otherwise the object of their joy then as it was an evidence of Gods favour It is a great piece of the Spiritual mans art to rejoice in God while he rejoiceth in the creature to make Christ the gladness of his joy as the Psalmist expresseth it now this motion of a pious Soul will appear to be natural supposing him to be first enlightned to discern and to be fully persuaded that the love of Christ to the Soul is the greatest good the rational Soul is capable of this will appear to you if you will but consider these three or four things 1. That the presence and eâ—joyment of some good of which the Soul stands in need and in the pursuit of which it is is the true and natural cause of the motion of that affection which we call joy This is evident both to sense and reason we rejoice not in evil but in good not in an absent but in a present good in the sense and manifestation and apprehension of it 2. That the loves of God and Jesus Christ are the greatest goods in the world and therefore the presence and sensible manifestations of them are the enjoyments and manifestations of the supreme good The very light of nature shewed the Heathen that the happiness of man lay in his union with the greatest good thus far they were agreed by their common reason though they could not so well agree what that chief good was nothing hindred them from agreeing this truth but their want of true knowledge of God and Christ and of the possibility of a poor creatures having an union with him or any kind of enjoyment of him or understanding the need their Souls stood of the loves of Christ for agreeing that the happiness of man lay in an union with the supreme good they wanted but the revelation we have of mans wants and the possibility of this blessed union with and fruition of God but they must have agreed this truth 3. It is but natural to the Soul to rejoice more in the obtaining of a greater good then in the obtaining of what is lesser and to rejoice most in a good most comprehensive of other particular goods though it wanteth those particular good things Who is there who doth not naturally more rejoice in the getting of five hundred pounds than of five because the five hundred pound is a greater good then five who doth not more rejoice in a great stock of mony by him then in a great quantity of Bread or a great Wardrobe of Cloaths the reason is because Mony is comprehensive of these he that hath Mony can buy Bread and Cloths 4 Lastly It is but natural to us to rejoyce in nothing which we apprehend incompetent with that good wherein our chief happiness doth lie Nor in the having of any thing which we enjoy whiles we want that which we look at most of all Rachel was a good Woman Jacob was her Husband to whom she was exceeding dear he had a plentiful estate 't is hard to say what good she wanted save Children only that blessing her heart was upon Jacob was nothing his estate nothing to her she goes to her Husband and cries Give me Children or else I die Now admit a believing Soul to be firmly persuaded that it must live for ever either in eternal happiness or in eternal misery and again to be persuaded That it can never live in eternal happiness without an union with Christ without his love manifested to it in the pardon of its sins and the imputation of his righteousness admit the Soul to be fired in the pursuit of these things as its chief good how is it possible that it should rejoice in any thing incompetent with it or that it should rejoice in any thing with an equal joy as it rejoiceth in this Hence it followeth that Christ must be the singular object of the believing Souls joy 1. Because it is impossible the Soul should rejoice in what is incompetent with the sruition and enjoyment of what it rightly judgeth its chief good Such are all sensual prohibited satisfactions 2. Because it is impossible it should rejoice in what it judgeth a lesser good more then in what it judgeth a greater and transcendent to it 3. Because it knoweth Christ and his loves are comprehensive of all other good for if he hath given us Christ saith the Apostle shall he not also with him give us all things Thus I have opened and shewed you the reason of the Proposition why the Soul rejoyceth in Christ I added and in the manifestations of his love particularly in hearing and answering its prayers I shall give you some reasons of that and then apply the whole discourse But c. Sermon XXVIII Cant. 1. 4. We will be glad and rejoice in thee I Am yet handling the Proposition at first laid down I shewed you the last day how Christ is the singular object of the Spouses joy I added then and the manifestations of his love especially in hearing and answering our prayers Indeed Christ is no otherwise the object of our joy then in the manifestations of his love All joy requireth some sensible manifestation or experience The personal excellencies of Christ make him the object of our love whom saith the Apostle having not seen yet we love Love asks for nothing but amiableness in its object no more doth desire which is the first born of love but joy requires propriety and union Christ manifested to the Soul can alone be the object of joy but I added especially in hearing and answering Prayer that was the case here the Spouse had prayed draw me and we will run after thee she presently triumpheth in the hearing of her Prayers and then addeth we will be glad and rejoice in thee I might have also added prayers put up particularly for spiritual mercies We shall all along in Scripture find this made a great matter of joy in the hearts of Gods people take the instances of Hannah and David Hannah had been 1 Sam. 1. praying unto God for a Child the Lord answered see how she rejoiceth 1 Sam. 2. 1. Hannah prayed and said My heart rejoiceth in the Lord mine Horn is exalted in the Lord my mouth is inlarged over mine Enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation Concerning David we have many instances Psal 31. 21. Blessed be the Lord for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness in a strong City v. 22. Thou heardst the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee Psal 3. 4. I cried unto the Lord with my voice and he heard me from his holy place in this he rejoiceth and triumpheth v. 6 8. Psal 6. 8. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my supplication he will receive my prayer So again Psal 18. 6. again Psal 28. 6. Blessed be the Lord because he hath heard the voice of my supplications so Psal 116. 1. But there needeth no Scripture in the
