discovery of Grace in the effects of that discovery and the end of it For the first of these The Spirit of Grace is all for Grace in the discovery of the mystery of it the amplenesse largenesse height depth and length of it to the poore soule that it may appeare in all the excellency and fulnesse freedome bounty unchangeablenesse and wel be teamingnesse thereof that no corner of it may lie hidden from the heart of a sinner so farre as may further him in the bottoming of the soule in mercy This is a singular and peculiar act of the Spirit tending to this end that the soule may not stagger about the sufficiency of Grace which God offers unto her but may behold the power of the Priesthood of Christ once offering up himselfe as a compleat and spotlesse sacrifice and satisfaction for the sins of the elect needing no more to be offered able to procure from the Father endlesse wel pleasednesse and acceptance also a free offer of reconciliation and to create in the soule alone and of it selfe without any antecedent free will liking and cooperating of Selfe a most sufficient clearing of conscience from guilt and feare yesterday Heb. 10.3 Heb. 13.8 to day and for ever This cannot sinke into the heart of an hypocrite he cannot bee perswaded that there is enough in the Lord Jesus alone to discharge him in the Court of heaven the offer and promise are empty notions with him to sway all his strength upon neither dare hee rest thereupon with peace without a further addition of his owne feelings But the Spirit of Grace grounds the poore soule in this as the maine worke of all that so all the building may subsist thereon and makes sure retreat and refuge for her in the midst of her distresse that her foundation may not be shaken I wish that the method of that Epistle to the Hebrewes especially in the 7.8.9.10 Chap. might well be observed to the understanding of this act of the Spirit Secondly the Spirit of Grace doth not onely offer such a light to the soule but lets it in by her owne working into her setting the soule on worke to concurre with his revealing light and shewing it both that the Lord will conferre no lesse then all this Sufficiency upon a needing soule and therefore shee may without presumption take and partake them from his hand It sheweth her that it is the endlesse matchlesse Grace of God that he can find in his heart to pardon her yea to cast love upon her not only when she seems zealous and affectionate for Self can make her beleeve that but even when she is basest in her owne eies and under the conscience of her guilt when she is in her bloud when her originall loathsomenesse her actuall wickednes of thoughts of words of wrath hypocrisie and the like doe lye as a burthen upon her yet then even then marke what I say he hath love in a corner of his heart for such an one such as he will have herselfe confesse to be causlesse on her part yea such as if he had no more aime at being knowne to be loving then to love for any amiable thing in the object he would never shew to any Nay more lest the Spirit of Grace should leave any thing behinde him he doth offer to create the gift of faith in the soule Esay 5â— 19 to claspe upon this gift of mercy and includes this gift in the offer as knowing that it were in vaine to offer the one without working the other And hereby he causeth the soule to lay hold upon his strength and ablity to save as having received a ransome sufficient which is no other saving the writing of his covenant in the fleshy tables of her heart Esay 27 4.5 prepared by himselfe for the nonce And moreover that all this hee hath done of his owne free will and motion without any former principle acting him to intend it or concurring with him to create it I say he hath done it of himselfe as judging it meet for himselfe to doe whatsoever we bee and for the glory of his Name No entreaty of men or Angels no difficult tearmes of perswasion caused it but it flowed naturally from him as most honourable to his Majestie to doe Fifthly the Spirit of Grace stayes not here but proceedes to accommodate the soule to embrace this power of God for to what end should the Lord be willing to do it in her for her except she also felt sutable inclinations wrought in her soul towards it And therefore he moves her sadly to digest this grace offered to count it no light nor strange thing no nor yet beyond the soules apprehension but as on the one side hee causeth it to be most weighty pretious and to be highly valued so on the other side he makes it familiar sweet clear and evident not a thing above the clouds nor under the earth farre fetcht but neere the soule put into her bosome Rom. 10. belonging to her not to bee rejected or thrust away from her except she will perish These together with the infinite benefite of receiving it and the endlesse losse in forgoing it as being the onely remedy doe marvellously stablish the thoughts upon it and ravish the affections with it so that layes a most sad charge upon the poore soule upon paine of forfeiting her peace for ever not to passe it by slightly deadly and formally but to view and meditate of it savourly deep y unwâ—ariedly with admiration till by this mirrour of beholding the Lord with open face she be transformed to the gloriousnes of this gracâ— and carried 2 Cor. 3. end yea left in the streame thereof by the Spirit of the Lord. This for the first of the three particulars The second is the effect of this presenting worke of the Spirit And that is union The second worke the effect hereof viz. Union Whereby the Spirit of Grace shewes the soule into what a condition she is translated by faith in the promise That is she is made one with the Lord Jesus thereby and really partaker of all his good things true peace contentment in blessings crosses all conditions freedome from all former garboiles feares enemies joy in God and his salvation never to be divorced from him any more This causes the soule to shake off that wearisomenesse of Selfe never settled that bottomelessenesse never grounded that inconstancy and vanity never at rest and why Because it had no reall good to fasten upon and to determine those restlesse desires of hearts But now the Lord Jesus himselfe both in his present grace and hope of glory to come runues in her streame or rather turnes hers into his so that looke what Selfe was to her before emptily and barrenly now Christ is in her stead Christ is the Selfe of the soule he is all in all to her acts her comforts her staies her quickens her guides upholds
uncharitable affections revenge of such as we distaste too good conceit of such as we affect or adde some bitter gourd or other of our owne to mar the pottage Numb 20.11 Thus did Moses being willed to speake to the rocke he would adde of his owne and smote it that the people might see their sinne but it cost him deare and did no good So hard a taske it is for flesh to trade in Gods mâ—tters with Gods minde entirely and sincerely if the meekest man was so what are we prone unto And yet how may this dreg of ours hurt the receit even as if we made no conscience at all Brethren every mans temptations lye within his owne element Perhaps we are faithfull and diligent preachers but our livings are not to our mindes we thinke our selves not regarded to our deserts here steps in our owne spirit and mixes it selfe unlawfully with a thing lawfull It s meet we were well requited But say we come short we are never knowne while we be tryed where then is our sincerity in doing our worke for the workes sake and trusting our Master for wages who hath set us on worke How doe mutterings and murmurings break in upon us with complaints discontents and unwillingnesse to proceed How doth the unthankfulnesse of people encroach upon our spirits to breed distrust and impatience which rather should excite and improve our faith to the uttermost And this is so farre from healing our sore that it rather incenses it more and weakens both the opinion of our labours and the supply of our wants in the mindes and practices of our hearers who thinke thus of us to be not as we are but as we should be men void of self-love and full of sincerity for the true ends of God and their soules Now brethren what peace can we have within while we are carnall in ministring of the spirituall things of God or vend his wares upon our owne stall fleecing the Lord of his dearest jewell his glory and making him a stalking horse for our owne game The base ends of other professions as Physitians Lawyers Tradesmen is not of so deep a dye as ours because the ground we stand on and the Trade we drive is holy and divine theirs only civill and worldly But how will some say may this Quest grace be gotten I will give two or three Answ directions and two or three motives and finish the Use First addict we our selves with delight to attend upon reading 1. Rules for sincerity in Ministery and Counsell study converse with one another imparting our needs and aides in the ordinances each to other as immediately serving to breed and feed this grace and to weane us from the contrary refusing not onely the usuall pleasures profits and vanities of the world except meet and private recreations but even denying our owne curiosity in studies and abuse of gifts to ostentation or to vent our owne way of quotations and conceits Doe not shew your tooles but your workemanship and that you are workemen that need not be ashamed dividing the word aright not seeking your selves but the end of your labours men thinke if they have once got them a name they are made for ever But let us not looke at the carnall custome of the times but at that which may breed sincerity in us God may be served with the best of our gifts so that we first resigne up our selves and them to him so take them back againe refined and purged washed and pared and shaven for his owne service When God hath stampt them with his owne Image and Spirit there is use of them all If ordinary meanes will not serve let extraordinary be used observe what speciall tang of selfe-love doth most assault us every man is not alike tempted some itch after one impure end some another sloth and ease bearing sway pride of life gaine pleasures or as the humour lyes Doe but consider what excellent lights have waxen dimme yea gone out as a snuffe by one of these Demas Diotrephes Alexander many in our owne experience If there be not sincerity in our preaching-scope it is a shrewd presumption there is but little in any respect and then what may not befall us I have noted some in this kinde who by degrees have wanzed and betraied themselves to be but unfaithfull in the maine and for their ends have forsaken the cause of Christ altogether Consider how little good is done at the best 1. Some motives to sincerity in Counsell when we are most sincere But as for the other how little or no good appeares to be done in the places where they reside Who knowes in such a world as this so full of timeservers so full of temptations baites feares how great need we have of prayer of armour and watching lest he that thinks he stands yet fall before he be aware How many are our snares on every side either by the flattery of such as applaud us or the unthankefulnesse of such as forsake us or the ignorance of such as will not acknowledge us or the wrongs of such as provoke us the unprofitablenesse of our hearers the cousenage of Satan or the falshood of our owne hearts How many in discontent have turned Papists Pelagians Anabaptists Socinians and never come to a pitch till death have ended their ambitious dayes How will hard times the multitude of expences the example of others our inferiours exceeding us in preferments tickle us to forsake sincerity exept God have put a sweetnesse into us of working for himselfe and conscience and trusting him for successe It must be our whole worke even to locke our selves wives and posterity into the arke of providence and the promise of alsufficiency knowing that except we be such as can swallow any gobbets we shall not by all our carking adde one cubit or make one haire white or blacke one promise beleeved will prove a surer stocke then all our selfe-love and selfe-seeking will profit us not to speake of an ill conscience besides Let us beare this minde that whatsoever our meanes be for our labours yet rather then we would not honour God in them if we might and the case so required we would trust him for support and supply To conclude oft muse of the price of soules It is Peters argument when he urges Ministers to preach of a ready minde not for gaine because the flocke of Christ is bought with his bloud And to conclude with that which he there addeth That hundred fold which wee shall reap for all our losses in and for the cause of God and sincerity will fully requite us if here we lose our skinne and fleece by wolves and dogs which pursue and teare us the great Shepheard of the flocke our Lord Jesus shall come we shall have a Crowne of glory that fades not better then all that we can expect or men can gratifie us with Thus much also for Exhortation may serve the turne Vse 5
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
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
five or six things pag. 579 Enlargers of promises beyond their due bounds to be reproved pag. 581 Exhortation to get the â—pirit of true grace and conversion to God 886 And such as have attained the same to stand fast therein ibid. Vrging of it upon all sorts and conditions and especially his owne congregation ibid. F. Favour of Nature in a civill person how many wayes it may be enlâ—rged As by the Lawes of men education examples of abstinent and morall persons pag. 104. 105 We must be Fools ere wee can become wise to salvation pag. 232 Faith the onely eye to behold the mysteries of salvation pag. 234 Faithfulnesse is the center whence all the graces of a servant are derived pag. 296 Faithfull servants may hee comforted 314. foure or five particulars of encouragement ibid. Faithfull ones in greater things will much more be so in smaller 427 Reasons of it ibid. Explications of the point two or three pag. 429 Faith what it is not what it is how wrought see the particulars pag. 480. It may be where assurance is not ibid. Why it is called obedience and consent pag. 486 Faith a most pretious thing in the nature of it 495. Shee hath the prerogative of all other graces of the Spirit ibid. and that in sundry respects ibid. Faith consists of two parts Selfe-renouncing and Selfe-resigning Read at â—â—rge of both ibid. Feare of God a singular meane to keep the heart close to God pag. 559 Faith in applying of promises how to be practised in our severall needs distempers 1 in the return of old guilt and accusation after mercy obtained 2. In some eclipsing of Gods gracious presence and walking darkly and deadly 3. Feare of falling into some scandall and never persevere 4. In sicknesse poverty losses and crosses enemies unfaithfull friends the prosperity of the bad 5. Not hearing of thy prayers 6. Troubles above other mens persecutions c. Feare of death pag. 584 Faith in promises and performances is a most pretious jewel and why 612 True faith is performing faith and how ibid. yea when shee is at the lowest ibid. Faith in performances must bee set on worke threewayes 1. To take measure of the promises 2. To let upon God for performance 3. To strengthen it selfe by experience 615. Contrary misery of unbeliefe Vide Vnbeliefe pag. 616 False cures have a false spirit the remedy whereof is worse then the disease pag. 864 G. Grace is free proved and discoursed and cleared 9. 10. Objections answered As first this were to translate a crâ—me upon God 2. Man hath liberty left him to receive grace or refuse 3. God will not be wanting to such as are not wanting to themselves 4. Grace is universall as the fall is 5. Else God should require obedience of man to that which hee never gave him power to doe 6. Christ the second Adam was fully and in all points contrary to the first Adam and as the offence was so is grace 7. How else shall a Minister dispence the Gospel aright 8. Else God doth unjustly in making the remedy worse then the disease or in offering it deceitfully to such as hee hath fore-barred 9. From the instance of a Prince offering pardon c. 10. The dâ—versitie in men ariseth from themselves from page 11. to page 14. God is not tied to as in outward blessings or protection 23. Nor yet in like measures of grace except we beleeve and pray 24. Nor yet in a like administration of his Church in prosperity ibid. because of her sinnes ibid. Gods courses and seasons in drawing home men are divers and manifold pag. 26 Gods will double and the difference ibid. Gods way in converting any is chiefly to subdue carnall savour to the obedience of Christ pag. 59 God useth silly instruments to doe great things or if great then either he makes them great of meane or else mean in their owne eyes pag. 67 God delights to confound great ones by small and poore things pag. 68 God is jealous of his own glory ibid. God useth mean instruments to doe his worke and why ibid. 71 Gifts and graces of themselves do no more cause pride in such as have them then ignorance causeth humility pag. 73 Godly Ministers must not onely use but also lay downe and renounce their service for God if hee shall call them to it pag. 78 Grace is best accepted by such as are most empty of it pag. 154 Gods people who have shot the gulfe of Self in conversion must also deny themselves in conversation 183. Causes why so few deny themselves for Christ ibid. Gods people must not bee ashamed or weary of sincerity because of carnall worldlings pag. 185 Godly Christians must so hate carnal reason that they also shun just aspersion of foolishnesse pag. 213 God befooles carnall reason pag. 226 God himselfe and the Word justifie policie Vide policy Grounding upon stable principles of truth necessary for each Christian 254. Good grounds must bee laid at first pag. 256 Gods people must beware of the boasting of ungrounded hypocrites pag. 260 Godly themselves so farre as led by Selfe when they are defeated rage 268. yet with difference from hypocrites ib d. Gods hearers will bee at Gods dispose for blessing pag. 273 Great men must submit their great spirits meekly to God pag. 274 God hath speciall reason to delay his work in the conversion of his pag. 282 God will never lin with his owne tiâ— he have throughly tamed their rebellion pag. 291 God stands countable to good servants pag. 295 Grace adds all qualifications to a servant 295. As first wisedome â—o behold God the authour of all relations 2. Subjection of spirit which consists of two branches 1. Selfe-deniall 2. Serviceablenesse ibid. It sets faith on worke three wayes 1. Purging out such distempers as possesse them 2. Furnisheth it with speciall gifts 3. Puts it into actual exercise pag. 301 Grace is easie to them who are bred for it pag. 363 How it is called a burden and how ease ibid. God looks that his servants should do some singular thing for him pag. 395 Gods counsels most sincere of all pag. 424 Gods faithfulnesse to us in the main things must teach us to trust him in the smaller pag. 433 God hath a season wherein at last he accomplisheth the worke of grace in his elect pag. 439 When as God is that to the soule which formerly sinne and vanity have been it 's a signe that the soule is resigned up to God pag. 500 Gods commands exceed mans in point of unlimitednesse and soveraignty pag. 524 Gods remedies are perfect but mans are crazie pag. 587 God over-rules the silly creature to worke gâ—eat effects above it selfe pag. 590 Gods performances are alway as good if not better then his promises Reasons of it 1. Because he is Iehova the being of all the promises 2. In respect of his honor 3. Whatsoever is in God is eminently so 4. For strengthning his servants
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
