downe very well satisfied if they have a Minister they doe not greatly care and if they want one they are not greatly troubled but they fit and are blinde and never saw any need of a Saviour All they can say is this in a good mood they marvellously extoll the goodnesse of God to such a place and say Oh the Gospell is a precious Jewell but they will not goe out a mile or two to receive that mercy they doe so commend and want I beseech you observe it the childe that is almost famished goes first to his father because hee hopes he will provide for him but if the father bee carelesse and will not provide for him hee will either beg or buy or borrow starve he will not So it is with the poore people of God when they are famished for the bread of life they repaire to their owne Minister and they ought to doe so and they should comfort and encourage them in the way of well doing in the preaching of the Gospell of the Lord Jesus It is said Amos 8.11 God will send a famine not of bread but a famine of the word and they shall goe from one sea to another from one coast to another and seeke bread but shall finde none how farre will men goe to seeke out bread in times of famine rather than they will starve then they will find their hands and legs and goe though it be never so far for comfort So it will be with thy soule if thou hast a sound desire after the Word of God were it so as it is sometimes in time of drought that a company of cattell for want of water were like to bee spoiled will not a man drive them a mile or two to water that they may bee refreshed Goe thou then downe into thine owne conscience and condemne thy owne soule hadst thou as much care for the good of thy soule as thou hast for the good of thy cattell thou wouldst goe as farre to heare the Word preached that thy soule might receive comfort and refreshment thereby When the famine was sore in the Land of Canaan Iacob did not say to his sonnes let us fit still here till the Egyptians send us food but get you up thither and buy some that wee may live and not die That which was in Iacob would be in thy soule if thou hadst a sincere desire after the riches of Gods mercy in Jesus Christ Sort of lazie Hypocrites 3 Thirdly those who when they have the means of grace and salvation are content to use them and if they want the meanes will seeke out for them but yet are not carefull and watchfull to prevent those inconveniences and to remove those hinderances which prejudice and hinder them from receiving that benefit by the meanes which they want and desire these never had any true and sound desire after Christ and therefore never shall receive sound grace so continuing Of this sort are your tipling Gospellers for there are such a generation in the world a man may have the name of a professor and yet bee a secret drunkard First hee seeth his evill and confesseth it to God and prayeth against it in the morning yet he will venture into that company and seeke after those occasions whereby he may be brought to commit the same sinne againe And he saith alas it is my fault and it is my infirmitie my desire is to abandon it but all flesh is fraile and alas what would you have me do I pray against it it is not I but sinne and therefore if I be overtaken and drawne aside with it pitty is to be tendered and you must pardon me thus hee heals himselfe No no let such men take notice of this It was not a true desire as wrought in thee it was onely a deceit Is that man desirous to keep his mony that will go into such company as he is sure will couzen him of it or goe in that way where hee is sure to meet with theeves that will rob him No experience teacheth us how tender men are to goe in such company or to travell that way where they may be assaulted So I say of these had the Lord ever wrought effectually upon thy soule and had thy heart beene enlarged with desire after the mercy which God offers when thou hadst good exhortations admonitions and many sweet promises made knowne unto thee thou wouldst not goe amongst theeves and robbers that should deprive thee of the comfort which thy soule hath received from the Word Sort of lazie Hypocrites 4 The fourth sort are those who though some duty bee prescribed and some particular service revealed to them and exacted from them by the Minister yet they will not set upon any duty but carelesly cast it off and not attend thereunto these never attained any sound desire in their soules I doe not say hee that omits a duty upon occasion either out of temptation surprising him or occasion prevailing But when a man is informed and convinced in his conscience that hee ought to doe what the Word requires and yet will not set upon it but carelesly neglect the same this argueth his soule was never quickned with any sound desire after the thing because he would not labour for the thing hee desired Hee that is desirous to speake with a man is not content to goe to one place onely and aske for him but hee will seeke from place to place from man to man and never rest till hee findes him So it is with a heart that is soundly desirous after grace it will not only take up some duty which God requires but if there bee any service which the Word reveales or any duty the Lord commands hee will take it up and as hee is able set upon the dutie Sometimes a man may neglect a dutie he knowes not of but if hee be informed and convinced thereof hee cannot but set about it if hee desires to gaine good thereby Therefore if any man hath wronged any by false dealing theeving or pilfering the servant the master the childe the father the chapman the buyer c. let that soule know it is his duty and God requires it if ever he will have peace of conscience and the evidence of Gods love made knowne to him in the pardon of his sinnes that he must make restitution We see Zacheus when God had opened his eyes and given him a thorow desire to come home and receive Christ made an open proclamation If I have wronged any man Luke 19.8 let him come and I will restore him fourefold If there be any that I have cozened by my false weights and faire pretences If I have wronged any man not of foure pounds but of forty a hundred pounds not some man but any man I will restore c. Beloved this is a duty which God requires of every soule and this is a way whereby thou mayest get some comfort to thy selfe if thou art content to
confidence than in Christ this is marvellous easie and apparant even amongst the Heathens themselves Many of the Heathens themselves have beene so farre taken up with the admiration at and affecting of morall vertues one man with patience and another with temperance they have been so taken up in meditation and in the admiration of these that they have trampled upon crownes and have harsely esteemed of all the honours of the world many speeches of the Heathen wee have to this purpose as that when one said honours riches c. cannot properly be said to be good for then they would make him good which hath them as wee see wisedome makes a man wise that hath it but they that have riches and honours for the most part are most wicked and vilde wretches therefore onely the wise man is the happy man and an ignorant man is a miserable man therefore hee seeing the excellency of and putting a high price upon these morall vertues this hath made them put a high price on the one and trample on the other Now if Heathen men may be so farre taken up with these morall vertues which have onely the light of nature to guide them and never had the knowledge of Christ to drive them beyond themselves that yet they will doe all this then a Hypocrite may come to see a greater beauty than is in all these when they come from the Spirit of grace for the Heathens had but the very shell and outside of these but the Hypocrite knowes the vertue and benefit of these and the eternall good that will come by these this hee is able to discerne and therefore hee is able to put a high price upon these and it is no wonder when the people came to make Saul King hee hid himselfe amongst the stuffe 1 Sam. 10.22 as if hee were unworthy of the kingdome so that a man may for by-ends cast off preferment and ease and honour Secondly whereas the sturdy hypocrite tooke up a fine cold temper and an ordinary path in a Christian course this hypocrite scornes that and he is a profest enemy to lukewarmnesse and to a lazy carnall discretion in a Christian course This is the zeale and forwardnesse of this man but mistake me not for I doe not speake this to dishearten a good cause or the zeale and forwardnesse of any good man no God forbid nay let that tongue faulter and cursed be the head that contrives or the mouth that speakes any thing against the zeale and forwardnesse of any man in any good cause the way is warrantable and lawfull and must be done for though meere morall vertues will not save a Christian yet without them no man shall ever come to Heaven but I speake all this to shew that all this may bee done and yet all be starke naught I doe not speake this to discourage any man for you see I commend of this man hee is not swept downe from the firmament of his profession as the sturdy hypocrite was by the taile of the Dragon but he maintains his profession with credit and is zealous in it he goes for a marvellous broken hearted Christian he scornes to be a linsey-woolsey-man halfe one and halfe of another hee stands in the open defence of the truth and dares side with the Lord Jesus Christ and saith as Iehu who is on my side who 2 Kings 10.16 Come see my zeale which I have for the Lord of Hosts thus it was with Paul Gal. 1. 