there is no Self-denial As for example If Moses had not esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt hee had not refused to bee called the Son of Pharaohs daughter if hee had not had courage to fortifie him against the fear of the wrath of the King hee had never left Egypt as hee did Thus you see the two first particulars cleared Now consider 3 Faith hath a mighty influence to set all of them a-work as many as are required in any one act of Self-denial Faith is a working grace but herein it hath the preheminence that it is the first grace that sets all the rest a-work Hence all the works of grace are said to bee the works and fruits of faith 1 Thess 1.3 Faith saith St. James if it have not works is dead being alone that is it is counterfeit faith Jam. 2.17 therefore hee shews that the esse of faith is seen in its operari I will shew thee my faith by my works vers 18. And hee further confirms it by the instance of Abrahams faith Seest thou how faith wrought with his works and by works was faith made perfect vers 21. Now lest any should think that these works spoken of are the proper works of faith as such a particular grace as every grace hath its proper works it may easily bee shewn out of Scripture that there is no good work that is not the fruit of faith As from that Heb. 11. Without faith it is impossible to please God by which the Apostle argues that the works of Enoch were works of faith because they pleased God vers 5. God is pleased with good works Col. 1.10 Now if there bee any such without faith God is pleased without faith Again the Apostle saith The life that I now live is by faith but the life that hee then lived was the life of grace the life of good works which hee did not live before Gal. 2.20 so that the truth is evident Faith is the Primum mobile as the spring-wheel in a Watch that sets all the rest a going or as the weight in a Clock Austin saith Amor meus poudus meum co feror quosunque feror My love is my weight by that I am carried whithersoever I am carried But what is the weight that moves love Why the Apostle tells us That faith worketh by love Gal. 5.6 And as for other graces you have instances enough in Heb. 11. All the grace that Abraham and Moses c. exercised in those eminent acts of Self-denial there recorded was set a-work by faith By faith Abraham c. By faith Moses c. Faith sets grace a work proportionably to the height of the act of Self-denial that wee are called to it doth not onely stir up grace and set it a working but it makes it work to such a height as is requisite to the greatness of the present exigency See a notable instance in Abraham Rom. 4.19 20. And being not weak in faith hee considered not his own body now dead and hee staggered not at the promise through unbeleef but was strong in faith giving glory to God and therefore against hope beleeved in hope vers 18. 4 Faith secures them in their working I had fainted saith David unless I had beleeved Psal 27.13 It is said of Moses that through faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee endured Heb. 11.27 Christ told Peter that Satan had desired to have him but that hee had prayed that his faith might not fail and therefore Satan could not have him Luke 22.32 Paul exhorts that above all things wee should take unto us the shield of faith Ephes 6.16 hee calls it a shield because as the shield doth cover all the other parts of the Armour so doth faith all the other graces In 1 Thes 5.8 hee calls it a breast-plate because it secures the heart therefore hee saith By faith wee stand 2 Cor. 1.24 Answ 4. Faith brings in the mighty power and strength of God to our assistance and therefore must needs bee able to carry us through this duty of Self-denial Though of our selves in our own strength wee can doe nothing yet in the strength of God wee may doe it with ease Now faith brings in Auxiliary forces from heaven engageth the Almightiness of God with us There is a kinde of Omnipotency in faith all things are possible to him that beleeveth Mark 9.23 and this is the reason of it It is said of Stephen Act 6.8 that hee was full of faith and power Where faith is there is power even the mighty power of God the greatness of his power toward us who beleeve Eph. 1.19 It is said 1 Pet. 1.5 that wee are kept by the power of God to salvation but through faith the power of God through faith In Matth. 9.22 Christ tells the woman that had an issue of blood Thy faith hath made thee whole why it was the power of Christ that made her whole I but it is attributed to her faith because her faith set the power of Christ a work for that end Thus you see wherein the power of faith lyes to carry a man through this duty of Self-denial and therefore what reason you have to make use of it in this particular The Fifteenth Direction 15 Keep in minde your former experiences 1 The experiences which you have had of Self-seeking 2 The experiences which you have had of Self-denial 1 The experiences of Self-seeking in these two particulars 1 What experiences you have had of the evil of Self-seeking 2 What experiences you have had of the wayes and means whereby you have been drawn to it 1 The experiences of the evil of Self-seeking 1 Of the evill of sin in it 2 Of the evill of suffering by it First What experiences you have had of the evill of sin in it Before you were exhorted to consider what evill of sin there