15.9 or as Peter speaks we purifie our Souls in obeying the Truth through the Spirit 1 Pet. 1.22 And without it it will not be done What hath been spoken I suppose is sufficient to make good my first general Rule Be sure to get an Interest in Christ if you intend to mortifie any sin without it it will never be done Ob. You will say What then would you have unregenerate men that are convinced of the Evil of sin do Shall they cease striving against sin live dissolutely give their Lusts their swinge and be as bad as the worst of men This were a way to set the whole world into Confusion to bring all things into darkness to set open the flood-gates of lust and lay the Reins upon the Necks of men to rush into all sin with delight and greediness like the horse into the battle Ans. 1. God forbid It is to be looked on as a great issue of the Wisdom Goodness and Love of God that by manifold wayes and means he is pleased to restrain the Sons of men from running forth into that compass of excess and riot which the depravedness of their Nature would carry them out unto with violence By what way soever this is done it is an issue of the care kindness and Goodness of God without which the whole Earth would be an Hell of Sin and Confusion 2. There is a peculiar convincing Power in the Word which God is often-times pleased to put forth to the wounding amazing and in some sort humbling of Sinners though they are never converted And the Word is to be preached though it hath this End yet not with this End Let then the Word be preached and the sins of men rebuked Lust will be restrained and some Oppositions will be made against Sin though that be not the Effect aymed at 3. Though this be the work of the Word and Spirit and it be good in it self yet it is not profitable nor available as to the main End in them in whom it is wrought they are still in the gall of Bitterness and under the power of darkness 4. Let men know it is their Duty but in its proper place I take not men from Mortification but put them upon Conversion He that shall call a man from mending a Hole in the Wall of his House to quench a Fire that is consuming the whole Building is not his Enemy Poor Soul it is not thy Sore-finger but thy Hectick-Feaver that thou art to apply thy self to the Consideration of Thou settest thy self against a particular Sin and doest not consider that thou art nothing but Sin Let me adde this to them who are Preachers of the Word or intend through the good hand of God that Employment It is their Duty to plead with men about their Sins to lay load on particular sins but alwayes remember that it be done with that which is the proper End of Law and Gospel That is that they make use of the Sin they speak against to the discovery of the State and Condition wherein the Sinner is Otherwise happily they may work men to Formality and Hypocrisie but little of the true End of Preaching the Gospel will be brought about It will not avail to beat a man off from his Drunkenness into a sober Formality A skilfull Master of the Assemblies layes his Axe at the Root drives still at the heart To inveigh against particular sins of ignorant unregenerate persons such as the Land is full of is a good Work But yet though it may be done with great efficacy vigour and success if this be all the effect of it that they are set upon the most sedulous Endeavours of mortifying their sins preached down all that is done is but like the beating of an Enemy in an open field and driving him into an impregnable Castle not to be prevailed against Get you at any time a sinner at the advantage on the account of any one sin whatever have you any thing to takâ— hold of him by bring it to his State and Condition drive it up to the head and there deal with him to break men off from particular sins and not to break their Hearts is to deprive our selves of Advantages of dealing with them And herein is the Roman Mortification grievously peccant they drive all sorts of persons to it without the least Consideration whether they have a principle for it or no. Yea they are so far from calling on men to believe that they may be able to mortifie their Lusts that they call men to Mortification instead of Believing The truth is they neither know what it is to believe nor what Mortification it self intends Faith with them is but a general assent to the Doctrine taught in their Church And Mortification the betaking of a man by a Vow to some certain Course of Life wherein he dâ—â—yes himself something of the use of the things of this World not without a considerable Compensation Such men know neither the Scriptures nor the Power of God Their boasting of their Mortification is but their Glorying in their shame Some Casuists among our selves who over-looking the Necessity of Regeneration do avowedly give this for a Direction to all sorts of persons that complain of any Sin or Lust