effectual for this end For the fuller manifestation of this I shall shew these three things 1. What is more particularly to be meant by this good heart 2. That as others heretofore have had it so there is a possibility and grounds for us still to expect it 3. What particular means are requir'd for obtaining it 1. Touching the first we are to take notice that it is not that which dwells naturally in any man but that which is supernatural and derived from God that is a divine power elevating a man as it were above himself whereby he is enabled with strength and courage actually to perform and undergo such things as cannot be done with meer humane strength namely to persist in the way of godlinesse and obedience to God notwithstanding all the difficulties and discouragements that the devil or the world shall cast into it as extraordinary vexations and reproaches and losse of goods or liberty or life it self This then which enables a man to this is not any thing in Nature this will be still favourable to it self and not willing to venture on those things which are contrary to it and tend to the destruction of it it is onely that which is called the finger of God Luk. 11.20 24.49 Col. 1.11 or power from on high or the might of his glorious power in brief it is onely the Spirit of God that is a divine power stampt or imprinted in the heart of man 2. Now for the second that there is truely such a power derivable to men may appear hence namely from the many several experiments Acts 4.31.5.41.16.24 that the world has had in this kinde especially from the examples of the Apostles and others in the primitive times The Apostles we finde at first while Christ was here on earth very fearful upon on the appearance of danger Peter denied and forswore his Master and they all forsook him and fled but immediately after they had received this power from on high they spake the word withall boldnesse being beaten they went away rejoycing Acts 4.29 Acts 5.41.16.25 being in the stocks they sang praises being encompassed with infirmities and reproaches and persecutions they took pleasure in them 1 Cor. 12.10 Phil. 4.13 and could do all things through Christ strengthning them that is by his Spirit And thus we finde that not only they but persons also of inferiour quality and condition did in effect the same things the Thessalonians suffered the like things 1 Thes 2.14 of their own Countrey-men as the Churches of Judea did of the Jews which sure were many bitter troubles and reproaches and yet they went on with that undauntedness in the practise of godliness 2 Thes 1.4 that the Apostle sayes we our selves glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faith in the tribulations and persecutions that you endure And to both these may be added the testimonies which the Church-Records afford both concerning these and other Christians immediately succeeding about their forwardnesse in most cheerfully undergoing most bitter and cruel deaths for the profession of the Gospel But it may perhaps be imagined that this courage and heart they had was of the same nature with those other things that were miraculous peculiar to those times as miracles tongues prophecies c. and therefore not now to be expected In answer to which I shall shew you that this is not so but that there may be still from the goodnesse of God expected the same Divine Spirit to carry men through all difficulties with some measure of cheerfulnes in the service of God There are several reasons to prove this 1. Some general promises of this Spirit considered with the grounds and reasons of them as 1. Luke 11. from verse the fifth to verse the thirteenth where it is said If you being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him 2. The reason whereby our Saviour here demonstrates that God will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him is no other but this constant and importunate prayers put up by such persons unto God as because of their faith and unfeigned study of piety may be accounted his children which sure agrees no less to these then to the primitive times 2. Christ sayes simply and indistinctly He that believes in me as the Scripture saith out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water John 7.37 John 7.37 which in the following verse is expounded of the Spirit where it is plain that Christ promiseth to believers and that as a reward of their faith the gift of the Spirit and therefore sure upon this ground it may be still sued for and expected by those that are truly such as well in these as in former times 3. Christ promiseth to them that love him that is that keep his words for so he himself there expoundeth this love to manifest himself unto them John 14.21 John 14.21 and afterward V. 23. that the Father will love them and both He and the Father will come and make their abode with them that is by the Spirit for that is the thing there treated on Seeing then that men in these times are capable of loving of Christ and of rendring obedience to his words according as they are expresly obliged thereunto it appears hence that the holy Spirit which is promised by way of reward to such persons may be expected by those that are such also in these times And to these testimonies may be added that opposition which is made recorded by all the Evangelists betwixt Johns baptizing with water and Christs baptizing with the Spirit whence it may be collected that as John did dip with water all his disciples that came to him and desired to be baptized of him so Christ doth endue with the holy Spirit his disciples desiring to be baptized of him and by ardent and incessant prayers begging so excellent a gift from him 2. It hath been still usuall with all Christians both in their publike and private devotions to pray for the holy Spirit that God would give it to them which sure if it had been a gift peculiar to the first times like as those other of miracles that are now ceased all Christians since even the most godly that have been might be accused of great errour and ignorance in asking that of God which they had no grounds to expect like as if one should now petition him to give him the power of doing miracles or speaking with tongues 3. The principal end for which the holy Spirit was given heretofore to men in the primitive times and the cause why it was given for that end hath place still in these times namely that men to whom it was given might assuredly come to the salvation promised in the Gospel by being fully confirmed in the belief of it and going on unweariedly in
