because they sure not with your own carnal Temper Or will you try to put asunder what God has join'd together Or expect to be saved without being first sanctified The Counsel of the Lord that shall stand Prov. 19.21 If ever ye come to to Heaven ye must first be conformed to the holy Image of Jesus Christ or sanctified by his Spirit Is not eternal Life the Gift of God and has he not told us the way in which he hath determin'd to give it and is it not downright madness to expect it out of God's way If therefore you be sollicitous concerning your everlasting Welfare do not take the preposterous course of those Persons who beginning at the wrong end first amuse themselves about the eternal Decrees of God remember secret things belong to him revealed to you therefore turn your Thoughts inward examin whether you have been effectually called so as to consent to the holy Covenant and if so ye may comsortably conclude concerning your Election 2 Pet. 1.10 2 Cor. 13.5 But because there are some Persons who affect to cavil against this sort of Doctrine I have thought meet to transcribe part of the 17th Article of the Church of England Valeat quantum valere potest Predestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby before the Foundations of the World were laid he hath constantly decreed by his Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to Everlasting Salvation as Vessels made to honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by his Spirit working in due Season They through Grace obey the Calling They be justified freely They be made Sons of God by Adoption They be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ They walk religiously in good Works and at length by God's Mercy they attain to Everlasting Felicity c. To conclude you must either acknowledg the Decree of Election or say that all Men shall be saved 〈◊〉 that none shall be so For nothing can be more evident than that God decrees whatsoever he effects 2. Redeeming Love hath joined Sanctification and Salvation together It was no part of our Blessed Saviour's design to procure the admission of unholy Souls while such to Heaven That would have been to have laid Heaven and Hell common But he hath made way for the Communication of that Grace which must fit us for Glory and then for our entrance thereinto 1 John 3.8 He that committeth Sin is oâ— the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the beginning Foâ— this purpose the Son of God was manifested that â—e might destroy the works of the Devil Matth. 1.21 He shall save his People from not in their Sins Tiâ—â— 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all Iniquity and purity unto himself a peculiar People zealous of good works Ephes 5.25 26. Christ loved the Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify and cleanse it The Grace of the Redeemer was never intended to exempt us from the Obligation of Obedience to our Creator but to bring us back thereto The promisory part of the Law of Innocency is indeed ceased by reason of our Incapacity A guilty Creature can lay no claim to Life and Happiness by virtue of a Covenant which required perfect and perpetual Obedience as the Condition thereof But then the preceptive part of that Law is still so far in force that the least violation of the Divine Law is Sin And the least Sin makes perpetual Punishment our due except pardoning Mercy interpose for our deliverance And here it is that the Grace of the Redeemer takes place Tho' perfect Obedience be still commanded us yet it is not insisted upon as a condition whereupon our Eternal Happiness is suspended Sincerity shall be accepted through the Maths and Mediation of Jesus Christ who hath in his own Person fulfilled all Righteousness and withal offered up himself a Sacrifice to satisfy Divine Justice for our Disobedience Pray be clear in these things Do not expect that Christ will save you unless you â—ay down your Arms and submit to the Divine Soveraignty How can there be Peace between God and your Souls so long as ye resolve to persist in your Rebellion Is Christ the Minister of Sin Or shall we continue in Sin that Grace may abound God forbid Jesus Christ is exalted by the Father to be a Prince and a Saviour To give first Repentance and then Forgivness To turn Men's Hearts from Sin and then to pardon it If ye expect to be saved any other way than through the Merits and Satisfaction of Christ say so and then we shall know that ye are Infidels But if not then know ye that Sanctification is an essential part of that Salvation which Christ hath designed for his Peopel 3. It is a manifest affront to the holy Spirit of God to imagine that Men can be saved without being wrought for it by his renewing Grace 'T is in effect to nullify or deny the Office of the Holy-Ghost as if his gracious Operations upon the Souls of Men were needless or superfluous things Or at least that Men may attain to Happiness without them Is this to believe in the Holy-Ghost or is it not rather to blaspheâ—â— him Do ye not tremble to approach so near to theâ— pardonable Sin If Men may be saved without being sanctified 〈◊〉 what purpose are all the Influences of the Spirit 〈◊〉 God upon his People If Holiness be so needless 〈◊〉 thing that a Man may come to