as we see in the story And so for particular perswasion the spirit of God may give assurance that may bee shaken I but he recovers himselfe presently the tenour of a Christians life is usually a state of fight and perswasion when he is himselfe and when he remembers his owne principles To come particularly you see here that Spirituall perswasion is necessary Both of the things in generall and of our interest in them It may bee asked whether there may be a perswasion of the truth in generall without a perswasion of our owne particular interest in them I answer no not a sound undoubted spiritual perswasion There is a double conviction a conviction when a man cannot tell what to say against it but spirituall conviction is when a man is convinced of the truth and goodnesse of â—…he thing and this alwayes drawes the other with it first or last A man may be convinced that he cannot tell what to say against the truth but that is not properly perswasion A man is perswaded by divine truth that all the promises aâ—…e true in the Gospell and it draws with it a particular light he sees and is perswaded of his owne interest in it first or last for a strong perswasion of divine truth of Gods word when I know it is Gods word it workes in my flesh it changeth me it lifts me up it casts me down c. So that a Christian knowes that the word of GOD is the word of GOD by a spirituall perswasion wrought by the efficacy of the word from an intrinse call principle in the word it selfe But sometimes it fals out that a Christian may be convinced of the truth of the word in generall that it is Gods word and that the promises of salvation are true and yet notwithstanding he may not feele the particular perswasion of the forgivenesse of his sinnes and of his acceptation to life everlasting and his interest in Christ these two are somtimes separable in regard of feeling A Christian hath alway a perswasion of the truth of GOD of the things but hee hath not alway a like perswasion of his owne interest in them How doe you prove that these are severed sometimes Thus There is the birth and infancy of a Christian when a Christian is in his birth he is not perswaded of his owne good estate as hee is after when hee is growne then hee knowes his estate A soule that is in the state of grace that hungers and thirsts after good things at that time it may be it is not acquainted that it shall be satisfied it is not acquainted of its owne interest but stretcheth it selfe forward for intire satisfaction and it shall be satisfied that is the soule that hungers and thirsts after the perswasion of GODS love in Christ and the forgivenesse of sinnes and life everlasting there is never soule that thus â—…gers and thirsts but God satisfies it at length for the most part in this world or else certainly in the world to come forever But alway where there is this perswasion supernaturall that the word of GOD is true indeed that there is salvation to all true believers when it is wrought by the spirit there is either a perswasion of our interest or somewhat tending to perswasion some hungering and thirsting some desire that God accepts for the deed to shew that such a man is in the state of grace I speake this the rather because some are deceived in their owne estates they doe not conceive aright of themselves they thinke they are not in the state of grace when they find not that particular strong assured perswasion I answer they may be in the state of grace notwithstanding A Christian knowes not his owne estate alway at all times It is one grace to bee in a good estate and another to have the knowledge of it they bee different gifts of God and God suspends the knowledge of a mans being in a good estate for severall ends Sometimes among the rest for this one to humble us to keepe us from security to make us carefull and diligent to make us know that hee hath the keeping of our feeling and perswasion in his owne hands As hee hath the keeping of all our grace so he hath the keeping of the knowledge that we have grace and of our comfortable walking that wee may know we have every thing from him both grace and the feeling of grace and if wee take liberty to our selves hee will take libertie to keepe our feeling at that time to make us humble and to make us seeke reconciliation againe It is one part of Gods dispensation with his children to hinder their perswasion of their particular interest sometimes Sometimes the children of God may be in such a condition as that they may thinke for a time in their judgement that they bee in a contrary estaâ—…e they are misperswaded of themselves not to bee Gods children as it were God may suffer this that they shall not only have a weake staggering perswasion but a perswasion to the contrary though it bee a false perswasion But how shall they know that they are Gods children at that time They say they are so shaken and at a stand they are so conceited that they are none of Gods that God hath left them and forsaken them You may know it by this that at the same time they are conscionable of al heavenly duties at the same time they neglect no meanes of salvation at the same time they complaine against their owne corrupt course of life that hath given God occasion to leave them thus to themselves at the same time they strive against this and labour to be perswaded of GODS truths in generall And though the devill sometimes shake that perswasion that Gods truth is not Gods truth and make them question whether it be the word of God or no and whether there bee such a thing as life everlasting the devill shakes us in principles sometimes but yet a Christian in such temptations though he be shaken in his principles by the force of wickednesse yet he attends upon the meanes and goes on more conscionably he doth not give backe but labours for satisfaction and further setling still and is ashamed of himselfe that hee should have such beastly thoughts as the Psalmist saith so foolish was I and ignorant and as a beast before thee when hee began to stagger in the principle of the providence of God So sometimes a Christian is brought to stagger in principles in the maine generall perswasion of the word of God but he likes not himselfe he accounts himselfe as a beast and labours for satisfaction still in sanctified meanes and never gives over Though he have not particular perswasion he gives not over holy duties but goes on in spirituall duties he labours to obey God in all things he is conscionable to God in feare and trembling in the least
grounds of divine truth that hath a majesty and a spiritualnesse in it selfe but it was meerely wrought out of forraine grounds Now we see a meaner man that hath his knowledge wrought by the spirit of God the same spirit seales that knowledge to him with the word of God that indited the Scripture and acted the holy men of God that wrote the Scriptures As his portion is incomparably great so he is perswaded of his interest in those good things the same spirit that convinceth him of the truth and of the certainty of the things it convinceth him likewise of his part in them and this supernaturall perswasion together with his interest in those good things perswaded of sets downe the soule so as it will not move he holds out in persecution because he hath felt the worke of divine truth in his soule he hath found the spirit of God casting him downe and raysing him up to comfort therefore he holds out in his perswasion in all tryalls and never apostatizeth from that estate and condition And so for unfruitfulnesse in conversation notwithstanding all those motives we have in the word of God a man that is not convinced spiritually of those excellent things he goes on deadly as if there were no motives because the spirit of God hath not sealed them to his spirit hee hath not given him an apprehension of the divine incouragements wrapped up in the promises in the Scripture and when death and danger come for the most part such men are desperate notwithstanding all their learning and knowledge literall that they have For it will not hold water all knowledge that is not wrought by the spirit of God sealing divine truth to the soule with some evidence of the power of it it will not hold out in the tryall all Especially when Satan with his fiery darts comes with strong temptations for the soule never felt the working power of the word It feeles then the temptation it apprehends the poysonfull fiery temptation but it hath not so inwardly digested the truths of the spirit and therefore is surprized with the horrour and spaire there is not wrought in heart an deexperimentall feeling of knowledge and therfore the heart cannot beat backe the temptation When the Devill shall come and tell men you have beene thus and thus and they have not felt the truth of that they seemed to believe conscience tels them it is true I have heard and read such and such things I never believed them they never sunke deepely into my heart when temptation shall bee nearer the soule then the truth shall bee when temptation presseth sore they are swallowed up of despaire therefore let us labour that our generall knowledge from the word and our particular knowledge and perswasion that it may be spirituall Now how doth the spirit worke this particular perswasion I answer the spirit of God workes it in the soule together with the word the spirit and the word goe together All the men in the world cannot perswade the soule without the spirit of God joyne Paul preached but God opened Lidia's heart We have it not of our selves it must come from without from Gods spirit opening our eyes and perswading and convincing our hearts God perswade Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem no creature can do it it is passive it is said here they were perswaded That perswasion that is sound that carries a man to heaven by which hee dies in faith 〈◊〉 must be from the spirit of God All the words of the ministery and all reasons nothing will do it but God God must perswade thesoule Now what doth the spirit here The spirit enlightens the understanding which I spake of before it opens the understanding in perswasion it doth propound arguments and motives from the excellency of the things promised and the priviledges of religion and the good things we have by Christ c. and together with propounding these excellent incouragements and motives the spirit strongly works upon the disposition upon the will and affections it works upon the soule and so doth perswade and convince And thereupon comes imbracing which I shall have occasion to speake of afterward The soule being perswaded imbraceth Now this perswasion is not only by propounding of arguments by the word and spirit but likewise a working upon the will from whence there followes an inclination of the will and an imbracing of the things wee are perswaded of For let all the arguments in the world bee brought to a man to perswade him that God will be mercifull to him in Christ tell him of the free offer Whosoever will let him come in all that will a large offer let him joyne to that offer of mercie the inviting Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will ease you a sweete inviting Ioyne with the invitation a command it is his command that wee should believe in his son Iesus let him strengthen that command with the threatning he that believes not is damned already Let a man remove all objections that the soule can make of its unworthines Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease you though you groane under the burden of your sinne Let a man object againe I have nothing worthy in my selfe Why come and buy though you have no money Let him strengthen all these proposalls with examples of the mercy of God to Manasses to Peter to Paul a persecutor to Mary Magdalen and the like let all these arguments be wondrous effectually propounded the soule will not yeeld unlesse Gods spirit joyne with these arguments and all in that kind and convince the soule of our particular interest in these things and perswade the will to imbrace these things offered That God hath reserved in his own power to bring our hearts and the promises together to bring our hearts and divine truths together Let there be never so much set before us in the ministery he hath reserved this prerogative and authority that our hearts and the truth should close together to imbrace them in hearing All things depend upon the spirit when we doe not regard the spirit in hearing and reading c. Let all the things the Scripture hath be propounded and set on with all the excellency and eloquence that may be GOD hath reserved it to himselfe by his spirit to give faith to perswade our soules that these belong to us and to incline and draw the will I have shewed you then the kinds of perswasion generall and particular and how it is wrought by the spirit that unlesse this perswasion be wrought by the spirit we shall never hold out in it though we have all the arguments in the world we shall be disobedient Disobedience comes when things are not discovered by the spirit and apostacie when the perswasion is not wrought by the spirit and desperation when the knowledge is not spirituall Now the
