Containing the last use of the point, by way of fupport
Preparationsfor Sufferings : Or, groundless preſumptions ofimmunityandpeace,but forefee difficulties, andfit yourſelves tobear them.
CHAP.
XVI.
Containingthe last useofthepoint, byway offupportandcomfort topoor tremblingfouls, who do takepains to make themselves readyforfufferings ; butyetfindingfuchstrength in Satan's temptations, and their own corruptions, fear that all their labouris in vain, andthat theyshallfaint, andutterly apostatize, when their troubles and trials come toan height.
INthe laſt place, if itbe ſuch ableſſedthing tobe ready for bonds, or death for Chrift, this mayminiſter much comforttofuchfouls,who thoughtheycannot ſay asPaulheredid, that they are ready ; yet are at work daily upon their own hearts to make them ready, and ſtrive, in the use ofall means, toconquerthoſe corruptions that hinder it, and improve thoſe graces inwhich it mainly conſiſteth. O poor foul, whatever preſentunreadiness or indiſpoſitionthou findeſt,and complaineſt ofinthine heart, yet thy condition is ſafe.
Objection. Oh ! but Icannot be ſatisfied in that: I fear I ſhall be over-borne by temptations, when they come to an height.
I have ſuch experience ofthe deceits andtreacheroufneſs ofmyown heart, that it feems impoſſible tome todo as theſe bleſſed ſouls did,when Icome to the like trials.
Solution. It is well thou ſuſpectest thine own heart, and trembleſt inthyself; this fear will keepthee waking, when others are ſecurely fleeping.
It was a good ſaying ofa reverend miniſter, now with God, He that fears Mr.A. H. * toflinch, ſhall never flinch for fear.'
It is true, ſeeminggracemay be totally loft, Luke vii 18 .
Heb. vi. 4, 5. 2Pet. ii. 20.
It is granted alſo, that the fins ofbelievers deſerve that God ſhouldforſake them, and that he mayfuffer grace in them to be ſadly abated, and they may fall before a temptation, as Peter, and all the diſciples did: but that thou shalt never be ſeparated from Chriſt, or fall totus a toto, in totum, utterly away fromGod, thou mayeſt be abundantly fatisfied, upon theſe five or fix grounds.
1. FromGod's eternal electing love, wherewithal gracious fouls are beloved and embraced,be their graces never ſo weak, ortheir corruptions never ſo ſtrong. This is immutable, Heb. vi. 18. andhenceit is ſaid, Markxiii.22. "They ſhalldeceive
The best Work in the worst Times.
(ifitwerepoſſible) the very elect." Now, this immutable purpoſe ofGod, is not founded upon anymutable ground or reaſon in thee, Rom. ix. 11. Yea, when he, Rom. viii. 29. elected thee, he faw what thou wouldst be, and yet that hindered him not.
2. From the covenant ofgrace,intheboſomofwhich thou art wrappedup: this is all thy falvation, and allthyhope ; it will afford thee abundant fatisfaction, ifthou do but weigh particularly theſe threethings about it.
1. That the Author ofthis covenant is not afickle creature, but afaithful God, with whom there is notyea and nay ; with whom there is no variableness, norshadow ofturning ; whoſe gifts and callings arewithout repentance : ſothatonce within this bleſſed covenant, and in it for ever. 2, ThatGod hath eſtabliſhed the covenantwithyou intheblood of Christ ; therefore thefacramental cup, is called " the cup ofthe New Testament in his blood,"
- Luke xxii. 20. The everlasting merit and efficacy whereof, gives the foul ofabelieverthe highest fatisfaction imaginable.
Lastly,Addtothis, that in this covenantGod hath undertaken for us, as well as for himself: ſo that what is acondition in one ſcripture, is the matter ofapromise in another, Jer. xxxii. 40.
い 3. From that ſtrict andintimate unionthat is betwixt Chrift andthee. And hence it is impoſſible thou ſhouldeſt be loft.
For, 1. Thy unionwith hisperſon, brings intereſt in his properties alongwith it.
