation was for a while suspended therefore he prays for the restoring of joy but that the holy Spirit might not be taken away Psal 51. 11 12. 6. Those that have true Grace may send forth such sad complaints as speak a nearness to despair Job cryes out The arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my Spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me Job 6. 4. The Church complains Lam. 3. God hath set me in dark place as those that have been dead of old he hath hedged me about that I cannot get out and made my chain heavy he hath filled me with bitterness and made me drunken with Wormwood also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayer This was worst of all to be in a deplorable case and not to be regarded when crying for relief and pitty Eminent Saints have sometimes concluded themselves forsaken and forgotten no wonder if they that have weak Grace confidently affirm they have none at all and as peremptorily conclude they never shall have any These things being premised I am to tell you which are the lower degrees of true grace 1. A sense and weariness of hardness of heart argues some measure of true Grace it shews some life and softness when deadness and hardness is felt as a burthen Though hardness of heart was incomparably the worst of all the plagues of Egypt yet this Pharaoh and the Egyptians were never sensible of nor desirous to be delivered from it though other plagues they cry to have removed That 's true
sorrow when the heart is grieved it is so hard and can sorrow no more for Sin Such an heart will carefully shun whatever has an hardning effect and oh how is that promise prized and the accomplishment of it longed for Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away the heart of stone out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh And when once Sinners are sensible so as to inquire and seek unto the God of Israel to do this for them here is a good work begun in them I grant such may fear sometimes they are judicially hardned but that very fear plainly shews the contrary if they were under such a judgment they would cease to be afraid of it 2. It argues a beginning of a work of Grace when a Sinner is troubled to see such an opposition in his corrupted nature against God and desires to be turned indeed Thus Ephraim bemoans himself that he was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke and he cryes to be instructed and that God would shew his power and grace in the turning of him Jer. 31. 18. and vers 20. we find the Lord owns Ephraim as his dear Son as a pleasant Child and says he does earnestly remember him and will surely have mercy upon him It argues a new nature when we are weary of the old and that the bent and inclination of the heart is really changed when backwardness unto what is good begins to be burthensom 3. There is a work of Grace where there is a resolution to go unto God and confess all Sin unto him without hiding any through a desire to keep it When David thus without guile does resolve upon Confession God resolves upon Remission and forgives him presently Psal 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and my iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah Hark what Solomon says He that covereth his Sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy And the Apostle speaks a great word 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness O thou sensible and drooping and trembling Soul who comest unto God with black Bills of Indictment against thy self Is all thy wickedness down there that thou knowest Hast thou not left out one or other that is a darling Oh no here are all down and the darling sins in a special manner acknowledged and aggravated and I am willing to forsake all as well as to have the pardon of all If it be so chear up for Confess and be saved is the Gospel language When David said I have sinned against the Lord Nathan answers The Lord hath put away thy Sin thou shalt not die 2 Sam. 12. 13. 4. There is a work of grace where there is a desire to believe He that searcheth the heart takes notice of the desires which are there and as a desire to kill is Murther as a lusting after a Woman is Adultery so a desire after that which is good is accepted A desire to repent is repenting and a desire to believe is believing Abraham is said again and again to have offered up Isaac because he had a will to do it at Gods Command though actually he never did it Heb. 11. 17. which shews the truth of that passage of Augustine Coronat Deus intus bonam voluntatem ubi non invenit facultatem Where there is a defect of ability God does own and crown a real willingness Such desires must needs be very pleasing unto God who willeth that his grace should be earnestly desired and therefore says the same Father Desiderare auxilium gratiae est initium gratiae Grace is begun when Grace is desired When once a Sinner desires with his heart to believe and cries out with the man in the Gospel Lord help my unbelief Mar. 9. 24. When he desires that his heart may be set wide open that Christ who knocks there may enter in when he desires to receive Christ just so as Christ is willing to be received and to rely upon him as the onely Mediatour and Saviour renouncing all other Confidences Here is saving faith most certainly 5. There is a work of Grace where there is a weariness of other Lords and a willingness to submit unto Christ the Lord of Glory 'T is a good sign when there is a consent to cast off the yoke of Sin and to take on us the easie yoke of Christ for none but they that are truely gracious are willing to be delivered from the power of darkness and to be translated into the Kingdom of the Son of God Col. 1. 13. If we dislike the bondage of corruption and are unwilling to be led captive by Satan at his will if we look upon our selves as foolish and deceived while we were disobedient and served diverse lusts and pleasures Tit. 3. 3. If we count the Service of our Lord Jesus freedom and freedom indeed and lust against the Flesh which counts his Commands grievous certainly the Spirit of the Lord has begun to set us at liberty our eyes have been opened our hearts changed Voluntas non esset libera nisi liberata The will would not be thus free to be subject unto Christ unless it had been made free by Him 6. There is a work of Grace where there is a desire to fear the name of God Neh. 1. 11. Let thine ear be attentive and so it was unto the prayer of thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name That Soul is renewed that would fain stand in awe of God and of his Word and has a will to do good though evil is present and the Flesh is weak The weakness of the Flesh Christ excuses as long as he saw the Spirit of the Disciples was willing to have done their duty Mat. 26. 41. That which was Gods wish concerning Israel of old is it thy wish concerning thy self Oh that there were an heart in me to fear the Lord and to keep all his Commandments always that it may be well with me for ever Deut. 5. 29. This is certainly the breathing of the new creature In such there is a consent to be the Lords and to serve him and a trouble when they are overpowr'd by sin and temptation and a jealousie lest they should be deceived which shews that their desire to fear and obey the Lord is the more honest and sincere 7. There is a work of Grace where there is an uncontentedness without God before the Sinner was without Christ and liv'd without God in the World as he thought well enough Eph. 2. 12. but the heart being savingly changed cannot be put off with the World or any thing therein for its portion as the Needle being toucht by the Loadstone
of their hearts they call judicial hardness and when the black vapours ascend and seize upon their spirits and torment and affright them as if Nature were just ready to be dissolved this they are apt to think the hellish agonies of Cain and Judas and to conclude them the foretastes and certain forerunners of eternal Wrath and Vengeance Satan represents the grace they have as no grace that he may discourage them from duty if he does not persuade them to act desperately against their own lives Then a thought comes in that God is an hard Lord who will not give grace though they desire it above all the World but is resolved to destroy them Again Satan represents the Truth they have embraced and which the generality of the Generation of the Righteous do embrace as no truth and violently hurries them and bears it in upon their spirits especially in duty to distract and dead their hearts that they ought to turn to this or that or t'other erroneous way else they will never know peace Whatever comforts and encouragements the Gospel hands forth to them they with a strange obstinacy reject as too good for them and not belonging at all to them And though the hand and hatred of Satan be in all this yet he is so subtle as to hide himself under the dark shades of Melancholy so that he is unperceived Now for the relief of such I shall shew how the truth of Grace may be discerned under the prevalency of Melancholy 1. Melancholick ones that are gracious have usually very low thoughts of themselves they have not confidence in the flesh but are convinced that their own righteousness is rags their wisdom folly their strength weakness they see that no flesh has reason to glory in the Lords presence and being thus humble God has promised to have respect to them Psal 138. 6. Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly And Psal 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart an heart prepared to pray they desire thou wilt cause thine ear to hear 2. Melancholick ones who have grace though they are full of fears yet their fears are without Scripture ground they are apt to conclude themselves Hypocrites but not from Scripture premises Satan in a violent way does inject such thoughts that God hates them never was indeed near them or has quite left them and never any Saints were in the like condition and hereupon follows a stinging perplexity but not one word of God is produced to prove all this Though Satans injections are direful and doleful yet the Word speaks hopefully concerning them because they are weary of Sin willing to close with Christ and hunger after righteousness and true holiness and had rather have an assurance of the love of God and the light of his countenance than Corn and Wine and all the things of the World in the greatest plenty and abundance 3. Melancholick ones who have grace though they are filled with a great many fancies and fears yet the fear of God is predominant and they are afraid of Sin as the greatest evil The favour of God is most desirable his anger most formidable in their esteem therefore they dare not use sinful or suspected means for their relief and help They are not like Saul who in his distress and sadness ran to the Witch of Endor they dare not turn Gluttons and Drunkards nor attempt to drown their sorrows in sensuality but had rather remain Melancholick Saints than become boon Companions and jolly Sinners They do indeed imagine and fear a thousand things without reason but truely with a great deal of reason the fear of God rules in their hearts and they eschew what is evil in his sight 4. Melancholick ones who have grace endeavour to improve their melancholy after a gracious manner Now the World appears vain Creatures are miserable comforters delights have lost their relish and are become undelightful They take hold of the advantage to get more loose from the World and more above it If one perplexing fume turns all the World into an empty bubble into an insignificant cypher Why says the gracious Soul should I ever dote upon this World more Under Melancholy Death seems very near and as they are going to bed or at other times they have very strong and startling impressions of Eternity Gracious Souls take hold of this advantage the more seriously to prepare for Death and to provide for Eternity and this argues they are indeed the Children of Wisdom Psal 90. 12. 5. Melancholick ones who have grace have a great care of the Gospels credit nay truely sometimes this lies nearer their hearts than their own lives They are afraid of madness and frenzy lest Religion which they are professors of should suffer by it they resist temptations to self-Murther because if they who have heard and talkt so much of the Gospel should lay violent hands upon themselves prophane Sinners would speak evil of the way of Truth and be more strongly prejudiced and hardned against the Gospel as a Doctrine that has but a bad tendency this shews that they love the Gospel in truth and consequently are of God Joh. 8. 47. This care of the Gospel farther appears in that when their melancholy abates their seriousness remains Indeed the better their heads are their hearts are in a better frame because then their Souls and their Grace can act with greater freedom They long for clean hearts and desire clear heads that with heads and hearts they may be more serviceable unto God 6. Melancholick ones who have grace in all their distress and trouble desire to look unto God though they fear he is an enemy yet they cannot but look to him for help though they do but chatter as a Crane and mourn as a Dove yet they cannot refrain speaking Hezekiahs and Jobs language O Lord I am oppressed undertake for me Esa 38. 14. I am full of confusion see thou my affliction Job 10. 15. Case 10. The tenth Case is this How may Repentance be known to be true when 't is a Death-bed Repentance Or just before a Malefactors Execution It must needs be granted that Repentance at last is possible and that 's all probable or usual 't is not One instance we have in Scripture to hinder despair and but one to hinder presumption To dally and to delay in Religion how dangerous is it 'T is perfect madness willingly to lie under the wrath of God under the Devils power under the guilt and dominion of Sin and upon the brink of Hell one minute longer The longer you delay Sin grows stronger evil habits are more rooted Satan entangles you faster in his snare the heart grows harder the Spirit of the Lord is more grieved and Repentance becomes more difficult and unlikely We have cause to fear that many thousands who talked of Repentance hereafter have been surprized by Death and have suddenly dropt
