provoke them unto love and good works Yet it is observable that such Christians do grow by a kind of spiritual Antiperistasis as they say the fire is hottest in the coldest weather so we often see that there is a great warmth and zeal against sin and for God nourished in those souls which have been most smothered and choaked with ill relations and company which discovereth it self as soon as those persons are freed from those intanglements and incumbrances but while they are troubled with them this growth is not so evident nor do we constantly find Grace thriving under such ill shadows so prone are our corrupt natures to receive contrary impressions and nothing so much as converse exposing us to the reception of them So that this is like an ill air to the Body which often hindreth the growth of it 4. Fourthly As the growth of the Body is hindred by some diseases the growth of a plant by some canker or some ill winds or by the check which it may have by the bitings of some beasts So may the growth of Grace in the Soul be much hindered 1. By the prevailings of some particular corruptions 2. Or by the wounds which the Soul receiveth from some temptations It is true There are some sicknesses in which persons shoot out and by which they are rather advantaged than hindered in their growth but there are other habituated distempers which hinder the growth of young persons There is no prevailing corruption but giveth a check to a growth in Grace though sometimes the prevailing of it doth by accident promote Grace in its exercise as it was with the Corinthians 2 Cor. 7.11 But prevailing Lusts do wonderfully hinder proficiency in Grace To instance but in that one lust of Earthly mindedness Let but an earthly covetous mind prevail upon any it is a wonderful thing to observe how it checks all spirtual progress it betrayeth a Christian to so many practical errors both of omission and commission that his neighbour standing by and observing him cannot but cry out in the words of the Apostle How dwelleth the love of God in this man Though they see much in him which disposeth them to charitable thoughts and makes them that they cannot but conclude he is one that feareth God yet they know not how to reconcile the actions of his life to what the Scripture speaketh of the nature of grace Yea and long and violent temptations do also much hinder the souls growth They are like cold winds or the bitings of beasts to the plants which discourage the growth of them though they be not internal causes yet they are external causes of the plants unthriftiness So it is with long and violent temptations they indeed do not work as internal causes I mean such temptations as are ab hoste from our grand adversary to hinder a Christians growth but they are great external causes discouraging the soul in almost all its exercises of Communion with God and applications of it self unto him 5. Lastly Any Desertions or with-drawings of divine influences are great causes There are few plants which grow much in the shade ordinarily the influences of heaven both of the Sun and the Rain are necessary to the growth of the plants I am sure the influences of the Sun of righteousness are necessary to the spiritual growth of a good Christian and if they be with-drawn though the soul may live yet during the with-holdings of them it will not much grow or thrive The soul will live during the with-drawing of them for I have once and again told you that the Lord never withdraweth what of his spiritual influence upon the soul is necessary to uphold and maintain the spiritual union and life but no soul flourisheth and increaseth much under such a dispensation it standeth in the shadow and wanteth those beams which are necessary to its bearing and bringing forth much fruit These now are the great causes of that variety which we discern in Christians Growth other causes might be assigned but this is sufficient supposing God to have appointed the use of means in order to a spiritual growth and ordinarily to concurre with the use of those means to justifie Divine Providence in not equally making every Soul to grow There is yet one Question more which indeed doth not properly concern this place in which I am to discourse concerning the Reasonableness of Divine Providence in the inequal distributions of special distinguishing Grace yet I shall speak something too viz. 6th Quest Whence it is that good People have such different Apprehensions of the Truth of God 1. That which makes the difficulty in the Apprehension of this is 1. Partly Because there is but one Truth one Faith as well as one God one Baptism c. Two contradictory Propositions cannot be true nor can both proceed from the God of Truth for the same Fountain doth not send forth bitter Water and sweet One and the same God cannot speak different things God is Truth and every Truth is from God no lie no falshood cannot possibly be from God 2. Partly Because all the People of God have the same Spirit of God which is called the Spirit of Truth dwelling in them and are under the same Promise of this Holy Spirit leading them into all truth and the Annointings teaching them all things 3. Again They have all the same word of truth to guide them and to examine and measure Propositions by they have the Law and the Testimony and that is the Standard in the Market of Truth the Touch-stone by which every Proposition is to be tryed the Scale in which every Proposition is to be weighed Yet notwithstanding this There is nothing more obvious than that even such who if we may judge any thing do truly fear God have strangely different apprehensions concerning Divine Truth concerning the Sacraments the use of the Law the extent of the Death of Christ the power of mans Will the true notion of Faith c. Now the question is Whence this variety is why God permitteth it and how the motions of Divine Providence in these things may appear just and reasonable I shut out of this Discourse the different Apprehensions of Carnal wicked and ungodly men whose Creed is commonly dictated by their lust and their whole art and study is because they cannot allow the conforming of their hearts to Divine Truth to endeavour to interpret the Word of God into a fense consistent with their lusts as also all such as the Apostle speaketh of whom because they received not the truth in the love of it God gives up to strong delusions to believe a lie that they may be damned because they have had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thes 2.9 10 11 12. or because as the Astle speaketh Rom. 1. They have detained the truth of God in unrighteousness I say for all these I shall shut them out of my Discourse and onely inquire whence such as truly love and
Jeroboam that he only of the house of Jeroboam went to his grave in peace because there was some good thing found in him Sometimes and most ordinarily God worketh upon peoples hearts in their riper state of which are the most plentiful instances in Scripture You read of the thief upon the Cross converted in the last day of his life and what we find in Scripture we find God still doing in the dispensations of his Providence The age in which we have lived hath afforded many instances of children whose hearts we may charitably judg from the accounts we have had of them God had in their very childhood Regenerated and Sanctified them Blessed be God we are not without some instances of persons and those not a few whom God hath wrought upon in their more adult estate and some also in their old age though Examples of that still are and ever were very rare This is the first variety obvious to every Eye 2. A second variety observable is in the means which God is pleased to make use of For these God never tied himself to the same means The preaching of the Gospel was always made use of by God as the most ordinary means It was at the preaching of Peter that Three Thousand Souls were in one day converted and the Apostle telleth us that it pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believed 1 Cor. 1.21 And the Apostle tells us that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God But yet God hath made use though more rarely of other means the means which God first used to the Eunuch seems to be his reading in the Prophet Isaiah Sometimes God made use of Providences you read of many converted and induced to believe in Christ upon the account of his Miracles and still God is pleased to use the same variety of means Generally indeed God maketh use of the preaching of the Gospel sometimes he sanctifieth the reading of the word sometimes he maketh use of Providences I think I have sometimes read concerning Waldus the Father of those ancient Protestants called the Waldenses that the seeing of one of his companions suddenly drop down dead was the first means of his conversion we read of a great dread that fell upon People upon the sudden death of Ananias and Saphirah My self have known one that would acknowledg that his hearing of Bells Ring for persons dead was a great means to beget serious thoughts in him First of turning unto God It pleased God to make use of Manasses his Chains to turn his heart and the imprisonment of Paul Acts 16. to convert the Goaler and his whole Family Sometimes God useth the instructions of Parents sometimes one means sometimes another as it pleaseth him 3. A third observable variety respecteth The manner of Gods working upon Souls It is true in some especially two respects God dealeth a-like withal 1. He forceth no Soul he indeed maketh it willing and giveth to will but the Soul in its conversion to God moveth willingly and freely 2. Secondly He putteth forth an Almighty power as to every Soul that is converted The Soul is made willing but it is in the day of the Lords power Psal 110.3 But yet the effects of this power are not always the same all are not drawn in the like manner some are drawn by a Silken Thred others by Iron-Fetters some God works upon in a more rough way some in a more soft and gentle way Some are a little or not at all under the Spirit of bondage others are Months and Years under it they are filled with the Lords terrors and cry unto him out of the belly of Hell before he heareth them some are drawn with the Cords of love only others with the Chains of fears Some are as it were insensibly drawn and the Spirit of God as it were slippeth into their Souls without any noise they become Temples of the Holy Ghost and there is neither the noise of Ax nor Hammer heard about the Spiritual building others are terrified like the Jaylor Acts 16. cast down to the Earth like Paul both in order to