THE BEARING of the burden by the SPIRIT.
PROV. 18. 14.
‘The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can beare?’
SAlomon in his Proverbs is the great Master of the Sentences, all his Parables are master Sentences, whose matter exceed their words, and whose words excell not themselves;
[Page 2] each sentence is pithy, and compleate, and so absolute, that most an end (especially from the beginning of the tenth Chapter) it shineth in its owne native brightnesse, and therefore (at this time) it spares us the searching after any coherence.
This present Proverb presents us with two observables;
- 1. The power of a sound spirit against all externall calamity, uttered in these words,
The spirit of a man will sustaine his infirmitie.
- 2. The impotencie of a mans spirit against inward perplexities,
a wounded spirit who can beare?
Concerning the first part, I shall enquire into these things:
First, what is meant by the infirmity of man?
Secondly, what is that spirit of a man which doth and will beare this infirmity of a man?
To the knowledge of the firstenquiry, know that the infirmity of man is double.
Note. 1. One sinfull. What are all those slips, frailties, imperfections, unwilling risings, and actions befalling the godly in their progresse of Sanctification? are they not infirmities? and it cannot be denied but that in reference to such kinde of infirmities, the spirit of a Christian is, and will be sustaining; So long as a man alloweth not himselfe in evill, or evill in
[Page 4] himselfe; but can and doth thoroughly judge himselfe unto the bewailing, and loathing, and leaving of all knowne evill; in this case conscience will be his comfort, and his stay, upholding him in the assurance of a good estate with God against all those troubling arguments, and distressing feares where withall hee is daily followed.
2. Another is sorrowfull: humane calamity is humane infirmity; take all those miseries and crosses which divine providence doth inflict either immediately, or mediately upon men, suppose them to lie in
[Page 5] the goods, names, bodies, children, or friends of men. And this is the infirmity of man spoken of in this Text; its no new thing for the Holy Ghost to call crosses and afflictions befalling men, by the name of infirmity or weaknesse, and that because of that naturall imbecillity which is found in man to free himselfe from them, or to stand under them; a state of calamity is a weakning estate; and none are more weake then men under the crosse and rod, these things doe make men feeble and infirme; as sicknesse is the weakenesse of the body, so
[Page 6] crosses, reproaches, and afflictions are the weakenesse of man.
Concerning our second enquirie, you must note that there is a double Spirit sustaining humane infirmity.
1. One above man, and yet
A twofold Spirit. given unto man, and that is the Spirit of God, who is a Spirit of power, and doth helpe to beare up the burden of all our calamities;
likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, saith
Paul, Rom. 8. 26. when a Christian doth finde a weaknesse in himselfe, both to doe and to suffer; the Spirit of God is assistant unto him, and doth make the burden easie and supportable; and what we are
[Page 7] never able to beare of our selves, by his strength we can and shall beare it, as the Apostle she weth, saying,
I can do all things through him that strengthneth me, Phil. 4. 13.
2. Another in man, which maketh man to be man; which in some places is
The spirit of man diversly taken. taken largely for the whole soule of man; but in this place more narrowly and strictly for the conscience of man, its usuall for the Hebrewes to expresse conscience under the name of the spirit or the heart of man; and in the New Testament, it is called in one place our spirit,
Rom. 8. 16. and in another
[Page 8] place the spirit of man;
for what man knoweth the things of a man, saving the spirit of a man which is in him, 1 Cor. 2. 11. and surely if we doe
Conscience called a spirit and vvhy. looke unto the originall, and being, and manner of working of conscience in man, which is every way spirituall, it is most aptly named spirit, and this is the spirit which is so able to sustaine a man under his infirmities.
Now this spirit of man commeth
Mans spirit considered tvvo vvaies: under a double consideration.
1. Of Originall Creation,
1. In its Creation as it was mans before the fall, in full vigour and rectitude, and so it was specially usefull and serviceable unto
Adam,
[Page 9] that had hee beene put unto it, the Omnipotencie thereof would have borne the greatest of burdens; a sparke whereof is to bee found, and may bee seene in many meere naturall men; whose spirits retaine such strength in them, that they have endured many crosses, and manfully received the charge of many and great calamities, thinking the chiefest point of vertue consisted in bearing crosses and devouring injuries; they have I say gone farre in this worke of enduring outward calamities, although failing in the right manner and the right end of the same.
[Page 10]2. Of spirituall qualification,
[...]. In its regeneration. the spirit of a man, as it is renewed by grace, is strong to doe much, and to suffer much, it is of such incredible might, that it doth and will support in the midst of all trouble. Grace is a creature enlivening the spirit, enlightening the spirit, and so assisting the spirit of a man, that it over-masters the feare and the feeling of afflictions, upholding a man in being, in liberty, in confidence, and in cheerefullnesse under all, and any even the greatest infirmities that may or can befall him; flesh and bloud will tremble at that trouble which grace
[Page 11] will trample upon; nature will shrinke at that paine as intollerable, which a sound and sanctified spirit makes nothing of in comparison.
Note. Yet mistake me not, I doe not say that calamity shall not be felt by a sound spirit, there is a burden in every crosse, and a kinde of weakenesse in every spirit,
No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous, Heb. 12. 11. But the thing I aime at is this,
Doct.
That when conscience within man is truly good, it is mighty to beare up a man from sinking and fainting under the present crosse: Suppose the crosse to come in its full weight, and to be heavily laid on a man by the hand of God, yet there shall
[Page 12] be such a supportance from a good conscience unto man, that the burthen shall scarse be burthen some, it shall never become over-burthen some, a man by it shall be kept from being slavishly dejected, or overwhelmedly fearefull, the spirit shall not faile before the crosse; No calamity shall overdaunt or overcome such an one: the Text saith, it
will sustaine the infirmity: the holy Spirit doth not speake of it as a thing possible or probable onely, but reall and actuall, as having a certainty in it; and the truth of this you may observe two waies.
- 1. In the sentence of Scripture.
- 2. In the soundnesse of argument.
For the Scripture, in one place it saith;
Nay in all these
[Page 13] things we are more then conquerors, Rom. 8. 37. Behold a strange truth of speech;
They were killed all the day long for the sake of Christ,
and accounted as sheepe for the slaughter, there was humane infirmity in extremity, and yet they were conquerors, more then conquerors, and that not in a few of these, but in all these things; here is the exceeding sustaining of the spirit. In another place its written,
We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed, we are perplexed, but not in despaire; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast downe, but not destroied, 2 Cor. 4. 8, 9. infirmitie was great upon these men, and yet not over matching, none of all these miseries could bring their spirits under misery; but as the maine Ocean swallowes up the overflowings of all other
[Page 14] rivers, and as the well rig'd ship beares its owne burthen stoutly in the midst of a most tempestuous sea; so their sanctified spirits did receive all, and sustaine all these calamities, being in nothing terrified, much lesse by any thing overcome:
David, Iob, Paul, and the holy Martyrs are readie to witnesse unto this truth, but wee will spare them for this time.
Reason. Shewing unto you in the next place, that it cannot bee but that a spirit in soundnesse doth and will support under humane calamity; for
1 1. A spirit in goodnesse is a spirit of strength, and power; it is of incredible, invincible might;
when I am weake then am I strong, saith
Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 10. the strength of a gratious spirit is the strength of God made
[Page 15] perfect in weakenesse
verse 9. it is no weakenesse that is able to overmaster it; power is too hard for weakenesse, as light is overmatching to darknesse; all humane calamity to a sound spirit is but infirmity, it therefore beares it; were it strength and might, then the case might be doubtfull, as in all cases where power and power meet, but here is power against weaknesse, and therefore no marvaile if it beare up and overcome.
2 2. A spirit in goodnesse, is a spirit in comfort and cheerefullnesse, it is fortified with the sense of Gods favour, and made comfortable with divine consolations; yea and it is such a
2 Cor. 1
[...]. 10. lightsome temper that it takes pleasure in infirmities;
rejoyceth
Rom. 5. 3.
in tribulation, yea and accounts it
[Page 16] all joy when it falls into divers
James 1. 2
temptations; Now the joy of the Lord is the strength of the soule,
Neh. 8. 10. and who so are filled with it, can live in death, sing in prison, and with much courage, and constancy beare up; and endure any calamity.
3 3. Such a spirit is a patient spirit; and patience is a bearing up grace; it willingly stoopes downe to the crosse, and as readily takes up the crosse, it doth beare quietly, and with admirable submission, all the stroakes of Gods hand; and thinketh no misery greater then is deserved, or more then can be borne; and hereupon it is the strength of a man in the evill day; a man without patience is no more able to beare any the least crosse, then a man can
[Page 17] beare a burden without a paire of shoulders; but when patience possesseth the soule and spirit of a man, all burdens are overcommingly and cheerfully borne.
4 4. A sound spirit is a contented spirit; and contentment giveth unto a man, three things for his upholdment under the present calamity.
1. Setlednesse and staiment
Three things in contentment upholding the spirit of minde, it is the soules quietation under all trouble, making it still and silent, freeing it from all those murmurings, repinings, and disturbances wherewithall naturally it is hurried up and downe like a ship in a storme.
2. Delightfullnesse and complacencie of soule, it doth not onely compose the mind unto any condition by an holy pliablenesse,
[Page 18] but it yeelds unto man an approovement of his condition, that a man shall see such a goodnesse in it unto himselfe, that he shall be well pleased without, no way quarrelling at it, or disliking of it; contentment maketh the present condition to bee Gods condition; and knoweth that Gods condition is the best condition,
Psal. 16. 6.
3. Satisfyingnesse of minde. In all contentment there is sufficiency; there is a blessednesse even in misery, and there shall be no want in all wants, the reachings and cravings of the soule shall bee fully answered. Now hereupon, because by holy contentment the soule is enabled to take up the impression of the present condition, as humid qualities doe receive
[Page 19] the figure of their continent, and because the mind and soule falls in with an afflicted condition as the dispensation and allotment of a Soveraigne and wise God: hence it is J say, that the spirit is so sustaining under trialls and troubles.
5 5. A sound spirit is a beleeving spirit, filled and qualified with faith, which must needs bee a ground of strong supportance under all humane calamities, all things are possible to him that beleeveth, and a spirit of faith is couragious and conquering; doe but consider a fourefold worke of faith enabling the sound spirit to beare
Faith doth 4. things to the enabling of the spirit under the crosse. its calamity.
1. It apprehends divine assistances, and sets up overmatching helps under all calamities, it is the dejection of the spirit
[Page 20] to be left to it selfe in times of trouble, and for a man to finde to his sense a troubled condition to be his master, as we may see in
Elishaes servant, who when he saw the great hoste of the King of
Assyria, sent to take his master; crieth out, Alas master how shall we doe? his troubles were above all his arguments, and the man seemeth to be at his wits end; But behold the faith of
Elisha, and you shall see it to be above all his trouble; for he quiets his owne heart, and the heart of his man, with the beleeving apprehension of a greater power with him then against him: Saying,
feare not, for they that bee with us, are more then they that be with them, 2 King. 6. 15, 16. it is the worke of faith to finde out, and to bring home a Christians
[Page 21] helps unto him in times of triall; it makes God at such times both present in favour, and assistant in councell, and power, in confidence of this
David will lie him downe, and sleep & wake, and not be afraid
Psal. 3. 5, 6. of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against him round about, yea he can walke thorow the valley of the shadow of death and feare none evill,
Psal. 23. 4.
2. It sets up God for a mans owne in love, and care in the midst of all afflictions; God separated and divided from a Christian in any misery is the weakenesse of the Spirit and makes the heart to sinke and faint within; Oh how downe & dead, how crackt, and undone was
David when God to his sense was gone from him? at
[Page 22] such times he was a man without a spirit, and now the evill was great, and sore, and intollerable: But when by the eye of faith God was discovered to be his God, and hee could well perceive that it was not all his afflictions which could separate him from the love of God unto him in Christ; Now he cheeres up himselfe and saith to his soule,
Why art thou so dejected O my soule? trust still in God, who is the health of my countenance and my God, Psal. 43. 5.
3. It keepeth of from the soule and spirit whatsoever might weaken or deject it in and under calamities; in the day of a Christians calamitie, it is with him as it is in the gathering of a bile or botch in the body, all the ill humours will make their recourse unto the botch,
[Page 23] increasing disquietment unto the patient; just so, when we have miseries seazing upon us, suspition of Gods love towards us,
Note. feares of what men can doe against us, and tumultuousnesse of passions will haunt and follow us, in so much that wee finde we have our selves to bee greater troubles to our selves then all outward troubles that doe befall us; wee sticke our selves in greater deepes then troubles doe cast us into; Now faith relieveth the soule against these or the like things; partly
Foure vvaies hovv faith releeveth the soule in carrying a man from all the creatures unto God, shewing unto him that men are but men, whose breath is in their nostrills, and whose power is confined, and malice over-ruled by the power of an Almighty God, who being with us and for
[Page 24] us, wee need in nothing to feare who can harme us? partly in keeping a man from looking too much downeward and overwhelming our selves in and by the aggravation of our trouble:
Simile. if men looke too much upon the water in tempestuous times, their heads will soone swimme, and their stomack qualme, and whilst sense and reason is poaring into an afflicted condition, and a man is willing and wittie in aggravating his miseries unto the highest, making the most and the worst of them, the spirit will soone bee sicke, and sink, and faint within; now faith sets a man above all his miserable conditions, shewing to a man that hee lieth not at the mercie of any his most miserable conditions; that as it is not a good condition which
[Page 25] can make him, so it is not any bad condition that can marre him, partly by setting a Christian upon the way of mitigation, learning the Christian the art and skill of breaking the wave in the midst of his most violent tossings. Now it starts up the hand of God in all this, and the wisedome and goodnesse of God in ordering all unto good, which was
Davids stay in the great calamity, and made him to say,
let him alone, and let him curse, the Lord hath bidden him, and it may bee that the Lord will looke on mine affliction, and that the Lord will requite good for his cursing this day, 2 Sam. 16. 11, 12. partly by countermanding the violent risings and habituall vexations of the soule; faith is an enemy unto distempered passions, it
[Page 26] checks it, and crieth it downe and will not admit that a man should be angry and froward, and fretfull under the hand of God;
Dost thou well to be angry?
Jonah 4. 4 saith faith,
shall we receive good and not evill from the Lord? Iob 2. 10.
4. It puts the pawnes and earnests of God into the hands of a Christian in evill times; a man in any condition without the promise is as weake as miserable; but the promises of God going along with a man they will proove his greatest strength and comfort in any condition; we must know, that the Covenant was made for the comforting of Christians in all conditions, and there are speciall promises made to Christians in times of their distresse, which onely faith can finde, and
[Page 27] supply the Christian withall: by meanes where of the head is held above water, and the man made stronger then all his trialls and crosses; when faith reades that God wil know the soules of his in adversity,
Nah. 1. 7. That God will be with his in the fire and water,
Esa. 43. 2. That all miserable evills shall end in spirituall good to them that love God,
Rom. 8. 28. And that, that God who hath shewed his great and sore evills will quicken them againe,
Psal. 71. 20. 21.
Now the spirit gathers spirits unto it selfe, and is made lively, and strong; yea it gets upon the rocke and triumphs over all trouble.
Having thus opened the point unto you, the Application must needs be this.
Vse 1 First, to discover unto us that evillnesse of spirit which is in the sonnes of men; I may justly complaine, that most men doe want soundnesse and sincerity of spirit to beare them up in evill times, considering
Two evidences of weaknes of spirit, 1 Feare. two things.
1. Some men doe overfeare troubles before they come, the very empty thought and conceit of troubles is terrible and perplexing unto them; when it was told the house of
David saying,
Syria is confederate with Ephraim, his heart was mooved, and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are mooved with the winde, Esay 7. 2. When
Belshazzar saw the comming forth of the fingers of a mans hand, and writing over against the Candlestick upon the plaister of the wall, his countenance was
[Page 29] changed, and his thoughts troubled him; so that the joynts of his loines were loosed, and his knees smote one against another, Dan. 5. 5, 6, 7. and even so is it with too too many among us, the very newes and conceit of troubles or calamities which possibly may befall them, doth put them into such shaking fits, that they know not what to doe with themselves; and now tell mee where is the soundnesse and strength of your spirit? call you that a stout spirit that is daunted with the report and thought of calamity?
Ob.
Good men have feared troubles?
Sol.
Know, that there is a
A twofold fearing of troubles, 1. Of faith twofold fearing of troubles before they come.
The one is, a carefull and beleeving feare, opposed
[Page 30] to carnall security, which was found in holy
Iob, who said,
the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me, Iob 3. 25. Surely the good man in his prosperity did not cast of all thought of adversity, but did wisely consider, that a change might come upon his estate and family; it might be that his sun might bee darkned, and his day turned into night, and he looked upon his children, and wife, and friends, and stock, and honour, as things dying and fading, there being no constancy in outward mercies unto any.
The other is, a carking and
2. Of distrust. distressing feare opposite unto faith and comfort; a fearing either without a cause, or beyond all bounds, thorough the utter mistake of a miserable condition unto the sons of men; wherein feares doe cut, and divide the heart, even emptying a man of all present joy, and future hope; this now is an argument that the spirit of infirmity doth possesse a man, and that hee wants that spirit which will sustaine a mans infirmity.
2. Some men are overburdened
2. Faintnesse. by the crosses which do befall them, the least crosse that is doth sink them, and they cannot
[Page 32] beare or endure any calamity, indeed before that troubles come, they wil brag & boast as if they would & could carry al the world before them, and no adversity could overmaster them or their spirits; but when they are put to it, and the day of triall commeth, alas they are men of very poore and impotent spirits,
Achitophel like, who being under disacceptation most desperately hangs himselfe, as being no way able to beare it; O how do men roare, and complaine, and lie downe in the dust, suffering crosses to binde them hand and foot, and to spoile them of all their comforts? it is strange to observe the weakenesse of spirit in some men, who though they have many comforts for one crosse, yet that one crosse doth so dampe and daunt
[Page 33] them, that all joy and comfort is gone, and they are mightily overwhelmed; thus doe most men want supporting spirits: and surely their strength is weake
who faint in the day of trouble, Pro. 24. 10. and such men may doe well to suspect the soundnesse of their spirits; certaine it is, that there is a want of soundnesse of spirit where the supportance of spirit doth wholy faile: cease to wonder that thou art so sinking and fainting, and leave crying out against the greatnesse of thy present trouble, knowing that there wants such a spirit within as should be, which is the cause of this thy failing.
Quest. But may not a deare childe of God faint, and his spirit faile him in the day of his calamities?
Sol. Unto this I answer three things,
1. That it may so fall out, that a Christian indeed may bee to seeke of the helpe and strength of his spirit in and under crosses befalling him; Suppose him
- 1. To have forfeited the sense of divine favour.
- 2. To have formerly neglected or abused divine assistances.
- 3. To be suddainely surprized by the strangenesse and the strength of the calamity comming upon him.
- 4. To bee followed both with the continuation of some
[Page 35] grieving affliction, or the multiplication and comming in of one crosse upon the neck of another:
And surely in these and the like times, the spirit within him which alwaies retaineth strength and might, may not be so serviceable and supporting unto him as at other times it hath beene, and in time to come it may be againe.
2. That though there may be much fainting overtaking the spirits of sanctified men for a time, yet it is not totall faintnesse; there is and may be a very weake upholdment; the spirit is many
[Page 36] times well neare spent in the spirituall conflict, and labouring under some grievous wounds, and now it upholds in much weaknesse; a horse that is almost tired, carrieth his burden, but not in that pace and with that mettle as when hee was fresh; there are degrees of strength; sometimes wee are holpen with a little helpe,
Dan.
The strength of the spirit is graduall. 11. 34. and it is a day of small things with us, and it is not much that the spirit within doth for us; at other times the spirit being freed is more full of assistance and carrieth us thorough all troubles; one mans spirit may sustaine him
[Page 37] under his infirmity more then another; yea and the spirit of the same man may at one time and in one crosse more beare him out then in another. Witnesse
David, who in the case of
Nabal was very weake and passionate; he had scarce the spirit of a man in him. But now in the case of
Shimei where the crosse was farre greater, his spirit did with much strength beare him out.
3. That there is a double sinking of the spirit under afflictions, or miserable evills.
- 1. One arising from the weaknesse of nature in the want of all
[Page 38] grace, and thus the godly faint not.
- 2. Another arising from the weaknesse of grace by the opposition of temptation and corruption.
And thus the godly may faint in part, but they shall come to a recovery of themselves againe; it is with the godly in their sinkings under afflictions, as with a man that is skilfull to swimme; at the first when hee is cast into the water he is over head and eares, and the whole body is covered, but by and by hee riseth up againe and swimmes upon the water, commanding the water under him; whereas it is with a meere naturall and carnall
[Page 39] man in his sinkings under afflictions, as it is with a stone cast into the deepe, there is a great noise made, but he sinketh lower and lower and never riseth up againe;
Vse 2 To examine the strength and sufficiency of our spirits to our enabling under the crosses wee suffer; tell me not so much of the greatnesse and grievousnesse of your crosses, which you are quick enough to doe, but answer me, what is the spirit within you? and how doth it serve and helpe you? can it, and doth it sustaine you? rightly bearing the burden for you? I yeeld, 1 That some mens spirits can & do sleight crosses, and seemingly they make nothing of them; but with the Leviathan they laugh at the shaking
[Page 40] of the speare; but this is an argument of an evill and naughty spirit not to be sensible of Gods hand and rod. 2 That men carnall and formall to outward seeming are marveilous hardie in temper, and stout in spirit, and have without flinching or fainting passed thorough many afflictions, and endured extreame torments, when alas they have brawned themselves, or a spirit of slumbering and benummednesse is cast upon them; and for some selfe aimes they have onely restrained passion, in the meane time they doe remaine destitute of all positive joy, peace, and confidence, and want the assurance of the goodnesse of their spirits in bearing the crosse befalling them.
Quest. How may a man know
[Page 41] that by a sound and good spirit he beareth the crosse and calamity which God layeth upon him?
Three signes of a sound spirit upholding man under the crosse.
Answ. By these Signes.
1. When the cause of suffering is good; a good spirit cannot beare up in an ill cause; when a man suffers as a murderer,
[...]. A good cause. or as a thiefe, or as an evill doer, or as a busie body in other mens matters, as it is written, 1
Pet. 4. 15. Now conscience cannot uphold; but when a man suffers as a Christian, and is reproached for the name of Christ, conscience can and doth uphold, as you may reade in the 14. and 16. verses of the same Chapter; we see the stoutnesse of the Apostles enduring the lash and the prison, was grounded on this, that they
were counted worthy to suffer
[Page 42] shame for his name, Acts 5. 41.
2. When the carriage under
2. A good carriage. the crosse is becomming a good spirit, which carrieth a man under
Six waies of the spirits carrying a man under the crosse. the crosse,
1. With silence, stopping inward frettings, and outward murmurings against the Lord; making a man to say, yet my soule be silent unto the Lord, it layeth the mouth in the dust,
and dares not open the mouth against the Lord to charge him foolishly, 1 Sam. 3. 28, 29. Psal. 39. 9. 62. 5.
2. With submission and subjection; the soule is low and very humble, poore, and exceeding empty; the man is cast downe under Gods hand and will; saying,
it is the Lord, let him doe as it seemeth good unto him, 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2. Sam. 15. 25.
[Page 43]3. With thankefullnesse; the man can kisse the rod, and blesse the rod, and say with
Iob, the Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord, Iob 1. 21, 22.
4. With religion; making God as lovely and good, and worthy to be praised & prayed unto under calamity as at any other time of prosperity: a man under the power of a sound spirit doth loose much of his sinne, nothing of his godlinesse; I dare say he is more quick and hearty in his devotion then at other times; the soule doth now settle it selfe upon spirituall imployment, and is taken up with God,
Is any man afflicted, let him pray, Iames 5. 13.
5. With humiliation; now a man shall finde the guilts of
[Page 44] his sinne, and doth consider the deserts of his sins, he can and doth weepe more for the sinfullnesse of sinne, then for all the evills he doth sustaine and endure; he well knoweth that man suffereth for his sinne; and that sinne deserveth more evill, then God inflicts upon his children; and that the evill of sinne being the greatest of evills, can never be sufficiently bewailed.
6. With hope, waiting upon Gods time and pleasure for deliverance out of trouble, expecting that great good shall happily befall him, in and by all the troubles which he endureth; he considers that as the Bee hath his sting, so hee hath his honey; and crosses have their comforts in the latter end, as well as bitternesse in the beginning.
[Page 45]
Note. I say such men doe put themselves into the covenant and promise, and will keep themselves there; they doe see the Covenant going along with them in their trialls and troubles, and doe beleeve that a little assured good is above a great deale of sensible evill; and this is the moderation of their spirit in and under the rod.
3. When their comming out
3. A good issue. of trouble is glorious and gratious; a sound spirit doth beare afflictions with power unto profit; and carrieth all painefull evills with soveraigne good unto it selfe; so that when a Christian is at the end of his trouble and tossings, he shall set downe with great cost and recompence; having the great fruit of his patience; even blessed is he that endureth, and the Spirit of
[Page 46] God and glory shall rest upon him, he shall say with
David, before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word, Psal. 119. 67. And it is good for me that I have beene afflicted, that I might learne thy statutes, verse 71. Neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby, Heb. 12. 11. if we can finde any good by afflictions, that our proud hearts are humbled, that our corruptions are weakned and wasted; that our graces are quickned and enlarged, and that we are in any degree made more holy and heavenly; this is an argument unto us, that we have borne all our afflictions by the strength of a sound spirit.
Vse 3 Labour that there may bee
[Page 47] found within you a good and a sound spirit to beare you up under your troubles; we know not to what times of tryall God hath reserved us; wee may meete with the crosse, and calamity may be our portion, wee know not how soone, and then strength to beare will doe well; but know, that there is nothing will better helpe in sufferings, and keepe up the soule in patience and comfort, then the spirit which is spirituall, there is no spirit to the sound spirit, and the spirit can never bee sound untill that it be made spirituall; conscience was made good at the first; and conscience is fit for goodnesse now, and goodnesse will bee the good of it, and the good of man by it; learne to know two things.
