Wherein Faith and Presumption differ.

He that presumes, his confidence of pardon is without ground; he hath no word of God to back his confidence, but his confidence is fetched from his own conceits; he seeks not life in and from Christ, his word, and promise; and if he doth receive a promise, he receives it upon his own qualifications, with­out respect unto Christ, and drawes con­clusions of life from what he himselfe is, and his owne doings; and as his owne righteousnesse was never unto him as drosse and dung; so he depends upon his faith, and not upon Christ by faith; his con [...]idence being grounded upon his own being so good, or not so bad as others; like the proud Pharisee, such an one was never fatherless, Hos. 14. 3 nor did he ever receive the sentence of death in himselfe, 2 Cor. 1. 9 and for that sin never revived [Page 6] in him, he never died, but was alwaies perswaded that it is a very easie thing to believe; and assumes a confidence con­trary to the word of God which har­dens him, Jer. 7. 9. and renders him bold to ven­ture upon sinful practises, whereas he that truly believes in Christ Jesus, re­ceives no promise of life, but in and through him in the riches of his grace; and for the sake of Christ this poor be­liever wil suffer the losse of all things; his hope and helpe is only in the Lord, Phil. 3. 8. his faith works by love, he abhors that which is evil; and cleaves unto that which is good; and having this hope in him, purifies himself as Christ is pure, 1 Joh. 3. 3 the Lord purifies his heart by Faith. Acts 15. 9

Who are weak members of Christ.

The weake member of Christ, or the weake believer, is either habitually or ac­cidentally weak.

1. I terme those habitually weake, in whom the breathings, or fruits of the Spirit, are but in a low, infant-like and feeble measure or degree.

True grace is very little at first, and [Page 7] therefore compared to the least of grains, mustard-seed. A huge Oak was but an Acorne at first, a bonefire a spark. A poor weak believer is little in his own eyes, and little in the eyes of the world; the Pupil of the eye is very little, yet seeth a great part of the heaven at once; though faith be no bigger then a mu­stard seed, yet it is all eye to behold Christ. True grace is as the morning light, 1 Joh. 3. 9. and hath these three properties, Hos. 6. 3. viz.

1. It is a remaining seede, Mic. 5. 7 a living spring, 1 Joh. 5. 4 that shal never fail. 1 John 2. 27.

2. It is stil growing and increa­sing, True grace ( [...] though but little at first) is a beginning of glory, and may be compa­red to the golden chaine in Homer, whose top was fast­ned to the chaire of Jupiter. its going forth is as the mor­ning, and riseth up to a glorious day.

3. It wil in the end overcome all that overshadows it.

A poore weake believer, being at first but a babe in Christ, and consequently feeble, is upon that account by the Spi­rit of the Lord in Isa. 40. 11. likened unto a Lamb in Christs fold; He shall gather the Lambs with his arme, &c. And hereupon God the father appoints Jesus Christ for poore sin-weakened be­lievers, as in Isa. 61. 1. The Spirit of the [Page 8] Lord is upon me, and he hath annointed me to preach good tidings to the meeke, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hear­ted.

A true member of Christ may be weak, Mar. 14. 38 in respect of life, in whom in­deed the spirit breaths, though faintly, whose pulse beats, but feebly, whose heart pants after Christ, but weakly, whose soul is indeed alive, though his actions not lively; who performs spi­ritual duties from an internal principle or power of spiritual life, though but in the initiation of it, in whom Christ who is the wisdome of the Father shines, Rom. 14. 1 though through many clouds very dim­ly, whose faith is weak, who indeede receives Christ and his free grace, though with a shaking hand; who is a believer, though but of little faith; who hopes that Christ wil not cast him off, though not sure he wil take him up; who (though he cannot see himself worthy) can notwithstanding see God gracious, or at least hath a glimmering thereof. Neh. 1. 11 A poor weak believer is de­scribed by a desire to fear the name of the Lord, 2 Cor. 8. 11 12. and if this be all thou hast, it is accepted: there is as much difference [Page 9] betweene some of the Lords people, as between willing and doing; Phil. 2. 13. a will to obey the Lord is sometimes all that a blessed Paul can finde; 2 Cor. 3. 1 One may be a babe in Christ though carnal: 7 Rom. 18 19, 20, 21. those desires which worke towards God, 5 Gal. 17. came from God; 2 Cor. 3. 1 the Spirit returnes to him that gave it. 12 Eccl. 7.

Secondly, 145 Ps. 19 I call those Members of Christ accidentally weak, 2 Phil. 13. who are ha­bitually strong in the faith, having strong breathings of the Spirit of Christ, and so not lyable unto that constant weaknesse, wherewith babes, or chil­dren in Christ are incompassed; and yet may somtimes be accidentally weak­ned by reason either of sharp afflictions, unto which Christ brings them, or great services unto which he calls them, or else by some great and desperate falls into sinne, which through infirmity (and as it were by accident) they have taken.

There are two sorts of men, that after the committing of sinne, can be­lieve pardon thereof no further, then they can see themselves humbled, or finde repentance in them for it.

First, Such as have a weak faith in the Lord Jesus, and these with [Page 10] Thomas, may receive reprehension from our Saviour. 20 Joh. 29 Because thou hast seen me thou hast believed, blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

Secondly, Meere titular Christians but in very deed hypocrites, who build their faith upon the sandy foundation of their own repentance, Sublatâ causá tos­litur effe­ctus. humiliation, and such other like qualifications, (though they say and perhaps think otherwise) and then no wonder, if when their foundation be removed, 7 Math. 26 27. their faith faile and they fall.

But if it be inquired what the dif­ference is between a weak Member of Christ and an hypocrite.

I answer,

The weak Member of Christ hath, another secret frame of Grace in him, which will not suffer him to rest upon this rotten foundation; the Spirit of God bloweth upon him, and gives him to see that this way of the flesh will faile him; and at last pitcheth him absolutely upon Christ, and leads the poore soule to lay hold upon the word of his promise which indures for ever. [Page 11] All flesh is grasse, and all the goodlinesse thereof is as the flower of the field; the grasse withereth, the flower fadeth, be­cause the Spirit of the Lord bloweth up­on it: Isa. 40 6, 7, 8. Surely the people is grasse, the grasse withereth, the flower fadeth, but the word of God shall stand for ever. When the Lord begets one by the immortall seed of his Word; he then lets him know, that all flesh is grasse, and that whatsoever [...]lesh and nature can desire to rest upon, falleth away, and teach­eth him to rest onely upon the word of Promise, which indures for ever, ten­dred in the Gospel. 1 Peter 1. 23, 24, 25.

But the hypocrite being not blown upon by this Spirit, not having the seed of grace conveyed unto him in the Gospel-promise, 3 Rom. 24 25, 26. stumbles at this way of free justification; and seeks justifi­cation in another way; forming up a Religion according to himselfe of pleas­ing and displeasing; 9 Rom. 31. 32. and by what he doth and doth not; and thus going about (through his naturall knowledge or light) to establish his own righteousness, 10 Rom. 3, 4. wherein is but a more glorious dam­nation to be got at best, he submits not to the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ; [Page 12] And he waxing confident in this way teacheth it unto others; thinks others foolish and blind in regard of himselfe; Rom. 2. 17 18, 19, 20. yea he growes so confident, as that he [...] dares pleade his cause with God: Have we not prophesied in thy name? &c.

He hath a faith, Mat. 7. 22. though indeed but a dead one; and yet it wil go farre in the resemblance, carrying the image of something like unto the new man, as the faint reflections of the Sun in a cloud look like the Sun, but are not; and may both deceive the soul of the person where it is, and of others that goe but according to the appearance: yet there being no spiritual life, nor Christ for­med in such a soul, there can be neither any right spiritual enjoyment of Christ, nor sollid communion with God in him, though all the changes of the Spirit may seeme to be there to such a carnal for­mally deceiving heart.

He may repent as Ahab; 1 King. 21 27. he may joy in the Gospel ordinances and have a kind of reforming with Herod, there may be in him a kind of faith, as in those that believed (mentioned in the Parable) but in time of temptation fell away; Matth. 13. 19, 20, 21, 22. there may be a frequenting of the word [Page 13] preached, as appears by those that said unto our Saviour; have we not eaten and drunk in thy presence? and thou taught in our streets? There may be a convicti­on of sin, Act. 24. 25 as in Faelix, who trembled at Pauls preaching; he may hold out with Christ in very great troubles, 1 Cor. 13. 3 nay suffer even death in the cause of Christ. But all these are not yet in the power of Christ, nor in the life of the Spirit; so that the fruits and seeming graces of such, are but like the berries upon the thorn in the way side, not like the grapes upon the Vine; John 15. 1, 4, 5. he is not built upon that Rock of ages, Christ Jesus; and other foundation can no man lay; 1 Cor. 3. 11. and therefore it is no matter of admiration, if like wandring stars and clouds that have no water; Jude 12, 13 such are ever rolling up and down, Heb. 12. 24 and never established. He dare not reckon with his conscience, Heb. 9. 7. for the blood of sprinkling is not there; and without blood there is no remission, no boldness against sinne, no looking Con­science in the face.

An hypocrite may have a name to live, Heb. 6. 4. and to tast of the heavenly gift; but is indeed dead and senseless, yea absolutely void of spiritual life, and [Page 14] may not unfitly be compared to that Statue of a man, which they say Al­bertus Magnus was thirty years about; that by reason of springs and devices within could walke up and down, and speak articulately; which stil was void of life; so here &c. some springs with­in resulting from self-love, some scrnes of ostentation may produce in the hy­pocrite speech and motion in the wayes of God, but being destitute of spiritual life, must needs be void of spiritual sen­ses, and consequently of those soule sa­tisfying, ravishing, and transforming tastes and relishes of the goodness of God, which the Saints enjoy: And thus although he may ascend many rounds in Jacobs ladder, the greater at last will his fall into utter darkness be, if the Lord give not repentance.

But inasmuch as the child of God and an hypocrite both stand for repen­tance, it may be enquired what the difference is between the repentance of the one and of the other.

I shal only instance a few of the diffe­rences, instead of many more that might be insisted upon.

[Page 15] 1. That which turneth an hypocrite from his sin, causing him to grieve and mourne for it, is principally a convicted conscience, Ma [...]. 27. 4. 5. and restraining grace; this made Judas confesse his sin, and restore his pieces of silver, Numb. 22 34. who neverthelesse denyed the power of the Spirit of Christ. 2 Tim. 3. 5

But the child of God, Jer. 31. 33 he hath this Law of repentance put into his inward parts, 2 Cor. 3. 3 and written in his heart by the finger of the Spirit of the Lord, though many times by reason of strong moti­ons in the flesh, he would not repent; yet he cannot resist this law of his mind, Jer. 20. 9. he must performe it; when the Lord saith in his word, Psal. 27. 8. repent, and seeke my face, hee this poor child of God replies, Thy face Lord wil I seek; the very same lesson, 1 Joh. 2. 2 [...]. that he is taught outvvardly by the vvord, he is taught inwardly by the annointing spirit; yea, it is even his meat and drink to do the wil of God.

2. Repentance in the hypocrite pro­ceeds from a servile fear, Heb. 2. 15 he being begot­ten under a covenant of works, is through fear of death subject unto bondage all his life long; and though he look to be sa­ved by faith and repentance (being in­structed [Page 16] out of the Gospel:) yet he dares not expect grace and pardon any further then he sees himself work, for he looks to be saved, though not altoge­ther, yet as it were, by the works of the Lavv, Rom. 9. 32 thinking that mercy and pardon must needs follovv his vvorks, and this is that which makes him take a great deal of pains in the Church; Mat. 20. 12 yea he wil bear the burden and heat of the day, and performe abundance of hypocriticall service unto the Lord, Isa. 1. 14. yea til he trou­bles the Lord therewith, and makes him weary thereof. Rom. 8. 15.

But the child of God is begotten un­der a Covenant of grace, and hath not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but the spirit of Adoption to cry un­to God, Abba Father, and (being delive­red,) Luke 1 74 serves God without fear, in holi­nesse and righteousness all his dayes; he knows very wel that sin cannot damn him, being delivered out of the hands of his enemies by the blood of Christ. And hence though God break him in the place of Dragons, Psal. 44. 17 19 and cover him with the shadow of death, yet wil he not for­get God, nor deal falsely in his Covenant. His repentance (in that sin cannot damn [Page 17] him) is not arbitrary; he is bound to it by the Covenant of grace; 5 Gal. 6. his faith works by love, 2 Cor. 5. 14. the love of Christ constrains him; 8 Cant. 7. many wa­ters cannot quench this love, neither can the floods drown it; if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned; the more sin the Lord hath forgiven him, the more he loves God, and repents, mourns and weeps bitterly because of sin, as it is an injurious offence against so mer­ciful a Father, instance Peter and Mary Magdalene, 22 Luk. 16 62 who thought no­thing too dear for a Christ, from whom they had received a free and ful discharge from all their sins and provocations. 7 Luk. 47 46 the hypocrite repents from a principle of slavish feare; but the poore believer, from a principle of a child-like love.

3. An hypocrite never turnes to the Lord with his whole heart, as the Lord requires, 1 Jam. 8 for he is double min­ded. True it is, he may walk ac­cording to the dictate of his consci­ence, as far as he is inlightned by the word of God, leading a blame­lesse [Page 18] life, 3 Phil. 6. and may doe that which he does, out of the integrity of his heart with Abimilech; 20 Gen. 51 6. he perswades himselfe he is in the right, when in truth, he is farre wrong; and because he received not the love of the truth, that he might be saved, the Lord gives him up to strong delusions to believe a lie, 2 Thes. 2. 10, 11, 12. that he might be damned, who believes not the truth; He may in­deed seemingly turne unto the Lord, in respect of many glorious actions; 3 Tit. 5, 6. but he hath not a new heart, nor a renewing Spirit within him; and if that action, that (as he thinks) he doth most uprightly, were put into an Evangelical frame, he would most exceedingly ha [...]e it, because the carnal mind is at enmity against God, [...]. Rom. 7. for it is no [...] subject to the Law of God, nor indeed can be; his best duties pro­ceed but from flesh and nature, and from the old man, which never turn'd to God; and as for that, which should give a spiritual being to those acti­ons, namely faith in Christ, and the Spirit of grace, these he hates from his heart.

But the child of God hath a new [Page 19] heart and a new Spirit; he is a new creature, 2 Cor. 5. 17 all things are become new: and although the flesh lusteth against the Spirit; 24. Jer. 17 yet this new creature turneth wholly unto God, 119. Psal. 2 and is all for God; 138. Psal. 1 2 such a man seeks the Lord with his whole heart, 103. Psa. 1 and all that is within him praises the Lords holy name.

4. The hypocrite in his repentance, and all his performances aimes at him­selfe; 7. Hos. 14. he doth them for corn, 7. Zech. 5. wine, and oyle; when he fasts and mourns, he doth it for himselfe, and not unto the Lord; the salvation of his soul is his utmost end.

But the child of God, the believer, doth all for Gods glory; 17. Luk. 18 he desires the Salvation of his soul, but he hath a further end; hereby the Lord ma­nifests his truth and mercy, and gets himselfe a name. 23. Psal. 3. Saith blessed Da­vid, save me for thy mercies sake, for thy Names sake; and when he repents and confesses his sinne, it is principal­ly, that he may give glory unto God, and in all his actions terminates not in himself, 7 Josh. 19. but doth them to the end that Christ may be magnified and esteemed all in all.

Sixteene precious and soul establi­shing considerations deduced from the Covenant of Grace.

The new Covenant of grace is held forth principally in these places of Scripture. Deus pro­mittendo se fecit debi­tor [...]m. viz.

8. Heb. 10. Jer. 31. 31, 33, 34. 36. E­zek. 25, 26, 27, 29, 31. Ezek. 16. 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, God in promising hath made himself our debtor. 9, 10, 11, 59, 60, 63 Jer. 32. 40. Jer. 33. 20 Heb. 6. 17, 18. Heb. 12. 24. Heb. 13. 20. Mic. 7. 20. Psal 89. 28. 31, 32, 33, 34.

1. Consideration. His Covenant is a free Covenant, being the offspring of the free love, meer grace, and rich mercy of God, whereby he is pleased to make a blessed agreement with his Sonne Christ to save poore lost man, yea, the worst, most vile, despicable, and helpless creatures in the world; and of this sort of mankind doth God u­sually please to take into covenant with himself; for he doth not (as many would insinuate) therfore take men into this covenant, because they believe and are holy; but that they might have faith and be holy: in this covenant he promises ho­liness, [Page 21] and through it conveys holinesse unto men; 36 Ezek. 25. 26. as for example, the Idolatrous Ephesians, the profane Corinthians, the vile Publicans, the filthy Harlots, yea the poore thiefe, even at the last hour, when he could neither serve nor glori­fie God so much as one hour on earth; and these when they were at the high­est of their provocations, and when no eye pityed them, yea, when their own eyes pittyed them not, then was the time wherein the Lord out of the riches of his grace and soule astonish­ing love sware unto them, and entred into covenant with them; and this was likewise the time vvherein they be­came his, as in that pregnant place of Scripture, vvorthy to be vvritten in indelible characters of Gold, upon the memory of every poor believer. Thus saith the Lord God unto Jerusalem, thine habitation and thy kindred is of the Land of Canaan, 16. Ezek. from ver. 3 to verse 11 thy father was an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite; and in thy nativity when thou wast born, thy navel was not cut; thou wast not washed inwater to soften thee, thou wast not salted with salt, nor swadled in clouts, none eye pi­tied thee to do any of these unto thee, for [Page 22] to have compassion upon thee, but thou wast cast out in the open field to the loathing of thy person, in the day that thou wast borne. And when I passed by thee, I saw thee polluted in thine owne blood, and I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live: even when thou wast in thy blood, live. Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold thy time was as the time of love; and I spread my skirts over thee, and covered thy filthinesse; yea I sware unto thee, and entred into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine; then washed I thee with water, yea, I washed away thy blood from thee, and I annointed thee with oyle, I cloathed thee also with broidered work, and shod thee with Badgers skin, and I girded thee a­bout with fine linnen, and I covered thee with silke, I decked thee also with orna­ments, and I put bracelets upon thine hands, and a chaine on thy neck.

It is an apparent truth unto all ex­perienced Christians, that vvhen God first enters into covenant vvith men, he finds them in their blood, Nisi omni­no gratuita non est gra­tiâ. Aug. in their infi­delity, he finds them unholy, but as soone as this covenant is struck vvith [Page 23] them, thou becamest mine, saith the Lord, in the last mentioned Scripture, then I washed thee with water, &c. yea, I washed away thy blood [...]rom thee. The Lord puts his holy Spirit in them, Isa. 63. 11 18. and his holinesse, and so they immediately become the people of his holiness; God becomes our God, and then makes us his people, and after­wards washes us, and sanctifies us from our sins.

And although poor believers have injuriously and unkindly offended this gracious God by their manifold pro­vocations, yea though they have de­spised the oath in breaking this cove­nant, and played the harlot in the face of the Lord, yet the Lord wil have such to know, that his wayes are not as their wayes, but as farre above them, as the heavens are above the earth. For thus saith the Lord God, 16. Ezek. 59, 60. I might even deale with thee as thou hast done which hast de­spised the oath in breaking the Cove­nant. Neverthelesse I will remember my covenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth, and I wil establish unto thee an everlasting covenant, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord, that thou mayest [Page 24] remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame; when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God.

And as this covenant is free, so like­wise it is unconditional on mans part, God is pleased indeed to take us into covenant, not upon any condition in us, before he brings with him Christ, and in him all the conditions, and make us as he would have us, not for the covenant, but in it, or under it; we are not his people before he be our God, 8 Heb. 10. first you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. 15. John 16 And it evi­dently appears, that there is nothing required of a man to make him par­taker of this covenant; no not faith (though divers affirm that it is requi­site that God gives faith unto men before he enters into covenant with them, that so they may have it as a hand to take hold upon the covenant) but of such I would be satisfied, (if the new covenant of grace be not uncon­ditinal on mans part) how it differs from a covenant of works, is it not a hard and as impossible a thing for man [Page 25] of himself to believe in Christ, as it is to keepe the whole Law? to believe in Christ is a fruit of his spirit, 5. Gal. 22 and must we not be in Christ before we beare fruit; Joh. 15. 4. we cannot rationally expect the effect before the cause, the light before the sun, or heat before we have fire; therefore we must be in Christ before we can beleive, we cannot from Scripture ground expect faith in the soul before Christs spiritual presence be there; he that hath the spirit of Christ, hath Christ; we have the spirit of Christ before we believe, therefore we have Christ before we can believe; 8 Rom. 9, 10, 11. so [...]at it is Christ in us that brings us to Christ out of us; it is the spirit of Christ that leads a sinful soul to the person and righteousnes of Christ; faith is no condition, but one of the graces of the covenant on Gods part, to be given to those who are gi­ven unto Christ, and is not given be­fore the covenant, but in, with, and through the covenant, and there must [...]e the spiritual presence of Christ, who is the Author of [...]aith in the soul, [...]i­ther before or at the very first instant of believing, for that the cause must [Page 26] necessarily anteceede the effect.

Thus it manifestly appeares, that at Gods first entring into Covenant with a man, the poore Creature is meerely passive, having no condition at all in him, yet when God hath taken a man into Covenant with him­selfe, and sowne the immortall seed of grace in the field of his heart; and so sprung up light, life, and faith in the soule, then the soule is to say as Christ said, my Father worketh hither­to, 2 Cor. 6. 1 and I work [...]; or as the Apostle said, we are co-workers with him; yet here­in wee must also know it is not enough for God to tune the instru­ment of the soule, unlesse he himself also play thereon; without this, the Musick cannot be melodious; 1 Cor. 15. 45. it is not enough for God to worke grace in mens hearts, 5 John 21 but hee must also quicken, 6 John 63 put forth and act those graces he hath been pleased to infuse into, and worke in the Saints.

And it is Gods part not only to propound and to offer, but it is his part also and his promise to bring men into the bonds of the Covenant, 20 Ezek. 37. and to worke a willingnesse and abilitie [Page 27] in men to receive what he offers and gives; 2 Eph. 10 to believe what he promises, and to obey what he command [...].

The new Covenant is indeed meerely a Promise; for the Covenant that God makes with his now under the gospel, is all on his owne part, with­out any thing on mans; he makes himselfe ours, and makes us his, all is of his owne doing; though a Co­venant in the strict, legall and com­mon sense is upon certaine Article [...] of agreement and conditions on both sides to be performed: Thus stood the old Covenant; there was life pro­mised on condition of obedience, and so in Covenants and Contracts be­tween man and man, but now there is a Covenant, or rather promise in Jesus Christ, who is called the Media­tour or Manager of the Covenant, in which God gives himselfe freely in Christ to be the God of a poore sinner, Christ undertaking all both with the Father and the soule; It is not the way of a Covenant that the Gospel uses, but rather the promise or grace, or Salvation, and the Do­ctrine of it in Hebr. 8. 10. Jer. 31. 31. [Page 28] Ezek. 36. 26, 27. It is cleared to be onely promise, grace and free love to a sinner; for if any thing were to be done for life or salvation wee should darken the glory of free grace, and make it a promise neither whol­ly of grace, 11 Rom. 6 nor wholly of workes; Deus nos non nisi in eâ perfec­tione in quâ Chri­stus resur­rexit intue­tur. if it be of grace, it is no more of workes, otherwise grace is no more grace: nor is this promise of salvation given to sinners as sinners barely, sim­ply and singly, nor as qualified or conditioned▪ for so life should bee purchased by us, rather then for us; so as we are onely sinners in our own and others Judgments, but truly loved in Christ when the promise comes: And thus the Scripture calls us ungodly, and sinners, and children of wrath; not that we are so, but seem so; or not so in Gods account but the worlds. The Spirit saith, though they be black yet they are comely; they are so in the esteeme of him, who is of purer eyes then to behold iniquity, Rev. 3. 18 being clothed with the robes of Christs purity and holinesse; Isa. 65. 10 though in them­selves in the glasse of the Law, reason and sense they appeare black, yet in [Page 29] Christ through the glasse of the Gos­pel they are beautifull and comely to the eye of faith.

The new Covenant no Covenant properly with us, but with Christ for us. 89. Psa. 28 24 to 38.

God makes no covenant properly under the Gospel, 53. Isa. 10, 11. 12. as he did at first, but his covenant now is rather all of it a promise; 42 Isa 6, 7 man is not restored in such a way of covenant and condition as he was lost, 49. Isa. 9. but more freely and more by grace and mercy; 25 Psal. 14 and yet God covenants too, 13 Heb. 20 but it is not with man only, 89 Psal. 19 but with him that was God and man; 6 Heb. 17. even Jesus Christ; 26 Isa. 12. he is both the covenant, 89 Ps. 2. 35 and the messenger, or me­diatour of the covenant; God agreed to save man, but this agreement was with Christ, and all the conditions were on his part. He stood for us, and articled with God for us, and performed the conditions for life and glory; and yet because we are so concerned in it, it is called a covenant made with us, I wil make a new cove­nant with them; and yet that it may not [Page 30] be thought a covenant only with us, as the first was, it is called a new cove­nant, and a better covenant, and Christ is called the mediatour of it; and lest we should think some conditions were on our parts, as in the first, it is added, I wil writ [...] my Law in their hearts, I wil put my spirit within them; so as in this new covenant, God is our God of free grace and righteousnesse on his part, not for any conditional righteousnesse on ours; yet in Scrip­ture it is called stil a covenant, be­cause God is our God, stil a way of righteousness though of redemption too, and of condition too, yet not on ours, but on Christs part for us, and yet it is a covenant with us, because we are Christs. 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23.