effectuall calling whether by Law or Gospel which may appeare by this that the issue of all the worke of calling is faith And faith we know is the cheefe obedience of the heart to the word both commanding and promising and tries most of all the subjection of the soule Such then as is the end such is the preparative all the whole course of God therefore in converting the soule is to yoke downe and subject the heart to himselfe 2 Cor. 10.4 by casting out all which is set up in it against it as Paul speakes All opposition all rebellion all enmity which is therein whether before the meanes revealed Note well as all naturall poison of heart such as Naaman here is full of carnall savour of his cure resting to the prop of flesh and the Prophets ability or under the meanes themselves revealed must stoop to God somewhat or other terrors or promises or both must rid the soule of each high thought strong hold and error which suffers not the Lord to enter So is it here with Naaman he comes full of carnall confidence upon the arme of flesh and his owne rewards hope of speeding and going home an whole man but the Lord intending to send him home a new man crosses him in his old and strives to subdue the savour of his flesh to the savour of divine power Object It may be objected that this prevaild not with Naaman for in the next verse he fell to rage against the Prophet Answ I answer Although this course of God tooke not effected presently yet it was not lost it lay as leaven in the meale the whiles and had the due effect in his season But for the point know it brethren and judge your selves thereby 2. Branches of use of Exhortation There is in the soule a kingdome of darkenesse and Satan ruling thereby If God meane good to the soule he will translate it Branch 1 from under the subjection of this kingdome before he translate it under the kingdome of his deare sonne Judge of our selves by this order Col. 1.13 Looke therefore to your selves well at this plat and first be not discouraged although you finde under the meanes and ordinances Word Law Gospel fasting and prayer wofull fightings of corruption and concupisence rebellion against the worke of the Law resistance of the Gospel These will be and oftimes it is better it be thus Rebellion in the regenerate tends to the greater humiliation Rom. 7.13.18 then not for if the Lord be in the worke this very rebellion against God shall turne to good and abase the soule so much the more after as before it swelled against God I meane when he shall overpower it by that Spirit which convinceth of sinne Then I say shall the sinfulnesse of the soule out of measure sinfull occasion to it selfe a deeper humbling then if it had never rebelled Be not therefore troubled at that but be sure that the worke which it leaves behinde it be sound be sure the soule revolt not to her former ignorance fleshly savour fulnesse of her owne wisedome and corrupt worldly proud peevish and prophane frame lest it grow worse then ever Branch 2 Secondly brethren to be short let Gods end be our end in the whole course of the Ministery Of exhor Rom. 14.17 Judge not his kingdome of grace peace and righteousnesse to be set up in us before the kingdome of sin and darkenesse bee pulled downe Christ and Belial two Kings two kingdomes cannot stand 2 Cor. 6.14 one throne must be set up upon the others ruines The text tells us 1 King 16.22 when Omri and Tibni stood in competition for the Crowne the followers of Omri prevailed against the other So Tibni died and Omri raigned Just so it is here Till Tibni die Omri cannot raigne The best judgement of Gods people is not by what they have but what they want The Kingdome of God cannot stand till Satans be pulled down for they are incompatible Judge not your selves then I beseech you by those fruits which make semblance of goodnesse in you as by encrease of knowledge gifts to pray much hearing good memory reforming and abstaining from some evills biting in some ill qualities which dare not breake out But judge your selves by the casting downe of your strong forts and high thoughts and stout hearts one dram of this will secure you more of a safe estate and hold out longer then a pound of the other Try whether in all your other proceedings seemings to grow in the house of God your selves grow daily lowlier meeker brokenner for all Gods gifts are seasoned with humilitie and negatives in this kinde are your surest markes not so much what you have got in knowledge but what you have lost of your owne If yee prove this latter the other will prosper alone otherwise this will be a canker to fret out the marrow of the other It is no hard thing for a man to judge what meat his appetite stands to or not Observe your owne frame after all your hearings God will not judge yee by the helpes meanes or gifts yee have but by what your selves are If then your secret consciences bear you witnesse that when all is done yet a proud heart a scornfull spirit uncharitable selfe-loving ranke for it owne ends resting upon carnall proppes angry revenging clasping to the creature as Naaman here did or the like still lurke in yee and beare the sway when ye are put to it in Gods feare doe not rest till the Word have wrought a further worke in you and cast downe this kingdome in you Seek for more working both by the terror and promise For surely till this old kingdome be down at least subdued and tributary as Sauls house under David Edom and Moab to Salomon all your hearings cannot profit you Tremble when yee meet with the old kingdome you shall soone try your selves when occasion of triall comes and be well assured that whom the Lord calls them he subdues and here he pulls up one prop there another pillar of the old throne here he subdues ignorance there a false heart there a carnall minde God subdues corruption in his by peece-meale the savour of the flesh the will of man the pride the stomacke the wordly ends till he have ruined the throne And although a subtile professor will cover all these with the mantle of Religion yet still the comparison abides because he wants an heart to be rid of it But as for others you may feele them with a glove for even in the midst of their devotions giving thankes for meat praying or hearing their hearts are with their covetousnesse and lusts and sometimes they will be quarrelling and praying talking of the world and saying grace with one breath But so much of this branch A second is this The second meditaion upib this I have noted before in Naamans crouching at Elisha his gate how that disease of his
and no wisedome would charme his folly So Hezekiah 2 Chron 32.25 after the like recovery of the plague and promise of humble carriage yet instantly bubbles up againe upon the comming of the Embassadours If this be done by the greene tree what is to be looked for in the dry What wonder then if Naaman may so ill be trusted with a cure at first under hope of humbling afterward No the Lord will hold him while he hath him and treads upon his heele still with new affronts to keep him at that bay till hee have throughly cast out his scurfe God makes cleare way before him It is the Lords course to doe his worke substantially and throughly hee will not sustaine any dishonour in his owne that he hath built them by halfes As for hypocrites they flye before they are halfe feathered and can doe him no discredit Hence it is that the Lord hath been faine to prolong affliction and abasement upon his servants that others beholding them might suspect themselves It might seeme else a superfluous thing to adde water to the sea and so long crosses to Iob a man already truly humble and fearing God But Job 1.1 1 Tim. 1.16 as Paul speakes of Gods grace towards him that it was for the example of more then himselfe so was Iobs humbling a paterne for all men to behold their owne base heart in this kinde and what an hidden depth of scurfe is in the chinkes and corners of it Verily in these dayes he or she may be as wonders and strange sights who walk duly in the sense of past and present corruption before God with humblenesse and privitie to themselves As the sive holds water while it is in the water Simile and no longer so doth our proud heart stoop while the yoke is upon us But few subdue their hearts to this safe demeanure daily That if another man should come and tell them Friend me thinkes your spirit is very light and inconstant not swayed to humblenesse 2 Kings 2. he might answere with Elisha I know it hold your peace for I blesse God I am under the aw of Gods greatnesse and my base heart is ever before me Psal 51. I walke continually in a jealousie of my proud and fickle spirit in this kinde Word workes little without afflictions in our times How few are there now-a-dayes cast downe by the Word alone without some powerfull addition of afflictions to set the Word on working When the Lord hath cut the veines and let out some ranke bloud by the Law how is he faine to set men in an hot bath of some other crosse to keep these veines in bleeding So that except God keep us very low and bare so ranke we are that we fall into a Pleurifie againe instantly Use of the point The use we should make of this branch is briefly this First that wee walke heavily under this body of death in us Counting the same our heavie burden mourning bitterly that our base spirits should be so weary of Gods yoke so light so frothy and inconstant Oh should wee say who hath more cause to walke humbly before God every houre then I being guilty of so many rebellions so deep-died of so long continuance hardly washt out so canker-fretted and yet Lord help me my teares are as the morning dew my spirit more fethery and giddy then any mans So prone to relapse to my old humours and to forget the sorrow which my sinnes cost me and all the vowes of humblesse and a broken hearted carriage Walke heavily under the misery of a slight giddy heart Truely this disease causeth a good soule to walke uncomfortably and the very best graces of God to affoord lesse savour and comfort And secondly it should teach us all especially Gods Ministers not to be over-forward to rest secure of our childrens estate or of others who at first gave good hope of true humiliation under the Law Charity is good let us charitably hope the best of all But yet let us eate some salt with them and wait some time to see what fruits will come of it whether they wax not weary Heb. 12.7 1 Tim. 5.11 Heb. 12. of Gods chastening and like those widowes who waxed wanton against Christ and weary of Church-service returning to their old vanities But yet too much credulity not meet for Gods people being dead while they were alive Particularly observe whether the Law be as welcome to them still as at first how they brook the discipline of such a School-master that they might get downe their base hearts and keep them under Mark them whether the pride of their spirit opinion of themselves jollity of the world warmth of their owne feathers and pride of life cause them not to forget their former humblings as if now they had learned a new lesson to bee lesse precise and more wise If we see such stuffe in them wee shall have little cause to repent that we suspected their beginnings And lastly for our selves count we it the onely safe estate that which promiseth soundest comfort most peace best safety and sweetest feelings of Christ when our hearts are kept within the bounds of feare and humility and awfulnesse And desire the Lord not to trust us over farre nor leave us long without some wholesome Items and buffetings rather then we should wax loose and run out of his blessing into our owne warme Sunne Blessed is hee that feareth alway and if God crosseth him not crosseth himselfe And so much also for this third branch and this first observation Now I come to the second the Message is Wash seven times in Iordan The second â—bservation out of this tenth verse and thou shalâ— be cleane Touching these words as they contain a charge and a promise annexed I shall speake more at large when I come to handle Naamans obedience in the verses following Here I onely touch a point or two generally flowing from the words and first the meane which God appointed him to use for his cure to wit the washing seven times in Jordan Ere I come to this point a Papist or Master of superstition would here make a stop as a traveller at a crosse in the high way and pick out a mystery out of the number of seven Why seven times saith a Papist Quest and not twice or five times There is surely some religion in this period and some mystery to be observed in it I answer Answ I know none except perhaps the Lord would have Naaman acquainted with the ceremonies of the lepers clensings Levit. 14.8 c. which yet I dare not affirm for then he might have sent him rather to the Priest at Jerusalem then to an extraordinary Prophet raised up in the absence of the ordinary Priest which now was expelled from the ten Tribes Therefore rather I answer That so it pleased the Lord to have it See 2 Cro. 16.3.4
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
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
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
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
begunne in the soule yet seeing many have gone farre and perished faith is of few and the free worke of the spirit which bloweth onely upon some also feeling fearfull untowardnesse in her selfe darkenesse dulnesse deadnesse and unworthinesse doubting also of her election or sanctification that either she shall never renounce her lusts or persevere upon these or the like feares she concludes she belongs not to God nor shall beleeve Now this feare a man would thinke were rather selfdeniall then selfe but in very deed it is often discovered to be a more tenacious enemy then the former for why it trencheth horribly upon the simplcity of the offer the power and truth of the promiser as if it would set grace at a non-plus and as if the Lord were a tyrant a lyer so doth it claspe to it selfe will not be beaten out of her den 3. Withdrawing selfe nor resigne up her selfe to God The third and last degree is yet most dangerous of all I meane withdrawing selfe and may be conceived to be the last corner of the strong fort of selfe in her opposing of Christ and to prevaile with many whom the former two could not foile Marke it well And it is that wofull and desperate flinging out of the soule and incompliablenesse of the spirit with the onely and sound way of God to save the soule which is faith comforting pacifving converting and changing the heart to God Which way when the closenesse solemnesse nakednesse and necessity of it is presented to the soule it findes her marvellously wrapped and wound in with abundance of such secret scurse of her owne that first shee begins to be offended at the purity spiritualnesse and holinesse of it as farre exceeding her carnall comprehension or content as the heavens exceed the earth shee sees not how it is possible for two such extremities to bee reconciled And secondly she feeles such a Law within herselfe such an horrible repugnancie of heart against this way such an old custome of formality in Religion ease sloath restinesse and luskishnesse of spirit as Rahel sitting upon her Idols and loath to stirre that this way workes her to extreame unwillingnesse to consent and obey shee wishes from her heart that the command of faith were of a shorter size and a narrower extent she fore-casts such an utter misery in selling her selfe and all for the gaining of a promise as the young man did Heb. 10. ult when he was bidden to sell all and therefore concludes The price is too great the commodity as good as it is is too deare how shall it stand with selfe What will old froth and vanity liberty and loosenesse of heart of thoughts and affections say to this geare she must for ought shee sees consult with them and have their good wills ere ever she can consent here 's the pudder Selfe will not yeeld her old bent frame and streame is carnall or at least but mixtly and halfe religious and therefore to cast that out would make her forlorne and a begger an unsubsisting creature without a bottome On the other side God will not yeeld his bent and end is to subdue the soule to himselfe to bring her within his owne narrow compasse to be all in all to her as selfe was before the meere and naked bottome of her joy welfare he hath given his Sonne to purchase the soul thus to himselfe He hath denied his glory and himselfe that hee might thereby win the soule to magnifie him in his love and glory in his grace and therefore he will not lose his ends Except then the controversie bee determined and the soule drawne up and overcome to resigne up and raze this fort of Selfe and trust God with her owne soule for mercy and for powerfull subduing of her selfe This last degree will make her rather to chuse the forfeit of heaven then of her owne will and content And this may serve for the three degrees of mixt or secret Selfe Now I come to the second part of the answer touching the foot-steps and passages of this enemy and so to end the question Concerning which I say Secondly by her passages Three 1. Ground of Selfe is flesh that the passages of selfe may bee conceived in these three particulars First in the ground of it secondly in the carriage of it thirdly in the scope and issue of it For the ground or principle of it it is Flesh that which is not from Grace is no better then flesh seeme it what it will and that may appeare both in Legall selfe and Evangelicall For Legall selfe I may say that which the Holy Ghost Esay 58. Esay 58. speakes of Hypocrites that even in their fasting which was selfe-afflicting Levit. 23. Levit. 23. yet they had pleasure they kept their false measure within and nourished such a carnall heart as caused their humiliation to be defiled so is it here If we knew who were elect and who not as we cannot we might as well discern them by a defect of Legall as well as Evangelicall preparations for Christ is Alpha and Omega Revel 1. the beginning and end of the salvation of his owne So that as common a worke as the Law is accounted sure it is that selfe hath her bredth in that narrow and admits not such abasement as the Law worketh in the elect but rather she hath pleasure and beares off the dint by some extenuation of her sin or other even then when she should receive the sacrificing knife to cut the throat Both in respect of the Law and the Gospel 1. The Law that is to slay the pride and jollity of nature she lickes her selfe whole if she can as fast as the Law wounds But if it so fall out that the Lord is purposed to breake in upon such a soule with his terrours and to cast her downe to the ground so that shee is under water and terrified to purpose yet herein selfe appeares that either she windes herselfe out as soone as the extremity is over by indirect meanes or else the strait shee is in is no meanes to drive her out of her selfe to another but rather to fret and rebell thinking she hath wrong or she growes thereby to thinke herselfe to be in a better case because she is stopped in her old course or if the utmost extremitie comes she chuseth rather to rid her selfe from it by violence and destroying of her selfe rather then to see God in the worke But not hereby to behold the clear way of God to bring the soule to a condition of grace when she is at an utter losse and plunge in her selfe For then this worke should leave her better then it found her that is cause her upon a ground of the Word to see herselfe within Gods net and so to grow to conceive some possibility and hope which is too lively a worke for selfe to reach unto 2. Gospell and that both in the eye-sight
us which lusteth to envie to selfe-love and carnall ends is brought lowest Rejoyce therefore and attend closely to this worke of Gods visitation Jam. 4.4 Say as once one answered to him that discouraged him from New Englands voyage by the wants and affronts which hee should meet with there and in his journey as lacke of diet good lodging and the like Oh saith he what know I but by this abasement the Lord will crucifie me to this world and the contents of it marriage pleasures travelling up and down belly gain the like What shall I lose by this bargain David in his heavie affliction of spirit Psal 51. could say My sinne is ever before me yea the sinne of his Nature and that Selfe the seed of all evill was then terrible whereas before in his jollity neither murther nor adultery was sensible Looke up to God and beseech him that in this glasse of conscience affliction I meane thou mayst behold the thiefe that doth thee all the hurt that Grace by little and little may drop in and Selfe goe out that thou mayst partake his righteousnesse who emptied himselfe of all mayst learne obedience by sufferings and behold that venome which hath drunke up and wasted the spirit of selfe-deniall and faith and marred all thy hearings and use of meanes till this houre onely this caveat I add Let no man ascribe more to crosses then is their due They cannot worke of themselves save in and by the Word But where the seed lieth under the dry clod this storme may possibly moysten and breake it and cause the seed to root and grow up So much for this use There is yet another use of instruction remaining But I have already been too long I must referre it with the other uses which follow to the next Sermon Here therefore an end for this time Let us pray c. THE SIXTH LECTVRE CONtinued upon the eleventh Verse and so forth on to the verse following VERSE XI VERS 11. But Naaman was wroth and said Behold I thought thus with my selfe Surely he will come forth and stand 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 then all the waters of Israel may I not wash in them and be cleane So he went away in a rage c. 2 Kings WEE laboured as wee could beloved to come towards an end of this maine point of Selfe in the last exercise but were faine to breake off in the Branch 3 use of instruction of Instruction Therefore no further to trouble you we come to the third and last branch of it And that is to teach us what the reason is of so much irresolution and staggering in the spirits of many Professors Staggering unproficiencie of Christians in the fruit of Selfe why their faces are all so pale their hands are upon their loyns and sides as a womans whose paines are upon her the fruit being come to the birth but no strength to bring forth Where almost are there any other now-a-dayes to bee found except wee meane such as never came to feele themselves in a streit at all sure it is their number is great who although in measure they affect the best things and to set such a price upon them as that they are loath to goe without them at last yet still professe they can attaine small setlednesse and rest upon the promise with perswasion comfort Surely the reason is because although as they conceive that desire which is in them toward God comes from the Word which hath convinced them of their need yet either they are ignorant of that which is able to settle them viz. the freedome of the promise of forgivenes comming from the heart of a reconciled God in his Sonne or else will take no paines to digest and rivet it in their owne hearts but chuse to wanze away in their owne inconstancie being glad when they feele any affections stirring in them but when they are cold and dead in their spirits againe then their hopes turne to feares and leave them so conceited as if there were no way left for them to recover any setling or confidence This policie of Satan to hold hearers upon this rolling stone of their owne bottomes is no other save that he blind-folds them with this Selfe and selfe-love For why so long as they were meerly carnall and led by prophane Selfe they confesse God might justly cast them off But when once they finde their mindes and hearts to be truely bent and set heaven-ward then they conceive themselves as other manner persons and thinke that no man can blame them if they looke for some fruit of their labour and wonderfull difficult it is to draw them from a carnall savour even in the most spirituall things of God Wherefore say they have we zeale and feelings and hopes by our hearing the promise save that wee should ascribe somewhat to them and thinke our selves in better case then when we wanted them And whence are they save from the word and the glad tidings of the Gospel To whom I answer I grant all to be true which you have said but what then Is there no difference thinke you betweene the newes of salvation offered to a needing soule rejoycing to heare that one lying in the dungeon may come out and resting in some hope that it may be his owne portion and betweene one who is actually drawne out of it by applying those cords to himselfe which God hath laid before him I meane by beleeving the promise to be his owne Are there no degrees of the worke of the Gospel save only to fall in love with it because it pleases us Put case the Lord is content at first to draw us with the cords of a man that is by an object which is welcome to nature while we are uncapable of further things shall this satisfie the soule and make it by and by to thinke it selfe in good case Is there not a condition of the offer as well as some preparations wrought by the offer or shall some pangs of hope jealousie sorrow loathnesse to forgoe the promise be set by as much as the promise it self beleeved No surely for so the Maide should bee preferred before the Mistresse and those passions of the soule which God useth for the pulling of her closer to himself in the embracing the offer shall be equalled with faith it selfe which were most absurd For why faith is a worke issuing from the digestive power of the Spirit so urging the faithfull meaning of God reconciled to a sinfull wretch in Christ that he is willing to put away all enmity and become a father to pardon her and set her at liberty whereupon the soule so fastens that finding such properties in her selfe as belong to such an one shee with holy and humble boldnesse takes them to her selfe as her owne