[Page 48]First, that the goodnesse of
The goodnesse of spirit stands in 7. things. 1. Holines conscience stands, 1. In its sanctity by spirituall renovation; when as it is free from the filth of corruption, and qualified with divine graces.
2. In its quietnesse and peace,
2. Quietnesse. it must be pacified as well as purified; it must not onely bee privatively quiet, but also positively quiet, there must not only be no torment, but a blessed security and assurance within it.
3. In its sincerity, it must be
3. Vprightnesse upright, freed from the rottennesse of guile and hypocrisie, this is that truth in the inward parts which God so much delighteth in,
Psal. 51. 6.
4. In its ability, when it is
4 St
[...]engt
[...] strong in execution, and able to exercise its owne operations, and freely disposed to spirituall
[Page 49] imployments; what good can conscience doe us whilst it is weake and unable to beare it selfe?
5. In its tendernesse, it must
5. Tendernesse. be feeling, melting, yeelding, and bleeding.
6. In its clearenesse, the
6. Clearenesse. good of conscience is the light in conscience, it must bee filled with saving light, and be informed by the rule, not onely naturall, but spirituall; it must in some measure in a spirituall manner see and know it selfe, its God, its duty, its way, its worke, its object.
7. In its freedome, it must
7. Liberty have liberty, although it hath a a binding power, which it derives from the Word of God, yet it selfe must bee freed from entanglements by sinne and error, and must be brought into
[Page 50] bondage by no creature.
Secondly, the way to attaine this goodnesse of spirit is,
Two waies of attaining goodnesse of spirit.
1. To bee sensibly convinced of the badnesse and naughtinesse of our spirits naturally; we have within us no sparke of saving goodnesse, but our hearts are full of guile and guilt,
and they are evill above all things, Ier. 17. 9. wee foolishly fancie their naturall goodnesse, and that keepeth us of from found endeavour after their spirituall goodnesse; who among us would labour after that which hee conceiveth hee wants not; our worke is to get sound acquaintance with the illnesse and bafenesse of our owne spirits, and to bewaile the same before the Lord.
2. To set upon the use of those meanes whereby badnesse
[Page 51] may bee remooved, and
Meanes of making conscience good to be are are foure. 1. The Spirit. true goodnesse may be brought into your consciences, which I conceive are these foure.
1. The Spirit in Sanctification, who alone can and doth heale the infirmity of mans spirit, by the subduing of corruption within him, and vouchsafing courage and strength unto the inner man by the creation of all saving graces within.
2. The Lord Jesus in application,
2. Christ. there is that vertue in the bleedings and dyings of Christ, that it is able to kill and crucifie sinne, and to sprinkle from an evill conscience;
and to purge the conscience from dead
[Page 52] works to serve the living God, Heb. 9. 14. & 10. 22. there is enough in the Lord Jesus to make us wholly holy, and truly good in Gods sight; he being made unto us of God, Wisedome, and Sanctification; and one every way fitted for the communication of holinesse to his members.
3. The Word in administration,
3. The Word. the Law and the Gospell meeting in the spirituall vertue thereof with the spirit of man; is a notable meanes to make it good and sound; the Word of God by its comfortable promises, and cleare directions doth and will mightily enable the spirit
[Page 53] in his office of upholding and strengthening man in the daies of adversity: the Word of God is sutable nourishment unto the spirit; it is strong, and the admirable strength of the spirit; it is sweet, and the great refresher of the spirit; it doth every way so glad and cheare mans spirit, that it giveth him most sure grounds of standing under the greatest burdens;
Note. beleeve me, if that conscience bee not informed by the Word, it is blind▪ and where it is not fed by the promises, it is infirme, and can never beare up our infirmities;
Vnlesse thy
[Page 54] Law had beene my delight, I should then have perished in mine affliction, Psal. 119. 92.
4. Faith in operation; a
4. Faith. conscience full of infidelity is full of badnesse, and feares, and sinkings; but the more beleeving a mans heart is, the more sound, and the more stout it is;
I had fainted unlesse I had beleeved to see the goodnesse of the Lord in the land of the living, Psal. 27. 13. I assure you, that faith is a grace that deales with the God of all comfort, and the Word of all comfort; and when distresses are like a strong tyde beating much upon
Note. us, it is as a rock beating
[Page 55] off all waves, and keepes the spirit in strength and courage in times of trouble.
Vse 4 Lastly, learne a duty of care and respect towards your spirits, that they may performe their office in upholding and strengthening you in the daies of your adversity; if that our
Six things to be done about the spirit. 1. Abuse it not. spirits faile us we are undone; and to this purpose I shall advise you unto these things:
1. Abuse not conscience; the abuse of our best friends is base, and we cannot with safety
Tvvelve vvaies of abusing conscience to our selves abuse our spirits. Now men abuse their conscience 12. waies.
1. By resisting the motions of conscience; there is in conscience a certaine naturall power, either by a watch word to give warning when men are
[Page 56] bent to sinne, or to give the check after the commission of sin; it is a word within us, and behind us, it doth dictate to us and direct us: Now when a man shall crosse conscience in this worke, and notwithstanding all that it saith and doth, go on in an evill way; this is the abuse of conscience by an act of resistance.
2. By disregarding the motions of conscience; conscience is speaking, and that very loud; it many times groweth importunate with us, and stands in our way at every turne. Now when men turne away their eare, and passe over conscience, finding out other matters of very purpose that they may not answer or follow conscience, it is a great abuse of conscience,
Acts 24. 26.
[Page 57]3. By wounding and wasting conscience, our spirits are tender things, and should be gently used: it is as our eye, and every the smallest dust offends it; it is as a glasse, and every knocke crackes it; it is a brittleship, and we may soone make shipwrack of it, 1
Tim. 1. 19. a sinfull course will wound and wast conscience: but take me sinnes committed against the light of nature, of Scripture, and of grace, and those doe exceedingly gore conscience.
4. By disquieting and vexing conscience; to bring trouble and torment into the soule, is no small abuse of the soule; it is the greatest injurie that can bee done unto it, and this men doe
5. By tempting conscience; some men proove divels unto their owne consciences: partly
Two w
[...]ies of tempting conscience. in laying baites before it, setting conscience in the presence of vilenesse, and using it to sinfull companies, or sinfull occasions; certaine I am, that it is a hard matter to keepe all faire with conscience, when and where there is nothing but vilenesse: and partly in trying conclusions upon it; men play the Empericks with their consciences, putting them upon the practise of things, the lawfullnesse whereof they know not, or are not yet resolved of.
6. By deading and searing conscience; conscience is and
[Page 59] would be living and sensible, now when men brawne it by the daily and customary practises of horrible and grosse sins, and by disusance, they doe abuse it, and so disable it for all spirituall service.
7. By smoothering the scruples of i
[...]; conscience is many times full of reall and personall cases, and sometimes it is not able to resolve it selfe, now if a man thorough pride or bashfullnesse shall keep all close, and not seeke the satisfaction and resolution thereof, this maketh the inward ranckling and festering and languishing thereof.
8. By blinding and darkening conscience; knowledge is the eye and light of conscience, for it seeth no more then it knoweth, now ignorance is the
[Page 60] thing that blindes conscience, and without knowledge it is not good; it is a madnesse in men to take away or to put out the light which should guide and direct their owne consciences in things to be beleeved and done.
9. By abasing conscience; conscience was made for goodnesse, to uphold and maintaine that, and for high and holy imployment, to doe that; now when it shall be used for a colour and cloake for sinne and wickednesse (and men shall either make their sins to carry the name of conscience, as unwarranted opinions and practises now adaies doe; or make conscience the cause of sinne, as too many do, who cannot come to Church and receive the holy Sacraments, under a pretence
[Page 61] that conscience will not let them, a great belying and abusing
Conscience abased and how? of conscience, or to make conscience a false witnesse; fastning untruths on it, as doe such men that will take it upon their consciences, that it is not so nor so as they are accused, when indeed it is so; conscience is put to sweare against conscience, and to speake against conscience, and to accuse and condemne, and to execute conscience; this is the putting of conscience unto the basest offices that can be) and this way men do notably abuse conscience.
10. By silencing conscience; conscience within us can and would speake unto us, when as others cannot, or dare not to speake unto us. Now when men command it unto silence,
[Page 62] and stop the mouth thereof, and cannot endure that it should be a voice either of direction or correction unto them, but bribe or choake conscience, it is a great abuse unto it.
11. By neglecting it; conscience is worthy our best respect and attendance, and wee cannot do too much to cherish and refresh it. Now when men shall runne from it, as many a Whore doth from her childe, leaving it upon the Parish, and let who will looke after it; when men shall never enquire after its health, but suffer it to take grievous falls and hurts; when men shall passe over its wounds not minding its cure; when men shall suffer it to want the best meanes of information, consolation, and corroboration, and let it cry it selfe to death,
[Page 63] they shew most horrible cruelty unto conscience, and doe as grossely abuse it, as a Nurse doth her sucking babe, to whom she denieth her care, and breasts.
12. By overloading and entangling conscience; conscience can and will beare much; but yet as the overlading of a ship is her sinking, so the overlading of conscience by sinnes, and sorrowes, and feares, and impertinent scruples, is the abusing and wronging of conscience.
2 2. Lay out for the true good and strengthening of the spirit within you; wee must endeavour to maintaine it in a state of goodnesse; cherishing and keeping up its goodnesse that it die not; it will quit cost for us so to do, the good and strength of
[Page 64] conscience is our good and strength at all times; let this then be your worke,
1. Remoove daily the evillnesse of sinne from within it, and before it, nothing is the undoing of conscience but sinne, and wee must endeavour after the daily bathing of it in the blood of the Lord Jesus: the increasing of its renovation by the Spirit, we must be much in the practise of repentance, and washing away those sins which lie upon conscience, by the teares of godly sorrow.
2. Feed and nourish it with its appointed food; the strength of our naturall spirits stands in their nourishment, & it is as true of our spirituall spirits, conscience must not be overfasted nor overphysick'd, but we must give it the Word in promise; Christ
[Page 65] in merit, and the sense of pardoning mercy, and wee flesh and refresh it.
3 3. Make use of the strength of conscience for your supportance: conscience was made for use, the excellencie of it stands in its use, and if wee doe put conscience unto it, it will bee our confidence in times of common feares and dangers, it will steele our hearts and beare up our mindes as stoutly and as safely, as the waters did the Arke of
Noah; nay, it will proove an Arke or Garrisonunto us for our safety; learne therefore upon the accesse of all calamity to retire into conscience, and commune with thine owne spirit, and call upon conscience to doe its office and worke; keepe not conscience idle within you;
[Page 66] the lesse you imploy it, the unfitter will it bee for your strength and service; call upon it to act its owne proper operations, and you shall find the comfort of it unto you in your afflictions.
4 4. Secure the sound spirit within you; it is our upholdment and security, and therfore by an holy care and watchfullnesse keepe it above all keepings,
Prov. 4. 23. Some men have made shipwracke of conscience and lost it, 1
Tim. 1. 19. and our condition in this life is full of danger, conscience within us, is in the midst of many and malicious adversaries, and in as much danger by evill men and divels as ever, and it stands us much upon to bee watchfull; and to bee alwaies fearefull
[Page 67] and jealous, least both we and it become a prey unto Satan, to this end, 1. Shut carnall security out of doores; 2. Avoide all occasions of sinning, play not upon the hole of the Aspe, and come not neare the den of the Cockatrice; 3. Wisely withstand temptations unto all sin, and wickednesse; 4. Keep close to the rule in a holy and religious practise.
5 5. Give contentment unto conscience; in nothing willingly offend or displease it; this is the wages that is due unto it for sustaining our infirmity: we are not to displease such a friend that beareth all our costs and charges, and taketh upon him the burden of all our cares; and doth not conscience much more for us?
[Page 68] Learne then, 1. To give God
The contenting of conscience stands in 2. things. content: in the pleasing of God you greatly content conscience; the servant hath no reason to bee offended all the while his master is quieted. 2. To promote conscience in its power, unto its place: conscience must bee more worth unto us then the world; wealth must not buy it, worship cannot equall it, and wee must not preferre the pleasing of men or our selves unto it, it is the discontent of conscience to bee undervalued or to bee put off at low rates: and surely, if the governement of conscience bee despised, it cannot bee pleased; conscience is conscience, and will and must bee knowne and acknowledged to bee conscience; you must
[Page 69] heare and obey conscience; goe and doe what conscience enjoyneth, wee must worke, and stop, and feare, and hope, and give, and lend, and restore when conscience bids us, conscience must not be crossed and vexed by us wittingly or willingly, it deserves better of us.
6 6. Prevent the wound and torment of it, take care that you make it not terrible and troublesome unto your selves; if it be your burden how shall it then be able to sustaine your infirmity? we reade forward in the Text,
a wounded spirit who can beare?
THE BVRDEN of the spirit under its wounds.
But a wounded spirit who can beare?
HEere wee have the impotencie of mans spirit against inward perplexities laid down by way of an interrogation, which is a most vehement Negation,
[Page 72]
who can beare? (i. e.) no man can beare it: in which words the Holy Ghost doth teach us these two things:
- 1. That the spirit of man may be wounded.
- 2. That the wounded spirit is insupportable.
Wee will begin with the possible estate of the spirit or conscience of man, which is this,
Doct. 2
That it may come under great and fearefull wounds: I am
Mans spirit may be greatly wounded.
poore and needy, and my heart is wounded within me, saith
David, Psal. 109.
[...]2. and againe he tells us, that
his spirit was overwhelmed within him, Psal. 142. 3. we finde wicked men, and good men wounded in their spirits unto great vexation. I shall briefely open unto you three things:
-
[Page 73]1. What a wounded spirit is?
- 2. The difference of the wound in the good and bad.
- 3. The grounds and causes of this wound.
1 For the first, know that a wounded spirit, is a spirit, which
A wounded spirit what. for the time doth sensibly suffer miserable, and in a sort, hellish evills in a distressefull, uncomfortable, fearefull, restlesse and desperate manner.
There goeth to the making of the wounded spirit these things:
1. Miserable, and in a degree, hellish evills; I say that innumerable evills doe compasse the soule; it is not one misery, but an army which doth at this time follow a man;
thou renewest thy plagues against me, and thou increasest thy wrath upon
[Page 74] me, changes and armies of sorrowes are aginst mee, saith
Iob 10. 17. the soule is cast into a peck of troubles, and into the abundance of calamity; yea, and it is such kind of misery which nothing can better represent and shaddow then the very paines of the damned; the soule for the time feeleth that gnawing worme, and lieth (as it were) boyling and frying in hell fire; there is no torment like unto it, it goeth beyond all, having a fullnesse and exquisitenesse of misery in it.
2. The feeling of those miserable evills; a man hath now his conscience opened, and is made to know and apprehend the extremities of miseries which now lieth upon him even with fullnesse of weight; the spirit of man is living, and
[Page 75] very tender, and misery and distresse is felt. In a seared conscience there is nothing but senselesnesse, for that is past feeling,
Ephes. 4. 19. but in a wounded conscience there is some life and tendernesse; the practicall notions are not quite extinguished; the naturall light is still burning, and indeed miseries would not be miseries unto us, did they not touch us to the quick.
3. The manner of the apprehending of those miserable evills, which is every way most grievous; for
First of all it is with much distrosse of foule; the soule is thereby filled with unspeakeable
Psal. 77. anguish and paine, it is as it were put upon the rack, and putto torture and torment in extremity;
my soule is soretroubled
[Page 76] saith
David, Psal. 6. 3. there is such a strange oppression upon the spirit that the heavinesse of it is unto death,
Mat. 26. 37.
Secondly, it is without all comfort unto the spirit: it is all darknesse without the mixture of light; the spirit of a man is so drunke up, that it now wasteth it selfe in daily heavinesse;
O that my griefe were well weighed, saith
Iob 6. 2. My soule refused comfort, saith
David, Psal
[...]7. 2. a man under the wound of conscience is so under the power of discomfort, and so swallowed up of heavinesse, that the soule can enjoy no spirituall or naturall comfort for the time, every thing doth terrifie it, nothing doth comfort it.
Thirdly, it is a spirit filled with horror and feare; and
[Page 77] that not only in the apprehension of present misery, but by the expectation of more and future evills; the wounded spirit is a spirit of horrible bondage, and keepes a man in bondage to servile terrors, trembling thoughts, the dreadfull sound is alwaies heard, and such men doe create, meditate, and multiplie feares, the spirit of trembling doth so overtake them, that they are a terror unto themselves; they daily apprehend nothing but guilt, and wrath, and death, and hell, and damnation,
Iob▪ 15. 21. Deut. 28. 65. Dan. 5. Ier. 20. 4.
Fourthly, it is full of unquietnesse, and daily tossings and tumblings; it is exceeding restlesse and raging; O the disquiet of a wounded conscience, the sea in time of tempest is not
[Page 78] more raging and rowling; madnesse is not more working and unquiet; the plague and other impetuous diseases are not more vexing and restlesse to a man then a wounded spirit is;
Thou keepest mine eyes waking, saith
David, Psal. 77. 4. When I held my tongue my bones consumed, thine hand is heavie upon me day and night, Psal., 2. 3, 4. My sore ran and ceased not in the night, Psal. 77. 2. Why art thou so disquieted within me O my soule, Psal. 43. 5.
Lastly, the spirit is cast into the devouring gulfe of desperation; such under the feeling of their spirituall miseries, doe conceive a desperatenesse of condition; such do now begin to damme up all the springs of mercy, and drie up the bloud of Christ, and close up the
[Page 79] doore of grace against themselves; and that I may not bee mistaken in this point, note with mee two things,
Note. 1. That in strictnesse of divinity wee are to make a difference betweene a wounded and a desperate conscience; the one runs beyond the other in many things.
2. That in every wounded conscience
Desperation in every vvounded conscience compleatly or incompleatly. there is a degree of desperation; sometimes and in some men it runneth in more compleatnesse, when men take their sinnes in such an high manner, and with such an over-reaching power, as that neither mercy can, or will ease them; they set an eternall night within their soules without hopes of a morning, framing to themselves an utter impossibility of pardoning mercy
[Page 80] as
Caine, Gen. 4. 13. and
Iudas, Mat. 27. 5. and this is a distresse
Note. of distresses, and a greater evill then the disease it selfe. Sometimes againe some men under the wound of the soule are more incompleately desperate, they onely thinke and feare that God will cast them away and shut up his mercies and loving kindnesse from them; heare they lie languishing and bleeding, and are only holpen with this, that though they cannot apply, yet they dare not deny unto themselves Gods mercy, and Christ in merit: and this was the case of
David under his wound,
Psal. 77. 7, 8, 9, 10.
4. The time of mans feeling this misery and calamity; I know well that the wound of the spirit is graduall; in some it is more then in other, and it
[Page 81] hath not alike continuance in
The degrees and the continuance of this woūd in men different. all; in some it is but for a little space, they quickly recover of their disease, and attaine refreshment and comfort, as we may see in
Peter, he went out and wept bitterly, there was his wound in spirit; but hee could speake comfortably and confidently to Christ after his Resurrection, this shewed that he was not long in the agony;
Paul lay three daies in the affliction and distresse of spirit, and then least hee should bee swallowed up of too much sorrow,
Anani as was sent unto him to refresh and comfort him; But as God gives speedie ease to some, so hee is pleased to let others lie a longer time under the perplexities of a wounded spirit.
David cries out,
shall I never bee remembred, Psal. 19. 1.
[Page 82]
My soule is sore troubled, but Lord how long wilt thou delay? Psal. 6. 3. Now let the time be shorter or longer,
All the daies of the afflicted are evill, Prov. 15. 15. and all the while a man doth feele this evill, so long the wound doth remaine.
2. Wee must know, that though the wound of conscience is incident unto good and bad, yet it is with a great and wide difference; the wounds of spirit in wicked men are,
1. Legall; they spring up in the soule from the terrible operation
The difference that is betwee
[...] the wound of the wicked & the wound of the godly in 5. things. of the law within their soules; the Law of God hath an extreame curse written in it, and this it writes in the conscience of every wicked man, I say by its spirituall vigour it gets within the conscience of a
[Page 83] wicked man, and so the wound is made: there is no worke of the Gospell as well as of the Law, but all is done and made by the Law alone, in all unregenerate men.
2. Paenall and judiciall, such men lie under the justice and wrath of God, and for feare of hell and punishment are most of all cast downe, so that were there no punishment to bee endured, it were not the displeasure or offence of God by sin that should amaze them;
My punishment is greater then I am able to beare, saith
Caine, Gen. 4. 13. whereas the wound in the godly is paternall and penitentiall, a fatherly chastisement of God for tryall, wherein the childe of God is wounded most at heart by the deepe apprehension of his sinnes, and the
[Page 84] displeasure of his Father against sin, or
3. Violent; the wound in them worketh with more and greater violence, having more of the fire of hell in it; such men are wholly under the terrors of the wound, having no assistance from God, no hope of ease, no glimpse of light, and no allayment by the saving power of the Gospell, which the godly doe finde first or last, more or lesse in degree.
4. Mortall, the wound in the issue prooveth desperate and incurable, and though for a time their spirits may be benummed by the application of false meanes, that so there may seeme to bee a cessation of the raging thereof, yet the wound remaineth still; they carry it with them to the grave, to the
[Page 85] judgement seate of God, yea and to hell it selfe; whereas God doth in due time, and by good meanes make a compleat cure of all the wounds in the spirits of his; there being no disease in their soule, but as it is possible of cure, so it is actually cured.
5. Hurtfull; the wounds of wicked men do them no good but hurt, they are hereby driven from God, and fall away more and more; whereas the
The benefit of spirituall vvounds in the godly serve in 6. things. 1. Sense of sin. Three vvaies of feeling sin wound in the godly is an occasion of much good unto them, by the wounding of their spirits they are wrought unto these six things.
1. Sensiblenesse of the bitter and sad effects of sinne; God hath waies enough to make his feele their sinnes; as his Word, which strikes hard on the eare,
[Page 86] threatning sinne and wickednesse, then if men hate reproofe, and harden their hearts, God hath his rod; he sheweth man his judgement, and in that mans sinne and his anger, by which if man will not learne righteousnesse, and feele the bitternesse of his sinne, then troubles arise in conscience, that shall be awakened, and dis-eased, that shall come upon man with feares and horrors for the sins that hee hath committed; so that hereby he shall bee made to possesse the sinnes of his
Job 23.26 Psal. 51.3. youth, and to know his own wickednesse, as
Iob and
David did.
2. Humility and emptinesse
2. Humility of soule of soule; the wounds of the spirit doth weaken the proud and perverse conceits of mans owne strength and righteousnesse;
[Page 87] God by these doth make men vile in their owne eyes and opinions; it is strange to see what rising humours are found in the godly before the wound befalleth them, their blood is exceedingly over-heated; but now by an humbled spirit God doth worke them to an humble spirit, carrying them as to sin deniall, so to selfe deniall.
3. Enquiry after sinne; these
3. Search after sin wounds of the spirit doe make us reflect on the evill of sinne, and to search more seriously and narrowly into what wee have done, when the spirit is wounded it is most in agitation, and in a manner taken up wholly with reflexive acts; it is ofttimes with a troubled conscience as it is with troubled waters, the troubling of which
[Page 88] fetcheth up that mud and filth which lay sunke and buried below; men doe begin to see more clearely what they have done by what they suffer, let God trouble
Iosephs brethren, and this presents unto them their long past guilt in selling their brother,
Gen. 42. 21. and when Israel was troubled with Gods wrath and mortality, they could now read their sinnes in Gods countenance,
Psal. 90. 7, 8.
4. Confession and acknowledgement
4. Confession of sin. of sinne; deepe wounds provoke unto vomiting, and although we are naturally as apt to conceale as to commit sinne, yet spirituall wounds will not long bee hid;
David like a childe had hurt himselfe, and hee hides it; hee had taken downe poyson and
[Page 89] keepes silence; but at last the wound festred, and his heart was too heavie for his body, so as hee roareth for the disquietment of his spirit, and he is made most freely and humbly to acknowledge his sinne unto God,
Psal. 32. 3, 4, 5.
5. Detestation of sin; spirituall
5. Hatred of sin. wounds doe worke in the godly deepe hatred against sinne; O this lying under the sense of wrath, this racking under the strong and piercing accusations of conscience for sin, doth incense the soule with the deepest loathing of sinne that may be, so that the broken sinner saith unto it, get thee hence,
Esa. 30. 22.
6. Reformation of life, endeavours
6. Change of life. of obedience for the future, with watchfull feare against sinne, is the fruit of the
[Page 90] spirituall wound in Gods children; such doe say, now I finde and feele what it is to venture on stollen waters, and what it is to taste the pleasures of sinne for a season, O I am now in the flames, I have found a dart striken thorough my liver, and
what have I to doe any more with idols, Hosea 14. 8. If God will once heale my soule, and pardon me my sin, J will not sinne against him as I have done in time past, but I will take him for my God, and doe unto him all the possible service for his honour that I can.
3 For the grounds occasioning
Causes of the vvound in mans spirit, 9. the wound of the spirit in men, J finde them very different; and they are more generall, or speciall and particular; I shall name some of them.
1. Sinne committed
1. The wound in mans spirit
[Page 91] is caused by sinne; if any thing dishearten, feare and distresse the soule, it is sinne; every sinne committed and lying upon the conscience is a wound to conscience;
Now when you sin so against the brethren yee wound their conscience, saith
Paul, 1 Cor. 8. 12. whence I inferre, if another mans sinne will wound another mans conscience; then much more a mans owne sinne will wound his owne conscience; this is true,
Malu
[...] culp
[...]
