not thou more strength vnto them by yeelding vnto them When thy knowledge telleth thee that these and these things must not be ioyne issue with thy knowledge and say as Ioseph did How can I doe this euill and sinne against God Gen. 39. 9. I tell thee it is a grieuous euill to sin against knowledge when a mans knowledge within cryes out to the contrary this will make bloudy wounds and strike deepe gashes one day into thy conscience In the mean time thou art in a fearefull condition if thou allowest thy selfe in the practice of any one sinne condemned by thy knowledge for thou lyest open vnto any kind of impiety yea to any error euen vnto Popery for that person which denyeth the power of godlinesse will easily be brought to forsake the profession thereof if one sinne loued and delighted in be enough to pull a man from God to the Deuill yea into hell may it not then pull a man into Popery A wicked gracelesse person is a fit piece of stuffe to make a Papist of He that will not bee perswaded nor brought to leaue his sinne for the truth sake will easily be perswaded to leaue the truth for his sinnes sake How much better had it been for such a one neuer to haue known the way of righteousnesse than to turne away from that holy commandement giuen vnto him 2 Pet. 2. 21. Thirdly be instant and earnest with the Lord in prayer that he would manifest his power in thy weaknesse that he by his holy Spirit would conuey some life and power into thy knowledge that by the practice therof thou maist manifest the life of thy knowledge in al obedience and good conscience To this purpose Dauid makes many petitions to the Lord Psal 119. 88. Quicken me according to thy louing kindnesse so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth The Scribes and Pharisees knew the letter of the Law and were perfect in the Scriptures but the Lord by his Spirit had not taught them and therfore there was no spirituall life nor power in their knowledge Howsoeuer they boasted of their knowledge and thought scorne to be taught of others yet their knowledge being but a dead knowledge did increase their iudgement as appeares by those words of Christ Ioh. 9. 41. If yee were blind ye should not haue sinne but now yee say We see therefore your sinne remaineth A second Euidence of Grace THe next Euidence of Grace is Faith which followeth Knowledge as the frame doth the foundation for vntil such time as the minde be inlightned with the truth no man can beleeue There must be knowledge or else there can be no faith Wee haue knowne and beleeued saith Iohn No man can beleeue in Christ without the knowledge of him For how shall they beleeue in him of whom they haue not heard Rom. 10. 14. Faith must needs be an euidence of grace because it is a speciall and a principal part and member therof not the fountaine of all other graces as some doe hold nor the root out of which all fruits of sanctitie doe spring For the soule must first be endued with the life of grace before it can beleeue vnlesse we wil say that faith may be in a gracelesse heart which cannot bee because being regenerate and sanctified by the Spirit we come to beleeue and to rest vpon the promise for the remission of sinnes and saluation by Iesus Christ Saint Paul calls Faith a fruit of the Spirit by whom we are sanctified therefore it cannot be the efficient cause of our sanctification It is true that Paul hath a passage tending that way Act. 26. 18. That they may receiue forgiuenesse of sinnes and inheritance among them that are sanctified by faith but by the Word sanctified we are to vnderstand the fruit not the grace of sanctification we are dead in sinnes vntill such time as wee come to be quickned by the Spirit Ioh. 6. 3. It is the Spirit which infuseth all diuine qualities into the soule The Apostle calleth them the fruits of the Spirit Gal. 5. 22 23. Amongst which fruits Faith is one of the principall as that which puts a kinde of liuelihood into all other graces and therefore after a certaine manner may bee said to sanctifie vs For according to the strength of faith will be the power of other graces hope loue c. If faith be weak hope and loue cannot be strong little faith little hope little loue no faith no hope no loue at all So that faith must needs be a sound euidence of grace for vntill such time as the heart bee purified and washed in the lauer of regeneration it is either Atheisticall to depraue the Word of God by doubting of diuine truths if not denying thē or else it is Sophisticall to peruert and wrest the Word so as oft-times bloud commeth out of it to choak strangle Gods people in stead of milke to feed and nourish them But if the heart be once sanctified by the Spirit then is faith wrought in vs which doth further and more effectually cleanse and purifie vs through the Word Ioh. 15. 3. Now because as in the former euidence of grace so in this also many a man and woman is mistaken the heart being so infinitely deceitfull it will bee no lost labour to examine the truth of our faith For you must know that it is possible for a wicked and gracelesse person to beleeue that Christ died for him yea to die in a strong perswasiō of Gods loue and fauour and so of his owne saluation Hath not experience taught vs thus much Who so confident who so full of faith if you will beleeue them as many vile wretches and gracelesse persons They wonder what people mean to doubt of Gods loue for their part they neuer as yet called it into question They thanke God they haue euer had as strong a faith as the best so they hope to continue This is euident by examples in the Scripture The Lord by the Prophet Ieremie speaks to the wicked Iews which had polluted the Land with their whoredomes and malice which had a vvhores fore-head and would not bee ashamed saying Did'st thou not still crie vnto mee Thou art my Father and the guide of my youth So in Mica 3. 11. The Lord speaking of corrupt Iudges of mercenary Priests merchandizing Prophets which set the Word to sale and prophecie for money saith that yet will they leane vpon the Lord and say Is not the Lord among vs no euill can come vpon vs. By which it appeares that wicked and gracelesse people may bee confident of Gods fauour How then may wee distinguish the faith of Gods children from the presumption of vnbeleeuers There lyes a great difference betwixt them The first difference is in the ground out of which true faith springs or the meanes by vvhich it is wrought in beleeuers True faith is wrought in all Gods children by the ministery of
runnes with the times and adding with his whole heart he shewes himselfe to be no hypocrite who is hollow not sincere in his profession Knowledge if sanctified helpes forward our obedience resteth not in speculation but proceeds vnto practice Temporizers and hypocrites seeke after knowledge rather to informe their iudgement than reforme their liues rather to teach others than to teach themselues This knowledge will not saue but deceiue vs Iam. 1. 22 23 24. That is the good and honest heart who hauing receiued the Word keeps it and brings forth fruit Luk. 8. 15. The Word is a sanctifying a fruitfull Word where grace is The knowledge of gracelesse persons is a barren knowledge they know but do not and this kinde of knowledge is no better than ignorance in Gods account 1 Ioh. 2. 4 5. Hee that saith I know him and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him by keeping his Word we know we are in him Hence it is that in the first of Sam. 2. 12. The sonnes of Eli were said to be wicked men and knew not the Lord. How could this bee Eli the Priest and Iudge his children those that attended vpon the Altar and receiued the offerings and yet knew not the Lord No their liues being vicious and themselues prophane they did not expresse in their carriage any feare of God they were as those that knew not the Lord. Such as professe they know if they be disobedient and to good workes reprobate are for all their knowledge abominable where knowledge abides in the braine or lip and neuer comes so low as the heart and hand this knowledge makes way to conuiction and deeper condemnation Secondly Sauing knowledge is a transforming knowledge such a knowledge as doth cast a man into another fashion it moulds him according vnto the Word 2 Cor. 3. 18. We behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory Whereas knowledge vnsanctified leaues a person as it found him vnlesse peraduenture he be growne worse by his knowledge The knowledge of gracelesse persons wanteth both metall and making If it transformes them not they haue but a forme of knowledge as Rom 2. 20. Now what difference there is betwixt the thing it selfe and a forme of it a liuing man and his picture it will be needlesse for me to relate vnto you the same in a sort is betwixt a formall and a sanctified knowledge the former neuer moues the heart to God nor yet remoues it from euil the latter both purifieth the heart and rectifieth the life Thirdly Sauing Knowledge vents it selfe for the honour and glory of God and the good of others A gracious heart so opens his lips as his mouth may shew forth the praises of God Psal 51. 15. So also he desires that his lips may feed many Prou. 10. 21. Hee talkes to edifie for grace is communicatiue as well as operatiue like to that oyntment of Spikenard wherewith Mary anointed IESVS which filled the whole house with the sauour thereof Ioh. 12. 