that they should vow against it at least for a season a Moneth or so seem to have a scantling of Light in the Mystery of the Gospel much like that of Nicodemus when he came first to Christ. They bid men vow to abstain from their sin for a season This commonly makes their lust more impetuous Perhaps with great perplexity they keep their word Perhaps not which increases their Guilt and Torment Is their sin at all mortified hereby Do they find a conquest over it Is their Condition changed though they attain a Relinquishment of it Are they not still in the Gall of bitterness Is not this to put men to make Brick if not without straw which is worse without strength What Promise hath any unregenerate man to countenance him in this work What assistance for the performance of it Can sin be killed without an interest in the Death of Christ or Mortified without the Spirit If such Directions should prevail to change mens Lives as seldom they doe yet they never reach to the change of their hearts or Conditions They may make men self-justitiaries or Hypocrites not Christians It grieves me oft-times to see poor Souls that have a Zeal for God and a desire of eternal Welfare kept by such Directors and Directions under an hard burdensome outside Worship and Service of God with many specious Endeavours for Mortification in an utter Ignorance of the Righteousness of Christ and unacquaintedness with his Spirit all their dayes Persons and things of this kind I know too many If ever God shine into their hearts to give them the knowledge of his Glory in the face of his Son Jesus Christ they will see the folly of their present way CHAP.
into a perfect contrary Condition to that which the Apostle affirms was his 2 Cor. 4.16 Though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day In these the Inward man perisheth and the Outward man is renewed day by day Sin is as the house of David and Grace as the house of Saul Exercise and success are the two main cherishers of Grace in the heart When it is suffered to lye still it withers and decayes the things of it are ready to dye Rev. 3.2 and Sin gets ground towards the hardening of the heart Heb. 3.13 This is that which I intend by the Omission of this duty Grace withers Lust flourisheth and the Frame of the Heart growes worse and worse and the Lord knows what desperate and fearful issues it hath had with many Where Sin through the Neglect of Mortification gets a considerable Victory it breaks the bones of the Soul Psal. 31.10 Psal. 51.8 and makes a man weak sick and ready to dye Psal. 38.3 4 5. that he cannot look up Psal. 40.12 Isa. 33.24 and when poor Creatures will take blow after blow wound after wound foil after foil and never rouse up themselves to a vigorous Opposition can they expect any thing but to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin and that their Souls should bleed to death 2 Joh. 8 Indeed it is a sad thing to consider the fearfull issues of this Neglect which lye under our eyes every day See we not those whom we knew humble melting broken-hearted Christians tender and fearfull to offend zealous for God and all his wayes his Sabbaths and Ordinances grown through a neglect of watching unto this Duty earthly carnal cold wrathfull complying with the men of the world and things of the World to the Scandal of Religion and the fearfull Temptation of them that know them The truth is what between placing mortification in a rigid stubborn Frame of Spirit which is for the most part earthly legal censorious partial consistent with Wrath Envy Malice Pride on the one hand and pretences of Liberty Grace and I know not what on the other true Evangelical Mortification is almost lost amongst us of which afterwards 6. It is our Duty to be Perfecting Holiness in the fear of the Lord 2 Cor. 7.1 To be growing in Grace every day 1 Pet. 2.2 2 Pet. 3.18 To be renewing our inward man day by day 2 Cor. 4.16 Now this cannot be done without the daily Mortifying of sin Sin sets its strength against every Act of Holiness and against every degree we grow to Let not that man think he makes any Progress in Holiness who walks not over the bellies of his Lusts He who doth not kill Sin in his way takes no steps towards his Journeyes End He who finds not opposition from it and who sets not himself in every particular to its Mortification is at peace with it not dying to it This then is the first General Principle of our ensuing Discourse Notwithâ—tanding the meritorious Mortification if I may so speak of all and every Sin in the Cross of Christ notwithstanding the real Foundation of universal Mortification laid in our first Conversion by Conviction of Sin humiliation for sin and the Implantation of a new Principle opposite to it and destructive of it yet Sin doth so remain so act and work in the best of Believers whilest they live in this world that the constant daily