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<DATE>2014-11-13</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
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<P>A SERMON Preached at <HI>Lincolns-Inne, July</HI> 15^t^h^. 1655.</P>
<P>At the Funerall of FERDINANDO LEIGH E&s;q; Son to the Right Honourable THE LORD LEIGH, OF <HI>STONELEIGH.</HI></P>
<P>And a MEMBER of that Honourable SOCIETY.</P>
<P>BY BRUNE RYVES, D. D. <HI>and</HI> D. <HI>of</HI> C. Preacher to that Honourable SOCIETY.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed by <HI>Thomas Roycroft,</HI> 1656.</P>
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<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>2 TIM. 4.7.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Henceforth there is laid up for me, a Crown of righteou&s;ne&s;s, which the Lord the righ|teous Judge, &s;hall give me at that day, and not to me only, but unto all them al&s;o, that love his Appearance.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_IN the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> and <HI>&s;econd</HI> ver|&s;es of this CHAPTER, St. <HI>Paul</HI> layes a &s;trict charge upon <HI>Timothy,</HI> and that before <HI>God,</HI> and the <HI>Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to Preach the Word, to be in|&s;tant in &s;ea&s;on, and out of &s;ea&s;on, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with all long &s;uffering and
<PB N="2" REF="3">Doctrine:</HI> This charge St. <HI>Paul</HI> doth in|force, from three weighty rea&s;ons; wher|of, <HI>one</HI> u&s;hers in the Charge, and that is drawne from the Terror of that Judge|ment, which he mu&s;t undergo, and the &s;trict account, which he mu&s;t give, at the Judgement Seat of <HI>Chri&s;t, who &s;hall Judge the quick and the dead, at his appearing, and his Kingdome,</HI> ver. 1.</P>
<P>The <HI>two</HI> other Rea&s;ons follow the Charge, the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> is drawn from the <HI>op|po&s;ition,</HI> which <HI>Timothy</HI> was like to meete withall, in his Mini&s;try; <HI>For the time will come,</HI> &s;aies the Apo&s;tle, <HI>when they will not indure &s;ound Doctrine, but after their own lu&s;ts &s;hall they heape to them&s;elves teachers, having itching eares, and they &s;hall turne a|way their eares from the truth, and &s;hall be turned unto Fables,</HI> ver. 3, 4. which gives the Apo&s;tle occa&s;ion, to enlarge and double his charge, <HI>But watch thou in
<PB N="3" REF="3">all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an Evangeli&s;t, make full proofe of thy Mi|ni&s;try.</HI> ver. 5.</P>
<P>The <HI>&s;econd</HI> Rea&s;on is drawn from the de&s;titution of any help, that might be expected from him, long had he fought under <HI>Chri&s;ts</HI> Banner, but now, his war|fare was drawing towards an end, but &s;o, not to <HI>de&s;ert</HI> his Colours, but to <HI>die</HI> un|der them, <HI>For I am ready</HI> (&s;aies he) <HI>to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand,</HI> ver. 6.</P>
<P>But not to leave his Sonne <HI>Timothy,</HI> &s;added with the apprehen&s;ion of his martyrdome, he comforts him again&s;t tho&s;e &s;ad thoughts, and the Arguments of his Con&s;olation, are <HI>two,</HI> the latter depending upon the former.</P>
<P>The <HI>fir&s;t</HI> is drawn from his holy cour&s;e of life, con&s;tantly continued, and comfortably fini&s;hed, <HI>I have fought a good
<PB N="4" REF="4">fight, I have fini&s;hed my cour&s;e, I have kept the faith,</HI> ver. 7.</P>
<P>The <HI>&s;econd</HI> is drawn from his <GAP DESC="foreign">, or fulne&s;s of a&s;&s;urance, of a ble&s;&s;ed and happy life, after death, and this is in my Text, <HI>Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteou&s;ne&s;s, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>In which words, we have St. <HI>Pauls Confidence,</HI> fir&s;t <HI>laid down,</HI> in relation to him&s;elf, and is his <HI>certitudo Subjecti;</HI> the <HI>certainty of the Subject,</HI> as the Schools call it, <HI>Henceforth there is laid up for me, a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which the Lord, the Righ|teous Judge, &s;hall give me at that day.</HI> Se|condly, we have St. <HI>Pauls Confidence en|larged,</HI> in relation to others, and this is his <HI>Certitudo objecti,</HI> the certainty of the Object, <HI>And not to me only, but unto all them al&s;o that love his appearing.</HI></P>
<P>Both the&s;e confidences are amplified by three Circum&s;tances, as fir&s;t the <HI>Do|nor,</HI>
<PB N="5" REF="4">or <HI>Be&s;tower</HI> of this Crown of Righ|teou&s;ne&s;s, and that is, <HI>the Lord, the righte|ous Judge:</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, The <HI>Time</HI> of conferring, or the <HI>Time</HI> of be&s;towing of the Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, <HI>It is laid up to be given at that day.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, the <HI>Qualification</HI> of the <HI>Per|&s;ons,</HI> that &s;hall receive this Crown, None &s;hall receive this Crown, but tho&s;e that love the appearance of the <HI>Donor, And not to me only, but unto them al&s;o, that love his appearing.</HI></P>
<P>I begin with St. <HI>Pauls Confidence,</HI> laid down in Relation to him&s;elf, the <HI>Certitu|do &s;ubjecti,</HI> the certainty of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ubject, <HI>Henceforth there is laid up for me, a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, which the Lord, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<Q><PB N="6" REF="5"> Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</Q>
<P>A &s;trong Confidence <HI>this,</HI> and a com|fortable, but what Evidence hath S. <HI>Paul</HI> for this confidence? had God by a &s;pecial revelation a&s;&s;ured him that this Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s was laid up for him? or when he was rapt up into the third Hea|ven, when he &s;aw things not to be utterd, was any &s;uch thing told him, that he con|cludes thus confidently, <HI>Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of righteou&s;ne&s;s?</HI> Certainly neither the <HI>one,</HI> or the <HI>other,</HI> but reflecting on his former conver&s;ation in the Go&s;pel of <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> and his con|&s;cience bearing him witne&s;s, That he had <HI>fought a good fight,</HI> that he had <HI>fini&s;hed his cour&s;e,</HI> that he had <HI>kept the Faith;</HI> from the&s;e <HI>premi&s;&s;es</HI> he warrantably inferrs this <HI>Conclu&s;ion, Henceforth there is laid up for me, a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI></P>
<PB N="7" REF="5">
