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
thou art greatly beloved Ordinary subjects may have their petitions answered but they must be favourites that have the Kings ear presently those Souls to whom God gives present answers of prayers are ordinarily such as are beloved greatly beloved A good natured Mother may help a Child that is another persons being in any ill circumstances and crying to her aloud and fiercely but it is a sign the Child is her own when her bowels yern towards it as soon as it begins to cry yet I find two instances at least in Scripture of Gods present answering the cries of persons in no such state of favour with God Ahab and the King of Nineveh 1 Kin. 21. 27 28 29. Jonas 3. 4. But besides that those instances relate meerly to temporal mercies and such wherein not those Persons alone but great bodies of people were concerned and in such cases as nothing but a present answer could have done them good as to the thing wherein they were heard Nineveh was within forty days of ruine and it was only a deferring of that judgment which God had threatned as to which they were heard I say besides these things it is one thing what God may do out of the abundance of his goodness and mercy and another thing what they may with any confidence expect It is most certain that persons who are strangers and enemies to God and so under a threatning That although they make many prayers God will not hear them and of whom God hath said that their sacrifices are abomination cannot hope that the Lord should answer much less presently answer their prayers 2. As to a present answer of prayers it is necessary not only that the persons praying be believers persons in favour with God but that their prayers be prayers of faith that they exercise faith in their prayers James 1. 5. If any of you want wisdom let him ask of God But v. 6. Let him ask in faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a wave of the Sea driven of the wind and tossed and James 5. 15. The prayer of faith shall save the sick Prayers for Persons sick ordinarily require present answers now saith the Apostle the prayer which saveth the sick must be the prayer of faith This is a point not well understood viz. how to pray in faith and what exercise of faith is required in prayer I shall therefore shortly open it and shew you what exercises of faith are necessary to that Soul that would have his prayers at all answered at least who can expect a present answer 1. Faith in prayer must respect Gods being and goodness This the Apostle informeth us Heb. 11. 6. He who cometh unto God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him That God is and that he is able to give what we ask of him Believe you saith Christ to the blind man that I am able to do this If God be if he be God he is able to do whatsoever we ask of him But this is not all we must also believe the goodness of God That he is a rewarder of them that seek him one who hath said to the Children of Men seek ye my face and who never said to the seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain This is the first act of faith in prayer whosoever cometh to seek God for any mercy must steadily agree to this That God is and is able to grant the thing he asks of him and that he is infinitely good and a rewarder of those Souls that obey his will in that precept seek ye my face 2. Faith must respect that promise which God hath made for that mercy or good thing which we come to God for There is hardly any particular good thing for which God hath not somewhere in his word made a particular promise now this promise is Gods bond which faith laies hold on and prayer puts in suit if we want a particular promise respecting the specifical mercy yet there are general promises within the latitude of which those particular good things fall such as those Psal 84. 11. He will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Psal 34. 10. They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Rom. 8. 24. We know that all things work together for them that love God 1 Cor. 3. 22. 23. All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Now I say that he that prayeth in faith must have his Eye either upon some of these more general words in which God hath promised all good things or those particular promises wherein God hath promised that specifical mercy which he comes to ask of God Mar. 11. 24 What things soever you desire when you pray believe that you shall receive them and you shall have them It is not only necessary that when we go unto God in prayer we should Eye him as the fountain of power so able to grant what we ask of him and as the fountain of goodness so willing to relieve all the streights and supply all the necessities of poor creatures but 3. As a God of truth and faithfulness that he believe that he shall receive what he asketh of God and to this end he must see the good thing either generally or particularly promised 3. There is yet a third act of faith necessary which is a casting of our Souls upon God in the promise a trusting in him for the receit of the thing we have asked of him James saith we must ask in faith nothing wavering the Soul must not doubt within itself whether God hears or will give in a gracious answer yea or no but commit itself wholly to God upon the credit of his promise believing that he who hath promised is able to perform and trusting in him for a performance This is now praying in faith and the truth is all other praying is but praying in formality of which we can expect no more profit then ariseth from a meer bodily labour This now is necessary with reference to an answer especially a quick and a present answer on the part of the person praying 2. But something also is necessary to be observed with respect to the matter that we pray for 1. It must be something which is truly and really good for us and of which we stand in need Our need of a thing and the goodness of it for us is not to be measured from our sense and apprehension for we are often mistaken and do not keep what is good for our selves and therefore must refer our selves to the wisdom of God who knoweth what things we have need of It is true that there are some things so perfectly and absolutely good as they can never be evil such are the pardon of our sins the love and favour of God c. But there are other things that are not so which at some time we
and desireth the continuance of it The Ignorant bold presumptuous Sinner desireth not the Love of God the pardon of Sins he thinks he is sure of all Hence now it is that the believer desires the Loves of Christ it apprehendeth them good possible and what its Soul doth stand indaily and further need of which apprehension is the reason why our Souls desire any thing be it of what nature soever we can desire nothing but what we must apprehend good sutable to us in some of our circumstances possible to be attained and such as either wholly or in some degree at least we need 2. According to the degree of our knowledge or apprehension of the goodness of any object so are our desires after it This will justify itself upon experience in all other things we do not desire them according to the degree of goodness in them for then every man must desire the favour of God Union and Communion with him but according to the degree of our knowledge or apprehension of such a good as such Now there are various degrees of knowledge 1. The first and meanest is the meer act of our Understanding which by the help of our Eyes and Ears gaineth the knowledge of things And thus the vilest of men may know that the Loves of Christ are good yea good before wine that is they may have so read in the Bible so heard from Ministers of the Gospel And even this knowledge may produce in a bad man a desire after these things proportioned to his apprehension Hence such a man may faintly will and lazily desire these things 2. A Second degree of Knowledge is Opinion This riseth a little higher the man who thus knows that the Loves of Christ are good doth not onely know it from reading or hearing but from probable Arguments Nor is it difficult for a wicked man thus also to know that the Loves of Christ are good Assoon as he can be made to believe that there is a God and that he is the Fountain of Good and that Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God and Equal with the Father both in Essence and all Divine Perfections his Reason will persuade him that there must be a Goodness yea a transcendent Goodness in Christs Loves But while Flesh and Blood only revealeth this thing unto him his Knowledge is incertain and faint and he is subject to thoughts that he may be mistaken and therefore though he may sometimes desire Christs Love yet it is but by fits and with incertainties according to the Nature of the Knowledge and Apprehension he hath of the truth of the things 3. A Third degree of Knowledge is Persuasion arising from Demonstration Now there is 1. A Demonstration of Sense thus we know the Sun shines the Fire burneth c. 2. A Demonstration of Reason when we can conclude a thing from infallible Principles of natural Reason 3. A Demonstration of Faith which is the Demonstration of the Spirit When men know things from the holy Spirits fully persuading them of the truth of this or that from a Divine Revelation This is the Demonstration of faith 4. There is yet a further and higher degree of Knowledg that ariseth from Experience being a sensible Evidence of the truth of what the Soul had before received a little of from the sight of the Eye and hearing of the Ear and more from the persuasion of the Spirit and some Argumentations within itself I say now that according to the degree of the Souls knowledge and apprehension so are the workings of the Affections This of desire in particular Hence the desires of Believers to the Loves of Christ must necessarily be the strongest For the degree of the Knowledge and Apprehension the Believer hath of the goodness of them is higher than it is possible any other Souls should have Other Souls may have read Books discoursing the Loves of Christ or heard Discourses of that tendency or judge so from Arguments of Scripture which may make such a thing probable to them But none but these have any persuasion wrought in their Souls by the Spirit of God of the Excellency of them none else have had any real Tasts and Experience of them Knowledge and Experience of the Goodness of any Objects being those things which move the Soul to desire them and the degree of the Souls apprehension of such Goodness and Excellency in Objects the ground of the Souls Intention in such desires it must necessarily follow that a good Christians Knowledge and Experience of that Goodness which is in Christs Loves must be the grounds of their desires after them There needeth no Scripture to prove this it is evident to our Reason Yet take the Instance of David Psal 4. 6. David desires of God to lift up the light of his Countenance upon him Observe now v. 7. what made him prefer the light of Gods Countenance to the Worldlings Corn and Wine and Oil Thou hast put gladness into my Heart Accordingly he tells us Psal 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee Hence you shall observe that David concludeth many of his Psalms of Praise with Prayer But will some say If they have had experience of the Loves of Christ why should they yet desire them None desires what they have This is true if our Enjoyments were perfect but there is an heighth and depth and length and breadth of the Love of God in Jesus Christ an heighth which the Soul hath not taken a depth which the Soul hath not fathomed a length and breadth which the Soul hath not measured from end to end It is true we desire nothing but what we want either in whole or in part therefore in Heaven will be no desire That which is perfect will be come and all that which is in part only will be done away But we shall never be filled with the Loves of Christ till our Mortality be swallowed up in Life I come now to the Application We may learn from hence That God must shew some act of Love to us before we can shew any Love to him Desires after the Loves of Christ though sincere are the least and first and lowest motions of our Souls toward God These you have heard must arise from a Knowledge and Experience of the goodness of those Loves Now this Knowledge this Experience must be the Gift of God to and the work of God in and upon the Soul yea and that not in a way of common Grace and Illumination but in a way of special Grace for though a common Illumination may produce some faint desires yet it will produce no sincere and effectual desires because the Knowledge begot by them will be flitting and incertain and attended with Doubts Fears and Incertainties So as till the Lord by his Spirit hath wrought in the Soul a persuasion of Faith commanding the Soul without dispute to give credit to what he hath revealed in his Word
