evidence of favour from any Christian obedience or sanctification in holy duties or that a Christian should profanely cast off all duties because they cannot save themselves by them No no the Lord will search with candles one day for such sonnes of darknesse and exclude such foolish virgins that have neither oyle in their vessels nor light in their lamps I onely speak of that good that righteousnesse which is rested in without Christ and lifts up men above Christ which in deed in truth is not true righteousnesse but only a true shadow of it And therefore as Beza well observes from Rom. 9.32 Why did not Israel that followed after righteousnesse attain it Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law they were not fruits of sincere obedience to the Law but as it were the works of the Law now this saith the Apostle verse 33. is the stumbling stone in Sion Christ will have all flesh vaile and be stript naked and made nothing before him before they shall ever be built upon him now this men stumble at they must bring something to him they will not be vile emptinesse and nothingnesse that he may be all to them verily observe your selves you shall find if there be little humiliation there is little of Christ if much humiliation much of Christ if unconstant humiliation uncertain fruition of Christ if reall humiliation reall possession of Christ if false humiliation imaginary fruition of Christ. Know it you cannot perish if you fall not short here you must perish if you do Be exhorted therefore to lye down in the dust before the Lord and under the Lord nay intreat the Lord that he would put thee upon his wheele and mould thy heart to his will why will you rest in any good you have Oh remember thy father was a Syrian ready to perish and thy selfe polluted an infinite endlesse evill What ever good thou dost is it not a polluted stream of a more polluted spring Nay suppose the Spirit works any good in thee yet is it not polluted by thy unclean heart Nay suppose any actions should be perfect yet remember the Lord spared not the Angels that sinned perfection present cannot satisfie Justice for pollution past Cry out therefore and say Oh Lord now I see not onely that my sinne is vile but that my self and all my righteousnesse is vile also and now though the Lord stands at a distance speaks no peace heare 's no prayers yet because thou art very vile lye downe under him that if he will he may tread upon thee and thereby exalt himselfe as well as lift thee up and exalt thee Be not carelesse whether the Lord help or no but be humble not to quarrell in case he should not For 1. Suppose thou art not onely miserable but sinfull and the Lord thou sayst takes it not away yet remember that to quarrell with God for withdrawing his hand is a sin also Lam. 3.39 and wilt thou adde sinne to sinne 2. Why art thou quiet and still when the Lord denyes thee any common mercy Is it not because the Lord will have it so Now look as we say of him that hates sin as sin that he hates all sinne so he that is meekned with Gods good pleasure in any one thing because of his good pleasure in it upon the same ground will at least desire to stoop in every thing Suppose therefore it be the Lords good pleasure to deny thee mercy I grant you must pray for it yet with submission to the good will of the Lord saying The Lords will is good but mine is evill otherwise thou hast no meeknesse in any thing that art not meekly subject to his will in every thing 3. The greatest pride that is in man appeares here for suppose the Lord should deny thee bread or water or clothes was it your duty to murmur now nay was it not pride if the heart would not lye down and say Lord I am worthy to have my bread pluckt from my mouth and my clothes from my back Now if it be pride to murmur in case the Lord denyes you smaller matters the offals of this life dost not thou see that its far greater pride for thee to sink and quarrell with him if he denyes thee greater and the things of another life is he bound to give thee greater that doth not owe thee the least Suppose a begger murmur at thy doore if thou dost deny him bread or a cup of drink wilt thou not account him a proud stout begger but if thou givest him that and then he quarrell and murmur at thee because thou dost not give him a thousand pound or thy whole estate when he asks it will you not say I never met with the like insolencie the Lord gives you your lives blessed be his name but you aske for treasures of grace and mercy thousands of pounds Christ himself and all that he is worth and the Lord seems to deny you and now you sink and grow sullen and discontent and quarrell and murmur at God not directly but secretly and slily may not the Lord now say Was there ever such pride and insolency And therefore as Christ spake of himselfe Iohn 12.24 25. A corne of wheat cannot live unlesse it die first so know it you shall never live with Christ unlesse you die and perish in your selves unlesse you be sowne and lye under the clods of your owne wretchednesse faith will never spring up in such a soule As t is in burnings the fire must be first taken out before there can be any healing so this impatient spirit which torments the soule must first be removed before the Lord will heale thee 4. Consider the approaching times I do beleeve the Lord at this day is comming out to shake all nations all hearts all consciences all conditions and to teare and rend from you your choicest blessings peace and plenty both externall and internall also for there is need of it our age growes full and proud and wanton a mans price is falne in the market unlesse his locks and new fashions commend him to the world Oh consider when God comes to â—end all from you then you may finde a need of the exercise of this duty it may be the time is comming wherein you shall have nothing to support your hearts you shall find rest in no way but this I know assurance of Gods love may quiet you but what if the Lord shake all your foundations and deprive you of that what will you doe then and therefore as Zephany cap. 2.3 having foretold of the evill day cryes unto his hearers Seeke meeknesse yee meeke of the earth seek meeknesse so say I to you for you will find all little enough Come downe from thy throne and be the footstoole and threshold of Christ Jesus before the dayes of darknesse come upon you be content to be a cipher a stepping-stone the very offall of the
It may be so yet it is said After two dayes he will revive us and the third day wee shall live in his sight and we shall know him if we follow on to know him verse 6. His goings forth are prepared as the morning it may be night for a time but the Sun of righteousnesse will arise gradually and gloriously upon thy soule Truly brethren when I see the curse of God upon many christians that are now grown full of their parts gifts peace comforts abilities duties I stand adoring the riches of the Lords mercy to a little handfull of poore beleevers not only in making them empty but in keeping of them so all their dayes and therefore come to the Lord poore empty naked nothing cursed in the sense of thy want of all things for all things and then receive with gladnesse yet boldnesse and holy confidence not only pardon of some sins but of all beleeve answer not to some prayers but all Embrace in thy bosome not some few promises but all It is a great case of conscience When may a christian take a promise without presumption as spoken to him and given to him in particular and the rule is very sweet but certaine when hee takes all the Scripture and embraceth it as spoken unto him hee may then take any particular proper promise boldly my meaning is when a Christian takes hold and wrastles with God for the accomplishment of all the promises of the New Testament when he sets all the commands before him as his rule and compasse and guide to walke after when he applyes all the threatnings to drive him nearer unto Christ the end of them this no hypocrite can doe this the Saints should doe and by this may know when the Lord speaks in any particular unto them go I say again therefore unto the Lord for all and in the sense of all your emptinesse be abundantly comforted that though you doe not find supply from Christ yet you come unto the Lord Christ for it it is a certaine rule you shall not alway want that good which you come to Christ to supply nor alway be mastered with that sinne which you come to Christ with to take away only then be sure you come for all otherwise you doe not come truly come first for Christ himselfe and then as I said for all his benefits To conclude this is the direct and compendious way of living by Faith so much urged and pressed of Gods servants for to live by faith properly is to live upon the promise in the want of the thing or to apprehend the thing in the promise Heb. 11.1 now the promises are not given to the elect immediately without Christ but first Christ is given i. e. offered in the Gospell and received by Faith and then with him all things also and therefore the Scripture runs thus Isay 55.1 2 3 4. Come unto the waters and drinke and then I will make an everlasting Covenant which containes all the promises even the sure mercies of David the Apostle expressely disputes the case and saith Where there is a Testament containing Evangelicall promises there must first bee the death of the Testator Heb. 9.15 16. to whom we must first come by Faith before we can have right to any promise Heb. 7. 