<P> Such a thing then there is in this life, as <HI>A&s;&s;urance</HI> of a Crown of righteou&s;|ne&s;s, <HI>A&s;&s;urance of &s;alvation,</HI> and this not only <HI>confe&s;&s;ed,</HI> but &s;trongly <HI>a&s;&s;erted</HI> by a con&s;iderable part of the Members of the Councel of <HI>Trent:</HI> In di&s;cus&s;ion of which point, they were &s;o divided, &s;ome being for the <HI>Affirmative,</HI> others for the <HI>Negative,</HI> that it gave occa&s;ion to the wi&s;dome of the <HI>Legates,</HI> to draw up the Decree, concerning the certainty of &s;al|vation, &s;o warily, that while the Coun|cel yet &s;ate, <HI>Dominicus Soto,</HI> wrote a Book, and intituled it, <HI>De natura, &amp; Gratia,</HI> wherein, he po&s;sitively affirmes, That a man cannot be certaine, that he is for the pre&s;ent in the &s;tate of grace, and con|&s;equently, not certaine of his &s;alvation, <HI>Sine Revelatione privelegiat&acirc;,</HI> without a &s;pecial, particular Revelation from God, to &s;ettle him in the per&s;wa&s;ion: And
<PB N="8" REF="6"><HI>Ambro&s;ius Catarinus</HI> Bi&s;hop of <HI>Minori,</HI> ha|ving before defended the contrary, pub|li&s;hed another Book, wherein he main|taines, again&s;t <HI>Dominicus Soto,</HI> that, with|out the Indulgence of a perticular &s;pecial revelation, a ju&s;tified righteous man, re|flecting on his own &s;oule, may be cer|taine, <HI>Certitudine fidei, cui non pote&s;t &s;ube&s;&s;e fal&s;um,</HI> by the certainty of faith, not &s;ub|ject to error, that he is in the &s;tate of grace, and that per&s;evering he &s;hall un|doubtedly arrive at eternall glory; And that which was matter of wonder, and amazement unto the world, in this flat contradiction of Opinions, they both, not only in their Books, appealed to the Decree of the Councell, in this Controver&s;ie for Patronage of their contrary Tenets, but afterwards pub|li&s;hed <HI>Apologies,</HI> and <HI>Antiapologies,</HI> complaining to the <HI>Synod</HI> mutually
<PB N="9" REF="6">one of another, for impo&s;ing on the Councell, their re&s;pective Opinions, a&s;cribing that Sen&s;e to the Decree, which it never meant: and indeed the Decree, accommodating it &s;elf, as much as po&s;|&s;ibly it could, to &s;atisfie contrary Intere&s;ts and di&s;plea&s;e none, &s;peaks as <HI>Aequivocally,</HI> as the Oracle of <HI>Delphos,</HI> &s;o that what the meaning of it is, is hardly known at this day; for upon the rea&s;&s;uming the debate of the Decree, we find the Coun|cell divided into four Opinions: Fir&s;t, &s;ome &s;ided with <HI>Dominicus Soto,</HI> others &s;tood neutrall, ingeniou&s;ly confe&s;sing, that they under&s;tood not the difference, but did acquie&s;&s;e in the Decree, in that forme of words, in which it was publi&s;h|ed, the Legate <HI>Santa Croce,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hi&s;t. of the Councell of</HI> Trent. <HI>pag.</HI> 230.</NOTE> te&s;tified for <HI>Catarinus, Monte,</HI> the other Legate open|ly profe&s;&s;ed him&s;elf of a fourth Opi|nion.</P>
<PB N="10" REF="7">
<P> Now the controver&s;ie in this point of <HI>A&s;&s;urance</HI> of being in the &s;tate of grace, as it is at this day di&s;puted, between the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> and us, is not,</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Whether a wicked man remaining a wicked man, may believe the pardon of his &s;innes,</HI> whether he may be confident of his intere&s;t in God, that he hath his part in the merits, and &s;ufferings of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and con&s;equently, can, on this fal&s;e ground &s;upport his &s;pirit again&s;t the terrours, and fortifie it again&s;t the wrath to come; for the deniall of this truth, hath given our Adver&s;aries of the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> too great occa&s;ion, not only to harden them&s;elves in their own error, but to in|&s;ult, and triumph over the Reformed Churches.</P>
<P>I confe&s;s, no wicked man, <HI>In &s;en&s;u compo|&s;ito,</HI> can believe the pardon of his &s;ins, or hath &s;uch a <HI>faith</HI> to which pardon of &s;ins
<PB N="11" REF="7">is promi&s;ed, yet that he may believe his &s;ins are pardoned, and that as &s;eriou&s;ly, and firmly, as a true believer, is evident from experience.</P>
<P>For, as <HI>true faith</HI> doth afford the <HI>&s;oule,</HI> a <HI>true</HI> and <HI>well grounded &s;upport,</HI> and <HI>con|&s;olation,</HI> and enableth us to look unto Eternity, with undaunted courage, &s;o a <HI>fal&s;e ungrounded faith,</HI> doth afford a <HI>fal&s;e, ungrounded comfort,</HI> which quells, and &s;uppre&s;&s;eth, the horrour of the appre|hen&s;ions of damnation and Judgement to come: for while the <HI>Antinomians</HI> teach, that ju&s;tifying faith is nothing el&s;e, but a believing, that God doth love us, and that our &s;ins are already pardoned, through Chri&s;t, that every man ought to believe this, and no man ought to que&s;tion his faith, whether it be true or fal&s;e; How greedily do the giddy, undi&s;|cerning vulgar, receive this Doctrine,
<PB N="12" REF="8">as the very life, and &s;oule of the Go&s;pel? which Doctrine, impo&s;ing no hard taske upon fle&s;h, and blood, no mortifying of our earthly members, no &s;elf-deniall, no re&s;igning up of our &s;elves to the di&s;|po&s;all of Chri&s;t, and &s;ubmitting our &s;elves to the Scepter of his Kingdome, (no more being required by their Do|ctrine, to make a man happy, but only <HI>to beleeve that he is happy</HI>) they find it a farr ea&s;ier taske, to Preach up this Doctrine, then we, to Preach it down. This makes many a poore &s;educed &s;oul, to go on in a full a&s;&s;urance of <HI>Heaven,</HI> unto the very minute, that he drops into <HI>Hell.</HI></P>
<P>Who doubts of this, when he heares <HI>Korah</HI> ju&s;tifying him&s;elfe, and his fellow Rebells, as the only Godly Party, &s;ay|ing, <HI>All the Congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them, Num.</HI> 16.3. See! none but Saints, <HI>Holy
<PB N="13" REF="8">Rebells,</HI> even then, when the earth was cleaving a&s;under, and opening her mouth to &s;wallow them up alive, that &s;o they might go down quick into Hell: Or who can doubt of this, when he heares the <HI>Phari&s;ee,</HI> &s;tand praying and &s;aying, <HI>I thanke thee, O Lord, that I am not as other men,</HI> St. <HI>Luke.</HI> 18.11. Nay, &s;o &s;trong are the&s;e mens per&s;wa&s;ions, that they will di&s;pute the ca&s;e with Chri&s;t him&s;elf at the day of Judgement, and plead their eating, and drinking in his pre&s;ence, their preaching in his Name, and ca&s;t|ing out devills, untill Chri&s;t de&s;troy their confidence, by pa&s;sing that dread|full Sentence of condemnation again&s;t them, <HI>Depart from me, ye cur&s;ed into ever|la&s;ting fire, prepared for the devill and his Angels,</HI> St. <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.41.</P>