3. where grace is in the heart the lips are oft dropping of some heauenly counsell comfort and instructions such as may tend to the inlargement of Christs kingdome whereas gracelesse persons seeke to set vp themselues by their knowledge it may be they know much of God and Christ but know little for God Christ How few poore soules haue beene brought home to Christ by the great knowledge of many who haue a great name and fame of learning and profoundnesse How many be there who striue for honours and preferment and had rather bee accounted great Artists than faithful Labourers in the Lords Vineyard improuing their Talents to Gods glory the good and saluation of those poore soules that are committed to their care charge The Locusts of Rome will rise vp in iudgement against all such vnprofitable seruants for they compasse sea land to make a proselyte they studie and labour night and day to aduance increase the kingdome of Antichrist but these are so wedded to their ease and to their lusts that they haue no heart to take any pains for the Lord Christ Fourthly and lastly if thy knowledge be sanctified it is a growing knowledge The more thou knowest the more thou desirest to adde to that which thou hast As a new borne babe thou desirest the sincere milke of the Word that thou mayest grow in it 1 Pet. 2. 2. This growth I beleeue is not meant of the letter only and vnderstanding but especially of the feeling and power of the Word euery day finding more comfort and tasting more sweetnesse in the same So that the Word as Ier. 15. 16. is the ioy and reioycing of thine heart It is sweeter to thy taste than the honey or the honey-comb Psal 19. 10. And more esteemed then thine appointed food Ioh. 23. 12. Thus if thy knowledge be sanctified it groweth in thee and thou growest into it And this growth ariseth from two properties in a gracious heart First hee receiueth the Word in thesi in the generall and then he applyeth it to himselfe in hypothesi in the particular First a gracious heart puts his hand and seale vnto euery diuine truth beleeuing and embracing all those truths he meets withal whether they be threatnings promises or precepts as Cornelius and his company said We are here present before God to heare all things that are commanded of God Act. 10. 33. Receiuing the Word as did those Noble Bereans with all readinesse Act. 17. 11. This shews the soundnesse of his spirituall constitution and the goodnesse of his heart for as it is in nature a sound constitution feeds heartily vpon any good creature prouided for him refuseth nothing that is mans meat wholesome and good whereas a bad stomacke will pingle and picke here a bit and there a bit taking little or or no cōtent in any meats but those that are daintily cooked or curiously dressed euen so it fareth with a naughty heart vnlesse the Word be neatly handled spiced with humane oratory and set out with the enticing speech of mās wisdome it sauours not to his carnall pallat he findes no more rellish in it than in the white of an egge Again a gracious heart makes a particular application of the Word as spoken and belonging vnto him that part of the Word which doth most neerely cōcerne him he laies surest hold of and will not part withall Grace will teach a man to welcome make much of that Word which makes most against his sin and likes that preaching best which doth best discouer the secrets of his heart and most liuely set out the filthinesse of his corruptions whereas a naughtie heart swells against that Word which closeth with his bosome sinnes he brookes not the Word because as the Pharisees said it puts him to rebuke Now then to make
vse of this point Is it so that sanctified knowledge is a sure euidēce of true grace this then may speake heauily first to the heart of all ignorant persons they must know that their condition is dangerous deadly damnable because gracelesse and it is gracelesse because they are ignorant wanting sauing knowledge An ignorant heart must needs bee a naughty heart because without knowledge the minde cannot be good Prou. 19. 2. What goodnesse can possibly be where Gods Spirit is not Ignorance doth manifest the want of the Spirit For the Spirit is giuen vnto vs that we might know the things that are giuen to vs of God as 1 Cor. 2. 12. Therefore when any know not the things of God needfull to bee knowne it is euident that they want the Spirit of God And yet how hardly can this be beaten into an ignorant head They will not beleeue they want grace or that the Deuill hath them in his snare or that they are taken captiue by him at his will yet thus they are vntill they bee brought to repentance That they may know the truth 2 Tim. 2. 25 26. O the lamentable condition of ignorant persons especially such as are folded vp in the mantle of their own conceitednesse for many of these though they bee ignorant of the truth yet the Father of lyes their lord master hath taught them to cauill against the Word and to lay downe execuses for themselues that they are not booke-learned that they haue no leasure or that they haue a good heart though they cannot talke as many doe that so he may with-hold from them the truth in vnrighteousnesse O the heauie doome that belongs to those that haue eyes and see not eares but heare not harts and vnderstand not that they might conuert be healed Esay 6. 10. This is the condemnation that light is come amongst them and they loue darknesse rather than light Ioh. 3. 19. The Lord Iesus shall shew himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels in flaming fire rendring vengeance to ignorant persons 2 Thess 1. 7 8. For as Hell is appointed to be the habitation of the wicked so this is the place of him that knoweth not God Iob 18. 21. Mee thinkes then this should set vp the price and worth of knowledge set an edge vpon our appetite and make vs call after knowledge and cry for vnderstanding To seeke her as siluer and search for her as for treasures as Prou. 2. 3 4. O the paines that men take the dangers they vndergoe in the mines to digge out and fetch forth siluer and treasure out of the earth vvhich vvhen they haue gotten they haue got iust nothing if we will credit Salomon nothing in comparison of knowledge For riches auaile not in the day of wrath Prou. 11. 4. Neither siluer nor gold shall be able to deliuer in the euill day Zeph 1. 18. Whereas if wisdome entreth into thy heart and knowledge delighteth thy soule then shall counsell preserue thee and vnderstanding shall keepe thee and deliuer thee from the euill way Prou. 2. 10 11 12. Therefore aboue all gettings get knowledge aboue all increasings grow in knowledge 2 Pet. 3. 18. Therefore make we triall of our knowledge whether it be rightly qualified what vse thou makest of thy knowledge and whether thou doest improue it to Gods glory others benefit and thine owne saluation If thy knowledge a be barren and gracelesse knowledge woe worth the time that euer thou knewest for in some sort it may be applied to thee which the Preacher speaks Eccle. 1. 18. He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow For thou shalt be beaten with many stripes Luke 12. 47. Consider therefore what life and power is in thy knowledge Many abound in knowledge but their knowledge is so weak and feeble that it is vnable to withstand any corruption or to keepe vnder any one sinne in them It is said of the Thessalonians That the Gospell was vnto them not in word onely but in power 1 Thess 1. 5. Would you know what is meant by power Euen that force wherwith God doth open the hearts of his Elect to beleeue and that strength of the Word wherby they are regenerate and made new creatures Hath thy knowledge manifested any such vertue and power in thee Then it is a sauing and sanctified knowledge else but a weak and vnprofitable knowledge Therefore that for time to come thou mayest haue thy knowledge more powerfull to subdue thy corruptions obserue these few directions following First consider with thy selfe wherefore God hath endued thee with knowledge euen to make thee to differ from others in thy life and practice and that thou shouldest bee a light vnto others Phil. 2. 15 16. That yee may bee blamelesse and pure and the sonnes of God without rebuke in the middest of a naughtie and crooked nation amongst whom yee shine as lights in the world holding forth the Word of life Thy knowledge should make thee a light Thrue light retaines its light in whatsoeuer darknesse it shines so thy knowledge if it be sanctified will teach thee to gouerne thy selfe to looke to thine owne feet and to direct thine owne wayes and if it fall out that thou beest cast amongst the children of darknesse yet their darknesse shall not be able to extinguish and put out thy light that is make thee goe or doe against thy knowledge but thy light will bee able to discouer their darknesse to guide and direct thee Againe true light as it hath light in it selfe and retaines that light not extinguished by others darknesse so doth it communicate light to others whersoeuer it shines others do or may partake of it receiuing benefit by it and comfort from it So thy knowledge if it bee sanctified will tend and bend it selfe to the edifying of others For the manifestation of the Spirit is giuen to euery man to profit withal 1 Cor. 12. 7. Euery good disposer of the grace of God as he hath receiued the gift will minister the same to others 1 Pet. 4. 10. Looke to it therefore thou hast much to answer for who hast receiued much knowledge and certainly if thou doest not good with thy knowledge thou wilt doe harme with it thy sin will be exemplary thou wilt draw on others vnto euill they taking heart and being emboldned by thine example as appeares 1 Cor. 8. 10 11. Now how will thy knowledge doe good to others if it doth thy selfe none as it doth not if sin be as powerfull in thee as if thou haddest no knowledge Secondly thou must side with thy knowledge against thy corruptions What good will a sword doe to any man if he take it not into his hand put strength vnto it Help thy knowledge to fight against thy corruptions take part with thy knowledge against thy lusts which fight against thy soule 1. Pet. 2. 11. Thy lusts are too strong of themselues adde