[...] bit malu
[...] poenae. that all mans miserable and penall evills, whether inward or outward, doe follow his sinfull evills; had there beene no sinne there had beene no wound, and thus man is the entire cause of his owne wounding; if we bee
Hosea 1
[...] 9. tasting of the forbidden fruit, sucking at the pleasures of sin, and doe swallow downe the secret
[Page 92] poyson thereof, no marvaile if it cast our soules and and spirits into paine, and vexation, and unspeakeable stretchings and strainings. Note, that as it is all sin in generall, so it is
What sins do most of all wound conscience the greatnesse, aggravations, and repetitions of some sins in particular, which doe greatly wound conscience within man, I meane, unnaturall sins, such as are sinnes of blood, and sins of uncleannesse: unreasonable sins committed contrary to the cleare light of reason, as sinnes of Rebellion and Treason, found in
Achitophel and
Iudas: formall sins, which is the slubbering over Gods services out of custome and for fashion, when a man knoweth he ought to doe them with holinesse of affection and highnesse of reverence; locall sins, the sinnes
[Page 93] of a mans calling and place, such as are idlenesse, unfaithfullnesse and unrighteousnesse in buying, selling, borrowing, lending, restoring and the like: sins against vowes solemnely made against sin, yea and sins of repetition, men going over the same sins often; all these and other the like sinnes doe not a little wound conscience in men.
2. The wound is caused by
[...]. Sin fel. the sensible apprehension of the debt and guilt of sin; guilt apprehended in depth is the greatest wounding of conscience that may bee, when a man comes to know his transgressions, and to possesse the sinnes of his youth; finding the fastning of sin in the venome of it upon his soule, this is the great maladie and disease of the soule,
[Page 94] there is nothing so mortall and deadly as sin is, and there is nothing more terrible and troublesome then for a man to see himselfe a sinner without a Saviour, and to reade his own sins unto himselfe in an unpardonable manner; it is one thing to reade a sin in the Word, and another thing for the Word and conscience to make us to reade it in our selves in all the offence and danger and damnation of it,
Psal. 51. 3. Iob 13. 25, 26.
3 The wound is caused by the
The Law over pressed or over applied. over-taking of the threats and enforcements of the Law unto a mans selfe: the Law is terrible, and causeth the bondage of the spirit, putting a man to his deepest distresses, when as sinne and conscience doth meete and mingle with it.
There are two things about
Two things about the Law. the Law causing the wound of spirit in man.
1. One is, The unskilfull managing of it by the Ministers, they preaching it without reference to the Gospell, as it was delivered on Mount Sinai.
2. Another is, The overfastning of the Law in its terror and execration upon a mans selfe; the Law hath an extreame curse written in it selfe; it renders up a man a sinner to the severity of Gods justice, and irresistibility of his wrath, it powers in the fiery indignation of the Almighty, and acknowledgeth no Saviour at all. Now when a man shall write downe after the Law, that he is a man every way under the execration and exaction of the Law, this is the sadnesse and sicknesse
[Page 96] of his spirit,
Rom. 7. 9. When the Law came sinne revived and I died.
4 4. The wound is made by the tasting of divine wrath; when God is not felt in his love, but that there is a folding
Tasting of divine wrath. up the former intimations from the soule, there is a mighty wound in the spirit, as we may see in
David, Psal. 77. the first 10. verses; how much more horrible and wounding to the spirit is the apprehension of the angry and wrathfull face of God setting it selfe against a man?
Iobs mind was exercised with this, and it was his wounding;
The arrowes of the Almighty are within me, the poyson whereof drinkes up my spirit, the terrors of God do set themselves in array against mee, &c.
Iob 6.
[...]4.
[Page 97]
5 5. The wound is made by the failing of testimonie from
Failing of conscience conscience unto man upon repaire made unto it; the good or evill day of a Christian is set by the voice of conscience unto him: Now when conscience is silent, and shall speake neither good nor bad unto a Christian, when as no testimony at all shall stand up, but after great and studious enquiry no verdict can bee obtained; this is asad wound to the spirit,
The misery of conscience in silence in three things. and it doth exceedingly distract and divide a Christian. Note the effects of conscience in silence,
- 1. It giveth man but a negative estate, and that cannot satisfie and settle the soule; it is not enough to my quiet that God lookes not as mine enemy, but hee must looke like a friend on me.
-
[Page 98]2. It giveth suspition of a neutrall estate, so as a man cannot tell whether God and conscience be for him or against him.
- 3. It breeds a suspition of a bad estate; withdrawments and suspensions are sometimes the fore-runners of bitter intentions.
6 6. The wound is in the spirit from the over great accusing
Accusations of conscience power of conscience; conscience in its accusations shewing the guiltinesse of sin, and expressing the anger of God towards a man for sin: in a cheerefull and excusing conscience we may behold a gratious God
Note. accepting and acquitting us; in a silent conscience wee can suspect a doubtfull God, wee know not which way God is or will be unto us; and in an accusing
[Page 99] conscience we doe behold an angry God, and our selves most miserable creatures: when a Christian shall bee totally under the accusations of conscience; that his conscience shall speake nothing to him, but that his heart is base and vile, and that in such and such particular passages of his life he was not right and perfect, but hollow and hypocriticall, when I say conscience shall thus charge sin upon men; this is the time of their wounding, as wee may see in
Iudas, Mat. 27. 5.
7 7. Another thing which maketh the wound within us, is
Selfe jealousies. an evill jealousie, and an overhard opinion of our selves and estates towards God. Some men fall out with themselves, and other men fall from themselves;
[Page 100] shall I say that they censure themselves, and charge themselves falsely? concluding against a state of grace, and charging themselves with hypocrisie and insincerity without just cause; Sure I am, this is too too frequent among Gods children, who upon such grounds as these, doe mis-judge themselves, and thereby make too great a wound within their spirits: I say because they finde within themselves the want of such measure of graces, and expressions of obedience which they once had, desire to have, and see others have; when they see within themselves a partiall and temporary indisposednesse unto spirituall required duties; when as gifts and graces for a time lie hid and dead in respect
[Page 101] of vigour and sensible operations: when all endeavours seeme to be fruitlesse, and a Christian finds to his seeming the ordinances to go and come without all life and power unto him; passing no influence of bettering into his soule. Now hee sits him downe in griefe; and the soule begins not onely to misgive or mistrust it selfe; but to question the truth of all, and it not only feares but concludes that surely the hands were washed in vaine; and whatsoever hath beene done in religion and in the service of God, it hath beene done in hypocrisie,
Psal. 73. 13. and can you conceive how deepely this doth wound the spirit of a man?
8. A next thing greatly wounding to the spirit of man
[Page 102] is the New risings of old sins:
New rifings of old sins. I meane when those sins which long since were committed, and long since bewailed, and long since renounced, and wee long since did obtaine within our hearts some comfortable assurance of their pardon, do meete us in their guilt not yet remooved, as a debt not yet discharged, and as an evill not yet thoroughly healed, this causeth miserable trouble within the soule, and upon this, these conceits fall in; Surely this sin of mine is not pardoned, why would God remember it? Surely there was but a skinning over the soare, my heart was never healed by Sanctification; how could it be that my sins should haunt mee againe, this is now the sicknesse and death of many a soule.
[Page 103]
9 9. Lastly, I conceive that this maketh the wound in the spirit
Want of some good desired. of man, the want of some desired good; it is not the absence of good generally considered which maketh the spirit to bee wounded; for there are such whose unfeelingnesse is such, that they have no sense of sinne, nor of any spirituall want lying upon them; but that which maketh the wound of the spirit to a man is this, when his wants are presented unto him, and their supplies are suspended and denied; the soule would have mercy, and mercy is denied him; he would have ease, and he seekes it, and yet he is kept in misery: when a mans prayers makes not their returnes, but a man calles and none answers; comforts delayed or denied do breake the heart, and greatly wound the heart.
Doct. 3 I passe on to the next point,
That a wounded spirit is a burden
The wound suffered yet not borne.
insupportable by the sonnes of men; no man can beare it; men must suffer and endure the perplexities thereof, but beare
A twofold bearing. it (that is) to sustaine a mans selfe under it, no man can, this wound cannot bee borne with
1. With ease. ease, so as men enduring and feeling it, should make nothing of it; but it is with
2. With difficulty. great difficulty and disquietment; a burning feaver carrying
Simile. with it the inflammation of the spirits is not borne without much sense and horror; so a wounded spirit even by the stoutest of spirits cannot be borne then with strongest and strangest torments, men must yeeld themselves unto it, and lie downe under it of necessity; nay it is a wound unsupportable
[Page 105] to all men that are vexed with it; there is no withstanding
The burden is too great
1. To good men.
2. To bad men, this wound by any man, nor any standing under it by any man; unto bad men it hath beene unsupportable; O how grievous was it unto
Caine, who cries out,
My punishment is more then I can beare, Gen. 4. 13. Iudas out of the trouble felt by it, hangs himselfe to be rid out of it,
Mat. 27. 4. many thorough the weight and torment of it, have beene forced to throw themselves downe from high mountaines, to stabb, and poyson, and drowne themselves; nay unto good men, whose grace and strength was great and much, this wound hath beene wounding, witnesse
David, Psal. 32. 3, 4. Hezekiah, Ezek. 38. 13, 14. and holy
Iob in his whole History, and
[Page 106] Christ himselfe suffering this wound (without sin) in his humane spirit, cried out under its burden,
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? and it cannot
Reasons prooving the burden, of a wounded conscience are seaven. be otherwise, if we consider these reasons.
1 First, a wounded spirit is a burden unto it selfe,
why hast thou set me as a marke against thee, so that I am a burden unto my selfe, saith
Iob 7. 20. Now all wounds and burdens that are extrinsecall a mans spirit can beare, but that which lieth within it selfe it cannot; you know if the ship bee whole the waves doe onely beate against
Simile. the side, they onely threaten, they sinke her not; but if shee have a crack and leake within her selfe, she cannot endure the stirrings of the winds, nor tossings of the waves, but doth easily
[Page 107] make her selfe her owne grave; thus it is with conscience, it cannot be both patient and burden, and under all wounds it selfe being wounded, it is that which makes the burden insupportable.
2 Secondly, there is no outward thing which can relieve a wounded spirit, it is not all the gold of the Indies, nor all the favour of Princes, nor all the friends on earth that can asswage or cure this wound; a troubled mind impaireth health, drieth up the blood, wasteth the marrow, pines away the flesh, consumes the bones, and makes all pleasures painefull to a man; nothing doth comfort it, but terrifie it; the light doth not comfort him, would God saith he it were night; the darknesse doth terrifie
[Page 108] him, his sleepe forsakes him, and his dreames doe not please him, hee lieth on his bed boyling in disquietnesse and wisheth for day: conscience can relieve against all wounds but its owne; Suppose the wound to lie in a mans honour, friends, and estate, conscience can heale all that, but it selfe being wounded in the least degree, it is beyond the cure and comfort of all outward things; we have a saying, that no borrowing part can helpe the lending part; what helpe
Simile. can the hand returne unto the heart? if I wound my hand the heart can yeeld helpe; if the nerves which draw more inwardly be wounded, yet the heart can helpe, it hath blood and spirits and heate enough; but if the heart it selfe be wounded what shall help?
3 Thirdly, the spirit under its wounds retaineth the sensiblenesse of unpardoned guilt, which of all things is most raging, and makes the soule most comfortlesse; when a man shall apprehend his sins to bee unpardonable, or unpardoned, it keepes him in a perpetuall rowling and boyling, it is a condition that can no way be endured, for sin lieth still at the doore haunting and vexing a man.
4 Fourthly, a spirit that is wounded hath to deale with the mighty and irresistible power of God; Now the strength of any burden is according to the strength of him with whom wee have to deale; under the wound of conscience God is following his owne cause with his owne arguments,
[Page 110] and hee is now avenging the wrong that is done to his mercy and patience, and is it possible for the creature to sustaine it selfe? can we imagin any enabling against Gods pressure and power? a man while he is to deale with men may beare up himselfe, and hee may have much strength of wit or impudencie of face to outface all enquiries, but when men are to deale with an all-seeing, and an all knowing, and an all-sinne revenging God, the might of whose glory is able to confound men and Angels, if he once shall start up our guilts, and breake into our soules; if he send a trembling heart, and sorrowfull mind, if himselfe be witnesse against us, and by his power imprison and shut us up, we cannot avoid it,
[Page 111] or beare it; time will not ease us, company will not ease us, peace will not ease us, when he wounds none can heale but himselfe.
Fifthly, the wound of the spirit is accompanied with the accusations of conscience; conscience cannot be bribed or put of, there is no flying from it; the strength of conscience is awakened, and her cruelty roareth, conscience under wounding doth arraigne, evidence, condemne, and bind over unto eternall wrath for sin; and it is of an indefatigable, unresistible and unavoidable power in working, a man by flight, or death, or friends, may escape the Magistrates hand, but by neither can he possibly ever escape from a displeased conscience, a tormented conscience cannot
[Page 112] flie from God, nor can a man flie from it.
6 Sixthly, the wound of spirit is of an eternall nature, all other wounds end in death, and are therefore the more tollerable because they be temporall; but this wound endeth not in death, if it be not gratiously cured, it is the beginning of hell upon earth unto the wicked, and it continues him in hell upon earth, and after death, it is that worme which still is gnawing and never dying; death is not the end of this misery, and this maketh it the more intollerable to be borne, what heart can possibly sustaine it selfe under infinite and endlesse miseries?
7 Seventhly and lastly, when and whilst men are under the wounds of conscience, Satan is
[Page 113] strongly and subtly working; such is Satans cowardize that he takes us at the weakest, and such is his malice that hee will yet weaken us wee being weakened already; Satan falling in with the bruisings and sores of mens soules, and bringing in the fretting gall of hell, and powring forth the sharpest vinegar of most violent objections, the soule tortured and the wound enlarged, and conscience overcharged; Satan now tells the sinner of the impossibility of mercy, and uncapablenesse of the bloud of Christ, hee now followeth him with strange endictments, representations, and conclusions, yea and arguments of insincerity and hypocrisie, and this adds to the weight and maketh the burden intollerable; there is no such
[Page 114] trouble as to be daily troubled with the divell.
Having thus opened the wound unto you, and its burden, I shall fall upon the Application of both, in this manner:
First, bee wise to know the woundednesse of your spirits, and to consider what is your condition thereby. I presse you to this the rather upon these grounds,
Vse 1 1. Because a multitude of men are under searednesse and senslesnesse of conscience, 2
Tim. 4. 2. they are dead and
A seared spirit is worse then a wounded spirit sleepie, their spirits never moove or work within them, and let mee tell you, that a wounded spirit is infinitely beyond a dead spirit; a troubled conscience is a mercy in respect of a seared conscience; conscience in trouble may happily
[Page 115] proove conscience in goodnesse and peace, and a cure may follow it: when iron is put into the fire it may be made pliable and receive another impression,
Simile. and so we doe not know what may be the good issue of a wounded spirit unto man; but you cannot hope this of conscience continuing under searednesse.
2. Because men ordinarily take least notice of their spirituall wounds in their cause and cure; they are lumpish and heavie, full of sad thoughts & evill imaginations, & many times they roare and complaine, but this is their
Men doe mistake the spirits wound. ignorance, they know not what ailes them; they are so mistaken in the cause & businesse in hand, that they judge themselves to bee under some bodily distempers by melancholie
[Page 116] passions, and other violent humours, a great madnesse and ignorance in men; and being fallen upon this point, let mee tell you that melancholy prevailing in men doth come very neere to the trouble of conscience, but it is not the wound of conscience here spoken of; Satan makes it his bait, and man makes it his burden, but wee may not make it this wound; concerning which I shall yeeld you two things,
1. That melancholy given
The operation of melancholie in man. way unto doth corrupt the imagination, and those actions of the minde or the
[...]ext instruments by which the minde worketh, that therewith the heart, affections, and conscience are greatly distempered with feare and griefe, and doe conceive a many uneschewable miseries
[Page 117] against it selfe, against which fancies and imaginations, no arguments of reason can prevaile, and this darkning vapour and blackish fume thus affecting the soule, doth add torment unto it, making it for the time uncapable of the sense of comfort, I say this humour of melancholy hath very subtile spirits that flie up into the braine, and the instrument of discretion and there they lodge their contagious qualities, which corrupt the spirits, and annoy both heart and braine; whence arise strange imaginations and fancies in the head. Head and heart having entercourse, and body and soule being united, the soule is nor thereby a little troubled.
2. That what ever vaine men judge; melancholy is not a spirituall
[Page 118] maladie, or the wounder spirit here spoken of; the difference
Melancholy is not the wounded spirit, proved by 5. reasons. betweene both is great; as
1. In the ground and cause, the troubles of melancholy ariseth either from naturall causes in the body, or from supposed and fained causes, the imagination conceiving things to bee so and so, when indeed nothing is really so; the trouble of conscience ariseth from the sight and sense of sin in the soule, the apprehension of divine wrath due to man for sin and such like spirituall and reall causes.
2. In the seate of it; troubles from melancholy seate themselves in the
[Page 119] head and naturall spirits, the man having lost the right use of his wits, and being mistaken in his imagination, in conceits becomming monstrous; true trouble is in the conscience and whole soule of man.
3. In the cure of it; physick may cure the one, it being a bodily disease or distemper; but it is not all artificiall and naturall meanes that can cure the wounds of the spirit.
4. In the effects of it; melancholy maketh a man simple and absurd in his thoughts touching himselfe; such men will speake to you and yet conceive themselves to bee without head or
[Page 120] heart and life; they will tell you that they see Divels and feele Divels within them; and you shall heare many odd things from them, when as trouble of conscience looseth not it selfe, but speakes according to the truth and feeling of it selfe.
5. In the enlargement of it; melancholy seldome or never worketh griefe for Gods dishonour; it is not touched with sorrow for sin, and when it is cured, it gives not a man any ground and measure of spirituall joy; it enforceth not a man to Christ for ease and rest; it quickens no man to prayer and duty;
[Page 121] all which the wounds of the spirit in some men doe most kindly and savingly.
Thirdly and lastly, let us know our selves rightly in our troubles of mind, and we shall the better know our selves in our comforts; nothing doth so prepare the heart for comforts, and make us to rellish our comforts as the sense of soule trouble and heavinesse: I dare affirme that if wee did know and finde our spirituall wants and wounds more, wee would and should withall bee more upon the waies and feelings of comfort then we are.
Vse 2 Secondly, let us have compassion on such who are wounded in spirit; you see that such is the weight of their wounds, as
neither eye hath seene, eare
[Page 122] hath heard, or tongue of man is able fully to expresse, none can in any way of expression speake of it, but such as have more or lesse felt it; and shall we passe by any that are labouring under this burden, not yeelding them our pitie? 'tis a foolish madnesse in many to thinke this sicknesse and this wound to bee but passion, conceit, and mopishnesse put into their heads by reading good books, or hearing some strict Preachers, or melancholy; & because it often changeth the body, they think it ariseth from the body, and what need all this adoe about it? it is cursed cruelty in any to looke upon any labouring under this wound, crying out against them, censuring of them for hypocrites, and in thought sentencing them to hell, blaspheming their
[Page 123] God and their religion; O
Considerations for the pitying of wounded in soule. you ignorant men learne better and be now instructed.
1. That there is no disease for symptomes and torments like unto this; all other maladies are naturall, but this is supernaturall; they come from the constitution of the body, this of the soule; in them the humours first, in this the conscience first, and humours last are distempered; they may all bee cured by naturall remedies, the body may be brought to a fittemperature; but it is not all the medicines under heaven that are meerely naturall can cure or comfort here.
2. That it is an argument of an unsanctified and stony heart within mā to disregard, taxe, or censure men under the miseries of inward perplexities, you being
[Page 124] mercilesse and wanting tendernesse and experience cannot pittie them aright.
3. Blessed are such as judge wisely of such poore soules, and do labour to relieve their soules in their woundings: this is a worke of mercy indeed, and a businesse becomming the most excellent of Christians;
Motives to pitie and to relieve woū ded Christians. Christ himselfe received his annointing, and was sent of God to bind up the broken hearted,
Esay 61. 1, 2, 3. Ministers have the tongue of the learned given them to speake a word of comfort to such whose soules are wearie,
Esa▪ 50. 4. and shall not wee that are Christians comfort the feeble minded, and support the weake, 1
Thes. 5. 14. bearing one anothers burden; O let us pity such, and pray earnestly to God for
[Page 125] such, considering our owne case,
Gal. 6. 1. would wee not bee prayed for were wee in their conditions?
Vse 3 Thirdly, how thankfull should all Christians bee for their freedome from this great burden of a wounded spirit; tell me, are you set at liberty, and is all peace and rest within? are the bands of the distresse broken? wouldst thou bee under the same estate againe, to feele those hells and sorrowes which once were endured by thee? No surely, than stirre up thy heart to blesse thy God who hath taken off this heavie burden from thy soule; blesse him daily and duely; a man can never bee thankfull enough for the ease and free dome of his spirit; some men walke with senselesse spirits,
[Page 126] and they blesse God that they were never troubled in mind all the daies of their life; some men walk with wounds in their spirits, and would give all the world did they enjoy it for freedome and ease, and shall any man enjoy the liberty and peace of his conscience from God and yet walke without joy and praise; it well becommeth men healed of their wounds, out of that ease and liberty they have obtained to bee very joyfull and thankefull.
Vse 4 Fourthly, to learne us in holy feare and care least that wee should bring this heavie and insupportable wound upon our selves: naturally wee shun all paenall evills, and dread the plunging of our selves into distresses; know that wee have
[Page 127] said enough; it is a burden that none can beare, thinke not out of your ignorance and pride to outface conscience, or that ever you shall be able to stand under the burden of its wounds: it will amaze you, and bring you downe; and therefore strive to avoid the pangs and paines of it; and to this purpose
First, know that conscience within, is a most tender part which will be soone troubled and wounded.
Secondly, know that conscience troubled is a most vexing part; if a man trouble his eye,
Similie. his eye will trouble him; and so it is here, all the vexations will bee unto our selves.
Thirdly, know that conscience under wounds is pining and will languish it selfe unto death,
Prov. 12. 25.
Fourthly, consider how apt men are to wound conscience, and they doe it many waies: well then, follow this counsell.
Six rules for the keeping of the wounds of spirit.
1. Make no adventures upon sin; for a man to make light of the least sin, and impudently or improvidently to hazard his soule upon the occasions of sin, is the readie way to wound the spirit: there are too too many who out of a secret confidence of their selfe maintenance doe object their soules upon sinfull companies; they doe as many men that goe out of their houses well and sound, but home they are brought all gored and wounded; in like manner, sinfull occasions have the advantage of us and will soone wound us, let us not proudly presume of our owne
[Page 129] strength, 'tis not the largenesse of our judgements, or fullnesse of our graces, or the peremptorinesse of our resolutions that can keepe us (presuming) from foiles and wounds by sin; such as make nothing of sin shall soone bee wounded and darted by sin.
2. Seeke not outward pleasures too much; excesse of pleasures breed excessive tremblings and sadnesse of spirit; such men do pierce themselves thorough and thorough with many sorrowes who doe affect a way of worldly delight, and will take their fill of pleasures; who so will have the Bee must have his sting also, and if wee will laugh and bee merry beyond measure, wee shall lie downe and howle for vexation of spirit; doe not so vainely
[Page 130] bathe your selves in carnall delights and worldly recreations; the worldlings pastime is the deadnesse and wound of a Christians conseience.
3. Beware of formality and remissenesse in holy services: the Ordinances not rightly used doe wound exceedingly; how vexing is the word to a formall and carnall Christian? did any man fall of, grow cold, and begin to dead his heart to the meanes and duties, but his heart at the last was greatly wounded for it; the neglect of Christ by the Church, when his voice did seeme unseasonable and inopportune unto her, was punished by her spirituall wounding,
Cant. 5. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
4. Nourish no hypocrisie or guile within you, doe not colour sin with faire pretences,
[Page 131] and plaister over a foule heart with an outside profession, serve not graven images when you pretend a service unto God, if you doe so, know that it will fester to a sore, and make such a wound, which will proove the great disquietment of your soules; Satan would have fastened this hypocrisie on
Iob, to have aggravated his misery; and he well knoweth that hypocrisie is wounding.
5. Goe not on in sinnefull waies against generall or particular convictions; there are who have such abundance of love to sin in them, that they will be wicked against the light of knowledge and the dictate of conscience, it is not the knowledge they have of evill, nor the risngs up and reproofes of conscience within them for
[Page 132] evills which can hold them of from evill; but on they goe, and wickedly they will doe, now as this prooves an aggravation of sin, so it maketh the wound very deepe; if knowledge and conscience hold us not of from sin, it will hold on sin, peircing the marrow, and vitals of the spirit;
David went against as great light as any man did, and did not his sins proove wounding sins, breaking his bones and heart? and so will thine too.
6. Keepe your selves in the waies of duty, walking in every action according to the rule, and peace shall be upon your spirits,
Gal. 6. 16. I say the more holy and unblameable a man is, the more strict a man is with himselfe in keeping himselfe under the law of religion, the
[Page 133] more assured peace and soundnesse shall he finde within his conscience;
The waies of wisedome are waies of pleasantnesse, and all her paths are peace, yea and the keeping of sound wisedome and discretion shall be life unto our soules, Prov. 3. 17, 21, 22. I assure you that duties conscionably, sincerely, and constantly performed, doe keepe up the soule in life and joy.
Vse 5 Fiftly, continue not your selves under the wounds of conscience; there is a strange cruelty which Gods children doe offer unto themselves, in keeping the wound upon the soule alwaies fresh and bleeding; whereby they lie longer
Men doe continue themselves under their spirituall vvounds six vvaies under it then they need to doe; I shall touch upon the waies and grounds of continuing the wound of conscience on a mans selfe.
[Page 134]1. Want of seasonable counsell and comfort; when men do hide their wounded estate, and will not repaire to appointed comforts and comforters, this doth not onely enlarge the wound, but settle it; as wee see in bodily wounds, if they want a timely looking too, it is the longer before that they heale; the case is so here, delaies breed dangers: and we are speedily to make in to our remedies, do not sleight the least wound as many doe, who at the first make nothing of it; but set upon the cure as soone as you espie the wound; the medicine is prepared before hand, and physitians to apply it are at hand, onely take you heed of a sinfull bashfullnesse, and dumbe divell, and cursed negligence, cry not out when it is too late.