into Hell before that Hereafter came Well but some at last have seem'd very penitent and How shall the truth of Repentance be discerned Unto this I answer 1. Such who repent truely at last are very ready to accuse and very severe in judging of themselves they give glory to God and take shame to themselves they justifie the Lord in putting a period to their days and acknowledge that he might justly laugh at their calamity and mock at their fear and distress and anguish and refuse to pitty and pardon and kill the Body and damn the Soul together This judging of themselves is a very good sign and there is a promise of escaping judgment that is condemnation annexed thereunto 1 Cor. 11. 31. For if we should judge our selves we should not be judged 2. Such who repent truely at last are very jealous over their own Spirits lest the distress they are in and the nearness unto death be the only motive unto Repentance therefore their cries are the more earnest to be sincere Converts They prize new hearts and beg that God would deliver them from their natural guile and wickedness and make them indeed new creatures Oh how do they long not only for a pardon but that they may feel the power of the renewing and sanctifying Spirit of Christ Heal me and I shall be healed turn me and I shall be turned save me and I shall be saved Jer. 17. 14. are their strong cryes and oh with what vehement desires are they accompanied 3. Such who repent at last truely are filled with an holy indignation that all their time and strength has been wasted in serving Sin and Satan and dishonouring that God that made them to whom they owe themselves How angry are they and displeased at themselves that when they should have been labouring in the Lords Vineyard they either were standing idle in the Market or wrought iniquity with both hands earnestly Now this holy indignation is by the Apostle made an argument of sorrowing after a godly manner of repentance unto salvation 2 Cor. 7. 11. 4. Such who repent truely at last do look unto Jesus Thus did the Thief upon the Cross Lord remember me Luk. 23. 42. Christ is their hope and the grace of God in him which does superabound though Sin has never so much abounded They look upon his Blood as the Blood of God and able to do away the greatest guilt the foulest spot and stain the most monstrous defilements They perceive that the Blood of Jesus speaks better things than the Blood of Abel Heb. 12. 24. Cryes louder for Mercy and Salvation than Abels did for Vengeance Hereupon they are encouraged and enabled to act the faith of reliance and believing on Jesus they shall not be confounded 1 Pet. 2. 6. Oh how is this Saviour now prized How are they grieved at their former and so long continued neglect of him And though the Lord forgets their Sins they cannot but remember them though he justifies them they cannot cease condemning themselves the truth is they are ashamed and confounded and open not their mouths because of their shame though the Lord is pacified towards them for all that they have done Ezek. 16. 3. 5. They who repent truely at last have a care of Gods honour and are willing to prevent others delaying their repentance Their mouths therefore are full of cautions they blame their own folly and exhort others to grow wiser and while 't is called to day to harden their hearts no longer The Earl of Rochesters dying care was to have his prophane and lewd Writings burnt as being only fit to promote Vice and immorality by which he had so highly offended God and shamed and blasphemed that holy Religion into which he was baptized and all his obscene and filthy pictures which were so notoriously scandalous He wisht his Son might never be one of those wretched creatures who pride themselves in abusing God and Religion adding That no Fortunes or Honours were comparable to the love and favour of God To a Friend of some Note that came to see him he thus expressed himself Oh remember that you contemn God no more We have been all mistaken in our conceits and opinions our persuasions have been false and groundless therefore God grant you repentance And in his dying Remonstrance signed before Witness having bewailed his pernicious opinions and vile practices he thus speaks to all whom he had drawn into Sin I warn them in the name of God and as they regard the welfare of their immortal Souls no more to deny his Being or his Providence or despise his goodness no more to make a mock of Sin or contemn the pure and excellent Religion of my ever blessed Redeemer though whose merits alone I one of the greatest of Sinners do yet hope for mercy and forgiveness Case 11. The eleventh Case follows which is this How may Grace be discovered in Saints that are fallen When I speak of the falls of Saints I mean not their Sins quotidianae incursionis of daily incursion for there is not a day nor a duty wherein the best do not in some respect offend but faults that are more gross and offensive that approach nearer unto the nature of presumptuous transgressions That Saints do sometimes thus fall is evident from Scripture and Experience therefore all of them should be the more watchful humble and cry to be upheld living by faith on that God who is of power to establish them Rom. 16. 25. Rom. 11. 20. Well because of unbelief they were broken off and thou standest by faith be not highminded but fear But when they do fall there is a difference between the manner of theirs and others transgressing 't is said of such as are born of God that they cannot sin because they are born of God 1 Joh. 3. 9. i. e. they cannot sin in such a manner as the unregenerate do I am to present to you a Child of Light under an Eclipse and yet even now there is a great difference between him and them that are under the power of darkness 1. A Saint when he falls sins not with the full consent of his will not only his Conscience does declare against Sin but even his Will so far as sanctified and renewed is also against it His purpose is to take heed to his ways that he may not offend Psal 39. 1. therefore when he falls he is surprized and in the hurry of a temptation and though in this hurry Conscience is not heard and corruption like a torrent carries him away yet there is a secret dislike of Sin which arises from the Spirits lusting against the Flesh Hence it is that Saints cannot take that delight in Sin which others do because their wills do not fully close with the temptation Though in Davids transgression there was too much of deliberation and contrivance especially in his carriage towards Vriah yet if you consider the matter you may find he was
in a hurry all along first he was hurried by a sinful and inordinate affection and afterwards by fear of shame in case what he had done should be discover'd 2. A Saint though he may fall yet does not ordinarily allow himself in Sin neither does he make use of the falls of Believers which the Scripture records as a plea for such an allowance as wicked men commonly do He looks upon the works of darkness as unfruitful and desires to have no fellowship with them because these will hinder his fellowship and communion with God He cannot be called a Worker of iniquity because he prays with David and that sincerely Deliver me from all my transgressions Ps 39. 8. and Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes Ps 119. 5. 3. A Saint never falls so far as to chuse a new Lord and Master he never wholly casts off the yoke of Christ nor resolves to be willingly subject to the law of sin Acts of disobedience indeed he may be guilty of but when Satan propounds it to him and persuades him to renounce the Lords service and to give up himself to the service of diverse lusts and pleasures he cannot bear the thought of it for he knows the wages of sin is death and Christ is incomparably the best Master He never consents to be wholly under the bondage of corruption as once he was but often prays that no iniquity may have the dominion over him Psal 119. 133. and especially that he may be kept back from presumptuous sins which are such great transgressions Psal 19. 13. 4. A Saint never falls so far as to take up with any portion beneath God himself His Soul hath said The Lord is my portion Lam. 3. 24. and he will never go back from it or change his mind so as to become contented without God and to have all his portion here in this life Oh no though he may go away from his Fathers house a while and feed upon the husks that are abroad yet he cannot be satisfied with these for they are not bread and as he is unsafe so truely he is restless till he return to his Father again His Soul remains empty till the Lord fills it weary till the Lord satiates it sorrowful till God himself replenish it 5. A Saint when he falls is quickly brought to himself and to his God by affliction his heart shews its tenderness in yielding to the stroke and impression of the Rod. Before I was afflicted says the Psalmist I went astray but now have I kept thy Word Ps 119. 67. And truely though there may be great fears of death when affliction overtakes a Saint in his falls yet the new nature is secretly glad of affliction whereby the flesh may be tamed and corruption purged away The backsliding Saint when he is stricken does not like those Esa 1. 5. Revolt more and more but accepts the punishment of his iniquity and desires to be throughly turned unto God who smites him and with his Soul he wishes the sanctification of what he feels and that the affliction may yield the peaceable and lasting fruits of righteousness Heb. 12. 11. 6. A Saint after he has fallen is very much afraid of Spiritual Judgments he is afraid lest the Lord should utterly leave him and say concerning him He is proud let him be proud still he is filthy let him be filthy still he is fallen let him alone David after his Sin dreaded being cast away and left to himself and being given up to his own hearts lusts Psal 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence take not thy holy Spirit from me The holy Spirit had been exceedingly resisted and grieved and had been highly and justly provoked to depart and that for ever But David could not bear the thoughts of being deprived of the quickning sanctifying comforting Spirit of God therefore with such concernedness he deprecates his departure 7. If the Saints falls have been foul he is troubled at Gods dishonour and that he has caused his blessed name to be blasphemed 't is his trouble that he hath wounded his own Conscience and this very much adds to his trouble that he hath wounded Religion and caused the way of Truth to be evil spoken of To see fellow Saints grieving for his miscarriages is the grief of his Soul to hear prophane ones scoffing at Religion is his shame and confusion and to perceive them hardned and strengthned in their wickedness by the Sins he has fallen into this makes his Repentance to be the greater This was laid before David as the aggravation of his Sin and certainly it made a deep wound in his Spirit that by the deed he had done he had given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme 2 Sam. 12. 14. 8. The Saint after his fall rises again and begs that he may stand faster The Sun sometimes is Eclipsed a greater part sometimes half and suppose it should be a total Eclipse yet tarry a while till the Moon that interposed between the Sun and the Earth be gone and the Sun will shine as it did before the Saints will recover after their backslidings and shine as light again though Sin may darken them for a season And when they do recover Oh how do they cry not only for pardon but also for cleansing and establishment Hark unto David Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right or a constant Spirit within me And vers 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit They are importunate with God to keep them from falling any more and to present them faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Jude v. 24. To be upheld will be their joy their exceeding joy as their fall was their grief and trouble Case 12. The twelfth Case is this How may we know whether we grow in grace The Saints in Scripture are compared to Trees because of their growth and fruitfulness to the Cedar because they are so firmly rooted to the Palm-tree because depressi resurgunt the weights of affliction upon them make them grow the higher to the Vine because the fruits of righteousness which they bring forth are so exceeding pleasant to the Willows by the water courses because there is an aptness in the new creature to grow apace if there be not some impediment But alass these impediments are too common and where there is life yet there may be a languishing and withering Growing Christians are more rare especially in this degenerate age Now growth in Grace may thus be known 1. Then we grow in Grace when our belief of the Gospel has a stronger impression when things invisible are lookt upon as the greatest realities in the World and we are affected and swayed by the view of them When we can say with the Apostle that we walk by faith and not by sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. If things sensible do less work upon us if we are less
