Three treatises, being the substance of sundry discourses

CHAP. X.

God hath fully made known whom he loves. Christians able to know themselves. Gods Spirit strengthens the testimony of our spi∣rits. Christians hindered by Slothfulness and Discouragements.

A Second Fault is, That God doth give the manifestation of his Love, and we

receive it not; we accept it not. I will, for the more full clearing of this, lay down these Considerations.

First, That God hath given to his people sufficient means for the knowledg of their Interest in him; for he hath told us who they are that he loves, whom he hath chosen and called out of this world, and made his peculiar people. If he had carried on a de∣sign of love to particular persons in his own brest, no man could have known who was loved of him, then we had been left in the dark; for no man knows the things of a man, but the spirit of a man, as the Apostle speaks. But as the Angel marked those in Jerusalem that were to be spared, so there is a mark that God hath set upon his own, by which they may be known to what fold and flock they do belong. And indeed the end of the Scrip∣ture, so discovering and setting forth the marks of the people of God, is for this pur∣pose, that we may know our Happiness. So in 1 Joh. 5.13. this was the end of writing his Epistle; These things, saith he, have I written unto you that beleeve on the Name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may beleeve on the Name of the Son of God. Wherefore was it that he had told them how many ways they might know that God dwelt in them

and they in God? Wherefore did he make so many descriptions of those whom God had set his love upon? but that you may know, saith he, that you have eternal life, be∣cause you are such.

And he hath not only done thus, but hath given us understanding also, by which we are able to know not only other things, but our selves; by which we may judg our selves, and our actions, and what is within us. Neither hath he given us an understand∣ing meerly natural, but it is raised, being il∣luminated with his own light, that we may be able to find out the work of God in us; an understanding that can reflect upon it self, not only in way of simple vision and apprehension of what is within us, but by way of argumentation and reasoning: 1 Joh. 2.3, 5. Hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his Commandments: And whoso keepeth his Word, in him verily is the love of God per∣fected; hereby we know that we are in him. God hath given us understanding to reflect upon our selves in a way of reasoning, to make certain to our selves our Interest in these things. Nay he hath given us his Spi∣rit, that bears witness to our spirits that we are the sons of God, Rom. 8. We must not think that was a special favor given to the Saints then, but it's common to all the people of

God. The Spirit of Adoption hath a double office, of quickening and comforting; and whosoever is a son, hath the testimony of that Spirit.

There is a double Testimony: A Testi∣mony of the things themselves; so that which is of God in us doth bear witness; as the effect bears witness of the cause.

There's another Testimony, and that is of God himself by his Spirit; and that Testimo∣ny doth help our spirits; it helps the testi∣mony of the things themselves, and clears them; it leaves them without doubt; it strengthens and fixeth fast the Soul in the knowledg of its Interest in God.

God stands obliged for this unto his peo∣ple, for their comfort lies in it, and that makes to the fulfilling of his last end, which is his glory; for how shall we give him praise, if we know not that God is ours?

Besides, he hath given us visible Seals to ratifie all the Promises to us: He hath given the earnest of his Spirit to his; He hath set Christ on the Throne for us, an indubitable Pawn of his Love; and many other, which are still with us.

Secondly, A second Consideration is this, That the people of God in the want of this knowledg and assurance do not what they may, they do not improve that ability and

those means which God hath put into their hands; and so they spin out their days in heaviness, mourning and anxiety. Either there is slothfulness of spirit, or some discou∣ragement of spirit upon them.

Slothfulness, and so they are careless, idle and vain; having lost the sweetness of the enjoyment of God, their hearts are poured out upon vanities; they have gone a who∣ring after other things, and have placed their Souls upon things that will not profit, and are not industrious to seek after God. When the Soul is thus gone out from God, then it commits folly under every green tree; there's no plant that may yield any kind of refreshing, but they will suck something from it: Whilest the Soul is busied about other Interests, and securing them, the other great business lies by.

Another sort are under discouragement; they say, The work is hard, it's a very hard thing to find out this matter, to do that whereby it should be found. Saith another, I have endevored and sought and done all I can, and cannot compass it.

Consider, you that say it is hard; what a vain thing is it for a man to plead, that a thing is difficult which must be done? Will you plead difficulty against necessity? You must do it, or your life will be as death; you

will lose the comfort of all Promises, of all Performances; the Promises will be as a sealed Fountain, that you cannot drink of them.

But again, It is false to say it is hard: That false Prophet within us communicates of his own spirit to us, and we oftentimes speak untruths against God. Is it hard to walk in the way of life? Is it hard to enquire after God? Is it easie to be hunting after the world, and getting something in this life? Is it hard to reach after the fruit of the Tree of Life? When you seek after God, you are in that very way of Life, wherein they now are, that shall enjoy God to all Eter∣nity.

Another Discouragement is this; I have endevored, but it is a fruitless thing; I see I shall never be satisfied. Poor Soul! Wilt thou indulge that remissness of spirit that is in thee, to a contradiction against the God of Truth? He hath said, If thou seek him, thou shalt find him; He hath said he will com∣fort the mourners; He hath spoken as much as can be desired: What would you have God to do more? Rather blame your seek∣ing, then your success: Say not, It is in vain to seek, because I have not found; nay ra∣ther say, Because I have not found, therefore I must seek more and seek better. What

saith Christ in Joh. 14.23. If any man love me, he will keep my words, and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. If any man love me, be he what he will be; though he hath been a notorious wretch, though he hath been a grief and burden to me, and offended me days without number; yet if he love me, my Father will love him, and we will come and make our abode with him. Will you rather blame the truth of the Promise, then your selves? The fault must be layd on us: Let God be true, and every man a lyar. It is mani∣fest that we do not what we might do, in these particulars.

