more comfortable on earth Riches have wings as an Eagle and flye away Hell hath opened her mouth wide to swallow the glory pompe and joy of the mighty Beauty is vanity and favour deceitfull All our strength but sorrow and labour Children if good our continuall feares if evill our perpetuall griefes and in a word Every man in his best earthly estate altogether vanity Life decreasing by the growth of it the earth yea even the heavens also passing away but this blessed Word never passeth never but as the truth of God in his covenant with Christ hath eviâ—â—ntly expressed My Spirit and my Word which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy seed nor out of the mouth of thy seeds seed from henceforth saâ—th the Lord for ever Verily were there no other comfort to a Christian but only that word of Truth the seed and food of everlasting life begetting him to God and still remayning and waxing in him it were sufficient if the ballance be even and the hand steddy which weigheth it to sinke downe all the discomforts of this world and to establish a Christian heart with strong consolations and glorious rejoycings CHAP. VIII More speciall comforts from speciall parts of the Word LEt us descend into some few specials and insist a â—ittle upon the mayne parts of these holy writings Now the Scriptures as I conceive may not unfitly bee divided into these foure generall heads First the Doctrinall wherin the blessed Spirit teacheth and instructeth us in all necessary truths Secondly the Historicall in which as wel the good examples of the Saints and their happy successe as also the perverse behaviour of wicked Rebels and their miserable issues are set before us Thirdly the Propheticall so more specially called where the men of God encourageâ— strengthen and excite us to walke in that good way which is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. Fourthly Practicall as the Psalmes c. wherein the constant practice of the faithfull and their actions as well within as without are lively represented to our eyes Now what great helps and comforts in every one oâ— these doth that holy Spirit reach forth unto us Consider our estate and their use Wee are Travellers through this wildernesse of sinne toward the heavenly Jerusalem ignorant and wandring soone weary and faint How usefull then how helpfull are all these unto us The first is as an open Kings high-way to conduct us The second is as a Guide treading and beating a path before us The third as goads nayls to rouze up our sluggish nature and hold fast our slippery feete from back-sliding The fourth as chearefull company heartning refreshing our drooping spirits when our weake hearts begin to tyre and those good wayes wax tedious to sinfull flesh Let us now handle some of these particulars in severall Surely whatsoever comforts a wayfaring man could wish in his journy are in these helps offered and given him The first thing that a Traveller desires is a good way oh when the wayes are first plaine and easie not hard to finde Secondly when they are cleane not deepe and miery Thirdly when they are even not mountaynous and rocky Fourthly when they are strait not crooked and winding then are they accounted very good and are no little helps comforts to any Traveller Nay in such wayes we goe not only with patience but with delight Thus the wayes of God in his Word are first plaine to him that understandeth not onely a plaine way but light too in the way Psal. 119. 105. not like these earthly but that heavenly way For as that via lactea or milkey path as it is called in heaven which by the infinite lights stucke very thicke in it embrightens it selfe so the path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day Secondly they are cleane and pure very pure Psa. 119.140 not a spot of sinful mire in them so farre from entangling and encombring our feet that they rather hasten and quicken us Thirdly they are very even smooth not stony and troublesome Vallies filled mountaines plained and roughnesse smoothed Very easie and light Mat. 11. 30. no way grievous 1 Ioh. 5.3 nay very pleasant and sweet above the honey and honey-combe Lastly they are right and strait no crookednesse or perversenesse in them See Prov. 8. 8 9. Luk. 3. 4 5. And what marvell then if they who have walked in those wayes have beene wonderfully delighted and even ravished in such paths They are wayes of pleasantnesse and paths of peace in which we finde all the rich treasures and jewels of wisedome eternall life and perfect blessednesse A second comfort that a Traveller would wish in his journey is a perfect Guide Now then when we remember our stupid and more than beastly ignorance that even when the way is plaine and strait yea pleasant yet we can make no progresse without a Guide as is manifest by the coÌ„fession of that good Eunuch Acts 8.31 and the experience of every good Christian what a comfort is it that God hath given us so many directions and excellent Guides walking in every good path before usâ— If wee desire to travell in the way of faith the Father of the faithfull will lead us the way and chearefully call us after him Who against hope beleeved in hope and being not weake in faith considered not his owne body now dead nor the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe He staggered not in the promise through unbeleefe So likewise that Guide and Captaine of Gods people who went before them from AEgypt unto the land of Canaan will march before us in that way of faith to the land of Promise whose piercing eye of faith beholding him who is invisible and fastened on the recompence of the reward despised the wrath of the King and chose the afflictions of Gods people before the pleasures of sinne esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Would we walke in love We have choyce of excellent Guides In that love of Christ how chearfully will that holy Penitent converted Mary point and tread out that path for us Who having much forgiven her loved much and thought nothing too deare oâ— precious for the beautiful feet of that great Apostle and Prince of peace Oh how powerfully will that chosen Vessell draw us after him in this tract of love to the Lord Jesus and to all his members How did the love of Christ constraine him How did hee rejoyce in tribulations bonds and death it selfe for Christ How did his heart burne and flame in charity who could willingly spend and â—e spent for them whom the more abundantly hee loved the lesse hee was loved againe Who weying the profit of the Churches with his own glory in Christ was in a strait
