believe And lastly So supported by Patience as it will without grudging or hanging down the head wait for the appointed time of receiving the Reward Again We pray not that we may sound forth pleasant words before God or in hope we have in the Duty wrought our Peace and Joy but we pray to the end he may support us in our Trials establish Faith strengthen Patience make us humble meek merciful charitable and endow us with those Graces against which there is no Law and in the mean time we must not be slothful our selves supposing we have done enough in that we supplicated for them but daily to stir up our Minds Wills and Affections and whole Oeconomy of Man in a fervent Inquest after them and therefore it is not sufficient to hear but also to do as the Apostle saith expresly Not the Hearers of the Law but the Doers shall be justified Again Seest thou how Faith wrought with his Works and by Works was Faith made perfect So as even Faith is not Faith except supported by a holy working Life nor yet Works without Faith which in part gives a Reply to Solomon's Question Who is this that cometh out of the Wilderness leaning upon her Beloved For so Faith supports Works and Works make his Faith perfect and therefore to hear and not learn and believe is unprofitable and to hear learn and believe and not to do is of loss adding Grief to Sorrow for he that knows the Will of his Lord and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes But St. James sets a clear Looking-glass before us Lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted Word which is able to save your Souls but be ye doers of the Word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves so as it is manifest that to hear and not to do is a living under a spiritual deceit To which he adjoins Who so is a hearer and not a doer sees but only in a spiritual Glass what the Spiritual Man is even as he that in a Glass beholdeth his natural Face for as this Man goeth away and straight forgets his own Portrait so the other forgets what manner of Man he ought to be in spiritual Conversation But whose looketh into the perfect Law of Liberty and seeth that Grace alone can save and not Works and yet continueth not being a forgetful hearer but a doer of the Work this Man shall be blessed in his doing If any perswade himself he is Religious and bridleth not his Tongue his false Heart deceiveth him his Religion is vain Pure Religion and undefiled before God is this To visit the Fatherless and Widow in their Affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the World Which fully confirms that the pure Life of Religion consists in Love Charity Justice Mercy Humility c. against which there is no Law nor will suffer the Soul to be barren Again Zach. 7.5 When ye fasted and mourned these seventy years did ye fast a Fast unto me And when ye did eat and drink was it not ye your selves that eat and drunk i. e. to your selves as natural Men do without regard to my solemnities And are these the things the Lord hath cryed by the former Prophets Thus saith the Lord of Hosts The judgment of Truth judg ye Grace and Mercy do ye every one with his Neighbour which is as much as this is pure Religion and undefiled Again Isa 58.5 Is this such a Fast as I have chosen a Man for a day to afflict his Soul to hang down his Head as a Bull-rush and to spread Sackcloth and Ashes Wilt thou call this acceptable to the Lord Is not this the Fast that I have chosen To loose the Bands of Wickedness to undo heavy Burdens to let the Oppressed go free to break every Yoke to deal thy Bread to the Hungry to cover the Naked c. Then shall thy Light break forth as the Morning thy Righteousness shall go before thee the Glory of the Lord thy Reward Again our Lord Whoso teacheth these things and doth them shall be greatest in the Kingdom who teacheth and doth not shall be least And fully to this purpose a large Current of Scripture runs yet may we fear that not a few are more zealous in the former and less in the great Oportet But this seeming in my Mind a Matter of moment I shall more fully state the Case We formerly divided Religion into Contemplative and Practical and now Practical which in our Gospel-day holds the Scepter we divide into Doctrinal Teaching Reading Learning Instructing Reproof Exhortation c. All which as I may say have a thread of Contemplation through their whole Weft And Obedience which is due to the Hearing Doctrine and Teaching aforesaid the Ground and Fundamental of that first depends on the written Word and gifted Men called to speak a word in season to every Soul labouring in the great Vineyard The dependence of this is in the Service of the Soul and Body as God hath made them willing to live up in the Obedience and Practice of the Vertues contained in the lovely Sisterhood aforesaid Now I say these two are verily but one Bone and one Flesh joined together