This Covenant is a full and com­pleat Covenant, richly and plenti­fully stored with all suitable promises, both for this life and that which is to come; yea a poore Creature can­not be reduced unto that condition, but there is something in the covenant which suits with that condition, and tends to answer, relieve, and redresse [Page 31] him, be it for soule, body, or both: yea it is copiously stored with all sea­sonable and suitable promises, like that River of God which is said to be full of water; there is in God and in this covenant riches of sinne-pardoning mercy, and renewing grace, and riches of love, and grace to cover mens na­kednesse, and riches of glory to sa­tisfie their soules for ever; yea a poor creature (whether a Saint or a sinner) cannot possibly want the good thing but it is in Christ, and in the cove­nant, and it is promised in the covenant, for the Lords promises are altogether as large as his com­mands, and larger then his threat­nings.

It is a well ordered Covenant, 2 Sam. 23. 5. and that in three respects.

1. In respect of the promi­ses and parts of the covenant; as first, God becomes our God, and then makes us his people, and afterwards washes and sanctifies us from our sins.

2. In respect of manifestation; 2 Tim. [...] 10. God first reveales it by his outward Mini­stry, 2 Cor. 1. 21, 22. then afterwards reveales, seals [Page 32] & assure it unto mens souls by his Spirit

3. In respect of the ends of it; and these are God the fathers, and the Sons glory: and that he might display the banners of his soul-ravishing, and heart-melting goodness in the sight of his poore children.

This Covenant (though in respect of men it be altogether free) was foun­ded upon Christ and his merits; 2 Pet. 1. 1. yea, doubtlesse faith, 4 Gal. 5 and all the mercies and promises of the covenant were re­ally purchased by him, and the cove­nant it selfe is built upon the rock of a­ges, Christ Jesus.

This covenant is a sure covenant, and therupon the mercies therof came to be called the sure mercies of David, as sure as a rock, being founded upon Christ himself. Hear what the merciful and im­mutable God saith concerning it, yea unto such as had broken his statutes and commandments, 89 Psal. 31 32, 33 34 My Covenant I wil not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips; when God once comes into covenant with a soule, he wil not nor cannot break it with them; the Mountaines shall depart, 54 Isa. 10. and the hills shall be removed, but my kindnesse shall [Page 33] not depart from thee, nor shall the Cove­nant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee: And he speaks further by the Prophet Jeremiah; Jer. 33. 20 If you can breake my Covenant of the day, and my Covenant of the Night, that there shall not be day and night in their season, then may also my Cove­nant be broken &c. Rom. 8. 38, 39. As this covenant was not made with us, so it cannot bee broken by us; and as it was not made for our good workes, so it can­not be disanulled by our sinnes; it is not founded upon so rotten and san­dy a foundation, as selfe and per­formances are: what cause therefore have wee to breake out into joy and admiration of those heights and depths of the love and wisdome of God who hath neither made the covenant with us, nor left it in our keeping, but founded it upon his owne im­mutable word and promise, Psal. 89. 2 which he hath also confirmed by an oath?

As the new Covenant of grace is free, unconditionall on mans part, as it is meerely a promise, a full and compleat covenant, a well ordered covenant, founded upon the merit of [Page 34] Christ, and a sure covenant; so also it is an everlasting covenant; consi­der that he who made this covenant, is none other then the everlasting God, Isa. 40. 28. and his motive to make and en­ter into this covenant was his ever­lasting love; Jer. 31. 3. the righteousnesse up­on which it is established is an ever­lasting Righteousnesse; Dan. 9. 24 and all the mercies and blessings thereof are ever­lasting; Heb. 8. 12 as everlasting pardon; for I will be mercifull to their unrighteous­nesse, and their sinnes and Iniquities will I remember no more. Jsa. 54. 8. Everlasting kindnesse: 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; Psa. 100. 5 everlasting mercy; for the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting and his truth endureth to all generations. Everlasting joy, Jsa. 35. 10. and the ransomed of the Lord shall returne and come to Si­on with Songs and everlasting joy up­on their heads, 2 Thes. 2. 16, 17. &c. Everlasting con­solation; Now our Lord Jesus Christ himselfe, and God even our Father, who hath loved us and given us everla­sting consolation, &c. and likewise ever­lasting [Page 35] life. For God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son, John 3. 16 that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. God hath ordained men unto eternal life, before they believe; and faith is a fruit of the spirit of Christ, and of consequence we must be in Christ before we can bring forth fruit: John 3. 16 that whosoever believeth on him, should not perish, &c. This and such like ex­pressions are to be considered as decla­rations of the qualification of such as are saved; not that faith gives us any in­terest in Christ, but manifests unto us, that he who hath loved us with an everlasting love, hath by his Spirit come into our hearts and created faith there and shewed forth this love unto us.

When God is said to be in Covenant with a Soule.

A soule is then properly, actually or expressy in Covenant with God, when God hath come to it in the pro­mise, and then when it feels it self [Page 36] under the power of the promise, it be­gins only to know it is in Covenant; and yet to obey as if it were but to en­ter into that covenant which God hath made with it in Christ, before it could do any thing; so as they that believe doe rather feele themselves in that co­venant which God hath made with them, without any thing in themselves, either faith or repentance, &c.

The effect of this Covenant.

The Lord in and through this cove­nant, brings a poore creature to see, and seeing, to admire the superabun­dant riches of his free grace and love, and humbly and thankfully to em­brace the same; and the heart, thus wrought upon, vehemently desires that such carriage and kindness of its God might not slip out of mind; but that the consideration of this soul-ravishing heart-melting, and astonishing grace and loving kindnesse, might through the Spirit of the Mediatour of this co­venant, carry him forth stedfastly to believe in, dearly to love, chearfully [Page 37] to obey, and dutifully to honour and serve the God of this mercy, in soule, body, and spirit, so long as the Sun and Moon endure, and for ever; in a word, the soul is carried forth, out of selfe, unto God, and in God alone finds rest and satisfaction.

Divers inviting Characters, and soul-winning encouragements of faith.

Faith is an assenting or cleaving to the truth and faithfulnesse of God in his promise; Rom. 4. 20 21. not from any thing the soule sees, or feels in it selfe, but from something it apprehends in God, in his word; faith sometimes is attended with much strife and strugling; for Satan wil say to the soule, it is in vain to believe, Christ saith, come, I will ease thee; and faith sweetly perswades the heart to rest upon the ability and fidelity of God in his free promise. Faith is an emptying grace, yea it is its property to empty the soule, and keep it empty of selfe confidence; and thereby it makes way for receiving of the righteousnesse of Christ, even as [Page 38] the poor widows empty vessels, 1 Kings 17. 14, 16 for the receiving of the oyl out of the cruse, whereas the fulnesse of the vessel cau­sed the stay. Yea, it implies an em­ptinesse of selfe, that we may be filled with him, out of whose fulnesse, wee receive grace for grace.

Faith is a believing that Jesus Christ is the Christ, which implies a seeing, and knowing that all is in Christ for life and salvation, and so to rest upon him for it: he that thus believs in Christ, is brought over by Christ, unto Christ: and so centered upon him, John. 6. 58 that he wil never go from him. My soule, wait thou on God, Psal. 62. 5. for my expectation is from him.

And in those souls who enjoy this precious faith; old things are done a­way, and they are new creatures; there is a light set up in the soul, and the soul sees and knowes all is by Christ, and that there is no way, or meanes of life, but by him; and thereupon closes with him, and rests upon him.

Faith looks unto what God saith, rests upon it, and sets to its seale that God is true.

[Page 39] Faith doth not lay hold on Christ to fetch Justification from him, till Christ hath first laid hold on us, and imputed his righteousness unto us, and by his Spirit in a free promise of grace declared the same unto us; Quid putas aliud fidem esse quam sensum & gustum mi­sericordi [...] & [...]. Dei in Christo: hic sensus mi­sericordi [...] et is est qui laxat corda solvitque in dilectio­nem Dei, &c. Rol­loc on 5. John. and then faith becomes active to receive and de­pend upon Christ and his everlasting righteousnesse.

Faith works by love, and most high­ly prizeth Christ and his righteous­nesse, debases and vilifies self, ad­mires the immense and infinite riches of Gods free grace and love, and en­gages the heart to holinesse; yea, to dedicate it selfe as a monument of e­ternal praise and thanksgiving for his inestimable goodnesse.

Yea, that soul that is possessed of such precious faith, can never in its owne eye see God high enough, nor it selfe vile enough, Phil. 3. 8, 9 10 and fetches all its strength from Christ to doe all it doth. Ezek. 16. 9 10.

There are many mistakes about faith, some have thought comfort, Gal. 2. 20. joy, or ravishments of soule with God to be faith, Mat 22. 37 and so because they had not them, have concluded they had no [Page 40] faith; it is not mens believing, but the object of faith, that gives faith its denomination. There are many precious souls that trust in Christ for life, from an hope of mercy, but this hope (though the poore soul at pre­sent sees or knowes no certainty of en­joyment of what it hopes for) hath a blessing intailed on it: Turn ye to the strong hold, Mat. 16. 17. ye prisoners of hope. Zech. 9. 11

Eleven Motives to believe.

1. By believing, Joh. 3, 15, 16, 36. we come to know our interest in Christ, and salvation by him. John 6. 40

2. By believing, Joh. 3. 33. we honour God; he that receives his testimony, hath set to his seale that God is true.

3. If ye believe not, Isa. 7. 9. surely ye shall not be established; Rom. 11. 20 there is no true quietnesse and settlement of soule without believing; Heb. 9. 12. thou standest by faith, Heb. 4. [...] and fallest into sin by unbeliefe; the word preached, is precious and powerful, yet it profited not, being not mixed with faith in them that heard it.

[Page 41] 4. Its faith that rids the soule of all its distempers, Rom. 5. 1 doubts, feares and discouragements; we may not sepa­rate the Spirit from faith, nor faith from the Spirit, nor Christ from both.

5. By faith in Christ thou shalt be kept in perfect peace, it will sweetly and transcendently refresh the soule; Isa. 26. 3, 4 thou shalt keep him in perfect peace because he trusts in thee. 5 Rom. 1. Being ju­stified by faith, we have peace with God; by faith we apprehend Christ our Justification, the fruit of which is joy and peace.

6. By unbelief we adde sinne un­to sinne in the highest nature, if we believe not what God saith, we ac­cuse God of speaking falsely: 1 Joh. 5. 10. he that believeth not hath made God a lyer It is impossible for God to lye, the strength of Israel cannot lye, nor can it be any dishonour to God or dan­ger to thy selfe to hope in his mercy and believe in him: 1 Sam. 15. 29. The eye of the Lord is upon them that hope in his mercy. 33 Psal. 18

7. As bad as thou canst be, have been received unto mercy; Jesus Christ [Page 42] came into the world to save sinners. 1 Tim. 1. 15, 16. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation. When thou lay­est in thy blood, 16 Ezek. 8 it was a time of love; Rom. 4. 5. He justifies the ungodly; While we were yet sinners, Rom. 5. 8. 10. Christ dyed for us; have hope therefore, feare not but believe; Mark. 5. 36. the Lord will command his loving kindnesse in the day time, Psal. 42 8. and in the night his song shall be with thee, hope thou in God.

8. Unbeliefe streightens thy heart, stops thy mouth, and hinders thy thankfulnesse and praysing of God; thou shalt be dumb because thou be­lievest not. Luk. 1. 20.

9. Unlesse we believe, we can ne­ver glorifie God. Abraham stagger­ed not at the promise of God through unbeliefe, Rom. 4. 20 but was strong in faith giving glory to God.

10. Our naked cleaving to God in his free promise shall carry down all our distempers at once, Isa. 26. 3. and drowne them in it as in a Sea; the promises will answer all thy doubts and feares whatsoever, and fill our soules with peace in believing.

11. By our unbeliefe wee oppose [Page 43] riches of grace and love; yea, that love that could love enmity it selfe, and re­concile those unto God, that are en­mity against him.

There is but looking up to Christ Je­sus, and salvation is in thy soule; and believing with thy heart, and thou art saved: Isa. 45. 22. thou wert saved by Christ before, but now in thy selfe.

Jesus Christ and forgivenesse of sins in his name, and redemption through his blood, is the first and only thing held forth in the Gospel to sin­ners; the other mysterie of Righte­ousnesse is revealed to believers; for­givenesse of sins is first taught, that they may believe; and the other glo­rious mysteries are taught, that they may know what they believe: they are first to see Gods love, and after­wards his glory: Jesus Christ crucified, is the best story for sinners; and Jesus Christ exalted, for Saints; and there­fore it is, that in all the Apostles Ser­mons, the story of blood and redem­tion [Page 44] was first preached; and when they did believe that, then they wrote Epi­stles and Revelations of greater things unto them, so as they spake of Christ only to make them beleeve, and wrote to them of him when they did be­leeve.

Salvation is not made any puzzling work in the Gospel; it is plainly, easi­ly, and simply revealed; Jesus Christ was crucified for sinners; this is salva­tion, and this work of salvation is past and finished, sins are blotted out, sin­ners are justified by him that rose for their justification; Rom. 4. 25 now that which we must do to be saved, Act. 16. 31. is to believe in the Lord Jesus Jesus Christ, and the promise is annexed, thou shalt be saved. All that is to be done in the work of salvation, is to believe that there is such a worke, and that Christ dyed for thee among all those other sinners he dyed for. 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is the command­ment, that ye believe on his Son Jesus Christ; that is, that ye be perswaded of such a thing, that Christ was crucifi­ed for sins, and for your sins, and we are called on to believe, because they only that can believe, are justified▪ by [Page 45] him all that believe are justified; Act. 13. 39 so that salvation is not a business of our wor­king and doing; it was done by Christ with the Father: Sin, Satan, and hel were all triumphed over by Christ him­self openly for us; and all our worke is no worke of salvation, but in salvati­on; in the salvation we have by Christ. We receive all, not doing any thing that we may receive more, but doing because we receive so much; and be­cause we are saved: therefore we work, not that we may be saved, and yet we are to worke as much as if we were to be saved by what we doe, because so much is done already for us, and to our hands, as if we were to receive it for what we did our selves; this is short work, believe and be saved, and yet this is the only gospel work and way. Christ tels ye in few words, and his Apostles in as few. John 3. 14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wildernesse, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoso­ever believes on him should have eternal life; Rom. 10. 6 7, 8, 9 Saith Saint Paul, say not in thy heart, who shall ascend into heaven; that is, to bring Christ from above? or who shall descend into into the deepe? that is, [Page 46] to bring Christ from the dead? but what saith it? the word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart; the word of faith which we preach. if thou shalt confesse with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be sa­ved.

The work is already done, but then thou shalt see that it is done.

There are five grounds why salva­tion is so soone done.

1. Because it was done before by Christ, but not believed on before by thee til now.

2. Because it is the Gospel way of dispensation to assure and passe o­ver salvation in Christ to any that will believe it.

3. There needs no more on our sides to work or warrant salvation to us, but to be perswaded that Christ Jesus died for us, because Christ hath suffered, and God is satisfied; now suffering and satisfaction, is that great worke of salvation.

4. Because they and they only are justified who can believe. Rom. 1. 17 Righteous­nesse is revealed from faith to faith, Act. 13. 39 all [Page 47] that believe are justified.

5. That it may be by grace, Rom. 3. 24 and not of works, being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

How God begets faith in an unbelie­ver.

We are commanded to believe, and faith is the gift of God; Ephes. 2. [...] and the Spi­rit of Christ (without which we can do nothing) enlightens our under­standings, Joh. 15. 5. and worketh faith in us; Eph. 1. 19 and hereupon our believing is said to be the work of God, 2 Cor. 3. 17. 18. and the Spirit having set up a divine light in our un­derstandings (we being before altoge­ther darknesse) bowes our hearts to believe; and indeede without this quickning Spirit of Christ the two edged sword of the word preached, 1 Pet. 1. 23. 24. 25. wil prove but as Scanderbegs sword, which without Scanderbegs arm, was a­ble to doe little or nothing. It is through grace that men believe, Act [...]8. 27. yet men are to use the means; for in the preaching of the word God hath [Page 48] covenanted, that his Spirit go along with, 2 Thes. 2. 13, 14 and add power to the word spo­ken, & make it effectual to the enabling of the creature to obey; Isa. 59. 20, 21 he said unto me, Son of man, Ezekiel 2. 2 stand upon thy feet, and the Spirit entered into me when he had spo­ken unto me, and set me upon my feet. And the dead shal hear the voice of the Son of God, Joh. 5. 25. and they that hear shall live; otherwi [...]e were it in vaine to speak un­to dead men to believe, [...] Pet. 4. 6. and all men are by nature spiritually dead, Eph. 2. 1, 4 5. only they believe, whose hearts God opens: None can believe but they unto whom it is given. Act. 16. 14

When the soule is come to believe that Christ was made sinne for it; its doubts are vanquished, and the soul sweetly quieted and setled.

As soone as Jesus Christ by his Spi­rit hath convinced the soule that he is made sin for it, Peccat ini [...] quus, et pu­nitur justus and that it is made the Righteousnesse of God in him, then do all its doubts, 2 Cor. 5. 21 fears, and objections vanish; and Christ is believed in, and lived upon with thankfulnesse and joy; [Page 49] yea, such a soule by its eye of faith, sees it farre better, that Christ was made sin for it, then if it had never sinned; yea, as much better as a spi­ritual body is better then a natural, 1 Cor. 15. 43, 44, to 55. as much better as the image of the hea­venly is better then the image of the earthly body; yea as much better as strength is better then weaknesse, and as heaven is better then earth: Rom, 5. 1. It is faith in Christ that rids the soul of all its distempers, doubts, fears, and dis­couragements: we may not separate the Spirit from faith, for faith is the fruit and effect of the Spirit, and wee cannot rationally expect the effect without its cause. And it is the want of faith that causes troubles in the soul; John 14. saith Christ, ye believe in God, be­lieve also in me, and let not your hearts be troubled, believing in Christ sweet­ly quiets and settles a troubled soule, and those that know God, wil trust him with their bodies and souls, and that upon his word; Ps. 9 9. 1 [...] all that know thy name, wil trust in thee; yea, they wil cleave unto God in his promise, even then when they are in their greatest fears, and most sensible of their owne [Page 50] vilenesse, and that not without suffi­cient war [...]ant; Psa. 62. 8 Trust in him at all times; God is a refuge for us, Selah; if at all times, then at the worst of times, yea even then believe, and hear nothing against thy believing of God in his promise; Rom. 4. 18. Abraham the faith­full believed against hope; oh be­lieve God intends thy good; Luk. 19. 10 Christ came to seeke and to save the lost; such as are lost in their sight and sense of their owne vilenesse, insufficiency and misery.

A Collection of divers things, from wh [...]n [...]e it is that many weake Believers are incompassed with so many doubts, Isa. 41. 10 feares and discouragements, together with sundry especiall meanes, which they are to make use of, and wherein the Lord Jesus usually qui [...]ts and [...] a disquieted soule in the assurance of his Love.

Negatively; the doubts, feares, and discouragements of weake Belie­vers proceed not from God, for his voice is peace and comfort to his peo­ple; Jer. 29. 11 [...] [Page 51] I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evill; Isa. 40. 1, 2. Comfort yee my people saith the Lord; speake yee comfortably to Jerusalem; cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; You see they come not from God. Nor come they from Christ; he neither troubles nor discourages any, it was promised concerning him, that hee should speake peace; 9 Zech. 9. 10. Thy King cometh; he shall speak peace unto the Heathen, this is his worke, and he doth it; there­fore he doth not trouble, nor dis­courage any; He is the horne of Sal­vation that God hath raised up for us to guide our feete in the way of peace. Luk. 1. 69 79. He opens the blinde eyes. He brings out the prisoners from the pri­son, and them that sit in darknesse out of the prison-house. Isa. 61, 1, 2, 3. He is that light that is sprung up unto those that sit in darknesse, Matth. 4. 16. and in the Region and shadow of death; he bindes up the bro­ken hearted; he proclaimes peace and liberty; Luk. 4. 18 he comforts all that mourne. He gives beautie for ashes, the oyle of joy for mourning, and the garments of [Page 52] Praise for the spirit of heavinesse; he was given to heale the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the Captives, and recovering of sight to the blinde, to set at liberty poore bruised prisoners that have been taken Captive by the Devil; and the maine end of his coming is to abolish death, 2 Tim. 1. 10. and to bring life and Immortality to light through the Gospel; this is his worke and he doth it: Isa. 42. 3. he is gracious and pitifull, hee will not quench the smoaking flax, nor breake the bruised reed, John 13. 1 his voice is full of love and tendernesse, his words are sweet words, Luke 12. 32. as Let not your hearts be troubled; feare not, it is your fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome; 1 Pet. 5. 7▪ Cast your care upon me, I will care for you; Christs voyce un­to his poore people is; Open to mee, my sister, Cant. 5. 2. my Love, my Dove, my unde­filed; his name is King of Salem, that is King of peace; Heb. 7. 2. It is palpably ap­parent that our feares and discourage­ments come not from Christ; Nor come they from the holy Spirit of God; John 14. 16. 26. for he is the great and most sweet Comforter, Rom. 8. 26 he causes no discou­ragements, Cor. 1. 2 9. 10. but removes them all [Page 53] by revealing and applying unto the soule the love of God; G [...]l▪ [...] 5. and carries the soule by faith from all discourage­ments unto God, Psa. 116. 7 who is love and peace, where the soule is to rest and be filled with sweet peace; This is the worke of the Spirit, and hence it is that he is called the Comforter; John 15. 26. he never caused the least feare or dis­couragement in the soule of any.

The consideration that our feares, doubts and discouragements come not from God, nor from Christ, nor from the holy Spirit is sweet; for then what need wee regard them? yea we may slight them.

Affirmatively; the doubts, feares, and discouragements of weake belie­vers doe proceed, viz.

1. From the Devill, who is a mali­cious adversary to the Saints; hee either tempts us to sinne, and that will cause us to doubt; or else hee tempts us to doubt and that will cause us to sinne: and thus he raises doubts and feares to hinder their comfort and peace in believing; Luke 8. 12. he also tempts them, 1 Thes. 3. 5 and takes the word out of their hearts least they should believe. Psal. 42, 10. From [Page 54] whence these particulars ensue.

2. From our owne hearts; Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeliefe in de­parting from the living God. Heb. 3. 12.

3. From the lying vanities we have chosen; Jonah. 2, 8 they that hearken unto lying vanities forsake their owne mer­cies.

4. From ignorance, heedlesnesse, and forgetfulnesse of the fulnesse and freenesse of the promise of God, Isa 55. 2. and his everlasting covenant of grace, Isa. 51. 11, 12, 13. and from living by sense, and not by faith.

5. From unskilfulnesse of the word of righteousnesse. Heb. 5. 13. 7.

6. From the want of watchfulnesse against sin; the not keeping of a clear conscience, omission of duties, and loose walking with God; these will raise tumults in the soul.

7. From building our hope and comfort upon that which is mutable and uncertaine, Mic. 2. 10. upon our own perso­nal Sanctification, and not upon Christ and our free justification by him, who is made unto us of God, Wisdom, [Page 55] Righteousnesse, Sanctification, and Redemption.

8. From ou [...] owne false reasonings as to conclude that we have no work [...]o grace wrought upon us, because we as present cannot see or feele any grace in our selves; thus many weake believers, that are through Christ right precious in the sight of God, Joh. 15. [...]. are subject to delude themselves in chu­sing trouble, and pre [...]erring it before com [...]ort.

9. From the bodies distemper with melancolly, and troubling your selves with the event of things, Jonah 3. 9 and from pride, Jer. 31. 15. which hinders a quiet submission unto God, in that condition inward or outward, which he hath led us un­to; and from want of patience to wait upon him for deliverance out of trou­ble in the use of means.

10. From want of consideration of the ground of the trouble, and enquiry whether it ought to be a cause of dis­couragement or not.

11. From too much eying of sinne, or an over-sensiblenesse of infirmities, and not eying of Christ with them, the conscience enlighted siding with the law against it self.

[Page 56] 12. From the poor creature striving to get out of its dungeon by its ownwrest­ling, whereby in steed of gaining inlarg­ment, it heightens its own distempers.

13. From unbelief, Dan. 9. 24 which takes the law, Rom. 8. 2. and applies the same with the threats thereof unto the soule, Rom. 10. 4 therby occasioning fears and discouragements

14. From ignorance of the love of Christ, Gal. 3. 13. and when the blessed spirit of truth doth once come into the soule, 8 Rom. 35 38, 39. and discover the love of Christ un­to it, its doubts are immediately resolved; and it is sweetely revived.

15 From slighting the means that God hath given for our recovery; we are indeed with thankfulnesse to use the means, and yet to know that means cannot cure a soul; it must be the operation of the Spirit of Christ in the soul, which is as God pleases. Rom. 8. 16

16. From Gods not appearing to, and the Spirits not operating in the soule; the operation whereof, disco­vers unto the soule, the overflowing fulnesse of the loves of Christ, and brings the soule to believe in the Lord Jesus, and trust in his mercy.