many that bend their bows for lies Papists are full of courage and mettal for an idolatrous worship wicked men are full of malice courage to accuse inform against and to destroy the People of God but who is on the Lords side Who Where is the courage of Christians for the truths the waies the Ordinances of God They dare not appear for God but seek all waies to hide and cover themselves and to withdraw themselves from the Lords battels They are not like the warlike horse God speaketh of to Job that saith amongst the Trumpets Ha Ha that mocketh at fear is not affrighted and turneth not his back from the Sword It is time for some to shew themselves valiant for God for the truths and Ordinances of God We are afraid that true Religion is almost at its last Gaspe in our times Where is the Spirit of the Lord God of Elijah The Spirit of those Antient Worthies that noble Army of Martyrs that loved not their lives unto Death but witnessed a good confession they transmitted the true Religion to us sealed with their blood the Spirits of Christians do not appear as if we were like to add many such seals to it and pass it also under our Seal to the generation which is like to succeed us Let this a little move us 2. Consider how necessary a grace it is for the times in which we live The whole Life of a Christian upon the Earth is such a warfare such a warring with Principalities and Powers and the Rulers of the Darkness of this World against spiritual wickedness in high places that he had need be called to at all times to put on the whole Armour of God that he may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil to withstand and when he hath done all to stand But the times wherein we live seem to have a particular malignity against Religion and Godliness above the times we have seen or the daies of our Forefathers The Devil is come down with a great rage we had need of courage and of patience The Casuists trouble their Readers with many Questions in order to the Solution of this one Question When a Christian is obliged to make an explicit Confession of his Faith and to declare what he is and what he will stand to and abide by They agree generally that he is bound to do it where the glory of God is eminently concerned 2. Or where the good of others is in eminent hazard There are certainly two times when the glory of God is eminently concerned in Christians appearing for him 1. When his Truths and Ordinances are like to be trodden under foot 2. When the Name and Things of God are eminently blasphemed I beseech you consider whether these be not times of great reproach and blasphemy were ever the Truths of God more opposed was ever the holy Name of God to that degree blasphemed was there ever a greater rage against Religion and Godliness Is it not now time for Christians to buckle on their Armour to quit themselves like men to arm themselves with courage to shew themselves like a company of Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots Horses that will not be afraid like Grashoppers Horses that paw in the Valley and rejoyce in their strength and go on to meet the armed men 3. Consider That Christ hath made you like the Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots I will open this in two things 1. He hath put of his strength into you The wise man saith The Horse is prepared for the day of Battel he is prepared by Nature by a great natural Spirit which God hath given him and he is prepared by Art and Managery God hath prepared every Christian for this Spiritual battel by giving him a New Nature We use to say That if the Horse knew its own strength it would be too hard for the Rider God in mercy to man hath hidden the Horses strength from him God in judgment hath hidden Christians strength from them in these sinful times The Church hath a strength in it such a strength as the Gates of Hell cannot prevail against Believers have a strength in and with them if they would but put it forth prisons torments fires in former times could not prevail against them How hath God in these sinful times hidden the wisdom of the wise and the prudence of the prudent and the strength of the strong men from them What a strength was there in Luther when Melancthon was afraid they should perish in their appearing for the Cause of God and he made answer Esto ruamus ruet Christus una Christus magnus ille regnator mundi mallem cum Christo ruere quam cum Caesare stare Be it so saith he Let us perish Christ must perish with us Christ that great Ruler of the World I had rather fall with Christ than stand with Caesar The Horse is not afraid of an Army of armed men he goeth on to meet the armed men he mocketh at fear he is not affrighted he turneth not his back from the Sword he feareth not the rattling of the Quiver nor the glittering of the Spear and the Shield he swalloweth up the ground with fierceness and rage neither believeth he that it is the sound of the Trumpet Christ hath made his People like to these Horses only the strength of the Horse is natural the Believers strength is spiritual Why are we afraid 2. The Horses in Pharaoh's Chariots had doubtless some Armour to protect them and preserve them However he that governed the Chariot took a care of them Thus also were the Horses prepared for the Battel by Art as well as by Nature Thus are Christians also prepared there is an Armour of God prepared for them which they are to put on And Christ who governeth his own Chariot his Church will take care of them Psal 46 5. God is in the midst of the Church therefore it shall not fall Isa 27. 3. I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment last any hurt it I will keep it night and day Psal 125. 2. As the Mountains are round about Hierusalem so the Lord is round about his People He will create a defence upon their glory a cloud and a smoak and a flaming fire upon her Assemblies a Tabernacle a place of Refuge a cover from the storm and from Rain Isa 4. 4 5. 4. And lastly Christ expecteth this from you Thus much methinks is signified to us by the phrase I have compared thee to a company of Horses in Pharaoh 's Chariots The Prince expects that his War-horses should serve him in the day of Battel that they should not be afraid of armed men of Drums or Trumpets c. It is the service we have to do for Christ in the use of the habits of his grace bestowed upon us and in thankfulness for all the goodness he hath shewed us in more calm and quiet times That Christian ill requiteth the Lord for
