TO THE READER. CHRISTIAN READER!-Some preachers in our days are like Heraclitus, who was called the dark doctor,1 because he affected dark speeches; so they affect sublime notions, obscure expressions, uncouth phrases: making plain truths difficult, and easy truths hard, &c. They 'darken counsel by words without knowledge,' Job xxxviii. 2. Men of abstract conceits and wise speculations are but wise fools: like the lark that soareth up on high, peering and peering, but at last falleth into the net of the fowler. Such persons commonly are as censorious as they are curious, and do Christ and his church but very, very little service in this world. The heathenish priests had their mythologies and strange canting expressions, of their imaginary unaccessible deities, to amaze and amuse their blind superstitious followers; and thereby to hold up their Popish and apish idolatries in greater veneration. The prudent reader can tell how to make application. If thou affectest high strains of wit, or larded, pompous, and highflown expressions, or eloquent trappings, or fine new notions, or such things that thou mayst rather wonder at than understand, I shall not encourage thee to the perusal of this treatise. But, First, If thou wouldst be furnished with sovereign antidotes against the most dangerous errors that are rampant in these days, then seriously peruse this treatise: 2 Pet. iii. 16; 1 John iv. 1-3; 2 John 7-11. Secondly, If thou wouldst be established, strengthened, settled, and confirmed in the grand points of the gospel, then seriously peruse this treatise 1 Pet. v. 10. But, Thirdly, If thou wouldst know what that faith is that gives thee an interest in Christ and in all that fundamental good that comes by Christ, then seriously peruse this treatise: John i. 12, iii. 16, and v. 24. But, Fourthly, If thou wouldst have thy judgment rightly informed in some great truths, about which several men of note have been mistaken, then seriously peruse this treatise: 1 Cor. ii. 6, 7; Ps. cxix. 18. But, 1 Heraclitus was a philosopher of Ephesus; he was surnamed EKOTELòs, Obscurus, because he affected dark speeches. 2 As before: see Glossary, s. v.—G. Fifthly, If thou wouldst know what safe and excellent pleas to make to those ten scriptures that refer to the general judgment, and to thy particular day of judgment, then seriously peruse this treatise: 2 Cor. v. 10; Heb. ix. 27. But, Sixthly, If thou wouldst have thy heart brought and kept in a humble, broken, bleeding, melting, tender frame, then seriously peruse this treatise: Ps. xxxiv. 18; Isa. lvii. 15; 2 Chron. xxxiv. 27. ̄ But, Seventhly, If thou wouldst always come to the Lord's table with such a frame of spirit, as Christ may take a delight to meet thee, to bless thee, to bid thee welcome, and to seal up his love and thy pardon to thee, then seriously peruse this treatise, especially that part of it where the dreadful and amazing sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, both in body and soul, are at large set forth: Mat. xxvi. 26-28; Luke xxii. 19, 20; 1 Cor. xi. 23-30. But, Eighthly, If thou wouldst have a clear sight of the length, and breadth, and depth, and height of the love of Christ, then seriously peruse this treatise: Eph. iii. 18; Ps. cxlvi. 8. But, Ninthly, If thou wouldst have thy love to Christ tried, raised, acted, inflamed, discovered, and augmented, &c., then seriously peruse this treatise: Cant. i. 7, and viii. 5-7. But, Tenthly, If thou art a strong man in Christ Jesus, and wouldst have thy head and heart exercised in the great things of God, and in the deep things of God, and in the mysterious things of God, then seriously peruse this treatise: 2 Tim. ii. 1; Heb. v. 14; 1 Cor. ii. 6, 7; 1 John ii. 14. But, Eleventhly, If thou art but a weak Christian, a babe, a little child, a shrub, a dwarf in grace, holiness, and communion with God, and in thy spiritual attainments, enjoyments, and experiences, then seriously peruse this treatise, especially the first part of it: 1 Cor. iii. 1; Heb. v. 13; 1 Pet. ii. 2; 1 John ii. 1, 12, 13. But, Twelfthly, If thou wouldst know whether thou art an indulger of sin, and if thou wouldst be stocked with singular remedies against thy special sins, then seriously peruse the former part of this treatise: Job xx. 11-14; Micah vi. 6, 7; Rom. xiii. 14; James iv. 3. But, Thirteenthly, If thou wouldst be rooted, grounded, strengthened, and settled in those two grand points of the gospel, viz., the active and passive obedience of Christ, and be daily refreshed with those pleasant streams, with those waters of life that flow from thence, then seriously peruse this treatise: 1 Pet. v. 10; Isa. liii.; Heb. x. 10, 12, 14; GaÏ. iv. 4, 5; Rom. viii. 3, 4; 2 Cor. v. 21. But, Fourteenthly, If thou wouldst be throughly acquainted with the sufferings of Christ, in his body and soul, with their greatness and grievousness, &c., and if thou wouldst understand the mighty advantages we have by his sufferings, then seriously peruse this treatise: Isa. liii. and lxiii. 