Whatever he is, or hath, it is for thee : his eye ofknowledge, arm ofpower, bowels ofpity, it is all forthee.
2. This unionwith his perſon, ſecures thy feeble graces from periſhing, John iv. 14, Thy graces have an everlasting ſpring.
Whilst there is ſap in this root, it will afcend into the branches..
S 3. It implies thy perfeverance, becauſe by this union thou becomeſt an integral part of Chriſt's body, which would be mutilate and defective, ſhouldſt thou be cut offand lost.
4. From the prevalent interceffion of Jeſus Chriſt in the heavens, for all his faints, in all their trials here on earth.
Fromhence the apoftle infers thecertainty ofour perfeverance, Rom. viii. 34. andapregnant inſtance ofityouhave in Peter's
' cafe, Luke xxii. 32.
So Heb. vii. 25. ſpeaks fully to the cafe.
To ſtrengthen this, confider, r. Who it is that intercedes :
It is Chrift, whoſe perſon is moſtdear and ingratiated with the Father, John xi . 42.
2. What he intercedes for : Surely for nothing but what is moſt ſuitable to his Father's will. The :
Cccz
Preparationsfor Sufferings: Or, willofChriſt, andhis Father's do not claſh,John xvi. 26, 27 yea, whatheprays for,he prays not forgratis, or aſks upon any dishonourable terms tothe juſtice of his Father; but they are all mercies purchased and paid for; and therefore fear not the failing ofyour graces.
5. Fromthe Spirit ofChriſtwhichdwelleth and abideth in thee,andhathbegunhisſavingworkuponthee.. Iſay,savings for elſe itwouldafford no argument. His commonworks on hypocrites cometonothing,but intheethey cannot fail. For 1. His honour is pledged and engaged to perfect it.
That reproach ofthe foolish builder ſhall never lieupon him,that he began tobuild,butcouldnot finiſh.
Besides, this wouldmake voidall that the Father and the Sonhavedone for thee; both theirworks are complete and perfect intheir kinds, and the Spirit is the last efficient inorder ofworking.
2. Besides, the grace hehath alreadywrought inthee, maygivetheeyet further and fuller afſurance of its preſervation, inasmuch as it hath the nature ofafeal, pledge, and earnest ofthewhole,Rom. viii.
23. 2 Cor. i. 22.
Sothat it cannot fail.
6. From thoſemultitudes of affertory, promiſſory, and com parative fcriptures, the rich veins whereof run through the book ofGod, as ſo many ſtreams to refresh thy foul.
Ofaffertory ſcriptures, ſee John vi. 39. John 10. 28.
1John ii.
19. Of promiffory ſcriptures, ſee Ita. liv. 10. Jer. xxxiv.
40. 1 Cor. i. 8. &c.
Of comparative ſcriptures, ſee Pfal. i 3. Pfal. cxxv. 1. John iv. 14. c.
The principalſcope ofall which is to thew the indefectible nature of true grace in the faints.
And now, howshouldthis refresh thy drooping foul, make theegird up the loins ofthy mind, fincethou doft "notrun
" asone uncertain, neither fighteſtas one that beats the air,"
1 Cor. ix. 26. butart ſo ſecured from total apoſtacy, as thou ſeeſt thou artbyallthesethings. O bleſs ye theLord.
Obj, 2. Butthe Lord ſeems tobe departedfrom my foul; Godis afarofffrom me, and troubles arenear.
I ſeem tobe inſuchacaſeas Saulwaswhen the Philistines made war upon him, andGodwas departed from him; and thereforeI fhall fall.