dwell in Christ and Christ in us by that holy Spirit Hence also may a faithfull soule surely gather God himselfe hath most clearely testified that if I love the Brethren I am translated from death to life that I am borne of God and therefore love the children of God because being my selfe his childe I love my Father Christ hath set his badge and cognizance upon me in that love and that holy Spirit is â—hee which by his presence hath brought my heart into obedience of this precept Certaine then is it that this love to the Saints is proper onely to the Saints even to those whom God hath begotten by his Word saved by his death and sanctified by his grace Seeing then I finde this love to the Saints rooted in my heart that my soule cleaves to their persons delights in their fellowship admires their excellencies sure am I that the same grace which I love fâ—ourishing in others is planted in my selfe that their Father is my Father their Head my Head and that Spirit which dwels in them resteth on me and will abide with me forever CHAP. XXXIV Recollecting and applying these things by short meditation NOw then in the last place let the troubled soule in some inward conference underset and prop up his shaken faith by applying these assurances unto himselfe Say then in thy heart How long oh my soule how long wilt thou suffer this feare which hath torment to hold thee downe in continuall affright and vexation how long shall it keep out that spirituall joy which is thy only Paradise on earth Search oh my Spirit search ouâ— in these heavenly Records those sure evidences whereby thy Lord hath graciously convâ—yed unto thee this happy and blessed estate Are they not layed up in the middest of thy heart See here first divers strong assurances that God hath clensed thee from reigning hypocrisie that hee hath given thee a thirst of righteousnesse not onely a desire to know him but to walke with him in all sincerity of obedience That hee hath given thee an unfeined delight and joy not onely in the Promises but in every Commandement of thy Lord liking and heartily loving that purifying fire of the Word whereby thou art refined as gold and seperate from this sinfull drosse which is so mixed and incorporate with thee A zealous anger and griefe burning within thee detesting every sinne whereby thy Saviour is dishonoured and above all thine owne in which thou unthankefull wretch too often forgettest that incomperable incomprehensible love wherewith hee hath compassed and embraced thee A continuall longing after the Lord Jesus after his death that thou maist be buried in it after his resurrection that thou maist be quickened by it and not only justified in that other but sactifiâ—d in this life and renewed after that his glorious image and divine beauty True indeed my weake soule too true thou art full of infirmities very unfruitfull very unprofitable every one out-strips thee and those who have set out long after thee in this heavenly race are now much before thee But yet comfort thy selfe for even in this estate thy gracious Saviour leaves thee not altogether comfortlesse but still affords thee some token of his eternall love for seeing thy weakenesse thou art humbled within me and broken with griefe of thy barrennesse Remember that he as much delights in the low feat of an humble spirit as in the loftiest Throne of his glorious heavens But rise my dejected soule oh rise up in strong consolations and glorious rejoycings See here oh see thou hast an infallible evidence that the Father of lights hath begotten thee through the word of Truth and that thou art borne anew not of mortall but immortall seede the Word of God and therefore entred not into a corruptible but eternall life For seest thou not that seede of thy Father abiding in thee feelest thou not an unslaked thirst of that sincere milke of the Gospell not that thou mightst have it in thy mouth for discourse but in thy heart for growth growth in all obedience growth in all holinesse and perfection Behold also behold with joy unspeakeable Thy Saviour hath assured his victory unto thee and hath already throwne downe the dominion of sinne in thee It is indeed an enemy a strong a grievous encombring vexing and ah too often prevailing enemy but an enemy thou professest no obedience but proclaimest open warre to every sinne how much more will he who conquered it reigning subdue it rebelling in thee yea certainely the Lord Jesus hath set up his victorious Crosse in thee and he that now hangs out a flagge of defiance will shortly set up his banner of triumph trample all thine enemies and bruise under thy feet both sinne and Satan Consider also that the bleâ—sed Spirit the life of thy spirit dwelleth and continually worketh in thee It cannot bee that uncleane spirit the Prince of disobedience it cannot bee the spirit of the world or that fleshly sinfull spirit within thee which is ever washing thee from uncleannesse seperating thee more and more from the world and the corruption which is in the world through lust which drawes and frames thy desires and actions to all obedience unto the Lord Jesus which gives thee no peace in sinne suffers thee not to rest in any imperfection discovers thy corruption causeth thee to groane under it puts thee forward in thy race enflames thy affections and orders thy feet to turne out of the evill into the good way and to runne in it Dost thou not finde in thee an unfeyned love to the Brethren Doth not thy judgement highly esteeme them Doth not thy will doe not thy affections entirely love and honour them Doth not thy whole soule blesse them How dost thou cleave to them in heart How dost thou admire those that excell upon the earth in holinesse How doest thou delight in them and art ravished with their heavenly fellowship Looke now to thy evidence sworne by the Father written by the Spirit sealed by the bloud of thy Saviour Is not hee borne of God who loves the children of God Is not hee a member who loves a fellow-member Is not hee quickened by the same Spirit who is united in the same spirituall love to those who live walk in the Spirit Rejoyce then oh my sonle rejoyce in the Lord and in these assurances of his everlasting truth and favour Cast out this spirit of bondage this servile this tormenting feare Bring in that joy of the Spirit seat it in the midst of thy heart There let it abide there let it reigne making thee to delight in the Lord to turne and tune thy grones and sighs to hymnes and spirituall songs ever blessing him who never ceaseth to blesse thee to love his glory and glory in his love to serve him in joy and rejoyce in his service CHAP. XXXV Conâ—luding all with Prayer OH glorious Trinity of persons in the unity of one God draw mee nearer