[Page 135]2. Recourse unto contrary medicines; there are many false and deluding medicines unto conscience; and there are many medicines which are vertuall, but yet not sutable, all medicines heale not all diseases; wee see in experience in bodily wounds which are but small and little to looke to, if that a contrary medicine bee applied to it, it doth enrage it, and increase it, and continue it many times unto the death of the patient; and thus if men in and under their spirituall wounds will runne to the use of such druggs and playsters which may onely for a time damme up the sense, but not make upthe wound, they may long and long continue under the wound, and cry out of their wounds; you may no more
[Page 136] think to heale the spirit by sin, then by adding piles of wood
Simile. to extinguish flaming fire; beleeve me, it was not
Sauls musick which could tune his jarring spirit, nor
Belshazzars cups which could blot out the sense of the secret hand-writing; it is not your mad mi
[...]th, or joviall companions, or worldly imployments that can take of your sadnesse of spirit; they may put of from some horror for the present, but they double horrors in their returne; even as cold water doth the heate in a burning feaver.
3. Illnesse of diet; diet is much in continuing of bodily wounds; there are meates and drinkes which men must abstaine from, if that they intend to be cured: and 'tis as true in the spirituall Surgerie; if that
[Page 137] wee enlarge our desires after for bidden fruit, and delight to feed upon sinfull husks, and will be doing that we should not, we may thanke our selves for the smart of our wounds; is it the way to be rid of a wound to vexe it? and to feed contrary to it?
4. Selfe-nicenesse; men are many times so tender and indulgent toward themselves, that they will be healed onely by soft words, and the covering of a faire cloth, they will not submit themselves unto the painefull searchings of the Law; but they are in this cruell to themselves, and out of selfe favouring do make their misery larger and longer.
5. The life of sense; which is open to all winds, and the keeping open of all wounds within
[Page 138] the soule, my meaning is this; that when Christians do place the disposition of God towards them, and judge of themselves according to the condition of their own feelings and sensible apprehensions; this is that which doth greatly keepe up the wound of the spirit; for now the soule being under its ebbings, and finding the channell in a manner drie, so as he cannot see what he was wont to behold; begins thus to reason, surely God is not my God in grace and mercy, for I cannot finde him in his love to me as I was wont to doe; which condition is full of suspense and feare and doubting, and must needs continue the wound.
6. Harkning unto Satan; if a man doe beleeve the divels testimony and information touching
[Page 139] his estate and condition, and take up all his speech upon trust for truth, he shall keepe himselfe in bleeding wounds, the more Satan doth tamper with our condition, and take upon him to judge of our sins, and services, and temper and standing, the more sad and doubtfull will our condition be. I say if wee shall put the issue of our condition upon the determination of Satan, and all his interpretations and decisions shall bee gospell with us, Lord how shall wee bee tossed too and fro? and where there is no rest, how can there bee the healing of the wound?
Vse 6 Quit your selves as speedily as you can from the wounded spirit; I speake to all such who labour under this wounded spirit; 1. Do not you unwisely
[Page 140] cast off all hope of cure, and despairingly conclude against all your comforts; know 1. That the best of Gods Saints have beene under the grievousnesse of this wound, and that in as fearfull and terrible a manner as any of you can possibly bee, and they have received their cures: 2. That the greatest of our spirituall wounds (suppose them to bee more setled and permanent wounds) are capable of cure, and may bee cured, God which hath healed this wound in many of his deare children, and is the wise and able Physitian
Three meanes to get out of our wounded estate for his people, can and will heale all the wounds of our spirits, and it matters not how great and grievous the wound bee, if God be Surgeon,
Ier. 17. 14.
Hosea 6. 1. he can heale one
[Page 141] as well as another, and all wounds assoone as any, and therefore say not my spirit is greatly wounded; but rise up to the cure, and learne in the next place
2. To be willing of cure; I know that there can be no pleasure in staying under wounds unto any wise man; yet as many are ignorant of the true remedies, so many are very unwilling to use those remedies provided and prescribed for their cure; wee finde in some people such refusals of offered comforts; such sleightings of able counsels; yea and such shunnings of soule-searchings, that it makes us to feare them, and of many of them we may say, wee would have cured
Babell, but she would not be cured,
Ier. 51. 9. and rest not heere but
Thirdly, learne to follow the waies and meanes prescribed for your healing; there is balme in
Gilead, and a poole at
Bethesda,
There are five things to be done if wee doe intend the curing of our wounded spirits 1 Open the wound and Physitians enough among us, onely wee must take the course, and addresse our selves
1. Unto the opening and searching of the wound; it is not enough that we have a view of our wound in generall, seeing that we are sicke and aile ill, but we must finde out the particular maladie in the speciall reason of it; and therefore you must suffer the Ministers of God to goe to the quick, and to launce and lay open all; there is a holy incision to be made into the wound of the spirit by Gods Law, this doth finde out and open the particular hidden and malevolent humour of
[Page 143] the soule, and it is your duty to let the Law into your hearts, that so it may have its perfect worke, blesse God for a searching Ministerie, and deliver up your selves to that word which maketh most inquisition into your wound; the word that doth most wound you for the present, it will by Gods blessing be a meanes of the after curing of you.
2. Unto the washing and
2. Wash the wound cleansing of the wound; there is a great deale of filth that falls into mans spirit, in the wounding thereof, which of necessity must be washed away, or no cure will follow; who so is not willing to be rid of sin (that as extreame filthinesse doth lodge within him) hee shall never receive the right cure of his spirituall wound;
[Page 144] it is sin which is the core of the ulcer; O remoove it in the guilt of it, and remoove it in the filth of it; get the washing of Justification, and of Sanctification into thy soule, and doubt not but thou shalt be cured.
3. Apply the playster.
3. Unto the laying on of the all-healing plaister upon the wound; it is the plaister in application that is healing; Christs blood was shed to heale broken spirits,
Esay 61. 1, 2, 3. & 53. 6. He is that Sun of righteousnesse that hath healing under his wings, Mal. 4. 2. that blood alone can asswage all our ragings, and heale all our woundings; Now then, make a seasonable application of that blood to your wounded soules, sprinkle with his blood your wounded spirits; God alone is
[Page 145] pacified, if the blood of Christ be sprinkled, and conscience doth heale when God is reconciled; O that we would set our selves by faith into the dying and bleedings of Christ; a man must earnestly labour to beleeve that Christ doth and will satisfie for those sinnes which breed the terror within; and this will proove the curing and the comforting of his heart, as we may see,
Act. 16. 31.
4. Unto the daily openings
4. Dresse it daily. and dressings of the wound; it is a necessary thing for the soule to be venting it selfe into full and frequent confessions of sin; there is a need of letting out the filthy matter that the wound in healing gathereth; this wee hold; keepe in sin, and
Note. you keepe on your trouble; but
[Page 146] let out the filthy matter and ease will follow; it is an easing thing to bee much in acknowledgement of sin to God, and to accuse a mans selfe of sin before God; we see
David found it specially curing unto him,
Psal. 32. 3, 5. and besides this, there must be the renewing of our repentance and godly sorrow for sins committed; sinfull wounds are deepe wounds, and great sins call for great sorrowes;
David was wholy in teares, and
Peter weepes bitterly; and wee must be constant in repenting, if wee expect a compleate and comfortable cure; and lastly we must lay open all our sores before the Lord in prayer;
Davids sore ran and ceased not, and yet in the day of his trouble he sought the Lord, and he prayed when his spirit was full of anguish,
[Page 147] Psal. 77. 2, 3. and thus must we doe, wee must come unto God with all our sinnes and soares craving healing from him; who will heale us in his owne time, and by his owne meanes,
Hosea 6. 1.
& 14. 4.
5. Unto the upholdments of
5. Provision. our spirits, under all the dressings of its wounds; wee are very apt to faint in the thought of distresses; but when wee are felt and drest, and dealt withall in a most healing way, wee are ready to qualme and sinke, so that it doth very much concerne us to have our cordials and restoratives neare us, such as are the sweet and precious promises of the
Note. Covenant of grace, wee must set our selves under grace, and beleeve that God hath a good
[Page 148] opinion of us, and that his love is towards us; wee must set up the saving vertue of Christs blood against the damming power of sinne; wee must eye Gods acceptance of weake endeavours, and passing by of many failings, wee must conclude that a state of love may bee under the sense of much wrath, and that though the paine for the present be much and great, yet it is sanctified, and God will put an end unto it for good unto such as are his in Covenant. This if we could wisely doe, wee should keepe downe the risings of uncomfortable thoughts; and cease so much talking of our paine, and making complaint thereof, and happily attaine to the curing of the wounds of our spirits; the greatest of mercies, and
[Page 149] the ground of singular rejoycing; because the wounds of the spirit are so intollerable and unsufferable as I have opened unto you.
Eight Cases of conscience opened for the relievement of wounded spirits.
IT now remaineth that I open unto you some of the things which are greatly wounding unto mans spirit; and yeeld unto you such relievements against them, as Cases of conscience doe require, a work requiring both experimentall knowledge, and the tongue of the Learned, unto which I acknowledge my selfe insufficient,
[Page 152] yet having found the good proofe of these following directions in the comforting of many soules already, I am the more encouraged to communicate them unto you in a more publique way, and the blessing of the Almighty goe along with them.
CASE. I. Of the suspension of divine favour.
THe first thing which I
Case 1. shall speake of as
The absence of Gods lov
[...] in sense is a great trouble. greatly wounding and troubling the spirits of Gods children, is the absence of God in the sense, and feeling of his loving kindnesse; all absences of God (suppose them
[Page 153] to be longer or shorter, inward, or outward;) troubles Christians exceedingly, if
Caine could make it distraction unto him when he was cast out of Gods visible presence,
Gen. 4. 15, 16. If
Mary weepe because that they had taken away her Lord and she knew not where that they had laid him,
Iohn 20. 13. how much more wounding unto Christians is the suspension of divine favour? the soule cannot lie under the sense of Gods displeasure and withdrawments of his love without much alteratio
[...] and affliction. The life of a Christian is much after the life of some great Favourite in the Court, whose
Simile. comforts or discomforts depends upon the countenance, or discountenance of his Prince; or as it is with the Marigold,
[Page 154] which opens and shuts with the Sun; just thus all the while the love of God shines upon a Christian, so as he is able to apprehend it, he lives, and is very chearefull in spirit; the sense of divine love is a spring of joy, a well of consolation, and the admirable refreshment of the soule;
Psal▪ 30▪ 5.
thy favour is life,
Psal. 63▪ 3.
thy loving kindnesse is better then life, saith
David, this was it that gave unto him exceeding joy of heart,
Psal. 4. 6, 7. The Church sate under the shadow of Christ with great delight, and his fruit wa
[...]
[...]weet unto her taste,
Cant. 2. 3. The enjoyment of this love is the day and joy of a Christian. But now if that there bee a withdrawment or clouding or restraining of the love of God unto sense; let God (I say) but hide his face,
[Page 155] and seeme to forget and forsake his; let him but cover himselfe with a cloud, and absent himselfe for a time, covering his with his wrath and just displeasure, now 'tis all night and darkenesse, yea and death it selfe unto Christians; as you may see in these Scriptures of experience,
Psal. 30. 7. 88. 14. 44. 24. 77. 3, 7, 8, 9. 13. 1. 31. 22.
Lam. 3. 18.
& 42, 43, 44.
Esa. 45. 15. 49. 14.
Ionah 2. 4.
Reason. And all this is by reason of that conjunction and relation that is betweene God and them, and the wonderfull sweetnesse and joy wherewithall they were filled and refreshed in t
[...] daies of their appr
[...]nsio
[...] of divine love; things in conjunction are difficult in their separation; a loving wife cannot long endure the absence of her
[Page 156] kind husband; but his departure
Simile. from her in displeasure is intollerable and insufferable by her; a naturall and ingenious childe makes all his fathers withdrawments bitter unto him, even an
Absolom that had no goodnesse in him, was troubled with his fathers withholding the wonted signes of his favour in banishing him from his presence, and can wee imagine but that when God turnes his backe, departs in displeasure, keepes himselfe darkened and unseene (that not so much as the least comfortable view of his countenance can bee espied) changeth the set of
[...] countenance, and folds up all the former intimations of love and favour from the sense and apprehension of his children, this is the wounding,
[Page 157] the unsetling and the casting
The greatnesse of this trouble. downe of the spirit; I dare affirme, that all outward dignities and revennues which God doth cast upon Christians in variety and plenty, in this condition will nothing availe to comfort them, divine suspensions are divine desertions, and when God is displeased with a man, which of all the creatures can comfort him? the Moone looseth her light when
Simile. the face of the Sun is intercepted; and God taking away his love, the light of comfort is taken away also, and Christians are left unto themselves in woe and misery: let me tell
Causes of the trouble three. you:
1. That times of suspension are times of stirring tentations; God is no sooner absent, but Satan is present and combating
[Page 158] with Christians; if God withdraw from
Iob, the Divell will set on with eagernesse.
2. That times of suspensions are times of greatest suspitions, now feares and jealousies and doubtings doe arise within men.
3. That under all the withdrawments of Gods favour, there is eminent disquietnesse and enlargednesse of sorrowes; the
Ʋisceribus frementibus. very bowels of the Church was troubled for the absence of Christ,
Cant. 5. 4. and the absence of a God, the fountaine of all good, goeth to the heart of a Christian, for now the light and comfort of heaven is wanting.
This is the miserable condition of Gods children under the suspension of divine favour; But you will aske mee what relievement
[Page 159] may bee affoorded
Releevements to soules under the suspension of Gods love▪ to Christians whose spirits are under this trouble?
Unto such men I shall propose these foure directions.
1 First deepely to judge themselves for the loosing or suspending causes of divine favour; the love of God unto his in himself is unchangeable; if there be any change of it unto us, wee may thanke our selves for it; there is an occasion given from man to God, or God would never withdraw his love from man, setting him wholly under his wrath and anger; God by way of punishment of former unthankfullnesse, unchearefullnesse, unprofitablenesse, and undutifullnesse doth withdraw himselfe from his owne deare children; their sinnes are the cloudes which hide his face,
[Page 160] folding up the blessed light of his countenance; these shut the doore, draw the curtaines, cause the ecclipse, and make the wall of separation betweene God and his; men in sinning forsake God, and God for sinne doth forsake men, leaving them to themselves forsaken of all comforts, and feeling miserable wrath; wee see how
Davids great sins did suspend the comfortable presence of God for a time from his soule,
Psal. 51. 11, 12. and the Church acknowledgeth;
Thou hast hid thy face from us, and consumed us, because of our iniquities, Esa. 64. 7. and the Prophet tells us,
Your iniquities have separated betweene you and your God, and your sinnes have made him hide his face from you, Esa. 59. 2. Though God takes not away his favour
[Page 161] totally and finally, though hee
Note. doth not cast away his utterly, damning them eternally; yet the sins of his are set before him, even their secret sins in the
light of his countenance, Psal. 90. 8. for which sinnes of theirs it doth become them seriously and soundly to judge themselves, you must therefore learne to bewaile the losse of divine favour more in the cause of it, then misery by it; when
Isracl heard that God would not go in the midst of them,
they mourned and no man did put
Exod. 33. 3, 4.
on his ornaments; and surely an humble submission of our selves to God, in the confession of our provoking and displeasing sins, and the taking home unto our selves the just desert of condemnation, together with the crying downe the wrath of
[Page 162] God; and seeking the face of God by prayer doth well become all Christians who desire to enjoy the loving favour and the blessed countenance of God; what Father will shew
Simile. his cheerefull countenance to an unhumbled son for former rebellions? and shall we think to see love and light in Gods
Christians are chiefly to bee humbled for three things. face, till God see dejection in our countenances, and griefe in our hearts for our sinnes? O then let us be humbled, For
1. Our former dis-esteemes of former feelings of divine love, for that wee did no more prize, and for that we did so carelesly undervalue, and but in an ordinary manner entertaine the pledges and testimonies of Gods speciall love unto us.
[Page 163]2. Our former uncomfortablenesse of spirit in and under the feelings of Gods love vouchsafed to us Christians; wee did walk with too much sadnesse of spirit under many testimonies of Gods love unto us, (a thing very displeasing unto God) and for which God doth greatly humble those that are his; they who will not walke chearefully under the shining of Gods love upon them, shall have it withdrawne from them unto their deepe sorrow.
3. Our unstedfastnesse and remissenesse in holy walking, we have beene too remisse in the Ordinances
[Page 164] and duties, wee have beene cold and carelesse in prayer, and hearing,
&c. and this God cannot abide, for this wee must bee humbled before the Lord, if ever wee expect the light of his countenance.
Secondly, prejudice not
2. your selves unto a state of divine love, make it not a thing impossible to you to recover and regaine Gods face and favour; Christians in their losses are to grieve, and hope; it is not safe in the suspensions of divine favour to cast off all hope of enjoying the same; it was a weakenesse in
David to thinke that God would bee favourable no more; it is one of Satans tricks to present God at such
[Page 165] times in full wrath to the soule, and to perswade man that hee must bid farewell unto Gods love, the sense being once lost it should never come againe into the soule. Now if men close with Satan and will not bee brought within the compasse of divine love, but are alwaies rearing up arguments of divine wrath within themselves against themselves, how shall they come to settle their soules in love? Can the waters
Simile. run cleare if wee will alwaies bee mudding them? if we pleade against divine love, how shall we apply it? shut fast the windowes, and the light cannot come into the roome; despaire of ever enjoying Gods love, and you debarre your selves of all comfortable feeling of the same; helpe not
[Page 166] the divell against our selves & our comforts; but know that though God be not easily gained in his love once lost, yet the sense of Gods love after the sense of much wrath is attaineable, it being both tendred in the promise, and that which many faithfull Christians seeking have obtained; reade what is written,
for a small moment have I forsaken thee,
Esay
[...]. 7, 8.
but with great mercies will I gather thee: In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
3 Thirdly, set upon the recovering means of Gods favour unto your selves, Gods countenance which is now suspended may be renewed; the Sun is not alwaies clouded, and God will
Simile.
[Page 167] not alwaies bee offended; though God bee not changeable in himselfe and love, yet sense of his love is with much variation to the same Christians; sometimes they have
Sense of love is graduall. much light and evidence, and can and doe apply it with great strength and comfort, enjoying as it were their heaven on earth; anon their apprehensions are clouded, and applications weakned, so that great love doth run with little sense, they are sonnes yet under sense of wrath, and yet they may rise up againe, and their God arise in the light of his countenance upon them; assuredly Christians
4 Thing to bee done for the rega
[...] ning o
[...] God
[...] lov
[...] in sense. might walke with more sense of Gods love if that they did practise these foure things.
1. The giving off the waies
[Page 168] of sinne; a man is no way more an enemy unto his owne assurance of divine love, then in and by the continuing in the love and practise of any one knowne lust which is the great displeasure of God; God (I grant) doth love where sinne is, but he doth neither love sinne nor will he shew himselfe loving to that man that is a lover of sin; if the heart gather iniquity to it selfe, how can the love of God dwell there? what is it that makes Gods children in the daies of distresse most doubtfull of Gods love, and most to question the same towards them? is it not the sins that they have committed? and can we bee in the waies of assurance when wee live in the waies of wickednesse?
Danger by sinni
[...] all adventuring upon sins doth beget divine hatred,
[Page 169] make faith to reele, and breeds nothing but doubts, and feares, and jealousies; all which keeps off the feeling of divine love; O resolve to give of all sinne, no way engage your hearts unto it, and you shall finde upon your turning from sinne, the turning of Gods face towards you; 2
Chron. 7. 14. Esay 55. 7.
2. Be found in the waies of duty; inlarge the uprightnesse of your soules, the humility of your minds, and strive to all conscionablenesse, fervencie and stedfastnesse of spirit in all required services, and you shall finde divine favour bowing and bending towards you; a man is never more in the way of love, then when hee goes right on in the course of godlinesse, when a mans life is wrought unto Gods will and spent in Gods
[Page 170] worke; there cannot want particular discoveries of Gods love more or lesse; if we live to God and with God▪ acting and mooving on in a course of holinesse, though for the present all seeme to be clouded and darkned, love will breake out; Note
Three things about love and duty. with me three things,
1. That a Christian wanting assurance of divine love, dares not to decline duty and the services of a spirituall life; though hee cannot as yet feele God in love, yet hee will waite upon God in duty.
2. That the sense and assurance of Gods love in the heart, doth much enlarge the heart in the chearefull and powerfull performance of holy
[Page 171] duties; no man is more spiritfull or painefull, then he which day by day feeleth Gods goodnesse; this is as the oyling to the wheeles, and the light unto working.
3. That while men goe on in a course of holy obedience, and moove on in duties out of love to God, God will not faile at length to give them some intimations of his love,
Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse, those that remember thee in thy waies, Esay 64. 5.
3. Preserve your selves under the Ordinances, you are in the waies of love when you are in Gods presence, hearing
[Page 172] Gods voice, and partaking of his Sacraments; these reveale the Fathers face unto you, here you shall have tenders of divine love unto you; and by these God will convey the sense of his love unto you;
I have declared unto them thy
Joh. 17. 26.
name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them; where wee plainely see that God by the meanes of salvation doth perswade and settle the heart in the assurance of his love; let it then be your wisedomes to attend, serting your selves under the manifestation of love, and God in time will speake peace to your hearts, and let you to know the love that hee hath towards you, waite I say upon God in his Ordinances, and surely the good houre will
[Page 173] come that the heate and comfort of Gods love shall bee apprehended by you:
I will heare what the Lord will speake, for hee will speake peace unto his people and to his Saints, Psal. 85. 8.
4. Cleare the warrants and grounds of faith; this is most true, that faith lives in love, and in the promises of love, and there can be no sound perswasion of Gods love in the soule without faith; as the Gospell sheweth love, and God bestoweth love, so faith receiveth and applieth love;
1 Ioh 4 16.
Wee have knowne and beleeved the love that God hath to us, now faith doth never worke so clearely and apprehensively in divine love, as when its warrants and grounds (which are the promises of God) are very cleare
[Page 174] unto the soule; there are two
Two things keeping men of the apprehension of divine love 1. Misplacing of warrants. things which keepe men off from the comfortable apprehension of divine favour.
1. One is the misplacing of warrants, when men are mistaken in the matter of Gods love, and will judge themselves to be under divine love upon generall testimonies, & by forraigne pawnes, even such as hypocrites or cast-awaies may have, forgetting that saying of
Salomon, No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them, Eccles. 9. 2. Suppose a man to have concurrence of naturall parts, common graces, morrall moderation, formality of religion, and plenty of all outward
[Page 175] things, now if he hereupon fancie a love of God unto him (as too many doe) the man mistakes himselfe and cannot be setled in Gods love to him.
2. Another is the darkening
2. Darkening of warrants. and mudding of warrants, when faith is kept from the cleare apprehension of promises, and cannot see all its priviledges, when men will cast mists of misinterpretation and jealousie upon the promises, questioning their goodnesse or truth, either in themselves or to themselves; now love cannot be so felt and apprehended as it might be; let it be your work therfore
[Page 176] to reade over the promises of God to faith, and make them as plaine and cleare to faith as you can, consider well how many grants of favour are made over to faith, and enlarge faith in these promises, and then shall you finde and feele much love in your soules.
4 4. Wisely support your soules and uphold your selves by these ensuing considerations:
8. Things for the setling the soule in the absence of divine love.
1. That it is no new or strange thing for Gods dearest children in their sense to be forsaken of divine love, and to have apprehensions of divine wrath towards them; the light of Gods love was withdrawne for a time from Christ the
[Page 177] Sonne of Gods onely love, and from his Church,
Psal. 44.
Lam. 3.
2. That God doth never withdraw the sense of his love from any of his children but for some speciall causes and profitable ends; such as are,
1. The triall of their disposition and temper towards himselfe; it is an excellent spirit that can love God frowning, and depend upon God absenting and withdrawing himselfe;
I will wait upon the Lord that hides his face from the house of Iacob, and I will looke for him, Esay 8. 17.
2. The ransacking of their
Causes of Gods suspending his love from his soules, now they goe to seeke and finde out all the idols of indignation
[Page 178] that are remaining within them; a little of Gods anger felt and apprehended doth much afflict the heart with sorrow for sinne, and eate out the love of sinne within, a man doth never apprehend and feele his sinnes with more griefe and hatred then in the times of Gods absences, as 1
Sam. 21. 1, 2.
3. The putting us into the most excellent life of faith; our disposition is to live too much by sense, and wee would alwaies enjoy God by sight; but for as much as sight is reserved for another world, and there we shall have the full
[Page 179] and constant fruition of Gods love by vision, God will and doth in this life exercise us in the life of faith, making us in the
non-feeling of love to beleeve love unto us.
4. The searching out of their grounds and evidences, to see if that there bee any thing of God left within them, by which they may gaine any assurance that God do
[...]h love them.
5. The preparing of them for greater apprehension of his love and favour in time to come; God many times after a little absence doth shew himsel
[...]e more glorious and comfor
[...]ble in his love
[Page 180] to the soule then ever he did in times past; in the little forsakings of God the soule is more set after God, and more enlarged to receive from God the testimonies of his love then ever it was formerly.
Now then if God will doe his children good in and by the withdrawments of his countenance from them, why should they bee so dejected as they are under them?
3. That though the love of God be much unto his in every condition, yet such as are Gods shall never bee able to know and feele all the love of God to them, or so much of Gods love as their desires lead them unto: in this life we have our tastes, and wee shall never
[Page 181] have our fill untill we come to heaven,
Ephes. 3. 19.
4. That the condition of love is one thing, and the feeling of love another thing; alwaies love is not felt, Gods love may bee towards us when his looke is not, a tender Father doth many times fold up his love in angry words and harsh actions, and a loving God to a sinfull Christian may exercise his love insensibly, so as a man may bee in favour when he feeles no favour, he may be that in faith which hee is not in sense.
5. That such who have not present sense of love, may yet have a present ground for Gods love unto them; Now the
The promise is the ground of love. sure ground of Gods love unto us is the promise of love;
Thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous,
Psal. 5. 1
[...].
[Page 182]
with favour wilt thou compasse him, saith
David; and truth it is that our happinesse stands in this assurance, that divine love is in the promise; here is our stock, and if wee had no more love then what we could hold in sense, all love would soone be gone; this therefore must be the wisedome of Christians not to judge of their interest unto Gods love by the present actuall feelings of it within their soules, but by the gratious promise of love made over unto them on Gods part; reason thus; what though I cannot feele and find Gods favour to bee towards mee? yet
Note. why should I bee dejected? hath not God given out a word of truth for love and favour unto mee?