Christ though the World seemed to be turned Arrian when persecutions cannot affright us from our Duty nor others Apostasies make us dislike Religion but we are the more stedfast and walk more closely with the Lord this shews that grace is much increased 9. Then we grow in Grace when our fruit is really better than formerly for quality and more for quantity If we bring forth more fruit than in times past it argues us more fruit than in times past it argues us more purged Joh. 15. 2. Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit When we are filled with the fruits of righteousness as this is to the praise and glory of God so it declares that he has made all grace to abound towards us that we might abound unto every good work 2 Cor. 9. 8. Case 13. The last Case is this How may we understand when our joy is true and well grounded There is a joy of the Hypocrite the Hearers compared unto the stony ground received the Word with joy the Jews rejoyced in John that burning and shining light for a season so that there is a great deal of false joy which whoever entertain they will lie down in sorrow Esa 50. 11. How then shall true joy be known To this I answer 1. True joy follows after true sorrow they who reap in joy do first sow in tears Ps 126. 5. Our Lord tells us that the mourners are blessed for they shall be comforted Mat. 5. 4. Rest is given to the weary and the heavy laden That joy is sinful and utterly unseasonable where Sin is made light of and never was lookt upon as a burthen But if we are humble and broken and weary of all Sin and of all that is in Sin desiring to be delivered from the force and filth as well as from the guilt of it and then are revived we may conclude our peace is from the God of peace and comfort for though he be the high and the lofty one who inhabits Eternity yet he dwells with him that is of an humble and contrite Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Eze. 57. 15. 2. True joy has ever the Lord Jesus for the foundation of it Phil. 3. 3. We rejoyce in Christ Jesus says the Apostle And Rom. 5. 11. If we joy in God 't is through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement The Comforter does ever glorifie Christ so as to make us understand that all grace mercy and peace is given to us through a Mediatour His sorrows have purchased pardon and salvation and the joy of that Salvation The Churches joy is built upon the same Rock on which the Church her self is built and that Rock is Christ therefore her consolation is the stronger 3. True joy is never without true holiness The Spirits sanctification always goes before and ever accompanies his consolations Peace and righteousness do kiss each other where peace is of the right kind Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost A true Saint if he makes bold with Sin his joy will be lessen'd perhaps lost his peace which has been spoken to him will be broken if he return to folly 4. True joy is Spiritually rational not an Enthusiastical business my meaning is there can be good Scripture-reason produced for it The Spirit of God works sanctifying grace in the heart increases that grace and acts that grace so that there is a powerful exercise of it and then he does bear witness to the truth of it The Spirit discovers unto the Soul that he has made it willing to receive Christ and to hunger after holiness and willing to be the Lords and to serve him in sincerity and to escape the corruption that is in the World through lust and now his testimony of adoption is rational and may be received as indeed the witness of the Spirit Whereas when joys are but the fruits of stubborn and irrational impulses and the comforts of the Gospel are applied without any Scripture ground comfortable Scriptures are not brought by the True and Good but by the Bad and lying Spirit 5. True joy is not a seal unto error and delusion Some have fallen away from the truths of Christ and got above his Ordinances and cast his Word behind their backs and despised his Blood and yet have bragg'd of Joy Oh the subtlety of the Evil One As he makes use of false Teachers false Opinions and false Hopes so of false joys to ruine Souls 6. True joy is strength to them that have it Nehem. 8. 10. The joy of the Lord is your strength Spiritual joy affords great ability to do the work of God to bear Afflictions and Tribulations and to resist and overcome the Tempter and the World and the lusts thereof The joyful Christian is a man of might he wrestles with the principalities and powers of darkness and is too hard for them he is discouraged at no difficulty in Religion he mounts up with wings as an Eagle he runs and is not weary he walks without fainting Esa 40. ult he is faithful unto death and at last is rewarded with a Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. Thus have I resolved all the Cases I propounded I come now to the Application I begin with some inferences that may be drawn from this Doctrine If this be true that it highly concerns all to Examine and Prove themselves then 1. Hence I infer the misery of Man by nature who is in darkness so that till he is enlightned from above he is not capable of understanding himself his condition or his interest Man by nature is under the power of darkness of this power you read Col. 1. 13. and how deliverance from it is to be valued Darkness has a great power to keep men under Sin to make them careless stupid and utterly unconcerned what becomes of them to Eternity therefore evil Angels are stayled the Rulers of the Darkness of this World Nay the Natural Man is in the abstract called darkness it self Eph. 5. 8. For ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. Now how can he that is in darkness look into himself or look into the Lord Oh the misery of dark Souls What unspeakable danger are they in and their not seeing their own peril does but the more increase it We pitty a man that has sustained a breaking loss and does not know it a Begger that being blind is near a precipice and does not perceive it but much more compassionable is the case of the Natural Man who neither knows himself nor the things which concern his peace 2. Hence we may infer the folly of the Natural Man who is so prone to cry peace unto and to deceive himself He loves to go upon sure grounds in other matters and is very serious about trifles but wofully trifles
in the weighty concerns of another World Any thing satisfies him and makes him securely to say all is well If Satan tell him as he did our first Parents that he shall not surely dye Satan is believed the God of Truth and the Word of Truth being disregarded How many when they hear the Words Curse do bless themselves in their hearts and say they shall have peace though they walk on after the imagination of their evil heart therefore the Lord threatens that his anger and jealousie shall smoke against such and he will blot out their names from under Heaven Deut. 29. 19 20. Are they reproved for Sin They say All are Sinners whereas Penitents forsake presumptuous Sins and are willing to forsake all but these Self-deluders are hardly willing to forsake any They bear up upon this that God is merciful and yet they slight and abuse his mercy preferring their vanities and lusts before it and go on to injure his Justice and provoke him to Jealousie They are full of hope because Christ died and yet they thwart one great end of his Death and will not be the better for it for they refuse to dye to Sin and live to Righteousness 3. If it highly concerns all to prove themselves hence we may infer what an advantage it is to enjoy the light of the Word of God This is a Glass that flatters none It discovers what Sin is and where it is It calls Grace Grace and will speak peace to them that are the Sons of peace but on the contrary it will tell the Sinner though he be never so high in the World never so high in his vain hopes Thou art the man that lovest and livest in thy iniquity therefore thou art under wrath a Son of Death and in danger of eternal damnation This word convinces of Sin shews the necessity of turning unto God and is a great means of Conversion and afterwards by discovering of Grace it proves the joy and rejoycing of the heart The Unbelievers and Ungodly need this Word and ought to prize it for it shews them their guilt and a Mediatour their sore and also a Physician and faith is wrought by the hearing of it Rom. 10. 17. The Saints have loved this Word exceedingly Hark how the Psalmist cries out Psal 89. 15. Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound they shall walk O Lord in the light of thy countenance 4. Hence we may also infer the benefit of a searching Ministery Seers that will see vain visions are not worth hearing and Prophets that prophesy only smooth things had better prophesy nothing at all for they prophesy nothing but deceit Such Prophets are guilty of the blood of Souls and utterly ruine them while they heal them slightly crying peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. 14. Such Pastors destroy the Lords Vineyard such Dawbers are not Builders of the House of God How sad is it when the blind lead the blind both they that are led and they that are the leaders fall into the bottomless pit of perdition But a plain dealing Minister that rebukes Sin sharply that gives warning in time to flee from eternal wrath that commends himself to every mans conscience in the sight of God that speaks as if he knew mens hearts and discovers their secret thoughts to them that is a Son of thunder to the wicked and a Son of consolation to the broken hearted and has the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season to the weary and heavy laden Such a Shepherd is a great blessing to the Flock ought highly to be esteemed in love for his work sake and may be an happy instrument to save himself and them that hear him 5. Hence we may further infer the great necessity of the Spirits aid Unless he enlighten the eyes of our understandings we shall pass a wrong judgment upon our selves and every thing else also A subtle Serpent and a deceitful heart will be too hard for the most powerful Preacher breathing if the Spirit of the Lord does not second and set home the word preached The Spirit as I said before takes the Glass of the Law and holds it before the Sinner that he may see therein both his heart and life and then and truely not till then he will cry out Alass alass What have I been What have I done Where am I And whither will my Sins at last bring me The Spirit can charge Sin so home that there is no denial no excuse made The Sinner trembles confesses laments begs pardon consents to forsake his wickedness Thus Ephraim after he was instructed is ashamed and confounded because of his abominations The Publican being made sensible he was a Sinner cries out God be merciful And as the Spirit convinces the Sinner so he discovers to the Saint what God has given him not only the things themselves which are great and glorious but also the Saints interest in those things 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now we have received not the Spirit of this World but the Spirit which is of God that we might know those things which are freely given to us of God 6. If it highly concerns all to prove themselves learn hence the hatred and subtlety of Satan in Staving men off from this duty All his subjects are a company of inconsiderate fools if they would but bethink themselves they would become wiser than to serve such a Master This Enemy cannot endure that wicked men should look downward to Hell for fear they should be awakened and affrighted nor that they should look inward into themselves for fear they should see themselves lost and look out for a Saviour nor that they should look upwards unto God for fear they should be converted and healed The Devil hates Souls therefore is unwilling that any care should be taken about them he cannot abide that any should inquire into their Spiritual state therefore he endeavours to divert them he allures some with wealth bewitches others with pleasures intoxicates others with applause and honour he represents Self-examination to be Self-tormenting and holiness a meer Hell upon Earth But in all this he shews his falshood as well as enmity What madness is it to listen to him as a Leader and Counseller who is both a Liar and a Murtherer 7. Hence we may learn the great Error of the Church of Rome in crying down Assurance and consequently discouraging Self-examination The Council of Trent Sess 6. has impiously determin'd and declared Certitudo remissionis peccatorum est vana omni pietate remota fiducia The Saints assurance of the pardon of Sin is a vain and ungodly confidence How have they here blasphemed against the Comforter in making all his joys and consolations which suppose Sin to be pardon'd altogether vain The Scripture speaks after another manner Gal. 4. 6. And because ye are Sons God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father 1 Joh. 4. 16.
We have known and believed the love that God hath to us 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life And v. 19. Hereby we know that we are of the Truth and shall assure our hearts before him This assurance was not the effect of a particular and extraordinary revelation peculiar to that first age of Christianity but was the result of those charcters of Grace which are to be found even in the Saints now as well as then The consolations of the Spirit were not confin'd to the Primitive times but as a Comforter he is to abide with the Church for ever Joh. 14. 16. And indeed those who walk in the fear of God may expect the comforts of the Holy Ghost without any presumption The Apostle bids us to draw nigh with a true heart in full assurance of faith Heb. 10. 22. And 2 Pet. 2. 10. We are commanded to give diligence to make our calling and election sure What impiety is it then to say that Assurance is an impious confidence What is it that the Church of Rome does not strike at She strikes at our Liberties at our Lives would clasp the Book of the Gospel and lock it up in an unknown Tongue She would baffle our very senses and lord it over our Consciences and exercise dominion over our Faith and rob us of our peace and comfort and joy in Gods Salvation Vse 2. It may serve for a great and just lamentation that this duty of Self-proving is so exceedingly neglected by the generality even of those unto whom the Gospel is preached Multitudes are as unconcerned what is likely to become of them in another World as if there were not a pin to chuse between Heaven and Hell as if eternal Life did not deserve to be desired and eternal Death were not worthy of their fear Men are willing to know whether they thrive in the World there is anxious enquiring what the Parliament does and what the times are likely to prove whether peaceable and prosperous or full of tumult and confusion But alass alass 't is no part of the enquiry of the most among us What Eternity is likely to prove to them whether an Eternity of horror and woe or an Eternity of joy and blessedness A great number live in the prophane and total neglect of God and godliness and will not give the Gospel so much as the hearing but truely there are also many who will pray attend upon the Word preached and profess high and talk religiously who never talk with themselves nor call their hearts to task nor speak such language as this to themselves O animula vagula blandula Quae nunc abibis in loca O my Soul in what state art thou And where art thou likely to be lodg'd when once thou hast left this earthly Tabernacle The consequences of this neglect of Self-examination are fatal and truely lamentable 1. These careless Sinners that prove not themselves know not themselves they know neither their Sore not the way of Cure their Sins are hid from them and so they must needs be strangers to Repentance and godly Sorrow they remember not their own wickedness so as to mourn and condemn themselves therefore God will remember it so to condemn and punish them He that is ignorant of himself must needs remain impenitent and hard-hearted and such do treasure up unto themselves wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. 2. The not proving themselves is the ground of Sinners presumptuous confidence False hope cannot bear a serious Trial but they that try not themselves are full of such hopes and such hopes the stronger they are the more destructive The hope of them that are Hypocrites and forget God is compared to a Spiders Web 't is spun out of themselves but 't is easily cut off and they and their Hope shall perish together Job 8. 13 14. They that prove not themselves in how certain danger are they of building their house upon the sand And when the Rain descends and the floods come and beat upon their house 't will fall and great will be the fall of it Mat. 7. 27. 