dung and dross in comparison of him Can he in one word ever be seduced to renounce and hate Religion who has had so long an Experience of the Beauty and of the Pleasure of it Good Habits when they are grown up to Perfection and Maturity seem to me as natural as 't is possible Evil ones should be And if so 't is no less difficult to extirpate the One then the Other And I think I have the Scripture on my side in this Opinion Does the Prophet Jeremy demand Can the Ethiopian change his Skin or the Leopard his Spots then may you that are accustomed to do Evil learn to do Well Jer. 13.23 St. John on the other hand does affirm Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Ep. 3.9 Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not v. 6. These are the Grounds of Assurance with respect of the time to come As to Personal and Peremptory Predestination to Life and Glory 't is at least a controverted Point and therefore unfit to be laid as the Foundation of Assurance But suppose it were granted I see not which way it can effect our present enquiry since the wisest amongst those who stickle for it advise all to Govern themselves by the general Promises and Threats of the Gospel to look upon the Fruits of Righteousness as the only solid proof of a state of Grace and if they be under the Dominion of any Sin not to presume upon Personal Election but to look upon themselves as in a state of Damnation till they be recovered out of it by Repentance Thus far all sides agree and this I think is abundantly enough for here we have room enough for Joy and Peace and for Caution too room enough for Confidence and for Watchfulness too The Romanists indeed will not allow us to be certain of Salvation Certitudine fidei cui non potest subesse falsum with such a Certainty as that with which we entertain an Article of Faith in which there is no room for Error i. e. we are not so sure that we are in the Favour of God as we are or may be that there is a God We are not so sure that we have a title to the Merits of Christ as we are or may be that Jesus is the Christ Now if this assertion be confined to that Assurance which regards the time to come as I think it generally is and do not deny Assurance in General but only certain Degrees or Measures of it then there is nothing very absurd or intolerable in it For a less Assurance then that which this Doctrine excludes will be sufficient to secure the Pleasure and Tranquility of the Perfect Man But if this assertion be design'd against that Assurance which regards our present State then I think it is not sound nor agreeable either to Reason Scripture or Experience For first the Question being about a matter of Fact 't is in vain to argue that cannot be which does appear manifestly to have been And certainly they who rejoyced in Christ with Joy unspeakable and full of Glory were as fully perswaded that they were in a State of Grace and Salvation as they were that Jesus was Risen from the Dead Secondly 't is one thing to ballance the Strength and Degrees of Assurance another to ballance the Reasons of it For it is very possible that Assurance may be stronger where the Reason of it may not be so clear and evident as where the Assurance is less Thus for Example the evidence of Sense seems to most learned Men to be stronger then that of Faith And yet through the assistance of the Spirit a Man may embrace a Truth that depends upon Revelation with as much confidence and certainty as one depending upon Sense And so it may be in the case of Assurance The Spirit of God may by its Concurrence raise our Assurance as high as he pleases although the Reason on which it be built should not be Divine and Infallible but meerly Moral and subject at least to a possibility of Error But Thirdly Why should not the certainty I have concerning my Present State be as Divine and Infallible as that I have concerning an Article of Faith If the Premises be Infallible why should not the Conclusion He that Believes and Repents is in a State of Grace is a Divine an Infallible Proposition and why may not this other I Believe and Repent be equally Infallible though not equally Divine What Faith and Repentance is is revealed and therefore there is no room for my being here mistaken Besides I am assisted and guided in the Tryal of my Self by the Spirit of God So that the truth of this Proposition I Believe and Repent depends partly upon the evidence of Sense and I may be as sure of it as of what I do or leave undone partly upon the evidence of inward Sensation or my Consciousness of my own Thoughts and I may be as sure of it as I can be of what I love or hate rejoyce or grieve for And lastly it depends upon the evidence of the Spirit of God which assists me in the Examination of my Self according to those Characters of Faith and Repentance which he hath himself revealed And when I conclude from the two former Propositions that I am in a State of Grace he confirms and ratifies my Inference And now let any one tell me what kind of certainty that is that can be greater than this I have taken this pains to set the Doctrine of Assurance in a clear Light because it is the great Spring of the Perfect Man's Comfort and Pleasure the source of his Strength and Joy And this puts me in mind of that other fruit of Perfection which in the beginning of this Chapter I promised to insist on which is Its Subserviency to our Happiness in this Life That Happiness increases in proportion with Perfection cannot be denied unless we will at the same time deny the Happiness of a Man to exceed that of an Infant or the Happiness of an Angel that of Man Now this truth being of a very great Importance and serving singly instead of a thousand Motives to Perfection I will consider it impartially and as closely as I can Happiness and Pleasure are generally thought to be only two words for the same thing Nor is this very remote from truth for let but Pleasure be solid and lasting and I cannot see what more is wanting to make Man Happy The best way therefore to determin how much Perfection contributes to our Happiness is to examin how much it contributes to our Pleasure If with the Epicurean we think Indolence our supream Happiness and define Pleasure by the absence of Pain then I am sure the Perfect Man will have the best claim to it He surely is freest from the Mistakes and Errors from the Passions and Follies that embroil Human Life he creates
who were Eye witnesses of the Resurrection and Ascention of the Blessed Jesus The Doctrine of one God and a Judgment to come may receive much light and strength from natural Reason And whatever establishes a revealed Truth will be so far from diminishing that it will increase the Vertue and Efficacy of it All the Caution I think fit to give here is that we be sure that the Ground be Plain and Firm on which we build the Belief of an Illuminating Truth Philosophy in many cases is clear and convictive St. Paul himself amongst the Gentiles frequently appeals to Reason But too often we call our Fancy Philosophy and obtrude upon the World the wild and undigested Theories of a warm and confident Imagination for new Discoveries What strange stuff was Gnostick Philosophy once What did it produce but the Corruption of the Christian Faith And what can be expected from Mystick Enthusiastick Philosophy or Divinity in any Age any Man may guess without any deep Penetration Nor do I doubt but that all judicious and experienced Men do as much despise and nauseate the Blendures and Mixtures of pretended Philosophy with our Faith and Morals as the World generally does the subtilties and perplexities of the Schools For my part I can't endure to have my Religion lean upon the rotten props of precarious Notions I admire I love the Elevations and Enlargements of Soul But I can have no value for unaccountable Amusements or Rambles of Fancy An itch of Novelty or Curiosity has a Tincture in it of our Original Corruption I ever suspect an Opinion that carries an Air of Novelty in it and do always prefer a vulgar Truth before refined Error They are vulgar Truths which like vulgar Blessings are of most use and truest worth And surely our Saviour thought so when he thanked his Father that he had hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto Babes And when he himself taught the People with power and authority and not as the Scribes he did advance no subtil Theories but bright and dazling useful and convictive Truths This minds me of another property of Illuminating Knowledge 2. This Knowledge must not be obscure and confused but Distinct and Clear Where the Images of things are slight faint and vanishing they move Men but very weakly and affect them but very coldly especially in such Matters as are not subject to our Senses And this I perswade my self is one chief Reason why those glorious and wonderful Objects God a Judgment to come Heaven and Hell do strike us so feebly and operate so little We have generally no lively distinct and clear Conception of them It being otherwise impossible That things in their own Nature dreadful and amazing should excite in us no Fear or that things in their own Nature infinitely amiable should enkindle in us no Passion no Desire The Notions we have of Spiritual and Invisible Things are dim dusky and imperfect Our Thoughts pass over them so slightly that they scarce retain any print or traces of them Now this sort of Knowledge will never do the work These drousie notices of things will never ferment and raise our Passions for Heaven high enough to confront and combate those we have for the World From hence we may give a fair account what the use is of Prophetick Retirement and Prophetick Eloquence What is the purpose of all those Schemes and Tropes which occur in inspired Writings And why the best of Men have ever so much affected Solitude and Retreats from the noise and