The Marrow of the Oracles of God, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Shewing how the Spirit of adoption may bee attained, and also how the seuerall gifts of the Spirit may bee framed in vsus.
THus of humiliation: If followeth that I shew how he may attaine to the other sacred gifts which are markes of a godly man: as in the first sort of gifts, how he may attaine to the louelove of the Word, the gift of Prayer, the f…are of God, the louelove of his enemies, and the desire of the comming of Christ: But before I enter vponthese, it is necessary to shew him how he may attain the Spirit of Adoption, which is necessary for these & al other graces
And concerning the Spirit of Adoption, if any aske how it may Quest. How the Spirit of Adoption may be had.bee attained: Or rather how it may bee stirred vp in vsus, that we may feele his working in vsus?
I answer, That hee is had and Answ. 1 He must pray for itstirred vp by inuocation. God is pleased to declare himselfe willing, and ready to bestow his Holy Spirit vponupon men, If they aske him of him by hearty praier. Hee that hath giuen vsus his Sonne, will not deny vsus the Spirit of his Sonne, to be giuen into our hearts, Gal. 4. 6. And this our Sauiour Christ assures vntounto vsus in the Parable, Luke 11.
9. And I say vntounto you, Aske, and it shall bee giuen you: Seeke, and ye shall find. Knocke, and it shall be opened vntounto you.
10. For eueryevery one that ask…th, receiueth; and hee that seeketh, find…th▪ and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
11. If a Sonne shall aske Bread of any of you that is a Father, will he giuegive him a Stone? Or if he aske a Fish, will he for a Fish, giuegive him a Serpent?
12. Or if hee aske an Egge, will he giuegive him a Scorpion?
13 If yee then, which are euill, can giuegive good gifts vntounto your children, how much more shall your heauenly Father giuegive the Holy Ghost to them that desire him?
2 Wee must waite vponupon the 2 Waite vponupon preaching.preaching of the Gospel, where the Holy Ghost vsually falls vponupon the hearts of men.
3 When we feele the motions 3 Cherish the motions of the Spirit.of the Spirit knocking at our hearts, or any way surprising vsus, we must with all readinesse open the doores of our hearts, that the King of Glory by hi… Spirit may enter into vsus.
The next question is then, Quest. How wee may get a louelove to the Word.What wee should doe to get and preserue in vsus the constant louelove to the Word?
1 The answer is, First, That we should seeke to settle our selues Answ. 1 S…ttle v… der a powerfull mi isterie.vnderunder the powerful preaching of the Word; euen such a ministerie, as doth set out the glory of the truth▪ and of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ.
2 Wee must make conscience 2 Pray God to quicken thee.of it to pray vntounto God to quicken vsus, and inflame our hearts to the louelove of his Lawes, as Dauid often did, Psa. 119.
3 Take heed of excessiue cares, 3 Take heed of worldly cares.and the ouer-reaching of desires in the emploiments of the world, or the immoderate vse of worldly delights; for those choake the seed of the Word, and alienate the affections from it; and so doth any grosse or beloued sin, Heb. 3. Math. 13.
4 Take heed also of personall 4 And of personall discord with such as feare God.discord with such as feare God, especially with thy Teachers; for this doth by secret degrees make the heart carelesse and negligent, and in some things wilfull; and if it be not looked to in time, will bring men from the liking of the Word, as they hauehave been drawne from the liking of such as louelove the Word.
5 Take heed of vngodly companie: 5 And of vngodly companieFor in such companie is quenched the sparkles of liking, when they are kindled; yea, and the flames of affection are much dulled, in whom they are best excited, Psal. 119. 115.
6. Such as find some beginnings 6. And of neglect of the increase thereof.of desire after the Word, and liking to it, must take heed, that they estrange not themselues from the exercises thereof: For if they heare, or reade but now and then; either the heart will neuer bee throughly heated, or if it bee, it will easily waxe cold againe: and yet herein some are to bee warned to take heed of disordered excesse; for that will breed dulnesse, as well Or excesse.as neglect: As when they will reade daily for diuers houres; or when they prouide vntounto themselues an heape of Teachers, as some that liue in great Cities, thinke it Religion to heare all sorts of men, and all the Sermons can bee come vntounto: As if the power of godlinesse lay onelyonly in the vse of the meanes of godlinesse.
7. We must practise what we 7. Practise what thou hearest.heare, and labour to shew foorth the fruit of the doctrine. He that would bee in louelove with husbandry, must sow his seed in his ground, and then the gaine of the Haruest will still allure him to like the Trade. If wee be fruitlesse hearers of the Word, wee cannot louelove it; or if we doe, it will be but for a flash, or small time.
Thus of the louelove to the Word.
He that would learne to pray, To attaine the gift of prayer. 1. Pray God to teach thee.must follow these directions:
1. He must goe to God in the Name of Christ, and beseech him to giuegive him words, and by his Spirit teach him to pray. It is God onelyonly can make a man speake a pure Language; For hee onelyonly can instruct the heart of man, and endue it with this heauenly gift, Romans 8. 26, Ephesians 6. 18.