the Word as Rom. 10. 17. First the Law conuincing vs discouering vnto vs our sins Rom. 7. 7. shewing vs both the nature the danger of them and our misery into which sinne hath plunged vs and not onely so but an vtter impossibility of our selues either to satisfie the iustice of God for the least transgression or to bee freed from that wrath vengeance which hangs ouer our head by reason of our sins The consideration whereof terrifying and afflicting a poore sinner makes him to cry out as the Iews did Act. 2. 37. What shall I doe Then commeth in the Gospell the Word of comfort and the message of reconciliation which discouers and prescribes a remedie whereby a poore sinner may be brought into fauour with God and accepted with him come out of the snares of the Deuill and be freed from the curse and malediction of the Law and that is by receiuing of the Lord Christ in whom all the promises of God are yea and Amen And by whom wee haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of sins Ephes 1. 7. Whereupon he begins to hunger and thirst after Christ seeing and knowing no other way no other meanes whereby he may be saued or haue his spirituall wants supplied As the prodigall saw no meanes of comfort but starue he must vnlesse hee get home againe and bee receiued into his fathers family so the poore sinner knowes his soule will famish if he get not into Christ and therefore hee labours to bee made one with Christ his soule hungers and thirsts after nothing so much as Christ all the world is dung vnto him in comparison of Christ Oh that he may be found in Christ to liue or die Christ is all in all vnto him hee layes hold vpon his righteousnesse and shrowds himselfe for comfort vnder his wings and as Ioab laid hold vpon the horns of the Altar saying I will die heere 1 King 2. 30. So the poore beleeuer layes hold vpon the Lord Christ resteth onely vpon Christ and if he perish he will perish at the feet of Christ whereas the faith of vnbeleeuers and hypocrites ariseth either out of their education common illumination or from some vaine perswasion of some good in themselues for which they are perswaded God loues them or else hee would neuer haue bestowed so much vpon them haue done these or these things for them So that their faith is no other than a faithlesse cōfidence a vaine presumption or some Satanicall illusion neuer wrought in them by the Lord Christ the Author and finisher of our faith Heb. 12. 2. by the ministry of his Word For they were neuer throughly hūbled or if they were it was but for a while a little Sermon-sicke their consciences wambling while the Word was deliuered vnto them and no longer If this mans faith had bin begun or hee begotten again of the Word of God as a new borne babe hee would more and more desire it that hee might grow thereby 1 Pet. 2. 2. for wee are nourished with that by which wee are begotten but he finds no sweetnesse takes no true content in the Word any further than he is sensible of some art or some noueltie in the same which doth affect and delight him Tell mee then thou that boastest or presumest so much of thy faith how thou diddest attaine vnto it when it was first wrought in thee which if thou canst not thou hast iust cause to fear thy faith is but thy fancie Heere a question will fall in very fit to be answered and that is whether euery one that beleeueth can tell when or how faith was wrought in him This scruple and scrutiny hath troubled many a deare childe of God who hath been ready to questiō the truth of their faith because they cannot precisely lay downe the time when or the meanes how faith was wrought in thē For their education and bringing vp was alwayes godly and religious from their child-hood they haue entertained the Word of God they haue alwayes borne a good will to godlinesse and loued the professours of the truth alwaies approued of the best things and therefore question the truth of faith and grace in them For the cōfort of such let me first of all tel them that if all were not well twenty to one the Deuil would not be so busie with them to perplex trouble them with these pious feares holy doubtings We seldome heare or reade of any but the Lords people that haue these troubles or that put these doubts questions But for the satisfying of thy scruple consider first what Christ said to Nicodemus Ioh. 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth c. The meaning of which words is to teach vs that the operations of grace are sometimes as it were hid from the regenerate themselues neither knowing the time when they first began to work nor whēce they sprung nor to what measure they will grow Therefore though thou canst not tell by what meanes or at what time the Spirit of God commeth into thine heart or how at first its quickning and sanctifying presence gaue spirituall life vnto thy soule yet blessed and happie is thy cōdition if thou now findest faith to bee wrought in thee which thou mayest be assured of if thou findest thy soule enlightned with the sauing knowledge and vnderstanding of the truth if thou hast been abased and humbled vnder the hand of God in the sight and sense of thy vnworthinesse and if thou prizest Christ aboue all the world labouring to winne him and desiring to be found in him not hauing thine owne righteousnesse but that which is through the faith of Christ euen the righteousnesse which is of God through faith Phil. 3. 9 10. But if thou findest not these to bee in thee then thou mayest well question the truth of thy faith A second difference lies in the fruits and effects of faith Where grace is faith workes by loue Gal. 5. 6. A heart knowing and beleeuing what the Lord hath done for it cannot but loue much Luke 7. 47. being so dearely beloued And this loue of God workes the heart to a hatred of all things displeasing vnto God Psal 97. 10. and to a practice of that which he requireth Psal 26. 3. Thy louing kindnesse is before mine eyes therefore haue I walked in thy truth Wheras the faith of the vnregenerate works no change in him makes him no better than hee was vnlesse it bee in shew and appearance Confidence of Gods loue emboldens him to wickednesse and makes him to sin more and more as Ier. 3. 4 5. rather then abate sin in him Certainly if euer the Lord speake peace to thy soule through Christ hee will so inflame thine heart with the loue of his truth his Image his ordinances that these will so take vp thy heart that thou shalt not turne againe vnto euill Psal 85. 8. Thirdly and lastly faith
been amongst Naturalists cōcerning the chiefe good seuerall verdicts and iudgements haue beene giuen of it some calling pleasures some esteeming profits and some accounting honours the chiefe good some this thing and othersome that as their seuerall humors affections haue swayed them but we haue not so learned Christ and therefore from a better principle beyond the reach or pitch of all Naturalists we conclude that the prime good the best thing we can partake of is Grace for I may truly say of it as Dauid speakes of Goliahs sword 1 Sam. 21. 9. None to that All earthly comforts yea the greatest prefermēts the largest possessions the most excellent endowments either of bodie or minde in respect of Grace are but as dung and drosse The excellencie of Grace will appeare the better if we acquaint our selues with the truth and worth thereof which that we may the better do obserue wee these particulars First of all I will lay downe the differences betwixt true and counterfeit Grace Secondly I will giue you some euidences and markes of true Grace Thirdly I will shew the reasons of the doctrine And then in the fourth and last place I will come to make some profitable vse and application of the point Differences betwixt true and counterfeit Grace FIrst of the differences betwixt true and false sound coūterfeit Grace A necessary search and a point wherein we haue all need to be skilfull because of the deep imposture and deceitfulnesse of our owne wicked wretched hearts which like vnto lying spirits will flatter and deceiue vs telling vs that we are in a good way and that all is well with vs when as it is worse than nought and therefore we should be the more willing to heare of it For a man may haue a gracelesse wicked hart and yet not know it nor beleeue it and we are beguiled in nothing so much in nothing so soone as about our spirituall estate the estate of grace pleasing our selues with shewes and shadowes in stead of matter and substance Besides the Deuill is subtill and he will not bee wanting to teach vs the art of hypocrisie and hence it is that vertues are oft taken vp by vicious persons and fiends of darknesse will for their owne ends sometimes appeare like Angels of light How much then doth it stand vs vpon how neerely doth it concerne vs to search and trie whether our coine be currant or counterfeit lest that as for the present we beguile others in the end wee deceiue our owne soules The differences twixt true and counterfeit grace lye especially in foure things First the ground or beginning of Grace Secondly the growth or proceeding of it Thirdly the declension or falling thereof Fourthly and lastly the rising and perseuerance thereof First of the ground and beginning of grace Know we that all grace commeth from God the fountain of grace Euery good giuing and euery perfect gift is from aboue and commeth downe from the Father of lights Grace commeth from grace for there is grace infusing and grace infused Now that you may the better distinguish the one from the other before I fall vpon the differences giue me leaue to acquaint you with the nature of that grace from whence all grace is deriued vnto vs. Peter Martyr doth thus define the grace of God Grace is the free good will of God to man whereby he accepteth of vs in Christ forgiues vs our sinnes giues vs his Spirit here and eternall life hereafter First it is called the free good will of God vtterly to exclude all merit on our part Hence it is that the Scripture in diuers places doth diametrally oppose grace and merit As Rom. 11. 