times of great afflictions temptations desertions fears and doubts a very great aptness and proneness in Christians to expect strange means rather than right means and new means rather than old means and invented means rather than appointed means to build their faith upon somthing beside the Word or that is without the compass of the Word rather than upon the plain and naked Word it self being in this very like to many weak crazy distempered and diseased Patients that are more ready to fancy every new Medicine and new Doctor they hear of and to be tampering with them than to expect a recovery by going through a course of Physick prescribed by the Physician that best understands their diseases and the most proper and effectual means for their recoveries You know when Naaman the Assyrian came to the Prophet Elisha to be cured of his Leprosie he only sent out a Messenger to him who bid him go and wash seven times in Jordan and his flesh should come again unto him and he should be clean 2 Kings 5.10 but Naamans bloud rises and his heart swells and he grows very wrath and all because he did not like the means prescribed by the Prophet and because he thought in his own heart that the Prophet would have used more likely means to have wrought the cure ver 11 12. So many Christians when they lye under great agonies and sore perplexities of soul and are encouraged to act faith upon the promises and to rest their weary souls upon the Word of grace they are ready to think and say that these things these means will never heal them nor comfort them nor be a relief or support unto them unless the Lord does from heaven by extraordinary Revelations Visions Signs and Miracles confirm his promises to them and hereupon they make light of the blessed Scriptures which are the springs of life and the only bottom upon which all our comforts peace and happiness is to be built yea they relinquish that more sure word of prophecy which shines as a light in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 Certainly the acting of faith on the precious promises and the cleaving of the soul unto those blessed truths declared in the Gospel of grace is the most sure ready and compendious way of obtaining a blessed assurance Eph. 1.13 and a full establishment of heart Com. on Gen. cap. 38. in all sound solid and abiding joy and peace and therefore Luther though as he confesseth he was often tempted to ask for Signs Apparitions and Revelations from heaven to confirm him in his way yet tells us how strongly he did withstand them Pactum feci cum Domino Deo meo c. I have saith he indented with the Lord my God that he would never send me Dreams Visions Angels for I am well contented with this gift that I have the holy Scripture which doth abundantly teach and supply all necessaries for this life and that also which is to come Certainly Austin hit the mark when he prayed Lord let thy holy Scriptures be my pure delights in which I can neither deceive or ever be deceived Certainly the ballance of the sanctuary should weigh all the Oracles of God decide all and the Rule of Gods Word be the square and judge of all O Sirs dare you venture your souls upon it that the blessed Scriptures are false that they are but a Fable dare you stand forth and say if the Scriptures be not a lye let us be damned for ever and ever dare you stand up and say we are freely contented that the everlasting worm shall gnaw on our hearts for ever and that our bodies and souls shall for ever and ever lye burning in infernal flames if the Scriptures prove not at last a cheat a deceit a meer forgery and imposture Now if you dare not thus to say and thus to venture then peremptorily resolve to be determined by Scripture in the great concernments of your precious souls They that would take their parts in promised comforts they must follow the voice of the Word and subscribe to the sentence of conscience following that Word If the Word approve of thee as sound and sincere with God assuredly thou art so for that rule cannot err If the Word saith that thy heart is right with God thou must maintain that Testimony against all disputes whatever Never enter into dispute with Satan or thine own self about thy estate but by taking and making the Scripture the judge of the controversie when fears rise high you say you shall never have mercy bâ—t dotâ— the Word say so The Lord never gave himself to me but doth the Word say so Never was any as I am but doth the Word say so I cannot see nor conceive nor think that the Lord hath any love for me but doth the Word say so yea doth not the Word say That his thoughts are not as your thoughts nor his wayes as your wayes Isa 55.8 9. But as the heavens are higher than the earth so are his wayes higher than your wayes and his thoughts than your thoughts I have not that peace and joy that others have therefore the Lord intends no good towards me but doth the Word say so Oh but if my inside were but turned outward good men would loath me and wicked men would laugh at me but doth the Word say so Oh but my heart was never right with God but doth the Word say so Oh but that which I have taken all this while for saving grace is but common grace but doth the Word say so Oh but the face of God is hid from me my Sun is set in a cloud and will never rise more but doth the Word say so Oh but Satan is let loose upon me and therefore God hates me but doth the Word say so yea doth not the Word tell you That those who have been most beloved of God have been most tempted by Satan Witness Christ David Job Joshua Peter Paul c. Oh but I am afflicted so as never was any before me but doth the Word say so Oh let the Word have the casting voice and not thine own frail distempered reason Oh don't only hear what sin and Satan and thine own heart can say against thee but hear also what the Word of the Lord Jesus can say for thee Let the Word of the Lord be judge on both sides and then all will be well I know that the impenitent and unbelieving person that lives and dies without grace in his heart and an interest in Christ shall as certainly be damned as if I saw him this very moment under everlasting burnings because God in the Scripture has said it Mark 16.16 John 3.18.36 Rev. 21.8 Rom. 2.4 5. 