as Man and Wife in so strict a Necessitude as the one without the other is like a barren dry Tree the first or Doctrinal Part begetting the second or Soul made obedient is the Mother which bringeth forth Now the Scripture oft-times teaching the mutual Necessitude which is between the Church and its Members compares it to and illustrates it by that Union which is between Man and Wife So as in some Texts reading but the Doctrinal Part the Man and the obeying Part made willing for the Woman and we may as in a Glass behold the Merit of both as 1 Cor. 11.8 For Doctrine is not of Obedience but Obedience from Doctrine nor was Doctrine given for Obedience but Obedience given and conformed to Doctrine Nevertheless neither is Doctrine without Obedience nor Obedience without Doctrine in the Lord For as Obedience is of Doctrine so also is Doctrine by Obedience That is Obedience without Doctrine verily is not and Doctrine without Obedience is a vain Wind. So 1 Tim. 2.8 Let Doctrine teach every where not in Contention or Vnbelief Let Obedience be decent sober modest adorned with good Works not Golden Chalices and costly Vests also let it learn and be silent For Obedience ought not to prattle of its Performances nor to assume Authority over Doctrine For Doctrine was first formed and Obedience after of a Rib of its Side neither was Doctrine deceived but Obedience fell into the Transgression Yet shall it be accepted of its Lord if it bring forth Children to Christ and abide in Faith Charity good Works Mercy and pure Religion Wherefore what remains but that Doctrine may have the rule that Obedience and the whole Retinue of the beautiful Sisterhood may lean upon their
his own disposal In all which the Soul ought to follow its Leader to march when he says March and to rest when he says Rest be it Night or be it Day Winter or Summer even as the Hosts of Israel gave obedience to the Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by Night 20. And indeed so necessary is the resignation of the Conduct of this Trial into the hands of our Lord that altho it is no other than a more full subduing the Arm of Flesh in us to a more close Union with him and a departing from our Loss and Dross for his Righteousness yet I do think it is not the Duty of any to seek to hasten it because so doing must proceed from a Confidence in our own Strength in undergoing it or a Presumption we have so well kept the Word of his Patience as in the Merit thereof we have obliged him to keep us in the Hour of Temptation But rather to pray it may not come upon us yet watch for it and having so done to rejoice in it when it comes as then knowing it is not from our selves but of God who sees fit to try and purify us as Silver in the Fire And this I gather from these Scriptures First Christ bid his Apostles Watch and pray that ye fall not into Temptation Which Saying was in the same hour the great Trial of the Cross took hold of him And again the same hour he prayed the Father That this Cup might pass from him if possible yet with resignation Not my Will be done but thine in which as in all things we ought to imitate him And again he hath taught us to pray that Our Father which is in Heaven would not lead us into Temptation by which I take it this Trial or Warfare is meant because God * There are sundry kinds of Temptations Two wherein Men tempt God the first distrusting him as where the Israelites tempted God in the Wilderness Can he prepare a Table in the Wilderness Is God among us And 2dly in presuming upon his Goodness to the neglect of our Duty as Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Mat. 4. Which was our Lord's reply to Satan tempting him to a presumptuous Exploit Also two befall Men One from God as he tempted Abraham which is not seducing or alluring to evil but a Trial how far we can deny all things even Isaac and the Promise for him The other from Satan or our Lusts alluring to Sin And thus God never tempts as 't is written Jam. 13. Let no Man say he is tempted of God for he cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any Man but a Man is tempted when he is drawn away with his own Lust and enticed A third also of this kind may be admitted tho indeed but made up of both the other namely where the holy Spirit leads or drives one to give an opportunity to be tempted and Satan and Lust lays hold of it and enticeth to evil as our Lord who was tempted in all things like us was led or as St. Mark was driven by the Spirit to be tempted of Satan But now in the great Trial all these come at once for when God saith Now is the fit hour of this or that Man's Trial the Spirit leads him forth and Sin and Lust lay their Snares But altho God may be said to tempt or prove as he did Abraham yet it is in a certain particular Vnderstanding for he as St. James saith tempteth no Man because the root and matter of the Temptation