thing for Christ which inclination ariseth from the Principles of Grace infused into the Soul But then as fire though it have a natural inclination to ascend yet may be violently deprest and hindered that it cannot ascend actually so may it be in this case and therefore before a man can be fitted for Sufferings as Paul was there must to this habitual be superadded an actual readiness which is nothing else but the rouzing of Grace out of the sleepy and dull habits and awakening it to its work in a time of need as the Lyon is said to lash himself with his Tail to rouze up his Courage before he fight The former is a remote power the latter a proxim and immediate power I must handle the former in this Chapter and you are to know that it consisteth in a sound and real work of Grace or Conversion wrought upon the Soul without which I shall make it evidently appear to you that no man can be fit or ready to suffer as a Christian What ever stock of Natural Courage Moral Principles or common gifts of the Spirit be lodged in any mans Breast yet all this without special grace can never fit him to suffer for Christ And had not this Work been really and soundly wrought upon the heart of this blessed Man as indeed it was Acts 9.3 4 5. he had quickly fainted under his Sufferings and so will every Soul sooner or later do that suffers not upon the same Principles he did 1. For first No man can suffer for Christ until he be able to deny himself See Mat. 16.24 Self-denial goes in order of Nature before Sufferings Beloved in a Suffering hour the Interests of Christ and Self meet like two men upon a narrow Bridge one must of necessity go back or the other cannot pass on If you cannot now deny Self you must deny Christ The Yoke and Dominion of Self must cast off or else Christs Yoke and Burden cannot be taken on It is confest that Self may not only consist with but be a Motive to some kind of Sufferings Ambition and Applause may carry a man far this way Pride is a Salamander that it seems can live in the flames of Martyrdom 1 Cor. 13.3 but to be a Servant to Self and a true Sufferer for Christ are incompatible Self may make you the Devils Martyrs but Grace only can make you Christs Martyrs So that let a man be seemingly carried for a while with never so high a Tide of Zeal for Christ yet if Self be the Spring that feeds it those self-ends like so many little Ditches joyned to the Banks of a River shall suck and draw away the Water into themselves that the lofty Stream will sink and come to nothing e're it have ran far So then of necessity Self must be dethroned in the hearts of Christs suffering Servants But now it is real Grace only that deposes Self and subjects its Interests to Christs for Sanctification is nothing else but the dethroning of exalted Self and the setting up of Christs Interest above it in the Soul This is it that alters the property of all a man hath and superscribes them with a new Title Holiness to the Lord Isa 23.18 Zech. 14.20 21. Thenceforth a man looks at himself as none of his own but past into anothers right 1 Cor. 6.19 and that he must neither live nor act ultimately for himself but for Christ Rom. 14.7 Heb. 13.7 8. Phil. 1.20 He is no more as a Proprietor but a Steward of all he hath and so holds upon these terms to lay it out or lay it down as may best serve his Masters ends and glory All that he is or hath is by Grace subordinated to Christ and if once subordinated then no more opposed to him subordinata non pugnant This is it that makes him say I care not what becomes of me or mine so Christ may be glorified Let Christ be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Phil. 1.20 By Conversion Christ enters the Soul 2 Cor. 10.5 as an Army doth an Enemies Garrison by Storm and when he is possest of it by Grace he presently divides the whole spoil of Self betwixt himself and his Church This is the first that evinces the necessity of a Work of Grace to prepare the heart for Sufferings 2. And then in the next place It is as evident that a man can never be fit to suffer hard things for Christ until his Spirit be inlarged raised and enobled so that he be able to despise Dongers and look all Difficulties in the face That low and private Spirit must be removed and a publick Spirit must possess him If a man be of a feeble and effeminate Spirit every petty Danger will daunt and sink him Delicacy and Tenderness is as unsuitable to a Christian as to a Souldier 2 Tim. 2.3 They that mean to enter into the Kingdom of God must resolve to make their way through that Brake of Troubles betwixt them and it 2 Tim. 3.12 They that will be crowned with Victory must stand to it and play the men as that word imports 1 Cor. 16.13 Look over all the Sacred and Humane Histories and see if you can find a man that ever honoured Christ by