the way that leads to it We had need now in reference to these ends to have our mindes illustrated or inlightned even after we have heard and received the word of Christ no lesse then they who heretofore had entertained the belief of it Eph. 1.17 18 and yet still needed the spirit of wisdom and revelation that they might clearly discern the mysteries of Christian religion we have need still of prudence in managing our actions especially such as are very doubtful and difficult we have need of fortitude in dangers strength and patience in afflictions joy in outward miseries and calamities and fervour in prayers all which are immediate effects of the holy Spirit not only conducing but also necessary for that great end the salvation of our souls And therefore the holy Spirit which can only produce them in us may be still from the wisdom and goodnesse of God assuredly expected There was it is true a promise and accordingly an exhibition of the holy Spirit that was peculiar to the Apostles times betwixt which and that which is extended to these times we are to conceive these differences 1. The former was usually for the manner and manifestation of it visible and conspicuous so that the effects thereof being wholly miraculous might be clearly discern'd and acknowledged by others for such but this latter is invisible exercising its vertue upon the mindes of those that are possest with it so as others cannot certainly or ordinarily discern it 2. The former was not so much for the particular good of the persons upon whom it was conferred as for the publike benefit of others and the confirmation of the doctrine of the Gospel whilst it was yet new in the world but this latter is for the singular benefit of the persons themselves upon whom it is conferred as namely for supplying them with courage under persecution joy in afflictions and the like as hath been shewed before things which will be alwayes necessary to bring men unto Heaven and therefore that without which they cannot be had namely the holy Spirit may still upon the forementioned grounds be certainly expected 3. Now touching the third thing prosed namely what are the means requir'd for gaining this holy Sprit or as we have formerly exprest it that good heart which is requisite in the Christian souldier though it sufficiently appear from what hath been said that it is derived from above and so that there is nothing in us to produce it in our selves yet it hath been also intimated that it uses not to be conferred at random and promiscuously there is something on our part required to make us capable of receiving it as 1. It is requisite that we ask it and that not seldom or superficially but frequently and importunately after the example of the importunate widow or of him that at midnight went to solicite his friend Luke 11.6 by both which parables our Saviour would intimate to us that we are to be earnest and incessant in our prayers for this divine gift that we are not to lay aside our care or give over our seeking in this kinde if we meet not presently with an answerable return God doth in the granting of this as of other inferiour blessings seem and shew himself as if he heard not as if he were one that took no notice of our requests and that on purpose to make us call louder to express more fervency and importunity and therefore we are to see that our prayers be thus qualified that they be not faint desires or the labour of the lips but strong and deep cries of the heart and being so we may and ought with confidence support our selves that in the end we shall obtain what we thus desire considering what our Saviour hath told us that God will give to them that ask him 2. But then we must see also that we be such persons as the holy spirit is promised to and have grounds to expect upon this importunity the grant of their requests All whosoever shall ask and ask importunately have not this promise made to them God tells us of some Prov. 1.28 Isaiah 1.15 that should seek him early and should not finde him and of others that though they make many prayers and stretch forth their hands and cry with a loud voice that is very earnestly and importunately yet he will not hear them This promise is made only by our Saviour as hath been shown before to those that believe to such as love him and keep his Commandments and hereupon S. James tells us that it is not only fervent prayer Jam. 5.16 but the fervent prayer of a righteous man that availeth much We must then see that we be such persons such believers and lovers of Christ and righteous ones or else God will say what hast thou to do to make any such request to expect any such divine and glorious gift to be conferred on thee Yea indeed so long as any sin or the love of any unrighteousnesse is lodged in thy soul thou art not only unworthy but uncapable of so divine a guest The world saith Christ wherby he there more especially means those that refused to believe in him upon the hearing of his words and beholding of his actions cannot receive the spirit of truth John 14.17 because it seeth him not nor knoweth him that is though the H. Spirit did clearly shine and manifest it self in Christ both in his divine words and admirable works which he wrought yet the world was not willing to see and take notice of it and therefore made it self incapable of receiving the Spirit whereas the Apostles some others not shutting their eyes against it but willingly discerning and acknowledging the manifestations thereof in him became subjects truly capable of it and accordingly had it there promised that it should be in them John 14.17 men do not use to pour some pretious and costly liquour into an unclean and filthy vessel much lesse can it become the goodnesse and wisdom of Almighty God so to do to pour this spirit Esay 61.3 Acts 10.38 which is called the oyl of gladnesse having in it a strengthening and exhilarating faculty to carry on those with pleasure through the midst of dangers and difficulties that enjoy it to pour it I say into their hearts that have the filthinesse of some sin or other still lodging in them No thou must sweep diligently all the corners of thy soul cleansing thy self from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit before thou canst be a fit temple or habitation for this pure and divine spirit to come into the persons to whom it was formerly given were such as obeyed God Acts 5.32 and the persons to whom we finde it is promised by our Saviour are such as love and keep his commandments keep them constantly and universally not wittingly allowing themselves in the breach of one so that by reason of such keeping they may be called righteous persons that
