washing in Jorden The third gerall The third and last point out of this verse I will propound by answering a question briefly Object arising out of the former doctrine For it may bee demanded seeing that not the waters themselves were the cause of effecting this cure upon Naaman but the power of God onely in and by them To what end did the Prophet so presse upon him the washing in Jorden and why had it been so heynous a contempt for him to have neglected this charge Answ Why God useth outward means to convey grace viz. To stop mans devices The answer is double First in respect of the necessary concurrence of the water to the instrumentalnes of Gods working Secondly in respect of a signe or ratification of the promise in the heart of Naaman To open both these in a word For the former it is alway the course of God to worke by meanes and instruments sensible and bodily when hee hath to doe with us men of a bodily and sensible nature As in the duty of prayer though the worke thereof is properly spirituall and holy and the Lord can tell our hearts as well as our tongues yet it is his will that we offer it up by the instrument of outward speech orderly set sensible Take unto you words say Hosea 13.2 receive us graciously So though the power of regeneration stand not in speech but in the Holy Ghost yet the Lord will not so worke immediately but by the ministery of man to man hee hath ordained to convey his spirit into the heart And the reason is plain for else what a door should be set open to the fantasticall spirit of man to vent his owne speculations and conceits without any warrant from God Who would not frame to himselfe revelations of the Spirit and devise new inventions of serving God How doe Anabaptists boast of their owne fancies How doe they despise the ordinary calling of Ministers and preaching and thrust forth themselves by the instinct of their owne spirit as if they were some great persons How do Papists devise new worships as that Masse of theirs which is nothing else save a masse of many ingredients added by sundry of their Popes or masters of ceremonies and those many Sacraments of theirs whereof not one print of Gods appointing appeares in all the Scriptures If this be done by them against the expresse will of God what would they have attempted if they had been left unto themselves How infinite would they then have been Therfore the Lord wil have all that look for any worke of his Spirit to attend the means closely and reverently and only by through them to expect for blessing If God please to unite his grace only to them ordinarily may it not well beseeme us to tye our attendance and observation of his power in and by them This is one cause why the Lord would not extraordinarily convey himselfe to the Eunuch to Cornelius Acts 8. Acts 10. Acts 9. to Saul at Damascus save by the intermediall instruments of Peter Philip and Ananias our spirit is alway in our extremities for either wee runne to our fancies conceits sloath and ease contemning the meanes or else when meanes must be used we fall to idolize them both which the holy Ghost abhorres Another reason is in respect of Naaman himselfe who was a novice Reason 2 It was the will of God to heale him by faith in a promise Why are signes sacraments used by the Lord for the effecting of spirituall things viz. to assure our weak faith Now because that was a difficult object for him to settle upon the Lord appoints him this outward and reall signe of the waters to prop up his faith by and to settle his inner spirit by the externall sense As if he should say Goe thy wayes I will heale thy leprosie beleeve me and if that be unlikely to thee loe I give thee a signe even the waters of Jorden that as verily as thou shalt drench thy selfe therein so verily will I by my spirit heale thee Occupy thy selfe in obeying of me and loe I will be present with thee to put thy weake heart out of doubt concerning thy cure This was alway the course which the Lord tooke with his old Church whensoever he promised any blessing or deliverance unto them Judg. 6. 7. 8. Thus Gedeâ—n a man inexpert in warre was faine to be strengthned by the fleece both dry and wet and by the dreame of a barley loafe by one of the Midianites yea the Lord never revealed any purpose of his to the Prophets concerning either the publique or any special person but he strengthned it by some outward signe suting the thing and affecting the sense Thus when the Lord meant to rend tenne Tribes from Rehoboam and give them to Ieroboam 2 King 12. Ahijah the Prophet is sent to teare his garment into twelve pieces and to give him tenne and keepe two A very reall resemblance And that young Prophet to strengthen his denunciation against the same Ieroboam Cap. 13. and his idoll at Bethel told him two signes one present viz. the falling out of the ashes from the broken Altar of sacrifice the other to come Iosiahs poluting those high places by burning the bones of the Priests upon them So Esay strengthens Hezekia in the newes of his recovery Esay 37. by that famous signe of the Sunnes going backe tenne degrees And so when Ahaz refused the signe Esay 8. the Prophet gave the Church one touching the deliverance from Rezin to wit the conceiving of a Virgin some two or three hundreds of yeares after even with a sonne whoâ—e name should be Emanuel Infinite it were to speake of Ezekiels bricke pourtraying the siege of Jerusalem the hole in the wall by which he convayed away his stuffe Ieremies basket of figges the best and worst that could be eaten to describe the difference betweene the Jewes in Babel and the rebels at Jerusalem The like was Agabus his taking Pauls girdle and the very false Prophets Zidkijah and Hananiah affected the like course in their hornes and yokes Even so the Lord did teach his people by many bodily ceremonies cleansing of leprosie by the Priest and washing by outward sacrifices and the like And by those many resemblances of the blood of the Paschall Lamb sprinkled and the flesh of it eaten as also by Manna the Rocke gushing forth with water Also by the cutting off the foreskin of the male he made the Lord Jesus and the power of his death and crosse to bee knowne sacramentally although but darkly in his Church And now under the New Testament although the worship be more spirituall Sacraments excell common signes yet the course is the same True it is Sacraments exceed signes in their efficacy yet agree with them in this generall kinde of outward signifying or strengthning the soule by signes For what else doth the Lord
he might pitty and succour those who are tempted And surely wonderfull use there is of this grace For alas in these troubles many a poore soule though not wilfull yet is not her owne because it is overpowred with the violence hideousnesse and irkesome of temptations without feares and unsustained horrors within so that for the time it hath no power of fastning upon counsell be it never so strong nay the stronger it is the harder to enter It must be time and stanching the bloud and waiting by degrees putting in here a droppe a line a little and there a little into the soule which must winne such an one to some hope by degrees Some texts observe for this Elihu seeing Iobs state sore snarled by his prejudicate friends and by the self-love of his own heart that it was hard to reduce all to a mediocrity applies himselfe in the spirit of singular modesty and meeknesse to be a mediator between them Job 32. Behold saith he I will not deale harshly in misjudging thee but be unto thee as thine owne soule this was the next way to redresse his sorrowes So Paul to the Galathians when he had sharpely reproved them yet seeing many of their weake mindes entangled tells them My little children of whom I travell againe till Jesus Christ be formed in you They had fallen into the hands of false teachers who had made their state more dangerous Gal. 4.19 And what doth hee Meekely and lovingly he bestowes the paines to travell againe of them Simil. A woman hath enough of breeding her fruit once and bearing it once but wee should count her a very tender mother which should beare the paine twice and fellow-feele the infants strivings and wrastlings the second time rather then want her child So Paul here is content to beare the paine twice of travelling for these Galathians hee meanes not a second birth but a second travell to reduce them home to Christ from their errors and to sympathize them so far for their good till they felt Christ againe revived in themselves after a former miscarriage and false conception So in Gal. 6.1 The Apostle againe doth require those Galathians which were strong to restore in the spirit of meekenesse such as were fallen the word is set in joint Be meeke and worke in the bone with much oile that so it may returne againe into the socket with lesse paine And Ezekiel tells us Ezek. 34.16 that this is one peculiâ—r property of a true shepheard that hee seeke up the lost and suffer not the bitten or broken to perish but carry it home upon his shoulder tender it dresse it and binde it up againe These and the like places shew with what spirit the Lord wishes such to go to work even so be it with us in Gods fear limpe with the halting lispe with the stuttering sit still and be silent a while till deepe affliction can speake out helpe forth the words of the distressed which sticke in the passage be tender and pitifull till God draw the heart by these cords of a man Hosea 11.4.13.2 and be as the Master of the cattell who taketh off the yoke and layeth meat unto them yea as the Lord Jesus who would not breake the brused reed Matth. 12. nor quench the smoking flax till judgement brake forth into victory Iron and steele come not to an edge without much oile Thirdly 3. Branch apply counsell and remedies with all wisdome and seasonablenesse speake a word in due season Now here the maine worke lieth But some may aske and say how should I performe this duty I answer The variety and difference of estates admit no rules in generall onely to satisfie the desirous I will instance in a few kindes and shew what remedies most fitly agree with them Observe wisely and discerne the estate of the afflicted Rules for this and that will be a great helpe to tell a qualified counsellor how to judge both of the malady and medicine For as it is in bodily diseases each one hath his severall symptomes which are not easily concealed So it is here A wise man will discover the sore by the behaviour of the party both for the kinde the measure the continuance of it and accordingly apply himselfe First then let it be one caveat 1. Discerne and separate mixt sorrow from â—â—â—gle that we observe whether the dolor bee single and simple or mixt and compounded If it be simple the trouble is the lesse But if mixt that is partly temporall and that first and chiefe partly spirituall The way is first to separate the one from the other and not to multiply spirituall comforts to such a one for his disease admits none because the roote is carnall And although it have ceased also in part upon conscience yet at the second hand Here then labour to lessen and diminish carnall and worldly griefe if it can by any meanes be removed as if it be a crosse upon the name body or state see if that can be effected and then you shall see if there continue any sorrow if it doe not it was meerly carnall and no spirituall in it if that cannot be removed then labour to divert the heart from the outward to the spirituall and that thus First shewing that this without the other is fruitlesse That the soule may bee as miserable without it as with it That love or hatred stands not in it That it may easily deceive a man about his sorrow That God either sends it as a needle to draw the thred of godly sorrow after it by the stirring of the spirit or else to leave the soule worse and that if it vanish as it came it will be so That the nature of it is deadly for worldly sorrow causeth death If these motives scatter the carnall sorrow and the spirituall remaine then it is from God And then the counsell is strive not to remove it at first but to ground it well upon the word that it may seaze kindely and so deale with it accordingly as in the rules following 2. Rule Discerne diabolicall temptations from inward The next is discerne diabolicall injections and temptations from the troubles arising from our selves Here the counsell is strive by all means to resolve the party that the Divell shall pay for his own sin Suggestions terrifying the spirit from Satans malice are none of ours Judge them by the disproportion to the souls disposition their unwelcomenes their irkesomenesse desperatenesse and tenaciousnesse And if a poor soul can truly say they are none of hers although she cannot be rid of the insulting of this god of flies yet by praier for riddance constant detesting to have fellowship and consent with them whether thoughts against God his word the Ministry Heaven Hell Providence Religion or lusts and vile affections the Lord will weaken them and not suffer thee to bee held under temptation And to say truth violent externall causes
Judg. 15. lay heapes upon heapes and die of thirst Once get into the right way and undoe somewhat first which God would have you forgoe instead of your doings and this will cause unto you incredible ease and sweetnesse in your proceeding Remember that speech Esay 30. your strength shall be to sit still Sit still and bee quiet therefore in your hypocriticall devotions and bee stirring and working with God under the condition of his promise and your labour shall not be lost in the Lord. 1 Cor. 13. ult Else you shall suffer losse not onely of a part but of the principall you shall sinke in your sweat and the most despised fatherlesse creatures with their poore emptinesse scarce daring to lift up eies to heaven standing afar off shall go away better justified then you with all your supererogations Luke 18.13 And when you are thus defeated your mends shall be in your own hands So much for this second Vse 3 Thirdly this Doctrine reproves sundry sorts And first all such as having enjoyed the liberty of Gods Ordinances all their dayes Reproofe Sundry branches 1. The chiefe season of ease is at first yet never had the wisdome to discerne that spirituall season in which the Lord makes this worke of faith easie and welcome The ease of beleeving in Gods usuall method attends a peculiar opportunity of Gods owne vouchsafing in which he doth more readily worke then at all other times Commonly when the word is first sent to a congregation as a dainty as a rare and desired pearle an object of price Againe when the spirit of the hearer is carried with violence to carry the Kingdome away whatsoever paines and charge it cost them when also the Lord sends the Angel or Minister with a more then common spirit of zeale to stir the muddy poole to the bottome and to unsettle mens hearts frozen upon their dregs I say when as the Lord inspires him with the spirit of Eliah or Iohn Baptist with speciall love to the pretious soules of men with laboriousnesse and the spirit of convincing when as the Gospel drawes all sorts unto it by the fervency of affections and examples of such as make toward it then there is ease in beleeving Not when the Gospel is waxen stale in a Towne and Manna plentifull which commonly causes loathing and fulsomenesse Not when the hearers heart is sunke and dead in his brest indifferent whether he speed or no Not when the spirits of the Ministers of God wax dull as Moses hands with long holding up Not when the Spirit of grace of power melting drawing and perswading begins to flag And as Micah saith is straitned Mica 2.6 Not when the hearts of Ministers faint in them and turne another way Not when they are driven out from their places and are faine to seeke into remote Countries Not when the affections of people wax generally dead and carelesse which end goe forward rather minding their owne world will and ends then the matters of salvation When these markes fall out the shadowes of the mountaines wax long the wild Beasts goe out of their dennes to spoile and the labourers turne their backes upon their worke because the Sunne is downe Not in these seasons not in death deepe sicknesses crosses feares losses is there like to be found this ease I speake of And therefore Oh you my brethen who heare me this day who have long lived here under the meanes above fifty yeares thinke seriously of your estate If yet the worke of beleeving the promise be undone if you have outbidden and survived all these happy seasons wherein your owne soules know you felt such dampings of corruption raisings of heart thawings inclinings and movings of spirit to embrace the offer of salvation and have fallen to the world to pleasures to ease and as Cain did being cast out of Gods presence to goe and build Cities Let my words now pierce you if any tendernesse at roote remaine in you and take heed lest if ever you finde God gracious if he have not quite cast you off for your dallying you be put to toile and travell for it lest it cost you tenne times as much trouble as you might first have had it for The Lord is hardly drawne to returne to a particular man when he hath left a publique place I tell you if you have slighted such meanes and seasons as these it must be the unspeakeable patience of God which can pull you home at last It were strange if a man who hath lost his faire or market should come many daies after and meet with those commodities which hee wants then he might have stored himselfe with ease but after with much hazard and cost You have had your season your accepted time and day of salvation Speciall application to the present people many hundreds have beleeved and set seale to the grace offered and most of them are at rest with God If you bee those unhappy ones who have received it all this while in vaine Hard for long dalliers with God to recover him again at their pleasure or leasure I doubt whether ever any new appetite will be lent you and although it were I doubt whether the doores being shut you shall speed of your desire though you should runne from Barwicke to Dover from old England into new for it or be admitted to beleeve Oh! How shall I speake to this wofull place for the padling out of her season of ease God hath brought salvation to your doores as to the children of the Kingdome pind it on your sleeves I may truly and in a good time speake it The Gospel hath alway brought you more gaine then it hath cost you Pulpits have beene as it were set up in your streets by your houses so neere is the grace of God come unto you and when others have ridden and trotted five ten fifteene miles you have had it at home for stepping in at the doores floods of butter and oile have flowed downe in your brooks and streets and thousands have beene satisfied with your leavings You have been as free borne to the Gospel What in all the world shall you pretend for your selves if you have never had I say not the best portion but any part at all of it Oh! that I could teach you after all my pressing of the promise among you how to dispute for your selves But that exceeds my skill you have had a fee-simple an inheritance of the Gospel you have beene married to the Lord under long constant unwearied plaine and powerfull meanes long ere I came among you All mens gifts have served you Note you of the congregation you have entred into other mens labours I may adde this that you have possessed fields vineyards and orchards which you never knew the price of never bought tilled or planted For my selfe although I have long lived unprofitable yet if ever God lent me any fitnesse to doe you good
hope they doe and had alway a good faith to God and a good meaning to men They confesse they breake out sometimes as others doe but so long as they cry God mercy they shall doe well for they understand that Christ was a loving Preacher kept company rather with the worser sort then the better many Publicans and sinners yea harlots and was the sinners friend And it was not they who put him to death but such as went for the devoutest and most precise in those times But oh yee deluded fooles Doe you thinke that when sinne hath incorporated herselfe so long and like a fretting leprosie seated it selfe in their bowells by long custome that all on the suddaine you should be changed by the conceit of their beleeving What Matth. 3.1.2 Are there no steps of calling to be observed Why then did Iohn Baptist goe before Christ in the Spirit of Elija Why did hee batter downe the rebellious spirits of men And why did hee cast downe every high hill and fill every valley Why did he prepare a way for Christ in the souls of people crying Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Why did he plow up mens fallow grounds And turne the spears of men into mattocks and their swords into plowshares Oh take heed I will not say all your abstinence from sinne can save you but your jollity and boldnesse in it may so harden you and encrease your chaines through rebellion Esay 28. that you shall finde it an hard thing for mercy to pierce you Therefore take counsell thinke not that mercy can save you in the midst of your lewdnesse when you come steaming out of the stewes or from your alebenches or in the midst of your sports and pleasures What God can doe I aske not it s not safe for you to trust to that looke what he will doe Therefore let the point of the speare of the Law pierce your sides let it taw and breake your fierce spirits goe not on to sinne against light Defile not your consciences by wilfull rebellions covetous drunken contentious treacherous and voluptuous courses looke not that God should meet you in your cursed way when as he hath appointed you to meet him in his owne way Rather apply your selves to his word to prepare your spirits for mercy Repent that is breake off the custome and jollity of your sins the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand This counsell to suffer affliction and the spirit of bondage by the sense of guilt and wrath would bee an wholesome School-master to bring you to Christ Oh! A caveat Ministers should gaster prophane people out of their prophanenesse errors if you my brethren the Ministers would remit a little of your pleasures and liberties and apply your selves to a right order of preaching the Law and Christ and give them a view of the way of God to heaven you might the more hopefully leave them to God else how should blinde people laden with sinne stumble upon Gods preparations Will they not rather abuse the grace of God and wax insolent in turning it into wantonnesse making the remedy worse then the disease Oh! scare them out of their prophanenesse corrasive their festred sores sow not pillowes ferret them out of their dennes their starting-holes errors excuses and covers of shame Alas they have a thousand of such trickes to seduce them Base conceits of the Ministery the difficulty of faith of repenting and forsaking their lusts false opinion of the way of God of them who professe it they are poysoned so deeply by Satan and base customes in sinne so leavened with a conceit that either there is somewhat in themselves to demerit God their good meanings setting of their good deeds against their bad and such like or else thinking that Christ serves for no other end save to be their stalking-horse Rom. 4. under whom they may sin securely that grace may abound the more They dreame that because the World is hard therefore men are set here to heare the Word to keep them from theft to hold them in awe from out-rages and so if they can worke and pay their debts bring up their charge and get money they are well Oh! labour to season them with this salt of preparation that their faces may bee sharpned to looke heaven-ward and to breake off their lewd wayes that they may so come within the bounds of the Kingdome and not live like Salvages and Epicures or worldlings whose hope reaches no further then this life So much for this former sort 2 Branch Schismatickes who reject all steps marks of conversion cleaving to the spirit of free grace confuted Againe secondly this is for reproofe of such Sectaries as are lately risen up among us in sundry places who are so spirituall forsooth that the Doctrine of the condition of faith and casting of the Soule upon the promise are beggarly elements with them they esteeme them carnall matters and devices of mens braine They hold indeed there is use of a Law and Gospell to tame men first and then to comfort them But in this Gospell they have found out a new and more compendious course then others For they say there is a grace offered in the promise by such a Spirit of freedome that it will not endure any bondage of the letter nor suffer men to bee puzled and enthralled with these conditions of a Promise nor to tye themselves to a promise and the markes or signes of believing This they count base and unbeseeming such a Spirit of free grace as they have found out and therefore they scorn all those who busie their thoughts about such workes of preparations and tell them they will get more comfort in an houre by the Spirit of this their free grace then these lazy and leasurely beleevers can doe in seven yeares But oh you fantasticke and deluded ones where learne you in the Word that there is a Spirit which workes without a Word Or by what meanes come you to lay hold of this Spirit save by the Word If by the Word then of necessity by such markes and prints as the Word workes And although there is a Spirit spoken of in the Gospell which witnesseth to our Spirits that we are the Lords yet how doth it witnesse it save by the Word Is every hearer at the first dash so ripe and perfect that presently as a fledge bird flying out of her nest and leaving her Damme he can soare aloft in the sky and mount up to heaven by the Spirit of assurance So that he shall no more need any promise any conditions or markes to testifie the grace of God wrought in him Put case that God hath some speciall ones to whom after they have beleeved he hath given the Spirit to seale them to the assurance of salvation Is this the case of every novice as soon as hee heares that Christ freely forgives sinners to bee hoysed up with such a spirit of
mine eyes or bee taken lame in my hands or feet or unable to get my living or lye upon my poore husbands hand till we bee not worth a groat with a thousand such crotchets Are not these just plagues of old unbeleefe Doe not men upon their death beds cry out It is just with God thus to handle me for I never could trust him nor his word further then I saw felt and tasted him Oh God hath met with you Did he not threaten the despisers of his Law with astonishment of heart with hanging by the eye-lids an heart of heavinesse sorrow saying in the morning would God it were evening in the evening would it were morning Read Deut. 29. that roll of curses what anguish of heart fears perplexities the Lord threatens to send upon such as applauded themselves in their rotten peace and the stubbornenesse of their unbeleefe Surely we may thinke then it s juster to smite them that have abused his Gospell with spirituall penalties making a scourge of their owne cords And yet all this will not serve to drive men out of their prophanenesse and dallying with the word still they will cavill against faith and say Tush these men of the Spirit would have all men like to themselves but we cannot bee so heavenly our time is not yet come when God will it shall be and till then t is but folly for us to struggle we will doe what lies in us and put our helping hand to Gods and then hope the best Others tell the Minister they thinke it is impossible for any to know themselves happy in this life or if it be not yet it is very difficult or very unlikely Oh say they we cannot forgoe such a lust or ill custome and this faith will bereave us of all our sweet pleasures and liberties we shall never have done with it if we once beginne others come by it easilyer then we we are dull schollers poore men must doe as they may and cannot follow this learning so hard our businesse and worke hinder us and our memories are shallow we see these beleevers are as little set by among men as any a thousand of these base cavills men have But remember that these vanities will make you forsake your mercy at last Jonah 2.8 and then he that will bring you but once word to rest upon in your horrors should be as one of a thousand but then it will be too late Esay 27.11 then terrible sentences will come into your thoughts That he who made them will not save them and he who formed them will shew them no mercy And then shall that bee verefied Acts 13.40 Behold ye despisers wonder and vanish I worke a worke in your dayes which if one tell you of you will not beleeve you that wilfully stopt your eares against Gods word before shall now wish you could see the truth and beleeve it but if you would give a world for it it shall be denyed you If there bee any sparke of sense in you let this move you else you shall then catch at a word of God to comfort you but none shall be granted you So much for this first Use A second Use is Instruction to teach us the most pretious and excellent Vse 2 nature and prerogative of faith For the nature of it Instruction 1. Branch The nature of Faith is most pretious 1 Pet. 1.8 wee see this only and no other grace is allotted the soule for this end to fasten and take hold upon the Word and Promise As the Word is the only thing which beares witnesse unto us of good and his way to heaven for we see nothing as Peter speakes yet beleeve so the onely gift to cast the soule upon this word is faith And therefore it is the off-spring of God that grace which hath the birthright of all the rest and is the Reuben and strength of God such a one as if the Lord would even study how to dwell with us and in us Prov. 8.31 as wisdome saith in the Proverbs She delights to inhabit with men yea how to make us partakers of the divine nature and restore his Image in us he could not doe it by any other so excellent a grace as by this of faith Therefore Esay 57. it s called the creation of God 2 Pet. 1.2 3. I create the fruit of the lips peace if the daughter peace then much more the mother Faith its that grace which onely can say as Iob did Job 23.12 I have esteemed the words of his mouth it counts one word or promise of God as a deed done for faith is when that is done which is spoken it gives a realnesse and being to the word and promise and as you see a mould presently fashions the mettall according to it self just like it and as the seale printing upon the soft wax leaves that impression upon it which it beares it selfe even so it is with faith it fashions it selfe according to the mould of the word and beares the same stampe upon it which the seale of the word bare looke upon the one and behold the other Nay it s the instrument of the Spirit without which it workes not As Samuel said to Ishai of David send for him for wee can doe nothing till he come So till faith come into the soule to bee the organ of the Spirit to worke in us by it alas the Spirit is a stranger to our soules It s that coale from the Altar wherewith the Lord touches and inspires the soule the soule is the life of the body and faith is the soule and life of the soule causing it so much to excell it selfe as an Angel doth a man Briefly the word is a dead letter to us if faith make it not a powerfull word a word of life in us It s that which causeth out of the belly of the soule even as water from a spring to flow rivers of waters of eternall life John 7.38 even of peace through pardon and of joy unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 2 Pet. 1.2.3 By it as Peter saith Most great and pretious promises are given to us so that if that hand that taketh rich gifts be a pretious hand then surely so is faith which only receives the gift of Christ and all he hath and hoardeth them in the soule That Christ Eph. 3.14 may dwell in your heart by faith That you may comprehend all love even the length depth and all dimensions thereof as flesh here is able to doe as all Saints doe saith the Apostle No other grace is ordained to this end save this It was the instrument of receiving Christ into the wombe of the Virgin by which all generations should call her blessed and so it is still the same spiritually Luke 1.38 ver 48. Prov. 31.29 and therefore may say as Mary did The Almighty hath magnified me above all my fellow graces Many daughters have done well but
thou hast excelled them all 2. Branch Prerogative of Faith And secondly the prerogative of faith is sutable to her nature for although many things are very pretious in nature as jewells which excell in lustre and brightnesse which yet equall not the price with any reall use Job 28.19 yet this pretious grace is as usefull also and therefore well might Salomon say and so Iob also She is more pretious then Rubies and the Topaz of Ethiopia shall not bee taken for her And that appeares by this that she is the doer of all in all in the soule both for light In sundry respects direction and strength First for light as the Sunne is first subject of naturall light in the world So is Faith in the supernaturall divine light in the soule And is to the whole man as our Saviour speakes of the eye if it be light then is the whole body light the hand Matth. 6.22 the foote the members are all light if the eye be cleare And as the Ephod or Urim were to the Priest so is faith to the soule even the oracle of it and conceives the deep things of God and reveals them to us to whom before they were hidden And if it be true as it s most true that we know no more in Gods matters then wee beleeve then surely faith is the key of all true and saving knowledge in the soule Then also she is the directresse of the soule As servants from the Master or Mistresse so doe all the graces of the Spirit receive direction from the gift of faith As in a ship each boy hath his taske some to row with oares in the boat others to climb the shreeds to pumpe to stop the leaks some to attend the steridge but all receive direction from the boatswaine he orders them and their works So Faith workes not every thing immediately in the frame of a Christian she hath abundance of workemen and as the Centurion said to his so Faith saith to hers Doe this suffer this conquer this come goe and they all obey If a crosse come goe Patience endure it If a blessing come Sobriety use it temperately as if thou didst not use it If any duty of mercy to soule or body to be done Charity and Liberality must doe them If any hard taske then Wisedome Diligence or Selfe-deniall must step forth and to these Faith gives their charge and orders their worke Thirdly she is the strength of all other graces of the Spirit As all sinewes are from the braine all Arteries from the heart all veines from the liver thence they derive their originall and all that activity which they exercise in the body So 1 Joh. 3.9 all the graces of the Spirit fetch their being and support from Faith Shee is the seed of God in the Soule and she is the strength of God also His seed because whatsoever divinenesse is in the gift of patience long-suffering thankfulnesse mercy love hope of salvation it comes from the fountaine of Faith She is the Merchant Royall all other Chapmen have their wares from her Store-house Then she is the strength also of God in all graces Whatsoever thou seest excellent in a Christians frame or graces if thou hadst an eye to see thou shouldst behold them all in one faith out of whole Forge and Anvill they are all formed For why Faith taking hold of Gods maine strength to save carries away all his strength to obey if God will save me surely hee deserves my love my patience and surely hee and his love will put mee forth and uphold me in doing for him in curbing my passions in mortifying my Giant-like corruptions the great sonnes of Anak those Emims and Zanzummims 2 Cor. 5.8 Esay 26.12 which are above all the rest in fiercenesse and strength So that now mark this Doctrine of Faith casting the Soule upon the Word and Promise for pardon and life argues the most excellent nature and prerogative of faith above all other It is evident by this whatsoever the Lord workes in man he workes by the Word and the Spirit and whatsoever these two act in the soule they act it by faith as their onely instrument so that Faith is the onely Intelligencer to the Soule from the Spirit and from Heaven and that grace which is maintained as agent for God in the soul No other gift is so As hee saith of the ship that there are in it many who do needfull works but the Pilot doth all in all he doth not so sordid works as they but he doth greater and better for he sits at the sterne and guides the course of the Ship into the Haven the other are but subordinate but shee is principall so I may say of Faith and other graces all of them conferre to the well-being of a Christian but faith to the being The Ship boyes stop leakes and row with Oares but they doe not the great worke of guiding the Ship by Card and Compasse till she come at land So all that which any grace of the Spirit doth that faith doth But faith doth somewhat which they doe not nor can doe Nay faith is faine to cover all the defects of other graces to save them harmlesse and to beare their chin above water from sinking As we see that the Shield is not onely armour to fence the body Ephes 6.16 but also to fence off blowes and affronts from all the armour it selfe so that the dint come not at the head-peece or corslet or the rest Onely faith brings the Lord Jesus into the soule to doe all her workes in her and for her and when all is done to pardon the wants and to cleanse away the spots thereof by cloathing her with that robe under which God seeth no deformity to impute or punish it To conclude I say brethren that I presse this purposely that as I have spoken much of those things in this Book which tend to faith so I would perswade you to thinke no paines too great to bestow in the getting thereof because this grace being once gotten to cast the soule upon the Word and Promise yea God himselfe in Christ By this meane she hath all because she encloseth him who is all in all in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdome who is the fulnesse of God in whom we are complete And so much may serve for this use Vse 2 Another use of instruction may be to give us some further light into the substance of this grace of faith Of Instruction Faith hath two parts 1. Self denial by shewing you of what ingredients the receit is made or of what parcels it consists And they are two The former deniall of our selves The latter resigning up of the soule to Gods Word For to cast the soule upon the promise implies both these Selfe-deniall then first is one parcell of this grace For why It is impossible that the soule should cast it selfe upon a Word
in generall And it s no other save the bad Selfe of good Selfe an ill quality cleaving to a good subject In this sense it is upon point no other then old Adam the depravednesse and disorder of the appetite before spoken of As the wildenesse of an horse or his lamenesse are accidentall to his good metall and good pace even so that faculty whereby I naturally seeke mine owne welfare and safety is good But the disorder thereof whereby I seeke my selfe corruptly and impiously is accidentall thereto and separable from it by grace In Scripture this is called flesh lust and sometime by a metonymie of the subject for the adjunct Selfe to shew the inwardnesse and rooted familiarity of corruption to nature So Iob 42. I abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes So Paul 2 Cor. 12. Of myselfe I will not boast And if I preach my selfe that is my corrupt selfe Adam was so created that God was his appetite the desire of his soule was to him onely as the chiefe good and his owne happinesse further or elsewhere he sought not Him he trusted to honoured obeyed and embraced with his whole man But after he had deserted God he justly was deserted of him to seeke after an imaginary happinesse falling downe by the penalty of Selfe to a denied apple and thereby given over to the creature to grope therein after a welfare ever coveted never obtained Still the subject nature remained to seek himself but that directive of minde and freedome of pure will that kept him before now being gone he was changed into a corrupt Self-seeking and Selfe-love As it fares with him that strives to behold the bright body of the Sun but by reason of weak eies cannot dazles and flags downeward and thinkes he sees three Sunnes for one but in truth sees none So the soule sunke down from God by wilfull desertion and not being able any longer to behold the excellency that is in him falls downe and adores a false Trinity the lust of the heart the lust of the eye and the pride of life the vaine cursed creature that hath nothing in it equalling the soule instead of God Selfe then in this sense is nothing else save corruption and originall sinne Contrary to this Selfe is Selfe-deniall in a good sense which to speake properly is nothing else save Regeneration whereby the soule generally denies corrupt Selfe in her frame and streame bending a contrary way forsaking the creature and returning to God Esay 55.8 her first happinesse and making him really that unto her which corrupt Selfe erroneously was That is herselfe and herselfe his to seeke his ends and felicitie therein renouncing her owne In this sense Divines speake and write when they treat about the state of Vnregeneracy or Apostacy from God and to this head referre all those markes signes and degrees whereby Selfe may be discovered Also to this referre all that is usually discoursed touching conversion of the soule to God and turning herselfe Acts 26.18 from her vaine Idolls and darkenesse to the living God All is no other in a word save setting the soul streight to her first object renouncing the Selfe and obliquity thereof when fleshly wisdome of the minde and carnall favour of the heart is turned to the wisdome of God to salvation and the savouring of it freely and sweetly then is this great cure wrought This of the second Branch 3 But all this while I have spoken of corrupt Self generally considered and apart Selfe in the remedy But herein yet appeares not her own venom while she is let alone she is still and quiet as a snake in her hole being no whit lesse herselfe I grant but yet not apearing in her right colours 1. In the Law Selfe in the remedy is the true corrupt Selfe when God sends her in a light to discover all her filth to convince to tame her and fetch her home then she shewes the metall she is made of and then it appeares it was hell fire that kindled this heat in her and bred this monster of privation and enmity to God Marke well what I say all you that thinke originall sinne a bug-beare when the Law came fire revived it was dead before lust was unknowne till the Law said Thou shalt not lust But as the Toad being prickt spits poison So Selfe encountred with a Law proves out of measure sinfull and rebelliously dashes herself against it as a pitcher against a stone wall to this kinde referre all that rebellion of Selfe against the word of conviction and that sly-selfe which chuses to scrue herselfe into the deepest bondage and horror that may be rather then shee will come to the bent of Gods bow that is lose her life and proud spirit upon the pikes of wrath which is the onely way which God hath appointed to wit when she is wholy broken in peeces upon this wheele and come to an utter strait then to shew her a doore of hope of this it shall be sufficient to speake but a word since I have largely treated of it in her due place But legall Selfe is not the deepest poison of Selfe But especially in the Gospel The worke of the Law is but a remote remedy The Gospell is that neare object which above all other discovers Selfe in her kinde The closer the Gospell and Christ come to the soule the more opposite is Selfe and as Faith is the most eminently spirituall grace above all graces so is Selfe the deepest deadliest enemy to it of all other yea to whatsoever savours of it any promise any offer of mercy any work of Christ in the soule any preparation making that way Selfe was jealous of the Law lest she be dispossessed But infinitely more jealous of Christ lest he take new possession It s the most uncouth desolate object unto her to thinke of giving up herself to Christ and leaving her old hold that can be imagined Hence come those infinite many and subtill and desperate feares doubts impossibilities difficulties objections against the promise in the rebellious those invincible snares of ill conscience accustomed to sin that so great a sinner so unworthy a wretch should ever speed of favour from so potent a God so just and terrible a Judge And hence is it also that not onely Selfe is so obstinate in the wicked But when a soule is got under a condition of mercy yet then Selfe wraps such a world of exceptions against her owne particular beleeving Hence also it is that rather then she will be cast out shee will put herselfe upon the promise oftimes with self-presumption resting in her false hopes duties performances affections preparations and the like but all to deceive herselfe and by seeming self-deniall to twine as the Ivy about the oake for her owne ends that by mixing herselfe with Christ she might still grow from her owne roote and rest in her bottome that so not Christ but Selfe might be all in all contrary to