the hurry of the World Serious frequent and devout Contemplation is necessary to form in our Minds clear distinct and sprightly Notions And to communicate these well to the World they must be expressed in moving Language in living Tropes and Figures Ah! Did we but consider this we should sure allot more time to the study of Divine Truths and we should not think that to discover them throughly it were enough to let our Thoughts glance upon them But we should survey and ponder them with all the exactness and diligence that were necessary to make lasting and distinct impressions upon us Could we know by Intuition doubtless wonderful Objects would raise very extraordinary Passions in us But this we cannot let us come as near it as we can Only let us avoid forming absurd and false Notions of things whilst we endeavour after distinct and clear ones Spiritual things do not answer Corporeal like Face to Face in a Glass And therefore though to give some light to things that are above us we may find out all the Resemblances of them we can in those things we are acquainted with here below yet we must still remember that the one do vastly exceed the other and that we cannot thus get a just and adequate Notion of them 3. This Knowledge must not be in the Understanding crude and undigested but it must be throughly concocted and turned into Nourishment Blood and Spirits We must know the true value and use of every Principle of every Truth and be able readily to apply them For what does it signifie how important Truths are in themselves if they are not so to me What does it avail that they are impregnated with Life and Power if I feel not any such Influence Of what use is the Knowledge of Gospel Promises to me if I reap no Comfort from them Or the Knowledge of Gospel Threats if they are unable to curb and restrain my Passions And so is it with other Truths What will it avail me that I know the Life of Man consists not in the multitude of the things which he possesses if notwithstanding I cannot content my self with a Competency That Righteousness is the chief Good and the richest Treasure of the Soul of Man if notwithstanding I seek this World and the things of it with a more early and passionate Concern That sin and pain are the most considerable if not only Evils of Man if notwithstanding I be cast down and broken under every Adversity And thus I might go on and shew you that the Knowledge which is not digested into Nourishment is if not a burden of no benefit to us 'T is plain that is to me nothing worth which I make no use of We must then follow the advice of Solomon and never quit the Search and Meditation of Truth till we grow intimate and familiar with it and so have it always ready for a Guide and Guard for our Support and Strength and for our Delight and Pleasure We must bind it about our Heart as he speaks and tie it as an Ornament about our Neck Then when we go forth it shall lead us when we sleep it shall keep us and when we awake it shall talk with us For the commandment is a Lamp and the Law is light and reproofs of Instruction are the way of Life Prov. 6. In a word nothing can render the most important Truths powerful and operative in us
which flows from different Gifts of God which depend not on our selves This being premised in order to prevent my being mistaken I proceed and determine 1. That Illumination depends not upon a Man's outward Fortune There are indeed several sorts of Knowledge which we can never arrive at without much leisure and much expence And in order to support the one and enjoy the other it is requisite that we be Masters of a good Fortune Hence is that Observation of the Author of Ecclesiasticus Chap. 38.24 The Wisdom of a Learned Man cometh by opportunity of leisure and he that has little business shall become wise And therefore in the following Verses he excludes the Husbandman the Statuary the Engraver the Smith the Potter and all consequently whose Time and Mind is taken up in the Labours of their Profession and in making the necessary Provision for Life these I say he excludes from all Pretentions to Wisdom How can he get Wisdom that holdeth the Plough and that glorieth in the Goad whose talk is of Bullocks c. But this is not the Wisdom that I am enquiring after and which constitutes Illumination That consists not in the Laws of our Earthly but Heavenly Country Not in Arts and Sciences which relate to the Body and minister to a temporal Life but in those Divine Truths which purifie the Soul and minister to an Eternal one no not in Notional Improvements of the Mind but in Spiritual and Vital ones And therefore the Husbandman and the Artist the Mechanick and the Trader are as capable of this sort of Wisdom as the Man of Office Mony or Quality There needs no Wealth to render one the Child of Light and of the Day There is the Book of Nature the Book of Revelation both the Books of God both writ throughout with glorious Illuminating Truths These lie wide open to every honest Christian The Being and Nature of God the Mediation of Jesus and a Judgment to come the Nature and Necessity of Holiness are fully revealed and unanswerably proved And though every honest Man be not able to discover all the Arguments on which they stand yet may he discover enough and what is more he may have an inward vital sensible proof of them he may feel the Power the Charms of Holiness experiment its Congruity and Loveliness to the Human Soul and observe a thousand Demonstrations of its serviceableness to the Honour of God and the good of Mankind He may have a a full convictive sense of the Manifestation of the Divine Perfections in the great work of our Redemption and the excellent Tendency of it may be so palpable and conspicuous to him as to leave no room for Doubts or Scruples But besides all this there is a Voice within there is a Divine Teacher and Instructor which will ever abide with him and lead him into all necessary Truths All which is implied in those words of our Lord If any Man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Joh. 7.17 2. Extraordinary Natural parts such as Sagacity or Acuteness of Judgment strength of Memory the liveliness of Imagination are not necessary to Illumination The Gospel as I remember takes no notice of these Such is the beauty of Holiness that it requires rather purity of Heart then quickness of Apprehension to render us enamoured of it And the very same thing may be said of the Power and Energy of all Gospel Motives and of the Proofs and Evidences too of Divine Truths To convince and affect us there is no need of Sagacity and Penetration but Probity and Sincerity However I have two or three Reflections to make here which may not be unuseful For tho' Acuteness and Retention by which I mean quickness in discerning and firmness in preserving Truth be commonly accounted Natural Parts and generally are so yet I think where the one or the other are most defective they may be much helped and wonderfully improved To which end I remark First That those defects of Vnderstanding or Memory which some are wont to accuse themselves of in Spiritual things are with more Justice to be imputed to want of concern and affection for such things than to any incapacity of Nature 'T is plain we easily understand and easily remember what we desire and love And where-ever we follow the Impulse or Conduct of strong Inclinations we seldom fail of excelling Let us therefore take care that our Hearts be set upon the things of God and we shall soon see that our Judgment and Memory will no more fail us here then in those worldly Interests and Pleasures which we are most intent upon Secondly as to Memory it depends very much upon the Perspicuity Regularity and Order of our Notions Many complain of want of Memory when the defect is in their Judgment And others while they grasp at all retain nothing In order then to relieve this infirmity of Memory it were an excellent way to confine our search and Meditation to a few Objects and to have these clearly and methodically handled A Catechetical way of expounding and asserting the Rudiments of our Faith if done as it ought to be is of great service to Persons of all Capacities but especially to those of meaner For thus they may not only be enriched with the Knowledge of the most useful things and of the grounds on which our Obligation either to Belief or Practice is bottom'd but also may be furnished with general Principles of Reason by which they may steer their Judgment in all cases and with certain Heads of Faith and Morals to which they may be able to reduce most of what they read or hear Thirdly 't is with the Understanding as with the Eye of the Body One sees further off and in a fainter Light but another sees as well with regard to all the uses of Life who yet requires that the Object should be nearer and the Light better Men of slow Capacities must not be Daring or Precipitate in passing their Sentence and forming their Notions They must examine whether the Matters they enquire after be not too remote and obscure whether the Object may be brought nearer and placed in a better Light or whether they may be furnished with Telescopes or Microscopes fit for them If not they must quit the search of such Truths as improper and unnecessary for them By which means they will at least avoid being deceived or perplexed which is no small advantage To be enriched with a kind of Vniversal Knowledge is a great thing but I doubt too great for Man Next to this is to be endowed with a Knowledge of necessary and important Truths and to be freed from Errors and Perplexity in Matters of any moment And methinks it were no great excess of Modesty or Humility for Man to be content with this 3. There is no great need of acquired Learning in order to true Illumination Our Saviour
