Treachery The settled bent of their Hearts and so the general course of their Lives is right 16. The upright Man is striving after and growing up towards full Perfection The Righteous shall hold on his way And he that hath clean Hands wax stronger and stronger Thus the Way of the Lord is strength to the Upright And his Word does good to the Upright Mic. 2.7 It is an ill sign when one is at a constant stay in Religion When one holds on in a round of Duties without going forward And commonly Hypocrites go out at last in a stinking snuff But the Path of the Just is as the shining Light which shineth more and more unto the Perfect Day Prov. 4.18 Such are pressing towards the Mark Phil. 3.14 15. Of Zeal TIT. 2.14 A peculiar People zealous of good Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accensum studio bonorum operum as Beza fervently given unto good Works as in our old English translation Zeal is a word of various acceptation In general it signifies heat and fervour From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ferveo In Heb. 10.27 there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read fiery indignation in our old Translation violent Fire This Word is transferred to the heat and fervour of the Spirit and Affections which is of diverse kinds As 1. There is a natural Zeal As some naturally are of lively active spirits full of mettle as we use to say Luther seemeth to have been naturally of such a temper As Bucer said of him Nihil in eo non vehemens What an happy thing it is when such a temper is guided and acted by Grace Ordinarily such will do more for God 2. There is a carnal Zeal We find emulations among the works of the Flesh reckoned up Gal. 5.19 20 21. In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Apostle James condemns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter Zeal Jam. 3.14 Envy is a kind of Zeal but not of the right kind It is bitter Zeal It is a sort of wild Grapes There is a Blind Zeal Such as Idolaters Papists Persecuters may be acted by A blind zeal when Men are Zealous in a false way and Zealous against the Truth Taking light for darkness and darkness for light Calling good evil and evil good There is a superstitious extravagant and erratick zeal when Men are Zealous about such things where it would be a vertue to be cool and moderate And there is an Hypocritical Zeal when Men have or seem to have great Zeal for the Truth and against Errour and falshood but it is only for self-respects and carnal ends Thus carnal Zeal moves in a large Sphere takes a great compass 3. There is a Spiritual Zeal A being zealous of good Works indeed and zealous for God even for his sake An holy Zeal This is both commanded Rev. 3.19 Be zealous And commended Num. 25.11 Phinehas the Son of Eleazer hath turned my wrath away while he was zealous for my sake So this Zeal should not go unrewarded Many commend lukewarmness and indifferency in Religion under the terms of Moderation Prudence and Discretion But Christ and the World are not of a mind A lukewarm temper the Lord cannot endure Rev. 3.15 16. Because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth But as Bishop Hall observes Vol. 1. p. 903. The goodness of God winks at the Errors of honest Zeal and so loveth the strength of good Affections that it passeth over their Infirmities Again ib. p. 938. He Pardoneth the Errours of our fervency rather than the indifferencies of lukewarmness Indeed where there is no Zeal for God there is no Love to God Qui non Zelat non amat Where there is Life there will be some heat Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be spiritually alive and to be lively are not more alike in sound than really akin Zeal in one degree or other is as inseparable from spiritual Life as heat is from fire It 's true as every sincere Christian is not a Nathaniel for degree and measure of Sincerity and plain-heartedness So neither is every such Soul a Moses a Phinehas an Elias for Zeal Yet the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Mat 11.12 And it is one property of Christ's redeemed ones his peculiar People to be zealous of good Works This holy Zeal of which I am to speak as was said of Vprightness and Sincerity is not any distinct particular Grace but a modus or respect of other Graces Though some define it as a compound of Love and Anger Zelus est affectus ex amore irâ mixtus cum scil irascimur ei à quo laeditur id quod amamus Yet I cannot so confine it There must be Zeal accompanying our Repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 And Zeal in our Love We must love fervently 1 Pet. 1.22 and 4.8 And it is the symtom of corrupt times when love waxeth cold Mat. 24.12 Zeal is the spritely vigour and activity of all Grace the ardor of all the Affections with the earnestness and intention that is in all spiritual actings Indeed the chief heat of it is in the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.11 This Fire is burning in the gracious Heart in the sanctified Will and Affections yet its heat is further diffused into the Conversation All our Spiritual Sacrifices must be offered up with this Fire Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Prayer must be Zealous fervent Prayer Jam. 5.16 Col. 4.12 13. Ministers must Preach zealously as Apollos Act. 18.25 None are allowed to do the work of the Lord negligently remisly There must be Zeal in hearing the Word Here our hearts should burn within us as Luk. 24.32 we should be zealous in reproving as Gal. 2.11 Yea no good work is well done without Zeal We must be zealous of and zealous in good Works It s not enough barely to do good Works but we must be earnest upon it and vigorous in the Work Quest But how shall we know whether our Zeal be right Answ 1. True Zeal is guided by a right Judgment a judgment regulated by the Word To allude to that Isa 4.4 The spirit of judgment must go along with the spirit of burning A blind ignorant rash Zeal is not good nor will it prove ones estate good Such a Zeal Paul had while a desperate Persecuter Act. 26.9 which afterwards he saw to be fury and madness rather than Zeal v. 11. This made him Mad once not his learning as Festus would have had it v. 24. such a Zeal the carnal unbelieving Jews had Rom. 10.2 Let Men be never so zealous in their way if it be not God's way their Zeal runs waste God is not honoured but dishonoured not well pleased but displeased with that Zeal which is not according to his Word To be zealous for what he hath not commanded and much more to be zealous for what he hath forbidden to be zealous against
11. True Zeal is for expedition in God's Service As Phinehas Ignis est maxime actuosus maximè mobilis who was zealous for God could not sit still when he saw God so greatly Dishonoured Psal 106. Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment Then stood up Phinehas The word may import his readiness and forwardness to appear for God against Sin as occasion was then offered So Nehemiah testified against the Merchants that had lodged but once or twice without Jerusalem under the Wall on the Sabbath threatning to clap them up If they did so again he would lay hands on them Neh. 13.20 21. So David Psal 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked Though it may point at the usual time of sitting in Judgment in the morning yet withal it may import that he would not be delatory in the work Thus Zeal will set Men early on work for God will make Men quick and speedy in giving check to Sin as they have power and opportunity to put a stop to it as soon as they can Sinful sluggish demurs delays put-offs are contrary to the nature of true Zeal So a listlesness to Duty is no sign of Zeal It is cold that benummeth So it is a sign of the want of Zeal a sign of extream coldness when we cannot find our hands to turn them to any good work when we are like the slothful Prov. 19.24 that hides his hand in his bosom 12. True Zeal makes souls as forward unto so free and lively in God's service What a Man does zealously he does very heartily To be zealous of good Works is not barely to do some good Works but it further implieth earnestness alacrity and fervency of spirit in the doing of Good Works To pray with Zeal is more than saying a Prayer it is no less than to be fervent in Prayer to pray earnestly To be zealous in works of Charity is not meerly to give to such that stand in need but to give willingly and freely Like those of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.3 that were willing of themselves That needed no spurring on What the Apostle sayes of Love 1 Cor. 13.4 It is kind bountiful this may well be said of Zeal which is the fervour of Love Zeal is bountiful at least in will and desire Cold has a condensing and contracting quality but heat rarifies and extends So Zeal in the Heart enlarges it A zealous Christian would not serve God at an ordinary rate he desires to abound in the work of the Lord. The flame will be mounting upwards A zealous spirit is a raised spirit raised in God's Service But a cold dead heart is still bearing downward We read of Jehoshaphat that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.6 So one of a zealous spirit never thinks he does enough for God He will desire still to serve him more and to serve him better 13. True Zeal gives courage in the Cause of God filleth the Soul full of resolution for God And indeed that may be the meaning of Jehoshaphat's heart being lifted up in the wayes of the Lord. A zealous Spirit is a magnanimous Spirit An holy Zeal is indeed Cos fortitudinis the Whetstone of Valour As Esther's Zeal for God and his People put courage into her though she might naturally be timorous as is common to her Sex What an heroick resolution was there Esth 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish If we have no Spirit no Courage to appear for God his Truth and Wayes sure we have no Zeal forthem Indeed of all things Sinners are most offended at holy Zeal They that have nothing to say against Christian Meekness or Charitableness and some other Graces yet can ill endure the heat of Godly Zeal O it is scorching and tormenting to them Here they are ready to cry out Fire fire as one says This oft puts them into a great combustion Yet true Zeal will break thorow opposition Many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it The like may be said of Zeal It is not quenched or cooled but oft more intended and increased when others would discourage it 14. True Zeal that is a cause of such courage and resolution for God that giveth confidence and boldness before Men yet is joyned with Humility and Holy Fear and Trembling before God One gracious disposition is not contrary to another And true Zeal is not blown up with high thoughts of ones self but with high thoughts of God The Dread and Reverence of the most High of an infinitely Glorious and Holy Majesty promotes true Zeal for God helpeth to set an edge upon it and steeleth the Soul with an holy boldness hardeneth it against a base carnal fear of Man Mr. Vines But it is not right when as one says Zeal that should eat us up is eaten up of Pride 15. Right regular Zeal will more dispose and fit us for our Work and Duty not take off from Duty or transport into Sin That is not Zeal but distempered Passion it is not from Grace but from the workings of Corruption when we are discomposed and unhinged 16. If we have true Zeal for God it will be a joy to us to see any zealous and active for God As on the other hand it will be our great grief to see Men generally cold indifferent lukewarm in Religion To see others regardless of God and of the interest of true Religion will move our displeasure and indignation But it will not offend us to see any acted with regular Zeal for God Indeed the Apostle did and would rejoyce that Christ was Preached though some preached Christ out of envy Phil. 1.15 18. How much more would he have rejoyced to have seen as good proof and evidence of their pure Love and Zeal as he saw of their Envy carrying them out in the work If we are truly zealous for God we shall be taken with those whom we see or hear to be zealous for him our hearts will be towards such yea knit to them as Jonathans was to David And we shall bless God for such As Deborah Judg. 5.9 My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the People Bless the Lord. She desired that the Lord might be praised that put such a spirit into them If others out-shine us here yet if we have true Zeal for God we shall be so far from envying them that the more zealous any are the more we shall honour and be taken with them 17. If we are truly zealous we have an holy emulation a desire to follow yea if it might be to outstrip those that excel in vertue As the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14.12 Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that ye may excel As the Corinthians Zeal and forwardness provoked very many 2 Cor 9.2 We should not envy such as have got the start of us and yet should in a good
what he allows and much more to be zealous against what he approves and commandeth is contrary to his Will Interest and Honour This is not in a true account Zeal for God but rather against him That Zeal which is not according to knowledg which is not guided and warranted by the Word hath an errour in the foundation It hath nothing to difference it from the Zeal of the grossest Idolaters in the World A Papist may be heartily zealous in his way zealous to promote his Religion and gain Proselytes to it zealous against the soundest Christians crying out against such as dangerous Hereticks wishing that they might come to their old work again to burn such as Hereticks In this his Zeal he may follow his judgment thinking he should do God good service as Joh. 16.2 even in persecuting the faithful to the death if it was in his power when alas he is miserably mistaken This will not justifie any in their Zeal for Idolatry that they think God best served most honoured that way This will not warrant any in their rage against the Saints and Servants of the most High God that they take them to be Hereticks or Hypocrites But they shall find it was their duty to have informed themselves better and not to condemn the righteous and not to call good evil The Devil that cannot endure but is an utter enemy to right Zeal is ready to promote a false blind Zeal all he can He is never weary of blowing this coal This he knows would do him Knights service He cannot but account such his best servants who are zealous in his service Such do as much as can be to credit his Cause who put the honourable title of Zeal for God upon the service they do his grand enemy Such fight against God while they carry his Colours blind Zeal is a piece of the greatest disservice to the interest of God and Religion Sometimes blind Zeal fights with a shadow strikes at a Sign-post but letteth the enemy quietly pass by And which is worse it sometimes falleth foul on those whom it ought to defend A Man acted with Blind Zeal is like one that shoots at Rovers who is more likely to do mischief than hit the Mark or like one that fighteth blindfold striking Friends as soon as Foes What sad havock what woful work hath blind Zeal oft made in the Church Even like a violent Fire that getting head layeth all waste before it The Devil has no stiffer prop to uphold his Kingdom and no fiercer engine of Persecution or battering Ram to employ against the Kingdom of Christ Therefore let not any please themselves in this that they are Zealous in their way when perhaps they are out of the way And if so the more haste the worse speed Zeal in a false way casts Men more behind No Offering acceptable to God without Fire yet to offer strange-Fire here is very perillous And that is not Fire from Heaven where there is heat without Light Where these go alone either Heat without Light Zeal without Knowledg or Light without Heat Knowledg without Zeal it is sadly ominous but where they go together very comfortable Are you zealous but who and what are you zealous for And what is your Zeal against I have been very zealous for the Lord God of Hosts says Elijah because the Children of Israel have forsaken thy Covenant thrown down thine Altars and slain thy Prophets c. 1 King 19.14 Is thy Zeal against Sin indeed So that thou canst not indure to see God dishonoured his Worship neglected and contemned his Truth opposed his Saints and Servants evil intreated c. Is thy Zeal for that which is good Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing The Apostle Paul was very zealous before his Conversion but of the traditions of his Fathers Gal. 1.14 Many have a Zeal but for their own fancies and private opinions Oh what pitty is it that such spirits should evaporate and be lost Let a Man's Zeal be never so hearty if the Mettal have not a right stamp it is not currant Zeal unless it be rightly guided sayes learned Hooker when it indeavoureth most busily to please God Eccl. polit l. 5. §. 3. p. 190. forceth upon him those unseasonable Offices which please him not For which cause if they who this way swerve be compared with such as are sincere sound and discreet as was Abraham the friend of God the service of the one is like unto flattery the other like the faithful sedulity of friendship 2. Right Zeal burns within before it flames out Hypocrites can be hot in their expressions but are not fervent in spirit Hot in the Mouth but cold at Stomach cold at Heart Like Glow-worms fiery in appearance yet really cold in themselves Blind Zeal is strange Fire an hypocritical fained Zeal is false Fire But true Zeal is not all in shew though it will shew it self It lieth chiefly in the fervency and intention of the Spirit and Affections The life of Zeal is in the Heart As when the Apostle Paul was at Athens seeing the City wholly given to Idolatry his spirit was stirred in him and this stirred him up to dispute and Preach against their Idolatry Act. 17.16 c. As Ezekiel's hearers with their mouth shewed much love Ezek. 33.13 it is possible that many in their outward expressions may shew much Zeal declaming freely and often against the Sins of the Age as the horrible increase of Prophaneness growth of Popery c. and may seem to bewail the woful declining state of true Piety amongst us but are our hearts deeply touched and affected with the sense of these things Surely that Zeal which is only from the teeth outward is not true but feigned 3. True Zeal hath respect to God it pointeth towards God As Fire ascends Sparks fly upwards That is not right Zeal which is flashy vain-glorious in pretence for God but really for self To pretend Zeal for the Lord as Jehu did but really to design and aim at self-applause and self-advantage this is to mock God or this is but to flatter him And certainly that God which searcheth the heart will put a difference betwixt such flatterers and his true friends They that have a true Zeal for God will ordinarily prefer God's Honour and Interest before their own concerns True Zeal is accompanied with self-denial Such can be zealous for God when they are like to suffer for their Zeal They could better endure to suffer themselves than that the Truth should suffer They could take it more patiently to be reviled themselves to have their names cast out as evil than that the good wayes of God be evil spoken of 4. True Zeal will burn alone As Elijah was zealous for the Lord God of Hosts even when he seemed to himself to be left alone when he knew not of one that would take his part 1 Kings 19.10 As the Apostle Paul
could not but express his Zeal for God at Athens when he had none to back him Acts 17. Come see my Zeal for the Lord says Jehu a Kings 10.16 An Hypocrite is not well pleased if he have not some to take notice of his Zeal some that will applaud him for it His Zeal in a good cause is soon cooled if he have not some about him such as would encourage and help to blow it up Whereas true Zeal will burn still when there are none about it but such as endeavour to blow it out As Lot's Soul was vexed from day to day in Sodom with their unlawful deeds 2 Pet. 2.8 If a Zealous Christian hath his lot cast in a wicked prophane Place or Family even there will his Zeal be breaking forth True Zeal will not be smothered or put out with the coldness and deadness of others about it but rather useth to be more excited and intended As Fire burns hottest in cold frosty Weather 5. True Zeal is not Partial but would appear for all that wherein God's Honour and Interest lieth It is as Extensive as sincere and sound Obedience It is Quantitas intensiva obedientiae according to Dr. Ames Thus to be Zealous of good works in the whole kind of them ready to promote any good Work earnestly desirous to abound in every good Work would shew our Zeal to be right But a partial Zeal as a partial Obedience is not right As partial heats in the Body are no signs of good Health To be Zealous for works of Charity but no friends of Holiness and true Piety Or to seem forward for pious Exercises but to be careless of other Moral Duties To be negligent in the duties of our particular Callings and Relations cannot be right True Zeal in a Magistrate will make him active for God as a Magistrate as Nehemiah was True Zeal in a Minister will make him diligent in the work of his Ministry Like Apollos who being fervent in Spirit spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord Acts 18.25 True Zeal in the Master of a Family will make him Industrious in his Place To instruct his Houshold in the Way of the Lord and to engage them in God's Service after Abraham's example Yea one that is truly Zealous of good Works will act uniformly Not be hot in Prayer Hearing Conference and Cold and Heartless as to other Duties 6. True Zeal sets against all Sin as it is discovered This will cause ones Blood to rise against Sin So a Man will be ready to reprove and shew his dislike of Sin as he has opportunity So he will endeavour in his Place according to his Power to oppose Sin to prevent suppress it True Zeal will make a Man an enemy to Sin wheresoever he sees it wheresoever he meets with it To appear very forward to condemn the faults of an Enemy of such as bear no good will to us and to bear with Sin in our Friends in such as are nearly related to us this is not right True Zeal would make one like Levi in God's Cause Who said unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledg his Brethren nor knew his own Children Deut. 33.9 As Asa would not bear with Idolatry in his own Mother 2 Chron. 15.16 In the trial of your Love observe its working at a distance as this will better appear in its workings towards those that are farthest off in its being extended to Strangers Enemies than in its workings towards Friends and Relations that are near you But in the trial of your Zeal on the contrary especially observe how it worketh near hand To condemn Sin in others but to indulge and spare our own Sins is not right Some are so Zealous against others Offences De Adventu Dom. Ser. 4. as Bernard says that they might seem to hunger and thirst after Righteousness if they had the same judgment also of their own Sins But now a weight and a weight as he alludes is an abomination to the Lord. True Zeal would least endure Sin in its own Territories As Fire has most power on what is next it Zeal where it is in truth will be firing out ones own Corruptions Like an Hearth of fire among Wood and like a Torch of fire in a Sheaf As the Psalmist says My Zeal hath consumed me Psal 119.139 So Zeal will be consuming ones Lusts Are we salted with this Fire according to the expression Mark 9.49 A truly Zealous Christian has the greatest indignation against his own Sins and is most forward to take revenge on himself and them 2 Cor. 7.11 And he would not spare one of his Sins Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel yet this shewed his Zeal was not right that he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam he was still for the Golden Calves 2 Kings 10.28 29. A resolved indulgence and allowance of any known Sin and true Zeal are inconsistent 7. A right and regular Zeal is most vehement in the greatest Matters As Fire the grosser the substance that it takes hold Ignis in materia densiori acriùs urit and feeds upon the hotter it burns True Zeal is more for plain and necessary Duties than for any disputable point or matter of Controversie So likewise it riseth against Sin according to the quality and aggravations thereof What one noteth to have always been the Hypocrites guise Dr. Downam on Psal 15. p. 33. is the genius of false Zeal scil To neglect the greater Duties and to affect the observation of the less to prefer Circumstances before the Substance and Ceremonies before the works either of Piety or Charity to place the height of their Religion either in observing or urging Ceremonies or contrariwise in inveighing against them Observe it to be more Zealous for or against a Ceremony than for the weightiest and most substantial Duties or than against great and foul Enormities to be more Zealous about some disputable Point and Opinion wherein sound Christians may have different apprehensions than for main matters of Faith and Godliness matters essential to true Christianity wherein all that are Christians indeed must agree both as to Belief and Practice is no good sign You would not take him for a wise and careful Builder that laid the greatest weight on the weakest part of the Wall So it must be indiscreet Zeal or worse than indiscreet which is more for unnecessary Opinions than for the most substantial Duties and fundamental Truths Is that true Zeal for God Or rather is it not a selfish Zeal which is for ones own Opinions neglecting those things which make most for the Honour of God and wherein the main interest of Religion lieth Though many warm themselves at these Sparks many comfort themselves that they are Zealous in their way for their own Parties and Opinions yet in the end they may lie down in sorrow for it But some will say Would you not have us Zealous for
