The Wells of Salvation Opened, Section 19
SECT. XIX.
II. THE Second and last thing for your guidance in the way of Salvation, is, To shew you what Means you must make use of to help you in these things.
There are Ten Means to be used in order to the attaining of Salvation:
1. Self-examination.
2. Reading the Word of God, and other good books.
3. Hearing the Word Preached.
4. Meditation.
5. Prayer.
6. Christian-conference.
7. Watchfulness.
8. Sanctification of Fasting-dayes.
9. Sanctification of Sabbath-dayes.
10. Improvement of Sacrament-dayes.
Means 1. Self-examination. You must examine your selves, if you would see your selves lost; you may read the mistake of the Laodiceans, Rev. 3.17. Thou sayest, I am rich, and encreased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, miserable, and poor, and blinde, and naked. You must examine and prove your spiritual state, that you may have a right judgement thereof, that you may perceive how poor, and wretched, and miserable you are whilest you are in a state of Nature. You must examine your selves, that you may get a sight and sense of sin: Ier. 8.6. I hearkned and heard, but they spake not aright, no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the Horse rusheth into the battel. You must examine what you have done, if you would repent of your sins; you must search and try your wayes, if you would turn from your evil wayes; you must commune with your hearts, and come to your selves, with the Prodigal, if you would return unto God, and turn your feet unto his Testimonies. Be serious then in this great duty of Self-examination; and that you may be so, I would advise that you would set apart time for it, when your thoughts are most free, and affections most sedate and quiet; get out of the hurry of the world, and lay aside other business for a while; and withall separate your selves from company, and retire into secret, where you may be free from external disturbances and interruptions; whatever indispositions and withdrawments of heart you finde, force your selves to the work; resist Satan, who will endeavour to divert and discourage you: Set your selves in the presence of God; desire him to search you; beg his help in the duty; labour to keep your minde close to it; if vain thoughts arise, and would hurry you away, look up to Christ to rebuke them, and to bring them into captivity and obedience unto himself. And then sit down, and seriously consider what you have done ever since you came into the World, and withall think with your selves what you will do when your life and this world shall come to an end. Take a review of your sins; they are noted down upon the book of your Consciences, peruse this book; and if you extracted a Catalogue of your sins, it might be a help to you. Note down your original sin; your actual sins; your transgressions of Gods Law, in the first and the second Table thereof; your disobedience to the Gospel; the aggravations of your sins.
Means 2. Reading the Word of God, and other good books. The rule whereby you are to examine your selves is the Word; this is like a Candle, which will give light in dark corners; this is like a Glass, which will discover spots in the face; you must search the Word, and try your selves her…by, if you would have knowledge of sin, and your spiritual state; and you must search the Word, if you would have knowledge and acquaintance with God and his will. You may arrive to some knowledge of God by reading the Book of Nature; the whole world is full of God, and every Creature doth represent him; but the world is full of sin too, and the more immediate representations of the Creatures are sensitive things, which our sense layeth hold on first, and is apt there to stick, without further piercing and searching to finde out God; and where we have one provocation from the Creatures to love and serve him (through the bewitching temptations of the world, meeting with the worldly lusts of our hearts) we have a thousand incitements and allurements from them to sin against God; but the Word is full of God, and no incitement there to sin, full of perswasives to holiness and obedience; God is to be seen more easily, and he setteth forth himself there most conspicuously; In the Book of the Scriptures you have the most glorious discoveries of God, in his greatness, majesty, power, holiness, love, mercy, and the like; and the way made known of acquaintance and communion with him; if you would be acquainted with God in Christ, you must acquaint your selves with the Scriptures: Read the Scriptures daily, and search them; Ioh. 5.39. read not only the history of the Word, but labour to understand the mystery of Godliness therein revealed, 1 Tim. 3.16. endeavour after a spiritual discerning of the things of the Spirit, 1 Cor. 2.14. when you meet with Doctrines in your reading the Word, labour to understand and believe them; when you meet with Precepts labour to obey them; when with Prohibitions and Threatnings, be cautioned against sin by them; when you meet with promises, labour to apply them, to draw vertue from them. Read this Book as the Word of God, and hide it in your heart; lay it up there, as a choice treasure, get your hearts cast into the mould of it; get it written upon your hearts, and let it have an influence upon your whole conversation; and that you may the better understand and apply the truths of the Word, read as you have time other good books, which open the Scriptures, and treat of needfull points of Religion, especially such as direct in the great work of Conversion, and give Rules out of the Word for the ordering of your whole conversation; but above all Books read and study the Scriptures.