ariseth from our own Lusts or Infirmities As in Abraham tho Father of the Faithful yet was it the weakness of Faith and too great confidence in the Promise of Isaac in a fleshly Interpretation that gave the Strength and Occasion of his Temptation for if he had been perfect in Faith the Sacrifice had neither been a Trial nor had a Trial been needful because no room for Distrust or if he had not had some carnal Hopes in Isaac which God would remove there had been no need of withdrawing his Hope and fixing all Hope in God alone And therefore God rather tempted Abraham premissively than actively that in the Trial his Faith might be strengthned and carnal Hopes abolished And surely God never tempts Man otherwise By a similitude I express my meaning thus The Dugnhil while the pure and spotless Beams of the Sun shine upon it doth more abundantly thrust forth its noisom and loathsom Stinks than in its own Nature as temperant yet doth not the Sun make or augment them but only by operating and rarifying that filthy Nature in it gives it power of sending forth its Corruption more abundantly so as neither doth the Sun cause the Stink nor without it could the Dunghil so send it forth And so I say the Sun of our Righteousness deals with Dunghil-Natures not tempting them by the influences of his pure and holy Spirit but whiles it stirs up to Life and Activity they produce such effects of Corruption as are original and inbred in them tempteth not in any other manner for he doth not entice or allure to Evil but only tries and proves So that when God tempts he proves and when Satan tempts he allures to evil Whence I say we ought alway to have it in our Prayers that God would not prove or try us by Temptation but still to be diffident of our selves to fear that even when we think we stand fastest we may fall But having thus besought and being thus armed with this humble Diffidency if then God will lead us to be tried we ought cheerfully and couragiously to take up the Cross because then we go not in our own virtue but his and have his Promise he will stand by us as is written Because thou hast kept the Word of my Patience therefore will I keep thee in the Hour of Temptation which must come upon the whole World to try them that live upon earthly things And so shall such be blessed in their Trial as is written Jam. 1.2 Brethren count it all Joy when you fall into divers Temptations knowing that the Trial of your Faith worketh Patience And let Patience have its perfect Work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing And again vers 12. Blessed is the Man that endureth Temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of Life which the Lord hath promised to those that love him But let no Man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God See the Margin And in another place Fear none of these things which thou shalt suffer behold the Devil shall cast some of you into Prison that ye may be tried and ye shall have Tribulation ten days but be faithful unto Death even the Death of the Cross and I will give you a Crown of Life And it is remarkable that upon such like Trials as these God hath where the Fight hath been well fought poured in
He that in his natural state walks in full riot sinning boldly in contempt of God and Piety if God shall yet bring this Man under Conviction by strong hand his Call is usually in great terror and this usually puts him upon a more legal and superstitious way of Worship and not seldom more out of a servile fear of punishment than a true love of God or Good so as the old root of Concupiscence is not pluckt up but brought under by fear of Wrath and therefore as formerly he found that by contempt of God and Duties Wrath was exasperated So now by a more servile Fear and rigid Obedience he seeks to procure Peace and therefore is superstitious in all things rigid toward others and ready to persecute all not of his own length and measure Now if this Man be called to this War he contends stubbornly accounts free Grace a meer Harlot as Judah did Tamar believing there is no way to redintegrate what former contempt wounded but by an over-acted Zeal which might countervail it and thence as one strong hold fails him he raises another and makes every one a false Christ and runs after every one that saith Lo here or Lo there he is and often perisheth in the way But if through Mercy he escape this Snare yet is he very liable to the second temptation for now perceiving the large Arms and free Heart of Grace he for a while like Seed sown in stony ground rejoyceth in it blesseth God as large in bounty but withal hasting to the other extream despiseth his former folly in trusting to Duties counts them foolish and smiling at his former zeal therein applauds his own Wisdom in discerning their nakedness and setting him at freedom from a needless Yoke And now his servile Fear