Treachery The settled bent of their Hearts and so the general course of their Lives is right 16. The upright Man is striving after and growing up towards full Perfection The Righteous shall hold on his way And he that hath clean Hands wax stronger and stronger Thus the Way of the Lord is strength to the Upright And his Word does good to the Upright Mic. 2.7 It is an ill sign when one is at a constant stay in Religion When one holds on in a round of Duties without going forward And commonly Hypocrites go out at last in a stinking snuff But the Path of the Just is as the shining Light which shineth more and more unto the Perfect Day Prov. 4.18 Such are pressing towards the Mark Phil. 3.14 15. Of Zeal TIT. 2.14 A peculiar People zealous of good Works 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 accensum studio bonorum operum as Beza fervently given unto good Works as in our old English translation Zeal is a word of various acceptation In general it signifies heat and fervour From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ferveo In Heb. 10.27 there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we read fiery indignation in our old Translation violent Fire This Word is transferred to the heat and fervour of the Spirit and Affections which is of diverse kinds As 1. There is a natural Zeal As some naturally are of lively active spirits full of mettle as we use to say Luther seemeth to have been naturally of such a temper As Bucer said of him Nihil in eo non vehemens What an happy thing it is when such a temper is guided and acted by Grace Ordinarily such will do more for God 2. There is a carnal Zeal We find emulations among the works of the Flesh reckoned up Gal. 5.19 20 21. In the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Apostle James condemns 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter Zeal Jam. 3.14 Envy is a kind of Zeal but not of the right kind It is bitter Zeal It is a sort of wild Grapes There is a Blind Zeal Such as Idolaters Papists Persecuters may be acted by A blind zeal when Men are Zealous in a false way and Zealous against the Truth Taking light for darkness and darkness for light Calling good evil and evil good There is a superstitious extravagant and erratick zeal when Men are Zealous about such things where it would be a vertue to be cool and moderate And there is an Hypocritical Zeal when Men have or seem to have great Zeal for the Truth and against Errour and falshood but it is only for self-respects and carnal ends Thus carnal Zeal moves in a large Sphere takes a great compass 3. There is a Spiritual Zeal A being zealous of good Works indeed and zealous for God even for his sake An holy Zeal This is both commanded Rev. 3.19 Be zealous And commended Num. 25.11 Phinehas the Son of Eleazer hath turned my wrath away while he was zealous for my sake So this Zeal should not go unrewarded Many commend lukewarmness and indifferency in Religion under the terms of Moderation Prudence and Discretion But Christ and the World are not of a mind A lukewarm temper the Lord cannot endure Rev. 3.15 16. Because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spue thee out of my mouth But as Bishop Hall observes Vol. 1. p. 903. The goodness of God winks at the Errors of honest Zeal and so loveth the strength of good Affections that it passeth over their Infirmities Again ib. p. 938. He Pardoneth the Errours of our fervency rather than the indifferencies of lukewarmness Indeed where there is no Zeal for God there is no Love to God Qui non Zelat non amat Where there is Life there will be some heat Here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be spiritually alive and to be lively are not more alike in sound than really akin Zeal in one degree or other is as inseparable from spiritual Life as heat is from fire It 's true as every sincere Christian is not a Nathaniel for degree and measure of Sincerity and plain-heartedness So neither is every such Soul a Moses a Phinehas an Elias for Zeal Yet the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force Mat 11.12 And it is one property of Christ's redeemed ones his peculiar People to be zealous of good Works This holy Zeal of which I am to speak as was said of Vprightness and Sincerity is not any distinct particular Grace but a modus or respect of other Graces Though some define it as a compound of Love and Anger Zelus est affectus ex amore irâ mixtus cum scil irascimur ei à quo laeditur id quod amamus Yet I cannot so confine it There must be Zeal accompanying our Repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 And Zeal in our Love We must love fervently 1 Pet. 1.22 and 4.8 And it is the symtom of corrupt times when love waxeth cold Mat. 24.12 Zeal is the spritely vigour and activity of all Grace the ardor of all the Affections with the earnestness and intention that is in all spiritual actings Indeed the chief heat of it is in the Spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.11 This Fire is burning in the gracious Heart in the sanctified Will and Affections yet its heat is further diffused into the Conversation All our Spiritual Sacrifices must be offered up with this Fire Fervent in Spirit serving the Lord. Prayer must be Zealous fervent Prayer Jam. 5.16 Col. 4.12 13. Ministers must Preach zealously as Apollos Act. 18.25 None are allowed to do the work of the Lord negligently remisly There must be Zeal in hearing the Word Here our hearts should burn within us as Luk. 24.32 we should be zealous in reproving as Gal. 2.11 Yea no good work is well done without Zeal We must be zealous of and zealous in good Works It s not enough barely to do good Works but we must be earnest upon it and vigorous in the Work Quest But how shall we know whether our Zeal be right Answ 1. True Zeal is guided by a right Judgment a judgment regulated by the Word To allude to that Isa 4.4 The spirit of judgment must go along with the spirit of burning A blind ignorant rash Zeal is not good nor will it prove ones estate good Such a Zeal Paul had while a desperate Persecuter Act. 26.9 which afterwards he saw to be fury and madness rather than Zeal v. 11. This made him Mad once not his learning as Festus would have had it v. 24. such a Zeal the carnal unbelieving Jews had Rom. 10.2 Let Men be never so zealous in their way if it be not God's way their Zeal runs waste God is not honoured but dishonoured not well pleased but displeased with that Zeal which is not according to his Word To be zealous for what he hath not commanded and much more to be zealous for what he hath forbidden to be zealous against
could not but express his Zeal for God at Athens when he had none to back him Acts 17. Come see my Zeal for the Lord says Jehu a Kings 10.16 An Hypocrite is not well pleased if he have not some to take notice of his Zeal some that will applaud him for it His Zeal in a good cause is soon cooled if he have not some about him such as would encourage and help to blow it up Whereas true Zeal will burn still when there are none about it but such as endeavour to blow it out As Lot's Soul was vexed from day to day in Sodom with their unlawful deeds 2 Pet. 2.8 If a Zealous Christian hath his lot cast in a wicked prophane Place or Family even there will his Zeal be breaking forth True Zeal will not be smothered or put out with the coldness and deadness of others about it but rather useth to be more excited and intended As Fire burns hottest in cold frosty Weather 5. True Zeal is not Partial but would appear for all that wherein God's Honour and Interest lieth It is as Extensive as sincere and sound Obedience It is Quantitas intensiva obedientiae according to Dr. Ames Thus to be Zealous of good works in the whole kind of them ready to promote any good Work earnestly desirous to abound in every good Work would shew our Zeal to be right But a partial Zeal as a partial Obedience is not right As partial heats in the Body are no signs of good Health To be Zealous for works of Charity but no friends of Holiness and true Piety Or to seem forward for pious Exercises but to be careless of other Moral Duties To be negligent in the duties of our particular Callings and Relations cannot be right True Zeal in a Magistrate will make him active for God as a Magistrate as Nehemiah was True Zeal in a Minister will make him diligent in the work of his Ministry Like Apollos who being fervent in Spirit spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord Acts 18.25 True Zeal in the Master of a Family will make him Industrious in his Place To instruct his Houshold in the Way of the Lord and to engage them in God's Service after Abraham's example Yea one that is truly Zealous of good Works will act uniformly Not be hot in Prayer Hearing Conference and Cold and Heartless as to other Duties 6. True Zeal sets against all Sin as it is discovered This will cause ones Blood to rise against Sin So a Man will be ready to reprove and shew his dislike of Sin as he has opportunity So he will endeavour in his Place according to his Power to oppose Sin to prevent suppress it True Zeal will make a Man an enemy to Sin wheresoever he sees it wheresoever he meets with it To appear very forward to condemn the faults of an Enemy of such as bear no good will to us and to bear with Sin in our Friends in such as are nearly related to us this is not right True Zeal would make one like Levi in God's Cause Who said unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seen him neither did he acknowledg his Brethren nor knew his own Children Deut. 33.9 As Asa would not bear with Idolatry in his own Mother 2 Chron. 15.16 In the trial of your Love observe its working at a distance as this will better appear in its workings towards those that are farthest off in its being extended to Strangers Enemies than in its workings towards Friends and Relations that are near you But in the trial of your Zeal on the contrary especially observe how it worketh near hand To condemn Sin in others but to indulge and spare our own Sins is not right Some are so Zealous against others Offences De Adventu Dom. Ser. 4. as Bernard says that they might seem to hunger and thirst after Righteousness if they had the same judgment also of their own Sins But now a weight and a weight as he alludes is an abomination to the Lord. True Zeal would least endure Sin in its own Territories As Fire has most power on what is next it Zeal where it is in truth will be firing out ones own Corruptions Like an Hearth of fire among Wood and like a Torch of fire in a Sheaf As the Psalmist says My Zeal hath consumed me Psal 119.139 So Zeal will be consuming ones Lusts Are we salted with this Fire according to the expression Mark 9.49 A truly Zealous Christian has the greatest indignation against his own Sins and is most forward to take revenge on himself and them 2 Cor. 7.11 And he would not spare one of his Sins Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel yet this shewed his Zeal was not right that he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam he was still for the Golden Calves 2 Kings 10.28 29. A resolved indulgence and allowance of any known Sin and true Zeal are inconsistent 7. A right and regular Zeal is most vehement in the greatest Matters As Fire the grosser the substance that it takes hold Ignis in materia densiori acriùs urit and feeds upon the hotter it burns True Zeal is more for plain and necessary Duties than for any disputable point or matter of Controversie So likewise it riseth against Sin according to the quality and aggravations thereof What one noteth to have always been the Hypocrites guise Dr. Downam on Psal 15. p. 33. is the genius of false Zeal scil To neglect the greater Duties and to affect the observation of the less to prefer Circumstances before the Substance and Ceremonies before the works either of Piety or Charity to place the height of their Religion either in observing or urging Ceremonies or contrariwise in inveighing against them Observe it to be more Zealous for or against a Ceremony than for the weightiest and most substantial Duties or than against great and foul Enormities to be more Zealous about some disputable Point and Opinion wherein sound Christians may have different apprehensions than for main matters of Faith and Godliness matters essential to true Christianity wherein all that are Christians indeed must agree both as to Belief and Practice is no good sign You would not take him for a wise and careful Builder that laid the greatest weight on the weakest part of the Wall So it must be indiscreet Zeal or worse than indiscreet which is more for unnecessary Opinions than for the most substantial Duties and fundamental Truths Is that true Zeal for God Or rather is it not a selfish Zeal which is for ones own Opinions neglecting those things which make most for the Honour of God and wherein the main interest of Religion lieth Though many warm themselves at these Sparks many comfort themselves that they are Zealous in their way for their own Parties and Opinions yet in the end they may lie down in sorrow for it But some will say Would you not have us Zealous for
11. True Zeal is for expedition in God's Service As Phinehas Ignis est maxime actuosus maximè mobilis who was zealous for God could not sit still when he saw God so greatly Dishonoured Psal 106. Then stood up Phinehas and executed Judgment Then stood up Phinehas The word may import his readiness and forwardness to appear for God against Sin as occasion was then offered So Nehemiah testified against the Merchants that had lodged but once or twice without Jerusalem under the Wall on the Sabbath threatning to clap them up If they did so again he would lay hands on them Neh. 13.20 21. So David Psal 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked Though it may point at the usual time of sitting in Judgment in the morning yet withal it may import that he would not be delatory in the work Thus Zeal will set Men early on work for God will make Men quick and speedy in giving check to Sin as they have power and opportunity to put a stop to it as soon as they can Sinful sluggish demurs delays put-offs are contrary to the nature of true Zeal So a listlesness to Duty is no sign of Zeal It is cold that benummeth So it is a sign of the want of Zeal a sign of extream coldness when we cannot find our hands to turn them to any good work when we are like the slothful Prov. 19.24 that hides his hand in his bosom 12. True Zeal makes souls as forward unto so free and lively in God's service What a Man does zealously he does very heartily To be zealous of good Works is not barely to do some good Works but it further implieth earnestness alacrity and fervency of spirit in the doing of Good Works To pray with Zeal is more than saying a Prayer it is no less than to be fervent in Prayer to pray earnestly To be zealous in works of Charity is not meerly to give to such that stand in need but to give willingly and freely Like those of Macedonia 2 Cor. 8.3 that were willing of themselves That needed no spurring on What the Apostle sayes of Love 1 Cor. 13.4 It is kind bountiful this may well be said of Zeal which is the fervour of Love Zeal is bountiful at least in will and desire Cold has a condensing and contracting quality but heat rarifies and extends So Zeal in the Heart enlarges it A zealous Christian would not serve God at an ordinary rate he desires to abound in the work of the Lord. The flame will be mounting upwards A zealous spirit is a raised spirit raised in God's Service But a cold dead heart is still bearing downward We read of Jehoshaphat that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17.6 So one of a zealous spirit never thinks he does enough for God He will desire still to serve him more and to serve him better 13. True Zeal gives courage in the Cause of God filleth the Soul full of resolution for God And indeed that may be the meaning of Jehoshaphat's heart being lifted up in the wayes of the Lord. A zealous Spirit is a magnanimous Spirit