wants but it deriveth from Christ Good things suited to the more external wants of our Body derive from God as the great preserver of man and flow from that common providence of his which dayly worketh in the upholding and preservation of created Beings but good things for our Souls derive from Christ as Mediator and as they are purchased by his blood so they are dispensed out by his Spirit This now can appear to a Soul from no other light but that of Revelation study therefore the holy Scriptures meditate therein night and day they testify all this concerning Christ A full persuasion of these two things 1. That we have immortal Souls ordained to an eternity either of happiness or misery 2. That nothing but the love of Christ can furnish them with those good things which are proper and necessary for them with respect to their Eternal Happiness are enough to convince Men and Women that the loves of Christ are as much better than Wine and to be preferred to it as the Soul is better than the Body and the things suited to its wants better than those things which are only suited to the wants of the outward man But still I say and every days experience maketh it good Non persuaseris etiamsi persuaseris you shall not persuade Men and Women tho you say enough to persuade them though you shut up their mouths and they having nothing to say such a power hath lust in the heart of man into such a debauchery is the nature of man degenerated Admitting men to believe that they have immortal Souls and that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God there is nothing in nature hath a fuller evidence than this truth that the loves of Christ are preferrible to all things in the world and a man cannot act like a reasonable creature in preferring any thing unto them yet who believes it who lives up to this demonstration It is God must persuade the Soul of this and till the Soul hath this written and ingraven upon it by the finger of his Spirit it will never so Judge Lastly therefore Pray mightily that God would open your Ears to see this and persuade your Souls of the truth of it for till he doth it in vain are mens persuasions To move you to it consider 1. This will bear some proportion to the love of Christ to mankind Christ loved us more than these more than all the Kingdoms and pleasures and profits and honours of the world yea more than his own life yea he preferred us to the Angels the fallen Angels for he took not upon him the nature of Angels but the nature of man 2. This will speak the Soul to be a wise and understanding Soul Certain it is as I have already shewed you that the loves of Christ are good before Wine The wisdom of a Soul lyeth much in a right discerning betwixt good and evil and betwixt that which is good and that which is more good or better The excellency of a Soul lyeth in its conformity to God he is an Atheist who owneth not God to be the first Being and to be of all Beings the most excellent and perfect Being So as necessarily that Soul that comes nearest in conformity to God must be the most excellent Soul now that Soul which acteth most up to the principles of improved and pure reason and to the rule of that holy Writ which we all confess to be the revealed Will of God and liveth most up to the Divine Pattern doing what God doth that must needs be the most wise excellent understanding Soul Now will not a little reason serve to convince us that Christ is the most excelling Object and therefore to be preferred to all sublunary enjoyments Doth not the Scripture represent him to us as altogether desires as the chiefest of ten thousand as the well beloved of the Father in whom he is well pleased as he whom we ought to love with all our heart all our Soul all our Strength Doth not the Father the Heavenly Father love him above all other objects To which of the Angels said he at any time Thou art my Son this day I have begotten thee and again I will be to him a Father and he shall be to me a Son He was brought up with the Father and daily his delight rejoycing alwaies before him 3. This will speak an heavenly sublimated Soul purged from the dregs of sensuality and from an earthly mind a Soul risen with Christ and seeking the things which are above Col. 3. 1. The preference of Wine any sensual satisfactions or any sensible enjoyments to the loves of Christ speaks a dirty Soul that feedeth upon carrion and can be filled with wind Lastly You have heard what an argument this will supply a Soul with in all its addresses and applications to God for any grace or favour no argument can be more moving more prevailing with God none that layeth hold upon more promises or that toucheth God more as a tender Father O therefore labour for this frame of Spirit and give your Souls no rest until you find that they indeed do prefer the love of Christ before all other things in Heaven and Earth Secondly This notion calleth to all you who profess Godliness and to any thing of the Spirit of Adoption which teacheth to cry Abba Father to take heed of a Carnal mind an heart cleaving to any created comforts in excessive degrees so as for the enjoyment of them or any of them to run the hazard of the loves of Christ you will by it prejudice your souls in a great argument which you might use at the Throne of Grace There are amongst others three distempers of heart which those that would do much with God in Prayer must take heed of 1. A revengeful not forgiving frame of Spirit It is a dreadful Text Mat. 6. 15. But if you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Heavenly Father forgive you Our Saviour hath taught us to pray Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors 2. A doubting and unbelieving frame of Spirit He that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him he that lifts up his hands unto God must lift up pure hands and that without doubting 3. Thirdly A Carnal heart cleaving to the world preferring the things of the world to the loves of Christ the good things of Grace Lastly Is this such an argument of force with God Let then such as can use it in truth make use of it I doubt not but I speak to many who can in truth say that they value the loves of Christ the tokens of his special and distinguishing love above all earthly contentments when you go to God plead this take unto you words and say Lord let me be made a partaker of thy special distinguishing love thou knowest that my Soul valueth it above mountains of Gold
Name I will mention but three things First His Word is his Name The Gospel of Christ is his Name that expresseth to us what Christ is Christ saith that he had manifested his Father's Name unto the men whom he had given him out of the world Joh. 17. 6. that is his Fathers Truths the Doctrine of his Gospel The Lord Jesus is made known by his Gospel That doth the same thing for Christ that our Name doth for us it lets the World know whose Son Christ is what he is what he hath done and suffered for Sinners and this is to the Soul exceeding sweet as an Oil that is poured forth Secondly His Mercy is his Name All those declarations of his love and good will towards his Peoples Souls of which his Gospel is full All the Emanations of his Love When the Lord telleth Moses his Name he thus proclaimeth it The Lord The Lord merciful slow to anger As God gets him a great Name upon Pharaoh and the wicked of the Earth by executing Justice and Judgment so he gets himself a great Name amongst his Saints by shewing meâ—cy His Name is I even I am he that blotteth out transgressions for my own Names sake I will heal your backslidings and love you freely Lastly His Truth is his Name By Truth I mean his Faithfulness in fulfilling his Word Thy Truth reacheth unto the Clouds saith David Psal 108. 4. David Psal 138. 2. resolveth to praise God's Name for his Loving-kindness and for his Truth Jesus Christ is much known to us by his Truth and Faithfulness to his Promises making good to his Peoples Souls what he hath said hence he is called the Amen the Faithful and the true Witness Rev. 3. 14. Pareus upon that Text saith that Christ is called the Amen for that reason which the Apostle giveth 2 Cor. 1. 19 20. because he is not Yea and Nay but he is Yea and because all the Promises of God in him are Yea and Amen Thus I have opened to you what that Name of Christ is which the Spouse compareth to an Oil or to an Ointment poured forth 2 Qu. But why to an Oil poured forth Certainly for the usefulness of it under that circumstance Ointment in the Box Oil inclosed and kept up in the Vessel is no way so useful as when it is poured out If we use it for food it must be poured out if for Medicine if for Ornament which way soever we use Oil or Ointment it must be poured out then it becomes useful to us But that which I take to be what is principally intended is Thy Name is exceedingly infinitely sweet Oil is sweet in the Vessel where it is kept it is sweet if but dropped out by drops But saith the Spouse of Christ Thy Name is as an Oil or Ointment poured forth Thou hast not only a sweetness and excellency in thy self but all the grace and mercy in thee is communicated and that not in drops or little measures but as Oil poured forth that hath scope of Air enough to diffuse it self in and by If Christ had No Name by which he could be made known to us yet there would be in him as God blessed for ever infinite goodness as well as Majesty and Glory the fulness of the God-Head would be in him he would be full of Grace and Truth but now his Name makes him to be as an Oil poured forth by that we behold his glory the glory as of the begotten of the Father full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. When the invisible incomprehensible excellency love and grace of Christ is made known unto us either by the Gospel or by the emanations of his grace and mercy or the demonstrations of his truth and faithfulness by any of his personal names or names of Office wâ—ich are given to him then like Oil or Ointment poured out he appears to the Soul transcendently incomparably sweet This now appears both from Scripture and from experience 1. From Scripture how sweet are thy words unto my tast faith David Psal 119. 103. More to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than Honey and the Hony-comb Psal 19. 10. In his name shall the Gentiles trust Mat. 12. 21. Adam had a little of Christ made known unto him One promise we read of no more The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. It was like Oil poured forth and kept him from a deliquium in the sense of the first sin and his being turned out of Paradise Abraham heard a little of Christs name it was to him like Oil poured forth he saw my day and rejoiced saith Christ John 8. he saw the day star arise afar off he saw but the morning the dawning of the morning too of Christs day and at a great distance how sweet was it to him He saw my day saith Christ and he rejoiced I might give you very many instances of the sweetness which the Saints of God perceived upon the several discoveries of Christ made to them But what needs any further demonstration than what ariseth from the consideration of the thing and from the experience of any Child of God to whom Christ is or hath been made known how sweet must rest be to one that is weary ease to one that is heavy laden both these are promised from Christ Mat. 11. 29. how sweet must the name of a Saviour be to one that is lost and undone the name of Redeemeâ— to one that is a Captive The name of a Mediator to one that hath offended a potent adversary able to crush him every moment 2. I appeal further to the experience of every Child of God even every Soul who hath tasted any thing of Christ and who hath heard any thing of his Name when a Soul is troubled to think how often how heinously it hath offended God how sweet is the name of a Mediator when it is brought to a sense of its sin and apprehends itself lost and undone how sweet is it to remember the name of Jesus given unto Christ because he was to save his People from their sins when a Soul considereth that without Blood without a Sacrifice there is no remission of Sin how sweet then is the name of an High Priest over the House of God who offered up himself once for our Sins and having done so ascended up into Heaven and ever sitteth at the Right Hand of God to make intercession for the Sins of his People How sweet to the Soul that is afraid lest its lusts should have dominion over him is the name of Christ as a King given unto him because he is to rule in the hearts of those who are once subjected and subdued unto him How sweet are his mercy his truth his promises when at any time the latter are applied to the Soul and the former any way made known in the Soul Doth any one ask whence it is that the name of