2; 1 Pet. ii. 21-24; John x. 11, 15, 17, 18. But, Fifteenthly, If thou wouldst be able strongly to prove, against the Socinians and the high atheists of the day, and such as make so great a noise about a light within them, that there is a hell, a place of torment, provided and prepared for all wicked and ungodly persons, then seriously peruse this treatise: Mat. xxv. 41; Ps. ix. 17; Prov. v. 5. But, Sixteenthly, If thou wouldst, in a scripture-glass, see the torments of hell, and know how to avoid them, and what divine improvements to make of them, and be resolved in several questions concerning hell and hellish torments, then seriously peruse this treatise. But, Seventeenthly, If thou wouldst be able strenuously to maintain and defend Christ's eternal deity and manhood against all corrupt teachers and gainsayers, then seriously peruse this treatise: 1 John i. 2, 14; 1 Tim. ii. 5. But, Eighteenthly, If thou wouldst be rooted and grounded in that great doctrine of the imputed righteousness of Christ, and be warmed, refreshed, cheered, comforted, and delighted with those choice and singular consolations that flow from thence, then seriously peruse this treatise: Jer. xxiii. 6; Isa. xlv. 24, and lxi. 10; 1 Cor. i. 30. But, Nineteenthly, If thou wouldst be set at liberty from many fears and doubts and disputes that often arise in thy soul about thy internal and eternal estate, then seriously peruse this treatise: Ps. xlii. 5, 11, and lv. 5; 2 Cor. vii. 5. But, Twentiethly, If thou wouldst have all grace to flourish and abound in thy soul, if thou wouldst be eminently serviceable in thy generation, if thou wouldst be ripe for sufferings, for death, for heaven, if thou wouldst be temptation-proof, if thou wouldst be weaned from this world and triumph in Christ Jesus when the world triumphs over thee, then seriously peruse this treatise: Ps. xcii. 12-14; Rom. xv. 13; Acts xiii. 36; 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10; Rev. xii. 1; 2 Cor. ii. 14. Reader, if thou wouldst make any earnings of thy reading this treatise, then thou must-1. Read, and believe what thou readest. 2. Thou must read, and meditate on what thou readest. 3. Thou must read, and pray over what thou readest. 4. Thou must read, and try what thou readest by the touchstone of the word. 5. Thou must read, and apply what thou readest; that plaster will never heal that is not applied, &c. 6. Thou must read, and make conscience of living up to what thou readest, and of living out what thou readest. This is the way to honour thy God, to gain profit by this treatise, to credit religion, to stop foul mouths, to strengthen weak hands, to better a bad head, to mend a bad heart, to rectify a disorderly life, and to make sure work for thy soul, for heaven, for eternity. Reader, in a fountain sealed and treasures hid, there is little profit or comfort. No fountain to that which flows for common good, no treasures to those that lie open for public service. If thou gettest any good by reading this treatise, give God alone the glory; and remember the author when thou art in the mount with God. His prayers for thee are, that thou mayest be a knowing Christian, a sincere Christian, a growing Christian, a rooted Christian, a resolute Christian, an untainted Christian, an exemplary Christian, a humble Christian, and then he knows thou wilt be a saved Christian in the day of Christ; so he rests, who is thy cordial friend and soul's servant, THOMAS BROOKS. 1 Acts xviii. 8, and xxiv. 14; Ps. i. 2, and cxix. 5, 18; Acts xvii. 11; Ps. cxix. 9; John xiii. 17; Ps. cxix. 105, 106. SERIOUS AND WEIGHTY QUESTIONS CLEARLY AND SATISFACTORILY ANSWERED. THE first question or case is this: 1st Quest. What are the special remedies, means, or helps against cherishing or keeping up of any special or peculiar sin, either in heart or life, against the Lord, or against the light and conviction of a man's own conscience? Before I come to the resolution of this question, I shall premise a few things that may clear my way. 1. First, When men's hearts are sincere with God; when they don't indulge, cherish, or keep up any known transgression in their hearts or lives against the Lord, they may on very good grounds plead an interest in God, in Christ, and in the covenant of grace, though their corruptions prevail against them, and too frequently worst them and lead them captive, as is most evident in these special scriptures, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5; Ps. lxv. 3; Rom. vii. 23, 25; Isa. lxiii. 