3. They that prove not themselves hide their faces and esteem not the Lord of Life and Glory they feel not their sickness they sancy they are whole and value not Physician they are more afraid to be cured of their Disease than to die of it They have no hunger and so they slight the bread of life they never were weary and heavy laden and so they mind not him that alone can give them rest they never were thirsty in a Spiritual sence so the invitation is not hearkned to to come and drink of the Water of Life freely for want of proving themselves they know not in what a most wretched and lost condition they are no wonder then if they neglect great Salvation and how shall such escape Heb. 2. 3. When the Apostle says How shall we escape He does not say what to intimate that the punishment which will follow upon neglecting the great Salvation whereof Christ is the Author is much sorer than tongue can utter or heart is able to conceive or reach 4. They that prove not themselves know not what they are doing they are breaking a Law most worthy to be kept with as great chariness as the Apple of our Eyes they are engaged in the service of Sin whose wages is Death and Hell they are the Devils Vassals who hates and strives to ruine those who serve him with the greatest labour they are provoking the Lord more and more to anger and provoking themselves to the confusion of their own faces 'T is very bad and sad work they are employed about and because they neither prove their work nor themselves they do not in a penitential way cry out What have we done But what they have done they will do still whatever comes on 't therefore the Lord complains Jer. 8. 6. I hearkned and heard but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickedness saying What have I done Every one turned to his course as the horse rusheth into the battel 5. They that prove not themselves know not whither they are going these careless Sinners consider not that their most pleasant Sins will be as bitter and as deadly as the very gall of Asps at last that of Solomon is verified in them Prov. 14. 12. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death The end of that broad way our Lord speaks of his hid from the multitude which go in it They are blind and do not see afar off nay though Death is near at hand and Hell follows immediately upon Death yet they do not see it Woe unto them they fly from God and they run post haste towards ruine and do not understand what dreadful and everlasting destruction they are near till they have actually and utterly destroyed themselves and that beyond
small success 6. Assurance of the love of God will lift you up above the fear of evil tidings Psal 112. 7. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Why should those be afraid who dwell in the secret place of the most High and abide under the shadow of the Almighty Psal 91. 1. The Saint has the Almighty on his side who surely is able to protect him He is under the shadow of the Almighty the Lord with his wings does cover him that violence may not be offered to him nay he abides under this Shadow so that he is safe at all times He dwells in the Most High and who then can reach him Nay he dwells in the secret place of the most High which shews how precious he is in Gods account and how far out of harms way Single David supposes an whole Host encamped against him yet says his heart shall not fear Psal 27. 3. and knowledge of his interest in God is the ground of his confidence vers 1. The Lord is my Light and my Salvation whom shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my Life of whom shall I be afraid 7. Assurance of the love of God will make you very holy and heavenly The Grace of God is but presumed upon and abused when'tis made an encouragement unto licentiousness Hark to the Apostle Rom. 6. 1 2. What shall we say then shall we continue in Sin that grace may abound God forbid how shall we that are dead to Sin live any longer therein Those who know they are under Grace do most abhor the dominion of Sin v. 14. they live most to God and are most forward to be the Servants of Righteousness The Conversation of such will be much in Heaven Phil. 3. 20. The Heir in his minority does often think of the Estate he is to enjoy Those who know they are the Children of God will often think of what they are to partake of hereafter for they are Heirs of God and joint Hiers with Christ they are begotten again to a lively hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead unto an inheritance incorruptible undefiled and that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. No contemplation will be so delightful to us as that of Heaven when once we know that our Lord is gone to prepare a place for us and will come again and receive us to himself that where he is we may be for ever also 8. Assurance of the love of God will make you to abound in praises He has made you new creatures to this very end that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. How does the Apostle Peter break out into thanksgiving upon this account 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again The Apostle Paul speaks to the same purpose Eph. 1. 3 4 5 6 7. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ He hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be Holy and without blame before him in Love He hath predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children He hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have Redemption through his Blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the Riches of his Grace How much has the Lord wrought both in and for those he has made Believers He has abounded towards them in Wisdom in Grace in Power in Love Praise is a debt Praise is expected and Praise is comely Though all his Works praise the Lord yet Saints look upon themselves as under a more special and peculiar obligation to magnifie and blesse his Name 9. Assurance of the Love of God will make Afflictions tolerable nay Death it self desirable The bitterest Cup will down more easily when you see t is reached forth to you by the hand of a Father The curse of the Cross is gone and it may be the better born and the Sting of Death is taken out and now Death and the Grave may be triumphed over What was Death to old Simeon when his Eyes had seen Gods Salvation it was but a peaceable departure out of a troublesome World Luk. 1. 29. 30. What was Death to the Apostle Paul who knew that assoon as ever he was absent from the Body he should be present with the Lord It was not dreadful but desirable Phil. 1. 23. I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better These are the Arguments and are they not strong ones to perswade you to labour after Assurance The Directions how to prove your selves so as to attain this Assurance follow 1. Set selves as in the presence of the All-Seeing and Heart searching God Who knows you who will judge you and who alone can make you to know your selves You cannot possibly deceive him for every Creature is manifest in his sight all things are naked and open to his veiw Heb. 4. 13. Your Spirits will be apt both to trifle and to juggle unlesse they are awed with a sence of the Lords Omniscience Let Conscience in the searching of you act as Gods Officer and as Gods Officer in Gods presence and then it will deal the more faithfully 2. Pray that your Spirits may give a true Testimony concerning you And that they may do so you must be well acquainted with Scripture-signs and characters of true Grace and then with great intention reflect upon your selves to see whether you have the marks of Christs sheep upon you whether you have the characters of Gods Children A wrong judgment of your selves how extreamly prejudicial would it be to you Adjure your Spirits therefore in the name of the Lord to tell you the very Truth and cry unto the Lord himself that he would not suffer you to fancy or call your selves his Children if you are really but hypocrites and strangers to him that you may not cry peace and safety when God speaks just the contrary 2. Be willing to find out every thing that 's evil in you in order to your more compleat purging David prays see if there be any evil way in me and lead me in the way Everlasting Psal 139. 24. And Psal 19. 12. He desires to be cleansed from secret sins that nothing wicked might borrow the shape of lawful and good and thereby abide in him The more corruption is found our and mortified the more fruitful you will be John 15. 2. Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit And the more fruitful you are the more evident it will be that you are really the living branches of the true Vine which is Christ Jesus 4. Pray hard That if you have any Grace the Lord would increase it and bring it
into exercise that it may be the more apparent Little Grace is nearest unto no Grace much Grace is nearer unto Glory When Grace lies dormant as it were and asleep in the Habit it may be doubted of but when 't is vigorously acted the Truth of it will more easily be granted Thus the Hare when she sits close is not perceived but when she is started then she is visible to all Pray therefore to resemble the Thessalonians whose Faith did grow exceedingly and whose Love abounded 2 Thes 1. 3. And that your Faith may work and your Love put you upon labour this is the way to have your spiritual estate cleared up to you 5. Find out and avoid what really nourishes and keeps up your Doubts and Fears Entertain not high Thoughts of your selves your gifts your parts your attainments for deadness and darkness and doubting will follow upon spiritual pride Check the spirit in you which lusteth unto Envy Jam. 4. 5. Abhor all lascivious thoughts and motions at the first rising of them Let not any Earthly enjoyment get too high a room in your Heart nor too large a share in your Affections Suffer not your Spirits to be ruffled and disordered by passion and peevishness In short connive at no corruption but mortifie all your members upon Earth Col. 3. 5. Not sparing the right Hand or right Eye For if you deal gently with any of your lusts and suffer them ever an anon to prevail they will render your condition doubtful and will be a strong impediment unto Assurance and Consolation 6. When you are proving your selves heed not Satan in his unreasonable injections You need not doubt but this Accuser of the Brethren will be very busie and use many wiles to hinder you from attaining peace of Conscience The Christians comfort which is the Christians Heaven upon Earth is the Hell and Torment of this envious Spirit therefore he does what he can to hinder it He starts a great many captious questions in the minds of Humbled and Awakened ones How do you know but that you are of the number of the not Elected Is not the day of Grace past and the Spirit quite gone Are you not judicially blinded and hardened Can you ever hope for an interest in and sense of the Love of God who have been such rebels heretofore and such revolters and back-slinders since a profession of Religion Sometimes this Enemy of souls will charge those that are sincere with hypocrisie in a most peremptory manner he tells them that all their duties are a meer Abomination that they have not one jot of saving Faith that they are meer strangers unto godly sorrow and repentance that they have nothing at all of the Love of God in them Calumniare audacter aliquid haerebit Satan charges boldly and thereby hopes something will stick whereby the soul will be disquieted But such injections as these are not to be regarded because they come from him that is called a Lyar and it may be known they proceed from him because he proves not what he injects by Scripture nay he overlooks all that the Scripture speaks for the souls encouragement And his design in these injections is to make duty neglected to drive souls to despair and to lay aside the profession and practice of Religion Be altogether deaf to Satan perceiving his evil design and pray that the God of peace would bruise Satan under your feet Rom. 16. 20. 7. Add not unto the Word of God Prov. 30. 6. My meaning is this believe nothing either for or against your selves but accoring to the written Word of God rightly understood and applyed Many question their state because their Hearts are so dead in Prayer because they find so much hardness and unaffectedness under Ordinances Mercies Afflictions because they fall so exceeding short of what they would fain both be and do But where does the Word tell you that where there is true Grace all deadness and hardness of Heart is removed Or that none are real Saints but who are absolutely perfect in Holiness The Apostle Paul found evil present with him when about to do that which is good Rom. 7. 21. And the beleiving Galatians had flesh as well as spirit and this flesh was very active and lusted against the spirit so that they could not do the things which they would have done Gal. 5. 17. You have spiritual life else you would not have spiritual sense to feel and be weary of remainders of corruption you would not have a will to be and do good and still to be and do better if God had not wrought will this in you 8. Be sure not to thrust away that consolation which the Word of God hands forth to you but humbly and thankfully accept it Though the Heart be naturally deceitful above all things yet so far as 't is renewed it deals truly and sincerely and Conscience being enlightned by the Word of God is to be credittd in its Testimony 1 Joh. 3. 21. Beloved if our Heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God If therefore upon the strictest search your Hearts do witness for you that there are good things in you towards God as it was said concerning Ahijah the Son of Jeroboam 1 King 14. 13. If you find that God is preferred before the World that you are willing to receive the Son as the way to the Father and that you consent nay earnestly desire to be sanctified throughout by the Spirit You should not dispute against your comfort but gladly accept of the peace of the Gospel for you are the Sons of peace You will grieve the Spirit of God and add to your own grief if you will not heed the Scripture speaking plainly for you and for your relief and if your Souls refuse to be comforted Ps 77. 2. Take heed of rash answers of your selves that you are rank Hypocrites and that all the grace you have is but common or counterfeit unbeleif is not to decide but the Word is to judge concerning the sincerity of Grace and if the Word speak peace you are not to keep your selves under trouble 9. Hold on in self-proving and praying and resolve never to give over trying and crying tell you know you are the Lords and have the light of his Countenance Tell him that his favour is better then life and that you know not how to live much less do you know how to dye without the sence of his Love Be thankful for hopes and probabilities but rest not there till you can speak as the Spouse in the Canticles Chap. 6. 4. I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine And as the Apostle Paul does Gal. 2. 20. The Son of God loved me and gave himself for me Beg that the Spirit may put all out of question and seal you to the day of Redemption The Spirits Testimony is of absolute necessity to bring us to an Assurance that we are the Children of God Now this Testimony