with such a hideous outside of apparrel camels haire course diet Luke 3. and also with the extraordinary spirit of Elia save that the people being taken at first by his guise and habit might be wrought upon the more easily by his Ministry preparing and levelling their rough and high spirits for their Lord Jesus And what other use had all those miracles wherewith the doctrine of Christ and all the preaching of the Apostles were accompanied save this that by and with them as by Tunnels the influence power and authority of truth might enter and prevaile with the mindes and consciences of the hearers ere they were aware That they being amazed and convinced by the greatnesse of those signes and effects which attended and followed the word might have no power nor spirit left in them to contradict him that spake thereby but yeeld and beleeve the truth for the workes sake The miracles themselves the healing of a leper the restoring of the lame the raising up of the dead the healing of the sicke the doing of the workes and benefiting of the persons was not the issue and intent of the worker but that the glory of that God the grace of that spirit which wrought such wonders might soke and sinke into the soules of men before and upon whose eies and persons those miracles were discovered That by this meane conversion from Idols and sinfull courses unto the living God might be effected through faith in the promise Witnesse that story of the woman of Samaria in the fourth of S. Iohn To whom the Lord Jesus did so expresse himselfe as to declare all the secrets of her heart to convince her of all the villanies that ever she had committed in all her seven husbands time and why Surely that she having her loade of heart within her might go into the City tell it her kindred and acquaintance draw them to Christ himselfe as being astonisht at his excellency and being once within his compasse might be easily pulled by his doctrine to a further pitch of grace and say Now we beleeve not because of the wordes which thou hast spoken but because we have heard him speake himselfe This should teach us a wide difference between Gods word and the writings and stories of Heathens Vse of instruct who to get themselves a name among men and to sute the eloquence of their stile either Greeke or Latine Poets and Historians have stuffed their writings with abundance of rarities and wonders for the procuring admiration of men and appetite of Readers Branch 1 curious of Novelties But alas their relations being justly suspitious Heathen stories unlike the Scripture and for the most part fabulous and vaine savoring of mans base spirit and lying invention doe as much dishonour their fidelity as they magnifie their language and skill in contriving they doe but Ape the Scriptures and steale away the minds of Students who although they may lawfully further themselves by the tongue and phrase yet ought to take heed how they bee taken too farre with them as some profane wits have beene who have not stuck to scorne some writers of Scripture in comparison of this or that Heathen writers No give all their due but reserve that preeminence of worth to the Scriptures which they deserve being as much beyond the most exact writer of Story for their Antiquity purity Majesty and authority as the Sunne is above the poorest starre in the firmament Branch 2 And secondly this observation might leave much instruction with us if we were willing to embrace it And first it might set a glasse before our eyes to behold in our nature that wofull insensiblenesse and unperceiving of holy things Rom. 8.6.7 The carnall man saith Saint Paul conceiveth not the things of God neither yet can do they are spiritually discerned by the power of another principle I say not that this course of miracles or wonderfull effects is able to overcome this stupor of our understanding no there must be a further progresse of the spirit of grace to effect that yet this externall and remote preparative may be enough to convince us what a spirit of old Adam dwels in us and what a curse lyes upon our nature for the resisting of that light of truth which was put into us in our creation And that is the losse not only of actuall light but even of disposition to apprehend the truths which are offred us for the cure of our disease Our faculty to understand is still left in us so that we are not meere blockes and beetles But in matters of God so originally are we blunted and dulled in our spirits and sences so disabled and so disguized so deeply also implunged into a life of sence and sottish sensuality that the mysteries of God are quite above us As the nature of sensible creatures in kind exceeds the vegetable and the reasonable goes beyond them so that each of them wants a faculty to reach the others object so doth the mystery of God of Christ of grace exceed the understanding of a meere reasonable creature I shall meete with a better ground of opening this point after here only let this suffice to abase us and hold us downe before God as degenerate and miserable creatures in respect of this our incapablenesse of holy things Jewes strangely insensible of Gods miracles We can cry out of the Jewes whom the Scriptures were written unto for that they were so dull and slow of heart to conceive the matters of God his workes and wayes when as yet they were beaten into every sence as it were with hammers of extraordinary and divine Prophecies Visions miracles and waies of revealing Oh! say men doubtlesse had we seene the standing up of the sea on both sides dry in the midst the returne of the waters upon the Egyptians the gushing forth of water from a Rock and the bringing in of such a number of quailes how would we have acknowledged the power and Majesty of God Had we seene the Law given by Angels with terrors and fire had we beheld with our eyes the person of Iohn a miracle without miracles and the wonders which Christ and the Apostles added to their Sermons how would we have beene ravished with them and beleeved I answer so should they have done indeed and you if you had beene in their places But alas as they did so should you have done without more grace and that appeares by this that now being under far greater convictions and a way of God as far exceeding the power of those outward signes as heaven exceeds earth yet you are as farre from conceiving and beleeving as they Thirdly it should scare and terrifie all of us who now injoy the body Vse 2 of Scripture compleate Humiliation together with all the helpes of those divine ordinances which are bestowed upon the Church of Christ both publicke and private for that notwithstanding all these the most people still remaine
unperswaded or halfe perswaded of the truth Hebâ— 2.2.3.4 Saint Paul to the Hebrewes Cap. 2. tells us if they who despised Moses Law upon two or three witnesses were condemned what shall become of them who despise so great salvation who still distrust that truth of God which was first spoken by the Lord of heaven and earth comming in the flesh Miracles serve to convince the soule of the truth sealed thereby afterward confirmed by such as heard him by miracles and the power of the word in those who were converted So may I say here this very text of Naaman shall stand up and convince all that maintaine selfe and selfe-love carnall and corrupt reason against the truth and power of the promise yea this miracle whereby the word was strengthned with all those miracles by which any truth of Christ hath since been justified shall rise up and convince all unbeleevers I meane such as live under meanes in that day For why Though they saw none of these miracles yet hearing the word beholding the seales receiving them into all our sences I say such a word as hath beene ratified by all the wonders of the Old and New Testament serving to beare down a base heart of unbeliefe about the truth power love al-sufficiency of God if they beleeve not by all these they shall be condemned justly by that authority which they have despised yea the very frame of the Scriptures and the expressions of so many strange and admirable passages serving to raise up a base and crawling spirit to heaven if we shall be found unbeleevers in that great day of Christ shall be brought forth as a witnesse against us for our horrible insensiblenesse and stupor of minde and heart Unbeleefe of Scripture and Truth of God after so many miracles very damnable For by these the Lord hath as it were striven to engraven in our spirits as with the pen of a Diamond the truthes of God and mystery of Christ If then our soules shall be found so hard and flinty that this point hath not pierced them if wee be still unconvinced and this instrument of gold hath no more left impression upon us then if a straw or rotten sticke had beene used to write in our tables of stone oh how fearefull shall our condemnation be If any man shall step in here and demand Quest Miracles how far ceased hard to say hath God so sufficiently confirmed his truth by miracles that there shall neede no more I answer I know its the opinion of many that they are wholly ceased and that because the use of them is ceased Answ For that spirit which attends the Ministry of the word carries a conviction of the truth into the mind according to all that is in the truth Now if it be so then that spirit perswades the soule of all the truth aswell in respect of the confirmation of it by miracles as otherwise but as I stagger much about this opinion so yet I am loth to affirme that the Church hath any warrant under faith to looke for the gift of miracles to be assuredly vouchsafed her although the ends thereof may seeme very weighty Who can or dare deny but that the calling of those Americans to the knowledge of the truth may seeme a weighty occasion to expect from God the gift of miracles partly by reason of their language almost impossible to be attained except by either a miraculous or at least a marveilous gift partly because there be poore inducements to draw such imperswasible and brutish spirits to cast so much as their eyes upon any meanes to induce them to beleeve In both which respects I dare not deny but that as Satan by lying wonders prevailes much with such as perish so the Lord may vouchsafe this spirit of miracles to his Church when his time is come to effect the conversion of such Only I adde that when his time is come he will grant his Church an instinct of spirit to aske it and joyne seriously in the meanes to attaine it which else he will not incline them unto his time not being come For wee must weigh the ends of our travell into remote parts whither for our owne ends or for publique If our owne respects be chiefe we have no cause to looke for miracles But I chuse rather to leave the thing in Gods dispose Vse 4 Lastly let it exhort us both generally and specially first to sue earnestly to the Lord Jesus our Prophet Exhortation the Word of the Father and the first inditer of all Scripture Spirit of acknowledgement of God in his word is to be sought by prayer the contriver of all the passages thereof the worker of all wonders and the Author of all grace and wisedome that he would vouchsafe us the spirit of revelation and acknowledgement of him as Saint Paul speakes Ephes 1.18 That we being enlightned in our mindes may conceive aright of the true scope and intent of the Spirit in the Scriptures Branch 1. generall and that he would intimate our hearts with the purpose thereof which is that our soules might be captivated under the power and authority of the speaker That we rest not in the outside of miracles wonders parables similitudes which we heare or read but considering their aime be carried downe the streame of the thing spoken yea the power To rest in the barke of the word or of miracles Parables Similitudes is dangerous soveraignty and faithfulnesse of the speaker Not only thereby conceiving more cleerely in our mindes of the Lord his Attributes and the truths revealed but much more ravished in our affections towards him for the good things whereof we have tasted Many chuse patheticall texts histories and accidents actions and speeches of speciall note to read and please themselves in some delight to read of the building of the Temple others of the passion of Christ others other parcells of Scripture to provoke admiration and discourse even as they might read any other booke of tales and wonders some also read texts of devotion and holinesse as the Psalmes or wise sentences as the Proverbs with a morrall spirit and scope only but never muse of the severall ends of such places nor the spirit of grace therein save onely to amuse their mindes and stirre up pangs of affection But by these to come neerer to know their owne base hearts or to close with the examples of such grace to feare the judgements of God the more deepely to beleeve the promises better to subject themselves more to the commands of God and in all to see his foote-steps and to adore the speaker few attaine it Therefore let us read these texts with prayer to God for sence and savor of their meaning and scope that we may attaine the spiritualnesse of them Else we shall answer heavily to God for making the solemne and reverend truths of God an occasion to nourish and maintaine that corrupt disposition
they will ground themselves upon the wisedome of flesh and the preaching of such as seeke with curious and quaint oratory and the deceitfulnesse of man to entangle the minde or else they care not whether they heare any or no. But oh ye wise worldings know ye that God doth usually the greatest things by meanest instruments know ye not that flesh loves it selfe and that there is small hope of doing any great things by fleshly meanes should then flesh glory in her selfe and take away the glory from God by an unsanctified and unsavoury boasting of it owne strength Surely looke to it they who build their faith on man must rush their soules to destruction of necessitie And the wisedome of God hath chosen the foolishnesse of preaching to save them that beleeve If ever yee looke for this be wise intime and become fools that ye may be truly wise to salvation 1 Cor. 1.1.27 Of which I shall speake more fully in the next use Vse 5 Lastly therefore let it be use of examination to all sorts to try themselves about this issue Examin what great things God hath wrought in them by the poore and silly meanes of his Ordinances Try whether the Lord hath by them translated you from the kingdome of Satan and darknesse to the kingdome of his deare Sonne rid you out of the thraldome of your lusts and Idols to serve the living God Thinke not that the kingdome of Christ stands in a few trickes of wit or entising words of a frothy Mounteebankes tongue thinke not that fine sentences or strong lines or a jangling wit priding it selfe in a vaine-glorious Preacher will goe for pay when Christ shall come to judge Trials and markes of our fleshly wisedome subdued Luke 18.8 The great worke which hee will look for will be faith unfained a broken spirit love out of a pure heart a new creature Therefore take some markes hereof and try your selves First the Lord by poore meanes will cast downe that frame of carnall Triall 1 wisedome in you be it never so strongly setled and convince yee of your folly in that you should ever so besot your owne selves as to thinke that the way to heaven should lye in such a course as you have walked in Oh! shall you say if ever I goe to heaven God must turne a new leafe with mee flesh and bloud a curious humorous conceit will never inherit the kingdome of God The Lord I say will discover to your eye such an excellencie in his Ordinances even when they seeme weakest to your fancie that you shall fall downe and say The Lord is in you of a truth The scales of your carnall eye shall fall off Acts 9. Revel 3. Psal 119. and you shall bee annointed with eye salve to behold wonders in those poore instruments and ordinances which you have so long despised The old judgement of error and this foolish world shall be taken away and a new Spirit of discerning shall be given you to looke off from the base out-side of man of preaching of Sacraments and you shall see a divine power and majestie therein The Asse shall not seeme so base as the rider seemes glorious and you shall strew your clothes and bowes of trees in the way of Christ crying Hosanna and magnifying God that by such poore pipes and channels conveyes so great things to men Ask your selves did you ever perceive such a worke wrought in you If not you still abide in the gall of bitternesse and are pur-blinde seeing nothing a far off Secondly the Lord will make you so farre from your disdaine that he Triall 2 will make you crouch and be glad of the silliest Minister of God in all the countrey as those Acts 2. Acts 2.37 who came trembling about those same Apostles whom in the former Chapter they had flouted and mocked as drunken with new wine and said Men and brethren what shall wee doe to be saved So shall you doe such as you have jeered for zealous men of the Spirit you shall now be glad to bee admitted to aske them what course you may take to escape hell and surely try your selves in this point if still your disesteeme of Gods Ministers continue in you you are none of those in whom GOD hath wrought any great worke in Thirdly the Lord shall correct that corrupt selfe-love and partialitie in Triall 3 you whereby the affectation of some odde Minister whom you humored covered and darkened the graces gifts of God in others lesse reputed of by you Oh! now shall the Lord purge out your private judgment and put a publicke spirit of communion of Saints into you Alas you shall see all the Ministers of Christ one as well as another to bee the mutuall aiders of your faith and furtherers of your joy given by God not for this or that man but for the good of the whole body And accordingly you shall prize them even for the graces of God in them and for the use which they serve even the worke of the Ministerie 1 Cor. 3. Ephes 4. and the edifying of the Church in love Partialitie and private ends of your own shall stinke unto as knowing that if God convert you to himselfe hee makes you members of the body which beares you up not you it Not the meannesse of the vessell shall now offend you but the rich treasure in it shall ravish you now if your souls may be saved all other respects shall vanish 4 Triall Fourthly God will teach us to deny our selves in that base ease and sloth of our spirits which satisfies us in having in hearing a Minister and the sound of his words which contents us in that wee enjoy Sabbaths Sermons and Sacraments by course in a rolling succession without observing the power and savour which any of them leave in us This commonnesse and taking all for granted upon a custome blindes us even as a cloath hung before our eye hinders the action thereof and puts it out by degrees This ordinarie accustoming of our selves to that which is obvious casts a veile over our hearts so that we never come within the holinesse of the ordinances neither mark any great worke done by them either in our selves or others And by this meanes wee are hardned by them rather then wrought upon either by humbling quickning or renewing How hath the Lord then wrought in us have we after a long sleepy and drowsie hearing and receiving at last been pulld by the eare and jogged by the Spirit to stand up and be awakened to see the wonders hidden under the veile of humane infirmitie and the povertie of the Ordinances Doe we wax wearie of formall remembring of a few sentences or commending the Preacher talking of what we heard and doe our hearts begin to burne within us when the Word is opened through the evidence of that Spirit which speakes in the Word Luke 24. Doe we feel the weight of truth uttered
is a better comming in place when all is done say of thy selfe as Luther of those devotions I count my selfe no nearer heaven by them then if I had plaied the Publican all this while nay in some regard further off The Divell else will cut thy veines in this warme water and cause thee to perish insensibly Consider that to have this selfe of thine may seeme somewhat But to cast all this off and be naked and nothing can onely prepare thee for that fulnesse and sufficiency of Christ which can onely save thee Which grace the Lord grant thee Thus for a more cleare handling of this argument I have digressed from the streame of my doctrine it is now high time to returne to it againe So much for this time Let us pray for a blessing c. THE FIFTH LECTVRE continued upon the eleventh Verse VERSE XI But Naaman was wroth and said Behold I thought thus in my selfe surely he will come forth and call upon the Lord his God and strike his hand upon the place and recover the leper VERSE 12. Are not Abana and Pharfar rivers of Damascus better c. HAving in the former Lecture beloved made way to settle this maine Doctrine of close Selfe upon her bottome Returne to the maine scope of the point of mixt selfe by severing from it some kindes of self more grosse and palpable I must now taking it for granted that you remember what I have said of it already proceed to the handling of the point And lest any should thinke there is no finer spunne selfe then that I have spoken of First I will mention some branches of this roote mixing themselves with the soule in her strife after faith and as the Ivy about the bow twining about the best endeavours of the poore soule to hold it off from the promise This being done I will prove the doctrine by Scripture and reasons Thirdly I will lay downe an answer to a question for the opening of the dangerous nature of this enemy And lastly come to some use of the doctrine First of the first First then that you may perceive brethren what manner of thing this mixt selfe is Mixt selfe wherein it discovers it selfe I will name some of the chiefe instances wherein this disease discovers her selfe The which I mention without any curious order and leave them to the godly wise to consider of every one to single out his owne annoyance The first is selfe error 1. Error imagining that the Lord in his promise and offer of Christ doth not so offer him as therewithall conveying power and efficacy of perswading and inabling the soule to accept and beleeve it of it owne power thereby creating in the soule the fruit of lips Esay 57. Jam. 1.16 but rather upon some condition of our owne strength mixed with the Lords goodnesse to concur of our selves with the promise Secondly selfe-conceit 2. Self-conceit such as Naamans here was fancying a way of our owne speedier and quicker then we have warrant for to wit that if once the soule bee under a condition and prepared for Christ by sorrow desire and diligence the worke of beleeving is as present as the grinding of the corne when the upper milstone runnes upon the nether whereas faith is the stampe of the spirit which bloweth when it listeth 3. Self-preparins at his pleasure Thirdly selfe-preparations that is a taking up of a rest in the soule that if she can but attaine to these she need goe no further for these can be wrought in no other then in such as shall be saved whereas first the question is whether they be truly wrought or from selfe-love and although they proceed from the promise yet happinesse consists not in them but in the omnipotent power of God carrying the soule by them into the streame of the satisfaction of Christ the onely blood whereof is sufficient to save it by faith 4. Selfe-bondage Fourthly selfe-bondage which is when the soule is so extreamly oppressed with the reliques or returnes of slavish feare through corruption and guilt too deeply apprehended that it is dazeled and held under from beholding the free and cleare truth of the promise to set her at liberty yea if melancholy and frowardnesse of will be added hereto mixed with the ill custome to conceive so deepe enmity in God against the sinfull creature that she will hold her owne peevishly against all the light of the word or counsell and perswasion to the contrary viz. that God the offended judge is the first mover in this frame of conversion and hath cut off his plea willingly and intended the way of reconciliation himselfe The fifth is selfe-love 5. Selfe-love when the soule so lookes at the promise as an object of immediate good to herselfe and for her owne ends and welfare not subordaining her owne salvation to the glory of God and the declaration of the depth of his wisdome 1 Thes 1. and the riches of his grace that he may be admired in them that beleeve 6. Sloth The Sixt is selfe-sloth when the soule hath a wambling and fulsome aime at the promise not indeed seriously and sadly digesting the ground of Gods so free offering the inestimable jewell of Christ to her for pardon and peace called in Scripture the strength of God Esay 27.5 I meane the full appeasing of his justice by the paiment of a price nor yet with how faithfull an heart full and free grace he offereth but loosely forgetting that all is yea and amen in Christ and looking at the promise as at a thing naked and unfurnished hath a strong consolation and refuge Heb. 7. Heb. 6. penult The Seventh is selfe-treachery and doubtfulnesse whereby the soule having the generall offer of God to all under the condition 7. Treachery yet because she is not named in the word therefore doubts that in speciall she is not intended in the offer and so growes to thinke that she may separate the things which God hath joyned whereas she should rest in this That the Lord debarres no soule from grace which debarres not herselfe Esay 55.1 saying Ho every one that thirsteth come c. and the particular is included in the generall and if every poore soule should thus goe betweene barke and tree and cavill who should ever come to beleeve Eightly 8. Infidelity selfe-infidelity which is a deadly dart of Satan piercing the heart even when the fruit is comming to the birth tempting thus why art thou so bent to cleave to the word How knowest thou whether it be Gods word or no If it be how canst thou prove it If not whereupon dost thou build thy great confidence And this dart often so prevailes that all the former witnesse of the spirit touching the truth of God by many evidences seemes to be lost Ninthly selfe-cavilling 9. Cavilling when the heart is set upon excepting against the promise either from her
owne unworthinesse or Gods long delaies which provoke the heart to wearinesse or comparing of the forwardnesse of others with her backwardnesse or else that God meanes not as he speakes but the contrary even to cast her off with some marke of vengeance sometimes rushing upon the rock of election as if all labour were lost because she is not predestinated to salvation as if we were to get to the highest step of the ladder before we have ascended by the lower sometime descanting about the way of revealing why it should bee onely by the word and spirit and not by sensible waies of expression by voice from heaven or extraordinary convincements and so in sundry other respects 10. Selfe-feare 10. Feare that the work of faith will be so hard and tedious that it will never be compassed by so weake and fraile a creature as she is so ignorant forgetfull corrupt and estranged from God the present sense of these and other corruption dazeling the spirit and enfeebling the heart so that it growes to a falling sickenesse and is at a losse upon each occasion each Sermon it heares seems to speake dismall thinges unto it and it thinkes it were better wholly to give over hearing then heare yea and in a strong tech and pang dare not or will not continue to heare for feare it should bee worse and heape up wrath instead of mercy so that all which is said either in publique or private seemes to leake out Heb. 2.1 and sometime this feare commeth from unlikelyhood of ever forgoing all sin or holding out to the end Eleventhly selfe-staggering 11. Staggering when the soule is betweene the condition of the promise and the performance as for example if she be urged to beleeve because the condition is already wrought then she questions that whether it were ever wrought at least aright because alas her sorrow is little she hath never been so deeply tozed by the law nor so broken hearted full of affections and diligence as others on the other side when shee feeles the condition comfortably present then she staggers about the promise saying the condition is not the matter but the beleefe it self and that is above her power many come farre who never beleeve and faith is the gift of God and free and what if it should never bee wrought or shee should die and be past hope ere it be effected Thus Satan comes between cup and lip to defeate the soule of her due whereas if she were staied and settled upon the word and as 2 Ioh. 8. would not lose those good things which she hath gotten but hold a little closely till more come the worke would not be alway to beginne as the frame of a Carpenter when it is disordered as fast as hee laies it together Twelftly selfe-fullennesse and unthankefulnesse 12. Sullennesse which is in a contrary extremity to ease when the soule will not see or acknowledge what God hath done for her nor abase her selfe as meaner then the least mercy of God nor confesse that any step toward conversion is more then the Lord oweth her having her at an infinite advantage by her guilt and so chusing to spend her time in sullen complaints for the measures she wanteth then gracious meltings and praises for any thing she enjoyes whereas the Publican thought it mercy to tread on the earth to looke up to heaven and it is mercy that she is not in hell but under hope and Gods ordinances and patience This is the fruit of pride and doth set back the soul more from profiting then if she could stoop to be at Gods dispose Thirteenthly 13. Ease self-ease or dalliance when the soule through idlenesse hath lost her former diligence and earnestnesse and painfulnesse in using all meanes publique and private for the making of her calling and election sure waxes slacker in her esteeme and in her love and affections as thinking her selfe now past danger and so neglects the seasons intimations of the spirit plies not nor followeth the motions of the assisting and perfecting grace but le ts them wanze as if she could meet with them at her pleasure but by this meanes Satan circumvents afterward and stings her for this confidence and presumption because she is guilty of slighting such grace as she feels to be past her reach to recover and therefore justly suffers for her loosenesse and giddinesse 14. Dulnesse 14. Selfe-dulnesse and deadnesse of spirit in not marking and pondering digesting and applying the truthes we heare and so growing towards ripenesse Heb. 5.10 which sinne makes us not only non-proficients in the doctrine of Christ but also inferior to our selves and farre short of that we might be especially when this disease comes not from naturall disability and unavoidable weakenesse but from affected error as from an heart overmuch implodded in the earth and made heavy by sensuality and carnall ease Luke 21.37 Luke 21.37 15. Foolishnesse Againe Fifteenthly selfe-folly I may better call it selfe hatred when we are not so wise or forward to dispute for the truth and honour of God and his promise as we are to reason against it and our owne soules thereby making a worke not easie of it selfe to be more wearisome and tedious then it need to be whereas rather we should reason the matter seriously betweene God and our souls as in Ierem. 2. vers 9. the Lord biddes us to doe Jer. 2.9 and Esay 1.18 Esay 1.18 and laying the desperatenesse of our misery to the hope of his promise wee should rather wonder that all place of pleading should not be taken from us then cavill against a plaine naked word of God pinned upon our sleeves Those Ninivites when yet they had no cleare promise Jona 3.8 yet reasoned thus who can tell whether Gods fierce anger shall turne away or no They thought it their wisdome rather to catch at a word a farre off then to lie in present misery without hope But self-folly still delights to shut out it selfe by her disputes against God cowardly to shun a possible mercy that it might lie down in remedilesse sorrow This I say must needs be horrible fool-hardinesse rather to perish 16. Slinesse then venture upon a promise of ease and remedy The last of all is selfe subtilty or slinesse whereby the soule secretly withdrawing her selfe from the power of the promise which ought to work all her works for her both preparing and finishing and finding her owne affections of hope sorrow joy desire and the rest very ready to put forth themselves in the work of disposing the soul towards Gods grace and to mixe themselves wi h the word doth welcome and applaud her owne selfe and all her abilities and beginnes to compasse her selfe with her owne sparkles with her owne feelings and with the joyes which come from her owne welwishes to her selfe which having no roote of Christ and his spirit in them but of selfelove
honour one of another and seeke not the honour of God onely Secret selfe will so serve God that shee will foist in her owne ends credit praise and respect even while shee seemes to seeke Gods and so while shee should save her owne stake shee loseth Gods shee aimes not at him and the glory of his grace onely and therefore not at all So much for pâ—oofes Reasons of this doctrine are many and may bee drawne from many heads as first from the nature of this corrupt selfe Secondly from other Reason 1 mens courses 3. The practice of Satan Fourthly the justâ—ce of God From the nature of this selfe For the first we may consider the danger of mixt selfe from her owne corrupt quality both in respect of the first familiarity of it Secondly the generalnesse of it Thirdly the violence of it and Fourthly In 4 things the tenaciousnesse or continuance of it Touching the first bosome beloved 1. Familiarity or closenesse and inward corruptions doe most bleare the eie of discerning and pervert judgement because they goe in a streame least suspected A traitor who insinuates himselfe into a man so deeply as to comply and correspond with him in all his courses will deceive most dangerously So self runnes in the streame of nature and pleases it in every thing it is as a bribe in the hand prevailing wheresoever it goeth Prov. 17.8 As that naturall agreement and well pleasingnesse of Delila to the humor of Sampson forestalled all which was spoken against her so that he laid it not to heart but went forward so selfe hath a bewitching nature and will suffer no objection to prevaile For why All seemes to be as it should be the flesh is so tickled and inchanted with selfe-ease selfe-conceit selfe-duties and the like they do so delude the heart with an opinion that all is as it should bee that it detaines it in error habitually yea it can so incorporate it selfe into all the best religious duties that shee will very hardly be distinguished one would thinke the annointed of the Lord were before him that of the Apostle expresses it well it doth easily beset us Heb. 12.1 as a man whose loines are compassed about with a close girdle is as he would be If any doubt or scruple arise in the minde about a mans estate by and by selfe rocking the cradle stills the whimpering child and all is quiet and as it should be It s like a bad Courtier which watcheth as a cat the mouse that none whisper one wry word in the Princes eare or if he doe yet he is close at the elbow and suffers nothing to enter Secondly the Generalnesse Selfe is not as particular lusts as adultry 2. The generalnesse lying murder covetousnesse or the like but selfe is all corruption in one the very spirit and roote of bitternesse Heb. 12.15 which giveth joice and nourishment to all branches It s the Idoll of all speciall lusts to which all do homage and service it s the body of all those members I may rather call it the soule of all in which they live All their springs are in selfe now then if this be so generall and so overspreading an evill what wonder if the deceit thereof bee as generall and dangerous what may not the Prince doe and yet no man open his tongue against him what may not a Pope doe though he draw innumerable souls with him into perdition who may say what dost thou Such a Lord and Pope is Selfe and more universall Thirdly the violence of it Selfe is neer it selfe alway 3. The violence and desires such objects as are profitable but much more when the object promises a great contentment and advantage faith and grace and holy duties are subjects promising great reward even immortality Rom. 1. when therefore these are propounded to the soule though upon farre other tearmes yet how forward and eager is corrupt selfe to act her part and how doth she boast that she can put forth her selfe in so high matters what is so selfe putting forth as an handmaid affecting the place of her mistresse who can beare her insolency what is so negotious and eagerly busie as an usurping Absalon acting the part of an unlawfull Prince over subjects Prov. 30.23 2 Sam. 15.2 Such is selfe never so stirring and like her selfe as in Gods matters which promise the greatest gaine and good to selfe and what wonder then if so stirring and violent a thing doe deceive a man and hold him in an opinion of welfare 1 Kings 9. Acts 9. Iehu in his heat of selfe-zeale being warme in his geare Ananias and Saphira being in the heat of their great charity had no leasure to discerne that subtilty and self-ends which prevailed over their outward performances the one of murthering Ahabs posterity for a Crown for so it was the other the robbing of the Church for the saving of some mony 4. Tenaciousnesse Fourthly and lastly the Tenaciousnesse of selfe I meane when she is put hard to it rather then she will shrinke in her horns and lose all her labour she will hold close to her own tacklings and devour a great deale of difficulty For a mans desire he will seperate himselfe saith Salomon that is deny himselfe and go farre Prov. 18 1. 1 King 15.27 1 King 18.28 if need requires It was easie for Baasha to kill Ieroboam when it went in the streame of his owne ambition But not easie for Baals Priests when the case so required to wound and launce themselves or now for Papists to whip and mortifie their flesh or for those in Micha 6. Mica 6. to offer the Lord the first fruit of their bodies for the sin of their soules rivers of oyle and wine yet what will not selfe stand to within her possibility rather then resigne up her right Sleidan reports of a souldier cast out of the top of a castle among others appointed to be so slaine a marveilous height from the earth who yet by miraculous providence catching hold on the shrags of a mulbery tree saved his life Such a thing is this selfe rather then perish she will catch hold upon any thing be it never so above her in shew not onely hard duties but even sufferings and herein seene to amate and equall even true selfedeniall till shee be tried What wonder then in such achievements if she delude the soule dangerously and maintaine a false principle to overthrow it To forgoe a mans lusts so farre as that the uncleane spirit seems to be gone out of a man to suffer persecution as Alexander did with Paul Eph. 20. a terrible example for such a timeserver Luke 11. Acts 20. 2 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 4.14 to deny a mans credit ease health honour ends and life for profession sake is a signe of some holding out and yet selfe cannot hold out ever Thus much for the first Reason drawne from the
nature of this wofull Selfe A second gound of this point is from comparison with others For Reason 2 how easie a conclusion is it to make especially selfe being the Logician I see thus many adulterers From comparison with others liers and swearers despise God and all goodnesse contemne the meanes and scorne the light because their workes are evill now I for my part am a diligent hearer of the word a countenancer of Ministers a worshipper of God in my family and perhaps more yea a renouncer of all open sins and therefore must not I needs be led by a spirit of more excellent nature then they are Surely if I had their spirit I should be led to the same evills which yet now I abhorre Nay more when these hypocrites shall not onely compare themselves with others Selfe upholds herselfe by false comparisons but with themselves and say such a one was I wont to bee a grosse cozener and oppressor a cheater a covetous wretch uncleane and base but since I have heard and professed the Gospel I have abhorred such stuffe and am not onely in mine owne opinion but in the judgement of others another man Oh I say what a shrewd argument is this for one that cannot or will not compare himself with the word and trie himselfe by the markes of a beleever to give sentence on his own side which to doe for one not converted to God how doth it overthrow all his former shewes affections and duties and hinder him from true conversion indeed A third reason may be from Satan whose pillers are pitched more Reason 3 deeply and dangerously upon selfe Satan imbarks himself more deepâ—y in selfe then in other lusts then upon any other more open offender I say upon this privy-selfe especially Grosse persons doe but little hurt no nor such open hypocrites as whose shews are openly confuted by their owne practice for why each one stoppes his nose at them and they themselves comming once to the touchstone of the word have no great colour for themselves but more easily fall in peeces and give up their weapons to the battery of the law and power of the word convincing them But it is not so here For when Satan can so delude an unsound heart by the sweetnesse of selfe as to resist the dint of the truth and harden himselfe in his pretended religion and duties against the Lord Jesus and the spirit of faith and grace hee sleepes securely in his den knowing that such an one is under locke and key and is not like by any probability to get out of so excusing and erroneous a conscience and condition for he is as ready to damne himselfe for his owne ends as for Satans and therefore is under a more deepe chaine then any other sinner is True it is Satan chuseth rather out of the excesse of his wickednesse to debaush mens consciences but if once he can be resolved by sure markes that selfe beares sway above grace which is no hard thing for him to doe who can convey himselfe so cunningly into the bent and frame of mens carriages he knowes himselfe as sure of such abiding so as of men of more prophane and odious conversation Lastly how just is it with God to give over such to the hardnesse of Reason 4 their owne hearts to detaine the truth of God in unrighteousnesse Selfe deludes dangerously by Gods just giving her over to her own way and to lurke still in their owne den of ease and selfeconceit who having cleerely conceived his will and knowing that all who gather without Christ doe but scatter and except the Lord make the soule an habitation for his spirit all our building is but in vaine a meere Babell of confusion and a Castle in the aire yet shall withdraw their heart from God in the maine worke of selfedeniall and selling all that they might buy the pearle I doubt not but there are many unsound ones who know it not but doubtlesse the number of such is few in comparison of others To him that hath shall be given but from him who hath not shall bee taken away that hee seemeth to have Matth. 25.29 And so much also may serve for Reason I come now according to my order to answer a question A Question answered How may a man discover this mischiefe in his heart Since this mixt selfe is so dangerous a mischiefe as to deprive the soul of all her labour and hopes how might a man come to some discovery of selfe that so he might the more easily be prepared to cast it out and prevent the danger of it betimes ere it be remedilesse Seeing the conceiving hereof may make much for the application of the doctrine following I will a little insist in answering the question Therefore I say that the nature of this disease may partly appeare in the degrees of it and partly in the footprints and passages of it of both a little and first of the first Answ These degrees may the better be conceived if we consider that privy selfe as I have noted is that chiefe fort and refuge which old Adam imbarkes himselfe in 1. By her degrâ—es for the avoiding of Christ and the promise according then to the degrees of this bulwarke of flesh and the danger thereof Selfe may bâ—â— perceived by 3. properties the degrees of this selfe may be I conceive then that we may refer all this secret mischiefe to these three degrees The first in selfe presuming 1. Presumption The secoâ—d in selfe fearing The third in selfe withdrawing Selfe presuming is that corruption which holds off Christ in the preparation of the Law Gospel such as these feeling of the soul to be in an utter strait and in an absolute need of Christ mourning after him desiring him and taking paines for him with the like These all if they be soundly wrought in the soule proceeding not onely from legall abasement but also Evangelicall tidings of peace by the good things which onely Christ hath purchased cannot proceed from any principle in our selves Howbeit selfelove is so prone to presume of that to bee wrought truly in us which she covets and wishes to be wrought out of a desire of her own welfare that she easily mixes her selfe with the offer and promise and not staying her full time to weigh duâ—y the nature thereof takes her owne pangs and hopes and selfeloving conceits to be true preparations Now whereas every abiding worke of grace must have a principle in it above selfe-ends and selfe-love therefore what marvell if such flashes of presumptuous selfe vanish and leave the soule as new to beginne as ever it was 2. Self-fearing A second degree is selfe fearing which may befall him who hath shot the former gulfe for it lies in another extremity and runnes as much on the left hand as the other did on the right thinking though ungroundedly that although some worke hath beene
