good in Books and to heare good of men that are dead but they cannot indure good in the lives of others to be in their eyes especially when they come to compare themselves with them they love not to be out-sh ined As the Sunne goes his course though we cannot see it goe and as plants and herbes grow though we cannot perceive them even so it followes not that a Christian growes not because hee cannot see himselfe grow but if they decay in their first love or in some other grace it is that some other grace may grow and increase as their humilitie their broken heartednesse sometimes they grow not in extention that they may grow at the roote upon a checke grace breakes out more as wee say after a hard Winter usually there followes a glorious Spring Gods children never hate corruption more than when they have bin overcome by corruption the best men living have some corruptions which they see not till they breake out by temptations Now when corruptioÌ„s are made knowne to us it stirres up our hatred and hatred stirs up endeavour and endeavour revenge so that Gods children should not be discouraged for their falls When the truth of grace is wrought in a Christian his desires goe beyond his strength and his prayers are answerable to his desires Whereupon it is that young Christians often times call their estate in question because they cannot bring heaven upon earth because they cannot be perfect but God will have us depend upon him for increase of Grace in a daily expectation Christ is our Patterne whom wee must strive to imitate its necessary that our Patterne should be exact that so wee might see our imperfections and be humbled for them and live by faith in our sanctification Consider Christ upon the Crosse as a publique person that when he was crucified and when hee died hee died for my sins and this knowledge of Christ will be a crucifying knowledge this will stirre up my heart â—o use my corruptions as my sinnes used Christ as hee hated my sinne so it will worke the same disposition in mee to hate this body of death and to use it as it used Christ answerably as we see this clearely it will transforme us With our Contemplation let us joyne this kind of reasoning God so hated pride that hee became humble to the death of the Crosse to redeeme mee from it and shall I be proud and when wee are stirred up to revenge consider that Christ prayed for his enemies when we are tempted to disobedience thinke God in my nature was obedient to the death and shall I stand upon termes and when wee grow hard hearted consider Christ became man that he might shew bowels of his mercy let us reason thus when we are tempted to any sinne and it will be a meanes to transforme us from our owne cursed likenesse into the likenesse of Christ. When wee see God blasphemed or the like let us thinke how would Christ stand affected if he were here when hee was here upon earth how zealous was hee against prophanenesse and shall I be so cold when hee saw the multitude wander as sheepe without a Shepheard his bowells yearned and shall wee see so many poore soules live in darkenesse and our bowells not yearne Wee must looke upon Christ not onely for healing but as a perfect patterne to imitate for wherefore else did hee live so long upon the earth but to shew us an example And let us know that wee shall be countable for those good examples which we have from others there is not an example of an humble holy and industrious life but shall be laid to our charge for God doth purposely let them shine in our eyes that we might take example by them As the spirits in the arteries quickens the blood in the veines so the Spirit of God goes along with the Word and makes it worke Saint Paul speakes to Lydia but the Spirit speakes to her heart As it was with Christ himselfe so it is with his members Hee was conceived by the Spirit anointed by the Spirit sealed by the Spirit hee was led into the Wildernesse by the Spirit he offered up himselfe by the Spirit and by the Spirit hee was raised from the dead even so the members of Christ doe answer unto Christ himselfe all is by the Spirit we are conceived by the Spirit the same Spirit that sanctified him sanctifies us but first wee receive the Spirit by way of Vnion and then Vnction followes after when we are knit to Christ by the Spirit then it workes the same in us as it did in him When a proud wit and supernaturall truths meete together such a man will have some thing of his owne therefore in reading and studying of heavenly Truths especially the Gospell wee must come to God for his Spirit and not venture upon conceits of our owne parts for God will curse such proud attempts Many men thinke that the knowledge of divine Truths will make them divine whereas it is the holy Ghost onely that gives a taste and rellish for without the Spirit their hearts will rise when the Word comes to them in particular and tells them you must denie your selfe and venture your life for his truth When men understand the Scriptures and yet are proud and malicious wee must not take scandall at it for their hearts were never subdued they understand supernaturall things by humane reason and not by divine light Those that measure lands are very exact in every thing but the poore man whose it is knowes the use of the ground better and delights in it more because it is his owne so it is with those Ministers that can exactly speake of heavenly truths yet have no share in them but the poore soule that heares them rejoyceth and saith these things are mine This life is a life of Faith for God will trie the truth of our faith that the world may see that God hath such servants as will depend upon his bare Word it were nothing to be a Christian if wee should see all here but God will have his children to live by Faith and take the promises upon his Word The nature of Hope is to expect that which Faith beleeves what could the joyes of heaven availe us if it were not for our Hope it is the Anchor of the soule which being cast in heaven it stills the soule in all troubles combustions and confusions that we daily meete withall It is too much curiositie to search into particulars as what shall be the glory of the soule and what shall be the glory of the body rather study to make a gracious use of them and in humility say Lord what is sinfull man that thou should'st so advance him The consideration of this should make us abase our selves and in humilitie give thankes afore hand as Peter did 1 Pet. 1. 1. when hee thought of an inheritance immortall and undefiled and that fadeth not hee gives
Promise good or to disappoint us and he will be sure to make it good in our forgivenesse of sinne proceeding in Grace and strength against temptations in time of trouble Man is naturally of a short spirit so that if hee have not what hee would and when he would hee gives up and shakes off all there is not a greater difference betweene a child of God and one that wants faith then to be hastie such men though they may be civill yet they are of this minde they will labour to be sure of some thing here they must have present pleasures and present profits if God will save them in that way so if not they will put it to a venture There be many things to hinder this Grace of waiting there is a great deale oftedious time and many crosses wee meete with as the scorne and reproach of this world and many other trialls God seemes also to doe nothing lesse than to performe his promise but le ts comfort our selves with this that hee waites to doe them good that waite on him Wee should labour to agree mutually in love for that wherein any Christian differs from another it is but in petty things grace knowes no differeÌ„ce the Wormes know no difference the day of judgement knowes no difference In the worst things wee are all alike base and in the best things wee are all alike happy onely in this world God will have distinctions for order sake but else there is no difference Christians are like to many men of great meanes that know not how to make use of them we live not like our selves bring large Faith and wee shall have large Grace and comfort wee are scanted in our owne bowells therefore labour to have a large Faith answerable to our largeâ— Riches And though Christians be low enough in outward things and often times poorer than other men yet they are rich for Christ is rich unto them in their crosses and abasements that which they want in this world shall be made up in grace and glory hereafter Wee ought daily to imitate Christ in our places to be good to all as the Apostle saith be abundant alwayes in the workes of the Lord le ts labour to have large hearts that we may doe