and washed with the blood of Christ Ionah 1.4 Sinne is like Ionas whilst he was in the ship there was nothing but tempest Iosh 7.11 12. like Achan in the Armie whilst he was not found out Gods judgement followed the campe Sinne is that which troubleth all therefore it must be taken away first and therewith all evill is taken away therefore the first mercy is a forgiving pardoning and quieting mercy When the blood of Jesus Christ by the hand of faith is sprinkled upon the soule God creating a hand of faith to sprinkle and shed it upon the soule Christ loved mee and gave himselfe for mee then the soule saith though my sinnes be great yet the satisfaction of Christ is greater God hath loved me and gave his owne Sonne for me and I apply this to my selfe as it is offered to me and take the offer this pacifieth the soule as it is written The Blood of Christ who through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without spot to God Heb. 9.14 is that which purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serve the living God To a Repentant sinner this Blood of sprinkling speakes better things then the blood of Abell Heb. 12.24 not as his blood cried for vengeance but mercy mercy When the soule is thus pacified there is the foundation of all other mercy whatsoever The Order is this when God is reconciled all is reconciled when God is at peace with us in the Forgivenesse of sins then all is peaceable at home and abroad conscience is in peace within and all the creatures at peace without all which with all that befalls us have a command to doe us no hurt as David gave charge to the people of Absolom When God is reconciled and at peace all things are at peace with us for is not he Lord of Hosts who hath the command of all the creatures therefore this grace of forgivenesse is the chiefe grace To shew it in one instance more David was a King and a Prophet a comely and a valorous person but what esteemd he most did he say blessed is the man who is a King or a Prophet or a valiant Warriour or hath Dominion Obedience or great possessions as I have O no Blessed is the man whose sinnes are forgiven Psal 32.1 and whose iniquities are covered You see wherein this holy man David sets and pitcheth happinesse in the forgivenesse of sinnes Blessed is such a man Though he were a great King he knew well enough that if his sinnes were not pardoned and covered he had beene a wretched man Therefore this should teach us to desire of Vse 1 God continually the pardon of our sinnes and wee should make it the cheefe desire of our soules that God would shine upon them in Jesus Christ pardon and accept us in his beloved they goe together Vse 2 And blesse him for this above all other blessings Psal 103. as it is Psal 103.1 3. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy Name c. Why Who forgiveth all thy iniquities and healeth all thy diseases We should blesse God most of all for this that he hath devised a way by Christ to receive satisfaction for sinne to pardon it and say unto our soules I am thy salvation this is the greatest favour of all Quest But you aske How shall I know that God hath healed my soule in regard of the forgivenesse of sinnes Answ How to know that God hath pardoned our sinnes The answer is if together with pardon of sinne he heale sinne for God when he takes away the venome of a wound that indangers death the deadly disease he takes away also the swelling of the wound and glowing of it 1. If with pardoning there be subduing When hee ceaseth to make it deadly he heales the soule withall and subdues our iniquities as his Promise is So there is together with pardoning mercy curing mercy in regard of Sanctification Where God is a Father to make us Sonnes he is a Father to beget us anew so where Christ comes by Blood to wash away our sinnes hee comes by Water also and the Holy Ghost where he is a Comforter in the forgivenesse of sinnes he is a Sanctifier And the soule of a distressed sinner lookes to the one as well as the other Aske the soule of any man who is truly humbled what doe you chiefly desire O that God would pardon my sinnes But is that all No That he would also heale my sinnes and subdue my Rebellions that I may not any longer be under the government and tyrannie of my lusts but under Gods gratious governement who will guide me better then before Hos 2.7 This we see to be the Order in the Lords Prayer after we are taught to say Mat. 6.12 13. Forgive us our trespasses it followes And leade us not into temptation but deliver us from evill which is for the time to come So David Psal 19.12 13. Cleanse me from my secret sinnes and keepe me that presumptuous sins have not dominion over me c. So that this is the desire of an afflicted conscience truly humbled curing as well as covering of sinne This is a sure evidence that our sins are pardoned Then againe when there is peace 2. By Peace Rom. 5.1 when the soule feeles this it is a signe that God hath heal'd the soule For saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ the Blood of Christ hath a pacifying power in forgivenesse of sinnes When Ionas was cast out there was a calme So when sinne is cast out and pardoned there is a calme in the soule which comes from the forgivenesse of sinnes Againe Healing is knowne by this 3. When we are willing to be searched if wee have hearts willing to be searched for then our will is cured which in the state of grace is more then our Obedience when we would be better then we are then certainely our will is not in league with corruptions Now where the will is so much sanctified I resolve to be better I would be better and I use all meanes being glad when any joynes with me against my corruptions I am glad of all such advantages here is a good signe As now when a man goes to Church and desires O that my corruptions might be met withall O that I might bee laid open to my selfe and know my selfe better then I have formerly done this is the desire of an ingenuous soule Where there is no guile of soule a man is glad to have himselfe and his corruptions discovered whereas another frets and kicks and rageth against the Word of God which is a signe that there is some league betwixt him and his sinne You have some that above all things in the world they would not have such and such downe-right Ministers O take heed this is a signe of a hollow heart and that
with an everlasting former love not beginning at that instant discoverie thereof Vse 1 The Use heereof is first of all against those who measure Gods love and favour by their owne feeling because as God loved them before so hee loves them as well and as dearely still when he hideth his face from them as when hee suffered his loving kindnesse to shine most comfortably upon them Hee loved Christ as dearely when he hanged on the tree in torment of soule and body as hee did when he said This is my beloved sonne Mat. 3.17 in whom I am well pleased yea and when hee received him up into glory The Sunne shineth as cleerely in the darkest day as it doth in the brightest The difference is not in the Sunne but in some clouds which hinder the manifestation of the light thereof So God loveth us as well when he shineth not in the brightnesse of his countenance upon us as when he doth Iob 42.7 Iob was as much beloved of God in the middest of his miseries as he was afterwards when he came to enjoy the aboundance of his mercies I will love them freely c. The last Point which we gather from hence Observ as a speciall ground of comfort is this That this free love and favour of God is the cause of all other mercies and free favours whereby hee discovereth his love unto us 1. It is the cause of election Rom. 5.11 even so then as this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace So 2. For Vocation when the Apostle had shewed that the Ephesians were saved by Grace Ephe. 5.7 hee adds that in the ages to come hee might shew the exceeding riches of his grace In his kindnesse towards us through Christ Iesus hee afterwards sheweth when this grace began first to have being Ephe. 2.10 For wee are his workemanship created vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that wee should walke therein 3. Forgivenesse of sinnes In whom we have a redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinns Ephe. 1.7 according to the riches of his grace So 4. For the grace of Love Wee love him 1 Joh. 4.19 because he loved us first 5. For Justification and Sanctification It is said that Christ hath loved us Rev. 1.5 why For he hath washed us from our sinnes in his owne blood and Saint Iohn saith He hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father 1. Kings to fight against the world the flesh and the divell 2. Priests to teach instruct reprove and comfort our selves and others by the word of God and then to offer up the sacrifice of a broken heart in prayers and praises All comes from freedome of love 6. So every good Inclination comes hence For it is God which worketh in us Hos 5.14 Phil. 1.13 both to will and to doe of his good pleasure So 7. Every good Worke For we are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus unto good workes which he had before ordained that we should walke therein For by grace ye are saved saith he through faith Ephe. 2.8.10 So 8. For Eternall life the Apostle sheweth It is the gift of God Rom. 6.23 through Iesus Christ our Lord. This should teach us in the first place to bee humbled in that we are so miserable naughty servants doing so little worke nay nothing as we should yet should have so good wages 1 Cor. 4.7 Ephes 2.9 but God loves us freely c. It should rather humble us the more then puffe us up in pride in regard that there was nothing in us which might deserve any thing at Gods hand Vse 2 And hence also it followeth infallibly Ioh. 17.23 24. that if he loved us from everlasting with a free love in a sort as he loved Christ that therefore the effects of his love towards us shall never faile as the Apostle sheweth Rom. 11.29 The gifts and calling of God are without Repentance Faith and Repentance being fruits of his love wrought in us shall hold out therfore the weakenesse of these graces as they shall not hinder our salvation no more should they discourage us or hinder the comfort of our profession Because that Faith and Repentance which wee have is not any worke of ours but the worke of Gods free love in us therefore they shall bee continued and accepted For our Perseverance doth not stand in this