manner is by removeing contratraries and moving the heart and drawing it With the word of man God enters into the very will and affections for as hee made the soule and framed it so hee knowes how to worke upon it and to draw it sweetly by reasons but yet strongly that it may be carried to the things revealed GOD at the same time workes strongly by carrying the soule and sweetly with reasons For God first comes into the soule by divine light by reasâ—… â—…nd then he sinkes into the soule by his spirit â—…o draw the soule to these reasons without this we never yeeld to those reasons but stand â—…ut in rebellion GOD perswades the soule sweetly of the â—…ruth by shewing a man the goodnesse of it and â—…he sutablenesse to our condition and the reasons of it how they agree to our nature hee doth not force the soule but doth it with reasons and arguments sweetly And â—…e doth it strongly that the soule when it is perswaded would not for all the world bee of another mind it is so strong that the perswasion and â—…he promises are stronger then the temptations of Saran and the corruptions of the â—…esh or then the candals of the world that nothing â—…an separate us from Christ nothing can drive â—…s from our faith and hope the perswasion is â—…et so strongly upon the soule because it is a divine perswasion It is a strong worke to perswade the soule For the spirit of God When it brings a light into the soule it brings agreat many graces with it when it shines upon the soule and discovers better things it brings other graces â—…o perswade and to imbrace the things it discovers As it is an infinite mercy and goodnesse of God to discover to our soules such excellent things as we may be perswaded of as if 〈◊〉 estate to be such as indeed it is above our 〈◊〉 prehension in this world neither eye hath 〈◊〉 nor â—…are heard nor hath entred into the heart 〈◊〉 man the things that God hath prepared for 〈◊〉 that love him so likewise it is Gods infinite worke of power to frame the soule to be perswaded of this it is as mâ—…ch power to 〈◊〉 the soule to this perswasion as it is mercy 〈◊〉 discover them in a manner there is such 〈◊〉 ward rebellion and distrust in the soule 〈◊〉 ling these truths into question as if theâ—… things were too good to be true Considerâ—… our owne unworthinesse and vilenesse 〈◊〉 the excellency of these things laying theâ—… together the unbelieving heart of man 〈◊〉 prone to unbeliefe above all other sinnes 〈◊〉 can hardly conceive that there are such thinâ—… for Gods children except the heart be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tily wrought on unlesse together with 〈◊〉 swasion there be some worke in the soule whence it may gather by the work of the spirit that they are those to whom such good things belong because the spirit of God hath singâ—…ed them out and set his seale and stampe on them above other men by some evidenceâ—… of grace It is another manner of worke then the world takes it to be For as I said before together with the Scripture there must a spirit of perswasion goe there is a secâ—…et messengeâ—… goes with the outward peech both of the preacher and of the Scripture or else all the â—…guments will not be to purpose they will be â—…f no efficacy As the Israelites they had arguments and â—…otives enow to perswade them of Gods love â—…nd care to them yet notwithstanding GOD â—…ave them not a heart Deut. 29. In Christs â—…me what miracles did they see yet their â—…earts were hardned because God together â—…ith his shining in the outward meanes did â—…ot subdue the rebellion of their wiâ—… and afâ—…ections and therefore the more they saw â—…he more they were hardned the Scribes and â—…harisees and some of their desperate folâ—…owers Well then considering that the spirit doth â—…his great worke let us labour that our knowâ—…edge may be spirituall that our perswasion of divine truth in generall and our part and â—…ortion in divine truth that it may bee spirituâ—…ll for as Saint Paul divinely and excellentâ—…y sets it downe 2 Cor. 2. 10 11. that as no â—…an knowes the things that are in man but the spiâ—…it that is in man so no man knowes the things of Gods word divine truths nor his part and porâ—…ion and interest in them but by the spirit of God If wee bring the Engine of our owne â—…it and parts to Gods truth â—…o sermons and â—…ookes wee may never be the better if wee â—…ome not with a spirituall intention with â—…everent and humble hearts and implore the â—…eaching of the spirit that together with the revelation of the word there may beeâ—… 〈◊〉 ving of the vaile by the spirit that vvith 〈◊〉 outwâ—…rd teaching there may bee the inwarâ—… teaching of the spirit that with the 〈◊〉 opening the â—…are there may be the opening 〈◊〉 the hearâ—… that he that hath the key of 〈◊〉 may open and inoline and perswade the 〈◊〉 that hee may perswade Iaphet as the Scripâ—… phrase is It is facâ—…legious presumption to come 〈◊〉 holy places and to set upon holy duties 〈◊〉 heare or read the word of God without 〈◊〉 ting up our hearts to God for his holy 〈◊〉 We cannot plow without his Heifer Can 〈◊〉 know the mind of God without the 〈◊〉 God What arrogancy is this to thinâ—… 〈◊〉 be saved and the spirit never tell us with 〈◊〉 word so but it is only a presumpâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is a sacrilegious surpation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods glory The spirit of God knowâ—… 〈◊〉 things are in God towards us and reveales 〈◊〉 our spirits Gods inward love to us The 〈◊〉 â—…eacheth us to know the things that are 〈◊〉 God Wee only know the good that Gâ—… meanes us by his owne 〈◊〉 and therefore let us labour every day more and more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirituall and heavenly minded And above all things to make it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our desires as it 〈◊〉 Luke 11. to pray 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spirit he will give his holy spirit to them that 〈◊〉 it it is the best and the chiele gilt of all 〈◊〉 this makes our knowledge heavenly our 〈◊〉 swasion heavenly and sound and constant in â—…e and death And this spirit carries the whole soule with it this spirit makes us like the word of GOD because it is spirituall it makes us so and we love it in our inward man and consent to it and joy in it Whereas naturally there is inward rebellion in the greatest Scholler in the world against the word of God the heartriseth against divine truths they are as opposite as fire and water as heaven and hell The proud heart of man slights the promises of mercy as nothing to petty things of the world it slights the comforts of the word to carnall comforts and the Commandements of GOD in respect of the commandements of men The proud man
Rome it overcame men by violence and by force and not by whorish insinuations by drawing them on to Idolatry It is said in the fifth verse that upon her forehead was a name written Mysterie Babylon the great Mother of Harlots Babylon in a Mysterie and this Mysterie is a great word too with them the Mysterie of the Masse in every thing there is a Mysterie all their Ceremonies are Mysteries This word Mysterie therefore in the fore-head of the Whore sheweth what Beast it is that is here meant It is observed by divers Writers that in the Frontlet of the Popes Diadem there is written this name Mysterium as in Iulius the seconds time but afterwards when they smelt that he was construed thereby to be the very Whore they rased out that and put in Iulius secundus c. And she sits upon many waters She sits marke the Spirit of God will not suffer us to erre what is the regiment of the Pope called Sitting such a Pope sate so long the Whore sits in the very phrase and what is the seat called the See of Rome the See of Antichrist Divers other particular things there are to shew that he means Rome that is the state of Rome under the Bishop of Rome to bee the Beast here spoken of Especially considering the connexion of this Chapter with that following where is set down the finall destruction of this Beast now wee know that heathenish Rome ended long agoe therefore that Beast which is here meant must needs bee that which followes in the next Chapter and therefore it must needs be Rome as it is under the Bishop the Pope of Rome It is said in the 13. Chapter that this Beast made the former Beast to speake did enliven and quicken the former Beast so indeed this Beast Rome considered under the Pope which succeeds that Beast Rome as it was under the Roman Emperours quickens the former Beast for now all is as glorious as ever it was in heathenish Rome For after that the Gothes and Vandals had possessed Rome the Pope put some life into the Empire of Rome and did himselfe become Emperour For indeed the Emperour of Germany though he be intituled King of Rome yet that is but a meer titular thing the Eagle is deplumed of her feaâ—…thers of her authority it is only the title hee beares And if any Emperour come to Rome the Pope will make him sweare fealty and hee must not long stay in Rome he cannot endure that And it is well said in the Revelation that this Beast is the Image of the former Beast for the Pope is altogether like the Emperours almost in every thing For the Emperours were crowned The Pope for failing hath three Crownes The Emperours had their scarlet this is a purple coloured VVhore in scarlet They spake the Latine tongue and forced all nations almost to speak Latine as a monument of their slavery So all in the Popish Church is in latine their prayers in Latine all in latine even for the simple and sottish people to use Ancient heathen Rome had their grave Senators the Pope hath his Cardinals The heathen Emperours as Domitian and others would be adored as Gods So likewise is the Pope of Rome adored and marke the slight hee hath a Crucifix upon his feet and Kings must kisse that so with adoring of the Cross they adore his person as they did Heliodorus that heathen Emperour Thus in every thing almost they agree with ancient Rome and in many other things I might runne over their likenesse to the former Beast Now this Beast to describe him a little better that we might know what these Kings did when they gave up their Kingdomes and Thrones to the Beast It is said in the 13. chapter that the Dragon gave power to the Beast the Dragon is the Devill and as he wrought effectually in the former Beast in heathen Rome to make war with the Saints so is this Beast Pontificall Rome stirred up and acted by the Devill the Dragon to persecute the Church So that this Beast hath the power and the spirit of the Dragon the Devill himselfe And that you may discerne that I doe them no wrong consider how the Dragon and this Beast which is moved and lead and acted by the spirit of the Dragon agree in their courses I will name two or three to you The Dragons course is to make us distrust God you know how in Paradise hee taught our first Parents to distrust the word of God Yee shall be as Gods knowing good and evill So the force of Popery is to dishonour and to discredit Gods truth to put out the peoples eyes to lead them blind-fold to make the Scripture a matter of errour and heresie and bid the people take heed of it as if God meant to deceive them to goe beyond them in giving them his Word as though it were not a word of salvation As the Dragon himselfe said to Christ If thou wilt fall downe and worship me all these will I give thee So the Pope takes upon him the Dragons power these that will bee good sonnes of their Church these and these preferments will he give them when hee hath as much right to them as the Devill had to those The Devill fell from heaven at the preaching of the Word at the preaching of the Gospell the Apostles when they returned from preaching told our Saviour that they saw Sathan fall downe like lightning So Antichrist fals by the preaching of the Gospel by the breath of the Lords mouth he is not able to stand before it no more then Dagon before the Arke the VVord preached is as fire to consume him so he is like the Dragon in that In disposition he is like the Dragon The Devill is a Lyer and a Murtherer from the beginning the father of lies so likewise the Pope is a Lyar all Popery is nothing but lies therefore 2 Thess. 2. it is said They are given over to beleeve lies Popery is a grand lie it is a lie in the primacie for it came in by forgery and intrusion it is a lie in Purgatory which is a meere conceit it is a lie in their miracles which they have devised to maintaine their false worship with It is a lie in their works of supererogation that they can fulfill more then the Law requireth So that all Popery consider it distinctly from our Religion because they have that which wee have and some patches of their owne consider it by it selfe it is a meer lie Besides that they maintaine the doctrine of Equivocation which is a lie a justifier of lies which is worst of all And to murther this present day and occasion tels us that murthers come from them their Doctrine maintaines it and they make orations in commendations of Traytors as Sixtus Quintus did in praise of him that killed Henry the third King of France and the bloody Massacre of France is pictured up in the Popes