slighting the blood of the Covenant and grieving the Holy Spirit all which we do by willful Sin is a Guilt that will sink down the obstinate Sinner into the lowest Hell and render his Condition more intolerable that that of Tyre and Sidon Sodom and Gomorrah 2. The Second Effect of the firm Belief of these Gospel Truths is that it begets in us a Contempt of this World and all the things of it To him that Beelieves How short is Time compar'd to Eternity How false how empty are the Pleasures of Sin compared with those of Heaven how insignificant the Esteem or Love of Man to that of God How worthless are all our worldly Hopes and Pretensions in respect of an Interest in Jesus Now the Soul that is once possess'd thoroughly with these Notions what will it not do what will it not suffer rather than fall short of or forfeit its Crown In what state will it not be contented nay in what state will it not abound in Joy whilst it holds fast the steadfastness of its Hope and is secure of the Love of Jesus Here begins that Purity of Heart which is the Fountain of true Epicureism that Greatness of Mind which alone is true Honour and Fortitude But that Faith may have these Effects upon us it must not be only a true but a lively Faith therefore my 2. Second Rule or if you please another Branch of the former Rule shall be this They that will be free indeed must not only believe the great Truths of the Gospel but must frequently and seriously ponder them till they have imprinted in themselves as clear distinct and perfect Ideas of them as we are capable of This will soon mortifie the Appetites of the Body corrrect our false Opinions of worldly Things and baffle all the Sophistry and Confidence of Lust A lively Faith is a Faith that imports the most clear and natural the most full and enlarg'd Notions of its Objects a Faith that not only looks upon the Articles of our Creed as true but beholds them in a manner as present and so represented and drawn to the Life that they fill the Soul with great and moving Considerations This Faith does not only Believe that there is a God but it beholds Him and walks before Him as present it sees Him array'd in all his Glory and in all his Majesty in all the Power and all the Terrors in all the Beauties and all the Graces of the Divine Nature it does not only believe that there are Rewards and Punishments but is extreamly sensible of the Terrors of the one and Attractions of the other and looks upon both as at the door It does not only acknowledge a Mediator but takes a full view of the Misery of that state wherein we lay through Sin and of the Blessedness of that into which we are translated by the Redemption which is in Jesus It Contemplates this Mediatour in all the several steps of Condescension and Humiliation in all the Tenderness and Transports of his Passion in all the melancholy Scenes of his Sufferings and the bright and chearful ones of his Glory This is the Faith that sets us free 3. We must not stop in Faith till it be made perfect in Love We must meditate Divine Truths till they have fired our Souls till they have enkindled our Affections till we be possess'd by an ardent Love of God of Jesus of Righteousness and of Heaven till all our other Desires and Passions be converted into and swallowed up of Love till God becomes the Center of our Souls and in Him we rest in Him we glory and in Him we rejoyce O Love how great and glorious are the things that are said of thee 'T is thou who dost impregnate and animate Faith it self 't is thou who dost surmount the Difficulties of Duty and make the Yoke of Christ easie and his Burthen light 't is thou who dost cast out Fear and make Religion full of Pleasure 't is thou that dost make us watchful against Temptations and impatient under the Interruptions of Duty 't is thou that makest us dis-relish the Pleasures of this World and long to be dissolved and to be with Christ Here is the Liberty of the Sons of God Blessed are they even in this World who attain it But one Caution I must here add That our Love must not be a Flesh a Bit but a steady and well setled Affection an Affection that has the Warmth of Passion and the Firmness of Habit. We must therefore by repeated Meditations and Prayers daily nourish this Flame of the Altar and not suffer it to go out 4. We must never be at rest till we have possess'd our Minds with a perfect Hatred of the sin which we are most subject to The Love of God his Long-suffering and forbearance the Sufferings of Jesus the struglings of the Spirit the Peace and Pleasure of Holiness the Guilt and Vexation the Shame and Punishment of Sin its ill Influence on our present Perfection and Happiness on our Peace and Hopes are proper Topicks to effect this A thorough Hatred of Sin once setled and rooted in us will produce that Sorrow that Indignation that Watchfulness that Zeal which will remove us far enough not only from the Sin but also from the ordinary Temptations to it and place us almost without the Danger of a Relapse To this former Rule I should add this other that when once a Man has resolved upon a new Course of Life whatever Difficulties he finds in his Ways whatever Baffles he meets with he must never quit the Desgn of Vertue and Life he must never give over Fighting till he Conquer The reason is plain for he must either Conquer or Dye But this belonging rather to Perseverance in Vertue than the Beginning of it therefore I but just mention it 5. It will not be imprudent in this Moral as in Physical Cures to observe diligently and follow the Motions and Tendencies of Nature Where there are Seeds of Generosity and Honour the Turpitude and Shame of Sin the Baseness and Ingratitude of it the Love of God and of Jesus and such like are fit Topicks to dwell upon Where Fear is more apt to prevail there the Terrors of the Lord are the most powerful Motive And so whatever the Frame and Constitution of Nature be it will not be difficult to find Arguments in the Gospel adapted to it which will be so much the more prevalent as they are the more natural 6. Lastly We must use all Means to obtain the Spirit of God and to increase and cherish his Influence We must ask and seek and knock i. e. we must pray and Meditate and Travel with Patience and with Importunity that our Heavenly Father may give us his Holy Spirit And when we have it we must not grieve it by any Deliberate Sin nor quench it by Security or Negligence by sensual Freedoms and Presumption but we must cherish every Motion improve every
Sins through his Name amongst all Nations And this is one Blessed advantage which Revealed Religion has above Natural that it contains an express Declaration of the Divine Will concerning the Pardon of all Sins whatsoever upon these Terms Natural Religion indeed teaches us that God is Merciful but it teaches us that he is Just too and it can never assure us what Bounds God will set to the Exercise of the one or the other and when Justice and when Mercy shall take Place What Sins are and what are not capable of the benefit of Sacrifice and Repentance And this uncertainty considering the Sins of the best Life was ever naturally apt to beget Despondencies Melancholy and sometimes a Superstitious dread of God The Second Ground of assurance as it relates to our present State is an Application of the Condition of Life laid down in the Gospel to a Man 's own Particular Case thus They that Believe and Repent shall be Saved I Believe and Repent therefore I shall be Saved Now that a Man upon an Examination of himself may be throughly assured that he does Believe and Repent is evident from Scripture which does not only exhort us to enter upon this Examination but also assert that Assurance Joy and Peace are the natural Fruits of it But let a Man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup 1 Cor. 11.28 Examine your selves whether ye be in the Faith prove your own selves Know ye not your own selves how that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be Reprobates 2 Cor. 13.5 But Sanctifie the Lord God in your Hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every Man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 And hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his Commandments 1 Joh. 2.3 Beloved if our Hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 1 Joh. 3.2 'T is true Men do often deceive themselves and entertain a more favourable Opinion of their state then they ought But whence proceeds this Even from too Partial or Superficial Reflections on themselves or none at all And therefore the Apostle teaches us plainly that the only way to correct this Error is a Sincere and diligent search into our selves For if a Man think himself to be something when he is nothing he deceiveth himself But let every Man prove his own Work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Gal. 6.3 4. But it is Objected against all this that the Heart of Man is so deceitful that it is a very difficult Matter to make a thorough discovery of it We often think our selves Sincere when the success of the next Temptation gives us just reason to call this Sincerity into question such is the contradictions Composition of our Nature that we often act contrary to our inward Convictions and frequently fail in the execution of those designs in the performance of those resolutions which we have thought very well grounded and this being not to be charged upon the Insufficiency of God's Grace but the Levity or Insincerity of our own Hearts how can we safely frame any right Opinion of our Selves from those affections and purposes which are so little to be rely'd upon To this I Answer First We are not to conclude any thing concerning our Progress or Perfection too hastily we are not to determine of the final Issue of a War by the success of one or two Engagements but our Hopes and Assurances are to advance slowly and gradually in proportion to the abatement