happiness of a Christians condition There were some in James his time who cryed up faith James 2.18 and union and communion with Christ but were destitute of good works Well what saith the Apostle Shew me thy faith without thy works Ver. 26. and I will shew thee my faith by my works for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead Look as the body without the spirit or without breath as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 primarily signifies is dead so that faith that is without works which are as it were the breathings of a lively faith is a dead faith Though it be faith that justifieth the man yet it is works that justifies a mans faith to be right and real saving and justifying So there were some in Johns time viz. the Gnosticks who talkt high of fellowship and communion with Christ and yet walkt in darkness they lived in all impurity and yet would make the world believe that they were the only people who knew God and had fellowship with God but John tells us they were lyars 2 Cor. 6.14 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lye and do not the truth What fellowship hath light with darkness Such walk in darkness who promise to themselves the future vision of God's face whilst they go on in the wilful breach of God's royal Laws Such who say they know him and are swallowed up in the enjoyments of him and yet in the course of their liveâ— walk contrary to him such are lyars He that saith I know him 1 John 2.4 and keeps not his commandements is a lyar Sanctification and justification are both of them benefits of the Covenant of grace and therefore to evidence the one by the other Jer. 33.8 9. Heb. 8.10 12. can be no turning aside to the covenant of works You may run and read in the Covenant of grace that he that is justified is also sanctified and that he that is sanctified is also justified and therefore why may not he that knows himself to be really sanctified upon that very ground safely and boldly conclude that he is certainly justified O Sirs the same spiriâ— that witâ—esses to a Christian his justification can shine upon his graces 1 Cor. 2.12 1 Joh. 4.13 14. and witness to him his sanctification as well as his justification and without all controversie 't is as much the office of the Spirit to witness to a man his sanctification as 't is to witness to him his justification But you will say Sir pray what should be the reasons why many men have and why some do still cry down marks and signs and deny sanctification to be an evidence of mens justification c. and speak disgracefully of this practice that is now under consideration I conjecture the Reasons may be such as follow First Many Professors take up in a great name and in a great profession and in great parts and gifts though they have never found a through change 1 Thes 5.23 John 3.3 5. 2 Cor. 5.17 Acts 26.28 though they have never past the pangs of the new birth though they have never experienced what it is to be a new creature a throughout Christian And hence it comes to pass that they make head against this way of evidencing the goodness and happiness of a mans condition by inward gracious qualifications Of all men these are most apt to out-run the truth and to run from one extream to another and to be only constant in inconstancy But Secondly Many professors are given up to spiritual judgments which are the sorest of all judgments viz. luke-warmness dead-heartedness formality indifferency Apostacy blindness hardness and to strong delusions that they should believe a lye 2 Thes 2.10 11 12. because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved Now is it any wonder to see such men quarrel and wrangle and rail against the way and method of evidencing the goodness and happiness of a mans spiritual condition by inherent gracious qualifications But Thirdly In some this ariseth from their lusts which they indulge and connive at and which they have a mind to live quietly in they are desirous to keep their peace and yet unwilling to forsake their lusts and hence they exclude this witness of water or sanctification to testifie in the Court of Conscience whether they are beloved of God or whether they are sincere hearted or no or whether they have the root of the matter in them or no for the want of this witness water or sanctification is a clear and full witness against them that they are yet in their sins under wrath and in the way to eternal ruin and that they have nothing to do with peace Isa 57. ult Psal 50.16 or comfort or the promises or Christ or heaven to take God's name into their lips seeing they secretly hate to be reformed There are many fair Professors that are foul sinners and that have much of God and Christ and heaven and holiness in their lips when they have nothing but sin and hell in their hearts and lives These mens conversions shame their profession and therefore they cry out against sanctification as a sure and blessed evidence of a mans justification Such sinners as live in a course of sin that make a Trade of sin 1 Thes 2.12 that indulge their sins that take up arms in defence of sin that make provision for sin that make a sport of sin that take pleasure in sin and that have set their hearts upon their sins such sinners can't but look upon the witness of sanctification as the hand-writing upon the wall Dan. 5.5 6. But Fourthly There are many who are great strangers to their own hearts and the blessed Scriptures and are ignorant of what may be said from the blessed Word 'T is sad to be a stranger at home and to be least acquainted with a mans own heart Aristotle to evidence the lawfulness of this practice that is under our present consideration And hence it comes to pass that they cry down marks and signs and deny sanctification to be a sure and blessed evidence of mens justification Ignorat sane improbâ—â— omnis ignorance is the source of all sin the very well-spring from which all wickedness doth issue 'T is said of knowledge non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Ignorance inslaves a soul to Satan it lets in sin by Troops locks them up in the heart shuts out the means of recovery and so plaisters up a mans eyes that he can't see the things that belongs to his own or to others internal or eternal peace The Scripture sets ignorant persons below the Ox and the Ass Did men either see the deformity of sin Isa 1.3 or the beauty and excellency of holiness they would never delight in the one nor cry down the other Peter 2 Pet. 2.12
Men of publick spirits shall never die as Jehoram did undesired and unlamented Men of publick spirits lye most open to snares temptations and oppositions c. This all sober Christians well understand and therefore they can't but pray hard for such The names the lives the liberties the estates and all the concernments of men of publick spirits alwayes lye nearest their hearts who lye neerest to the heart of Christ Men of the greatest name and of the greatest renown and that have had the greatest stock of prayers going for them all the world over have been men of publick spirits But Sixthly and lastly When Christians of publick spirits come to dye their publick spiritedness and general usefulness will be no small comfort and cordial to them Nehemiah was a man of a publick spirit and accordingly he pleads it with God Think upon me Neh. 5. ult See Chap. 13.22 O my God for good according to all that I have done for this people This was that which sweetned death to Hezekiah I beseech thee O Lord to remember now how I have walked before thee in truth 2 King 20.3 Acts 13.36 and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight And when David had served his generation he fell asleep Sleep is not more welcom and sweet to a labouring man than death is to him who has made it his business his work sincerely and faithfully to serve his generation Such Magistrates 2 Tim. 4.7 8 9. John 17. Ministers and Christians who have made it their business according to their different measures faithfully to serve their generation have found the King of terrors to be but the King of desires to them when death to men of narrow selfish spirits hath been like the hand-writing upon the wall Dan. 5.5 6. very terrible Many score Instances might be produced out of History to evidence this Take one for all Henry Beauford that rich and wretched Cardinal Bishop of Wâ—nchester and Chancellour of England a man swallowed up in self interest in the Reign of Henry the Sixth when he perceived that he must dye Acts and Mon. fol. 925. and that there was no remedy O! how terrible was death to him and O! how did he murmur and fret and vex at death that his riches could not reprieve him till a further time For saith he wherefore should I die being so rich if the whole Realm would save my life I am able either by policy to get it or by riches to buy it Fie upon death saith he will not death be hired will money do nothing I might instance in men of a higher rank but then I should exceed the bounds of an Epistle The second sort of men that my self and all others are bound 1. Highly to prize 2. Cordially to love And 3. Greatly to honour Are men of charitable spirits men of merciful spirits men of tender and compassionate spirits The Hebrew word for godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies merciful to note that the godly man is the merciful man and the merciful man is the godly man Loving kindness is an ingredient unto godliness The godly man is frequently called Chasid gracious or merciful it notes one that hath obtained mercy goodness grace piety and benignity from the Lord and that is pious kind The Italian form of begging is Do