The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
The tryall of a godly man by such heauenly gifts as serue him in his iourney to Heauen.
THus of his tryall in his humiliation, and in his faith, It followeth in the third place, to try him by his gifts, which are the fruits of faith. The true Christian differs from the wicked Two sorts of graces in a Christian.man, in two sorts of gifts: Some of them are such gifts as are bestowed vponupon him from aboue, but serue him onelyonly for spirituall vse, while he is on the way in his iourney to Heauen, and so onelyonly in this life; such as are the sacred thirst: The louelove to the word and meanes of his holinesse: The spirit of supplication: The louelove of his enemies; and his desire after the apparance of Iesus Christ. Other gifts hee hath, which will accompany him home into his heauenly Countrey, and abide vponupon him for euer, and are not abolished by death: such as are sauing knowledge, the louelove of God, and the louelove of the godly. First therefore of those heauenly gifts, which will passe away; and so he is qualified with fi…e distinct holy gifts, which cannot be found in any reprobate.
The first is, his holy thirst; The holy thirst that is in the godly Christian, tryed by foure signes.which is an heauenly kind of appetite, by which hee is carried to the desire of things aboue nature; such as are the merits and righteousnesse of Christ: the fauour of God: the presence of God: the full deliuerance from all sin: the remouing of spirituall iudgements: the saluation of other men, and the like; and this thirst is a signe the more infallible:
1 Because it is constant and indelible in this life. There is no part of this life, but it continueth either in the sense of his affection, or in the iudgement of his vnderstanding, so as hee accounts spiritu…ll things to bee the best things: and though at some times his affection may be the lesse moued after them, yet his appetite is daily renewed, as it is in the hunger or thirst that is bodily.
2. Because it is industrious. For this holy thirst will guide him to a carefull vse of all the meanes, by which good things may bee attained; and doth not breathe it selfe out onelyonly with sudden and vaine wishes, or flashes of desire, Psa. 27. 4. 1 Pet. 2. 2. Psa. 63. 1, 2. Psa. 1. 2. Acts 2. 37.
3. Because it workes a constant and secret meditation of heauenly things desired, the heart frequently seekes after God day and night, Esa. 26. 9. Psal. 63. 1, 6. For what wee desire feruently, wee thinke on almost continually:
4. Because if the Lord quench his thirst, and satisfie his desire in spirituall things, the soule becomes as a watred garden; and then followes in him an heauenly kinde of satisfaction and contentment, with singular delight in the soule, and vowes and wishes of infinite and eternall thankfulnesse, Psalme 63. 4, 5. Ieremiah 31. 25, 26.
And thus much of the first gift.
Secondly, The louelove to the His tryall by his louelove to the Word.Word is another signe that hee is the Child of God, and a cleare euidence of his saluation. Now because all sorts of wicked men may resort to the exercises of the Word, and those that hauehave but a temporarie faith may shew a great estimation of the VVord, and find ioy in the hearing of it, and shew much zeale in things that concerne the word, and may yeeld some obedience to the directions of the VVord also: it is profitable to consider how the true Christian may proue that his affection to the VVord is more sincere then that affection which any wicked man can bring to the word. And thus he may find that his heart is sound in his louelove to the Word, by these markes.
1 By his manner of receiuing 13. Signes to try his affection to the Word by.it, when hee doth receiue the Word, as the Word of God, and not of men: setting his heart before Gods presence, & being affected as if the Lord himselfe should speake vntounto him. This no wicked man dares doe: he dares not present himselfe with the whole intendments of his heart before the Lord. For this signe the Apostle Paul acknowledgeth the Thessalonians to bee true Christians, 1 Thess. 2. 13.
2 By his appetite to his Word. For there is in a godly man as true an hūger after the Word, as the food of his soule; as there is in his stomacke after the food of his body; which shewes it selfe to be the more sincere, because it is constant; hee desires the Word at all times, and as his appointed foode daily; as it is in the bodily appetite, though after feeding, the stomack may seeme to bee full and satisfied, yet the hunger reuiues againe eueryevery day, so is it with the heart of a Child of God: whereas wicked men regard the Word but by fits, and in a passion, and then at length fall cleane away from the affection to it, Psal. 119. 20. Iob 23. 12.
3. By his louelove to them that louelove the Word.
4. By his sorrow, because other men keepe not the Word, Psal. 119. 136.
5. By his vnfained estimation of the Word aboue all worldly things, accounting it to bee an happy portion to enioy the word in the power and profit of it, Psa. 119. 14, 72, 111.
6. By his desire and delight to exercise himself in it day and night, that is, constantly, Psa. 1. 2.
7. By his griefe, either for the want of the m…ans by which the Word might be taught vntounto him with power, accounting such want of the meanes to be a sore famine; or for want of successe in the vse of the meanes when he doth enioy it, Psalm. 42. 3. Amos 8. 12.
8. By the extent of his louelove to all the Word of God, euen the Law, that with threatning shews him his sin, and searcheth out his most secret corruptions; being most affected with that ministery that doth most sharply rebuke sinne.
9. By his resolution to labour as hard for the food of his soule, as men doe, or he would doe for the food of his body, Iohn 6. 27. Amos 8. 12.
10. By the cōstant sweet taste he finds in it, especially when it is powerfully preached, Psal. 19. 10 2 Cor. 2. 15.
11. By the end hee propounds vntounto himselfe in the vse of the word, which is, that hee might not sin: and that his wayes might be pleasing to God, hiding the word in his heart to this purpose, Psal. 119. 11.