IOY IN Tribulation OR CONSOLATIONS FOR AFFLICTED SPIRITS By PHINEES FLETCHER B.D. and Minister of Gods Word at Hilgay in Norfolke PSAL. 34. 19. Many are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all LONDON Printed for Iames Boler dwelling at the signe of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1632. TO THE TRVLY HONOVRABLE MY MOST HONOred Cousins Sir WALTER ROBERTS Knight and Baronet and to his gracious Lady everlasting Consolaâ—ioâ—s of the Eternall Comforter SIR your very ancient Gentry doth not so enoble you in the eyes of the world as your new man in the sight of the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that ancient eloquent Father The new birth is the noblest birth In the Creation Man was the first and last creature last in time first in place and dignily being made the Sonne of God and the great Favourite of heaven And now the New Creature though last borne as Iacob yet as Iacâ—b obtaines the birth-right and over-tops the elder The best Herald Gods blessed Spirit preferres the Beraeans as more Noble or best borne who received the Word with all readinesse of minde c. And surely if high bloud of Generous parents sets us aloft in the eye of the world how much more lustre among Christians will that immortall seede give you whereby you are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Now though I well know that the neare relation of fleshly Alliance and bloud which is betwixt us beside many other knots of friendship have tyed my heart long since unto you both in all unfeyned affection yet this spirituall kindred is a much dearer and nearer linke uniting my soule unto you in the bond of the Spirit so that I can truly say with that blessed Apostle I am affectionately desirous of you and willing to impart to you not onely this slender fruit of the Gospell but mine owne soule bebause you were deare unto mee I am confident you will receive this pledge of love with the same afâ—ection with which it is presented and therefore leaving these few Consolations to the application of that great Comforter and your selves with all your Olive branches unto the Vnction of that holy one and perfect growth of the blessed Spirit I commend the weake Author to your Christian love and prayers who while hee is shall ever be Your willing servant in the Lord Iesus PHINEES FLETCHER TO THE POORE in SPIRIT CHristian Reader Whosoever thou art who mournest and art humbled under the sense of spirituall povertie to thee belongs that blessednesse of the heavenly kingdome and strong consolations of that great Comforter witnesse he that bought it for thee and by his owne mouth hath bequeathed it to thee in his Testament But how cunning Satan is to hide this evidence from thy blubbered eyes wâ—ll neede no other testimonie then thine owne unquiet and dejected spirit The height of grace is rejoycing in the Lord and this is a joy unâ—peakeable and glorious and indeede a lesser heâ—ven upon earth Now that cursed enemie envies thee that thy future heaven but is raging mad that thou should'st even here also enjoy an heaven of joy in this vale of teares therefore employes all his policies and fallacies to hinder thy rejoycing and to hold downe thy heart in distrustfull feares and sorrowes Thou maist easily observe that none have beene more câ—st downe in this uncomfortable mourning then those who thou wilt confes have had most cause of rejoicing That Princely Prophet had the oath of God attesting by his holinesse that he would not faile David And I know thou wilt acknowledge that he was in the deepest mourning a blessed Saint and had great cause to rejoyce alwaies in the Lord yet was there a time when his soule lay groaning under an intolerable burthen of heavie discomforts He that when hee walked in darkenesse and had no light when not one sparke of earthly consolation shined forth unto him could yet stay himselfe on the Lord and could fill his heart in this wane nay ecclipse with the borrowed light of his countenance â—ven this Saint found a time when his soule refused comfort when even the remembrance of â—od his maine cordiall became his speâ—iall coâ—asive so that his spirit was overwhelmed with it Reade carefully that 77 Psalme and thou wilt confesse that thy troubles of spirit doe not equall at least cannot exceede his It is a constant practice of Satan to hold and rocke a carnall heart in all presumptuous quietnesse and rejoycing and if he may to keepe downe the beleeving soule in continuall unchearefulnesse and mourning I have desired therefore to publish this little Treatise which God hath blessed to some in private that if he be pleased to glorifie his power in great weakenesse thy wounds may be suppled if not cured and to give occasion to some Brother who hath more gifts and lesse employment to enlarge this excellent subject Remember thou that the joy of the Lord is thy strength Oh let not thy sorrow no not for sinne drowne thy rejoycing in that Saviour who is become sinne for thee that thou mightest bee the righteousnesse of God in him I know when thy soule is farre from peace thou wilt be readie to say My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord but remember the Lord is thy portion Remember It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. And let thy heart be assured and in that assurance comforted that The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soule that seeketh Waite for thy Lord for hee will come and will not tarry Hee that testifies these things saith Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus If you receive any profit let mee have some use of it in thy prayers Thy compassionate Fellow-member P. F. CHRISTIAN CONSOLATIONS FOR THE AFFLICTED SPIRIT CHAP. I. The necessitie of comfort in this life AS in this estat of mortalitie our weak bodies stand in coÌ„tinual need of reparation as well by Phyâ—icall purgations to dissolve and cast out ill humours which through distemper either of ayre or dyet have crept in upon us as continually by seasonable refreshings and some exercise to gather maintaine strength and health so and much more our weaker Spirits in this sinfull world so subiect to backsliding have much necessity of continuall comfort as well to raise up our fainting soules when they are staggering through unbeliefe as to under-prop and hold them fast when they stand by faith For Comfort in the large sense being nothing else but the fortifying the heart against the assault of evill it cannot be denied but that malicious enemy of man especially of Christian men holds every one in a straight siedge and failes not to make battery by all manner of engines against soule