Heaven well enouâ—â— without it why doth the Spirit strive so long wâ—â— poor Creatures to make them holy Why doth 〈◊〉 still follow them with the earnest Solliciâ—ations of 〈◊〉 Grace notwithstanding their unkind Resistance froâ— one Ordinance and Providence to another Hâ—â— great a work is it to quicken Illuminate and draw 〈◊〉 God a dead blind disaffected Soul and to uphoâ—â— and carry on the work as has been already openeâ— What mighty Power doth the Spirit put forth inâ—â—â— this and dare ye say 't is more than needs Or promâ—â—â— to your selves Salvation without it This would 〈◊〉 not only to tread under Foot the Son of God as have heard under the former head but to do despâ—â—â— unto the Spirit of Grace I wonder not that such Men make a scoff at the Spiritual Worship of God the Lord convert and pâ—â—don them for they know not what they say nor whâ—â— they affirm 1 Tim. 1.7 But measuring themselves by themselves and comparing themselves amongst themselves 〈◊〉 not wise or understand it not 2 Cor. 10.12 Surely in God's account none are look'd upon as 〈◊〉 Worshippers but they who worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to woâ—â— him Joh. 4.23 But that brings me to 4. The Institution of the Gospel-Ministry and
his Conduct that he may bring us to God As all the Divine Favours and Blessings are communicated to us through Christ Ephes 1.3 2 Pet. 1.3 So we our selves and all our Sacrifices must be offered unto God the same way That is we must ascend unto him by the same Medium through which he descends to us or else no acceptance is to be look'd for 1 Pet. 2.5 How should guilty Rebels adventure into the Presence of the Holy Righteous Sin hating God but by him who hath made Atonement for our Sins Take â—eed therefore that you leave not him out Remember it is upon Terms of Grace that we are received into Covenant with God and of that Covenant Christ â—s the Mediatour who therefore has taught us to distinguish between Faith in God as God and in himself â—s Mediator Joh. 14.1 Ye believe in God believe also in me 'T is well for us that we have him to stand betwixt us and all Danger lest the consuming Fire should break forth upon us and our Blood be mingled with our Sacrifices Hence we find Repentance toward God and Faith â—oward our Lord Jesus Christ joined together as the Sum and Substance of the Apostle's Preaching Actâ— 20.21 The former of these is the changing of the Mind or the turning of the Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Sin and Vanity to God as our End The latter is an â—pplying of our selves to Jesus Christ as the way to â—hat End That is we must return unto God as our God by alively Faith in his Son as our Prince and Saviour without whom neither Pardon nor Peace can be expected Not as if the Father was of himself averse to Mercy or Compassion but only prevail'd upon and as it were over-perswaded thereto by the Death-Merits and Intercession of his Son Have a care of such Blasphemous Conceits as these than which nothing is more directly contrary to the design of the Gospel But still remember it was not becoming the Majesty and Holiness of God nor agreeable to the ends of Government to receive such as we are into favour immediately but through a Mediator whom of his own free Love 〈◊〉 hath provided for us John 3.16 For God so loâ—â—â— the World c. So here verse 18. All things are of God 〈◊〉 who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus 'T is a greâ—â— Duty indeed to admire the love of the Son But Oâ—â—â— not forget to admire also the Father's love III. And because it is the Office of the Holy Spirit to apply and communicate the Grace of Christ therefore it concerns us to own eye and acknowledg hâ—â— accordingly in this whole business As Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 the Way to the Father So the Holy-Ghost is the Waâ—ness of the Son his Agent upon Earth his Advocaâ—â— with the Sons of Men to plead his Cause and to diâ—pense his Grace Who is therefore called by Tertulaâ—â— Christi Agens Vicarius and by a Learned Man 〈◊〉 our own the Supreme Minister of Christ's Kingdom Therefore tho' all the Persons or Subsistences in the blessed Trinity do concur to the production 〈◊〉 the new Creature yet this great work of Sanctification is by a certain peculiar eminency of Attribution ascribed to the Holy Spirit 'T is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 2 Thess 2.13 1 Pet. 1.2 It is the Spirit that quickeneth enlighteneth and draweth or Souls to Christ and to the Father by him Therefore in all our Motions and Tendencies God ward we mâ—â—â— look unto this Spirit for help and act Faith upon him for the Assistances and Influences of his Grace If wâ—â— attempt any thing of this nature in our own strength we shall certainly be baffled in our endeavours and make nothing of it We ought to cry hard after the Spirit and carefully to observe all his Accesses to us and the impressions of his Grace upon us and always to strike in with his Motions to do most when he helps most and thus our work will be like to succeed and prosper in our Hand Great care is to be taken how we carry it towards him that we may not quench resist grieve or vex the Spirit either by stifling Convictions or running counâ—er to the