THE TOUCHSTONE OF CONVERSION. OR, Marks of true FAITH. WHEREIN The Impenitent sinner is roused. True Believer discovered. And Doubting Saint resolved. BY That excellent Man of God now in Heaven, Mr. ARTHUR MORTON Scotch man. LONDON: Printed by Fr. Neile for Tho: Vnderhill at the Sign of the Bible in Woodstreet. 1647. To the Reader. NOw are the days wherein Atheism and profaneness abound, many giving themselves up to commit all manner of sins with greediness, as lying, swearing, uncleanness, drunkenness, injustice, neglect of God's worship, as if there were no God, no Saviour, no Day of Judgement, no Heaven, no Hell; Also now are the times wherein thousands place all Religion and happiness pharisaically upon their enjoyment of the public Ordinances, or their external performance of such duties civil and religious as the Lord requires: they are spiritually blind, knowing nothing experimentally of God's gracious presence in his Ordinances as the soul and life of them, nor of any gracious work the Spirit hath wrought in their own hearts by the use of them, as the spring & fountain (within a man) from whence all his actions should flow; these know not experimentally what to live by faith, (the life of a Christian) to repent, to be born again, to enjoy communion with Jesus Christ, to have the Spirit, Means: These are they that having but a form of godliness, deny the power thereof, and are in a deplorable and damnable condition. There are, in the last place, many that having their eyes opened, are convinced of their sins, and deeply perplexed with fears and terrors; whose very life is a burden to them, because of the frowns of the Almighty; who hereupon if they split not themselves upon the rock of desperation, are in danger either of betaking themselves to the by-path of their own fancied righteousness, duties, and performances, the very way to hell, or of being in such a sad uncomfortable condition, though the sons & daughters of God (through believing) as that they have as little comfort and joy within them, as God and the Church service from them; by reason they have not the assurance of God's love, and are always doubting that the promise belongs not to them, so that the joy of the Lord is not their strength. As an excellent help to all these three sorts of men, read this small and excellent Book, compiled by the late Reverend Evangelicall Preacher of God's Word in our Sister Nation, Mr. Arthur Morton: my great desire of thy good prevailed with me to Print it, and so to make that jewel common which was before communicated but to a few in Manuscripts. Here are such excellent things concerning the mysteries of sin, and the Gospel, concerning the woeful estate of the wicked, and the happiness of the godly, counterfeit graces and true, Mortification and Vivification, the freeness and fullness of the love of God, of the righteousness of Christ, wherein the impenitent sinner is roused, the true beleiver is discovered, and the doubting Saint resolved; as I am confident will be acceptable to those that have the spirit of discerning to know the things that differ, and prize the things that are more excellent, especially if they consider that in such times of fears and danger, as these are, it behoves every man to use all diligence to make his calling and election sure, to get clear evidence of his interest in and union with the Lord Jesus Christ; Which spiritual condition is above the world, both its smiles and frowns, and is real happiness. It's privileges are for greatness and lastingness unspeakable, of many this is not the least, namely, the assurance of God's love, and fatherly care over believers, that in every estate he will save and uphold them, even when his wrath doth burn against his enemies; he will teach them the good way which they ought to walk in, give his Angels charge over them, carry them in his bosom, cause all things to work together for their good: this very one Privilege hath these prerogatives attending it, viz. peace with God, or stable tranquillity, and sweet calmness of mind, which passes all understanding; free access unto the throne of grace, with boldness and confidence, Christ as it were leading us by the hand into the presence of God, and joy in the holy Ghost unspeakable and glorious, which doth so lift the faithful above the heavens, being cheered with the presence of God's favours, and contented with Christ alone, that they despise the world, and the base things therein, and can be content in poverty, suffer with joy the spoiling of their goods, and be willing to die for the Name of the Lord Jesus. Certainly if the men of the world did but know what peace, what joy, yea what a heaven there is in a godly man's breast, he would either have no rest within himself, until he could attain unto the same happy condition, or else like a devil that is without any hopes of ever attaining to it, would out of envy and hatred exceedingly persecute them, as Apostates usually do, to whom hath been discovered some things of Christ, and grace in the soul. Thus earnestly desiring that this little excellent Book may be somewhat helpful for the advancement of Christ's kingdom, I rest. Tho: Vnderhill. The Contents. THe dreadful case of those that want Faith. p. 2. The fewness of those that have, or shall have it. p. 2. 1. The Marks of Faith. Are such as go before, that accompany and follow after Faith. p. 7 1. The Marks that goeth before Faith is, Humiliation. p. 9 The parts and Marks of it. p. 9 to the 15. The Means of it. p. 92. to 148. 2. The Marks that accompany Faith p. 152. to 156. 3. The Marks that follow Faith. p. 157. to 185. 2. The Means of Faith. General Means. p. 188. Special Means. p. 211. Doubts resolved. Whether a Reprobate may not have all the parts of Humiliation in him. p. 29. A Doubt is resolved, about the measure, manner, degree and kind of Humiliation. p. 38. O than I cannot have Faith, for I find my heart swarving with wicked and impure thoughts, many great and gross corruptions, and some of them very strong, and indeed very predominant. p. 165. I do not find the hatred and loathing of sin, and this doth puzzle me in this point, I find that I do not entertain it, but I think it to be more out of fear of punishment, than out of hatred. p. 167. I find not myself, right in this point of obedience, but rather do, because I dare not do otherwise. p. 173. If this be a token of true faith, I have need to fear; for I find not these rejoicings, especially that joy unspeakable and glorious, I am far from it. p. 181. I find much diffidence and impatience in time of adversity, much haste. p. 187 O happy, most happy, is the case of that soul, whose conscience bears it testimony, that it hath these Marks of Faith, it hath certainly great matter of rejoicing, yea were it in the hardest condition that can befall it, for what are other crosses, which are to be but for a moment, & what are other comforts, so long as the main i● wanting? that soul hath more than good reason cheerfully, and carefully to serve the Lord, who hath bestowed so precious a pearl upon it; but alas, I miss all or the most part of these Marks, and so my case is most doleful. p. 188 Indeed I may justly accuse myself, that my praying hath not been so frequent, nor so fervent, so constant, nor so earnest as it ought to be, but I have often prayed, and as earnestly as I could, and find but little increase either of Faith itself, or of these Marks of Faith. p. 190. I dare not apply the Covenant, the promises to myself I think they do not belong to me (although very sweet in themselves) and that because I fi●d not these Marks in me, which are in God's children, now the promises belong only to such. p. 198. 205. 248. Whether our good works and sanctification of ●ife, be a sufficient ground, and Mark of assurance. p. 200 I have spent all my days in sinning, so that justly I may fear that the day of grace is expired, the door of mercy is shut. p. 213 I continually slide back to the same sins daily. p. 215. Many are called, but few are chosen, why may not I be of the number of these. p. 219. But you will say, although the Lord will not be the first, yet when we break with him (as we do continually) will not the Lord then, as he may most justly, break with us, and so alter the Covenant? p. 244. I hear that upon my repentance I shall have access to this precious Covenant, though after 70. times 7. times sinning, yea infinitely often; for God's ways are not like man's ways, but are above them as far as the heaven is above the earth; which is very comfortable: and also that the Lord will take pains with me to bring me to repentance, will visit me with the rod, etc. O but what if I continue in sin without repentance, if I be not to be reclaimed, no not by rods, and so fall away altogether? p. 228. But may it not be objected, that this doctrine of the sureness, everlastingness, and steadfastness of the Covenant is ready to faster security, and to prove an obstruction to Christian obedience? p. 249. When I consider this sureness, and everlastingness of the Covenant, surely I must think them happy, that have propriety and interest in it, but I fear that I have none. p. 251 O but I am so unworthy, guilty, sinful, graceless, I cannot think that it belongs to me. p. 252 O but this Covenant promises, that I shall have a new heart, be cleansed from my filthiness, etc. those things I find not, hence is it, that justly I doubt, that the promises of remission of sins belongs not to me, seeing the other promises of sanctification, be not accomplished. p. 255. O but I fail in these two, I cannot believe nor pray as I should, and therefore I fear to come short of these precious promises. p. 261. O but I am so unworthy, that I dare not believe it belongs to me; so graceless and so full of wants, so full of bypast guiltiness, of present sinfulness. p. 264. O but I want the condition that should be on my part, I cannot believe, I cannot repent, how shall I then lay hold on the Covenant for remission of sins, seeing it is at what time a sinner reputes, the Lord will do away his iniquities? p. 264. THE TOUCHSTONE OF CONVERSION. OR, The Marks of true FAITH. 2 Cor. 13.5. Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith: prove your own selves: know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Q. WHat are we to consider to stir us up (whereof ourselves are so slack, and so secure) to discharge this so necessary a duty diligently, and without delay? A. I. You should seriously consider the doleful and dreadful case of those who want this true and saving faith; which certainly if truly believed, throughly seen, and duly thought upon, is a most fearful and lamentable condition, for it is full of sinfulness and guiltiness. They be the slaves of the devil: Ephes. 2.7. yea of sin, which is worse than the devil: Rom. 6.16. they be the children of wrath: Ephes. 2.13. Now who knows the power of his wrath even in this life? Psal. 90.11. besides that which is to come. 1 Thes. 5.10. They have the Lord who is infinitely good, kind, merciful, and gracious; the fountain of all goodness, not only to be a stranger unto them: Ephes. 2.12. which is lamentable; as depriving them of the interest of all sort of good things and favours; but (which being duly considered is most dreadful) they have the infinitely holy, just, powerful, sovereign God for their unreconciled Enemy: Col. 1.21. which makes them liable to all sort of judgements. Or clearly to set down unto you the fearful estate of those that want this true faith, they are without the right and interest of all blessings spiritual, temporal or eternal; and they be liable to all sorts of judgements spiritual, temporal, and eternal, if their eyes were opened to see it; First I say they be without right or interest, to any blessing or favours, for, for spiritual favours they be altogether strangers from them, they are strangers from the Covenant, the promises, without Christ or God in the world: Ephe. 2.12. For temporal blessings they may well have the possession of them; but 1. without right to them, because they are without Christ. 2. Without any assurance of them, because they are without the promises. 3. They but tend to their conviction, their table is a snare to them, and so all things else; as all evils work for the best to God's children, so all good things work together for the worst to them: and for eternal blessings, and everlasting happiness, they shall be without, being debarred from that celestial Jerusalem, Rev. 22.15. they shall come short of the glory of God, Rom. 2.23. they shall be holden at the gate of Heaven, when they shall come from the East, and from the West, & sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and jacob, in the Kingdom of God, then shall they be thrust out, Luke, 13.28. As they have not interest in any sort of God's blessings and favours, as being strangers from him: so they be liable to all sorts of judgements, as being his enemies, 1. To spiritual judgements, blindness of mind, hardness of heart, vileness of affections, benumbedness of conscience: a man that wants this true saving faith, all his thoughts, words, and actions are sinful, without faith it is impossible to please God: whatsoever he be thinking, speaking, doing, he is sinning against God, and treasuring up wrath, against the day of wrath upon his own soul, as the Scripture testifies: his ploughing is sin, and so all the actions of his calling, all his civil actions, his praying is sin, and so all his religions exercises, yea every Imagination of his heart is evil continually: thus is it wi●h the person, or per●ons that want faith. 2. Again for temporal Judgements though he may be for a time without them, yet it is but for his further conviction and more fearful torment in the life to come, nor is he sure of a freedom from them in this life, they are hanging over his head, as it were by a hair, he knows not how soon they shall overtake him, for they come suddenly as travel on a woman with child, as a whirlwind, or as an inundation of waters: as the Scripture expresses it: he knows not when the Angel will pour out the vial of God's wrath upon him, yea the Angel may have the sword already drawn though he, like blind Balaam, does not see it. And then lastly, for eternal judgements when this life shall have an end (which may be in a moment) there is nothing attending him but instantly utter darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, everlasting burn, the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, everlasting fi●e, prepared for the Devil and his Angels. Mat. 25, 41. Revel. 21. this is the doleful and dreadful condition of the person that wants true faith, which consideration alone might serve to awaken us out of our security; and to stir us up without delay, with all diligence to prove & try whither we be in the faith or not. But for your further stirring up. II. In the second place consider, how that notwithstanding the case of these that want this true saving faith be most lamentable, yet nevertheless there be but very few that either have, or shall have, this precious jewel of faith unfeigned, this to be true, the Scriptures, the ground of all truth make clearly good, Many are called, and few chosen, Straight and narrow is the way that leads to life, & few there be that enter therein: Christ when he shall come, shall scarcely find faith on the earth; this seriously considered, would make men look more narrowly to themselves than they do. III. To stir you up yet further to this trial, consider that notwithstanding the Scripture be clear in this point, that true faith belongs to very few, yet every one thinks he hath it, whereby (alas) it is most evident (by comparing the truth of Scripture, with the opinions of men) that the most part are pitifully deceived in this matter of highest concernment, and that the faith of most men is but a fantasy, and surely there is nothing more incident to us then presumption, & that by reason of the blindness which is in our minds, the deceitfulness of our hearts, and that self-love which is in our affections, as is to be seen in the Pharisee, the Laodiceans, yea in those who preached, prophesied, and wrought miracles in Christ's name, which is fearful, yea the very grossest sinners think they truly believe, which is strange, and shows the great power of presumption. Q. I grant you that all this should stir us up to be about this present duty of trying whether we be in the faith or not, and that both diligently and duly, lest we be deceived with so many others, and also without delay, the point being of so great consequence, and our life of so short and uncertain continuance; and not to be at a point in a point of such importance which betokens wonderful security, madness, yea spiritual deadness, tell me therefore, I pray you, some of the clearest, and surest marks of faith, that I may try myself thereby. A. For your better remembering of them, you may take them up in 3. sorts, to wit, they be either taken from these things which goes before faith: or from these things that accompany faith: or from these things that follow after it, from the antecedents, from the concomitants, and from the effects or consequents. Q. What be the marks that go before faith? A. First of all in the general, where the Lord hath a purpose to work true faith in the hearts of any, before it, he works in them that preparatory, and groundwork of humiliation in the soul, and consequently a very sensible change, a work indeed painful, & not joyous for the present, but most necessary for those who are dead in sins, and trespasses, as all by nature be: this he doth, by sending his spirit, according to his promise, thereby to convince them of their sinfulness, guiltiness, and wants. john. 16.8. and it is usually called, the spirit of bondage. Rom. 8. v. 15. Now this work of humiliation, I say, is a very sensible work and makes a great and a sensible change in the soul; for it puts a stirring in the soul, & an awakening in the conscience which before was dead in sins and trespasses, & so needed some strong alarm: it is the very pains and pangs of the new birth, which cannot choose but be both painful, and sensible, it is the casting out of the strong man, who, although while he holds the house all things be at peace, yet will not be cast out without sensible unquietness; seeing then the change is great and sensible, see and consider, if ever thou hast found any such change in thy soul or not. Qu. But what be the particular changes that be wrought upon a man, by this work of humiliation? A. They be many, but these three chief, as both Scripture, and the experience of Gods own children, do testify. I. The first great change, that is wrought upon a man in the work of humiliation, is by reason of the discovery of his guiltiness, and of his being convinced thereof: for whereas before, his mind, & heart was filled with false presumptions & apprehensions of God's mercy: nothing but mercy before his eyes, and no seeing of God in his justice; now be they quite contrary (in this work of humiliation) the case is changed, nothing so much before his eyes as the justice of God, and his anger against sin, the sight of mercy almost being quite eclipsed, he being upholden only with a glimmering (as it were) thereof, a possibility of pardon and hanging as it were by a very hair of hope, Jona. 2. v. 4. nothing sounds in his ears so much as justice and wrath: hence these say: Lord rebuke me not in thine anger: enter not into judgement, etc. His former and forgotten sins are brought to remembrance, as we see it fared with the sons of Jacob, and they are set in order before him; Psa. 50.21. he trembles at God's word, Isa. 66.2. the threaten of the word, like as the arrows of the Almighty, trouble him and write bitter things against him, as it fared with joh. Now all this is done for very good ends, to wit, these two especially; first, for their bypast sins that they may be driven to Christ the horn of salvation. Luke 1.69: that they may fly earnestly, or at least in sincerity unto him for a refuge, Heb. 6.18. to his merits, righteousness, intercession, etc. that being wearied and laden, they may run to him to be eased, Math. 11.28. which otherways they would not do, No man can come unto me, unless the Father draw him. Secondly, that for time to come they may stand in owe and sin not, Psal. 4.4. that the fear of God may be before their eyes, that they sinne not, Exo. 20, 20. that they may be the more pliable to all duties of obedience, and that being thus meek and lowly, they may take the Yoke that Christ prescribes them, Math. 11.29. and try then if ever thou hast found such a change as this, if ever thou hast trembled at God's word, if ever thou didst apprehend the Lord in his justice, & didst fear his anger against thy sins, if ever thou wast pricked in thy heart by the threaten of the word, Acts 2.37. and if all these have wrought such a Impression in thy soul, that still thou findest that twofold effect before spoken of, to wit, that for thy bypast sins, thy heart flies for a refuge, and seeks to Christ, Heb. 6.16. that he is savoury unto thee, and then that still thou findest the fear and awe of God in thy heart, Jer. 32.40. that thou fearest always, and hast a respect to all God's Commandments, Psa. 119.6. and judgest of thyself accordingly. II. The Second great change that is wrought in a man, by this work of humiliation, is by reason of his being convinced, and having discovered unto him his own sinfulness and corruptions, as also his manifold wants, & great unrighteousness: for whereas before this work of humiliation, sometimes, he had a great conceit of his freedom from sin, at least in any great measure the ways of a man seems good in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful, I thank God I am not like this Publican. O but when this work of humiliation comes, that a man's sinfulness be discovered unto him, he sees afar other sight, thinks fare otherways, feels fare other things; nothing but sin and corruption, raging in him, sin revives, and taking occasion by the Commandment, works in him all manner of concupiscence, Ro: 7.8, 9 he being now stirred up, the dregs of his corruptions work abundantly; so that instead of thinking that he is not like such a man, he thinks that for sinfulness, and strength, and number of corruptions, there is none like unto him, and that he is the chief of sinners: so likewise in regard of his wants, and gracelessness and unrighteousness, there is the very like change: for whereas before, he thought well of his own righteousness, both of the righteousness of his person, that he had all sorts of inward graces, faith, repentance, the love and fear of God, and that he was rich and increased in all things, and had need of nothing, Rev. 3.17. as also well of the righteousness of his actions, insomuch, that although with the Pharisee, perhaps he did not glory in them, in his praying, hearing, fasting, etc. nor perhaps, with the Papist, did think to merit by them; yet nevertheless with the Hypocrite, he did rest upon the outward work, and was satisfied therewith, and regarded not the manner of his do, the ways of a man seem good in his own eyes, but the Lord ponders the heart; now he sees a quite contrary sight, nothing but wants, that he is poor, miserable, naked for inward graces, Rev 3.17. and that for outward practices, all his righteousness is as a menstruous clout, Isa 30. now this work of humiliation, or this part of the work, is also for notable good ends, to wit, 1 to drive and chase a man out of himself, to put him out of conceit with himself, to make him deny himself, that so he go not about (which naturally all are prone unto) to establish his own righteousness: Rom. 10.3. And he who attains once to this work and part of humiliation, may be assured that he shall never be Arminian, Papist, or Pelagian, never stand for freewill or merit. A second end of this part of the work of humiliation is, that hereby the whole glory of man's salvation may be given unto the Lord, that all boasting may be excluded, and he that glories may glory in the Lord: Rom. 3.27. Not unto us, not unto us (O Lord) but to thy Name be the glory: Psal. 115.1. Not for your sakes, be it known unto you, O house of Israel, for ye are a stiffnecked and a rebellious people, but for his Names sake. 3. That Christ may be further cleaved and clinged unto, and that nor only for justification, but also for sanctification; for the sight of a man's own sinfulness makes him fly to the sufferings and intercession of Christ; the sight of his own unrighteousness, how all is but as a menstruous cloth, makes him fly to, and to prize the righteousness which is through faith: Gal. 5. the sight of his corruptions and spiritual diseases chases him to the Physician. The whole needs not the Physician, but they that are sick: Matth. 9.12. the sight of his wants makes him fly to the fullness of Christ's grace to receive of that fountain and fullness: Joh. 1.16. the sight and sense of his spiritual weakness, makes him fly to Christ for grace; Without me ye can do nothing. Joh. 15.5. I am able to do all things through Christ that strengthens me. Phil. 4.13. Fourthly and lastly, that the Spirit of God, the holy Ghost, may be the more made use of, and fled unto; for it is by him, that 1. our sinful natures must be renewed: Unless a man be born again by the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Joh. 3.3. 2. It is by him that we must mortify our corruptions, and the deeds of the flesh. Rom. 8.13. 3. It is by him that all grace must be shed abroad in our hearts and souls. Rom. ●. 3, 4. It is by him that we must be strengthened in the inward man for all duties of obedience, yea that must lead us and guide us in all the ways of God. Ephe. 3 16. Psal. 143.10. And lastly, it is the holy Spirit that must go out with, and powerfully accompany all the means of grace, to make them effectual for all these ends in our souls: Prov. 1.23. So we see the great benefit of this change, or of this part of the work of humiliation, both in regard of a man's life, and also in respect of all the Persons of the Trinity. Appl. Here also see and try thyself. 1. Concerning thy sinfulness and corruptions: try if thou dost see and perceive them, if thou be convinced of them, and they be discovered unto thee; and not only those grosser ones which a natural eye may perceive; but try if thou seest thy inward, spiritual, subtle, and most secret corruptions, as thy hypocrisy, infidelity, spiritual idolatry, a whoring of thy heart, etc. for then mayest thou comfort thyself, that the Lord hath performed that his promise, in some measure, toward thee; to wit, that he hath sent his Spirit to convince thee of sin: Joh. 16.8. and thou art in some measure fitted and disposed for Christ, being sensible of thy own diseases: The whole needs not the Physician, but they that are sick. Matth. 9.12. See whether or no thy heart can say humbly, and in finceritie, with the Publican, Lord be merciful to me a sinner, and that with condescending to the particulars of thy sins, failings, and corruptions; for if otherwise thou be like the Pharisee, having a conceit of thine own innocence, I thank God I am not like this Publican; yea, like the most part of the presumptuous and secure world, who even when they are going to leave the world, cannot be brought from singing this note of the Pharisee, they thank God they never wronged their neighbour; and for God, they ever had an honest heart to him; and herein they rinsed, robbing Christ of his glory: So natural a thing is it for men to go about to establish their own righteousness, and so hard it is to get them convinced of sin, that afterwards they may be convinced of righteousness. And if they do confess themselves to be sinners, because they hear all others saying so, yet is it only for the fashion: for though they may take up some generals, but will they not be brought to particulars. 2. For thy wants, try thyself also in regard of them, whether thou be like the Church of La●dicea, who thought itself spiritually rich, and increased in all things; yea like the secure worldlings, who think the same thoughts. God forbidden, say they, but they have faith, but they love God, etc. Or if with God's children thou truly seest thy wants to be great and many, and in the sight of them hast thy recourse to Christ, who counsels us to come and buy of him raiment, fine gold, etc. for thus thou hast interest in that comfort, Blessed are the poor in spirit. 3. See what conceit thou hast of thy best duties and performances, and try thyself herein also, whether or no with the hypocrite, thou art pleased and content (perhaps puffed up with them with the Pharisee) with them, for he rests upon the outward work, he ponders not the heart, and therefore his ways seem good in his own eyes; or otherwise if with God's children, thou truly acknowledgest thy best services to be but a menstruous cloth, and therefore fliest to the pure righteousness which is by faith, for attaining of eternal life, and art so far from thinking to merit by them, as that thou thinkest it a main mercy not to be punished for them; yea thinkest that they cannot be so much as acceptable testimonies of thy thankfulness in the Lord's sight, otherwise then as they be presented in the name of Jesus Christ: Col. 3.17. and are performed with the incense of his intercession and merits. Rev. 8.3, 4. In a word, see well to thyself on both sides, for if thou seest, and art sensible of thy own corruptions, wants, sinfulness of thy services in the manner aforesaid; then although the matter and things be greatly to be disliked and grieved at, yet nevertheless in this that thou seest them, and that they are discovered unto thee, thou hast a ground of comfort and thankfulness, for this must be somewhat more than nature; for the natural man thinks better thoughts and conceits of himself, he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful: It is a token 〈◊〉 some spiritual life and sense, and that thou art nor altogether dead in sins and trespasses; for a dead man is not sensible of his own diseases, wants, weaknesses●flesh & blood hath not revealed these things unto thee. But on the other fide, seest thou not thy corruptions, yea secret spiritual corruptions? and knowest thou not what it is to be sinful? if there be a freedom from theft, uncleanness, murder, and such other outward corruptions, which very natural and moral men see and abstain from? Or hast thou not been, and art thou not sensible of thy spiritual wants, but either thinkest thou hast all spiritual grace's faith, fear, love, etc. or that they may be easily had, and didst never find any difficulty in attaining them? Or do thy services and religious exercises please thyself, and thinkest thou that God is pleased with them, and that for themselves? art thou not sensible of the iniquity of thy holy things? dost thou not find many challenges this way, from the manner of thy do, as well as when thou commits a fin, or omits a duty, but when thou hast posted over the duty any way, yet thy mind is at rest? O then deceive not thyself: the eyes of thy understanding are not yet opened, thou hast not as yet gotten the eyesalve; go therefore, and seek it diligently from him who counsels thee to come and get it: Ask, seek, knock for the Spirit of Illumination to convince thee of sin, that afterwards thou may be convinced of righteousness, and of judgement. III. The third main change wrought in a man by the work of humiliation, is in regard of his taking to heart the work of his own salvation, and his great solicitude thereabouts, being compared with his former security: What shall I do to be saved? Act. 16.30. Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Philip. 2.12. what care, what fear, etc. Whereas before, his thoughts and cares were taken up with the things of this life; the profits, pleasures, preferments thereof, and altogether drowned in them; no serious, no settled thoughts about his own salvation, of all other thoughts it was least in his mind: and if at any time it did enter into his heart, it was but by starts or fits, being choked with the cares and pleasures of this life. O but now all these things seem to be but trifles to him, for what profiteth it (thinks he) a man for to win the whole world, and lose his own soul? the thought that takes him up most, that goes nearest his heart, that is always almost before him, is, how to get his own soul saved, even as it was with the Jailor, What shall I do to be saved? Before, he troubled himself about many things, but now he betakes himself mainly and chief to the one thing that is necessary, seeks first the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof; yea, he wonders at his former sloth, security, slackness, and great mistake about this point, and thinks he hath hitherto been in a strange dream; he gets a new light and sight, and this produceth new effects and affections in him: Before he thought it an easy matter to believe, but now he finds it (under the estate of humiliation) one of the hardest things in the world, and if he had the whole world, would give it to be sure of faith unfeigned, he would sell all that he hath for that precious pearl. Before he thought it but an easy matter to be saved, that the number of these who were to be saved were many; that none but notorious sinners were under hazard of damnation, that at least the most part of these who are in the bosom of the Church should be saved; O but now he sees and considers, that many are called and few chosen, that few there be that enter in at the gate of life, this stirs and startles him, makes him to work out his salvation with fear and trembling: Philip. 2.12. makes him give all diligence to make his calling and election sure, 2 Pet. 1. v. 10. nor can he ever be quiet, or his mind be at rest, until he get some measure of satisfaction this way, about his Spiritual condition; and indeed to do otherways is fearful security: Before he thought it an easy thing to come to the Kingdom of heaven, that some little time, some few words of prayer in the end of his life, Lord have mercy upon me, Lord forgive me my sins, and such like, (for so think many) would serve his turn; O but now he thinks all his time, and all that he can do in his time, but little enough: he sees, and considers that the Kingdom of heaven must be taken by violence, that there must be a striving to enter in at the straight and right gate, that there must be wrestling, running, fight for the crown and prize, and therefore he bestirs himself to the purpose, he hath a respect to all God's Commandments: Psal. 119.6. keeps his precepts diligently, ver. 4. makes haste and delays not to keep his Commandments: vers. 60. he shuns all sin whatsoever, declines no pains, no duty: what shall I do to be saved? what will he not do to be saved? yea the truth is (in such a case) the care, that a man hath of his own salvation, hath taken such an impression in his mind, and his thoughts are so carried about it, that in all the means, and duties of Religion, (although it should not be so) it goes nearer his heart, than the very service of God; and until his fears be rectified by faith and love, that which withholds him from sin, which puts him on to the use of all the means, and of all holy duties, is, chiefly and principally, fear and care of his own salvation. Now that the Lord puts such a fray, and a stir, and an awakening in the hearts of his own, in the beginning of their conversion, is not without good and special reason, to wit, that by this means he may have them well fitted for the straight and narrow way, well buckled with all the duties of obedience, well accustomed with Christ's yoke, and willing to bear it, all which, unless this goad were in their sides, this prick in their hearts, they could hardly be brought unto, want of custom, and averseness of heart, being such mighty impediments, besides the tentations of Satan, and general corruptions of our natures. Appl. Try then thyself by this third Mark, and part of humiliation, if ever thou hast found such a change, or disposition as this, didst thou ever come to cry, What shall I do to be saved? didst thou indeed, work out thy salvation with fear and trembling? was taking of the Kingdom of heaven so pursued by thee, that thou wast not quieted until thou hadst got some measure of satisfaction about thy spiritual condition? whereas sometimes thou wast sleeping deeply in security, in regard of this great and important point. 2 Didst thou ever take the matter to heart in such a measure, or manner, as that the care of it made thee, and still makes thee, renounce every known sin, decline no known duty, carefully, and conscientiously, frequently, and constantly go about the means of thy salvation, private and public, what ever men shall think of thee. 3. Did, and doth the thoughts and cares of thy own salvation, and of God's service, more possess thee, than the thoughts and cares of this life, and of the world? whereas before, they were taken up with many things, now thou art chief about the one thing, which is necessary, and art ●eeking the Kingdom of heaven first. So that in a word, thy desire of salvation is, and hath been, 1. A serious desire. 