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Gal. 5.19 20 21. Heb. 12.14 And I know that the holy humble true penitent believing self-denying and sin-mortifying Christian shall be as certainly saved as if at this very time I saw him in an actual
that Jesus Christ may still set up his Laws in my heart and exercise his dominion over me Now doubtless there is not the weakest Christian in the world but can venture himself upon such an appeal to God as this is and without all peradventure where such a frame and temper of spirit is there the dominion of Jesus Christ is set up and where the dominion of Christ is set up there sin has no dominion Mat. 6.24 but where the dominion of Christ is not set up there sin is in full dominion Christ's dominion cannot consist with sins dominion nor sins dominion cannot consist with Christ's dominion Now by these eight things if men are not resolved before hand to put a cheat upon their own souls they may know whether their sins have dominion over them or no and so accordingly conclude for or against themselves But Fifteenthly and lastly A godly man may argue thus There is no condemnation to them who walk not after the flesh Walking in Scripture signifies to hold on a course of life Gen. 5.22 17.1 but after the spirit Rom. 8.1 But I walk not after the flesh but after the spirit therefore there is no condemnation to me Walking after the flesh notes a course of sin and walking after the spirit notes a course of godliness Now to such as keep off from a course of sin and that keep on in a course of godliness there is no condemnation there is not one condemnation for God the father won't condemn such a person nor Jesus Christ won't condemn such a person nor the holy spirit won't condemn such a person nor the word of grace won't condemn such a person nor no commandment or threatnings will condemn such a person no nor such a mans own heart nor conscience if it be rightly informed won't condemn him and therefore well may the holy Ghost say to such a one there is no condemnation to such a one there is not one condemnation c. ☞ Now thus you see by comparing spiritual things with spiritual things and by a rational arguing from Scripture a man may attain unto a comfortable certainty of his gracious state and safely and groundedly conclude his interest in Christ Now this assurance of Gods favour by the witnessing of our own spirits which assurance is deduced by way of argument syllogistically is more easily attained than many may I not say than most Christians imagine for let a gracious man but clear himself of heart-condemning sins 1 Joh. 3.20 21. and rationally argue as before has been hinted and he will speedâ—ly reach to some comfortable supporting soul-satisfying and soul-quieting assurance there being an infallible connexion between the forementioned graces and future glory These fifteen arguments may well be lookt upon as fifteen sure and infallible evidences of the goodness and happiness of a Christians estate O that you would often every day think on this viz. That the undoubted verity of Gods promises proveth an inseparable connexion between true faith and eternal glory John 3.14 15 16. And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life John 5.24 Verily verily these serious asseverations or protestations amount almost to an oath I say unto you he that heareth my words and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from death to life John 3.36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life He hath it in the promise he hath it in the first Fruits Rom. 8.23 he hath it in the earnest Ephes 1.13 14. and he hath it in Christ his Head Ephes 2.6 Mark 16.16 He that believeth and is Baptised shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned 1 Pet. 2.6 Behold I lay in Sion a chief Corner stone Elect precious and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded John 6.40 And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day Verse 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting Life John 2.25 Jesus said unto her I am the Resurrection and the Life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live Verse 26. And whosoever liveth and believeâ—h in me shall never dye John 20.31 But these are written that ye may believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name Look as certainly as the unbeliever shall be cast into outer darkness so certainly shall the Believer be partaker of the glorious inheritance of the Saints in light for certainly the Promises are as true as the threatnings Acts 16.30 31. Believe on the Lord Iesus Christ and thou shalt be saved Josh 23.14 chap. 21.45 The Apostle speaks not doubtingly perhaps thou shalt be saved nor they do not say Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and it may be thou mayest go to Heaven but they speak boldly confidently peremptorily believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved O my Soul what greater certainty and security can any man have than the infallible promise of that God that is truth it self who will not who cannot deny his word but the same love and free Grace that moved him to infuse grace into his childrens souls will move him also to keep the word that is gone out of his mouth and to make good whatever he hath promised thus you evidently see that the Promises prove an inseparable connexion between Grace and glory between Faith and everlasting Life so that let me but prove that I have a saving Faith and the Scriptures last cited prove infallibly that I shall be saved O labour as for life daily to give a firm and fixed assent to the truth of those blessed Promises last cited and hold it as an indisputable and inviolable Principle That whosoever believeth on the Lord Jesus Christ or whosoever hath received Christ as his Lord and Saviour shall be certainly saved 1 Tim. 1.15 1 John 1.9 Heb. 6.17 18. â—zek 32.11 and chap. 18.32 1 John 5.10.14 Jam. 2 19. This is the person that hath the Word the Promise the Covenant the Oath of that God that cannot possibly lye or dye for the pardon of his sin and for the Salvation of his Soul Now O my Soul what security couldest thou ask more of a deceitful man than that which the great Iehovah â—he faithful God of his own accord hath given to thee viz. his word and his Oath Now not to believe God upon his Promise and Oath is to make him a Lyar yea the worst of Lyars yea 't is
to do worse than the Dâ—vils â—â—r they believe and tremble Though the word of the Lord desâ—rves the greatest credit that any mortals can give unto it he being truth it self that hath said it though it had no Oaths nor no Asseverations to be its surety yet God in his infinite condescending love to poor sinners that he may sink the truth of what he saith deeper into the hearts and minds of his people and leave the fairer and fuller print in our assents to the same he sets on the word of Promise with the weight of Asseverations and Oaths yea and to all these he hath annexed his Broad Seal the Lords Supper and the Privy Seal of his Spirit O unreasonable unbelief shall not the Oath of God silence all Disputes A man would never desire of any honest man so much as God hath condescended to for the confirmation of our Faith witness his Promises his Covenant his Oath and his Seals and therefore let us give glory to him by believing and quietly rest upon his faithfulness O Sirs that soul that dares not take his sanctification as an evidence yea as a choice and sure evidence of his interest in Christ and of the Lords precious love to him according to the Promises of his favour and Grace several of which hath been but now under consideration that Soul ought to acknowledg it as his sin yea as his great sin for which he deserves to be smartly rebuked as making God a loud Lyar. O my friends it is a spiritual peevishness and sinful crossness that keeps many good men and women long in a sad dark doubting perplexed and disconsolate condition and certainly 't is no small sin to set light by any work of the blessed Spirit and the joy comfort and peace that we might have by it ah how many are there that fear the Lord who quench grieve vex and provoke the holy Spirit by denying his work and by quarrelling against themselves and the blessed work of the Spirit in them Certainly 't is the duty of every Christian to hear as well what can be said for him as what can be said against him Many poor Psal 77.2 Psal 88. Job 15.11 chap. 16.8 9. weak and yet sincere Chr stians are often apt to be too sowre rigid and bitter against their own souls they love to practise a merciless severity against themselves they do not indifferently impartially consider how the case stands between God and their own souls It is in this case as Solomon speaks in another There is that maketh himself rich Prov. 13.7 Ever since man ceased to be what he should be he striveth to seem to be what he is not It is not the outward shew that shews what things are and yet hath nothing And there is that maketh himself poor and yet hath great Riches That is there be those in the world that pretend they are rich and make a shew before men as if they were men of great estates whereas indeed they are exceeding poor and needy There are not a few that stretch their wing beyond their nest that bear a port beyond their Estates that trick up themselves with other mens plumes laying it on above measure in cloaths in high entertainments in stately Buildings in great Attendance c. when not worth one groat in all the World but either they dye in Prison or lay the key under the door or compound for twelve pence in the pound c. And there are others again that are exceeding rich and wealthy and yet feign themselves and look upon themselves to be very poor and needy To apply this spiritually 'T is the damning sin of the self-flattering Hypocrite Rev. 3.17 to make himself rich to make himself significant to make his condition better than 't is And it is the vanity the folly of some sincere Christians to make their condition worse than indeed it is to make themselves more miserable and unhappy than indeed they are Ah Christians 't is sad with you tâ—s night with you when you read over the evidences of Gods love to your souls as a man does a Book which he intends to confute Is it not sad when Christians shall study hard to find evasions to wheel off all those comforts refreshings cheerings and supports that are tendered to them that are