glorious reward And 3 as near at hand And then say to thy soul Come on my soul come on Seest thou the joy set before thee the Crowns of glory ready to be set on thy head by the hand of a righteous God Oh what compare is there betwixt those Sufferings and that Glory Propound to your selves the best patterns and examples Rule 10 Keep your eye upon the Cloud of Witnesses these are of special use to beget holy courage Heb. 12.1 Jam. 5.10 Who would be afraid to enter the Lists and grapple with that Enemy that he hath seen so often foiled and that by poor weak Christians To this end I cannot but judge these choice Collections in thy hands singularly usefull Oh converse frequently with these Worthies who being dead yet speak to thee and have beaten the path before thee CHAP. VIII Discovering the necessity of an Heart mortified to all Earthly and Temporal Enjoyments in order to the right managing of a suffering condition with several Directions for the attaining thereof THE next thing wherein your actual readiness for Bonds or Death consisteth is in the mortification of your Affections to all Earthly Interests and Enjoyments even the best and sweetest of them Till this be done in some measure you are not fit to be used in any such service for the Lord 2 Tim. 2.21 The living World is the very Life of Temptations The travailing pains of Death are stronger and sharper upon none than those that are full of Sense and Self As you see in Nature what Conflicts and Agonies strong and lively persons suffer when they die When others in whom Nature is decay'd and spent before-hand die away without half that pain even as a Bird in the shell Corruption in the Saints is like the Sap in green Wood which resisteth the fire and will not burn well till it be dryed up Prepared Paul had an Heart mortified in a very high degree to all the Honour and Riches of the World accounting them all but Trifles Gal. 6.14 1 Cor. 4.3 4. The need of this will be evinced by these five Considerations 1. Unless the Heart be mortified to all Earthly enjoyments they will appear great and glorious things in your eye and estimation and if so judge what a Task you will have to deny and leave them all in a suffering hour It is Corruption within that puts the Luster and Glory upon things without It 's the Carnal Eye onely that gazes admiringly after them 2 Cor. 5.16 And hence the Lust is put to express the Affection 1 John 2.16 because all that inordinate affection we have to them arises from our high estimation of them and that estimation from our Lusts that represent them as great and glorious Therefore certainly it will be difficult if not impossible to deny them till they have lost their glory in your Eye and that they will never do till those Lusts within you that put that Beauty and Necessity upon them be first crucified As for instance What a Glory and Necessity doth the Pride of Men put upon the Honour and Credit of the World so that they will rather choose to die than survive it but to a mortified Soul it 's a small matter 1 Cor. 4.3 So for Riches how much are they adored till our Lusts be mortified and then they are esteemed but Dung and Dross Phil. 3.8 'T is our Corruption that paints and gilds over these things When these are crucified those will be lightly esteemed 2. Mortification of Corruptions is that which recovers an healthful state of Soul Sin is to the Soul what a Disease is to the Body and Mortification is to sin what Physick is to a Disease Hence those that are but little mortified are in a comparative sense called Carnal 1 Cor. 3.3 and Babes vers 2. in respect of weakness Now suffering Work being some of the Christians hardest Labour and Exercise he cannot be fitted for it until his Soul be in an healthful state A sickly man cannot carry heavy Burdens or endure hard Labours and Exercises The sick Souldier is left behind in his Quarters or put into the Hospital whilest his Fellows are dividing the spoils and obtaining glorious Victories in the Field To this sense some expound Rom. 8.13 If ye live after the Flesh ye shall die but of ye through the Spirit mortifie the Deeds of the Body ye shall live Where as Death is put to note a languishing state of Soul whilest Mortification is neglected So Life is put to express an healthful and comfortable state vivere pro valere so that upon this account also the necessity of it appears 3. Your Corruptions must be mortified else they will be raging and violent in the time of Temptation and like a Torrent sweep away all your Convictions and Resolutions It 's sin unmortified within that makes the Heart like Gun-powder so that when the Sparkles of Temptation fly about it and they fall thick in a suffering hour they do but touch and take Hence the Corruptions of the World are said to be through Lust 2 Pet. 1.4 With these internal unmortified Lusts the Tempter holds correspondence and these be the Traytors that deliver up our Souls into his hands 4. Unless you be diligent and successful in this Work though you should suffer yet not like Christians you will but disgrace Religion and the Cause for which you suffer For it 's not simple suffering but suffering as a Christian that reflects Credit on Religion and finds acceptation with God If you be envious fretful discontented and revengeful under your sufferings what Honour will this bring to Christ Is not this altogether unlike the Example of your Lord Isa 53.7 and the behaviour of suffering Saints 1 Cor. 4.13 Yet thus it will be if your Pride Passion and Revenge be not first subdued For what are the breakings forth of such distempers of Spirit but as the flushes of Heat in the Face from an ill-affected Liver Most certain it is that all these Evils are in your Natures 〈◊〉 and as certain it is they will rise like Mud and filth from the bottome of a Lake when some eminen◠Trial shall rake you to the bottome Natura vexat◠prodit seipsam 5. Lastly Mortification must be studied and ply'd with diligence else you will find many Longings and Hankerings after Earthly Enjoyments and Comforts which will prove a snare to you What is sin but the corrupt and vitiated appetite of the Creature to things that are Earthly and sensual relishing more sweetness and delight in them than in the blessed God And what is Sanctification but the rectifying of these inordinate affections and placing them in their proper Object A regenerate and mortified Christian tasts not half that sweetness in forbidden fruits that another doth Set but Money before Judas and see how eagerly he catches at it What will ye give me and I will betray him Set but Life Liberty or any such Bait before an unmortified Heart and
with Cords and carryed away by a potent Conquerour Or as others to the Watery Vapours which are bound up in the Clouds and carrved by the Wind according to the motion of the Clouds Even so was the Spirit of this Holy Man effectually subdued and determined to his Duty notwithstanding the hazards attending it that he could no more keep himself back from his duty to which the Spirit so strongly impell'd him than a man that is wedged in with a Crowd can chuse but move as it moves So powerfully doth the Spirit of the Lord by his convictions and secret perswasions subdue and determine the Spirits of the Saints to the Work God hath to do by them Jer. 20.9 Act. 4.20 And it was well that the Will of God concerning this dangerous Journey to Jerusalem was so convincingly revealed unto Paul For shortly after he met with three strange Rubs in his way able to have stagger'd any man that had not an extraordinary degree of clearness and satisfaction in his own Spirit The first was from the Disciples at Tyre who pretending to speak to Paul by the Spirit said unto him that he should not go up to Jerusalem Act. 21.4 The Lord by this trying the Spirit of his Apostle much as he did the young Prophet coming from Judah to Bethel 1 King 13.18 Shortly after this he met with another great discouragement at Caesarea where Agabus whom Dorotheus saith was one of the 72 Disciples and had before prophesied of the Famine in the time of Claudius which accordingly came to pass he takes Paul's Girdle and binding his own hands and feet with it said Thus saith the Holy Ghost so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles Act. 21.11 And he well enough knew what the rage and malice both of the one and other against him was and what he must expect if ever he fell into their hands And then lastly he meets with a greater discouragement and pull-back then any of the forme even that passionate storm of affection and love wherewith his Friends assault him begging him with tears to decline that Journey Oh they could not give up such a Minister as Paul was and therefore fell upon him with their pathetical Entreaties and multitudes of Tears which even melted him down and almost brake his heart Whence by the way you may note that we cannot judge our selves discharged from any service by God because we meet with strange hinderances and cross providences in our way Divine Precept not Providence is to rule out our way of Duty Never man met with sorer set-backs and remora's then Paul here did but notwithstanding all this being fully satisfied it was the Lords will he should accomplish that service at Jerusalem he resolutely breaks through all those intercurrent difficulties with this heroick and truly Christian Resolution in the Text I am ready not to be bound onely but to die at Jerusalem for Christ The words consist of two general parts 1. Paul's loving and gentle rebuke of the peoples inordinate and unseasonable sorrow for his departure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What do ye Or as it 's render'd What mean ye Pray forbear your tears restrain your unruly passion if you continue thus I shall not die at Jerusalem for Christ indeed you 'l break my heart here The words in the Greek are emphatical 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comminventes breaking it all to pieces crumbling it into dust Oh what a temptation was this but it moved him not from his purpose They had even broken but could not divert his heart from the Work of the Lord. 2. The Considerations or Argument he useth to quiet them For I am ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am in a ready posture fitted for the Work be it a Prison or be it Death Liberty is a dear thing the very Birds of the Air had rather be in the Woods with their liberty though lean and hungry than in a Golden Cage with the best attendance saith one But I am fitted for Bonds saith Paul Nay that 's not all but I am ready also to die at Jerusalem To part with life is the highest point of Self-denial because all