Mortification of it is all their dayes incumbent on them Before I proceed to the Consideration of the next Principle I cannot but by the way complain of many Professors of these days who instead of bringing forth such great and evident Fruits of Mortification as are expected scarce bear any Leaves of it There is indeed a broad Light fallen upon the men of this Generation and together therewith many spiritual Gifts communicated which with some other Considerations have wonderfully enlarged the bounds of Professors and Profession both they and it are exceedingly multiplyed and increased Hence there is a noise of Religion and Religious Duties in every corner preaching in abundance and that not in an empty light trivial and vain manner as formerly but to a good proportion of a spiritual Gift so that if you will measure the number of Believers by Light Gâ—fts and profession the Church may have cause to say Who hath born me all these But now if you will take the measure of them by this great discriminating Grace of Christians perhaps you will find their number not so multiplyed Where almost is that Professor who owes his Conversion to these dayes of Light and so talks and professes at such a rate of Spirituality as few in former dayes were in any measure acquainted with I will not judge them but perhaps boasting what the Lord hath done in them that doth not give evidence of a miserably unmortified heart if vain spending of Time idleness unprofitableness in mens places envy strife variance emulations wrath pride worldliness selfishness 1 Cor. 1. be Badges of Christians we have them on us and amongst us in abundance And if it be so with them who have much Light and which we hope is saving what shall we say of some who would be accounted religious and yet despise Gospel Light and for the Duty we have in hand know no more of it but what consists in mens Denying themselves sometimes times in outward Enjoyments which is one of the outmost Branches of it which yet they will seldom practise The good Lord send out a spirit of Mortification to cure our Distempers or we are in a sad Condition There are two Evils which certainly attend every unmortified Professor The first in himself the other in respect of others 1. In himself let him pretend what he will he hath slight thoughts of Sin at least of sins of daily infirmity The Root of an unmortified Course is the digestion of Sin without bitterness in the heart When a man hath confirmed his Imagination to such an Apprehension of Grace and Mercy as to be able without bitterness to swallow and digest daily sins that man is at the very brink of turning the Grace of God into lasciviousness and being hardened by the deceitfulness of Sin Neither is there a greater Evidence of a false and rotten heart in the world than to drive such a Trade To use the blood of Christ which is given to cleanse us 1 Joh. 1.7 Tit. 2.14 The exaltation of Christ which is to give us Repentance Act. 5.31 the Doctrine of Grace which teaches us to deny all ungodliness Tit. 2.11 12. to countenance Sin is a Rebellion that in the issue will break the bones At this door have gone out from us most of the professors that have Apostatized in the dayes wherein we live for a while they were most of them under Convictions these kept them unto Duties and brought them to Profession So they escaped the pollutions that are in the world through the knowledge of our Lord
for his Confidence Particular Directions belonging to this Head are many not now to bâ— insisted on But because this Head is of no less importance than the whole Doctrine here handled I have aâ— large in another Treatise about entering into Temptations treated of it Seventhly Rise mightily against the first Actings of thy Distemper its first Conceptions suffer it not to get the least Ground Do not say thus far it shall go and no farther If it have allowance for one step it will take another It is impossible to fix Bounds to Sin It is like water in a Channel if it once break out it will have its course It s not acting is easier to be compassed than its Bounding Therefore doth James give that Gradation and Process of Lust Chap. 1.14 15. that we may stop at the Entrance Dost thou find thy corruption to begin to entangle thy Thoughts rise up with all thy strength against it with no less Indignation than if it had fully accomplished what it aims at Consider what an unclean Thought would have it would have thee roll thy self in Folly and Filth Ask Envy what it would have Murder and Destruction is at the end of it Set thy self against it with no less vigour than if it had utterly debased thee to wickedness Without this Course thou wilt not prevail As Sin gets ground in the Affections to delight in it it gets also upon the Understanding to slight it CHAP. XII The Eighth Direction Thoughtfulness of the Excellency of the Majesty of God Our Vnacquaintedness