<P>It is much to be feared, that many have thanked God, for pardon of &s;ins,
<PB N="14" REF="9">that never received it, and ble&s;&s;ed him, for ju&s;tification, and a&s;&s;ured hope of glory, who are now &s;hut out of the inheritance of the &s;anctified: So true is that of <HI>Solo|mon, When a wicked man dieth, his expe|ctation &s;hall peri&s;h, and the hope of unju&s;t men peri&s;heth, Prov.</HI> 11.7. And, <HI>The hope of the righteous &s;hall be gladne&s;s, but the expectati|on of the wicked &s;hal peri&s;h, Pro.</HI> 10.28. That, cannot peri&s;h, that is not, had not the <HI>wicked Hope,</HI> their <HI>Hope</HI> could not <HI>peri&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>If any man &s;ay, that the A&s;&s;urance of the <HI>wicked,</HI> doth differ from that of the <HI>Godly,</HI> I an&s;wer, that differ they do, in their <HI>Ground,</HI> That of the <HI>Godly</HI> being built upon a <HI>Rocke,</HI> that of the <HI>wicked</HI> be|ing built upon the <HI>Sand:</HI> And therefore as they differ in their <HI>Ground,</HI> &s;o they &s;hall differ in their <HI>End:</HI> The A&s;&s;urance of the <HI>Godly</HI> &s;hall end in <HI>Glory,</HI> that of the <HI>wicked</HI> &s;hall end in <HI>confu&s;ion;</HI> yet as
<PB N="15" REF="9">both the&s;e are <HI>A&s;&s;urances,</HI> con&s;idered bare|ly in the Nature of <HI>A&s;&s;urance,</HI> ab&s;tracted from their re&s;pective Ba&s;is, whereon they are built, &s;o con&s;idered, they differ not at all.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, if any man Object, that the <HI>A&s;&s;urance</HI> of the wicked, doth not <HI>bring forth fruit,</HI> I readily grant it, yet withall affirm, that this <HI>bringing forth fruit,</HI> is but an <HI>extrin&s;ecall difference</HI> in the <HI>effects,</HI> and no <HI>intrin&s;ecal difference</HI> in the <HI>nature</HI> of the Act it &s;elfe, of A&s;&s;urance: An <HI>A&s;&s;urance</HI> it is, though it be <HI>Infidelis fiducia,</HI> as Saint <HI>Bernard</HI> &s;tiles it, an <HI>A&s;&s;urance,</HI> having no true faith to &s;upport it: for it is po&s;|&s;ible, for a man to believe a <HI>Lye,</HI> with as much per&s;wa&s;ion, and A&s;&s;urance, as any man believes a <HI>Truth.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, the Thing Controverted, is not, <HI>Whether we are bound, immediatly to believe, that we are ju&s;tified, and in &s;peciall
<PB N="16" REF="10">favour with God:</HI> for no man of any com|petent mea&s;ure of Knowledge in the Scriptures, will affirme this: for if every man mu&s;t believe this, then not only <HI>mo&s;t</HI> men, but <HI>all</HI> men at fir&s;t, mu&s;t be|lieve a Lie, for they are not ju&s;tified, untill they believe, and the bare be|lieving that they are ju&s;tified, is not that faith, which doth ju&s;tifie them, for to be|lieve unto Ju&s;tification, is not a matter of meere faith alone, but a Conclu&s;ion drawn from Faith and Con&s;cience toge|ther: God hath not promi&s;ed Ju&s;tificati|on to any man, <HI>Immediately,</HI> but under a <HI>condition,</HI> and whether the Condition be performed, every mans own con&s;cience, is the be&s;t Judge to re&s;olve him: This is known only by a Reflection, on our <HI>Habits, Works,</HI> and <HI>Actions,</HI> from whence do i&s;&s;ue tho&s;e two Soveraigne Acts of the con&s;cience, either to <HI>condemn</HI> or to <HI>ab|&s;olve.</HI></P>
<PB N="17" REF="10">
<P> Thirdly, the Que&s;tion is not, concer|ning the <HI>certainty of Election and Per&s;e|verance in grace and the favour of God,</HI> for though there be &s;ome affinity, and Cognation, between <HI>that</HI> Que&s;tion, and <HI>this,</HI> of Pre&s;ent A&s;&s;urance, yet they are really di&s;tinct, in their own natures, and therefore ought to be of di&s;tinct, and &s;e|verall con&s;ideration.</P>
<P>Fourthly, the Que&s;tion is not, <HI>Whe|ther the la&s;t re&s;olution of the A&s;&s;urance of Gods favour, be terminated in the &s;incerity of our Graces, the condition of our being in Gods favour, or in the beliefe of the free mercies of God in Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> for it is founded, on the mercies of God in <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> as the <HI>efficient, meritorious Cau&s;e,</HI> and on the &s;incerity of our Graces, as <HI>the Condi|tion which God requires on our part.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, the Que&s;tion is not, <HI>Whether this certainty of Salvation and the Feare of
<PB N="18" REF="11">God be compatible and may con&s;i&s;t in the &s;ame Subject,</HI> for the&s;e are not at odds, but meete, and live together in the &s;ame &s;oule: Nay, there is no greater pre&s;er|vative of this A&s;&s;urance, then walking humbly in the feare of God: The feare of God, doth make us to walke clo&s;ely, and exactly before Him, and this exact, walking before Him, is a maine ground, and Ba&s;is of our A&s;&s;urance, and there|fore in the Scriptures, we are frequently commanded, to make God, the Object, both of our <HI>Tru&s;t,</HI> and <HI>Fear.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, the Que&s;tion is not, as I con|ceive, of &s;uch a Certainty, as <HI>excludes all doubting;</HI> for A&s;&s;urance there may be, though not in the highe&s;t degree: Some there are, I confe&s;s, that thinke, that no A&s;&s;urance, can be called A&s;&s;urance, but that which triumphs over all mixture of doubting, and to this purpo&s;e affirme
<PB N="19" REF="11">Saint <HI>Pauls</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign">, or fulne&s;s of A&s;&s;u|rance, to be this highe&s;t degree of A&s;&s;u|rance, and that &s;ome Chri&s;tians, do in this life, attaine unto it: But, Saint <HI>Paul,</HI> calls it full A&s;&s;urance, in compari&s;on of lower degrees, and not becau&s;e it is per|fect, for if <HI>A&s;&s;urance</HI> be perfect, then our <HI>Knowledge,</HI> our <HI>Faith,</HI> our <HI>Obedience,</HI> our <HI>Repentance,</HI> may be perfect al&s;o, and if <HI>&s;ome</HI> graces may be perfect, why not <HI>all</HI> graces? and &s;o we turn <HI>Novatians, Ca|thari&s;ts, Perfectioni&s;ts,</HI> who&s;e Tenets in this kinde, have been condemned as He|reticall, by the Catholike Church in all Ages.</P>
<P>But the Que&s;tion is, whether a <HI>Chri|&s;tian, reflecting upon his own &s;oule, and exa|mining the Quality of his graces, and the &s;in|cerity of his Obedience, may, without an ex|traordinary Revelation, attaine unto an in|fallible Knowledge of the &s;incerity of his gra|ces