An holy Zeal is indeed Cos fortitudinis the Whetstone of Valour As Esther's Zeal for God and his People put courage into her though she might naturally be timorous as is common to her Sex What an heroick resolution was there Esth 4.16 I will go in unto the King and if I perish I perish If we have no Spirit no Courage to appear for God his Truth and Wayes sure we have no Zeal forthem Indeed of all things Sinners are most offended at holy Zeal They that have nothing to say against Christian Meekness or Charitableness and some other Graces yet can ill endure the heat of Godly Zeal O it is scorching and tormenting to them Here they are ready to cry out Fire fire as one says This oft puts them into a great combustion Yet true Zeal will break thorow opposition Many Waters cannot quench Love neither can the Floods drown it The like may be said of Zeal It is not quenched or cooled but oft more intended and increased when others would discourage it 14. True Zeal that is a cause of such courage and resolution for God that giveth confidence and boldness before Men yet is joyned with Humility and Holy Fear and Trembling before God One gracious disposition is not contrary to another And true Zeal is not blown up with high thoughts of ones self but with high thoughts of God The Dread and Reverence of the most High of an infinitely Glorious and Holy Majesty promotes true Zeal for God helpeth to set an edge upon it and steeleth the Soul with an holy boldness hardeneth it against a base carnal fear of Man Mr. Vines But it is not right when as one says Zeal that should eat us up is eaten up of Pride 15. Right regular Zeal will more dispose and fit us for our Work and Duty not take off from Duty or transport into Sin That is not Zeal but distempered Passion it is not from Grace but from the workings of Corruption when we are discomposed and unhinged 16. If we have true Zeal for God it will be a joy to us to see any zealous and active for God As on the other hand it will be our great grief to see Men generally cold indifferent lukewarm in Religion To see others regardless of God and of the interest of true Religion will move our displeasure and indignation But it will not offend us to see any acted with regular Zeal for God Indeed the Apostle did and would rejoyce that Christ was Preached though some preached Christ out of envy Phil. 1.15 18. How much more would he have rejoyced to have seen as good proof and evidence of their pure Love and Zeal as he saw of their Envy carrying them out in the work If we are truly zealous for God we shall be taken with those whom we see or hear to be zealous for him our hearts will be towards such yea knit to them as Jonathans was to David And we shall bless God for such As Deborah Judg. 5.9 My heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the People Bless the Lord. She desired that the Lord might be praised that put such a spirit into them If others out-shine us here yet if we have true Zeal for God we shall be so far from envying them that the more zealous any are the more we shall honour and be taken with them 17. If we are truly zealous we have an holy emulation a desire to follow yea if it might be to outstrip those that excel in vertue As the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 14.12 Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts seek that ye may excel As the Corinthians Zeal and forwardness provoked very many 2 Cor 9.2 We should not envy such as have got the start of us and yet should in a good
sense emulate them We should strive at least to overtake those that are foremost Yea true Zeal for God and Godliness will not set it self any bounds or limits You cannot call them zealous that stint themselves and count it an high point of prudence and discretion not to be too forward in Religion But as Love so Zeal is like Fire that cannot be hid it will break forth Quis enim celaverit ignem Lumine qui semper proditur ipse suo Such as are afraid of being counted zealous as if it was a matter of disgrace are far from such a spirit as David had who when he was mocked and despised of Michal spake resolvedly I will yet be more vile than thus if this be to be vile Fire is one of those things which say not It is enough Prov. 30.16 So true Zeal never says It is enough A zealous Christian would have more Grace more Zeal for God They that are zealous of good works desire to abound more and more in good works 18. True Zeal is not for a spurt for a flash it is constant a Fire that never goes out Like that Fire upon the Altar Lev. 6.13 Though I must grant the Zeal of a true Christian doth not flame up at all times alike yet it is never totally extinguished It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing Gal. 4.18 And this is a good sign thy Zeal is right if it be constant There are some whose Zeal is but a flash scarce any sooner in than out again Some have a burning fit of Zeal for a while that is quickly over Their praeter-natural heat stays not But true Zeal is like the natural heat of the Body that continues as long as one lives Yea though it is like Fire in green wood subject to go out if it be not blown up yet that Spirit which first kindled this spark in Believers is given to dwell in them and to abide with them for ever And therefore though there may be some decays of Holy Zeal for a time yet it is stirred up again in the Faithful and usually burneth clearer after it is recovered As we sometimes see Fire blaze up more after a dash of water cast on it Yea ordinarily as we may observe a flame mount highest before it goes out ordinarily I say a Christians Zeal is most raised the nearer he is to his end But such as once seemed very forward for that which is good but are quite fallen off again have quite out-lived their Zeal they even give others cause enough to suspect that they were never sound OF A Lively Hope ROM 12.12 Rejoycing in Hope TO go on to the Trial of all other Christian Vertues might upon some accounts cross my design in what is Written which is to help and direct ordinary Christians in the Trial and exercise of Grace even such as cannot purchase or have not time to peruse large Volums I have spoken of the chief Cardinal Graces and shewed how they work how they may be known Prove these in your selves and there is no question but you have the whole Train of those better things that necessarily accompany Salvation As without these any other Vertues you may seem to have as Temperance Patience Meekness c. are but Shadows and Counterfeits So that I might make a Full-stop at what is Written Yet because many are kept off from any serious examination of their Estates satisfying themselves with this That they have Hopes and some That they have Joys too never enquiring How they came by them or of what kind they are Therefore before I conclude this Treatise I shall shew you how you may know whether your Hope and Joy be sound or no. And first of Hope But let me premise these Three Things 1. It is unquestionable that there is a false a deceiving Hope as well as a true and certain Hope There is a dead Hope as well as a lively Hope There is a confounding Hope as well as an Hope that maketh not ashamed There is the Hope of the Hypocrite Job 8.13 as well as the Hope of the Righteous Prov. 10.28 2. Better no Hopes than false Hopes As we may allude to that Prov. 26.12 Seest thou a Man wise in his own conceit There is more hope of a Fool than of him So there is more Hope of Sinners that are most despondent in one sense without Hope than of such as are very confident high in their Hopes but without any ground And how sad is it as I remember one says to sail on smoothly to Hell having Heaven all the while in view Hope that is like to end in horrour and utter desperation is not worth having 3. It is justly to be suspected that their Hopes are groundless and false who are unwilling to bring them to the Test and Trial. That part of a Man's Body which he could not endure to have touched we would conclude not right or sound But if your Hope be right it would not suffer any injury or damage by a fair impartial Trial but be more confirmed Now if you ask What is Christian Hope I answer It is a longing and fiducial expectation of Good promised to come in God's Time and Way Faith and Hope are very near akin Yet thus they differ 1. In Order Faith in order of nature is before Hope Hope is the Daughter at least the youngest Sister of Faith 2. In the Object Faith has respect to the whole Word of God Hope to the Word of Promise Good only is the object of Hope And Future Good Quod speratur non possidetur good to be received and enjoyed Rom. 8.24 Or if I may be said to hope that I am in a state of Grace that my Sins are pardoned which is hope of a present Good if my Hope be sound or if I say I hope God heard my prayer at such a time and gave in such a Mercy in answer to it here seems to be Hope of a thing past Here the word Hope seems to be used more improperly or taken more largely It is more properly a Perswasion though short of full Perswasion or Assurance But properly Hope looks at Good to come Whereas what is past may be the object of Faith as well as what is to come As we believe the Creation of the World a thing past as well as the Resurrection of the Body which is future 3. In their proper formal Acts. Faith apprehends and assents to the truth of the Promises Hope expects and looks for the Good promised An expectation of Good is the formal Act of Hope And herein also it is differenced from or contrary to Fear which is an expectation of Evil not of Good But that which I mainly intend is to shew wherein sound Hope differs from Presumption or from a false Hope Or how we may know whether our Hope be sound 1. True hope is not ordinarily obtained but after sad doubts and fears As it is Hos
the Jew first Of the Jew first as knowing most being instructed out of the Law ver 17 18. To be wise unto Salvation is to be wise indeed But a common notional Knowledg like a dead Faith may deceive will never save Men. Now to shew wherein sound Spiritual-Knowledg differeth from other common knowledg 1. Spiritual Knowledg differeth from Natural Knowledg as this is a Knowledg of Natural things that of Spiritual things Natural Knowledg is the Knowledg of a Man Spiritual Knowledg is the Knowledg of the Holy Prov. 9.10 the knowledg of a Saint or of a Christian Natural Knowledg is a Knowledg of God in his works Rom. 1.19 20. Spiritual Knowledg is a Knowledg of God according as he is revealed in his Word Psal 119.169 But here you may say Is there not a Literal Knowledg of the Word different from Saving Spiritual Knowledg Answ 2. Spiritual Knowledg differs from a Literal Knowledg as a Literal Knowledg doth not always infer a Spiritual Knowledg though a Spiritual Knowledg doth not include the Literal A Literal Knowledg is from a common illumination Spiritual Knowledg from a special Illumination of the Spirit Eph. 1.17 * Docet modum nempe per revelationem Sacrarum Literarum quae fit tollendo velum è cordibus nostris illustrando mentes nostras quò c. De Revelatione hîc loquitur non quae Prophetis speciali modo siebat sed quae omnibus piis communis est M. Pol. è Zanch. in Eph. p. 31. c. b. Not that it is by immediate Revelation as the Doctrine of the Gopel was made known to the Aspostles Nor do Divines intend such immediate Revelation or Inspiration when they distinguish betwixt Literal Knowledg and Spiritual as betwixt an acquired Habit and an Habit infused But this is by a special powerful irradiation and shining upon the Understanding lightning and raising it to a Spiritual discerning of the Mystery and method of Salvation revealed in the Word which a Man had but a slighty overly Knowledg of before 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned Though by such means as Reading Hearing Study Conference he may come to a notional literal Knowledg of the Scriptures and of the Doctrine of Christ yet without a special work of the Spirit a Man cannot spiritually discern the same Take a Natural Man that knows most of the things of God that can discourse well of Regeneration and other Points in Divinity yet they are strange things to him he sees them but as things afar off yea blindness of Mind in a prevailing degree still hinders him from passing a right practical Judgment of the surpassing worth and excellency of Spiritual things till he comes to this enlightning of the Spirit And one that is thus enlightned can say as he Joh. 9.25 whereas I was blind now I see He hath other thoughts of Sin than he had before he hath other thoughts of God and Christ of Heaven and Holiness than he had before 3. Spiritual Knowledg is not ordinarily attained without means and when it is attained it teacheth still to attend humbly and diligently on the means God hath appointed The more common works of the Spirit prepare for the special works of the Spirit So a common Literal Knowledg makes way for Spiritual Knowledg Certainly it is not the ordinary way and method of the Spirit to dart in the Saving Knowledg of God and Christ immediately into Souls that knew nothing of God and Christ before But those Divine Truths which we had but a dim and slighty apprehension of he sheweth with fuller and plainer evidence And as the Lord hath enjoyned us the use of the means to attain to Knowledg Men have no ground to hope they should come to Knowledg in the neglect of means Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Hos 6.3 We are not now to look for immediate Revelations but to hear what the Word saith which was given by Divine Inspiration What the Scripture saith that the Spirit saith Heb. 3.7 Rev. 2.7 We are to wait on the Spirit not to give us new Scriptures but to open our Vnderstandings to understand the Scriptures which he hath already given We are to Read Hear Pray c. that we may understand They that wholly neglect and despise the means of Knowledg that will not go to the Law and to the Testimony that seek not the Law at the Mouths of God's Messengers whose Lips should preserve Knowledg but despise prophesying conceiting themselves wiser than their Teachers And they that would be Wise and knowing besides and above that which is written and set up cry up the Light within as they speak above the written Word how much soever they are conceited of their own Knowledg should know that it cannot be sound Such as exalt their Wisdom against the Wisdom of God in his Word contemning the means he hath appointed are presumptuous indeed and Proud knowing nothing as they ought to know Such are not taught as the Holy Ghost teacheth be their pretences to the Spirit never so high To receive Wisdom's words to incline our Ears and apply our Hearts thereto to cry after Knowledg and lift up our Voice for Understanding to seek her as Silver and dig for her as for hid treasures this is the way indeed to find the Knowledg of God Prov. 2.1 c. 4. Spiritual Knowledg is clear and satisfying True it is that all who have the special Illumination of the Spirit have not the same degree and measure of Knowledg but recipitur ad modum recipientis Some Christians are but Babes not Men of Knowledg And we all know but in part and see but darkly compared with the Saints in Heaven Yet where God hath shined into the Hearts of any to give the Light of the Knowledg of his Glory in the Face of Jesus Christ Such must needs have a more firm and certain assent to the Truth than they who are in a state of Darkness As Peter said Joh. 6.69 We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ the Son of the Living God As Christ of the Disciples Joh. 17.8 They have received my Words and have known surely that I came out from thee As the Apostle Rom. 14.14 I know and am perswaded As the Gospel came to the believing Thessalonians not in Word only but also in Power and in the Holy Ghost and in much Assurance 1 Thes 1.5 As the Apostle speaks of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the Mystery of the Gospel Col. 2.2 As Divines distinguish inter cognitionem agnitionem betwixt bare knowing and acknowledging of the Truth That of the Head only this of the Heart also that overly and superficial this deep and thorow As the Apostle prayeth here that they might be filled with the Knowledg of God's Will
