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A17416
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The signes or An essay concerning the assurance of Gods loue, and mans saluation gathered out of the holy Scriptures. By Nicholas Byfield, one of the preachers for the citty of Chester.
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Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.
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1614
(1614)
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STC 4236; ESTC S118320
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26,778
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156
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hatefull hurtfull affections it will make a lion become a lambe and a beare or a wolfe or a cockatrice to be willingly guided euen by a little childe c. 4. It extinguisheth or greatly dulleth the sauor of earthly things and makes a man heauenly minded 5. This and such like other affects are altogether set downe by the Apostle Iames in his third Chapter and the seuenteene and eighteene verses 12. Loue of God OVR loue to God may bee knowen First by the sincere and incorrupt loue of the Lord Iesus the sonne of his loue Secondlie by the loue of his image in al the saints of God that are begotten by him Thirdly by the base estimatioÌ„ of the world and the lusts thereof for if anie man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him Fourthly by a deliberate inward inflamed estimation of God aboue all things accounting his louing kindenesse better then life and the signes of his fauour our greatest ioy Fifthly by our delight in his presence which is then approued 1. If wee loue to speake often to God by praier and heare him speake often to vs in his other ordinances 2. If we loue and long for his appearing 3. If we bewaile his absence as a bitter crosse 4. If we set the Lord daily be ore vs. 5. If we loue his house Sixthly by our care to keepe his commandements and to be as he is in holinesse which may be further tried 1. If we willinglie receiue his commaundements for this is the loue of God that wee keepe his commandements his commandements are not grieuous 2. If we serue him with all our hearts and all our soules 3. If it be our care to walke in al his waies and not to offend in any thing Seuenthly by our sensiblenesse of his dishonor if we be more vexed for his dishonour then our owne disgrace Eightly by remembring his benefits and magnifying his mercies for what wee loue we easily praise Ninthlie by our care not onely to do his wil but to please him being more incouraged with his praise and approbation then the praise of al men 10. By a willingnes to suffer anie thing for his sake 11. By a detestation as of sinne because God hates it so of sinners because they hate God 12. By our desire to stirre vp our affections after God auoiding what might steale away our hearts from him and delighting in al the waies by which our hearts might be inflamed towards him and to this end taking heede to our selues 13. By our running to him in all aduersitie making him our defence our rocke our refuge in all trouble to them we first runne to make our mone whom we most loue 14. By our willingnesse affectionatelie to doe the meanest office vnto God or Christ or for his sake this was a signe that Marie loued much because she was content to wash with her teares and wiped with her haire the very feete of Christ. 15 By our humility in the sence of Gods loue to vs for ere the more a Christian discouers Gods loue to him the more his affection to God makes him seeme base vile in his owne eies 16 By our sorrow for our sinnes and willingnesse to forsake and cut off from vs the most gainefull gainefull and pleasing corruptions this is ment by the circumcising of the heart that we might loue God 13. The sacraments THe sacraments are sure seales and infallible pledges of Gods loue and our saluation to the worthie receiuer and he receiues worthelie First that desires to search his heart and examine his life before he receiue Secondly that discernes the Lords body that meditates oft and is in knowledge infallibly perswaded of the inward effectual presence of the Lord to he worthie receiuer Thirdlie that eates with sorore herbs that is that comes with some measure of sence and feeling with thâ— burthen of his sinnes desire to make them his greatest sorrow Fourthlie that resolueth and purposeth and inwarldlie couenaunteth in his soule to deuote himselfe to God and godlinesse and to striue against euerie sinne that â—hee knowes may offend God Fifthlie that constantlie desires to beleeue Gods mercie in Iesus Christ to his owne soule in particular and comes with a perswasion in some measure of the operation of God in the inward grace of the sacrament Sixthly that feeles the ioies of Gods presence and the working of Gods spirit inwardly sealing in his heart the perswasion of his interest in Gods promises bearing witnesse to his spirit that God is graciously reconciled in Christ and his sinnes are pardoned c. Seuenthly that loues all the brethren and desires to bee furthered in all holie communion with them both in grace and glorie being readie to witnesse before God and men his resolution to honour and cleaue to them aboue all other professions sorts of meÌ„ in the world Eightly that desires to liue in peace and godlie vnitie and willinglie forgiueth al that haue trespassed against him 14. The feare of God THe true feare of God may be discerned first by effects secondly by the properties of it First The true feare God workes a care endeuour to serue God and keepe his commaundements and by the feare of God men depart from euill For it teacheth men to hate euill as pride arrogancie the euill way and a froward mouth the wise man saith He that walketh in vprightnesse feareth the Lord and by that signe he may bee knowne euen by aconsionable care to walke vprightlie with God in holie life Secondly it casts out carnall feares he is not in much feare of men that can kill the bodie that is truely touched with the feare of God that can destroy both body and soule hee feares not their feare nor the feares of the wicked men but in some measure sanctifies God in his heart Thirdlie It makes a man desirous and capable of sauing knowledge for this feare of God is the beginning of wisedome Secondlie there bee fiue properties of the true feare of God First it is sincere for he that truelie feares God 1. Feares Gods offence aswell as pnnishment 2. Hee will feare Gods presence being carefull to aâ—oide such sinnes as no eie sees but Gods 3. He will feare God though he see no reward in his hand 4. He feares Gods word and is more troubled and humbled by the threatning of it then by the threatning of anie mortall man and will obey the voice of Gods seruants whatsoeuer comes of it 5. He will obey against reason affection profit or pleasure for so saith the Lord to Abraham now I know thou fearest God seeing thou hast not withheld thy sonne thy only sonne Secondly it is filiall not seruile which may appeare in fiue