6. That such Christians
[Page 183] who have not the present sense of Gods love, may have future sense of Gods love; Gods love is never totally nor finally withdrawne from his children; the suspensions of Gods favour are temporary, and God doth many times reserve great assurance unto after times:
David in confidence of this saith,
The Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time, and in the night his song shall bee with mee, and my prayer unto the God of my life, Psal. 42. 8. Thus saith the Church,
He will bring mee forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousnesse, Micah 7. 9. This is the reasoning of faith; God hath loving kindnesse and hee can shew it, and and will shew it, I have found him a very loving God unto my soule in times past, and why
[Page 184] should I doubt of future expectations;
Simile. after a night of darkenesse commeth a day of light, and after a storme commeth a calme; the cloud may be remooved and I may enjoy my God as fully and as freely as ever heretofore.
7 7. That sense of Gods love is graduall; it is neither in all Christians in the same measure and degree, nor at all times the same in the same Christians; truth it is that as it is one and
Simile. the same Sun that shineth over the whole world, so it is one and the same love of God for kind that is manifested to all Christians, yet some have a
Love one for kinde different in degree a more large and greater measure, and a larger and greater sense of that love then others, according to the will and wisedome of God; I say it passeth
[Page 185] to the sense with much variation, now the least assurance of divine love towards us should be a great upholdment of our spirits under the want of much sense and feeling of Gods love within us.
Ob.
Yea, could I find any pledges of Gods love to mee, then I could be comforted and setled, but I feare that God did never love mee?
Sol.
Beloved, you see how scruple begets scruple, as wave doth wave; and to give a short
4. Signes of the former feelings of Gods love answer unto this case, there are these signes of a mans former enjoyment of Gods love?
1. Continued temptations about the love of God unto a mans selfe in particular; and that not onely in the times of affliction and hower of death, but at such times when a Christian
[Page 186] sets himselfe to try his owne standing in grace, and to settle himselfe in the assurance of Gods love unto him, I say the more interest any man hath into Gods love, the more spite shall he have from Satan, and the more feeling any man hath of divine love, the more shall such a man bee followed with strong suggestions, and horrible temptations drawne from divine wrath, shall wee imagine that if Satan hearing the proclamation from heaven of Gods love to Christ,
Mat. 3. 17. would notwithstanding seaze upon him, and tempe him to doubt of his Sonship and Fathers care and love, that now any member of Christ in and under the assurance of Gods love shall be free from his malicious molestations and hideous
[Page 187] temptations? the divell hates where God loves; and 'tis strange to behold how
Note. Gods children doe many times those things to bee arguments of discouragements which are or need to be none at all; O say they Satan doth molest and tempt me daily, and tells me of divine wrath that is towards me? well, suppose he say so? wilt thou beleeve him? was
he not alyer and a murtherer
Iob. 8. 44
from the beginning? is not his name
the accuser of the Brethren before God day and night? Revel. 12. 10. are not all the testimonies of Satan directly or obliquely against the truth of God and comfort of Christians? tell me O Christian, what is it hurtfull or prejudiciall to Satan if God doe hate a man? him whom God indeed doth hate is
[Page 188] the proper subject of Satan, and no wise Prince will make warre on his own subjects: conclude that wert thou not in Gods favour, Satan would let thee alone and not trouble thee in the setling, o
[...] under thy not feeling of his love unto thee.
2. Miserablenesse of soule under the want of the apprehension of divine love; we now can grieve and grow sad because wee faile of our once enjoyed feelings, all cloudings and ecclipses in the assurance of divine love ar terrible to Christians; the hiding of the Sun is discomfortable, and the withdrawments of divine love is a cause of just trouble; men that never felt divine love, make nothing of its absence; but to have it called back from one that hath found and felt it, it
[Page 189] maketh a sad and a darke day; it is impossible for thy soule of man to be humblingly and sorrowfully sensible of the want of Gods love, but there hath been some former feelings of divine love within his soule,
Psal. 30. 5.
3. Risings of the desires after the sense and degrees of divine love; if a man hath tasted of Gods love unto him hee shall finde stirrings and longings in his soule after further and greater sense; now saith such a one, O that God would shine forth in much love unto my soule; O that I could see his face as the face of a reconciled God unto mee; time was when I enjoyed his love and it was better then wine; O that I could now enjoy it once more, then should my life bee
[Page 190] full of comfort and content unto mee; can true desires rise up after divine love, if it were never formerly apprehended and felt by the soule? assuredly it is, because there are some sparkles of Gods love in the soule that men doe eagerly and sincerely desire the same;
Let him kisse mee with the kisses of
Cant. 1. 2.
his mouth, for thy love is better then wine: the Church had found the love of Christ to bee better then wine, and hereupon shee doth desire him to kisse her.
4. Endeavours after the sense of Gods love; they that have once tasted of Gods love in the enjoyment of it, are readie to maintaine and hold it up within
Note. in them, yea and to keepe it with the losse of all outward sensible comforts; accounting
[Page 191] that one day spent (though with much conflict of corruption and temptation) in the true taste and sense of Gods love in Christ is farre beyond all the contentments which the world can affoord; and if at any time they are at a losse and doe misse of their former feelings they give not off their hope and diligence, but doe set themselves into the waies of assurance, & will leave no stone unrolled to get their former sense of love if it may bee: whence doth this arise? is it not from some former touch of the soule by the love of God? when
Elijahs mantle was once cast upon
Elisha, hee could not but follow him; and certaine when Gods love hath beene seene and felt, a man shall follow on to know more and
[Page 192] more the waies of love.
8 8. When men for the present can find no sense of Gods love within them, they must support themselves upon the foundation, which is this:
The foundation stands in 2. things.
1. That all upright and beleeving persons have a loving God, who is the fullnesse and fountaine of love unto them, how ever their feelings and apprehensions are of it; say,
Yet God is good to Israel, and beares a
Psal. 77. 1.
loving heart to the upright; beloved, know that changes in us doe not conclude any change in God, he is a constant and unchangeable God in his love to his,
whom he once loveth hee
Joh. 13. 2.
loveth unto the end.
2. That Christians are saved because God loveth them, not because they doe perceive and feele the love that God hath
[Page 193] toward them, our feeling makes to comfort, but the being of love unto happinesse.
CASE. II. Of doubtings arising and continuing in the soule.
THere are two sorts of
Two sorts of men. 1. Men of no doubtings. men that are of contrary opinions about the matters of doubtings; the one concludes an unwarranted happinesse unto themselves, because they finde within them selves a freedome from all doubts; they blesse God that they never doubted in all their lives; but have gone on alwaies in a setled and peaceable way, never scrupling or questioning their own present standing
[Page 194] or future happinesse; a very strange temper from religion; for though doubtings bee not the essence of a Christian, yet he cannot be a sound and setled Christian that never doubted; it cannot be but that such who in the state of nature did not feare to sinne, will when they are brought into the state of grace doubt of themselves by reason of sinne; would you not wonder at that man who should
Simile. passe over many unknowne countreys, and crosse many parting paths and waies, and yet should tell you that in all his travells he should never be at a stand, or question which was the way that he should take? and it is to me as strange a Christian that can passe over so many crosse and unknowne paths unto nature, as are to be gon over
[Page 195] and yet never to bee weatherbeaten, or wind-shaken, or to be so simple as to doubt, for certaine this is nothing but presumption and selfe-deceiving; and I would wish no man to blesse himselfe in this estate.
The other doubts of his
2. Men of doubtings estate because of doubtings; it is a maine part of Satans policie to stagger Gods children, and to cause the rising up of suspitions within themselves, doubting whether that they are Christians, in the state of grace by reason of the many doubtings that are found within them: O say they, we find within our selves the suspension of our mindes in the determination thereof; our soules doe hang betweene two objects, and unto
The nature of doubtings either of them they cannot fixedly incline; wee finde that
[Page 196] there are at one time two distinct and opposite waies, and objects and ends proposed and presented unto our mindes for choice, as to beleeve and not to beleeve, to be saved and not to be saved, to doe this and not to doe this, to have heaven and not to have heaven: and now it becomes questionable unto us, which of these two is eligible, or which of these two shall befall us; the minde reflects upon both, and lookes upon both, yet one alone must be ours in the issue; our mindes doe debate exceedingly and beate themselves about them, whether this or that; this way or that way wee shall goe wee know not; there are found within us at the same time the assentings & dissentings of our minds; perswasions and disswasions
[Page 197] take hold of us, we are like unto the waves of the sea, that thrust forth to the shore and yet drawing backe againe, or like unto men in ungrounded
Simile. places, who no sooner pluck up one leg but the other sinkes in deeper; many reasons on either side are apprehended and no fastning can be found; if we looke
1. Upon things to be beleeved
Doubtings seene in two things. and done, there are within us doubtings of the truth and goodnesse of the one, or of the lawfullnesse and unlawfullnesse of the performance of the other; we still halt betweene two opinions: if wee looke
2. Upon our owne particular course and condition;
[Page 198] whether that we are Christians indeed, and be such whose persons are accepted of God, whose waies do please God; who have any part in the Covenant, or just title to the best things, and that when we die wee shall goe to Heaven; here likewise our hearts doe mis-give us and we daily question our owne estates; And could this bee our condition if that we were in a good estate? This I confesse is the trouble of Gods dearest children, whose
Doubtings in the godly cause 4. things. mindes within them are diversly carried, and cannot come to a rest, whose mindes doe hang in suspence and cannot determine; this condition causeth unto them, 1. Multiplication
[Page 199] of disputes, such persons have contrariety of reasonings within themselves, reason can never be equally ballanced, but remaineth as a paire of scales turning this way and that way, such can say as much why they should not doe such and such duties as why they should doe them; and they conceive as many and as strong reasons why that they should be damned as well as saved; 2. Interruption of the practicall act of the understanding, that it cannot give sentence either way for a man or against a man: so that men under doubts remaine under certaine trouble and restlesnesse, but uncertaine quiet and reliefe, and know no more what to resolve on then he who hath referred himselfe and his cause unto the umperage of him, who
[Page 200] will not as yet declare himselfe.
3. Uproare in affections; they will be very tumultuous; passions by doubtings are set on a hurley burley and rage exceedingly, now men fret and feare and faint, and even vexe themselves unto death. 4. Alterations and changes, men under doubts are constant in inconstancie, and do never remaine setled unto themselves; they cannot bee long of one mind; but as the weather-cock doth turne with
Simile. every turning of the wind from point to point, so such men to day shall and will be of a good mind for God and Heaven; but to morrow shifting, and of a new and another mind, thus do they every day vary from themselves: and this being the condition of a doubtfull Christian, I cannot wonder why his
[Page 201] doubts should so perplexe him? Consider with mee one thing more; what it is that causeth doubtings in the soule? and if we prove the springs or causes to be evill and terrible, no marvaile if that they are so troublesome unto Christians: I open it thus unto you,
Five cau ses of doubtings in Christians.
Doubtings within Christians spring,
1. From originall corruption, that sinning sinne, and mother of all sinne in men, which hath in it the seed of all sinne, and therefore doubtings, nature it selfe can nothing but doubt, flesh in the Elect is wavering and weake, even when grace would beleeve and settle, innumerable evills have compassed mee about,
mine iniquities have taken hold of mee so that I am not able to looke up, they are more then
[Page 202] the haires of my head, therefore my heart faileth mee, saith
David, Psal. 40. 12. in which place you may see plainely what it was that made
Davids heart to faile him, it was his sinnes, these were the clog unto his spirit, and these were they that did stagger and doubt him.
2 2. From the darknesse and ignorance that is within their mindes, withholding not so much the light of nature as the light of the Scripture in generall, and of the promise in particular, without which they are never able to judge aright of things and condition; what determination can there be whilst a man is in darkenesse? he that cannot see what hee is, or where he is, may do things at a venture only, but in all things he
Pro. 4. 18.
[Page 203] is uncertaine and doubtfull.
3 3. From the hurryings and winnowings of Satan, who followeth Gods children with many and various temptations, in times of tempest it is no new thing to see a ship fastly anchored
Simile. tossed too and fro; and when Satan is maliciously haunting and vexing a Christian, no marvaile if doubts and irresolvednesse do appeare?
4. From the greatnesse of dangers into which they are cast; if
Peter be ready to sinke in the sea he will doubt;
O thou
Mat. 14. 31.
of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt? saith Christ; we see how his feares did sinke him below the waters, and
[...]urely as a Christians troubles (inward or outward) doe arise, so doe his doubtings arise also; the ship
[Page 204] doth not more naturally arise
Simile. with the flowing in of the waters, then doubts in the soule with the comming in of troubles.
5 5. From Gods forsaking and deserting of his; when God goeth away with his light, and leaveth his in darknesse, so as they cannot see or apprehend him to bee their God, now they begin to question themselves and their estates exceedingly.
Ten relievemēts against doubtings in the mind.
But you will say unto mee, what shall a Christian doe for his setling that is doubtfull in minde? I shall yeeld unto you these helps following.
1 First, know that the estate of no Christian is so absolutely perfect on earth, that at all times and in all things it should yeeld him an absolute certaintie or
[Page 205] freedome from al doubts, whilst there is a divell to tempt, and Christians are weake in judgement and experience, lying in the cradle of godlinesse, they may be tossed too and fro & fall to questioning of their estate; there is no tree so surely rooted
Simile. but in blasting times it may bee shaken;
Peter doubts, and the Disciples doubt, and the Christians doubt, though they did not despaire,
Mat. 14. 31. 28. 17. 2
Cor. 4. 8. a mans estate may be good, and his title currant to God, and Christ, and Heaven, and yet he may bee irresolved, and troubled with many doubtings and that for a long time together.
2 Secondly, that doubtings within the soules of Christians doe not argue a totall want of faith, but an imperfection and
[Page 206] small portion of faith; it is not the absence of faith, but the littlenesse of faith in them which is the ground of their doubtings; O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? where we see that Christ doth impute
Peters doubting to the
Littlenes of faith a ground of doubting and vvhy? littlenesse of his beleeving; I say that when faith is little in comparison, and little in operation, this is the ground of doubting, for here wants proportionable strength unto setling, & here men have too open an eye upon their wants and discouragements, but a very dimme eye to see their helpes and incouragements; in a word, here is a want of strength to repaire to the meanes of establishment, and a marvailous unskillfullnesse to argue from the promises, and to maintaine its owne
[Page 207] grounds; thus it is, as the lesse
Simile. the fire is the more is the smoke; so the more imperfect the faith is, the more is and will be the doubtings of Christians, a little heate and great mists, and a little faith and great
Simile. doubtings may goe together in Christians.
3 Thirdly, that faith and doubtings are not opposed as life and death, where the presence of the one determinately concludes the absence of the other; but looke as cold and heate in remisse
Simile. degrees may bee in one and the same subject, though the nature of cold be not the nature of heate, so though faith be not doubting, nor doubting
One and the same person may beleeve and doubt and hovv? faith, yet both may and doe meete in the same person; actuall doubtings may bee where is habituall faith, they are not
[Page 208] answering parts one unto another, for they remaine in contrariety and opposition, nor things that are simultaneous in their acts and operations; doubtings can no more consist at the same time with the acts of faith, then its possible that a man should lay his hand on the rock and not lay his hand on the rock at the same time, or that a mans eye should see and not see the colour at the same time; the soule cannot at the same time set out from the same faculty opposite acts: and it cannot bee that while the soule doth beleeve it should doubt.
4 Fourthly, that Gods children for the presence of weaknesses
A caution & doubtings must not conclude a nullity of grace and faith within themselves, God forbid that we should thinke our field had
[Page 209] no corne because of many
Simile. weeds in it, or the heape had no wheate because of much chaffe, or the soule no grace because of doubtings.
5 Fiftly, that the least degree of faith within the soule of a man, though accompanied with never so many doubtings, doth denominate Christians beleevers with God,
Peters doubting did not put him out of the ranke of beleevers; Christ doth not say to him, O thou of doubting, thy faith is little; but hee
Mat. 14. 31. gives him this title,
O' thou of little faith; God judgeth of his according to their better part, and if hee finde a little grace among many corruptions, hee calls us according unto the grace.
Sixthly, there must bee care taken to distinguish doubtings
[Page 210] in Christians from doubtings that are found in unregenerate men; most true it is, that the same disease of doubting is incident unto good and bad, it is corruption in both, it being a sinne for any to doubt; yet it is as true, that doubting stands differingly in the godly from the wicked in these respects:
1. In the godly there is doubting against a temper and frame directly opposite unto doubtings; doubtings in them doe hold an opposition against faith and perswasion wrought in the soule; faith in nature and
Doubting a nature and an infirmity. act is opposite to doubting in nature and act; they have two springs or causes in the soule of man; it is impossible that the doubtings of the godly should spring from their spirituall
[Page 211] frame and temper; grace doth not begin or cherish doubtings in any, it forbids to doubt and commands to beleeve; it grieves at doubting and thirsts after setling, so that they stand as infirmities in the godly, not as a nature; in unregenerate men doubtings are a nature and of their entire constitution; doubtings are begotten and bred up in them by a nature that is wholy sinnefull and doubtfull.
2. In the godly doubtings are subdued in their power, by reason of conversion and Sanctification, wherein this as well as all other sinnes receiveth it deaths wounds; the life and trouble of doubts onely remaine
Doubtin in combate and in conquest. in the godly, interrupting them in the great worke of beleeving, for were not faith
[Page 212] assaulted by the stirrings of doubtings within, it would doe its part most gloriously, but now as a man that hath a maimed leg cannot moove as hee desires, no more can Christians beleeve as they would, by reason of doubtings which doe crosse them; but this is all that doubtings can doe in the godly, they can molest, but never command; their powers are crushed, and faith riseth up victoriously over all at the last; now in wicked men doubtings raigne and have soveraigne authority.
3. In the godly doubtings are partiall; it is of the subject, not of the object, in action, not
Doubtings 1. Partiall. 2. Entire. affection, of evidence, not adherance, of the circumstantialls, not substantialls; it is thus with Christians, that though in many
[Page 213] passages they cannot bee certainely perswaded that they are good and right, yet in many other things they are setled and resolved; whereas doubtings in wicked men are totall and entire, 'tis all doubting and that in all things.
4. In the godly doubtings turne unto their profit, God for very good ends doth suffer
Ends of doubtings in the godly foure. doubtings in his, as 1. To free them from many sins of pride, presumption, negligence and the like: 2. To force them to their divine helps, that now they may the more enquire and seeke resolution and setling from Heaven. 3. To make them more firme and certaine
Simile. at the last, a tree in shaking gets
Nil tam certum quàm quod ex dubio certum. fixednesse, a scholler by enquiry gets satisfaction, and a Christian by his doubtings commeth
[Page 214] to be more resolved; all our doubtings end in resolution: God will give unto his at the last full satisfaction of soule and conscience.
5. In the Elect all doubtings are curable and recoverable, they are possible of cure, and shall actually be cured in Gods time by Gods meanes; the Lord doth mercifully heale his of all the tossings and turnings of their minds, that at length they come to rest upon the mountaine of his truth & goodnesse unto them in Christ; there is an excellent temper toward
Note. healing wrought in Gods children; they have a bent unto determination, and will not give up their case as desperate, what though they cannot quit themselves of all uncertainties, and attaine unto positive fixing,
[Page 215] yet they will with
Noahs Dove hover over the Arke, which is Christ and the Promises, the onely and able grounds of stedfastnesse and setling unto Christians.
The doubtings of wicked men are possible of curing, if wee consider what God by his power can doe; but yet they remaine uncured by the justice of God lying upon them, and doe goe on increasing doubtings unto their owne damnation; so that in the one, doubtings are miserable, but in the other damnable.
Seventhly, beware of maintaining and cherishing doubtings within your owne soules: it is for Christians to labour after the cure of this disease of doubting, and to close up this spirituall distemper within
[Page 216] their soules, considering
Motives to cure doubtings are three 1. That doubting is an ill quality in the soule, that breeds unto much discomfort, depriving of all true staiednesse and contentment; 2. It is that which is very hindersome to a progresse in Christianity, keeping Christians at a stay and standing, and 3. There is nothing which is more injurious to God in his Attributes, who must not bee questioned in his promised Power, Truth, Love and Goodnesse; and yet wee finde this to bee a common failing in doubting Christians, to cherish and nourish doubtings within themselves, yea, and many times to study and follow the way of doubting; a great and cruell evill most gratefull unto
Meanes against cherishing doubts. Satan, and displeasing to God: my counsell therefore is unto you
[Page 217]1. To make and maintaine no argument within you against the full and gratious promises of God; delight not in that childish and unreasonable kinde of disputation which may hurry the soule with feares and doubtings, helping doubts against faith; if men will thrust away the promises from themselves, and say, that though there be an absolute truth and goodnesse in them, yet their truth and goodnesse doth not belong unto them, how can the soule possibly settle and be quiet; can
Simile. the anchor fixe if it want ground, or the bird rest whilst its in the aire? no
[Page 218] more can a Christian resolve and settle if it pleade against the promises.
2. Beleeve no testimonie of Satan concerning your conditions; I know Satan will take upon him to judge of Christians sinnes and services, and temper and state, and as he hath an art to colour over the true condition of sinnefull bondage, so hee hath a delusion in hiding from the eyes of Christians the true powers of gratious sincerity and safe standing; now if wee looke upon things in the divells glasse, beleeving that all things are in us and with us as hee doth tell us,
[Page 219] how shall wee bee tossed too and fro, and what can abide us but daily doubtings? for Satan will alwaies bee deciding and determining against a Christians comfort and happinesse, he being their utter enemie; it doth well become us to wave the erroneous judgement of Satan,
1. By making our appeales
The testimony of Satan put by tvvo vvaies. unto God the Just and Supreame Judge, to whom immediately and onely the decisive power doth appertaine, I say none but God can decide the triall of a mans eternall estate.
[Page 220]2. By resting in the testimony of Gods Word; wee must learne the skill of beating of Satan by the Word, setting up the judgement of the Word against the judgement of Satan; and if wee can finde from the Word a good estate, let Satan goe and whistle, wee need in nothing bee troubled by him.
3. Be not apt to give way unto needlesse and causelesse feares; this is a great fault in Christians, and very injurious unto setling; you shall seldome finde but that an overfearing nature is
[Page 221] a doubting nature, and if we will give way unto the creating and multiplying of our feares, wee shall feed and nourish scruples and doubtings exceedingly; consider it in experience, if that a childe be hurt, or any undesired newes brought unto us of the sicknesse, or calamity of a neare and deare friend, the heart is presently grieving and fearing, and when feares prevaile and command within, then the minde is full of questionings, sure the wound is mortall, and my friend is dead, or in farre worse condition then is reported unto mee, and alas what will
[Page 222] bee the issue? the party is extreamely cruciated in his minde, and just so is it in the case in hand, if that men will still feare their estate, how can they but still continue under doubtings, and bee as it were at their wits end, not knowing what to doe or what shall become of themselves.
4. Doe not disregard motions and motives unto setlednesse; there are many who come to Gods Word and Ministers with their doubtings, and with many teares and bitter complaints they vent themselves of them, now when the Minister
[Page 223] hath judicially shewed unto them not onely the causes but the cures of those their doubtings, and hath given unto them curing comfort and counsell, they set up their reasons against all that is said, and conceive the man to be mistaken in them; or else they forget the consolation, not applying themselves to the way prescribed; and surely long may such continue under a doubting condition who reject all directions given unto them.
8 Eighthly, affect not a life of sense; this will expose us to infinite doubtings, it is open unto all windes and hath no
[Page 224] constant bottome to settle upon; observe the uncertainty of this life of sense in
Thomas; the man would not beleeve that Christ was risen,
except he should see in his hands the print of the nailes, and thrust his hand into his side, Ioh. 20. 21. Say now that Christ had for ever withdrawne his bodily presence from
Thomas, where had beene all those sweet comforts which he might have enjoyed in and by the resurrection of Christ? certainely hee had lost them for ever, if sense must bee his judge and give the sentence; Christ therefore doth shew him his weakenesse and failing, in saying to him,
Thomas, Blessed are they that have not seene and yet have beleeved, verse 29. you that will have all by sight and feeling, or else
[Page 225] you will never bee quiet, I tell you
1. That sense is not a fit judge of a Christians spirituall condition; it cannot at all times see into our estates, much lesse report our estate unto us, the spirituall
Psal. 73. 28. condition may be without all feeling; eyes may faile, and flesh faile, and God frowne, and faith onely expresse such acts as are pure and hidden, grounding it selfe upon the naked promise, and how can sense report and give sentence.
2. That sense is yea and nay, it maketh our condition to bee good and bad, lost and found, and that many times in one day nay in one hower, and all because it looketh on the outside of things, judging according to outward appearance; I yeeld that it is uncomfortable for a
[Page 226] man to walke without his feeling, but it is as uncertaine to walke alltogether by feeling.
3. That the spirituall course of Christians doth many times goe against all the sense of Christians; sense and the promise are many times at a contradiction; the promise goeth on when sense cannot perceive it, but behold the contrary; and how can sense meeting with contrarieties resolve?
4. That sense goes mans way, but faith goes Gods way; sense mooves upon what appeares, and takes Gods deed, whereas faith relyeth upon Gods Word, and pitcheth upon things invisible;
I will waite upon the Lord that hides his face from the house of Iacob, and I will looke for him, Esa.
[Page 227] 8. 17. to this purpose reade
Esa. 50. 10. Hab. 3. 17, 18.
9 Ninthly, maintaine and set up faith; beleeving is the ground of setling,
after yee beleeved you were sealed, saith
Paul, Ephes. 1. 13. a man cannot have the fruit before hee hath the tree, nor safety before hee hath laid himselfe on the rock; nor assurance before hee beleeveth; looke as the soule
Simile. breeds seeing in the eyes, and hearing in the eares, so true faith doth breed in the soule true setlednesse and assurance: if Christians could rise up to the granting way of faith, their doubts would more and more vanish; faith is
1. The first ground of all a Christians assurances and experiences, if any man hath either in his
[Page 228] soule he obtained them by faith.
2. The prime instrument bringing home the comfort of all divine good unto the soule, the joy of Heaven, merit of Christ, and favour of God cannot actually comfort and quiet mans heart untill that faith hath done its part.