sense emulate them We should strive at least to overtake those that are foremost Yea true Zeal for God and Godliness will not set it self any bounds or limits You cannot call them zealous that stint themselves and count it an high point of prudence and discretion not to be too forward in Religion But as Love so Zeal is like Fire that cannot be hid it will break forth Quis enim celaverit ignem Lumine qui semper proditur ipse suo Such as are afraid of being counted zealous as if it was a matter of disgrace are far from such a spirit as David had who when he was mocked and despised of Michal spake resolvedly I will yet be more vile than thus if this be to be vile Fire is one of those things which say not It is enough Prov. 30.16 So true Zeal never says It is enough A zealous Christian would have more Grace more Zeal for God They that are zealous of good works desire to abound more and more in good works 18. True Zeal is not for a spurt for a flash it is constant a Fire that never goes out Like that Fire upon the Altar Lev. 6.13 Though I must grant the Zeal of a true Christian doth not flame up at all times alike yet it is never totally extinguished It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing Gal. 4.18 And this is a good sign thy Zeal is right if it be constant There are some whose Zeal is but a flash scarce any sooner in than out again Some have a burning fit of Zeal for a while that is quickly over Their praeter-natural heat stays not But true Zeal is like the natural heat of the Body that continues as long as one lives Yea though it is like Fire in green wood subject to go out if it be not blown up yet that Spirit which first kindled this spark in Believers is given to dwell in them and to abide with them for ever And therefore though there may be some decays of Holy Zeal for a time yet it is stirred up again in the Faithful and usually burneth clearer after it is recovered As we sometimes see Fire blaze up more after a dash of water cast on it Yea ordinarily as we may observe a flame mount highest before it goes out ordinarily I say a Christians Zeal is most raised the nearer he is to his end But such as once seemed very forward for that which is good but are quite fallen off again have quite out-lived their Zeal they even give others cause enough to suspect that they were never sound OF A Lively Hope ROM 12.12 Rejoycing in Hope TO go on to the Trial of all other Christian Vertues might upon some accounts cross my design in what is Written which is to help and direct ordinary Christians in the Trial and exercise of Grace even such as cannot purchase or have not time to peruse large Volums I have spoken of the chief Cardinal Graces and shewed how they work how they may be known Prove these in your selves and there is no question but you have the whole Train of those better things that necessarily accompany Salvation As without these any other Vertues you may seem to have as Temperance Patience Meekness c. are but Shadows and Counterfeits So that I might make a Full-stop at what is Written Yet because many are kept off from any serious examination of their Estates satisfying themselves with this That they have Hopes and some That they have Joys too never enquiring How they came by them or of what kind they are Therefore before I conclude this Treatise I shall shew you how you may know whether your Hope and Joy be sound or no. And first of Hope But let me premise these Three Things 1. It is unquestionable that there is a false a deceiving Hope as well as a true and certain Hope There is a dead Hope as well as a lively Hope There is a confounding Hope as well as an Hope that maketh not ashamed There is the Hope of the Hypocrite Job 8.13 as well as the Hope of the Righteous Prov. 10.28 2. Better no Hopes than false Hopes As we may allude to that Prov. 26.12 Seest thou a Man wise in his own conceit There is more hope of a Fool than of him So there is more Hope of Sinners that are most despondent in one sense without Hope than of such as are very confident high in their Hopes but without any ground And how sad is it as I remember one says to sail on smoothly to Hell having Heaven all the while in view Hope that is like to end in horrour and utter desperation is not worth having 3. It is justly to be suspected that their Hopes are groundless and false who are unwilling to bring them to the Test and Trial. That part of a Man's Body which he could not endure to have touched we would conclude not right or sound But if your Hope be right it would not suffer any injury or damage by a fair impartial Trial but be more confirmed Now if you ask What is Christian Hope I answer It is a longing and fiducial expectation of Good promised to come in God's Time and Way Faith and Hope are very near akin Yet thus they differ 1. In Order Faith in order of nature is before Hope Hope is the Daughter at least the youngest Sister of Faith 2. In the Object Faith has respect to the whole Word of God Hope to the Word of Promise Good only is the object of Hope And Future Good Quod speratur non possidetur good to be received and enjoyed Rom. 8.24 Or if I may be said to hope that I am in a state of Grace that my Sins are pardoned which is hope of a present Good if my Hope be sound or if I say I hope God heard my prayer at such a time and gave in such a Mercy in answer to it here seems to be Hope of a thing past Here the word Hope seems to be used more improperly or taken more largely It is more properly a Perswasion though short of full Perswasion or Assurance But properly Hope looks at Good to come Whereas what is past may be the object of Faith as well as what is to come As we believe the Creation of the World a thing past as well as the Resurrection of the Body which is future 3. In their proper formal Acts. Faith apprehends and assents to the truth of the Promises Hope expects and looks for the Good promised An expectation of Good is the formal Act of Hope And herein also it is differenced from or contrary to Fear which is an expectation of Evil not of Good But that which I mainly intend is to shew wherein sound Hope differs from Presumption or from a false Hope Or how we may know whether our Hope be sound 1. True hope is not ordinarily obtained but after sad doubts and fears As it is Hos
THE Christian Temper OR A DISCOURSE concerning the Nature and Properties of the Graces of Sanctification Written for Help in Self-Examination and Holy Living By JOHN BARRET M. A. LONDON Printed for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lion in St. Pauls Church-yard and Samuel Richards Bookseller in Nottingham 1678. THE Epistle Dedicatory To the Honoured Mris ANNE CHARLTON of S. in the County of D. Much Honoured I Present You with this ensuing Treatise as an Acknowledgment of my special Obligation to You heartily wishing it may be of as good use to you as it is offered with good will I know you will not expect flattering Titles from me and hope you would blush to read or hear your own Praises And I may not cross intention so as when I am putting you upon the trial of your Humility and Self-denial among other Graces withal to tempt you to the contrary Vices and Corruptions Our good old Friend Mr. Rich. Whitchurch for whose sound and profitable Labours you and I have cause to bless God I hope or else I am sure we have great cause to blame our selves He had much satisfaction a little before his Death in the love he had to Uses of Examination the delight he took in reading or hearing them well handled And for a Christian to delight in frequent and serious Self-examination is the way to a more full and profitable Self-acquaintance and to a comfortable Assurance You have seen some Changes in your outward condition Have you not sometimes met with great Trials here O how good how comfortable to have your Spiritual Estate secured and settled How would this prepare one for any Changes in this World even for that great Change by Death Methinks the uncertainty of all outward Enjoyments that we are not sure of enjoying Estates or the dearest Friends and Relations or Health or Life one day more should be a prevalent motive to excite and quicken us to make sure of better things than natural and Worldly comforts those better things that accompany Salvation The best things may be made most sure And what comfort would this yield when there is such a terrible shaking of Nations to see our Interest in that Kingdom that cannot be shaken Now may these following Pages bring good Tidings to your Soul may I herein be an helper of your Joy this would also rejoice my Heart even mine who am Your Servant in Christ J. B. A PREMONITION TO THE READER THis Portraiture of the New Creature I have here drawn and set before thee though not drawn at full length this Description of the Spiritual Man by several Scripture-Caracters as parts of him as by the Eye of Knowledg the Face of Repentance turning from Sin to God the Hand of Faith the Heart of Love and the like may serve as a Looking-Glass wherein beholding thy own Face thou mayest come to know thy self better both what manner of Person thou art and oughtest to be so it may serve as a Touchstone whereby true Grace may be discerned from that which is counterfeit Now if thy cause both concerning Estate and Life all thou hadst in the World was trying wouldst thou not attend diligently and with fear and trembling wait for the issue and narrowly observe whether the Verdict and Sentence was for or against thee And does it not as much concern thee to be very serious and observant about the trial of thy Spiritual and Everlasting State Here I would borrow a weighty saying of Mr. Glanvil's Meer Speculative mistakes about Opinions do no great hurt but error in the Marks and Measures of Religion is Deadly Indeed if upon trial thou findest thy self in a Graceless state at present yet thou shouldest not thereupon conclude thy case desperate So long as the time of God's Patience is not expired the Long-suffering of the Lord is for our Salvation while the day of Grace lasteth while the Lord affords any means continues to make any offer of Grace to thee thou art yet in a possibility of obtaining Saving-Grace notwithstanding thy former rejecting and resisting of his Grace That as yet thy condition is not altogether hopeless but rather there is more hope of thy coming on to Saving-Grace when thou art made truly sensible of the want of it Or if upon Trial thou findest some Grace in thee but very low and weak almost not to be discerned if it be but in the bud or but as smoaking Flax thy Faith but as a grain of Mustard-Seed thy Love thy Zeal but as a spark c. whether thy weakness be like that of a Child a new-born Infant or like that of a sick Man one that has lost his strength by some Disease prevailing on him how should it humble thee that thou hast so little Grace How should it quicken thee to labour after more And especially if thou hast declined if thou hast lost thy first Love thy former liveliness and tenderness Oh Repent and do thy first Works Now stir up the Grace of God in thee blow up that little spark that is almost buried under an heap of Ashes Now strengthen the things that remain and are ready to die Delayes would expose thee to further deadness and decayes Or if thou canst discover Grace in lively and kindly exercise in thy Soul if thou seest it in growth and vigour O how may this heighten thy Joy in the Lord even raise thee to a life of Joy Praise and Thankfulness But there are two or three things I would lay down here by way of caution to prevent Souls mis-judging themselves 1. Let none conclude themselves in a state of Grace because they are in a good mood sometimes Even such as Pharaoh Ahab Herod Felix c. were in a good mood sometimes Learn to distinguish betwixt a good Mood and a Gracious Frame We are in God's account which is the true account what we are most ordinarily and habitually I mean in respect of prevailing habits There is no reason that God should take Sinners at best in an unusual fit 2. Let not any poor trembling Hearts who are ever forward to suspect and conclude the worst of themselves judg of themselves and the frame of their Spirits by what they may seem in a Paroxism of Temptation The best upon Earth are not at all times alike Even eminent Saints have sometimes bewrayed weakness and imperfection in those very Graces wherein they were most eminent As Abraham who was strong in Faith yet sometimes staggered through distrust Meek Moses is once noted upon a great provocation to have spoken unadvisedly with his Lips And patient Job was once heard to curse the day of his birth But as God takes not Sinners at best so neither will he take his own Children at worst 3. Though all ought to be pressing after full Perfection in Grace and Holiness yet let none look for it here And though we should have an holy emulation and desire to overtake and if it might be to excel the most eminent
such conditions but his Grace worketh by means and a conditional Promise is his stablished means to draw Mans Heart to the performance of the Condition which well considered is a sufficient answer to the Arguments that are commonly urged against the conditionality of the Promises As the Spirit worketh powerfully within so he useth that word from without Direct to sound Convers p. 289 290. as his Instrument which worketh sapientially and powerfully to the same work And the like observation we may take concerning the Threatnings in the Word Therein ordinarily some such evil as we naturally abhor and dread is threatned either to excite us to our duty which our corrupt hearts and natures are exceeding backward to or to deter us from Sin to which we are naturally prone and strongly inclined Now to apply these things to the point in hand The Believer is made sensible what a Sinner he has been and what woe and wrath is due to Sin and Sinners that indeed he has deserved Hell for his Portion yet withal he believes according to the Word that God is in Christ reconciling Sinners unto himself that he so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Everlasting Life that Jesus Christ is the only and an all-sufficient Saviour that he is willing as well as able to save those that come to God by him But withal that there is no coming to him only as a Saviour so as to find welcome but he must come to him also as a Leader and Commander resolving sincerely to obey and follow him that without taking his Yoak upon us we cannot find rest for our Souls To these things a Believer cannot but subscribe These things are set home and kept close to his Heart and such Truths as these being mixed with Faith firmly assented to they work effectually Thus he deliberately makes choice of Christ as the only meet help for his Soul in all the World Now go to Hypocrites and Unbelievers and it appears they have but some faint and weak Assent to the foresaid Truths Did they really believe Heaven and Hell and that without an interest in Christ there is no hope of Heaven but to Hell they must go all the World cannot save them how is it possible they should make so light of Christ as they do preferring a momentary pleasure or a little worldly pelf before him which a true Believer accounts but dung and trash If you tell a Man there is a Lyon in the way behind him with open mouth ready to devour him and he flees not as for his Life does it not plainly shew that he believes not what you say So that Sinners do not flee to Christ it shews they do not believe their misery and danger out of Christ Or if sometimes they have strong Convictions that startle and terrify them they have Arts and Devices to put them off They will not suffer them to stay Their corrupt Wills and Affections call off their thoughts from such things as most nearly concern them As we read Mat. 13.15 Their Eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and should understand with their Heart and should be converted and I should heal them Their Eyes they have closed Thus poor Sinners wink hard shut the Windows to keep out the Light that they may still sleep on in Sin Or when they can be no longer quiet as they are then they bribe their Consciences and deceive themselves with a seeming Faith a seeming Conversion a seeming Reformation which they take up with as sufficient as poor Laodicea thought her self rich Thus by one means or other they are kept off from a serious and deliberate closing with the Lord Jesus But then come to a sound Believer and he is as sure that the Word of God will prove true as that there is a God which is as sure as that there are any Creatures in the World and so that Heaven and Hell are not Fancies which have a being only in Mens imaginations but unquestionable realities that all Miseries and Sufferings in this life are case and pleasure compared with the Torments of Hell and Miseries of the Damned and all the Pleasures and enjoyments of this Life but pain and loss compared with the Joys of Heaven that if ever he be saved he must be saved by Christ and that he cannot hope to be saved by Christ but in his own way Thus he sees it unquestionably his grand concern to accept of Christ as he is offered And such Truths being set home by the Spirit with Power and Evidence they have a mighty force to pull down strong-holds and carnal reasonings in the Heart against them to bring into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ And thus the Will and Affections are wrought upon And what sorrow then See Dr. Preston of Effectual Faith p. 204. to think of ones former natural and sinful State and what Fear O what will become of me if I get not a Part and Interest in Christ If I fall short of Heaven at last then where am I how miserable shall I be to Eternity And what vehement desire after Christ Give me Christ or I die And what resolution in the Will I will go to Christ and give up my self to him and cast my self upon him If I perish I perish Lord whither should I go Thou hast the words of Eternal Life Thus a Believer consents and closeth with Christ deliberately upon clear conviction that he has no other way to take 3. A true Believer consents unfeignedly and heartily True Faith is Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 A Sound Believer does not take up with a profession of Faith in Christ and of subjection to him does not think it enough to say Lord Lord to speak honourably of him but hath his heart opened to receive the King of Glory The Lord Jesus Christ is his desire and choice indeed And as he had rather have Christ alone for his Portion than the whole World without him so he had rather be subject to the Laws of Christ than freed from them Though the Flesh is still lusting in him against the Spirit and the Law in his Members rebelling against the Law of his Mind yet he can truly say his Will is more to Christ and to his Service than to please and gratify the Flesh and to serve Sin And he repents not of any thing he does for Christ but is grieved and ashamed that he does no more and that what he hath done has been done in no better manner but he heartily repents of his serving Sin heretofore and of what he hath done displeasing unto Christ And in the ordinary habitual and prevailing bent of his will he is for taking part with Christ and his Laws against the lustings of the Flesh against the motions and workings of remaining corruption in him He is so
be advanced above all the World in our Affection so will he be preferred in our account and estimation Indeed how can we love him above all if we do not prize him above all 3. If Christ be precious to us then certainly we cannot endure to see or hear Christ vilified and dishonoured It will grieve us at Heart to see this Pearl trodden under Foot We could be more content to be vilified for him than to see him contemned How would it move us to hear and see a special Friend whom we most highly esteem reproached and abused As Jonathan was grieved for David because his Father had done him shame 1 Sam. 20.34 That Christ is generally so lightly esteemed yea so much dishonoured in the World and that many of ours make light of him this will be very greivous to us if indeed Christ be precious to us And as Jonathan took David's part there we shall be ready to plead for Christ We would not have him despised of any if we can help it We would be commending him to others and especially to ours 4. If Christ be precious in our account we shall be restless and unsatisfied till we have in some good measure cleared up our Interest and propriety in him As the Apostle Phil. 3.8 I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Jesus my Lord. One that sees how precious Christ is cannot but earnestly desire to know further that he is his Jesus and his Lord. A Believer who sees his All bound up in Christ lose Christ and lose all how will he pray search use diligence to have his Interest in Christ evidenced and made sure As if a Man's title to House and Land and all he had in the World be in question he would not rest till he had got his title cleared 2. Saving Faith is Sanctifying Act. 26.18 Sanctified by Faith Act. 15.9 Purifying their Hearts by Faith No Salvation without Sanctification 2 Thes 2.13 God hath from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth Saving-Faith and Sanctification are linked together The one necessarily inferreth and draweth on the other Rolloc in loc pag. 295. Spiritus nos Sanctificans emanat quasi ex Christi sanguine fide apprehenso nobisque applicato Faith is nor only a part of Sanctification as it is a Grace and as other Graces are but as some call it a Mother-Grace and a Root-Grace from whence other Graces spring it is introductive of Sanctification and of other habitual Saving Grace As upon our first believing in Christ and accepting of him we are thereby interested in him and united to him not only to be justified by his merit but also to be sanctified by his Spirit As we are said to receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3.14 And Eph. 1.13 In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise Indeed it is by the special influx or operation of the Spirit that a Man puts forth the Act of Faith at first and upon this the Spirit is further given to dwell in him or a principle of Grace renewing sanctifying habits are wrought in him seated in his Soul still disposing and inclining unto gracious Acts to a life of Holiness and Obedience Christ is said to dwell in the Heart by Faith Eph. 3.17 He dwelleth in us by his Spirit And it is Faith that letteth in Christ and the Holy Spirit into the Heart to dwell there Thus Faith ushereth in the Spirit of Sanctification And so if any Man be in Christ by Faith he is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5.17 Compare Gal. 5.6 with 6.15 In the former you have Faith in the latter a new Creature Thou art not a true Believer if thou art not a new Creature And as we enter into a state of Sanctification by Faith So by Faith we make progress in it As the Life which the Apostle lived after he came in to Christ was by the Faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 He was still drawing vertue from Christ and receiving of his fulness even Grace for Grace As Faith hath respect to the several parts of the Word not only Doctrines and Promises but Commands and Threatnings too So it hath an influence on all other Graces and hath an hand in all acts of Obedience that a Believer performs as we see in Heb. 11. Therefore if you would know whether you have Saving-Faith enquire seriously whether you are Sanctified by Faith And to give you some help here 1. Where Sanctifying Faith is there is not only an outward but an inward change Sanctifying-Grace is properly and immediately seated in the Soul as its Subject and the Soul is really changed by it though not as to its substance yet as to its qualities The Heart is new-moulded There are new dispositions inclinations and affections in the Soul It acteth from a new Principle and aimeth at other ends The Body is not changed by Grace either in substance or quality immediately but being under the government of a Soul that is sanctified and being a part of one that is by Grace truly resolved for God and his Service it will certainly be engaged and used for God too according to Rom. 6.19 Indeed such cannot be sanctified who are not so much as outwardly reformed Such as were known to be common Swearers Sabbath-breakers Drunkards c. and are so still one may pronounce them Vnclean Vnclean 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified To be sanctified and to live and continue in gross known Sin are estates directly opposite Yet there may be an outward reformation without true Sanctification Sanctification connotates a change of Heart and Life both Not a bare abstinence from the outward act of Sin but a mortifying of it and a dying to it Not a leaving it in practise only but a forsaking it in affection too That the Heart which was set upon its Lusts is now turned and set against them it now loaths what it was formerly in love with Now is thy heart purified Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine Heart from wickedness that thou mayst be saved It is not enough to have hands washed but our Hearts must be cleansed if we would be saved Psal 24.3 4. Who shall ascend into the Hill of the Lord He that hath clean hands and a pure Heart What is it to live free from gross Sins to be no Extortioner Oppressor Swearer Drunkard Adulterer c. but to be like a whited Sepulchre which appears beautiful outward but within is full of all uncleanness as the Pharisees that outwardly appeared righteous unto Men but within were full of Hypocrisy and Iniquity What is it for one to change his Life and Course while his Heart and Mind is not changed Though he that was given to Stealing should steal no more and he that was given to Lying Cursing Swearing