conversion and their reception of converting Grace 2. Secondly You shall observe That God sometimes makes his way to the heart by the head sometimes he begins at the heart and by that maketh his way to the head my meaning is sometimes God begins his work upon knowing persons who have been Catechised out of the Law and from Children have had a knowledg of the Holy Scriptures sanctifying their first Principles to them and reflecting upon their Hearts and Consciences the notions of truth which they have been bred up in the Holy Spirit bringing to their remembrance what of God they have formerly heard from Ministers Parents or Goverours As to others God maketh his way from the heart to the head They have great degrees of ignorance as to the truths of God but God blesseth his word so far as that they can apprehend they are in a lost condition and must look for another righteousness besides their own and take up a new course of life they hear of a Saviour come into the World of a fulness in him and a readiness to save unto the utmost those who by faith come unto him this makes them to inquire return and come to seek for Spiritual knowledg as for Silver and to dig for it as for hidden treasure and by following on to know the Lord they came to know him But this is enough to have hinted you as to the varieties to be observed in Gods methods of working in the conversion of Souls Let me in the next place shew the reasonableness of the Divine workings in this great work 1. And first as to the variety observed in point of time 1. Some are converted young Possibly God may do it that he may Crown the indeavours of Parents Governours and thereby engage others to take care of the Souls of their Correlations committed to their charge Some Parents are very solicitous for the Spiritual good of their children whetting upon them their lost condition by Nature often minding them of Eternity and calling upon them to remember their Creator in the days of their youth now where any will do this God takes notice of it and will often Crown those Domestick labours with a desired success for the encouragement of others God gives in to their prayers the Souls of their Children oft-times while yet they are Children It is said of Monica the Mother of Augustine that she was a woman of many tears and prayers for her Son and Ambrose was wont to comfort her telling her that it was impossible that a Child of so many tears should perish It is not impossible indeed that some should perish who have been Children of many tears and prayers for whom godly Mothers have travailed in pain again till Christ should be formed in them there is no merit in our prayers and tears neither hath
fear God have such different Apprehensions and wherein the motions of Divine Providence in permitting of them seem just and reasonable 1. It first must be laid down for a Principle That the providence of God never doth nor can suffer any elect Soul to embrace and die in any belief of any Proposition by the belief of which its Salvation may be endangered The Apostle telleth you of some that bring in damnable Heresies Every Deviation from any Doctrine of Truth is an Error but an Error is one thing a damnable Error is another thing There hath been a great deal of stir about Fundamentals what Truths and Errors are Fundamental I shall not engage my self in that Dispute but shall determine those Fundamental Truths the belief of or assent and agreement unto which is necessary in order to such exercises of Faith and Holiness without the exercise of which no man can be saved And those are Fundamental Errors which a man cannot hold and in the mean time exercise that Faith and Holiness without the exercise of which no man can be saved As now supposing that Faith in Jesus Christ is necessary to Salvation A denial of the God-head of Christ must needs be a fundamental Error for Cursed is he that trusteth in Man and maketh Flesh his Arm The true and living God alone can be the object of our Faith Now I do not say but a Child of God may fall in with and for a time embrace such Errors The Providence of God may permit him thus to fall but it cannot it doth not suffer any of the Elect of God to hold on and perish in the faith of any Propositions of this nature for then the elect of God might be deceived which our Saviour hath determined impossible then a Soul ordained to Life given to Christ might perish eternally which is not consistent with the certainty of Divine Purposes and infallibility of Divine Decrees Although therefore an elect Vessel may receive some such corrupt Liquor yet it shall not it cannot abide in it though it may be for a time taken in such a snare of the Devil yet the snare shall be broken and it shall be delivered before it comes to leave the Body The question onely must be concerning a mis belief of other Propositions a mis-belief of which is sinful but not damnable And for those Promises of the Spirit leading the People of God into all Truth and of the Annointing teaching them all things they must be interpreted of such Propositions as are necessary to be believed in order to the Salvation of the Soul else ignorance of other Propositions as well as Error relating to them would argue men and women to be destitute of the Spirit of God and not to have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them 2. Secondly As to Propositions of Truth that are not in this sense fundamental the reason of the difference is very obvious and that both upon a Natural and a Moral and Spiritual account Upon 1. A spiritual account Diverse Propositions of Truth of this nature are not so clearly written in Scripture that he who runneth may read them It was I think Augustines saying of the Holy Scriptures That there were divers parts of them in which a Lamb might wade others wherein an Elephant may swim It is the great mercy of God to us that those Propositions of Truth which are necessary to be agreed to in order to the exercises of our Faith and Holiness are left in Scripture so plain and so often repeated that if a man will not shut his eyes and suffer his lust to give law to his understanding he must agree to them but now divers other Propositions are not so but so delivered as that the truth of them is justly the subject of dispute and they are fit for a ventilation and possibly must be concluded from consequences 2. Upon a natural account Every one hath not the same quickness of Apprehension the same strength for ratiocination and ability for rational and logical deductions 3. Nor Thirdly which is that which I meant by a moral account Hath every one the same helps and means or capacity to use helps and means to discern Truth from Error and find out what indeed is the Truth as to a Proposition laid before him so that although they have all the same Spirit of Truth dwelling in them and the same Word of Truth to weigh and measure Propositions by yet the Holy Spirit being no more engaged to keep them from every error of the understanding than from every error of practice and they not having the same faculty to apprehend Truth nor the same means and advantages to understand the Mind and Will of God it is not at all to be wondered if they have not all the same Apprehension of every Proposition of Truth nor is it to be expected that all Christians should have so more than that they should have all the same Faces For Example Take but the Propositions concerning Infant Baptism I doubt not no more I think do you that hear me but that Infants are to be baptized But how do we gather it We have no express Scripture for that more than for Womens receiving the Lords Supper but we conclude it from the identity of the Covenant of Grace under the Old and New Testament from the Precept for Circumcision from the right of Infants to the Kingdom of God and many other such like Topicks But every one hath not the same ability of Reasoning nor the same Apprehensions of the force of Conclusions and therefore different Apprehensions in that and such like Propositions is not at all to be wondred at nor are any to be condemned as not belonging to God for their different Apprehensions concerning them 3. Thirdly As to the Act of Providence permitting these different apprehensions it cannot be denied to be an Act exceeding reasonable and the product of a Depth of Divine Wisdom 1. Reasonable That man may act freely according to his nature in the choice or refusal of Propositions 2. The Product of great Wisdom 1. For the further confirmation of the Souls of his People in the truth It is an usual saying That there are no Propositions which we more firmly believe than those about which we have sometimes doubted Nihil magis certum quam quod ex dubio certumest Truth receiveth a great confirmation by the shakings of some Velitations and Disputes about it It was the saying of an eminent person of our own Church That the itch of disputing was the scab of the Church and truly it hath proved so but it hath been by accident men coming to dispute bringing as Augustine said of his own coming sometimes to read the Scriptures Discutiendi acumen not Discendi pietatem a sharpness of wit to discuss Points not an humble pious defire to learn arguing indeed for masteries not for truth to get themselves not to get the truth and glory of God the Victory but where Disputes