lower Self-Interests in the World are as it were twisted with and wrapt up in this Interest of Life He that is ready to deny his life for Christ is also ready to sacrifice all other even his dearest enjoyments for him also because these are all wrapt up in Life Yet for this he professeth to them he was ready But what was in this to satisfie them whose trouble it was to see him so forward Why there are three things hereby suggested to them in order to the calming of their spirits 1. In this they might see a Divine Hand that had been at work upon his heart fitting it thus for that service for certainly flesh and blood could not produce this And if it were of God there was reason enough for them to be quiet and not strive against God For there is nothing in the World will sooner still and quiet a gracious Soul than this to shew him how God hath signified his Will in the thing 2. I am ready my heart stands fully bent to Jerusalem and therefore you had as good be quiet and satisfie your selves for I am fixt and resolved upon it my Will is subdued to the obedience of the Divine Will in this thing your Tears and Entreaties are all in vain 't will be but lost labour 3. As it would be in vain to them he resolving not to gratifie them in that so it would be of very ill use to him I am now ready saith he God hath fully satisfied my Soul in the thing and not onely am I clear in this that it is my duty but in a good measure I am fitted for it I have overcome the Contradictions and Reluctations of the Flesh and brought my heart to a quiet submission to the Will of God It is therefore as great a disservice as you can imagine to do me Now to unfix and disorder my heart again by casting such Temptations as these in my way and by your tempting Tears to make the flesh rebel and the Enemy that is within to renew its opposition Thus you see the equipage and preparation of Paul's Spirit for Christ's service at Jerusalem And as this was not a bravado before he saw the Enemy but real and in earnest appears by his acting full up to this his noble Resolution when it came to the tryal 2 Tim. 4.6 7. So that it was a very glorious and excellent Spirit by which he did exceedingly glorifie the Lord and this readiness of Spirit was of singular use also to himself for this enabled him to break his way through the many and strange hinderances and discouragements that he met withall in that Journey Now though the Text be pregnant with many excellent and useful Notes yet the main
we imagine the rage of Satan to be abated now that his Kingdome hastens to its period Revel 12.12 It 's confest God doth not call all his people to the same kinds or degrees of sufferings All have not a Martyrs faith and all shall not have a Martyrs fire The God that instructeth the Husbandman to beat outthe Fitches with a staffe Isa 28.27 and the Cummin with a rod and not to turn the Cart wheel upon the lesser and more tender Grain will exactly proportion his peoples trials to his peoples strength For he is a God of judgement Isa 30.18 but notwithstanding this it still remains a truth as much as ever that all that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer perfecution 2 Tim. 3.12 Augustine thinks that the bloody sweat which over-run the body of Christ in the Garden signified the sharp and grievous suffering which in his mystical body he should afterwards endure It is a truth that these are also called the sufferings of Christ Col. 1.24 and there are yet remains of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his personal sufferings were compleated 〈◊〉 Resurrection and are fully full he poured 〈◊〉 blood enough to fill that Cup to the brim by the former the wrath of God was fully quenched and satisfied but the later cannot satisfie the wrath of man Notwithstanding the lives of millions of precious Saints have gone for it in his Cause and Quarrel whose souls are crying under the Altar How long Lord how long Yet there are many more coming on behind in the same Path of Persecution and much more of that bloody work is to be done before the mystery of God be finished And though the Church have sometimes its lucid intervals yet the Clouds return again after the Rain Cain's club as Bucholcer saith is still carried up and down the world stained with the blood of Abel Thus you see to what hard things God hath called his people Now God may be said to call forth his people to suffer How God calls to sufferings when he so hedgeth them in by providence that there is no way to escape it but by sin Whatsoever providence labours with such a dialemâ—â—a as this is a plain signification of Gods will to us in the case We may not now expect such an extraordinary call to suffering-work as some of me Saints had of old Gen. 22.2 Acts 9.16 but when we meet them in the way of our duty and there is no avoiding of them but by stepping over the hedge of the command God will have us to look upon that exigence as his call to suffer And the reasons why he doth so often hedge them in thus by his providence in a suffering path Why he calls his people to such grievous sufferings and bring them to these exigencies may be drawn partly from his own Glory which is thereby singulary illustrated and partly from his peoples good which is also thereby strangely promoted and carried on By these Sufferings albeit Satan and his Instruments think not so doth the most Wise God illustrate and advance his own glory For 1. Thereby he vindicates his Righteousness not onely in making good the Promises to his people under them and so silencing all their unbelieving fears and jealousies Micah 6.5 but he vindicates it also from the aspersions and false imputations of his enemies by this the world shall see that how well soever he loves his people yet he will not indulge or patronize their sins If they will be so disingenuous to sin against him he will be so just to make them suffer for their sin and in those sufferings will provide for his glory which by their sin was prejudiced in the eyes of the world Amos 3.2 Ezra 9.13 15. He hates not sin a jot the less because it is found in his own people and though for the magnifying of his mercy he will pardon their sin yet for the clearing of his Righteousness he will take vengeance upon their inventions Psal 99.8 2. And in these sufferings his glorious Power hath an opportunity to shine forth also and that both in their supportations under trouble and deliverances out of it It is one of the greatest wonders in the world how the Church subjects under such violent Assaults as are frequently made upon it I will turn aside said Moses and see this great fight why the Bush is not consumed Exod. 3.3 But especially in its marvellous deliverances which the power of God often effects so strangely that it over-matches the spirits of Gods â—own people and their souls like a Watch wound up above its height stands still with amazement and admiration Psal 126.7 When the Lord turned back the captivity of Zion we were-like them that dreamed 3. His Wisdome is triumphant in these dayes of Distress and trouble Now you may see the All-wise God going beyond a subtile Devil and in a moment frustrating the deepest and most desperate Designs of Hell and that at the very birth and article of Execution Hest 6.1 sometimes effecting their Deliverances immediately by his own hand Zech. 4.6 Exod. 15.6 Hos 1.7 to the end he may be exalted in his own Strength Psal 21.12 13. for he affects not Social Glory Sometimes by contemptible and improbable means out-witting an Ahithophel by a plain Hushai Haman by Hester Sisera by Jael Yea sometimes by dreadful means I mean such as rather threaten his peoples Ruine then seem to promise their Deliverance Psal 65.5 The fiery Furnace the Lions Den the Belly of a Whale are strange means of preservation And as Divine Wisdome is glorified in the way and manner of their deliverance out of trouble so in ordering those troubles to their singular benefit and advantage For 1. They are ordered to be the occasions of drawing out the magnificent Acts of your Faith and Patience which else could not shew themselves to the world as now they do There are the Ordinary and common Acts of Faith and there are its Magnificent and Heroick Acts that is its Resolute and High-raised Actings by which it triumphs over greatest Difficulties and enables the soul couragiously to break down all the Difficulties that lie before him in the way of his Duty Such were those of Hester Job and Daniel Hest 4.16 Job 13.15 Dan. 6.10 When this holy Gallantry of Spirit appears in Believers God is exceedingly glorified Poor timerous low-spirited Saints like young Swimmers are afraid to venture farther then they can feel Ground I mean some sensible Encouragement under their feet but these can cast themselves into the Sea of Troubles upon a naked Promise From these Trials of Faith God hath a great Revenue of Glory 1 Pet. 1.7 and these could not appear in the world were it not for such Troubles Revel 13.16 Here is the Faith and the Patience of the Saints 2. They are wisely ordered as means of severing and discriminating the Spirits of Professors By this means the Church is disburthened and rid of