2. A settled desire and constant. 3. A diligent desire, then mayest thou apply with comfort this Mark and point of humiliation to thyself; for the desires of the hypocrite or unregenerate, they be not of this kind: for, 1. They be not serious, but weak, faint and feeble desires, and therefore easily born down, extinguished, and choked with cares or pleasures of this present life. 2. They be not settled or constant desires, but starts, fits, and flashes, or like the morning dew; so that if they work at all, yet do they not work out their salvation. 3. and lastly, they be not diligent desires, but sluggish and heartless wishes, with Balaam, they desire to die the death of the righteous, they would be at the kingdom of heaven, but have no mind to seek it and the righteousness thereof. But by the contrary, foundst thou never such a change, such a fra●, such a fear in thy heart and soul? 2. Doth the thought of the things of this life go nearer thy heart than those of the life to come? so that thy thoughts this way (thy own conscience being made witness) have neither been frequent and many, nor sad and serious. 3. Hast thou truce with any known sin, or declinest thou any known duty? Then thou want'st the comfort of this Mark, and hast never been sufficiently humbled; beg, therefore earnestly, that the Lord would work this awakening in thee, especially if thou be negligent in the use of the means, that prayest not in secret, readest not, meditatest not, conferrest not, repentest not, etc. RESOLUTIONS for the weak. 1 THES. 5. v. 14. Comfort the feeble minded, support the weak. Q. But may not all these three main works and parts of 〈…〉 f●und in a reprobate or 〈◊〉? 1 〈…〉 the ●gu●tinesse dis●●ve 〈…〉 them, and fear 〈…〉 justice and 〈…〉 their 〈…〉 are they not many times deeply 〈…〉ed and wakened in their conscience? 2. Have they not also discovered unto them their corruptions, sinfulness and wants? 3. And have they not also their own desires of salvation, as it fared with the young man in the Gospel, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? A. They have, but not in that measure and manner, degree and kind as God's children have; mark therefore the difference, and ye shall see the distinction clear. And first of all to begin at the last point: The desires of salvation that the wicked and unregenerate have (as hath been already showed) 1. They are not deep and serious desires; hence it is, that without satisfaction in the point, they are easily stilled and put off with other things, with the trifles and toys of the world, like little children, because their desires are not deep, and sufficiently rooted; therefore is it that they are easily choked by the cares and pleasures of this world, and so come not to perfection; and so the things of this life go nearer their heart, and take deeper root in the same, than any care of the things of the life to come: So if they seek the kingdom of heaven at all, yet it cannot be said that they keep the rule, Seek first (or chief) the kingdom of heaven. 2. They be not diligent, but slothful desires, wishing to die the death, but not willing to be at the pains to live the life of the righteous; either they do nothing at all for it, or at least not all that they should do: they may perhaps leave many sins, as was to be seen in Herod, not do all that is commanded, as is to be seen in the young man in the Gospel, notwithstanding he did seem to have a very forward and fervent desire of salvation; still they stick and stand at something, and howsoever they seek the kingdom of heaven, yet add they not this, and the righteousness thereof. 3. They be not stable nor constant desires, but fits and starts; unconstant motions, like the morning dew, so that if they work at all, yet do they not work out their salvation; So that you have no reason to be put by the comfort of this point, because of any desires in the wicked and unregenerate this way, your desires being 1. deep and serious, such as could not be put off, but with satisfaction in some measure in the point itself. 2. You seeking first the kingdom of heaven, your heart running more upon this point of your own salvation, and it going nearer unto your heart, than the things of this 〈◊〉 3. You seeking the kingdom of heaven, and the righteousness thereof, and that ye have a respect to all God's Commandments, declining no duty, entertaining no sin, and in thus doing ye shall not be ashamed. Lastly, thy desires being stable and constant (although it may be not in a like degree) thou working out the work of thy salvation. Q. The time was sometimes indeed, that I could have said so much of the desires of my salvation, that they were serious, that they were not slothful, that I wrought out my salvation with fear and trembling; but now I find such slackness, remissness, security, that makes me greatly doubt that my desires have not been such as they should. A. This is indeed an ill to be regretted, prayed, and striven against, even this great and ordinary ill of security. But for your comfort understand, that one and the same degree of desire and diligence, is not to be expected always, no not in the best of God's children, especially their desires being more sharp, their care, their fear, their diligence more great in the beginning of their conversion, that (as ye heard before) they may be well entered in the course of Christianity, and well buckled with all Christian duties, but many times afterwards, there will be a falling away from their first care and diligence, even the wise Virgins will slumber, Christ's own Spouse sleeped when her heart waked; But herein stands the difference, betwixt the instability and inconstancy of the wickeds desires and of the godlies. That the godly, although they remit sometimes somewhat of the degree of their desires and cares this way, yet do they never altogether return to their former security which they had before their wakening and conversion; they may fall from their first care and diligence, but not from all care and diligence; the wise Virgins did slumber, but were not dead; the Spouse slept, but her heart waked, there will be ever something wakening and stirring the hearts of God's children: whereas the wicked grow altogether as secure and sluggish, yea more, like water heated which grows colder than before. This no doubt if you apply it to yourself, will give you some resolution and comfort. And thus far for this point. 2. Now for the second point, it is also true that the wicked and unregenerate may have a sight of their own corruptions, wickedness, and sinfulness, but it is also far from the degree and kind of that sight of sin and corruption which the regenerate and Gods own children have, who have gotten the eyesalve, the special illumination of the Spirit, and are enlightened by that true light who lighteneth every man that cometh into the world: they see more than flesh and blood can reveal unto them. The difference may be especially seen in these four particulars. 1. The wicked and unregenerate, although by the light of nature, or a general illumination they see some outward gross corruptions, corruptions of their flesh, as, fornication, murder, etc. yet see they not their inward secret corruptions, no less reigning and raging in them, and no less odious unto God, their pride, their hypocrisy, their infidelity, their impatience, their spiritual idolatry, and whoring after the creature, they see not the filthiness of the spirit. 2 Cor. 7. 2. Although they see sin in the branches and fruit, yet see they it not in the root and fountain, they see not into that original corruption of their nature, the blindness, error, and vanity of their minds, the great averseness and rebellion of their wills, the inordinateness and earthliness of their affections, the deadness of their consciences, the hardness, whoring, hypocrisy, and desperate wickedness of their hearts; they see not that body of death. Rom. 7.24. 3. They see not all their spiritual wants, but think themselves (as is to be seen in the Church of Laodicea) to be rich, and to have need of nothing, to believe in Christ as well as any, to love God as well as any, etc. 4. And lastly, they see not the manifold imperfections of their best services, but with the Pharisee, rest upon the bare outward performance, not pondering their own hearts, nor considering that the Lord ponders them; the ways of a man seem good in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the heart: whereas, the children of God on the contrary acknowledge all their righteousness to be but a menstruous cloth. In a word, the natural and unregenerate man's light and sight of sin, is but like an ordinary light, whether candlelight or daylight, while entering into a room will discover any great or gross filthiness; whereas the light of the regenerate is like the light of the Sunbeams, which entering into a place, discovers the very small moats in it. This is clearly to be seen in Paul, Rom. 7. before his regeneration, and the coming in of the light of God's Spirit by the Law, he had a good conceit of himself, he saw not concupiscence to be sin; but afterwards he gets afar other sight of sin, and of himself; For I was alive without the Law once: but when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died. Thou than who 1. seest thy inward corruptions, thy secret and spiritual ones, as well as the outward and grossest. 2. Who seest the corruption of thy nature, as well as thy actual transgressions. 3. Who seest thy spiritual wants, that thou art poor, miserable, and naked. 4. And who seest a great imperfection in thy best services, that they are but a menstruous cloth. Thou, I say, who seest and dost acknowledge all these, art not to deprive thyself of the comfort of this point for any sight of sin and corruption the wicked have, for thus far thou shouldst not have seen, unless thou hadst gotten the eyesalve, unless thy eyes had been opened, and consequently thy spiritual blindness removed; unless the Sun of righteousness had frined into thy soul, unless thou hadst gotten the Spirit of illumination, and hadst been translated from darkness, and made one of the children of light: Thou art in a better case, and hast made a further progress than these of L●odicea, who yet nevertheless are counselled and advised to come to Christ, for all true spiritual graces; he that counsels thee to come, will not refuse thee when thou comest; thou art poor in spirit, and in the sight of thy spiritual poverty dost hunger and thirst for that which is wanting in thee. Now blessed are such, as our Lord himself testifies; thou seest the diseases of thy soul, and so art in some sort fit for the Physician: The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick. Lastly, for the third point, the wicked and unregenerate may be also, and that greatly touched with the sense and sight of their own guiltiness, they may be made with fear and trembling to feel the justice of God against their sins, to have their wound and wakenings, horrors, and terrors of conscience; and yet not have a right work of humiliation; But yet herein is a difference between the wicked and unregenerate, and Gods own children, and that in a threefold respect. 1. The first (which is a very clear and sure one) is this, the wicked by their terrors and horrors are further driven away from God, and do betake them to the wrong means of remedy, sometimes to Satan and his instruments, sometimes to other worldly delights and employments, thereby striving to benumnie and lull asleep their consciences, striving rather to quench the work of humiliation, then rightly to entertain it, and cure it, as is clearly to be seen in Saul, and Cain; the one betook himself to the witch in Endor; the other to the building of cities. Whereas God's children by their horrors and terrors draw the nearer to God, and are stirred up by God's Spirit to betake themselves to the right means which God hath appointed, as Prayer, the Word, God's Ministers, and such to whom he hath given the tongue of the learned, etc. as is to be seen in Paul betaking him to prayer, & going to Ananias; the Jailor, and those that were converted and humbled: Act. 2. they strive not to quench and to smother this work of humiliation, but labour to entertain it, and increase it so far as is necessary, and then to cure it by the right remedies. 2. Secondly, the horrors and terrors of the wicked in regard of their end and issue drive them often to despair, because they are not mingled with any measure of comfort or hope, as is to be seen in Judas and Cain. Whereas God's children in their greatest terrors are still upholden with some secret hope of salvation, and conceive (at least) some possibility of pardon, as is to be seen in Jonah, Chap. 2.4. I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again towards thy holy Temple. In David, Psal. 31.22. I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes; yet nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication. So fares it with all God's children in their humiliations and terrors, there is ever some secret thing upholding them, and makes them not altogether to quit their hold. 3. A third very clear difference is, when the work of humiliation is over, the natural and wicked man, if he escape despair, and his horror wear out, he is so far from being bettered by it, that he grows sensibly worse; he returns with the sow to the puddle, the unclean spirit enters with seven worse than himself; he may well fear for a time, but he fears not always: Whereas the godly grows sensibly better, and remains so after his horrors are over; the impression and stamp which he had in his humiliation and sorrow, is not like the morning dew, but being made by the seal of God's Spirit it abideth, he feareth always, the Lord puts his fear in his heart in such a sort that he never departs from him; before he was afflicted he went indeed astray, but now he keeps the Lords statutes; even afterwards, and when his horrors are over, he brings forth the quiet fruits of righteousness. The Application of these particulars are easy: Hast thou ever any work of humiliation? and did it 1. chase thee to God and the right means? 2. Wast thou upholden under it by some secret hope from despair? 3. Now after it, art thou not worse than before, but on the contrary, undeniable better? Bless the Lord for it, for thy humiliation hath been of the right sort and stamp; especially take comfort from this last clear mark, that thou searest always; for the Scripture pronounces such a one blessed; that the Lord hath put his fear in such a sort in thy heart, that thou shalt never departed from him, seeing thou fearest him when thy horror is over, as well as when it was upon thee, this is a token that thou art in Covenant with the Lord; for this is an Article of his Covenant: Jer. 31. Thy humiliation mu●● be a sanctified humiliation, for it doth even afterwards bring forth the quiet fruits of righteousness; thou canst say with the Psalmist, Before I was afflicted I went astray: But as for such who have had any horrors and terrors this way, and have not betaken themselves to the right means to cure them, but have rather laboured to quench them then rightly to entertain them, and remedy them rightly, and since the having of them have returned to their former sinfulness and security, such have no interest in this comfort. Q. This may give some good satisfaction to any about the kind of their humiliation, but as for me, to be plain with you, I have such fears about the degree of my humiliation, that it makes me greatly to doubt of the kind of it, that it hath not been deep enough, that it hath been but a flash, and that I am far off from that measure thereof, that many of God's children have had. A. Understand first for thy comfort and resolution, that all Christians have not, nor are to have 〈◊〉 of them alike degree of humiliation, and ●hat for these reasons. 1. All ha●e not sinned alike, but some by great sin● & long lying in them, have so bencosme their own consciences, that they require a more sharp awakening; whereas others, not being guilty of so great sins, nor continuing so long in the course of sin, but receiving grace in their tender years, will not find such a measure of humiliation. 2. Some are to be put upon more eminent employments, and therefore must be more throughly exercised and polished for the same. 2 Secondly, consider that what perhaps thou hast wanted in degree and greatness, thou hast had in continuance (the Lord wisely and graciously giving out to thee at divers times that, which would have overcharged thee at one time) so that where the degree and measure of humiliation hath been great, there their continuance hath been the shorter; as we see in Paul, who was within three days comforted: the Jailor also his horror very great, but ere long he rejoiced. 3. But thirdly and lastly, compare it never with others, neither look to the degree of it, but see if it be sufficient in itself; that is, to see if it hath brought ou●, & wrought in thee, the right effects and ends, for the which the Lord works this work of humiliation in the hearts of his own children; for if a thing accomplish its end it is sufficient, and who can complain or it. See to these two effects especially, which be the main effects and ends for the which the Lord works this work of humiliation in his own. 1. For thy bypast sins, look if it made thee, and still makes thee humble, and hearty to confess them before the Lord, and to fly unto his mercy and Christ's merit for forgiveness, at least if it makes thee do it in sincerity, and in earnest even to fly to thy horn of salvation: Luke 1.69. to thy city of refuge: Heb. 6.18. even the mercy of God in the merits of Christ; See also if it make thee to prize these always in thy judgement, and sometimes at least with the concurrence of thy affections, above all things else, more than the gold, and the fine gold, so that they are savoury unto thee, like ointment poured out, sweeter than the honey and the honey comb, and thou in some measure art thankful for them; if it be thus with thee, thy humiliation is sufficient for the degree of it, for this is one of the main ends of it, why the Lord works it in the hearts of his children, to wit, that they may be drawn to Christ, and chased to him; that they may seek his mercy and the forgiveness of sins in such a sort as they may obtain it, that is, in earnest, and in sincerity, that they may prize, relish, and be thankful for the rich mercy of God in the merits of his dear Son. 2. See if for time to come thou stand'st in awe, and sinnest not: Psal. 4.5. and hast by this work of humiliation, the fear of God put in thy heart: Jer. 31. so that thou fearest always; See if thou hast a tender conscience warning thee for the prevention of sin, and checking thee again after thou hast committed any sin, even the least sin in thought, in word, in omission, in the manner of doing (which is a warning to repent.) If I say, it far thus with thee, than it is a good and a sure mark that the degree of thy humiliation is or hath been sufficient, for this is one of the main ends why the Lord works this work of humiliation in the hearts of his children, to wit, that they may for ever afterwards fear him, and stand in awe to sin against him, Knowing the terror of the Lord, as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 5.11. that as we use to say, like the child they may dread the fire of sin and God's displeasure against it: according to that of Moses to the people of Israel, Ex d. 20.20. when the Lord had spoken in such a fearful manner unto them, This (says he) hath the Lord done, that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. Once awakened or a wounded conscience, and ever a waking or a tender conscience; and by the contrary, a waking and a tender conscience is sometimes a wakened or a wounded conscience. Behold what care, what fear, etc. 2 Cor. 7.11. Hast thou then these two main effects and ends of humiliation, trouble not thyself about the degree thereof, for it is sufficient as having attained the ends thereof. Further, the Scripture not only allows a comfort, but even a strong consolation to those who fly for a refuge to the hope that is set before them. Hebr. 6.18. There be also two other special ends and effects of a sufficient work of humiliation, to wit, to produce in us true patience in adversity, and true thankfulness for benefits and favours. You may also try the sufficiency of your humiliation by these; A man not truly humbled, will never be patiented, will never be thankful: But on the contrary, one who hath been truly humbled with the sight of his own deservings, in his greatest adversity he will acknowledge with Ezra, that the Lord hath punished him less than he deserved. And again with the Prophet, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him. And as for thankfulness, he is an admirer of the Lords goodness, for he does hearty and humbly acknowledge with Jacob, that he is not worthy of the least of his mercies; yea that it is unspeakable favour, that he is free from deserved judgements: It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed. Lam. 3.22. Q. What you have spoken about the degree of humiliation, and the kind of it. I acknowledge it to be good and comfortable; only this instead of all I would say unto you: this I find to be my case, I see, (its true) my own sinfulness and manifold great corruptions, as also my gracelessness, and manifold wants, and am humbled therewith; But as for to be humbled with the sense of my own guiltiness (though I see it to be very great) I must confess that I cannot come up to this, so that setting aside the kind or degree of my humiliation, I fear that I have never been humbled at all. A. This is a case that many of God's Children have been exercised with, but let us see what is to be said to it. 1. Thou accknowledgest a sight, and some sense, a taking to heart thy own corruptions, well then, thou hast some interest in that, The while need not the Physician, but they that are sick, thou confessest the like of wants, so that thou hast interest in that; Blessed are the poor in spirit: thou art in some better case than those of Land●●a, well then, that thou art not altogether behind with it; bless the Lord for what thou hast. But to go on to the point in hand, observe diligently, that the manner, and the means how the Lord works this first, and ground work in the hearts of his Children, (by the experience, and observation of God's Children who have been acquainted with it) is twofold. For first the work is directly upon the conscience, touched with the sense of guiltiness, and troubled with that especially; when a man's sins are set in order before him, and God's wrath and justice against them, his conscience writing bitter things against him. Second lie, sometimes again the work is not so direct upon the conscience, nor so violent upon it, but only reflects upon the conscience, to wit, when a man is troubled, not so much with the sense of guiltiness, as with the sense of want, which also comes back upon the conscience; for finding the sense of his manifold wants, and seeing himself thereby in misery, and not sure of the remedy as he supposed, he fears exceedingly, and is put to that, What shall I do to be saved? so that the main thing indeed that troubles him, is the same with the first, to wit, fear of guiltiness and punishment, though the thing most sensible to him, is sense of want, for his wants would not trouble him but for this, nor would he take them to heart but for this, to wit, because finding by his wants that he is not in the estate of grace, as he supposed, he finds himself, at least fears himself, to be under the estate of guiltiness and misery, and this is it that troubles him. To bring the point then nearer unto you, this your case is a very ordinary dealing of the Lords with many of his own Children, to wit, to begin the work of them, wakening and humiliation with the sense of want, more than with the sense of guiltiness, I say more directly with the one then with the other: for the one (as the two) is included in the other, the reason of this his dealing seems to be this, the Lord is wise, and sees what is the main ground of men's security, and sleeping in sin, without humiliation, and whence it ari●es, even from this, to wit, their presumption, they think they are in Christ, and so leap o●er all that the Law can say to them, or threaten them with, which otherways should be the mean of their wakening, and then the Lord wisely fits the remedy to this malady, discovers their wants unto them, and by them, their presumption lets them see that they are not, what they thought they were, puts them out of this their starting hole, and sends them back again to the School of the Law, even to the curses of the same, and so works the work of humiliation in them. Now observe that although the direct and immediate work be the sense of their wants, yet this sense of want is not without the sense of guiltiness; for otherways, why would the sense of thy wants trouble thee, but only because of this? thou seest that by reason of thy sins thou art guilty, and under the curse of the Law: thou knowest that there is no remedy but by Christ, thou didst sometimes think thou hadst interest in him, but now by thy wants thou dost think thyself deceived: and hence i● thy trouble and humiliation. So if thou wilt mark well, the ground of all thy trouble and humiliation and that whereupon it reflects, is, from the sight and fear, of thy own guiltiness, so that the sense of thy want is not without the sense of guiltiness, for were it otherways that thou wert not troubled with the fear of thy guiltiness, the sight of thy wants would not trouble thee, nor wouldst thou take them to heart, as the case of the most part is, who are deeply fleeping in security; they are never affected with this sort of doctrine touching the Marks and Evidences of grace, they regard not whether they find or miss, have or want; this indeed is a token of deep security, of utter want of humiliation, and that there is no sense of guiltiness at all. But when thou, not only seest, but dost take to heart thy wants, art greatly affected with this sort of doctrine concerning the marks and evidences of grace, nothing fears and grieves thee more than to miss: nothing in the world rejoices thee more than to find. Here is certainly some freedom from security, some sight and sense of guiltiness, and in a word, an happy wakening: at least the case stands thus, What shall I do to be saved? So to thee. Now to such who acknowledge their sight of corruption, and wants, and their being affected in some measure therewith (which is called the sense of want) but cannot find in themselves the sense of guiltiness, and so cannot think that they are truly humbled. I would say three things to them, laying aside the comforts whereof I spoke in the beginning, to wit, that in regard of the sight and taking to heart their corruptions, they have interest in that, The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick; In regard of their seeing their wants their interest in that, blessed are the poor in spirit, they are in some better case, and further advanced than these of La●dicea, for they acknowledge that they are poor miserable, wretched. But laying aside these which thou oughtest to prize, and be thankful for, I say, I have these three things to say unto thee for thy comfort in this point: 1. Thou hast the sense of thy wants, and under it of thy guiltiness, although thou cannot see it, as I have been showing unto thee, so that (as thy being adacted with thy wants cieerly evidences) then art wakened out of thy security, thou art solicitous for thy salvation, working it out with fear and trembling, and art come to this, What shall I do to be saved? and consequently art in that same case of humiliation as was the Jailor, and those that were converted at Peter's preaching: Act. 2.2. Hast thou not that tender conscience before spoken of, warning thee before sin, checking thee after the commission of sin, of the very lest sin, least omission, or failing in the manner of doing? Then a tender conscience is awakened, and at some time, and in some measure a wounded conscience; thou hast one of the main ends wherefore the Lord works humiliation in his own, and consequently hast had humiliation itself, thou hast thy interest in that, Blessed is the man that feareth always: Behold what fear, what care, etc. 3. Tell me what it is that makes thee that thou dare not commit the most secret and smallest sins, nor omit the most secret duties, what is it that puts thee on, and holds thee in such a constant course of obedience, if it be not at least the spirit of bondage and fear. Now the spirit of bondage is the very spirit of humiliation, when thou dare not entertain a sinful thought, dare not omit thy times or dyatts of devotion, makest conscience of every known sin, of every known duty, (possibly more than many others who have gone far on in the course of Christianity, yea, and perhaps then sometimes thyself afterwards will;) what is it that holds thee so waking? but even thy wakened conscience, the spirit of bondage at least, the spirit of fear, the fear of God put in thy heart (a point and part of the Covenant) which is the very work of humiliation wrought in thy soul. If it be any other thing that stirs thee up, as the love of God, it is well, thou art further advanced in grace, but at least, thou cannot deny that the work of humiliation is wrought in thy soul, and therefore thank God for this, and go forward to perfection; get faith and love which casteth out fear, the Spirit of adoption, instead of the spirit of bondage. Goon then to believe, for thou both master & shouldst having the fear of God thus in thy heart, and being in a constant course of obedience according to thy ability; that faith was never boldness nor presumption, that is joined with fear and obedience, and that keeps to the precepts as well as to the promises. It is an ordinary policy of Satan (and we should not be ignorant of his wiles, but observe his stratagems) that those who have no interest in the Promises, as being void both of fear and obedience, these, I say, he puffes up with Presumption, and makes them boldly to claim and lean to that, wherein they have no right; As long as a man makes no conscience of his ways, he lets him believe his fill (such a belief as it is) when indeed he should not lay hold, nor claim to the Promises, as is clear by that Psal. 50.16, 17. But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee? When a man again hath forsaken his wicked ways and thoughts, makes conscience of his courses, and gins to fear the Lord, at which time he may & should lay hold on the Promises, as is clear by that remarkable and comfortable place, Isa. 50.10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Here is a clear warrant, and a sweet invitation for a person in such a case to believe and lay hold; and yet I say, no sooner fares it thus with a man, but Satan and his own corruption incontinently bear him back from believing. Observe this then, and resist the devil, and the corruption of infidelity that is in thine own heart, & bear back no longer: If bearing back and withdrawing were an allowable cause for thee in such a course, thy heart would not be so much given unto it: we are ever to suspect the way of our own heart, and to judge it wrong, that we are most given unto, namely, the point in hand, infidelity, being so sibbe to us, and which hangs so fast on thee, as thou wast given in the time of thy security through the way of thine own heart, to presume and lay hold, when thou shouldest not, now this way of thy own heart was clearly wrong. So now the way of thy own heart being to misdoubt, and draw back, why shouldst thou not suspect it, and resist it? Hold to thy comfortable warrant: thou fearest the Lord, at least thou desirest to fear his Name (for even to such the Scripture allows comfort) thou obeyest the voice of his servants, or art willing to obey, so far as thou art able; then obey this also: Trust in the Lord, and go on in a constant course of fear and obedience, and fear not to believe, this is the Lords seal, to departed from iniquity. Make your calling and election sure by well doing: If ye do these things, an entrance shall be ministered unto y●u a undantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1.11. If thou fear, yea, desire to fear, if thou obey, yea be willing and obedient, even willing to be obedient. Finally, for thy further comfort, and for the comfort of all those who are troubled because they are not satisfied in this point, about the sense of their own guiltiness; let this be considered and examined: as towards the promises there is a true faith, and believing of them without sense, which gives rest to the soul, and produces good effects; So may there also be a t●●● faith of the threaten, producing a true fear and c●re, and consequently a true humiliation although it be not joined with sense. All this is spoken, not that you ought to rest upon this degree of humiliation, for as you ought to go on from faith to faith, and from grace to grace, so from humiliation to humiliation. Moreover, the work of humiliation, namely, in regard of the sight and sense of our own guiltiness and deservings, is the very groundwork of the work of our salvation and sanctification; and therefore should be well laid, greatly laboured for, and we should strive to have it deeply seated, and stamped in our hearts and memories. For (as any may feel by experience) according to the lively sense of this point, goes on the liveliness of all other points of Religion, this point being lively unto us, to wit, the sight and sense of our own deservings, it makes us accordingly hearty to confess our sins, and humbly to walk with our God; it chases us earnestly to lay hold on the means of our delivery; to lay hold on the mercy of God, the promises, the Covenant, etc. It makes us fly in to the very bosom of Christ for shelter, as to our City of refuge, our horn of salvation. And lastly, (faith being on foot, and lively withal) it is a whetstone, and serves to quicken and set an edge upon our love, and consequently upon our godly sorrow, our zeal, our obedience, etc. for then do we love most, when we are most sensible how much is forgiven us, so great are the consequents of this point. So then I say, what I have spoken for your comfort in this point, is not that I would have you rest altogether upon the degree of humiliation already acknowledged by you: Only this, I would not have it hid from your eyes what you have received, but that you should see it, and acknowledge it, that the Lord may not want his thankfulness, nor you your comfort; And that Satan may not prevail against you by that great and admirable policy of his, as he hath done with many, to bear you back from faith, and laying hold on the Promises, without the which there can be no comfort in a Christian soul; yea, no cheerful, no acceptable service to the Lord, Without faith it is impossible to please him: yea the heart wants courage to do it, either to p●e●se him, to praise him, or to honour him. Now his policy is this, which is the doubt and hold-back to many. Obj. I am not sufficiently humbled, and therefore should not believe, nor lay hold on the Promises for humiliation going before faith and believing. Ans. To this I say, thou art not indeed sufficiently humbled in regard of, and in reference to the work of thy sanctification, nor ever shalt be so long as thou art here, but I say (the case standing so with thee as we were speaking, that is, thou fearing and obeying, etc.) thou art sufficiently humbled to lay hold upon the Promises, and to be bold to believe them, and claim thy interest in them; thou fearest the Lord, and obeyest the voice of his servants, and therefore not only mayest but shouldst trust in the Lord: Isa. 50.10. Thou hatest not to be reform, and therefore mayest take his Covenant in thy mouth. Psal. 50.16, 17. Thou keep'st his Sabbaths, and choosest the things that please him, and therefore mayest take hold of his Covenant. Isa. 56.4. Thus far for thy comfort. But thou, who ever thou be, that wantest these things, whereof we were speaking, be not deceived, thou hast neither faith, nor that humiliation that should go before it. 1. Was never thy conscience wakened directly with the sense of sin? was never thy mind troubled with the sense of spiritual wants? waste thou never solicitous for thy own salvation, and took it to heart above all things else? Alas, it is too too evident thou art not right as yet. 2. Wantest thou that tenderness of conscience? hast thou no care, no fear of the snares of sin, and Satan, nor watchest thou to prevent sin? art thou not with the Apostle, herein exercised always to keep a good conscience? Again, and ha●t thou no checks, nor accusations in thy conscience after the commission even of the smallest, if known sins, but canst ban and swear, speak sinful words, think sinful thoughts, etc. and never be troubled a whit for the matter, but dost sin securely, and liest in sin securely without repentance, and seeking after reconciliation, and so art every way a slighter of sin? Then assuredly no work of humiliation hath ever been wrought in thy heart, and consequently no work of grace: for this is the first work. 3. And lastly, look how the matter is between you & God, how thy soul carries itself in regard of secret sins, namely, of entertaining sin in thy thoughts, and in regard of secret duties. If thou dare or dost regard iniquity in thy heart, feed thy thoughts upon ambitious and covetous pleasures or vanities, or sinful lusts, without controlment, yea, and with delight, and dare omit or shuffle over thy secret duties; hast thou not some constant inward principle and secret mover that lets thee not alone, but puts thee on to a daily and constant discharge of Christian secret duties, daily prayer, nightly repentance, daily and nightly meditation upon the Word of God, but dost all these duties by starts, and fits, or superficially, or not at all? then certainly, no right humiliation, no true grace yet in thy soul; be earnest to labour for, and to pray for that which thou wantest, for it concerns the damnation or salvation of thy soul. Thus far for these Marks which be taken from the antecedents of faith, or those things which go before faith, at least in order of nature. Concerning these three Marks of a right and true work of humiliation, or of that preparatory work of the Spirit, which goes before faith; the way, I say, to make these Marks clear, comfortable, and convincing, is, 1. To compare them with our own former case and condition, and so to try them by experience which we have already done. 2. To try them by comparing them with the case of the ungodly and wicked, and so to try them by the Word of God, which now we are to do; wherein although some things be coincident with things spoken before, the labour will not be unprofitable. I. The first Mark of right humiliation, and of the work of the Spirit in that respect is this, to wit, namely, the right sight of sin, the Spirit of God, when he comes first into the heart of a Christian, working by the Law or Commandment, gives unto a man another sight of sin, than any natural man, how qualified soever he be with humane literature and natural wisdom, can have: This is clearly understood by the doctrine, and in the person of St. Paul, Rom. 7. I was alive without the Law once, that is, in a good conceit of myself, and of my own righteousness, but when the Commandment came, that is, the Spirit with the Commandment or Law (for he had the Commandment or Law in the letter before) sin revived, and I died: I saw another sight of my sinfulness then before. To speak more plainly and particularly of this note, when the Spirit comes and works this sight of sinfulness in him, it works this threefold sight in him. 1. A sight of his sin and particular corruptions. 