had rather be from under Christs Yoak set free from his Laws might it be at your choice and after your minds than live in Obedience and Subjection to him if it be thus it is a clear case your Faith is unsound you do not yet consent to the terms of the Gospel or consent but partially You have often heard what a rich and great Match Christ is and how willing he is to bestow Himself with all his Riches unsearchable Riches upon the Children of Men and hereupon 't is likely you wish to have the Estate An Estate of Happiness to be freed from all Misery and a Kingdom of Glory to have and to hold for ever who would not but be glad of such an Estate There is so much Self-Love in the most wicked Man on Earth no doubt that he would be happy when he dies he would not be damned but would chuse Heaven before Hell if he might have Heaven in his own way and time But hold you cannot have the Estate without marrying the Person If you like well of Christ to take him for your Head and Husband and are willing to give up your selves to him to be guided and governed by him then you shall be for ever enriched by him and glorified together with him otherwise not If you say We would have Christ we are willing to take him for our Saviour if that be all you cannot have him on any such terms Here is an Errour of the Person And though it be disputable in other Marriages what Errour of the Person is nulling yet there is no question in the case before us but this Errour of the Person will make it no Marriage It is another kind of Person who is offered to you in the Gospel The Gospel knoweth no such Christ as is a Saviour only and not a Lord as well What! would you have Christ to Crucify him would you have him to dethrone him So you do what in you lyeth if you are not willing to receive him as Lord as well as Saviour Now how can you think that Christ should consent to be yours on such terms But on the other hand if thou canst say Lord I assent to the Promises of the Gospel as true and embrace them as good indeed and worthy of all acceptation Lord I accept of thy terms I consent to take thee for my God to be ruled by thy Laws and led by thy Spirit and to take up with Thee for my Portion I consent that Christ be my Lord as well as Saviour I am willing to come under his Yoak yea to take up his Cross too when called to it I am satisfied that I cannot have him on too hard terms nor be a loser by him I am willing to be saved by him in his own way willing to be at his Command and at his dispose surely this is a Practical Faith a sound and Saving-Faith Wouldst thou know whether thou hast true Faith such as uniteth to Christ and may prove ones Interest in him Then ask thy Soul this Question Am I willing to have whole Christ willing to receive him as he is offered Do I accept of him on his own terms If so then know thy Faith is Sound and Christ is thine Then indeed the Match betwixt Christ and thy Soul that happy Match is made up Christ says his part in the Gospel wherein he freely offereth himself to Sinners and when we come to consent and take Christ as he is there offered then we say our part and thus the Match is made up If the Match break as one says it must be either because Christ is unwilling Vid. Method for Peace of Conscience pag. 58. Aphor. pag. 278. or because thou art unwilling not because Christ is unwilling for he makes suit to Sinners He freely offers himself and whosoever will may have him on his terms So that if thou art willing to accept of Christ on his terms it is done Christ and thy Soul are agreed This is the receiving of him which the Scripture maketh equivolent to believing on his Name In all that I have here said I do not deny but we are allowed to look at our own benefit and Salvation in coming to Christ and receiving him by Faith As one describes it to be perfugium peccatoris poenitentis ad Dei in Christo misericordiam Jo. Mestrezar cit prim Le Blanc p. 193. A penitent Sinners fleeing for safety and succour to the mercy of God in Christ According to the common experience of Christians the obtaining of Pardon and Salvation is the ratio motiva the first inducement drawing them to Christ yet this is not the ratio terminativa it is not all that Believers look at in closing with him Though that which first moves a poor Sinner to accept of Christ for his Lord and to forsake his old Masters Sin and the World be this that Christ is a Saviour to those who take him for their Lord too yet not till the Soul is made willing thus to receive him that it can be said to have a Gospel-Faith Saving Faith A partial consent in a Moral and Law-sense is no consent And God and Souls are not agreed while they only consent to one part of the Covenant refusing other terms he hath made necessary to the Agreement Such a lame consent will never bring a Soul to Christ or Heaven 2. A true Believer consents deliberately He can give a good account why he thus closeth with Christ He sees himself lost perishing undone for ever without Christ but that he is made for ever and hath all he can desire in the Promise and therefore shall have it in possession too having Christ He comes not to Christ upon slighty reasons but being fully convinced and assured that this is the best the only course he hath to take Here we may take notice that as the Law of works given to Man at first was very suitable to Man's innocent estate So is the Law of Grace the remedying Law suited to Man's lapsed nature And God in bringing Men to Grace to Faith in Jesus Christ worketh upon Men as Men as reasonable Creatures who have Vnderstanding and Will and have a natural principle of Self-Love and desire of Happiness and a natural principle of self-preservation dreading the thoughts of Destruction and everlasting Misery And God hath so framed his Law suitable to Man's nature that what he promiseth hath the force of an Argument Ball of the Covenant p. 225. Armin Disp priv Thes 43 §. 1. or strong motive to draw Men to what he requires As Mr. Baxter speaks fully There are some of Christs benefits that the very natural Man desires and some that corrupted nature is against Now it is therefore the established way of Christ to promise us those which we can desire on condition that we will also accept of and submit to those that we are against Not but that his Grace doth dispose Men to the performance of
such conditions but his Grace worketh by means and a conditional Promise is his stablished means to draw Mans Heart to the performance of the Condition which well considered is a sufficient answer to the Arguments that are commonly urged against the conditionality of the Promises As the Spirit worketh powerfully within so he useth that word from without Direct to sound Convers p. 289 290. as his Instrument which worketh sapientially and powerfully to the same work And the like observation we may take concerning the Threatnings in the Word Therein ordinarily some such evil as we naturally abhor and dread is threatned either to excite us to our duty which our corrupt hearts and natures are exceeding backward to or to deter us from Sin to which we are naturally prone and strongly inclined Now to apply these things to the point in hand The Believer is made sensible what a Sinner he has been and what woe and wrath is due to Sin and Sinners that indeed he has deserved Hell for his Portion yet withal he believes according to the Word that God is in Christ reconciling Sinners unto himself that he so loved the World as to give his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have Everlasting Life that Jesus Christ is the only and an all-sufficient Saviour that he is willing as well as able to save those that come to God by him But withal that there is no coming to him only as a Saviour so as to find welcome but he must come to him also as a Leader and Commander resolving sincerely to obey and follow him that without taking his Yoak upon us we cannot find rest for our Souls To these things a Believer cannot but subscribe These things are set home and kept close to his Heart and such Truths as these being mixed with Faith firmly assented to they work effectually Thus he deliberately makes choice of Christ as the only meet help for his Soul in all the World Now go to Hypocrites and Unbelievers and it appears they have but some faint and weak Assent to the foresaid Truths Did they really believe Heaven and Hell and that without an interest in Christ there is no hope of Heaven but to Hell they must go all the World cannot save them how is it possible they should make so light of Christ as they do preferring a momentary pleasure or a little worldly pelf before him which a true Believer accounts but dung and trash If you tell a Man there is a Lyon in the way behind him with open mouth ready to devour him and he flees not as for his Life does it not plainly shew that he believes not what you say So that Sinners do not flee to Christ it shews they do not believe their misery and danger out of Christ Or if sometimes they have strong Convictions that startle and terrify them they have Arts and Devices to put them off They will not suffer them to stay Their corrupt Wills and Affections call off their thoughts from such things as most nearly concern them As we read Mat. 13.15 Their Eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their Eyes and hear with their Ears and should understand with their Heart and should be converted and I should heal them Their Eyes they have closed Thus poor Sinners wink hard shut the Windows to keep out the Light that they may still sleep on in Sin Or when they can be no longer quiet as they are then they bribe their Consciences and deceive themselves with a seeming Faith a seeming Conversion a seeming Reformation which they take up with as sufficient as poor Laodicea thought her self rich Thus by one means or other they are kept off from a serious and deliberate closing with the Lord Jesus But then come to a sound Believer and he is as sure that the Word of God will prove true as that there is a God which is as sure as that there are any Creatures in the World and so that Heaven and Hell are not Fancies which have a being only in Mens imaginations but unquestionable realities that all Miseries and Sufferings in this life are case and pleasure compared with the Torments of Hell and Miseries of the Damned and all the Pleasures and enjoyments of this Life but pain and loss compared with the Joys of Heaven that if ever he be saved he must be saved by Christ and that he cannot hope to be saved by Christ but in his own way Thus he sees it unquestionably his grand concern to accept of Christ as he is offered And such Truths being set home by the Spirit with Power and Evidence they have a mighty force to pull down strong-holds and carnal reasonings in the Heart against them to bring into Captivity every Thought to the Obedience of Christ And thus the Will and Affections are wrought upon And what sorrow then See Dr. Preston of Effectual Faith p. 204. to think of ones former natural and sinful State and what Fear O what will become of me if I get not a Part and Interest in Christ If I fall short of Heaven at last then where am I how miserable shall I be to Eternity And what vehement desire after Christ Give me Christ or I die And what resolution in the Will I will go to Christ and give up my self to him and cast my self upon him If I perish I perish Lord whither should I go Thou hast the words of Eternal Life Thus a Believer consents and closeth with Christ deliberately upon clear conviction that he has no other way to take 3. A true Believer consents unfeignedly and heartily True Faith is Faith unfeigned 1 Tim. 1.5 A Sound Believer does not take up with a profession of Faith in Christ and of subjection to him does not think it enough to say Lord Lord to speak honourably of him but hath his heart opened to receive the King of Glory The Lord Jesus Christ is his desire and choice indeed And as he had rather have Christ alone for his Portion than the whole World without him so he had rather be subject to the Laws of Christ than freed from them Though the Flesh is still lusting in him against the Spirit and the Law in his Members rebelling against the Law of his Mind yet he can truly say his Will is more to Christ and to his Service than to please and gratify the Flesh and to serve Sin And he repents not of any thing he does for Christ but is grieved and ashamed that he does no more and that what he hath done has been done in no better manner but he heartily repents of his serving Sin heretofore and of what he hath done displeasing unto Christ And in the ordinary habitual and prevailing bent of his will he is for taking part with Christ and his Laws against the lustings of the Flesh against the motions and workings of remaining corruption in him He is so
of the World than we are at God's command and that habitually and ordinarily it is plain we prefer our selves and honour the Creature above God and while it is thus how can we say that we love him If we love God we shall follow him and love to walk in his ways As they said of their Idols Jer. 2.25 I have loved strangers and after them will I go Had they loved God indeed they would have been for following him and not strangers The counsel of a special friend is much regarded and surely if we love God we shall not despise his counsels Psal 119.128 I esteem all thy Precepts concerning all things to be right He approved of them all he would not have any one of God's Laws nulled and abrogated To love the Lord to walk in all his ways and to cleave to him are conjoyned Deut. 11.22 And to love the Lord and to walk ever in his ways Deut. 19.9 So the love of God will incline souls to sincere impartial and constant obedience 14. If we love God we shall desire to be more like him Eph. 5.1 Be followers of God as dear Children 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Imitators though we cannot be like him in respect of those Attributes stiled incommunicable Our first Parents fell from God when they affected to be as Gods And in some other respect too we may not be like him We may not act for our own glory as God does This would entrench upon the glory due from us to God and cross the end of our beings Yet if we love God we shall desire to be like him so far as we may There is an assimulating vertue and power in love We are ready to imitate those we love Their example is very moving and is wont to take much with us If we love God we shall desire that we may have hearts after his heart to love that which he loves and to hate that which he hates Amicorum idem velle idem nolle We shall desire to be holy as he is holy and merciful as he is merciful and perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect Though it is impossible for any Creature to be as holy as merciful as perfect as God is Though an equality here is not to be thought of yet a likeness and similitude a conformity to God in our measure such as we may attain to we must study and endeavour and this the love of God would put us upon But if we rather wish that God was altogether such a one as our selves if we rather desire that he would come down to us and comply with allow of our crooked Tempers and Manners than to have our souls raised up to him by the restoring of his Image and a divine Nature wrought in us it would shew indeed that we are little taken with him but rather how little cause soever there is for it we are still in love with our sinful selves 15. If we love God we shall highly account of his favours We shall not despise common benefits as coming from him but we shall most prize any special Love-token he hath given us We set a value on Mercies according as God's love appears in them When Tamar had got Judah's Signet and Bracelets she would not part with them for a Kid. One would have prized a kiss of Cyrus above the golden Cup he