come to speak of the second truth supposed in the Text. That the Word of God is the Saints darling and delights not only their delight but in the plural number their delights that is as our Annotations say a Saint doth greatly delight in Gods Law or as Junius All the delight of a Saint is in Gods Law Gods word is the center of his delights Nisi lex tua erat omnis oblectatio mea Many were the troubles and sorrows of Davids life but against them all hee found as many comforts and delectations in Gods Word therefore he saith vers 29. Thy Testimonies are my delights c. and 143. Trouble and anguish have taken hold on mee yet thy Commandements are my delights And in the Text unless thy Law had been my delights c. Whilst others delight in vanity and iniquity whilst others take pleasure in hunting hawking carding dicing eating and drinking the Saints of God can Reasons why the Saints take so much delight in Gods Law say with Austin Sacrae Scripturae tuae sunt sanctae deliciae meae Thy holy Scriptures are my holy delights Quest Why do the Saints of God tale such delight in the Law of God Answ 1 Because they are spiritually illightened their eyes are opened to behold the glory and beauty and to understand the deep mysteries of the Law therefore David prayeth vers 18. Open thou mine eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law As the Apostle saith of the Jews 2 Cor. 3. 14 15 16. That to this day there is a vail over their hearts when Moses is read and when they shall turn to the Lord this vail shall bee removed So it is with Christians when a wicked man reads the word there is a vail over his eyes and over his heart and over the Scriptures The God of this world hath so blinded his eyes that hee cannot behold the beauty and glory of them but the True Saint hath this vail removed Christ hath anointed his eyes with his spiritual eye-salve hee seeth a surpassing excellency in the Word of God and therefore cannot but delight in it 2 Because they are not only illightened but regenerated And as children new born by the instinct of nature have a natural appetite to milk for conservation of their life so the new born Saint by the instinct of grace hath a spiritual appetite to the Word of God according to that of Saint Peter 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that you may grow thereby The Word of God is the Saints food and as it is impossible for a child unborn to desire food so for a man unregenerated to hunger after and take true pleasure in the Word and as it is impossible for a new born child not to delight in Milk so it is as impossible for a regenerate Christian not to delight in the Law of God 3 Because a true Saint hath the Law of God written in his heart according to that precious promise of the Covenant of grace Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts A Saints heart is the counterpane to Gods Law The Law is within his heart Psal 40.8 and as it is in the Hebrew in the midst of his bowels in medio vtscerum God hath infused a principle of grace into his inward parts whereby hee is not onely inclined but inabled to walk in all the Commandements of the Law blameless A true Saint hides the Law in his heart as a choice Jewel in a most precious Cabinet as David saith verse 9. I have hid thy Law in my heart Hid it as a rare treasure So doth every Saint and therefore cannot but delight in it 4 Because the same holy Spirit that wrote the word dwelleth in every true Saint It is certain that all Scripture is of Divine Inspiration and that the holy men of God spake as they were guided by the Holy Ghost And it is as certain That the same Holy Ghost dwelleth in every Saint Rom. 8. 11. And by vertue of the in-dwelling of the Spirit they are sweetly and powerfully drawn to make the Law of God their chiefest delight 5 Because it is Gods inditement and invention This reason is brought in the Text Unless thy Law c. It is the Law of that God in whom they delight It transcribes the minde and heart of God A true Saint seeth the Name Authority Power Wisdome and Goodness of God in every letter of it and therefore cannot but take pleasure in it It is an Epistle sent down to him from the God of heaven It is one of the greatest Love-tokens that ever God gave to his Church There are two great gifts that God hath given to his people The Word Christ and the Word of Christ Both are unspeakably great But the first will do us no good without the second 6 A true Saint cannot but delight in the word of God because it is his Inheritance vers 111. Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever for they are the rejoycing of my heart Therefore they were the rejoycing of his heart because they were his everlasting Inheritance 7 Because hee findes a sweetness in it Delight is nothing else but a passion of the soul arising from the sweetness of the object that we enjoy Things that are good present suitable and sweet are the object of our delights such is the word of God to every true Saint It is sweeter than the hony and the hony-comb Psal 19. 10. So also Psal 119.103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste yea sweeter than hony to my mouth A Saint must needs delight in it it is so suitable and so sweet 8 Because hee loves the Law Now that which wee love wee cannot but delight in when wee come to enjoy it A true Saint doth not onely love the Law but hee loves it exceedingly Psal 119.167 My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly A true Saint can say with David Psal 119.97 Oh how do I love thy Law and vers 127. I love they Commandements above gold yea above fine gold and vers 72. The Law of thy mouth is better to mee than thousands of gold and silver Now because the Saints of God are so inamoured with the Law of God therefore it is that they cannot but delight in it as David saith Psal 119.47 I will delight my self in thy Commandements which I have loved Hee that loves the Commandements as all Saints do cannot but delight in them Use This shews that there are but few true Saints amongst us There are many bastard Saints and nominal Saints but few true and real Saints Wee live in an age wherein there were never more Saints and never fewer never more by outward Profession and never fewer by a holy Conversation It is the property of a true Saint to make the word of God his darling and delights But where