of the Enemy's Force and the increase of our own so that we may have time enough to examine and prove our own Hearts Secondly A Sincere Christian but especially one of a Mature Vertue may easily discern his spiritual state by the inward movings and actings of the Soul if he attend to them For is it possible that such a one should be ignorant what Impressions Divine Truths make upon him Is it possible he should be ignorant whether his Faith stand firm against the shock of all Carnal objections whether he earnestly desire to please God as loving him above all things whether he thirst after the Consolation and Joy of the Spirit more then after that of sensible things Is it possible the Soul should bewail its Heaviness and Driness which the best are liable to at some season or other Is it possible that the Soul should be carried upwards frequently on the Wings of Faith and Love that it should maintain a familiar and constant Conversation with Heaven that it should long to be delivered from this World of trouble and this Body of Death and to enter into the Regions of Peace of Life and Righteousness Is it possible I say that these should be the Affections the Longings and Earnings of the Soul and yet that the Good Man the Perfect Man who often enters into his Closet and Communes with his own Heart should be ignorant of them It cannot be In a word can the Reluctances of the Body and the Allurements of the World be disarm'd weaken'd and reduc'd Can the Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness be very eager the relish of spiritual Pleasure brisk and delightful and the contempt of worldly things be real and thoroughly setled and yet the Man be insensible of all this It cannot be But if we fell these Affections in us we may safely conclude that we are Partakers of the Divine Nature that we have escaped the corruption that is in the World through Lust and that the New Creature is at least growing up into a Perfect Man to the Measure of the Stature of the fulness of Christ Thirdly The surest Test of a State of Grace is our abounding in Good Works You shall know the Tree by its Fruit is our Masters own Rule and it can never deceive us He that doth Righteousness is born of God If then we be frequent and fervent in our Devotion towards God if we be modest and grateful in the Successes Patient and Resigned Calm and Serene under the Crosses and Troubles of Life If we be not only Punctual but Honourable in our dealings if we be Vigorous and Generous in the Exercises of Charity if we be not only just and true but meek gentle and obliging in our Words if we retrench not only the sinful but something from the innocent Liberties and Gratifications of Sense to give our selves more entirely up to the Duties and Pleasures of Faith If finally we never be ashamed of Vertue nor flatter complement nor wink at Vice if we be ready to meet with Death with comfort and retain Life with some degree of Indifference If these things I say be in us we have little reason to doubt of the goodness of our State For Good Works being the natural Fruit of Grace it is impossible we should abound in the one without being possessed
all our sinful or vain desires devote our selves to the Service of Jesus and learn to expect Happiness from nothing else but the Merits and the Imitation of his Cross So profound is the Wisdom of this Institution that it evidently speaks God the Author of it and proclaims the too common neglect of it in most parts of this Nation an in-excusable Sin and Folly 3. A Third end of Instrumental Duties of Religion is the raising and keeping up Holy and Devout Affections I know not why Passion is so commonly undervalued and disparaged in Religion unless they who thus treat it mean nothing by it but a short-liv'd and superficial commotion of the Mind which leaves no print or relish behind it and is presently succeeded by Sin and Folly Holy Passion is the vigour and strength of the Soul 't is the state and frame of the Mind when it is throughly moved and affected And therefore to form to ones self Religion destitute of Passion is little better than to content ones self with one that is lazy lukewarm and lifeless And though there be some Tempers very unapt to be moved yet 't is hard to imagine how even these can be wrought up to a Resolution or that Resolution be supported and continued without their being affected so throughly as to feel either a real Passion or something very nearly approaching one 'T is an excellent Frame of Spirit when the Soul is easily elevated and transported into Holy Passion And I find that all those Vertues or rather Acts of Vertue which are described to the Life and which are by all judg'd most Perfect and Lovely have most of Passion in them How warm and Passionate was the Love of David for his God! What Flame what vehemence of Desire was he moved by when he cries out Psal 42.1 2. As the Heart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God What awful Concussions and Agitations of Spirit did he feel when he thus describes his Fear My Flesh trembleth for fear of thee and I am afraid of thy Judgments Psal 119.120 What afflictions of Soul what tenderness of Heart do we meet with in the Repentance of St. Peter when He went forth and wept bitterly Of Mary Magdalen or whoever that Woman in Luk. 7. was when she washed the Feet of our Saviour with her Tears and wiped them with the Hairs of her Head And of the Royal Psalmist when he watered his Couch with his Tears Psal 6.6 Nor were the Pleasures of Assurance less sensible and vehement then the sorrows of Repentance when the first Christians rejoyced with Joy unspeakable and Hopes full of Glory Shall I here add that Holy Indignation against Sin that vehement desire of making some Reparation for it which is the effect of Godly Sorrow that Zeal and Fervency of Spirit in the Service of God which is the highest Character of Perfection it self Shall I call these Passions I must not for though they have the heat and agitation of Passion they have in them the firmness and steadiness of an Habit. And I wish with all my Heart that all those other excellent Affections of Soul which I before named could be rendered Natural and Habitual The nearer we come to this undoubtedly the Perfecter I doubt Mortality is incapable of any such height But the more frequent as well as the more vehement and fervent the better certainly For great is the Force and Vertue of Holy Passion the flame of Love refines our Nature and Purifies it from all its Dross the Tears of a Godly Sorrow extinguish all our carnal and worldly Lusts and the Agitations of Fear preserve the chastity and purity of the Soul 'T is plain then that our Religion ought to be animated by Holy Passions that the more frequent and natural these grow the more Perfect we are that being the most excellent frame of Spirit when we are most apt to be sensibly and throughly affected by Divine Truths By what Means we may attain to this is now briefly to be considered 'T is certain that great and Important wonderful and glorious Truths will not fail to affect us and that throughly unless Lust or Infidelity have render'd us stupid and impenetrable And that Gospel Truths are such is no doubt at all let the Conviction be full the Representation lively and the Truth will do its work 'T is for want of such circumstances and such sensible Notions of an Object as may strike the Imagination for want of close and particular Applications when Divine Truths do not move us This now does not only call us to the frequent Meditation of the most Affecting Subjects the Majesty and Omnipresence of God the Sufferings of Christ Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell but it shews also how to model and form our Meditations that they prove not cold and sluggish Let the Object of our Thoughts be described by the most sensible Images or Resemblances let it be clad with the most natural circumstances let it be made as particular as it can by fixing its Eye upon us and pointing its Motion towards us but above all and in the first place let the Proof of it be clear and strong Prayer is an Exercise very apt to move the Passion The Mind having disengaged it self from all Earthly and Bodily Affections is prepared for the impression of Truth and the Spirit of God it draws nearer into the Presence of God and the sense of this sheds an awful Reverence upon it it has a clearer calmer and more serious View of Divine Things then when it is obscured and disturbed by worldly Objects In a word Meditation is in this Exercise render'd more solemn and more particular and when the Holy Fire is kindled in the Soul it dilates and diffuses it self more and more till the strength of Desire the vehemence of Holy Love transcending the weakness of this Mortal Nature we faint under the Passions that we cannot bear The Lord's Supper is an Holy Rite wonderfully adapted to raise excellent Passions Here Christ is as it were set forth Crucified amongst us we see His Body broken and His Blood poured forth here with a devout Joy we receive and embrace Him by Faith and Love in those Symbols of His Body and Blood and Pledges of His Love The Soul must be very ill prepared it must have very imperfect Notions of Sin and Damnation the Cross of Christ Grace and Salvation which is not sensible of a Crow'd of Holy Passions springing up in it at this Sacrament Hymns and Psalms have by I know not what Natural Magick a peculiar Force and Operation upon a pious Mind Divine Poetry has a noble elevation of Thoughts it does not devise and counterfeit Passions but only vents those which it feels and these are pure and lovely kindled from above Therefore are all its Characters natural its Descriptions lively its Language moving and powerful and all is