Our carnal reason, and corrupt [Page 57] hearts, and Satan with his suggestions are so neere us, and before our eyes, that we cannot see God; and we hear­ken so much unto what these dictate, that we mind not the blessed voice of the Spirit of Christ, which would revive and fill our soules with joy and peace in believing, and make us so wise and strong in his time, that we should not any more cast away our confidence in God. And as Gods love (which is free, Heb. 10. 35 ful, and perfect) is discovered to the soule; Heb 3. 6. 14. so, yea, in the same mea­sure, 1 Joh. 4. 18. anr doubts and feares cast out. Perfect love casts out fear, and the poore creature is made perfect in love.

Nine Reasons against fears and discou­ragements in a believer, raised from Isaiah 41. 10.

Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not dismayed, for I am thy God; I wil strengthen thee, yea, I wil help thee, yea, I wil uphold thee with the right hand of my Righteousnesse.

The first reason is, Because it is a­gainst Gods command for a believer [Page 58] to feare or be discouraged; fear thou not.

2. Because thou hast the presence of God to helpe thee; I am with thee.

3. Because a believer hath an inte­rest in God, which is a happinesse be­yond all miseries; I am thy God.

4. Because nothing can befall him, but what God appoints, who loveth him.

5. Because whatsoever befals him, Rom. 8. 28 shall do him good.

6. Because the bitternesse shal be but short. Rom. 16. 20.

7. Because fears and discourage­ments never do any good, but much hurt; they deprive us of many an opportunity of doing Christ ser­vice.

8. Because fears are doubts are un­suitable for a Saint; Rev. 21. 8 the fearful and unbelieving, shall have their part in the lake, &c. with S [...]rcerers, Idolaters, and Lyars.

9. Because fears are unreasonable for a child of God; Psa. 34. 10 the Lord having given unto his many sweet and preci­ous promises, Heb. 13. 5 That they shall not want [Page 59] any good thing; 1 Thes. 5. 16 he hath said. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; they are therefore safe, and neede not to fear, but in God alwaies rejoice, and sing praises to him.

One and twenty several means to be used by poore weake believers, for their settlement in the assurance of the love of God, Isa. 54. 11 when they are tossed with tempests, and incompassed with discouragements, viz.

1. Means. Commune with thine owne heart, Psal 77. 6. and make diligent search to find out what it is that troubles thee. Psal. 42. 5, 6, 7, 8 Reason within thy selfe; Why art thou cast downe, O my soule, and disquieted within me? &c.

2. Means. Prov. 3. 5, 6, 7, 8 Renounce all lying vani­ties, and hearken unto none of them; hearken not to the voice of thine own heart; it is a lying vanity, and wil de­ceive thee.

Hearken not unto sense; Thomas said, John 20 24, 25. he would not believe, unlesse he might see, and thrust his hand into his side; Heb. 5. 14 but such sensual practises are [Page 60] to be abhorred by us, for it is no o­ther but to consult with flesh and blood, which cannot discern spiritual things, 1 Cor. 2. 14 and is condemned; some wil see an holy frame of Spirit in themselvs and feele sinne subdued before they wil believe, Gal. 1. 16 this is sensual; for faith lookes not to such things as these, but to God in his word, 2 Cor. 5. 7 therefore we live not by sight, but by faith; blessed are they which have not seen, Joh. 20, 29 yet have believed.

Hearken not unto carnal reason, for in so doing thou canst neither believe, submit to God, not be setled. Reason wil say, a Virgin cannot bring forth a child, Gen. 17. 16 17 and that a woman ninetie years of age is past conceiving a child; Reason contradicts God himselfe, Heb. 11. 30 31, 32, 33, 34. &c. and saith, these things cannot be; can reason believe that the wals of Jericho fel down by faith? and that the Saints stopped the mouths of Lyons, and quenched the violence of fire? Yet faith did it. Is it likely or possible to reason for a man to walke upon the sea, or Peter did? Did not Christs command seeme vain to Peters reason, Mat. 14. 29 29. that he should then cast h [...]s net into [Page 61] [...]he sea, seeing he had cast it in so of­ten, John 21. 3 and fished all night, and caught no­thing? Can reason conceive how the dead, who are eaten with beasts and fishes, and turned into dust, can be raised unto life? or that the sea can be divided? the Sun go backwards? the Rocks yeild water in abundance? Ezek. 37. 1, 2, 3, 5, 10 the flint be turned into a fountaine of wa­ter? Ps. 114. 8 or that drie bones shal live? Surely there can be no reason given to reason for these things; wherefore seeing that sense and reason are so contrary to God in his word; we may not hear­ken to them when they say, the soule hath no grace, because sense seeth or f [...]eleth none, and that God wil not pardon our sins, because there is no reason to reason why he should, nor any way to reason which way it can be; Mat. 19. 26 for with God all things are possible. Job 9. 10. Also live not upon duties and perfor­mances, groundlesse hopes, nor peace, comfort, joy, raptures, or ra­vishments whether true or false; live upon God alone, and if thou livest upon any thing else, as thy foundation, whatsoever your sparks be, you shall lie down in sorrow. Isa. 50. 11.

[Page 62] 3. Means. Give no way at all to any discouragement, although it seem never so just and reasonable; This was David sin to admit of a P [...]rley with that which he looked upon, as tending to his discouragement; Psal. 77. 8, 9, 10. say­ing, Will the Lord cast off for ever? doth his promise faile for evermore? I said; this is my infirmity. As soone as he saw his infirm [...]ty, he had other thoughts of God, saying, Who is so great a God as our God? Psal. 77. 14 19 thou art the God that d [...]st wonde [...]s, and thy footsteps are not known. If God in his great­nesse, mercy, and the wonders he doth, and the way he goeth, were knowne by us, we should admire and rejoyce at that, for which we now mourn.

4. Means. Learn to know, and di­stinguish betweene the voice of Christ and all other voices; Can. 2. 8 learne to know and say distinguishingly of Christs voice; Luk. 5. 20. it is the voice of my beloved, and hearken to it, Luk. 7. 48 for it is peace; Heb. [...]0 17 thy sin [...] are forgiven thee; I wil remember them no more; therefore that voice that tends to the hindrance of the Saints peace, suiteth with the voice of [Page 63] Satan, Psal. 85 [...] and is not the voice of Christ; I wil heare what the Lord wil speake, for he wil speake peace unto his people; Satan makes it his work to contradict this voice of God unto the soul, and say, it is a delusion, and not likely to be from God; yea, and alledgeth see­ming reason for it; saying unto the soule, Art thou a child of God and thus overpowered with corruptions, &c? And now because this voice is suitable to carnal reason, the poore soule is ready to close with it, and con­clude against God, and its owne com­fort, that the voice of peace was not from God, but a delusion of Satan; and hereupon comes to mistake Christs voice to be the voice of Satan, and Sa­tans voice to be of Christ; therefore know oh poore soule, Heb. 3 1 [...] that such dis­couraging voices are from the di­vel, and not from the Prince of peace.

3. Means. Learne to knovv and di­stinguish betweene the voice of the Gospel, Gal. 3 10, 11 and the voice of the Lavv; the Lavv saith, Cursed is every one that con­tinueth not in all things that are written in the Law to do them: vvhen there is [Page 64] any worke to be done, upon paine of punishment, or upon promise of eternall life, it is the voyce of the Law: the Law requires doing some­thing for life. Moses describing the Righteousnesse of the Law, Rom. 10. 5. saith, That the man that doth these things shall live by them. But the voyce of the Gospel is farre otherwise, as that Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, Gal. 3. 13. being made a Curse for us; Eph. 3. 20 and that his mercy is above what we can aske or thinke; The promises of life are free and without condi­tion, the Gospel declares what God workes in us, and freely gives unto us; I will love them freely. Hos. 14. 4 If we listned more unto the promise, which is the voice of the Gospel, and not to the voyce of the Law; wee should en­joy more peace, and finde lesse trouble.

6. Meanes) Meddle not with the threatnings in the word so as to apply them to thy soule, Gal. 3. 13. 17. for that they be­long not unto thee, and are no part of thy portion; Gal. 4. 5. they concerne not the state of a believer (however they may be of use to prevent sinne, [Page 65] yet are of no use unto him after com­mission of it; yea, it is a weaknesse in a believer after commission of sinne, to apply unto himself the threats of the Law against that sinne, because we are not under the law, Rom. 6. 14 but under grace. Rom. 8. 33 35, 38, 39 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? Christ being made a curse for us, hath made per­fect satisfaction on our behalves unto the justice of God, Dan. 9. 24 and brought in an everlasting righteousness: Rom 6. 7, 10, 11 Reckon your selves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ Je­sus our Lord. This to doe, is indeed against carnal reason, sight, sense and feeling; 2 Cor. 5. 7▪ but we are to walke by faith and not by sight.

7. Means. Judg not your condi­tion by false principles; some judge their eternal condition desperate, for that they want those things, the en­joyment whereof, would not prove their state good; as knowledge, me­mory, parts, sensiblenesse of sins, &c. Others account their state and condi­tion very bad, for that they are incom­passed with those things, which if they were freed from, would not prove [Page 66] their eternal condition good, as passi­on, temptations, discontentednesse at the providences of God &c.

8. Means. Take heed ye be not o­verwhelmed with sin; eye not so much thy infirmities; beware of such a min­ding and complaining of sin, as tends to discourage, oppresse and trouble thy soule; Davids experience speakes it sinful; Psal 77. 3, 4, 8 I complained, saith he, and my spirit was overwhelmed, I am so trou­bled that I cannot speake; to eye sinne so as to be overwhelmed, and to have our spirits drunk up in the considera­tion of it, is both against God, and thy owne soule; what thou seest and feel [...]st, pore not upon; and learn to see and perceive what is not obvious to thine owne sense and sight; Heb 11. 1. faith is the evidence of things not seene, 2 Cor. 5. 7 walk by faith, and not by sight.

9. Means. E [...]e Christ al [...]ne, mind him, meditate upon him, the riches and freenesse of his grace, and fetch all thy consolation from him, 1 Cor. 1. 30 who is made unto thee of God, Wisdome, Righteousnesse, Ps. 116. 7 Sanctification and Redemption; eye not so much thy selfe, or thy sins, as Christs full and [Page 67] perfect satisfaction, Isa. 53. 5, 6 11 which was offe­red by him, and accepted of by God the Father for all thy sinnes; oh ther­fore live in, and rest upon the Lord Jesus alone, and place all thy confi­dence in him who wil settle thee, com­fort, Rom. 4. 17 quicken, and uphold thee, and be infinitely better unto thee then thy selfe can be. 1 Cor. 15. 45

10. Means. Learne to distinguish betweene thy justification, Haec volun­tatis p [...]rfe­cta impletio Sanctifica­tio est Chri­sti, et hac nos sancti­ficat, quia nobis impu­tatur, saith Z [...]chy. and thy personal sanctification; the first is quite out of thy selfe, consisting in the imputation of Christs righteousnesse inherent in him, who sits at the right hand of God, and farre above the reach and spheare of sins activity, and is therefore perfect and compleate; yea the foundation of all blessednesse: The later is in our selves, Justifica­tio est actio individua semel et si­mul. and therefore weake and uncertaine; he that un­derstands not the true nature and do­ctrine of justification, cannot enjoy true, Rom. 5. 13 stable and constant peace. Rom. 4. 6, 7, 8 In the right understanding of this point, is treasured up a fountaine of soul-revi­ving consolation. Psalm 32 2

11. Means. Let not thy comfort depend upon thy owne personal san­ctification, [Page 68] because from it there can no stable comfort proceede; this is none of the least causes of much trou­ble in many weak believers, viz. to seeke the living among the dead, to think to suck consolation at the brest of their own sanctification; whereas the spiritualized Christians experience tels him, that his sanctification hath no­thing to do with his justification or sal­vation as any cause of it: Christus justificati­onem dicit esse Rege­nerationem. Melanct.i [...] John 3 sanctificati­on also admits of degrees; but justifi­cation neither of rules nor degrees, and is abundantly more glorious then sanctification, nor having any depen­dency upon our apprehending, or re­ceiving it, but upon what the Lord Jesus hath done for us; justification is effected by Christ, Heb. 11. 1 and apprehen­ded by faith; The Spirit and faith do evidence unto us our justification. All that believe are justified, Acts 13. 39 &c. The Spirit also in another place intimates unto us, Heb. 10. 22 that it is possible to have a full assurance of faith; faith is an un­questionable evidence, and when faith is hidden and doubtful, Justifi­cation is not apprehended, nor san­ctification evident, but doubtful; and [Page 69] so cannot evidence unto us our Justi­fication; but rather induce us to call it into question. And that soule that apprehends its free justification by Christ Jesus alone, Rom. 4. 25 may live upon it, and thence enjoy unspeakeable peace, joy, and strength (the sweete fruits and effects thereof) yea at that time, Hab. 3. 17, 18, 19. when he sees no personal sanctification in himselfe, since Christ is made unto him sanctification: Why may not a soule live by faith upon that at all times and say, I have sanctification in him that hath justified me; 1 Cor. 1 30 and this is perfect? my own actual righteous­nesse often failes me, saith such a soul, but Christs endures for ever; Psal. 111. 3 there­fore wil I fetch all my comfort from Christ and from my free justification by him. And as we are not to con­clude our justification from any effect of sanctification, Tit. 2▪ 14 so we are not to conclude, that apprehension of Justi­fication to be from God, which takes us off the meanes, waies, or rules of sanctification; for when the grace of God appeares, it teaches men to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts, and in our souls, bo­dies [Page 70] and conversations to honour and magnifie the God of our mercies, who hath justifi'd us freely by his grace.

12. Means. Allow not your selves in any sin, but in the strength of God hate and abhor, all sin, and the ap­pearance thereof, yea, with the grea­est indignation; it is better to die then to sinne; there is that in sin, which strikes at a poore believers peace and comfort, and joy in God; it wil damp and straighten the soul; yea is a let to our faith, and brings unsettled­ness and disquietness to the poor soul.

13. Means. Mind seriously those promises that are sutable to thy con­dition, and apply them to thy owne soule; God hath imparted himselfe, and ingaged his faithfulnesse in the promise, and it is our duty, and would be our wisdome, to rest thereupon: in order whereunto, Prov. 18. 2. separate thy selfe to meditate thereon; thou knowest not but that God may reveale the promise more and more in thy medi­tation of it, Eph. 1. 19, 20 and settle it by his al­mighty power upon thy soule; Psal. 19. 20 let not the precious promises of God be strange unto thee, be not willing to [Page 71] leave a promise, Eph 2. 9 until thou art refresh­ed by it; Psal. 130. 7 yea, raised and ravished with thankfnlnesse for the exceeding riches of his mercy and plentious re­demption held forth in them; as for example, that one promise in Heb. 10 17. Their sins and iniquities wil I re­member no more. This is enough (if accompanied with the Spirit of Christ) to quiet and settle a troubled soul.

14. Means. Treasure up experiences of Gods goodness unto thy soule; Philoso­phers say experience to be mul­tipl [...]x me­moria. Remember the dayes of old, saith David. I have considered the dayes of old, and the years of ancient time; thou hast beene my helpe. [...]sai. 77. 5 I was brought low, and he helped mee; Psal. 63. 7 therefore thy God who is unchangeable, 2 Tim. 4. 17. wil helpe thee still, Ps. 89. 49 and be thy refuge in the time of thy trouble. I tell thee, oh disquieted soule, that the calling of the experience of the goodness of thy God into thy mind, will be a notable means of quieting thy soule. Isa. 42. 23 This duty the Lord knowes a poore belie­ver is backward to; But who among you wil give eare to this? who wil hear­ken and heare for time to come? It is thy [Page 72] duty and priviledge oh believer, to set the loving kindness of thy God ever before thine eies: Psal. 48. 9 We have thought of thy loving kindnesse oh God.

15. Means. Slight not, nor refuse the consolations of thy God; let them not seeme small unto thee; Job 15. 11 Are the consolations of God small unto thee? oh disowne not the comfort that God gives out for thee, lest thou live to complaine as David, Psal. 77. 2. 10▪ my soul refused to be comforted; and to wish that thou hadst not despised nor refused it: be thankful unto the Lord, for what thou hast received, hold it fast, improve it to the glory of the Donor; and let nothing go that may tend to thy peace and establishment.

16. Meanes. Rest fatisfied in Christs righteousnesse, Psa. 71. 15, 16, 19, 24 and adde nothing to it: Ps. 119. 142 I wil make mention of thy righte­ousnesse, even of thine only: Thy righ­teousnesse (saith the Psalmist) is an e­verlasting Righteousnesse, See Psalm 31 & 50. 6. Jerem. 33. 16. The perfection of Christs righteousnesse is held forth unto us, and alwaies lies before us for us, that we may be ever comfor­ted in it, and rejoice with thanksgi­vings [Page 73] for it. Oh it is compleatly per­fect, and ful of divine consolation; yea it is a welspring of life to refresh and satisfie all the Lords people to the dayes of eternity; so that we have e­nough, we neede no other, nor any more righteousnesse to live up­on.

17. Meanes. Let not thy comfort depend upon Gods actings or dispen­sations towards thee, whether inward or outward; for so doing, thou canst not be setled; for these are often changeable, and contrary each to o­ther: one day thou mayst have peace, joy and strength, another none of these; to day perhaps God shewes him­selfe unto thee, and in a moment hee may hide himselfe; to day perhaps thou art rich, and enjoyest health and many friends, and yet to morrow thou mayst be poore, Heb. 13. 8 sick and thy friends alienated; Isa. 45. 7, 8 15 Gods actings in us and upon us, Cant. 5. 6. are not alwayes as he is unto us, Isa. 8. 17 God is unchangeable, and ever the same, however he may seem to be, therefore make a good constru­ction of all his dispensations towards thee, and know that his actings in us, [Page 74] or upon us, are the accomplishing of his wil for his owne glory and the good of his; that which I think worst for mee, may be best for mee; How ever it be, Psal. 73. 1 yet God is good, and good to mee. Thou oh Lord art still the same. Heb. 1. 12

18 Means. Frequent those whom God hath settled in the assurance of his love; these are able to direct and informe thee in the knowledge of the grace of God revealed in them; where­in is peace and joy unspeakable and ful of glory; 1 John 1. 4 many heare and confer with such as are ignorant of the grace of God, and finde successe according­ly.

19. Means. When our spirits are ne­ver so much dejected and sadned, we should with Isaiah, wind up our affecti­ons, and stirre up our selves to take hold on God, and remember that Christ is our resting place, Isa. 64. 7 whose spirit whis­pers in, and unto us as it did unto Da­vid, Psa. 116. 7 return unto thy rest oh my soule, &c. If thou hast sinned thou hast done very foolishly; it being done, it can­not be undone; what shal the soul do, but remember that sweet and gracious [Page 75] promise, Heb. 10. 17 their sins and iniquities I will remember no more? and consider that there is not any sin a believer can com­mit, Rom 8. 1, 33 that should cause him to cast a­way his confidence, or so much as question the love of God unto him, for any thing he hath done, or can be­fal him; All that know the name of the Lord, Psal. 9▪ 10. wil trust in him, and cleave unto him for strength, yea▪ to be their strength against sinne for the time to come; it is but a foolish conceit, that brings a poore child of God to cast away his confidence, and renders him culpable of the reprehension of our Saviour, Luke 24. 25 oh fools, and slow of heart to believe, &c. A poore believer is com­manded to come boldly to the throne of his Fathers grace; Heb. 4. 16. he may not in any wise admit of such a disquietnesse in his sorrowing for sin, as shall disco­rage and hinder him in obeying ano­ther command of God; 1 Thes. 5. 16 Rejoice ever­more.

20. Means. Know and remember the happinesse of a believer in Christ, Gal. 3. 28 though never so weake; 1 Joh. 1, 7 he is cleane from all sin by the blood of Christ, they are removed from him, so that [Page 76] he is accepted of God in Christ, Ps. 103▪ 12 as per­fect, 1 Joh. 4. 17 righteous and comely, as Christ is; Col. 1. 28 saith Christ, who is on with his Father, unto a poore believer, Thou art all faire, Cant. 4. 7 my love, there is no spot in thee; goe the [...]ore in much assurance and confidence, unto the throne of his grace who having given thee his Son, Rom. 8. 32 cannot but with him freely give thee all things, that he in his wisdome and love sees fit for thee, whether for soule, body, or both: Having therefore Brethren boldnesse to enter into the hol [...]st by the blood of Christ, Heb. 10. 19 20, 22, 23 by a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us through the vaile, Heb 4. 15 16. that is to say, his flesh. And seeeng that we have not an High Priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted, like as we are, yet with­out sinne. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of grace, Heb. 10. 22 23 that we may obtaine mercy, and find grace to helpe in time of neede; and let us draw neere with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water; let us hold fast the [Page 77] profession of our faith without waver­ing (for he is faithful that promised.) Rom. 8 33 38, 39 Whe [...] shal lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that justifieth. Meditate on these precious truths, until then sweet influence through the Spirit of him, who raised up Jesus from the dead, have warmed and enlivened thy soule

21. Means. Lastly, know and remember, that though these means, tending so much to the soules settle­ment: in, and assurance of the love of God, are to be used; yet means alone are [...] sufficient to quiet and settle a tro [...]l [...]d soule; it is the work of Christ spirit to answer all doubts and remove all discouragements. Isa. 57. 19, 20 God creates the fruit of the lips peace, peace to him that is afarre off, and to him that is [...], saith the Lord, and I will heale him. 1 Cor. 1. 21 In the use of meanes, we are to looke unto, and wait upon him who wil in his owne time (which is best) free all his from all their discou­ragements, doubts, and fears, and sa­tisfie their souls with his love, which is better then wine. These things I write unto you, 1 Pet. 1. 21 that your faith and hope may be in God.

A Collection of many the fears, doubts, and discouragements, that a poore weake believer, either in or about conversion, or desertion, takes up against himselfe, together with their several remedies, resolutions, and answers.

Weake believers are like melancho­ly people, who think things farre otherwise then they truly are; rightly smoaking flax, where there is more smoak then light, more ignorance then true discerning; and thereby they expose themselves to manifold fears and discouragements, when there is not the least cause: as for example, Mary was troubled and afraid; Luke 1. 29, 30 all the matter was, the Angel saluted her and told her, that she had found favour in the sight of God; Luke 2. 9, 10 the shepherds were a­fraid even then when the Angel brought them tidings of great joy. Luke 5. 8, 9 Pe­ter was afraid when he had drawn up much fish; by which their discourage­ments they highly dishonoured God, hindered their own peace.

The feares of weake believers are usu­ally of these kindes. Viz.

1. They cannot be perswaded their sinnes are pardoned: indeed they would and they would not believe it; they cannot from the spirit that is in them, but close with Christ, and claspe about him for salvation; yet then they are not sure they have him; they may be deceived they thinke in that; in a word, They are, and they are not perswaded their sinnes are par­doned.

The Remedy to this feare.

We are commanded to believe for­givenesse of sinnes in Jesus Christ throughly, Acts 10. 43. and not in part: Through his name, Eph. 1. 7. whosoever believes in him, shall receive remission of sinnes.

2. If faith carrie them on to believe a little more, or better of their con­dition; yet the pride of some sinnes will not down with them; some of their sinnes, which they have made [Page 80] their darlings, more then others, and cherished themselves in; oh these they thinke are either too great, or too often committed to be all forgiven and at once; the remainders of these sins are like dregs in the bottome, and their consciences cannot be satisfied that God hath fully pardoned them. Brief­ly; They are perswaded some sinnes are pardoned, but not some others, which they have most sinned in.

The Remedy.

There is indeed a large dispropor­tion between sinnes, in regard of their causes, Isa. 61. 10 effects and adjuncts, yet the robe of Christs Righteousnesse is so large that it covers the greatest sinne as easily as the least; Isa. 44 22 And we are to consider that one sinne cannot be for­given but all are forgiven. Heb. 9. 26 Jesus Christ hath done away all sinnes. 1 Joh. 1. 7. For this man, Heb. 10. 12. after he had offered one sacrifice for sinnes for ever, Dan. 9. 24. sate down on the right hand of God.

3. They looke not upon God in the pure simplicity of his word and promise, but suspect and are jealous [Page 81] that God hath some reckoning still behind, because they see themselves sinful, and know that God is of pu­rer eyes, then to behold iniquity; and they cannot believe that God can bear with all those corruptions and trans­gressions in them. Briefly, they fear still God doth not intend them such grace, as he proffers and speaks of in his word, and suspect the Gospel.

The Remedie.

We are to believe God in the plain­nesse and simplicity he speaks in, in Gospel promises, the word of his grace, even unto our soules, as if he spake out unto us by name from hea­ven; 1 Joh 5, 10 he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he beleeveth not the Record that God gave of his Sonne.

4. They think, though God may be reconciled unto them, and love them at sometimes, (for they (poore souls) only reckon the seasons of the Spirits comfortings and breathing for the times of forgivenesse) yet God [Page 82] may be provoked againe, and angry again for new sins and failings, and then they are as much troubled how to come at any peace againe, as they were before; and then it must be only another sun-shine of the like comfort must warme them into peace and believing. In a word, they think if God do pardon them, yet they may provoke him againe soon after.

The Remedie.

We must know, Mal. 3. 6 that God is not as man, Num. 23. 19 that he should be angry and pleased, as we carry our selves; I wil be merciful to their unrighteousnesse, Heb. 8. 12. & 10 and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more; I wil be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people. There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, Rom. 8. 1 &c. The apprehension indeed of pardon and salvation is variable, Remissâ culpâ re­mittitur poena. but yet the pardon and salvation it self is immutable; and as the Gospel needs to be given but once, so a mans sins need but once to be forgiven; once is enough because if once, Hebr. 10. 12, 14 then for e­ver.