pretious from the vile as if a man should distinguish his love to a servant both for kinde and measure from the love of a wife or childe The oddes is as the hony which Ionathan tasted upon the top of his rod in comparison of eating it to fulnesse and strength for the pursute of the enemy When the Lord doth not reach out by pieces and parcels of Christ but throwes him into the soule with his whole heart and treasure as one would cast his deare wife purse and all that she might know his bounty and gives the soule more then she can aske or thinke as Salomon to the Queen of Sheba more then all she desired then the soule hath an heart-sight and view of him Then she is satisfied fully with his image as receiving from his fulnesse that is his heart fully reconciled and satisfied by his Sonne that can deny them nothing And she beholds in this offer as much above all goodnesse which Adam enjoyed as heaven is above an earthly Paradise Briefly Selfe fosters two contents at once one from a Principle of her owne being carnall the other from an accidentall violent so that in time the carnall prevails against the violent and the violent vanishes Some hold out and make a shift to deceive themselves longer then others but except they grow to see their errour and to set up the object of their joy above the carnall they vanish into misery And this for the ground of Selfe The second generall The carriage of Selfe is sureable to the root or ground The second generall poynt is the carriage of Selfe And marke selfe in her grounds must needs bee like her selfe in her carriage I meane in those performances which come from her Nothing can worke beyond her owne Spheare of Selfe and Flesh no act save fleshly can proceed She will not suffer her own chanell to lye dry So that what ever means she useth fasting prayer meditating hearing conferring whatsoever paines she takes for a broken desirous heart whatsoever duties or graces she doth or makes shew of she can rise no higher then her Spring and Fountaine lies Selfe keeps center within and acts all as supposing there is a congruity and directive or procuring cause of grace in her Shee lookes to win the Spirit of grace by the spirit of Selfe not to lose her owne spirit by the Spirit of Grace She is not sensible of any thing save what comes from her selfe and thinkes very well of any thing which she feeles to proceed thence And so will any soule confesse which the Lord hath freed from this bondage That all his performances were nothing save a willing and running of their owne though while he was in his element all seemed pleasant There is a way which seemes pleasant to a man while he is in it though when he is once out hee sees it tended to death And as hee in Iob saith There is a spirit in man such as it is which will be doing and will have one finger in every busines but it is the inspiration of the Almighty which must give understanding I deny not but Selfe according to her light admits of many degrees yet all in one kinde but as one spake of Usurers and Theeves one was lesse oppressing then the other yet the best would bite So I say here bad is the best of Selfe she will be chiefe in all matters nothing must passe but through her fingers all the Corne must be fetcht home in her Cart and some peece at least there must be of her and all to keep her from selfe-deniall and from a promise which are her two terrible objects within her owne precinct Which may appeare in these few passages First in her instinct How that appeares vâ—z In foure particulars Secondly her endeavour Thirdly her busie eagernesse Fourthly in her disappointment A word or two of each For the first her instinct and savour which she is carried by is not godly or holy but earthly and base As we say Nothing in Popery is carried beyond the savour of ambition ease and the belly so in selfe-religion nothing smells of any other save her owne wisedome and ends as here we see in Naaman nothing savour'd or relisht with his nostrils or appetite save to be his owne carver and to appoint the Prophet a way of his owne 1. Her instinct Assistance and aid comes not fast enough from any other fountaine save her owne As the Egyptian Midwives spake of the women of Israel they were not as other women but quicke of travell ere the Midwife came at them Exod. 1. so is it here it is a wearisome waiting for Selfe to wait in paine till the Midwife of a promise come to them they can dispatch more easily then so When Paul and the Pilot were with the Centurion the Centurion savored not the words of Paul but the Pilots One crotchet of her owne Act. 27. how her edge stands to such a Text Doctrine Sermon Promise and what her thoughts are of it is more to her then what the instinct scope and savour of the Spirit aimes at shee weighes out to her selfe Gods treasures not according to the Ballances of the Sanctuary and the weights thereof but her owne not halfe so bigge and so shee is found but light The reason is she is not altered in subject that is in her selfe but in object onely Now the object cannot alter the subject of it selfe without the grace thereof concurre therewith And therefore in all her acts shee consults with her owne likings savour and feelings as the Musitians eare with the tune or jarring of his strings Secondly her endeavour is suteable 2 Her endeavour she loves for the most part such performances as are more easie pleasing and welcome to the flesh balking those which are more spirituall and selfe-destroying preferres a devotion in generall before a speciall manner of it and hearing or reading before meditation single prayer before secret or continuall or occasionall or fasting c. And in this endevour of hers she hath no scruples but thinkes they shall prevaile If saith she I doe so and so read pray deny my selfe in such a liberty or doe such a duty I shall prevaile not adding this if I doe it in or by the warrant of such a word or promise carrying the strength of God therewith and look at my own endeavour as the servant of grace onely without any strength of mine owne I shall prosper And hereunto adde this That she rests in her endeavour never harkening what God will answer and whether he speake peace or no but reckoning her worke for a price This delusion is an inseparable evill from selfe As the Preachers zeale gifts perswasions are as her own performances and as her morall weighings of matters have beene so must grace needs follow God must be tied to a necessity of blessing all which comes from selfe whether she set God as chiefe
and affections Esay 40. finding that fruit and successe which she fancieth to her owne labours but thinkes her content and peace to come from grace so when her sparkles are out and gone wherewith shee compassed her selfe then she growes slavish dead hearted discontent and yet rather then she would by such experience renounce her owne crazy hold she will returne to her old course and trie what further hopes she shall enjoy by her new attempts till she be forced at last to lie downe in confusion repent of her trade too late of this sure also is the carriage of such as upbraid God for his hard dealing with them by the better successe of others who are got before them this savors of some desire and emulation I grant but it comes from many pangs of selfe as ease muttering that they cannot have their wills of God upon lesse adoe also of rankenesse and sullen unthankefulnesse for that they have already And although I doe not say that all in this case of deseate doe directly give God over and quite revolt from him as Naaman here would have done yet they returne to their old acquaintance with selfe and so welter out their daies in utter misery understand me in all this discourse to speake of Selfe as it is unsubdued in the hypocrite not as it is a relique of evill in those who belong to grace Thus much for the carriage of it The third generall The end of Selfe she alway aimes at her owne ends The third and last point is the end of Selfe which is sutable to the ground and proceedings thereof The summe is Selfe lookes at her owne ends and ends in her selfe all her scope is by her long trade shufflings subtilties and flingings about to rivet her selfe so deeply into her own way and device that at the last she may be out of all gunshot and danger and rest in her selfe-religion without disturbance To this end she doth so much harden her selfe against the conviction of the word when she knoweth or may know her estate to be dangerous even that she might at last be wholly quit of all such callings upon See Hosea 10.1 Zach. 7.5.6 and gasterings by the spirit of God and her owne conscience and so through Satans malice keepe her owne possession in peace even as if she would secretly steale away Gods grace without his consent and triumph over him by having her will on him The poore soule boasts in God but she in her selfe and sacrificeth to her owne nets till the Lord by his terrors flaite her and with the besome if not of his law yet of his wrath sweepe downe those cobwebbes which with much adoe she hath woven The end of the Lord in the manifold turnagaines and doubts feares and distempers which a poor soule meets with is quite contrary even that being tried with her owne corruptions she might give over her owne inventions and be weary of fighting any longer under the banner of Selfe and cast themselves upon his promise and so put the Lord in the stead of selfe to be all in all with them and returne no more to their old trade I say the Lords aime in all his is this to make selfe stincke unto them and as the proverbe saith the corruption of the finest matter stinkes worst so that the fiâ—er more subtill and wiredrawne selfe hath beene in deceiving the soule the more the soule may abhorre her after a divorce once made But as for selfe she is most deplored and desperate in that wherein a poore soule is most happy that is in the end of her course by that time that the latter is at rest the former is come about to most uâ—ter misery For though she be where she would be yet because she is deceived in that shee hath chosen she must therefore feed upon ashes instead of bread and vanity as a whirlewind must carry her away as the Lord by Esay speakes of Idolaters A barren principle can bring forth no other fruit Esay 57. all labour so taken is as a stone rolled upon the hill violently returning at length upon the roller if shee would have subjected her selfe to be led by the spirit of grace she should have obtained the same ends which the Lord seeks from a saved soul that is to adore the wonderfull and inconceivable glory and riches of his grace in Christ and to swallow and drowne selfe in this streame And as once a wise man hearing a proud fellow boast of his land brought him a short mappe of Athens and bid him shew whereabouts his lands lay which abated the high thoughts of the yong Gentleman exceedingly So doth the Lord shew to his owne people the Map of his glory which is the whole ground way and end of saving lost mankinde which when they wisely behold selfe vanisheth and finds no place for if that which moved the Lord so principally to pitty faln man was not the good of the creature for then the more saved the more his end should have beene fulfilled but the magnifying of himselfe and of his sundry excellencies which else must have beene concealed and had it not beene that God had respected this man had lien still in his woe how can a poore creature behold this gulfe but of necessity the thought of it must make selfe and her ends to be despised as not worthy to be named the same day much lesse to come into competition with God and to forestall him of his due that selfe might be clothed with his spoiles Oh! the very image of such a base conceit is loathsome in such an heart as knowes that while God is served she must stand by and bee content to waite as happy if this waiting of hers upon Gods ends may bring her to be happy at last in him and with him as counting it happier to perish in glorifying him if it could be then to be glorious in her selfe And so much for the answer to this question viz. how the nature of this enemy may be perceived in her degrees and steps now I come to the use of the whole doctrine The first is to admonish all who would not lose their labour and travaile Vse 1 in the matter of grace Admonition to discover and abandon the concurrence of selfe in that weighty businesse And this I urge upon two sorts First Branch 1 To the unregenerate Three particulars 1. Behold the tricks of self seekers Secondly obtainers First behold the tricks and fetches of this enemy Then consider the danger and sad consequence of losing all our labour for the sake of it And lastly resolve in both respects for ever through mercy to renounce it For the former infinite are those subtilties which are in the bugit of this traitor I will name two or three by which a wise heart will guesse at the rest and especially at her owne One is this Selfe will not onely deny much for grace but even
all these thou complainest of no man need bid thee be revenged of them or watch them a shrewd turne but I tell thee an enemy within thy bosome counted thy darling and close friend one called Selfe is a more deadly enemy and can doe thee more hurt then all of them together hereafter raile not upon the evill world thy cruell Landlord thy false friend bankerupts who have runne away with thy goods or thy bad wife that stings thee with her tongue thy bad children ill neighbours thy persecutors not one of these but may set thee a steppe forward to heaven none can deprive thee of it but Selfe can and will world divell and his instruments could not hurt thee were it not for this traitor which sets open the doore unto them to tempt to defile thee See Naaman here in what a wildred case he is except the Lord had made him see his enemy and undoe all his crosse selfe-willednesse and waywardnesse and to stop to Gods way yea and glad to scape so too unto what a perplexity had he brought himselfe after besides his pudder for the present even so know thou that when thou hast runne into thy long error thou must come backe againe this way of selfe-deniall or else the further thou goest the worse will thy case bee Oh! it is a tugging crying sinne it wearies ten Preachers to denounce against it Oh! to what a sweete peace had the Lord brought many an hearer of the word had it not beene for this Beloved we have had some faithfull servants of Christ both living and happily dead among us who have confessed that by this Selfe and her meanes they have spent forty years ere they could come to beleeve and do we look to make it a short cut of forty daies therefore mutter not at thine enemies much lesse at the Lord but at thy selfe and say thy perdition is from thy selfe God is enlarged Hosea 13.9 but Selfe hath hidebound thee and straited thee in thine owne bowells count that Sermon which hath taught thee this lesson one of the best that ever thou heardest Luke 5. There were many lepers in the daies of Elisha but he was sent to none save to Naaman the Syrian and hee had beene sent to him also in vaine if Selfe might have borne sway A second Branch of Instruction is of Instruction Be not offended with crosses to stay that impatience of our spirits Branch 2 which usually falls from us under the visitations of God either upon our whole man or body soul and conscience state posterity or whatsoever For why should we murmur against him that by wounding our side should let out an impostume which would else kill us such an one as no other meane would have cured save this doubtlesse as Hezekia saith By this man liveth And Iob cap. 33. Elihu tells us Hereby even by the corrections which he hath sealed such as he there mentioneth consumptions Esay 3.8 fevers and diseases which take away stomack and the like the Lord hideth the pride of man which is selfe he brings to the pits brinke of the grave that he may keep the soule from hell even the nethermost pit Oh! when the bladder of Selfe and Pride and Presumption is prickt and the bubbling froath and windy puffing thereof is let out a man comes to see himselfe as hee is a forlorne creature then his duties affections hopes sorrowes desires and performances vanish no man can so basely thinke of him as he conceives of himselfe then hee is vile dust and ashes in his own eyes Who is more free from all arrogating to himselfe and his owne righteousnesse then one that lies all pale and consumed with paine and sicknesse When we doe meet with one except some desperate blinde Pharisee who in his extremity dare trust to himselfe where is then his vain-glory his boasting of devotions fasts prayers and alms Alas the image of them is despised the pride of life is crack't and the great stomacke is broken and then his high thoughts which exalted themselves against Christ and an humble heart quaile and come downe Crosses are great meanes to let out Selfe out of the Soule Then if an interpreter come one of a thousand to declare his righteousnesse how welcome is hee When the heart is empty of Selfe then doth the Lord commonly fill it with good things and when it despaireth of selfe-hope then the Lord saith Deliver him I have received a ransome Hence it is that Iob cap. 10.12 saith Thy visitations O Lord have preserved my spirit And the truth is it is well in these dead times if any thing will doe it As Paul Phil. 3. saith If by any meanes I may attain it The word without some afflictions upon mens spirits or name bodies or posterity and that in some stinging kinde pierces not the spirit is straitned Sometims after long struglings and wrastlings of men with this Selfe hoping to picke somewhat out of their owne strength they are tired and wearied in their way and their former feares come upon them a-fresh so that they can finde no rest in their bones Then they begin to consider seriously of it and conclude There is a pad in the straw still they crosse the worke of God in one kinde as fast as they further it another Surely they resolve an heart of hollownesse sloath unsoundnesse and loathnesse to renounce the creature or their stoutnesse and sullen heart or the warmth of their owne feathers their zealous affections These or the like oppose the nakednesse and simplicity of the promise and keep the conscience in snares and defilements and they cry out Miserable men who shall deliver us And sometimes by other affronts the Lord is faine to sharpen the point of his convincing ordinance that the Soule may think the Lord is in sad earnest when she findes him to hunt her out in every corner and give her no rest till she can be content to be saved any way so she may be saved A very Papist in his straits will disclaime himselfe and say It is safest for the avoyding of vain-glory to cleave onely to mercie and shall we that professe none but Christ come short of them To conclude then as we read Heb. 12. My son refuse not the chastening of the Lord Job 7.18 nor grudge at his visitations as Iob once murmured Why dost thou visit him every morning and try him every moment Why dost thou set mee as a marke against thee But in the issue of that great trouble he was of another mind saying cap. 9.31 My very cloathes defile me And cap. 42.4 Now have I seene thee therefore I abhorre my selfe Let us doe likewise and abhorre our owne murmurings at our crosses for although they are irksome to the flesh yet they are wholesome for the spirit as we say of the body that when the spleen is smallest that is best So the body of grace is at best when that Spirit in
God beseech him to helpe thee with faithfulnesse in the search else thou wilt end as thou beganst not to spare thy self but desiring that the spears point which pierced Christ sides might let out the thoughts of thy heart in this kinde or rather that the sword of conviction may open the bowells of it and shed them to the ground doe not this work when thou art otherwise occupied and hast other businesse to doe thou shalt finde this work enough alone if not too much for thee and doe it by frequent meditation which is nothing else save making the truth of God thine owne and that which thou canst not finde thy selfe guilty of at one time or perhaps capable of or able to lay to heart to abhorre or to finde sweetnesse in the doing of goe to it another goe on where thou leftst praying God thou maiest not be new to beginne and thou shalt finde that at another time the second or the third thou shalt obtaine it Thou shalt not repent thee of thy labour in thus preventing and cutting short that enemy which would else have prevented and cut thee off from grace only resolve of this that till the Lord hath grounded thee in the truth of this doctrine a principle of practicall Catechisme it is impossible for thee to thrive in grace or use of meanes Further pressing of the triall Say therefore thus to the Lord Thou knowest the paines of thy servant in the use of meanes thou knowest how poorly I have thriven under them how little my faith my comfort my obedience is how ready I am to deceive my selfe in that I seeme to have to take up my rest therein that so I may not be molested any longer but soke my selfe in the dregges of my ease and will not to stirre one inch off my owne ground Now Lord if thou wilt be pleased to shew me whâ—t hath done me all this hurt I should infinitely blesse thee I am not so foolish I thanke thee as to trade for religion and yet crosse mine owne ends in wilfull holding any evill within my bosome which should deprive mee of my hopes I am willing to be informed and heare of the worst yea to unbottome my selfe of my old rotten mixtures and false grounds for the bettering of mine estate rather then to sleep in death and lie down with them in the dust Lord therefore now before my heart bee hardened in custome and security blesse mine examination to the true ends which it serves for Here I thought to have ended the use but there comes one objection to my minde Object Do all see this Selfe who are truly converted which must be answered For some will say You make a great discourse of this Self What think you Are there not many Christians truly converted to God who never discerned this disease as you have described it and yet are unfeigned and true converts and beleevers Answ 1 I answer you 2. or 3. wayes First hoping that their Quaere proceeds not from self-cavilling The grace of election working a greater measure of humiliation and tendernesse in some poore soules who want this knowledge supplies this want sweetly but from simplicity thus Many poor soules have through mercy obtained from the Lord a great measure of brokennesse of heart humblenesse of spirit more then the common sort of Professors either have or seek and by this means their helpes in both publique and private being few and their discouragements many the Lord beholding them in the grace of his election supplies all wants by his owne Spirit keepes them hungry abases them in the sense of their many infirmities puts in a spirit of perpetuall jealousie over themselves and works them to a marveilous plainnesse of heart to loath all falshood as they can discerne it and so perfects the work of faith in them secretly farre otherwise then in such poore creatures might bee expected of these I say that although perhaps they heare not so much discourse of the name and dangerous markes of Selfe yet they feele the realnesse of it within themselves and are better acquainted with it then many who heare more of it And these persons if it should please the Lord to bring that home in doctrine use and admonition unto them which I have spoken would be formost in acknowledging and blessing God for such truth and make better use of it then the most doe Answ 2 Secondly I answer Satan and corruption in these last daies doe conspire to withold many subtill wise and carnall worldlings from embracing the truth then ever and as all Arts so this art of Selfe serving into the truths of God by the counterfeiting and deceiving of men is grown rife and perfect Satan more prevailes with this subtill world then ever Ephes 4.14 therefore needs the more exact and carefull countermining Thirdly the Spirit of God under constant meanes workes leasurely and therefore corruption is not cast out all at once but by long discipline and discovery of it by the word and in the multitude of helpes such as Answ 3 God be thanked have beene enjoyed in sundry places much rankenesse hath growne as a canker in a faire apple in the spirits of many Professors as pride selfe-conceit and prejudice which the Lord hath justly punished as I noted in the reasons with a spirit of fulsomenesse and furfet hardnesse of heart and difficulty of perswasion so that in these daies that old tendernesse and selfe-deniall which possessed the spirits of most Christians is rare to finde Much need therefore of urging this doctrine in these our daies Much more need therefore there is of this doctrine to be urged in these dayes that such as are the Lords and yet held under this snare may be pulled out and saved and those who are not may be left therein because they would not receive the truth in the naked love of it Lastly to end this use this I adde That although the Lord should Answ 4 have called home many without any former knowledge of Selfe in any great measure yet I doubt not but when they do come to a better view of it they will both mend their former bottomes see cause to trust God and glorifie his grace in Christ more then ever before and also looke to themselves in the course of their sanctification the more watchfully lest this enemy should hurt them more in that then it did in the matter of their first conversion However I see no cause why the more cleare discovery of the will and way of God should seeme superfluous because God had his number when the light shined not so cleerly And so much for answer to this question We may discover it by these marks First by the true humbling of the soule A proud heart will have her will to die for it Because pride hath high thoughts and must be satisfied as Rabel with children or else shee dies And her daughters having lost their children by
to deny thy selfe or else thou art foiled For Selfe is as the wife in the bosome It is hard to deny a friend a neighbour especially if importunate as him in the Gospel who came by night for loaves how much lesse a wife Nay Selfe is yet neerer unto us then a wife It comes alway with a bribe a gift in the hand sweetnesse of lust is as butter in a Lordly dish This bribe unhappily prospers wheresoever it goes except thou deale harshly with it as hee with Iehorams messenger it will prevaile Stoppe thine eares as the Adder In vaine is the net laid for that which hath wing Dally not with her as Eve with the serpent Sampson with Delila If she fell in innocency how wilt thou stand in corruption Peremptory folke are best in a good cause and she is the most chaste wife who hath the most denying behaviour Seventhly There is enough in God to make amends for denying Selfe That which Selfe falsly promiseth God both justly and duly promiseth and peformeth To joyne any thing with God is to joyne a candle to the Sunne or water to the Ocean And as hath beene said it is the way to make us hated of God and men of God for lacke of integrity of men for lacke of wickednesse In things confused no man knows his owne To expect reward from two Masters is to lose our labour from both So much be said for motives To adde some meanes of getting selfe-deniall First then labour to make somewhat else thy selfe beside thy selfe else thou wilt never deny thy selfe For Selfe cannot oppose Selfe in the particular of opposition no more then Satan can Satan If once grace come in place and stead of Selfe then all old Selfe life and the comforts of it shall go for new Selfe else God and all shall goe for house and land favour of men and liberties lusts and will of the flesh So Paul calleth grace himselfe It is not I but sinne in mee q. d. a stranger an excrement No matter what become of flesh if spirit once bee Selfe Get this sound judgement what deserveth to bee Selfe and all is well the old house shall downe that a new may bee set up Secondly be armed with sound resolution against the strong error of the world which maintaines godlinesse to be meere losse True it is that persecutions follow Christianity howbeit even with such persecutions afflictions Maâ—k 10. a Christian shall have an hundred fold As God can fill the soul with bitternesse in abundance so can he fill with joy and comfort an heart which wants 1 Cor 1. When my afflictions abounded then did my consolations abound also As a man may be in Paradise accursed so in prison an happy man Ruben what got hee in defiling of Bilha Surely shame he lost both birthright to Ioseph Kingdome to Iuda and Priesthood to Levi Hee was strength and excelleny but lost all And what got Salomon by denying himselfe in his petition Both that he asked and that which he asked not Thirdly consider what ever it be which thou seekest without God cannot doe thee any good When God bids honour wealth any creature do thee good it shall else not They are instruments and workes only by the agent as the saw by the hand of the mover They comfort us onely by a borrowed comfort And so on the other side nothing can hurt no not Shemei except God bid him and when the curse is gone forth yet it shall be both causelesse and fruitlesse except God send it Those that do so Idolize the creature yet finde it oft their snare yea the favour of Princes proves their snare and so they are forced to say If God had beene chiefe this or that had not been Fourthly stirre up sundry graces of God in thy soule First knowledge secondly faith thirdly the love of God For the first consider God in his worth We use to say Let such a friend speed he is worthy only knowing of God and his gift will make him prized and Selfe despised See Psal 73.20 They that know thee shall love thee 1 Cor. 1.12.13 See the place Secondly faith see that catalogue of selfe-denying Saints who refused to enjoy pleasures in Pharaoh's Court endured the spoyling of goods c. How came they by this By faith they did it Faith Conquers Selfe by the same power whereby shee overcomes the world for the world within is the chiefe world See 1 Tim. 4.10 Thirdly love When Paul was so disswaded from Suffering hee answers What doe you rending my heart thus I am ready to goe and to suffer losse of all for Christ all is dung and drosse to him The love of Christ compells us the Greek word is hemmes us in as in a pinfold that we can goe no way out of it 1 Cor. 13. Love is bountifull she seeks not her owne but Christs she suffers all things endures all things And to these adde Stirre up wisedome and be able to conclude that in denying thy selfe is true safety peace gaine in the contrary is nothing but sorrow repentance if not here yet in a season unwelcome See Matth. 16. end viz. when Christ shall come with his Angels Selfe shall prove thy plague thy bane if thou yeeld to it as Amnon to Tamar there will be no end of yeelding 2. Branch of Exhortation Get the Spirit of grace The second branch of exhortation is this Labour to get that Spirit of grace which God hath annexed to his covenant and promise that it may not bee naked and empty but accompanied and mixed with efficacie and power in the hearts of the hearers This Spirit opposeth Selfe in all the elect and suffereth it not to make the word to goe without effect and to defeat them of their hope It is such a spirit in the soul as taketh them off from their owne spirit of Selfe presents so really the good things which God hath given us 1 Cor. 2. that it causes the soule willingly to relinquish all home contents and with Caleb Numb 14. to turne the greatest yron charets Anakims and difficulties of beleeving into encouragements and perswasions I might save for envie compare it with the spirit of New England not that all who goe that voyage deny themselves for among many that doe some seek themselves but I say to the spirit of such as goe thither For as many of them are discontent with the conditions of Old England thinking it a burthen to live here where they cannot hire one acre of ground but it must cost them money but there they imagine they may bee rich the first day and occupy as much ground as they please and live contentfully In a word here they finde abundance of sad affronts and discouragements which there they hope to bee rid of Now having in their intentions knockt off themselves so resolved from the Old Englands their native soile and apprehended strongly the new Simil. as their Paradise who should
speake one word unto them to praise the one and disgrace the other but presently their spirits rise with indignation and conceive so much the more content in the new by how much they hear the old commended Oh! they will make histories of their beloved which their heart is set upon there is elbow-roome and liberty no enemy to hurt no feare of prisons sutes pursutes at Law wrongs or discouragements no difficulties to conflict withall in comparison of the good things which they looke for The strength of the object carries them captives pulles downe all objections and subdues them under the authority of their owne desires and the excellent things there to be had As for Sea-faring by the eight or nine weeks together in danger ill diet attendance lodging and rest want of wife children old kindred and acquaintance pleasures pastimes tush all these shall make for their good and make their new English shore the more welcome to them they hope God will weane them hereby from all the superfluous liberties sensualities and carnall affections and as for the defects of the soile or of mony or other contents they will waite seeing that nothing can bee perfect at once and when they are come thither they will not returne to the Old England which they forsoke upon any tearmes which can be offered them Oh! brethren let me speake to you without offence shall a poore conjecturall fading and earthly object so possesse the soules of men that it sets them in an extasie and shall not the promise of God wash and be cleane be reconciled to God prevaile much more to ravish us and set us beyond all Selfe and selfe-love Yes surely when Christ shall thrust Selfe out of place and become Selfe and all within us and doe that and infinitely more then that for us really which Selfe promiseth us deceitfully But here a question may be asked Object What are the workes of the Spirit of grace And what meanes are there to compasse them I answer Answ 1 These that follow which I mention shortly and so finish this first generall Exhortation And least any should aske me what I meane by the Spirit of grace I answer the same which Zack Chap. 10.12 meanes to wit the Spirit and effectuall power of the Lord Jesus his satisfaction and intercession whereby the Ministery of the Gospel is inabled to perswade the hearts of the elect to beleeve and imbrace the promise of forgivenesse and life What this Spirit of Grace is This Spirit is contrary to that spirit of Selfe which resisteth grace the one from heaven pure savory and divine the other from earth carnall sensuall and divellish The first marke of the Spirit of grace is that it is against Self and that in sundry respects Markes of it 2. First Grace strives to inlarge if self to the uttermost of her graciousnesse Selfe strives to strengthen her selfe by the plentiousnesse of Grace waxes wanton through Grace so content to enlarge Grace that therewith shee will enhaunse her selfe and will get up by the stirrop of Grace into the seate of Christ aâ—d make her selfe checkmate with him as an ill Steward or Bayliffe to a great Lord will seeme to doe him great service and looke to his grounds and cattell but so as himselfe may have a stocke of cattell going upon the same grounds so that he seeks his owne and his Masters advantage both under one he cannot beteame to promote his Masters with the losse of his owne But the true sight of Grace throwes Selfe out of her owne possession and ends The fulnesse of Grace empties the soule to the bottome Aske thy selfe then hath the view of this Grace and of the truth as it is in Jesus emptied thee of all thy gifts duties and religious performances Then it is a true Spirit and destroies Selfe There is no true godly Spirit but it is the more humble lowly and vile in its owne eies by Grace Selfe gathers false courage to her selfe by the Grace which is offered growes conceited confident and full of her selfe she thinks she cannot want enough of it whereas all runnes over and leaves her barren The spirit of Grace so shewes the fulnesse of Grace that it exhaustes her owne fulnesse wholly as those sterven Egyptians beholding Iosephs store of corne were more abased for their beggery and the Queene of Sheba beholding the depth of Salmons wisedome became a foole all her owne spirit of questioning and cavilling sunke downe If thy spirit crouch and creepe to Grace and be quite battered in her selfe it is a good signe As the Spirit of grace arises from glory to glory so selfe falls from shame to shame Jer. 14.8 to set up Grace what shall I say to thee Oh thou Saviour of all flesh surely nothing be confounded and say who is a God like to our God! It is nothing but the spirit of presumption which prides and pearks up it selfe Mica ult but the Spirit of grace quailes the heart and causes it to fall low as Naaman after did even to snatch and catch at Grace as one sterven for want of it As Peter Luke 4. beholding Christs glory cried out depart from me a sinfull man There is a legall whining basenesse and unworthinesse aiming at this that she might be worthier But there is an holy sense of unworthinesse when the savor of Christs fulnesse drinks up the Spirit and leaves it empty As when a proud boy heares a good scholar talke his conceit of himselfe turnes to abasement Oh how his combe is cut what a fool and an idot he is in his own eies If the Grace ye seek doth humble ye and not puffe ye up it is as it should be I professe brethren it would make one tremble to thinke how little of this Spirit is stirring in the world I see but few poore ones among us by this plenty of the Gospel take heed the Lord let us not bloud of this pleurisie The truth is we doe but fat people by this pasture wee bring no leannesse into their soules As if Christ served for nothing save to make men their owne Saviours in part and give over his owne honour it would doe ones heart good to behold some few poore soules how humble their knowledge of Christ makes them they stand as an empty bucket by the well side but it would cut ones heart to see how many bold bog saucy ones there are instead of a few empty ones Oh! pull pull downe your peacocks feathers If Christ be a fountaine be you a channell dried up If he be a Magazine be you bare walls If he be so rich a dole come you to it as orphans bee fatherlesse and motherlesse Hos 13.3.4 that you may find mercy rest not in thy law humiliation to lose some of thy jollity onely but let fulnesse of grace cast out selfe and all to the bottome Every one cries out alas What have I to be proud of Note
her in all straits and troubles As Selfe was a body of death in her before easily besetting her so is Christ now a very reall being of Truth and Grace a very life of being and welfare unto her Now the soule is willing to shake off Selfe because she hath a better thing in possession which frees her from the old yrkesomenesse vanity bondage and unsubsistence which before she was disquieted with Oh! it is a wonderfull priviledge to a poore soule that whereas before it was tedious to her to muse of the promise to deny her owne hopes flashes and pangs to cleave to the bottome of another out of herselfe now all these are become sweet unto her because Christ is now instead of Selfe unto her even all in all Before it was a violent worke to apply the soule to meditation for she was out of the element of Grace but now she counts it familiar worke because the presence of Christ hath made it so a mercy more worth then all the world beside when shee considers duly of it Before shee was haled as a Beare to the stake to the word to the sacraments to other ordinances duties now she hath fellowship with them as her owne even as she is Christs before she knew not what to make of herselfe her affections her desires but now shee is able to discerne what God hath done for her and her affections mournings and duties stand not up in the roome of Christ but flow from him safely and returne to him as the waters to the sea whence they came Oh! what oddes is there betweene the dead life of Selfe moving the soule heavily as Pharaohs charet wanting their wheeles and the living life of Christ alway affording some warmth vigor breath and motion to the soule and assuring her that is not from herselfe but from a principle without which will not faile her Oh! this second Adams quickning spirit is as far above that dead principle of Selfe as a living creature is above an Image Thirdly the Spirit of Grace drawes the soule to the end of Grace The third is the end to behold the purpose of God in declaring the riches of that mercy by which he saved a sinner that he might purchase more glory to himselfe then good to the soule Of this I spake before by another occasion only note this that the Spirit carries Selfe out of the soule hereby For when the soule is ravished with the view of those excellencies of God manifested by redemption she loseth herselfe as in a streame as being ashamed to thinke that she should so basely struggle for that by her own strength which onely the Spirit of the promise can conduct her unto for the ends of the promise serving to make the Lord admirable in his Saints Oh! how is the soul ashamed yea confounded for her own folly that she should goe about the fadoming of so bottomelesse depth with her owne bucket I conclude these three branches with renewing my exhortation Try your selves by these whether the Spirit of Grace bee in you or no for if it be it hath the promise of a full bottome to stablish the soule upon it hath brought realnesse of comfort and peace into it and it hath carried it into the sea of the riches of grace so that it can make songs of the Lords deliverance with more admiration then if the inheritance of a Prince had befalne it I cannot insist now any longer So much for the second marke that the Spirit of Grace is for Grace To make an end a third and last marke of the Spirit of Grace is The third marke is The calme proceeding of this Spirit of Grace that it goeth forward calmely and softly in her pursuit of the promise without any carnall striving and violence of Selfe much lesse fretting and distemper of spirit upon Gods delaies She teaches the soule to waite upon the Lord and harken what he would say to his Saints for he will speake peace to them that they may not returne to folly their old selfe-staggering unsettlednesse or bondage The Spirit of Grace is much like the Temple of Salomon it loves not to hear the din of Selfe to disquiet it Psal 85.8 as hammers and tooles might not bee used in the building of the other 1 King 6.7 While he is at worke he cannot endure Selfe to disturbe him he will raise up the frame himselfe we must onely say Grace grace unto it but he will both lay the foundation and corner stone Zach. 4.7 and set the building upon it and it shall prosper in his hands Suffer we our selves orderly and by degrees to be led from step to step without turning off on the right hand or the left meekely and patiently attending his leasure in our innocency and use of meanes and foist not any secret weights of our owne into the ballance as if the Lord were not alone able to perfect his owne worke onely let there be no stops in our owne spirits to set backe or quench this Spirit of Grace under the pretence of our quiet and patient wayting 1 Thes 5. A point which no hypocrite can discerne If he be bidden to rest he leaves his diligence and waxes idle whereas true striâ—â— and true rest goe together and a poore soule so rests from his selfe striving that yet he continues his selfe-denying diligence in the use oâ— meanes Esay 30. Try your selves also in this but I remember I have touched â—oâ— part before when I spake of the violence of Selfe This shall thereâ—ore suffice to have spoken touching the markes of this Spirit of Grace and the several branches thereof Now in a word for the other peece of the question how this Spirit of Grace may be attained Quest 2. Hâ—w this Spirit of grace may be attained I answer briefly First be earnest in prayer to God for it for the Spirit of Grace and supplication are joyned together Zach. 12.10 That both the Lord would cast down this strong castle of Selfe and raise up the strong fort of his own salvation upon the ruines Answ 1 thereof joyne with prayer meditation be much in the use of all other powerfull ordinances of God fasting especially the true Sampson to Answ 2 cast down the house over the head of self and unbeleefe And observe seriously Answ 3 the graces of others such as have shot this gulfe and have had the Answ 4 experience of Christ in them Again seek not to please our flesh as it is said David would never crosse Adonija from his youth and that made him such a good one but abridge our selves of our wills even in some lawfull liberties 1 King 1.6 and abstaine from many things which others permit to themselves dyet our selves daily as those which runne for a prize and that may somewhat inure us to deny our selves in this great worke of Answ 5 Grace 1 Cor. 9.25 Tye our selves closely to the duties of
and cost a pound Not to be skilfull in his trade in knowing the seasons of sowing tilling reaping and husbandry in their seasons What a shame it is Rom. 12. for him who should be fervent in spirit serving the Lord to be slâ—ck and lazy in his calling and by improvidence to become himself a burthen to the Church a reproach to the wicked and a tempter of God to suffer the seed of the just to beg their bread How is this prevented save by serving providence Whence come so many banquerupts as are even professors save in great part from hence that men rush unskilfully upon unknowne trades fill their hands with stocke from other mens purses wanting skill and experience to manage them And so by their unskilfulnesse either in husbandry manufactures or traffique spend their own and their wives portions and childrens meanes and so must seeke to hide it by travell into another world Are not our plantations like to take well if such be the planters Others although of a loving heart to Gods people yet wanting discretion suffer themselves to be much overlaid with burdensome persons which oft causeth strife betweene them and their wives when their states sinke Others pick quarrels with their trades and so changing them for hoped gaines in another bury their stockes Others attempt forraine voiages rashly having no ability spending that in the journey which at home might be a stock for them to live upon being utterly inexperiensed in such imployments as they must bee put upon Others hope for great matters abroad and finding poverty grow discontented and repent them We must know it is one thing for a man to deny himselfe for God when he calls us as he did Abraham another to call our selves when God calls not but rather our owne spirit deceives us And yet it is a common thing with such if they be taxed for such rashnesse to say that men speak like worldlings from carnall reason what Must not God be trusted Yes but not tempted Paul and the Pilot Act. 28. differed yet Paul would not beat out his braines nor cast him overboord but rather guide him in his government The third and maine But the worst of this folly is when it disguiseth Religion herselfe and causeth that which is wisdome it selfe to be counted foolishnesse How many men pull upon themselves unseasonable and needlesse trouble strong and cruell enemies fines censures imprisonments for their ungrounded zeale rash judgings of their betters without a calling for then I grant they serve the Lord who will beare them harmelesse mixing their owne passions invectives upbraidings and distempers with the cause of Christ who needed no weapons of such warfare And hereby bring upon themselves either uncomfortable sufferings if they stick to it or else base recanting of their follies How many private persons run themselves a ground by medling with abuses and corruptions to which they are not called going against the streame of those evills which it is bootlesse to exasperate and so are drowned in that gulfe which they cannot shoote How many neglecting their callings under pretence of zeale runne from place to place mispend their time borrow and pay not againe open the mouthes of the vile against them to say these fellowes rayle upon us for our carnall wisdome and worldlinesse But surely wee had rather follow our worke hard then hang upon each bush and runne our selves into debt and pay no man Againe how many foolish and rash women by their unseasonable crossings of their carnall husbands cause zeale in hearing sermons to be ill spoken of through their want of subjection 1 Pet. 2.12 And few there are who have learned to walke wisely toward such husbands Masters parents neighbours who are without that so their liberty be not restrained and their commodity be not ill spoken of by their abusing it to fleshly ends How many zealous Ministers lacke wisdome moderation and observing of season manner and measure of their reproofes and censures but disable themselves as much one way as they thinke to doe good another But it were endlesse to dwell upon all Let the conclusion be this By how much thou seemest to abhorre carnall reason by so much bee more carefull to be guided by right reason and true wisdome which may cause thy Religion to be honourable and prevent that offence and aspersion thereto which else cannot bee avoided This for the third branch of Admonition I conclude this use with the fourth and last caveat of Admonition direct to sundry objects somewhat more Branch 4 generally concerning Christians of all sorts First let me presse this personally to the sundry sorts and conditions of men Ministers people parents husbands tradesmen and such like Then let me also presse it really by abandoning those severall vices which beget and nourish this carnall reason in men Touching the former First let it be admonition to Object 1 Gods Ministers Go not to work with this toole in Gods matters Ministers in sundry respects Please not your selves in your invention preparation of your selves when God suggests variety of thoughts aptnesse of discourse or fine phrases good proofes uses similitudes and applications do not feel your own warmth take it not for granted that you cannot now chuse but win the spurs but know Gods matters must be done under another banner As he said not words but strength and mony must helpe in the warre So say I Esay 36.5 not your strength nor might nor wisdome but my Spirit saith the Lord must effect it As the Lord said to Iehoshua and Zerubbabel Zach. 5.7 although you be weake in your selves yet I will inable you to lay the foundation and to make the roofe of my Temple So let God be chiefe in your worke and deny your owne reason lest God confound ye and make ye ridiculous to them whom ye would sell your selves unto Againe draw not on your people to carnall admiring of your parts learning speech memories teach them not a lesson which they are too prone to teach themselves to have the faith of our Lord Jesus in the admiration of men or accepting of persons It is the way to breed partiality pride carnall savour in your people Jam. 3.1 and to destroy the spirit of selfe-deniall and simplicity in them Vent not your owne singular conceits and fantasticall private opinions to enhanse your names among the vulgar and ungrounded multitude whose honour is but base breath and ends in shame and repentance Forsake not the maine truthes of God and the streames of wholesome doctrines for those muddy creekes and slimy channels of your owne inventions for if this heate once touch your braine you shall finde it so to follow your hand that ere ye be aware you will be over head and ears in this puddle and nothing will savour with your ministery but your owne novelties What a pudder have those Eatonists and Pointers as they call them made in Norfolke of
