The Real Christian, Tract · Chapter 5

The Real Christian · Tract · Chapter 5

p. 94CHAP. V. Of the Spirits work, in taking off the Soul from Self righteouſneſs and Self confidence.

THe Sinner by this time ſeeth himſelf in a very ill caſe: And what is next? A Principle within him tells him, I have ſinned, and I muſt mend; a new leaf I muſt turn; repent I muſt; and ſpares not for Vows, Promiſes, Engagements, Reſolutions, he is full of theſe: if he can but repent, mourn, pray, caſt off his former practiſes, and do better, then he hopes God will be pleaſed, and Conſcience quiet: That he can do ſomething this way at this time he doth not much doubt it; ſo that though he be bad, he is not all bad, he hath ſome good in him; though he hath no money, yet he hath hands, and can work: and as ſome that once had good means and lived well, if they be fallen into decay, yet if they can by working or other means get a living, though a poor one, they will not be beholding to others: So it is with the Soul, having had once a good ſtock in Adam, though now fallen into decay, yet if it can by working and labour find any living, that peace and quietneſs come in, it will not go out to another to find reſt: Thou haſt found the life of thine hand, Iſai. 57.10. which ſome interpret of the comfort they had by their going to the Aſſyrians, who promiſe to ſtrengthen thine hand with help and aſſiſtance, and ſo there was no coming home to God: So it is with this Soul, if it can find life by his hand, his working, reforming, and duties, he will not come to Chriſt for life.

I ſhall give the Reader my mind briefly.

Firſt, Though man be now loſt, miſerable, undone, and hath Convictions that his caſe is naught, yet he hath no ſuch Principle p. 95in him naturally, that carries him directly to Chriſt for healing.

This is obvious to any man, who hath laboured to be acquainted with the ſtate of the Souls of his people under his Miniſtry: Ask them, are they ſinners? Yes, they deny it not, who is not? But how then? How do you hope to be ſaved, and get out of this condition? Let them alone, and let them tell their own ſtory, and open their minds freely to you; they will tell you many things they do, how they live, how they carry themſelves towards God and men; but I have obſerved not one word of Chriſt all this while, no mention of him, nor of any thing he hath done; at laſt I have asked, What is Chriſt no body with you? O yes, yes, Chriſt is ſomebody: when I had put the queſtion to them, they have heard of Chriſt, and they are called Chriſtians, ſo they muſt ſay they have need of him, elſe it were a ſhame; but had not I mentioned him, they had not done it: very like to thoſe Women, Iſai. 4.1. Seven women ſhall take hold of one man, ſaying, we will take our own bread, and wear our own apparel, only let us be called by thy name, &c. So do moſt of thoſe who are Chriſtians (ſo called) they take hold of him, that is, they make an outward profeſſion of him, called by his Name, they cannot tell what to profeſs elſe, it would be a reproach to them elſe, (as thoſe Women pleaded) in ſuch a Nation as this: they do not like to be called Jews or Heathen: but they eat their own bread, and wear their own apparel; they live not at all upon Chriſt, they will not trouble him for that; they have righteouſneſs to cloath themſelves, a web of their own home-made cloth; they are beholding to him only for a name. This hath not been my own obſervation alone, but of other Miniſters alſo, who have told me they have obſerved the ſame in their people.

Yea, I have obſerved others, who in their ſickneſs have had their Conſciences awakened, and now they were convinced, Hell and damnation were no phanſies; at this time we might talk with them: if ever Chriſt be in mens p. 96mouths, one would think it ſhould be now: but this I have obſerved hath been the common language; If God ſpare my life, I will not live as I have done, I ſhall not frequent ſuch company, I will take a new courſe, and many ſuch words. But here are two Queſtions. Firſt, Grant it be ſo, that you do as you ſay, yet who ſhall anſwer for the old ſcore of guilt, who ſhall pay for that? Nay, for that God may well ſet off, and quit ſcores, if they turn new men. Secondly, But for this new leaf which you will turn, may one believe you? Will you promiſe it? Yes. Will you vow it? Yes. Will you ſwear it? Yes, Any thing now they can do. When it hath been told them, your heart is deceitful, you promiſe a great thing, you have need of a great power from Chriſt to help you do this; if you get into Chriſt, then there will be ground to hope what you ſay and promiſe will be performed, elſe not; alas, they can do all this without Chriſt. So far as I could judge by their countenance and ſpeech, they have ſeemed to be diſpleaſed with me, for doubting of the truth of what they ſay, and telling them they will be as bad, if not worſe, if God ſhould raiſe them up again, unleſs being got into Chriſt, he undertakes the performance of what they promiſe. Men are very confident of their own ſtrength at this time, while ſickneſs debilitates nature, and fears of hell together keep down luſts ſo, that they do not now act as before; they meaſure themſelves by what they feel now, and by this ſtate and temper they are now under, engage for the future: One of our great Men being very ſick, ſent for a very godly Miniſter, a man of prayer indeed: Who but this man now? Muſt hardly ſtir from him: What promiſes and engagements did he make to this Miniſter of reforming: the Miniſter told him, as I ſaid before, what he would prove: with great earneſtneſs he would multiply his promiſes, yea, and you ſhall ſee it, ſaid he: Moreover, he wiſhed the Miniſter, if he did recover, and did not anſwer what now he had promiſed, that he ſhould tell him of it: Not long after they met together at dinner, and this ſick man, who had made his engagements p. 97for a new life, fell into his old unſavoury diſcourſe; offended much the Miniſter; he ſoberly told him, My Lord, you have forgotten your promiſe: he bad him hold his peace, for though it was true he had made God ſuch a promiſe, yet he did never intend to perform it. The Gentleman whom I made mention of before (now with God) upon whom God wrought when I was many miles diſtant from him, and knew not of it; ſo ſoon as I came home and ſaw him, he led me into his Orchard, and told me what God had been doing; I obſerved a great change in the man, zealous in his duties, left off ſwearing, and his drunken Companions: I told him, Sir, God hath done much for you; now the buſineſs is, a right bottoming; take heed you do not bottom upon your ſelf, your changes, your duties, but be ſure it be upon Chriſt; let your foundation be layed upon him, then this will hold: What was the matter I know not, but upon this he was much caſt down, in ſo much (as he told me afterwards) his Wife wiſhed he had never ſeen me: but I hope my counſel was not hurtful or needleſs, and ſo he found afterwards in the progreſs of his Chriſtian courſe.

Further, to make good my Poſition, how oppoſite the heart of man is to Chriſt; how men chuſe to live upon themſelves, rather then to go out to him. I forbear the names of perſons; but one that had lived many years, I think almoſt all his life time, in a Town, where Chriſt had been as clearly preached as in any Town in England, and I think as long; when he was about threeſcore and ſixteen years of age, he came in to viſit a ſick Neighbour, a Chriſtian friend of mine came to ſee him alſo, and obſerving this old man there, whom he judged to be one who lived upon his own ſtock, civility, good works, &c. he purpoſely fell into that diſcourſe, to ſhew how many perſons lived upon their duties, &c. but never came to Chriſt; the old man ſitting by the bed-ſide heard him, and God was pleaſed to convince that man, that he was ſuch a perſon, who had lived upon himſelf without Chriſt to that day; and would ſay afterwards, had I died before p. 98ſcore and ſixteen, I had periſhed, for I knew not Chriſt. Another man, lived a civil life, kept his Church on the Lords dayes, went often to hear Mr. John Rogers of Dedham on Tueſdayes, and ſo attended other Lectures; thus he lived in a fine civil courſe, till he was about fourſcore and ſeventeen years of age; then the Lord opened his eyes, and ſhewed him that he was not acquainted with Chriſt at this time, and then revealed Chriſt unto him: he lived after this I think four years; when any asked him, how old are you? he would anſwer, two or three, and according to the number of years were from the time that he knew Chriſt, for then began his life in his own eſteem; all his years before he did not live.

1. This agrees with Adam's principle; once it was ſo, we had life in our ſelves, and needed not to go out to another for righteouſneſs; we are all born under a Covenant of works, till the Lord brings us under a Covenant of Grace; and we would live by a principle that agrees with a Covenant of works.

2. This agrees with the pride of mans heart; We have heard the pride of Moah, he is exceeding proud, Jer. 48.29. It may be truly applyed to us all as to this point; proud, yea, exceeding proud; poor as beggars, not one rag of righteouſneſs to cover us, but proud; no man cares to be beholden to another; every man would be an Independent: Rom. 10.3. The Jews went about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſs, foreign, they ſought to make it ſtand; they have not ſubmitted themſelves to the righteouſneſs of God; would not ſubmit, their hearts too proud: Was this proper to the Jews only? No verily, it is common to all the Sons and Daughters of Adam: Whence riſe theſe diſputes againſt imputed righteouſneſs, exalting of merits, works, &c. the bringing of men to walk according to the light within them, i.e. which light within them, is all the Chriſt that many know in theſe dayes. Yea, let a man that keeps a narrow watch over his heart, and obſerves what riſes there, tell me, doth he not feel ſometimes in his life, what riſings there are againſt this ſelf-emptying p. 99principle? Verily, mans nature loves it not, he hates it.

3. Satan helps here; he ſeldom or never troubles that perſon, whom he findeth living upon himſelf, with temptations; he labours to ſettle them in the way they are in, keeps off all diſquieting thoughts; if he cannot draw them into that profaneneſs he would, then he ſeeks to undo them this way; if he can but keep them from cloſing with Chriſt, well enough; he is ſure of theſe; other men may poſſibly meet with an Alarum from their Conſciences, which theſe men ſeldom do.

4. The life of Faith in Chriſt, is the moſt croſs duty to fleſh and blood of any that God requires; let men think of it what they will, to be ſure here is the ſame holineſs required, that the Law requires, and that is as croſs to mens luſts, as the Law can be; this is oppoſite to mans badneſs. Then it empties a man of himſelf, all his conceited righteouſneſs, duties, abilities, and this is oppoſite to mans goodneſs: So that Faith is croſs every way, hence the vile heart frets againſt it.

5. As to the poor humbled ſinner, of whom we are now treating, he is aſhamed to go to Chriſt, he ſeeth himſelf in ſuch a forlorn condition, he knows not how to look Chriſt in the face, nor can tell how Chriſt ſhould look on him; as if the Prodigal, ſeeing himſelf in his rags, ſhould be aſhamed to ſee his Father till he had gotten better clothes on his back: So doth this, if he had repented, mourned, changed his life, and he thinks, at leaſt, he might come better to Chriſt then now he can in this ragged condition.

Secondly, Though the convinced ſinner hath not a principle in him naturally that leads him directly to Chriſt, but to ſelf, yet all that are convinced of ſin by the Spirit, do not turn aſide to ſettle upon themſelves, their own doings, duties, righteouſneſs, inſtead of Chriſt.

All would do ſo, if the Spirit let them alone, but all do not ſo: this I add to remove that ſtumbling block, which temptation may lay before ſome: who when they hear or p. 100read of the Spirits work in taking off the Soul from ſinful ſelf, in former Heads, and now of taking of it off from good ſelf, under this Head, and this muſt be done, elſe the Soul will never truly cloſe with Chriſt; they examine themſelves when was this done in me; when was that diſtinct time after my conviction of ſin, that I ſettled upon my own duties, doings, repentance, changes, &c. then the Spirit took me off? now, I ſay, this is not the caſe of all in the work of Converſion: Commonly as is the light perſons live under, and as is the manner of the Spirits working. If perſons live where Chriſt is clearly and powerfully preached, the Spirits work alſo very quick, follows the Soul cloſe, that it ſtayes not long in the birth, many times ſuch perſons turn not aſide into this by path, but are carried to Chriſt more directly; ſearch, and many experiences will tell you this truth.

Thirdly, Let the works of God in the former Heads be various, yet in this work of ſelf-unbottoming, taking off the Soul from its own goodneſs, righteouſneſs, abilities, all converted Souls meet.

The reaſon is this; unleſs this be done, the end of Gods call will never be attained; his call will not be effectual: for no man will come to Chriſt for life, John 5.40. Who can find life in one hand by his own duties and workings. All the ſin againſt the Law, as a Covenant of works, all a mans badneſs by reaſon of this ſin, is not ſo oppoſite and croſs to Chriſt, as is this ſelf-righteouſneſs, ſelf-conſidence, a mans own goodneſs. Conſider God and Chriſt as being holy, ſo indeed ſin directly oppoſeth him; but conſider Chriſt as Redeemer, Mediator, High Prieſt, Righteouſneſs, Jeſus; ſo it is not ſin, but ſelf-righteouſneſs that is moſt directly croſs to him; for not ſin, but our ſelf-righteouſneſs, nulls and makes void his Righteouſneſs, and whole work of Redemption: Mans nature had rather turn to God [if he muſt turn] directly by himſelf, then turn to God by Chriſt: So that all believers meet in this work.

p. 101Queſt. How doth the Spirit take off a man from his ſelfconfidence, and own-righteouſneſs?

Anſw. I ſhall give my anſwer very briefly under ſeveral Heads, premiſing this firſt.

He who will ſtand upon his own legs, or ſeek to make his righteouſneſs ſtand, as Rom. 10.3. the Jews would do, he muſt

Firſt, Be able to make ſatisfaction for the wrong that ſin hath done; the broken Law and he muſt agree.