gave him The soul that loves God will value spiritual Mercies above temporal enjoyments The consolations of God will not be small in such a ones account His comforts will be more desired longed for or if enjoyed will more delight and refresh the soul than any worldly comforts And the more we love God the more we shall praise him for any intimations and expressions of his love We shall delight to tell others what he hath done for our souls as the Psalmist Psal 66.16 Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my soul Psal 103.1 2 3 4. This would in part shew we love God for himself and not only for his Benefits if indeed we set the highest value and account on those Benefits wherein we might read his special love But they that would account more of the Birth-right than of the Blessing and set more store by Corn and Wine than they could do by the light of God's Countenance shew little love to God 16. If we love God we are for putting a good construction on his severest dispensations We would not take any thing unkindly from him We are not for entertaining hard thoughts of God Si mihi irascatur Deus num illi ego similiter reirasear non utique sed pavebo sed contremiseam sed veniam deprecabor Ita si me arguat not redarguetur à me sed ex me potius justificabitur Nec si me judicabit judicabo ego eum sed adorabo Bern. in Cant. Scr. 83. though he shew us hard things We shall desire to keep up good thoughts of God still but have worse thoughts of our selves When he afflicts us we shall fall out with our selves fall out more with Sin not be displeased at him We shall still follow him even though he walk contrary to us as Isa 26.8 9. When we are chastened of him we shall not censure his dealings but judge our selves We shall be ready to justify God and to condemn our selves acknowledging God to be righteous and to punish less than our iniquities deserve If we cry to God and he seem not to hear we shall not hereupon take pett but conclude with the Psalmist Psal 22.2 3. Yet thou art holy Indeed we shall be ready in our troubles to complain to him as we use in trouble to complain to our friends but we would not complain of him If we love God Afflictions will not ordinarily drive us from God but rather drive us nearer to him If he shews his displeasure it will grieve us most that we have displeased him that we have offended our good and gracious Father that we have provoked the God of Patience a God so rich in Mercy And so we shall be for humbling our selves and making our peace with him But if when we are afflicted instead of accepting of the punishment of our Iniquities and humbling our selves and seeking his face our hearts do nothing but fret against the Lord we are strange Children We have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence and if we are not much rather in subjection to the Father of Spirits we shew not a childlike disposition And how sad is it if in our afflictions we are ready to say with him of whom we read This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer How sad is it when Crosses that should crucify and deaden our hearts more to the World have this contrary effect deadning them towards God and towards holy Duties That we have less heart to serve God have less
David 1 Sam. 18.1 And here is no respect of persons but a respect of goodness to love them best who are best But if on the contrary a Man only beareth with Holiness in a lower degree and with such as may be Godly in the main but very remiss too much complying with the manners of the World or perhaps can afford such a good word sometimes saying such are honest sober moderate Men when he would thereby condemn those who are more forward when he utterly dislikes and his heart is rising against those whose hearts are lifted up in the ways of God when he cannot endure such as are more exactly conscientious and more zealous for God when he is barking at them as Hot-spurs Fanaticks and I know not what or if he lash them not with the tongue yet his heart is full of envy against them what can this shew but a graceless spirit And let such a one know that the love of God is not in him If the holiness of a Saint be such an eye-sore to thee for which thou canst not affect him how canst thou love God who is Holiness it self There is none holy as the Lord he is infinitely holy If the light of the Moon offends thee which yet shines not without its spots how canst thou bear the surpassing brightness of the Sun it self And how unmeet art thou for fellowship with the Saints in Heaven with the Spirits of Just Ones made perfect who canst not away with such as have attained to any eminent degree of holiness here The Saints in Heaven are more holy than any of those thou thinkest too strict too precise Perhaps thou wilt say 1. Thou couldst love and honour them if they were as good as they seem but they are Hypocrites they do but make a show Answ And dost thou indeed hate Hypocrisie O then take heed that thou beest not guilty of Hypocrisie in this very plea pretending that thou canst not love them because they are not so good as they seem when in very deed thou couldst like well of them if they were worse than they are Again Though it is true Hypocrites there will be among the Saints here yet take heed that thou dost not censure and condemn those as Hypocrites whom the Lord accepteth and approveth of as sincere and upright Thy hard censures cannot hurt and prejudice them so much as thy self The Devil accused Job to be no better than an Hypocrite As he is called The Accuser of the Brethren Rev. 12.10 That this is a Diabolical Practice And to justifie the Wicked and to condemn the Righteous are both of them an abomination to the Lord. How angry was the Lord with Job's three friends for their rash censures of him and harsh dealing with him The Vpright though they are abhorred of many in the World are God's delight And think of it Shall not the Saints judg the World at last Many that censure and accuse them here shall be judged and condemded by them hereafter Yea their holy lives that the World is so offended at shall condemn the World And thou that abhorrest their strict lives think of it whether with Balaam thou wouldest not desire to dye their Death Or 2. Perhaps thou wilt say They make more ado than needs Answ And wherein Indeed it becomes not a Christian to be a busy-body in other Mens matters He has work enough of his own to mind And let all that fear God have a care to walk so that others may find no occasion against them but in the matters of their God But certainly the Command Mat. 22.37 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. will bear them out in their greatest Zeal and Activity for God So Luke 13.24 strive to enter in at the straight Gate c. And Phil. 2.18 Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling And 2 Pet. 2.10 Give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure will warrant their most strenuous endeavours to get to Heaven And Ephes 5.15 See that ye walk circumspectly And 1 Thes 5.22 Abstain from all appearance of evil will justify their tenderness of Spirit and fear of Sin And Col. 1.10 Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good work And 1 Cor. 15.58 Always abounding in the work of the Lord will prove that the best are so far from doing more than needs that they fall very far short of doing what they ought in Religion And therefore as Christ said to his Disciples Mat. 26.10 Why trouble ye the Woman for she hath wrought a good work on me So why do any go about to discourage such as for his Name sake are labouring and taking pains to glorifie God and save their souls Are any offended that they do so much Alas they see great cause to be ashamed that they have done so little that they do no more for God and Jesus Christ for their own and others souls It 's granted we should not be righteous over much as we should take heed of being over wise Eccles 7.16 To be wise above that which is written is Wisdom falsly so called and to be righteous above that which is commanded is but a Pharisaical righteousness That which is beyond the Rule is not true Religion but vain Superstition And works of Supererrogation are works of Superarrogancy But keeping to the Rule none can be over-righteous When it is said there v. 17. Be not over-much wicked surely the meaning is not that we may allow our selves a little here They that would shun all impiety more and less are not to be condemned as over-precise or doing more than needs Or 3. perhaps thou wilt say Thou canst not be quiet for them they will not let thee alone but are still reproving thee Answ And does that offend thee Then as the Psalmist says For my love they are my adversaries thou dost ill requite thy best thy most faithful friends Then it seems thou lovest thine enemies but hatest thy friends And is this well done of thee If they could be satisfied to suffer thee to go on offending and provoking God and wronging thine own Soul which is not love but hatred then thou couldst be better pleased with them If it be thus thou neither lovest the Godly nor thy self aright You may think me very long on this third particular Note That if we love the Godly for God and Godliness-sake then we love them most who are most like God most eminent in Godliness And yet before I pass on to another there is a Question or two that fall in here to be answered Quest 1. Are we to love the Godly more than near Relations if they be not Godly and to love those who are eminent in Godliness above Godly Relations that are not so eminent Answ 1. There is a peculiar love due unto Relations as such which is in part natural and sensitive as irrational Creatures also have a love to their mates and
Reverence and for Piety and Religion too And as we are required to serve the Lord in fear Psal 2.11 Deut. 6.13 So we cannot serve him acceptably without it Heb. 12.28 Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and godly Fear And as it is a great duty so it is our safety and security In the Fear of the Lord is strong confidence The more we fear God the less we need to fear Creatures Men or Devils The Fear of the Lord is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death The Fear of the Lord is a treasure And he that hath it shall abide satisfied He shall not be visited with evil There is no want to them that fear him And no evil shall befal them Surely it shall be well with them that fear God Blessed is the Man that feareth the Lord. This Fear is oft put for the whole condition of the Covenant in the Old Testament as the word Faith is oft used in the New But before I come to the trial of our Fear there is an Objection or two to be removed Object 1. Is it not Man 's greatest and highest duty to love God and can we both love and fear him Does not the Apostle John say 1 Joh. 4.18 There is no fear in love but perfect love casteth out fear Answ 1. It must be noted that we are oft expressly required in the Word both to love and fear the Lord therefore certainly they are not opposites That one Text is sufficient to prove that they well agree Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his ways and to love him Yea take this along with you if we do not love God above all and fear him above all he is not our God Isa 8.13 Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself and let him be your fear and let him be your dread 2. That Text of the Apostle John many understand of the love of God to us Calvin Heming Danae apprehended by us expelling fear that is fear of the day of judgment of condemnation As he had said in the verse foregoing vers 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In this love is or hath been perfected with us that we may have boldness in the day of Judgment If it be objected that the faithful are not yet without all fear in this respect It is answered Metus verè pellitur quia fidei locum cedit c. Fear may be said to be cast out because it is giving ground to Faith And though it may disquiet it does not confound us It is not prevalent as before Here consult Rom. 8.15 3. Yet I confess I am not so well satisfied with that sense which seems to be forced and does not so well agree with what follows He that feareth is not made perfect in love Therefore understanding the Apostle to speak of our love as other good Expositors take the words and seems to be the plain sense yet we are to distinguish of love and also of fear Love may be said to be perfect either for kinds or for degrees It may be called pefect love Beza Danae Esti Piscat when it is true and sincere and not only when it is consummate Again Fear is manifold and of divers kinds 1. There is a Natural fear which is a passion of the soul implanted by God whereby we naturally abhor and flee from what is destructive or grievous and hurtful to our natures This in it self is neither good nor evil in a moral sense It is not morally good for it is also found in Brutes in irrational Creatures that are not capable of moral goodness Neither is it morally evil For God is the Author of it as of our Natures but he is not the Author of Sin or moral evil Even Jesus Christ himself taking Mans Nature on him was not made without fear Mar. 14.33 Heb. 5.7 But this pure natural fear is good Physically it is greatly useful and very necessary for the Creatures preservation It is a guard to our lives a means to keep us off from rocks of danger Which is the ground of the Latine Proverb Timidi Mater non flet 2. There is a Carnal fear Fear out of its wits The excess of natural fear Such a fear as we read of Prov. 29.25 The fear of Man bringeth a snare which is there opposed to trust in the Lord. An undue or excessive fear of Creatures or outward evils A fearing where no fear is a fearing without just ground or a fearing Creatures more than they are to be feared a fearing without due bounds We may fear Men as the rod of God's anger but we must fear God more He holds the rod in his hand and it is not to be feared but with respect to him that holds it that hath the command and dispose of it Mat. 10.28 Though Christ as he was Man had a natural reluctancy to suffering yet he had no base carnal fear upon him Joh. 19.11 To Pilate boasting of his power Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee c. He answereth Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above Carnal fear is not from meer nature but from the corruption of nature and is sinful in it self attributing too much to Creatures and detracting derogating from the power dominion and over-ruling providence of God and is further a cause of much sin as we may see in Peter when through this Fear he denied his Lord and Master It is a great impediment to Grace an hindrance of Duty it quite unbingeth and sadly distracteth the Mind and Spirit where it prevails 3. There is a servile or slavish Fear Timor poenae non culpae A fear of punishment only not of offending or a fear to offend only with respect to the punishment This is the property of Slaves It 's true the wrath and sword of the Civil Magistrate is to be feared Rom. 13.4 Then much more are we to fear the Wrath of God his Judgments As Psal 119.120 My flesh trembleth for fear of thee I am afraid of thy Judgments But this is far short of the duty of Fear that we owe to God He is not only to be feared in this respect Nay this Fear is no further good than it leads unto and helps forward an holy filial Fear of God As the Needle draws the Thread after it as Austine has the comparison But as a Natural fear agrees to all Men a meer servile fear is proper to wicked Men. And yet we cannot blame them for fearing such an angry Judge and incensed Majesty or trembling at such punishment as Hell-torments but that their fear of God is separated from all true love to God and that notwithstanding their fear of punishment they have still a love to their sins that it is a torment to them to think of being restrained