act for him if suffering come Selfe rages But Grace goes forth in Gods strength Psal 84.5.6 They went through Baca Psal 84. yet from strength to strength Love is wanting to only-Abilities Abilities only looke at themselves as their own excellency but grace makes God her excellency only a naturall man beholds the Minister in his parts not his spiritualnes 2 Cor. 4.7 So I say touching naturall conscience Rom. 2.14.15 The heathens by naturall conscience accused or excused themselves But this is easily discerned because such a conscience acts a man onely in a naturall way As they of Listra thinking the Apostles to be Gods brought their Bulls to sacrifice to them many a drunkard taxes himselfe but his taxing is weak and vanishes but a spirituall conscience is firme and overpowring Again a naturall conscience can be but morall at most as not to lie swear but a spirituall embraces supernaturally revealed things as faith regeneration And put case such a conscience have some light of the word added to it yet without grace by the word corruption is not subdued as it is in a man who lookes into the mirror of the word See 2 Cor. 3.18 So much for these three Branches of Nature The second triall is of education It is with many Christians as with Empericks they have learned some receits from able Physitians but want grounds of Art to minister physicke themselves So many have had good education with Ioash under Iehoiada and act accordingly But the discovery of these is that they are soone weary of Gods worke I say not onely in it for so may a good man but of it because their principle is outward but the sanctified soule being inwardly stirred from the Spirit is unwearied See Esay 30.31 They are carried in Gods armes But the other walk as a creeple forced to goe by some externall mover now forced motions cannot bee perpetuall as the motion of legs strengthened by sinewes and joints Againe a man onely acted by education hath two motions like the orbes of heaven moved by their owne circular motion and yet retrograded by the primum mobile But a sanctified motion is uniforme in it selfe if he be in a good family hee moves onely according to the good meanes thereof not according to his corrupt motion And when the party is furthest off his Parents or Teachers the falsely principled are most sluggish and at last faint utterly not so hee who is acted by grace read Iudg. 2.19 Iudg. 4.1 As the glasse which yeelds reflection no longer then it is backed with steel A stone will flie a while so long as the strength of the arme abides in it but no longer because it is acted contray to the principle Examine thy selfe about this now one day thou wilt else rue it Beleeve not every shew He whom Christ hath traind up drinkes in his raine his instruction is carried as I may say upon his shoulders is cared for by him blessed and upheld by him though his naturall parts be never so weake feeble and poore whereas the counterfeit is abhorred by God let his gifts and trainings be never so eminent So much for this second Thirdly again a man may thinke himselfe to go forth in the strength of Grace yet be meerly acted by some lust as Diogenes comming into Plato's house and seeing costly silk cushions trode upon them saying I trample upon Plato's pride But Plato told him he did so with a double pride so Esay 58. those fasters went to work in the strength of their covetousnesse and lusts But an holy heart will make a naturall object spirituall to it selfe as a man may do evill in the strength of a good intent for lack of knowledge so much more may a man doe good in the strength of a lust How many will reprove others in the strength of carnall indignation as the other Disciples did those two sonnes of Zebedee Or of a sullen froward censorious humor Lust is contray to some lust grace only to all lust Some preached Christ out of envy a good worke comming from a lust but the discovery is easie for such a man obeyes not because he is commanded Psal 119.6 but for his will sake Object But I do as I am commanded therefore I am sanctified I answer if thou dost simply so it is well else thou maiest do a command and yet use that as a colour to varnish thy action as a Apothecaries colour their physicke for a lustre sake not to amend it So a lust may bee the principle but yet a command may be a stalking horse So much for this third Fourthly a man may cosen himselfe about his obedience by the common power of the Gospel and the gifts which issue from thence and yet come far short of grace as is manifest in Iudas Alexander Hymenaus Demas and others And this is the subtilest delusion of all the former As the lower element of water may symbolize with the higher of Aire in an inferior quality of moistnesse though not of heate so may an hypocrite partake of the lower qualities of a beleever but not of his grace As the Master is so is the scholar if the Master can but read the scholar can but read but if hee be able to teach Grammer then the scholar learnes that So an ignorant man can read the booke of the creatures without and the booke nature within but an hypocrite can read the booke of the Gospel and yet may be farre from beleeving it True it is both naturall and divine gifts doe agree in some respects as that both are infused the one by nature the other by grace both leave some positive worke in the soule but naturall gifts rather by substracting some evill spirituall by adding some reall qualities both give some liberty of working Godward but the former give no freedome to the will in working the latter doth for whom the Sonne makes free he is free indeed Object But by this it might seeme that the difference stands only in a degree Answ True it is there is a graduall difference between the good grounds one brings forth thirty another sixty a third an hundred fold but the good and bad differ substantially For meere common gifts of the Gospel in hypocrites first are inordinate as Iudas seeing the box of ointment broken thought of the poor but inordinately and Sauls saving the fat cattell of Amalek was inordinate and irregular So Ananias and Saphira Acts 5. Lust must live where it is not mortified if not under open prophannesse then under boord Secondly an hypocrite may shunne a sinfull lust by putting it aside as when uncleannesse is justled aside by ambition or covetousnesse or an hypocrite may be for Christ in opinion when the winde serves but not when it turnes whereas a good heart is set that way as the needle toucht stands to the North-point or thirdly hypocrites may doe much by their conviction of understanding but a beleever workes by the divine habit
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
the necessity of it and the true sense of utter perishing without it lo then the case is altered John 10.10 then as Peter on the suddaine would have Christ wash him throughout so she growes resolute to beare downe all selfe le ts disswasives feares losses discredit then so she may have Grace shee will have it any way let all goe shee cares not so she may enjoy that pretious thing she loveth she tramples upon her pride ease and all that hangeth on as a clog without or as a let within glad if with the forfeit of all she can purchase it Heb. 12.1 Marke this good brethren let the Spirit of Grace prevaile a little and it is strange how it subdues that loathnesse of Selfe to yeeld the rebellion and fiercenesse of the Spirit Oh! it causes the Lion and Lambe to feed together it tames the soule and carries it captive bound hands and feete content to abase it selfe to the lowest and poorest tearmes to be taught and directed in the way of God by the most despised instruments which before she disdained to learne of Curiosity now and choice of Preachers and accepting of the Grace of our Lord Jesus in respect of persons is base and unsavoury Now shee sees Grace is onely in the hand of God to give or restraine now it is a dainty commodity indeed and beares prick and prise in the soule any thing will be given for it if God will now sell it her let him but aske and have and whatsoever before was in high esteeme shall now be vile and as dung unto it Oh! beloved trie your selves also by this marke and if ye finde the least dramme of this geason worke of the Spirit in you dampe it not nor quench it lest Selfe returne and set such a deepe price upon it that perhaps yee will never recover it againe If a spirit of frequent and unwearied hearing travell conference meditation questioning consulting with such as can resolve us a spirit of wisdome to devoure sinfull bashfulnesse and modesty and coynes in revealing our doubts be given unto us if wee feele an heart in us loathing that lither listlesse dead spirit which was wont to withdraw us beware we lose it not nourish it and although all the world should mock us and our own base spirit should tell us we shall be noted for our labour let us make never the lesse of it nor be discouraged Fourthly 4. Marke Spirit of Grace resists those speciall pangs of selfe in every soule the Spirit of Grace resists those particular and personall pangs of Selfe self-love which the soul especially is distempered with Selfe is a stock of many branches even originall antipathy to Christ and Grace at every rate but some appeare in one some in another as in the body some humors settle within the intralls others breake out into sores and swellings So here In some there appeares a base lither heart in some a spirit of the world lusting to rake and scrape in others subtilty and hollownesse to colour over their owne corruption in some a barren deadnesse of heart in others secret pride and resting in their gifts in some selfe-conceit of their owne way in others revenge pettishnesse 2 Cor. 10.4 frowardnesse Some encline to the right hand of selfe-confidence and content in their owne hopes others to the left hand of feare and slavery Now the Spirit of Grace In some stronger in in some weaker is as fire devouring that corruption which is next hand and searching out the peculiar distemper of the Spirit which beares most sway against Grace and Christ It descants not about other mens lets and maladies but lookes at her owne in speciall saying I doubt not but others finde their owne home and bosome hindrances let me see to mine owne for other mens shall not hurt me I feele a very stout heart loath to take a reproofe blustering at any that should taxe me what Do they know what I am my parts or thus I feele a very froward spirit God himselfe must not crosse and unsettle me lest I fly in his face or thus I feele a stiffe heart of Selfe loath to doe good to sympathize the necessities of others so I may fare well my selfe by visiting by advising admonishing instructing them I say each one hath his peculiar ayles and humors which take off the edge of grace in him and all because there is not that meekenesse tendernesse and brokennesse of spirit there wants the power of Christ to beare downe such distempers But the Spirit of Grace encounters every speciall disease discovers to every man his owne abandons that spirit which reignes in an hypocrite who can make a pretty shift till his owne basenesse be found out but then he buskells and takes on like a mad man Not so here For the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is a Spirit of sagacity and search never linning till it can follow her selfe by the sent and footings to her very den and there strives to drive her out of her hold by violence For why It presents to the soule the safety and happinesse of selfe-discovery This marke cleared and the infinite danger of the contrary causeth it to delight in the convincing of her conscience and to be loath to foster in herselfe any such michiefe as might destroy her own hopes She sees how hypocrites doe exchange Selfe with Selfe but purge it not out wholly desires to resigne up her chiefe fort and freehold to the Spirit of Grace without tergiversation or shifting And so shee cries out heartily to the Spirit of Grace Lord how long shall this close enemy of mine maintaine her selfe against thine authority and trie masteries with thy Spirit Hast thou not yet a further strength to cast downe this bulwarke Oh! if thou shalt cast out this defilement to the bottome so as I may feele a sweetnesse in thee to supply and equall it how sweet a mercy shall I count it Beloved search your selves by this Can you say of all these dregs of Selfe Oh that I might bee rid of them at once Oh when shall that happy day come When shall I feele the Spirit of Grace thus working to put all out of question that which is the bane of the false heart is the chiefe joy of a sound one when shall I feele my soule as sensibly sustained by the Word as ever I have beene by Selfe Oh! if now the houre were come that all the unclean pleasures I have taken in my own bottome and selfe-ends were quasht how should I rejoyce And yet I know well what I must forgoe even that which hath been my meat and drinke and pastime but I speake advisedly and in coole bloud I should be glad of it and hazard all and I know they should be as drosse to me if thou canst truly professe this thine estate is comfortable And hereto I may adde this as a fifth marke that the Spirit of Grace settles and compounds
doubtfull hearts and the Lord will not bee wanting to give you now and then such handsells of mercy as are meete to stay you and to assure you of better measures afterward But say the truth is there not within you a secret loathnesse to give up your owne bottome hopes and hold to the meere freedome of eternall mercy Or have you not kept a false measure within you that is to mixe your selves with mercy being loath to deny your selves your feelings zeale labours and devotions Have you cast these out and come under the power and authority of the Word I feare there is such a pad in the straw If there be not it is some sin against conscience which hath wasted you which must be abhorred but if it be as I have said alas poor soules then wonder not that God hath crossed you for it is for good even to fasten you to himselfe and above all meanes to acquaint you with his owne power who in the midst of these distempers of yours can forgive you can imbrace you with mercy and finde in his heart to love you even then when perhaps you could bite your tongues because you are so bad and this if you can beleeve it will carry meate in the mouth when all your own mixtures must vanish Try your selves by this marke whether the Spirit of Grace have so wildred you in the best and most pleasing waies of your own Esay 26. till he have driven you into your chambers to hide your selves there under the secret of the Almighty under that free infinite full covert of the promise till the evill be overpast Tell me brethren when you can feed and revive your spirits at this feast and warme your selves at this fire is it not high holy-day with you Finde you not a difference betweene this and your owne sparkes Bee content then resigne up your soules to this worke and say the Lord hath done you no wrong to weane you from your owne breasts that you might suck at his promises Seventhly and lastly the Spirit of Grace opposeth Selfe in all her errors and subtilties For the former Selfe is a great blinder of the eyes and causes the soule to sleep in a whole skin she doth so baffle her selfe with her owne shewes and forwardnesse that shee doubts not but her estate is good She saith with Iehu 2 Kings 9. Come and see the zeale which I have for the Lord of Hosts But the Spirit of Grace is a Spirit of discerning between errour and truth it seperates between the pretious and the vile gives clearnesse to the eyes of the simple Psal 19. causing them to judge according to the grounds of the word which cannot deceive to distrust her owne conjecturall and slight bottomes Truth is able to approve both her selfe and her contrary whereas error can comprehend neither truth nor her owne vanity And secondly she discovers those subtilties of Selfe It were endlesse to mention them by a few judge of the rest Sometime she is so slye that when her affections and duties forsake her she can recover her selfe by her whinings complaints and mutterings against her selfe as if she mourned because she attaines no better fruit of her labours Sometimes she will pretend that she desires grace really and is willing to be searched and that shee knowes not that evill which she would not gladly be rid of that she might attaine it But yet she deceives herselfe with dead wishes and will not ensue those meanes closely which tend thereto nor profit by the experience of her owne basenesse but her experience leaves her dead in the nest as it found her and she will not endure the triall nor set one foot forward to remove the stumbling-blocke of her iniquity from before her Ezek. 14. and her Idols from between her brest Therein she is as she was Againe a third subtilty is that she will spare her owne lazy skin and cut her selfe off from those more convincing ordinances and more pertinent and seasonable meanes for her owne good by putting herselfe upon such as are lawfull and good in their kinde as to avoid close attendance to reading of the word by singing of a Psalme also prayer by reading a Chapter instead of secret and private prayer she will chuse to pray with others or in family or upon a booke instead of extraordinary duties shee will content herselfe with her ordinary houres and all to shew that shee is glad to put off the Lord and save herselfe harmelesse with as small a pittance and as poore measures of spirit and courage as may be And commonly when Selfe pitches upon her course this is her property she is loose with God in the best meanes Againe she will so contrive her matters that for the shifting of some close duty of worship as meditation searching her corruptions repenting after falls or renewing covenant she will alway finde some occurrent or other duty of calling conversing with others needlesly or by some worke of mercy and duty of the second Table or any other fained pretence to rid herselfe of that which would stick to her spirit and discover her loose grounds Sometime which I would have marked when she is so hunted that she cannot shelter herselfe and is pressed to leave all for a promise she will turne presumptuous and professe that she hath cast herselfe upon that also and thereby hath put an end to all her former distempers purposing to cast about and fling out no more but settle herselfe upon the truth of God But alas this her fained cleaving to the word is nothing else save a dead relyance perhaps shee quashes her former feares and doubts But how Surely by a lazy and slothfull pretence of beleeving that she might be free from any callings upon reproofes or paines taking and delude her selfe with ease for why Come to the triall of her confidence alas it is without savor peace contentation or joy of heart saplesse barren and ventrous dissembling a selfe-deniall and calmnesse of heart but indeed a lethargy of the spirit willing to deceive herselfe No true desire to honour God in the fruit of a sound course or to purge out old distempers can appeare I say all the subtill and sly tricks of selfe-delusion the Spirit of Grace pierceth into and purgeth the soule of for looke what I have said of a few might be said of all the rest Although I deny not but many a poor soule hath some secret shreds of Selfe lying hid and unknowne yet I say the nature of the Spirit is to discover them if the soule be not wanting thereto And this be said touching the former generall head of the Spirits opposing Selfe Second generall How the Spirit of grace that it serves wholly for Grace In three things 1. In discovering the mystery of it Now for the second generall a second marke of the Spirit of Grace is That it serves wholly for Grace And that both in the
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
