The Spiritual Touchstone, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
The triall of a godly man by ſuch heauenly gifts as ſerue him in his iourney to heauen.
THus of his triall in his humiliation, and in his faith. It followeth in the third place to trie him by his gifts, which are the fruits of faith. The true Chriſtian differs from the wicked man in two ſortsTwo ſorts of graces in a Chriſtian. of gifts: Some of them are ſuch gifts as are beſtowed vponupon him from aboue, but ſerue him onelyonly for his ſpirituall vſe, while he is on the way in his iourney to heauen, and ſo onelyonly in this life; ſuch as are the ſacred thirſt: The louelove to the word, and meanes of his holineſſe: The ſpirit of ſupplication: The louelove of his enemies, and his deſire after the appearance of Ieſus Chriſt. Other gifts he hath, which will accompanie him home into his heauenly country, and abide vponupon him for euer, and are not aboliſhed by death: ſuch as are ſauing knowledge, the louelove of God, and the louelove of the godly. Firſt therefore of thoſe heauenly gifts which will paſſe away: and ſo he is qualified with fiue diſtinct holy gifts, which cannot be found in any reprobate.
The firſt is his holy The holy thirſt that is in the godly Chriſtian tried by foure ſignes.thirſt, which is a heauenly kind of appetite, by which he is carried to the deſire of things aboue nature; ſuch as are the merits and righteouſneſſe of Chriſt: the fauour of God: the preſence of God: the full deliuerance from all ſinne: the remouing of ſpirituall iudgements: the ſaluation of other men, and the like; and this thirſt is a ſigne the more infallible.
1. Becauſe it is conſtant and indelible in this life. There is no part of his life, but it continueth either in the ſence of his affection, or in the iudgement of his vnderſtanding, ſo as he accounts ſpirituall things to be the beſt things: and though at ſome times his affections may be the leſſe moued after them, yet his appetite is daily renewed, as it is in the hunger, or thirſt, that is bodily.
2. Becauſe it is induſtrious. For this holy thirſt will guide him to a carefull vſe of all the meanes, by which good things may be attained; and doth not breathe it ſelfe out onelyonly with ſudden and vaine wiſhes, or flaſhes of deſire, Pſal. 27. 4. 1. Pet. 2. 2. Pſal. 63. 1. 2. Pſalme 1. 2. Acts 2. 37.
3. Becauſe it works a conſtant and ſecret meditation of heauenly things deſired, the heart frequently ſeekes after God day and night. Iſaiah 26. 9. Pſalme 63. 1. 6. For what we deſire feruently, we thinke on almoſt continually.
4. Becauſe if the Lord quench his thirſt, and ſatisfie his deſire in ſpirituall things, the ſoule becomes as a watered garden; and then followes in him an heauenly kind of ſatisfaction and contentment with ſingular delight in the ſoule, and vowes and wiſhes of infinite and eternall thankfulneſſe, Pſalme 63. 4. 5. Iere. 31. 25. 26.
And thus much of the firſt gift.
Secondly, the loueloveHis triall by his louelove to the word. to the word is another ſigne that he is the child of God, and a cleare euidence of his ſaluation. Now becauſe all ſorts of wicked men may reſort to the exerciſes of the word, and thoſe that hauehave but a temporarie faith may ſhew a great eſtimation of the word, and find ioy in the hearing of it, & ſhew much zeale in things that concerne the word, and may yeeld ſome obedience to the directions of the word alſo: it is profitable to conſider how the true Chriſtian may proue that his affection to the word is more ſincere then that affection which any wicked man can bring to the word. And thus he may find that his heart is ſound in his louelove to the word, by theſe marks.
1. By his manner of13. Signes to trie his affection to the word by. receiuing it, when he doth receiue the word, as the word of God, and not of men: ſetting his heart before Gods preſence, and being affected as if the Lord himſelfe ſhould ſpeake vntounto him. This no wicked man dares do: he dares not preſent himſelfe with the whole intendments of his heart before the Lord. For this ſigne the Apoſtle Paule acknowledged the Theſſalonians to be true Chriſtians, 1. Theſſal. 2. 13.