is such as make works of righteousnesse their trade and employment giving up or dedicating their members Rom. 6.13 as weapons of righteousnesse unto God Such persons as are thus qualified attain as the Apostle speaks in another case a good degree and much boldnesse in the faith 1 Tim. 3.13 a good conscience which is the inseparable attendant of such righteous walking being of that vertue in it self as to carry on a man with courage through many matters in which others are often cast down with fears and hence Solomon sayes Prov. 28.1 the righteous is bold as a lion but how much more must the boldnesse of such persons be when besides this testimonie of their own hearts for the conscience is nothing else but that there is added as a reward thereof and of their prayers in seeking it this mighty power from on high this divine vertue derived immediately from God and stampt by his finger in the hearts of such But it may be objected if we may not expect this Spirit of God before we thus keep his commandments what hopes can we have then that we shall ever enjoy it seeing that without the assistance of this Spirit we cannot at all keep the commandments of God in that manner and besides if we may keep and do those things which God requires of us before the coming of this spirit what need will there be of his coming at all or what cause can we have to desire it In answer to which I say there are two sorts of keeping the Commandments of God 1. More imperfect when the flesh is not throughly brought into subjection to the spirit but the way of holiness even in the ordinary practises of it as praying meditating repressing of anger and the like is in some manner still unpleasing and difficult to men though these things be ordinarily performed by them in which state so long as a man is it cannot be expected that he should fully go through all difficulties that in the managing of this warfare he is liable unto 2. There is a more perfect keeping of them when a man does not only ordinarily and constantly observe them but does this with a kinde of pleasure and delight the flesh that is the remainder of sensual affections which formerly made them somewhat harsh and unpleasing being after a manner fully mortified and extinguished in him so that he is perfectly enabled to overcome all difficulties Now according to these two different degrees of keeping the Commandments of God there is answerably to be conceived a different dispensation of the Spirit of God or of the assistance of it as the cause of either 1. A general and more common and ordinary assistance such as usually goes along with the word and is offered and obvious to all that are not remisse and careless but diligent and attentive hearers of it and this is that which is sufficient to work that weaker temper of righteousnesse before mentioned in all that do not willfully oppose themselves against it 2. A more speciall and extraordinary assistance which is promised as a reward of this obedience whereby a man is enabled to do and undergo greater matters then that ordinary assistance could enable him unto and this is that which is here to be meant being not to be expected as not being promised to any others but of such righteous persons as we have formerly spoke of They only that use that former talent well so as to gain out of it that stock of righteousnesse which thereby they are enabled unto are the persons which may expect and are capable to be trusted with this great talent which will truly make them rich and abounding in all good works Ye then whose hearts are truly set to serve God who sincerely desire and labour and struggle with your selves to do his will in all things that are made known to you but yet still finde failings in your selves and some tediousnesse and irksomness in the doing those good things you perform so that ye may perhaps hereupon think your selves utterly unable if you should be put to it to go through with those greater hardnesses of losse of goods liberty life c. which you hear is required to come to the kingdom of God Let not this discourage or amate you hold fast that whereunto you have attained stand still that is persist still in such well-doing and assuredly look for the salvation of God continue your care and give God no rest but cry mightily and incessantly to him for his holy Spirit this power from on high This is that which he hath reserv'd within his own power to bestow it only upon those that thus seek for it in the way of righteousnesse and this is that which he hath absolutely bound himself sooner or later to give to such and this is that which where it is given will make the rough plain and the hard easie that is so far change the nature of things that both the sense of the present difficulties thou yet feelest shall be taken away and the terrour of those things which thou mayest apprehend as future shall have no force at all upon thee Let not then the experience thou hast had hitherto of thy own frailties either make thee look back and give over striving or despair in time to attain to a greater perfection this is that which thy great adversary the devil desires to work thee to either to make thee from what thou at present feelest to forsake the way of godlinesse or stand at a stay in it Rest assured of this that God can and will in time make such things not only possible but also easie to thee if indeed thou persist in well-doing as now seem unpossible and are uncomfortable perhaps to thee to think of and for sealing thee the more in this perswasion consider that as he hath bound himself by promise so those infirmities that are yet in thee if thy heart be indeed sincere and thou truly labourest against them they give him the more occasion for manifesting this his power in thee 2 Cor. 12.9 His strength is made perfect in weaknesse those that are weak have most need of this help and in such the glory of this power and so the goodnesse and wisdom of God most manifestly appears when by carrying them on through such hardnesses as are most troublesome and difficult to flesh and blood he layes open as it were this otherwise invisible vertue of his Almighty power Esay 52.10 He makes bare his arm as the Prophet speaks to the eyes of men so that it may clearly appear to be done by his strength and so all the praise thereof must necessarily redound to him and hereupon the Apostle We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellencie of the power may be of God 2 Cor. 4.7 and not of us The earthliness or frailty of our condition whereby we are naturally afraid to encounter with any difficulties and miseries
