work he addes therefore after all his Seale to confirme us which Seale is not faith for the Apostle saith After you beleeved you were sealed where we see the work of faith and sealing distinguished first the soul is set in a good estate and then followes assurance and stablishment But what needs confirmation when we beleeve Is not faith confirmation enough when a man may know by a private reflect act of the soule that he is in the state of grace This act of ours in beleeving is oft terribly shaken and God is wondrous desirous that we should bee secure of his love hee knowes hee can have no glory nor we any solid peace else therfore when we by faith have sealed to his truth he sees that wee need further sealing that our faith be currant and good for all is little enough in the time of temptation the single witnesse of our soul is not strong enough in great assaults For sometimes the Spirit is so tossed and disquieted with temptations that we cannot reflect aright on our selves nor discerne what is in our own brests without much adoe therefore God first workes faith to apply the promise Whosoever beleeves in Christ shall be saved I beleeve in Christ therefore I shall be saved and then sealeth this beleefe with an addition of his holy Spirit for this sealing is a work upon beleeving an honouring of faith with a superadded confirmation How shall wee know that there is such a spirituall sealing in us I answer when we truly beleeve the Spirit of adoption reveales unto us that we are the sonnes of God by a secret whispering and intimation to the soule which the beleeving heart feeles better than I am able to expresse saying be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven there is a sweet kisse vouchsafed to the soule the Lord refresheth it with the light of his countenance and assures it that all enmity is now slaine I am thy salvation thou art for ever mine and I am thine because thou beleevest behold thou art honoured to be my child Againe the Spirit of adoption quickens and fils the soule with heavenly ejaculations to God it stirs up servent supplications to cry Abba Father The soule when it truly beleeves hath a bold and familiar speech to God There are two things in the prayer of a Christian that are incompetible with a carnall man there is first an inward confidence and secondly an carnestnesse in the soule whereby he goes to God as a Child to his loving Father not considering his owne worthinesse or meanes but the constant love that is bore to him This spirituall speech of God to the soule and of the soule to God is an evident demonstration of our truth in grace because we can do that which no Hypocrite in the world can attaine to Thirdly this sealing of the Spirit after wee beleeve is knowne by the worke of Sanctification which it effecteth in us the holy Spirit seales our spirits by stamping the likenesse of Christ upon us so as when a man finds in his soule some lineaments of the heavenly Image he may know therby that hee is translated from death to life when he finds his heart subdued to humility and obedience to such a holy and gratious frame as Christs was he may cleerely discerne that he hath something more than the Old man in him when a man can say naturally I am proud but now I can abase my selfe naturally I am full of malice now I can love and pray heartily for my enemies naturally I am lumpish dead-hearted now I can joy in the Holy Ghost naturally I am apt to distrust the Lord and be discontented with my condition now I can rest securely upon his Promise and Providence sin hath been my delight now it is my sorrow and heart-breaking I finde somewhat contrary to corruption in me I carry the Image of the second Adam about me now I say whosoever hath this blessed change may rest assured of his right to happinesse Know you not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates saith the Apostle A Christian that upon a through search finds something of Christ alwayes in his soule can never want a sweet evidence that he is sealed to the day of redemption The fourth way is by the joy of the Spirit which is the beginning of Heaven as it were and a possessing of glory before our time there are few of Gods children but in the cours of their pilgrimage first or last have this divine impression wrought in them enlarging and ravishing their soules to joy in the Almighty Yet this is especially seene after conflict when the soule hath combated with some strong corruption or temptation To him that overcomes wll I give of the hidden Mannah saith Christ and a white stone which none can reade but he that hath it that is hee shall have assurance that he is in the state of grace and the sweet savour of goodnesse it selfe shall be his portion usually God gives comfort after wee have conflicted with some sinfull disposition and have got the victory as we see in Iob after God had exercised that Champion a long time at the last hee discovered himself in a glorious manner to him In the midst of afflictions when a Christian is under great crosses and God sees hee must bee supported with spirituall strength or else he sinks then he puts in with supply from above when the creature cannot help us the Creator of all things will Thus Paul in the midst of the Dungeon being sealed with the Spirit sang at midnight when he was in the Stocks and so David in the midst of persecution Daniel in a Lions Den the three Children in the fiery furnace c. God doth as Parents smile on their little ones when they are sick and dejected hee reserves his choisest comforts for the greatest exigents when God hath a great worke for his children to doe or some sharpe suffering for them to undergoe as an incouragement before-hand hee oft enlargeth their spirits that they may be able to go through all As our Saviour Christ had Iames and Iohn with him upon the Mountaine to strengthen thē against his ensuing suffering Let us then examine our selves by that which hath beene delivered hath God spoken to thy soule and said I am thy salvation thy sinnes are remitted and thy person received into my favour doth God stirre up thy spirit to call upon him especially in extremity and to go with boldnesse and earrestnesse to his Throne Surely this is an evidence of the seale of the Spirit for who ever wants this cannot look God in the face when distresse is upon him Saul in this case goes to the Witch and Achitophel to desperate conclusions Iudas in extremity we see what becomes of him So every one that hath not this sealing of the Spirit to whom God speakes not peace by shedding abroad the love of Christ in his heart must needs