those in whom this blessed grace is planted so that the excellencie and office of all graces are attributed to it there is a stirring up of al other graces whatsoever in saith All the Worthies that are spoken of before they did that they did And obtained a good report by faith The Spirit of God goes on here and shewes a glorious effect of this blessed grace in the falling downe of the Wals of Iâ—…richo This short Verse is taken out of the Stoâ—…ie of the Conquest of Iericho mentioned in Ios. 6. in the later end of the Chapter where you have the whole Storie set down at large I need not rehearse it And withall you have there a curse set downe that whosoever should goe about againe to build the wals of Iericho he should lay the foundation in his first borne and in his youngest Sonne he should set up the gates Hee that would raise up such a cursed building againe hee should doe it with the overthrow of his owne building of his owne Family as the Scripture cals a mans house a building he should lay the foundation in his eldest Sonne and build the Gates at the death of his youngest Sonne And a little to acquaint you with the fulnesse of the word before I come to the Story you have an audacious cursed attempt to build the wals of Iericho againe in 1 King 16. toward the latter end in a wicked Kings time in Ahabs time There was one so adventurous one Hiell that he would build Iericho hee laid the foundation in Abiram his first-borne and set up the Gates in his youngest Son Segub according to the word of the Lord spoken by Ioshua the Son of Nun you see whence this storie is fetched By faith the wals of Iericho â—…ll downe after they had beene compassed about seâ—…en dayes They were compassed about seven â—…ayes and the Arke in the midst and the seâ—…enth day they went seven times about and â—…en the wals fell downe as you have it in the â—…tory But to come to the words and to haâ—…en to that that I specially meane to touch at this time First of all observe here that Iericho had mighty wals as you see in the Storie it had wals and trusted in these wals or else they would have come out and have made condiâ—…ions of peace with Israel but as they had â—…als so they were confident in them as you â—…ee the Spies in Numb 14. they tell what â—…alled Cities they had and that terrified them And next you see here that God overthrowes their wals and by what meanes by â—…oore and base means by Trumpets of Ramsâ—…ornes they had silver Trumpets but they used not them but meaner Instruments Rams-hornes those were the meanes and the time that they used them seven dayes together and then that by faith using these meanes they overthrew the wals of Iericho they fell down From hence by Analogie and proportion wee may see First of all that carnall men they build up wals and put their trust in them The secondis that God confounds these courses The third is that God doth it by weak and silly means beleeved by faith The last point is that faith in the use of these meanes overcomes all By faith the wals of Iericho fell downe after they had beene compassed about seven dayes And then wee shall come to other things that concerne us and apply it to the time Naturall men since the fall they must have somewhat to trust to Since man lost his first prop and confidence and communion with God hee turnes to the creature there is alway some confidence in some creature and men leave God in what measure they trust that When Cain was banished his Fathers house then hefals to building of Cities he must have some contentment and those that were escaped the flood within a hundred yeares after the Flood they must build a Tower of Babell that should reach to Heaven to get themselves a name wanting better courses Every one will have some Castle and wall of Iericho to trust to Riches are the Rich-mans strong hold as Salomon saith Achitophel trusted to a shrewd head and policie that proved his ruine afterwards The Iewes had outward sanctitie to trust to opposing it to the righteousnesse of Christ the righteousnesse of faith Rom. 10. they would set a foot a dead Righteousnesse that could not stand and therefore they were shut from the Righteousnesse of God in Christ. Man will have a holinesse a wisedome a strength and power of himselfe in the things below here as I might shew at large both in examples and otherwise naturally we find it in our selves if we be sicke we trust to the Physician and other meanes if we be in danger we flee to the arme of flesh to some mighty man wee trust in some great friend if we have any If we be in danger of invasion or such like wee trust our wals and defences and till strong temptations come we trust in our ownstrength till Sathan picke so many holes in it that wee cannot stay there and that conscience upbraids us Alwayes a man hath somewhat to trust to till he be brought to desperate conditions and rather then he will have nothing to trust to hee will trust to the broken Reed of Egypt hee will trust to that that will deceive him and hurt him as the Reed of Egypt did the Iewes rather then they would trust God and the word brought by the Prophets they would trust Ashur and Egypt Now the Spirit of God in the Scriptures takes notice of this pronenesse to false confidence Trust not in uncertaine Riches If Riches increase set not your hearts on them And man when he sets his heart upon false confidence the issues are more dangerous hee will come against God he doth not onely set up these holds that hee hath in rebellion against God but he proclaimes as it were defiance to God and his word and his ordinances till afterwards God destroy all his false confidence and bring him to shame In 2 Cor. 10. there is a notable place to shew what holds there are in the heart of man that oppose against God and his truth in his word holds that Sathan keeps in man and man joyning with Sathan the Enemy holds against God and his truth The weapons of our warfare saith he are not carnall but mighty through God to cast downe strong holds The holds are within us and wee are so farre from preparing our selves to Grace and to entertaine Grace when it is offered that naturally wee set up holds against God and Grace There must be strong power to over-turne all to lead them into captiviâ—…y to the obedience of Christ To cast downe the imaginations and every high thing every high thought that exalts it selfe against the knowledge of God and to bring in Captivity every thought So there are three mighty things in every naturall man This false reasoning and
he himselfe overcame Sathan and triumphed over him as it is Colos. 2. He lead him in triumph hee triumphed over Sathan himselfe and he will triumph over Sathan in all his members as hee over-came Sathan in himselfe so hee will overcome in us all For stronger is he that is in us then he that is in the world The Spirit of God as he is in us is stronger then Sathan not only Christ our glorious Captaine overcame him and is now in Heaven but the Spirit of God in us weak creatures with faith laying hold upon the word of God is stronger then he that is in the world he is stronger then the Devill and all that are against us But besides Sathan there is in us much opposition that must be subdued before we come to Canaan as we saw before in 2 Cor. 10. those reasonings and sophistries proud high thoughts all must be brought downe because Sathan doth joyne with these and if it were not for enemies within us Sathan could not prevaile over us as it was Dalilah that betraied Sampson or else the Philistines could not have hurt him so it is with our owne corruptions there be these wals within us these betray us to Sathan he could not hurt us but that wee â—…etray our selves Now by little and little all these wals â—…hall fall not all at once as the wals of Ieriâ—…ho did but they shall molder in pieces by litâ—…le and little God by degrees will perfect the worke of mortification and sanctification â—…ill hee make us take his Son Christ like our Husband and Head that wee may be fit for so glorious a Head But to come to the particular occasion Besides other enemies that are betweene us and Heaven Sathan is powerfull and effectuâ—…ll and strong in the Kingdome of Antichrist And by all meanes that Church which is opposite to Christ hath studied to build up wals to build up Iericho and to stop the Church of Christ to hinder it what they could Now what wals have they built up As Pharaoh said Let us deale wisely how wittily have they gone to worke to overthrow the Church of God in all times and to set up themselves and their owne Kingdome It were a large discourse it would take up the whole time to shew their policie and the plots they have had to give an instance in a few How strongly have they built up wals in their owne conceit when they had got the whole world almost into subjection to them before Luthers time all the world followed them They had used the matter so that Kings themselves had betrayed their very Crownes to them they had betrayed their Kingdomes they were rather Vassals to them then Kings they had gotten the temporall sword into their hands as well as the spirituall And they had raised up to themselves a bloody Inquisition to suppresse all light of truâ—…h as soone as ever it sparkled out all beames of truth were stopped with their bloody Inquisition they thought they had fenced themselves safe enough Then againe they had disabled all the Kings and Princes of Christendome And then because the Pope would ingage Princes to him to strengthen the wals higher and to make them stronger the young sonnes of Princes hee would make them Cardinals And then hee would arrogate to himselfe a power absolute to dispense in case of marriage and oathes and such like And besides what plots have they had for the counterfeiting of Authors for falsifying of Authors purging out true Authors that they might have none give witnesse against them what tricks have they to keepe people in ignorance because it is a Kingdome of darkenesse the Bible they must have God hath preserved that but they would have it in an unknowne tongue And what other devises to abuse the people withall How have they fenced themselves by applying themselves to humour all sorts of people For even as the Devill enlargeth his Kingdome by applying himselfe to the cursed sinfull disposition of men so doth the Pope here upon earth apply himselfe to the â—…infull disposition of all sorts of men There â—…re no kind of men but they have a baite in Popery For loose Libertines there are stewes For others that are of a more reserved and severe disposition there are Monasteries For superstitious persons there they have a world of ridiculous Ceremonies devised to themselves of their owne braine and never used in the Primitive Church For those that are covetous they have the riches of the world in their owne hands they have had at least before more then they now have For proud ambitious persons they have honours of all sorts For the people they have many carnal liberties for them And for all the senses of the body they have something to delight them to draw people from the power of Religion to carnall outward worship So they have studied and whetted their wits all the wayes that might bee to apply themselves to the dispositions of all sorts of men whatsoever that so they might strengthen the wals of Iericho I might be large I give you but a taste Well but what hath God done God hath infatuate and overthrowne their wals and by weake meanes Luther a poore Monke with a Trumpet of Rams-hornes with his preaching and with his writing you see how he shooke the wals of Rome how much they have lost within the last hundred yeares the last age the last Centurie of yeares they have lost a great part of this Westerne part of the world that they had in slavery before and how by weak meanes as you heard by the preaching of the Gospel by Learning and Knowledge It is no wonder that the Devill hates Knowledge and Learning as Luther saith well Hee hates the quils of Geese because they are Instruments to write against them Hee hath a Kingdome of darkenesse and Hell and the Pope is a King of darkenesse Now when the light of Knowledge the light of the Word of God the ordinance of God when preaching came these poore Trumpets did shake the Church of Rome As wee see in England the wals of Iericho fell downe by what mâ—…anes by a Child in manner King Edward the sixt and after by a woman and if the word of God had gone on in like proportion in other places Popery had beene lower then it is So wee see then that as high as they built and as much as they fortified though they bee not wholly cast downe yet they are shaken and that by weake meanes Now the way to effect this that these wals may fall down more and more It must be by the spiritual meanes that God will use wee must use the meanes that God hath appointed us poor contemptible meanes Trumpets of Rams hornes the preaching of the Word the discoverie of the truth and by this meanes we shall more and more gaine upon them And undoubtedly let them but give free liberty to the preaching of