Suffering that was not of a raised and noble Spirit and in some measure able to contemn both the allurements and threats of men So those three noble Jews Dan. 3.16 17. so Moses Heb. 11.27 and so our Apostle Acts 20.24 and the same Heroick and brave Spirit was found in the succeeding Ages amongst the Witnesses of Christ When Valence the Emperour endeavoured to draw Basil from the Faith by Offers of Preferment Offer these things said he to Children when he threatned him with torments Threaten these things said he to your Purple Gallants that live delicately And the same Basil relating the Story of the forty Martyrs saith That when great Honours and Preferments were offered them to draw them from Christ their answer was Why offer you these small things of the world to us O Emperour when you know the whole world is contemned by us So Luther Money could not tempt him nor the fear of man daunt him Let me said he in his Letter to Staupicius be accounted proud covetous a murtherer guilty of all vices rather than of wicked silence and cowardize in the Cause of Christ Thus you see to what an height and holy greatness the Spirits of suffering Saints in all Ages have been raised But now it is Grace that thus raises the Spirits of men above all the smiles and honours frowns and fears of men and no other Principle but Grace can do it There is indeed a natural stoutness and generosity in some which may carry them far as it 's said of Alexander that when any great danger approached him his courage would rise and he would say Jam periculum par animo Alexandri here is a danger fit for Alexander to encounter so
Father but they are all mercies purchased and paid for and therefore fear not the failing of your Graces 5. From the Spirit of Christ which dwelleth and abideth in thee and hath begun his saving work upon thee I say saving for else it would afford no argument His common works on Hypocrites come to nothing but in thee they cannot fail For 1. His Honour is pawned and ingaged to perfect it That reproach of the foolish Builder shall never lye upon him that he began to build but could not finish Besides this would irritate and void all that the Father and the Son have done for thee both their works are compleat and perfect in their kinds and the Spirit is the last efficient in order of working 2. Besides the Grace he hath already wrought in thee may give thee yet further and fuller assurance of its preservation inasmuch as it hath the nature of a Seal Pledge and Earnest of the whole Rom. 8.23 2 Cor. 1.22 So that it cannot fail 6. From those multitudes of Assertory Promissory and Comparative Scriptures the rich veins whereof run through the Book of God as so many streams to refresh thy Soul Of Assertory Scriptures see John 6.39 John 10.28 1 John 2.19 Of Promissory Scriptures see Issa 54.10 Jer. 34.40 1 Cor. 1.8 c. Of Comparative Scriptures see Psal 1.3 Psal 125. 1. John 4.14 c. The principal scope of all which is to shew the indefectible nature of true Grace in the Saints And now how should this refresh thy drooping Soul make thee gird up the loyns of thy mind since thou dost not run as one uncertain neither fightest as one that beats the Air 1 Cor. 9.26 but art so secured from total Apostacy as thou seest thou art by all these things O bless ye the Lord. But the Lord seems to be departed from my Soul Ob. 2 God is afar off from me and troubles are near I seem to be in such a case as Saul was when the Philistines made war upon him and God was departed from him and therefore I shall fall Not so Sol. for there are two sorts of Divine desertions The one is absolute when the Lord utterly forsakes his Creatures so that they shall never behold his face more The other is limited and respective and so he forsook his own Son and often doth his own Elect And of this kind some are only Cautional to prevent sin some are meerly Probational to try Grace and others Castigatory to chastise our negligence and carelesness Now though I have not a word of comfort to speak in the case of total and absolute Desertions yet of the latter which doubtless is thy case much may be said by way of support be it of which of the three sorts it will or in what degree it will For 1. This hath been the case of many precious Souls Psal 22.1 2. Psal 77.2 Psal 88.9 Job 13.24 25 26. This was poor Mr. Glovers case as you will find in his Story and it continued till he came within sight of the Stake therefore no new or strange thing hath happened to you 2. The Lord by this will advantage thee for perseverance not only as they are cautional against sin but as they make thee hold Christ the faster and prize his †Cam. 3.4 Presence at an higher rate when he shall please graciously to manifest himself to thee again 3. This shall not abide for ever it 's but a little Cloud and will