but a little signe of grace in me Be not discouraged you know in wax though the stamp be almost out yet it is currant in Law notwithstanding Put the case the stamp of the Prince be an old Coyne is it not currant though it bee crackt Suppose the mark of the Spirit should bee dim and blurred scarce discernable in us this ought to bee our shame and griefe yet some evidences of grace are still remaining there are some sighes and groanes against corruption which may continually support us if we mourne in our spirits and doe not joyne with our lusts nor allow our selves in them this is a divine impression though it bee as it were almost worne out the more comfort wee desire the fresher she should keepe this seale of comfort And labour to grow in faith and obedience that we may reade our evidence cleerely that it be not over-growne with the dust of the world so as we cannot see it Sometimes Gods children have the graces of the Spirit in them yet they yeeld so much to feares and doubtings that they can read nothing but their corruption When we bid them puruse their evidences they can see nothing but worldlinesse nothing but pride and envie because they grieve the holy Spirit by their negligence and distrust Though there be a stamp in them yet God holds the soule from it and gives men up to mistake their estates for not stirring up the graces of his Spirit in them Honour God by beleeving and he will honour thee by stamping his Spirit more cleerely on thee what a comfort is it to have the evidence of a gratious soule at all times When a man carries about him the marke of the Spirit what in the world can discourage such a soule On the contrary if a man have not something above nature in him when death judgement comes how miserable is his condition If a man be a King or an Emperour of the World and have not an interest in Christs righteousnesse ere long he shall be stripped of all and adjudged to eternall torments Oh the excellency of mans soule a Jewell more to be prized then a Princes Diadem It is the solly of the times to set up curious Pictures but what a poore delight is this in comparison of the ambition of a true Christian to see the Image of Christ stamped in his soule to finde the joy of the Spirit and God speaking peace to his inner man The transforming of our selves into the image of Christ is the best Picture in the world therefore we should labour for the new creature that as we grow downeward one way we may grow up towards Heaven another that as the life of nature decayes so the spirituall life may bee more active and working It should be our daily study while we live in this world to attain that holinesse without which no man shall ever see God There is besides the common broad Seale of God his privie Seal What is the reason that many proud hearted persons are damned the truth is they are all for externall contentments and despise the ordinances of GOD for though they stand upon their admission into the Church upon the common seales and prerogatives which in themselves are excellent yet relying on these things overmuch betrayes many soules to the Devill in the time of distresse It is an other manner of seale than the outward seale in the Sacrament that must settle peace in the conscience When once the beginnings of faith are wrought in us then wee may with comfort thinke upon our receiving of the Communion but the speciall thing to be eyed is the hidden seale If the externall meanes work no inward sanctificatiō in our hearts we shall be the worse rather than the better for them yet we must not be so prophane as to think slightly of Gods Ordinances they are of great consequence For when Satan shakes the confidence of a Christian and saith Thou art an Hypocrite God doth not love thee these help us to hold out why saith the soule I can speak by experience that I have found the contrary the Lord hath removed my feares he hath pardoned my sinne and accepted my person he hath given me many Pretious Promises to support my spirit Here is the excellency of the Sacrament it comes more home to me it seales the generall Promises of God particularly to my selfe for finding the inward worke of the Spirit in my heart and God having strengthned my faith by the outward seale I can defie Satan with all his accusations and look death in the face with comfort We should labour therefore to observe Gods sealing dayes when he uses to manifest himselfe to his people which though it may be every day if wee be spiritually exercised yet it is in the Lords day more especially for then his ordinance and his Spirit go together Now there is a sealing of persons and of truths besides the sealing of our estates that we are the children of God there is a sealing of every particular truth to a Christian. For where there is grace to beleeve the truth God seales those truths firmely to that soule by the comforts of his Spirit For