2. By his Appetite to the word. For there is in a godly man as true an hunger after the word, as the food of his ſoule, as there is in his ſtomach after the foode of his body; which ſhewes it ſelfe to be the more ſincere, becauſe it is conſtant, he deſires the word at all times, and as his appointed foode daily; as it is in the bodily appetite, though after feeding the ſtomach may ſeeme to be full and ſatisfied, yet the hunger reuiues againe eueryevery day, ſo it is with the heart of a child of God: whereas wicked men regard the word but by fits, and in a paſſion, and then at length fall cleane away from the affection to it, Pſal. 119. 20. Iob. 23. 12.
3. By his louelove to them that louelove the word.
4. By his ſorrow, becauſe other men keepe not the word, Pſal. 119. 136.
5. By his vnfained eſtimation of the word aboue all worldly things, accounting it to be an happy portion to enioy the word in the power and profit of it, Pſal. 119. 14. 72. 111.
6. By his deſire & delight to exerciſe himſelfe in it day and night, that is, conſtantly, Pſal. 1. 2.
7. By his griefe either for the want of the meanes by which the word might be taught vntounto him with power, accounting ſuch want of the meanes to be a ſore famine; or for want of ſucceſſe in ye vſe of the meanes whē he doth enioy it, Pſa. 42. 3. Am. 8. 12.
8. By the extent of his louelove to all the words of God, euen the Law, that with threatening ſhewes him his ſin, and ſearcheth out his moſt ſecret corruptions; being moſt affected with that miniſtery that doth moſt ſharply rebuke ſin.
9. By his reſolution to labour as hard for the food of his ſoule, as men do, or he would do for the food of his bodie, Ioh. 6. 27. Amos 8. 12.
10. By the conſtant ſweet taſte he finds in it, eſpecially when it is powerfully preached, Pſal. 19. 10. 2. Cor. 2. 15.
11. By the end he propounds vntounto himſelfe in the vſe of the word, which is, that he might not ſinne; and that his wayes might be made pleaſing to God, hiding the word in his heart to this purpoſe, Pſal. 119. 11.
12. By his willingnes and reſolution to denie his owne reaſon and affections, his credite, his carnall friends, his profits, or his pleaſures in any thing, when God ſhould ſo require it of him, and vponupon any occaſion to ſhew his heartie reſpect of the Goſpell, Mar. 10. 2. 9. 1. Cor. 1. 18.
13. By the effects of it: as,
1. When for the louelove he beares to the word; he will ſeparate himſelfe from the wicked, that might any way withdraw his heart, or endanger his diſobedience, Pſal. 119. 115.
2. When he accounts the word to be his chiefe comfort in affliction, & finds it to be the maine ſtay, and ſolace of his heart, Pſal. 119. 23. 24. 50. 51. 54. 143.
3. When it works in him effectually the redreſſe of his wayes, and freedome from the dominion of ſin, Ioh. 8. 33. Pſal. 119. 45. 9. 59. 1. Theſ. 2. 13.
4. When it works in him certaine and ſenſible aſſurance of heart before God. This aſſurāce is an infallible ſigne of the right vſe of the word, 1. Theſſ. 1. 5.
And thus of the ſecond gift.
The third gift is theHis triall by his gift of prayer. ſpirit of prayer or ſupplication, as the Prophet Zacharie cals it, Zach. 12. 10: and this gift he hath aboue all wicked men, which he ſhewes many13. Rules of triall. wayes: as,
1. He askes according to Gods will, 1. Ioh. 5. 14.
2. He prays with perſwaſion that God will heare him. He beleeueth in ſome meaſure that he ſhall hauehave what he prays for. He prayes in faith, Mark. 11. 14. Iam. 1. 6. 7. Pſal. 6. 9. 1. Ioh. 3. 19. 22.
3. He prayes in the name of Chriſt, and is affected with the ſence of his owne vileneſſe, and relies vponupon the merits and mediation of Ieſus Chriſt, Ioh. 14. 13. Pſal. 86. 1. 2. & 143. 4.