that wee have strength in our selves to continue faithfull to God but because he out of his free love continueth faithfull to us and will never faile nor forsake them whom he hath once taken into his everlasting favour on whom hee hath set his everlasting free love as the Apostle speakes of Christ Who also shall confirme you unto the end 1 Cor. 1.8 9. that yee may be blamelesse in the day of our Lord Iesus Christ but upon what ground God is faithfull by whom wee were called unto the fellowship of his Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. So that if any of the Elect should fall away God should be unfaithfull The case in Perseverance is not how faithfull wee are but how faithfull God is who guides us heere with his Counsell in all things Psal 73.24 and afterwards receiveth us into glory So in another place after the Apostle had prayed Now the very God of Peace Sanctifie you wholy 1 Thess 5.23 24. and I pray God your whole spirit and soule and body bee preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ What maketh he the ground of this his Prayer Faithfull is hee that calleth you who also will doe it Vse 3 If then wee would have God to manifest his free love to us let us strive to be obedient to his Commandements and stirre up our hearts by all meanes to love him who hath so freely loved us Quest Now how should we manifest our love to God Answ How to manifest our love to God First in loving his Word as Psal 19. Psal 119. Secondly in loving his people 1 Ioh. 5.1 2. Thirdly in longing for and loving his second comming Revel 22.20 Now followeth the Reason of the discoverie of this free love shewed now in time to them For mine Anger is turned away from him Here is the third Branch of Gods answer to their Petition Mine Anger is turned away from him which is included and implied in the former I will heale their backsliding how could hee doe this if he were Angrie No he saith I will love them freely which argues that his anger was appeased God knoweth that variety of words and expressions are all little enough to raise up and comfort a doubting wounded galled soule which when it is touched with a sense of sinne and of his displeasure cannot heare words enough of comfort This God knowes well enough and therefore hee adds expression upon expression I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely for
and alter our former lewd courses our sinnes are not yet forgiven For wheresoever God takes away sinne and loves freely there also he gives the best fruits of his love bestowes the dew of his grace to worke upon and alter our natures Christ came not by blood alone to die for us but by water also to sanctifie us He will not onely love freely but he will be as the dew where he loves freely therefore if we have not sanctifying grace we have not as yet pardoning grace For we know the Prophet joynes them both together Psa 32.1 1. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity and in whose spirit there is no guile If we retaine a guilefull false spirit our sinnes are not forgiven we see both these are put together Vse 2 And seeing all these good things come from God it is necessary to take notice of what hath beene said of Gods goodnesse that we doe not rob God of his due glory nor our selves of the due comfort that we may draw thence The Egyptians had the river Nylus that overflowed the land every yeere caused by anniversary winds which so blew into the mouth of the river that it could not discharge it selfe into the sea whereupon it overflowed the bankes and left a fruitfull slime upon the ground so that they needed not nine as other Countries because it was watered with Nylus Hereupon they did not depend upon Gods blessing nor were so holy as they should but were proud of their river as is intimated by Moses unto the people Deut. 11.10 11. But the land whether thou goest in to possesse it is not as the land of Egypt from whence yee came out where thou sowest thy seed and wateredst it with thy foot as a garden of herbes But the land whether yee goe to possesse it is a land of hills and valleyes and drinketh water of the raine of heaven a land which the Lord thy God careth for c. They having more immediately raine from Heaven saw Gods hand in watering it whereas the Egyptians did not And what makes a Papist to be so unthankfull He thinks he can with his owne industry water his owne ground with somewhat in himselfe What makes another man thankfull on the other side Because he knoweth he hath all things by dependance from the first cause for as in nature Act. 17.28 In God wee live moove and have our beeing much more in grace we have all our nourishment spirituall being Mal. 4.2 mooving and life from the dew of Heaven all our heate is from the Sunne of Righteousnesse which makes a Christian life to be nothing else but a gratious dependance Phil. 4.13 I can do all things saith Saint Paul big and great words O! but it is through Christ that strengthens me These things must not be forgotten for a child of the Church is a child of grace by grace he is what he is he hath all from Heaven Eze. 29.9 Suitable to the former place is that in Ezekiel And the land of Aegypt shall be desolate and waste and they shall know that I am the Lord because hee hath said the river is mine and I have made it He shall be desolate because he boasts and brags of his river and depends not upon God for the sweet showers of the former and the latter raine they boasted because it was a fat fruitfull countrie which the Romans called their granary But wee must looke for all from Heaven God by his Spirit will be as the dew You know in Paradise there were foure rivers that watred the Garden of God that sweet place That the head whence all blessing come is in Heaven and made it fruitfull but the heads of all these rivers were out of Paradise So it is with the Church of God Psal 46.4 There is a River the streames whereof makes glad the Citie of God as the Psalmist speakes many pretious comfortable graces the particulars whereof follow but where is the head-spring of that river it is in Heaven We have all from God through Christ the Mediator So though we have of the Water and Dew yet notwithstanding the head and spring of all is from without the Church in Heaven in Christ in the Mediator And therefore in all the excellent things we enjoy in the Church let us looke to the Originall first cause Christ by his Spirit He is as the Dew to his Church Vse 3 This affoords likewise an Vse of Direction Quest How to come to have grace to sanctifie and alter our natures Answ How to have grace to sanctifie our natures Doe as the Church doth heere desire it of God Lord teach me to see and know my sinnes Lord Take away all iniquity and receive me gratiously Heale my soule for I have sinned against thee O love mee freely Turne away thy angry face from my sinnes and be as the Dew unto my barren soule my dead soule O quicken it make good thy promise come swiftly come speedily come unresistably like raine upon the mowen grasse Psal 72.6 as showers to water with the dew of grace and fructifie my drie parched soule Thus we should be earnest with God for grace for our selves and for the Churches abroad for our Church and State at home Therefore let such an use be made of it generally as God and not other forraigne helps may especially bee trusted in for it is the onely way to destruction to let God alone and to trust to this bodie and that bodie for in this case many times God makes those we thus trust in our destruction as the Assyrians and Babylonians were the ruine of the ten Tribes But begin alwaies first in Heaven set that great wheele a working and he will make all things comfortable especially for our soules then we shall not onely finde him to make good this promise I will be as the Dew unto Israell but the residue which follow after He shall grow as the Lillie c. Those unto whom God is Dew a double blessing he will make them grow and so grow as they shall grow up as the Lillie Thistles and nettles and ill weeds grow apace also but not as Lillies but Gods children are Lillies and then they grow as Lillies Quest Answ Christians grow like Lillies How doe Christians grow like Lillies First for beauty and glory There is such a kinde of glory and beauty in that plant that it is said by our Saviour 1. In regard of beauty and glory Mat. 5.29 That Salomon in all his royalty was not arrayed like one of these because his was a borrowed glory from the creature but the Lillie hath a native beauty of its owne Againe 2. In regard of sweet fragrant smell the Lillie hath a sweet and fragrant smell so have Christians a sweetnesse and shining exprest in their conversation as we have it a little after His smell shall bee as Lebanon c. And
and deeper considerations of true happinesse and the way unto it God puts into the heart of a man whom he intends to save serious and sad considerations what estate he is in whither his course leads and withall hee lets them feele some displeasure of his towards them in those waies by his wayes towards them where upon they make a stop 2. There must be Humiliation 2. Humiliation with displeasure against our selves judging and taking revenge of our selves working and reflecting on our hearts taking shame to our selves for our wayes and courses And withall there must concurre some hope of mercy for so long as there is hue and crie as we say after a Traitor he returnes not but flyes still and hasts away but offer a pardon Luk. 15. and he Returneth So unlesse there be hope of pardon to draw a man againe to God as the Prodigall was moved to Returne by hope of mercie and favour from his father wee will not wee dare not else Returne 3. 