example this is a truth Whosoever beleeves in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life Now the same Spirit that stirs up the soule to beleeve this seales it fast upon the conscience even to death there is no promise but upon our beleeving the same it is sealed by God upon us for those truths only abide firme in the soule which the Holy Ghost sets on What is the reason that many forget their consolations the reason is they heare much but the Spirit settles nothing on their hearts What is the reason that lettered men many times stand out in their profession to blood whereas those that are more able and learned yeeld to any thing The reason is the knowledge of the one is set fast upon the soule the Spirit brings his seale and this mans knowledge close together whereas the learning and abilities of the other is only a discoursive thing swimming in the braine without any sollid foundation their knowledge of truths is not spiritual they see not heavenly things by heavenly but by a naturall light Those that would not apostatize must have a knowledge sutable to the things they know they must see spirituall things by the Spirit of GOD. Therefore when we come to heare the Word wee should not come with strong conceits of our owne to bring all to our wits but with reverent dispositions and dependance upon God that he would teach us together with his Ministers and close with his Ordinances so as to fasten truths upon our soules else shall wee never hold out for that which must stablish and quiet the soule must bee greater than the soule In time of tentations when the terrours of the Almighty encompasse us when God layes open our conscience and writes bitter things against us those
truths that most satisfie the soule at such a time must be above the naturall capacity of the soule therefore saith the Apostle It is God that establishes and God by his Spirit that seales us up unto the day of redemption because divine truths of themselves in the bare letter cannot stirre up the heart it is only the blessed Spirit which is above our spirits that must quiet the conscience in all perplexities the Lord can soone still the soule when he settles spirituall truths upon it therefore go to him in thy distresse and trouble of minde send up ejaculations to God that hee would seale the comfort revealed in his word to thy soule that as it is true in it selfe so it may be true to thee likewise This is a necessary observation for us all Oh we desire in the houre of death to finde some comforts that bee standing comforts that may uphold us against Hell and judgement Know that nothing will do this but spirituall truths spiritually knowne but holy truths set on by the Holy Ghost upon the soule Oft therfore enter into thine heart and examine upon what grounds and motives thou beleevest Consider well what it is thou beleevest and upon what evidences and withwhat light otherwise expect not to find sollid peace What course may a Christian generally take when hee wants comfort and inward refreshing There are in 1 Iohn 5. three witnesses in heaven three in earth to secure us of our estate in grace The three witnesses in heaven are the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost And the three witnesses in earth are the Spirit the Water and Bloud and these three on earth and those three in heaven agree in one Now by the Spirit here is meant the feelings and sweet motions thereof the water may well be the Laver of Sanctification by bloud is understood the sufferings of Christ for our justification When therefore wee find that extraordinarie seale I spake of before the joyes of the Spirit of God that it is not in us What shall we doe shall wee despaire then No then goe to the water when the witnesse of the Spirit is silent goe to the work of the Spirit see what gracious dispositions are found in thee I but what shall we do if the waters be troubled in the soule as some times there is such a confusion that we cannot see the Image of God upon it in sanctification Then goe to the bloud there is alwayes comfort goe to the fountaine set open for Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in that is never dry If we find much sinne upon our consciences and no peace in our hearts apply the bloud of sprinkling that will give rest When thou findest nothing but corruption and filthinesse in thy soule when thou seest neither joy nor sanctification of Spirit goe to the Lord Jesus and hee will purge thee from all guilt and wash thee with clean water But to goe on Who hath sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts This is the third word borrowed from humane Contracts to set forth Gods gracious work in the soule Annointing wee had before sealing now here is earnest The variety of expression shewes there is a great remainder of unbeliefe in the soule of man which causeth the blessed Spirit to use so many words to manifest Gods mind and assure the soule of salvation stablishing annointing sealing and earnest And indeed so it is howsoever we in the time of prosperity when all things goe well with us are apt to presume our estate is good yet in the houre of death when conscience is awaked we are prone to nothing so much as to call all in question and beleeve the lies and doubts and feares of our owne deceitfull hearts more than the undoubted truth and promise of God Therefore the Lord takes all courses to establish us he gives us rich and pretious promises hee gives us the holy Spirit to confirme us in those promises he seales us with that Spirit and gives us a comfortable earnest thereof and all to settle these wretched unbeleeving hearts of ours So desirous is God that wee should be well conceited of him that hee loves us better than wee love our selves