4. He will pray at all times, Iob 27. 9. Pſalme 106. 2.
5. He is feruent in prayer: his heart prayeth: he hath the affections of prayer, Iam. 5. 16. Pſal. 6. 8.
6. Prayer makes him exceeding weary of the world: it giues him ſuch a taſte of his owne ſinfulneſſe, and of Gods goodneſſe, and of the glorie of heauen, that he is vehemently carried with deſire to be abſent from the bodie, that he might be preſent with the Lord, Pſal. 39. 12.
7. When he knowes not how to pray as he ought, the Spirit prepares his heart, excites in him holy deſires, ſupplies him ſometimes with words, ſometimes with affections, and ſomtimes worketh inward vnexpreſſable groanes, which yet it preſents to God, as effectuall prayers, Ro. 8. 26. 27.
8. He findes an holy reſt, and quietneſſe in his conſcience and heart, with ſpirituall boldneſſe and confidence of truſt in God, if he heare him graciouſly, and anſwer him in merciemercy, Pſal. 3. 4. 5. 6. & 116. 1. 7. & 91. 15. 17. Ierem. 33. 3.
9. He loues the Lord exceedingly for hearing his prayer, and deſires to keepe himſelfe in the louelove of God, Pſal. 116. 1. Iude 20.
10. His prayers proceed from a heart that loues no ſin, but deſires to depart from iniquitie, and to do that which is pleaſing in Gods ſight, 2. Tim. 2. 19. 1. Ioh. 3. 22.
11. He loues prayer in others, 2. Tim. 1. 22.
12. He ſtriues againſt deadneſſe of ſpirit and diſtractions, as an heauy burthen, Pſal. 86. 3. 4.
13. He makes prayer his chiefe refuge; and he will pray, though prayer be in neuer ſo much diſgrace, Pſal. 69. 10. 13. & 142. 2. 5.
And thus of the third gift.
The fourth gift is the louelove of his enemies. AnyHis louelove to his enemies tried. Chriſtiā may louelove ſuch as louelove him; but to louelove his enemies, is onelyonly to be found in the true Chriſtian, which he proues by theſe tokens of the ſinceritie of his louelove:
1. He can pray heartily for them, yea in ſome caſes he can mourne, & humble his ſoule before God for them in their diſtreſſes, Pſal. 35. 13. 14.
2. He deſires their conuerſion ſo vnfainedly, that he is ſure, if they were cōuerted, he could reioyce in them as heartily, as in thoſe he now much delights in.
3. He can likewiſe forgiue them their particular treſpaſſes againſt him; being more grieued for their ſins againſt God, thē for the wrongs they do him, Mat. 6. 14.
4. He can freely acknowledge their iuſt praiſes.
5. He can not onelyonly patiently endure their reuilings, but can forbeare, when he could be reuenged by bringing ſhame or miſery vponupon them, 1. Pet. 3. 9. Rom. 12. 14. 1. Sam. 24. 18. 19: yea he doth, as he hath occaſion, ſtriue to ouercome their euil with goodneſſe, being willing to helpe them, or releeue them in their miſerie, and do them any good for the ſoule or body.
The laſt gift which is found in the true Chriſtian,His triall by the louelove to the appearing of Chriſt. while he is in the way in this life, is, His louelove of the appearing of Chriſt, which he ſhewes:
1. By the longing after the time of Chriſts coming, whether by death or iudgement.
2. By his gladneſſe at the promiſes, or ſignes of his particular or generall coming.
3. By his often meditations of that day, and his hearty prayers for the haſtening of it, Reu. 22. 10.
4. By his daily care to diſpatch all thoſe godly duties which he deſires to do before his death, and accordingly by his willing diſpoſing of his eſtate, and endeuors to ſet his houſe in order:
And this deſire of Chriſts coming is apparently the more ſincere in him:
1. Becauſe it ariſeth out of his louelove to God, and his hatred of his owne ſins, and his wearines vnderunder the obſeruation of other mens ſins.
2. Becauſe this deſire is accompanied with the care of the meanes, by which he may be prepared for ſaluation.
3. Becauſe he is thus affected euen in his proſperitie when he thriues in the world, and is not in any notable diſtreſſe.
Hitherto of his triall in ſuch gifts as he is endowed withall in this life onelyonly: his triall in the gifts that will abide in him for euer, follow.