[Page 83] 5. They cannot perswade themselves how they can sin, as they doe daily, but that they are countable for all the breaches, and set up new scores of sin in their consciences; and keepe recko­ning for God, and disquiet themselves in vaine; in a word, they suppose they cannot sin as they doe, and not be accountable, and they cannot but be sinners in Gods sight, as well as their owne.

The Remedie.

We must remember, our sins are no more ours, Rev. 1. 5 but Christs; and his righteousnesse is ours; 2 Cor. 5. 21 God reckons and accounts us as one now; so though we sin, Heb. 9. 26 yet every sin was ac­counted for in him: Jer. 23. 6 And now there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. Rom. 10. 4 & 8. 1, 33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that justifieth.

6. They think every affliction or trouble that befalls them, Jer. 50. 20 is a punish­ment for some sin they have commit­ted; and they looke on them as mes­sengers of wrath from God, sent upon [Page 84] them in judgment; Quod tegi­ur non vi­detur, quod non videtur non imputa­tur, quod non impu­tatur non punietur. as if God were satisfying himselfe upon them, and pouring forth some wrath upon their heads to satisfie his justice against such sins. In a word, they think afflicti­ons are sent upon them for their sins, and they cannot look upon God in them, Rom. 4. 7 but as angry, Jer. 50. 20 and so helpe the afflictions to afflict themselves. 2 Cor. 5. 19

The Remedie. Isa. 53. 11

We are to consider, Heb. 12. 10 that although afflictions come in with sinne, Isa. 43. 25 and for sin, and are the wages of sin; yet to the righteous and believers, they are not judgements, for every thing of justice against sin was spent upon Christ, so as to believers, they are only trials and temptations. James 1. 2 My bre­thren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations: Rev. 3. 19 They are chast­nings of love, to prevent and imbitter sin unto us. As many as I love, I re­buke and chasten, &c. The rod of af­flictions is a teaching rod; David found it good for his soule that he had been afflicted, and God af­flicts his owne chil­dren. Non studio no­cendi, sed desiderio sanandi. the fruit of affliction to believers, is the taking away of sinne; [Page 85] And the Spirit tells us expresly, Isa. 27. 9 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; Hebr. 12. 7, 8 for what sonne is hee whom the father chasteneth not? But if yee be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sonnes. Afflictions are (in a word) a diverse way or dispensation of love and grace unto the poore soule, love work­ing by that which is evil in it selfe. Heb. 12. 10 We know that all things do work toge­ther for good, Rom. 8. 28 unto them that love God.

7. They mistake the Gospel in the doctrine of it; and every Scripture that threatens for sinne, they apply unto themselves, because they have commit­ted that sin.

In a word, They interpret every curse in the law and new Testament for sin, their own, if it be against their sinne.

The Remedie.

We are to consider, that though the Scriptures do often set forth the righteousnesse of God against sinne, [Page 86] and his justice against iniquity; yet the justice of God being satisfied by him, Isa. 53. 10, 11 who made his soule an offering for thy sins, Justice it selfe hath no more power against thee for thy sins, then the pursuer hath to doe with the mur­derer in the City of refuge. For sin shall not have dominion over you; ye are not under the law, Rom. 6. 14 but under grace.

The Discouragements of poore weake believers, herein mentioned, are as followeth.

I feare I am but an hypocrite, 1 Discou­ragement not­withstanding all the faire shewes I have made for the Lord, his waies and peo­ple.

It is contrary to the nature of an hypocrite to feare that he is such an one, and it is a Character of a sincere heart to see, and seeing, to bemoane its owne deceitfulnesse, Psal. 26. 2 & 129. 23, 24 to desire sin­cerity, and to imbrace and most high­ly to prize that word of th [...] Lord that is most searching in its owne soule, to thirst after that word that is most [Page 87] powerful, Heb. 4. 12 and keene, and pierceth e­ven to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit, and of the joynts and mar­row, and to examine it selfe; it is the prayer of a David-like spirit, Exa­mine me O Lord, Psal. 26. 2 and prove me, trie my reines and mine heart. It is as dan­gerous for a soul to skin up its wounds before they are searched, as to presse it selfe downe with discouragements, and helpe the affliction to afflict it self. Take it rather for granted, that thou art an hypocrite; and if so, what is that but a sinner, though of a deep­er die then an ordinary sinner is? Hos. 11. 12 We reade that Ephraim compassed the Lord about with lies, and the house of Israel with deceits &c. and that he was a cake not turned, Hos. 7. 8. that he fed upon wind and followed after the East winde, and provoked the Lord unto anger most bit­terly: Hos. 12. 1. and that yet Gods bowels did still worke towards Ephraim, so that he could not destroy him. The Lord is exceed­ingly gracious unto such wretched creatures of his, though they com­passe him about with lies; Hos. 11. 4. & 14. 5 Let such poore believers consider, that a sinner can never be too foule for his Saviour, [Page 88] too much wounded, and too sick for this Phisician to heale and cure, nor too filthy for a fountaine opened to wash; and that the whole neede not a phisician, but those that are sick; and that Christ came unto the world to justifie the ungodly, and to save the chief of sinners; he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repen­tance; and let such a soule that can­not as a Saint, stick close unto the Lord Jesus as a sinner: and his hopes in Christ through the enjoyment of his spirit within him, Jonah 2. 2▪ 4, 7 wil lead him forth in the strength of Christ to purifie him­selfe as Christ is pure.

Had the Lord Jesus by his Spirit wrought an effectual work of grace upon my heart, 2 Discou­ragement I should have growne in grace; but I doe not so, my life is not holy, nor am I like unto the Lords children.

1. Consider whether thou art a child, 1 John 2. 12, 13 a young man, or a father in Christ; for as there is a great diffe­rence betweene a child and a man in [Page 89] Christ, so betweene a babe in Christ, 1 Cor. 3. 1. and a man in Christ.

2. Consider whether thou art a babe in the wombe, Heb. 5. 13 or borne; that is a babe that is unskilful in the word of righteousnesse; as a child being be­gotten and alive, is in the womb, be­fore it is borne; so a soule is spiritu­ally alive, and begotten from above, before it be born; Gal. 4. 19 Christ must be for­med in us before we can be new born babes, before we can desire the sincere milk of the word, 1 Pet. 2 [...] 2 that we might grow thereby.

When thou art delivered out of bon­dage, darknesse, and fears concerning thy eternal condition, thou art born and brought forth, for as the wombe is a place of bondage, so is a doubting condition; and therefore thou canst not looke for those attainments in this condition, as others find in another; and also in case thou art new borne, there cannot be that expected from thee, which is from a man in Christ; there is a great difference you know to be put betweene a child and a man.

3. Learne to distinguish betweene [Page 90] the fruits of the Spirit, and the exer­cise of them; it is not the having of the fruits of the Spirit, but the exer­cise of them that attains an holy con­versation: and know, that it is one thing to be the Lords, and another thing for God to convey his power into the soul, wherby to make it conform­able to his wil, Gal 2. 2. 20 and to live by faith in the Son of God: the first is where the later is not.

4. Know that the time of doubting is a barren time; men cannot fight and work at such a time. And yet as trees in the winter season grow in the roote (though not in the branches) so maist thou grow in humility, love, &c. though thou maist unto thy self seem to decay in those and other graces of the Spirit. Non pro­gredi est regredi.

But when a soule is delivered from its enemies, that is to say, from Satans errours and its owne doubtings, then it begins to serve; being delivered we serve; Luke 1. 74▪ there must be deliverance be­fore working; therefore a time of doubting and of bondage is not a season of growing in holy servi­ces.

[Page 91] 5. Believers are of several growthes and states. 1. Babes or children in Christ. 2. Young men. 3. Fathers. Can babes worke? Yet if babes die in that state, they shall not misse of glory; it is one thing to be justified, and another thing to be sanctified, as it is one thing to live, and another to be borne; and to work distinct from both. There is a great difference of degrees of the Lords own people, some are spiritual, but others are termed carnal, as appears by Pauls epistle to the Church of Christ in Corinth. And I brethren could not speak unto you, 1 Cor. 3. 1 as unto spirituall, but as unto carnal, even unto babes in Christ: thou mayest be begotten, and yet not borne, not a new born babe.

6. If thou beest ignorant or in tem­ptation, then thy heart is clouded and dist [...]mpered with feares, Job 23. 8, 9 and thy selfe not a competent judge of thy owne growth; is a new borne babe able to judge of its own growth? Consider also, it may be, thou dost not use the meanes, or not rightly, in Gods way.

[Page 92] And when grace is as seed newly cast into the earth, and a weak belie­ver (while a babe) for want of exer­cise and experience scarce knowes what he hath; then as the land newly sown little differs in shew from other ground which was never sowne, so a poore babe in Christ seems little different from the men of the world who lie in their sins; and as childrens complaints are not alwaies to be taken for rules, so the complaints of such babes, that they grow not in grace, do not so much e­vince their want, as the sensiblenesse of their want of the growth of grace, and of conformity to the wil of the Lord Jesus, which is a certaine fruit of the in being of the spirit of Christ in the poore soule; it is the spirit that con­vinceth of sinne; Ne [...]em. 1. 11 and spiritual desires cannot possibly proceede from our selves, but from faith.

In a word. Let such a poore doubting believer hearken unto what God saith unto him; From me is thy fruit found. Hos. 14. 8. The righteous shal flourish like the Palme tree, Isa. 48. 17 he shall grow like those Cedars in Lebanon. Psal. 92. 12 13▪ 14 Those that be planted in the house of the Lord, shall [Page 93] flourish in the courts of our God; they shall still bring forth fruits in old age, they shal be fat and flourishing; Hos. 14. 5. 6 And unto this end, the Lord hath also promised, I wil be as the dew unto Israel; he shal grow as the Lily, and cast forth his fruits as Lebanon; his branches shall spread, Isa. 31. 15 and his beauty shall be as the O­live tree, and his smel as Lebanon; the Lord hath also further promised, that he wil turne the barren wildernesse into a fruitful field, Isa. 41. 18. he wil open a fountain of pure living water, and poure it forth up­on the barren wildernesse, and the dry ground. The barren, dry, and un­fruitful ground of unbelievers, is by by the unction of the Spirit made the garden of the Lord, and being trees of the Lords owne planting, shall be watered every moment; yea, refresh­ed and comforted with the streame of that river that makes glad the City of God, Isa. 35. 6, 7 In the wildernesse shal waters break out, and streames in the desert, and the parched ground shall become a pool, Judg. 5. 31 and the thirsty land springs of wa­ter. Job 17. 2 I say, believers (however it may seeme) do alwaies grow in faith, love, or humility.

My heart is so adamantinely hard, that I can be affected neither with the chastisements nor mercies of the Lord. 3 Discou­ragement

There is indeed much hardness of heart in the deare children of God, Jer. 5. 3 their hearts have been as hard as a rock, Ezek. 3. 6. adamant, or flint, they and they only feel it, Ezek. 36, 26, 27, 31 complaine of it, and mourn under it, and this is tendernes; or the effect of an heart of flesh. It is the frame of a new heart and the temper of an experienced gracious spirit to lament from the sense of its own hardnesse of heart; Isa. 63. 16, 17. O Lord why hast thou made us to erre from thy waies, and hardned our hearts from thy feare? Doubtlesse thou art our father, &c. Their hearts were hardned from Gods feare, and yet they were the children of God.

Poore soule I would be acquainted how thou camest to know thou hast an hard heart; who told thee so? art thou certaine thou art not mistaken? if thou replyest that thou seest or feel­est [Page 95] it. I reply, if it be so, then thou art happy, for thou ha [...] the inbeing of the Spirit of Christ; it is none other then the Spirit of the Lord Jesus that disco­vers to a man his own darknesse, Isa. 6. 5 and convinceth him of his own deadnesse, Eph. 5. 13 and hardnesse of heart, Gal. 5. 17 yea none but this Spirit lusteth against the flesh, John 16. 8. and thou livest to God truly, Rom. 7. 9 though not so holily and sensibly as thou mightest and oughtest; for how should a senselesse stone feele its own hard­nesse, or he that is soundly a sleep, per­ceive himself to sleepe; or the dead man feele himselfe to be so? Sense or feeling is an evident demonstration not only of life, but of life in action. Con­sider thy selfe as thou art in Christ, in union with him, what is his is thine. Christs fruitfulnesse is thine, in him is thy fruit found; and if hee hath not as yet poured forth plentifully of the Spirit of grace and Supplication upon thee, Zech▪ 12. 1 thou hast his promise for it; hee hath offered up strong cries and teares unto the father for thee; Heb. 5. 7. thou daily committest sinne from a body of death and corruption thou carriest with thee, Rom. 7. 23 24. let thy glory and reioycing be, [Page 96] that thy sinnes are forgiven, Heb. 8. 12. and shall be remembred no more, 2 Cor. 5▪ 19 and rest satisfied (in point of salvation) in what Christ hath done. Thy best works cannot save thee nor thy worst destroy thee. Rom. 7. 25 Thanks be to God, who hath given us victory by Jesus Christ, Fetch thy comfort from him, and not from what thou findest or possibly maiest find or feele in thy selfe. We are not to judge of our eter­ [...]all condition and of Gods love to us by the hardnes or softnes of our hearts, or by what workes of righteousnesse wee see and feele in our selves; but to live by faith in the sonne of God, Ezek. 36. 29. who hath promised, that hee will take away the stony heart out of thy flesh, Ps. 114. 8. and give thee an heart of flesh, 4 Discou­ragement and that hee wil turne the flint into a fountaine of wa­ters

Because I feele not my selfe sanctified, I [...]eare I▪ am not justified▪

Believers must not say they have no sanctification because they see and feele Et quod ipsi omnino nequ [...]unt, alius nimi­rum Chri­stus praesta­ret & legi prorsus sa­tisfecit, l [...] ­gis maledi­ctio omnino perituris. Luth. none. David cried out in the bit­ternes of his soule that his sin was ever before him, and then his sanctification [Page 97] was out of his sight, Psal. 77. 9, 10 and that God had forgotten to bee gracious: but after­wards he said of it, This is my infirmi­ty. You know in an house, when it is darke, there may bee all things that were there when it was light; but you see them not till the candle be brought in: The womans grote in the parable was in the house, but shee found it not till she had lighted her candle; there­fore say with David, Light my candle Oh Lord; Pro. 20. 27 and the spirit of man is the candle of the Lord. Sanctification, or the fruits and effects of the spirit in a believer, do indeed comfort our faith in their kind and degree; they are given to bee a light in some measure to our own consciences and to others. Matt. 5▪ 16 Let your light so shine before men: 1 Cor. 6. 20 And glorifie God in your bodies and spirits; Jam. 2. 1 [...] Shew me thy faith by thy works; they are the brace­lets of the Spouse, they are the beames of Christ the sun of righteousnesse, but they are not Christ; now clouds may hinder the beames from inlight­ning a roome, but the Sun is still where it was; the tree you know, is there where it was, when the Apples or fruit thereof may be blowne down [Page 98] by the winde of Temptation, spoken of in the Parable; Luk. 8. 13. yet then such pro­mises as these are laid in for such a sea­son. Isa. 50. 10. Who is among you that fears the Lord, that obeys the voice of his servant, that walks in darknesse, and sees no light? let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. And the vision is for an appointed time, Hab. 2. 3, 4 but at the end, it shall speake, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it; wait for it, be­cause it wil surely come and not tarry. But the just shall live by faith.

Consider seriously, how can any good assurance arise from the change that is in any child of God in this life, or his sanctification, it being not such in any particular act or worke, wher­in is no spot of sinne? is it not a mix­ture of flesh and Spirit? why then feel­est thou after it as thou dost? Since the best and most through sanctifica­tion in any, is not pure enough for the eyes of the Lord; why then make you it any bottom for assurance? Lex data est ut gra­tia quaera­tur, gratia data est ut lex implea­tur. Luther on Gal. 3. 2. Ob­serve, that all the while you or any o­thers have so done, you and they, like Noahs Dove, Rom. 8. 4. can find no resting place [Page 99] the soales of your feete; for the Spi­rit of Christ tells us, Luk. 17. 10 when we have done all we can, we are but unprofitable ser­vants: and that all our righteousnesse is but as menstruous cloaths. Isa. 64. 6 And while we gaze upon the work of sanctificati­on in us, we find stil a rottennesse in e­very part of it, call all into question, and find fault with our repentance, mortification, 1 Cor. 1. 30 new obedience, Haec volun­tatis perfe­cta imple­tio, Sancti­ficatio est Christi, & hac nos san­ctificat quia nobis impu­tatur. Zan. &c. therefore let us be sure still to take Christ in here, who is a believers san­ctification, as wel as his righteous­nesse.

In order to the removing of this discouragement, consider a few par­ticulars.

1. If you suppose that God takes in any part of your faith, Heb. 10. 5. repentance, new-obedience, or sanctification as a ground, upon which he justifies, or forgives you; Ni [...]i gratu­ita, non est gratia. you are absolutely a­gainst the word, for if it be of works it is no more of grace, Rom. 11. 6 otherwise work is no more worke.

2. It must then be only the evi­dence of your being justified, that you seeke for in your sanctificati­on.

[Page 100] These two things thus premised, I proceed.

1. We must allow any believer to take in any thing of his sanctificati­on to help his assurance, which the word allowes of, as the Spirit and the fruits thereof, that is to say, repentance, mortification of sin, new obedience, &c. but then it must be done in the Scriptures owne caution and way, the surest knowledg that any one hath, that he hath received the promise, is the closing of his heart with Christ, the real receiving and believing, and re­lying, Rom. 1. 17 and going out of the heart upon Christ; 2 Cor. 5. 7 The Just shal live by faith. We walke by faith, Gal. 2. 20 and not by sight. This was the assurance of the father of the faithful, Rom. 4. 20 who staggered not at the pro­mise, but gave glory to God. There is yet something in man, besides faith to be satisfied; reason wil have more light to see by, and therefore the wor­kings of the Spirit in new obedience; love, repentance, and self-denyal; these may be compared to the tokens and change of raiment, whereby Ja­cob was perswaded that Joseph was a­live. The word saith, that we are com­plete [Page 101] in Christ, 2 Cor. 1. 22▪ and righteous in Christ: hereupon saith the soule (being a reasonable and discoursive spirit) when I repent, Rom. 8. 16 love, The way for assu­rance. or obey, I believe I am in Christ; and therefore my love, repentance and obedience are such, Eph. 1. 13 as I may believe (though not in them­selves) yet in him, Eph. 4. 30 to be good and spi­ritual. Heb. 10▪ 22

2. The Scriptures laie down these following things, that is to say, Christs sanctification, or his true holinesse to be ours, and faith about our owne sanctification.

1. Christ is revealed to be our san­ctification: 1 Cor. 1. 30 Christ is made unto us Righteousnesse, Gal. 2. 20 Sanctification &c. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. Ye are Christs. 1 Cor. 3. 23 But ye are sanctified, 1 Cor. 6. 11 but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus. Eph. 2, 5, 10 20 He hath quickned us toge­ther with Christ. Eph. 3. 17 We are his work­manship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works. Eph. 4. 24. Jesus Christ being the corner stone. That Christ may dwel in your hearts by faith. The new man which after God is created in righteous­nesse and true holinesse. Eph. 5. 30 We are mem­bers of his body, Phil. 3. 9 of his flesh, and of [Page 102] his bone. And be found in him, not ha­ving mine owne righteousnesse. Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things through Christ that stren­thens me. Col. 1. 28. That we present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Col. 3. 11. 3. But Christ is all, and in all. Your life is hid with Christ in God. All these Scriptures set forth, and declare Christ the san­ctification, Heb. 5. 7, 8 and the fulnesse of his; the all in all. Rom. 5 19 Christ hath obeyed per­fectly, Quae in le­ge data sunt facien­da, per fi­dem osten­duntur fa­cta. he hath mortified sinne perfect­ly, and all are ours, and we are Chrsts, and Christ is 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. 2 Cor. 5. 7 Rom. 1. 17 Gods.

2. The other thing is, faith about our own sanctification, we must believe more truth of our own graces then we can see or feele; Ephes. 4. 8. the Lord hath in his infinite wisdome so ordered, Isa. 53. 4 that here our life should bee hid with Christ in God, Isa. 26. 12▪ that we should walk by faith, and not by sight; so as we are to believe our repentance true in him, who hath repented for us, Isa. 26. 12▪ our mortifying of sin true in him, through whom we are more then conquerours; our new o­bedience true in him, who hath o­beyed for us, Rom. 8. 37 and is the end of the law to every one that believeth. Rom. 5. 19 Our change of the whole man, Rom. 10. 4 true in him, who is [Page 103] righteousnesse, Eph. 4. 24. and true holinesse; and thus without faith, Heb. 11. 6 it is impossible to please God.

This is the Scripture assurance, for a child of God, or a believer, to see e­very thing in himselfe as nothing, and himselfe every thing in Christ; Heb. 11. 1 faith is the ground of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seene. It is our lea­ving out Christ in our Sanctification, that is the foundation of all our doubts, Luk. 17. 10 fears and distractions, and he that looks on his repentance, Isa. 64. 6. love, humility, obedience, and not in the tincture of the blood of Christ, must needs believe weakly and uncomforta­bly.

I cannot see God, 5 Discou­ragement and if I were one of his Children, he would not hide himselfe from mee, Rom. 8. 24 as he doth: surely he hath forsaken me.

Is Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse set in thy soul? Surgit post nubila Phoe­bus. Remember the Psal­mist, though sadnesse come at night, joy may returne the next morning; Psal. 30. 5 And in the meane time, Syd [...]ra n [...] ­cte mica [...]. there shall be moon [Page 104] and starre light, and these (though they cannot make day) are some com­fort to travellers. In Christs with­drawings you have faith, V [...]ra Vir­tus non ap­paret in prosperis, eminet in adversis. the evidence of things not seene, and all the promi­ses, as stars about her, a glorious span­gled canopy over you; so that you shall live by faith, and adhere to Christ in such a condition; the seede of Christ remains in you; the suns heate is felt when his light is not seen. Luke 24. 15, 16. 31 Saints may have grace when they want com­fort from Christ; [...]ant. 3. 2. the Spouse thought shee had lost Christ, Non dese­rit etiamsi deserere videatur. yet stil she had a principle of love to him, and a resolu­tion to seeke him; thy love unto Christ shal continue; Isa. 60. 2. he wil be as good as his word. The Lord shall arise, and his glory shall be seene upon thee. Psal. 88. 14.

1. Sometimes God hides himselfe from his, Isa. 8. 17. and seemes to leave the poore soule for its sinnes, Isa. 64. 7. and some­times onely to exercise his own graces in the soule; Isa. 49. 14 15. But alwayes in much love unto it; Jsa. 45. 15. Verily thou art a God that hidest thy selfe; Cant. 5. 6. Jer. 51. 5. Jsa. 54. 7. 8. I opened to my Beloved, and he had withdrawn him­selfe. Behold, I goe forward, and hee is not there, and backward, but I cannot [Page 105] perceive him; Job 23. 8. 9. on the left hand, where he worketh, but I cannot behold him; on the right hand, but I cannot see him; yet he doth but hide himselfe behinde the Curtaine, he cannot forsake thee; for thy maker is thy husband (the Lord of Hosts is his name) and thy Redeemer the Holy one of Isra­el; Jsa. 54. 5 &c. The Lord in another place, to condescend unto the weaknesse of our capacities, holds forth his love un­to us by the similie of a Fathers love; I am a father to Israel, Jer. 31. 9, and Ephraim is my first borne:

2. When God hides his face, Jsa. 8. 17. waite upon him, and looke for him, for he will returne againe; But Sion saith, the Lord hath forsak [...]n me, and my God hath forgotten mee. Can a woman forget her sucking childe? &c. yea she may, yet will I not forget thee, saith the Lord. Isa▪ 49. 14 15. 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands: thy walls are continually before me: Jsa. 44. 7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercy will I gather thee. And the Spirit of the Lord bears witnesse, that Israel hath not beene forsaken, Jer. 51. 5. nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of Hosts, [Page 106] though their Land was filled with sinne against the holy one of Israel; And the Lord saith in another place, Hosea 2. 14. Therefore behold I will allure her, and bring her into the wildernesse, and speake com­fortably unto her.—I have seene his wayes and will heale him: Isa. 57. 18. I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him, and to his mourners; Although the Lord absent himselfe from his, yet his love to, and care for them is the same as when he manifests most of himself unto them; when the Sun of Righ­teousnesse sets with us, he manifests himselfe to others of our Brethren and fellow Members, he rises in their Hemispheare; And what though thy sinnes have eclipsed the love of thy God unto thy soule? The Lord one­ly bids thee to acknowledge thine ini­quity, Jer. 3. 13▪ 14. that thou hast transgressed against the Lord &c. What a poore recom­pence is this? Turne oh backsliding children, saith the Lord, for I am mar­ried unto you &c. Poore soule! the love of God remaines still as sure and as great as ever, and in his due time shall shine forth againe upon thy soul, the thick clouds will blow over, and [Page 107] the soule reviving light of his love will arise upon thee; Isa. 60. 2. He will take away all iniquity, Hosea 14. 2. and receive us graciously.

I thought I had true faith, 6 Discou­ragement. but since I fell into an hainous transgression, I am perswaded that if I had beene the Lords, he would not have left me to sin as I did.