makes for the magnifying of this power which helps us in these infirmities and the greater the difficulties are and the more unproportioned to our weakness the more they serve to the honour of this power and consequently God may be expected to be the more ready at such times for our support Having thus far enlarged touching the courage that is required in our Christian Warfare and the means for attaining it I shall yet further in reference unto both and to make us persist without fainting or declining in the course of godliness commend to you three particular rules to be observed as those which may be very serviceable and effectuall hereunto First to look upon steddily with the eye of faith that glorious prize for which we fight which God holds forth in his hands to encourage us and which the devil by all means labours to keep out of our sight and deprive us of It is that then which God hath nothing greater to bestow nor we to desire Matth. 5.12 Luke 12.33 1 Cor. 9.25 1 Pet. 5.10 Heb. 12.28 a great reward in Heaven treasures that fail not a rich and glorious inheritance an incorruptible crown an eternal kingdom that cannot be shaken in brief a condition full of all good things which our hearts can possibly imagine or rather which is not possible for them to imagine 2. It is most certain in it self confirm'd to us as the rest of his doctrine was by Christs miracles and blood and his rising and ascension into heaven and many visible missions of the holy Spirit thence and further in a lesser degree by those things which the Apostles did and suffered by the sufferings of many others since even unto our times and by the present and long continued condition of the Jews 3. It is assured onely to such as go through with this warfare as not only fight but fight it out unto the last such as endure unto the end that are faithfull to the death only to such and to all such it is unquestionably assured Thus we are to represent this glorious prize to our selves thus qualified and limited which if we do the very beholding of it seriously and deliberately in this manner cannot but derive strength and courage to us what hardnesse and hazards will men willingly ingage themselves in when the hopes of wearing a crown or enjoying a kingdom is the lure to draw them on though possibly they may perish in the venturing for it or else not long enjoy it when they have gained it what tedious difficulties and adventures will others readily imbark themselves in when the wealth of the Indies is looked upon by them as things by that means to be attained though possibly as the former they may miscarry in the voyage or not enjoy those things long after their return yea what pains will many take and that in a manner constantly and continually when that which is far less then a kingdom or such wealth is all the motive they have namely some encrease of their stock or fruitful return of the ground All these things it is plain have vertue in them to ingage men in very hard and difficult matters And what then shall we not think there is the same or far greater vertue in this glorious prize to make men contend for it with hazards difficulties and labour What is the cause that men are so bent upon these things Is it not because they love them and esteem them and earnestly desire them and see no other wayes of possibly coming to them Do not those that fight and venture their lives for a Crown know that it is not without such fighting and venturing to be obtained and do not those that ingage themselves in such long hazardous voiages to the Indies know that the riches that are there are not otherwise to be come at and is not in either of these the high opinion and ardent desire they have of these things joyned with such a perswasion sufficient to ingage them notwithstanding they cannot but know also the uncertainty of their successe in such difficult undertakings yea do not you husbandmen know that however the season falls out you must plow and sowe and tend your cattle or else you cannot expect your desired increase and will any of you then fold your hands in your bosom when there is some more then ordinary trouble to be undergone about these things will you content your selves with wishing that these things may prosper does not the knowledge you have of the necessity of your labour herein and the high account you make of these things make you willingly go through any sharpnesse of weather or whatsoever other difficulty in this kinde Consider then I besiech you seriously with your selves whether there is not great reason to think that this glorious reward held forth in the hands of Almighty God and lookt upon as certain in it self and only attainable in the way of perseverance in well-doing may not have the same course effectually to ingage you to go through all difficulties But you like as the most are willing to think that though these perishing good things cannot be got without toil pains and hazards yet this rich and glorious inheritance may be attained without any such trouble or difficulty some wishes or purposes or languishing ineffectual fruitlesse endeavours some formall outward heartlesse devotion one day in the week shall be enough to secure you of it But alas Beloved do not abuse your selves or rather do not suffer the devil to abuse you by possessing you with such undervaluing thoughts of this glorious rich reward such as are indeed most corrupt and groundlesse and will prove in the end certainly destructive to your souls a souldiers life is made up of hardnesse and danger and so is the Christian souldiers though in another kinde there is a constant discipline to be exercised consisting in praying and meditating and exhorting and watching and mortifying the flesh which is to be done by abridging your selves in many things that the sensual part inclines you to though this abridging of your selves should be as harsh to you as the pulling out of an Eye or cutting off a hand and there is courage required not only to make you willing to fight and encounter with dangers and difficulties in the practise of godlinesse but to carry you through them and make you conquer them without which though you make never so good Essayes and beginnings yet all will prove fruitlesse and in vain it is not he that beginneth but that endures to the end shall be saved yea not he that fighteth but that conquereth is promised to be crowned to him that overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life that is in the midst of the paradise of my God and he that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death Revel 2.7.11 And he that overcometh and keeps my words to the end Rev. 2.26.3.21 I will give him