22.25 and 10.16 17 18.22 Being justified by Faith now we have peace with God nay we have accesse to God nay now we are sure of standing now we hope in God and glory to come Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. all followes the first How shall a Christian therefore live by Faith truly first receive Christ and come to him for the end I mention and then thou maist be sure all other things shall be given to thee As for example dost want any temporall blessing suppose it be payment of debts thy dayly bread provision for thy family a comfortable yoake-fellow c. look now through the Scripture for promises of these things and let thy faith act thus If God hath given me Christ the greatest blessing then certainly he will give me all these smaller matters as may be good for me but the Lord hath given me Christ and therfore I shall not want Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd saith David what follows I shall not want there is the like reason in all other things suppose it be in case of protection from enemies if the Lord hath given me Christ to save me from hell then he will save me from these fleshly enemies much more you shal see Isa. 7. a promise given that Syria should not prevaile against Iudah they doubted of this how doth the Lord seek to assure them you shall see verse 14. it is by promising a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and his name shall be Emmanuell this is a strange reason yet you may see the reason of it if you consider this point so Isay 9.5 6. The oppressors rod shall be broken For unto us a Sonne is borne a Sonne is given By Faith they put to flight the Armies of Alients brake downe the walls of Jericho did wonders in the world What did they chiefly look to in this their faith you shall see Heb. 11.39 40. it was by respecting the promise to come and that better thing Christ Jesus himselfe which we now see with open face and therefore he concludes Heb. 12.1 2 3. Having such a cloud of witnesses that thus lived and dyed by faith let us look unto Iesus the Authour and finisher of ours The Prophet Habbakuk Hab. 2.5 affirmes that the just shall live by Faith What faith is that consult with the place you shall see it was in the promise of deliverance from the Chaldean tyranny yet the Apostle Paul applyes it to faith in Christs righteousnes and that truly because if their faith had not respected Christ himselfe in the first place they could never have expected any deliverance by the promise of deliverance from the Caldeans but thus they might 5. The speciall ground of Faith The last thing in the description of Faith is that the soule thus comes upon the call of Christ in his word and this is the speciall ground of Faith wherefore the soule comes to Christ take a sinner humbled and broken for sin he cannot prevent the Lord by comming of himselfe unto Christ and therefore the Lord prevents him by his gracious call and invitation to come in Whom God hath predestinated them hath he called our translation from darknesse into Gods marvellous light is by being called The soule is lost in humiliation the Lord Jesus who is come to save that which is lost seeketh it out in vocation or calling Sanctification is the restoring of us to the image of God we once had in Adam as corruption is the defacing of that image Vocation is the calling of the soule unto Christ this voyce Adam never heard of he did not need any call to come to Christ and therefore was immediately sanctified as
the tallest Cedar and appall the heart and coole the courage and boldnesse of the most impenitent and audacious sinner The Spirit presenting the greatest evill in eternall separation from God hence no evill in this world is so dreadfull as this I had better never been borne then to beare it saith the soule and hence casts off all other thoughts and cannot be quiet and hence it is that these feares force a man to fly and seek out for a better condition A man like Lot lingers in his sinne but these feares like the Angell drive him violently out the Lord saying to him A way for thy life lest thou perish with the world for thy sins are come up to heaven thou maist dye before one day be at an end and then what will become of thee Ah thou sinfull wretched man may not the Lord justly doe it are not thy sins grown so great and many that they are an intollerable burden for the soule of God to beare any longer and hence you shall observe if the soul after sad fears grows bold carelâ—sse againe the Spirit pursues it with more cause of feare and now the soule cries out Did the Lord ever elect thee Christ shed his blood to save his people from their sins thou livest yet in thy sins did hee ever shed his blood for thee thou hast sinned against conscience after thou hast been inlightned and fallen back againe hast not thou therefore committed the impardonable sin thou hast had many a faire season of seeking God but hast dallyed and dreamt away thy time is not the day of grace therefore now past it is true the Lord is yet patient and bountifull and lets thee live on common mercy but is not all this to aggravate thy condemnation against that great and terrible day of the Lord which is at hand are there not better men in hell then thou art that never committed the like sin thus the Spirit pursues with strong feares till proud man falls down to the dust before God The soule is now under feares not above them and therefore cannot come out of these chaines by the most comfortable doctrine it heares nor particular application of it by the most mercifull Ministers in the world untill the Lord say as Laâ— 3.57 feare not the Lord onely can asswage these strong winds and raging waters in which there is no other cry heard of this soule tossed thus with tempests but Oh I perish I only the Lord making way for the spirit of Adoption by these in his elect drives them out to seek if there be any hope and so they are not properly desperate feares yet as I say strong feares not alike extensively yet alike intensively strong in all a small evill when tidings is brought of it doth not feare but if the evill be apprehended great and neare too the very suspition of it makes the heart tremble when a house is on fire or a mighty Army entred the land and neare the city children that know not the greatnesse of the evill feare them not but men that know the danger are full of feare The wrath of the Lord that fire those armies of everlasting woes are great evils the blind world may not much feare them but all the elect whose minds are convinced to see the greatnesse of them cannot but feare and that with strong and constant feares nor is it cowardize but duty to feare these everlasting burnings And hence the soule in this case wonders at the security of the world dreads the terrours of the Lord that are neare them and usually seeks to awaken all its poore friends I once thought my self well and was quiet as you bee but the Lord hath let me see my woe which I cannot but feare oh look you to it Thus the Lord works this feare in some in a greater in others in a lesser measure Oh consider whether the Lord hath thus affected your hearts with feare oh secure times what will God doe with us many of you having heard the voyce of the lyon roaring and yet you tremble not The Lord hath foretold you of death and eternall woe for the least sin doe you beleeve it and yet feare it not how art thou then forsaken of God Many of you that like old Mariners can laugh at all foule weather and like Weather-cocks set your faces against all winds and if you be damned at last you cannot help it you must beare it as well as you can and you hope to doe it as well as others shall doe Oh! how far are such from the Kingdome of God the Lord not yet working nor pricking thy heart so much as with feare 2. Sorrow and mourning for sinne is the second thing wherein Compunction consists And look as Feare plucks the soule from security in seeing no evill to come so Sorrow takes off the present pleasure and delight in sinne in a greater measure then Fear doth The Lord therefore having smitten the soule or shot the arrowes of feare into the soule it therefore growes exceeding sad and heavy thinking within it selfe What good doe wife or children house or lands peace and friends health and rest doe me in the meane time condemned to dye and that eternally it may be reprobated never to see Gods face more the guilt and power of sin in heart and life lying still upon me And hereupon the soule mournes in the day and in the night desires to goe alone and weep and there confesseth its vilenesse before God all the dayes of vanity and sins of ignorance thinking Oh what have I done and seeks for mercy but not one smile nothing but clouds of anger appeare and then thinks if this anger the fruit of my sinne be so great oh what are my sins the causes hereof VVhen the Angel had set out the sin of the Israelites in making a league with the Canaanites and told them that they should be thornes in their sides they sate downe ver 4. and lift up their voice and wept so t is with a contrite sinner Note narrowly that eminent place of Scripture Esay 61.3 the Lord Christ is sent to appoint beauty for ashes and the oyle of joy for the spirit of heavinesse to them that mourne Out of which note these foure things for the explication of this sorrow or mourning First It is such a mourning as is precedent unto spirituall joy And hence it is not said I will give the spirit of gladnesse to beget mourning though the Lord doth so after conversion but this goes in order before that Ephraim-like who seeing what an unruly beast he had been unaccustomed to Gods yoke smites upon his thigh and bemoans himselfe It is Gods method after Gods people have sinned to sad their hearts and then to turne mourning into joy much more at first beginning of Gods work upon the soule they shall first mourne and lament and smite upon the thigh If God wounds the soule for sin it