is in it here to remember what evill of sin you have found in it by your own experience 1 Hath it not made you neglect many a duty as praying hearing meditating c. 2 Hath it not made you venture upon many a sin as lying swearing defranding c. 3 Hath it not often put you upon a course of sinning for a long time together 4 Hath it not made you prophane the Ordinances of God using them 1 As means for compassing your base ends 2 As cloaks for hiding them 5 Hath it not made you sometimes ashamed of Religion so that you durst not confess Christ openly before a Christ-deriding world 6 Hath it not been the cause of your unfruitfulness and unserviceableness in the places where you have lived so that few have been the better by you 7 Hath it not made you unfaithful to the trust that hath been reposed in you so that you have been a staffe of broken reed to those that have leaned on you 8 Hath it not hindred you from receiving much good from those to whose precepts you should
have a Triumphal image and super scription upon them to this day they being so notably instrumental in destroying the Kingdome of Sathan and Antichrist 2 The Operation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 1.2 4. There are diversity of Gifts but the same Spirit that is the Author of them all This the Apostle proveth by induction vers 8 9 10. For to one is given by the spirit the word of wisdome to another the word of knowledge by the same spirit to another the working of miracles to another prophesie to another discerning of spirits to another divers kinds of tongues to another the interpretation of tongues But all these saith he worketh that one and the self-same spirit dividing to every one as hee will Hence such as have received Gifts are said to bee made partakers of the Holy Ghost Heb. 6.4 And in respect of Gifts it is as well as of Grace that the ministration of the Gospel is called the Ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 and the Manifestation of the Spirit 1 Cor. 12.7 And therefore hee that reproacheth Gifts reproacheth the Spirit of God 3. Of special use and service in the Church Eph 4.11 12. He gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the perfecting of the Saints for the work of the Ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ Wherefore Gifts are of excellent use and wee cannot say Wee have no need of them Were it not for Gifts the Church would bee in a sad condition How should the Scriptures bee interpreted How should the mouths of the Adversaries bee stopped but for Gifts All are not Interpreters all are not able to manage an Argument nor answer an Objection Therefore Gifts must not bee contemned but highly prized 2 It is not to deny the respect and honour which should bee given to those that have them Many persons misinterpreting that of the Psalmist In whose eyes a vile person is contemned Psal 15.4 And that of the Apostle Henceforth know wee no man after the flesh 2 Cor. 5.16 Think there is no honour to bee given to any for their Gifts while they give no evidence of their Graces It is true indeed Wee must not give them that honour which belongs unto men as they have Grace but yet we must also beware that wee deny them not the honour that is due to men as they have Gifts Men may bee honourable in respect of some good thing which they have though concemptible in respect of some better thing which they want Though men have nothing but Gifts yet they are amiable and honourable for their Gifts sake Christ loved the young man for the excellency of his moral parts Mar. 10.21 Now if Christ loves such why should not wee Next unto those that have Grace come they that have Gifts though the men bee bad their Gifts are good and there is an honour due unto them The Spirit of God will bee acknowledged in Gifts as well as in Grace seeing hee is the Author of both 3 It is not to deny the labour and industry which ought to bee bestowed in acquiring of them Austin makes mention of some that neglected the means of knowledge because it pufs up and were willingly ignorant that they might bee humble But this is by flying the shadow to imbrace the body of sin It is not the fault of knowledge nor of any other gift that it puffeth up but of our corruption which takes an occasion thereby to make us swell If through corruption a man is apt to bee proud of his graces as Mr. Fox once said of himself Sometimes I get hurt by my Graces and sometimes I get good by my Sins for by my sinnes I am made more humble and by my Graces I am made more proud Wee need not wonder if through the same he be apt to grow proud of his gifts But if this bee no Objection against our endeavours for Grace why should it bee pleaded against our endeavours for Gifts Wee may not neglect our duty for fear of any evill that may accidentally come thereof It is not onely lawfull but a duty to desire and endeavour after gifts Covet earnestly the best Gifts saith the Apostle to the Corinthians 1 Cor. 12.31 It is the study of some that they may bee general Scholars that they may bee some body in every thing so it should bee in the School of Christ Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report If there bee any vertue and if there bee any praise wee should think on these things Phil. 4.8 Christians should strive to excel one another not onely in Grace but in Gifts also For though Grace be sufficient for a mans