the Word in other countries and wee shall see them shortly as hereticall as they terme it even as London and England is Such a power there is in Gods Ordinance the Spirit of God accompanying it that it carries all before it it layes all flat it beats all strong holds downe before it What shall wee doe then By faith use the meanes that God hath appointed the weapons appointed and sanctified by God they are strong through God to beat downe all strong holds And take heed especially that we doe not build up the wals of Iericho againe nor suffer them to build them You know Ioshua pronounceth a curse upon al that should build the wals of Iericho he should lay the first stone in the death of his eldest Sonne and the last at the death of his younger and so as wee have it in the storie of Hiel it was made good I beseech you therefore let every one of us in our place labour to ruinate these wals of Iericho and take heed how wee build them againe or suffer any to build them againe What way have we to prevent their building that the wals of Iericho be not built again they goe about it what they can we see what course they take They have all the art of Hell to helpe them lies and equivocations How many Kings and great ones have they at this day to support and helpe them to keepe them from falling they doe all that they can to keepe life now how shall we prevent this that they build not up the wals of this spirituall Iericho againe First of all every one labour to doe what they can in their callings Magistrates to execute the Lawes of the Kingdome which as those say that are well acquainted with them are very beneficiall to the Church of God Therefore the Magistrates in their place should do what appertaines to them And so for Ministers the spirituall means whereby such heresies must be confounded it is by the breath of the mouth of Christ as it is 2 Thess. 2. He shall consume him with the breath of his mouth For things are dissolved contrary to that way that they were raised at the first and contrary to that way they were maintained Popery as it was raised so it is maintained by darkenesse and blindnesse and ignorance of the word of God and of divine truth the way to hinder it therefore from being built againe is to lay open divine truths and to plant the ministerie Every one must labour for this to be faithfull in their place and standing Saint Paul saith 2 Tim. They shall prevaile no longer because their madnesse shall be manifest How doth that follow The very manifestation of errour hinders the prevailing of it That is the way to hinder Popery from prevailing to manifest it by preaching and writing and such good meanes For the demonstration of errours to be so is a refuting of them For who would willingly be deceived Therefore the laying open of the madnesse of Popery and the folly of their devises it hinders their prevailing no man willingly would have his soule led into errour Therefore let us lay their errours open in the Ministerie and the grounds of them the danger of Popery how pernicious it is When this is discovered in the Ministerie men as they love their owne soules will take heed That is the way therefore to keepe the wals of Iericho from being built to set an able Ministerie every where and to countenance them and those that are Gods Captaines to fight his battels against them It is a world of hurt that comes to the Church by impropriations especially in the North parts as wee heare too much by reports In great and mighty Parishes to set up poore and weake men and others wholly to receive the Revenues and that is the reason of the swarm of dangerous Papists in those parts Oh! that these things had beene looked to in time The wals of Iericho had not beene built againe in those parts so much as they are This is one maine way the planting of an able ministery for this painted Harlot shee cannot endure the breath of the Ministerie it discovers all her painting it layes her naked and open she knowes it well enough Then againe take heed of the spreading of infections Men should bee carefull this way they build up their Religion thus that else would fall downe more and more Wee are so confident in our cause that we suffer men to reade any Popish Treatises They on the other side watch all things so that there cannot a Sparke of our light breake into them what by their Inquisition and other cou ses that they take Confidence in our cause hath made us carelesse and secure in this kind therefore care this way is one meanes to helpe it And then incouragement of good learning Popery fell with the beginning of good learning Religion and good learning came in together If I were in some place I should speake more of this for as I said before it is a darke Religion not onely in regard of the Religion it selfe but it growes and thrives with Ignorance and Barbarisme and not understanding of Arts and tongues they have helped very much towards the overthrow of these wals of Iericho Every one should contend for the faith once given As Saint Iude admonisheth every one the poorest man may contend with his prayers He that saith Thy Kingdome come what doth he pray for If he pray in faith he desires that God would pul downe all opposite Kingdomes to the Kingdome of his Sonne Christ that the Kingdome of Christ may come more and more in the hearts of his people that he may raign every where more freely and largely then he doth every one may helpe forward the Kingdom of Christ he may helpe forward Ierusalem and â—…ull downe Iericho every one that hath a ferâ—…ent devotion of prayer And by a holy life for when men are vicious and carnall they occasion God for not â—…oving and imbracing the truth to give them â—…p to Popish errours and such like Many waies there be to stop the building up of Iericho But this is one especiall which this day occasions that is thankfulnesse to God a thankâ—…ull Remembrance how God hath fought for 〈◊〉 how God hath by little and little ruinated the wals of this Iericho and hath helped us to build the wals of our Ierusalem A thankful Remembrance is a notable meanes to hinder the growth of Poperie For when we remember their attempts how God hath cursed and crossed them it will make us love our Religion that God hath witnessed to by so many Deliverances and it will make us hate theirs the more Therefore it was a worthy worke of that Reverend Bishop that set out in a Treatise all the Deliverances that have beene from Popish Conspiracies from the beginning of Queene Elizabeths time to this present it was a worthy worke beseeming
that once the heart hath enough from heaven-ward it hath enough from heaven God hath said and promised it then the heart by a worke it hath of it selfe speaks to it selfe and to the whole man to seeke God The heart will not stoop without reason the heart of an understanding man but when it sees the command first seeke my face then it answers thy face Lord will I seeke So that this command of God and this incouragement and warrant from God Seeke yee my face it was in Davids heart it was written and set and grafted in his heart and then his heart being awed with the command of God God hath said thus the heart goes again to God thou hast said thus Lord Thy face will I seeke See the depth of Davids speech when hee faith Lord thy face will I seeke It came from his heart root not only from the heart but from the heart grounded upon the command and incouragement of God Seeke my face there is the ground the heart digesting this thorowly this is Gods Command I understand it and understand it from God I see the authority from whence itcomes therfore I wil stirre up my selfe Thy face Lord will I seek I shall have occasion to speake somewhat of it afterwards in the next thing his obedience therefore I goe on Thy face Iehovah will I seeke Here is his returne againe to God that he will seeke the face of God I will seeke thy face in all my necessities then I will seeke to thee and in all thine ordinances I will seeke to thee whereinsoever thy presence is discovered thy presence is in all places especially in thine ordinances thy presence is in all times especially in the time of trouble and need in all times of need I will seeke to thee in all exigences I will seeke unto thee and in all thiâ—…e ordinances wherein I may find thee I know I may meet with thee there thou givest thy people meetings in thine ordinances it is thy walke therefore thy face Lord will I seeke where I may be sure to meet thee in thine owne way and ordinances So much for the meaning Thy face Lord will I seeke Here is first of all an Application and obedience from Application they be words of particular Application Thy face will I seeke God had given him a ground Seeke yee my face his heart makes the Application Thy face I will seeke applying the generall incouragement to himself in particular So that you may observe hence that The ground of all obedience of all holy entercourse with God is a Spirit of Application Applying the truths of God though generally spoken to our selves in particular It is spoken here in the plurall number Seeke yee my face but the generall implies the particular as London is in England Seeke yee my face all yee that are the people of God but I am one of them what though I be not named that tenent in Popery is against sense when a man is condemned by the law is his name in the law It is against such a fact hee is a Malefactor And so the particular is included in the generall Seeke yee my face David knew that reason taught him that and not Religion Now the ground of Application of divine truths to our selves in particular is this that the truth of God setting aside some circumstantiall things that arise sometimes to particular persons that sometimes limit the command to one person or the promise to one person cut off those distinctions all comfortable truths agreeto Gods people in all ages while there is a Church in the world Al truths are eternall truths die not as men doe David is dead and Moses is dead but this truth is not dead Seeke yee my face Paul is gone and Peter is gone we are the Davids and the Mose's the Peters and the Pauls now those truths that were good to them are good to us Whatsoever was written before was written for our comfort There is an eternall truth that runs through all ages of the Church that hath an everlasting comfort God hath framed the Scriptures not to be limited to the times wherin they were written as the Papists idly speak Bellarmine and others as if they were occasionall things that the Scriptures were written by occasion of such and such men and concerned only those times but the Scriptures were written for all times and it concernes a times to apply all truths to themselves setting aside those circumstances that are applyed to particular men which are easie to discern in Heb. 13 that that was said to Iosua Ios. 1. the Apostle applies it to the Church in his time and to all Bee not afraid I will not faile thee nor forsake thee it is a generall truth And Abraham believed God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse that whosoever beleeves as Abraham is a sonne of Abraham These truths are universall and concerne every one as well as any And so many other places of Scripture The promise of the blessed seed the beleeving of it runs from the beginning of the world in all ages to the comming of Christ. All other promises were but an inlargement of that that was the Mother-promise that is the ground of Application that the generall truths agree to all the Churches The truth of God is the portion of every child of God he may claime every promise and ought to follow the direction of every command The reason is because al the Church of God are Heires alike Heires of the Promise Children of Abraham Heires of salvation they have interest in Christ-alike in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen in whom all the promises have their making and their performance And by reason that there is an indifferent equality in regard of the maine things of all the children of God they have interest alike in all the benefits by Christ in all truths in all substantiall duties to God and all favours from God that is the ground of the equity of Application But if you will have the ground of the necessity of it nature will shew that for the truths are food if food bee not taken what good doth it doe without application The word of God is a sword what will a sword doe if it hangs up in a mans Chamber or if it be not used when the enemy approacheth The Application of the sword of the Spirit gives the vertue to it it is to no purpose else divine truths are physick if it be not applyed what use is there of physick There is a necessity if wee will obey God of a Spirit of Application there is nothing that will doe good but by application neither in nature nor in grace There must bee a virtuall application at least the heavens worke upon the earth there is no Application bodily the heavens are too high but there is a virtuall Application there comes light in and influence to these inferiour bodies therefore we