due to them and that they may upon Gospel-grounds justly claim as their portion as their inheritance And O that all such Christians would seriously and frequently lay to heart these eight things First that they highly dishonour the blessed God and the work of his Grace by denying that which he hath done for them and wrought in them Secondly they are spiritual Murderers they are self-Murderers they are soul-Murderers for by this means they stab and wound their own precious souls and Consciences through and through with many a deadly dart Now is there any Murder like to spiritual Murder to self-Murder to soul-Murder surely no. But Thirdly They are Thieves for by this means they rob their own precious souls of that joy peace comfort rest content assurance and satisfaction which otherwise they might enjoy Now there is no theft to spiritual theft and of all spiritual theft there is none to that which reaches the precious and immortal soul Mark all prevalent Disputes about our personal integrity they do hold off the Application and tasts of comfort though they do not disanul the title and right Even the good man will walk uncomfortably so long as he concludes and strongely fears that his Estate is sinful for sensible comfort riseth or falleth cometh on or goeth off according to the strength of our judgment and present apprehensions observe it is not what indeed our estate is but what we judg of it which breeds in us sensible comfort or discomfort a false heart may even break with a timpany of foolish joy upon an erring perswasion oâ— his estate and so may a sound sincere heart be very heavy and disconsolate upon an unsound misconstruction and judging of its true condition But Fourthly They bear false witness against Christ his Spirit their own Souls and the work of Grace that is wrought in them O how many dark doubting drooping Christians are there who if you could give them ten thousand worlds yet would never be brought to bear false witness against their poorest Neighbour Brother or Friend and that out of Conscience because of that Command Thou shalt not bear false witness c. who yet make no Conscience no bones of it frequently to bear witness against the Lord Jesus Christ and his gracious works upon their own hearts But Fifthly they joyn with Satan and his work and his suggestions and with that strong party he has in them against the Lord Jesus Christ and his work and his weak party in them See Mr. Dod on the Commandments p. 310 311. and p. 321 322 323 324. Sin is Satans work and Grace is Christs work Now how sad is it
their falls they fall and continue to fall Isa 55.12 to morrow shall be as to day But persons in Covenant with God though they do fall yet they do not fall nor cannot fall as they do that are out of Covenant with God For first There is in all such persons an habitual purpose to keep Covenant with God 2. An habitual desire to keep Covenant with God 3. An habitual resolution to keep Covenant with God 4. An habitual endeavour to keep Covenant with God Now where t is thus there that man is certainly in Covenant with God and that man walks in Covenant with God he is under a Covenant of Grace his sins are pardoned and therefore they shall never be his ruine Isa 63.17 Doubtless many precious Christians have charged and condemned themselves for those things that the great God will never charge them with nor condemn them for Blessed Bradford wrote himself an Hypocrite a painted Sepulcher but doubtless God will never bring in such a charge against him O Sirs the stirrings of sin and the workings of sin and the prevalency of sin for particular acts will stand with the Covenant of Grace though not with the Covenant of Works You may not by any means conclude that you are not in a Covenant of Grace because such and such corruptions stirs in you or because such or such weaknesses now and then breaks forth and discovers themselves either in your lips or lives Did Christians but study the Covenant of grace more and understand better than they do the difference between the Covenant of grace and the Covenant of works how would their fears and doubts about their spiritual and eternal estates vanish as the clouds before the Sun when it shines in its greatest strength and glory c. 'T was the saying of an eminent Minister on his death-bed That he had much peace and quietness not so much from a greater measure of grace than other Christians had or from any immediate witness of the spirit but because he had a more clear understanding of the Covenant of grace than many others having studyed it and Preached it so many years as he had done Doubtless had Christians a more clear and a more full understanding of the Covenant of grace they would live more holily serviceably humbly fruâ—tfully comfortably and sweetly than they do and they would dye more willingly readily and cheerfully than many may I not say than most Christians use to do But The Eighteenth Maxim or Consideration EIghteenthly and lastly That trouble grief and sorrow for sin that drives a man from God is sinful and must one day be repented of and wept over All true trouble Hos 5.14 15. chap. 6.1 2 3. Jer. 31.18 19 20. Psal 51. Hos 14.1 2. Psal 25.11 grief and sorrow drives to God as is evident by the Scriptures in the Margent Suppose thou hast so and so sinned yet t is a false inference that therefore thou shouldest be discouraged and let thy hopes sink and thy heart faint as if there were no help no hope no comfort for thee in thy God Quest But when is a mans trouble or sorrow for sin sinfull Answ 1. When