with him proposed and considered EIghthly Use and exercise thy self to such Meditations as may serve to fill thee at all times with self-abasement and Thoughts of thine own vileness As 1. Be much in Thoughtfulness of the Excellency of the Majesty of God and thine infinite inconceivable distance from him many thoughts of it cannot but fill thee with a sense of thine own Vileness which strikes deep at the root of any indwelling Sin When Job comes to a clear discovery of the Greatness and Excellency of God he is filled with self-abhorrency and is pressed to Humiliation Job 42.5 6. And in what state doth the Prophet Habakkuk affirm himself to be cast upon the apprehension of the Majesty of God Chap. 3.16 With God sayes Job is terrible Majesty Job 37.22 Hence were the thoughts of them of Old that when they had seen God they should dye The Scripture abounds in this self-abasing Consideration comparing the men of the Earth to Grashoppers to Vanity the dust of the ballance in respect of God Isa. 40.13 14 15. Be much in thoughts of this nature to abase the pride of thy Heart and to keep thy Soul humble within thee There is nothing will render thee in a greater indisposition to be imposed on by the deceits of sin than such a frame of Heart Think greatly of the Greatness of God 2. Think much of thine unacquaintedness with him Though thou knowest enough to keep thee low and humble yet how little a portion is it that thou knowest of him The Contemplation hereof cast that wise man into that Apprehension of himself which he expresses Prov. 30.2 3 4. Surely I am more brutish than any man and have not the understanding of a man I neither learned Wisdom nor have the knowledge of the Holy Who hath ascended up into Heaven or descended Who hath gathered the Wind in his fists Who hath bound the Waters in a Garment Who hath established the Ends of the Earth What is his Name and what is his Sons Name if thou canst tell Labour with this also to take down the pride of thy Heart What doâ—t thou know of God How little a portion is it How immense is he in his Nature Câ—nst thou look without terrour into the Abyss of Eternity Thou canst not bear the rayes of his glorious Being Because I look on this Consideration of great use in our walking with God so far as it may have as it may have a Consistency with that filial Boldness which is given us in Jesus Christ to draw nigh to the Throne of Grace I shall farther insist upon it to give an abiding Impression of it to the Souls of them who desire to walk humbly with God Consider then I say to keep thy heart in continual awe of the Majesty of God That Persons of the most high and eminent Attainments of the nearest and most familiar Communion with God do yet in this life know but a very little of him and his Glory God reveals his Name to Moses the most glorious Attributes that he hath manifested in the Covenant of Grace Exod. 34.5 6. yet all are but the back-parts of God All that he knowes by it is but little low compared to the perfection of his Glory Hence it is with peculiar reference to Moses that it is said No man hath seen God at any time Joh. 1.18 Of him in comparison with Christ doth he speak vers 17. and of him it is here said No man no not Moses the most eminent among them hath seen God at any time We speak much of God can talk of Him his Wayes his Works his Counsels all the day long The truth is we know very little of him our Thoughts our Meditations our Expressions of him are low many of them unworthy of his Glory none of them reaching his Perfections You will say that Moses was under the Law when God wrapped up himself in darkness and his Mind in Types and Clouds and dark Institutions Under the glorious shining of the Gospel which hath brought Life and Immortality to light God being revealed from his own bosome we now know him much more clearly and as he is We see his face now and not his back-parts onely as Moses did Ans. 1. I acknowledge a vast and almost unconceivable difference between the Acquaintance we now have with God after his speaking to us by his own Son and that which the generality of the Saints had under the Law For although their eyes were as good sharp and clear as ours their Faith and spiritual understanding not behind ours the Object as glorious unto them as unto us yet our day is more clear than theirs was the Clouds are blown away and scattered the shadowes of the Night are gone and fled away the Sun is risen and the Means of sight is made more eminent and clear than formerly Yet 2. That peculiar sight which Moses had of God Exod. 34. was a Gospel-sight a sight of God as Gracious c. and yet it 's called but his back-parts that is but low and mean in comparison of his Excellencies and Perfections 3. The Apostle exalting to the utmost this Glory of Gospel Light above that of the Law manifesting that now the veil causing Darkness is taken away so that with open or uncovered face we behold the Glory of the Lord Tells us how As in a glass 2 Cor. 3.18 In a glass How is that Clearly