had nothing of internal Purity or solid Righteousness in it So that upon the whole the Jew and Gentile were alike wicked Only the Wickedness of the Jews had this Aggravation in it above that of the Gentiles that they enjoy'd the Oracles of God and the Favour of a peculiar Covenant This being the state of Darkness which lay upon the Face of the Jewish and Gentile World our Lord who was to be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and the Glory of his People Israel advanced and established in the World that Doctrine which directly tends to dispel these Errors and rescue Mankind from the Misery that attends them For all that the Gospel contains may be reduced to these three Heads First the Assertion of one only true God with a bright and full Revelation of his Divine Attributes and Perfection Secondly an Account of the Will of God or the Worship he delights in which is a Spiritual one together with suitable Means and Motives in which last is contained a full Declaration of Man's supream Happiness Thirdly the Revelation of one Mediator between God and Man the Man Christ Jesus through whom we have access with boldness to the Throne of Grace through whom we have obtained from the Father Grace and Pardon and Adoption and through whom Lastly all our Oblations and Performances are acceptable to Him The Design of this glorious Manifestation was to open Mens Eyes to turn them from Darkness to Light and from the Power of Satan to the Living God That they might obtain Remission of Sins and an Inheritance of Glory These then are the truths which Illuminated the Gentile and Jewish World And these are the truths which must Illuminate us at this day These dispel all destructive Errors that lead us to Vice or Misery These point out our supream Felicity and the direct way to it These open and enlarge the Eye of the Soul enable it to distinguish and judge with an unerring Exactness between Good and Evil between Substantial and Superficial Temporal and Eternal Good And I wish from my Soul whatever Light we pretend to at this Day we were well grounded and established in these Truths I doubt notwithstanding our Belief of one God and one Mediator and notwithstanding we are well enough assured that God who is a Spirit must be worshipped in Spirit and in Truth and notwithstanding our pretending to believe a Life to come I say I am afraid that notwithstanding these things we do generally err in two main points namely in the Notion we ought to have of Religion and the value we are to set upon the World and the Body For who that reflects upon the Pomp and Pride of Life upon the ease the softness and the luxury of it upon the frothiness and the freedom the vanity and Impertinence to say no worse of Conversation will not conclude that either we have renounced our Religion or form to our selves too complaisant and indulgent a Notion of it For is this the imitation of Jesus Is this to walk as he walked in the World Can this be the Deportment of Men to whom the World and the Body is Crucified Can such a Life as this is flow from those Divine Fountains Faith Love and Hope Who again can reflect upon the Passion we discover for Superiority and Precedence our thirst of Power our ravenous desire of VVealth and not conclude that we have mistaken our main End that we set a wrong value upon things and that whatever we talk of an Eternity we look upon this present World as our portion and most valuable Good For can such a tender concern for such an eager pursuit after temporal things flow from nay consist with purity of Heart and poverty of Spirit the Love of God and a Desire of Heaven Whoever then will be Perfect or Happy must carefully avoid both these Errors He must never think that Religion can subsist without the strength and vigour of our Affections Or that the Bent and Vigour of our Souls can be pointed towards God and yet the Air of our Deportment and Conversation be earthy sensual and vain conformed even to a Pagan Pride and shew of Life Next he must never cherish in himself the love of this World He must never look upon himself other than a Stranger and Pilgrim in it He must never be fond of the Pleasure of it He must never form vain Designs and Projects about it nor look upon the best things in it as ingredients of our Happiness but only as Instruments of Vertue or short Repasts and Refreshments in our Journey And because all our mistakes about the Nature and Perfection of Religion and the Value of Temporal things do generally arise from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that peculiar Sin to which our Constitution betrays us therefore the Knowledge of our selves an intimate Acquaintance with all our natural Propensions and Infirmities is no inconsiderable Part of Illumination For we shall never address our selves heartily to the Cure of a Disease which we know nothing of or to the rectifying any inclination till we are throughly convinced that 't is irregular and dangerous 2. The Second Character of Illuminating Truths is that they are such as feed and nourish corroborate and improve the Mind of Man Now the Properties of Bodily strength are such as these It enables us to Baffle and repel Injuries to bear Toil and Travel to perform difficult Works with speed and ease and finally it prolongs Life to a much further date than weak and crazy Constitutions can arrive at And of all these we find some Resemblances in Spiritual Strength But as much more Perfect and Excellent as the Spirit is above the Body Those Truths then are indeed Illuminating which enable us to vanquish Temptations to endure with Constancy and Patience the Toils and Hardships of our Christian warfare to discharge the Duties of our Station with Zeal and Vigour and which Lastly render us firm steady and immortal And these are the glorious effects which are attributed to the Truths of God Hence is the Gospel called the Power of God unto Salvation Rom. 1.16 and hence it is that we read of the Armour of God Ephesians 6.11 The Sword of the Spirit the Shield of Faith the Breast-plate of Righteousness c. to intimate to us the Strength and Vertue of the Word of God and that it brings with it safety and success And hence it is that the Word of God is said to quicken and strengthen that Man is said to live not by Bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God that Righteousness is called Everlasting and that he that doth the Will of God is affirmed to abide for ever To teach us plainly that there is nothing steady and unalterable nothing durable nothing eternal but God Divine Truths and those that are formed and modeled by them There are Truths indeed which are meerly Barren and Vnactive which amuse and suspend the
Scripture it self frequently puts us in mind of and not without Reason because the Devil sows his Tares amongst the Wheat Errors and these too fatal and destructive ones are frequently obtruded upon the World for the Revelations of God and every Party nay every single Author lays the stress of Salvation on their peculiar and distinguishing Opinions Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 John 4.1 'T is needless to multiply Texts or Words on this occasion When the Peace and Purity of our Mind the Rectitude and Happiness of our Lives and the Blessedness of Eternity have so close and necessary a Dependance upon the Doctrins we imbibe that we hereby either secure or forfeit them who sees not unless he be stupid and infatuated that greater Care and Solicitude is necessary here than in any matter whatever because there is no other equal moment Bad Money or bad Wares instead of good an ill Title or Conveyance instead of a firm and clear one may impoverish us bad Drugs instead of good may infect the Body and destroy the Health but what is all this to the dismal Consequences of Error and Heresie which impoverishes and infect the Mind prevents the Life and damns the Man to all Eternity The Example of the Bereans is never forgot and indeed never ought to be on this occasion We must admit nothing hastily assent to nothing without examining the Grounds on which it stands Credulity Precipitation and Confidence are irreconcilable Enemies to Knowledge and Wisdom 2. We are to use great Diligence and Industry to enlarge and increase our Knowledge The Treasures of Divine Wisdom are almost infinite and it fares with those that Study them as with a Traveller when he ascends a rising Ground every new step almost enlarges his Horison and presents new Countries new Pleasures to his Eye 'T is our own Negligence if we do not daily extend the Compass of our Knowledge if our View of things grow not more distinct and clear and our Belief of them more firm and steady This is to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord 2 Pet. 3.18 This is to have the eye of our Vnderstanding opened Eph. 1.17 this is to be filled with the Knowledge of God in all Wisdom and Vnderstanding Col. 1.9 this is finally for the Word of God to dwell in us richly Col. 3.16 And of what Importance this is is manifest from what I have before proved namely that Illumination consists not in a credulous and ill-grounded in a slight and superficial or a confused and obscure or imperfect sort of knowledge but in a clear distinct firm and well established one And the acquiring such a one demands a very diligent and an indefatigable Study of the Word of Life To fill the Mind with numerous great and beautiful Ideas and these clear and distinct to have them engraven in the Memory in deep and lasting Characters to have them lodged and disposed in that Order as to be able in an Instant to have recourse to them to discern and demonstrate plainly the Connexion and Dependance of one upon another and the unquestionable Evidence of each this is a Work of Time and Labour the Fruit of a Regular and Assiduous Search after Truth and if the Capacities and Fortunes of all Men will not suffer them to come up to this they must come as near as they can