2. Of his gracelessness and wants. 3. Of his unrighteousness and imperfection of his best actions. Now all these be hid from the natural man, as is clear by example. 1. Of the Nation of the Jews, who went about to establish their own righteousness. 2. Of the Papists, who take upon them for want of this sight, to fulfil the Law, to merit, to supererrogate. 3. Of our own ignorance, who till the point of death cannot be brought to this sight of their own sinfulness, but ever are justifying themselves, thanking God they never wronged any, instead of confessing, and humbling; so that this is clearly the case of the natural man. But to the particulars. 1. The Spirit gives to a man a sight of his sinfulness and corruptions; When the Commandment comes, sin revives, that is, there is a further sight of sin: Hence is it, that, 1. they are out of conceit of themselves, thinking themselves to be the chief of sinners. 2. That they complain so heavily of their own corruptions, Who shall deliver me from the body of death? 3. They feel the flesh lusting against the spirit: Gal. 5. Now the ungodly or natural man is not so: for, 1. He hath not so evil a conceit of himself, as to think himself to be the chief of sinners, or a great sinner, but quite contrary: I thank God I am not like that Publican. 2. He is not sensible of his sinfulness, whether of the body of death, or of his actual sins flowing therefrom. But on the contrary, He flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful: as it is in the 3. Psal. He feels no such battle between the flesh and the spirit: for why, The strong man holds the house, so that all things are at peace Hence the one sort is prepared for Christ, the other not: The whole needs not the Physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Q. But you will say, Hath the wicked or natural man no sight of his sins? A. Some sight of some grosser discernible sins by the light of nature, but not such a sight of sin as the Spirit gives to the spiritual man. They may see, 1. outward corruptions of the flesh, as theft, fornication, etc. but not these more inward of the spirit, pride, spiritual idolatry, unthankfulness, infidelity, impenitency. 2. They may see sin in the branches and streams, that is, actual sins; but not in the root and fountain, the body of death, the sinfulness of their nature, blindness of mind, backwardness of will, unholiness, and unheavenlinesse of affections, hardness, whoring hypocrisy of their hearts. 3. In a word, they may know grosser sins, but not lesser; as we may see by Christ's interpretation of the Law, compared with that of the Pharisees, yea Paul says, I knew not concupiscence to be sin, but by the Law: the natural man's light or sight of sin, is like an ordinary light which discerns gross palpable filthiness, but will not discover moats; But the spiritual man's light is like the light of the Sun which discovers very moats, which an ordinary light will not discover. 2. The Spirit gives to a man a sight of his gracelessness and wants, they see their faith, love, repentance, fear to be weak: I believe, Lord help my unbelief: I love, Lord help my love; Lord increase our faith. Thus they be poor in spirit. The wicked and natural men are not so, but as it is to be seen in the Church of Laodicea, they think they have need of nothing; so look to the ordinary course of men, O why fear I not, love I not God, etc. 3. The Spirit when he works he gives to a man a sight of his unrighteousness, even of the imperfections of his best actions: Our righteousness is like a menstruous cloth, says the Prophet: When ye have done all that ye can do, say that ye are unprofitable servants; they know that the Lord pondereth the heart; and they see so manifold imperfections, defects, corruptions, in their best actions, ●o that instead of meriting by them, they think it a mercy not to be punished for them: their heart rests not till they fly to the righteousness which is by faith, to him who hath taken upon him the iniquity of our holy things; who perfumes the very prayers of his Saints with the incense of his merits and intercession. The ungodly not so, the hypocrite pleases himself with the work done, the form of godliness, cares not for the manner, according to that, The ways of a man seem good in his own eyes, but the Lord ponders the heart: As the Pharisee, not only pleased, but puffed up with good service, I fast twice in the week, etc. The Papists think to merit no less than heaven by them, and that to others. Now the Application is easy, 1. for comfort. First of all hast thou gotten indeed a sight of thy sinfulness, corruptions of the flesh, and spirit, corruptions of the several faculties of thy sinful nature, so that from the heart & condiscending upon particulars, thou can say, that thou a●● sinful; O than thou art in case for the Physician, The whole needs not the Physician, but these that are sick. And ●ee their spiritual sicknesses, thou art one whom Christ calleth, I came not to call the righteous, (in their own eyes) but sinners to repentance: that is, that see themselves to be sinners. Be of good comfort, behold he calleth thee. 2. Hast thou gotten a sight of thy own gracelessness and wants; O than thou art poor in spirit, and so blessed, thou art in a better case than those of Laodicea. 3. Seest thou the imperfection of thy best services, thou art not like the natural man, or Hypocrite, who contents himself with the work done; who, 1. Ponders not the heart, and therefore his ways seem good in his own eyes. 2. A token thou res●s not upon the form of godliness, but dost labour after the power. 3. Thou worshipest in spirit and truth. Now for conviction, O but thou, who 1. seest not thy sinfulness and corruptions, mayest well for the fashion confess thyself to be a sinner, but canst not condescend to particulars, or if to any, it is but to outward gross ones, which the natural mind may see, but seest not the whoring of the heart, unthankfulness, impenitency, etc. 2. Thou who thinkest that thou, believest, lovest, fearest sufficienly, and didst never find the weakness of these, thou hast not so much as attained to the very first degree of blessedness, thou art not poor in spirit, etc. Thou hast not the very first work of the spirit, thou hast not gotten the eyesalve. And thirdly, thou, who findest no fault with thy services, for the manner of them, when thou hast done them, no great difficulty to get them rightly performed when thou art about them. 1. Thou (I say) ponderest not the heart, and therefore thy ways seem good in thy own eyes. 2. Thou hast but the form of godliness, but wantest the power thereof. 3. Thou worshipest not in spirit and truth, but in show and in hypocrisy, and drawest ●eer with the lips, etc. II. The second Mark of true humiliation, and of that preparatory work of the spirit going before faith, is, from the sense of sin, and of ones own guiltiness, and the fear of God's justice, anger, threaten, judgements against him for them, fear goes before faith; the spirit of bondage, before the spirit of adoption. The Lord he first puts his fear in the hearts of these in whom he works effectually by his Spirit, even the fear of his justice, for otherways they would never prize his mercy, and the merits of his Son, they would never be humbled for bypast sins, to fly to the mercy of God, and merits of Christ, for forgiveness, and so could not be saved, according to that, Come unto me all that are weary, and heavy laden. As also that, No man can come unto me, unless the Father draw him. And also they would not stand in awe for time to come, which is the other main end why the Lord works this work of humiliation, and fear in the hearts of men, according to that, I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not departed from me; See then if ye have this fear which is a point of the Covenant, and so a token that one is in the Covenant, Blessed is the man that feareth always: but take heed that it be the true and constant fear of God, spoken of, and promised in the Covenant, for even a wicked man may have some fear of committing sin, and yet not the right fear; Now try it by the two marks in the words of the Covenant; 1. If it be God's fear, I will put my fear; 2. If it be the constant fear of God, and they shall not departed from me; the wicked man, (I say) he may have some fear of committing sin but this his fear, 1. Is not the fear of God, but the fear of man; and therefore he stands not to commit small sins (that men count small I mean) as to ban, swear, be profane in discourse, miscall his neighbour, and he stands not also to commit secret sins, entertains sin in his thoughts, omit secret duties, though both these be offensive to the Lord; who sees not then, that this his fear is a fear of men, and not of God; dost thou commi● little sins, dost thou entertain any secret si●, though but in thy thoughts, thou hast never had this fear, which is a●m●ke going before faith, Then sh●ll I not be ashamed, whe● I have respect to all thy Commandments. Again, a wicked man may fear God even for a time, when a judgement is upon him, for a fit or a start; but, this is not the true fear of God: for when the judgement is over, he goes to his wont sins. So did Pharaoh, and Jereboam; thus he fears not always, and so is not blessed, he hath not gotten the Lords fear, as never to departed from him, and so is not in the Covenant. But see thou, if thy judgements, and afflictions, not only whilst they were lying on, but even afterwards, they have brought forth the quiet fruits of righteousness. But that this Mark may be the more clear, comforting, and convincing, we will lay it out in the particulars, to wit, their fear who have the true fear, and withal let you see the quite contrary in the wicked, and that both from Scripture. 1. They who have this true fear, they fear God's justice and anger against sin, as is clear, Lord enter not into judgement with thy servant: Rebuke me not in thy wrath: Who knows the power of thy wrath? 2. They fear the threaten of the Word, and tremble at it. 3. They fear his judgements against sin recorded in Scripture, or observed by experience. Psal. 119. The contrary of all this is true in the wicked. For, 1. in general they fear not God at all, according to a notable place, Psal. 36. (who if they were not strangely besotted, and blinded, might see that they were wrong, when even others see it) The transgression of the wicked saith in my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes, etc. Look and consider the place. 2. They fear not God's justice and anger, they never get a sensible and serious thought of his justice before their eyes, but think he is all Mercy; and that therefore if they should sin all their life time, and yet but at the very last bid the Lord have mercy on them, that that will serve their turn. Whereas God's children howsoever sometimes they have had the like apprehensions, see the Lord in his justice and holiness, and that in such a sort, as that hardly can they get a glimpse or glance of his Mercy. 3. They fear not the Lords threaten, tremble not at his Word: but on the contrary, Deut. 29.29. They are ready, when they bear the words of the curse, to bless themselves in their own hearts, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imaginations of my own-heart, etc. So that ye see there is a clear difference. Now to the Application, and that first for comfort. 1. Hast thou the fear of God, even that fear of God and not of man, that right, and constant fear? rejoice. 1. Thou art in Covenant, for this is a point of the Covenant, as ye heard. 2. Thou art blessed, for thou fearest always. 3. Thou shalt not be ashamed or disappointed, for thou hast respect to all his Commandments. 4. Thy afflictions have been sanctified afflictions, for even afterwards they bring forth the fruits of righteousness; join faith with fear, and let love cast out slavish fear: be bold to believe the Promises, thou that believest the threaten. Who is he that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his servant? let him trust in the Lord, etc. Thou hatest not to be reform, and so mayest take his Covenant in thy mouth. 2. Didst thou, dost thou, fear his justice and wrath, so that it makes thee to fly under the wings of Christ, makes thee fly to the horn of salvation for a refuge to the hope set before thee? Thou mayest be sure of a kindly welcome; How often would I have gathered thee, etc. He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out; There is allowed to thee A strong consolation, even to them who, fearing the Lord's justice, fly for a refuge to the hope set before them. Heb. 6.3. Didst thou, dost thou, tremble at his Word, at his threaten? the Lord looks upon, and dwelleth with such a one. 4. Art thou afraid of his judgements? this will make thee judge thyself, and so not to be judged of the Lord: Fly to him, in whom whosoever is, there is no condemnation for him. 2. For conviction. But for thee who hast not this fear in general, but dost flatter thyself in thy own eyes, making no conscience of sin; Alas, if thou saw sin as others see it, and wert not miserably besotted, thou wouldst see thou hadst no fear, and so no faith, no salvation. 2. Wast thou never deeply apprehensive of the Lords wrath and justice against thee? or never hadst any serious and sensible thoughts thereof? Alas, I see not how ever thou hast been driven to Christ; No man can come unto me, unless the Father draw him. Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden. Nor how thou canst prize his merit and the Lords mercy, or stand in awe for time to come, have a tender conscience, etc. 3. Dost thou not tremble at the threaten of his Word? then assuredly thou believest them not; and therefore thy belief of the Promises is but a phantasse, a false presumption. 4. Doth not the Lords judgements recorded against the like sinners with thyself, affect thee? then surely thou knowest not how near they be unto thee: thou art in a deep security. Had David need for the flesh to tremble? and art thou less sinful? No: yet more secure. III. The third Mark of a true humiliation is this: that from the sight of sinfulness, and sense of guiltiness, or fear, there arises an earnest care and solicitude in a man after his own salvation: Behold, what care, what fear, etc. What shall I the to be saved? He works out his salvation with fear and trembling. This is indeed a great and a clear change, being compared with his former security. But that it may be yet more clear, we will set down the difference in this point, betwixt the godly and the ungodly; betwixt a man thus wakened, and quickened by the Lords rich mercy, and a man yet lying dead in sins and trespasses; receive it then thus. 1. The ungodly, and not wakened or quickened, they have (many of them) no cares or desires at all about heavenly or spiritual things, or of their own salvation; their cares and desires are about corn and oil. Psal. 4. about many things: Psal. 10. give them their wishes and desires, they would run this way; as for grace and glory, they think they have enough of the one, and that they are sure enough of the other. The godly and wakened are not so, Lord give me the light of thy countenance, they take care for the one thing necessary; give them their wish and desire, it would be grace, and not goods. 2. If they have any cares or desires this way, they be, 1. but sluggish desires, and not diligent; they may wish, and would with Balaam, their salvation, but they do not work, much less work out their own salvation. They may well seek the kingdom of heaven, but not and the righteousness thereof; this is well seen by their conversation, they use not the means in private, as reading, meditation, conference, etc. unless it be a formal, posting, prattling piece of prayer which a superstitious Pagan possibly durst not omit: not unlike the Papists telling over their beads; and for public duties, as little of them as possibly they can, with their honesty, and were it not for regard to men, would be as little about them, as they be about the private; they are scorners of those, who take the kingdom of heaven by violence, no violence use they themselves: whereas the quickened are not so, they not only wish, but work; seek not only the kingdom of heaven, but also the righteousness thereof; they use means in public and private, take the kingdom of heaven by violence. 3. Their desires and cares are not settled, but unconstant desires; if they work, they work not out, their goodness is like the morning dew: what they do, is by fits and starts, as in the time of a cross or affliction, as the Israelites were wont to do: or by others example and instigation, or education, as Joash King of Israel did, or some such outward motive the godly are rightly wakened, are not so for their cares, desires, and endeavours, being from an inward motive, and principle, some incorruptible seed are constant and settled, I will put my fear in their hearts, never to departed from me. Herein am I exercised always, I have set the Lord always before my face, not by fits and starts, their ways are established before the Lord, they work, and work out their salvation, even when the affliction is over, they return not to sin with Pharaoh, but afterwards bring forth the quiet fruits of righteousness, not by others instruction, but with Joshua, If all should forsake the Lord, yet I and my h●use will serve the Lord; 4. Which is the cause that their cares and desires be sluggish and not settled, they be not serious enough. But you may say, how shall I know this? 1. Because if they were serious they would not be put off without satisfaction in the point, for such are the desires of the godly: whereas the desires and cares of the ungodly are not so, but are choked with the thorny cares or pleasures of this present life; even like a child if it be but some little small desire that troubles it, it is easily put off and stilled, but if it be a serious desire, a pinching necessity it will not be so soon quieted; Hence says the Apostle, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, the desires of the godly, be like the desires of a child new born, or in necessity not to be stilled without satisfaction in the point; whereas the desires of the ungodly, be like the desires of a child, who not being under such pinching necessity, is quieted with some one toy, or other, choked with some worldly pleasure. 2. If they be serious cares, or desires, they will make one to do any thing for attaining of salvation, to abstain from all sort of sin, to decline no sort of known duty; Men and Brethren, what shall we do to be saved? what shall I do, says the Jailer; Lord what wilt thou have me to do, says Paul; what shall they do what will they not do to be saved, no sin will they entertain nor allow, some sin may well give them their handful, may lead them captive to the Law of sin, may hang on them, Iniquity may prevail against them: Psal. 65. but they allow no sin; the evil they would not, that they do, they regard no iniquity. So also they decline no known duty, not certainly known duty; this is a sure Mark, Then shall I not he ashamed, when I have respect to all thy Commandments. Whereas the ungodly may, with Herod, leave many sins, but some there be they will not leave; they may well pretend they will decline no duty, with the young man, and say, What shall I do to inherit eternal life? yet with him, when it comes to the point, they stick on something, and in some duty. 3. If the desire and care of their salvation be serious, it will be that which takes up the chief room in the thoughts, heart, affections of a man or a woman, that wherewith one is chief taken up with all the day long, to wit, with cares to please, and fears for displeasing; and that partly (and indeed mainly should be) in relation to God, partly in a relation to themselves, to make their calling and election sure by well doing: this is the chief of their care all the day long; this is the ground of their contentment, or discontentment at night; Herein am I exercised always to keep faith and a good conscience: I set the Lord always before me. So as they seek first the kingdom of heaven, 2. and the righteousness thereof. With the ungodly and natural men it is not so, their cares are otherways taken up all the day, the Lord is not before them; their contentment and discontentment arises from other grounds at night; either they seek not the kingdom of heaven at all, or not it, with the righteousness there of, or not it first with the righteousness thereof; there goes ever something nearer their heart, & it fares with them as with the young man in the Gospel, though he seemed to have great care for, and desire after it, even after salvation. The Application follows, and first for comfort. See first whereupon thy cares, and desires, and endeavours do run, and with what they are taken up, whether or no upon the salvation of thy own soul, and the serving of God, the two main ends for which we are come into the world; or upon other inferior transitory trifles, whether upon the many things, or the one thing that is necessary; whether thou seekest the kingdom of heaven, or other things; whether or no thou hast embraced this present world, or in effect uses it as though thou usedst it not, as knowing that the fashion thereof perisheth; usest thou this world as if thou usedst it not; car'sts not greatly for it? It is well, it is like thou dost believe that there is another, even a more durable substance. Hast thou chosen the better part, and art still seeking; fear not, it shall not be taken from thee. 2. Be thy cares and desires after this kingdom not sluggish, but diligent desires, so that thou not only wishest, but workest thy salvation; thou not only seekest the kingdom of heaven, but also the righteousness thereof, and dost take the kingdom of heaven by violence; givest all diligence to make thy calling and election sure, usest the means in secret, and in public, etc. Then be of good comfort, thou keepest the precept, and so shalt not miss the promise, which is, The vio'ent take it by force; thou usest the recommended mean, and so shall not miss the end. If ye do so, Entrance shall be ministered to you abundantly into the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. 3. Are thy cares and desires stable or constant, not for a fit or a start, but thou workest, and workest out, and that not only in the time of affliction, but even when it is over thou bringest forth the fruits of righteousness; thou hast ground of comfort, for this is surely a sanctified affliction, and consequently thou art not a bastard, but a son: yea even although it be not possible in the like degree, as in the very time of thy affliction; yet seeing thou art more fruitful than before, it is well: for the wicked return to their former, yea oftentimes, greater sloth and coldness, his last estate is worse than his first. Doth thy conscience bear thee witness, that although all others would break the Lords commands, yet thou with Joshua wilt serve him? Then assuredly thy obedience flows from some inward principle not subject to change; and not from any outward respect of example, education, etc. Lastly, is thy desire and care a serious desire, was there ever such a wakening a fray upon thee, that indeed it made thee to work out thy salvation with fear and trembling, take the kingdom of heaven by violence, wast thou indeed at that, What shall I do to be saved? what shall we do? what wilt thou have me to do Lord? etc. Here then is the ground of comfort, for this you see is the way of the Lords working with his own children; this agrees with the Scripture both in the precepts and examples thereof: Now all Scripture is written for our edification and comfort, especially if thy care, 1. was not stinted without some satisfaction in the point, was not otherways put off, or choked with the thorny cares, but like the desire of the newborn babe, as ye heard before. And, 2. if this care and fray hath made thee to eschew all sin, to decline no duty; O than thou shalt not be ashamed, for thou hast respect to all his Commandments. And 3. Doth this care of thy salvation, and pleasing of God take up the chief room of thy thoughts, heart, affections, so that upon this runs thy care all the day long; and from hence arises thy special contentment or discontentment at night, this again is like God's children and the model of Scripture. Herein am I exercised always to keep a good conscience, says the Apostle; it was his exercise all the day long: thou hast set the Lord always before thee, and therefore thou shalt not be moved; this is indeed not only to seek the kingdom of heaven, and, 2. the righteousness thereof, but even to fulfil the precept, to wit, Seek first and above all the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof, this is not only to work, and to work out our salvation, but even to work it out with fear and trembling, that is, with great diligence and care, and so to fulfil this precept also. Thus far for comfort. Now for conviction. Secondly, 1. But as for the man that is all for this present world, that as yet took never to heart the salvation of his own soul, and hath no care or solicitude this way, but while the Scripture is bidding him work it out with fear and trembling, he, I say, never knew what it was to give obedience to this exhortation, and so cannot be right, especially the Scripture telling him what reason he hath to do it, and to take to heart the matter, telling clearly, that many are called, but few are chosen; how that straight is the way that leads to life, and few there be that enter therein: and therefore we are bidden, strive to enter; how that many shall be deceived; Not every one, that says Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; how that many shall say, We have preached, cast out devils in thy Name, etc. and yet be disappointed, so that we had need to see to ourselves. If for all this, I say, thou hast had few thoughts, and those not earnest ones of so main, so near, so concerning, so important a point, thou art clearly lying in security, and not yet awakened, not quickened from being dead in sins and trespasses. 2. Be thy cares and desires sluggish desires, the public means thou usest them for respect to men; but as for the private means, where is thy reading of God's Word, meditating on it day and night, laying it up in the midst of thy heart, thy holy conference, thy nightly repentance? etc. thy prayer being but a mumbled pater noster: if thou do no more, alas, thou usest not the means, and so canst not attain to the end, thou workest not thy salvation, thou seekest not the kingdom of heaven with the righteousness thereof; thou takest it not by violence. In a word, thou walkest not in the straight way, but in thy own easy, lazy, sluggish way; and so assuredly art not in the way that leads to life and salvation. 3. Be thy desires, and cares, and endeavours not settled but unconstant, I presuppose thou hast done something this way about the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven, about the working of thy salvation; yet hath it been but by starts, and fits, upon some solemn occasion, as, Communion, Fast, etc. or when God's hand was upon thee, the wicked will do that; Thy goodness is like the morning dew; thou workest, but worksts not out: what thou dost is but from an outward principle; the Lord hath not given thee his true fear, to wit, to fear always; to fear so as never to departed from him: And even afterwards to bring forth the quiet fruits of righteousness. In a word, thou keepest not the rule, and so art not right; thou shouldest serve him in righteousness and holiness, not for a day, or a time, but all the days of thy life; take heed to this ye that are so easily broken off from a good course, and from good duties. Lastly, be not thy cares and desires serious. 1. Wast thou never at that fear, that care, that wakening, never at that, What shall I do to be saved? didst never work out thy salvation with fear and trembling? Couldst thou never say, thou hast used violence to the kingdom of heaven? Surely to say no more, thou art unlike those of, and to whom the Scripture speaks, both in regard of precept and example; I grant all are not dealt with alike, or after the same degree or measure: but, I say, if thou hast not found it in some measure and degree. 2. Or if ever thou hadst any such wakening, see how got, it was stilled and pacified; gottest thou no satisfaction in the point, wast thou never the nearer to thy salvation, and yet art stilled and quieted? Sure this was no serious desire, or care, but hath been stilled by the thorny cares or pleasures of the world, or else hath died out of its own accord, and so hath not been of the Spirits kindling. 