perfectly Alas no He tells you how that is 1 Cor. 13.12 We see through a glass darkly saith he It is not a Telescope that helps us to see things afar off concerning which the Apostle speaks and yet what poor helps are they How short do we come of the Truth of things notwithstanding their Assistance It is a Looking-glass whereunto he alludes where are only obscure species and images of things and not the things themselves and a sight therein that he compares our Knowledge to He tells you also that all that we do see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by or through this Glass is in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a Riddle in darkness and Obscurity And speaking of himself who surely was much more clear sighted than any now living he tells us that he saw but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in part he saw but the back-parts of heavenly things v. 12. and compares all the knowledge he had attained of God to that he had of things when he was a child vers 11. it is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 short of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea such as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it shall be destroyed or done away We know what weak feeble uncertain Notions and Apprehensions Children have of things of any abstruâ—â— Consideration how when they grow up with any Improvements of Parts and Abilities those Conceptions vanish and they are ashamed of them It is the commendation of a Child to love honour believe and obey his Father but for his Science and Notions his Father knowes their childishness and Folly Notwithstanding all our Confidence of high Attainments all our Notions of God are but childish in respect of 〈◊〉 infinite Perfections We lisp and babble 〈◊〉 say we know not what for the most part in our most accurate as we think Conceptions and Notions of God We may love honour believe and obey our Father and therewith he accepts our Childish thoughts for they are but Childish We see but his back-parts we know but little of him Hence is that Promise wherewith we are so often supported and comforted in our Distress we shall see him as he is we shall see him face to face know as we are known comprehend that for which we are comprehended 1 Cor. 15.12 1 Joh. 3.2 and positively Now we see him not All concluding that here we see but his back-parts not as he is but in a dark obscure representation not in the perfection of his Glory The Queen of Sheba had heard much of Solomon and framed many great thoughts of his Magnificence in â—er Mind thereupon but when she came and saw his Glory she was forced to confess that the one half of the truth had not been told her We may suppose that we have here attained great knowledge clear and high thoughts of God but alas when he shall bring us into his presence we shall cry out we never knew him as he is The thousandth part of his Glory and Perfection and Blessedness never entred into our hearts â—â—Te Apostle tells us 1 Joh. 3.2 That we know not what we our selves shall be what we shall find our selves in the Issue much less will it enter into our Hearts to conceive what God is and what we shall find him to be Consider either him who is to be known or the Way whereby we know him and this will farther appear First We know so little of God because it is God who is thus to be known that is he who hath described himself to us very much by this That we cannot know him What else doth he intend where he calls himself invisible incomprehensible and the like That is He whom we doe not cannot know as he is and our farther progress consists more in knowing what he is not than what he is Thus is he described to be immortal infinite that is he is not as we are mortal finite and limited Hence is that glorious description of him 1 Tim. 6.16 Who only hath Immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see His light is such as no Creature can approach unto He is not seen not because he cannot be seen but because we cannot bear the sight of him The Light of God in whom is no Darkness forbids all access to him by any Creature whatever We who cannot behold the Sun in its glory are too too weak to bear the beams of Infinite Brightness On this Consideration as was said the wise man professeth himself a very Beast and not to have the understanding of a Man Prov. 30.2 that is he knew nothing in comparison of God so that he seemed to have lost all his Understanding when once he came to the Consideration of him his work and his wayes In this Consideration let our Souls descend to some particulars 1. For the Being of God we are so far from a knowledge of it so as to be able to instruct one another therein by words and expressions of it as that to frame