14. He profited above many of his brethren in the Iewish religion being more exceeding zealous of the traditions of the Fathers and Phil. 3.6 7. he was a Pharisee and concerning zeale he persecuted the Church touching the righteousnesse of the Law he was blamelesse and these he counted gaine This was all the gaine that Paul had namely that hee had such parts and gifts and abilities to doe duties this was all his gaine and because hee had all these hee thought he must needs goe to Heaven nay nay it is harder to goe to Heaven than you thinke for it is another manner of worke than so the greatest hindrance that ever Paul had in his conversion was the carnall confidence which hee had in himselfe there he stucke Now wherein doth the falsenesse of this man appeare I answer Amongst many others it discovers it selfe most grosly and notoriously in these particulars First you shall finde that as for lesser sinnes the reformation of which might spoile him in the venting of his commodities and marring his market that he cannot set himselfe his parts and commodities at sale he will slight those sinnes and make no account of them and swallow them downe without any chewing because such as these bee would hinder him in his trading that hee could not vent and shew himselfe and hee makes no great matter of them this is for his outward practice But if a mans exactnesse in a Christian course be sincere then he will be exact in all things but if his exactnesse may give way to some sinne then it is but hypocrisie it is but a cloake and no soundnesse at all why dost thou heare and pray and take up duties though these must bee done if thy duties bee sincere and if thou lovest duties abroad thou wilt love them at home too 1 Iohn 2.3 Hereby we know that wee know him if we keepe his Commandements if a man keepe all the Commandements of God then he shall savingly know God and hereby hee shall know that he knowes God this is a signe that saving faith is there because it makes a man keepe all the Commandements of God but cursed bee that prayer which seems to set it selfe against sinne and yet gives allowance unto sinne That prayer and performance which maintaines sinne is accursed and God will never accept of it this is for his out side Secondly though this hypocrite be very exact and expresse much power of religion in the world yet follow this wretch home and dog him to his owne heart and closet and there you shall finde him not onely living in but maintaining some sinne either in his practice or else in others as when hee was abroad hee would swallow downe such smaller sinnes as would hinder him in the venting of himselfe so at home hee maintaines some distemper either in his family or in himselfe A man out of the strength of parts and the excellency of his judgement and the ability that God hath bestowed upon him may doe this that wheresoever he comes he will comfort and quicken and exhort and pray with others these are good duties I doe not discommend them but he returnes home and is churlish and dogged and cruell to his servants and takes up a pang of passion and will bee upon the house top for every trifle and this is constant too this is the bane of religion and profession Of this straine are those that for their parts and gifts are marvellous large and they will goe from this
a matter of complement and indifferencie No no I may call it the very wheeles of faith upon which faith is carried for all this while faith is a sowing into the soule Looke as it is with a waggon knocke off the wheeles and all lyes in the dust so take away this desire and faith is in the dust the tenour of all the promises run upon this the thirstie they are invited the hungrie they shall be satisfied nay not onely so but observe further the necessity of this when desire comes all good workes goe forward and our hearts are not only set upon the dutie but the dutie is crowned and credited by this desire It is like the mill damme the fuller the damme is the faster the mill goes so get but desire and all will goe forward the more desire the more paines in seeking after grace this gives a crowne and a credit to all our actions thou prayest haply halfe an houre it is not thy tongue that the Lord accepts but thy desire thou performest many duties outwardly God cares not for that he lookes only at thy desire to approve thy selfe to God in those duties this is the thing that gives credit to all our actions Meanes 3 The third meanes is this labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glorie that is in the promises of God Looke wisely daily and judiciously upon them as occasion serves and when thou seest that admirable and incomparable vertue and beautie that is in Christ and in the precious promises and canst but view them in their proper colours Oh they will even ravish thee and quicken up thy desire If a man carry a packe of never so rich commodities and never opens them no man will have a desire to buy Or if a man have a cabinet full of never so precious jewels if he doe not unlocke it no man will be stirred with a desire after them Even so it is with the promises all those unsearchable riches that are in the Lord Jesus and all the comforts both of this life and that which is to come they are all shut up in the promises Now set open the Gospell and unlock the cabbinet of the promises and then the soule will earnestly desire the same I tell you God is a God of comfort and all the promises are yea and Amen in the Lord Jesus Christ read them daily and examine the excellencie and beautie therein that so thy heart may be brought to prize them and the comfort arising thence Thy soule is discouraged there is mercie to comfort thou wantest grace there is grace to quicken thee See the worth thereof more fully Luke 24. When Christ came and walked with the two disciples that were travelling towards Emaus Luke 24.32 opened Did not our hearts burne within us say they while he opened the Scriptures the Latine word signifieth to burne with desire But how came this they did not talke a word and away but the Lord Jesus Christ opened the Scriptures to them the riches of grace and salvation were unlocked and by Christ opened and then their hearts burned againe with desire Oh that Christ and that mercie and that pardon c. So view thou the promises of Christ and grace and salvation you doe not see the value and riches that are therein but if you will but talke and conferre about them your hearts will burne with desire doe not cast an eye and be gone doe not looke over a promise and away no wonder though your hearts are not affected because the excellent things therein contained are not opened and propounded to you Meanes 4 In the fourth and last place after all this thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace thou canst not hammer out a desire upon thine owne anvill digge thy owne pit and hew thy owne rock as long as thou wilt that is a worke out of thy abilitie and strength Nay let all the Angels in heaven and all the Ministers on earth provoke thee yet if the hand of the Lord be wanting thou shalt not lift up thy heart nor step one step towards heaven therefore I beseech you marke and acknowledge this and goe to him who is onely able to worke this desire in thy soule It is the complaint of Christians and they mourne under it and it is a great miserie Oh they are troubled because they cannot fetch a good desire from their owne soules and one falls another sinkes and a third shakes and they are overwhelmed with discouragement And their complaint is this What a wretched heart have I Object Grace No no the world I can desire the life of my childe I long for that nay every trifling profit and pleasure my soule covets it and I say with Rachel Let me have honour or else I dye But I cannot buckle my heart nor worke this vile nature of mine to bee carried after and long for the unconceivable unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ And will the Lord shew mercie to me Shall I attaine any favour either here or hereafter Answ Marke the deceit in this case desires grow not in your garden they spring not from the root of your abilities you cannot frame your soules nor order your spirits to desire Christ no struggle while thy