6. If it be of grace it is no more of works or else were grace no more grace For grace is all grace or no grace So Ephes 2. 8 9. By grace yee are saued it is the gift of God not of works c. Light is not more contrary vnto darknesse good stands not in more opposition vnto euill than grace and merit do oppose each other Merit in the best sense in the least sense doth marre the sense of grace Yea grace excludes that preuision of our workes which some imagine to be the ground of Gods louing vs or if not the ground a maine motiue and great meanes of Gods bestowing his grace vpon vs. But the nature of grace will not admit of any such preuision foreseeing of our workes The ground of all grace is in God himselfe and therefore grace must needs bee free it being his meere good wil and owne goodnesse to respect vs. As he told the people of Israel Deut. 7. 8. Nothing without God moueth him or can any wayes allure him to bestow his grace vpon vs. Hee found vs in our bloud vnlouely lothsome vnworthy to be beloued wherefore we conclude that grace is Gods free good will The Church of Rome hath beene much puzled about this doctrine of Gods free grace and therefore in generall termes they will seeme to ioyne issue with vs as if they said not as if they held not any other thing than that the Apostle alleageth Rom. 3. 24. That wee are iustified freely by his grace but like the Deuill their father they speake the truth in a false manner their words haue a wicked meaning which ouerthrowes the nature of Grace and the very foundation of Christian religion For by Iustification they doe not vnderstand the free grace of God in himselfe and that right0eousnesse of Christ freely imputed vnto vs but such a righteousnesse as God freely works in vs So by grace they do not vnderstand the free and vndeserued loue fauour of God to man but certaine gifts of grace certaine habituall graces as faith loue mercy c. which God freely workes in vs and for which say they he doth accept of vs. Now what is this but to ouerturne grace to ouerthrow Iustification and to make vs our owne sauiours When for certaine graces of our own and our owne inherent righteousnesse God doth accept of vs. From whence we may boldly conclude that the doctrine of the Church of Rome doth ouerthrow the foundation it peruerts the nature of grace and takes away the truth of Iustification For Iustification rightly considered implies two things First an vtter emptinesse and want in vs Secondly an absolute fulnesse and sufficiencie in Christ I would know how this can be if any merit or worth be in vs if we merit there is something in vs if something in vs then not an vtter emptines neither is there an all-sufficiencie in Christ thus they take away Iustification they make Christ no absolute Sauiour and so no perfect Christ and so no Christ at all Let vs therefore abominate the doctrine of the Church of Rome that satanicall Synagogue let vs hold it to bee Antichristian against Christ and their doctrine to be against the truth of grace and to say truth a gracelesse
if they faile or fall they beare downe his godlinesse vvith them whereas sound grace in an honest and good heart being built vpon a sure rock the foundation whereof is laid in Christ holds it out in all stormes he is no reed shaken with the wind no vvauering vveather-cock no time-seruer he knowes in vvhom he hath beleeued and therefore abides the heat of Summer the rage and violence of persecution he endures the frost in Winter all those crosses and losses vvhich befall him still runneth with patience that race vvhich is set before him Heb. 12. 1. So that it is with hypocrites and counterfeit professors as with many rotten worme-eaten peares and plummes in a garden looke vpon them vvalke by them and none so beautifull to the eye none so louely to behold as they but lay hands vpon them or shake the tree on which they grow and down they tumble presently whereas that fruit vvhich is sound though it make not so faire a shew hangs still for all your shaking Gods people in this are like the Cedars of Lebanon the stronger the wind blowes them the deeper root they take the surer they stand Now in a few vvords to apply that vvhich hath beene formerly deliuered concerning this point of difference let that vvhich hath beene spoken bee a meanes of sending vs euery one into the Closet of his owne heart let vs seriously search and try our selues that vve be not mistaken about the truth of grace It is a thing of the greatest consequence that can be I meane the triall of the truth and soundnesse of grace in vs for if we be deceiued in this one particular vvee are vndone for euer A man may be mistaken in outward things bee deceiued in vvorldly bargaines and yet neuerthelesse a happy man hee may haue his soule though he lose his substance but if he be gulled in the matter of grace he is irrecouerably miserable Doth it not then stand vs vpon as I said before to consider whether vvee be deceiued or not If there were plenty of washt gold stirring or great store of bad counterfeit siluer abroad euery one would looke vvhat he takes for feare he should be deceiued O my beloued brethren these are the dayes wherein many make faire shewes godlinesse is growne in appearance into some credit amongst vs almost euery body would be accounted religious but as for the power of Religion and the truth of godlinesse God knowes it is found in very few All is not gold that glisters all haue not grace that are taken and do also take themselues to be gracious A man may goe farre in outvvard appearance and yet goe to hell in the end for want of sauing grace As for example First a man may be free from grosse sinnes from scandalous crimes enormous vices yea euen loath and detest many euills as did the Scribes and Pharisees Luke 18. 11. Secondly a man may be strict in the duties of the second Table iust of his word true in his dealings as many ciuill persons and Gentiles doe by nature the things contained in the Law Rom. 2. 14. Cato and many other Heathens were admirable in respect of Morality Thirdly a man may set vp Gods seruice in his family and giue himselfe to fasting and prayer as the Iewes did Esay 58. 2 3. Seeke God daily know his wayes enquire of God in the ordinances of iustice as a people that would doe righteously Fourthly a man may set vpon the worke of reformation ioy in a good Sermon reuerence Gods faithfull Ministers as knowing beleeuing that they are such as feare the Lord and shew vnto him the vvay of saluation as Herod did Mark 6. 20. Lastly a man may leaue his old courses and companions as Simon Magus did Act. 8. he may be escaped from the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and yet returne with the dogge to his vomit and for want of sound and sauing grace bee damned in the end Now seeing it may be thus tell mee in good sadnesse if thou dost not think it to be a matter of great importance to search and trie thine owne heart How many thousands be there which come short of these things before-named and yet take vp their rest flatter themselues and speake peace to their owne soules resoluing to be no other desirous to bee no better and therefore neglect this duty of triall and examinatiō of themselues But assuredly a time vvill come vvhen the consciences of these people which are now cast into a deepe if not a deadly sleepe will be awakened when death iudgement and hell will present themselues vnto their view when their sins like toads will croake vengeance against them when Ezekiels book will be laid open before them where is written within without lamentations and mourning and woe then what howling what roaring what wringing of hands and breaking of hearts to consider that old and new sinnes doe bleed afresh before them and that many thousand thousand reckonings are to be cleered betwixt the Lord and them and they not able to answer one of many thousands Then when it will be too late they will crie out vpon themselues condemning their folly and madnesse that they so trifled away their time let slip the golden season of grace and mercy passed ouer their soules to Satan for momentany bables and vanities Tell me then my beloued in coole bloud if it be not a point of high wisdome to looke to this betimes not to trust our hearts too farre in this weightie matter seeing our hearts are aboue measure deceitful and as those lying spirits in the mouths of Ahabs false prophets wil flatter vs bid vs go on and prosper when we run to our owne destruction I beseech you therefore my beloued brethren by the tender mercies of God and in the bowels of the Lord Iesus I entreat you to looke to your selues in this one particular search and trie your owne hearts how things stand betwixt the Lord and you doe not desperately run on as many carelesse bankrupts do neuer minding to make euen with their Creditor vntil the Bayliffe hath gotten them vnder arrest if not carried them into prison Slight not ouer these things lest hereafter when it will bee too late you finde and feele that to be true which now you cannot be brought to feare Consider I say with your selues what sinne is aliue in you what lust is crucified in you whether your life be the life of grace and whether grace be truly begun and settled in you Doe not thinke these things are skar-crowes to mock children withall and so slight them ouer for I tell thee if thou canst not finde leasure to search and trie thy wayes that thou mayest turne vnto the Lord in seeking for grace and suing for mercy thou wilt not finde I feare leasure to escape the wrath of God hell and condemnation Of the Euidence of true and sound