sort as was limited by God or Christ or the Apostle himself namely for this end for the destruction of the flesh and that their spirits might be saved in the day of the Lord that is that the devil might afflict the flesh of such a person and by little and little bring him near to death and yet in the mean time leave him some space of repentance and of praying and seeking unto God for though Satan greedily gape after mans destruction yet there may be some limits set him by God in afflicting one given into his power which he shall not have ability to exceed as we finde God first permitted to Satan all things belonging to Job but so that he should not touch his body and afterwards he permitted him his body too but with exception of his life that he should not take that away and the use we are to conceive that this power and sort of punishing as it was managed by the hands of the Apostle served for was at once to assert his authority and consequently the credit and importance of what he taught and also to subdue such contumacious and scandalous persons as it was exercised upon from such their wickednesse Now concerning this power of delivering unto Satan it will be fit to observe these two things 1. That as the Apostle had the power of inflicting this punishment so he had no doubt also the power of removing it yea we are to think much rather that he had this in as much as the Spirit of Christ inclines rather to acts of goodnesse then of severity and to save rather then to destroy therefore we are to conceive that if any thus punished did seasonably repent he might through the Apostles prayers be freed from that punishment and healed seeing the Apostles also had power over evil spirits and the gifts of healing whereupon many seem to be of opinion that the incestuous person spoke of in the 1 Cor. 5. had this punishment pardoned to him and that those words 2 Cor. 2.5 belong to him 2. It is credible that this power was common then to very few with the Apostle and perhaps not to any besides the other Apostles 1. Because it is otherwise rather agreeable to God and Christ to confer the power of doing good to men then of doing them hurt and rather by saving miracles and such as contained in them real benefits to commend the saving doctrine of the Gospel to the world then by such miracles as were hurtfull to man for to inflict blindnesse or lamenesse or some other kinde of disease is possible for Satan and by his help for his servants to do so as namely for sorcerers and witches but to restore sight to the blinde hearing to the deaf feet to the lame health to the sick and that by a word that is the property of divine vertue and goodnesse whence also we finde Christ to have healed great numbers of men and to have freed them from devils diseases and other kinde of afflictions but hardly to have done any such miracle which in any manner was hurtful to men As for that which may be objected here of the Gadarens swine driven by the devâ—l into the sea upon Christs allowance Matth. 8.30 we are to take notice that it is not to be reckoned so much the act of Christ as his simple permission and that not meerly of his own accord but being thereunto entreated by the devils besides they to whom this losse did accrew were without doubt persons most worthy of it and withall that losse might have brought them greater profit if they would have made that use of that occasion which they might have done it is true therefore that almost all Christs miracles were truly wholsom to men and as so many benefits conferred on them whereupon Peter saith that Christ went up and down doing good Acts 10.38 and healing all that were possessed with the devil 2. We are also for this reason to think that this power was common but to a few namely lest otherwise it might easily have been abused and sometimes been made the instrument of wrath and revenge or at least of unseasonable severity All had not so great wisdom as Paul and the other Apostles so as to know on what persons and in what nick of time and with what measure to inflict such punishments all had not the like meeknesse and long animity with him or them we may see by the fore-alleadged testimonies how hardly Paul could be induced to make use of that severity which he had in his power they therefore who hold that this power was then common to the Pastors of Churches have no true ground to support their opinion yea it is evidently against reason so to think Paul sure had had but little need when he was willing to challenge that power to himself so carefully to prevent the suspition of arrogance in so doing if that his had bin also common to the elders of the Corinthians every where else usual in the Church and though in the 1 Cor. 5. he would have the consent of the Church to concurre towards the delivering of the incestuous person to Satan 1 Cor. 5.3.4 yet he ascribes the decree of delivering that person to Satan not to that Church but only to himself and so attributes the effect it self of that thing only to himself and to the power of the Lord Jesus Christ like as also he doth not prescribe that Hymeneus and Alexander should be delivered by Timothy to Satan 2 Tim. 1.20 but sayes that he himself had delivered them Wherefore we are to think this power to have expired with the Apostles and with other extraordinary divine persons like them so far is it from belonging to an ordinary power and that which at present is remaining in the Church 2. Now touching the second sort of weapons peculiarly limited to the Apostles and their times which respected those without the Church we understand thereby the working of miracles and speaking with tongues and the like which were for a signe 1 Cor. 14.22 not to them that believed but to them that believed not By the power of these it was chiefly that the world came so quickly to be subdued and brought in obedience to the Faith when it saw those men who were the preachers of this faith though otherwise of like infirmities with others assisted with such a divine power as to alter the course of nature and do those things which all the powers of the world combined together could not effect how must not they hereupon but be convinced to believe that what these men preached unlesse they would be so unreasonable as to imagine that God whom all naturally acknowledge to be most true and good should lend that power which he affords to no others to liars and deceivers was no other but the truth of God Now as by these miracles it chiefly was that the world came to be convinced into a