This is a deplorable case indeed, and the fruit of unbelief, and of the want of watchfulnesse: yet consider, the Lord hath suffered such, or as great (if not greater) spots to overtake his own dear children: 1 King. 11 9. David sinned in adultery and murder, Solomon sin­ned greatly after hee had obtained mercy, and Peter denyeth Christ with an oath: these examples are recor­ded to hold forth the glory of the riches of Gods free grace, that men may be acquainted with the mirrour of his grace, Ephes, 2. 4 5. long sufferance and for­bearance; that so great sinners might not despaire and faint under their sinnes. John 1. 2. 1.

2. To despair of the mercy of God [Page 108] because our sins are great, Isa. 55. 8, 9 were to limit God in his mercy; which is to add sin unto sin, and a greater sin then the former: The Lord Jesus takes much pains, and lets out merciful power for the raising of sin-weakened souls, and for the gathering of wandring Lambs. Poor soul, know this, that the greatest sin a believer can commit, ought not to make him mourn without hope; for no sin can put him in the state of condemnation, Rom. 8. 1, 2 3▪ 4, 3 [...], 39 or bring him under the curse. While we live here below, God healeth not our sinfull nature wholly, Rom. 10. 4 nor takes it quite away; the flesh lusteth: Gal. 5. 17. God ever looks upon his, Eph. 1. 4 as they are in Christ, and not simply, as they are in themselves; saith Paul, [...] Cor. 1. 30 I my selfe keepe the Law of God, Rom. 7. 15 17, 20▪ but with my flesh the Law of sin: flesh and sin do the evil. Consider Nehem. 9. 16, 17. 1 Jo [...]. 3. 9. The Spirit also tells us in another place, that he knowes our frame, and remembers that we are but dust; Ps. 103. 14 God hath in much wisdome and love left sinne in his to humble them, Gal. 5. 22, and to exercise the fruits of the Spirit in them, and that we might long to be where we shall not sinne; [Page 109] also that we might the more dearly love Christ, in that it is pardoned, and depend upon him to subdue it; and that we might not scorne, nor insult over any poore sin [...] weakned ones, but restore them with the spirit of meek­nesse; and that we may admire the more that rich grace of the Lord Jesus whereby (notwithstanding all our pro­vocations) we have accesse unto the Father by him. Rom. 5. [...], 2 The Lords people are indeed taught by his spirit, Eph. 2. 18 not to sinne that grace may abound, Eph. 3. 12. but to love, and to love with the more vehemency of affection, Rom. 6▪ 1, 2 3, 8 the God of their incom­prehensible mercy, Rom. 5. 20 and to use all means against sinne, [...] Cor. 12. 9 and not to be o­ver-pressed and sunk in despaire un­der it. Rev. 3. 7, 8 They also know that they are the more happy, in that they were sin­ners; else how could they be capable of union with God, of mercy and heaven? If there were not evil, it would not be known what is good; Justice and mer­cy had not beene known: the wisdom of God could not have been known in drawing good out of evil; or his love in sending the dearly beloved out of his bosom to die for us, & man had [Page 110] not come unto that happness in Christ which the Saints have, and shal enjoy.

3. God is never an enemy to his, though they greatly sinne against him. Psalm 51. Wee are not beloved for our owne sakes, Ephes. 1. 5. nor for any thing in our selves, but in Christ: 1 Pet. 2. 5. Who hath made us accep­table in the beloved; Therefore nothing wee doe can cause God to love us more or lesse; his love is as himselfe ever the same, Heb. 13. 8 therfore a belivers hope, joy and confidence is to bee ever the same in Christ. Psal. 5. 11. Hence it is that such are alwayes to reioyce. Psal. 32. 11 Reioyce alwayes▪ Reioyce evermore. 1 Thes. 5. 16 Againe I say re­joyce. Phil. 4. 4. Let them exceedingly rejoyce. The joy of the Lord is our strength. Ne [...]. 8. 10 Oh there is enough in the Lord to satisfie [...] thee at all times, Psal. 40. 16 he is an unchangea­ble object of true joy, in him is all our hope and happinesse, therefore let not thy fall cause thee to question the love of God unto thee; thy salvation de­pends not upon thy repentance and holinesse. See Rom. 9. 15, 16. Isa. 43▪ 24, 25. Ezek. 16. from 1. to ver. 9. See also and mind what the Apostle saith in this case, 1 Jo [...]. 2. 1. 2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sinne [Page 111] not. And if any man sinne, we have an advocate with the Father, Christ Jesus the righteous, and he is a propiti­ation for our sins, &c. These things are written unto us indeed that we sinne not. But as for such as turne the grace of God into wantonnesse, whom the mercies of God encourage in their sinful practise, Joh. 8. 44. these are led by the spirit of the divell, he is their father, and his works they doe; these are not at present in any wise to be numbred with those who through temptations and weaknesse are overtaken with the sin they hate; Rom. 7. 1 [...] if fallen, be not out of hope; If the Lords children have fal­len into sinne, they are to rise by faith. Shal a man fall and not arise? Jer. 8. 4. Who is a God like unto thee, Mic. 7. 7, 18 19, 20. that pardonest the transgression of the remnant of thy peo­ple? Heb▪ 8. 1 [...]. God subdues the corruption that is in his, not all at once, but by degrees; and thereupon saith, I will be merciful to their unrighteousnesse, Gal. 3. 13▪ and their sins and iniquities I wil remember no more; 2 Cor. 5. 21 God hath nothing in charge against those who are in Christ, 1 Cor. 1. 30 and therefore com­mands us to goe boldly to the throne of grace in full assurance of faith. Rom. 8. 33 Heb. 4. 16. Heb. 10. 22▪

[Page 112] If I were fitted with Qualifications, as humblenesse, brokennesse of heart, (7 Dis­courage­ment. &c. and tooke delight in hearing, and praying, Opera ante fidem ina­nia, ut cur­sus cel [...]ri­mus praeter viam. as others, I could then enter­taine hope that God hath thoughts of love and mercy towards me: but it is not so with me.

Such an objection in some, Rom. 14. 23. may be the product of the sweet operation of the Spirit of grace, 2 Tim. 1. 9 which hath shew­ed them some amiable and desirable thing in the precious promises and wayes of God, Quicunque salutem non ex mera gratia per fidem ante omnia opera percipit, nunquam attinebit. so as they pan [...] after them.

But more usually this is a whining because the worke of preparation is more sensible then the worke of faith, which is often greatest when feeling is least; and [...]aith being more spiri­tuall and heavenly▪ hath her worke about another object, without and above the Creature; and the reason wherefore many poore soules plod so much about their owne Qualificati­ons, and feele after the brests of their consolation, is because our selfe love [Page 113] renders us most prone to catch at these, being plants in natures garden, whereas the desire of a spiritual Paul, Phil. 3. 9 is to be found in Christ, not ha­ving his owne righteousnesse; and a spiritual believer (if he had the grea­test measure of inherent righteous­nesse attainable) would not behold himself in it. Gal. 2. 20 I live, yet not I, but Christ in me.

Gods thoughts of love and mercy unto thee can possibly be no other­wise then through Christ; Isa. 55. 1 and he doth not sell his Christ; Job 9. 10 he was gi­ven freely: Evange­lium assert remissionem per imputa­tionem ju­stitiae, [...] vitam aeter­nam [...]ine conditione legis aut o­perum no­strorumpunc; Melanct▪ Come, buy without mony &c. Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely. The Lord is a great King; he doth great things past finding out, and wonders without number; oh therefore measure not the Lord by thy selfe. For my thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my waies as your waies, Rom. 3. saith the Lord. The wise wil not fix their eyes so much upon their owne basenesse, Isa. 55. 8, 9 as upon his greatnesse, Isa. 9. 6 rich goodnesse, Zech. 9. 17 and faithfulnesse: Rom. 8. 1 And certainly while we walk after the flesh, after the law, we continue weake creatures (for [Page 114] flesh is here put for weaknesse) we shall tug, yea, and tire our selves, and when we have done our all, (which is just nothing) we shall remaine not one jot the neerer heaven; yea, if such should continue here a thou­sand yeers, they would be no better then wishers and woulders; whereas one poor believer, that is truly implan­ted into Christ, and in whose heart the Gospel hath really taken place, hath more strength then five hundred of the others, because the Spirit of Christ dwels in him, works in him, and teaches him to say with Paul, Phil. 4. 12 13. I can want, and I can abound through Christ who strengthens mee▪

Let the poore souls, lying under this discouragement, consider six things.

1. It is but a delusion to think that qualifications can Sola est Dei adoptio quae nos ef­ficit idone­os. Calvin [...]it a soule for mercy: Poore heart, while thou lookest for, or restest upon such things as these, thou seekest the living among the dead; and if thou hadst them in the greatest measure, that ever any had, Col. 1. 12 they could neither procure thy happinesse, Luk. 24. 5 nor stand thy soule in any [Page 115] stead, as to salvation; Filio na­to debetur haereditas, non ex me­rito ipsius eum nihil fit meritus; sed quia est natus [...]ili [...] pa [...]ri. nothing but Christ Jesus can do that, nor any thing but he and his righteousnesse truly comfort thee.

2. That righteousnesse which justi­fies us in the sight of God, as it is not our owne, so it is not in us; but it is Christs righteousnesse, and in him. Surely shall one say, [...]orn. in Gal. 3. In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength &c. in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be ju­stified and shall glory. Isa. 45. 24. 25 The state of a believer in Christ (as considered in him) be the poore creature never so weake) is a state of perfection, Col. 2. 10 & 1▪ 28. Wee are complete in him. The poore soule indeed hath no righteousness in it self; yet being united to its head, and mar­ried to its husband the Lord Jesus, Jer. 3. 14 it is perfectly righteous; Rom. 8. 4 As Christ is, so is a believer in him; Gal. 2. 19 and the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in him, 1 Joh. 4. 17 and he is dead to or free from the law; Rom. 10. 4 What is Christs is the believers, and what is his, is Christs. Ps. 32. 1, [...] The poore believer is as righteous and acceptable unto God through Christ, as Christs righ­teousnesse can make him: God seeth no sin in his poore children; for saith [Page 116] Christ to the Spouse, Rom. 4. 7 Thou art all fair my love, Jer. 50. 20 there is no spot in thee; saith the Prophet Isaiah, 2 Cor. 5 19 I wil greatly re­joyce in the Lord, Heb. 12. 10 my soule shall be joy­full in my God, Isa. 43. 25 for he hath clothed mee with the garments of salvation, Cant. 4. 7 & 2. 10 he hath covered me with the robe of righ­teousnesse &c. Isa. 61. 10 The weakest and the strongest Saints are alike cloathed with this robe, Psal. 103 12 and are Gal. 3. 28 equally ac­ceptable, Dan. 9. 24 yea perfectly righteous and glorious in the sight of God, as they are in him, with whom is no variable­nesse, nor shadow of turning; see all that is in thy selfe as nothing, and e­very thing thou standst in need of, to be in him; for that he is thine, and thou art his; Cant. 6. 3 I am my beloveds, and my beloved is mine, &c.

3. What qualifications (except sin­ful ones) had they in Ezekiel? Ezek. 16 3, 4, 5, 6 and what Qualifications had they for whom Christ died, Rom. 5. 8, 9, 10. who were yet ene­mies, yea enmity against him?

4. What need hast thou of Christ, Isa. 61. 1, 2 3 if thou hast what thou needest with­out him?

5. As in nature, before they have life, so in grace none can work be­fore [Page 117] he live spiritually; Heb▪ 11. 6 Christ must be in the soul, before it can believe, and the soul must believe, before it can find any work of sanctification▪ Consider al­so, that there is nothing to be done by the creature in way of preparation to sanctification. Rom. 14 23 See Rom. 4. 5. &. 5. 8, 10

6. Thou goest the wrong way to worke; Rom. 10. 3 thou goest about to establish a righteousnesse of thine owne, and hence thou thirstest so much after qualifications: but it must be utterly renounced; it is a hard thing for a soule to be taken off its owne works, and selfe concurrence: here strip a man of his owne, and ye take away his life; he must and wil have som­thing, some humblenesse, some con­contrition, some tears; or otherwise he thinks he cannot be accepted, par­doned, and saved. But every poore creature unto whom, and in whom the mysterie of Gods rich love, and free grace is revealed, these cry, Grace, grace, Rom. 10. 4 Christ is all in all unto them; Col. 3. 11. their prayers, tears, humblenesse, brokennesse of heart, and every thing of their owne, Rom. 4. 5 is but drosse and dung unto them, in point of acceptance and [Page 118] salvation; Psal. 8 19. 96 these have seene an end of all perfection, and all their owne works (in reference to attaining any hap­pinesse by, or from them) are vani­shed▪ yea drowned in the infinite o­cean of Gods free, and heart-astoni­shing love, that God may have all the glory, and that man might not boast, but obey and serve him freely; our works can be no sure ground of our owne faith, Luk. 1 74 seeing it is proper to faith to vilifie our best performances. Isa 64. 6 Ther­fore the best preparation for Christ, Ezek. 36. 31 is to see in our selves no preparation for him at all: Phil 3. 8, 9 for believers are most made and built up, Isa. 6. 5, 6 when they apprehend themselves in themselves most cast down and undone. Matth. 8. 8

I cannot be perswaded that God hath wrought any supernatural worke in me, Job 40. 4, 5. because I have not so great a measure of sorrow for sinne, Job. 42. 5, 6. as some of the Lords children have. 8 Discou­ragement

Consider Eight things.

1. It is Gods method in his gospel to make the pardon of sinne apprehended [Page 119] by faith, a ground of the deepest hu­miliation that can bee expressed. I will save you, Ezek. 36. 29 saith the Lord, from all your uncleannes; what is the effect of this? v. 31. then shall ye remember your own waies and doings that were not good, and loath your selves in your one eyes for all your abominations▪ Zech. 12. 10, 11 thus the Lord brings his people to repentance. And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the Inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication, and they shall looke upon him whom they have pierced, and mourne, &c. That is, I will give them such a spirit as shall abundantly manifest unto them my rich love and sinne-pardoning grace and this produ­ces mourning, yea bitter and solitary mourning, such as of Hadad rimmon in the vally of Megiddon, where the no­bles of Israel cast away their musicall Instruments, and clad themselves in sable or sacke-cloath and breathing forth their mournful elegies, Lam. 5. 16 cryed out, our Growne is fallen from our heads; woe, woe unto us, wee have sinned; Sorrow for sinne in the glory of the gospel, proceeds from Christs peircing, wounding, & melting [Page 120] the heart, from Christ discovering sin, pouring water upon the dry grounds, and dropping the dewes of Hermon hill upon the thirsty lands.

2. Consider that God deales not with all his alike; hee knowes best what is meet for us: Physicians know that such a physicall potion is neces­sary for one as will kill another. All that believe have not the same measure of sorrow for [...]inne; Act. 16. 14 29 Lydia received the word with joy; but the Jaylor trembled being in feare.

3. The greatest measure of sorrow for sinne that ever any had, was not the least cause of their being loved or saved; it is a great mistake to thinke that God delights in feares or tears Regnum coelorum non servo­rum stipen­dium; sed filiorum est haredi­ [...]as. Calv. Luke 5. 8

4. A deepe sensibleness of sinne pro­ceeding from feare and terrors, hin­ders the soules believing, and drives it from Christ, and makes it say with Peter, Lord depart from mee, for I am a sinfull man.

5. If God deales with thee as with Lydia, more gently then with divers others, thou hast no ground for com­plaint against it.

6. That sensibleness of sinne that [Page 121] flowes not from the apprehension of pardon and love, is of no value. And remember wee to looke to Christ and not unto our sensibleness of sin.

7. Our best and greatest sorrow for sinne is not free from sinne, yea and de­serves nothing but death.

8. If thou hast seene thy selfe lost and fatherless, so as nothing could satis­fie thee but Christ; this is a sweet su­pernaturall and glorious work of the gospel, and such as is wrought up­on none but such as shall be [...]aved; by thy renouncing thy owne sufficien­cy, it appeareth that there is a grea­ter, a better come in places.

I feare I have no worke of grace wrought upon me, 9. Dis­courage­ment. because I feel not its power, and am not able to subdue my passions and corruptions.

Thy complaint of the want of a sense and feeling of the power of the work of grace upon thee, and of thine inability to subdue thy passion and corruption, declares a weaknesse of grace, and not a defect of the truth [Page 122] grace in the soule. If thou dost what thou wouldst not, mind what Paul saith, See Rom. 7. from v. 15 to the end. that which I do, I allow not; for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that doe I &c. The strongest and most spiritual Christian is in him­self very weake, Gal 6. 1 imperfect, falls often, and is not able to stand alone Among Christians, some partake more of na­tural choller then others, and they accordingly are more or lesse hastie and passionate; a wicked man may naturally be patient, and a child of God sinfully passionate; Elias was a man subject to the like passions we are. Jam. 5. 17

2. Thou must not measure Gods love to thee, nor the truth of his worke in thee, Rom 7. 14 15, 16▪ 25. by thy mortification of sinne.

3. God may for ends best known unto himselfe, leave thy passions and corruptions unsubdued, yea suffer them to be too strong for thee; it may be, that thou mayst be abased more in thine own eyes, and that thou might­est see thine own weaknesse, and bee thereby the more sensible of thy ne­cassity of Christs strength, and de­pend daily upon him for it, and that [Page 123] thereupon we might love and prize him the more, in that we have such necessity of him to pardon and heale us; and that he might hold forth the glory of his power in keeping alive a [...]mal sparke of grace in us in the midst of the vast ocean of our corruptions▪ God may leave thy personal sancti­fication the more imperfect, that thou mayest the more mind and behold Je­sus Christ and our righteousnesse in him, Rom. 4. 6, 7. and live the more upon him and his fulnesse, Rom. 3. 24 and joy the more in our free justification by him.

4. It is one thing to have thy sinne forgiven, or not imputed unto thee, Psal. 32. 1, 2. and another thing to have thy sin subdu [...]d in thee: the first may be where the later is wan­ting.

5. The reason why sinne so much prevailes, is because we live so much in discouragements: Live in the appre­hension of the love of God, and down goes sinne and discouragements; but while we lie in our discourage­ments, sinne prevailes; as appeares by 77. Psal. 2. 7, 8, 9, 10. verses.

6. Thy comfort and happinesse de­pends [Page 124] not upon thy feeling, 2 Cor. 5. 7. but up­on Gods never-failing covenant and promise, Gal. 2. 20. confirmed by his oath, and we are not to live by sense and feel­ing but by faith in the Sonne of God; we are not to fetch our comfort from our subduing of sinne, but from Christ, who is made unto us both righteous­nesse and sanctification. 1 Cor. 1. 30. Thankes bee unto God who hath given us victory by Jesus Christ: Rom. 7. 25 when we are at the best we may not live in our selves, nor by sight, but by faith; and when we are at the worst, 1 Cor. 1. 6. 19. we are to remember that wee are not our owne, but Christs, and that wee ought to live upon him by faith, 1 Cor. 3. 23 and derive strong consola­tion from him, and his leading of Captivity Captive.

I finde within my selfe no relish of spi­rituall things, 10. Dis­courage­ment. nor willingnesse to duties, and I often omit them.

God may have begun his worke in thee, although it be thus with thee; though this be an argument of much corruption in the soule.

[Page 125] This distemper may arise from di­verse causes, Luke 1. 74. as 1. From unbeliefe. 2. From doubting of the acceptance of thy person and duties. 3. From want of love to Christ. 4. From loving of temporall things, which deadens the heart and makes it car­nall. 5. From weaknesse of grace. 6. From sloath and ease which slay the soule. Prov. 19. 15. 7. From ignorance of the sweetnesse in spirituall duties. 8. From the soules sicknesse and distemper; for as the body when sick, oft cannot relish its food, so this soule-distemper hinders its relish of spirituall things, and thereby brings weaknesse, a knowne enemy to action; Psa. 73. 26 My flesh and my heart faile, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. He never failes.

I feare that that worke of grace, 11. Dis­courage­ment. which I once felt, is now decayed.

Poore heart, I would have thee con­sider these five things, viz.

1. The ground of our faith is God in his word, Cor. 2. 5. 7 and not our sight and feel­ing▪ [Page 126] That is sensual; 2 Cor. 5. 7 we live not by sight, Gal. 2. 20. but by faith in the Son of God.

2. Consider that as long as thou main­tainest fears & jealousies of Gods love unto thee; Ps 77. 5, 6 it is no wonder if thy con­dition be no better then it is: Jam. 1. 17 Call to mind the daies of old. John 13. 1 And remember that with God is no variablenesse nor shadow of turning; [...]er. 31. 3 whom he loves, Ps. 103. 17 he loves for ever: Isa. 54. 8 his love is an everlast­ing love. Jer. 2. 2. And remember that a poore believers consolation depends not so much upon his knowing Christ, as upon this, that we are knowne of him, and held fast by him, who hath taken the charge of us.

3. A child of God may decay in parts, sight, feeling, and exercise of faith; 2 Cor. 12. 10 these are sometimes more, and sometimes lesse, as God sees best, that we might rest and relie upon Christ alone. Cant. 8. 5. The graces accompanying salvation, no saint shal ever lose; but a present sensible and continuall exercise of any grace, God hath not promised: the exercise of grace in the Saints, ebbs and flowes; the Lord often withdrawes the exercise of one grace, that so another may shine forth [Page 127] with the greater lustre, Psal. 62▪ 7 and that we may in faith and humility depend up on him who is the rock of our strength and our portion for ever. Psa. 73. 26

4. Consider, That it is a principal part of the new covenant of Gods grace, Jer. 32▪ 40 that he wil write his law in our hearts, and that we shall not depart from him. And the Lord also saith, The mountains shal depart, Isa. 54. 10. and the hils be removed, but my loving kindnesse shall not depart from thee, neither shall the Covenant of my peace he removed. And in the Prophesie of Jeremiah, Jer. 33. 20. he saith further, If thou canst breake my Covenant of the day, and my Covenant of the night, that there shall not be day and night in their season, then may also my covenant be broken.

5. Consider, that wee ought to be­lieve that which wee neither see nor [...]eel; Rom. 4. 18 19. wee are to believe under hope, against hope. Heb. 11. 1 Faith is the evidence of things not seene. Rom. 8. 1▪ 2. To live by faith, is to walk after the spirit, and to live by sight, sense and feeling, is to live after the flesh.

Were it not a groundless thing in nature to feare that there is no sinne [Page 128] in the firmament, because that at pre­sent its face is masked with a cloud, and wee feele not the warming and inlivening influence of its beames?

I feare that the opposition in mee a­gainst sinne, 12. Dis­courage­ment. is not between Christ and Satan, or the spirit and the flesh; but betweene my corrupt will and my inlightened consci­ence.

It is granted that every opposition or striving in men is not from the anti­pathy between Christ and Satan, or the flesh and spirit; which reciprocally lust against each other; yet the diffe­rence between the antipathy of the flesh and spirit, and of the corrupt will and enlightened conscience, is very discernable.

1. The naturall conscience (though inlightened) acts only in a naturall way; at the most it is but morall, as not to lie, steale, sweare &c.

2. It stirs not unless forced, and then unto that only whereunto it is forced; as a Justice of the peace having issued [Page 129] forth his warrant to a drunken consta­ble to search for drunkards; this consta­ble dare do no other then▪ search for them (though his heart bee with them.)

3. Conscience inlightened strikes only at the branches, but not at the root of sinne.

4. It sets one faculty against ano­ther, as the will and affections against the understanding.

First, But the spirit of Christ causes an opposition in the same faculty, as in the will, &c.

2. The spirit [...] of Christ makes a free, full, constant and impartial re­sistance against all sinne.

3. It discovers to the soule her se­cret corruptions in their colours; this spirit overpowereth the soule, causing it to hate sinne and leave it.

4. This spirit causeth the soule to bee so much the more glad by how much sinne is the more discovered.

5. It teaches the soul to oppose all sin, even the appearance of evil, equal­ly proportionably and orderly.

6. This Spirit teaches the soul not to turn the grace of God into incourage­ment to sin.

I cannot pray, nor do any thing that is good, therefore God hath not done my soule good; and I have many suggestions that I have no worke of grace wrought in mee, 13. Dis­courage­ment. which much weakens my confidence.

1. Poore soul [...] thy grace is weak, and thy weaknesse proceeds from in­fidelity, which deadens the heart, and hinders thy living upon the strength of Christ.

2. It is thus with thee, Joh. 15. 5 that thou mayest see thy necessity of Christs strength, go to, and waite upon him by faith for it, and live upon him who hath promised to be a ful supply un­to his.

3. If God hath given thee a desire to obey him; say not, that it is nothing, God saith it is something; he that gives this, 2 Cor. 8 12 accepts it; for if there be a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, Psal. 145. 19. and not according to that he hath not; and he wil grant thy desire in his time; Isa. 42. 3 he wil [...] the desires of them that feare him, he also [Page 131] will heare their cry, and wil save them; Christ wil not quench the smoaking flax; though we see no fire, yet we know there is some by the smoake; it is a Character of a servant of the Lord to desire to feare his name; spiritual or holy desires cannot be in a soule that hath no grace; Neb. 1. 11 desires after grace and of spiritual things is an act of spi­ritual life; an act is from a faculty, and a faculty is a concomitant of life; a man that is dead in trespasses and sins, cannot (while dead) have a spi­ritual desire; spiritual desires are the productions of faith and love, and many times a wil to obey is all that a spiritual believer can find. Rom. 7. 18 19, 20, 21. To will is present with mee, but how to performe that which is good I find not, for the good I would I do not, but the evil I would not, that do I; the strongest saint is but weak. Paul was an eminent Saint, yet consider what he saith of himselfe, Rom. 7. from 14. to 25. Rom. 8. from 37. to 39. he had no power to doe what he would; yet he lived by faith in the Son of God. Gal. 2. 10▪

4. We should doe all we can to o­bey God; yet we must know that [Page 132] our all wil be infinitely too little to ju­stifie us in the sight of God, Eph. 2. 8, 9 for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of our selves &c. not of works, lest any man should boast.