self yet not for himself relatively considered Every member hath a double office one to receive in for himself and another to a Eph. 4.16 give forth to the rest Now Grace inables a man to receive in but Gifts onely to give forth Many have a good treasure within but want language and other gifts to bring it forth and therefore have need to pray that they may interpret the meaning of their own hearts for the edification of others 2 Affirmatively For those that want Gifts to deny self in respect of Gifts is 1 Not to murmure at the dispensation of God in giving unto others that which for the present is denyed to themselves It is an evil that such as are defective in any thing wherein others doe excel are by nature very subject to To think that God deals unequally with them What hard thoughts of God have many that are poor because they are not so rich as others and many that are black because they are not so comely as others and many that are diseased because they are not so healthy as others and many that are in thraldome because they have not the liberty that others have What hard speeches against God doe many of these sometimes utter Cursing the day wherein they were born and accusing the influences of the Stars c. Thus many not discerning in themselves such abilities and perfections of minde as they discover in others are ever and anon quarrelling at the Workmanship of God as if he had not sufficiently polished his work as if hee had not done it so exactly as he should wishing rather they had never been made than made so imperfect and some mens dislike of themselves has been so great that growing impatient of beholding any longer their own imperfections they have laid violent hands upon themselves and made themselves instruments of that small measure of annihilation which they are capable of The serious consideration of the absolute soveraignty of God over
beholders after it now there is nothing doth this so much as Self-denial Self-denial makes one lovely in the sight of men of Saints and of God himself 1 In the sight of men a Self-denying man is as the h Suctoraus Historian saith of Titus the Roman Emperour Delicia humani generis the delights of Man-kinde the very darling of the World Even Natural men have a perceiving of the lovelinesse of Self-denial so that although they cannot affect a man for his Religion which they doe not understand yet so sarre as they discover any thing of Self-denial in him as in matters of Justice in which they have some skill they are wonderfully taken with him It is said of those Converts in the second of the Acts that they continuing daily with one accord in the Temple and breaking of Bread from house to house did eate their meat with gladnesse and i Simplicito de coeur Fren. singlenesse of heart praising God and having favour with all the people Act. 2.46 they were such as did walk uprightly or as it is elsewhere 2 Cor. 1.12 in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdome pretending one thing and acting another for the carrying on of their owne ends but their practices did exactly accord with those Principles of godlinesse which they did professe and this brought them into favour with all the people and many joyned themselves to them daily vers 47. 2 In the sight of Saints There are none that the hearts of Saints doe more run out upon than those that are most eminent in Self-denial My heart is toward the Governours of Israel that offered themselves willing among the people saith Deborah Judg. 5.9 That is I doe exceedingly k Deodati in loc love them because notwithstanding their peaceable Offices and Dignities they have been willing to partake in the labours and dangers of the Warre against the enemies of God and his people somestayed at home minding their owne businesse vers 16 17 and neglecting the care of the Publike but these laid aside all respect to their private concernments and whereas others it may be were prest to the service these were Voluntaries and came of their owne accord and for this it was that Deborah was so much affected towards them Oh! saith she my heart is towards them I see an amiablenesse a desireablenesse in them 3 In the sight of God this makes one amiable and desirable not only in the eyes of men and of Saints but of the great and glorious God himselfe the desire of his soul is to the beauty of Self-denial By this very Argument the Spouse is exhorted to deny her self Psalm 45.10 11. Hearken O daughter and consider and incline thine eare forget also thine owne peole and thy fathers house here is Self-denial Now mark what follows so shall the King greatly desire or covet thy beauty to note that her Self-denial is her greatest beauty and that which renders her most pleasing and acceptable to her Husband Oh! what a Beauty is here that pleaseth every eye that looks upon it and how transcendently excellent that even ravisheth the eye of him that is Beauty it self Three things as l Ad pulchritudinem tria requiruntur Primo quidem integritas sive perfectio Quae enim diminuta sunt hoc ipso turpia sunt debitae proportio sive consonantia iterum claritas Vnde quae haebent colorem nitidum pulchra esse dicuntur par 1. q. 39.8 c. Aquinas observeth are required to a perfect Beauty Integritas proportio debita claritas First Integrity that there bee all the parts and nothing lacking to make up the whole Secondly Proportion that