it seasonably and abundantly and unweariably the love of Christ will breede in us the same impression that was in him None come to God without Christ none come to Christ without Faith none come to Faith without the meanes none enjoy the meanes but where God hath sent it therefore where there was no meanes of salvation before the comming of Christ there was no visible intendment of God ordinarily to save them Preventing mercy is the greatest how many favours doth God prevent us with Wee never asked for our being nor for that tender love which our Parents bore towards us in our tender yeares we never asked for our Baptisme and ingrafting into Christ What a motive therefore is that to stirre us up that when we come to yeares wee may pleade with the Lord and say Thou hadst a care of mee before I had a being and therefore much more wilt thou now have a care of mee whom thou hast reconciled unto thy selfe and remember me in mercie for time to come If Gods mercy might be overcome with our sinnes wee should overcome it every day it must be a rich mercy that must satisfie and therefore the Apostle never speakes of it without the extensions of love the height and depth wee want words we want thoughts to conceive of it wee should therefore labour to frame our soules to have rich and large conceits and apprehensions of so large mercie God is rich in mercy not onely to our soules but in providing all wee stand in neede of Hee keepes us from ill and so hee is called a Buckler He gives us all good things and so he is called a Sunne Hee keepes us in good estate and advanceth us higher so farre as our nature shall be capable The Sunne shines on the Moone and Starres and they shine upon the earth so doth God shine in goodnesse upon us that we might shine in our extentions of goodnesse unto others especially unto them of the houshold of Faith Wee are stiled in Scripture to be good and righteous because our understandings our wills and affections are our owne but so farre as they are holy they are the holy Ghosts we are the principle in our actions as they are actions but the holy Ghost is principle of the holinesse of the action the gracious governement of the new creature is from the Spirit if the holy Ghost take away his Governement and doe not guide and assist us in every holy action wee are at a stand and can goe no further Every man naturally is a God unto himselfe not onely in reflecting all upon himselfe but in setting upon divine things in his owne strength as if hee were principall in his owne actions comming to them in the strength of his owne wit and in the strength of his owne reason this seed is in all men by nature untill God have turned a man out of himselfe by the power of the holy Ghost Those that care not for the Word they are strangers from the Spirit and those that care not for the Spirit never make right use of the word the word is nothing without the Spirit it is animated and quickned by the Spirit the Spirit and the Word are like the veines and arteries in the body that give quickning and life to the whole body and therefore where the Word is most revealed there is most Spirit but where Christ is not opened in the Gospell there the Spirit is not at all visible When Christ comes into the soule by the Spirit then hee carrieâ— himselfe famiâ—iarly discovering the secrets of God the Father and shewing what love there is in God towards us it teacheth us how to carry our selves in all neglects and when we are at a losse it opens a way for us it resolves our doubts it comforts us in our discouragements and makes us goe boldly to God in all our wants As wee may know who dwells in a house by observing who goes in and them that come out so we may know that the Spirit dwells in us by observing what sanctified speeches hee sends forth and what delight hee hath wrought in us to things that are speciall and what price wee set upon them whereas a carnall man pulls downe the price of spirituall things because his soule cleaves to some thing that hee joyes in more and this is the cause why hee slights the directions and comforts of the Word but those in whom the Spirit dwells they will consult with it and not regard what flesh and blood saith but will follow the directions of the Word and Spirit A Christian will not doe common things but first hee sanctifies them and dedicates himselfe his person and his actions to God and so sees
and have a care to sanctifie the Lords Day Revel 1. 10. Iohn was ravished in the Spirit on the Lords Day God takes nothing away from his children but instead thereof hee gives them that which is better happy is that selfe-deniall that is made up with joy in God Happy is that povertie that is made up with Grace and comfort Therefore let us not feare any thing that God shall call us unto in this world It is hard to perswade flesh and bloud hereunto but those that finde the experience of this as Christians doe finde withall perticular comforts flowing from the presence of Christs Spirit Saint Paul would not have wanted his whippings to have missed his comforts Christ doth chiefely manifest himselfe unto the Christian soule in times of affliction because then the soule unites it selfe most to Christ for the soule in time of prosperitie scatters and looseth it selfe in the creature but there is an uniting power in afflictions to make the soule gather it selfe to God Christ tooke upon him our nature and in that nature suffered hunger and was subject to all infirmities therefore when wee are put to paines in our callings to troubles for a good conscience or to any hardshippe in the world wee must labour for contentment because we are hardly made conformable unto Christ. There is not any thing or any condition that befalls a Christian in this life but there is a generall Rule in the Scripture for it and this Rule is quickned by Example because it is a practicall knowledge God doth not onely write his Law in naked Commandements but hee enlivens these with the practise of some one or other of his servants who can read Davids Psalmes but hee shall read himselfe in them He cannot be in any trouble but David is in the same c. As children in the wombe have eyes and eares not for that place but for a civill life afterwards among men where they shall have use of all members even so our life here is not for this world onely but for another we have large capacities large memories large affections large expectations God doth not give us large capacities and large affections for this world but for heaven and heavenly things Take a Christian that hath studied mortification you shall see the life of Iesus in his sicknesse in a great deale of patience and heavenly mindednesse when his condition is above his power his strength above his condition As men doe cherish young plants at first and doe fence them about with hedges and other things to keepe them from hurt but when they are growne they remove them and then leave them to the winde and weather so God be sets his children first with proppes of inward comforts but afterwards he exposes them to stormes and windes because they are better able to beare it Therefore let no man thinke himselfe the better because hee is free from troubles it is because God sees him not fit to beare greater When wee read the Scriptures we should read to take out some thing for our selves as when wee read any Promise this is mine when wee read any Prerogative this is mine it was written for me as the Apostle saith What soever was written aforetime was written for our learning c. As the Spirit is necessary to worke faith at the first so is it necessary also to every act of Faith for Faith cannot act upon occasion but by the Spirit and therefore wee should not attempt to doe or to suffer any thing rashly but begge the Spirit of God and waite for the assistance because according to the increase of our troubles must our Faith be increased for the life of a Christian is not onely to have the Spirit worke Faith at first but upon all occasions to raise up our former graces for Faith stirres up all other graces and holds every grace to the Word and so long as Faith continues we keepe all other graces in exercise There is no true Christian but hath a publike spirit to seeke the good of others because as soone as he is a Christian hee labours for selfe deniall he knowes hee must give up himselfe and all to God so that his spirit is inlarged in measure unto God and to the Church and therefore the greater portion a man hath of the Spirit of Christ the more he seekes the good of others If we would have hearts to praise God we must labour to see every thing we receive from God to be of Grace and