Then as to the second branch, viz. That God hath not done thy soule good.

Certainly, God hath begun his work in thee, if he hath convinced thee of sin and of righteousnesse: it is none other then the worke of the Spi­rit to convince the world of sin, Joh. 16. 7, 8, 9, 10. and of righteousnesse; to be convinced of sin, is for the soule to see it self utterly lost and undone by reason of its sins. They confesse they are vile, and abhorre themselves, they loath themselves for their deeds. Job 42. 6 And to be convinced of righteousnesse, Ezek. 20 43 is to see that our owne best performances and righteousnesses are but dung and dross, and as menstrous cloathes; for a man cannot come to expect life and salva­tion from Christ alone, until his own righteousnesse be as vilenesse to him, in reference to the attaining of any happinesse therefrom; this vision of God brings the soule to see it self, and to cry out, Isa. 6. 5, 6 There remaineth no strength [Page 133] in me, Dan. 10. 8 My comelinesse is turned in me into corruption. Certainly, it is a prin­ciple of grace, that takes us off from nature, and an effect of our being born of God to be unbottomed from our carnal principles; and when the soul is taken off its owne bottome, it must have another to rest upon, or it sinks. Therfore whensoever God takes away the poore soules sandie foundation, which is its false and groundless hopes of the mercy of God, he then gives it a better in himselfe.

As to the last branch, viz. That thou hast many suggestions, that thou hast no worke of grace wrought upon thee.

It is Satan that tempts Christs babes to cast away their confidence, Heb▪ [...]0. 35 which to doe, is directly repugnant to the mind of Christ; therefore if Satan suggest unto thee, that thou hast no faith, thou mayest answer, If I have it not in the act to my own knowledg, yet I may have it in the grace it selfe; and if he reply, that both he and your selfe know that you have no grace at all, make this defence to his replicati­on, [Page 134] that he knowes not. And if I should entertaine such a thought a­gainst my selfe, I may be deceived; for as fire raked up in the ashes, ap­peares not either by light or heate; so grace raked up in the ashes of cor­ruption may not for the present appear to others or thy selfe, 1 Cor. 3. 1 though it may be there all the time.

2. Evade the divels suggestions fur­ther, as thus, If I have no grace, why lettest thou me not alone, as thou dost others, and as thou didst mee, when I tooke my fill of sinne? Then thou toldest mee I had faith when I had none; I have found you a lyer, therfore I wil not hearken unto you; & I am the more confident that I have grace, John 8. 44 for that thou tellest me I have none; he is a lyer, and the father of lies.

3. And suppose I have no grace, there is no reason why I should de­spaire; because every one of the Lords dear ones were once without grace, Eph. 2. 12. 13 and in the state of nature. At that time ye were without Christ, being ali­ens from the Commonwealth of Israel, strangers, having no hope, and with­out God in the world. But now in Christ [Page 135] Jesus yee who sometimes were afarre off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, Which in times past were not a people, but are now the people of God. Which had not obtained mercy, 1 Pet. 2. 10. but now have obtained mercy. Many are ordained unto eternall life which doe not yet actually believe; put the case at the worst, there can be no ground for de­spaire; Luke 18. 27. But I will use the meanes, wait upon God, Jer. 32. 17 and trust him with my soule, Math. 8. 2. if mercy come, I shall magnifie his name: there is nothing too hard for God; Lord if thou wilt, thou canst make mee cleane.

My soule is filled with terrours; 14. Dis­courage­ment. I have an Hell within mee, I feele the wrath of God in my soule, and have for a long time remained in this condition.

1. Consider, That though this be a very sad condition, yet it is no other then such as hath attended the deare and precious Saints of God; and it should not be a strange thing unto us, but expected and prepared for by [Page 136] us. Looke back upon David (a pre­cious and dear child of God) who, reckoning upon such a time, when by dismall desertions he should take a turne in the darke and dampe vallies of the shadow of death, and be en­compassed with dreadfull terrours and sore trialls; Psa. 23. 4. treasures up a word of comfort in readinesse; Though I walke through the valley of the shadow of death, I will feare none evill, for thou art with mee; thy rod and thy staffe comfort me; Isa. 50. 10. and the blessed Spi­rit of Christ invites thee to stay thy selfe upon thy God; and wee may indeed feele his almighty arme sustain­ing us, when we behold not his face shining upon us: And though Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse do set in thy soul at night, yet Hee shall arise in the morning: Psa. 30. 5. and this Sun cannot suffer a totall eclipse as the worlds comforts often do, Sol nun­quam totus obscuratur, quod Luna minor sit. or as the Moon, be­cause the Moone of our sins and cor­ruptions, which interposes between us and Christ, is far lesser then Christ.

2. Consider if Hemans, Jobs, Da­vids and Jeremiahs condition did not runne Parallel with thine; saith [Page 137] Heman, Lord, why castest thou off my soule? Psa. 88. 15 16. Why hidest thou thy face from mee? I am ready to die, whilst I suffer thy terrours. I am distracted, thy fierce wrath goeth over me; Job 19. 10 11 thy terrours have cut me off. Job cryed saying, he hath kindled his wrath against me, and counts me to him as one of his enemies. And David in temptation judging himself according to the law, sense, and feel­ing, Psa. 31. 22 said, I am cast out of his sight, hor­ror hoth overwhelmed me. Psa. 55. 45 And Jere­miah said * Ps. 77. 8, 9 He hath lead me into dark­nesse, Lam. 3. 2. to ver. 19. and not into light; he hath broken my bones, and compassed me with gall; Hee hath made my chaines heavie, he hath filled me with bitternesse, thou hast removed my soule farre off from peace; and I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Some conceive that if God loved them, there should not be any tempests in their soules, but in stead of wrath and ter­rors, a sweet calme of peace and joy, not remembring that the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind, Nah. 1. 3 and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feete; Some of Gods people enjoy peace and comfort, and yet his righteous ser­vant [Page 138] Job wants them: saith he unto God, Job 7. 20, 21 Why dost not thou pardon my transgressions &c. Thou hast set mee as a mark against thee, so that I am a burden unto my selfe. Our comfort and firme consolation consists not in our freedome from terrours, Job. 21. 13 14, &c but in the spirits revelation of truth unto the soule.

3. The Angel of the Lord said to Gideon; The Lord is with thee. But Gideon said, Judges 6. 12, 13. Oh my Lord, if the Lord bee with us, why then is all this fallen upon us? &c. The poore soule is ready to say; if the Lord bee with us, why then is all this befalne us? why then are wee so full of terrors? The Lord may now bee with thee, Luk. 24. 15 16, 31. and thou maiest be as well mistaken as Gideon was.

4. Consider, that the greatest peace any saint enjoyes, is not any ground of incouragement for him to believe; and likewise remember, that no terrors that ever take any of Gods Jobs, Davids, or Jeremiahs, ought in the least to discourage them in believing; for our happiness con­sists not in any thing that wee can [Page 139] [...]ee, feele, or apprehend in our selves, but in the word and promise of our God; and in that wee are knowne of him, who loves us, and compre­hends us in himselfe, Psal. 32. 1. not imputing our trespasses unto us, 2 Cor. 5. 19. but his righ­teousnesse without works.

5. Hearken what the Lord saith by his Prophet Isaiah, Rom. 4. 6. and cast all thy fears of hell upon God in a promise, Isa. 26. 3, 4 and trust in the Lord; when thou art in the flames of this fire, Isa. 43. 2, 3 4. thou shalt not be burnt. With God nothing is impos­sible; Luk. 1. 78. 79 oh troubled soule, the day spring from on high hath by the tender mer­cies of our God, visited us; and so it will visit thee also, and give light to thee that sittest in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide thy feete in the way of peace.

6. Consider whether poring too much upon thy sins untill thou wert filled with despaire, hath not brought thy terrors upon thee▪ consider whe­ther thy omissions and commissions against conscience have not aug­mented thy horrour; and looke that thou skin not thy self againe with thy performances and duties; and re­member, [Page 140] that what is a great cause of mourning, is not the least ground of dispaire. Oh therefore cast not a­way your confidence; Heb. 10. 35, 37, 38. for yet a little while, and hee that shall come, will come, and will not tarry. And say with the Prophet Micah, When I sit in darknes, Mic. 7. 8, 9 the Lord shall be a light unto mee. He will bring mee forth into the light, and I shall behold his righteous­ness.

I have no love to Christ, 15 Dis­courage­ment. I am an enemie to him, and not fit for him.

1 The reason why thou lovest not Christ, is because thou livest not in the apprehension of his rich love be­cause thou hast not the heart-break­ing sight and sense of the pardon of thy sinnes by him, 1 Joh. 4. 19 Wee love him be­cause hee loved us first, the manife­station of this love unto a poore soule constraines it to love him againe. 2 Cor. 5. 14

2. Dost thou apprehend thy selfe an enemy to God? so were the dea­rest of Gods children: Rom. 5. 8. While wee were yet enemies we were reconciled to God Ephes. 2. 12, 1 [...]. [Page 141] by the death of his Son, &c. Enemies cannot deserve nor desire a Christ, yet God gives forth a Christ unto such.

3. It is impossible for thee to fit thy selfe for Christ. If thou seest such a necessity of him, as that without him thou art undone; and hereupon pantest after him, he hath brought thee absolutely under his promise; oh then go to him, and thou shalt speed, he is faithful that hath promised. He wil draw thee unto him with the cords of a man, Hos. 11. 4. with bands of love, Jer. 31 3. and with loving kindnesse. He saith also, He that cometh unto me, I wil in no wise cast out. Joh. 6. 37 And Christ adds further, Joh. 10. 30 I and my Father are one. Isa. 40. 29. 30, 31. And we give power to the faint, and to them that have no might we adde strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that wait upon the Lord shall re­new their strength, they shall mount up with wings as Eagles; they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walke and not faint.

Remember this, that if God hath wrought in thee to hunger and thirst [Page 142] after righteousnesse (that is Christ) he himself hath pronounced thee blessed; Mat. 5. 6 a desire after Christ and his righteous­nesse is no other then the off-spring of the Spirit and life of Christ in the soule; Rom. 8. 9, 10, 11. 14. the best perswasion for Christ, Isa. 6. 5, 6. is to see in our selves no preparation for Christ at all. Isa. 61. 1, 2. None but fitted or pre­pared ones will take Christ; Matt. 9. 23 yet is no preparation to be forced on any as mans work, in any sense.

There are indeed many sweete and pre­cious promises in the word, 16 Dis­courage­ment. but those who have a propriety in them are believers, and I am none.

Poore soule! Consider three things.

1. Consider, that you may be mi­staken in your selfe, Ephes. 1. 18, 19. and think you do not, when you do believe; and herein may you erre on the one hand, 1 Joh. 5. 1 [...] as the carnal man doth on the other: he thinks he doth believe, when he doth not; and you think you do not, when you do believe; as a cheater would put off his brasse for gold, so an honest [Page 143] man may suspect his gold to be brass. It is a great signe and symptome of faith, Isa. 6. 5. to have a sight and sense of our owne infidelity and unworthi­nesse.

2. I grant, that none may apply a promise of life, but such as believe; yet the promises are for all the elect, thou knowest not but that thou art one of them; when God shall give thee faith, thou shalt know thy inte­rest in the promises. In the meane time, Act. 13. 48 stay thy selfe with this, that the Lord Jesus gave himselfe for ene­mies, Rom. 5. 8. & 4. 5. & 5. 6. and to justifie the ungodly. Be not dismayed, God may save you; hearken unto what the Lord saith, Hos. 2. 23 I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy, and I will say unto them, Thou art my people, and they shall say, thou art my God. Oh sweet place! then by no means yeild to thy fears, nourish not jealousies against the love of God, Psa. 119. 49 but resolve in the strength of Christ to cleave unto him in his word, hold him fast with the Spouse, Cant. 2. 16 saying, My beloved is mine, and I am his.

3. Consider, that if ever any of the [Page 144] light of Gods soule-astonishing love, and sinne pardoning mercie dawned upon thy soule, if ever hee hath made any spirituall discoveries of his love unto thee, and in thee; remember, with him is no variablenes nor shadow of turning: hee changes not, Jam. 1. 17. and therefore the Sonnes of Jacob are not consumed. Mal. 3. 6. And though you finde your selfe unbelieving, yet you are not to question the truth and certainty of the accomplishment of Gods promises, that are in him yea and amen, that are sure, and not groun­ded upon your faith, but upon his owne grace, and upon his Sonne, and his righteousness and faithfulness; it is not thy unbeliefe that can make the faith of God without effect; Rom. 3. 3 if wee believe not, 2 Tim. 3. 13. yet he remaines faithful; he cannot deny himselfe.

I have no assurance of salvation, I am not sealed up to the day of re­demption, 17 Dis­courage­ment. and therefore have no faith.

1. Consider, that faith and assu­rance [Page 145] are distinct; assurance cannot bee without faith; but faith may be without assurance; assurance is not properly an act of faith, but an effect of it, Eph. 1. 13. and indeed above it: After that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of promise; the seede of faith may be in the soule before the soule know it; and by how much the greater our feeling and assurance is, by so much the lesser is our faith

2. Consider, that besides the illumi­nation which wicked men and devils may have, as wel as a believer, there is a twofold act of faith: viz. a direct act and a reflect act of faith. 1. A direct act of faith is to believe that Christ is, and that life and every good thing is treasured up in him; this is to believe the record that God hath given con­cerning his Sonne; 1 Tim. 1. 15. And that he came into the world to save sinners; and thereupon for the soule to look unto Christ that it may be saved, Isa. 45. 22. and so to long for him, rest upon and trust in him for life, 1 Joh. 5. 13 from an hope, though not from an assurance of mercie; Ephes. 1. 18 19, a man may believe, and yet not know that he hath eternal life; yet those [Page 146] who have such faith as this are blessed: Mat. 16. 17 Turne ye to the strong hold, Zech. 9. 12 ye prisoners of hope; and these are really possessed of Christ, though at present they themselves perhaps know it not. Ps. 147. 11 Those are blessed that hope in Christs mer­cy. Psa. 33. 18

The reflect act of faith, is to believe in Christ▪ the soul knowing its proprie­tie in him; for thee to believe that Christ came to save thy soul from thy sins, Mat. 1. 21 this is to trust him from a know­ledge of our interest in him, Rom. 8. 16 The Spi­rit it selfe beareth witnesse with our spirit, John. 6. 69 that we are the children of God. Rom. 8. 33 34, 35, 38, 39. We believe and are sure, &c. Hee that hath this act of faith, hath also the former; but there are divers pre­cious soules that have the former, and yet have not attained this; though they are under the promises of it: They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them, Ezek. 34. 30. and that they, even the house of Israel are my people, saith the Lord.

3. Consider, that there are di­vers that have this direct act of faith, Heb. 5 13. 14. who yet (being babes) do through ignorance, Heb. 10 15 unskilfulnesse, and want [Page 147] of experience of the order and man­ner of Gods dealing with his; call it into question whether they have any faith or not; yea, and when Christ doth not clearly appeare, and faith not lively act in the soule, they re­solve it in the negative: but when the Sunne of Righteousnesse shines forth againe upon this poore creature, with his beames of soule-reviving, and soul­raising love, then are these clouds dispelled, and the soule satisfied, and armed for the future with experiences of God against giving way unto doubts of such a nature.

I feare that my faith is not the faith of Gods Elect, 18 Dis­courage­ment. but a presumption, it being attended with so many doubtings.

Poore heart, consider five things, viz.

1. Consider, * Certane in me de meipso cu­jus potissi­mum esse videar. that though faith is not doubting, and doubting not faith, yet both of them usually lodg in one soule. Thy fears and doubts are indeed the effects of unbeliefe, but [Page 148] do argue only weaknesse of faith; and sure it is, that faith may be true and lively, when weake and smal; yea further, there may be not only true, but great faith, Luk. 8. 47, 48. where there is feare and trembling; so that you neither put faith for unbeliefe, Isa. 5. 20 nor light for darknesse.

2. Consider, that to doubt, because of doubting, is to relie rather upon our faith then upon Christ; it is not the greatnesse of our faith, but Christ whom faith receives and apprehends that makes us accepted; and this a weake faith may doe, as truly as the strongest. Those that were stung of the fiery Scorpion, Num. 21. 9 and looked up to the Brazen Serpent, though with the weakest eye of faith, Isa. 45. 22. were healed; Christ is the same to the weak, Gal. 3, 28 that he is to the strong in point of justificati­on; yet the more of Christ, and of faith, that a man hath, the more strength and comfort he enjoyes. It is our dutie in the strength of Christ, Mark. 9. 24 to withstand doubting (it being a weak­nesse, and a flie in our box of oynt­ment) and to endeavor to be strong in faith, Heb. 6. 18 19 and lay hold on that everlasting [Page 149] Covenant, which God hath made and confirmed with an oath.

3. Consider that none is able to perswade a soul that it doth believe, but he on whom it believes. God shall perswade Japheth; Gen. 2. 7. who can more prin­cipally, and with clearer satisfaction, perswade the Spouse of the good will of him she loves, but himselfe? Can all the love-tokens, or testimonial rings, and bracelets? They may con­curre and help in the manifestation; But it is the voice of the beloved, that efficaciously doth the work. My belo­ved spake and said unto mee, rise up my Love, Cant. 2. 10 my faire one, saith the Spouse.

4. Consider, that we are to believe, that we may know we believe, Eph. 1. 13. that we may be sealed with the holy Spirit of promise, for the witnesse comes by believing; 1 John. 5. 6, 10. The Spirit bearing wit­nesse. And he that believeth, hath the witnesse in himselfe. Rom. 8. 16 We believe and are sure; John 6 69 the way to be warme, is not only to ask for a fire, or whether there be one or not, and hold out the hands towards it, and away, and wish for a greater; but to stand close unto that [Page 150] fire there is, Heb. 3. 12. and to gather heat: Take heed, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbeliefe in departing from the living God. Heb. 4. 6 They entred not in, because of unbeliefe. Heb. 3. 19.

5. Consider the happiness of a be­liever in Christ; feed thy faith with suitable promises; live upon Christ a­bove; Luke 11. 23. pray in faith, ask his Spirit, and thou shalt have it, which will revive and fill thy soule with joy, and peace in believing: In the same measure that God reveals his love to a soule, in that measure doubts and fears are cast out; perfect love casts out fear. 1 Jo [...]. 4. 18

I cannot believe that I am elected, 19 Dis­courage­ment. therefore nothing can doe mee good.

1. This is a secret, and to be left unto God, and not medled withall by us, Deut. 29. 29. Secret things belong unto God, and revealed things to us.

2. Consider that it is most certain, that these thoughts come from Satan, Gen. 3. 2, 3 being so directly contrary to God in his word; and Satan is most especially [Page 151] not to be hearkned unto when he tempts to unbeliefe, the stalke upon which all other sinnes grow: saith Sa­tan, if thou are elected thou dost be­lieve, and this faith brings forth the pleasant fruits of righteousnes. This is one of the grand polices of Satan, wherewith he nonpluses poore soules; for by this hee sets on the soule for evidence of its justification from things, which he knows, can afford lit­tle but questionable assurance at best; as perswasion most upon markes and signes of our owne sanctification or good works, which can not hold good without love to Christ, and without faith it selfe to bring downe Christ upon them; wee know that every piece of coyne is valued accor­ding to the image and superscription that it beares; and if Caesar be not there (though it bee silver stil) yet it is not coyne, it is not so currant, and he that hath it, cannot make such use of it, and so assure himselfe to trade with it, as otherwise he might; so there is not any thing of sanctification currant and of solid comfort to a believer, unlesse Christ [Page 152] be there and his image, which is righ­teousnes and true holinesse.

3. Consider that it is a usual delusion of Satan to tell a poore soule that God hath no mercy for it, when the soule hath obtained mercy, and this mercy not farr from it, yea at the gate as it were▪ and that it is the nature of un­beliefe to be inquisitive and curious to find out any colourable pretention whereby it may seeme to doe wel, in excluding it selfe from grace, and in not harkening unto what God saith in his word.

I would gladly believe, 20 Dis­courage­ment. but I dare not; besides I cannot believe.

Consider four things, viz.

1. Consider with thy selfe, and ex­amine what reason thou hast or canst have to doubt or be afraid, since Christ cryeth saing, If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink; John 7. 37. The spirit and the Bride say, Rev. 22. 17 come; and whosoever wil let him come. Doth God invite you to come, and are you afraid? oh come, Mat. 12. 20 he wil not quench the smoking [Page 153] flax. Psal. 147. 11 Hope thou in his mercy, and know that the Lord takes pleasure in them that feare him, in them that hope in his mercy. Examine thy soule why it would flie unto the hills of its owne preparations, Psal. 11. 1. seeing that God, who is a strong hold, hath invited thee unto himselfe; and indeed the first thing that a poore soule that sees it self lost and fatherlesse, Act. 16. 31 is to do; is to be­lieve in the Lord Jesus; he expects no previous qualifications; Isa. 6. 5, 6 and indeed the best preparation for Christ, Matth. 8. [...] is to see in our selves no preparation at all for him. Luk. 5. 8

2. Consider, that if thou desirest to believe, thy will is in part regene­rate, and thou dost in some measure believe, Mark 9. 24 (though weakly) Lord I be­lieve, help thou my unbeliefe. And remember, that the heart in a mysti­cal and spiritual acceptation, is seated in the will, and in the understanding, but more principally in the will; so that that object, or thing unto which the will is most inclined, or the desires runne out most after, unto that is the bent of the heart said to be; Rom. 8. 5, 6, 7 if our wills be renewed, our hearts are re­newed: [Page 154] Saith Paul, to will is present with me: Rom. 7. 18 19 compa­red with 21 and 15 verses. good I would do: so then, with my mind I serve the law of God: where­by it evidently appears, that the will is one with the mind, and that the heart is one with them, and that these three are one, and are alike spirituall; where your treasure is, Mat. 6. 21. there will your hearts be also; there will be your mind and your affections, and by affecti­ons the heart is meant. Set your affe­ctions on things above; Col. 3. 2. Gods servants are in Scripture described by a desire to feare his name. Neh. 1. 11 Those desires that work towards God, Psa. 145. 19 came from him; The Spirit returns to him that gave it. 1 Pet. 2. 2, 3 If thy desires be spiritual, thou art spi­ritual; they flow from faith, and from the Spirit, and are a part of the worke of grace in us, which he ha­ving begunne, will perfect to his own praise. Ignoti nul­la cupido. A man cannot desire that which he doth not believe to be, nor love. To wil to believe and repent, is an evidence that the soul doth believe and repent; to will to be regenerate, is an effect and testimonie of regene­ration. It is God that worketh in you to will, Phil. 2. 13. &c. Spiritual desires cannot [Page 155] possibly be in that soule that hath not spirituall life; Psa. 145. 19. for to desire after Christ, or to a believe in him, is an act of spirituall life; Rom. 6. 20. a dead man cannot desire, and nothing but Christ can possesse the soule of a sense of its want of him; 2 Cor. 3. 5 the depraved will of man being wholly inthralled unto sin, Gen. 6. 5. can contribute nothing hereunto, but is altogether insufficient for, and averse unto it, 1 Cor. 2. 14. and also to the perceiving and receiving of the things of God, Deut. 29. 4. they being spiritually discerned: God must give eyes to see and an heart to understand. Eph. 1. 17, 18.

3. Considert, Eph. 1. 18 19. hat many doe believe, and yet know not whether they be­lieve or no, 1 John 5. 13. and thereupon they doe as the blinde man did, call their faith unbeliefe; Marke 9. 24. many give God their hearts and know it not, being ignorant of what is meant by the heart, and where it is seated, viz. in the will, understanding, desires, affections and delights, though principally in the will. Rom. 8. 5. 6, 7.

4. Consider, that it is not in the power of the Creature to believe, Phil. 1. 29. and that faith is not any condition of the [Page 156] covenant of grace required on thy part, but a grace of the covenant on Gods part to be given; for this cove­nant is not made with us, but with Christ for us: Gal. 5. 22 to believe is a fruit of the Spirit of Christ; John 15. 4 we must bee in Christ before wee can beare fruit, therefore we must be in Christ before we can believe; Rom 8. 9, 10. hee that hath the Spirit of Christ hath Christ; we have the Spirit of Christ before we believe, therefore we have Christ before we believe; Acts 13. 48. and men are ordained unto eternall life before they believe.

I am afraid the day of grace is past, 21. Dis­courage­ment. and so nothing can doe me good.

1. You must not give way to such discouraging thoughts, Jonah 3. 9 answer them with Jonah; who knowes but the Lord may returne?

2. For which of Gods loving kind­nesses and rich mercies hast thou ta­ken up such hard thoughts of him, to nourish Jealousies against his love? Psa. 139. 17, 18. remember what David saith; How precious are thy thoughts to me, oh God? [Page 157] great is the summe of them; If I should count them, Marke 5. 36. they are more then the Sands: Luke 15. 1, 2. and what Christ saith; Be not afraid, onely believe: and what he did, he received sinners.

