Innocency Though Under a Cloud Cleared, Part 1 – Part 2
Obſervations as to Duty.
1. Lye low, and pray till God come in; but pray most when he is come in; for the ſoul prays best when he injoys God most: Call while he is near, Iſa. 55.6. Pſal. 21.13. Cant. 1.4.
2. A Soul doth not gain, but loſe, by keeping from Duty, for the want of the Life of Duty.
Obſerve,
'Tis good to lye at the ſide of the Pool, though we want ſtrength to go in.
3. 'Tis proper for the ſoul when it prayes beſts to judge it ſelf to pray worſt.
Obſerve,
Pride in Prayer, eates out the heart of Prayer.
Experience is a good concomitent of Prayer, but no way ſafe to be a Foundation of Faith or Prayer; God's promiſed Word is only a fit Foundation for that work.
In a word, Nothing can or is a fit Foundation, but this which doth ſtand when all falls.
Prayer is a Duty God calls for, and it is a way to acknowledge God; but it was never intended to change or alter God, but to change us, and not force God, but fit us for what's promiſed and purpoſed of God for us.
That heart prays beſt, that appears leaſt in its own name or nature.
And that heart prevailes moſt, that prays moſt in the Name, that is to ſay, in the true Nature of Chriſt.
Then we may deſcribe Prayer thus;
Prayer is the exerciſe of God's Spirit in us, pouring out the Soul to God, in the Name, that is to ſay, in the Nature of Chriſt, and in his Intereſt, pleading with God for ſupply of wants, in anſwer to his Will.
Obſerve,
So Prayer is the Language of God in us, not to alter God, but us; not to beget new Grace in God, but from his old Grace, to bring down renewed ſupplies to us.
Obſerve,
He prayes best that ſtands leaſt in his own will.
Obſerve,
The way to keep a heart from ſinful liſtings up in Prayer, is truly to know the Life of Prayer is not its own, but comes down from God before it is in him.
Obſerve,
Nothing prevails with God but what's his own; therefore prevailing Prayer is not ours, but God's: The true ſence of this layes down, what the Devil by duty would lift up; that heart ſeldome prevailes by Prayer under temptatation, ſtraits and difficulties, that keeps its eye upon the Difficulties, and not on a Promiſe. That Faith or Prayer honours God beſt, that truſteth and eyes God most in the face of a ſeeming impoſſibility. That ſoul is most prevalent with God in Prayer, that ſeeth nothing out of God capable to help or anſwer Prayer. So much concerning Prayer.
Let me now ſpeak a word of Advice to my Relations and Friends, as to the Deceit that attends men and women in their Affection of Love.
1. Be careful in loving Sanits, that you love them as Saints; if ſo, you will love them beſt in whom you ſee moſt of Chriſt and Grace, though ſtrangers other wayes to you.
2. They that are moſt faithful, and downright in reproving you for ſin, or neglect of duty to Chriſt, are the fiteſt objects of a Chriſtians Love; and when there is leaſt Deceit in thy love, theſe will be, not leaſt, but moſt beloved.
3. That Love is commonly the beſt, that loves that moſt that is ſeen leaſt; and that is not ſo much for acts without, as Grace within.
4. If it be a true Love, it is a laſting Love, and holds out in times of danger, as well as in times of proſperous duty.
5. True Love is ſeen moſt and known beſt, when as the party beloved is in a low ſuffering condition; for the Life of true Love lies much in ſympathizing with that it loves; So then that Love that only loves while and when the object beloved can communicate or anſwer its Love with a reciprocal good or profit, but when the object lies under ſufferings, or cenſures, or wants, it draws back and dyes, it's a falſe Love; for true Love doth principally manifeſt it ſelf in Unity, Community, and Sympathy, and in the laſt is ſeen moſt.
6. Where true Love is, there is a Spirit that attends it, that is the Life of it; and where this Love doth God-like, and Chriſt-like, go forth to love, the Spirit of that Love goes forth into the object beloved, indearing and uniting the heart and life of each other; As Jonathan and David.