<PB N="20" REF="12">and his obedience, which are the Conditi|on of the Covenant of Life, and con&s;equently be a&s;&s;ured of his Ju&s;tification here, and his title to Glory hereafter?</HI> This they of the Church of <HI>Rome deny,</HI> and this we <HI>affirme,</HI> and we affirme it on the&s;e grounds:</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, from the Te&s;timony of Scrip|ture; <HI>We have received, not the &s;pirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that we might know the things which are freely given us of God.</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 2.12. <HI>The Spirit it &s;elf bea|reth witne&s;s with our &s;pirit, that we are the &s;ons of God, Rom.</HI> 8.16. <HI>Hereby know we, that we dwell in him, and he in us, becau&s;e he hath given us of his Spirit,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 4.13. Faith, is like <HI>Light,</HI> which renders, it &s;elfe, as well as other things, manife&s;t.</P>
<P>Secondly, the Commands of <HI>Faith, Repentance, Obedience, Charity,</HI> and the like, were given in vaine, e&s;pecially
<PB N="21" REF="12">as the Condition of the new Covenant, if it were impo&s;&s;ible for a Chri&s;tian, to know whether he doth performe the&s;e Conditions or no. The end of Evange|licall promi&s;es given in the Go&s;pell, is, <HI>That we might have a &s;trong con&s;olation, who have fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope &s;et before us, Heb.</HI> 6.18. now the <HI>generall</HI> faith of the Papi&s;ts, that he that believes and repents, and obeys the Go&s;pel &s;hall be &s;aved, which is the <HI>Certainty of the Ob|ject,</HI> can bring no Con&s;olation to a parti|cular per&s;on, that knows not, that he him&s;elfe, doth repent, and believe, and obey the Go&s;pell, which is the <HI>certainty of the Subject:</HI> this <HI>generall Faith</HI> of the <HI>Ob|ject,</HI> is &s;o farr, from giving any &s;trong Comfort, or Con&s;olation, without the particular certainty of the <HI>Subject,</HI> that without this, the certanty of the <HI>Objest</HI> may con&s;i&s;t with de&s;peration: Nay, there
<PB N="22" REF="13">is no doubt, but the devills them&s;elves, do certainly believe, That he that re|pents, and believes &s;hall be &s;aved.</P>
<P>Thirdly, this is evident from tho&s;e Commands, which the Holy Gho&s;t layes on every member of the Church: <HI>Examine your &s;elves &s;aith</HI> Saint <HI>Paul, whe|ther you be in the Faith, prove your &s;elves, know you not your own &s;elves, how that Je&s;us Chri&s;t is in you, except ye be Reprobates?</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.5. will any man &s;earch for that, which he is &s;ure he &s;hall never finde? Againe, <HI>Give diligence,</HI> &s;aith St. <HI>Peter, to make your calling and election &s;ure,</HI> 2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.10. To what end are the&s;e Commands, if the &s;ubject matter of them be impo&s;|&s;ible, beyond the power of man to obey them? No certainly, the God of mercy, and wi&s;dome, commands nothing, which ab&s;olutely tran&s;cends the power of man to obey him in what he Commands.</P>
<PB N="23" REF="13">
<P> La&s;tly, without this A&s;&s;urance, how can we obey tho&s;e Commands and Precepts, which require us, to <HI>rejoyce al|wayes?</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 5.16. to <HI>call God, Father? Luk.</HI> 11.2. <HI>to live in his prai&s;es? P&s;a.</HI> 49.1, 2. <HI>to long for Chri&s;ts comming? Revel.</HI> 22.17. and 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 1.10. and to <HI>comfort our &s;elves, with the very mention of it?</HI> 1 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 4.8. All which are con&s;equents of A&s;|&s;urance, for who can do any of the&s;e heartily, that is not in &s;ome mea&s;ure &s;ure, that he is the child of God, and in the &s;tate of &s;alvation? Certainly a man that hath not &s;ome a&s;&s;urance, that God is reconciled unto him, in <HI>Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> can no more de&s;ire the &s;econd coming of Chri&s;t, and his appearance in the Clouds, to judge the quicke, and the dead, then a Malefactor in chains, who&s;e guilt hath made him, the &s;on of death, doth de&s;ire the ha&s;tning of the A&s;&s;izes,
<PB N="24" REF="14">or rejoyce that the time draws nigh, wherein he &s;hall be called to the Barr, and arraigned before the Judge, for the crimes that he hath committed.</P>
<P>Yet, though a Chri&s;tian, reflecting on his own &s;oule, and examining his graces, actions, and obedience, may, with|out a &s;peciall Revelation, attaine unto an infallible knowledge of the &s;incerity of his graces, and his obedience, which are the conditions of the Covenant of life, and con&s;equently be a&s;&s;ured of his Ju&s;ti|fication here, and his title to glory, here|after; yet this A&s;&s;urance, is neither &s;o <HI>gotten,</HI> nor &s;o <HI>kept,</HI> as &s;ome men have dream't; what therefore I &s;hall deliver in this point of <HI>A&s;&s;urance,</HI> I &s;hall bound in the&s;e Propo&s;itions.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>Impenitency living in any known &s;in, and this A&s;&s;urance, are incompatible, and cannot con&s;i&s;t together:</HI> when thou do&s;t
<PB N="25" REF="14">but attempt, to promi&s;e thy &s;elfe Eterni|ty, and to gather a&s;&s;urance unto Life to come, thy &s;in, will pre&s;antly look thee in the face, and tell thee, that Heaven, and Salvation, belong not unto thee, every willfull &s;in that thou live&s;t in, will be to thy comfort, as water, to fire, to extin|gui&s;h, and put it out: If Heaven, and Hell can meete together, if God can be|come a lover of &s;in, then mai&s;t thou have thy confidence in <HI>Heaven,</HI> and yet nouri&s;h thy corruptions on <HI>earth,</HI> then maye&s;t thou live in <HI>&s;in,</HI> and yet be ble&s;&s;ed with the ta&s;tes of <HI>Glory:</HI> and this is evident from the Text, for if thou can&s;t not begin with Saint <HI>Paul</HI> here, <HI>I have fought a good fight, I have fini|&s;hed my cour&s;e, I have kept the Faith,</HI> ver. 7. Thou can&s;t not go on, and conclude with him in my Text, <HI>Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;e.</HI></P>
<PB N="26" REF="15">
<P> <HI>Beloved,</HI> Saith Saint <HI>John,</HI> if <HI>our Heart condemne us not, then have we confi|dence towards God,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 3.21. He who&s;e con&s;cience condemns him of living in Adultery, Fornication, Pride, Cove|tou&s;ne&s;s, Rebellion, Trea&s;ons, or any other work of the Fe&s;h, can have no A&s;|&s;urance of Gods Favour, no a&s;&s;urance of Salvation: <HI>Every one that hath this hope, (viz.</HI> that he is the Son of God) <HI>doth pu|rifie him&s;elfe, as he is pure,</HI> ver. 3. of the &s;ame Chapter: And <HI>we know that who&s;o|ever is borne of God, &s;inneth not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth him&s;elfe, and that wicked One toucheth him not,</HI> 1 <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.18.</P>