God for above a year with great and most grievous pains shall at the close of her life when shee is upon the very brink of eternity have such a sweet refreshing and heart-chearing impression upon her spirit when heart fails and flesh fails When shee can hardly speak to express the greatnesse of her joy then to hear a voice as it were saying to her This day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise This in all probability was the voice of God and not of man This was the Lords doing and it is marveilous in our eyes I for bear saying any more Shee is gone from a prison to a palace from a purgatory to a Paradise Shee is at rest with God where all tears are wiped away from her eyes The Lord fit us by has grace to follow her in due time into the Kingdome of glory Amen Mris. Elizabeth Moores EVIDENCES FOR HEAVEN Collected by her self in the time of her health in such manner and method as they are here presented to Publick view 1 Her Design in this Collection IN the examination of my self I finde that my Aims and Ends why I desire to gather together and clear up my Evidences for Heaven if my deceitful heart doth not deceive mee are these following 1 THat hereby as a means I may bee inabled to glorifie God in Design 1 the great work of beleeving that hereby with Gods blessing the dimme eye of my Faith may more clearly see the Lord Jesus Christ to bee a Peace-maker and Reconciler and Surety for mee even for mee who am by nature a fire-brand of Hell The time was I am sure when I was the Devils picture and had the black brand of Reprobation upon mee and therefore it doth neerly concern mee to search and trye what Evidences I have to prove that God fetching Arguments out of his own bowels and the riches of his free grace hath redeemed mee out of this lost estate 2 MY Aime is to strengthen that Design 2 longed for grace of Assurance A grace which though it bee not of absolute necessity for the being and salvation yet it is of absolute necessity for the well being and consolation of a Christian without this grace I can neither live nor dye comfortably and I have been often exhorted by Gods faithful Ambassadors to gather together my Scripture Evidences and to have the approbation of some godly and experienced Minister or Christian and this by Gods blessing may bee a means to strengthen Assurance Yea I finde in Scripture that the Lord saith that the Priests lips shall preserve Mal. 3.7 knowledge and thou shalt seek the Law at his mouth for hee is the Messenger of the Lord of Hosts 3 MY Aime is to obey God in his Word who hath commanded Design 3 mee by his Apostle to work out my own Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1. 10. 2 Cor. 13. 5. salvation with fear and trembling and to give all diligence to make my calling and election sure And I am exhorted to examine my self and prove my self whether I bee in the faith or no know yee not saith the Apostle that Christ is in you except you bee reprobates And if any man bee in Christ bee is a new Creature old things are passed away and all things are become new Now then to prove whether I bee in deed and in truth born again is my desire at this time the Lord help mee and give mee a sincere and upright heart and guide mee herein by his holy Spirit for the honour of his holy Name 2 A brief Collection of her Evidences for Heaven Blessed bee God who hath through his free mercy begotten mee to a hope Evidence First that I am regenerated and born from above and converted unto God Reason Because the Lord hath gone the same usual way with mee as with those hee pleaseth to convert to himself and this I shall make to appear in five or six particulars 1 The Lord by his Spirit accompanying the preaching of his Word caused the scales to fall from my eyes and opened them and set up a clear light in my understanding and made mee to see sin to bee exceeding sinful out of measure sinful and to look on it as the loathsomest thing in the world and on my self as a loathsome creature in Gods sight and in my own sight by reason of the Leprosie of sin wherewith I was over-run 2 The Lord brought mee to see the misery that I was in by reason of my sins I thought I was utterly forsaken of God and I thought that God would never accept of such a wretch as I saw my self to bee I could not think otherwise but that hell was my portion and that I by reason of my sins must go thither expecting every day when the Lord would glorifie himself in my damnation I saw my self in more misery because of my sins than I could then or now expresse to any body I looked upon God as a consuming fire and on my self as stubble ready to bee consumed by him c. 3 The Lord brought mee to a spiritual astonishment that I cried out What shall I do to bee saved and said with Paul Lord what wouldest thou have mee to do Do but make known to thy poor creature what