any conceptions in our Mind with such species and impressions of things as we receive the knowledge of all other things by is to make an Idol to our selves and so to worship a God of our own making and not the God that made us We may as well and as lawfully hew him out of wood or stone as form him a being in our Minds suited to our Apprehensions The utmost of the best of our thoughts of the being of God is that we can have no thoughts of it Our knowledge of a being is but low when it mounts no higher but only to know that we know it not 2. There be some things of God which he himself hath taught us to speak of and to regulate our Expressions of them but when we have so done we see not the things themselves we know them not To believe and admire is all that we attain to We profess as we are taught that God is infinite omnipotent eternal and we know what Disputes and Notions there are about Omnipresence Immensity Infiniteness and Eternity We have I say words and notions about these things but as to the things themselves what do we know What do we comprehend of them Can the Mind of Man do any more but swallow it self up in an infinite Abyss which is as nothing give it self up to what it cannot conceive much less express Is not our understanding brutish in the Contemplation of such things and is as if it were not yea the perfection of our understanding is not to understand and to rest there They are but the back parts of Eternity and Infiniteness that we have a glimpse of What shall I say of the Trinity or the Subsistence of distinct Persons in the same individual Essence a Mystery by many denyed because by none understood a Mystery whose every letter is mysterious Who can declare the Generation of the Son the procession of the Spirit or the difference of the one
from the other but I shall not farther instance in particulars That infinite and inconceivable distance that is between Him and us keeps us in the dark as to any sight of his face or clear Apprehension of his Perfections We know him rather by what he does than by what he is by his doing us good than by his essential Goodness and how little a portion of him as Job speaks is hereby discovered Secondly We know little of God because it is Faith alone whereby here we know him I shall not now discourse about the remaining Impressions on the Hearts of all men by Nature that there is a God nor what they may Rationally be taught concerning that God from the works of his Creation and Providence which they see and behold it is confessedly and that upon the wofull experience of all Ages so weak low dark confused that none ever on that account glorified God as they ought but notwithstanding all their knowledge of God were indeed without God in the world The chief and upon the matter almost only acquaintance we have with God and his Dispensations of himself is by Faith He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of them that seek him Heb. 11.6 Our Knowledge of him and his Rewarding the bottom of our Obedience or comeing to him is believing We walk by Faith and not by Sight 2 Cor. 5.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Faith and so by Faith as not to have any express Idea Image or species of that which we believe Faith is all the Argument we have of things not seen Heb. 11.1 I might here insist upon the Nature of it and from all its Concomitants and Concernments manifest that we know but the back-parts of what we know by Faith onely As to its Rise it is built purely upon the Testimony of him whom we have not seen as the Apostle speaks How can ye love him whom you have not seen That is whom you know not but by Faith that he is Faith receives all upon his Testimony whom it receives to be onely upon his own Testimony As to its Nature it is an Assent upon Testimony not an Evidence upon Demonstration and the Object of it is as was said before above us Hence our Faith as was formerly observed is called a seeing darkly as in a Glass All that we know this way and all that we know of God we know this way is but low and dark and obscure But you will say all this is true but yet it is onely so to them that know not God perhaps as he is revealed in Jesus Christ with them who do so 't is otherwise It is true No man hath seen God at any time but the onely begotten Son he hath revealed him Joh. 1.17 18. and the Son of God is now come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true 1 Joh. 5.20 The Illumination of the glorious Gospel of Christ who is the Image of God shineth upon Believers 2 Cor. 4.4 yea and God who commanded light to shine out of darkness shines into their hearts to give them the knowledge of his Glory in the face of his Son v. 6. So that though we were darkness yet we are now light in the Lord Eph. 5.8 And the Apostle sayes We all with open face behold the Glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3.18 