there be a suitablenesse in the several parts one to another Thirdly Cleernesse that they bee all well-favoured now see all these in Self-denial 1 Integrity Self-denial lets every grace have its perfect work for it is only Self that hinders and so a Christian comes to be perfect intire and lacking in nothing which is the Argument of the Apostle whereby hee exhorts to patience Let patience have its perfect work that yee may be perfect and intire wanting nothing Jam. 1.4 Self-denial carries a man forth after them perfection of every Grace in all the degrees and acts of it A Self-denying man will be adding faith to faith till hee come to have all faith and love to love till hee come to have all love and patience to patience till hee come to have all patience Col. 1.11 and as hee will bee adding one degree and act to another of the same grace so of every other grace to that grace Hee will give all diligence to adde to his faith vertue and to vertue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godlinesse and to godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to brotherly kindnesse charity 2 Pet 1. 5 6 7. till hee come to the fulnesse of the stature of a perfect man in Christ Jesus Ephes 4.13 hee aymes at perfection in all parts and points of Christianity hee hath respect unto all the Commandements of God with David Psal 119.6 not only the tythe of Mint and Cummin with the Pharisees but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the weightier matters of the Law which they neglected Matth. 23.23 Hee makes conscience to doe all that God commands and to doe all that God commands and to leave all that God forbids bee endeavours to have a good conscience in all things Heb. 13.12 both towards God Acts 23.1 and towards men Acts 24.16 hee labours to be holy as he that hath called him is holy in all manner of conversation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in every creek and turning of his conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 this is that that makes his conversation truly lovely and wonderfully wel-pleasing in the sight of God Therefore the Apostle praies on the behalf of the Colssians That they might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good worke Col. 1.10 without this there is no beauty as in the Natural body when some principal part as an Eye or an Arme or Legge is wanting therefore no beauty in one that doth not deny himself for though hee doe never so many things yet still there is something lacking as in the young man Luk. 19.21 being weighed hee is found wanting Daniel 5.27 Christ doth not finde his Workes perfect before God Revelations 3.2 therefore hee is not well-pleased with him therefore though hee love him as he did that young man it is but with a common love not that love that he bears to a Saint in whom is the beauty of Self-denial who followes him fully as Caleb Numbers 14.24 and fulfills all his wills as David did Acts thirteen twenty two Besides this there is 2 Proportion which is m Comliness ariseth out of the fit proportion of diverse members to make up one body where every member hath a beauty in its self and is likewise well suited to
peccatores efficienter nisi illa in obedientia prius imputetur ipsis peccatum enim quâ—d neque nobis inhaeret neque imputatur non potest in nobis quilquam efficere Ames Bellar. enervat Tom. 4.140 imputation As for the righteousness of Sanctification inherent in our selves it cannot justifie us because it makes no satisfaction to the Justice of God the righteousness whereby we are justified is such a righteousness as makes a full and perfect satisfaction to the Justice of God for all that it can justly require either by way of punishment for sin or by way of obedience to the Moral Law The Covenant of Works being broken man stands bound unto God in a two-fold Debt a debt of suffering for his first Transgression and of perfect and perpetual conformity to the Law both habitual and actual for time to come God will have the Threatning fulfilled as well as the Precept observed and the Precept observed as well as the Threatning fulfilled This the Justice of God requires and therefore it is neither suffering according to the Threatning alone nor being conformable according to the Precept alone but both together that satisfies Gods Justice therefore inherent righteousness alone cannot justifie because the Curse of the Law for sin remaines still to be suffered This God stands upon to have sin punished to the full according as he hath threatned and therefore the punishment must bee endured either by the Sinner himself or by another for him and in his stead that is able to bear it that so God may bee sufficiently revenged for all the wrong that sin hath done unto him therefore they doe miserably mistake that talk of Justification either by habitual or actual righteousness alone for that is not full satisfaction to the Justice of God and that which is not full satisfaction in this case is no satisfaction at all and where there is no satisfaction to the Justice of God there can be no Justification Suppose a man should attain to that perfect and compleat habitual conformity to the Law which is required for of that onely wee speak in this place yet this could not justifie him because it could not acquit him from his sin in losing that which hee had before This After-conformity would not