his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned to him in his righteousnesse that he hath done he shall live who may not easily see what a vast distance there is betwixt these words and those of the Common prayer-book which yet are pretended to be either a formall recitall of these or at least such a rendring of them as is in sense fully equivalent Is it not plain hence that besides and after the turning from all our sins which seemes all that is intended to be signified by that phrase of repenting of them from the bottome of our heart there is expressely required a keeping of all Gods statutes and doing that which is lawfull and right of which there is no mention at all in that saying in the Common prayer-book as a necessary condition for attaining that remission of sins and life there promised I am willing to suppose that those who were authors of that liturgy and so of this saying in it knew how by the various acception of the word repent to reconcile in sense this saying and the next together and so were able thereby to vindicate themselves from that which might seem otherwise to be justly charged upon them herein namely wilfull falsifying or perverting the words of Scripture yet as I can see no true reason why pretending as they did to deliver the unquestionable sense of the Spirit of God they should so far neglect the words certainly dictated from this Spirit as in stead thereof to use in this matter expressions wholly of their own framing so I cannot but think that their thus doing and rendring or reciting that text as they have done was and is still especially considering the former corrupt notion of repentance that many have been and yet are ordinarity possessed with a most dangerous rock at once to harden and continue men in their sins and to make them but most deceitfully promise themselves heaven upon some late ineffectuall mourning for them at the last notwithstanding their continuance in them till that time 2. Touching that other instance taken from the example of the penitent thief I think it may be in some manner said of him that since he was crucified and dead he hath killed far more soules than being alive he hurt or destroyed bodies but it is and hath been through the fault of men themselves with whom this one example how ever not possible to be paralleld as wee shall presently show is of more force than the whole gospell or doctrine of Christ Those who are ready to flatter themselves upon this ground by thinking that a blessed and happy death may be the sequel of a dissolute life as it was in him if they will but heedfully consider the circumstances so far as the Scripture layes them open of this persons repentance which was indeed as late as could be will easily find that it is not possible for them though they would never so gladly to be truly like unto him herein and so that the promise made to him can derive no comfort at all to them for 1. This thief did not for any thing that appeares in Scripture know or acknowledge Christ before this time that he was now hanging on the crosse and so ready to dye with him then it was that he began to make profession of him and was first ingrasted into him by faith but those Chrislians who are wont to allege this example for the acceptance of their late sorrow are to be supposed to have acknowledged Christ long before the time of their dying even in a manner all their life time having been so long constant professours of him 2. This thief after his faith or declared profession of Christ had no space left him for correcting or changing his course of life whatsoever good he could do then on the crosse he did it as in rebuking of his fellow thief acknowledging the justice of his own and his sufferings asserting Christs innocency and by his praying to him giving him divine worship and expressing his faith in him but the fore-mentiond persons are such as after their profession of Christ have large spaces or proportions of time afforded them their profession ordinarily beginning with their first use of reason and so running on in an eeven line with their lives and yet they could never find any season for setting effectually about the work of reforming their lives that is for thorowly observing Christs lawes in rendring that obedience thereunto which was both possible for them and they made profession of their practise hitherto namely till the approaching time of their death hath been a contradiction of such their profession and so their religion for so long is to bee reckoned nothing but a formall hypocrisy or dissembling 3. This thief had and manifested then so great a faith as was not in the Apostles themselves he then firmly believed in Christ when their faith in him t is plain by their forsaking of and flying from him and those words of distrust they used as wee trusted that it had been he Lu. 24.21 c. began to fail he acknowledged Christ hanging on the crosse to be about entring into a kingdome and neither being deterred with Christs nor his own death he trusted that Christ would be mindfull of him and could again reduce him to life who can possibly now have such a faith have not all that professe Christ an opinion of his being like as he truly is in supreme power and glory and is it not much easier to believe in such a person namely in him that is risen from the dead and is invested with all power in heaven and in earth than in him who being now a dying is forsaken and scornd and derided in a manner by all men as Christ truly was yet such was the faith of this thief that is indeed a most singular and admirable faith suitable to those other prodigies that accompanied Christs death as conducing to the solemnity of it and therefore most worthy through the divine bounty to justify this person with our most gracious God but till Christ come to suffer again which will never be no more examples of this faith or of such believers are to be expected and consequently this persons example and the happy issue he had of his late repentance can be no ground of comfort for the fore-mentiond persons it being not possible that his case should be theirs or that their repentance should be answerable to his in any thing save in that which was truly of least moment in it the lateness of it Now touching that corrupt notion of repentance before spoken of which seems to be nourished and upheld in many chiefly by the influence derived from the two former instances though what hath been said in answer to these may in great part serve to show the corruption and unsoundness of it yet for the fuller manifesting of this and together therewith that which is truly imported by the word repentance I shall