1. We do not call our minds in, and bend them to this work of enquiring after God, and setling this great question of our Inte∣rest in God for ever. And indeed if we do not call in and bend our minds, and use some enforcements upon them, they will never do their work: There is upon our minds anatural fluidness and dulness; they go out easily to all things but unto God. The mind must be summoned, prest, bound and buckled to this work: Saith the Apostle, 2 Pet. 3.1, 2. This second Epistle, Beloved, I now write unto you, to stir up your pure minds: [To stir up your pure minds;] The Apostle was afraid of them, lest dulness and sluggishness should

fall upon their minds: If you do not stir up your selves to the work, and gird up the loyns of your minds, the work will not be done.

Another fault is, That as men do not bend their minds to the work, so they do not hold them in a way of beleeving and cheerful expectation of what they seek for: Saith the Church in Micah 7.9. I will bear the in∣dignation of the Lord until he plead my cause: So long as I seek the Lord, I will wait and expect that he will hear me, and answer my desires. In Hos. 10.12. saith the Prophet, Sow to your selves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. You must seek the Lord till he come. In Isai. 62.7. This is the counsel of God by his Prophet, That you give him no rest until he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise.

Again, There may be this fault, We do not bring things to an effectual judgment. Many queries are raised about this business, but there is not a full hearing and determin∣ing of them; but either the Court breaks up before things are concluded, and so the Soul is left to hang upon a poor thred of a feeble hope, I hope God is my God; or else the Soul is contented to bear the burden

of many fears and sorrows, not stirring up it self as it ought to get free of them. So that doubtless it's our fault that we have not so clear a knowledg of our Interest in God, as to make us to triumph or glory therein. One way or other we are defective; either in our seeking of God, or in our not receiving what God gives unto us.

Thirdly, A third Consideration is, That we have often offended and sinned against the Spirit; and then God weakens his Te∣stimony towards us, and doth not so make himself known to us as we desire. David by his sin brought himself into that sad condi∣tion, that he knew not what to make of him∣self; as appears by that prayer of his in Psal. 51. He lookt on himself almost as one in bonds, estranged from God, a man with∣out spirit. In Isai. 59.2. saith God, Your sins have separated between me and you. Certainly God leaves us very frequently, and some∣times when the manifestation of his love is very needful. In Micah 3.4. the time was an evil time, and saith the Prophet, Then shall they cry unto the Lord, but he will not hear them; he will even hide his face from them at that time.

A fourth Consideration is, That we do not seldom or not a little reject the testimo∣ny of God, and oppose the light and the

clear manifestations of his Love to us. The Comforter comes many times; but that may be said of us, that he said of himself in Psal. 77. My Soul refused to be comforted; would not be comforted. As against the conviction of the Spirit in wicked men there is a great deal of contest, a great fight, as in Jer. 2.34. Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the Soul of poor Innocents; I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these: Yet thou sayst, Because I am innocent, surely his anger shall turn from me: I say, as wicked men rise up in opposition to the conviction of the Spirit; so good men likewise have their op∣positions against the consolations and comforts of the Spirit; not only against the counsel of it, but against the comfort of it. In Isai. 49.13. you have an instance of this, see how sweetly God speaks, Behold, these shall come from far: Sing, O Heavens, and be joyful, O Earth, and break forth into singing, O Moun∣tains; for God hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. But what saith the Church? But Sion saith, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me. What ever God said, yet she said God had forsaken and forgotten her. A like in∣stance you have in Lament. 3.45. There are strong holds in our spirits against the inward comforts, as there are against other opera∣tions

of the Spirit; and it requires the mighty power and operation of God to set∣tle our hearts in peace, as well as to convince us of our miseries and dangers. The work of Conversion is quickly done, because it is of greatest concernment; I'le give it you in this simile. A mother finds her child among devouring Hogs or Dogs, or what you will; she makes haste to snatch her child out of danger, but he is all bemoiled and dirted, and his clothes; she makes not so much haste to get him clean, and to put other clothes upon him. So God quickly finisheth the work of Conversion and Regeneration; he makes haste to free us from danger and misery; but he makes not such speed to comfort us, and to establish our hearts in the assurance of our Interest in him; that may be done at leasure.

As there is a reluctancy in us against the work of grace, so there's a reluctancy against the testimony of grace; we are apt to turn all that God speaks and doth for us against our selves; the reason is, because dejection is most natural to us, considering the state of our Apostacy, and what we are judged to. A slave doth naturally torment himself with fears, and with sad expectations. It's easier to us to believe the sentence of condemnation, then of Justification: Sin is more visible

then Grace. The greatness of the things promised are such, that they make the Soul at a stand: To have pardon of sin, to be adopted, to be raised from the depth of mi∣sery to such a state of blessedness, this makes the Soul to be like those that dream: Be∣sides, there is a concurrence of forreign power to heighten all this.