who whilest they depend on their owne righteousnesse are the greatest enemies to the righteousnesse of Christ Secondly in a more refined mysterious way attributing that to frames of spirit and to the acts of faith love joy which some falsly call God in them which should be attributed only to the righteousnes and bloodshed of the Lord Jesus If you fall on any thing for life salvation though never so spetious besides the righteousnesse of Christ as Mediator or if you looke on any thing either externall without you or internall within you as a ground of your peace apart from or without relation to the blood of Christ whereby the same is rendered acceptable in the sight of God this is to fall under a Covenant of works and oh that this were but rightly considered by those who count the knowledge of Christ in his Mediatorship and Preist-hood to be no other than a knowledge of him after the flesh Object Rom. 8.14 Yee have not received the spirit of bondage againe to feare how then can the Saints be brought into bondage and under a Covenant of works T is true Answ the Spirit of God having once spoken peace to a believer he doth not afterwards bring him into bondage by telling him that he is under wrath and in chaines of darknesse for this were a plaine contradiction which is far from the Spirit of God who is truth and is no lye z 1 Joh 2. c 7. neverthelesse the Saints may be brought into bondage after they have received the Seale of the Spirit as they may also be deluded with errors which wee must not impute to the Spirit of God but to Satan and the flesh for these two joyne together to rob God of the glory of his grace The Spirit who is free in his operation causeth terror and slavish feare in the believing soule no other wayes than the Sunne causeth darkness by suspending his beames and irradiations doubtlesse so far as wee hearken to the suggestions and language of the Spirit of God wee shall be conducted into the way of truth peace and comfort but wee often give credit to Satan that lying spirit and so are led from Christ the true way into dangerous paths Suppose yee take counsel both of an honest-man and a deceiver so far as you follow the advise of the honest-man yee prosper well in your businesse but if you will be tampering with the advise of the deceiver which is our case then wee have to doe with Satan who is the great Jugler yee will be cozened and deluded Ninthly 9 Symptome If ye slight the communion of Saints if the society and communion of Saints especially such as keep close in their judgments to the simplicity of the Gospel and are most spirituall holy and watchfull in their conversations be tedious and burthensome unto you so that you forsake their assemblies and meetings as it was the manner of some in the Apostles dayes a Heb. 10.25 And though yee are convinced that they have much of the Image of God upon them and your hearts have been wonderfully expatiated and enlarged whilst you frequented their assemblies God having unbosomed his love to you in the communication of their experiences yet now your spirits swell and rise up against them as too strick and too watchfull for you not long since their company and discourse was delightsome and precious unto you oh you could not be absent from them an houre you were never in your right element but when you were conversing with them I appeale to you did not your hearts often burne and were not your affections raised heaven wards in communicating with them where then is your former zeale and love seeing now yee are as much or more affected with the company of meere worldings or lukewarme Gospellers or sleight spirited Opinionists than with the Society of these precious saints certainely they have but could affections to Christ who looke on the communiion of saints as an arbitrary indifferent thing And as this is a symptome of decaying in spiritualls so it argues much vanity and slightnesse of spirit if you be taken up in your meetings with circumstanciall and trisling things and so fall to jangling and strif (a) 1 Tim. 1. 4 5 6 7. neglecting those blessed truthes wherein the Saints concur and agree as namely the Doctrine of Justification by Christ of assurance by the spirit and liveing upon God by saith in our severall callings and relations and herein professiors doe as children use to do who looke more on the outside than on that which is with in and prize bables and toyes more than Preclous things Religion which consists in a conformity of the hart to God is now turned into a dispure and made use of only as a head notion a sad thing hee that is the greatest disputant and can utter bigg swelling words is counted the most excellent Christian whereas many dispute much of religion that manifest but little of the power of it and those that are spirituall and walke circumspectly can tell you from experience that they have seldome or never mett with the comforts of God in disputes but have come away from them with sad harts and drooping spirits and how can it be otherwise since men exalt their owne notions and gifts more than Christ and strive more for victory than for truth in contending for their opinions Thirdly when men are let loose to a spirit of bitternesse 10 Symptome If there be much bitternesse against dissenting brethren