good to your selves gracious and merciful to others Though charity bounty is the most compendious way to plenty and giving to getting and scattering to encreasing and layings out to layings up Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth Ver. 25. The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Yet how few in our dayes do honour the Lord with their substance Prov. 3.9 Mic. 4.13 how few look a this as a duty to consecrate any part of their gain unto the Lord or of their substance to the Lord of the whole earth Most men now carry it as if God himself had last his propriety and as if there were no rent-penny due to his poor But yet some there are who have liberal hearts and open hands Deut. 15.11 some there are who do open their hands wide to the poor and needy Now here give me leave to say Mat. 25. Prov. 31.8 9. That these 1. Discharge their consciences in the duty of charity 2. These rightly improve the talents of mercy with which they are intrusted 3. These treasure up a stock of prayers Job 29.13 2 Tim. 1.16 both for themselves and theirs the blessing and the prayers of them that were ready to perish will come upon them and theirs 4. These evidence the liveliness of their faith James 2.17 Even so faith if it hath not works is dead being alone Ver. 18. Yea a man may say thou hast faith and I have works shew me thy faith without thy works and I will shew thee my faith by my works Ver. 26. For as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead also 5. These take the surest way the readiest course to assure their own souls of Gods eternal favours and mercies to them 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that be rich in this world Ver. 18. That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate Ver. 19. Aeterna vitae vera vlta Aug. Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life Charitable Christians are as wife Merchants happy Usurers parting with that which they cannot keep that they may gain that which they cannot lose 6. These take the surest way to draw down more outward mercies upon themselves The fountain is not diminished Pedagog 3. c. 7 Clemens Alex. but augmented by giving water to the thirsty The widows oyl did increase by running we do not lose but increase our mercies by imparting of them for God's honour and the comfort and benefit of others Luk. 6.38 Give saith Christ and it shall be given to you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running over shall men give into your bosom The Jews more large and loose garments so that they could bear away much in their bosoms Hence this expression into your bosom The meaning is That the Lord will largely reward the beneficence of his people yea that he will so reward them that they shall perceive that they are rewarded Honour the Lord with thy substance Prov. 3.9 10. so shall thy Barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine God will certainly bless their substance who honour him with their substance The Jews at this day Godw Heb. â—ntiq 27.7 though they are not in their own Countrey and though they have not a Levitical Priesthood yet those who will be reputed Religious amongst them do distribute the tenth of their increase to the
This is made good by ten Arguments Page 60 to 65 Six considerable things about probabilities of grace Page 65 66 67 68 69 If a Christian can't say he has grace yet he should not say he has no grace for he may have grace and yet not know it Page 81 82 He that prizes the least dram of grace above ten thousand thousand worlds certainly that man has true grace in him Page 200 T is the wisdom and ought to be the work of every Christian to own the least measure of grace that is in him though it be mixed and mingled with many weaknesses infirmities Page 332 333 'T is the wisdom and should be the work of every Christian to look upon all his graces and gracious evidences as favours given him from above as gifts dropt out of heaven into his heart as flowers of Paradise stuck in his bosom by a divine hand Page 333 334 335 When you look upon your graces in the light of the spirit it highly concerns you to look narrowly to it that you don't renounce and reject your graces as weak and worthless evidences of your interest in Christ c. Page 335 336 337 The spirit does four things in respect of our graces Page 348 Christians may safely rejoyce in their graces Page 349 350 351 The more grace any man hath the more clear the more fair the more full the more sweet will his evidences be for heaven c. Page 378 379 380 381 382 When your graces are strongest and your evidences for heaven are clearest and your comforts rise-highest then in a special manner it concerns you to make it your great business and work to act faith afresh upon the free rich and glorious grace of God and upon the Lord Jesus Christ Page 382 383 384 385 H Of the hatred of sin An Hypocrite can't hate sin as sin Page 303 304 305 True hatred of sin includes six things Page 305 306 307 308 Of the heart and of keeping of it Where the constant standing frame of a mans heart desires and endeavâ—urs are set for God Christ Grace Holiness there is a most sure and infallible work of God upon that mans soul Page 127 128 129 130 131 132 A gracious heart is an uniform heart Page 161 162 163 164. A gracious heart sets himself most against his darling sin his bosom sin his constitution sin c. Page 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 He that has given up his heart and life to the Rule Authority and Government of Christ he has a saving work of God upon him Page 203 204 That man that will cleave to Christ with full purpose of heart that man shall certainly be saved Page 204 205 That man that makes it his principle care his main business his work of works to look to his heart to watch his heart to reform his heart that man doubtless hath a saving work of God upon his heart Page 205 206 207 208 209 210 Ten wayes shewing how men should keep their hearts Page 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 There are many that are great strangers to their own hearts Page 339 Of Hypocrites First an Hypocrites inside is never answerable to his outside An Hypocrites inside is one thing and his outside another thing Page 287 288 Secondly no Hypocrite under heaven is totally divorced from the love and liking of every known sin Page 288 289 290 291 Thirdly an Hypocrites heart is never throughly subdued to a willingness to perform all known duties Page 291 292 293 Fourthly There is never an Hypocrite in the world that makes God or Christ or holiness or his doing or receiving good in his Station Relation or Generation his grand end his highest end his ultimate end of living in this world Page 294 295 296 297 Fifthly no Hypocrite under heaven can live wholly and only upon the righteousness of Christ the satisfaction of Christ the merits of Christ for justification and salvation Page 297 298 299 300 Sixthly an Hypocrite never embraces a whole Christ he can never take up his full rest satisfaction and content in the person of Christ in the merits of Christ in the enjoyment of Christ alone Page 300 301 302 303 Seventhly an Hypocrite can't mourn for sin as sin nor grieve for sin as sin nor hate sin as sin nor make head against sin as sin Page 303 304 305 Eighthly no Hypocrite is habitually low or little in his own eyes no hypocrite has ordinarily mean thoughts of himself or a poor esteem of himself Page 308 309 310 311 312 Ninthly no Hypocrite will long hold out in the work and wayes of the Lord in the want of outward incouragements and in the face of outward discouragements Page 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 Tenthly no hypocrite ever makes it his business his work to bring his heart into religious duties and services Page 318 319 320 321 Eleventhly an hypocrite never performs religious duties from spiritual principles nor in a spiritual manner Page 321 322 323 324 325 Twelfthly no hypocrite in the world loves the Word or delights in the Word or prizes the Word as 't is a holy Word a spiritual Word a beautiful Word a pure Word a clean word Page 325 326 327 328 329 Thirteenthly and lastly an hypocrite can't endure to be tryed and searcht and laid open Page 329 330 331 I Of judging our selves We must not judge our selves Hypocrites by those things that â—he Scripture never makes a character of an Hypocrite Page 74 75 76 77. We must not judge our selves hypocrites for such things which being admitted and granted to be true would unavoidably prove the whole generation of the faithful to be Hypocrites Page 77 78 79 In judging of our spiritual estates and conditions we must alwayes have an eye to our natural tempers complexions c. Page 79 80 81 Of judgments Spiritual judgments are the worst of judgments Page 338 L Of love to the Saints No man can truly love grace in another but he that has true grace in his own soul Page 189 190 Six wayes whereby men may certainly know whether their love to the Saints be real or not Page 190 to 200 M Of singular manifestations Some Christians live under the singular manifestations of divine love Page 341 342 Of Melancholy The evil effects of Melancholy Page 72 73 74 Of merciful men Such as are truly and graciously merciful are blessed c. Page 34 35 36 Of true mourners Such as are true mourners are blessed Page 32 N Of Name and of a great Name Many Professors take up in a great Name Page 337 338. O Of Obedience If your obedience springs from faith then your estate is good then you have assuredly an infallible work of God upon your souls Page 132 Seven wayes to know when your obedience is the obedience of faith with the resolution of some considerable questions about obedience worthy of serious consideration Page 132 to 161 P Of the Promises The