should no more Lye or Curse or Swear and he that was given to Tipling and Drinking should no more be intemperate this will not prove a Man Sanctified You may be civilized and yet not sanctified For a Man to argue thus I am not guilty of open profaneness therefore I am a Saints is no better arguing than to reason thus I have not the Plague or Leprosy therefore I am a Sound Man But who knoweth not that a Man may be Sick of diverse other Diseases who is free from these And may not one die of a Feaver or Consumption though he have not the Plague 2. If we are sanctified by Faith there is not only a negative but a positive change wrought in us One that is Sanctified hath put off the old Man and put on the new He may say by the Grace of God I am not what I was sometimes and by the Grace of God I am what I am He is not now what he was before he is now what he was not before Once he was Proud Self-conceited but now humble self-abhorring Once very vain and it may be profane but now strict and serious Once altogether selfish but now self-denying Once he was at least in his Heart an Enemy to the Power of Godliness and perhaps a scoffer at Holiness but now a lover and follower of what before he had so great a Prejudice and Antipathy against Once he was very backward to Religious Duties to the strict observation of the Sabbath to the reading of the Word to Family-Prayer and secret Prayer c. but now his delight is in Holy Duties and he could not live without them Once his Heart was wholly set upon Sin and the World but now in a good measure weaned from the World now resolved and set against Sin now set upon God and Christ set upon Holiness and Heaven and heavenly things 3. If we are sanctified by Faith then there is a thorow change wrought in us As the Apostle prayeth 1 Thes 5.23 The very God of Peace sanctify you wholly your whole Spirit and Soul and Body 2 Cor. 5.17 If any Man be in Christ he is a new Creature old things are past away behold all things are become new Behold q. d. this is a thing to be well observed Sanctifying grace makes a great change indeed Mark it Behold all things are become new The new Creature hath a new Heart a new Tongue a new Life The new Creature walks by a new Rule is for new Designs new Employment new Company new Delights Sanctification is a renewing of the whole Man As in our natural state corruption overspreads the whole Man for which reason it may be called the old Man So if we are sanctified Grace makes a change on the whole Man for which cause it may be called the new Man though it makes not a perfect change here in this Life The new Creature is renewed in every part though he be renewed but in part while here He has a perfection of Parts though not of Degrees As a Child hath all the Parts of a Man though not aâ— Mans Proportion As when Day breaketh the whole Air is immediately enlightned though not in that degree as when the Sun is up and shineth in its Strength As Fire quickly enters all the Pores of the Iron put into it though it is not presently red hot Sanctifying Grace worketh upon the Judgment Will Affections upon the whole Soul all its Powers and Faculties And hence ariseth a main difference betwixt the Conflicts of the Regenerate and those Contests which are in the Unregenerate There is oft a great Contest in an Unregenerate Man betwixt his Conscience convinced and awakened and his corrupt Will and vile Affections Conscience calleth him one way while his Will and Affections draw him a contrary way But in the Regenerate there is warring in the same Faculties As all the Faculties are renewed though but imperfectly Hence as the Twins Jacob and Esau strove in Rebeckah's Womb so there is Flesh and Spirit the remainders of Corruption and a Principle of Grace striving in every Faculty Not only an enlightned Conscience against Sin but the habitual bent of the Will and Affections against it too The renewed part of the Will and Affections or to speak more properly that new gracious quality in the Will and Affections against the Unregenerate part or what remains of the old Man in them And though that better Principle is sometimes born down through the impetuousness of Temptation c. yet hence it is that a Regenerate Man sinneth not with full Will and Consent as he did before he was Regenerate Again Sanctifying Grace maketh a thorow change turning the Soul from all Sin to hate every false way So that no Iniquity is regarded in the Heart One that is Sanctified is for cleansing himself from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit Again It makes a thorow change inclining the Soul to Obedience unto the Will of God in all things To have a respect to all God's Commands An holy Rule and an holy Heart do well agree As the Apostle saith Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inner Man 4. If we are Sanctified by Faith we are for making progress in Holiness till we come to Perfection As we may see natural things growing up to Perfection in their kind the Seed growing up to a flourishing Plant the Set growing to a Tree the Child growing till he becomes a Man So Sanctifying Grace is of a growing nature And though all that are Sanctified are not of the same pitch and stature in Grace yet all are endeavouring and breathing after Perfection The least Saint would be perfectly Holy and the highest Saint cannot but see great imperfection in himself and so is grieved that he is no more Holy Such never think they have Grace enough while they may have more But as for such as cry up a mean in Religion and conceit they need be no better than they are and desire to be no better they that like to stand at a stay are not right Certainly there is no good Man but desires to be better than he is 3. Mors fidei est separatio charitatis Bern. True Saving-Faith worketh by Love Gal. 5.6 It worketh it begets Love and it works by Love Indeed Faith and Love are two most active Principles that will set the Soul on work How doth Faith beget Love Why thus As it perswades the Soul of the love of God to us miserable lost sinners in giving his Son his only begotten Son and the love of Christ in giving himself for us for our Redemption As it perswades the Soul of the rich and free Grace of God in offering his Son and of Jesus Christ in offering himself to us together with the greatest benefits we can think of or desire to make us for ever happy That such things should be done for and offered unto such undeserving and illdeserving Creatures that Christ
spiritual than for those everlasting Pleasures at God's right-Hand or are more for worldly Riches than for Treasure in Heaven True Faith would lay the World and worldly Things low in our esteem low in our thoughts Faith judgeth of them by the Word it weighteth them in the Ballance of the Sanctuary it compares earthly and spiritual things worldly and heavenly things things temporal and things eternal together Thus the World appears a vain empty worthless base and contemptible thing indeed to a Believer not fit for him to set his heart upon but to get under his feet * Non incurvet terrenum opus quem sâ—des coelestium erigiâ— Bern. And when worldly things come to stand in competition with God and Christ and Heaven a Believer cannot but account them Loss and Dung. An Unbeliever for want of Faith makes light of Christ and his Benefits makes light of a Crown of Glory of Heavens Happiness revealed and offered in the Gospel He looks on them but as pleasant Fancies and golden Dreams but things of Sense even momentary Pleasures and perishing Riches are more taking with him These he looks upon as real the other he accounts but imaginary or uncertain But a true Believer on the contrary has a sight of those things within the Vail by Faiâ—h Faith is the Evidence of things not seen Thus he hath found the hidden Treasure he has found the Pearl of great price he has made a discovery of the good Land that flows with Milk and Hony Faith is that Spy that gives him certain intelligence of the heavenly Canaan He is put out of doubt of the infinite Treasures that are in Christ of that fulness of Joy and the everlasting Pleasures that are in God's Presence in Heaven Though Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the Heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him yet God hath revealed them to such by his Spirit 1 Cor. 2.9 10. The Spirit working Faith gives the Soul a view of them And hence it is that worldly things appear to be but empty Bubbles and meer Trifles compared with spiritual things with things above Thus the World's Markets are marred with a Believer He can no more value earthly things at the rate that Worldlings do He is clearly convinced that he should be an infinite Loser if he should throw away his Soul and forgo all Interest in God and Christ and Heaven for such poor Commodities as these are He knows where to bestow his best and most serious Thoughts his Heart and Affections better than on the World He sees worldly things to be valuable only so far as they may help him forward in God's service and in Heavens way but when they would be a hindrance and pull-back would be tempting him from Christ would take him off from his Duty from his main work and business of serving and glorifying of God and working out his own Salvation he looks upon them not only as vain Shadows but as deadly Snares Well Sirs Apply these things to your Hearts While the World either worldly Pleasures or Profits c. bear greatest sway while our Hearts and Affections are captivated by them and our Lives ruled and governed by them we do but vainly pretend to Faith The World loseth its commanding Power the World is in some measure conquered and subdued it is brought low where Faith cometh You have heard before that a true Believer accounts Christ precious and here you see that he contemns the World Indeed it cannot be otherwise but look how much Christ is raised in a Man's esteem so much the World and worldly things go down 2. True Faith overcomes a threatning frowning raging storming World A sound Believer will not forsake Christ his Truth and Ways for any thing the World can do or threaten Rev. 2.7 8. He that overcometh shall inherit all things and I will be his God and he shall be my Son But the Fearful and Vnbelieving shall have their part in the Lake which burneth with Fire and Brimstone which is the second Death Observe here the fearful and unbelieving are opposed to him that overcometh And the fearful and unbelieving are coupled together predominant carnal Fear and true Faith are inconsistent Such as are offended when Tribulation and Persecution arise such as in time of Temptation fall away were never sound Believers It is true Sometimes in an hour of Temptation a Believer is sore shaken but though he fall he shall arise and recover himself as Peter did and Cranmer and others He may fall but does not fall away Again it is true he may have many fears that he shall not be able to hold out in the time of Trial but he is safer for those Fears that cause a godly jealousy over himself that quicken unto Prayer that keep him on his Watch. Self-suspicion is a means to preserve and secure the Soul which Self-confidence would betray and overthrow But tormenting Fears I grant would shew Faith to be but weak yet notwithstanding a true Believer may have such Fears they are not predominant still he is kept by the Power of God and kept through Faith As by Faith Moses refused the Honour of being called the Son of Pharaoh's Daughter and refused the Pleasures of Sin with the greatest Treasures in Aegypt as he thus overcame a flattering World so likewise by Faith he chose to suffer Affliction with the People of God and chose Reproaches for Christ and forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King Thus he also overcame a frowning and a raging World by Faith And all true Believers have the same Spirit of Faith though not in that heroical degree And Faith will teach a Man to account upon Sufferings All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer must look to suffer in and from the World 2 Tim. 3.12 A Man cannot follow Christ therefore except he deny himself and take up his Cross Again Faith concludes that Sin is far worse than Suffering That it is the greatest Folly in the World to run upon Divine Displeasure to avoid Man's Displeasure That the World cannot afflict any Torments on the faithful like those which God hath threatned and will most certainly inflict on the faithless Apostates Fire and Faggot is a light matter to that Fire and Brimstone which God hath prepared to be the portion of the fearful and unbelieving And further Faith concludes that all the Sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the Glory that is to be revealed That our light Afflictions which are but for a moment shall work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory Thus true Faith will help us to overcome the World If we have this Faith then we are not of them who draw back unto Perdition but of them that believe and persevere to the saving of the Soul ACT. 11.18 Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted Repentance unto
only form Self-love but from the Love of God and Christ and Holiness Now do we grieve for Sin not only out of a Sight and Sence of the Danger but also of the Filthiness and Odiousness of it as contrary to the holy Nature and righteous Law of God Do we indeed grieve for Sin as Sin More particularly 1. Do we mourn for Sin as a Breach of God's holy Law As it is a thing forbidden and not only as it has set us under the threatnings of the Law Do we heartily approve of the Law of God as holy just and good Do we delight in the Law of God in the inner Man Is it our earnest Desire that our Hearts and Lives were in all things conformed to it and our great grief to find the contrary Many that sometimes have storms raised in their Consciences but instead of being offended and displeased with themselves and their Sins they are offended at the Word that discovers and condemns their Sins and as Ahab hated Micaiah they cannot endure faithful Ministers that tell them plainly of their Sins If it be thus with thee and if thy Heart riseth against and repines at the strictness and purity of God's Laws if they are grievous to thee as crossing thy beloved Lusts grievous as the Light to a Thief or as Chains are to a Malefactor Though thou mayest be full of Trouble and Perplexity yet certainly it is quited different from true Repentance and godly Sorrow 2. Do we mourn for Sin as a Dishonour to God Herein lieth the greatest Evil of Sin that it is against God It is a practical Denial Contempt Affronting or Abusing of God and of all God's Attributes a Denial or Contempt of his Sovereignty and Authority of his Holiness and Justice of his Wisdom Truth Power and Greatness of his Omnipresence Omniscience of his Dominion and Propriety in his Creatures an abuse of his Goodness It is a denying him that Honour Service and Subjection which is due from us as we are his Creatures Indeed it cannot be expressed what a wrong and dishonour to God Sin is And this a gracious Soul takes notice of in his sad Reflections upon his Sins As David 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord. Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight Though he had sinned against others too had sinned against Bathsheba depriving her of her Chastity had sinned against Vriah depriving him of his Life had sinned against the World setting it so ill an example and giving Enemies such occasion to blaspheme these wrongs did all terminate upon God the supream Lawgiver and the Injury done to Creatures though great in it self was a small matter to the Wrong and Dishonour therein done to God As the Lord to magnify his Grace in pardoning the Sins of his People goes over with it again and again against me against me Jer. 33.8 I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me So that Sin is against God this is the burthen of every gracious Heart 3. Do we grieve for Sin as it displeaseth God as it is the abominable thing which he hateth Ezek. 6.9 They that escape of you shall remember me among the Nations because I am broken with their whorish Heart which hath departed from me c. Doth this Consideration of Sin break our Hearts Are we vexed at our selves that we have fretted him as we have the Expression Ezek. 16.43 that we have provoked and disquieted him Doth it grieve us to think how we have grieved his Spirit Is it the burthen of our Souls to think how he is pressed under our Sins how we have wearied him with our Iniquities It is nothing for us to be troubled when God afflicteth and putteth us to grief A Slave will roar and cry out under the Lash But an ingenuous Child is grieved when he hath displeased his Father though he be not scourged and corrected for it So though we are not chastened by God yet do we afflict our own Souls for Sin Or if the Lord doth lay Affliction on our loyns yet are we more troubled for having offended God than for our own smart and suffering 4. Do we grieve for Sin as against God's mercy as an ill Requital of his Goodness Doth the Goodness of God lead us to Repentance Godly Sorrow is ingenuous And the Mercy and Goodness of God is a special means of exciting to Repentance and of promoting it That there is Mercy with the Lord that there is Hope of finding Mercy this is a special means of working Repentance at first without which the Soul would be swallowed up in despair The Law discovering Sin and Wrath displaying God's Holiness and punitive Justice may in one sence break the Heart of a Sinner But it is the Gospel revealing God's free and infinite Grace and Mercy in Jesus Christ his willingness and readiness to pardon and to be reconciled to Sinners that repent and turn that is the means of melting the Heart into kindly Sorrow The great Motive to sound Repentance is God's Mercy As you find it laid down Joel 2.13 Rent your Heart and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness When a Man considering his many and great Provocations on the one hand and God's gracious and merciful Offers on the other hand As Thou hast played the Harlot with many Lovers yet return unto me saith the Lord. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon When thus a Man hath his Heart relenting it is kindly When the thoughts of God's Goodness of his gracious Nature and his gracious Offers cause a Man to loath himself to be ashamed of his own baseness and vileness in offending so gracious a God this is godly Sorrow Indeed it is an hopeful Sign when the Heart is melting under common Mercies A Stone-wall will seem to weep in moist weather So the Hearts of many that are as hard as Stone will seem to give again under Judgments But David was brought to Repentance by Nathan's recounting God's favours vouchsafed to him and not only his denouncing judgment 2 Sam. 12.7 8 with v. 13. And so some paraphrase upon Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned Against thee who hast done so much for me against thee who hast so raised me so oft delivered me O I have ill requited thee The common Goodness of God his Patience and
freed from but there is some special Sin or other that they are wedded unto and in league with and this they seek to hide palliate and excuse all they can whether it be Pride or Sensuality Voluptuousness or Covetousness c. that that is a Mans special beloved Sin a natural Man is for cloaking that Sin and cannot endure to hear his Herodias spoken against he studies Evasions and Distinctions to defend that Sin and to put off Convictions Thus the natural Man and Hypocrite will beat about the Bush I remember Mr. Hooker compares the Confessions of such to the Cries of the Lapwing As the Lapwing will cry and flutter and make most ado when furthest from her Nest or from her Young So such whose Hearts are unsound whatever Sins they take notice of yet they use to keep aloof off from their special Sins But the Doves of the Valleys they mourn every one for his Iniquity Ezek. 7.16 And this is a good Sign when a Mans sowrest looks are on his Dalilah his darling-Sin 3. Godly Sorrow is not only moved for open miscarriages which others may take notice of but is also stirred and working upon secret Sins As Judah said Gen. 38.23 Let her take it to her lest we be shamed Many would blush to have their Sins discovered who are not troubled while they can keep them close under-board If they have been guilty of lying and are found out or guilty of some theft or wrong done to their Neighbour and it is brought to light then they are vexed and disquieted The Thief is ashamed when he is taken But might they have gone on in Sin undiscovered it would not have troubled them That cannot be Godly Sorrow where there is no respect unto God And there is no respect unto God where secret Sins are not a Burden God sees in secret He sets our secret Sins in the light of his Countenance And so if we have godly Sorrow we shall take notice of cast a sorrowful Eye even on our secret Sins As it is more that God knoweth and is displeased at them than if they were known to all the World 4. Godly Sorrow is stirred in a sense of spiritual Impurities and not only moved at some gross Immorality Natural Conscience may fly in a Mans face for grosse Sins though secretly and closely committed Sins that defile the Hands that defile the Body stare a Man in the Face and he cannot so easily look off from them The filthiness of the Flesh disquiets the Conscience of many a natural Man while he is not sensible of the filthiness of his Spirit he quite overlooks other Sins seated within that defile the Heart and Soul But a gracious Soul is burdened with Unbelief spiritual Pride Hypocrisy with the inward Distempers of his Spirit yea many times he observes and is humbled for the first risings of Corruption first Motions to Sin 5. Godly Sorrow is moved as upon a sense of the prevalence and stirring of Corruption so upon a sense of the Souls being so wanting and weak in Grace A natural Man will complain when his Conscience is like a raging Sea for want of Peace while he complains not that his Heart is like a dead Sea he is not troubled for the want of Grace He could pray with the Psalmist Psal 51.9 Hide thy face from my Sins but not go on with the Psalmist ver 10. Create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Or if he prayeth for a clean Heart an holy Heart it is without Heart Confes lib. 8. â—7 As Austin confesseth he did when a young Man Da mihi Castitatem Continentiam sed noli modo timebam enim ne me cito exaudires cito sanares à morbo concupiscentiae quam malebam expleri quam extingui The natural Man loves Sin and therefore while such cannot truly desire Grace nor mourn for the want of Grace But the gracious Soul is weary of Sin Sin is its greatest Burden He sees a beauty in Grace and Holiness is taken with it and is ashamed to see himself so short here Like him that cried out with tears Lord I believe help thou mine Vnbelief He desires indeed to love God and is ashamed that he loveth God no more He would prize Jesus Christ and is grieved that he prizeth Christ no higher He is grieved for Sin and this further is his trouble that he can grieve no more He follows after Holiness and mourns to think that his Heart and Life are no more holy 6. A gracious Soul is humbled for the Iniquities of his holy Things When others are highly conceited of their formal heartless Services he sees cause to be ashamed of his best Performances is troubled for sinful defects in his best Duties As the Church confesseth Our Righteousnesses are as filthy Rags As Nehemiah when he had shewn great Zeal for God and his Service yet prayed Neh. 13.22 Remember me O my God concerning this and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Others rest in the Work done when they do Duties they care not how indeed take God's Name in vain yet they think they thereby make God their Debtor Like those Isa 58.3 who said Wherefore have we fasted and thou seest not wherefore have we afflicted our Souls and thou takest no knowledg As if the Lord did them wrong if he did not take notice of them and reward them A gracious Soul sees need of much Incense as Rev. 8.3 to perfume the best Prayers and Services that ever he presenteth unto God And it is God's free-grace that these are accepted as well that his Transgressions and Sins are pardoned Yea such a Soul is more troubled and afflicted in Spirit that he prayeth so weakly with so little Faith and Fervency than others are for not praying for their many sad and sinful Omissions of the Duty He is more troubled for hearing no better with no more reverence and trembling at the Word than others for their often turning away their Ear from the Word 7. A gracious Heart is ordinarily touched with a sense of the least Sins Others may be troubled for great Enormities but such a Soul would not make light of the least Infirmities Indeed no Sin is to be called or accounted little positively and absolutely but only comparatively There is not the least Sin but deserveth Death and can that be a small matter that deserveth Death Yet some Sins are more hainous deserving a greater Condemnation and a sorer Punishment But it is with a tender Heart as it is with the Eye that tender part a small Mote in the Eye offends it and makes it run over So not only gross Sins but lesser Miscarriages will grate sore on a tender Heart It is oft smitten for vain thoughts idle words inordinacy in following lawful Employments a little Excess in the use of Creature-Comforts or outward Recreations such things as others account venial Matters yea think it a foolish