Decrees of God and a Draught of the Designs of Providence to the end of the World Zeph. 2.1 2. Here you may see the Signs of the Times and what days are to be expected And then if you can upon this fore-sight get into your Ark before the Cataracts of Heaven be opened and the Sea-Shores unbar'd and the Waters prevail above the Mountains Oh what a benefit will this be how mayst thou sit Noah like medius tranquillus in undis Safe from the fear of evil and enjoy rest and peace in thy own Spirit when the Earth is full of Uproars Tumults and Desolations 2. It is a blessed and excellent thing to prepare for sufferings because such preparations do plainly speak a truly gracious heart that is in earnest with Christ and is serious in the matters of Religion Believe it Soul this one thing will be the clearest discovery of the integrity of thy heart in profession He that makes account of sufferings and is seriously at work upon his own heart to fit it for sufferings and take his Lot with Christ where ever it falls this is the man that hath deliberately closed with Christ upon his own terms and is like to be the durable Christian As for Hypocrites Christs Summer-Friends they have either their Exceptions and secret Reservations to secure a Retreat if ever it come to hot service or else they rush inconsiderately into the profession of Christ never examining the terms which he proposes to all that will follow him nor sealing those Indentures Mark 8.34 upon which he onely allows us to call him Master The necessity of a rational and advised closure with Christ upon these terms is by himself fully set forth in that excellent Parable Luke 14.25 26 27 28. wherein consider 1. The occasion ver 25. There were great Multitudes with him Christ began to grow in request among them they flockt from all parts to him to hear him but Christ knew well enough that if once they should come to understand their work and what the Conditions and Terms of their admission into his service are it would quickly thin and diminish that great multitude and reduce that great Host like Gideons into a little handful 2. And therefore he resolves candidly and plainly with them and in ver 26 27. he propounds his Terms and writes down his Conditions the sum of which is this he must deny himself that is at least in praeparatione animi in the preparation of the mind if not actually So that this is the Hinge upon which all our Profession turns and the stress of the whole business lies And 3. to evince the rationality of his Terms and that he expected no unreasonable thing at their hand he clears it by a double instance or resemblance to what men use to do in other cases 1. That of a Builder no man that exerciseth Reason will begin to build an House and not be provided to defray the Charge of it It were a ridiculous vanity for a man to lay a large Foundation and not have a stock to carry up the Walls and compleat the Work 2. That of a Souldier no man would with 10000. engage an Army of 20000. that would be impar congressus an unequal Match indeed what could he expect but to be overpowred with Numbers and swallowed up Possibly they may intend to face but no man would think they intended to fight the Enemy on such a disadvantage Why thus stands the case In our ingaging in the Profession of Christ a man must sit down and compute the cost and charges of being a Christian and deliberately weigh the worst as well as the best and having so done if then he be content to run all hazards with Jesus Christ and expects to save no more but his Soul for indeed he that thinks to save any thing but his Soul by Religion is a Fool for so thinking If I say he be content to fore-go and hazard all the rest for Christ and accordingly when dangers appear and difficult times come on doth in good earnest fit and make ready himself for the worst he can fore-see why this is the man that deals honestly with Christ and is sincere hearty and reall in his Transactions with him For want of this consideration at first and suitable preparations from time to time as need requires and new troubles approach I say for want of this it is that so many faint and fall back in the day of trouble and furnish Hell with so many Tryumphs over Religion and the sincere-hearted Professors of it It was for want of depth of Earth i. e. a deep consideration and rooted Resolution at first that the Stony-ground Hypocrite so quickly withered when the Sun of Persecution began to shine fervently upon him Mat. 13.5 6. And wherefore is it think you that God doth make such deep Wounds by Conviction upon mens hearts at first and terrifie them with such dreadful Representations of their guilt in the Glass of the Law Act. 2.37 Rom. 7.9 Why surely as God aims at the unbortoming of the Man by this and striking him off that false and conceited Foundation of his own Righteousness so he doth it to make Christs Terms and Conditions appear rational and easie to him that being delivered out of that miserable state by Christ he may never open his mouth grudgingly and repiningly against Christ whatever Troubles he shall from thenceforward meet with for his sake Ezek. 16.63 So that it must needs be a good proof and testimony of the sincerity of our hearts in the profession of Christ when we thus fit our selves to suffer with him and are content to bear his Cross as well as wear his Crown And is it not a blessed thing for a man to find a fair Evidence of this in his own heart What can be more comfortable to him on Earth 3. This preparation is an excellent thing because it 's that which prevents and cuts off the scandal of the Cross and the offence that others take at the sufferings of Christ Now by Christs own Testimony that Soul is blessed that is not offended in him Mat. 11.6 And truly there are not many among the Throng of Professors upon whose Heads this blessing falls how many in a suffering hour are disguised as persons that have met with a disappointment They expected much peace honour and prosperity from Christ as Mat. 20.20 21. but finding now their Expectations frustrated and their Carnal Interests rather exposed then secured by their profession of him they go back like those Joh. 6.66 and walk no more with him And it is very observable that Christ dates the offence that men shall take at him from the beginning of sorrows Mat. 24.8 9. All these are the beginning of sorrows and then shall many be offended This is the beginning of Apostacy from Christ But now if thou be one that makest it thy business to fore-see and provide for Troubles before they come upon thee this will
anothers right 1 Cor. 6.19 and that he must neither live nor act ultimately for himself but for Christ Rom. 14.7 Heb. 13.7 8. Phil. 1.20 He is no more as a Proprietor but a Steward of all he hath and so holds out upon these terms to lay it out or lay it down as may best serve his Masters ends and glory All that he is or hath is by Grace subordinated to Christ and if once subordinated then no more opposed to him subordinata non pugnant This is it that makes him say I care not what becomes of me or mine so Christ may be glorified Let Christ be mâ—gnifiâ—d in my body whether it be by life or by death Phil. 1.20 By Conversion Christ enters the soul 2 Cor. 10.5 as an Army doth an Enemies Garrison by Storm and when he is possest of it by Grace he presently divides the whole spoil of Self betwixt himself and his Church This is the first thing that evinces the necessity of a Work of Grace to prepare the heart for Sufferings 2. And then in the next place It is as evident that a man can never be fit to suffer hard Things for Christ until his Spirit be enlarged raised and ennobled so that he be able to despise Dangers and look Difficulties in the face That low and private Spirit must be removed and a publick Spirit must possess him If a man be of a feeble and effeminate Spirit every petty Danger will daunt and sink him Delicacy and Tenderness is as unsuitable to a Christian as to a Souldier 2 Tim. 2.3 They that mean to enter into the Kingdome of God must resolve to make their way through that brake of Troubles betwixt them and it 2 Tim. 3.12 They that will be crowned with Victory must stand to it and play the men as that word imports 1 Cor. 16.13 Look over all the Sacred and Humane Histories and see if you can find a man that ever honoured Christ by Suffering that was not of a raised and noble Spirit and in some measure able to contemn both the allurements and threats of men So those three noble Jews Dan. 3.16 17. so Moses Heb. 11.27 and so our Apostle Acts 20.24 and the same heroick and brave Spirit was found in the succeeding Ages amongst the Witnesses of Christ When Valence the Empercur endeavoured to draw Basil from the Faith by Offers of Preferment Offer these things said he to Children when he threatned him with torments Threaten these things said he to your Purple Gallauts that live delicately And the same Basil relating the Story of the fourty Martyrs saith That when great Honours and Preferments were offered them to draw them from Christ their answer was Why offer you these small things of the world to us O Emperour when you know the whole world is contemned by us So Luther Money could not tempt him nor the fear of man daunt him Let me said he in his Letter to Staupicius be accounted proud covetous a murtherer guilty of all vices rather then of wicked silence and cowardize in the Cause of Christ Thus you see to to what an height and holy greatness the Spirits of suffering Saints in all Ages have â—een raised But now it is Grace that thus raises the Spirits of men above all the smiles and honours frowns and fears of men and no other principle but Grace can do it There is indeed a natural stoutness and generosity in some which may carry them far as it 's said of Alexander that when any great danger approached him his courage would rise and he would say Jam periculum par animo Alexandri here is a danger fit for Alexander to encounter so Pompey when disswaded from a dangerous Voyage answered Necesse est ut eam non ut vivam It 's necessary that I go not that I live But this being fed onely by a natural Spring can carry a man no higher then Nature and will flag at last If applause and the observation of the world supply it not it quickly ebbs and fails But as Grace raises men much higher so it maintains it even when there is nothing to encourage without when forsaken of all Creatures and visible supports 2 Tim. 4.10 and this it doth three wayes 1 By guiding him that hath a view of far greater things which shrinks up all temporary things and makes them appear but trifles and small matters Rom. 8.18 2 Cor. 4.18 By Grace a man rises with Christ Col. 3.1 It sets him upon his high places and thence he looks down upon things below as very poor and inconsiderable The great Cities of Campania seem but little spots to them that stand on the top of the Alps. 2 By teaching him to value and measure all things by another Rule then he was wont to do He did once measure life liberty riches honours by sense and time and then they seemed great things and it was hard to deny them Or thus to slight them but now he values and measures all by Faith and Eternity and esteems nothing great and excellent but what hath a reference to the Glory of God and an influence into Eternity 3 Grace raises and ennobles the Spirit thus because it is the Divine nature 't is the Spirit of Christ infused into a poor Worm which makes a strange alteration on him transforms him into another manner of person as much difference betwixt hir Spirit now and what it was as betwixt the Spirit of a Child that is filled with small matters and taken up with toyes and of a grave States-man that is daily imployed about the grand affairs of a Kingdome 3. A man can never suffer as a Christian till his will be subjected to the Will of God He that suffers involuntarily and out of necessity not out of choice shall neither have acceptance nor reward from God Of necessity the will must be subjected a man can never say Thy will be done till he can first say Not my will But it is Grace onely that thus conquers and subjects the will of man to Gods Psal 110.3 This is it that exalts Gods Authority in the Soul and makes the heart to stoop and tremble at his Commands 'T is this which makes our will to write its fiat at the foot of every Command and its placet under every Order it receives from God No sooner was Grace entred into the soul of Paul but presently he cries out Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 The Will is to the Soul what the Wheels are to the Chariot and Grace to is the Will what Oyl is to those Wheels When we receive the Spirit of Grace we are said to receive an Unction from the holy One 1 John 2.20 and then the Soul is made as the Chariots of Aminadab Cant. 6.12 Non tardat uncta rota it runs freely after the Lord and chearfully addresseth it self to every Service 4. A man can never suffer as a Christian untill his heart be