is laid up for me a crown of righteousness How plainly how fully how with open mouth as I may say does he conclude his right to the crown of Righteousness so called partly because 't is purchased by the righteousness of Christ and partly because he is righteous that hath promised it and partly because 't is a just and righteous thing with God to crown them with glory at last who have for the Gospel sake and his glory sake been crowned with shame and reproach in this world and partly if not mainly because 't is a crown that can only be had or obtained in a way of righteousness and holiness from his graces and gracious actings in this world I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith yea 't is further observable that in the blessed Scripture we are strongly prest to do good works that by them we may make our calling election and salvation sure 2 Pet. 1.10 Wherefore the rather brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure By good works so say all the Latine Copies and so say some Greek Copies though not those that our English Translators have been pleased to follow and that is the reason why those words by good works are not in our English Bibles but he that shall seriously weigh the scope of the Apostle in this place he must of necessity grant that good works are to be understood thoâ—gh they are not exprest in the Text and that of the Apostle in 1 Tim. 6.16 17 18. seems plainly and strongly to sound the same way The second Maxim or Consideration SEcondly consider That true sound solid marks signs and evidences are the best way to prevent delusions there is no such deceit in sound and solid evidences as there is in fleshy joyes and in high and strange raptures by which many glistering Professors have been sadly deceived and deluded Young Samuel being not acquainted with any extraordinary manifestations of the presence and power of God took the voice of God from heaven to be the voice of old Ely 1. Sam. 3.5 Ah how many have there been in our dayes that have taken the irregular motions of their own hearts and the violent workings of their own distempered fancies and imaginations and Satanical delusions to be the visions of God celestial raptures divine breathings and the powerful impulses of the Spirit of God and so have been stirred up to speak write and act such things that have been not only contrary to the holy Word of God but also contrary to the very Laws of nature and Nations Satan by transforming of himself into an Angel of light hath seduced and ruined many Professors 2 Cor. 11.14 v. Gerson in his Book de probatione spirituum of the trial of spirits against whom as an Angel of darkness he could never prevail Gerson tells a remarkable story of Satans appearing to a holy man in a most glorious and beautiful manner professing himself to be Christ and because he for his exemplary holiness was worthy to be honoured above others therefore he appeared unto him but the good old man readily answered him that he desired not to see his Saviour in this wilderness it should suffice him to see him hereafter in heaven and withal added this pithy prayer O let thy sight be my reward Lord in another life and not in this and so he became victorious over Satan though he had transformed himself into a glorious Angel of light but such a a victorious crown has not been set upon every ones head to whom Satan has appeared as an Angel of glory See Dr. Casaubon and Dr. Moore concerning Enthusiasm Certainly they that stand so much so mightily for an immediate testimony seem to open such a gap to Enthusiasm as will not be easily shut yea how will they be ever able to secure to purpose poor souls from sad delusions for how easie a thing is it for Satan who is the father of lyes Joh. 8.48 who is an old deceiver Gen. 3.13 1 Tim. 2.14 who is the grand deceiver Rev. 12.9 Rev. 13.14 Rev. 19.20 Rev. 20.10 who has his devices Cor. 2.11 his wiles Eph. 6.11 his snares 1 Tim. 3.7 his depths Rev. 2.24 to find various artifices to counterfeit this immediate testimony and bear witness in the spirits stead so that when poor souls thinks that they have the Spirit of grace and truth to assure them that all is well and shall be for ever well with them they have none but the father of lyes to deceive them they have none but the devil in Samuels mantle to put a soul-murdering cheat upon them I am not fond of advising any poor souls to lay the stress of their hopes of heaven and salvation meerly upon immediate impressions lest they should subject themselves to infinite delusions O Sirs the way of immediate Revelation is more fleeting and inconstant such actings of the Spirit are like those outward motions that came upon Sampson Judg. 13.25 The Spirit came upon him at times and so upon every withdrawment new doubts and scruples arise but the trial of a mans estate by grace is more constant and durable saving grace being a continual pledge of God's love to us flashes of joy and comfort are only sweet and delightsom whilst they are felt but grace is that immortal seed that abideth for ever 1 John 3.9 But The third Maxim or Consideration THirdly consider In propounding of evidences for men to try their spiritual and eternal estates by there are two special Rules for ever to be minded and remembred and the first is this That he that propounds evidences of grace which are only proper to eminent Christians as belonging to all true Christians he will certainly grieve and sad those precious Lambs of Christ that he would not have grieved and sadded Look as there is a strong faith and a weak faith Mat. 15 28. and Chap. 8 26. It is one thing to shew you the properties of a man and another thing to shew you the properties of a strong man 1 Pet. 2.3 1 John 2.1 12 13 14. v. so there are evidences that are proper to a strong faith and evidences that are proper to a weak faith Now he that cannot find in himself the evidences of a strong faith he must not conclude that he has no faith for he may have in him the evidences of a weak faith when he has not the evidences of a strong faith in him in Christ's School House Church there are several sorts and ranks of Christians as babes children young men and old men and accordingly Ministers in their preaching and writing should sort their evidences that so babes and children may not be found bleeding grieving and weeping when they should be sound joying and rejoycing Secondly no man must make such characters marks or evidences of a child of God which may be found in an hypocrite a Formalist c. for this were to
people and to approve of his people and to delight in his people and to interpret his people according to the common bent frame disposition resolution unfeigned desires and constant endeavours of their Souls But c. Thirdly If your obedience be the obedience of Faith then your estate is good then you have assuredly an infallible work of God upon your souls Quest But how shall we know whether our obedience be the obedience of Faith or no how may a man discern when his obedience springs from Faith Answ You may certainly know whether your obedience be the obedience of Faith or no by these following particulars First That obedience that springs from Faith is a full obedience a universal obedience David did look upon his universal obedience as a special testimony of his uprightness Psal 119.6 Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Mark the Psalmist doth not say When I obey all thy Commandments then shall I not be ashamed but When I have a respect to all thy Commandments then shall I not be ashamed Now a respect to all Gods Commandments notes an inward awe and reverential eye towards every duty that God requires The rule is good and true Quicquid propter deum fit equaliter fit he who doth serve and obey God for Gods sake will equally obey all that God commands him No one Command is unjust or unreasonable to himâ— whose heart is upright in obedience c. Seneca describing a vertuous man Epist 120. saith of him that he is Idem semper et in omni actu par sibi Bacharti from â—achar the word notes a careful and diligent choice upon good tryal and proof The words according to the Hebrew may be read thus Then shall I not blush when my eye is to all thy Commandments Now you know the Traveller hath his eye towards the place whither he is going and though he be short of it yet he is still a putting on and pressing forwards all he can to reach it So when the eye of a Saint is to all the Commands of God and he is still a pressing forwards towards full obedience such a Soul shall never be put to the blush such a Soul shall never be ashamed in the great day of our Lord Jesus So Acts 13.22 I have found David the son of Jesse a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all my wills to note the sincerity and universality of his obedience So Acts 24.16 And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence toward God and toward men So Heb. 13.18 We trust we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly That obedience that springs from Faith doth neither dispute Divine Commands nor divide Divine Commands one from another Zacharias and Elizabeth were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless Luke 1.5 6. That obedience that springs from Faith is a full obedience a universal obedience It is universal in respect of the subject the whole man and 't is universal in respect of the object the whole Law Mark he who obeyes sincerely obeyes universally though not in regard of practice which is impossible yet 1. In regard of his will and desires his will and desire is to obey all Rom. 7.18 For to will is present with me Psal 119.5 O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes 2. In respect of election or choice he chooses to obey all Psal 119.173 Let thine hand help me for I have chosen thy Precepts The word here rendred chosen signifies to choose upon tryal and examination I have chosen thy Precepts before all and above all other things I have chosen thy Precepts for my chiefest good and for my only treasure I have chosen thy Precepts to own them to follow them and to obey them 3. In respect of approbation he approves of all the Commands of God as holy just and good he highly approves of those Royal Commands that he cannot perfectly obey Rom. 7.12 Wherefore the Law is holy and the Commandment holy just and good And Verse 16. I consent unto the Law that it is good He assents to the Commands of God as holy and he consents to them as good 4. In respect of affection he loves all the Commands of God he dearly loves those very Commands that he cannot obey Psal 119.97 O how I love thy Law Such a pang of love he felt as could not otherwise be vented but by this pathetical exclamation O how love I thy Law Verse 113. I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Verse 163. I hate and abhor lying but thy Law do I love Verse 119. Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross therefore I love thy testimonies Verse 127. Therefore I love thy Commandments above Gold yea above fine Gold Verse 159. Consider how I love thy Precepts Verse 167. My Soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly 5. In respect of valuation or esteem he highly values all the Commands of God he highly prizes all the Commands of God as you may see by comparing these Scriptures together Psal 119.72 127 128. Psal 19.8 9 10 11. Job 23.12 6. In respect of his purpose and resolution he purposes and resolves by divine assistance to obey all to keep all Psal 119.106 I have sworn and will perform it that I will keep thy righteous Judgments Psal 17.3 I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress 7. In respect of his inclination he has an habitual inclination in him to keep all the Commands of God 1 Kings 8.57 58. 2 Chron. 30.17 18 19 20. Psal 119.112 I have inclined my heart to perform thy Statutes alwayes even to the end 8. In respect of endeavours they endeavour to keep all Psal 119.59 I turned my feet unto thy testimonies There is no man that obeyes God truly who doth not endeavour to obey God fully and thus you see in what respects that obedience that flows from Faith is a full obedience a universal obedience A child of God obeyes all the commands of God in respect of his sincere desires purposes resolutions and endeavours and this God accepts in Christ for perfect and compleat obedience This is the glory of the Covenant of Grace that God accepts and esteems of sincere obedience as perfect obedience Such who sincerely endeavour to keep the whole Law of God they do keep the whole Law of God in an evangelical sense though not in a legal sense In the work of Conversion Ezek. 11.19 20. God infuseth all Grace together and writes not one particular Law in the hearts of his children but the whole Law which is a universal Principle inclining the Soul impartially to all The gracious Soul sincerely falls in with every command of God so far as he knows it without prejudice or partiality he dares not
in their day have laid down such things for evidences or characters of grace which being weighed in the ballance of the Sanctuary will be found too light But here a mantle of love may be of more use than a lamp and therefore Secondly Many yea very many there are whose graces are very weak and much buried under the earth and ashes of many fears doubts scruples strong passions prevailing corruptions and diabolical suggestions who would give as many worlds as there be men in the world had they so many in their hands to give to know that they have grace and that their spiritual estate is good and that they shall be happy for ever Now this Treatise is fitted up for the service of these poor hearts for the weakest Christians may turn to many clear and well-bottomed evidences in this Treatise and throw the Gantlet to Satan and bid him prove if he can that ever any prophane person or cunning hypocrite under heaven had such evidences or such fair certificates to shew for heaven which he has to shew The generality of Christians are weak they are rather Dwarfs than Gyants 1 Pet. 2.2 3. 1 John 2.12 13 14. Isa 40.11 they are rather bruised Reeds than tall Cedars they are rather Babes than men Lambs than sheep c. Now for the service of their souls I have been willing to send this Treatise into the world for this Treatise may speak to them when I may not yea when I cannot yea which is more when I am not Famous Mr. Dod would frequently say He cared not where he was if he could but answer these two Questions 1. Who am I And 2. What do I hear am I a child of God and am I in my way But Thirdly Some there are who are so excessively and immoderately taken up with their Signs Marks and Evidences of grace and of their gracious state c. that Christ is too much neglected Where Christ was born they were all so taken up with their guests that he was not minded nor regarded when others lay in stately rooms he must be laid in a manger Luke 2.7 and more rarely minded by them their hearts don't run out so freely so fully so strongly so frequently so delightfully towards Christ as they should do nor as they would do if they were not too inordinately taken up with their Marks and Signs Now for the rectifying of these mistakes and the cure of these spiritual maladies this Treatise is sent into the world we may and ought to make a sober use of characters and evidences of our gracious estates to support comfort and encourage us in our way to heaven but still in subordination to Christ and to the fresh and frequent exercises of faith upon the person blood and righteousness of Jesus But O! how few Christians are there that are skil'd in this Work of Works this Art of Arts this Mystery of Mysteries But Fourthly Some there are who in these dayes are given up to Enthusiastical Fancies strange Raptures Revelations and to the sad delusions of their own hearts crying down with all their might all discoveries of Believers spiritual estates by Scripture Characters 2 Thes 2.9 10 11. Marks and Signs of Sanctification as carnal and low and all this under fair pretences of exalting Christ and maintaining the honour of his Righteousness and Free-grace and of denying our selves and our own righteousness Though sanctification be a branch of the Covenant of grace as well as Justification Jer. 33.8 Ezek. 36.25 26 27. yet there are a sort of men in the world that would not have Christians to rejoyce in their sanctification under a pretence of reflecting dishonour upon their free justification by Christ. There are many who place all their Religion in opinions in brain-sick notions in airy speculations in quaint disputations in immediate Revelations and in their warm zeal for this or that form of worship Now that these may be recovered and healed and prevented from doing further mischief in the world I have at this time put to a helping hand But Fifthly No man can tell what is in the breasts in the womb of divine Providence The Brathmanni had their graves before their doors The Sybarites at Banquets had a deaths head delivered from hand to hand by every guest at the Table The Egyptians in the midst of their Feasts used to have the Anatomy of a dead man set before them as a memorandum to the guests of their mortality The poor Heathen could say that the whole life of man should be meditatio mortis a meditation of death Dwell upon that Deut. 32.29 Prov. 27 1. no man can tell what a a day a night an hour may bring forth Who can sum up the many possible deaths that are still lurking in his own bowels or the innumerable hosts of external dangers which beleaguer him on every side or how many invisible arrows flie about his ears continually and how soon he may have his mortal wound given him by one of them who can tell Now how sad would it be for a man to have a summons to appear before God in that other world before his heart and life is changed and his evidences for heaven cleared up to him The life of man is but a shadow a post a span a vapour a flower c. Though there is but one way to come into the world yet there are many thousand wayes to be sent out of the world and this should bespeak every Christian to have his evidences for heaven alwayes ready and at hand yea in his hand as well as in his heart and then he will find it an easie thing to die The King of terrors will then be the King of desires to him and he will then travel to glory under a spirit of joy and triumph We carry about in our bodies the matter of a thousand deaths and may die a thousand several wayes several hours As many senses as many members nay as many pores as there are in the body so many windows there are for death to enter in at Death needs not spend all his arrows upon us a Worm a Gnat a Fly a Hair a stone of a Raisin a kernel of a Grape the fall of a Horse the stumble of a Foot the prick of a Pin the pairing of a Nail the cutting one of a Corn all these have been to others and any of them may be to us the means of our death within the space of a few dayes nay of a few hours Don't it therefore highly concern us to have our evidences for heaven cleared sealed shining and at hand Naturalists tell us That if a man sees a Cockatrice first the Cockatrice dieth but if the Cockatrice sees a man first the man dies Certainly if we so see death first as to prepare for it as to get our evidences for heaven ready we shall kill it but if death sees us first and arrests us first before we are prepared