3. Did not, and doth not this care and wakening make thee renounce every known sin, & cleave to every known duty, but still thou harbourest some sin, and wilt not submit thy neck to the yoke of some duty or other: O than thy desire, thy care, thy wakening, thy wound hath not been serious, hath not been deep enough to bruise out all corruption; thou shalt be ashamed, and disappointed of the Religion thou hast, because thou hast not respect unto all God's Commandments. He that offends in one, is guilty of all; thou regardest iniquity in thy heart, the Lord will not hear thy prayer; thou art but counterfeit coin, for thou wantest the Lord's stamp and seal, to wit, to departed from iniquity, even every iniquity; thou givest not all diligence to make thy calling and Election sure by well doing, even every sort of well doing: Add to thy faith, virtue, etc. which thou wouldst do were thy desire and care but serious. Lastly, be thy thoughts, heart, affections, otherways taken up all the day long, and run more upon other things, then upon the plealing of God, the making of thy own calling and Election sure, the keeping of a good conscience? And doth thy contentment, or discontentment, thy grief and joy, peace or unquietness arise from other grounds at night? Then be sure, some other thing goes nearer thy heart then God, or Christ, or thy own soul; thy care is not serious, thou fulfilest not the rule, thou seekest not first the kingdom of heaven, thou art not herein exercised always to keep a good conscience; thou dost not set the Lord always before thee, and so canst not conclude, that he is at thy right hand, and so shalt not be moved. MEANS OF HUMILIATION. WE have already spoken of the general directions concerning the working of God's Spirit in the hearts of his children, how we ought to carry ourselves upon the discovery of the want, or weakness of any grace or work of God's Spirit in our souls, to wit, not to give place to despair; but first of all, by earnest and frequent prayer to have our recourse to God, who gives liberally to all, and upbraids none, and who hath promised not to deny his holy Spirit to them that ask it. Now although this be a good and main way to obtain what we want, yet we must not rest here, but, to prayer, must join the use of the means, or else we shall not speed, pray we never so diligently. The Lord will have us put to our hand, and therefore commands us work out, etc. And to this we are commanded even to humble ourselves, although it be the work of God's Spirit: I tell you that a point very much to be taken heed to, was, that in using the means, it is not enough to use the means in general, the Word and the Sacraments, but we should consider the particular means, the fittest and nearest means to beget or strengthen such a grace; and for want of this, we may take very great pains in general, and we shall hardly speed: and therefore we should see how far the work is proceeded in, etc. And as what our wants be, and where the stop lies, and then to pray, and to use means most diligently, and to use the particular and nearest means: and therefore I thought it most needful to lay out the nearest and most particular means of this work of humiliation, that so we using them, the Lord blessing and concurring by his Spirit, those who have not found this humiliation at all as yet, may have it wrought in them; and such of us who have found it in some measure, may get it increased and strengthened; and so all of us may be taught how to give obedience unto this exhortation, Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God. I. The first, and indeed a main mean to work humiliation in us, is, seriously to miditat● upon the law, & the threaten thereof, and to apply them to ourselves in particular, considering withal the truth of him that hath pronounced them. This by the concurrence of God's Spirit, will be a notable means, both to bring us to a right sight of our sins, and to humiliation for them; for, as the Apostle says, By the Law is the knowledge of sin, it is the glass and mirror that only can let us see the foul spots of our souls. And again to consider the threaten will bring us to humiliation, While I was without the Law, I lived, but when the Commandment came, sin revived, and I died: would you then take a course to get this work of humiliation wrought? First of all get the clear knowledge of God's Law, and examine thyself by it, lay the rule of the Law to thy own heart, and so see how great a transgressor thou art: for want of this, the most part of men and women live in sin, without knowing that they sin, and so without either repentance or amendment, which is both pitiful, and dangerous pitiful, in regard of the Lords holy will: dangerous to your own souls: all will say, they are great sinners, but I fear they see not wherein, and so can neither repent, nor amend. O but if thou wouldst apply the law to thyself, thou wouldst see that thou hast been, and still art, an exceeding great transgressor. Consider the first Command, and see if thou dost not sin exceedingly against it, if thy heart does not whore and commit spiritual adultery with the creature, delighting and trusting more in it, then in the Creator, God blessed for ever? and thou shalt find also, that thou puttest thyself most frequently in God's place, making thyself the utmost end of all thy actions, which how horrible sins they be, I leave to thyself to judge: Was not this last Herod's fault, whom the Lord destroyed? Consider the second Command, and thou shalt see there be many points of God's worship that thou, I fear, dost altogether neglect; as that of meditation and conference, and that all of them, are for the most part superficially, and slightly discharged by thee, and that thou comest within the compass of that curse, Woe be unto them, that do the work of the Lord negligently. Consider the third Command, and not to speak of thy frequent profaning of God's name, see what either thou hast done, or spoken, to the honour of God's name, notwithstanding it is the many things that thou wast made for; Look to the 4th. Command, and see how thou hast sanctified the Sabbath in thy thoughts, and discourses, yea see if thou hast not done in this point against thy light, and even refused to return, and hast hated to be reform; chosen rather to displease the immortal God, then mortal men; chosen rather to follow thy own will, than the will of God: and that notwithstanding he hath recommended it as a special point of his will unto thee, and hath bidden thee remember to keep it holy. Consider the fifth Command ye that are superiors, whether ye render to those that are under you that which is just and equal. And ye that are inferiors, if ye give your superiors that honour and respect in your hearts that the Lord requires: and if ye pray unto God for them. Look to the sixth Commandment, and see whether or no thine heart doth not often rise in anger against thy neighbour, without, or for a very small cause; and thy mouth doth not break out into miscalling of him, yea perhaps in cursing him, which is the very height of murder. And remember what our Saviour saith, He that is angry with his brother without a cause is in danger of the judgement: Or whosoever shall say to his brother, thou fool, (or any thing as ill as this) is in danger of hell fire. Consider also the seventh Command, and remember how it also is to be extended to thy heart, and to thy speeches; and so meets with all thy unclean thoughts, and unclean speeches. And look how thou hast carried, and dost carry thyself in the other points of sobriety, in thy drinking, in thy eating; a point certainly that many fail in, and few consider; yea, and in thy wearing. Consider the eight Command, and see if perhaps thou hast not wronged thy neighbour in his goods; but how hast thou employed thy own? how wilt thou clear thy accounts to him who will take account of the talents he hath committed to thee? hast thou not spent much superfluously, and unnecessarily, when the members of Jesus Christ have been like to starve for want? Look to the ninth Command, which forbids thee to speak to the disgrace of thy neighbour's name, whether it be true or false that thou speakest; for love should cover imperfections, and we are commanded to do as we would be done to. And see the propension of thy heart to break this Commandment, nothing so incident to us, as in our discourses to fall upon our neighbour's imperfections, and to talk of them with delight: a sign we want that love which is the sum of all. As for the tenth Command, those that see any thing, cannot but see that body of death. I have gone briefly through the Commandments, touching only these things that I think people are most guilty of, so to lead you to the knowledge of sin, without which there can be no humiliation, no repentance, no amendment; I beseech you take heed to the particulars, and apply them to yourselves, and pray the Lord more and more to give you the eyesalve, and to open your eyes, that ye may see the wonderful things of the Law, that ye may see what is displeasing to him, and dangerous to your own souls. II. Secondly, having thus applied the Law to yourselves for the knowledge and discovery of sin: Then in the second place apply the threaten and curses of the Law to yourself for your humiliation; and to this end consider the severity and greatness of them, the universality and extent of them; they are certainly exceeding great and fearful; they extend to the body, to the mind, to the temporal and spiritual care of a man, to this life, and to the life to come; and they are very fearful in all these respects. Consider chief the universality of these threaten in regard of their object, every one, great and small, young and old, he or she, are liable to the curses of the Law; we should consider this, for we are exceeding prone to make an exception, and to bless ourselves in our hearts when God curses, and to slip the choler. But what saith the Scripture, Cursed is every one that abideth not in all things, etc. And tribulation and anguish is on every soul that d●th evil, etc. We should also consider the truth of him that hath pronounced these threaten, even God, that cannot lie: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but not one j●t of his Word shall pass away. Now all this is little enough to move us, for we are wonderfully given to this, to shift the threaten of the Law off from ourselves, although we cannot deny that the Lord is true that hath pronounced them, yet indirectly our unbelieving shifting hearts do it, like those of whom the Prophet Jeremy speaks, Chap. 5.12. They have bolyed the Lord (saith he) and said this evil shall not come upon us. What else do they, that walk in their sins, and yet think that the threaten of the Law shall not overtake them, but even give the Lord the lie? And again, although the threaten and curses of the Law be so general, and univerfall, as ye may see, Deut. 29. the Lord fore-sets that there shall be some (and, alas, would to God that the most part were not so) who, when they hear the curses of the Law, shall nevertheless bless themselves in their own hearts, and shall say, I shall have peace though I walk in the imaginations of my own heart; how many are there of this kind, that ban, & swear, and drink, and rail, and break the Sabbath securely, and yet nevertheless bless themselves in their own hearts, & think that no such thing shall overtake them, all secure sinners are of this sort. O but what says the Lord to such a soul? The Lord will not spare him, but the anger of the Lord and his jealousy shall smoak against him; and all the curses of his book, shall come upon him, and the Lord shall blot out his name under heaven. O that secure finners would consider this! But what shall I say of the slowness of men and women to believe the Lords threaten, the curses of the Law, they are so senseless and stupid, that when they see them executed upon others, yea when they feel them upon themselves, diseases upon their bodies, grief upon their minds, etc. yet they conceive not, they consider not that it is by virtue of the Lords threaten, that this comes upon them, so to humble themselves under the mighty hand of God. This the Prophet Jeremy, Chap. 5. sets down to have been the senseless condition of the people of his time; Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have not received correction. And he concludes, Surely they are poor, they are foolish, they know not the ways of the Lord, nor the judgement of their God. This is a lamentable case, and yet a common case, we should pray the Lord to save us from this senselessness. They are happy, that when adversity comes upon them, get grace from God to acknowledge it to be for their sins, and so humble themselves, and are not condemned with the wicked world; for so they prevent the wrath which is to come. But happy were we, if we would believe God's threaten without feeling of them, for than we should prevent afflictions also; would we judge ourselves, we should not be judged, etc. Now there be two things especially that stand in the way, and hinder the threaten of God's Law from having their due operation upon the hearts of men and women, and makes men and women to be secure, notwithstanding of the peremptory threaten of the Law. And I beseech you take heed unto them, that ye be not also lulled asleep by them, in such a sort that the trumpet of the Law, and thunderings cannot awaken you. 1. The first is, that people do not consider duly of the patience and long suffering of the Lord, and therefore they come to mistake and misdoubt his justice and the truth of his threaten, they see no such thing, they have been living in their sins so long, and never found that things went otherwise then well with them, no dint of any such threaten; yea they see others so also, none living more pleasantly, nor more prosperously, than those who take very great liberty to themselves to break the Law of God; and this certainly hardens the heart of many a sinner, as the Scripture bears witness: Because sentence is not executed against the wicked speedily, therefore the hearts of the children of men are fully set in them to do evil; because men are not presently punished, and taken out of hand, as we say, but get leave to go away, and escape with their sins for a time; therefore both themselves and others take the greater liberty to sin: and surely we have need to take heed to this, for we have all a tang of it, were sin but instantly punished, we would stand more in awe to offend than we do. But this the Apostle meets with exceeding well and peremptorily, Rom. 2. at the beginning: first he lays down a peremptory conclusion against such persons, Thinkest thou this, O man, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? No, think thou what thou wilt, says he, we are sure that the judgement of God is according to truth against them who commit such things. O but, says the other, I feel, I fear no such thing, I have lived long, but have not found it so, and others have lived out their life, and died peaceably, and have had no bands in their death? To this he replies two things: the one is, the reason that thou art not dealt with according to God's justice, and judgement, and threaten, is not from thy deserving, but from the riches and the goodness, long suffering, and patience of the Lord, waiting upon thy repentance: which if thou despise, when the date of it is run out, thou shalt find the truth of his threaten, and the debt of his justice so much the greater. The other thing he replies, is this; although thou shouldst escape the Lord's justice and judgement all thy life time here, what of that; is there no other place for justice, for judgement, for the accomplishment of God's threaten, then in this life? is not the chief in the life to come? Alas, thou considerest not (far it with thee here as it will) that yet thou art treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and the revelation of the just judgement of God. O that you would consider this now, that ye are not a hair's breadth further off, or at least the freer from the curses of the Law, that they are not instantly poured out upon thee, what of that, yet surely as the Lord is true, they do abide thee: and when the Lord hath given a sufficient proof of his patience towards thee, they shall come upon thee, when thou least expectest, as pains on a woman in travel, if not in this life, yet in the life to come; and therefore be not the securer for this, that they are not yet come upon thee, but if thou wilt prevent this, humble thyself, under the mighty hand of God. The other main impediment hindering the Law, with the threaten of it, to have the due operations of it, upon the hearts of people, as any may see, is, their presumption, both in misapplying the Lords mercy, and Christ's merits to themselves, when as indeed they have no interest in them, and yet this is it, that makes them secure against all the threaten, and also mistaking the manner of obtaining mercy. First then I say they presume and misapply God's mercy, and Christ's merits to themselves, this is the thing that makes many a soul to perish, and therefore I beseech you take heed unto it, they acknowledge that they are sinners, and that the curses of the Law does belong to them. O but they believe in the mercy of God, and in the merits of Christ, in him who hath freed them from the curse of the Law, and so they leap over the threaten of the Law; O but deceive not thyself, this is the way, that many perish in; see that thy relying upon Christ, and the mercy of God, be upon good grounds, & sure warrants, do all believe, that say or think they believe? come to any almost, will they not say, they believe as well as others? but the Scripture says, that Many are called, and but few are chosen: it says, that many are deceived; and why mayest not thou be deceived among the rest? Indeed if thou hast ever been humbled for thy bypast sins, and so hast fled unto Christ, and striven to rest upon him; If thou hast broken off the course of thy iniquity, and turned thy back upon thy sins, and art endeavouring to repent of what is past, and to abstain for time to come: if the Spirit of God hath made any work in thy soul, than thou mayest be bold. O but if none of these be, no work of the Spirit in thee whereof I was speaking, hast thou not broken off the course of thy iniquities, but still walkest according to the imagination of thy own heart, and yet dost bless thyself, notwithstanding the curses of the Law? Be thou sure, it shall be true which the Lord says, Deut. 29. all these curses shall come upon thee. Walkest thou in darkness, that is to say, after the dictates of thy own corrupt heart, and the courses of the wicked world? dost thou, as thou seest others do, and as thy own heart gives thee leave, and takest no heed to order thy ways according to the lantern of God's Word; for this is to walk in darkness? then beguile not thyself, this shift will not serve the turn, it will not free thee from the curse of the Law; Christ, it's true is able to do it, but thou hast nothing to do with him as yet; What says the Apostle, He that saith he hath fellowship with him, and walks in darkness, he is a liar, and the truth is not in him. For these again who deceive themselves by mistaking the manner of obtaining mercy, they think, that when they have sinned all their life time, that a God have mercy upon them shall serve their turn, and then think that they may believe, repent, and get mercy when they will, and for a word: O but let me tell such, these things are not so easily gotten; and none so far from getting mercy, as they that presume upon it: yea, did not many of God's children find it hard enough all their whole life to get faith, repentance, and mercy, and wilt thou come so easily by them, and thinkest to get mercy for a word of thy mouth? And finally to end this point (for thyself) suppose that thou wert sure of mercy, and that thou hadst already obtained mercy; yet thou hast need nevertheless to humble thyself under the mighty hand of God, thereby to prevent the sharpness of the Lords chastisements, and to be corrected in measure; thou hast need to judge thyself, that thou mayest not be judged; for even where the Lord is merciful, he takes vengeance for transgression, he may well correct in measure, but he will not leave altogether unpunished. Upon David's first confession it was said to David, Thy sins are forgiven thee: and yet ye see what he suffered both in regard of spiritual and temporal crosses; as the 51. Psalms, and the History can bear witness. This should startle all sinners, and make them to haste out of their sins: suppose thou get mercy and repentance, which is but a peradventure, yet nevertheless thou shalt find that is an evil, and bitter thing to departed from the living God; the Lord will have thee to find some dint of his threaten both upon thy temporal and spiritual estate. Look what ever pleasure thou tookest in sinning, the Lord will have thee one way or other to taste as much bitterness by his chastisements: and therefore that these may be in measure, we have need to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and to walk humbly with our God all the days of our life. To conclude this point then, which I have insisted on the longer, because it is a main one: Would ye then attain to the groundwork of humiliation, and obey this present Exhortation? Then take the threaten of God's Law and lay them before you, and meditate oft and seriously upon them, and crave earnestly the Spirit for that end, apply them to yourself, and suffer not your heart to shift them, and strive to fear the Lords threaten, and to tremble at his Word; for our deceitful hearts are very ready to shift them, to make a covenant with hell, and to put the evil day far from us; they have no will to hear such harsh tidings; our souls shun this work of humiliation mightily; and the devil he is very busy to steal out the fear of the Lords threaten out of our heart; for he knows that if he obtain that, he hath then made sure work. He did so with our first parents, and prevailed; God threatened they should die; the devil said, Ye shall not die: and he was better believed then God. None of us but we will condemn our first parents in this, but fares it not even so with every one of us? The Lord hath added this threatening to every one of his Commands; If thou do this, thou shalt surely die; if thou swear thou shalt die; if thou whore thou shalt die; if thou lie thou shalt die: and yet we stand not to commit these things: which thou durst not do, didst thou not believe the devil and thy own heart whispering into thee, that thou shalt not die: thou believest the devil, and beliest God. But I entreat you, beloved, still believe the threaten of God's Word, that so ye may humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, as did good Josiah when he heard the book of the Law, and that ye may stand in awe for times to come, and not sin. II. The second main and chief mean to bring us to humiliation, is, to consider and meditate upon the Lords judgements set down in Scripture, adding withal the consideration of God's unchangeableness, and how, as the Apostle saith, he is not an accepter of persons, this surely is a notable mean: David saith, My heart trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid because of thy judgements. And did we consider that we are guilty of the like (if not the same or greater) sins, how would our hearts tremble? There is no sin almost but the Lord hath left a registrate punishment for it in his Word, the more to humble us; seeing that his bare Law and threaten without execution would not affect us. How are we bound to him that teaches us in this manner by others harms: 1 Cor. 10. The Apostle brings in a number of instances of the Lords severe judgements against divers sorts of sinners, against unbelievers, murmurers, fornicators, intemperate, lustres, etc. and concludes, saying, Now all these things befell them for examples, and they are written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the world are fallen. The Scripture is full of other examples; and surely now were not the hardness of our hearts so extremely great, I know not what could be more effectual (the Lord concurring by his Spirit) to bring us to humiliation for our bypast sins, and to cause us to stand in awe to sin for times to come, than a deep and due consideration of the judgements against sinuers guilty of the like transgressions and sins with ourselves. Adding withal, the consideration of the unchangeableness of the Lord God, who dealt thus with them, and inflicted those judgements upon them; for he being the same yesterday and to day, and for ever; there being no variableness nor shadow of turning with him: he being no accepter of persons, especially thy sins being greater. Then certainly how can the Lord but have the like quarrel with thee, as with them, as the Apostle saith, Thinkest thou, O man, that dost the same things, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? how canst thou think it, unless thou think that thou hast not to do with the same God, or that he is changed from that he was, and that he is not so offended at sin now as he was of old, or that he is an accepter of persons? all which, or any of which to say, is very blasphemous. Was the Lord so offended of old with the infidelity, and with the impatiency, and murmuring, and repining of his people, and did he punish it so severely; and shalt thou for thy manifold delinquencies notwithstanding thy bypast experiences, and thy frequent repining against the Lords will, escape, unless thou repent it, and humble thyself, and amendi Did the Lord punish so sharply Nadah and Abihu for profaning his worship, and offering up strange fire to him, and not sanctifying the Lord when they came before him, and near him? And doth not that same guiltiness lie upon thee, and hath not the Lord the same quarrel with thee, who so often hast profaned his worship with hypocrisy and sloth, drawing near to him with the lips, but thy heart being far from him, but set upon thy vanities, and doing his work negligently, rushing in before him without sanctifying thyself when thou drewest near him; yea coming with thy sins upon thee, and so offering strange fire to him many ways; shall not the Lord punish thee also? Unless thou humble thyself and amend. 3. Did the Lord so peremptorily punish the man who blasphemed his Name, making him to be stoned to death; and shalt thou who hast so often blasphemed the holy and dreadful Name of the Lord thy God, think that the Lord hath no quarrel against thee? and shall not punish thee? is he now less offended then before? No: he hath told thee, but thou wilt not believe it, that he will not hold thee guiltless, thou shalt not escape, unless thou humble thyself, and amend. 4. Was the Lord so zealous of keeping his Sabbath, that he caused that man that gachered some few sticks to be stoned to death? Is there not then great wrath abiding thee, who so often hast profaned his Sabbath, and dost so still, unless thou prevent his wrath by humiliation and amendment? 5. Did the Lord express his anger in such a degree against uncleanness and fornication, that for it he made 23 thousand of his people to fall in one day in the wilderness? and hast thou not need to hasten and humble thyself for thy uncleanness, or else the like anger is attending thee? 6. Was he so offended with the Israelites for their lusting and intemperance in diet, and not being content with the sober diet the Lord had allowed, that while the meat was in their mouths, the Lords wrath fell upon them? and hast thou not need to be truly humbled for thy manifold oversights in the point of diet and temperance, whether in eating or drinking? 7. Was Ananias and Saphira so fearfully punished for their lying? and wilt thou make but a jest of it? Surely thou wouldst condemn the Lord of cruelty, thou hast need to esteem otherwise of it, to weigh it in the balance of the sanctuary, and to be humbled under the mighty hand of God for it. In a word, to conclude this point: Thinkest thou, O man, that dost the same things, that thou shalt escape the judgement of God? Is the Lord changeable, or is he not as greatly offended now as then? or have we to do with another God, or will he look to thy person more than to others? or are thy sins less than others? Something thou must think, that thy heart trembleth not because of these judgements; what ever thy thought may be, assure thyself, thou shalt find that they have the advantage of thee; if thou wilt look either to preeminency of persons, or greatness of sins: for the persons, they were a natural Olive, as the Apostle speaks, and thou art but the wild Olive: And if he spared not the natural Olive, how little less will he spare thee who art the wild Olive? Again, if thou wilt compare their sins and thine, thou wilt find thy own to be greater. For, 1. their sins were against the Law only, but thine are against the Gospel; and for this consider, Heb. 2. If the Word spoken by Angels, etc. 2. We read for the most part in all their exemplary punishments, that it was but for one act of sin only; but which of thy sins hast thou not frequently committed, so that thou hast contracted a custom of sinning: This may be clearly seen, by comparing the particulars before spoken of, with our sinning: He once broke the Sabbath, once blasphemed, etc. So that it is apparent thy sins are the greater. This I speak the rather, because we have all shifting hearts, deceitful above all things, which are ready to think that the sins of those who were exemplarily punished, were greater than ours are, and that they had some extraordinary thing in them, which made the Lord extraordinarily to punish them, and so their examples work not so effectually upon us; but on the contrary, ye see our sins are clearly greater; Our Saviour saw this corruption and deceit of our hearts, and therefore he says to the Jews, Think ye that these upon whom the Tower of Shiloh fell, were greater sinners than the rest; No says he, they were not, But unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish; So say I to you, think not but thou art as great, yea a greater sinner, and therefore unless thou repent, thou shalt perish, unless thou humble and amend Thou shalt surely die the death; Was not the natural Olive spared, and shalt thou? Was one act of sin so severely punished; and shalt thou who hast reiterated many acts of the same kind, pass unpunished, shall they who sinned against the Law be punished, & thou who neglectest so great a salvation escape? O but sayest thou, how comes it to pass then, that the Lord deals otherways with sinners now a days then of old? for men do as it were get leave to sin, and pass unpunished. The Apostle gives the reason of this, in the words I cited before, saying, These things befell them, that they might be examples to us, upon whom the ends of the world are come. The reason that the Lord dealt more peremtorily with them, and more exemplarily was, not that their sins were greater, and ours less, but because they lived as it were in the beginning of the world, the Lord would make them examples for succeeding ages, he would let us see in the persons of few, how he is offended with all, guilty of the like sins; whereas with us living in the ends of the world, when examples shall be of less use, and when the time of general punishment is at hand, there is no reason that sinners should be precisely and exemplarily punished, but yet thou shalt be as surely, and as severely punished, yea and more. III. A third mean to help to humble us, is, to consider the greatness of God's anger against sin, and how odious sin is in his sight, and presence, we should first lay this ground, that our sins provoke the Lord to anger and wrath, and then we should consider, how fearful a thing the anger of the Lord is, for the first, it is clear, I a. 1. They have provoked the holy one of Israel to anger, the Apostle says, that For these things, the wrath of God cometh upon the children of men, yea every sin does provoke him, and that most highly to wrath, although not all alike, yet certainly I say every one most high, or else the punishment of every sin, would not be eternal, and intolerable torment; but so it is, and therefore every sin, even the least, provokes the Lord highly to wrath. Now this ground being laid for our humiliation, we should consider what a fearful thing this wrath, and anger of God is, that we may be the more humble, seeing we ourselves are liable unto it. The Scripture sets it down most fearfully, using strange and fearful terms, not only of anger, and wrath, but of indignation, of fury; and putting both in one, The fury of his indignation, the fierceness of his wrath The wise man says, that the wrath of a King is like the roaring of a Lion: what then must be the wrath of the King of kings? for even these kings are advised in Psal. 2. to kiss the S●n lest he be angry, and they perish in the way, when his anger is kindled but a little: how fearful then must his anger be when it is kindled to the full? The Prophet, Neh. 1. says, Who can stand before his indignation? And Psal. 90. Moses saith further, Who knows the power of his wrath? When the children of God who in their wakening of their conscience had but a taste of that wrath, (for the dregs of it are reserved for the wicked) and who rather apprehend and fear God's anger, then feel it, when they say, they would give all the world, they would suffer what can be devised, to be freed from the apprehension of that wrath; what must the thing itself be? And therefore we see how David cries out, Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy sore displeasure. It's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God; the Lord is a consuming fire. But because that this point, to wit, that the Lord is angry and wroth with some, is a point that we can hardly comprehend what is the reason that we fear so little to commit sin, and are so slenderly humbled for sin, therefore I will let you see his anger against sin by the effects of it in some few examples. 1. Must not the Lord be very angry, and highly offended with sin, when for one sin of our first parents he made whole mankind liable to eternal, and intolerable torment, the most part of them without recovery; and even upon whom he hath showed mercy, he hath ordained them to pass their pilgrimage here in labour and sorrow: and hath made all the creatures subject to vanity; Who knows the power of his wrath? But this ye may think was against sin committed in innocence, when there was such ability not to sin. But secondly, behold afterwards the Lords anger against sin how great it must be; when for sin he who swears he delights not in the death of a sinner, and is a God full of compassion, did destroy the whole world, the very young sucking ones, and the dumb creatures, a few only being saved? But ye will say, sin was here come to a height, and was universal. But I will give you one fearful instance, of the one particular sin of one man Achan, for stealing the wedge of gold, how fearfully was he punished, and not he only, (as ye may read in the History) but his sons and his daughters, his oxen and sheep, and all that he had was stoned and burnt with fire; a fearful example of the fierceness of God's anger against sin, which should make us say as David did: My heart trembleth because of thy judgements. But ye will yet say, this was its true, but one sin, but a great one, sacrilege, but the Lord is not, perhaps, so angry for all that, at every sin. O but consider if he be not, what are these but outward judgements, hath he not also even for the least sin ordained eternal and intolerable torment? how great then must be the indignation and abomination of the Lord our God even against the least of our sins, when it doth move so just a God (who surely would not make the punishment greater than the fault) to adjudge the committer to eternal torment, and intolerable. O! if this were well weighed by us, we would not be so careless in preventing, nor so slight in our humiliation, even for, our least sins; we all fail in this, we are not careful enough to prevent small sins, (so to speak) nor careful enough to humble ourselves for them; we have a cast of idolatry, we ●ount them venial. O but the least deserves eternal punishment, the least provokes the Lord to anger, the least cost Jesus Christ his blood; For the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin: and therefore count not so little of a sinful thought, or a sinful word; prevent carefully, watch diligently, be humbled greatly. And now to conclude this point: would ye see the Lords anger, hatred, & severity against sin, yet more clearly; add but this one consideration, to wit, of his dealing even with his own children, his own darlings, after the committing of sin, to whom nevertheless he hath pardoned the iniquity; how dealt he with David the man according to his own heart? how with Moses who was so familiar with him? for one sin deprives him of his greatest worldly contentment: he wounds them with the wound of an enemy, and chastises them with the chastisement of a cruel one, as Job saith; he makes their beauty to consume as a moth, night and day his hand is heavy upon them, and he turns their moisture into the drought of Summer. Now if the Lord for sin deal so with his own dear children, how will he do with his enemies? if so sharply with them, to whom he hath pardoned the sin, how then with those who are still guilty? if so to the green tree, how to the dry? If the righteous scarcely be saved, how shall the unrighteous and sinners be saved? FOUR A fourth mean or help of humiliation is, to consider seriously of the justice of God; a point also that we can never sufficiently comprehend: people apprehend the Lord to be infinitely merciful, and so he is; but for his Justice they esteem nothing so of it, as if he were not infinitely just also: every thing in God is infinite, and therefore he being just, must of necessity be infinite in his Justice; and so his justice, think we of it what we will, passes our deepest apprehension. Take heed unto this, ye that think the Lord is all Mercy; the Lords mercy is wonderful great, God forbidden it were otherwise, His mercy (saith the Psalmist) reaches to the heavens, and his faithfulness to the clouds. But doth not his justice and judgement reach as far? for what saith the Apostle, O the depth of the riches, etc. and adds the same of his justice, for he saith, His Judgements are past finding out. And as he speaks of the glory of his mercy upon the vessels of mercy; so he speaks of his wrath, even the power of his wrath upon the vessels of wrath: so that with whom he deals in mercy, he is infinitely merciful; and with whom he deals in justice, he is infinitely just. And let me say to you, if we will look to the multitude of objects, Justice hath the pre-eminence; I speak this to humble you, and also that ye be not deceived: for men and women think that Mercy hath the upper hand of Justice in this respect, but many are called, and few are chosen. Indeed Mercy bears it away in this, that it hath the first place, and Justice comes not in till Mercy be contemned, patience and long-suffering abused, and towards Gods own it is wonderful; for all their sins may well make him to visit them with the rods of men, but never to take his tender mercy from them. But for the point I was speaking of, certainly more shall find the dint of God's justice, than ever shall find the benefit of his mercy; which should cause every one of us in good earnest to see to ourselves. The Scripture is very careful, that the consideration of God's mercy do not eclipse his justice from our eyes; and therefore in these two notable places, Exod. 34. and Nahum 1. which two places speak very gloriously of God's mercy, yet in both of them are interwoven these two peremptory speeches of God's justice: In the one, He will by no means clear the guilty; in the other, He will not at all acquit the wicked. Josh. 24.19, 20. when he was stirring up the Israelites to serve and worship the Lord their God, he was loath that they should mistake the nature of him whom they undertook to serve, that they should conceive (as people are ready to do) God to be all good and gracious, and merciful; and therefore he tells them what a one he is, not denying the former, but putting them in mind of that which they were ready to forget: what saith he, He is an holy God, he is a jealous G●d; he will not forgive you your sins if ye turn from him; he will consume you after he hath done you good. But it may be alleged, he speaks this to try them; He doth indeed, but he would speak nothing but the truth for that, and I entreat you therefore think upon the Justice of the Lord, and whereof before I have been speaking to you, upon the extent of his Justice, both in regard of time, and of persons: Men do think that God's justice may be soon satisfied, and his favour soon obtained, but ye shall see the contrary, in the iniquity of Peor, we are not cleansed from it even to this day, and that although there was a plague amongst the people. So Manasseh, a point very considerable for thy continual humiliation. Moreover, men do scarcely apprehend that the Lords justice and anger for their sins can reach to themselves; but ye shall find it hath extended to others: one man sinned, and the Lord was wroth with the whole congregation. If this were considered, as I told you before, we should take better heed to ourselves than we do, and take better heed to the repressing of sin. Woe is me, saith the Prophet, for I dwell among a people of polluted lips; strange is the contagion of sin. This makes David to say, that he will take order with his family, No wicked person will I know, and they that do evil shall departed from me. V A fifth mean of humiliation, is a setting our sins in order before ourselves, that is, to have a due and deep weighing of our sins in their greatness, number, manner, and such other circumstances of aggravation. This if we do not, the Lord hath threatened to do: Psal. 50. Whereas if we would judge ourselves, the Lord would not judge us. First then thou shouldst consider the greatness of thy sins, and withal call to remembrance the ground I laid down before, and did prove to be true, to wit, that the very lest sin, that ever thou committedst doth provoke the just and powerful Lord, the good and gracious God to wrath, and that in so high a degree, that he hath ordained it to be punished with eternal and intolerable torment; which should be a ground not of a sleight and superficial, but of an exceeding care to prevent even the least sin; and should make us see that our humiliation, and our godly sorrow even for our smallest sins, be more deep; we have need of this greatly. But to the point. Consider now with thyself, if so be the least, even one of the least of thy sins be yet so great that it deserves eternal, and intolerable torment; and hath provoked the Lord so highly to wrath, and cannot be expiated but by the blood of the Son of God, for that blood cleanses us from all sin; and there is no other name or mean under heaven to be saved. O then what must be the deserving and degree of the punishment of thy great and gross sins, and what meas●●e of wrath must th●u lie under in regard of them? If thy flying and passing thoughts deserve such a punishment, how then shalt thou be punished for thy entertained, and fostered, and delighted in sinful thoughts of covetousness, revenge, ambition, uncleanness? etc. If for every idle word thou must render an account in the day of judgement; what account is then to be rendered of thy sinful, and so sinful words wherewith thou hast blasphemed the great and dreadful Name of the Lord thy God, and for thy stinking corrupt communication, unsavoury to a Christian ear, but most abominable to the holy Lord, who is purity itself, and so cannot but highly abhor such filthiness, and which is an evident token that the unclean spirit hath possession of thy heart and mouth. And finally, if thy words and thoughts shall be so punished, consider then what thy actions will bring upon thee, for then sin is finished: and if the least of thy sinful actions shall be so severely taken order with; O how shouldst thou tremble to think upon thy gross trespasses, and grievous offences, in thy actions? 