the whole Army of corrupt Arguments which both within and without beset the soule against the naked truth of the promise before ever he set them at liberty And the truth is onely the worke of regeneration is able both to drein away this spring and floud of contradiction and to dry up her streames that they may not so abundantly flow out to beare downe all the force of truth in us or perswade us to conversion And the same spirit it must be which must turne our streame to run another way and take off this rolling doore of our corruption from the old hinges to open and move a contrary way Onely Grace must consume all our base inventions which man hath found out against God as Eccles 7.29 Civils against Religion sundry of theâ— named That this Sect of Religion is everywhere evill spoken of If once a Christian ever a slave a beggar a foole These Preachers tell us many tales of a tub against sinne and of the judgements of God but the best is wee see not thunder and lightning to follow upon every word they speake If all were so cursed whom they declaim against they would looke as blacke as foot there would bee no living among men but thankes be to God we see all things still continue as they were and men are as white in the face as they were wont buy and sell goe to markets and faires to Ale-houses and merry meetings their pleasures and good fellowships as free and fast as ever Therefore we see they would but rob us of our liberties and make us such fools as themselves which God forbid it were pitty that for their pleasures the world should be so turned Iopsie-turvie Others come in and backe themselves with this That your best Preachers are no better then they should be and in corners they are as other men Some thinke if religion once beare sway then their trades must be forsaken they must sell all and give it to good â—â—lke and Preachers not unlike to the Popish Jesuites who in their Sermons tell the people that English Protestants have long tailes and hornes in their foreheads and looke as grizely as Ghosts and some grinne like Dogges and the like Againe others cavill say These Christians are so sad and melancholick that I am afraid I should die of no other disease save of very thought and care Others come neerer and consider God would have their lusts and lewd qualities from them which are necessary evils to them they cannot part with them Religion is better to make shew of for mens ease as Machiavil said then to make us sound at heart and so cost us much paine Others cavill and say The best cannot tell whether they shall be saved and they can hope as well as others and so hope well and have well Others thinke it impossible to change their natures and to be converted They have assayed often but they finde little come of it and they love no worke which is never at an end nor then neither They love that religion which a man can tell what to make of and come to a point but as for that which is never content but first men must forgoe their lusts then their liberties then themselves beleeve repent and bee broken-hearted this is precise and curious not for their tooth Others say If yee heare the Preacher yee will lose your wits and drowne or fore-doe your selves Others yet come closer and cavill thus Wee see the more we are terrified for sinne the further we are from God God hath not appointed all to bee saved all cannot mourne or beleeve it is the gift of few we know not whom God hath chosen men may fall away after they have beleeved and if some say true the justified may revolt and be damned and they can be no worse though they never begin Many goe so farre as few can match them and yet for one cause or other they must prove hypocrites and lose their labour therefore they will save theirs altogether they had as good sit for nought as toyle for nought Others say their corruptions doe so weary them that they shall never get through them and others are afraid that they shall never persevere but at one time or other fall foully and dishonour their Religion therefore dare not give the on-set To conclude others have taken offence at the rigour of the Law and so run out to seek old liberties alledging that bondage to be most irksome And others who proceed further yet say This and such like doctrines of Selfe doe discourage them they feare that a man cannot be rid of it and they see it is hard even for the best to discerne the Spirit of God from a mans owne Endlesse it were to reckon up all cavils onely the Lord must change the heart ere it be rid of these her inventions To dispute for God is a great work of grace And much more must the Lord turne the streame a contrary way ere the soule wax resolute against all such objections and bee turned to dispute for God to hold close to the promise and to devise as many as strong and as witty reasons for her owns salvation as before shee did against it Some instances of disputing for God To argue thus is not common The Lord hath his number and will ever have and they are such as leaving his secrets cleave to his revealed will Such as are loaden with their corruptions mourne after ease not for ease onely of their feare and guilt but to take the yoke of Christ upon them in stead thereof Such if any may claime the promise And such an one through mercy I am Few indeed shall be saved but then as few lament after God till they finde him and many glorious lights fall away but then their light was in themselves they were not humble True it is the elect are knowne to God but yet such as will first beleeve shall in time know themselves to bee elect And why should I thinke my inducements to beleeve to bee so weake or few Nay rather why should not I if I be lead by the Spirit of Grace turne disswasives into perswasives and sway all objections to the naked promise Surely Caleb did so And Gods reasons are many and strong Num. 14.5.6 Mee thinkes it is a strong motive that the Lord will leave none but such as forsake him first His meaning seemes very cordiall unto me when he bids a sinner be reconciled For why There is bottomelesse patience in his heart to forbeare smiting hee hath mercy cut off his owne plea he hath neglected no meanes to satisfie his owne justice hee that would not refuse to forgoe his onely sonne will not lose his cost surely he meanes well to a poore wretch He hath received a ransome declares himselfe to be appeased wishes us to be so threatens us if wee refuse His Spirit is annexed to his offer he allureth draweth encourageth and yet
way and strike into the way of selfe-deniall and faith strip herselfe naked and become as an orphan that hath none to betake himselfe unto none to shrowd under Now as shee is too proud as yet to take any shame so to take any new course she is too resty and lazy To dig she cannot and to beg she is ashamed Therefore as that Steward Luke 16.3 she will fall to an easier course she will resolve to shift and be still unjust as before returning to her trade with more boldnesse Vse 1 I must be briefe in this as being but an entrance into the next branch First Col. 2. end Gods people must beware of the fâ—lse boasting of ungrounded hypocrites let it be instruction to teach us wisdome that wee be not gulled with the glory of Hypocrites and Pharisees whose Religion stands in shew of humblenesse of minde and not sparing the flesh causing all men to gaze at them and wonder at their humility and devotion Oh! If such and such be not in the right way that be so lowly and so full of prayers and Religion God helpe us But Oh poore wretches They domineer in their kingdome and have none to controll them outwardly they are painted tombs and seeme to crouch and buckle But discover them never so little and put them out of their way they are as proud and disdainfull on the other side and no man can stand before their envy What wonder There is nothing more humble low base double diligent then Selfe in her owne way But put her out and nothing so proud bloud they say out of her vessell presently putrifieth Hold with a Papist in his owne course as alas ignorance must doe so and what shall ye not draw them unto What may you not have at their hands They will pull out their very eies to doe you good they will licke the dust of your feet But why Alas that by your consent and allowance they may stiffen themselves in their error and draw you into the fellowship thereof all is their selfe-way selfe-religion of the flesh which is proud of Gods colours Selfe in her owne way jâ—lly but if put out of it mad and raging and that she can pricke up herselfe with her own feathers But let truth once convince a Papist give him no hope either of countenancing him any more or of comming to his Religion and behold he will persecute you to the death Then will his spirit break out Thus those in Mica 6. would give God thousands of Rams tenne thousand rivers of oile in their owne way so that God would let them alone in their way they would fine for their Religion and undoe themselves yea offer up their children in sacrifice All this was to make God beholding to them to make all wonder at their bounty still Selfe lay quiet and gat warmth in her nest But when the Lord comes in with his way Oh then when he requires the soule to be lowly when he cries heare O man what he hath said and what his way is Then begins the sorrow will she then be so zealous to embrace Gods way No Mica 6. then she is sad and out of all sorts she will doe nothing See whence all that excesse of cost and bounty of impopery hath proceeded even from mens pleasing themselves in their owne way But crosse them never so little their almes and good workes perish in sullennesse of spirit and then all amort Oh trust not outsides There be many professors of the Gospel like to these Hold with them in their way of hearing of duties of compassion c. Oh! you shall have them as tame as lambes they will doe any thing for you But let the Minister deale sadly with them and say These moralities of yours you ought to retaine but the other and greater things of the Law you ought not to have neglected and then suddenly they become your enemies for telling them the truth Take an example or two In the 14. of the Acts those men of Lystra were so low and base as to set up Paul For Jupiter and Barnabas for Mercury to make Gods of men Thus they could be humble in their owne way to rob God of worship But when the Apostles perswaded them to turne from Idolls to the true God Oh then they were soone turned from adoring them to stoning of them So these falshearted Jewes who could outwardly magnifie Christ for his miracles hoping that he would become some great man could set him on the Asse and proclaime him a King who yet when they perceived his Kingdome not to be of this world gave him over and cryed crucifie him Beware I say lest we be deceived by such See Matth. 21.9 27.22 and let us know no pride is like to the pride of a crouching Pharisee A Monkish and Fryer-like votary hath more pride in his bare necke without a band and in his shirt collar beggars habit and seeming self-deniall then all the gallants and swaggerers in the world Oh! try mens spirits ere ye trust them If their humility lye in Gods way then esteem them but if it lye in their own way abhorre it For Selfe as the Prophet speakes of those Idolaters will abase herselfe to hell and cares not what she doe Esay 57.9 to make her seeme that she is not and to play her parts under a canopy and the more that she multiplies humilities and abasements one upon another the more she seeks to establish herselfe and to eke out her own short garments A dram of humblenesse in a truly broken heart and in Gods way will goe beyond all such patchery Secondly this should be Terror to all such Hypocrites as turn away Vse 2 their eies from reflecting upon their owne horrible pride The truly proud alway most ready to tax pride in the innocent and inveigh against others for their pride and singularity Note it there is not an hypocrite or wil-worshipper if he be convinced by the Ministery to bee upon a bad bottome but he will condemne that convincer to be proud censorious uncharitable factious none are good enough for them But Oh! thou wofull man whether of the two is the more proud he that reproves an ungrounded worshipper of God and convinces him of his ignorance and selfe-love or he that scornes a reproofe He who never thinkes himselfe sufficiently settled upon the bare truth and love of the promiser being himselfe destitute of all good or he who boasts himselfe of his owne goodnesse Matth. 7.5 Therefore with our Saviour I say Hypocrite first cast out the beame that is in thine owne eye and then thou shalt cleerly see to cast out the mote that is in thy brothers He may have a mote but thou hast a beame and that doth so stoppe and put out thine eye that the more selfe-love thou hast the lesse thou seest in thy selfe If ever the Lord truly cast downe thy soule thou shalt tremble with
conditions in point of reproving thee impartially then the meanest If he do his duty faithfully turne not away in a fume scare him not with thy lookes change not thine heart to him nor thinke his love lesse towards thee therefore rather rejoice that God hath given thee so faithfull an overseer which few such have the happinesse to injoy much lesse play thy parts with God in this kinde but subject thy selfe to the authority of the promise as humbly as the meanest he hath little to take to upon earth and all thou hast cannot helpe thee without the good will of him that dwelt in the bush God hath chaines for Princes Psal 149.8 Act. 17.11 Deny thy selfe cleave to the bare truth of the promise try it as well as thou wilt as those noble Beraeans did but when thou hast done seeke no other way to heaven save it Heaven lies no more open to a Noble mans performances and merits then a pezants all were digged out of one rocke therefore count it thy Nobility to give God his honour by beleeving and count it more presumptuous to affront him in point of his honour then any mans affronting thee there is but one way for thee and the poorest to heaven cleave to it with an heart as low as the poorest God will count more highly of a great little heart then a small little one and stoope to this point in hand also David never got such interest in Gods affections by his Crowne as by his poverty of spirit Inure thy selfe to take a defeat from God without rage yea unkindnesse An Emperour for his Crowne could stand bare foote at the gate of a base Pope till he released him and shalt thou thinke much to cast thy coronet at the feet of this Emperour Oh! waite even thou at the gates of God unweariedly and although it be long ere he heare thee and although Self in thee would swell yet beat it down wait still till the Lord send thee away with Naamans answer Consider if thou turn away with him from God whither shalt thou go Shall hy wealth and honour save one whom God will not save Or could all Naamans honour at home have healed his leprosie Came not that from another friend And thinke what a sad confusion he had found it if he had humored himselfe in this distemper finally Oh! as tickling as it was now it had stung him after as a serpent and so shall thine doe thee if the Lord prevent it not for thee by counsell as he did for him whereof in the next verse God willing we shall treate more fully Branch 2 And in a word that which I would say in generall to all is this Try your selves well in your selfe-defeats Try thy selfe how the defeating of Selfe worketh with thee whether Satan mixe himselfe with them to enflame corruption and to make sinne out of measure sinfull or whether they come onely from within our selves If it be from Satan stirring up rebellion then the spirit of Grace may neverthelesse be at worke and may prevaile thereby in time to cast out Satan and to subdue the soule to selfe-deniall and patient waiting for why The impression is violent and contrary to that spirit which guideth thee Therefore thou shalt finde it yrkesome to thee unwelcome and wearisome thou wilt not harbour it but reject it and imbrace the defeats of Selfe as Paul did till the Lord satisfie thy desires But if thou feele that this discontent proceed from meere corruption then know that God calls thee to so much the more abhorring of thine owne way and will and to say Note well alas what is the salvation of a poore worme a gnat to that infinite glory which God seekes to himselfe in his owne holy way What if I lose heaven in mine owne way so I may have it in his way yea any way Phil. 3. Yea she shall wish she had Pauls strength to become Anathema so that Gods wisdome might be exalted I say thou hadst need entreat the Lord so farre to reveale unto thee the holinesse the equity of his wise way that in respect thereof thou maist stinke in thine owne nostrills Oh doe so chuse to goe to heaven with the forfeit of thine owne dearest eies hands and feet rather then goe to hell for so would Selfe with them Matth. 18.8 Say thus I would wash seventy seven times in thy Jorden to crosse my selfe Lord rather then turne from washing seven times to crosse thy command I would with Paul attaine to the resurrection of the dead by any means whatsoever rather then faile of it through good report and bad through as many disasters as Paul chose to passe rather then he would not fulfill his Apostleship would I â—huse to goe rather then lose my desire through poverty losse of friends shipwracke persecutions hunger stoning nakednesse yea Self and all though defeated of her hopes And so much shall suffice for this verse use doctrine and time Let us pray c. THE TENTH LECTVRE upon the thirteenth Verse following VERSE XIII And his servants came neere and said unto him Father if the Prophet had bidden thee doe some great thing wouldest not thou have done it How much more then when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean VERSE 14. Then he went downe to Iorden and dipped himselfe seven times c. YOU may remember beloved that in our entrance upon this Scripture we devided it into foure parts 2 Kings Elisha's message Naamans entertainment of it Transition to the 13. verse The servants attempt And the issue thereof both immediate consequent Two of these are already finished through Gods providence The other two remaine At this time therefore by the same assistance I am to proceed to the third generall viz. The attempt of the servants of Naaman for these the Lord chose to use for the rectifying and restoring of their distempered Master rather then the Prophet through the prejudice of Naaman and how the Lord inspired them with wisdome to give an onset at this dead lift upon their Master to disswade him from doing that which he rashly purposed to wit to depart without his cure And this attempt of theirs is set before our eies in this thirteenth verse The method and parts of it two 1. The coherence 2. The matter in 3. things wherein two generalls are to be noted First how this verse hangs upon the former Secondly the substance of matter contained in it For the former I passe it by till I enter upon it presently For the latter it consists in three points First we have the persons attempting the servants of Naaman Secondly the attempt it selfe Thirdly the inducements which they use to perswade him In the persons observe two things First the relative duty wherein each is bound to other I meane they to him and he to them Secondly their wise and religious carriage towards him as one out of the way and that
of God Thinke with thy selfe is this a lesse priviledge then the former Are all that are Gods people partakers of this grace Are they preserved by the power of faith to salvation without snares wounds and breach of their peace is this so common and thankelesse a favour to be carried as the Arke above mountaines so above the floods of great waters that they should not come neare us Behold the Saints in Scripture Gen. 7. Psal 32.5.6 how few escaped the trialls of their sincerity in a safe manner How many of them lost their peace wasted their conscience by drunkennesse uncleannesse intemperate passions pride the world disguised and at last comming to their grave with sorrow Witnesse David Salomon Asa Hezekia Ionah Peter others Behold the times in which we live Doe wee finde it so common a grace that those whom we have esteemed of well for uprightnesse and zeale to the Gospel still hold their beauty Doe they not beginne to change colour and wax pale and wanne Doe they not stagger temporize and grow common in their communion with all sorts in their affections to the truth to the power of godlinesse Is it not hard to finde one who may be trusted Oh then if God have kept thee close from the error of the wicked that thou mightest not be pulled from thy stedfastnesse nor wanze in thy first love count it a peculiar unspeakeable mercy Againe dost thou see the most professors to keepe from revolts Is not the world full of offences of such as gave their names to Christ Whence then are so frequent scandales of such as are fallen to uncleannesse in all corners and so to other reproachfull sins Art not thou one of them Hath the Lord hitherto holpen thee as Samuel saith Blesse him and wonder Oh Lord thou who gavest Paul the lives of all that were in the ship with him and notwithstanding all tempests and fears of shipwrack broughtest them all safe to land Thou hast graciously given my soule to the Lord Jesus put me into his ship kept me hitherto from sinking being cast away upon the rocks sands shelfes of this wofull sea in which I am tossed Even so O Father because thou hast promised else I had beene cast away a thousand times by temptation by offences by my corruptions But as nothing could intercept the Lord Jesus till his worke was done when they had beene on the toppe of the hill to throw him downe headlong Esay suddenly he passed through them without hurt fire could not burne water could not drowne him Divell could not tempt to prevaile nothing could hinder but he passed through all reports wrongs persecutions feares till he had fulfilled his course rose againe from death and conquered it And why Hee walked under the banner of his fathers protection Even so it hath pleased thee O Lord to fence and fortifie my poore soule that neither my desertions when I thought my selfe cast off and in despaire through unbeleefe nor the dint of my afflictions when as yet the arrowes of God dipt in venome stucke in me nor the malice of enemies nor the fiery darts of Satan piercing me by my lusts could ever wholly divorce me from thee Oh! how many thousands have fallen on my right hand and as many on my left since I beganne Men of like age birth and education of better parts and endowments then I and yet mercy hath kept mee hitherto nay Naaman was never so sullen and froward with the Prophet and with Jorden as I have beene wayward with God sometime weary of his crosses cavilling against his governement both in generall and speciall ready to leave his worke to renounce his Sabbaths Sacraments Promises and all because I could not see how God performed them to me when I have beene oppressed with Selfe and a dead saplesse and savourlesse heart ready to give the Lord and his trade quite over yet he hath revived me and not suffered me to revolt quite from him by all these still by the power of poore faith he hath kept mee to salvation he hath delivered doth and will deliver me still if I can waite Oh! wonder at this grace of his and let the first linke of vocation be a warrant to thee that the linke of justification sanctification and redemption shall never be broken but he that brought thee through so many unlikelyhoods to beleeve can and will now much more bring thee through as great oppositions to persevere enjoy thy priviledge stand at gaze and boast onely of the Lord. Thus much for the use of instruction Lastly let this doctrine be an incouragement to all feeble and fearfull Vse 2 soules who think they shall never wade out of their distrust Encouragement to all feeble and fearfull ones ignorance of Gods way their deepe pride Selfe rebellion and hypocrisie they behold these corruptions by which Satan holds possession as by Forts and Bulwarks as evident markes of their perishing one day and that they are so strong that they will master grace and deprive them finally of hope But poore soule stay a while doe not so hardly sentence thy soule Looke here upon a poore Pagan out of covenant an alien from God behold how freely God prevented him at first when he sought him not how graciously he assisted him and that when he was past all sense of it deepe in the sence of the contrary One I say that had no promise meerly an hangby to the visible Church save that he was supported by an invisible bounty of unspeakeable goodnesse and yet lo when he was at the saddest point and the lowest ebbe of dispaire suddenly as if this were Gods season to breake his heart and to win him to himselfe all hope of good successe being past there appeares a change of his wretched condition into an happy secret mercy had first marked him out for God and the same still waited on him not suffering him to slippe away and depart from welfare Hath God done this in the green tree and shall not he doe it in the dry Hast thou O poore soule either deeper distempers then Naaman had or sadder affronts then he within or without Canst not thou take courage to thy selfe by a promise when hee found mercy without one What is it then that causeth thee to be so heavy In the following points I shall speake further to thee onely here let me say this If thou canst prove that God hath once savingly prevented thee whereof upon the ninth verse I have at large spoken I can prove hee will not forsake thee he will not lose any one stroke of worke upon thee but will assist it and in time perfect it Sure I am thou canst not feel thy spirit deader or further off then did Naaman thou canst not be further out of Gods precinct then he was and yet the Lord beyond hope turned all to as happy an issue as the premises seemed uncomfortable Take thou like courage unto thy selfe All thy