<P>What may we then thinke, of tho&s;e men, who teach for Go&s;pell, that if a man have once the &s;en&s;e, and feeling of Gods favour, afterwards do what he will he cannot loo&s;e it? Certainly as in the 23. of <HI>Jer. Non mi&s;i,</HI> God will owne, neither
<PB N="27" REF="15">the Me&s;&s;age, nor them that bring it: The old Divinity was, that <HI>Actions</HI> did qualifie <HI>Per&s;ons,</HI> the&s;e men have quite inverted it, and made <HI>Per&s;ons</HI> to qualifie <HI>Actions,</HI> and morall actions, to differ, not according to their <HI>Specificall Formes,</HI> but according to the <HI>Subject,</HI> from whence they flow,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sen. de Tranq. An. cap.</HI> 15.</NOTE> <HI>Et crimen hone&s;tum qu&agrave;m tur|pem Catonem,</HI> will rather inrowle Vice in the Catalogue of Vertue, then reckon one of their owne Sect and Facti|on, in the number of &s;inners: So that as with them, all actions of the <HI>&V;nregene|rate,</HI> are all Sins, &s;o all Actions of the <HI>Re|generate,</HI> are, if not <HI>vertues,</HI> yet no <HI>&s;ins,</HI> or if <HI>&s;ins,</HI> yet not &s;o <HI>&s;infull</HI> as in others: El&s;e how &s;hould this Doctrine, be delivered, and received with applau&s;e, that Adul|tery in <HI>David,</HI> was but a work of the <HI>out|ward man,</HI> he, being as deare to God, in <HI>Bath&s;hebah's,</HI> arms, as when he was dan|cing
<PB N="28" REF="16">before the Arke: Judge, if the&s;e men, be not in a faire way, to improve their impure Po&s;itions, to the mon&s;trous Bla&s;phemy of the <HI>Libertines,</HI> and may in time, come to Preach with them, That to lay a&s;ide all &s;en&s;e and feeling of con&s;cience his regeneration,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Bellar. de Ami&s;. Gra|tia li.</HI> 2. <HI>c.</HI> 1.</NOTE> To do every thing without &s;cruple or he&s;itation, is Chri&s;tian Liberty, To profe&s;s that we tran&s;gre&s;s, and &s;in in nothing, is Repen|tance from dead works, and mortifica|tion of the Old <HI>Adam:</HI> And La&s;tly, to acknowledge no di&s;tinction, no diffe|rence between <HI>good</HI> and <HI>evill,</HI> is to be like our fir&s;t Parents in their Innocency, and is true Chri&s;tian perfection: But what|ever the&s;e filthy Dreamers dream, Cer|tainly <HI>David,</HI> in that pleight, found o|ther thoughts in his &s;oul: He found, that his Sin had unfenced his con&s;cience, and laid it wa&s;te, he found that by his &s;ins,
<PB N="29" REF="16">he had grieved the Spirit of God, and put the Holy Gho&s;t to flight, who for his &s;ins of Adultery, and Murder, was departed from him, with all his retinue; all that comfort, and con&s;olation, and joy, and peace, and confidence, which lodged in him before his commi&s;&s;on of the&s;e &s;ins: So that in the bitterne&s;s, and angui&s;h of his Soule, he prayes for the comfort of that Spirit, of which his &s;ins had deprived him: for heare him pray, <HI>Make me a clean heart, O God, and renue a right Spirit within me, ca&s;t me not a|way from thy pre&s;ence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me: O give me the comfort of thy helpe againe, and &s;tabli&s;h me with thy free Spirit, P&s;al.</HI> 51.10. <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Certainly he that reads that P&s;alme of <HI>Davids</HI> penned up|on that Occa&s;ion, mo&s;t, whether he will or no, &s;ub&s;cribe to this fir&s;t Propo&s;ition, <HI>That Sin, living in any knowne &s;in, and this
<PB N="30" REF="17">A&s;&s;urance of Salvation, are incompatible, and cannot con&s;i&s;t together.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, the &s;econd Propo&s;ition is this, <HI>Though this a&s;&s;urance of Salvation be po&s;&s;ible, yet it is extremely difficult to be at|tained unto,</HI> and that in a double re&s;pect; <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> in re&s;pect of the <HI>Work it &s;elf,</HI> which requires much labour, and paines, deepe mortification, earne&s;t endeavours to per|fect holine&s;s in the feare of God, a long uninterrupted cour&s;e in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, not broken off by the commi&s;sion of any worke of the fle&s;h, or pollution of the World: <HI>Secondly,</HI> in re&s;pect of the <HI>diffi|culties</HI> and <HI>oppo&s;itions,</HI> that oppo&s;e us in the way, and that both from the <HI>devill</HI> and our own <HI>corruption,</HI> being &s;ubject to many delu&s;ions, both from the Devill and our own Hearts: Saint <HI>Paul</HI> therefore, is faine to double his Exhor|tation to the <HI>Corinthians, Prove your &s;elves
<PB N="31" REF="17">whether you be in the faith, examine your &s;elves,</HI> 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 13.5. <GAP DESC="foreign"> and <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>prove,</HI> and <HI>examine</HI> both, aye, and both little enough; Ju&s;tly therefore may we won|der, at their arrogancy, who being but Novices in Religion, dare prattle of a <GAP DESC="foreign">, a fulne&s;s of a&s;&s;urance of Gods favour, to them in Chri&s;t: That, which others of longer &s;tanding, and farre grea|ter progre&s;s in <HI>Sanstity,</HI> dare not to attri|bute to them&s;elves, the&s;e ye&s;terdayes men, proclaime to have attained: To whom I may &s;ay as <HI>I&s;aac</HI> did to <HI>Jacob,</HI> in an other ca&s;e, <HI>Gen.</HI> 27.20. <HI>How is it, that ye have found it &s;o quickly?</HI> for Gods love, is not pre&s;antly &s;hed into our hearts, but after many <HI>Conflicts</HI> with doubtings, <HI>com|bates</HI> with corruption, and <HI>experiences</HI> of Gods Favour, we gather <HI>firmene&s;s</HI> ra|ther then <HI>fulne&s;s</HI> of A&s;&s;urance.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the third Propo&s;ition is this,
<PB N="32" REF="18"><HI>Though a&s;&s;urance may be obtained, yet all that have it, have it not in an equall mea&s;ure:</HI> for as the children of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> gathered their <HI>Mannah, &s;ome more, &s;ome le&s;s, every man ac|cording to his eating, Exod.</HI> 16, 17, 18. So the children of God, gather their A&s;&s;u|rances, &s;ome more, &s;ome le&s;s, every man according to the mea&s;ure of his <HI>Sanctifi|cation.</HI> for the a&s;&s;urance of Gods Favour is <HI>experiementall</HI> onely, and the evidence no other, then what ari&s;eth from <HI>Sancti|fication,</HI> &s;o much as we are <HI>Sanctified,</HI> &s;o much experience, and &s;en&s;e we may have of his Favour, it is proportioned to our <HI>Sanctification,</HI> and &s;ince this is not in an equall mea&s;ure, and degree in all, &s;o neither is this A&s;&s;urance.</P>
<P>Fourthly, the fourth Propo&s;ition is this: <HI>As all Sanctified men have not an equall mea&s;ure of A&s;&s;urance, as one Sanctified man is compared with an other, &s;o there is not the