3. Resolution There must be a Resolution to overcome impediments for when a man thinks or resolves to turne to God Satan will stirre up all his instruments and labour to kill Christ in his Infancie and to quench good while it is in the purpose only the Dragon stood watching for the Birth of the Childe so doth Satan observe the birth of every good resolution and purpose so farre as he can know them to destroy them Vse Let it be thought of by us in all our distresses and in whatsoever other evidences of Gods anger whether this meanes have bin taken up by us It will be thus knowne 1. Turning is a change of the posture of the body so is this of the frame of the mind by this we know a man is in a state of turning the looke of his Intentions Purposes the whole bent of his soule is set another way even upon God and his word is the starre of Direction towards which he bends all his thoughts 2. His present actions also be contrary to his former there is not only a change of the disposition of his soule There is a Change of Actions Behold all things are become new Not some things but all not only new but with a Behold new 2. Cor. 5.17 This change undoubtedly sheweth that there is a true conversion and unfained By our association 3. By our association he that turnes to God turnes presently to the company of Gods people together with the change of his nature and course of life there is a change of company that is of such as we make choice of for amity and friendship Isa 11. other company by reason of our callings and occasionally may be frequented 4. It is a signe that one is not only Turned but hath gon backwards from sinne a great way when the things of Heaven only are great things in his eyes for as the further a man goeth from a place the lesser the things behind him seeme so the greater the things before he being neerer to them The more sublime and high thoughts a man hath of the wayes of God and the meaner thoughts of the world and worldly matters hee esteemed so highly of in the daies of his vanity the more hee is Turned unto God This Returning is further inforced saying Returne unto the Lord thy God It is very emphaticall and significant in the Originall returne usquè ad Iehovam even to Iehovah as though he should say do not only beginne to Returne towards Iehovah but so Returne as you never cease comming till you come to Iehovah Even unto the Lord thy God Obser It is not enough to make a stop and to forbeare the practising of our former sinnes but wee must come home even unto the Lord our God to be pardoned and healed of him The Prodigall serue Luk. 15. had beene never a whit the better to see his sinne and misery and to be grieved for his wicked life past unlesse hee had come unto his father for Pardon and Comfort Act. 2.38 And when those were pricked in their hearts at Peters Sermon asking Peter what they should do hee exhorted them To Repent every one to be Baptised in the name of Iesus Christ for the Remission of sins and so they should receive the Holy Ghost And when Christ invites all those who are wearie and heavie laden to come unto him Matt. 11.28 he bids them not now be further humbled and grieved for their sinnes but by Faith to come unto him to be healed and so they should find rest and peace to their soules It is not sufficient for a wounded man to be sorry for his brawling and fighting and to say he will fight no more but he must come to the Surgeon to have his wounds stopt dressed and healed or else it may cost him his life So it is not enough to be humbled and grieved for sinne and to resolve against it we shall relapse againe do what we can unlesse wee come under the wing of Christ to be healed by his blood Vse Many think they have repented and are deceived upon this false ground they are and have bin grieved for their sins and offences are determined to leave and forsake them and that is all they do they never lay hold on Christ and come home to God For thou hast fallen by thine Iniquitie Here divers points might be insisted on 1. that Obser Where there is a falling into sinne there will be a falling into miserie and judgement This is made good in the experience of all times ages persons and states still the more sinnfull any were the more fearefull judgements fell upon them and as soone as any man came into a sinfull state he entered into a declining state as Iacob said of his sonne Reuben who had defiled his bed unstable as water Thou shalt not excell Genes 49.4 because thou wentest up to thy fathers bed So sinne still debaseth a man so much sinne so much losse of excellencie The Use hereof is first against those that complaine of their troubles and miseries as Vse 1 though God and men had dealt hardly with them whereas their owne waies indeed have brought al these evills upon them Lam. 3.39 God is a sufficient wise and holy disposer and orderer of all the wayes of men and rewarder of good and evill doings God being wise and just in his disposing of all things it must needs follow that it shall goe well with those that are good as the Prophet speakes Say unto the just that it shall be well with them for the reward of their workes shall be given them And if it fall out otherwaies then well with men the blame must be laid on their owne sinne As the Church confesseth and therefore resolveth Micah 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him untill hee plead my cause and execute judgement for mee hee will
is because Prayer sets God on worke Hos 2.21 22. and God who is able and willing to go through with his works sets all the creatures on worke 1 King 18.45 As we heard of Eliah when hee prayed for raine the creatures were set a worke to effect it Object Where it may be Objected O but raine might come to late in that hot Countrie where all the Rootes and Herbes might bee withered and dried up in three yeares space Yet all was well againe Answ the land brought forth her increase as formerly for faithfull Prayer never comes too late because God can never come too late if our prayers come to him 2 Chron. 15.2 we shall find him come to us Iehoshaphat we read was in great distresse when three Kings came against him yet when hee went to God by unfained and hearty fasting and prayer God heard him fought for him and destroyed all his enemies The Scripture sheweth also how after Hezekiahs Prayer 2 Chron. 19.6 14. against Senacheribs Blasphemies and threatnings the Lord sent forth his Angell and destroyed in one night of them 2 King 19.20.35 a hundred fourescore and five thousand of the Assyrians This is first for Reproofe of those who in Vse 1 their distresses set their wit wealth friends and all a worke but never set God a worke as Hezekiah did in Senacheribs case The first time hee turned him off to his cost with enduring a heavie taxation 2 King 18.14 and yet was never a whit the better for it for Senacherib came shortly after and besieged Hierusalem untill Hezekiah had humbled himselfe and prayed and then God chased all away and destroied them he had better have done so at first and so have saved his monie and paines too 2 Chron. 14.11 The like weakenesse we have a proofe of in Asa who when a greater Armie came against him of ten hundred thousand men laid about him Prayed and Trusted in God and so was delivered with the destruction of his enemies yet in a lesser danger 2 Chron. 16.2 against Baasha King of Israel distrusted God and sent out the Treasures of the house of God and out of his owne house unto Benhadad King of Syria to have helpe of him by a diverting warre against Baasha King of Israel which his plot though it prospered yet was hee reproved by the Prophet Hanani 2 Chron. 16.7 and warres thenceforth denounced against him This Asa notwithstanding this experiment afterwards sought unto the Phisitian before hee sought unto God Secondly This blameth that barrennesse and Vse 2 want of words to go unto God which for want of hearts wee often find in our selves It were a strange thing to see a wife have have words enough for her maids and servants and yet not to bee able to speake to her husband Wee all professe to bee the Spouse of Christ what a strange thing then is it to bee full when wee speake to men yet be so emptie and want words to speake to him A begger wee know wants no words nay he aboundeth with variety of expressions and what makes him thus fruitfull in words What makes a bold begger his necessity and in part his hope of obtaining These two make beggers so earnest So would it be with us if we found sufficiently our great need of Christ and therewith had hope it would embolden us so to go to God in Christ that we should not want words but wee want this hope and the feeling of our necessities which makes us so barren in prayer Prepare thy selfe therfore to prayer by getting unto thee a true sense of thy need acquaintance with God and hope to obtaine and it will make thee fervent in prayer and copious in thy requests Vse 3 Thirdly this is for Consolation though one should want all other meanes yet whatsoever their misery be if they can take words and can pray well Isa 38.3 they shall speed well If the misery be for sin confesse it and ask pardon for it and they shall have it and be cleansed from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1.9 Words fetch the comfort to us though it be the blood of Christ onely that hath paid the debt Isa 53.5 The end of the first Sermon THE SECOND SERMON Hos. 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously so will we render the Calves of our lips AS wee lost our selves in the first Adam so the mercie of God in the Covenant of Grace found out a way to restore us againe by the second Adam Jesus Christ in whom all the Promises are yea and Amen yesterday and to day and the same for ever And as the wisedome of God did freely find out this way at first comforting our first Parents with it in Paradice so this bowells of incomprehensible love of his hath so gon on from time in all ages of the Church comforting and raising up the dejected spirits of his Church from time to time and awakening them out of their drowsinesse and sleepie condition And many times the greater sinners he dealt with the greater mercies and tender bowells of compassion were opened unto them in many sweet and gratious promises tendering forgivenesse and inviting to Repentance as here in this Chapter and whole Prophecie is shewed what Tribe so wicked so full of Idolatry and Rebellion as Ephraim and yet here Ephraim and Israel are taught a lesson of Repentance as the tender Nurse feeds her childe and puts meate in its mouth so here the Lord puts words in the mouth of this Rebellious people Take with you words and turne unto the Lord. Object What needs God words hee knowes our hearts before we speake unto him Answ Why wee must bring words with us though God knowes our minde It s true God needs no words but we doe to stirre up our hearts and affections and because he will have us take shame unto our selves having given us our tongues as an instrument of glorifying him he will have our glory used in our Petitions and Thankesgivings and therefore in regard of our selves he will as was said have us take words unto our selves for exciting of the graces of God in us by words blowing up of the affections and for manifestation of the hidden man of the heart God will be glorified by the outward as well as by the inward man And Turne to the Lord. He repeats the exhortation of Returning That words and purposes must concurre in Prayer to shew that words must not bee empty but such as are joyned with a purpose of turning to God for otherwise to turne to him with a purpose to live in any sin is the extremity of prophane impudence to come to aske a pardon of the King with a resolution to live still in Rebellion against him what is this but mockerie as if one should come with a dagg to shoote him Such is our