But if such a search as this be not necessary to penetrate the Depths and to discover the Beauties of Divine Truths or to convince the World and our selves of the Certainty of them yet certainly without it we shall never be able to extract their Force and Vertue and to derive Purity and Nourishment from them Which is the next thing implied in the Rule laid down 3. We must make frequent and serious Reflections on the Truths we do know This again naturally follows from the Notion of Illumination as it is before setled For if it is not every Knowledge of the best things that suffices for Illumination but a Vital and operative one that is a well grounded clear distinct and well-digested one it is plain that constant daily and devout Meditation is necessary to Illumination because 't is not a transcient and perfunctory Reflection upon the most important Truths 't is not a fleeting rambling irregular and desultory Meditation of them that will possess us with such a kind of Knowledge To imprint a Truth in lively Notions upon our Minds to digest it into Nourishment and Strength and make it mix it self with all our Affections and all our Actions it is necessary that we dwell upon it with Constancy and Delight And accordingly we find that excellent and elevated Souls both under the Old Testament and the New have been daily nay almost hourly conversant in the Book of God they have been passionately devoted to the Study of it and delighted more in it than in Treasures or Honours than in the most profitable Employments or engaging Diversions of Life 'T is this kind of Meditation on God on Jesus the World and our selves that can alone acquaint us thoroughly with each 't is this kind of Meditation on Death and Judgment Heaven and Hell that can make us wise unto Salvation The sum of all that I have said on this Rule amounts to this That Illumination is not to be attained without Labour and Travel It is indeed the Gift of God but such a one as he will never bestow but upon those who ask and seek and knock Divine Bounty and Human Industry do here very well accord the Spirit of God generally joyns them together and 't is Boldness and Impiety in Man to go about to divide them Prov. 2.4 5 6. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as hid treasures then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God For the Lord giveth Wisdom out of his mouth cometh Knowledge and Vnderstanding Nor will any one surely think it much to devote his Time and Labour to the Attainment of Illumination For what is there that can more justly challenge or better deserve both Can Pleasure There is none but what flows from Wisdom that is either pure great or lasting Can Business What Business can be of greater Importance than what secures our Salvation our Eternity Wisdom then is the principal thing therefore get Vnderstanding Prov. 4.7 for without this the most desireable Possessions and Pleasures of Life are but Cheats and Illusions Mischiefs and Snares For the turning away of the simple shall slay them and the Prosperity of fools shall destroy them Prov. 1.32 3. That we act conformable to those Measures of Light which we have attained The more Spiritual we grow the fitter we are for the Residence of God's Spirit and the more capable of his Influences The more we subdue all inordinate Affections the
clearer does the Vnderstanding grow and the more absolute its Authority The Grace of God if it be complied with and obeyed while it renders us more like God renders us more dear to him too and one Favour if it be not our own fault qualifies us for another Whoever shall observe the Scriptures will find that Holiness and Illumination advance with equal steps and grow up by the same degrees of Maturity That as we pass on from the Infancy to the Manhood of Vertue so do we from the first Rudiments of Wisdom to the Heights and Mysteries of it But on the other hand Lust obscures and eclipses the Light within Sin depraves and corrupts our Principles and while we renounce our Vertue we quench or chase away the Spirit Into a malicious Soul Wisdom shall not enter nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto Sin For the holy Spirit of discipline will flee deceit and remove from thoughts that are without understanding and will not abide when unrighteousness cometh in Wisd 1.4 5. 4. We must frequently and constantly address our selves to God by Prayer for the Illumination of his Grace There is nothing that we do not receive from above and if the most inconsiderable things be the Gift of God from what Fountain but from him can we expect Illumination The Raptures of Poets the Wisdom of Law-givers the noblest Pieces of Philosophy and indeed all Heroick and Extraordinary Performances were by the Pagans themselves generally attributed to a Divine Inspiration And the Old Testament ascribes a transcendant skill even in Arts and Trades to the Spirit of God It is not therefore to be wondered at if Illumination be attributed to Him in the New Wisdom and Vnderstanding are essential Parts of Sanctity and therefore must proceed from the sanctifying Spirit We must therefore constantly look up to God and depend upon Him for Illumination we must earnestly Pray in the Words of St. Paul That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory would give unto us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation Eph. 1.17 This Dependance upon God in Expectation of his Blessing on our search after Knowledge puts the Mind into the best Disposition and Frame to attain it because it naturally frees and disengages it from those Passions Prejudices and Distractions which otherwise entangle and disturb it and render it uncapable of raised sedate and coherent Thoughts But what is more than this there are repeated and express Promises made it so that it can never fail of Success Ask and it shall be given you seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened to you The Reason of which is added If ye then being evil know how to give good Gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Father which is in Heaven give good things or as it is Luk. 11. the Holy Spirit to them that ask him Mat. 7.7 11. If any of you lack Wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all Men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him Jam. 1.5 nor do I doubt but every good Man has these Promises verified to him There are suddain Suggestions unexpected Manifestations extraordinary Elevations of Mind which are never to be accounted for but by a Divine Principle Nor does this Doctrine of Spiritual Illumination or Irradiation in the least diminish the Power and Excellence of the Gospel of Christ no more than the Instruction of the Gospel does supersede that of the Spirit For we must not think that the Spirit does now Reveal any new Truth of general Use or Importance since the Canon of Scripture would on this supposal be but a defective Rule of Faith and Manners But first the Spirit may assist us in making a fuller Discovery of the Sense of Scripture Secondly the Spirit may help us to form clearer and distincter Notions of those things we have yet but an imperfect and general Knowledge of and to fix and imprint them in more lasting as well as more legible Characters in our Minds or it may recal to our Remembrance such things as are obliterated and forgotten Or finally it may produce in us a more earnest and steady Application to the Truth of God Thirdly I see no Reason why the Spirit may not vouchsafe us particular Impulses Directions and Intimations upon extraordinary Occasions and suddain Emergencies where Holy Writ affords us no Light and Human Prudence is at a Loss Nor does any thing that I attribute to the Spirit in all this detract or derogate from the Dignity or the Efficacy of the Scripture This then I conceive is what the Spirit does in the Work of Illumination But how it does it is not necessary nor I doubt possible to be determined Nor ought our Ignorance of this to be objected against the Truth of Divine Illumination We are sure we understand and remember and exercise a Freedom or Liberty of Will in our Choices Resolutions and Actions but the Manner how we do this is an Enquiry that does hitherto for ought I can see wholly surpass and transcend our Philosophy I will here close this Chapter with a Prayer of Fulgentius Lib. 1. cap. 4. After he has in the beginning of the Chapter disclaimed all Pretences to the fetting up himself a Master Doctor or Dictator to his Brethren he breaks out into these devout and pious Words I will not cease to Pray that our true Master and Doctor Christ Jesus either by the Oracles of his Gospel or by the Conversation of my Brethren or Joint-disciples or else by the secret and delightful Instruction of Divine Inspiration in which without the Elements of Letters or the sound of Speech Truth speaks with so much the sweeter as the stiller and softer Voice would vouchsafe to teach me those things which I may so propose and so assert that in all my Expositions and Assertions I may be ever found conformable and Obedient and firm to that Truth which can neither Deceive nor be Deceived For it is Truth it self that enlightens confirms and aids me that I may always obey and assent to the Truth By Truth I desire to be informed of those many more things which I am ignorant of from whom I have received the few I know Of Truth I beg through preventing and assisting Grace to be instructed in what ever I yet know not which conduces to the Interest of my Vertue and Happiness to be preserved and kept steadfast in those Truths which I know to be reformed and rectified in those points in which as is common to Man I am mistaken to be confirmed and established in those Truths wherein I waver and to be delivered from those Opinions that are erroneous or hurtful I beg lastly that Truth may ever find both in my Thoughts and Speeches all that sound and wholesome Doctrine I have received from its Gift and that it would always cause me to utter those things which are agreeable to it self in the first place and