nice scrupulosity for one to be troubled at John Husse the Martyr bewailed his playing at Chess not that he accounted it unlawful in it self but as it had been an Occasion of stirring up Passion and of too great an Expence of precious time 8. A gracious Heart is humbled even for unknown Sins As Latimer said Every Man hath two heaps of Sins Serm. 5 before K. Edward 6. fol. 68. one of known Sins another of unknown Of Humiliation pag. 78. And Dr. Preston says I may boldly say this Take that Man that thinks worst of himself and he is worse than he thinks himself to be Though I confess we sometimes meet with Persons under the power of Melancholly who fancy themselves guilty of such Sins as they are not justly to be charged with We find such very ready to bear false witness against themselves sometimes fancying they had made a Contract and were in League with the Devil sometimes concluding they had sinned the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost c. but groundlesly Thus in some particular respects a Man may think worse of himself than he is he may conclude some things to be Sins which he hath done which the Law of God forbiddeth not or he may imagin he hath committed this or that Sin which indeed he has not committed but it is an Error in his Imagination to think so Yet thus far there is a Ground for what Dr. Preston says 1. That there is more Evil in Sin than we can apprehend We cannot fully conceive what evil there is in it and how vile we are in our selves by reason of it 2. There is that Depth of Sin and Deceit in our Heart Jer. 17.9 which we are not able justly to fathom and that multitude of Errors and Deviations in our Lives which we are never able to sum up Psal 19.12 Thus they that know most of themselves who are at most pains in searching and trying their ways must conclude after their most diligent search that there are many more Sins which the Lord could charge them with which they could never yet find out and discover And this is matter of Humiliation Some may ask How should one be troubled for unknown Sins What the Eye sees not the Heart rues not Answ It is true a Man cannot grieve for them particularly unless they were particularly known But besides the habit of Godly Sorrow in a gracious Heart inclining the Soul to repent of any such Sins in particular as any of them are brought to ones knowledg or remembrance there is ofttimes also an actual sorrowing for them in general The gracious Soul questioneth not but he hath more Sins than he knoweth of and as he cannot but pray with the Psalmist to be cleansed from those secret Sins which are not only concealed from others but lye hid also from himself so he cannot but grieve oft to think that besides all the Sins he seeth in himself there are many more which he sees not As if a Man concludes he hath some great Distemper hanging on him he will be troubled though he know not his Disease in particular Thus when others are hardly brought to any Sorrow for the Sins which they cannot but know themselves guilty of a gracious Soul is humbled to think there is much more amiss in the frame of his Heart and course of his Life than he is aware off He hath many sad thoughts of Heart even for his unknown Sins 9. I may add A gracious Soul is inclined to mourn not only for his own Sins but also for the Sins of others Pia est illa tristitia alienis vitiis ingemiscere non adhaerere contristari non implicari dolore contrahi non attrahi Aug. If we mourn for our own Sins with respect unto God we shall be grieved at others Sins also as being against God Sin is a sad sight to one that is truly Gracious wheresoever he sees it And most sad to see it in those whom he loves most in near Relations or to see Sin growing common and National as thus God is more dishonoured But they that rejoyce in Iniquity and are puffed up and please themselves to see others worse than themselves are not truly sensible of the evil of Sin Thus you see how Godly Sorrow may be known by its extensiveness as to the Object 3. Right Humiliation and Godly Sorrow is free and voluntary Here many are meerly passive Their Sorrow is forced pressed from them It is only from the lash on their Backs or from the lightning of God's dreadful Comminations flying in their Faces or the Flashes of Hell Fire in their Consciences They are afflicted in their Consciences when they do not desire to afflict their own Souls for Sin They have wounded Consciences not broken and contrite Hearts A wounded Spirit who can bear Prov. 18.14 A wounded Spirit is a grievous burthen a contrite Spirit is not so When did you know one crying out of this When others are afraid to see their Sins as they would be affrighted at the Apparition of a deceased Friend one of a contrite Heart would see them is oft searching to find them out oft calling himself to account asking what have I done Jer. 8.6 and is for a Soul-searching Ministry and for close applying of those Truths that may help further to humble and break his Heart He can heartily bless the Lord when he can find his Heart in a tender melting frame He looks upon a contrite Heart and an Heart of Flesh as a choice and singular Blessing and is never more at ease than when his Heart is most melting that he can pour it out before the Lord. And he would not for a World be in his former impenitent state when he was altogether insensible of the evil of Sin 4. Godly Sorrow is most inward most in secret not only nor so much in appearance before others A true Mourner for Sin is a close Mourner He is not for putting on a sad Countenance making a shew of more grief and Sorrow than he hath indeed It is true we are not to understand Mat. 6.16 as forbidding all outward expressions of Sorrow When our Saviour describes the penitent Publican Luk. 18.13 it is thus that he would not lift up so much as his Eyes unto Heaven but smote upon his Breast But in that place of the Evangelist Matthew our Saviour speaks of private Fasts which should be carried on with privacy And forbids an Hypocritical dissimulation with a Pharisaical affectation and ostentation The Pharisees would appear unto Men what they were not would put on a sad Countenance when they were far from an humble and mortified Spirit But Godly Sorrow chiefly affects secrecy The Dovelike Spirit is for the clefts of the Rock and secret places of the Stairs Cant. 2.14 5. Godly Sorrow is continued abiding Sinners have their Consciences awakened sometimes and the Passion of grief stirred for a fit it may be they can weep at the hearing
of a Sermon that toucheth them but their trouble is soon over Vid. Dyke Deceitf of the Heart p. 92. They are as one says sometimes Sermon-sick but no otherwise than as Men are Sea-sick who are well again as soon as they come on Shore Yea this presently heals the matter with them they are ready to conceit that hereby they have made God amends And thus the Storm that was raised in their Consciences is laid and all is quiet again Sinners have their sad moods sometimes but like a Morning Cloud which is soon blown over and as the early dew which soon goes away Whereas a gracious Soul retains an humble broken frame of Heart for Sin has a Spirit of Mourning As the Psalmist says My Sin is ever before me I cannot look off from it neither can I think of it without Sorrow Even when he may have good hope through Grace that God is reconciled to him yet he cannot for all that be reconciled to himself He is still grieved at the remembrance of his Sins even when the Lord is pacified towards him We read Mat. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that are mourning As the Participle there used may denote a continued act Yea one goes further and layeth it down as not improbable but that Godly Sorrow though without any bitter ingredients mixed with it shall be in Heaven All Tears indeed are wiped from those Blessed Eyes But the Question is of the Act of the Vnderstanding apprehending the evil of Sin and of the will disliking and being displeased with Sin whether these are not for the perfection of Nature and no oppression of it And whether a clearer sight and fuller taste of God's infinite Goodness which the Saints have in Heaven be not joyned or attended with a clearer and deeper sence and apprehension of the evil of their Sins committed here against so good a God Vid Symonds Case and Cure p. 239. Which I leave to the discussion of better Judgments 6. Godly Sorrow is a deep intense Sorrow not slighty and superficial It is called a great Mourning Zach. 12.11 As it is a mourning for Sin as the greatest evil As Sin is the greatest evil our greatest Sorrow should be for Sin If outward troubles be as a Thorn in the Flesh we should be pricked to the Heart with a sence of Sin Sin should be as a Sword piercing thorow our Souls As the Apostle Paul that was never heard to say O miserable Man that I am in regard of the Bonds and Afflictions that did abide him here in the World yet cryed out O wretched Man that I am in regard of a Body of Sin A Body of Sin was more grievous to him than all his Sufferings in the Body And proportionably to the measure of Grace any one attains to as he grows in Grace so his Sorrow for Sin riseth his displicence against Sin encreaseth But here two or three Questions are to be answered Quest 1. Are Tears necessary to evidence the Truth of our Repentance and Sorrow for Sin Answ 1. We find that the godly mentioned in Scripture ordinarily were such as could weep for Sin yea such as wept for the Sins of others As Ezra confessed weeping Chap. 10.1 Josiah his Heart was tender and he wept before the Lord 2 King 22.19 And what Floods of Tears think we did David pour out for his own Sins while as he says Psal 119.136 Rivers of Tears ran down his Eyes for the Sins of other Men And see a weeping Convert Luk. 7.37 38. Who even washed Christs Feet with her Tears So Peter after his great Sin in denying his Master went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26.37 2. Men are oft called to Humiliation and Sorrow for Sin in Scripture under the term of weeping See Isa 22.12 Joel 2.12 And Jam. 4.9 Be afflicted and mourn and weep 3. God hath promised such a frame to his People in general that they should lament after him and follow him with Tears See Jer. 31.9 and 50.4 4. Yet Tears sometimes may be repressed through excess of inward Sorrow The Heart is fullest of Sorrow sometimes when it has no vent Seneca Leves dolores loquuntur ingentes stupent 5. Some how great soever their inward Sorrows are have so dry a constitution as will not afford Tears Thus in regard of that difference there is in their natural constitutions sighs and groans are more to some than plenty of Tears to others And they may have far more inward Humiliation and Sorrow for Sin though they cannot shed one Tear than others who have Tears at will 6. Tears are not pleasing to God but as proceeding from a contrite Heart God is pleased with a contrite Heart though it cannot command one Tear when the greatest abundance of Tears are not acceptable without a contrite Heart There are hypocritical Sighs and Tears as there are hypocritical Confessions 7. But if we can weep freely for outward losses or crosses that befal us and yet never weep for Sin this is a shrewd sign that we are Strangers to Godly Sorrow Thou that hast Tears enow and too many to spend about thy Worldly Troubles sure it is not from the dryness of thy Brain or from unaptness in thy natural temper and constitution but from the hardness of thy Heart if thou never sheddest Tears for thy Sins Quest 2. Whether one truly gracious may not have more grief for some great outward Tryal as the loss of some dear Relation c. than he hath for Sin Answ 1. However it is de facto yet de jure every one ought to grieve more for Sin than for Affliction The Love of God requires it In the Afflictions that befall us the will of the Lord is done and whatever we suffer we should say The will of the Lord be done but in Sin his will is crossed and disobeyed There is nothing so contrary to God as Sin Yea as the love of God so a regular self-love requires it that we grieve most for Sin There is nothing so contrary to our Souls Interest and Happiness as Sin 2. We must distinguish betwixt grief as seated in the sensitive Faculty as it is a Passion and as it is seated in the rational Powers Understanding and Will So the Passion of Grief may be greater for some sadly pressing pinching and smarting Tryal and Affliction than for Sin in one that hath true Godly Sorrow As Grief is common to us with brute Creatures and as they say the Hart when taken by the Hounds sheds tears the sensitive Faculty and one truly gracious may feel a deeper impression of trouble from outward Afflictions that are nearer to our sences and yet the rational part has a deeper sence of Sin and is more disquieted for it As 1. The practical Vnderstanding and Judgment accounts Sin a greater evil than all Afflictions A worse kind of Evil. An Affliction may be grievous but Sin is odious and is accounted
odious One that hath true Grace sees himself to be more vile by Sin than all the Afflictions in the World could make him 2. There is a greater dislike of and displicence against Sin in the Will It 's possible that a Man might dye with less pain than he must indure in some cases to preserve his Life and yet he would chuse to submit to great pain rather than to the most easy Death A Womans travelling Pangs may be more grievous to sense than the Pangs of Death would be yet ordinarily Women would chuse to endure the former rather than the latter Thus a gracious Soul had rather any Affliction should befal him here than to be left under the Power of Sin And he is so grieved for his Sins past that he could wish he had been sick in his Bed taken up with pains at that time he was taken up with the pleasures of Sin He would submit to any Affliction and acknowledg God's Faithfulness in afflicting him may he find this Fruit of it even the taking away of Sin He would kiss the Rod that whippeth Folly out of his Heart 3. One that is truly gracious is often grieved that he has been apt to exceed in his grief for and under his Afflictions and that he hath grieved no more for Sin that here he falleth short He repenteth of his immoderate worldly Sorrow revoketh what he hath done is heartily sorry that any of his Sighs and Tears should run waste or have been mispent when he hath spent too few on his Sins Thus by an after-Act he would substract and deduct from his worldly Sorrow and make what addition he can to his Sorrow for Sin It is a real grief and burthen to his Spirit that Sin hath not been a greater grief and burthen to him Which one calleth a Reflexive Grief Besides a direct grief for Sin there is also in a gracious Heart a reflexive grief as it is oft sad to think how far short it falleth in mourning for Sin as it ought And thus immoderate worldly Sorrow is oft an occasion of the increase of godly Sorrow a sinful dejection under some outward cross is an occasion of deeper Humiliation for Sin A gracious Soul upon a serious reflection and review of it self is ashamed of his being so cast down under worldly troubles and that he is no more humbled under all his Sins 4. One that is truly gracious may be more moved at some great Affliction for a fit but his Sorrow for Sin is deeper rooted and of longer continuance It is true that commonly as Mr. Greenham said When Affliction lieth heavy Sin lieth light But the greatest worldly troubles do not affect the Heart of one that is gracious at such a distance as his Sins will do In a little time he gets over that perturbation of Spirit raised by an Affliction while his trouble for Sin still remaineth He can think of many an Affliction past and bless the Lord for his Faithfulness in the same As grievous as they were for the present yet he sees he could not well have been without them But he is oft renewing his Sorrow for old Sins When he may be grown old yet he oft calls to mind the Iniquities of his Youth with shame and grief Quest 3. Whether can one mourn and grieve too much for Sin Answ 1. As grief is seated in the rational Faculties so it is hard for any one to exceed As it implieth a sense or apprehension of the evil and vileness of Sin One can hardly think worse of Sin than it deserves unless he conceit erroneously that God suffers dammage in his very Being and essential Glory and perfection by it whereas it is not in the Power of all the Sinners in the World to hurt him in the least Job 35.6 8. He is over all God Blessed for ever Rom. 9.5 Or unless a Man should think his Sins so great that the Satisfaction and Merits of Christ could not expiate them or that the free Grace of God could not pardon them * Tanta est autem benignitas Omnipotentiae Omnipotentia benignitatis in Deo ut nihil sit quod nolit aut non possit relaxare converso Fulgent Epist 7. But otherwise not derogating from the Honour of God and Jesus Christ I know not how we can have too bad thoughts of Sin As it is against an infinite Majesty against the Will of God against his declarative Glory which shineth forth in his most wise and righteous Laws and should be held forth by all his Creatures especially by Man a reasonable Creature thus there is more intrinsick evil and vileness in Sin than our narrow Capacities can fully conceive And as Grief for Sin imports the Will 's dislike of it it is not possible that we should be too averse from Sin that we should hate Sin too much or be too much displeased at it 2. But as Grief is in the sensitive part and as it is expressed outwardly by Sighs Groans and Tears it may be too much Though indeed there are very few that erre on this hand But what the Apostle writes to the Corinthians concerning the incestuous Person 2 Cor. 2.7 that upon his repentance they should comfort him lest perhaps he should be swallowed up of overmuch Sorrow is observable here as it implieth that even Sorrow for Sin may be overmuch 3. The Passion of Grief is required to be exercised about Sin not meerly for it self but in order to a further end As ver 9. to imbitter Sin to us to endear Christ to us to make us more willing to part with Sin and to close with and accept of Jesus Christ And therefore that Sorrow which reacheth not the End how great soever it may seem is not enough 4. There are other and higher Duties that Christians are also called unto And Duties must be so managed that one may not clash and interfere with and exclude and justle out another They ought to be so carried on as one may not obstruct and hinder but further on and promote another Now a Life of Faith in Christ and a Life in the Love and joyful Praises of God is that which indeed all Christians should desire to live and study and endeavour by all means to attain unto And our Sorrow for Sin should be a Preparative to Joy and Delight in the Lord and should be an Help to close and comfortable walking with God And for a Christian to be wholly taken up in poring on his Sins and mourning over them neglecting the exercise of Faith and the drawing out of his Heart to God and Jesus Christ in love and thankfulness is a very great practical Error which must needs keep his Soul low in Grace as well as in Comfort 5. That Sorrow which is without Hope which casts the Soul into * Qualecunque sit ergo peccatum a Deo quidem potest remitti converso sed ille sibi remitti non sinit qui des
of the World than we are at God's command and that habitually and ordinarily it is plain we prefer our selves and honour the Creature above God and while it is thus how can we say that we love him If we love God we shall follow him and love to walk in his ways As they said of their Idols Jer. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them will I go Had they loved God indeed they would have been for following him and not strangers The counsel of a special friend is much regarded and surely if we love God we shall not despise his counsels Psal 119.128 I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right He approved of them all he would not have any one of God's Laws nulled and abrogated To love the Lord to walk in all his ways and to cleave to him are conjoyned Deut. 11.22 And to love the Lord and to walk ever in his ways Deut. 19.9 So the love of God will incline souls to sincere impartial and constant obedience 14. If we love God we shall desire to be more like him Eph. 5.1 Be followers of God as dear Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitators though we cannot be like him in respect of those Attributes stiled incommunicable Our first Parents fell from God when they affected to be as Gods And in some other respect too we may not be like him We may not act for our own glory as God does This would entrench upon the glory due from us to God and cross the end of our beings Yet if we love God we shall desire to be like him so far as we may There is an assimulating vertue and power in love We are ready to imitate those we love Their example is very moving and is wont to take much with us If we love God we shall desire that we may have hearts after his heart to love that which he loves and to hate that which he hates Amicorum idem velle idem nolle We shall desire to be holy as he is holy and merciful as he is merciful and perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect Though it is impossible for any Creature to be as holy as merciful as perfect as God is Though an equality here is not to be thought of yet a likeness and similitude a conformity to God in our measure such as we may attain to we must study and endeavour and this the love of God would put us upon But if we rather wish that God was altogether such a one as our selves if we rather desire that he would come down to us and comply with allow of our crooked Tempers and Manners than to have our souls raised up to him by the restoring of his Image and a divine Nature wrought in us it would shew indeed that we are little taken with him but rather how little cause soever there is for it we are still in love with our sinful selves 15. If we love God we shall highly account of his favours We shall not despise common benefits as coming from him but we shall most prize any special Love-token he hath given us We set a value on Mercies according as God's love appears in them When Tamar had got Judah's Signet and Bracelets she would not part with them for a Kid. One would have prized a kiss of Cyrus above the golden Cup he gave him The soul that loves God will value spiritual Mercies above temporal enjoyments The consolations of God will not be small in such a ones account His comforts will be more desired longed for or if enjoyed will more delight and refresh the soul than any worldly comforts And the more we love God the more we shall praise him for any intimations and expressions of his love We shall delight to tell others what he hath done for our souls as the Psalmist Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Psal 103.1 2 3 4. This would in part shew we love God for himself and not only for his Benefits if indeed we set the highest value and account on those Benefits wherein we might read his special love But they that would account more of the Birth-right than of the Blessing and set more store by Corn and Wine than they could do by the light of God's Countenance shew little love to God 16. If we love God we are for putting a good construction on his severest dispensations We would not take any thing unkindly from him We are not for entertaining hard thoughts of God Si mihi irascatur Deus num illi ego similiter reirasear non utique sed pavebo sed contremiseam sed veniam deprecabor Ita si me arguat not redarguetur à me sed ex me potius justificabitur Nec si me judicabit judicabo ego eum sed adorabo Bern. in Cant. Scr. 83. though he shew us hard things We shall desire to keep up good thoughts of God still but have worse thoughts of our selves When he afflicts us we shall fall out with our selves fall out more with Sin not be displeased at him We shall still follow him even though he walk contrary to us as Isa 26.8 9. When we are chastened of him we shall not censure his dealings but judge our selves We shall be ready to justify God and to condemn our selves acknowledging God to be righteous and to punish less than our iniquities deserve If we cry to God and he seem not to hear we shall not hereupon take pett but conclude with the Psalmist Psal 22.2 3. Yet thou art holy Indeed we shall be ready in our troubles to complain to him as we use in trouble to complain to our friends but we would not complain of him If we love God Afflictions will not ordinarily drive us from God but rather drive us nearer to him If he shews his displeasure it will grieve us most that we have displeased him that we have offended our good and gracious Father that we have provoked the God of Patience a God so rich in Mercy And so we shall be for humbling our selves and making our peace with him But if when we are afflicted instead of accepting of the punishment of our Iniquities and humbling our selves and seeking his face our hearts do nothing but fret against the Lord we are strange Children We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence and if we are not much rather in subjection to the Father of Spirits we shew not a childlike disposition And how sad is it if in our afflictions we are ready to say with him of whom we read This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer How sad is it when Crosses that should crucify and deaden our hearts more to the World have this contrary effect deadning them towards God and towards holy Duties That we have less heart to serve God have less