Faith at liberty and in authority doth compose a Christians doubtings, keeping him from sinking under them, two waies;
1. By yeelding a ground for setlednesse; all the while the soule can finde and feele no bottome, it cannot but doubt and stagger; can the ship but rowle up and downe when the Marriner cannot finde a place to
Simile.
[Page 229] fixe his anchor? but when a man can finde in and by beleeving the truth and goodnesse of a promise to rest upon, and can say as
David, Remember the
Psal. 119. 49.
word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused mee to hope, now is hee resolved and become quiet; I beleeved and therefore I spake, and what reason is there that a man should doubt his safety when hee is once fully set upon the rocke?
2. By overmatching all the causes and grounds of doubtings imagined by Christians; Christians doubt many times when as they have little reason to doubt; and sometimes they thinke their reasons for their doubtings are unanswerable; but faith prevailing will put the lie and folly upon al that
[Page 230] can bee said for doubting, it will shame and silence the foolish reasonings of the hearts of Gods children; you may see this in
David; when his thoughts ranne wild upon the prosperities of wicked men, and the adversities of Gods children, how did his doubts come in upon him, even to his sinking, he saith,
Verily I have cleansed my heart in vaine, and washed my hands in innocency, for all the day long I have beene plagued: but how doth he recover himselfe? Surely it was by the exercise and liberty of his faith, he went into the house of God, and there his faith found matter and ground to worke upon, and hee became better setled in his soule,
Psal. 73. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. and truth it is, that every thing appeares
[Page 231] in all causes of feare, when faith is not the master and cannot have full power to bee agent and factor for a Christian;
Beleeve in the Lord your God and you shall bee established, 2 Chron. 20. 20.
10 Tenthly, subdue and keepe downe sinne in the love and power thereof;
If iniquity bee in thine hand, put it farre away, and let not wickednesse dwell in thy tabernacles; for then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot, yea thou shalt bee stedfast, and shalt not feare, Iob
[...]. 14, 15. where wee plainely see, that the more sinne doth die in its love and power within the soule, the more will doubtings die too; kill sinne, and faith lives, and doubts vanish; The Apostle would
[Page 232] that men should
draw neere with a true heart in assurance
Heb. 10. 22.
of faith, (i. e.) to cast away doubtings in their approaches to God, and not to come indifferently, may bee I shall bee accepted, may bee I shall not, but as verily perswaded of Gods acceptation; happily some Christian might say to him, how might a man doe this? (hee answereth)
having the heart sprinkled from an evill conscience, q. d. faith cannot well perswade, nor the heart settle till you get quit of sinne, if your consciences doe charge and condemne you of evill, you will bee doubtfull, truth it is, that doubtings are cured by Mortification, the heart must bee circumcised of its unbeleeving and hardnesse and ungodlinesse
[Page 233] ere ever wee shall get quit of doubtings; if wee resolve to bee evill, wee must resolve to bee doubtfull, were it not for sinnefullnesse faith would bee quicker and stronger, and wee more setled and staied in our mindes, a heavie rhume falling into the eyes doth hinder a man from looking up; and sinne entertained in the soule reares up contrary reasonings and denials to faith, making the incouragements of it to bee so difficult, that a Christian spirit doth faile him, and hee shall not bee able to looke up,
Psal. 40.12.
CASE. III. Of personall unworthinesse.
IT hath not a little troubled the minds of many of Gods deare children to consider what unworthy creatures they are in themselves, and that they are so ill deserving at Gods hands, having no more goodnesse in them to commend them to Gods acceptation and love; wee finde them many times complaining, and that with much griefe of heart that they have nothing in them but sinne and wickednesse, and how should God ever accept such as they are to love and life under the presence of their unworthinesse?
[Page 235] they stand in their owne light, Satan hereby taking advantage against them; This I finde to bee a maine master-peece of Satans cunning: that before a man is convinced of sinne, hee maketh him so full, and rich, and worthy, that hee cares not for the merits of Christ, or the mercy of God, he will not beg, but buy a place in heaven;
Laodicea was rich, and increased with goods, and had need of nothing, not knowing that shee was
wretched, and miserable, and poore, and blind, and naked, Rev. 3. 17. The
Corinthians did so shine in their owne opinions, and were in such selfe credit, that they were rich and full raigning as kings; but when a mans eyes are opened to see the sinnefullnesse of his sinnes, then hee makes him
[Page 236] very poore, and his unworthinesse to bee such and so great, that it is not for him to thinke of heaven, or mercy, or Christ; a great temptation, under which lieth lurking a white divell. To relieve the soule in this case, I shall propound these few considerations.
1. That if unworthinesse were a sufficient ground to keepe men of from divine favour and eternall happinesse, none of all the sonnes of men could ever bee saved, for all have sinned, and by sinne made themselves unworthy of mercy.
2. That there is no subjective worthinesse antecedently required unto justification and salvation; God well knew the unworthy condition of
Israel when hee made them his
[Page 237] people, entering into the Covenant of life and peace with them,
Ezek. 16. can you conceive that there was any inherent worthinesse in them that did lie weltring in their owne blood? beggars are not worthy of almes, traitors are not worthy of pardons, nor sinfull men worthy of Christ or mercy,
Luke 15. 21. and why should we dreame of having a requisite worthinesse of our owne? if man had any thing in him, he were altogether unfit to come in unto the free offer of grace; we see the invitation is made to the monie-lesse and merit-lesse Christian,
Esa. 55. 1.
3. That though worthinesse be not in the streame, yet it is in the fountain; and though there bee no subjective worthinesse in men, yet there is
[Page 238] an objective worthinesse in Jesus Christ, which is tendred to sinners by grace, and accepted by faith; there is enough in Christ to make our persons lovely and acceptable to God, without whom, if we had all selfe-worthinesse, wee should remaine in Gods eyes most unworthy persons;
This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased, saith the Father,
Mat. 3. 17.
4. That notwithstanding mans owne great unworthinesse,
Assurances for acceptance under unworthines. there is enough to assure him of divine acceptance; for
First, Mercy in God is full and free, it hath enough in it selfe to incline it selfe to gratious pardons, and favourable acceptances; God doth blot out transgressions, not for
[Page 239] mans sake, but for his owne sake,
Esa. 43. 25.
Secondly, mans chiefest selfe-worthinesse is to see his owne unworthinesse, and to be humbled for it; certainely, such
Esa. 64. 6. Luk. 15. 21. as have base & low esteemes of themselves, and can dwell upon the guilt and merit of their owne sinnefullnesse, judging themselves to hell for it; such
Phil. 3. 7. as can (with
Paul) disclaime from all worth in themselves, and doe see in all their parts, and gifts, and performances an inability to engratiate them with God; such as can in the best of conditions, and after the best of performances, bewaile their weake expressions of duty, acknowledging themselves to be most unprofitable
Luk 17. 10. servants, needing the mercy of a God and the merit of Christ;
[Page 240] these I say are men of the greatest worthinesse with God; according to the old truth, hee paies best for Heaven that seeth hee hath nothing at all to pay for Heaven.
Thirdly, an unworthy sinner may plead out the Covenant of grace with God, and the freenesse of the tenders of his mercy; I know no man that can or doth more admire and magnifie divine mercy, then a sinner truly sensible of his owne unworthinesse; I know none more desirous of mercy then such; I know none will be more ready to accept of Heaven and favour out of freenesse of grace then such; I know none to whom the offer of salvation purchased by Christ is made but such; and what now doth hinder them from comming in
[Page 241] unto God, pleading with him after this or the like manner. Gratious Lord, I am here before thee for mercy, and for thy Christ, I see in my selfe nothing worthy thee or thy Christ; for I am wholy sinnefull; if thou now wilt receive mee for thine owne, and pardon mee my sinnes out of thine owne free grace, and for the merit of thine onely Sonne alone, thou shalt shew thy selfe a gratious God indeed; O Lord that which draweth mee in unto thee for grace, is thine owne free grace; thou gavest mee the word and hope of comfort, and therefore I durst not stand out; Lord, loe heere I am before thee, without all confidence in my selfe; O let it be unto mee according to the freenesse and richnesse of thy
[Page 242] mercy, refuse mee not though I am unworthy to be called thy sonne.
5. That too much standing on selfe-unworthinesse, is many times an argument of secret pride, and opinion of merit; men would faine bee some body with God, and doe something for Heaven; Lord how willing is man to have a finger in his owne salvation, and to be at the least a co-adju
[...]or with Christ in the office of his Redemption; when as in truth it is mercy alone that must doe all, and such are most in the way of comfort that referre their spirituall condition unto mercy, setting up and advancing the free favour of God as the onely cause of their spirituall estate, 1
Cor. 15. 10. tell mee sadly and seriously thou troubled
[Page 243] soule, if thou hadst more goodnesse in thee, if thy graces were more perfect in thee, and thy services had beene or could bee better performed by thee, then thy hopes and assurances could and would rise within thee, then thou couldest have confidence and settlement within thee? yes, and what is this I pray thee, but the spice of pride and secret dependance on merit? what wilt thou looke upon thy selfe, and within thy selfe, and draw out principles of salvation from thy selfe? how art thou onely beholding to grace and to Christ for thy salvation when thou thus porest and priest into thy selfe? if thou wilt be a cause of thine owne good, thou must bee a ground of thine owne glory, and if thou wilt bring thy penny,
[Page 244] thou wilt make thy selfe joynt purchaser with Christ; tell mee O Christian, hadst thou all thy desired qualifications, would they or can they equall the favour of God? and durst thou to stand upon this so as to build thy eternall welfare on it? bee perswaded out of this vaine and empty conceit of thine, and cease further to perplexe thy soule under the thoughts of thine unworthinesse, God indeed lookes not out of himselfe in the acts of his mercy, but man must looke wholy upon God, and no way upon himselfe if hee intend to bee saved and enjoy mercy.
CASE. IIII. Of imperfection and littlenesse of faith and other graces.
SUch as are men of grace in truth, would bee men of grace in perfection, no present measures can content such; a sweet and blessed temper, and if it were rightly regulated, it would worke to Christians much comfort, and free their mindes of much trouble; but thus it commeth to passe, that Christans doe much trouble their mindes with the degrees
Littlenes of grace apprehended. and measures, operations and actions of their graces received; they either comparing themselves with others interessed in the same graces with
[Page 246] themselves, and observing that others doe excell them by farre, so as no comparison can be made betweene them; or els they looking into themselves doe finde their graces beset with many corruptions, that they can discerne much more sinne in them then grace, that it is in a manner all naught within them; in a word, they finding the pulse of grace beating slowly within; their faith and patience unactive and in a manner idle within them; This I say gives them occasion to question their condition, now surely they are not right and sound, for that they are more imperfect in their graces then others, they goe not forward and increase in their graces as others doe; O the eye of their faith is dimme, and doth but
[Page 247] darkely apprehend the promises of God, they doe many times discerne the promises with mistakings; fullnesse and setlednesse of apprehension is wanting in them; they cannot come off their carnall reasonings and selfe disputations, yeelding firmenesse and entirenesse of assent unto the truth of Gods promises as they ought to doe, their mindes are not yet so setled, that all is yea and Amen that is spoken by God in the promises unto them; they often say within themselves, hath God indeed said this and this? and may a man rely upon the word of his promise? they cannot cast anchor so as it shall fasten; they see the shore but cannot reach it, and they see Christ and the promises, but cannot apply them, there is an interruption
[Page 248] and suspension of the acts of application; as for the perswasions of faith in them, they are small or none at all, they cannot say that God is their God, and Christ their Christ, and this they make to be their death and burden, under which estate wee shall shew you that Christians have not so much cause of creating
Ten releevements to the soule under imperfection of grace. perplexities to themselves as many times they doe; consider with mee,
1. That a little grace is better then no grace; it is the want of grace that is damnable, and may cause a man to close up against himselfe all assurance and settlement; tell mee O Christian, wouldst thou change thy poore condition in grace for the greatest gracelesse condition in the world? wilt thou part from that grace thou hast
[Page 249] for any or all the seeming pleasures of sinne? I dare say thou wouldst not, then bee quieted in thy minde, and doe not foolishly argue the nullity of a gratious condition from the imperfection of thy graces.
2. That a little grace requireth a great deale of thankes, it comming from the God of all grace and being an argument of sound sanctification; shall I say that it is not the way of thankfullnesse to make little of any divine mercie; we are too little for the least measure by reason of our unworthinesse; and we doe not well to undervalew the least proportion and gift of grace.
3. That which one man makes little unto himselfe, would bee a great deale with many other Christians; wee
[Page 250] finde in experience, that the rich mans complaint would be the poore mans content; many poore soules could well feast themselves with the fragments that come from their tables, when as they doe foolishly and proudly complain of want; just so it is with many Christians, they tell us that grace is weake and small in them, when other Christians reasoning with them, and hearing them complaine, doe blesse God for their estate in grace, and would bee exceeding glad were they in their condition of grace.
4. That men of no grace are never troubled and truly humbled about smallnesse and weakenesse of grace, the eyes of such are not yet opened to see their spirituall wants.
5. That little grace is an argument
[Page 251] of grace in the soule; a little man is a man, and a little faith is faith; grace in truth hath a being in weakenesse it selfe, and though it bee in the lowest measures, there the soule hath an interest in God, in Christ, in the promises and in heaven, little faith can and doth lay hold of great things, and prooves unto Christians a great assurance.
6. Little grace is a creature of God which he will not despise or forsake;
Doth God despise
Zach 4. 10.
the day of small things? will any tender mother cast off her babe because it is weake? and shall we imagine that God will not accept according to that a man hath, bee it never so little? Christians be perswaded that grace in truth though never so small is for acceptance.
[Page 252]7. Little grace will doe much, it many times doth that in and for Christians under weakenesse that all the world cannot doe for them, it is their light in darknesse, their life in death, and their upholdment from sinking; the widdowes little oile and little meale went a great way, God blessing it; and thus it is with little grace, it will carry a man thorough the whole world and doe mighty things for him; the great advantages of a little grace is unspeakable.
8. That grace in weaknesse is made for strength, and grace in littlenesse is fitted for increase, our graces passe from imperfection to perfection, and from weakenesse unto strength; Gods strength being made perfect
2 Cor. 12. 9. in mans weaknesse; weaknesse
[Page 253] doth both call in and set out the glory of divine assistance: consider, that he who hath most grace hath not all he should have, and hee who hath least in grace hath not all that he would have, both measures are rising up unto greater perfections; little grace is in a state of growth, and in and by the use of meanes it is enlarged, as we may see in
Nicodemus and all new borne Christians, whose growth is much in parts and powers of their graces: they have risen from small beginnings to most admirable perfections.
9. That gifts of Sanctification and appertaining unto mens salvation are different and unequall, grace is alike in nature, but not alike in measure in all; the different standings
[Page 254] of Christians in Christianity and grace, is set out unto us both in the comparisons and appellations of them in Scripture; they are compared to branches, starres, sheepe, and the members of the body; we reade of men, and babes, fathers, and children; all men be not of one stature, nor all trees of one growth, nor all Christians of equall grace; to some is given a greater, to others a lesser measure of grace; grace in one is much and strong, in another little and weake, sincere in both, but absolutely perfect in none; Note with mee two things.
Graces are two waies considerable.
1. That all degrees of Christians doe agree together
1 Quaad esse & habitum in the substantiall part of grace, every man hath the same spirit of
[Page 255] holinesse, knowledge, faith, repentance, love,
&c. is alike in them all, flowing from one and the same common fountaine.
2. That the varying of
2. Quoad operari & exercitium Christians is much in the active part of grace, they may have their severall agilities, so as one man may know more then another, one man may pray more fervently and frequently then another, and so is it in the rest of all required duties; meethinkes that it is with Christians in this case as it is with men in nature; every man
Simile. hath a soule, and faculties from that soule, and actions issuing out of
[Page 256] those faculties, yet every man is not equall in the expressive waies of nature.
But you will querie, whence
A question about the causes of inequality of measures and operations of graces in Christians doth this inequality of graces and holy operations arise?
I answer, not from nullity and falsenesse of grace, as weake Christians do surmise; but
1. From the wise dispensation of God, who giveth grace to every man according to his owne good will and pleasure, and followeth his owne measures with the same proportion of assistance.
2. From the variety of particular occasions; every Christian hath not alike forcible occasion to exercise his graces given him.
3. From the variety of particular ends; God intends some
[Page 257] Christians for some singular end and services to which hee fits them by the great improovement and use of their graces.
4. From the variety of particular assistance; every man hath not at all times an equall gale or breath of the Spirit to enlighten, affect, excite, and draw them onward.
5. From the variation of naturall tempers; bodily constitution conduceth much to the actions of the soule.
6. From the sinfullnesse and carelesnesse of some Christians above others, when as thorough the conceit of the eminency of their graces, they doe swell with pride, when they cannot bee thankfull for graces and abilities formerly received, when their imaginations
[Page 258] are meane of graces bestowed, they thinking that they will not serve turne to their salvation; in a word, when they are inconstant in duties and doe not stirre up the graces in them, wisely watching the motions of the Spirit, and improoving the seasons of grace; this is the thing which occasioneth the inequality spoken of.
10. That no man misseth of Heaven for want of measures, but for want of the truth of grace, I grant a Christians consolation lieth much in the comparative degree, but his salvation is in the positive degree of grace, though one Christian cannot beleeve as strongly as another, yet beleeving hee shall bee saved as well as another; littlenesse and greatnesse of grace doe agree in saving
[Page 259] issue; a weake and a soare eye in the
Israelites did behold the brazen Serpent to health as well as a sound and cleare eye, the hand of a little childe can lay hold of a pretious Jewell given unto it; just so is it here, difference in proportion and in operation of graces may stand with truth of grace and assurance of Heaven, one man rides faster then another, yet both meet at length in the same Inne; one ship makes more speed then another, yet both put in at the same harbour; and one Christian hath more grace and doth more duty then another, yet both shall meete in one Christ and Heaven.
CASE. V. Of failings in duties.
WHen Christians doe looke upon their services publike or private which they doe performe unto God, they finde many failings, especially in the manner of their performance; Lord with what dullnesse and deadnesse and distraction of spirit doe Christians pray, and heare, and meditate, and humble themselves
&c. upon this doe many Christians mis-judge themselves, concluding against their selfesincerity and soules comfort; now nothing is well done by them, and why should they pray and reade, and heare, and
[Page 261] receive Sacraments any more; it is but sinne that they doe, and it will but increase their judgement, this is a bitter and most desperate remptation, and once given way unto, it doth leade a man farre into sinne and trouble, for when once a man taketh exceptions against himselfe for doing duties, that he will put himselfe out of the way of duty, how easily doth he make himselfe a prey unto Satan?
To the releevement of the soule under this burden, I shall
Five setlings against failings in duties. yeeld you these meditations following.
1. That the best of Gods servants have beene, are, and may bee indisposed in holy duties; though the spirit of
Peter bee willing, yet the flesh was weake,
Mat. 26. 41. and there being contrary
[Page 262] lustings of the flesh against the Spirit, a Christian cannot doe the things he would; O how doth flesh clog and dull the best of Gods Saints? there is within them a living spring without a lively operation; the spring I say is open, but the operation narrow, so as it is with them in the manner of their performing duties, as it is with a sicke man, hee would faine
Simile. walke a turne about his chamber, but alas hee cannot doe it his body is so weake.
2. That there is a wide difference betweene a heart that is dead unto duty, and a dull and indisposed heart in duty; a dead heart wants a living spring and is contrary unto all duty; as it falls off from duty, so it gives it selfe an allowance and dispensation in
[Page 263] the same, and can and doth find no trouble within it selfe under all
non-performances of duties; whereas a Christian under all his unevenesse in duties, hath an inward intention and inclination unto duties, such men in their dullest times and greatest indispositions see not more duties then they would doe, and are grieved because they cannot doe duties in a more lively and spirituall manner; such stand up from the dead and are ready for divine emploiment; there is a praying spirit in them; so as they can say with
Paul, the good
Rom. 7. 19.
that I would I doe not.
There are two evidences when the bent of a mans heart is for duties in a living and right way.
First, when a heavie kinde of performing duties is displeasing
[Page 264] and contrary unto the frame of the soule and spirit of a man; such men set upon duties sorrowfully, and performe duties with feare, and rise from duties humbled, greatly blaming themselves for the heavinesse and distraction of spirit which they observe to bee in themselves.
Secondly, when the desires are rising out of the state of indisposition, such men easily fasten upon the waies of quickning and bettering themselves in duty, expecting that they may be shaken out of their fits of dullnesse: I dare say that such men will reade the more, and pray the more, and heare the more, hoping to finde some helpe in the use of the ordinances and performances of duties, they have heard and doe find it
[Page 265] to bee true, that frequencie in
Simile. duty begets fervencie, that as a man by often rubbing of his benummed parts may get heate, so a Christian by forcing himselfe to the going over of duties, doth get strength against his dullnesse in duty.
3. That when a Christian cannot doe duties with that life he should and would doe, yet hee may doe them with much sincerity and uprightnesse of heart, and in a farre different way from a formall and carnall Christian; I yeeld unto this, that an hypocrite who hath a name to live may talke much of duty and may mount high into the visible duties of holinesse, applying himselfe to many religious actions; the Jewes were not failing in their services and sacrifices, and solemne assemblies;
[Page 266] but yet they came short of sincerity, and so all was lost labour unto them.
You may aske mee what is
Seven differences betvveene an hypocrite and a Christian in doing duties the difference betwixt an hypocrite and a sincere Christian in doing duties?
I answer, it is much every way; which may bee seene in seven things.
First, a Christian doth performe all duties by the power of spirituall life wrought within his soule, he praieth, and beleeveth, and reades, and heares in the Spirit by vertue of the working of the Spirit; the principle of life in the soule is sufficient to it selfe to act required duties, it needs not altogether those naturall and accidentall helpes which false Christians must have to set them on work; the bird flies in the aire from a
[Page 267] principle of life and motion in himselfe, whereas a clock being
Simile. a dead thing mooveth, because the weights are powerfull to the wheeles.
Secondly, a Christian is more generall or universall in the performance of duties then any hypocrite can be; he sets himselfe to duties of every kinde, even those of the highest nature and excellencie; duties required admit of a distinction, there are the greater and the lesser things of the Law; there are some duties which strike at the quick and call for strictnesse, such as are selfe-deniall sinnes-mortification, the sanctifying of God in a mans thoughts, desires, and speeches in all the conditions of life; some duties there are which are exceeding high and climbing,
[Page 268] as beleeving in God and in Christ, and keeping the conversation in Heaven; to conclude, there are ordinary and extraordinary duties, publique and private duties, costly and painefull duties, and all these the spirit of soundnesse is for, Christians are ready to act all as well as one duty of holinesse; looke which way duty (whose latitude is much, and parts many) divides it selfe, thither they dispose themselves, that as water will runne in all prepared channels, so a Christian followeth all required duties, whereas hypocrisie doth duties with partiality and delicacie, it severs and divides duties, it will bee upon this, but not on that duty, and is neither whole nor lively in any duty; and no marvaile, for as
[Page 269] waters cannot rise higher then
Simile. their springs, no more can an hypocrite rise higher then himselfe in duty.
Thirdly, a Christian doth act spirituall duties spiritually, in the purpose and resolution of his heart hee doth empty himselfe of flesh and corruption (which will bee creeping into duty) as much as may be; such an one undertakes no duty, but with selfe-examination and soule-humiliation for sin committed and remaining within, such follow the Law of the spirit, exercising all vouchsafed graces in the performance of duties; Christians indeed doe heare and pray with much knowledge, faith, feare, humility,
&c. and by reason of the performance of the duty they become more spirituall;
[Page 270] I say a Christian in duty is another man from what hee is at other times, such heavenly raptures and soule-ravishments doe befall him, that in a manner he feeles no world, no place, no time; whereas a formall Christian is a base and mixt mettall, formality leades him into duties carnall, keepes him in duties carnall, and brings him off from duties not onely carnall, but much more sinnefull and prophane then hee was before.
Fourthly, a Christian doth performe duties encreasingly; his desires are such and so great unto duty, that he cannot give himselfe any satisfaction in doing duties; his spirit within him is like unto leaven which is of a rising nature, or to the graine of mustard seed which
[Page 271] was of a spreading nature; the soule wil be carried with vehement desire of bettering it selfe in duty, and performing more and more duty unto God, nay it riseth in duty against opposition, that as a living spring doth
Simile. worke out its way against dammings and stoppings up, so a sound Christian will doe duties wrastling with his owne lyther and sluggish nature, yea and withstanding Satan in his temptations; oile can bee no more kept under by water then a Christian can be kept of from duty and increasings in duties. I grant that at the first a Christian is and may be little and low in duty, but at length an enlargement will follow answerable to the life bestowed and duties to be performed;
Davids spring at sometimes did but drop
[Page 272] gently, at other times it did run freely and fully, whereas the hypocrite keepes him in a circle or compasse, he is confined and limited, and is much like unto artificiall bodies uncapable of extension; restings and sufficits overtake such men, and if there be any swellings in duties, it is not from an incorporated principle of grace which is within as a feeding spring, but from some externall reason and influence; there may bee the rising of waters in a pond by
Simile. the powring downe of raine from the clouds, and duties may be done by an hypocrite with much abundance whilst judgements or mercies are stirrings.
Fifthly, a Christian exerciseth himselfe in spirituall duties chearefully, such doe spirituall
[Page 273] actions pleasingly, as with willingnesse of heart, so with gladnesse of heart; it is meate and drinke and recreation unto them to performe spirituall duties,
Exod. 35. 29. Psal. 100. 2. Psal. 110. vers. 3. Ephes. 6. 5, 6. whereas hypocrisie is of a Bearish nature, slow to the duty; it is mooved, it mooves not it selfe; to a formall heart 1. Spirituall duties are grievous and tedious, and though something bee done, yet it is with secret wearinesse, reluctancie, and unwillingnesse, there are many objections raised up against duties, and many cases and questions which must be answered and resolved before such can set on to duty. 2. The closing up of spirituall duties is very pleasing and delightfull, the Lord knoweth
[Page 274] that as in his heart hee wisheth there were no time nor duties belonging to God, so hee is glad of a suddaine release from all duties, the shorter the Sermon and the shorter the prayers the more pleasing, such is the incongruity of spirituall services with carnall hearts, and if that any joy and delight bee in them at all, it is but false and vanishing.