Secondly, He muſt be able to ſubdue all the enmity of his heart againſt God; all his luſts and corruptions he muſt mortifie, and walk before God in a holy frame continually: he that undertakes this, undertakes a hard task; if he underſtand it, he will ſoon find either of them impoſſible, one as eaſie as the other; chuſe which you think is the eaſieſt. Thus then the Spirit takes him off,

Firſt, By convincing him of the nature of ſin, of guilt, what it is to have a holy and juſt Law broken: What are all thy duties thou performeſt? What is thy righteouſneſs, though it were pure, which it is not, to ſatisfie the holy Law of a Juſt God, which thou haſt broken ſo many thouſand times, and haſt a heart oppoſite and enemy to it? If thy nature were now holy, and all thy life from this time holy, this is but thy duty, and ſo it was alwayes. Can thy doing that which is now thy duty to anſwer this day, make ſatisfaction for not doing thy duty all thy life before? If a man be taken clipping the Kings Coin, or hath committed ſome one capital Crime, if he comes before the Judge and pleads, he lived all his life time before clear from ſuch Crime, and will do from henceforth, it was but once that he did ſo; will this anſwer the Law? Will the Judge acquit him? He did and doth but his duty if he lived before, and will do after as he pleads, he ſhould have done ſo when he committed that Crime; the Law calls him a Son of death, and dye he muſt for that one Crime. Shall then a man, having a nature that hates the righteous Law of God, and tramples upon it daily, think with a p. 102few pittiful duties, repentings, &c. to anſwer a thouſand and ten thouſand breaches of the holy Law of his Soveraign? The wages of ſin is death, and dye thou muſt, unleſs a ranſome can be found.

Secondly, By convincing him of the ſin of his nature; he opens to him that fountain of iniquity, that ſinning ſin; and if this be once opened by the Spirit, it will take down the pride of any ſelf-Juſticiary; let him that fecleth this, talk of his righteouſneſs, duties, works, if he can; if he doth, I know what his language muſt be. When I read men denying original ſin, I do not wonder at all their proud Opinions, and ſelf-advancing Doctrines: Whence did theſe men deſcend? Not from our father Adam ſurely: there is talk now of another World in the Moon; the inhabitants there came not from the ſtock we did; certainly theſe men dropped out of that world, and therefore deny this ſin of our nature, they find it not in their nature: This I am ſure of, ſay theſe men what they pleaſe, I know nothing that doth ſo abuſe a man, beats him out of himſelf, and all conceits of his own righteouſneſs, that makes a man ſee himſelf loathſome, undone, damned for ever in himſelf, as the diſcoveries and ſenſe of this ſin of ſins. Take a man who hath committed the vileir actual ſins, could I ſuppoſe that man to be guilty only of them, and without this original ſin, I ſhould not judge that man ſo ſinful as he that is defiled with this original ſin, though by the reſtraining Providence of God he be kept from breaking out into actual groſs evils: I do more adore the riches of Gods grace in pardoning this ſin, then in pardoning any actual ſin, except Adam's firſt ſin; yet his grace deſerves to be adored for pardoning actual ſins. Though Chriſt did beat Paul down to the earth with that miraculous light and voice which he heard, yet I conceive he had not beat him out of his Phariſaical righteouſneſs, had not another light diſcovered this woful ſin of his nature, which makes the unſpotted blameleſs Phariſee cry out and confeſs, In me, that is, in my fleſh, dwells no good thing, Rom. 7.18. Before there was no evil, now there is no good: p. 103Thus I agree (as I ſaid before) with Mr. Shepherd; if a man (like Paul whom he mentions) have truſted to his own goodneſs, duties, honeſt converſation, righteouſneſs, and here have found his reſt; if ever God ſhew mercy to ſuch a one, then in the firſt ſtroke of Conviction, he rips up this Monſter; he ſhall need no more, I warrant him, to make him change his thoughts, and make him ſee the need of another righteouſneſs, and a ſtrong Redeemer.

Thirdly, God may let the ſame corruptions of which he was convinced at firſt, and which cauſed thoſe fears and ſorrows, to be working again, putting forth themſelves in ſtrong motions, the feeling of which doth almoſt ſink his heart, he thinks to Hell now he muſt go, for he finds his luſts are too ſtrong for him; though he hath ſmarted for them, and thought he ſhould never have any thing more to do with them, yet now he finds his heart is naught, vile, wicked as ever, and begins to deſpair; it may be in his ſtruggling with his luſts, he flabs, is foiled, if not carried away as before, and this kills him.

Fourthly, God may let more corruptions looſe, that is, to be inwardly working, that the man can ſee nothing but corruption, and cryes out, he was never ſo bad: Sin taking occaſion by the Law, wrought in me all manner of coneupiſcence, Rom. 7.8. Luther found temptations to all ſins but Covetouſneſs: Paul felt all manner of Concupiſcence: a common thing for Chriſtians under the work to cry out, they were never worſe, never ſo bad.

Fifthly, God ſhews no acceptance of his duties, lets him find no peace or quietneſs by them; but Conſcience is ſtill roaring at him, drawing up bills of indictment againſt him ſtill, charging him with freſh ſins, which it may be he had forgotten, or doth ſtill commit, ſo that the Soul finds no reſt.

Sixthly, The Lord may and doth many times withdraw his aſſiſtance unto duties, that the man cannot pray nor mourn as before; is not ſo lively, but grows more p. 104dead and blockiſh, hard hearted, as he conceives and feels himſelf. God is free in his aſſiſtance and influences, he is not bound to give them; while the man could pray and relent in prayer, his heart tender and mourning, he had ſome hopes; but now his eyes are dry, his heart hard, cannot relent, now all is naught; this cuts off all his hopes, and now muſt periſh.

Seventhly, The Spirit ſets home this Doctrine with authority, ſo that there is no oppoſing, Without Chriſt there is no ſalvation: He that believeth not is condemned already, John 3.18. He that hath the Son hath life; he that hath not the Son, hath not life, 1 John 5.12. Thou thinkeſt thou haſt this and that, which will ſpeak well for thee: Haſt thou Chriſt? If a Chriſtleſs Soul, have you what you will elſe, the wrath of God abideth on thee, John 3. ult. Such words are ſet home with that life, that there is no gainſaying: the Soul muſt look out for a Saviour, elſe all will be naught.

More poſſibly may be added, but I think theſe are the Heads, be they more or leſs, by which the Spirit doth uſually drive the Soul out of it ſelf. Some Chriſtians experience ſome of theſe, ſome more of them, ſome fewer: no matter how many of them, or how few, if the Spirit uſeth any of them, they ſhall do the work he intends.

For the effects of this work of the Spirit, what follows upon it, I ſhall briefly touch them, but make no uſe of it, for the reaſon I gave in my former Head.

Firſt, The good opinions man had of himſelf are now confuted; the high thoughts of himſelf are taken down; he ſeeth now his money is but braſs, not ſo good: How highly did Paul value his priviledges, his Phariſaical righteouſneſs, before Chriſt came to this work? What a low eſteem had he of them all, after this work that now we are upon? Phil. 3.7, 8, 9. thus it is with all true Converts: had the man any opinions in doctrien proud and high, they were never ſo confuted as now: did he cry up the great Diana of Liberum arbitrium, as moſt do, [and p. 105we grant it to be Liberum, when the Son hath made it free] now he calls it Servum arbitrium, as Luther did, Janſen. Auguſtin. tom. 2. l. 3. c. 5. p. 182.and bleſſed Auſtin long before him, as Janſenius in his excellent Work doth manifeſt in ſeveral places, and ſaith, he knows not what that new Writer means (he doth not name him) who ſaith, Nomen ſervi arbitrii was never heard of in the Catholick Church for fifteen hundred years; when as he makes it clear by his quotations out of Auſtin, that he had called it ſo ſeveral times. Conſeſ. l. 8. c. 5.Bleſſed Auſtin vvas not the man alone vvho complain'd of his Ferrea Voluntas; here are others vvith him vvho feel it as vvell as that bleſſed Saint did. Had the man ſlight thoughts of imputed righteouſneſs, did he jeer at it as ſome have done, and do ſtill? his thoughts are changed, he is now convinced of ſuch a neceſſity of a perfect righteouſneſs, that now imputed righteouſneſs is the moſt precious Doctrine of the Goſpel, the very life blood of a Chriſtian: the Spirit hath ſo diſputed with him in this work of ſelfemptying, that now all the Arguments in the Jeſuits Colledge he ſcorns them; he hath ſound it, felt it, Lord, if thy free Grace do not ſave me, my free will I am fure will damn me: Surely in the Lord (not in my ſelf) have I righteouſneſs and ſtrength; in him only muſt I glory, Iſai. 45.24, 25.

Secondly, The ſecond effect is this: by this work of the Spirit there is made a further and fuller conviction of a mans miſery. God drives the nail home to the head: he was convinced of a miſerable ſtate before, but now it is confirmed with a witneſs: for though by the former conviction he ſaw himſelf to be bad, yet not ſo bad, it may be, but he might have ſome good: he thought he could do ſomething to help himſelf, ſet ſome good works againſt his bad ones; but now he ſeeth he was miſtaken; he is convinced with Paul, In me (that is, in my fleſh) dwells no good thing, Rom. 7. He doth not ſay, there dwells but a little good, but no good; he did not think he had been ſo wicked, ſo vile, void of any thing that good is, though he had read, The heart is deceitful above all things, and deſperately p. 106wicked, Jer. 17.9. yet he did not believe the Text to be true, till his own heart became a Comment upon Gods Text, and proved it.

Thirdly, Now thoſe Qualifications mentioned in the Goſpel, Luke 19.10. weary and heavy laden, Mat. 11.28. are known experimentally: others can prate of them, but this Soul feels them: Laden he is with the burden of his guilt, and woful wicked heart, a burden too heavy for him, Pſal. 38.4. The man labours alſo under this, would fain get rid of his load, but he finds all is labour in vain, no eaſe, no reſt comes, but undone he is; not withſtanding all the duties he hath done, or can do, now he is loſt: though in his firſt conviction he ſaw he had gone aſtray from God, and was going to hell, yet he thought he could find the way home to God again by the compaſs of his own good duties, repentance, and reformation; the new and living way he knew not, nor thought there was any need of it: but now he ſeeth he is bewildred, quite loſt: when he hath walked a great while, he ſeeth the Lake of hell fire before him ſtill; a way to hell he can find, but no way to God: Satan that Lion roars, Conſcience that affrights him in this Wilderneſs where he is wandring; and what an afflicted condition that is, loſt Souls experience.

Fourthly, Now is the Soul ready to liſten to any one who ſhall direct him to get out of this miſery in which he feels he is involved: now the news of a Saviour is welcome, the voice of the Goſpel is pleaſant; now propound the terms, ſay what you will, only ſave me from my ſin and miſery, and I ſhall willingly accept of a Chriſt; the Soul now is rightly prepared for Chriſt. It is a practiſe in ſome Towns, ſo long as the poor in the Pariſh have any thing of their own in their houſes which is money-worth, (except a bed or ſome ſuch thing) they will not take them into their Collection; but let them make money of what they have, and maintain themſelves with that, or make it over to them, they muſt be poor indeed, before they come into their Collection. It is a truth I am ſure here, ſo long as the Soul hath any thing money-worth, p. 107that it thinks is worth, as Paul did, Phil. 3: as it will not come to Chriſt (ſo in this differs from many who are willing enough to burden Towns, though they have ſomething of their own) ſo neither will Chriſt take them into his Collection, or rather relief, for he collects nothing, he hath fulneſs enough to relieve all the poor of his Flock; but poor they ſhall be before he will take them. So long as the Prodigal could common with the Hogs, fill his belly with husks, he would not go home; he was firſt brought to the ſtarving point: So it is with Souls, if they can fill themſelves, or find any ſuſtenance from their husky duty, they will not go home, through pride, or ſhame; but when brought to ſtarving, ſtay now Chriſt, born in Bethlehem, or houſe of bread: And is that living bread becomes precious? Thus John hath done his work, that is, To make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Luke 1.17. Here we find this Soul, thus far it is come, it is prepared for the Lord.

No, ſaith holy Hooker and Shepherd, there is ſomething elſe required to a true preparation. For Mr. Hooker, though I had heard of his Doctrine, yet I had not read his Book before I had read Mr. Shepherd, and had ſeriouſly conſidered him: I ſee both the Father-in-law Mr. Hooker, with his Son-in-law Mr. Shepherd, go both the ſame way, yet Mr. Shepherd writing laſt hath done it more fully, Mr. Hooker not putting forth his Book himſelf as I conceive: therefore I ſhall attend Mr. Shepherd, eſpecially being I wrote to him about it, and have his Letter in anſwer by me.