others to move very slowly others with great heaviness and difficulty All this difference depends upon the inequal distributions of Divine Grace for although when this Oil is once in the Cruise it shall not fail from it till Grace shall be swallowed up in glory but so much influence of Grace shall be continued as to justify the Lord in his promise that he will never depart from the Soul to do it good and he will put his fear into the heart that it shall never depart from him and the Soul shall be preserved by the power of God through faith to Salvation yet there may be and are great differences as to the degrees of Gods Administrations Nor yet possibly must the blame of these Souls not running rest upon God for not drawing For although the Lord may sometimes do it upon his prerogative and soveraignty 1. To shew the freeness of his Grace in all the emanations of it and that he is under no obligations to measure out to every Child an equal portion of the riches of his Grace but as in the disposal of his other talents of Riches common gifts he may if he please make inequal distributions as it pleaseth him giving out to some 10 to others 5 to others but one so he may do as to his Talents of distinguishing Grace whiles yet every one hath enough to conduct and preserve his Soul unto eternal life and happiness 2. Secondly He may do it to lay his people under the potent conviction of this truth That their running depends upon his drawing God himself sometimes assigns this as the reason of his substraction of worldly enjoyments that they might know who it is that gave them Hosea 2. 8. 9. For she did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oil and multiplied her Silver and Gold which they prepared for Baal Therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and will recover my Wool and my Flax c. Thus also the Lord may do as to the dispensations of his Grace that Grace I mean which is not necessary to Salvation did we alwaies find an equal strength against our lusts and to our Spiritual duties an equal readiness to and chearfulness in the Service of God we should attribute too much to our renewed nature and not know in what a daily derivation from and dependance upon God even the best Souls live and that all our fresh springs are from him Did we Sail to Heaven through the Sea of this world alwaies with a Trade wind we should not understand that the wind of Divine Grace which is the breathing of the holy Spirit bloweth where it listeth But when we are becalmed in our voyage for the new Hierusalem and forced to lie at Anchor then we learn that without Christ we can do nothing But though this must be said to aver the Soveraignty of God and to assert his wisdom yet most ordinarily these withdrawings are upon some provocations on our parts the Clouds in the Heavens are caused from the Vapours which arise from the Earth God can never be so provoked against a justified Soul as to withdraw himself wholly but he may be and is oft-time so far provoked as to withdraw his gradual influences so as the Soul shall feel that it is not with it as at former times and cryeth out where is my God become When the Lord offereth a wind and the Soul refuseth to open its Sails when he moveth and the Soul quencheth its motions and grieveth him in his operations he many times hides his face from it it is troubled the Soul that hath grieved the quickning Spirit shall smart alittle for the want of quickning Grace complain of dulness heaviness listlessness to its Spiritual Duty I say this oft-times yea most ordinarily is the cause So as though it wants these divine drawings yet its want of them is the punishment of its iniquity I shall conclude this discourse with a word of advice what such Souls should do under such dispensations 1. Search and see whether some late sin hath not provoked God to these withdrawings See if thy conscience which in this case is thy best informer doth not tell thee that such a time thou hadst an impulse or motion to prayer or such a duty and that under convenient circumstances and thou neglectedst it or offered thee some help and thou neglectedst it And now the righteous Lord hath left thee to thy own strength and thou feest what thou art and humble thy Soul before God and renew thy covenant with him 2. If thou canst not find that any such blot hath clave to thy Soul yet acknowledge the Lords wisdom the freeness of his grace and his righteousness in his dispensations We must allow God to do many things in infinite wisdom and righteousness though we cannot see or understand it we must not look in this life to understand the reason of Gods works It is enough for us to know that he hath done it and that all his works are done in wisdom and righteousness 3. Take heed of lowing thy Sails when thou thinkest the wind abates This you know is contrary to the methods of Mariners I am sure it is contrary to the wisdom of Christians keep thy heart at such a time with the most diligence working and striving against sin Tow thy Ship if thou canst not Sail as at other times Go if thou canst not run and keep thy Soul ready for a wind whenever God will please to send it 4. Fourthly Beg the returns of the blessed Spirit Tell God of thy Souls weakness or the strength of thy corruptions or temptations say unto God as Jehosaphat said in another case Lord I have a mighty host coming against me I know not what to do I have no strength against it but my Eyes are unto thee 5. After this I know nothing more to be done but a patient waiting for God according to the resolution of the Church Isaiah 8. 17. I will wait upon him that hides his face from the house of Jacob I will look for him Sermon XX. Canticles 1. 4. Drawme and We will run after thee I Am dwelling yet upon the first Proposition of Doctrine I observed from these words That the Soul must be drawn to and after Christ before it will run after him It is a great point and I am willing to make the utmost improvement of it that I can The improveableness of it for our instruction is all you have yet heard In the next place certainly there may be made some improvement of this notion to assist to judge concerning our spiritual state concerning faith and holiness These being from the ordination of God so necessary to Salvation that without them we cannot see God mistakes about them are like diseases that affect the vital parts exceeding dangerous All that this Doctrine will help us in as to this
now if we rise higher and enquire how some come to use common Grace better than others when all have an equal Natural power to do those acts of Moral discipline and of Religion also which extend no further then to a bodily labour how it comes to pass that some get leave of themselves of their Lusts and Passions to do them others do not We must say there is an influence of God's Spirit of Grace more upon the one than the other inclining them thereto but so long as others have a Natural power thus far which they do not use God is acquitted of their Blood and their Damnation is of themselves though his abounding grace be more seen as to others whom he doth further incline to a better use of common Grace and their natural abilities but of this I have spoken before and do now little more than repeat 2. The same account must be given of the uneven pace which is discernable in such as are Christians indeed The running of God's own People is not alike though they have all the same renewed Nature and inward principle of life To will is present with them all yet they have not all an equal strength to perform Nor an equal life liveliness freedom and chearfulness in their walkings with God there may be much blame to be laid upon themselves for not using the Grace of God as they ought to do not keeping their Watch as they ought to keep it but the Original cause is the want of Divine drawings which are sometimes with-held as a punishment to some loose and careless walking sometimes as the product of Divine Wisdom for the exercise of some habits of Grace which are not so well tryed and exercised under the full influences of divine grace upon them as under the partial withdrawings of it There might be other uses made of this point but they would be mostly such as were proper to the former Doctrine and there inlarged upon So as I shall proceed no further in Application of this Discourse Serman XXIII Canticles 1. 4. Draw me and We will run after thee YOu have heard the Spouses Petition opened what she means when she saith to her Beloved Draw me you have heard her Promise or Argument opened We will run after thee She prayeth for drawing she promiseth her running Drawing was the act of her beloved Running was her own Act though in force of his drawing But here is as I before observed an alteration of the Number She saith Draw me She addeth We will run She begs but for one she promiseth for more she prayeth for her self she promiseth for others How is this 1. I told you when I opened thé words that some by We understand The Spouse and the Spirit of God in conjunction I and thy Grace This is a Sense hinted by Genebrard and De Ponte upon the Text and it may seem to have some colour from that of Christ Without me you can do nothing and that of Paul Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the Flesh I live by the Faith of the Son of God It is a great truth that when ever the Soul runs after Christ the holy Spirit assists its motion but yet it is drawing that is Christ's and his Spirits work running is ours Grace works together with the Child of God but it worketh by drawing the Soul works by running it is not Christ or the Spirit of Christ that is in us that runneth the way of God's Commandments but it is the Soul of the Christian in and with the strength and power of Christ Grace is the Principle of our Spiritual life like the Spirit within Ezechiels Wheels without which the Wheels move not but they are the Wheels that move I cannot therefore agree this sence 2. Bernard hath another Notion She begs saith he The sowre part for her self the sweeter part for others but this is an interpretation which to me seemeth to have many faults 1. It maketh the drawing here prayed for to be a drawing by Afflictions which are indeed the Lord's Cords but such as he seldom draweth Souls to Christ by not are they the proper matter of our Prayer Secondly It turneth the Promise into a Prayer and makes the Sense to be to this purpose Lord for me Draw me with the Cords of Affliction Let others run after thee but I see no ground at all for such an Interpretation It is not others but We she includeth her self It is not let others run but we will run 3. Thirdly If by the Spouse we here understand the Church speaking The Church being many yet make but one Body So the Spouse prayeth for her whole Body which is but one and saith properly draw me and then promiseth for every part Rom. 12. 5. We being many are one Body She prayeth for Grace she promiseth not only action and obedience but unity in her obedience and action God's Kingdom is not divided against its self not different from it self especially in the Fundamentals of Faith and Holiness They are an Army in order and fighting together against the World the Flesh and the Devil but this still is more than I will run 4. I rather choose another sence of this Promise A promise of an endeavour to cause others to run after Christ or a Prophecy that others would run so as the sense should be this Lord draw me and I will endeavour to be a cause of more than my own running after thee others seeing or hearing of thy Grace and Goodness to me shall also by my example be provoked to run after thee In this sence I shall carry it The Proposition resulting from hence is this Prop. That God's sweet and powerful drawing of one Soul to or after himself will be a means of causing others also to run after him God's drawing of John 1 John 26. draweth first two other Disciples who when they heard him followed Jesus and Andrew drew Simon Peter v. 40 Christ's drawing of Philip was the occasion of Nathaniel 's running v. 45. Philip findeth Nathaniel and saith unto him We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write Christ draweth the Woman of Samaria John 4. v. 28. She leaves her Water pot and goes her way into the City and saith to the men of the City Come see a Man which told me all things that I ever did is not this the Christ Then they went out of the City and came unto him and v. 41. Many more believed because of his own word There are two main grounds upon which the truth of this Proposition depends 1. The first is the alluring nature of Divine Grace 2. The Second is The exceeding Charity of every pious Soul I will alittle enlarge upon them 1. I say first Divine Grace in the effects of it is exceedingly attractive The love of God saith the Apostle constraineth nor doth it only constrain the
when they find more strength against motions to sin more ability and courage to suffer for the name of God when they find their Souls more ready to more free and chearful in their duty when they find more serenity peace and comfort within than they have formerly experienced then may the Lord be said to have brought them into his Chambers the Chambers of his presence when these abate and the Soul lives and no more but lives complaining that it is without strength ready to be overthrown by every motion of lust by every forreign temptation that the thoughts of God are troublesome to it it may be terrible that it moves heavily it doth something of its duty but it is rather its task and burthen than its pleasure and delight its heart is sad and heavy and dejected in such cases as these Now God is present with the Soul that is his for he dwelleth in it but he entertaineth it as it were in his low Rooms Cubiculum saith Bernard upon the Text est locus ubi vere quiescens quietus Deus cernitur The Chamber is a place where the Soul seeth God quiet and at rest Sometimes the Soul apprehendeth God as it were returned to his place to speak in the Prophets Dialect as it were risen up from the Soul and returned to Heaven only to be found there by fasting and weeping and earnest seeking after him it apprehends God as angry and not at rest in it sometimes it discerns him at rest in it the Soul can say Lo this is my God I have waited for him I have waited for him I will rejoice and be glad in his Salvation then the Soul returneth unto its rest Psal 116. 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul saith David for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee When God is at rest in the Soul then is the Soul at rest within itself then hath the King brought the Soul into his Chambers David when he was under apprehensions that the Lord sustained him resolves to lay himself down in peace and sleep Psal 4. 7. God had dealt graciously with him These now are the Kings Chambers and what I conceive to be here chiefly intended 5. Gregory hath another notion of these Chambers What saith he should we understand by these Chambers but the mysteries of holy contemplations The Astronomer indeed that spends his time in the contemplation of the Stars chuseth the roof of the House or some lofty room for his contemplation and we all chuse the highest places of the House for our prospects of things afar off and all contemplative Persons chuse Chambers as places of privacy for their contemplations When the Lord raiseth the Soul to further degrees of spiritual-mindedness and gives the Soul a power further to contemplate him in his Divine Nature and goodness then he may be said to have brought the Soul into his Chambers There is a time when the Soul remembreth God and is troubled thus it was with the Psalmist Psal 77. 