blow over It is but for a moment and that moments Darkness ushers in everlasting Light Isa 54.7 Yea lastly The light of Gods Countenance shall not only be restored Certainly but it shall be restored Seasonably when thy Darkness is greatest thy trouble 's at the highest and thy hopes lowest He is a God of Judgment and knows how to time his own mercies Psa 138.3 But I am a weak Woman Ob. 3 or a young Person how shall I be able to confess Christ before Rulers and look great ones in the face Christ delights to make his Power known in such Sol. 2 Cor. 12.9 for he affects not Social glory 2. Thou shalt be holden up for God is able to make thee stand Rom. 14.4 Thou that art sensible of thine own infirmity mayest run to that Promise 3. Such poor weak Creatures shall endure when stronger if Self-confident fall Isa 40.30 31. Even the youths shall faint and be weary and the young men utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength They shall mount up with wings as Eagles run and not be weary walk and not faint Youths and young men are bold daring and confident persons that trust to their own strength to whom such as wait upon the Lord stand here opposed They shall faint but these shall renew their strength Art thou one that waitest and dependest upon an All-sufficient God in the sense of thine own weakness This Promise then is for thee 4. You may furnish your selves at pleasure with Examples of the mighty Power of God resting upon such as you are out of our own Martyrology Thomas Drowry the poor blind Boy Fox Vol. 3. p. 703. What a presence of Spirit was with him when examined by the Chancellor Eulalia a Virgin of about twelve years of age see how she was acted above those years yea above the power of Nature Fox Vol. 1. p. 120. Tender Women yea Children act above themselves when assisted by a strong God And thus you have some help offered you by a weak hand in your present and most important work The Lord carry home all with Power upon your hearts that if God call you to suffer for him you may say as Paul did I am now ready to be offered up and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which God the Righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not to me only but to them also which love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.6 And as you expect so to finish your course with joy be diligent in the use of all means to prepare and make your selves ready to follow the Call of God whether it be to Bonds or to Death for the Name of the Lord Jesus FINIS
professors to prepare themselves for greater trials where several motives are propounded to excite them to their duty CHAP. XVI Containing the last use of the point by way of support and comfort to poor trembling souls who though they do take pains to make themselves ready for sufferings yet finding such strength in Satans temptatitions and their own Corruptions fear that all their labour is in vain and that they shall faint and apostatize when their tryals and troubles shall come to an height PREPARATION FOR SUFFERINGS ACTS XXI XIII Then Paul answered What mean ye to weep and break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus CHAP. I. Wherein the Text is opened and the Doctrine propounded THe Divine Providence is not more signally discovered in governing the Motions of the Clouds than it is in disposing and ordering the Spirits and Motions of the Ministers of the Gospel who in a mystical sense are fruitful Clouds to dispence the showers of Gospel-Blessings to the World The Motion of the Clouds is not spontaneous but they move as they are moved by the winds neither can Gospel-Ministers chuse their own Stations and govern their own Motions but must go when and where the Spirit and Providence of God directs and guides them as will evidently appear in that dangerous Voyage to Jerusalem in which the Apostle was at this time ingaged Acts 20.22 And now behold I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem bound in the Spirit alluding to the watery vapours which are bound up in Clouds and conveyed according to the motion of the Winds This Journey was full of danger Paul foresaw his business was not only to plant the Gospel at Jerusalem with his Doctrine but to water it also with his blood but so effectually was his Will determined by the Will of God that he chearfully complies with his duty therein whatsoever difficulties and dangers did attend it And indeed it was his great advantage that the Will of God was so plainly and convincingly revealed to him touching this matter for no sooner did he imploy himself to obey this Call of God but he is presently assaulted by many strong temptations to decline it The first Rub he met in his way was from the Disciples of Tyre who pretending to speak by the Spirit said unto Paul that he