abundance of Grace answerable to the degrees of good whatsoever wee have more than nature is abundant Grace whatsoever wee have as Christians though poore and distressed in our passage to heaven is abundant Grace There are three maine parts of our salvation first a true knowledge of our misery and secondly the knowledge of our deliverance and then to live a life answerable The holy Ghost can onely worke these he onely convinceth of sinne and where hee truly convinceth of sinne there also of righteousnesse and then of judgements That wee may be convinced of sinne the Spirit must worke a cleare and commanding demonstration of our conditionin nature It takes away therefore all cavills turnings and windings even as when wee see the Sunne shine wee know it is day the Spirit not onely convinceth in generalls that wee are all sinners but in particulars and that strongly Thou art the man this convincing is also vniversall of sinnes of nature of sinnes of life sinnes of the Vnderstanding of the Will and of the Affections of the misery of sinne of the danger of sinne of the solly and madnesse of sinne of sinnes against so many motives so many favours proud Nature armes it selfe with deftnesse strong translations strong mitigations It s necessary therefore that the holy Ghost should joyne with mens consciences to make them confesse I am the man The convincing of the Spirit may be knowne from common conviction of conscience by this that naturall conviction is weake like a little Sparke and convinceth onely of breaches of the second Table and not of Evangelicall sinnes Againe common conviction is against a mans will it makes him not the better man onely he is tortured and tormented but a man that is convinced by the Spirit hee joynes with the Spirit against himselfe hee accuseth himselfe hee takes Gods part against himselfe hee is willing to be laid open that hee may finde the greater mercie It is not enough to know that there is a righteousnesse of Christ but the Spirit must open the eyes of the soule to see else we shall have a naturall knowledge of supernaturall things It s necessary to have a supernaturall sight to see supernaturall things so as to change the soule and therefore the Spirit onely workes Faith to see Christ is mine Further onely the Spirit can worke the conscience to be quiet because he is greater than the conscience and can answer all inward objections and cavills of flesh and blood
unlesse therefore the holy Ghost apply what Christ hath done the conscience will not be satisfied The best men in the estate of Grace would be in darkenesse and call their state into question if the holy Ghost did not convince them and answer all cavills for them and therefore we must not onely be convinced at the first by the Spirit but in our continued course of Christianity This therefore should make us to come to Gods Ordinances with a holy devotion Oh Lord vouch safe the Spirit of Revelation and take the scales from mine eyes that as these are truths so they may be truths to me doe thou sway my soule that I may cast my selfe upon thy mercy in Christ. Spirituall convincing is not totall in this life but alwayes leaves in the heart some dregges of doubting though the soule be safe for the maine as a shippe that rides at anchor is tossed and troubled but the anchor holds it so it is with the soule that is convinced weakely it is sure of the maine yet it is tossed with many doubts and feares but the anchor is in heaven The Spirit of God doth so farre convince every Christian of the Righteousnesse of Christ as preserves in him such a power of Grace as to cast himselfe upon the mercy of God God will send his Spirit so farre into the heart as it shall not betray it selfe to despaire he will let such a beame into the soule as all the powers of hell shall not quench When we neglect prayer and set upon duties in our owne strength and in confidence of our owne parts if we belong to God we shall be sure to miscarrie though another man perhappes may prosper and therefore wee should be continually dependant upon God for his direction and for his blessing in whatsoever wee goe about As many women because they will not endure the paine of childbirth doe kill their children in the wombe so many men who will not be troubled with holy actions doe stifle holy motions therefore let us take hee de of murdering the motions of the holy Spirit but let us entertaine them that when they are kindled they may turne to resolution and resolution into practise This is a common Rule that wee cannot converse with company that are not spirituall but if they vexe us not they will taint us unlesse we be put upon them in our callings wee should therefore make speciall choise of our company and walke in a continuall watchfulnesse It is rebellion against God for a man to make away himselfe the very Heathens could say that we must not goe out of our station till wee be called It is the voyce of Satan Cast thy self down but what saith S. Paul to the Iaylor Do thy self no harme for we are all here Wee should so carry our selves that wee may be content to stay here till God hath done that worke he hath to doe in us and by us and then he will call us hence in the best time He is a valiant man that can command himselfe to be miserable and hee that cannot command himselfe to endure some bondage and disgrace in the world it argues weakenesse Christ could have come downe from the Crosse but he shewed his strength and power by enduring their reproaches and torments The reason why many Christians stagger and are so full of doubts is because they are idle and labour not to grow in grace therefore we should labour to grow in knowledge and mortification for in that way wee come to assurance Whatsoever good is in a naturall man is depraved by a selfe-end selfe-love rules all his actions hee keepes within himselfe and makes for himselfe he is a god to himselfe God is but his Idoll This is true of all naturall men in the world they make themselves their last end and where the end is depraved the whole course is corrupted The sense of assured hope cannot be maintained without a great deale of paines diligence and watchfulnesse 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your calling election sure Insinuating that it will not be had without it it is the diligent and watchfull Christian that hath this assurance otherwise the holy Ghost will suffer us to be in a dampe and under a cloud if wee stirre not up the Graces of the Spirit It is grace in the Exercise and love in the Exercise that 's an earnest and so Faith and Hope in the Exercise is an earnest Iâ— Grace be asleepe you may have Grace and not know it therefore wee should labour to put our graces into exercise Those that have assurance of their salvation have oftentimes troublesome distractions because they doe not alwayes stand upon their guard sometimes they are lifted up to heaven and sometimes cast downe even to hell yet alwayes in the worst condition there is something left in the soule that suggests to it that it is not utterly cast off He to whom this pilgrimage is over-sweete loves not his country yet the pleasures of this life are so sutable to our nature that we should sit by them but that God followes us with severall crosses therefore let us take in good part any crosse because it is out of heavenly love that we are exercised least we should surfet upon things here below In melancholy distempers especially when there goes guilt of Spirit with it we can see nothing but darkenesse in wife children friends estate c. Here is a pittifull darkenesse when body and soule and conscience and all are distempered now let a Christian see God in his Nature and Promises and though he cannot live by sight in such a distemper yet let him then live by Faith Though God doe personate an enemy yet faith sees a Fatherly nature in him it apprehends some beames of comfort Though there be no sense and feeling yet the Spirit workes a power in the heart whereby the soule is able to claspe with God and to alledge his Word and Nature against himselfe The reason why the world seeth not the happy condition of Gods children is because their bodies are subject to the same infirmities with the worst of men nor are they exempted from troubles they are also subject to fall into grosse sinnes and therefore worldly men thinke Are these the men that are happier than wee They see their crosses but not their crownes they see their infirmities but not their graces they see their miseries but not their inward joy and peace of conscience To walke by Faith is to be active in our walking not to doe as wee list but it is a stirring by rule Since the fall we have lost our hold of God and wee must be brought againe to God by the same way wee fell from him wee fell by infidelity and we must be brought againe by Faith and lead our lives upon such grounds as Faith affords We must walke by Faith looking upon Gods Promise and Gods Call and Gods Commandements and not live by