3. Another time when the meditation of God is sweet to the Soul so it was with David Psal 104. 34. when the Soul is able to meditate of God without distractions or disturbance and can fit alone and fancy that it seeth even the Heavens open and beholdeth the glory of God and its Redeemers arms open to receive it and there is another time when it is not able to lift up an Eye to God nor to behold him with any pleasing aspect When the Soul is in the former state then the King may be said to have brought the Soul into his Chambers but this the observing person will see sell under the aforementioned consideration Lastly There are yet some other Chambers into which God sometimes brings the Souls of his people in the description of which I will not enlarge because they are more peculiar Closets into which God hath taken and may for ought I know yet take the Souls of some particular Servants of his into which believers in general cannot expect to be brought they being such as God in all times hath been pleased but to take some few of his people into and generally such as he hath designed to make some more publick use of in the world I may call them Chambers of particular instruction Before God had fully revealed his will in the holy Scriptures written for our instruction and consolation God was pleased at sundry times and in divers manners as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 1. 1. to speak unto the Fathers by the Prophets Persons whom God admitted to a more special degree of fellowship and communion with him and sometimes more plainly sometimes more typically and darkly to instruct them concerning his mind and will both concerning what they were to do and to avoid and concerning what God intended to do in the world or some particular place in it into these Chambers he took Abraham when he did not hide from him what he intended to do to Sodom and Moses when he took him up into the Mount and there gave him his law instructing him in his mind and will that he might instruct the people under his charge in these Chambers the Lord entertained Samuel Elijah Elisha Gad and Nathan and all the Seers and Prophets of whom you read in the Old Testament and after them the blessed Apostles and some primitive Christians But the bringing of any Souls now into these Chambers is no matter of our faith and expectation though we must not limit the holy one of Israel nor hath that we know he any where as to this limited himself indeed as to one part of the revelation he hath None can expect nor have any new revelation of duty for the holy Scriptures are a perfect rule and able to make the man of God wise to Salvation But we may have a fuller revelation of what is revealed and thus doubtless there is a further discovery of duty in this than in former ages no new light of truth but a new light in our Souls to discern the revelations of the word And doubtless there may be to some particular Souls some more revelations of what God intends to do in the world and as to his or their particular circumstances than others have they are things we cannot expect hope or believe for but what some may receive and for the tryal of the truth of them the issue must be expected and from that the truth of their revelations and prophecies must be judged And it seemeth by the answer of the Prophet Jeremy to Hananiah that under the old dispensation this was a piece of the Judgment Jer. 28. 8 9. The Prophets saith he which have been before me and thee of old prophesied both against many Countries and against great Kingdoms of War and of pestilence the Prophet which prophesieth of peace when the word of the Prophet shall come to pass then shall the Prophet be known that the Lord hath truly sent him Yet they must doubtless at that
world so sweet and pleasant to their thoughts as to think of Jesus of Nazareth him that was incarnate of the Virgin that died upon the cross for sinners all their contemplations and meditations of him are exceeding sweet and their hearts exercised about them melt in them 4. They love whatsoever bears the image and superscription of Christ The Gospel that gives them the history of Christ and revealeth to them his will the ordinances of Christ in which the loves of Christ are set forth represented opened applied to the Souls of people The members of Christ even every Soul in which they can but see aliquid Christâ— as Bucer speaks any thing of the features of Christ This is enough to have spoken for the explication of the Proposition For the proof of it 1. Look into the Word of God see if you can find an instance either of an upright man who did not love Christ or of an bypocrite or unregenerate man that did love him Abraham believed and it was imputed to him for righteousness he was one that walked with God and was perfect that is upright he loved Christ Our Lord saith of him Abraham saw my day and rejoyced Simon and Anna and Peter and Mary Magdâ—lene all were upright Persons they all loved Christ On the other side there is not so much as one instance of an unjustified unregenerate Soul that had any real love for Christ no not when they saw him here in the flesh It is said of the young Pharisee who came to our Saviour Mat. 19. that when Christ saw him he loved him but he had no love for Christ for when he bid him go sell all that he had and he should have treasures in Heaven it is said he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions Judas followed Christ and so did the Capernaites but Judas carried the bag and the Capernaites followed him for the loaves None of them loved Christ in sincerity and truth We need no other instances then what our own age affordeth us But we need no Scripture in this case Reason will evince the necessary truth of this Proposition if we consider that all love is founded either 1. In the apprehended goodness and excellency of the object beloved Or 2. In some similitude and likeness c. Or â—loweth 3. From some instinct of which we can give no very just account I will begin with the last first 1. Love to another often proceeds from some inaccountable instinct we see this very ordinary amongst us the heart of a woman cleaveth to a man or of a man to a woman â—o the heart of one friend is knit to another and we are able to give our selves no great account of it the man loveth the woman to whom he had a former aversion and the woman loveth and chuseth the man for her Husband that she did never think of and they can give themselves no account of the change which they find in themselves this is undoubtedly a providential instinct or influence of which we can give no account The Souls love to Christ also floweth from an instinct of God an influence of special grace for certainly if we must be taught of God to love one another to love the brethren whom we have seen and daily do see and much that is lovely in them we have much more need to be taught of God to love Christ whom we have not seen and whose excellency and amiableness is only matter of faith to us Hence it appeareth that no unrenewed no unsanctified heart none but the upright Soul can possibly love the Lord Jesus Christ for this love is no natural habit no man by nature loveth Christ nor is it any acquired habit but an infused habit and indeed a piece of regeneration 2. Love to an object is founded in an apprehension of some goodness and excellency in that object we cannot love any object that appeareth to us evil or unlovely Now none but the renewed and regenerate Soul can possibly see any goodness and excellency in Christ for it is spiritually discerned besides the reason of love in us to any object is not so much the abstracted goodness and excellency of the object as its relative goodness unto us now none but the Soul that is justified and regenerate Soul hath in any thing tasted of the love of God or hath found him in any degree good as to it 3. Lastly Whereas love is founded in likeness in some similitude of nature or disposition and qualities there is such a dissimilitude between a natural man whether he be one that is profane and flagitious or meerly moral and formal and hypocriticaâ— that this Soul cannot love the Lord Jesus Christ who is holy and harmless and separate from sinners and the very same reasons make it necessary for every Soul to love Christ for every such Soul is renewed and regenerate and taught of God to love the Lord Jesus Christ every such Soul is beloved of him and under some apprehensions and experience of the love of God in Christ unto it every such Soul finally hath the Image of God renewed in it in righteousness and holiness and by grace wrought up into a conformity to Christ and the more upright the Soul is the more is the image of God renewed in it the more it hath tasted the special love of Christ the more it hath received of the potent influences of Divine Grace hence it must needs love Christ more I now come to the application In the first place This may let us know That Christ is a most excelling object and the non-adherence of our hearts to him is a piece of the natural crookedness and defection of the Soul of man The goodness or excellency of an object is not to be determined from a vulgar judgment Learning is an excellent thing the foolish ignorant person doth not so judge it nor look after it this detracts nothing from the excellency of it Wise men value it It hath no enemies but the ignorant man Now the judgment of the best and wiser part of the world their value and prizing of it is enough to commend it though fools hate knowledge So the upright mans loving Christ is a sufficient evidence of the transcendent goodness and excellency that is in him tho the loose and profane man the formal hypocritical man hath no love at all for him There are thousands in the world in the Christian world whose conversations testify that they can see no beauty no excellency in Christ at all to them he grows up as a root out of a dry ground in their Eyes he hath no beauty no comeliness at all They stand and admire what sweetness Gods people have in their meditations and contemplations of him what is that sometimes makes them so sick of love for him so breaking with longings after him as holy David expresseth it The business is not what fools judge of Wisdom in the mean time Wisdom is
our Souls and the Souls of those that are in relation to us are a trust committed to us by the Lord of the whole Earth by Christ who hath dyed for us So that here is both the relation of a Superiour and of a friend in the case obliging us to take a due care for the keeping of our Vineyards 3. The more eyes we have upon us observing how we manage our trust the more careful we are ordinarily as to the managery of it This is a trust as to which God who hath entrusted us hath an Eye to us how we discharge it this needeth no great proof whoso believeth Gods Omnisciency and considereth the observing Eye which God keepeth upon all men and all their actions so as they are all written in a Book must know and believe this Lastly the more accountable we are for any trust the more we take our selves obliged to keep it with all diligence The trust of every mans Soul is a trust for which he must account Rom. 14. 12. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself unto God we must give an account to him who is ready to judge both the quick and the dead 1 Pet. 4 5. of what must we give an account but of our Souls their Elicit Imperate acts the Apostle tells us that it is the duty of Pastors and Governours of Churches to watch for Souls because they must give an account Certainly it is as much the duty of every particular Christian to watch over his own Soul because his Soul is a trust of which he must give an account to him that is ready to come to judge both the quick and the dead Nor are we only to give an account of our Souls but of the Souls committed to our charge This the Apostle telleth us plainly Heb. 13. 17. as to those who are Governors and Pastors of Churches and God told it Ezechiel Ezech. 3. 18. Son of man saith he I have made thee a watch-man to the house of Israel v. 18. When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely die and thou givest him not warning nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his Life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thy hand This is that which made Chrysostom think that there were but a few Ministers that would be saved But it is as true concerning Superiors in other relations God never bringeth a wife into the bosom of any husband nor addeth a Child or Servant to any family but he saith to the husband of that wife to the Parent of that Child or those Children to the Master of those Servants All Souls are mine The Souls of these Persons I commit to thy trust if thou doest not warn them from sinful courses if thou doest not walk towards them as a man of knowledge and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord they shall die in their ignorance in their iniquity but their Souls will I require at thy hand A consideration which if duly weighed by the Sons of men would awaken men to another kind of Government of their families and another kind of instruction of them then I fear is ordinarily to be found in families 2. I shall add but one thing more The better any man keepeth the Vineyard of his own Soul or the Vineyard of his family the more fruit he shall reap from it His Vintage will be the better there is little fruit to be expected from a neglected Vine Our Vineyards those I mean of our own Souls and the Souls of others under our trust do not only bring forth fruit to the honour and Glory of God but unto our selves and that very considerable 1. In our peace of Conscience here in this Life 2. In that glory which is the object of our future hopes The fruit of righteousness is peace and quietness and assurance for ever Keep your Vineyards that you may drink the sweet fruit and wine thereof that joy and peace which is the fruit of believing and of an holy life and conversation This will be very pleasant to us while we live much more when we come to die Lord Remember saith Ezekiah upon his sick bed how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Conscience checks us for nothing but the neglect of some Vineyard or other which the Lord hath intrusted us with 2. Your glory hereafter will be the more I know there is a question in Divinity whether there shall be any degrees of glory It is hard to shew you wherein the glory of one Saint shall excel another but I think it is plain enough that there shall be differences of glory in Saints that shall be glorified and if so doubtless those that have best kept their own Vineyards shall have the largest penny And those that have best discharged their trusts to the Souls of others shall have the larger share in glory He that winneth Souls is wise And the Prophet Daniel tells us that those who turn many to righteousness shall shine as the Stars for ever and ever Sermon XLI Cant. 1. 