case when we come to aske forgivenesse with a purpose to offend It is the extremity of prophanenesse to come to aske a pardon to the intent that we may sin still therfore he repeates it againe Take unto you words and turne to the Lord. The Forme is Take away all iniquity and receiue us graciously or Doe good to us So will we render the Calves of our lips Wherein we have 1. A Petition 1. To take away all iniquity 2. To receive them gratiously 2. A Restipulation or promise of thankfullnesse backe againe to the Lord So will we render the Calves of our lips So that we may observe hence What God will grant us he will have us aske of him yet for all these things I will be sought unto of the House of Israel saith God because hee will have us acknowledge our homage and dependance upon him therefore we must aske what he hath purposed to give Take away all iniquity c. where there is an implication of a confession of their sins and great iniquities Take away iniquity and Take away all iniquity that is our manifold guilt So before Petition there must be a free and full Confession as was shewed before Of Confession how it is to be done and unto whom Now this Confession here is made to God and to God onely saith Austin in this case Because it is a point in controversie it is good to heare what the Ancients say There are a curious sort of men who are busie to search into other mens lives and are carelesse in amending their own Augustin Saith he what have I to do with men to heare me confesse when I have offended God wee must confesse to God and to God only But in some cases there may be publique and private Confession to men Publique in publique offences for the satisfaction of the Church and the glory of God for preventing of scandall Private to Ministers for the quieting of conscience but this is onely in some cases men goe not to the Chirurgeon as the Papists would have it for every little prick of their finger Simile No but yet in some cases it is good to open the matter to a Minister who hath the tongue of the learned but the sin is toward God against him hee onely being able to forgive sins as the Pharisees confessed Mark 2.7 None can forgive sinnes but God the Papists therefore herein are worse then the Pharisees The Petition is Take away iniquity and all iniquity Why all Why all iniquity is prayed against because where there is any true goodnesse in the heart that hatred which carries the bent of the soule against one sinne 1. In a sincere soule all are alike hated is alike against all as I shewed and the divell carries thousands to hell by this partiall obedience because he knowes at any time where to have such God and a purpose to sin will not stand together nor dwell in a heart that allowes it selfe in any sin be it never so small He saith Take away all because the Spirit of God workes in a man renewed such a disposition of sincerity to hate all alike Secondly he saith Take away all iniquity 2. Because a renewed soule desires to bee like God because the heart which desires to bee at peace with God desires also to bee like God who hates all sinne therefore saith the sanctified soule forgive all sin Take all away that I may have nothing in me displeasing unto thee I desire to joyne with the Lord to hate what he hateth and as he hateth to carrie a perfect hatred to the whole kinde Take away all iniquity hatred is not satisfied but with the utter abolishing of the thing hated Therefore it hath this extent here Take away all sin both the guilt and the reigne of every sin that none may rule in me nay by little and little purge out all Take away iniquity and the traine of all which it drawes after it Iudgements Take away inquity that is forgive the sin and overcome the power of it by sanctifying grace and remit the judgements attending it Take it away Sinne hatefull to a conscience awaked That is take away the guilt of it utterly by pardon and the remainders thereof by sanctifying grace so as the Spirit may rule and be all in all in us They see sinne is an offensive thing and therefore they say Take it away as an offensive odious thing and as a burden For howsoever it be sweet as honey in the committing it afterwards when the conscience is throughly awaked it is most offensive and bitter so as in this case a sinner would gladly run from his owne conscience and from himselfe run any where from the tormenting and racking thoughts of conscience awaked and withall hates the place where it was committed and the company with whom yea the thoughts of them as Absolom hated Thamar after hee had lyen with her so a sinner awaked from sin hates what hee formerly loved As good men love the circumstances of any thing which puts them in mind of any good they have done loving both place and person So it is with a sinner when his conscience is awaked hee hates all things which puts him in minde of his sins therfore Take it away forgive it cast it into the bottome of the Sea blot it out of thy remembrance cover it impute it not all which phrases shew a taking away Triall of a sound desire of forgivenesse Therefore I beseech you let us examine our selves hereby whether our desire of forgivenes be sound or not if we desire sin should be taken away we cannot thinke of it with comfort For in that many thinke with delight of their old sins what doe they else but repeate them over againe and againe but where the heart is soundly touched with a saving sense of sinne O then he cries Take it away Take it out of my conscience that it cause not despaire there and out of thy remembrance that no advantage be taken against me for it Take it away But it is no otherwise taken away then by satisfying of divine justice How much are we beholding to Christ therefore who hath borne and taken away our sins and as the Scape-goate gon away with the burden of all into the wildernesse of oblivion Blessed be God and the Lamb of God that takes away the sinnes of the world We can never blesse God too much nor sufficiently for Christ Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ Now we may thinke of sinne without shame and despaire O blessed state when a man can thinke of his former odious and filthy loathsome sinnes and yet not despaire Because when he beleeves in Christ the blood of Christ purgeth all away takes away all sin He hath taken them away You see here in the first place That a true Convert first begs mercy above all they pray for the taking away of their
It is a pittifull thing to see the desperate condition of many now who though they live under the tyrannie of sinne yet flatter their owne disease and account them their greatest enemies who any way oppose their sicke humour What doe they most cordially hate The sound preaching of the Word the very sight of such a one whose calling hath beene to put us in minde of our sinnes evill courses and vanities of the world is loathsome and offensive to carnall men in whom corruption is growne up to such a tyrannie that it swayes the whole soule to devise how to satisfie it Man is so diseased that those lusts in him which he should labour to subdue and mortifie by the power of the Spirit doe so over-sway him that all his life is nothing else but a disease and backsliding into sinne And as if we were not corrupt enough our selves how many are there who feed their corruptions when they frequent ill places and company whom they cannot bee without and are as fish in the water feeding the old man in them So that such are not onely sick but defend maintaine and feed their sicknesse their whole life being spent this way which they laugh at and make Pride their chaine and ornament as the Prophet speakes This is spoken that we may take up a lamentation for the vilenesse of mans nature and to teach us how to judge aright of men when they devise how to have their liberty strengthened to goe to Hell as it were with an high hand having their will so fortified that no man is able to deale with them thwart them or teach them any thing If it were offered to most men to have what estate they would in this world what are their wishes and desires O that I might live as I list that I m ght have what would content my pleasures without controule that I might have no crosses but goe smoothly on yet this which is the desire of most men is the most cursed estate of all and most to be lamented Thus it appeareth Sinne is a wound and a disease what Use may we make of it Vse 1 If this be so then in the first place let us know and consider That no man who lives in sinnes unrepented of and uncured is to be envied be they never so great Who will envie a man that hath a rotten body covered over with glorious attire when every man knowes that he carries a rotten disease about him either some disease in the vitall parts or from the rottennesse of sin which puts a kind of shame and scorne Can we pittie a man thus in glorious attire having a filthy body under it thus covering their nakednesse in whose case we would not for any thing be and are they not much more to be pittied who have ulcerous soules galled and pierced through with many sinnes when we see men that are blasphemers swearers men guiltie of much blood and filthinesse and of many sinnes hanging upon them to envie such a mans greatnesse is extreame folly O he carries his deaths wound about him as we say he is striken already in his side with a deadly dart without the healing mercy of God there is but a step betwixt him and eternall death wherefore no man is to be envied for his sinfull greatnesse Vse 2 Againe if this be so that sinne is a disease and wound of the soule let us therefore labour to cure it presently It is desperate folly in men to neglect their bodies when they know that they are prone to such and such diseases which are growing upon them every day how carefull are men perceiving this much to prevent diseases by timely physick all sinnes