more reasonable more excellent What we know then of God must needs be from Reason or Revelation Reason brings us in knowledg by raising Conclusions from Principles These Principles are of two sorts Philosophical or Scriptural I call those Philosophical Principles which reason as it now resideth in us justifieth and which without the help of the Word of God are allowed by all or the most of men especially if cultivated by any ingenuous education being either common natural principles or such as are established by studies upon deliberate thoughts with the help of sense and improvement of discourse and ratiocination Thus Reason will tell us that there is a God but one God That he must be the first being the first cause more excellent in the perfections of his being than any creature and an hundred things of a like evidence Or else it concludeth from revealed Principles having first a sufficient evidence That the holy Scriptures are the word of God who cannot speak falsly These Principles now are such propositions as without the surer word of Prophesie we could never have had any just evidence of Such now are the Doctrines of the Trinity The Incarnation of Christ The Personal union of the Divine and Humane Nature in him and many others In the discovery and justification of such Conclusions as Reason gathereth from the first sort of Principles lyeth the work of a Philosopher as a Philosopher In the discovery and proof of such Propositions as are partly evidenced from Reason but more fully from Scripture lies the work of a Christian Philosopher In the discovery proving and applying of such Propositions as have their Evidence partly from Reason and more fully from holy Writ or as cannot be at all concluded unless building upon Scriptural foundations but are founded in Scripture and may be illustrated imperfectly from reason and shewed not to be improbable nor unreasonable lyes the work of the Minister of the Gospel who is to convey the knowledg of God to his people And the true reason why some even of these silver Trumpets which belong to the Sanctuary give an incertain sound is because neither the Principles of natural Reason nor Revelation appear to all men in the same light We say The best Philosopher is not as yet born Our age tells us how generally Principles of Philosophy are exploded and it may be some of them justly too which we when we were boys thought to lye very near Demonstration and doubtless in the next age something now admitted will be judged as faulty It hath pleased God to subject our understandings to this vanity Now we having no way unless God would from Heaven speak to us to know any proposition of Truth but from the exercise of our Reason concluding either from Principles purely natural or from Propositions of Revelation in Scripture every one naturally judging himself obliged to believe according to the evidence he hath from his understanding there must and will be different apprehensions until which will never be men have all either the same degrees of Natural Reason or Scriptural knowledg which will be advantaged if there be any who think that all Propositions are to be weighed by the ballance of Natural Reason and that the holy Scripture as to the sense of it must come into that scale and make but in-weight giving only an auxiliary help to the Evidence of the most sublime Propositions of truth Nor is there any help for this The Church of Rome which your Ladiship knows pretends to wondrous Miracles hath indeed devised a palliating cure for this setting up an Infallible cheat to judg of all Controversies and by fire and faggots and all barbarous cruelties and inhumanities forcing men to acquiesce in the Decisions of that ridiculous Judg. But in the mean time mens Consciences apprehend themselves before one who is no Judg in the ease and the sore festreth and rotteth to the bone for the Pope can make none to alter his mind And a little reason might tell the Quacks of that Colledg that if it be not in the power of a man to believe what he hath a mind to believe it is much less in the power of a foreign power to compell him to it The Protestant cure is certainly more humane and reasonable yea and more Apostolical too They set forth sums of sound Doctrine to which they only annex that of the Apostle Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if any in any thing be otherwise minded God shall reveal even this unto you Only Protestants require as the same Apostle directs Rom. 14. That if any hath a particular faith different from that of the Church wherein he liveth he should have it to himself before God Thus the Knowledg of God is acquired from his word reading it being Catechised out of it hearing it opened and preached by the comparing of spiritual things with spiritual by the use of reason and discourse in the Velitation of Questions arising from the seeming contradictions in Holy Writ c. But there is also another mean of Divine Knowledg that is by his exterior works by which much of the Knowledg of God is gained improved and encreased These works are either of Creation or of Providence Creation was the work of the first six days from which God hath ceased long since but the things created remain and much of the Knowledg of God is to be gained from thence by the help of sense which sheweth us the things and reason which helpeth us to conclude that there being so many noble effects there must be a first and more noble cause there being so many excellent Beings there must be a first and most perfect and excellent Being Nothing created could give an Existence to it self Hence the Apostle telleth us That the invisible things of God from the creation of the world are clearly seen from the things that are made even his eternal power and Godhead Rom. 1.20 So that they are without excuse because that when they knew God they glorified him not as God For the Book of Scriptures we blessed be God! have it in our Vernacular Tongue we have means to teach us to read we have Catechisms and Confessions of Faith containing the Epitome and substance of them we have the various labours of holy and learned men to make us to understand them scarce any thing seemeth to be wanting to this age for the gaining of this excellent knowledg by this mean but persons giving themselves up to Reading Hearing Meditation Christian Conferences and Prayer For the Book of Creation methinks it is like a great Bible in some Religious Gentlemans Hall that lyes always open we cannot move a step in the world nor lift up an eye to Heaven but our eye is upon one page or another of it If men will not read the Wisdom of God in the sagacity and wisdom of some Creatures nor the power and greatness of God in the
designed Discourse In my first I asserted the Doctrine of Divine Providence against ancient and modern Atheists I opened it in the nature and principal Acts of it In the Second I 1. shewed you the specialties of it 2. Wherein you must stand still and admire it in the depths and unsearchable things of it 3. I directed you how to make some observations upon the more ordinary and intelligible motions of it I am now come to open some hard Chapters in this great and excellent book and to reconcile this great work of God to his most holy nuture and that infinite justice goodness wisdom and truth which are inseparable from it I take it to be a work worthy of a Divine to make a rationale divinorum operum to give a reasonable account of the Divine works humbly adoring God in them yet inquiring into them and that non tam ad mentis otium quam ad cordis usum as Nierembergius saith not so much for the exercise of our wits as for the use of our souls It advantageth the works of God to our souls when they appear no other than reasonable to us and I think the same Author speaketh well when he saith Nullum puto consilium Divinum cujus non aliqua ratio reddi potest nullum cujus omnis reddatur ita inscrutabilia sunt divina opera digna ut scrutemur facilia that is I do not think any Divine Counsel can be named of which we may not give some reasonable account though there be likewise none of which we can give a perfect account so as the Divine works are at the same time both unsearchable and also worthy and easie to be searched out I shall not so much as propound to my self or you to resolve all the seeming riddles and difficulties of Actual Providence I shall only discourse some of them which seem most obvious and readiest to stumble our thoughts and those which I shall speak to shall chiefly refer to these heads 1. The exhibition of the Covenant of works after the establishment of the Eternal Covenant of Redemption and Grace and the exhibition or tender of grace indefinitely to all after the decree of election and the fall of man 2. The permission of sin and so much sin in the world 3. The punitive Providence of God 4. The dispensation of the external or internal more effectual means of grace I shall speak to divers seeming difficulties that will fall under these four heads and at this time begin with the first of these It was one of the first acts of Divine Providence that we read of immediately succeeding the creation Gen. 2.15 And the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it and the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden thou maist freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Under that threatning is a promise of life upon condition of obedience as to the Law of God written in Adams heart So to that positive Law given him for the trial of his obedience I shall not engage my self deeply in the question what death it is which God there threatneth to Adam I am aware of the varieties of opinions I take it for granted that whatsoever falleth under the notion of death in Scripture is all comprehended under that threatning In dying thou shalt dye saith the Hebrew phrase which we translate Thou shalt surely dye The threatning mentioneth neither one death nor another but is indefinite and of the same force as if universal and it is accordingly used in Scripture to signifie all kind of death as Ezek. 18. and in many other places and out of doubt there falleth under that threatning whatsoever was contrary to the felicity of Adam in that estate I do therefore agree with the ancient and modern Divines who understand death Corporal Spiritual and Eternal there threatned in case of disobedience and life Corporal Spiritual and Eternal there promised in case of obedience Now hence ariseth a great difficulty there were two great Acts of God with relation to man passed before this Act of Providence 1. The decree of Election by which God had not only stated the number of those that should be saved but chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ephes 1.6 2. The eternal Covenant of Redemption and Grace By which the salvation of man was setled to be obtained not by working but by believing in him that justifieth the ungodly that is not to be obtained by the merits of our own works but by the merits of Christ imputed to us for righteousness and to be by faith apprehended and applied Now here ariseth the difficulty Quest How it could consist with the wisdom and truth of God having thus in his eternal counsels resolved that there should be no other name under heaven no other way or means of salvation but by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ to propound a way of salvation to be obtained by mens working and obedience to the Law of God especially when he did aforeknow that man would break this first Covenant and no man should be saved upon the terms of it That I might speak something to shew you the reasonableness of this motion I have made choice of this Text in which you have 1. An assertion The Scripture hath concluded all under wrath 2. The end or reason of the thing asserted That the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe A text much parallel to that Rom. 11.32 He hath concluded all in unbelief that he might have mercy upon all This Text saith the Scripture hath done it that text saith God hath done it there 's no contradiction in it the Scriptures are the word of God if the Scripture hath concluded all under wrath God hath done it Now how hath the Scripture done this or how hath God done it but by first making man in his own image writing his law in his heart then adding that positive law forbidding him to eat of the tree of forbidden fruit after this suffering him to eat by which not Adam only but all mankind then in him lost the Image of God and all were concluded under sin and to what purpose was all this The text telleth us That the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to all that believe If you please I shall make my whole discourse but a demonstration of this Proposition Prop. That God in infinite wisdom by his Providence gave out the Law or Covenant of works suffering the first man to fall and all in him by the fall to be concluded under wrath My business must be to shew you the exceeding reasonableness and wisdom of God in this dispensation I shall open this to you in five or six particulars 1. It neither was nor could be Gods