make amends for the former that was lost This Conformity recovered is a debt as well as the former which was lost and the payment of one debt will not satisfie for the non payment of another But that conformity to the Law which is even in the best of Saints since the Fall is not z Lex non tantum actualem obedientiam sed omnimodam cum lege conformitatem requirit secus enim lues originalis peccatum non effet VVolleb l. 1. that perfect and compleat conformity which the Law requires for wee are renewed but in part there is a remainder of corruption still A law in our members warring against the law of our minde Rom. 7.23 Therefore if wee were to bee tried onely by the preceptive part of the Law wee could not bee justified for so long as any thing is lacking of that conformity which the Law requireth it is impossible that the Law should judge us righteous Therefore there remains nothing but a fearful expectation of a most dreadful sentence of condemnation to bee passed upon us if wee will venture to bee tried for our eternal estates by any thing that is in our selves For this reason holy men in Scripture have alwayes renounced their own righteousness David prayes Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143.2 If God will not withdraw his anger saith Job The proud helpers do stoop under him How much less shall I answer him and choose out my words to reason with him whom though I were righteous yet would I not answer but I would make supplication to my judge Job 9.13 14 15. I know nothing by my selfe saith Paul yet am I not hereby justified 1 Cor. 4.4 And therefore he professeth That he accounted all things but dung that hee might win Christ and be found in him not having his own righteousness which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Philip. 3.8 9. And indeed every man that sees himself in the glass of the Law will see a necessity of another righteousness than his own every man I say except the man St. James speaks of Who having beheld himself therein goeth away and streightwar forgetteth what manner of man hee was Jam. 1.24 And thus much of Denying-self in respect of Inherent Grace SUBSECT II. Of Denying-self in respect of Common-Gifts WE have seen what it is to deny Self in respect of Grace I shall now shew what it is in respect of Gifts And 1 What it is for those that want Gifts 2 What for those that have them 1 What it is for those that want Gifts And here I shall speak as before both Negatively and Affirmatively 1 Negatively For those that want Gifts to deny Self in respect of Gifts is not 1 To deny the excellency usefulness or necessity of them None are more apt to stight and contemn Gifts than those that are most defective in them And of these some do it out of ignorance speaking evil of the things that they understand not 2 Pet. 2.12 and Jude vers 10. Others out of pride being loath to acknowledge themselves to be wanting in any thing that is excellent Others out of a blinde devotion to Grace as if a good opinion of Gifts were some way or other derogatory from Grace and these think it a matter of Self-denial not to think well of any thing that is not grace But as Grace must have its due esteem so must Gifts also Gifts are excellent though not so excellent as Grace For 1 They are the purchase of Christ the fruits of his Resurrection and Ascention Ephes 4.8 When hee ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave Gifts to men It was the manner of the Roman Conquerors in their Triumphs to ascend up to the Capitol in a Chair of State with their prisoners following at their Chariot wheels on foot having their hands bound behinde them and as they went along the Victor was wont to throw some Missilia certain peeces of Coyn and other rich gifts to be gathered up by the people Even so the Lord Jesus when hee ascended in triumph up to Heaven having spoyled Principalities and Powers hee made a shew of them openly Col. 2.15 and gave gifts unto men And this speaks the excellency of them Princes in their Triumphs do not give mean gifts but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Royal gifts they do not onely triumph in their Victory but in their Liberality also which makes their Victory far more glorious Even so the Lord Jesus to make his Ascention more splendid and glorious hee gave Gifts to men and these Gifts
most Schollars are in the lower so is it in the Church of God there are Abcdaries babes that are to bee taught 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their letters Heb. 5.13 the first elements of the Oracles of God and to bee fed with the spoon or as the Apostle calls it Milk Hee did not think himself too high to feed with Milk 1 Cor. 3.2 Therefore let no Minister bee hee never so learned scorn to bee an Vsher under Christ to teach his Petties their a b c. If the people had not pleaded their rotten Charters of Age and Marriage against Catechisme and the Minister had not thought himself too good to teach them their Letters and first elements wee had not seen so many children carried about with windes of Doctrine Pride I fear hath made both ashamed of the duty the one to teach the other to bee taught and I would that both were now humble enough to acknowledge the fruit of that neglect Vines The Impostures of Seducing Teachers c. p. 7. capacities of their hearers In the Church saith Paul I had rather speak five words with my