Hee prizeth our love so much that he labours by all meanes to secure us of our eternall welfare as knowing that except we apprehend his love to us wee can never love him againe nor delight in him as we ought to doe Now the Spirit is an earnest of our inheritance in heaven wee are sonnes here indeed but wee are not heires invested into the blessed estate we have title to God doth notkeep all our happinesse till another world but gives us somewhat to comfort us in our absence from our husband hee gives us the Holy Ghost in our hearts as a pledge of that glorious condition which wee shall one day have eternally with him this is the meaning of the words But to shew you more particularly In what regard the Spirit is called an earnest First of all you know an earnest is used for security of a Contract So the holy Spirit doth secure us of the blessed estate we shall have in heaven for ever Secondly an earnest is part of the bargaine a part of the whole which is secured though it be a very little part yet it is a part So it is with the Spirit of God in its gracious work upon our hearts the joy of the Spirit is a part of that full joy and happinesse which shall bee revealed hereafter to us Thirdly an earnest is little in comparison of the whole So the Spirit in the work and graces therof is little in regard of that fulnesse which wee shall have in heaven But though an earnest be smal in it selfe yet it is great in security A shilling secures a bargaine of a thousand pound we see Wee value an earnest not for its owne worth so much as for that which it is a pledge of for the excellent bargaine and rich possession which it doth interest us unto So the Spirit of God with its blessed effects in the soule the joy and peace of the Spirit chearing and reviving perplexed sinners this earnest I say though it be little in it selfe yet it is great to us in respect of the assurance that we have by it Againe it hath the terme of an earnest because an arnest is given rather for the security of the party that receives it than in regard of him that gives it So God gives us the earnest of his Spirit grace and comfort in this life not so much for God for hee meanes to give us heaven and happinesse when wee are dissolved As he hath passed his promise so hee will undoubtedly performe the same Hee is Lord and Master of his word Hee is Jehovah that gives a being to his word as well as to every other thing But notwithstanding having to doe with mistrustfull
suffered Adam to have fallen but for his owne further glory in the manifestation of his justice and mercy and for the greater felicity of his servants in Christ their Mediatour The next spirituall evill is the corruption of nature remaining in all mankinde howsoever broken and subdued in the Lords deere ones this worketh for the best to them after this manner First it serveth to make us see and know we are kept by God how that we are not the keepers of our owne selves but are kept by his power through faith unto salvation For were it not that God upholds and sustaines us our corruptions would soone overturn us but the sight of corruption being sanctified to the soule causeth us to ground our comfort out of our selves in Christ and no whit to rely on any thing that is in us Our corruptions are also good to abase the pride of our natures and let us see the naughtinesse of our spirits that we may be humbled before GOD. And it is good we should have something within us to make us weary of the world else when wee have run out our race we shal be unwilling to depart hence Now our bondage to this naturall corruption serves exceedingly to make us mourne for our sinfull disposition and hunger after our God to be joyned with him as we see in S. Pauls exam ple Rom. 17. where finding the rebellion of his nature and the strise that was in him the flesh lusting against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh he cryes out saying Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death and seeketh to God in Christ for mercy strait Sometimes God suffers corruption to break out of us that we mayknow our selves the better and because corruption is weakned not only by smothering but many times by having a vent whereupon grace stirs up in the soule a fresh hatred and revenge against it and lets us see a necessity of having whole Christ not only to pardon sinne but to purge and cleanse our defiled natures But yet that which is ill it selfe must not be done for the good that comes by it by accident this must be a comfort after our surprizals not an encouragement before It is our great consolation that our nature is perfect in Christ who hath taken our nature upon him and satisfied Divine justice not only for the sinne of our lives but for the sin of our natures who will finish his owne worke in us and never give over till by his Spirit he hath made our natures holy and pure as his owne till he hath taken away not only the reigne but the very life and being of sinne out of our hearts To which end he leaves his Spirit and truth in the Church to the end of the world that the seed of the Spirit may subdue the seed of the Serpent in us and that the Spirit may be a never failing spring of al holy thoughts desires and endeavours in us and dry up the contrary issue and spring of corrupt nature Lastly it is good that corruption should still remaine in us that the glory of God may the more appeare when as Satan that great and strong enemy of mankinde shall be foiled and overturned by a weak and poore Christian who is full of corruptions and that through the strength of faith though mixed with much distrust for a Christian in the state of sinne and corruption to overcome the great adversary of mankinde what a wonderment is it It tendeth