be in bitternesse for them before the Lord will passe them by it is not every trouble that will serve the turne look that it be such as separates thy soule from thy sin or else it will separate betweene thy soule and God I know it is not in your power to breake your owne hearts no more then to make the rocks to bleed yet remember he that bids thee cast up and prepare the way of the Lord he hath promised that every mountaine shall be brought low and the crooked wayes made plaine and the rough smooth and the valleys filled He only can doe it for thee and will doe it for some it may be for thee he that broke the heart of Manasseh and Paul after their blood and blasphemies when they never desired any such thing he can break thine much more when thou art desiring him to doe it for thee here are many of you that feare you were never humbled nor burthened enough I say feare it still feare lest there be a stone in the bottome not so as to discourage and drive thy heart from Christ but so as to feele a greater need of his grace to soften thy heart and to take thy senslesnesse away the Lord doth purposely command thee to plough up thy fallow ground that thou mightest feel thy impotency so to do and come to him to take it away every thing will harden thee more and more untill the Lord come and take thy stony heart away by his owne hand all Gods kindnesses will make thee more bold to sin and all Gods judgements more fierce and obstinate in sinne unlesse the Lord put to his hand if Pharaohs heart be softned for a time it will grow hard againe if the Lord take it not away The means therefore for thee to get this compunction is 1. To feele the evill of thy hard heart no surer token of Reprobation then hardnesse if continued in especially for thy heart to grow hard under or after softning meanes as it was in Pharaoh 2. To look up to the Lord in all ordinances that he would take it away Have not you great cause of abundant thankfulnesse into whose hearts the Lord hath let in feares and sorrowes concerning your estates the blind world lookes upon all troubles of conscience as temptations of the devill to despaire and the very way to run mad but consider what the Lord hath done for you that have such what if the Lord had left you without all feeling as those in Eph. 4.19 what if the Lord had smitten you with a spirit of slumber as those Rom. 11.8 would not your estate have beene then lamentable and have you no hearts to acknowledge his unspeakable goodnesse in awakening of you in shaking thy very foundations dost thou think that any ever had such a hard heart as thou hast dost not say so in secret before the Lord sometimes oh then what rich grace is this to give thee any sence and feeling of thy sin and danger by it though it bee never so little in thine eyes some think these terrors are a judgement it is true if they were meerly imaginary or worldly and desperate but saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.7 I thanke God I made you sorry Suppose thy sorrow should be only in regard of the punishment of sin yet this is the Lords goodnesse to make thy heart so far sensible that once didst goe like a beast to the slaughter fearing no danger at all the very meanes to prize favour from God is to feel wrath as well as sin and the very reason why the Lord hath let thee feele thy punishment heavy is that thy soule might feel the evill of sin by considering that if the fruits be so bitter what is then the cause be not therefore weary of thy burthen so as to think the Lord powres out his vengeance on thee while thy trouble remaines oh consider that this is the hand of the Lord Jesus and that he is now about to save thee when he comes to work any compunction in thee especially such as whereby he doth not onely cut thy heart with feares and sorrowes but cut thee off from thy sin so far only as humbles thee and drives thee to the Lord Christ to take them away And so I come to the third particular of Humiliation SECT IV. The third Act of Christs power which is Humiliation THe Lord Jesus having thus broken the heart by compunction is not like a foolish builder that leaves off his work before he hath fully finished it and therefore having thus wounded a poore sinner hee goes on to humble him also for though in a large sense a wounded contrite sinner is an humble sinner yet strictly taken there is a great difference between them and therefore he is said to dwell with the contrite and humble i. e. not onely with those that bee wounded with sin but humbled for sinne although it is certaine the soule is seldome or never effectually wounded but it is also humbled at the same time A man may bee wounded sore even unto death and yet the pride of the man is such that he will not fall downe before him that smites him so it is with many a poore sinner the Lord hath sorely wounded him that hee will resist no more yet he will rather fly to his duties to heale him or dye alone and sinke under his discouragements then stoop Oh beloved man must downe before the Lord Christ will take him up and therefore in Isay 40.5 6 7. the glory of the Lord is promised to be revealed but what meanes must bee used for this end Cry saith the Lord what should I cry saith he the Lord answers that all flesh is grasse and that the glory of it fades and that the people are this grasse i. e. not only that mens sinnes are vile but that themselves also are grasse nay their glory and excellency is withering and fading and therefore not only mountains must be pull'd downe but all flesh and the glory of it wither before the Lord shal be revealed I shall briefly open these foure things 1. What is this humiliation 2. What need there is of it 3. What meanes the Lord useth to work it 4. What measure of it is here required What is this humiliation Look as pride is that sinne whereby a man conceited of some good in himselfe and seeking some excellency to himselfe exalts himselfe above God so Humiliation in this place is that work of the Spirit whereby the soule being broken off from self-conceit and selfe-confidence in any good it hath or doth submitteth unto or lyeth under God to be disposed of as he pleaseth 1 Pet. 5.6 Levit. 26.41 That look as compunction cuts the sinner off from that evill that is in him so humiliation cuts it off from all high conceits and self-confidence of that good which is in him or which he seeks might be in him and so the soule is abased
before God What need or necessity is there of this Because 1. When the Lord hath wounded the hearts of his elect this is the immediate work of their hearts if the Lord prevent them not by his grace as many times hee doth they look to what good they have or if they find little or none they then seek for some in themselves that thereby they may heale their wound because they think thus that as their sinnes have provoked God to anger against them so if now they can reforme and leave those sinnes or if not repent and be sorry for them if now they pray and heare and doe as others doe they have some hope that this will heale their wound and pacifie the Lord towards them when they see there is no peace in a sinfull course they will therefore try if there be any to be found in a good course And look as Adam when he saw his own shame and nakednesse hid himselfe from God in the bushes and covered his nakednesse with fig-leaves so the soule not being able to endure to see its own nakednesse and vilenesse not knowing Christ Jesus and he being far to seek doth therefore labour to cover his wickednesse and sinfulnesse which now he feeles by some of these fig-leaves And hence Micah 6.7 they enquire wherewith they should come before the Lord should they bring rivers of oyl or thousands of lambes or the first borne of their body to remove the sinne of their soule Paul did account these duties gaine and set them at a high rate because he thought that God did so himselfe When the Lord hath wounded the soule the first voyce it speaks is What shall I doe Doe saith Conscience leave thy sins doe as well as others doe with all thy might and strength pray heare and confer God accepts of good desires and requires no more of any man but to doe what he can Hence the soule plyes both oares though against wind and tide and strives and wrastles with his sinnes and hopes one day to be better and here he rests And observe it look as sinne is his greatest evill so the casting away of his sins and seeking to be better is very sweet to him and being so sweet rests in what hee hath and seeks for what he wants and so hopes all will be well one day and so stayes here although God knowes it be without Christ nor cannot rest on him though hee hath heard of him a thousand times And hence it is if they cannot doe any thing to ease themselves then their hearts â—ink or it may be quarrell with God that he makes them not better But beloved it is wonderfull to see how many times men rest in a little they have and doe 2. But whiles it is thus with the soule he is uncapable of Christ for he that trusts to other things to save him or makes himselfe his owne Saviour or rests in his duties without a Saviour he can never have Christ to save him Rom. 9.32 it is said the Jewes lost Christs righteousnesse because they sought it not by faith but â—ought salvation by their owne righteousnesse He that maketh flesh his arme as all duties and endeavours of man be when trusted to the Lord saith Cursed be that man Ier. 17.5 6. Onely the Lord doth not leave his Elect here he that is marryed unto the Law Rom. 7. cannot be matcht unto Christ till he be