to be lead by the Spirit By Nature we are all Men and Women of another Spirit lead and acted by that contrary Spirit which works in the Children of Disobedience Eph. 2.2 Rom. 8.14 For as many as are lead by the Spirit of God they are the Sons of God Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit There must be Spiritual Life before there can be any Spiritual Motion 2. That they Regenerate themselves tho' they are renewed in every part yet they are renewed but in part They have in them while they are in this Life Flesh as well as Spirit and while we have Sin in us it will be acting its Part the flesh will be lusting against the Spirit Rom. 7.21 I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me Gal. 5.17 For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the stesh and these are contrary the one unto the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would 3. That as men easily may so they are very prone to mistake in this Point 1. Bad Men Saul when in his persecuting Course before his Conversion he verily thought that he was in the way of his duty and so following the Motions of Gods Spirit Act. 26.9 But we see how his Mind was changed afterwards that which before he took for Holy Zeal a Fruit of the Spirit he then saw to be no better than exceeding madness 2. Good Men when they seriously consider what depends upon this Point Rom. 8.9 Now if any Man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his v. 13. For if ye live after the Flesh ye shall dye And when they think of the deceitfulness of their own hearts Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it And when they further consider how prevalent the remaining fleshly interest is in their hearts and lives this makes many a gracious Soul tremble when it comes to decide the Point and sometimes to bring in a false Judgment against it self unless that blessed Spirit shine upon it 4. That mistakes here are very dangerous and mischievous That Man who thinks he hath and is lead by the Spirit and is not woe to him for he is a lost Man if he find not out his mistake before Death and Judgment undeceive him And then a mistake on the other hand will cause the poor Soul to drive on but heavily and uncomfortably in the way of its duty tho' its Estate in the main may be safe Have none of us cause to know the Heart of such in this matter Now to the Case propounded I would answer in general thus I think that Man and he alone is lead by the Spirit the habitual and prevailing bent of whose Heart the main Scope and drift of whose Life is Spiritual As for particular marks I shall content my self with a very few which I take to be safe and scriptural so 1. Such as are lead by the Spirit of God they are by him free from the ruling Power of the Flesh Rom. 8.1 2. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of Sin and Death Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lusts of the Flesh Walking after the Spirit and walking after the Flesh are directly opposed in Scripture such they sin still alas that is a sad truth which cannot be denied for there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Ecl. 7.20 yet he that is born of God he doth not he cannot commit Sin Joh. 1.3 9. He lives not in the ruling Love and practice of Sin He can in some Measure say what the Apostle For that which I do I allow not for that which I would that do I not but what I hate that do I Rom. 7.15 2. They are such as have solemnly taken the holy Spirit for their Guide and given up themselves to his Conduct They were baptized into his Name Mat. 28.19 And every time they do renew the Covenant they do sincerely and afresh renew their Obligations to obey and follow him Before Conversion they rejected him his Counsels and Ways and were only for following the Inclinations of their own evil Hearts and the Course of this World But now they have made a better choice They desire he would teach lead and guide them such Expressions are very frequent And they have an Ear to hear and an Heart to follow him Joh. 10.3 4. And the Sheep hear his Voice and he calleth his own Sheep by Name and he leadeth them out and when he putteth forth his own Sheep he goeth before them and the Sheep follow him for they know his Voice By the Spirit it is that great Shep-heard teacheth his Sheep to know his Voice by him he calleth them both to and after him 3. They are such as have chosen the Word of God for their Rule In the Word it is that the Spirit Speaketh to the Churches Rev. 2.7 In the Word he hath chalked out the Paths of Holiness wherein he leadeth such as he hath made willing to follow him And they pray with David Lord teach me thy Statutes Psal 119.12 Let me not wander from thy Commandments Indeed the Flesh will be resisting and rebelling endeavouring to stop them in or to turn them out of the way which will cause them to take many a false Step But yet as Rom. 7.22 They delight in the Law of God after the inward Man In the bent of their renewed Mind and will they delight in it and desire to obey it perfectly and allow not themselves in the breach of any part thereof 4. Such as are lead by the Spirit their Motion is free and voluntary not by force and constraint They are lead not haled or driven Joh. 10.3 4. He calleth them by Name and leads them out and goeth before them and they follow him They are a willing People Psal 110.3 1 Cor. 4. Draw me and we will run after thee Indeed a Partical Unwillingness will be found in the best while here while we have Flesh in us it will be drawing another way But yet Holiness is this Mans choice And when he is in a holy Frame and Course he is as in his Element The habitual prevailing bent of his Heart is for a Course of Holiness and this appears in the main Scope and drift of his Life and this I think doth denominate us what we are and that therefore by it we may safely judge of our selves QUESTION II. How may we come to find out and know what are our special sins and what means are to be used for the Mortification of them The question before us Consists of two Parts 1. How may we