much to the shame and dishonour of that fiery Dragon that weake and sinfull man should be his conquerour Oh how it confounds him to think that a graine of Mustardseed should bee stronger than the Gates of Hell that it should be able to remove Mountaines of oppositions and temptations cast up by Satan and our rebellious hearts betweene God and us Abi meleck could not endure that it should be said a Woman had slaine him and it must needs be a torment to Sathan that a weake Child a decrepid old man should by a spirit of faith put him to flight A third kinde of spirituall ill â—f sin are the things that issue out of this cursed stock and those are either inward or outward For inward sins they are eithers errours or doubt ings or pride or wrath or such like And first for doubtings of the truth this makes Gods servants often more resolute to seek and search out the same and to stand afterwards more firme and couragious for it For if wee doubted not of things we should not afterwards bee put out of doubt nor seek to be better grounded and instructed in them The Corinthians doubted once of the Resurrection but were ever after better resolved in that Doctrine the benefit whereof hath much redounded to the Churches good ever since Thomas had the like wavering disposition but this doubting more manifested the truth Luther being a Monk at the first and not fully grounded in the Doctrine of the Gospell did therefore suspect himselfe the more and wished all men after him to reade his writings warily The Doctrine of the Trinity hath formerly been much doubted of and therefore hath bin with the greater paines and study of worthy men then living in the Church more evidently prooved And when the Pelagians grew into Heresies they were by S. Augustine gainesayd and very strongly withstood So the doctrine of the Church of Rome being branched into divers erronious opinions and broached to the great hurt and prejudice of Christians hath occasioned the truth of God against them to bee the more excellently cleered and made knowne For when Religion is oppugned it is time then to hold fast as the Apostle S. Iude saith with both hands the Word and to fight for the faith that so wee may know both what to hold and upon what ground we oppose Heresie Now for inward sinnes as anger covetousnesse distrust and such like these often proove advantagious to the Saints their corruptions are a meanes of their humiliation Paul and Barnabas having a breach betweene them were so exasperated that they forsook each others company by which means it came to passe that the Church was more instructed than before And hence wee may see what the best men are in themselves If Luther had had no infirmities how would men have attributed to him above measure as we see they were ready to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas which shewes us that even the distempers and weaknesses of Gods servants are disposed by Divine Providence to their eternall welfare Yea God often suffereth his children to fall into some outward grosse sinnes that by meanes thereof they might bee humbled and abased and in the end be cured of that provoking sinne of being proud in spirit The falling of Gods children doth much deject them and bring them upon their knees with shame It makes them gentle and meek in the reprehension of their brethren for having
the Gen tiles and many other things Christ being sealed himselfe he sealed all that he did for our Redemption with his bloud and hath added for the strengthening of our faith outward seales the Sacraments to secure his love more firmly to us But in this place another manner of sealing is to be understood For here is not meant the sealing of Christ but the sealing of us that have communion with him The same spirit that seales the Redeemer seales the redeemed What is the manner of our sealing by the spirit Sealing we know hath divers uses First of all It doth imprint a likenesse of him that doth seale when the Kings Image is stamped upon the wax every thing in the wax answers to that in the seale face to face eye to eye body to body So wee are said to be sealed when we carrie in our soules the Image of the Lord Jesus for the spirit sets the stamp of Christ upon every true Convert there is the likenesse of Christ in all things to be found in him As the Child answers the Father foot for foot finger for finger in proportion but not in quantity So it is in the sealing of a beleever there is a likenesse in the soule that is sealed by the spirit to the Lord Jesus there is understanding of the same heavenly supernaturall truthes there is a judging of things as Christ judgeth a loving of that which he loves and a hating of that which hee hates a rejoycing to doe that which he delights in and a griefe to commit any thing that displeaseth his Majestie every affection of the soul is carried that way that the affections of our blessed Saviour are carried in proportion every thing in the soule is answerable to him in its degree There is no grace in Christ but there is the like in every Christian in some measure The obedience of Christ to his Father even to the death is to be found in every true Christian The humility whereby Christ abased himselfe it is in every renued heart Christ works in the soule that receives him a conformity to himselfe The soule that beleeve that Christ hath loved him and done such great things for him is ambitious to expresse Christ in all his wayes Being once in Christ we shall delight to be transformed more and more into him To beare the Image of the second Adam upon our breasts to make it appeare that Jesus Christ lives in us and that wee live not to our selves but to him that died for us to be meeke and heavenly minded as hee was talking and