The Signs of the Wicked Man, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Shewing how the Spirit of Adoption may bee attained, and alſo how the ſeuerall gifts of the Spirit may be framed in vsus.
THus of humiliation: It followeth that I ſhew how hee may attaine to the other ſacred gifts, which are markes of a godly man: as in the firſt ſort of gifts, how hee may attaine to the louelove of the Word, the gift of Prayer, the feare of God, the louelove of his enemies, and the deſire of the comming of Chriſt: But before I enter vponupon theſe, it is neceſſarie to ſhew him how hee may attain the Spirit of Adoption, which is neceſſarie for theſe and all other graces.
Queſt. And concerning theHow the Spirit of Adoption may bee had. Spirit of Adoption, if any aske how it may be obtained: Or rather, how it may bee ſtirred vp in vsus, that we may feele his working in vsus?
Anſ. I anſwer, that hee is had1. He muſt pray for it and ſtirred vp by inuocation: God is pleaſed to declare himſelfe willing, and ready to beſtow his holy Spirit vponupon men, if they aske him of him by hearty prayer: Hee that hath giuen vsus his Sonne, will not deny vsus the Spirit of his Sonne to be giuen into our hearts, Gal. 4. 7. And this our Sauiour Chriſt aſſures vntounto vsus in the Parable, Luke 11.
9. And I ſay vntounto you, Aske, and it ſhall be giuen you: Seeke, and yee ſhall finde: Knock, and it ſhall be opened vntounto you.
10. For eueryevery one that asketh, receiueth, and he that ſeeketh, findeth, and to him, that knocketh, it ſhall be opened.
11. If a ſonne ſhall aske bread of any of you, that is a father, will hee giuegive him a ſtone? Or if hee aske a fiſh, will hee for a fiſh, giuegive him a Serpent?
12. Or if hee aske an Egge, will hee giuegive him a Scorpion?
13. If yee then, which are euill, can giuegive good gifts vntounto your children, how much more ſhall your heauenly Father giuegive the Holy Ghoſt to them, that deſire him?
2. We muſt waite vponupon2. Waite vpō Preaching. the preaching of the Goſpell, where the Holy Ghoſt vſually falls vponupon the hearts of men.
3. When wee feele the3. Cheriſh the motions of the Spirit. motions of the Spirit knocking at our hearts▪ or any way ſurpriſing vsus, wee muſt with all readineſſe open the doores of our hearts, that the King of Glory by his Spirit may enter into vsus.
Queſt. The next queſtion isHow wee may get a louelove to the Word. then, what we ſhould do to get and preſerue in vsus the conſtant louelove to the VVord?
Anſ. 1. The anſwer is: firſt,1. Settie vnderunder a powerfull Miniſtery. that we ſhould ſeeke to ſettle our ſelues vnderunder the powerful preaching of the Word; euen ſuch a Miniſtery as doth ſet out the glory of the Truth, and of the Kingdome of Ieſus Chriſt.
2. Wee muſt make a2. Pray God to quicken thee. conſcience of it to pray vntounto God to quicken vsus, and inflame our hearts to the louelove of his Lawes, as Dauid often did, Pſal. 119.
3. Take heed of exceſſiue3. Take heed of worldly cares. cares, and the ouerteaching of thy deſires in the imployments of the world, or the immoderate vſe of worldly delights; for thoſe choake the ſeed of the Word, and alienate the affections from it; and ſo doth any groſſe, or beloued ſinne, Heb. 3. Math. 13.
4. Take heed alſo of4. And of perſonall diſcord with ſuch as feare God. perſonall diſcord with ſuch as feare God, eſpecially with thy Teachers; for this doth by ſecret degrees make the heart careleſſe and negligent, and in ſome things wilfull; and if it bee not looked to in time, will bring men from the liking of the Word, as they hauehave beene drawne from the liking of ſuch as louelove the Word.