alive thou shalt live and that eternally if thou fittest still if thou goest on in thy sinful courses thou shalt certainly dye 4. Hast thou not as much encouragement to repent and to believe as ever any had Have not thousands and ten thousands of the Saints of God upon no other encouragement than thou hast broken off sinful courses and sought the Lord while he might be found and have they not succeeded and found rest for their souls Did God yet ever from the beginning of the world encourage any soul in its first motions by faith and repentance toward him by assuring them that their names were written in the Book of Life Or that Christ did dye for them in particular Is it not encouragement enough to thee to tell the thou hast as good a ground of hope and encouragement as the three thousand that were converted at St. Peters Sermon as any of those servants of God had of whose conversion thou readest in the Acts of the Apostles what art thou that thou shouldst look for more 5. Consider That there is no other way for thee to know that thou art elected and that Christ hath paid a price for thee but by thy turning unto God and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ The election of God is in it self sure and certain but it must be made sure and certain unto us by our repentance and faith Did ever any one hear of any soul reaking in its lusts and going on in its course of sin ascertained that God had chosen it unto life that Christ was the head and surety of a better Covenant for it or dyed for it first our calling then our election must be made sure and we must not think to pervert Gods order 6. What hast thou to do with Gods effectual Grace until thou hast improved his common Grace There is a common Grace which God denieth to no man by vertue of which men may read hear pray live a civil life and conversation leave gross and flagitious courses of sin why complainest thou of God for not giving thee his special distinguishing grace inabling thee to exert true spiritual acts while thou dost not use his common Grace and do what in thee lies to reform and amend thy ways and to turn unto God 7. Lastly Though no exercise of common grace can be meritorious of the special Grace of God yet I dare assure thee that God neither ever yet was nor ever will be wanting in his further grace unto those souls that have made a due improvement of his common grace and done what in them lay towards their own salvation Let us therefore leave our enquiring into the Counsels of God and disputing questions which are insignificant to our greatest concerns Let us leave quarrelling with his truths and our little foolish and vain indeavours to argue an inconsistency of his Counsels with his Actual Providence when we have done and said all we can it will be found that God is consistent to himself and that his ways are equal and the iniquity and crookedness is only in our own hearts and ways We cannot with our spoon comprehend it may be the Ocean the great Ocean of his Wisdom and Counsel Let us apply our selves to our own duty and do what he commandeth us for which as you have heard we have encouragement enough SERMON XXXVII Rom. V. 20. Where Sin abounded there Grace did much more abound I Am indeavouring to open to you the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hard Chapters in the book of Divine Providence solving those Phaenomena's or appearing difficulties which Atheistical Wits have raised to make the holy God appear otherwise than he is his Counsels Truths and Works other than indeed they are I have already spoken to one relating to the making and establishing a Covenant of Works with Adam after the settlement of mans salvation upon the Covenant of Grace The other relating to the dispensation of Providence in the exhibition and publication of the Covenant of Grace I come now to some relating to the Actual Providence of God in the permission of sin and sinners so much sin and so many sinners in the world And for this discourse as an head to it I have chosen this text which in it containeth two great points The abounding of sin and the aboundings of grace The Apostle brings in these words in a magnifying of Christ whom he had compared with the first Adam The first Adam brought mankind under sin and guilt The second brought him under a state of Redemption and Salvation bringing life and immortality to light First the Apostle sheweth whence sin came then whence grace came Paraeus telleth us that the Apostle in this part of the Chapter openeth to us the use of the Law lest any one upon what he had before said should ask Wherefore the law was given he telleth us That the law entred that sin might abound for though the law of it self doth not cause sin yet by accident it doth for where there is no law there is no transgression and the corruption of mans nature enclineth him the more to what is forbidden him Nitimur in vetitum sed hic de actione peccati sermo est quae fit per manifestationem saith a learned Author upon my Text The law maketh sin to abound by way of manifestation as the glass maketh the spots in a man or womans face to abound that is discovereth them that are P. Martyr reckons five ways by which the Law contributeth to the aboundings of sin 1. By forbidding it 2. By increasing the guilt of it 3. By assigning the punishment of it 4. Multiplying it by the variety of the precepts in it 5. By accusing him and condemning him for it Well But why should the law enter that sin might abound hath God then any pleasure or delight in the aboundings of sin The text telleth you that Gods design was to advance grace that where sin abounded grace might much more abound But my design is not largely and strictly to handle my text but only to make use of it in pursuit of my further design to open to you the difficult things of Actual Providence which is by all confessed to have an influence upon mens sins that is to permit them and to govern them the first of these is what I have here to do with What the Providence of God doth or doth not in the permission of sin I have before shewed you and may by and by again speak shortly unto it The Question is Quest How it can consist with the holiness of a pure and mighty God having it in his power to restrain and hinder sin yet to permit it and so much of it in the world The difficulty of our apprehensions in this matter ariseth from these things 1. That God in his own nature is a most pure and holy being Who as he hath nothing in him that defileth so neither can he abide any iniquity This seemeth to have stumbled
and hinteth that they ought to have glorified him as God that is to have paid an homage to God proportionable to the knowledg which they had of his glorious being But we who are within the pale of the Church have as the Apostle saith a more sure word of Prophecy Whereunto we shall do well to take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place 2 Pet. 1.19 Besides this many have a common illumination of the Spirit so far ordinarily attending the Ministry of the word of such the Apostle speaks Heb. 6.4 And the Law of conscience ordinarily worketh according to this Light It is indeed true there are and will be differences as to all these Lights The light of nature varies according to mens parts and education The Light of Revelation according to the Ministry of the word men sit under and the other according to Gods pleasure who by his Spirit irradiateth some more than others but according to our light so doth conscience lay a Law upon us Now men and women are highly concerned to behave themselves both toward God and towards men according to the light they have that is according to the discoveries they have either from natural principles or from the word of God or the illuminations of the Spirit of God what God is and what God requireth of them either as acts of homage immediately towards him or as acts of Justice and brotherly love towards their neighbour especially to take heed of bold and impudent actings to the contrary for this cause it is that God judicially gives many up to blindness of mind hardness of heart vile affections a reprobate mind having the understanding darkned being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greediness Eph. 4.18 19. You see both from this Chapter in which my Text is and from that Text Eph. 4. That it is what may befal poor Heathens which have no more then a natural light yet even they for not living up to that may so far provoke God what do you think Christians may do then that besides the natural light have the light of the Law and Gospel the sure word of Prophecy that have consciences further enlightened and under a further Law than the Heathens could possibly have such as have as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 6.4 Tasted of the heavenly gift and been made partakers of the holy ghost as have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come If the Heathens came under such a judgment because when they knew or might have known by the very light of nature that the Lord that made Heaven and Earth could not possibly be like a man nor a beast nor creeping things yet would not attend to the workings of their own reason nor give their consciences leave to speak nor hearken to them but in their practice changed the image of the incorruptible God into an image made like to a corruptible man c. were for this deserted of God and given up to that dreadful degree of judgment