first divorced not from the duties themselves but from trusting to them and resting in them And therefore saith Paul I through the Law am dead to it that I might live unto God He that trusteth to riches cannot enter into the kingdome of heaven no more then a Camell through a needles eye because it is too big for so narrow a roome so he that trusteth to his duties and abilities is too big to enter in by Christ the Lord must cut off this spirit and lay it low and make it stoop as vile before God before it can have Christ in this estate the Lord must not onely cut it off from this selfe-confidence in duties but also so farre forth as that the soule may lye under God to be disposed of as he pleaseth And the reason is because such a soule as is unwilling to stoop is unhumbled and he that is so doth not onely on his part resist God but the Lord also resists him Iames 4.7 8. And hence you shall observe many a one hath laine long under distresse of conscience because they have either rested in their duties which could not quiet or because they have not so cast off their confidence in them so as to lye downe quietly before God that he may doe what he will with them being so long objects of Gods resistance not of his grace By what meanes doth the Lord worke this In generall by the Spirit immediately acting upon the soule for after a Christian is in Christ he hath by the habit of humility and the vertue of faith some power to humble himselfe but now the Spirit of Christ doth it immediately by its own omnipotent hand else the proud heart would never down For we are first created in Christ which is by Gods omnipotent immediate act unto good workes before we do from our selves or by the power of Faith put forth good workes Eph. 2.10 These acts of self-confidence may not be stirring in all Christians but in all men there is this frame of spirit never to come to Christ if they can make any thing else serve to heale them or save them and therefore the Spirit cuts off this sinfull frame in part in all the elect he hewes the roughnesse and pride of spirit off that it may lye still upon the foundation it is now preparing for Now though the Spirit works this yet t is not without the Word the Word it works chiefly by is the Law Gal. 3.19 I through the Law am dead to it i. e. from seeking any life or help from it that I might live unto God Now the Law doth this by a foure-fold act 1. By discovering the secret corruptions of the soule in every duty which it never saw before It once thought I shall perish for my sinne if I continue therein without confession of them or sorrow for them but it also did think that this confession sorrow and trouble for sinne will serve to save it and make God to accept of it but the Law while the soule is earnestly striving against his sinne discovering that in all these there is nothing but sinne even secret sinnes it did never see before hereupon it begins thus to think Can these be the meanes of saving of me which being so sinfull cannot but be the very causes of condemning of me I know I must perish for the least sinne and now I see that in all I doe I can do nothing else but sinne What made Paul alive without the Law You shall finde Rom. 7.7 it was because he
did not know that lust or the secret concupiscences and first risings of the soule to sinne were sinne he saw not these secret evils in all that which he did and â—ence he rested in his duties as one alive without Christ but the Lord by discovering this let him see what little cause he had to lift up his hand for any good he did So it is here when the soule sees that all its righteousnesse is a menstruous cloth polluted with sin now those duties which like reeds it trusted to before run into the hand nay heart of a poor sinner and therefore now it sees little cause of resting on them any longer now it sees the infinite holinesse of God by the exceeding spiritualnesse of the law it begins to cry out How can I stand or appeare before him with such continuall pollutions 2. By irritating or stirring up of originall corruption in making more of that to appeare then ever before that if the soule thinks all I doe is defiled with sin yet my heart is good and so it rests there the Lord therefore stirres that dunghill and lets it see a more hellish nature then ever before in that the holy blessed command of God to its feeling makes it worse more rebellious more averse from God When the commandement came sinne revived saith Paul and that which was for life was death to him sin taking occasion by the law and hence Paul came to be slaine and dye to all his selfe-confidence It was one of Luthers first positions in opposing the Popes indulgences that Lex voluntas sunt duo adversarii sine gratiae irreconciliabiles for the law and mans will meeting together the one holy the other corrupt make fierce opposition when the soule is under any lively worke of the law and by this irritation of the law the Lord hath this end in his elect to make them feel what wretched hearts they have because that which is in it selfe a meanes of good makes them through mans corruption more vile to their feeling then ever before and hence come those sad complaints on a soul under the humbling hand of Christ I am now worse then ever I was I grow every day worse and worse I have lost what once I had I could once pray and seek God with delight and never well but when one duty was done to be in another but now I am worse all that joy and sweetnesse in seeking of him and in holy walking is gone I could once mourne for sin but now a hard heart takes hold of me that I have not so much as a heart to any thing that is good nor to shed a teare for the greatest evill It is true I confesse you may grow to your feeling worse and worâ— and it is fit you should feel it that the Lord hereby might pull downe your proud heart and make you lye low it is the Lords glorious wisdom to wither all your flowers which refreshed you without Christ that you might feele a need of him and therefore I say the Lord pulls away all those broken planks the soule once floated and rested upon that the soule may sinke in a holy despaire of any help from any good it hath the Lord shakes down all building on a sandy foundation and then the soule cryes out It is ill resting here 3. By loading tyring and wearying the soule by its own indeavours untill it can stir no more for this is in every man by nature when he sees that all he doth is sinfull and all he hath his heart and nature to be most sinfull yet he will not yet come out of himselfe because he hopes though he be for the present thus vile yet he hopes for future time his heart may grow better and himself doe better then now and hence it is that hee strives and seeks indeavours to his utmost to set up himself again and to gain cure to all his troubles by his duties now the law whose office is to command but not to give strength and the Spirit that should give strength withdrawing it selfe because it knowes the soule would rest therein without Christ hence it comes to passe that the soule feeling it selfe to labour onely in the fire and smoake and to be still as miserable and sinfull as ever before hereupon it is quite tyred out and sits down weary not only of its sin but of its work and now cryes out I see now what a vile undone wretch I am I can doe nothing for God or for my selfe only I can sinne and destroy my selfe all that I am is vile and all that I doe is vile I now see that I am indeed poore and blind and miserable and naked the truth is beloved here comes in the greatest dejections of spirit for when the Lord smites the soule for sin it hopes that by leaving of sinne and doing better it may doe well but when it sees that there is no hope here of healing the breach between God and it selfe now it falls low indeed and I take this to be the true meaning of Mat. 11.28 Ye that labour i. e. You that are wearied in your own way in seeking rest to your soules by your own hard labour or works as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and are tyred out therein and so are now laden indeed with sinne and the heavie pressure of that finding no ease by all that which you doe come to me saith Christ and you shall then find rest unto your soules the Jewes seeking to establish their own righteousnesse seeking I say if by any meanes they might establish it lost Christ the Lord therefore will make his elect know they shall seek here for ease in vaine and therefore tyres them out 4. By clearing up the equity and justice of God in the law if the Lord should never pity nor pardon it nor shew any respect or favour to it for this is the frame of every mans heart if he cannot find rest in his duties and endeavours as he once expected he should but sees sin and weaknesse death and condemnation wrapping him about like Ionahs weeds in all he doth then his heart sinkes and quarrells and falls off farther from Christ by discouragement and growes secretly impatient that there should be no mercy left for him because it thinkes now the Lords eternall purpose is to exclude him for if there were any thoughts of peace toward him he should have found peace before now having so earnestly and frequently sought the Lord and having done so much and forsaken his sinfull wayes according to his owne commandement from him and hence it is you shall find it a certaine truth that the soule is turned back as far from God by sinking discouraging sorrowes for sin as ever it was in a state of security by the pleasures of sin and hence sometime it thinks it is in vaine to seek any more and hence leaves off duties and if conscience force