mysteries which we ordinarily call Sacraments Thirdly Prayer all of them fitted by his wisedome to our necessity and excellent helpes as well to preserve the sound as to heale the bruised heart For Prayer is as the opening of a festered wound and letting out the filth of the soule that corrupt core of the old Adam which filleth it with payne anguish The Word is as the playster which applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto the sore as well rotteth and draweth out the sinful matter as also quickneth the sounder part and causeth the spirit to grow and wax in health and strength The Sacraments are as Roulers binding on keeping close and fast the playster to the paâ—â— affected Of all these something would be noted severally but briefly To begin with the Word I purpose not to gather thence all those comforts which are every where stored up in it this taske would take up al the time of Methuselah It shall be sufficient evidently to demonstrate first That God hath given his Word to be a comfort to his chosen and secondly wherein generally it may be applyed unto us as a soveraigne Cordiall Neither doe I intend to distinguish between the Word written and preached the substance being in both the same aud the difference onely in the meanes and manner of conveyng it unto us the one being as the Salve in the lumpe the other as the same Salve spread and applyed Sufficient is it that whether it bee delivered by hand or mouth it is our comfort in affliction and that which quickneth us When wee are ready to perish in afflictâ—on it is our delight Oh when the spirit of a man is wounded with the sting and vexed with the smart of sinne when being strucken with the curse of the Law it is sicke at the heart striving and strugling for life with hellish agonyes How sweet then are his promise unto our mouth more then honey unto our taste Looke as a weary and fainting Traveller stifled with dust and melted with heat is revived with a coole streame and gentle breath of ayre so the soule of an humbled sinner tyred and tormented with fiery temptations is wonderfully refreshed with those sweet breathings of the blessed Spirit and these waters of Life flowing from the Sanctuary As are cold waters to a weary soule so are good newes from a farre Countrey Never did the chased and embossed Hart so longue for the rivers of water or more greedily plunge or bathe himselfe in them when he had found them as the afflicted Conscience pursued by Satan and hunted by the cryes of his owne lowd sins thirsts pynes and even faynts for those joyfull newes of peace brought downe from heaven Now to this very end was the Word written That wee might have comfort from the Scriptures And therefore are wee commanded to comfort one another with those words To this end was it put into the mouthes of Gods Messengers That they might administer a word in season to him that is weary who are therefore with a fearefull adjuration straitly charged to comfort for so signifieth that word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the English exhort And verily therefore themselves are ordinarily more exercised with afflictions and in them sustained and comforted by the blessed Spirit that they may be the better experienced and more able to comfort the afflicted so that their affliction is for others consolation Certainly whether we consider the Word of God without us either as a Torch or Lamp going before us in these darke and slippery wayes or as a Guide behinde us when we are ready to turne out of the way to the right hand or left or whether we consider it as a Seed within us immortall to beget us unto eternall life and fruitfull to feed and sustayne us in it how great in all these particulars is the consolation which a weary soule receiveth by it Is it a small comfort to a weake and sliding fooâ— travelling in a darke and dangerous way to have a light before him directing where to step and tread safely Is it not a great vexation when wee are journeying in a vast and perillous desert that wee neyther know the way nor have any hope of direction Oh when wee are wandring as Ioseph seeking for his Brethren travelling in a search for the Lord Jesus stragling in a solitary way seeing no print of any foot before us how welcome then would any man of God be unto us who would set us in the path which leadeth to Life and that Lord of Life Can we account it a light blessing that the Lord went before his people in a pillar of a Cloud by day and a piller of fire by night through that roaring wildernesse till they arrived at that land of Canaan But how much greater a mercy doth God vouchsafe us in allowing us so perfect a Guide which shall never leave us till wee are brought unto himselfe and to our eternall and glorious rest which is not onely a piller of fire or cloud to point out the way unto us but a store-house also filled with all needefull helpes to supply us in the way and furnish us in all our wants and necessities Are we hungry it is our food Are we thirsty it is a Well of Life Are wee stung with that fiery Serpent it holdeth out the braâ—en Serpent unto us Are we assaulted with strong enemies It is the sword of the Spirit wounding that crooked Serpent and keeping off those Principalities powers and spirituall wickednesses in high places Are wee resisted in our possession by these cursed Canaanites whose stature and wals were up to heaven our sinfull corruptions It is the mighty ordinance of God to batter downe these strong holds and high towers exalted against the knowledg of God and to bring every thought in subjection to Christ. But above all the rest how sweet a comfort is it that even in the horrours of death and agony of temptations we comfortably finde and feele it in us as a powerfull seede of life quickning and repayring our fainting soules so that when wee are sunke in the depths of tryall and seeme even inclosed in the belly of hell it underproppeth the weary hand sharpneth the voyce of our drooping faith saying yet God is good to Israel Surely when I heare the Lord with his owne voyce testifie That when this better part is chosen it shall not bee taken away when his holy Spirit witnesseth to our spirits you are borne not of mortall but immortall seed the Word of God All flâ—sh is grasse and the glory of it as the flower of grasse The grasse withereth and the flower thereof falleth away But the word of the Lord endureth for ever and againe strongly assureth us that we cannot fall wholly or finally away by sinne because the Seed of God remaineth in us I cannot conceive what any soule could wish to it selfe