composed fixed and determined to follow the Lord through all Hazards and Difficulties As long as a man is hesitating and unresolved what to do whether to go forward or turn back again to the prosperous World when a man is at such a pause and stand in his way he is very unfit for Sufferings All such Divisions do both weâ—ken the Soul and strengthen the Temptation The Devils work is more then half done to his hands in such a Soul and he is now as unfit to endure hardship for Christ as a Ship is to ride out a Storm that hath neither Cable Anchor nor Ballast to hold and settle it but lies at the mercy of every Wave James 1.8 The double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes But it 's Grace and nothing besides it that brings the heart to a fixed resolution and settlement to follow the Lord. 'T is Grace that establishes the heart Heâ— 13.9 and unites it to fear the Name of God Psâ—l 86.11 This gathers all the Streams into one Channel and then it runs with much strength and sweeps away all obstacles before it So that look as it is with a wicked man that hath sold himself to do wickedly if he be set upon any one design of sin he pours out his whole heart and strength in the prosecution of that Design which is the ground of that saying Liberet me Deus ab homine unius tantum negetii Let God deliver me from a man of one onely Design He will do it to purpose So is it also in Grace If the heart be composed fixed and fully resolved for God nothing shall then stand before him And herein lies much of a Christians habitual fitness and ability to suffer 5. The necessity of Saving-Grace in all Sufferers for Christ will farther appear from this consideration That he who will run all hazards for Christ had need of a continual supply of strength and refreshment from time to time He must not depend on any thing that is failable For what shall he do then when that stock is spent and he hath no Provision left to live upon Now all natural qualifications yea all the common gifts of the Spirit are failable and short-lived things they are like a sweet Flower in the bosome that is an ornament for a little while but withers presently Or like a Pond or Brook occasioned by a great fall of Rain which quickly sinks and dries up because it is not fed by Springs in the bottome as other Fountain-waters are and hence it is they cannot continue and hold out when Sufferings come Matt. 13.21 because there is no Root to nourish and support The Hypocrite will not alwayes call upon God Job 27.10 Though they may keep company with Christ a few miles in this dirty way yet they must turn back at last and shake hands eternally with him John 6.66 These Commets may seem to shine for a time among the Stars but when that earthly matter is spent they must fall and lose their glory But now Grace is an everlasting principle it hath Springs in the bottome that never fail It shall be in him saith Christ a Well of water springing up into eternal life John 4.14 The Spirit of God supplies it from time to time as need requires It hath daily incomes from Heaven 2 Cor. 1.5 Phil. 4.13 Col. Munimur quatenus unimur 1.11 So that it is our union with Christ the Fountain by Grace that is the true ground of our constancy and long-suffering 6. And then lastly It will appear by this also that there is an absolute necessity of a real change by Grace on all that will suffer for Christ because although we may engage our selves in sufferings without it yet we can never manage our sufferings like Christians without it They will neither be honourable or acceptable to God nor yet beneficial and comfortable to our selves or others except they be performed from this principle of Grace For upon what principle soever beside this any man is acted in Religion it will either cause him to decline Sufferings for Christ or if he be engaged in them yet he will little credit Religion by his Sufferings They will either be spoiled by an ill management or his own pride will devour the praise and glory of them I do not deny but a man that 's graceless may suffer many hard things upon the account of his profession and suffer them all in vain as these Scriptures manifest See 1 Cor. 13.3 Gal. 3.4 and although you find many sweet Promises made to those that suffer for Christ yet you must consider that those pure and spiritual Ends and Motives by which men ought to be acted in their sufferings are always supposed and implyed in all those Promises that are made to the external action And sometimes it is exprest 1 Pet. 4.16 to suffer as a Christian is to suffer from pure Christian Principles and in a Christian manner with Meekness Patience Self-denial c. and this onely Grace can enable you to do So that by all this I suppose what I have undertaken in this Chapter viz. to evince the necessity of a Work of Grace to pass upon you before Sufferings for Religion come is by all this performed to satisfaction CHAP. IV. Wherein the Nature of this Work of Grace in which our habitual fitness for suffering lies is briefly opened and an account given of the great advantage the gracious person hath for any even the hardest work thereby HAving in the former Chapter plainly evinced the necessity of saving Grace to fit a man for Sufferings it will be expected now that some account be given you of the nature of this Work and how it advantages a man for the discharge of the hardest services in Religion Both which I shall open in this Chapter by a distinct Explication of the parts of this description of it This work of Grace What saving Grace is of which I am here to speak consists in the reall change of the whole Man by the Spirit of God whereby he is prepared for every good work In which brief Description I shall open these four things to you 1. That it is a Change this is palpably evident both from Scripture and Experience 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are past away behold all things are become new and it is so sensible a Change that it 's called a turning from darkness to light Act. 26.18 and a new Creature formed and brought forth But to be a little more distinct and particular there are several other Changes that pass upon men which must not be mistaken for this and therefore 1. It is not a meer change of the Judgment from Errour to Truth from Paganisme to Christianity Such a Change Simon Magus had yet still remained in the Gall of Bitterness and fast bound in the Bonds of Iniquity Act. 8.23 2. Nor onely of a mans practice from Prophaness to Civility this is common among such as live under
the Light of the Gospel which breaking into mens Consciences thwarts their Lusts and over-awes them with the fears of Hell Which is no more then what the Gentiles had Rom. 2.15 3. Nor is it a change from meer Morality to meer Formality in Religion Thus Hypocrites are changed by the common gifts of the Spirit illuminating their Minds and slightly touching their Affections Heb. 6.4 5. 4. Nor is it such a Change as Justification makes which is relative and onely alters the state and condition Rom. 5.1 2. 5. Lastly it is not a change of the Essence of a Man he remains essentially the same person still But this Change consists in the infusion of New Habits of Grace into the old Faculties which immediatly depose sinne from its dominion over the Soul and deliver up the Soul into the Hands and Government of Christ so that it lives no more to it self but to Christ This is that Change whereof we speak And this Change 2 I assert to be reall no phansie nor delusion not a groundless conceit but it is really existent extra mentem whether you conceit it or not Indeed the blind World would perswade us it is supposititious and phantastick and that there is no such reall difference betwixt one man and another as we affirm Grace makes And hence it is that whoever professeth it is presently branded for a Phanatique and that Scripture Esa 56.5 Stand by thy self I am holier then thou c. clapt in their Teeth in their absurd and perverse sense of it But I shall briefly offer these seven things to your consideration which will abundantly evince the reality of it and at once both stop the slanderouâ— Mouthes of ignorant men and silence those Atheistical Surmises which at any time Sathan may inject into the hearts of Gods own people touching this matter And first let it be considered that the Spirit of God hath represented to us this Work of Grace under such Names and Notions in Scripture as if they had been chosen purposely to obviate this Calumny It 's called a Creature Gal. 6.15 a Man 1 Pet. 3.4 a New Birth Joh. 3.3 Christ formed in us Gal. 4.19 all which express its reallity and that it is not a conceited thing 2. It appears to be reall by the marvellous effects it hath upon a man turning him both in Judgment Will Affections and Practice quite counter to what he was before This is evident in that famous instance of Paul Gal. 1.23 which is abundantly attested and sealed by the constant experience of all gracious Souls that are Witnesses of the Truth hereof 3. A Divine and Almighty Power goes forth to produce and work it and hence Faith is said to be of the operation of God Col. 2.12 Yea that the same Power which raised Jesus Christ from the Dead goes to the production of it Ephes 1.19 20. And if so how much less then Blasphemy is it to call it a Conceit or Phansie Doth God set on work his infinite Power to beget a Phansie or raise an imagination 4. Conceits and Whimsies abound most in men of weak Reason Children and such as are crackt in their Understandings have most of them strength of Reason banishes them as the Sun doth Mists and Vapours But now the more rational any gracious person is by so much the more he is fixed setled and satisfied in the Grounds of Religion Yea there is the highest and purest Reason in Religion and when this Change is wrought upon men it 's carryed on in a rational way Esa 1.18 