necessary here then the removall of the power of this which makes the soule in the sense of its owne infinite vilenesse and unworthinesse not to quarrel at the Lord and devil-like grow fierce impatient before and against the Lord in case he should never help it never pitty it never succour it the Lord will not forsake for ever if the soule thus lies down and puts its mouth in the dust Lam. 3.30 31. Which consideration is of unspeakable use and consolation to every poore empty nothing that feels it selfe unable to beleeve and the Lord forsaking it from helping it to beleeve And I have seen it constantly that many a chosen vessell never hath been comforted till now and ever comforted when now they never knew what hurt them till they saw this and they have immediately felt their hurt healed when this hath been removed In comforting Christians under deep distresse tell them of Gods grace and mercy and the riches of both you doe but torment them the more that there should be so much and they have no part nor share in it and think they never shall because this is not the immediate way of cure tell them rather when they are full of these complaints that they are as they speak vile and sinfull and therefore worthy never to be accepted of God and that they have cause to wonder that they have their lives and are on this side hell and so turne all that they say to humiliation and selfe-loathing verily you shall then see if the Lord intends good he wil by this doe them good and the weakest Christian that cannot come to Christ you shall see first or last shall see cause to lye downe and be silent and not quarrell though the Lord should never come to him And that this is necessary may appeare thus Otherwise 1. The Lord should not advance the riches of his grace the advancement of grace cannot possibly be without the humiliation and abasement of the creature the Lord not onely saves but calls things that are not that no flesh might glory 1 Cor. 1.28 29. 2. Otherwise the Lord should not be Lord and disposer of his owne grace but a sinfull creature who quarrells against God if it be not disposed of not as the Lord will but as the creature will If a stranger comes to our house and will have what he wants and if he hath not he quarrells and contends with the master of the house what would he say Away proud begger dost think to be lord of what I have dost draw thy knife to stab me if I doe not please thee and give thee thy asking no thou shalt know that I wil doe with my owne as I see good thou shalt lye downe on the dust of my threshold before I give thee any thing So t is with the Lord. It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy It is his principall name I will be mercifull to whom I will be mercifull and therefore if you will not beleeve me yet beleeve the Lords oath Esay 45.23 Vnto me shall every knee bow and doe you come to lord it over him and quarrell and fret and sink and grow sullen and vex if the Lord stoop not unto your desires No no you must and shall lye upon his threshold nay he wil make thee lay thy neck upon the block as worthy of nothing but cutting off and then when this valley is filled all flesh shall see the glory of the Lord Esay 40.5 Thus humiliation is necessary in this measure mentioned Not that I deny any subsequent humiliation after a Christian is in Christ arising from the sense of Gods favour in Christ then which nothing makes a Christian of an evangelicall spirit more ashamed of himselfe yet I dare not exclude this which is antecedent arising from the spirit of power immediately subduing the soule to Christ that it may be exalted by Christ 1 Pet. 5.6 It is true all things that pertaine to life and godlinesse are received by faith 2 Pet. 1.3 yet faith it self is a saving work which is not received by another precedent faith Faith therefore is to be excepted not onely as begotten in us but as it is in the begeâ—ting of it in the conviction and humiliation of every sinner Hence see what is the great hindrance betweene the mercy of God and the soule of many a man if it be not some sinne hardnesse of heart under it whereby he cares not for Christ to deliver him then t is some pride of spirit arising from some good he hath whereby he feeles no need of Christ hoping his owne duties shall save him or else is above Christ and not under him willing to be disposed of by him And hence the Lord makes this the high way to mercy Levit. 26.40 if first they shall confesse their sinne secondly humble themselves both which I know the Lord must worke then he will remember his Covenant Look as it is with a vessell before it can be fit for use it must first passe through fire and the earth and drosse severed from it then it must be made hollow and empty which makes it vas capax a vessell capable of receiving that which shall be powred out into it if O Brethren the Lord hath some vessells of glory which he prepares before-hand and makes capable of glory Rom. 9.21 22. if the Lord doth doth not sever you from sinne in compunction and empty you of your selves in humiliation you cannot receive Christ nor mercy you cannot hold them and if ever you misse of Christ by faith your wound lies here How many be there at this day that were once profane and wicked but now by some terrours and outward restraints upon them they leave their sinnes and say they loathe them and purpose never to run riot as they have done and hence because they thinke themselves very good or to have some good they fall short of Christ and are still in the gall of bitternes in the midst of all evill It were the happines of some men if they did not think themselves to have some good because this is their Christ. Oh you that live under precious meanes and have many feares you may perish and be deceived at the last But why doe you feare I know you will answer Oh some secret unknown sin may be my ruine It is true and you do well to have a godly jealousie thereof But remember this also not onely some sinne but some good thou thinkest thou hast and restest in without Christ and lifting thee up above Christ may as easily prove thy ruine because a mans owne righteousnesse rested in doth not onely hide mens sinnes but strengthens them in some sinne by which men perish Trusting to ones owne righteousnesse and committing iniquity are couples Ezek. 33.13 Nor doe I hereby run into the trenches of that wretched generation of the Familists denying all inherent graces
world But you will say Wherein should I expresse this humiliation and subjection Bee highly thankfull for any little the Lord gives Lam. 3.22 23. Be humble and judge thy selfe worthy of nothing when the Lord denies and verily you shall find the Lord Jesus ere long speaking peace unto you and giving you rest in his bosome that now art quietly contented to lye still at his feet For some helps thereunto 1. Remember whose thou art viz. the Lords clay and he thy Potter and therefore may doe with thee what he will Rom. 9.20 2. Remember what thou art viz. a polluted vessell a kind of infinite endlesse evill as I have oft said see the picture of thy own vilenesse in the damned in hell who are full and shall through all eternity powre out all manner of evill Iob 40.3 4. 3. Remember what thou hast been and how long thou hast made warre against Christ with all thy might and heart and strength why should the Lord theâ—efore choose thee before others Ier. 3.5 when as aske thy conscience was there ever such a wretch since the world began as thou hast been 4. Remember what thou wilt be fit for no use to Jesus Christ good for nothing but to pollute his holy name when thou medlest with it and why should the Lord take up such a dry leafe Isay 64.6 and breath upon such a dry bone 5. Remember how good the Lords will is even when it crosseth thine he shall have infinite glory by all his denials to thee of what thou wouldst he shall gaine that though thou losest thy peace and quietnesse that good which thy foolish sinfull will desires at his hand Iohn 12.27 28. and if so blessed be his name let God live but let man dye and perish that he may be exalted of vile man 6. Remember the sweet rest thou shalt have by this subjection to the Lord nothing is mans crosse but mans will a stubborn will like a stubborne heifer in the yoake galls and frets the soule Learn meeknesse saith our Saviour of me in taking my yoake on you and then you shall find rest Hell would not bee hell to a heart truly humbled Sometimes you find inlargements then you are glad sometime none then you sinke sometimes you have hope of mercy then you are calme sometimes you lose your hopes then the Sea workes when the Lord pleaseth you then you are well but if a little crosse befall you then your spring is muddy and a little thing troubles Oh be humble vile in thine owne eyes and verily such uncertaine fits of peace and trouble are done and the dayes of all your mourning are now ended Of thankfulnesse to all those whom the Lord hath truly humbled Time was when the Lord first convinced you that so long as you could make any shift find rest in any duties you would never lye down at Christs feet now the Lord might have left you to have stumbled at that stumbling-stone and to have stuck in those bushes but you may see that the Lord will save you even then when you would not be saved by him and especially take notice of two passages of Gods dealings with you wherein usually you find matter of discouragement rather then of acknowledgment of Gods goodnesse to you therein 1. That the Lord hath withdrawn all feeling of any good which it may be once you felt and that the Lord hath let out more of the evill of your hearts then ever you imagined was in them nay so much evill that