discoursing of spirituall things going about doing good every where active for God fruitfull in holinesse doing receiving all the good we are able drawing others from this world to meditate of a better estate labouring for the advancement of Gods Kingdome and approving our selves to him this is one use of sealing to imprint a likenesse A second use of a Seale is distinction Sealing is a stamp upon one thing among many it distinguisheth christians from others as we shall see after Againe it serves for appropriation men seale those things that are their owne Merchants we see set their stamp on those Wares which they have or meane to have a right unto It pleaseth God thus to condiscend unto us by applying himselfe to humane contracts Hee appropriates his own to shew that hee hath chosen and singled them out for himselfe to delight in Sealing further serves to make things authenticall to give authority and excellencie The Seale of the Prince is the authority of the Prince This gives validity to things answerable to the dignity and esteeme of him that seales These are the foure principall uses of sealing And God by his spirit doth al theseto his 1. He stamps his own Image upon us he distinguisheth us from others even from the great refuse of the world God by his spirit appropriates us to himselfe hee makes us to be his and shewes that we are his hee likewise authorizethus and puts an excellencie upon us to secure us against all temptations when wee have Gods seale on us we stand firme in the greatest triall who shall seperate us from the love of God wee dare defie all objections of Sathan and accusations of conscience whatsoever A man that hath Gods seale stands impregnable in the most tempestuous season For it is given for our assu rance and not for Gods the Lord knowes who are his hee seales not because he is ignorant but for our comfort and establishment Whether is the spirit it selfe this seale or the work of the spirit and the graces thereof wrought in us I answer the Spirit of God where it is is a sufficient seale that God hath set us out for himselfe for whosoever hath the Spirit of Christ the same is his He is the Author of our sealing so that except you take the Spirit for that which is wrought by the Spirit you have not the comprehension of sealing for that which the Spirit worketh is the seale the spirit goes alwayes with his owne mark and impression Other seales when they are removed from the stamp the stamp remaines still but the Spirit of God dwells and keepes a perpetuall residence in the heart of a Christian guiding him moving him enlightning him governing him comforting him doing all offices of a seale in his heart till hee hath brought him to heaven The Holy Ghost never leaves us it is the sweetest inhabitant that ever lodging was given to he doth all the saving good that is done to the soule and is perpetually with his own work in joy and comfort though he seeme sometimes to be in a corner of the heart and is not easily discerned yet he alwayes dwels in his sealed ones What is that stamp that the Spirit seales us withall The Spirit works in this order for the most part First of all the Spirit doth together with the Word which is the instrument and the Chariot wherein it is carried convince us of the ill that is in us and the misery attending on us for the same It convinceth us of sinne and the fearefull estate we are in by that and abaseth us thereupon therefore it is called the Spirit of bondage because it makes a man tremble and quake till he see his peace made up in Christ. When hee hath done this then he convinceth us of righteousnesse by a sweet light discovering the excellencies of the Lord Jesus and the remedy in him provided for sinners God opens the eye of the soul to see the all-sufficiency of his Sons sanctâ—fication and inclines the heart to cast it selfe by faith upon him When we are throughly convinced of the ill that is in us and of the good that is in Christ and are moved by the Holy Ghost to go out of our selves and imbrace reconciliation in the Lord Jesus then a superadded worke is vouchsafed unto us for the Spirit daily perfecteth his owne
lives much by faith will finde it no hard matter to die in it But let a man stagger and doubt whether hee belong to God or no what a miserable case will he be in at the time of dissolution Death with the eternity of torment after it who can looke it in the face without the assurance of a happy change This makes men that see no greater pleasure than the following of their lusts resolve of swimming in worldly delights still Alas say they I had as good take this pleasure as have none at all what shall become of me hereafter who knowes FINIS THE PRIVILEDGES OF THE FAITHFVLL ROM 8. 28. Also wee knew that all things work together for the best to them that love God even to them that are called of his purpose THere are three things especially that trouble the life of a Christian or at least should trouble the same The first whereof is sin with the guilt and punishment thereof The second is the corruption of Nature which still abidesin him even after his vocation and conversion to Christ. The third is the miseries and crosses of this life which doe follow and ensue both upon sinne and the evill thereof as also by reason of that corruption of Nature still remaining in him after his recovered estate in grace For the first The guilt of sinne which doth bind men over to death and damnation that is forgiven to all beleevers in Christ Jesus the second Adam The second which is the corruption of Nature which cleaves so fast to us that is daily mortified and crucified in the Saints by the Word and Spirit of God For the third which is the grievous crosses and afflictions which doe accompany and