are diseases and growing like diseases run from ill to worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 Wicked men saith the Apostle grow worse and worse Therefore if sin be a disease prevent it presently for as we see Hereticks and others the like are hardly found but at the first and then are hardly cured so if we neglect the diseases of our soules they will breed a consumption of grace or such an ill temper of soule as that it cannot well desire to repent Nay when a man lives in wicked rebellious courses long God will give him up to such terrors of conscience that it will not be pacified but upbraid it selfe I have beene a sinnefull wretched creature mercy hath beene offered me againe and againe but now it is too late having outstood all the meanes of grace and rejected them When they have considered that their lives have for a long time beene a meere rebellion and that they have put off the checks of conscience the admonitions of the Word and Spirit with the motions thereof it is long in this case before a man can have peace for answerable to the continuance in sinne is the hardnesse of the cure if it be cured at all Therefore there is no dallying with sinne That there is no dallying with sin to delay repentance I shall repent at length but not now yet a while I will continue these and these courses I shall doe well enough c. as if a man who were sicke or desperately wounded should say I shall doe well and yet neglect to send for the Physitian None are so desperately foolish in case of the body why should wee for our soules is not that in much more hazard then the body if we had spirituall eyes to consider of it That want of conviction of the sinfullnesse of sinne makes us so sinnefull and carelesse The truth is people are not convinced of this that sin is such a sicknesse which is the reason they are so carelesse of it But when the conscience is awaked as it will bee one day heere or in Hell then they will be of another minde Nay in this world when friends nor riches nor any thing can comfort then they cry out O that they had not beene so foolish they would give a world if they had it for peace of conscience this will be the best of it for men that goe on in sinne Therefore before hardnesse of heart grow upon us that disease following the disease of sinne let us take heed and labour to have our soules healed in time Thus wee have found That sinne is a sicknesse for so much is implied when he saith I will heale their backsliding Whence the direct Observation is That God is the great Physitian of the Soule For he saith here I will heale their backsliding so that healing implies the taking away of 1. The Guilt of sinne which is the venome of it by Iustification 2. The Rage of sinne which is the spreading of it by Sanctification 3. The Remooving the judgement upon our estate For unlesse God bee the more mercifull these things follow where there is sinne and breaking of his law there is a state binding over to damnation and guilt when there is a sinnefull disposition raging and bringing us from one
degree of sinne to another then there is Gods judgement and wrath revealed from Heaven against this Now when God heales he heales perfectly but in some regards slowly as wee shall see hereafter In regard of Forgivenesse of sinnes he healeth perfectly but by little and little in regard of the other of Sanctification he stops up the issues of our corruption by little and little For other things and judgements in this world he remooves the malice and takes away the sting of them which is the venome as he saith afterwards For mine Anger is turned away which being remooved and turned from things then they are no more judgements What cared Paul for imprisonment Acts 16. when hee knew Gods wrath accompanied not the stocks let wrath be taken from the suffering that the soule be sound then it is no matter what condition a man be in he carries Heaven and Paradice with him Therefore so farre God remooves those diseases and sicknesses of condition as they carrie venome in them so changing the condition that whatsoever we suffer it hath the nature of an exercise medicine or correction onely But that which invenomes all and makes the least crosse a curse Psal 89.46 and sinkes deepe is the anger of God joyned with things The least crosse when it carrieth with it the anger and vengeance of God and reports that to the soule I have offended God and it is just with him thus to inflict wrath upon me this is terrible and it puts a sting to the crosse Now God here promiseth to remoove that I will heale their backsliding This principally in the first place is meant of healing in regard of Iustification taking away that guilt from the soule which inthralls it and binds it over to condemnation and judgement God will set the soule at a spirituall liberty and so heale it Thus you see the point cleere That God is the great Physitian of the soule Reason 1 For God who made the soule knowes all the diseases windings and turnings of it he is an excellent Anatomist Heb 4.13 all things are naked and open before his eyes he knowes the inward part of the soule the seate of all sinne We know not our selves as he knowes us there is a mistery of selfe-deceit in the heart which he knowes who can search all the hidden corners of the heart which is the Reason why he is so good a Physitian and so excellent because he is a discerner and searcher of the heart who can see all and so can cure all being above the sting of conscience he hath a remedy above the malidy he is greater then our conscience therefore hee can cure our conscience Reason 2 And in the next place as hee can heale our soules so hee is willing to doe it which his willingnesse we may know by the medicine he doth it by his owne deare Sonne hee hath provided a plaister of his Sonnes blood to heale us And besides his owne inward willingnesse being now a gratious Father to us in Christ Jesus 2 Cor 5. â—0 he sends his Ambassadors to heale and cure us in his Name to apply his medicines and to beseech and intreate us to be reconciled God by them intreats us to intreat him for pardon and mercy and is so willing to be intreated that ere we shall sit out hee teacheth us words as we heard Take unto you words c. as he is an able so hee is a willing Physitian Christ the great Physitian together with his Father expects not that we should first come to him but he comes first and sends to us 1 Ioh. 4 9 10. The Physitian came to the sick though for the most part the sicke if able goe to the Physitian But here is the contrary hee came from Heaven took our nature upon him and therein died by which his blood-shedding he satisfied the wrath of God justly offended with us Isa 53.10 So he heales our soules that way having undergone the anger and wrath of God that his blood might quench and appease that anger Isa 53.11 12. by a plaister thereof made and applied to our soules Doe we doubt of his willingnesse Gods willingnes to save us Mat. 11.28 when hee comes to us and calls us Come unto me all yee that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest It is his Office which he hath assumed to heale our soules The many cures he hath done sheweth the ability and willingnesse of the Physitian cures whereof we are uncapable of by reason of our meane condition A King as his place is greater so sometimes his sinnes are greater then others are 2 King 33.12 yet he cured Manasseth that sinnefull King together with Mary Magdalen Paul Peter and the rest who were a company healed by this Physitian Therefore all this is for the glory of our Physitian we may see what he can doe by what he hath done as amongst us Physitians are sought after according to their skill and cures done Consider in the Sacrament how ready God is to cure and to heale us how gratious he is in the Sacrament of Baptisme wherein he ingageth us to beleeve Psal 119.49 admitting us into the Covenant and preventing us with mercy before we knew what a Covenant or Seale was And so to perswade us of his willingnesse to forgive our sinnes and heale our Rebellions hee hath ordained the Sacrament not for his sake but to strengthen our weake faith and help us The point is easie for matter of our understanding but hard in regard of use and Application especially when it should be made use of in time of temptation then let us lay it up as a comfortable point this gratious Promise of God I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely c. Lay this up against the houre of temptation make use of it then alleadging unto God his owne Promise and nature as David did Lord remember the Promise wherein thou hast caused me to trust Ezek. 16.6 Thou hast promised pardoning and healing of all our transgressions c. Remember thy free Promises made in Jesus Christ God cannot denie himselfe nor his Word but loves to have his bonds sued remember this And when conscience is surprised with any sinne though it be never so great looke not on the disease so much as who is the phisitian and what his plaister and medicine is God is the Phisitian and the blood of Christ is the Plaister What if our sinnes be mountaines Mic. 7.18 19. there is an ocean and a sea of mercie to swell above and cover these mountaines of our sinnes Our sinnes in this case are like fire which falling into the sea is by and by quenched What if our sinns bee of never so long standing as these their backeslidings heere had continued hundreds of yeares wherein they were a backesliding generation yet it is no matter of what standing or continuance the disease is