Church understands it of the Doctrine of the Law which also suiteth with Davids high commendation of the Law of God in his 19 Psal and in the 119. more largely 2. But reading it Loves possibly they may better interpret it who understand it concerning the Graces of Gods Holy Spirit When we speak of the Grace of Christ we either understand that goodness which is essentially in him as he is the fountain of all Grace full of Grace and Truth the fulness of the God-Head dwelling in him or that goodness which he communicateth to his People in the free pardon of their sins and acceptation of their Persons Or 3 dly Those fruits of his Spirit which abide and dwell in us such as faith love I find some Interpreters both ancient and modern interpreting the Text of the latter So Gregorius Mag. That love to thee and to my Brethren which thou hast wrought in my heart But Beza observeth That it is not usual to Saints to commend their own graces and therefore doubtless it is to be understood of that Grace which is and remains in Christ subjectively of which we are the Objects and to this sense agree the most sober and spiritual Interpreters making the phrase to signify that sweet pleasure which the Soul takes from the feeling of Christs love And possibly this is that Vis lactandi that suckling vertue which Delrio mentioneth which Christs puts forth refreshing the Souls of his Saints with his consolations The word is in the plural number by which the Hebrews were wont not onely to express a multitude of things but also the infinite vertues and dimensions of any thing You must not think saith Beza That in the One Essence of God there are more numerical loves No in him all things are one and he is one But his grace is manifold in respect of our feeling and apprehension and he deals out his love to us in different measures according to our different necessities or capacities The Chaldee Paraphrast with some of the Heb. Doctors understand here the Concret by the Abstract and interpret God's loves to be his beloved people of the Jewish Nation whom he preferreth before Wine viz. before any other Nations threescore and ten Nations to which purpose by their Cabalistical Art they have found out the numerical letters for 70 in the word which we translate Wine But I shall not insist upon so fond and improbable a Notion Having therefore spoken Enough for the Explication of the Subject Thy loves Let us indeavour to understand what is praedicated of this Subject 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are better then Wine good before wine saith the Heb. Text which is but the same thing in their dialect who so use ordinarily to express the Comparative degree 1. Good in the Philosophical notion of it is whatsoever is the Object of our desire the nature of it lying in a convenience and sutableness of the thing unto our natures which makes it desirable which a thing may be either upon the account of pleasure or profit or nobleness Accordingly the Heb. word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is variously translated merry Esther 1. 10. Beautiful Ruth 3. 7. Thy loves are more good i. e. more sweet pleasant profitable than Wine 2. Wine in its primary signification is the juice of the Grape whose proper Effect it is to make the heart of man merry Psal 104. 15. But this were too low a signification for it in this Text. We must therefore allow a figure The Hebrews were wont under the notion of wine to express all other delectable and pleasant things Hence Ahashuerus his feast is called A Banquet of Wine though it cannot be imagined that Wine was all the guests had for their intertainment It is an usuall Synecdoche to express all things that fall under a common genus by some Eminent Species Some of the ancient Rabbies understood by Wine here quamcunque Laetitiam whatsoever is pleasant and acceptable And in that sence Mercer and the best of modern Interpreters agree For that other interpretation which some make of it who understand by loves Gospel Doctrine and by Wine the Doctrine and dispensation of the Law though it seemeth to have some advantage by the use of Wine in the legal oblations and it be a truth That the Doctrine and dispensation of the Gospel being more sweet and perfect is better than that of the Law which brought nothing to perfection Yet I cannot think it the sense of this Text. Let us conclude then that the words are the Language Either of the Church of God preferring the injoyment of God in the Doctrines and dispensations of his word and Gospel or the words of the believing Soul preferring the influences of divine grace before the sweetest of all creatures comforts And this I take to be the most free and consistent sense and interpretation of the words The particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be conceived here to have a double use Either To give a reason of her former desire that her beloved should kiss her with the kisses of his mouth Which she professeth to be like theirs who desire wine They desire that because it is good She desires these because there is a far greater goodness in these heavenly influences than there is in the best of created comforts by which she shews that she was not carried out to these desires insano quodam affectu sed prudente consilio saith Beza by prudent advice and deliberation reason dictating to us the choice and desire of the things which are most excellent Not by an heady and misguided passion Or else to make an argument which might be advantageous to her for the obtaining of her request drawn from the Estimate of Christs love with which her Soul was possessed Lord I esteem thy favour to me above all created comforts in the world Therefore let not my Soul want it And so it suteth with that of David Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us Thou hast put gladness into my heart more than the time that their Corn and Wine increased And thus these latter words of the Text contain the Spouses first Argument by which she urgeth her petition mentioned in the former part of it She proceedeth v. 3. V. 3. Because of the Savour of thy Ointments Thy name is as ointment poured forth therefore do the Virgins love thee The Sept. translate it thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Vulg. Latine joyneth the former part of this verse to the former thus Thy breasts perfumed with the best ointments are better than Wine The difference is not much nor is it an easy labour to determine it because the points and stops which make it are of no great antiquity at least as some think the Hebrew translated for a word seemeth to be thus To the smell of thy good Ointments Thy name is as Oil or Ointment poured out