the Children of God and the blessed Fruit of it Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost would easily furnish me with invincible Arguments Nor would the contrary Opinion ever have been able to have kept the Field so long as it has done had it not been favoured by a weak and decayed Piety by the Fondnesses of Men for themselves in spight of their Sins and Frailties and by many mistaken Texts But that this Matter may if possible be freed from all Objections 1. I here distinguish between Inordinate and Natural Affections By Inordinate Affections I mean the Tendencies of the Soul towards that which is Vnlawful by Natural its Propension to the Body with which it is invested the Desire of its Health and Ease and the Conveniencies and Necessaries of Life for this end Now when Religion enjoyns Repugnances to the former Appetites the Obedience of the Perfect Man has no Reluctancy in it but when it enjoyns things as sometimes occasionally it does which thwart and cross the latter here the Obedience even of Christ himself could not be exempt from Conflict for our Natural Appetites in this sense of them will never be put off till our Bodies be I think this is so clear it needs not be illustrated by Instances or else 't were easie to shew that though good men have practised Temperance Chastity Charity and other Vertues of this kind with ease and pleasure too yet has Nature shrunk and startled at Persecution and Martyrdom though even here too the Courage and Resolution of some hath appear'd to be much above what Human Nature ever seem'd capable of 2. I do not in the least suppose that Nature is so changed but that the Inclinations to sinful Pleasure or Profit or any other forbidden Object will soon revive again even in the Perfect Man unless he keep a watch and guard upon himself and pass the time of his sojourning here in fear Not to be subject to disorderly Desires not to be liable to irregular Motions is the Priviledge of Souls when stript of a Mortal Body or cloath'd with an Immortal one Till then the Conjunction of Flesh and Blood will ever render the poor Soul obnoxious to carnal and worldly Appetites And the natural Appetites of the Body do so easily pass those Bounds that divide them from sinful ones that the best of men can never be secure but when the Mind is taken up in Contemplation Devotion good Works or engaged in the Prosecution of some just and honest Design or amused by some innocent Recreation for in these Cases the Body is either made the Instrument of Righteousness or at least wise 't is innocently busied and diverted from those Objects to which it has too too impetuous a Tendency I have now I think sufficiently stated the Notion of true Liberty and I hope sufficiently guarded it And have nothing to do but to proceed to the Fruits of it Which will serve for so many Motives or Inducements to its Attainment § 2. Of the Fruits of Liberty These may be reduced under four Heads 1. Sin being a great Evil Deliverance from it is great Happiness 2. A second Fruit of this Liberty is Good Works 3. It gives us a near Relation to God 4. The great and last Fruit of it is Eternal Life These are all comprised by the Apostle in Rom. 6.2.1 22 23. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed For the end of those things is death But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting Life For the wages of sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And these are the great Ends which the Gospel that perfect Law of Liberty aims at and for which it was Preached to the World as appears from those Words of our Lord to St. Paul Acts 26.17 18. unto whom now I send thee to open their Eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of Sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith that is in me I will here insist on these Blessed Effects of Christian Liberty not only because the Design of the Chapter demands it but also to prevent the being obliged to any tedious Repetition of them hereafter under every distinct Branch of Christian Liberty § 1. Sin is a great Evil and therefore Deliverance from the Dominion of it is a great Good To make this evident we need but reflect a little on the Nature and Effects of Sin If we enquire into the Nature of Sin we shall find that it is founded in the Subversion of the Dignity and defacing the Beauty of Human Nature and that it consists in the Darkness of our Understanding the Depravity of our Affections and the Feebleness and Impotence of the Will The Vnderstanding of a Sinner is incapable of discerning the Certainty and Force of Divine Truths the Loveliness of Vertue the unspeakable Pleasure which now flows from the great and precious Promises of the Gospel and the incomparably greater which will one day flow from the Accomplishment and Fruition of them His Affections which if fix't and bent on Vertue had been Incentives as they were designed by God to noble and worthy Actions being biass'd and perverted do now hurry him on to lewd and wicked ones And by these the Mind if at any time it chance to be awakened and render'd sensible of its Happiness and Duty is over-power'd and oppress'd If this were not the true State of a Sinner if the strength of Sin did not thus consist in the Disorder and Impotence of all the Faculties of the Soul whence is it that the Sinner acts as he does Is it not evident that his understanding is infatuated when he lives as if he were meerly wholly Body As if he had no Soul or none but one resulting from and dissolv'd with its Temperament and Contexture One designed to no higher purpose than to contrive minister to and partake in its Sensualities Is it not evident that He has little expectation of another World who laies up his Treasures only in this and lives as if he were Born only to make Provision for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof 'T is true all Sinners are not equally stupid or obdurate but even in those in whom some sparks of Vnderstanding and Conscience remain unextinguished how are the weak Desires of Vertue baffled and over-power'd by the much stronger Passions which they have for the Body and the World Do they not find themselves reduced to that wretched state of Bondage wherein the good that they would do that they do not but the evil that they would not do that is present with them 'T is plain then that Sin is a Disease in our Nature that it not only extinguishes the Grace of the Spirit and obliterates the Image of God stampt
and Revealed Religion and utterly to extinguish all Conscience of Good and Evil. But this is such an Attempt in which I confess I could never have believed that the most daring sinner could have proved succesful had not the Scriptures told me that there are some who are past feeling Eph. 4.19 of a fear'd Conscience 2 Tim. 4.2 who are not ashamed when they have committed Iniquity neither can they blush Jer. 6.15 who call good evil and evil good that put darkness for Light and light for darkness that put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter Isa 5.20 Such sinners there are then but what does this amount to What can their Sense or Example weigh I am sure these poor Wretches are as far distant from any true Happiness as from true Sense and deserve our Pity not Imitation As will easily appear from these following Considerations 1. 'T is true Conscience depends upon Opinion but what if this Opinion depend upon Sense and Truth What if it be built upon the Demonstration of the Spirit and of Power In what a deplorable Condition are these Men of Wit The Fear of an angry God a Judgment to come and an Hell is no common or ordinary Fear 'T is not the Fear of a scratch or wound in the Body of a baâ—â—e in the Pursuit of Preferment or a Disappointment in that of Pleasure 't is not the loss or the forfeiture of Estate in part or whole 't is not a Blot upon our Reputation 't is not the Death of a Child a Brother or what is more unless he be such a Friend 't is not any thing of this kind that is the Object of this Fear but Misery pure and unallay'd complicated accumulated Misery Misery unalterable incurable and lasting as long as Eternity Methinks before one should venture on a Sin which is threatned with such a state as this and much more before one should resolve to continue in it were reasonable to be very sure that the Notion of a Hell were false and the Doctrine of Eternal Punishment a meer Bug-bear Nay I protest in a matter of this Importance I think one should scarce trust to a Demonstration unless it had passed the Test of the most solid and Impartial part of Mankind and stood the Shock and Trial of many Ages But alass after the utmost Efforts of Wit and Lust what has ever yet been produced that has been able to undergo the Examination even of an honest Man What Arguments have yet been started against a Judgment to come that have been able to work upon any who were truly serious in the Point And if a Judgment to come why not an Hell Revelation is plain and Reason can find no Inconsistency in the Doctrine Human Laws punish a single Offence sometimes with Death or Banishment with loss of Estate and by this and divers other Ways extend the Punishment of the Criminal to his Posterity that is make it as Eternal as they can And shall it be thought unjust in God to punish the repeated Provocations of an impenitent Life the Neglect of that great Salvation wrought by the Blood and published by the Mouth of his dearly Beloved Son and all this wilfully in Defiance of the Light of the Gospel and Sollicitations of the Spirit in Defiance of Mercies and Chastisements shall it I say be thought unjust in God to punish this by a miserable