say the Sunne is in the house and in the place we are in though there bee only his influence there But there must bee application of divine truth to the soule it must be brought neere the soule before the soule can moove There is a necessity of Application from a principle of nature to make it our owne Now as in nature there is a power in the soule to worke out of the food that that is good for every member which we call a digestive power and faculty that applies and asâ—…milates the meat and nourishment we take to every part There be fibra sucking veines that suck out of the meat strength for this and that purpose So there is in the soule of every Christian and holy man there is a spirituall sucking there is a drawing assimilating digesting Spirit that digests and drawes out nourishment out of the booke of God that is fit for him that hee can say this is mine this is for me I want comfort and strength and direction here it is I want light here it is I am weake here is supply for it so there is a digestive power by the Spirit of God in every Christian to suck and to draw out of the word that that is fit for all purposes and turnes and he can apply the word upon every occasion as if it be a command hee obeyes it if it be a threatning hee trembles at it if it be comfort he rests in it if it be a direction hee followes it likewise Hee applies it answerable to the nature of the word whatsoever it is his heart is moulded answerable to the word by reason of the Spirit of Application As there is a ground of the Application of the word and a necessity of it so there is a principle of Application that is the Spirit of God in the hearts of the children of God teaching their spirits to draw wholsome truths fitting to themselves and none but the children of God can doe it that have the Spirit of God they cannot apply the word of God aright False Application of the word of God is the cause of all mischiefe sometimes when those that apply the law should apply the Gospel and on the contrary when those that should apply the law sinfull secure persons apply the Gospel Many times poore distressed persons that comfort belongs to Oh comfort my people they apply the Law that belongs not to them in that case false application is the ground of mischiefe therefore the Spirit of God is the principle of Application of divine truths according to the exigence and estate of Gods people Therefore wee should be stirred up to beg the Spirit of Application to maintaine our communion and entercourse with God that we may apply every thing duely and truly to our selvs our own foules all is to no purpose else if we do not apply it if it be not brought home to our soules and digested throughly in our hearts wee must say this is from God and this belongs to me when we heare truths unfolded to say of our selves this concernes me and say not this is a good portion and a good truth for such a one and such a one but every one take out his owne portion this is for me God saith Seeke my face thy face Lord will I seeke with a spirit of Application If wee doe not as indeed it is the fault of the times to heare the word of God loosely wee care not so much to heare the word of God as to heare the gifts of men wee desire to heare fine things to increase notions we delight in them and to heare some empty creature to fasten upon a storie or some phrases by the by alas you come here to heare duties and comforts if you be good and sentences against you if you be naught wee speak Gods threatnings to you that will wound you to hell except you pull them out by repentance It is another manner of matter to heare then it is took for Take heed how you hear saith Christ so we had need for the word that we hear now shall judge us at the latter day thereupon wee should labour for a spirit of Application to make a right use of it as we should Therefore those humble soules that are cast downe in the sight and sense of their sins they must apply the sweet and blessed comforts of the Gospel such as are contrite in spirit Blessed are the poore in spirit blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousnesse Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden c. Those on the other side that goe on in a course of sin and will not be reclaimed let them consider what Moses saith Deut. 29. If a man goe on and blesse himselfe my wrath shall smoake against such a man and burne to hell I will not remove my wrath from him till by little and little I take my good spirit from him and let him goe with some temporall comforts and then bring him to hell I will curse him in his blessings hee shall have blessings but he shall be cursed in all that he doth and all things shall bee in wrath and anger that shall burne to hell Such like places let such men apply to themselves there is no comfort at all to men that live in sin wittingly and willingly If I regard iniquity in my heart God will not heare my prayer If a man 〈◊〉 me ordinance of God hearing and good means His prayer shall be abhominable Hee that will 〈◊〉 heare the Law his prayer is abhominable The applying of these things would make men bethinke themselves and turne to God when he considers what part of the word belongs to him and makes a right Application If we make not a right Application of Gods truths this mischiefe will come ofit we 〈◊〉 hour God and his bounty hath God beene so bountifull as to give us so many instructions and such promises and shall not we 〈◊〉 them our own what is the end of the ministery but to spread before us the unsearchable riches of Christ they are yours if you will take them when you have not a spirit of Application and are not in case to take them they are lost Gods bounty is discredited The Devill rejoyceth when hee seeth what excellent things are laid open in the Church of God in the ministery what sweet promises and comforts but here is no body to take them and lay hold on them Like a table that is richly furnished and there is no body comes and takes it it makes the Devill sport it rejoyceth the enemy of mankind when we loose so great advantage that wee will not apply those blessed truths and make them our own There is no greater delight to Sathan then for us to refuse those dainties that God hath provided for us what can rejoyce an enemy more then to see courtesies refused He sees that all the
what will become of the poore soule It is swallowed up No question David was now in pangs and many things offered to thrust him off and he might say I have many things to discourage me yet thy face Lord will I seeke for deliverance out of trouble and for pardon of sinne Set the promise of God and the pardon of sinne above all extremity whatsoever God is the God of all and above all he is the God of comfort if comforts be wanting hee can make them a new In the want of means and when meanes are against us let us see lie to God Ionah in the Whales belly that was a creature that might have consumed him with heate When he was in the belly of hell he called unto God If a man be as low as hell if he have a command to come and a promise it will fetch him thence therefore alleadge the promises and the word What a miserable taking are they in that in extremity have no acquaintance with Gods word with the promises or good examples that have stored up nothing Alas they are in the middest of a storme naked in the middest of warre and opposition disarmed they lie open to all assaults Therefore as you love your own soules gather grounds of comfort treasure up promises and holy truths that in extremity you may say with David upon good ground Lord thou hast said thus and thus and in this extremity I come to thee Thy face LORD will I seeke breake through all feares and discouragements whatsoever alleadge the command of God and the promise of God and the incouragements of God my discouraged heart saith thus and Satan saith thus but Lord thou sayst thus seeke my face shall not I believe and obey God more than the devill or mine own lying false heart therefore except we will betray our soules to temptations and betray the comforts that wee have let us seeke GOD in all extremities I desire you to remember these directions and bee incouraged to seeke to God joyne the seeking in extremity with the seeking him in his ordinances If we doe not seeke him in his ordinances in the time of peace let us never thinke he will be so familiar with us in the time of trouble If wee be not acquainted with him in his ordinaces in prosperity in extremity he will be farre off Therefore seeke the face of God now in all his ordinances that is the way to have provision of strength against all other extremities whatsoever It is a great comfort in extremity to one that hath sought God in his Ordinances before Foolish Atheisticall men seeke not the wisedome of God in his Ordinances God cries to them and they regard it not but then they cry to God and God will not answer them but laugh at their destruction And as it is in Zachary you cry and I will not heare because I cryed and yee would not heare When GOD speaks and we regard it not we shall cry and he will not regard it Therfore as we desire his presence in the evill day let us labour to heare him now Let us search his will what hee requires of us and what he will doe for us and labour to be armed with obedience against the time of distresse And let us seeke him betimes now presently seek the favour of God you that are young In the morning early will I seeke thee Psalm 63 In the morning of your yeares In the morning of the day it is good to seeke God before the heart be possest with other businesse that he may blesse all our affaires Seeke his face that his blessing and direction and strength may be upon all Let us set upon things in his wisdom and strength and hope on his blessing And in the morning of your yeares early put not off for here is the mischiefe if weâ—… seeke not God early betimes the heart wiâ—… be hardened and willgrow worse to morroâ—… we shall be more unfit then to day Theâ—… those that seeke in their sicknesse and at thâ—… houre of death that is selfe-love it is grace to seeke God for himselfe out of old acquaintance and love but to seeke him in sicknesâ—… only and to neglect his ordinances it is meeâ—…ly selfe-love As a malefactor that carries himselfe ill in prison and then seekes the judges face at the barre when God arraignes 〈◊〉 man at the barre then to seeke him it come from selfe-love But that obedience we owâ—… to God is to seeke him out of a new nature oâ—… of love of Gods goodnesse and grace whâ—… we seeke him in extremity not out of the loâ—… of grace but to escape the danger of hell and damnation such seeking seldom proves good Many make a great shew of repentance and turning to God many of those prove false Hee that is good in affliction onely is never good Therefore put not off seeking Gods facâ—… by prayer and the use of all good meanes Many men first settle their estates and then send for a Physitian and the divine laâ—… of all when they are sicke Oh but seeke God first and above all things in the world or else wee have adulterous Idolatrous hearts to make the face of man our Idoll or health ouâ—… Idol we should seek Gods face above all The Scripture sets him out sweetly to us â—…erefore one way to encourage us to seeke to â—…OD is to present to our soules GOD under â—…ose sweete tearmes He is a rock in the midâ—…st of the waves Hee is a habitation in the â—…ddest of a storme thou art our habitation â—…e is called a hyding place he hath the shadâ—…ow of his wings to coverus let us flie under â—…e shaddow of his wings hee is presented â—…eetly to us in Christ. Therefore let us have â—…course to him upon all occasions and now â—…w that we may be familiar with him that â—…e may bee acquainted with him now in the â—…yes of our youth and he wil know us in age â—…d sicknesse if we be not acquainted with him â—…w hee will not acquaint himselfe with us â—…en therefore seeke his face now and above â—…l things seeke it And can we have more incouragement â—…here was never any that fought the face of â—…od that went away sorry It is said of some â—…ood Emperours that never any man went sorâ—… out of their presence either they had the â—…rant of their sutes or good words God sends â—…one sorry away there are none that come â—…to the presence of God but they are the bet â—…er for it they goe away more chearefull and â—…ore satisfied their consciences are quieted â—…hen they poure out their soules to God There is the peace of God which passeth understanâ—…ing preserves their soules as it is Philip. 4. In â—…othing be carefull but let there bee thanksgiving for favours received and let your requests be 〈◊〉 knowne to him and the peace of God shall preseâ—… your hearts and mindes You shall not despaire and