should not go up to Jerusalem Acts 21.4 the Lord by this trying the Spirit of his Apostle much as he did the young Prophet coming from Judea to Bethel 1 Kings 13.18 but not with like success His next discouragement was at Caesarea where Agabus whom Dorotheus affirms to be of the seventy two Disciples and had before prophesied of the Famine in the Reign of Claudius which accordingly came to pass takes Paul's Girdle and binding his own hands and feet with it said Thus saith the Holy Ghost so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that oweth this Girdle and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles ver 11. And surely he was not ignorant what he must expect when ever he should fall into their hands yet neither could this affright him from his duty But then last of all he meeteth with the sorest tryal from his dearest friends who fell upon him with passionate entreaties and many tears beseeching him to decline that Journey O they could not give up such a Minister as Paul was This even melted him down and almost brake his heart which yet was easier to do than to turn him out of the path of Obedience Where by the way we may note two things First That Divine Precept not Providence is to rule out our way of duty Secondly That no hinderances or discouragements whatsoever will justifie our neglect of a known duty All these Rubs he passes over all these discouragements he overcame with this Heroick and truly Christian resolution in the Text What mean ye to weep and to break my heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus In which words we have 1. A loving and gentle rebuke 2. A quieting and calming Argument First He lovingly and gently rebukes their fond and inordinate sorrow for his departure in these words What mean ye to weep and break my heart as if he should say What mean these passionate Entreaties and tempting Tears to what purpose is all this a-do they are but so many Snares of Satan to turn my heart out of the way of Obedience You do as much as in you lies to break my heart let there be no more of this I beseech you Secondly He labours to Charm their unruly passions with a very quieting and calming Argument For I am ready c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parate habee I am prepared and fitted for the greatest sufferings which shall befall me in the pursuit of my duty be it a Prison or be it Death I am provided for either Liberty is dear and Life much dearer but Christ is dearer than either But what was there in all this to satisfie them whose trouble it was to see him so forward let the words be considered and we shall find divers things in them to satisfie and quiet their hearts and make them willing to give him up First I am ready that is God hath fitted and prepared my heart for the greatest Sufferings this is the work of God flesh and blood would never be brought to this were not all its interests and inclinations subdued and over-ruled by the Spirit of God What do ye therefore in all this but work against the Design of God who hath fitted and prepared my heart for this service Secondly I am ready that is my will and resolution stands in a full bent my heart is fixed you cannot therefore study to do me a greater injury than to discompose and disorder my heart again by casting such temptations as these in my way to cause the flesh to rebel and the Enemy that is within to renew his opposition Thirdly I am ready that is my heart is so fixed to follow the Call of God whatever shall befall me that all your tears and entreaties to the contrary are but cast away they cannot alter my fixed purpose you had as good be quiet and chearfully resign me to the Will of God Thus you see the Equipage and preparation of Paul's Spirit to receive both Bonds and Death for Christ at Jerusalem this made him victorious over the temptations of Friends and the malice and cruelty of his Enemies by this readiness and preparation of his mind he was carried through all and inabled to finish his course with joy From hence the Observation is That it is a blessed and excellent thing for the people of God to be prepared Doct. and ready for the hardest services and worst Sufferings to which the Lord may call them This is that which every gracious heart is reaching