thy will is and I thought I could do any thing or suffer any thing for the Lord. But since I have had some more knowledge of the holy Will of God woe is mee what a barren and unfruitful heart have I a heart that can neither do nor suffer any thing for the Lord as I ought to do But this I can say that the astonishment I was in by the sight of my sins and the misery I was plunged into put mee on the performance of holy duties especially prayer 4 The Lord took mee off my own bottome off my own righteousness and made mee to see that that was but a sandy foundation and would not hold out I was not taken off from the performance of holy duties no I thought with my self that I am commanded by God to perform holy duties which is the way and means whereby wee may meet with God For hee is ordinarily to bee injoyed no where but in his own ordinances but the Lord took mee off from resting and trusting in Ordinances And as hee made mee to see that without the practise of them hee would not accept of mee so also hee made mee to know that it was not for holy duties for which I was accepted The sins that cleave to my best performances are enough for which the Lord may justly condemn mee if I had no other sins 5 The Lord brought mee to see a Superlative beauty and excellency in the Lord Jesus Christ and my soul was deeply in love with him even with whole Christ in all his offices and if I know any thing at all of my own heart I desired Christ as much to bee my King and Prophet to teach and guide mee and subdue mee
Disciples and makes them beleeve it is God that appears and not the Devil Thus hee appeared to Saul in the likenesse of Samuel And if God should now at this day discover his way of worship and his divine will by Revelations how easily would men bee deceived and mistake diabolical delusions for divine Revelations and therefore let us bless ' God for the written word which is surer and safer as to us than an immediate Revelation There are some that are apt to think that if an Angel should come from Heaven and reveal Gods will to them it would work more upon them than the written word but I would have these men study the conference between Abraham and Dives Luk. 16. 27 28 29 30 31. Habent Mosen Prophetas c. They have Moses and the Prophets if they will not profit by them neither would they profit by any that should come out of Hell or down from Heaven to them For it is the same God that speaks by his written Word and by a voice from Heaven The difference is only in the outward cloathing and therefore if Gods speaking by writing will not amend us No more will Gods speaking by a voice O bless God exceedingly for the written Word let us cleave close to it and not expect any Revelations from Heaven of new truths but say with the Apostle Gal. 1. 8 9. Use 2 Let us prize the Word of God Use 2 above gold yea above fine gold Let us read it diligently reverently praying to God to give us the same spirit that wrote it to inable us to understand it and conscienciously to practice it Let us make it the joy and rejoycing of our heart and as it is in the Text Let us make it our delights but of this I spake in the former point The only motive I shall now use to perswade you to make the Word your delights shall bee this in the Text. Because it will keep you from perishing in the time of your greatest affliction It will comfort you when you have most need of it that is under heart-sinking afflictions and at the hour of death and it will comfort you when all outward comforts and creatures fail It will bee food to strengthen your weak Faith physick to cure the remainders of corruptions it will bee a cordial to revive your drooping spirits and fainting souls It will make you more than conquerors over all temptations and distresses Quest But now the great question is How a child of God ought to manage and make use of the word of God so as to make it a conduit of support and comfort in the day of his greatest afflictions Answ To bee able to do this there is a great deal of spiritual wisdome and understanding required For the word to many people is like Sauls armour to David which was so cumbersome to him that hee could not wear it There are many know not how to use the Word so as to bee comforted by it As the woman of Samaria told Christ Joh. 4. 11. The well is deep and thou hast nothing to draw with So may I say The word of God is a deep well Isa 4. it is a well of salvation but it is deep and the deeper the sweeter but most people want buckets to draw with they want a spiritual Art to fetch out of these wells of salvation divine supportation and consolation and therefore to help you in this great work you must know That the word of God may bee divided into three parts Into Commanmandements The word of God divided into the commanding threatning and promising Word Threatnings and Promises And though a Christian must not neglect the commanding and threatning word yet if ever hee would make the word a channel of divine comfort hee must study the promising word for the promises are a Christians magna charta for Heaven All comfort must bee built upon a Scripture promise else it is presumption not true comfort The promises are pabulum fidei anima fidei the food of faith and the soul of faith As faith is the life of a Christian so the promises are the life of Faith Faith is a dead Faith if it hath no promise to quicken it As the Promises are of no use without Faith to apply them so Faith is of no use without a promise to lay hold on And the great reason why the people of God walk uncomfortably in their afflictions is because they