that You know Gods manner of working is in contrary estates when we die faith sees life when we most apprehend our sins faith sees the forgivenesse of sinnes when we are in the greatest mystery faith hath so quicke a sight that it sees happinesse and glâ—…y through all It sees a farre off notwithstanding the interposing of any thing contrary by flesh and bloud Faith is sometimes called tast and by the name of other senses but especially by the name of sight As in sight there is both the light outward and a light in the eye and the application of the light in the eye to the object so in faith there is a light in the things revealed a promise and discovery of it by the light of the Gospell and an inward light in the soule answerable to the inward light in the eye for a dead eye sees nothing and a quick living eye sees nothing without the light of the ayre So there is a double revelation by the word and by the spirit the spirit works an eye of faith in the soule and then it discovers to it the things of God They saw them a farre off God created a new eye in the soule a new sight which they had not by nature for even as the natural eye cannot see things that are invisible so the naturall man cannot see the things of God which are seene not by a naturall but by a supernaturall eye eye hath 〈◊〉 seene nor eare heard nor hath entred into the heart of man to conceive what God hath prepared 〈◊〉 his children 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. The eye there-therefore that must see things a farre off it must bee a supernaturall eye and the light that must discover them must be the light of Gods truth for reason cannot see the resurrection of the body and the life to come and such glorious things as the word of God reveales to us If you aske why this sight of faith is so necessary this supernaturall sight I answer nothing can be done in religion without the supernaturall eye of the soule nothing at all for a man may see heavenly things with a naturall eye and be never a whit the better a man may see the joyes of heaven he may heare much of heaven and happinesse and forgivenesse and thinke oh these are good things but yet notwithstanding he doth not see these things with a supernaturall eye he doth not see these things to be holy and gracious and to be fit for him he wisheth them with conditions but not with the altering of his disposition As a man may see an earthly thing with a heavenly eye because he sees God in it and there is somewhat of God in it to lead him to see him so a man may see heavenly things with a carnall eye as Balaam wished to die the death of the righteous A carnall man may be ravished with heavenly things but he must look upon them as things sutable or else all is to no purpose How doth faith see this how comes faith to have this strength Because faith sees things in the power of God it sees things in the truth of God he 〈◊〉 Iehovah he gives being to things therefore as God Almighty gives being to things in their time when they are not so faith in his promises sees that these things will bee it sees things in the truth of God in the promise of God there it hath these eyes to see a farre off It selfe is wrought by the mighty power of God in the soule for it is a mighty power for the soule to neglect the things it sees to neglect riches and honours and pleasures and to stand admiring of things that it sees not for a man to rule his course of life upon reasons which the world sees not because there is a happinesse to come and a God that he believes in c. It is a mightie power that plants such a grace in the heart faith is wrought by the mighty power of GOD. As it selfe is wrought by the power of God so it layes hold upon the power of God that the promises shall be performed In all the promises it sees and layes hold on the mighty power and truth of God and therefore it hath such an eye Our duty then is to labour to have our faith cleare to have this eye of faith to have a strong faith a strong sight When is the sight of faith strong When it is as the faith of these Patriarchs was There are three things that make a strong sight that makes us conceive that he sight of faith is a strong sight When the things are farre of that we see then if the eye see them it is a strong sight a weake eye cannot see a farre off Secondly when there are clouds betweene though the things be neare yet when there are clouds betweene to breake and pierce through them there must be a strong sight Then thirdly when there is but a little light when there are many obstacles in the middest and to breake through all by a little light to seethings remote here is a strong eye and this was the sight of these blessed men they had a strong eye For the things they looked on were remote a farre off diverse thousands of yeares they saw Christ by faith the soule mounted up on the wing of faith it flew over many thousands of yeares in a moment and see Christ the Messias and see heaven it selfe typi fied in Canaan So swift is the eye of faith it mounts over all in a moment As the eye of the body in a moment can looke to the vâ—…sible heavens so a strong faith it sees Christ in heaven And then betweene them and that they looked to what difficulties were there Blessed Abraham who was a type of Christ how many difficulties had he besides other of the Patriarchs We see God commanded him to slay his sonne a command one would thinke against reason against affection against hope it was faith against faith as it were It was against reason in the eye of flesh Now in this case to strive against all these difficulties what a many clouds must Abraham breake through here against sense and against affection hee must hope against hope hee must have faith against faith he must deny affection hee must goe and take his only begotten son Isaac and he must be the executioner and butcher himselfe and slay him for a sacrifice Here must be a strong faith in the power of God that must see God raysing Isaac from the dead as he did after a sort for when he was bound for a sacrifice ready to bee slaine he caused a Ramme to be taken in the thicket and to be offered and Isaac escaped It was a strong faith to breake through all these Indeed blessed Abraham saw more excellency and power in the work of God then in his beloved Isaac So faith that is strong it
we would be glad to see all the dimensions of Gods love in Christ the height and bredth and depth and all So much for that They saw them a farre off They were perswaded of them It was such a sight of the things as was with convincing with perswasion And indeed this followes well upon sight for sight of all other sences perswades best hearing is not so perswasive as sight supernaturall sight brings forth supernaturall perswasion Sight is a convincing sense even outward sight so inward sight it is a convincing thing it perswades and sets downe the soule that a thing is so when a man sees it All the men in the world cannot perswade the weakest man in the world when it is day or night when the sunne shines or it is darke that it is not so when he sees it he will believe his owne eyes more than all the world besides And as it is in sensible things we believe our owne eyes so much more in spirituall things we believe our eyes When there is a spirituall light of revelation in the word discovering such things and also to spirituall light a spirituall eye when the spirit puts an eye into the soule to see supernaturall things that reason cannot attaine to then there is perswasion though all the world should perswade the soule that such a thing were not so it would say it is so it will believe its owne eyes If all the world should perswade a Christian that there is no such excellency in religion that his wayes are not good that he is but foolish c. he knowes the contrary and will not be scorned out of his religion and driven out of it by any contrary perswasion of men whom hee pitties though perhaps they are otherwise beyond him in the state of nature for sight it is a convincing thing Especially when there is some taste with sight for tast together with sight convince 〈◊〉 of the goodnesse of things as we see in those that lead their life by tasting and feeling The creatures maintaine their life by tasting some proportionable food fit for them So a Christian when once hee hath tasted of spirituall things the proper food of his soule when he hath seene and tasted of them he will never be driven out of his religion and his 〈◊〉 by any meanes when he hath seene and 〈◊〉 ed he is throughly perswaded A man must not dispute against tast when he hath tasted a thing to be so talke to him otherwise he saith I have tasted and feele and see it to be so and therefore wee see that after sight comes perswasion Now this perswasion is a supernaturall perswasion and it is Generall Particular A generall perswasion of the things of the generall truths and a particular personall perswasion of our interest in them When wee are perswaded that the truths are so generally that are revealed in the word of God and when we are perswaded by the help of the spirit that wee have a particular interest in them a portion in them And both are here meant They see them a farre off and were perswaded of them they were convinced both of the truth and goodnesse of them and of the truth and goodnesse to them in particular Now perswasion is a setled kind of knowledge Perswasion comes diverse wayes there be diverse degrees tending to perswasion First the poorest degree of the apprehension of things is conjecture a guessing that such a thing may bee so or otherwise but I guesse it rather to be so Beyond conjecture there is opinion when a man thinkes it is so upon more reasons swaying him one way and yet in opinion there is feare on the contrary that it may bee otherwise And the third degree beyond opinion is certaine knowledge when a man is not only conceited that the thing is so his opinion is so upon some reasons inducing him but hee knowes it by arguments and reasons that is science and knowledge when the mind is perswaded by arguments but that is not so much here meant the perswasion by argument There is another degree then of knowledge which is by the authority of the speaker a perswasion from thence when I know not the thing by the light of the thing so much because I see the reason of the thing but because I know such a one saith it that is the perswasion of faith When one is perswaded of a thing not so much out of his owne knowledge out of the principles of the thing setting out the causes of the thing as out of the credite of the person that speakes Now this perswasion riseth out of faith in the authority of the person when I believe a thing for the authority of the speaker it ariseth from the knowledge of him that speakes that he is able and that hee is true and that he is honest and good that he will not deceive because he is good and he will not bee deceived because he is wise we conceive that he is wise and holy and able with all one that we trust If together with this knowledge and perswasion from the authority and truth and goodnesse and wisdome of the speaker there be joyâ—…ed sense and experience we see it proved and when there is experience there is reason why wee should believe that he saith because wee have found the thing to be so So when there is both the authority of the speaker and some inward sense some sight and taste and feeling and experience of the thing spoken here comes that setled perswasion for hee is undoubtedly true that hath spoken it and I have found in some degree the thing true that hee hath spoken Now both are here meant in some degrees they saw the things a farre off both by the authority of the promise as likewise by their owne sight and some taste they had For God reserves not all for heaven God gives his children some taste and feeling some little joy and comfort the first fruits of the spirit here So they were perswaded from the authority of the speaker and some sense and feeling of the thing in somemeasure Now this perswasion hath its degrees There is a full perswasion And there is a perswasion that is not so full that is growing to further perswasion still And this perswasion hath degrees both in the generall perswasion of the truths themselves and in their particular interest for all Christians are not alike perswaded of divine truths themselves nor all Christians are not a like perswaded of their particular interest in those truths There bee degrees in both respects For the things themselves wee may grow stronger and stronger perswaded even as the light and our eye growes clearer the stronger is our sight so our perswasion while we are here may grow stronger and stronger It was strong in Abraham yet not so uniformely strong but that it was weaker sometimes then others