into the dungeon and then it falls downe as Saul with that light which shone about him Act. 9. and saith what wilt thou have me to doe I am as thou wilt have me 1 Sam. 3. my wisdome my wit shall be thine speake Lord and thy servant heareth he that formerly should have perswaded me of this might as easily have forced me to say it is light at midnight But Lord now I am a foole in my selfe meerly empty of mine owne sense and wholly thine addicted to sweare to thine edicts and if thou sâ—â—ak the word I lay hand upon mouth and have done This is to be as a little child whom ye may winne to say what ye list Oh! this is the next way to make thee wise to salvation This is to be unto Gods wisdome as the Queene of Sheba was to Salomons even to have no spirit left in her Oh! thou must say with David My fingers shall forget to play and lose all cunning Thirdly thou must so be stript of all thine owne Word of truth must cast the seed of God into the soule when once emptied of her selfe as yet thou must Branch 3 not be a meere void and empty one of all other wisdome But the word of truth must be shed as seed into thy soule and the principles thereof must be infused into it to informe it and to create of nothing a new nature of divine light into it I say as they spake in Act. 23.7 If an Angell from heaven have revealed any thing from heaven to him we will not gainesay it These words the Pharisees used of set purpose to oppose the Sadduces who denyed Angels and souls of men So must thou That which hath beene most contrary to thy wisdome must now bee all in all Now thou must oppose thy selfe thus If God have revealed any truth of his from heaven I will sooner cast thee out then resist it Be thou as parties who put their matters to compromise They are first bound in bonds to stand to award So doe thou binde thy carnall reason as a dogge to the stake that it stirre not a foote nor once mute while God is speaking yea doe thus with gladnesse as poore men are glad to be bound to arbitrement because they desire an end So thou because thou desirest to be savingly wise be glad there is such a word of truth shining in a darke place and open all windows to let it in do not stop any crevis of light which might enter but greedily attend study meditate in this word till the Lord thereby have let it into those darke corners of the heart that was before in the shadow of death and till the truth doe incorporate with thine understanding and cause the scales of darkenesse to fall off as Pauls did that thou maiest see cleerely those things that concerne thy peace All the fogs mists and cavills of carnall reason being scattered Oh! let her interrupt the Lord as she will yet the soule knowes whither to goe for deciding the question she will not forfeit her bond by which shee is bound to stand to the last decision of the word Fourthly get the spirit of the Lord Jesus into thy soule The fourth The Spirit of the Lord Jesus must create holy wisdome in the soule Joh. 1.18 who is the active worker of true and sanctified wisdome in the renued soule According as the Apostle tells us He is made unto us of the Father wisedome c. He enlightens every one that comes into the world with true light being that light which the soule must come by to the Father whose light cannot else be approached By the flesh of the Lord Jesus the soule is made capable of this light of the word else there is no capablenesse And the Spirit of the Lord Jesus workes the soule into this light because it reveales him unto it in the mystery of reconciliation and forgivenesse For why Till the soule be made wise to salvation all her wisdome is only in the brain will not hold The Spirit of Christ therefore lets into the heart as well as the head of the beleever this light and conveies the goodnesse warmth and sweet of it into the soule and that it is which causes it to dwell in the soule and to be an immortall and unâ—â— caying light which shall abide to eternall life till the soule see light in Gods light else the light of the Hypocrite is but a violent and dim twilight caused rather by a necessity of conviction then a powerfull perswasion Therefore apply thy selfe especially to such helpes as may bring Christ into thy soule The sight of his salvation to thy soule is the quintessence of spirituall wisdome this will cause thee to grow in all light when once thou art enlightned in the mystery of acknowledging Christ to be thy Saviour Ephe. 1.18 For why This will teach thee that Christ is all godlinesse in a mystery all the whole truth of God is lapped up in him as his infants body was lapped up in cloaths and swath-bands Else all knowledge is but a guessing and conjecturall thing count it then thy chiefe wisdome to be wise in escaping the snares of death and in beleeving unto salvation Oh! who shall bring me where I shall heare a Sermon of Christ to pardon me to reconcile me to God! If faith in the Lord Jesus once turne thy stream and carry thee with a fuller sway to heaven then all thy worldly wit carried thee before to thy cavills and objections there is hope thou hast well quitted thy selfe of carnall reason Faith the true eye to behold the mysteries of salvation Fifthly looke with the eye of faith into all the mysteries of godlinesse to beare downe carnall reason No mystery can be understood without faith The Spirit of God workes faith first as that instrument whereby the soule is led into all the secrets of God Faith by a promise will make carnall reason stand by as a very foole Hence it is that the spirituall man is said to judge all things even the hidden things of God And yet to be judged of no man 1 Cor. 3. Why Because the light of faith is the highest light All other lights are of a lower kinde And hence it is that a carnally wise man comming to heare a poore soule to speake by the light of faith touching the matters of God stands as a man astonished and as a foole in the presence of a wise man For why The Spirit which revealed the promise of salvation reveales therewith all other promises and all parts of the will of God So then I say in the fifth place let faith subdue thy reason and shew thee a reall sensiblenesse savour and wisdome in all the matters of God By her eye judge of the Sacraments discerne the reall presence of Christ there though not really carnall behold a sacramentall union betweene him and the Elements for the carrying of the soule into
and there the most refuse stuffe the most base opinions of the vulgar the errors of the wicked their own conjectures selfe sowne corne and the seed which growes upon their own soile will serve seeking out no further whence it comes to passe that their fruit their corne and their cattell prosper but their soules and consciences their spirituall peace and growth in grace comes to nought In other matters they finde no pudder onely in their estate to God-ward their feares and distempers are unspeakeable and for the most part remedilesse Oh! be choice then in your grounds and principles Search the Scriptures goe to the Law and Testimony get Gods heifer to plow with deny your selves and to conclude with this example of Naaman ascribe this honour to God that he is meetest to rule in his own element and therefore doe not forestall him in his owne way Thou wouldest hearken to each man in his owne element it is a maxime of experience as to a mariner in the judgement of the windes to a plowman about oxen to a souldier in point of battell and shall every one be preferred as a Counsellor for Religion and heaven before God and his word Pray and use all meanes for the spirit of thy great Prophet the Lord Jesus to advise thee how to passe all thy matters establishing all thy thoughts by his counsell that happy successe and blessing may follow thee in all thy waies Psal 119. and thou maiest be free from the miseries of error Advices for the well ordering of our course One word of advice and so an end It may be here demanded what principles should a man get for the managing of his course To which I answer It were needlesse here to number or instance in particulars It must be the habit of wisdome which must prompt the soule in such cases as fall out onely these three I would briefly commend to all who would cut off sorrow from their life The first concerning God himselfe the second touching men the third our selves yet all tending one way And these three are faith righteousnesse and contentation No three vices create so tedious a pudder in the course as distrust unrighteousnesse and discontent For the first see Heb. 13.5 1. Faith in God Let not your conversation be in covetousnesse for he hath said he will not faile I doe not give this rule to the poore onely but to the rich not onely this * Preached in the yeares 1630. 1631. deare yeare but alway Oh! this one error of distrust what a flood-gate of sorrowes doth it let in when charge of children debts deare prises unthankfull unmercifull world pinches a man then at the hardest to have this bond of the Lords in a corner to sue what a stay what boot in beame is it Oh! when a man can say my bond shall be as good as mony at all times I hold upon all sufficiency I have that I have from a fountaine alway running which shall hold when the deepest lake shall drie up But let a man want this bottome this center to draw lines of supply from it and what is a mans life but vexation causing the heart to bee endlesse in flinging about coasting and sherking every where and what then Indirect courses snares and endlesse unquietnesse defeat and disappointment of expectation and lying down in sorrow Oh! ye rich men in these hard times if God bee able to satisfie you as well in spending as sparing and provide you rest in the middest of other mens carking who thinke when all is done they shall dye beggars what shall ye lose by releeving the poore and starven ones Secondly righteousnesse is a brestplate armor of proofe 2. Righteousnesse to man to keep out darts and stinging vexation See Ephe. 6.14 As faith fences the inward man so doth this the outward Oh! goe out walke abroad in the world with this corslet and it shall repell all reproach and odious disdaine of men It will make a man shotfree as Charles the fifth rushing into the battell said a true Emperor was never shot with a bullet it will harnis thee against all feare what any man can cast in thy teeth whatsoever courses others take raking and scraping tooth and naile by hook or crook yet thou goest on quietly servest providence makest no more haste then good speed and hereby perhaps thou thrivest faster then great sticklers with all their irons in the fire But say thou shouldest not yet thou canst say that 1 Sam. 12.3 Acts 20.33 which they cannot with Samuel and Paul whose oxe have I taken whose silver have I coveted whose bloud have I sucked whose face have I ground Oh brethren This deare yeare I doubt may call the sinnes of many oppressors to remembrance The poore shall curse thee Oh thou regrater thou engrosser of corne and raiser of prises from seven to tenne shillings or a marke in the bushell And shall not the Lord heare them Will not the example of that corne cormorant who hanged himselfe the other day sting you A sad example will it not cause all thy false weights cut measures cheats tricks and cunning to vex thee then is the more behinde and one day this error of thine will gugge thee to the quicke and cause thee to cry out away with this mammon of deceit I am choked with it Thirdly contentation is a sweet ground to settle upon Phil. 4.6 Let your moderate minde be knowne to all men the Lord is at hand Bee content with your present state 3. Contentation in our selves as Heb. 13.5 Oh! what a world of sorrow doe they incurre who beginne their course with unsettled discontent Oh! the present is of all other most unpleasing They are going up the craggy hill looking at last to get to the toppe and there to finde a Paradise but they meet with a Purgatory A quiet minde sitting at the bottome of the hill is much better beside the trouble Get the ground of your content within for without you cannot it is safer to bring your mind to close with your meanes then make a coate for the Moone that is to draw them to an equipage with it for it is endlesse Oh! mens hopes and hurries are their life And what comes of it pudder and vexation The roote of the error is never amended in the progresse but growes worse as a fore that rankles House must be joyned to house land to land farme to farme trade to trade riches will not come in fast enough Alas to trade with a mans owne stocke is simple men must occupy with three parts of other mens stocks to a fourth of their owne They gape at their commings in but at their charges housekeeping servants toile of body and spirit ill debtors usurious payments they looke not They looke to cleare all and prove rich men But in the meane time their principle being bad corrupts their whole course and blasts their hopes For hee that
Naaman to see what a world of pride was hidden in thy counterfeit crouching and hypocrisie Levit. 13.45 Thou shalt cry out with that leper and say Oh uncleane Oh proud wretch I was humble in a way of mine owne while I had my will while all was well taken But when the Law came and convinced me that all was from and for my selfe then as Cain so did my countenance fall then I was mad and rebelled like a Tiger If I had beene truly humble I should have counted him my friend that would reprove me and his wounds to be as balme my kicking against the pricks argued what spirit I was of Oh! let this gaster all such in Gods feare And brethren if there be any such here let them beseech him who can turne all to the good of such at belong to himselfe that he would turne all their rebellion and pride and coinesse to the glory of his name and the making of their soules doubly meeker and humbler then before for so it is sinne is out of measure sinfull both in guilt and rebellion but grace is out of measure gracious to humble the soule for both else the word will prove the savour of death Vse 3 Let this be use of speciall Admonition to all Gods people to search and try their owne spirits Admonition to all sorts not to claw this itch of Selfe It is good to search the spirits of others But farre better to try our owne in this weighty case It is good for a Minister of God to beware of flatâ—ering men of this humor for Selfe is proud and coy because she would be soothed But it is farre better to abhorre flâ—ttering of our selves in this false humblenesse of our owne If Elishá should have come forth and soothed Naaman in this humor of his whiles God had him in taming what a confusion must have followed No he left him to chew upon Gods bit and so his heart came downe through mercy But flattery had puft him up to destruction Oh thou Minister of Christ Ministers beware of it or poore Christian wheresoever thou seest this itch claw it not sow not pillowes But above all beware of humoring â—hy selfe in it and consider this If thou canst be so willing in a way of thy owne to take such paines and to seeme so low and vile in thine owne eyes when as yet the Lord and thy soule know all is but to serve thine own turn and to keep a secret bredth in thine own loose heart Oh! I say if thou canst take such paines for nought how wise wert thou in season to convert thy paines to a right object I meane the way of God! If thou shouldest say unto me so I would if I could discerne my selfe I answer thee First pray God to scatter the mist from thine eies which Selfe hath long blinded thee with through a sweetnesse in affording God that pittance which thou couldest well spare him and yet hold thine own too Secondly search narrowly and thou shalt perceive that selfe-humility hath some markes of discovery to know her by These markes be warned against First she is very coy and queazy 1. Coy and queazy cannot indure to bee reproved Markes of Selfe defeated whereas true humblenesse in Gods way lyes open brested to receive every point of Gods weapon to let out her corruption and all because shee would be rid of it Learne therefore and bee warned to handle thine heart roughly in this corruption let none be more jealous and suspicious of thine humblings then thy selfe Be willing that the word teach thee that way of God wherein true humblenesse appeares shrug not at it but give way to it that it may worke kindly Refuse not reproofe inure not thy selfe to utter or heare thine owne praises thou shalt at last blesse God more for one Abigail and her counsell then for tenne flatterers Too tender skins cannot endure the pricke of a pinne How should they endure a corrasive then to eate out their dead flesh Secondly this selfe-humblenesse is lazy 2. Lazy and loath to take paines it conceives that if it should be convinced indeed it must be faine to put it selfe upon a sadder way then she is willing to heare of Abhor this ease be content to be informed of the worst the worst of it is to abhorre that which would destroy thee and God can give thee a safer ease in his owne way if thou canst trust him then thy way can afford if thou wilt suffer thine owne spirit to stoope to his Refuse no paines to amend a rooted error let it not seeme wearisome to thee to change thy course if the word will have it so Thou wilt censure a Papist that he will live and dye in the Religion of his forefathers when a better is revealed dye not thou in the antiquity of selfe-delusion To be willing to submit to any way of God for thy good is a sure marke of a humbled soule Thirdly false humblenesse discovers it selfe by this 3. Partiall she will love them that should teach her while they please her and no further if shee may not teach them how to teach her and put their lesson in their mouth she will none of them Abhorre therefore this marke Submit thy selfe to Gods discipline Naaman seemed humble when he stood at Elisha his doore but it was for a vantage when he had not that he looked for he became another man But learne thou to accept of the labours and counsells of any who are for thy good though never so harsh meane and despised instruments in the eyes of Selfe love them best who come most against her in the name of the Lord and crouch as humbly to the poorest adviser in this case as ever thou stoopedst hypocritically in thine owne way Lastly selfe-humility bewraies her selfe by this she is seldome in a frame but alway in her extremities observe thy selfe and thou shalt finde the symptomes to follow the disease of Naaman Thou shalt be but off and on out and in in thy mood very humble but by and by stout and coy againe It is not easily for a rolling stone to lye still But a falsly humbled heart will be alway breaking out Prov. 7.11.12 As Salomon speakes of a distempered woman shee may bite in her froward humors for a while as an hot gleame in a winters day but she is overcast presently and fills her house with clamors and chidings quarrells and passions because she is inwardly turbulent No painted white face doth so differ from the looke of a bedred man as the counterfeit humility of Selfe differs from the ingenuous hiew of a lowly spirit Beware therefore of extremities and till the Lord hath truly brought downe thy winter out of the sky know it will never rot there it must be the mercifull calme of grace which must bring a setled state upon thy soule It is no condition of safety to be trusted to which alway
insomuch that that the people thought it had beene better if the onset had never beene made Now when they saw this the Elders come to Moses saying God be judge betweene us and you q.d. we pray God there be plaine dealing among you for you have made us stinke in the sight of Pharaoh all goes worse and worse through your mediation Exod. 5.20.21 who would have liked this contrariety Yet the Lord who could exalt himselfe above all these lets and over Pharaoh himselfe wrought to his people a deliverance even from hence and that which this tyrant would not permit willingly to be done lo the Lord by forcible breaking in upon him doth compell him to and in the way of saving Israel from him overthrowes himselfe Joh. 9.5.35.36 See Joh. 9. When the Lord Jesus had once prevented that poore blinde creature with love and the handsell of his cure presently in stead of good successe all falls out very foule for why The Pharisees to stoppe the glory of it swarme like hornets about this poore man disquieting him with questions and snaring him with their malice till at last for his loyall Apology for Christ they had cast him out by excommunication This might seeme an hard gobbet for so weake a stomacke to digest and rather a meane quite to discourage him But could all their railing upon him and Christ alienation of him from Christ estrangednesse of parents doe it No as poore as that seed was in him yet lively it was and held out forcibly against all enemies valiantly defending Christs honour and innocency till when the time came that the Lord Jesus saw good to strike up the bargaine a few words served the turne and in the meane while no discouragements could beat him off all wrought him closer and faster to Christ by that secret and hidden attendance of the Spirit upon the poore entrance which had beene begunne Rom. 8. All shall tend from the first to the last to their good whom God loveth not onely in sanctification but in vocation also both being subordinate to election though the former under a stronger promise Act. 9.1.6.7.8 c. Who also thirdly could have thought that Paul had beene neare his conversion when he breathed out threats against the Saints like a Lion at his nostrills Yet that could not keepe off Gods preventing mercy from casting him downe and taming him and being so cast downe and a breach made let the Lord slacken his worke Did he not assist it strongly When this poore prisoner instead of pursuant lay blinde and desolate yea when all were affraid to meddle with him as thinking the Lion to be couchant for a skill that he might be rampant after how doth the Lord breake through all difficulties and sends Ananas to open the eies both of his body and soule and make him a sound man And thus here this poore Naaman in shew further from cure then at first how doth the Lord strangely turne the winde out of the East of a distemper into the South of a calme Causing here poore servants to become prevalent with their Lord to yeeld to that which he had renounced Surely so it is the Lord can on the suddaine cause deliverance to appear as recovery out of a long quartaine ague even when all hope is past when doome is given of shipwracke Act. 27. God shall make Paul to stand up with a word of hope to poore wretches he can hasten salvation with wings when it seemes a farre off when misery is at the deepest then comes up the seed of light which was sowne for the righteous As when there is no strength to bring forth the Lord unlooked for enlarges birth for the fruit that is to come to the birth and as the tender nurse overcomes the poore froward child with love and mildnesse till she have brought it out of it humors so here Esay 38. the doctrine then stands firme upon her bottome If any here aske Quest how and which way the Lord goes to work in such a businesse I answer Answ Assistance of grace wherein it stands by accommodating himselfe in speciall to the condition of such a soule as doth sticke thus in the birth and staggers between Gods preventing and perfiting grace I say his assistance is alway according to the soules difficulty Here in this case of Naaman we may clearly see how he steppes in by the servants furnishing them with more understanding of his case and inabling them to ponder the same with the sad effects of it more then Naaman himselfe and hereby kindling in them a sparkle of divine counsell which enabled them to speake wisely feelingly pertinently and in due season according to his condition with speciall blessing succeeding the same and carrying it home to their Masters spirit how easily had the thing fallen out otherwise in every of these had not God assisted him By these instruments the Lord first stopped the precipitate minde of Naaman from so suddaine a departure weakened his strong conceit overthrew his carnall cavill abated his pride cooled his rage enlarged the promise the easinesse the probablenesse yea the divinenesse and certainty thereof till having beaten downe his high thoughts he is made a low valley and prepared for cure and conversion So in like manner doth the Lord worke in any soule which needs his seconding assistance towards the enjoying of salvation he will not suffer them to want any helpe which may further them For example Instances Doth the Lord see their discouragements to come from others He will arme them with strong courage of resistance and resolution as Joh. 9. Are they miscarried with strong error agâ—inst the way of the promise The Lord will send them counsell from heaven to rectifie and settle them Are they held under great infirmity and crasinesse of spirit not daring to beleeve The Lord will not breake the reed that is already brused nor quench the smoking flax Are they prejudicate against the Minister God will bring forth his light as here he did Elisha's and imbreed an holy opinion of him Doe friends oppose and become enemies God will turne them to friends and furtherers againe Are they froward and distempered in spirit so that they are as troubled waters and cannot see light of truth or make so much haste that they cannot waite The Lord will sweeten and moderate their spirits with meekenesse and forbearance Are their corruptions strong The Lord will beate them downe before them Briefly be their lack and ayle whatsoever it can be God will supply it he will enlighten sustaine perswade enlarge prepare them for his worke both by casting out that which is contrary and by encouraging that which is weakly begunne till the worke be finished If he meane that the businesse shall be depending longer then the lets shall be smaller and more tolerable if the objections and oppositions be more forcible hee will shorten the season Note and hasten his worke
unkindly affronts shall end well when thou art weary of hearing God shall revive thy spirit so that thou shalt heare a voice behinde thee saying heare still thou shalt not be able for thy heart to give over the ordinances thy sullen heart shall not be permitted to prevaile in thee against the promise do what thou canst some light or other shall appear to encourage thee to cast out thy prejudice cavills frowardnes when others are left to themselves to sinke in their owne peevish rebellions thou shalt finde pitty thy tender nurse shall use all his wisdome not against thee but for thee and shall not bee provoked to give thee over as thou dost him thou shalt see it and blesse those armes that comprehended thee when thou couldest not containe thy selfe those feet that followed thee those hands that laid hold on thee saying returne O Shulamite returne whither wilt thou goe Out of blessing into the warme Sunne What boot will that bee to thee What an occasion of endlesse repentance and regret will it bee to thee hereafter to leave God in a tetch to forsake cleare evident sure mercies upon a toy and conceit of thine owne against the promise of him that cannot lye Oh! consider better of it lay not the bottome of remedilesse woe betimes Thou shalt wish one day of the Sonne of man hereafter and that it were with thee as it hath beene but then the guilt of thy former contempt and fullennesse shall be a thousand witnesses against thee Thus the Lord shall even revive the spirit of Naamans servants in thy spirit to pull thee backe from the pit and prepare thee for mercy Onely beware thou yeeld not to thy temptations but waite upon the word A caution hereupon Suffer not this grace of God in thee to be slighted as it is by hypocrites or to be damped and eclipsed by wantonnesse wordlinesse and base lusts as it is by prophane wretches for these will rankle in thee and fret into thy bowels a as canker and then feare not but other annoyances shall cease in due time and turne to a sweet calme in thee when suddenly the Lord Jesus awaking out of his sleepe shall rebuke them as he did the storme and waves which threatned the ship wherein he lay for it is as possible that those should have overwhelmed him and his Disciples as these shall ovewhelme thee perhaps thou conflictest with boylings of corruptions and rebellings against the Law of faith and righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus but even these shall humble thee turn to great casting of Self out of thee perhaps thou art cast upon same unwelcome crosses losses sicknesse feare of death before thy peace be made be content the Lord doth not try thee in vaine they are to make sure worke of thy heart and to bring thee to a duer sight of thy selfe they are not to destroy thee although thou maiest thinke them sent to discourage thee God shall put more courage then so into thee hee hath the power of death in his hand and it shall not seize upon thee till the worke of God in thee be past danger The bed of thy sorrow and the racke of thy conscience and the clattering of thy bones and thy loathing of dainty meates and drawing neare to the grave shall not hurt thee for all shall end well Job 33. and turne thee from the pit and when thou art convinced thereof thy loathnesse shall be turned to readinesse as Peters was Joh. 13.9 and thou shalt say Doe what thou wilt Lord if for good I am ready to stoope perhaps thy owne parents wife in bosome best friends and companions turne enemies looke estrangedly lye at thee with threats taunts scornes for thy casting them off and looking another way But be quiet the Lord shall teach thy fingers to fight and thee to thinke that the more pretious for which the Divell so blusters against thee resolve to beare what thou canst but surrender not thy hopes perhaps when the Law hath laid thee open to the sight of thine owne conscience buffeting thee with guilt and horrors exceedingly thine estate seemes worse and worse thy old liberty in a sinfull course bubbles up within thee tempting thee to shake off chaines to returne to it again but God shall teach thee to preferre his chaines to the Divells freedome In a word Satan will disquiet thee with Atheisticall thoughts against God Providence Scriptures the threats the promises as if they were all but fables so the wicked world through error counts them but in all this confusion the Lord shall not leave thee and as I said before through this sea dried up he shall bring his scattered ones rather then they shall perish All shall give place be it never so opposite rather then Gods worke shall be defeated And so much for this point of coherence may serve Another thing there is to be noted here Ground of second point Gods continuing still to buffet and humble Naaman ere I come to the substance of the words And that is that this thirteenth verse wholly aimes at a third buffeting and subduing of Naamans spirit to the obedience of Gods command Twice already you have heard how the Lord crossed him once by the idle carriage of the King who rent his cloathes when hee thought he would have healed him Another time when he waited at Elisha's doore for an answer of reall cure without delay We see these did but incense the froward spirit of Naaman and set him on carping and cavilling and not onely so but upon a will and stomacke of his owne to turne away and give over all Therefore to take downe his high lookes and that the cure which now followed might not light upon so rebellious a peece Lo the Lord tames him this third time not by sending Elisha to shame him but by setting him to schoole to his poore servants and underlings such as commonly were glad to be at his becke Doe this and he doth it goe and he goeth come and he commeth But lo now the case is altered the Lord so honours them that rather hee is under their authority they bid him come backe and he commeth they exhort him to goe to Jorden and he goeth they bid him doe this Wash seven times and he doth it yea and he is a happier man by thus obeying then ever in all his dayes by commanding We know when a Parent will abase a proud sonne he will not vouchsafe to correct him himselfe but put him to his Ostler or to his Groome to be chastened and this takes downe the pride of his sonne So here The Lord keepes Elisha within doores and sets the servants of this great stout Champion to take him to taske so ordering it that they must be conquerors of him who yet had got so many victories Now they can charme and levell his spirit more then any other and now these poore fellowes of farre lesse wit policy and insight must yet be
thy servants for ever Naaman here is not for nothing called father by his servants who are as thankefull to requite his respect And the truth is he might account the cure as wrought by their perswasion under God and his Prophet And still I say as before the fatherhood of Masters would breed childlike faithfulnesse in servants and doubtlesse the many clamors of both sorts against each other by taking these counsells would much what be stopped And so much for this point also added to the former by a necessary coherence So much also for the first qualification of servants and Masters faithfulnesse and respect The second thing in the persons attempting Their care for their Master with seasonablenesse and wisdome Now followeth the second thing to be noted in the persons attempting and that is their due behaviour of themselves in the attempt making Which I noted to consist in a compound of sundry vertues especially of wisdome tendernesse and seasonablenesse I will not handle them apart but altogether yet I would open them briefly for the better grounding of the doctrine And first their wisdome appeares in this that they mix awe and feare with love a due reverence compounded of both Some would rather have discovered disdaine of his folly and rage but even in these humours of his yet they bewray their reverence of him Father is a notion made of feare and love The ground of the point opened As if they had said your are our Master we your servants wee come now to treate with you in a case concerning your owne good yet wee understand our selves to be inferiours and that the person which we sustaine will not beare any boldnesse or sawcinesse Let our words therefore be accepted and wee shall thinke our paines well bestowed commonly men thinke reverence is superfluous in the case of welwishing to others we may be as bold and usurping as we list no but even in this also very great humblenesse and loyalnesse is required Secondly they are very tender meeke and mercifull to their Masters soule and present condition and because it needed some expostulating and contesting for the better piercing into him so yet they saw that his froward passion would not endure any harshnesse or sharpenesse from them and therefore they put on a meeke spirit instead of Master call him Father sugering the bitter potion they were to minister they come with the heart of a Lion for courage and resolution to thrust in the loose joynt into his place yet with the hand of gentlenesse and smoothnesse Even as Chyrurgians must doe to broken bones Wrath added to wrath would have caused madnesse But this mildenesse brake the dint of it Thirdly they adde seasonablenesse to both Angry men we say must be waited on till the humour is over But now the case required present advice For if their Master had set spurres to horse and made away homeward who knowes whether any opportunity would have beene offered them to treate with him But now while the Prophet was at hand and the cure in some hope it was their season to strike in with him and to prevent future danger Now therefore they rather chuse to take their time and to alay his wrath with much moderation of heart toward him then to waite for the cooling of it while remedy was past All these three come to one that is a due and discreet behaviour in attempting to heale one who was distempered and passionate If they had violently driven out one naile with another and taken him to taske thus Sir you shew your selfe scarse a man not wise enough to see what businesse you are about you are mad with your owne shadow and who shall be wise for one who will needs play the foole against himselfe Wee for our parts are resolved to give you over if you bee at this point goe home hardly and repent at leasure c. Alas what had come of it ten to one a further enraging of him and a splitting him against the rocke of his owne passion and making the disease incurable This therefore they saw was no course to be taken with him and therefore they melt him with mercy rather then batter him with terror saying Father if the Prophet had said some hard thing wouldest not have done c. They cover their expostulation with sweet speech as one that would lap up a pill in the pap of an apple The point then will be this It is no easie taske for any Doctrine It is no easie taske to advise rightly in spirituall distresses to encounter them aright who are in any distemper or thus To speak to them that are distempered in spirit to any good purpose is a worke of some difficulty And as touching the ground of this point out of the text it is evident that it was difficult for these poore servants thus to encounter their Master For to say truth it was none of their owne worke but the Lords in them who set them on As is was said of Hophni and Phinees 1 Sam 2.25 it was from the Lord that they should not heare the counsell of their father because he meant to destroy them and of Rehoboam 1 King 13. it was from the Lord that he should not heare the voice of his old counsellors that so he might fall So it was from the Lord that Naaman should take counsell of his servants not to turne away in a rage but goe to Jorden and wash that so he might be healed and therefore much more the meanes were from the Lord whereby this was effected The Lord sent them forth with meet furniture and caused them to prevaile which else would not have beene For these three qualities of wisdome tendernesse and seasonable fidelity Reason 1 are no common gifts either in servants or Ministers or any others for the redresse of the afflicted in soule and spirit Every one will jangle and prate of them that are troubled it is easie to play the foolish the harsh and unseasonable counsellors but wise meeke and savoury counsell is as they say of truth hidden deepe in the earth and hardly digged out I will say a word or two of the text and then enlarge my selfe further to the point First for inferiours to encounter a superiour Amplifying of the point out of the text a Noble man of great spirit was a thing of some difficulty especially in such a perverse temper as he was in Equals to equals or superiours to inferiours carry an hand of greater authority then inferiours to their betters Because the spirit of the great soone rise against the meane as if they thought themselves despised And therefore the Lord forbids every one to meddle with the elder or ancient by reproofe but to exhort them as fathers 1 Tim. 5.1 they will not easily beare it they must heare of their fault by implication as Naaman here doth And secondly distemper is a kinde of superiority of it selfe because
effect Now till the one be severed from the other and the soule see cleerly what troubles it looke what is spoken is as water spilt upon the ground For what availes it to lay an outward plaister upon a soule sicknesse or to give spirituall counsell to a worldly sorrow and a carnall malady When the body is eased then the soul still remaines in her distemper and never complaines There is many one that being rid of shame poverty enemies bad husband or wife never complaine after Againe oftimes there is a true speciall disease and yet through the distemper of the spirits by melancholy 3. Unstablenesse c. the soule is not capable of counsell through unsettlednesse and ficklenesse which till physicke have removed the soule cannot apprehend or retaine counsell Againe some are so weake and feeble minded that they through long custome in their greefes cannot well tell how to beginne or proceed in the mentioning of their estate Others have confused legall terrors so that all is not well with them and yet they cannot directly say why Perhaps they have beene indirecty wrought upon by some afflictions upon them in their bodies children wife or name and this hath pinched them so farre that their consciences are toucht and give in some reason against them from their owne guilt and sin yet not in a kindely sort from the word convincing them and killing corruption or leaving them in case to heare of any remedy Others are distempered in spirit yet not from within but without the Divell mixing himselfe with their fancy and thoughts and so causing a distemper in the frame of their soules as by hideous temptations about the Godhead the Scriptures the Ordinances the Providence of God c. And sometimes by heating the fancy he disturbeth the will with base desires and the sensuall appetite with odious lusts when yet the soule of it selfe is no cause hereof in speciall Some are troubled for their corrupt natures Others for some peculiar corruptions or evills inward or outward Some are dâ—stempered about their Evangelicall disposition either about the condition of faith the truth of it the measure of it or the roote whence it commeth or else the worke of faith it selfe the long delay between the one and the other the holding under of their spirit by feares by the difficulty of beleeving by the hiddennesse of Gods decree by the freedome of the spirits working by the feare of death ere the promise bee received by casting the unlâ—keliâ—ood of ever beleeving or of casting out some lust that dogges them or of finall persevering Others are troubled about the truth of grace Others the measure Others the recovery of it after their revolts In such a multitude and variety of diseases had not he need to be one of a thousand who should discerne wisely the speciall case of a distempered spirit Especially when perhaps the spirit it selfe cannot cleerly judge of her own The applying of remedies hard And secondly when the malady is perceived yet the application of the remedy and the beating in of resolution and satisfaction is not so easie The cure of diabolicall temptation is contrary to the cure of our owne corruption He that should urge a poore soule to attend the one or to shake off the other suddenly might destroy it There are peculiar remedies according to the diseases one salve and counsell cannot heale all sores oftimes there is necessity of staying a man in an extremity who yet may not be comforted Againe the objections of an unsatisfied spirit are not easily answered although perhaps the remedy be knowne Want of experience or of tendernesse or as the case may be of courage and boldnesse or too much haste or delay in applying remedy or want of some speciall apt Scriptures to terrifie or such promises or examples as might specially comfort are out of minde and finally the Lord is not present with every counsell and so the cure waxes tedious the patient impatient the counsellor weary and discouraged So much for the Reasons Now I come to the Uses Vses And first I would beginne with one or two generall ones the one touching the dealing with naturall distempers The other touching the duty of inferiours when they are called to treate with their betters For Naamans distemper much what was a carnall moodinesse and rage And the servants who encountred it were inferiours yet prospered in their attempt because qualified for the purpose In the first respect let it be Instruction 1. Instruct 1. Branch Anger must be pacified with meekenesse 1 Pet. 2.23 Prov. 26.5 to all who have to deale with distempered passions that they requite not evill with evill Let the same minde be in us which was in our Lord Jesus of whom Saint Peter saith When he was reviled he reviled not againe when he suffered he threatned not but committed himselfe to him that judgeth righteously And the like hath beene the practice of all Gods Saints except in some cases we be compelled to answer a foole according to his foolishnesse lest he encrease in his pride and rage and so grow to implacablenesse Thus Ipta handled those proud Ephramites who would be answered with no reason Judg. 12.4 but shewed that they came with proud and disdainfull hearts to speake desperately in their wrath An exception When hee saw them more enraged with his equall answers he fell to blowes and cooled their courage with slaying two and forty thousand of them And the truth is none but dogged hearts and treacherous spirits will be incensed by softly speeches For the Lord hath appointed it as a quencher of the cause of wrath Pride and Selfe are the matter and cause of this distemper and that which kills these kills the effect Mildenesse and love will shame pride and put it to confusion and when an angry man sees his wrathfull face and sparkling eyes in a quiet glasse he is astonished and afraid of himselfe but if he see himselfe in another which is like himselfe he is enraged to try who shall shout furthest in the Divells bow None save a Iudas will be provoked with mildenesse And therefore it is just that such should be left to the fruit of their owne hands to reape as they sow But usually it is otherwise and so have the Saints practised Not onely such as have stood in feare of the angry as it stood Abigail upon to please David with faire words and with kinde presents 1 Sam. 25. because she saw him armed to make havoke but even such as had power to revenge themselves Thus Gedeon when he could have served those Ephramites as Ipta after did yet he chose rather to appease them by faire speech Alas saith hee Judg. 8.3 you shall not need to grudge me this victory for what is my strength and prowesse to yours And who knowes not Ephraim to be chiefe of the tenne tribes Or what is the whole vintage of Abiezer to the after