Oppressor no Defrauder c. A formal Professors obedience to Divine Commands does principally lye in negatives he considers not so much what the Command requires as what it prohibits and he pleases himself rather in abstaining from evil than in doing of good in being outwardly reformed than in being inwardly renewed he thinks it enough that he turns from sin though he makes no Conscience of turning to God If you ask him concerning affirmative Commands there you will find him speechless Ask him art thou holy art thou humble art thou heavenly art thou sincere art thou a Believer dost thou set up God as the great object o thy fear dost thou love God with a superlative love is the Sabbath of the Lord a delight unto thee c. Now here you strike him dumb he looks upon the neglect of these things as no sins Isa 8.13 Psal 18.1 Isa 58 1â— because they are not such scandalous sins as the others are Remember Sirs sinful omissions many times leads to sinful commissions as you may see in the Angels thaâ— fell from Heaven to Hell and as you may see in Adam who fell from his highest glory into a woful gulf of sin and misery But Fourthly If your obedience spring from Faith then you will endeavour to obey God in the Spirit of the Command as well as in the letter of the Command In every Command of God there is an intra and an extra one part of Christs Law binds the Flesh and another part binds the Spirit Thou shalt do no Murther Matth. 5.21.22 Verse 27 28. there is the letter of the Command Thou shalt not be angry with thy Brother without a cause there is the Spirit of the Command Thou shalt not commit Adultery there is the letter of the Command Thou shalt not look upon a Woman to lust after her there is the Spirit of the Command The Pharisees of old did not look to the Spiritâ—ality of the Law but only to the Letter of the Law they rested wholly upon an outward conformity to the Law when their hearts were full of Hellish lusts they were all for the outside of the Law they regarded not the inside of the Law they were all for washing of Platters and Cups and for beautifying of Tombs like an Adulteress Matth. 23.23 Phil. 3.6 Rom. 7.9 Could a man come up to all affirmative and negative Precepts in his outward conversation yet if he were not spiritual in all these his obedience would be but as a body without a Soul The Pharisees rise high in their outward obedience and yet Christ clearly and fully convinces them that they were wretched Adulterers and Murderers though they were not guilty of any such outward crimes c. whose care is to paint and set a fair face upon a foul matter they were all for paying Tythe of Mint and Annise and Cummin but they regarded not the inside of the Law they omitted the weightier matters of the Law viz. Judgment Mercy and Faith While Paul walked by the letter of the Command he was blameless in his own account but when he came to walk by the Spirit of the Command then sin revived and he dyed Friends there are the more general duties of Religion as Hearing Praying Reading Receiving Fasting Repeating Discoursing c. Now these all lye in the very letter of the Command and there are the more inward and spiritual duties of Religion as the exercise of Faith fear love hope joy patience contentation humble submission and chusing of God and cleaving to God and delighting in God and admiring of God and exalting of God and following hard after God and holy Meditation and Self-examination c. Now all these lye in the very spirit of the Command Now in the exercise of these more spiritual duties our fellowship and communion with God mainly lyes In the more general duties of Religion an hypocrite may manifest the excellency of his gifts but in the more spiritual duties of Religion a sincere Christian doth manifest both the excellency and efficacy of grace Mark an unsound heart looks no further than to the bare letter of the command to bare hearing and bare praying and bare preaching and bare fasting and bare giving and bare receiving and bare suffering he looks no further than to that part of the command which only binds the flesh or outward man and if he does but observe that in the gross he thinks he hath done marvellous well like a melancholy man that matters not what melody and harmony he makes so he does but touch the strings of the instrument But now a found a sincere Christian he looks to the Spirit of the command and if he does not come up to that in sincere desires in gracious purposes in fixed resolutions and in cordial endeavours he can have no peace no rest no quiet no comfort O Sirs as ever you would see God and enjoy God another day you must labour not only to obey the letter of the command but also to bring your hearts to the sincere obedience of the Spirit of the command This is a very close piercing distinguishing and discovering sign But Fifthly If your obedience springs from faith then you will labour not only to obey God in the matter but also in the manner of the command not only in the substance of the command but also in the circumstance of the command God requires the manner as well as the matter and God looks upon that work as not done that is not done in a right manner Did not the Lord command sacrifice and did not Cain offer sacrifice Gen. 4.5 and yet God had no respect to him nor to his offering because his sacrifice was not offered up in a right manner his offering was not offered up by a hand of faith he offered his offering but because he did not offer himself as an offering to God his offering was rejected by God A work may be materially good Luther that is not formally and eventually good and this was Cain's curse How frequently did God command the Jews to pray Isa 1.15 and yet he plainly tells them When you spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when you make many prayers I will not hear He commanded them to sacrifice and yet he saith To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices Verse 11. and all because they did not manage their prayers nor sacrifices in a right manner their hands were full of bloud and their hearts were full of sins and their lives were full of lewdness and therefore all their services were vain oblations yea an abomination to God An unfound heart looks no further than to the substance of the command if he has heard and prayed and fasted and read and repeated and given alms and received the Lord's Supper he strokes himself and blesses himself and hugs himself and thinks all is well and so he looks no further But now a sound
couragious and be valiant or sons of valour as the Hebrew runs And so a Christian must lay the command of God before him as his highest encouragement to do what God requires of him c. Fifthly and lastly Our obedience must be bottomed and grounded upon the commands of God to difference and distinguish our selves from all hypocrites formalists superstitious and prophane persons whose obedience is sometimes bottomed upon the Traditions of men and sometimes upon the commandments of men 'T was the sin of the Ten Tribes that they complyed with the command of Jeroboam and his Princes Isa 29.13 14. Mat. 15.1 to 10. Mark 7.8 to 10. Hos 5.11 12. to worship the Calves at Dan and Bethel and for this the wrath of the Lord fell heavy upon them Ephraim is oppressed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after the commandment And sometimes their obedience is bottomed upon the examples of men sometimes their obedience is bottomed upon the examples of their forefathers and ancestors Jer. 44 17 18 c. Joh. 7.48 49. Jer. 10.3 The customs of the people are vain c. and sometimes upon the examples of great men This was that which the Pharisees objected against believing on Christ Have any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him but this people who knoweth not the Law are cursed And sometimes they bottom their obedience upon the example of the multitude This was Demetrius his argument against Paul Acts 19.26 27. on the behalf of Diana that all Asia and the world did worship her and therefore the doctrine of Paul that they be no Gods which are made with hands was falfe and not to be suffered This hath alwayes been and is still the common plea of many We do but as the most do and sure a great many eyes can see more than one or two And hereupon they exclaim against others for their singularity because they won't do as the rest of their neighbours do But Thirdly That obedience that springs from faith is a growing obedience 't is an abounding obedience such a man's desires will study and labour is to get up to the highest pitch of obedience to get up to the highest round in Jacob's ladder Rev. 2.19 I know thy work and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first The Angel of the Church of Thyatira 'T is not every believers happiness always to make a progress in grace Solomon and Asa and others run retrograde Saints have their winter seasons they have their decaying times and withering times as well as their thriving times their flourishing times Rev. 2.4 is commended First for his love 2. For his charity 3. For his faith And 4. For his patience And in the general course of his life he daily became more excellent for his latter works were more than the first that is they were more manifest proofs of his constancy and more worthy of praise than the first This faithful Pastor is commended for his holy progress in grace and holiness So Paul Phil. 3.12 Not as though I