7 8. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at Noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy Companions If thou knowest not O thou fairest amongst Women go thy way forth by the footsteps of the Flocks and feed thy Kids beside the Shepherds Tents IT is the Spouse who yet continueth her speech to her Beloved She hath spoken once to him desiring some tokens of his special and distinguishing love v. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth She hath spoken a second time to him desiring strength from him to run after him She now putteth up a third petition v. 7. Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions To which her beloved replyeth v. 8. If thou knowest not O thou fairest amongst Women go thy way by the footsteps of the flocks and feed thy Kids by the Shepherds Tents The words easily fall into two parts 1. The Spouses Petition to her Beloved Tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth c. v. 7. 2. Her Beloveds answer v. 8. If thou knowest not O thou fairest amongst Women c. In the Spouses Petition is considerable 1. Her compellation O thou whom my Soulloveth 2. Her Petition Tell me where thou feedest where thou makest thy flocks to rest at noon 3. Her argument For why should I be as one who turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions In the answer is also considerable 1. His compellation O thou fairest amongst Women 2. His particular direction and information of her in two things If thou knowest not go thy way forth by the
put on thy shoes upon thy feet and cover not thy lips It was also a token of shame Harlots were wont to cover themselves Gen. 38. 14. It was also done as a token or signification of modesty so you read of Rebeccah Gen. 24. 65. when she heard of Isaac his coming towards her she hasted and took a vail and covered her self this custom of Virgins covering themselves was of long use in the Church of God so that Tertullian who lived 2 or 300 years after Christ hath a particular Book to persuade the upholding of that custom which it should seem then began to be disused Our Translators interpret the word turn aside The cause of the difference lies in the doubtfulness whether the Hebrew root be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first signifieth to turn aside the second to cover Hence also ariseth the difference of Interpreters about the next term By the flocks of thy Companions Those who interpret the former word turn aside understand by Companions Idolaters and Superstitious persons who indeed make themselves the companions of Christ or rather make their Idols his companions some interpret it of Hereticks Idolaters make their Idols Christs Companions by giving that Homage to them which is due to him alone Thus the Papists do to their Images and Crucifixes to Saints and Angels Hereticks make their leaders Christs Companions making them the guides of their faith and practice which is an Homage due unto Christ alone Indeed Christ hath properly no Companion consider him as to his Divine Nature He is and there is none besides him nor hath he any Companion as our Mediator and Intercâ—ssor He trode the Wine-press alone neither was any of the People with him he had no Companion either in his Kingly Prophetical or Priestly Office But he hath some who call themselves his Companions and arrogate to themselves that title nay which others sinfully make his Companions Beza thinks these are here meant 2. But secondly Christ hath some who though they are not strictly his Companions yet he graciously so calleth them being as the Apostle saith not ashamed to call them Brethren of these I should chuse to understand the text and though I am very tender of differing from the received translation of a Church in any matter of moment should be more inclined as I said before to translate the former term one covered So the sense is For why should I be amongst thy People as a Mourner or as one that is an Harlot with whom thou wilt have no communion or fellowship Why should I walk as one covered either as a Mourner or as a Strumpet amongst thy People whom thou hast so far owned as to declare thy self not ashamed to call them Brethren or Companions This I take to be the sense of the Petition O thou whom my Soul loveth above all other objects whatsoever who art my Shepheard let me know where and how I may enjoy communion with thee how I may have fellowship with thee in a time of trouble and affliction and when I may have the nearest fullest and most uninterrupted communion with thee for why should I for want of thy presence be under a constant temptation to turn aside from a true fellowship and communion with thee to the Synagogues and Assemblies of Idolaters Or why should I walk amongst thy People either as a Mourner or as an Harlot whom thou hast cast off or divorced To this now her Beloved answereth O thou fairest amongst Women it is an Hebraeisme a way they have to express the superlative degree so Luk. 1. 28. 42 Thou art blessed amongst Women that is very much very highly blessed So the Lyon is said to be strong among Beasts Prov 30. 30. that is the strongest Beast It is no more then in our dialect O thou that art fairest to whose Beauty in my Eyes no others Beauty is to be compared If thou knowest not the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if thou dost not know thy self the vulgar Latin Aethiopick Syriack and Arabick Translators and indeed most ancient Interpreters that I meet with follow the Septuagint and translate it If thou knowest not thy self Hence Bernard upon the place runs into a large discourse concerning Christians ignorance of themselves and the profitableness of our knowledge of our selves according to the ancient Precept of the wise man amongst the Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But undoubtedly though this be a great truth yet it is nothing to the sense of this text where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Pleonasme as both Tremellius Mercer and Mariana three Interpreters very learned and critical in the Hebrew Dialect do all agree so as we translate it truly according to our Idiom If thou knowest tho in the Hebrew it be If thou knowest to or for thy self It followeth Go thy way by the footsteps of the flock and feed thy flocks by the Shepheards Tents These words now contain her beloveds direction if she were at a loss what to do in a time of streights or how to enjoy the most full and free communion with him she must go her way by the footsteps of the flock Interpreters vary in the sense of these words according to their different notion of the former If thou knowest not Those that will not allow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be Paragogical or Pleonastical but will interpret them If thou knowest not thy self and so make the whole to be a rebuke or chiding of the Spouse for her ignorance or pride will have the flocks here to be the flocks of Idolaters and Hereticks and by the Kids here understand her own vain imaginations and make this speech to be the language of an angry God giving up a People in wrath according to that of the Apostle to strong delusions to believe a lie for their wilful ignorance and non-improvement of the means of grace This is the sense put upon the words by Hierome Gregory Bernard Aquinas Lyra and others And there is a truth in this when a people continue in the bosom of a Church under the means of grace ignorant proud and unprofitable God often in wrath giveth them over to Seducers and leaves them to the vanities and delusions of their own hearts a Judgment of all others most formidable But certainly this is not the sense of the words Delrio though a Papist differs from them and gives us a good reason telling us if that had been our Lords meaning he would never in the same breath have called her the fairest among Women Therefore Tremellius both the English and Dutch Annotators Deodate Piscator Mariana and others understand here by the footsteps of the flock and by the Shepherds Tents the Precepts and Examples of Moses and Aaron the Prophets and the Apostles and the purer Church of God and by the Kids mentioned they understand particular Souls So that the sense of the words
the pleasure she hath by the thoughts of him when he is present Qu. 2. What diligence doest thou use to preserve the sweet savour of Christ unto and upon thy Soul Christ considered in himself is not like a flower that may lose its scent and sweetness no he cannot lose that sweetness which is essential to him he would cease to be Christ if he could cease to be sweet to a lost and and undone Soul but although he retains his sweetness yet thou mayest lose thy savour of it He may not be sweet to thee There are two sorts of Souls who savour very little of Christs sweetness 1. The Soul that lies under guilt of sin the thoughts of Christ to that Soul are ordinarily very terrible 2. The Soul that is choaked with Worldly Incumbrances The freer the Soul can keep it self from distracting cares for the World or from the renewing guilt of sin the sweeter will the thoughts of Christ be unto it Now if Christ be as a Cluster of Copher to the Soul It will be very careful to preserve the sweet savour that it hath of him And by this thou shalt know if Christ be indeed to thee as a Bundle of Myrrh or a Cluster of Copher But thus much shall serve to have spoken to this verse Sermon LVII Cant. 1. 15. Behold thou art fair Behold thou at fair thou hast Doves Eyes THere is a great harmony of Interpreters in the version of the words of this Text out of the Heb. into their several Languages excepting only that what we according to our dialect translate My Love they translate sometimes My Neighbour or My Kinswoman or My Companion for which you also perceive our Margents give an allowance and that some translate a Dove some Doves Eyes and the Arabick differing from all thy Eyes are as a pair of Doves There is no other difference And this is so inconsiderable that I shall spend no time in indeavouring to reconcile it All Interpreters agree that it is the Bridegroom which now speaketh He who acteth that part I mean in this Song The Lord Jesus Christ The Person he speaketh to and of is the believing Soul which he calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 My beloved or My Campanion c. It is of the Foeminine form in the Hebrew which is that which leads Interpreters to conclude that it is the Spouses speech It is a word often used in this form in this Song and I think no where else so in all the Scripture In the sentence you have considerable 1. The matter of it in two Propositions Thou art fair thou hast Doves Eyes 2. The manner of expressing it 1. The words are doubled Thou art fair Thou art fair 2. Here is a double Ecce Prefixed Behold Behold There are in the Text 2. Propositions 1. The Spouse of Christ is fair 2. The Spouse of Christ hath Doves Eyes 1. Prop. The Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ is fair The believing Soul is a beautiful Soul to the main of this Proposition I have very lately spoken when I spake to the compellation v. 8. where Christ had called her the fairest among Women I then discoursed the Nature of her beauty and shewed you 1. That it was not a corporeal but a Spiritual beauty 2. Not a visible but an invisible beauty 3. Not a Native but an adventitious beauty 4. Not an artificial but a created beauty 5. Not an adherent beauty only but an inherent beauty also 6. A desirable beauty 7. A durable beauty 8. Not a perfect beauty And having spoken so fully to it there where also the same word is used I intend not to repeat it here only I shall take notice of some circumstances by which the Proposition is advantaged in this Text. And They are four or five 1. He had told her before She was the fairest amongst Women Not satisfied with that he repeateth his Love to her again and telleth her she is fair she is fair 2. The Soul had been commending Christ that he was as a bundle of Myrrh as a Cluster of Camphire to her Christ upon her expressing affection to him replies Behold thou art fair c. 3. When he calls her Fair he adds My Love Thou art fair my Love 4. It is not barely exprest Thou art fair but here is an Ecce prefixed Behold thou art fair 5. Lastly He doth not speak it singly But he doubles his words Thou art fair Thou art fair and the term Behold is repeated too Behold thou art fair Behold Thou art fair Here is none of these five circumstances but will afford us a meditation which will be either informative or sweet or profitable to us Give me leave therefore to speak a word to each of them He had told the Spouse before she was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fairest amongst Women But not Satisfied with that he tells her again Thou art fair my Love Thou art fair Christ doth not only speak peace but he repeats peace to the believers Soul God often appears to Abraham and Jacob to assure them that he was their God Once have I spoken and twice have I heard it saith the Psalmist that Power belongs unto God There is many a Soul that can say Once hath God spoken yea twice have I heard it that the Love of God belongs to me There is many a Christian that can say In such an Ordinance I heard God speaking peace at such a time I found this Spirit witnessing with my Spirit that I was his Child Christ in this consulteth 1. His Peoples infirmities 2. His own glory 1. Christ I say in this thing consulteth 1. His Peoples infirmities They are many which make them need this two chiefly 1. The Believers Soul is dull of hearing The Apostle chargeth the Hebrews Heb. 5. 