5. Take heed of vngodly5. And of vngodly company. company: For in ſuch company is quenched the ſparkles of liking▪ when they are kindled; yea, and the flames of affection are much dulled, in whom they are beſt excited, Pſal. 119. 115.
6. Such, as finde ſome6. And of neglect of the increaſe hereof: beginnings of deſire after the Word, and liking to it, muſt take heed, that they eſtrange not themſelues from the exerciſes thereof: For if they heare, or reade but now & then; either the heart will neuer be throughly heated, or if it bee, it will eaſily waxe cold againe: and yet hereinOr exceſſe ſome are to be warned to take heed of diſordered exceſſe; for that will breed dulneſſe, as well as neglect: As when they will reade daily for diuers houres; or when they prouide vntounto themſelues a heape of Teachers, as ſome that liue in great Cities, thinke it Religion to heare all ſorts of men, and all the Sermons can bee come vntounto: As if the power of godlineſſe lay onelyonly in the vſe of the meanes of godlineſſe.
7. Wee muſt practiſe7. Practiſe what thou heareſt. what we heare, and labour to ſhew forth the fruit of the doctrine. Hee that would be in louelove with huſbandry, muſt ſow his ſeed in his ground, and then the gaine of the Harueſt will ſtill allure him to like the Trade: If we be fruitleſſe hearers of the Word, we cannot louelove it; or if we doe, it will bee but for a flaſh, or ſmall time.
Thus of the louelove to the Word.
Hee that would learneTo attain the gift of prayer. to pray, muſt follow theſe directions:
1. Hee muſt go to God1. Pray God to teach thee in the name of Chriſt, and beſeech him to giuegive him words, and by his Spirit to teach him to pray: It is God onelyonly can make a man ſpeak a pure language; for hee onelyonly can inſtruct the heart of man, and indue it with this heauenly gift, Rom. 8. 26. Epheſ. 3. 9.
2. It will much helpe2. Ioyne with ſuch as can pray. him to ioyne himſelfe to ſuch as call vponupon the name of the Lord with a pure heart, eſpecially in the daies of their humiliation, 2. Tim. 2. 22.
3. There are three diſtinct3. How he may furniſh himſelfe in eueryevery part of prayer. things, which a man may with ſingular profite propound vntounto himſelfe in his prayers: Confeſſion of ſinnes: Petition for grace: and thankeſgiuing for mercies receiued. Now the weakeſt Chriſtian may be, through Gods bleſſing, comfortably furniſhed for his own particular, if hee take ſuch a courſe as this; To go aſide, and with all3. Queſtions. ſecreſie, and attention of heart before the Lord, aske himſelfe theſe three Queſtions:
1. What ſinnes hauehave I committed, which either now do trouble me; or, if I were to die, would make me afraide? Let him ſet them downe in a paper, or in his memory diſtinctly, till hee can bethinke himſelfe of no more. It is no great matter for the order, how he ſets them down, ſo hee bee ſure hee hauehave the chiefe ſinnes, in which hee daily offends, or hath offended.
2. What would I hauehave the Lord do for mee, if I might hauehave what I wiſh? Let him ſet the particulars downe till he can remember no more: As for example, I would hauehave him forgiue me my ſinnes, and I would hauehave him giuegive me knowledge; and I would hauehave him giuegive me ſtrength againſt ſuch and ſuch ſins; & I would hauehave him giuegive me faith and aſſurance; and I would hauehave him giuegive me heauen, when I die: and ſo go on with all the things he feeles a deſire in his heart to ſeek of God, till he can remember no more: and if at any other time hee remember ſome ſpeciall thing, which he would further hauehave, which hee hath not in his Catalogue, let him ſet it down, as from time to time hee ſees cauſe.
3. What ſpeciall fauours hath God ſhewed to me, which I ſee I ought to take ſpeciall notice of. Let him ſet them downe diſtinctly, whether they be deliuerances, or ſuch and ſuch ſpirituall or outward mercies, preſeruing the memorie principally of the chiefeſt of them.