others God's Fear and to promote it in others As Abraham that feared God would teach his Children and his Houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord. As the Psalmist Psal 34.11 Come ye Children hearken unto me I will teach you the Fear of the Lord. As he took up his fellow Luk. 23.40 Dost not thou fear God So if we have the Fear of God we shall desire to establish and confirm others in his Fear Mal. 3.16 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another They thought on God's Name still and would be speaking for God and his ways even then when the mouth of Blasphemy was most open against him They would be confirming one another in the belief of God's Providence Justice Goodness Truth and Faithfulness how much soever wicked Atheists disputed and denied them Thus they that are acquainted with the true Fear of God are real Friends to it would promote it in others what they can 10. If we have the Fear of God we are for making progress in Holiness The true Fear of God as it opposeth all Sin it will be quickning unto and in every Duty and will befriend every Grace And that is right indeed when we are perfecting Holiness in the Fear of God 2 Cor. 7.1 though here it be not fully perfected So much of the Effects of God's Fear 5. True Fear may be known by the Concomitants of it by its Companions Though I shall but touch on a few of these very briefly 1. When Fear and Faith go together that 's right As we read of Noah's Faith and Fear Heb. 11.7 Psal 15.11 Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord. Psal 33.18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy And the Lord takes pleasure in such Psal 147.11 That is not a right Fear which is the Van-guard of Horrour and Despair A fear of Diffidence is no blessed thing Though it's true some degrees of this may be with true Faith and Fear That of the Psalmist Psal 101.1 I will sing of Mercy and Judgment The Chaldee Paraphrase hath thus If thou dealest mercifully with me if thou dost Judgment with me for all I will sing Praise And so some take it thus I will not presume of thy Mercy so as not to fear thy Judgment nor so fear thy Judgment as to despair of thy Mercy Which I offer but as an Allusion not as the Sense 2. When Fear and Godly Sorrow go together that 's right The true Fear of God is seated in a poor and contrite spirit Isa 66.2 Godly Fear and Godly Sorrow are undivided Companions 2 Cor. 7.11 Behold this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what fear Which Text seems to make Fear the Daughter of Repentance or Godly Sorrow And like Naomi and Ruth they never part There is a phrase Isa 63.17 Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy Fear Which implieth so much that an Heart which is hardned is no-way disposed to his Fear So Prov. 28.14 Happy is the Man that feareth alway but he that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Where we see he that hardneth his heart is opposed to the Man that feareth with a blessed Fear 3. When Fear and Love go together that 's right When these go hand in hand it is certainly a filial fear But no doubt that is a sinful fear which drives souls from God which is contrary to the Love of God O dread such Fear 4. How comfortable is it when Fear and Joy in the Lord go together Though I must confess all that fear God cannot find this Joy There are that fear the Lord and that yet walk in darkness Isa 50.10 But as the most High is to be feared we should rejoice in his Highness too As those good Women who came to seek Jesus departed from the Sepulchre with fear and great joy Mat. 28.8 It is an happy thing indeed when our fear of the Lord is joyned with spiritual delight in him and his service Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling So let us labour to be like those Act. 9.31 that walked in the Fear of the Lord and in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost Of Humility 1 PET. 5.5 And be clothed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud and giveth Grace to the Humble HUmility is a Christian's Livery This Clothing every Christian must put on and wear must never put off Without this our great Lord and Master will not know us will not own us for his He beholds the proud a far off Humility is as the ground-work both of Grace and Happiness Mat. 5.3 Blessed are the poor in spirit that is the humble in spirit It is the first of the Beatitudes laid as the foundation of the rest As it is from poverty and humility in spirit that we are put upon spiritual mourning It is this that causeth a spiritual hungring It is this that meekeneth and softeneth the heart towards others that makes peaceable and makes patient under Sufferings This is a preservative of holiness and purity Pride is supposed to be the special sin that cast the Angels out of Heaven That text 1 Tim. 3.6 seems to hint so much that * Fugite superbiam fratres mei quaeso mul tum fugite Initium omnis peccati Superbia quae tam velociter ipsum quoque Syderibus cunctis clarius micantem aeternâ caligine obtnebravit Luciferum I quae non modo Angelum sed Angelcrum primum in Diabolum commutavit Bern. de Adv. Dom. Serm. 1. Pride was the condemnation of the Devil the cause of his condemnation And Pride was evident in Man's first defection from God Man fell by his Pride affecting to be as God And certainly Humility is necessary to his recovery As God created the World of nothing when he createth us again he brings us to a sense of our own emptiness and nothingness Humility is both a Grace and a Vessel a receptacle of Grace God gives more Grace to the Humble It is a good expression one has Humility emptieth the heart for God to fill it Humility is a Nursekeeper of other Graces Radix omnium malorum superbia custos omnium virtutum hamilitas est When I am weak then am I strong says the Apostle And a Christian's strength lieth very much in an humble sense of his own weakness Humility is a great preservative from Temptation Such as lie low are safest most out of the way of Satan's Gun-shot But Souls that are lifted up stand as a fair mark for him Humility is the way to Glory Chilo asking Aesop what God was doing he answered That he does humble the Lofty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Laert. in Chilo l. 1. p. 47. abase them and exalt the humble He brings down high things and sets up low things Luk. 14.11 He that humbleth himself shal be exalted But
is said of the proud Prince of Tyrus Ezek. 28.6 he makes a God of himself who makes self his end who aims at his own praise in what he does It is one of God's incommunicable Attributes to act for his own Glory Though it be not incommunicable in that sense as other Attributes are as Omnipotency Omnipresence Omniscience c. which are no way compatible to a Creature It is not a thing impossible for a Creature to act for its own glory yet it is utterly unlawful plainly crossing and contradicting the end for which God made it He made all things for himself and made Man a reasonable Creature capable of knowing God his dependance on and obligations to his Maker that he should actually design and aim at God's Glory Now when a Man acteth for his own Glory he sets up a wrong end directly contrary to the end for which he was made and in his Pride lifts up himself against God And how intollerable is that They that seek honour from Men that do all to be seen of Men that they may have glory from Men with the Pharisees certainly they are far from true Humility Pride yet reigneth in them Take notice how your Pulse beats here Proud spirits are for all the applause and honour they can get They would be extolled and cryed up of every one They think others wrong them if they do not praise and flatter them Whereas the Humble are afraid of undue praise from Men. He dares not allow of any praises given him that would in the least eclipse or diminish the Praise and Glory of God He is not pleased tickled but rather disquieted set a trembling when he hears himself commended he fears a snare in it He would not that Pride should have any such advantage and opportunity to lift up its head A good Man layes this down as a singular act of Humility Mr. White Power of Godliness p. 53. to be troubled at all undue Praises as much as others are at unjust Slanders And happy is that soul that can find it in it self This would shew an high degree of Humility But this is no sign of Humility to be over-fond or greedy of Mans praise An habitual excessive regard to Mans approbation or habitual excessive desire of Mans applause is a plain evidence of prevailing Pride 9. Humility would make us willing and very well content to lie low in the thoughts and esteem of others It would teach one how to pass through honour and dishonour through good report and evil report The Humble will not be much moved with Mens revilings as they are not puffed up with the breath of applause Let the Winds be never so high and blow which way they will they have little force on one that lieth flat on the ground And one that lieth low in his own thoughts will bear it very well if he perceives that others have low thoughts of him One that truly abhors him self will not think much to be despised and contemned of others But when a Man will speak contemptibly of himself of his gifts and performances and yet think himself wronged if others do not praise him somuch the more when a Man would take it ill that others should think and speak as meanly of him as he will speak of him self how ever he makes a fair shew of Humility puts on a cloak of Humility yet he has a false and proud spirit within 10. Humility will make a Man content in and with his station It is contrary to a course of ambitious aspiring thoughts projects and attempts Psal 131.1 Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lofty neither do I exercise my self in great matters or in things too high for me Pride is the grand Vsurper This puts Men upon invading those Offices and Employments which belong not to them which they are no way fit for Proud Spirits being so conceited of their own abilities and deserts think that they are the Men who should be chosen into Offices and that none are so fit to be trusted or employed as they As Absolom 2 Sam. 15.4 O that I were made Judg in the Land that every Man which hath any Suit or Cause might come unto me and I would do him Justice He thought he could have ruled better than his Father The Humble rather complain of unfitness for the Work to which they are called As Moses said Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh Exod. 3.11 O my Lord I am not Eloquent chap. 4.10 And Jeremiah Ah Lord God behold I cannot speak for I am a Child They that are lowly minded are willing to be placed in a lower sphere I'ts true if the Lord be pleased to exalt them they may not withstand him and his call But they are not for exalting themselves Humility is so contrary to Ambition that it teacheth submission submission to the meanest and lowest works one is called to It teacheth to condescend to Men of low estate Rom. 12.16 It is for stooping to the meanest Offices of love as Christ taught his Disciples Joh. 13. As Abigail said I am not worthy to wash the feet of the Servants of my Lord. Servants that are proud cannot bring their minds to the lowest work but would have others under them to be their drudges Humble minds are willing to take their work before them would buckle to the meanest services that their Lord and Master sets them on 11. Humility will teach Moderation and keep the heart in an even frame in various conditions The Humble are not so lifted up as others in prosperity They can be advanced in the World and yet not lifted up in themselves but lowly in spirit They are not so apt to sink in Adversity or when abased in the World As Ships that carry a low Sail are in less danger of being over-set with violent gusts of Wind. Here is a Mystery a Riddle a Paradox to lie low in our own thoughts is a good way to prevent dejection being cast down too much in our Spirits So 12. Humlity will teach Patience in Affliction The truly humble from the sense they have of their sinfulness and unworthiness are oft wondering that they should enjoy any Mercy and that they are no more afflicted They wonder that they are not afflicted only and oppressed alway They cannot but confess with Ezra that God punisheth less than their iniquities deserve Ezr. 9.13 The proud are full of fret and sullen under crosses as if they were hardly dealt with As we read of Cain Gen. 4.5 his Countenance fell When God layes his afflicting hand on them their Countenances fall And 't is from the height of their spirits that they cannot bear across There is a casting down as Dr. Souls confl p. 42. Sibs sayes which is not from Humility but Pride when we must have our Wills or God shall not have a good look from us Many whose hearts are ready to break under their outward Crosses when if they were
at others comforts and enlargements Psal 34.2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord the humble shall hear thereof and be glad Psal 69.30 32. I will praise the name of God with a Song and will magnifie him with thanksgiving The humble shall see this and be glad 20. Humility causeth tractableness makes one of a yielding temper The humble spirit is an obedient spirit Such a one trembles at the Word as before is awed with the authority of God's Commands The humble is not for disputing but obeying But a proud spirit is a froward stubborn spirit The proud are set upon their own wills how cross soever to the will of God Neh. 9.16 But they and our Fathers dealt proudly and hardened their necks and hearkened not to thy Commandments And again v. 29. Yet they dealt proudly and hearkened not to thy Commandments Jer. 13.15 Hear ye and give ear be not proud Intimating that while Men are proud they will not regard God speaking to them will not heed God commanding So v. 17. If ye will not hear my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride It is from pride of spirit that Men will not hear will not obey The proud Men did not stick to give the Prophet the lie they told him to his face Thou speakest falsly when he came with God's Message Jer. 43.1 2. 