gatherings of Ephraim Oh this pleased them well and so their fiercenesse abated So David when he had the advantage of Saul twice 1 Sam. 24.4 both when hee was asleepe and tooke away the pot of water from him and his speare another time when he cut off the lap of his garment and came after him saying I could have slaine thee this day and instead of cutting thy lap cut thy throate but thy life was pretious to me This for the time shaked his fury and wildefire and although it could not wholly quench it yet his end was most desperate as commonly theirs is whose rage a calme answer and milde usage will not qualifie So Iaacob in his returne from Laban foreseeing Esau his old grudge Gen. 33.13 sets himselfe in an exquisite manner to appease him first by gifts then by great titles and humble carriage whereby he turned off that rage which else might have brake out if hee had opposed him by violence Oh! such Abigails Davids Gideons and Iaacobs are much wanting and almost out of the world 1 Sam. 25.18 Now men have justled out Divinity and made a mocke of it by their brave stomacks maintaining that a man shall bee so much reputed amongst others as he reputes himselfe and stands upon his tearmes and he that puts up one wrong or reproach provokes two And it is true if we be such indeed as stand to our owne and the worlds judgement and barre appealing from Christs we may take our course goe on without let till shame and repentance and perhaps meeting with our matches doe compell us But if Christs voice will prevaile and wee will stand to his tribunall hee hath told us plainly such cowards and white-livers we must bee and yet Christianity makes us rather as bold as Lions in a just defence if we will be his read Matth. 44.5 You heard them say of old marke revenge is the old Religion though in a new cut Thou shalt love thy friend and hate thine enemy eye for eye tooth for tooth wrath for rage But I say unto you marke the voice of the new Gospel of peace love your enemies doe for them that spite you and speake evill of you and hate you Turne the other cheeke to him that smites you on the one cheeke That thus you may be children of your father in heaven who lets his raine and sunne fall upon the ground of the bad as well as the good And this is the same with that of Paul Rom. 12. If thine enemy hunger thirst or be naked give him meate drinke and cloathing Rom. 12. thus heaping hot coales upon his head recompencing evill with good And lest ye should think there is one Divinity for plaine folke and another for Courtiers Gentlemen and brave sparkes of hot and noble bloud looke I pray upon Elisha's Divinity which hee brought to Ieroboams Court 2 King 6.21 when he had brought the Aramites blindefold to Samaria hee askes them My father shall I smite them But the Prophet answers No smite them whom thou takest in the warre kill not in coole bloud set bread and meate rather before them and feast them and so send them home to their Master and so he did and the bands of Aram came no more that yeare It was good policy and Religion too And no doubt but many of our braving and lofty stomacks when they have met with the affronts of them whom they have provoked as commonly boasters alway goe by the worse then they wish they had beene wiser and held in their stomack ill afterward But I doubt many of our challengers and duellers if they were put upon the enemy in a pitcht battell and in Gods way would prove like those sparkes spoken of in Judg. 9. I meane Gaall and his brethren who asked who is Abimelec But when they saw him their hearts fainted and they were beaten downe To conclude let this generall Instruction brethren reach to all states persons occasions Let the word dwell in us plentifully in all wisdome to guide us in our course The word is answer not a foole in his folly lest thou be like him The patient man is better then he who is hasty in his spirit and in his matters He that overcomes himselfe is better then he that overcomes a City Ecles 7.8 Rom. 12.19 Be slow to speake and slow to wrath Here be the rules If the former examples of Saints perswade not thereto let the practise of these heathen servants shame and upbraid us You husbands and wives remember Satan is alway at your elbow if he can dstemper you quickly will the whole house be distempered and out of frame and your examples will fret like a canker Doe therefore as wise Abigail did to drunken Nabal for drunkennesse and rage are both madnesse she gave way to him while hee was in his cups and in his jollity of feasting but next day when wine was out and wit in she told him of his base distemper and then he was tame So do not take your husbands or wives weapon out of their hand suddenly to wound him or her If one rage let the other pray and be innocent perhaps the Lord will do thee good for their wrath Consider each other the party in coole bloud consider of the other party as of a man in drink prevented by his passion that masters him Doe not now adde oile to the flame and drunkennesse to thirst But remember now God tries me These words are as stinging as fiery darts this tongue is set on fire by hell but now doth the Lord vex every veine in my heart to see what mettall I am made of If now I listen to my lust and outshoot the Divell I may set a marke upon my selfe and be ashamed but if I can possesse my soule with patience now and keepe my fort strong I shall shew my selfe a man or woman stronger then a conquerour Luke 21.11 I will deny my selfe therefore and take away anger from mine eyes Ecles 11.10 and distemper from my heart I will seasonably give over strife lest it become as a fire broken out or as the barres of a Palace Better so then let your shames breake out to others and so be faine to put your quarrells to arbitration and then your selves shall be the first that repent it The like I say to you all brethren in your worldly dealings and controversies or in those tetches which you take each at other Breake not out to open words of defiance upon meer conceits but weigh the reports perhaps they come from tale-bearers examine your grounds and although you finde truth in them yet see what construction they will beare Jam. 4 4. consider that the spirit that is in us lusts after envy If these reports will not beare a good censure yet coole your hearts first then debate the quarrells in coole bloud before witnesses if the fault be proved let it be sufficient that he is convinced
you may say the living are worse and stinke worse above ground then if they had beene rotting in their graves So that by experience we are now growne to trust no sicke mens promises whatsoever they bee Oh you wofull people Doe you thus requite the Lord Alas I foresee you are ripe for the harvest and groane for the sickle to reape you downe indeed at last without any remedy And although some of you make a shift to hold out 1 Thes 5.2 yet your damnation sleeps not it shall come like a whirlewinde when you cry peace most then shall it come swiftly Oh be reproved Sort. 4 And lest I should touch upon outward blessings and deliverances only let mee adde somewhat of Gods word and his patience towards others of us How have some of you here present complained of your sillinesse to conceive the things of God the hardnesse of your hearts to melt at the word How have you beene vile in your selves for your ignorance and unbeleefe How have you wondred at the gifts of others Oh! if I might obtaine mercy of God to pray as such to remember to conferre as they how should I use it The Lord hath heard some of you granted you light and discerning melted your hearts enlarged your affections ripened your gifts and hath any sweet fruit proceeded from hence Could ye also trust him for the creating of the grace of faith in you and for converting your natures have you not given him over in that worke for the granting whereof he was sealed Joh. 6.27 I meane the seeking of the meat that perisheth not No But hee hath beene content with common gifts and so rested You have therefore shewed you selves false in covenant and given over the Lord in the plaine chase when you might have felt and groped the Lord in his manifest providence Act. 14. Sort. 6 Others how hath God lengthened out their daies beyond expectation When as they never looked to have harrowed that which they had sowne not so much as to see one of their children brought up How hath God given them a restitution from paines and infirmities and made their latter daies which they never thought to see farre better then the former so that they have lived to see more of Gods truth both in word and works Rom. 2.3 then ever they imagined But what hath this long suffering of God led them to repentance Hath not their clay laid in the warme sunne hardened the more Is their any power in their soules to breake off their old lusts and to returne to God sincerely No surely but having the better end of the staffe they have prolonged life to encrease wrath and to treasure up vengeance Nay to speake a word to the better sort how many of us in our deepe heavinesse of spirit under the Sort. 7 burthen of conscience when no counsell could worke upon us have even given sentence on our selves that there is no hope Jerem. 2. how have wee counted our lives scarce worth a straw under our feete Yet hath the Lord blowne over our fears made a calme swallowed up death into victory Nay some of us in our deepest sicknesses of body when sinne and Satan are most busie have we not found God neerer to us then in our best health Hath he not answered us as Hanna in our long praiers Hath he not enlarged the promise unto us by the seale of his Spirit making as I may say the light of the Moone as the light of the Sunne and the light of the Sunne seven times greater then ever in comfort and holy confidence above all feares How hath this wrought with us Hath it knit us in so firm a covenant with God as never to be broken off Hath it caused us to walke here below as shadowes and to despise all the earth in comparison of our hopes I doubt not but some doe and shall finde the fruit of it at death But oh that such faire wether should doe harme and be an occasion to make us wax wanton earthly and thinke grace to be pind to our sleeves how reproveable is it Good brethren looke to your selves If carnall reason bee so base what is it to blindfold our eies against ocular mercies Oh! such favours as some of us have met with should make us cry out I have found I have found God hath not dealt with others as with me Therefore whether it be my lot to be in straits or whatsoever temptations I must endure yet I will call to minde the old mercies of the Lord and be comforted yea I will gladly be under infirmity 2 Cor. 12.9 that the strength of God may be perfected in me and though he kill me yet I will trust in him through mercy Oh that this fruit might appeare Who would have thought that when Hezechias request was granted to wit the going backe of the Sunne tenne degrees for the assuring of his recovery that his recovery should have beene so stained with apostacy But alas God hath made our fears and griefes goe back as many for us and yet we have revolted not as he did once but made a falling sicknesse of our course To conclude the Use In the Sacraments and Seales of Gods Covenant Sort. 8 how hath Christ come as it were in his likenesse unto us and by outward signes spoken to all our senses yea thrust our hands into his very sides that if it be not himselfe let us distrust him still see feele smell handle taste eate my flesh drinke my bloud a fancy hath no substance lo here is substance What fruit hath it had Brethren I shall speake a fearfull speech I am resolved that the carnall reason of most men is enlarged rather then diminished by the Sacraments And the judgement of most is become greater by them then if they had never had any Alas they cry not out as ashamed and convinced ones My Lord and my God! Thomas himselfe shall rise up against such So much for this Use also Thirdly let this be a caveat to Gods owne people to teach them to Vse 3 beware of this evill except they will have the Lord reprove them to Admonition their faces viz. That they will beleeve God no further then they see him when they heare the promises urged upon all broken and mourning soules what say they Yea you say well if wee could feele it thus Instances 1. Putters off the promise to be reproved First I say this may bee a pranke of an hollow heart and then it is horrible As we see in those Jewes who were alway pressing upon Christ for a signe Tell us if thou be the Christ And why Not as meaning to beleeve for so he tells them I have told you oft by preaching and miracles yet you beleeve not but as a cloake of your prophanenesse viz. That they could not so cleerly behold him as they desired But put case it be otherwise with us and that thou meanest
without satisfaction made which Divinity passes my skill and I thinke savours more of Socinianisme and Humanity then Divinity I returne In respect either of the Fathers cutting off his plea and finding out a mercy in the bottome of his brest exceeding justice and revenge or the consent of the Sonne to admit of those conditions of obeying and suffering for the purchase of peace and abolishing enmity Col. 1. it is most strange unlikely and difficult But considering that he to whom all things are easie would apply and bend himselfe with all his power wisdome and truth to bring his good pleasure of free saving to passe and would devoure all difficulties therefore nothing could be hard but all easie to such love so armed and attended God so loved the world saith Saint Joh. 3.12 that he gave his onely Sonne But otherwise in it selfe it was a great thing Iacobs toile in heat and frost was great though love made it sweet And so to end though it cost Christ an infinite price yet being freely offered to us it cost us nothing its easie Reason 4 Fourthly the dispensation is easie In respect whereof the Lord doth not restraine nor limit his grace In respect of the dispensation of it and the efficacy of this price I speake now of his revealed will not secret but offers it by the Ministry of the Gospel to all sorts without let or barre That whosoever will submit himselfe to his way and dispensation with humblenesse the Lord will be found ordinarily by such without putting difference He doth not sh oll out or discourage any as if hee did not intend it to them he doth not reject any who reject nor him nor forsake any conceive me rightly who forsake not him And their rejecting or forsaking proceeds not from his decree working it but from their malice and unbeleefe procuring it But as for the Lord 2 Cron. 16.4 hee doth not forestall or prejudicate the spirit of any man to his dispensation but freely generally and fully offers to all sorts of sinners the benefit of his grace and pardon who doe not basely and treacherously withdraw themselves and cavill against his simplicity The Lord doth not put difference in his offer saying to such or such an one I offer it to such and such I doe not he offers alike to all and although some conditions go before the actuall application of the promise yet those conditions are wrought in the soule by the offer in all who doe walke with God in the wâ—y of his Ordinances except they fight and resist the same So then whosoever doth not despise the counsell of God Luke 4. and thinke himself unworthy of salvation but shew himself of the number of them who are drawne and perswaded to accept it he shall assuredly partake it So much for the fourth Fifthly to come a little nearer that is to the reall efficacy of working Reason 5 grace and the obedience of faith that 's easie also For why The condition of faith is easie to such as belong to election When as the Lord hath brought the soule under the condition of faith partly by loading the same under her misery partly by the presenting to her the sweetnesse gainfulnesse and faithfulnesse of the promise and partly by removing all such barres and lets as might disswade the soul from it then hereby to such a one it becomes easie to beleeve And to say the truth to these its onely easie in the true kinde and proper sense of easinesse For why These are exempted from the common sort of hearers to whose thoughts the very conceit of faith is a difficult thing much more the enterprise For alas Naturally what in all the world is so harsh and unwelcome to our carnall disposition as to obey the Gospel Not to preach to heare to give away our wealth to sacrifice our children to keepe the Law are so hard as this But to such as the Lord hath brought under the authority love and conduct of the word and the Spirit of grace working thereby he makes it sweet and easie Others plod and take on make a bungling worke of it Esay 63.12 Psal 23.3 as we see untidy servants goe awkely about their businesse which neate and skilfull ones dispatch at once but the Lord conducts these as a shepheard leads his sheep into the greene pastures and as those Israelites were led by the pillar of fire and cloud through the wildernesse If a traveller be set right on his journey his ease is in his guide As Isaac seeing Iacob bring venison so soone asked him how he came so quickly by it Hee told him because the Lord thy God brought it to his hand So hee had no need of Esau his hunting Now briefly it shall not bee amisse to shew by what steps the Lord makes this worke easie and familiar to his people First Cernaine particulars of this holy ease The first as he giveth them a sweet view of this worke of obeying the Gospel that is a cleer familiar conceiving thereof so that it is not an intricate and wearisome object As Salomon describes the way of the fluggard to be an hedge of thornes which no man is willing to medle with So also the Lord brings the soule unto the doore of hope shewing it an entrance and a possiblenesse of escape working a knowledge of it and withall an hearty and close aime and sympathy to it Hosea 2. It so plants the soule under the promise that the droppings of Gods myrrhe oile and balme do not light beside it but right into it When a man hath got the promise of a lease he is sure of the next vacancy So men that lay in for an advouzon waite for the next avoidance It is a good ease for a poore Scholar in the University to be made a Probationer of the next Fellowship as in some Colledges they use for then hee waites in hope and is eased of the hazard of missing Such Probationers and Candidates of heaven doth the Lord first make his poore people that so having an inckling of his meaning they goe on with sweetnesse because heaven is theirs in the grant and reversion As once an holy man told mee that the Lord intimated his heart with this thought that if he would seeke him faithfully in the meanes he would save him A marveilous priviledge So that looke when any grace falls from God they are the parties whom it will light upon this takes off an exceeding deale of bondage and makes meanes sweet So it was to them of Ninivee Jona 3.7.8.9 Judg. 14. Jer. 4.3 who upon this hint from God applyed themselves to the meanes very carefully This causes the heart to plow with Gods heifer to finde out his riddle and to see into the mystery of the promise and therefore to plow indeed and fall to worke to rend up the fallow grounds of her proud rebellious nature selfe and scurffe to hunger after
known some loose professors who have sought to exceed all other their neighbours in the love of a godly Preacher and who but they in their running riding assisting of him They have been as his right hand of trust and service But lo in a short time these fellows bewray that which lay secret to wit an uncleane covetous voluptuous heart and what then Surely all men see evidently that these clave to the Minister for their owne base ends and to conceale their vices A speciall watchword to all Ministers of God to beware how farre they engage themselves in the love of any professors A caveat to Ministers See Joh. 2.24.25 Ministers reproach themselves in ascribing too much and trusting too far such as they know not who make toward them in speciall relation Try them throughly in their obedience as well as their pretended love or else the time may come when as their basenesse shall discredit your persons and Ministery farre more then all their love could prevaile If when all is done they are so subtill that we cannot espy them the sinne shall be theirs wee have saved our owne soules and may wash our hands in innocency because we have done our duties When all is done therefore this will hold water if we obey Heb. 13. So saith the Apostle Obey them that are set over you And Paul I beare you witnesse you obeyed the forme of doctrine delivered unto you And againe you received our doctrine not as the word of man but as the word of God Every good hearer should say to his Minister as Elisha did to Gehazi 2 King 5. end Went not thy spirit with me when I ranne after the man So did not the spirit of my faithfull Pastor goe with me when I was in such a company recreation or worldly businesse Me thought it curbed me from lightnesse and vanity from deceit from sinning in my tongue or in any disguisement of intemperancy or cousenage or covetousnes to think if he now saw me how should I be ashamed to do thus Oh! he loves me tenderly my souls welfare and should I grieve him thus 2 Cor. 3.2 This is indeed to be the Epistle of the Minister written in our hearts approving our love unto him to purpose Not that there is not a stronger motive then this to awe and draw people from good to evill for there is an holy Spirit of annointing which is given to all good ones which hath shed the love of Christ into their hearts and filled them with the length and bredth of it this should hem in the soules of beleevers for so the word is 2 Cor. 5.7 and compell them to watch over themselves This must bee the chiefe Monitor in the Schoole of Christ If the voice of this great Prophet be not obeyed for it selfe the voice of the servant as he is called Esay 50. will be little worth For what wonder if they disobeyed the voice of Moses the messenger of God Heb. 2.2.3 who rebelled against that holy Spirit which set him on worke and vexed it all those forty yeares as it is Esay 63.11 No it must be the spirit of the Master which must make his Steward esteemed The love of the Lord Jesus must make the love of the Minister compulsive else it will prove nothing but slavish feare or to avoid base shame as we see in many a drunkard or swearer who for the presence sake of a sinfull man will for an houre or two bite in their qualities which yet they tremble not to commit in the presence of God all the yeare long Conclude this point then and say I pretend love to my Minister how shall I demonstrate it really As Cornelius did Act. 10. It s said he fell downe and tooke Peter by the feet in token of excessive love and respect But what was this all No surely But this that he tells him They were all ready to hearken to whatsoever the Lord said unto them by him This was a sure marke love and feare make reverence and thence comes obedience When love is solid it workes by feare and causes a loathnesse to doe any thing which might grieve the Minister it sits like Mary at the feet of the Minister ready to obey And that not onely in slight matters to remove some sinne which may be spared 1 Sam. 15. as Saul that killed the leane cattell and the baser sort of Amalek but even the belovedst lust and most pretious vice even the fat cattell and the King himselfe True love abhorres common evidence its painfull it will be singular and aske Matth. 5.47 Joh. 21. what singular thing doe I to approve my love When our Saviour would try Peters love he askes him Lovest thou me more then these As some think he meant of his nets occupation as others of his fellow Apostles Both will do well Love thy Minister by obeying more then others yea love him more then thy nets thy beloved trade thy lusts which bring thee in the greatest gaine thy sweet usury thy gaming thy deceit which others who love him not would as soone lose their lives as forgoe The forfeit of these will import strongly that thou lovest not him for any by respect but as he is a Minister of God I remember a story of Pope Pius the fifth one that was reputed as humble as a proud Pope might be who being told of a base fellow that had much abused him in a Pasquill answered I sustaine two persons one of a poore Monk another of Christs Vicar if thou hast railed upon me as a Monk I pardon thee if as Pope I must punish thee So there is no true Minister of Christ who lookes at himselfe as a man but at the honour of him whose servant he is and to whom he desires all the peoples obedience should be derived Try therefore whether thy lusts can draw thee stronglier then he if two loadstones draw both together the iron will goe to the strongest So let thy love goe to him from thy lust Fleire not in his face nor beare him faire in hand when as yet thine heart goes another way Doe nothing behinde his backe which thou wouldest not doe before him In all thy doubtfull matters consult with him let him come within thy bosome know thy secrets and hide nothing from him wherein he can informe thee for he is for God and Christ 1 Cor. 5.20 as a faithfull Embassadour for thy good Doth he tell thee O my friend I perceive your zeale quales shrewdly in this Laodicean age you heare oft but sleep much at Sermons you jangle so much of earthly businesse upon the Sabbath that I feare you meditate little Or you are zealous but you grow not in knowledge wisdome tendernesse to manage your zeal aright from rashnesse and censoriousnes Or you are noted to be full of words or a busie body Or you are given to flout and jeere when you are in company Or you are bold to
desolate and desperate which is the estate of hypocrites and selfe-deceivers Esay 50. ult and so God should put no difference between a poor humbled soul mourning for him and one that compasses himselfe with his own sparkles All these being of infinite absurdity and ill consequcnce it must needs bee that God will not bee angry nor contend for ever but finde a time an accepted season in which he will ease the heavy heart of her distempers and set her at liberty Thirdly the Lord hath the spirit of man and the passages and waies Reason 3 thereof in his owne hand to sway draw alter turn it as he pleases He formed the spirit first of his owne breath knows how it defiled it self understands the wofull inability of it to heale it selfe sees and beholds the secret windings and turnings of it how it wraps it selfe into endlesse errors and wearisome doubtings he permits all these in wisdome and when he sees his fittest time he can turne the course and streame of the spirit his owne way though the rebellion crossenesse feares and staggerings thereof be never so perplexed There is an absolute soveraignty of God over the will and conscience of man that when hee please he can do with it as men do with rivers of waters Proverb which though naturally they runne downeward yet by art and skill are recalled and derived to such uses as best serve to the benefit of the owners so that the question is not whether the heart would of it selfe encline but whether God enclines it Fourthly the power of the Spirit is such that it blowes at it owne Reason 4 pleasure and is of a most perfect freedome to blow where when how farre it selfe will and is not in the power of any Divell enemy man himselfe to crosse it God hath the winde of perswasion in his owne hand and he holds the winde in his fist All perswasions arguments and motives doe so farre prevaile or not prevaile with the spirit of man as the Spirit it selfe pleases to set them on When he will overrule the Spirit a little motive a word speaking shall effect it when he will stop the power of it nothing shall prevaile Luke 5.3.7 As Peters nets lay by when the season was so when the time of catching came all the fish came together and were enclosed under it So the counsells of the best wisest strongest must lye by as ineffectuall when God is absent the heart lies as a stone frozen into ice no axes mattocks strife of man shall break it But when his heart is enclining to man and meanes him good then shall the Spirit lye in another coast and suddenly thaw and melt the ice of the soule and dissolve those strong chaines which bound it before and made it past mans skill to pierce it so that as before nothing could soften it so now nothing shall harden it Now then marke If this power be in the Spirit of grace it must needs serve for somewhat it is not needlesse Therefore it must serve to this end to rid captives of their chaines to speake a word in season to a soule that is weary to carry the seed of life and the promise into the poore and fatherlesse spirit and there to enter open and enlarge the soule so farre that as it had no power to apply to receive or embrace any light or hope now it may be as the eternall gate opened by the eternall Spirit who hath the key of David and have no power to shut it selfe any more nor to resist the Spirits power and perswasion Reason 5 The fifth Reason is taken from the scope which mercy propounds to herselfe in the turning the soule to God Even the glory of it own selfe and that nothing may share with it selfe in this great worke of over-powring the soule As she onely hath those weights in her hand which can over weigh the base and backward heart so she will doe it when the soule hath struggled and tyred her selfe in her owne way hoping by her owne skill to effect it Then can mercy onely save the soule and remove the false principle which she found in the soule to crosse it even when the soule seemed to be most earnest in seeking it The Lord seeks more to honour himselfe above the soule then to shew it mercy onely for the private good thereof and when he findes that the soule herselfe can make no work of it is past hope in herselfe sees most basenesse in herselfe then is his fittest season to worke for his owne name and then none shall share with him in that point whereof he is so jealous that is his glory Esay 63.4 Esay 42.5 There is a speciall text of worth for this point which I wish all to observe Esay 57.17 I was angry with him and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart But I have seene his wayes and will heale him and restore comfort and create peace What While he goes on in his frowardnesse kicks against the pricks and hath no disposition in him to convert Surely no for all the work of Selfe is but the frowardnesse of a man with himself because he cannot have his will of God But then will God heale that man may be set on ground and bee convinced of his owne impotency for no reason can be given why at last the Lord should so overrule him save meer mercy to one in misery except any will say that a froward heart can merit any mercy So then the entire glory of the grace of mercy causes the Lord at last to finish the worke hee hath begunne that both the Alpha and Omega may be his both warpe and woofe from him Thus much for Reasons Now I proceed to some Questions Three Questions For upon that I have said sundry may be made Especially these three First wherein doth appeare that a soule in the way of grace and under the condition of it may yet a long time lie under such distempers ere it come to apply the promise this may arise from the present case of Naaman of whom the Doctrine saith that the Lord now found a time of grace for him though it were long first some therefore may desire to see it proved that it may be long first wondring that it befalls not the soule as soone as shee is under the condition of it The second question may bee why the Lord should permit such delayes and longsome staggering since that it may seeme it were better if it were speedy and put out of doubt at first Thirdly it is asked by what markes it may appeare to a poore soule that the Lord intends to finish his worke and to set her out of her old feares and distempers To answer the first of these this I say experience proves it that conversion is not finisht in many a soule which yet may be under a condition Quest 1 of it as soone as begunne Why conversion is not
perfected all at once But many things befall one in such an estate I say not alway but oftentimes which buffet and baske it shrewdly put it into sad demurres feares and suspitions that all will not prove well at last that she hath begunne at the wrong end and therefore not knowing what to make of it selfe sits in ashes and heavinesse a long time till God bring healing to her To mention some of these out of the experience of most mens ordinary complaints one may be this Answ That although they have been loaden with sin and desirous of ease Conversion hâ—th many preparations althougâ— the very act of it be at an instant yet by ignorance they are held downe so that they know not whether there be any ease for them to be had or no Satan so blindefolds their eyes that the way of God is hidden from their eyes their conscience is oppressed but they doe not feele that it it is a work of God preparing them to hearken after ease and remedy but rather esteeme it as a most unhappy condition fallen upon them to bring them to ruine for they judge themselves by others whom they heare of who make away themselves to be rid of their misery And indeed so it falls out to many burthened consciences who live in blinde places having neither Minister nor friend to succour them with counsel they dye in darkenesse and for lacke of light and so they grow to interpret the sense of their sinne to be a marke of vengeance upon them as if they were Cains and to be weary of their burthen till they have laid violent hands upon themselves All such I dare not simply condemne Sundry instances named But I may say their way is darke and they are blindefolded by Satan and by grosse ignorance so that the scope of God and the glorious Gospel of Christ should be hidden from them During which who wonders if they come short of comfort Sithence all hope of a possible remedy is taken from them A second sort there are who for the present doe not put difference betwixt the condition and the performance And therefore comparing their estate only with that which formerly they lay in ere they felt their sins to pinch them feeling now some hope by the promise they content themselves with that as affording them some distaste of sin and some touches of conscience some flashes of desire also they feel themselves loth to lose their good affections bred in them as sorrow and zeale and hope of growing better and therefore none can disswade them from hearing and prayer and ordinances because they feele these to nourish affection in them and thus their warmth tickles their hearts and hereby through self-love and ease they are held by the heele that they set downe their staffe making a damme to stop their rebellious lusts from breaking in upon them and beleeving that the meer absence thereof or restraint of their violence is a signe of true grace though they goe no further And were it not that their damme brake out often upon them and their corruptions betraid them to themselves and their affections forsooke them and left them to be dead and unsavoury as before at the worst doubtlesse they would wanze away as hypocrites and lye downe in sorrow onely the Lord will not suffer his to perish in this error but having manifested it makes them turne a new leafe and breake off their false confidence But in the meane time who wonders that they attaine no settling For alas Can their hearings duties affections or services take away the guilt of an ill conscience and give them any sound bottome No doubtlesse Thirdly others who are set to a sounder purpose yet oftentimes are so confounded in themselves that they forget what God hath done for them because that grace of faith which they covet is absent this so disquiets and perplexes their spirit that they unthankfully forget what God hath done for them nay they flatly but falsely affirme that God did never any thing for them at all They are so hooded by the Divell that whereas they heare the Lord will not forsake his owne worke but perfect it They will not confesse that ever he wrought any at all in them They that thinke so of them they say are deceived for their hearts are hardned senselesse carelesse empty of sorrow and desire and meanes using They never heard say they otherwise then as the common sort of hearers they were as good never have heard Whereas it is most evident that the word both of Law and Gospel have wrought many sweet preparations in them if they had power to see them save that a deep discontent of heart hath possessed them for the want of that they would have but are not wisely guided from extremities such as selfe-love may soon poison them withal So that as it is with a man who goes upon an hill over against which there is another in their eye that the vally lying betweene is quite hidden from them So is it with these till the Lord restore the sight of it againe But in the meane time wanting the sense of what God hath wrought already how can they gather hope that God will perfect it A fourth sort retaine the memory of that which is already wrought in them by the word But their let is that when once they move forward to the promise to fasten upon that they feele such a marvellous cold qualme come over their spirit that they feare they shall never reach it They think it so divine so spirituall a thing they see the grace thereof and the gaine so admirable so above them so beyond them that they thinke they shall never compasse it were too good for them to enjoy it belongs to other gates persons then they The Lord hath somewhat else to doe with his Christ then to bestow it upon such It belongs to some few choice ones and peculiar folke not to them they that can reach it may have it But as for them they deem it if not a thing impossible to come by yet exceeding unlikely a thousand to one and very difficult howsoever so that perhaps they may spend all their time and paines about it and yet come short too at last therefore they were as good spare their labour as spend it in vaine Thus as some thinke heaven easie and they looke to be one though there were but three saved So others are on the other side so slavish that they dare not looke at it And thus they would abide if the Lord by degrees cast not out this bondage which while it abides who wonders that they be far from this prosperity Another sort are much held under with the sense of present corruption prevailing in them abasing them and making them stinke in their owne nostrills so that although God have begunne to worke in them yet so long as the stinch of their lusts their ignorance unprofitablenesse hypocrisie inconstancy
speakes most directly to his heart As for pleasing himselfe in being in the element of any truth whereof he sees no use it is irkesome to a wise heart although he reverence all And these may serve for a taste of many more lets which differ as men differ and for answer to the first question I come to the second Since it is thus what reason may be given to Quest 2 satisfie men in this way of good for many would thinke it better if God tooke a more short and speedy way But I answer Answ for many causes God permits it To summe them up breefly One is 1. Cause because the Lord herein lookes at some grosse sins which ruled and reigned in the former part of mens life and in youth which are as iron moles and will hardly be worne out of the flesh being bred in the bone save by tozing and searching the heart throughly Secondly that he might breed some restraint in youth and curbe them from such offences as after must cost a great deale of purging plowing and harrowing ere the soule will affoard good mould for the word For sure it is the more rebellion the Lord meets with the more irons he loades the soule with Esay 28. Thirdly that he might exercise each soule in finding out her owne speciall let and not goe to worke in a fulsome generalnesse Fourthly to breed in the soule a solemne and sad thought concerning the way of God and roote out that giddinesse and vanity which puffes up the soule in a vaine presumption and ease Fifthly to occupy the minde of the Minister in right and carefull dividing the word and studying to approve himselfe as a workeman not to be ashamed striving to be faithfull both in the gift of discerning spirits that he may speake to the purpose not at randon as also to be painfull in catechizing which containes the wise and leasurely way of God to scrue and dive into the hearts of men by degrees and to soke the heart in the principles of faith which they that want may be long enough in hearing Sermons ere they conceive the order of the mystery of faith and how the soul comes to claspe with the promise Sixtly the Lord hereby corrects those most wicked evills which have carried the soule in and under the Ministry of the Gospel especially the dallying with the seasons of grace 7. That by this mean the Lord might clense the heart from Selfe in every kinde and twitch up every roote and rinde of selfe-love which would dangerously mix it selfe with the promise Lastly that the Lord as I toucht before might prepare way for himselfe in the honour of the soul when it shall finde by experience that all her salvation is of him and he could bring it out of nothing nay worse then nothing when as the soule lay strugling with herselfe without hope or remedy So much for answer to the second question The third and last question is how the soule may finde by markes Quest 3 that the Lord is following on with the work of grace That so it may be comforted in this that she is no hypocrite and so shall not wanze and moulder away as wax before the Sunne but obtaine the fruit of the promise in Gods due time For answer whereto this I say it may bee knowne by the contrary to those markes which bewray hypocrites Answ Marke 1 The first shall be this A soule truly under the condition of grace is very vigilant stirring and observant of the seasons which affoord grace not only generally to hearken after the word but specially to observe the Angels moving of the water The Lord doth not alway stir alike The Minister is not moved nor the heart of the hearer affected alike It s rare when the Lord and the soule close throughly one with the other when the word is preacht so savourly and lively and carryes the vertue of the speaker with it into the hearer and when the hearer meets it with a discerning of a season from God But when the soule meets with such Oh it abhors to dally and trifle with God to greeve him with slightnesse either for the present or after But confesses it to be a rare occasion presses hard with the Lord for blessing and followes on as Gedeon did those enemies Judg. 7. while the sent was hot lest he should be defeated Thus doth a good heart watch her time alway being upon wing for her prey and loaths carelessenesse of the watchwords of God No sin stings her more then former dallyings with the Lord nothing brings her upon her knees in secret more then this sinne and the sad fruit of it nothing puts her in more feare lest God should forsake her and suffer his Spirit to give over all saving strife with her nothing more is desired then that the Lord would forget her many provokings this way and stir her up with threefold alacrity to redeeme such seasons for time to come Whereas an hypocrite sees not such mercy from God or else vanishes in the fruit of them le ts all goe and nouzles himselfe in a blinde hope all shall be well whiles yet old sinnes and dallyings are upon the score unrepented of and unforgiven and the soule hardning more and more and waxing daily more and more crazy and unfit to be wrought upon Marke 2 Secondly a thriving soule God and promise-ward above all things nourishes life in herselfe not onely in ordinances but in the course and way of conversation Where ever she become the Spirit of life leaves her not wholy but more or lesse accompanies her spirit to preserve it from deadnesse flatnesse remissenes and suffering the worke of God to lye by in her And howsoever she feels a very body of death in this kinde fighting against the law of life in her yet knowing which is the stronger she gives not place No although the more she strives to be lively and savoury upon the promise and by faith the more the death of corruption resists her and discourages her yet even in this darke belly of the whale she casts her eie towards the Temple Jonah 2.8 and dares not yeeld when yet she is almost foiled but discernes a base body of death from the desire of her owne heart and because she feeles a dying she judges herselfe not wholly dead but to have some life under the embers which she makes much of and nourishes as one would hatch up one coale of fire upon dry straw lest it should goe quite out Such a soule abhors a daily deadish and sad heart more then death it selfe labours to revive it selfe by all hot waters from swowning and dying rejoyces when she recovers exercises her selfe with others as well as in secret to whet up that dull and weake edge of life and faith which remaines and is glad to feele that it is not alway alike with her in this kinde Whereas an hypocrite who never attaind to this sweet life