although we may ingage our selves in sufferings without it yet we can never manage our sufferings like Christians without it They will neither be honourable or acceptable to God nor yet beneficial and comfortable to our selves or others except they be performed from this Principle of Grace For upon what Principle soever beside this any man is acted in Religion it will either cause him to decline sufferings for Christ or if he be ingaged in them yet he will little credit Religion by his Sufferings They will either be spoiled by an ill management or his own pride will devour the praise and glory of them I do not deny but a man that 's graceless may suffer many hard things upon the account of his Profession and suffer them all in vain as these Scriptures manifest See 1 Cor. 13.3 Gal. 3.4 And although you find many sweet Promises made to those that suffer for Christ yet you must consider that those pure and spiritual Ends and Motives by which men ought to be acted in their sufferings are always supposed and implyed in all those Promises that are made to the external action And sometimes it is exprest 1 Pet 4.16 to suffer as a Christian is to suffer from pure Christian Principles and in a Christian manner with Meekness Patience Self-denial c. and this only Grace can enable you to do So that by all this I suppose what I have undertaken in this Character viz. to evince the necessity of a Work of Grace to pass upon you before Sufferings for Religion come is by all this performed to satisfaction CHAP. VI. Wherein the Nature of this Work of Grace in which our habitual fitness for suffering lies is briefly opened and an account given of the great advantage the gracious person hath for any even the hardest work thereby HAving in the former Chapter plainly evinced the necessity of saving Grace to fit a man for sufferings it will be expected now that some account be given you of the nature of this Work and now it advantages a man for the discharge of the hardest services in Religion Both which I shall open in this Chapter by a distinct Explication of the parts of this description of it This work of Grace What Saving Grace is of which I am here to speak consists in the real change of the whole Man by the Spirit of God whereby he is prepared for every good work In which brief Description I shall open these four things to you 1. That it is a Change this is palpably evident both from Scripture and Experience 2 Cor. 5.17 Old things are past away behold all things are become new and it is so sensible a Change that it 's called a turning from darkness to light Act. 26.18 and a new Creature formed and brought forth But to be a little more distinct and particular there are several other Changes that pass upon men which must not be mistaken for this and therefore 1. It is not a meer change of the Judgment from Errour to Truth from Paganism to Christianity Such a Change Simon Magus had yet still remained in the gall of bitterness and fast bound in the bonds of iniquity Act. 8.23 2. Nor only of a mans practice from Prophaness to Civility this is common among such as live under the Light of the Gospel which breaking into mens Consciences thwarts their Lusts and over-awes them with the fears of Hell Which is no more than what the Gentiles had Rom. 2.15 3. Nor is it a change from meer Morality to meer Formality in Religion Thus Hypocrites are changed by the common gifts of the Spirit illuminating their Minds and slightly touching their Affections Heb. 6.4 5. 4. Nor is it such a Change as Justification makes which is relative and only alters the state and condition Rom. 5.1 2. 5. Lastly it is not a Change of the Essence of a Man he remains essentially the same person still But this Change consists in the infusion of New Habits of Grace into the Old Faculties which immediately depose Sin from its dominion over the Soul and deliver up the Soul into the Hands and Government of Christ so that it lives no more to it self but to Christ This is that Change whereof we speak And this Change 2 I assert to be real no phansie nor delusion not a groundless conceit but it is really existent extra mentem whether you conceit it or not Indeed the blind World would perswade us it is suppositious and phantastick and that there is no such real difference betwixt one man and another as we affirm Grace makes And hence it is that whoever professeth it is presently branded for a Phanatique and that Scripture Esa 56.5 Stand by thy self I am holier than thou c. clapt in their Teeth in their absurd and perverse sence of it But I shall briefly offer these seven things to your consideration which will abundantly evince the reality of it and at once both stop the slanderous mouths of ignorant men and silence those Atheistical Surmises which at any time Satan may inject into the hearts of Gods own people touching this matter And first let it be considered that the Spirit of God hath represented to us this Work of Grace under such Names and Notions in Scripture as if they had been chosen purposely to obviate this Calumny It 's called a Creature Gal. 6.15 a Man 1 Pet. 3.4 a New Birth Joh. 3.3 Christ formed in us Gal. 4.19 all which express its reality and that it is not a conceited thing 2. It appears to be real by the marvellous effects it hath upon a man turning him both in Judgment Will Affections and Practice