do not chew the promises they are rare cordials but as a man cannot taste the sweetness of a cordial unless hee chew it no more can wee receive any spiritual refreshment from the promises unless wee meditate on them The promises are as a Mine full of rich treasure but as Mines unlesse wee digge deep into them wee can never get the gold and silver hid in them no more can wee injoy the soul-ravishing comfort of the promises unlesse wee digge into them by a serious consideration of them They are as a garden full of rare flowers able to sweeten any condition But because wee do not walk in this garden and pick out these flowers hence it is that wee live so disconsolately and dejectedly under our afflictions There are many rare stories declaring the comfort that some of Gods Saints have received from the promises in the day of their distress Mr. Bilney that blessed Martyr was much wounded in conscience by reason of the great sin hee committed in subscribing to the Popish errors but hee was much comforted by reading those words 1 Tim 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners of which I am the chief Beza was supported under his troubles by the words of Christ John 10.27 28 29. Mr. Bolton tells us of one that was upheld under great affliction and comforted from Isa 26. 3. Of another from Isa 57.15 I knew a young maid that went triumphantly to Heaven by the refreshing shee found in that well known Text Matth. 11. 28. and many that have been wonderfully cheared by reading the eight chapter of the Romans and by that Text 1 Joh. 3. 14. VVee know that wee have passed from death unto life because wee love the Brethren The truth is there is no promise but if God bee pleased to illighten it and shew us our interest in it will afford a harvest of joy It is with promises as it is with Sermons That Sermon which once heard did not at all work upon us the same Sermon heard at another time may exceedingly affect us And the same Text of Scripture which sometimes doth not at all comfort us may at another time convey much comfort to us Two men troubled in conscience may both of them read the same chapter and hear the same Sermon and one of them may have his troubled minde pacified and the other continue troubled and the reason is because the Spirit of God makes the Word
come in one day death and mourning and famine and shee shall bee utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her The Promises are a firm Foundation to build our salvation upon An Anchor both sure and stedfast When David was taken by the Philistins hee was so supported by the Promise of God that hee did not fear what man could do against him therefore hee repeats it three times Psal 56. 3. 10. In God I will praise his Word in God I will praise his Word in God I will praise his Word that is his Word of Promise I will not fear what flesh can do unto mee the Scripture builds all the hope and comfort of a Christian upon the faithfulness of God 1 Cor. 1. 9. God is faithful by whom c. 1 Thes 5. 23 24. 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithful who will not suffer you to bee tempted above that you are able c. 2 Thes 3. 3. The Lord is faithful who shall stablish you c. Heb. 10. 23. for hee is faithful that promised Memorable is that saying of David Psal 138. 2. For thou hast magnified thy Word above all thy name Which words are to bee understood as David Kimhâ—i and our English Annotations say Hysteron proteron that is thou hast by thy Word that is by performing thy Word and Promises Magnified thy name above all things or as Ainsworth Thy word of Promise in Christ and thy faithfulness in performing of it doth more exalt thy name than any thing by which thou art made known O then let all the Saints of God who are heirs of the Promises meditate frequently upon the preciousness freeness firmness unchangeableness and immutability of them 5 You must meditate upon the fulness and richness of the Promises The The fifth Meditation meditate on the richness of the Promises Promises are the Saints Magazin and spiritual treasure they are called the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3. 6. 7. It is one of the greatest titles belonging to a Saint to bee stiled an heir of the Promises That man Heb. 6.17 who hath a right to all the Promises in the Bible is the richest man in the Qui habet habentem omnia habet omnia world For God is his and hee that hath him that hath all things hath all things Christ is his and Christ is all in all the Spirit is his and hee who hath the Spirit hath all good things as appears by comparing Mat. 7. 11. with Luk. 11. 13. In the first it is said How much more shall your Father in Heaven give good things c. In the second How much more shall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit c. Grace and Glory and all outward good things are his It is said of the Great Duke of Guise that though hee was poor as to his present possessions yet hee was the richest man in France in Bills Bonds and Obligations because hee had ingaged all the Noble men in France unto himself by preferring of them A true and real Christian is the richest man in the World in Promises and Obligations for hee hath the great God ingaged by promise to bee his God and the God of his As Charles the first commanded his Herald in a challenge to Francis the first King of France to proclaim him with all his titles stiling him Emperour of Germany King of Castile Arragon Naples Sicily c. But Francis commanded his Herald to call him so often King of France as the other had titles by all his Countries implying that France alone