us for which wee can see no reason yet we must reverence him and adore his Counsells and thinke him wiser than we When wee are diligent in our calling keeping a good conscience and labouring for a carriage answerable when these three meete together Calling and Standing and wise Carriage then whatsoever befalls us wee may with comfort say The will of the Lord be done wee are now in his way may then expect a guard of Angells without and a guard of his Spirit within All the contention betweene the flesh and the spirit lies in this whether God shall have his Will or wee ours now Gods Will is straight but ours is crooked and therefore if God will have us offer up our Isaac we must submit to him and even drowne our selves in the will of God and then the more wee are emptied of our selves the freer wee are by how much we are made subject to God for in what measure wee part with any thing for him wee shall receive even in this world an hundred fold in joy and peace c. Whatsoever outward good things we have wee should use them in a reverent manner knowing that the libertie we have to enjoy them is purchased with the blood of Christ as David when he thirsted for the waters of Bethlehem would not drinke it because it was as the blood of his three Worthies so though we have a free use of the creatures yet wee must be carefull to use them with moderation and reverence There is nothing of God can please the world because the best things are presented to the heart of a carnall man as foolishnesse mans nature above all things would avoid the imputation of folly and rather than hee will be counted a foole hee will slander the wayes of God to be foolishnesse Now the Law of Christ constraines us and makes us doe many things for which the world doth thinke us out of our wits and therefore wee should labour to quit our hearts and account of it a greater favour from God when the Michals of this world scoffe at us for our goodnesse for when they are offended at us God is delighted with us To discerne of our estate in Grace let us chiefely looke to our affections for they are intrinsicall and not subject to hypocrisie men of great parts know much and so doth the devill but hee wants love in fire all things may be painted but the heate so all good actions may be done by an Hypocrite but there is a heat of love which hee hath not wee should therefore chiefly examine the truth and sinceritie of our affections We may apprehend the love of God but we cannot comprehend it all the fruits of his love passes our common understanding and therefore we have the holy Spirit given to us to take away the vayle and to make report of it to the soule and then assoone as this love of Christ is apprehended it constraines us to all holy duties not as fire out of a Flint but as water out of a Spring the love of a wife to her husband may beginne from the supply of her necessities but afterwards she may love him also for the sweetenesse of his person so the soule doth first love Christ for salvation but when shee is brought to him and finds that sweetenesse that is in him then shee loves him for himselfe It should be our continuall care to manifest the sinceritie of our hearts to God in our severall places and callings this is done when we looke at God in every action and indeavour to yeeld our whole soule to the whole Will of God serving him in our spirits and performing the workes of our callings by his Spirit according to his Word and unto his Glorie and if we thus labour to approve our selves to him whatsoever be the issue wee shall be indued with a holy boldnesse with inward peace and comfort having carried our selves as in the sight of God That a man may be fit to perswade others hee must have love to their persons a cleare knowledge of the cause and grace that he may be able to speake in wisedome to their soules and consciences as wee are saved by love so we are perswaded by the arguments of love which is most agreeable to the nature of man that is led by perswasion not by compulsion men may be compelled to the use of the meanes but not to Faith many men labour onely to unfold the Scriptures for the increasing of their knowledge that they may be able to discourse whereas the speciall intent of the Ministery is to worke upon the heart and affections As we must approve our selves to God and to our owne consciences so also to the consciences of others not to their humours fancies that they may witnesse for us that we love them and deale faithfully with them We should labour to do all the good we can especially to the soules of men that are redeemed with the blood of Christ if wee deserve well of them they will give evidence for us but if wee walke scandalously they will evidence that wee by our ill courses and examples drew them to ill courses and hardened them in evill it should be our care therefore to approve our selves to the consciences of men that we may have them to witnesse for us that such men of whō we have deserved well may be our crowne at the last day A man doth then keepe a good conscience in relation to others when hee makes it appeare that hee can deny himselfe to doe them good when the consciences of other men shall thinke thus such a man regards my good more than his owne hee seekes no advantage to himselfe he lives so as that the world may see he is in good earnest hee speakes so as that he makes it good by his life now if our care be to walke thus wee shall approve our selves to the consciences of men There are many that will give some way to divine truths but they have a reservation of some sinne When Herodias is once touched then Iohn Baptists head must off such truths as come neare makes them fret because their conscience tels them they cannot yeeld obedience to all the lust of some sinnes hath gotten such domination over their affections that the conscience saith I cannot doe this and then that hatred that should be turned upon the sinne is turned upon the Word and the Minister like unto some vermine that when they are driven to a stand they will flie in a mans face so these men when they see they must yeeld they grow malicious so that what they will not follow that they will reproach therefore it should be our care at all times to yeeld obedience according to what wee know There is a generation of churlish people such as watch for offences because they would goe to hell with some reason they will not see who are weake and who are hypocrites but they cast reproach upon
soules that God is our God when riches and treasures and men our lives faile yet God is ours we are now Gods Davids and Gods Pauls and Gods Abrahams wee have an everlasting being in him A speciall cause of too much dejection is want of resolution in good things when wee hault in Religion for as haulting is a deformed and troublesome gesture so in Religion haulting is alwayes joyned with trouble and disquiet God hath made the poorest man that is a governour of himselfe and hath set judgement to rule against passion and conscience against sinne therefore Reason should not be a slave to Passion It is the peculiar wisedome of a Christian to picke Arguments out of his worst condition to make him thankefull and if hee be thankefull hee will be joyfull and so long as he is joyfull he cannot be miserable God hath made himselfe ours and therefore it is no presumption to challenge him to be our God when once wee have interest in God he thinkes nothing too good for us hee is not satisfied in giving us the blessings of this life but he gives himselfe unto us As wee receive all from God so wee should lay all at his feete and fay I will not live in a course of sinne that will not stand with the favour of my God for hee will not lodge in the heart that hath a purpose to sinne Gods people have sweete intercourse with God in their callings when wee looke for comfort we shall finde it either in Hearing Reading or Praying c. or else in our Callings We glorifie God when we exalt him in our soules above all creatures in the world when we give him the highest place in our love and in our joy when all our affections are set upon him as the chiefest good This is seene also by opposition when wee will not offend God for any creature When wee can aske our affections Whom have I in heaven but thee There is no true zeale to Gods glory but it is joyned with true love to men therefore let men that are violent injurious and insolent never talke of glorifying God so long as they despise poore men If wee doe not finde our selves the people of Gods delight let us attend upon the meanes of salvation and waite Gods good time and stand not disputing perhappes God hath not a purpose to save mee but fall to obedience casting thy selfe into the Armes of Christ and say if I perish I will perish here The love of God in CHRIST is not barren kindnesse it is a love that reaches from everlasting to everlasting from love in choosing us unto love in glorifying of us In all the miseries of the world one beame of this loving kindnesse of the Lord will scatter all Our desires are holy if they be exercised about spirituall things David desires not to be great to be rich in the world or to have power to be revenged upon his enemies but that hee may dwell in the House of the Lord and enjoy his Ordinances Psal. 27. 