Let us ſee then whither we have brought the Soul: the Spirit of God hath convinced it of its ſinful, undone, miſerable condition, hath made it acquainted with fears and ſorrows riſing from that Conviction, hath beaten it out of its ſelf-confidence and ſelf-righteouſneſs, it is very poor in its own eyes, he hath made it willing, or not unwilling to be divorced from its ſins and luſts, glad to take Chriſt upon any terms, ſo it may have him: What is next? Faith in Chriſt; cloſe with him, poor Soul, ſay I, take him upon p. 108thoſe terms the Goſpel tenders him, which thou ſayeſt, and that truly, thou doeſt heartily ſubmit to, and thinkeſt it is the beſt bargain that ever thou madeſt. This Doctrine I dare preach to thee.

No ſaith Mr. Shepherd, between thoſe preparations and Faith in Chriſt, there comes in one more, to make up ſound preparation. What is that I pray? The Soul in that condition muſt lye under God, to be diſpoſed of as he pleaſe; quietly contented to lye ſtill at his feet, p. 125, 143, 150. But I pray what mean you by this? That is, It muſt have no ſinking diſcouragements, no ſecret quarrelling, but content, quiet, though God will never work grace, never manifeſt grace, never pity it, never help it, never ſuccour it, never give it his Love, p. 140, 154. In one word, ſaith Mr. Thomas Hooker, if the Soul be rightly humbled, it is content to bear the ſtate of Damnation: Souls Humiliation, p. 112. This then is another requiſite to right preparation for Chriſt, So Mr: Hooker Souls Humil. p. 145. expreſſeth it plainly. p. 112.that the Soul ſo prepared, as I have mentioned, be content to be without Chriſt, and bear the ſtate of damnation, if God will have it ſo. Theſe holy men tell us of damned Saints, what elſe to call them I know not: The Soul before it comes to Chriſt hath no goodneſs at all, nothing that we can call Sanctification or Grace in them, by way of habit, theſe men acknowledge: yet here I think is an Act, and a high one too, of Grace (if it muſt be by the Word requiring it) before the Soul hath Faith in Chriſt; ſuch a ſubjection to the holy Will and Soveraignty of God, that if he will deny it the greateſt good the rational Creature is capable of, and inflict upon it his dreadful wrath to eternity, the Soul is quiet, contented, well ſatisfied with his pleaſure. Can any man call this any other but Grace, and it muſt be performed alſo from a habit of Grace? Mr. Shepherd doth not tell us this is wrought by actual grace, without a ſanctified habit. When Aaron heldhis peace, Levit. 10.3. David was dumb, Pſal. 38.9. I think they did manifeſt Grace in their quiet ſubjection to Gods Juſtice and Soveraignty: But what petty nothings were their tryals, unto this which the convinced Soul is p. 109now called to, and yet muſt have no Grace. Either Nature or Grace muſt do this: not Nature I am ſure, then it muſt be Grace; and yet no Faith, no Chriſt, no ſanctified habit of Grace in it.

Content, quiet, well apayed, ſatisfied, words which both theſe Worthies expreſs their minds by, are words that carry much in them, they imply not only a non-murmuring, and devil-like fierceneſs flying out againſt God, as Mr. Shepherd phraſeth is, but they carry in them abundance more, ſomething that is poſitive; as will appear by both theſe Worthies.

Mr. Shepherd, p. 147. makes this his ſecond Argument to prove his Poſition, Why art thou quiet and ſtill when God denies thee any common mercy? Is it not becauſe the Lord will have it ſo? Now look, as we ſay of him that hates ſin as ſin, that he hates all ſin: ſo he that is meekned with Gods good pleaſure in any one thing, becauſe of his good pleaſure in it, upon the ſame ground will at leaſt deſire to ſtoop in every thing, &c. So if God will deny thee mercy, &c. [By the way note, this muſt not be any grace, though the Soul hath this frame of heart, for he ſpeaks of one as yet not come to Faith.] Now in this Argument of his we ſhall find there is ſomething poſitive, and more then a non-murmuring. There are many outward common mercies which God hath given to others, and thoſe of his own people, but denied them to me, which I could be glad of, and think I ſhould bleſs him if I had them; yet I do not only not murmur againſt God, and quarrel with him, becauſe I am denied them, but I am very well pleaſed, quiet, and content with his Will in denying them; a poſitive, quiet, well-pleaſed frame I feel: upon what grounds I am ſo content, whether only upon the account of his Soveraignty, that I do not now expreſs, but may ſpeak to it when I come to anſwer his Argument.

Mr. Hooker, p. 139, 140. ſhewing us how the humbled Soul anſwers the Devils Objections: I ſhall only give the ſum of one or two; not willing to tranſcribe all. 1. Satan objects, Doeſt thou think to get mercy from the p. 110Lord, when thine own Conſcience dogs thee? Go to the place where thou haſt lived, to the chambers where thou lyeſt, ſee thy abominations: God hears not the prayers of ſuch vile ſinners. The Soul anſwers, I have denied God, and he may well deny me; and if the Lord will caſt me away, and reject my prayers, I am content. But, ſaith Satan, this is not all, for God will give thee over, and leave thee to thy ſelf, thy luſts and corruptions, thy end will be worſe then thy beginning: thou ſhalt call, and cry, and be overthrown; God will leave thee to thy corruptions and luſts, they ſhall prevail againſt thee, thou ſhalt fall fearfully to the wounding of thy Conſcience, ſcandal of the Goſpell, and the reproach of thine own perſon. To this the Soul anſwers, If the Lord will give me up to my baſe luſts, leave me to my ſins, and I fall one day, yet let the Lord be honoured, let not God looſe the praiſe of his power and juſtice, and I am contented if God leave me. [Bleſſed God, what Divinity is this?] But, Satan replies, when God hath thus left thee to thy ſins, he will break out in vengeance againſt thee, and get praiſe from that proud heart of thine. The Soul anſwers, If the Lord do come in judgment againſt me, I am contented. Hath the bleſſed God left no other way to anſwer the Devil but this? Did the the Saints of God, of whom we read in Scripture, anſwer the Devil only thus? We read of ſome that have been under their temptations, but I remember not theſe anſwers. But by what we read in Mr. Hooker, we may obſerve, this is not a bare non-murmuring, a meer negative, but here is a poſitive habitual frame of contentation to be left under the power and dominion of luſts, and at laſt to be damned. One comfort is, I never read this Divinity in Gods Book, nor in any other Divine but theſe: their holineſs and abilities I do much reverence, but their Doctrine is dreadful: we will go to the Scales of the Sanctuary and weigh it. To follow therefore Mr. Shepherd, who p. 140. tells us of a double reſiſtance.

Firſt, A reſiſtance of the Lord by a ſecret (yea, and open he might have ſaid) unwillingneſs that the Lord ſhould work grace. This reſiſtance I acknowledge, men p. 111openly manifeſt; and grace is that which God hath commanded, it is his revealed Will, and our duty: to reſiſt grace, is to reſiſt his will indeed.

Secondly, A reſiſtance of the Lord by ſinking diſcouragements, and a ſecret quarrelling with him, in caſe the Soul imagines he will not come to work grace, or manifeſt grace; they are not quitely content to lye at his feet, though he will never give them his love, p. 150, 154.

Under favour, I conceive here is a fallacy, foreign, in ſtating of the queſtion. For

1. Sinking diſcouragements, if God will never give Grace, but damn me.

2. Murmuring, and devil-like to grow fierce againſt God (as he phraſes it.)

3. Contentedneſs, quietneſs, to be well apayed, ſatisfied, though God never give me his love, but give me up to my luſts and damn me: theſe things, I ſay, differ: ſo that it is a plain fallacy, for Plures concluſiones proponuntur, pro unâ. But I will goon: For methods ſake I will conſider.

1. The Scriptures Mr. Shepherd quotes to prove it, and they will moſt ſhake us, if his Scriptures carry his ſenſe.

Secondly, His Reaſons to prove it.

Thirdly, The experiences of Chriſtians which he produceth.

The Scriptures which he maketh uſe of to prove his Poſition are theſe, Levit. 26. 41. (this he quotes more then once, being his chief) Lament. 3.22, 29, 30. Micah 7.9. 1 Pet. 5.6. For the Parable of the Prodigal, upon which Mr. Hooker grounds his Doctrine, before I had read his Book, and knew that to be his Text, I had framed one Argument againſt Mr. Shepherd out of it, nor do I at all ſhrink from it by what I read in him: For that I muſt deſire the Reader to ſtay till I come to my Anaſceuaſtick part. For Mr. Shepherd's Texts, I hope the caſe of Iſrael at that time, was the caſe of the Soul in queſtion, viz. Iſrael was now under the work of Converſion, turning p. 112home to God, who had called ſo often; and now being under this work, and being made willing to come home to God, Iſrael was or muſt be content, quiet, well apayed and ſatisfied, though God will not receive him, never give him his Love nor Grace, but leave him under the dominion of his luſts, and damn him eternally: thoſe Texts muſt prove this, elſe there is a fallacy near to Ignoratio elenchi: for the Texts do not conclude, the queſtion if they conclude not this.

But how ſhall we interpret Texts? muſt we not conſider the coherence, obſerve what the Spirit is treating about, and interpret it accordingly, pro materia ſubjecta.

Now let us conſider all the Scriptures quoted out of the old Teſtament, we find Levit. 26. God having given his Statutes to Iſrael, makes the Sanction of his Law, by Arguments ſutable to a rational Creature. 1. He promiſeth good things if they will be obedient. 2. He threatneth them with heavy judgments if they will be rebellious; one whereof is moſt inſiſted upon in this latter part of the Chapter, and the verſe 41. quoted refers to this judgment, the ſcattering of them among the Heathen their enemies: yet verſe 44. When they were among their enemies, I will not caſt them away, neither will I abhor them, &c. In the other Texts quoted they were under theſe judgments threatned.

Whence we obſerve:

Firſt, All theſe evils threatned, and under which they lay, were external, bodily, temporary: read the Chapter in Leviticus, read the Lamentations from the firſt Chapter to the Texts quoted, and obſerve other verſes in the ſame Chapter, the next verſe to the 29. which carrieth the faireſt proofs, if the queſtion were the ſame, 30, 31, 32, 33, &c. ſo the verſes after 39. which is his other proof, read from the 29. verſe to the 55. verſe, where the matter they complain of was not the queſtion in hand, but external judgments, under which they were humbled: yet we find in the 24. verſe, this Soul ſaying, The Lord is my portion, p. 113ſaith my Soul, therefore will I hope in him, and raiſeth up it ſelf by ſweet promiſes afterwards: And is this the frame of them who are under the ſtate of our queſtion? So Micah 7. ſpeaks of outward judgments, as the eighth verſe ſhews, which goeth immediately before the verſe Mr. Shepherd quotes; and in the ſeventh verſe the Soul could ſay, My God will hear me: quite contrary to what Mr. Hooker and Mr. Shepherd have ſaid: To that in 1 Peter 5 6. the Apoſtle in verſe 5. had been exhorting Believers unto humility, be cloathed with it: this reſpects the humble carriage of Chriſtians one to another: he gives a reaſon to force his exhortation, For God reſiſteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble: upon this follows an Illation, Therefore humble your ſelves, &c. What was the queſtion in the fifth verſe upon which this Therefore depends? Not the queſtion in hand, I am ſure: then how doth it prove the queſtion? Learned Gerhard gives the Connexion thus: The Apoſtle repeats his exhortation to humility, and confirms the argument, which he brought to force his exhortation, from the power of him that requires humility, and promiſeth he will exalt the humble. God hath power enough to reſiſt the proud, and exalt the humble; therefore, be cloathed with humility: This Connexion the illative Particle foreign, therefore, proves, which ſhews this ſencence is deduced from the former: Thus he, Mr. Dicſon makes the words the fourth and fifth reaſons to humility and mutual ſubmiſſion. The fourth, This humility and mutual ſubmiſſion required, doth not ſo much reſpect men as God, who hath commanded this ſubmiſſion. The fifth, The power of God ought to move you: So that I can ſee nothing in this proof: ſuppoſe the illative particle, therefore, were left out; take the exhortation abſolutely, what is it to humble our ſelves under the mighty hand of God? This, when the Lord hath awakened you, made you willing that Chriſt ſhould take away your ſin, (and ſo give you grace) muſt needs follow: yet now you muſt be content, well apayed, ſatisfied, though he will give you no grace, but give you up to your luſts and damn you: This is the p. 114humbling of our ſelves according to Mr. Shepheard: I believe the Apoſtle Peter never thought of ſuch an interpretation when he wrote it: and bleſſed be God, we have as a mighty God, ſo a gracious God, in Chriſt, to deal with.

Secondly, We obſerve, as theſe were external, bodily and temporary judgments, ſo the people were actually under them; they were not under the threats of the judgments, but the judgments themſelves. So Levit. 26.41. expreſſeth it plainly, when they were in the Land of their enemies, If then their uncircumciſed hearts were humbled, and they accept of the puniſhment: What puniſhment? This their ſcattering amongſt their enemies. So in the Lamentations and Micah: Make this agree with our queſtion, the Soul muſt be actually given up to its luſts, and actually damned.

Thirdly, They were ſuch evils, that though they were actually under them, yet they might have union with God, and live in communion with him; though ſtrangers in an enemies Land, yet not ſtrangers to God. Thus we read of precious Saints in captivity, Daniel, &c. So, The Lord is my portion, ſaith my ſoul, Lam. 3.24. My God will hear me, Micah 7.7. God would be a Sanctuary to them, Ezek. 11.16. though ſcattered among Heathen: promiſe, He will not caſt them away, nor abhor them, Levit. 26.44.