dictates of Conscience or by foolish Delays â—nd Slothfulness The help of the Spirit is to be exâ—ected in a diligent humble conscientious attendance â—pon him in his own way viz. The use of his apâ—ointed Means O remember that your Duties Graâ—s and Comforts will all be dead things or nothing 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God be not the Life of them all His â—race must be thankfully acknowledged in all the â—rength we get in all the progress we make and we â—ust still depend upon him for more Yea we ought 〈◊〉 be more distinct and explicit in the workings of â—aith towards him than commonly we are We were â—ptized in the Name of the Holy-Ghost as well as of â—e Father and the Son The three Persons are one â—od equal in Power and Glory in this Trinity none is â—â—ore or after other none is greater or less than anoâ—â—er Whence then cometh it to pass that we are 〈◊〉 defective in that part of the Life of Faith which â—â—specteth the third Person This is a great dishonour 〈◊〉 him and an injury to our selves But I must not â—â—y to enlarge upon that here I only add 'T is the Office of the Spirit to help our â—â—firmities Rom. 8.26 Through him we must mortify the â—â—eds of the Body that we may live Ver. 13. By him 〈◊〉 Love of God is shed abroad in the Hearts of Believers 〈◊〉 5.5 He seals them to the day of Redemption â—â—itnesseth with their Spirits that they are the Children of God Is the earnest of our Inheritance But 〈◊〉 any Man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none 〈◊〉 his Thus I have shewed you the nature of this great work 〈◊〉 That it is the turning of a Person to God in Christ â—â—en to know love and live to him and all this by the â—â—ace and Help of the Holy Spirit Thus I say we must be qualified and prepared for â—â—e Heavenly Glory CHAP. IV. Of the several Steps whereby this blesseâ— Work is begun carried on and perfected in the Soul HAving thus far opened the Nature of that grâ—â—â— Work whereby we must be prepared for Hâ—ven if ever we come thither I come now to consâ—â—â— more distinctly the order wherein 't is carried on 〈◊〉 how 't is begun advanced and perfected And here I design not to trouble you with over â—â—â—rious Enquiries about the way and manner of 〈◊〉 Spirit 's working on the Souls of Men or how the â—â—ficacy of Grace is reconcilable with the natural liâ—â—ty of the rational Creature But shall content myâ—â—â— to wave Controversies and insist upon some few plâ—â—â— necessary acknowledged Truths as being most sâ—â—â— to the intent of this Discourse And they are 〈◊〉 that follow First There are certain previous workings of a 〈◊〉 common
give me more Is not the case quite contrary I have called and ye have refused I have siretched out my Hand and no Man regarded c. Prov. 1.24 What got he slothâ—ul Servant by saying I knew thee that thou art an hard Man Mat. 25 24. Did this excuse him for hiding his Lord's Money tho but one Talent in the Earth Let me make the Matter yet plainer by a familiar Comparison Suppose some great Prince or Nobleman famous for Bounty and Kindness to the distressed who beholding a forlorn helpless Creature miserable wretched poor and blind and naked and taking compassion on him should say to him Friend come to my Door I have fully supplied the Wants of many whose Circumstances were as bad as thine and I delight so to do Now tho in all this here be not a full direct Promise made to this poor Wretch yet would ye not take him for a mad Man who should make light of such an Intimation and Encouragement Poor Sinner thou art the Man so the Case stands between Christ and thee And because thou art blind he appoints his Servants to lead thee to him and this is the Errand upon which I am come this day do not say but that help was offered thee 8. Consider how little all that ever ye have done in Matters of Religion will avail you if ye go not through with the Work If ye be but almost perswaded to be Christians ye will be but almost sayed It may be ye expect great Matters from your frequent customary Attendance upon Gospel-Ordinances and your making a more strict Profession of Religion than many others do But O remember The Kingdom of God is not is Word but in Power 1 Cor. 4.20 Many will say in the great Day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thâ— Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils Mat. 7.22 which are greater things than ye can pretend to Yet will he profess unto them I never knew you Depart from me ye that work Iniquity Vers 23. The foolish Virgins had Lamps of Profession Mat. 25. but perished for want of Oil viz. true Grace In short aâ— that ever ye have done in the Service of God will prove but lost labour as to any saving Benefit except your Hearts be effectually wrought upon and turned to God as has been fully opened and proved already O consider this well have ye done and some of you suffered to many things in vain if it be yet in vain Gal 3 4. Yea hath so much labour been bestowed upon you in vain Chap. 4.11 So much Grace received in vain 2 Coâ— 6.1 O how bitter will the remembrance of these thing be one Day How will it pierce you to the very Heart to think alas is all my Profession Prayers Hearing c. come to this Namely the Hypocrites Reward It had been