eyes sinke in thy head and thy tongue falters when thou prayest and yet thou shalt not procure any longing desire after Christ whiles the world stands desire comes from the quickning vertue of the spirit Therefore seeke to God and confesse In truth Lord I cannot it is not in my power I have not any sufficiencie to frame my heart to this desire I expect it not from my selfe it is not this vile and sinfull soule it is not this wicked base wayward heart of mine that can lift up it selfe it is earthly and heavie but it is thou O Lord from whom come all our desires it is thou that must worke it it is thou that hast promised it good Lord quicken thou this soule and inlarge this heart of mine thou only art the God of this desire none of thy Saints that ever panted after and longed for thy mercie David himselfe had it not in his owne power and sufficiencie it must come from thy power and thy promise and thy grace and blessing Now good Lord worke this in the heart of thy poore servant I would faine have a desire Lord from heaven thus hale downe a desire from the Lord and from the promise for there only you must have it this is the course whereby you may partake of this desire from the hand of the Lord. When the Church was lazie and sluggish and would not rise Cant. 5.4 the hands of her beloved dropped mirrhe upon the handle of the doore and this raised and pulled up the heart of the spouse and she lingred after him and followed him and pursued him and her heart was quickned and inlarged to
in my lusts still now the heart is going out of the world to the Lord Jesus Christ when there is an overpowering vertue of the sweetnesse of the promise that prevailes with the soule above all and affects the heart with the good thereof more than all the rest this is then to be effectually perswaded Now the will and the heart is gone that way let all the temptation and the darling delights of sinne come in never so fast yet the prevailing power of the promise out bids and goes beyond all these and affects the heart more than all these I would have you retaine those things that ye may trie whose hearts are sound many pretend to have a lingering desire after Christ and to seeme to bee for Christ and yet the worke was never sound they were never perswaded powerfully as I now speake and as there is a strong and effectuall perswading so there is a kinde of hourly and feeble perswading and a slight motion of it the heart may seem to make out toward Christ yet never get â—ut because it was never effectually perswaded â—hese slight motions and hourly perswasions are â—ike the untimely birth of a woman that vanishâ—th away and comes to nothing in the end Many a man hath had his eyes opened and the sweetnesse of the promise revealed and the soule â—ad begun to purpose and to be at a hay now â—ay and then he will goe to Christ and yet sinks â—owne againe and falls back and perisheth everâ—stingly As it is with a waggon that passeth by a â—angerous pit being well loaden which if it passe â—ot by hee is undone he is at a set well they will use their skill they pull with might maine â—nd now it is going and then it is comming it 〈◊〉 ever at a hay now hay at last the traces breake â—nd it falls downe irrecoverably So it is with a â—arnall false hearted Hypocrite that hath had maâ—y of these feeble perswasions to pluck a base â—ile heart from his corruptions the Lord hath â—id some hand upon him by the terrours of the â—aw and let in some intimation of mercy and â—t him see what good he might have if he would â—art from his sinnes and he hath many good reâ—lutions the drunkard will be drunke no more â—e adulterer will bee uncleane no more and the â—roud person will never be proud any more it is â—et at a hay now hay but because hee is not â—fectually perswaded hee falls off from his halfe â—odging with God and is wholly overcome with â—nne never to be recovered more this was the practice of Agrippa Act. 26.27 where Paul shewing his conversation and what God had done for him when Agrippa heard this he was even at a dead lift and said Thou hast almost perswaded me to become a Christian almost holy almost humble and almost to forsake my sinnes I will never be more malicious against God and as the originall word saith Thou hast almost perswaded mee in a few things but hee never came to any good at all This is the guise of many that come to some outward reformation and get some knowledge and some parts and some duties performed so that a man would thinke they were making forward toward Christ and yet they recoyle and fall back againe to their old base courses most fearfully Of this generation was this spoke Heb. 6.4 that had a taste of the Heavenly gift that is saving faith they liked the promise but it was never at the heart roots Oh said they comfort ease and salvation is good to be had but they did not take downe the promise and disgest it and make it good blood they wanted this sound perswasion somewhat was neerer to the heart than the promise and therefore it came to nothing An Hypocrite that is tickled and hath some flashy desires as the stony ground was is a little affected with the Word of God This man may entertaine iâ— some kinde of hourely perswasion somewhat of the promise for some respect the promise is this that God will pardon the iniquity of his poore children and ease them of all their miseries and glorifie them for ever The Hypocrite heares this that there is salvation to be had and grace is now offered Oh it is pretty saith the soule then I hope it is possible for something to come to my share in conclusion hee entertaines the promise to pardon him but the promise and the prevailing power of it goe not deepe enough to loose him from his corruptions and to purge him hee would sip of the promises but make a meale of his lusts But a good heart doth the contrary the promise is the standing dish and the Lord â—esus Christ to be loved and embraced that is his meale onely he may sip now and then at his lusts â—nd corruptions The Hypocrite will have his â—ase haunts and his corruptions still but in the meane time hee could bee content to thinke on Christ to pardon him and that these evils might â—ot befall him Part. 2 Now you see what it is to bee effectually perswaded nothing but God can doe this and in his lies the excellency of faith to rest it selfe upon the freenesse of Gods grace that it may have â—n interest in the good thereof that is the end â—f faith there lies the marrow of faith that is the â—ertue and spirituall efficacy of faith that as hope â—aited for mercy and desire longed for it and â—â—ve and joy welcomed it and they all bring the â—romise home to the soule so then the will â—ith Amen Lord let it be so I will goe no furâ—her It is in this case as it was with the woman â—f Samaria Iohn 4.29 When Christ had opened â—er eyes and shewed her the vilenes of her heart â—nd also told her that shee had seven Husbands saying thou art an adulterous woman now when she had heard this away shee goes to the Citie and said Behold a man that hath told mee all that ever I did is not he the Christ Just so all the affections come to the will the great commander and plead in this case and thus begin to strive with the heart Oh saith hope I have waited for this goodnesse of the Lord and my eyes have failed with looking for it And desire saith I have longed for this goodnesse and saith love I have received it and joy saith I have felt the sweetnesse of it is not this mercy worth the receiving Then the will saith is it so indeed hast thou waited for it hope and hast thou longed for it desire and hast thou felt the sweetnesse of it joy then we will all goe to that mercy and seeke no further Let base corruptions and lusts doe what they will wee will goe to that mercy Foure things or Acts. and repose our selves therein Now this resting of it selfe discovers a foure-fold act Act 1 First it implyes a going out of the soule to Christ that the soule