Fourthly, Theſe evils were means in the hand of God to bring them home to God; when they taſted the fruit of their rebellion, it helped to bring them to repentance: in a ſtrange Land they learned acquaintance with God, when they were ſtrangers to him in their own Land: thus Ephraim found it, or ſhall find it, Jer. 31.18, 19, 20. Thus God promiſeth, Iſai. 27.9.

Fifthly, They were ſuch evils as they had gracious promiſes of deliverance from them; and they have been in part (when the two Tribes, and a few of the ten Tribes with them, returned) and ſhall be to the life fulfilled, when the time of their ingrafting comes: Rom. 11.15, p. 11524, 26. When the Lord ſhall ſet his hand. Again the ſecond time, To recover the remnant of his people, Iſai. 11.11. When Judah and Iſrael ſhall be joyned one to another in one ſtock, Ezek. 37.16, 17.

Sixthly, It is very true, many of thoſe Saints did humble themſelves, and accept of that puniſhment, Daniel 9. Ezra 9.13 Nehem. 9.33. And as they, ſo have many of the people of God, either attained or laboured to attain a humble, ſubmiſſive, quiet ſpirit under ſuch evils as theſe Texts ſpeak of; not quarrelling or murmuring, (if they do, they repent of it, are aſhamed) they can ſometimes kiſs the rod, put their mouths in the duſt, profeſs it is mercy they are living men, that God may deal worſe with them; yet not in Hell, cauſeth bleſſing of God in all conditions.

But, I pray, apply theſe Texts and theſe things to our queſtion in hand, where the judgments are internal, eternal; where can be no union nor communion with God; no means to bring home the Soul to God; from which no deliverance, when actually under them, as they were, of whom thoſe Texts ſpeak, whence I ſee not how theſe Texts prove the thing in hand.

Now I come to his Reaſons, though one clear Scripture had been more then all his Reaſons.

Firſt, Elſe the Lord ſhould not advance the riches of his Grace: the advancement of Grace cannot be without the humiliation of the Creature.

Anſw. Cannot the Lord advance his Grace, unleſs the Soul now enlightened, convinced, broken with fears and ſorrows, emptied of it ſelf, apprehending nothing but hell and damnation in it ſelf, having neither money to give, nor hands to work, and finding nothing to fly to, but the riches of Mercy, and freeneſs of Grace, with the Redemption of Jeſus Chriſt, which now the Soul prizes at a high rate; cannot the Lord (I ſay) advance his Grace now, unleſs this Soul be contented to have no Grace, no Love of God, p. 116but be damned for ever? Hath the Lord ſaid ſo? then I ſhall believe it: To what end was all that work of the Spirit? was it not to make the Soul quite undone in it ſelf, that it might ſee, nothing but Grace and Chriſt can ſave it? Let us call to thouſands and ten thouſands of Saints, who never heard of this Doctrine till theſe two Worthies preached it: Let us call to thoſe, who reading it are much troubled, and cannot yield to it as true, that God requires it, what do you feel within you? Is it not Grace, the free, rich Grace of God glorious in your thoughts? Do you not cry out, Grace, Grace, as thoſe Zech. 4.7? Are not the riches of his Grace, and Redemption of his Chriſt, the Jachin and Boaz of thy Soul, the pillars that bear it up, as they did Solomon's Porch? 1 Kings 7.21. which if taken away, all thy hopes and comforts come tumbling down, as the houſe upon the Philiſtines heads, when Sampſon took away the pillars of it: Speak, O you troubled, wounded Chriſtians, whoſe hearts have ſunk at the reading of this Doctrine, do you not advance, and labour every day to advance, and think you can never advance enough this freeneſs of his Grace, with the Righteouſneſs and Redemption of his dear Chriſt? Are not theſe wonderful in your eyes? Bleſſed be God we have our ſenſes, our feeling, our experience of theſe things; yet we cannot tell how to be content without Gods Love, to be given to our luſts, and damned eternally. Doth not God advance his Grace, when we feel we cannot live, but are miſerable, undone, damned, worſe then Toads without it? We can never advance the riches of his Grace enough we do acknowledge; therefore we deſire to ſee our own vileneſs more and more daily, that we may more ſpeak the praiſes of this rich Grace. If God doth not advance the riches of his Grace in this way I have mentioned, I wiſh he had told us how God doth it: though we are poor weaklings, and fall ſhort of that meaſure of Grace he had, yet we ſhall ſet our ſenſe and feeling againſt his lines, unleſs he had brought us a word from God, that he cannot advance his Grace, unleſs his Creature, after all his preparations p. 117of it, be content, quiet, well apayed, ſatisfied (words Mr. Hooker ſeveral times uſes) without his Love, Grace, given up to luſts, and damned, we ſhall not believe it.

His ſecond Reaſon. Elſe the Lord ſhould not be Lord, and diſpoſe of his own Grace, but a ſinful Creature will have the diſpoſal of it.

Anſw. I deny the Conſequence. Unleſs I be content, quiet, well ſatisfied without the Lords Grace, he is not Lord of his own Grace: Doth Gods being Soveraign of his Grace depend upon my being content without it?

But I anſwer ſecondly, That there is ſuch a Truth, that the Lord is Soveraign of his own Grace, that he will have mercy ou whom he will have mercy; we muſt acknowledge and tremble at it, though we know many men cannot digeſt it: but to teach that Soveraignty in this place, to a Soul under this work, brought now up to the great ſenſe of the want and high prizing of it, I think it immethodical.

To preach it, I ſay, in the calling of the Soul home to Chriſt, under the work of Converſion (which is our queſtion) is no Apoſtolical preaching; Mr. Shepherd, nor any other, ever found that in Chriſt or his Apoſtles preaching. I put that queſtion to old Mr. Daniel Rogers, Whether it were the duty of Miniſters to preach the Soveraignty of Gods Grace, to give it where he will, when we are upon the work of Converſion, or effectual Calling, and the Soul under that work? He anſwered, To preach the Soveraignty of his Grace, in triumphing over all the guilt and vileneſs of the broken hearted ſinner, that lyes under the ſenſe of his ſin, is proper preaching of it: This is very true, but this is not Mr. Shepherd's ſenſe.

How ſparing is holy Writ in this great point? but how abundant is it in ſetting out his Goodneſs, Grace, Mercy towards poor ſinners, who feel the want of it, and would gladly embrace it upon his terms?

p. 118Let us obſerve the Apoſtle in his practical Catechiſme, the Epiſtle to the Romans, when he had opened the ſtate of every man by nature, in his firſt, ſecond, and part of the third Chapter, quite outed him, and ſhewn where our remedy lay, how we came to be juſtified by the righteouſneſs of Chriſt imputed, and reconciliation through his blood, in the end of the third, fourth and fifth Chapters; and touched the Doctrine of Sanctification in the ſixth Chapter; the ſpiritual Combate in the ſeventh Chapter; excellent priviledges of Believers in the eighth Chapter; then indeed upon the occaſion of an Objection that might be made about the Jews, in the ninth Chapter, he openeth this Soveraignty: but the Apoſtle doth not uſe to preach this to awakened Souls, as Mr. Shepherd doth, and Mr. Hooker, while under the work of Conviction, Compunction, &c.

For Mr. Shepherd's Similitude, which he brings to illuſtrate his Reaſon (but illuſtration and probation are different things) from a Beggar coming to our doors, asking alms, and will have what he deſires, elſe he falls a quarrelling with the Maſter of the houſe, draws his knife: What ſaith the Maſter? Away proud Beggar, ſhall I not do with my own what I will? &c.

Laying by this quarrelling, drawing the knife, and ſo that devil-like fierceneſs againſt God, which Mr. Shepherd mentions, (and which is another queſtion, this muſt not be I acknowledge) I ſhall, with this holy mans leave, give him a Similitude, which anſwers the caſe and Scriptures more aptly then his doth.

For the beggar, if one man doth not relieve him, another may, and ſave his life. But let us ſuppoſe, firſt, There is but one man that can relieve a poor man in a miſerable, painful, ſtarving condition. Secondly, This rich man calls this poor man to his door. Thirdly, Promiſeth him, if he will ſubmit to ſuch a condition, he will relieve him, and ſave him from periſhing. Fourthly, He commands him to come. Fifthly, Threatens him if he will not come: Now for this poor man to go and beg at his door, and declare p. 119that he doth and will ſubmit to his condition, and to have a ſervant of the houſe come and tell this poor beggar my Maſter is Lord of his own goods, may do what he pleaſe with them, you muſt be content to ſtarve and dye: if the beggar quarrels with the ſervant, yea, and Maſter too, I cannot blame him. For the Reddition or Application of the Similitude, the caſe is the ſame; Man hath dealt vilely with God, brought himſelf into a miſerable, undone and damned condition; God hath made the man ſenſible of this his ſtate, and lies under the burden of it. God, who is rich in grace, and only able to help this man, calls him to his Son, whom he hath ſent to redeem ſuch miſerable Creatures, and by Chriſt he calls him to himſelf. Secondly, In calling him, he offers to him, if he will come and ſubmit to his condition, he will ſave him from his woful miſery perfectly, give him his Love, Grace, Pardon, Image, &c. Thirdly, He commands him to come to his Son. Fourthly, He threatens him with damnation if he will not come Fifthly, He promiſeth, covenants, and ſets ſeals to his Covenant, that he will do all for him in the ſecond Head, upon that condition. This man now finds the Lord hath wrought in him a willingneſs to ſubmit to the condition; oh with all my heart do I yield, if thou wilt give me what thou haſt ſaid. To have a ſervant now come and tell me, the Lord is ſoveraign over his Grace; true, he can pardon, ſanctifie, &c. but he will diſpoſe of his Grace where he pleaſeth; you muſt be content to have no Grace, but be damned for ever: though it's true, I would not fly like a Devil againſt God, nor draw my knife, yet I will quarrel with this ſervant, and tell him his Maſter is of a ſweeter nature, and told me otherwiſe, bad me come, and promiſed he would ſave me, if I did come to his condition, which I heartily ſubmit to.

Whatever thoughts people have of God while they are filling themſelves with their luſts, and dead in ſins; yet when once people come to be awakened, Conſcience roars, people then are apt to have ill ſurmiſes and hatd p. 120thoughts of God; the Devil will throw them in faſt enough, we had need keep up as good thoughts of God as we can in the hearts of awakened ſinners.

This anſwer may ſerve to another kind of argument like this, p. 148. when he ſaith, It is the greateſt pride, when the Soul will be diſcontent and grow ſullen, becauſe God denies it not ſmall things, but treaſures of Grace, Mercy, Chriſt, and all that he is worth: This he illuſtrates from a Beggar that muſt have a thouſand pounds, &c.

To which I anſwer: I grant they are wonderful things indeed; but conſidering the infinite fulneſs of himſelf, and the fulneſs of Chriſts purchaſe, it is no more for God to give me them, then to give me the bread I eat every day: God may give his Grace, Mercy, Love, Pardon, to millions of men more then are in the world, hath been, or ſhall be; and when he hath ſo done, not one farthing the poorer. I am the poorer by a penny if I give a penny; leſs then theſe will not ſerve the turn, our miſery is ſo great. Be they never ſo great, his ſweet heart intended them; his Chriſt hath purchaſed them: He hath pleaſed to promiſe them, Covenants and Seals to give them upon condition ſubmitted to: He calls me, commands me to come and take them: He threatens me if I do not: No pride then at all to be diſcontent, diſquieted without them. Doth God call me thus, command me to ſeek the leſſer things of this world, and threaten me with damnation if I do not purſue them? The caſe then is not the ſame.

In page 147. I find another Argument, I think he intends it for one, and I would leave nothing untouched, which I ſee may carry a ſhew of an Argument in it; it is that which at firſt I noted: Why art thou quiet and ſtill when the Lord denies thee any common mercy? is it not becauſe the Lord will have it ſo? Now look, as we ſay, him that bates ſin as ſin, he hates all ſin; ſo he that is meekened with Gods good pleaſure in any one thing becauſe of his good pleaſure, upon the ſame ground will endeavour at leaſt to p. 121ſtoop in every thing: So then, if Gods pleaſure be to deny thee mercy, &c.

I anſwer: If this Argument be well looked into, I think there is a fallacy appears in it. If you lay it thus, If the Soveraignty of God, in denying me any one common mercy, be the ground which makes me quiet and ſtill in want of it; then if Gods pleaſure be to deny me another common mercy, upon the ſame ground I will ſtill be quiet: So there may be ſome uſe of what is added, be that hates ſin as ſin, hates all ſin; for all ſin is of the ſame nature, tranſgreſſion of the Law, enmity againſt God: So all common mercies, as common, are of the ſame nature; none argue ſpecial love: But this Argument ſpeaks not ad idem for your Argument runs from common mercies to ſaving ſpecial mercies; theſe are not as ſins quâ, ſins of the ſame nature, enmity to God; but theſe differ infinitely quite of another nature: So that to argue, becauſe I am quiet with the will of God in denying me common mercies, ergo, I muſt be quiet, contented with the will of God, though he denies me ſpecial mercies, will never give me his Love, Grace, but damn me: This is foreign, a fallacy.