The obedience of Christ for he is the author of eternall saluation to them that obey him 11 Sauing knowledge For this is eternall life to know God and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ. It is not onely a signe of eternall life or saluation but the beginning and part of it 12 The Sacraments in the right vse of them are infallible signes of our saluation and to that end ordained for he◠that belieueth and is baptised shall bee saued Hence it is said Baptisme saueth vs they are sure seales of the righteousnesse of faith 13 The loue of God for if a man loue Christ the Father will loue him and come vnto him and dwell with him 14 The feare of God for it is a fountaine of life to depart from the snares of death 15 Loue of our enemies for it is not onely a signe of a Christian but of a perfect Christian. 16 Desire of death For a crowne of life is layed vp for all them that loue the appearing of Christ. The signes particularly expounded and first of pouertie of Spirit SPirituall pouertie may bee tried either by properties or by effect Gods poore haue eight properties First They are sensible and that first of their owne wants and misery by nature and daily sinne Secondly they know when they see Gods iudgements that it was the word of the Lord. Thirdly they tremble at Gods word and feare his displeasure while it yet hangs in the threatning Fourthly they are sensible of that speciall goodnesse of Gods mercy when a man is poore and needie he can say with Dauid mercie is good Fifthly they are sensible of their owne mortalitie they haue feeling impressions of their fading condition Secondly they are thankfull and that for lesser mercies a poore man is glad of a pennie whereas a rich man cannot bee touched with so small a fauour Gods poore will praise Gods name for the very crums that fals from his table and as anie are more poore and humble they are more thankefull Thirdlie they are teachable and willing to bee appointed and instructed it is a great signe a mans heart is not humble when he must haue so much to doe before he can bee perswaded to anie trueth or disswaded from anie sinne pride and ignorance is hard to learne Fourthly they are hungrie people especially greedie after the food in Syon they loue it they desire it they esteeme it they are satisfied with nothing better then with it it is the reliefe of their hearts foreuer And there are fiue effects of spirituall properties THe first is praier for Gods poore liue by begging if hee be poore hee will crie vnto God The second is Abnegation for this poore man renounceth his owne merits hee seeth no good will be had by deseruing for hee deserueth nothing but Gods curse in al things hee forsaketh also the world both in the lusts of it and in the companie of the wicked and all earthly things as not hauing the chiefe good in them The third is diligence in Gods worke yea Gods poore are willing to do the meanest and hardest worke God will be pleased to set them to so as they may finde fauour in his eies to be accepted with him they would account no worke too base for them to doe but they would bee glad to doe anie thing they could with their best desires and endeavours Fourthly Gods poore commit themselues all their waies to Gods care and mercie they will onely trust in the name of the Lord and bee contented to let God dispose of them as pleaseth him Fifthly The last is a feare to offend God in word or deede by their good will they would doe none iniquitie nor speake lies a deceitfull tongue should not be found in their mouth Gods poore and Gods Turtle doues are all one so in seperable are harme lesse innocencie and spirituall pouertie 2. Godlie sorrow WEE may know whetther our sorrowes be Godly if we consider First the causes Secondly the properties Thirdly the concomitants Fourthlie the effects of them For the first of them wee must consider what raiseth our sorrowes and what asswageth them for godlie sorrow is chiefelie raised for sinne and so for the sinnes of the time because others keepe not the law For Ezechiel doubt not to mark them with Gods marke that mourne for the abhomination done in Ierusalem but wee must vnderstand that this sorrow must bee simple because God is dishonored And further in sorrow for our owne sins we must mourne for al sorts of sinnes for lesser sines as well as greater for sinnes of our calling for secret sins as well as open for sins that presntlie trouble vs as well as for sinnes past for the sins feared and the corrupt inclination of our natures for beeloued gainefull and pleasing sinnes finally for the euill of our good works as wel as for euil works Now there are two notes of great vse in triall of sorrow for our sinnes the one is that wee must sorrow for sinne as it is sinne and the other is that a man should not easily satisfie himselfe in the measure till he can mourne as much for sinne as he was wont or now would for losses The Prophet Zacharias instanceth when he saith the spirit of God shold cause them to mourne as in the familie as one would mourne for the losse of their onely sonne or as in the common wealth the subiects would doe for the losse of a most worthie Prince He mentioneth their sorrow for Iosiah yet wee must know that teares are not of necessitie and specially in such natures as are voide of teares for anie other causes Secondly in asmuch as sorrow may be Godly euen for iudgements wee must vnderstand that herein our triall wil be if we can mourn rather for spirituall iudgements then for temporall and among the rest if we can feele and bewaile hardnesse of heart mourning because we cānotmourne as we ought and farther if we can be grieued as well for the offence of God as for punishment Thirdly a christian is principally stirred vp in true sorrow by the sence of Gods goodnesse so as nothing doth more fire him to a desire to abase himselfe and to humble himselfe euen in the verie dust in the sence of his owne vilenesse then to feele and finde the gracious goodnes and readinesse of God to shew mercie He feareth the Lord and his goodnesse And as godlie sorrow is raised by spirituall meanes and considerations so it is asswaged onely by spirituall meanes those sorrowes that can be healed by sports merrie companie or the like are much like the medecines vsed to helpe them but in godlie sorrow the same God that wounded them must heale and a christiā desires helpe from the same word that pierced him Thus of the causes THere are foure properties of godly sorrow which among the