thing A man may say to such a soule it shall finde peace at the length for Gods wayes are unsearchable GOD hath cause and reason why he keepes such a soule under for a time and withholds some sense and perswasion but usually GODS comforts come more abundantly to such a soule he reserves it for the time of affliction or the houre of death The truth is it is a constant rule that though it may be thus with some in some cases yet ordinarily Gods children may be perswaded of their particular condition yea and they ought to labour after this perswasion and assurance that their soules may be filled with marrow and fatnesse and that they may joy in God and have boldnesse to come before God in prayer that they may be fruitfull in all holy duties that they may be strong to suffer afflictions and to resist temptations Therefore though God sometimes in his wise dispensation suffer them to be hindred yet not withstanding this is a thing that is both attainable and that they ought to labour for and never give their hearts rest till they attaine to it I say wee ought to labour for it for the soule is never in such a frame as it ought to be but when it hath gotten some assurance of Gods love But I must adde this we must labour that this perswasion be supernaturall by the spirit of God both of the truths in generall of the promises in generall and of our interest in particular in them we must labour that it be by the spirit to our spirits that the spirit may seale them to our spirits For it is not sufficient to know the word of God to be the word of God and the promises to be the promises because we have beene brought up in them and can say them by heart and it were a shame for us to conceive the contrary that is not sufficient for that will deceive us Wee must labour as I said of knowledge that we may be supernaturally convinced so also that is from that knowledge that it may be spirituall or else it will deceive us How doe we prove that To make it a little clearer because it is a point of some consequence even as I shewed of what consequence the sight of faith is so I may say of this perswasion We must labour therefore to know how we come by this perswasion and whether it be such as we can hold out in whether it be such by which wee can stand out in the time of temptation If there be nothing but that argument of breeding and of generall light of discourse that we see one thing how it followes from another I say it will deceive us because constant obedience will never follow upon such a perswasion nor constant holding out to death nor constancy in death if the conscience be once awaked neither will wee be fruitfull in our lives and conversations To make this cleare If the soule be not perswaded by the spirit of God together with the spirit of the Scripture for the same spirit that is in the Scripture must be in our spirit working our natures sutable to the Scriptures to be holy if we doe not by that spirit by which the Scripture was endited know those truths we shall never be obedient to them not constantly For what is the reason that men when they are told God doth forbid you to take his name in vaine God forbids you to seeke after earthly things God forbids you by the Scriptures to defile your vessels he forbids you to seeke these things below he forbids you these courses Now a man that hath knowledge that is not supernaturall that hath it not by the spirit he heares these things with a kind of scorne and despiseth them as nicities he never maks scruple of these things because he knows they are forbidden or commanded of God because he heares so but he hath not knowne by the spirit of God that penned the Scriptures that these indeed are Gods divine truths the spirit hath not sealed these truths to his soule this is Gods word he hath not felt it in converting his soule in mortifying his corruptions in raising him being cast down in working wonders in his conscience in bringing all into a spirituall subjection When he hath not felt the word worke thus for all his generall knowledge by education and breeding and reading he may be a disobedient wretch and live and die a rebell and bitter opposite against the power of grace because he hath not knowledge of the word of God and of particular truths by the spirit of God it is no perswasion of the spirit And this is that that men wonder at that know not the mystery of these things to see great Schollers men of great knowledge perhaps Divines that are Preachers to others to see such an one vicious to see him carnally disposed as others when a man seeth this hee thinkes what doe you talke of the word of God if there were such a thing men that know these things must needs lead their lives after the rule It is no wonder the devill hath knowledge enough but he is no divine at all because he hath it from his nature being a spirit so a man may be a devill incarnate he may have knowledge of these things and yet no true divine But hee that is taught by the spirit of God the things in the word of God the spirit workes a taste in them Historicall truths are knowne by their owne light there is no such need of the spirit to discover them but the promises and threatnings and such things are knowne by the spirit a man feeles the power of the word of God then a man is convinced otherwise if the spirit doe not reveale these things a man will never obey but be rebellious And as there will be no obedience so there will be no holding out in time of perill and temptation The perswasion that a carnall man hath that is not a sanctified perswasion it will not hold out in the houre of death in the time of temptation in strong temptation either on the right hand by preferments and favours or on the left hand by threatnings and persecutions it is but a seeming perswasion when any thing comes that is stronger than it it will not hold when there is afflictions and persecutions in the Church we see many excellent learned men hold not out in their profession Why they were drawne to the profession of Religion by dependance on such kind of men or they only followed religion as they saw reason for it or they have been so bred in it c. Now reason may bee brought against reason when men have no other motives then these when persecution comes that they must loose their preferments or their friends or their life they fall away altogether because that perswasion that they seemed to have before it was no spirituall perswasion wrought from intrinsecall
lookes scornefully upon the things of conscience and of the spirit only the spirit of God brings the proud heart of man to be subject to the word of God Nothing that is not spirituall wâ—…ll hold out Whatsoever is not spirituall Christ will not owne at the day of judgment Iâ—… the spirit seale 〈◊〉 and set a stampe upon us Christ will looke on his owne stamp of the spirit where the 〈◊〉 frâ—…its are not the harvest will not so low The spirit is an earnest where the earnest is not the bargâ—…ine will not follow I beseech you let us labour for the spirit in the use of all meanes let us â—…ttend upon the word which is the ministery of the spirit and wee shall find that the spirit will alter and change us and shew us our interest in the promises and the goodnesse of them 〈◊〉 more we a â—…end upon the means the more 〈◊〉 shall see it and the more we pray the moâ—… 〈◊〉 shall have the spirit and the more wee obâ—… God the more we shall have the spirit of Goâ—… God gives his spirit to them that obey him And this should reach us when we come 〈◊〉 heare or to read the word of God Loâ—… pen mine eyes LORD penswade my 〈◊〉 LORD bow the necke of my soule 〈◊〉 my inward man that Iron sinew Lord 〈◊〉 away my hard heart and give mee a 〈◊〉 â—…sh teach my heart thou must perswade 〈◊〉 incline me incline my heart Lord. Wee waâ—… religious carriage in this 〈◊〉 come presumptuously upon conâ—… 〈◊〉 wit to heare Seâ—…ons and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so wee come away worse than wee 〈◊〉 Why wâ—… doâ—… not 〈◊〉 too Goâ—… 〈◊〉 swaâ—… us They â—…ere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Manâ—… here 〈◊〉 he opens â—…he eyes and 〈◊〉 hee perswades God perswades the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Devill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Vlcar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…wade by darknesse by maintaining 〈◊〉 â—…ome of darknesse The Devill all 〈◊〉 shewes no reason he keepes the soule 〈◊〉 â—…esse and blindnesse Anti christ peâ—… 〈◊〉 men to their religion how by fleshly allure men's not instructing them and opening their eyes inlightning their understandings â—…ut GOD opens their eyes to see and â—…hen teaches and perswades The devils instruments they perswade and so they teach â—…nd draw away they perswade with carnall objects and the like to draw and bewitch the â—…ffections and so the judgment is darke still But where there is true dealing there is no â—…are of the light Therfore those that are enemies to the means of salvaâ—…ion that feare Gods people should know too much they take a course contrary to God for God enlightens and then perswades and knowledge enlightneth so that knowledge is necessary All divine perswasion of faith hath the name of knowledge They were perswaded by the spirit of God of the truth of GOD having their eyes opened It is an evidence we are not perswaded we come to Church and attend upon the means we goe on in a course of sinne wee are not divinely perswaded God hath not perswaded our hearts he hath not enlightned us For if the covetous man were perswaded that neither covetous nor extortioners should enter into the kingdome of heaven would hee not leave that course Light and perswasion alway rule the action for we work as we see and are perswaded in every thing The very beasts do as they see and as sense leads them an Asse beares burthens you know nature hath sâ—…amed and made him for it but can you drive the silly creature into the fire he knowes that will consume him So that men they are brutish they will not bee perswaded by the spirit of God they runne into courses that if they had light in their soules and if they were perswaded whither it tends they would never runne into hell fire If there were a pit open before a mâ—…ns eyes would hee plunge himselfe into that pit that were before his eyes A man that lives in sinnes against conscience hee runs into a pit There are no manner of liers of whoâ—… mongers of covetous persons of such wretches as take the name of God in vaine that shall escape unpunished Men leada life in a course wherein they see a pit before them and yet they runne on are they perswaded No no certainely they are not perswaded And so for the meanes of salvation men that care not for hearing the word are they perswaded it is the word of God to salvation they are not perswaded We may know the truth of our perswasion by the power it haâ—… to râ—…le our lives and conversations What is the reason that a simple man a weake man 〈◊〉 lives Christianly and dies in the faith he lived by when as a great man in conceite in know ledge he lives wickedly and dies worse he cause the one hath not this knowledge of the spirit the spirit of God never opened his eyes the spirit of God never perswaded him hee hath it in bookes and by education and the like There are none that ever hold out but those that have the spirit of God to be their teacher and perswader Wee must see things in their owne proper light the spirit of God hath to deale with the heart God hath only power of that he must deale with the heart we must not trust therefore to education or to outward things If a man should aske the reason of men why doe you leave these courses why doe you doe this good a Christian doth not say I was brought up to this or I cannot doe otherwise but I do it from a principle of the New Creature Let us desire God that we may doe things from reasons of Scripture from reasons of pleasing God that we may doe them from a holy sanctified affection that we may bee perswaded by the spirit and then it will hold out They were perswaded of them And imbraced them They imbraced the promises the good things promised Christs comming in the flesh and Canaan the type of heaven and heaven it selfe though they had not these things yet they imbraced what they had they imbraced the promises That is the nature of faith if it have not that it lookes as it hath not till it come to heaven yet it makes much of that it hath it imbraceth the promises and in the promises the thing it selfe promised Now these things follow one another in a most naturall order for sight brings perswasion sight and conviction brings strong perswasion and perswasion breeds imbracing for we imbrace that in our affections that wee are perswaded of to be good According to the strength of conviction and perswasion is the strength of the affections those things that we have a weake perswasion of we have a weake affection to those things that we are fully perswaded of and are great withall the affections cannot but stretch forth themselves to imbrace them When the understanding was enlightned to see the truth and to be perswaded of