and we are now so far from being in such darkness or at such a distance from God that our communion and fellowship is with the Father and the Son 1 Joh. 1.3 The Light of the Gospel whereby now God is revealed is glorious not a Star but the Sun in his beauty is risen upon us and the veil is taken from our faces so that though unbelievers yea and perhaps some weak Believers may be in some darkness yet those of any growth or considerable Attainments have a clear sight and view of the face of God in Jesus Christ. A. 1. The truth is we all of us know enough of him to love him more than we doe to delight in him and serve him believe him obey him put our trust in him above all that we have hitherto attained Our Darkness and Weakness is no Plea for our Negligence and Disobedience Who is it that hath walked up to the Knowledge that he hath had of the Perfections Excellencies and Will of God Gods End in giving us any Knowledge of himself here is that we may glorifie him as God that is love him serve him believe and obey him give him all the honour and Glory that is due from poor sinfull Creatures to a sin-pardoning God and Creator we must all acknowledge that we were never throughly transformed into the Image of that Knowledge which we have had And had we used our Talents well we might have been trusted with more 2. Comparatively that knowledge which we have of God by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel is exceeding eminent and glorious It is so in comparison of any knowledge of God that might otherwise be attained or was delivered in the Law under the Old Testament which had but the shadow of good things not the express Image of them This the Apostle pursues at large 2 Cor. 3. Christ hath now in these last dayes revealed the Father from his own bosome declared his Name made known his Mind Will and Councel in a far more clear eminent distinct manner than he did formerly whilest he kept his People under the poedagogy of the Law And this is that which for the most part is intended in the places before mentioned the clear perspicuous delivery and declaration of God and his Will in the Gospel is expresly exalted in comparison of any other way of Revelation of himself 3. The difference between Believers and Vnbelievers as to Knowledge is not so much in the Matter of their Knowledge as in the Manner of knowing Unbelievers some of them may know more and be able to say more of God his Perfections and his will than many Believers but they know nothing as they ought nothing in a right manner nothing spiritually and savingly nothing with an holy heavenly light The excellency of a Believer is not that he hath a large Apprehension of things but that what he doth apprehend which perhaps may be very little He sees it in the light of the Spirit of God in a saving soul-transforming light And this is that which gives us communion with God and not prying Thoughts or curious raised Notions 4. Jesus Christ by his Word and Spirit reveals to the Hearts of all his God as a Father as a God in Covenant as a Rewarder every way sufficiently to teach us to obey him here and to lead us to his Bosome to lye down there in the Fruition of him to Eternity But yet now 5. Notwithstanding all this it is but a little portion we know of him we see but his back-parts For 1 The intendment of
the other Now he that hath the rational he doth not onely act suitably to that principle but also to both the others he growes and is sensible It is so with men in the things of God some are meer natural and rational men some have a superadded Conviction with Illumination and some are truely regenerate Now he that hath the latter hath also both the former and therefore he acts sometimes upon the Principles of the rational sometimes upon the Principles of the enlightened man His true spiritual life is not the principle of all his motions He acts not alwayes in the strength thereof neither are all his fruits from that Root In this case that I speak of he acts merely upon the Principle of Conviction and Illumination whereby his first naturals are heightened but the Spirit breaths not at all upon all these waters Take an Instance suppose the wound and disquiet of the Soul to be upon the account of Relapses which whatever the evil or Folly be though for the matter of it never so small yet there are no wounds deeper than those that are given the Soul on that account nor disquietments greater In the perturbation of his Mind he finds out that Promise Isa. 55.7 The Lord will have mercy and our God will abundantly pardon He will multiply or adde to pardon He will do it again and again or that in Hos. 14.4 I will heal their back sliding I will love them freely This the man considers and thereupon concludes Peace to himself whether the Spirit of God make the Application or no whether that gives life and power to the letter or no that he regards