cause of any true Spiritual saving motion and so inequal vertues are as I said before ascribed to Souls of the same kind under the same circumstances and endowed with the same rational faculties Secondly They also agree That the operations of Divine Grace are no other than what may by the power of mans will be not only opposed but finally resisted so as they shall produce no effect and that drawing grace is no more then an intreating and moral suasion no such act of power as we would have it to be man comes to Christ alone he is not drawn Therein they agree with the other 3. Finally they say the converted Soul can of itself do acts of righteousness obey the Commandments of God and ordinarily needs no quickning only assisting Grace This is not to be allowed in the Latitude though there be something of truth in it there is certainly a greater power and ability to spiritual good in the converted then in the unregenerate and unconverted Soul we dare not say the Soul converted moves not acts not but as acted and is also in that state meerly passive God hath now infused a principle of life into it his Spirit dwelleth in it But we say that even the justified Soul still stands in need of a constant divine influx and that in a powerful degree and Bellarmine himself grants that as the Soul hath at all times need of Gods assisting exciting and protecting grace for Christ saith without me you can do nothing so in some hard cases and in the performance of some hard difficult duties he hath need of powerful influences of Grace So as the Jesuite himselfdurst not ascribe so much to the power of mans will though altered by grace as those bold men amongst our selves who will have man have a power not only in ordinary cases but to resist the strongest temptations It is a sign they neither ever knew what a strong temptation meant Nor what it is to resist and evercome them But this is enough to shew you the vanity of these Doctrines Secondly My discourse on this proposition will let all of us see the exceeding solly of resisting and vexing or grieving or quenching the holy Spirit of God at any time in its operations or motions you meet in Scripture with all these terms expressing the opposition which vain man maketh to the holy Spirit of God two of them resisting and vexing are applied to men wicked and unregenerate Acts 7. 51. You do always resist the Holy Ghost and thus you read of vexing the Spirit The Apostle writes to the Thessalonians not to quench the Spirit 1 Thes 5. 19. and to the Ephesians Eph. 4. 30. not to grieve it As the man that is unregenerate may resist and vex so those that are renewed may quench and grieve the Holy Spirit The Proposition which I have opened to you shewing you the necessity of our being drawn by this Holy Spirit if we ever come to Christ or being come if we hold on in our way and run after him and walk with him justifies those reproofs and exhortations of the Apostles evincing it to be the greatest folly imaginable voluntarily to do any such acts by which this blessed Spirit should be resisted vexed quenched or grieved 1. This may be done by persons whose hearts are not yet changed they sit under the ministration of the Gospel which is the ministration of the Spirit and a glorious ministration and besides the suasion of the potent arguments contained in it set on by all the art of the Ministers of Christ gifted by God for this end and authorized by God to this work there is hardly any of them but find some inward impressions of the Holy Spirit shewing them a necessity of believing and obeying the Gospel if they would ever obtain Eternal life this they cannot deny but cannot through the prevalency of their passions above their reason obtain of themselves to hearken to these admonitions and yield obedience to these impressions but after the prickings of their lusts they must go they cannot deny themselves in their pleasures or profits be they never such forbidden fruit yet on the other side possibly their consciences bear so hard upon them that they cannot quiet them without promising that they will amend their ways they will turn to God they only beg a little time and cry out with the Sluggard yet a little sleep yet a little slnmber a little folding of the hands to sleep like Trades-men that know they must not spend all their time in their Beds if they do their Families must starve yet their Eyes are heavy and they cry to those that call them It is not time to rise yet an hour or two hence is time enough So these men sitting under the sound of the Gospel will grant you that if they live and die in such courses as at present they walk in their Souls must perish to all Eternity But this they intend not only it is not time yet to awake ouâ— of sle p a year or two hence is time enough let them have some lâ—tâ—sâ—â—ction in the pleasures of youth they will repeat and believe before they die and upon this presumption they at present 〈◊〉 the holv Spirit of God from time to time and vâ—x iâ— noâ— only appearing in the Ministration of the Gospel but in its more common motions and impressions This is what I would shortly shew you the vanity of from the asserted truth of this proposition Two things I would say to these Souls That whatsoever humane action is to be done naturally requireth time and place and that the Earth is the place and this life is the time for such actions for saith Solomon Eâ—â—l 9. 10. There is no work no device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the Grave whither thou goâ—st upon which he exhorts us Whatsoever thy hand fâ—â—dâ—â—h to do do it with all thy might It is only while we are upon the Earth that we are in the way with God whom we have made our adversary and whom we are concerned quickly to agree with when we die we are delivered to the Judge the Spirit returneth to God that gave it When our Dust returns to its Dust Our comp sâ—um is then dissolved and no action can be the action of the whole man When our bodies come to be covered with Earth our bodies move and act no more In the Grave none repents believeth prayeth or praiseth or any way remembreth God Thou sayest to morrow or within a few years I will amend I will repent how knowest thou in what capacity thou shalt then be what a day or a month or a year will as to thee bring forth The present time alone is thine and but a little of that neither that which as Gerard speaks dicendo praeterit currendo praeterlabitur is gone while thou speakest of it slipt away while thou thinkest of it What talkest thou of to morrow of the next week month year who