the humble and mocke Those who set upon things rashly without prayer as though they were Lords of all and without dependance upon God promising themselves good successe they make Idols of themselves as a proud man is an Idoll hee worships himselfe whilst he leanes to his owne wit plots and parts carnall men thus Idolize themselves Againe you have some who are none of the worst 7. Idolatry is committed by trusting to the performances and tasks of Religion who commit this great sinne of Idolatry by trusting to the outward performances and taskes of Religion thinking that God must needs be bound unto them when they have done so many taskes read and prayd or heard so many sermons or done a good deed But heere lyeth the spirituall subtilty in that they set up these things too high when if they finde not that successe they looke for then they inwardly murmur against God when rather all these things should be done with a spirit of Humility and subjection using them onely as meanes whereupon we expect Gods blessing craving his assistance and strength to doe them in a holy and a selfe-denying manner when we doe otherwise and trust to the outward taskes and performances we doe wee make them Idols And you have many that goe along with outward performances who never come to a dram of grace because they trust to the outward performances and looke not to the life and soule of them which is the Spirit of God assisting quickning strengthning blessing them The life of a Christian is a perpetuall dependance upon God in the use of meanes and not an Idolizing of them to bee carelesse when he hath done his taske 8. It is Idolatry so to trust to the worke of grace as to neglect justificatioÌ„ and acceptation to life everlasting But a more subtill Idolatrie then this is of an other kinde when we trust too much to the worke of grace and rely not upon God in Christ in the matter of justification and acceptation to life everlasting which is a fault both 1. Before 2. After Conversion First before Conversion When we thinke we have not done so much good and beene sufficiently humbled and therefore that God will not be mercifull to us as if Christ must take us with dowry of good deeds or else hee cannot whereas all grace is promised upon our entry and comming into the Covenant of grace upon our believing when we come with emptie hearts and hands The poore saith Christ receive the Gospell Mat. 11.5 Mat. 9.13 Mat. 11.21 and those that are lost Christ is sent to save them and to call in the weary and heavie laden And after Conversion those that are in the state of grace oftentimes want that comfort in the maine point of justification and acceptation to life everlasting which they should have because they looke into their imperfections seeing this and that want and so are swallowed up of discomfort whereas if we had all the graces in the world yet we must live by Faith relying upon the merits of Christ For our good works bring us not to Heaven as a cause but onely are helps and comforts to us in our walking to Heaven For if we had all the sinnes of all men yet Christs all-sufficient Righteousnesse is sufficient for to doe them all away if wee can goe out of our selves and cleave to that Therefore in trouble of conscience we must not looke either to our good or our ill but to Gods infinite Mercy and to the infinite satisfaction of our blessed Sâ—viour the Lord Jesus Christ there as it were loosing our selves seeing our sinnes as mountaines drowned in the infinite sea of his Mercy The blood of Christ that will pacifie and stay the conscience nothing else can give rest to our soules If we looke to our workes and to the measure of our sanctification what saith holy Paul in the like case Yea doubtlesse Phil. 3.8 and I count all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the losse of all things and doe count them but dung that I may winne Christ even his Righteousnesse and best works therefore there is no regard to be had of them in that case Wherefore when wee would speake comfort to a distressed conscience wee must not looke to his ill or good but to the command This is his command that we believe 1 Iohn 3.23 and looke to the all sufficiencie of God in Christ and the promises whereby we honour God in giving him the glory of his truth and depart with comfort Therefore though wee hate grosse Idolatry yet we see there are many wayes wherein the soule may bee seduced whereby we may come very neere that sinne which our soule hateth by trusting too much to something out of God Vse 5 If then the case be thus how shall we come to reforme it for a Use of Direction so as to flie from all Idolatrie How to reforme our selves so as to flie from Idolatry and to say with Ephraim What have I now any more to doe with Idols First of all doe but consider Gods hatred unto all sorts of Idolaters for he accounts such to hate him and so accordingly punisheth them In the second Commandement those that are given to Idolatrie in any kinde are such as hate God which is a horrible thing and yet notwithstanding this is the disposition of all such as are Jdolaters so farre forth as they are Jdolaters they hate God for the more we know God the more we shall hate all Idols What have I now any more to doe with Idols Labour to grow in the sound knowledge of God and of Christ and of their all-sufficiency Marke S. Paules method Coloss 2. and in other places when he would draw us from all outward things he speakes gloriously of the fullnesse of Christ In him dwelleth all the fullnesse of the God-head bodily and In him you are compleat Col. 2.9 When he would draw them from touch not taste not handle not worshipping of Angels and from counterfeit humility hee labours to dispossesse them of these Idolatrous conceits and to possesse them of the fullnesse of Christ If in him we have fullnesse why should we looke for any thing out of him If we be compleat in him Jf all fullnesse be in him why doe wee seeke any thing out of that fullnesse Thus the holy Apostle shutteth up his first Epistle Babes keepe you from Idols What is promised there 1 John 5.21 Christ is eternall life all is in him whereupon presently comes this Babes keepe you from Idols If life and happinesse and all be in Christ If we be compleat in him and the fullnesse of all be in him why should we goe out of him for any thing Gen. 17.1 When God would perswade Abraham to leave all Idolatrie and all things else to depend wholly upon him what doth he first possesse him with I
maine So it is with the soule that is truely convinced it is safe for the maine yet it is tumbled and tossed with many doubts and feares but their Anchor is in Heaven Take this for a ground of comfort subscribed unto in the experience of all beleevers that the Spirit of God so farre convinces them of Christs righteousnesse as preserves in them such a power of grace as to cast themselves upon the mercy of God in Christ and God will not quench that sparke though there be little or no light yet there will be heate God will send his Spirit into the heart so farre as it shall not betray it selfe to despaire and let such a beame into the soule as all the power in hell shall not be able to keepe out but it is our owne neglect that we are not more strongly convinced so as to breake through all This is the priviledge of a constant carefull Christian to bee strongly convinced of the righteousnesse of Christ Vse Thus we see how the Holy Ghost convinceth us of righteousnesse other things I must omit If this be so I beseech you let us not loose our priviledges and prerogatives doth God give grace and give Christ with all his righteousnesse and shall not we improove them Let us use this righteousnesse in all temptations Let us pleade it to God himselfe when hee seemes to be our enemy Lord thou hast ordained a righteousnesse the righteousnesse of Christ that hath given full satisfaction to thy justice and he hath given me a title to Heaven howsoever my soule be in darkenesse yet Lord I come unto thee in the name of my Saviour that thou wouldest perswade my soule of that righteousnesse I would glorifie thy Name Wherein wilt thou be glorified In mercy or justice O in mercy above all I cannot glorifie thee in thy mercy unlesse thou perswade me of the righteousnesse of Christ Can I love thee except thou love mee first Canst thou have any free and voluntary obedience from me unlesse J be convinced that Christ is mine Now Lord I beseech thee let me be such as thou maist take delight in Beloved since we have meanes of such a gift let us never rest till wee have it If Satan set upon us hold this out if he tell thee thou art a sinner tell him I have a greater righteousnesse then my owne even the righteousnesse of God-Man I have a righteousnesse above all my unrighteousnesse Satan saith God is displeased with me J but he is more pleased with me in Christ then displeased with me in my selfe Satan saith J have sinned against God I but not against the remedy send Satan to Christ O but thou hast a corrupt nature that makes thee runne into this sinne and that sinne but there is a spring of mercy in God and an over-running fountaine of righteousnesse in Christ an over-flowing sea of the blood of Christ Therefore let us labour to improove this righteousnesse of Christ to God and Satan and against al temptations yea against our own consciences I am thus thus yet God is thus and thus all his Attributes are conveyed to me in Christ Let us exalt God and Christ and set up Christ above our sins above any thing in the world as S. Paul who counted all things dung and drosse for the excellent knowledge of Christ Quest. You will aske me How shall wee know whether we be convinced of this righteousnesse or no Answ I answer we may know by the Method Christ uses in convincing First he convinces of sinne and then of righteousnesse for a man to catch at righteousnesse before hee bee convinced of sinne it is but an usurpation for the Holy Ghost first convinces of sinne Therfore you have many perish because they never were abased enough Beloved people are not lost enough and not miserable enough for Christ and not broken enough for him and therfore they go without him Quest But how shall I know that the Holy Ghost hath convinced me enough of sin so that I may without presumption apply the righteousnesse of Christ unto my selfe Onely thus if the Holy Ghost have discovered my sinfull condition of nature and life Answ so as to worke in me an hatred of sin and to alter my bent another way and so make Christ sweet unto me then I am sufficiently convinced of sinne This in answer to that Question by the way To returne in the next place I may know I am convinced throughly of the righteousnesse of Christ by the witnesse and worke of the Spirit The Spirit brings light and faith the work of the Spirit hath a light of its owne as I know I beleeve when I beleeve but sometimes wee have not the reflect act of faith whereby to evidence our owne graces to our selves but ever he that is convinced of the Spirit of God his heart will be wrought to beare marveilous love to God upon this apprehension that God is mine and Christ is mine the soule is constrained to love whereupon ensues an enlargement of heart and a prevalency of comfort above all discomfort for love casteth out feare This one comfort that our sins are forgiven and that we have right and title to Heaven when the soule is convinced