Secondly, It ſeems by this Argument, that all the reaſons, or the only reaſon, why we are content, and ought to be content when God denies us any common mercy, is the ſoveraignty and pleaſure of God; for this is the reaſon expreſſed, and none but this. That the pleaſure of God doth much, and ought to do much among Chriſtians, I deny not; but that this muſt be the ſole reaſon, as if no other reaſon ſhould quiet us, I underſtand not this Divinity: With his leave, I ſhall give him other reaſons why I am content and quiet, though God denieth me ſome common mercies, ſince it is his pleaſore freely to give me himſelf, his Chriſt, his Love, his Grace, his Pardon and Peace, which are ſure mercies; therefore I deſire to be quiet and content, though he hath denied me many common mercies; and let me ſay this (with honour yet) to that holy man, that the will being a moſt hungry appetite, and p. 122good, being the meat that muſt ſatisfie it; and this is Gods own work to make the faculty: then if the will be hungry, and ſharp ſet after any common mercy, that it taſtes as good, and very good for it, then if the temptation blows hard, it will be impoſſible to make that man quiet, contented, but either he muſt enjoy that particular good, or he muſt find ſome other good counterpoizing, nay, overcoming and conquering that good, and what is that but God himſelf in Chriſt. Soveraignty doth not ſatisfie the appetite, in it ſelf ſimply, it is no good for the will to poſſeſs; but the love of the Soveraign God, which gives the will union with God, this is heavenly food for this appetite; and this will do, when this good God will give out himſelf to the Soul, and make the Soul know it.

What the Soveraign God might have done with his Creature I deny not; but it hath pleaſed him graciouſly to deal with man as a rational Creature, giving him commands, and doth many times give this reaſon for obedience, I am Jehovah; but yet withall, he gives Argumeuts ſutable to the will; there is good for it. How often is that Argument uſed to iſrael, That it may go well with you and your Children? How many promiſes of good? How many threats of evil, from which the will flies? Then flie from diſobedience. Let us obſerve the twelfth of the Hebrews; what Arguments the Spirit of God doth give to quiet Chriſtians under afflictions, want of common mercies: Is Soveraignty the only Argument there inſiſted upon? Search and we ſhall find others, and but little of that, if any thing at all: Verſe 3. an example from Chriſt our Lord and Head what he ſuffered: ver. 6. the love of God, Whom he loveth: ver. 7. Childrens fare, He deals with you as Sons: ver. 8. Elſe Baſtards: ver. 9, 10. Our own fathers after their own pleaſure; here was a fit place to have added, ſo God for his pleaſure, his ſoveraignty: but the Spirit oppoſeth, God chaſtiſeth us for our profit, to make us partakers of his holineſs. Theſe are all quieting Arguments; ſo that for my part I do not find the Scripture p. 123ſpeaking after Mr. Shepherd's manner, who hath infiſted upon nothing but only Soveraignty, except his firſt Argument.

I find no more Reaſons in Mr. Shepherd; there is one which I have in my mind, which may carry ſome ſtrength in it; I will ſet it down, though I ſee it not in theſe holy mens Books, and make their caſe as good as I can.

Either you muſt murmure and quarrel againſt God, if he will not give you his Love, and Grace, but damn you: or elſe you muſt be content, though God will never give you his Love and Grace, but damn you.

But you muſt not murmure and quarrel; ergo, you muſt be content.

To this Argument I anſwer: I deny the disjunction: there is no neceſſity that one of the parts muſt be true: or I deny both the parts of the Propoſition; for I would neither murmure, quarrel, or fly out againſt God; nor will I ſtudy to be content, to be given up to my luſts, denied Grace, and be damned.

Queſt. If you ask me, what will you do then?

Anſw. I anſwer: The Lord hath made me ſee what a finful and miſerable Creature I am in my ſelf, and hath made me feel how unable I am to help my ſelf, being nothing in my ſelf but ſin, miſery, rebellion, emptineſs, wants: the Toad more happy; yet in the Goſpel I ſee he hath revealed his Chaiſt: he offers Chriſt to me, calls me to receive Jeſus, who delivereth me from wrath to come, 1 Theſ. 1.10. Who gave himſelf for us to redeem us from all iniquity, 2 Tit. 14. From this preſent world, Gal. 1.4. Chriſt himſelf calls me to come, Iſai. 55.1. Revel. 22.17. tells me, he will not ſhut the door againſt me, nor caſt me out if I do come, John 6.37. He promiſeth if I do come I ſhall not periſh, John 3.16. Gods will and command is, that I do believe in him, John 3.16. 1 John 3.23. It is obedience to believe in him, Rom. 1.5. and 16.26. Obedience of Faith. He threatens me, if I believe not, with his p. 124wrath, John 3. laſt. When I was in my infancy he took me into Covenant with my godly Parents, and powred clean water upon me in my baptiſme, Ezek. 36.25. ſignifying and ſealing up to me the blood of Chriſt with his benefits, if I anſwer the condition of his Covenant.

Now his offer I moſt thankfully accept, his call I willingly anſwer, his promiſe and covenant I adore, his command I deſire to obey, and do obey, his threat I dread and tremble at, his inſtitution of baptiſme I look not on as an empty thing, a vain fancy; but ſticking to my Fathers Covenant, and heartily willing to anſwer the condition; I with humble reverence plead that Covenant and my baptiſme with God, what he then engaged. I know God is Soveraign of his Grace, but how that comes under, offers, calls, commands, threats, promiſes, ſeals, I cannot learn; therefore I take up my thoughts about what is revealed, and what is my duty, neither quarrelling with the Soveraignty of God, nor ſtudying at all how to be content to be damned.

Let not the Reader be troubled, though I mention my godly Parents with my baptiſme; thinking thus, alas, my parents were not godly, I cannot make uſe of my baptiſme: Yes, yes, Chriſtian, thou haſt room to plead it, make uſe of it, though they were not ſo; the force of it deponds upon Gods inſtitution. I marvel what uſe Mr. Hooker and Mr. Shepherd would have us make of baptiſme, (they being ſo ſtrong for Infant-baptiſme) if we muſt ſtudy to be content to be damned.

His third Head is drawn from his obſervations of Chriſtians, the experiences he hath ſeen, when Chriſtians have been brought to his point, to be content and quiet without Grace, without Gods Love, and ſo be damned: He ſaith, p. 140. I have ſeen it conſtantly, that many a choſen veſſel never hath been comforted till now, and ever comforted when now. So p. 154. The Lord hath kept you (and it may be a long time) from ſight and ſenſe of his peculiar love: one would wonder why the Lord ſhould hide p. 125his love ſo much from thoſe to whom he doth intend it; the great reaſon is, becauſe there is in many a heart deſirous of his love, and this would quiet them if they were ſure of it: but they never came to be quieted with Gods will, in caſe they think they ſhall never partake of it.

So then it ſeems, if they did come to be quieted without his Love, they ſhould have the ſenſe of his Love, becauſe the great reaſon that hindered was removed.

I wonder that Mr. Shepherd, being not only a very holy man, but ſo able a Divine, ſhould let ſuch a Logical fault ſlip, and not take notice of it; if you ask what? Ignoratio Elenchi: I pray, what is our queſtion? What is the Head that now he is upon? It is the Souls humiliation and preparation for Chriſt: he is not come at Faith yet in Chriſt till the Soul comes to this. Hence Mr. Hooker tells us, p. 145. Before this no Faith can be infuſed into the Soul: ſo far as the heart is from this contentedneſs, to be at Gods diſpoſe [what that is, read p. 112, 140.] ſo far it is from true preparation for Chriſt. Here Mr. Shepherd gives us the experiences of Chriſtians who were ever comforted now, and never comforted till now: So again; now they come to have the ſenſe of his Love: this he hath ſeen conſtantly, he ſaith. But, I pray are comforts and the ſenſe of Gods love the ſame? the next things to preparation for Chriſt? I thought (and I am ſure ſo thought Mr Shepherd) that between preparation and comfort, union with Chriſt (the ground of comfort) ſhould have come in: Is it becauſe you are weary and laden, therefore, Reſt? Mat. 11.23.Matt 11:23Coming to Chriſt comes in between wearineſs and reſt. But Mr. Shepherd, if he will prove his queſtion by experiences which he hath conſtantly ſeen, muſt prove, that he ever ſaw Chriſtians were rightly prepared for Chriſt, and never rightly prepared for Chriſt till they came to this contentedneſs, to be damned if God will have it ſo: But his experiences tell us of comforts, and ſenſe of Gods love: So true it is that, p. 126— Quandoque bonus dormitat Homerus. We know it is a long time indeed before many Chriſtians attain to comforts and ſenſe of Gods love, after they have union with Chriſt, and that is more then preparation for Chriſt. Reverend Mr. Hooker, and Mr. Shepherd, would have done well to have ſatisfied the Church of Chriſt, whether in their own experiences upon their own hearts, they found this work they preach to others, and were aſſured of it, upon infallible grounds, they had no Grace till then. I knew a woman of Mr. Shepherd's Church, who told me, as Mr. Shepherd writes, that ſhe could never come to ſettled comfort, till ſhe came thus to be content without Gods love, (no doubt but a man may truſt his heart when it tells him ſo:) I knew the woman ſeveral years before as good a Chriſtian as when ſhe told me this: but at that time there was no talk of being contented to be damned, if God will have it ſo, as now ſhe had told me: believe their hearts who will, I ſhall never believe mine if it tell me ſo. Moreover, if Mr. Hooker, and Mr. Shepherd, had found this in themſelves, in their very firſt Converſion, they muſt prove, that God muſt go the ſame way in all whom he converts, from Divine Authority; elſe, as ſaid Chap. 1. It is tyranny, to tie up every Chriſtian to the way God wrought in me, that ſo he muſt work in them. Once more: Mr. Hooker telleth us, without this work there can be no Faith, in more then one place; yet in that Piece, put out in defence of the right of Believers Children to Baptiſme, he undertakes to prove, that God works Faith in Infants: But are Infants alſo contented to be denied Grace, and be damned, if God will have it ſo, before God works Faith in them?

As to quarrelling, diſcontent, and impatience, if God denies his Love and Grace; becauſe it ſhall not trouble us when I come to give my Arguments againſt Mr. Shepherd, this being another queſtion, I ſhall ſpeak a few words here: I ſaid before, as I will not ſtudy how to be content p. 127without Grace, and be damned, ſo I would not quarrel; impatience with God I will not juſtifie: O no, I will and do beg pardon of my God; I do admire and adore his Patience and long-ſuffering towards me, that he can bear ſo with my frowardneſs, it ſhall be his eternal praiſe: But O how hard a thing is it, when Souls are preſſed and oppreſſed with temptations long and ſtrong, whether from apprehenſions of guilt, wrath, and lye looking and liſtning for a little favour from God, but none come; or are peſtered and plagued with the perpetual motions of ſome imperious luſt, that dogs them every day, year after year, long time together; and though the Soul prayes, begs, uſeth all means, yet can get no relief from God, who could with as much eaſe remove it as I can move a finger, and will not; but here lies the luſt ſtriking at the root of Grace, and makes the Soul queſtion whether there be one ſpark in it or no: I ſay, how hard is it now for the Soul to keep from impatience and quarrelling? Jonah and Jeremiah could quarrel, Jer. 15.18. and 20.14, 15. for things of leſs concernment then damnation, denial of Grace, and Love of God; theſe were not their queſtions: If they ſo impatient, no wonder though theſe be, though none ſhould be.

2. Though impatience and quarrelling for want of Chriſt, the Love of God, and Grace, be not good, yet if we examine ſuch a perſon well, we may find a work of Faith even by this impatience; for doth not this impatience ariſe, becauſe the will hath choſen, and love hath ſet it ſelf upon a deſirable object, which becauſe the Soul cannot obtain as it deſires, it grows impatient, being croſſed in that which it chuſeth and loveth? Thus Chriſt, compleat Chriſt, the Love of God, Grace, Holineſs, are the deſirable Objects of this Soul; and becauſe this Soul cannot enjoy them as it would, therefore it quarrels, and grows impatient, becauſe it is croſſed in its choice and love: But is not there a work of Faith, where the will hath thus choſen Chriſt, &c? Yea, it ſeems, the choice of the will and love are acted to a good degree, for we do not grow p. 128impatient for being croſſed in our object, but when the will and affections run out much after the object: So that though here be an infirmity, yet it is ſuch an one, as we may gather Grace from it. Treatiſe of Affections, p. 151.I remember Mr. Fenner, ſpeaking of Zeal, ſaith, it is the impatient part of the Affections; and ſpeaking againſt luke-warmneſs under that Head, ſaith he, Thou mayeſt pray to God for Grace, to heal thee of thy deadneſs, but though he do not heal thee thou canſt bear it; but if thy affections were ſo far hereto, as to be zealous, they would be impatient, thou couldeſt never endure it. There is a difference between this and what Mr. Shepherd hath taught us. Thus ſure it will be for any part of redemption, which the Soul is ſet upon with zeal to experience; impatience will beapt to move, if the will be long croſſed. How often have we Parents born with our Children in ſickneſs and pain, though they have been impatient and froward? Alas, the Child is ſick, full of pain; And what is our ſweet God? What is our patience to his? but eſpecially when this impatience is, becauſe the Soul cannot enjoy his Chriſt, Love, Image and Holineſs, to walk with him?