three it strikes three so the soule is thus led by the Spirit of God as Rom. 8.14 and then it obeyes God and doth every good duty and loves God above all and his neighbours as himselfe in truth and in uprightnesse so that the soule is stopped in humiliation and is turned in vocation it receives the poise in adoption and renovation in sanctification and it obeyes God in all things then the conclusion is this all these are saving workes and such as doe undoubtedly accompany salvation but all this while one is not another for two of these are wrought upon us that is preparation and vocation and these are by a passive worke the wheele workes because it is moved and in the other three the Lord conveyes his Spirit to us and mercifully workes the power of sanctification in us and makes us able to serve him and obey him Acts 26.18 Paul was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes to turne them from the power of darknesse to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance amongst them that are called and sanctified marke all the passages of it from darknesse and Sathan that is in preparation to God and to light that is in vocation and as Saint Peter saith Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that yee maâ— receive the forgivenesse of sinnes repent there is preparation and bee converted there is vocation turned from Sathan and the power of the Devill that they may be under the power of the Lord Jesus and lye at his foot-stoole as a souldier is turned from such a captaine when hee is content to be under another so the soule is turned from sinne and is content to take presse money and to become a souldier of Iesus Christ Thirdly that he may receive forgivenesse of sinnes that is in justification and an inheritance among them that are sanctified that 's in sanctification all these are done by faith the scope of the holy Ghost there is to discover the frame of grace in the heart and therefore it is not to be understood of the nature of Sanctification but of the worke of it that a man should receive his sanctification by faith and yet is but sanctified in part these are contraries The fourth is onely the worke of sanctification and lastly from the question thus resolved from hence that question falls to the ground and from hence first a man may see it clearly that sanctification comes after justification and secondly whether repentance is before faith or whether repentance is before justification or justification before faith and repentance and thirdly whether there be any other instrument to beleeve in Christ but faith No there is no other for they all concurre by faith Thus much for the first use a word of confutation and information Vse 2 Secondly if it be so that faith is a resting upon God and a receiving of mercy from God then this is a word of terrour to all that still remaine in unbeleefe they are to see their sinne and misery by sinne their sinne is most hainous and their plagues are intolerable if it bee faith that brings a man to Christ and suits a man with all comforts from Christ then all you unbeleeving sinners let your soules shake in the apprehension of all these plagues of which you are guilty It is the misery that befalls poore creatures they are loth to be knowne to be drunkards or theeves or robbers because shame will come to them but not to beleeve the promise and to despise the Lord Jesus Christ you make nothing of this you draw the harrowes lightly after you you confesse this sinne and the other sinne and you doe welcome it but in the meane time no man lookes to his unbeleeving heart and yet this is the greatest sinne of all other and brings the greatest misery as Heb. 3.12 Take heed why what 's the matter For the Lord Jesus Christ his sake take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleefe to depart from the living God this unbeleefe makes you depart from the Lord God you will take heed of whoring and drunkennesse and you will say you are not so and so but I say thou hast an evill and unfaithfull heart and thou art a dead man and a miserable man and thou art gone from the Lord God the God of all happinesse and therefore thou art but a damned man This is the root and the worst of all take heed of an unbeleeving heart it departs away from the living God this is the nature and misery of this sinne What is the estate of the damned in Hell and this shall bee the sentence that is past against the wicked in that day when the Heavens shall melt and the Goats shall stand on the left hand and the Sheep on the right hand and when ye shall see all the Heavens on a flame and you shall heare that fearfull voyce saying arise you damned unbeleeving wretches stand forth and heare your doome what will bee your greatest misery in that day even this Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting flames this is the upshot of vengeance and the sharpest sentence would you not thinke this terrible if you did heare it Now therefore away thou varlet bee gone to Hell I doubt not but the very proudest wretch in hell would then be content to hang upon mercy before hee went to Hell and hee would beg that he might yet breathe to call after mercy If thou wouldest take heed of this sentence then take heed of an unbeleeving heart for by unbeleefe thou passest the sentence against thy selfe thou needest none other to condemne thee Oh therefore get you home and humble your selves in secret and say thus The Lord hath given mee a heart to see the evill of my heart I blesse the Lord thou hast kept my hand my eye my life but good Lord I never saw the horrible nature of sinne which will be my bane to this day I was never burthened with it Oh that I might now take heed of it what shall I say to mine owne heart depart thou wretch to Hell the Lord forbid Oh strive mightily with God and with your owne soules and rest not till you get some strength from Heaven and say if that voice should come againe Oh woe to mee for ever well my unbeleeving heart doth this and hath past the sentence upon mine owne soule you heare these and if you would but take home these truths they would make you stagger See what our Saviour saith Iohn 5.40 You will not come to mee that yee may have life but I know you that yee have not the love of God in you comming is beleeving is this sinne so heavy the Lord fasten it upon your hearts what shall any man goe away and say I will not beleeve there is such a generation whither will you goe If the world calls yee run if the devill calls ye goe presently but will you not
whatsoever is amisse outwardly thou seest the evill and labourest to reforme it and whatsoever service is required to God or man thou dost it as thou art able and walkest unblamably all this is to no profit if thou remainest in unbeleefe The God of Heaven never receives the prayers of an unbeleever bee his prayers never so glorious and his attendance on the means never so diligent yet the God of heaven regards not the performances and therefore say of thy unbeleeving soule as Haman did of Mordecay Ester 5.13 when the King had granted him all that his heart could desire and his requests were ever made good and his malice ever satisfied and the posts dispatched it to root out the Jewes and was invited to the Queenes feast yet one thing tooke away all the contentment of the other when he saw Mordecay sit in the Kings gate and reverenced him not this overthrew all as he did sinfully and foolishly so doe thou wisely and with great judgement and reason thus and say good Lord what availes it me to heare and pray and live unblamably so long as I see this unbeleefe perking it selfe in this corrupt heart of mine So long as this remaines all my praiers will doe me no good these will bring the wrath of God upon mee nay the wrath of God is upon mee and I am condemned already in my fasting prayer and all my holy duties Secondly confider that all the good things thou hast will prove uncomfortable to thee whiles this unbeleefe continues in thy soule it is very observable you know the heart of a man is sometimes cheared and the soule is contented partly with the good things of the world which it receives partly with other things not onely temporall but also spirituall which God gives now I would have an unbeleeving heart take off the contentment of these with the feare of this danger and this will dash all thy delights and spoile all thy pleasures and mar all thy mirth let that alwayes come for a back reckoning wee should thinke of this it might bee as gall to our corrupt hearts Thou liftest up thy parts and saist my parts are greats my abilities many I am able to conferre to performe duties bee it so that thou hast all these and another saith thou seest thy barnes full and store-house full thou hast honours to advance thee and riches and all delights to give thee content and I grant this and yet thou hast an unbeleeving heart to depart from the living God and when thou hast these Oh woe to that miserable soule of thine Good brethren thinke of these things it is good to heare of this now and better it is to know them now than to know them when it is too late now you have your houses and beds and pleasures to comfort you but you have an unfaithfull heart goe thy wayes poore wretch thou hast enough thou hast that about thee that will sink thy heart for ever Oh let this be written upon the palmes of your hands and graven upon the testures of thy bed and say this is a goodly house and I have goodly riches but I have an unfaithfull heart too labour to be affected with this for the Lords sake you know what Esau said prophanely when hee was like to die What 's my birth-right to me if I die for hunger Gen. 25.32 I tell you it will be as gall and wormewood to you when the drunkard is in his cups and the adulterer in his dalliances you may say I have this and that but what availes these when I have an