21. Humility will prepare and make one very willing to bear reproach and contempt for Christ It is a light thing to an humble spirit to be vilified for Christ They that are vile in their own eyes will not think much to be vile in Mens eyes especially when it is for the Lord and their tender respect to his Will and Honour If for their high esteem of him and his Service they be counted as the filth of the World and off-scouring of all things they can be very well content Spernere mundum spernere nullum spernere sese Spernere se sperni Those four things that make an happy Man agree to and meet in the Humble He contemns the World he contemns none he contemns himself he contemns being contemned especially when he is contemned of others for his honouring the Lord. The Humble is little concerned about vindicating his own name while he is much concerned for the Honour of God When he seeks to wipe off any foul and false charge laid on himself to clear his own innocency yet it is not so much with respect to himself and his own credit as with respect to the reputation of Religion with respect to the Honour of God and Jesus Christ and to the interest of the Gospel that these may not suffer in and with him To be laid under slanders such as tend to the discredit of Religion and of his holy Profession this he could not but account an heavy Cross and Affliction but otherwise to be reproached for Christ's sake and the Gospel he would account an honour to him As they rejoyced Act. 5.41 that they were so far honoured as to suffer shame for his Name But proud spirits are for setting off themselves and making a shew in the World And no longer for Religion or for no more of it than may commend them to Men than will stand with their height repute and esteem in the World They that seek honour from Men will hardly be brought to own disgraced Truths and reproached Duties 22. Humility will cause an abhorrence of Pride especially in our selves The truly humble cannot like Pride in any but detest it most in themselves I do not say that the humble are free from all risings of Pride but such do more easily and clearly discover them and so make any risings of Pride occasions of their further humbling As we read of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 32.26 He humbled himself for the pride the lifting up of his heart When his heart was mounting up in Pride he soon observed the motion of it and quickly pluckt it down again Indeed there is no Grace so perfect in the Saints here but some remainders of the contrary corruption may be still found in them The most humble are not free from all stirrings of pride As one has the comparison Pride is like Misletoe that will grow on any Tree But as I may say Humility is so far even with it that as Pride will take occanon from a Christians Graces and Services to lift up and shew it self so Humility comes on it with a back-blow and takes occasion to exercise it self upon the very motions of Pride As Pride oft-times buddeth upon the flourishing acts and exercise of Grace so Humility is oft springing when in other respects it is Winter with the Soul As in Winter Trees grow at the root And as by the help of Grace we come to a plainer discovery of and greater displisance against Corruption so in this particular by Humility we are made more aware of Pride and heartliy engaged against it You may take this for a Rule where Pride is least felt where it is not discerned there it most prevails Sicut macula quanto magis crescit in Oculo tanto minus videt Homo sic superbia quanto major fuerit tanto minus percipitur As a Pearl in the Eye the more it spreads the less a Man sees so the more Pride prevails the less it is seen But true Humility will help one ordinarily to take notice of proud Thoughts as they arise and cause him thereupon to lie lower in Self-abasement Of Self-denial MARK 8.34 And when he had called the People unto him with his Disciples also he said unto them Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself HEre Christ the most perfect Pattern of Self-denial preacheth Self-denial And he doth not only commend it to all his Followers but urgeth it as of indispensible necessity of such necessity that none can be a Disciple of Christ upon other terms Here he calls the People with the Disciples to attend to this As if he had said These things I must needs tell you Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself He was full of this Matter and his Spirit within him constrained him He was pressed in Spirit till he had delivered his Mind here the Matter was of such weight and moment As it was with the Prophet Jeremiah Chap. 20.9 The Word in his heart was as a burning fire in his bones He could not keep it in He called the People unto him with his Disciples also Here was a Lesson for all sorts to learn and practise A Lesson for Ministers and People both for all ranks and conditions of Men. Whosoever would be a Christian indeed must deny himself Here none are exempted And this is one of the first Lessons a Christian must learn With the Old Philosophers that follow Aristotle Privation is one principle of Generation Self-abnegation is undoubtedly a necessary Principle of Christianity yea Self-denial is a main constitutive part of it This is one of the special Rules and Orders of
in the Judgment is a clear apprehension a deep sense of our own weakness and insufficiency That we can do nothing of our selves That the way of Man is not in himself neither is it in him that walketh to direct his steps That we are nothing can do nothing separate from God and Christ That we are unable to perform any Duty to improve any Ordinance to use any Mercy to bear any Cross to withstand any Temptation to master and mortifie any Corruption to act any Grace without him Yea that we have such a necessary and absolute dependance on God that we cannot live or move or act naturally without him That we ought to say as Jam. 4.15 If the Lord will we shall live and do this or that 3. Self-denial as in the Judgment is a deep sense and thorough conviction of our own unworthiness and wretched vileness That we of our selves deserve nothing but are less than the least of Mercies That to us belongeth nothing but shame and confusion of face That when we have done our best have done all we can we deserve not so much as thanks Luk. 17.10 That what ever God does for us is of his free Mercy 2. Self-denial is more especially in the Will and Affections 1. When a Mans Will is set for the utter renouncing and rejecting of carnal and corrupt Self When he is in good earnest for casting off the Old-Man which is corrupt with its deceitful Lusts When he would no more be ruled by the Law in his Members or live and walk after the Flesh As the Lord is is said to deny and not to know Men whom he rejects and condemns 2 Tim. 2.12 Mat. 10.33 As a Man renounceth repudiates a disloyal adulterous Wife As a Father is provoked to disown cast off a rebellious Son This is a main part of Self-denial when we are for cashiering our Lusts for plucking out Right Eyes and cutting off Right Hands when we would have no more to do with our Idols So long as we are under the dominion of any Lust till such time as the Will is resolvedly set against Sin so long as we are setting up Self as Lord and our own Wills as our Law in a way of contradiction unto God our Soveraign Lord and to his holy Will And thus to deny God indeed instead of denying our selves 2. When it is a Man's hearty desire in all things to be subject to God's Will and Command Lord what wilt thou have me to do That is a Self-denying Spirit which is willing to do as God would have it Let a Man deny himself that is say some deny his own will so far as it is not confonant to God's Will that is to deny our selves to be more for doing God's Will than our own When we had rather please and serve God than please or serve our selves When we are following Christ our Pattern John 5.30 I seek not my own Will but the Will of the Father that hath sent me When it is pleasing to us to cross our selves to comply with the Will of God When we desire to deny our own Ease Profit Interest to promote God's Interest and to do him service 3. When it is a Mans hearty desire as to be subject to God's Preceptive Will so to submit to his Providential and Disposing Will. When a Man can say from his Heart Whatever I suffer the Will of the Lord be done When he desires rather to submit to the Will of God than to have his own will This is to deny our selves to be willing that God should chuse our Inheritance for us that he should carve for us rather than to be left to our own Carving to be willing to put our selves with all we have into his Hands that he should have the ordering of us of our conditions and all our concerns that he should dispose of all as pleaseth him to have our wills thus resolved unto the Will of God To have such a frame of Heart as David had 2 Sam. 15.25 26. If I shall find favour in the Eyes of the Lord he will bring me back again But if otherwise Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good vnto him 4. When it is our hearty desire that we may be able to forsake all for God and Jesus Christ to part with Estates to give up Liberties to lay down our very Lives for him if he call us to it This is to deny our selves not to will or intend the keeping of any thing in the World how dear soever to us but to be ready and resolved in the strength of his Grace to part with all in his Cause Self-denial is not without a will and intention even of suffering Martyrdom by the help of his Grace if the Lord call us to it As they are joyned here Let him deny himself and take up his Cross And so it follows the Text For whosoever will save his Life shall lose it To will the saving of our Lives or any thing we have that God would have laid out for him I mean to will the same most intensely and prevailingly is contrary to Self-denial it is to prefer our own interest before God's Interest 5. When we are no more for depending on our selves but for depending upon God and on the Grace of God in Christ for Assistance for Acceptance and for a gracious Recompence This is the disposition of a Self-denying Spirit Self-denial is contrary to Self-dependence These things may help you to understand what Self-denial is as in the Will and Affections 3. Self-denial in Life and Practice in brief is not to live to our selves but to the Lord Rom. 14.7 8. More plainly 1. It is a strenuous opposing and crossing of sinful Self A denying to make provision for the Flesh as to make no provision for Pride to make no provision for Sensuality c. to be starving out our Corruptions to be beating down a body of Sin to strive against our Corruptions with might and main 2. It is an using and employing what we have what God intrusts us with our several Talents Estates Powers Interests Parts Gifts c. not for our selves chiefly and ultimately but for God 3. It is to reserve nothing for Self but actually to forsake all for God which he calleth us to part with to deny our selves of our dearest Worldly Enjoyments and our greatest outward Comforts for him Let him deny himself Se i. e. animam suam animam i. e. vitam suam A Man may not except so much as his own life and a Man would give all he has for that Job 2.4 Let a Man deny himself A seipso procul absit according to the Persic Version Though in the phrase of the World Proximus sum egomet mihi A Man's self is nearest to him According to the Ethiopic Version Odio habebit animam suam A Man must hate his own Life as it is Luke 14.26 Let a Man deny himself That is Let him carry
the pardon of Sin is promised as we find in other Texts of Scripture see Prov. 28.13 1 John 1.9 And what follows there Psal 32.3 5. doth very much countenance such an interpretation Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose spirit there is no Guile Then it follows When I kept silence my Bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long I acknowledg my Sin unto thee and mine Iniquity have I not hid I said i. e. resolved I will confess my Transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my Sin And he freely confessed his Sin not only to the Lord but to Man 2 Sam. 12.13 Hypocrites like the Pharisees are for justifying themselves And what they cannot justifie they will mince and extenuate all they can How much ado had the Prophet Samuel with Saul to convince him of his Sin And after all he could not be brought to a free serious and hearty Confession He confesseth but not without an excuse 1 Sam. 15.24 Hypocrites are not for confessing till they can no longer hide their Sins Or if they confess some Sins for fashion-sake they are usually such as the best are not free from They have still a desire to keep close their Bosom-sins 6. The upright Man has left halting betwixt two is really resolved for God and entirely devoted to him Thus his heart is perfect with God 1 King 8.61 2 Chron. 16.9 his heart is for God before all other it is not divided betwixt God and other things The Hypocrites heart like the Adulteresses is divided divided betwixt God and Mammon divided betwixt God and his Lusts That is a false adulterous heart that is divided betwixt God and other Lovers But blessed are they that seek him with the whole heart Psal 119.2 Sic ut eum solum quaerant diligant reliqua tantùm propter Deum Muis in Pol. Synop. Blessed are they that seek him above all seek him indeed for himself and other things but for him As the Psalmist could say for himself ver 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee The Lord promised Jer. 24.7 that his People should return unto him with their whole heart As he says of the main Body of the People on the contrary Jer. 3.10 Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly Where we see that is not a true but feigned conversion to God which is not with the whole heart We must turn unto the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul Deut. 30.10 And thus we must love him Deut. 13.3 And thus we must serve him Deut. 10.12 And to serve him thus is to serve him in truth 1 Sam. 12.24 Serve him in truth with all your hearts Object But then where is there a Man upon Earth that truly turns to God or loves or serves him if there be no doing these in truth but with all the heart Answ Speaking strictly none do thus turn to God love seek or serve him But the phrase with all the heart and with the whole heart must be taken in a more favourable sense here So the whole heart and a perfect heart is opposed to a double heart a divided heart an heart and an heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A double-minded Man is the Character of an Hypocrite James 1.8 He has two souls as it were one inclining him towards God and Christ and Heaven another inclining more strongly towards the World towards Worldly Riches Pleasures Vain-glory or Applause He is double-soul'd and therefore unstable not knowing where to fix When he would give up himself to his Lusts Conscience is pulling him back and when he should give up himself to God his Lusts draw him back And his heart being never truly set on God it is more easily drawn from him than from the World from his Lusts which he is more for Object But is there not Flesh and Spirit two contrary Principles in the best Saint upon Earth Answ True Yet so that the Spirits interest is predominant the prevailing bent of the Heart and Will is for God But the Hypocrite is still halting betwixt two Opinions his heart divided betwixt God and the World Like a Man that is in bivio Of the new Cov. p. 225. in a double way as Dr. Preston has the Comparison he stands and looks on both and knows not which to take So the double-minded Man looks upon God and looks upon the World and one while he is for God another while for the World He stands thus in suspence Whereas the upright Man is come to his choice he is resolved what way to take and all the World cannot turn him His heart is fixed upon God his resolution thorowly set for God Though honest hearts do find unsteadiness as to Degrees yet they are not unsettled as to the Object The prevailing habitual bent of such hearts is towards God though they are not carried out towards him with the like ardency of Affection and like vigorous endeavours at all times 7. The upright Man is one that loves the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Cant. 1.4 The upright love thee Hypocrites unsound Professors do but pretend love to the Lord Jesus Christ the Upright only love him indeed Thus the Apostle concludes his Epistle to the Ephesians Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity Here all the Hypocrites in the World fall short and are cut out While an Hypocrite in outward actions may may seem to out-do many a sincere Christian yet in the point of affection he is utterly wanting He wants that which should be the main spring of his actions He is wholly acted from self-love and by self-respects not from love to Jesus Christ which is the cause of that great unevenness in the course of Hypocrites They are not steady but off and on moved to and fro as self-interest and self-respects move and incline them While it is for their credit and profit and is like to make way for their preferment to profess his Name they would be sorry that any should be more forward to own Christ and his wayes than they but when the wind bloweth in another quarter ordinarily they will then face about and shamefully retreat or if they hold on yet it is still from some self-respect not from real love to Christ But the Upright heartily love him and therefore cleave to him with full purpose of heart and follow him fully even when he is most despised and opposed Like those good Women to whom the Angel spake Mat. 28.5 Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified They that love Christ indeed will continue seeking him when most despised when persecuted when crucified And if our hearts be not with Christ they cannot be sound and upright 8. The Upright Man is careful in his ordinary course to walk before God to carry as in God's sight and presence Gen.