4. Desires shew the frame of the soule more than any thing as where there is a Spring it discovers it selfe by vapours that arise so the breathing of these desires shew that there is a Spring of Grace in the heart Desires spring from the will and the will being as the whole man it moves all other powers to doe their dutie and to see for the accomplishing of that it desires Those therefore that pretend they have good desires and yet neglect all meanes and live scandalously this is but a sluggish desire An Hypocrite will not pray alwayes but a child of God never gives over because hee sees an excellencie a necessitie and a possibilitie of obtaining that hee desires hee hath a promise for it The Lord will fulfill the desires of them that feare him Psal. 145. 19. Prayer doth exercise all the graces of the Spirit wee cannot pray but our faith is exercised our love our patience which makes us set a high price upon that wee seeke after and to use it well God takes it unkindly if we weepe too much and over-grieve for losse of wife child or friend or for any crosse in the things of this life for it is a signe wee fetch not that comfort from him which we should and may doe Nay though our weeping be for our sinnes we must keepe a moderation in that wee must with one eye looke upon our sinnes and with the other eye looke upon Gods mercy in Christ and therefore if the best griefe must be moderated what must the other The religious affections of Gods people are mixed for they mingle their joy with weeping and their weeping with joy whereas a carnall man is all simple if hee joy hee is mad if hee be sorrowfull unlesse it be restrained it sinks him but grace alwayes tempers the joy and sorrow of a Christian because hee hath alwayes something to joy in and something to grieve for Wee are members of two worlds now whilest wee live here wee must use this world for how many things doth this poore life of ours neede wee are passing away and in this passage of ours we must have necessaries but yet we must use the world as if wee used it not for there is a danger least our affections cleave to the things of this life It is a poorenesse of spirit in a Christian to be over-joyfull or over-grieved for things worse than our selves if a man hath any Grace all the world is inferiour to him and therefore what a poorenesse of spirit is it to be over-joyfull or overmuch grieved when all things are fading vanish away Let us therefore beare continually in our mindes that all things here below are subordinate A sincere heart that is burdened with sinne desires not heaven so much as the place where he shall be free from sinne and to have the Image of God and Christ perfected in his soule and therefore a sincere spirit comes to heare the Word not so much because an eloquent man preacheth as to heare divine truths because the evidence of Spirit goes with it to worke those graces You cannot still a child with any thing but the Breast so you cannot still the desires of a Christian but with divine Truths as Esay 26. 8. The desires of our soules is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee There is a thousand things that may hinder good successe in our affaires What man can apply all things to a fit issue and remove all things that may hinder Who can observe Persons Times Places Advantages and Disadvantages and when wee see these things there is naturally a passion that it robbes us of our knowledge as when a man sees any danger there is such a feare or anger that hee is in a mist. So that unlesse God give a particular successe there is none As it is in the frame of a mans body it stands upon many joynts if any of these be out of
frame it hinders all the rest If we will hold out because the errour is in want of deepe apprehension of the miseries wee are in by nature let us labour therefore to have our hearts broken more and more Vpon this fault it was that the stony ground spoken of in the Gospell wants rooting therefore it is Christian pollicie to suffer our soules to be humbled as deepe as possible may be that there may be mould enough otherwise there may be a great joy in divine Truths and they may be comfortable but all will be sucked up like dew when persecution comes if it be not rooted What is the reason that Gods children sinke not to hell when troubles are upon them because they have an inward presence strengthening them for the holy Ghost helpes our infirmities not onely to pray but to beare crosses sweetening them with some glympes of his gracious countenance for what supports our faith in prayer but inward strength from God In prosperitie or after some deliverance its the fittest time for praise because then our spirits are raised up and cheared in the evidence of Gods favour for the greater the crosse is from which wee have beene delivered the more will the spirit be enlarged to praise God When ever we receive any good to our soules or to our bodies who ever is the instrument let us looke to the principall as in the gifts wee receive wee looke not to the Bringer but to the Sender Take heede of Satans policie that God hath forgotten mee because I am in extremitie nay rather God will then shew mercie for now is the speciall time of mercy therefore beat backe Satan with his owne weapons Whatsoever God takes away from his children he either supplies it with a great earthly favour or else with strength to beare it God gives charge to others to take a care of the fatherlesse and widdow and will he neglect them himselfe That is spirituall knowledge which alters the taste and relish of the soule for wee must know there is a bitter Antithesis in our nature against all saving Truthes there is a contrarietie betweene our nature and that Doctrine which teacheth us that wee must deny our selves and be saved by another Therefore the soule must first be brought to relish before it can digest there must be first an holy Harmony betweene our nature and truth If we will walke aright in Gods wayes let us have heaven daily in our Eye and the day of judgement and times to come and this will sterne the course of our lives and breed love in the use of the meanes and patience to undergoe all conditions let us have our eye with Moses upon him that is invisible A man may know that hee loves the world if he be more carefull to get than to use for we are but Stewards and wee should consider I must be as carefull in distributing as in getting for when wee are all in getting and nothing in distributing this man is a worldling though hee be moderate in getting without wronging any man yet the world hath gotten his heart because hee makes not that use of it he should It is a sottish conceit to thinke that wee can fit our selves for Grace as if a child in the wombe could forward its naturall birth If God hath made us men let us not make our selves Gods As naturall life preserves it selfe by repelling that which is contrary to it So where the life of Grace is there is a principle of skill of power and strength to repell that which is contrary It is the nature of the soule that when it sees a succession of better things it makes the world seeme cheape when it sees another condition not liable to change then it hath a sanctified judgement to esteeme of things as they are and so it overcomes the world In the Covenant of Grace God intends the glory of his Grace above all Now faith is fit for it because it hath an uniting Vertue to knit us to the Mediator and to lay hold of a thing out of it selfe it empties the soule of all conceit of worth or strength or excellencie in the creature and so it gives all the glory to God and Christ. What wee are afraid to speake before men and to doe for feare of danger let us be afraid to thinke