was more worth than all his Countries So when a wicked man brags of his Lordships and great possessions when hee boasteth of his thousands a year a child of God may say God is mine God is mine c. I am richer than all the wicked men in the world 6 You must meditate on the latitude The sixth meditation meditate on the latitude and extension of the promises and extension of the Promises The Promises are the Saints Catholicon and Panacea There is no condition a child of God can bee in but hee may finde not only a Promise but a sutable and seasonable promise to comfort him in it And herein especially consisteth the spiritual excellency and heavenly wisdome of a Christian not only to study the Promises in general but to labour to finde out and having found out to meditate upon such kinde of Promises which are most sutable and most seasonable to the condition hee is in As for example If thou art poor in estate meditate on Psal 34. 10. Matth. 6. 33. Heb. 13. 5. If barren and without children meditate on Isa 56 5. If persecuted for Christs sake meditate on Matth. 5. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 12 13 14. Psal 94. 12. If sick and under tormenting pains meditate on Psal 50. 15. Isa 63. 9. Rom. 8. 28. If reproached standered and falsely accused meditate on Matth. 10.25 Matth. 5. 11 12. Luk. 6. 22 23. If Satan tempts thee and thou art not able to resist him meditate on Rom. 16. 20. 1 Cor. 10. 13. Gen. 3. 15. 1 Joh. 3. 8. If thy corruptions bee too strong for thee meditate on Rom. 6. 14. Micah 7. 19. If God hides his face from thee and thou sittest in darkness and seest no light meditate on Isa 50. 10. Isa 54. 7 8. If ready to faint in waiting upon God and in expecting the fulfilling of his Promises meditate on Isa 30. 18. Isa 63. 3. Isa 40. 28 29 30. Mal. 3. 1. If ready to dye and full of fears and doubts meditate on 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Hos 13. 14. Rev. 14. 13. 1 Cor. 3. 22 23. 2 Cor. 5. 1 8. 7 You must meditate on the variety of the Promises and their difference and distinction one from the other The seventh Meditation Meditate on the variety of the Promises The Promises are like unto the stars in the firmament 1 For their multitude they are very many The Scripture is bespangled with Promises as the Heavens are with stars It were happy if the Saints would prove spiritual Astronomers and make it their work to study the nature of these stars 2 For their beauty excellency and influence Every star is beautiful in its kinde and very useful and advantageous so are the Promises And as the stars are most comfortable in the darkness of the night so are the promises in the night of trouble and adversity 3 And especially for their distinction and difference For one star differeth from another in glory 1 Cor. 15. 41. There is one glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars So do the Promises differ exceedingly one from the other in beauty and excellency Some are temporal some spiritual some of things that are eternal Some are conditional some absolute some are Promises to those that have grace some are promises of grace some are general others particular Some are Original Fundamental and Fountain-Promises as
Peter or a Job God would do to mee as hee did to them but I am a poor weak unworthy creature not worthy to bee named that day in which these are named But consider If thou beest a member of Christs body though but as the Toe Christ will have a care of thee If a childe of God though but weak and sickly thy heavenly Father will provide for thee A Father is tender of every childe and a man of every member of his body so will God bee of all those who belong to him though but babes in Christ Rule 9. The promises of the Gospel are all concatenated If thou hast a true The ninth Rule for the right application of the promises Jam. 2. 10. right to any one promise to which heaven is annexed thou hast a right to all the other As the Commandements of God are chained together hee that breaks one breaks all and hee that sincerely labours to keep one Quicquid propter Deum fit aequaliter fit Mat. 5.3 8 will labour to keep all according to that Rule Whatsoever is done for God is done equally And as the graces of God are linked together and therefore heaven is sometimes promised to our grace because he that hath one saving grace hath all so also are the promises joyned together hee that hath a right to one hath a right to all For they are all but one and the same for substance They are all the fruit of the same free love in God They are all the branches of the same covenant of grace And therefore if thou hast a right to the Covenant thou hast a right to all the Promises they all carry us to Christ and meet in Christ and are in him yea and in him Amen and therefore if thou hast a right to Christ thou hast a right to all This is a point of singular comfort in the worst of daies and dangers For sometimes a child of God under great afflictions can lay hold upon one promise and not upon another and some can apply those which others cannot and others those which they cannot Let all such know for their great comfort That hee that hath right to one branch of the Covenant hath right to all hee that hath let fall a chain of gold consisting of divers links into the water if hee can catch hold upon any one of the links hee will easily get out the whole chain The Promises are like to a golden chain with divers links lay hold upon one aright and this will assure thee of thy interest in all the rest I have known many yea very many who have died with a great deal of comfort from the application of that one Text 1 John 3. 