3. Grant it, that this quarrelling and impatience againſt God, in denying of Chriſt, his Love and Grace, be ſinful, and ought not to be; as the poor Soul will not juſtifie quarrelling, yet if it doth overtake the Soul, will Mr. Shepherd conclude, as it ſeems he doth, with Mr. Hooker, that the Soul is not rightly prepared for Chriſt, that ſound Faith cannot be infuſed, till it be content to be diſpoſed of to Hell, if Gods will be ſo, though all the forementioned preparatory works be found, and the will brought to accept the terms of Chriſt? For perſons that God works upon, when adult, where theſe are not found, viz. Conviction of ſin, and ſenſe of the evil of ſin, ſelf-emptineſs, a loſt condition, willingneſs that Chriſt ſhould ſeparate between its ſoul and ſin, allowing the rules I have given before, I will ſay, that perſon is not rightly prepared for Chriſt; for where there is no conviction of ſin, no fears and ſorrows under the ſenſe of the evil of p. 129ſin, where no willingneſs that Chriſt ſhould ſeparate between the Soul and ſin, where men have righteouſneſs and abilities of their own, I am ſure that man will never take Chriſt upon Chriſts terms; but will they ſay, though all theſe be, and the heart be willing to take him upon his terms (as, bleſſed be God, many thouſands have felt it, and do find it, though they have found impatiencies and quarrellings (being denied) too often break out) yet they are not rightly prepared, but their work is falſe, erroneous, unſound, becauſe they find quarrellings and impatience? I would not be the man that ſhould preach ſuch doctrine; I would throw away my Pen before I would write it, before I would condemn ſo many thouſands of the generation of ſound Believers. To expunge Job, Jonah, Jeremiah, out of the number of Saints, for their quarrelling and impatience againſt God, I dare not, nor other Saints for theſe, or other infirmities, ſuppoſing they be but infirmities: yet I ſee Mr. Hooker hath cut off all from Faith and true preparation for Chriſt, becauſe men have not attained to a higher pitch then non-quarrelling.

Before I come to the Anaſceuaſtick part, let me ſet down how the Soul under this ſenſe of this miſery and ſin (the ſight of the hell he ſeeth in himſelf) carries it ſelf.

Firſt, It looks on it ſelf without a Chriſt and love of God through him, as the moſt miſerable Creature on the earth; O that I could out change with a Toad, that I were but in a ſtate ſo good as that is; real groans, no Rhetorical ſtrains.

Secondly, It pleads for nothing with God from it ſelf; it can tell God of nothing but ſin and miſery; a ſink of abomination, that it finds in it ſelf. Mr. Shepherd, both in his Book, and Letter to me, is oft up with this, the Soul ſeeth it ſelf worthy of no mercy: if that had been all Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Hooker meant, their Books would never have troubled me nor others, as to the point of preparation. Merit is a Monſter in the Armes of Mercy: p. 130how much more will this Soul ſay, who ſeeth nothing but a hell in it ſelf? Worthineſs of Mercy is a contradiction; worthineſs in us deſtroyes the being of mercy.

Thirdly, Though it cannot bear the leaſt ſpark of wrath, yet it cannot but judge and condemn it ſelf, and juſtifie God, what he might do with it, if he will deal with it according to juſtice, under a Covenant of works: while it is about thus to do, ſometimes his joynts tremble, and coldneſs, a quivering comes over the heart, afraid to ſpeak out his words in ſelf-condemning, for fear God ſhould take his words out of his mouth, and condemn him accordingly out of his own mouth.

Fourthly, He magnifies God for his patience, that he did not take him long ſince in his way of ſinning, cut him off, and ſend him to that place where no mercy is known; but God had been juſt. This patience of God affects his heart.

Fifthly, He ſtands and wonders at that mercy, how God can poſſibly love ſuch a one, blot out all his guilt, juſtifie him, that is the ſtrangeſt word, and tranſlate him from being the Devils naſty ſty, to make him a habitation for his holy Spirit.

Theſe things are found; but to come to ſuch a poſitive habitual frame of Contentation, to have no love of God, no Grace, but to be given up to luſts and damned, if God will have it ſo, I dare not own it.

Only here, that I may leave nothing to trouble any tender Chriſtian, when I ſay theſe things are found, my meaning is not, that they are found in all before grace or union with Chriſt; for, as I ſaid, ſome the Lord ſanctifies in their infancy, others he drops into inſenſibly under the means; the ſeed of Grace is caſt in, they cannot tell when nor how, but the Lord got into them by degrees: There may be clearer diſcoveries of a mans ſin, vileneſs, loathſomneſs, after a man is in Chriſt; as Ezek. 36.31. Then ſhall you remember your wayes, &c. and loath your ſelves. Then, when? Read the 25, 26, 27. verſes before, and ſo on. Then you ſhall loath your ſelves; grows ſick of p. 131himſelf; his ſtomach turns when he views himſelf. This is truth.

Secondly, In all theſe there are degrees; ſome have had ſtronger luſts then others, acting, rebelling, and there is reaſon they ſhould feel more; though that which makes the truth in all to be known, is the ſenſe and ſight of original ſin, the workings of that in the heart, the woful defilement it makes in all a man doth, the ſteam, the vapours that riſe from that naſty dunghill; hence a Chriſtian abominates himſelf, aſhamed to come into the company of Chriſtians, though none know any thing of theſe inward motions but God and himſelf.

Now then I come to my Argument for the negative part; and before I frame any Argument, I ſhould move one Queſtion, and deſire humbly an anſwer from theſe holy men, had they been living, or from any other Divine, who will maintain what they have written, it is this: I ſee Mr. Shepherd is often up with theſe words, If the Soul imagines God will never give or manifeſt Grace: If it thinks God will never give it his love: My Queſtion is this.

Queſt. Ought this Soul prepared thus far, as Mr. Shepherd hath laied down, to entertain ſuch thoughts, admit ſuch imagination, ſuppoſitions, If Gods will be ſo and ſo, that will give no Grace but damn? So Mr. Hooker puts theſe Ifs in often?

This Queſtion I would gladly be refolved in: I know ſuch thoughts will be apt enough to riſe from our own hearts, and the Devil is not wanting to help us to them; but ought this poor Soul, now under this work, to admit them, or caſt them out? The man doth well or ill in liſtening to ſuch thoughts, imaginations, ſuppoſitions; to be ſure here is no indifferency, in an individual Act alſo: If he doth well, then it is becauſe the admittance of theſe thoughts (I imagine, I ſuppoſe, I think God will never p. 132give me his Grace, Love, but will give me up to my luſts, and damn me) is agreeable to a Word, to the Will of God revealed; I pray name the Text.

Secondly, If the Soul do well to admit them, how then can the Soul believe the reallity of God in his offering of Chriſt, a Jeſus, calling of the Soul to him to embrace him, commanding him to believe in him, and threatning him if he doth not accept him? Can I believe God is in earneſt, real, in what he offers, &c. when at the ſame time I am bound to think, ſuppoſe, imagine, he will never give me Chriſt, Grace, Love, but give me up to my luſts and damn me? Let them untye this knot.

If the Soul doth ill in admitting them, and ought to caſt them out, then we need no Argument to oppoſe this Doctrine, it will fall of it ſelf; and theſe two Worthies might have helped poor Souls in chiding them for admitting ſuch thoughts, and put a better way to anſwer the Devil into their mouths, then by that dreadful Divinity (if it be Divinity) Mr. Hooker hath taught us, which I mentioned before. Yet for a few Arguments.

Here I muſt take the Queſtion into pieces; for I ſaid there was a fallacy in ſtating it; to put three different Concluſions for one. As to quarrelling, I have ſpoken to that before, ſo that two remain.

Queſt. 1. Whether ſinking diſcouragements under theſe imaginations and thoughts, that God will never give me his Love, never manifeſt or give me any Grace, be a reſiſtance of Gods Will?

Mr. Shepherd hath affirmed it, and therefore preacheth Contentation, &c. as before. This I conceive is a truth, That ſinking diſcouragements under ſuch thoughts, ſince God hath ſent a Saviour, and manifeſts what his will is, by calling, offering, commanding, promiſing, threatning, ſealing, as before I have inſtanced, in this reſpect they may be ſaid to be a reſiſtance of his Will: but this will not help Mr. Shepherd, this overthrows his affirmation.

p. 133The queſtion then is, What Will doth Mr. Shepherd here mean? The Learned have diſtinguiſhed of the Will of God (not as if God had more wills then one, as ſome would faſten upon us) that is, either the voluntas, ſigni vel beneplaciti, which Strangius, following Channier, had rather call voluntas, foreign, & foreign; this diſtinction only hath place here for his Antecedent and Conſequent; Abſolute and Conditionate will, be they true or falſe, have no room here.

The will of his pleaſure then Mr. Shepherd muſt mean, yea, and doth ſo expreſs himſelf in terms, in ſeveral places: but the queſtion again is, How ſhall we come to know this Will of his? where is it made known? Learned Rutherford tells us, Voluntas ſigni, Exercite. Apolog. p. 202.reſpectu ſui objecti eſt propriiſſimè voluntas; nam quod Deus praecipit, vult & approbat ut rem bonam & ſanctam: quod vetat improbat ut malum: & ab aeterno decrevit, ut illa res ſit bona, etiam voluntate beneplaciti & decernente: ideóque objectum omne voluntatis ſigni eſt voti tum voluntate beneplaciti, &c. What ſhall we ſay to Gods Command to Abraham to ſacrifice his Son? If Mr. Shepherd will have us look here for this Will of God, in his command, promiſe or threat, then we know where to find it: If theſe ſinking diſcouragements under theſe thoughts be ſuch an object, as the will of his good pleaſure hath manifeſted his diſlike by forbidding them, then Mr. Shepherd hath ſaid right; but that Text we never read as yet; ſo that he muſt mean only his ſecret Will, that we may ſuppoſe, imagine, to be his Will, though it be not known or revealed.

Firſt, But then we deſire Mr. Shepherd would direct us to the Text, where any perſons were branded for reſiſters of Gods Will, when that Will of God was not known or revealed, or could be known. I think the Word brands them for Reſiſters only, who oppoſed his Will when he had declared it.

Secondly, God hath given his Son, ſent a Saviour, and declared his Will to the life; all may know it, it is ſounded with a loud Trumpet, that I muſt believe in him; he p. 134declares it by call, offer, command, promiſe, threat, ſeal, if I do not embrace his Son, my Saviour and Lord, now I am ſure I reſiſt his Will moſt wickedly; but if I ought to entertain thoughts, ſurmiſes, ſuppoſitions, that he will never give me Chriſt, and muſt be content with this will of his, becauſe (ſay you) it's poſſible it may be his will, none know: here is obedience to two contrary wills: we muſt ſet the Will of God at variance with it ſelf. If he will ſay, I ought not to ſurmiſe ſo, nor entertain ſuch thoughts or imaginations, but reject them, and embrace Chriſt, whom I am called to receive; I thank him for ſaying ſo, for then I ſhall not have any cauſe for ſuch ſinking diſcouragements, and ſo ſhall not reſiſt the Will of God by them: theſe ſinking diſcouragements, upon ſuch imaginations, are properly a reſiſting of the Will of God revealed in the Goſpel, as they hinder the Soul from cloſing with Chriſt offered, &c. as before.

Thirdly, If ſinking diſcouragements under theſe thoughts be a reſiſtance of Gods Will, then ſupporting encouragements under thoſe thoughts that God will never give me his Love, Grace, but damn me, are obedience to his Will: the Rule of Contraries will help here. Then I requeſt theſe two Worthies to give us ſome of theſe ſupporters.

That they do: And what, I pray, are they; Be content and quiet though God will never manifeſt Grace, never give you his Love, never pity you, never ſuccour you, though he will give you up to your luſts, and damn you; yet ſince he ſhall have the glory of his power and juſtice, you muſt be content, well apayed, ſatisfied. Theſe are the bladders put under our armes, to keep us from ſinking under theſe diſcouragements: I fear theſe bladders are filled with gunpowder, as Biſhop Ridley's friends gave him to him to help him; whether theſe will help poor Souls. I much doubt: theſe Supporters, while we lean on them, prove Spears rather to run into our very hearts; as he ſaid of the Egyptian Reed, If one lean on it, it will go into his hand and pierce it, Iſai. 36.6. But bleſſed be the Lord we know better p. 135encouragements. In Iſai. 33.14. we read of ſinners in Zion crying out, Who among us ſhall dwell with devouring fire? Who amongſt us ſhall dwell with everlaſting burnings? It ſeems they were terrified with theſe thoughts: but Mr Shepherd would almoſt make us believe it were a habitable place; for ſinking diſcouragements under the thoughts of it, when the awakened ſinner imagines God will thither ſend him, he calls a reſiſtance of Gods will. But O thou bleſſed Saint, who art now got to thy reſt in Heaven, is it poſſible for a Soul to entertain theſe thoughts as his portion, and muſt he ſet down contented, and not ſink? Sink? yea, ſink, and ſink, and ſink again; Who can ſtand under them? What is the wrath of the Almighty become a burden ſupportable, that you cry out againſt ſinking diſcouragements? Becauſe Sampſon could carry a way the gates of Gaza, can every Philiſtin do it? they would break any mans back elſe. Becauſe Chriſt hath carried the gates of Hell for poor believers, can we bear them, the thoughts of them, and not ſink? What didſt thou mean, O gracious Saint, to write ſuch words? Theſe thoughts once, a little while upon occaſion of this paſſage, began to take hold of me; the little time they laſted, made me a little to underſtand thoſe words concerning Chriſt, Mark 14 33. He began to be ſore amazed: And what ſhall I ſay, John 12.27. O what did our bleſſed ſweet Saviour meet with at that time? by the very little taſte I had a ſhort time, I perceived what was in his Cup: amazed indeed, and not know what to ſay; it is impoſſible any Soul ſhould live under theſe thoughts if they ſeize on him to purpoſe; unleſs God will make a Monument of him, as Spira: but to be without ſinking diſtracting diſcouragements, let him that can clear himſelf from them.