unbeleeving wretched heart about me I carry my bane and that which will be my breake-necke Lastly when you begin to see some sinne base and vile and odious in the account of the world and sometimes in your owne account then thinke thus with your selves and say doe I see a basenesse in this and that sinne what then shall I thinke of my unbeleefe which is the breeder of all these could I see mine owne base heart it is the mother and breeder of all these sinnes thou art loth to be seene drunke in the street because the boyes would hoot at thee and thou art afeard of murder or theft because thou wouldst not be taken for a jayle-bird thou art ashamed of these wert thou but a witch or a traitour or a man condemned wouldst thou not be ashamed hadst thou but reason in thee thy soule would shake at it and say Oh wretch that I am that I should live to bring such discredit upon my selfe and all good men Oh goe thy way and looke into thy heart and say I may thanke an unbeleeving heart for all these if I had not had an unbeleeving heart I had not beene overtaken with any of all these sinnes nor dishonoured God by this sinne as I have done unbeleefe is the authour of all and therefore to be hated more than all I would faine have people looke inward thou hast stollen such a thing from such a man and thou art ashamed of it now infidelity can rob God of his honour and by this sinne thou hast refused the Lord Jesus Christ and thus dog thy owne heart ever and anon and when thou hast done so be earnest with the Lord to take these cursed corruptions from thee sigh especially under this sinne and labour above all to be freed from this sinne and then all the rest will dye and decay in thee I would have a poore unbeleever doe as the prisoners doe in New-gate what lamentable cries will they utter saying good your worship remember the miseries of poore prisoners good Gentleman spare a farthing to the wants of poore prisoners so thou art shut up in unbeleefe therefore looke out from the gates of hell and from under the barres of infidelity and crie that God would looke on thee in mercy and spare Lord a poore unbeleeving wretch lockt up under the barres of unbeleefe good Lord succour and deliver in thy good time and as the Prophet David saith Psal 79.11 Let the sighing of the prisoners come up before thee though that was meant of the bodily imprisonment yet the argument prevailes much more in regard of the spirituall thraldome good Lord let the sighing of the prisoners come before thee so goe thou thy way home and humble thy selfe in thy secret closet and cry out of the prison of unbeleefe and say Let the sighing of poore distrustfull soules come up before thy Majesty send helpe from heaven and deliver the soule of thy servant from these wretched distempers of heart deale in this case as men that are ingaged for prisoners so doe thou with the Lord Jesus Esa 49.8 9. it is the office of Christ and for this end hee came into the world and the Lord saith In an acceptable time I have heard thee and in the day of salvation have I helped thee that thou mayst say to the prisoners goe forth and to them that are in darknesse shew
there is none equall to his to bee compared with this worke of beleeving I say of faith as Iacob did of Reuben Gen. 49.3 Reuben thou art my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignities c. So I say of faith it is the first borne of all other graces it is the might of God and the beginning and the excellency of the might and power of God for as the first borne hath a double portion appointed by God so this is the first borne and hath a double portion of that Almighty Spirit of his So then if it be so that all the parts that ever a man had and all the highest privileges and meanes and duties cannot reach this worke and are not able to worke faith but are too feeble to worke faith and if it bee so that this worke is extraordinary great and so are the hindrances to be removed and none but Christ can doe it and if faith bee supernaturall the opposition against this worke of God bee so fierce let then every man that heares the word of God this day yeeld that it is unconceivable how it is done and therefore much more out of our power to worke it in our owne soules therefore you that have heard and understand the minde of God that out of ignorance have beene deceived to you I now speake you are to be intreated in the name of the Lord to goe home and say and take shame to your selves and confesse your owne folly thou that hast made it a easie worke to beleeve saying if people were but judicious to understand the Scriptures it were easie to beleeve now take shame to your selves and say thus Lord the truth is I condemned such and such a poore soule I heard such a man a mourning and saying hee could not beleeve in the meane time I thought it was easie or else they wanted wit but I thought that by my parts and abilities and because I was able to see the depth of Scriptures that therefore I could beleeve and that it was an easie matter to doe it but poore deluded creature that I was I see now that I am no more able to beleeve out of my owne power than to pull the sunne from the heavens consider it sadly and know that he that beleeves must beleeve through grace therefore parly with the promise and say Lord I must beleeve through grace it is not parts nor privileges meanes nor duties I must beleeve through grace if I could meditate till my eyes sunke into my head yet Lord it is through that grace that I must beleeve through that grace of thine inable thy servant and strengthen him in hearing prayer and all meanes that I may receive the good and benefit of faith to my comfort and brethren whensoever yee appeare before the Lord in the use of the meanes doe not sticke upon the meanes and say now I shall beleeve but looke to him that by all these can doe more than thou canst doe and say Good Lord thou hast appointed the ordinances to worke faith and the messengers have knockt at the doore of my heart and would faine have had me come home to the Lord Jesus but alas this heart would not yeeld I will not beleeve nor rest upon the promises nor goe to Jesus Christ nor denie all carnall confidence in parts and gifts and the like therefore good Lord thou that hast the keyes of hell and death doe not onely stand and knock but Lord shake off these iron gates of unbeleefe from the hinges it is thy owne worke doe it Lord for the good and comfort of thy servant this we must doe or else it will never be done it is the Lord that must doe it you know a little before my text the Scribes and Pharisees said How did he come downe from heaven Let no man saith Christ be offended with this for no man can come to mee except the Father draw him and in the 28 29. verses they said How shall we worke the worke of God This is the worke of God saith Christ that ye beleeve in the Sonne of God this is the Master peece and the first-borne of God and the exceeding greatnesse of his mightie power and in the text Hee that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to me and Christ saith I have called you out of world the Disciples were setled upon the world and Christ calls them now if all the Angels in heaven had called they would not have heard but Christ saith I have called you from the world and from that evill and sinne in which ye were c. when you heare of there workes treasure them up in your heart and plead thus with the Lord and say Lord thou hast bidden us come unto thee and it is our dutie but no man can come unto thee though he have never so many parts and gifts except thou draw him Lord draw this heart of mine to beleeving no man can know the way to thee except thou teach him Oh therefore teach thou this blinde minde of mine it is not our worke can make us beleeve it is not in our power to frame our hearts to this blessed worke Lord doe thou it and let that excessive greatnesse of thy mighty power be manifested in making mee beleeve and draw home this soule by the greatnesse of thy power Lord here are great hinderances and great sinnes and mightie great basenesse and loosnesse of heart Lord thou hast that exceeding great power to doe it Lord worke mightily upon my heart and over-power this greatnesse of sinne with the greatnesse of thy power and over-power this mightinesse of corruption by that mightinesse of thy power you must goe to God for this power or else it will never bee for though you had all the meanes and helpes that ever any had yet this carnall confidence will never out before the almighty power of God come downe from heaven seeke for that power and never be in quiet till you have it that you may have this worke of faith to your comcomforts for ever Vse 4 Hence in the next place wee collect the exceeding great benefit that will come by beleeving to the soule the difficultie in getting of it cannot be so great but the benefit of it when it is gotten will bee as great every way and that is thus faith makes the life of every man that hath it most easie and brings full content to the soule of him that hath it these are the two heads to which I will referre the benefit of faith First it makes the life of a Christian most easie Secondly it gives full content to the heart of a poore Christian these follow from the former truth in this manner if this be the nature of faith to cause the soule to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ and to furnish the soule with a supply of spirituall wants from hence then this must needs make the life