we shall come to that general assembly and the Church of the first-born which are written in heaven Now then when wee here converse and conferre with them it cannot but be a great delight and refreshing to our soules And the more because in all occurrents and occasions they will furnish us in any duty In receiving of any blessing how shall we see their hearts swell and their lips overflow with all thankfulnesse How doe they melt in humiliation and swimme in teares How doe they sharpen their voyces in fervent petition In any desertion what expressions of longueings What sighing pining mourning How doe they fill their mouthes with insinuating arguments to wooe the Lords returne and regain the sense of his favor giving him no rest till they feele the joy of their salvation restored CHAP. X. The application of this comfort by meditation HEnce also may an afflicted Spirit take words unto it selfe and say Why doe I thus vexe mine owne heart and disquiet my selfe in vaine Doe I not still enjoy the holy blessed Word of my God Is there any losse which it doth not richly supply Can I be poore who possesse those precious Promises Can I be miserable who attend on the posts of his dores and heare him If I lose father mother house lands have not I a promise of an hundred-fold for the present beside that eternal life to come Mar. 10.30 If I am in any distresse have I not a promise that when Father and Mother forsake mee he well take me up Psal. 27.10 Have I not his command to cast my care upon him Psal. 55. 22. and his promise That hee will care for me 1 Pet. 5.7 Have I not his word that he will never turne away from me to doe me good that he will rejoyce in mee to doe me good His promise is that I shall want nothing that is good and his word is good as good as his deed How then shal I be destitute of any good blessing who have the Promise of this life and the life to come Why then oh my soule art thou cast downe and troubled within mee Is not that immortall seed of the Word cast into thy heart Doth it not still abide and remaine in thee Yea though I walke in the valley of the shadow of death I will feare no evill for thy rod and staffe comfort me Is not thy Word my way a way leading mee to life a lamp in the way enlightning mee and a Guide with a light directing me a burning light quickning my frozen heart when it is dull a sweete Companion refreshing me when I am weary Is it not a plaine way an even way a cleane way a strait delightfull and pleasant way Diddest thou ever oh my soule tread one step in it but that thou foundest some precious Jemme and Jewell What treasures of knowledge and wisedome of faith hope love and every rich grace have there offered and even thrust themselves into thy hands Oh what lovely fellowship what heavenly company what sweet and ravishing conferences have and doe I there enjoy No sooner stepped I into that path of faith butâ— instantly that Father of the faithfull went before me and with an hundred sweet comforts drew me on to those his steps that walking in the same faith I might obtaine the same blessing When I entred into the tract of Godly sorrow and true Repentance how cheerfully did that weeping Marie leade and conduct me When I set my foot into the way of heavenly love how fervently did that most zealous Apostle draw mee after him See see how many glorious Saints see oh see the King of Saints and glory thy gracious Saviour in every good way directing sustayning cheering and even carrying thee along to that heavenly Paradise What my soule Shal those three Easterne Sages when one Starre alone leading them to Christ then a poore despised Infant went before them shall they rejoyce rejoyce with exceeding great joy And wilt thou or for very shame canst thou hang downe the head when so many heavenly lights when the Sunne of righteousnesse himselfe comforting thee with his owne and such his Starres presence and chearefull beames leadeth and conducteth thee to that inheritance of light and infinite glory Oh then thou eternall Word Way and Light who hast brought my feet and entred them into thy Word a lightsome way settle me yet more deepely in it that my heart may stand fast in thee my way Put thy Word into my mouth that my mouth ever talking of it may grow fruitfull in edification Oh cleare mine eies with this true heavenly light that I may behold with joy the light of thy countenance CHAP. XI Comforts sealed up in the Sacraments IT hath also pleased our gracious God to adde seals to his Word That by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lye wee might have strong consolation Certainly every word of God is infallible Heaven and earth shall passe but not a word that he hath spoken God hath not therefore annexed seales to his Covenant that it or his purpose but that our weake hearts might bee strengthned and confirmed How unspeakable is this comfort that the Lord should be so farre from despising our weake faith and disdaining our poore soules strugling under unbeleefe that hee should yeelde to our weaknesse and underprop it with these powerfull abetters of his truth Hee might shake the head at us when hee seeth so little credite given to his Word but hee rather strengthneth us with these sacred mysteries which are to us as the hand of Christ reached out to Peter to save our wavering soules ready to sinke through unbeleefe The Covenant of God is I will be their God and I will not turne away from them to doe them good but will put my feare into their hearts that they shall never depart from mee Yea I will rejoyce over them to doe them good The consolationsâ— flowing from this Covenant thus sealed how strong how full For first throw downe a man thus sealed up in this covenant of grace from all the joyes of this world into a very hell upon earth Had hee lost all his substance children health of body nay peace of soule also in some measure as Iob yet may hee thence with strong comfort infallibly conclude That this estate is good for him nay best for him For God is faithfull and his Covenant sure beyond all possibility of deceiving or being deceived who hath promised and sealed his promise to doe him good to rejoyce over him in doing him good Hence the faithfull soule will build this conclusion and rest upon it It is good for me to be thus afflicted It is good for mee to beare the yoake in my youth Oh if my faith were as strong as my sense I should taste much more sweetenesse in Gods goodnesse than bitternesse in his affliction Againe especially when wee consider the matter of