particular is in letting us know 1. That that faith which will do the Soul any good as to Eternal Salvation must be as the Apostle stiles it Col. 2. 12. a faith of the operation of God The work of Faith with power as the Apostle speaks 2 Thessal 1. v. 11. It is call'd the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. The work of God Joh. 6. 29. This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent It is not only the Commandment of God 1 Joh. 3. 23. and the gift of God but the work the operation of God a work with power such a faith as is an effect of the Fathers drawing This if duly observed will go a great way to guide us in this inquiry it will let us seeâ— that that believing which is the mere product of natural powers is not that coming to Christ to which the promise of life and Salvation is annexed Two things men ordinarily deceive themselves with as to this business of Faith 1. Judging any kind of blind and languid assent to the proposition of the Gospel to be that believing to which the Holy Ghost in Scripture annexeth the promise of Salvation A great many know no more by believing but their agreement that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that he was made man and died for us All which and much more the Devils believe and yet tremble I do not think that an assent to the Proposition of the Gospel be the assent what it will is that Faith which justifieth It is not the Proposition of the Gospel but the Person of the Mediator that is the object of that Faith some indeed tell us that Faith is an operative assent and by that they have mended the matter but if the Person of the Mediator not the Proposition of the Word be the formal and proper object of true Faith no assent can be the justifying act of Faith for the Proposition must be the object of that There are several kinds of assent according to the light in which we see a Proposition We assent to things oft-times meerly upon report and hear-say so as the assent is a meer humane Faith Thus most Englishmen assent to this that there was such a Person as William the Conquerour A thing they can see in no other light than that of humane reports in History of all other assents this is the weakest and most invaluable and before we give it there must appear to us a probability in the thing upon this account none but those who judge themselves obliged to believe what the Church saith and that those Books were written by the order of the Church believeth or assenteth to the strange stories in the Popish Legends because their reason tells them the things are improbable yea impossible without a miraculous operation which they see no reason God should work in such a case nor will men give their assents in such cases but where they are not much concerned whether the thing be true or false so as it is equal to them to agree the thing or to deny it 2. Men assent to things upon the evidence of ratiocinations they form conclusions from principles and then assent to them Now in regard our reason is not infallible this assent likewise though more strong than the other yet is but saint and incertain and alters as we see better reason for the contrary 3. There is an assent which is given to a Proposition upon the account of a divine revelation Now this assent is stronger or weaker as the Revelation is more fully or imperfectly incertainly agreed A man by a natural power may assent to the Proposition of the Gospel as delivered to him by men he that thus assenteth doth no more assent to what the Gospel saith of Christ than to what Histories tell him of what was done by the Saxon or Norman Kings many hundred years ago Reason working upon its own principles sheweth us nothing of Christ The Scriptures are by all Christians generally lookt upon as the Word of God but no man hath any certain and firm persuasion that they are so but he who is persuaded of it by the Holy Spirit of God all arguments from tradition and reason have their incertainties and though they are useful to make it probable to others yet they do not produce a certainty of persuasion in our own Souls hence the assent to such Propositions as are only revealed in Scripture must also be faint and incertain and consequently not operative or very incertainly operative so that although it may produce something of practice whiles the fit of assent is upon the Soul yet it produceth no steady certain constant practice so as though it should be granted that a practical assent to the Proposition of the Gospel be true justifying faith to which is annexed the pardon of sin yet if by it we mean such an agreement of our minds to the truth as produceth a certain steady constant or ordinary practice and course of life conformable to the propositions of truth which we agree as this will imply trusting and relying on Christ for life and salvation so it is such as is the operation of God in the Soul and that not in a way of common providence as our abilities to speak or move are but in a way of special favour and working for mans agreeing to the holy Scriptures to be the Word of God firmly and steadily being the reason why he agrees the truth of the propositions which are revealed in it alone and that being the special work of God in Souls that shall be saved of necessity such also must be the assent to the Propositions that are revealed in it and which can be seen by the Soul in no other light So as indeed I do not think there is much in it more than a strife about words or at least a very great nicety whether true justifying Faith be a practical assent to the Propositions of the Gospel or a reliance on the Person of the Mediator or rather both for a practical assent doth necessarily infer a reliance on the Person of the Mediator Admitting that this is one Proposition of the Gospel Acts 4. 12. That there is no Salvation in any other for there is no other name given under Heaven amongst men whereby we must be saved and that the Soul in its practice of holiness hath any Eye to the recompence of reward it is impossible there should be any practical assent to use the term of some that is any assent to the Proposition that shall produce any truth or constancy of practice without a reliance upon and trusting to the Person of the Mediator and this must be the special work and powerful operation of God in and upon the Soul But now if men make any kind of languid weak and incertain assent to the Gospel Faith and think that they have true Faith