of the Spirit supposes that we are convinced of Sin and Righteousness it also supposes that we are sanctified in Heart and Life in a degree and long for perfect Holiness The Spirit then heightens the actings of Grace and evidences the Change he has wrought and makes us plainly to perceive and feel that we hate our sin prize our Redeemer and Love and Fear and Desire after our God And this real change in our Heart being evidenced then our relation unto God is also shewn that we are the Children and Heirs of the Lord Almighty that his love to us is Everlasting and his kindness shall never depart from us Satans mouth is now stopt and the Spirit causes the Conscience from the Word to be quieted and satisfied clouds are scattered doubts and fears are removed consolation is strong and joy unspeakable and glorious Thanks millions of Thanks be unto God for the Mighty Comforter Who gives a check to Hell and says Let their be Light and Joy where before there was darkness and doubtting and sorrow Who evidences Electing Love from Everlasting and causes Triumph and Rapture of Spirit in assured expectation of glory to Everlasting 10. Let me add one Word more having attained Assurance of the Love of God Take the right course to keep what you have gotten Here I shall name a few particulars 1. Be low in your own Thoughts if you continue humble God will continue to re vive and comfort you Esa 57. 15. 2. Offer unto your God and Father Thanksgiving If you are thankful for the light of his countenance that 's the way to have his face still to shine upon you 3. Take heed of presumptuous sins David lost his joy when he ventured to be unclean and bloody nay take heed of lesser sins for these will dead the Heart grieve the Holy Ghost and dispose to greater 4. Be very serious in the Ordinances of Christ if the House if the Table of the Lord be neglected you will kill your comfort frequent the Lords Temple if you would see his Beauty that is his glorious holiness and have a continued sense of his Love Ps 27. 4. 5. Study the unchangeableness of Gods Love in Christ and the sureness of his Covenant This will be matter of perpetual gladness to see your selves in the Heart and hands of the Father and of Christ from whose love none can separate you Rom. 8. ult out of whose hands none can pluck you Joh. 10. 28 29. 6. Walk continually in the fear of God This is the way to have the Spirits Consolations Acts 9. 31. Then had the Churches rest throughout Judea and Samaria and Gallilee and were edified and walking in the Fear of God and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed 7. Use this World as not abusing it 1 Cor. 7. 31. If you are too much taken with worldly comforts your spiritual ones will abate but if in reference to earthly things you rejoice as if you rejoyced not your joy in the Lord will be the greater Look upon your selves as strangers and that this present World is but the House of your Pilgrimage then Gods statutes will be your Songs and fill you with the greater joy Psal 119. 54. 8. Husband your time to the best advantage and have the end of time in your eye Dye daily 1 Cor. 15. 31. If you think much of your dissolution it will make you so wise as to keep your Evidence for Heaven clear and to take heed of blotting them that you may have them to shew when stepping into Eternity In the second place I am to direct you how to prove your selves before you engage in that Ordinance of the Lords Supper To come to the Lords Table is a duty which Christ commanded when he was dying And if the words of a Dying Father or of adying Friend are remarked and remembred how much more the command of a dying Redeemer The circumstance of time is very observable which the Apostle mentions 1 Cor. 11. 23 24. The same night in which he was betrayed the Lord Jesus took the Bread and break it to set forth his own being bruised and wounded killed for the Transgressions of his People He bids his Church Do this that they might remember what He their Head had suffered for them When the Pass-over was instituted and was eaten at Evening and the Children of Israel were brought out of the Land of Aegypt out of the House of Bondage Moses says It was a Night much to be observed unto the Lord Exod. 12. 42. Oh! How much more is that time to be observed when Our Lord Jesus wrought a far greater and more glori-Redemption and Deliverance when being himself delivered for our offences and raised again for our Justification he saved his Church from the Wrath of God the Devils power the Dominion of sin the sting of Death and the vengeance of Eternal Fire Upon the first day of the week Christ ceased from his own works as God did from his upon the seventh day of the week There remaineth therefore the Greek Word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Sabbath or rest unto the People of God Heb. 4. 9 10. This Ordinance of the Supper is in no wise to be Administred unto all though they be never so ungodly We are indeed to Preach the Gospel to every Creature but there must be at least a professed subjection to the Gospel or else persons are not to be admitted to this Holy and Heavenly Banquet Those who are for Railing in the Communion Table I wish they were for a Spiritual Rail of Scripture Discipline and that in the Administration of these sacred Mysteries there were a separation made between the Precious and the Vile In the more pure and ancient times two sorts of Persons were debarred from the Lords Table the Catechumeni and the Lapsi the ignorant and not well instructed in the Faith and those who had fallen into scandalous sins And why should either of these be admitted now to eat and drink Judgment to themselves To prevent the incurring of the guilt instead of receiving the benefits of the Blood of Christ the Apostle prescribes self-examination Now That he who would be a welcom Guest at the Lords Table may prove himself thorowly and to purpose let him seriously and as in the Presence of God propose unto himself these following Questions 1. Am I acquainted with or a stranger to the great things of the Gospel Do I know the Mystery of God and of the Father and of christ Or is the black vail of ignorance still upon my Heart The Apostle speaks of some who have need to be taught which are the first principles of the Oracles of God Heb. 5. 12. And am not I one of that number How can I pretend to Faith in Christ or Love to God if I have not so much as a notional knowledge of either The Communicant must have some Knowledge of the fundamental Doctrines of the Christian
that Jesus who dyed upon the Cross is able to save to the uttermost and willing to save all that come to him Jesus is the man who is Gods Fellow he thought it no Robbery to be equal with God Psal 2. 6. He is indeed the true God and Eternal Life 1 John 5. 20. Certainly then Help is laid upon One that is mighty and that has sufficient power to save Jesus is he who was fore-ordained before the Foundation of the World 1 Pet. 1. 20. And pitcht upon in Gods purpose and decree to be the Redeemer of lost Man and at last he was made manifest having been Typified and Beleived in long before He undertook to be Mans Surety and to pay the price for his Redemption And just when he was dying he cryes out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is finished and then gave up the Ghost John 19. 30. As if he had said I undertook to satisfie Divine Justice that had been wronged and to appease the Anger of God which had been provoked by the sin of man I undertook to remove the Curse of the Law to conquer and Redeem from Death and Hell and quite to spoil the Principalities and Powers of Darkness I undertook to Ransom precious Souls that were lost and Purchase a Church that may come at last to live with me and my Father and shout forth Hallelujahs unto Him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb forever And this great work which I undertook I have now finished Doubtlesse the Lord Jesus is able to save and his willingness he declares abundantly The Communicant should thus argue with himself O! My soul Is not Jesus a Merciful High Preist as well as a Mighty Saviour Behold him Weeping over Jerusalem the Inhabitants whereof were Enemies to him and would not be gathered And wishing they had known the things of their Peace and will he not with Joy receive those that come to him and put their Trust under the shaddow of his Wings Hark does he not say I will give rest to the weary and heavy laden Does he not assure thee that those that come to him he will in no wise cast out What though thou art utterly unworthy Christ saves none but such for 't is his design that they may cry Grace Grace forevermore 8. The Communicant should ask himself Do I look upon the New Testament and Covenant whereof Jesus is the Mediator as sure and Everlasting David speaks excellently concerning this 2 sam 23. 5. God hath made with me an Everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure this is all my Salvation and all my desire This Covenant is ordered in all things because the Promises of it are so admirably suited unto the necessities of poor sinners The Lord here Promises Mercy to the Miserable Pardon to the Guilty Cleansing to the Defiled Healing to the Distempered Soul Liberty to the Captives Light to the Blind Rest to the Weary Satisfaction to Empty Strength to the Weak Establishment to the Wavering and Salvation to the Lost And because all things else are insufficient to make them happy the Lord Promises that he himself will be their God their Father their Portion and that forever and ever And what more can be desired Now this Covenant is as sure as the Word the Oath the Seal the Truth the Power the Love the Blood of God can make it This Covenant is sometimes styled a Testament and in this Testament Christ has bequeathed the greatest things unto Beleivers here we find the richest Legacies that ever were left The favour of God the Sanctifying Spirit a New Heart Peace of Conscience Joy unspeakable the good things of this present World Grace to persevere to the end and a farr more exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory hereafter are the things bequeathed by our dying Lord. And the Testatour having dyed the Testament is of force and stands firm and fast forever Heb. 9. 15 16 17. O my Soul should the Communicant then say Set thy self to Study the Covenant of thy Lord. Consider how great things are made over and how firm the settlement is Be pacified O! My conscience with the promises of Pordon Embrace O my very Heart the Promises of purity that by these I may be made a partaker of the Divine Nature and escape the Corruption that is in the World through lust Rejoice O! My Soul in this highest Happiness that God in Christ is Thine And Triumph O! My Spirit in hope of that Glory that most certainly and very shortly is to be Revealed 9. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Am I willing to break the League Eternally between my Heart and my Lusts Do I consent to have all the deeds of the Body mortified without exception Under the Law the Inticerto Idolatry was to be destroyed how neer soever If thy Brother or thy Son or Daughter or the Wife of thy Bosom or thy Friend which is as thy own Soul intice thee secretly saying Let us go after other Gods and serve them thou shalt not consent nor hearken to him but thou shalt surely kill him thy hand shall be first upon him to put him to Death and after the Hand of all his People Deut. 13. 6. 8 9. And the reason is assigned v. 10. Because he sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God There is never a sin or lust which thou canst indulge but the tendency of it is to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God No sin therefore upon any account is to be spared Search thy self therefore for corruption is a lurking thing Unfeignedly desire to have all this old Leaven purged out that thou mayst be fit to feed on Christ the Passeover Speak thus O! My Heart At last lay aside thy deceitful dealing and tell me truly as thou wilt answer it another day whether love to sin is turned into hatred Dost thou give consent that thy pride thy passion thy unclean affections thy love of the World and all other sins should be Crucified Dost thou slight sinful delights that thou mayest taste the pleasantness and peace which is in Wisdoms wayes Dost thou esteem Godliness to be greater gain then any wickedness can yeild Oh! cherish none of thy iniquities for one sin allowed will make the Supper and all other Ordinances ineffectual to Salvation and prove thy utter and Eternal Ruine Just as one Dagger thrust into the Heart will dispatch a man as certainly as if he had as many wounds given him as Caesar in the Senate or Attilius Regulus in the nailed Barrel 10. The Communicant should ask himself Have I a Spiritual Appetite do I hunger and thirst after Righteousness Mat. 5. 6. Do I count Holiness the Glory of God and the truest Glory of Man Do I see a deformity in wickedness and an excellency in being Righteous Do I desire to put on the Lord Jesus Christ and that New man which after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness Eph. 4. 24. Are