follow the guilt of sinne and the corruption of nature still remaining in Gods children however they are not taken away yet they are made to have an excellent issue For all things work together for the best unto them that love God So that these words of the Apostle do afford us 1. A ground of Patience 2. A ground of Comfort In the former part of this Chapter the Apostle had told us That we know not how to pray as we ought but that the Spirit it selfe doth teach us how to pray and makes requests for us with sighes that cannot be expressed And therefore how ever our corruptions and miseries in this life are not quite taken away yet the evill of those evils is removed God teaching and directing us by his Spirit to seek by prayer unto him for grace to profit by them And this is the co-herence of these words with the former The parts here to bee handled may be these An excellent prerogative All things work together for the best Secondly the persons to whom this prerogative belongs To them that love God and whom hee doth call Thirdly the main cause of this blessed Prerogative Those that love God have this priviledge belonging to them because they are effectually called by his Word according to his purpose We know saith the Apostle that all things work together for the best to these He doth not say We hope or wee conjecture but wee know it assuredly We have the Scriptures of God for it David saith that it was good for him that he was afflicted for therby he had learned to reform his wayes hee knew by observation that all things would tend to his future happinesse For hee had seen in the example of Iob that notwithstanding his sore afflictions yet he had a blessed issue out of all he knew this many wayes he knew it by faith as also by experience that every thing should further the Saints wel-being We know that is we only know it who are led and taught of God and none but wee can be assured hereof which excludes the wicked who shall never know any such thing but what is it that Paul is confident of here Namely that all things work together for the best to them that love God And this may serve to be a prevention of a question which weak Christians might move in their troubles and say Never was any more afflicted than I am Why saith the Apostle bee it so yet neverthelesse all things whatsoever all thy crosses vexations and 〈◊〉 shall work together and joyne issue though they bee averse one to the other and opposite to the good of Gods children as Herod and Pilat were yet all things thus contrary notwithstanding shall work for the best unto them there is 1. A good of Quality 2. A good of Estate Now therefore what kind of Good is this the Apostle meaneth He doth not here mean the naturall or civill good estate of them that love God but their spirituall condition in grace and their glorious estate for the life to come for the furthering whereof whatsoever befalls them in this life shall help forward still And thus much for the words themselves The first point to bee spoken of is The excellent priviledge of Gods children That all things shall work together for the best both good and evill shall turne to their happinesse The reason stands thus All things shal work together for the best to them that love God Therfore all afflictions crosses and vexations whatsoever that betide such persons shall work together for their good and for this cause all Gods servants must learne patiently to beare and cheerefully to undergoe poverty or riches honour or dishonour in this world That all good things do work for the best to Gods servants is most apparent by daily proofe and experience To begin with the first chiefe good of all which is God the Father who is goodnesse it selfe and unspeakably comfortable to all his Doe not all Gods attributes conduce to our eternall welfare Is hee not set forth in Scripture under the sweet name of a Father of a Shield and Buckler of a Tower of Defence of an All-sufficient Almighty God just wise provident mercifull full of boundlesse compassion and all to support his poore creatures from failing before him As he is our Father he is carefull of us above the care of earthly parents to their children As he is a Shield so he shelters us from all wrongs As he is God Almighty and All-sufficient so his power and bounty serve to sustaine us in this world and reserve us for ever safe in the world to come His wisdome makes us wise to prevent the politick plots of the Devill or wicked men His justice and providence they serve to defend us in our right to provide for us in all our wants and prevent the evills of the ungodly intended against us His power is ours to keep us his providence to dispose all things for our advantage Every thing in God shall co-work to provide and fore-see all good for us and mercifully to impart and bestow whatsoever is behoovefull upon us So that God being our Father we have right and title to his lov emercy power
