An offer of farther help to suffering saints, or, The best work in the worst times wherein the necessity, excellency, and means of preparation for sufferings are clearly evinced, and prescribed : in which, as in a glass, the people of God may see how to dress themselves for death, or any other suffering to which the Lord shall call : added as an appendix to the Sufferers mirrour.

CHAP. V. In which the necessity of getting clear evidences of this work of Grace in us, in order to our readiness for sufferings is held forth; the nature of that evidence opened, and divers things that cloud and obscure it removed out of the way.

I Have done with habitual readiness, consisting in an inwrought work of Grace. The following particulars are the things in which our actual readi∣ness lies. And of them that which comes next to be handled, is the getting of clear evidences in our own souls that this work hath been wrought on us, this will exceedingly tend to your strengthning and comfort in a suffering hour. Blessed Paul who here professeth himself ready both for Bonds and Death, was clear in this point, 2 Tim. 4.6, 7. 2 Tim. 1.12. And indeed had he been cloudy and dark in this, he could not have said, I am ready. No, no, he had been in an ill case to undertake that Journey to Jerusalem: And thou wilt find it a singular advan∣tage

in dark and difficult dayes to have all clear and ••••ght within. Now for the opening of this, I will ••ew:

1. What the evidence or manifestation of the ••ork of Grace is.

2. How it appears to be of such great advantage 〈◊〉〈◊〉 a suffering Saint.

3. Prescribe some Rules for the obtaining ••f it.

1. What it is. And in short it's nothing else but the Spirit shining upon his own work in the hearts of Believers, thereby enabling them sensibly to see and feel 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to their own satisfaction. And this is exprest in Scripture under a pleasant variety of Metaphors. Sometimes it is called the shedding alroad of the love of God in the heart, Rom. 5.5. sometimes the lifting up of the light of Gods countenance, Psal. 4.6. and sometimes it's exprest without a trope, by Christs manifesting himself to the soul, John. 14.21.

For the opening of it, I desire you would con∣sider these six things.

1. That it is attainable by Believers in this life, and that in a very high degree and measure. Many of the Saints have had it in a full measure, 1 Cor. 2.12. 1 John 3.24. John 21.15.

2. Though it be attainable by Believers, yet it is a thing separable from true Grace, and many precious souls have gone mourning for the want of it, Isa. 50.10. This was sometimes the case of He∣man, David, Job, and multitudes more.

3. During its continuance it is the sweetest thing in the world. It swallowes up all Troubles, and doubles all other Comforts: It puts more gladness into the heart, then the increase of Corn and Wine, Psal, 4.6. Suavis hora, sed brevis mora; sapit quidem suavissime, sed gustatur rarissime, Bern.

4. Both in the continuation and removal of i•• the Spirit acts arbitrarily. No man can say how long he shall walk in this pleasant Light, Psal. 30.7•• By thy favour thou hast made my Mountain stand strong: thou hiddest thy face, and I was troubled. And when in darkness, none can say how long it will be•• ere that sweet Light break forth again. God can scatter the Cloud unexpectedly in a moment, Cant. 3.4. It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth. There is such an ob∣servable difference in David's Spirit in some Psalms , as if one man had written the beginning, and ano∣ther the end of them.

5. Though God can quickly remove the dark∣ness and doubts of a soul; yet ordinarily the Saints find it a very hard and difficult thing to obtain and preserve the evidences of their Graces. Such is the darkness, deadness, and deceitfulness of the heart, so much unevenness and inconstancy in their practice, so many counterfeits of Grace, and so many wiles and devices of Satan to rob them of their peace, that few (in comparison) live in a con∣stant and quiet fruition of it.

6. Notwithstanding all these things which in∣crease the difficulty, yet God hath afforded his people a sure Light, and sufficient means in the di∣ligent use and improvement whereof they may attain a certainty of the work of Grace in them. And there is a threefold Light by which it may most clearly and infallibly be discovered.

1. Scripture Light, which is able to discover the secrets of a mans heart to him; and is there∣fore compared to the Anatomizers Knife, Heb. 4.12.

2. The innate Light of Grace it self; or if you will the Light of Experience, 1 John 5.10. It hath some properties and operations which are as essen∣tial,

necessary, and inseparable, as heat is to the fire, and may be sensibly felt and perceived by the Soul, Psal. 119.20.

3. The Light of the Spirit, superadded to both the former, which is sometimes called its Earnest, sometimes its Seal. The Spirit doth both plant the habits, excite and draw forth the acts, and also shine upon his own work that the Soul may see it; and that sometimes with such a degree of Light, as onely begets peace, and quiets the heart, though it do not fully conquer all the doubts of it. And at other times the heart is irradiated with so clear a Beam of Light, that it's able to draw forth the tri∣umphant Conclusion, and say, Now I know the things that are freely given me of God. I believe and am sure.