of this it is in a blessed condition then what is poverty and what is imprisonment not worthy to bee reckoned in respect of the glory that shall be revealed Againe where the Holy Ghost convinces enough there is inward peace and great joy sutable to the righteousnesse As the righteousnesse is an excellent righteousnesse of God-Man so that peace and joy that comes from it is unspeakable peace and joy So that when the heart sees it selfe instated in peace and joy as you have it Rom. 5. Being justified by faith wee have peace towards God not only inward peace and joy but a peace that will shew it selfe abroad a glorious peace a peace that will make us glory verse 3. We glory in tribulation A hard matter to glory in abasement not only so but we glory in God God is ours and Christs righteousnesse ours when Christ hath satisfied Gods wrath then we may make our boast of God Againe where this conviction of righteousnes is it answers all objections the doubting heart will object this and that but the Spirit of God shewes an All-sufficiency in Christs obedience and that sets the soule downe quietly in all crosses and calmes it in all stormes in some degree Where the soule is convinced of the righteousnesse of Christ there the conscience demands boldly It is God that justifies who shal condemne It is Christ that is dead and risen againe and sits at the right hand of God Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods chosen So that a convinced conscience dares all creatures in Heaven and Earth it works strongly and boldly I shall not need to inlarge this you know whether you are convinced Vse To end the point I beseech you labour to live by this
faith heere is an evidence if we can live by it How is that Every day to make use of the righteousnesse of Christ as every day we run into sinne Be sure we have our consciences sprinkled with the blood of Christ that as we increase new guilt so we may have a new pardon therefore every day labour to see God as reconciled and Christ as our Advocate with the Father Christ is now in Heaven if we sinne make use of him this should be the life of a Christian to make use of Christs righteousnesse when you finde nature polluted goe to God and say Lord my nature though foule in it selfe yet is holy and pure in Christ He tooke the weaknesse of the humane nature unto him that hee might communicate the worth and efficacy of his divine nature unto me and for my actions I am a sinner but Christ hath fully discharged all my debts and is now in Heaven he hath performed all righteousnesse for me Looke not upon mee as in my selfe but looke upon me in Christ He and I am one This should bee every daies exercise to see our selves in Christ and so see him and our selves one I should inlarge the point further but I will speake a word of the reason What is the reason why the Comforter may and shall convince of righteousnesse Because I go to the Father what strength is there in that reason why this Christ took upon him to be our surety and he must acquit us of all our sins ere he can go to his Father If one sinne had beene unsatisfied for he could not have gone to his Father but now he is gone to his Father therfore all our sins are satisfied for so that now the Ascention of Christ is a sufficient pledge to me that my person is accepted and my sins pardoned because he is gone to his Father to appeare before the Father for us which he could not have done had he not fulfilled all righteousnesse But wherefore did he go to the Father why to make application of what he had wrought If Christ should not have gone to the Father he could not have sent the Holy Ghost to us Therfore there is great use of this going to his Father Satan pleads before God we are such and such I but saith Christ I have shed my blood for them and there he perfumes all our weake prayers if we were not imperfect what need we a Mediator in Heaven Therefore he is gone to Heaven to disanull all Satans accusations and to provide a place for us die when wee will our place is ready Then againe he is gone to the Father to cloath us with a sweet relation to make the Father our Father For he saith Iohn 12.17 I goe to my Father and to your Father So that he is not ashamed to call us Brethren by vertue of this wee may goe to God and call him Father and when wee die wee may without presumption say Father into thy hands I commend my spirit for the Father loves us as hee loved Christ with one and the same love though in a farre different degree What a comfort is this that when we die we goe to our Father that is better then any earthly Father Therfore it should joy us when the time of our departure comes We see old Iacob when he saw the Chariots come out of Aegypt how his heart leaped because he should go to see his Sonne Ioseph So when death is sent to transport us to Christ to Heaven had we a strong faith we should be exceeding glad And let us learne here the art of faith from Christ I go to the Father saith he there was a great deale of time yet to passe no lesse then forty daies after his Resurrection before hee went to the Father yet he saith I goe to the Father to shew that faith presents things future as present Faith sees Heaven as present and the day of judgement as present and doth affect the soule as if they were now existent If we had a Spirit of faith it would thus present things farre off as nigh at hand Therfore when we meet with any thing that may make our way to Heaven seeme long or troublesome exercise your faith and make your terme present to your spirit though remote from sence say I goe to the Father what though I goe through blood and a shamefull death yea perhaps a tormentfull death yet I goe to the Father when a man is once perswaded that God is his Father in Christ it will make him walke to Heaven before his time Let us make Use of this point of Christs going to the Father Beloved there is not a point of Religion but hath a wonderfull spring of comfort and it is want of faith that wee doe not draw more comfort from them When therefore wee part with our friends by death thinke they are gone to their Father If yee loved me saith Christ ye would rejoyce because I said I goe to the Father If we love our friends we should rejoyce when they die Beloved this should comfort us Christ is gone to his Father O what welcome was there of Christ when he came into Heaven the same welcome will there be when we goe to the Father How joyfull intertainement shall we have of the Father and the Sonne Therefore death should not bee troublesome to us say Christs righteousnesse is mine therefore I know I shall go to the Father what care I then what kind of paines I goe through If a man be going to a desired place howsoever the way be troublesome the sweetnesse of the end will make him forget the discouragements of his passage Perhaps wee must wade to Heaven through a Sea of blood it matters not the end will recompence all though we lose our limbes by the way It is better to limpe to Heaven then dance to Hell FINIS AN ALPHABETICALL Index of the Speciall points contained in this Booke A Actions ACtions that are good are ever accompanied with comfort Page 294. Adulterers Adulterers corporall and spirituall hardly reclaimed p. 359. Affections Affections their use p. 308 309. Affections ought to be placed on their right objects pag. 325. Affections why planted in the soule page 366 367. Afflictions Afflictions how to know they are not in wrath though they continue page 194 195. Afflictions not to complaine of them page 13. Afflictions profitable to Gods children page 280 283. Almes-deeds Almes-deeds a Sacrifice p. 47. Amity Amity with Papists dangerous page 342. Anger Anger of God what it is page 183. Anger of God what effects it hath against signe page 184. Anger of God the speciall thing in Afflictions page 185. Anger of God makes the least crosse most terrible page 186. Anger of God turned away by Repentance page 188 c. Anger of God the meanes to avoid it page 195 196 c. Humility a certaine way to avoid Gods Anger page 197. Annoyance No Annoyance in this life or
so long as God hath promised to bee the Phisitian and the blood of Christ is the Plaister that healeth us The Question is not what how many Jsa 1.18 19. how greaâ— and of what continuance our sinnes are but how wee stand affected towards them hate them and resolve against them That sinne connot hurt us which wee fight against mourne for complaine of resolve to leave and truely hate Let us never stand then in comparisons with our sinnes which beare no proportion to the infinite skill and power of our great Phisitian and to the infinite worke of Christs all sufficient satisfaction What canst thou object o man It is Christ that iustifieth the ungodly who art thou that condemneth Rom. 8.33 34. It is he that died yea rather who is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and also maketh intercession for us Thou canst not satisfie for the least sinne God hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all Levi. 16.21 Isa 53.5 The chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes wee are healed Let us therefore bee wise for afterwards heare reade lay up and meditate for the time to come for times will come if wee belong to God that nothing will content or pacific the soule but the infinite worth and merit of an infinit and free mercy apprehended in the face of Jesus Christ When our sins are set in order before us the sinnes of our youth middle and old age our sinnes against conscience against the Law and Gospell against examples vowes Promises Resolutions and admonitions of the Spirit and servants of God When there shall bee such a terrible acouser and God shall perhaps let the wounds of conscience fly open and joyne against us when wrath shall appeare bee in some sort felt and God presented to the soule Heb. 12.29 as a consuming fire no comfort in heaven or earth appearing hell beneath seeming readie to revenge against us the quarrell of Gods Covenant O then for faith to looke through all these clouds to see mercy in wrath Heb. 12.6 love in correction life in death the sweetnesse of the promises the vertue and merit of Christs sufferings death resurrection and intercession at the right hand The sting of death removed 1 Cor. 15.55 sinne pardoned and done away and glory at hand In somme this promise made good which leads unto all this happinesse as wee shall by and by heare I will heale their backesliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away