looke at Hâ—â—â—â— and Mordecai Haman had the Kings favour and all his desires granted him and the postes were dispatched and yet he was more troubled in plotâ—ing this evill against the Jewes than Mordecai was in bearing it because faith made the life of Mordecai easie and comfortable and therefore â—e saith Salvation will come I see not the way â—or I know not the meanes how it should be but â—alvation will come therefore David in the 119. â—salme 75. verse saith I know that all thy judgeâ—ents are just and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast â—fflicted mee hee drunke nothing but mercy in â—hat bitter cup which God had tempered for â—im when the patient takes bitter pills if they â—ee well sugered they goe downe the easier and â—he bitternesse never troubles him so it is with â—aith it takes away the harshnesse of all inconveâ—iences which are bitter pills in themselves but â—hey are sweetned and sugered over by the â—aithfulnesse of God for the good of the soule â—nd therefore it goes on cheerfully so the issue of the point is this if the burthen of the worke â—e laid upon another and if all cares be put over â—o another and if all the harshnesse of all troubles â—e taken away by faith then faith must needs make the life of a Christian easie and comforâ—able The second thing wherein the excellencie and â—enefit of faith appeares is this it fils the soule of a beleever with full contentment and in truth â—ontentment commeth through beleeving for â—ee that doth partake of the mercie of God in Christ he cannot but partake of all the good that 〈◊〉 therein and so hee cannot but bee contented therewith Oh saith one I would faine have contentment in the world then the life of faith brings full content to the heart of a believer so that he shall say I can desire no more 1 Corin. 3.22 23. when the Apostle would still the divisions that were risen amongst the Corinths for every man was not content with what he had but would have even what hee list hee saith All is yours whether Paul or Apollos or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all is yours and will not all content you would you have the world it is yours would you have things present take them would you have things to come expect them they are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Christ hath what God hath and the beleever hath what Christ hath nay sinne and hell and death they are but your servants and hee that hath Christ and all good in a Christ hee hath all working for his good therefore hee that hath a Saviour and all good in him he cannot be discontented Now faith workes a mans full content three wayes First faith supplies all wants Secondly it cures all feares Thirdly it inables a man to all duties and more than these cannot be added nor desired For the first faith supplies all wants faith plucks the soule and hales the heart of a poore Christian away from all those secret bosome distempers as pride and such like which breed any discontentment within a man as all curiositie and all pride and unquietnesse for these rack the soule with a restlesse discontent all the inordinate desires and the like these lusts and corruptions ought not to bee quieted nay it cannot bee for spirituall things will not satisfie a corrupt heart and worldly things cannot quiet it Now faith divorceth the soule and withdrawes the heart from under the power of those boysterous distempers and makes the soule resigne up it selfe to the good will of God and when faith hath done these then in the second place faith makes the soule say the good will of the Lord is better than any thing that hee shall deny or than all the good things that an inordinate sinfull heart can crave faith makes the soule apprehend that whatsoever God doth and whatsoever Gods pleasure is is better to him than whatsoever hee can desire though God deny what he desires if God will have a man poore faith sayes it is better than if he had given him riches and if it bee the will of God to lay shame and disgrace upon a man faith sayes it is better that God lay shame upon me than honours because it is his good will and pleasure so to have it and so the heart is quieted and fully contented and the want is supplied because the will of God is better than to have what wee desire The Patient that trusts to the skill and faithfulnesse of the Physitian is better content to take pills from him than all the best Cordials that can be desired Thirdly faith either obtaines what wee need and desire or else procures a farre better thing than what we desire art thou in trouble and misery faith will either fetch from God what thou needest or else bring that which is better from the hands of God by this means the Lord Christ cures all the discontentment that might creep in upon the hearts of his Disciples Matth. 19.29 There is no man which shall lose father or mother or wife or children or friends for my Names sake but he shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternall life whatsoever wee lose for a Christ we shall have a hundred fold recompence for it as if a man for the cause of Christ suffer persecution or imprisonment and loseth peace here thou thou shalt have peace with God and thy soule shall prosper in grace and if friends haply forsake thee and the father is against the sonne and the husband is set against the wife thou shalt have the favour of the Lord God of heaven which is better than the love of all earthly husbands or friends for all these things here below are but as it were the shell but this is the pith and kernell the love of God in Christ and if a man lose liberty for Christ he shall have a thousand times more libertie in the peace of a good conscience and a free heart to serve God and in the 63. Psalme in the beginning of the Psalme David was in the wildernesse of Iudah when Saul had banished him from his house and deprived him of friends and meanes and all yet see how David supplies all in the 3. verse because thy loving kindnesse is better than life my lips shall praise thee and in the 5. verse he saith My soule shall bee filled as with â—â—â—row and fatnesse now marrow and fatnesse is the chiefe of all you know as if he had said Saul hath taken away my meanes but thy loving kindnesse is better than all the world it is that which fully satisfieth me Saul hath taken away my liberty but thy loving kindnesse is better than life it selfe and therefore my soule shall bee fully quieted therein Thus faith brings a supply of all good to the soule In the 73. Psalme 25. and the last verse compare them both together and see
man well but hath he not given thee a heart to beleeve and to rest upon the riches of Gods free grace in Christ then goe thy way for ever cheared and know that thou hast a marvellous great childs part therefore be thankfull unto him and droope no more nor bee dismaid no more thou saist thou hast not riches nor honours nor parts and thou hast not what others have nor thou canst not doe what others can doe but hast thou a heart to beleeve be cheared then and snarle no more murmure no more thou hast a good part and wilt doe pretty well every day thou risest and every nighâ— thou goest to bed blesse God and downe upon thy knees and prayse him for ever that hath given thee a graine of this precious faith bee for ever thankfull and rejoyce as David saith Psalme 92.1 It becomes upright men to be thankfull Let the wicked those that have no share in these gâ—â—ces let them be discouraged but the Saints of God cannot go away dismaid it becomes the righteous to be thankfull If the soule be inwardly setled and established by faith in the promise there cannot but come some savour of comfort to it 1 Pet. 1.9 In whom though yee see him not yet have ye beleeved and rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious therefore observe it beleeving rejoyceth and saith Good Lord is Christ mine that have abased him and is Heaven and the Spirit mine that have so abused it and the heart leaps at the remembrance of it and wonders at it and can scarcely beleeve it to bee true but yet hee is wonderfully thankfull It is a duty to rejoyce for mercy and grace received as well as to be humbled for sinne committed all those phrases of Scripture run thus and those joyes that may make us rejoyce they all belong to that man