14. unto their own condition Wee know that we have passed from death unto life because wee love the Brethren When all other evidences failed them and all other Texts of Scripture afforded them no comfort here they anchored here they found rest for their souls They blessed God that they could say that they loved the Brethren and loved them not for any outward respects but because of the image of God in them and they loved them when poor as well as when rich and the more they had of God the more they loved them and they loved them even when they were reproved by them of their faults And upon this one plank they swamme safely and comfortably unto the haven of eternal happinesse Rule 10. If thy condition bee so sad and thy melancholy so excessive that thou canst The tenth Rule for the right Application of the Promises not lay hold upon any promise yet notwithstanding look towards it Say as Jonah when hee was in the Whales belly Jonah 2. 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again toward thy holy temple The Temple was a type of Christ Though thou canst not apply Christ to thy soul for thy comfort yet look towards him and if thou canst not come to him hee will come to thee if thou canst not apprehend him hee will apprehend thee Phil. 3. 12 As the Loadstone will draw the Iron though the Iron cannot draw the Loadstone so will Christ thy heavenly loadstone draw thee to the Promise though thou canst not draw thy self to it No man can come to mee saith Christ except the Father draw him pray therefore with the Church John 6.44 Can. 1.4 Draw mee and wee will run after thee Rule 11 Pray unto God to give thee spiritual eyes to behold thy interest in the The eleventh Rule for the right Application of the Promises Promises For as it is God who makes them so it is he only who can irraditate them and open thy eyes to see thy right in them It is with Promises as I have said as with chapters and sermons A man may read a Chapter and hear a Sermon and taste no sweetness in them at one time and at another time taste much sweetnesse in them as God is pleased to co-operate with the reading of the one and hearing of the other So it is with the Promises and therefore pray unto God to lighten thine eyes that thou sleep not the sleep Psal 13.3 Rev. 3. 18 of death Pray unto Christ to anoint thine eyes with his spiritual eye-salve And to cause thee to hope in his Word of Promise according to that excellent prayer of David Remember the Word unto thy Servant upon which Psal 119. 49. thou hast caused mee to hope It is God must cause us to hope and trust in his Promises or else wee shall never bee able God hath given thee eyes to see thy misery O pray for eyes to see his mercy The Church of Laodicea wanted eyes to see her misery Shee was miserable Rev. 3. 17 and naked and knew it not Thou hast eyes to see thy undone condition out of Christ Pray for eyes to behold the riches of mercy that are in Christ and his willingness to receive all that come to him Rule 12 Pray unto God not only to give The twelfth Rule for the right Application also of the Promises thee spiritual eyes to see thy interest in the Promises but a spiritual hand to inable thee to apply them to thine own soul in particular By this spiritual hand I mean A Christ-appropriating Faith Justifying Faith is as it were the hand of the soul by which wee appropriate Christ and all the Promises as belonging to us in particular Now Faith is the gift of God Pray for the Spirit of Faith And for your incouragement Ephes 2.8 consider that the Spirit is called The Promise of the Father and that holy Spirit of Promise And Act. 1. 4 Ephes 1. 13. God hath promised to give the Spirit to those who ask for it If yee then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your children how much more shall Luk. 11. 13 your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to
them that ask him The office of the holy Spirit is first to seal grace and then to seal to grace First the Spirit sanctifieth us then it witnesseth to our Ephes 1. 13 Spirits that wee are sanctified Pray therefore unto God that hee would not only work grace in you but witness unto the grace which hee hath wrought Pray for the sanctifying and sealing work of the Spirit That hee would not onely fit you to have an interest in the promises but assure you of your interest in them Rule 13. Study thy interest in the promises in the time of health and outward The 13. Rule for the right Application of the Promises prosperity For I find by experience that a childe of God under outward affliction or divine desertion or extream melancholy is many times like a man in the dark A man in the dark cannot though never so learned read in a book of the clearest print or fairest character hee cannot though never so active undertake any thing of weight No more can a childe of God in the hour of distress read his evidences for heaven much less study to finde out evidences hee looks upon all the promises with a black pair of spectacles and wants light to see his interest in them When Sion was in distress shee said God had forsaken Isa 49. 14. Psal 116. 11. her and her Lord had forgotten her When David was persecuted by Saul hee said in his haste All men were liars and when Samuel himself who had told him that God would bestow the Kingdome on him hee Psal 31. 22. Psal 88. 3. 