being removed the Roots of his former licentiousness not as we said before extirpated but only lopt and kept under by fear of punishment sprout forth to the great abuse of the Heavenly Gift unto wantonness Yet ought not this to discourage any Man from repenting of his evil ways for the Lord delighteth not in the death of a Sinner as it is written Ezek. 18.21 If the wicked turn from all his sins and keep my Statutes and do what is lawful and right he shall thereby live and not die all his transgressions he hath committed they shall not be mentioned to him in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live But yet upon the whole it is good to be forewarn'd and watchful over such Temptations as are most incident to that manner of sowing he hath sowed And therefore I say it behoveth all Men to remember their Creator in the days of their Youth before the evil days come and Years draw nigh when God shall say I have no pleasure in them for because when I called they refused and set at nought all my Counsel I will laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear cometh Therefore I say when God calls delay not say not in thy heart I have yet time enough to repent and turn to the Lord for few if any so hoping have found the way of Godly Sorrow but if thou hast lost some time in riot and prophaneness and at length a strong hand forceth thee to repentance let it be sincere and hearty not for fear of punishment but for love of him that called thee and his Christ that died for thee and tho thou lay thy Foundation in legal Fear yet mayest thou by Prayer Faith Experience and Patience convert it into reverential Love Which endeavour for legal Fear is often servile and servile Fear is an hypocritical bridling Sin for base ends and as soon as Grace stops the cries of Guilt it slacks the Reins and Lust takes its career but Love digs up the Root of whatsoever thing is hateful to its Beloved and is most pleasing to God and Man Fear I say of the sin-revenging God may as with an Anvil and Hammer break a flinty heart in pieces but every piece is still Flint but Love like Oil shall make it supple and plaint and the more as Grace and forgiveness of Sin manifest themselves it loves and becomes more obedient But if yet thou hast not obtained Love yet do not hope to expiate thy former evil life with any Righteousness of thy own and above all esteem not the persecuting or reproaching a Brother any kind of Merit but if he hath offended thee forgive him as thou desirest God should forgive thee And again while legal Duties bear a high rate in thine Eyes yet still let what is thy own Act be of mean account Know God will try it and it will be found light in his Ballance and so being humble in thy own eyes walking in consumption of the Arm of Flesh in love with thy Brethren and watching for the day of thy Tryal thou shalt find favour and God shall deliver thee in six Evils and the thus Hast thou bin formerly licentiously wicked and now art a Convert If thou dost hope to clear Scores with God by restraining thy Lusts excedency of Merit and yet but a servile fear and terror of the Sword of Justice it is the Spring and Plumet of thy Obedience it must fall out that when Grace shews it self to the taking away the Fear that also thy Obedience ceases and thy Lusts again break forth and in the mean time thou art in a miserable state first Because servile Fear and a wounded Spirit are thy Tormenters and yet best Friends upholding thee from uttermost Perdition Secondly Because Grace which is the only true Balsam against Sin and Guilt is become thy most perfect Poison so as it is of Grace not to let thee see Grace But on the contrary I say tho thy Sins were as red as Scarlet tho thou hadst been a Beast of Ephesus yet if in true and sincere Obedience thou turn to God converting thy servile Fear into Love Self-confidence into Self-condemnation and thy eager persecuting Spirit into brotherly Affection thou mayest in this well-fought Fight wash thy self as white as Snow and free thy self from the evil of this last Temptation because the Love of God will more powerfully restrain thy rebudding Lust than Servile Fear can yea the Lord himself will be thy Keeper as he hath promised Because thou hast kept the Word of my patience I will keep thee in the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the World to try them that dwell upon the Earth 24. Now this Warfare is in sundry places and divers manners represented in the holy Scripture in Allegory in Proverbial Speeches and Prophecies The Fathers did not only see it in Prospect but by Faith which makes things afar off as present in the Promise did enjoy it and obtained a good report And of this we shall now join some few Texts and more hereafter as occasion offers Our Psalmist hath many Passages touching this whereof one thus Psal 118. Out of my Straits I invoked Jah