it keeps Christ and the Soul asunder 2. When it keeps the Soul and the Promises asunder 3. When it unfits a man for the duties of his place and calling wherein the providence of God has stated him 4. When it unfits a man for the duties of Religion either private or publick 5. When it takes off the sweet and comfort of all outward comforts and enjoyments and renders all our mercies like the white of an Egg that has no tast or savour in it 6. When it weakens wasts or destroyes the outward man all godly sorrow is a friend to the Soul and no enemy to the body And thus much for those divine Maxims Considerations and Rules that are seriously to be minded and observed in order to the clearing up a mans Interest in Christ and his title to all the glory of another world Certainly these Eighteen Maxims Considerations or Rules if God shall please powerfully to set in with them are of singular use for the clearing up of the saving work of God upon poor souls And therefore it highly concerns Christians seriously to ponder upon them as Mary did upon the sayings of the Angel in her heart Now these things being premised I shall come in the next Chapter to lay down some infallible evidences of saving Grace Luke 2.19 CHAP. II. Containing many choice precious and infallible Evidences of true saving grace upon which a Christian may safely and securely comfortably and confidently rest and adventure the weight of his precious and immortal Soul and by which he may certainly know that it shall go well with him for ever and that he has a reall saving interest in Christ and shall be everlastingly happy when he shall be here no more c. FIrst There are some things in regard of sin and a Christians actings about it that speaks out a gracious estate and that discovers a saving principle of Grace to be in the Soul I shall instance in these Eleven particulars First A universal willingness to be rid of all sin is an infallible evidence of the truth of Grace in a mans Soul Isa 28.15 18. Isa 30.22 Hos 14.8 Rom. 7.22 23 24. the first saving work of the Spirit upon the soul is the dividing between sin and the soul t is a making an utter breacl betwixt sin and the soul t is a dissolving of that old League that has been between the sinner and his sin The first work of the Spirit is to make a man look upon sin as an enemy and to deal with sin as an enemy to hate it as an enemy to loath it as an enemy to fear it as an enemy and to arm against it as an enemy When the holy spirit takes possession of the Soul from that day forward the soul looks upon sin with as evil and as envious an eye as Saul look'd on David when the evil spirit was upon him O saith Saul that I were but once well rid of this David and O saith the gracious Soul that I were but once well rid of this proud heart this hard heart this unbelieving heart this unclean heart this froward heart this earthly heart of mine c. Gen. 26.35 Look as the daughters of Heth even made Rebeccah weary of her life so corruptions within makes the gracious soul even weary of his life Many a day have I sought death with tears said blessed Cowper not out of impatience distrust or perturbation Restraining grace doth only suppress and abate the acts of sin it doth never alter the disposition and will of a man as to sin You may chain up a Lyon but you cannot change the nature of a Lyon but because I am weary of sin and fearful to fall into it Look as when Christ hath won the will he hath
and life Psal 119.112 Psal 40.8 Psal 39.1 Psal 101.3 2 Cor. 1.12 Psal 119 4 5 20. 2 Chron. 19.3 2 Chro. 30.18 19 Neh. 1.11 Isa 26.8 9. I have inclined my heart to keep thy Statutes alwayes even to the end Verse 38. Stablish thy Word unto thy Servant who is devoted to thy fear Verse 44. So shall I keep thy Law continually for ever and ever Verse 45. And I will walk at liberty for I seek thy Precepts Acts 24.16 And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men Heb. 13.18 Pray for us for we trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly Gracious Souls do strongly affect that which they cannot easily effect Psal 119.57 Thou art my Portion O Lord I have said that I would keep thy words Some read this Verse thus Lord I have said my portion shall be to keep thy words Holy David was fully determined and resolved in himself to keep Gods Royal Law in spite of the World the flesh and the Devil And so Barnabas exhorted the Dâ—sciples that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 As if all piety and truth of Grace consisted in Gracious purposes of heart Certainly when the bent of a mans mind and the setled purpose of a mans Soul and the unfeigned desires of his heart are for God for Grace for holiness in heart in life then the estate and condition of that man is safe and happy 'T is very observable that that great Apostle Paul Though the Needle or the Seamans Compass may jog this way and that way yet the bent of the Needle wâ—ll still be Northward So though a Christian may have his particular sinful joggings this way or that way yet the bent of his heart will still be God-wards Una actio non denominat in his spiritual conflict layes a very great stress upon these things witness Rom. 7. ver 16. If then I do that which I would not I consent unto the Law that it is good So Verse 18. For to will is present with me So Verse 19. For the good that I would I do not but the evil which I would not that I do So Verse 21 22. I find then a Law that when I would do good evil is present with me For I delight in the Law of God after the inward man So Verse 25. So then