this Chapter mentioneth what shall become of those amongst Christians think you who besides the advantage which they have common with Heathens from that of God which is manifest in them and from the things that are made to know what manner of being God is have also the holy Scriptures telling them That God is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and truth That images are teachers of lies and mediums by which God will not be worshippped and revealing his wrath so plentifully against those that in so idle and wretched a manner did worship the true and living God yet will worship him by images Doth not the light of nature and the light of Scripture shine in mens faces and clearly discover to them that God is not to be pleased with rude and confused noises with meer formalities and lip-labours but with a simple pure and Spiritual worship where the understanding the heart and the affections go along with the tongue and outward man and where these are wanting all the cringings and bowings and roarings in the world are abominable to him and no better than the howling of a Dog and grunting of a Swine O Sirs take heed of sinning against this light for fear of being given up of God to superstitious vanities for so it oft-times falleth out that as a lyar though at first he knew he told a lie yet by repeating and telling it often he hath forgot it was a lye and possibly himself thinks he is relating a true story So I am perswaded it falls out with many whose consciences at first grumbled a little at what they did and told them this was no service of God but through a just Judgment of God they shutting their Eyes against the light at last think there is no other true worship of God besides what they have taken up as to which it will at last appear that it was none at all for who required any such things at their hands We can hardly think otherwise of the Jews who at the first setting up of idolatry by Jeroboam and that worser idolatry by Ahab could not but think many of them that that was not the true worship of God but by practice in it afterward grew so warm for it that none else must be true but they must slay the Lords Prophets and persecute all those who either taught or practised any other way of worship more according to the mind and will of God 2. And do not only take heed of shutting your ears as to your duty towards God lest God judicially give you up to vile affections as to superstitious vanities but take heed also that you do not shut your eyes against convictions of your duty towards your selves and others in matters of morality Have you not startled sometimes to see to what brutish degrees of sensuality and immoralities many have fallen from high degrees of profession To me it hath been one of the prodigies of our age If one should have told some that were professors twenty or thirty years ago that within such a time they should be transgressors through wine so famous for impudent uncleanness such Apostates from all Religion such bruits almost in every part of their conversations such persecutors of those that fear God and with whom they sometimes professed to be of the same mind they would certainly have said with Hazael are we dogs that we should ever do any such things Yet we have lived to see it I am loth I tremble to speak what I think certainly God hath forsaken these poor creatures they professed the truth to have imbraced it in the love of it but they were hypocrites they received it not in the love of it but meerly in a faction and for some base sinister ends and for this cause
and patience to them in his waiting upon them all the days of their life giving them his Gospel sending them his Ministers beseeching them to be reconciled unto God knocking by his Spirit at the doors of their hearts Thus the merciful God extendeth his goodness unto all sinners a long time he declareth that he desireth not the death of any sinner but is willing that all should be saved by coming to the acknowledgment of the truth The vile sinner through the pride of his heart will not seek after God but vexeth grieveth resisteth his holy Spirit from time to time refuseth to repent and to turn unto God defieth him mocketh at the tenders of Divine grace thus he liveth thus he dieth yet hath heard of and knoweth the threatnings of eternal destruction he looketh upon them as bug-bear things not to fright such men as he is but children only he drinks he swears he curseth and blasphemeth God lyes breaketh Sabbaths he will venture it Who is that God that shall restrain the lusts of his heart He will try whether there be such an Hell such an eternal destruction yea or no. What do we talk of mercy after this to such a bold defier of the Divine Majesty What kind of being must we fancy the eternal God if we should imagine him to have one drop of mercy for such a contemner and defier of Divine goodness Surely he that made this man will have no mercy on him he that formed him can shew him no favour without a dethroning himself and making himself the contempt of his creature This every sinner doth one more openly and boldly another more secretly and tacitly Every fool if he doth not speak it with his tongue yet saith in his heart there is no God Whiles vain man talks of mercy in God in this case I am afraid he fancieth mercy in God to be a passion as it is in us which necessarily stirs to compassionate every object of misery Alas it is no such thing it is nothing else but the good will of God to do good to sinners if they will be made partakers of his goodness The same will moveth and that justly too otherwise after this life the red flag is then held out The last grains of sand in the glass of mercy are dropt out when this life is determined There is no more sacrifice for sin remaining but a dreadful looking for of Judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries He that despised Moses law died without mercy of how much sorer punishment shall they be thought worthy who have trodden under foot the blood of the Son of God and have counted the blood of the Covenant wherewith he was sanctified as an unholy thing Heb. 10.26 27. These men have done despight to the Spirit of Grace and we know who hath said vengeance is mine and I will repay it I will recompense saith the Lord and again the Lord shall judge his people I conclude then with the Apostle in that place It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God There is a time for all things and as it is so with men so it is with God There is a time for mercy that is the time of this life and there must be a time for the execution of Justice when God shall declare his righteousness upon sinners who have despised his goodness and patience that is the time after this life The inch of Candle is out when the sinners life is expired no more coming to the waters and buying then what before was offered without money and without price Mercy hath done its utmost as to such sinners no more mercy is to be found in God for them no more compassion in that God who is full of mercy and tender compassion Nor shall we need at all to stumble at this for to oblige Magistrates to be always pitiful to them that are in misery though they have been the causes of it to themselves and have brought themselves into misery by the highest contempts of Authority and Government yea and of the clemency and patience of the Magistrate were quickly to prostitute all Government and to expose those that manage it to the basest contempt and scorn imaginable and if the Princes and Judges of the earth and Generals of Armies upon the prospect of this see a necessity of setting limits to their bowels of compassion and no one judgeth them either unjust or cruel in so doing why may not the same be allowed to the holy and righteous God But I have spoken enough to convince those who observe the principles of justice allowed in the practice of all States and Governments with the general observation of the wiser sort in the world That God is neither cruel nor unrighteous in punishing with an eternal destruction those that know not God and obey not his Gospel although their time and pleasure of sinning hath born no proportion either to the time or degree of their torments I shall apply it but in a word or two 1. The first To sinners who are yet impenitent who have not yet by repentance and faith saved themselves from this wrath to come 2. The second to those who through grace have saved themselves from this wrath Vse 1. To the first I shall only speak after the great Apostle of the Gentiles We knowing the terrors of the Lord perswade you 1. Not to stand disputing with God about the justice and equity of his ways 2. While your time lasteth to save your selves from these eternal burnings from this worm which never dieth this fire which never goeth out 1. Dispute not then Divine Justice as to the eternal Destruction of sinners You see if you do you will fall in judgement though you should be tried by the common laws of men by the customs and practices of all Nations Flatter not your selves that whatever your Ministers tell you the goodness and mercy of God will not allow him to see his creatures eternally tormented or that the justice of God cannot allow him to punish the sinnings of a few hours or years with an eternity of torments What have they to do with mercy who have out-sinned their days and years of mercy and despised the long-suffering patience and forbearance of God that for twenty thirty forty years together was leading them to repentance and waiting for their conversion and turning to him who had a day and time of repentance but repented not an eternal life and happiness offered them but refused it and have judged themselves unworthy of eternal life O let all sinners cease disputing Divine Justice and presuming upon I know not what mercy in God and let them to day while it is called to day not harden their hearts but study to save themselves from this wrath that is to come Let me but offer you one or two Meditations 1. Consider with your selves how often you have deserved this eternal destruction from the presence of