11. That they were dull of hearing which made the repeating fundamental truths necessary for them There 's nothing in the World that a gracious heart would more gladly hear then this that it is fair in the Eyes of Jesus Christ and yet nothing that it is more dull to hear the reason is because it so eagerly desires it and prizeth it so highly that it cries out It is too good news to be true You shall observe in the World a double disposition in men some are disposed almost wholly to fear others to over much confidence Hence at such a time of changes in the state as this is one man be a thing never so true and to his mind yet he hardly believes he is naturally disposed to fear the worst Other men let things be never so improbable yet they will hope and talk as confidently as if the thing they would have were done It is much from their natural temper they are disposed to confidence c. Take now an unbelieving natural man and he is disposed to bless himself and hope well of his condition you have his copy Deut. 29. 19 20. He saith I shall have peace though I walk
the fruitfulness of the Church lies in its bringing forth many Sons unto God The more Souls are converted the more fruitful the Church is but without Christ's conjunction with it it bringeth forth none If Christ's presence be in his Church it brings forth many Souls If he be not present it brings forth no Children This will easily appear by considering how the Church of God is Instrumental to the conversion of Souls and by making it appear to you that these causes are not principally efficient sole causes nor can be so but are only instrumental causes 2. That upon experience it is made evident that where Christ doth not concur they do nothing For the first 1. The Church is to be considered as to its parts and as to its priviledges as to what God hath planted in it and what God hath betrusted to it As to its parts So it is made up of Officers and members As to its priviledges so there is committed to it the Oracles of God the Mysteries of God the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven there is none of all these but have or may have for ought I know an instrumental causation in bringing forth Children unto God or in bringing of them up but none of them have a Principal efficiency none of them have a sole efficiency nor can produce the effect without Christs conjunction let us look upon them severally 1. Look first upon the Officers of the Church these were extraordinary such as Apostles Evangelists Prophets Ordinary Pastors and Teachers That these have an instrumental causation in the conversion of Souls is plain they were set in the Church for the perfecting of the Saints Eph. 4. 12. for the perfecting their number and for the perfecting of their graces Paul calls them Fathers 1 Cor. 4. 15. and saith he begat the Corinthians He saith the same of Onesimus but alas as the Apostles of old so Ministers now have no more then an instrumentality in this production Paul planted and Apollos watered but God gave the increase 1 Cor. 3. 6. God was all he that planted nothing he that watered was nothing but God that gave the increase was all v. 7. v. 9 They are but waterers together with God workers together with him Hence though Paul Preached the same Doctrine to all yet he was to some the savour of life unto life to others the savour of death unto death And though his earnest desire was to convert his own Nation it was his hearts desire and Prayer to God that they might be saved Rom. 10. 1. yet he could not effect it And if the Officers of the Church who are under a special ordination of God for the great end of conversion could do no more it will easily be granted of private members whose indeavours in quickening others though they may be sometimes blessed of God to such an end yet doubtless are not more efficient to it then the labours of Ministers nor yet in an equal tendency with their's unto so great an end 2. As to the priviledges granted to the Church The Oracles of God are committed to the Church Rom. 3. 2. it is the pillar and ground of truth 1 Tim. 3. 15. the mysteries of God are committed to it 1 Cor. 4. 1. The keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are Committed to it Mat. 16. 19. I understand ever by the first term the Word of God and the dispensation of it in the Preaching of the Gospel by the second the Sacraments of the Gospel by the third the Censures of the Church I know the terms are more generical and not so to be restrained I only for distinction sake so restrain them at present nor do I meddle here with the disputes whether the dispensation of these or any of these belong to the whole Church or only to Officers nor yet to which of the Officers I shall only assert two things 1. That the Scripture seemeth to assign to all these some instrumentality as to the bringing forth of Children unto God this is plain 1. Concerning the Word 1 Cor. 4. 15. I have begotten you through the Gospel James 1. 18. of his own will begat he us by the word of truth As to the Sacraments for the Sacrament of Baptism we are said to be Baptized into Christ Rom. 6. 3. Gal. 3. 27. and again Acts 2. 38. to be Baptized for the Remission of sins For the Sacrament of the Lords Supper though I dare not assert it a converting Ordinance yet unquestionably it hath its instrumentality to the Salvation of Souls For Censures they have also their instrumentality 1 Cor. 5. 5. the end of their administration is for the destruction of the flesh that the Spirit may be saved in the day of Christ But now 2. It is as plain that they have but an instrumental causation and separated from the influences of Christ and his concurrence with them they do nothing hence James 2. 18. of his own will begat he us with the word of truth John 1. 13. we are born again not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of the will of God John 3. 5. except you be born again of water and of the Spirit you cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Thus the truth is evidenced from Scripture And Scriptural reason 2. In the second place Consider all experience where-ever the Word of God hath been Preached the Sacraments administred Church Censures duly executed so long as Christ hath granted his presence with the administrations they have been made mighty in order to the bringing home of Souls unto God Where the Lord hath withdrawn his presence either as to the generality of Persons under the external administrations or as to any particular Souls they have signified nothing Isaiah doth but make the heart of the People fat and their Ears heavy and shuts their Eyes Ch. 6. 10. he complains that he laboureth in vain and spendeth his strength for nothing and in vain Saint Pauls Gospel is to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness 3000 are converted at St. Peters Sermon while Christ is in his Bed with his Church but few or none of the Jews in their Synagogues Acts 19. they were hardened Christ was gone out of his Bed and it was now no longer green and flourished no more But this is enough to have spoken as to the proof of the Doctrine come we now to the Application The Proposition might be applied variously 1. For the confutation of the errors of those who either deny the necessity of any conjunction of Christ with the Soul as to the production of the fruits of grace or at least of such a conjunction as is unquestionably necessary and of those who think that there is a power in mans will ad bonum Spirituale to produce that which is Spiritually good and that a moral suasion is sufficient to the conversion of a Soul 2. We might from hence observe the
the word of God ariseth from two things 1. The first is that sweet joy and peace which God Ordinarily brings into the Soul from them God will speak peace to his People saith the Psalmist and he creates the fruit of the lips peace peace saith the Prophet this joy is indeed of different degrees there is the rejoicing of hope for hope growing from a true Root bringeth forth some fruit of joy in the Soul though it indeed be not so fair and pleasant a fruit as that joy which is the fruit of assurance because the Union which hope gives the Soul with its beloved object is of the lowest fort But yet even this joy hath a great deal of sweetness but Oh! How great is that sweetness which is the riper fruit of assurance that peace which passeth all understanding A sweetness which oft times overcomes the Soul and is too great for it to bear Both which the Soul reaps from the word of God and from the Ordinances of God 2. But secondly this sweetness in the Word and Ordinances of God ariseth not from this alone but from other usefulness of them to the Soul That is not only sweet but that also which is profitable David saies that the Law of the Lord doth convert the Soul makes wise the simple enlightens the Eyes that they are useful to warn us and that in keeping them there is great reward By the word and the Ordinances of God the Soul hath wherewithal to answer the tempter in that it finds arguments to help it in repelling a secret motion to sin c. This makes the Word and Ordinances of God exceeding sweet to gracious Souls as they are those things by which the Soul is profited 3. But thirdly there is a further sweetness that the Word and Ordinances of God have to a gracious Soul as they are pure and holy Psal 119. v. 140. Thy word is very pure therefore doth thy servant love it The heart of man naturally doth not love purity but the Spiritual heart that is conformed to the image of God loves it It is turned into the likeness of the word and made to love whatsoever is holy and Spiritual and pure This makes the Rafters and beams of the Church to the true Christian to be like Cedar and Fir sweet smelling because of that purity and holiness which cleaveth to them 4. A fourth thing which the Proposition predicateth of the Word and Ordinances of God is their duration they are of an incorruptible Nature as Cedar and Fir or Pine Not subject to corruption and putrefaction as other sorts of wood are Isa 40. v. 8. The grass withereth and the flower fadeth but the Word of God shall stand for ever Our Saviour speaketh to this purpose Heaven and Earth shall pass away but one jot or tittle of the Law shall not pass away until all these be fulfilled I will open this a little 1. The Ordinances of the Gospel endure for ever Herein the excellency of the Gospel dispensation appeareth above the legal dispensation The Law brought nothing to perfection faith the Apostle to the Hâ—brews the Ordinances of worship under the Law were but shadows and types which ceased when Christ who was the substance of those shadows and the Antitype to those types once appeared in the World or at least when he dyed but the Ordinances which are as the beams and Rafters of the Gospel Church are durable and do not pass away The Jewish Priesthood ceased But the Gospel Ministry continues Christ hath promised to be with them to the End of the World God hath given Apastles Prophets Evangelists Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints until we all come in the Unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ The passover was but for a time until the Messiah who was the true paschal Lamb should he slain for the sins of his People but the Ordinance of the Lords Supper which comes instead of this is an Ordinance by which we shew the death of Christ until his coming again 1 Cor. 11. 2. The word of God in particular indureth for ever I will open this in two things 1. The Propositions of the word indure for ever They are Propositions of Eternal truth whether they be Dogmatical Propositions which assert the truth of God concerning the Nature or will of God or concerning the state of man or any thing relating to his duty or whether they be such as are promisory they are of an immortal Nature the reason is because God is a God that changeth not he is not Yea and Nay but Yea and Amen a God that cannot lye to his People nor repent of what he hath said unto them The truth of the word abideth for ever 2. The vertue of the word abideth and is immortal The same vertue which the word of God ever had in it to convince convert to enlighten quicken support comfort the same is in it still and indeed the proof of this dependeth partly upon the former for the vertue of the word whether it be the word of precept or the word of promise doth much depend upon the truth of it Now the truth of it being perpetual the vertue of it must also be so supposing the same concurrence of that holy Spirit which must be to make the Word of any use or vertue at any time I have spoken enough to the Explication of the point I come now to the Application of it which I shall dispatch by drawing some speculative and practical Inferences from what you have heard Hence in the first place you may observe a great difference betwixt the Legal and the Gospel Ministry And consequently the excellency of the latter above the former The Apostle to the Hebrews insisteth much upon this and by this argument proves the excellency of the Gospel above the Law The Beams and Rafters of the Church under the law they were not of Cedar they lasted no longer then until the timeof reformation The Evangelist St. John saith The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ Two things commend the Gospel above the law Grace came by it truth came by it The law brought wrath the Doctrine of it tended to curse men and women and to conclude all under wrath but the Doctrine of the Gospel brought grace the news of the free pardon and remission of sins through the blood of Christ the acceptance of the Soul upon the account of his merits Truth also came by Christ Whether you take Truth for Substance and Realities opposed to types and shadows that came by Christ who was the End of the Law Or whether you take Trutâ— for Certainty and that which hath in it porpetuity and durâ—bleness that also came by Christ who put an end to the Ceâ—emonial law which consisted of temporary Ordinances for worship