2. Consider the number of thy sins, if one sin deserves so much, what will so many procure? yea even thy great and gross sins, being so many in number, and so often repeated? Ye heard how severely and exemplarily the Lord punished his own people, the natural Olive for one act of one kind of sin: and what then shalt thou expect, for so many several kinds of sins, and so may acts of these kinds? 1. For so often profaning his worship. 2. So often profaning his Name. 3. So often profaning his Sabbath. 4. So many acts of uncleanness. 5. And which is worse than all this, for so many times and occasions neglecting that great salvation. And further, by thy bypast great sins, what innumerable, certainly innumerable sins have escaped thee, yea, and daily do escape thee in these three respects, to wit, of thoughts, words, and manner of doing. 1. The heart is desperately wicked, and the imaginations thereof are evil continually; whereby it comes to pass, that out of that foul fountain is continually streaming out a source of sinful thoughts. 2. The tongue is also an unruly evil, and it also makes us most frequently to sin against the Lord. And, 3. Such is the pitiful corruption and pollution of our sinful nature, that we sin continually in the manner of doing, even our best duties, our best services are polluted, our righteousness is like a menstruous cloth: so that we are, in regard of this corruption, as one makes the comparison, very like the snail, that defiles all the way it passes through, and leaves a slime behind it: Even so do we in regard of this pollution of our nature, defile all the footsteps we walk in, there is the slime of sin to be seen in our best actions; So that in respect of these three, our thoughts, our words, and the manner of our doing we sin most frequently which is most pitiful. Now since any of these deserve eternal torment: what then do they being all joined together? 3. Consider the manner of thy sins, for this adds exceedingly to the greatness of sin, and serves much for aggravation; see if thou hast not sinned against thy knowledge, and if thou hast done so, thou art worthy of, and shalt receive double stripes. Knowest thou, and was it not often told thee, that thou shouldst keep the Sabbath in thy thoughts and discourses? that thou shouldst renew thy repentance, that thou shouldst, what ever thy other employments be, grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ? that thou shouldst apply thy heart unto spiritual wisdom; that thou shouldst not only hear and read, but go apart, and meditate upon God's Word, and as occasion serves, and thy ability shall permit to speak of it? I say, hast thou known these things, and have they been ofttimes told thee, and yet because they were painful, thou hast forborn to do them? O how many stripes mayest thou look for? 2. See if thou hast not sinned against thy conscience, for this is yet more than to sin against knowledge, to wit, when not only one knows a thing in general, but when by his general knowledge of it, his conscience gives him particular warning to do or to abstain; the Spirit of God prompts him to it, and yet notwithstanding he goes his own way; this is a most heavy sin, it is a wounding of the conscience, and a grieving of the Spirit of God; yea, and in a degree of that which the Apostle saith, Hebr. 10. a despighting of the Spirit of grace. See then if ever thou hast sinned this way against the motions of God's Spirit, and warnings of thy own conscience; that the Spirit of God and thy own conscience have suggested unto thee that such a thing was to be done, and yet thou didst it not; or such a thing, not to be done, and yet thou didst it: and certainly if thou hast, thou hast need greatly to be humbled; this is to sin stubbornly, and rebelliously. 3. See if thou hast sinned out of presumption, that is to say, presuming upon the Lord's mercy; many sin this way, and conclude with themselves, the Lord is merciful, and easy to be entreated, ready to forgive; and therefore although I sin, I shall get pardon; yea although I should sin all my life long, I shall get mercy easily at last: this is a grievous kind of sinning, and an uncouth way of conclusion, and it is a dangerous conclusion for thy own soul; for none so ready to refuse mercy, as those who have thus sinned presuming upon mercy, turning the grace of God unto wantonness; for what saith the Lord? Deut. 29. If any man hearing the words of this curse, shall nevertheless bless himself in his own heart, etc. I will not spare that man, saith the Lord; and if ever thou get mercy think on it, thou shalt not find it so easy to be gotten, nor the Lord so easy to be entreated. God's children find it hard enough all their life time to get: and wilt thou, get mercy for a word of thy mouth, as it were? And as it is a most dangerous conclusion in regard of thy own soul, so is it a most ungrateful and unnatural conclusion in regard of the Lord thy God: to say, that because he is good, and gracious, and merciful, and ready to forgive thee, that therefore thou wilt continue to sin against him to provoke him to wrath: shouldest thou not rather conclude? Is he so gracious indeed? Alas, that ever I should offend him, I will no more do so by his grace and assistance; were it not a wicked thing for a man to use another so, to wit, to abuse his lenity and goodness, and clemency, and kindness; fie upon such a conclusion. 4. See if thou hast sinned scandalously, either by thy sin being an evil example unto others, and strengthening them in their sins, whereby certainly thou must not only be accountable for thy own sins, but for others also. Or else by thy sin hast given others occasion to think and speak ill of thy profession, and so hast been a scarecrow to Religion. Or else by thy sin hast made these thou hast had to do with to take such a prejudice at thee, that neither thy words nor thy works can any thing further their edification; there is no sin more to be taken heed, to then this scandalous sinning, and therefore be careful against it. And if thou hast been guilty of it, humble thyself greatly for it. 4. Consider the means against which thou hast sinned. Now under means I comprehend both the means of God's Word, and of his works, whereby he labours to reclaim us. See then how thou hast sinned against his works, and that both against his benefits and favours, and also against his judgements and afflictions, whereby he studied to reclaim thee. And first for the first: Certainly this is no small aggravation of thy sin in God's sight that thou hast sinned against so many benefits and favours: Thus we see the Lord by Nathan aggravates David's sin; I took thee from the sheepfold when thou wast small in thy own eyes, I made thee king over my people, and have given thee the throne of thy Master, and thus and thus have I done unto thee, and yet thou hast sinned against me. The like catalogue will the Lord present thee with, unless thou prevent him, and judge thyself; he will say unto thee, I have bestowed upon thee such gifts, and perfections of body and mind, which I have denied to others, and such a measure of outward things appertaining to contentment, as many would think themselves well dealt with if they should have but the half of these things: I have kept thee from many grievous inconveniences, which I have inflicted upon others; I have further delivered thee from many distresses, and carried thee through difficulties; yea I have done so and so unto thee, made thee eminent in regard of many others, and yet for all this thou hast sinned against me; thou wouldst not for my sake renounce thy pleasures to resist such a corruption, nor thy ease to discharge such duties: what a just challenge thinkest thou will this be, how will thy own conscience subscribe to it, and thy countenance blush at it? Consider also if thou hast not finned against the Lords judgements and afflictions, which he sent to reclaim thee, and fairly to warn thee, and so hast kicked against the pricks. Isaiah, or the Lord by Isaiah, makes this aggravation, Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more. And Jer. 5. Thou hast strucken them, but they have not grieved: thou hast consumed them, but they have not received correction. This is also a great aggravation of sin. The Psalmist saith, Be not like the horse, or the mule, which cannot be holden in but by bit and bridle; but this is to be worse than horse or mule, even us, to be holden in with bit and bridle: Both these aggravations Ezra puts together, Chap. 9 v. 13, 14 And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespasses, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and hast given us such a deliverance as this: Should we again break thy Commandments, wouldst thou not be angry with us until thou hadst consumed us? As if he should say, Shall we not regard both thy judgements and thy favours? And because some had done thus, therefore he saith, O my God, I am ashamed to lift up my face to thee, O my God. Consider moreover how thou hast sinned against the means of God's Word so often calling upon thee, standing at the door and knocking, stretching out his hands all the day long, and that thou hast sent him away with a refusal. This neglecting the Lords call, and refusing to hear his Word, and obey it, is a most fearful sin, and fearfully threatened in God's Word: Prov. 1.24. Because I have called, and ye have not heard, and have stretched forth mine hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought my counsel, and would have none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer: they shall seek me early, but shall not find me. There cannot be a more fearful threatening then this, and yet ye see it is but just and proportionable; which shows the offence to be exceeding great. And indeed, how great a sin must it be, that the great God should vouchsafe to speak to us, base creatures, and that thou in the mean time shouldst not deign to hear him, or hearing him, refuse to obey him? Now this thou hast done so often as ever thou hadst the occasion of the Word, and either slighted to hear, or didst not do the thing thou heardst. Thou must not think that it was a man only that thou didst misregard to hear, or to obey, but even God himself, whose Ambassador he is. O that we would consider this rightly, that when we hear the Word, it is the great God whom we hear, or whom we misregard, according to that of the Apostle; that they received the Word, not as the word of 〈…〉, as it is indeed, the Word of the living God. This would make us truly to acknowledge the greatness of our bypast offences, in this point, and for time to come, to hear with greater attention, & to better purpose: but because this is not sensible enough considered by us, therefore is it, that we cannot see the greatness of this sin, to wit, to hear the word of God negligently. This sin is also fearfully threatened, Isa. 6. v. 12.66.4. jer. 7.13. all which shows that the contempt, yea neglect of God's word, is not so small a sin as we apprehend it to be, how then shouldest thou be humbled, who hast been so often guilty of this sin; See we not when Malefactors are brought to the place of the execution, even for crying sins, that yet this sin cries louder in their consciences, than all the rest, as is to be seen by their confessions: further consider, how thou hast sinned not only in general against the light of God's word, but even in particular against the Gospel, against the offer of mercy, and hast neglected so great a salvation; Now this makes thy sins to be exceeding sinful, it is fearful to sin against the very light of nature, as is clear by the testimonies of the Lords wrath upon Belshazzar, Dan. 5. and upon these, Rom. 1. They had but the very light of nature, and yet because they abused, even but that light, because when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, therefore he gave them over to a reprobate mind; and far more fearful is it to sin against the light of the written Law, for that was a clearer light; and so we see the transgressors of the Law were precisely and peremptorily punished, every transgression received a just recompense of reward: But most fearful and sinful of all is it, to sin against the most clear light of the Gospel, and the offer of salvation in it, as is clear out of these two places: Heb. 2.1. Heb. 10.28, 29. And our Saviour saith plainly, that it shall be easier in the day of judgement even for Sodom and Gomorrah, than it shall be for the neglecters of the Gospel. Consider then how thou hast sinned in this last kind, and so how great thy sins must be; Were the breakers of the Law severely punished, yea even those who had nothing but the light of nature? O what deservest thou? what need hast thou to be humbled, that hast sinned against the highest light? if by humiliation thou do not prevent it, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom then for thee. Now the thing, that makes sins against the Gospel to be so sinful, is this: because they are against, not only the Lords Commandment, but his most loving entreaties, and that by his tender mercies, and the precious merits of his Son, and therefore notwithstanding these, to disobey, and so to despise the offer of grace, is and must be exceedingly sinful; for it is no less then, as the Apostle calls it, to neglect so great a salvation, to tread under feet the blood of Christ, and to count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing: for by the Law the Lord commands us indeed so to do, but the tenor of the Gospel is, by entreating to win obedience out of love: I beseech you by the mercies of God. Rom. 12.1. If a just King should out of Authority command his Subject any reasonable lawful thing, and he should disobey, certainly his disobedience were great, and greatly to be punished; But if the Prince laying aside his Authority, or with his Authority, should request, and allure with benefits, and yet be neglected, what punishment thinkest thou were that person worthy of? Now the case is thy own, the Lord thy God hath more interest in thee, than all the kings in the world, and is more worthy to be obeyed than they all; also he hath been commanding thee, and not only so, but requesting, beseeching thee, and that not by any common favours, but by his tender mercies, and the precious merits of his Son, and renewing the offer of salvation and remission of thy sins, to leave such and such sins, and to do such and such duties, but thou wouldst not: O then how great, and how just shall be thy damnation? is not this to tread under feet the blood of Christ? O that this were considered: if a Subject should rebel against his Prince, his punishment should be both just and great; But if the Prince notwithstanding all that had passed, would of his free grace offer him a free remission and pardon, and entreat him to accept of it, and no more to continue in his rebellion; and yet nevertheless he should despise the pardon, and continue in his former rebellion, what punishment can be devised sufficient for such a one? Just such is the case of such who sin against the Gospel, the Lord offers freely to pardon all former sins, and rebellions, whereas justly he might have punished them before: Let the wicked man forsake his ways, etc. and yet for all this they neglect so great salvation, they despise the offer of mercy, and sin against the Lord's clemency. These be our own actual sins, that we ought to humble ourselves for; but there be other sins that we ought in no wise to pass by in our humiliation, to wit, 1. for our original corruption, that loathsome leprosy, that ugly filthy corruption, that falling sickness of our sins, the fountain of all our natural sins, which defiles, not only our actions, but our very persons in the sight of God; and is so much to be deplored, being a disease incurable in the inward or noble parts, and is to be lamented above any out-breaking in the outward parts of the body: we see how David, how Paul bewails it. 2. For that first sin of our first parents we ought greatly to humble ourselves; for this sin if well weighed, we shall find to be an exceeding great sin, and that it is our sin, and that the guiltiness belongs to us, is clear out of Rom. 5.12.17, 18. 3. For the sins of our predecessors; for so we see did Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra, etc. We have sinned and our fathers: and the Lord saith, I will visit the sins of the fathers upon the children. 4. For the sins of the Land we live in: so David, Psal. 119. Rivers of tears run down my eyes, because they make void thy Law. And Ezek. 9 they are marked who sigh and cry for the abominations of the Land. VI The last and a notable mean of humiliation is, well to consider the person against whom thou hast sinned, and that both in his greatness, and in his goodness towards thee. This did David weigh and consider, while he saith so emphatically, Against thee, even against thee have I sinned. And indeed without weighing this point, we can hardly either be humbled in ourselves, or can we comprehend, or with our hearts acknowledge the justice of God. But seeing and considering this point, to wit, against whom we have sinned, our conscience will then exceedingly both condemn ourselves, and justify the Lord in his justice. There is nothing that doth aggravate an offence more than doth the quality of the person against whom it is committed; that which being done by a man against an ordinary person, one of his neighbours, would be but an ordinary offence; yet if he should do it to his father, it would turn to a heinous crime; and if it were done to his Prince, it would be high treason, deserving and procuring the utmost degree of punishment that could be devised; how great then must be the offence, and what shall be the punishment of that offence which is committed against the great God, and Sovereign Lord of all the earth, the King of kings, who is able to cast both soul and body into hell fire? But especially, I would have thee to consider the goodness of God, that so thou mayest see the foulness and ingratitude of thy sinning against him, and so mayest justify the Lord in his justice. If a man should go & wrong or offend his father that begat him, and gave him his life; or one that at any time had preserved his life; or one that had bestowed some great favour upon him, and had been beneficial to him, we would abhor such a man for the foulness, the unnaturalness, the ingratitude of his offence; But what is this to the offence of the Lord our God? he is our Father indeed, and the Father, not only of our bodies, but, as he is called, of our spirits; it is he, that hath made us, and not we ourselves; He hath preserved our life, not once, but many times, yea always; In him we live, we move, we have our being. And finally, he hath bestowed upon us favours innumerable, is so beneficial, that he loads us daily with his benefits: what vile ingratitude than must it be to fin against him? I pray thee, how mighty, and withal how just a challenge shall it be, when the Lord shall accuse thee in these terms, I did make thee, who might have denied thee a being, and I made thee according to my own Image; whereas I might have made thee a beast, or a senseless creature; and I made thee, and brought thee into the world, with all the perfections of thy body and mind, and have continued them with thee; this I have not done unto many others; I have preserved thee from innumerable inconveniences, which befell unto others by day and by night; I loaded thee with benefits, which I denied to others; thou never enjoyedst any thing useful or profitable, whereof I was not the bestower; I made the rest of my creatures serve thee, my Angels guard thee, my own Son redeem thee; for all this, what did I require, but that such things thou shouldst do, and such and such things thou shouldst not do; earnestly I besought thee to obey as a matter of eternal concernment to thyself, and of high displeasure to me, and yet thou tookest not the matter to heart, thou wouldst not obey, dost thou thus requite me, O foolish person, and unkind? how can thy own conscience but concur with the Lord, and say, Thou art just when thou judgest? MARKS THAT ACCOMPANY FAITH. Q. What be the Marks that accompany faith, or are taken from the concomitants of Faith? A. I. They be these three especially, the first is this: true Faith leans to the means, and is grounded upon them, even upon the Word of God, and in special upon the promises of forgiveness of sins; the new and everlasting Covenant, the passages of Gods merciful nature, Christ's readiness to receive sinners, the oath, that ground of strong consolation, and such like grounds and means of confidence laid down in the Word, it is begotten and bred by these at first; it is fed, cherished and strengthened by these. And lastly, it is defended by these against all assaults, doubtings, and tentations of the soul; so that the Word, and these things in the Word, be the seed, the food, the fortress, or refuge of faith, whereunto it retires; so that faith altogether stands by the Word: Faith is by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God: Rom. 10.27. So then, wouldst thou know whether thy faith be of the right stamp, or no: 1. Was thy faith at first begotten by the Word, and the foresaid means either heard, read, or meditated upon? 2. Dost thou find thy faith to be strengthened, cherished, and cheered by using the same means; so that upon your diligent using and feeding upon them, you find your faith more lively and strong: and again, upon your neglect of the means, you find it more dead, weak, and remiss? this is very considerable. And, 3. when your faith is put to it, and assaulted, doth it and thy heart fly to the foresaid means and passages of God's Word? all this evidences thy faith to be of the right stamp. And especially if thou knowest the very particular passages and clauses of the Word which did first beget faith in thee, which strengthen thee in thy weakness, and whereunto thy faith retires in time of assaults, (for this God's children do) but on the contrary, 1. knowest thou not, rememberst thou not, how or by what means thy faith was begotten? 2. Findest thou thy faith all alike when thou usest the means, and when thou usest them not, or never usest any at all? And 3. if thou shouldst be put to it, hast thou no other warrant for thy faith, but thy own fantasy, apprehension, or imagination, that sandy foundation, but dost want a particular warrant from God's Word? then be sure thy faith is but counterfeit, it cannot be well come, that we cannot tell how it is come. And it is strange for a man to conceit, that he shall have such a thing for such a man, and yet hath never had his word, nor hand for it: So is it with the point in hand. Thus ye see the first Mark, true Faith always leans to, and holds by the Means; whereas Presumption neglects the Means. Q. Let me have another of these Marks. II. A. Another is this: true Faith is accompanied with frequent doubtings; whereas Presumption never doubts. Q. How prove you this Mark, and how is the truth of it evidenced and cleared? A. Thus: if faith be true, then sure the devil envies so precious a pearl, and is evermore casting his fiery darts at it, so to rob us of it, or at least to impede our comfort: Whereas on the other side, if it be but presumption, he knows it will not do the turn, he lets it alone; When the strong man holds the house, all things are at peace. Secondly, the Lord will have his own exercised; will a man plant a vineyard, and not eat the fruit thereof? The application is easy. Art thou, or hast thou been subject to doubting? this is a token thy faith is true, and otherwise Satan would not trouble it: but certainly hast thou never doubted, thou hast never believed. III. A third Mark is, whereas Faith or believing is A receiving of Christ, Joh. 1. To so many as received him, etc. even to those who believes in his Name. True faith receives Christ rightly upon the terms that he offers himself, that is, as it casts over upon Christ the burden of its sins, so it is content to take up the easy yoke of his obedience, in doing or suffering; to take up the cross and follow him: for these be the terms whereon Christ offers himself. Matth. 11. Now presumption makes terms of its own, thinks to have Christ to take the burden of their sins, but never thinks upon the taking on the yoke of his obedience. The application here also is very easy. Hast thou with thy cleaving to Christ for the remission of thy sins, resolved to take on also the yoke of his obedience, in doing and suffering, and dost thou it, in fight against thy most pleasant sins, and cleaving to the hardest duties, with denying thyself; then be sure thou hast rightly received Christ, and consequently rightly believed; thou hast made him thy Lord, and he shall be thy Saviour: thou hast made him thy King, and he shall be thy Priest; thou makest conscience of the precepts of the Word, and therefore thou hast interest, and shall have thy comfort in the promises. But on the contrary, thou, who ever thou be, who thinkest that thou believest in Christ, and in the mean time livest as thou pleasest, following the broad and easy way of thy own heart, and the customs of an evil world, and not the straight way of Christ's obedience; thy faith is but presumption: Go seek true faith, seek it earnestly, and thou shalt find it; but it will not be easily gotten: how thankful should they be, who have found the way unto it? Q. Which be the Marks that follow faith? A. Sundry. Though the Spirit of God insists upon two especially, to wit, the love of the brethren, and obedience unto God's Commandments. 1. Then, obedience unto God's Commandments is set down most frequently in Scripture for a mark of faith and regeneration: this is the Lords seal, to departed from iniquity, saith Paul; Show me thy faith by thy works, saith James. And our Saviour, He that hath my Commandments, and keepeth them, etc. And in John's first Epistle, it is often inculcated, Chap. 1. If we walk in darkness, and say we have fellowship with him, we lie, and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, than we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin. Now what is it to walk in the light, but to walk according to the rule of God's Word, which the Scripture calls a lantern to our paths, and this is to obey God's Commandments: So Chap. 2. Hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments. Obj. But the natural man, the hypocrite, will go far in the point of obedience, and every one hath some measure of obedience. A. This is true, and therefore we must be careful to see the soundness and rightness of our obedience by these Marks, which are not to be found in the natural man's obedience. 1. He whose obedience is sound, makes conscience of secret sins, and secret duties, betwixt God and him, as well as of public sins, and of public duties; he is as loath to a sinful thought in his heart, as to commit a sinful deed before the eyes of the world; is as well careful to discharge those duties which are to be done secretly in his closet between his God and his own soul; as of the public which are to be done in the Church: this is a token of the true fear of God, and of true respect to him. 2. He whose obedience is sound, makes conscience of small sins, (I mean that are small in the eyes of the world) as of great; for he knows every sin highly offends God, and deserves eternal damnation: he knows he who said, Thou shalt not kill, he said also, Thou shalt not swear; whereas the unsound obeyer, uses to weigh sin in the balance of man's estimation, and not in the balance of the Sanctuary; from whence it is, that he makes small account of many sins, as of a small ordinary oath, to speak corrupt communication, to let it slip in merriment, to lie for recreation, etc. this is not to walk according to that rule, Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 3. A sound obeyer makes conscience of God's Commands, even those which most controls his profit, pleasure, or credit. But the unsound obeyer he will with Herod, do many things; but when the duty comes once to cross, control, or be in competition with any of these, there he sticks, namely, if it come in competition with that of these, that is his god, his idol, which he most looks to; How few sanctify the Sabbath as it ought, or takes pains in private exercises of devotion? why, these control their pleasure, and laziness: How few are charitable? why, this controls their profit. How few will suffer or sit down with a wrong without repaying, though the Scripture be most express? O this touches them in their great Idol their Credit. And for this same reason, how many decline good duties, not making their light shine before men? He that is ashamed of me before men, etc. all this is against the rule, Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandments. 4. He whose obedience is sound, makes conscience not only of the doing of a duty, but also of the manner of the doing of it; and is humbled for his failings in the manner, as well as for the omission. But the hypocrite so he do the duty, he regards not the manner, he cares not for it; so he pray, hear, read, he rests there, but cares not to do all these, with that reverence, cheerfulness, diligence, humility, sincerity which the Lord requires in the discharge of his worship; he remembers not the rule, The ways of a man seem good in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the heart. But especially in the manner of our obedience we should look to the motive and end of our obedience, to that which puts us on to do it, and which we set before our eyes, that it be not a wrong motive, but the fear of God, yea the love of God; and the end, to please God, and not ourselves, or others: But of this hereafter. A second Mark of Faith, is, the love of God's Children. By this we know that we are translated from death to life, if we love the brethren. And if it be a real love, hereby we assure ourselves before him; David saith, all his delight was this way; this is a Mark which hath upholden many when they have been at a very low ebb, and when other Marks have not been sensible to them; those who are truly renewed, they have this wrought in their hearts by God's Spirit, a secret disposition to love goodness, and those who are good, an evident token they are in some measure so themselves, for like, loves like, so they love those who are holy, and the more holy they love them, the better they love them; yea they more account of a spark of holiness, than all other natural accomplishments. Whereas the wicked, though they may carry a fair show to the godly, yet indeed they hate them, they are thorns in their eyes. Now this Mark should be rightly considered, lest any that have not interest should deceive themselves, and lay hold of it. One may love some good men, because they have been some way obliged to them; but see, if thou lovest all goodness, and all good men, yea those whom thou never knewest, but by report. 2. One may love good men, because of their natural and moral endowments, as kindness, courtesy, wisdom, affability, etc. but look if thou love them for their piety, and holiness; look if thou lovest holiness where it wants there natural and moral endowments and recommendations; if thou lovest not only a wise good man, but even also a simple good man, not only a good man of some place and reputation in the world, but even also a mean good man, and the like: yea look if thou lovest holiness, & goodness not only when, and where it is without the advantage of natural accomplishments, but even also where it hath great disadvantages in regard of these, as when a man wants that measure of natural wisdom that is requisite perhaps to have, through the weakness of his mind; and wants that measure of affability and amiableness that were requisite through the natural temper of his body: look, I say, if in such a case thou lovest his goodness, piety, and holiness, and not take prejudice against it, but art such a one, who dost love and honour them that fear the Lord: this Mark in the Psalm is set down somewhat differently; we must try ourselves by this. It's true, great men must have the outward respect, their place speaks honour to whom honour; but for the inward respect of the heart we should see, whether greatness or goodness carries it away. Certainly those who have gotten their judgements rectified and renewed, to discern things that differ, or have their hearts set upon the pursuit of grace, will esteem more of it where it is, then of all the greatness in the world. A third Mark is this: faith purifieth the heart, which may carry with it a double meaning, to wit, either this, that whereas the hypocrite looks only to the outward man, but not to the hidden man of the heart, true faith it does far otherways; for knowing, that it has to do with the all-seeing God, the tryer of the heart, and the searcher of the reins, he strives to keep clean his heart, and to take heed to the thoughts of his heart, aswell as to his outward actions; every one that hath this hope, purifieth himself. But, secondly, This is not all, faith purifieth the heart, that is, makes a man not only make conscience of the thoughts and disposition of his heart to purify them, but even also helps him to purify it, and purge it from the several corruptions, of it, for through faith we get victory over all corruptions, this is our victory, even our faith, & by it we draw virtue from Christ to cure our corruptions, so that faith by little, and little, purgeth the heart throughout. Obj. O then I cannot have faith, for I find my heart swarming with wicked, and impure thoughts, many great and gross corruptions, and some of them very strong and indeed predominant? A. 1. That thy heart, as thou thinkest, is so full of corruptions, is not that thy heart is more impure than others, but that thou hast a clearer light, and better sight of the corruption of thy own heart, than others have; thy heart was once more unclean when thou sawest it not ' to be so; now when thou seest these small moats, it is a token the Sun of righteousness hath shined upon thee. 2. That faith purifies the heart, must be rightly understood, for the meaning is not, that faith does altogether purge, and free the heart from sin, who can say his heart is clean? but this faith puts a clean purifying disposition into the heart so that it either resists it, or rejects sin, or works it out, although there be much of the filthiness of sin, yet it still fights against it, gainstanding it, working it out, even as clean liquor does every unclean thing, honey for example, or as oil will be uppermost, or as wine above the dregs, when faith is in the heart, the heart will not harbour sin, thus it is said, If I regard iniquity in my heart, if there be never so much sinfulness in the heart, yet if thou wouldst be quit of it: dislike it, loathe it, cry against it, judge thyself for it: thou hast reason indeed to sorrow for it, but not to despair or be discouraged; yea rather get more faith, that thou mayest get a further victory and purification. And, thirdly, For that predominant corruption, that thou canst not get rid of, but in all thy do it cleaves unto thee, pollutes thy best services, this should not discourage thee: for, 1. This is the case of God's children, they have sin that hangeth fast on them, yea even Paul says, When I would do good, evil is present with me, and cries out against the body of death. And 2. But if thou fall out with, and loath thy sin, if thou regard it not, if thou judge thyself for it, fear not, thou shalt not be judged for it: if thou cry to God against it, thou shalt not be found guilty no more than the woman under the Law; it is not thou, but sin that dwelleth in thee. If thou think it strange that the Lord should exercise thee with such strong corruptions, so displeasing to himself, he doth it for good ends. 1. To cure a more dangerous corruption, to bring thee out of conceit of thy own righteousness, to chase thee to his Christ for expiation, and to the holy Ghost for mortification of corruption, to exercise thee in prayer, and in thy Christian warfare, were it not for this, we would not so often, and so fully, feel the necessity, and sweetness of Christ's sufferings, intercession, and righteousness; we would not make so much of the sanctifying, subduing power of the holy Ghost, nor have so oft recourse unto it, where would be the exercise of our faith and patience, about the performance of the promise of sanctification? what would stir us up to fervent and sincere prayer, where should be the matter of our Christian warfare? Obj. I do not find the hatred and loathing of sin, and this doth puzzle me in this point, I find indeed, that I do not entertain it, but I think it to be more out of fear of punishment, than out of hatred of sin. A. Doth not thy heart rise against sin, even in others, to whose sin thou art not accessary, which cannot flow from fear, but from hatred? yea, dost thou not hate those who are profain, and wicked, although they have other recommending and insinuating parts? as on the contrary, thou lovest those who are good, and holy? say not then that thou art altogether void of this point of the hatred of sin; further, though we find not all that we would have, yet should not we fail to be both thankful and encouraged, in regard of the things that we find, the Lord gives us to find many things, that we may be exercised in thankfulness, and to miss some things that we may be exercised in prayer, pray then that the Lord more and more, would make thee partaker of his divine nature, and of his holiness, that so the hatred of sin may grow more and more sensible in you, for he is of purer eyes than that he can behold iniquity, Hab. 1.13. He loveth righteousness, and hateth wickedness; Psa. 55.7. A fourth Mark, faith worketh by love: Wherefore observe two things of faith. 