my prejudice against Holiness removed as if ' iwere unwise uneasie needless and a thraldom to be Holy O my Soul what doest thou long for when thou comest unto thy Lords Banquet Is it not that thy Faith may be strengthened that thy love to God may be more hot and flaming Is it not that thy fear may be greater and more filial and that thou mayest be inabled to follow thy heavenly Father more fully as a dear Child Is not sanctifying Grace preferred before Gold that perishes dost thou not long that the new Creature may be more lively in all the actings of it and that thou mayest become stronger in Spirit If it be thus it is a sign thy Spiritual Appetite is sharp and keen and as the Supper is an ordinance proper and suitable to thee so there is enough and enough to fill thee and thou shalt not be sent away empty for the promise is open thy Mouth wide and I will All it Psal 82. 10. 11. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Do I count the World but loss that I may gain Christ Has he the preeminence in my affections above all things visible above all persons breathing Where Faith is true Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. And Christ is not truly prized at all unless he be prized above all The young man in the Gospel lacked one thing and that was the main Love to Christ above his possessions Those were not fit to taste of the Marriage Supper who preferred their Oxen and their Farms and their Merchandize before it Mat. 22. Our Lord expresly requires us to undervalue what is dearest in this World in comparison of him Luk. 14. 26. If any man come to me and hate not i. e. less Love his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own life also and what can be named dearer he cannot be my Disciple Speak therefore thus to thy self O my Soul has thy Saviour and Lord indeed the highest room in thee Corruptible things as Silver and Gold are unsuitable to thy nature which is spiritual and were insufficient to be the price for thy Redemption The world has often proved a snare to thee but Christ is a Saviour the World is vanity and less then nothing but Christ is all in all the World has often disappointed and vexed thee but Christ can ease and satiate and replenish thee The World after thou hadst ruined thy self was ready to help forward thy destruction But Christ has the key of Hell and can keep thee out of it and the key of Heaven and can give thee an abundant entrance into that everlasting Kingdom If Christ can do more then the World can nay if Christ can do all for a Soul and the world can do just nothing at all 't is but reason that Christ should infinitely be preferr'd before it 12. The Communicant should ask himself Am I reconciled to the Commands of God Am I willing that my Heart should be Tables for the Spirit to write his Laws upon that I may delight to do the will of God Do I esteem not only some but all the Lords precepts concerning not only somethings but concerning all things to be right and do I hate every false way Ps 119. 128. O my Soul speak Art thou irritated by the Law of God as formerly are the motions to sin stronger and more vehement because the law forbids Sin Or is the Law of God dear to thee and art thou ready to say at the hearing of every Command Oh that my wayes were directed that I might keep this Statute The stronger Grace is the commands of God are farther off from being grievous You may perceive how David was affected towards them when he said Psal 19. 10. More are they to be desired then Gold yea then much fine Gold sweeter also then Honey and the droppings of the Honeycomb And where Grace is weak though there be an untoward backwardness remaining to yield obedience to the Law that backwardness is lamented and a Burthen and the heart longs to be enlarged that it may run the wayes of Gods Commandments Psal 119. 32. 13. The Communicant should examine himself Am I willing to receive whatever Christ has purchased and is willing to give in this ordinance of the Supper Is every benefit of Christ lookt upon as worthy of all acceptation All the benefits of Christ are dear surely all of them are of great value And there is not one of them that we can be well without for these benefits are excellently suited unto our necessities O my Soul should the Communicant say thou likest the Lord Jesus as he is made unto thee Righteousness as he skreens thee from the Wrath of God and interposes between thee and everlasting vengeance But dost thou see thy need of his Wisdom to direct thee in the way of Truth and to make all the wiles of the subtle Serpent of none effect And to make thee wise to Salvation and for Eternity Dost thou value Chrict as made Sanctification and Redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. Dost thou count deliverance from all Iniquity a great and desirable part of Redemption and Sanctification a great and desirable part of Salvation because hereby thou art saved from thy pollutions and defilements Certainly as there is no sin which should be loved so there is nothing in sin to be liked and there is no thing in Christ but what is highly worthy to be esteemed 14. The Communicant should examine and ask himself Am I grieved when I remember what I have done against God and the Lord Jesus Is it indeed the trouble and Affliction of my Soul that I have so naturally and forwardly and so long rebelled against the best Lord and been disobedient to the best Father Do I mourn and would I mourn a great deal more because I have dared the power of God slighted his presence contemned his favour and fellowship hated his holiness abused the riches of his Grace and Mercy O my Soul how foolish and unwise hast thou been thus to requite the Lord that made and bought thee How great an evil has it been in it self and how evil has it been for thee that thou hast forsaken the Fountain of Living waters Mourn that thou hast left such a God and mourn the more kindly because still he is willing to receive thee See O My Soul how thy sin has peirced the only Saviour Behold him in an Agony behold him sweating drops of Blood first and after shedding all upon the Cross See a sorrowful Life ending in a Death more lamentable Harken to thy Redeemer crying out My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me Behold the son of Righteousness setting in a Cloud and sin thy sin the cause of all this Break break hard Heart Let his Blood and Love together melt thee into Godly sorrow 15. The Communicant should Examine himself Am I willing to give to Christ whatever he is willing to
whose favour affords the fullest joy and whose frowns can cause an Hell on Earth Carnal Pleasures are but bruitish The Beasts enjoy those as well as men and several of them excelling us in sense their pleasures also may be greater They are worse then Beasts who can be contented with such delights because they are capable of delights much higher which capacity the Beasts have not How unfit is he for Christ and for the Kingdom of God who esteems Earthly pleasure as the most desirable paradise He wofully forgets both Himself and Eternity who admires those delights and joys which can last but for a moment MEDITATION VI. O my Soul Art thou indeed fond of Pleasure The highest of all are not grudged thee Oh taste and see that the Lord is Gracious What is pleasing to the Flesh cannot reach thee but God is a Spirit has enough is enough for thee The Angels have no Flesh and yet enjoy the greatest delight and God himself who is the most spiritual is the most blessed and happy Being of all Solomon enjoyed as much as the most voluptuous can wish for He says whatever his Eyes desired he kept not from them neither did he withhold from his Heart any joy Though sensual delight was in its highest Exaltation yet it was wofully mixed the sting was much sharper then the Honey was sweet Therefore he cryes out all was vanity and vexation of Spirit Be not eager O my Soul after that which will prove a vexation to thee Return unto God look unto Jesus here thou maist find exceeding joy here a Soul may find rest And being once interested in that meat which endures to Everlasting Life and in the unsearchable Riches of christ thou maist speak to thy self upon good ground Soul take thine ease Eat Drink and after an holy manner be Merry for thou hast Goods laid up which will never be spent but last unto Eternity MEDITATION VII Lord How far is that Man from knowing Thee who is a Lover of Pleasure more then a Lover of God! How excellent is thy Loving kindness How sweet the Meditation of Thee When my heart is enlarged and my Affections for Thee are vehement and strong here is a joy indeed which the World is a stranger to and cannot equal David called Thee the gladness of his Joy no other joy can make me truly glad besides How All-sufficient is thy fulness How Rich is thy Mercy How superabundant is thy Grace And even thy justice which is so affrighting unto guilty man is fully satisfied by the Obedience and Sufferings of Jesus Christ Thou art just when thou justifiest him that Believeth in Jesus Unbeleiving Doubts and Fears are groundless but joy and peace are highly reasonable The Saints which are now Triumphant who see thee face to face and are in the Lambs Presence and Throne are far from admiring the pleasures of sin and sense Away away thou deceitful Tempter Offer such poor such low things no more I am to preferre Affliction with the People of God before such Pleasures and certainly then Heaven and the foretastes of it are of infinitly greater value From henceforth Lord it shall be my pleasure to study thee and thy will to love thee to serve thee to please thee to praise thee and to enjoy thee will be my highest Happiness MEDITATION VIII What is the Applause and esteem of Men How vain and poor a thing is Worldly Honour Why should I Envy this to others or be eager after it or proud of it my self Man does judge according to outward appearance and therefore may more easily mistake When man commends Conscience may condemn and God much more That which is highly esteemed among men is an Abomination in the sight of God To be spoken well of by sinners is rather a bad sign they were false Prophets who had the good word of all men And the good Word of Saints is rather an argument of their Charity then of our sincerity The Jew that is one inwardly his Heart is Circumcised and his praise not of men but of God How poor a thing is it to be praised for Beauty which is so great a snare to them that have it and to others also and which Death may so quickly turn into paleness and rottenness And to be praised for Worldly Greatness does yield but a sorry satisfaction for Death is a sure and terrible Leveller and the Worms will make as bold with the Catkass of the Prince as of the Peasant What will it advantage one to be commended for Gifts or Parts or Grace if Conscience at the same time do justly Reproach and call one Proud and Hypocritical How little did Christ value Honour in the days of his Humiliation he was despised rejected reproached and at last most ignominiously Crucified Lord They are truly Honourable that Honour Thee and are honoured by thee and to whom thou wilt say at last Well done good and faithful Servants MEDITATION IX When I look into my self my Sins appear by great multitudes But a Righteousness of my own I cannot find which does deserve to be called by the name of Righteousness If the Elect Angels do cover their faces in the presence of a God glorious in Holiness how shall sinful man appear without a Mediatour They that are ignorant may be Proud and Self-conceited and may trust to themselves that they are Righteous but one view of Gods unspotted purity and exact justice is enough to cause in any mortal man self-distrust nay self-abhorrency The Sun is confounded and the Moon ashamed the Heavens are not clean in the sight of Him that made them the Angels themselves are charged with folly what is man that he should be Righteous MEDITATION X. My evill deeds do far exceed my good ones how great is the number of those how small comparatively the number of these How many more are the vain words which I speak then those that are serious And when I keep the strictest watch over my Heart the bad thoughts though intruders will be ten for one that is pure and holy if the odds be not farr greater And can I stand then if the Lord should be extream to mark what is done amiss Who in the World has more reason then I to cry out Lord enter not into judgment with thy Servant That little good which I do what mixtures of evil are there with it The Flesh is still lusting against the Spirit and makes every duty I perform imperfect and upon its own account impossible to be accepted The best of my works cannot merit the acceptation of themselves how then can they make satisfaction for my iniquities I see plainly when I have done all I must call my self unprofitable and look unto Christ who became obedient unto Death and desire that both I and my works the most perfect of them all may be found in him MEDITATION XI To whom can I look but unto Jesus Here the Angels look and wonder at the manifold wisdom
if an Emperour should bid me take his Crown and Diadem or then if all the Kingdoms of the World and all the Glory of them were offered me When Christ offered up himself a Sacrifice unto God that he might put sin away how great was the Offering If all the Beasts in Earth the Fowls of the Air had been offered this offering could not have made Atonement for the sinner or for one sin Nay if all the Angels in Heaven had proffered themselves to be annihilated in case fallen man might be pardoned Neither would this have been sufficient satisfaction So that when Christ offered himself to God he offered more then all the World then millions of Worlds would amount unto And when the Lord Jesus bids me take him and feed upon this meat indeed this Bread of Life shall I refuse He that receives Christ how much does he recieve He does indeed receive all For Christ is all in all and filleth all in all MEDITATION XXXI Lift up your Heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye Everlasting Doors that the King of Glory may come in Who is this King of Glory The Lord Jesus is the Prince of Life the King and Lord of Glory Behold he stands at the door and knocks if any man hear his voice and open the door he will come into him and sup with him And when he comes and is admitted what entertainment does he bring Meat that perishes is contemptible in comparison Christ will give that Meat which endures to Everlasting Life His Love is better then Wine Nay his favour is better then life it self The Manna in the Wilderness was excellent food but many that Eat it perished But whoever by Faith do feed upon our Lord Jesus in reference to the second Death they become immortal This is the Bread which commeth down from Heaven that a Man may Eat thereof and not dy I am the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven if any man Eat of this Bread he shall live for ever and the Bread that I wil give is my Flesh which I will give for the Life of the World MEDITATION XXXII When an inheritance is conveyed to me by a sealed Deed the Nature of the wax is not changed but the use of it The Bread and Wine after the Sacramental blessing of them remain Bread and Wine still and so in Scripture they are called but their use is very much altered and they become Christs broad seal to convey to me and to assure me of the Remission of sin of the Renewing of my Nature and of Life and Immortality Let the Papists contend for a gross and carnal presence of the Body of Christ at his Table I am perswaded that as Circumcision is called the Covenant and the Lamb the Lords Passeover So the bread and wine are called the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus And yet I am also fully perswaded that though the Body of Christ is in Heaven yet he is most really present at the Table with them that do believe and such are nourished and strengthened in this Ordinance I learn from Scripture that Spiritual things are most firm most real most substantial most durable and if so then Christs spiritual presence is the most real presence Christ is absent where Transsubstantiation is believed and Romish Devotion and Adoration of the Host is turned into abominable Idolatry MEDITATION