well for me that I had never known the way of Righteousness rather than to have rested thus in an outward shew of Religion Alas that I should be brought so nigh the Kingdom of God and yet fall short forever of it 9. Consider how long the Divine Patience hath born with you already Where had ye been before this Day but that ye have had to do with a God who is merciful and gracious and long-suffering How easily could he long since have taken your guilty Souls out of your Bodies and sent them into a place where the Evil of Sin and Danger of delaying Repentance are better known How have ye despised the Riches of his Goodness and Forbearance and Long-suffering Even that Goodness which leads you to Repentance Rom. 2.4 How many Instances have ye had of the Divine Benignity and Compassion towards you And yet how little Effect has all had upon you Line upon Line Precept upon Precept here a little and there a little and yet all has not prevailed with you to repent and turn to God Are ye not ashamed do ye not blush to think of your vile Ingratitude and Disingenuity towards him Do ye not tremble to consider what the Consequence of such Obstinacy is like to be Do ye imagin that the Spirit of God will always strive with the wilful Despisers of his Grace O remember lento gradu ad vindictam procedie ita divina c. Divine Wrath proceeds slowly to Vengeance but will compensate that slowness with the weight of it when it comes Laesa patientia fit furor As the Gospel-Dispensation is most spiritual so spiritual Judgments are more common to those who trifle under it than perhaps most Men consider But I proceed Direct 2. Follow on these Considerations till sutable Convictions arise from them and your Hearts be sensibly affected with them Think not that some general slighty superficial Thoughts about these things will serve the turn No no they are Matters of greater consequence than so they nearly concern you and therefore must be laid to Heart Urge them home upon your own Spirits apply them close they have a Work to do not only upon your Vnderstandings but upon your Wills Hearts and Affections It is not enough that ye acknowledg these things to be true but ye must press the Matter further if they be Truths they are weighty Truths indeed O labour to feel the weight of them that they may go to the quick apply them strictly and warmly to your own Souls It is says one a great part of a Christian's Skill and Duty to be a good Preacher to himself There is more in this than most Christians are aware of or use to practise this is a lawful and a gainful way of Preaching No Body here can make question of thy Call nor deny thee a Licence nor silence thee if thou silence not thy self Imitate the most powerful Preacher and plead with thy own Soul as he is wont to do with his Hearers Mr. Baxter Tho such Considerations may wound pierce or gall you for the present 't is so much the better ye must be wounded that ye may be healed ye must be broken that ye may be bound up The truth is ye have wounded your selves already and so much the worse by how much ye are less sensible of it your putrified Ulcers must be search'd to the bottom if ever ye expect a thorow Cure Your sluggish Hearts must be awakened to purpose ye have slept too long O labour to be deeply convinced of your past folly till ye groan under the weight of that Guilt which ye have contracted Remember ye are ruined to all Intents and Purposes if your Guilt be not removed and therefore your present Case is not to be rested in There is yet hope for you but no time to trifle in Therefore Direct 3. 'T is highly necessary that ye now come to some besitting Resolution in the case In general that ye resolve to do your utmost to put your spiritual Concerns into a better posture And that henceforth ye will strive earnestly to enter in at the strait Gate And
of our natural animal Spirits Tho lively Affections in Duty are very desirable and should be endeavoured after yet in trying our spiritual Estate the inward deep rational workings of our Souls towards God are mainly to be look'd at viz. a fixed and high estimation of him above all in our Understandings and hearty Resolution for him and cleaving to him in our Wills with correspondent Endeavours to please him and be accepted of him through the whole course of our Lives In these things it is that the Life of Grace and Duty doth consist Those are the holiest Souls who are inwardly and deeply most inclined towards God resolved for him and sollicitous to please him Not those who have the most transporting Passions or moveable Affections The sacred Recesses of the Mind as I may allude to that of the Poet Persius Satyr 2d are more inward the affectionate Part comes more into view God is not an object of Sense and therefore more fit for the Understanding and Will than the Passions to work upon The grand Essentials of Holiness are more deep and steady passionate strivings of Affection make a greater noise but are nothing near so valuable Besides weak Judgments and strong Passions oft go together The wisest and weightiest Persons are usually most sedate and composed Direct 8. Remember that God often makes the fullest discoveries of his Love to his People when they are engaged in the most difficult Self-denying