that is brought home to beleeve Men rejoyce as those that divide the spoyle you know this gives much joy to the souldiers that overcome so when the rich merchant gets a prize what rejoycing is there So there was never any poore soule that beleeves in Christ and comes home to Christ by the promise but he is a great conquerour and hath gotten a rich spoyle one promise is better than all the Rubies and Diamonds of the Indies When the Prodigall had beene pinched with famine and poverty when he was returned from his misery to his father marke what a deale of mirth there was the friends were feasted and the father rejoyced but if they were so comforted what was the Prodigall then surely his joy was incomprehensible and unconceivable if they which were onely the beholders of the Prodigals good did so rejoyce then what was hee that was the gainer of all that good to come from such a deale of misery to such a father nay to come from such a base course not onely to be entertained to the family but to the affections of the father hee must needs bee full of joy for the same Oh then how great is that joy and that consolation which is spirituall and which every faithfull soule which hath beene a Prodigall now receives when hee is come home to God and is come home to him whoÌ„ he hath formerly dishonoured This Prodigall is nothing else but the picture of a poore sinner that runs riot from God and from his truth as 1 Pet. 2.25 We were as sheepe going astray we are the Prodigals naturally and wee follow our owne wayes and the corruption of our owne hearts and we have spent all our patrimony and are gone away from God and grace and life and all but the broken hearted sinner now comes home to God the Father by faith Now if the Prodigall when he found his home was so cheared and if his father rejoyced and the friends feasted much more then when a poore sinner comes home to God the Father there is joy in Heaven for one sinner that repenteth therefore thou maist justly rejoyce in earth God the Father rejoyceth to see thee comming home and God the Son rejoyceth to receive thee poore and meeke and the Spirit of God rejoyceth to welcome a poore sinner that art brought home by true repentance and faith to the Lord The Saints of God rejoyce to see thee and the Angels of Heaven glory in it and it is the greatest comfort that they have the Angels fing Hallelujahâ— when any poore Saint is humbled and brought home to the Lord and they make it holyday in Heaven It is a good day to those glorious Spirits nay all those that were friends and favourers of thy poore soule they all rejoyce wert thou a wife or a childe that went away from God and art thou now brought home to rest upon the Lords free grace in Christ thy tender hearted Father that hath often prayed for thee with many teares hee rejoyceth and thy mother that hath sighed many a groane for thee nay all the people of God with one joynt consent many of whose hearts thou hast sadded by thy ungodly practices they have sought for thee and said Lord breake the heart of that poore creature Lord humble that wife or that childe when they heare that God hath answered their prayers and humbled thy heart their soules leape within them to heare this and they say there was such a Prodigall such a wife such a childe such a vilde wretch but now he hath forsaken his vilde wicked courses and he is now come home to the Father and they all rejoyce at it Now doe all the Saints and all the Angels in Heaven rejoyce and all thy Friends thinke it a happy day tâ—at they live to see this day that thou art humbled and broken and brought home to the Lord Jesus Christ then goe thy wayes for shame and blesse God that ever thou hast lived to bee possest of all this goodnesse and mercy from God If the standers by doe so rejoyce how ought thy heart to be inlarged in thankfulnesse to that good God who hath beene so gracious to thee Let me perswade every faithfull soule who hath found this to humble himselfe before the Lord and to tell the Lord in this manner saying Lord I was vilde and ignorant and rebellious and went away from thee but now I am come from the world and from my lusts and all to a Saviour to a Father to a Spirit of comfort and blessed be this day that ever I came home to thee that I may receive this mercy at thy hands You know in Exodus 15.1 when as Pharaoh had pursued the children of Israel to the red sea and they drowned themselves in the red sea and that the Israelites were come safely upon the shore then the text saith they beleeved the Lord and feared him and hiâ— servant Moyses then Moyses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord and said I will sing unto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously so Revel 15.3 there the same song is recorded againe saying
house to that house to pray and yet never pray in their owne families nor never humble themselves before God as if the performance of a service publikely could abate all the rest in secret It was not for his state to pray privately in his closet but onely amongst others some of these we have heard of and we make no question but there are more of this feather if you know any such either make them revoke these things or else casheere them the servant haply is religious and therefore he is resolved he will not dwell but where he may have liberty to heare and he will indent with his master and mistres that he will have the fellowship and communion of such and such this is all very good and I love such a heart but marke now when they returne home they are idle and unfaithfull and sturdy and they are masters and mistresses and will not bee governed and their plea is this My master is a carnall man my mistres is a carnall woman but if they are carnall the Commandement is spirituall and the duties injoyned are holy and therefore those prayers of thine which maintaine thy sinne will one day be an accusation against thee but will never comfort thy conscience this is not true religion all your setting your selves to sale and all your outside shewes and reformations it is not all worth a rush unlesse there bee the discharge of all those duties that God requires If there were saving faith and if ever thy soule rested upon Jesus Christ hee would inable thee to all duties as well as one and cause thee to make conscience in all as well as in one faith would make thee shew forth the power of godlinesse guiding thee faith would make thee pray in private as well as in publike For as faith doth crucifie the flesh Gal. 5.24 so also it makes a man a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 It makes a new husband a new wife as well as a new Christian therefore let them professe what they will follow them home to their houses and closets and you shall finde them to bee errand theeves and robbers and rob God of his glory the Lord of Heaven will finde out such and condemne them continuing so Thirdly this is that which cuts the finewes and sinkes the heart of this hypocrite this will put him to the triall more than ever any thing did this is that which will goe to the quicke and make him appeare what hee is and either finde him sound or else flie off altogether If there come another Christian of the same ranke and place that exceeds him in parts and abilities so that this man is not esteemed and his commodity is not regarded this touches his freehold if it were in the matter of honours or riches he would not care but now when he sees his light to grow dimme and darke and no man hath an eye to him and his commodity growes naught then this mans heart is quashed hee is weary of the name and presence of that man and loth to bee in his company and loth to doe any thing while hee is there and hee wisheth secretly that such a man had never come to the towne what 's the reason of it because before this man came his commodity went off easily and hee was respected for his parts and gifts And marke what followes either God will humble him and bring him upon his knees or else he will fall off from his profession and all and will rather be content to be a base varlet than to have no credit If the Lord breake his heart and humble him blessed bee his Name for it but if God doe not humble him but that he falls off then he commonly proves an enemy to Religion and God and Gospell and all goodnesse Lastly this hypocrite fals short of saving faith as in all the former things before mentioned of the sturdy hypocrite as namely that he was never truly humbled hee was never effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon his free grace in Christ and hee did not make a right choyce of Christ for if hee had seene an absolute need of Christ then hee would have prized Christ more than all parts and gifts because hee had gotten Christ which was better than all his abilities but he hath made a match with his services and abilities and hath only traded with Christ he faild in all these but