come to find out and know what are our special Sins 2. What means are to be used for the Mortification of them As to the former of these I shall give you my poor thoughts thus Tho' we have in our Hearts by Nature that which is the Seed and Principle of all Sin and tho' the unregenerate are under the Power and the Dominion of every Lust yet they yea and the godly themselves who sincerely desire and endeavour to disown and renounce all Sin yet even they as well as the former have some one sin or more which may in a peculiar manner be called their iniquity their special sin And in order to the discovery what this sin or sins are I think 1. Our work lieth with God and 2 With our own Hearts and Consciences and so 1. We must be very sincere and impornate with God in Prayer that he would please to discover and make them known unto us The heart is deep the Deceitfulness and Wickedness of it exceeding great who can know it Jer. 17.9 We are naturally prone more easily to spy out Faults in others then in our selves and the great Traitor our special sin lieth closest of all and while the Devil and our Flesh can hinder it we shall not find him out And therefore we have need to pray with Job 13. chap. 23. Make me to know my Transgression and my Sin 2. When this is done we must seriously endeavour to bring our Hearts to the test by some such Questions as these 1. What Sins are they that we are most strongly enclined unto and of all others most loath to leave or part with our right Eye and right Hand sins these are our spiritual Sins Mat. 5.29 30. The young Man that came to our Lord Mat. 19. When he brought him to that trying Point about his Master Sin which appears to be coveteousness or worldliness the news of parting with that makes him go away sorrowful he rather choosing to take his leave of an only Saviour 2. What sins are they that we are most frequently and violently tempted to the Temptations unto which we have least Power to resist and so consequently are oftest foiled by The Devil studies this Point more I am afraid then many of us do I mean it mostly of my self and when he hath by diligent Observation found out which way our Inclinations carry us most strongly he suits his baits thereto And if we observe we shall find his strongest batteries and fiercest Assaults to be on this our blind our weakest side and so we may observe that in these Assaults we ordinarily come off worst many times halting if sometimes we get not broken bones methinks this head is clear in it self 3. What Sins are they which we find our Hearts most prone to think of even when outward Objects are not before us to prompt us to such thoughts What Sins are they that the thoughts that come most freely and immediately from our Hearts are employed about Sometimes these Sins will appear at the Mouth For out of the abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh Mat. 12.34 And as one of Jobs Friends chargeth him Thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity But I think this is a more certain and constant Sign For as a man thinketh in his heart even so is he 4. What Sins are they that we find our selves prone to entertain in our Thoughts with greatest Pleasure and Delight What sin is it that we are apt to conceive the greatest Sweetness in we may mark him out or that 's he Tho' sin is an evil and bitter thing in it self and in its Effects and tho' it be so to the real apprehension of a Sincere Heart yet in spite of it the Flesh will be contradicting it herein especially in relation to its great Master Lust 5. What Sins are they that we are prone to make most Provision for that we may fulfil the Desires and Lusts thereof Tho' others will be craving and e're while crying feed me and feed me yet if we observe we shall find we have the most frequent impetuous imperious calls from our Master Sins The Flesh will be from time to time prompting us most of all to plot and contrive and drudge for them These will crave and expect the largest allowance or Benjamins Mess and will be most unwearied and impudent in it 6. What Sins are they which Conscience is want to give us the severest Checks for when it is at at any time soundly awakened either by the Ministry of the Word or under some smart Affliction Conscience will speak and strike home at such a time and then it is most likely to hit upon the right vein Act. 2.37 Gen. 42.21 And they said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our Brother in that we saw the anguish of his Soul when he besought us and we would not here therefore is this distress come upon us Now to the second part of the question which indeed contains in it the harder part of our work 2. Having found out what are our special Sins what means are to be used for the Mortification of them 1. Prayer is one Special means to be improv'd here whatever spiritual work we take in hand one great End of it lieth with God And a Christian will fight best upon his Knees Hereby we may engage God and his sufficient grace on our side and so we may groundedly hope for Victory we have the Apostle Paul's course and success here 1 Cor. 12.7 8 9. But 1. We must see that in our Confessions here we be particular full free and open hearted with God we must open our wound if we would have cure while we are for hiding and concealing them nothing will be done as it thereby appears we have no mind it should 2. We must see we lay the greatest load of Sorrow upon them and thereby endeavour to get them more imbittered to us 3. We must see we be very sincere and very fervent in our desires after that Grace which alone can enable us to do the work they will not regard the biggest the hardest Words that we can give them and they would but make a mock at such striplings as we are if we take the Field without our Captain if ever we give them any killing blow it must be by God's strengthning our Arm and therefore we must not Pray as if we feared least the Lord should take us at our word or least he should do it too soon or like those that are indifferent in the Matter seeing if they die not by our hands our life must go for their life 2. We should improve the Word of God here which is the Sword of the Spirit turning the Edge the Point of it against our special Sins in some Sense we may allude to the King of Syria's Charge to his Officers 1 King 22.31 Fight neither with small nor great save only with these princely Lusts I mean that we make it our particular Care