Queſt. 2. Whether quiet Contentation under theſe imaginations or ſuppoſitions, that God will never give or manifeſt Grace, his Love, but leave the Soul under its ſin, and damn it, be a condition requiſite to p. 136the right preparing of the awakened ſinner for Chriſt?

I put both Mr. Hooker and Mr. Shepherd into the ſame Queſtion; for though Mr. Shepherd hath not put in the word damn, yet he hath done that which amounts to as much; for if God will never manifeſt or give Grace, never give his Love, never pity or ſuccour, leave men under ſin (all which he hath expreſſed p. 140, 147, 154.) what is next but damning? And Mr. Hooker hath expreſſed it plainly, with theſe words, Content, quiet, well apayed, ſatisfied.

I might have ſtated the Queſtion, Whether it were a condition requiſite to ſound Grace, for a ſound Chriſtian at any time? I think as much at one time as at another: but ſince both of them have put it under preparation, and Mr. Hooker hath ſaid, there can be no right preparation for Chriſt, nor Faith, infuſed without it, therefore I limit it to the work of preparation.

What I have ſaid to ſuch ſuppoſitions and imaginations, the Reader may obſerve before. For the Negative I offer theſe Arguments.

Firſt Argument. That condition which neither Chriſt himſelf, nor any of his Apoſtles, in their preaching and calling home of Souls to Chriſt, did ever require, that condition is not requiſite to true preparation for Chriſt.

But quiet Contentation under theſe thoughts, that God will never give me his Love, Grace, &c. but damn me, is a condition that neither Chriſt, nor any of his Apoſtles, required in their preaching and calling home of Souls to Chriſt: Ergo, this condition is not requiſite; and by conſequence ought not to be preached by any Goſpel-Miniſter.

The Major neither of theſe holy Men will deny; who will acknowledge eaſily, that Chriſt was faithful in his houſe as a Son, Heb. 3.6. and ſo were his Apoſtles as his Miniſters; they would not omit any thing in their p. 137preaching which was requiſite and neceſſary for ſound Converſion: To imagine the contrary were monſtrous impiety.

For the Minor: Let thoſe who will affirm it name the Texts where Chriſt or any of his Apoſtles did ever require this condition; I will put in the Prophets alſo; name the Texts I pray: That there are conditions required by Chriſt, I grant; not as putting any worthineſs in the perſon, for the conditions make them ſee their own vileneſs and unworthineſs, they all tend to this, to make the Soul willing to embrace him; that is their end, men elſe will not care for Chriſt. Thus we read of weary, laden, Matth. 11.28. Sick, Matth. 9.12. Loſt, i. e. ſenſible of it, they ſee it, feel it, and know what the ſtate is, for all are loſt in reſpect of Adam's fall, ſo were the Phariſees as well as Publicans, but they were not ſenſible of it, they could find a way to Heaven, to God, by their own righteouſneſs and works; Luke 19.10. Thirſty, John 7.37. Revel. 22.17. yea, he comes to Whoſoever will, the ſame verſe: if but willing, theſe conditions we find; and theſe conditions may be very well, yea, have been found in thouſands, who never heard of ſuch a condition as we are upon. Where is this condition expreſſed, as theſe I have mentioned, You that are quietly content, and ſubject to the Soveraignty or Juſtice of God, if you think he will never give you Grace and his Love, never pity you, but leave you to your luſts and damn you; you who can be content to be at Gods diſpoſal thus, come you to me. If it be ſo neceſſary, that without it no true preparation, no faith (as theſe holy men ſay) then there is as great neceſſity that Chriſt and his Apoſtles had as clearly expreſſed it, as thoſe conditions which I have quoted: but I know nothing in the Goſpel like it. Indeed Mr. Hooker thinks yes, and found his Text in the Goſpel, which therefore in the next Argument we will conſider.

Second Argument. That condition which is not to be found in Goſpel-Converts, or in the patterns of Goſpel-Converſion, p. 138that condition cannot be requiſite to true preparation.

But this condition in the Queſtion, is not to be found in any Goſpel-Converts, or patterns of Goſpel-Converſion: Ergo, it is not requiſite.

The major is true: for a condition ſo neceſſary, as without it no faith, ſurely we ſhould find it in ſome Converts; yea, it muſt be in all. Will theſe Worthies ſay, this condition was found in the Converts in Acts 2. in Acts 8. in the Jaylour, Acts 16.? I think they will not affirm it; when they cried out, What ſhall we do to be ſaved? Did Paul or Peter tell them, Are you quiet, content ſubject to the will of God, in caſe you think he will not ſave you, but damn you for ever, never give you his love? If you be ſo prepared, then I will tell you what you ſhall do to be ſaved. Here was a fair opportunity for Paul, and ſo for Peter, to declare what was requiſite to true preparation: but here we have not the leaſt ſyllable like it. Whence if what theſe two Worthies have preached and printed be right, then though Paul ſaith, Acts 20.20, 27. He had not ſhunned to declare all the counſel of God, I ſhall be bold to ſay, Paul was not faithful; for here is a condition ſo requiſite, in their eſteem, that without it there can be no right preparation for Chriſt, no Faith: and Paul did not teach the Jaylour, nor Peter his Converts, one ſyllable of it.

Object. But it is to be found in patterns of Goſpel-Converſion, as in Luke 15.19. Where the Prodigal profeſſeth he was not worthy to be called a ſon, make me a hired ſervant.

Anſw. Very good; this is the Text Mr. Hooker grounds all his diſcourſe and doctrine upon; let us therefore examine it: Who is meant here by the Prodigal, I ſhall not inſiſt upon; whether one that is a Child of God, but hath apoſtatized from God, and is now returning home to his Father again, as ſome Divines, and I think Mr. An. Burges ſomewhere ſo expounds it: or whether thoſe Publicans and Sinners in the firſt verſe, at whom the Phariſees quarrell'd: p. 139I am ſure it cannot be meant, as one of the Miniſters in London of late times (whoſe name I ſpare) but if he be living he hath cauſe to be humbled for his blaſphemous interpretation, to make Chriſt this Prodigal, and ſo tortured the whole Parable moſt abominably, as one of his own Pariſh, who heard him, and laboured to juſtifie him, told me. But I will not labour in this; only if the firſt be meant, then Mr. Hooker's notion fails; for if a Child of God, then he had faith, and was before prepared, though now he apoſtatized wretchedly: but I will yield it, to be meant of a ſinners firſt coming home to God; and for the preparatory works they are very plain; only for coming to Chriſt, or to God by a Mediatour, there is nothing of that; what our nature is while under the power of ſin, how delirant, mad, (when he came to himſelf.) the ſhifts the Soul will make before it will come home to God, feed on husks with the Hogs, till ready to ſtarve, before it will come home: meditation, or conſideration of his Fathers houſe, reſolutions to return, confeſſions, humblings, ſelf-judgings, theſe things are clear; in his ſelf-judgings let us obſerve what he ſaith, and how Mr. Hooker paraphraſeth upon it. I am not worthy to be called thy ſon, make me as one of thy hired ſervants: upon which Mr. Hooker thus, p. 79. He is content to be at his Fathers diſpoſing; he doth not ſeek to be his own carver, and ſay, if I may be my Fathers Steward, &c. then I will go home: no, if I can but get into my Fathers houſe, though it were to be a drudge in the kitchin, I will dye rather then go away any more. So again, p. 98. He doth not ſay, if I may have half the rule in the family, I am content to live with you; no now he is content to be any thing, if he can but get into his Fathers houſe, &c. This is the ſum, and upon this he grounds his Doctrine. Very good: But I pray let the Reader obſerve, though the Prodigal were content to be any thing, ſcoure kettles in the kitchin, as Mr Hooker ſaith, yet ſtill the Prodigal would be in his Fathers houſe, where was plenty of bread, for his ſtarving condition; this Mr. Hooker acknowledgeth: Now this is no news, we bleſs God we p. 140can experience this, how the Soul, in the ſenſe of its vileneſs, dare not call God Father; to think of being a Son, it dares not, oh this is too high a condition; will but the Lord liſt me among his Servants, take me into his family, that I can but get within the door, that he will but own me for one of his family-upright Servants, O what rich mercy will this be, I ſhall adore it for ever: We know the meaning of this, but do we read the Prodigal ſaying thus? Nevertheleſs, Father, if thou wilt not take me into thy houſe, own me for a hired ſervant, though I ſcoure kettles, but wilt ſhut the door for ever againſt me, never pity, never ſuccour me, give me not one bit of bread, but let me lye without doors in bitter froſty nights, there eat my own fleſh, ſtarve and dye; yet ſince I have ſo offended thee, played the Prodigal, I am content, well apayed, ſatisfied in bearing thy wrath: This we muſt read in the Parable, elſe Mr. Hooker's dreadful doctrine hath no text or foundation to ſtand upon: and we bleſs God it hath not; for ſtill it's the Fathers houſe, and bread the Prodigal deſires, Mr. Hooker acknowledges, and the Text is clear enough; but a Contentation, to be left in ſin, given up to luſts, ſhut out of doors [Heaven] and dwell in the everlaſting burnings; never to be pitied; no Grace no Love of God; as theſe have taught us: not a ſyllable of this in the Parable.

Third Argument. If the end of God in preparatory works may be, and have been attained without this condition, then this condition is not requiſite. But Gods end in preparatory works may be and hath been attained, without this condition: Ergo, It is not requiſite.

For the Antecedent: What is the end of God in thoſe works? Is it not to make the Soul to ſee its need of Chriſt, and now come up to his terms, and accept him? Is not this owned by all Divines? Let Mr. Shepherd ſpeak, p. 138. The next end of humiliation is faith, or coming to Chriſt: So then in his Anſwer to the Queſtion, What meaſure of humiliation is here neceſſary? Thus he anſwers: Look as p. 141ſo much Conviction is neceſſary which begets Compunction, and ſo much Compunction as breeds humiliation: ſo, ſo much humiliation is neceſſary, as drives the Soul out of it ſelf to Chriſt. Very good, then Chriſt is the buſineſs in all this work.

For the Minor: That this end may be attained, and hath been attained without this condition, I appeal to thouſands, and ten thouſands of precious Believers, who never ſo much as heard of this dreadful condition, till theſe holy men printed it. Yea, if men can attain to ſuch high pitches, to be content, ſatisfied without the Love of God (I do not mean a careleſs content, I do not call that a high pitch) Grace, though given up to luſts and damned, ſo long as God hath the glory of his power and juſtice; I think theſe may be more like, not to be driven to Chriſt, then thoſe who cannot endure to hear of content and quietneſs without the Love of God, without Chriſt, without Grace and Holineſs: examine it well, and this condition ſpeaks not one whit of better preparation for Chriſt, but a ſubjection to the Soveraignty and juſtice of God, if it be attainable. In order to which I add the next Argument.

Fourth Argument. That condition which is croſs to the nature of man as man, to a Chriſtian as a Chriſtian, cannot poſſibly be a requiſite to Faith, and right preparation for Chriſt.

But ſuch is that condition in the queſtion. Ergo.

This is a certain truth which I will juſtifie, that, in all Gods Bible there is not one duty that God requires of his Creatures, which is contrary or croſs to his Creatures bappineſs. Name one. I know the duty of ſelf-denial, relations goods, liberty, life, honours, name, &c. muſt all be parted with, when the truths of the Goſpel call for them for Chriſt: very true; but ſtill I am happy, for I have God and Chriſt for my portion. But this condition cuts off all happineſs.

p. 142Firſt, It is contrary to man as man. I know God requires many duties contrary to the corrupt nature of man, ſo all holineſs, all duty is croſs; but to require ſuch a duty as deſtroyes the very nature of man, as he is a rational creature, it is moſt abſurd to phanſie ſuch a duty. Voluntas de neceſſitate appetit finem ultimum, Aquin. queſt. diſput. p. 302, 303.ut non poſſit ipſum non appetere. It is determined by a natural inclination to its ultimate end, that is, bleſſedneſs; it cannot but neceſſarily (not with the neceſſity of coaction) deſire and court after bleſſedneſs: So that it is impoſſible for any man to will not to be happy; he muſt ceaſe to be a rational Creature in ſo doing. The Soul then under this work ſtands convinced without any contradiction, the will is fully carried after the dictate of the practical judgment, that in union with God, lieth my bleſſedneſs; attain but this once, I have the thing I am ſo neceſſarily inclined to; here is my ſummum bonum, in union with him who is ſummum bonum; to enjoy him, love him, delight in him, and bleſs him for ever.