Now when hee hath thus furniſhed theſe three heads with things, that in particular concerne himſelfe, they being all matters of weight, hee muſt now carry theſe things, or the chiefe of them in his minde, and frame his heart to ſpeake to God in the beſt words hee can get, to ſignifie his deteſtation of thoſe ſinnes, his humble requeſts for thoſe graces, and his vnfaigned thankefulneſſe for thoſe bleſſings: Howſoeuer hee may bee rude, or vnperfect in his language about theſe at the firſt, yet exerciſe will bring him to a ripeneſſe, and by this courſe he ſhall be ſure to ſpeak of things, that concerne himſelfe neerely; and that God, which hath taught parents to regard the vnperfect language of their little children, when they begin to ſpeake vntounto them, will himſelfe much more delight to heare the deſires of his ſeruants, that are grieued, that they cannot ſpeake in a better ſort vntounto him: The profite and comfort of this courſe will appeare by experience to bee exceeding great; Beſides, it is an eaſie way, when there is in any a true deſire to bee at the paines to learne this language of ſpeaking to God by prayer, and Gods Spirit will helpe and teach the poore Chriſtian, and draw his Petitions for him, and prompt him both with words and affections; and the Chriſtian muſt know this, that when hee hath confeſſed his ſinnes, and ſhewed what hee would hauehave God doe for him, with the beſt words hee could in the truth of his heart, hee hath made a moſt effectuall prayer to God.
Thus of Prayer.
The awfull feare of God,How the feare of God may be begotten in vsus. and the reuerent dreading of God, may be begotten and increaſed in vsus, if wee throughly remember and deeply ponder vponupon,
1. The ſurpaſſing glory and tranſcendent excellencie and perfection of his Nature, his abſolute Purity, and exact Iuſtice, and Holineſſe.
2. The wonderfull works of God, eſpecially thoſe ſtanding miracles ſhewed in the hanging of this mighty earth, and thoſe huge heapes of water in the clouds, and the bounding of theſe mighty feas, and ſuch like.
3. His fearefull threatnings of all ſorts of woes againſt the tranſgreſſions of men.
4. The terrour of the laſt Day, and the dreadfulneſſe of death and Iudgement.
5. The fearefull and ſudden iudgements which hauehave falne vponupon wicked men; either recorded in Scripture, or reported in Hiſtories, or obſerued in experience.
6. Eſpecially, if wee thinke much and ſeriouſly of the great goodneſſe of God to vsus, how hee hath ſtriuen with vsus to ouercome vsus with his mercies.
Thus of the feare of God.
Wee ſhould ſtriue to ſtir vp in vsus affection, and louelove to our very enemies, by ſuch conſiderations as theſe:
1. Becauſe Chriſt, to whom wee are infinitely bound, hath expreſly charged vsus to look to this, that wee do louelove our enemies; and therefore for his ſake we ſhould deny our ſelues, and our owne corrupt deſires, and affections, and ſtriue to ſhew the truth of our louelove euen towards them, that hate and perſecute vsus.
2. There is none ſo wicked, but they hauehave ſomething good in them, and worthy to be reſpected.
3. Our enemies doe vsus good, though they intend it not, we ought to like the very rod that mends vsus, and regard the water that waſheth vsus white, & make much of the ſtone that tryes vsus, and the glaſſe that ſhewes vsus our ſpots, and not miſ-like the tents that ſearch our wounds.
4. If euer God turne their hearts, they will be effectuall inſtruments of our praiſe and Gods glory in the day of their viſitation, they will then willingly beare the ſhame of their owne ſinfull oppoſitions.
I forbeare to ſet downe the directions for the attainement of the louelove of the appearing of Chriſt, becauſe I hauehave at large handled that point in the Treatiſe of the Cure of the feare of Death.