exempt a man from pride and disdaine None is so low but he loves to be Master of something Yee shall not see three or foure cattell together but one will be Master There is a wofull pride of spirit in man disdaining to bee under any As those base Jewes Joh. 8.33 in their greatest slavery yet vaunted they were free men and never served any And hence it is that we call the meere underling the dogge as of a Schoole of a family c. So loathsome a thing is subjection But marke let conscience of love and sense of divinenesse in an ordinance possesse the spirit of a man and this sinkes his spirit by and by As it is said 1 King 10.5 the Queen of Sheba came to Salomon with an equall and high spirit to dispute but seeing more then a man in him lo her spirit fayled her What is that She felt an infinite inequality in her selfe to Salomon thought it no disparagement to her selfe to be inferiour to so wise a man as he and therefore set her heart at rest from any more bubbling thoughts and calmed herselfe to a most meeke selfe-deniall If meere gifts will doe so what will grace doe Surely much more For as it will cause the inferiour to sinke and beat downe his spirit under the authority of a well ably qualified governour as I grant God requires all to be so yet it will discover a divine power even in the weake and unqualified by vertue whereof it will deny it selfe and say I quash my proud and base heart which would easily disdaine to submit better parts of wit skill Religion to one that wants all to God in man although I see nothing in him that should deserve it And this true selfe-deniall is the roote of all faithfulnesse in a servant For pride and stoutnesse in an inferiour will alway be slipping necke out of the collar Shall such an one as I of such breed worth abilities stoop to obey and serve especially such an unworthy one No I scorne it Oh! but this scorne marres the servant because it destroyes the ordinance God must levell thy heart and fill thy valley and cast downe thine hill that thou maiest say downe stout heart God lookes not at what thou seemest otherwise but at thy inferiority and in that respect commands thee not to looke at what thy proud heart would but at what his ordinance hath thought wisest Better thou lose thy proud heart which shall be thy gaine then God lose his honour the ordinance her due regard and so both Kingdome Church and family the good which thy subjection procures By this meane the stoutnesse of the heart stoops and is convinced that is but an equall thing it should be subject And secondly the barre being so removed the heart is let out to the fruits of humblenesse that is to serviceablenesse For what should I refuse to doe for or under such a governour as I see by the wisdome of God set over me for both mine owne and for a generall good and the ends of providence If once I see how wofull a confusion it were to pervert an ordinance how can I chuse but also deeme it a strange unrighteousnesse for one under the ordinance to withdraw service What is selfe-deniall but a letting out and taking downe of a base heart thinking it self too good to serve to a willingnesse in undertaking what service soever the rules of honest government can impose without grudging or contradiction So that as a proud heart is bound up soule and body so an humble spirit is enlarged unto every such service as reason guided by Religion can impose Nothing can come amisse to an humble heart selfe-deniall of her owne accord falls to serviceablenesse And what wonder When once the spirit of an inferiour hath no drift will way of his owne besides his Masters but is wholly his and for him how can it chuse but utter it in doing as it is bidden Goe come doe this and he doth it This for the Third Fourthly hence comes faith to fall to her worke For as a Christian in his generall worke of Religion 4. Grace in inferiors sets faith on work 1. Purgeth the soule of speciall distempers so a servant in his speciall relation of service lives by faith And how In these three respects First faith clenses out of the soule all those distempers which usually possesse the spirit of servants It is not enough for faith to purifie the conscience in generall from all dead works But in speciall it descends deeply and searcheth the corruption which creepes into duties into the graces of the soule into the use of meanes into the particular relations wherein the soule stands to God whether directly or indirectly Else what were a generall purging of evill which comes not into act But it purgeth each privy corner of the heart and brings the heart thus purged before God in the severall occasions which are offered Nothing comes between the cup the lip in this case All particular falshood will be hunted out of a servant whose heart is clensed by faith from all dead workes all basenesse and distempers will give place There is not one base quality of the heart but if nourished will corrupt faithfulnesse if any one string bee out of tune this harmony will vanish any case or sloth of heart will make a man unsaithfull in point of diligence an angry froward heart will make a man unfaithfull in point of answering againe and cavilling any falshood and hollownesse will cause unfaithfulnesse in point of doing the service which it promises as he who said hee would goe into his Masters vineyard Matth. 21.30 yet went not In a word a corrupt heart will be unfaithfull to the marriage bed of his Master defile his children with cursed examples filch away his commodities report wickedly of him as an hard Master who reapes where he sowed not corrupt the rest of the fellow servants and what not Onely faith clenses the heart of these evills and justles them out of place for how can Christ agree with Belial or these with faithfulnesse 2. Furnishes the heart with good qualities Secondly faith frames the image of God in the soule as in generall so in the particular relations of life that furnisheth the heart with sweet qualities with promote faithfulnesse What trouble is to an heart which is diligent to take any paines To an heart that loves the Masters good and is upright to seeke the credit welfare of the Master To an heart that is well grounded what base commands of an ungodly governour will prevaile against faithfulnesse to God To an heart well seasoned with grace for the right manner due measure and the right ends of obeying what service will be difficult Now faith it is which onely can make faithfull And thirdly faith having thus qualified the heart 3. It puts it it into actuall exercise doth also put it into service causeth this habit
shopkeepers let not your servants behold in you a spirit of covetousnesse to obtrude bad wares for good to belye their goodnesse to sell for too great prises false weights scant measures Such scurffe will soke into them as water into the bowells and fret like a canker The Divells market is so full as it is by this tradition and exchange from Master to servant This is not to be a father but a traitor for a three penny commodity to betray a soule to hell and the whiles to the like practise Such straked roddes laid before sheepe will cause them to bring forth spotted lambes How many on the gallowes and more in hell roare and cry out upon such Masters Thy life shall goe for his and he in hell groanes for thee to follow without speciall mercy and repentance so much for this Impose lawfull commands in measure Fourthly in the obeying of such commands as are lawfull and currant yet impose not tyranny in the measure thereof both in the former and in this latter servants may bee overloaden When Masters care not what excesse of toile and moile servants undergoe and that out of season beyond strength without due rest sleepe or intermission they shew themselves no fathers for fathers pitty their children but oppressors Thy servant is for thee to use not tire or teare out Thou must not take both fleece and flesh too So when that is laid upon the yong and ungrowne in either sexe which belongs to stronger armes and shoulders to lift or when a taske is imposed which exceeds the skill or experience of a servant it is an exaction an overdriving of them more fit for Egyptian taske Masters then Christian governours Take the servant in his way and element it is best both for thee and him So also let thy spirit be sweet and easie toward him in his moderate labours else thou wert better lay on more work For the spirit of a Master if insulting taunting chiding upbraiding is more heavy and contrary to the spirit of an underling then worke is to the body A servant would not care what hee did for his Master so he might have peace and quietnesse But a tyrannous spirit and wrathfull tongue with implacablenesse is a continuall wearinesse and dropping to a poore creature A loving interpretation a tender compassionate heart acknowledging with content the diligence of an inferiour is as marrow to the bones Thou couldest not abide a froward currish spirit a dogged servant answering againe crosse and disquieting of thee Take heed then thou measure out to him by the same rule whereby thou wouldest have him measure out unto thee Awe him and rule him spare not and correct errors yet with a fatherly heart and hand 1 King 13. but play not the Rehoboam to his subjects who cared not what measure he laid on nor feared what they could requite him withall His little fingers should be heavier then his fathers loynes but his fathers twelve tribes turned to become his two tribes and so the mends was in his owne hands Encourage him sometime Fifthly if thou see thy servant extend and inlarge himselfe for thy content beyond ordinary conceale not his labour of love for it is love and bounty of affection which causes him so to expresse himself Else he would shrinke in and restraine himselfe Doe not therefore Nabal like look another way and reject it but see it encourage and accept it as thou wouldest have Christ doe thine Sometime a little liberty of honest exemption refreshing his wearinesse or a little overplus a teston or a shillings requitall will do more then all violence Somewhat hath some savour and what a servant wouldest thou bee to God if thou hadst all commands and no encouragements Sixtly Yeeld him all due protection and shelter the Lord requires thy fatherly protection to shield and safeguard thy servant while he is in thy businesse that none molest wrong or discourage him The Lord promises to uphold us while we walke in his way So must we under God protect such as commit themselves to our shelter Much more then oughtest thou to shew thy self a father and friend in troubles and vexations by enemies who pursue him in his estate or otherwise Most of all if the Lord lay his hand upon him either in minde or body Most Masters if they finde that their servants grow sad and sorrowfull in spirit and loaden in conscience abandon them presently and are loath to endure the trouble or to beare the losse of some little time of hearing the word consulting with the Minister whereas rather they should be meanes to provide counsell for them So for body if a servant be hurt brused or lamed in our businesse or if otherwise the hand of God be upon them not to leave them to themselves but to fellow-feele their affliction to be afflicted with them and helpe to beare some of the burthen which they undergoe God tries thee in such a case whether thou wilt take all his service but shake off all burden Seventhly Carry an equall impartiall hand carry an equall hand betweene thy servants who deserve well It is a maine duty of the Master to regard those most that deserve best for that will provoke the honest to emulation and shake off the bad altogether But among the equally well deserving let not an unequall streame of affection be carryed and all kindnesses goe to one as a favorite and nothing to others for that will breed heart burning and ill will both against the Master and amongst themselves and much impeach thy wisdome and government Eightly as thou must doe for them while they are under thee Respect them at departure breeding in them the knowledge and skill in thy trade and the experience which thou canst afford them so at their departure after long and weary service with thee doe for them as their occasions require of thee The Jew though he were sold as a slave for his time yet at his dismission was to have a gratuity paid him to beginne the hard world withall either by lending him somewhat for a time to occupy or to helpe him in his marriage or by commending him to some better service or yeelding him any such countenance or testimony as may advantage him The worlds cry is no penny no Pater noster if once worke be done let him looke us no more in the face But the weldeserving require another carriage Thy servant hath spent his best time with thee therefore it were harsh altogether to neglect him in his decaying time Let thy counsell and aide be ready for him if he desire it in token thou lookest at his deserts as much as thine owne ends And so much for directions Which if they were duly practised how would they winne and draw the hearts of servants to their Masters What burthen would they refuse for such As the old men told Rehoboam If thou shalt speake kindely to these people they will be
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
but let not words blowes and sutes follow as if you were heathens Oh saith one Shall I endure such a base fellow to overcrow me No hee shall well know I am a better man then himselfe ere I have done with him Oh earth earth earth heare the word of the Lord Abate thy heart abase thine heart and doe as he did Humfrey Mummouth who meeting his enemy who had sought his life when he could have crushed him entreated him to bee friends and brake his heart doe thou so and prosper Touching the second point of inferiours attempting superiours 2. Branch Instruction Inferiours dealing with superiours must wisely observe whâ—t their persons will beare let this caution be observed from Naamans servants that we wisely observe what our persons will well beare and admit Inferiour mens sway and stroke will goe but a little way with superiours The meannesse of the one and the prejudice of the other will be barres Yet so it may fall out that necessity may put some calling upon an inferiour as when there be no superiours or equalls present when silence would embolden the offender much when the glory of God lies at the stake unavoidably and especially when the grace of the reprovers wisdome may be like to over-match both his owne meannesse and the others stoutnesse Otherwise there had need be great caution lest inferiours rather run themselves into the suspition of sawcinesse receive great affronts and discouragements if not wrongs from the reproved lest also the offender be more hardned in his sin A caution and the ordinance with the fruit of it be dishonoured and unprofitable But to returne if God doe intimate to the spirit of any wise inferiours that they ought to reprove then let them suspect their owne persons and beware that they make no open contestation but bee content with privacy where no affront may be given before witnesses especially let it be carried with great aloofenesse and rather with insinuation of an error then taxing openly exhorting rather to a contrary duty then reproving the fault downeright 1 Tim. 5.1 Rebuke not an Elder not onely a Minister but a superiour in any eminency but exhort him as a father Otherwise if God afford not discretion and opportunity better is a warranted silence and commending the cause to God with some item of a grieved heart then a rash venturing and rushing beyond our bounds But to bee sure let all lenity bee used all possible acknowledging of their places yeares worth and worship give them all their due both titles and praises to the uttermost that it may appeare the reprover is so far from presumption that were it for the meere regard of the offenders soule the glory of God and the discharge of conscience with peace the reprover would much rather have chosen silence then to attempt reproofe and so leave the issue to God So much for this second Uses of the speciall fact of 〈◊〉 servants I come now to the Uses arising in speciall from this example of the servants wise and loving carriage towards their Masters spirituall distemper And first if it be so difficult a worke to ease a distressed spirit Let Vse 1 all such as have obtained this mercy from the Lord know that they have met with no common mercy Instruction It is a peculiar favour to enable the Minister to speake a word in season to a wearied soule But how much more for the soule to find the word and to feele it to be so Instruction to the heavy hearted Proverb is not as the gift in the hand which Salomon tells us prospers whithersoever it goes and carries a commanding power with it Esay 57. The setling of a distressed heart by counsell is a mercy highly to be prised No To speake to the heart is Gods worke whosoever be the instrument and none can create the fruit of the lippes save onely hee that first created and formed the body of the earth and breathed into it the breath of life We Ministers may speake to the eare discerne and advise urge answer doubts and convince but the spirit of grace which annointed the Lord Jesus to bee the Prophet of his Church can carry those words into the soule and cast them there as seed and give them a body and being altering ignorance doubting feares deadnesse bondage insensiblenesse infidelity heavinesse into light resolution hope life liberty feeling faith and comfort He that said lift up thy voice as a trumpet and convince my people of their sinnes and againe Comfort ye my people comfort them at the heart meanes not that we should pierce into and reach the heart for we cannot get to it but that we bee the messengers of peace and glad tidings God onely must by his Spirit convince Joh. 16.9 and he onely can carry consolation through those manifold turnings and crooked windings of the soule even home and close to the heart rootes He onely can say My doctrine shall droppe as dew Deut. 32 1. and as the small raine wetting at the roote Therefore whosoever thou art here in this audience whom ever the Lord hath caused to breake through the hoast of discouragements and to consult with the Minister sincerely aiming at the true ends of counsell and hath also met with thy speciall disease spoken to thy heart so that it hath gotten a reall bottome out of the word and promise for the sole of her foote to rest upon against feare and doubting Oh! learne to prise such a favour above all treasures Elisha was sent but to one leper as many as there were in Israel and did not he esteeme that priviledge Let the 15.16 and 17. verses witnesse for him So the Minister of God goes to hundreds of sicke and afflicted ones But perhaps he is sent in the spirit of counsell and sealing up of peace through pardon to a very few It is their portion to whom it pertaines those must partake it who can receive it and only such can be thankefull What is the cause why we comfort so many through the seven yeare of whom perhaps wee heare no more againe ever after Our feete are not beautifull to the most of them they never imbraced the power of truth they despised the counsell of God for their salvation and the consolations of God seemed small things unto them They have got that they came for a kinde of stopping of their outcries of conscience their wounds are kept sweete and doe not rankle as they thinke they can now follow their businesse and goe about the world at their pleasure pleasing themselves with that the Minister hath said unto them And that no man shall pull from them for it pleases them well to heare themselves to be under the condition of grace that faith belongs to them that the least desire of faith is faith But alas They are comforted all at once their comfort growes not as their doubts grow they are not unsatisfied in