wholly freed from al incombrance of the disease Now as when our children through bodily distemper and sickly weakenesse cannot doe what they desire and endevour to doe and doe some things which they hate themselves and are to us offeusive we impute to them neither their omissions or commissions so dealeth God with his children Secondly as the Lord by Jesus the Sonne of Nun brought in his people into the land of Canaan and trod all their enemies under their feetâ— yet left some of the Caâ—anites among them for divers ends So is iâ— with us For all that story of Israels passage from Egypt to the land of rest is but as a type or picture of Gods dealing with all his Saints The Lord our God hath given us the true Jesus to lead us into possession of that heavenly Canaan our eternall life and kingdom of glory Now hee hath already entred us into that eternall life for hee that beleeveth hath eternall life and taken and holds possession of glory for us For in him wee alreadie sit in heavenly places He hath conquered our enemies and led them in shew triumph yet for some ends hath left some of these enemies and hath not yet fully destroyed them And as among that people some of those Ganaanits were reserved as enemies some as servants the former to prove Israel whether they would hearken to the Commandements of the Lord and to teach them warre the other to helpe them in some workes as the Gâ—beonites Iosh. 9.21.27 so hath the Lord in the faithfull left some of these inhabitants of our corrupt nature as well to teach us spirituall warfare as to prove us whether wee will cleave to him and hence is it that hee frameth for us and giveth us spirituall armour and commandeth us to exercise our selves in it And such are all our â—infull corruptions and rebellions as some also to serve us to doe some good office for us and such is death which is to us as those servants to the Prodigall appointed by our Lord and Father to pull off our ragges that wee may be clothed upon and as those who tooke from Iehoshuah his filthie garments and set a faire Diadem upon him As Haman to Mordecai who against his will clothed him with royall appaâ—ell set the Crowne-royall on his head and brought him into the presence of the great King Now then looke as it was with those Israelites and the fierie Serpents when God had by the sight of the Brazen Serpent cured them of their wounds and bitings especially if withall hee had pulled out their stings they might be truly said to bee perfectly saved from those Serpents although they were yet among them and did many wayes annoy and encumber themâ— So when the Lord hath not onely cancelled our sinne and healed those poysonous bitings of it but taken out the sting also of it that it shall not be able to kill we are said truly to bee saved and delivered already from sinne and death which still are enemies but not able to effect their malice or doe any evill to us which Christ hath not or will not tnrne to our eternall good and happinesse Surely then this truth that the Sonne of God blessed for ever is our Saviour is a privilege wonderfull especially if wee consider the manner how he wrought salvation for us Looke then first to his Incarnation wherein he fitted himselfe for our redemption then to his passions and exaltation whereby he hath pâ—rfected our happinesse and we shall finde unspeakeable consolations in every one of them First there is no Creature can boast of so glorious a prerogative as a faiâ—hfull man that God refusing the nature of Angels hath taken our nature into him and become man lâ—ke us in all things covered and troubled with the same infirmities that from the sense of them in himselfe hee might more compassionately intercede for us more effectually and speedily helpe us The Word was made flesh Ioh. 1.14 of the seede of Abraham Heb. 2. 16. and of David Rom. 1. 3. conceived in the wombe of a Virgine and borne by her Thus hee became one with us Flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone so nearely was this our nature united to him that as body and soule make up one man so God and man make one Christ that as the Word is sayed to bee flesh so the blood of that flesh is called The Bloud of God Secondly in this our flesh hee gave full satisfaction to the Justice of God by suffering in that nature in which God was offended This Prince of our salvation was consecrate through afflictions Hee gave his backe to the smiters his cheekes to the nippers he held not his face from shame and spitting Hee was attached bound accursed and condemned as an offender in whose mouth there was no guile by the same Iudg who knew and confessed himselfe innocent he was rejected by the heathen by his owne people abused mocked and scorned by all sorts nayled to the Crosse there dyed and after buried and not onely swamme through his owne bloud but waded through the fiery streame of Gods wrath for us Oh then if he hath loved us to his death how much more will hee love us to our life Will the Lord after all his sufferings lose the soule for which he suffered Or can he who thus loved us being then enemies that hee chose to beare off the wrath of God for us by drawing it on himselfe suffer any part of that wrath to fall upon us now that hee hath redeemed us to himselfe killed the enmitie and drawne our hearts to thirst longue and pine for him and his righteousnesse Thirdly that he might perfect us as hee dyed for our sinnes so he rose againe for our justification ascended into heaven and having received all power and authority sitteth at the right hand of God a continual Intercessour for us and shall thence descend with the shout of an Angell and the trumpet of God to raise quicken aâ—d receive us to glorie I cannot but here therefore insert that sweet meditation of holy Augustine in Psal. 148. From his heavenly Countrey hee brought all good things unto us and in our Countrey endured all our evils yet promised us that wee should be there from whence he came and said I will that where I am they may be also with me So wonderfull was his love that because hee was with uâ— in our habitations wee should be with him in his Mansions Oh mortall man what hath he promised thee that thou shalt live for ever And dost thou not beleeve him Beleeve beleeve It is more that hee hath alreadie done then that which hee hath promised What hath hee done hee died for thee What hath hee promised that thou should'st live with him It is more incredible that the Eternall should once dye then that a mortall should live for ever Now