1. That it worketh, it is operative, and not idle, it brings with it a spiritual life unto the soul of man, and this spiritual life brings out spiritual operations; when faith is put in the heart of a man, there is a stirring disposition put in his heart also, he is not his own man, in his own element, finds not quietness in his mind, unless he be sometimes working, and well employed: Faith ever worketh towards God (I mean, immediately, for all our works are to him as to our last end) in being about the points of his worship, in obeying his acceptable will, in glorifying his Name, advancing his kingdom, seeing to the doing of his will by others, so far as opportunity and our callings permit. Sometimes towards ourselves in that great work of our salvation: Sometimes towards our Neighbours in the works of charity, yea of spiritual charity, so necessary, and so often recommended, Exhort, instruct, edify, comfort, admonish one another, and yet neglected, much want of compassion to the poor soul; So their faith is ever working, which clearly cuts off those who please themselves, that they abstain from ill, yea from some few gross ills, that they are no thiefs, murderers, adulterers, etc. although they never do a good deed, not remembering the doom of the unfruitful tree, and unprofitable servants. But secondly, as it worketh, so it worketh by love: there is much working upon wrong motives, which is all lost labour, like building without a foundation; there is nothing we should look more unto then this, what is the motive of our obedience, for it is the thing the Lord looks most unto; He pondereth the heart: yea, doth not man so also, if he can know it? Now the motive most acceptable to God, the disposition and affection of the heart which he requires, which is here a Mark of Faith, is the motive of love; the Lord cares not a whit for our obedience if it come not from love, yea he reckons it not for obedience; therefore Love is the sum of the Law, it fulfils the Law; it is the end of the Law, Even love out of a pu●● heart, etc. He shows mercy unto thousands of them that love him, and keep his Commandments. If I give my body to be burnt, and bestow all my goods upon the poor, without love, it profiteth nothing. Love is the soul, the salt of all obedience; and without it it is but a dead unsavoury carcase. Hence is it, that the Lord doth begin his Law (the sum of all our obedience) with the remembrance and the rehearsal of a main temporal favour and deliverance, typifying a far greater, even that great salvation which shows that he would have the obedience rendered unto his Commandments to flow from love. This is also the way of the Gospel, even the way of love, and the commands thereof are rather requests than commands. I beseech you by the mercies of God, Rom. 12.1. We beseech you, exhort you by the Lord Jesus, etc. and in sundry other places; So that the Gospel doth require a lovely obedience, and would draw us by the cords of love. And this certainly makes our obligation of obedience the greater, and our guiltiness the greater if we obey not: If one who may command, will yet entreat, the disobedience is so much the fouler, and more odious. And this is indeed to sin against the Gospel, and to neglect that great salvation, to wit, when we are entreated and besought by him who hath all power and right to command us, and that not by common favours, but by the mercies of God, and sufferings of Christ, and yet refuse to obey. But to the point. Wouldst thou then render an acceptable obedience, let the sense of the Lords great, and many temporal and spiritual favours and deliverances, be ever fresh and firm in thy mind, but especially the sense of that great deliverance, that great salvation so dearly purchased, that these may stir up thy love, and love may be the motive of thy obedience; And by reason that love flows from faith, above all labour to hold thy faith stirring, and in action. Thus did David, Psal. 26. Thy loving kindness is ever before mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth. Thus doth Paul: The love of Christ constraineth me: to this end, be earnest with the Lord, that according to his promise, he would circumcise thy heart, and cause thee to love him with the whole heart, that by the holy Ghost his love may be shed abroad in thy soul. Rom. 5. that he would give unto thee to be rooted and grounded in love. Ephes. 3. Obj. I find not myself right in this point, for I find not this love and cheerfulness, but rather do, because I dare not do otherwise. A. This Mark indeed should be wisely considered by weak Christians, who are in their beginning especially, or under tentation, desertion, affliction. Nor is it a sensible Mark for all Christians at all times; but a mark of Faith somewhat strengthened, when the heart is beset with tentations, desertion, or affliction. This working by love will not be sensible, although it be secret: further, especially in the beginnings of Christianity, it is not sensible; for the understanding whereof, consider, that there is three sorts of motives of obedience. 1. One altogether wrong, having no eye to God; So to eschew the ill opinion of man, many do sundry good duties, and become neighbour like in outward duties of outward obedience: Others to win the praise of man, will go beyond their neighbours; yea possibly beyond good Christians. There be sundry other by-respects, and many by-roads in the hearts of natural men and hypocrites. The second sort of Motives is that which is in the hearts of beginning Christians, which is not altogether right, and yet some way right, as introductory to right, as having an eye to God, and as joined with some weak faith, and some insensible love; this is the Motive of fear flowing from the spirit of bondage, which having taken a deep impression in them, and their faith being but weak and staggering, as yet prevails with them, and is the most sensible motive that puts them on; they do, because they dare not do otherwise, because they fear God's justice, and have a wakening in their own conscience. And yet this is not altogether wrong, for the respects aforesaid. For why doth the Lord denounce so many threaten and judgements but for this, and that all these should have their own place with us? yea, why is our obedience so often wakened up by rods, crosses and afflictions, if this sort of fear were altogether wrong? But as faith and love grows strong, by little and little they cast out fear: And so comes the third Motive, even that acceptable motive of love. This is that which St. John 1.4. v. 18. hath, P●●fect love casteth out fear: and again, He that feareth, is not made perfect in love. So that to work out of fear doth not argue no love, and so no faith, but only that thou art not made perfect in love, because of the weakness of thy faith: Labour then to strengthen thy faith, that it may have more love, for it flows from faith, and is according to the measure of thy faith, grows as faith grows, and do not give place to that main policy of Satan, and ordinary and incident weakness of many Christians, to darken thy faith, because thou findest thy love weak. But as for thee, that either workest not at all, or if thou dost any thing, it arises from wrong motives and ends, from custom, and not from conscience; to please men, and not to please God; neither fearest him, nor lovest him; thou hast no faith, and so art in a miserable condition. A fifth Mark and effect of Faith, is spiritual peace and joy; for peace, being justified by faith, We have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. For joy; In whom believing we rejoice with joy unspeakable, and glorious. And both together, Rom. 15.13. Now the God of hope fill you with j●y and peace in believing. Q. But hath not the wicked and the natural man peace? A. True, but it is far unlike the peace of the believer, and of the godly, and may be discerned by sundry Marks; but clearly and plainly by these two. 1. The peace of the believer is after great unquietness and trouble, and much hard war (as we say) ere he get unto it, as we see in Paul, the Jailor, the Converts in the Acts, and these say, Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden. The whole need not the Physician, but they that are sick. Thus fares it with many, yea in all there must be something of this kind, else this peace, and Christ the Prince of peace, and purchaser of this peace, could never be either sufficiently sought to, or prized. But the natural man's peace hath been a continual peace, a token that the strong man is not yet cast out: for he will not be cast out, without some sensible unquietness; a token that the New birth hath not been, for it will not be without some pain. Q. But may not even a natural man have a touch of conscience, and afterwards fall into security, instead of a true peace? A. He may: and therefore a man should look how his peace hath been purchased, how he carried himself in the time of his unquietness, if he betook him to wrong means, and by them did strive to smother and drive away his unquietness; and not to the right means of the Word, and Prayer, to cure his unquietness, and wounded conscience: then certainly his peace is not a right peace, he hath but smothered the fire which will afterwards break out more violently; he hath but skinned over the wound, which will afterwards break forth more fearfully. But on the other side, if a man in the time of his wounding and wakening hath not striven to drive away his humiliation, but rather to entertain and increase it, in so much as he did conceive it to be a wholesome work of God's Spirit, and did not tend to infidelity and desperation, and did labour to cure it by the right means, and did come by it by the Lords means, this is a safe and a well grounded peace. But moreover, for the further clearing of this point, take in the other difference between the natural man's peace, and the believers peace. The natural man as he hath always peace, so he hath altogether and in all respects peace. But the believer is not so, he hath peace with God, but not with the devil; peace in regard of the guiltiness of sin (I mean in regard of the main battle, but wants not skirmishes which the wicked have not, for he hath a tender and so a combating conscience) but hath not peace in regard of the corruption of sin; for the flesh warreth against the Spirit, he hath a continual Christian warfare. The natural man wants all this, and hath peace in all these respects. As peace, so joy is the effect of Faith; not a worldly joy arising from the abundance of corn, and oil, or considerations of that kind; but a spiritual joy, a joy that cannot be taken from him: Rejoice not in this, but rather rejoice that your names are written in the book of life; a rejoicing that he is in favour with God in the light of his countenance. There is a joy of sanctification arising in the heart after the victory of corruption, or the spiritual and lively discharge of a duty; And there is a joy of justification, which is, when we find nothing in ourselves but corruption and unrighteousness; and in regard of these great failings, nevertheless that we have nothing but matter of sorrow in ourselves, we rest, repose, rejoice in the sufferings of Christ, believing in him who justifies the ungodly; Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Thus we glorify Christ. It is the fault of many Christians that they are not as much affected with this joy, as with that of sanctification; but we are never right, but when we feel something in ourselves. Surely it is a matter of great repentance, and of godly sorrow for the offence of God, when we are not right in ourselves; But for the point of Faith, although we be destitute of the joy of sanctification, yet should we not cast away the joy of justification also, but trust in him who justifieth the ungodly. There be joys that occur in the particular actions of a man's life. There is a spiritual joy arising from a man's case in general, which he retains oft times when he is deprived of particular spiritual joys; for a man upon his particular failings is not always bewilded in the point of his justification, and being in the favour of God in general; Rejoice in this, that your names are written in the book of life: to see a man by the means of faith, by the evidences of faith, by the testimony of God's Spirit bearing witness to his spirit that he is the son of God, that he is in favour with God. This spiritual joy, especially the last joy concerning his case be the joy of believers, and Marks of true Faith. The matter of his joy and sorrow doth not chief and principally arise from worldly respects, as the natural man's joy and sorrow doth; but from the aforesaid respects: when night is come, and a view of the day is taken, the matter of his joy is according as he hath found the Spirit of sanctification keeping him from tentation and sin, or strengthening him to the discharge of any good duty; Or if there have been failings this way, according as he finds a relying and resting upon the righteousness of Christ for remission and reconciliation, and acceptation. Moreover, his joy is from his spiritual case and estate, if this be clouded, all the contentments in the world will not make him to rejoice. And again, if this be made sure, and he sensible of that sureness, he cares the less how it fares with his outward estate, he can glory in tribulation, rejoicing in the hope of the glory of God. See then if thou hast these spiritual rejoicings, and having them, conclude thou hast Faith. Obj. If this be a token of true Faith, I have need to fear, for I find not there rejoicings, specially that joy unspeakable and glorious, I am far from it. A. 1. Yet if this be the axtree of your affections about which they roll, that you fetch your joy and sorrow from spiritual things especially, it is a good thing, when you conceive any good hope rejoicing, and when otherwise sorrowing; this is a taking of the matter to heart. 2. The temper of the body it may be melancholic; and for the temper of the mind, it may be yet somewhat under the spirit of bondage. 3. This of rejoicing is a Mark of a strong, of a triumphing, of a victorious Faith not to be always expected (as we said of love) in beginners whose faith is weak, and are ever weakening their own faith, through Satan's subtlety, the tree of faith in some measure must have ceased from shogging, before it can bear this fruit of Joy; it may be well rooted not in the time of tentation, desertion, and weighty affliction. 4. The mind of man is narrow, namely, when it comes to spiritual things, it cannot contain many things at once, specially in weak Christians; before one impression be wrought, another vanishes, when the impression of humiliation is wrought, and one goes on to get the impression of faith, the other vanishes; but let the sense of humiliation, and of the wages of sin, and then the impression and act of faith be both together in the soul and mind of a man; this third act of joy will not but follow in some measure even according to the measure of the two former acts. If one shall at one time be persuaded of his delivery, and withal see and be sensible of the greatness of the danger, and punishment from the which he is delivered, how can he but rejoice? Get then these two acts, senses, impressions of humiliation and faith, and thou shalt not fail to rejoice: but if thou fail in any of these, thy joy will abate accordingly. 5. For that joy unspeakable and glorious, which seems to be some special and peculiar manifestation. These be the Lords delicates, reserved as cordials to be given to his children in great temporal straits, especially if they be suffering for the Name of Christ. Appl. But if thou be one of those who never had yet any unquietness, and hast not found the pains of the spiritual birth (which is not in all alike, no more than the natural: some come off with more ease than others, going presently to their work, as Lydia, and the Jailor) or if ever thou hadst any unquietness, yet didst not betake thee to the right means of a true peace; or hast thou not a daily Christian warfare with the remnants of sin; or knowest thou not what spiritual joy or sorrow means, but hast thy affections taken up another way, thou hast not true faith at all. This last Mark of faith is from the carriage of it in time of adversity, it maketh no haste, betaketh not itself to despair, or utter discouragement, with Saul and Jehoram, or to any unlawful shifts; but with some measure of confidence and hope, of quietness and patience, it waits upon God according to that, It is good for a man both to hope, and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord: this is a notable mark and proof of faith. The goodness of gold is best tried by the fire and furnace; and even so is faith, whether it be upright or no, feigned or unfeigned, by the fiery trial of affliction; according to that, 1 Pet. 1. That the trial of your faith may be much more precious then of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with the fire, may be found to praise, and honour, and glory. The sufficiency of an Anchor is only known in a storm, if it hold out in a great tempest; Even so is the sufficiency of the anchor of hope, which flows from faith, only best known by its holding out in the time of great adversity; for at such a time as this the fleshly presumption of the hypocrite doth fail him, his hope doth perish, it is like a Summer's brook which dries up when there is most need. Will the hypocrite pray always, when it comes to this, his faith proves to be but fantasy. Whereas the faith of the true believer though it be in such a case much weakened and overlayed, yet it fails not altogether, it may make a great halt, but his faith doth not fail him, it stands out, and carries him through the storm of adversity: See then if thy faith hath been a standing-out faith, a carrying-through faith in the time of adversity; if it did not make thee make haste, that is, put thee upon unlawful shifts, but that thou still didst cleave to God, and the means that he hath appointed, that is, the Word and Prayer? didst call upon God always, never giving over, and depending upon the Word? Were it not for thy Word, I had perished in my affliction: and so in some measure of hope and patience didst wait the Lords will and leisure? this is a token of true faith, a tried faith, a faith that maketh not haste. Obj. I find much diffidence and impatience in time of adversity, much haste. A. So doth all God's children: No tentation hath overtaken you, but that which is common to men; and therefore I said in some measure of trust and patience. We see even David had his haste; Psal. 116. I said in my haste all men are liars. And Job had his great impatience; and yet the Spirit of God saith, Ye have heard of the patience of Job: the Lord pities his own in their infidelities and impatiencies, when they are sore assayed as it were above strength, and above measure, and as it were in their raving fits he imputes not these unto them; he counts not narrowly with them, he sees this is their infirmity, and that when the fever is over, they will come to themselves: and therefore when they, as it may seem both to themselves and others, have lost their hold, yet he loses not his hold, so gracious is he. Psal. 3. When I said my foot slipped, thy mercy, O Lord, upheld me. My heart and my flesh faileth, but God is the strength of my heart, and my hope for ever. So then even the best of the Saints have had in adversity their own great haste, infidelity, and impatiency, which the Lord did pity, and pass over; So will he thine, if thou hast done as is aforesaid, not giving total place to infidelity nor impatiency: but ever hast had some hope, & trust, and wrestling against it, like that of Jonah, I said in my haste I am cut off from thy presence, yet I looked again towards thy holy Temple: We know not what to do, but our eyes are towards thee. So then, in a word, although in thy adversity thou hast found great diffidence and impatiency, yet if thou hast been striving against it, and wrestling with it; if thou hast been calling upon God always; if when thou couldst not pray, sighing and sobbing to him: Rom. 8. If thou hast been ever looking towards his holy Temple through faith, when through infidelity thou hast thought thyself cast out of his presence; If thy soul hath been cleaving to the Word, which upholds us that we perish not in our afflictions, even when all sense is gone, yea when sense is to the contrary, hoping against hope; and hath thy faith thus wrestled and brought thee through; then be sure it is an upright faith, a tried faith, that hath abided the trial of affliction, a faith that makeeh not haste. Of the Means of Faith, following the Doctrine of the Marks of Faith. Q. O Happy, most happy, is the case of that Soul, whose conscience bears it testimony, that it hath these Marks of Faith; it hath certainly great matter of rejoicing, yea were it in the hardest condition that can befall it; for what are other crosses which are to be but for a moment, and what are other comforts, so long as the main is wanting; that soul hath more than good reason cheerfully and carefully to serve the Lord, who hath bestowed so precious a pearl upon it; but alas I miss all or the most part of these Marks, and so my case is most doleful. A. I told you how you should carry yourself upon your missing after trial, to wit, not to give place to despair and utter infidelity, but by constant and earnest prayer to go to the Anchor and finisher of faith, who counsels us to come to him, and for our counterfeit wares, promises to give us fine gold tried in the fire; who hath promised to draw all men unto him, yea who hath made many precious promises (whereby we are made partakers of the Divine Nature) concerning all these things thou missest, as repentance, the love of God, the fear of God, etc. Now what he hath promised, he is both willing, able, and faithful to perform. Faithful, He is faithful who hath promised; Willing, He gives liberally to all, and upbraids none; yea so willing that he counsels us to come unto him. Able, Able to make all grace to abound towards us, to do exceeding abundantly above all that thou art able to think or ask. If ye being evil, will not deny good things to your children, how much more will be who is good, yea goodness itself, give his holy Spirit unto those that ask it? Now having his Spirit, we get the supplyer of all our wants, when he prevents us with his temporal blessings, and bestows them many a time unrequired upon us; shall we think that he will deny unto us spiritual things, tending to the advancement and fulfilling of his glory, kingdom and will? We may see by the acceptableness of Solomon's suit, that he is far more ready to bestow the one than the other. Let these notable props then uphold thy heart, until the Lords good time come of working these things in thee; Seek earnestly, for the Lord will be sought for these things. Ezek. 36. and then wait the Lords good time, for by faith and patience we must inherit the promises; do this and be not discouraged: I am glad how well thou art wakened by thy sensibleness of thy security, which is the main misery of all souls, even of Gods own children, for the most part: but let not this drive thee to despair. Q. Indeed I may justly accuse myself, that my praying hath not been so frequent, nor so fervent, so constant, nor so earnest as it ought to be, yea I cannot get it done, but I have often prayed, and as earnestly as I could, and yet find but little increase either of faith itself, or of these Marks of Faith? A. Whereas ye say, that ye have not prayed so frequently, nor so fervently, as ye should, this is a great and ordinary fault, and should be helped, for the Lord doth greatly require fervency, james 5. in praying, seeking with the whole heart, ask, seeking, knocking; yea the matters themselves requires it also; for these things concern both the Salvation of our own souls, the making of our calling and election sure, the good, holy, and acceptable will of the Lord our God, and can there be matters of greater consequence and importance? Whereas you say, that you have thus prayed, and so fear that seeing the Lord will be sought for these things, and that he hath promised them upon the condition of seeking, and of fervent seeking, that therefore ye shall want them; consider that the grace of seeking he promiseth it also, Zach. 12.10. I will pour upon them the spirit of grace and supplications, and Rom. 8. The Spirit helpeth our infirmities; yea for thy comfort, he is found of them who seek him not, much more will he be found of thee who seekest him, though weakly. But for the last, a main point, that you say you have prayed often, and fervently, but finds no success; Remember that thou must not limit the holy one of Israel, how often did he call, and ye did not hear; By Faith and patience we inherit the promises. But one thing I would inquire, If with praying, thou hast joined the using of the means, for otherways, pray thou never so much thou shalt not obtain; for as in things, that concerns the natural life, it were but idleness and scorn to pray, and in the mean time, not to use the means, even so is it in things concerning the spiritual life, the Lord will no more work without means, in regard of the one, then in regard of the other; to pray, and to neglect to use the means, in either of these, is to tempt God, and to put him to the working of wonders and miracles: It's true that prayer is the main thing, and brings a blessing upon our using the means, use we the means never so diligently, unless by prayer we get the Lord to bless them, he that buildeth, buildeth in vain. But on the other side, as our using of the means cannot serve the turn without the Lords blessing and working of his Spirit, obtained by prayer; So the Lord, although he can, yet will he not give, any grace without we use the means, for ordinarily he works by means. Hence is it, Work out your salvation: Plough up the fallow ground of your hearts: Edify one another in your most holy faith: which is the point in hand. Q. If I did not with prayer use also other means, I were greatly to be blamed, but I use them according to my power, I frequent the word, Sacraments, etc. A. This is good and commendable to use the means in general: but if thou think to speed in that great work, thou must not only do so, but shouldest in special take heed to this point, to wit, not only to use the means in general, but to observe what be the proper, peculiar, particular most fitting and convenient means of that grace that thou dost want, to beget and entertain it, and carefully to be meditating about them, and feeding upon them, especially so feeding yourself with food convenient, for every grace both the own proper & peculiar means, this is to be, as the Apostle speaks, a wise masterbuilder; As we had need of wise master bvilders, so we had need ourselves to be wise bvilders. One that is building an house or wall, he will not take any stone that is nearest by him; but he will look what stone will fit such a place, and this he takes: Even so we should not think it enough in the working of the work of our own salvation, we should not think it enough, I say, to use the means in general; for thus want of wit may make much work, and we may be long enough ere we come to the point: but we should use the nearest, most commodious, and most convenient means for the begetting of that grace we stand in need of. For example, feel we want or weakness of the love of God, then should we meditate upon his goodness, kindness, bounty, patience, pity, truth, mercy, and the rest of his amiable properties; his favours, deliverances, benefits. In a word, how good he is in himself, and how good he is towards thee: Or dost thou find the want of the fear of God, or of reverence towards him? meditate seriously of the glory, majesty of God, and the rest of his (awful) properties, especially if thou hast found any touch of his justice. So find we, that the work of humiliation is but small and weak (this is the groundwork and should be well looked to) you feed upon the threaten and curses of the Law, the severity of them, and their universality, how none escape them being guilty of the same sins: My heart trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid because of thy judgements. Upon the fierceness of God's anger against sin, who knows the power of his wrath; the infiniteness and strange extent of his justice, His judgements are past finding out; especially hast thou found a touch of these by experience? And to come to the point in hand, fearest thou the want, or feelest thou the weakness of Faith? then betake thyself to the particular means of faith, as namely, the precious promises of the remission of sins, the sure invitations to accept of mercy, the pregnant passages of Gods merciful nature, the Covenant, Oath, etc. this is properly and wisely to work out the work of your salvation; to work, and to work it out, even first of all, to search and try how it fares with thee in regard of this work, whether this work be at all begun in us or not; if the ground work be laid or not, the groundwork of humiliation; and if that be laid, how far is it gone on, whether we have gotten faith, love, etc. and where we find it at a stand or stay, there, I say, we should set too carefully, and advance the work, than we should pray most earnestly, and use the means most diligently; I mean the proper, and particular, and most convenient means, as wise bvilders: And as in building, so in repairing our spiritual building we are to take the same course, for what we have got before, the stamp of them will be ready to slip out of our hearts and memories; and we are not busier in building, than Satan is in breaching; and therefore as we are bvilders, so we must be repairers also: And surely, whosoever will keep this course of diligence, using, feeding, and meditating upon the particular means, not leaning to them, but upon the blessing of the Lords Spirit procured by prayer, no doubt shall find an happy progress in the work of his salvation. But above all, we should remember not to lean to the Means, but to the Lords Spirit; for if it be true of the temporal, much more of the spiritual; Unless the Lord builds the house, he that buildeth, buildeth but in vain. True it is that the Lord pities our foolishness; and as he hath a gracious care and providence of the salvation of men's bodies, so much more hath he a gracious providence over the souls of his own, though they be not so thrifty and wise in their own generation as they should, making them meet with such doctrine, books, conference, that is most suitable to their present case: but for all this the rule of the using of the particular means is much to be observed. Q How then would you have me go about the particular means of Faith, to get to the promises, the Covenant, etc. and to apply them to myself? For this I would gladly do, but while I am about the doing of it, I dare not apply them to myself, I think they do not belong to me (although very sweet in themselves) and that because I find not these Marks in me which are in God's children; now the promises only belong to such, I see no thing in me but corruption, wants, etc. and miss all these Marks that you were speaking of, that flow from Faith? A. This is one of Satan's greatest stratagems and wiles, as is to be seen by the experience of God's children; for exceeding many are born back from laying hold on the promises, and other grounds of confidence, upon the very same considerations, and all by the subtlety of Satan, and their own ignorance, not considering the order and nature of things, and so very dangerously and preposterously run first to the Marks of Faith, which they will not fail to miss, and so be discouraged; or else if any do seem to find, do build upon a wrong ground, and so are ready to be deceived: Whereas indeed they should first betake themselves to the Means, that so they may get both a sound, and a strong faith. First, I say, then that this preposterous running to the Marks and effects of Faith (so incident to many) instead of the Means, it comes from not considering rightly what is the very true nature of faith, to wit, that it is a resting upon the word and promise of the faithful, and powerful God alone; Faith is by hearing, and hearing is by the Word of God: Even as believing of a man, is a relying upon his word and promise. This is an easy point, but for all that, not duly considered by many, which makes them take this wrong course; for let sundry be posed, especially those who run so hastily to the Marks of Faith, and so discourages themselves to look to the Means; let sundry, I say, be rightly examined, it shall be found, that they make not their faith to rest upon any thing in God, his truth, etc. but upon something in themselves; Or to give it the most favourable expression, they make their faith not to be a resting upon God's word, but upon his work; should some be asked what did first induce them to believe, and consequently what is the ground of their faith: They would answer, Because they did find such a change in their life, and so forth. Now this is a very dangerous mistaking, for this sort of faith that leans only & primarily to such a ground, must be a very unstable faith, man's life being so changeable, but also if this be the first and only ground of their faith, it must be a very false and unsound faith, and not partaking of the very nature of faith, which is to rest on God's Word, and not on his work; upon the faithfulness and power of God, and not upon any holiness in us. Obj. But you will say, Is not this a very good ground to strengthen our faith and assurance, to wit, by our good works and sanctification of life? A. I grant it is a good way to strengthen faith in its own place; but, I say, that this assurance is not the assurance of Faith and believing properly, and that it is not that to the which, in the first instance, we should betake us, and that it is not the chief prop of our confidence, much less the only, and that those who make it the only, have not true faith at all. For the further clearing of this, consider that Divines have well observed, that there is in the point of confidence a twofold assurance: one of adherence, the resting on God's Word, which is faith. Another which they call the certainty of evidence, taken from the Marks and effects of Faith: By the one we believe; by the other we know that we believe. The one is an act of faith, whereby a man believes and is justified; the other is an act of experience in an old believer, whereby he sees and knows that he believes; the one is a direct act of the soul, the other is a reflect act of the soul, whereby looking back upon itself, it finds by clear marks and effects, that this Mark of faith is wrought in it, and greatly rejoices therein. Both these assurances the Scripture recommends unto us, the one, while we are commanded to believe and rest upon God's Word; the other, while we are enjoined to try whether we be in the faith or not; to make our calling and election sure by well doing. And further, the Scripture is written to beget both these assurances in us: Joh. 20.31. And again for the other, 1 Joh. 5.13. Now if ye would ask, which of these assurances hath the pre-eminence? surely the first, in these respects. 