requisite that the said intention be so circumstantionated in the person as there may be nothing justly imputed to him or his neglect why the act is not really performed the person being to be supposed for this end to have done all in this case that was morally possible for him like as we find in the forementioned business of Abrahams offering his son whose intention carrying him on to the doing of what was in his power for the accomplishing of this work made that it was accepted for Heb. 11.17 and called an offering of him though it was not ever at all actually performed Now in this present case the matter is far otherwise the person who as wee suppose is now in extremis or a dying hath indeed nothing possible for him to perform towards the amending and reforming of his life beyond vows and promises but this is a thing that ought to have been done of him before God requiring it and having afforded him sufficient time and means for the doing of it it is a thing also that all the time he made profession of Christ or of his word he is to be supposed virtually to have professed and made show of doing it is therefore not only his own fault that it is not done that is that such intention hath not hitherto been acted but it is also such a fault as is made up of a continued belying of his profession and therefore sure there can be but small cause for any to flatter themselves or others in this case that such intention shall ever bee accepted with God for the act Gal. 6.7 no God will not be mocked that which a man soweth that shall he reap that is according to our works in our life time not our intentions at or near our death our future doom is to be expected If any now shall question hereupon what proportion of our time or lives is absolutely necessary to be spent in the service and obedience of Christ for this end to render us actually capable and heirs of Salvation I shall endeavour thus far to satisfy him 1. By telling him negatively that such proportion I conceive cannot be certainly determined so as definitely to set down that a man must necessarily such a certain number of months or years exhibit such obedience or else he cannot be saved as in the parable of the hired Servants Math. 20. some were hired and went into the vineyard at the ninth and some at the eleventh hour and yet received equall wages with them who begun to work in the morning and had born the burden and heat of the day so I grant though not through the force of that parable Chrysost Muscul whereof I find severall interpretations given and which good expositours apply to quite another sense as more suitable to our Saviours scope than that which is vulgarly apprehended to be the intent of it that some in the evening of their dayes or in their declining age may become converts and begin then to render that reall obedience to Christs laws which he requires and they formerly neglected and yet be as surely rewarded with the glorious reward of eternall life as those who set out as it were and have been engaged from their child-hood in this employment may expect to be though I think not only that such examples are rare but also where they are they must and will being such reall converts as I suppose them out of the sense of their former neglect be more than ordinarily zealous and industrious in this kind 2. I say pisitively to the former question that so much of our time is necessarily to be employed in the foresaid obedience as we may be truly said at the end of our course to have been new creatures and to have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts and to have done the commandements of Christ or to have walked according to the Spirit and in so walking to have finished our race all which being things that imply not only a change of our naturall condition but also such a change as consists and manifests it self not in words or intentions or single acts but in a solid and habituall course of piety and the expressions of it as the presence of them is simply requisite to this end that our judgment namely unto life Math. 16.27 Rom. 2.7 2 Cor. 5.10 Revel 20.13 22.12 may be said to be according to our works as the Scripture frequently says it shall be So it is plain that there cannot but be some considerable part of our time and lives necessarily required though we cannot definitely set down how much for attaining and exhibiting the same things in our selves It is very hard or rather absurd and unreasonable to imagine that God in awarding eternall life to men should only have respect in a manner to some transient vanishing disposition of a dying person as his serious mourning for sin at that time when as hitherto he is to be supposed to have voluntarily persisted in the wayes of it and yet withall that God should be said in making that award to render to such a person according to his works what ground can there be to think either that such mourning which men may well in this case be supposed to be in a great part in a manner forced to by the immediate approach and fear of death should be so highly considerable with God above all the voluntary and long continued courses in sin of the same person or that being so and God therefore that is for that sorrow or for some confident reliance on Christs merits at that time accepting the said person to salvation God should be said herein to reward him according to his works when as indeed in this case no other work of his but one or both these at most is to bee thought of any moment or consideration with God As this therefore is unreasonable to conceive so it is all one to suppose that the forementioned change into a new creature can be made or those other things signified by crucifying the flesh and doing the words of Christ and walking after the spirit can be transacted by a dying person or in so little a time as ordinarily each sickness as is the forerunner and fore-warner of death is circumscribed with No these things are of greater import than thus at once and on a suddain to be dispatched it must be more than the work of a day or a week or a month ordinarily and that when we are in our best disposition to set about it which sure in sickness we are not to put off those old habits of sin which custom hath made pleasing and after a sort naturall to us and instead thereof to contract the contrary habits of righteousness and delighting to doe the will of God to wash away those staines of the soul which through the force of carnall lusts there inhabiting have been deeply inprinted in it and in their place to superinduce that divine