the Truth and in the Cause of God Answer 1. It concerns you to be well assured that it is God's Truth you are Zealous for How many that take their own private conceits for Divine Truths 2. All Truths are not of equal importance And though the least Truth may not be denied or opposed yet lesser Truths may be silenced and concealed when a Zealous contending for them would be to the wrong and prejudice of far greater and more necessary Matters That is not to defend but to betray the Interest of God and his Truth when Men care not perdere substantiam propter accidentia to lose the substance of Religion for Accidents and Circumstances And that is Erratick Zeal and Mischievous like Fire out of its place when Men are so hot and earnest in contending about lesser Points that they themselves neglect and do what in them lieth to hinder others minding the main of Religion Zeal like Fire in its proper place is of great use and benefit But out of its place very dangerous and destructive And remember Sirs that true Zeal for God is most for those Truths and Duties wherein the great interest of Religion lieth And is most against such things whereby God is most dishonoured the Gospel obstructed Religion most wronged discredited c. 8. Right Zeal is joyned with Christian Moderation is for Christian Concord One of a truly zealous Spirit is also of an healing closing Spirit is of a publick Spirit Right Zeal is more for the common interest of Religion than for private Opinions It is no Firebrand no Incendiary in the Church It is moved at what it sees amiss it is for Reformation but will not hurry Men upon disorderly actings in their passionate sense of Disorders It is against extreams on both Hands Passionate Transports and rash heady Courses are not the effects of an holy but of a bitter Zeal Right Zeal keepeth within due compass It is for Edification not for Destruction It is for Peace and Unity It is for Sodering and Cementing not for Separating such as should Joyn. As Fire though it separate Heterogenials congregates Homogenials Yea it will melt divers Metals into one Lump True Zeal is not for perverse Disputings tending to Strife but for godly Edifying in Faith It is not for kindling Dissentions or causing Offences and Divisions amongst Christians but is moved with great Grief at the sight of such things As the Apostle Who is offended and I burn not It is for maintaining the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace And they that are more zealous to maintain some By-opinions than to maintain Union and Communion with their Fellow-Christians are quite besides the Mark. The Churches Peace and Edifying one another in Love are far greater Matters than any unnecessary Opinions which too many too zealously contend for Yea Vnnecessary is too good a word for some of them I should have said unsound Opinions O that the Guilty here would seriously consider whether it would not be more for the Honour of God the Credit and Interest of the Gospel and the securing of true Religion amongst us to joyn with their Fellow-Christians so far as they can to hold together to their mutual help strengthening and encouragement than to be so hot for their Opinions which if they were true yet are far remote from the Foundation and so far from being necessary to Salvation that not one of hundreds that are saved and now in Heaven was ever of their Way and Opinion here To be so rigid in their Way to carry as if all were unfit and unworthy for them to hold Christian Communion with that come not over to such Opinions of theirs alas this is Wild-fire not true Spiritual Zeal And verily I cannot think of any thing that will probably more harden and encourage Papists at this Day than the sad Rents and Dissentions amongst Protestants As he said Is not the hand of Joab in all this So it is probable enough the Heads of Jesuites have been in this Divide impera They know a Kingdom divided against it self is not likely to stand long and hope to raise themselves on our Ruines 9. That is right Zeal when we are more moved with Indignities offered unto God than with any Injuries done to our selves When we are more zealous in God's Cause than in our own We find Numb 12.1 2. Miriam and Aaron speak against Moses yet he seemed not at all concerned for himself We find not any reply that he made He was meek in his own cause Whereas upon sight of the Peoples Impiety their Idolatry in the Cause of God he was presently all on a flame His anger waxed hot Exod. 32.19 To be mild in our own cause but zealous in God's is a sign that we are indeed zealous for God As it is a sign of the contrary when we are remiss as can be unmoved unless when our own Interest is wrapt together with God's Interest As most Parents and Masters can bear it well enough though Children fail never so grosly in respect of the Duty that they owe to God though Servants plainly neglect and contemn God's Service They can bear with their Impiety with their taking God's Name in vain with the prophaning of his Day c. And yet many times they are all Fire and Tow if such do but fail in point of good Manners to them if they be not very observant of them and their commands Now it is true the least Irreverence towards Parents and so negligence in Servants are Sins against God But if upon that account you are most moved and displeased then you will be displeased at other Sins as well and more displeased at greater Sins than you are at these You will be zealous for God when Self is not so much concerned 10. Right Zeal for God is joyned with real Love and true compassion towards Men towards Sinners Thus while we hate their Sins we should yet love and heartily wish well to their Persons While we cannot bear with them that are evil in that which is evil yet we should be glad to do them good and glad indeed if by any means we might be helping to make them better As great Enemies as the Jews were to the Gospel and to the Apostle Paul yet he could not but pity them and his hearts desire and prayer to God was for them that they might be saved Rom. 10.1 Zeal against Sinners hath anger and grief in it not hatred As in the Apostle 2 Cor. 12.21 True Zeal desires their Conversion rather than Confusion And would rejoyce more in their Reformation than in their Ruine Our Saviour checked the furious Zeal of the Disciples when they would fain have been calling down Fire from Heaven to consume those poor Creatures that would not receive him Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of Luke 9.54 55. They were too hasty at that time a spirit of Revenge was stirring in them which was not Elias's spirit
Hope will give Courage will put a Man in heart and make him resolved for God A true Christian to maintain his Hope will not care to quit present worldly Possessions If we could be perswaded to disclaim all interest in and Hope of Heaven to embrace this present World if we could be content to take up with the World for our Portion then certainly we have no sound Hope of Heaven It is a weighty saying O that it may be well weighed They are no true Hopes of Glory to come Mr. Baxt. Ep. ded before his 32. Directions c. if you cannot cast over board all Worldly Hopes when the Storm is such that you must hazzard the One. 11. A sound Hope will raise ones Thoughts Heart and Desires Heaven-ward What is Hope but an expectation with desire or a desiring expectation As the Apostle speaks of his earnest expectation and Hope Phil. 1.20 So we cannot have a lively Hope of Heaven without lively desires after Heaven Rom. 8.23 We which have the first-fruits of the Spirit groan within our selves waiting for the Adoption to wit the Redemption of our Body It cannot be that such as have a sound Hope of Heaven should place their happiness or terminate their desires in the World 12. A lively Hope will quicken and raise the Heart in praise and thankfulness to God Psal 71.14 I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more This Hope is called good Hope through Grace 2 Thes 2.16 And Souls that have it cannot but see cause greatly to admire extol and magnifie Divine Grace 13. Sound Hope is a furtherance of Spiritual Joy Rejoycing in Hope As Bernard sed nunquid tantae laetitiae spes erit sine laetitia Yea this Hope oft causeth Joy even in Affliction Psal 119.49 50. Remember the Word unto thy Servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope This is my comfort in my affliction for thy Word hath quickened me The word of promise giving Hope thus brings in Joy and comfort too Sound Hope will chear the Heart and keep it alive under troubles without which it would faint and sink If our Hearts die within us like Nabals under worldly Troubles this would shew we have not a lively Hope of Heaven Such as rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God will be ready even to glory in Tribulations as Rom. 5.2 3. Of Spiritual Joy ANd so I come to the Trial of Mens Joyes As there are counterfeit Graces so there are false Joyes As we read of the Hope of the Hypocrite so likewise of the Joy of the Hypocrite Job 20.5 A Joy that will end in sorrow and consternation Yea It is possible for Souls that have true Grace yet to be mistaken in their Joys As we find the Seventy Disciples returning with Joy Luk. 10.17 saying Lord even the Devils are subject unto us through thy Name Notwithstanding says Christ v. 20. in this rejoyce not that the Spirits are subject unto you but rather rejoyce because your names are written in Heaven Where he at once corrects and directs their Joy As one says Many times the more excellent a Sermon is Mr. A. Burg. the more carnal the heart of the Preacher may be So Christians may rejoyce carnally in Spiritual Enlargements and Spiritual Experiences As Grace can find something even in natural comforts to feed and increase Spiritual Joy Joy in the Lord So Corruption sometimes prevailes on the contrary making Spiritual Duties and Spiritual Priviledges and Mercies the matter and ground of carnal rejoycing And further as some Christians through weakness yield to needless fears and take up sad conclusions against themselves and their own Estates debarring themselves of comfort belonging to them So others again through heedlesness please themselves erroneously in their own fancies and rejoyce in sparks of their own kindling which they take for the comforts of the Spirit That we should not only try our Graces but our Comforts For which purpose take these following notes 1. Spiritual Joy is not wont to come in till Godly Sorrow hath prepared and made way for it Bernard Opportunè post tristitiam gaudium subit post laborem quies post naufragium portus Thus the Lord oft turns Water into Wine turns his Peoples Sorrow into Joy Christ was anointed to give the Oyl of Joy for mourning the Garments of Praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61.3 They that sow in Tears shall reap in Joy Psal 126.5 6. Hearts that were never broken are not yet prepared for Christ to bind them up Paul had a casting down to the Earth before he was caught up to the third Heavens They that have great elevations of Joy and yet were never humbled for Sin have cause enough to suspect their Joy is not right 2. Spiritual Joy hath the Holy Spirit for its Authour Thus it is the Joy of the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1.6 As I said of a lively Hope it is a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 Ministers may be helpers of a Believers Joy as 2 Cor. 1.24 but under the Spirit He is the principal efficient Now they that have not the Holy Ghost their Sanctifier cannot have him their Comforter The Disciples were filled with Joy and with the Holy Ghost Act. 13.52 This fruit of the Spirit never grows alone but hath other fruits accompanying it Indeed there may be Saving Sanctifying Grace without actual Joy and Consolation but there cannot be true Joy without Saving Sanctifying Grace 3. Spiritual Joy is never to be found without Saving Faith Rom. 15.13 Now the God of Hope fill you with Joy and Peace in believing No other way that it can be attained Sound Joy is the Joy of Faith Phil. 1.25 Being justified by Faith we have Peace with God and rejoyce in hope of the Glory of God Rom. 5.1 2. Without true Saving Justifying Faith no Peace with God and without Peace and Reconciliation with God no ground for Joy So then if we would know whether our Joy be right we must inquire after the truth of our Faith Certainly a temporary Faith can have no betrer than a temporary Joy following it 4. Spiritual Joy ordinarily is not attained without self-probation without self-searching Gal. 6.4 Let every Man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself The ground of an Hypocrites Joy ordinarily is out of himself in the good opinion and esteem of others But says the Apostle 2 Cor. 1.12 Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Conscience And this we see is the Scripture-way and method for attaining Spiritual Joy to commune with our own Hearts to ask our own Consciences seriously what evidence they can give that we are in a state of Grace that our works are done in Sincerity And when Conscience can give testimony of our Godly Sincerity and Integrity then indeed we have good ground to rejoyce But therefore such as are great strangers to themselves and fear examining their Consciences strictly lest