Grace NOw I come to the third thing which in the beginning I propounded and that is to consider of the euidences of true sound grace the which before I come vnto it will not be amisse to let you know that the worke and truth of grace wrought in the heart of Gods childe hath in Scripture sundrie appellations though all signifying one and the same thing Sometime it is called Spirit as Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh Sometimes it is called A new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ let him be a new creature Sometimes Calling as in diuers places of Scripture Rom. 9. 24. Euen vs whom he hath called 2 Pet. 1. 10. Wherefore brethren giue rather diligence to make your calling and election sure Sometimes Sanctification as 1 Pet. 1. 2. Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father vnto sanctification of the Spirit All which places tend to this purpose to let vs know that we are then spirituall renued or borne againe effectually called and sanctified when the work of grace is truly wrought in vs Which work sooner or later more or lesse is wrought in euery one of GODS elect whereby he becomes purged from the former filthinesse of his flesh and spirit and sanctified throughout for as sinne like an Epidemicall euill diffused it selfe into al parts of a man as Wine or Beere put into a mustie cask is all equally tainted so grace if it enter into any it sanctifies him throughout it puts a spirituall life not into one or two parts but into the whole man renewing euery part and faculty of body and soule For grace comes into the soule as the soule comes into the body not infused by degrees though it be a maxime in Philosophy that the heart first liues which is not so to be vnderstood as if life were some while there when it is wanting to all other parts of the body but because the heart is the seat as it were of life and first of all moues manifesting life aboue any other parts of the body So grace is wrought at once though it growes by degrees being first weak as is a babe before wee bee strong men in Christ Know also that though grace once wrought bee infused into the whole man yet it shewes it selfe not alike in all faculties at all times because of the contrary habit of corruption which is stronger in some part and faculty of the body and soule than in other some yet if the life of grace be inspired it shewes it selfe more or lesse in the whole man This much I thought fit to premise to let you vnderstand that if the truth of grace appeare in any one thing though not in another or but weakely you may assure your selues that you are truly regenerate and so members of the Lord Iesus by spiritual vnion neuer after to bee rent off from him as more largely hereafter shall bee proued Now to the Euidences The first Euidence of grace THe first euidence of sound grace is a sanctified and sauing knowledge of Gods will reuealed in his Word I call it sanctified because it helps froward our Sanctification Iohn 17. 17. Sanctifie them with thy truth thy Word is truth and I call it Sauing because it tendeth to our saluation as appears Coloss 1. 9 20. This Knowledge some Diuines vpō good groūd doe make the prime and first worke of grace in Gods childe and the foundation of all other Hence Coloss 3. 10. The new man is renewed in knowledge By new man you are to vnderstand as was said before the worke of grace Hence it is that the Gospel is called the Word of life Phil. 2. 16. because it is a meanes of working perfecting this life of grace as 1 Pet. 1. 23. No life of grace therefore can bee where this Word hath not been I vnderstand of those that be of yeeres and capacitie to worke the knowledge of God and Christ Not that euery knowledge of God is life eternal for there is a Knowledge of God which profits not as may easily be proued First all they which beleeue God to bee such an Essence as may be expressed by any bodily likenes or the similitude of any creature know not God aright for if we conceiue God to be like any thing that may be imagined we fancy to our selues an Idol we are to conceiue of God by way of negation and to abstract him from all similitudes Esay 46. 5 9. Therefore Papists and all other which conceiue of God in a carnall and grosse manner know not God aright so gaine little benefit by their knowledge of him Secondly they that beleeue not God to bee the chiefe Good and the only thing to be desired loued and feared know him not aright Such as cannot say as did Dauid of the Lord Psal 73. 25. Whom haue I in heauen but thee I haue none in the earth to be desired in comparison with thee receiue little benefit by their knowledge of God Therfore all Mammonists and couetous persons which prefer their riches before God all Epicures and Bacchanalls which make their belly their God all voluptuous and sensuall persons which make their pleasures and honors their god know not God aright to their benefit and comfort Lastly all that know not God in Christ receiue no benefit by their knowledge of God To know God out of Christ is to know him to be a terrible and angry God taking vengeance vpon vs for our iniquities and transgressions Therefore if thou wouldest haue comfort by thy knowledge of God behold him in Christ see his iustice satisfied and his wrath appeased by that satisfaction and atonement which Christ hath made for thee so trusting to him for saluation which knowledge because almost euery one that liues within the pale of the Church seemes to haue we are to vnderstand that this knowledge if it be meerely theoricall will not saue vs for it may be in the temporary beleeuer and hypocrite therefore vnlesse this knowledge be sanctified it is no euidence of grace it profits not How then may wee bee assured that our knowledge is sanctified sauing By these effects First Knowledge if it be sanctified is operatiue it is a working knowledge it is no idle knowledge but reduced into practice Psal 86. 11. Teach me thy wayes O Lord that I may walke in thy truth Grace teacheth a man to put his knowledge in practice A gracious heart had rather doe and not know if it could bee than to know and not to do he desires to be taught that he might walke not that he might talke as too many doe Hence Dauid Psal 119. 34. Giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy Law yea I will keepe it with my whole heart In saying he would keepe Gods Law it shewes he was no Temporizer in religion which turns with the wind and
of the heart though peraduenture as was touched in the beginning some other thing may for a while keepe it out of thy hand Ciuility and hypocrisie may a little snib sin or bid it for a while to stand aside and giue way to better things but it is only grace that strikes this Goliah dead and takes off his head It is only grace which cures a soule-sick sinner of those diseases which by sinne hee hath contracted vnto himselfe as only Iordan aboue al other waters could heale Naaman of his leprosie Now lest any one should bring himselfe into a fooles paradise and please himselfe with an opinion of his owne goodnesse because of the abating of some sinne or the laying downe of some base carriage which formerly hee had taken vp let him know that there is a maine difference between the forsaking of sin in through the strength of grace and any other by-respect whatsoeuer Corruption is kept vnder in a gracious heart meerely in loue to God and hatred of sinne as Hosea speakes of those that shall bee conuerted vnto God They shall feare the Lord and his goodnesse Hos 3. 5. Though naturally thou mayest loue this or that sinne more than ordinary yet grace will helpe thee to abhor and loath it a better euidence of grace cannot be then when the heart is set against its old loue for it must needs be a supernaturall power and the worke of grace which moues any to dislike and loath that euill which naturally he loues Whereas in the hypocrite sinne is somtime forsaken because sinne hath left him he hath no meanes of committing it or else he forbeares sin as many a fearful dog doth meat in the platter because of the whippe or cudgell that is held ouer him So the hypocrite loues his credit loues his purse loues his skin it may may bee and therfore lest the committing of some sin which hee lingers after should make a flaw or a hole or rent in him hee forbeares the committing of it Examine thy heart therefore in this particular what mooues thee to forbeare thy sin what is the ground of that diuorce vvhich seemes to be betwixt thee and thine old louer If any thing in the world but grace thou art in a bad condition whatsoeuer is become of thy sinne Art thou one whose heart likes well of sinne though thou canst not or darest not commit it Art thou one who when thou art conuinced of or reproued for any failings thy heart riseth against the rebuke though for thy credit or profit sake thou seemest to welcome thankfully to entertaine that reproofe I tel thee thou art in a dangerous condition thou hast but weake and slender euidence of grace if any at all For where true grace is there howsoeuer as was said before for a time in a passion or tentation corruption may preuaile will be a welcomming of the meanes and helpes that may keepe vs from falling into sin as appeares in Dauid who blessed the Lord and Abigail for the good coūsel which she gaue him there also the heart will bleed the tongue will freely against it selfe acknowledge the foulenesse of those sins he hath committed Know moreouer that the nature of grace is to strike at all sinne great and small whether more or lesse profitable pleasing as Psal 119. 