David 1 Sam. 18.1 And here is no respect of persons but a respect of goodness to love them best who are best But if on the contrary a Man only beareth with Holiness in a lower degree and with such as may be Godly in the main but very remiss too much complying with the manners of the World or perhaps can afford such a good word sometimes saying such are honest sober moderate Men when he would thereby condemn those who are more forward when he utterly dislikes and his heart is rising against those whose hearts are lifted up in the ways of God when he cannot endure such as are more exactly conscientious and more zealous for God when he is barking at them as Hot-spurs Fanaticks and I know not what or if he lash them not with the tongue yet his heart is full of envy against them what can this shew but a graceless spirit And let such a one know that the love of God is not in him If the holiness of a Saint be such an eye-sore to thee for which thou canst not affect him how canst thou love God who is Holiness it self There is none holy as the Lord he is infinitely holy If the light of the Moon offends thee which yet shines not without its spots how canst thou bear the surpassing brightness of the Sun it self And how unmeet art thou for fellowship with the Saints in Heaven with the Spirits of Just Ones made perfect who canst not away with such as have attained to any eminent degree of holiness here The Saints in Heaven are more holy than any of those thou thinkest too strict too precise Perhaps thou wilt say 1. Thou couldst love and honour them if they were as good as they seem but they are Hypocrites they do but make a show Answ And dost thou indeed hate Hypocrisie O then take heed that thou beest not guilty of Hypocrisie in this very plea pretending that thou canst not love them because they are not so good as they seem when in very deed thou couldst like well of them if they were worse than they are Again Though it is true Hypocrites there will be among the Saints here yet take heed that thou dost not censure and condemn those as Hypocrites whom the Lord accepteth and approveth of as sincere and upright Thy hard censures cannot hurt and prejudice them so much as thy self The Devil accused Job to be no better than an Hypocrite As he is called The Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 That this is a Diabolical Practice And to justifie the Wicked and to condemn the Righteous are both of them an abomination to the Lord. How angry was the Lord with Job's three friends for their rash censures of him and harsh dealing with him The Vpright though they are abhorred of many in the World are God's delight And think of it Shall not the Saints judg the World at last Many that censure and accuse them here shall be judged and condemded by them hereafter Yea their holy lives that the World is so offended at shall condemn the World And thou that abhorrest their strict lives think of it whether with Balaam thou wouldest not desire to dye their Death Or 2. Perhaps thou wilt say They make more ado than needs Answ And wherein Indeed it becomes not a Christian to be a busy-body in other Mens matters He has work enough of his own to mind And let all that fear God have a care to walk so that others may find no occasion against them but in the matters of their God But certainly the Command Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. will bear them out in their greatest Zeal and Activity for God So Luke 13.24 strive to enter in at the straight Gate c. And Phil. 2.18 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And 2 Pet. 2.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure will warrant their most strenuous endeavours to get to Heaven And Ephes 5.15 See that ye walk circumspectly And 1 Thes 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil will justify their tenderness of Spirit and fear of Sin And Col. 1.10 Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work And 1 Cor. 15.58 Always abounding in the work of the Lord will prove that the best are so far from doing more than needs that they fall very far short of doing what they ought in Religion And therefore as Christ said to his Disciples Mat. 26.10 Why trouble ye the Woman for she hath wrought a good work on me So why do any go about to discourage such as for his Name sake are labouring and taking pains to glorifie God and save their souls Are any offended that they do so much Alas they see great cause to be ashamed that they have done so little that they do no more for God and Jesus Christ for their own and others souls It 's granted we should not be righteous over much as we should take heed of being over wise Eccles 7.16 To be wise above that which is written is Wisdom falsly so called and to be righteous above that which is commanded is but a Pharisaical righteousness That which is beyond the Rule is not true Religion but vain Superstition And works of Supererrogation are works of Superarrogancy But keeping to the Rule none can be over-righteous When it is said there v. 17. Be not over-much wicked surely the meaning is not that we may allow our selves a little here They that would shun all impiety more and less are not to be condemned as over-precise or doing more than needs Or 3. perhaps thou wilt say Thou canst not be quiet for them they will not let thee alone but are still reproving thee Answ And does that offend thee Then as the Psalmist says For my love they are my adversaries thou dost ill requite thy best thy most faithful friends Then it seems thou lovest thine enemies but hatest thy friends And is this well done of thee If they could be satisfied to suffer thee to go on offending and provoking God and wronging thine own Soul which is not love but hatred then thou couldst be better pleased with them If it be thus thou neither lovest the Godly nor thy self aright You may think me very long on this third particular Note That if we love the Godly for God and Godliness-sake then we love them most who are most like God most eminent in Godliness And yet before I pass on to another there is a Question or two that fall in here to be answered Quest 1. Are we to love the Godly more than near Relations if they be not Godly and to love those who are eminent in Godliness above Godly Relations that are not so eminent Answ 1. There is a peculiar love due unto Relations as such which is in part natural and sensitive as irrational Creatures also have a love to their mates and
Judgment Thus God is oft terrible in his doings towards the Children of Men Psal 66.3 5. Moses was afraid of the hot displeasure wherewith the Lord was wroth against the children of Israel Deut. 9.19 And when Vzzah was smitten David was afraid of the Lord that day 2 Sam. 6.9 If the righteous are said not to fear at such times as Job 5.21 22. we must understand with such a miserable distracting fear as is wont to possess the hearts of sinners They are not so surrounded with fear like Pashur called Magor-missabib Jer. 20.3 Their fear is not overwhelming or such as is opposite to all Faith Hope and joy in the Lord or such as puts them quite besides their duty at such times Yet they may not be stupid sensless but ought to fear with such a fear as is opposite to security as may quicken unto Duty Pro. 14.16 A wise Man feareth and departeth from evil Pro. 22.3 He foreseeth the evil and hideth himself Yea not only God's Judgments but his Works of Mercy should teach us to fear him So much is implied Jer. 5.24 As they should have said in their heart Let us now fear the Lord our God that giveth Rain both the former and the latter rain in his season he reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the Harvest And while temporal Mercies should have this effect to engage us to fear him much more should spiritual Mercies and his Grace in Christ That there is forgiveness with him Again the Word of God teacheth his Fear As Faith comes by the Word of God which is therefore fitly called The word of Faith so a Godly fear As the Word is called by that name It is called the fear of the Lord Psal 19.9 It teacheth his fear it is a special means to work his fear in us it is the Rule to guide and order our fear of him And that is a superstitious fear a spurious fear not a true genuine fear of God which is not agreeable to his Word Isa 29.13 Therefore such as regard not the Word but count it as a strange thing are strangers to the Fear of God As it shews we fear not God as we ought if we slight and contemn his Works so if we slight and disregard his Word It is by the knowledg of God his Attributes c. as revealed in his Word and Works that Men come to fear him 2. The true Fear of God also springs from an high and holy admiration of him and from love to him Every Child of God admires loves and fears together And because he loves God he fears to displease him And his fear is from high thoughts of God not from hard thoughts of him Many have a fear of God that do not reverence him Their fear is not from any high esteem of him The wicked fear and hate His terrours make them afraid as it is Job 18.11 but they are not taken with his Excellency The Devils have such a fear They tremble at his Wrath yet are full of rage and spite against him That fear which is from hard thoughts of God looking on him as an enemy is not a right fear 2. The true Fear of God may be known by the freeness and pleasingness of it When it is not a forced thing When the will is to fear him A fear of God falleth upon some even as an heavy pressure which they would be rid of would cast off if they knew how It surprizeth takes hold of them as a Bailiff or Officer takes hold on a Debtor or Malefactor Isa 33.14 which they would shake off but cannot But they do not chuse the Fear of the Lord Prov. 1.29 whereas they that truly fear God are devoted to his Fear as we read that Psa 119.38 They desire to fear his Name As Neh. 1.11 thy Servants who desire to fear thy Name God's Servants do fear and desire more and more to fear his Name They would not banish but endeavour to cherish and increase the fear of God in their hearts That fear which is a torment which is counted a punishment which Men would expel is not of the right kind True Fear is not an oppression of spirit but rather elevates the Spirit it raiseth the Soul in admiration does not sink it in dejection As we may allude to that expression Isa 60.5 Thine heart shall fear and be inlarged The true Fear of God will enlarge the heart more towards God It will cause it to flow over The Grace of Fear does not contract but enlarge the heart Naturalists observe that the most fearful creatures have the largest hearts And the more we fear God aright the more our hearts will be enlarged towards him 3. The true Fear of God may be known by the degree and measure or intention of it When we fear God above all He is greatly to be feared 1 Chr. 16.25 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised he also is to be feared above all Gods To be feared above all Creatures Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man that shall die and of the Son of Man which shall be made as the Grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor see again Mat. 10.28 Obediah feared the Lord greatly 1 Kin. 18.3 As Fear is part of the worship which is required in the first Commandment God is so to be feared as we are not to fear any other If we fear any other person or thing above him or like and equally to him then we set up other Gods besides him What we fear most that is our God Now how is it with us Does the fear of God rule in our hearts Does it ordinarily prevail over carnal fear when the Lord threatneth on one hand and Men threaten on the other which of these do we ordinarily most regard Are we more afraid of God's displeasure of his frowns than of the wrath of Man than of the frowns of the World when it comes to a pinch at any time that we must either suffer for sin if we chuse to sin that is to incur God's displeasure rather than suffer rather than bear Man's displeasure is not this to fear Man more than God In this case may not the Lord say of us as Isa 57.11 Of whom hast thou been afraid or feared that thou hast lied and hast not remembred me So when Children or Servants make nothing of the sin of lying to hide any fault and by this means to prevent their Parents or Masters displeasure does it not shew that they forget God that they do not fear him The true fear of God would check carnal fear Though carnal fear be not totally expelled here yet the grace of fear will keep it under I grant that a Child of God may be foiled and worsted on a suddain and for a time by carnal fear As Peter was once and again Mat. 26.69 c. Gal. 2.12
and life both he cannot be humble with that Humility which is necessary for a sinner It is not enough for a sinful creature to have a sense of his deficiency his wants and imperfections as he is a creature but such a one must also have a sense of his defection and degeneracy a sense of his corruptions and transgressions as a sinner And though it seemeth scarce to deserve the name of Humility for a disloyal unworthy ungrateful creature that has fallen from God to the World to Sin and Vanity that has gone a whoring from God to follow strangers for such a one to lye low in self-abhorrence to see himself to be vile this I say scarce deserves the name of humility yet is it the beginning of Christian Humility yea a chief part of our Humility here There is an Humility that some learn from their being reduced to a low estate in the World They are fallen into Poverty Disgrace c. and now they do not look so big or carry so high as they were wont to do But know thy Humility is not right if it be upon such worldly accounts only and not upon the account of thy sins 3. True Humility is most inward A shew of Humility is not enough To be cloathed with Humility in the Apostle's sense is more than to wear mean clothes Though I must needs say that an humble mind and a proud garb are things that do not suit together O that they that use to cloak their Pride with the pretence of Decency would consider whether Humility be not more comely and would not more commend them in the eyes of God and all sober Men Humility is certainly more lovely in its plainest gravest dress than stinking pride with all its painting patches powders though clothed in Purple and tricked up as fine as fingers can make it The ornaments of pride are a real disgrace a shame to those that wear them O but Humility that is an Ornament indeed an Ornament in the sight of God of great price But then we must see that we are humble in God's sight Jam. 4.10 Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord. True Humility is by the sight and knowledg of God as before and is such in God's sight and not only in appearance to Men. All Grace as it is from God so it has respect to him Herein lieth the sincerity of Grace that it is what it is before God and not only before Men. Humility does not affect making a shew That is Pride which makes one affect a seeming to be humble So it is not to be liked when one affects a speech or attire different from the most grave and sober to be counted more humble Let us look to our hearts We may not hang out those flags of Pride some do and yet Pride may have full power and command within We may appear humble to Men but are we humble in the sight of God are we lowly in heart We may have learnt an humble carriage but are we humble in spirit as Pro. 29.23 or of an humble spirit Isa 57.15 4. True Humility as it is Humility of heart so the heart is really for it Humbleness of mind and a mind to be humble are inseparable I had occasion to touch on this before yet methinks something more should be added As humiliation and sorrow for sin if it be right and kindly is voluntary as the fear of God if it be genuine and child-like is free so is true Humility Indeed there is a voluntary Humility condemned Col. 2.18 A preposterous Humility Like that of the Papists in worshipping and invocating Saints and Angels accounting it too great boldness to come to God only in and through Christ not considering how great boldness and presumption it is for sorry sinful creatures to set up other Mediators and Intercessors with Christ and so to come to God in a way that he has not appointed or allowed Such may think it great Humility but rather may we not say with the Apostle they are vainly puffed up by heir fleshly mind Let Men be never so free and forward in such self-devised seeming humble wayes of Worship God is not pleased with them And yet our Humility must be voluntary too in a right sense or it is not right We must be willingly vile in our own eyes and desire to be thus more vile to lie lower in our own thoughts Some there are mightily cast down and far out of conceit with themselves and their own estates looking on themselves as lost and undone All this may be and yet no true Humility There is a wide difference betwixt an awakened storming Conscience and an humble and contrite heart where the heart is humble a Man would see his sins would loath himself for them desires to lie as low as God would have him Where the Heart is not humble but only Conscience is awakened and terrified a Man hath no such desire His Sins are brought to his remembrance are set in order before his eyes when he has no will to search and finde them out 5. Humility prepares the Heart to receive and submit to reproof And this is a great sign of Humility if we could more patiently bear others admonishing and reproving us than hear their vain applauses or undue praises of us The Humble would account those enemies to them who shall this way tempt them to proud and high conceits of themselves but will acknowledg such their best friends which help them further to see what is amiss in themselves to their further humbling But a Scorner loveth not one that reproves him Pro. 15.12 The Proud have their stomacks rising against those that in great faithfulness tell them of their faults * Ea quae ipsi sponte dicunt aliis ab aliis patienter audire non possunt Bern. de adr Dom. Ser. 4. They are so far in love with themselves that they cannot endure to hear any thing amiss of themselves They care for none but such as have the knack to humour and flatter them 6. Humility is not for excusing extenuating Sin but for a free ingenuous and hearty confession of it The proud Pharisee had not a word of confession Luk. 18.11 he was all for setting forth his own vertues Though complementally he gave God thanks yet it was really and designedly to usher in his own praise The humble Soul is quite in another strain not for justifying himself but ready still to accuse and condemn himself He neither hides nor pleads for his Sins but is willing to see them and ready to acknowledge and aggravate them To be bold in sinning but ashamed to confess Sin Cur te pudet peccatum tuum dicere quem non puduit facere Bern. are signs of a graceless heart And to be quick-sighted in spying faults miscarriages in others but to overlook ones own and to be forward to aggravate the faults of others but to make light of ones own miscariages are
is said of the proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.6 he makes a God of himself who makes self his end who aims at his own praise in what he does It is one of God's incommunicable Attributes to act for his own Glory Though it be not incommunicable in that sense as other Attributes are as Omnipotency Omnipresence Omniscience c. which are no way compatible to a Creature It is not a thing impossible for a Creature to act for its own glory yet it is utterly unlawful plainly crossing and contradicting the end for which God made it He made all things for himself and made Man a reasonable Creature capable of knowing God his dependance on and obligations to his Maker that he should actually design and aim at God's Glory Now when a Man acteth for his own Glory he sets up a wrong end directly contrary to the end for which he was made and in his Pride lifts up himself against God And how intollerable is that They that seek honour from Men that do all to be seen of Men that they may have glory from Men with the Pharisees certainly they are far from true Humility Pride yet reigneth in them Take notice how your Pulse beats here Proud spirits are for all the applause and honour they can get They would be extolled and cryed up of every one They think others wrong them if they do not praise and flatter them Whereas the Humble are afraid of undue praise from Men. He dares not allow of any praises given him that would in the least eclipse or diminish the Praise and Glory of God He is not pleased tickled but rather disquieted set a trembling when he hears himself commended he fears a snare in it He would not that Pride should have any such advantage and opportunity to lift up its head A good Man layes this down as a singular act of Humility Mr. White Power of Godliness p. 53. to be troubled at all undue Praises as much as others are at unjust Slanders And happy is that soul that can find it in it self This would shew an high degree of Humility But this is no sign of Humility to be over-fond or greedy of Mans praise An habitual excessive regard to Mans approbation or habitual excessive desire of Mans applause is a plain evidence of prevailing Pride 9. Humility would make us willing and very well content to lie low in the thoughts and esteem of others It would teach one how to pass through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report The Humble will not be much moved with Mens revilings as they are not puffed up with the breath of applause Let the Winds be never so high and blow which way they will they have little force on one that lieth flat on the ground And one that lieth low in his own thoughts will bear it very well if he perceives that others have low thoughts of him One that truly abhors him self will not think much to be despised and contemned of others But when a Man will speak contemptibly of himself of his gifts and performances and yet think himself wronged if others do not praise him somuch the more when a Man would take it ill that others should think and speak as meanly of him as he will speak of him self how ever he makes a fair shew of Humility puts on a cloak of Humility yet he has a false and proud spirit within 10. Humility will make a Man content in and with his station It is contrary to a course of ambitious aspiring thoughts projects and attempts Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me Pride is the grand Vsurper This puts Men upon invading those Offices and Employments which belong not to them which they are no way fit for Proud Spirits being so conceited of their own abilities and deserts think that they are the Men who should be chosen into Offices and that none are so fit to be trusted or employed as they As Absolom 2 Sam. 15.4 O that I were made Judg in the Land that every Man which hath any Suit or Cause might come unto me and I would do him Justice He thought he could have ruled better than his Father The Humble rather complain of unfitness for the Work to which they are called As Moses said Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh Exod. 3.11 O my Lord I am not Eloquent chap. 4.10 And Jeremiah Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child They that are lowly minded are willing to be placed in a lower sphere I'ts true if the Lord be pleased to exalt them they may not withstand him and his call But they are not for exalting themselves Humility is so contrary to Ambition that it teacheth submission submission to the meanest and lowest works one is called to It teacheth to condescend to Men of low estate Rom. 12.16 It is for stooping to the meanest Offices of love as Christ taught his Disciples Joh. 13. As Abigail said I am not worthy to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. Servants that are proud cannot bring their minds to the lowest work but would have others under them to be their drudges Humble minds are willing to take their work before them would buckle to the meanest services that their Lord and Master sets them on 11. Humility will teach Moderation and keep the heart in an even frame in various conditions The Humble are not so lifted up as others in prosperity They can be advanced in the World and yet not lifted up in themselves but lowly in spirit They are not so apt to sink in Adversity or when abased in the World As Ships that carry a low Sail are in less danger of being over-set with violent gusts of Wind. Here is a Mystery a Riddle a Paradox to lie low in our own thoughts is a good way to prevent dejection being cast down too much in our Spirits So 12. Humlity will teach Patience in Affliction The truly humble from the sense they have of their sinfulness and unworthiness are oft wondering that they should enjoy any Mercy and that they are no more afflicted They wonder that they are not afflicted only and oppressed alway They cannot but confess with Ezra that God punisheth less than their iniquities deserve Ezr. 9.13 The proud are full of fret and sullen under crosses as if they were hardly dealt with As we read of Cain Gen. 4.5 his Countenance fell When God layes his afflicting hand on them their Countenances fall And 't is from the height of their spirits that they cannot bear across There is a casting down as Dr. Souls confl p. 42. Sibs sayes which is not from Humility but Pride when we must have our Wills or God shall not have a good look from us Many whose hearts are ready to break under their outward Crosses when if they were