Eternity when Infinite Goodness has in vain tried all imaginable means to reclaim a Sinner what has he to complain of if God leave him to the Effects of his own Choice Sin as it alienates our Affections from God here so must it certainly exclude us from his Presence and his Favour hereafter And what can be the Case of that wretched Creature who is banished for ever to those black and dismal Regions which no Ray no Influence of Divine Goodness can ever reach Where shall those unhappy Creatures dwell which shall be chased by the Presence and Glory of God out of the new Heavens and the new Earth or which rather can never approach either but in that outward Darkness which is parted from the World of the Blessed by an unpassable Gulph Ah! then if this be so what do wretched Men gain by growing impudent in Wickedness alas the more insensible Men are of the Deformity and Danger of Sin the more desperate their state the more incurable their Disease and the nearer they to Death and Destruction My Spirit shall not always strive with Man This is indeed a blessed Advantage to stand upon the brink of Damnation 'T is a glorious Victory to have defeated all the Means of Grace and Happiness 'T is an Heroick Atchievement to be able to extinguish all true Sense and Reason as well as Religion and become impregnable impenetrable to all Arguments to all Motives which either the tenderest Love or the profoundest Wisdom of God and Man can attack us by 2. I cannot but think that those very Men who for the most part are obdurate and insensible do suffer some though rare returns of Anxiety and Fear Why else are they such avowed Enemies to Solitude and Retirement to all serious and calm Reflections that they are ready to take up with a most trifling and contemptible Business or Diversion nay tired with a dull and tasteless Repetition of a Folly they chuse to repeat it to their Lives End rather than be alone and thoughtful What is this but to confess that there is something within which they are afraid to awaken that there is such a Brightness in Divine Truth that they dare not open their Eyes upon it lest it should fill their Souls with the Terrours of God This Height of Wickedness then at best is a state fit only for Fortunate Sinners who can roul and tumble from Folly to Folly from one Impertinence or Extravagance to another endlesly and yet what becomes of these poor Things when a Disaster when a Disease nay but a wakeful hour by Night forces them to retire into themselves 3. A Sinner does not soon arrive at this state of Insensibility It costs him very dear to grow impudent in his Lust Many a Pang many a Torment has he suffer'd first often has he felt the Wounds of Conscience often has he trembled and shrunk at the Menaces of God The Soul can no more be reconciled to Sin than the Body to Excess but by passing thorough many painful and sickly Fits many uneasie Pangs and Qualms And is it not worth the while to endure so much in order to be damned Is it not an infallible Mark of more than vulgar Wisdom to purchase Misery at so dear a rate To endure hardship as good Soldiers of Christ Jesus for a Crown a never-fading Crown this with them is an undertaking that deserves to be exposed and lashed with the utmost severity of Spight and Confidence but to suffer as it were repeated Martyrdoms to gain an Hell this is what they think becomes Men of their
they can make God and will God be better pleas'd with these than he was with those of Israel that were deform'd with Maims and Blemishes Mal. 1.8 offer now these to thy Governour will he he pleased with thee or accept of thy Person saith the Lord of Host The Magi indeed left their Country and offer'd Gold Frankincense and Myrrh to our Saviour Mat. 2. David would not Sacrifice to God of that which cost him nothing 2 Sam. 24. 24. The Primitive Christians offered up to God Prayers and Tears Labours and Travels Nay their Honours their Fortunes their Lives their Blood But alas what have these Men to offer they have not Love enough to put them upon any Expence nor Faith enough to put them upon any Hardships for the sake of God and Vertue For though they think themselves rich and incresed in goods and to have need of nothing yet are they poor wretched and miserable and blind and naked Rev. 3.17 And shall these receive a Crown of Righteousness shall these share in the Kingdom of Jesus shall these partake in the Triumph of the Last Day it can never be they do nothing worthy of the Gospel nothing that can entitle them to the Benefit of the Cross of Christ 3. The Life of the Laodicean Christian will never do any do any Credit to Religion or reflect any Honour on the Gospel No Man will be ever able to discern the Beauty of Holiness or the Power and Efficacy of Divine Truths from the Practise and Conversation of such an one Ah! had the Carriage of the Primitive Times been such as his I know not what Miracles might have done I am sure Examples would never have made many Proselites But the Christians then acted those Vertues which the Pagan only pretended to and Faith in Jesus atchiev'd those Victories over the World which the Jews so debauch'd and stupid were they grown did in the Declension of that State neither understand nor pretend to This was that which made the World admire and love Christianity After thus much said of the Effects of this sort of Carriage I need scarcely put any one in Mind what will be the last and saddest Effect of it for if our Christianity be such that it neither truly sets us free from our Bondage to the World and Flesh nor enrich our Soul with true and solid Vertues if it neither promote the Honour of God nor the Good of Man it must unavoidably follow that having no true Title to God's Favour nor any rational Ground on which to build an Assurance of it we can reap no true Comfort or Pleasure from Religion here nor any Reward from it hereafter Alas what talk I of Comfort and Reward Distress and Anguish must take hold of the Sinners in Sion and Fearfulness must suprize the Hypocrite And from the Troubles and Miseries of thu Life they must go down into the Everlasting Torments of another The Scripture is plain God will spue them out of his Mouth as he did the Laodicean He will shut the Gate of Heaven against them as against the foolish Virgins that had no Oyl in their Lamps And their Hell will have one Torment in it which is incident to no others that they had once the Hopes of Heaven and it is no small Aggravation of Misery to fall into it even from the Expectation of Happiness This is not as I observed above to be apply'd to accidental Dulness or Deadness in Duty nor are the Decays or Abatements of Love which good Men somtimes suffer immediately to be pronounced damnable But yet these are to be put in Mind of the Danger they are in and recall'd to their former Zeal in the Words of the Spirit to the Church of Ephesus Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first Love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first Works or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remote thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Rev. 2.4 5. CHAP. IX Of Zeal Or the First thing to be consider'd in a State of Zeal namely what Holiness or Righteousness he may be supposed to have arrived at I Am arriv'd at the last Stage of Perfection which I chuse to call a State of Zeal not only because the Scripture seems to direct me to this Expression but also because it seems to me more full and proper than others that may be or are made use of for the same End A State of Vnion is an Expression that better suits another Life that this For the Lesson the Perfect Man is ever and anon to revolve in his Mind is That the present Life is a Life of Labour and Travel and Sufferings the future one of Rewards and Crowns and Enjoyments Then as to that other Expression the State of Love it suits my purpose well enough but does not come up so justly and exactly to it as the State of Zeal for I take Zeal to be Love in the utmost Elevation and Vivacity that it is capable of And now what a noble what a fruitful Argument am I entering upon Methinks I feel my Soul grow warm and enkindle upon my approaching it and my first Views or contemplations of it inspire me with Desires of the same Nature with it self I am concern'd to see my self confin'd and limited by the Laws of Method and find my self inclin'd to wish That I were now to write rather a just Volume than a few Pages Here the Heroick Acts or what is more the Heroick Lives of Saints Martyrs and Confessors present themselves to my Thoughts Here Human Nature enriched adorned and elevated to the utmost Degree by a Participation of the Divine one Here the Power of God's Word the Energy of the Holy Ghost the Triumphs of Faith and the Exstasies of Love would be described Here the different Excellencies of different Vertues and the different Value of good Works should be stated and setled and the various Paths in which Men pursue the Heights of Vertue and the noblest Designs be examin'd and solid Piety and true Wisdom be refin'd from the Alloys and Mixtures of Enthusiasm Superstition Fancy or whatever else they are disfigur'd and debas'd by But this cannot now be done and it may be it could not at all be done by me No Measure of the Spirit peradventure below that with which the Apostles were inspir'd is sufficient to treat this Argument as it requires Besides according to my Capacity I have been all along making this point When in the First Section I stated the Notion of Perfection shew'd by what Steps we advanced to it what Means we are to make use of and what would be the Fruit of it I did in Effect describe to my Reader the State of Zeal and mark'd out the Path that leads to it When in the Second I labour to establish the true Liberty of Man upon the Overthrow and Extirpation not only of Mortal Sin and