will thrust themselves upon the worke when they want all manner of meetnesse and so will goe through stitch and say somewhat though to the banning and perverting of the parties rather then the setling and comforting How hard is it often to judge of sorrow whether it bee worldly or godly Have not both as deepe pangs one as other And although it be spirituall yet how hard to discerne sorrow comming from the terrors of the conscience or arising from the hope of the Gospel How easie is it out of a present mercifulnesse of heart to one in trouble to goe rashly to worke and to apply plaisters to a freshly bleeding wound How many loaden wretches with the guilt of their daily revolts and lewdnesse come roaring to a Minister for ease meerly from an horror of heart no way desirous to bee broken off from their course in evill but onely from the hell of their conscience which if they were rid of they would returne to their vomit worse then ever Who would thinke bleeding at the arme would stanch bleeding at the nose That is that it were a medicine for such a one to bee drawne into more true horror by the word for sinne as it is sinne And yet no other remedy will ease such a one Who is able to discerne diabolicall injections which may be perceived by the unnaturalnesse hideousnesse dogging and pertinacy of them and the like from evills of our owne wilfully committed and polluting the soule For why Both may seem to cleave to the soule the one as fast as the other And so I might bee endlesse I spake of a great many of these difficulties in the third Reason Is it then an easie thing to speake a word in due season to one that is weary No doubtlesse I conclude therefore let it be a caveat to all Gods Ministers whom this worke concernes as not to put it off being one of the maine peeces of our calling so neither to rush upon it suddenly and without due preparation use those directions before named and joyne this last to seek of God a wise discerning spirit for that gift is not wholly absent from the Church to put a difference betweene things that differ Which meanes being used and love setting all on worke as the chiefe mover it shall not be difficult to doe that in time and years which perhaps at first seemed hard God will blesse experience and make this yoke for so it is to the flesh easie and this burthen light I would have come to the other branch of the caveat to the people But time cuts mee off muse the while of these and we shall proceed to the rest the next time if God will Let us pray c. The end of the Eleventh Lecture THE TWELFTH LECTVRE Still continued upon this thirteenth VERSE c. VERSE XIII And his servants came neere and said unto him Father if the Prophet had bid thee doe some great thing wouldest thou not have done it How much more then when he saith unto thee Wash and be clean VERSE 14. Then Naaman went downe and dipped himselfe seven times in Iorden according to the word of the man of God c. I Could not brethren the last Lecture finish the point of the Religious service done by these servants to their Master wherein I observed the qualification of their persons with love and lenity to advise him for his good I have opened the doctrine already at large and made some generall Uses and some in speciall The last was Admonition to the Ministers with the which I have done The next followeth now as God shall guide us Concerning both Ministers and people and that is exhortation Therefore brethren if the worke of speaking to the weary soule bee so difficult First let me speake to you that are to be comforted and to receive instruction by the Minister of God The people must beware lest they turne away from counsell of their Ministers And the thing to which I exhort you in generall is that both you beware lest feare or sinfull shame hold you off from counsell and then that ye fitly apply your selves to the advice of the Minister of God not to hinder but to further the worke of your owne soules If a man that hath a bone out of joynt could helpe the arme of the Surgeon who wants strength to thrust it in againe how gladly would he assist him in so hard a worke rather then by his wilfulnesse abide long in his paine The misery of a soule out of joint and of a conscience wounded farre exceeds all bodily paine and all the skill of a bodily cure How then should wee frame and accomodate our selves as by praier so by all other meanes to the skill of such as God hath given us to be spirituall fathers and to be restorers of us being out of joint First therefore brethren let me advise you ere you goe to any counsellor Gal. 6.1 goe to God to plant and set your hearts aright to receive counsell It is said in Zachar. 5.4 that the lampes which were to bee replenished with the oile dropping from the olive branches by Gods providence were situated so aptly under the dropping bowes that none of the oile dropped beside but all fell upon the lamps underneath fed their lights So would the Lord have all who goe for advice to his Interpreters hee would have them carry hearts well planted wise and tractable to receive what is put into them Perhaps some may wonder at that I say considering how hard it is for a sad and distempered spirit to come with moulds ready to receive the molten mettall of Gods promises to bee fashioned and formed thereby But my meaning is that whatsoever their distemper bee they would strive by all means for such a calm equall and teachable spirit as may be subject to counsell when it is afforded them out of the word otherwise they resist the ends of the ordinance For why hath the Lord appointed the gift of counsell save to settle and stablish the weak The Minister I doubt not being wise may both supply the office of liquor and vessell also counsell I meane and an heart to receive it if God fit him for it But the worke will be the sooner at an end if all such corruption as wilfully cleaves to the distressed spirit be first removed 1. Counsell Therefore first let all such goe to God by praier and acquaint themselves with him and him with their wants beseeching him who is the eternall counsellor to order their unquiet and unsetled spirits to separate all carnall and worldly distempers passions ends and respects from them to shew them how to picke out an end out of the ravelled skeine and cleerly to discover the malady unto them To take away all such mistakes and errors from them as might cause them to misconceive their estate and to thinke it other better or worse then it is and to separate the precious from
the vile that is the worke of his owne convincing spirit from the worke of their owne rebellious nature their discontent their fullennesse melancholy feares and other extremities that cleave unto them Also that he would shew them what hee hath done for them already that they may not provoke him by unthankefulnesse and what is yet to be done and at what especiall knots and objections they sticke what their chiefe barres and lets are which most hold them downe and if they cannot feele themselves rid of these confusions of spirit yet that the Lord would take away that wilfulnesse of stomacke that crossenesse that waywardnesse which makes their disease so ranckle in them and send them to seeke advice with a minde desirous to subject it selfe to God and to his ordinance and to mourne when it cannot being held in the chaines of it owne horrors or rebellion And secondly let them commend the enterprise in hand to God for successe that the Lord would bee pleased to dispose of the understanding of him that is to advise them that he may bee as from God unto them like Elihu that he may discerne of their complaints rectifie their errors meet with their corruption shew them their state and wants and comfort them at the heart as God allowes them That if they cannot at the first finde stay and support yet if they see but a little light at a crevis they may be glad of a little and not be dismaid that they may seeke still after counsell till the worke by degrees be perfected that they may not lay stumbling blocks in their owne way to fall by but hold the measure of light so farre as they are come waiting till God reveale the rest and not defiling their consciences the whiles Phil. 3.15 and so make the worke new to beginne Thirdly that the Minister of God may be wise as an Angell of God as well to find out apt and meete Scriptures to encounter the soule as the need thereof requireth either threats or promises or other sentences and when they see that these are urged not by the authority of a man but of God whom they only must look at in this case and not man that then their base hearts may no further kick cavill and gainesay and so put the Minister of God to a double toile not only to conflict with their reall distresse but also with their wilfull and accidentall sullennesse pride and rebellion Fourthly let them crave of God a wise utterance of their estate to the Minister of God or at least an inckling thereof that it may not be mistaken for a crooked rule being put into a mans hand will force him to make a wrong line though his skill be good enough to draw a right one Fifthly chuse thee out a faithfull interpreter one of a thousand for love lenity skill patience long suffering bowells of compassion and experience For such a mercury is not made of every blocke thou maist else light on miserable comforters Sixtly above all other things let such persons beware of any base motive or principle leading them to aske advice let them not affect any sinister respects nor aime at any base ends to bee noted for zeale to thinke themselves safe because they have taken counsell to choake and smother the accusations of conscience to make them bolder in sin to pretend and alledge the counsell and comfort of such a Minister to harden themselves against any just reproofes which after may bee urged upon them and the like base ends whereof the bouget of mans vile heart is fraught and full especially in this formall crafty age wherein every one will be Religious and Satan transformeth himselfe into an Angell of light For by this meanes that uncleane spirit will returne with seven worse then himselfe and defile more dangerously But let thy aimes in this worke be honest simple and sincere to goe forward with God according to thy light cheerfully and humbly and so looke to prosper Secondly for the Minister of God let him be exhorted also first 2. Branch to Ministers 3. Things Abhorre error and prejudice 1. Error to cast out all bad principles perverting the spirit of counsell and crossing the gift of restoring the weake And these are first a prejudicate sowre heart enclined to sinister thoughts of the afflicted conceiving them according to carnall reason and not discerning the worke of Gods spirit in such This is no common grace to have a cleere spirit this way For the spirit that is in us lusts after envy We are all a kinne to old Eli who seeing poore Hanna sitting sad with her lippes moving and no voice thought her drunke But when he perceived her to bee a woman of a troubled spirit 1 Sam. 1.13.14 powring out her soule from a full heart to the Lord and understanding the cause he became a Prophet of God unto her for her satisfaction and comfort 2. Error 3. Error Beware therefore of a base heart of prejudice error misprision rashnesse And yet take heed also that love and pitty make us not too hasty in comfort Also ease unmercifulnesse unbeteamingnesse sullennesse uncharitablenesse wearinesse and loathnesse to be enlarged in our bowells as the Lord allowes us of which disease Ionah was sicke 4. Error Also waspishnesse suddennesse and hastinesse whereby as Physitians cutting off their patients in their complaints they are impatient to heare and so discourage them I confesse that the talkatives and vanity of many weake ones in their complaints who in stead of inclining their eare and hearing that their soules might live are swifter to jangle to neglect that which which is spoken then to marke and have never done with idle repetitions may sometimes cause a wise counsellor to chide and reprove them justly yet with tendernesse and meekenesse And the like I may say of those endlesse answers which many make when they are demanded how counsell hath prevailed and they rather bewray themselves worse and worse then better and better for though it be not in our power to settle the spirit sooner then the Lord please yet it behoves not any distressed soule so to nourish themselves in their lowring and distempers as to dismay the Minister but rather by wise concealement or desire of new satisfaction to draw his heart to pray for them more earnestly and waite more patiently till the spirit shall blow peace upon them The second duty Practise This preparation being made the next exhortation is that the Minister of God do first meekly then wisely speak to the heart of the afflicted For the first of these it is a duty much pressed and exemplified in Scripture I say a mercifull and loving heart of fellow feeling and tendernesse to the heavy Fot hereby the Minister of God conveieth the heart of the Lord Jesus into the soul of the afflicted of whom it is said He had learned compassion towards them by his owne sufferings Heb. 2.18 that so
Christ and a lightnesse in his burthen Others a marveilous difficulty and such a thing as must be striven for and yet may be mist The answer is Heaven and Grace are both the most easie and the most difficult that can be Answ Grace is the hardest and the easiest thing of all Math. 19.26 both may well stand They are most easie to the soule which will bee taught of God and will not resist his method by attending their owne wisdome But to others they are matters of greatest difficulty To God all things are possible to flesh and bloud to the wit and will of man to the freedome of our owne choice nothing is so impossible I remember the answer of a Philosopher to a great Prince who had beene his scholar and was discontented at him for publishing his bookes be content saith hee and know my bookes of Philosophy are publisht and not published for none are ere the wiser for them save those to whom they were read and made evident So here The mystery of Christ is the most easie and the most hard easie only to such as in whom the Lord hath opened an eare Job 33.15 and revealed it to others hard So much for Instruction Vse 2 Secondly this is Terror to all such libertines and carnall Gospellers who make Religion Faith great works light and slight matters Terror to many running away with them as horses with empty waggons not through any Branch 1 ease they have by the Spirit but from the excesse and superfluity of their own blindenesse and presumption Slighters of the worke of grace abuse the doctrine of ease Others are blinde idiots tell them of Regeneration and Conversion and they run to their own strength they doe hope well that if they put their good will to Gods God will so far enable them as to get somewhat They hope men make more ado about matters then God himselfe God hath told them that faith in the promise is easie and none of these sowre Preachers shall pull this liberty from them what needs all this adoe If God be on our side we feare nothing as long as men walke even and faire harmelesse and devout bearing a good minde toward God keepe their Church and pay all men their dues and give to the poore for ought they see God is mercifull will not the death of a sinner is found of them that sought him not Esay 65.1 Matth. 11. â—9 Esay 57.17 His yoke is easie he saith he will not bee alway heavy upon men he knowes we be no Angels yea he saith that he hath seene the iniquity of mens covetousnesse and hee will heale them and make no more adoe It is for his glory to bee mercifull As for these Ministers who sticke so much at the truth of heart and faith unfaigned they say onely God knowes the heart and they trouble mens heads more then they doe them good making men unquiet and finding out new crotchets What is mans life say they if hee may not bee merry and cheerfull God loves it and Christ hath dearly bought it and its best to be merry eat and drinke and cast away care God say these hath made us of bodies as well as soules we be not all spirit nor shall be in this world we must tend Sermons so as we may tend our worke too our bodies must be made of for God and what skils it though we play and be good fellowes and drinke a cup or two so it be in the feare of God although we be none of these Puritans yet wee be not against them we hope by this meanes to spend out our short time having God afore our eies and to be in heaven ere we be aware Oh yee wofull creatures Doe you thus construe Gods ease I aske you Hath the Lord ever brought you under the bondage of spirit for all your cursed nature and impious prophanenesse Did it ever cut you off from your old stocke Did it ever bring yee under hope No doubtlesse Thinke not then to make faith an easie purchase upon your owne purse it will be one day in that your last night of death and darkenesse such a toilesome journey through tempest and foule weather dirt and wearinesse that you shall be quite tired and then shall true toile succeed false ease Hearken not to that lying spirit which beares you in hand all ease ease for it shall turne to extremity of anguish and to a desperate impossibility The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it The Lord indeed moderates the labour of his poore weary travellers to Zion Psal 84. So that they shall grow from strength and feele no faintnesse But no man shall goe up in a feather bed to heaven if it were ever an easie way it was never easie foolehardy stout travellers which boast of their limbes shall faint suddenly Matth. 15. Dogs must not come with poore children for Gods dole it belongs not unto them So much for the first Branch Others also there are whom this terror reacheth unto And they are Branch 2 base hypocrites who come with their toile and cost to God Hypocrites who come with their toile and cost to God are rejected devising painfull and tedious waies of their owne but shunning Gods easie way They will obtrude their whole rivers of oile and wine and whole barns of corne for the sinne of their soules whereas he askes onely a third part of an Hin and an handfull of flower for a meat offering A poore thing in Gods way is better excepted then all excesse of our owne Ye load mee saith God and pester me with your offerings I groane under the burthen of your sacrifices Honour me in mine owne way and I will make it easie and sweet to you But else the sand is not more heavy to mens shoulders then you to Gods you are out of Gods element therefore every thing is weighty you may complaine that you are not regarded but the Lord pitties no toile of hypocrites against his word Elija shall sooner consume the sacrifice with fire from heaven by standing still and praying in Gods way then all Baals Priests with their lancings and leapings upon the Altar Cost without wit is waste It s said of Ionathan that he had wrought with God that day on which he overcame those Philistins So I say Gods people work with God 1 King 18.28 with 37. 1 Sam. rather he with them but hypocrites work with themselves therefore they lay out their labour for that which profits not and mony for no bread They goe against the streame a Esau in his hunting for the blessing went another way with lesse adoe Esay 55.2 1 Sam. 14.45 2 Tim 3.7 As it s said in Timothy Alway hearing never comming to knowledge Oh the endlesse bootlesse toile of hypocrites You poore asses running the Divells round and grinding in his mill with your eyes blindfold at last be scared out of your trade You doe but as Sampson
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
it hath beene since I came among you And yet some of you through lazinesse worldlinesse love of your shops formality neglect of meditation Others through a curst sullen heart snuffing at the Ministry stumbling at the stone of offence but the most from a cloy'd and surfeited stomacke with much food have never come to taste the ease of mercy If some few have truly either they have little else to take too or else God hath pickt them out as odde ones here and there and what may become of some of these when meanes shall faile God knoweth But now even at this last cast and farewell for Gods sake come in and dally no longer and breake through all your lusts for this promise It shall vex ye as fire one day to thinke of this how foolishly did I misse of heaven When I might have had it with ease then to lose it for a base lust a vanity which shall leave me empty Oh foole in kinde The Lord move your hearts So much for this first branch of Reproofe Branch 2 Secondly here is reproofe for all such as have forestalled this blessed ease of God Deny selfe-ease for Gods ease by leaning to their owne strength zeale and affections I have beat much upon this Now I say no more but this Wonder not if your lives bee full of complaints Oh ye saith Esay who kindle a fire of your rotten sticks Esay 50. ult and compasse your selves with your owne sparkles much good doe it you with your owne light and heate but you shall have this at mine hand you shall lye downe in sorrow Is it a small sinne that turnes Gods ease into misery Vers 10. No surely A viper shall come forth of your owne heat and sting you to death without repentance Who is he among you that feares the Lord and obeyes the voice of his servants that walkes in the darkenesse and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay himselfe upon his God And so doing he will doe his worke for him Get once the slight of it as we say and then halfe the worke is at an end Lay downe rather your owne spirits and sparkles good deeds and affections rather then take them up to demerit God and resist his ease And so by denying your selves here on the left hand in your vices there on the right in your vertues and praises sucking out an humble heart out of the promise for alas what needed the cost of Christ if your cost could serve the turne you shall finde your selves to profit more by one Sermon then you have done by tenne So much for this second Branch Thirdly this reproves all such Ministers as turne this true and spirituall Branch 3 ease of God into a carnall liberty and smoothing their ignorant and prophane people Preachers of carnall ease who sow pillowes yea sowing pillowes of fleshly ease under their elbowes telling them they are in good ease and these Preachers scare them with false fires for Gods yoake is easie Christ came to destroy the hard Law c. And the ground of this practice is either idlenesse to spare themselves a labour or through prophanenesse or through Gods just judgement to give them teachers such as themselves are to cause them to stumble and fall and rise no more and all because they have rejected better meanes And others Pelagian wise teach that there is an universall sufficient grace offered in the Gospel which also is effectuall except men resist it and that they have free will to accept and embrace it As for the doctrine of Gods peculiar ease of perswading some more then others they cannot endure it They teach the people to say to God as those in Esay are brought in saying to one man doe but beare our name and owne us and we will be at our owne findings thou shalt not be troubled with our maintenance we will bee fed apparrelled and supported by our owne meanes and moneies Pelagian ease of selfe-conversion and of fre-will confuted So say these to Christ beare our name for fashion and obtaine a generall pardon by the merit of thy bloud and as for the application of it let us alone we will finde strength by our owne free concurrence with the grace offered to fasten upon and apply it to our selves And so if there fall out to be any defect herein it is no want of the accommodation of grace to us for that is equall to all but our accommodation to it in such a due season matter or other circumstances as if they had beene concurring might have produced a perswasion to receive the grace offered To all which I answer such ease as this in obeying the command of beleeving the orthodox Church of God know none The ease that is is on Gods part preventing assisting and perfecting and from none of ours To us the work is absolutely impossible So much for this third Branch and so for this third Use of Reproofe The fourth Use should be Exhortation and that many fold First Vse 4 to all Gods poore servants Exhortation In sundry Branches Such as have found ease in Gods way are thankfull who have found Gods way sweetned thus and eased by the Lord that they be very thankefull for this speciall favour Say thus who am I whom thou shouldest make that sweet and easie unto which to others thou sufferest to bee toilesome Thou mightest have brought mee as hardly to heaven as others there is not a prouder tougher moulded wretch of an hundred then I have beene Jer. 2.3.4 yet thy milde and gentle cords of allurement have been strange to me Thou hast pull'd me with the cords of a man made love to me even in the wildernesse forelaid my way sweetly brought me into the net ere I was aware concealed difficulties while afterward mittigated my horrors gone leasurely on with me drop upon drop line upon line not gugged me too deeply with my lusts not suffered me to revolt to my old courses thou hast laid no heavy burthens upon my shoulders required no toile of service thou hast given me an hope of successe from the beginning so that I have gone to worke with hope beene freed from excessive feares temptations crosses discouragements which many others are basked withall For my part I know no reason and I can but wonder that thou shouldest doe as thou hast which I cannot deny without lying to one so hollow inconstant and perverse as I know my selfe to be It pleases thee to hold me fast to those steps to which thou hast brought me and to try mee no deeplier then thou givest light and strength to resolve and revive mee againe Methinkes thou hast made the whole mystery of Christ sensible and lively to me in the ground of it the merit thy scope which is to magnifie thy selfe in the hearts of thine and my heart hath found some sweetnesse in it found it day by day more lightsome and sweet