14 15 16 17 18. said in his haste hee was cut off from before Gods eyes Thus did Heman Christ himself cried out when hee was upon the Cross with a loud voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee As men in Agues and Feavers are not fit judges of meats and drinks whether they bee good or bad because their pallats are out of taste So a distressed Christian when under extream melancholy divine desertion or some great affliction is no fit judge at such a time of his interest in the promises And therefore my advice is Make out thy interest in time of prosperity and live upon it in time of adversity Make and read over thy evidences for heaven in time of health and learn then by heart that when thou comest into a dark condition thou mayest neither have them to make or to read Do as Tamar did Gen. 38. 18. 25. When Judah her Father in law lay with her shee took as a pledge his signet bracekets and staffe And afterward when shee was in great distress and ready to bee burn't as a Harlot shee then brought her staffe and signet and bracelets and said By the man whose these are am I with childe and thereby shee saved her life So must you do In time of health study thy interest in the promises and in time of sickness live upon what thou hast studied then bring forth thy staffe and bracelets c. then produce thy evidences and make use of them as spiritual butteresses to keep thee from falling into despair Mrs. Diggons dwelling with Mr. Moor in Aldermanbury I knew a very godly woman not unknown to many here who in her life time had taken a great deal or pain to compose and write down her evidences for heaven and who also kept a Diary of her life and wrote down how shee spent every day when shee lay upon her death-bed it pleased God to with-draw himself from her for a while and to let the Devil loose who tempted her to despair told her shee was an Hypocrite a Formalist and that shee had no true grace in her Shee sent for mee made her bitter complaint to mee and sadly bewayled her condition Then shee told mee which before I knew not how shee had spent her life how careful shee had been in searching her wayes in observing how shee spent every day and how exact in collecting evidences for heaven the book was sent for I read a great part of it to her and took much delight and content in what I read And it pleased God to come in to her with comfort in the reading of it Shee shewed her staffe and her bracelets and thereby quenched the fiery darts of the Devil Thus I have in three Sermons taught you how to make use of Scripture-promises as conduits of soul-supportation and soul-consolation in the day of distress When you hereafter read the Bible remember the promising-word as well as the commanding and threatning word make a Catalogue of the promises meditate upon the pretiousness freeness usefulness latitude richness and immutability of them They are as certain as God himself they have the strength of God the comforts of God and assistance of God in them Above all labour to make application of them to your own soul For this purpose study these thirteen Rules and Directions Pray unto God to give thee spiritual eyes to see thy interest in them and spiritual hands to reach out after them Pray to God to give thee spiritual ability to act faith upon the promises to draw vertue from them as the woman who had the bloody issue did from Christ to suck out all the sweetness that is in them to hang upon them as the woman did upon the Prophet and as a Bee doth upon a flower and by application of them to thy soul to live in God and on God here till thou comest to enjoy the blessings promised with God for ever in heaven There is one Objection behinde which when I have answered I have done For a distressed Christian will object and say Object Though the promises are rare cordials and shall all of them bee certainly fulfilled yet God is oftentimes long before hee fulfills them and while God is fulfilling of his promises I may in the mean time perish in my affliction Ans It cannot be denied but that God is oftentimes very long in fulfilling his promises He promised that the seed Gen. 3.15 Luk. 18.7 8. of the woman should bruise the Serpents head but it was Four thousand years before that promise was actually accomplished Hee promiseth to avenge his elect of all their enemies to do it speedily And the souls under the Altar cry How long Lord when wilt Rev. 6.10 thou avenge our blood c. But this is not yet fulfilled Nay I must adde That God is not onely a long time performing his promises but sometimes instead of performing them hee seems to the eye of flesh and blood to walk contrary to them Sometimes the Providences of God run cross to his Promises God promised to make David King instead of this hee is persecuted by Saul as a Partridge upon the mountains hee is driven to that extremity that hee begins to doubt of Gods promise and to say That one day hee should dye by the hand of Saul God promised to Joseph That the