Joh. 16.9 The Spirit overpours the Understanding with clear Demonstrations and silences all Objections Pleas and Pretences to the contrary 5 It 's a real thing and gracious Souls know it to be so else so many Thousands of the Saints would never have suffered so many cruel Torments and Miseries rather then forsake a fancy and so save all They have been so well satisfied of the reality of that which the World calls a Phansie that they have chosen rather to embrace the Stake than deny it The constancy of Christians in cleaving to Religion was common to a Proverb among the Heathen who when they would express the greatest difficulty would say You may as soon turn a Christian from Christ as do it Surely no wise man would sacrifice his Liberty Estate Life and all that is dear for a Conceit 6 It 's reality appears in its uniformity in all those on whom it is wrought They have all obtained like precious Faith 2 Pet. 1.1 They are all changed into the same Image 2 Cor. 3.18 Three Thousand Persons affected in one and the same manner at one Sermon Act. 2.37 Could one and the same Conceit possess them all together Take two Christians that live a Thousand miles distant from each other that never heard of one another let these Persons be examined and their Reports compared and see if they do not substantially agree and whether as Face answers Face in Water so their Experiences do not answer one to the other which could never be if it were a groundless Conceit 7 And lastly it 's manifest it is a reality and puts a real difference betwixt one and another because God carryes himself so differently towards them after their Conversion now he smiles before he frowned now they are under the Promises before they were under the Threats and Curses and what a vast difference will he put betwixt the one and other in that great Day See Mat. 25. Surely if these nominal Christians did but differ in Conceit not really from others the Righteous Judge of all the Earth would not pass such a different Judgment and Doom upon them By all this you evidently see that Grace is a reall Change and not a conceited one 3. We say that this reall Change passes upon the whole Man he is changed in Soul Body and Practice all things are become new 1 This Change appears in his Soul For by it 1 his Understanding is strongly altered and receives things in another way than formerly It did look at Christ and things Eternal as uncertain and light matters The things that are seen and present did mostly affect and appeared great and excellent It admired Riches and Honours while Christ and Glory were over-looked and despised But now all these Temporals are esteemed Dung Dross Vanity Phil. 3.8 Rom. 8.18 and Jesus Christ is now esteemed the wisdom and the power of God 1 Cor. 1.23 24. It did look on the Saints as despicable persons but now as the excellent of the Earth Psal 16.3 Strictness and Duty was once esteemed a needless thing but now the onely thing desireable Psal 119.14 Oh saith the renewed Soul Where were mine Eyes that I could see no more excellency in Christ his wayes and people 2 It stops not there as it doth in Hypocrites but passes on further and reduces the Will that strong Hold is taken and delivered up to Christ It did rebel against God and could not
work to the end when the other flags Why here is the true account of both The one is moved to duty from a natural inclination to it the other is forced upon it by some external motives For the Hypocrite takes not delight in the spiritual and inward part of duty but is secretly weary of it Mal. 1.13 onely his ambition and self-ends put him upon it as a task But now the upright heart goes to God as his joy Psal 43.4 and saith It is good for me to draw nigh to God Psal 73. ult When the Sabbath comes that Golden Spot of the Week oh how he longs to see the beauty of the Lord in his Ordinances Psal 27.4 and when engaged in the worship of God he cannot satisfie himself in bodily service or to serve God in the oldness of the letter He knoweth that this perswasion cometh not of him that called him Gal. 5.7 8. He labours to engage his heart to approach to God Jer. 30.21 And hence those mountings of heart and violent sallies of the desires heaven-ward And thus you see one rare advantage to glorifie God actively flowing from the inclination of this new Creature 2. But then secondly Hence in like manner hath the Soul as great an advantage for sufferings For this new Creature having such a natural tendency to God will enable the soul in which it is to break its way to God through all the interposing obstacles and discouragements What are persecutions what are reproaches what are the fears and frowns of enemies but so many blocks thrown in the Souls way to keep it from God and Duty And indeed where this principle of Grace is wanting they prove inaccessible Mountains Graceless hearts are stalled and quite discouraged by them but now this tendency of the Soul to God enables the Christian to break his way through all You may say of him in such a case as the Historian doth of Hannibal who forced a way over the Alps with Fire and Vinegar either he will find a way or make a way Shall Sword or Famine or any other Creature separate me from Christ saith an upright Soul No no it will through all to him and that from this tendency of his new Nature You see in Nature every thing hath a tendency to its center Fire will up do what you can to suppress it Water will to the Sea if it meet with Dams yea Mountains in its way if it cannot bear them down it will creep about some other way and wind and turn to find a passage to the Sea God is the centeâ— of all gracious Spirits and Grace will carry thâ— soul through all to him This is Grace and this iâ— your advantage by it in the most difficult part oâ— your work It will carry you through all make the hardest work easie and pleasant 2 Cor. 12.10 And if great sufferings or temptations interpose betwixt you and your God it will break through all and enable you to withstand all as it did Paul in the Text who forced his way not onely through the fury of Enemies but also through the entreaties and tears of Friends CHAP. V. In which the necessity of getting clear evidences of this work of Grace in us in order to our readiness for sufferings is held forth the nature of that evidence opened and divers things that cloud and obscure it removed out of the way I Have done with habitual readiness consisting in an inwrought work of Grace The following particulars are the things in which our actual readiness lies And of them that which comes next to be handled is the getting of clear evidences in our own souls that this work hath been wrought on us this will exceedingly tend to your strengthning and comfort in a suffering hour Blessed Paul who here professeth himself ready both for Bonds and Death was clear in this point 2 Tim. 4.6 7. 2 Tim. 1.12 And indeed had he been cloudy and dark in this he could not have said I am ready No no he had been in an ill case to undertake that Journey to Jerusalem And thou wilt find it a singular advantage in dark and difficult dayes to have all clear and â—â—ght within Now for the opening of this I will â—ew 1. What the evidence or manifestation of the â—ork of Grace is 2. How it appears to be of such great advantage 〈◊〉 a suffering Saint 3. Prescribe some Rules for the obtaining â—f it 1. What it is And in short it 's nothing else but the Spirit shining upon his own work in the hearts of Believers thereby enabling them sensibly to see and feel 〈◊〉 to their own satisfaction And this is exprest in Scripture under a pleasant variety of Metaphors Sometimes it is called the shedding alroad of the love of God in the heart Rom. 5.5 sometimes the lifting up of the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 and sometimes it 's exprest without a trope by Christs manifesting himself to the soul John 14.21 For the opening of it I desire you would consider these six things 1. That it is attainable by Believers in this life and that in a very high degree and measure Many of the Saints have had it in a full measure 1 Cor. 2.12 1 John 3.24 John 21.15 2. Though it be attainable by Believers yet it is a thing separable from true Grace and many precious souls have gone mourning for the want of it Isa 50.10 This was sometimes the case of Heman David Job and multitudes more 3. During its continuance it is the sweetest thing in the world It swallowes up all Troubles and doubles all other Comforts It puts more gladness into the heart then the increase of Corn and Wine Psal 4.6 Suavis hora sed brevis mora sapit quidem suavissime sed gustatur rarissime Bern. 4. Both in the continuation and removal of iâ— the Spirit acts arbitrarily No man can say how long he shall walk in this pleasant Light Psal 30 7â— By thy favour thou hast made my Mountain stand strong thou hiddest thy face and I was troubled And when in darkness none can say how long it will beâ— ere that sweet Light break forth again God can scatter the Cloud unexpectedly in a moment Cant. 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my soul loveth There is such an observable difference in David's Spirit in some Psalms as if one man had written the beginning and another the end of them 5. Though God can quickly remove the darkness and doubts of a soul yet ordinarily the Saints find it a very hard and difficult thing to obtain and preserve the evidences of their Graces Such is the darkness deadness and deceitfulness of the heart so much unevenness and inconstancy in their practice so many counterfeits of Grace and so many wiles and devices of Satan to rob them of their peace that few in comparison live in a constant and quiet fruition of it 6. Notwithstanding all