104. Therefore I hate all the wayes of falshood A gracious heart is set for the glory of God in all things in all places at all times he labours to shun all things displeasing to God or grieuous to his Spirit makes conscience not only of open but secret sinnes not onely of grosse and foule but of the least euils not onely murder but heart-burning or enuie not only of blasphemie and periury foule-mouthed sins but of those that seeme more faire as faith and troth c. So that as some Physicians haue their Catholicon for the purging out of euery peccant humour so grace is a Catholike expeller purger of all knowne sinnes whereas hypocrites and double-minded men represse sinne but in part and that very partially too not out of any hatred they beare to sinne but because of some euill consequent which waits vpon sin He keepes one sinne or other close one hole in his heart for some base lust or other one Dalila or darling sinne he hath from which he will not be diuorced as if God and men must giue him leaue in some thing to take his libertie hee hath one sin which al the world shall not bring him out of loue withall much lesse to leaue and to forsake it But let al such know that God will none of their patcht holinesse and piece-meale reformation as good neuer a whit as neuer the better All such will one day bee confounded vvhich haue not a respect vnto all Gods Commandements Psal 119. 6. A fourth Euidence of Grace A Fourth Euidence of Grace is obedience vnto the wil of God The Lord by his Prophet tells vs that those which are taken into couenāt with him shall haue his Spirit put into them and he will cause them to walk in his Statutes to keepe his iudgements and doe them Hence it is that the Apostle sayes Wee are elect through sanctification of the Spirit vnto obedience 1 Pet. 1. 2. Vnfained obedience vnto the wil of God is the character of a gracious heart for vntill such time as grace hath seasoned sanctified the heart little or no obedience will appeare in the life and conuersation Heartie obedience doth distinguish a sound heart from an hypocrite To abound in knowledge to haue a forme of godlinesse to be forward in the outward professiō of the truth to partake of the Sacraments make no essentiall difference betwixt a gracious and a gracelesse heart To obey frō the heart that forme of doctrine which is deliuered is a sure marke to distinguish the one from the other Not the hearers of the Law are iust before God but the doers of the Law shall bee iustified Rom. 2. 13. It is not Lord Lord the naked performance of holy duties which will bring vs vnto heauen it is obedience The doing of the will of my Father sayes Christ which is in heauen Matth. 7. 21. Bee ye doers therfore of the Word not hearers onely deceiuing your selues Iam. 1. 22. All knowledge as hath beene said before without obedience is in Gods esteeme no better than ignorance He that saith I know him keepeth not his Commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him 1 Iohn 2. 4. Grace teacheth a man to reduce his knowledge into practice for by the power and strength of grace the will of man is made willing to obey God in all things so that it wil be our meat and drinke to doe the will of our heauenly Father Here some will be ready to cry out and say that by this doctrine wee destroy the liberty of mās will and turne it into a meere necessity
But they speak they know not what For when we affirme that by the power of grace mans wil becomes willing to obey this is not to take away or destroy but rather to rectifie the liberty of our will which consists not in an vnstable changeablenesse to bend euery way but in a settled and firme resolutiō in al things to doe that which God requireth When the will by the power of grace doth pitch vpon Gods wil adheres vnto it with a resolution not to swarue frō it is the will then compelled or the libertie thereof violated No wise man dares so say I suppose When Dauid said I will keepe thy Statutes Psal 119. 8. And againe I will delight in thy Word vers 16. And againe I haue chosen the way of thy truth ver 30. And againe I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart vers 32. was heere any violence or compulsion offered vnto Dauids will Or was Dauids will moued vnwillingly when hee intreated the Lord to knit his heart vnto him that he might feare his Name No no this desire and holy resolutiō of Dauid proceeded from the truth of grace infused into his hart after which infusion the will inclines it selfe most willingly and cheerefully to obey the will of God Doe wee not pray daily Thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen Those heauenly spirits obey willingly cheerefully constantly hauing neither will nor power to disobey How so are their wills manacled and fettered or is it a wrong vnto them that they can doe no other Surely no for the power and strength of grace in them will giue them no leaue to doe otherwise This obeying and seruing God is perfect liberty and freedome and it is the LORD by the worke of grace in our hearts which must make vs thus free Now because an hypocrite wanting grace may goe far in outward obedience it will be very requisite to lay downe some differences betwixt that obedience which is performed by the powerfull worke of grace and that which is done vpon outward by-respects For you must know that an hypocrite may goe far in outward obedience Did not Cain offer sacrifice as well as Abel Did not Ahab humble himselfe at the hearing of threatnings as well as Hezekiah in some particulars Ahab out-stripped Hezekiah for he rent his cloaths he fasted and lay in sack-cloth which acts of humiliation are not reported of Hezekiah Did not Iehu bestir himselfe in fulfilling the commandements of God Did not Iudas preach Was not Simon Magus baptized Did not Ananias and Saphira sell their possessions and lay them downe at the Apostles feet Act. 5. 1 2. And many other instances there may be brought to proue how far hypocrites may wade in outward obedience therefore outward obedience and conformity is no infallible euidence of true grace Wherein then lyeth the difference In these particulars First true grace aymes at the whole will of God it teacheth a man to walke in all Gods Commandements As it is said of Zachary and Elizabeth Luke 1. 6. They walked in all the Commādements of God without reproofe Psa 119. 5 6. O that my wayes were directed to keepe thy Statutes then should I not be confounded when I haue respect vnto all thy Commandements For he that is bound to one is bound vnto all and he that offendeth in one is guiltie of all Iam. 2. 10. Whereas counterfeit grace picks and culls out heere and there such precepts as stand with ease or profit It will boast with Saul and say I haue fulfilled all the Commandements of God yet Agag must liue and the fattest of the cattell must be spared Wherupon Samuel told him that hee had not obeyed the voyce of the Lord 1 Sam. 15. 19. For to say truth he that wilfully and of purpose breakes any one of Gods Lawes cannot bee said to keepe any of them because he keeps them not of conscience for if hee made conscience of one he would make conscience of all If Iehu his obedience and zeale had beene sound it would haue beene manifested in the pulling downe of Ieroboams calues as well as Ahabs Baal but his suffering of the one discouered his obedience and zeale to bee vnsound and counterfeit in the other Againe a gracious heart labors to obey at all times in all places in all company Hee will not for feare or flattery go against Gods precepts It is not profit or pleasure that shall draw him vnto euill for he resolues and labours to doe righteousnesse at all times Psalm 106. 3. Gods Commandements are not grieuous but delightfull vnto him and therefore as it is said of Hezekiah 2 King 18. 6. He cleaues to the Commandements of God and departeth not from them Whereas the obedience of the hypocrite is like vnto Ephraims Hosea 7. 8. As a cake on the hearth not turned halfe baked His goodnes is as the morning dew quickly dryed vp for he sets not his delight on the Almighty Iob. 27. 10. neither seeketh he to God at all times But doe not the best of Gods children sometimes halt in their obedience Yes for in many things we sin al Iam. 3. 2. Grace is but imperfect in the best of Gods children and corruption in the vnregenerate part keeps downe too often hinders the work of grace not that corruption is of it selfe stronger than grace if God will put to his strength for this were to make God weaker than man and the flesh stronger than the spirit but because if God at any time leaue vs to our selues or neuer so little withdrawes the power of his Spirit we are more inclined to follow the sinfull motions of our corrupt flesh than the holy and gracious inclinations of the Spirit of God For if Adam in his innocencie when he knew no euill being left but a while vnto himselfe and wanting the efficacious presence assistance of Gods grace was so quickly so easily drawne to sin much more the corrupted children of sinful parents who are but in part sanctified and haue too much affinity with sin are easily brought to disobey God if he help vs not with his Spirit against the motions of sin and back vs against all tentations and prouocations to disobedience For you must know that God is not alwayes alike present with his children but in great wisdome withdraws from them sometimes that effectuall presence of his grace which at other times he affords them and that for these and some other causes First of all to shew vs our owne instability and weaknesse how vnable we are of our selues to stand any longer than we are vpheld of him If hee takes from vs his Spirit as sometimes he took the wheeles from Pharaohs charrets downe wee fall presently How quickly did Peter fal being left vnto himselfe Secondly the Lord doth this to humble and abase vs to cut our combes and to coole our courage who are ready