3. If thou thinkest the day of grace is past, because thy sinnes are great; that argument will not hold; hear­ken what God saith; I have spread out my hand all the day to a rebellious peo­ple that provoke me to anger continual­ly to my face. Isa 65. 2. 3

4. Consider, That if thou hast an heart desirous to returne unto God, thy day of grace is not past; Christ knocks still; Rev. 3. 20. If we confesse our sinnes, he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes, 1 Joh. 1. 9 &c.

Saith a poore drooping believer, I feare that when persecution comes, 22. Dis­courage­ment. I shall not suffer, nor hold out unto the end, but dishonour God, betray his truth, shame and grieve his people.

Cast all these cares and feares up­on the Lord; Phil. 4. 6 In nothing be carefull, Phil. 2. 20 [Page 158] hee will care for thee; Phil. 2. 20 he that hath ingaged his owne faithfulnesse for the making good of every tittle of his promises, hath promised; I will never leave thee nor forsake thee; Heb. 13. 5 God will take care for his owne glory, 1 Pet. 5. 7. truth and servants; his wisdome, power, Love, and faithfulnesse shall order all.

I am discouraged because that of all the spirituall things I hoped for, 23. Dis­courage­ment. none are made good to mee; I doe not possesse any.

1. If thou beest included in, and art under the promise of them, thou shalt possesse them.

2. Consider; they may be made good to thee without thy sensible en­joyment of them; there is neither faith nor hope exercised upon what we possesse; to have a right in, or to a thing, and to possesse it, are di­stinct; Heb. 11. 17, 18. They died in faith, they possessed not what they believed they should enjoy; Rom. 4. 3. 17, 18. Abraham believed he should have a sonne; here was his faith; yet [Page 159] did he not then possesse his sonne; To make enjoyment essentiall to faith is a very great mistake, 2 Cor. 3. 7 8. wee being uni­ted and married unto Christ doe through faith by him bring forth fruit unto God, Gal. 3. 2. 1 yea perfect obedience, Rom. 7. 3. 4. im­putatively, Eph. 4. 22▪ 23, 24. and through the operation of his Spirit.

I have many discouragements, 24. Dis­courage­ment. for that I am not filled with joy, and comfort and peace in believing.

Consider two things, viz.

1. Faith may be strong, when joy is absent; Psal. 51. 12 David had faith, when he had not joy: Psal. 77. 2. Restore to me the joy of my sal­vation; he had refused comfort before, but now he came to want it,

2. Such as judge their condition good, because they are filled with joy, build upon a sandy foundation, in that they are not founded upon Christ a­lone. If some had joy, they would make it a Christ to them, they would live upon it, and therby abuse Christ, themselves, and their joy: It is a mercy unto such poore creatures, that they have not joy, til they better know how to use it.

I cannot believe that I am in Christ, 25 Dis­courage­ment. for that I fall back into sinne.

Consider three things, viz.

1. That no sinne can make one less beloved of God, Rom. 4. 2, 5. or lesse in Christ; Isa. 55. 3. for the mercies of God are called sure mercies; Jer. 31. 3. his love an everlasting love, his covenant an everlasting covenant. Rom. 8. 35, 38, 39 I am perswaded (saith Paul) That nei­ther death, Heb. 13. 20 nor life, nor principalities, nor powers, &c. shall be able to sepa­rate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: So that to whom he is once merciful, he is ever merciful; whom he once loves, he e­ver loves; when he once takes poore creatures into covenant with him, he is ever theirs; Mal. 3. 6 I am the Lord, I change not.

2. That whom the Father loves, he loves in his Son in whom he is well pleased, and his Son is alwaies alike beloved of him: The same yesterday, to day, Heb. 13. 8 and for ever; and whom he loves in his Son, he accounts as his [Page 161] Son; 1 Cor. 1. 30. he is made unto us of God, righte­ousnesse, sanctification, and redempti­in; so as wee being not beloved for our owne sakes: nothing in us can make God love us lesse, because he loves us not for our selves, nor any thing in our selves, but in and through his Son, in whom he is wel pleased with us.

3. Consider, That if God should love us lesse or more, as we are lesse or more sinful; Numb. 23 19 then he should be as man, and as the Son of man; and if believers stood upon these termes with God, Rom. 4. 25 then how are these Scrip­tures said to be true? Rom. 8. 33 34 He arose again for our Justification. Who shall lay a­ny thing to the charge of Gods Elect? Rom. 8. 1. Who shall condemne? 2 Tim. 2 19. There is no con­demnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Heb. 7. 25. The foundation of God stan­deth sure, Rom. 8. 26 he ever lives to make inter­cession for us; so as God is ever the same that loves, and his love is as him­selfe, ever the same; and Christ in whom we are beloved ever the same, and our righteousnesse ever the same. Isa. 54. 17. Thy righteousnesse is of mee, saith the Lord.

Saith a poore drooping believer, 26. Dis­courage­ment. I ha­ving lyen a long time under, and used the means of grace, grow stil worse and worse; therefore I cannot but conclude, That God wil not doe me good.

Poore heart, 1. Dost thou know Gods means, and the number of them? Have your ends been good, and right­ly placed? Have you used the means in a right manner, measure, time, and in sincerity? Have you not rested in the means? Have you used them in faith, waiting for Gods blessing upon them? Heb. 4. 2 The word they heard profited them not for want of faith.

2. It is not good reasoning, to say, because God hath not as yet given me my request, therefore he never wil: mind what the Lord saith; But ye are a chosen generation, 1 Pet. 2, 9, 10. a royal Priesthood, &c. Which in time past were not a peo­ple, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. Isa. 64. 4. They shallnot be ashamed that wait for me. Isa. 8. 17.

[Page 163] 3. Consider, that it is just with God to blast the means, yea, it is a mercy to blast it, that yet still using them, we might look more unto Christ, for his blessing upon them, and to be all unto us.

4. Consider, If thou hast a wil that Christ should save thee, and rule in thee and over thee; he that hath begun this good work in thee, Heb. 12. [...] wil per­fect the same. Thou shalt one day know that thy sins are pardoned, and not imputed unto thee, and subdued in thee.

5. Consider, God may have mer­cy for thee, though thou know it not; for mens sins are first forgiven, 1 Joh. 5. 13 before they can know it, Eph. 1. 18, 19 believe it, or be as­sured of it; thy sins may be pardoned though thou knowest it not; faith believes the pardon of sinne, but our believing neither pardons, nor procures the pardon of any sin, but faith brings into the soule the apprehension of the pardon of those sins which were pardo­ned before, though not by us known so to be til then.

I fear that my motions Godward, 27 Dis­courage­ment. doe flow from a principle of self-love, and not from pure love unto the Lord Jesus.

Consider, though they do not, yet the Lord Jesus promised to his people Israel of old, who were incompassed with as many Aggravations of sinnes and infirmities as thou, Hos. 14. 4. that he would love them freely; and as he loved his people Israel of old, Hos. 2. 19. so he wil love thee freely, and betroth thee unto himselfe in loving kindnesse and mercyes; he hath also promised, Deut. 30. 6 and his faithfulnesse is engaged; I will circumcise thy heart (saith he) and thou shalt love mee; he wil give thee an heart-breaking sight and sense of the free pardon of all thy sins through the spirits manifestation of the riches of his superabundant grace and love; 2 Cor 5. 14. and thy apprehension thereof through faith ingages thy heart, and constrains thee to love him again: 1 Joh. 4. 19 Wee love him because he loved us first.

Saith a poore deserted soule, 28. Dis­courage­ment. I cannot believe that God wil pardon my sins, they being greater and heightned with many more circumstances of ag­gravation then the sins of others are.

This is the effect of thy unbeliefe, and of thy low and finite thoughts of God, his grace and mercy, whereas they are infinite. Oh measure not the Lord by thy selfe, Quod vi­tium per le­gem de­monstrandū per gratiam sanandum. but remember, that hee, whose Character is, The Lord, gracious and merciful &c. Hee doth great things past finding out, 2 Cor. 3. 18 and wonders without number. Isa. 55. 8, 9 Fear not, the Lord will do great things. Job. 9. 10. Worlds of sinne, Joel 2. 21. are in the vast Ocean of Gods love, Luk. 1. 37. swallowed up as no­thing.

But saith the poore soul, 1 Aggra­vation. my sins are ma­ny.

So were Israels and Judahs, Jer. 3. from 21 to 25 yet God notwithstanding pardons them all.

[Page 166] But mine are great and hainous. 2 Aggra­vation.

So were Israels, and Judahs, and Manasses, 2 King. 21 4, 11, 16. and so were the womans mentioned in Luke, so were Pauls, yet God pardoned them all, Luk. 7. 47 as he hath also many others; 1 Tim. 1. 15. if thou art a wonderful sinner, Isa. 9. 6. Christ is a wonder­ful Saviour.

But mine are after the receiving of ma­ny mercies. 3 Aggra­vation.

So were Solomons, 1 King. 11 9. his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice.

But I have sinned against Gods en­treaties to returne. 4. Ag­gravat.

So did Israel and Judah aforemen­tioned. Jer. 3. 7 I said, after shee had done all th [...]se things (saith the Lord) turne thou unto me, but shee returned not.

But I have sinned against the re­proofs of the Lord. 5. Ag­gravat.

This was their transgression still; Jer. 3. 3. 8 Thou hast a whores forehead, thou wouldst not be ashamed; when I saw how that by all occasions, rebellious Is­rael had played the Harlot, I cast her [Page 167] away, and gave her a bill of divorce­ment; yet her rebellious sister Judah was not afraid; but shee went also and played the Harlot.

But I have sinned not only against the mercies of the Lord, 6. Ag­gravat. but against his fatherly corrections and chastisements.

So did they. In vain have I smit­ten your children. Jer. 2. 30. They have received no correction. Jer. 6. 29. Thy bellowes are burnt, the lead is consumed of the fire: the foun­der melteth in vaine: for the wicked are not plucked away. For his wicked co­vetousnesse. Isa. 57. 17 18. I am angry with him, and have smitten him; I hid me and was angry, yet he went on frowardly in the way of his owne heart: yet for all this, the Lord saith, I have seene his waies, and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and his mourners.

But I have committed one sin often. 7. Ag­gravat.

So did they: Jer. 3. 1. 6 Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers.

But I have continued a long time in sin. 8. Ag­gravat.

So did they: Jer 3. 25 We have not obeyed the [Page 168] voice of the Lord, from our youth unto this day.

But my sins are against knowledge and conscience. 9. Ag­gravat.

So did David concerning Bathsheba, 2 Sam. 11. 3, 4, 15, 17 and in putting Ʋriah to death; and so did Peter sin, Matth. 26. 70, 72. when he said and sware, That he knew not the man, and that he was not with him.

But I am fallen back from what I have beene. 10 Ag­gravat.

So were they; Jer. 3. 6, 12 Return thou back­sliding Israel.

But I have willingly and resolvedly forsaken God. 11 Ag­gravat.

So did they: Jer. 2. 31 Oh generation, take heed to the word of the Lord. Have I beene as a wildernesse unto Israel? or a land of darknesse? Wherefore saith my people, wee are Lords, we wil come no more unto thee?

But I have willingly chosen sin. 12 Ag­gravat.

So did they, saying, Wee have lo­ved strangers, Jer. 2. 2 [...]. and after them will wee goe.

[Page 169] But I have seduced others and caused them to sinne. 13. Ag [...]gravati­on.

So had they; Thou hast also taught the wicked ones thy wayes; 2 Jer. 33. And King Manasseh seduced the people to doe more evill, 2 King. 21. ch. 9. 11. 16. then did the Nations whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Is­rael; 26 Acts 11. 16. and made Judah also to sinne with his Idols; 2 Chron. 33. ch. 18 19, 22, and 23. verses. Yet Manasseh ob­tained mercy, when Amon his sonne (a lesser sinner) perished in his sinnes. That men may know that the Lord will have mercy upon whom he will have mercy; 9 Rom. 15 16. 18. ver. and whom he will hee hardeneth.

But I have sinned as much as I could. 14. Ag­gravati­on.

So had they: Behold thou hast spo­ken and done as evill things as thou couldst. 3 Jer. 5.

But my sinnes are committed notwith­standing many vowes and Cove­nants against them. 15. Ag­gravati­on.

So were theirs; 2 Jer. 20. Thou saidst, I will no more transgresse, but like an harlot thou runnest about upon every high hill, [Page 170] and under every greene tree, thou wan­derest playing the Harlot.

But I have justified my self in all my sins. 16. Ag­gravati­on.

So had they; yet thou saist, be­cause I am innocent, surely his wrath shall turne from mee! 2 Jer. 35. Behold I will en­ter into Judgement with thee; because thou saist I have not sinned.

But I despaire, 17. Ag­gravati­on. having no hope of mercy.

This is worst of all, yet so did they! Thou saidst, there is no hope &c. And saith Jeremiah in his Lamentations; 2 Jer. 25. when I cry he shutteth out my prayers; 3 Lam 8. 18. And I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord; 19 Job 10 and Job saith My Hope hath he removed like a tree. Abraham believed in hope, 4 Rom. 18 against hope; Ye were sometimes without hope and without God in the world, saith Paul, 2 Ephes. 12 to the Church of Christ in Ephesus; these had been in thy con­dition and yet found mercy; be therefore of good cheare: saith David concerning his and thy God; 116 Psa. 6 I was of his low and hee helped me; 9 Psa. 10. The riches brought grace is unsearchable: All that know his name will trust in him, &c.

[Page 171] 2. Consider that it is thy selfe-de­ceit, which dictates unto thee that thou mightest pleade for mercy, if thy sinnes were fewer and smaller, or thy selfe better; the sicker thou art, the more standst thou in need of such a Physician as Christ is; oh make the more hast unto him; he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repen­tance: Rom. 4. 4, 5, 6. He will save none but the un­godly, and these without works, or any of their previous Qualifications.

3. Consider, that God makes his grace to superabound, where sinne did but abound; And if thou art a greater sinner then David, then art thou dearer to Christ then him, for he paid more for thee then for him. Gen. 29. 30. As Jacob loved Rachel more then Le­ah, because he suffered and endured most for her; And as the Prodigals father rejoyced most in his lost and dead sonne, though he had spent his owne and his fathers substance with Harlots; Even so thou who art the greatest sinner didst cost Christ most, and art certainly become dearest un­to him; we have an eminent exam­ple of this in the Prophesie of Jere­miah: Jer. 31. 20. [Page 172] Is Ephraim my deare sonne? he is a pleasant childe: for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remem­ber him still, therefore my Bowels earne towards him; I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord.

4 Consider, that for a regenerate person upon commission of sin, im­mediately and directly to have an eye to the covenant of grace, and to believe the pardon of his sinns, is the way to get such assurance, as brings true and solid comfort; such a course was taken to heale men stung of the fi­ery scorpion, Num. 21. 8 they were to looke upon the brazen serpent; if once, twice, yea seaven times a day, so often as they were stung, so often looking, were healed. Joh. 3. 14. This the Apostle Paul ex­horted the Hebrewes to in the like case; Isa. 45. 22 they had backsliden and come near to the sin against the holy Spirit, and the roote of this (as it should seeme) was infidelity, therefore hee exhorted them to use all diligence to the full assurance of faith and hope unto the end, Heb. 6. 11. 18, 19. and to believe whatsoever is contained in the covenant of grace, of which remission of sinne is one main [Page] thing; we must therfore (after commis­sion of sinne) fly for refuge unto the covenant by a true and lively faith, it being confirmed by an oath, and rati­fied to us in the bloud of Christ; and thence fetch pardon, solid comfort, and strong consolation.

5 Admire such wisdome and love as sparkles forth in that God, who made not a covenant with us for our good works, nor can it be broken or disanulled by our sins, nor is it in our keeping, nor stands it upon the rot­ten and sandy foundation of selfe and duties; but is grounded upon the word and faithfulness of that God, with whom there is no variablenesse nor sha­dow of turning.

6 Consider (as concerning thy ob­jection against thy selfe upon the ac­compt of thy unworthines, whereof thou art sensible) that the Lord char­geth the Angels with folly, Job 4. 18. and thou being sensible of thine unworthiness, Christ invites thee immediately to himselfe: it is nothing but ignorance and pride that keepes poore soules from coming to Christ, Rom. 10. [...] they will not be beholding to him for all, and [Page 174] therfore would stay til they have som­thing of their own to commend them unto Christ; But if they wil stay til then they shal never come to Christ; but now for that thou seest no good thing yea nothing but evil in thy self, Zech. 13. 1 thou shoul­dest the rather go unto Christ, who is the fountaine set open for sinne and for un­cleanness, wherein thy uncleane soul must be washed: John 13. 8 for Christ saith, un­lesse I wash thee, thou canst not be cleane, nor have any part in mee

Surely if I were not an out-cast, and a reprobate, 29 Dis­courage­ment. I should not be left as I am, in a wildernesse condition.

Israel was accounted an out-cast, yet God was then a God unto her, Jer. 30. 17, 22. and shee a people unto him.

True, 30. Dis­courage­ment. saith the poore soule, were I a branch in Christ, and a true mem­ber of his house, then could I believe these precious truths and promises of his; but I am neither of both, but separated from him and his people.

Be not arrogant in any false con­clusion [Page 175] against thy selfe; but hear­ken unto what the Lord saith, Let not the Son of the stranger that hath joyn­ed himselfe to the Lord, Isa. 56. 3, 5 speak saying, The Lord hath utterly separated mee from his people; neither let the Eu­nuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree. E­ven unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place, and a name better then of Sons and Daugh­ters.

A believers comfort, hope, joy, con­fidence, &c. should be in God the same at all times.

The Lord hath various dispensati­ons of providence, as well relating to the outward as the inward man; Nah. 1. 3. He hath his way in the whirlwind: 1 King. 19 12. And he is in the small still voice: his dis­pensations are many times contrary one unto another; to day perhaps thou enjoyest peace, Eccles. 9. 1 2, 3 joy, strength, riches and honor, with health, prospe­rity, and many friends, and to morrow all these may be blasted; to day God [Page 176] unbosoms himself unto thee, and shines forth upon thee, Cant. 5. 5. 6 and there is a sweet intercourse of love between him & thy soule, but in a moment he withdrawes him selfe, Job 23. 8, 9 as blessed Job and divers o­ther of the children of God experien­ced. And we find that David reck­ning of a day of desertion, saith, Though I walk in the valley of the sha­dow of death, Psal. 23. 4 I will fear none evill; for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff comfort mee: wherein he holds forth his resolution to encounter with such a wildernesse condition, where by desertion, he should take a turne in the dark and damp valleys of the sha­dow of death, and be incompassed with dreadful terrours, and sore tri­als. Gods actings in and upon his peo­ple, are not alwaies as he is unto them, but he being unchangeable, is to his e­ver the same, however he may seeme to bee: his actings in us, or upon us, are the accomplishment of his wil for his own glory; and the good of his people; therefore make we a good construction of all his dealings with us; remembring, that what we think to be worst, may be best for us; How­ever [Page 177] it be, Psal. 73. 1. yet God is good. Gods chil­dren are to carry an even spirit through the various dispensations of the providence of the Almigh­ty.

In order to thy confirmation in this truth, peruse and seriously medi­tate upon the ensuing places of Scrip­ture, and crave the assistance of the blessed spirit of truth in the opening and understanding of them, wherein is treasured up much of the marrow and fatness, yea, and of the glory of the Gospel.

Hos. 2. 19, 20. Deus pro­mittendo se fecit debi­torem. Jer. 3. 14, 1. Jer. 33. 8. Isa. 62. 5. Heb. 8. 10, 12. Ezek. 16. 62, 63. Heb. 3. 6. Jer. 33. 20, 21 Hos. 14. 5. Isa. 61. 10. Isa. 54. 5. Jer. 31. 9. God in promising hath made himselfe our debtor Hab. 3. 17, 18. Heb. 6. 17, 18. Rom. 3. 3. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Rom. 8. 28, 33, 35, 38, 39. Isa. 41. 10. Isa. 57. 18, 19. Isa. 54 7, 8. Heb. 10. 19, 20, 22. Psal. 46. 1, 2, 3, 4. Isa. 6. 5 Rom. 8. 1, 2. John 13. 1. Rom. 3. 3 Zech. 3. 9. Isa. 63. 16. Josh. 1. 5. Psalm 89. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. 2 Tim. 2. 13. Ezek. 16, 14.

Six Reasons of the Point.

1. Reason. Because that God, who hath loved thee with an everlasting [Page 178] love, Isa. 43. 25. loves thee in his Son; thou art not beloved for thy owne sake, Mic. 7. 18, 19, 20. or for any thing in thee, but upon the ac­count of the Lord Jesus, in whom God is well pleased; Mat. 3. 17 therefore no corruption in us, nor all we doe, can make us to be loved more or lesse: believers are never the more just be­fore God, Num. 23. 19. for their own integrity, nor the lesse just for their iniquity. Rō. 4. 2, 5. God may well say of himselfe, Isa. 38. 14 17 I am the Lord, and change not; his love is as himselfe, Mal. 3. 6 ever the same; and Christ in whom thou art beloved, the same yesterday, Heb. 13. 8. to day, and for ever; and hereupon thou art commanded to rejoyce evermore, 1 Thes. 5. 16 to rejoyce exceed­ingly. Psal. 32. 11

2. Reason. Because whatsoever thoughts thou hast of God, he is un­changeable; if he doth withdraw himselfe, if he doth allure thee into the wildernesse, Hos. 2. 14, 15 it is, that he may speake comfortably unto thee; and all this while, thou hast his promise with thee, and his faithfulnesse is in­gaged unto thee; Isa 54. 7, 8 For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee; in a little [Page 179] wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, Jer. 51. 5 but with everlasting kind­nesse wil I have mercie on thee, Neh. 9. 16 17 saith the Lord thy redeem­er. Having loved his own which were in the world, John. 13. 1 hee loved them to the end.

3. Reason. Because God considers his to be in Christ, before they had a being in themselves, Ephes. 1. 4 and indeede they are never out of Christ, John 6. 56 they dwel in Christ, Col. 3. 3 ver. 4 and he in them; they live in Christ; their life is hid with Christ in God; Phil. 3. 9 when Christ, who is our life, 1 Cor. 15. 17 shal appear then shal we also appeare with him in glory, Act. 13. 39 and be found in him not having our owne righteousnesse, &c. And also in the meane time, God ever lookes upon his, as they are in his Son, and not simply as they are in themselves; For that which I doe, Rom 7. 15 16, 17, 20, 25 I allow not; for what I would, that do I not, but what I hate, that doe I. Now if I doe that I would not, it is no more I that doe it, but sin that dwelleth in me; with the mind I my self serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sinne; sin doth the evil, Gal. 5. 17 the flesh lusteth. He knoweth [Page 180] our frame, Psal. 103. 14. and remembers that we are but dust; God looks upon his as they are justified, or in covenant with him­selfe; and they are pure in his sight as the uprightnesse of Christ can make them Quia quae in lege data sunt facien­da, per fi­dem osten­duntur fa­cta. Ambr. Rom. 6. 14 Gal. 5. 18., though impure and vile in their own eyes, that there might be worke for faith. And indeed, Deus non nisi perfe­cta justitia Remunera­t [...]r. were they not in such a perfect righteousnesse, they could not be beloved of him, who chargeth the Angels with folly, and is of purer eyes then to behold iniquitie; or to love a sinner as a sinner.

4. Reason. Because a believers hap­pines depends not upon his owne do­ing but upon Christ, who is of God, made unto him righeeousness, 1 Cor. 1. 30 sanctifica­tion &c. 2 Tim. 1. 9 VVho hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, Heb. 13. 8. not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace. &c. If a believers faith faile, yet God remaines faithful; when he cannot apprehend God, Isa. 53. 11 yet he is then comprehended of God. 2 Sam. 12, 13 Our sanctification hath nothing to doe with our justification, or salvation, so as to be the least cause of it, (but the effect of it:) sanctification admits of degrees, but justification neither [Page 181] of rules, nor degrees, being abun­dantly more glorious then sanctifica­tion, and hath not any dependencie upon our apprehending, or receiving it. Rom. 5. 18 In a word; our justification is quite out of self, and consists in the im­putation of the righteousnes of Christ unto us; which righteousnes is inhe­rent in him, who sits at the right hand of God, far above the reach and spheare of sinnes acttivity; Qui in no­bis pecca­tores su­mus, in Christo, et per Chri­stum justi sum [...]. and is therefore gloriously perfect and com­pleate: though thy actual righteous­nes be but as menstruous raggs, and often failes thee, yet consider * thou hast the righteousnes of Christ; Sure­ly shall one say, in the Lord have I righ­teousnesse and strength; Isa. 45. 24. their righte­ousnesse is of me, saith the Lord; and this righteousnesse, Psal. 111. 3. as it is ours by imputation, so it is perfect and endu­reth for ever, Rom. 5. 13 and is the foundation of all blessednesse; Rom. 4. 6, 7, 8. therefore rest sa­tisfied with Christs righteonsnesse, Ps. 71. 15, 16, 19, 24. and add nothing to it; let thy heart say with David, I will make mention of thy righteousnesse, even of thine only. And waite upon him in faith, prayer, and patience, who hath promised that [Page 128] He will be as the dew unto Israel, and that he shal grow as the lilly, Hos. 14. 6, 7. and cast forth his fruits as Lebanon.