quite counter to what he was before This is evident in that famous instance of Paul Gal. 1.23 which is abundantly attested and sealed by the constant experience of all gracious Souls that are Witnesses of the truth hereof 3. A Divine and Almighty Power goes forth to produce and work it and hence Faith is said to be of the Operation of God Col. 2.12 Yea that the same Power which raised Jesus Christ from the Dead goes to the production of it Ephes 1.19 20. And if so how much less than Blasphemy is it to call it a Conceit or Phansie Doth God set on work his infinite Power to beget a Phansie or raise an imagination 4. Conceits and Whimsies abound most in men of weak Reason Children and such as are crackt in their Understandings have most of them Strength of Reason banishes them as the Sun doth Mists and Vapours But now the more rational any gracious person is by so much the more he is fixed setled and satisfied in the Grounds of Religion Yea there is the highest and purest Reason in Religion and when this Change is wrought upon men it 's carried on in a rational way Esa 1.18 Joh. 16.9 The Spirit overpowrs the Urderstanding with clear Demonstrations and silences all Objections Pleas and Pretences to the contrary 5.
on us this will exceedingly tend to your strengthning and comfort in a suffering hour Blessed Paul who here professeth himself ready both for Bonds and Death was clear in this point 2 Tim. 4.6 7. 2 Tim. 1.12 And indeed had he been cloudy and dark in this he could not have said I am ready No no he had been in an ill case to undertake that Journey to Jerusalem And thou wilt find it a singular advantage in dark and difficult days to have all clear and right within Now for the opening of this I will shew 1. What the Evidence or Manifestation of the work of Grace is 2. How it appears to be of such great advantage to a suffering Saint 3. Prescribe some Rules for the obtaining of it 1. What it is And in short it 's nothing else but the Spirits shining upon his own work in the hearts of Believers thereby enabling them sensibly to see and feel it to their own satisfaction And this is exprest in Scripture under a pleasant variety of Metaphors Sometimes it is called the shedding abroad of the love of God in the heart Rom. 5.5 sometimes the lifting up of the light of Gods countenance Psal 4.6 and sometimes it 's exprest without a Trope by Christs manifesting himself to the Soul John 14.21 For the opening of it I desire you would consider these six things 1. That it is attainable by Believers in this life and that in a very high degree and measure Many of the Saints have had it in a full measure 1 Cor. 2.12 1 John 3.24 John 21.15 2. Though it be attainable by Believers yet it is a thing separable from true Grace and many precious Souls have gone mourning for the want of it Isa 50.10 This was sometimes the case of Heman David Job and multitudes more 3. During its continuance it is the sweetest thing in the world It swallows up all Troubles and doubles all other Comforts It puts more gladness into the heart than the increase of Corn and Wine Psal 4.6 Suavis hora sed brevis mora sapit quidem suavissime sed gustatur rarissime Bern. 4. Both in the continuation and removal of it the Spirit acts arbitrarily No man can say how long he shall walk in this pleasant Light Psal 30.7 By thy favour thou hast made my Mountain stand strong thou hiddest thy face and I was troubled And when in darkness none can say how long it will be e're that sweet Light break forth again God can scatter the Cloud unexpectedly in a moment Cant. 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from them but I found him whom my Soul loveth There is such an observable difference in David's Spirit in some Psalms as if one man had written the beginning and another the end of them 5. Though God can quickly remove the darkness and doubts of a Soul yet ordinarily the Saints find it a very hard and difficult thing to obtain and preserve the Evidences of their Graces Such is the darkness deadness and deceitfulness of the heart so much unevenness and inconstancy in their practice so many counterfeits of Grace and so many wiles and devices of Satan to rob them of their peace that few in comparison live in a constant and quiet fruition of it 6. Notwithstanding all these things which increase the difficulty yet God hath afforded his people a sure Light and sufficient means in the diligent use and improvement whereof they may attain a certainty of the work of Grace in them And there is a threefold Light by which it may most clearly and infallibly be discovered 1. Scripture Light which is able to discover the secrets of a mans heart to him and is therefore compared to the Anatomizers Knife Heb. 4.12 2. The Innate Light of Grace it self or if you will the Light of Experience 