<PB N="33" REF="18">&s;ame mea&s;ure of a&s;&s;urance at all times in a particular Chri&s;tian, the &s;ame man being com|pared with him&s;elf:</HI> If we look upon the <HI>Saints</HI> of <HI>God,</HI> we &s;hal find &s;ome doubting, blended with their pure&s;t faith: we are not as pillars of Bra&s;s, or as the deaf rocks of the Sea, or as Mount <HI>Sion,</HI> never to be removed, the faith of a Chri&s;tian, is &s;ometimes in fight, and conflict, in ago|ny, and pa&s;&s;ion, in &s;weating and bleeding, re&s;i&s;ting to <HI>blood</HI> &s;hall I &s;ay? Nay, even unto <HI>Hell</HI> it &s;elf, he knew it well enough who &s;aid, <HI>Thou bringe&s;t down to Hell, and bringe&s;t back againe:</HI> we neede no other proofe of this, then that experience, which the be&s;t of Gods Children, finde in their own &s;ouls: That prayer of Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine,</HI> may &s;ome time, or other,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Conf. l.</HI> 1 <HI>c.</HI> 5.</NOTE> be very &s;ea&s;onable, and beare a part in the devotions of the be&s;t re&s;olved Chri&s;ti|an: <HI>Dic animae meae &s;alus tua ego &s;um, &s;ed
<PB N="34" REF="19">dic ut audeam:</HI> Say, O Lord, unto my &s;oule, I am thy Salvation, but &s;peake &s;o that I may heare thee: for God may &s;ay unto my &s;oule, I am thy Salvation, and yet the noy&s;e of Temptations, and the mole&s;tations of Satan, may &s;o drown that voyce, that I may not heare it: we do not alwayes finde an equall pre&s;ence of Gods Spirit, not an equall mea&s;ure of tho&s;e ravi&s;hing Joyes, and un&s;peakable con&s;olations, which the Holy Gho&s;t breathes into our Soules, there may be a time, wherein God may &s;eeme to e&s;trange him&s;elfe from us, &s;o that we may complaine of his ab&s;ence, and with the Church in the <HI>Canticles,</HI> inquire af|ter him, <HI>Quo abijt, quo &s;e vertit dilectus me|us? Whither is my beloved gone, whither is my beloved turned a&s;ide? that I may &s;eek him, Cant.</HI> 6.1. and yet even then, when God &s;eemes to ab&s;ent him&s;elfe, to have <HI>turned
<PB N="35" REF="19">his backe and not the face as in the day of Ca|lamity, Jer.</HI> 18.17. we may conclude with the Church, even then, when we feele not his pre&s;ence, <HI>I am my Beloveds, and my beloved is mine,</HI> ver. 3. of the &s;ame Chapter.</P>
<P>One while <HI>Davids</HI> faith is &s;o &s;trong, that he <HI>will not feare though the earth be moved, and though the Hills be carried, into the mid&s;t of the Seas, though the waters thereof rage, and &s;well, and though the Mountaines &s;hake at the tempest of the &s;ame, P&s;al.</HI> 46.1, 2, 3. At an other time, he is &s;o amazed, &s;o dejected, with feare, and diffidence, that while others &s;ay unto him, he is like to &s;ay as much to him&s;elfe, <HI>Where is now thy God?</HI> Nay, he will <HI>&s;ay unto the God of his Strength, why ha&s;t thou forgotten me, and why go I thus heavily while the enemy oppre&s;&s;eth me? P&s;a.</HI> 42.11. One while he is &s;o confident, that
<PB N="36" REF="20">he re&s;olves <HI>he &s;hall never be removed, be|cau&s;e God of his goodne&s;s hath made his Hill &s;o &s;trong,</HI> and yet pre&s;antly, God did but turne away his face and he <HI>was troubled, P&s;al.</HI> 30.6, 7. Troubled? and that &s;o farr, that you would judge him to be in de|&s;peration, utterly to have lo&s;t his hope, for, heare him, pray, &s;hall I &s;ay, or mur|mur? <HI>Will the Lord ab&s;ent him&s;elfe for e|ver, and will he be no more intreated? Is his Mercy cleane gone for ever, and is his Pro|mi&s;e come utterly to an end for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious, and will he &s;hut up his loving kindne&s;s in di&s;plea&s;ure? P&s;al.</HI> 77.7. <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Origen,</HI> was well acquainted with the&s;e <HI>Acce&s;&s;es</HI> and <HI>Rece&s;&s;es,</HI> the&s;e Hea|venly fits of <HI>favour,</HI> and <HI>disfavour: De|cedit Deus meus, &s;ed expecto, iterum venit, &s;ed dilabitur, dilap&s;us redit, &s;ed non teneo:</HI> My God (&s;ayes he) for&s;akes me often,
<PB N="37" REF="20">but &s;till I waite for him, again he comes, and againe he vani&s;heth, being vani&s;hed he appeares againe, but I cannot hold him: and in his ebbing, and flowing of this heavenly con&s;olation, <HI>De acce&s;&s;u, &amp; rece&s;&s;u Lucraris,</HI> as Saint <HI>Bernard</HI> &s;peaks, Thou art a gainer by his comming, and thou art no loo&s;er by his going: for <HI>Tibi venit,</HI> aye, and, <HI>Tibi recedit,</HI> as the &s;ame Father goes on, For thy &s;ake he comes to thee, and for thy &s;ake he departs from thee: he comes for thy <HI>Con&s;olation,</HI> and he departs for thy <HI>Caution:</HI> To conclude with the &s;ame Author, <HI>Pauli&s;per per|mittit nos gu&s;tare quam &s;uavis &s;it Deus, &amp;c.</HI> God permits us a little to &s;ip of the Cup of Con&s;olation, to ta&s;t how gratious the Lord is, and to ta&s;te how &s;weet his Comforts are, and before we can reli&s;h them fully, he withdraws him&s;elfe, and as it were with &s;tretched out Wings,
<PB N="38" REF="21">mounts up, purpo&s;ely to provoke us, to take wing, and &s;oare up after him: And this may be a Rea&s;on, why <HI>there is not the &s;ame mea&s;ure of A&s;&s;urance at all times in a particular Chri&s;tian, the &s;ame man being com|pared with him&s;elf.</HI></P>
<P>Fifthly, The fifth Propo&s;ition is this, <HI>The particular A&s;&s;urance of Remi&s;sion of &s;ins, and reconciliation with God, which just men attaine unto upon their Repentance, O|bedience and Faith, when it is &s;tronge&s;t, ne|ver amounts to that firmene&s;s of a&s;&s;ent which we have about the common Objects of Faith,</HI> to wit, <HI>the Articles of Creation, the Trinity, the Incarnation, Pa&s;&s;ion, Re&s;urrection, and A&s;cention of Chri&s;t,</HI> and the like: for 'tis true what <HI>Medina</HI> ob&s;erves, <HI>Nullus the|ologicus di&s;cur&s;us e&s;t tam certus qu&agrave;m a&s;&s;en&s;io principiorum:</HI> There is a fuller a&s;&s;ent due to <HI>Principles,</HI> then to <HI>Conclu&s;ions</HI> inferred from them, for no man can be &s;o certain,
<PB N="39" REF="21">that he is the <HI>Son of God by Grace, and Adoption,</HI> as he is certaine that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> is the <HI>Son of God by Nature:</HI> And the rea&s;on is, becau&s;e the&s;e Articles are <HI>totally,</HI> and <HI>immediately</HI> revealed in the Scriptures; But that <HI>this</HI> or <HI>that</HI> mans &s;ins in particular are remitted, that <HI>mine</HI> or <HI>thy</HI> &s;ins are forgiven, depends upon a <HI>Practicall Sylogi&s;me,</HI> whereof the <HI>major Propo&s;ition</HI> only, is the Word of God, the <HI>Minor,</HI> or <HI>A&s;&s;umption,</HI> is a collection, ari&s;ing from the reflection, and ob&s;erva|tion of a mans own Qualities, and Acti|ons, and the <HI>Conclu&s;ion,</HI> is more, or le&s;s certaine, according to the Truth of the <HI>A&s;&s;umption,</HI> according to that of Saint <HI>Bernard, Quantum cre&s;cis in gratiam,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ser.</HI> 3. <HI>in Cant.</HI></NOTE> <HI>tan|tum dilataris in fiduciam,</HI> according to the mea&s;ure of thy <HI>Grace,</HI> &s;o is the mea&s;ure of thy <HI>A&s;&s;urance.</HI></P>