they rather reproach and upbraid him with his singularity where is thy God You are one of Gods darlings you are one that thought no body served God but you you are one that will goe alone your God So this is an ordinary reproach an ordinary part for wicked men to cast at the best people especially when they are in miserie what is become of your profession now what is become of your forwardnesse and strictnesse now what is become of your much reading and hearing now and your doing such things now what is become of your God that you bragged so of and thought your selves so happie in as if he had beene no bodies God but yours We may learn hence the disposition of wicked men it is a character of a poysonfull cursed disposition to upbraid a man with his Religion But what is the scope The scope is worse then the words where is thy God The scope is to shake his faith and his confidence in God and this is that that touched him so neerly while they upbraided him where is thy God Indeed they had some probability and shew of truth for now God seemed opposite to him when he was banished from his house from that blessed communion with him that he had Their purpose was therefore to shake his faith and affiance in God and herein they shewed themselves right the Children of the Devill whose scope is to shake the faith and affiance of Gods people in all his temptations and by his instruments For the Devill knowes well enough that as long as God and the soule joyne together it is in vaine to trouble any man therefore he labours to put jealousies to accuse God to man and man to God He knowes there is nothing in the world can stand against God as long as we make God our confidence all his enterprises are in vaine his scope is therefore to shake our affiance in God where is thy God So he dealt with the head of the Church our blessed Saviour himselfe when he came to tempt him If thou be the Sonne of God command these stones to be made bread he comes with an If he laboured to shake him in his Sonneship The Devill since he was divided from God himselfe eternally is become a spirit of division he labors to divide the Sonne from the Father he labors to divide even God the Father from his owne Sonne If thou be the Sonne of God So he labors to sever Christians from their head Christ subjects from their Princes and Princes from their subjects friends from friends and one from another he is a spirit of division where is thy God There was his scope to breed division if he could betweene his heart and God that he might call God into jealousie as if he had not regarded him thou hast taken a great deale of paines in serving thy God thou seest how he regards thee now where is thy God We should labour to make this use of it to counter-worke Satan to strengthen that most of all that the Devill labours to shake most of all shall the Devill labour to shake our faith and affiance in God above all other things and shall we not labour to strengthen that Above all things let us looke to our head as the Serpent winds about and keepes his head Keepe faith and keepe all if faith be safe all is safe let us strengthen that and strengthen all weaken that and we weaken all What cares Satan for other sins that we fall into he aymes at our assurance that we may doubt of Gods love whom we have beene so bold as to sinne against that is it he aymes at to make weake faith in the particular acts of sinne we commit He knowes that sinne naturally breeds doubts as flesh breed wormes where sinne is if it be in never such a little degree he knowes it will breed doubtâ—… and perplexities and where they are he hath that he would have he labors to hinder that sweet communion that should be betweene the soule and God where is now thy God You see wicked men are the children of the Devill right in this Againe they instance here in matter of Religion against him You see how readie wicked and divelish minded men are to tread over the hedge where it is lowest as the proverbe is to adde affliction to affliction especially in that that may touch a man nearest they could not touch him nearer then in this Where is thy God They knew it well enough where is now your Religion this they thought would anger him to the heart here is a devilish disposition you have a terrible Psalme for it Psalme 109. of those that ad affliction to the afflicted They are cursed persons This is the disposition of wicked men they have nomercy malice we say is unsatiable One would thinke that our Saviour Christ when he was upon the Crosse racked there in all his parts a man exposed to so much misery and scorne as he was that they should have had pitty upon him but upon the Crosse they reproached him Aha hee saved others himselfe be cannot save let him come from the Crosse and we will believe in him What abitter Sarchasme was this that came from hekl it selfe Nay when he was dead one would have thought their maliee should have beene buried with his body Malice is ordinarily among men living not the dead but when he was dead This Impostor said c. They laboured to bury his good name that nothing tending to his honour might remaine of him Indeed it is the nature of malice to wish the not being of the thing it maliceth no not the name Let his name perish from the earth It was extremity of malice to worke upon this disadvantage when they see him thus afflicted to vex him with that he was most affected with where is thy God Therefore let those that feele and feed that divellish disposition in themselves to insult over Gods people especially in matters of Religion to vexe them and when there is a wound already to make the affliction greater to adde affliction to affliction let them iudge of what disposition they are They say unto me You see here another circumstance They say unto mee They are so impudent that they are not affraid to reproach him to his face they say to him as if they would stand to their reproach This is one circumstance of aggravation indeed malice is very impudent when it is come to the extremity I onely observe it that if we meet with such insolencie of malice not to be discouraged it hath bin thus before and thus it will be to the end of the world And then they are not wearied their malice is unwearied they say to mee Daily Day by day their malice is fed with a spring with a malicious heart A malicious heart and a slanderous tongue alway goe well together The Divell that was the first grand slanderer hath communion with a malicious heart and
to seeke Gods face 1 189 Faith Faith in the use of meanes 1 70 Faith said to do that God doth 1 71 Faith enlivens all graces 1 72 Faith strengthened by experience 1 90 Faith to be laboured for 1 94 Faith one from the beginning 1 196 Perseverance in Faith 1 197 Faith carries a Christian through all passages 1 198 To die in faith what 1 199 Faith over comes all that is terrible in death 1 201 Faith the eye of it 1 218 Faith seeth afar off how 1 219 Sight of faith how to help it 1 228 Two branches of faith 1 262 Faithâ—…w â—…w cherished 2 65 Faith of Christians how shaken 2 218 Faith to be strengthened 2 220 Farre see Faith Favour Favour of God to bee sought first 1 181 Feare How to know God is ours by feare 2 125 Feeling Christians may want feeling 1 207 First-borne Death of the first-borne a great judgment 1 110 Free Freedome in sin a judgment 1 22 Covenant of grace free 2 249 See Will. G Glory Glorious God gets glory by weake meanes 1 68 Why wee shall bee glorious with Christ. 2 19 Wherein that glory shall be 2 21 When the Saints shall be glorified 2 23 To think of the glory to come 2 25 Glory why revealed before-hand 〈◊〉 28 See Body God Two things wherin we are like God 1 144 What it is for God to be our God 2 117 God ours in the covenant of grace 2 120 How to know God is our God 2 121 To labour that God may be our God 2 140 To make use of all in God as ours 2 143 Goodnesse God is willing to bestow his goodnesse 1 143 See Communicative Gospell Punishment of slighting the Gospell 1. 43 Grace see Covenant Guidance Guidance of God to be prayed for 1 24 H Happinesse Wicked men out-live their happines 2 78 Happines of the godly 2 80 Wicked men may know the happinesse of Gods children 2 84 Hatred Affection of hatred due to the beast 1 47 Heaven Heaven the country of a Christian. 1 292 See desire Hid hidden The life of a Christian hidden 2 4 God sometimes hides himselfe 2 223 Hope see Faith I Satans kingdome like the walls of Iericho 1 73 Our corruptions like the walles of Iericho 1 74 Antichrists kingdom like the wals of Iericho 1 75 Meanes to east downe mysticall Iericho 1 78 How to prevent the building of spirituall Iericho 1 80 120 Iericho why not to be built againe 1 106 How men build Iericho againe 1 114 118 Imbrace Faith imbraceth what it hath 1 259 Imbracing followeth perswasion 1 260 What affections imbrace good things 1 272 Imbracing how wrought 1 274 Ioy. Knowing God ours is our joy 2 129 Iudgement see spirituall K Kings The tenne Kings wherein sinfull 1. 28 Knowne knowledge God willing to be known 1 141 Knowledge of our estate sometime suspended 1 238 L Life Christ our life how 2 11 To improve the time of life 2 75 Life 3. degrees of it 2 82 See die hidden soule Love God knowne to be ours by our Love 2 127 M Malice see reproach False confidence over-turned by weake meanes 1 67 See Faith Blessing of Ministers to bee regarded 1 103 Ministers duty 2 176 God the only Monarch 1 26 Good Motions to be cherished 2 99 N 3. Things in man by Nature 1 64 O Quality of obedience 1 160 Obedience sutable to the command 1 164 To know God is ours by our obedience 2 131 God to be sought in his Ordinances 1 186 Men give too much to Outward worship 2 172 Why men are prone to Outward performances 2 174 Papists work their own overthrow 1 53 How to set against Popery 1 87 Popery how it sprung up 1 117 Covenant of grace Peculiar 2 252 Perswasion followes sight 121 Perswasion what 1 233 Perswasion degrees of it 1 235 Perswasion spirituall necessary 1 236 Perswasion particular sometimes weake 1 237 Perswasion how to know it is not supernaturall 2 242 Perswasion wrought by the spirit 1 247 How the spirit doth perswade 1 248 The manner of working perswasion 1 250 A strong worke to perswade the soule 1 251 To labour for spirituall perswasion 1 253 To desire God to perswade us 1 256 Evidences that we are perswaded 1 257 Persons see Curse Pilgrims Difference betweene Pilgrims and strangers 1 289 To resolve to please God 2 141 Power see Truth To know God is ours by our prayer 2 134 Preaching the force of it 1 78 Presence of God how considered 1 171 Things as present affect us 1 218 Promises to alleage them to God 1 167 God deales with men by promises 1 210 Faith lookes to God by the Promises 1 211 Promises oft to be thought on 2 13 Proportion see Punishment Providence see Evill Punishment proportionable to sin 1 109 R Religion disgraced how it affects us 2 132 Reproach the expression of malice 2 216 Not to be cast downe for reproach Ibid. David sensible of reproach 2 228 God doth not reveale all things at all times 1 215 Righteous man who 2 84 S See Sight Things requisite to sight 1 222 Sight of faith necessary 1 223 3. Things in strong sight 1 224 See Faith perswasion Mercies and judgments apprehended in our seed 2 156 To seeke GOD by his strength 1 158 Seeking what it doth implie 1 170 Ground of seeking of God 1 171 See Strength betimes face Sensible see reproach Sentence of Christ unavoydable 1 132 Men must not appoint how to serve God 1 138 Sinne considered in three times 1 17 Soule made for heavenly things 1 267 Love of earthly things abase the Soule 1 268 Soule how quieted Ibid. Soule continues after death 2 74 Life of the Soule double Ibid. How to use our Soules 2 75 Spirit Spirituall Spirituall judgements greatest 1 22 Order of the Spirits working 1 217 To begge the Spirit to perswade us 1 254 Stranger Gods people strangers here 1 290 CHRIST a stranger on earth 1 294 To have the affections of strangers 1 295 Wicked men how strangers here 1 297 Carriage of a stranger 1 300 See Pilgrim Strike see threaten The covenant of grace sure 2 250 T Covenant of grace a Testament 2 110 Difference of a covenant and Testament Ibid. To be thankfull for that we have 1 215 God threatensâ—…re â—…re he strike 1 108 Wickednes shall nos alway thrive 1 47 To tremble at Gods word 1 133 Men naturally trust soâ—…what 1 62 Try all of our trust 1 65 How to know GOD ours by trust 2 129 Truth of God 1 150 Faith looks to Gods power truth 1 224 V The best mens bodyes vile in this world 2 40 God revealed to man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 understanding creature 2 107 Our nature prone to unthankefulnes 2 116 W To goe to Christ in all wants 2 15 Degrees of wicked men 2 86 Will of man free in sinne 1 20 To be left to our owâ—… will a great judgement 1 21 Will when accepted for