humble they would gently stoop to them But it is very grievous to a haughty mind to bow and buckle to a low condition Eccl. 7.8 The patient in spirit and the proud in spirit are there opposed Impatience is mainly from pride And till our hearts are humbled we shall never kindly accept of the punishment of our iniquity Lev. 26.41 But the humble Soul takes all patiently If he be sick impoverished c. he will not expostulate with God and say why am I thus but rather admire that it is no worse 13. Humility will teach thankfulness As the Humble will justifie God in all his severity so they cannot but magnifie him for his Mercy The more humble any one is the more thankful He will be thankful even for the least of Mercies As Jacob acknowledged I am less than the least of all thy mercies which thou hast shewed unto thy Servant Gen. 32.10 And how much more will such a one admire the free Grace of God in any his special favours But proud spirits are not affected with the Mercy of God in what he does for them they look upon all that comes as due Yea when they have much they can be discontented that they have no more They are full of murmurings and complaints as if they were wronged because they have not all they would have Pride shews it self both in unthankfulness and discontent The Proud are ever hard to please What God does for them does not please them Like many proud sawcy beggars who are not pleased with an ordinary Alms count not an ordinary Alms worth thanks 14. Humility teaches souls to pray aright and makes Souls prayerful As it is Prov. 18.23 The poor useth intreaties or supplications So the humble and poor in spirit A poor Man and a Beggar are terms with us oft used promiscuously Poverty will put Men upon begging The humble and poor in spirit will be much in Prayer and serious and earnest in Prayer O such could not live without Prayer And there is no coming to God in Prayer but upon our knees no coming but in Humility in a sense of our wants and of our unworthiness The Humble and they that seek God are put together in the Promise Psal 69.32 The Humble will seek God Such will pray and cry to God and God cannot forget the cry of the Humble Psal 9.12 He will hear the desire of the Humble Psal 10.17 15. Humility will teach souls to wait as well as pray It makes the soul willing to wait for an answer in God's way and time You account those proud sawcy beggars that are not pleased with what you give them as was said before or that will not stay and wait a little till you are ready to serve them But the Humble will say as the Psalmist 123.2 Behold as the eyes of Servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden unto the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us The truly humble know that God is worthy indeed to be waited on and that his Mercy is worth waiting for and that they for their parts deserve to be kept waiting and that it is of God's free and abundant Grace if after long waiting Mercy do come in at last 16. Humility causeth reverence in God's Worship in the soul's approaches unto God The Humble in some good measure apprehend an infinite distance betwixt God and them they are sensible of their unworthiness and unfitness to have any converse with so great and glorious and holy a Majesty As Abraham Gen. 18.27 Behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes As Ezra ch 9.6 O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God As the Publican through the sense of his own vileness was ashamed to draw nigh to God and to lift up his eyes to Heaven Luk. 18.13 so likewise the poor humble contrite spirit attends on the Word with reverence trembles at the Word Isa 66.2 17. Humility teacheth Charitableness towards others The Humble use to have more Charity for others than for themselves They have more to say to extenuate others faults than they would have to say for themselves They are for excusing others so far as they may while they are strict and severe in judging themselves The Humble will not despise such as are below them nor envy such as are above them They are charitable The proud are scornful From an over-high esteem of themselves they come to scorn and contemn others or are envious grudging at such as are above them in Place Estate or Gifts 18. Bern. Humility teacheth meekness Nimirum collectaneae sunt humilitas et mansuetudo Humility and Meekness are like twins nourished with the same Milk Diverse of those considerations that tend to make us humble also tend to meeken us Humbleness of mind and meekness are put together Col. 3.12 And they go together As we read of Christ our chief Pattern and Examplar Mat. 11.29 I am meek and lowly in heart Proud persons use to be very tutchy One scarce knows how to speak how to carry towards such Proud Haman is in great wrath if Mordecai fail in a matter of Complement A proud spirit is a turbulent spirit Only by pride cometh contention Pro. 13.10 Such are given to strife Pro. 28.25 We read of the wrath of pride Pro. 21.24 But the humble will be of a patient quiet calm and peaceable spirit Not easily provoked and soon pacified When the proud are easily provoked a small matter will move and irritate them but they are hardly reconciled not pacified without great submission without very much ado Only here must be some allowance for humane frailty where the natural temper and constitution is cholerick c. where there is the Grace of Humility and so Meekness in truth It will not appear so fair in one that is naturally of a rugged and boisterous temper It requires more Grace to master and tame a fierce disposition Yet Grace where it is will be striving against the stream of natural headstrong Passions though it be oft born down by them 19. Humility will teach us as to be sensible of and sorry for our own spiritual weaknesses and sinful imperfections so likewise to be pleased with to rejoyce in the greater abilities more shining and flourishing Graces and comfortable enlargements of others The humble Soul is glad while he is weak yet that others are strong while he can do but little yet that others are full of activity for God while he alas drives on but heavily yet that there are others whose hearts are lifted up in God's wayes who are following hard after God The Proud are not well pleased to see others go before them They are ill affected towards those that by out shining seem to obscure and eclipse them The Humble will not repine but rejoyce
Servants may take comfort in Hezekiah though a King found no such Cordial in the World He could take comfort in this even when sick unto death when he had received the Sentence of Death Isa 38.1 3. And this was their rejoyceing who had little in the World to take comfort in 2 Cor. 1.12 when they were as sorrowful and having nothing yet they would not have parted with the joy of their Sincerity for all the World God is so pleased with Sincerity that where he sees it he is ready to overlook Infirmities As true Gold has its grains of allowance Heb. 8.10 12. And all the paths of the Lord are Mercy and Truth to such as walk before him in Truth and Sincerity He will be a Sun and Shield to such and no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly Psal 84.11 They shall have his favour and countenance here His Countenance doth behold the Vpright Psal 11.7 They have his most gracious and benign Aspect And they shall be taken into and enjoy his Glorious Presence hereafter Whereas an Hypocrite shall not come before him the Vpright shall dwel in his presence Psal 140.13 Who shall dwel in God's holy Hill The Psalmist tells you Psal 24.3 4. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Psal 15.1 2. Such as walk uprightly Thus indeed the end of the perfect and upright Man shall be peace perfect peace and endless happiness But there is a twofold Integrity or Uprightness There is a Natural or Moral Integrity and there is a Spiritual Integrity 1. There is a Natural or moral Integrity which is the effect of common restraining Grace As God gives the Consciences of some natural Men that power and quickness that in many particular actions they are seen to carry well following the dictates of their Consciences Thus they are kept from gross Sins and shew forth many commendable Vertues and that not out of Cunning but of Conscience Their Consciences will not suffer them to do otherwise As Joseph's Brethren said We are true Men we are no Spies So many natural Men are true to their Principles Many of the Heathen of whom we read in their Writers were just honest plain-dealers would speak as they thought and what ever they lost or suffered would not break their words they were homines quadrati Square-men and such indeed as quite shame and will condemn many that are called Christians who having banished or seared Conscience live in those sins that many an honest Heathen would have chosen to die rather than commit And the Lord himself gives testimony to the Integrity of Abimelech so far that if he had known Sarah to have been another Man's Wife he would not have taken her to his House Gen. 20.6 Yea I know thou didst this in the Integrity of thy heart Yet we have no ground to suppose that Abimelech at that time was a Saint a truly Upright Man 2. There is a Spiritual Integrity which is the effect of special renewing Grace The effect of God's writing his Laws in the heart When being renewed in the spirit of our mind we put on the new Man which after God is created in Righteousness and Holiness of Truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Eph. 4.23 24. When not only a Man's Conscience but his Will also is for that which is right not only in some particular actions but in his general course When a Man intirely without reserve resignes and gives up himself to God heartily resolved for God and ordinarily acting for him with respect to his Will and to his Honour and Glory in what he does Thus Integrity includes both being Vpright in heart and being of upright Conversation Psal 11.2 with 37.14 They that are upright in heart will be of upright conversation will walk uprightly and none can be of upright conversation none can walk uprightly without an upright heart This uprightness is perfect for kind though but imperfect as to degree As a Child has all the parts of a Man though not in that full proportion as a Man hath but is growing toward it But that Integrity which may be found in a natural Man is but an imperfect Embrio or a False-Conception Sincerity and Uprightness to speak properly is not a particular distinct Grace but a necessary mode of all true Grace It is the right mode of every Grace and of every good Work too So we read of the Sincerity of Love 2 Cor. 8.8 of Love unfeigned 2 Cor. 6.6 And of Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 Sincerity in a Christians Graces is as a Golden-twist in a Bracelet or Neck-lace of Pearls it goes thorow every Grace or as the Veins in the Body that run thorow all the Parts and Members Yea Sincerity is as the Soul of Religion without Sincerity we can have no more than a form of Godliness like a dead Carcass Now to shew how Sincerity and Uprightness may be known O that I might be a welcom Messenger to some to shew some their Uprightness who cannot rest but long to be satisfied in this Point 1. The Upright Man though simple plain is not stolid Though there is an holy simplicity joyned with Sincerity 2 Cor. 1.12 yet a brutish stolidity gross ignorance and integrity are utterly inconsistent Pro. 19.2 3. That the Soul be without Knowledg is not good In our old Translation thus For without Knowledg the mind is not good The foolishness of Man perverts his way Indeed ignorance is both Mother and Nurse of Impiety but no friend to Integrity Prov. 2.13 Walking in the wayes of darkness is opposed to keeping the paths of Vprightness As the Simple and such as err are put together Ezek. 45.20 Pro. 1.22 How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity There is a simplicity that is no vertue It is the Man of understanding that walketh uprightly Pro. 15.21 Not the fool Pro. 19.1 He is perverse Some rest in their good meanings and boast of their good and honest hearts while they have no care to know what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God such are not upright 2. The Upright Man is for knowing the whole Will and Counsel of God He is willing to hear of his duty to learn his whole duty He would not stop his ear against any Message that comes from God The single eye sees best Mat. 6.22 It would not shut out any light that comes from above from the Father of Lights The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate Sincerity some would have taken from the Eagles trying of her young holding them forth to the full view of the Sun who as they say rejects those as spurious and not her genuine brood which cannot with open eye behold the Sun or as most take it the word is translated from Wares that are right good that one is not afraid to shew and bring forth into the light of the Sun When Men hate the Light and will not come into the
Light it argues unsoundness But he that doth truth cometh to the Light Joh. 3.20 21. To do Truth and to walk in Truth is as much as to walk with an upright heart 2 King 20.3 And such as are for walking in Truth are for coming to the Light for knowing the Truth the Will and Word of God the rule they are to walk by Mic. 2.7 Do not my Words do good to him that walks Vprightly Annon placebunt verba mea as some Will not my words please him Yea indeed it will do much good it will please them well to hear from God to know more of his mind He that hath ears to hear let him hear We have that expression often All have not ears to hear as the Upright have But where the Lord has a mouth to speak the upright Man has an ear to hear He will say still Speak Lord thy Servant heareth The Upright heart is that good and honest heart Luk. 8.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad verbum pulchro bono quod non modo bonum videri sed esse studet Brugens in Pol. Synops which is both ready to receive and careful to keep the Word The Sincere Milk of the Word will readily down and agree well with Sincere hearts Upright words words of truth will be very acceptable Eccl. 12.10 to true upright hearts False deceitful and unsound hearts are willingly ignorant and willing to be deceived in many points But a plain honest heart would pray as the Psalmist Psal 119.29 Remove from me the way of lying and grant me thy Law graciously And as it is in Job what I see not teach thou me When such come to the Word they can say with Cornelius Act. 10.33 Now are we here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God They would entertain every Divine Truth welcom every Word of God They would chuse the way of truth when discovered how cross soever to their worldly interests or to their former apprehensions and opinions As Psal 119.30 I have chosen the way of Truth And v. 162. I rejoyce at thy Word as one that findeth great Spoil As the Truth and Will of God was further revealed to him he was very much joyed as one that had got a rich prize And thus an Vpright heart and a corrupt mind will not dwell together That the Upright Man has a will and desire to know the whole Counsel of God so far as is his concern and duty this is a special preservative from undoing errors and mistakes in Religion Psal 37.31 The Law of his God is in his heart none of his steps shall slide Pro. 11.3 The Integrity of the Upright shall guide them And v. 5. The Righteousness of the Perfect shall direct his way Pro. 13.6 Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way Prov. 21.29 As for the upright he directeth his way If he has been drawn into error into by paths he does not harden his face as resolved to persist in his course but looks about him considers and so comes to understand his errour and to see the right way which his heart is for walking in 3. The Upright Man is willing to be searched is for self-searching Truth seeks no corners though it may sometimes be driven into corners Such as deal with deceitful Wares will keep their Shops dark or use false-lights but if you mean honestly and your Commodities be right you are not unwilling to bring them into the light And he that will neither deceive others nor be deceived himself certainly that Man is not in a way of studied Hypocrisie See how the Man after God's heart prayeth 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 The meaning may be that he would have God to discover him more fully to himself as well as clear up his integrity to others God's searching and trying Men is not for his own information but to make them known to themselves or others The Psalmist was so willing to have his heart searched that he prayes earnestly for it Search me O God and try me c. And this is an hopeful sign of Sincerity if thou art for strict and serious Self-examination and much in it As a godly Minister told me a little before his death That it was some stay to him then that he had loved uses of Examination that it was very pleasing to him to read or hear that part of the Application of the Word soundly prosecuted Hypocrites are for enquiring into others for a narrow observing and censuring of others rather than for searching and examining themselves Hypocrites use to be quick-sighted abroad but have no mind to look home love to be great strangers at home As decayed Tradesmen broken Chapmen have no delight to look into their Books of Accounts so Hypocrites those deceitful Chapmen care not for looking into the Books of their own Consciences 4. A sound upright Heart will approve of sound and wholesome admonition and reproof To take reproof well as it is a sign of an humble Self-denying spirit so of an upright heart And one that desires to walk uprightly will be glad to be told of it when he has stepped awry or turned out of the way Let the Righteous smite him it shall be a kindness Psal 141.5 If sound and wholsome Admonition will not down with us it would shew our hearts unsound An upright heart would not hate him that reproveth would not abhor him that speaketh uprightly They were Lying Children which said to the Prophets Prophesy not unto us right things speak unto us smooth things prophesy Deceits Isa 30.9 10. The upright heart is for right things whilst the unsound heart is more for pleasing Deceits And the Hypocrite can worst of all endure to hear any thing against his beloved Bosom-sin As Herod could not bear it when John told him of his Herodias Mat. 14.3 4 5. 5. The upright Heart is not for hiding Sin but for a plain and hearty confession of it The word translated Perfect mark the perfect Man signifies Plain or Simple Perfect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Upright The perfect upright Man is a plain Man As Jacob was a plain Man Gen. 25.27 it is the same word He hath not those cunning shifts as others use Simplex sine plicis He cannot fold and wrap up an evil Matter as others will do As Job an upright Man had not the art to keep his Sins close Job 31.33 If I had covered my Transgressions as Adam or after the manner of Men by hiding mine Iniquity in my bosome The plain Heart knows not how to cover Sin The upright Man is one in whose spirit is no guile Psal 32.2 He has no will to dissemble or conceal his Sins or to excuse or extenuate them Some think the Psalmist looks especially to that plainness freeness open-heartedness in Confession whereunto
the pardon of Sin is promised as we find in other Texts of Scripture see Prov. 28.13 1 John 1.9 And what follows there Psal 32.3 5. doth very much countenance such an interpretation Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose spirit there is no Guile Then it follows When I kept silence my Bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long I acknowledg my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity have I not hid I said i. e. resolved I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my Sin And he freely confessed his Sin not only to the Lord but to Man 2 Sam. 12.13 Hypocrites like the Pharisees are for justifying themselves And what they cannot justifie they will mince and extenuate all they can How much ado had the Prophet Samuel with Saul to convince him of his Sin And after all he could not be brought to a free serious and hearty Confession He confesseth but not without an excuse 1 Sam. 15.24 Hypocrites are not for confessing till they can no longer hide their Sins Or if they confess some Sins for fashion-sake they are usually such as the best are not free from They have still a desire to keep close their Bosom-sins 6. The upright Man has left halting betwixt two is really resolved for God and entirely devoted to him Thus his heart is perfect with God 1 King 8.61 2 Chron. 16.9 his heart is for God before all other it is not divided betwixt God and other things The Hypocrites heart like the Adulteresses is divided divided betwixt God and Mammon divided betwixt God and his Lusts That is a false adulterous heart that is divided betwixt God and other Lovers But blessed are they that seek him with the whole heart Psal 119.2 Sic ut eum solum quaerant diligant reliqua tantùm propter Deum Muis in Pol. Synop. Blessed are they that seek him above all seek him indeed for himself and other things but for him As the Psalmist could say for himself ver 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee The Lord promised Jer. 24.7 that his People should return unto him with their whole heart As he says of the main Body of the People on the contrary Jer. 3.10 Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly Where we see that is not a true but feigned conversion to God which is not with the whole heart We must turn unto the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul Deut. 30.10 And thus we must love him Deut. 13.3 And thus we must serve him Deut. 10.12 And to serve him thus is to serve him in truth 1 Sam. 12.24 Serve him in truth with all your hearts Object But then where is there a Man upon Earth that truly turns to God or loves or serves him if there be no doing these in truth but with all the heart Answ Speaking strictly none do thus turn to God love seek or serve him But the phrase with all the heart and with the whole heart must be taken in a more favourable sense here So the whole heart and a perfect heart is opposed to a double heart a divided heart an heart and an heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A double-minded Man is the Character of an Hypocrite James 1.8 He has two souls as it were one inclining him towards God and Christ and Heaven another inclining more strongly towards the World towards Worldly Riches Pleasures Vain-glory or Applause He is double-soul'd and therefore unstable not knowing where to fix When he would give up himself to his Lusts Conscience is pulling him back and when he should give up himself to God his Lusts draw him back And his heart being never truly set on God it is more easily drawn from him than from the World from his Lusts which he is more for Object But is there not Flesh and Spirit two contrary Principles in the best Saint upon Earth Answ True Yet so that the Spirits interest is predominant the prevailing bent of the Heart and Will is for God But the Hypocrite is still halting betwixt two Opinions his heart divided betwixt God and the World Like a Man that is in bivio Of the new Cov. p. 225. in a double way as Dr. Preston has the Comparison he stands and looks on both and knows not which to take So the double-minded Man looks upon God and looks upon the World and one while he is for God another while for the World He stands thus in suspence Whereas the upright Man is come to his choice he is resolved what way to take and all the World cannot turn him His heart is fixed upon God his resolution thorowly set for God Though honest hearts do find unsteadiness as to Degrees yet they are not unsettled as to the Object The prevailing habitual bent of such hearts is towards God though they are not carried out towards him with the like ardency of Affection and like vigorous endeavours at all times 7. The upright Man is one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Cant. 1.4 The upright love thee Hypocrites unsound Professors do but pretend love to the Lord Jesus Christ the Upright only love him indeed Thus the Apostle concludes his Epistle to the Ephesians Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Here all the Hypocrites in the World fall short and are cut out While an Hypocrite in outward actions may may seem to out-do many a sincere Christian yet in the point of affection he is utterly wanting He wants that which should be the main spring of his actions He is wholly acted from self-love and by self-respects not from love to Jesus Christ which is the cause of that great unevenness in the course of Hypocrites They are not steady but off and on moved to and fro as self-interest and self-respects move and incline them While it is for their credit and profit and is like to make way for their preferment to profess his Name they would be sorry that any should be more forward to own Christ and his wayes than they but when the wind bloweth in another quarter ordinarily they will then face about and shamefully retreat or if they hold on yet it is still from some self-respect not from real love to Christ But the Upright heartily love him and therefore cleave to him with full purpose of heart and follow him fully even when he is most despised and opposed Like those good Women to whom the Angel spake Mat. 28.5 Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified They that love Christ indeed will continue seeking him when most despised when persecuted when crucified And if our hearts be not with Christ they cannot be sound and upright 8. The Upright Man is careful in his ordinary course to walk before God to carry as in God's sight and presence Gen.