faith to an infallible assurance of Gods gracious purpose to justifie and glorifie them so will it as plainely appeare that it is their duty to labour for this growth and to give their soules no rest till they finde this blessed estate sealed up and throughly setled upon them which will be manifested unto us first by many testimonies secondly by some reason taken from the Word Thus our Saviour chargeth us Feare not little Flocke for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdome Where our gracious Lord laying downe that ground namely the certaine purpose and promise of God fully decreeing nay delighting to give us the crowne of glory thence raiseth up this command and teacheth how to expect it even without feare The like is that in the Heb. 10. 19.23 where the Apostle premising that boldnesse of faith whereby wee may enter into the holiest by the bloud of Christ builds up this confidence of faith by this exhortation Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering and giveth a strong reason For he is faithfull that hath promised Who will also doe it Very obvious and frequent are such places condemning this wavering and distrust of Gods gracious purpose toward us and commanding us with assurance of faith to lay hold of these promises Adde to these that vehement and evident exhortation of the Apostle Examine your selves whether you be in the faithâ— Prove your owne selves Know you not your owne selves how that Iesus Christ is in you except you be reprobates Where â—irst hee taketh it as granted that Christians may by examination know themselves whether Christ dwel in them secondly he earnestly exciteth them to make triall proofe of this their estate Beyond all exception and cavill is that charge of the Spirit Wherefore the rather Brethren give all diligence to make your calling and eleâ—tion sure But here also some difficulty is objected For although wee now finde our selves in a good estate and have firme assurance of our present happinesse yet how should wee bee certaine so to continue unto the end without which perseverance there can bee no salvation True is it that the sense and feeling of this our blessed estate in the sense of Gods favour may bee withdrawne for a time but where faith is it faileth not where the life of grace is planted it dyeth not You have not chosen mee but I have chosen you and ordained that you should goe and bring forth fruit and your fruit should remaine Upon which words heare Saint Augustine determining not as if his testimonie could adde any thing unto Christ but that we may know what was the common beleefe of the Church at that time and may bee armed against Popish errour When Christ saith he hath affirmed I have ordained that you bring forth fruit and that your fruit remaine who dares say Perhaps it shall not remaine How unanswerable is that testimony of David The righteous shall flourish like a Palme now the Palme never loseth his leafe or fruit Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of the house of our God They shall still bring forth more fruit in their age they shall be fat and flourishing As full is that of his Son Salomon The path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day And this floweth not from any thing in man either of nature or grace but from that covenant and faithfulnes of God who seeing the first Adam could not stand in the covenant of workes Doe this and live hath renued with the faithfull in the second Adam a covenant of grace in which he hath undertaken to worke all our workes for us First that he will never depart from us but delight in us to doe us good Secondly that he will put such a feare of himselfe into our hearts that wee shall never depart from him And what else is this saith Augustine but such and so great shall be my feare which I shal put into their hearts that they shal with perseverance keepe close unto me And fully to confirme and setle thy soule in assurance of thy perseverance and infallible attaining that purchased possession 1. Remember that not onely God hath wrought that eternall mansion for thee but also wrought thee for it 2 Cor. 5.1.5 2. Build on that promise that he that hath begotten thee to that incorruptible inheritance not onely reserves it in heaven for thee but preserves and keeps thee by his power unto this salvation But further Papists reply This is a doctrine that opens a wide gate to all sinful liberty utterly loosneth the bond of feare and care to please God For Answer First how doth or can this estate in Gods covenant loosen or slacke that bond of gracious feare when it is apparent that this everlasting covenant bindes our hearts fast unto God in this feare Secondly is there nothing to be feared in God but his condemning Justice Oh how fearfâ—ll to his children are his rods and scourges how very fearefull Nay his very frowne his threatning word so ful of terrour that it shakes the heart of the faithfull they tremble they melt at it When I heard saith Habakkuk my bellie trembled my lips quivered at the voice Rottennesse entred into my bones and I trembled in my selfe that I might rest in the day of trouble Sure I am and noâ—e so impudent who dare deny it that when our blessed Saviour and his faithfull members Paul Peter c. had this heavenly assurance fully acquieting their soules it was so far from cooling their zeale and slackning their fervent diligence to please God and ply his worke that nothing more furthered their holy ambition to be serviceable acceptable unto him In the next place let us confirme this truth by a reason or two 1. It will be confessed that a Christian ought to labour for such an estate wherein he should continually rejoyce in the Lord bee ever praising and blessing his name and have strong consolation For it is the command of God to delight our selves in the Lord to rejoyce evermore alwaies to rejoice in the Lord doubled upon us to stirre up our soules to blesse the Lord even in the sense of pardon and forgivenesse in everie thing to be thankefull he hath given with his promise his oath also that wee might have strong consolation but without this certainty of faith assurance of our happinesse the eternall favor of God we cannot attaine such an estate in which we can from the heart rejoyce in him ever praise him and enjoy solid coÌ„fort from him For what sound joy can that soule find in Christ who thus hangs between heaven hell and hath no assurance whether the Lord will come to him as a Judge to condemne or as a Savior to free