integrity and unweariedness in the service of Christ or lastly those quite contrary characters whereby especially in that Epistle to the Romans he describes a truly regenerate person will I think be enforced to grant that which good expositors Origines Chrysosto Theodor. Oecumenius Ambrosius Erasmus Bucerus Musculus both antient and modern declare to be their opinion herein namely that the Apostle in that Chapter doth as is not unusuall with him elsewhere viz. Rom. 3.7 1 Cor. 6.12.10.23.27.30 131.2 Gal. 20.18 personate another in himself that is speaks of a person that is supposed to be yet under the Law and to whom the grace of Christ shining forth in the promises of the Gospell is not known nor hath had any influence upon him shewing by instancing in himself the miserable condition of such a person and consequently must grant that those notes or affections which he there ascribes to the said person cannot belong to the Apostle as he was then being a regenerate person nor to any other that truly are so And this thing and so that perfection we here intend as necessary to salvation will better appear by observing the direct contrary notes to those set down in that Chapter as belonging to the person there described whereby a person truly regenerate is by the same Apostle elsewhere set forth to us Such are these that this person is one that hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 whereas the former is one in whom sin works all manner of concupiscence Rom. 7.8 This person is one in whom the body of sin that is sin it self is destroyed so that he is dead to sin and sin doth no longer live or reign in him Rom. 6.2.6.11.12.14 but the former is one in whom sin so lives that it kils him subjects him to death Rom. 7.9.10.11 Lastly this person is one that is no longer in the flesh Rom. 7.5 that is freed from sin Rom. 6.18.22 that walks not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.1.4 that by the Spirit mortifies the deeds of the flesh Rom. 8.13 and that is free from the Law of sin and also of death Rom. 8.2 but the former is one that is carnall sold under sin Rom. 7.14 that does not that good that he would but the evill that he would not v. 19. that is in captivity to the Law of sin v. 23. that is deteined by the body of death that is by death it self from which as one in misery he desires to be freed v. 24. All which being either formall or vertuall contradiction cannot agree to the same person at the same time and consequently imply that the temper of that person described in that chapter and made up of those qualities and conditions there assigned is not possibly reconcilable to that other constitution of a regenerate person marked by those properties elsewhere extant which wee have expressed no those doe truly manifest the state of this person to bee such as wee conceive to be necessary to bring any to the kingdome of heaven and that is a state of freedome from all habits and courses of sin 1. Joh. 4.3.9 c. 5.18 and an answerable habituall walking in the commandement of God and this St. John further confirms when he ascribes this great privilege and perfection to such a person saying that hee is such a one that sins not nor can sin 2. Though I think this perfection as I have expressed it to bee both a possible and necessary condition in this case yet I am not so far a Chatherist as to think that he cannot be a Christian that is not every way perfect or that commits the least offence against the precepts of Christ neither do I conceive either the former notes of a regenerate person or that which hath been last alleged out of St. John to imply that the said person is so righteous as never in the least thing to sin or offend but onely that he hath not as I have before expressed the habit of any sin and that he does not live in a course of sin but ordinarily and for the greatest part abstains from and avoids the committing of it and this I conceive may sufficiently appear by these following considerations 1. That mens actions are esteemed and so men themselves denominated from the greater part of them thus wee call him a sober person and temperate in the use of meat and drink who ordinarily or for the most part avoids all excesse in in this kind though sometimes it may happen that contrary to his constant wont and purpose he transgresse a just measure therein and thus also wee call him a liberall man who usually proportionably to his ability and as prudence shall direct gives of his own though sometimes it may fall out that in some thing he may not be liberall but may omit there to give where it is fit and there is truly need of it and so answeably he is to be esteemed and so is called in scripture a righteous person who doth righteousness as St. John saith that is who ordinarily practiseth and is really addicted to works of righteousness prescribed in the word though sometimes through common frailtie or inadvertency hee may do something that is not truly righteous or agreeable to the said rule 2. Because the word sin in the new testament is ordinarily wont and used to signifie not any one single act of sinning but either some grievous offence namely such as may argue the person guilty thereof to be involved in others not light crimes and which cannot consist with the fear of God in the same person or more and iterated acts of sinning as may appear from these places Luke 15.18 Ioh. 9.2.3 Rom. 6.15.2 Cor. 12.21.13.2 Heb. 3.17 3. Because those places of scripture which are used to set forth the state of unregenerate and regenerate persons are such as denote an habit or custome thus the former are said to walk and live after the flesh Rom. 8.1.13 and to live in sin Rom. 6.2 and to commit sin 1. Jo. 3.8 and the latter to walk and live after the Spirit Rom. 8.1 and to live godlily 2. Tim. 3.12 and to live according to God 1. Pet. 4. v. 6. as the word live notes our manner or course of living so the word walk answerably notes the accustomed actions of our life for as a way is often trod in so that which wee often and usually do is called our way and accordingly the Apostle exhorts us that wee should not suffer sin to reign in us nor yield our members to it as weapons of unrighteousness Rom. 6.12.13 by which forms of speech he requires that wee should bee exempted from the reign and dominion of sin but not simply from every act of it It is true according to the sense of Moses his law the single act of any one sin subjects a man to the curse but according to the law of liberty that is the Gospel of Christ not every