XXXIII Lord Thou art my Hope my Help my Saviour my Life my All Thou wouldst have me put thee on to cover my nakedness Thou wouldst have me take sanctuary under thy wings in all my dangers thou wouldst have me use thee as a Physician to cure all my spiritual maladies and when I am hungry and thirsty and my Soul faints within me thou hast enough to satisfie and fill me What one said concerning the Scripture I may apply to my blessed Lord. Adoro Christi plenitudinem I adore the fulness that is in Christ Jesus Draw neerer neerer O thou only Saviour thou deservest the highest the best nay all the room in my Heart thou oughtest to be the most welcom guest Let me have a clearer sight of thy transcendent loveliness a larger taste of thy incomparable sweetness let me clasp about thee and hold thee in more strict embraces Why should I be empty since in thee there is a fulness of the Spirit without stint or measure I would be poor in Spirit but why should I be poor in Grace since in thee there are unsearchable Riches MEDITATION XXXIV Bread is the staff of Life Lord I come to thy Table for support and strength Oh! Let the Bread of God strengthen me with strength in my Soul Let me find and feel the admirable vertue of the Broken Body that I may say from plentiful experience I this is meat indeed Let sin grow weaker and weaker and Mammons interest in me decline and languish but make me strong in Spirit and carry on the work of Faith with Power I have need of strength who have such a way to go and all up Hill who have so much work to do and such mighty Enemies to encounter and overcome My Life lies in believing in thee I stand no longer then Thou upholdest me Without thee I can do nothing or what is worse then nothing I can do nothing but sin and fall but if thou dost strengthen me I shall be able to do all things If thou withdraw from me I shall be weak as a Child unstable as the very Water but if thou dost confirm me by thy Grace I shall be like David nay like unto an Angel I shall fight the good fight of Faith and go on conquering and to conquer till I get the Crown MEDITATION XXXV How great was the breach which sin had made between God and Man that my Lord must be broken to make it up Could not something less have served the turn If Christ must die or sin must not be pardoned judg of the greatness of the fault by the greatness of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction What hath sin done It has filled Earth with troubles it has filled Hell with Souls it has turned Angels into Devils it has provoked the God of Heaven to great and Righteous indignation add unto all this It has killed Christ the Lord of Life He was wounded for our Transgression he was bruised for our iniquities Who would love who would like such an evil If my Father had been stabbed should I embrace the Murtherer or like the Dagger besmeared with his blood Oh hateful sin I 'le be revenged upon thee I will make no provision for thee I will lament because of thee I will detest and abhor thee I will be dead to thee and endeavour to mortifie and kill thee My Lord was not spared for thy sake and thou shalt not be spared Lord Away with these lusts all of them Crucifie them Crucifie them since Christ himself did bear my sins in his own Body on the Tree Oh let me be
dead to sin and live to Righteousness MEDITATION XXXVI Is the Cup of blessing at the Table the Communion of the Blood of Christ indeed How should my Soul and all that is within me bless the Lords Name when I take it into my hand My Lord does in effect say to me Here is the New Testament sealed and confirmed there is remission of all thy sins Here is sanctifying Grace here is an assurance of mine and my Fathers love here is a pledge and earnest of Glory and Immortality This Blood of Jesus is deservedly styled precious 't is the Blood of the Lamb without spot nay 't is the Blood of the Lord Jehovah To make light of this Blood as if it were an unholy or common thing is to deny the Lord that bought us and to bring upon our selves certain and swift destruction But whosoever by Faith applyes this Blood of Jesus shall find it sufficient to cleanse them from all unrighteousness MEDITATION XXXVII Dearest Lord How great is the vertue of that blood of thine which was shed upon the Cross without the gates of Jerusalem It can appease thy Fathers anger though provoked unto great fierceness it can remove the greatest guilt it can cure and cleanse the most leprous and defiled Soul it can heal the most wounded and enraged Conscience Oh blessed Laver where I may wash and be clean where I may bath and be eased Effectual medicine which heals every spiritual malady How wonderful was thy love which made thee shed thy blood how happy is thy Church for whom thy blood is shed Lord I love thee I rest upon thee I rejoyce in thee who hast loved thy People and washed them from their sins in thy own Blood and hast made them Kings and Priests unto God and thy Father who gavest thy self for thy Church that thou mightest sanctifie and cleanse it and present it to thy self a glorious Church not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish MEDITATION XXXVIII Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect It is God that justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that dyed This is my Answer unto the Accuser of the Brethren when he tells me of my manifold Transgressions All that he can truly lay to my charge I am ready to lay to my own nay I subscribe guilty to all that is down in the book of the Omniscient Gods remembrance but then I add Christ dyed Christ shed his Blood that sin might be pardoned and purged and I am willing to be cleansed as well as pardoned And if the Blood of Christ be enough to satisfie divine justice surely 't is sufficient to satisfie and quiet the most awakened Conscience I have indeed like a Sheep gon astray and turned to my own way but the Lord has laid on Christ all my iniquities he endured the chastisement of my peace he felt the stripes that I might be healed Hereby Satan is silenced my own desponding Spirit revived and encouraged and in the Name and Mediation of Jesus I can go unto God himself though he is so glorious in Righteousness and Holiness as a Child unto a Father MEDITATION XXXIX The Blood of Christ does speak and speaks better things then the Blood of Abel No voice more loud then that of Blood no blood does cry like that of God This blood does speak both to God and Me it speaks to God and what ever I pray for which I really need this blood cryes that I may obtain Blessings of all sorts were purchased by the shedding of it and it is continually pleading that what it purchased may be bestowed Hence is the efficacy of Prayer because what the belieuer prays for the blood of Christ speaks for How loud does it cry in Gods ears Lord pity and pardon the humbled and Believing Soul Heal and Comfort the Contrite and Broken hearted Oh give converting and Renewing Grace to all that do desire it Those that fear thy Wrath let them escape it Those that prize thy love love them freely and for ever Receive all returning sinners and take away all their iniquities Give Grace give Glory and no good thing withhold from them that seek thee in sincerity Thus the blood of Christ does intercede with God And the Lord having contrived the shedding of it on purpose that without any derogation from his Righteousness he might shew mercy to the Children of men certainly its intercession for mercy shall not be in vain MEDITATIONS XL. The blood of Christ does speak also to Me. And how good and comfortable are the words of it Soul be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thy help and Salvation found God was angry with thee but I have appeased his Wrath. He whom thou wast ready to find a consuming Fire is become a God in Covenant nay a Father to thee That blood which was shed upon the Cross has made thy Peace though heretofore never so much a stranger never so great an Enemy Behold Hell lockt up thou shalt never fall into that place of Wo behold the way into the Holiest of all is open Thou hast liberty to come with boldness to the Throne of Grace and within a little while thou shalt have an abundant entrance into Glory Dear Lord What am I that blood and such blood as thine should be shed for me Why wast thou at such expence and cost for the Redemption and Salvation of such a Wretch such a Rebel Thou hast mercy because thou wilt have mercy thy exceeding rich and glorious Grace must be matter of a delightful transport and sweet astonishment to Eternity MEDITATION XLI My Lords love and kindness should thaw and melt my heart That God whom for so long a time I neither lov'd nor fear'd nor cared to be acquainted with but dishonoured and sinn'd against with so high an hand had he indeed purposes of Grace towards me from Eternity That Jesus whom I shut and barr'd the door of my Heart so fast against whose word I was deaf unto and whose Spirit I resisted for so long a time has He indeed born my sins and carried my sorrows Oh that my head were Waters and my eyes Fountains of Tears Oh stony Heart for shame now become like wax and be melted in the midst of my Bowels I am a prodigy of unkindness wo is me that I have sinned Wo is me that I who have sinn'd so much do grieve no more Surely all my days I will walk softly in the bitterness of my Soul I will be vile in my own eyes and wonder that the Lord should have respect to such an one as I My own sin and my Lords Love shall be my Study I will compare them together that sin may be lamented and loathed according to the desert of it and that my Repentance may be indeed Evangelical and after a godly manner MEDITATION XLII O my Soul if thy
Discourse of Excommunication The middle way of Predetermination Popery an Enemy to Truth by Mr. Sheldreck Dr. Dumoulins conformity of Independent Government to the Antient Primitive Christians Excommunication Excommunicated in a Dialogue between a Doctor of both Laws The Case of the Protestants in England under a Popish Prince A rebuke to Informers A modest Inquiry into Dr. Stilling fleet Historical mistakes The State of Blessedness An Answer to Dr. Stilling fleets Book by J. H. Liberty of Conscience in order to universal peace The Lords voice crying to England Life of Herod the Great A Manifesto or an Account of the State and differences between the King of Denmark and Norway and the Duke of Slesmick Phelps Innocencies reward Materials for Union A sheet of Union Rosses Mestogogus Poaeticus Phelps on the Revelations Gilaspys Ark of the Covenant Present State of New England Dr. Collings of Providence Froysells Sermons of Grace and Temptations Yarringtons Englands Improvement First part Idem second part Meaning of the Revelation by John Hayter The Morning-Lecture against Popery or the principal errors of the Church of Rome detected and confuted in a Morning-Lecture preached by several Ministers of the Gospel in or near London Four useful discourses 1 The art of improving a full and prosperous condition for the glory of God being an appendix to the art of Contentment in three Sermons on Philip. 4. 12. 2 Christian submission on 1 Sam. 3. 18. Philip. 1. 21. 4 The Gospel of peace sent to the sons of peace in six Sermons on Luke 10. 5 6. by Jeremiah Burroughts Dr. Wilds Letter of Thanks and Poems A new Copy-Book of all sorts of useful hands The new World or new-reformed Church by Doctor Homes The Vertuous Daughter a Funeral Sermon by Mr. Brian The Miracle of Miracles or Christ in our Nature by Dr. Rich. Sibbs The unity and essence of the Catholick Church visible by Mr. Hudson Brightman on Revelations Canticles and Daniel Canaans Calamity The intercourse of Divine Love between Christ and the Church or the particular Beleiving soul in several Lectures on the whole second Chap. of Cant. by John Collins D. D. Large 8 vo The sure mercies of David by Nath. Heywood Heaven or Hell here in a Good or Bad Conscience by Nath. Vincent Closet-Prayer a Christians duty all three by O. Heywood A Practical discourse of Prayer wherein is handled the nature and duty of Prayer by Tho. Cobbet Of quenching the Sprit the evil of it in respect both of its causes and effects discovered by Theophilus Polwheile The sure way to Salvation or a Treatise of the Saints mystical Union with Christ by Richard Stedman M. A. Sober Singularity by the same Author Heaven taken by Storm by Tho. Watson The Childs Delight together with an English Grammar Reading and Spelling made easie both by Tho. Lye Aesops Fables with morals thereupon in English Verse The Young-mans Instructor and the Old-mans remembrancer being an Explanation of the Assemblies Catechism Captives bound in Chains made free by Christ their Surety both by Tho. Doolittle Eighteen Sermons preached upon several Texts of Scripture by William Whitaker The Saints care for Church Communion declared in sundry Sermons preached at St. James Dukes-place by Zech. Crofton The life and death of Edmund Stanton D. D. To which is added a Treatise of Christian-conference and a Dialogue between a Minister and a Stranger Sin the Plague of plagues or sinful sin the worst of Evils by Ralph Venning M. A. Cases of Conscience practically resolved by J. Norman The faithfulness of God considered and cleared in the great Events of his Word or a second part of the fulfilling of the Scripture The immortality of the Soul explained and proved by Scripture and Reason to which is added Faiths-triumph over the fears of death by Tho. Wedsworth A Treatise of the incomparableness of God in his Being Attributes Works and Word by George Swinnock M. A. A discourse of the original c. of the Cossacks The generation of Seekers or the right manner of the Saints addresses to the throne of Grace with an Exposition on the Lords-Prayer The administration of Cardinal Ximones An Essay to facilitate the Education of Youth by bringing down the rudiments of Grammar to the sense of seeing which ought to be improved by Syncrisis by Lewis of Totenham An Artificial Vestibulum wherein the sense of Janua Linguarum is contained compiled into plain and short sentences in English for the great ease of Masters and Expeditious progress of Scholars by M. Lewis Speculum Sherlockianum or a Looking glass in which the admirers of Mr. Sherlock may behold the man as to his Acuracy Judgment Orthodoxy A discourse of Sins of Omission wherein is discovered their Nature Causes and Cure by George Swinnock His Majesties Propriety in the British Seas vindicated Quakerism no Christianity or a through-Quaker no Christian proved by their Principles and confirmed by Scripture by J. Faldo Differences about Water-baptism no bar to Communion by Jo. Bunian The Dutch-dispensatory shewing the virtues qualities and properties of Simples the vertue and use of Compounds whereto is added the Compleat Herbalist Judg Dodaridge's laws of Nobility and Peerage Dinglys Spiritual Feast Solitude improved by Divine Meditation by Matth. Ranew A Murderer punished and pardoned or Tho. Savage his life and death with his Funeral sermon Hurst Revival Grace Buryes Husbandmans Companion help to holy walking Hanmers view of Antiquity Nomenclaturas Wases Grammar Vincent of Conscience Gouges Principles of Christian Religion Christian Direction Word to Saints and Sinners Young mans guide Christian Housholder Perrots Englands duty The Nonconformists vindicated Wadsworths remains Shepherdy Spiritualized Calamys Art of divine Meditation Faldos Quakerism no Christianity vindication of 21 Divines Small 8vo A defence against the fear of death by Zach. Crofton Gods Soveraignty displayed by William Gearing The Godly mans Ark or a City of Refuge in the day of his distress in five Sermons with Mrs. Moors evidences for Heaven by Edmund Calamy The Almost-Christian discovered or the false-Professor tried and cast by M. Mead. The true bounds of Christian-freedom or a discourse shewing the extent and restraints of Christian-liberty by S. Bolton D. D. The sinfulness of Sin and fulness of Christ in two Sermons by Will. Bridg. A Plea for the godly or the Righteous mans Excellency The holy Eucharist or the Sacrament of the Lords Supper A Treatise of self-denial All three by Tho. Watson The life and death of Tho. Wilson of Maidstone in Kent The Life and Death of Dr. Samuel VVinter A Covert from the Storm or the fearful encouraged in the day of Trouble Worthy-walking press'd upon all that have heard the Call of the Gospel The Spirit of Prayer All three by Nath. Vincent The inseparable union between Christ and a Believer by Tho. Peck A discourse of Excuses setting forth the variety and vanity of them the sin and misery brought in by them by John Sheffield Invisible reality demonstrated in