1 John 5.10 It hath some properties and operations which are as essential necessary and inseparable as heat is to the fire and may be as sensibly felt and perceived by the Soul Psal 119.20 3. The Light of the Spirit superadded to both the former which is sometimes called its Earnest sometimes its Seal The Spirit doth both plant the habits excite and draw forth the acts and also shine upon his own work that the Soul may see it and that sometimes with such a degree of Light as only begets peace and quiets the heart though it do not fully conquer all the doubts of it And at other times the heart is irradiated with so clear a Beam of Light that it 's able to draw forth the Triumphant Conclusion and say Now I know the things that are freely given me of God I believe and am sure And so much briefly for the opening of the nature of this Evidence 2. I shall shew you the necessity of it to a suffering Saint in order to the right management of a suffering condition And this will appear by the consideration of five things 1. You will readily grant that the Christians love to God hath a mighty influence into all his sufferings for God This Grace of love enables him victoriously to break through all difficulties and discouragements The Floods cannot drown it nor the Waters quench it Cant. 8.6 7. It facilitates the greatest hardships 1 John 5.3 And whatever a man suffer if it be not from this Principle it is neither acceptable to God nor available to himself 1 Cor. 13.3 But now nothing more inflames and quickens the Christians love to God than the knowledge of his interest in him and the sensible perception and taste of his love to the Soul Our love to God is but a reflection of his own love and the more powerful the stroak of the direct Beam is the more is that of the reflex Beam also Never doth that Flame of Jah burn with a more vehement heat than when the Soul hath the most clear manifestations of its interest in Christ and his benefits Luke 7.47 It must needs be of singular use to a suffering Saint Dem. 2 because it takes out the sinking weight of affliction That which sinks and breaks the Spirit is the conjunction and meeting of inward and outward troubles together then if the Lord do not strangely and extraordinarily support the Soul it 's wrackt and overwhelmed as the Ship in which Paul sailed was when it fell into a place where two Seas met Act. 27.41 Oh how tempestuous a Sea doth that Soul sail in that hath fightings without and fears within How must that poor Christians heart tremble and meditate terrour that when he retires from troubles without for some comfort and support within shall find a sad addition to his troubles from whence he expected relief against them Hence it was that Jeremy so earnestly deprecates such a misery Be not thou a terrour to me thou art my hope in the day of evil Jer. 17.17 This is prevented by this means If a man have a clear breast and all be quiet within he is like
an Hypocrite doth is for himself 2 The Hypocrite never hated every sin as he doth but hath still some Agag Rimmon or Delilah 3 That the Hypocrite never acted in duty from the bent and inclination of a new nature taking delight in heavenly imployment but is moved rather as a Clock by the weights and poises of some external motives and advantages 5. Conclude not you have no Grace because you grow not so sensibly as some other Christians do You may be divers ways mistaken about this 1 You may measure your growth by your desires and then it appears nothing for the Christian aims high and grasps at all 2 Or by comparing your selves with such as have larger capacities time and advantages than you 3 Or by comparing your Graces with other mens Gifts which you mistake for their Graces 4 Or by thinking that all growth is upward in joy peace and comfort whereas you may grow in mortification and humility which is as true a growth as the former Oh! take heed of these mistakes they have been very prejudicial to the peace of many Christians Lastly Rule 5 Decline not sufferings when God gives you a faâ—â— call to them Oh! the Christians suffering time is commonly his clearest and most comfortable time Then the Spirit of God and glory reâ—teth on them 1 Pet. 4.14 That which hath been in suspence for some years is decided and cleared in a suffering hour And thus I have shewed you how to attain this necessary qualification also CHAP. VIII Discovering the necessity of an improved faith for the right management of sufferings and directing to some special means for the improvement thereof THE next thing conducing to our actual readiness for Sufferings is the improvement of Faith to some considerable degree of strength This is the Grace that must do the main service in such an hour and hath the principal hand in supporting the Christian under every