O this is a marvelous matter then to be perswaded of Therfore let us make a right use of these words in due season For they are Pro. 25.11 like appels of gold with pictures of silver like balme to a greene wound like delivery in a shipwracke but indeed all comparisons come farre short of this illustration as the terrour of incensed wrath in the fearefull apprehension of eternall unspeakeable miserie is beyond any other feare apprehension or joy But least this grace be abused by others for wee must not with-hold the childrens bread for feare others partake with them unto whom it belongs not let them know this much that those who turne this grace into wantonnesse and will be evill because God is thus gracious that there is no word of comfort in the whole Scripture for them who stand resolved to goe on in their sinnes presuming of mercy See what God saith in this case Deu. 29.18 19 20. Least there should bee among you a roote that beareth gall and wormewood and it come to passe when hee heareth the words of this curse that hee blesse himselfe in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his iealousie shall smoake against that man and all the curses that are written in this booke shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his name from under Heaven Psal 68.21 God will wound the hairie scalpe of such an one who goes on in his wickednesse and meanes to bee so And in the New Testament those who thus make a progresse in sin what do they They are said to treasure up unto themselves wrath Rom. 2.5 against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Therefore Gods word speakes no comfort to those who purpose to live in any sinne All the comfort can bee spoken to such is That yet they are not in hell that yet they have time to returne to this great Phisitian of the soule But take such an one in his present condition hee can have no comfort in this estate wherein there is but a step betweene him and hell So as when the rotten thred of this uncertaine life shall faile or is cut asunder downe they fall Wee have no comfort heere for them till they returne This pretious balme belongs to the wounded conscience Briefly for use then Vse Seeing that our God is a healing God as wee can admire the wisdome skill and excellencie of our Phisitian so let us much more make use of him 2 Chro. 16.12 upon all occasions Trust and cleave to him not like good Asa but not good in this who forgot himselfe and sent first to the Phisitians But let vs especially rely upon God and looke to him Isa 4.5 who can create help and must blesse all meanes whatsoever Hee is a healing God who will heale all rebellions and the most grievous sicknesses he is a Physition that is good for all turnes There are some diseases which are called the scorne of Physitions as the Goute the Ague and the like wherein in some cases they are put to a stand and know not what to doe but God is never at a losse his skill cannot be set downe he is good at all diseases to pardon all manner of sins Therefore let us goe to him for cure seeing there is neither sinne nor griefe nor terror of conscience arising thereupon which can be so great but God can cure both the sinne and the terror if we take a right course and speake peace to the soule God is a healing God arising when he comes with healing in his wings As he saith Mal 4.2 I will heale their rebellion c. And as he is a healing Physition so he puts his patients to no charge for as he saith I will heale their backesliding so he saith I will love them freely Therefore let us the more build upon this truth That free mercy is the scope of God in the new Covenant which is indeed the summe of all Godlinesse For what is the Gospell but the triumph of mercy doe but consider the scope of God in the new covenant whereof the Sacrament is a seale which is onely to shew forth the exaltation of the Grace and Mercie of God in Jesus Christ above all
how it cooled and chered the good theefe and comforted him And so when God sayes unto the soule I am thy Salvation O! when the soule feeles this how is it cooled and refreshed And the soule is not onely cooled and refreshed but 2. Grace fructifieth as dew doth It is also sweetned and made fruitfull with comfort to the soule If we were to see a man in the pangs of conscience stung with fiery temptations as with so many fiery serpents and poysoned darts which drinke up the spirits and presents God a consuming fire and Hel beneath full of insupportable torments set on by the insupportable wrath of God then we should know what it were to have grace in this efficatious manner cooling and refreshing the soule that hath these fiery darts stuck into it of violent strong temptations which to the present sense are the flashes and beginnings of Hell O! It is an excellent thing to have the Grace of God in such a case to asswage and coole the maladies of a distressed soule which for the present seemes to burn in a flame of wrath As it cooles so also it makes the heart fruitful our hearts of themselves being as the barren wildernes and wild desert Psal 107 33 14. Now God by his grace turnes the wildernes into water springs as it appeareth in many places of the Prophets Saith God For I will powre water upon him that is thirstie and floods upon the drie ground Isa 44 3. Jsa 45 8. I will powre my Spirit upon thy seed c. So Grace it turnes the barren wildernesse the heart drie of it selfe and makes it fruitfull Wee know what Paul said of Onesimus a fruitlesse servant Philem. 16. nay a fugitive theefe he is unfruitfull no longer saith he now that he is become a convert another a new man now he will doe good service A man is no sooner altered by the dew of grace but howsoever formerly he were a naughtie hurtfull person of whom every man was affraid because of his wickednesse yet now he is a fruitfull person and strives to bring forth fruits worthy of amendment of life Mat. 3.8 6. Grace is unresistible And we may adde one more in the next place in regard of the unresistiblenesse thereof for as nothing can hinder the dew from falling from the sweet influence of Heaven unto us Iob. 38 37. or hinder the working of those superiour bodies upon the inferiour or hinder the wind from blowing so who can hinder Gods Grace they may out of malice hinder the meanes of it and hinder the gratious working of the Spirit by discouragements in others which is a signe of a divelish spirit when yet God hath a hand in that too after a sort For it raineth in one citie and not in another by Gods appointment but nothing can hinder where God will have the dew and water and shine of the influence of grace worke nothing in the world can stop it So it is said in that excellent Prophesie of Christ and his kingdome Psal 72.6 Hee shall come downe like raine upon the mowen grasse as showers that water the Earth which as they coole and fructifie so come they unresistibly Let none therefore be discouraged with the deadnesse drienesse Vse Against discouragement in regard of our barrennes in goodnesse and barrennesse of their owne hearts but let them know that God doth gratiously promise if they will take the course formerly set downe to be as the dew unto them Therefore let them come unto the ordinances of God with wondrous hope confidence and faith that he will be as dew unto them that seeing he hath appointed variety of ordinances the Word and Sacraments he will blesse those meanes of his owne ordaining and appointing for his owne ends He that hath gratiously appointed such meanes of grace will he not blesse them especially having promised I will be as the dew unto Israell Therefore let us attend upon the ordinances and not keepe away though our hearts be barren drie and unfruitfull God is above the heart and able to turne the wildernesse into a fruitfull place he can make the heart a fit habitation for himselfe to dwell in Let us by faith attend upon the ordinances if we find not comfort in one ordinance let us go unto another and another comfort and help shall come especially if with the Church Cant. 3.4 we go a little further For the promise is I will be as the dew unto Israell 3. The order of Gods Promise But marke the order wherein he makes this promise First he gives grace to pray to him Take away all iniquity and receive us gratiously doe good to us Then he gives a spirit of reformation promising amendment whereupon this followeth that he will forgive their sinnes love them freely c. And be as the dew unto Israell He will be as the dew unto Israell but he will give them grace first to bee humbled confesse sinne and pray to God for grace and forgivenesse There is an order of working in the soule God giveth Justification before Sanctification and before he freeth from the guilt of sinne he gives grace to confesse sinne If we confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes 1 Ioh. 1.9 and to cleanse us from them saith S. Iohn Where these goe before grace will follow and where they doe not there will be no Sanctification Therefore let us consider the order for wheresoever God takes away iniquity and heales their soules in regard of the guilt of their sinnes unto those hee will be as dew Therfore if we have still barren soules without desires or strength to goodnesse certainely our sinnes are still upon the file for Justification is never without holinesse of life Whosoever is in Christ 2 Cor. 5.17 hee is a new creature When this is done God will be as the dew because he doth pardon our sinnes for this cause that he may thereby fit us to be entertained in the covenant and are we fit to be in covenant with him untill our natures be altered Therfore whensoever he enters into covenant with any he changeth their natures that they may be friends and have communion with him Then the same soule which crieth take away all iniquity desireth also the dew of grace to make it better this order is not onely necessary on Gods part but in regard of the soule also For was there ever any soule from the beginning of the world that truely desired forgivenesse of sinnes which did not also therewith desire grace such a soule were but an hypocriticall soule For if it be rightly touched with sorrow it desires as well ability to subdue sinne as forgivenesse of sinne Holinesse and Righteousnesse with forgivenesse Luk. 1.75 Vse 1 Therefore least we deceive our selves let this be an use of triall from the order that if we finde not grace wrought in our natures to restraine sinne