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
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
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
the revealing of it for who shall construe it otherwise who heares how many sweet invitations cords of perswasion arguments to enforce terrors against despisers he uses Esay 55.1 and 2. verses Read that Chapter and marke his offer Come all you that thirst drinke freely His contest verse 2. Why lay you out silver for no bread His compellation Incline thine eare hearken unto me and come c. He that concludes not hence that the Lord is willing to communicate his grace nay takes thought lest it should not be accepted and would rejoice if it might must needs call God a notorious dissembler which were hellish sacriledge And this a main point for all who confesse Gods power and are convict yet are not so of his will If thou wilt thou canst heal me Luke 5.12 1 Tim 1.17 Sixtly he is Wisdome it selfe 6. Wisdome When the Apostle had spoken of this mystery he concludes Now to the only wise God be honour c. Why so wise Because of all other waies he thought this the best he would in the best of his counsells finde out no other nay could not finde out any so good as this for then who is only wise would And the like I may say of the manner of publishing of it By men like our selves of like infirmity who might familiarly insinuate themselves By a promise rather then by any waies of old as visions miracles or voice of his immediately as more spirituall and effectuall So that the very Angellâ— looke into it with admiration how much more should we cry out Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdome of God! Heb. 1.1 To all unbeleevers a stumbling blocke and foolishnesse Rom. 11.33 but to us that beleeve the wisdome and power of God Seventhly his faithfulnesse It is a principle 7 Faithfulnesse 1 Sam. 15. Luke 1. God is not a man that he should lye The strength of Israel cannot lye God will not be mocked therefore neither will he mocke any And therefore hee hath bound it with an oath to Abraham and his seed Surely in blessing I will blesse thee Therefore Simeon saith To performe the covenant which he sware to our father Abraham that he would give us They are called the sure mercies of David and Heb. 6.18 In the covenant and oath adde thereto the seale of his Sacraments which speake to each soule in particular in Baptisme thus I baptise thee in the Supper thus The body of Jesus broken for thee The bloud which was shed for thee And as himselfe is so is his word in each part Heaven and Earth shall passe but not one jot or tittle thereof shall passe Above all his promises cannot which are his first borne and carry with them the birthright of his faithfulnesse and therefore are a maine bottome to rest upon Lastly his unchangeablenesse His nature is so as Iob saith Job 23.13 8. Unchangeablenesse he decreeth and changeth not Farre above all decrees of Medes and Persians Although we read oft in Scripture that it repented God of some things yet of this he saith I have sworne and will not repent Thou shalt be a Priest after the order of Melchisedec If foure thousand yeares could have changed the minde of God Christ had never came And looke how the Lord was in the great promise Gal. 4.4 so is he in all that follow thereupon God willing to shew to the heires of his Promise the immutability of his Counsell and againe that by two immutable things wherein it was impossible God should lye we might have strong consolation in our taking refuge So that nothing can separate up from his love first nor last Thus in these few particulars I have shewd what bottomes faith may have to cleave to a word and to cast herselfe upon it for pardon and life And so much for the first Question Now I come to the second If any desire further light in this let him consult with my booke of Sacraments in the triall of faith And that is why faith is called Obedience and Consent This question arises from the ground of the Text For Naaman you see being convinced by his servants Quest Why faith is called Obedience and Consent obeyes and consents and doth as he is bidden Esay 1.19 If ye consent and obey you shall eat the good things of the land Hence I call faith by these names only observe that one and the same faith in divers relations hath divers names As it relates to a command of the Gospell so its obedience As to a perswasion so it is consent As Naaman then in one act both obeyed the command of the Prophet and consented to the promise or perswasion thereof so doth faith obey God commanding and consent to him promising or perswading This is the Commandement of God that you beleeve in his Sonne whom he hath sent Luke 5. As Peter to his Master so faith saith to this command At thy command Lord I will let downe my net although it seeme never so absurd As Abraham being commanded by God went downe right without looking at the absurdities or objections first he would kill him and then thinke of them and drownd them all in the charge so doth faith nakedly obey against all stops and then casts them upon him who set her on worke So againe shee consents to his promise and perswasions Gen. 24.28 Much like Rebecca having heard and seene Isaacs motion and tokens answered I will goe with the man She saw enough against it but the perswasions of Eliezer were more potent to overpoise her Spirit So doth faith she hath a thousand cavills and disswasives yet she breakes through and consents and then shee heares no more of them Thus Abraham hearing the promise of Isaac is said not to looke at Sara's wombe which was now withered but hee looked simply at the promise and cast them upon God So that this act of faith casting herselfe upon the word doth both obey nakedly the word of command and consents to the promise as Naaman here doth to both these words of the Prophet Goe wash and be cleane So much also for this second question Now it is time to come to the Vse 1 Uses Terror for all such as live prophanely and yet thinke themselves within a condition of mercy And first I will insist upon the condition of the promise First then here is Terror for all such as are so farre from the condition of faith that they utterly reject and cast it off And of these there are two sorts The one prophane the other schismatickes For the former They please themselves with this That God bids all sorts indifferently bee reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 be they never so base and lewd yet Christ came to save them if they can beleeve but as for this preparation they cannot tell what it meanes they will let God alone with that so they can beleeve they shall doe well And that they
betweene barke and tree to defeat your faith and conversion As once a noble man having his picture drawne faire wrote underneath One thing still remaines to dye well So say you Hitherto Lord thou hast holpen me and brought me under a condition of mercy now Lord give me thy perfecting grace too the upper and nether springs Judg. 1. as Caleb to Achsah suffer me not now in the haven to make shipwracke but give me thy hand helpe me well over this last hill that so I might be past all danger this one thing remaines to set the faire Crowne of faith upon the shoulders of the condition thereof and the worke is at an end But together with thy seeking of God for he will be sought for it Ezek. 36. end quicken up thy spirit to looke for it and lot upon it that he will doe it for thee If such a one as is under the condition of the promise may and ought to fasten upon the promise and cast himselfe upon it Plead hard for faith if once we be under the condition argue for thy selfe from this ground and plead for faith as thine owne portion The misery of the most hearers is this That they live in a perpetuall pudder uncertainty between these two rocks Whether they are under the condition or no or if so then whether they can beleeve or no. Therefore doe one thing at once First hold thy selfe close to the condition if thou be under it and let not the Divell nor thy own feares pull thee from it It is that portion which God hath alotted thee as a pledge of more These are the Suburbs of Hope to bring thee into the City Perhaps thou sayest Thou hast nothing at all wrought in thee As for the sorrow and desire which are in thee alas thou makest nothing of them but comparest thy selfe with them who have gotten beyond thee But learne to say It is mercy that I have any thing that I breathe in the aire that I am not in hell But much more to enjoy a desire after mercy I tell thee thou mayst plead for it For why Mourners for their sinne and thirsters for Gods favour have a promise to bee comforted and satisfied they want nothing save to beleeve it Oh then see thy priviledge and make use of it Do not say The Lord may yet leave me for I do not beleeve as yet I may dye ere that day Much lesse give place to thy sullennesse wearinesse and discontent It is said of Manoahs wife that when her husband abused the condition of a promise made unto them and said We shall dye She replied No husband If the Lord had meant to have slaine us he would never have appeared unto us thus and how should we have a sonne if he slay us So shouldst thou argue against thy feares because the Lord doth nothing in vaine therefore he will give me faith in deed Nay hold fast and close to the condition as thou wouldest reach the promise So did Elisha in another case 2 Kings 2.6 when Elija told him that he had asked an hard thing to have his Spirit doubled upon him yet if he saw him ascending he should have it what did he Did he breake the condition Did hee goe aside and leave his company No although hee were sollicited strongly to it yet hee sweares As the Lord liveth I will not leave thee till I must needs For why There lay a great issue upon it the forgoing or enjoying of a double Spirit of his Master Therefore to shew how hee closed with the charge at their parting he cryed My Father my Father Verse 16. and so obtained the Promise So doe thou hold that thou hast and let none pull it away but by the triall of what thou hast already got learne to trust God the better for that which still is wanting and suffer none of thy staggerings to bereave thee Eliah having tried Elisha three or foure times to leave him and not prevailing lo at last hee granted his desire Matth. 15. When that woman of Canaan had gotten a condition by the end viz. That Christ came to save the lost sheep of Israel whereof she although a Dogge in account tooke her selfe to bee one and would not be beaten off by all our Saviour his buffetings at last shee sped Since there is no remedy saith Christ but thou wilt have thy petition granted take it Sure it is the Lord will try thee of what metall thou art made if he meane to trust thee with faith If any thing will beat thee off or make thee subsist and stop ere faith bee wrought in thee soundly if onely a condition will serve thy turne and thou art content there to rest Judg. 6. thou art not fit for Gods battell Even as God tried the lappers of water from the soopers of it for Gedeon so will he try thee Be wise therefore and so hold the condition as yet understanding that the excellency thereof stands rather in her relation then in her selfe for if it could be that faith might be severed from desire or sorrow it were not possible for thee to be happy But to sever them in the elect it is not possible And thus much may serve to have spoken of the former part of the doctrine to wit the condition of a promise and the uses thereof Now the second and chiefe scope of the Doctrine and the uses thereof remaine viz. that such an one must cast himselfe upon the promise for pardon and life Of the uses hereof in order for this is the maine point 2 Part. Vse 1 And first since it is so This point of the duty of Faith the most spirituall grace and thing in the world Terror to all carnall ones that savour not the spiritualnesse of faith is strong terrour to all those who are so far from closing and casting themselves upon a Word that alas they are farre from so much as conceiving or reaching what manner of thing faith is or what it meanes to cleave and cast our selves upon the bare Word of God without any other mixture for salvation Alas they think they were as good cast away themselves altogether as to purpose it Tell us not say they of such spirituall matters as these they are above our reach and capacity wee are plaine folke commit not such riddles to us we forget them as fast we love such things as we see feele taste and handle If yee will tell us a tale or play a jigge or shew us a play and fine sights or sing sonnets in our eares if you will bring us to merry company or a feast if you will shew us some new fashion or if you will helpe us to a good bargaine where we may put out our money to use for eight in the hundred or tell us of a warme match for my Sonne or Daughter if you will shew us how we may get the day of our adversary or if
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
of all thy former delights cast them all at Gods feet and thy selfe upon his promise But thou wilt aske me How shall I thus throw my selfe upon it To cast the soule upon the promise whaâ— it is I answer doe these three things First take the due estimate of the promise and that is done by minding pondering familiarizing with it By minding it I meane a marking of it an heeding of it as a thing of no ordinary excellency Count it as thou wouldest the chaire of Estate which thou bowest unto as representing the Kings person So doth the promise it s the chamber of presence in which God discovers himselfe the royall Chaire which carries State in it when thou beholdest it behold in it the Majesty of God Esay 26.10 which no hypocrite can see in it It s hidden from his eye but to a beleever set by God in the clift of the rocke Exod. 34.6 thence to see the glory of God his graciousnesse and to heare all his good proclaimed to such an one the promise is of a most eminent excellency Deut. 32. end full of all the fulnesse of God Slight it not therefore but set thy marke upon it Secondly ponder it as Mary did weigh well the contents of it the blessed consequences of beleeving Take to consideration the worth of the pearle Luke 1.29 and treasure hid in the field as that wise Merchant did Matth. 12.44 It s as the applying of Ebed melecs rags under Ieremies armeholes Jer. 38.11 that he might be drawne out with ease Meditation is an heavenly trading of the soule in her thoughts and affections with Gods matters till the soule clapse with them Psal 119. Thirdly make the promise familiar by this means Draw thine heart to it make it thy familiar friend and counsellor to passe all thy matters for thee and in all thy doubts consult with it and let that give sentence And having received it esteem the words of the mouth of it as Iob did Job 23.12 above thy appointed food powre all into the bosome of it as thou wouldst powre out the symptomes of thy disease into the bosome of thy Physitian or a child all her griefes losses and sorrows into the lap of a tender mother Thou shalt fare better by a promise then they shall doe at their hands This is the first direction Secondly be under the authority and evidence of a promise and be convinced by it that it s thine that all before said of the strength wisdome other properties of a promise do belong to thee as really and are put into it by God that thou mightst have thy part in them See clearly as in a mirror that God intends all to thy selfe and as in the Covenant more generally so in the Seales more particularly As Laban seeing how strangely things went Gen. 24 50. said We can say neither more nor lesse but Gods finger is here it must be a match This is the work of the Spirit of the promise alway assisting it and telling the soule under the Condition Doubtlesse thou art the party whom God means to save Ester 6.6 As Haman said whom should the King mean save me So shalt thou say but much more warrantably If God had not indeed meant me well he would never have so convinced me and set me on ground that I should have nothing to gainsay The Judge on the bench saw not the theefe steale but by the sworne evidences of witnesses he is so convinced in himselfe that he reads sentence without question by this meanes the soule brings out Gods cloake staffe and signet as his pledges left in her hand to assure her of his good meaning toward her Gen. 38.25 Thirdly claspe unto and with the promise cleave unto it to bee rid of all thy annoyances at once Once convinced of the promise and ever fastned to it And this cleaving to it is that worke which immediately causeth the consent and obedience of the soule unto it to cast it self upon the promise open it thus The soule in the act of beleeving is sollicited by Satan and unbeleefe to give over and returne to folly But the promise pressing in perswades her to beleeve and renounce her old distempers The soule in this demurre consults with herselfe thus If I goe backward I perish irrecoverably If I go forward I see difficulty yet hope What then shall I doe Surely I cannot be worse then I am I must dye however in not beleeving but in beleeving I may live Therefore I will cast my self upon the promise and live A man will doe thus naturally though he have no promise Thus did those 9. lepers 2 King 3. only upon an hazard they cast themselves upon the army of the Aramites Why Because they were sure to dye in the City So the poore soule giving herselfe for dead puts her life in her hand and saith worse then dead I cannot be better I may be by a promise Nay if God be true I shall be and therefore I will venture my soule and jeopard all upon Gods faithfulnesse if I perish I perish in the armes of a promise not in Satans clawes and by my unbeleefe In this strife of the soule the Spirit doth lay in such strong weights of perswasion against the disswasives of corruption that the soule finally is overruled and so consents and obeyes to cast herselfe upon the sure bottome of a promise for pardon and life By these directions thou maist helpe thy selfe in this weighty worke but because the heart is dull upon the spurre Motives to Faith let me adde a few motives to quicken thee Let one be this Remember first that this will be the issue of Gods enquiry at his comming to judgement Secondly that by this resigning up the soule to God the greatest honour is done to him which by a mortall creature can be Thirdly that all such in the day of the Lord shall be most glorious Fourthly that the greatest wrath and vengeance shall light upon the heads of unbeleevers Fifthly that this being the rarest grace of all others in the world is therefore worth our chiefest endeavour Of these and the like I purpose God willing to treat of the next Lecture Now for the present having exceeded our ordinary bounds we will desist here Let us pray THE EIGHTEENTH LECTVRE continued upon the 14. 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 AT the end of the last Exercise Brethren I began to finish the first and maine Branch of Exhortation raised from this act of Faith to cast the soule upon the promise To the which end I added to the directions for the duty certaine motives time giving leave onely to name such as came to minde I have referred the briefe touching of them in severall to this occasion Motive 1 Let the first if
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