understanding that by my voice I might teach others also than ten thousand words in an unknown though learned tongue 1 Cor. 14.19 Our Saviour is said to have taught the people as they were able Mark 4 33. not as hee was able to preach but as they were able to conceive him 4 Not about a Turpe est difficiles habere nugas durus labor est ineptiarum Martial Neither Christianity nor common prudence would have us magno conatu nugas break our arm by throwing such light feathers with our whole might Dr. Tuckny Form of Sound words Eo magis utique indignor aliquos ex hoc tempore quod sufficere nec ad necessaria quidem potest etiamsi custoditum diligentissime fuerit in supervacua majorem partem erogare Non vace ad istas ineptias ingens negotium in manibus est Seneca Ep. 49. I should be seech them that are in the office of Teachers that they would take heed to themselves and to the doctrine 1 Tim 4.16 and that they would teach milke or meat and not wind and not lead on people first into Criticismes before they have laid in them the plain Grammar rule of sound and whole some words that they may be Proselites to Jesus Christ not to an Opinion Vines Impostures of Seducing Teachers p. 12. trifles and things of no moment 5 Not in a way of opposition to the Truth This is a way wherein many do seek themselves but it is the direct way to their own b Their destruction is exemplified and paralleld in three terrible examples the casting down of the Angels that fell the destruction of the old world the overthrow of Sodome and Gomorrha It may make the ears of all Heresie-masters and their followers to tingle when they hear that the three great and famous Monuments of Gods sore wrath executed by his own immediate hand are brought in as examples of his vengeance against that wickedness which above all other pretends exemption and liberty from the stroak of men Vines Serm. before the H. of Com. it the Fast for the growth of Errors destruction as the Apostle hath fore-told 2 Pet. 2.1 But there were false Prophets also among the people even as there shall bee false Teachers among you who privily shall bring in damnable heresies even denying the Lord that bought them and bring upon themselves swift destruction God hath given gifts for edification Eph. 4.12 and not for destruction save onely of the Kingdome of Sin and Sathan 2 Cor. 10.4.5 Now when men will imploy their Gifts quite contrary to the ends for which they are given in building up what God would have pulled down and in pulling down what hee would have built up it is but just that they themselves should likewise perish in the ruines of it I have now done with this second Subsection Of denying Self in respect of Common Gifts In the rest that follow I shall bee more brief SVB-SECT III. Of Denying Self in good Works 1 NEgatively the meaning is not 1 That wee may not take b See Burges Vindiciae legis comfort from them for 1 God hath so ordained that much of that spiritual peace and comfort which hee dispenseth to his people should bee wrought by means of their good Works The work of righteousness shall bee peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Isa 32.17 And as many as walk according to this rule c A Christian is a new creature and walketh by rule and so far as hee walketh according to his rule peace is upon him Sibbs in loc Souls Conflict 32. peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Gal. 6.16 It is true indeed that sometimes such as are careful to maintain good works have not the comfort of them but it is not because there is not matter of comfort in them nor because they may not take comfort from them but for other reasons This is their priviledge that they may take comfort from them so that in case their souls bee cast down and disquieted within them they may warrantably charge it upon them to bee quiet and to hope in God as David did Psal 42.5.11 which they might not do in case they neglected them for 2 Where good Works are neglected there is no ground of peace at all If there bee any had it is not from the Spirit of God but from Sathan who transformeth himself into an Angel of light and it is a very great d It is a deep spiritual judgement to finde peace in an ill way Sibbs ibid. judgement There is not one word in all the book of God that speaks any comfort in this case and therefore 3 Every one is required to prove his own work in order to his own comfort Let every man prove his own work and then shall hee have rejoycing in himself alone and not in another Gal. 6.4 Mark it then shall hee have rejoycing that is when by e Gaudebit recto sui examine Grot. in loc Si post explorationem diligentem non remordeat conscientia habebit gloriam i. e. gloriationem Sasbout in loc evident proof out of the word hee hath found his work to bee good 4 According to this rule wee finde that holy men in Scripture have fetched in abundance of comfort from the evidence of their good works Then the people rejoyced for that they offered willingly because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord and David the King also rejoyced with great joy 1 Chron. 29.9 This is our rejoycing saith Paul the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not by fleshly wisdome but by the grace of God wee have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 5 We may rejoyce in the good works of others much more therefore in our own And now have