you think there is none like unto you who hast now no heart nor power to stirre think defire will or doe any thing that is good oh blesse the Lord for this for this is Gods way to humble and empty and make thee poor the Lord saw though it may be you did not that you rested in that good you felt and was or would be lifted up by these and therefore the Lord hath broke those crazy crâ—tches famisht now brought you downe to nothing made you like dry desarts all the hurt the Lord aimeth at in this being only to humble you and though these desertions be bitter for the present yet that by these he might doe you good in your latter end Oh brethren the Apostle stands at a stay and desires the Corinthians to consider You see your calling saith he 1 Cor. 1. Not many mighty not many wise but things that are not doth he call that no flesh might glory The Lord saith Moses Deut. 8.2 3. suffered thee to want that was the first and then fed thee that he might prove thee and humble thee remember this saith he So say I to you remember this mercy that when the Lord makes you worst of all not really but in your own eyes that then the Lord is about this glorious work 2. That the Lord hath kept you it may be a long time too from sight and sense of his peculiar love one would wonder why the Lord should hide his love so much so long from those to whom he doth intend it the great reason is because there is in many a one a heart desirous of his love and this would quiet them if they were sure of it but they never came to bee quieted with Gods will in case they think they shall never partake of his love but are above that oppose and resist and quarrell with that unhumbled under that the Lord therefore intending to bestow his favour onely upon a humbled sinner he will therefore hide his face untill they lye low and acknowledge themselves worthy of nothing but extremity of misery unworthy of the least mercy The people of God Lam. 1.16 cry out that the comforter which should refresh their soule was farre from them what was Gods end in this you shall see the end of it verse 18. the Lord is righteous here the Church is humbled for I have rebelled or as Sanctius reads it I have made his mouth bitter that the Lord speaks no peace to me but bitter things The cause is in my owne selfe and therefore if he never comfort me nor speak good word unto me yet he is righteous but I am vile and you will find this certain that as the Lord therefore humbles that he may exalt so the Lord never refuseth to exalt in hiding his face but it is to humble And is this the worst the Lord aimes at and will you not be thankfull why are you then discouraged when you find it thus with you doe not say the Lord never dealt thus with any as with me suppose that the reason then is because the Lord sees never had any such a high heart as thou hast but oh be thankfull that notwithstanding this he will take the pains to take it downe Thus much for humiliation I come now to the fourth and last which is Faith SECT 5. The fourth and last act of Christs power is the worke of Faith THe Lord having wounded
there is a subjection arising from the sense of the sweetnesse and exceeding goodnesse of Gods call and promise Psal. 110.2 3. As a woman that is overcome with the words of her loving suitor the man is precious and hence his words are very sweet and overcome her heart to think why should such a one as I be lookt upon by one of such a place it is no presumption now but duty to give her consent so it is here when the Lord is precious and his words oh accept me oh come to me are exceeding sweet and hereupon out of obedience gladly yeelds up it selfe to the Lord takes possession of the Lord this is no more presumption then to sanctifie a Sabbath or to pray or heare the word because the Lords commands are herein very sweet If Repentance accompanies Faith t is no presumption to beleeve Many know they sinne and hence beleeve in Christ trust to Christ and there is an end of their faith but what confession and sorrow for sinne what more love to Christ followes this faith truly none nay their faith is the cause why they have none for they think If I trust to Christ to forgive them he will doe it and there is an end of the businesse Verily this hedge faith this bramble â—aith that catches hold on Christ and pricks and scratches Christ by more impenitency more contempt of him is meere presumption which shall one day be burnt up and destroyed by the fire of Gods jealousie Fie upon that faith that serves onely to keep a man from being tormented before his time Your sins would be your sorrowes but that your faith quiets you But if faith be accompanyed with repentance mourning for sin more esteem of Gods grace in Christ so that nothing breaks thy heart more then the thoughts of Christs unchangeable love to one so vile and this love makes thee love much and love him the more as thy sin increaseth so thou desirest that thy love may increase and now the stream of thy thoughts runne how thou mayst live to him that dyed for thee This was Maries faith who sate at Christs feer weeping washing them with her teares and loving him much because much was forgiven who though shee was accounted a presumptuous woman by Simon and Christ himselfe suffered in his thoughts for suffering of her to come so neare unto him yet the Lord himselfe cleares her herein and justifies her before God and men many a poor beleever thinks if I should beleeve I should but presume and spin a spiders web of Faith out of my owne bowels and hence you shall observe this not beleeving stops up the work of repentance mourning and love and all chearfull obedience in them and on the contrary if they did beleeve it would be with them as themselves think many times if I knew the Lord was mine and my sins pardoned oh how should I then blesse him and love him and wonder at him how would this break my heart before him c. now I say let all the world judg if that which thou thinkest would be presumption be not rebellion because it makes thee worse and stops up the Spirit of grace in thee Whereas that Faith which lets out those blessed springs of sorrow love thankfulnesse humblenesse c. what can it bee else but such a saving faith as is wrought by the Spirit because it lets in the Spirit more abundantly into a dry and desolate heart 2. The subject or matter of Faith This is the second thing in the description of Faith the soule of an humbled sinner is the subject or matter of Faith I doe not meane the matter out of which Faith is wrought for there is nothing in man out of which the Spirit begets it but that wherein Faith is seated I meane also the habit of Faith not the principle of it for that is out of man in the Lord Jesus who is therefore called our hope as wel as our strength the soule therefore is the subject of Faith called the heart Rom. 10.9 compared with Mat. 6.21 for we cannot goe or come to Christ in this life with our bodies we are here absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. but the soule can goe to him the heart can bee with him as the eye can see a 1000 miles off and receive the species or image of the things it sees into it so the soule inlightned by faith can see Christ a farre off it can long for choose and rest upon the Lord of life and receive the lively image of Christs glory in it 2 Cor. 3. ult If Christ were present upon earth the soule not the body onely could truly receive him Christ comes to his elect only by his Spirit and hence our spirits only are fit to receive him and close with him thousands heare Christ outwardly that inwardly are deafe to all Gods calls their spirits see not tast not feel not it is therefore the soule that is the subject of Faith and I say it is an humbled empty soule which is the subject for a full proud nbroken spirit cannot nay will not receive Christ as wee have proved and therefore Luke 14. the servant is commanded to bid the poore halt and blind and lame to come in they would not make excuses as others did they that were stung to death with fiery Serpents were the only men that the brasen Serpent was lifted up for them to look upon and so be healed Iohn 3.14 and therefore the promise doth not run If any man have wisdome let him aske it but if any man want wisdom Iames 1.5 so if any man want light life want peace pardon want Christ and his Spirit let them aske and the Lord will give away with your mony if you come to these waters to buy and take freely If any man would be wise let him be a foole saith the blessed Apostle an empty nothing a soule in a perishing helplesse hopelesse condition is the subject of faith such only feele their need of Christ are glad at the offer of Christ and therefore such only can and will receive Christ and come unto Christ by faith and truly if we had but hearts the consideration of this might be ground of great comfort confidence unto all Gods people whose soules come unto Jesus Christ for that which was in Thomas Iohn 21. is in all men naturally if we could see Christ with our eyes and feel him with our hands and embrace him as Mary did with our arms if we could heare himselfe speake we could then beleeve as they said if he will come from the Crosse so we say if he will come downe from heaven thus unto us we will then beleeve if we want this we fear we may be at last deceived because we want sense and cannot come to close with our eyes and hands the objects of our faith but oh consider this point we are made partakers of Christs life and salvation by him only yet