they have in them cravings and lustings of the flesh David prayeth hard for his life Psal 39. ult and Abraham for a Child and Job for health Jonas is fond of a gourd and Agur beggeth food convenient for him and although Rachel may be too importunate for a Child and Paul for the removal of the Thorn in his flesh yet there is a lawful desire of the good things of this life allowed yea commanded us in that form of Prayer which our Saviour prescribes We are bid to pray Give us this day our daily bread But the Child of God first seeks the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof according to our Saviours prescript Mat. 6. 33. I remember David hath such an expression as this Psal 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his holy Temple If a Child of God had but one thing to ask of God this should be it that it might behold the face of God this is that which it would seek after and look out for Yea this is that which their Souls desire eminenter These are the things for which they will wrestle with God and will not let him go until he shall bless them with them Other things they will beg but these are the things their Souls will spend their strength in and lay the stress upon did you hear the secret pleadings of the awakened Soul with God you would easily discern the difference between the desires it hath towards outward things and those which are in it towards Spiritual and distinguishing mercies and be easily able to say Those are the things that this Soul would have pardon of Sins sense of Gods love victory over its lusts and corruptions strength and inlargement of heart in the service of God These are the things which this Soul would have It asks a Ring but the kiss is that to which it hath most mind And all this must be understood of the gracious Soul when it is itself not in its fits of passion and infirmity then Elijah and Job and Jonah and any of the Children of God may speak according to the flesh the law of their members prevailing against the law of their mind hath brought them into captivity to the law of Sin These things being premised for the explication the truth of the proposition will be abundantly evidenced from the example of the man according to Gods own heart holy David and that in several Psalms Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me There be many that say who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon me The light of the Sun will please others but 't is only the light of thy Countenance that will please me Psal 63. v. 1. 2. My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is To see thy power and thy glory in the Sanctuary The sight of the Sanctuary will please another but nothing will please David but the sight of Gods power and glory in the Sanctuary Other-where he prays that the Lord would shew him his way and unite his heart to fear his name That God would come unto him and shew himself unto him c. Nor is it hard to find out the reason of it which lies In the sanctification of the renewed man he hath a new heart given unto him A new heart signifies a new understanding a new will and new affections New not as to the faculties themselves but as to the motions and operations of them in which the soul still follows the dictates of reason and proceedeth in the method of a rational creature 1. The Soul is renewed in its understanding from whence proceedeth a new notion and Judgment concerning things The old Serpent cheated our first Parent when he persuaded her that the fruit of the forbidden Tree was to be desired because in the day she should eat thereof her Eyes should be opened and she should be as God knowing good and evil for from that day forward she was struck blind and the Disease according to Divine ordination proved hereditary All we who are the Children of Adam are born blind neither able to take the true notion of good and evil nor yet to make up a Judgment concerning either discerning the things that differ but naturally every one calleth Evil good and good Evil. The Psalmist saith that man stood not in honour but became like the Beast that perisheth In this much like the Beast indeed that we are meerly led by the conduct of a sensitive appetite not discerning those things which are truly and spiritually good and the reason of this is our not understanding our selves for the nature of all good lying in a conveniency and sutableness of the object to us a knowledge of our own state and wants must reasonably be supposed to a right judgment concerning good and Evil. But amongst other Evils accrewing to us by the fall this was one that we are by nature Blind as to our own State and Strangers to our own Souls not understanding that we are by Nature Children of Wrath poor miserable blind and naked but conceiting that we have need of nothing Hence it is that the Soul is not able to judge of the goodness of Union and Communion with God pardon of sin reconciliation with God c. Nor indeed doth it come to understand it until the Eyes of the understanding be opened by the application of Spiritual Eye-salve laid on by the Finger of the holy Spirit of God Till this time the Soul seeth no beauty in Christ nothing for which he should be desired The goodness of Riches and Pleasures and Honours it knows but as for that transcendent goodness and Excellency which is in Christ what it is it doth not understand Hence it naturally desires life health riches honours success in worldly affairs and such common gifts as may serve it in the world with credit and applause and reputation But for spiritual things for distinguishing tokens of love it is not able to take the heighth and length and depth and breadth of the love of God in them nor to discern their conveniency and sutableness to its undone state and condition hence with the Cock in in the Fable it prefers the Barly Corn before that Pearl of great price for the purchase of which the wise Merchant is willing to sell all that he hath But now the regenerate soul hath its Eyes open to discern the things that are excellent and as it is taught by the Spirit of conviction the truth of its natural and unregenerate Estate so its Eyes are opened to see that nothing but the special love of God in Christ is a good suitable to it or worthy of its caring for
and hence the soul is taught by it's own reason to thirst after these manifestations of Divine Goodness as those which above all others are proportioned to its wants and highest necessities 2. But 2dly These desires are not the product of an enlightned understanding only but of a renewed will also So wofully depraved is our corrupt nature that the inferiour powers of our Souls have withdrawn themselves from the command of reason and whereas it is the method of a reasonable Soul to imbrace or refuse a thing with the will according to the judgment which is by the understanding given in concerning it it often falls out otherwise by reason of our Souls disorder He that not only knoweth the will of God but also approveth those things which are most excellent yet hath no hearthimself to close with them he is ready to teach another like the hand of a Statue in a way which directeth a Traveller but moveth not he teacheth not himself hence the renovation of the understanding although the great wheel of the Soul is not sufficient to make the Soul to will those things which are spiritually good Mans Soul is like a Clock broken in pieces every of whose Wheels must be mended before it will again move truly But the gracious man is renewed as well in Spirit as in Body and in Mind The day of the Lords Power is come upon him and of unwilling he is made willing God hath given him to will Phil. 2. 13. taking away that natural enmity and stubborness which was in his heart and disposing and enabling him to will those things which are in themselves most desirable and which are most pleasing unto God Now there is nothing more pleasing unto our Heavenly Father than to see his Children more sond of their Fathers love than of any thing else which is in his hand to bestow upon them And this is the true reason of the gracious Souls thirst after spiritual things To which may be added secondly the Souls assurance That other things shall be added to it Mat. 6. 33. If saith the Apostle he hath given us his Son shall be not with him give us all things All inferiour good things are but appendices to these great spiritual blessings with which the Soul is blessed in Christ Jesus the Woman that hath her Husbands heart easily commandeth his purse The Child of the bosom needs not trouble itself for a new Coat It is a spiritual subrilty of a gracious heart to be most desirous of spiritual things other things will come alone they are but appurtenances to this great possession and an easy faith will assure the Soul that if Men who are evil know how to give good things to their Children who are once possessed of their Affections God will not be wanting to his People especially considering that his liberality extends to the grass of the Field and to the Birds of the Air because they are his Creatures Let this notion in the first place shew you the vast difference betwixt the renewed soul and that which is yet in its natural estate Grace considering our weak estate is not so easily discernable in us from our Actions as from our Affections The bent of the heart doth best discover the state of it whether it be renewed or no. All Men and Women in the Christian world come under one of these three ranks They are either 1. Profane and dissolute Persons Or 2. Hypocrites or seeming professors who have a form of Godliness but deny the power thereof Or 3. Such as are Disciples indeed the true Children of God God is the fountain of all mercy and goodness and nature itself teacheth man something of this Hence every ones Soul is looking out towards God for some good or other 1. The worldling and profane Person says who will shew us any good But what is the good which he thirsts after an increase of Corn and Wine and Oil The objects for the lusts of the Flesh the lust of the Eye and the Pride of life let the Swines belly be filled with these husks and he is satisfied let who will take Grace and Heaven and heavenly things as he understands not his need of them noâ— the excellency that is in them so neither is his Soul carried out in any desires after them 2. The Hypocrites design is of another nature he would fain appear to be something though indeed all his glorying be but a vain shew and a meer appearance when indeed he is nothing Now that which he desires is something proportioned to this end he possibly covets the best gifts like Simon Magus who when he saw That through the laying on of the Apostles hands the Holy Ghost was given said Give me this power also that on whomsoever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Ghost Acts 8. 18. The Hypocrite may desire a gift of Prayer a gift of Prophecy and such like common gifts of the Holy Ghost which may serve his design in appearing Godly and Religious and this satisfieth him 3. But the gracious Soul is satisfied with none of these All his desire is after the gifts of special grace the obtaining of union with and reconciliation to God the light of Gods countenance c. and nothing less than this will satisfy his thirst It is reported of Luther indeed he reports it of himself that when he first Preached the Gospel in Germany he was much courted by some great Persons and presented with many gifts which made the good man jealous that God intended to put him off with these things but saith he Protestatus sum c I made a protestation to my God that I would not be so satisfied The Sons of Keturah may be put off with portions but Isaac must have the inheritance The gracious Soul is a true Artabazus he thinks his Saviours kiss is better than a Cup of Gold and indeed I know no better evidence of a gracious heart than this to be found unsatisfied without the special and distinguishing love of God yet that you may not deceive your selves I must tell you that as it is possible that one who is a stranger to God may desire these distinguishing favours from God So the desire of those good things which are but the issues of common providence is often found in gracious Souls and that in too high a degree But as the former proceedeth from some inconstant principle and lasteth not long in the unregenerate Soul nor is much in earnest while it continues but like Augustines desire to be rid of his lusts while in the mean time as he confesseth he secretly desired that God would not hear his prayer so the latter desires in the Child of God are secondary and subordinate or if irregular and immoderate no more than fits of passion out of which grace soon recovers him Secondly Let me beseech you all to make these spiritual distinguishing mercies of God the object of your desires I