Sol. Not fo; for there are two forts of Divine deſertions ; the one is abfolute, when the Lord utterly forſakes his creatures, ſo that they ſhall never beholdhis face more : The other is limited and respective, and ſohe forſook his own Son, and often does his own elect : and ofthis kind, ſome are onAy cautional, to prevent fin;ſomeare merely probational, to
The best Work in the worst Times.
try grace; and others caftigatory, to chaſtiſe our negligence - and careleſſneſs. Now, though I have not a word of comfort to ſpeak inthe case of total and abſolutedeſertions ; yet ofthe latter (whichdoubtleſs is thy caſe) much may be ſaid byway ofſupport, beit of which ofthe three forts it will, or inwhat degree it will, For, 1. This hath been the cafe ofmanyprecious fouls, Pfal. xxii. 1, 2. Pfal. Ixxvii. 2. Pfal. lxxxviii. 9. Job xiii. 24, 25, 26, This was poor Mr. Glover's cafe, as you will find in his ſtory, and it continuedtillhe came within fight ofthe ſtake; therefore no newor ſtrange thing hath happened to you.
2. TheLord by this will advantage thee for perfeverance, - not orly as they are cautional againſt ſin, but as they make thee holdChriſt the faster, and prize his prefence at an higher rate, when he ſhall pleaſe Cant. iii. 4. gracioufly to manifeſt himself to thee again.
3. This ſhall not abide for ever: it is but alittle cloud, and will blow over.
It isbut for a moment, and that moment's darkneſs uſhers in everlasting light, Iſa. liv. 7.
Yea, laſtly, the light of God's countenance ſhall not only be restored certainly, but it ſhallbe restoredſeaſonably ; when the darkness is greatest, thy troubles at the highest, and thy hopes lowest.
He is a God of judgment, andknows how to timehis own mercies, Pfal. cxxxviii. 3 .
Obj. 3.But I am aweak woman, or ayoung perſon, how ſhall I be able to confeſs Chriſt before rulers, and look great ones in the face ?
Sol. Chrift delights to make his powerknown inſuch, 2Cor. xii . 9. for he affects not ſocial glory.
2. " Thou shaltbe holden up, forGod is able to make thee " ſtand," Rom. xiv. 4. Thou that art ſenſible of thineown infirmity, mayeſt run to that promiſe.
3. Such poor weak creatures ſhall endure when ſtronger(if ſelf-confident) fall, Ifa. xl. 30, 31. " Even the youths ſhall
" faint, and be weary, and the young men utterly fall. But "theythatwait upon the Lord, ſhall renewtheir ſtrength :
"they ſhall mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be "weary, walk andnot faint."
Youths, and young men, are bold, daring, and confident perſons, that trust to their own strength ; to whom ſuch as waitupon the Lord ſtand here oppoſed; they ſhall faint, but theſe ſhall renew their ftrength.
Art thou one that waiteſt and dependeſt upon an all-fuffici-
Preparationsfor Sufferings, &c. entGod, inthe ſenſeof thine own weakness ? This promife then is for thee.
4. Youmay furnish yourſelves atpleaſure,withexamples of themightypower ofGodreftingupon fuch asyou are, out of our ownmartyrology.
Thomas Drowry, the poorblindboy, Fox, vol. 3. p. 703.
Whata prefence ofſpiritwaswithhim,whenexaminedbythe Chancellor !
Eulalia, a virgin ofabout 12 years ofage, ſeehow shewas actedabovethoſe years, yea,abovethe powerofnature.
Fox, vol. 1. p. 120. Tender women,yea, children, act above them. ſelves, when aſſiſtedbya strongGod.
Andthusyou have ſome help offered you by aweakhand, inyourpreſent and most important work.
The Lord carry home allwithpowerupon your hearts, that ifGod callyou to fuffer for him,you mayſay as Paul did, "I "amnow readyto be offeredup,and the time ofmydeparture
" is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, Ihave finiſhedmy " courſe, I have keptthefaith:henceforth there islaid up for " me a crownofrighteouſneſs,whichGodthe righteousJudge
" ſhall give me at that day; andnottome only,but tothem " alſo which lovehis appearing," 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7,8. Andas youexpect ſo to finiſhyour courſewithjoy; bediligent inthe ufeofallmeans, to prepare andmakeyourſelves readyto follow the call ofGod, whether itbeto bonds, or todeath, for the name ofthe Lord Jeſus.