before God therefore wee should stifle all ill conceits in the very conception in their very rising let them be used as Rebells and Traytors smoothered at the first The heart of man till he be a Beleever is in a wavering condition its never at quiet and therefore it s the happinesse of the creature to be satisfied and to have rest for perplexitie makes a man miserable if a man have but a little scruple in his conscience hee is like a shippe in the sea tossed with contrary windes and cannot come to the Haven The righteousnesse of Workes leaves the soule in perplexitie that righteousnesse which comes by any other meanes than by Christ leaves the soule unsetled because the Law of God promiseth life onely upon absolute and personall performance Now the heart of man tells him that this he hath not done and such duties he hath omitted and this breeds perplexitie because the heart hath not whereon to stay it selfe Glory followes afflictions not as the day followes the night but as the Spring followes Winter for the Winter prepares the earth for the Spring so doth afflictions sanctified prepare the soule for glory This life is not a life for the body but for the soule and therefore the soule should speake to the body and say stay body for if thou movest mee to fulfill thy desires now thou wilt lose mee and thy selfe hereafter But if the body be given up to Christ then the soule will speake a good word for it in heaven as if it should say Lord there is a body of mine in the earth that did fast for me and pray with me it will speake for it as Pharaohs Butler to the King for Ioseph Afflictions makes a divorce and separation betweene the soule and sinne it is not a small thing that will worke sinne out of the soule it must be the Spirit of burning the fire of afflictions sanctified heaven is for holinesse and all that 's contrary to holinesse afflictions workes out and so frames the soule to a further communion with God When the soule admires spirituall things it s then a holy frame and so long it will not stoope to any base comfort Wee should therefore labour to keepe our soules in an estate of holy admiration All those whom Christ saves by vertue of his merit and paiment to those hee discovers their wretched condition and instead thereof a better to be attained hee shewes by whom wee are redeemed and from what and unto what condition the Spirit informing us throughly that God enters into covenant with us Spirituall duties are as opposite tâ—â— flesh and blood as Fire to Water
committed by him so that this wakeing of conscience shewes that wee are sinnefull creatures Every man by nature though the wisest till hee be in Christ is a slave to the devill who abuses his wits and parts and makes him worke out his owne damnation this is not the condition of a few fooles but the greatest and wisest in the world Satan leades them to honours and voluptuousnesse as a sheepe is led by a greene bough he goes with the streame of mans nature and so is never discerned As a man that is called before a Iudgement Seat being guiltie of many crimes yet the Iudge offers him his Booke as meaning to save him by that meanes but hee cannot read now hee is condemned partly for his former faults but especially because he cannot read and therefore cannot have the benefit of the Law So a wicked man not beleeving in Christ because the remedy is prepared and hee takes no hold of it In this sense as some Divines speake no finne but infidelity condemnes a man for if a man could beleeve and repent no sinne should be prejudiciall to his salvation wee had neede therefore to looke to our faith when want of beleefe seales a man up under sinne a man is imprisoned in his conscience untill he come to Christ and his conscience is his Iaylor his conscience enlightened by the Law tells him that hee is guiltie of such and such sinnes and hereupon keepes him to further judgement There is a miserable cousenage in finne naturally men will deny sinne or else mince it as Adam did and as Saul when Samuel came to convince him I have saith he done the Commandement of the Lord and when hee was driven from that then he did but spare them for sacrifice but when nothing could satisfie then I pray thee honour mee before the people things that we cannot justifie yet wee will excuse them unlesse God come by his Spirit we are ready to shift them off but when the Spirit comes and takes away all these figge-leaves then it convinces him of his miserable condition not onely in generall but the Spirit working together with the Word brings him to confesse I am the man The affections of griefe and sorrow follow upon the discovery of sinne by the Ministery of the Word where the judgement is convinced the affections are stirred up with hatred against that sinne and where this is not there is no convincing when a man cries for mercy as for life this is an argument of sound condition Hee that is truely convinced will be as glad of a Pardon as a Malefactor that stands at the Barre condemned It is the policie of the devill to labour to make us sleight the gracious worke of conviction for hee knowes that whatsoever is built upon a false foundation will come to nothing and therefore hee makes us sleight the work of selfe examining and searching of our selves but sleight this and sleight all for if thou beest sleight in searching and examining thy selfe though wilt also be sleight in thy repentance and obedience Naturally men labour to put out all checks of cōscience by sensuality men are loath to know themselves to be as they are they are of the devills minde they would not be tormented before their time such men when they are alone are afraid of themselves as the Elephant will not come neare the waters because hee hath an ill shape hee would not see himselfe So men by nature will not come neere the light least they should see their ill deformities for nature is so foule that when a man sees himselfe unlesse hee be set in a better condition it will drive him to despaire We ought to have especiall high conceits of the Lordship of Christ as Lord Paramount over all our enemies the feare of death and wrath of God yea whatsoever is terrible indeede hee hath freed us from the feare of it No sinne is so great but the satisfaction of Christ and his mercy is greater it s beyond comparison of Father or Mother they are but beames and traines to lead us up to the mercy of God in Christ. The greatest spite of a carnall man is that he cannot goe to heaven with his full swinge that he cannot enjoy his full libertie and therefore hee labours to suppresse all the Ordinances of God as much as hee can The quintessence and the spirits of the things wee aske in prayer are in God as joy and peace and contentednesse for without this joy and peace what are all the things in the world and in the want of these outward things if wee have him wee have all because the spirits of all is in him Prayer is a venting of our desires to God from the sense of our owne wants and hee that is sensible of his owne wants is emptie a poore man speakes supplications It is not so easie a matter to pray as men thinke and that in regard of the unspiritualnesse of our nature compared with the dutie it selfe which is to draw neere to a holy God wee cannot indure to sever our selves from our lusts there is also a great rebellion in our hearts against any thing that is good Satan also is a speciall enemy for when we goe to God by prayer he knowes wee goe to fetch helpe and strength against him and therefore hee opposeth all hee can but though many men doe mumble over a few prayers yet indeed no man can pray as he ought but he that is within the covenant of Grace A child of God may pray and not be heard because at that time hee may be a child of anger if any sinne lie unrepented of we are not in a case fit to pray will a King regard the petition of a Traytor that purposeth to goe on in his rebellion Therefore when wee come to God we should renew our purposes of better pleasing him and then remember the Scripture and search all the Promises as part of our best riches and when wee have them we should challenge God with his promise and this will make us strong and faithfull in our prayers when we know we never pray to him in vaine When we pray God oftentimes refuseth to give us comfort because we are not in good termes with him therefore wee should still looke backe to our life past perhappes God sees thee running to this or that sinne and before hee will heare thee thou must renew thy repentance for that sinne for our nature is such that it will knocke at every doore and seeke every corner before wee will come to God as the woman in the Gospell shee sold all before shee came to Christ. So that God will not heare before wee forsake all helpes and all false dependance upon the creature and then he get the greatest glory and we have the greatest sweetnesse to our soules th◠water that comes from the Fountaine is the sweetest and so divine comforts are the sweetest when we see nothing in the creature and