Sixthly, a Christian doth performe duties constantly; such men have everlasting spirits in serving God, and though there may be pawses and certaine cessations by reason of some intervenient accidents, yet a totall and finall cessation in duty cannot overtake Christians; grace in truth never dieth unto duty, but holds out unto the very last in beleeving,
[Page 275] obeying, and praying, whereas an hypocrite according to his false and vanishing principles is mutable and inconstant in duty; according to that speech,
Will
Iob 27. 10
the hypocrite delight himselfe in the Almighty? will hee alwaies call upon God? sometimes hee may doe it, but at all times he neither can nor will pray.
Seventhly, a Christian doth act all required duties discreetly and wisely; I meane with the observation of the rules and requisites and methods which wisedome it selfe doth declare unto men in and for the performance of duties; such will principally doe those duties which are sutable and proper to themselves and falling in their relations and conditions, and that within their
[Page 276] owne orbe, whereas hypocrisie wanders from its owne nest, and doth prey abroad in other mens families, but not at home in their owne families; such will manage duties mooving on-ward in a just proportion; they spend not all the time in duties of faith, and duties of charity alone, but so doe one act of godlinesse that they may doe another also, one businesse doth not put by another with them, as it doth with hypocrites, who in doing of some duties hinder themselves in other; in a word, such are seasonable in doing duties; though no time bee unseasonable for Christian duties, yet all duties must not bee performed at all times; Christians must heare when God requires them to heare, and pray when
[Page 277] God requireth them to pray,
Psal. 1. 3. they must bring forth all their fruit in the season of it; whereas the service of hypocrisie is fruit out of season, such as are formall will bee comming to Church when others are going from Church, they will pray when they should heare, and reade when they should pray, which maketh their service the sacrifice of fooles,
Eccles. 5. 1.
4. That in the doing of Christian duties the bent of the heart is both observed and accepted of God; you cannot forget the counsell of
David unto
Salomon, Know thou the God of thy Father, and serve him with a perfect heart and a
1 Chron. 28. 9.
willing minde, for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of
[Page 278] the thoughts, if thou seeke him hee will bee found of thee: out of which place we gather, that God doth behold the heart in duty; and him that prepareth his heart to seeke him,
though he be not cleansed according to the
2 Chron. 30, 19, 20.
purification of the Sanctuary shall bee accepted with him; view well the sincerity of your performances, and let it cheare you against your weaknesses.
5. That Christians under weaknesse of performances, must have an eye unto Christ who appeares for them in Heaven, presenting all services done unto the acceptation of his Father; learne to know, that what we cannot do perfectly, Christ did it for us, his active obedience being imputed to us, and though duties come from us in much weaknesse, yet Christ
[Page 279] makes up our duties as well as our persons; a sincere heart must act duties, a gratious God must accept duties, a mighty Redeemer must present duties,
the Angell had a golden Censor and much
Rev. 8. 3.
incense that he should offer it with the prayers of the Saints upon the golden altar; wee know that the acceptation of a Christians best services is in Christ alone, and it is no life in our duties that can make them meritorious with God, yea and it is no impotency in duties which can cause God to reject them, if we by faith betake our selves to Christ; In Christ there is sufficiencie of merit to cover all our selfe-blamed indispositions, and to gaine the acceptance of all our sincere, though weake performances.
CASE. VI. Of fruitlesse endeavours.
MAn looketh for wages when hee hath done his work; and if duty and service proove successelesse that hee finde no returne or recompence at all, this is not a little grieving and sadding unto the Spirit; we heare Christians thus complaining, I have along time waited upon God in service, I have beene conversant with him in his Ordinances, many a Sermon have I heard, many a Sacrament have I received; I have humbled my soule before him in prayer, and teares, and fasting, and I alas can find no returne of my prayers, I cannot
[Page 281] get any thing at Gods hands, my corruptions are yet within mee, I am still where I was, and am no better, and can doe no more then formerly, my abilities are as little, and my comforts as few as ever; surely all is not well with mee, and all is not even betwixt God and my soule; how goeth his promise along with mee, seeing I finde no performance to mee? here the soule is musing and doubtfull.
To ease the soule under this distresse, I shall propose these things.
1. That no man shall doe the least service for God which shall be in vaine unto himselfe; God is a good Master, as hee sets us about the best worke, so
Mal. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 15.
ult. he will give us the best wages, no man shall serve God for
[Page 282] nought; wee see that God taketh it ill when the Jewes charged him with neglect and irrecompence for their serving of him,
Mal. 3. 13, 14, 15.
2. That want of present wages must not dishearten Christians in the doing of their duties; up and be doing, and trust God for wages; service and progresse in duties belongs to us, & their rewards and recompences belong to God; wee must doe our part, and
not bee wearie in welldoing: for in due season wee shall
Gal. 6▪ 9.
reape if we faint not; the husband-man is to plow the land, and to sow the corne if he expect the harvest, and so Christians must first doe their duties of hearing, and praying, and reading, if they will have Gods wages.
[Page 283]3. That unto our present doing, we must add waiting and expectation;
Our eyes waite upon the Lord till he have mercy
Psal. 123.
upon us, saith
David; if beggars will not stay they loose their almes, and if Christians will not waite they may loose their grants; and why should wee not waite? in all Gods promises there is such a truth which shall be performed, and hee hath made many pretious promises unto waiting for the performance of his promises,
None shall bee ashamed that waite on mee, Esa. 49. 23. David waited upon God and hee enclined to him and heard his cry, Psal. 40. 1.
4. That the Lords answers of good shall at length recompence and equall all the services and patience of man; how
[Page 284] ever for the present deferre his comforts, and put off thy complaints, and the time is long and tedious unto thee, yet know, that a Christian is sure to speed well with God at the last, and he shall have his recompences in the best things at the best time, there is a time and day which God will not overpasse;
The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speake and shall not lie, though it tarry, waite for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry, Hab. 2. 3. Thou hast done God much service and made many prayers unto him, and yet nothing commeth of it, waite and thou shalt never repent thee of thy paines and patience, consider but these three things.
1. That a man cannot waite
[Page 285] too long for promised mercies, they being the most excellent and usefull of all mercies for Christians.
2. That God is wise and good in causing spaces betweene our endeavours and his recompences; God herein is either chastning some for former neglect of accepting grace offered in the day of grace, or preparing the soule for the receiving and enjoying of his recompences.
3. That the longer any one stayeth without Gods wages, the better and greater it shall bee when it comes;
God will give unto his their wages with an increase, hee will give them double comfort, Esa. 40. 2. doubt not of this but that God will fulfill your desires to the full, and comforts first or last shall
[Page 286] come in such a plentifull measure, that they shall make amends for all;
Abraham waited long for
Isaack, and hee had him at the last, and though the world recompence the best worke with the worst wages, yet God doth not soe, but will crowne all our endeavours to his owne praise and the comfort of his.
CASE. VII. Of Relapses into sinnes after resolutions and premises and pardons.
THe impudencies of sin are such, that they make their returnes upon the chast hearts of Gods Saints, and the weakenesse of
[Page 287] Christians is such that they fall into sinne often, multiplying sinne very farre, and here they rest not, but many times notwithstanding purposes and promises and better resolutions they slacke againe in their watchfullnesse, and notwithstanding their recovery out of sinnes, they returne againe unto folly and act the same sinnes againe; it may happen to them
Relapsing into sinne what it is. as unto many men under their diseases; they may in some good measure recover strength and health, and there may bee certaine discontinuations of the violent workings of the disease, but yet there may be a falling back of them into the same disease even unto great danger; just so, they may not only lapse and receive a recovery out of the same by the hand of mercy,
[Page 288] but after along space of discontinuance, even when they have seemed to have parted from their old sinnefull practises, they may bee brought backe againe to the second acting of the same sinnes; which evill doth befall them upon
Causes of relapses nine. these or the like grounds.
1. From boldnesse without a warrant, they adventuring upon their owne strength, and forgetting the strength of sinfull occasions; presumptuous patients feeling their legs againe, will abroad into the aire, and finding some appetite will feed on any kinde of forbidden meate, and hereby they fall backe againe; and presumptuous sinners soone forget themselves and soone relapse into sinne.
2. From feare against the
[Page 289] promise, they having their eyes too open unto troubles which they desire to shun, and out of feare of enduring misery, they have adventured so farre, that they have miserably brought themselves downe againe by sinne; I know nothing which made
Abraham more to redouble his lying then the redoubling
Gen. 12. 13. & 20. 11. of his feares, he had his eyes too much upon the preservation of his life, he was afraid that they would kill him for his
Sarahs sake, and therefore once and againe hee hazarded her chastity, and his owne truth.
3, From dislike without a cause; discontentednesse among the
Israelites made them in their soules to long the second time for the flesh-pots of Egypt, though Egypt was formerly
[Page 290] unto them a house of bondage, the desire of alteration, and mens unwillingnesse to bee that which God would have them to be, hath beene and is a great cause of their fearefull relapses into sinnes.
4. From standing without a watch; when Christians minde not a falling whilst that they are standing; but remit their watch, and holy jealousie, omitting the meanes of stedfastnesse, they quit their owne strength of standing, and quickly relapse; if a sicke man grow carelesse of his diet, or a lame man throw away his crutches, and a Christian grow mindlesse of his falling, they are in a like condition of slipping back.
5. From straites without faith; crosses not borne by faith have returned many to
[Page 291] their old way, the want of water and bread, caused the
Israelites more then once or twice to glide into the sins of murmuring and distrust.
6. From company without choise; all society hath a force in it, it brings with it fire or water; it is an encouragement, or discouragement unto sinne; the
Israelites, being mingled among the Heathens, learned their works, and fell to idolatry the second time,
Psal. 106. 35. flaming brands will not more set on fire quenched sticks, then sinfull companies will revive dead purposes unto sinfullnesse; experience sheweth that the joyning with old companions, hath made men to resume their former excesse of riot, contrary unto their former resolutions and promises.
[Page 292]7. From the Spirit without assistance; if the Spirit take away his hand, or deny his actuall assistance, the Christian presently relapseth; take away the fire from the water and it will
Simile. returne to its native coldnesse; let the Sun once set and the ayre will returne to its wonted darknesse, and let the Spirit (which is our strength) once withdraw or suspend, and wee sinke, and fall, and sinne, and sinne againe.
8. From extremities forgotten; time was that Christians did finde and feele the bitternesse and horror of sinne, the stinging effects thereof remaining fresh and sensible in the conscience, and then they did abhorre and feare to sinne, they did vow and promise not to sinne; take wee a drunkard that
[Page 293] hath surfeted with wine or strong drink, and whilst hee is under the scorchings of his sinsicknesse, bring unto him wine and strong drink, O he cannot abide it; but when the sicknesse is over, and the experiments of sinnes extremity buried, he will rise from the smaller beare to the strong, and from that to the strongest wine againe, and as certaine it is that when men do forget what their sins have cost them, they will gradually slide into their old course of sinning againe.
9. From brethren despised; there is a great evill among Christians; they are not onely many times ungroundedly too too suspicious, over-credulous and censorious of their brethren; but over incompassionate and strangely insulting over
[Page 294] their brethren in their failings, especially where they least affect, wee shall heare such griefelesse and disgracing narrations of Christians miscarriages, even by Christians themselves, that it would make a man to question whether all wisdome and mercy bee not banished out of their hearts; now when God seeth this proud and envious and spitefull spirit in any of his owne children, hee lets them also bee tempted, and under temptations they are permitted to fall, that they may learne to be more mercifull to the names of their bretheren, and to make them know that the sinne that overturnes one Christian may overturne any Christian, and that one Christian seeing another to fall, should compassionately
[Page 295] helpe him up, and not scornefully cast him off; reade
Gal. 6. 1.
These things with many other causing the relapsing of Christians into sinne, doe make the soules of Christians under its relapsings heavie and sad; they considering within themselves that the basenesse of relapsing is likened to the
dog turning
2 Pet. 2.
[...]2.
to his vomit, and the sow that is washed wallowing in the mire, it doth greatly trouble and disquiet them; concerning the setling of Christians labouring
Five settlements under relapses. under this evill, I shall onely propound five things of principall knowledge and use.
First, that all Relapsings into sinne are great evills, wheresoever they are found; relapsing argueth corruption, yea, and a sinfull disposition in man; There is not onely the evill of
[Page 296] sinne in this condition, but wee shall finde many bitter effects and issues befalling Christians under their relapses, for they do not onely hereby object themselves to many temporall punishments,
Psal. 78. 61, 62, 63. but unto these foure spirituall evills.
1. Soule-disquietment, the peace of conscience being broken by every relapse; I say relapses are of a disquieting nature to conscience in these five respects.
1. Because they bring back
Relapses disquieting to conscience in five respects. all former guilts, and with that all the former burdens and feares and terrors.
2. Because they yeeld unto conscience matter of undeniable accusation; the doubling of sin doth
[Page 297] double the accusation and vexation of conscience.
3. Because they are the aggravation of sinne unto man.
4. Because they make the foundations and resting places of the soule questionable, relapses put a man to cleare and proove his former grants and assurances to Heaven, and his owne sincerity to God, and in Religion.
5. Because they doe greatly advantage temptations unto despaire, Christians are never more apt to despaire then upon the consideration of their often falling into sinne.
[Page 298]2. Discouragement in all accesses unto God; the Christian cannot with that confidence and boldnesse draw neare unto God in prayer having relapsed, as els hee might have done; how can such beleeve that God will love them, and heare them, when as they have dealt so falsly with him, having promised him not to sinne, and mocked and abused him in his mercy and pitty and patience, he having formerly pardoned them their sins.
3. Disablement unto renewed repentance; Now Christians doe finde it more difficult to returne from sinne, their soules being sunke deeper into sinne, and more entangled by sinne then formerly it was; take mee a Christian that is but single in sinne, and hee findeth
[Page 299] the difficulties of repenting to bee great; but how doth Satan renew his power, and a Christian loose his strength, when that the same sinnes are repeated over and over; assuredly there is strange strengthenings of sin in relapsing into sinnes, one sinne living in and by another.
4. Feares of death, O how unwelcome is the newes of death, and how unwilling are such to die who have often fallen into the same sinnes? Relapses doe put a sting into death, making it very terrible unto the sonnes of men.
2. That the Elect of God may fall backe againe into the same sinnes; there is I say a possible incidency of relapsing unto persons of all sorts: it is most certaine, that wicked men
[Page 300] who are ordained to destruction may relapse,
Pharaoh though humbled for the present, did notwithstanding harden his heart againe and againe; yea and they who are good and holy and have soundly repented them of their former sins may yet relapse: the example of
Abraham, Lot, Peter, and
Israel doth declare it, how often doth God lay this sinne unto the charge of his people?
Ier. 3. 12. & 14. 2
[...] Psal. 78. 57. and no marvaile, for though their repentance bee sound, yet their mortification is imperfect, in this life there is no sinfull disposition wholy rooted up, and dried in sanctified persons, and corruption remaining will put forth its nature into more and more acts, yea and into the same acts of sinning; as long as sinne
[Page 301] retaines its nature, it doth and will retaine the inclinations and operations of that nature also; if the fire be not wholy put out, who will thinke it impossible that it should catch and burne againe?
3. That though the act of relapsing bee incident both to good and bad, yet it is in a differing manner, which I shall open
Relapses into sinne by the godly different from relapses into sin by the vvicked. Relapses 1 Naturall unto you in the distinctions of relapsings.
First, there are relapses
- 1. Naturall.
- 2. Accidentall.
Naturall relapses are such as spring from a disposition and temper that is wholy sinnefull and for sinne; if a man by a coard pluck up very high the
Simile. weightof a jack or clock, yet it hath a naturall propension to fall downe againe, you need not drive the sow to the mire, nor
[Page 302] the dog unto his vomit, their owne naturall love and delight will returne them; the truth is, that though externall and intervenient occasions may pen up or restraine the violence of corruption for a time, yet such is the inward disposition of a naturall man unto sinne, that hee soone returnes to his old course againe; skin up the soare and the ulcer will breake out againe, and if the heart bee not changed, but chained by the power of restraining graces alone, man will returne to his old vomit and vaine course.
Accidentall Relapses are
2. Accidentall. such which befall the godly by sudden and strong temptations; a land flood may carry back pieces of timber from the banke into the remote places of
[Page 303] the ground; an unexpected gale may drive the Marriner backe into the harbour againe, and it is as possible that temptations may breake in with that violence, that Christians may bee over-borne, and carried away to those sinnes which their soules doe most sincerely abhorre, and they have solemnely covenanted against, yet here the effect and the intention are contrary, heart and sinne being at difference and upon tearmes of defiance.
Secondly, Relapses may bee either into the acts of sinne, or else into the exercise of sinne; one sick person falls back into some fits onely, another returneth under the power of his disease againe; the godly man falls backe into some particular
[Page 304] sinne, but there hee staieth not, for though hee fall hee riseth againe; hee is as a man fallen into the water, but he gets out quickly; the wicked falls backe into the courses of sinne againe, lying downe in their falling backe, their end being worse then their beginning.
Relapses 1. Voluntary.
Thirdly, Relapses are
- 1. Voluntary.
- 2. Involuntary.
Voluntary Relapses are such as have the propension & complacencie of the heart in them; the sea doth as naturally ebb, as it doth flow, and wicked men make their returnes unto sinfull courses with much more delight then their departures; O how glad is a Jayle bird of the opportunity of liberty to goe to his old haunts? and much more joyfull is every
[Page 305] wicked man when hee is at liberty to feed himselfe upon his sinfull pleasures, hee doth even bewaile his misery that hee was kept so long from them.
Involuntary Relapses are
2. Involuntary. such as arise contrary to the intention and affection of persons, it is not the pure love of sin that drawes backe the godly into sinning againe, which may appeare in the consequent of their relapsing, they are not now, as a fish newly taken out and newly leapt againe into the water, in their proper element, a sinfull way and course cannot bee agreeable to their soules, they finde no rest in a sinning condition, but their soules are sicke and sad, they weepe and are troubled exceedingly, and can receive no comfort in
[Page 306] themselves untill they see themselves recovered againe; as wee may see in
David and
Peter.
Fourthly, there are Relapses in
- 1. Conquest.
- 2. Combate.
Relapses 1. In conquest.
Relapses in conquest is when a man out of malice and obstinacie of heart, without all ground or cause is carried backe againe as a slave unto his sinfull doings; some men never sticke at the matter, their hearts find no manner of stop, and nothing within puts an impediment to their returnes; the heart and the sinne are now in league, and they like the way of sinne exceedingly; the state of wicked men in returning to their sinnes, is much answering to the returnes of a man unto his bed to take his rest and sleepe, hee loveth
[Page 307] his bed and vexeth at every thing that keepes him from going into it; just so the heart of every wicked man likes the sin, but hates the impediment, nothing at all doth awe him from sinning againe, but the shame and punishment of sin; and he accounts that word and friend his enemy which stops him in sinning.
Relapses in combate is, when
2. In combate. a man is reduced to his old sin, but it is with much feare, secret reluctancie, and some opposition;
I see another law in my members warring against the
Rom. 7.23
law of my minde, and bringing mee into captivity to the law of sinne, saith
Paul, a good man relapseth resisting; his reducing into sinne is much after the manner of the bringing backe of an escaped prisoner, when
[Page 308] hee espies such as would take him hee runnes from them, and hides from them, and hee is not easily laid hold of or brought home againe, many escapes he makes by the way, and would rather die in the place then returne; and so surely doth a Christian strive with griefes and teares and prayers against all returnes into sinne.
Fifthly, Relapses in respect
Relapses▪
[...]. Hurtfull of their effects are
- 1. Pernicious.
- 2. Profitable.
The unsound heart by falling backe into sinne, growes more and more hardned and insensible, more carelesse and froward in sinning, more free and forward in sinning; acting his old sinnes with greater love and delight then ever.
God doth good men good
[...]. Helpfull
[Page 309] by their relapsings; though there bee no good in sinne, yet it is good that sinne bee, and the wisedome of God can and doth turne it unto the good of his, I say this is the accidentall effect of the godly mans falling into sinne, greater humiliation and sorrow, greater watchfullnesse and feare, greater dependance on God; stronger covenants and resolutions; deeper loathings, and greater conquest over sinnes; In these five didistinctions you may observe the difference of relapses in good and bad men.
4. That the sinne of relapsing is pardonable; it is such a sinne which God hath pardoned, and hee can and will pardon; Christ doth tell us,
that all manner of sinne and blasphemie shall bee forgiven unto men
[Page 310] excepting that against the Holy Ghost, Mat. 12. 31. under that phrase of all manner of sinne relapsing is included; God doth not shut the gate of mercy against all relapsing sinners, and because this is made a ground of trouble unto many Christians, that they doe conceive such a sinne cannot bee pardoned, I will briefely evidence the pardonablenesse of Relapses.
First, that sinne unto which the promise of curing is made, is pardonable to Gods children; for God never cures sin, but where hee first covers it; but the promise of healing is
Tvvo rea
[...]ons proo
[...]ing the ardona
[...]lenesse of
[...]lapses. made unto backsliding;
Returne yee backesliding children, and I will heale your backslidings, saith God,
Ier. 3. 22. Hosea 14. 4.
Secondly, that sinne is pardonable to Christians, unto which is annexed a possibility of repentance; for God hath promised pardoning mercy to penitent sinners; but a Christian may repent of it, for repentance was required of backsliding
Israel, Returne, saith God, yea and it was practised also,
Behold wee come unto thee, for
Ier. 3. 22
thou art the Lord our God; consider seriously of
Peters condition, were not his bitter and brinish teares the repenting of his folly in so often denying his master?
5. That as there are meanes to keepe from relapsing, so there are meanes to deliver out of relapsing into sinne; wee may not weakely conceive, that because wee have made our returnes into sinne contrary
[Page 312] unto our promises and purposes, that wee shall never get out of them againe; this is the way to keepe the soule in hell
Delivery from relapses upon earth; I grant you
- 1. That revolting into sinne is greatly displeasing to God.
- 2. That it is a difficult thing
1. Difficult
to get out of a sinne into which a man hath often relapsed; a man cannot be healed and recovered without much paine and much adoe the second or third time of the same disease.
Yet I pray you despaire not
2. Possible. your hearts; suppose the worst, that the sinnes which you have fallen into againe are great, and grievous sinnes, and that they were not unwilling omissions, or suddaine passions, but had knowledge and premeditation
[Page 313] in them; that they were sinnes once repented of and solemnely vowed against, 1. All this and much more makes the recovery to bee difficult not desperate. 2. The sinnes that
Abraham, Lot, and
Peter fell into, were great and hainous sinnes, and yet they recovered againe. 3. There is no disease beyond Gods cure, or sinne above his pardon; cannot God pardon sinne oft? surely God that hath once mercifully recovered his, falling backe, will also doe it the second and third, and fourth, and every time for his.
Ob.
But many fall backe into sinne and doe never recover themselves againe, and this may be my case?
Sol.
True, some diseases are dangerous and some are deadly,
[Page 314] and there are relapses curable and incurable; such who falling back out of malice and obstinacie, resting themselves in a constant delight of those sinnes into which they have rela
[...]sed, making their sinne their gaine, can gaine no assurance of healing; but such as fall backe through incogitancie and infirmitie, being exceeding troubled at heart for their sinnes and relapses into their sinnes, may expect and shall finde a cure.
Leave disputing and use these meanes following, and by the blessing of God you shall
Foure meanes to get out of relapses. get out of your diseases of sinne into which you are relapsed.
First, worke the relapses upon your soules; repeated sinnes are as broad and deepe wounds, of which if a man meane to bee
[Page 315] soundly cured, hee must admit of a sound and thorough search; relapses into sinne are like the returnes of the distemper into the body, of which if a man expect to bee rid, hee must resolve to fetch up and finde out the distempering cause; untill a man soundly feeleth, and truly knoweth the evillnesse of relapses, hee will not seeke out for any recoverie; by the helpe of judgement, conscience, and the law, wee may finde out the full evill of relapses into sin.
Secondly, physick the soule for this sinne, wee are to drink downe the bitter potion of repentance, wee must not thinke to come off of this sin with a few teares and a little sorrow; renewed staines in the soule are not easily gotten off;
[Page 316] we must lie down in our shame, and our confusion must cover
Ier. 3. 25. us; renewed sinnes must have our renewed sorrowes, and renewed hatred, the more a man sinnes, the more reason hath he to hate sinne: and the oftner he sins one sin, the more reason hath hee to labour the mortifying of that; get above all things a strong and setled hatred and abhomination of all sinnes for time to come, and an unfeigned sorrow for sinnes past.
Thirdly, keepe to the Ordinances, our spirituall recovery is by meanes, who though they can do little of themselves, yet being blessed and assisted they can doe much; these set out relapses to the life; quicken the heart to sorrow; breake open the riches of Gods unspeakeable
[Page 317] mercy and goodnesse in promises of pardon and healing; and doe greatly enable the heart to beleeve all promised mercy.
Fourthly, hast in unto God, suing out the promises which hee hath made in the Covenant; let no feares or distrusts keepe you off; but goe in unto God or else you perish; your diseases are your owne; but all recoveries doe belong to God,
Hos. 13. 9. Ier 3. 22. who hath undertaken to cure all that returne to him; and therefore come to God againe
A threefold vvay of comming to God for cure.
- 1. With confession, freely and humbly acknowledging your fault with the Church,
Ier. 3. 13.
- 2. With petition, intreating his pardon and his peace, say,
receive us gratiously, Hos. 14. 2, 4.
-
[Page 318]3. With faith, perswading thy soule from the promise and performance of God that thou shalt be healed.
There are severall promises made to answer all the possible exigencies of Christians; and why doth God make promises of healing and forgiving the backslidings of his people? is it not to encourage the hearts of his children to lay hold on that promise, and to sue it out in the needfull time? surely if we did more speedily and heartily beset the Lord, wee should finde a great healing of our revoltings and backslidings.
CASE. VIII. Of strange and terrible thoughts following Christians.