the hearts of these who thus out of slavish fear sought the Lord were not right with him This kind of fear invades the Sinners and Hypocrites Esa 33. 14. The Sinners in Sion are afraid fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with devouring Fire Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Aquinas 22. q. 19. art 2. tells us of a fourfold fear there is a Timor mundanus a worldly fear when for fear of the Worlds frowns and hatred we turn away from God There is Timor servilis a flavish fear when meerly for fear of punishment there is some seeking unto God There is Timor filialis a child-like fear when we fear offending God and so follow and cleave unto him Finally there is Timor initialis an initial fear which is partly a fear of Sin and partly a fear of Punishment Such a fear was in the trembling Jaylour at first Conversion who certainly enquited after the way to be saved both from sin and wrath Act. 16. and a mixture of both we read of in the Saints there is a childlike fear Psal 112. 1. Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord and that delighteth greatly in his Commands And there is likewise a fear of punishment Psal 119. 120. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy judgments This Slavish fear I am discoursing of which is certainly bad and when alone only in those that are bad Now because doubting Souls harp much upon this string that they are acted meerly by slavish fear and 't is one of the difficultest doubts to remove therefore I shall describe more largely those that in Religion are acted by this servile fear that by proving of your selves you may know whether you are of the number 1. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear dislike nothing in Sin but the punishment Their eyes were never opened to see Sin as the Apostle lookt upon it out of measure sinful they never beheld the excellency of righteousness nor the evil of iniquity but still Sin is as high as ever in their affections though fear restrain them from the acts of it 'T is said of a wicked man that he abhorreth not evil Psal 36. 4. he does not abhor it when he fears to commit it The Merchant in a Storm loves his Goods and is sorry that he is reduced to that strait that he must either throw his Goods overboard or lose his Life and after the Tempest is at an end he would be glad if his Goods might be recovered just thus are they affected towards Sin that are meerly acted by Slavish fear Sin it self is liked but Affliction Death and Hell fright them They are unconcerned that God by their Sin is dishonoured his goodness abused his Law broken and themselves enslaved and defiled and rendred hateful in his eyes only they are dismayed at the punishment unto which their Sin exposes them 2. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear are afraid of coming to the light which may discover their Sin and themselves more fully to them they see but too much already they are unwilling to see more Our Lord speaks generally concerning all evil men That they hate the light neither come to the light lest their deeds should be reproved Joh. 3. 20. They that are lovers of sin must needs be also lovers of darkness and enemies to plain dealing Ahab humbled himself through fear of punishment and yet cannot endure the faithful reproving Prophet Micaiah There is one Micaiah but I hate him for he prophesieth not good concerning me but evil 1 King 22. 8. If thou approvest of a searching Ministery and art willing to have thy sin and the plague of thy heart made more fully manifest if thou art willing to hear all that evil which God speaks of thy Sin in his Word it argues thy heart is really alienated from it and there is something more than Slavish fear 3. Slavish fear has but an unconstant effect This fear 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has torment as the Apostle speaks and no wonder if persons are weary of it and endeavour to have their Consciences stupified that they may have no remorse for sin past and serve it for the future without disturbance The will remaining unregenerate and corrupted must needs be really desirous of a false peace and to have the wound healed though it be but slightly The language therefore of such is Prophesy not unto us right things prophesy unto us smooth things prophesy deceits Esa 30. 10. Pharaoh while the hand of God was upon him was full of fear he felt that the Lord Jehovah the God of Israel was above his match and then he seems resolved to comply with the will of God to let his people go to serve him but the effect of this fear is but unconstant though fear thaw'd his heart a little like the shining of the Sun in a winters day as soon as ever he had respite he hardned his heart again and refused to let Israel go Exod. 8. 15. If therefore we are desirous of a lasting change and are willing to have our Consciences more throughly awakened and more faithfully to perform their Office 't is a sign the will it self begins to be renewed by the special grace of God 4. Slavish fear is accompanied with hatred of God and of his Law The Slave fears his Master and hates him and is sorry he must be subject to him And the Apostle tells us That the carnal mind is enmity against God and is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can it be Rom. 8. 7. Whilst any remain carnal they are estranged from God they desire not any fellowship with him they like not his Yoke but look upon his commands as grievous and upon himself as an hard and austere Master they are far from esteeming Gods commandments concerning all things to be right and wishing that their ways were directed to keep his Statutes Those therefore who like the Law of God and consent unto it as good and bless the Lord that he has given them such a Law and account it their priviledge and liberty that he will vouchsafe to rule them and are troubled at the reluctancy that is in their Natures against the yoke of God and cry as Ephraim did I am as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned Jer. 31. 18. In such there is something beyond servile fear 5. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear do not desire to be acted by love Sin and the Creature have their love without grudging and they have no longings to have their hearts directed into the love of God That promise The Lord thy God shall circumcise thy heart to love him with all thy heart and soul that thou mayest live Deut. 30. 6. is not prized is not pleaded If once therefore we begin to grudge our lusts and the world our affections and desire they may be placed
upon things above Slavish fear does not act us but the Sanctifying Spirit Slavish fear cannot make us desire to be acted not by Slavish fear but it must needs be some other Principle that is put within us Augustine compares Childlike and Slavish fear unto two Women that are married the one is Chaste the other desires to be an Harlot but is not one through fear of her Husbands anger The chaste one fears her Husbands displeasure but loves his company the wanton one fears her Husbands displeasure but wishes his absence Now suppose this wanton Wife should begin to grudge her heart to others and should desire to love and delight in her Husband she would then be no longer acted by a Slavish fear but it would argue her mind changed and that there were some beginning of conjugal affection and sense of her duty A desire to love the Lord above all can never be the product of meer fear but manifests a sense that he is indeed most desirable 6. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear though they are affrighted at the thoughts of Hell yet Spiritual things are not suitable to them they do not mind and savour the things of the Spirit but only the things of the Flesh which shews an unchanged heart though there be an awakened Conscience The heart of such is all for the earth and carthly things and these things are really preferr'd before grace and glory The World unto such unrenewed ones is lookt upon as a better and more proper portion than God himself If therefore the World is become low in our esteem and the vanity of it evident and we had rather have the Lord to be our God and Father and portion than to have the greatest abundance of earthly enjoyments without him this speaks a real love and not a servile fear only 't is a good sign when the greatest outward felicity and prosperity is judged inferior to that happiness of having the Lord to be our God Psal 144. ult 7. They that are acted meerly by Slavish fear are not jealous of themselves and afraid lest they should be acted by nothing else This very concernedness and godly jealousie argues gracious desires and principles In a word Slavish fear will never carry us so far as to make us consent unto a true and lasting Conversion unto God False motives can never make us desire to be truly sincere and upright Christians and to be acted only by motives that are right If therefore in Religion we are willing that our Principles should be pure and good our ends right and our actions and the manner of doing them according to the will of God it may serve to satisfie us that we are of Davids mind who prayed and such a prayer never meets with a deaf ear Psal 119. 80. Let my heart be sound in thy Statutes that I be not ashamed Case 5. The fifth Case is this How may we know that we have indeed accepted Christ He is offered unto all received by few He stands at the door and knocks but few hear his voice and open the door to him We may call our selves by his Name and profess to be his and receive his Ordinances and engage in them and yet not receive himself and yet this Reception must be else there can be no Reconciliation no Adoption no Salvation Thus therefore we may prove our selves and know whether we have indeed received Christ 1. If we have accepted Christ we have seen so as to be affected with our need of him The prodigal was ready to perish in the far Country necessity drove him home to his Fathers house The Israelites in the Wilderness were stung and ready to die by the fiery Serpents and then they lookt up unto the Brazen Serpent for cure We shall never upon right terms receive our Lord and Saviour till we perceive we are lost and ruin'd and must needs be everlastingly miserable without him Oh then we shall subscribe to any Articles of agreement that Jesus may be ours who can justifie us by his blood and deliver us from the wrath to come 1 Thes 1. ult 2. If we have accepted Christ we have been made dead to the Law Rom. 7. 4. Wherefore my Brethren ye are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him that is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God So Gal. 2. 19. I am dead to the Law that I might live unto God You must not imagine by deadness to the Law is meant such a disobligation from it that we have no tie upon us to obey it for the Apostle hear speaks of living unto God and bringing forth fruit to him Now living unto God and bringing forth the fruits of righteousness is what the law requires Then therefore we are dead to the Law when we are not irritated and provoked to transgress because the Law forbids transgression and when we expect no justification before God by our obedience to the Law By the deeds of the Law shall no Flesh be justified in his sight Rom. 3. 20. There is not any Law given which can give life to the Sinner for then righteousness and justification should have been by the Law Gal. 3. 21. Those therefore that receive Christ receive him as The Lord their Righteousness and dare not expect justification before God upon the account of any obedience or righteousness of their own 3. If we have accepted Christ we are reconciled to the Cross we shall rely upon Christ crucified being persuaded that the blood shed upon the Cross for Sin was the blood of him that was truely God as well as man and consequently sufficient to make an atonement for us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 7. We shall also conform to the crucifixion of Christ by crucifying the Flesh with the affections and lusts of it Gal. 5. 24. The World also will be crucified to us Gal. 6. 14. Sin has laid it under a Curse and we shall look upon the World as the Jews did on Christ when they crucified him as having no form nor comliness no such beauty in it that we should so eagerly desire it Finally we shall be willing to take up the Cross and deny our selves and suffer persecution and go through any tribulation which lies in our way to the Kingdom of Heaven They that are offended at persecution and in such times of temptation fall away never received Christ or his Word into their hearts indeed 4. If we have accepted Christ we submit unto his Scepter entertain his Word and are willing to obey him God hath exalted him to be a Prince and a Saviour and Believers must gladly consent that this Saviour should be exalted into the throne of their hearts and rule as Prince there They who will not have this Lord to reign over them are Enemies and shall be dealt with and destroyed as Enemies at last