that rather than wee should be condemned with the world hee will take this course with us Though our salvation be sure and that wee shall not be condemned with the world yet the knowledge of this doth not make us secure for though God doth not damne us with the world yet hee will sharpely correct us here and by a carefull sober life we might obtaine many blessings and prevent many judgements and make our pilgrimage more comfortable therefore it argues neither grace nor wit that because God will save mee therefore I will take libertie no though God will save thee yet he will take such a course with thee thou shalt indure such sharpenesse for thy sinne that it shall be more bitter than the sweetest of it was pleasant Gracious persons in times of peace and quiet doe often underprize themselves and the graces of God in them thinking that they want faith patience and love who yet when God calleth them out to the crosse shine forth in the eyes of others in the example of a meeke and quiet subjection God oftentimes maketh wicked men friends to his children without changing their disposition by putting into their hearts some conceit for the time which inclineth them to favour as Nehemiah 2. 8. God put it into the Kings heart to favour his people so Gen. 33. 4. Esau was not changed onely God for the time changed his affe ctions to favour Iacob so God puts into the hearts of many groundedly naught to favour the best persons Vsually in what measure we in the times of our peace and liberty inordinately let loose our affections in that measure are we cast downe or more deepely in discomfort when our adulterous hearts cleaves to things more than become chaste hearts it makes the crosse more sharpe and extreame A man indeede is never overcome let him be never so vexed in the world by any till his conscience be crackt If his conscience and his cause stand upright he doth conquer and is more than a conquerer Partiall obedience is no obedience at all to single out casie things that doe not oppose our lusts which are not against our reputation therein some will doe more than they neede but our obedience must be universall to all Gods Commandements and that because he commands us In every evill worke that we are tempted unto wee neede delivering grace as to every good worke assisting grace That Christian who is privie to his owne soule of good intentions to abstaine from all ill hee may presume that God will assist him against all ill workes for the time to come Wee should watch and labour daily to continue in prayer strengthening and backing them with arguments from the Word and Promises and marking how our prayers speede when wee shoote an Arrow wee looke to the fall of it when wee send a shippe to sea wee looke for the returne of it and when wee sow seede wee looke for a harvest and so when we sow our prayers into Gods bosome shall wee not looke for an answer and observe how we speed it is a seede of Atheisme to pray and not to looke how we speed but a sincere Christian will pray and waite and strengthen his heart with promises out of the Word and never leave till God doe give him a gracious answer Take a Christian and whatsoever hee doth hee doth it in feare if hee call God Father it is in feare hee eates and drinkes in feare as Saint Iudc speakes of them that eate without feare the true servant of God hath feare accompanying him in all his actions in his speeches and recreations in his meate and drinke but hee that hath not this feare how bold is he in wicked courses and loose in all his carriages But marke a true Christian and you shall alwayes see in him some expressions of an holy feare The relation of servant is of great consequence to put us in minde of our dutie if wee will be Gods Servants wee must make it good by obedience wee must resolve to come under his governement and be at his command or else hee will say to us as to them in the 10. of Iudges Goe to the gods whom you have served Therefore emptie relations are nothing to purpose if wee professe our selves Gods servants and not shew it by our obedience it s but an emptie title therefore let us make our relations good at least in our affections that wee may be able to say I desire to feare thy name In reading of the Scriptures let us compare Experiments with Rules Nehemiah 1. 8 9. If you sin you shall be scattered and if you returne againe I will be mercifull wee should practise this in our lives to see how God hath made good his threatnings in our corrections and his Promises in our comforts Those that have had a sweete communion with God when they have lost it doe count every day tenne thousand till they have recovered it againe and when Christ leaves his Spouse he forsakes her not altogether but leaves something on the heart that maketh her to long after him He absents himselfe that hee may enlarge the desires of the soule and after the soule hath him againe it will not let him goe hee comes for our good and leaves us for our good wee should therefore judge rightly of our estates and not thinke wee are forsaken of God when we are in a desertion When men can finde no comfort yet when they set themselves to teach weaker Christians by way of reflection they receive comfort themselves so doth God reward the conscionable performance of this dutie of discourse that those things wee did not so sweetly understand before by discourse wee understand them better this should teach us to be in love with holy conference for besides the good wee doe to others we are much bettered our selves We may use Gods creatures but not scrupulously nor superstitiously singling out one creature from another nor yet may wee use them as wee list there is a difference betweene right and the use of right the Magistrate may restraine the use of our right and so may our weake brother in case of scandall so that all things be ours yet in the use of them wee must be sober not eating nor drinking immoderately nor using any thing uncharitably whereby others may take offence for albeit wee have a right to Gods bountie yet our right and use must be sanctified by the Word and Prayer Many men fall to questioning Oh that I had assurance of my salvation Oh that I were the childe of God why man fall to obedience I but I cannot for it is the Spirit that enables but yet come to holy Exercises though wee have not the Spirit for many times in the middest of holy Exercises God gives the Spirit and therefore attend upon the meanes untill wee have strength to obey waite upon Gods Ordinances till hee stirres in thy soule all that love your soules attend upon the meanes
humility and for this purpose God hath furnished us with the Spirit of all Grace Let us therefore remember when we have any dutie to doe to pray unto Christ to blow upon us with his Spirit God doth not so much looke at our infirmities as at our uprightnesse and sinceritie and therefore when we are out of temptations wee should consider and examine what God hath wrought in us and then though there be infirmities and failings yet if our hearts be upright God will pardon them as wee finde that David and others were accounted upright and yet had many imperfections Watching is an exercising of all the graces of the soule and these are given to keepe our soules awake we have enemies about us that are not asleepe and our worst enemy is within us and so much the worse because so neere we live also in a world full of temptations and wicked men are full of malice wee are passing through our enemies Countrey and therefore had neede to have our wits about us the devill also is at one end of every good action and therefore we had neede to keepe all our graces in perpetuall exercise we should watch in feare of jealousie taking heede of a spirit of drowsinesse labouring also to keepe our selve unspotted of the world It may be asked how we shall know the Scripture to be the Word of God For answer Doe but grant first that there is a God it will follow then that he must be worshipped and served and that this service must be discovered to us that wee may know what hee doth require and then let it be compared what Word of God can come neare to be the same with this Besides God hath blessed the superstition of the Iewes who were very strickt this way to preserve it for us and the Heretickes since the Primitive Church have so observed one another that there can be no other to this Word But now wee must further know that we must have some thing in our soules suitable to the truthes contained in it before we can truely and savingly beleeve it to be the Word of God as that we finde it to have a power in working upon our hearts and affections Luke 24. 