7. True God-like and Chriſt-like Love, is not only a ſympathizing and uniting Love, but it's a bearing & covering Love, it's nimble eyed to ſee Beauty, but very dim to ſee Deformity.
But becauſe there is ſo much deceit in Love, let me adviſe you to take heed of falſe Love, or imitating Love, that will deceive.
1. That Love will deceive, that loves Parts more than Principles, yet think it is for Principles they love.
2. When as their Love to the party beloved, is very high and violent while the party is in credit, but if under reproach, or clouds, or cenſures, their ſeeming Love, is with great eaſe & readineſs, turned into cenſuring, and for the moſt part, without either examination or reluctancy: but in true Love where Life goes out, it is not ſo eaſily called in, but will turn and ſearch, and ſearch before it will ſhift.
3. A third deceit rides only upon, or moſt upon the wing of Oneneſs in Judgment, as to the viſible wayes of God & Chriſt, or in other wayes; but others that have more Grace, are not ſo much beloved, unleſs they be of the ſame length, breadth & heighth in point of Judgment: this ſort of Love is the moſt univerſally deceivable in this day; and yet the moſt ſad threed-bare Love that ever the Devil ſpun.
4. It is, when Souls love only ſo long as they are beloved.
5. Another Deceit in Love is, When men in their Love, under the notion of Religion or Grace, are more to women than to men; and in women to men more than to women; all Love ought to be lookt after, but this to have a double watch.
Now becauſe the beſt way to try the Truth of Love, is by the Properties that the Scriptures witneſs to be in true Love, I ſhall ſay no more as to the Truth or Deceit that is in Love, by the rule of my own experience; but beſeech my Relations and Friends to mind well what the Apoſtle ſaith of true Love in 1 Cor. 13.4. to the 8th verſe; where the very natural and eſſential Properties of Love is aſſerted; and ſo aſſerted, that they that can witneſs what's there ſaid, may aſſuredly know their Love is true; and if the contrary be found in you, or any, you may with the ſame aſſurance know, your Love, though it appear never ſo high, yet it is but falſe deceitful imitating Love.
It is good to conſider well what Love is; true Spiritual Love ſprings out of God; and what it truly is; it returns to God, carrying the heart where it is truly placed, along with it to God, and there it's fixed and centered.
And though it may ſhake hands in its paſſage with an inferiour good; yet 'tis not at home, but as it is, and when it is with God; for in that Union is its being, and in communion with that good is its well being. If you take Love in its Parts, you will ſee more of is Excellency.
Obſerve a good mans deſcription of Love.
Deſire is Love in motion: perſuit after good the continued ſailes of Love.
Delight is Love in reſt, or acquieſcing in the …ſſeſſion of it. Delight is the Sabbath of Love.
Fear is Love in awe of the beloved.
Hope is Love in expectation.
Zeal is Love in fire or flame.
And ſo Zeal is moſt properly attributed to God. This was a good Friends deſcription of Love. And now mind,
True Love never dies to what it truly loves; for it never ſo loves but where it lives: it lives in union and communion with the Good it loves. Now that you may the better ſee the Nature and undeceivable Properties of true Love, or Charity, ſee 1 Cor. 13.4. to the 8th verſ, ſee the 4th verſ. Charity, or Love, ſuffers long; that is, it is not eaſily provoked; or a better reading is, It's ſlow to anger; ſo that a heart truly inriched with this Grace of Love, is a mild and meek heart, not full of fire and fury, but if occaſions be offered, it is drawn, as the God of Love is, to afflict, but not willingly.
2. Not only ſlow to anger, but kind; the word may be read Bountiful; that is, the heart thus loving, is not only bound up from fury of one hand, but it's on the other hand at that ſeaſon full of Kindneſs or Bounty; that is to ſay, it's not only backward to anſwer evil with anger, but to conquer it with Kindneſs, and readineſs to do good againſt evil.
3. It envies not; that is to ſay, it doth not only ceaſe from acts of fury, ſhewing it ſelf paſſionate, but at that time it doth not ſo much inwardly envy or wiſh hurt to any, o… grude or repine, or envy the good of others though it ſelf may want that good; in that ſence it's quietly contented with its own portion, and God's diſpoſe to enemies and friends.