with the mind I my self serve the Law of God Certainly the truth the lise and power of Grace of Holiness of Regeneration is not so much seen in our actions as in the renewing and sanctifying of our minds and wills according to that Rom. 12.2 Be ye transformed or Metamorphosed as the Greek has it by the renewing of your mind No man is to judg of the soundness or sincerity of his Spirit by some particular acts but by the constant frame and bent of his Spirit and by his general conversation in this world If particular actions might determine whether a man had Grace or no Grace whether he were in Christ or not in Christ whether he were a Saint or not a Saint whether he were sincere or unsound we should many times conclude that those had no Grace who indeed have and that they were not in Christ who indeed are and that they are no Saints who indeed are and that they are not sincere who certainly are true Nathaniels The best Saints have had their extravagant motions and have very foully and sadly miscarried as to particular actions even then when the constant course and bent of their spirits have been God-wards and Christ-wards and Holiness-wards and Heaven-wards c witness Davids Murther and Adultery Noahs Drunkenness Lots Incest Josephs Swearing Jobs Cursing Jonahs Vexing Peters Denying and Thomas his not believing Such twinklings do and will accompany the highest and fairest stars As he who foots it best may be found sometimes all along and the neatest person may sometimes slip into a slow He that cannot endure to see a spot upon his Cloaths may yet sometimes fall into a Quagmire So the holiest and exactest Christians may sometimes be surprised with many infirmities and unevennesses and sad miscarriages Certainly particular sinnings are compatible with a gracious frame though none are with a glorious condition Though no darkness no clouds can be mixt with the Sun in Heaven yet both may be in the Ayre which is enlightned below Our best estate on earth is mixt and not absolute Glory annihilates all sinful practices but Grace only weakens them the most sincere Christian is but an imperfect Christian and hath daily cause to mourn over his infirmities as well as he has cause to bless God for his Graces and mercies Well Sirs Look as every particular stain doth not blemish the universal fineness of the Cloth so neither doth this or that particular fact disprove and deny the general bent of the heart particulars may not decide the estate either way 't is true a man by a particular sinning is denominated Guilty but by no one particular can a mans Estate be challenged either for good or bad He that shall judg of a Christians estate by particular acts though notorious bad will certainly condemn the Generation of the Righteous We must alwayes distinguish betwixt some single good actions and a series of good actions Meer particular actions do not conclude either way the estate of the Soul an hypocrite may do some good act and an upright person may do some sinful act A man must give in Judgment for or against himself according as the habitual purpose and temper of his heart stands c. It is not this or that particular good action but a continued course of holy Actions that denominates us holy Certaâ—nly as there is no man so holy but sometimes he falls into this or that particular sin So there is no man so wicked but sometimes he falls in with this or that particular duty witness Pharaoh who in a fit desires Moses and Aaron to pray for him and witness Balaam who in a good mood desires to dye the death of the Righteous and witness Saul who under a pang condemns himself and justifies David And so witness Ahabs humbling of himself and Nineveh's repenting and Foelix his trembling and Herod's hearing of John Baptist gladly Now look as every sin which a godly man falls into through infirmity doth not presently denominate him ungodly so neither will a few good actions done by a wicked man prove him godly 'T is what the course and tenour of the life is that must be most diligently and wisely observed for every man is as his course is if his course be holy the man is so if his course be wicked the man is wicked There is a Maxim in Logick viz. that no general Rule can be stablished upon a particular instance and there is another Maxim in Logick viz. that no particular instance can overthrow a
turning from sin shall find no more sweetness in that grand promise of pardon Prov. 28.13 than devils or damned spirits do Look as one sin unforgiven will as certainly undo and damn a man as a thousand so one sin unforsaken will as certainly undo and damn a man as a thousand The true penitent is as willing to turn from all his sins as he is willing that God should pardon all his sins But Eighthly and lastly There is in every penitent a sincere hatred of sin a universal hatred of sin Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Prov. 8.13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil True hatred is to the whole kind Arist Amos 5.15 Hate the evil and love the good Psal 119.104 Through thy precepts I get understanding therefore I hate every false way Ver. 128. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way Ver. 