2 It will much helpe him to … Ioyne w…h such as can prayioyne himselfe to such as call vponupon the N…me of the Lord with a pure heart, …specially in the dayes of their humiliation, 2 Timothy 2. 22.
3 There are three distinct things: which a man may with 3 How he …y … hims…lfe in euer… part of prayer.singular profit propound vntounto himselfe in his prayers: Conf…ssion of sinnes: Petition for grace: and thanks-giuing for mercies receiued. N…w the weakest Christian may be, through Gods bl…ssing, comfortably furnished for his owne particular, if hee take such a co…e as this; to goe aside, and with all s…cie and attention of heart before the Lord, aske himselfe these three Questions.
1 What sinnes hauehave I committed, Three Questions.which either now do trouble me, or if I were to dye, would make mee afraid? Let him set them downe in a paper, or in his memory distinctly, till hee can can bethinke himselfe of no more. It is no great matter for the order how hee sets them downe, so hee be sure he hauehave the chiefe sinnes, in which hee daily offends, or hath offended.
2 What would I hauehave the Lord doe for me, if I might hauehave what I wish? let him set the particulars downe, till he can remember no more. As for example, I would hauehave him forgiue mee my sinnes, and I would hauehave him giuegive mee strength against such and such sins, and I would hauehave him giuegive mee faith and assurance; and I would hauehave him giuegive me Heauen when I dye; and so goe on with all the things he feeles a desire in his heart to seeke of God, till he can remember no more: and if at any other time hee remember some speciall thing, which hee would further hauehave, which hee hath not in his Catalogue, let him set it downe, as from time to time he sees cause.
3 What speciall fauours hath God shewed to mee, which I see I ought to take special notice of? Let him set them downe distinctly, whether they be deliuerances, or such and such spirituall or outward mercis, preseruing the memorie principally of the chiefest of them.
Now when hee hath thus furnished these three heads with things that in particular concerne himselfe, they being all matters of weight, hee must now carry these things, or the chiefe of them in his mind, and frame his heart to speake to God in the best words he can get, to signifie his detestation of those sinnes, his humble requests for those graces, and his vnfained thankefulnesse for those blessings. Howsoeuer hee may be rude or vnperfect in his Language about these at the first, yet exercise will bring him to a ripenesse; and by this course hee shall be sure to speake of things that concerne himselfe neerely; and that God which hath taught Parents to regard the vnperfect language of their little Children when they begin to speak vntounto them, will himselfe much more delight to heare the desires of his Seruants, that are grieued, that they cannot speake in a better sort vntounto him. The profit and comfort of this course will appeare by experience to be exceeding great: besides it is an easie way, where there is in any a true desire to bee at the paines to learne this Language of speaking to God by prayer; and Gods Spirit will helpe and teach the poore Christian, and draw his petitions for him, and prompt him both with words and affections: And the Christian must know this, that when hee hath confessed his sinnes, and shewed what hee should hauehave God doe for him, with the best words hee could in the truth of his heart, he hath made a most effectuall prayer to God.
Thus of prayer.
The awefull of God, and How the feare of God may b… …gotten in vsus.the reuerent dreading of God, may bee begotten and increased in vsus, if we throughly remember and deepely ponder vponupon:
1. The surpassing glory, and transcendent excellēcie and perfection of his Nature, his absolute purity and exact lustice, and Holinesse.
2. The wonderfull workes of God, especially those standing miracles shewed in the hanging of this mighty earth, and those huge heapes of water in the cloudes, and the bounding of these mighty Seas, and such like.
3. His fearefull threatnings of all sorts of woes against the transgressions of men.
4. The terrour of the last day, and the dreadfulnesse of death and Iudgement.
5. The fearefull and sudden iudgements which hauehave fallen vponupon wicked men; either recorded in Scripture, or reported in Histories, or obserued in experience.
6. Especially, if wee thinke much and seriously of the great goodnesse of God to vsus, how hee hath striuen with vsus to ouercome vsus with his mercies.
Thus of the feare of God.How louelove to our enemies may be excited.
We should striue to stirre vp in vsus affection and louelove to our very enemies, by such considerations as these:
1. Because Christ, to whom we are infinitely bound, hath expresly charged vsus to look to this; That we doe louelove our enemies; and therefore for his sake wee should deny our selues, and our owne corrupt desires and affections, and striue to shew the truth of our louelove euen towards them that hate and persecute vsus.
2. There is none so wicked but they hauehave something good in them, and worthy to be respected.
3. Our enemies doe vsus good, though they intend it not; wee ought to like the very rod that mends vsus, and regard the water that washeth vsus white, and make much of the stone that tries vsus, and the glasse that shewes vsus our spots, and not mislike the tents that search our wounds.
4. If euer God turne their hearts, they will be effectuall instruments of our praise, & Gods glory in the day of their visitation, they will not willingly beare the shame of their owne sinfull oppositions.
I forbeare to set downe the directions for the attainement of the louelove of the appearing of Christ, because I hauehave at large handled that point in the Treatise of the Cure of the feare of Death.