Means 3. Hearing the Word Preached. It is by the foolishness of Preaching that God saveth such as do believe, 1 Cor. 1.21. however the preaching of the Word is to them that perish foolishness, yet unto Believers it is the power of God unto salvation; therein God doth put forth his power, and maketh bare his arm, in bringing salvation to lost souls. Hear and thy Soul shall live, Isa. 55.3. Faith cometh by hearing, Rome. 10.17. Lydia's heart was opened whilest she attended upon the Word preached by Paul, Act. 16.14. Attend therefore diligently upon the Word preached by Christs Ministers, as an Ordinance of his own institution for the working and increase of Grace: Look upon Ministers as Christs Ambassadours; he that heareth them heareth Christ, and he that turneth away his ear from hearing them, turneth away his ear from Christ, who by his Spirit in them speaketh from Heaven unto men, and how impossible it is for such to escape the wrath of God, see Heb. 12.25. Much more shall not they escape that turn away their ear from him that speaketh from Heaven. Hear the Word with reverence, as the Word of God, as if the Lord should speak to you from Heaven with an audible voice; hear the Word with diligence and attention as for your lives, as for the salvation of your Souls; hear the Word with faith and love, without which it will not profit and work effectually in your hearts; and in hearing look not so much for those things which may please, as for that which may edifie; I mean, do not regard so much mens fancies, as the wholsom Truths of the Word, which tend most to conviction, edification, to the killing of sin, quickning and increase of Grace, and nourishment of the spiritual life.
Means 4. Meditation. The Word like Food must be digested by Meditation, that it may turn to spiritual nourishment; you must ponder and consider in your mindes the Truths of the Word, that you may both understand them, and get your Hearts affected with them, and your Lives ordered by them. Meditation is a great help in Heavens way, such as are remiss herein cannot walk so steddily, nor chearfully; accustome your selves unto this duty, set apart time for it; I know that some complain of barrenness in their thoughts, when they endeavour to meditate; such I would advise, if they have not that fruitfulness of thoughts themselves to supply them with matter, that they would make use of others help; let them meditate on the Scriptures they read, on the Sermons they hear; moreover I would offer some general heads for Meditation, which you may make use of. 1. Sometimes meditate on God, his Attributes, his infinite Majesty, power, holiness, omnipresence, omniscience, eternity, unchangeableness, his infinite wisdom, truth, faithfulness, justice, goodness, mercy and loving-kindness; his Councels, especially his eternal decree of Election, which is of most sweet consideration to Believers; his works of Creation and Providence. 2. Sometimes meditate on Christ; his near relations, of Friend, Brother, Husband; his needfull Offices of Priest, Prophet, and King. 3. Sometimes meditate on the Spirit, his way and workings on the minde and heart, how he enlighteneth, enliveneth, strengtheneth, comforteth, &c. 4. Sometimes meditate on the Covenant of Grace, and the rich, free, suitable, sure Promises of pardon, grace, salvation therein. 5. Sometimes meditate on the Gospel, and its priviledges, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Assurance of Gods love, peace of Conscience, Joy in the Holy Ghost, communications of grace, &c. 6. Sometimes meditate on the four last things, namely, Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell. 7. Sometimes meditate, and that frequently, daily, of such Arguments as tend to the mortifying of your particular sins, which are most strong and prevalent, and to the strengthening of your graces which you finde most weak and deficient.
Means 5. Prayer. Pray secretly; retire your selves from company into your Closets, or some private place, and there confess your sins, and make known your requests to God, that seeth and heareth in secret, and hath promised an open reward to such as secretly and sincerely seek him. Pray frequently, be often upon your knees, give your selves unto Prayer; begin the day, conclude the day with Prayer, and recover some other time to visit and speak to God; at least mingle ejaculatory Prayer with every other work; and labour that your minds may be always in a praying frame; and do not withdraw, but be glad when an opportunity offereth it self to come to the throne of grace. Pray fervently, pour forth your hearts before God in the duty; wr…stle with God in Prayer like Iacob, be earn…st in your Petitions as for your lives, be instant and importunate, take no denyal, follow hard after God; stir up your selves to take hold on him, use arguments in Prayer, to plead with him. Pray believing…y, mingle your prayers with Faith; make use of the name and mediation of Jesus Christ; and make application of the Promises which God hath made to his People, which he hath made to Faith, and which he hath made to Prayer.
Means 6. Christian Conference. Take heed of the company of the wicked; from such turn away; if … and when you are there, labour to mourn for sin, which hath pierced the Lord; to hunger after his righteousness; to receive him by Faith; to apply the Promises of the Covenant of Grace, whereof the Sacrament is a Seal; endeavour after a burning love to him whose love hath been so great as to dye for you; and let your hearts be filled with joy, and your mouths with Praises, and deliver up your selves in Covenant unto the Lord in this Ordinance; After you come from the Lords Table, reflect upon your carriage towards the Lord; if you have been straitened, endeavour to find out the cause, mourn, and by after-pains and application of Christ, endeavour to get some benefit, and prepare better against the next time; if you have been enlarged, be humble, be thankfull, be watchfull, live up to Obligations; draw vertue from Christs death for the cr…cifying more and more of your flesh, with its aff…ctions and lusts; and fetch influences of grace and spiritual nourishment▪ that you may encrease with the encreases of God.
Finally, be diligent in the use of these, and all other means and helps, and so at length you shall attain the ultimate end, for which they are appointed, even your Salvation and Eternal Happiness.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Vincent, The Wells of Salvation Opened (1668)