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Ver. 163. I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love True hatred is universal 't is of the whole kind he who hates a toad because it is a toad hates every toad he that hates a serpent because it is a serpent hates every serpent he that hates a wolf because 't is a wolf hates every wolf he that hates a man because he is holy hates every man that is holy and so he that hates sin because it is sin hates every sin and therefore he can't but turn from it and labour to be the death and ruin of it Holy hatred is an implacable and an irreconcilable affection you shall as soon reconcile God and Satan together Christ and Antichrist together heaven and hell together as you shall be able to reconcile a penitent soul and his sin together A true penitent looks upon every sin as contrary to the Law of God the nature of God the being of God the glory of God and accordingly his heart rises against it he looks upon every sin as poyson as the vomit of a dog as the mire of the street as the * Pliny saith that the very trees with touching of it would become barren menstrous cloth which of all things in the Law was most unclean defiling and polluting and this turns his heart against every sin he looks upon every sin as having a hand in apprehending betraying binding scourging condemning and murdering of his Lord and Master Jesus Christ and this works him not only to refrain from sin but to forsake it and not only to forsake it but also to abhor it and to loath it more than hell it self The penitent soul will do all he can to be the death of every sin that has had a hand in the death of his Lord and Master he looks upon the sins of his body to be the tormentors of Christ's body and the sins of his soul to be the tormentors of Christ's soul to be those that made his soul heavy to the death and that caused the withdrawings of his father's love from him and that forced him in the anguish of his soul to cry out Mat. 27.46 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And this raises up in him a universal hatred of sin and a universal hatred of sin alwayes issues in a universal turning from sin Now these eight arguments do sufficiently prove that a true penitential turning is a universal turning a turning not from some sins but from all sins But some may be ready to object Object and say Sir this is a hard saying who can hear it who can bear it John 6.60 who shall then be saved for if a man repents not unless he turns from every sin then there is not a man to be found in all the world that repents for there is not a man in all the world that turns from every sin that forsakes every sin c. 1 King 8.46 For there is no man that sinneth not Prov. 20.9 Who can say Job 9.30 31. Psal 130.3 2 Chron. 6.36 Job 14.4 Psal 51.5 Ponder upon these Scriptures c. I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin It is a question that implyes a strong denial Who can say it and say it truly that he is pure from his sin surely none He that shall say that he has made his heart clean and that he is pure from his sin sins in so saying and commonly there are none more unclean than those that say they have made their hearts clean nor none more impure than they that say they are pure from their sin Eccl. 7.20 For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not These words in their absolute sense are a full testimony of the imperfection of our inherent righteousness in this life and that even justified persons come very short of that exact and perfect obedience which the Law requireth James 3.2 For in many things we offend all or as the Greek has it we stumble all 'T is a metaphor taken from Travellers walking on stony or slippery ground who are very apt to stumble or slide This Apostle was worthily called James the just and yet he numbers himself among the rest of the sanctified ones that in many things offended all The Apostle does not say in many things they offend all but in many things we offend all We that have more gifts than others we that have more grace than others we that have more assurance than others we that have more experiences than others we that have more preservatives to keep us from sin than others even we in many things offend all nor the Apostle doth not say in some things we offend all but in many things we offend all the Apostle speaking not of the singular individual acts of sin but of the divers sorts of sin nor the Apostle does not say in many things we may offend all but in many things we do offend all 1 John 1.8 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us The Apostle does not say if thou sayest thou hast no sin thou deceivest thy self as if he spake to some particular person only but if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves nor the Apostle does not say if ye say ye have no sin ye deceive your selves as if he intended weak or ordinary Christians alone but if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves we Apostles we that in all grace and in all holiness and in all spiritual enjoyments exceed and excel all others even we sin as well as others He that is so ignorant and so impudent so saucy and so silly as to say he has no sin sins in saying so and has no sincerity no integrity nor no ingenuity in him Ver. 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us As much as in us lyes we make