the man should offer to hold any part of it backe we will not abate him any thing we will have it all because it cost deare I tell you pardon of sin peace with God the adoption of sonnes the spirit of grace perseverance to the end the kingdome of glory the riches of mercy have beene bought for you by a deare and great price the precious blood of Christ and therefore if the justice of God should hold back any thing or thy owne unbeliefe tell thee these are too great and many for so vile a creature as thou art to enjoy yet abate the Lord nothing say thou art vile yet Christs blood that bought not some but all these is very precious and therefore take them all to thy selfe as thy portion for ever and blesse the Lord as David doth Psal. 16.7 that gave thee this counsell Whiles you are in peace it may be you may neglect so great salvation but the time of distresse and anguish may come wherein you may feel a need of all even of those hidden depths of mercy above your reach and reason and therefore as bees gather in your honey in summer time and with Ioseph lay up in these times of plenty wherein the exceeding riches of grace is opened and poured out at your heeles for those times of approaching famine and for those many yeers of spirituall desertion and distresse wherein you may think Can it stand with the honour of God to save such a poore sinfull creature as I am what iron heart is not drawn by this love for the Lord to invite you to possesse 〈◊〉 or nothing Dives in hell was desirous of a drop to coole his tongue and behold the very depths and seas of grace are opened for thee to come in and partake of if the Lord Jesus should be offered unto thee to pardon some sinnes but not all to pardon all sinnes but not to heale thy nature also or to heale some back-slidings but not all to supply thy spirituall wants but not outward also as may be best for thee or to supply outward but not inward and spirituall if he should offer to doe thee good in this life but not in death nor after death you might refuse to come in but when all is offered all that mercy which no eye ever saw to pitty thee all that love wherewith Abraham David Paul c. were embraced now to refuse to come up and possesse these how can you escape the sorest vengeance of a jealous God that neglect so great salvation Oh Lord what extremity of anguish and bitternesse wilt thou one day be in when the contempt of this grace glowing upon thy conscience shall presse thee downe with these thoughts I am now under all misery but I might have had all Gods grace all Christs glory but wretch that I am I would not Me thinks if your owne good hereby should not draw you yet the exceeding great glory the Lord shall have hereby should force you to accept of all this grace for if thou didst receive a little grace beleeve a little mercy toward thee this makes thee sometime exceeding thankfull doth it not and the very hope of more makes thy heart break forth into a holy boasting and glorying in Christ Who is a God like unto thee Suppose therefore you drank in all and received all that which the Lord freely offers should not the Lord be exceedingly magnified then couldst thou containe thy selfe then without crying out Oh Lord now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene and my soule hath now possession of thy salvation wouldst not call to the hills and seas and earth and heavens and Saints and Angels to break forth into glorious praises and blesse this God But what have I to doe to come that am so poore and empty and full of woes and wants and sinnes never was any so miserable and blind and naked as I. If Faith commeth for all to Christ and fetcheth all from him then never be discouraged because thou hast nothing to bring unto him let all thy wants and miseries be arguments and motives therefore to come unto him Revel 3.17 18. Because thou art poore and naked nay because thou knowest it not and art not affected with it therefore come unto me and buy eye-salve and gold and white rayment Lord pardon my sinne saith David because it is great have mercy upon me for I am consumed with griefe and am in trouble Let mercy and truth continually preserve me for innumerable evills have compassed mee round about Let us returne unto the Lord because hee hath wounded us I am a dogge therefore let me have crums said the woman of Canaan oh this is crosse to sense and reason and we cannot beleeve while we are so exceeding poore empty vile that the Lord should look upon us but beloved you little think what wrong you doe to your selves the Lord Jesus hereby for by this means Christ is not so much exalted nor the creature humbled both which concurring in faith make those acts of faith most precious for while you stand upon something and would have something to bring to Christ you hereby exalt your selves but when you come with sense of nothing else but woes and wants and see Christ now making of you welcome oh this is not only mercy but ravishing mercy If you should come with sense of somewhat to Christ and to see his love to you you might glorify mercy in the height and length and breadth of it but not in the depth of it unlesse you see it reaching its hand to you when you are fallen into so low and poor a condition as nothingnesse and emptinesse and misery it selfe And therefore doe not come to Christ only for the benefits of the covenant but for the condition of it also when you feele a want of faith it selfe as Hezekiah did Isay 38.14 Lord I am oppressed undertake for me 1 Kings 8.57 58. Doe not undertake to fulfill any part of the covenant or any condition in it or any duty required of thee of thy selfe but goe empty to Christ and say as David Lord I will run the wayes of thy salvation if thou wilt set my heart at liberty Psal. 119.32 33. Quicken me and I will call upon thy name Psal. 80.18 Be strong in the Lord and the power of his might but not of thine owne But I come for all and am never a whit the better but as poor and miserable still as ever I was If the Lord keeps you poor and low yet the same motive that made thee come let it make thee stay it may be the Lord sees thou wouldst grow full and lifted up if he should give thee a little therefore keeps thee low better be humble then full and proud Let us goe unto the Lord because hee hath wounded broken and slaine us But they might object we doe come but find no help no cure
eternall righteousnesse that never can be lost if the Lord should make thee as perfectly righteous as once Adam was or Angells in heaven are and put on thy royall apparell againe thou wast in danger of losing this and of being stript naked againe but now the Lord hath put your righteousnesse into a safer hand which never shall be lost Heb. 9.12 Dan. 9.24 By this you please God and are more amiable before him then if you had it in your selfe doe not say this is a poore righteousnesse which is thus out of my selfe in another why doe you think righteousnesse in your selfe would be best is it not because hereby you think you shall please God Suppose thou hadst it yet thy righteousnesse should be at the best but mans righteousnes but this is called the righteousnesse of God which cannot but be more pleasing to him then that in thy selfe 2 Cor. 5.20 what is Angelicall righteousnesse to the righteous-of God t is but a glow-worm before the Sunne the smell of Esaus garments the robes of this righteousnesse of the Sonne of God are of sweeter odour then thine can be or ever shall be Eph. 5.1 2. tis said By faith Abel Enoch c. pleased God their persons were sinfull their owne duties were weak yet by faith in this they pleased God thou thinkest when thou goest to Prayer if I had no sinne but perfect holinesse in me surely God would heare me I tell you when you bring this offering of Christs righteousnesse the Lord had rather have that then all you can doe you bring that which pleaseth him more then if you brought your owne For aske thy owne conscience if it be possible for the righteousnesse which is done by thy self to be more pleasing to God then the righteousnesse of the Sonne of God the Lord of Glory himselfe done and perfected for thee 7. By this you glorifie God exceedingly as Abraham beleeved Rom. 4. and gave glory unto God In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Esay 45.25 For 1. By this you glorifie him perfectly in an instant for you continue to doe all that the Law requires that instant you beleeve The Apostle propounds the Question Rom. 3.21 whether a Christian by faith doth make void the Law No saith the Apostle but we establish the Law How is that Paraeus shews three wayes One is this because that perfect righteousnesse which the Law requires of us we performe it in Christ by faith So that in one instant thou continuest to doe all that the Law requires and hence ariseth the impossibility of a true Beleevers apostacie as from one principall cause They that deny satisfaction by Christs doing of the Law because by our own works and doings we cannot be justified before God may as well deny satisfaction by Christs sufferings because by our owne sufferings we cannot be justified our obedience to the Law in way of suffering is as truly the works of the Law as our obedience in way of doing 2. By this you glorifie Gods justice what ever Justice requires to be done or suffered you give it unto God by faith in Christ. 3. By this you glorifie grace and mercy Ephes. 