And so much briefly for the opening of the na∣ture of this evidence.

2. I shall shew you the necessity of it to a suffer∣ing Saint, in order to the right management of a suffering condition.

And this will appear by the consideration of five things.

1. [Dem, 1] You will readily grant that the Christians love to God hath a mighty influence into all his suf∣ferings for God. This Grace of love enables him victoriously to break through all difficulties and dis∣couragements. The Flood's cannot drown it, nor the Waters quench it, Cant. 8.6, 7. It facilitates the greatest hardships, 1 John 5.3. And whatever a man suffer, if it be not from this principle, it is neither acceptable to God, nor available to him∣self, 1 Cor. 13.3.

But now nothing more inflames and quickens the Christians love to God, then the knowledge of his interest in him, and the sensible perception and

taste of his love to the Soul. Our love to God is but a reflection of his own love: And the more power∣full the stroke of the direct Beam is, the more is the reflex Beam also. Never doth that flame of Jah burn with a more vehement heat, then when the Soul hath the most clear manifestations of its in∣terest in Christ and his benefits, Luke 7.47.

It must needs be of singular use to a suffering Saint, [Dem. 2] because it takes out the sinking weight of affliction. That which sinks and breaks the Spirit, is the conjunction and meeting of inward and out∣ward troubles together; then if the Lord do not strangely and extraordinarily support the Soul, it's wrackt and overwhelmed as the Ship in which Paul sailed was, when it fell into a place where two Seas met, Acts 27.41. Oh how tempestuous a Sea doth that Soul sail in, that hath fightings without, and fears within! How must that poor Christians heart trem∣ble and meditate terrour, that when he retires from troubles without for some comfort and support within, shall find a sad addition to his troubles from whence he expected relief against them! Hence it was that Jeremy so earnestly deprecates such a misery, Be not thou a terrour to me, thou art my hope in the day of evil, Jer. 17.17. This is prevented by this means: If a man have a clear breast, and all be quiet within, he is like one that hath a good Roof over his head when the Storm falls. We glory in tribulation, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, Rom. 5.3, 5.

It is a fountain of joy and comfort in the darkest and saddest hour. [Dem. 3] Hence the glorious triumphs of Saints in their afflictions, Rom. 5.5. and in the Chri∣stians joy in the Lord, lies much of his strength for sufferings, Neh. 8.10. If once the Spirit droop and sink, the man is in a bad case to suffer: holy joy, it

is the Oyl that makes the Chariot-wheels of the Soul free to follow the Lord; Non tardat uncta rota. To suffer with joyfullness for Christ is a qualifica∣tion that Gods Eye is much upon in his suffering Servants, Col. 1.11. How did these famous Worthies magnifie Christ, and glorifie Religion by the holy triumphs of their faith and joy under tribulation! One kiss'd the Apparator that brought him news of his Condemnation, and was like a man transported with an excess of joy. Another upon the pronoun∣cing of the Sentence, kneels down, and with hands and eyes lifted up, solemnly blesses God for such a day as that. Oh how is Christ magnified by this! And this can not be untill interest be cleared. It's true the faith of recumbency gives the Soul a secret support, and enables the Christian to live; but the faith of evidence keeps him lively, and prevents all those uncomfortable and uncomely sinkings and despondencies of spirit, 2 Cor. 4.16, 17. and there∣fore cannot but be of singular use to a soul at such a time.

Lastly, [Dem. 4] It is of special use to a Christian under sufferings, inasmuch as it enables him to repell the temptations that attend upon sufferings. Nothing sets a keener edge upon his indignation against un∣worthy compliances, then this. Indeed a poor clou∣dy and dubious Christian will be apt to catch at de∣liverance, though upon terms dishonourable to Christ: but he that is clear in point of interest, ab∣hors compositions and capitulations upon unworthy terms and conditions, Heb. 11.35. Heb. 10.34. He that sees the gain and reward of suffering, will think he is offered to his loss, when life and deli∣verance are set before him upon such hard terms as sin is.

And thus you see what influence it hath into a suffering condition.

3. In the next place I promised to prescribe some Rules for the attaining of this Evidence, and the dispelling of those Doubts by which it is usually clouded in the souls of Believers. And oh that by the faithfull use of them you may attain it against a suffering day come upon you.

And the first Rule I shall give you is this. [Rule. 1] Make it your business to improve Grace more; for the more vigorous it is, the more evidential it must needs be, 2 Pet. 1.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Oh how much time have many Christians spent in enquiring after the lowest signs of sincerity, and what may consist with Grace; which had they spent in the diligent im∣provement of the means of Grace for the increa∣sing of it, they would have found it a shorter cut to peace and comfort by much.