But to be content without the Love of God, to be caſt out from him and damned for ever, (which content cannot poſſibly be without an elicit Act of the will) is for a man to be willing to be ſeparated from his chief good; make a man will not to be happy; make a man will the ſummum malum, the greateſt evil that can befal a rational Creature; things impoſſible; there is no ſuſpenſion of the Acts of the will about its ultimate end Bleſſedneſs; will or nill it muſt: nill is impoſſible, then will it muſt; the will is carried out with the greateſt vehemency that a Creature can be carried out here: while then the will doth neceſſarily (yet libere ſaith Aquin.) and vehemently court bleſſedneſs, at the ſame time, it muſt be contented, ſatisfied, and what is that but willing? to be without it: where the will doth nolle with the higheſt vehemency, and that from a natural neceſſity alſo, can there be content, ſatisfaction, &c?

Object. If you ſay, though Nature cannot do this, yet Grace can do this.

p. 143I anſwer: Firſt, But there is no Grace yet, for this muſt be before there can be any Faith, ſaith Mr. Hooker; it is but a preparation to it, ſaith both he and Mr. Shepherd.

Secondly, What can Grace do? deſtroy that which is eſſential to Man as a rational Creature, and yet leave him a man, how abſur'd are theſe things?

Secondly, This condition is not conſiſtent with a Chriſtian as a Chriſtian: What is a Chriſtian, but one that being united to Chriſt, doth now live by the Faith of the Son of God, Gal. 2.20. both his life of Juſtification and Sanctification? but to be content to be without Chriſt, without Juflification, without Sanctification, and remain under his guilt and power of luſts, if Gods pleaſure be to have it ſo (a ſtrange If, a ſtrange ſuppoſition) this is contrary to the being of a Chriſtian.

Object. But, ſay you, we affirm, the Soul muſt deſire and chuſe Chriſt, endeavour and labour after him and holineſs.

Anſw. Very true: but at the ſame time he muſt will alſo to be without him and holineſs, unleſs you can tell me, how a man can be content, well apayed, ſatisfied, without any act of the will; if any act then volition or nolition; if nolition makes a man content, well apayed, ſatisfied, then my reaſon is gone, and all mens alſo; if volition, it is the thing I aim at. It is the will of God, as reſpecting, or related to ſuch an object, wherewith I am content.

Fifth Argument. That condition, by preaching of which a Miniſter cannot draw a Soul awakened under ſenſe of ſin to Chriſt, that condition is not requiſite in that preparation to Chriſt.

But by preaching of the condition in the queſtion, Miniſters cannot draw Souls to Chriſt. Ergo, it is not requiſite in preparation.

The Major is plain: Goſpel-Miniſters muſt endeavour p. 144to win Souls and draw them to Chriſt; they are Embaſſadours for him; they woo for him: the Father draws, and the Soul comes, John 6.44. the Soul comes as ſurely as if it were drawn with many Horſes and Ropes; yet it comes, there is the freedom: to draw by coaction of the will, God doth not, cannot; ſo Miniſters they muſt endeavour to draw Souls: with what Cords is the queſtion? I believe the condition in the queſtion will not be found to be one; all the former works in preparation did but tend to this end, to take off that renitency, reſiſtance of the Soul, whence the Soul would not come, Chriſt will not force a Match: take the Soul come to that degree of preparation I have mentioned, and now with all its Soul it would get a Chriſt if it could, come to him, ay with all my heart, draw and I come. I will help draw you, Thou knoweſt how thou haſt played the rebel againſt God, now you feel the ſmart of it: 'tis true, now you would have Chriſt, the Love of God, Grace, theſe things would cure and eaſe you; but I muſt tell you, God is Soveraign of his own Grace, gives it where he pleaſeth, and if he will have the glory of his Power and Juſtice upon you, and deny you Chriſt, Grace, Love, and damn you, you muſt be content, quiet, ſatisfied, and willing to be at his diſpoſal as to this point. O how ſweetly doth this Cord draw to Chriſt? it may prove a Cord indeed, but not to draw the Soul to Chriſt, (for there is not the leaſt ſpiritual Logick in it to draw the Souls to Chriſt) but to help to hang it: however reverend Mr. Hooker thinks it is the only way to ſave from the halter: let thoſe that will try it; bleſſed be God for the Cords of the Goſpel, of which, I am ſure, this is none. Is this the way to beget good thoughts in the Soul, of God and Chriſt? that muſt be one way, if ever we intend to draw to Chriſt. This is wooing with a witneſs, to tell the Soul this ſtory.

Sixth Argument. That condition which claſheth with the Duties God requires of his Creature, that condition is not requiſite in preparation.

p. 145But that condition in the queſtion claſheth with the Duties God requires, (being actually put, it keeps them from performing their duty.) Ergo, That condition is not requiſite.

The Major is plain enough: People muſt not be kept from doing that which is their duty at all times. God calls me to Chriſt: it is my duty to go to him. God offers Chriſt to me: it is my duty to receive him. God commands me to believe in him: the higheſt diſobedience that can be not to obey. He threatens me with his wrath if I do not believe: I muſt be damned then if I do not believe in him. God promiſeth me, if I believe in him, I ſhall have his Love, his Grace, be ſaved: My duty is to believe his Truth and faithfulneſs: in my Baptiſme God ſealed his Promiſe and his Covenant: it is my duty to make uſe of it, to look to my condition under that Covenant, and believe Gods truth, goodneſs, faithfulneſs in it: In all theſe my duty is to believe, God was real, that he did not offer, call, command, promiſe, ſeal one thing and mean another; God did not mock me, nor dare I mock him. On the other ſide, Mr. Shepherd and Mr. Hooker tell me, it is my duty to be content, ſatisfied without Chriſt (for if I muſt be content to be without Gods Love, Grace, and be damned, then I muſt be content without Chriſt) if God will have it ſo: But, ſay I, Gods will appears contrary, he tells me my duty plainly in all thoſe Heads. There is an imagination, a ſuppoſition, ſet againſt as plain duties as any in the Bible.

Some thing of this Argument I wrote to Mr. Shepherd; his anſwer to it is this; I do not think that any man in humiliation for ſin is to be careleſly content and quiet (nor did I ſo underſtand Mr. Shepherd) that God ſhould diſpoſe of him how he will, as caring for nothing, but humbly and meekly, quiet and content he ſhould, as unworthy of any thing (had worthineſs been the thing we ſhould ſoon agree) which latter may well ſtand with earneſt ſeeking after Gods Love, and Gods threatning the Soul if he do not: as Chriſt that was content to drink the Cup, yet earneſtly p. 146prayed againſt it: and this anſwers another ſcruple, viz. that if a Chriſtian muſt be ſo far humbled, as not to reſiſt God when he comes to do him good, nor yet to quarrel in caſe it thinks the Lord may caſt it off, then how can this ſtand (ſay you) with Gods Command, who bids us ſeek his favour, or with his threatning if we do not?

This is all the anſwer of this reverend man, I omit not one ſyllable.

In which I deſire the Reader to obſerve; that for the word quarrel, it was his putting in, not mine; for I did never intend to juſtifie, that a Creature ſhould quarrel with his Creatour; though we read of thoſe in the Scripture that did ſo, in the day of their temptations: but this was their infirmity: This, as I have ſhewn, was another queſtion, and I have ſpoken to this before.

Alſo he may obſerve, that I have not miſtaken the ſenſe of the queſtion, diſputing againſt careleſs content: For then I would not have called ſuch a Soul a damned Saint, if ſuch a thing be attainable: Yet a ſtrange Riddle, if the thing be attainable in this Soul, under that preparation we have mentioned, and the queſtion ſpeaks of, that the higheſt Act of quiet ſubjection to the Juſtice of God, which no rational Creature can imagine the like, can be performed by one where there is no Grace as yet.

So that there is nothing added in Mr. Shepherd's anſwer to my Argument but only this, A man may earneſtly ſeek for the favour of God, and yet at that time be quietly content to be denied if his pleaſure be to deny it: this he proves from Chriſts earneſt prayer againſt the Cup, yet content, &c. This is all I have to reply to.

Now to this Anſwer I reply: It is very true, that a man may pray earneſtly for favour from God, or favour of God (taken in a large ſenſe) and yet at the ſame time may, and I will add ought, at the ſame time labour for a quiet, meek, contented frame if God will deny it: but this hits not my Argument:

p. 147I argued thus: Here is a Command of God lyes upon me, my duty is to anſwer it: Here is a threatning of damnation, if I do not perform my duty: yet at the ſame time here is a duty lyes upon me, to be quietly content without the duty, which I am commanded, and threatned if I obey not: one duty claſheth againſt the other. As Grace is my duty, I muſt have it, or damned. It is your duty, ſaith Mr. Shepherd, to be quietly content, though God will never give you Grace, at the ſame time. It is my duty to ſeek my union with God and his Love, he is my ſummum bonum; if I have him not I am damned. It is your duty to be quietly content without your ſummum bonum, without God, without his Love, if he will have it ſo. So it is my duty to believe in Chriſt, elſe I am damned if I obey not. It is your duty to be quietly content without Faith and Chriſt, if God will not give him to you, ſaith Mr. Shepherd: So that I cannot ſee where the ſtrength of my Argument is touched at all.

For his proof from Chriſt: Let us ſee if the caſe be parallel.

Firſt, To drink that dreadful bitter Cup, was the deſign and intent of God in ſending of his Son, and the intent of Chriſt in coming: Thus John 12.27. when his Soul was ſo troubled that he could not tell what to ſay but this, Father ſave me from this hour; he adds, John 18.11.John 18:11But for this cauſe came I unto this hour: he ſhould looſe the end of his coming. And is this the intent, the deſign of God, to ſend all men into the world to damn them if he pleaſe?

Secondly, Chriſt undertook this work freely; he was at his own choice whether he would or not. He gave himſelf, Gal. 1.4. Tit 2.14. For this cauſe I came John 12.27, Is the caſe ſo with us?

Thirdly, He was able to undertake it, he did go through with it, drunk up his Cup, the dregs of it, bleſſed be his Name, left nothing in it for his poor people to drink of it; Hence Luke 22.15. With deſire have I deſired this Paſsover, his laſt, when he ſhould be made our Paſsover, that was next. Is it ſo with us?

p. 148Fourthly, True, Chriſt did pray to be delivered from it; when he came to ſmell the Cup, it was ſo horrid, that the human nature flew back, as if he had repented of his undertaking: but Chriſt was not bound to pray that prayer, there was no duty in it, obedience to a Command (which is my Argument) but only the human nature, amazed, aſtoniſhed at the dread of what he was now going upon, would have ſaved it ſelf: it did diſcover the reallity of his humane nature, but no ſin in it: whence I leave it to any judicious Reader, whether there be any thing in this Anſwer to take off my Argument.

Seventh Arg. Laſtly, I will not draw my Argument into form, but this I would ſay, bleſſed Lord, what mean theſe worthy men? do we find the ſons of men to be ſo eagerly ſet after thy Love, after thy Grace? are men ſo diſquieted without thy Love, and thy Grace, that we muſt now go teach them, that they muſt be quietly contented and ſatisfied, if they ſuppoſe thou wilt never give them thy Grace? How long may thy poor Miniſters preach, and mourn at laſt that they cannot get one, perſwade not one in a year to care for thy Love, to regard thy Grace? Inſtead of quarrelling with thee, becauſe thou wilt not give them thy Love and Grace, they quarrel with us, becauſe we ſtir them up to ſeek it, and threaten them from thee, becauſe they neglect it: So that certainly of all doctrines this doctrine might have been ſpared. Mr. Shepherd, p. 97. ſpeaking againſt ſome, ſaith, Are we troubled with too many wounded Conſciences in theſe times, that we are ſo ſolicitous of coining new principles of peace? The ſame ſay I, are we troubled with too many diſquieted Souls for the Love of God, and the manifeſtation of his Grace, that we muſt invent a new way how to quiet them, not new principles of peace, but new principles of trouble; heart-ſtabbing principles; to be content without Gods Love, Grace, to be content to abide the ſtate of damnation; to tell the Devil, that if God will give me up to my luſts, and damn me, yet ſo he hath the honour of his Power and Juſtice, I am content.

p. 149Bleſſed be God, for revealing his gracious name, his Chriſt, his Goſpel, Covenant, Promiſes, Seals, we can find better principles for diſquieted Souls out of theſe, than this new one, which I never read in any other Author but theſe.

So much for theſe worthy men (as to this point) whoſe perſons as I knew, ſo their eminent graces and Miniſterial abilities I do moſt highly honour; it being my greateſt trouble in this, that I muſt oppoſe thoſe whom I do ſo much honour. But Truth and the Lambs of Chriſt muſt be regarded. Amicus Socrates, Amicus Plato, &c.