Sam. 13.15 And Amnon hated her exceedingly so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her and Amnon said unto her arise be gone And just thus doth the penitent soul carry it towards sin He that truly repents so turns from his sins that he never returns to the bondage and service of his sins any more Isa 1.16 Psal 85.8 Isa 30.22 Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornament of thy molten images of gold thou shalt cast them away as a menstrous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence But now the repentance of hypocrites is not constant but inconstant 't is not stedfast but unstedfast 't is not permanent but transient 't is quickly on as quickly off Come say they in that Hosea 6.1 and let us return unto the Lord. But ver 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away The hypocrites repentance is like Jonah's Gourd which came up in a night and perished in a night Jonah 4.10 An hypocrites repentance springs from mutable grounds causes considerations and circumstances and therefore it is compared to a deceitful bow Hosea 7.16 't is as variable as the wind An hypocrite is only constant in inconstancy Psal 78.8 whose spirit was not stedfast with God Ver. 37. Neither were they stedfast in his Covenant c. An hypocrite puts off his sins in the day of adversity as he doth his garments when he goes to bed with an intent to put them on again in the morning of profperity Ver. 34 35 36. When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembred that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues In the language of the blessed Scripture he is a dog that returns to his vomit again and such a dog was Judas and he is a swine that returns to the wallowing in the mire again and such a swine was Demas 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. and such dogs and swine are all hypocrites It is an extraordinary vanity in some men to lay aside their sins for a time but with a purpose to return to them again as they fable it of the Serpent that layeth aside his poyson when he goeth to drink and when he hath drank he returns to it again It is a sad and sore evil when men say to their lusts as Abraham said to his servants Abide you here and I will go and worship and return again unto you Gen. 22.5 doubtless such souls are as far off from sound repentance as light is from darkness or as hell is from heaven c. But in what respects is true penitential turning from sin Quest such a turning from sin as never to return to sin any more In what respects is the penitents turning from sin a continued and stedfast turning from sin c. Sol. This is a very sober serious weighty question Ans and bespeakes a very sober serious and satisfactory Answer and therefore I would answer the question 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively c. Negatively It is not such a turning from sin as never to sin more 1 King 8.46 For there is no man that sinneth not Prov. 20.9 Who can say I have made my heart clean I am pure from my sin Prov. 24.16 A just man falleth seven times and riseth again Eccl. 7.20 For there is not a just man upon the earth that doth good and sinneth not Luke 17.4 If he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Mat. 18.21 22. Then came Peter to him and said Lord how oft shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him till seven times Jesus saith unto him I say not unto thee until seven times but until seventy times seven James 3.2 For in many things we offend all or we stumble all as the Greek has it 1 John 1.8 If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Ver. 10. If we say we have not sinned we make him a lyar and his word is not in us And what did the continual burnt-offering which was to be made day by day import but a daily sinning and expiating of it c. Num. 28.3 Such is the universal corruption of humane nature that the souls of the best of the purest and of the holiest men in the world do from day to day yea from moment to moment contract some filth and uncleanness The choicest Saints can never acquit themselves from sins of infirmity such as do inevitably and inseparably cleave unto the best of men especially considering the state and condition wherein they are carrying still about them corrupt flesh and bloud Methodius compares the inbred corruptions of man's heart to a wild Fig-tree growing upon the wall of some goodly Temple or stately Palace whereof although the main trunk of the stem be broke off and stump of the root be plucked up yet the fibrous strings of it piercing into the joynts of the stone work will not be utterly extracted but will be ever and anon shooting and sprouting out until the whole frame of the building be dissolved and the stone work thereof be disjoynted and pulled in pieces Secondly It is not such a turning from sin as that the true penitent shall never relapse into the same kind of sin any more for a true penitent may fall into the same sin again and again It was a sin for the disciples to sleep when Christ had commanded them to watch and pray Mat. 26.40 41 42 43 44 45. and yet they slept again and again The prophet Jonah was a holy man and yet he relapsed into passion and discontent with God again and again he was discontent with the work God set him about therefore he flieth to Tarshish Jonah 1.2 3. and sorrows for it and confesseth that they that trust upon lying vanities forsake their own mercies Chap. 2.8 and yet when God had shewed mercy to Niniveh he was exceedingly discontented with God again Jonah 4.1 But it displeased Jonah exceedingly and he was very angry And when the Lord who might have sent him to his grave or a frown'd him to hell reasons lovingly sweetly and mildly with him to take him off from his passion Chap. 4.3 4. and provides for him in his extremity yet upon a very small occasion viz. the taking away of a Gourd or shrub which God did to convince him of his folly and waspishness of spirit he breaks out again into the same passion or worse as if he had never seen the evil of it or been humbled for it Jonah 4.8 9. I am greatly angry or I