these things which increase the difficulty yet God hath afforded his people a sure Light and sufficient means in the diligent use and improvement whereof they may attain a certainty of the work of Grace in them And there is a threefold Light by which it may most clearly and infallibly be discovered 1. Scripture Light which is able to discover the secrets of a mans heart to him and is therefore compared to the Anatomizers Knife Heb. 4.12 2. The innate Light of Grace it self or if you will the Light of Experience 1 John 5.10 It hath some properties and operations which are as essential necessary and inseparable as heat is to the fire and may be sensibly felt and perceived by the Soul Psal 119.20 3. The Light of the Spirit superadded to both the former which is sometimes called its Earnest sometimes its Seal The Spirit doth both plant the habits excite and draw forth the acts and also shine upon his own work that the Soul may see it and that sometimes with such a degree of Light as onely begets peace and quiets the heart though it do not fully conquer all the doubts of it And at other times the heart is irradiated with so clear a Beam of Light that it 's able to draw forth the triumphant Conclusion and say Now I know the things that are freely given me of God I believe and am sure And so much briefly for the opening of the nature of this evidence 2. I shall shew you the necessity of it to a suffering Saint in order to the right management of a suffering condition And this will appear by the consideration of five things 1. Dem 1 You will readily grant that the Christians love to God hath a mighty influence into all his sufferings for God This Grace of love enables him victoriously to break through all difficulties and discouragements The Flood 's cannot drown it nor the Waters quench it Cant. 8.6 7. It facilitates the greatest hardships 1 John 5.3 And whatever a man suffer if it be not from this principle it is neither acceptable to God nor available to himself 1 Cor. 13.3 But now nothing more inflames and quickens the Christians love to God then the knowledge of his interest in him and the sensible perception and taste of his love to the Soul Our love to God is but a reflection of his own love And the more powerfull the stroke of the direct Beam is the more is the reflex Beam also Never doth that flame of Jah burn with a more vehement heat then when the Soul hath the most clear manifestations of its interest in Christ and his benefits Luke 7.47 It must needs be of singular use to a suffering Saint Dem. 2 because it takes out the sinking weight of affliction That which sinks and breaks the Spirit is the conjunction and meeting of inward and outward troubles together then if the Lord do not strangely and extraordinarily support the Soul it 's wrackt and overwhelmed as the Ship in which Paul sailed was when it fell into a place where two Seas met Acts 27.41 Oh how tempestuous a Sea doth that Soul sail in that hath fightings without and fears within How must that poor Christians heart tremble and meditate terrour that when he retires from troubles without for some comfort and support within shall find a sad addition to his troubles from whence he expected relief against them Hence it was that Jeremy so earnestly deprecates such a misery Be not thou a terrour to me thou art my hope in the day of evil Jer. 17.17 This is prevented by this means If a man have a clear breast and all be quiet within he is like one that hath a good Roof over his head when the Storm falls We glory in tribulation because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Rom. 5.3 5. It is a fountain of joy and comfort in the darkest and saddest hour Dem. 3 Hence the glorious triumphs of Saints in their afflictions Rom. 5.5 and in the Christians joy in the Lord lies much of his strength for sufferings Neh. 8.10 If once the Spirit droop and sink the man is in a bad case to suffer holy joy it is the Oyl that makes the Chariot-wheels of the Soul free to follow the Lord Non tardat uncta rota To suffer with joyfullness for Christ is a qualification that Gods Eye is much upon in his suffering Servants Col. 1.11 How did these famous Worthies magnifie Christ and glorifie Religion by the holy triumphs of their faith and joy under tribulation One kiss'd the Apparator that brought him news of his Condemnation and was like a man transported with an excess of joy Another upon the pronouncing of the Sentence kneels down and with hands and eyes lifted up solemnly blesses God for such a day as that Oh how is Christ magnified by this And this can not be untill interest be cleared It 's true the faith of recumbency gives the Soul a secret support and enables the Christian to live but the faith of evidence keeps him lively and prevents all those uncomfortable and uncomely sinkings and despondencies of spirit 2 Cor. 4.16 17. and therefore cannot but be of singular use to a soul at such a time Lastly Dem. 4 It is of special use to a Christian under sufferings inasmuch as it enables him to repell the temptations that attend upon sufferings Nothing sets a keener edge upon his indignation against unworthy compliances then this Indeed a poor cloudy and dubious Christian will be apt to catch at deliverance though upon terms dishonourable to Christ but he that is clear in point of interest abhors compositions and capitulations upon unworthy terms and conditions Heb. 11.35 Heb. 10.34 He that sees the gain and reward of suffering will think he is offered to his loss when life and deliverance are set before him upon such hard terms as sin is And thus you see what influence it hath into a suffering condition 3. In the next place I promised to prescribe some Rules for the attaining of this Evidence and the dispelling of those Doubts by which it is usually clouded in the souls of Believers And oh that by the faithfull use of them you may attain it against a suffering day come upon you And the first Rule I shall give you is this Rule 1 Make it your business to improve Grace more for the more vigorous it is the more evidential it must needs be 2 Pet. 1.5 6 7 8 9 10 11. Oh how much time have many Christians spent in enquiring after the lowest signs of sincerity and what may consist with Grace which had they spent in the diligent improvement of the means of Grace for the increasing of it they would have found it a shorter cut to peace and comfort by much Mistake not the Rule by which you are to trie your selves Rule 2 least you gain a false judgement upon your selves Some are apt to make those things signs of
Grace which are not and when the falseness of them is detected how is that poor Soul plunged into doubts and fears that leaned upon them As now If a man should conclude his sincerity from his diligence in attending on the Word preached this is but a Paralogism as the Apostle calls it Jam. 1.22 by which a man deceiveth his own Soul For that which is a note or mark must be proper to the thing notified and not common to any thing else There are divers sorts of marks some are exclusive the principal use of which is to convince bold Pretenders and discover Hypocrites Such is that 1 Cor. 9.9 It is a most certain signâ— where these are there is no Grace but yet it will not follow on the contrary that where these are not there is Grace See Luke 18.11 Others are â—elusive the use of which is not so much for trying of the truth and the strength and degrees of Grace As now when Faith is described by the radiancy of it or by some of its heroick acts and promises made to some raised degrees and operations of it as that Ephes 3.12 c. Here a mistake is easily made Besides these or rather bewixt these are another sort of marks which are called positive marks and these agreeing to the lowest degree of Grace are for the trial of the truth and sincerity of it Such are these 1 John 4.13 1 John 2.3 Matth. 5.3 Be sure to try by a proper mark Take heed of such sins as violate and waste the Conscience For these will quickly raise a mist Rule 3 and involve the Soul in clouds and darkness Psal 51.8 c. Such are sins against Light and the reclamations of Conscience Labour to shun those common mistakes that Christians make in judging of their state Rule 4 amongst which I shall select these five as principal ones 1. Call not your condition into question upon every failing and involuntary lapse into sin Iniquities prevail against me as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away Psal 65.3 In short thou needest not call thy condition into question provided thou find thy Spirit working as Paul's did under the surprisals of temptation viz If 1 thou do approve of and delight in the Law though thou fall short of it in thy practice Rom. 7.12 14. 2 If thy failings be involuntary and against the resolution and bent of thy Soul vers 25.18 19. 3 If it be the load and burden of thy Soul vers 24. 4 If the thoughts of deliverance comfort thee vers 25. 2. Question not the truth of thy Grace because it was not wrought in the same way and manner in thee as in others For there is great variety as to the circumstances of time and manner betwixt the Spirits operations upon one and another Compare the History of Paul's Conversion with that of the Jaylor Zacheus or Lydia 3. Conclude not that you have no grace because you feel not those transportations and ravishing joyes that other Christians speak of If thou canst not say as Paul doth Rom. 8.38 yet bless God if thou canst but breath forth such language as that Mark 9.24 4. Say not thou hast no Grace because of the high attainments of some Hypocrites who in some things may excell thee When some persons read the sixth Chapter to the Hebrews they are startled to see to what a glorious height the Hypocrite may soar not considering that there are these three things wherein they excell the most glorious Hypocrite in the world 1 That Self was never dethroned in Hypocrites as it is in them All that an Hypocrite doth is for himself 2 The Hypocrite never hated every sin as he doth but hath still some Agag Rimmon or Delilah 3 That the Hypocrite never acted in duty from the bent and inclination of a new nature taking delight in heavenly imployment but is moved rather as a Clock by the weights and poises of some external motives and advantages 5. Conclude not you have no Grace because you grow not so sensibly as some other Christians do You may be divers wayes mistaken about this 1 You may measure your growth by your desires and then it appears nothing for the Christian aim high and grasps at all 2 Or by comparing your selves with such as have larger capacities time and advantages then you 3 Or by comparing your Graces with other mens Gifts which you mistake for their Graces 4 Or by thinking that all growth is upward in joy peace and comfort whereas you may grow in mortification and humility which is as true a growth as the former Oh! take heed of these mistakes they have been very prejudicial to the peace of many Christians Lastly Decline not sufferings when God gives you a fair call to them Rule 5 Oh! the Christians suffering time is commonly his clearest and most comfortable time See that Golden Letter of Pomponius Algerius P Then the spirit of God and glory resteth on them 1 Pet. 4.14 That which hath been in suspence for some years is decided and cleared in a suffering hour And thus I have shewed you how to attain this necessary qualification also CHAP. VI. Discovering the necessity of an improved faith for the right management of sufferings and directing to some special means for the improvement thereof THe next thing conducing to our actual readiness for sufferings is the improvement of Faith to some considerable degree of strength This is the Grace that must do the main service in such an hour and hath the principal hand in supporting the Christian under every burden This is the Grace that crowns our heads with victory in the day of battel Ephes 6.16 Above all taking the shield of Faith It 's true every Grace is of use and contributes assistance suffering Saints have been beholding to them all But of this we may say as Solomon of the vertuous woman Though many Graces have done excellently yet this excels them all In this Grace ready Paul was eminent It was the life he daily lived Gal. 2.20 Oh it is a precious grace 2 Pet. 1.1 so precious that Christ who seldome admired at any thing yet wondred at this Mat. 8.10 A victorious Grace it is that overcomes all difficulties Mark 9.23 By this Sword it was that all those famous Heroes Heb. 11. atchieved all those glorious conquests and in every distress it may say to the Soul as Christ to the Disciples John 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing This is that Sword that hath obtained so many Victories over the world 1 John 5.4 and that trusty Shield that hath quenched so many deadly Darts of temptation as have been levell'd at the very heart of the Christian in the day of battel By it a Christian lives when all outward sensible comforts die Hab. 2.4 It 's the ground upon which the Christian fixes his foot and never fails under him 2 Con. 1.24 The necessity of it will more clearly appear by considering how many wayes it