shall not fall Mat. 16.18 The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it Psal 94.14 For the Lord will not cast off his people neither will he forsake his inheritance Mica 4.4 11 12. So quite through this Psalm there are many promises of the same import Now the work of faith is to perswade the soul of the certainty and undoubted verity of these words of God to settle the soul in this perswasion That sooner shall Heaven and earth pass away than any of these things shall fail which God hath spoken Then the work of faith is further to carry out the soul without any carping trouble or disputing to rest wholly upon these words A Christian seeth the word of God what he hath said for its relief now faith teacheth the soul to agree this as the word of him who cannot lye or repent and calleth upon the soul to trust in God for the fulfilling of it to roll it self upon the promise and to commit it self its cause its way unto the Lord the soul of a Christian is very solicitous and careful for the concern and interest of God in the world faith teacheth the soul to cast its care the burthen of its spirit upon the Lord assuring it that God careth for it Faith speaketh to the soul in the language of Solomon Eccles 5.8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor and violent perverting of Justice and Judgment in a Province marvel not at the matter for he that is higher than the highest regardeth and there be higher than they I say this is a great piece of the Child of Gods duty in such a time when the vilest men are exalted and the wicked walk on every side and the people of God are troden under foot as the mire in the streets It is the Will of God concerning them The just shall live by faith This is the proper time for the exercise of Faith when the eye of sense faileth Faith is the evidence of things not seen the substance of things hoped for The proper operation of Faith is where sense faileth where God is trusted and not seen Blessed are they saith our Saviour who have not seen and yet believe This is Opus diei in die suo Though the people of God ought to be careful of all duty at all times yet they ought to have a special regard to the duty of their day the seasonableness of a duty addeth much to the weight and importance of it The foundations are shaken saith the Psalmist Psal 11.3 4 What shall what can the righteous do Mark what follows The Lords Throne is in Heaven his eyes see his eye-lids try the children of men This is that life which the Saints have lived yea and they have lived well upon it When David had lost all the Amalekites had taken Ziglag and in it all that he had 1 Sam. 30.6 the Text saith David encouraged himself in God the Truth Power and Goodness of God nor did he hope in God in vain as you shall read in that story What had Hezekiah to live upon but Faith when Sennacherib had besieged him with his mighty Army and ranted against him and the God of Heaven too after that rate you read What had all the Patriarchs all the Saints and Servants of God to live upon but Faith of whom you read Heb. 11. Nor is there any life which so glorifieth God as this it eminently glorifieth three Attributes of his his Power Goodness and Truth No man will trust in a bruised Reed or lean upon a broken Staff therefore the Apostle speaking of Abrahams faith Heb. 11. saith He believed that God was able to raise him from the dead and again Rom. 3 He believed that he who promised was able to perform It giveth God the glory of his goodness for the expectation of his soul is the Mercy and Goodness of God and it also giveth God the glory of his truth for the proximate object of Faith is the Word and Promise of God O therefore let this be your care when you cannot live by sense live by Faith It is the happiness of a Child of God he hath something to live on in the worst of times Psal 34.10 The young Lions shall be hunger-bit but there is no want to them that fear the Lord. One would think that of all creatures the Lion should be most out of danger of being hunger bit The Lion the King of the Forest all other Beasts are subject to this Beast yet if an old Lion that cannot run for its prey that hath lost much of its strength may be hunger-bitten one would think a young-Lion that is in its full strength should not Yes saith the Psalmist a young Lion may be hunger-bitten those that have most of the world wicked men that have greatest honours greatest power great advantages to provide for themselves they may be hunger bitten they may come to want but there shall be no want to them who fear the Lord there shall be no time so ill but they shall live if they cannot live upon bread they shall feed upon truth How much better is the estate of a godly man than that of his neighbour It is a great point this a great piece of duty Let me therefore a little further enlarge upon it three ways 1. Shewing you how a Christian may know if he liveth this life 2. Directing you in order to it 3. Perswading it by Arguments 1. Will some Christian say how shall I know if I live this life Suffer me to give you five or Six Characters of it 1. It is a Spiritual life Our life saith the Apostle is hid with Christ in God What Christ sometimes said to his Disciples when they would have had him to have eaten something that a Child of God may say to all the world I have meat to eat you know not of His life is a spiritual life such is the life of Faith both with respect to the subject and to the object of it As to the subject of it it is the soul that lives the body lives by bread the soul lives by truth by the promise There are many that in evil days their bodies have enough to feed upon but their souls have nothing hence their hearts become like Nabals dead as a stone yea and as to the object it is spiritual too he that feedeth upon truth feedeth upon Jehovah It is the truth of God in the word which the soul liveth upon the soul of a Believer can no more live upon Words and Syllables than another soul No but it is the truth of God in these words his power and ability to perform what he hath said his inclination and good-will to the performance and his truth and faithfulness Every life in an evil day is not a life of faith some may live upon fancy and foolish hope some may live upon means with which their eye feedeth them another may live upon a Roman spirit of his own Tu
ne cede malis sed contra audentior ito These men may live at Sea in the midst of troubles and never think of God and Christ nor upon the power goodness and truth of God but upon an O socii neque enim ignâ—ri sumus ante malorum O passi graviora c. or some such thing but this is not to live upon faith if thy soul liveth the life of faith thy heart is alive in an evil time and the life and courage of it is maintained from God thy heart is maintained from the Truth Power and Goodness of God 2. This life of Faith is a quiet life It is a quiet life as to passions Faith hath a wonderful power to keep the mind in a calm serene temper It is the unbelieving soul that fretteth and sumeth and vexeth all turbulent passions upon Gods providence are the products of unbelief The Prophet telleth us He that believeth maketh not haste Faith dryeth up immoderate tears scatters the storms of fears maketh the soul to cease from anger and forsake wrath It quieteth the tongue so as it doth not charge God foolishly it keeps a man from all murmuring and flyings out against God from all indecent and extravagant flying out against men who are Gods instruments I held my peace because I knew it was thy doing David believed that God had done what was done he dust not mutter or repine because the Lord had done it And so as to action I mean irregular actions Take an unbeliever and let him be in any streight or distress he is unquiet and turbulent and makes no conscience what means he useth to set himself at liberty but he that believeth maketh not haste he who by faith eveth the promise gives credit to it and hath committed himself to the Power Goodness and Truth of God for the accomplishment of it as he is not hasty with his spirit to murmur fret and vex because it is not presently made good to him so he is not hasty with his tongue to charge God foolishly nor in his action He dareth not use any sinister or unlawful means to quit himself of any difficulty in which he is entangled he believeth that God will preserve uphold deliver him and in his own time find out some lawful way and means and the belief of this restraineth him from impatience or any thing which should be a fruit and indication of it 3. Again The life of Faith is an expectant life The Apostle telleth us that Faith is the evidence of things not seen Hence Faith hath always two daughters which are its genuine off spring 1. Hope which is the souls looking up or looking out for those things of which Faith giveth an evidence or assurance Faith assureth hope expecteth and this is so inseparable from Faith that it is often in Scripture put for Faith and only differeth in this that Hope is an expectancy upon faith's evidence and the certainty which it giveth the soul of the thing promised in the word Every hope indeed doth not speak faith but every grounded hope doth there is an hope of an hypocrite which groweth up like the rush without mire and the flag without water Patience is another daughter of Faith I shall have occasion to speak to that more fully hereafter Faith assureth the thing to the soul Hope looketh out for it and expects it Patience keeps the soul still and waiting for it If you ask me what the soul expecteth what it waiteth for it must needs be that of which Faith hath given the soul an evidence that is the Promise The Promises are of various natures for outward mercies such as Protection Deliverance c. Spiritual mercies such as inward Support Strength Consolations Eternal happiness 4 Again The life of Faith is an active life The operation of Faith doth not terminate in a meer speculation The activity of Faith lieth 1. In the diligent use of all natural and rational means which God hath appointed in order to the obtaining of the mercy of which faith hath given the soul an evidence and assurance As Faith doth quiet the soul and restrain it from the use of all unlawful means so it doth quicken and engage the soul in the use of all lawful and proper means The reason of which is because Faith can assure the soul of no mercy but in that manner and order and under those circumstances in and under which God hath promised to bestow it Now God hath promised mercies in the use of means so it quickeneth and engageth the soul to the use of means as a piece of the Will of God in order to the obtaining of our desired mercy 2. It lyeth in the use of all spiritual means and here Prayer in a special manner Prayer being the general spiritual means to be used for the obtaining of any mercy Daniel chap. 9 understood by Books that the time was come for the fulfilling of the 70 years captivity and this faith of his as to what he read in the Books quickned him up to pour out that fervent prayer unto God Dan. 9. 