because they agree the truth of the Propositions of Scripture they may miserably deceive their own Souls a Man by a mere natural power may as well agree that there was such a one as Jesus of Nazareth once in the world who went about doing good exhorting men to a good life and was Crucified c. as that there was in England a William the Conqueror or any thing else that is to be found in other Books of tolerable credit and reputation in the World Or if men think that they do truly believe because they agree many propositions of the Gospel which are evident in the light of Reason they again deceive themselves here may be nothing of the operation of God in this faith Nay if they agree the Propositions of the Gospel because they are revealed there and in the mean time do not agree the Scriptures to be the Word of God but look upon them in the same rank with human writings or only by an human saith agree them to be the Word of God because the Church hath so deliver'd and transmitted them here is all this while no thing of the special operation of God Nor will this agreement produce any steadiness and firmness of practice commensurate to the Revelation but only commensurate to the nature of the Assent which being not fixed constant nor it may be not universal but to some part only of the revelation must necessarily bring forth no more than a saint partial and incertain practice Hence it is that Hypocrites may do many things contained in the law and at one time be more warm than at other times But if thy Assent be the special operation thou assentest to the whole revelation because God hath fixed in thy Soul a persuasion that it is from him who cannot lie it is also steady and fixed and tho some doubts may possibly incumber thee sometimes yet they hold not long and thou firmly and generally with allowance for the frailty and infirmity of human nature endeavourest to live up to the whole of that duty which the revelation imposeth upon thee which thou canst not do without relying on Christ and him alone for Salvation and having a respect to all the Commandments of God And indeed herein that agreement or assent which is the special work of God in the Soul differs from that which is but a meer natural action 1. In that it is more fixed certain and universal and this must be so for our assent is according to our light we must first see before we agree the truth of a proposition now the light of the holy Spirit is without doubt the clearest and brightest light Our natural reason gives us but a dim light as to matters of Faith 2. In that it layeth a stronger obligation to practice Reason will tell us that the more firmly we believe the truth of Propositions holding forth rewards and punishments relating to our practice the stronger we shall find our obligation to practice in order to the obtaining such rewards or avoiding such punishments 3. In that it layeth an obligation to a more universal practice The obligation to practice riseth no higher than the assent so as if there be any duty to which we do not agree our assent obligeth to no practice of that Now the holy Spirit persuades us of the truth of the whole revelation and that in the fullest and truest sense Hence it is that the true believer is more warm and universal in his obedience than it is possible another should be because his assent unto the truth is from a quite differing light and a quite differing work of God the assent of the former proceeding but from a common work of God in nature the latter from a work of special grace by the Spirit of God upon the Soul I will not much contend with those who will have true Faith to be a practical Assent to the Proposition of the Gospel if they by Assent mean a firm and steady Assent and by practical such an Assent as obligeth strongly to an universal practice of whatsoever is revealed as our Duty 1. Because I know a reliance upon Christ for eternal Salvation must be the effect of such an Assent 2. Because I know there can be no reliance on Christ without such a praevious Assent to the Proposition of the Gospel 3. Because I know there can be no such thing without the mighty Power of God upon the Soul So that in this sense the Soul must be drawn by the Father before it come to Christ Only let none deceive themselves as to this point of true Believing by fancying such an Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel true Faith wherein God hath no further concern than as he influenceth acts of Humane Nature flowing from that order of operations which he hath set in all rational Souls True Faith must be more than this 2. As to Faith men are also prone to cheat themselves by calling their Natural presumption Faith we say Faith lies in a resting and reliance on Christ Now many will tell us they rest and rely on Christ and yet it is no difficulty to evince they do but presume and not believe Resting and relying on Christ for Salvation must be the Father's drawing Natural presumptions are meerly from our selves Every man is willing to hope well for and to prophesie good unto himself Hence living under the publication of the Gospel and having heard of an eternal Life and Salvation and this to be had through Christ and by resting on him many naturally cry they rest on Christ and trust in him and him alone And our Saviour lets us know that men may die with such confidences Matth. 7. 22 23. Now there is a resting and reliance on Christ which is the Operation of God yea and the mighty work of God upon the Soul and this many a poor Soul finds that lives months and years under the Spirit of bondage before it can rest on Christ and quietly commit it self unto him and there is a resting which is no more than a natural hope or confidence arising either from the Souls natural desire of good to it self or from its ignorance of the true grounds of a true resting and reliance And indeed by this may these two be distinguished and known asunder That resting and reliance upon Christ for any spiritual and eternal blessing which is the Operation of God is alwaâ—es bottomed on a Promise and testified by a life suitable to the condition upon which that Promise is made These two things are alwaies in it 1. I say first it is founded upon a Promise for all Grace and Eternal Life being the gift of God it is as vain a thing for any to be confident they shall have it without God's revelation of his Will as to it with reference to them as it is for any man to pretend a confidence and trust in another for the making him rich with a great part of his Estate