invie and parsecution So that they stuff and fill their bookes sermons and discourses with gall and wormeword and rake up all the dunghills they can meete with that so they might find a matter against brethren who in some things oiffer from them looking on that which is true Christian charity according to the Apostls description (a) 1 Cor. 13. as want of true zeale such a spirit as this hath acted much of late in professors that live under seuerall formes and indeed ye that have a close commuinon with God a cleere judgment in the things of God may see these angry bitter men that would violently obtrude upon their brethren every opinion they hold though but Circumstanciall under a penalty notwithstanding their heat of spirit grow exceeding colde in the practicall part of Godlinesse and in the duties of Christian Charity while they continually cry out errors errors c. without excerciseing bowells of compassion towards their brethren they themselves loose much of their Communion with God for whereas they ought in tendernesse of heart to pray and mourne for their brethrē if fallen into any error either of doctrin or practise and endeavour by meekness of spirit to set them in joynt againe * So the word signifies Gal. 6.1 in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quemadmodum incolumitati naturae diligentia medicorum servit ita Christiana Charitas sanitati mentium cordium tam
these 15 Symptomes wherin I have beene some what large because they are sutable to these deserting times I shall now give you three grounde or reasons why there are such eclipses or cloudings of Gods countenance First because the spirit of God which is a spirit of wisdom 1 Ground The Spirit of God is free worker and revelation a spirit of life and light a spirit of love and of a sound minde a Eph. 1.17 is a free and arbitray agent he workes when 2 Tim. 1.7 and where and in what measure he pleaseth as the wind bloweth where it listeth so the spirit workes where and how he pleaseth b John 3.8 to some he reveales more to some lesse of the minde of God none are perfect in there faith love joy while they remaine heere as he is free to give the soule comfort and speake peace to it so he may as freely withdraw his divine influence from it at least in some measure and degree and who can blame him for so doing since he acts freely and every dram of peace and comfort which any poore soule hath is meerely of grace and benevolence if you have more communion with God then your brethren and a bound in the comforts of the holy Ghost whilst they morne under sad discouregments you have so much the morecause to magnifie the grace of God for what have you which you have not received as the sun is free in shining on your outward man so the spirit of God is also free in casting his beames upon your inward man * Donum spiritus liberum est nulli merito alligatum Musc Secondly the Lord in his infinit wisdome layes you low 2 Ground Saìnts are brought low that they may sympathize with their brethren that you may pittie others that are in a sad conditon over whome you would otherwise insult and triumph such as have knowne the terrors of God and have beene in the depths of sorrow and affliction themselves will Sympathize with there afflicted brethern experience makes a compassionate and tender hearted Christian if ye be wounded your selves you would be sensible of others if you be exercised in the spirituall warfare your selves you will pitty those that by groaning under the burthen of corruption by exercise wee come to be expert souldiers in the Campe of Christ indeed the speculative part of religion is not comparable to the practicall our Saviour himself was tempted that he might be a compassionate high preist and know how to helpe others that are tempted a Heb. 4.15 you are apt to grow proud and wanton when you have much comfort and greate raptures you are puffed up with your inlargments and looke at your poore wounded afflicted brethren at a great distance the Lord it may be will take away your comforts and put you into the same capacity with them that you may be sensible of their sorrowes no temptation hath taken others but it may also surprize you yee may ere long for ought I know mourne after your beloved as the Spouze did in the Canticles though you have the bridgrooms presence now with you it may be shortly taken frō you and then your countenances wil be sad and your harts be filled with sorrow you ought therefore to be so far from censuring your disconsolate brethren as that you should morne with them and helpe to beare their burthens so fulfill the law of Christ which is a law of love Thirdly because God will put a differēce in the measure 3 Ground God will have Saints know they have not a full poffession of heaven here of the Saints enjoyments here and in glory here they live by faith there by sence and vision here their comforts ebbe flow but there they have an uninterrupted communion with God a fulnesse of joy in the beatificall vision of the Lord of glory 't is true the saints in this world have experience of that joy which is unspeakable and glorious but they have but a tast of it some times they are so carried up in the spirit as that the most excellent things in the world are as nothing unto them but these