1. Because that is it alone that makes up faith (for it is a resting upon God's Word) and so that which saves the soul, and glorifies God most. 2. It is most sure as leaning to the most sure grounds immutable, strong consolations, to wit, divine testimony, even the promise of him who cannot lie; whereas the other being deduced by way of application, assuming conclusion, reasoning all, which all being subject to be deceived, cannot be so infallible. 3. And lastly, the first is the more constant assurance, for it leans upon the truth, mercy, goodness of God, and upon his promise; all which admits no change. Whereas the latter assurance being taken from some effects in us, which are very changeable, it cannot choose but also; so that it is the first that holds out in the storms of tentation, desertions, and afflictions; and that is our surest anchor in all these storms: Were it not for thy Word I had perished, etc. It is the first assurance then that both saves the soul, and that can make a man most constantly to have comfort in himself, or to go on in the service of God; and which is chief to be marked, that it is the first assurance only that makes faith. Now although the first assurance in these respects have the pre-eminence, yet nevertheless the other is not to be neglected, but greatly to be laboured for, for being joined with the former, it fortifies, it strengthens the anchor of the soul, it fills a man with Christian courage, comfort, and cheerfulness, and makes him fruitful in good works, as is evident, 2 Pet. 1.8. and 10. Only about these two assurances, we are to beware of these two things. 1. That we betake us not to this last assurance only, for thus we will deceive ourselves, for it cannot be upright, unless we have the other first; we may well have a show or form of it, for we may have some change of life without faith, but no true change without it; we should not then betake us to it only, for than we both mistake the nature of faith, and, as I was saying, cannot but deceive ourselves, which is most dangerous. 2. We should also beware, that we betake us not to this second assurance in the first room, for than we mistake the order of things, and shall but discourage ourselves, and bewilder ourselves in the point of our first assurance, and hold ourselves back from believing; for the first assurance being to believe, and the second to know that we believe, how shall we know that we believe until it first be? and yet this is the course that many take, they will first know that they believe, before they do labour to believe; they will needs have the second assurance, before they have the first, though it is evident, that they must first have the first, for the second flows from the first; yea, and not at the first, but from it, being somewhat strengthened; they will not have the first assurance unless they have first, or at least with all, the second; whereas they shall never have the second, until first of all they have the first, and that in some good measure. But this point of mistaking the order of things, will be clearer, being spoken of in the terms we did propose. You say, that you miss many of the Marks of Faith, feel not your heart purified from corruption, find not the love of God, repentance, and so forth? and therefore this troubles you, discourages you, and weakens you that ye cannot, or dare not apply the Promises or Means of faith unto you? I answer: this comes from mistaking the order of things, if these Marks, ye miss, were of things that either go before, or accompany faith, you had it may be some reason for this complaint; but seeing they come from these things, that follow faith, and are the effects of faith, why should the want of them discourage you to believe; yea rather they should stir you up to believe, that so you may come by them; for they being the effects of faith, how shall ye think to obtain them unless ye first believe, that is, take and apply the promises? I pray you wherehence flows victory over corruption, but from faith? Is it not faith that purifies the heart? And wherehence flows the love of God? but even also from faith apprehending the love of God towards us, according to that of the Apostle, We love him, because he loved us first. And for repentance or godly sorrow, it flows from that love, and is according to the measure of that love, as our love is according to the measure of our faith; so outward acts of obedience, faith works by love: so then to suspend our faith and believing till we get these, is the high way never to get faith. Further, whence are all these things to be gotten, the want whereof discourages us to believe, are they any other where to be gotten but from Christ? or any other way to be gotten from him but by faith? can we get the bloody issue of our corruptions any otherways cured but by drawing virtue from Christ, and the power of his death? Can we get our spiritual wants otherways supplied then out of Christ his fullness; or our spiritual weakness otherways helped and strengthened? I am able to the all things through Christ that strengthens me. So then, I say, we must not delay our believing, (that is, applying of the Promises to ourselves) till we find these things redressed; but on the contrary, we must believe that we may have these things helped: thou wilt not believe, and apply the Promises until thou findest these things, but thou shalt never find these things until thou first believe and apply: we would rather have some worthiness in ourselves, then come by faith to Christ, but we can have none. Further observe, that these things do not only flow from faith, but from faith somewhat strengthened. A tree cannot bring forth fruit at the first, until the time it be well fastened, and take some rooting: Now these things ye speak of, being the fruits of faith, how think ye shall they be produced without faith somewhat rooted? how shall ye expect them as long as ye hold the tree of your faith thus shaking and tossing, & through your own default suffer it not to take root? So then to conclude, I would advise all those who feel the want or weakness of Faith, not to run presently to the Marks of Faith, I mean those which are taken from the effects of Faith, for this will but encumber their faith, and weaken their applying; this will also make them to stagger at the promise, but I would advise them, I say, to fly to the Means, and to apply the Promises, what ever their corruptions or wants be; even to do as Abraham the father of the faithful did, he looked not to any insufficiency in himself, but to the power and faithfulness of the promiser; he considered not the deadness of his body, etc. and therefore staggered not at the promise; but being strong in faith, he gave glory to God, being fully persuaded, that what he had promised he was able to perform: Even so should we, we should not at first look to these discouragements, that present themselves unto us from the deadness and diseases of our own souls, for than we shall never believe, for these will never cease, until we first believe; But let us look to the promise of a true and powerful God, that he is both faith full who hath promised, and that he is able to perform what he hath promised. This was the ground and prop of Abraham's and Sarahs' faith, the parents and patterns of the faithful: Rom. 4.21. Heb. 11.8. And these should be the props of our faith; But we will have a way of believing of our own, and such is our mischievous infidelity, that we cannot rest upon God alone, his promise, his power, and his truth, unless we find something in ourselves: It is both remarkable and comfortable, Heb. 6. that the Spirit of God there, allows us not only confidence simply, and consolation, but even a strong consolation, and that from no ground in ourselves, but only from God his great truth, in his oath and promise. Further, let this be added to the advice, to wit, that those who find their faith weak, not only betake themselves to the means of faith beforenamed, but do dwell upon them, feed upon them, meditate upon them, until their faith be well settled and strengthened, and then the Marks will of their own accord follow; for as seed doth not grow unless it be first harrowed, and lie a while in the earth; and as meat will not strengthen unless it be chewed, and have time to digest; even so unless we insist and dwell upon the Means of Faith, the Promises, Covenant, etc. by frequent and earnest meditation feeding upon them, and hiding them in the midst of our hearts, they cannot produce any settled faith in us; and faith not being produced and settled, it cannot produce these effects and marks as are requisite thereunto. I have insisted the longer on this, because I find it is one of the greatest depths of Satan, thus to toss in a wind as it were the children of God, whereby many are held back from believing; and we ourselves are in every thing backward, but especially in the point of believing. O ye of little faith, slow to believe! The point of faith is a main point, and going out of the way in it, is no less than the hazarding of the soul, especially we should take heed that the nature of Faith be not mistaken, it is a fundamental error to err in the point of Faith. In a word, then what shall one do when he is in such a case, that he can find no Marks or evidences of faith; pray for them, that is true: but for the point of means using, there is no other course or help to strengthen his faith but this, to strengthen his faith by the means; that so faith may bring on these evidences. As in the building, so in the repairing of Faith. Q. I would gladly hear of some of those special particular means to beget and strengthen Faith. A. First of all, a notable Mean, is duly and diligently to consider of the merciful nature of the Lord our God, who is our party with whom we have to deal; as it is most sweetly and richly set down to us in Scripture, and all to draw our unbelieving hearts to rest upon the same. This is a mean and prop of Faith that God's children have had great recourse unto; So we see, Psal. 25. Remember O Lord thy tender mercies, for they have been of old. Remember not the sins of my youth; but according to thy mercy remember me, etc. So Psal. 5. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies. Sweetly saith Daniel of this, Mercy and forgiveness belongeth to thee, although we have sinned against thee. So sweetly, Psal. 65. Iniquity hath prevailed against us, but thou wilt be merciful to our transgressions. So Psal. 130. If thou mark iniquity narrowly, who shall stand? but there is mercy with thee, or forgiveness with thee. And again, With the Lord is mercy, and plenteous redemption. Thus hath God's children against the greatness of their sins have comforted and upholden their faith by the consideration of God's mercy: The Name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run unto it, and are saved. Now the name of his mercy is above all his names, as is clear from Exod. 34. where the Lord proclaiming his Name to Moses, takes so many styles of mercy to him. But to the point: the Lord in his word hath been pleased, having a regard to our slowness to believe, to set down his mercy very richly, largely, pithily, and pregnantly to us, he is said to be plenteous in mercy, Psal. 103. to pardon abundantly, or to multiply pardons, Isa. 55. To delight in mercy, Micah. the last, To delight in these that trust in his mercy; Psal. 148. To be rich in mercy, Ephes. 1. That his mercy endureth for ever. Is he not infinite in his mercy? The Lords mercies be most pithily, and pregnantly set down in these places, Exod. 34. Micah the last, Isa. 1.44.55. Deut. 4. Psa. 103.116. So that, doth the greatness of thy sins trouble thee? he is infinite in mercy, though thy sins were as scarlet, etc. He forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin; for his Name sake he pardons iniquities: so that now the greater thy sins be, the greater shall be the name of his mercy. So David, Psal. 51. For thy name sake pardon my iniquity, for it is great; the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin, though never so great; and no wonder, because it is the blood of Christ; of God; not with corruptible things, but with the precious blood, and that his own blood, Acts, 20. Doth the number of thy sins trouble thee? he hath multitudes of tender mercies, for the number of thy sins, he doth multiply pardons, if thou hast multiplied thy sins, he is rich in mercy, he hath a treasure of mercy, if thou hast treasured up wrath: notable is that, Isa. 43. Ye have wearied me with your transgressions, yet come, and I will pardon you, I, even I am he, who for my own names sake, etc. He who bids even us to pardon seventy times seven times, how oft then will he himself pardon? Obj. O but I have spent all my days in sinning, so that justly I may fear that the day of grace is expired, that the door of mercy is shut up? A. O but the Lord's mercy enduereth for ever; he is long suffering, if thou hast been long in sinning, and that the day of grace is not expiered, is evident, because the means is yet continued, and the offer of mercy in them; for the Lord he is yet beseeching thee, by his Ambassadors, to be reconciled, so that it is yet the acceptable time, the day of salvation, 2 Cor. 5. towards the end, and Cap. 6. at the beginning. And he is yet standing at the door and knocking, ready if thou wilt open to him, to come in and to sup with thee, and thou with him; So then, While it is to day, harden not your hearts, neither despair, the Lord and thou art yet upon parley, under speaking terms, and so the bargain is not quite broke off; consider the similitude of a besieged City, as long as there is any parley, there is possibility of peace; consider also how it is said, At what time soever a sinner reputes, I will do away his iniquities. Obj. O but I cannot find this repentance. A. The Lord will pardon and show mercy, upon a very small measure of repentance, he will accept of the smoke, instead of the fire of repentance. It is not our repentance, but Christ's merits that the Lord looks at, he will not quench the smoking flax, yea he will show mercy upon the very first motions and beginnings of repentance. I have sinned, says David, and The Lord hath taken away thy sin, says Nathan. The prodigal child was met a far off, yea upon a purpose of repentance, I said I will confess my sins, and thou forgavest, etc. yea such is his mercy, that when Adam did extenuate and shift, and hid his sin, his great sin, yet the Lord gave him pardon, intimating mercy to him, The seed of the woman shall tread down the head of the serpent. Lastly, whatsoever thou dost want in this point, the Lord hath promised it, even to take away the stony heart, and to give the spirit of mourning, Zach. 12.10. Obj. O but I continually slide back to the same sins daily. A. It may be so, through the power of sin, leading thee captive, and sin that hangs fast on, yet this is not thou, but sin that dwelleth in thee. 2. He hath said, that he will heal our back-slidings. Psal. 65. Iniquity prevails against us, but thou wilt be merciful to our transgressions: Dost thou sin daily? he gives thee liberty, yea he commands thee daily to crave the remission of thy sins, yea as oft as thou cravest daily bread: but you will say, how can this be, what man would deal thus? O but my ways are not like your ways, no● my thoughts like your thoughts, Isa 55. But to apply the point, and to draw to an end. A due dwelling upon the meditations of God's mercy, thus laid down in Scripture, is a notable prop and mean of faith: for a Christian soul may reason thus, doth the Lord set down his rich mercy, so richly and amply in his word, and will he not be as good as his word, will he fail when it comes to the point, and proof, as men sometimes use to do, who will speak fair, and fail when it comes to the deed and performance? will he not be as good as (his word) he gives himself out for? Yes certainly, hath he not set out his mercy in this kind, that our mistrusting, doubting, and withdrawing hearts may be made to rest upon the same; according to that in Psal. 26. O how excellent is thy mercy, O Lord, therefore under the shadow of thy wings shall the children of men put their trust. A second notable Mean of Faith, is to consider duly the mercifulness and faithfulness of our high Priest our Mediator, especially, his readiness to receive sinners, as we have a merciful and gracious party, so also a merciful Advocate: Hebr. 2. A merciful high Priest, and faithful in things pertaining to God, to make reconcilement for the sins of the people. This the Scripture makes also a notable prop and mean of Faith and confidence, as is clear from Hebr. 4. Seeing we have such an high Priest, let us come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy. Now for his readiness to receive poor sinners, certainly it is exceeding great. It is well observed by one, that he never refused any who came to him here on earth for the cure of their bodies, although this was not his main errand, yea he prevented some, as the man at the Pool; he encouraged others to come forward, when others would have discouraged them, as the blind man; much less will he refuse any who come to him for the salvation and curing of their souls: this being his main errand, and principal office, even to save his people from their sins. 2 Behold how sweetly he invites, Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden: I counsel you to come unto me: He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. Ho every one that thirsts; How often would I have gathered you: Behold, I stand at the door and knock: Rev 3. He beseeches us to be reconciled by his Ambassadors: 2 Cor. 5. Now may not a sensible soul reason, He that invites us so kindly to come, will he not welcome us as kindly when we come? He that beseeches us to be reconciled unto him, will he not, when we entreat him, be reconciled to us? Stands he at the door and knocks, and will he not open unto such as not only are willing to let him in, but stand at his door and knock? He that so often would have gathered these who came not, will he refuse to any chased soul a shelter under his wings flying for refuge, and to the horns of salvation? Q. O but I am not worthy to come, there is gno●race in me. A. There is worth enough in him for you and him both. 2. He invites thee to come, and that freely, and he will accept of thy small measure, he quenches not the smoking flax. Obj. If I could come unto him, but I cannot do that. A. O he will help thee, I will draw all men unto me: Joh. 11. He is the author and finisher of our faith. A third notable Mean of Faith, is to meditate upon, and consider of the manifold motives, persuasions, and inducements the Lord God uses to draw us to believe (O it is not an easy matter to believe) for the first Command is to believe: 1 Joh. 5. this is his Commandment, and he threatens us if we believe not, and that most fearfully: Joh. 1. and 3. Chapters, to drive and scar us from infidelity, Whosoever believes not, he is condemned already, he hath made God a liar. 3. He doth request us to believe: We as the Ambassadors of God beseech you to be reconciled; bids us trust, and trust perfectly to the grace that shall be revealed unto us: 1 Pet. 1.4. He sometimes cheers us to believe, and encourages us, Come, and c●m● boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy Hebr. 4.5. Sometimes the Scripture chids us to believe, so that as he saith of the people of Israel, so may I say of this point, O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? O Ephraim, how shall I entreat thee? Now may not a Christian soul gather great grounds to believe from these inducements, reasoning thus with himself; Doth the Lord command me to believe, and shall I doubt whether I ought to do it or not? Carry I myself, or would I do so in regard of his other Commandments? question I whether I shall do this or no, and shall I draw back from this his most acceptable Commandment? 1 Joh. 5. Doth the Lord threaten me so to believe, so to chase me, and scare my heart from infidelity, and shall I think that it will displease him to believe? No: I can see nothing, can be either more dangerous to me, or more displeasing to him, than not to believe, as is to be seen Joh. 7. and 3. Chapters. 3. Doth he beseech me to be reconciled (yea many never do regard his entreaty) and will he refuse them who beseech him, have besought him, and by his grace will beseech him to be reconciled? Is he not found of those who seek him not, and will he not be found of me who seek him, though weakly? 4. Doth he bid me come boldly to the throne of his grace, and will he then count it over great boldness in me to do so? 5. Bids he me trust, and that perfectly, and complains he of the slowness, of the smallness of my faith, and shall I be of little faith, slow to believe? Further, as these Motives and inducements be notable to work us to believe, and to drive us from infidelity; so do they clearly testify the Lords great willingness to have poor sinners saved, which is also a great encouragement to believe; for not only, saith the Lord, I will not the death of a sinner: but here is our fault, about this point of the Lords willingness to save us, we will not rest upon the Lords revealed will as we ought to do, but run to his secret will, so weakening our confidence, for which his revealed will affords us such plentiful grounds, and so needlessly perplexing ourselves; for secret it is, and secret it must be. We should hold ourselves then to the Lords revealed will, and not pry into his secret: this seems to be enjoined by these two places especially, to wit, Deut. 29. v. last: Secret things belong to the Lord, but things revealed to us, and to our children, even all the words of his Law, that we should do them. As also Rom. 10. cited out of Deut. 30. Say not in thine hea●t, Who shall go up to heaven? etc. But what saith it? The word is nigh unto thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, even the word of faith, which we preach. So that in the point of our believing, or persuasion concerning our election and salvation, or of the Lords willingness to save us, we should not look to the secret will of God, thus perplexing ourselves; but we should betake us to Gods revealed will and Word, and that two ways, to wit, 1. to the word of faith, Rom. 10. or of promise, cleaving unto it, for it is the ground and warrant of our faith. 2. To the word of the Law, Deut. 29. thus making our calling and election sure by well doing, and evidencing to our own conscience the truth of our faith, it working by love: 2 Pet. 2. For if ye do these things, entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly, etc. Would you then be wise to salvation, this is the way of it; the way to be saved is to believe the word of promise, Whosoever believeth in him, shall not be ashamed; the way to know if thou believe is by some effects of faith; Whosoever calleth upon the Name of the Lord, shall be saved: Look if thou be such a one. Both these two be set down in the former place, Rom. 10. This is also clear, that such a course as this is to be taken to leave the Lords secret will, and to hold us to his revealed will: 2 Tim. 2. where the Apostle saith, The Lord's foundation standeth sure, the Lord knoweth who are his. Q. But you will say, the Lord knoweth, it is true, who are his, but how shall I know this also myself, if I be one of his? A. This is his seal, Let him that loveth Christ departed from iniquity: try thyself by this his seal; so then perplex not thyself with the Lords secret will. But, 1. believest thou the word of faith which is near unto thee? then thy faith hath saved thee, be of good comfort. Wouldst thou again know whether thy faith be true? see if thou callest upon the Name of the Lord. 2. If thou depart from iniquity, for than thou art a sealed soul; but if thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer, Job 15. then thou art not right. A fourth notable Mean and prop, and seed of Faith to obtain it, and to strengthen it, are the plentiful promises of mercy and forgiveness of sins, set down unto us in the Word, even as the Apostle calls them, Exceeding great and precious promises: these well considered, should mightily strengthen our faith. Have we but the promise of an honest man for any business, will we not rest and repose upon it, and will it not breed in us, and beget a great measure of assurance about the thing promised? and shall we not then be made sure of this point, of the remission of our sins, by so many promises, so often renewed, of the faithful and true God, who is truth itself, and not only will not, but cannot lie, as the Apostle speaks: will we rest upon the Word of a faithful man, and will not we rest upon the written Word of the true God? So that we have both his Word, and his writ for it, he is a God of truth, so called by Moses, Deut. 32.4. and 7. v. 9 saith emphatically, Know that the Lord thy God is a faithful God, who keeps Covenant, and mercy: he styles himself, abundant in truth. Exod. 34. Great is his faithfulness and love, who keepeth truth for ever. Psal. 46. He is a God of truth; Christ is called Truth itself, The Way, the Truth, and the Life; the faithful Witness, the holy Ghost, the Spirit of Truth, the Word of Truth: And shall we doubt of the performance of these promises? No: let us with Sarah, judge him faithful who hath promised, that so we may by faith also with her obtain the thing promised: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. This might be sufficient for this Mean, but for the further stirring up of our backward hearts of unbelief to believe, let us consider these two things about the promises of forgiveness. 1. Their pregnancy and pithiness. 2. Their largeness and extent. 1. Then the promises of mercy and forgiveness of sin be very pregnant and pithy, the more to persuade and win upon our untoward hearts of unbelief; for not only doth the Lord simply promise to pardon our iniquities, but he promises to blot them out. Isa. 43. and Col. 3. The same phrase is used to blot out the hand-writing of ordinances, which was contrary unto us, that he is not only content to give us a discharge of the debt of our sins, but because that may seem not sure, for that may haply be lost, therefore he will destroy the bond itself, that it be not brought forth against us, even blot it out. Moreover lest blotting out should not seem sufficiently sure, for some letters may remain, and the whole purpose may be taken up by these few, he hath promised to wash away our sins, Ezek. 36. I will cleanse you from your filthiness, etc. Isa. 1. I will make you as the wool. Further, lest even after washing, some stain should remain, in the third room he is said to cover our transgressions: Psal. 32. as also 85. O but, will ye say, he hath a piercing eye, and will see through any covering; therefore the Scripture speaks, of his casting our sins behind his back, that is, out of his sight. Obj. But you will say, what cannot be seen, may yet be remembered; what cannot be seen by the eye of the body, may be seen by the eye of the mind. A. This he promises, and it is a part of the Covenant, that he will not remember our iniquities; the words are very emphatical, lest we should think, that faults once forgotten, may be again called to memory, therefore he saith expressly, I will remember their sins No more. Once forgot, and ever forgot; In that day, the iniquity of Jacob shall be sought for, and shall not be found: a sweet place. Micah the last: He will cast them into the depths of the Sea. Psal. 103. As far as the East is from the West, so far hath he removed our transgressiens from us. We are not to think, that it is for nought that the Spirit of God uses so many, so different, and so emphatical phrases, even because all is little enough to bear up a cast-down soul, and to make it fasten upon the Promises; and our hearts being as weak powder, whereinto many sparks may light, that some one of them at least may kindle the fire of faith, at least raise the smoke thereof: Now the Lord will not quench the smoking flax, but blow upon it by his Spirit. Q. These be indeed very pregnant, exceeding, great, and precious promises: were I sure that they belong unto me, but, alas, what warrant have I for that? A. This is another of Satan's depths, and fiery darts, whereby many are holden back, many hearing of the pregnancy of the promises of forgiveness, and how that there is forgiveness for great and many sins, conceive some hope, but still they fear, that these precious promises belong not to them, that the offer of reconciliation is not made to them, and so stick in the application of the promise to themselves. Now a notable help for this, is to consider in the second place the largeness, the indefiniteness, and the extent of the promises; for they are conceived in such general terms, that in effect there is left room sufficient for every one to come to subscribe his name, and to set to his seal that God is true; by so doing, to honour God, and save his own soul: so that none is excluded to whom the offer is made, unless they exclude themselves, and that it be through their own default. The Promises, I say, and offer of reconciliation is set down in very general terms, although men's names be not set down, which were needles: God so loved the world, that whosoever believeth, etc. Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Behold, I bring you tidings of great j●y, to all people. But above all, pressing and notable is that place, Acts 2.29. even answering as it were your objection, viz. I know not that the promises belong to me? Yes (saith he) To you, and to your seed, to all that are near and afar off, and to as many as our God shall call, even by his outward calling: for else the words were to no purpose. And indeed were it otherwise with the Lord, we should make him a mocker, did he offer that to any, which did not belong to them: this generality of the offer is the very ground and warrant of faith, and therefore should be well looked unto. Obj. But the Scripture is clear, that all who are called, shall not have the benefit of the promises; for directly, Many are called, and few are chosen: and why may not I be of the number of these? A. This shows indeed that all shall not reap the benefit of the promises, to wit, through their own default, but not that the promise and offer did not belong to them. Further, thou makest the wrong use of this sort of doctrine, for it is set down in Scripture, not to feed thee in thy infidelity, but to terrify thee from the same, and to stir thee up to believe. All this I will clear to you by a familiar similitude. Suppose a number of prisoners being imprisoned for some great crime, there were a general Proclamation and offer of liberty made unto them all, who would before such a time make use of it, from the free and gracious favour of their Prince; suppose likewise that it could be foreseen and conjectured, that for all this general and gracious offer, that yet there would be sundry, that would not make use of it, some of them through azi●esse and sloth, drinking, or playing, or sleeping, losing the opportunity. 2. Others again despising it, as thinking by their power & ability to get free when they please, or leaning to former merits or good service done, which they think may well counterpoise any fault they have committed. And, 3. others (a thing to be took notice of) quite contrary to the former, through the conscience and greatness of their fault, should misdoubt, and misbeleeve the truth of so gracious an offer: Suppose, I say, that all this could be foreseen, that all these sorts of persons, upon several considerations, should lose the opportunity of the offer, and that therefore for the further weal of the prisoners, and the prevention of all this, with the general Proclamation an intimation were made to them, that there would be such persons among them, that so they might, being fairly forewarned, sly such impediments; would we not in such a case, think him a very foolish person, who either would not accept of the Proclamation in general, because his name was not set down expressly? or who because of the intimation (made for his further weal and forewarning, and avoiding of such inconveniences) would, through their own default, lose the opportunity of the offer, would upon groundless suspicions conclude, that he may be one of that number, and so keep off and lose the benefit of the offer; and so indeed make himself of that number: whereas being fairly forewarned, he should labour to beware of all these lets, that may hinder him from embracing the opportunity of the offer: Even so (to apply this) the Spirit of God in Scripture hath made a gracious general Proclamation, and promise of our liberty, from the prison and punishment of hell, through the Lords tender mercy and free grace in Christ Jesus; and not only so, but foreseeing that for all this gracious and general offer, many will not reap and take the benefit of the offer, some slipping and neglecting it, being loath to quit their sloth and sinful pleasures; of whom speaks our Saviour, Mat. 7. Many are called, and few are chosen. Strive to enter in at the straight gate: Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, etc. Others again leaning to, and going about to establish their own righteousness, slight the righteousness which is by faith: And, 3. (which thou shouldest take heed to) others through the great conscience and sense of their own guiltiness are made to misbeleeve so gracious an offer; and what through the power and wiles of the devil, and their own bad heart of unbeleef, greatly prejudice themselves through infidelity; of them speaks the Apostle, Heb. 4. Take heed lest there be in any of you, an evil heart of unbeleef departing from the living God. And more clearly, let us fear that lest a promise being made, etc. The Spirit of God, I say, foreseeing all this, with the gracious general offer and proclamation, for our further forewarning, doth also intimate unto us, that notwithstanding of the gracious and general offer, yet many through their own default, upon the aforesaid impediments, shall never reap, nor enjoy the benefit of the offer. Now all this is for the advantage and good of those that would believe and accept of the offer, and to drive them from infidelity, and to stir them up to believe, and eschew the lets thereof; and not (as you make wrong use of it) to suppress your faith: will you therefore be so foolish, that either because the proclamation, and offer of mercy, though conceived in general terms, yet because it hath not thy name expressly set down in it, to think that therefore it belongs not to thee? Or because there is an intimation made, that many through their own default, in regard of the forementioned impediments, shall neglect the opportunity, and lose the benefit of the offer of grace; For the further forewarning of thee, and those who would believe, to eschew these impediments, wilt thou therefore, I say, upon groundless suspicions say, O what if I be one of these, and so fly back, and fall into one of the impediments; or shouldst thou not rather shun all the impediments, and this of keeping back among the rest? for, for this end and use is it, that the Spirit of God in Scripture hath set down these say and fore-warnings; Many are called, and few chosen. etc. Not to hinder, but to put thee on to believe; and indeed in so doing, ye make a wrong and quite contrary use to that of Scripture, the promise, the offer, the proclamation is made unto all whom God doth call. For the benefit of it, all shall not enjoy, through their own default, and they be of two sorts, to wit, such as set either light by the offer and promise, who perish in their presumption and security: Or such as keep back and distrust the promise, who perish through desperation, and infidelity. Now those that set lightly, they be of two sorts; some leaning to their own righteovinesse, and will not quit it, these justly perish in their presumption. 2. Others that will not leave their sins and pleasures, which is the condition of the offer, Matth. 