17.1 Walk before me and be thou Perfect or Upright Uprightness in heart and life is not attained without a sense of God's presence with us without setting the Lord before us So 1 King 9.4 If thou wilt walk before me as David thy Father walked in integrity of heart and in uprightness Is 57.2 each one walking in his Vprightness Others have it before Him as it is in the Margent each one that hath walked before him Indeed one cannot walk in Vprightness that does not walk before him 2 Cor. 2.17 of Sincerity and in the sight of God go together And it is something to this purpose that they that know God and the upright in heart are joyned Psal 36.10 As Hypocrites and they that forget God are put together Job 8.13 The Upright so know God as to remember him they have their thoughts much upon him The Hypocrite forgets God thinks little of him He puts off the serious thoughts of God of his Omnipresence of his Omniscience c. as otherwise he could never go on still and quietly in a way of Hyprocrisie The Upright ordinarily so mind God's Presence with them his eye upon them that they are awed therewith and fear before him He that walkes Vprightly is ever one that feareth the Lord Prov. 14.2 9. The Upright Man is one that hates opposes and forsakes all known Sin There is no Sin he knows of that he would spare and indulge And this is a certain infallible note and caracter if we can find it in our selves The Vpright in heart and the Pure in heart are really the same Quest But who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my Sin Answ It is true an absolute perfect purity is not to be found in any upon Earth but only in Heaven yet the Upright are said to be of a clean heart and to have a pure heart Psal 73.1 and 24.4 comparatively That is compared with themselves what they were before God created this clean heart in them and put a right spirit into them as also compared with others that are strangers to the work of spiritual renovation So the denomination follows the better part As we say a Corn-field notwithstanding there are many Weeds in it too And a Gold-Mine though there is much Dross with the Gold And there is this further to be said that though there is sin and impurity still cleaving and adhering to the Upright Man yet his heart cleaves not to any sin It is so far pure it is not for joyning or mingling with corruption but would work it out There is no way of wickedness allowed of in the heart that is upright This last note is clearly laid down Prov. 16.17 The high-way of the Vpright is to depart from evil This is the common path such daily keep unto In their ordinary course they have a care to depart from evil from evil in genere which contains the several species or kinds of evil So Job that was a Perfect and Vpright Man shewed it in his eschewing evil Job 1.1 Though the Upright Man cannot live absolutely free from sin Yet neither can he live in sin It is not his Element Though sin has a being in him still yet it has not dominion over him Psal 19.13 Let them not have dominion over me then shall I be Vpright There is reigning sin which a Man does not oppose but gives up himself unto which he willingly serves and obeys and this is altogether inconsistent with Uprightness Again there is sin which is not reigning but resisted which a Man does not allow of but desires and endeavours to shake off Watches prays strives against and the existence or presence of such sin does not deny or disprove a Man's Uprightness An upright Man may fall into Sin but he does not continue in Sin It is not his way But his high-way is to depart from evil Here is a broad difference betwixt the Hypocrite and the Upright 1. An Hypocrite will sometimes seem very zealous against Sin in others and be forward to censure and condemn others while he willingly overlooks and indulges Sin in himself He can sooner espie a mote in anothers Eye than a beam in his own Eye An upright Man though he would not partake of others Sins by Connivance c. yet he sets especially against his own Sins and against sin in those that are nearest to him In the first place he would reform at home 2. An Hypocrite may leave some Sins as Jehu destroyed Baal and Herod probably reformed in some things But the Upright Man is an Enemy to all known Sin 3. An Hypocrite is for lopping off the Branches But the upright Man is striking even at the root of Sin He is for mortifying that body of Sin within him He is sick of that body of Death He strives in good earnest against inward evil Inclinations An Hypocrite whilst he keeps his hands clean from gross acts of Sin has no care takes no pains to purifie his heart Whilst he avoids open Prophaneness he tolerates and allows of inward Corruptions and Heart-pollutions Mat. 23.25 26. c. The upright Man's care is to cast and keep Sin out of his Heart as well as out of his Life 4. An Hypocrite is not afraid of doing that in God's sight which he would be afraid or ashamed to do in the view of others or if he thought Men would come to the knowledg of it The upright ordinarily dread to sin in secret fear to sin against God though it were possible to keep it close from the knowledg of the World 5. An Hypocrite will condemn the Sins of former Times while he is easily drawn to a compliance with the sins and corruptions of the present Times he liveth in like those Mat. 23.29 30 34. But an upright Man will be good in bad Times As Noah Gen. 6.9 Noah was a just Man and perfect or upright in his Generation In that wicked Age wherein Iniquity did so much abound and defile the World yet still he retained his Integrity He was a just a righteous Man when the Earth was filled with violence He walked with God even at that time when Mankind generally as with one consent lay wallowing in Sin So Psal 125.4 5. They that are upright in heart are opposed to such as turn aside unto crooked ways They cannot wind about and turn with the Times as others An upright Man hates the work of them that turn aside and resolves it shall not cleave to him Psal 101.3 Psal 26.11 But as for me I will walk in mine Integrity Vprightness Rectitude and Streightness are words of very near and great affinity An upright Man is for conforming himself to the Word a streight Rule is not conformed to the World cannot bend to the sinful humours and examples of Men. 6. An Hypocrite sometimes whilst he abstains from gross Sins freely allows himself in lesser Sins or such as he accounts little Peccadillo's Take that Instance the
approach to God Thus his Prayers proceed not from feigned Lips Psal 17.1 So he praiseth God with uprightness of heart Psal 119.7 The Hypocrite thinks it enough to draw nigh to God with his Mouth and to honour him with the Lips Mark 7.6 Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you Hypocrites as it is written This People honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far frem me The Hypocrite contents himself with a form of Godliness with meer Bodily Exercise The upright Man is a true Worshipper one that worshippeth God in Spirit and in Truth John 4.23 Phil. 3.3 The upright Man takes not up with any outward Form but laboureth for an inward frame sutable to the Worship he performs 2 Chron. 29.34 The Levites were more upright in heart to sanctifie themselves than the Priests The upright Man looks not only to the matter of Duty but to the manner also how it is to be done 2. The upright Man is not one prest to God's Service but a Volunteer in his Service To serve God with a perfect heart and willing mind go together 1 Chron. 28.9 As we read of the People 1 Chron. 29.9 Then the People rejoyced for that they offered willingly because with a perfect heart they offered willingly As of David ver 17. As for me in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies Simplicity is oft used for Freeness or Liberality The simple and sincere heart is a free heart It is free in God's Service and accounts his service perfect Freedom The Hypocrite sets to Duty as a Task and Burden he is glad when a duty is over The upright Man's heart is in these ways Holy Duties that are means of special Communion with God are his best Meal-times Job 23.12 I esteemed the words of his Mouth more than my necessary Food Such would not know how to live without the Word without Prayer c. The World could not hire them to lay Duties aside by all it has to proffer True the upright Man finds not at all times the like chearfulness in God's Service But the spirit is willing when the flesh is weak Or if his Spirit be sometimes straightned 't is his burden when it is so And he prays to be established with a free spirit When he finds any listlessness unto and weariness in God's Service it is a thing he is weary of He has little joy in any thing while he cannot take delight in God and his Wayes 3. The upright Man has a special respect unto God in Duties He looks most at God's Approbation Having a respect to every known Duty and having respect to God in all are great signs of Uprightness To look straight forward Prov. 4.25 the Hypocrite looks asquint He has not a right intention of serving honouring and pleasing God in what he does The Upright looks most at God The Hypocrite looks most at Men. He does all to be seen of Men Mat. 6.5 23.5 The Hypocrite would think all his labour lost if he have not Man's applause or approbation He loves the praise of Men more than the praise of God like those John 12.45 The Upright little regard Man's commendation or censure either As it was a small thing with the Apostle to be judged of Mans judgment but he would account all lost indeed without God's Approbation and Acceptance He would not that his praise should be of Men but of God He more dreads than courts Man's applause Or if he finds himself sometimes tickled and taken with it in cool blood he abhors himself for it But if he may know that God has accepted his Work the Lord's Well done good and faithful servant would do him good at heart 4. The upright Man is for secret Duties He makes conscience of them delights in them The Lord shall see his Nathaniel's under the Fig-tree in their private Walks in their Closets He sees them oft retiring themselves The Hypocrite who is only for making a shew cares not for secret Duties which Men can take no notice of If Conscience will not let him alone without doing something here yet he has no love to them he is very slighty in them 5. The upright Man is not only for Duties that are in fashion and credit among Men but those that may expose him to Scorn or Persecution As Daniel would hold on Praying and giving Thanks to God when it was likely to cost him his Life Dan. 6.10 The upright Man studies the Point of his Duty more than his own safety 13. The upright Man is an humble Man Such as walk uprightly also walk humbly Mic. 6.8 Though Vprightness and Perfection are oft made all one in Scripture yet the Upright have only a perfection of Parts here but as to Degrees they still find great imperfection in themselves that humbles them As the Apostle Phil. 3.12 Not as though I were already perfect The more Gracious the more Humble As the highest Stars seem least None are so sensible of the least sinful warping or stepping awry it troubles none so much as those whose greatest care is to walk Uprightly There is a Generation that are pure in their own Eyes and yet are not washed from their Filthiness Prov. 30.12 Behold his Soul which is lifted up is not upright in him Hab. 2.4 Hypocrites as a sound Divine says is but the off-spring of Pride Mr. Bax. 14. The upright Man is one that walks by Faith walks in the Name of the Lord Zech. 10.12 We can walk and stand upright no longer than we are strengthened by him And it is Faith that fetcheth in strength from him Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved Upright Souls see a necessity of the Grace and Assistance of Christ and so lean and depend on him 15. The upright Man is steady and even in his Course But Hypocrisie is a cause of unsteadiness of inconstancy Psal 78.8 A Generation that set not their heart aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God And ver 37. Their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant The Hypocrite is good only by fits He is in a good Mood sometimes but it is soon over This will not prove one upright to take a right step or two But we must be upright in the Way and upright in our general Course Psal 106.3 Blessed are they that keep Judgment and be that doth Righteousness at all times At all times when alone as well as while in company with the Good at home and abroad On our own Days as well as on the Lord's Day In Prosperity and Adversity Not only when Righteousness is applauded and encouraged but when it meets with the severest checks and greatest rubs The upright though they may sometimes stumble in the way or step aside through Frailty yet they do not wickedly depart from it through falseness of Heart and base
the Truth and in the Cause of God Answer 1. It concerns you to be well assured that it is God's Truth you are Zealous for How many that take their own private conceits for Divine Truths 2. All Truths are not of equal importance And though the least Truth may not be denied or opposed yet lesser Truths may be silenced and concealed when a Zealous contending for them would be to the wrong and prejudice of far greater and more necessary Matters That is not to defend but to betray the Interest of God and his Truth when Men care not perdere substantiam propter accidentia to lose the substance of Religion for Accidents and Circumstances And that is Erratick Zeal and Mischievous like Fire out of its place when Men are so hot and earnest in contending about lesser Points that they themselves neglect and do what in them lieth to hinder others minding the main of Religion Zeal like Fire in its proper place is of great use and benefit But out of its place very dangerous and destructive And remember Sirs that true Zeal for God is most for those Truths and Duties wherein the great interest of Religion lieth And is most against such things whereby God is most dishonoured the Gospel obstructed Religion most wronged discredited c. 8. Right Zeal is joyned with Christian Moderation is for Christian Concord One of a truly zealous Spirit is also of an healing closing Spirit is of a publick Spirit Right Zeal is more for the common interest of Religion than for private Opinions It is no Firebrand no Incendiary in the Church It is moved at what it sees amiss it is for Reformation but will not hurry Men upon disorderly actings in their passionate sense of Disorders It is against extreams on both Hands Passionate Transports and rash heady Courses are not the effects of an holy but of a bitter Zeal Right Zeal keepeth within due compass It is for Edification not for Destruction It is for Peace and Unity It is for Sodering and Cementing not for Separating such as should Joyn. As Fire though it separate Heterogenials congregates Homogenials Yea it will melt divers Metals into one Lump True Zeal is not for perverse Disputings tending to Strife but for godly Edifying in Faith It is not for kindling Dissentions or causing Offences and Divisions amongst Christians but is moved with great Grief at the sight of such things As the Apostle Who is offended and I burn not It is for maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace And they that are more zealous to maintain some By-opinions than to maintain Union and Communion with their Fellow-Christians are quite besides the Mark. The Churches Peace and Edifying one another in Love are far greater Matters than any unnecessary Opinions which too many too zealously contend for Yea Vnnecessary is too good a word for some of them I should have said unsound Opinions O that the Guilty here would seriously consider whether it would not be more for the Honour of God the Credit and Interest of the Gospel and the securing of true Religion amongst us to joyn with their Fellow-Christians so far as they can to hold together to their mutual help strengthening and encouragement than to be so hot for their Opinions which if they were true yet are far remote from the Foundation and so far from being necessary to Salvation that not one of hundreds that are saved and now in Heaven was ever of their Way and Opinion here To be so rigid in their Way to carry as if all were unfit and unworthy for them to hold Christian Communion with that come not over to such Opinions of theirs alas this is Wild-fire not true Spiritual Zeal And verily I cannot think of any thing that will probably more harden and encourage Papists at this Day than the sad Rents and Dissentions amongst Protestants As he said Is not the hand of Joab in all this So it is probable enough the Heads of Jesuites have been in this Divide impera They know a Kingdom divided against it self is not likely to stand long and hope to raise themselves on our Ruines 9. That is right Zeal when we are more moved with Indignities offered unto God than with any Injuries done to our selves When we are more zealous in God's Cause than in our own We find Numb 12.1 2. Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses yet he seemed not at all concerned for himself We find not any reply that he made He was meek in his own cause Whereas upon sight of the Peoples Impiety their Idolatry in the Cause of God he was presently all on a flame His anger waxed hot Exod. 32.19 To be mild in our own cause but zealous in God's is a sign that we are indeed zealous for God As it is a sign of the contrary when we are remiss as can be unmoved unless when our own Interest is wrapt together with God's Interest As most Parents and Masters can bear it well enough though Children fail never so grosly in respect of the Duty that they owe to God though Servants plainly neglect and contemn God's Service They can bear with their Impiety with their taking God's Name in vain with the prophaning of his Day c. And yet many times they are all Fire and Tow if such do but fail in point of good Manners to them if they be not very observant of them and their commands Now it is true the least Irreverence towards Parents and so negligence in Servants are Sins against God But if upon that account you are most moved and displeased then you will be displeased at other Sins as well and more displeased at greater Sins than you are at these You will be zealous for God when Self is not so much concerned 10. Right Zeal for God is joyned with real Love and true compassion towards Men towards Sinners Thus while we hate their Sins we should yet love and heartily wish well to their Persons While we cannot bear with them that are evil in that which is evil yet we should be glad to do them good and glad indeed if by any means we might be helping to make them better As great Enemies as the Jews were to the Gospel and to the Apostle Paul yet he could not but pity them and his hearts desire and prayer to God was for them that they might be saved Rom. 10.1 Zeal against Sinners hath anger and grief in it not hatred As in the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.21 True Zeal desires their Conversion rather than Confusion And would rejoyce more in their Reformation than in their Ruine Our Saviour checked the furious Zeal of the Disciples when they would fain have been calling down Fire from Heaven to consume those poor Creatures that would not receive him Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of Luke 9.54 55. They were too hasty at that time a spirit of Revenge was stirring in them which was not Elias's spirit