16, 17, 19; Jer. xiv. 7-9; Hosea xiv. 1-4, 8. But now, when any man's heart doth condemn him for dealing deceitfully and guilefully with God in this or that or the other particular, or for connivings or winking at any known transgression that is kept up, either in his heart or life against the Lord, and against the light of his own conscience, which he will not let go, nor in good earnest use the means whereby it should be subdued and mortified; it is not to be expected that such a person can come to any clearness or satisfaction about their interest in Christ and the covenant of grace and their right to the great things of that other world. When a person will dally with sin, and will be playing with snares and baits, and allow a secret liberty in his heart to sin, conniving at many workings of it, and not setting upon mortification with earnest endeavours; though they are convinced, yet they are not persuaded to arise with all their might against the Lord's enemies, but do his work negligently, which is an accursed thing; and for this, God casts such a person into sore straits, and lets him wander in the dark, without any sight, sense, or assurance of their gracious estate or interest in Christ, &c. Israelites should perfectly have rooted out the Canaanites, but because they did it but by halves, and did not engage all their power and The strength against them, therefore God left them to be as thorns in their eyes, and as goads in their sides.' So when men have taken Christ's press-money and are engaged to fight with all their might against those rebels that war against him in their hearts, ways, and walkings, and to pursue the victory to the utmost, till their spiritual enemies lie dead at their feet, and yet they do but trifle and make slender opposition against their sins; this provokes God to stand afar off, and to hide his reconciled face from them. It is true, when men are really in Christ, they ought not to question their state in him, but yet a guilty conscience will be clamorous and full of objections, and God will not speak peace unto it till it be humbled at his foot. God will make his dearest children know that it is a bitter thing to be bold with sin. Now, before I lay down the remedies, give me leave to shew you what it is to indulge sin, or when a man may be said to indulge or cherish, or keep up any known transgression in his soul against the Lord. Now, for a clear understanding of me in this particular, take me thus: [1.] First, To indulge sin or to cherish it, it is to make daily provision for it, Rom. xiii. 14. It is to give the breast to it, and to feed it and nourish it, as fond parents do feed and humour the sick child, the darling child; it must have what it will, and do what it will, it must not be crossed. Now, when men ordinarily, habitually, commonly, are studious and laborious to make provision for sin, then sin is indulged by them. But, [2] Secondly, When sin is commonly, habitually, sweet and pleasant to the soul, when a man takes a daily pleasure and delight in sin, then sin is indulged. 2 Thes. ii. 12 you read of them that had 'pleasure in unrighteousness;' Isa. lxvi. 3, ' And their soul delighteth in their abominations;' Prov. ii. 14, Who rejoice to do evil,' &c. [3.] Thirdly, When men commonly, habitually, side with sin, and take up arms in the defence of sin, and in defiance of the commands of God, the motions of the Spirit, the checks of conscience, and the reproofs of others, then sin is indulged. But, [4.] Fourthly, When men ordinarily, habitually, do yield a quiet, free, willing, and total subjection to the authority and commands of sin, then sin is indulged. That man that is wholly addicted and devoted to the service of sin, that man indulges sin. Now in none of these senses does any godly man indulge any one sin in his soul. Though sin lives in him, yet he doth not live in sin. Every man that hath drink in him is not in drink. A child of God may slip into a sin, as a sheep may slip into the mire, but he does not, nor cannot wallow in sin as the swine does in the mire, nor yet keep on in a road of sin, as sinners do: Ps. cxxxix. 24, 'See if there be any way of wickedness in me.' A course, a trade of sin is not consistent with the truth or state of grace: Job x. 7, 'Thou knowest that I am not wicked.' He doth not say, Thou knowest that I am not a sinner, or thou knowest that I have not sinned. No! for the best of saints are sinners, though the worst and weakest of saints are not wicked. Every real Christian is a renewed Christian, and every renewed Christian takes his denomination from his renovation, and not from the remainders of corruptions in him; and therefore such a one may well look God in the face and VOL. V. B |