this particular, fo as that we fhall have no reft, no peace from our trials, untill we ly down in the grave, that whatever condition we pass through, we fhall be fhut out of none, but only from immortality and glory, what have we herein to complain of? 3. Where the remembrance and perplexing sense of paft fins is revived by prefent afflictions, feparate them in your minds, and deal diftinctly about them. So long as you carry on the confideration of them jointly, you will be rolled from one to another, and never obtain reft unto your fouls. They will mutually ag gravate each other. The fharpnefs of affliction will add to the bitterness of the fenfe of fin; and the fenfe of fin will give an edge to affliction, and cause it to pierce deeply into the foul, as we fhewed in the former inftances. Deal therefore distinctly about them, and in their proper order: So doth the pfalmift here. He had at prefent both upon him, and together they brought him into thefe depths concerning which he fo cries out for deliverance from them; fee Pfal. xxxii. 3, 4. 5. And what courfe doth he take? He applies himself in the first place to his fin, and the guilt of it, and that diftin&tly and feparately. And when he hath got a difcharge of fin, which he waited fo earnestly for, his faith quickly arofe above his outward trials, as appears in his bleffed clofe of all; He shall redeem Ifrael out of all his troubles; the whole lfrael of God, and myself amongst them. This do then, fingle out the fin or fins that are revived in the feafe of their guilt upon the confcience; ufe all diligence to come to an iffue about them in the blood of Chrift. This God by your affliction calls you unto. This is the difcafe whereof your trouble is but the fymptom. This therefore, in the cure you feek after, is first and principally to be attended unto; when that is once removed, the other, as to any prejudice unto your fouls, will depart of it felf. The root being once digged up, you fhall not long feed on the bitter fruit that it hath brought forth; or if you do, the wormwood fhall be taken out of it, and it shall be be very pleafan: unto you, as well as wholefome How this is to be done by an application unto God for forgiveness, hath been at large declared. But if men will deal with confufed thoughts about their fins and their fins troubles, their wound will be incurable, and their forrow endless. 4. Remember that a time of affliction is a time of temptation. Satan, as we have fhewed, will not be wanting unto any appearing opportunity or advantage of fetting upon the foul. When Pharaoh heard that the people were intangled in the wilderness, he purfued them. And when Satan fees a foul intangled with its diftreffes and troubles, he thinks it his time and hour to affault it. He feeks to winnow, and comes when the corn is under the flail. Reckon therefore, that when trouble cometh, the prince of the world cometh alfo, that you may be provided for him. Now is the time to take the fhield of faith, that we may be able to quench his fiery darts. If they be neglected, they will inflame the foul. Watch therefore and pray, that you enter not into temptation; that Satan do not reprefent God falfly unto you. He that durft reprefent Job falfly to the all feeing God, will with much more boldness represent God falfly unto us, who fee and know fo little. Be not then ignorant of his devices; but every way fet yourselves against his interpofing between God and your fouls, in a matter which he hath nothing to do withal. Let not this make-bate by any means inflame the difference. 5. Learn to diftinguifh the effect of natural diftempers from 1piritual diftreffes. Some have fad, dark and tenacious thoughts fixed on their minds from their natural distempers. These will not be cured by reafonings, nor utterly quelled by faith. Our defign muft be to abate their efficacy and confequents, by confidering their occafions. And if men cannot do this in themfelves, it is highly incumbent on those who make application of relief unto them, to be careful to difcern what what is from fuch principles, whereof they are not to expect a speedy cure. And, 6. Take heed in times of peace and eafe, that you lay not up, by your negligence or careless walking, fad provision for a day of darkness, a time of afflictions. It is fin that imbitters troubles; the fins of peace are revived in the times of diftrefs. Fear of future affliction, of impendent troubles, fhould make us careful not to bring that into them which will make them bitter and forrowful, 7. Labour to grow better under all your afflictions, left your afflictions grow worfe; left God mingle them with more darkness, bitterness and terror. As Joab faid unto David, if he ceased not his fcandalous lamentation on the death of Abfalom, all the people would, leave him, and he then should find himself in a far worfe condition than that which he bemoaned, or any thing that befel him from his youth. The fame may be faid unto persons under their afflictions. If they are not managed and improved