to thinke too iollily of our selues and to lift vp our selues aboue our brethren as Peter did who tells Christ that he would stick fast vnto him though the rest of the Apostles should flinch and fall off from him but they stand when he falls to his greater shame and deeper humiliation Thirdly the Lord doth this to make vs the more watchfull ouer our selues that we be not too bold or secure so through selfe-confidence and carnal presumption rush vpon occasions and tentations vnto euill as Peter did who would needs aduenture into the High Priests Hall in confidence of his owne strength where being left vnto himselfe he fell most shamefully and foully aboue the rest of the Apostles who durst not be so foole-hardy as to plunge themselues into danger when they might keepe out Fourthly the Lord doth this to bring them closer vnto him by continuall earnest prayer for the assistance of his grace that he would stand by them that he would not leaue them nor forsake theÌ„ The child when it hath caught a fall through selfe-confidence or letting goe its hold of the mother oh how it will cling to the mother how fast it wil gripe her finger lest being left vnto it selfe it fall againe Fifthly the Lord doth this to worke in vs a tender-heartednesse compassionate feeling of our brothers frailty and weaknesse that we do not beare our heads too highly ouer him looke too bigly vpon him if his foot hath slipt and hee by occasion hath fallen into a sinne but that we labour to restore him or set him in againe as the word imports Gal. 6. 1. with the Spirit of meeknesse considering our selues being of the same metall and making who either haue or may in the like manner be tempted as our brother hath beene Sixthly and lastly that so we may loue the Lord the more for restoring of vs and lifting vs vp when we were fallen Now the childe of God being for these or some such like other causes left vnto himselfe and wanting the assistance of grace to bring him well off from the tentation into which he was fallen listens to Satans charme stoops to his lure vntil such time as the Lord who hath formerly laid earnest for him returnes againe with the gracious and powerfull presence of his Spirit vindicates his owne right curbs and subdues the mutinous and rebellious lusts of the flesh sets grace in its seat againe to direct and gouerne the whole man and so the wil and affections set in tune the childe of God falls againe to his former course of obedience Thirdly a gracious heart obeyeth willingly and cheerfully he yeelds a hartie obedience Rom. 6. 17. Ye haue obeyed froÌ„ the heart Hee loues the Lord with all his heart with all his soule with all his strength as Luk. 10. 27. There may be an vniuersall obedience I meane in outward shew and appearance and yet not a hearty and cheerefull obedience A seruant may goe thorow-stitch with his worke and doe all his task and yet shucke and grumble and wish his worke were lesse or of some other kinde or at some other time appointed him So hypocrites may obey but it is no heartie and cheerefull obedience but a halting and vnwilling willingnesse if they could tell which way to saue their credit coÌ„passe their ends and come fairely off they would leaue off to obey Whereas a gracious heart performes duties not by constraint but willingly and of a readie minde 1 Pet. 5. 2. He yeelds himselfe as a seruant to obey Rom. 6. 16. Whatsoeuer good seruaÌ„ts doe they doe or at least should doe it cheerefully Coloss 3. 13. without any mumbling or wording or reasoning the case with their master which cheerfulnesse and willingnesse makes the work accepted though there be many failings 2 Cor. 8. 12. If a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath c. Therefore seeing the Lord calls for the heart Prou. 23. 26. and measures all obedience by the heart For with God the minde is the man and it is not the outward action but the inward intention of the heart which the Lord looks vpon let vs learne to deny our selues and whatsoeuer we doe to doe it heartily though troubles and crosses doe attend our obedience to the vtmost of our power let vs endeuour to bring forth fruit with patience A fourth difference lies in sincerity and singlenesse of heart A good man obeyes for conscience sake without any respect of any carnall earthly ends as Dauid exhorted his son 1 Chron. 28. 9. Salomon know thou thâ—â—â—d of thy Fathers and serue him with a perfect heart and willing minde It is said of Dauid 1 King 3. 6. He walked before the Lord in truth and vprightnesse Euery one that obeyes willingly and cheerfully obeyes not sincerely Iehu was forward enough in fulfilling the coÌ„mand of God and rooting out Ahabs posterity but he aymed more at the settling the crowne vpon his owne head making sure work for his posterity after him than the obeying of Gods Word Wheras a gracious heart hath his conuersation in simplicitie not subtilty in godly purenesse not dissembled and counterfeit sanctity or fleshly wisdome He walkes not in craftinesse but approues himselfe to euery mans conscience in the sight of God 2 Cor. 4. 2. Therefore to conclude this point as we desire any sound euidence to our owne hearts of true grace let our life be a life of obedience and that we may not be losers in the end by all our obedience but gainers looke I beseech you that your obedience bee rightly qualified let it be an intire and perfect obedience make conscience of all good duties and that at all times and in all places beware of displeasing God to please man Beware of culling out here and there some good duties to serue thy turne withall there must be no parting of stakes betwixt God and the Deuill betwixt Christ the world A piece-meale obedience is in Gods esteeme no better no other than disobedience as appeares in Sauls killing the Amalekites and sparing Agag and some of the cattell To reforme some things nay to conforme in many things and not in all is no conformity at all but deformity What auailes it a man to bee a Saint abroad and a deuill at home To frequent the assembly of Saints and to fashion himselfe to the world To be strict in the duties of Religion loose in the workes of morality outward righteousnesse Or to walke in a tracke of ciuility and to neglect if not abandon the way of pietie As if holinesse and righteousnesse were two enemies and could not accord and agree together Againe that which thou dost do with al thy might and to make al good last of al cast in the salt of sincerity to season al thy doings doe nothing to bee seen of men for then thou losest thy reward vvith God who loueth truth in the inward
affections Psal 51. 6. passeth by all outward failings where the heart is vpright before him sincerity being a grace which makes al obedience sauour vvell to the Lords pallat Therefore that thou mayest be drawne to such a kinde of obedience consider of these motiues First know that vntil thou findest thy heart inclined and thy wil framed to this obedience which I haue formerly spoken of thou art no friend of Christs Yee are my friends saith Christ if ye do whatsoeuer I command you Many can bee content to receiue good by Christ and to account him their Iesus but few returne loue and duty vnto Christ by acknowledging him their Lord in keeping his Word obeying his wil doing whatsoeuer hee commandeth them Secondly thou wantest as hath beene formerly proued sound euidence of thy regeneratiō for whom God reneweth he sanctifieth throughout he fills him with the seeds of righteousnesse so as his life is fruitful in obedience Thirdly the richer thou art in obedience the more bountiful wil the Lord be in rewarding He that gained fiue talents had the rule ouer fiue Cities For euery one shall receiue according to his worke Rom. 2. 6. Fourthly and lastly this wil procure as you shal heare by and by outward prosperity it wil fetch in a rich portion of outward benefits and blessings Esay 1. 19. If yee be willing and obey yee shall eat the good things of the Land Now then to draw to a conclusion of this point seeing you haue heard of these euidences of true grace let me in the bowels of the Lord Iesus beseech you my brethren to goe home to your own hearts make there a diligent scrutiny and narrow search whether you finde these euidences in your possession or not Are the eyes of your vnderstanding enlightned with sauing knowledge Is thy knowledge rightly qualified Is it practicall or is it meerely theorical Is it a transforming knowledge moulding thee to the Word Is it such a knowledge as vents it selfe continually for the glory of God and the good of others Dost thou find thy heart by beleeuing knit vnto God through Christ louing him and fearing him for his owne sake as well as for his Christs sake Dost thou find the throat of thy corruption cut in thee and thy sins bleeding to death and gasping in thee Is thy heart set against euery euil way and thy soule delighted in the practice of that which is good Doth thy heart stoope to GODS Word and thou yeeld vp thy selfe to be at his command and that willingly cheerefully and in singlenes of heart fearing God Then blessed be the time that euer thou wert made acquainted with these high prerogatiues God hath done more for thee than if wanting these he had put vpon thee all the honour pompe and glory of the world But woe and alas how few are there in whō these euidences are to bee found Oh that such as want them had but eyes to see their misery and hearts to consider how full of vnconceiueable horror their consciences will one day be when they come to bee awakend perceiue how they haue trifled away the day of grace turned the grace of God into wantonnesse receiued the grace of God in vaine so as they haue no part in the inheritance either of grace or of glory Know and beleeue deare brethrē that things will not alwayes stand at this stay with you A day is comming wherein yee