foolish And as for Patience O what an unreasonable thing is a fretting murmuring impatient Carriage in a Creature and much more in a Child under the righteous wise and gracious Disposals of God's Providence it is especially unreasonable and sinful in such who may see not only God's Hand but also his Heart in their Afflictions therefore in our Patience let us possess our Souls let us consider our Afflictions are but the just procurement of our Sin and light in comparison of what we deserve and they are but short for a moment and such as we have need of and God hath gracious End 's in them and will bring our good out of them a gracious Design I verily believe he is now carrying on upon your Soul which could not have been so well effected another way And in Heaven all our sad day's will be forgotten only so far as they will administer Occasion for God's eternal Praises 6thly Let us labour after a joyful thankful Frame what abundant Cause there is that we should not only be patient but in joyful Tribulation let it be our care to clear up our Interest in God and then let us take a survey of the Heritage of his People the many glorious Priviledges the Covenant of Grace entitles us unto and then let us live up to our Means poor honest Hearts are frequently to blame here in living below their Estates alass we place so much of our Happiness in the Creature that much of our Comfort depends upon it but thus it should not be if God be our Portion let us live upon him let the World see that however some cry down a Religious Life as a sad melancholy Life and however others exalt their own Fancies Conceits and gross Delusions above it yet let it appear that we find that solid ground of Comfort in it as can bear up our Hearts under our greatest Pressures dear Cozen how unlike are we unto and how unfit for the blessed Society of Angels and Saints above who are continually singing forth the high Praises of our God Yea how unlike we are to those we here profess our selves to be Is not Praise ever comely for the upright O what a dishonour we are to God and Religion when every petty Cross in the Creature can sadden and sink our Hearts whilst we have the God of all Consolation to live upon O what strangers we are to our own Happiness in being such strangers to a Life of joyful Praise O what merry Christians might we be even under our saddest Circumstances were we but duly sensible of our highly priviledged Estate even here Lord vouchsafe unto us the joy of thy Salvation Finally be instant in Prayer I bring this in last because nothing I have said will be of use to us without some Divine Influences be fetched in this way O be frequent and earnest with God in Prayer that he would by his Spirit teach you what is the errand of this sad Providence that he would help you by your Affliction to see more of the Evil of Sin and more of the Vanity of the Creature and help you under it to keep up high honourable and good Thoughts of himself and that he would help you to act Faith and exercise Patience yea and to live in his joyful Praises And here I would promise you my hand the best of my assistance I can give you that little Interest I have at the Throne of Grace shall be employed for you Thus I have given you some of my Thoughts excuse my boldness herein I hope you will I would have spent some Thoughts upon the particular Nature of your Affliction and so of your particular Duties and Supports but that I am deeply sensible of my own unfitness and consider what able experienced Ministers and Christians you may have opportunity to converse with I must break of being sensible my Pen hath been quite too nimble for me I having been much more tedious then I first intended Dear Cozen I commend you to God and the Word of his Grace This poor confused piece of Nonsense the Lord was pleased to Bless O what a workman is he Let me learn this if he will undertake a Work no matter then how mean and sorry his Tools be Who am affectionately Yours I. B. LETTER II. To S. E. July 16. 1684. Dr. S. BY a hint from my F. in his last I understand you have received but two Letters from me since you went to N. But either you are mistaken or else some of them have miscarried but why am I solicitous about them How little are they all worth How little of God in them all Which makes me wonder why you should be so desirous of them Alass are they not as wast Paper How much precious Time have I thus wasted in writing a little nonsense to you And not only so but I have caused you to mispend time in reading that you could get little or no benefit by but Sister I would not have you think that I have any inclination to leave of my wonted way of Converse with you no I intend to be more constant than ever only I am ashamed to think that what I have done this way hath been to no better Purpose O that we were but soundly Sensible of the worth of precious Time on which depends Eternity How would this influence us in the whole of our Lives here which are but short and very uncertain It is not for nothing that you and I are brought into and still kept in Christ's School Well Dr. S. there is one Lesson I am very desirous to learn I will tell you what it is that so you may help me by your Prayers and also bear me company it is to redeem Time a thing soon spoken soon written but not so soon or easily learnt but the advantages that would come in by it would more then counterballance all its difficulties Well will you be my fellow Student I question not but you are willing yea I hope you are better learnt a greater proficient here then my self O happy Souls who in Time know the worth of Time O thrice happy Souls that are so wise as to cut off all occasions of those sad Reflection which I have of my mispent Time I am your tender and loving Brother I. B. LETTER III. To S. E. August 15. 1689. Dear S. I Receiv'd Your's but am displeased with the Term you give my Letter if you have got any Good give God all the Glory to whom its due and for a requital help poor me with your Prayers but I must earnestly entreat you to be ever very Cautious how you mention any thing that may be an incentive to Pride you would not think what a small Spark sets this base Heart of mine on Fire O my Pride my Pride Yea I am afraid least there should be something of it in what I now write O lamentable Case O abominable Sin And it is especially intollerable in me you