the maine wound of this hypocrite lies here hee rests not upon the Lord Jesus Christ but upon his owne bottomes and his owne abilities and performances which God inables him to discharge and so he fals short of a Saviour All this will not doe the deed brethren it is not rowing but landing which will doe the deed it was the guise of those wretched Hypocrites in Esay 56.3 they plead with God and begin to wrangle because he heard them not and said Why have we fasted and thou regardest it not as if they had said Thou must needs doe it what shall I weep so much and knocke my brest so hard and crie out and turne to the Lord and will not all this doe the deed no for if thou couldst howle till thy mouth failed and goe mourning all thy dayes and goe howling downe to the grave if thou hast not Christ in all these it will never doe thee any good what availes it a man to saile up and downe in the ship and can never get to land he must certainly perish if he have no comfort so doe not delude your owne hearts you may row up and downe in holy duties and goe from sinne to dutie and from duty to sinne and never come to Christ faith rests upon Christ and not upon duties we must not neglect duties but we must not rest in them Thus you see where this man fals short of saving faith now to set it home a little you see there are but few that have saving faith if the ignorant man went out at one doore and the carnall Gospeller at the other and the meere civill man at the other and all the hypocrites were put into a corner where would there be any faith found upon the face of the earth how few have faith and how difficult is it to get faith the Lord convince your judgements of it you see how farre men goe and yet never have one graine of saving faith what remaines then there are two things evident from hence First you that are gracious and are the Saints of God and see the basenesse of the hearts of wicked men goe your wayes home and fall to praying Oh that wee could leave preaching and hearing a little and all of us fall to praying and to examination brethren let us leave preaching and hearing and all of us fall to mourning that there are so few beleevers you masters goe your wayes home and mourne that so many live in your families and yet so few have gotten good by the ordinances
the cure remember two passages First be fearfull and jealous of thy selfe when through Gods assistance and helpe thou art able to get some power in the performance of service to get some measure of sufficiencie when thou hast abilities about thee bee most fearfull and jealous because then thy estate lieth in most hazard doe in this case as sea-faring men doe they hoise up saile and goe amaine where there is no hazard and where there is sea roome enough but if they goe in a straight or in a sand where many have suffered ship-wrack and there is a remembrance of it such a man perished here and such a man suffered shipwrack here how carefull are they then to sterne aright and observe all curiously and exactly lest they fall where others fell before them and suffer shipwrack where others were overthrowne or looke as it is with men that travell if they come to some suspicious or theevish places though they were carelesse before yet when they come there lest they be surprised on the sudden and to fortifie themselves one rides with his sword drawne and another with his hand upon his sword and they make what speed they can because they suspect an assault so it is here Saul hath slaine his thousands and David his ten thousands I tell you carnall securitie hath kild many but carnall confidence hath sunke downe ten hundred thousands into hell when you come then to this stand when God hath enlightned your mindes and given you some parts and bestowed some abilities upon you and now you clap and applaud your selves and say this is somewhat this it is to be a Christian poore novices must come and live upon my crums and desire my information the Lord hath enlightned my eyes and wrought upon my heart thou art now upon a sand for the Lord Jesus sake take heed to thy selfe here Saint Paul had like to have suffered shipwracke and here those hypocrites in Isay 28. suffered shipwracke here is the skull of one man and the hand of another man and the soule of another man I meane thousands have suffered shipwrack here now looke to heaven and suspect thine owne soule and thinke if the Lord keepe mee now I shall escape the worst but here is the most hazard therefore I must be most carefull hereof it is pretty to observe in experience poore Christians that are lowly and humble how tenderly doe they walke how fearfull are they of their hearts of their pride and peevishnesse and idlenesse and carelesnesse when you shall see a bold brazen fac'd presumptuous carnall wretch because hee can pray and read and heare he will follow riotous fashions and continue in base courses and carrie all away with his abilities The second thing I would have you consider is this grow every day up in the observance of thine owne basenesse and in the acquaintance of thine owne weaknesse in the best of thy duties this is a sweet pitch of a Christian the more God bestowes and the more grace God vouchsafes he goeth away and hangs downe his head and wonders at Gods goodnesse that ever the Lord should help a poore creature so to call upon his Name and sayes Lord it is thy grace it came from the assistance of thy Spirit but that ever a wretch should say to his services and duties yee are my gods abhorre this in thy soule and keep a marvellous dislike of thy selfe and a low esteem of thy duties and bee wondering at Gods grace and admiring at Gods mercy and returne to God that hee hath given thee power to performe any service and lie thou in the dust and trample upon thine owne performances doe therefore as Paul did Phil. 3.7 he saith Now these things I counted gaine I count losse for Christ Oh my zeale for the Law and the exact strictnesse of the Pharisees I thought that would have carried mee to Heaven but they are dung I will tread them underfeet nay doubtlesse I count all things not only the services I did before and the prayers before God called me but even since the best prayers and performances I ever did dung in the comparison of Christ What availes it for a man to faile faiâ—e on the Sea and suffer shipwracke in the haven he had been as good have perished at Sea thou sailest faire in the world in thy duties and thou sufferest shipwrack in the haven and restest in thy duties and goest downe to hell thou and thy duties and all therefore labour to see a need of a Christ even to heale and to pardon thy best performances that ever thou madest and never leave thy soule and thy service till thou grow to 〈◊〉 apprehension of the basenesse therein and so 〈◊〉 to Christ The third hindrance is this the sinner by this time is driven from these two holds and driven two staires higher to Christ the sinner seeth he must change and that he cannot helpe himselfe his prayers and performances are good things good meanes but the Physitian is in another place a mans legs may carry him to the Physitian but they cannot cure him so a mans services are good things but he cannot helpe himselfe he must goe to another for helpe Another hindrance is this when the sinner sees hee cannot helpe himselfe yet he thinkes he is able to goe to another for helpe it is a thing incident to our nature and it is usuall that we thinke that it is in our power to beleeve and that the matter of resting upon Christ is not a matter of that difficultie and that hardnesse as some Ministers pretend and the Word seemes to expresse unto us and this is that keepes a man utterly from going out I beseech you observe it though a man cannot helpe himselfe in nature yet a man will say hee can call to another for helpe though a man cannot succour himselfe in his want and necessitie yet to take supply from another that is an easie matter so when we cannot doe what duties we should when wee cannot satisfie Gods justice as he requires and answer the law we thinke though we our selves cannot helpe our selves yet wee can goe to Christ and intreat him and beseech him to help us and wee can receive succour and help from him this is not so hard a matter this is our nature take notice of it in experience looke into the course of mens carriages and lives wee shall observe that every man will acknowledge his infirmities in other things but now his inabilities in this there is not one man confesseth one complaines his abilities are poore hee cannot pray as he should another his parts are meane he cannot conferre as he ought another his passions are unruly and heady and he cannot master them as God requires and commands thus every one will confesse his infirmities in other things but goe to every mans doore and aske doe you not beleeve why all the swearers and drunkards and sots in the towne they can beleeve they can