must lay down these earthly tabernacles of yours with them all your pleasures profits and honours when none of all these will stand you in any stead or afford you any comfort but will rather wanting grace to vse them aright increase your griefe sorrow A day will come wherein if these euidences be not in thee thy conscience will not spare to tell thee to thy face that wanting grace thou art a vessell of wrath ordained and prepared for destruction Oh the troubles sorrowes and feares into which in that day thy poore soule will be plunged for want of grace Oh what wouldest thou not then giue for one dram of grace How happy wouldest thou take thy self to be if thou hadst but a little time to redeem wherein thou mightest come to partake of the meanes of grace which formerly thou hast slighted ouer making no more account of them than of thine old shooes Thou wilt then cease to wonder at Gods faithful Ministers so inueighing against the neglect of grace and so vehemently pressing and vrging the necessitie thereof Thou wilt then say that a little grace were more worth than all the world beside and that they are only happy that doe partake of it Whereas the childe of God hauing tasted of Gods goodnesse and made partaker of his grace is filled with vnconceiueable ioy comfort finding himselfe deliuered from the power of darkenesse and translated into the Kingdome of Iesus Christ His conscience being purged frō dead works by the bloud of Christ his heart purified by faith he can looke death in the face take him by the hand and bid him welcome he can lye downe and rest in peace and in full assurance or if any doubtings through Satans malice do arise in hope of eternall life through Iesus Christ And this shall suffice to haue spoken of the euidences of true Grace I now come according to the method and order which in the beginning I propoūded to lay downe some grounds and reason Why Grace is the best thing we can partake of First because it is the onely thing which giues content to the heart and minde of a Christian in euery estate and condition whatsoeuer God hath placed him Contentment is the thing which euery one aymes at and desires in all his courses Why do men toile and moile in the world early and late thorow thicke and thin but to satisfie their minds in these outward riches Why do people follow and with vnwearied and vnlimited desires and affections hunt after the honors and pleasures of this world but to satisfie their desires and as they suppose to giue themselues content But this is a meere imposture of our wicked heart falsly thinking that our desires are satisfied with desiring when as the truth is they are increased Why doe men and women deck and adorne as they thinke whereas indeed they deforme their bodies with strange attire with costly ornaments but to giue themselues content and to please their mindes For if you aske them a reason of their practice they will tell you it is their pleasure so to doe But they deceiue themselues in looking for content in worldly things or to be satisfied with thē as appeares Esay 55. 2. Wherefore doe you spend money for that which is not bread and labour for that which satisfieth not Is it possible that vanity and vexation of spirit should giue content to the heart of man All things vnder the Sunne are no better no other than vanity if wee will beleeue the Preacher Eccles
of carnall security the Lord oft stands by lets Satan loose and layes the reines vpon their owne necks whereby they come oft-times to be ouer-taken with grosse and shamefull sins the Lord in wisdome vsing as bodily Physicians oft doe desperate medicines and remedies for the curing of some desperate disease preuailing in them or growing vpon them Again there is another weed to be plucked vp and that is Insinceritie if I may so call it the want of truth and vprightnesse of heart call it Hypocrisie if you wil that stinking weed which like the wilde Gourd sowred all the Pottage 2 King 4. 40. The Lord loueth truth in the inward parts and loathes the contrary Vprightnesse and sincerity helpes forward the worke of grace as appeares Psal 84. 11. The Lord will giue grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke vprightly The want of vprightnesse will make grace to wither It is not possible for that tree to stand long which is rotten at the root it may for a while seeme fresh and greene but as it takes no root downeward so it will not long beare fruit vpward for whē the wind begins to blow hard down it falls Wheras a gracious heart which truly delights in the Law of God and meditates therein alone in the night as well as openly in the day is like a tree planted by the riuers of waters that will bring forth her fruit in due season whose leafe shall not fade but be greene and neuer cease yeelding fruit As these weeds must be plucked out of the heart or else grace cannot possibly thriue or prosper so there be certain briers and thornes which must bee stubbed vp or else grace will quickly be choked in vs. These thornes are the cares of this world the deceitfulnesse of riches which while some haue lusted after they erred from the faith and pierced themselues thorow with many sorrowes These things sayes Paul 1 Tim. 6. 11. we must fly and follow after righteousnesse godlinesse faith c. implying that grace will not thriue if loue of money bee not rooted out of vs. What choaked grace if any was in Demas but the loue of the world Oh the multitude of soules that haue miscarried and for ought we know to the cōtrary might haue done wel if riches had not been not that riches are the cause but an occasion of their miscarrying What parted Christ that hopeful young man in the Gospell Mat. 19. was it not the loue of riches Many haue begunne well in their youth and giuen good hope but in their age haue growne cold through the loue of the world If once mens hearts begin to goe after their eyes and to be set vpon the world twenty to one but grace goes to decay in them for the world wil afford a man little time to exercise those things which hold vp the life of grace as prayer reading hearing c. If the world hath seazed vpō the heart it fumes vp into the head and fills the braine sleeping and waking with restlesse thoughts which way to compasse businesse contriue things and bring ends together so as scarce once in the day a good thought comes to minde but one occasion or other of the world stifles it or shuffles it out so as it comes to nothing Therfore if riches increase set not your heart vpon thē Psal 62. 10. Vse thē as thornes for thy weale to stop a gap withall to fence thee from outward harmes or to warme thee but lie not vpō them hold them not too hard lest they strike into thee and would thee remember alwayes that they are thornes good in their lawfull vse and when they are rightly husbanded but otherwise noxious and hurtful They are thornes they will ouer-grow and choak all good things that grow neere them if they be let alone Againe there be many bad humours foolish and noysome lusts which must be purged out of the heart or else grace will neuer thriue nor prosper in it to wit enuy hatred malice guile dissimulation filthinesse euill speakings the like which corrupt goodnesse Therefore S. Peter exhorting his brethren to whom hee wrote to embrace the sincere milke of the Word that they might grow therby prepares thē to this by aduising thē to lay aside those base distempers for they do much hinder the growth of Grace where they are they take away the glory and beauty of a Christian and make him vnseemely in the eyes of his brethren they darken his lustre and do blot and blemish his holy profession Therefore away with these lay these aside not as a man doth his apparell with a resolution to take it vp againe but as the captiue maid when she was to be maried laid aside the garment of her captiuitie Deut. 21. 13. with a resolution neuer more to put it on Abstaine from all fleshly lusts for they fight against thy soule 1 Pet. 2. 11. As Easterne winds doe nippe herbs and flowers cold stormes doe hinder trees from growing so fleshly lusts nip grace in the bud as it were blast it in the bloome that if it dieth not yet it comes not forward so fast as otherwise it would Last of all take heed beware of the needlesse familiar societie of gracelesse and godlesse persons for they are the quench-coale nay the very bane and poyson of grace vnto many He that is a companion of fooles shal be destroyed or as Iunius hath it He shal be made worse Prou. 13. 20. God hath branded wicked persons for fooles they are fooles in graine therefore come out from amongst thē lest thou partake of their folly They are pitch if thou touch them they wil defile thee There is a kind of poyson and venome in the words and society of the wicked which will fret as the Apostle sayes like a Gangrene and mens soules are more ready to take the cōtagion of sin than their bodies are to take the infection of the plague It would take vp a long time and proue a large discourse to shew how many wayes by what degrees mischiefe doth grow by haunting wicked company By often hearing filthy and obscene speeches zeale in many is quenched and such language growes in-offensiue By often seeing lewd prankes and wicked practices men can look on without dislike Thus the societie of the wicked quells a mans hatred of their wicked courses so inchants him that if he cast not in his lot amongst thē yet he hath no power to gain-say or reproue thē Therefore as you loue your soules loath the company of the wicked Can a man take fire into his bosome not burne liue amongst or delight to be with the wicked and not be vngodly Dost thou not know that a little leauen will sowre the whole lumpe And as the old saying is One scabbed sheepe infects the whole flocke Therefore say as Dauid Away from mee yee