had already attained either were already perfect but I follow after if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus Ver. 13. Brethren I count not my self to have apprehended but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before Ver. 14. I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth emphatically import a pressing with an eager pursuit after the mark It is the same word that signifies to persecute because the earnestness of his spirit in pressing toward the mark now is the same that it was in the persecution of those that pressed toward the mark before Look as good runners when they come near unto the mark stretch out their heads and hands and whole bodies to take hold of them that run with them or of the mark that is before them so he in his whole race so laboured unto that which was before as if he were still stretching out his arms to take hold of it If such a man might have his choice he would be the most humble the most holy the most heavenly the most mortified the most patient the most contented the most thankful the most fruitful the most active the most zealous and the most self-denying Christian in the world 1 Pet. 1.15 16. Mat. 5. if he might have his choice he would be holy as God is holy and perfect as his heavenly father is perfect he would do the will of God on earth as those Princes of glory the Angels do it now in heaven viz. freely readily cheerfully delightfully universally reverentially and unweariedly c. if he might have his choice Eccl. 9.10 he would exercise every grace and perform every duty with all his might he sees so much excellency and beauty in God and Christ that he can't be at rest till he be swallowed up in the enjoyment of them he sees so much excellency in grace that nothing but perfection of grace will satisfie him he makes perfection not only his utmost end but he also labours after perfection with his utmost strength and endeavours When God is made the one of a mans desires the one of a mans affections the one of a mans life and comfort then will he be the one of a mans endeavours too That obedience that springs from faith when 't is not winter-time with a Christian is a fruitful obedience 't is an abounding obedience 't is a progressive obedience Look as the mercy and favour of God to a believer is not stinted nor limited so the obedience of a believer to God is not stinted or limited but now the obedience of hypocrites is alwayes stinted and limited this command they will obey but not that this duty they will do but not that this work they will attend but not that c. Fourthly That obedience that springs from faith is the obedience of a son not of a slave 't is a free voluntary evangelical obedience and not a legal servil and forced obedience Psal 110.3 Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holiness in the Hebrew 't is willingness in the plural number to shew their exceeding great willingnesses Psal 27.8 When thou saidest seek ye my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek By face is meant 1. God himself Exod. 20.3 Before my face that is before me 2. His favour Jer. 18.17 I will shew them the back and not the face in the day of their calamity Now no sooner had God given forth a word of command for the Psalmist to seek himself and to seek his favour but presently his heart did eccho to that command Thy face Lord will I seek So Jer.
he takes yet it 's his purpose in his journey to rest there at night or as it is with a man that comes to Church his end is to hear the Word of the Lord yet in every word he hears spoken he hath not the thought of his end upon his spirit but he is there by vertue of his first intention So here though in every particular there be not an intention of spirit to level this or that action to the glory of God yet it is the main drift and habitual scope of a mans spirit that Gods glory may be the end of all his actions Thirdly There is a mediate and there is an immediate eying or looking to the glory of God as when I forbear such or such a sin because God by such a command hath forbidden it or I do such or such a duty because God hath commanded it Now in eying of the command of God I eye the glory of God immediately though not mediately But Fourthly In some particular or special cases I ought actually to eye the glory of God As 1. In some eminent or extraordinary service that I am to do for Christ Or 2. In some special testimony that I am call'd to give for Christ or his Gospel Or 3. In some great thing that I am call'd to suffer for Christ or his Gospel or his interest But Fifthly The more a Christian actually eyes the glory of God in all he does the more 1. He glorifies God 2. The neerer you are the life of heaven and the more you act like the glorious Angels and the spirits of just men made perfect 3. The more will be your joy comfort and peace both in life and death and in the day of your account 4. The more strong will be your confidence and assurance that your spiritual estate is good and that you shall be saved for ever 5. The better you will be able to bear up under all the false hard and sowre censures of this world 6. The more you will be temptation proof 7. The more glorious and weighty will be your crown of glory at last he shall be highest in heaven who has actually aimed most at the glory of God in this lower world And thus you see how you may know whether your obedience is such an obedience as springs from faith or 〈◊〉 Now if upon trial you shall find that your obedience is the obedience of faith then you may safely and groundedly conclude that you have a saving work of God upon your hearts But Fourthly A gracious heart is an uniform heart Ubiquity is a sure evidence of integrity He that is truly good will be good in bad times and in the worst of places Psal 119.112 1 John 3.9 Hosea 6 4. principles of grace and holiness are lasting yea everlasting they are not like the morning cloud nor the early dew A gracious soul will be steddy and fixed in his principles in the worst times in the worst places and under variety of dispensations let times and places be what they will he will not dishonour his God nor blemish his profession nor wound his conscience to preserve his safety or to secure his liberty An upright man is a right man So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jashar is rendred by the Septuagint Judg. 17.6 He is one that will not be bowed or bent by the sinful customs or examples of the times and places where he lives Gen. 6.9 Abraham was righteous in Chaldea and Noah was perfect in his generation though it was the worst in the world and Lot was just in Sodom Job 1. and Job was upright in the Land of Uzz which was a place of much prophaness and superstition and Nehemiah was couragious and zealous in Damasco and Daniel was holy yea eminently and exemplarily holy in Babylon The several generations wherein these holy men lived were wholly devoted to wickedness and superstition and yet these precious gracious souls had wholly devoted themselves to the Lord and his service Psal 119.20 So David My soul breaketh for the longing it hath to thy judgments at all times Let the times be never so dangerous licentious superstitious idolatrous or erronious yet David's heart was strongly carried forth to Gods judgments that is to his Word for under this title Judgments you are to understand the whole Word of God So there were some in Sardis that were of the same spirit with the worthies last mentioned Rev. 3.4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments and they shall walk with me in white for they are worthy Psal 119.1 2 3. In polluting times pure hearts will keep themselves pure a holy heart will keep himself undefiled even in defiling times Rev. 14.4 These are they which were not defiled with women when others are besmeared all over Dan. 3.17 18 19 20. he will keep his garments white and clean The three Children or rather the three Champions were so highly resolved to keep themselves pure from the abominations of their day that it was neither Nebuchadnezzars musick that would flatter them nor his fiery furnace that could scare them from their God or from their Duty or from their Religion Let the times never so often turn you shall find that he that is really holy he will be holy under every turn no turns shall turn him out of a way of holiness Job 17.9 The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger The Lawrel keeps its freshness and greeness in the Winter season a gracious soul is semper idem let the wind Psal 125.1 and the world and the times turn which way they will a gracious soul for the main will still be the same he is like mount Zion which cannot be removed Job 27.5 6. Till I die I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live A gracious heart is in some measure like the heart of God without variableness or shadow of changing That Christian that is not for substance Jam. 1.17 the same that once he was was never what he ought to be A gracious heart is firm and fixt for God and godliness both in prosperity and in adversity take him among the good or among the bad take him in storms or calms in Winter nights or in Summer dayes take him among friends or foes take him at bed or board take him in health or sickness take him in an Ordinance or out of an Ordinance take him in his work or take him at his recreations take him in his commerce or in his converse take him living or take him dying and you shall still find that the byass of his soul is still God-wards Christ-wards Holiness-wards and Heaven-wards A gracious man will stand his ground Josh 24.15 Psal 112.7 Mal. 3.6 The poor Heathen could say that