11. will not take on Christ's yoke; these perish in their security. As for those that keep back, they be such who through Satan and their own hearts are holden back from believing; and these perish through despair. Seeing then thou art not one that doth set light by the promise and offer, for thou renouncest thy own righteousness, and dost or wouldst renounce thy fins and pleasures, regardest not iniquity in thy heart, desirest to fear his Name, Neh. 1. Then see thou be not one that keeps back, yield not to Satan, and thy own bad heart of unbelief; remember the saying of the Apostle, Let us fear, lest a promise being left unto us, any of us come short of it through unbelief. Mark the words, there is a promise left unto us (so doubt not but the promise belongs to thee) only beware, thou come not short of it through unblief: and indeed if it were but this, it shows that the promise belongs to those, who through their own default may come short of it. The benefit of the promise it is true belongs only to the elect, and those who are inwardly called; but the promise itself, or the offer of the promise belongs to all that are outwardly called. In a word, thou fearest that the promise belongs not to thee, but the Apostle bids thee fear lest a promise being left unto thee, or belonging to thee, that thou come short of it through unbelief, Heb. 4.1. and therefore let this rather be thy fear, I mean care, to prevent it. But to go more succinctly and clearly to work with you, you say you fear such gracious offers and promises, do not belong to you, and how shall you know that they do belong to you, they be indefinite say you, but not universal or general? 1. I propose to you that same place, Acts. 2.29. answering in direct terms to your doubt, you doubt whether it belongs to you? Yes, To you, and to your seed, and to as many as God shall call And the former place, Heb. 4. does clear it, that the promise is to those who come short of it; the Lord indeed offers that which in his foreknowledge, he sees will not be accepted, nor made use of, and to whom he purposes, not to give that grace to make use of it, for though he is not obliged, yet the offers nevertheless is real, and the refuser justly punished. 2. Ought ye not to be content with that same measure of security, wherewith all God's children have been content, and have reposed and rested, even from the beginning, and still unto the end of the world, even the word of promise; they had no other ground of faith, nor security for their salvation, than this same indefinite promise? One saith well, It would have made too large a Bible, if all the names of the elect had been written therein. Be content therefore; and be ye followers of those who through faith and patience inherited the promises, and do as they did, they saluted or embraced the promises, met them midway, as it were, and so took hold of them: so should ye not withdraw from, or keep back from them, but run and meet them as it were, and get unto them, and having gotten them, hold them fast with both thy arms, and not faintly lay hold on them. 3. I say, thou art commanded to apply the general promise to thyself, and therefore thou mayest be bold to do it, and of necessity it belongs unto thee, 1 john. 5. this is his Commandment, that thou believe in his Son, not only that thou believe the promise in general, but also that thou believe in his Son, which implies application of the promise to thyself, and so saving faith. Now I reason thus, the Commandment, doth surely belong unto thee, even all God's Commandments, thou wilt not, I hope, exempt thyself from any of them, but so it is, that the Commandments commands thee to believe in his Son, therefore the promise belongs to thee also: further, thou art threatened if thou believest not, john 1. and 3. Chap. 4. The Spirit of God in Scripture, from whom we should learn to apply, and whose example if we follow, we cannot err, for he leads into all truth, doth not only apply the general and indefinite promises, but even special promises, (so to speak) made to the people of Israel, to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. 6. and 7. Chap: Yea, even singular promises made to singular persons, as Heb. the last, the promise made to Josuah, to all the Hebrews; now if the Scripture thus teach us to apply special and singular promises made to a peculiar people, to a singular person, to ourselves; All Scripture is written for our use and conselation, that through faith and hope, etc. And lastly, I say, let it be so, that the Promises are only indefinite, in regard of all sorts of persons and conditions, yet I am sure there is one sort of persons to whom they are merely universal, to wit, the seeking sensible soul, Ho, all ye that hunger and thirst: all ye that are weary and laden; Every one may have a strong consolation who hath fled for refuge, etc. Obj. O but I fear I hunger and thirst not, I am not weary, and laden, I have not fled for a refuge, and so want this condition? A. This very fear of wanting the condition, shows that there is in thee a desire, an hunger and thirst for mercy, as also a fear, and consequently a flying for refuge to the hope that is set before thee, a wakening, a seeking, a What shall I do to be saved? for otherwise thou wouldst never be affected, nor take to heart, nor fear the want of the condition; wherefore art thou so troubled and feared for want of the condition, but because thou art hungering and thirsting for that which (thou thinkest) is the condition? would make belong to thee, to wit, mercy, and forgiveness, and fearest, and art troubled for want of the condition, to be deprived of it; So than thou who art troubled, and fearest to want the condition, required in those to whom mercy is offered, dost indeed hunger and thirst for mercy, dost indeed fear, and wouldst fly unto the refuge; for were it not so, there would not be all this fear with thee, thou wouldst even be as the rest of this secure world, and as perhaps sometimes it hath been with thyself, never care how it went with thee in so principal a point, whether thou hadst the condition or not. Now then to such as thou art, who fearest, who dost hunger, and thirst, the Promise is clearly universal; it doth belong to all such, none is excepted, as ye heard in the places before cited: Ho all ye that hunger and thirst, etc. Who is he that feareth the Lord, and obeyeth the voice of his servant? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, etc. A fifth notable Mean to beget Faith, or to strengthen it concerning the remission of our sins, it is to consider the gracious and precious new Covenant, wherein the Lord hath covenanted with us, even with us, who be the seed of the faithful, I am thy God, and the God of thy seed. And, 2. who hast received the seal thereof in Baptism; that he will be merciful to our iniquities, and remember our fins no more: this new Covenant was first made with Adam, Gen. 3.15. and renewed with Abraham, Gen. 17.7. But is most sweetly, and at length set down, Psal. 85. Isa. 55. as also 42. v. 6, 7. and 16. Chap. 39.21. So Jer. 31. repeated, Heb. 8. Chap. 32.39.40. and 50. Ezek. 36. Now this very thing in general, that the Lord hath made a Covenant with us, to pardon our sins, should greatly strengthen our faith concerning the remission of them; for so it is, that we have not only the Lords promise for this point, (which certainly in itself is fully sufficient) but we see he hath gone further on to draw us from infidelity, the which we are so prone unto, and to move us to believe; he hath made a sure and solemn contract and Covenant with us, to forgive us our sins. If we have an honest man's promise concerning any thing, we will in some sort, yea even in a good measure rest upon it; but if he hath indented with us, and hath by contract bound himself unto us, etc. this puts us out of all doubt concerning the matter, especially where there is no doubt of ability and power: How much more than should we confide, when the business is between us and the Lord God of truth, Who keepeth truth for ever? Psal. 146. Now there be three properties of this new Covenant serving greatly to strengthen our faith, to wit, 1. The sureness and steadfastness of it. 2. The freeness of it. 3. The completeness and absoluteness of it. 1. Then it is a most sure and steadfast Covenant, unchangeable, unalterable, everlasting; what can be more comfortable? this is clear, Isa. 55. where it is called, The sure mercies of David. 2 Sam. 23.5. Although my house be not so with God; yet hath he made with me an everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure: whereupon he rejoices, and adds, This is all my salvation, and all my desire. Psal. 89.34, 35. My Covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my mouth. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie unto David. And certainly how can it be but a sure Covenant, when it hath Christ the Son of God for the surety and cautioner? Heb. 7.22. Surely of a better Covenant, how may we be sure, who besides so sufficient a principal, hath so responsible a caution? And also to be the witness of it: Psal. 55. Now he is the faithful witness; the Mediator of it: Heb. 9.15. Mediator of the new Covenant; and hath sealed it with his own death and blood, and in the history of the Sacrament. Further, to show us the sureness of it, the Lord calls it the everlasting Covenant, never to be made null, nor broken on the Lord's part. Gen. 17.7. Isa. 55.3. Jer. 32.41. Ezek. 16.6. as also Psal. 89. 2 Sam. 23.45. Q. But you will say, although the Lord will not be the first, yet when we break with him (as we do continually) will not the Lord then, as he may most justly, break with us, and so alter the Covenant? A. No: for it is an everlasting Covenant; and surely were it so, it should not be everlasting, but of very short continuance. But this is the point, when we break the Covenant on our part by our daily transgressions, the Lord nevertheless, with whom there is no varying, nor shadow of turning, is not like the son of man, that he should repent, but keeps still his part of the Covenant, being a God who keeps Covenant and mercy, and gives unto us liberty to renew our part of the Covenant by faith and repentance; so that happy is the soul that once doth get within this Covenant: this point is evident by that which I have spoken of the greatness of God's mercy, notwithstanding the renewing of our sins, he bids us pardon seventy times seven times, in case of repentance, how often then will he pardon, who is infinite in mercy? as far as the heaven is above the earth, so much are his ways above your ways: thou sinnest daily, it is true, but he hath allowed thee daily to crave pardon, and so to expect forgiveness of sins, as well as to pray every day, for our daily bread. Iniquities prevail against us, but thou wilt be merciful to our transgressions, saith David. Mercy and forgiveness belongeth to thee, although we have sinned against thee. This point is also notably cleared and confirmed by that, 1 Joh. 2. If any man sin (saith he) even after he hath entered into the Covenant, what shall become of him, shall he be cast out of the Covenant again? No: but the same who is the Mediator of the Covenant, and by whose means he first entered into the Covenant of reconciliation, even he shall intercede for him, that he be not cast out of it again. Jesus Christ our Saviour is the Mediator of the New Testament, in such a sort, not only to enter us once in the Covenan with his Father, but which is most comfortable, when we fail, he is ready to intercede for us; He sits at the right hand of the Father making request for us. And hence is it that this Covenant is so sure, and so everlasting a Covenant. This point is also notably and clearly set down, and made good, by that style that Daniel, Nehemiah, Ezra give unto God, O Lord, who keepest Covenant and mercy: A sweet saying and style; for both on his own part he keeps Covenant; and then for us when we break and sin, he hath mercy for us. So in the Scripture we have it more than once, that sweet combination of mercy and truth, Psal. 57 He will send out his mercy and his truth: Psal. 25. all his ways are mercy and truth, etc. His truth is to perform his promise; his mercy is to cover our sins, and to pardon them that they be no impediments for him to perform his mercy towards us: Had he only truth, our comfort would be but small, for we make the first breach, and fail in the condition; so that the Lord may without any breach of his truth and justice, break his promise with us: but when he joins mercy with truth, and is a God that keeps Covenant and mercy, in this stands our comfort and happiness, and this is it that makes it an everlasting Covenant. As also in that notable Psal. 89. My faithfulness and my mercy shall be with him. And again notably, v. 28. My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my Covenant shall stand fast with him: His mercy endureth for ever. How often repeated in Scripture, a notable comfort against our renewed sins. But of all most notably, clearly, and expressly is this sureness and everlastingness of the Covenant set down in that same Psalm, where the Lord professes (which is indeed most wonderful and sweet) that although sin and the devil should have so far prevailed against us, as to make us forsake God's Law, that though he may well visit our transgressions with the rod, and our iniquity with stripes, so to bring us to repentance; yet His loving kindness he will not utterly take from us, nor suffer his faithfulness to fail: so that he will not break his part of the Covenant for all this. O the wonderful goodness of God in his Son Christ! who although we change every moment, yet he changeth not; whom he loves, he loves to the end; his gifts and his graces be without repentance. Q. I hear that upon my repentance I shall have access to this precious Covenant, though after seventy times seven times, yea infinitely often; for God's ways are not like man's ways, but are above them as far as the heaven is above the earth; which is very comfortable: and also that the Lord will take pains with me to bring me to repentance, will visit me with the rod, etc. O but what if I continue in sin without repentance, if I be not to be reclaimed, no not by rods, and so fall away altogether? A. Thou shalt not get leave to do this, for this is a part and a clause of this precious and sure Covenant: Jer. 32.40. I will put my fear into their heart, that they shall not departed from me: to wit, altogether, or without returning; this puts on the very top-stone of the sureness of the Covenant. That place is worth the noting, for in it the Lord undertakes both his own part and ours. This point is also notably and clearly set down, Heb. 8. where the Apostle setting down the difference between the old Covenant and the new, he saith of the old indeed, they abode not in that Covenant: but for this he saith, I will write my Law in their hearts, and put it in their inward parts. So Ezek. I will put my Spirit within them, and cause them to walk in my statutes to do them. So ye may see that this is still a most sure and everlasting Covenant. Q. But may it not be objected, that this doctrine of the sureness, everlastingness, and steadfastness of the Covenant is ready to faster security, and to prove an obstruction to Christian obedience? A. It may well make one relent of that slavish, or at the best selfish, obedience, flowing from fear, and arising from self-love, and self-respects; But as for that acceptable obedience which flows from Faith, and from the love of God, The love of God constraineth me: surely it doth greatly advance and fortify it; for why as ye see, it fortifies faith exceedingly this point of the sureness of the Covenant, and everlastingness on God's part; now faith produces this acceptable obedience, faith which worketh by love, the more faith, the more working, and that by love; the more hearty and cheerful obedience. So whatsoever doctrine serves to increase faith in us, to breed in us the full assurance of faith, is so far from rendering us carnally secure, and so sluggish, as on the contrary it renders us spiritually secure, it makes us the more working and diligent, it adds spirit and life, heart and courage to work: Faith which worketh by love, it both increases and rectifies our obedience; whereas faith, which is the tree, being weak, good works, which are the fruit must be few: as the assurance of Faith rouses up the soul to go on in a cheerful and right course of obedience with an eye to God; whereas otherwise all our obedience is at the best felfish, if not slavish. Do ye fast unto me, saith the Lord, and even for this restraint of fear to stand in awe, and not to sin? This Covenant for all the sweetness of it, hath sufficient ground; for as ye hear, although the Lord for the main take not his loving kindness away, yet nevertheless he visits with the rod, and with stripes, even with sad and sore chastisements; even where he is favourable, he takes for all that vengeance for transgression, even where he corrects in measure, he suffers not altogether to pass unpunished. Hence is that complaint, Thou hast wounded me with the wound of an enemy, and chastised me with the chastisement of a cruel one. And again, The Lord hath chastised me sore, but hath not delivered me over to death. There was never so much pleasure in thy sinning, as thou, who ever thou art, shalt find bitterness in thy chastisements for sin, even although the main thing and the punishment be remitted: so that thou hast need to stand in awe and not sin. So that this Covenant, though full of confidence, yet hath some place also for fear and awe. Obj. When I consider this sureness and everlastingness of the Covenant, surely I must think them happy that have propriety and interest in it; but I fear that I have none, that it belongs not to me. A. For this, I give no other Answer but what I gave to that doubt concerning the Promises; for what is the Covenant but a bundle of Promises? As ye heard of the Promises, they are to you, and to your seed: Even so the Covenant, I am your God, and the God of your seed. Consider the other Answer. Q. O but I am so unworthy guilty, sinful, graceless, I cannot think that it belongs to me. A. For this, consider the second property the freeness of this Covenant, it is altogether free, from the Lords free favour without any respect to any thing in thee, it looks at nothing in thee, no worth in thee can procure it; no unworthiness in thee can hinder it: so that whatsoever thy condition be, thou needst not fear to lay hold on it. Now this freeness of this new Covenant, is clear, and may be specified by these particulars. 1. It is free, because it doth not require any prevenient grace or worthiness in us, Isa. 55. where this Covenant is set down, Ho every one that thirsteth, come and buy without money, etc. So Rev. last, Drink of the water of life freely. Rev. 3 the poor, the miserable, naked spiritually, are invited and counselled to come. H●s. 14. I will love them freely. Rom. 3. All have sinned, and come short, etc. being justified freely by his grace; Nothing the Lord stands more upon then the freedom of his grace, that all the glory and the thanks may be to him. 2. It is free not only because it doth not prerequire or presuppose any worthiness in us, but it doth also take off former guilt; we should remember, that it is made for the behoof of sinners, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. We are saved by believing in him who justifies the ungodly. But, I say, this Covenant takes off even exceeding great bypast guiltiness, as is clear from Isa. 55. where the Covenant is mentioned, I will abundantly pardon, Isa. 1. although they were never so great, though as red as scarlet: Isa. 43. although they were never so many: Ye have wearied me with your transgressions, etc. Yet I am he, etc. This is a worthy saying, and by all means to be received by thee, that Jesus Christ came to save sinners: yea and the chief of sinners; and not only Paul, but him to be a pattern to others, who afterwards should believe in him. Now all these tends to the further manifestation of the riches of his grace and mercy. Hence it is said, Isa. 43. For his Names sake be pardons iniquity: now the greater, and the more thy sins have been, the greater shall be the name of his mercy, and the freeness of his grace. 3. This Covenant stands not only with bypast guiltiness, but (which shows the freeness thereof) with much present sinfulness and wretchedness, if felt and mourned for. This is clear from Ezek. 16.4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 When I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thy blood, etc. Yet even then I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: I swore unto thee, and entered into Covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine. Then I washed thee with water, yea I throughly washed away the blood from thee, etc. So we see, how that sinfulness of disposition doth not let the Lord to enter into this Covenant with us, and should not discourage us to lay hold on the Covenant. See Ezek. 36. where there is mention of the Covenant more than once: Not for your sakes, O house of Israel, be it known unto you: Be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, but for my Names sake. And he tells them, that they were a stiffnecked and a rebellious people, rather worse, than better than other people; And surely there are not more rough pieces of work, and greater sinners than many on whom the Lord bestows grace; that so the glory of his mercy, and power of his grace, even divine power may be better known: So then neither thy works, nor thy bypast guiltiness, nor thy present sinfulness of disposition ought to hinder thee from laying hold on this Covenant, seeing it is in all these respects a free Covenant; but, as ye shall hear, it is the only way to get all these redressed. Obj. O but this Covenant promises, that I shall have a new heart; be cleansed from my filthiness, etc. these things I find not: hence is it that justly I doubt, that the Promises of remission of sins belongs not to me, seeing the other Promises of sanctification be not accomplished. A. Thou wilt not believe that they may be accomplished, think you, that all the conditions of the Covenant shall be performed to you, or can become yours, until by faith you lay hold on the Covenant, until by faith you subscribe the Covenant, and set to thy seal, that God is true, thou hast not entered into the Covenant, nor cannot be said to have done it, until thou subscribe it by believing, and so no wonder thou hast not reaped the benefits of the Covenant; go to then, and enter thyself in the Covenant, subscribe it, seal it by believing, and then shalt thou find the virtue and benefit of these promises of Sanctification, and go not to suspend thy believing, because thou findest not the accomplishment of the promises: for ye heard, it is faith that brings forth holiness, and Sanctification. But the next and last property of this Covenant, is able to give you satisfaction, and it is the absoluteness and completeness of this Covenant, I call it a complete Covenant, because the Lord hath undertaken in it to fulfil, both his own part, and our part; what could be wished for more? so that whatsoever it requireth of thee, it promises to give the same unto thee, as faith, repentance, the grace of prayer, the fear of God, victory over corruptions; and finally strength to walk outwardly, in the ways of the Lords obedience. Hence I call it an absolute Covenant, because it not only hath conditional on all promises, promising eternal life, remission of sins, such and such things to those who believe, repent, love, fear God, etc. But it hath in it, absolute promises, (which properly be the new Covenant) promising even these very conditions, to wit, faith, repentance, etc. What can be more sweet and comfortable, certainly, there is not any point in Christian Religion, more comfortable, or more considerable by us, then is this of the absolute promises, and of the completeness of the new Covenant, and how that the Lord hath undertaken both for his own part, and our part herein; for want of considering of this, many poor Christian souls are holden back mightily, and are discouraged, for they think with themselves many things, and amongst the rest remission of sins, to be promised to those that fear and love God, that believe and repent, that seek by prayer, etc. But alas, I want these conditions, and so have no interest in the promises. Now would such persons consider, that these very conditions be promised to be wrought in them, and that so the Lord hath undertaken to do them for us, both his part, and ours, and hath undertaken and promised that we shall believe, repent, fear, love, seek by prayer, so that we have no more to do, but by faith and patience to cleave unto it, and to wait for the inheriting of those precious promises, when it shall please the Lord to accomplish them unto us, and in us: what can be more comfortable than this it gives rest to the soul; and indeed were it not thus, what should be the excellency and comfort of the doctrine, and tenor of the Gospel? for it is as hard and impossible, as far without the compass of our power, as is the tenor of the Law, it is as hard and impossible for us to believe and repent, (this being the condition and tenor of the Gospel) as it is to fulfil the whole Law. But herein stands the comfort of the Gospel above the Law, of the new Covenant above the old, that the Law promises upon condition, but does not promise nor give strength to perform the condition: Whereas the Gospel and new Covenant, not only promises upon condition, but also promises and gives strength to perform the condition itself, to wit, faith, repentance, the grace and gift of prayer, the fear, the love of God, and these be the absolute promises. Hence it is that it is said, Heb. 8. to be established upon better promises, to wit, because here in this new Covenant the Lord gives unto us absolute promises, not only upon condition, but even the very condition itself, promises not only to do his own part, but our part also; these be indeed better promises. And hence is it, that in the same place he saith, they abode not in that Covenant, to wit, in the old Covenant, and why? Because they undertook fairly for themselves, We will do all that the Lord commands us. But what saith the Lord, knowing their weakness, and the rather of their undertaking, O that there were such a heart within them! but for this Covenant, it shall not be so, with them, for I will do their part also, they shall abide in it, They shall not departed from me, I will write my Law in their hearts. And hence is it, that Christ is the Mediator of a better Covenant; this so main a point, should be more taught, and more considered, for it is the very upholding of a Christian soul, a notable encouragement in the course of Sanctification, for now thou hast no more to do, but to look carefully, what grace thou wantest, and then to look for the promise of such a grace; and having found the promise, thou shouldest labour with all humility to believe it, and then with that measure of faith that God bestows, thou shouldest present thy daily Petitions to God, in the name of Jesus Christ, for that grace to be given unto thee, out of the fullness of Jesus, by the operation of the holy Spirit, patiently, confidently, fervently, and constantly, prosecuting thy Suit, from day to day, until the Lord satisfy thee, which he will not fail to do, if thou thus continue; only thou shouldest be careful to do these two things, to wit, to believe, and fervently to seek, for these two the Lord requires, Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it, Psal. 18.10. to wit, in an enlarged desire. And, 2. by faith to receive it, as I conceive it, Ezek. 36.37. I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel, to do it for them: this is subjoined to all these precious promises, of the new Covenant, in that Chapter. So that it is not enough for us to have the Promises, but we must use the Means of earnest Prayer and seeking; Ye receive not because ye ask not, at least not so fervently and uprightly as ye should: The prayer of the faithful availeth much, if it be fervent; If thou believe, all things are possible. Obj. O but I fail in these two, I cannot believe nor pray as I should; and therefore I fear to come short of these precious promises. A. Indeed we fail all too much in the fervency of our seeking, and it is hard to believe miracles and wonders; for so indeed is the performance of these Promises, whether it be the subduing of our strong fast hanging on corruptions, or the supplying of our wants, especially to those who are sensible either of the one, or of the other, and have continued long under such a sense: O when shall I get such a corruption subdued, when such a grace wrought? not considering that God is able to do execeding abundantly above all that we are able to ask or think: Able to make all grace to abound towards us for his power. And then for his willingness, more willing to bestow, than we are ready to seek; gives liberally to all, and upbraids none: counsels thee to come to him, and get fine gold, etc. These be the two notable props of thy Faith, in this point. But for the point in hand, thou canst not come to believe, nor to seek as thou shouldest, and therefore thou fearest thou shalt come short of the Promises; Even these two, amongst the rest, are promised, to wit, the grace of faith, and the grace of prayer. Prayer is clearly promised, Zach. 12.10. Jer. 29.12. A sweet place also, Psal. 10.17. So Rom. 8.26. Faith is promised, Joh. 12.32. I will draw all men unto me: this drawing is causing them to believe, for he is the Author and finisher of our faith. No man can come unto me, unless the Father draw him So Psal. 89.26. He shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. So Jer. 3.19. Thou shalt call me, My Father, and shalt not departed from me. Repentance is promised, the godly sorrow, Zach. 12.43. turning with the whole heart, Jer. 24.7. the fear of God, Jer. 32.39. Further, in this Covenant is promised what thy heart could wish for sanctification, or for strengthening of thy Faith, and making thy calling and election sure. Thou findest and feelest an hard and unsound heart, the sinfulness of thy nature, and this holds thee back from believing; here a new heart is promised. Feelest thou strong corruptions? I will cleanse you from all your filthiness, etc. Thou feelest and fearest thy want of outward obedience; it is promised also, I will put my Spirit within you, etc. And so we see it to be an absolute and complete Covenant, the Lord in it undertaking both for his own part and ours; and in it promising, not only upon condition, but even the very condition itself, which is very comfortable. To conclude then this point of the Covenant: Go to then, O thou of little faith, what hinders thee to believe the remission of thy sins, seeing the Lord God hath not only promised it to thee, but even solemnly covenanted with thee, and then hath made with thee for it such a Covenant, so everlasting, so free, so complete and absolute a Covenant, able to answer all thy doubts. Obj. O but I am so unworthy that I dare not believe it belongs to me so graceless and full of wants; so full of bypast guiltiness, of present sinfulness. A. In all these respects it is a free Covenant, dispensing with all these three as ye heard, the Lord undertakes and promises to redress all these things in thee, so thou will by faith subscribe and enter into this new Covenant with him: he knows thou art such a one, or else why should he make such promises to thee, to pardon, to give a new heart, to cleanse thee, etc. and yet this stays him not to enter into Covenant with thee. Q. O but I want the condition that should be on my part, I cannot believe, I cannot repent, how shall I then lay hold on the Covenant for remission of sins, seeing it is at what time a sinner reputes, the Lord will do away his iniquiti●t? A. Even these conditions are promised for us, as ye heard; It is an absolute Covenant, hath absolute promises, a complete Covenant, wherein the Lord hath undertaken both for his own part, and for ours. Obj. But I break the Covenant daily, and how shall I think but that the Lord will also break with me? A. It is an everlasting Covenant, although thou break, the Lord will not break, for he is a God that keeps Covenant and mercy; If thou break, he may well chastise thee with the rods of men, but his everlasting mercy, his loving kindness will he never take from thee: yea even in this point of chastisement, he will give thee leave to prevent him by holding an Assize upon thyself, if thou wilt judge thyself, thou shalt not be judged; yea although thou fail even in this, yet he will correct thee in measure, both for degree, laying no more upon thee, than thou art able to bear: and also for time, his anger endures but for a moment; O how gracious a God, how gracious a Covenant! And whereas thou sayest, thou breakest, thou shalt not make a final, nor a full breach: He that is born of God, sinneth not. I will put my fear into your heart, that ye shall not departed from me. Thus far for the comfort and strengthening of faith in this new Covenant; only a word for caution, and it is this. If ever we think to find the benefit of this Covenant, we should embrace it fully, that is to say, not only to be saved, but to be sanctified by it; we must make use of the Promises, not only of Justification, but of Sanctification also, or otherwise we shall miss both; we should take heed that we fail not in this, for than we shall divide what the Lord hath conjoined, we shall prove ourselves to want both thankfulness, and sincerity: we may see how the Lord puts these together, Isa. 56.4. For thus saith the Lord, Unto the Eunuches that keep my Sabbath, and do the things that please me, and take hold of my Covenant; these two must go together. And most clearly; Psal. 50.16, 17. What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and eastest my words behind thee? Our Saviour also, the Mediator of the Covenat, he tells us upon what terms we are to receive it and him, Math. 11. Come unto me all ye that labour, etc. Stays he here? No, but if he hath cased thee of one burden, thou must take on another; hath he eased thee of a great burden, that would have pressed thee to hell, thou must take up for him a light one; and is it not most reasonable, to obey him in doing and suffering? take upon you my yoke, My yoke is easy, and my burden is light; O that we would consider this when we are about the crucifying of corruptions, the discharging of duties! This also is clear, Isa. 55. where the Covenant is mentioned, Let the wicked man forsake his ways, etc. see the place. The last Mean of strengthening our faith, which I shall propose unto you, is a very notable one, to wit, to consider the oath of God, concerning this purpose: this oath is set down, Psal. 89 Once have I sworn by my holiness unto David: But most pregnantly, and in most pathetic terms, Heb. 6.16, 17, 18. For (saith he) men swear by a greater, and an oath to them is the end of all strife. As if he should say, so should it be in this point betwixt God and you, this oath should put an end to all the strife of our infidelity, which so much opposes the truth of God. We are very backward to believe, even like an incredulous body, that will give no trust, he will not believe his neighbour, until he swear to him, and then he rests satisfied. Even so deal we with the Lord, we are so backward to believe, so slow to believe, as our Saviour speaks, that we will not believe the Lords bare promise, and yet the Lord of his infinite goodness, rather pitying, then punishing our infidelity; he condescends thus far, for willing more abundantly to show unto the heirs of Promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge unto the hope that is set before us. There be here many strengthening and confirming words, and greatly comfortable; and therefore by any means, seeing the Lord hath gone so far on with us, let us not distrust him, let us not strive any more by infidelity against him; but let this oath be the end of all strife betwixt our infidelity and the Lord: Let us with Abraham give glory to God by believing, and take to ourselves the comfort of this abundant and strong consolation; yea, let us be afraid to do otherways, for, we may see, how fain the Lord would have us to believe, and how acceptable a thing it is to him to believe, he delights in those that trust in his mercy; As also how prone we are to infidelity, & how hardly we are brought to believe; So likewise, we may clearly see, how heinous a sin infidelity is, for it doth not only make the Lord a liar, who cannot lie, but it is also to make him a Covenant-breaker, who is indeed the faithful one. Therefore seriously weigh, and effectually improve the Means prescribed; so shall God be greatly glorified, and thine own Soul eternally saved. FINIS.