A Christian hath a double conversation, from whence troubles doe arise unto him, one is outward, another is inward, that notes the whole carriage of the life; this the course of the whole soule; a Christian is not a little troubled with himselfe being wise to study himselfe and to finde out the frame and temper of his heart, and made tender to feele even the least erroneous flashings of the apprehending facultie, such as his thoughts are, which doth proove unto him great souleburdens,
[Page 320] as I shall now open unto you in this manner, shewing
Foure things about the thoughts of men. Three sorts of thoughts. 1 Natural to you foure things.
1. That thoughts are of three sorts,
- 1. Naturall.
- 2. Spirituall.
- 3. Sinfull.
Naturall thoughts are those motions, stirrings, and acts which reside or are framed in the sensible, and intellectuall part of man; and they doe comprehend under them those reasonings, consultations, purposes, resolutions, intents, meditations, considerations, conceits and apprehensions, which the understanding by the helpe of fancie frames within it selfe; these following the nature of man in constitution and creation, and immediately resulting from the mind of man, are not unfitly called
[Page 321] naturall thoughts; man is borne and was made a thinking creature, such thoughts will be in us do what we can, it being naturall to the mind to be thinking; and if we take such thoughts in a simple consideration they are no sinnes or faults, the minde of
Adam in Creation yea and of Christ himselfe (who was in all things like unto us sinne excepted) were full of such thoughts rightly composed; they had many transactions in their mindes, yea and their mindes held notable discourses with the things that they knew, and touching things to be done; they had their fore-thoughts preparing them to actions, and they had their after-thoughts recollecting things done by them.
Spirituall thoughts are those
2. Spiritual
[Page 322] motions and turnings of the minde, flowing from the work of grace in the soule, and determining themselves in spirituall and supernaturall objects; there are two things which doe constitute the spirituallnesse of mans thoughts.
1. The originall cause of them; namely their springing from a sanctified fountaine that is closed within the soule, the mind must bee renewed and sanctified, altered, and cleansed, ere it can and doth yeeld out holy inclinations, and motions, and have within it holy projects, counsells, imaginations and reasonings.
2. The speciall object of them; the thoughts
[Page 323] pitching themselves in a right way upon things that are divinely good, and making for Gods glory, and mans salvation are said to bee spirituall.
These kinde of thoughts are peculiar unto Gods Saints after regeneration,
for without the Spirit no man is able to thinke one good thought, 2 Cor. 3. 5. as for wicked men if wee consider their thoughts formerly they are starke naught; yea and if wee consider them objectively, they may bee naturally and morally ((
i. e.) as they moove in the way of nature, and tend to the good of a civill state and countrey) good; but spiritually good they are not, they no way further their sanctification and obedience, but
[Page 324] doe occasion much hardnesse and sinfullnesse unto them.
Sinnefull thoughts are the
3. Sinfull. motions and stirrings of mans mind unto sinne, when the mind by the object or the subject doth muse on sinne and wickednesse, representing and acting over the same in imagination and speculation, entertaining
Mat. 5. 28. Rom. 13. 14. Pro. 6. 18. and harbouring the same in provision; arting and skilling it selfe in the cunnings and methods thereof that it may become wittie in wickednesse; and is continually framing,
Esa. 32 7. plotting, and devising wickednesse within it selfe.
2. That sinnefull and evill
Two sorts of evill thoughts. thoughts are of two sorts.
1. Ascending thoughts, which flow from the corrupt heart of man;
Out of the heart proceed
[Page 325] evill thoughts, saith Christ,
Mat. 15. 19. there is not a more entire cause of sinnefull thoughts then sinfull corruption, evill thoughts must have an evill principle; waters doe not more issue out from a full fountaine, then sinfull thoughts do spring from a sinnefull nature.
2. Injected thoughts; whose working is inward, but cause outward, Satan doth venture upon the thoughts, and gets his entrance into the soule by them; one of the Fathers tells us,
Mala co gitatio Diaboli primogeni ta. Hieron. that a wicked thought is the divels eldest daughter; this one thing I am sure of, that as naturall corruption
[Page 326] is mother, so Satan is ordinarily father unto vile thoughts in men; Satan put into
1 Chron 21. 1.
David the thought of numbring his people, and Satan filled the heart of
Anani as that hee lied to the Holy Ghost, Acts 5. 3.
Happily curiosity may here enquire into the just difference betweene those sinfull thoughts which ascend from mans nature, and such which are injected by Satan?
Certaine it is that there is a reall difference; but for my part I cannot peremptorily conclude it; a Christian may know, that the divell hath beene in his heart and layd his egg there, and shuffled in his motion there; but because there is such a
[Page 327] mixture of seeds in the generation of sinfull thoughts which are monstrous, and that both of them are like
Simeon and
Levi, brethren in evill, it is to mee a point of great difficulty to determine their apprehensive difference; yet I reverence those Divines and their opinions who have given out the probable differences betweene Diabolicall and Naturall thoughts, in their unnaturallnesse, unreasonablenesse, suddainesse and uncessantnesse, unto whose reasons I leave my Reader, and doe proceed to teach you.
3. That sinfull thoughts divide and multiply themselves
Diversities of thoughts in men. severally. Sometimes into thoughts of blasphemie against God and Christ, and the Scriptures; men wretchedly imagining
[Page 328] and thinking negatively
Psal 94. 19. & unworthily of either, O how meanely conceited are many
Psal. 53. 3. men of Christ, making him the Carpenters Sonne, a man of sorrowes and no way to bee regarded for salvation, and as
2 Pet 3. 4. 1 Cor. 1. 21. for the Scriptures, their authority and verity is questioned, and men deeme it to be but the word of man, vaine and foolish, and as for God hee is directly or virtually shut out in his being and Attributes, men thinke him not to be at all, or not to be so just, present, powerfull, gratious, and mercifull as he hath revealed himselfe to bee; witnesse these Scriptures,
Psal. 14. 1. Iob 22. 13, 14. Ephes. 2. 12. Somtimes into thoughts of infidelity, against the power, and promise, and providence of God, and these arise principally in
[Page 329] times of mens distresses; now
Mat 6 25, & 7, 28, 31. men take thought what they shall eate, and for to morrow how they and theirs shall doe; the Prince thought in himselfe that the present scarcitie was such, that should God open windowes in Heaven, it could not cause such a plenty as the
2 King.
[...]. 2. Prophet spake of. Sometimes into thoughts of pride, men
Luk. 18 11. Luk. 15. 7. have selfe-justifying thoughts, and selfe-advancing thoughts, distentorious, and curious
Rom. 12. 3. thoughts, many times they climbe up unto the exploration of secrets beyond reason to the ruine of their parts and estates. Sometimes into thoughts of folly; mens thoughts are empty and incoherent; they carry the scumme and foaming of the water in them, men many times doe not
[Page 330] know what to make of them, neither are they able to give a good account of them unto God or men; There are also unsetled thoughts which have no steadinesse or fixednesse in them; they come and goe having a fluencie in them, as bubbles rise up and sink againe; so doe the thoughts of many rise and fall; men doe thinke and unthinke againe, even as
Simile. men by the quick suggestion of their phantasie doe loose one dreame by another, so doe men by the slipperinesse of their thoughts loose one thought in another; nay of such a roaving disposition are our thoughts, that they are much like to the wanton Spannell, that will run after every bird even to the loosing of his Master; truly there is no staying of thoughts, but
[Page 331] they will be gone, and many times they take their flight beyond the call and command of Christians themselves. There are strange & horrible thoughts that many times doe come into mens minds; as for a man to abhorre God, renounce Christ, Heaven and all, for a man to murder himselfe, for a parent to murder his child,
&c. There are distracting and withdrawing thoughts; such as creepe into us when wee are about the performance of duties, alienating us from the more spirituall performance of them; as
Benjamin found
Iosephs cup in his sack, and he knew not how it came there, so Gods children doe finde such dartings and droppings in of strange thoughts when they are upon duties, that they wonder
[Page 332] whence they should arise. Also there are unseasonable thoughts; thoughts that are good materially may become circumstantially evill; it is Satans policy to prevent and interrupt a convenient and present good, by thrusting in some unseasonable good, a good that is not well placed and tim'd; for a man to have praying thoughts is good, but when hee should have hearing thoughts to have these praying thoughts is unseasonable,
&c. To conclude, there are despairing thoughts, men conceiving themselves to bee reprobated and rejected of God, to whom the possibility of pardoning mercy and heavenly happinesse doth no way appertaine;
I said in my hast I am cut off
Psal. 31.
[...]2.
from before thine eyes, saith
[Page 333]
David; there was his perishing thoughts.
4. That sinnefullnesse of thoughts are a just cause of soule-trouble unto Gods Saints, you shall heare them bitterly thus complaining, seldome doe thoughts of God or goodnesse rise up within mee, my soule is so dry and barren, that I seldome thinke of any good, but then when I am to doe it; yea and oftentimes when I am doing good I thinke not of it, I have occasions enough before mee for good thoughts, but my nature is dull and will not, or inexpert and cannot make use of them; and if my thoughts begin at any time to worke upon good objects, if I take God, or Christ, or the Word, or my sin into my thoughts, I soone loose the sent, and am farre from insisting
[Page 334] on them; the Bee may
Simile. sometimes light upon a good flower, but instantly it passeth away and pitcheth it selfe upon some filthy weede; and I alas, it is long before my soule can bee brought to pitch on a good object; and I finde it a thing most difficult to make my minde to fixe and to keepe up thoughts of goodnesse in mee; But as for evill thoughts they swarme within my minde and settle too fast, you cannot name that wicked thought of which I am not guilty, my thoughts have beene blasphemous against Christ, and God, and the Word of God, my thoughts have beene doubting and distrusting the power, goodnesse, and providence of God, my thoughts have beene proud, foolish, and wandring;
[Page 335] and now I doe despaire in my thoughts of mine estate. God beholds mee in my thoughts, and it is sinfull corruption that sends up these thoughts, and Satan cannot but enter by these thoughts, and I can doe nothing as I should doe it for these thoughts; my crosse and calamity is greatned by these thoughts, alas what will become of mee for these my thoughts?
This is the thing which hath made a deepe wound in the spirit; for the curing and comforting
Seven settlemēts about thoughts. whereof, I shall lay downe certaine propositions and prescriptions.
1. That the dearest children of God besides their naturall thoughts, may have many sinfull and evill thoughts glancing and rising up within their
Iob 1. 5.
[Page 336] mindes; yea they may have the same vile thoughts which
3 Causes of evill thoughts in Gods children a very wicked man hath; and wonder not at it; seeeing 1. Satan is as watchfull and malicious against them as any other, and hee doth more fiercely assault them then any other, and is more willing to vexe them then any other. 2. Corruption cleaves to the soules of them as well as others, and it workes in them as well as in any other; where the spring of corruption is not wholy dried up, it is and will be more or lesse bubbling out into most vile and noisome thoughts. 3. Infirmity is many times as much in them as it is in others; they are not alwaies so watchfull, and fearefull as it doth become them; if the windowes stand open no wonder if birds flie into the
[Page 337] chamber, and if Christians let downe their watch, and care, no wonder that vaine thoughts doe enter, lodging themselves by armies within them, sporting themselves in their mindes, and presuming to justle in with them to the Church, and to the Closer, mightily distempering and distracting them in duty, nay making them to become like other men.
2. That it is a mercy to come unto the sound acquaimance of the evillnesse of a mans owne thoughts; Hypocrisie and sinfull vanity conceive that thoughts are free, and therefore is it fearelesse and carelesse about them, making nothing of them; you shall hardly perswade a wicked man to thinke that his thoughts are evill and ought to be bewailed, or amended;
[Page 338] whereas a man that is godly indeed, he is made sensible of the sinnefullnesse of his thoughts by way of feare and trouble, these amaze his minde, afflict his spirit, and doe so greatly burthen him, that he crieth out of them; and by this discovery made unto him, he is set into the way of rising from them, and forsaking of them according to Gods requirement;
Let the wicked forsake
Esa. 55. 7.
his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and truth it
A twofold remoovall of evill thoughts, 1 By cessation is, that though the godly doe not finde evill thoughts remooved by absolute cessation, so as they shall never stirre more at all; yet they are remooved by subjection and manner of operation,
2 Subject. on. although they doe start up, yet the Elect upon the apprehension of their evillnesse,
[Page 339] subject not themselves unto them; they are not so effectually active or actuating as formerly, or as they are to wicked men; this is a truth; that evills apprehended are soonest arraigned, condemned, bewailed, prevented, and overcome.
3. That among many ill thoughts lurking and lodging within us, it must be our wisedome to take notice of the good thoughts that are within us also; it is most true, that Christians are mixt creatures, flesh and Spirit, nature and grace; and so there may bee found within them many spirituall
Signes of goodnesse of thoughts and excellent thoughts, as well as evill and bad thoughts; I would have men to know
1. That every thought of evill is not an evill thought, but the goodnesse of mans thoughts
[Page 340] stand in thinking upon the evill and ungodlinesse of his nature and practise, and the dishonour of God by the same unto repentance it selfe.
2. That when the heart can lay out for holy duties, and project a course of sanctification, and a way of salvation prudently declining the occasions stirring up to sinfull thoughts; then there are good thoughts within; all providing thoughts for duty are very good thoughts; the wicked man is thinking how he may shift off all good and doe all evill, and a godly man hath contrary thoughts unto all sinne, and caring thoughts for all duty.
3. That many times the number of evill thoughts may bee more to a Christians sense then the number of his good
[Page 341] thoughts; a Christian may see and discerne in himselfe a great deale of corruption working against a little grace.
4. That one good thought springing up within the soule amongst many bad thoughts, may be a ground of comfort against all evill thoughts whatsoever; it being an argument of grace in truth to send out good thoughts.
4. That though the same evill thoughts may be both in the good and bad, yet it is with a great difference, For
1. It is not all evill thoughts in good men; they have some
Foure differences between the thoughts of good and bad men. good thoughts in them.
ob.
So have wicked men too?
Sol.
Have they good thoughts within them? whence come they? I
[Page 342] am sure corrupt nature cannot send out one good thought, and unregenerate men are truly empty of spirituall thoughts; but make the best of them and their thoughts, I am sure they are in them against a temper to evill thoughts, and against their will and affections; light is not more displeasing to soare eyes, then good thoughts are distastfull unto wicked men; good thoughts are strangers with them, they goe away as soone as they come, all their thoughts of goodnes are transient and meerely apprehensive, no way practicall & permanent,
[Page 343] let them bee never so good materially, they are no way good subjectively and circumstantially.
2. Under all bad thoughts within, a good man is wearie and burdened, and willing of good and better thoughts for them, he cannot fall in with ill thoughts by way of approbation, but in his judgement hee doth condemne the universality of evill thoughts, which are thrust upon his minde unavoidably; whereas wicked men are unwilling of good thoughts, making them their burden, and are hugging of sinnefull thoughts, making them their delight; affectuous thoughts doe not more belong to the pleasure of the body, then sinfull thoughts do to the delight of the wicked.
[Page 344]3. Ill thoughts in the godly are in resistance, as they come not in with welcome, so they stay not there in quiet and entertainement; they doe bewaile them, and pray against them, labouring the remoovall of them by all meanes.
4. Ill thoughts in the godly doe spring from corruption impaired and disabled by the presence and power of sanctifying grace which can hold mo peace with corruption; ill thoughts in wicked men doe flow from corruption in strength and unsubdued, and therefore they make no opposition against them any farther then they oppose themselves to themselves, and their owne ends; it is one thing to bee troubled with the evill of thoughts, and another thing to
[Page 345] bee troubled with the clogging circumstances of thoughts, an evill man may resist an evill thought, for the declining of some sensible evill, or for the furthering of some other evill, all a wicked mans thoughts doe bowe and bend to sinfull projects, whereas good men under the trouble and vexation of evill thoughts receive much good at the last; God hereby making them more fearefull of sinne, and watchfull over their thoughts.
5. That multitude of rising and injected thoughts not affected, but vexing and perplexing the soule, cannot take away the ground of a Christians comfort and confidence; there is no
Mark. 3. 18 Acts 8. 22. thought of heart bee it never so vile but it may be repented of, and divine grace can pardon it;
[Page 346] and they are not of force to alter a mans estate in grace or glory; confider what I say; that if Satan should studie all the arts of hell to coine the
Note. most abhominably abhominable thoughts of Atheisme, blasphemy, murder,
&c. and afterward dart them with all the violence of hell into the minde of men, (men in the meane time abhorring and rejecting them) they shall proove but mens crosses, they shall not be reputed as their sinnes, and so shall no way impaire their happinesse standing twixt them and Heaven; and as they cannot alter an estate in happinesse, no more can they diminish a condition in holinesse;
Benjamin was never the more dishonest, because
Iosephs cup was in his sack, or
Ioseph the more uncleane
[Page 347] because his mistresse did attempt his chastity, no more doe the evill of injected thoughts alter the gratious temper of a Christian; doth the beating
Simile. of the waves against a rock alter the temper of the rock? no more doth the injecting of evill thoughts by Satan change a Christians holy condition.
6. That where thoughts are sensibly evill and naught, it is more wisedome to seeke their cure and strengthning against them then to stand too long complaining of them, and of trouble or danger by them; and here know, 1. That it is no easie or ordinary worke to alter, order, and keepe under a mans thoughts, they are very wilde and unruly and wily. 2. That it is not naturall meanes or agents which can cure the
[Page 348] Christian of the evillnesse of his thoughts, that which turnes nature must bee another thing then nature, all naturall causes worke onely in a naturall way and to that onely which is naturall, a spirituall agent and a spirituall way is required to free men from ill thoughts; I
Six helpes against evill thoughts. cannot fall into all particulars, let these that I shall name suffice for the generall.
1. Repent for the whole evill of your thoughts; let
Acts 8. 22. them breake and bleede your soules, and then you are in the way to bedelivered from them;
Wash thine heart O Ierusalem
Ier. 4. 14
from wickednesse that thou maist bee saved, how long shall vaine thoughts lodge within thee? how doe men come to remoove, and dislodge vaine thoughts? it is by repentance for sinne and
[Page 349] ungodlinesse, this is the forsaking of a mans thoughts spoken of by the Prophet
Isaiah;
Esa. 55. 7.
If thou hast done f
[...]olishly in lifting up thy selfe, or if thou hast thought evill, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, saith
Salomon, Prov. 30. 32.
2. Give scope and rule unto Gods Word which is every way healing and ordering unto the evillnesse of mens thoughts, the Word is a notable meanes to preserve, yea and to deliver from evill thoughts; it begets a new
The use of the Word about the thoughts is fivefold. spring, I meane a new minde, and that will send out new and suppresse the old thoughts; the Word of God is
1. A searcher and discerner of the thoughts and intents of mans heart, it traceth and hunts out the secret windings and
[Page 350] mindings of the same,
Heb. 4. 12.
2. A condemner and reproover of sinfull thoughts; it doth indite all evill thoughts, sharpely checking men for contemplative wickednesse,
Mat. 5. 28.
3. A remoover of sinnefull thoughts; it frees the soule from evill cogitations,
Psal. 119. 11. the voice of the Word sounding in the soule unto evill thoughts, is like the wise clamour by which the ravenous birds are scared from their unjust prey.
4. A subduer of evill thoughts; let the Word worke never so powerfully, yet strange thoughts will remaine still in the soule; but the Word is of that force that it casts downe imaginations, and brings into
[Page 351] captivity every thought, 2
Cor. 10. 4, 5.
5. A preserver against evill thoughts; the Word of God can keepe out evill thoughts, and maintaine good thoughts in the minde; it will store and enrich the mind with divine principles and habits; so that the minde shall not be naked and emptie; but full with the variety of heavenly notions; the Word is full, and the minde shall finde heere a promise, and there a precept, there a threatning, and heere a reward,
&c. the Word is mighty in operation, and it will draw out with sweetest power those heavenly principles, and with them those gratious habits in the minde unto some acts and operations; like as the Sun in
Simile. heate is virtuall to the flowers, so is the Word in power to the
[Page 352] stirring up of habituall grace and implanted principles, the mind by it is set on working and musing on that which is good. In a word, the Word of God doth present the minde with fresh objects of meditation, whereby it mooves the soule from one meditation to another, & from one good thought to a better.
3. Wisely keepe off from all such occasions and things which might stirre up and continue in you evill thoughts; there are many things which will foment matter of evill to the minde, which hath not onely active but receptive dispositions, it doth not onely worke from an inward but an outward cause; occasions have beene very impressive upon the minde, we may see it in
David and
Peter, &c.
There are seven things (stirring
Seven things to be avoided as continuing sinful thoughts in men. up evill thoughts in men) to be taken heed of.
1. The not making conscience of evill thoughts; it was wont to be said that
Quicqui
[...] pudet dicere, pu
[...]et & cogitare. Hier in Ep. ad Dem. whatsoever is unlawfull to bee done or spoken, is as unlawfull to bee thought; and I am sure this is as true, that such as make no conscience of thoughts, will make no conscience of what they doe or speake; this fancied liberty of thoughts hath opened the flood-gate and occasioned the letting in of multitude of vaine thoughts into men.
2. The subjecting of thoughts unto passions and affections; thoughts were ordained to moderate and take off passions, there being a naturall influence from the thoughts to the affections, but if men give way unto
[Page 354] passionate distempers, these will breed distraction and division of thoughts; if fire bee stirred there flie up a multitude of sparkles, and if passions sway, they raise up a variety of disordered thoughts within us, the soule thereby is no sooner delivered of one thought, but it is in labour and paine with another.
3. The neglecting and suppressing of the good motions of the Spirit; the holy Spirit is blowing, and breathing, and filling the heart with good meditations, which must not bee
1 Thes. 5. 19. quenched if that wee will free our selves from ill thoughts.
4. Looking on Satans warres; my meaning is, that when Satan shall inject his thoughts into us, wee must not take them up, and gaze upon them, giving them a walking roome within
[Page 355] us; if they stay within us, they will either defile us, or els soone become ours.
5. Evill company, which doth either find us or will make us bad; I say the evill discourses and examples of wicked persons will corrupt good manners and strangely alter the minde both to the evillnes of thoughts and delights.
6. Idlenesse, this brings forth thoughts of Atheisme, and all kinde of impieties; he who takes off his hand from labour, doth teach his heart to think evill, for the mind will still bee working, though the man bee idle; 'tis good therefore to bee upon the duties of our calling, bee made wise by
David, 2 Sam. 11. 1, 2, 3.
7. Worldlinesse; there is a strong efficacie in an earthly treasure, to steale away the soule
[Page 356] both from it selfe, and God, the world and gaine begets a world of thoughts in the heads and hearts of men, who are more full of vaine and wandering thoughts in hearing and praying, then such whose hearts are set upon the riches of this world? thick and foggie ayre doth darken the earth, and worldly engagements do stuffe and stifle the minde, stirring up many plottings and contrivements.
4. Labour for strength of affections unto God; the more we can keepe up spirituall affections within us, setting them upon God, and duty, and Heaven, the more we shall keep out and keepe downe carnall and sinfull thoughts; it is an excellent thing to fill the head and heart with God, and to be zealously
[Page 357] affected in good things; these things have a strong power over man, and will make him to be thinking aright; see it in
David, O how I love thy Law? it is my meditation all the day, Psal. 119. 97.
5. Watch and observe the heart duly, taking an account of thoughts; let no thoughts come in unespied, but keepe watch & ward within the soule, and that with much diligence and feare, and learne to examine all your thoughts most strictly by the rule; say often what and whence are these thoughts of mine? can and doe these agree with the Word and Law of God? be not too favourable unto them in your selves, and you
Pro. 4. shall the better suppresse them and keepe them out.
6. Commit your waies unto
[Page 358] God by faith;
Commit thy way
Pro. 16. 3.
unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall bee established, I know no better way to keep out the confusion and vexation of sinnefull thoughts, then by setting up faith in exercise; this is a grace which will 1. Fence the minde with divine arguments against all carnall reasonings and selferesolutions. 2. Answer Satan in all his reasonings and suggestions. 3. Raise up the minde to quite contrary things to those which Satan puts within us; and 4. When Satan doth urge his horrible thoughts upon us, it will make us to flie to God with our complaints against Satan, and to spread our condition before the Lord, saying, Lord behold mee, and my condition, I cannot be quiet for Satan, and mine owne stirring corruptions
[Page 359] they are still casting up evill thoughts within mee contrary to thy Word, thy glory, and my will; Lord leade mee not into these temptations, or deliver mee from the evill of these thoughts, that they may not prevaile over mee.
Lastly, know that there may be much comfort to a Christian in doing duty, notwithstanding he finde many wandring and impertinent thoughts within him in dutie, wee may not give over duties publique, and private, because of some distractions accompanying us, prayer is to be used as a meanes to cure our wandrings in prayer; if dirt
Simile. be cast into a spring, men will not damme it up, and for sinfull thoughts we are not to cast off spirituall performances; looke upon three things which must
[Page 360] stay the heart in dutie.
Three
[...]hings incouraging
[...]o duty
[...]nder vvandring
[...]houghts.
1. Resolution against all sinnefull thoughts in duty, when a Christian doth finde the bent of his heart to bee against them before he begin the duty, he is to goe on in duty.
2. Sincerity and humility in the doing of duties; he that can with a sincere and humble heart goe thorough duty, may take comfort in performing dutie; duties must not be judged of by accidentall and involuntary imperfections, but by the temper and disposition of the heart which God lookes at.
3. Acceptance of duties in Christ, all a Christians duties have their immediate ground of acceptance in Christ, and not in the strength and setlednesse of mans performance. To conclude all that at this time I
[Page 361] meane to speake of in this Argument; know, that Satan in injecting of evill thoughts into the godly, dealeth with them as many wicked men doe with the names of Gods children; wee find that the children of others begetting, are many times laid at honest mens doores, and unto honest mens charge, and who can stop the mouth of iniquitie? yet in this case a cleare conscience is the ablest comforter, and confuter; just so Satan begets and stirres up within us evill thoughts; and then hee would father them on us, and trouble us by them; but our pure hearts rising up against them, and bewailing them, makes us cleare of them before God, who is the judge of uprightnesse and the rewarder of innocencie.
Deo Gloria.