<P>Sixthly, The &s;ixth Propo&s;ition is this,
<PB N="40" REF="22"><HI>Though a man may be confident of Gods Fa|vour, and his being in the &s;tate of Grace for the time pre&s;ent, yet he cannot have any A&s;|&s;urance of any &s;uch A&s;&s;urance for the time to come:</HI> I &s;peake not here of falling from Grace, but of A&s;&s;urance, which is a Re|&s;ult, or fruit &s;pringing from our being in the &s;tate of Grace, And <HI>this,</HI> though we may have it for the pre&s;ent, yet, I &s;ay, we have no A&s;&s;urance, of any &s;uch A&s;&s;u|rance, for the time to come: Not that God will be wanting to us, in &s;upplying us, with all helps, conducing to our &s;ub|&s;i&s;tance in &s;o comfortable a condition, but, becau&s;e we may grow &s;ecure, and negligent, and be wanting to our &s;elves, in the u&s;e of tho&s;e meanes, which may e&s;tabli&s;h us in this <HI>Spe Roborat&acirc;</HI> confir|med &s;trong hope: when <HI>Benhadad</HI> King of <HI>Siria,</HI> boa&s;ted much of his power, <HI>A|hab</HI> King of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> returned him this
<PB N="41" REF="22">An&s;wer, <HI>Let not him that girdeth on his harne&s;s boa&s;t him&s;elf as he that putteth it off,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 20.11. The &s;ucce&s;s of warre is doubtfull, and therefore he that fights for the victory, mo&s;t not boa&s;t, as if he had already won the day: The like Judgement is every one to make of the warfare of the &s;oul, which while it lives in this mortal body, cannot a&s;&s;ure it &s;elfe for the future, &s;o various, and doubtfull is the &s;ucce&s;s of the Spirituall Warfare: when <HI>Jacob</HI> had &s;ome conte&s;tation with his father <HI>Laban</HI> about the Idols which <HI>Rachel</HI> had &s;tolne from him, he tells <HI>La|ban, Except the God of Abraham, and the feare of I&s;aac, had beene with me, &s;urely thou had&s;t &s;ent me away now empty, Gen.</HI> 31.42. Comentators generally, inquire, why <HI>Jacob,</HI> &s;hould not call God, the God of <HI>I&s;aac</HI> as well as the God of <HI>Abraham, but the God of Abraham and the feare of
<PB N="42" REF="23">I&s;aac;</HI> and <HI>Paulus Burgencis,</HI> out of the Opinion of the <HI>Rabbins</HI> an&s;wers, That God was &s;eldome called the God of any man while that man was living, becau&s;e he doth not enjoy a &s;ecure and certaine condition; and therefore becau&s;e <HI>Abra|ham</HI> was now <HI>Comprehen&s;or,</HI> dead, and in the &s;tate of Bli&s;s, and <HI>I&s;aac</HI> wat but <HI>Via|tor</HI> living and travelling towards the &s;ame Happine&s;s, having not yet fini&s;hed his cour&s;e, <HI>Jacob</HI> &s;tiles God, the <HI>God</HI> of <HI>Abraham,</HI> but the <HI>Feare</HI> of <HI>I&s;aac: Terret me Apo&s;tolus dicens, Qui &s;e putat &s;ta|re,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Erar. in P&s;al.</HI> 41.</NOTE> <HI>videat ne cadat</HI> &s;aith Saint <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> The Apo&s;tle affrights me, he &s;tartles me, when he &s;ayes, <HI>Let him that &s;tandeth take heed least he fall:</HI> and if this tall Cedar in <HI>Libanus</HI> were afraid, how &s;hould the Shrub pre&s;ume? I &s;hall conclude this Propo&s;ition, with that admonition of St. <HI>Peter,</HI> and comend it to your Ob&s;er|vation,
<PB N="43" REF="23"><HI>Pa&s;s the time of your &s;ojourning here in feare,</HI> 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 1.7.</P>
<P>Seventhly, and la&s;tly, The la&s;t Pro|po&s;ition is this, <HI>Though we grant that it is po&s;&s;ible, though difficult, for a man to attain to this confidence towards God and A&s;&s;urance of Salvation, yet we deny it to be ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary: Though every man ought to labour for it, yet it is no Evangelical promi&s;e, that every Ju&s;tified per&s;on &s;hall certainly attaine unto it.</HI> For a Chri&s;tian, of an humble, contrite Spirit, believing that his &s;ins are remi&s;sible, if he earne&s;tly de&s;ire remi&s;si|on of &s;ins, by the Pa&s;sion and Merits of Chri&s;t, and joyneth with this <HI>Faith</HI> and <HI>De&s;ire,</HI> the exerci&s;e of all <HI>Morall</HI> and <HI>Theological</HI> virtues, this man, this woman, do certainly receive forgivene&s;s of &s;ins, although they be vexed, with &s;cruples, and doubts, and want A&s;&s;urance, and per&s;wa&s;ion in them&s;elves, that their &s;ins
<PB N="44" REF="24">are remitted: So that when we &s;ay, a man may be a&s;&s;ured, we confe&s;s a <HI>po&s;|&s;ibility,</HI> and when we teach that by the &s;tuddy of Piety, and perfecting Holi|ne&s;s in the feare of God, men ought to labour for this A&s;&s;urance, we acknow|ledge a <HI>duty,</HI> yet it doth not from hence follow, that &s;uch A&s;&s;urance is of ab&s;olute nece&s;sity; Nece&s;&s;ary it may be, to the <HI>well being</HI> of a Son of God, but not ne|ce&s;&s;ary to his <HI>being,</HI> as if no Son of God without it: Nece&s;&s;ary, it may be to <HI>Solace</HI> and <HI>cheere us up</HI> in the <HI>way to the end,</HI> but not nece&s;&s;ary to the <HI>end it &s;elfe,</HI> as if there were no Salvation without it. For, for the guilt of &s;in, grating upon the con|&s;cience, or for &s;ome other rea&s;on, be&s;t known to God (who&s;e wayes with the &s;oules of men, are un&s;earchable, pa&s;t finding out) a man may be deprived of comfort, even to; and <HI>at</HI> his death, and
<PB N="45" REF="24">for this go mourning to his Grave, and yet at the la&s;t day find a joyfull Re&s;ur|rection: So that, though he be more <HI>hap|py,</HI> that hath <HI>Grace</HI> and <HI>Peace,</HI> yet he may be as <HI>holy</HI> that hath <HI>Grace without Peace.</HI></P>
<P>How then do they brui&s;e the broken reede, and quench the &s;moaking flax? nay, how do they intangle and en&s;nare the con&s;ciences of poore Chri&s;tians, who teach, that Ju&s;tifying faith, is nothing el&s;e, but an A&s;&s;urance, of our pre&s;ent being in the &s;tate of Grace here, and future glo|ry hereafter? for what Balme of <HI>Gilead?</HI> what word of Comfort? what Go&s;pel more remaines to be Preached to him, who not finding this <HI>A&s;&s;urance</HI> in his own &s;oule, concludes him&s;elf to be vvithout faith, and con&s;equently in the &s;tate of damnation? Shall vve tell &s;uch a man, as &s;ome do, that de&s;ire of A&s;&s;urance, is in Gods <HI>acceptance,</HI> as A&s;&s;urance it &s;elfe?