Oh they say its pitty such Ministers should live they serve for no other save to gaster and unsetle men who are in peace They have done that with their words which all their labour with both hands cannot undoe againe Oh wofull wretch Is the Minister able to goe beyond the Lord Is he not a servant of God to doe what he will use him for Esay 10.15 Rom. 9. Shall the axe exalt it selfe against him that cutteth therewith Or the clay say to the Potter why dost thou make no more haste to fashion me No it s enough that he shall heale whom he hath wounded and make up the breach he hath made when God will use him In the meane time perhaps thy cavilling at the meanes bindes Gods hand behinde him thou needest not wonder that he doth thy wife or child so little good rather cease thy rebelling as bootlesse and yeeld thy selfe to come into Gods order that he may worke upon thy heart as he hath done theirs And so let it by the way encourage the Minister of God who pleads for the glory of God and travells with a soule burthened and despairing of ever seeing good day Oh Lord saith many a such one Vse 3 it is for thee that I have so urged the conscience of my hearer to trust upon thy accomplishment of thy word If I have deceived the people Encouragement to the Ministers of God Ezek. 14.9 Rom. 3.7 thou hast deceived me Oh if I should leave any poore soule in the briars and never see the worke of faith finisht in him I should be accounted a liar for God! what a dishonour were this Lord put to thine hand helpe thy weake servant save thine owne name and my credit Disable me not from being beleeved leave me not a reproach to vile ones Alas They whom I have to deale with are a sturdy and a rebellious people cavillers and such as will disgrace me if thy word should not prove true honour me therefore and set thy seale to my poore labours that in my truth thy name may be glorified 2 Cor. 10.4 Esay 57.18 batter and pull down their high stomacks plunge them into horrors and then create the fruit of the lips in them and strengthen me to be an able Minister of reconciliation that so the mouthes of them who would traduce thy Messengers and Ordinances may bee stopped Even as the Lord Jesus Joh. 17. praied his Father to glorifie him for the sake of them whom he had given him so doe thou entreat also Oh in thy weldoing be not discouraged by such nor be too sollicitous for God! feare not Esay 42.8 he will not give his glory to another he will not be laught at as unable to goe through that which he hath begunne These poore servants of Naaman were weake instruments to speake of but yet made strong enough by the Lord to conquer their Master so thou shalt perhaps be the instrument to water that which others have planted Gal. 2. And what if others enter into thine If God may have a Temple built by Salomon 2 Chron. 28.14 David will lay in Timber and Cedars and willinglly forgoe the name thereof And therefore distrust not God nor faint in thy service Thirdly let this be use of Admonition to us that since God hath Vse 3 said it He will not alway contend but create peace Admonition Cleere and justifie God in his delay of grace therefore wee judge not amisse of God when we see the worke deferred as if he did deserve the blame but rather cleer him and say He cannot lie the fault lyes some where else The truth is we heare of few who honour God in the improvement of this promise though it be not the fault of all for many doe beare witnesse to God in this kinde But why Because they wilfully make it a long journey which God makes short And first they will not confesse that which God hath done They think faith to be such a sensible effectuall grace that none can have it but by and by they shall see the flame of it and so not discerning any excellency of effects they consult with their owne feelings and conclude there is nothing at all Alas poore soules the beginnings of faith are poore though the encreases may be great Job 8.7 Spirituall things in a carnall subject are as hardly discerned as a pearle among much dung that which is our owne appeares easily and dismaies us But that which is Gods is more secret Againe many looke more at their owne stirrings of the poole then at Gods I can speak it by experience that whereas one hath made complaint of his not clasping to a promise and mourned simply for unbeleefe ten have bemoaned their losse of the affections which they have had in hearing praier or conference A signe that their owne is nearer then Gods worke with them Faith is not alway a victorious sensible and reflecting grace upon the soule wherein it is But a casting of her selfe after all her fruitlesse wrastlings as being convinced of the insufficiency and invalidity of them all upon the streame of the word to carry her to the haven of peace If then you have lost your first feelings and zeale give not God over but still seek him for a further spirit of recovery and encrease upon the best grounds Naaman here had lost his first hopes yet you see he recovers them againe by better insight and perswasion and that ere he looked for it Pray earnestly O Lord thou hast power to set the Sunne ten degrees backe Lord set mine ten degrees forward Thou oh Lord hast all instruments meanes seasons perswasions blessings crosses in thy hand to worke by apply them Lord and suffer not my soule which is sunke into giddinesse ease worldlinesse discontent of spirit and dead sullennesse to lye still in that dungeon Drive me out of my carnall tracke into thy Royall Rode and if I must be delaid yet keepe me in thy way presse the Lord with his owne word and say Thou canst discover to me all my steppings out of thy way all my stops and lets Thou canst uncharme Satans spell Thou canst multiply perswasion and weaken disswasion Thou canst remove that utter unwillingnesse and uncouthnesse of the soule to this work and cause lythnesse and complying therewith Thou canst pull me out of those snares which enwrapt me in bondage as the weeds did Ionah No rocks shall split me with feare no Syrens shall inchant me with baites if thou assist Thou canst menage thy Spirit with so strong an arme Esay 55.8.9 that it shall prosper to doe what thou wilt and cause that no raine no snow shall returne in vaine but doe that for which thou sentest it Take heed give not God over trifle not out thy time improve fasting to cast out the Prince of Divells Unbeleefe and frequent the Sacrament as Gods sealing Ordinance and then know that he who hath begunne will finish
persons disdained not to learne of so poore a counsellour what should such as wee doe who are yet as much more stout then they as they were wiser then wee are And so much for this poynt Doct. Another poynt offers it selfe from hence also and that from the order of his obeying The Text telles us Then hee went and dipped himselfe When I pray you Surely when his stomack was brought down and sunk in him then hee went dipped himselfe in Jorden when that which all this while letted was removed then did he obey believe and doe as he was bidden and that in a moment The poynt is very speciall to prepare us to the poynt following for it acquaints us with a main barre and stop which lies in the Preachers way and the Spirits way to wit a rebellious and selfe-conceited heart and with that which makes easie and sweet that is an heart convinced and yeelding to the Word No man I suppose will expect me to be large in much opening of this disease for I have spent many Sermons in the handling of Self Self-love carnall Reason Rebellion and coy Pride in Naaman when I went over the 11. verse Now I take all that for granted and from the issue of the Lords working thus long upon Naaman his humbling of him to the command Humility alway goes before grace compared with the effect of his obeying I would present unto your eye this poynt That alway when the Lord means to create faith in the soule he doth immediatly put an end to all that stoutnesse of spirit that hindred the same The poynt is cleare No sooner had the Lord emptied Naaman here of his opposing heart but immediatly followes his obeying the charge So true is that golden speech of Ieremy Jer. 31.18.19 I heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as an Heyfer unaccustomed to the yoke Surely after that I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed and confounded because I did beare the shame of my youth The summe of the words is That all the while that Ephraim was proud and wilfull no grace would enter into him But as soone as the Lord thawed his spirit and made him humble lo hee presently submitted and bare Gods yoke with meeknesse and obedience Prophets there were before who did beat upon him and tozed him with rebukes and terrors but alas they were but as the blowes of the Smith upon his Anvill which is the more hardned But at last God cast into his heart a secret thought of his long rebellion and how little good it had done him then by and by hee listned and smote upon his thigh and repented Even so all the day long sayth the Lord by Esay Chap. 52. ult have I stretched out mine arme to a people in vaine None hath beleeved my report the word of God is revealed to none Why Hee addes because it is a stiff-necked and a gain-saying people q. d. But for this they had beleeved long agoe This is that which elsewhere the Prophet foretels under the Gospell that such as should bee converted unto God Esay 2.4 Esay 2.12.17 should turne their Swords into Mattockes and their Speares into Sythes that is of warlicke and turbulent ones become peaceable Husband-men and Inhabitants The Aspe shall suffer the young childe to play at the hole of the Aspe and the Lyon shall feed with the Lamb and the Beare with the Bullocke meaning the savage and wilde dispositions of men should turn meek and tractable Iob in one place brings in the Lord asking this question Job 39.5 Wilt thou tye the Unicorne to the furrow or wilt thou make the wilde Asse feed at thy Crib q. d. No their nature is unbroken thy Oxe and thy Horse are fittest for that whom thou hast tamed to the worke Even so assure thy selfe the Divell and Christ Light and Darknesse may as soon comply as a stout rebellious heart and grace Rebellion and Unbeliefe yoke together so doe Selfe-deniall and meeknesse of Spirit with faith and obedience As while the sinewes of mans heart is of Iron the Lords heaven is Brasse so when the soul begins to melt the Lord begins to turne and convert it It is with the soule in this kinde contrary to that it was with them in Acts 27. If these goe out of the ship it must needs miscarry But if pride and rebellion abide in the heart no grace will grow the man must perish Ottomans horse they sayd wheresoever he became made the grasse that it could not grow so doth a stout heart keep grace from the heart There is a secret intelligence between hell and a proud spirit And contrarily there is an entercourse between an humble heart and heaven Hosee in one place tells us Hos 2.21 That the Lord would speake to the heavens and they should heare the earth with rains and then the earth should heare man with fruits So first heaven must grant the heart tendernesse and relenting and then that will heare the Lord commanding and promising The windes being very loud the aire is dry but if they be downe then presently we have store of raine See that 1. King 19.12 So is it here when the tempests and stormes of the heart bee up whether in morall sinnes against the Law or spirituall rebellion against the Gospell there is no obedience but if they be downe never so little the clouds will follow after raine that is faith and obedience will ensue Prov. 15. ult The feare of the Lord is instruction and wisedome And before honour goeth humility Whom shall I teach Doctrine Esay 28.7.8 Even him that is weaned from the Milke and drawne from the Breasts The sweet milke of the breasts of Selfe and carnall Wisedome are alway opposite to the wisedome of God Sacrifices thou wouldest not but an eare thou hast boared Why That I might doe thy will O God who before did mine owne Vse 1 For briefe use First it is instruction to put us out of question why an heart of unbeliefe hath so long pestered the most of our hearers Instruction Why the most hearers are pestered with unbeliefe Because the heart was never brought down and why the Lords perswasions have so little prevailed to make us believe Surely if you doubt as I feare few need to doe the enemy is this wicked Haman of a rebellious heart Perhaps some of you are of another minde because you can so colour and crust over this sore with courtesie and good words but the truth of it is There is an heart within big and high and stout This is the Camell which suffers not the soule to goe through the needles eye Somewhat is the cause why the felon upon the hand swells it is an humor which is not yet let out if that were out the felnesse would cease Enquire and consult either a cursed heart will keep some base lust
in as much as thou art become a sonne of Abraham Luke 19.7 Thy Regions are white unto harvest thy staffe stands next doore to grace and thy redemption is neer nay the day of the Lords redeemed is come Esay 63.4 Oh! thou mayst lift up thy heart unto God and say How is it that the Messenger of the Lord is come unto me Lo on the sudden I feele mine heart so strangely thawed and teachable over it was wont to be that I can give no reason of except the Lord meanes to save me I therefore interpret it as a signe of favour yea thou mayst be sure of it and therefore repent thee not of all thy paines which thou hast taken for it seeing thy reward will abundantly answer thy travaile And so much briefly may serve to have said of this use and of the Doctrine The chiefe doctrine of the whole verse opened at large I hasten now to the point it selfe of Naamans obedience The greatest and chiefest of all other which I aimed at in the handling of this Scripture Then saith the Text hee went and washed himselfe seven times in Iorden What was this A common act as others were No other then the former to come out of Aram to goe to the King of Israel or to stand at the doore of Elisha Oh yes those were his own this is Gods those he made no bones of but this was that which had made all this pudder it was the Lords owne way and device for the triall of his faith in the miracle and the subduing his heart to the naked obedience unto him And lo now his stomacke is come downe the let is removed and therefore he doth as he is bidden and goeth and washeth seven times in Jorden Marke the point it will cost us some time to handle Doctrine The point is Every one who is able to prove himselfe Every soule within the condition of mercy ought to beleeve within the condition of the promise may and ought to cast himselfe upon it obey the command of God and beleeve For the proofe of the point it will be expedient that first we cleare the ground of it out of the example of Naaman in generall and then by some evident texts of Scriptures with a briefe reason or two And having so done we will proceed to the explication of the contents of the Doctrine For the generall correspondence of Naamans case with this point some may doubt how it may be said of an Heathen in the point of curing of a bodily disease how he can be said to bee under the condition of a promise and so to believe For answer Answer whereof I say as before that although the worke of grace were a stranger unto him in respect of his owne feeling untill the time that the Lord wrought indeed grace in his heart yet forasmuch as the Lord over-ruled all the occurrents in the businesse by his owne hand for the effecting of that which he intended and swayed his heart to those preparations which were fit to lead to such an effect Therefore I do not see why on Gods behalfe those severall dispositions which were in Naaman may not be proportionable unto those which are wrought in such as are converted to God That Naaman was truly brought home to God besides the sequell in the Chapter mee thinkes this is sufficient that not onely God would chuse him as the onely Leper whom Elisha should heale but also would order the circumstances thereof in so set and solemne a manner that all men may behold a gracious worke as well as a miraculous For I demand what should need so many interruptions and defeats in the miracle such a trying and searching of a mans Spirit and such a purposed drawing of him to see more then an externall hand in the thing except more then an outward cure had beene intended by God A very small and short matter might else have been made of it if the Prophet had been used onely to heale his body and as Naaman thought the bare comming out and laying his hand on or speaking two or three words might have served the turne But now the Prophet must not bee seen Naamans weaknesse must be discovered to himselfe and hence it appeares that the Lord would have his Spirit and Soule acquainted with God as well as his outward man So much for the answer of the doubt And so I come to shew what conditions were wrought in Naaman before his cure and then how his obedience must be an act of faith issuing thereupon respiting proofes and reasons till the Doctrine be suted to the Text till which it will not be seasonable to settle it upon her bottome But this wee will referre to the next Lecture THE SEVENTEENTH LECTVRE upon the fourteenth VERSE VERSE XIV Then he went downe and washed himselfe seven times in Iorden and his flesh came againe as the flesh of a little child and he was cleane I Having shewed you beloved in the end of the former Exercise that Naamans example may wel yeeld us the consideration under our hand referred the particulars unto this Sermon Naaman then may be conceived under the condition of mercy in the purpose of God sundry wayes In respect of the order that God tooke with him both in preventing him and assisting him before the cure In the former we saw how the Lord by a bodily disease made him in the generall case of one needing ease for he abased his person in the midst of sundry other happinesses with the noysome disease of Leprosie which was in it selfe a marvellous yoke and as God guided it a very pinching one unto him burdening him more then in a common manner How Naaman was under the condition of of cure If this had not been the first ground of the worke had been removed Next hereto the Lord prevents him very sweetly with the newes of one who in such a desperate case is credibly reported unto him to be a man like to heale him and this comes to him by a speciall providence appointing a skirmish between Aram and Israel wherein a Damosell might be taken prisoner and such a one one of a thousand who had taken notice of Elishâ—'s worth in this kinde and this being by Naaman apprehended tooke off utter despaire of incurablenesse and put him into some hope of a possible cure Thirdly hereupon he slackens no time but addresses himselfe in the best manner to use the most apt and likely meanes for the commending of his businesse to the Prophet and for the bringing of him to the speech of the Prophet having no doubt a speciall desire to obtaine that really whereof hee saw possibility before Fourthly by his travell and furnishing himselfe with gifts attendance comming to the King of Israel with his message wherein he was greatly defeated he is by the Lord so mercifully assisted that he ceased not till by the Prophets owne intimation and further light and assurance not only
or if it doe yet thou shalt alway be doubtfull The Word on the contrary saith Doe not desist nor revolt to thy former pleasure in sin for in that course there is no hope thou art then in a desperate case Proceed rather and goe to the promise for thereby its possible thou maist find some redresse What doth the soul in this strife She compares the argument of the word with the counsell of the flesh and findes it better then this because it is farre more safe to chuse a possible redresse of misery then to fall upon the assured pykes of certaine wo and despaire Here we see a fight but no victory no assurance only that rest which the soule hath is not from any thing she feeles within herselfe but without in the word Secondly here comes in a second doubt and therein Satan tells Quest 2 the soule it is true Thou chusest hope before despaire but what hast thou to doe with peace Or how knowest thou whether thou oughtest rather to chuse the one then the other or what right hast thou to ease and pardon Here againe steppes in the word and succours the soule telling her That she ought to fasten upon life and pardon and chuse it before sinne and death for God hath bred in her the condions of faith a longing mourning restlesse selfe-denying heart therefore to her and to no other this pardon and ease belongs and she may claime it God indeed hath no where said in his word I will pardon thee Iohn thee Thomas c. But he hath said such and such I will pardon so and so qualified Now she assumes this qualification to herselfe and therefore she concludes that to her it belongs This is another word of the Spirit which still drawes on a poore soule to bee willing to beleeve But now comes the nearest worke of the Spirit in the word and Quest 3 that answers a third objection which is this How shall I know in speciall its mine owne Perhaps it may belong unto such a one as I am but many things belong to men which yet they are by one meanes or other defeated of How shall I know that God will give it me in speciall and grant me the gift of faith to beleeve it In this the word grapples closely and nearly with the soule and brings it to the strict point of beleeving and tells the soule That all to whom the promise of pardon and life belongs by the allowance of God he will most undoubtedly bring it to passe for them and conferre it upon them yea and give them faith to cast themselves upon it For in saying Come unto me all you loaden ones and I will ease you he meanes not onely you may but you must come not only it belongs unto you to come but I will in my calling you enable you to come and put strength and power into you to come that is to beleeve and by beleeving ease you By this the word setles the soule upon the promise as being that which it seemes she sees God is willing she should beleeve and therefore will conferre it on her And in so doing the Spirit causeth the heart which is willing to become effectually willing that is takes away all feare of defeating and tells her she shall speed of her desire and therefore now she dares venture and cast herselfe upon the promise and if she perish so she is content for she dares jeopard her soule upon Gods Truth Now we see this casting and venturing upon the promise is the best of all these three acts of the word and yet here is no assurance for the soule in respect of herselfe is neverthelesse full of doubting all her bottome is this last word of the promiser that he will effect that in the soule which he hath promised By all these I inferre The act of faith is no assurance within but an evidence without resting upon the word which word the more evident it is made to the soule the better and stronger is the act of beleeving but the best of these is no assurance Quest It will bee demanded May not assurance be had at all I answer Answ yes it may be and is the portion of such as the Lord sees meet to enjoy it Eph. 1. Rom. 8. but that stands upon another bottome and that is the immediate evidence of the Spirit in the conscience of one who is already a beleever making her to know that she beleeves This is not by the word directly but the Spirit of the word which reflects that into the heart with knowledge and feeling which before she only had by the fidelity of the Promiser But this as I said is not faith for then none should have faith who want this which God forbid but an effect of faith in some speciall persons and not all that beleeve Thus much for the former question Now for the latter viz. how faith is wrought The sufficiency of a promise is the object of faith You see brethren it is evident that the nature and worke of saving faith stands not in any fulnesse of sailes or reflex knowledge and overpowring sweetnesse of perswasion But as I said in a grounded casting herself upon the word For by this only mean faith is wrought And I call it grounded because so weighty a matter as the resting and casting of the soule upon a thing requires that the thing bee a foundation of great warrant to beare up a soule from revolting againe Nay when the conscience is come thus farre as to fasten upon the word Oh! she hath thousand objections against the sincere meaning of God in his word Hence it is that the word is so full of places wherein this sufficiency of the promise to rest upon is urged Sometime the Lord contests with them that quarrell against it Is the Arme of the Lord shortned Hath he said it and it shall not come to passe Hezechia tells us Esay 38.15 He hath spoken himselfe unto us and he hath done it Heb. 13.5 For he hath said I will not faile nor forsake thee So againe The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Among men its called an unsure argument to prove a thing by authority because men are liars further then their truth will speake for them And yet some great persons have born such sway and authority in the hearts of their Disciples that their bare word hath carried assent with it But to be sure this is a sure argument God hath said it therefore it is true as in all the words which ever went out of his mouth so especially in his promise Phil. 4. 2 Cor. 1.20 that above all pleads certainty Faithfull is he who hath promised who also will effect it And Elizabeth Luke 1. tells Mary There shall bee a performance from the Lord to his handmaid of that which he hath promised All the promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus with a thousand more But
his Mediation and Merit as King Priest and Prophet I am afraid to die I doubt if hard times should come I should bee the first should stagger and deny Christ I am troubled oft about my evidences when I have any I keep them not long mine example is darke my peace small my selfe very silly to conceive remember affect goodnesse all goe before me and a thousand such Well But yet this thou hast that when all is done Joh. 19.7 yet thou art not willing to give over the Lord there is a secret thing which upholds thee thou knowest not as yet what God is doing for thee but thou shalt know Thou sayest Whither should I go Lord Joh. 6.68 if I forsake thee Thou hast the words of eternal life This againe thou hast when thou canst not swim yet thou liest upon the bladders of the promise waiting for more skill If thou sink as thou art comming yet thou hast an hand to put out and a tongue to say Lord Jesus catch me Matth. 14.30 Thou canst not answer every doubt by a word but thou plungest thyselfe upon it to answer for thee and canst send Divell World and Unbelief to Christ in thy stead Be comforted all is well When Peter Acts 12. was bidden to put on his Cloke and Sandals and follow the Angell though he saw not why or wherefore being asleep yet this he did he obeyed and did as hee was bidden and when hee was past all Barres and Gates hee saw the truth of all So dost thou obey although yet thou seest not why But in time thou shalt And therefore doe not mutter seasons of more light strength and comfort are in the Lords dispose not thine If thou be neither lazie nor rebellious it is God and not thou who holds thee at this stay Be as God will have thee Behold the salvation of God it shall bee thy strength to sit still Perhaps there is more within then appeares as yet Rather wonder that thou hast any thing that thou livest or mayst look up to heaven then thy strength is no greater And this know the Lord tries thee with little to see if that will make thee thankful that he may give thee more Still clasp upon the Promise remember Salomons speech Prov. 30.26 The Cony is a weake Nation but they make their holes in the rocke and so become strong because wise in weakenesse The Ivy is a weake plant but it hath teeth and strings to fasten hard upon a bricke wall and so growes above the Oake A weake child hath all the parts of a strong man although not the strength of any In a word apply that to thy selfe which the Lord speakes Esay 50.10 He that hath no light but is in darkenesse yet feares God and obeyes his voice let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God Better a little light then thy owne sparkles As for the worlds disdaine it is common to thee and the strongest And so much for the whole Doctrine which as it was my chiefe scope in this Treatise so I pray God above all and yet withall the rest to blesse unto us both Having finished Naamans obedience it selfe The second generall of the verse vâ—z The extent of Naamans obedience now wee proceed to the rule or if you will to the extent of it For the Text precisely addeth That he did obey according to the word of the man of God Before we have heard how crossely he carried himselfe toward this message and the Holy Ghost hath at large shamed him for it But now the Lord having got the victory over his stout and rebellious spirit lo how he also rejoyceth to describe it and to present unto us what a strange change is wrought in him For why Now he submits himselfe to the rule of the word at which he had so cavilled and to the uttermost thereof he went downe and obeyed according to all the circumstances of the word of the Prophet In two things Two things there were in the Prophets saying First a solemne charge in and under the authority of God this charge he yeeldeth unto 1. Extent of the command For he goeth downe to Jorden washeth himselfe and that seven times omitting nothing at all of the charge neither for matter nor manner Secondly there was a promise 2. Extent of the promise and that was a perswasion to obey from the assured effect that would come thereof This promise he consents unto acknowledges it good reason to be in it and takes it as no humane but a meere divine cure and so concurres as I have said with it and that to the uttermost intention and meaning of it From these two branches arise two points the first whereof we will now propound open and make use of ere we come to the other The former point then is this Gods commands are sad things not to be shuffled or dispenced with but to be obeyed according to the true tenor intent and contents thereof Perhaps some may thinke The grounding of the former of these that I am more curious then I need to be in fastning a point of such weight upon words in shew not bearing it well up For why They will take this phrase of the Holy Ghost to be but a complement of speech Quest meaning and containing no more then a bare narration of a thing as it was done without further scope and besides the charge having in it no morality being onely an occasionall charge for the time present concerning Naaman onely and reaching to none else they may alledge that it instructs not us of any morall obedience which is of a perpetuall nature To whom I would make the fuller answer because I shall treat somewhat Answ 1 fully of the Doctrine and first I will grant that perhaps in the Scripture many Texts may be found in which the sadnesse and closenesse of obeying commands might be more strongly grounded but that is not the question now onely this it is whether the expresse relation of the Holy Ghost touching the punctualnesse of his obedience be not ground sufficient of the Doctrine especially the Text seeming to mention it with delight and to record how farre the Lord brought downe Naamans heart from the extremity of slighting all to such an extent of obeying to the uttermost Answer 2 Secondly I would have it well noted That meerly occasionall and temporary commands when the Lord thinkes good to give them in charge binde as sadly and fully Occasionall commands binde as much as morall and perpetuall for the present for the present and for them whom they concern as any morall and perpetuall ones doe I adde that they are as dangerous and sad in the transgression to such as they are made unto whether the parties be faithfull or unfaithfull For example It was but a meere positive and as farre as I can learne a temporary charge Exod. 12.22 to sprinkle
faithfull will withdraw himselfe for feare as loth to be noted afraid of his betters willing to sleep in a whole skin Try our selves by this If wee obey closely wee will not strive to quench but to quicken up our selves to pick out the best services we can for God in our places As a good Justice will straine his authority and improve the Statute to the uttermost against Sabbath-breakers drunkards and glad that hee can thus expresse his heart Another will bite it in and conceale himselfe So Parents so Officers so rich ones doe that which others cannot not else alas what singular thing doe you Triall 15 To conclude an honest heart will not weare the Divels Irons nor bee dispensed with It is well principled shee hath a sound principle and is not like to hypocrites I may compare these to Children set to Schoole some onely to read write and cast account so farre onely as will serve them to keep their Shop-booke or make their reckonings straight Others to be Grammarians and so University Scholers to learne the Arts and Tongues that afterward their learning may principle and furnish them for all studies So is it with these The formall Professor if he can pray and tip his tongue with generall religion is at a point and lookes no further hee hath enough for the attaining of his owne ends and is never troubled about his course But the sound hearted Christian who strives to bring his whole heart and life under the Rule hath never done with himselfe but workes his generall principles into an infinite bredth of particulars How shall I delight in the Sabbath How shall I hold in my heart from giddinesse and loosnesse How shall I watch to God in my thoughts affections and conscience How shall I get strength against this secret lust and that defect in duty praying hearing How shall I use the world as if not or deny my selfe God sees these errours although man doth not Oh! the principle of grace exceeds the shifting skill of an hypocrite as much as heaven doth earth These are some among many others which may serve to try our hearts brethren about this waighty businesse Set we upon this work therefore and cease not till by all or by some of these trials thou canst although but weakly yet soundly judge thy selfe to be one that endeavours closely to obey And as thou shalt by these markes discover thy selfe to be so either bee comforted or admonished To the which ends the two uses following shall pertaine Thus much for the use of Examination Vse 4 Fourthly then let all such as can prove that they receive the word of Commands according thereto with all closenesse and faithfulnesse comfort Comfort themselves in their condition I have pressed the use in part before to wit in one of the Reasons To apply my selfe more particularly this I adde That thou who closest with Gods Commands maist be doubly encouraged In 2 respects The first First in respect of thy speciall serving of thy time Thou bearest witnesse to God and to his truths when thou seest the power of godlinesse borne downe in this base world know it that as the Lord will be slight with the slight so he will bee close with the close 1 Sam. 3. It is his promise That who honour him he will honour those that esteeme preciously of Commands and walke narrowly with him in their obedience he will esteem preciously of them they shall be of his Cabinet counsell they shall be privy to his secrets he will make knowne to them his waies Joh. 7.17 So that when he is aloofe to others they shall have familiar accesse yea if he give an account to any of his administrations they shall be sure to understand it Abraham was for no other cause called the friend of God If ye doe my will you shall be my friends more then my servants for friends know secrets Gen. 18.17.18 Read that Ezek 9. Where the Lord causes them that obeyed him but in one of his charges to mourne for the iniquity of the age to be marked with a penne and inke that he might know them for his jewells for his beloved ones And againe he tells that Church in Rev. 3.19 because she had kept the word of his patience that is clave to his truths in the times of danger Therefore he would save her from the temptation which should come upon the whole earth Close obeyers of God in loose times shall have close comfort in trouble They that stand out for God and will not oppose his glory to publicke sale and reproach hee will shrowd them in the day of trouble when others shall goe from chamber to chamber with terror to cover their heads from wrath A strange promise which we can hardly see how God should performe but yet God will doe it for such as preserve themselves unspotted in conscience and cleane from the infection of others In the meane time he will be found of them in their prayers close walkers with God shall have close audience close peace close comfort inward refreshings as Esay cap. 50. speakes read the 10. vers Who is he that feareth the Lord and obeyeth his voice Let him stay himself upon his God And therefore fearing God feare nothing else Although thou be scorned and pursued for this thy closenesse as a vile person yet let not this dismay thee for thou sufferest for God and as Saint Peter saith if for a good cause and cleaving to a word 1 Pet. 3.14 thou art faine to suffer take no thought in that behalfe let them who suffer for their misdeeds looke about them but as for thy part the Spirit of glory rests upon thee and although thy face shine not as an Angells like Stephens yet thou shalt as much convince thine enemies Act. 6. ult as hee did the same Spirit of courage and patience which upheld him shall sustaine thee till thou be redeemed fully from all adversity Heb. 10.37 Beare a while and he that commeth will come not tarry in the meane time side not with them who breake Commands and would have thee follow their examples But rather if this be to be vile be thou yet more vile and the more thou avilest thy selfe for God the more honourable he shall esteeme thee The like I may say of thy obeying commands in the generall practice of Christianity take comfort in this also Canst thou say The second Branch Rom. 7.22 that thou delightest in the law of God in thy spirit and inner man I tell thee thy estate is better then to be a Prince without it The Lord hath done great things for thee if it be thus and as Paul speakes even made thee for the very nonce 2 Cor. 5. Consider the dayes past Hath it alway beene thus with thee Couldest thou alway desire to be unclothed and clothed upon Couldest thou alway desire to dye daily through the rejoycing
is one Heb. 4.13 to whom all things are open and manifest his word is quicke and as a two edged spirit dividing betweene the soule and spirit the joints and marrow the thoughts and intents of the heart Dally not therfore with him It s fearfull to fall into his hands He will not spare us but will punish our sins And Heb. 10.31 if we call him father who judgeth without respect of persons 1. Pet. 1.17 passe we the whole time of our dwelling here in feare For our God is a consuming fire This in generall In speciall The command of the Gospell to beleeve in Christ is most solemnly to be â—beyed make conscience of the most solemne command of the Gospel to beleeve in the Lord Jesus close with this command It is the most soveraigne and indispensable of all other Obey this and obey all for in this stands the obedience to all the rest The Lord hath ingaged all his glory and honour upon this one That the most vile miserable sinner living who is willing to come in with his load pinching him to hell shall finde ease Whether it seeme so or no this is the truth he hath purposed to magnifie all his Attributes in shewing mercy to such an one He will have it knowne that he can doe that which flesh cannot even love the most hatefull enemy in the world that is weary of his enmity This he hath set down with himselfe from eternity in time hath declared it to his Church by giving his justice a full discharge in the blood of his Sonne Hee is the upshot of promises and therfore looks that he be beleeved yea for a recompence hereof that he hath made all Yea and Amen in him 2 Cor. 1.20 Joh. 3.33 he desires but to be beleeved counting them that doe so to seale that he is true and calling the rest lyers Consult not now with flesh and reason Say not that this word is farre from thee Rom. 10.8 it is neere thee it is offered and pin'd to thy sleeve Esay 1. Luke 5.7 that thou mightst beleeve it consent and obey this and the worst is past As Peter sayd to Christ At thy command I will cast in though I have cast all night and catcht nothing So say thou I have long traded with mine owne inventions devotions and duties but now at thy command I will try what thy promise is worth and cast my selfe wholly upon it for pardon grace and life If I perish I perish Venture so and prosper Secondly proceed to other commands The same Lord of commands bids us love one another for love fulfilleth the Law Joh. 14. Jam. 3. 1 Tim. 1. All other commands issue from faith the end thereof being love out of a pure and good conscience and love unfained Feare this command also The person of man who is thy immediate object of love may perhaps seeme contemptible to thee for what can he doe unto thee whether thou love or love not But he that made thee and him too and hath planted you both in the body of his Church under Christ the head he it is who bids thee love thy neighbour love him by reproofe and murther him not love him by counsell example admonition compassion lowre not upon him curb selfe-love passion indignation wrath envie revenge slighting of him disdaining him Thinke with thy selfe it is not for nought that all the commands are said to bee done in this one of Love Thinke not that all shall be well if thou canst but beleeve in Christ Matth. 25. know that the Lord Jesus himselfe who will call for faith at his comming Luke 18.8 will call for love also The want of love and the due carriage of thy heart toward others is a spirituall solemne command of the Gospel as well as faith and one day will appeare to be so when God shall call thee to the Barre and convince thee how little fruit of love hath ever proceeded from thee Therefore close with this charge also look not upon man but upon that God who hath bound thee to him by this chain of love and who will hold himselfe wronged in the violation of it lay a more solemne charge upon thy spirit in this kinde then ever and feele thy soule to lye under the authority of this command as well as the former And what more should I say From these two well-springs proceed all the streames of Commands concerning God Man and thy selfe Hence issueth a Command of a close keeping the Sabbath ordering thy conversation aright Eph. 5.15 Jam. 1. ult hence comes that charge of walking circumspectly as wise keeping thy selfe unspotted of the world Hence it is that thou art forbidden to have thy course in covetousnesse to have any fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse Hence also it is that thou art bidden Redeeme the season Heb. 13.5 Eph. 5.11.16 Mat. 16.26 1 Pet. 3.9 Walke wisely toward them who are without To take up thy crosse daily to deny thy selfe to live by faith to sanctifie God in thine heart and make him thy feare And the like I might say of the rest for it were endlesse to speake of all Conceive of them all as comming from one rule of righteousnesse And know it hee that requires one urges all Perhaps thou wouldst thinke it equall to obey the Magistrate obey thy Parents keep the Sabbath but know it the same God commands thee to preach in season and our to execute the righteous judgements of God to be subject to thy husband to teach thy children the feare of God These are speciall ones and lesse welcome but if thou obey not them thou doest but play fast and loose with God in the generals For all sound obedience to God is equall and uniforme I know what flesh will say T is tedious to be so tied and tasked to be held to it from day to day never out say not I could be content to fast and pray one day to redeeme liberty for many I could walk close for a Sabbath so I might be mine owne man all the weeke But know that the law of love takes no thought for continuance it is no violent compulsion as a slave to ply his worke but as naturall as for the fire to burne or the sparkes to flye upward Let the Law bee once written in thy heart Jer. 31.31 and it will teach thee holy wisedome love and delight to accommodate and apt thy selfe to each one in speciall equally and constantly Simile The Law and Art of musick in the minde acts the fingers ends to such a nimblenesse and presentnesse of service as is admirable And if the writing of letters and characters upon Fringes and Frontlets were so powerfull as to prompt a man to the obedience of each occasion what then is the law of grace written in each faculty of the minde and will in the reines and the spirit of the Soule But here I cease