in a due manner, that which is worfe may, nay, in all probability will befal them. Wherever God takes this way, and engageth in afflicting, he doth commonly purfue his work until he hath prevailed, and his defign towards the afflicted party be accomplished. He will not ceafe to thréfh and break the bread-corn untill it be meet for his ufe. Lay down then the weapons of thy warfare against him; give up yourfelves to his will; let go every thing about which he contends with you; follow after that which he calls you unto, and you will find light arifing unto you in the midft of darkness. Hath he a cup of affliction in one hand, lift up your eyes and you will fee a cup of confolation in another. And if all stars withdraw their light, whilst you are in the way of God, affure yourfelves, that the fun is ready to rife. 8, According to the tenor of the covenant of grace, a man may be fenfible of the refpect of affliction unto fin; yea, unto this or that fin in particular, and yet have a comfortable perfwafion of the forgiveness of fin. Thus Thus it was in general in God's dealing with his peo ple; He forgave them, but he took vengeance on their inventions, Pfal. xcix. 8. Whatever they fuffered under the vengeance that fell upon their inventions (and that is as hard a word as is applied any where unto God's dealing with his people,) yet at the fame time he affured them of the pardon of their fin: So you know was, the cafe with David. His greatest trial and affliction, and that which befel him on the account of a particular fin, and wherein God took vengeance on his invention, was thered in with a word of grace, that God had done away, or pardoned his fins, and that he fhould not die. This is expreffed in the tenor of the covenant with the feed of Chrift, Pfal. lxxxix. 31, 32, 33, 34. . Objections against believing from things internal... The perfon knows not whether he be regenerate or no.----State of regeneration afferted.Difference of faving and common grace. This difference difcernible.------Men may know themfelves to be regenerate.The objection anfwered. Another head of objections and defpondencies arifeth from things internal, things that are required in the foul, that it may have an intereft in the forgiveness that is with God: Some whereof we fhall fpeak unto; and these respect, first, the ftate of the foul; and Secondly, fome actings in the foul. FIRST, As to the ftate, fay fome, unless a man be regenerate, and born again, he is not, he cannot be -made partaker of mercy and pardon. Now, all things. are here in the dark unto us: For first we know not well what this regeneration is, and it is variously difputed amongst men. Some would place it only in the outward figns of our initiation unto Chrift, and fome otherwife exprefs it. Again, it is uncertain, whether those. that are regenerate do or may know that they are fo; or whether this may be in any measure known unto others 1 others with whom they may treat about it: And if it may not be known, we must be uncertain in this alfo. And then, it may be for their parts, they neither know the time when, nor the manner how any fuch work was wrought in them; and yet without this, feeing it is wrought by means, and fprings from certain caufes, they can have no establishment in a not-failing perswafion of their acceptance with God, by the pardon of their fins in the blood of Chrift. This is the head and fum of the most of the objections which perplexed fouls do manage against themselves as to their state and con dition. Hence indeed they draw forth reafonings with great variety, according as they are fuggefted by their particular occafions and temptations. And many proofs taken from their fins, mifcarriages and fears, do they enforce their objections withal. My purpofe is to lay down fome general rules and principles, which may be applied unto particular occafions and emergencies; and this fhall be done in answer to the feveral parts of the general objection mentioned before. I fay then, First, It is moft certain that there are two eftates and conditions that divide all mankind; and every one that lives in the world, doth completely and abfolutely belong unto one of them. These are the ftate of nature, and the ftate of grace, of fin, and of righteoufnefs by Chrift, every man in the world belongs unto one of these states or conditions. This the fcripture fo abounds in, that it feems to be the first principal thing that we are taught in it. It is as clear, that there are two different ftates in this world, as that there are fo in that to come; yea, all our faith and our obedience depend on this truth: And not only fo, but the covenant of God, the mediation of Christ, and all the promises and threats of the law and gofpel are built upon this fuppofition. And this lays naked unto a fpiritual eye, that abounding atheism that is in the world. Men are not only like Nicodemus, ignorant of these things, and wonder how they can be, but they fcorn them, despise them, fcoff at them. To make mention of being regenerate |