The seed of God remaineth in them who are borne of God he begetteth us by the Word of truth That immortall seede brings forth in us an immortall life Hence also is it manifest that when God hath powerfully and effectually sowne this seed in the heart of any man then the life of God that eternall life is given him in which regard the Gospell is often called the power of God to salvation But some will say Now I plainly see my estate were sure if I could infallibly know that the Word were effectually applied unto me by God Oh how should I be sure of that how should I be certaine that the Word is made to me a seed of life Reade 1 Pet. 2. 2. and compare with it the three last verses of thâ— former chapter We are borne not of mortall but immortall seed the word of God this Word endureth for ever and this is the Word which by the Gospell is preached unto you Wherefore laying aside c. As new borne babes â—esire or thirst for the sincere milke of the Gospell that you may grow thereby From all these Scriptures linked together observe how plainly and necessarily beyond all contradiction these two concluâ—ions are gatheredâ— 1. Whosoever thirsteth for the sincere milke of the Gospell to grow up by it in grace and all obedience hee is certainely new borne and a babe at least in this immortall life 2. Whosoever is borne of God by this seed of his Word is everlastingly beloved of God and shall appeare with Christ in glorie When therefore we finde that whereas heretofore being full we loathed this hony-combe but now feeling our selves empty and hungry even the most bitter part of Gods word is sweet unto us so that wee can truly say All the words of God even his commands and judgements as wel as his promises are pleasant unto our taste more than home unto our mouth that frequently as the Infant for the brest wee longue for it not for custome feare or knowledge onely but to grow up in all obedience to God then may we without all question conclude Seeing God hath effectually applied this Word unto my soule and in his eternall love begotten mee as a childe and heire to himselfe joynt heire with Christ I know that nothing shall seperate mee from the love of God which is in Christ nothing shall plucke mee out of the hand of my gracious Saviour and my Almighty Father Againe whosoever is partaker of the victory of Christ so that now not sinne but Christ reignes in him is certainly a true member of the Lord Jesus and one of them for whom Christ hath dyed See Rom. 8.37,38 We are more than Conquerors through him that loved us I am perswaded therefore that nothing shall seperate us c. God hath given us victorie through our Lord Iesus Christ. So then when by the Word the strong holds of Satan are battered and beaten downe in us every thought subdued to the obedience of Christ when the dominion of sinne is deposed in us and the Scepter of Christ and his Throne set up in our hearts we are in the state of grace Rom. 6.14 and members of his mysticall body baptised into his death quickened in his resurrection as is apparent in the whole course of that chapter But how should I be assured that Christ reigneth in me and not sinne Why Know you not that to whom you yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yon are to whom you obey Marke then obedience in service must bee from a yeelding willingnesse and love With good will doing service If then thou obeyest thou yeeldest up thy selfe not forced with love and good will to do what is commanded See then and conâ—ider not so much what thou doest but what thou wouldst doe and whom thou obeyest Thou doest the evill thou wouldst not doe thou doest not the good thou wouldest doe Then this is no obedience when it is done but not with good wil nay so far art thou from obeying that it is not done by thee but by sin in thee Sin doth it in thee thou doest it not in sinne But when the inward man delighteth in the law of God howsoever the command of the Lord is not done as it ought yet because out of love to it the giver of it thy wil puts on the outward man to obedience hence is manifest that the law of God is written in thy heart see Psal. 40.8 and that thou livest in obedience not to sin but Christ. Hence it is clearly evinced that thou art not a servaÌ„t of sin whose yoak thou hatest Thou yeeldest not up thy selfe with love and cheerfulnesse to obey it but sighest under the burden of it a captive then thou maist be to sin but no servant Remember thisâ— He is not a member of Christ and his faithfull servant who either for feare of law anger of superiours or some such outward respect is driven inforced to Christian duties yet the hand or foot which by reasoÌ„ of some sore breeding in it or some weaknesse by a blow or fal thorne sticking in it festering cannot doe the office of it is notwithstanding a member and a servant not throughly recovered of a deadly malady nor able to do perfect service is yet a faithful servant So neither is he a servant to sin who overwrastled by strong tentations detesting this body of death is carried captive sending up his spirit in grones unutterable and crying out oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me And hee certainly is a servant and member of Christ who pressed with sinfull weakenesse would doe what hee cannot and doth what hee can Take a more through view of this truth in a familiar and confessed instance Spaiâ—e is truly said to be under the dominion of the Spanish King because the people acknowledging theÌ„selves Subjects willingly live under his lawes but Holland is as truly said not to be under his dominion because having shaken off his yoake they live not under his lawes nor will heare of his service And although sometime in fight they are overcome yet doe they renew their forces and both openly professe and behave themselves as enemies Thus is it with the faithfull They were the servants of sinne but now from the heart they have obeyed that forme of doctrine which was delivered them They hate and reject the Law of sinne in their members But doth not sinne fight against them Yes and they against it And this is a signe of enmitie not obedience But it often prevailes also True but it prevailes as an Enemie therefore they renew their strength by prayer plucke up their hearts and set themselves in order to resist and subdue it No signe of dominion in all this but rather of that deadly feod mentioned by the Apostle The spirit lusteth against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit and these two are