32. Did not our hearts burne within us when he opened to us the Scriptures Againe it hath a divine operation to warme and pacifie the soule and a power to make a Felix tremble it hath a searching quality to divide betweene the marrow and the bone we doe not therefore onely beleeve the Scriptures to be the word of God because any man saith so or because the Church saith so but also and principally because I finde it by experience working the same effects in me that it speakes of it selfe and therefore let us never rest till when we heare a promise wee may have some thing in us by the sanctifying Spirit that may be suitable to it and so assuring of us that it is that Word alone that informes us of the good pleasure of God to us and our duty to him There is in God a fatherly anger after conversion he retaines that and this Fatherly anger is also turned away when in sinceritie we humble our selves There is one saith well A child of anger and a child under anger Gods children are not children of wrath but sometimes they are under wrath when they doe not carry themselves as sonnes when they venture on sinnes against conscience c. but if they humble themselves and reforme and flie to God for mercie then they come into favour againe and recover the right of sonnes Wee may know that God loves us when by his Spirit he speakes friendly to our soules and wee by prayer speake friendly to him againe when wee have communion and familiaritie with him whom God loves to them hee discovers his secrets even such secrets as the soule never knew before Hee reveales them to us when our hearts are wrought to an ingenuous confession of sinne and when we have no comfort but from heaven even as a father discovers his bowells most to his child when it is sicke so God reserves the discoverie of his love especially untill such a time when wee renounce all carnall confidence therefore if wee can assure our soules that God loves us let us then be at a point for any thing that shall happen to us in this world whether it be disgrace or contempt or whatsoever because we may fetch patience and contentednesse from hence that Gods love supplies all wants whatsoever After a gracious pardon for sinne there are two things remaining in us Infirmities and Weakenesses Infirmities are corruptions stirred up which hinders us from good and puts us forward to evill but yet they are so farre resisted and subdued that they breake not forth into action Weakenesse is when we suffer an infirmitie to breake out for want of watchfulnesse as if a man be subject to passion when this is working disturbance in the minde it is infirmitie but when for want of watchfulnesse it breakes forth into action then it is weakenesse and these diseases are suffered in us to put us in minde of the bitter roote of sinne for if we should not sometimes breake forth into sinne wee should thinke that our nature were cured Who would have thought that Moses so meeke a man could have so broken out into passion we see it also in David and Peter and others and this is to shew that the corruption of nature in them was not fully healed but there is this difference betweene the slippes and falls of Gods children and of other men when other men fall it setles them in their dregges but when Gods children falls they see their weakenesses they see the bitter roote of sinne and hate it the more and are never at quiet till it be cast out by the strength of Grace and Repentance Therefore let no man be too much cast downe by his infirmities so long as they are resisted for from hence comes a fresh hatred of corruption and God lookes not upon any sinne but sinne ungrieved for unresisted otherwise God hath a holy end in suffering sinne to be in us to keepe us from worse things There is none that out of sinceritie doe give themselves to holy conference but are gainers by it Many men aske questions and are inquisitive to know but not that they might put in practise this is but a proud desire to taste of the tree of knowledge but the desire of true affected Christians is to know that they might seeke Christ we gaine oftentimes by discourse with those that are punies in Religion Saint Paul desires to meete with the Romanes though they were his converts that he might be strengthened by their mutuall faith Rom. 1. 12. When once the Spirit doth fasten the wrath of God upon the conscience of one whom he meanes to save then there followes these afflicting affections of griefe and shame and from hence comes a dislike and hate of
sinne hence beginnes a divorce betweene the soule and the beloved sinne so that whereas there was before a Scepter of sinne in the soule now God beginnes to dispossesse that strong man and then followes a strong desire to be better and a holy deseparation that if God in Christ benot mercifull then the soule saith what shall become of me and as the Spirit lets in some terrours so he lets in also some hopes as What shall I doe to be saved implying are signation of the will totake any course so he may be saved and then all the world for one droppe of mercy Christ never comes into any heart but where hee is valued and esteemed yet he delights not to hide himselfe from his poore creature but when we are fit when wee truely judge our selves unworthy of any savour then hee receives us Here is comfort therefore for the worst of men if they will come in and submit to Gods Ordinances they will be effectuall to subdue our corruptions and when once God hath taken up the heart of man for his Temple hee will then bring into it all his Treasures there will be a mutuall fellowship betweene God and the soule when we are once subdued God is so powerfull an Agent that hee can overthrow all hee can overthrow the carnall principles of reason which everie naturall man hath in the Fort of his soule He presents to men the condition they are in by nature and le ts in a taste of his vengeance when God in his Ordinances shewes grea ter reasons for goodnesse than Sathan can in his carnall courses then all falls downe Those therefore that are not fully subdued yet let them come to the Ordicances for then they are within Gods reach when the Word of God discovers the basenesse vilenesse and danger of sinne then the soule stoopes therefore let none despaire for though thy heart be stone yet God can worke powerfully nothing is difficult to infirmities but it s a divine worke to pull downe a wicked sinner However we take paines in our callings yet the abitie and blessing comes from God Wee pray for daily Bread and yet hee gives it though we labour for it there is a gift of successe which unlesse it be given us from above wee shall with the Disciples catch nothing Gifts are for Grace and Grace for Glory Gifts are peculier to some men but Grace is common to all Christians Gifts are peculier to many and com mon to such as are not good Gifts are joyned with great sinnes but Grace hath love and humilitie to take downe the soule the devill hath lost little of his accutenesse but yet hee remaines mischeivous so many men have great parts but they have also a divellish spirit Grace comes from more speciall love and yet men had rather be accounted devills than fooles account them men of parts and then count them what you will It is a hard matter to finde out the least measure of Grace and the greatest degree of formalitie for as Painting oftentimes exceedes the thing so doth an Hypocrite oftentimes make a greater shew but the least measure of saving Grace is from desires and these are knowne to be saving if they proceede from a taste of the thing and not meerely from the Object and therefore we must distinguish betweene affections stirred up and the inward frame for those that are suddenly stirred up doe presently returne the waters in the Bath have a naturall hotnesse but water when it is heated will returne to its former coldnesse Though wee be sure of victory over our spirituall enemies yet we must fight The conquered Kings must be fought with all Christ that fights for us fights with us and in us and crownes us when all is done and the time will come ere long when wee shall say of our enemies as Moses said of the Egyptians Those enemies that wee now see wee shall see them no more for ever Be strong therefore in the Lord and in the power of his might Ephe. 6. FINIS Iudg. 5. 23.