miserable blind and naked On the other side Paul complained that he was the least of the Apostles not worthy to be called an Apostle c. Yet so false are our hearts that there may be hypocrisy even in our confessions of our sin and blackness whether to God or to man we must therefore take heed both to our design and end in these confessions and also to the truth and manner of them The hypocrite never confesseth his blackness but in hopes that for his confession he shall be reputed white and the praise of men is all that he seeks after Hence 2. he doth it without any serious sense of the sin which he confesseth or heart contrition for it A confession of sins which is but a bare recitation and Enumeration of them is not that confession which God requireth or accepteth Secondly This calleth to us all for the practice of this duty I have shewed you that there is a threefold confession of our sin which is our duty 1. A confession unto God 2. Uâ—to the faithfull Ministers and Servants of God 3. Vnto the men of the World The first is our duty at all times and under all circumstances and we have nothing to regard as to that but knowing the matter of confession keeping a watch upon our hearts and ways that we may know our errors and the plague of our own hearts that we do it in such a manner as God hath directed and prescribed confession must not be the meer Sacrifice of the Calves of our lips but the Sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart But this is not that of the Text where the Spouse is not speaking to God but to the daughters of Hierusalem it is to them the Spouse faith I am black In what cases this confession to men is our duty I have largely shewed you as also what advantage may arise from it both with reference to Gods glory and the good of our own and others Souls I shall onely offer you some few directions for the more advantageous performance of it 1. There is a great deal of prudence to be used in the choice of that friend to whom thou doest thus unbosom thy self 1. Conceal not thy self from that able and faithful Minister of Christ whom thou hast intrusted with the charge of thy Soul I am very far from pleading for that auricular confession in the Ear of the Priest which the Papists make such a stir about Amongst other supernumerary Sacraments which they have added to those 2 which alone were instituted by Christ they have one which they call the Sacrament of Penance In order to which they require in Lent especially but at other times also a circumstantiated confession of all men and womens particular sins which being so confessed to the Priest who is therefore called their confessor he appointeth them a penance to be done for them and so absolveth them from the guilt of them as they pretend As we know of no Satisfaction to be given for sin but what is given by the death of Christ excepting only in cases of wrong done unto men capable of reparation Nor of any power in any to forgive sins but only in God only the Minister may declare what God hath done or will do in cafe of our true repentance and faith so we know of no incumbent duty upon any Christian to make a particular confession of sin to the Priest and only judge such particular confession necessary in some particular cases for the disburthening and easing of Christians consciences pressed under the guilt of some particular sins and in such a case an able and faithful Minister of Christ is doubtless the most proper Person to make confession to both because as by his office he is both an Interpreter of the mind and will of God and to pray for the People so he is or ought to be one of a thousand like Saul taller then his Brethren by the head and shoulders in knowledge gifts of greater knowledge judgment in the things of God and so more able to minister a word in season It is sad that it cannot be said of all they are so but it is to be presumed that the same wisdom which teacheth every man and woman to commit the business of his bodily health to the ablest most faithful Physitian he can chuse and the concern of his Estate to the most able faithful Lawyer he can will also direct a Christian to commit the far more weighty concerns of his Soul to the most able and faithfull Minister that he can nor ought any Christian to be more abridged in his liberty with reference to the latter of far more concernment then with referenceto the former of far more minute concernment to him But I say a good Christian having made choice of such a Person he is undoubtedly the fittest Person to confess our sins unto when they lye heavy upon our conscience and we cannot recover our Peace and that with respect to both the ends of such confession whether Prayers for us or Counsel and advice and that both with respect to the abilityes of such a person which cannot but be presumed greater in order to the revealing the mind and will of God to us and so giving us advice and counsel and with reference to his Office he being one whom God hath set over us and gifted with reference unto us But set aside the case of a disturbed conscience not able otherwise to gain peace or some particular cases upon which cases of conscience and perplexing questions may arise too hard for a private Christian to answer without some help I see no need of any particular Confession unto Ministers more then others 2. As to more private Christians I have also shewed you several cases wherein some particular Confessions of sin may be highly expedient if not necessary It must be the care of a good Christian so to manage this duty that he may attain the ends which he aimeth at in it without dashing upon such Rocks as every good and prudent Christian ought to avoid To that end 1. Christians ought to use so much wisdom as may protect their profession from reproach and scandal which may prejudice the repuâ—e either of themselves or others walking in the holy ways of God The honour of the Gospel and profession of it is a great thing and though we must not commit the least sin that any such good may come of iâ— yet whatsoever prudence we can use to prevent any thing of this nature is doubtless our duty This evil ariseth from the needless publication of the sinful failings of professors He that hath sinned openly ought to be rebuked openly and openly to confess his sin that the Church of God offended by his fall may be satisfied in the truth of his repentance and recovery out of the snare of the Devil but where the sin is of another nature and hath been committed secretly there is
not only no need of such a publick confession but it may be of a greater mischief and ill consequence then good by reason of a wicked world which watcheth for Gods Peoples haltings to reproach profession and the holy name of God Though therefore in such cases private Confession even of more private sins may be necessary and expedient yet it ought to be managed with prudence as to the manner that is in the best consistency with the end to which it is directed and for the avoiding such things as may tend to the dishonour of God and disadvantage of the more publick interest and cause of God and therefore much wisdom is to be used in the choice of a friend in this case for though Solomon hath advised us Pro. 25. 9 To debate our case with our Neighbour yet in the next words he hath added discover not thy secret to another thereby informing us that Neighbour in that Text is not to be expounded in that latitude as in the Parable concerning him who fell amongst Thieves Every one no not every good man is to be trusted with the Secrets of Souls Considering the end of this action and the great thing that is to be avoided in the performance of it Three things seem requisite in the choice of a private Christian to whom a prudent Christian may thus unbosom himself 1. Silence and Secrecy 2. Knowledge and Wisdom 3. One of whom we may presume that he hath some more then ordinary interest in God 1. I say first Silence and Secrecy Your ordinary experience telleth you that even amongst good men some have a much better command and government of their tongue then others and as it is observable that such fall into more errors themselves then others for in a multitude of words there wanteth not sin so such persons are least to be trusted with the Secrets of Souls 2. Secondly he that confesseth his faults to another doth it in order to his advice and counsel this maketh knowledge and spiritual wisdom requisite in the person whom we chuse to unbosom our selves in this manner unto every man who hath knowledge enough to guide his own Soul in the ways of God yet hath not knowledge judgment or experience enough to give spiritual advice and counsel to his Brother 3. If this Confession be made in order to obtaining the benefit of prayers the same wisdom will direct us to make choice of such as we can reasonably judge to be persons likely to prevail with God in prayer there are some that are more mighty in the Scriptures more exercised in the ways of God then others these are most fit for advice and counsel There are some that are more exercised in prayer then others and more prevailing with God these are fittest to hear our Confessions in order to our advantage by their prayers and these generally are such as walk most uprightly and closely with God The Lord heareth not sinners but if any man be a Worshipper of God and doth his will him he heareth John 9. 31. The prayer of the upright saith Solomon is his delight Secondly As there is a great deal of prudence to be observed in the choice of Persons to whom we own and acknowledge our blackness so there is a great deal of piety and charity to be shewed in the manner of the doing of it That which of charity is to be shewen in it is to do it where the Soul of our Brother may be advantaged by the performance of it That of piety which is to be shewed in its Eyes 1. In a right sixing of our end which ought to be the glory of God the general end of all our actions When Joshua exhorted Achan to confess his sin My Son saith he confess and give glory unto God you read in Scripture of a confession of the Lords name a confession of truth and a confession of sin The glory of God is the end of all that is the praedication of his glory for that is all the way we have to glorify God A man by confession of his sins either unto God or men may give glory to God for in confeffing himself a sinner he owned the Lords Power and Soveraignty over him the Holiness and Righteousness of his Law and his patience long-suffering and goodness that he is not cut off and thrown into Hell and indeed there is no confession of sin our duty where this end cannot be attained some way or other God doth not delight in the shame and confusion of our faces but he doth delight in the exalting of his own name and in the praedication of his own praise and glory 2. Secondly Piety is concerned in the manner of the action So it must be doá¹…e with tenderness of heart brokenness and contrition of Spirit indeed without this the enumeration and recital of our sins is but either a glorying in sin or at best but a formaltty and shell of duty A glorying in sin is but a glorying in our shame and what will be far from the Soul of a Child of God A formality of duty is but hypocrisy It is a great vanity for any Soul to think that God should be pleased with a meer empty noise of words which are not expressive of any inward disposition of the heart in which he hath declared himself pleas'd Words in prayer and confession of sins are our duty but they must be such words as are thrust out of our lips by the force of the inward affections of our hearts If a man confesseth his sin unto God either publickly or privately this is requisite Therefore you shall observe that the main thing which God requires is our humbling our selves that signifieth the affection of the heart A man cannot humble himself by the words of his lips without the inward shame and brokenness of his Soul The same thing is necessary in our confessions unto men Under the old law there was Oyl and Frankincense to be poured upon the Meat Offering Lev. 2. 2. and several other Offerings as you will read in that Book but upon the Sin Offering there was no Oyl nor Frankincense to be put Lev. 5. 11. Oyl signified Gladness hence you read that they used it when they would make their Face to Shine and you read of the Oyl of Gladness the Confession of Sin under the Gospel is a Sin Offering to God and must not be offered without a sutable sense and Sorrow of Heart This is a requisite in all Confessions of Sin Lastly We ought with the acknowledgment of our Blackness whether to God or Man to join also the acknowledgment of our Comeliness so far as God hath made any discovery of it to our Souls we ought not indeed to Glory beyond our line and measure but we ought not to conceal what God hath done for our Souls In this both the Glory and Honour of God and the good and incouragement of our dejected and disconsolate Brethren are both concerned nor