12. By his willingnesse and resolution to deny his owne reason and affections, his credit, his carnall friends, his profites, or his pleasures in anything, when God should so require it of him, and vponupon any occasion to shew his heartie respect of the Gospell, Marke 10. 29. 1 Cor. 1. 18.
13. By the effects of it: as,
1. When for the louelove he bears to the Word, hee will seperate himselfe from the wicked, that might any way with-draw his heart, or endanger his disobedience, Ps. 119. 115.
2. When he accounts the Word to be his chiefe comfort in affliction, and finds it to be the maine stay and solace of his heart, Psal. 119. 23, 24, 50, 51, 54, 143.
3. When it workes in him effectually the redresse of his wayes, and freedome from the dominion of sinne, Iohn 8. 32. Psalme 119. 45, 9, 59, 1 Thessalonians 2. 13.
4. When it workes in him certaine and sensible assurance of heart before God. This assurance is an infallible signe of the right vse of the Word, 1 Thessalonians 1. 5.
And thus of the second gift.
The third gift is the spirit of praier or supplication, as the Prophet His triall by his gift of prayer.Zachary cals it, Zach. 12. 10. and this gift hee hath aboue all wicked men, which hee shewes many wayes: as,
1. Hee askes according to Gods 13. Rules of tryall.will, 1 Iohn 5. 14.
2. He prayes with perswasion that God will heare him. Hee beleeueth in some measure that hee shall hauehave what hee prayes for. Hee prayes in faith, Marke 11. 24. Iames 1. 6, 7. Psalme 6. 9. 1 Iohn 3. 22.
3. He prayes in the Name of Christ, and is affected with the sense of his owne vilenesse, and relies vponupon the merits and mediation of Iesus Christ, Iohn 14, 13. Psa. 86. 1, 2. and 143. 1, 2.
4. He will pray at all times, Iob 27. 9. Psal. 106. 3.
5. He is feruent in prayer: his heart praieth: he hath the affections of prayer, Iames 5. 16. Psalm. 6. 8.
6. Praier makes him exceeding weary of the world: it giues him such a taste of his owne sinfulnesse, and of Gods goodnesse, and of the glory of Heauen, that he is vehemently carried with desire to bee absent from the body, that hee might be present with the Lord, Psa. 39. 12.
7. When he knowes not how to pray as hee ought, the Spirit prepares his heart, excites in him holy desires, supplyes him sometime with words, sometime with affections, and sometimes worketh inward vnexpressable groanes, which yet it presents to God, as effectuall prayers, Romans 8. 26, 27.
8. Hee findes an holy rest, and quietnesse in his conscience and heart, with spirituall boldnesse and confidence of trust in God, if he heare him graciously, and answer him in mercy, Psalme 3. 4, 5, 6. and 116. 17. and 91. 15. Ieremiah 33. 3.
9. He loues the Lord exceedingly for hearing his prayer, and desires to keepe himselfe in the louelove of God, Psalme 116. 1. Iude 20. 21.
10. His prayers proceed from an heart that loues no sinne, but desires to depart from iniquitie, and to doe that which is pleasing in Gods sight, 2 Tim. 2. 19. 1 Ioh. 3. 22.
11. He loues prayer in others, 2 Tim. 1. 21.
12. Hee striues against deadnesse of spirit and distractions, as an heauie burthen, Psalme 86. 3. 4.
13 He makes praier his chiefe refuge: and he will pray, though prayer bee in neuer so much disgrace. Psalme 69. 10, 13. and 142. 25.
And thus of the third gift.
The fourth gift is the louelove of His loueto his enemies triedhis enemies. Any Christian may louelove such as louelove him; but to louelove his enemies, is onelyonly to be found in the true Christian, which he proues by these tokens of the sinceritie of his louelove:
1. He can pray heartily for them yea in some cases he can mourne and humble his soule before God for them in their distresses, Psal. 35. 13, 14.
2. Hee desires their conuersion so vnfainedly, that hee is sure, if they were conuered, hee could reioyce in them as heartily, as in those hee now much delights in.
3 Hee can likewise forgiue them their particular trespasses against him; being more grieued for their sinnes against God, then for the wrongs they doe him, Math. 6. 14.
4 He can freely acknowledge their iust praises.
5 He cannot onelyonly patiently endure their reuilings, but can forbeare, when he could bee reuenged by bringing shame or miserie vponupon them, 1. Peter 3. 9. Rom. 12. 14. 1 Sam. 24. 18, 19. yea he doth, as he hath occasion, striue to ouercome their euill with goodnesse; being willing to helpe them, or relieue them in their miserie, and doe th…m any good for soule or body.
The last gift which is found in His tryall by the louelove to the app…aring of Christ.the true Ch…istian, while he is in the way in this life, is, His louelove of the appearing of Christ, which hee shewes:
1 By the longing after the time of Christs comming, whether by death or iudgement.
2 By his gladnesse at the promises, or signes of his particular or generall commings.
3 By his often meditations of that day, and his hearty prayers for the hastening of it, Neuelat. 22. 10.
4 By his daily care to dispach all those godly duties which hee desires to doe before his death, and accordingly by his willing disposing of his estate, and endeuours to set his house in order.
And this desire of Christs comming is apparently the more sincere in him:
1 Because it ariseth out of his louelove to God, and his hatred of his owne sinnes, and his wearinesse vnderunder the obseruation of other mens sinnes.
2 Because this desire is accompained with the care of the meanes, by which he may be prepared for saluation.
3 Because hee is thus affected euen in his prosperity, when hee thrines in the world, and is not in any uotable distresse.
Hitherto of his triall in such gifts as he is endowed withall in this life onelyonly: his triall in the gifts that will abide in him for euer, follow.