5. The life of Faith is a cheerful and joyous life you read in Scripture of a joy and peace which attendeth believing Rom. 15. Believing the glory of God is a great means to make the soul to rejoyce in the hopes of it Now the reason of this joy is the strength of that evidence which faith doth give the soul for joy is nothing else but the complacency of the soul or rather the expression of this complacency upon the souls union to its desired object Now according to the nearness and fulness of this union so is the joy Faith giving the soul a great and unquestionable evidence of the thing doth also give unto the soul a proportionable joy 6. The life of Faith is a crucifying dying life to the world This is the victory saith the Apostle by which we overcome the world even our faith Faith looketh up to the Cross of Christ and by it the heart of a Christian is crucified to the world and the world is crucified to his heart The proper operation of Faith is to work against hope for indeed if once the mercy cometh in sight so as sense cometh in play faith ceaseth as well as hope Hence the operation and exercise of Faith must needs crucifie the heart of a Christian to the world to sense and to all sensible objects Faith made Abraham overlook his own body which was now dead and Sarahs dead womb it made him to overlook the Knife and the Altar and the loss of Isaac's natural life and only to consider that God was able to raise him up from the dead it maketh a Christian overlook all seeming difficulties in regard of sense and all contrarieties whatsoever indeed seemeth to be in his way Now by these things you may try your selves whether you live the life of Faith under sad and dark Providences yea or no. By this time methinks
in spiritual nourishment Though it be true in Bodies that all who are fed with the same bread and drink the same drink do not thrive alike yet suppose a body to be fed with improper food or not to have half enough it is no great wonder if it doth not grow so fast as another body that hath a plenty of food and that food too which is good and proper for it It is the same case with the soul that also must have its food The souls food is the Scriptures Ordinances Influences For the first indeed we have them we have them in our own language so that we can understand them but yet every one cannot read an inexcusable fault in Parents and such as have the government of youth especially in the age wherein we live nor have all the like means of having them read to them and being made to understand them But the great difference lies in Ordinances St. Peter adviseth Christians to desire like New-born Babes the sincere milk of the Word that they might grow thereby He doubtless speaketh of the Word preached the Promise Psal 92.13 is Those that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God The House of the Lord is the Church of the Lord and there is a promise of growth to all those that are planted in it yet as in our Gardens and Fields there are different sorts oft-times so in the Church of God which is a large Field there are different soils for Christians There is a great deal of difference in that preaching under which Christians sit One man preacheth in the inticing words of mans wisdom another in the perswasive words of mans wisdom another in the evidence and demonstration of the spirit and with power Some Christians possibly live where they scarce ever hear a good Sermon but some Harangues of Oratory or some rational Philosophical Discourses of which they understand little or nothing Others live under plain lively powerful preaching where the Preacher makes it his business to study the souls of his people and proportioneth his preaching accordingly so as the Babes have their milk and others their stronger meat Teaching them as they are able to receive instruction It is no wonder if such Christians who are under the best means be found most thriving God working in the use of means where means can be had It is true Christ once and never but once that we read of made use of clay and spittle to cure the blind mans eyes And when our Lord was himself upon the Earth attending his own Garden and the Plants in it though he had a fulness of wisdom and power too and had many things to say unto them yet saith he John 16.12 you are not able to bear them now And it is said Mark 4.33 With many such parables spake he the Word unto them as they were able to hear it Now if Christians live under preachers who either make no conscience what they preach unto people but fill up their time either with idle Fables or Invectives against Parties or some florid or Philosophical Discourses as if their study were directly contrary to that of the Apostles whose great care as he tells us was so to order his preaching as the faith of his hearers might not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God Now their preaching seems to be so directed and ordered as that the faith of their hearers might not rest in the power of God but in the wisdom of men It is no wonder if such Christians do not grow in grace in proportion with others who live under more adequate and proper means God useth not ordinarily to work miracles and their ordinary spiritual food is not proportioned to any such thing as the spiritual proficiency of those that hear them 2. Secondly A great reason of this difference lieth also in the differing natural tempers of Christians Amongst other Metaphors by which the Holy Ghost expresseth the Conversion and Regeneration of souls by that of Engraffing is one Rom. 11.17.19.23 24. The soul is ingrafted into Christ Now those who are skilled in planting know that according to the different nature of the plant the growth is faster or slower more or less Some plants grow much more freely than others a Cion of one sort of fruit will shoot up as much in one year as a Cion of another species will shoot in two or three years Truly it is so in the Spiritual Plantation Christ is the Stock into which we are all ingrafted there is no fault there but now the Cions that are ingrafted into Christ are not all of the same nature and temper And although Grace makes a great change and alteration and doth much correct a natural temper yet it doth not root out Nature nor work the change in a moment nor in all the same proportion of time There are several tempers which much hinder the appearance of growth in grace Some are naturally of vain airy light spirits some of proud and high spirits some of froward teachy passionate stubborn spirits Others are naturally of more solid serious tempers of more low and humble of more meek and pliable spirits Now where it happens that there is a change wrought in some persons of airy and light spirits or such as are proud and high or froward and passionate and stubborn a progress and growth in habits and exercises of grace will not be so soon evident and apparent as in those souls that are of sweeter and more gentle and ductile spirits Much grace will make but a little show where there is an ill natural temper and humor 3. Thirdly An ill neighbourhood doth make a great deal of difference in the growth of grace We see in Plants an ill neighbourhood of Plants doth much hinder growth There is scarce any Plant will thrive much near an Ash the like might be observed of other Trees which experience tells us are ill neighbours to Plants Rake up Fire in Ashes if it keepeth alive it is all It is so with Christians that are ill-yoaked that live in ill Families or Neighbourhoods There is some Wood they call Quench-coal Rotten Wood is mostly so The truth is the company of all carnal worldly men is of that nature they are all Quench-coals to the life of Grace and discourage that holy fire which the Spirit of God hath kindled in the souls of his people If a Christian be engaged in such society whether necessarily as in Conjugal relations and indeed in most Domestick relations or voluntarily if such a Christian keeps his sincerity it will be well it can hardly be expected that the profiting of such Christians should appear unto all or indeed that they should grow in proportion unto other Christians who are engaged in a better converse and are under the daily Instructions Exhortations Reproofs and Admonitions of others who as Brethren take themselves concerned to consider them and to
are humbly and meekly managed there is nothing imaginable of greater advantage to settle and ground the Soul in truth For after them the Soul gives assent to Propositions not as Dictates of others and Traditions of men but because it seeth certain and unmoveable grounds upon which they are bottomed and hears those things made to appear of no value which are objected and can be said to the contrary and so becomes rooted and grounded in the faith as the Apostle speaketh Truth yet never lost in the end by any shaking but hath come out of every field a Conqueror Magna est veritas praevalebit It is great and it will prevail at last Different Apprehensions of Propositions especially when they have been amongst such as truly feared God have ordinarily caused great searchings of the Scripture ventilation of Arguments and tended much to the furtherance of the Faith although at present they have made but ill founds and noises in the Church of God 2. The Wisdom of God is much seen in permitting these Diversities To convince us that The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approveable to Men Rom. 14.17 18. It is a great vanity in men to entail Religion yea and the Kingdom of Heaven too to a particular opinion yet we are so vain as we should most certainly do it if God by his Providence did not so order it that we should see many of whom we cannot say but that they fear God and walk closely with him yea that they are more righteous than our selves of different opinions and judgments from us in some particular things you cannot but observe in the world how fond and zealous some persons are for a particular opinion more than for the great things of Righteousness and Holiness which are certainly the far more weighty things of the Divine Law and how warm and zealous and bitter men are more against their Brethren for their differences from them in some matters of opinion wherein if they sin yet their sins proceed from meer infirmity and the weakness of their understandings must be sins of the least magnitude for it is not in the power of man to believe what he will than against those that are open and notorious transgressors of the Law of God in things as to which every man is condemned by his own Conscience 3. Thirdly The Wisdom of God is much seen in the permission of these different apprehensions in the Souls of his own People In