raptures are not of long continuance there is as great if not a greater difference betweene the Saints here and the Saints in glory in the measure of there joyes as betweene the Saints that lived under the old administration those that have liv'd since Christs ascention when he distributed great portions of his spirit to the sonnes of men a Eph. 4.8 as princes use to give great gifts at the time of their coronation the Apostle cleares this excellently in the 1. Cor. 13 12. now wee see darkly through a glasse or medium now wee have but a Darke sight of the glory of God but then namely when the vaile is rent and corruption swallowed up wee shall see face to face now wee know but in part but then wee shall know even as wee are knowne the failings and imperfections of the most spirituall Saints do sufficiently confesse the vaine interpretation which some give on this place namely that the perfect vision of God is to be referred to the Saints there which cannot be obtained without a change of the outward man this mortality must put on immortality and this corruption incorruption at the glorious appearance of the sonne of God when the Kingdome shal be delivered up to the father and the father shal be all in all b 1 Cor. 15. now we are the sons of God it doth not appeare what we shal be but wee know when he doth appeare we shall be like him for wee shall see him as hee is b 1 John 3.2 hee shall change our vild bodies that they may be fashioned like his glorious body c Phil. 3.1 21 and this is that which the Saints long after as the great marriage feast the complement of their joy and happinesse praying continually come Lord Jesus come quickly Vse 1 Spurne not at this Doctrine as too low and carnall for you let not such a thought enter into your hearts but examine your selves strictly concerning it that at length if it be the will of God yee may be sensible of your great losse for a man to be wounded and not know it aggravates his afflictions to be miserable yet to be ignorant of it adds to his inisery the time was when you had tender consciences broken and contrite hearts and were sensible of the stratagems of Satan and the deceitfulnesse of your owne spirits yee have also seene the out-goings of God and your mouthes have beene filled with mirth and singing as the bird in a summers morning oh how pleasant and delightfull have the truths of God and Saints of God beene to you but now behold and oh that you were sensible of it yee walke in a desart and wildernesse where there is no water darknesse is your habitation you feed on chaff and windy notions in which
were but babes in the knowledge of Christ but as for the Baptist himself it seemes hee had much of God in him for he ingenously acknowledged that Christ must increase and himself decrease neither did hee repine but rejoyce and was glad that Christ the Bridgroome was exalted whose messenger and servant he was This seeking honour of men was the great let obstacle in the way of the Jewes so that they could not believe in Christ How can yee believe which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honor that commeth from God only o Joh. 5.44 and indeed this was the break-neck sin of Diotrephes for the Apostle writes of him that hee affected the preheminence that is to be counted more excellent then the Apostles and their followers that so he might make a worldly gaine of his spirituall gifts and if it be thus with you that you are taken with the applause of men and love to have the preheminence it is a Symptome that you are in a sleepy condition want that spiritual sense of your own nothingness which you have formerly had Fourthly 4. Symptome If you kick at a reproofe if your hearts be haughty and stubborne so that you will not take a reproofe kindly and meltingly but kick against it and your brethren that admonish you and instead of an ingenious acknowledgment of your fault yee frame excuses and your spirits swell and grow big upon it I'ts evident in this case that God hath hid his face from you and thus it was with Peter that holy man who when the Damosell charged him home with truth he grew outragious and passionate and no marvell if he took it no better from her for the good man was left to himself that he might have experience of his owne weaknesse and learne to put his confidence in the Lord. After Christs ascension when there was a greater effusion of the Spirit upon him the mystery of faith was more clearely revealed to him we doe not read that he was so vaine and passionate under a reproofe when Paul withstood him to the face for his double dealing p Gal. 2.11 Wee may therefore conclude that those Professors who spurne at their brethren for giving them a seasonable reproofe and admonition and upon this accompt grow strange to them and refraine their society are much under a cloude and in a great measure carnal for otherwise the reproofe of a Saint would be as oyle powred out on their heads and it would be entertained as a messenger from God Fiftly when there is a neglect 5. Symptome When you are formal in your duties or superficiall use of Christian duties and services I have observed two extreames in Professors some doe idolize the meanes and set up Ministers and duties in the place of Christ as if these were crucified for