burden This is the Grace that crowns our heads with Victory in the day of battel Ephes 6.16 Above all taking the Shield of Faith It s true every Grace is of use and contributes assistance suffering Saints have heen beholding to them all But of this we may say as Solomon of the Vertuous Woman Though many Graces have done excellently yet this excels them all In this Grace ready Paul was eminent It was the life he daily lived Gal. 2.20 Oh it is a precious grace 2 Pet. 1.1 so precious that Christ who seldom admired at any thing yet wondred at this Mat. 8.10 A victorious Grace it is that overcomes all difficulties Mark 9.23 By this Sword it was that all those famous Heroes Heb. 11. atchieved all those glorious Conquests and in every distress it may say to the Soul as Christ to the Disciples John 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing This is that Sword that hath obtained so many Victories over the World 1 John 5.4 and that trusty Shield that hath quenched so many deadly Darts of temptation as have been levelled at the very heart of the Christian in the day of battel By it a Christian lives when all outward sensible comforts die Hab. 2.4 It s the ground upon which the Christian fixes his foot and never fails under him 2 Cor. 1.24 The necessity of it will more clearly appear by considering how many ways it relieves the soul in trouble and disburthens the heart of all its sinking loads and pressures there are two things that sink a mans Spirit when under sufferings viz. The greatness of the troubles and the weakness of the soul to bear them against both which Faith relieves the soul viz. by making a weak soul strong and heavy troubles light First It makes a weak Soul strong and able to bear and this it doth divers ways 1. By purging out of the Soul those enfeebling weakning Distempers not only guilt in general which is to the Soul as a wound upon the bearing Shoulder Rom. 5.1 The removal whereof enables the Soul to bear any other burden Isa 33.24 But it also removes Fear that Tyrant Passion that cuts the Nerves of the Soul For as Faith comes in so Fear goes out Look in what degree the Fear of God is ascendant in the Soul proportionably the sinful fear of the Creature declines and vanisheth Esa 8.12 13. This fear extinguishes that as the Sun-shine puts out fire The Righteous is bold as a Lyon Prov. 28.1 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a young Lyon in his hot blood that knows no such thing as fear And look how much of the Soul is empty of Faith so much it s filled with fear Why are ye fearful O ye of little Faith Mat. 8.26 Certainly it 's a rare advantage to be freed from the common distraction in times of common destruction and this advantage the Soul hath by Faith 2. It strengthens the Soul to bear afflictions and hardships not only by purging out its weakning Distempers but by turning it self to Christ in whom all its strength lies and that suitably to the several Exigencies of the Soul in all its Distresses Doth Darkness like the shadow of Death overspread the Earth and all the Lights of Earthly Comforts disappear then Faith supports the Heart by looking to the Lord Mic. 7.7 and this look of Faith exceedingly revives the Heart Psal 34.5 and enlightens the Soul Doth God pluck away all Earthly Props from under your feet and leave you nothing visible to rest upon in that Exigence Faith puts forth a suitable act viz. Resting or staying upon God Esa 26.3 and by this the Soul comes to be quieted and established Psal 125.1 Do Temptations strive to put off the Soul from Christ and discourage it from leaning upon the Promise then it puts forth an act of Resolution Job 13.15 and so breaks its way through that discouragement Or hath the Soul been long seeking God for deliverance out of trouble and still there is silence in Heaven no Answer comes but instead of an Answer comes a Temptation to throw up the Duty and seek to deliver it self Then Faith puts forth another act upon Christ suitable to this distress viz. An act of waiting Isa 49.23 which waiting is opposed to that sinful haste which the Soul is tempted to Isa 28.16 Or doth God at any time call the Soul forth to some difficult service against which the Flesh and Carnal Reason dispute and plead Now Faith helps the Soul by putting forth an act of obedience and that whilst Carnal Reason stands by dissatisfied Gal. 1.16 And hence it is that Obedience carries the name of Faith upon it to shew its descent Rom. 16.26 Faith encourages the Soul to obey not only by urging Gods Command but by giving it Gods Warrant for its Indempnity Heb. 11.24 25 26. Or doth a poor Believer find himself over-match'd by Troubles and Temptations and his own inherent strength begin to fail under the burden then Faith leads him to an Omnipotent God and so secures him from