was in my blood live he hath fixed his Love upon me who was by birth an Ethiopian he hath hung a Chain about my neck I am black but I am comely I have met with a story of a Minister who going to visit and pray with a poor creatureâ— possessed by the Devil the Devil thought to have stopt his mouth by objecting to him some sins committed by him in his youth The holy man answered confessing the charge but Satan saith he upon my repentance Christ hath since that washed me with his blood Another story I have met with of a worthy Person who lying upon his sick bed and being alone one opens the door and comes in in the habit of a Scrivener with a Pen and Inkhorn and Paper andsetting himself down at the table in the Chapter called the sick man by name and told him he was sent from God to take account of him of all the sins he had done for which he must presently go and answer to God before his Judgment seat The good man rightly apprehending that it was the Devil had assumed an habit to tempt and distrub him bid him go on and write first Gen. 3. 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed it shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel Upon which the evil Spirit presently disappeared Speaking only from my memory I may forget some circumstances but this is the substance of the story What the Devil in these cases did by a more audible voice he doth yet every day by impressions made more secretly upon the Spirits of some or other that fear God For tho conscience will of it self often bring sin to remembrance and reflect sins upon the Soul committed long before yet they are some times reflected with such violence and degrees of terror and attended with such strong motions and sollicitations to despair of Divine mercy and to self murder that it is but reasonable to judge there is more in them then the ordinary workings of conscience In such a dark hour as this it will be a great relief to a Soul to think that the Spouse of Christ is black but comely Doth the Devil then object thy blackness whether by reason of past or present sins in bar to thy trust and confidence in God for the forgiveness of them through the blood of Christ Reply to him Satan I have been black I confess it I am black but I am comely also having my Garments washed and rouled in the blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World I am as the Tents of Kedar they are black but I am also as the Curtains of Solomon they are exceeding beautiful 3. It also relieveth a Christian under Persecutions and afflictions and against the Worlds upbraidings because of them The Barbarians concluded Paul a Murtherer because they saw a Viper cleaving to his hand and the men of the World are very prone to judge and condemn the People of God for what happeneth to them in this life they see the blackness of Gods Peoples visages under affliction and persecution but the love of God in chastening them that they might not be condemned with the World the exercises of their faith and trial of it and its appearing more precious then that of Gold their patience its perfect worâ— hâ—se are things in which their comeliness appeareth in and under afflictions these are things which they do not see Gods People are also ready to conclude against themselves because of their tryals but there is no just reason for it afflictions are but a blackness of the skin the Child of God may notwithstanding them be within exceeding beautiful and comely The tents of Kedar though they had black and unlovely coverings and outsides yet within might be fill'd with Spices and Riches I shall shut up this discourse with some few words of exhortation to that duty which this notion of truth calls to us for 1. It calleth to all the People of God for humility a mean and low opinion of themselves beauty is often a great temptation to Pride whether it be natural or artificial The Daughters of Sion were haughty and walked with stretched forth Necks and wanton Eyes Isaiah 3. 16. Spiritual beauty gives no advantage to a Soul to think of it self above what it ought to think In all reason we should have been some cause to our selves of that whereof we glory we should have some propriety in it and there should be in it some perfection The comeliness of Gods People is neither natural nor any acquest of their own There are three things which may keep the most comely of Gods Children humble First The consideration of their former blackness Let but any of them look back to the rock out of which they are hewen and to the hole of the Pit out of which they were digged and they will see no reason to be exalted above measure their Father was a Syrian their birth was of the land of Canaan their Father was an Amorite their Mother an Hittite and in the day wherein they were born they were cast out to the loathing of their persons not salted not swadled at all Nor was this all there is none of them but had their conversation in times past according to the Prince of the power of the Air fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Children of Wrath by nature c There is none of them but hath reason to pray that the Lord would not remember the sins of their youth against them and to beg of God that for them he would not write against them bitter things nor make them to possess their years of vanity None of them but before Christs comeliness was put upon them had been guilty of sin enough to make them to walk softly all the days of their lives Secondly The consideration of their present blackness is enough though they are comely yet they are black still they have a body of death a law of their members the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit sins that easily beset them weights that often press them down the beauty of the best of Gods People is but like the beauty of the Moon which is full of spots hath a dark part and often suffers great Eclipses and all whose light is borrowed He observeth not his own heart that doth not see enough in the imperfect and extravagant motions of it to keep him humble Thirdly The third is the consideration from whence he deriveth his beauty If men and women would but debate a little with their own reason they would see no reason to be proud of a comeliness arising from any external Ornament it is something beneath a Reasonable Being to be beholden to a Stone Jewels are no more or a little Earth such are Gold and Silver a Plant or a Fly or a Silkworm or a Sheep a little Wool or Flax for