so mistakes and misconstrues must either deceive himselfe in looking for more or defraud himselfe in looking for lesse then the promises containe in them What a continuall vexation is it then to erre about the extent of those things wherein to erre is above all other errors most dangerous and remedilesse Many more reasons might bee added but the substance thereof will occurre otherwise Vse 1 I proceed to the Uses First this point is Terror to all in generall who doe not beleeve the whole body of truth according to it selfe Of Terror Branch 1 without the which promises cannot possibly be construed aright Now alas Truths of God must not be taken by tradition and prejudice but from the whole body of truth beleeved as Gods what a common error is this Who beleeves or deducts promises from the rocke of truth as marble pillars digged out of the whole quarry Men take the whole truth of God for the most part from the tradition of men from the interpretation of others which is no other save upon trust as their Parents Masters or teachers have instil'd it into them and I grant its meet to be so at first for so those Samaritans John 4. at first harped upon the truths preacht by Christ by the information of the woman But they did not rest there till by her they were drawne to heare him speake himselfe and then they told her plainly that they resolved their faith not into her report but Christ himself It is with many of us as with Papists who use the Church to bee the principle of their faith whereas she should onely be a guide an informer and directresse It s not to be doubted but the Church is the preserving and sustaining pillar of truth in point of guiding the soule to the truth for had not the Church nursed us taught and train'd us up where had we been But this must not be enough to stablish us except we meane to disguise our selves and bewray our sandy foundation when tempests and troubles shall try what is in us no we must put a difference betwixt our drawing to the truth and our beleeving the truth and never rest till the bright morning starre of the Word the Lord Jesus hath risen in our hearts who will cast such a through light into them as shall shine from East to West Matth. 24. and enlighten us in all truth yea lead us into all truth by his Spirit Churches judgement must guide us principle us in the truths of Scripture that Spirit I meane which assists his word in the hearts of all humble and teachable ones This will cause us not to take here a shred and there another such a command or such a promise as pleases us not knowing what to make of the rest but to set open our whole hearts unto the whole truth the whole body thereof that it may enter into us possesse and dwell in us plentifully in every part it will present to our eyes that God of truth speaking in his word and piercing thereby into the very marrow and bones dividing the thoughts and carrying the soule into the streame of that excellency of his whereby we may be convinced of his truth it will shew us the truth of the written word in the eternall word of the Father full of Grace and Truth the way the truth and the life in whom who so beleeves to salvation doth also beleeve all and every truth which ever came out of his mouth and wee shall no more doubt of that then of Christ himselfe in whom all truth is established and gathered as the whole verge of a garment into one knot so that as no man bids us to prove that its day light when the Sunne shines so wee shall need no proofe or demonstration of any particular part of the word having embraced Christ that eternall word of God into our bosomes because he brings all his truths with him and having himselfe fulfilled that one great promise of his incarnation and redemption hath also in that made good all the other promises and made them Yea and Amen to the praise of his glory Oh therefore The Spirit of Christ must be our first planter of truth in the soule how wofull is the condition of such as forsake this way of faith and goe to dig pits which will hold no water boasting that nothing shall ever pull them away from the truth no feares persecutions change of times and I know not what away with thy vain brags If thou hast not first planted thy selfe upon Jesus the body of truth thy particular knowledge of truths will vanish of it selfe for he who gathers not with Christ scatters but how much more when thy slight building shall be shaken with crosses and enemies Therefore gaster your selves from such frothy bottomes as will deceive you get truth first planted in your soules with the love of it for some reall and maine good which it hath done you Terrour to all Popish and blinde maintainers of truth upon error and opinion and when Christ shall have brought his truth with the saving comfort of it into you it will hold your hearts close to it never to goe from it it shall keepe your hearts and mindes in the knowledge of God it shall discover to you that rich hoord of promises which are hid in Christ out of whom they are but as the sound of many waters and vanish as fast as they come This will teach us a rule of conceiving truth aright This will scatter all mists of error darkenesse mistakes from the minde and purifie the heart by the obeying of the truth as Saint Peter speakes 1 Pet. 1.22 2 Pet. 1.19 yea it will be a light shining in a darke place and guiding the feet into the way of peace Abhorre then a patched confused knowledge of truth destitute of the truth in Jesus as thou wouldest abhor and loath utter blindenesse and arrant ignorance it selfe in the highest degree For indeed setting aside the shew of it it s but cousen germane to it who abhors not a misbeleeving Turke or Jew as a very infidell Who loaths not an Hereticke Papist Pelagian or a Schismaticke as we doe misbeleevers Yea in some respect worse because they are so leavened that it is easier to draw a Pagan not prejudicate to the faith then such It s true that the other have more of truth in them then the other But they doe so corrupt confound and misapply truths they maintaine not truth in the accord and the harmony of truth therefore they hold truth rather to overthrow truth then to establish it and in effect are greater enemies to the promises and to the truth in Jesus then they can seeme friends to some kindes of truth whatsoever their abettors and patrons would or can speake in their defence So much for this first Secondly and more particularly its terror to all audacious and impudent Branch 2 spirits of hypocrites Of
save draw the spirits of curious and distrustfull men to wofull Idolatry To put confidence in him under a Witch to expect successe from a cursed Principle to ascribe that glory which belongs to God alone to base means which all are reduced to the Divell their first mover Satan knowes he gaines more this way then he loseth by the truth he speaks or the good which followes He denies himselfe at no time save for wicked ends Beware therefore Dare not to confound those excellent wayes of God in his power providence and mercy to his creature with the Satanicall and Sorcerers courses of prophane beasts As for those miraculous operations of God in his Church throughout all ages of the Old Testament in the poole Siloam and the gift of ejecting Satan by some certaine persons there was enough to prove that they were from God John 5.4 Matth. 12.27 for the confirmation of Truth the strengthening of Faith the drawing of Proselites But as for all the other the Lord justly suffers Satan to deceive such as deceive themselves first and reject the truth as we see in Saul Esay 8.19 Should the living goe to the dead 1 Sam. 28.6.7 Jam. 3.15 and to them that whisper out oâ— the earth Geomanticks No but to the Law and to the Testimony if that favour not there is no wisdome in them save that which Saint Iames calls from beneath and divelish A most wofull thing that in a land where the Gospell hath beene preached this eighty yeares such abominations should swarme and that with impunity yea in some cases which I name not with Apology God amend it So much for this Branch Secondly Goodnesse of God in using weake and poore things to effâ—ct great is much to be admired hence acknowledge the infinite goodnesse of God in devising such aide and succour to poore creatures both their bodies and soules for the expressing of his tender mercies to us in this infirmity of our flesh That by a word speaking he should create the fruit of the lippes even peace Esay 57. by the Ministery of a sinfull man further off from power to convert a soule then Jorden to heale a leper and beget it to a lively hope and immortality and glory That thereby the word preached should carry with it the working of faith and regeneration As the Lord Jesus his own blessed words effected miracles in the speaking causing the dead to arise the lepers to be cleansed Marke ult the deafe to heare So the words of his Ministers by the same vertue from him should doe greater things then these even by instruments most weake how admirable is it To the end that our faith might not stand in man but in God! 2 Cor 4.7 That the deadly soule leprosie worse then Naamans bodily of infidelity pride hypocrisie selfe should be washt all away by the water of Baptisme through the word of the Covenant to which its annexed in all beleevers and these shall become sealing ordinances to ratifie the truth of regeneration to the soule and to confer the nourishing power of the Spirit unto life eternall how admirable is it It is the omnipotent power of God which causeth it which separates the silly creature of water bread and wine for the present from common use Sacraments how divinely appropriated to seale up to the soule strong assurance of salvation takes off the base outside of it casts an honourable mantle over it appropriates it to holy solemne and divine use and service unites the Lord Jesus himselfe with his whole merit and efficacy to it and all to effect this end to convey the Lord Jesus into the soule of the Beleever assuring it by vertue of this sealing ordinance that as verily as the body by vertue of appetite eates and drinkes the creatures so truly doth the soule take and eat the body and bloud of Christ to the souls nourishment by Gods command and promise This is a mystery and it should teach us that if God have assumed such poor creatures sacramentally into the partakership of himselfe therefore to take heed lest we vilifie the outward ordinance as pretending all the power to be from Christ but to acknowledge each part thereof to bee from him and one as true though not as effectuall a part as the other Ye parents make not Baptisme a common thing make not so solemne a thing to wait upon your leasure and complements when all your trinkets are ready then carry your childe to the Sacrament No let your bables attend it not it them Despise it not for the outside there is a blessing in it and under the basenesse of elements lies hidden a world of worth and honour Therefore not to be used as common things And you my brethren the people run not out from it so soon as the word is preached as if you discerned no Christ in and under it annexed to it for your owne speciall use and good I tell thee those silly creatures are essentiall parts of the Sacrament as well as the grace and ordinances of God to bee reverenced though I say not with our own invented yet with that esteeme with which God hath honoured them viz. to be channells and conveiors of that grace of the Lord Jesus for life and support else would he not have graced Sacraments with the like honor to Faith Except a man be borne of water and the Spirit John 3.3.4 Marke ult and He that beleeves and is baptised shall be saved God can worke without them when they cannot bee had but when they may he will have them share in point of honour with the graces sealed from which they cannot be severed nor may be rent So much for this second Use And lastly although I doe not here equall Jordens waters to a Sacrament Jordens waters a resemblance of baptisme nor dare I call it a type of Baptisme yet is there a cleere and lively resemblance thereof in it I speake not this to teach any to use their wits boldly to allegorize every thing as some have done In this its safest for us to captive our wisdome to God to bee no wiser then himselâ—e but where he pleases to expresse allusions there to follow with sobriety As in the allegory Gal. 3. end of Sina and Jerusalem to typifie the nature of bondage and of freedome So that of Noah's flood which Peter Epist 1. Cap. 3.21 tells us is semblable to Baptisme Else its best for us to forbeare types only we may make resemblances As here this healing of Naaman by Jorden and expressing of it by the flesh of a childe teaches us thus much That the Lord who occasionally used this water to such an end as to cure an incurable leprosie of an aliant and stranger from the Common-wealth of Israel doth assure us that much more by Baptisme as by an appointed and setled sealing way he is able to heale the fretting leprosie of sinne and curse in all his
faithfull ones of Christ may easily fall with Ieremy Chap. 12.1 and David Psal 73.5 to distemper our selves to charge God foolishly and to call him to our owne barre as if he ordered not matters so wisely as wee would have him Alas Those are ever most confident who usurp most 2 Sam. 15.4 Eccles 7.10.15.16 Absolom thought his policie and wisedome above his fathers in ruling of subjects but it cost him sorrow and ruine Let us not cavill against our owne dayes as the worst nor our owne lot as the unhappiest Let us know its folly wrap up all our own discontents in the field of Providence and Wisedome For why should we be desolate or hasten our owne ruine rashly before the time Let it be enough for us that wee beare witnesse to Jesus to his truth and serve our time But let us not breake out of our compasse in which God hath set us Nor let us think long or tax God for seeming to stop his eare from our praiers nor give over our waiting and wax froward with him but remember our Rule Acts 1.7 That in publicke promises still the time must be left to him who is the Soveraigne orderer of all times and seasons It is enough for us that in the worst and most degenerate times of all God hath not left his Church as an Orphan or desolate each member hath her owne particular faith and patience to set on worke To keep the soule from rusting from either tedious impatience or desperate carelesnesse Matth. 25. Ocupy these till God come and these will so allay thy spirit and exercise thy meeknesse patience and humility that Gods time shall not seeme over long faith shall not make over much haste Hab. 3. I doe not counsell thee to give over faith in performances But to apply faith to such promises in the meane while as may sustaine the soule with patient hope till Gods time is accomplished See Psal 135.14 The rod of the wicked shall not alway ly upon the lot of the righteous lest they should put forth their hand to evill The Lord will not alway bee angry Psal 125.3 lest flesh should faile Rather then such extremities should come God will put an end and say The day of my redeemed ones is come Esay 63.3 But if the Lord sustaine the whilest and the burning bush consume not is it not as good as if it burnt not Enlarge thy short and hasty spirit by this that each day of Gods delay shortens the trouble And remember that a thousand years with the Lord is as one day 2 Pet. 3.8 and God is a pure act incomprehensible not ruled by time I doe not by these passages choke the zeale importunity clamors and expostulations of the Church No that were another extremity and as much as to quash the Spirit of adoption and to abridge the priviledges of the Saints in their holy boldnesse in prayer For why Read the moanes of the Church in Psal 40. and Esay 63. and 64. the variety of her holy complaints arguments wherewith she laboureth to draw God on her side against his sworne foes to perswade him to be no longer darke but to cause the mountaines to flow downe before his presence And so Psalm 12. she cryes out for help because all went to wrack All this is lawfull and to pray against implacable incorrigible enemies Plead thus Lord although to thee a thousand yeares are as one day yet it is not so with us five seaven yeares are somewhat to us Lord wee are feeble and faint Psal 110. ult Therefore tarry not long Lord. But in all these remember to ascribe to God the glory of faithfull performance in his owne time and say thus Thou hast afflicted us on every side Psal 119. yet have we not forsaken thy Covenant the whilest we have not exasperated our spirits against thy delayes but turn'd the edge of our complaints against our selves who by our treacherous unfruitfulnesse have deserved these scourges our worst enemy is within us That sin of ours hath vexed thee more then our crosses and thy delayes vexe us Purge them remove the barre and we doubt not but thy performances shall breake out as the light when once our righteousnesse shall appeare and our filthinesse shall be cleansed nothing shall let thy promises from being fulfilled This for the second Limitation the third God keeps promise with them only that live by faith The third and last limitation is this That the Lord keeps his promises faithfully but yet upon condition to such as not onely are his own servants for what have dogges to doe with the childrens bread but such of his owne as abide so and feare him live by faith and keep his Covenant The sum of the point is that which David Psal 25.10 expresseth thus All the wayes of the Lord are mercy and truth But to whom Surely to such onely as keep his Covenant Israel was the Lords peculiar above all the earth but it was not enough for them to hold their name onely but to keep close to the Lord If Israel would have walked in my wayes then it should goe well with them and with their children for ever 1 Chro. 17.13 It was the Lords speech to David of Salomon Hee shall be my sonne and I will call him Iedidijah the Lord loved him And if he transgresse against me I will chastise him with the Rods of men but my loving kindnesse will I never take from him Marke Brethren there is a promise which the Lord will performe to all that are in covenant with him that is he will not finally forsake them But yet in the mean time if they venture so much hereupon that they break their league play the harlots and forsake their husband he will make them feele to their costs 2 Chro. 16.3.4 that he can also break with them and forsake them and so will he goe on with them till he have wearied them and by some adversity or other within or without sent them home with sorrow and shame to their first husband Men must not looke to be loose with God and yet binde him to be close to them Excellent is that of Oded the Prophet to Asa speaking of the revolted ten Tribes Of a long time was Israel without God or a Law or a Priest And why Surely because they had forsaken his Temple and Worship his Arke and Mercy seat and therefore the Lord plagued them with all adversity And so will he doe to you if yee cleave to him he will cleave to you but if you warp from him so will he from you Consider I pray you brethren and God give us understanding The Lord will keep promise with his but then they must not play their parts with him For why Shall the Father spit in his Daughters face Num. 12.14 and shall she not be separate from him seven dayes It was the Lords speech to Moses touching Miriam
as you know And so I say to us Levit. 26.21 If wee walke contrary toward the Lord hee will walke contrary to us trust to it And that not onely in case of foule revolts if wee should play the Adulterers Oppressors Blasphemers c. Such sinnes wee dare not meddle with haply for the lowd cry and inward wasting of conscience Heb. 10.37 But yet perhaps we dare withdraw our selves from God by unbeliefe fall out of love with his promises wee dare forgoe our joy and delight which we have had in his presence Jer. 2.13 and runne to pits which will hold no water as if the fountaine were unpleasant Wee dare suffer that pretious seed of Life to dye if it may dye in us and walke deadly coldly basely in our course We dare allay and forsake our first love to God and zeale to his truth wee dare run to the course of this declining formall saplesse and powerlesse world and shake off all spirituall closenesse and communion with God and yet wee thinke to doe well But know it this is the great quarrell of all Levit. 26.25 I meane the quarrell of Gods covenant God will avenge it sadly his soule shall have no pleasure in such Lay it to your hearts brethren and know the performance of promises is the immediate way whereby the Spirit of Grace conveyes the presence of God to his servants Wee have no voice to heare nor sights to see save the voyce and light of the promises If we can cleave to them we hold the Lord and hee is present in our soules as he was to Paul in that sad darknesse Acts 27.23 But if wee shake off the life of faith where is our title to the performing of promises or where is our right to the presence of God I remember what the Lord tells those Israelites in the Wildernesse I will send my Angell before you Exod. 23.20 and he shall carry you forth in your journey But take heed you grieve him not for he will not spare you but withdraw his presence from you So say I We would claime Gods presence and God must bee our God and performe all promises as fast as we gape after them But in the meane season we leave the condition at large Some of us have formerly been zealous yea suffered for God and lost our credit our goods our liberties for him Here was life and power but now wee hold but a carkasse of the old temper a meere name that we live wee are growne Polititians civilians close professors wise in our way rest in the fagge end of formality and common worship And what thinke we May we be as bold upon performance of promises as formerly May we chalenge the presence of God in his Word as formerly No no others of us dare be forward with God as Iona was nourish our spirits in anger Jona 1. 4. let the Sunne goe downe upon it rage and raile like mad men in our moods And if we be told of it wee will defend it we will be so for we say our wrong was reall and flesh and bloud cannot beare it What Will you flye from God and looke that hee should follow you up and downe Judg. 19.3 as the foolish Levite did his whorish Concubine Others of us dare abuse the Sabbath or else have no delight in it speaking our owne words Others cannot be rated off from the creature but run after our profits wills vanities pleasures fashions and cocker our children therein without checke Others will take the uttermost of our liberties and goe upon the brinke Others regard not our families set not up the worship of God there or pray for fashion Others are growne just to the frame of the times and give God so much and no more then the common sort doe and yet passe well And so I might be endlesse But know it Brethren Gods promises are like himselfe and are faithfully performed on his part howbeit if this be our frame we shall finde a change and hee will take in his Sun-shine we shall not finde his presence as in former times to us Job 6. and throughout Did the Lord withdraw himselfe from holy Iob while he walked in uprightnesse and eclipse his presence and promises from him write bitter things against him compasse him about with terrors hide his face and all justly even to humble him more deeply and prevent that which else prosperity might have bred in him Wonder not then brethren if the Lord withdraw himselfe from us and turne away his performing of promises into breach of covenant when hee meets with such scurfe as this in our hearts and lives And let the use of the point in Gods name be this which I pray us all to oberve that henceforth we cease to wonder if wee finde the Lord otherwise towards us then formerly so long as the quarrell of his Covenant depends I grant that there were never any dayes such as ours in point of complaint of Gods absence darknesse and not performing of promises But withall consider when were there such wofull dayes of Revolts Apostasies from God and the power of his truth as now Each face is pale and each hand is upon the pained side But it is rather because men may not have their will of God and keep him close in performance of promises when yet their lives swarme with all abominations Should I not be avenged of such time-servers and hypocrites as these saith the Lord in the Prophet doe you wonder if hee have hidden himselfe Esay 1. and doth count you as you are refusing to performe promises No no wonder not wonder rather if he should looke not for it till you repent If he darken himselfe in the chiefe promise of pardon of peace and comfort in conscience or in point of his Spirit of presence and the graces of it as humblenesse and patience love and mercy if he shorten you in the beauty of your conversation that your lives are not so sweet Spirituall penalties attend spirituall sins your light not so cleare as in time past if hee absent himselfe from you in his Ordinances restraining the influence of them suffering them to be dark and fruitlesse if he leave you in your companies to bee unprofitable in your liberties to bee carnall in your solitarinesse to be dead hearted if he harden your hearts and cause you to erre from his waies so that all your praiers fastings sacraments covenants should come forth at your nostrils as irkesome as those Quales did I say wonder not it s but righteous Make this use of it Vse Breakers of covenant with God shall finde God breake with them to abhorre boldnesse with God in challenging promises to be performed when you breake the condition Rather enter into your soules and search out the cause of the Lords absence saying it was not wont to be thus that thou shouldest breake promise thus Lord and leave me
or the like comes from the not suffering the word to enter but holding it out at staves end Now then must not the word of promise beleeved become as contrary to her Why did Micaiah so scare Ahab Because he never spake well to him So why doth the grace of faith so scatter these distempers Because she speakes all against them overthrowes and resists them Contraries have mutually the same respect in their consequencies The distemper of an unbeleeving spirit alway beares downe the word till the word as the stronger man armed with the power of Christ doe foile her and strip her of all The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but spirituall able to cast downe strong holds of corruption Sinnes weapons are carnall Gods are spirituall Therefore there is no proportion in the contrariety God will divide the spoyles that is cease the distempers The reason appeares from that speech of Jonah Ionah 2.8 They that embrace lying vanities forsake their owne mercy But I will looke toward thy holy Temple and promise and thereby abandon them Each destroy the other Reas 5 Fifthly the promise drownes all former distempers because it performes that really which selfe and corruption beare the soule falsly and erroneously in hand withall These afford the soule a rotten peace a deceitfull content vanishing and ending in sorrow See Esay 50.11 But the word doth it really and surely no more to be infringed No more hungring or thirsting if once satisfied with this bread and water of life The text imports it Naamans servants here tell Naaman That which all thine owne discontents and humours could never minister unto thee that the obeying of the message will really afford thee See Act. 13.38 That from which you could not be justified from by the law of Moses by this Man every beleever is justified All at once set free from outward enemies and inward distempers Reas 6 Sixthly the experience of the Saints proves this who till they have cast anchor upon the word and settled upon this center could never find rest in all the circumference as I may call it of your owne best selfe your goodnesse affections gifts or duties Bellarmine himselfe confessing that in respect of the uncertainty of our good workes or else the perill of vaine-glory issuing from thence it is most safe for us to rely upon the sole and meere mercy of God the bare word of truth and promise How much more then shall Gods people say If it had not beene for thy word I had perished in my affliction This is to a poore soule as the chaire of Saint Peter is to a deluded votary the determining voyce All eternall immutable things comprehend and devoure the fading and changeable but cannot be comprehended by them nor resisted by their opposition Lastly the maine and chiefe reason of all is because the word Reas 7 and promise of God is not the bare letter of words or syllables Many branches but furnish'd with all the power and authority of God so that who so clings and cleaves to it is out of his owne keepe and under the Lords There is as our Saviour speakes spirit and life 105. in all which he speakes This may appeare to us in these foure specials First in the wisdome thereof This way of God crosseth all Branch 1 other wayes and hedges the soule out from all sound comfort by them only fastning it upon this 1 Cor. 1. As Paul cals the Gospel in this respect the wisdome of God casting downe all those devices of mans wit wil works or wayes by which flesh would set up a peace and ease of all distempers to her selfe There is no doubt but the errantest hypocrite living would gladly if he could by his smoothing with his owne false heart come to a kind of setling that he might no more be troubled But it is as the sowing of a new peece to an old garment and the rent becomes the worse Even as a short narrow Map of a Shire makes every petty cottingers lands to vanish and causes him to account himselfe a starke begger lord of a Mole-hill not worth the owning So doth this way of God force him who thought himselfe no meane man in his Religion and hopes to seeme a starke foole in his owne eyes For why hath the Lord revealed the way to life by the reall death and resurrection of his onely Sonne glory being made shame and holinesse sinne and eternity death to satisfie justice and shall I play the Mountebank and thinke to satisfie by mine owne trickes and devices Oh foole oh beast Secondly in the righteousnesse of God As the Sunne is able Branch 2 by his heat to licke up all the dew of the earth and scatter all the mists of the aire and the Sea is able to swallow up and devoure whatsoever is cast into it never to appeare more Even so the merit of Righteousnesse and Sanctification by our Lord Jesus compared oft to both these in Scripture is able to licke up and dispell all the most desperate feares doubts and distempers of the soule So Paul speakes Whom God set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnes Rom. 3.25 What righteousnesse Surely the equalnesse of pardoning them who are of the faith of Jesus because he hath received a full ransome else saith he if he should not justifie such an one he should not be just So full a content hath Christ given his Father for sinne that if the Father should not acknowledge it sufficient he should doe Christ wrong and if he should not impute it to a poore soule that beleeves he should doe the poore soule wrong nay having freely yeelded his Sonne and received the price for that very end he should doe himselfe infinite wrong by unfaithfulnesse But there is no such feare The Judge of the world will not do unrighteously he will not condemne the righteous and the unbeleever alike For he hath accepted his Sons death as a ful discharge If we should receive a summe of money for the use of an Orphan and when the Orphan comes of age should detain it should he be righteous Mercy then is of free gift and faith is a free gift But justification of a poore soule for Christs merit is an act of righteousnesse So 2 Cor. 5.20.21 Be reconciled to God Why Because he hath made him sinne who knew none that we might be Gods righteousnesse Branch 3 Thirdly all other properties of the promiser are included in the promise as the truth faithfulnesse mercy love greater then that of the creation and all the rest scattered in the booke of God his eternity and unchangeablenesse and the like are all in the Word See 1 Tim. 1.15 Psal 25.10 1 Pet. 1.25 with sundry others So that the soules doubts and distempers may easily be cast upon such promises for so the Apostle cals them 1 Cor. 7.1 as are built upon such foundations Branch 4 Fourâ—hly
disease which every man cries out of but few know how to heale and fewer apply the remedy Some tell us Melancholy will have her course when all is done the best cure is to be patient till the fewell be spent Others tell us we must be merry and cheerefull as if a man should bidde a man whose legges are cut off to goe of his errand Others make short work of it and thinke nothing but riddance of their lives will ridde them of it I doe not now speake of the meere bodily humour I leave that to the Physitians Art I meane such accidentall Melancholy as befals men from the sadde reflecting of their condition upon their owne thoughts till they have brought themselves into a maze of confusion Whither this sorrow be carnall or godly either indirectly caused by such diseasednesse of body weaknesse of constitution losses reproach as beginnes to worke the heart to a conceit of Gods displeasure or such depth of Melancholy as ariseth from a long and unprofitable struggling with our spirituall diseases without finding any issue The best cure of both these is by faith in the promises That onely like that sword of Alexander can cut the Gordian knot in pieces at once without picking it out Men spend themselves infinitely about the thought of these sadde dysasters and what may come of them how miserable a plight and pickle they have brought themselves into As if a man fallen into a deepe Well should cry out and tell folke a long tale how he fell in but still lie there and desire no man to hale him out But the best remedy is to cure one contrary by another Guilt and feare an unquiet conscience is that which causeth thy Melancholy All is not as thou wouldest have it thou feelest not thy selfe as thou wouldst be Why what wouldst thou be merry cheerefull a free man ridde of thy chaines Well goe to that which onely can ease the soule of all her distempers that is get the promise of Christ grounded upon the strength of the satisfaction bestow thy plodding thoughts upon a new subject say thus to thy selfe Did God indeed of his owne accord cut off his owne quarrell when he might have destroy'd me in a moment Hath he appointed his owne justice a ransome that he might have strength to resist and disanull it Doth he offer his bare breast and heart of love to be seen by every poore soule that is in straits for want of it and knowes not whither to turne it selfe Doth he bidde such a soule drowne all her guilt and feares in this free and full good pleasure of his to be reconciled with her May she beleeve that the requiring of this price of his owne Sonne will ridde the soule of her debt and discharge her of it Set thine heart then deeply upon this meditation pray God to turne it off from the ill custome of thy distempered thoughts and noysome feares that possesse thee And if thou canst but obtaine this grace to divert them thus I say unto thee That through Gods goodnesse a quarter of that needlesse and distressed plodding of thy misery might drowne thy distempers in the bottome of the Sea and turne thy Melancholy into freedome and joy For why so saith my doctrine Trusting to the Word will ridde the soule of all her distempers Thirdly this point strongly confuteth that Popish tenet That Use 3 no man can come to know himselfe certainly to be in the state of grace and favour with God but we must alway be in doubt Confut. betweene hope and feare and that 's the best way they say to hold us well occupied to keepe us in a wholsome awe and feare of our corruptions and to exercise us in the practice of repentance But as for this faith to ridde us of our distempers that they call a fancie and that a dangerous one as provoking a man to loosenesse and presumption But O yee hypocrites dare you thus dishonour that blessed truth of God built upon such strong foundations as to detract from it the maine prerogative of stablishing the conscience Shall the Promise have no more power in it than the vaine and carnall presumption of an unsound heart Shall both alike leave the soule in staggering Farre be it from us to yeeld so prophane an absurdity As for your revelations which you say have beene given to some speciall Saints of God to assure them of heaven although wee grant that Peter and Paul had greater measure of assurance and more than ordinary freedome from these distempers yet we affirme that the evidence which they had came from no other revelation than that which the Word breedeth by the the concurrence of the Spirit which is no other than faith and as for that greater measure of full assurance of the Spirit it was wrought in them by the promise and faith receiving the same for the Spirit although it be above the Word simply considered yet it is not without the Word Neither is that Spirit so peculiar a thing as is onely given to speciall men but even to some of all sorts of beleevers even so many as it pleases God to stablish after they have long clave to the truth and faithfulnesse of the promiser So Paul speakes Eph. 1. Ephes 1. By whom the Spirit you were sealed after yee had beleeved But to leave these deafe Adders who will not be charmed what should it need to trouble us to heare them speake against the power and authority of the Word who if the Word should prevaile must forfeit their Kingdome of Traditions unwritten verities wherewith they embondage the pretious soules of them whom Christ hath redeemed This Word of God which they so bitterly declaime against being that eternall truth which shall survive all their inventions and that breath of the mouth of God which shall one day consume whatsoever hath set up it selfe against the comfort of a poore soule and the glory of the riches of Grace Meane time we abandon this their conceit as the most horrible cut-throat of the Conscience and the greatest tyranny in the world to wit That a doubting and distempered creature wofully tired with her estate must be compelled to returne to her old misery with an encrease of her bondage worse than Egyptian Use 4 Fourthly this is Terrour Terror to all hypocrites who presumptuously will beare themselves upon the Word boasting that they have got a promise from God and they are called to beleeve they may beleeve they must beleeve They have had troubles as many as the most men have had but God bids them drown them in the freedome of his gracious promise and therefore so they will And although there were but three saved they claime to be of that number no man shall beat them off But as Samuel said to Saul when he pretended he had obeyed the command of God Whence then is the bleating of these sheep and lowing of these oxen So say I to these
I finished the last Lecture yet this one day of our Lecture being the last that you and I are like to teach and heare each other and the last of our yeare requiring that I should say somewhat unto you Also my studies having reached fully to another Sermon and besides this fourth part of the Chapter craving some connexion with the three other handled already I have set apart this day to this end One point may give light to al the particulars following being 7. if God permit To wit to handle some one such point out of the whole Harmony of these five Verses following as may give you some generall light into the whole context for time will not permit us to go through all These five verses then as I told you in their Title containe the remoter consequences of Naamans obedience To give you a briefe view and taste of them these they are First there is the true spirit of the cure to be evidently discerned in this new Convert feeling the truth of the Word in himselfe and virtue let out from heaven into Jordan to heale him he takes it not as a common thing and like a blocke without sense but is presently and instantly and erresistibly ravished as with a new spirit begotten by the worke of God upon his soule as well as his body The Lord darting grace of mercy and compassion into his heart as well as health into his flesh to intimate unto him by whose providence from first to last he was guided to so strange an effect Lo he comes to the Prophet with a spirit of impotencie admiration and zeale to acknowledge the Lord with all fervor of spirit and to knit his heart for ever in love unto him for this cure of body and soule Secondly feeling himselfe unable to reach the Lord himselfe he goes to his Prophet the next instrument of his good forgets his former discontent and entirely embraces him as the Prophet of God sent unto him for this purpose and to him he directs his thankfulnesse which fell short of God himselfe Thirdly hee enters solemne league with the Lord to be a close client of his for ever ejuring all former false and idolatrous service and vowing himselfe wholly to the Lord and his worship for time to come Fourthly he takes hold and possession of the Church of God acknowledging it to be the onely true Church and therefore scruing himselfe into it that although his face was Aram ward yet his heart was to Jerusalem ward and to the true and onely place where the Lord had visible residence and presence at this time And this although he testified by a weake and poore expression of taking with him the earth of the holy Land Yet the inward soundnesse of heart exceeded his weake signification Fifthly he discovers his unfained conversion by a most tender sense of that sin whereby he had formerly most offended God viz. his presence at the worship of Rimmon this darts into his converted soule even as a dash of the tooth-ach or the sting of an hornet Sixthly he is exceedingly pierced with feare and care how he might nourish that sparkle which God had begun in him and how he might shun and prevent that rocke of offence at which he had mortally stumbled before Seventhly he is very glad to aske direction while it was now to be had how he might order his whole course for time to come which being darke and doubtfull for the present hee therefore craves the Prophets advice and prayers unto which the Prophet gives him a mercifull answer These are the parcels of this fourth generall I can but goe over the first The point then is this Where God workes a true cure upon any soule Doctr. Every true cure hath the spirit of the cure attending it there he also workes the spirit of the cure By a cure I meane conversion of a soule from Idols not Rimmon but lusts and vanities to the living God By the spirit of a cure I meane that instinct and disposition that due temper and quality which such a cure deserveth at the hands of the cured And I say not the spirit of him who is cured but the spâ—rit of the cure that is such a spirit as the mercy of him that heales the soule instils into it viz to be for God who hath beene for it Onely this As Gods cure hath beene gracious so is the spirit of the cure zealous and as his worke hath beene entire whole and unfained to the good of the soule that it might no more returne to folly so is the spirit of the cure sincere intire constant God hates patchery and halfe cures and the spirit of the cure hates halfe thankes halfe love halfe affections In a word the spirit of a sound cure of a soule is a tender spirit the very first fruits of the heart enlightned with faith forgiven renued and warmed in the wombe of mercy the most naturall peculiar acceptable and well pleasing fruit of the soule to God What the spirit of a cure is It stands in a tender love truly called the first love a tender joy in God tender compassions towards him tender jealousie of that which might provoke â—im tender care to please him tendernesse of spirit both to him in affections of desire and delight and also for him in zeale and revenge defence and taking up armes for him And it rests not in him but descends to a tender love to his Truth Worship Services Sacraments Sabbaths Servants and all which hath any relation to God even for his sake This in short is that I meane by this spirit of a cure I pitch upon this point the more willingly because it hath an easie comprehension of all those seven consequences of the cure above named And although each of them be distinct yet because this is my last Lecture I am glad that one doctrine hath so good a lot as to give you though but in generall and farre off a view of the whole For in this spirit of the cure all those fruits of Naamans returne from Jordan may be coucht together as a garment into one knot Explication of the Doctrine Marke then for explication sake thus much It is with the soule in point of spirituall cure as with the body in case of a bodily Who being heal'd by some odde rare Physitian of a mortall disease and such an one as all the Physitians in the country could not turne their hands unto yea such as all others gave over as desperate and past their skill by some odde Physitian I say one of a thousand who himselfe could not have heald it neither except he had by divine hand beene peculiarly made and train'd up for the very nonce to be skilfull in such a disease and such a one as will by no meanes take money or fees but scornes it only stands upon doing good preventing sad wreck of the diseased that he might get himself a name of
questions Prayers confessions and the like who doth not wish himselfe in their case except it be some errant blocke who discovers his brutishnesse all are ravisht to see such early beginnings The Lord knowes the fittest way to worke upon men Sooner will a young novice by his active spirit of the cure stir up others then some solid and grave Disciples because the spirit of the one is more stirring active and drawing than the other Fourthly there is in the cure of the soule converted to God Reas 4 such an irresistible power and impotencie From that irresistible power of Grace in the soule especially in the first turning home of it that there is no choaking quenching or damping of it It resembles her originall Seed leaven mustard-seed are things of an active and encreasing nature Leaven in a little while will sowre all the lump Hence are those expressions of the Saints Thy Word was in mee as coales of fire in my bosome Can a man carry them there and not be burnt I would have kept in thy words saith David but such was the nature of them that they would not be concealed I had no rest nor peace till I had uttered them to Congregations Peter could not hold Christ in his bosome till he had uttered himselfe to Nathaniel That woman of Samaria had fire in her bosome when she went to tell her kindred citizens the news of Christs discourse The love of God workes in the breasts of his Saints as it first wrought in his owne he having conceived it once could not cease till it had discovered it selfe to poore sunken Adam and hee would rather chuse to make his onely Sonne a Masse shame then he would not expresse it Even such is the same love having once wrought in them it is as the new wine in the caske which must have vent or else it will breake It is like Josephs affection to Benjamin all must be had out from him Gen. 45.14 and he must utter himselfe to him and fall upon his neck with a kisse and teares The newer any thing is the more forcible So is it with love The Apostle hath a sweet word to expresse it The love of Christ constraines us 2 Cor. 5. The word signifies 2 Cor. 5.14 gathers us up together as a beast hemmed in a Pinfold hath an appetite after liberty so the spirit of love finds it selfe straitned till it breake out And 1 Cor. 13. love is bountifull and working 1 Cor. 5. full of affection hopeth all things endureth all things and the like The fifth God is the God of order and loves sutablenesse of Reas 5 Age and Temper youth naturally is hot and full of expressions God is the God of order it is comely for young ones to be so their lusts were so before grace therefore grace must be so also I restraine not this heat to meere youth for if God do convert elder ones as Naaman there is a spirituall youth or first age even in them also grace at the first is most operative be the yeares what they may be but especially when grace falls upon tender yeares as for the most part that is the season ere the soule be sapped in lewd customes then it quickens those hot spirits which it meets with to singular expressions Reas 6 Lastly by this spirit the Lord provides matter and argument of convincement For the due convincement of such as after may wax luke-warme and loose and inward checke for time to come if at any time his people shall revolt from this grace of first conversion The Lord knowes our mold and fashion just Psal 103. We seem at our first setting forth to the journey so trimme and so prepared that no troubles nor difficulties shall daunt our resolution But by that time wee have travelled a while what with the ill way what with ill weather bad successe and what with our owne weary and crazie spirits within we waxe unto ward and stagger whether we should goe forward or no. The Lord knowes how many waies this first spirit of the cure flagges and wanzes in us sometimes the abundance of iniquity causes the love of many to waxe cold this degenerate formall world is ready to quench our spirit the presidents of many zealous and painfull professors who are turned drunkards uncleane worldlings Epicures and sinfull wretches 2 Pet. 3. ult do shake us The errour of the wicked puls us from our stedfastnesse feare of some men flattery of others but especially a cursed heart on the one side giddie presuming venturous on the otherside slavish fearfull and distrustfull distempers us so that although we keep from grosse evils yet we are far from that frame of zeale closenesse and watching which we have found onely peace from Now when it falls out thus and that crosses debts ill marriage care of children and other disguisements come upon the necke of the other then is the Lord faine to step in and take us to taske to upbraid us and cast us in teeth with our first spirit of cure our early first love sweet affections covenants humble feare watchfull care diligent paines zealous spirit Luk. 23.31 What was this done in the greene tree and shall it not be done in the dry What shall first beginnings shame thee Didst thou begin in the spirit if yet thou didst so and wilt thou now end in the flesh Oh! is there not enough in that never dying spirit of an immortall hope of salvation to carry thee on in thy poore course with equalnesse of affection Say the edge be a little blunted what is metall gone too is the steele worne out of the backe That first spirit of sound joy in God should by this day have bred in thy belly a welspring of water flowing to eternall life Oh! for shame strengthen the weary hands Heb. 12.13 and feeble knees and correct the crooked that it turne not out of the way Thus the Lord charmes a declining spirit by an experiment of her owne and brings her backe with sorrow and shame to her former temper So much for Reasons Use 1 Now for Use first is the spirit of a true Convert thus zealous for God This then teacheth us a difference of cures and that all are not alike for there are many to be sure farre from this temper and frame of spirit Instruction with an item Not every cure hath such a stroake in the soule of a man thus to change qualifie and act his spirit to and for the Lord. And all to teach us to try our spirits and to be afraid to rest in any base counterfeit cures which afford none of this life and operation Who doth not now a dayes boast himselfe to have gotten this through cure Counterfeit cures very common in the world true cures rare If once baptized and professe the Gospell it is treason in these dayes to put a difference betweene men Alas yee poore wretches