them and others sleight duties and Ordinances as dead formes beggerly rudiments carnall administrations fleshly appearances and thus it was in the Church of Corinth q 1 Cor. 1.12 one said he was of Paul another of Apolle another of Cephas here was idolizing men and meanes but then there was another sort that said they were of Christ that is as I conceive in opposition to men and meanes they were so for Christ and his imediate teachings and discoveries that they sleighred the faithful dispensers of the Gospel and neglected all meanes and Ordinances as the teachings onely of man and not of God Ordinances neglected from a twofold consideration I shall only mention a double consideration from which some Professors neglect Ordinances First 1. Consi That there is a going out to the world which is distinct from the Church of Christ because there is going out to the world and dispensing the Word and Prayer to the world therefore Saints may not communicate therein This is a grosse mistake and I hope there are not many of this judgment for First 1. No difference of places under the new Testament there is no difference of places neither are wee tied more to one place than to another now under the new Testament since that typicall holinesse that was in the Temple is abolished and thus much in effect our Saviour told the woman of Samaria r Ioh. 4.21 Truth is truth and the Gospel is the Gospel wheresoever it is dispenced as one place is not more holy than another so neither is one place more unholy than another in the dayes of the New-Testament Secondly 2. Christ preached to the world and Saints did accompany him Christ preached to the world to the Scribes and Pharisees to all sorts of men and embraced all places occasions and opportunities to declare the will of his Father and his Disciples who were Saints were with him and heard him and Paul and the other Apostles preached often in the shipps to the rude Sea-men and donbtlesse some of the Saints did accompany them were present at their exercise Thirdly 3. Saints may hereupon praise the Lord who hath deliveredthem out of the world by that doctrine which is delivered to the world yee that are Saints whome the Lord hath taken out of the world may have occasion ministred to praise the Lord and to magnifie the riches of his grace who hath put a difference between you and the world and hath translated you out of the kingdome of darknesse into the kingdome of his deare Son yee have no excellency which you have not received therefore why should ye boast as if ye had not received it why should ye insult over those that are in a naturall condition and have not yet attained to the knowledge of the mystery of Christ I am sure the Gospell teacheth you another lesson and if yee obey the voyce thereof yee will be tender hearted and compassionate towards such as are without seeing they cannot helpe themselnes till grace over power their hearts the same power that raised Christ from the grave enables a poore soule to beleeve in Christ Å¿ Epehs 1.19.20 Fourthly some truthes which are dispensed to the world are in a speciall manner usefull for saints as the doctrine of redemption and reconciliation by the blood of Christ and the doctrine which holds forth the evill and sinfulnesse of sin the saints are not come to such a perfect knowledge of these truthes they do not so fully see into the mistery of sin and the glory of their redemption by Christ neither doe they so distinctly and cleerly aprehend the offices and relations of Christ but much more may be added to their knowledg of these particulars Secondly 2. Consi That the Scriptures hold forth a perfect vision of God in this life Isa 60.19 Reve. 21. this slighting of ordinances and duties proceeds from a misaplication and misinterpretation of some scriptures which hint at the cessation of ordinances as Isaiah 60.19 and Revel 21. The sunne and moone which some conceive to be the Ordinances of Christ
shall shine no longer but the Lord will be an everlasting light to his church now if these scriptures bee appliable to the Church earth which I rather thinke ought to be referred to the saitns when glorified and triumphant in heaven it must be when he church is made perfect not onely by imputation but inherently when she sees God face to face and there is no flesh nor corruption in her till then they ought not to plead for an exemption from Ordinances and if Ordinances cease in this life much more eating and drinking and the duties of matrimonial relation if there shall be so much glory revealed as to swallow up the former which are of a higher nature that fulnes of glory will much more0 put an end to the latter which are lower more perishing and therefore those that say they need use Ordinances no longer let them also refraine from eating and drinking and conversing in the world * Praesens haec vita vita est fidei quae non est praesentum ac fruentium sed absentium sperantium expect Sixthly if yee constantly attend the purest Ordinances and the most spiritual and evangelicall Ministery and heare truths that are most sutable to your condition and corespond most with your experiences and yet bring forth little or no spiritual fruit but are still dead-hearted indisposed and unprofitable under these thriving dispensations