and alacrity Spiritual Joy where it comes exceeds and as we may say swalloweth up carnal worldly Joy The Joy of the Holy Ghost is far more pleasing than the Joy of Harvest 10. That is a kind of Spiritual Joy when we heartily unfeinedly rejoyce in the good of others Spiritual Joy is promoted especially by the Spiritual good of others The good found in others As when Barnabas saw the Grace of God among the Disciples at Antioch he was glad Act. 11.23 And when Paul and Barnabas had declared the Conversion of the Gentiles they caused great Joy unto all the Brethren Act. 15.3 So Titus was comforted in the Believing Corinthians and Paul rejoiced much on their account 2 Cor. 7.7 So David rejoyced to see the Peoples forwardness 1 Chron. 29.17 And now have I seen with Joy thy People which are present here to offer willingly unto thee Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the House of the Lord. Again when the Good vouchsafed to others is matter of Joy to us Especially the Good of God's Chosen This may be spiritual Joy To rejoice and be glad with Jerusalem when she is rejoicing to be comforted with her consolations as Isa 66.10 11. when it is not from a selfish but a publick spirit this is good But they that rejoyce in iniquity or rejoyce at others Calamities they who rejoice over God's People in the day of their destruction or of their distress their Joy is so far from being right Spiritual Joy that it is devilish 11. Spiritual Joy is such as cannot be kept and maintained but in a way of holy walking and working Righteousness As it is Joy to the Just to do Judgment Pro. 21.15 So the Lord meeteth him that rejoiceth and worketh Righteousness Isa 64.5 These things have I spoken unto you says our Saviour that my Joy might remain in you and that your Joy might be full Joh. 15.11 Now what things were those see v. 7. If ye abide in me and my words abide in you And v. 10. If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love Thus we can have no more evidence of the soundness of our Joy than we have of the sincerity of our Obedience Psal 64.10 The Righteous shall be glad in the Lord. Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the Righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Bonum vinum ex hydria purificationis hauritur as Bernard speaks alluding to that Joh. 2.6 c. Spiritual Joy is drawn out of a pure Conscience A Conscience that is peaceable but not pure is a meer cheat Never expect to have Spiritual Joy in a course of Sin Such a course as grieves the holy Spirit of God will never bring a Man to true Peace and Joy 12. Spiritual Joy quickens and enlargeth the heart in God's Service Joy dilateth and enlargeth the heart * Laetitia q. laetitia So does Spiritual Joy It enlargeth the heart in Duty It is a great furtherance in God's service Rom. 14.17 18. Spiritual Joy is as Oil to the Wheels It makes Souls like the Charoits of Aminadib How are Souls carried out for God when Spiritual Joy fills their Sails This raiseth the Soul Trouble of Spirit is dejecting Why art thou cast down O my Soul And dejected spirits drive on but heavily in Duty But Spiritual Joy elevates the Soul To serve the Lord with gladness is to be raised in his Service Spiritual Joy will make Souls more vigorous This would strengthen weak hands and confirm feeble knees The Joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8.10 When Daniel hears the voice of Joy and Gladness Dan. 10.19 O Man greatly beloved fear not peace be unto thee be strong yea be strong he could say When he had spoken unto me I was strengthened and then he said let my Lord speak for those hast strengthened me But there is no true comfort or pleasure to be taken in such Joy as does not further fit us for our work and duty Such Joy is but a flash 13. As was noted before of sound Hope Spiritual Joy is a special incentive to praise and thankfulness As it comes in usually in a way of Prayer So it is wont to carry out the Soul in Praises As we find these joyned Psal 9.2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee I will sing praise to thy Name O thou most High And Psal 68.3 4. Let the Righteous be glad let them rejoice before God yea let them exceedingly rejoice Then it follows Sing unto God sing Praises to his Name Nothing puts the Soul in better tune for praising God than Joy in him When a Soul is thus raised and lifted up by him it will be for extolling and lifting him up Psal 30.1 I will extoll thee O Lord for thou hast lifted me up And v. 11 12. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing Thou hast put off my Sackcloth and girded me with gladness To the end that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever So Col. 1.11 12. Giving thanks unto the Father there followeth joyfulness Now hath your Joy this effect are you much in God's praise 14. Spiritual Joy can keep alive and keep the Heart alive in the midst of outward troubles Hab. 3.18 Loquor quod expertus novit inexpertus ignorat to borrow the expression of Bernard I speak what the experienced Christian knows though the unexperienced neither apprehends nor beleives it Spiritual Joy will hold up a Mans Head in such afflictions under which others Hearts that know nothing of it would quite sink and be overwhelmed Yea in sufferings for Christ and Righteousness sake this Joy is so far from being damped that it is ordinarily more heightened not checked this way but increased 2 Cor. 1.5 As the Sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Though Men may strip the Faithful of their outward enjoyments yet this inward Joy no Man can take away Joh. 16.22 The Believing Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 Manifold Trials here could not dash the Joy of those who by Faith foresaw their future glorious Triumph 1 Pet. 1.6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations In this sense also the Joy of the Lord is our strength helping to bear the Cross not only patiently but chearfully As the Apostles departed from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the Name of Christ Act. 5.42 Spiritual Joy is an Heavenly Spark that floods of Trouble and Persecution cannot quench And while Heaven smiles on a Saint he cannot but rejoice though the World frowneth This Note may discover the Joy of many to be unsound That Joy which openeth at the smiles of the World and shuts at its frowns is not a flower of the Sun
That Joy which is born down with any Affliction that comes is not like the Joy of the Spirit which is called strong Consolation Heb. 6.18 15. Spiritual Joy is not swelling But is accompanied with an humble frame of Spirit Heart-humbling Grace is a necessary preparative unto and a necessary preservative of Heart-raising and elevating Joys Isa 29.19 The meek or humble shall encrease their Joy in the Lord and the poor among Men shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel Such as are lifted up in themselves are not so fit for Comfort as for a Casting down And one way or other they shall have a Casting down If not in Mercy and by Grace then by force and in fury When a Child of God is growing proud of his Comforts and Enlargements he is in the ready way to lose them As I may say Humility is the Save-all and Prolonger and Pride the Extinguisher If you can keep your Joy and Pride together it is more than a Child of God can do 16. Spiritual Joy is not intoxicating but a sober serious thing joyned with an holy Fear Care and Watchfulness Psal 2.11 Rejoyce with trembling When Daniel heard from God that he was a Man greatly beloved yet he stood trembling Dan. 10.11 That is not right rejoycing in the Lord which excludes Reverence towards him And when he speaks Peace yet he expects better carriage of his People than that they should grow secure and careless He expects that they should have a care not to return again to Folly Psal 85.8 Where he says Be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee He withal says Sin no more stand in in awe and sin not Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption And by sinning presumptuously the Lord would be provoked to hide his Face again to write bitter things against us Thus new storms of Trouble would be raised 17. Spiritual Joy would not put one upon a contemptuous carriage towards others But rather make him full of Charity and pity towards those that want and are strangers to what he enjoys Though a stranger doth not intermeddle with his Joy Prov. 14.10 yet he cannot but desire that others were partakers of the like Psal 51.12 13. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Then will I teach Transgressors thy Wayes I shall encourage Sinners to come in by thy merciful dealing with me who have been so great a Sinner As Christ chargeth Peter when he was converted and restored to strengthen his Brethren Luke 22.32 And the Apostle Paul lays this down as one end the Father of Mercies hath in comforting us that we may be able to comfort them which are in any Trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1.4 And if we have not a tender pity towards poor troubled Spirits and such as have broken Bones if we have no Wine and Oyl to pour into wounded Consciences if we are not at all concerned for others under Spiritual Troubles we may justly fear our Joy is not right 18. Spiritual Joy will set Souls more on longing after the Joys of Heaven That Joy which comes from Heaven will be raising the Heart up towards Heaven Souls that have tasted that the Lord is Gracious will thirst after more and long for the fulness of Joy in his Presence will breath after the full Enjoyment of God in Glory 2 Cor. 5.5 8. God hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit Therefore We are willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. If we have found any consolation in Christ beholding him through the Lattices how shall we desire to see the King in his Beauty and to see him Face to Face Spiritual Joy will make Souls more spiritually-minded will very much take off the affections from things on the Earth and set them upon things Above A BRIEF REHEARSAL 2 COR. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves TO write the same things here shall not be grievous to me if for you it may be safe and profitable To try and examine your selves whether you are in a state of Grace you cannot deny to be your Duty And to direct and assist you therein is the principal design of this Treatise Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Sum. 1. What Knowledg have you And of what kind 1. Have you more than a natural Knowledg of God 2. More than a notional Knowledg Are you come to a discerning of Spiritual things and to a Spiritual discerning of them Have you other thoughts of Sin and other thoughts of God and Christ and Holiness and Heaven than formerly you had 3. How come you by your Knowledg Whether in an humble diligent waiting on God in the use of the means he hath appointed 4. Have you not a bare Knowledg but are you also come to the acknowledgment of the Truth Not only a Verbal but a Real acknowledgment To know the certainty of those things wherein you have been instructed 5. Does your Knowledg reach your Hearts Has it a powerful influence on your Wills Are you not only resolved in your Judgments but also in your Choice 6. Is your Knowledg not only informing but reforming and renewing 7. Is your Knowledg humbling Or does it puff up 8. Is it nourishing as Food and Fuel to Grace and Spiritual Affections 9. Is it Fructifying Is it reduced to Practice 10. Is it Communicative 11. Is it growing And especially are you thriving 1. In the sound and experimental Knowledg of God and Christ 2. And getting more inward acquaintance with your own selves and the state of your own Souls 3. And in learning more of your own Duty and of the Counsel of God concerning you 2. Try your Faith And what can you say to those three principal acts of Faith scil Assent Consent and Affiance 1. How do you assent to Divine Truth 1. Do you assent Impartially 2. Do you assent freely Do you yield willingly to Divine Truth as it is discovered to you 3. Do you assent really Have you more than an half-perswasion of the Truth 4. Have you an holding Assent to the Truth 5. Is it a Practical Assent Does it draw on Consent 2. How do you consent to God's Terms 1. Do you consent entirely not partially 2. Do you consent deliberately 3. Do you consent heartily unfeignedly 4. Do you consent firmly and resolvedly 3. What trust and affiance have you in God and Christ I ask not what Assurance you have Yet is your Dependence on God in Christ And 1. Is it such as is accompanied with Self-distrust and Self-despair 2. And with an hearty acceptance of Christ and sincere subjection to him 3. And with a dependence on the Lord for Temporal Mercies and Deliverance as he sees fit for you Further Do those Scripture-notes given of Faith agree to you 1. Is Christ precious to you
Duty of watching over them 9. Do you sympathize with them in their Sufferings 10. Are you ready to own and take part with them 11. And ready to relieve them according to your ability 12. Are you true Mourners at the death of such lamenting the loss of them 5. Try your Fear of God 1. Does your Fear of God arise from a sound Knowledg of Him And from the Love of God from high admiring thoughts not from hard thoughts of Him 2. What freeness in your Spirits this way Do you chuse the Fear of the Lord Do you desire to fear his Name 3. Do you fear God above all 4. What effect hath it on you 1. Doth it cause you to depart from evil 1. In general dare you not allow of any known Sin 2. In particular are you careful to flee from Sins in fashion 3. Do you fear sinning in secret 4. And fear to displease God in small Matters 5. And fear Sin more than Suffering from Men 6. And fear Sin more than the lash of Affliction 7. And not only fear but hate Sin 2. Is your Fear of God seen in your respect to his Commands 1. Do you reverence God's Commands 2. And do you delight in them too 3. Have you an impartial respect to them 4. And a continued respect to them 3. Are you reverent in God's Worship Have you not only a reverent carriage but a reverent frame of Heart 4. Do you carry ordinarily as in God's Presence 5. Have you a jealous fear of your selves and a cautious fear of Temptations 6. Does your Fear of God make you Humble 7. Does it make you Pitiful 8. Does it prevail over a base carnal fear of Man 9. Are you for teaching others God's Fear Thus of the Effects 5. What are the Companions and Concomitants of your Fear 1. Does your Fear and Faith go together 2. And Fear and Godly Sorrow 3. And Fear and Love 4. And Fear and Joy in the Lord Though I must confess all that have God's Fear find not that Joy accompanying it 6. Try your Humility 1. Is it founded in a sound Knowledge of God in his Excellencies and a knowledg of your selves your meanness sinful vileness and miserableness in your selves 2. Have you been soundly humbled 3. Have you humble Hearts Is your Humility most inward and in God's sight and not only in appearance to Men 4. Is it voluntary Humility in a right sense are your Hearts for it indeed would you be vile in your own Eyes 5. Are you ready to receive reproof 6. Are you not for excusing or extenuating your Sins but for a free confession of them 7. Are you no more led away with predominant self-conceit either of your Knowledg Abilities or Deserts 8. Nor led away with a predominant affectation of vain-glory or Men's applause Are you willing to lye low in the thoughts of others 9. Are you content with your station not for aspiring ambitious attempts and projects 10. Have you very thankful Hearts Do you greatly admire God's free Mercy in all he does for you being very sensible of your own unworthiness 11. Does Humility teach you Moderation not to be lifted up in prosperity 12. And likewise teach you Patience not to fret and murmur in adversity 13. Are you Prayerful and humble in your addresses unto God 14. And willing to wait as well as Pray 15. Are you very reverent in God's Worship as really apprehensive of an infinite distance betwixt God and you and conscious of your great unworthiness and unfitness to approach and draw nigh to God 16. Have you a truly charitable frame of Heart towards others Are you more forward to judg your selves than censure others And more ready to extenuate others faults than your own 17. Are you meek not of revengeful implacable Spirits but soon pacified when you have been provoked and injured by others 18. While you are sensible of and truly sorry for your own weaknesses and sinful imperfections yet withal can you heartily rejoice in the greater Abilities and eminent shining Graces of others 19. Are you of a yeilding and obedient Spirit 20. Do you make light of being vilified for God and Christ 21. Have you a great abhorrence of Pride especially of Pride in your selves 7. Try your Self-denial 1. What Self-denial in your Judgments 1. Do you seriously account that you are not your own 2. And that you are weak and insufficient of your selves that you can do nothing of your selves 3. And that you are vile and deserve nothing of your selves 2. What Self-denial in your Wills and Affections 1. Are you for the utter renouncing and rejecting of carnal corrupt self 2. Are you for doing Gods Will rather than your own for pleasing God rather than your selves 3. Are you for submitting to God's disposing Will rather than to be left to carve for your selves to have your own Wills 4. Is it your real hearty desire that you may be able to forsake all for God and Christ's sake if you should be called to it Are you not for depending on your selves but on the Grace of God in Christ for Assistance for Acceptance and for a Glorious Recompence 3. What Self-denial in your Life and practice 1. Do you strenuously oppose sinful self Do you deny to make pvovision for the flesh are you starving out your Corruptions 2. Do you employ the Talents you are intrusted with not chiefly for your selves but for God 3. Do you readily part with and actually forsake any worldly comfort which the Lord calleth for And what can you say to those other notes laid down 1. Do you indeed abhor your selves 2. Do you by Faith see better things far greater matters that God hath promised than those he calleth you to deny your selves in 3. Is your love to God and Jesus Christ predominant 4. Are you not for arrogating any praise to your selves which is due to God or would detract from his praise 5. Do you fully subject your Judgments to the Sentence of God's Word 6. Are your wills brought into subjection too 7. Does sinful self-love reign no longer in you 8. Are you heartily engaged and set against a sensual flesh-pleasing course 9. Are you not for a course of self-seeking Are you habitually and most ordinarily for preferring God's Interest before your own 10. Are you no longer for hunting after the vain applause of Men Do you now regard that less and seek the favour and approbation of God more 11. Do you readily yield to just reproof 12. Are you faithful in admonishing others and that where self-interest would disswade you 13. Are you against sinful sloth not indulging your selves in it 14. Are you truly charitable and helpful unto others 15. Are you disposed to love your Enemies and to forgive injuries 16. Do you lay to heart the Churches troubles and Publick Calamities more than Personal or Family-Afflictions 17. Could you think your selves more happy in serving pleasing and honouring God than in prospering being
your selves advanced in the World 18. Do you take part with the strictest of God's Commands 19. Are you well pleased with the harshest Providences that are a means to bring down sinful-self and selfishness 20. Are you fully resolved in the strength of God's Grace to forsake all rather than forsake God and Christ his Truth and Ways 8. Try your professed Sincerity and Integrity 1. Are you got past those simple ones that rest in their good meanings 2. Are you willing to know your whole duty 3. Are you for strict self-searching 4. And for wholsom Admonition and Reproof 5. And for an ingenuous Confession of your Sins not for hiding or palliating them 6. Have you left halting betwixt two Are you now really resolved for God and entirely devoted to him 7. Do you love Christ in Sincerity 8. Do you walk before God carry as in his sight and presence in your ordinary course 9. Do you hate and forsake all known Sin Is there no beloved bosom-sin which you would spare and indulge 10. Particularly are you set against Hypocrisie a way of lying and walking by the crooked rule of carnal policy Sins more directly opposit to Uprightness and Sincerity 11. Have you a respect to all God's Commands 1 Have you a respect to both Tables Would you not despise the least of God's Commands 3 Do you look first and most to the greatest 4 Have you a respect to the hardest and such as are most cross to your natural inclination or carnal interest 12. Do you carry uprightly in holy Duties 1 Do you engage your Hearts to approach to God in Duty 2. Are you free in God's Service 3 Have you a special respect to God in Duty Do you look most at his approbation 4. Have you a love to secret Duties 5. And even to disgraced Duties and such as may expose you to Suffering 13. Are you steady and constant in an holy course 14. Are you pressing after Perfection 9. Try your Zeal 1. Have you a Zeal according to Knowledg 2. Does it burn within before it flames forth 3. Is it a Zeal for God indeed and not for self 4. Would it burn alone though you had none about you to encourage and blow it up 5. Are you zealous for the whole Interest of God 6. And zealous against all Sin Is your Zeal more than a partial Zeal 7. Yet is your Zeal hottest in the greatest matters 8. Is it joyned with Christian moderation and for Christian concord 9. Is it more moved with Indignities offered unto God than with injuries done to your selves 10. Is it joyned with real love and true compassion towards Sinners 11. Is it for expedition in God's Service 12. Does it make you free and lively in his Service 13. Does it sharpen your courage and resolution for God 14. Is it a pleasing sight to you to see others zealous for him 15. Have you an holy emulation a desire to imitate yea if it might be to outstrip those that are most forward 16. Is it not for a flash but a Fire that goes not out though it burns not at all times alike clearly yet is it still kept burning Find these gracious dispositions in truth in your selves and then you may have good hope through Grace and Joy unspeakable everlasting Consolation But many grosly deceive themselves holding the conclusion never look to the premises therefore 10. Try your Hope 1. Has it come in after doubts and fears 2. Have you any ground to hope it is a fruit of the Spirit Have you the Spirit 3. Is your Hope an Hope in God an Hope in God through Christ according to his Word 4. Is it not only an Hope in God but for him Is the enjoyment of God in Christ the to of your Hopes 5. Is your Hope accompanied with an holy Fear of God 6. And with sound Obedience doing the Will of God 7. And maintained by diligence and watchfulness 8. Does it quicken you to make progress in holiness 9. Does it produce Patience 10. And give courage 11. And raise your Hearts and Desires Heaven-ward 12. And excite praise and thankfulness 13. And further on Spiritual Joy 11. Try your Joy 1. Hath Godly Sorrow prepared and made way for it 2. Is it the Joy of the holy Ghost Have you the holy Spirit your Sanctifier Are you filled with Joy in believing 4. Was it attained or is it strengthened and maintained by serious self-examination and probation 5. Came it in the way of Prayer 6. Or in attendence on other of God's Ordinances 7. Is God your chief Joy Do you rejoyce in Christ Jesus 9. Are you most taken with Spiritual Mercies 10. Can you heartily rejoice in the good of others 11. Is your Joy in working Righteousness 12. Does it further enlarge your hearts in God's Service 13. Is it a special incentive to praise and thankfulness 14. Can it keep alive and keep you alive in outward troubles 15. Is it not swelling but accompanied with an humble frame of spirit 16. Is it not intoxicating but joyned with an holy fear care and watchfulness 17. Does it fit and incline you to encourage and comfort others in trouble 18. Does it set you more a longing after the Joys of Heaven Of Repentance This should have been inserted after the sum of Repentance in the Rehearsal Page 412. VIZ. ARe you no longer under the Dominion of Sin Do you see what a miserable bondage the service of Sin is Do you not so much desire to be exempted from Affliction as to be freed from your Corruptions Are you no longer for defending Sin or taking its part Would you pay no more Tribute to Sin no longer make provision for it Do you heartily resist the motions and commands of Sin Are your hearts turned to hate all known Sin Are you heartily devoted to the Service of God and Jesus Christ And now Reader if thou canst find it thus with thee thou mayest well rejoice in thy Portion Suppose thou hast never so little in the World yet happy thou who hast that better part which shall never be taken from thee The good Man may have satisfaction from within when no satisfaction is to be had from without The Fear of the Lord is his Treasure and such a Treasure as the World cannot rob him of And surely the gleanings or rather first Fruits of Heaven is better than the Vintage of the Earth Yea the least true santifying Grace will go further than all this Worlds goods A state of Grace is a short Preface to an everlasting State of Glory Canst thou prove thy Graces are of the right stamp Certainly they will prove thy title to Glory Now let it be thy care henceforth to grow in Grace and live in the constant exercise of Grace and so thou mayest have an abundant enterance into the Everlasting Kingdom FINIS