it He that cooles and checkes his own spirit from zeale and grace It commonly growes to open prophanenesse will in a short time be a secret discourager and checker of others How many are there of yeeres and discretion enough in other matters who will baite their children and servants from their diligence in hearing and zeale in profession How many will say I my selfe was as hot as you but now time and experience they should say time the Mother of truth which hath discovered their hollow hearts have made me wiser And I warrant you say they as hot as you seeme we shall have a cooling card for you and in time when children grow on and debts encrease and an hard world besets you you also will change your zeale into wisdome and become as temperate ones as we and abate your great resolutions How many are there whose great flames are now quailed and become as cold as ashes But woe be to such Satan hath entred into them againe though he seemed to be cast out at the first let none that have any dramme of this grace of the Gospel be damped for such as these For he that hath bred in them this spirit either can keepe them from such temptations or else can make their spirit rise above them and encrease Matth. 12.45 whereas the end of such revolters as these shall bee worse then the beginning So much also of this second sort Thirdly this is terrour to all Pelagian Popish and Carnall Branch 3 spirits Pelagian spirits farre from the true spirit of a cure which are as opposite to the Spirit of Grace and conversion as light and darknesse The spirit of a true cure of Jordan differs in all points from this spirit of selfe and free-will The one is for God and his glorious grace sets him up in the soule with admiration and thankes But the other is to set up and glorifie it selfe and the will of the flesh to make God stoop to man to fetch him from Heaven to the barre of humane censure there to answer for himselfe why he should not vouchsafe grace to this man as well as that both being equally disposed and if the Lord answer Because it is of my free love to shew mercy to whom I will Rom. 9.13 14 15. they strive with him and tell him This his pretended mercy is meere injustice and cruelty above the most mercilesse Tyrants to make a man and damne him when he hath done to prescribe him a rule which he never gave him power to performe and to require that of him which himselfe hath by an eternall fore-decree disabled him from O wofull pride Shall potsherds contend with their Maker Esay 45.9 If they will needs clash let them clash with potsherds and try which pot is stronger but to quarrell with the Potter how impudent and bootlesse is it And yet thus it is Note it who will The ancient spirit of conversion tender love and zeale to God and his truth never prospered since this bastard spirit of selfe and free-will came upon our stage It blasted all sincerity and gracious affections as sensibly as the East-wind blasts the tender buddes of the Spring What was Naamans spirit I pray so long as his Abana and Pharfar lasted Surely opposite to the Prophet to Jordan and the promise So is it with this Nothing will downe with the spirit of selfe save to pick quarrels with free grace it is no wonder that they are opposite to men 1 Thes 2.15 who are so contrary to God himselfe Tell me where will yee picke out a Pelagian spirit which ever was zealous for God tender to his glory jealous of offending him or carefull to please him The like I may say of the spirit of Popish devotion Popish spirits likewise standing in the bare letter of the Law of duties of outward ceremonies and performances putting a Religion into the worke wrought and deed done What doth all the dunghill and drosse of Popery seeke to establish save a carnall Religion What doth it so much abhorre as selfe-deniall except it be in some externals for the meriting of Heaven what is so odious to it as faith to justifie Alas That pleads for salvation by justice and not by grace It uses Christ onely for a meere formall person to beare her name Esay 4.1 2. but shee will beare all her charges her owne selfe And under a colour of some glorious ceremonies and outward worship what doth she but muzzle the mouth of conscience and nuzzle the soule in a rotten peace which either will carry her to hell laughing or else breake out into utter horrour and desperation I aske but this question When as once the Lord hath truly turned the soule to God what is more odious irksom to it then that which overthrows the Word and Promise and sets up in stead of it a Religion of mans braine and inventions garnisht and disht out with the shreds and dregges of flesh without a droppe of true bloud of Christ or one sparke of the spirit of grace Who wonders that wheresoever this trash becomes there the true preaching of the Lord Jesus the power of the Gospel the honour and esteeme of the Ministery of Reconciliation is trodden in the dirt and cast out as unsavoury But I cease and leave this Use of terrour and come to an Use of reproofe And that shall be of all such as in times past have seemed to be the first head of the Professors in this kind for their spirit of zeale and love to the Gospel but have now catcht a fall and Use 3 cannot get up on their legges againe Reproofe but remaine and welter in a lukewarme and degenerate estate boâ—h in the sight of God and his Church Brethren the time hath beene Revolters from their zeale and grace of the Gospel are in a sadde case in some of our memories that men have thought no Ministery zealous enough for them but wish'd with David Let the righteous smite me and it shall be as balme But now these men are growne weary of such loath reproofe and will teach Ministers what and how farre they shall order their discourse Each thing spoken in particular is spoken against them They who would have given their very eyes to Gods Minister and with Naaman here Psal 141.5 Gal. 4.15 thought neither gold nor silver nor changes of rayment good enough for him wil scarce give two brasse farthings to keepe them in their places At first who but they to get them in and now who but the same men to hunr them out What Are we become your enemies for telling you the truth is this your great spirit of the Gospel shall I say or of selfe-love The time hath beene when you came new minted as you thought out of Jordan that such tendernesse of conscience was upon you for God that you would scarce take up a pinne or a sticke of another mans lest
you should sinne But now you that so strained out a Gnat can swallow a Camell Some of you dare grind the faces of such as you are to deale with and no money is sweeter to you then that which you get by an hard bargaine Once if you be remembred you tooke thought how you should subsist from weeke to weeke for lack of the Word Now you can passe weekes and moneths and never come at a powerfull Sermon and which is worse whereas the least offence in this or any other kind would smite you like the sting of an Adder now you are so brawned that it never troubles you awhit The time hath beene wherein the sorrowes and sufferings of Gods servants went so neere you that they made them deerer to you then ever Now no peny no Pater-noster as the Proverb saith and let them sinke or swimme what care you Once you could forfeit your names your states your paines your liberties for the truth of God Heb. 10. and professe that it was better then ten thousand of your lives Now alas the least stirring of a Mouse behind the painted cloth is enough to make you tremble like an aspen leafe Oh! you love to sleep in a whole skinne and the notion of a persecutor an enemy a prison or a fine is hideous unto you Rather had you to spend five pound to quit your selves of such a feare with a crasie conscience to please a timorous and degenerate spirit then five shillings to hold out the Profession the Resolution for that truth which once was dearer then your lives The dayes have bin when Novices and first Converts Zeale of first converts described were very scrupulous of their fashions in attire their companies their liberties games and recreations both for kind and measure both for for feare of sin and also of scandall marvellous loth to incurre the least suspition of a carnall spirit in these or any kind as jarring with the tendernesse of heart which the first sense of mercy wrought in them Now every man fals to his dispensations and swallowes downe all these as if there were nothing either within them to checke or without them to stumble at Once the manner was to enquire after the closest strictest course of worshipping and walking with God as thinking no cost too much for God Now the fashion is to aske what is the least degree of true faith that if they can make themselves beleeve they have that there they may set downe their staffe Now the first question is What liberty may a godly life admit how may we be religious with least adoe how may we save our selves best and goe neere the wind without too much note for precisenesse or trouble for our profession Iudg. 9. The fatnesse of the Olive and sweetnesse of the Vine was wont to be so precious with most of us that wee abhorred to exalt our selves above the trees with the forfeit thereof But alas those dayes are out of date now each Christian thinkes it no bargaine except he may jolly it out in some carnall manner and live with reputation in the world above his fellowes and with note among them that are carnall if they cannot brave it out with great shewes fine cloaths matches for their children raking up heapes that they may bestow upon the pride of life that which they were wont to bestow upon God good persons and causes it savours not in their nostrils Once they troubled them most who suffered them not to bee godly fast enough now these are no eye-sores they can beare them well enough but they trouble them most who will not let them be rich fast enough who mourne to see that money and pleasures and vanities steale away their hearts they could smite such Numb 22.27 as Balaam did his poore Asse who thus trumpe in their way and stop their pace in that which they cannot seeke fast enough Oh poore wretches Went not the spirit of Grace out with you to stop you also What had you laid this sweet babe in the Cradle to sleepe while you thus play your parts Is there thinke you no dinne to awake this sleepy spirit no crosse to sting you as fire in your flesh and so to recover your temper Take heed then you cozen not your selves at last as you have deceived the hope of others for sure if you be or ever were right there must be a way to let out this Pleurisie Brethren I can scarce tell to whom I speake I scarce beleeve mine owne eyes If I may are there not some here who counted it a marke of their true tendernesse to shunne the least appearance of evill 1 Thes 5. But where is this become Shew me the man whose jealous heart can prove that he hath not by nibbling at smaller evils so imbezzeled his peace and gull'd down the Sea-wals of his feare and conscience that now he is waxen hardned by the deceitfulnesse of sinne What shall we say in these cases Surely either Gods Word and the worke of Grace admits a change with the time or else these are those sadde dayes wherein men have gotten the start of this spirit of Grace and gotten more wit then our Predecessors have had to wit to joyne Religion with the liberty of our owne wils Such dispensations doubtles the Church of God never knew but rather in the loosest times counted it their eare-marke to be closest Christians Those who now nourish tendernesse are made scornes and by-by-words as fooles who know not their liberties It was once a marke of the true spirit of Grace to make conscience of the Sabbath day as a morall charge although changed by the speciall instinct of the Lord Jesus the Lord of the Sabbath from the seventh day to the eighth But where shall we come now where every man speakes not his owne words if not prophane yet common and ordinary in all mixt discourses about personall matters or else newes and novelties Who curbs his spirit to the talke of a Sabbath ruling his thoughts affections or converse so as at night he might lie downe in peace Truly Christians shall not have need of enemies to bring in a forme of godlinesse for ought I see themselves even in their distasting it outwardly love it too well inwardly all love a Religion of ease and breadths and owne ends This is that Viper which threatens to eate through the bowels of Religion and to bring it to nought Ah! little doe we thinke that this temper of ours doth lie heavie upon Gods stomach till he spue us out How just is it with the Lord for such a deserting and revolt from the first spirit of our conversion and falling to the mixture of Sardis Ephesus and Laodicea that is a dead a decayed and luke-warme temper to remove the Candlesticke out of his place Revel 2.5 3 18. to take his flight not from the Cherubims to the threshold but from the Temple into a Wildernesse there to gather
one thing within the whole compasse of Religion more usually counterfeited then this neither is there any one point in which either the deceit of the heart is more dangerous or the soundnesse of it more comfortable to the soule then this is We read in stories that all brave Princes have beene counterfeited by sycophants Charles the fifth Edward the sixth of England and others But although their outsides favoured them yet their spirit discarded them at last a base-bred fellow cannot equall the spirit of noble bloud All Judasses and Theudasses Acts 5. came to naught Acts 5. end because they had bastard spirits There was once as a French rare History hath it a Souldier in the Campe wherein one Martin Guerra a rich Citizen of Tholouse served who being in all points like to that Guerra A rare history of a French counterfeit and getting so farre in with him as to know the secrets that had passed betweene him and his wife at last brake from the Army to Tholouse and boldly went home to Guerra his wife as his owne and after some little suspition yet so cleared all doubts that he accompanied her as his wife and lived in peace till at last the true Guerra comming home and claiming his wife a sute in Law was commenced at Tholouse betweene them and had not some privie markes at last betweene her and the true husband cleared the controversie to the Court the counterfeit had brought them to such a demurre that they knew not what to determine And so may it fare here such are the apish imitations of impudent and unsuspected Hypocrites in point of zeale devotion affections and abstinencies from sinne that the very annointed of God seemes to stand before him 2 Sam. 16.6 Nothing in this case is surer to determine the controversie then the spirit it selfe of true breed and Nativity Hardly can the spirit of birth and regeneration be long dissembled but one way or other earlier or later it will be discovered Triall of the true spirit of Grace is from it selfe Therefore let every one try himselfe by this marke even the spirit of Grace will bewray it selfe Not at first perhaps for Alexander was almost crowded to death in the tumult at Ephesus and in Pauls quarrell almost puld in pieces a terrible patterne as a worthy Writer speakes But yet at length time tried him and he grew an open revolter after and was delivered to Satan Act. 19.33 compared with 2 Tim. 4.14 Acts 6.5 1 Tim. 1.20 2 Tim. 4.10 Matth. 13.27 Nicolas the Deacon cheated the twelve Apostles but his spirit betrayed him to be a wicked uncleane wretch Demas Hymenaeus and Philetus went farre but their spirit failed them The spirit of the Grape will not be counterfeited by the fruit of a Bramble the one is generous the other base Eagles breed no Crowes nor Doves any Kites nor Lions Foxes No more doth the spirit of Grace breed false Hypocrites Well said those servants The envious man hath sowne Tares for the Husbandman sowed nothing but good Wheate It will be an infallible marke of thy true birth if thine owne principle be throwne out and if the spirit of mercy become that in thee and unto thee which thine owne spirit once was even a second nature Grace will casheire and throw out thy usurping spirit As they cast out Ipta Iudg. 11.2 Note that it shall not reigne A false spirit workes from within to an outward but Gods Spirit workes from without to an inward operation That is Grace going out of her selfe and suspecting her selfe both for the metall and for the stampe for the kind and for the degree for the quality and for the continuance abhorring her own sparkes and false blaze still seekes out for a new spirit of Heaven a new frame of heart But our owne spirit seekes within her selfe what light what affections what imitations shewes and duties she can finde out never suspecting her impotency to reach truth and soundnesse Now although such may goe farre with their Lamps a long time yet at last want of Oyle will make their lamps flagge when their feelings cease when the praises of men faile when some of their actions cause them to be questioned and when some right wind blowes full upon them then they totter when the winds and floods came Mat. 7. ult the house ungrounded fell By one way or other it must at last appeare who are men of their owne stockes and who are bankrupts not to say this moreover that a wise man well marking the Spirit of Grace and comparing it with the other will by one signe or other easily discerne a Noble and true bred spirit from violent pangs even at the best But although he should not yet the spirit of Grace will bewray it selfe in time and discard the spirit of the flesh A true sonne of faithfull Jonathan is a most precious peece to David though a poore lame creeple Gen. 25.6 Particular trials of the spirit of Grace then all the posterity of Saul besides One Isaac is more worth then all Ketura's brood The breed of a thing is all in all with men even in these outward creatures horses kine and the like So one soule of the right stamp is more precious with God then a thousand Be sure that the Word of the promise that immortall seed of God in the blood of a covenant bred thee to the hope of life The Word of God is the immortall seed which bred it and the assurance of pardon and this will turne all false principles of flesh and blood out of doores Prove thy genealogie that thou art an Hebrew of the Hebrewes a true borne Jew not of the letter but of the spirit of Grace and then thou hast that marke upon thee which will not be worne out God lookes first at what thou art for thy spirit and breed and then what thou dost Phil. 3.8 Rom. 2. ult Never vie upon him with thy heapes upon heapes of worships of means of duties but first approve thy selfe See Prov. 23.26 and these will follow alone as the wombe that conceives truly is free of all other conceptions so the true breed of the Spirit abandons all false conceptions If all other seed of thine owne all principles of flesh be cast out and the wombe of the soule cleane and cleare this spirit of grace may live and come to the birth in thee And all false preconceptions cast out The wombe that beares a true bred soule must be as the wombe that bare Immanuel a Virgin wombe wherein never any other fruit lay before The meere onely and pure love of the Father purchased by the blood of Christ must onely beget thee to God if ever thou be begotten and no lesse spirit Like Iosephs Tombe never any had lyen in it before Luk. 23.53 then that which united the Godhead of Jesus to his flesh will serve to beget thee to him
if it would if thy owne hopes workes or selfe could have reacht such a generation in vaine should the Lord have beene at all that cost when he brought forth his eternall Sonne into the world to die for it to shed his blood for it that it might become the seed of his Church by the Ministrie of the Word Deceive not thy selfe in this triall which is very easie to doe except God give thee an heart inquisitive willing to be resolved and earnestly craving that thou mayest not be deceived Secondly try thy spirit of Grace by the operations of it As the principle is so will the operations be By the operations of it Abishag may nourish David while there is any naturall heat left in him but if that faile she can put no life into him Adorne a dead King with a Scepter and Crowne and all his Robes Alas it will make a good Pageant 2 Sam. 1.2 3. but all is lost labour Trie then what the fruits of that spirit are which thou hast if they be such as flow from an outward accidentall cause violent and over-ruling they will faile when that cause ceaseth to worke But if thy hope joy and peace be from within let outward meanes and motives either continue or cease still thy operations will abide and flow sweetly currantly cheerfully from thee Water taken off the coales ceaseth to seeth yea growes colder then at first A sive held in the water holds it as well as a bucket corke held downe under water will sinke as well as lead But if the one be taken out and the other be left to her selfe all returnes to the old course So is it here A curious Philosopher once framed an engine of metall in the forme of a man and brought it to such perfection that it could jabber and patter out some words but one that beheld it cryed out Oh faire skull without braines As in mans body all true operations of life and sense to move to worke to sleepe eate and the l ke come from a principle of life and so serve the soule even so here Operations must not be the principle it selfe but onely belong to it but if they be the principle it selfe they are a false principle He that commends a Preacher because his friends love him 2 Chron. 24 16. as Joash served God while Jehoiada lived hath no love in his heart and therefore may hate his service after as he did He that cleaves to good company to hearing to profession for a vantage of his owne reputation to get good custome in trading or a good match or to serve his owne turne or keepe some of his own heat having no other Principle must needs turne bankrupt for lacke of a stock of his owne And the misery of such a one is Note That he heares prayes and worships that he might heare pray and no further from no hottome and so his operation becomes his principle Of all such wee may say such a principle will surely breed their ruine either their eternall ruine if no outward affronts intercept their course or else both ruine here and for ever if crosses come For why they do as a foole who commits himselfe to the seas in a broken Barge When means faile when Ministery ceaseth when it becomes a reproach to professe when false friends draw away the heart when suffring for the Gospell comes losses trials and troubles approach then all Religion vanishes No hypocrite can be above Gods stormes and tempests especially if a right wind blow it will be turn'd up by the rootes Every wind perhaps will not search each rotten tree 2 Tim. 4. but some one or other will The mind of the world searcht Demas the wind of pride and ambition Diotrephes The wind of secret lusts turne of some 3 Ioh. 8. the wind of affliction others and the wind of time and continuance will search deepest of all for a stone can flye no further then the strength of the hand which threw it will carry it Therefore be sure that the operations of goodnesse which come from thee proceed not from a false principle but from the spirit of grace Thirdly trie this spirit of grace by the constituion and frame thereof that is by the soundnesse of it Unsoundnesse of spirit Try it by the fâ—ame soundnesse of it cannot reach that which soundnesse can For why The best in an unsound person are his Negatives reall positive and habituall grace he cannot attaine unto So farre as a negative way may go an unsound heart may attaine To side with religion as good to deny himselfe in many things for it and to suffer somewhat from some confessed excellencie therein deserving it or some light restraint example or ends may be an unsound hearts condition but positively and really to lay the honour of God to heart inwardly to love that he commands to grieve for the sin of such as resist it inwardly to sympathize the furtherance of it that is beyond him The reason is because his love is not from union but from an adherence or hanging by in judgement or pangs of affection Take two examples It is said that two sorts strove for David to be their Kings the ten Tribes of Israel and the two other Tribes There was more Negative spirit in the ten then in the two Why say they should not David be more ours then yours we are ten and you are but two wee have ten parts in him we can conferre more honour upon him and give him more subsidies then you and many good morrows But whence came all this from shame and pride that they should be backwarder to fetch him home then the rest But the positive grace of love to David came from Juda and Benjamin for why he was bone of their bone he was their flesh Nature strove in them 2 Sam. 19.43 humor in the other their words therefore were stronger then the words of ten times as many tongues of counterfeits They no doubt made as great a brable but geniall love could not be dissembled So it was in those two harlots pleading for the child both spake earnestly neither could put downe other in point of words 1 King 3.26 the false mother was as deepe in her Negative principle as the other seemed to be For why she meant to be even with the true mother and would see her childlesse as well as her selfe So the living child might be divided she cared not But by this Salomon descryed her The sword being brought then that reall heart of a true mother appeared in the one which could not in the other for she had it not in her A wretch could be content to leave off all Religion if he were sure that none would take it up after him for he is good because it shall not be said but he will be as forward as any But if none would be good he could be willing to be naught Why for lacke
yea to runne into some morall evills which yet were damnable then thus to play the hangbies upon Religion Prayer for healing of our times of this numbe palsie of spirit necessary Ier. 2.2 and to eate out the very heart and entralls of her by our wofull unsavorinesse and declension Oh that God would heale our back-slidings cancell our Bill of devorce and make new love to us as in old times As those Martyrs so pray we Once againe Lord the power and life of thy Gospell give unto us the skinne and bones of an empty profession to be fill'd up and beautified with flesh and colour with countenance and savour of grace Oh Lord thou who madest the spirit of man breath a second spirit of thy Word to inspire our dead Carcasses with a second and better life Thou who causedst that Sunne of the Heavens to go backe ten degrees Esay 38. cause this Sunne of Grace to goe forward tenne degrees for it is gone backward too many already Thou who by that happie wind of thine scattered upon the surface of the earth didst hazle and drie up the forlorne dregges and slime of Noahs deluge Gen. 8.13 cause a new face of zeale and grace to appeare upon our age drunken and soaked in ease and sensuality Lord help us to cast our Eagles bill Psal 103.5 pluck off our Snake skin and renue us as the flesh of Naaman after Jordan Oh command an heart spirit of first love courage thanks joy and esteem of thy pretious Truth and Christ to return into us let it be as new blood in our veines and marrow to our bones count those daies of our decay declinings death distemper as if they had never bin Impute not unto us our unfruitfull Ministry unprofitable hearings returning to our vomit lingring after Popery and her defilements contempt and disdaine of powerfull ordinances which have deserved that we should be stript and wasted of all meanes Malach. 4.2 and left to utter woe and ruine Come and bring healing in thy wings at last and pardon the sins of all sorts that might hasten further wrath for what can be such a marke and symptome of misery comming spuing out of thy mouth Revel 3.18 as this decay of our temper So many of us as cleave to God let us not give him over for this mercy for surely many of us here especially of the richer sort whose gaines come in merrily and live at ease in Sion do shrewdly leane to this disease of luke-warmenesse Amos 6.1 begge it I say of the Lord that he leave us not quite here in this corner and make us not an hissing to all our neighbours for our barrennesse and desolation of the meanes who have hitherto abounded and caused the borders of our Towne to be wetted with those streames which have overflowed among us So much for this Branch 3 Thirdly so many of us as hitherto have lurked in our dens of ease and unprofitablenesse looke up at last and endeavour after this spirit of Naamans clensing and cure Exhort Gen. 18.12 Exhortation to get the spirit of true conversion Alas perhaps we laugh as Sara did when she heard she could give suck to heare of this that such dead blockes and lowring louts as many of us have beene to this day surviving our owne hopes and outbidding all threats and feares of the Word by a carnall stupor of our owne savouring nothing save our lusts and humours I say we thinke it impossible that ever wee should become any other Should such as wee ever be healed of our ignorance hard hearts and senselesnesse Should we ever come to be quickned by the hope of the Gospell to be forgiven and saved Should we ever become savory humble tender and zealous ones Truly I must tell you considering how some of us in this place have snorted out seven times seven yeares of Sermons or well nigh and fatted our selves under the Gospell with nothing but sottishnesse and security me thinkes I am halfe afraid of it Now am I leaving of you but how many shall I leave as I found them if not farre worse and what is like to be their end if they should live under no meanes or unfruitfull who knowes if a good day have not mended them must not a bad needs paire them The Lord flaite many of you this day out of your holes and corners me thinkes I behold your face with horrour and feare of any good Esay 55.8 but seeing the long sufferings of God are bottomlesse and his love as farre above our thoughts as the heavens above earth therefore I leave Gods secrets unto himselfe and spread before you still even at this last farewell the cords of the Lord and beseech you to come in and be converted and get this spirit of grace into you ere you goe hence and be seene no more Psal 39.3 Gal. 1. ult Oh it would make the Angels rejoyce and the world to wonder as Paul saith Gal. 1. Those that having knowne mee a persecutor heard that I was become a Preacher of the Gospell they magnified God for mee so should praises be offered up by many for you if it should be thus Who can tell brethren long hath the Gospell been laid in three pecks of meale in some of you Mat. 13.33 if now it might at last breake out as leaven and season you throughout what a blessed parting should it be to you and mee As you are I grant most of you no other is to be looked for then hath beene earth at first earth still and earth hereafter But if earth earth earth will heare the Word of the Lord it shall be otherwise Naaman was as far off as you till hee washed in Jordan but afterward what a spirit of healing and conversion came he forth withall How doth he come backe to Elisha Who can stay him How is his lowring heart enlarged to the Prophet What is too deare for him hee loves the ground hee stands upon and would carry it away upon mules his heart is ravisht with God and his worship and much water cannot quench love Such might you bee if the Lord would send Elisha to you Elisha is gone and the comming and going death and departure of many both Elija's and Elishaes you have seene and now of mee a poore Minister of Christ What shall no fruit come of all I am now going to tell my Master what fruit of all these sixe yeares worke here and many more in other places and by other my Predecessours hath beene reaped What shall I be able to say nothing to comfort the heart of God and his people Oh sad thing Well I leave it to your thoughts it is as much as I can say That if God perswade you nothing was done upon Naaman but might be done upon you Many of your own number out of the stools wherin you sit some of your wives in your bosomes children and servants under your
roofes have tasted the like and what hindreth but you may Oh chuse rather to follow my counsell then to cause the wrath of God to smoak out against you for adding drunkennesse to thirst and speaking peace to your selves Deut. 29.15 and saying Though I stil walk on in the stubbornnesse of my heart yet I shall doe well enough God keepe this plague farre from you And so much for this Branch 4 Lastly and so I shut up all you that have long feared the Lord Exhorta ions and shewed forth the fruit of this spirit of Conversion go forward and persevere I must not deny God the honour of his truth And such as have to nourish it in themselves he hath not left us without witnesse in this particular Few are they whom this doctrine is verified in yet some there are and the very sight of their faces this day doth not a little encourage me to speake unto them If ever then you saw cause at your first comming out of Jordan to joyne with God his Religion his glory now especially joyne partners and cleâ—ve to him now side with him and the power of Christianity Surely he that hath hitherto kept you alive and brought you safely through so many waters deserves it much more at your hands now being much neerer to your salvation Rom. 13.11 1 King 9.33 then when you first beleeved Doe as those two Eunuches of Jezabel when Jehu cried out Who is on my side Who They looked out at the window and became agents for him Could they thrust her downe headlong who were of her bed-chamber how much more you who have long since beene sworne confederates to the Lord Jesus Never was there better season for you if there be but a sparke of this spirit in you to declare your selves on whose side you are The power of godlinesse is on every side deserted and she throwne to the ground if God mercifully did not by the power of the sword and civill Magistrate preserve us what should we be save a booty to Papists and enemies who have long watcht our overthrow Now therefore if you halt with God halt for ever If God bee not God 1 King 18.21 give him over If he be that God who hath forgiven you and will save you let Baal be Baal and let him be as he deserveth Say thus Have I but one poore life to give for him who gave ten thousand times a more precious one for me and shall I thinke it too deare for him Shall Rimmon be more deare to me Shall I goe and bow to that Idoll having received a better cure from the God of Israel then he could have given me No Lord There thou wannest my heart to thy selfe for ever That sweete welcome those embraces which then I felt those Flagons and Apples can never be forgotten Cantic 2.5 Psal 73.19 I behold the workes of such as decline but I blesse thee I repent not of my choyce their Image is despised by me My soule come not into their counsels Oh! if you can say thus blesse God who hath kept you And for time to come I exhort you that the more you shall see the power of truth scorned and forsaken in the world the closer you cleave to it and if this be to be vile be yet more vile 2 Sam. 6.22 Pick out some speciall services in which you may be usefull to God and his glory If the Devill take any Apprentises he will set his marke upon them both in their hands and foreheads either they must shew some singular zeale for him or else hee will suspect them And are you ashamed of your Master Matth. 7. end Now this world destroyes the Law write it you upon your frontlets and the fringes of your garments shew the world what Master you serve Deut. 6.8 and be not ashamed Let the same spirit rest in your bosomes for Grace which you see now a dayes rests upon them who are going from us into New-England They will not endure you to speak one word amisse of it but their hearts are at their mouthes presently they magnifie and extoll it in all places wheresoever they become their very spirits are possessed and taken up with the hope and longing for it they stand upon thornes till they be there where their treasure is they are soone knockt off from hence though their native soyle where they have had all their conversation yet as if they had not knowne it so doe they renounce it and all the contents of it They use it as if they used it not for the affection sake they beare the other Parents neighbours kindred yea wives and children are deserted for it and who may controll them Tell them of the sad attempt of going what danger by Sea what change of fare there and want of all commodities Oh! you doe but encourage them by your disswasives they are content to learne to deny themselves and to change their dainty diet for bare their soft beds for hard and what not so they may come thither Paines cost selling all and packing up their fardels is nothing to them for their desire sake Oftentimes I have wish'd the place good enough for such affections But in this argument touching the spirit of Conversion and Grace for the embracing of which no affections can be sufficient how doe we flagge Where is the man who can doe thus much for God and his glory from the experience of mercy Aske thine owne heart Doe I loath the least appearance of evill doe I carry about me the zeale of Gods owne house am I tender of the least offence can I not endure the least affront to his person Lawes Gospel Ordinances doe I honour his Ministers doe I thinke nothing too deare for him is my life liberty name wife children vile unto me in respect of a good conscience Oh! that it were so How happy should we be in approving our selves Let me leave generals Particular urging of this exhortation to al sorts Ministers people Magistrates c. and come to particular estates and conditions yee Ministers of God pick out speciall service for God a few of you are left to wrestle for God ply your worke let not the glory of the Gospell fall labour to inspire the soules of your hearers with Christ alas they cannot chuse but be dead hearted when there is no glad tydings brought them no love shed into their soules Yee people looke up your old evidences for Heaven scoure off your rust you see upon what costly terms the Gospel is maintained this is no season to palter out your time shew forth your courage for God let not the spirit of Popery nor prophanenesse quash that spirit of Grace which is within your bosomes Walke humbly wisely and yet boldly hold out the truth of God without feare against all scorners and Edomites God shall prop you up feare not the vilest wretch shall never bee able to
resist that spirit by which you speake and walke It is not your duties hearing Sermons which will serve turne except you get into the way of God and get your spirits whetted up to a lively temper of godlinesse you shall but adde heapes to heapes and die of thirst Rake up the ashes of your first sacrifice and see if there be any one sparkle alive Iudg. 15.16.18 to kindle that old fire in your hearts God hath now farre more need of it then he had then If you cannot find old sparks goe to Heaven for new for a double portion of it else you will hardly hold out in these cold times You young Novices here among us who in your youth have begunne well and honoured the labours of Gods servants by your zeale by your answering to Catechism by drawing on many to God be not discouraged that the same Grace which made you young Sts. can make you old ones I doubt it not but blesse God for the hope I conceive of your growth and fruit Esay 8.18 1 Iohn 4.4 though we are as signes both we and the children which God hath given us and wonders to the world feare not greater is he that is in us then with them You Magistrates hereabouts you Headborowes and Officers at home doe not play the cowards in the cause of God and the government of the Towne suffer not drunkards to fill up your Alehouses here upon the day of our Lecture and to rout in all cursed behaviour all the day after going together by the eares swearing and swaggering let not your Taverns and places of resort be more frequented then Gods house I see ruine before mine eyes and the young fry will prove worse then their Predecessors your glory is gone except you hold together and prevent sinne from flowing downe your streets and overthrowing all 2 Cor. 2.14 â—â— And in a word to all sorts I speake scatter the savour of this spirit of Grace all about the places where you dwell shine especially within your owne sphere and families lay in for grace and mercy for your husbands wives children kinsfolke and neighbours who have long beene ignorant profane or formall worshippers at the best pluck them out of the fire by violence Iude ult Perhaps some seed lies under a clod they are not so deeply sunk under the slavery of those Idols but that God may fetch out somewhat of them at the last and shall it die for lacke of stirring up Be earnest with God and strive hard for the whole corner this poore Countrey in which ancient zeale and the spirit of Grace decayes exceedingly Easie serving of God for fashion and this love of the creature hath eaten up all The last yeare we were almost starven for bodily bread but God be thanked better food did helpe well both to content the poorer sort and to uphold their spirits with patience yea and to perswade the richer sort to mercy and compassion Now we feare a worse famine if not want of the Word yet that the Lord for our wretched unfruitfulnesse may fill our mouthes with Quailes Mumb. 11.20 and suffer them to come out againe at our nostrils may fat us with meanes and curse us with leannesse in our soules Psal 106.15 Lord suffer not the child to die at the breasts for lack of milke nor having it to surfet Oh thou who hast bred us by thy Word with the lively spirit of Grace preserve us by the same nourishment whereby wee are begotten And so for such among us brethren as have continued constantly Branch 5 in this zeale of the Gospel Consolation to all such as walke in the comfort of the spirit of conversion I doe here reach out comfort unto them and say to them as Elisha to Naaman Goe in peace Though you and I should never heare the voyce nor see the face of other yet we shall do well as long as the peace of God is with us Nourish your hearts still till death in this love of the Gospel Make not shipwrack in the havens Thinke not now of any new way Turne not to the world for they care not for you you stink to them therefore hold to your old Master and be his servants for ever Let the Lord beate you out of his doores before you dare start from him you have beene his so long that as Peter said Whither should we goe Lord from thee Iohn 6.68 thou hast the words of eternall life Though there be neither Calfe in the stall nor Bâ—llock in the heard though the Olive cast her fruit and the Vine decay yet God shall be your salvation Though meanes faile Habac. 3.17.18 yet this spirit of grace in you shall be a lively immortall stock in you and preserve you by faith to the day of salvation 1 Pen. 1.5 These are times wherein sinne abounds it is the very houre of darknesse Revel 3.10 Pray that as you have kept the Word of Gods patience all this while so he would keepe you though all the world should be over-shadowed And although perhaps you take thought for your first edge which is blunted by long continuance and custome Ephes 3.16 17 yet so long as your metall holds good steele to the back and you grow rooted settled and stable in all faith love and fruitfulnesse feare not he that hath begunne will perfect his worke Faithfull is he who hath promised 1 Thes 5.24 To the worke of whose Grace I commend you which is able to sanctifie you throughout and both to keep your bodies soule and spirits 1 Thes 5.25 pure and blamelesse to his comming through the Lord Jesus to whom with the Father and the Spirit that immortall invisible and onely wise God 1 Tim. 1.17 be all honour and praise for ever Amen FINIS AN APPENDIX OR POSTSCRIPT TO THE READER ANd thus good Reader thou hast these Lectures penned to the uttermost wherein they were preached And as I inteÌ„ded to preach no more so neither doe I purpose to trouble thee with more then I preached The Verses following to the twentieth savour wholly of a spirit carried zealously towards God whose mercy cured both Naamans body and soule a draught whereof I gave thee in this last Lecture I grant there are some passages of obscurity attending the words next to them I have handled which some scrupulous Reader might thinke himselfe wronged if they should wholly be unsaluted Wherefore to give a very short touch of them thus conceive of the severals thereof THerefore take a blessing c. But he said Vers 15. end 16. As the Lord liveth Touching this Addition of his large gifts to his large heart I have already spoken of it in the servants arguments and shewed there the duty of the people to their Ministers And we must know it did not abhorre from the custome of those times either to offâ—r or accept gratuities by the Prophets But touching his refusall