justice truth faithfulnesse providence wisedome and all-sufficiencie All which shall ever work together for the best to them that love his appearing So for Iesus Christ the eternall Sonne of God All his glorious titles and attributes serve like wise for the everlasting comfort of his poore Saints on earth Hee is called the Husband of his Church to cherish and maintaine the same His love unto his Church is farre above the love of any husband to his wife Hee is called the Saviour of the World because hee so loved the world that hee gave his life for it and hath promised that whosoever beleeveth on him shall not perish He is called the Fountaine of life the Well of life the Water of life the Bread of life the Way the Truth and the Life because that in him is our life and by him wee are fed and nourished to eternall life here in him wee obtain the life of Grace and in the World to come shall for ever enjoy the life of Glory So likewise for the Holy Ghost what heavenly attributes are ascribed to him in the Scriptures He is called the Comforter of Gods servants The Sealer of the Redemption of Gods children in their hearts he teacheth the Elect to call God Father hee beareth witnesse with their spirits that they are the Sons and Daughters of God he teacheth them to pray as they ought hee fills them with peace that passeth all understanding And refreshes their spirits with such unspeakable joy as eye hath not seene nor eare heard the like He that is instructed by the Spirit knoweth the things of God which a naturall man is ignorant of The holy Ghost doth call to rememberance the doctrine of God taught unto his servants writes the same in their hearts so that the operations of the blessed Spirit are all appropriated to them that love God and they alone have their right in them The direction comfort teaching and guiding of the Spirit of God doe serve entirely and peculiarly to order and work all things together for the best to the Godly Yea the Angels themselves are called Messengers and ministring Spirits appointed by God to attend and wait upon his servants Hee gives his Angells charge over these to serve them in all their wayes and to pitch their tents round about them whensoever God pleaseth to call any of his out of this world the Angels are a safe conduct to carry their soules into Abrahams bosome And at the last judgement the Lord shall send forth his Angells to gather his Elect from one end of the world to the other that they may fully enjoy that which they have long waited for even eternall blisse and glory Vnder the Angels all other creatures are likewise made serviceable for his peoples good Princes in authority are called in Scripture nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers unto the Church of Christ the end of all magistracy being that we might live religiously and peaceably in all the wayes of God Ministers also are stiled in the Word by the names of Watchmen and Seeds-men and spirituall Fathers to beget men againe to the kingdome of Heaven they are called Gods Husbandmen to manure and till his ground They are called Gods lights and the Salt of the Earth both to enlighten the Church with the light of the glorious Gospell whereof they are Ministers and to season them with such savoury and sweet instructions as may make them wise to salvation this being the very end of all Gods giving gifts to men that they might build up the Church of Christ here below So also the Word of God is called the savour of life the power of God unto salvation It is the seed of God which being sown in the hearts of Gods children springeth up in them to everlasting happinesse Gods Word is a light and a Lanthorne to guide and direct us in all his wayes it is the Sword of the Spirit to arme us against sin and to maintaine us in grace The Sacraments likewise are the Seales of life and pledges of our salvation in Christ and Ex communication though it bee rough and the extreamest censure of the Church and therefore ought to be undertaken upon weighty grounds yet the end of it is to save the soules of Gods people and to make them by repentance turne unto him So all outward gifts as beauty strength riches and honours these are given by God to serve for the good of his children As the beauty of Hester was an instrument of her preferment whereby she became a preservation to Gods children and an overthrow of her and their enemies Iosephs outward honours and wealth were made by Gods disposing hand a meanes of the preservation nourishment of the Israelites in the time of their great extremity and famine the like may be said of learning and other naturall acquirements all which do often tend to generall and publike advantages Yea the outward gists of God which are bestowed upon reprobates are still for the good of his for they who had skill and knowledge to build Noahs Ark though they themselves were not saved therein yet were they the meanes of Noahs preservation and so it many times falleth out that men of excellent parts and great abilities without grace though themselves are not profited thereby yet God so useth them as their gifts much conduce to further and build up the Church of Christ. Even outward favour of Princes oft tend to Gods servants good A just man as the Heathens could say is a common benefit And so a true Christian whatsoever good he hath it is communicable to all the faithfull and therfore S. Paul saith of him selfe that he was a debtor to all men both Iewes and Gentiles and that hee became all things to all men that he migh twin some But here the maine question will be and the difficulty arises how all ill things can work together for the best to Gods children I shall therefore demonstrate 1 The truth of this how it can be so 2 The reasons why it is so 3 Observe a caution that it be not abused 4 Let us see the sweet and comfortable use of this Doctrine That this may the better appear we must know that all evill things are either 1 Spirituall evill things 2 Outward evill things And for spirituall evill things they are either First Sinne. Secondly That which hath a reference to Sinne as being evils following after sinne The first sin of all which hath gone over whole mankinde and is spread abroad in every one of us this by Gods mercy and our repentance prooves to al beleevers a transcendent good for the fall and sin of the first Adam caused the birth and death of the second Adam Christ Jesus who notwitstanding he was God took upon him the nature of man and hath made us by his comming farre more happy than if we had neverfallen neither would God have