his thus directing us to the exercise of charity We use to say That Precepts lead us to Duty but Examples draw us There is no duty more pressed upon us in Scripture than the duty of Charity and Brotherly Love nor any to which our hearts prejudiced by Pride Envy and Lust are more awke the heart of man naturally seeks some higher ground on which he may stand and triumph over his Neighbour and be able to say in this or that thing I am better and God! I thank thee I am not as others are amongst other things it sometimes finds an Opinion which it Christens with the name of Orthodox Catholick Truth and this shall distinguish him all that dissents from him shall be Hereticks or Schismaticks or Ignorant Persons he and his party onely shall make up the Catholick Church others know not the Law if you will believe him and are accursed Now though this may prevail very far with men of Carnal Principles and Designs yet when Gods People see that those who differ in some particular opinions from them yet walk so as they dare not but say God hath loved and accepted them this overcometh their hearts into their duty Should not say they we love those whom our Heavenly Father loveth Who are Sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ as well as we Justified by the Grace of God and Sanctified through the Holy Spirit even as we It were an easie thing to assign many other things wherein the Wisdom of God is apparent in this permission of different Apprehensions of Truth in the Souls of his own People as to shew us our weakness and the imperfection of our state and what need we have to be daily flying to him to teach us and to guide us c. But this is sufficient both to have given you a reasonable account of the thing it self and also of the motion of Divine Providence in the permission and allowance of it I shall now shut up this whole Discourse with a few words more for the practical Application of my whole Discourse upon these five last Questions which to shorten my Discourse I have handled together The sum of my whole Discourse is this That God according to his infinite Wisdom never did nor yet doth unto the Souls of his own People dispense out equal measures of Grace 1. Strengthening them to Spiritual Duty Nor 2. Quickening them in the performance of it 3. Nor Comforting and refreshing their Souls with the sensible consolations of his spirit 4. Nor causing them all alike to grow nor giving them equal degrees of light to discern the truth of Propositions of Truth and then that these motions of Divine Providence are exceeding reasonable and God in them is infinitely wise and just the evidencing of this hath been all my Work Which I have done from several Topicks My whole Application shall be reduced to two Heads shewing you how useful this Discourse may be for the promoting of 1. Charity towards men 2. Of Piety towards God The later is indeed first in excellency I have put it in the last place because I intend my largest Discourse upon it and with it to shut up this whole Discourse concerning Actual Providence ' This whole Discourse must certainly teach us Charity towards men and that particularly toward such as we discern Vse 1 1. Weak unto their spiritual duty 2. More dull and heavy in the performance of it 3. Sad and dejected 4. Not growing so fast in the wayes of God as others 5. That dissent from our selves in some matters opinions that are not fundamental Towards all these we had need of an Exhortation to Charity Censoriousness and Judging are things that are too natural to us and to which we are too prone We judge others and in the mean time forget to judge our selves All this is indeed rooted in a Natural Pride We would fain find something in which we excel others for that onely will be matter of boasting and glory to us but this Discourse may learn us Charity The general argument arising from this Discourse is the same which the Apostle maketh use of in Rom. 14. v. 3. v. 1. He commandeth us to receive those that are weak in the faith though with prudence and caution not to doubtful disputations His argument is in the latter part of the third verse For God hath received
him Certainly a very cogent argument Those whom God hath received into his favour into a fellowship and communion with him no Christians ought to judge despise or reject but God receiveth such as are weak in the faith It is very absurd to think that a person should be fit for the favour of God and for fellowship with God and should not be worthy of nor fit for fellowship with those who are the children and servants of God The same argument holds and constraineth in all these Cases which I have been opening to you 1. Seest thou therefore one Who is weak unto his spiritual duty and is often halting and complaining of his weakness he is not able to resist his temptations nor to get a Victory over his corruptions the sons of Zerviah are too hard for him He cryeth out with David Iniquities prevail against me He complains he cannot so fix his thoughts upon God so keep up his Faith and Hope in God as he desireth to do Do not despise do not judge or condemn such a Christian pity him pray for him help him what thou canst but do not judge him God may have received him yea and hath received him if his heart be but right and sincere with God if the bent scope and design of his heart be for God and his endeavour be a pressing hard after God though he hath not yet attained God must in his Family have Babes as well as grown Persons In his Fold he must have Lambs as well as Sheep the Providence of God hath so ordered it in infinite wisdom He accepteth none according to their degrees in grace but according to their truth in grace and sincerity Remember that thou also wert sometimes weak and it is by grace if yet thou beest more strong nay thou that art strong mayest again be made weak What art thou if God with-draweth his holy spirit from thee If God letteth loose Satan against thee Thus the Apostle Gal. 6.1 endeavoureth to perswade Christians to a charitable endeavour to restore such as are fallen in the spirit of meekness considering saith he thy self lest thou also be tempted See what the Apostle saith upon this head Rom. 15.1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification for even Christ pleased not himself 2. Secondly Seest thou one that is under a divine desertion as to the quickening influences of the spirit of God He walks in the wayes of God but he doth not move to them nor in them with that alacrity of mind with that cheerfulness and liveliness of spirit that another doth he complaineth that his chariot wheels drive heavily He comes to duty rather as a burthen and task than with any spiritual pleasure and delight As I said in the other case so I say in this if thou canst add any oil unto his wheels do but do not clog them more with thy rash censures and uncharitable judgement thou doest not know what his soul suffers how he already groaneth under this burthen and is discouraged under this distemper and therefore far be it from thee to add affliction to his affliction God hath received this mans soul if he be sincere if he be pressing after God under this burthen of affliction God is not onely just in these dispensations of Providence but he is wise also Just he is as he by them punisheth his peoples sins And art thou free from sin for the demerit of which thou mayest also fall under the like providence but he is wise also Thereby humbling and proving his people that he may do them good in the latter end thereby quickening them to stir up themselves to follow hard after God and thereby also offering to thee opportunities for thy charity and brotherly help a spiritual friend and brother being made for a day of trouble 3. Thirdly Seest thou a soul walk heavily all the day long crying out as David Lord wherewith wilt thou comfort me He neither liveth in the bright and clear Vision of God nor yet in the perfect view of his own sincerity he is smitten of God and afflicted and his soul refuseth to be comforted Here again is another object of thy charity and possibly the greatest object which the whole world affordeth for there is no sorrow like the sorrow of that soul that walks heavily all the day long crying out Where is my God become I shall not be large in perswading pity and charity for such poor souls for he must not have the heart of a man but of a beast that doth not pity souls which are thus afflicted You have heard that there are many such souls whom yet God hath received God doth not equally distribute his dispensations of consolitary grace to all that truly love and fear him no not to the same souls Judge not anothers truth of grace by thy own joy and peace if thy joy and peace be truly consequent to thy believing and the effect of faith in thy soul and what Christ left to his Disciples it will not be constant it hath not been alwayes the same thou hast also had thy sad hours if there be a difference in degrees this concludeth nothing against thy brother If therefore thou canst speak a word in season if thou canst comfort another with the same comfort wherewith thy own soul hath been comforted heretofore of God do it but judge charitably of thy afflicted brother upon whom the hand of God under these dispensations lieth very heavily 4. Fourthly Seest thou another whose soul is not grown and thriven in grace to that degree that thine is his habits are not yet so confirmed his joynts not so well knit exercise again thy charity if thou doest but see him hold on his way though thou doest not see he groweth stronger and stronger God hath promised that he shall grow he hath not promised that his growth shall be visible unto thee Remember you must give allowance both for the time he hath stood in the Lords Garden and also for the means which God hath afforded him while he hath stood there I observe that God judgeth of men with allowance for their temptations Behold saith the Apostle the Patience of Job The patience of Job Job indeed did sometimes shew much patience but withal he discovered eminent impatience Witness his third Chapter where you find him cursing the day of his birth and other parts of his Book where he wisheth for death and complaineth severely of Gods dealing with him yet saith God Behold the patience of Job God measured Job 's grace with his temptations If indeed Job had brake out into those great errors and extravagancies of passion not being under high and great temptations he had shewed himself very impatient but the Lord considers what temptations were upon his servant and considering them he pronounceth holy Job a very patient man We must learn