4. Love vaunteth not it ſelf; that is, as you may ſee in the Margent of your Books, it's not inconſiderate, but weigheth all things, and is ſerious and conſiderate, in doing, and loving, and ſaying, it doth not do things raſhly.
5. It's not puffed up; that is, it is not the property of a heart inriched with true Love, to ſwell, & to be frothyly fil'd with the wind of it's own conceits, as bear gifts or imitating-grace upon every occaſion of its own advance, will be.
6. In the 5th verſe, It doth not behave it ſelf unſeemly. This may, as an antient Father well obſerved, be taken two wayes; As, Firſt, Love will not ſuffer a ſoul to do unſeemly or uncomely things; So Secondly, It accounts no ſervice unſeemly wherein it is to ſerve the party beloved, though it be below it ſelf as to men; therefore God imbrates an opportunity to love and ſerve his, when in their blood, and loathed by others, …e he then waſhes and binds them up: So Chriſt waſhed his Diſciples feet, and counts …t no way unſeemly.
7. Love ſeeks not her own; a true Property of Love indeed; for it's the nature of true …ove delightfully to ſeek the good of what, or of that it loves; The word imports, as if it were dim-ſighted as to ſelf-intereſt, or ſelf-ſeeking; and its great purſuit is delightfully to do good, and ſeek the good of others, as if that only practice were its proper poſture: O this is God-like and Chriſt-like; all ſelf-love and falſe-love is quite of another nature.
8. It is not eaſily provoked. Some read, it is not eaſily imbittered, or ſharp; that is to ſay, it's not full of biting and cutting words, but manifeſteth it ſelf ſmoothly and ſweetly, though it meets with provocations.
9. It thinks no evil; that is, it is not imagining or contriving evil againſt any, nor eaſily drawn to think evil of others; but as it lives in a harmleſs way it ſelf, ſo it is ready to judge others do ſo too; not like the ſpirit of jealouſie and the eye of gilt, which is alwayes either imagining evil againſt others, or judging others; and yet for jealouſie, it will tell you, love makes it do ſo: but true Love is of another nature than either.
10. From the 6th verſe; It rejoyces not is iniquity. Some reade, and its moſt properly to be read, Rejoyces not in injuſtice, but in the Truth, as the words follow, or with the Truth, that is, it cannot rejoyce in any unjuſt proceeding in afflicting any, but its delight is to have the Truth heard and vindicated, and Juſtice to be done juſtly, and for none to ſuffer without juſt cauſe; quite contrary to Hypocrites love, which if it hath a prejudice againſt one, or if one ſtands in its way of profit or honour, how ready are they to aſperſe, and caſt dirt in their faces; and if any other caſt dirt upon them, and bring unjuſt reproaches or ſuffering upon one that ſo ſtands in their way, O how they rejoyce. O ſad property of profeſſing Love in this day!
11. In verſe the 9th; Love beareth all things. Now if we will believe the beſt Grecians in the reading of theſe words, it is not then ſo to be read, but it covers all things; that is, if it meets with ſome evil uſage, or if it ſeeth a brother fall into ſome evil, it is ſo far from being prone to blaze it and report it, that its naturally prone to cover, and with al lawful-wiſe wayes to hide it with one hand, whilſt it helps the fallen ſoul with the other; quite contrary to the way of ſome in this day, though they profeſs, and that highly, to Love, yet ſo ſoon as they hear of an infirmity, or that a brother or a ſiſter is fallen, they are preſently on fire to devulge it, even ſo haſty and greedy, that they cannot ſpare time to ſearch and ſee whether the report be true or no; but as the Prophet ſaith, Jer. 20.10. Report and we will report: theſe Souls in this work, do rather think to make themſelves Saints, than judg themſelves to fin: but alas, though they profeſs Love, they know it not, in the day of God they will ſee themſelves miſtaken.
12. It believes all things; that is, it is ready to believe all good, and good of all; though there be ſome evil in others, or againſt it ſelf, yet Love is very dark-ſighted as to aggravate it, and is very hardly brought to believe it, but is ready to think all is like it ſelf.
