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A88418
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The Christian warfare being some serious, humble, and practical reflections on Psalm XV, wherein the princely prophet David's great and soul-ravishing question, divine answer and application, are considered / by J.L. ...
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J. L.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing L27A; ESTC R226420
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153,924
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205
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the Heart Man believes unto Righteousness and with the Mouth Confession is made to Salvation So as the Tongue is but the Minister of the Heart bringing to light such Knowledges Experiences and Notions as the Heart hath conceived and therefore before the Heart be right set the Tongue cannot but that done 't is easier to be ordered yet doth not that fully accomplish this because the Tongue is so forward and nimble an Instrument as it often runs before the Heart hath had time to deliberate and decree and therefore not seldom rashly proclaims what the Heart intended not but moved by some small displeasure vents its own frothy reproaches to the after-dislike grief and shame of the Heart The Apostle James most fully sets it forth Chap. 3. Vers 5 6 7 8 9. A little Member boasting great things behold how great a matter a little Fire kindles And the Tongue is a Fire a World of Iniquity it defileth the whole Body and setteth on fire the Course of Nature and is set on fire by Hell untameable unruly full of deadly Poison Therewith bless we God even the Father and curse we Men made after his similitude Out of the same Mouth proceed Blessing and Cursing Again we find Rom. 1.28 29. the Fruits of an evil Tongue enrolled among those Evils God gives up the reprobate Soul unto God gave them up to a reprobate Mind filled with all Vnrighteousness Debate Deceit Whisperers Backbiters Haters of God proud Boasters c. And again its Fruits are found among the seven Evils which are hateful to God Prov. 6.16 A lying Tongue a false Witness and he that soweth discord amongst Friends And besides these 't is like a continual dropping of lesser Evils for how many prophane Oaths licentious Ballads and vain idle Words doth it produce for all which an Account must be given before the Judg who will render to every one according to his Works 3. But again as the debauched Tongue is a sore Evil so under regulation of the Heart taught to speak the Truth it becomes an eminent good for with it we bless God and confess unto Salvation Again Solomon The Tongue of the Righteous is choice Silver the Tongue of the Wise Health and the Lip now Tongue and Lip are as it were the same thing of Truth shall be established for ever Again A wholesomâ— or rather healing Tongue is a Tree of Life Death and Life are in the hand of the Tongue that is in the Heart are the Issues of Life and Death radically and in the Tongue consequently as it brings forth the Treasures of it to light Whence it is manifest that after a Professor of Christ hath persuaded his Heart to speak the sincere Truth 't is the next incumbent Duty to subdue this wild Instrument to the rule of the Heart which being effected the Dictate of that Heart published by this Tongue shall be as Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver 4. Now these things proposed we shall proceed to the more express Intent of the Prophet which tho it seem in words to be confined to a narrow Compass yet it is really very comprehensive for Reproach not thy Reproacher is a fortiore reproach no Man not a Stranger who hath done thee neither good or evil much more not a Neighbour a Friend a good Man or one that hath sought thy good and most of all beware thou reproach not God or his Christ altho perhaps he hath seen fit to bring thee under Reproaches And now we shall enquire how the Man professing to be one of Christ's School ought to use his Tongue as well in giving it liberty as in bridling it I say First I fear we may often reproach even God and not perceive it For to ascribe to any Power on Earth or in Heaven what belongs to him is to reproach him Or if having a Gift natural or spiritual Riches Honour Wisdom Understanding Tongues Prayer expounding the World or the like and ascribe them to our own Industry and not to the free Gift of Grace we are Reproachers And to use our Tongues aright is to acknowledg God the Giver of every good and heavenly Gift and so to bear the Memorial of his Bounty as to have praise and thanks in our Lips daily knowing and confessing that if he had so seen fit he could have made the greatest amongst us less than the meanest of the Sons of Men yea a Slave or Worm and no Man and are still in his hand as a Vessel for Honour or Dishonour Or on the contrary Art thou poor simple and loaden with Afflictions and yet fearest God and seest another that wallowing in Sin abounds in Ease Riches and worldly Contents and yet thinks not of God once in a year if thou therefore shalt murmur or shalt in a repining Distemper of Mind say Why Lord is it thus thou reproachest him as unjust or inbenignant But to use the Tongue in this point aright is to confess that tho his hand be heavy it is much less than thy Sins have deserved Let God be true and every Man a Liar that he may be justified in all thy sayings and overcome when he judgeth Again saith Solomon Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the Poor or Prov. 17.4 He that mocketh at the Poor reproacheth his Maker Just as the Pharisee Lord I thank thee I am not as this poor Wretch c. So that there are many ways of reproaching God And to comprize all in a word every one who doth not ascribe the Life Power and Way both to will and do to him reproacheth his great and glorious Name And not less frequent are our Reproaches against the Son as it is written If we say we have not sinned we make him a Liar But to be brief in this also I say Whosoever hath the least grain of confidence in the Arm of Flesh or any heavenly Principality or Power which is on this side the Sun of our Righteousness or yet doth not account all his Privileges Merits Performances as Loss and Dung he hath a lying Tongue and reproacheth his Redeemer And to employ the Tongue in this case as we ought is to confess our selves Worms and no Men not able to make one Hair white or black nor to give ease to an aking Tooth and much less to reach out a Remedy to a sick and sinful Soul And secondly to confess Christ hath both Bounty and Power to save to the uttermost And indeed throughout the whole stream of Scripture you will find the evil proud slanderous and reproachful Tongue is that which is the Belman of a Superstitious Heart proclaiming Peace to himself in his own false and and adulterous Refuges where no Peace is 5. The next degree of Reproach is of a Brother or Friend or Neighbour which is like unto the former because Christ owns it as done to himself Forasmuch as ye did it unto one of these ye have done it unto me So as Christ may also be reproached in his