<PB N="46" REF="25">He will tell us againe, (and I profe&s;s I know nothing that we can reply,) that by the Covenant of Grace, <HI>in Adultis,</HI> in tho&s;e that are of age, <HI>Actuall Faith</HI> it &s;elfe (Que&s;tionle&s;s) is nece&s;&s;ary to Ju&s;tifica|tion, and therefore <HI>Actuall A&s;&s;urance,</HI> if Ju&s;tifying Faith, be A&s;&s;urance, which doubtle&s;s it is not: I may &s;afety affirme, that this one Doctrine, thus unwarran|tably taught, together, with their <HI>Marks, Signs,</HI> and (as in their Canting Language they call them) <HI>Tokens</HI> of a child of God, what with <HI>Pre&s;umption</HI> on the one &s;ide, and <HI>De&s;peration</HI> on the other, hath endangered, if not lo&s;t more &s;oules, then any one error, that hath prevailed in the Reformed Church: And therefore, <HI>O my &s;oule, come not thou into their &s;ecret, unto their A&s;&s;embly, mine Honour be not thou united.</HI></P>
<P>Having thus briefly, A&s;&s;erted Saint
<PB N="47" REF="25"><HI>Pauls Confidence,</HI> and &s;tated the Con|trover&s;ie with the Church of <HI>Rome</HI> in the Point of A&s;&s;urance of Salvation, and bounded the Affirmative with &s;uch Pro|po&s;itions as are nece&s;&s;ary to pre&s;erve this Truth from abu&s;e by Pre&s;umption, or any other way, I &s;hall now in a word or two, make <HI>&V;&s;e</HI> and <HI>Application</HI> of the Point.</P>
<P>Since then by the practice of Piety, and labouring to perfect holine&s;s in the feare of God, we may attaine to &s;ome A&s;&s;urance of Salvation, we may do well, to retire into our own brea&s;ts, de&s;cend into our own hearts, try our own wayes, and &s;ee how vve &s;tand in the judgment of our own con&s;ciences, vvhether vve can &s;ay vvith Saint <HI>Paul</HI> here, <HI>I have fought a good fight, I have fini&s;hed my cour&s;e, I have kept the faith,</HI> and &s;o conclude vvith him, <HI>Henceforth there is laid up for
<PB N="48" REF="26">me a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s:</HI> If thou live in <HI>&s;in,</HI> if that reigne in thee, I mu&s;t confe&s;s vvith <HI>An&s;elme</HI> in his Meditations, That it is <HI>Gravis angu&s;tia,</HI> a <HI>hard &s;treight:</HI> If thou do&s;t looke into thy &s;elfe, thou vvilt not <HI>indure</HI> thy &s;elfe, if not, Thou vvilt not <HI>know</HI> thy &s;elfe; If thou con&s;ider what thou art, thy <HI>guilt</HI> vvill affright thee, if not, <HI>damnation</HI> &s;teales upon thee, To &s;ee thy &s;elfe is <HI>horrour,</HI> not to &s;ee thy &s;elfe is <HI>death:</HI> Hence &s;ome are as much afraid to enter parley vvith their con&s;ciences, as <HI>Ahab</HI> vvas vvith <HI>Michaiah: becau&s;e they never &s;peak good but evill unto them,</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> 22. or as <HI>Job</HI> &s;peaks of God, <HI>Becau&s;e they write bitter things again&s;t them, Job</HI> 13.26. and therefore like a trouble&s;ome gue&s;t, they turne it out of doors: They do not only through vvant of vvatchfulne&s;s, and advertencie, let it &s;lip, or &s;teale a|way, but as Saint <HI>Paul</HI> &s;peaks of <HI>Hyme|neus</HI>
<PB N="49" REF="26">and <HI>Alexander,</HI> and others, as if it would not be gone &s;oone enough, <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 1 19.</NOTE> They drive it away, they expel it: men deal with their con&s;ciences, after they have defi|led them,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 13, 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> as <HI>Amnon</HI> did with his Si&s;ter <HI>Ta|mar</HI> eject them, as he did her, <HI>Ari&s;e, be gone,</HI> and if the con&s;cience &s;tay, and plead, as &s;he did, not to be ejected, vaine thoughts, or worldly, like <HI>Amnons</HI> Servants, put out the con&s;cience, aye, and bolt the doore af|ter it; we may a while thus deceive our &s;elves, &amp; ca&s;t out one devil with another, or as Saint <HI>Jerome</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>vitium vitio, Pec|catum peccato mederi,</HI> Silence the guilt of one &s;in by worldly avoca&s;ions, from the con&s;ideration of the wages of &s;in, or by the commi&s;sion of another &s;in, vve may for a vvhile, dance, or drinke, or &s;port away the thoughts of Hell, and the Day of Judge|ment: the noi&s;e of the Harpe, and the Vi|oll may drowne the voyce of the Con&s;ci|ence,
<PB N="50" REF="27">and &s;u&s;pend its Opperations, but fir&s;t, or la&s;t it will be heard, and the longer we &s;tay, before we give it audience, the more terrible, will her accu&s;ations be, when &s;he doth &s;peake.</P>
<P>What is that which makes men die in de&s;paire? &s;trangers to all Spirituall Com|fort, void of all con&s;olation, all confidence in God, but the want of often arreigning our &s;elves at the Barre of our own con&s;ciences: what makes our account to appeare &s;o great, at the day of <HI>death,</HI> but the not ca&s;ting it up in our <HI>life?</HI> How many &s;uch di&s;con|&s;olate &s;oules do we meete withall in our Pa&s;torall Charges, anxiou&s;ly crying out, as in the Prophet, <HI>Is there no Balme in Gi|lead?</HI> Is there no Phi&s;ition there to admi|ni&s;ter a word of Comfort to a wounded Spirit? Alas, we cannot <HI>Oleum de Petra,</HI> extract <HI>Oyle,</HI> out of your <HI>Flints,</HI> nor <HI>&s;weete Wine,</HI> out of your <HI>&s;oure Grapes:</HI> If you &s;pend
<PB N="51" REF="27">your dayes in exce&s;s, and riot, in cham|bering and wantonne&s;s, in the profits, or plea&s;ures, or the vanities of this world, and when you come to die, you then &s;eek to us for comfort, what comfort can we give you, what can we &s;ay to you in this your di&s;tre&s;s, but as <HI>Ruben</HI> did to his brethren in their di&s;tre&s;s, <HI>Did we not warne you, &s;aying; &s;in not? Gen.</HI> 42.22. If you, while you have <HI>blood</HI> in your <HI>veynes, &s;trength</HI> in your <HI>&s;inewes, marrow</HI> in your <HI>bones, milke</HI> in your <HI>brea&s;ts;</HI> in a word, If you in the dayes of your youth, before the <HI>evill dayes come,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ecce&s;.</HI> 12.1.</NOTE> <HI>and tho&s;e yeares draw nigh, when you &s;hall &s;ay, I have no plea&s;ure in them,</HI> do not by repentance from dead works, and a lively faith in the blood of Chri&s;t, get your <HI>hearts &s;prinkled from an evill Con&s;cience Heb.</HI> 10 22. and <HI>pu|rified from dead works, Heb.</HI> 9.14. As he an|&s;wered, to an importunate &s;uitor, when it was not in his power to grant her reque&s;t,
<PB N="52" REF="28">&s;o mu&s;t we, <HI>If the Lord do not helpe you, whence &s;hould we?</HI> 2 <HI>King.</HI> 26.27.</P>
<P>That therefore you may make the work of the la&s;t day comfortable, make every day a preparation to the day of Death; Do with the works of your <HI>Conver&s;ation,</HI> as God did with the works of his <HI>Creation,</HI> He, not only &s;urveyed at the &s;ixt dayes end, the work of the vvhole weeke, but at the evening of every day he made a parti|cular Survey: Every day vvas clo&s;ed up vvith a <HI>vidit quod Bonum;</HI> He &s;aw that it vvas <HI>good:</HI> I expect not that the &s;ame Ver|dict &s;hould be given up, yet, do you the like, at the evening of the day, examine the works of every day. Beleeve me, 'tis too unweildly a task, to be adjourned un|to the end, and vvor&s;t part of our life, to have the vvorke, of a vvhole life to do, vvhen perhaps you have not an houre to live: it is the vvorke of a vvhole life, to
<PB N="53" REF="28">&s;urvey the actions of a vvhole Life, and therefore not to be po&s;ted off, to the weak|e&s;t part of it: In the midde&s;t therefore of all your great and weighty affairs, redeeme &s;ome time, to be imployed in this worke, upon which depends your Eternity, when you come to die, and die you mu&s;t, you will prize one houre, &s;pent in this holy worke, more, then, all the re&s;t of your life,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 5.27.</NOTE> though you &s;hould live <HI>Methu|&s;alahs</HI> age, and that dedicated to ambition, plea&s;ure, wealth, and honour.</P>
<P><HI>Seneca</HI> tells us of a <HI>Romone,</HI> that had a|way to keepe his &s;oule as clean, as good Hou&s;ewives keep their Plate, for every e|vening, he vvould vvipe it over vvith this Interrogation, <HI>Quod malum hodie &s;ana&s;ti? cui vitio, ob&s;titi&s;ti? Qu&acirc; parte melior es? Tell me, O my &s;oule, what &s;in ha&s;t thou conquered to day, what vice ha&s;t thou re&s;i&s;ted? how much art thou improved &s;ince the morning, how much bet|ter</HI> <GAP DESC="missing" EXTENT="1+ pages"></P>
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