13. It hopes all things; that is, it is very hardly brought off from expecting of good where good ſhould be, or is profeſſed to be; and though ſome contrary evil ariſeth, yet a heart filled with Love is ſtill hoping the beſt, and making the beſt of it.
14. It endures all things. In this much is to be minded; it endures any hardſhips to ſerve what or that it loves; it will and doth indure very harſh and hard dealings from others for its loving; one cenſures and another frowns, and another throws dirt in its face, as they did in the face of Chriſt for loving of poor ſouls: And again, it will endure much hardſhip and hard uſage from that or them it loves, before it will leave off loving; nay, it will rather endure hard dealings, and conquer them with Love, than leave off loving. Did not Chriſt do ſo with the Spouſe, Cant. 5. And what hard uſage did God receive from his People, as you may ſee in Jer. 2d. and 3d. chapters? yet God follows them with Love. O what hard uſage did Paul receive for and in the way of his Love from them he loved! and yet he loved ſtill; a ſweet leſſon for Saints in this day to learn. O that God would give me, and all his People, power ſeriouſly to try our Love by theſe Rules. Love is laid down in Scripture, as one of the chiefeſt ſigns of our Son-ſhip; O therefore we had need be careful we are not miſtaken, eſpecially in this day, wherein there is ſo much imitation of Love, and yet not Love; the Lord help us to try, that we may be found in the Truth, and the Love of the Truth, and true Love may be found in us. O if ever the leſſon that Chriſt preached to his Diſciples in the 14.15.16. chapters of John, and that John preached in 1 Joh. 2, 3, 4, 5, chapters, as to this great Duty of Love, there was never a ſeaſon that called for that ſervice like this; and never was the dear Appointments and Service of God, leſs honoured with this Saint-honouring Grace of Love, than now in this day: the Devil knows it is the ſinewes and nerves that keeps Saints one: and he alſo knows the way to deſtroy the People of God, is to devide the People of God: They are very blind that in looking back, cannot ſee, …hat ſo long as the People of God kept in …nity, they were kept in proſperity, and when …hey devided, they ſoon fell. O that God …ould give his People hearts, to know from …hence they are fallen, and to do their firſt works, and to remember their former Virgin-Love, which formerly appeared to bear bloſſoms, till the ſad froſt of a revolting ſpirit, cauſed it to be nipt with cold blaſts of God's Northern winds.
O would any ſouls recover Love, labour to be acquainted more with the God of Love, and live more under the ſence of the want of Love, and covet to be firſt in that work; and where you ſee a want of Love, love them into Love. And the God of all Love, Peace and Grace live with you. Amen, Amen.
I have done with ſpeaking of true God like Love: I might ſpeak ſomething of natural Love, and alſo the Love of Friends, of Relations, or Neighbours, upon a natural account, but of that I ſhall forbear; only,
Brief Word or two to my Children; which mind as followeth.
VVHen and whereſoever you find ſhews of Love, take a longer time … try it, than to truſt it: Meet with no friend… Love, but anſwer it with Love; and where … intend to continue in Friendſhip and …ove, ſtay not from loving till you are belo…ed, but love that you may be loved; know that …ove that your Love begets, will not only …ſt longeſt, but will end moſt honourably.
2. Take heed of a pleaſant ſmooth lan…age, where there is an evil life.
3. Truſt none that ſpeaks fair to you, if …u find them prone to ſpeak evil of others.
4. Look well behind men and before men, …ore you intruſt any ſecret in men or wo…en.
5. If you would gain and receive a friend… eſteem of all, walk humbly towards every …in; for the beſt way to be honoured as a …ſter, is to be to all like a Servant, to the …ants, but not to the carnal wills of men.
6. If you would retain friendſhip among …, what ever you hear, ſpeak evil of none.
7. To retain Friendſhip long, take heed … leave not your intereſt looſe among any.
In word, my dear Children, if you wiſely and friendly & profitably live in the world as to the world, mind this rule:
So live among men, that you may overſe… all men, learn ſomething from every man but confide in no man; and yet ſo, as to ſuffer no man to loſe, but rather to gain by you.