Mistake not the Rule by which you are to trie your selves, [Rule. 2] least you gain a false judgement upon your selves. Some are apt to make those things signs of Grace, which are not; and when the falseness of them is detected, how is that poor Soul plunged into doubts and fears, that leaned upon them. As now, If a man should conclude his sincerity from his diligence in attending on the Word preached; this is but a Paralogism (as the Apostle calls it) Jam. 1.22. by which a man deceiveth his own Soul: For that which is a note or mark, must be proper to the thing notified, and not common to any thing else. There are divers sorts of marks; some are exclusive, the principal use of which is to convince bold Pretenders, and discover Hypocrites. Such is that, 1 Cor. 9.9. It is a most certain sign•• where these are, there is no Grace; but yet it will not follow on the contrary, that where these are

not, there is Grace. See Luke 18.11. Others are ••elusive, the use of which is not so much for try∣ing of the truth; and the strength and degrees of Grace. As now when Faith is described by the radiancy of it, or by some of its heroick acts and promises made to some raised degrees and opera∣tions of it, as that, Ephes. 3.12. &c. Here a mis∣take is easily made. Besides these, or rather be∣wixt these, are another sort of marks, which are called positive marks; and these agreeing to the lowest degree of Grace, are for the trial of the truth and sincerity of it. Such are these, 1 John. 4.13. 1 John 2.3. Matth. 5.3. Be sure to try by a proper mark.

Take heed of such sins as violate and waste the Conscience: For these will quickly raise a mist, [Rule. 3] and involve the Soul in clouds and darkness, Psal. 51.8. &c. Such are sins against Light, and the re∣clamations of Conscience.

Labour to shun those common mistakes that Christians make in judging of their state; [Rule. 4] amongst which I shall select these five as principal ones.

1. Call not your condition into question upon every failing, and involuntary lapse into sin. Ini∣quities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away, Psal. 65.3. In short, thou needest not call thy condition into question, pro∣vided thou find thy Spirit working as Paul's did un∣der the surprisals of temptation: viz If (1) thou do approve of, and delight in the Law, though thou fall short of it in thy practice, Rom. 7.12, 14. (2) If thy failings be involuntary, and against the resolution and bent of thy Soul, vers. 25.18, 19. (3) If it be the load and burden of thy Soul, vers. 24. (4) If the thoughts of deliverance comfort thee, vers. 25.

2. Question not the truth of thy Grace, because it was not wrought in the same way and manner in thee, as in others: For there is great variety, as to the circumstances of time and manner betwixt the Spirits operations upon one, and another. Com∣pare the History of Paul's Conversion with that of the Jaylor, Zacheus, or Lydia.

3. Conclude not that you have no grace, because you feel not those transportations and ravishing joyes that other Christians speak of. If thou canst not say as Paul doth, Rom. 8.38. yet bless God, if thou canst but breath forth such language as that, Mark 9.24.

4. Say not thou hast no Grace, because of the high attainments of some Hypocrites, who in some things may excell thee. When some persons read the sixth Chapter to the Hebrews, they are startled to see to what a glorious height the Hypocrite may soar; not considering that there are these three things wherein they excell the most glorious Hy∣pocrite in the world. (1) That Self was never de∣throned in Hypocrites, as it is in them. All that an Hypocrite doth is for himself. (2) The Hypo∣crite never hated every sin, as he doth; but hath still some Agag, Rimmon, or Delilah. (3) That the Hypocrite never acted in duty from the bent and inclination of a new nature, taking delight in hea∣venly imployment, but is moved rather as a Clock by the weights and poises of some external motives and advantages.

5. Conclude not you have no Grace, because you grow not so sensibly, as some other Christians do. You may be divers wayes mistaken about this. (1) You may measure your growth by your desires and then it appears nothing; for the Christian aim high, and grasps at all. (2) Or by comparing your

selves with such as have larger capacities, time, and advantages then you. (3) Or by comparing your Graces with other mens Gifts, which you mistake for their Graces. (4) Or by thinking that all growth is upward in joy, peace, and comfort; whereas you may grow in mortification and humility, which is as true a growth as the former. Oh! take heed of these mistakes; they have been very prejudicial to the peace of many Christians.

Lastly, Decline not sufferings when God gives you a fair call to them. [Rule. 5] Oh! the Christians suffer∣ing time is commonly his clearest and most com∣fortable time. See that Golden Letter of Pomponi∣us Algerius, P— Then the spirit of God and glory resteth on them, 1 Pet. 4.14. That which hath been in suspence for some years, is decided and cleared in a suffering hour. And thus I have shewed you how to attain this necessary qualification also.