5. Reason. Because Christ and all true believers are one, 1 Cor. 12. 12, 13. & 6▪ 17. they are but one body, one spirit, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone; Eph. 5. 30. what union is like unto this? Heb. 2. 11. What Joh. 17. 11, 23. Joh. 5. 5▪ 7. union so full, re­al, intire, wonderful, glorious, spiri­tual, eternal, and infinite? poore believers by vertue of their marriage unto, and union with their husband and head (the Lord Jesus) have in him perfectly kept the whole law of God, perfectly satisfied every demand that the Law can make: and though they be not in themselves, yet in Christ they are just, and the Law of God can never come upon them, nor the sergeant (the Devil) arrest them for one penny or farthing▪ Rom. 8. 4 the weake believers may say with Paul, Gal. 2. 19 the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in us: Rom. 7. 4 and we are dead to the Law; that is, we are as free from the Law, as a man that is dead; when a man is dead, the Law goes no further upon him: in this sense it is further said that believers are delivered from the Law, and freed from [Page 183] the Law: and hence it is that our salvation is put upon the accompt of the righteousnesse of God; Rom. 3. 25, 26 and believers are acquitted from their sins, and justified as wel in the court of Gods justice, as in the court of his mercie. Were our faith in Christ as full, strong and real as our union with him; wee should ingrosse and pos­sesse all that is in heaven, and nothing on earth could trouble us; yea the losse of our all on earth, if its all were ours, could not have any uncomly influence upon us

6. Reason. Col. 1. 28 Because the state of a be­liever in Christ (as considered in him) is a state of John 17. 23 Hebr. 10. 14 1 Joh. 1. 7. Isa 35. 8 & 38. 17 Ps. 103. 12 Dan. 9. 24 Ezek. 16. 14 perfection: he is cleane from all sinne by the blood of Christ: they are removed from us; thou hast cast all my sinnes behind thy back. As farre as the East is from the West, so farre hath he removed our transgressi­ons from us. Seventy weeks are deter­mined upon the people, and upon the ho­ly City, to finish the transgressions, and to make an end of sinnes, and to make reconciliation for i­niquitie, and to bring in an everlasting righteousnesse, * which [Page 184] shall certainly be accomplished, &c. Hereupon the soul begins to exult in God: Isa. 61. 10. I wil greatly rejoyce in the Lord. My soul shall be joyful in my God, Col. 2. 9, 10, 13. for he hath clothed me with the gar­ments of salvation, 1 John 4. 17. he hath covered mee with the robe of righteousnesse, &c. We are compleate in Christ; Isa. 53, 11, 12, 5. as Christ is, Joh. 17. 23 so are we in this world &c. Thy sins are all laid upon Christ, Cant. 4. 7. and he is Jehovah our Righteousnesse, Psal. 45. 13 his righ­teousnesse is ours. Rom. 8. 33 38, 39. And hereupon, saith God, Thou art all faire my love, there is no spot in thee. Christus ut solus ju­stus est, ita suam justi­tiam in nos transferen­do, justos nos reddit. The perfecti­on of Christs righteonsnesse is held forth unto us, and doth ever remain before us, that we might at all times suck the brests of its consolation, rejoyce in it, and be thank­ful for it; there is enough to refresh and abundantly to satisfie all the Lords children to the dayes of eter­nity Heb. 10 19, 20, 22, 23, 35. Rom. 8. 1, 2. 33, 35.. There is not any sin that a be­liever can commit, Matt. 14. 30, 31. ought to be a ground for his questioning of the love of God unto him; nor ought he to cast away his confidence in God, for any thing he doth, or can befall him.

[Page 185] I omit here to mention such rea­sons of the point, as might be dedu­ced from the Covenant of grace, and the nature of the same, having writ­ten upon that subject in the former part of this Treatise.

Four things, from whence it is that the children of God have not their com­fort, hope, joy, confidence, &c. the same at all times.

1. From living by sense; Gal. 1 16. I say, from a sensual practice of consulting with flesh and blood, 1 Cor. 2. 14. which cannot di­scern spiritual things, and is condem­ned of God, Gal. 5 4, 5, 6 whereby they are led forth to weigh their state of grace, Gal. 3. 9 10 only in the scale of mortification of sinne, as it is commonly taken for dying to particular Acts; and in so doing, they unavoidably come short of that comfortable perswasion (as to the eternal condition of their soules) which others, Jam. 2. 23, 24. who place their assu­rance in Christ, and his free promise do [Page 186] enjoy, because sinne hath a stronger side in us, then the Spirit; and for that the spiritual condition in this life, consists more in being justified from sin, Rom. 7. 24 25 then cleansed from it; and our blessednesse more in having the curse of sin removed, Gal. 3. 13 then the corruption; our justification being more glorious then our sanctification; and our for­givenesse of sinne is farre more glori­ous then our cleansing from sinne, for the just shall live by his faith; Hab. 2. 4 which is not a life by sense and sanctification only, Gal. 2. 20. but a life by believing for life in another, in Christ: and thereupon our life is said to be hid with Christ in God, Col. 3. 3, 4 and Christ is called our life; When Christ who is our life &c. I speake now to the weak and woun­ded believers for sinne, not to the carnal and unregenerate in sinne. God will have Christ to be our life, and our all, 1 Cor. 12. 11 that our all, that man may be nothing. And as the light of the Sun damps the fire, and extinguishes its light, as not enduring any light, but it selfe; so when Christ (the Sun of Righteousnesse) arises in a poor soul, Mal. 4. 2. out-goes all fire and candle light, yea [Page 187] and sparke light of its own kindling, Gal. 1. 16. wherewithal the soule had compassed it selfe about; Isa. 50. 11 it leaves not one spark remaining to walke in, or for the heart, to derive comfort from: Saith such a soule, what if all the fire which I have heretofore kindled and compassed my selfe about withall, be extinguished and annihilated? Christ is infinitely a better light, heate, and comfort, and sparkles with the brightest lustre, when a­lone.

2. From ignorance of the ends, that God many times proposes un­to himselfe, in suffering corruption to be strong in his deare children; 1 Joh. 2. 1 Millemali species, mil­le salutis e­runt. God hath in wisdome and much love left sinne in his, to abase them in their own eyes, and to keepe them humble in the sense of their transgressions, Rom. 7. 14 and that we may know what we are, Ps. 89. 30, 31, 32, 33, 34. and our strength, and that our God might thereby exercise in us the fruits and graces of his own spirit, Isa. 63. 7. faith for pardon, wisdome, watchfulness self-denial, meekness▪ [...]u­mility, &c. and that we might love Christ the more, in that all our sins [Page 188] are pardoned; which graces (had we no sin left in us) we should not have such occasion to exercise; as also that he might inure us to live upon him by faith, that we might long to be in hea­ven, where we shal enioy perfect free­dome from all sin, and that we seeing our selves to stand in such need of Christ to manifest unto our con­sciences our pardon thereof, and to heale us, might love and prize him the more, and depend upon him for strength against sin, and live upon his fulnesse; and that the power of Christ might the more palpably ap­peare in the miraculous preservation of a little sparke of grace in the midst of the ocean of our corruptions, and that the power of his grace in subdu­ing of our so strong and so many cor­ruptions, might be made manifest. Saith Paul, 2 Cor. 12. 9, 10. I glory in my infirmities, not simply as they are sins, Cant. 8, 5 but in that the power and goodnesse of God, is the more seene both in pardoning and healing of them; if there were not e­vil, it could not be knowne what is good, justice and mercy had not been knowne. And when thou sinnest a­gainst [Page 189] the Lord Jesus, albeit he will tell thee of thy fault in thy conscience, to humble and abase thee in thine own eyes; yet he still remembers the grace that is in thee: The sinning Church in Sardis hath but a few good names (among many bad) and Christ records them; Rev. 3. 4. thou hast a few names even in Sardis &c. And falling Phi­ladelphia hath but a little strength, and yet Christ eyes it, and blazons it. Thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my words, Rev. 3. 8, 10 and hast not denyed my name. Because thou hast kep [...] the word of my patience, I will also keepe thee from the houre of temptation which shal come upon all the world, to try them that dwel upon the earth. Christ will not forget thy weake grace, though mix­ed with strong corruptions, he turns all his childrens sins to their good; he makes Samsons riddle a truth in be­lievers souls. Out of the Eater, there comes forth meat, Judg. 14. 14 and out of the strong sweetness; Christ makes the devour­ing corruption in believers to become meate for their faith to feed upon; while he is killing of one sin, he gives ground to believe the ruin of another; [Page 190] and he brings forth sweetnesse out of their strong sins, in making his grace to superabound, where sin did but a­bound. The Lord Jesus kindles the Spouses love, Cant 5. 2, 8, 10, 11. even by her coldnesse: doth he not cause her sleeping, while he knocked, to end in a healthfull fit of love-sicknesse when shee awa­ked?

3. From their ignorance, or for­getfulness that they are in all their dealings with God, 1 Cor. 3. 22, 23. to draw neare and come unto him, as having put on Christ and sonship first, and not as sinners and unrighteous. A be­liever is to consider himselfe thus in Christ in the first place; Isa. 61. 10. and to put on the relation of Sonship and righte­ousnesse, 1 Joh. 1. 7. and to look at, Heb. 9. 26 or consider sinnes no otherwise in himselfe then as debts paid and cancelled by the blood of Christ; Isa. 53. 11 and never to conceive himselfe and Christ as two, Dan 9. 24. but en­deavour clearly and constantly to see that whatsoever good there is in Christ, Heb. 9. 26 is his owne, Isa. 43. 25. as if it were in his owne person; and by this, all bondage, fears and doubtings are removed, and his spirit is free; Joh. 8. 36. For the Son hath made him [Page 191] free indeed And now he comes in the Spirit of Adoption and calls God Fa­ther. Gal. 4. 6. And here begins all faith, hope, confidence, love, liberty; when as others dare not believe themselves in such a condition, til upon termes of humiliation, sorrow for sinne, and works of righteousness; they have (as they think) a reasonable price, or sa­tisfaction to come with, and then be­gin to believe, hope, and be confident. And thus in way of compounding and bargaining with God, deal with him at all occasions; but such submit not to the righteousnesse of God, and the free gift of Justification by grace, Rom. 10. 3 and give not glory to God; Rom. 5. 15 19. we must either have all in Choist, Rom. 4. 20 22 or nothing in him; hearken what the spirit saith of eve­ry true believer; Cant. 1, 5. she is black but comly; he is clothed with the white robes of Christs purity and holiness, Rev. 3. 18. and therefore comly in the sight of God; Isa. 65. 10. though in himselfe in the glass of the Law, Deus no [...] non nisi in ea perfecti­one, in quâ Christus resurrexit intuetur. reason and sense, he appears black, yet in Christ through the Gos­pel▪ he ever remaines beautifull, Olev. and comely to an eye of faith, 2 Cor. 5 [...] whereby he sees himselfe in the righteousnesse [Page 192] of Christ made perfectly and ever­lastingly righteous, yea presented in the body of Christs flesh through death holy, Rom. 5. 19 unblameable and unreprove­able in the sight of God. Col. 1. 22.

4. From ignorance of their glori­ous Gospel freedome. Gal. 5. 1. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law, Gal. 3. 13, 14. &c. that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Rom. 10. 4 Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnesse to every one that believeth; Rom. 3. 19 Now wee know that what things soever the Law saith, Rom. 6. 14 it saith to them who are under the Law. But no true Believer is under the Law, but they are all under grace. In the first Adam we had to doe with God onely in a way of subjection and righteousnesse; but now in our second Adam, in a way of Sonship or adoption, free grace and love. For what the Law could not doe, Rom. 8. 3, 4 in that it was weake through the flesh, God send­ing his own sonne in the likenesse of sin­full flesh, and for sinne condemned sinne in the flesh. That the righteousnesse of the Law might bee fulfilled in us, who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit. The Law of the Spirit of [Page 193] life in Christ Jesus hath made us free from the Law of sin and death. 8 Rom. 2. We are delivered from the Law, 7 Rom. 6. that we should serve in newnesse of Spirit, and not in the oldnesse of the Letter: 2 Col. 14. Christ hath blotted out the hand-writing of Ordinances that was against us, and taken it out of the way nayling it to his Crosse. 4 Eph. 8. He hath led Captivity captive. That he might deliver the creature from the bondage of corruption into the glo­rious liberty of the Sonnes of God: 8 Rom. 21 the Spirit saith that no Curse can come nigh our dwelling place. 91 Psa. 10 The glori­ous beames of Christs grace and love now shine forth upon the soules of his poore children, like the Sunne in the spring time, which light carries a vertue, causing the earth to spring and blossome as the garden of the Lord. Christ hath delivered us out of the hands of our enemies, 1 Luk. 74 75. that we might serve in newnesse of Spirit, 2 Cor. 3. 17 without fear, in ho­linesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life; Rom. 8. 15 The Spirit of Christ doth indeed set a believer as free from hel, Gal. 3. 17. the Law and bondage here on earth, as if he were in heaven, nor wants he any thing to make [Page 194] him thus free, but to bring him to believe that he is so; Gal. 4. 5. for Satan, sinne, sinful flesh, Hos. 14. 4. and the law are all so neer, and about him in this life, that hee cannot so walke by sight, or in the clear apprehension of it: Hab. 2. 4 but the just live by faith: 2 Tim. 1. 7. and faith is the evidence of things not seene.

Two wayes for a believer to hold stable comfort, hope, Joy and confidence in God at all times.

1. To live in Christ, Act. 13 39. and not in our selves. A believers condition is two­fold (yet as a believer, he hath but one) in Christ, in himselfe; yet he ought ever to consider himselfe in Christ by faith, Col. 1. 28 and not in himselfe. In Christ he hath perfectly obeyed the whole law, Rom. 10. 4 perfectly suffered and sa­tisfied for all his sins to the justice of God, Joh. 17. 23 and in Christ is perfectly just and righteous; and thereupon it is said, Col. 3. 3. that our life is hid with Christ in God▪ Eph. 2. 6. And we are raised up with Christ and made to sit together in hea­venly places in Christ Jesus, even al­ready: [Page 195] but in himselfe there is a body of lust, Rom. 7. 24 corruption and sinne; and there is a law revealing sinne, accusing and condemning; so as if a believer live only by sense, reason and expe­rience of himselfe, and as he lives to men, he lives both under the power and feeling of sinne and the law; Vers. 25, but if he by the eie of faith lookes upon himselfe to be within the walls of that strong and impreg­nable City of refuge (the Lord Jesus) the law and divine Justice of God, cannot pursue him for his sins Expiatio Christi vi­get in ater­num.; if he live by faith in Christ, and in the ap­prehension of his love, believing in the life, Heb. 10. 12 14 righteousnesse, obedience, satisfaction, and glory of him, whom the Spirit calls ours; Rom. 8. 1 Christ is ours, we are Christs, 1 Cor. 1. 3. 23. and Christ is Gods; he then lives out of the power of all condemnation, Rom. 10. 4 and unrighteousnesse, Rom. 8. 33, 34, 35, 38, 39. Christ being the end of the Law for righteousnesse, &c. And thus a be­liever is blessed, only in a righteous­nesse without, Ps. 143. 2. not within; and all his assurance, Gal. 2 16. confidence, and com­forts are to flow in unto him through a channel of faith, and not of works, [Page 196] believing himselfe happy, Isa. 45. 24. 25. for what a­nother, even Christ hath done for him; not for what he hath done, or can doe for himselfe; for when wee are at the best, we are but unprofita­ble servants, and may not live in our selves, nor by sight, but by faith; and when we are at the worst, we are to live upon Christ by faith, and de­rive all our comforts from God in in his everlasting and inviolable cove­nant of grace, 2 Sam. 23. 5. which is an inexhau­stible fountaine of divine consolation for a poore believer to have recourse unto, 2 Tim. 2. 19 for the stability of soul [...]satisfy­ing joy, and comfort sparkling from the face of God upon him; and in­deed, 1 Pet. 1. 3. the glorious joy of a believer would be alwaies unspeakable, Rom. 8. 1, 2, 5, 11. did he alwaies apprehend his happinesse in, 2 Thes. 2. 16. and by Christ Jesus.

2. To live by faith, 1 Thes. 5 16 which consists in the souls communion with God in Christ, and the soules enjoying of Christ in his promises, both spiritual and temporal. Heb. 11. 11, 21, 16 Faith supplies all wants, it honours God, and God honours those most that live by it. Job 13. 15

[Page 197] By faith we live to God a life of joy in him, our righteousnesse, as if we had never sinned; by faith wee live above sinne, infirmities, temp­tations, desertions, sense, reason, feares and doubts; faith sweetens the sweetest mercie, and the bitterest mi­series; it renders great afflictions as none; it is the Bulwarke of the souls strength and comfort. By faith wee obey God, it makes the yoke of Christ easie and sweet; it states the soul in the possession of heaven, while the bo­do remains on earth: By saith wee view the glory of heaven, and know our selves to be happy, even then, when to a carnal eye we seeme most miserable. By faith we can chearful­ly part with, and suffer deprivation of the sweetest outward comforts and enjoyments, and welcome death, knowing that we do but exchange the worst place and things for better. Those that live by faith, live upon God, and are feasted in his banquet­ting house, which is plentifully stored with all desirable dainties, having this welcome; Eate O friends, and drinke abundantly. It is, oh believer, thy [Page 198] portion, duty and priviledge to re­fresh and exhilerate thy soule with his dainties, and to enjoy Christ in them all, that so thy joy may be full.

To live by faith in effectual calling; Mat. 11. 21 and that is, 2 Cor. 5. 21. for the soule to cleave to, Mat. 21. 5. and depend upon God in Christ for life and salvation upon such pla­ces of Scriptures as these. Joh. 3. 23

To live by faith in justification; The Lord Jesus having spoken peace to the soule, that he hath paid all for it, Isa. 53. 5, 6, and that its sins shall be remem­bred no more; Jer. 31. 34. 11 now the soule knowes its happy, Rom. 8. 33 38, 39. & 3. 24. 28. and enjoyes the comfort of it, is filled with joy and peace in believing; his life is a life of comfort; beholding and enjoying Christs righ­teousnesse as his owne, Act. 13 39 lives upon it whatsoever befals him; Rev. 1. 5. he is comfor­ted in his interest in the righteousnesse of Christ as sufficient to satisfie him at all times, Rom. 5. 1 & 4. 25 living upon such places of Scripture as these. Eph. 1. 6, 7

To live by faith in Sanctification, Rom. 5. 9. 10. which is twofold. Heb. 10. 10 to 14. 2 Tim. 2. 13

[Page 199] 1. For the soule to cleave unto Christ, its sanctification. 1 Cor. [...]. 30.

Secondly, 14 Hos. 5. for a Believer to cleave unto God in his promise, 57 Isa. 18 19. to cleanse and renew his heart and life, 7 Micah 19. and to be a quickning Spirit in him. 17 John 17. 19.

To live by faith in Infirmities;

And that is, for the soule to believe that God will be to us, according to his owne gracious promise and Cove­nant, for ever a God of love, grace, and mercy, notwithstanding all our daily omissions and commissions, ex­cesses and defects, according to that blessed word of his, 89 Psal. from 30. unto 37. v 9 Nehem. 16, 17. If his children forsake my Law, and walk not in my Judgments; if they break my statutes and keep not my Commandements, then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquities with stripes: 43 Isa. 25 Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him, 42 Isa. 2 3 nor suffer my faithfulnesse to faile; 1 Sam. 3. 10. My Cove­nant will I not breake, 7 Chara­cters of one that lives by fai [...]h in infirmi­ties. nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips, &c. He that lives by faith in infirmities may be thus characterized. First, he will hear Christ and not the voice of [Page 200] a stranger. Secondly, he is not of­fended at whatsoever Christ requires. 11. Mat. 6. Thirdly, 1 John 5. 3. the revealed will of God in the Scripture is his rule. Fourthly, he will trust God, and rely upon his word, he eyeth the promise and saith, Surely in the Lord have I righteous­nesse and strength, 45 Isa. 24 &c. 3 Jude. Fifthly, 20 Acts 31. he will contend for the truth. Sixthly, he will doe others good. Seventhly, his sin doth not sink him into dispair, though he may have many doubtings; yea he is not by any sinne or trouble reduced unto dispaire. He will (and indeed the weakest Believer ought in the midst of all his imperfections) say, I have as much of the love of God, acceptation and perfect righteousnesse in Christ as the best Saint ever had, 3 Gal. 28. my state is as happy as any of theirs: 23 Jer. 6. And say with Habakkuk, 35 Job. 7. Although the figtree shall not blossome, 3 Hab. 17 18. neither shall fruit be in the vines: The labour of the Olive shall faile, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls; yet I will rejoyce in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my sal­vation.

Such as live by faith in infirmities, live upon Christ in his promise for strength against all infirmities in such places of Scripture as these.

In deadnesse of heart 35 Isa. 5, 6. If falne by passion, not to sinke un­der it 5 James 17. 14 Acts 15. 17 Job. 9.

They relie upon God for ability to obey him, 84 Psa. 7. and for fruitfulnesse in sea­son 17 Jer. 8. 45 Isa. 24 1 Psa. 2, 3. 40 Isa. 29, 30. 92 Psa. 13, 14. Phil. 4. 13. 61 Isa. 9. 62 Isa. 12. Psa. 84. 7.

If they are under temptations, 1 Cor. 10. 13. they have a promise, that no temptation shall be above their ability to beare; 1 Jam. 12. and to have a good issue.

To live by faith for Protection, and supply of all wants.

They who live by faith for these things, 121 Psa. 8 relie upon Christ in such Scrip­tures as these are: 36 Job 7. if in sicknesse 41 Psa. 3. 17 John 15. 103 Psa. 3. 27 Ps. 4, 5 to be hid in times [Page 202] of danger, 3 Zeph. 16, 17. v. for a supply of every thing we need, 4 Phil. 6. 19. if in Prosperity, 29 Jer. 5, 6. till God see it good, we shall meet with no change: our condition may be changed indeeed, but our God i [...] Jehovah that changes not, 13 Heb. 5, 6. If in adversity, to be contented in a hard or low condition, 13 Heb. 5. 18 Joh. 11. 4 Phil. 11. 12. it is ap­pointed 1 Thes. 3. 3. John 16. 33. Joh. 7. 30. Wee stand in need of such a condition, if our need required it not, our God that loves us would not af­flict us with it. 1 Pet. 1. 6. and the time cannot be long ere they shal be no more.

And they live upon Christ and his presence in times of trouble, in such places of Scripture as these, Psalm 91. 15. Psal. 9. 9. Psal. 37. 39. That the troubles shal not be too great, Jer. 30. 11. and that they shall pro­fit by them, Heb. 12. 11. for delive­rance out of them, Job 5. 19. Psal. 50. 15. for speedy deliverance, Psal. 31. 2. Psal. 69. 17. Isaiah 58. 8.

To live by faith in glorification;

Which is, Act. 26, 18 by the eye of faith, to be­hold [Page 203] hold the rest, Act. 26. 18 joy, peace, and per­fect happinesse, which is provided for us in heaven, 1 Pet. 1. 4. firmly believing that God will after this life, give us all those things with himselfe, which hee hath promised his.

For the resurrection of my body, 1 Thes. 4. 16. To have a spiritual bo­dy, 1 Cor. 15. 43, 44. To have a glo­rified body, Phil. 3. 21. The Sun in the firmament is not so glorious, as the bodies of the Saints shall be, because the Sunne is but a naturall body.

To have fulnesse of knowledge, Eph. 3. 18, 19. To have fulnesse of joy and pleasure. Psal. 16. 11. Such as shall be internall, pure, full, spiri­tual, and eternal; no miserie, hunger, cold, nakednesse, paine, griefe, nor wearinesse, but rest without labour, 2 Thes. 1. 7. In rest, tranquillity, in tranquillity contentment, in content­ment joy, in joy variety, in variety secu­rity, in security eternity. To see the Lord as he is, 1 John 3. 1, 2. 1 Cor. 13 12.

To behold his glory John 17. 24 with him in glory. Col. 3. 4. And to be changed from glory to glory, 2 Cor. [Page 204] 3. 18. To have fulnesse of communi­on with God, Ephes. 3. 19. Sight is a degree higher then presence, union then sight, communion then union, and full communion is more. Wee shall have as much of God, as we can desire; be filled with him, and enjoy the Quintessence of all sweetnesse, ful­nesse▪ and goodnesse in God; yea, we shall be raised, inflamed, and ra­vished with him, in admiration of the perfection of his beauties; and this shall coninue without intermission, or wearinesse; this is our Summum bonum, our chiefest good, and the end of our being, viz.

To be for ever with the Lord. 1 Thes. 4. 17. 1 Thes. 4 17. and enjoy the things which eye hath not seene, neither ear heard, 1 Cor. 2. 9 neither came into mans heart to conceive, which God hath prepa­red for them that love him; this transcends the expectation of the most inlarged heart. Faith in the midst of troubles and anxieties, be­lieves these promises of glory, and sweetly inclines the soul to live in a comfortable expectation of the fruiti­on of the glorious things promised, [Page 205] when faith it selfe shall be swallowed up of vision, and hope of fruition: and in the interim, as faith believes it, and the soule (through faith) in a sense enjoyes it, so hope expects it, and patience waites for it, with an, It will not be long e're glory come Know­ing that he who raised up the Lord Je­sus, 2 Cor. 4. 14, 15, 16 shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many, redound to the glory of God. For which cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.