relieves the soul in trouble and disburthens the heart of all its sinking loads and pressures there are two things that sink a mans Spirit when under sufferings viz. The greatness of the troubles and the weakness of the soul to bear them against both which Faith relieves the soul viz. by making a weak soul strong and heavy troubles light First It makes a weak Soul strong and able to bear and this it doth divers ways 1. By purging out of the Soul those enfeebling and weakning Distempers not onely guilt in general which is to the Soul as a Wound upon the bearing shoulder Rom. 5.1 The removal when it enables the Soul to bear any other Burden Isa 33.24 But it also removes Fear the Tyrant Passion that cuts the Nerves of the Soul For as Faith comes in so Fear goes out Look in what degree the Fear of God is ascendant in the Soul proportionably the sinful fear of the Creature declines and vanisheth Esa 8.12 13. This fear extinguishes that as the Sun-shine puts out fire The Righteous iâ— bold as a Lion Prov. 28.1 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a young Lion in his hot bloud that knows no such thing as fear And look how much of the Soul is empty of Faith so much it s filled with fear Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Mat. 8.26 Certainly it 's a rare advantage to be freed from the common distraction in times of common destruction and this advantage the Soul hath by Faith 2. It strengthens the Soul to bear afflictions and hardships not onely by purging out its weakning Distempers but by turning it self to Christ in whom all its strength lyes and that suitably to the several Exigencies of the Soul in all its Distresses Doth Darkness like the shadow of Death overspread the Earth and all the Lights of Earthly Comforts disappear then Faith supports the Heart by looking to the Lord Mic. 7.7 and this look of Faith exceedingly revives the Heart Psal 34.5 and enlightens the Soul Doth God pluck away all Earthly Props from under your Feet and leave you nothing visible to rest upon in that Exigence Faith puts forth a suitable act viz. Resting or staying upon God Esa 26.3 and by this the Soul comes to be quieted and established Psal 125.1 Do Temptations strive to put off the Soul from Christ and difcourage it from leaning upon the Promise Then it puts forth an act of Resolution Job 13.15 and so breaks its way through that discouragement Or hath the Soul been long seeking God for deliverance out of trouble and still there is silence in Heaven no answer comes but instead of an Answer comes a Temptation to throw up the Duty and seek to deliver it self Then Faith puts forth another act upon Christ suitable to this distress viz. An act of waiting Isa 49.23 which waiting is opposed to that sinful haste which the Soul is tempted to Isa 28.16 Or doth God at any time call the Soul forth to some difficult service against which the Flesh and Carnal Reason dispute and plead now Faith helps the Soul by putting forth an act of obedience and that whilst Carnal Reason stands by dis-satisfied Gal. 1.16 And hence it is that Obedience carryes the name of Faith upon it to shew its descent Rom. 16.26 Faith encourages the Soul to obey not onely by urging Gods Command but by giving it Gods Warrant for its Indempnity Heb. 11.24 25 26. Or doth a poor Believer find himself over-match'd by Troubles and Temptations and his own inherent strength begin to fail under the burden then Faith leads him to an Omnipotent God and so secures him from fainting under his Trouble Psal 61.2 in the Lord is everlasting strength El Shaddai is a name of encouragement to a feeble Soul Isa 40.29 30 31. And thus you see the first particular made good viz. What a strengthning influence it hath into a weak Soul Secondly In the next place let us see how it lightens the Christians Burden as well as strengthens his back to bear And certainly this Grace of Faith doth strangely alter the very Nature of Sufferings taking away both the heaviness and horrour of them and this it doth divers ways 1. By committing the business to Christ and leaving the matter with him and so quitting the Soul of all those anxieties and perturbations which are â—e very burden and weight of Affliction Psal 37. â—5 For certainly that which sinks us in dayes of Trouble is rather from within from our unruly seditious and clamorous Thoughts then from the Troubles themselves with which we conflict But by committing the matter to God the Soul is quickly brought to rest 2. By discovering much present good in our Troubles the more good Faith discovers in a Trouble the more supportable and easie it makes it to the Soul Now Faith brings in a comfortable Report that they are not onely evils as the Troubles of the wicked are Ezek. 7.5 but have an allay and mixture of much good Heb. 12.10 Isa 27.9 3. By fore-seeing the end and final removal of them and that near at hand 2 Cor. 4.17 That which daunts and amazes men in times of trouble is that they can see no end of them Hence the heart saints and hands hang down through discouragement But now Faith brings the joyful Tidings of the end of Troubles and saith to the Soul Why art thou cast down O my Soul and why so disquieted and discouraged within me as if thy Travails were like the Sufferings of the Damned endless and everlasting whereas they are but for a moment Yet a little a very little while and he that shall come will come and will not tarry Heb. 10.37 Yet a little while and then the days of thy mourning shall be over 4. By comparing our sufferings with the sufferings of others which exceedingly diminisheth and shrinks them up Sometimes the Believer compares his sufferings with Christs and then he is ashamed that ever he should complain and droop under them Oh! saith he What is this to that which the Lord Jesus suffered for me he suffered in all his Members Head Hands Side Feet from all hands Friends and Enemies in all his Offices Yea in his Soul as well as Body And indeed the sufferings of his Soul were the very soul of his sufferings sometimes he compares them with the sufferings of others of the Saints in former Ages When he reads in Faith the History of their Persecutions he is shamed out of his Complaints and Faith Am I better then my Fathers Sometimes he compares them with the sufferings of the Damned Oh what is this to the everlasting Burnings What is a Prison to Hell How light and easie is it to suffer for Christ in comparison of those sufferings which are from Christ And thus the Soul is quieted and the terrour of sufferings abated 5. Faith intitles Christ to the Believers sufferings and puts them upon his score and so it exceedingly transforms
36.37 Jer. 29.11 12 13. All that comes from God to you or to you from God must come in this Channell Be convinced then of the need you have to improve your selves herein as ever you hope to stand in the evil day But how are these praying abilities capable of improvement in the people of God Quest Praying abilities are either externall and common or else internal and speciall Sol. The external and common ability is nothing else but that dexterity and skill men get to express themselves to God in Prayer which men have by nature or industry Thus many can put their meaning into apt and decent expressions to which the Spirit sometimes adds his common touches upon the affections And this Hypocrites rest and glory in Or else they are special and internal whereby men are enabled to pour out their souls to God in a saving manner And this may be considered either in the Habit or Act. The Habit is given by the Spirit when the principles of Grace are first infused into the soul Zech. 12.10 Acts 9.11 By being sanctified we are made near and by acting those principles in Prayer we are said to draw near Psal 10.17 Now in our actual drawing near to God the Spirit hath the chief and principal hand and his assistance therein is threefold 1. He excites the heart to the duty 't is he that whispers to the Soul to draw nigh to God Psal 27.8 2. He suggests the matter of our Prayers and furnisheth us with the Materials Rom. 8.26 guiding us as to the matter not onely to what is lawful but also to what is expedient for us 3. He stirreth up suitable Affections in Prayer Rom. 8.26 and hence those groans and tears those gaspings and vehement anhelations But notwithstanding all our Abilities both habitual and actual be from the Spirit and not from our selves yet are they capable of improvement by us For though in respect of acquirement there be a great difference betwixt natural and supernatural Habits yet their improvement is in the same way and manner and this improvement may be made divers wayes For First Though you have the Spirit and can pray yet you may learn to pray more humbly then before Though you rise no higher as to words yet you may learn to lay your selves lower before the Lord as Abraham and Ezra did Gen. 18.27 Ezra 9.6 Secondly You may learn to pray with more sincerity then formerly Ah! there is much Hypocrisie and Formality in our Prayers much of Custom c. Now you may learn to pour out more Cordial Prayers See Psal 17.1 Psal 119.10 Thirdly