mee or I have relation to them in regard of outward obligations but because they bear the image of God upon them and manifest it in their holy conversation I love them whether rich or poor And though I did never know some of them but only hear of their holiness and piety yet I could not but exceedingly love such Therefore I hope that I am passed from death to life because I love the Brethren 1 Joh. 3. 14. I do not only love God and the Evidence Twelfth children of God but I labour to keep his Commandements and they are not grievous to mee But I pray with 1 John 5. 3 David O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Lord inlarge my Psal 119. 5. v. 32 34 heart and I will run the wayes of thy Commandements Give mee understanding and I shall keep thy Law yea I shall observe it with my whole heart for therein do I delight I finde I am one that is very thirsty after Jesus Christ and the grace of E ∣ vidence Thir ∣ teenth Christ and I thirst to have his image more and more stamped upon mee and I would fain bee assured by Gods Spirit that I am transplanted into Christ and therefore I long and indeavour after a true and lively Faith because that Grace is a soul transplanting and uniting grace Now Christ hath promised to satisfie the thirsty Matth. 5. 6. and such Christ hath earnestly invited to come though they have nothing to bring but what may make against themselves yet to come empty and hee hath promised to fill them Isa 55. 1 2. I am willing to confesse and with all my heart to forsake all my sins I am E ∣ vidence Four ∣ teenth willing to give glory to God in taking shame unto my self I acknowledge my self a guilty malefactor and judge my self worthy of the just condemnation of the righteous Judge of all the earth And I do not only confess my sins but with all my heart I desire to forsake them and to turn to the Lord Now hee hath said he will have mercy on such and will abundantly pardon them For his thoughts are not as our thoughts nor his wayes as our wayes Isa 55. 7 8. It is my constant indeavour to dye to sin to live to newness of life And this is my comfort and hope that hee who hath begun a good work in mee will perfect it For it is hee that worketh all our works in us and for us Isa 26. 12. and hee that hath wrought in mee to will to do that which is pleasing in his fight will work in mee to do also and that of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. I hope I am one whom God hath taken into Covenant with himself because Evidence Fifteenth hee hath bestowed upon mee the fruits of the Covenant because hee hath circumcised my heart to love him and hath put his fear into mee and hath wrought an universal change in mee and hath given mee a new heart and a new spirit yea his own spirit which hee hath put within mee even the Spirit of Truth which will guide mee into all Truth It is his own promise to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it of him as I have done often Luk. 11. 13. and I hope that God will make it in his due time a witnessing and a comforting Spirit I will wait upon him for the accomplishment of all his promises both of grace and to grace Hee hath said hee will bee a sun and a shield hee will give grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that walk uprightly And hee hath promised to subdue our sins for us and hath said that sin shall not have Dominion over us Rom. 6. 14. that hee will bee our God and wee shall bee his children and hee will save us from all our uncleannesses I hope I have a share in this blessed Covenant of free grace As for my Affliction that lieth upon Evidence Sixteenth mee though it bee in it self very heavy I much more desire the sanctification of it than the removal I earnestly labour to learn all those lessons which God teacheth mee by affliction I know I should not bee scourged nor bee in tribulation but that I have need of it it is for my profit to make mee partaker of his holinesse Afflictions are an evidence of Sonship Heb. 12. 6 7 8. God hath promised that all things shall work together for good to them that love and fear Rom. 8. 28. him And I have had much experience of his faithfulness who hath not suffered mee to bee tempted above what hee hath inabled mee to bear therefore I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Hee hath chastized mee less than mine iniquities deserve Hee chastizeth mee here that hee may not condemn mee hereafter Faith is the condition of salvation Beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and E ∣ vidence Seven ∣ teenth thou shalt bee saved And this is his Commandement that we should beleeve in his Act. 16.31 1 John 3. 23. Son Jesus Christ Now I finde nothing so hard to mee as to beleeve aright to cast away all my own Righteousness as dung in point of justification and to cast away all my unrighteousness so as that bee no bar to mee and to role and cast and venter my immortal soul upon Jesus Christ and his Righteousnesse for life and salvation by him alone and to see my self compleat in him this is supernatural Yet I must and will give glory to God and say Lord I beleeve help thou my unbeleef And by this I prove that this precious grace of Faith is wrought in mee because Jesus Christ is to mee very precious and I finde in the Word that to them that beleeve hee 1 Pet. 2.7 is precious and I am willing to take Christ upon his own termes as hee is tendred in the Gospel and am willing to give up my self soul and body wholly to him and my love to God and to the children of God is a fruit of my Faith as also my desire to bee made like unto him For hee that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as hee is pure 1 John 3. 3. And I trust that I am kept by the power of God through Faith unto salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. I know whom I have beleeved and I am perswadad that hee is able and willing to keep that which I have committed unto him which is my immortal soul 2 Tim. 1. 12. Thus I have according to the Apostles exhortation indeavoured to give a reason of the hope that is in mee What have I but what I have received The desire of my soul is that God may have all the glory And if I bee deceived the Lord for Christs sake undeceive mee and grant that if I have not true grace I may not think I have and so bee in a fools Paradise And the Lord that is my heart-maker bee my heart-searcher and my heart-discoverer and my heart-reformer Amen FINIS