of its Glory of which we also through the good Will of Him that dwelt in the Bush shall receive if we continue faithful even Grace for Grace And now Esay's Questions are Who shall live with Christ in the devouring Fire of the Law Who shall dwell with Christ in the purifying Flames of Gospel-Baptism Of which it would seem the mad Prophet Balaam was not ignorant for his Question also was Alas who shall live when God does these things And David's Question I read thus Lord who shall sojourn under the Wings of thy covering Cherubins and be hid in thy Tabernacle from the Avenger of Blood until the great High-Priest by his Death open a way into the Holy of Holies And who then shall dwell in assurance of Salvation Peace of Conscience and Vnion with thee until thou subdue all and shalt make thy self All in All Ver. 2. 1. He that walketh in Integrity This is the first Clause of the Answer which is not expresly mentioned in either of the Sister-Texts but doubtless complicated in both and sheweth what is the first qualification in order to the attaining the Happiness proposed in the Questions namely Walking in Integrity a word as we shall observe only applied to Mountain-Worshippers but may also be read Innocency or Purity not he that is a Servant of Mammon as well as God of Belial as Christ but is wholly and entirely a Walker with God as Noah was perfect and righteous neither fraighted with his own Rags of Merit but empty innocent and unspotted from the Garments of the Flesh neither an Idolater for these build Tabernacles of their own and seek to natural Mountains and shall in vain cry to them to hide them or fall upon them in the day of the Wrath of the Lamb coming to plead with all Flesh in Fire The word for Integrity is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tummim from the root to be perfect or compleat and also to be consumed worn and defective which contrariety is no strange thing in the holy Tongue nor is without a mysterious purpose And here by complication is Perfection Integrity or Innocence acquired by being consumed or wasted in its own Wisdom and Merit Not such a one as saith I am whole and need not a Physician but that which is made perfect by suffering even to a total consumption of the Arm of Flesh and all Creature-Comforters and thereby brought to an empty Innocence and made fit to receive of that Fulness which is in Christ for without such a Consumption 't is impossible to live in Christ and without that Life no dwelling with him in the Gospel-Fire or the everlasting Hill So as this Integrity cannot come by the multitude of Bullocks or Rams or Rivers of Oil Duties or Performances but by payment of the best Fruits and by after-acknowledgment of nakedness and emptiness that is by finding all outward Dependencies winnowed away by him whose Fan is in his hand who filleth the empty with good things and sendeth the rich away empty So as Tummim hath a Legal and Evangelical Interpretation for as it consumeth it is the Act of the Law whose Ministry is to impose a heavy Yoak and more and more to thrust Thorns into the proud Flesh discovering the nakedness and infirmities thereof and being not able to take away guilt it at length brings all under condemnation but then as it is the School-master to Christ and this Consumption the Bruiser of Worldly Wisdom and introducer of Humility Meekness and Emptiness which are the very swadling Bands of the new Birth it is the Foundation of Gospel-Grace which is the true Tummim or Perfection And thus I understand this Text He walking in Integrity or Innocency acquired by the consumption of the Arm of Flesh replenish'd and made perfect in the Fulness of Christ And indeed during the first Tabernacle there was no walking in Integrity save by being made dead to Performances and bearing up by Faith upon the Promises and Faithfulness of the Promiser for thus did the Fathers of old obtain a good report And for the better explaining of this Integrity we shall observe to whom of the Fathers it was ascribed which was only to Mountain-Worshippers Noah Abraham Jacob and Job and not again to any until our Lord saith Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect Of Noah it is said He was a just Man and perfect which was consummated in him when in the Ark all fleshly Dependence was consumed To Abraham God said I am the Almighty walk before me and be thou perfect which in like manner was effected in him when he sacrificed the promised Seed in whom he and all Nations were to be blessed for then was he empty of all outward Hopes The Character of Jacob was a perfect the English plain Man dwelling in Tents which was verified in him when he went over Jordan with his Staff only in his hand Lastly Job a Son of Abraham but not of Jacob a Man perfect and fearing God every way eminent for consumption even reduced to that emptiness he brought into the World with him Naked I came and naked I shall go He also was eminent for Patience and not offending with his Tongue and yet often boasts of his * Integrity Tummah Job 27.5.31.6.2.9 Which doubtless must be this by Consumption for surely to have boasted of any other Perfection before God had bin to have offended greatly with his Tongue and indeed sometimes his Discourse with God desiring him not to spare would seem peremptory if not in order to such a Consumption So as these Pillars of the Mountain-Church are best Expositors of a Man of Tummim namely empty in himself but full in the Wariness of Noah Faith of Abraham Prayer of Jacob Patience of Job 2. Now therefore the Gospel-perfect Man is he that walked in the Faith of Christ and is wholly consumed in his own Righteousness or Performances how choice soever they be for in a Christian's Life there is no Medium but either to work perfect Righteousness or to cry out Unclean unclean For if a Man fulfil the Royal Law he hath done well and hath whereof to boast but if he offend in one point he is guilty of all and must pronounce himself unclean from head to foot and seek a Mediator which he can never find as long as he hopes in his own Merits or thinks he has one sound part in him for surely there is not a Man but he alone that confesseth himself wholly unclean is in the streight way to Perfection according to the words of our Saviour John 9.41 Jesus faith unto them If you were blind you should have no Sin but now you say We see and therefore your Sin remaineth The Prophet Isa 42.19 hath a remarkable Passage in harmony with this Who is blind except my Servant and deaf like my Messenger I will send Who is blind like him that is * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifieth such a