they should tell them such things as they have no mind to hear or know of themselves are not likely to have any other than a false Peace and false Joy 5. Spiritual Joy useth to come in in a way of Prayer Therefore in the want of it David betook himself to earnest Prayer Psal 51.8 12. Make me to hear Joy and Gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Restore unto me the Joy of thy Salvation Yea he pleads this as an Argument with God Psal 86.4 Rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul So he pleads it for others Psal 105.3 Let the Heart of them rejoyce that seek the Lord. If it be not rather a call to such to rejoyce and glory in him This advice and counsel Christ gave his dear Disciples Joh. 16.24 Ask and you shall receive that your Joy may be full Christians that are most Prayerful are in the most hopeful way to be full of Joy too But such as neglect and despise Prayer their Joy may well be questioned There is just cause to fear such come not honestly by it who count not such Mercies worth asking who have it without begging for 6. Another ordinary means of Spiritual Joy is attendance on God's Ordinances Usually it is in this way that it is given in or increased And therefore Ordinances have been a great Joy and comfort to the Faithful As the Psalmist was glad when he thought of going into the House of the Lord Psal 122.1 So he rejoiceth at the Word as one that findeth great spoil Psal 119.126 So the Word to Jeremiah was the Joy and rejoicing of his Heart Jer. 15.16 No wonder that Ordinances are a matter of Joy to the Faithful which are an ordinary means of the furtherance of their Joy Isa 56.6 7. There God promiseth that those who joyn themselves to the Lord to serve him and keep the Sabboth from polluting it shall be made joyful in the House of Prayer Isa 12.3 With Joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation Which may be applied to God's Ordinances as well as to Promises They are breasts of Consolation too As here we may apply that Isa 66.11 That ye may suck and be satisfied with the breasts of her Consolations c. This way indeed we might find comfort in Ordinances if we come a thirst to them come with an appetite and put forth the strength of our affections in them if we draw hard at these Wells and suck at these Breasts But they that cry down Ordinances as empty Forms and dry Breasts they that count themselves above Ordinances what ever raptures of Joy they may seem to have we have cause to think they are only sporting themselves with their own deceivings Some have cast off Prayer and giving of Thanks some despise Prophesyings slight and turn their backs on the Ministry of the Word and yet pretend to rejoyce evermore But certainly the Apostle Paul was not of their way see 1 Thes 5.16 17 18 20. And the Joy of the Primitive Christians came in another way Act. 2.42 46. Some again are full of confidence because they frequent God's Worship and Ordinances like those that cryed The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord. But there is little comfort to be taken in an outward attendance on Ordinances without a Spiritual improvement of them Yea some that may fall away have a taste of the good Word of God Heb. 6.5 6. The stony-ground Hearers received the Word with Joy Mat. 13.20 Herod heard John Baptist gladly Mar. 6.20 The unbelieving Jews some of them for a season rejoiced in the Light of John's Ministry Joh. 5.35 Some are taken with a Sermon sometimes for the comfortable matter of it or for the Abilities of the Preacher his eloquent utterance or affectionate delivery c. who yet are very far from that Spiritual delight upright ones find in it These are not so taken with the Sound as with the Power of it They are best pleased with the Word when it meets with their Corruptions and does greatest execution on them when they have not only their affections moved in the present hearing of the Word but their Hearts established by it when they can find their Souls more quickened and Grace actuated and increased by it 7. Spiritual Joy hath God for its cheif ultimate term and Object As it is called the Joy of the Lord Neh. 8.10 The Joy of the Lord non activè sed passivè Joy in him How oft are we called to rejoice in the Lord As the Psalmist called God his exceeding Joy Psal 43.4 Vnto God my exceeding Joy or the gladness of my Joy or my Joy and exultation Psal 9.2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee Act. 2.28 Thou shalt make me full of Joy with thy Countenance So a gracious Soul can greatly rejoice if he has a sense of God's presence notwithstanding the absence of creature-comforts Hab. 3.18 Although the Fig-tree blosom not c. Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my Soul shall be joyful in my God Now hence it appears that such as have not come to place their cheif delight and happiness in God are strangers to Spiritual Joy 8. Spiritual Joy is also a rejoycing in Christ Jesus As he is the cheif and principal means to bring us to God Rom. 5. We Joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement The faithful are described to be such as worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the Flesh Phil. 3.3 As he rejoiced who had found the hid treasure Mat. 13.44 So do Believers rejoice having found Christ that rich Treasure and Pearl of greatest price 1 Pet. 1.8 In whom believing ye rejoice with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory Or if sometimes they walk heavily 't is because they discern not their interest in him or find not his presence with them as their Souls desire We can have no ground of rejoycing in God but through Jesus Christ out of whom he is a consuming Fire to Sinners Therefore they that make no account of Christ that see not their need of him their misery without him that rejoice in sparks of their own kindling not regarding the Son of Righteousness have no sound Joy 9. That is Spiritual Joy when we are most taken with Spiritual Mercies That is Joy in the â—oly Ghost when we rejoice more in any experience of the gracious workings of God's Spirit in us than in all outward earthly enjoyments Or when we rejoice in outward Mercies upon a Spiritual account When we see them Blessings indeed and sanctified to us When they steal not away our Heart from but draw them nearer to God When they are a means of increasing our Love to God of strengthening and encouraging our trust and dependance on him of engaging us to serve him with greater chearfulness
That Joy which is born down with any Affliction that comes is not like the Joy of the Spirit which is called strong Consolation Heb. 6.18 15. Spiritual Joy is not swelling But is accompanied with an humble frame of Spirit Heart-humbling Grace is a necessary preparative unto and a necessary preservative of Heart-raising and elevating Joys Isa 29.19 The meek or humble shall encrease their Joy in the Lord and the poor among Men shall rejoyce in the holy One of Israel Such as are lifted up in themselves are not so fit for Comfort as for a Casting down And one way or other they shall have a Casting down If not in Mercy and by Grace then by force and in fury When a Child of God is growing proud of his Comforts and Enlargements he is in the ready way to lose them As I may say Humility is the Save-all and Prolonger and Pride the Extinguisher If you can keep your Joy and Pride together it is more than a Child of God can do 16. Spiritual Joy is not intoxicating but a sober serious thing joyned with an holy Fear Care and Watchfulness Psal 2.11 Rejoyce with trembling When Daniel heard from God that he was a Man greatly beloved yet he stood trembling Dan. 10.11 That is not right rejoycing in the Lord which excludes Reverence towards him And when he speaks Peace yet he expects better carriage of his People than that they should grow secure and careless He expects that they should have a care not to return again to Folly Psal 85.8 Where he says Be of good chear thy Sins are forgiven thee He withal says Sin no more stand in in awe and sin not Grieve not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption And by sinning presumptuously the Lord would be provoked to hide his Face again to write bitter things against us Thus new storms of Trouble would be raised 17. Spiritual Joy would not put one upon a contemptuous carriage towards others But rather make him full of Charity and pity towards those that want and are strangers to what he enjoys Though a stranger doth not intermeddle with his Joy Prov. 14.10 yet he cannot but desire that others were partakers of the like Psal 51.12 13. Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation Then will I teach Transgressors thy Wayes I shall encourage Sinners to come in by thy merciful dealing with me who have been so great a Sinner As Christ chargeth Peter when he was converted and restored to strengthen his Brethren Luke 22.32 And the Apostle Paul lays this down as one end the Father of Mercies hath in comforting us that we may be able to comfort them which are in any Trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God 2 Cor. 1.4 And if we have not a tender pity towards poor troubled Spirits and such as have broken Bones if we have no Wine and Oyl to pour into wounded Consciences if we are not at all concerned for others under Spiritual Troubles we may justly fear our Joy is not right 18. Spiritual Joy will set Souls more on longing after the Joys of Heaven That Joy which comes from Heaven will be raising the Heart up towards Heaven Souls that have tasted that the Lord is Gracious will thirst after more and long for the fulness of Joy in his Presence will breath after the full Enjoyment of God in Glory 2 Cor. 5.5 8. God hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit Therefore We are willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. If we have found any consolation in Christ beholding him through the Lattices how shall we desire to see the King in his Beauty and to see him Face to Face Spiritual Joy will make Souls more spiritually-minded will very much take off the affections from things on the Earth and set them upon things Above A BRIEF REHEARSAL 2 COR. 13.5 Examine your selves whether you be in the Faith prove your own selves TO write the same things here shall not be grievous to me if for you it may be safe and profitable To try and examine your selves whether you are in a state of Grace you cannot deny to be your Duty And to direct and assist you therein is the principal design of this Treatise Now of the things which we have spoken this is the Sum. 1. What Knowledg have you And of what kind 1. Have you more than a natural Knowledg of God 2. More than a notional Knowledg Are you come to a discerning of Spiritual things and to a Spiritual discerning of them Have you other thoughts of Sin and other thoughts of God and Christ and Holiness and Heaven than formerly you had 3. How come you by your Knowledg Whether in an humble diligent waiting on God in the use of the means he hath appointed 4. Have you not a bare Knowledg but are you also come to the acknowledgment of the Truth Not only a Verbal but a Real acknowledgment To know the certainty of those things wherein you have been instructed 5. Does your Knowledg reach your Hearts Has it a powerful influence on your Wills Are you not only resolved in your Judgments but also in your Choice 6. Is your Knowledg not only informing but reforming and renewing 7. Is your Knowledg humbling Or does it puff up 8. Is it nourishing as Food and Fuel to Grace and Spiritual Affections 9. Is it Fructifying Is it reduced to Practice 10. Is it Communicative 11. Is it growing And especially are you thriving 1. In the sound and experimental Knowledg of God and Christ 2. And getting more inward acquaintance with your own selves and the state of your own Souls 3. And in learning more of your own Duty and of the Counsel of God concerning you 2. Try your Faith And what can you say to those three principal acts of Faith scil Assent Consent and Affiance 1. How do you assent to Divine Truth 1. Do you assent Impartially 2. Do you assent freely Do you yield willingly to Divine Truth as it is discovered to you 3. Do you assent really Have you more than an half-perswasion of the Truth 4. Have you an holding Assent to the Truth 5. Is it a Practical Assent Does it draw on Consent 2. How do you consent to God's Terms 1. Do you consent entirely not partially 2. Do you consent deliberately 3. Do you consent heartily unfeignedly 4. Do you consent firmly and resolvedly 3. What trust and affiance have you in God and Christ I ask not what Assurance you have Yet is your Dependence on God in Christ And 1. Is it such as is accompanied with Self-distrust and Self-despair 2. And with an hearty acceptance of Christ and sincere subjection to him 3. And with a dependence on the Lord for Temporal Mercies and Deliverance as he sees fit for you Further Do those Scripture-notes given of Faith agree to you 1. Is Christ precious to you