not He doth not hearken whether God the Lord speak peace He doth not wait upon God who perhaps yet hides his face and sees the poor Creature stealing Peace and running away with it knowing that the time will come when he will deal with him again and call him to a new reckoning Hos. 11.3 when he shall see that it is in vain to goe one step where God doth not take him by the hand I see here indeed sundry other questions upon this arising and interposing themselves I cannot apply my self to them all one I shall a little speak to It may be said then seeing that this seems to be the path that the Holy Spirit leads us in for the healing of our wounds and quieting of our hearts how shall we know when we go alone our selves and when the Spirit also doth accompany us Ans. 1. If any of you are out of the way upon this account God will speedily let you know it for bâ—sideâ— that you have his Promise that the meek he will guide â—n â—udgâ—ment and teach them his way Psal. 25.9 he will not let you alwayes erre He will I say not suffer your nakedness to be covered with Fig-leaves but take them away and all the peace you have in them and will not suffer you to settle on such lees you shall quickly know your wound is not healed That is you shall speedily know whether or no it be thus with you by the event the peace you thus get and obtain will not abide Whilest the Mind is overpowered by its own Convictions there is no hold for disquietments to fix upon Stay a little and all thâ—se reasonings will grow cold and vanish before the face of the first Temptation that arises But 2. This course is commonly taken without waiting which is the Grace and that peculiar acting of Faith which God calls for to be exercised in such a Condition I know God doth sometimes come in upon the Soul instantly in a moment as it were wounding and healing it as I am perswaded it was in the Case of David when he cut off the lap of Sauls Garment But ordinarily in such a case God calls for waiting and labouring attending as the eye of a Servant upon his Master Sayes the Prophet Isaiah ch 8.17 I will wait upon the Lord who hideth his face from Jacob. God will have his Children lye a while at his door when they have run from his House and not instantly rush in upon him unless he take them by the hand and pluck them in when they are so ashamed that they dare not come to him Now self-healers or men that speak peace to themselves do commonly make haste they will not tarry They do not hearken what God speaks Isa. 28.16 but on they will goe to be healed 3. Such a Course though it may quiet the Conscience and the Mind the rational concluding part of the Soul yet it doth not sweeten the Heart with Rest and gracious Contention The Answer it receives is much like that Elisha gave Naaman Go in peace 2 King 5.19 it quieted his Mind but I much question whether it sweetned his Heart or gave him any Joy in Believing other than the natural Joy that was then stirred in him upon his healing Doe not my words doe good saith the Lord Mich. 2.7 When God speaks there is not only truth in his words that may answer the Conviction of our Understanding but also they doe good they bring that which is sweet and good and desireable to the Will and Affections By them the Soul returns unto its Rest Psal. 116.16 4. Which is worst of all it amends not the life it heals not the evil it cures not the distemper When God speaks Peace it guides and keeps the Soul that it turn not again to Folly Psaâ— 85.8 When we speak it our selves the Heart is not taken off the Evil. Nay it is the readyest course in the world to bring a Soul into a trade of Backsliding If upon thy plaistering thy self thou findest thy self rather animated to the battel again than utterly weaned from it it is too palpable that thou hast been at work with thy own Soul but Jesus Christ and his Spirit were not there Yea and often-times Nature having done its work will ere a few dayes are over come for its Reward and having been active in the work of Healing will be ready to reason for a new wounding In Gods speaking peace there comes along so much sweetness and such a Discovery of his Love as is a strong Obligation on the Soul no more to deal perversly 3 We speak Peace to our selves when we do it slightly This the Prophet complains of in some Teachers Jer. 6.14 They have healed the wound of the Daughter of my people slightly And it is so with some persons they make the healing of their wounds a slight work a look a glance of Faith to the Promises does it and so the matter is ended The Apostle tells us that the Word did not profit some because it was not mixed with Faith Heb. 4.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was not well tempered and mingled with Faith It is not a mere look to the word of Mercy in the Promise but it must be mingled with Faith untill it is incorporated into the very Nature of it