the seed which causes the wombe to conceive Meditation and weighing of the promise is as the cleane beasts chewing of the end till it be almost made milke We are weary of the promise as they of Manna our soule loathes this dry Manna But as the Lord shames them for that by shewing how many wayes Manna might be dressed baked fryed parched it was good any way so may I shame us the promise may be taken up as a cup by many handles and that fitly whether we thinke of it as the fruit of Gods decree to save or of the Lord Jesus his death in which it is ratified or in the Fathers acceptation or in the Ministers fidelity or in the Lords prevention of us the wisedome and other properties even now named or our owne desolation without it or the Saints generall clasping about it or the universall ignorance unacquaintance of the world with so spirituall a subject surely every way wee might heale this disease of our little musing of it But above all if the freedome from all our old distempers did present it selfe to our minds How do men plod upon Purchases Pleasures Honours because thereby they imagine that they shall become new men and that they shall live no longer as they have done basely poorly mopishly So should the new happy life of faith no more to lead a sad dismall life affect us Nineveh could turne her thoughts from plodding feares and look up saying Jonah 3. Who knowes if he will turne from his fierce wrath and we perish not They mused of the happy ease which a secret hope would effect And are wee so farre from fastning these cords of direct promises about our armeholes It is a harsh worke to the flesh but sweet to the spirit and although the gains be slow yet if they be kept together they will make a heavy purse when as the neglect of this work wil leave the soule beggerly to her shifts Therfore wait upon those doores at those posts of Assemblies upon which the Proclamations of Heaven are fixed think thy self safe when those nayles given by the Master of them are driven fast to sticke in thy soule that they may not easily be unsettled So much for the second The third is estranging of our hearts from the promise and growing out of acquaintance with it so that we grow not more and more into a promise to know the worth and sweetnesse thereof Contrary to this is the welcomming and entertaining of the Promise The which phrase the Apostle uses in that place of Timothy This is a faithfull saying and worthy all entertainment the word there is taken from Inne-keepers who stand at their doores or gates of receit 1 Tim. 1.15 with both armes to welcome and lodge travellers Such a traveller the Promise is going up and downe seeking where it may be entertained Just it is with God to hold us to hard meat brethren and to straiten us in this point and I pray God it be not the lot of this place to be bereft of this traveller for these forty years hath he gone up and downe among us seeking who are good hoasts and finding few And because the Lord hath pind his promises upon our sleeves a great while wee waxe shie of them and thinke we may have too much of them But woe unto us if those pathes which have beene trodden bare by the feet of the Messengers of God become overgrowne and lye unoccupied as she speakes Judg. 5. for want of travell I tell you good guests finding bad hoasts are grieved and soone seeke them places of better resort and welcome So many as have received him among us have lost nothing save our distempers and corruptions which we were clogg'd with for this guest brings glad tidings and expels all sorrowes and old inmates which distempered the soule Let us therefore beware of this unhospitalnesse and grow glad entertainers of this guest the best which ever came within our doores Grow we as familiar and entire with the promises as the world is strange and aloofe from them Else our usuall distempers will be sure to haunt us whole mornings dayes and nights while they have tyred us But if the Promises be present and our doore stand ever open for them to enter and loath to leave them our old crochets will have small joy to salute us their roome will be better then their company The soule is carried along with delusions of selfe and molested either by false feares or false hopes as we read of Sisera's mother and her Ladies Judg. 5. Iudg 5. She was alwaies staggering betweene two rockes of feare and hope loth was she to thinke the worst and yet afraid of the worst she was willing to thinke that her husband would come and bring home his garments of divers colours captives and spoyle But then she thought his charet wheeles staid too long thus was she willing to beare her selfe in hand with the best both she and her false Ladies till the worst affronted her Oh brethren what a wofull life is this for such as may live a better Who would be a stranger to this Post from Heaven comming with swift wings and healing in them alway bringing found intelligence from thence Mal. 3. and supporting the soule with assurance that it is well betweene God and the soule Who would not do as David did I have made thy Word my Counseller to passe my matters Do Clients keepe themselves aloofe from their Counsellers Do Patients make strange to the Physitian or do friends alienate themselves from friends Oh! Hos 8. we count the Promise a strange thing which in truth by this time should have bin as sweete unto us as the honey and the honey combe as sweet and sweeter then ever our delusions were And we must thinke this will cost us good inuring and acquaintance Our old guests have the birthright and long have taken up the roome it will cost time to dislodge them againe Therefore to end this let us if we would shunne the surfet of our old distempers grow inward with the promise Esay 28. Esay 38. and as Job saith let us acquaint our selves with God Till he come and say This is your refreshing to give over your owne torrents and violent streames and to embrace the waters of Siloe which runne softly let us make the promise our Companion let it be both of our Court and counsell let us empty all our mind into the bosome thereof and hide nothing from it let us discover all our doubts and distempers unto it for it hath as Salom. is said to have the wisdome and treasures of God to supply us Marke it a Minister of the promises is as a scare-crow to the people they care not how little they acquaint with him And as scarce one of forty knowes a Minister or a Prophet in the name of one so few know or receive a promise in the name of a promise
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
a mercifull and skilfull Physitian Tell me now what man or woman is there living who having such a cure of such a Physitian would or could or hath the heart to turne away from him like a blocke insensible and â—naffected wâ—th such a favour There is no such man breathing I thinke But this is common if any get such a rare cure all is too little to make recompense though he should sell himselfe to his shirt he hath no power to do other he thinkes the same evill would take him then If he see that no reward will fasten upon the Physitian but he will needs bestow it freely the more his purse is discharged the closer his heart is knit his affections are up in armes his tongue is loosed Oh! what love is this what moved his heart thus to me what a man of men is he what admiration have I him in O how I love him what is there which I would not do for him run ride spend for him suffer for him expose my selfe to any hazard maintaine his quarrell by any weapon O how he commends him in all companies and blazeth his name farre and wide till he have raised up as great fame abroad as reputation at home Aske him why he doth so he will answer That I am I am under God by him I was a dead man worse I could not be he hath restored mee to health and I am better I thinke then ever I was and therefore I must alway count him my preserver I remember in the Roman story I have read of a certaine spectacle upon the Circk or Theatre of Rome where among other sports condemned persons were to fight for their lives with wild beasts it fell out so that a man before time passing through the wildernesse met with a lyon And looking for no other then death fell downe for feare An illustration of the point But the poore Lion approached to him with much moane and held out his foote to the man which foot of his by reason of a thorn or some such like thing sticking deep therein had so rankled and swell'd that it was like to hazard the lyons life The man with all his Art and skill fell to his Surgery and so wrought that he pull'd out the thorne out of the Lyons foote by the rootes The poore beast feeling her aile and danger gone fawnes upon the poore man and makes all the love that a dumbe creature could possibly to him leads him out of the forrest and there leaves him and sets him at liberty It was the lot of this lyon after to be taken and to be sent to Rome for a present and it was the worse lot of the man to commit a great Robbery and being condemned to the Theatre to fight what lyon must be brought forth to fight with this man but this lyon The man all amort and despairing of life this preserved lyon knowes his Surgeon comes to him fawnes upon him again and by no meanes could be pull'd from the mans side and embraces but to bring the man to mind of the cause he puts forth his foot heal'd of the thorne The people defeated of their expectation turn'd their sporting humour into admiration asking the caytiffe the reason of so marvellous an accident The man publiquely opens the history as it were wrought whereupon cruelty being turn'd into astonishment pity they decreed a statue to be set up in the Market place for eternall memory of the fact of a Lyon embracing a man over the Lyons head with this title Behold a Lyon the saviour of a man over the mans head Behold a man the Physitian of a Lyon I have beene too long but the workes of God are not to be neglected I would but shew you the spirit of a cure even in a dumbe creature what then is it in a reasonable But what comparison is there betweene either and the spirit of cure in the spirituall soule and conscience converted Oh! no tongue can utter it onely we may admire it Proofes of the Doctrine 1 In examples Examples in our Saviours story we have many of the spirit of bodily cures How many did our Saviour cure of whom it is said he was faine to charme them from telling it abroad yet they could not but so much the more blazed it to make him famous Others were no sooner healed but arose and ministred unto him others could not so part with him but followed him But one of all others will best serve our turne and that is the blind man Joh. 9. Ioh. 9. who though he had but poore seede sowne in him of any faith as appeares after yet from this spirit of the cure of his blindnesse did strange things magnifyed Christ call'd him a Prophet wondred that those who had their eyes should not know him when the enemies of Christ like hornets came about his eares to deface the miracle and the doer of it yet strong was the spirit of this cure in the man that he could not endure their malice though he knew their spite and rage and the danger of it as well as his parents yet he would not spare them an inch What saith hee 12 13 14 15 16. verses Will ye be his Disciples That were fitter for you then to smother such a miracle From the beginning of the world to this day was it never heard of that any opened the eies of the blind Oh! how it affected him Surely it might have become one of his strongest Apostles thus to have defended him But the spirit of a cure and the love of such is stronger then death at least then Excommunication And when the Lord Jesus met him he added the spirit of a better cure and of conversion These hints I have given you for familiar explication of the nature of that I speake of But to leave these let mee come to the Doctrine it selfe to ground it out of the Word to give you a few Reasons and so come we to Use 2. Grounds of the Scripture Ier. 2.2 3 4. For the first of these read Jerem. 2.2 I remember thee and the kindnesse of thy youth and of thine espousals when thou wentest after mee in the wildernesse c. He speakes of that first marriage love which passed betweene himselfe and his people who tooke it kindly that God had brought them out of Egypt bondage and the red Sea and made a song of his mercies and were found of him so many at least as knew him aright Noting that this first love is as precious to God as early fruits of the spring apples peares plums pease or the like are to the taste of man as being the most pure and dainty of all Zach. 12.10 And that which Zachary in Ch. 12.10 calls the spirit of grace compassions and mourning is sutable hereto by which the grace of God uttered it selfe in those who were converted as we see it fulfilled in the Church Act. 2. who
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-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
Consumption A great gash of a sword upon a fleshie part arme or thigh carries more bloudy shew with it but the drawing of a small wyre through the heart is far more mortall the prick of a pin there is worse then the wound of a sword upon the legge To finish this use constantly all spirituall lively quickning ordinances and the more lively dispensed the rather Side with them that are spirituall cast thy lot into their lap mourne with them laugh with them gaine or lose with them trade with them of all duties meanes or graces oftenest trade with the most spirituall especially faith the life of all both in one condition of life and other such meditations as thou feelest will leave thee most heavenly and carry thee farthest off thy self traffique most withall knowing that a carnall lukewarme spirit is alway at the doore offering it selfe but a spirituall will not bee kept save by strong hand Preferre this spirit of grace in thy wife child or friend before the most beautifull rich or politicke fellow in all the Country love such an one with all his infirmities rather then another with the best accomplishments Also use Gods afflicting hand wisely for that fire is needfull oft-times to quicken inward hearts as the fire of thy heart to helpe the heat of thy fingers and feet and thereby God would visit thy spirit and keep it in temper So much for this first branch Branch 2 Secondly if by any meanes thou be sunke and decayed in this spirit of Grace Admon Recover again thy temper if it be lost by what meanes never lin till thou hast recovered it againe Many wayes this may be and never fals out more frequently then in these false-hearted dayes Sometimes by overmuch piddling about the bables of this world for every of us must have some vanity or other to while our selves about sometimes by more sad plodding about profit and commodity or by multiplicity of businesse and more irons in the fire then we can well manage over-stocking our selves with cares and employments which we cannot compasse sometime by sadde accidents in our course as ill successe in our trades distempers through unequal yoking in marriage wrath frowardnesse and discontent betweene couples or by rash suretiship which proves a great snare to the spirit by bad debtors by decay in our estate through improvidence and unskilfulnesse by false friends bringing us into trouble by quarrels and sutes in Law especially with potent adversaries by bad children not answerable to their education and hopes These weare and teare out the spirit of Grace disguise a man and weaken his zeale care tendernesse yea oft make him ashamed to put forth himselfe for God lest his poverty be cast in his teeth They intercept a mans times and seasons for God as the hearing of the Word frequently hinder our joy liberty or leisure to set up God in the family or to maintaine secret interest with him they hamper the affections from expressing that grace which is within There bee other occasions also within as ease and sloth wearinesse of a base heart also some mixt of both as want of good Ministery or removall of dwellings which oft are a great hurry to a good mind which is not in her power and liberty in such cases want of good examples or helpe of private friends sorting together in the wayes of God All these helping a wofull world of Declensions the Devill and a base heart must needs damp and coole many and alas when this disease is not cured betimes it will at last breake out into worse evils sad revolts breach of peace and losse of conscience with ill report and scandall which are not easily cured Therefore for such this I say Dost thou come to see this thine estate Dost thou perceive hereby thy precious spirit to be weatherbeaten and halfe blasted thy fatnesse and sweetnesse to be gone thy selfe to become as a dry branch and as one in whom there is no forme or beauty to be desired as in times past Mourne for it as for the losse of a jewell Say thus Who shall give me the wings of a Dove Psal 55.6 Ier. 2.2 that I may flee into the Wildernesse and there with a pensive soule call to mind the love of my youth which the Lord in those first cords of his and drawings of my heart inspired mee withall Oh! how little did I then looke for such a change When I was one of the children of the bride-chamber I was merry and joyfull But now I had need to fast and mourne Then I knew not what sorrow and sinne meant but went in and out with God at pleasure Oh! that some happy messenger from God might bring me newes of the recovery of of my spirit again to that temper whereof it was wont to be yea if it were but newes of a way by which it might be once restored Well if thou wilt not give God over he will not forget thee For why if thou be sure that ever this spirit was indeed wrought in thee by the worke of God whose workes are perfect like himselfe then know that this spirit is eternall And therefore as I advise thee to tremble at thy deadnesse and lukewarmnesse so yet I adde lin not till some beame of ray of that old spirit of Grace as the Sun through a cloud shine into thy prison wals and cause thy flesh to returne againe through faith in his promise as the flesh of a little child If things indifferent or crosses have disguised thee the worke will be the lesse to file thee bright againe because the leprosie is but in the skinne But if any speciall and grosse sinne have fretted inward and rusted thy spirit wasted thy first love then let it smite thee as an arrow piercing thy liver desire God to flayte and gaster thee out of that lap and bosome Simil. as Sampson out of Delilah's As they who worke in Coalepits if once they see their candle to burne blew make away with all haste possible lest they be choaked So thou whiles any life and spirit remains hast thy selfe out of this sadde damp and looke up to him to prevent utter death who hath promised to establish thee with his free spirit and so to renue it that it might never againe waste or decay in thee See that it doe not Thou hast felt the danger of losing it and the presence of God to thy soule by it If God have gathered it up againe as water spilt on the ground and girded up the loynes of thy soule with a second girdle of renewed zeale and fervour of heart lock thy doore upon thy beloved clip him faster in thine armes then ever and sinne no more lest a worse thing befall thee Fifthly this Use leads me to another and more weighty one of Use 5 Examination Examination to try thy selfe about this spirit of Grace whether ever it were wrought in thee soundly or not There is no
such respect in my place do so and so in my family and the like Here 's eagernesse and zeale but most unsavory stuffe mixt with it too ranke for an humble heart to smell of Let thy hints and overtures be for God abhorre thine owne mixtures nothing so opposes the true spirit of grace as the spirit of a Pharisee Lord I thanke thee I am not thus and thus I do so and so Luk 18.10 11 12. nothing more consonant to it as the spirit of that Publican I abhorre my selfe as the spirit of those that know not what they did Mat. 25. Lord when saw we thee in prison or naked and visited or clothed thee This loadstone of selfe will become a loadstone for God if thine heart be sound And to conclude even so will the carriage of a true spirit be wise considerate and well ballanced such an one will establish his thoughts with counsell Better is hee that is patient in spirit Prov. 24.3 then the hasty A coole spiâ—it is an excellent spirit Eccles 7.8 if it be but coole in the carriage it may be fervent in the substance Whereas the unsound spiriâ— is fiery quick rash and utters more with a breath then it can undoe with ten and so brings it selfe upon its owne knees to cry Peccavi when perhaps it is with reproach to himselfe and religion I will not condemne all for unsound who are rash But I wish all sound spirits to beware how they trench upon such suspitious markes Bring not sorrow upon your selves by this rashnesse you shall meet with trouble enough in your best discretion but that which rashnesse procures seldome brings peace either in suffering or in the issue Thus much for a taste of those markes of tryall which may help us to descry our owne spirit from Gods grace Many more might have beene added but I hasten to an end To conclude then let this be an use of Exhortation and that Use 6 sundry wayes Exhort First to all that have this spirit in them to mourn bitterly for the losse and decay of this spirit throughout the Branch 1 Christian world Alas how farre are we sunke from that zeale of God against Popery and heresie which was wont to abound Looke into Germany where this spirit began by Luthers meanes where is so much as a sparke of it to be seene Declining of the temper of zeale and power ought to be bewailed sadly Even in the daies of Luther what horrible opposition was made to this spirit of the Gospell By how many meanes did the devill then stop the proceedings of Reformation What wayes were not used by Politicians to quash that zeale by their interims and sundry bookes of Reconciliation with Popery in their most Tenets Since which times even to the age we live in both in Germany and the Low-countries the Reformed Churches in France and among our selves how hath Satan laboured to quaile the spirits of men from zeale of the Gospell By what meanes hath Popery so much encroached upon us how hardly is the name of it odious even at this day in most places And if perhaps it be here and there so yet as for the zeale of peoples to the Gospell from the experience of that grace of conversion and the worke of faith how rare is it to find Oh! that our heads were welsprings brethren and our hearts fountaines of teares to mourn for the desolation of this Spirit of Grace among us As he said Scarce theâ—e is mention of Rome in Rome the change is so great in the places where the Gospell hath beene most famous It is recorded of those Jewes of the returned captivity that many who had seene the first Temple mourn'd to see the latter Some Jewish writers render the reason because not onely the frame of it was so poore in comparison of the former but because of the radicall defects it had in it It seem'd Ichabod the glory was gone Ezâ—a 3.12 The Holy of Holies was empty of the Arke of Gods presence and the Merey Seat upon it no more going into it with blood to fetch atonement no more fire from heaven to kindle sacrifices they were faine to kindle it from the Sun-beames with a glasse and as for the Priesthood the Jewes used to call it a Priesthood of clouts or garments 1 Sam. 4.21 because only those were left the Priest to weare the Urim and Thummim those holy shoulder pieces those precious stones of the Ephod and Brest-plate were gone Truly brethren beleeve me as Elijah in his Cave once mourned for the misery of his time 1 King 19.10 so might we for the losse of this spirit of the Gospell among us What do I deny but through mercy and the government of our Princes both living and of famous memory we have enjoyed the truth of God Or that God hath had and still hath abundance of worthy learned famous instruments of service both in Ministery Magistracy Commonalty No God forbid and I doubt not but in many places Truth and light are much improved although it were to be desired it were scattered more generally but the misery is that there lackes a sutable spirit of love tendernes closenes affection and soundnesse to the Gospell The body of knowledge in many is so vast and unweildy for lacke of equall power integrity and life to quicken it that it is like to totter by her owne weight That former effectualnesse in Preaching convincing converting waxes straitned scant and collapsed That spirit of siding with the Truth of God defending it against errours and lukewarmenesse that ingenuity and cordiall simplicity in us that professe seemes to be quite gone Trash and drosse of mens profits pleasures ease forme of religion and such other scurfe as is not to be named hath eaten up all as one said The usury of the New hath eaten up the gaine of our Old University So may we say The spirit of our new hath eaten up the power of our old dayes in point of edge affection earnestnesse and zeale All is growne to discourse contemplation and empty shadowes of sincerity Not to speake of many who formerly have stood for diligent preaching and for the power of it and are now gone aside and slinke their neckes out of the Collar Alas brethren it is not your going into new England which will deliver you from the spirit of your old death and sloth except the Spirit of Grace conduct you thither All cannot goe what shall become of such as must stay except God revive us at home Secondly it should provoke us to pray to God the great Branch 2 Physitian of this Epidemicall disease of exhortation to heale this decaying temper and this consumption of our vitall spirits that heat and moysture life and vigour of grace which threatens utter consumption in us How much better were it for us to fall into a burning ague then into such a dead palsey as this
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