it s a Symptome that you are under a spirituall distemper * Non progredi estregredi Christians oft times blame the men and the meanes and quarrell with the truths of God either as too high or too low for them when they oght rather to blame the carnality sleightnes and unbeliefe of their owne hearts for herefore the word profits not becanse it is not mixed with faith in them that heare it u Heb. 4.2 yet I deny not but there may be and often is * Sermo auditus fine fide vel fide non mixtus tâ abest ut prositaudienti ut magis eum damnet Muscul a great failing in him that dispenses the word for he may deliver it so generally and confusedly having little or no experience of the worke of Gods Spirit that an experienced Saint cannot profit by it If there be not bodily motion and stirring you may conclude the party is in a swound or trance and againe if he eat good victualls and thrive not by them but rather grow lank and leane you may well say he hath an ill concoction by reason of some bodily distemper or other So if the word be purely preached and the truths of the Gospel distinctly handled and you attend the meanes from day to day and ug continually with your hearts in Ordinances and yet notwithstanding you finde little or no spirituall sap and moisture but are leane and drie in this case it is evident enough that your spirituall digestion is in a great measure gone from you and that your inward man is under a distemper Now this may be when yet there is as frequent an use of Ordinances as much praying hearing conferring in the letter and forme as ever but there wants that spirituall life and vigour that holy familiarity and boldnesse with God in your performances which was wont to be nay your performances by the breathings of the Spirit may be lively and spirituall to others and yet your selves in the meane while dead-hearted and labouring under the burthen of your Iusts the great crop of gifts and fluent expressions which you have usually had in Prayer c. may still remaine and yet that which is the life of Prayer Gospel faith and assurance may decay and this many Christians can tell you by experience 7 Symtome when saints shark much after creature comforts Seventhly this may be another Syptome if yee dote so far on creature enjoyments that in dallying with these you spend and squander away many precious houres and dayes without serious thoughts of God and heavnly intercourses betweene him and you and so commit Idolarries with the creature and run a whoreing after the world and earthly things Forsaking him who is the fountaine of living water and digging to our selves broken cisternes that will hold no water xJer 2.13 If you set your hearts on creature beauty and sacrifice your affections to wanton dalliances igh apparel diet buil dings and other creature excellencies spending the very streame and creame and quintessence of your affections on these perishing objects so that when you come to rejoyce in God and love God and spirituall things yee have no heart to it but are altogether dead and indisposed as to this having spent your affections upon other objects and tired out your selves in the things of the world and further if you can rejoyce exceedingly in the possession of these outward things and forrow as much in the want of them be it a husband a wife a child or any other creature that is deare to your as if your life and happinesse were bound up in these temporall enjoyments It s aparent to me that you converse not much with God but rahter that his countenance is hid from you and surely the Prophet David was much under a cloude and not sensible of the consolations of his God when his affections were so captivated and insnared with the beauty of Bersheba and good Ezekiah was in the like condition when he made shew of his gold and silve in a vaine glorious manner to the King of Babylon And for those Christians that are easily transported and surprized with every temptation drink much of the perishing waters it appeares their spirits hang loose from God they have but little spirituall joy and therefore they run out to creature comforts and so spena their money for tht which is not bread and their labour for that which satisfieth not y If. 55.2.8 Symptome If there be an abatement in poynt of assurance Eighty if your assurance of salvation be weakned your evidences blurred and your soules brought into bondage so that you fall as it were under a covenant of works by poreing too much on your selves and creatures and not eyeing Christs blood and righteousnesse in the Spirit Now the soules that hath been acquainted with Christ the true spirituall seed may yet goe back to a Covenant of works as Abraham hankered after Ismael who was a type of the Covenant of works even when Isaac that typified the Covenant of grace was borne and that two wayes First 1. In depending on eternall acts in depending on the externall acts of Prayer c. and deriving your peace and comfort from the work done * Ex opere operato which is meere Popery and hence it is that you are lifted up and cast downe according to the outward performance thus the Pharisees builded their hopes and comforts upon their doings and performances and so doe many Professors in these dayes 2. Of the internall motion in stead of Christ