1.7 for by this meanes mercy may over-abound toward you and you may triumph in it as sure and certaine to you What a blessed mysterie is this Doth it not grieve you that you cannot glorifie God in your times and places Behold the way if thou canst not doe it by obedience thou maist by faith and thereby make restitution of all Gods glory lost and stolne from him by thy disobedience to him By this you have peace in your consciences by this Christs blood is sprinkled upon them and that cooles the burning torments of them Rom. 5.1 The commers unto the Leviticall sacrifices and washings types of this offering of Christ could not thereby be perfected and bee without the guilty conscience of sinne none of your duties can pacifie conscience but as they carry you hither to this righteousnesse but the commers to this have no more terrours of conscience for sinne I meane they have no just cause to have any this Rain-bow appearing over your heads is a certaine signe of fair weather and that there shall be no more deluge of wrath to overwhelme thee By this all miseries are removed when thy sinnes are pardoned there is something like death and shame and sicknesse but they are not it 's said Isay 33. ult There shall be none sicke among them why so because they shall be forgiven their iniquities T is no sicknessse in a manner no sorrow no affliction if the venome sting and curse be taken away by pardon of sinne thy sicknesse sorrow losses death it selfe is better now then health joy abundance life you may here see death hell grave swallowed up in victory and now tread upon the necks of them 1 Cor. 15. You may see life in death heaven in the deepest hell glory in shame when thou seest all thy sinnes done away in the blood of Christ Jesus This is the blessednesse of all you poore beleevers and commers to the Lord Jesus what should you doe but beleeve it and rejoyce in it If the wicked that apply this righteousnesse presumptuously say Let us sinne that grace may abound and make no other use of forgivenesse but to run in debt and sinne with a license Why should not you say on the other side Let me beleeve and owne my portion in this righteousnesse that as my sinnes have abounded so my love may abound as my sinnes have been exceeding great so the Lord may be exceeding sweet as my sinnes continue and increase so my thankfulnesse glory in God triumph over death grave sinne through Christ may also increase as you see righteousnesse in Christ for ever yours so you may from thence expect from him such a righteousnesse as may make you righteous also as hee is righteous Tremble thou hard-hearted impenitent wretch that didst never yet come to Christ nor feele thy need of him or prize his blood this is none of thy portion all thy sinnes are yet upon thee and shall one day meet thee in the day of the Lords fierce wrath when he shall appeare as an everlasting burning before thine eyes and thou stand guilty before him as chaffe and stubble SECT 2. Secondly Reconciliation This is the second benefit which in order of nature followes our Justification although sometime in a large sense it is taken for the whole work of Justification strictly taken it followes it Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God i. e. not onely peace from God in our consciences but peace with God in our reconcilement to him and his favour toward us Being justified we shall be saved from wrath i. e. not onely the outward fruits of wrath but wrath from whence those come Christ is first King of Righteousnesse then King of Peace Heb. 7.2 for is not finne the cause of
denyed as well as to be heard and he shall undoubtedly find the thing it selfe a lust is properly such a desire though for lawfull things wherein a man must have the thing because it pleaseth him as when Rachell asked for children she must have them else she must needs dye Give us water that wee may drinke was their brutish cry Exod. 17.1 2. not that we may live to him that giveâ— it holy prayers or desires opposed unto lusts are such desires of the soule left with God with submission to his will as may best please him now the Lord will heare the desires indeed of all that feare him but not fulfill their lusts These three are the essentiall properties of such prayer as is heard or if you will of that which is properly or spiritually prayer fâ—rvency and assurance c. are excellent ingredients but yet the Lord may heare prayer without them it is true the Lord may sometimes not heare us presently for our praying time is our sowing time we must not look presently for the harvest The Lord heares the prayer of the destitute Psal. 102.17 the originall word is of the shrub or naked place of the desert which the Prophet saith Ier. 17.6 sees no good when good comes yet such as feele themselves such the Lord doth regard them and will have a time to answer them and though the Lord may not give us the thing we pray for nor as good a thing of the same kind yet he ever gives us the end of our prayers hee that is at sea and wants stiffe winds to carry him to his port yet hath no cause to complaine if the Lord secretly carries him in by a strong current of the sea it selfe and it is certain at the end of all Gods dealing with you you shall then see how the Lord hath not failed to answer you in any one particular Ios. 23.14 Oh therefore see and be perswaded of this your priviledge that God will now heare every prayer many make a question How may we know when the Lord grants out any blessing as an answer to prayer many things are said to this purpose but the simplicity and plainnesse of the answer liâ—s in this viz. if it be a prayer God heares it if it be put up in Christs name it is then a prayer and that you may beleeve this and glory in this consider these reasons only to confirme this truth From the promise of Christ as in this place Iohn 14.13 14. which was a promise in speciall to be accomplished when hee came to his kingdome and therefore though it is true Gods grace is free and therefore you think the Lord may as well refuse to heare you as heare yet consider that by his promise he hath bound himselfe to heare From the Fatherly disposition that is in God Iohn 16.26 27. and hece he loves us and hence cannot but heare us Because all prayers put up in Christs name Christ makes intercession that they may be heard Heb. 7.25 hee hath laid downe his blood that all our prayers might be heard as we have provâ—d and indeed hence ariseth the infinite efâ—icacie of prayer because it is built upon that which is infinitely and eternally worthy Because all prayers of the faithfull arise from the Spirit of prayer Rom. 8.26 because as that which is for the flesh is of the flesh so that which is for the Spirit or for the sake of Christ for spirituall ends is ever of the Spirit Iohn 7.18 Because of the glory of Christ that the Father may be glorifyed in the Son cannot Christ be glorifyed unlesse he heare all prayers yes he could but yet his will is to reveale his glory by this meanes so that thou and thy prayers be vile and therefore deservest no acceptance nor answer yet remember that his glory is deare it is the glory of Kings to heare some requests and petitions but they cannot heare nor answer all it is the glory of Christ to heare all because he is able without the least dishonour to himselfe thus to doe Oh be perswaded of this how should your joy then be full how should you then delight to be oft with him how would you then encourage all to come unto him how would you then be constrained to doe any thing for him who is ready to doe all for you but oh woe unto our unbeleefe for that which the Apostle saith 1 Iohn 5.14 was ground of his confidence viz. that what ever wee aske according to his will hee heares us is no ground to us and wee may say and mourne to think this is our diffidence that what ever I aske according to Christs will he heares me not but oh recover from such a distrustfull frame and from all dead-heartednesse in this duty with all lest the Lord send task-masters and double our bricks and then we groan and sigh and cry and learne to pray that way that will not pray nor beleeve now If the Lord would but give us hearts assuredly you might not only rule your selves and families but by the power of prayer pull down and raise up Kingdomes dispose of the greatest affaires of the Church nay of the world you might hereby work wonders by meanes of him who ruling all things yet is overcome by prayer Hos. 12.4 5. SECT VI. Sixthly Glorification This is the sixth and last priviledge and benefit and you all know is the last thing in the execution of Gods eternall purpose toward all his beloved and chosen ones whom he hath predestinated called justified them he hath also glorified Rom. 8.30 hereby we are made perfect in holinesse no more sinne shall stirre in us perfect also in happinesse no more teares nor sorrowes nor temptations nor feares shall ever molest us Heb. 12.23 Revel 14.13 and all this shall bee in our immediate communion with God in Christ Col. 1.28 Iohn 17.23 24. wee shall be then saith Paul for ever with the Lord if the Lord would but open our eyes and give us one glimpse of this what manner of persons should we be how would we then live how willingly then should wee embrace faggots and flames prisons and penury the light afflictions here would not they work for us glory nay the Apostle useth such a phrase which I beleeve may pose the most curious oratour in the world to expresse to the life of it an exceeding weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 What is our life now but a continuall dying carrying dayly about us that which is more bitter then a thousand deaths what faith the Apostle to us You are dead yet when Christ shall appeare you shall appeare with him also in glory the generall security of these times foretold by Christ especially when Churches become Virgins and People are seeking after purity of Ordinances it shall not be in a want of watchfulnesse against the present corruptiions of the times so much as in a carelesse want of expectation of the comming oâ— Christ