the rewards of man with a hundred other things may be very prevalent to reform the life to regulate the outward conversation and to keep that in some due decorum and yet all these things will be found too weak too low to change the heart to reform the heart to mend the heart to purifie the heart Acts 15.9 To this great work there are principles of a higher nature required Purifying their hearts by faith 'T is not a guard of moral vertues but a guard of saving graces that can keep the heart in order to reform the heart to keep the heart in a gracious frame is one of the best and hardest works in the world Prov. 4.23 Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life The Text is about matter of life and death The words are mandatory for all counsels in Scripture carry in them the force of a command In the words you have two things observable 1. A duty enjoyned Keep thy heart with all diligence 2. The reason or motive inforcing it For out of it are the issues of life In the duty there are two things considerable 1. Here is the subject matter the thing that is to be done and that is Keep thy heart This duty is charged upon all in peremptory and undispensable terms 2. Here is the manner how it must be done and that is With all diligence Keep The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Natsar to keep hath various significations but the main is to keep in safe custody we should keep our hearts as under lock and key that they may be alwayes at hand when the Lord shall call for them c. Thy heart By the heart the we are not to understand that particular vital member of the body that in common speech we call the heart Heart is not here taken properly for that noble part of the body which Philosophers call the primum vivens c. ultimum moriens the first that lives and the last that dies But by heart in a metaphor the Scripture sometimes understands some particular noble faculty of the soul sometimes the heart is put for the understanding Rom. 1.21 Their foolish heart was darkned that is their understanding was darkned sometimes 't is put for the will and affections Mat. 22.37 So Prov. 23.26 Deut. 10.12 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind that is with thy will and with all thy affections The will is the chiefest power of the soul as the heart is the principal part of the body Mat. 8. and it commands all the affections as the Centurion did his servants Job 27.6 sometimes 't is put for the conscience 1 Joh. 3.20 If our heart condemn us God is greater â—han our heart and knoweth all things that is if our conscience condemn us justly then our case must be assuredly sad because God knows much more by us than we know by our selves and can charge us with many sins that conscience is not privy to Psal 19 12. sometimes 't is put for the memory Psal 119.11 Thy word have I hid in my heart that is in my memory So Luke 2.19 But here 't is taken comprehensively for the whole soul with all its powers noble faculties and endowments together with their several operations all which are to be watched over With all diligence or as the Hebrew runs With all keeping The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shamar signifies Cato Cicero Seneca Socrates and others have laid down excellent rules for the government of the outward man but n one for the government of the heart to keep with watch and ward A Christian is to keep a perpetual guard about his heart A Lapide notes that the Hebrew word is borrowed from military affairs We should keep our hearts as soldiers keep a Garrison with watch and ward Lavater jumps with him and tells us that the word Shamar is taken from a besieged Garrison begirt by many enemies without and in danger of being betrayed by treacherous Citizens within in which danger the soldiers upon pain of death are commanded to watch Junius reads the word thus Keep thy heart Supra omnem custodiam above all keeping So Hierom reads Prae omni custodia above all keeping keep thy heart that is keep keep watch watch c. So Rhodolphus reads it Prae omni custodia and so we read it in the Margin of our Bibles And the Syriack reads it in the same manner that our English doth Cum omni cautione with all caution and wariness we are to keep our hearts O what guards and double guards O what watches and double watches should men put upon their hearts These words keeping keep import both a universal watchfulness over the heart and a diligent watchfulness over the heart and a constant watchfulness over the heart and thrice happy are those persons who keep such a watch upon their hearts A man is to keep his eye and keep his mouth and keep his feet but above all keeping he is to keep his heart 'T is a duty incumbent upon every Christian to keep his own heart Keep thy heart Thy self thou mayest make another thy Park-keeper or thy House-keeper or thy Shop-keeper or thy Cash-keeper or thy Horse-keeper or thy Nurse-keeper but thou must be thy own Heart-keeper Keep thy heart with all diligence some understand this of all kind of watchfulness The Hebrew word is applyed to several sorts of keeping As First It is applyed to those that are the keepers of a prison Gen. 39.21 22 23 So Job 7.12 where dangerous Fellons or Malefactors are to be looked to that they don't break away 1 King 20.39 Keep this man so Joseph was made the Keeper of the prison The Hebrew word is the same with that in Prov. 4.23 Now O â—ow diligent how vigilant are men in looking after their prisoners even so should we be in looking after our hearts c. Secondly It signifies to keep as men would keep a besieged Garrison Hab. 2.1 or City or Castle in time of war So 't is used in that Hab. 2.1 Now what strong guards what watchful guards do men keep up at such a time A gracious heart is Christ's Fort-royal Now against this Fort Satan will imploy the utmost of his strength art craft and therefore how highly does it concern every Christian to keep a strong guard a constant guard about his heart But Thirdly It signifies to keep as the Priests and Levites kept the Sanctuary of God the Temple of God and all the holy things that were committed to their charge So the word is often used by the Prophet Ezek. 44.8 15 16 c. The Temple and all the vessels of the Temple were to be kept pure and clean and sweet Our hearts are the Temples of God the Temples of the holy Ghost and therefore we should alwayes keep a strong
that are in the soul faith is as the spring in the watch that moves the wheels not a grace stirs till faith sets it at work What is said of Solomons vertuous woman viz. Prov. 31.15 27 Heb. 11. Rom. 4.3 8.24 Zech. 12.10 That she sets all her Maidens to work is most true of faith faith sets all the graces in the soul at work We love as we believe and we obey as we believe and we hope as we believe and we joy as we believe and we mourn as we believe and we repent as we believe all graces keep time and pace with faith c. Now when your graces are most shining and your evidences for heaven are most sparkling O then give faith elbow-room give faith full scope to exercise it self upon the Lord Jesus Adams obedience to innocency was not more pleasing and delightful to God than the exercise of your faith on the Lord Jesus will be at such a time pleasing and delightful to him you are to look upon all your graces and gracious evidences as your highest encouragement to a lively cheerful 1 Joh. 5.13 Rom. 1.17 and resolute acting of faith upon the person of Christ the righteousness of Christ c. All a Christians graces and all his gracious evidences should be but as a golden bridge Gen. 45.19 21 27. or as Josephs wagons a means to pass his soul over to Christ afresh by a renewed exercise of faith When your graces and gracious evidences are most splendent then be sure that Christ be found lying as a bundle of myrrhe between your breasts and all is well and will be well Dear Christians Cant. 1.12 when your eyes are fixt upon inherent righteousness Plutarch in the life of Phocion tells us of a certain gentle-woman of Ionia who shewed the wife of Phocion all the rich jewels and precious stones she had She answered her again all my riches and jewels is my Husbands This is more applicable to Christ c. The precious stone Opalum is said to have the vertue of all stones the brightness of the Carbuncle the purple colour of the Amethist the amiable greenness of the Emerald but what are all these to Christ and upon your gracious evidences then let your hearts be firmly fixt upon the Lord Jesus Christ and his imputed righteousness Pauls eye was fixt upon his grace upon his better part Rom. 7.22 I delight in the Law of God after the inward man Ver. 25. And with my mind I serve the Law of God And yet at the very same time his heart was set upon Christ and taken up with Christ Ver. 25. I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ Though Paul had an eye to his noble part his better part his regenerate part yet at the same time his heart was taken up with the Lord Jesus Christ as freeing of him from the curse of the Law the dominion of sin the damnatory power of sin and as translating of him into the glorious liberty of the sons of God I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ So in Col. 2.2 3. You have their eyes fixt upon grace and at the same time their hearts fixt upon Christ That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Their eyes were upon grace but their hearts were taken up with Christ So in Phil. 3.8 The Apostle had his eye upon the excellent knowledge of Christ But Ver. 9. his heart is taken up with the righteousness of Christ That I might be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith Though Paul had his eye upon grace upon inherent righteousness yet in the very presence of his grace his heart was taken up with Christ and with his imputed righteousness as is evident in the Text. This is your glory Christians in the presence and sight of all your graces and gracious evidences to see the free grace of Christ and his infinite spotless matchless and glorious righteousness to be your surest sweetest highest and choicest comfort and refuge Look as Rebkekah was more taken with the person of Isaac than she was with his ear-rings Gen. 24.30 53 64 65 66 67. bracelets jewels of silver and jewels of gold So it becomes a Christian in the presence of his graces and gracious evidences which are Christs ear-rings bracelets and jewels to be more taken up with Christ than with them He that holds not wholly with Christ doth very shamefully neglect Christ Aut totum mecum tene aut totum omitte Grego Nazien Christ and his Mediatory righteousness should be more in a Christians eye and always lye nearer to a Christians heart than inherent righteousness Grace is a ring of gold and Christ is the sparkling diamond in that ring Now what 's the ring to the sparkling diamond 'T is not safe to pore more upon inherent righteousness than upon imputed righteousness 'T is not wisdom to have our thoughts and hearts more taken up with our gracious dispositions and gracious actings than with the person of Christ the righteousness of Christ the life of Christ the death of Christ the satisfaction of Christ c. Dear Christians was it Christ or was it your graces or your gracious evidences or your gracious dispositions or your gracious actings that trod the wine-press of your Fathers wrath that satisfied divine justice that pacified divine anger that did bear the curse that fulfill'd the Law that brought in an everlasting righteousness that discharged your debts that procured you pardon that made your peace and that brought you into a state of favour and friendship with God If you answer as you must none but Christ none but Christ O then let your thoughts and hearts be firstly mostly chiefly and lastly taken up with the Lord Jesus Though inherent grace be a glorious creature yet 't is but a creature Now when your thoughts and hearts are more taken up with inherent grace than they are with Christ the spring and fountain of all grace you make an idol of inherent grace John 1.16 Col. 2.2 3. and reflect dishonour upon the Lord Jesus A Christian may lawfully look upon his graces and his gracious evidences and a Christian ought to be much in blessing and praising of God for his graces and gracious evidences and a Christian may safely take comfort in his graces and gracious evidences as they are the fruits of God's eternal and unchangable love Isa 38.3 2 Cor. 1.12 but still his work should be to live upon Christ and to lift up Christ above all 'T is Christ 't is his Mediatory righteousness 't is free-grace that a Christian ought to make the
chief and only ground and bottom of his hope and comforts Though good old Jacob did really rejoyce in the chariots and wagons that Joseph had sent to bring him down to Egypt Gen. 45.26 27 28. yet he did more abundantly rejoyce in this that Joseph was alive and that shortly he should see and enjoy Joseph himself Though a Christian may really rejoyce in his graces and gracious evidences yet above all he ought to rejoyce in Christ Jesus to triumph in Christ Jesus Gal. 6.14 Phil. 3.3 2 Cor. 2.14 Col. 3.11 and to take up in Christ Jesus as in his great all There is a great aptness and proness in many may I not say in most gracious Christians to gaze so much and so long upon their graces upon their gracious dispositions upon their gracious evidences and upon their gracious actings that too often they neglect the exercise of faith upon Christ upon the promises they gaze so much and so long upon what is wrought in them and done by them that they forget their grand work which is immediate closing with Christ immediate embracing of Christ immediate relying upon Christ immediate staying rowling and resting upon Christ for justification and salvation Now from these frequent miscarriages of Christians some have taken the liberty and boldness very hotly and peremptorily to cry down the total use of all characters signs and marks the evil of which I have formerly pointed at and therefore let this touch suffice here Grace is excellent yea very excellent but Christ is infinitely more excellent than all your graces and therefore above all let Christ still have the preheminence Col. 1.18 Now though it must be granted that a Christian may lawfully make use of his graces and gracious evidences in order to his support comfort and encouragement yet it cannot be denyed but that the noblest purest highest and most excellent acts and exercises of faith Cant. 8.5 Job 13.15 Psal 42.5 11. Isa 50.10 Mic. 7.7 8 9 10 John 20.27 28 29. are when a Christian closes with Christ embraces Christ hangs upon Christ and stayes himself upon Christ and upon free and precious promises when sense and feeling fails when joy and comfort fails and when his gracious evidences for heaven fails O now to turn to Christ and to turn to the breasts of a promise and to live upon Christ and to hang upon a promise is the way of wayes to exalt Christ and to glorifie Christ there is nothing that pleases Christ or that delights Christ or that is such an honour to Christ as these pure actings of faith are Signs and evidences are most sweet comfortable and pleasing to us but the pure actings of faith are most eyed and valued by Christ Cant. 3.1 2 3 4 5. 5.3 4 5 6. and therefore many times Christ draws a curtain between him and the soul and causes a Christians Sun to set at noon and damps his joy and marrs his peace and clouds his evidences for heaven on purpose to train up his children in the pure actings of faith 'T is sad when Christians make such immoderate use of their signs marks evidences as damps and hinders those direct and immediate acts of faith whereby they should receive Christ and apply Christ and rest upon Christ alone for pardon peace reconciliation justification and salvation he that pores so long and so much upon his graces or gracious evidences as shall hinder him from the fresh and frequent actings of faith upon Christ he casts contempt upon Christ Christ is an incomparable cordial he is worthily called the consolation of Israel Luke 2.25 Though the sight of a Christians graces and gracious evidences be very comfortable and delightful to him yet the sight of Christ should be ten thousand times more comfortable and delightful to him O Sirs what are the favourites to the King himself What are the servants to the Lord they wait on what are the friends of the Bridegroom to the Bridegroom himself what are all the bracelets and jewels to the Husband that gives them no more are all a Christians graces or gracious evidences to the Lord Jesus himself A Christian should say to all his gifts graces evidences and services Stand by make room for Christ make room for Christ Oh! none but Christ Oh! none to Christ Living by signs is most natural pleasing and comfortable to us but living by faith is most honourable to Christ It is said the just shall live by his faith not by his evidences Hab. 2.4 Heb. 10.38 When men pride themselves in their evidences and when men secretly lean upon their evidences instead of leaning upon Christ and when men bottom their hopes and comforts upon their signs and evidences when they should be bottoming of all their hopes and comforts upon Christ on a sudden Christ withdraws and the soul is immediately filled with clouds fears doubts darkness and all a mans graces and gracious evidences are eclipsed and he can see nothing nor feel nothing but deadness hardness barrenness hypocrisie unbelief self-love guilt c. which makes him a Magor-Missabib a terror to himself Now the design of Christ in all this is to train up his people in a life of faith and to teach them in the want of their signs and evidences Col. 3.3 4. Col. 1.27 how to live above their signs and evidences upon himself who is their life their hope their heaven their happiness their all Now Christians the best way to prevent these sore soul-distresses is in the moderate use of your signs and evidences to live much in the fresh and frequent actings of faith upon the Lord Jesus and in so doing you will neither grieve Christ nor provoke Christ nor wrong your own precious and immortal souls But The sixteenth and last Proposition that I shall lay down is this When ever any fresh doubts or fears rise in your hearts upon the stirrings of corruptions or debility of graces or failing in duties c. then keep closs to these two Rules First have recourse to any of the former characters that are laid down in this Book and while you find any of them shining in your souls nay though it were but one never pass any judgment against the happiness and blessedness of your spiritual or eternal estates Secondly turn your selves to such particular promises and plead such particular promises and rest and stay your trembling souls upon such particular promises Sirtorius paid what he promised with fair words Plutarch But so does not God men may eat their words but God won't eat his and cling fast to such particular promises that have been comforts cordials and supports to many weak doubting trembling Christians who have been alwayes afraid to say they had grace or to say that God was their Father or Christ their Redeemer or the Spirit their Sanctifier or Heaven their Inheritance c. I have read of a woman that was much disquieted in conscience even to