Parts of Duty and Obedience It would be endless to tell you of the transporting Joys which many of the martyrs have found in their sharpest Sufferings When all Men have forsaken them God hath stood by them and comforted them He hath visited them in their Prisons and enlarged their Souls with spiritual Refreshments when their Bodies have been under confinement He hath enabled them to triumph in the very Flames and to baffle their Enemies by their Patience Magnanimity and Chearfulness in Suffering Paul and Silas sung in the Stocks Stephen had Heaven opened to him when his Enemies were raging against him The three Children in the fiery Furnace have one walking with them like the Son of God 'T is true indeed we are not to run upon Sufferings till God call us thereto but if it please him so to do we ought thankfully to accept of such a Call as a Prize put into our Hands for the exercise of our Graces and the advancement of our Comforts But on the other Hand if you be for taking up with a cheap and easy Religion and excusing your selves from the more difficult self-denying Parts of Duty it is a sign your Graces are but weak at best and therefore your Comforts are not like to be strong Would you sow sparingly and reap plentifully How can you expect full Assurance-of the Love of God while you care not how little you lay out your selves for him And what tho you are not called to the fiery Trial Yet if you will but set your selves earnestly to the frequent diligent spiritual Exercise of religious Duties to the mortificaiton of your beloved Lusts and to the doing of all the good you can in the several places wherein you stand you will certainly find Difficulties enow to exercise your Graces and to make way for your greater Comforts because the Flesh will draw back from such work as this the World is at hand ready to entangle you Satan will do his worst to hinder you and so will all his Instruments Accustom your selves to self-denying Obedience and in so doing you may expect the Comforts of the Holy Spirit Direct 9. Understand aright the ordinary Methods which the Spirit takes in comforting the Souls of Believers lest you abuse your selves by expecting what is unusual or extraordinary 'T is certain that none have a Right to the saving Benefits of the Covenant of Grace but those who comply with the Terms of that Covenant Nor can any have the Comforts of Assurance who do not know that they have so complied Now 't is the Spirit that enables us to assent to the Truth of the Gospel and particularly to the Truth of the Promises that are made to sincere Believers And it is he that inclines our Hearts by his Grace to accept of the Benefits offered and to perform the Duties required that is truly to repent of our Sins and to give up our selves to God in Christ And when we have so done our Case is safe But in order to the comfort of Assurance 't is further requisite to discern our own sincerity in this Covenant-closure and from thence to conclude that we are in a justified State and have a Right to the heavenly Felicity Now here we stand in need of further help from the Spirit that we may be enabled to discern the Grace which he has wrought in us and so to draw that comfortable Conclusion viz. that we are passed from Death to Life Thus you see the Spirit comforteth Believers and gives them Assurance of Salvation in a rational way by helping them to discover the Evidences of their Sincerity And it is foolish Presumption to expect Assurance any other way as if the Spirit would enable Men to rejoice in they know not what or to conclude they shall be saved they know not why We must be able to give a reason of the Hope that is in us 1 Pet. 3.15 So doth the Apostle here in the words of the Text. O do not deceive your selves by expecting enthusiastical Impulses irrational Raptures inward Voices to tell you that you are the Children of God But rather endeavour to get such a Frame and Disposition of Soul as becomes his Children and thence to conclude that you are such The sanctifying operations of the Spirit in Believers are the Witness or Evidence of their Adopuon Take care also that you deceive not your selves by expecting such Raptures of Joy as are extraordinary all are not fit for such degrees of Comfort nor would know how to manage themselves if they had it But if you have so much as tolerably supports your Spirits and keeps them from sinking bless God and be humble And have a care of Peevishness or Imparience Direct 10. Distinguish carefully between your State in the main and the more remote Accidents or Circumstances wherewith it may be attended Between what 's necessary to the Being of a sincere Christian as such and what 's further requisite to his Well-being Growth and Comfort Or if you will between foundation and building work If these things be confounded it is scarce possible you should have any settled peace and quiet in your Souls Those who have truly consented to the Covenant of Grace that is whose Hearts and Lives are in the main for God Christ Holiness and Heaven such I say are in a justified State â—â—d have a Right to eternal Life But then it must be remembred that even such Persons themselves are oft guilty of great Defects and Intermissions in the exercise of Grace and in