You may learn to pray with more zeal and earnestness then before Some Saints have excelled and been remarkable for this Dan. 9.19 Hos 12.4 James 5.16 Fourthly With more assiduity and readiness at all times for it Ephes 6.18 Praying alwayes with all Prayer Hence Christ gives that commendation to the Church Cant. 4.11 Thy Lips O my Spouse drop as the Honey Comb The Honey Comb often drops but always hangs full of Drops ready to fall Fifthly You may learn to pray with more Faith Oh the Qualms of Unbelief that go over our Hearts in a Duty Faith is the Soul of Prayer and according to the Faith God finds in them he accepts and values them Now in all these things you may improve your selves abundantly 1. By being more frequent in the Duty Job 22.21 acquaint thy self with the Almighty in the Hebrew it is accustom thy self Those that have been excellent have also been abundant in it Psal 55.17 2. By taking heed that you grieve not the Spirit on whose influences and assistances you so intirely depend Even as much as a Ship doth upon the Gales of Wind for its motion 3. By honouring the Spirit which enables you to pray and that especially two ways 1 By dependance on him go not forth in your own strength to the Duty trust not upon your own promptness or preparations 2 By returning and with thankfulness ascribing the praise of all to him Be humble under all Enlargements Say Not I but Grace 4. By searching your own Hearts and examining your Necessities and Wants when you draw nigh to God this will be a Fountain of Matter and give you a deep Resentment of the worth of Mercies pray'd for 5. Lastly By looking more at the exercise of Graces and less at the discovery of Parts by labouring for Impressions more and pumping for Expressions less And thus I have briefly shewed you how to furnish yourselves with this needfull Qualification also CHAP. XI Wherein is shewed the necessity of going out of our selves even when our habitual and actual Preparations are at the greatest height and depending as constantly and intirely upon the Spirit who is Lord of all gracious Influences as if we had done nothing Together with the means of working the Heart to such a frame THus you have seen your habitual and actuall readiness for Sufferings and blessed is the Soul that gives diligence to this work But now least all that I have said and you have wrought should be in vain I must let you know that all this will not secure you unless you can by Humility Faith and Self-denial go out of your selves to Christ and live upon him daily for supplies of Grace as much as if you had none of all this Furniture and Provision for Sufferings I confess Grace is a very beautiful and lovely Creature and it 's hard for a man to look upon his own Graces and not doat upon them But yet know that if you had all these excellent preparations that have been mentioned yea and all Angelical Perfections superadded yet are you not compleat without this dependance upon Christ Col. 2.10 When ever you go forth to suffer for Christ you should say in the Head of all your excellent Graces Duties and Preparations as Jehosaphat did when in the head of a puissant and mighty Army 2 Chron. 20.12 O Lord I have no might nor strength but my Eyes are unto thee This was one thing in which Paul excelled and was a special part of his readiness See 1 Cor. 15.10 What a poor Creature is the eminentest Saint left to himself in in hour of trial the Hop the Ivey and the Woodlind are taught by Nature to cling about stronger Props and Supporters What they do by Nature we should do by Grace The necessity and great advantage of this will appear upon divers Considerations 1. The Christians own imbecility and insufficiency even in the strength and beight of all his Acquirements and Preparations what are you to grapple with such an Adversary Certainly you are no Match for him that conquered Adam hand to hand in his state of integrity It is not your inâ—erent strength that enables you to stand but what â—ou receive and daily derive from Jesus Christ Joh. 15.5 Without me or never so little separated from me ye can do nothing all our sufficiency is of God 2 Cor. 3.5
Psal 119.6 Do Christians use to enquire more what is cheap easie and safe for them or what is their duty Gal. 1.16 Speak Conscience for to thee I do appeal Art thou not conscious of some reserves limitations and exceptions Doth not the man like Naaman desire the Lord to excuse and pardon him in this or that thing 2 Kings 5.17 And thinkest thou that this is consistent with sincere obedience which excepts no duty nor quarrels with any command because they all flow equally from the sovereignty of God Jam. 2.11 and so doth what it doth intuitu voluntatis upon the sight of Gods will Say Conscience Are there not great struglings disputes and contests betwixt thee and fleshly interests in such cases and art thou not frequently over-born Oh search your hearts in this particular Yea secondly I appeal to you whether there be not many among you that choose sin rather then affliction This is alwayes the Hypocrites opinion and choice He judges sufferings the greatest evils and so orders himself in his election It was meerly to avoid persecution that those Hypocrites Gal. 6.12 constrained others to be circumcised onely to gratifie the Jews that so by a sinfull compliance with them the offence of the Cross might cease If Paul would have done so he might have avoided it too but he durst not whatever he suffered Gal. 5.11 Oh this is a shrewd sign of a false heart Jub 36.21 and the contrary disposition is always found in the upright heart Heb. 11.25 Nay are there not some that have and others that are ready to throw up their Profession when they see into what difficulties it involves them Whilest they could live upon the profession of Truth they entertained it but when Truth comes to live upon them they thrust it out and cry Away with this Profession it will beggar and undo us They then repent of their forwardness and secretly with they had never engaged in it O examine whether your hearts be not thus turned back and your steps declined If so it 's manifest you are hypocritical Professours and that it was some outward self-respect that first engaged you in your Profession but can never enable you to hold out when difficult dayes come I say it 's manifest by this departure from your Profession that some outward self-respect at first allured you to it As now when I behold the artificial motions of the Wheels in a Watch and see how regularly the Needle marks the journal hours of the Sun upon the flat of the Quadrant and see nothing that moves or guides it it would cause admiration if I had never seen it before or did not understand the cause of that motion but when I look upon the other side and there find Wheels Ressorts and Counterpoises and a Spring that causes all those motions I cease to wonder certainly some Lust or other was the spring of all thy religious motions stop or take off that and motion ceases And if it be so this Scab of Hypocrisie will at last break out into the Botch of Apostacy Thou canst never hold out long under Trials Matth. 13.21 Oh how many such sad sights may we live to see as Trials come Difficult times are coming on 2 Tim. 3.1 and woe to such then as want sincerity at the bottome of their Profession 2. And as these have no habitual readiness for sufferings and consequently must be ruin'd by them so there are others that may be truly godly and have the root of the matter in them who are yet far from an actual readiness and so continuing are like to be a reproach to Religion when their Trial comes For it is not a little Grace in the sleepy habit that will secure you from falling scandalously by the hand of temptation And although that Seed of God which is in you will recover you again and prevent total and final Apostacy yet oh consider what a sad thing it is to enter into and be conquered by temptation to be led away in triumph by the Tempter and made a reproach to Christ O it 's a sad consideration to think how many there be amongst the people of God that discover little or no actual preparation for sufferings As first 1. Upon how many of the Saints is the Spirit of slumber poured out Even the wise as well as foolish seem now to be asleep There is a twofold spiritual sleep the first is total upon wicked men and it 's one of Gods sorest and dreadfullest strokes upon their soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isa 29.10 The Hebrew word there is the same with that which is used of Adam when God cast him into a deep sleep whilst he took out his rib And in 2 Tim. 2.26 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies such a sleep as that which is occasioned by drunkenness out of such a sleep doth the Lord awaken all that are saved and they never fall into it any more The other is partial Cant. 5.2 and is incident to the people of God Matth. 25.5 This is nothing else but that torpor and sluggishness of spirit which seizeth upon the Saints and never did it prevail I fear among them more then now For where is their activity for God Where is he that stirreth up himself to take hold of God Isa 64.7 Where is there such a generation as that Psal 24.6 we pray confer and hear for the most part but as men speak betwixt sleeping and waking Where can you find except here and there one that hath a quick and lively sense of Gods indignation upon him or that trembles at his judgements Is not that the very case of the most which God describes Isa 42. ult 2. How many are seized by a private and worldly spirit every man turning to his own house and eagerly pursuing the world Hag. 1.9 Jer. 45.4 5. Oh! how are we intangled in the Wilderness how doth the World eat up our time and eat out our Zeal cowardize and soften our spirits and render us utterly unfit for the Yoak and Burden of Christ You that see so much Beauty and taste so much sweetness in the Creature will have an hard Tugg when call'd to deny it You are not yet prepared to drink of the Cup or take up the Cross of Christ 3. How many poor Christians are of a low and timerous spirit ready to tremble at the shaking of a Leaf Ah poor hearts how unfit are you for Bonds or Death This passion of fear that so predominates in you is the very passion that Satan assaults and layes siege to in the hour of Temptation as was before noted and commonly it 's occasioned where it flowes not from the Natural Constitution from an excessive love to the world or from some guilt upon the spirit It 's true the Lord can so assist weak Faith and so subdue strong Fears as that you may be enabled to stand the shock when it comes for as I noted formerly our strength lies not