absurd and false are supposed in order to the forming of a true conclusion But in the Text it is certain that it doth Our Lord in saying If thou knowest not Supposeth that the Spouse might not know and therefore he directeth her in the latter part of the Text. It is certain that the term know in Scripture doth not alwaies signify the comprehending the thing spoken of in our understanding it sometimes signifieth to approve sometimes to attend to what we know sometimes to Experience I take here the first and most natural signification of the term to be the Sense If If thou knowest not that is if thou beest ignorant If thou beest at a loss At a loss for what I told you that to perfect the Sense we must supply something from the foregoing verse from the matter of the Spouses Petition She had desired him to tell her where he fed his flock where he made them to rest at noon Where she might have the best freest and least interrupted fellowship and communion with him especially in a time of great distress and affliction To this he answereth O thou fairest amongst Women If thou knowest not that is if thou knowest not where I feed my flocks nor where I make them to rest at noon Go thy way c. The words might lead me to a more general discourse of the imperfection of a believers state in this life Or to a more particular discourse concerning those grains of ignorance which may be allowed a gracious Soul But as the first is too general so the latter is too hard a task until the world be better agreed then it yet is about the number of fundamental truths necessary to be known and believed in order to Eternal life and Salvation Besides I think my Text considered as an answer to the preceding petition guides me to another thing The Spouses request was to be instructed how she might enjoy a full and free communion with her Lord especially in a time of trial and distress with reference to this petition her Lord answereth her If thou knowest not Supposing she might as to this at some times be ignorant and at a loss The Proposition is plain Prop. That even the best of Gods People the fairest amongst Women may sometimes be at a great loss where and how to maintain their desired communion with Christ I shall open the Proposition in three conclusions Then confirm and apply it 1. The Souls communion with Christ lyes in their reciprocal communications of themselves each to other All communion is made up of a mutual communication of two or more Persons I have discoursed the nature of communion largely in some of my former discourses and therefore shall say little of it now Onely I say all communion lyes in a mutual and reciprocal communication Thus two friends have communion each with other by frequent meetings together mutual discourses and communications of the Secrets of each others hearts one to another The Subjects in this communion are Souls clothed with bodies and their communion is bodily But now the Soul considered with Christ as its correlate in this communion are Spirits and their communion is more Spiritual The Soul performeth its part in it by the secret exercise of the powers God hath given it upon Christ as the object By Spiritual Meditations the exercise of faith love hope desire joy and delight c. By giving up its will to his will assenting to what he dictateth in his word consenting to what he there commandeth c. Christ communicates himself to the Soul by the secret influences of his Spirit opening and inlightening the understanding bowing and inclining the will influencing the affections convincing strengthening quickening comforting the Soul Indeed there is a more external communion with God but separated from this it signifieth nothing to the Souls advantage so we are said to have communion with God in reading and hearing his word praying receiving the Sacraments the Soul hath in these no further fellowship communion with God then it in them exerciseth these more inward powers in more external acts by the advantage of the bodily members so far as it poureth out itself to God in prayer by the words of the lips or opens its heart to God in hearing the word receiveth it with faith and love and meekness c. So far and no further hath the Soul in these duties any communion with God Nor doth God communicate himself to the Soul that is not made to believe and obey what it heareth further then to let it know his will with the advantage of such arguments as his Ministers are inabled to use by vertue of those gifts which he hath given them to fit them for their ministration 2. There can be no union between Christ and that Soul with whom Christ hath not a constant communion communion is the Daughter of union according to the nature of the union Wherever communion wholly ceaseth the union is dissolved Indeed where the communion is voluntary not from a natural cause there may be great differences in the degrees of it but wholly interrupted it cannot be hence God and Christ have a constant communion with the believing Soul this is by the Spirit of God given to them and dwelling and working in them and the seed of God abiding in them Our union with Christ is preserved by the same means by which it was at first made which was by Gods first communication of his power and goodness to the Soul and the Souls communication of itself by faith to him Thus the Vnion was first made between God and the Soul thus it is and must be maintained and upheld The reason why we say the Soul once in a state of grace cannot fall from it either finally or totally is not from the ability and certainty of their own wills however renewed and sanctified but from the more constant and certain influences of the Spirit of Grace which is given to the Soul dwelleth in it and worketh in it Christ hath not only promised to come to them that love him and keep his Commandments but to make his abode with him hence the union between Christ the Soul is not only compared to the moral union between the Husband and Wife Eph. 5. 30. but to the natural union between the Vine and the Branches John 15. 1. betwixt which while they remain united there is a constant communication and in very deed did not the Soul of a believer daily receive divine influences and communications it must wither and die as naturally as the Branch doth when the union is broken betwixt it and the Vine and this our Saviour teacheth us John 15. 4. As the Branch cannot bring forth fruit unless it abideth in the Vine so no more can you except you abide in me 3. Although the Souls communion with Christ can never be wholly interrupted and broken yet it may be more of less and sometimes indiscerned by the Soul I