without wavering I say howsoever a man may practise and promise and doe much for Christ yet except hee bee humbled hee will not hold out and therefore we see in many that there are bubbles of grace as if they would retaine Christ and continue with him they doe something but they doe not persevere to the end like those in Hebr. 6. 5. that have tasted that is professed but fall away and this was the fault of the three grounds they received the Gospell but they continued not Christ entred not into them deepe enough Now the difference of the foure grounds was humiliation every ground was plowed but none plowed to purpose but the fourth ground when there is but an outward show of holinesse in a man it will not keepe his colour alwayes it may glister and carry a shew of the right stampe but when it comes to tryall it is but counterfeit but when the sanctifying Spirit comes and toucheth the heart of a Christian and hee is thorowly humbled hee will never loose his beauty hee is Gold try him how you will Thirdly to receive the Gospell is to take Christ and to part with all things for Christ making him his chiefest joy prizing him so that hee will loose any thing for him like that wise Marchant in the Gospell which when he had found the Iewell went and sold all that hee had and bought it there must be a prizing of Christ above a mans selfe hee must part with all things in the world with husband and wife with father and mother with brother and sister with friends with honour and riches pleasure and all things else and account Christ more then all things now this a man will not doe till he be humbled But you will say What must I forsake father and mother and wife for Christ or else I cannot have him this is a hard thing the worke is too great there is not sure such need of Christ or grace or at the least Christ will not impose such a burthen upon mee I answer yea you must forsake all these things if you will not you shall never have him this was the fault of the second ground there was both a receiving and a rejoycing in Christ and this was a good propertie but yet there was not joy enough because there was not humiliation enough the plow had not gone deepe enough and therefore it was that they continued not some things he would doe but not all things for Christ but when the heart is humbled that is when the plow hath gone deepe enough in humbling a man then hee will and not till then make Christ his chiefest joy Fourthly to receive the Gospell is to trust in Christ wholly to depend upon him both for grace and salvation and every thing else that is good he will labour to know the length and the height the depth and the breadth of the riches of Christ he will looke still unto the preciousnesse of Christ because he will not have his minde exercised about vaine and foolish things and this no man will doe till he be humbled no man will see his need till he be humbled hee feares nothing he thinks he stands in need of nothing but when a man is brought to see hell hee will cry for Christ and grace then hee will prize things according to their worth then he will see such excellencies in Christ that he never saw in any thing else such an infinitenesse of puritie and holinesse such aboundance of sanctification and redemption such joy such glory and such pleasure such love such content as is not in any thing else now he will deny the world profit or pleasure or any thing else and seeke depend and trust wholly in Christ. Fifthly to receive the Gospell is to doe and suffer what is commanded him as Paul in this place Lord what wilt thou have mee to doe as if he should say I am ready both to doe and suffer whatsoever thou wilt have mee and Paul was as good as his word as appeared by those reproches and sufferings that hee bare for Christ alwayes making ready to lay downe his life for Christ now such a disposition no man will have such a thing no man will doe till he be first humbled Yet as I said a man may doe some things as the dead hand of the Dyall it may perhaps point right at one stroke without the help of the master-wheeles but to goe round and misse none it cannot so a carnall man may hit upon some good dutie that God commands and refraine some sinne that God forbids but to goe thorow he cannot to take up reproach and disgrace to lose his credit to forsake his friends to lose honour and riches and pleasure this he will not doe till he be humbled therefore labour to see the necessitie of this dutie of humiliation or else you will not doe all things for Christ and labour to get the degrees of it and withall get the degrees of grace and that will increase spirituall sorrow and degrees of sorrow makes degrees of joy a man or woman that never sorrowes or never had the degrees of sorrow never truly rejoyced in Christ for as the spirit workes grace and grace workes true humiliation so true humiliation works joy therefore you see it is necessary againe there will be no suffering for Christ till there bee rejoycing in Christ a man will not either doe any thing or suffer any thing for that thing that he cannot delight in therefore labour to be humbled Now to helpe you in this worke I will lay downe some meanes by which you may come unto this humiliation of spirit The first meanes to get this humiliation is to get the Iudgement rectified because men cannot see sinne nor know it till then and men will not be humble so long as they remaine ignorant but when the judgement is rectified then hee knowes sinne to be the greatest evill Againe a man will not sorrow till he have a fit object for sorrow as a blind man cannot see any object so a naturall man is a blind man and hee must have new eye sight before hee can see sinne to sorrow for it as sinne and this is the rectifying of the judgement but when the judgement is rectified then it will sorrow for sinne and that in these respects First because sinne is of its owne nature evill because it is contrary unto the nature of good and of its owne nature is an enemy unto God The Philosopher saith if God bee the chiefest good then sinne is the chiefest evill from whence wee may thus argue that which is most contrary to God is the greatest evill but sinne is most contrary unto God therefore it is the greatest evill and the reason is because sinne is that which makes the creature most odious unto God No creature or thing so contrary unto the nature of men as sinne is unto God nothing makes God to
REMAINES OF THAT REVEREND AND LEARNED DIVINE JOHN PRESTON D. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majesty Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne â—â—ntaining three excellent Treatises Namely IVDAS'S Repentance The Saints Spirituall Strength PAVLS Conversion HEBR. 11. Being dead hee yet speaketh LONDON Printed for Andrew Crooke 1634. IVDAS HIS Repentance OR THE LAMENTABLE EFFECTS OF A STARTLED CONSCIENCE Delivered in eight severall Doctrines raised from the third fourth and fifth Verses of the 27. Chapter of the Gospell by St. MATTHEVV All the usefull and profitable Observations of that late Reverend Divine IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Printed at London for Andrew Crooke 1634. The Contents of JVDAS Repentance DOCTRINE I. SVch as a Mans life is such is his Name after death page 3 REASON I. God blessethor curseth man according to his workes p. 4 1 In regard of his Truth ibid. 2 In regard of his Glory ibid. REAS. II. Manappeareth like himselfe p. 4 REAS. III. Other men in the end speake truth without enuie or feare p. 5 USE I. Not to be secretly wicked for God is a publike rewarder of all ibid. USE II. To cleansethe heart from sinne by daily repentance left sin should rot the name p. 6 USE III. To encourage good men their ill reports shall soone vanish p. 7 To discourage wicked men their good reports shall not long last p. 7 DOCT. II. Sinne seemes small before it be committed after most vile and hainous p. 8 REAS. I. Lust blindes the eyes of our understanding p. 9 REAS. II. The Divell lessens the sinne before committed aggravates it afterward ibid. REAS. III. God leaves a man to himselfe ibid. Good men for sinne sometimes of God left to themselvs 1 For increase of Gods glory p. 10 2 For awakening their consciences ibid. The reason of insensiblenesse in grose sinnes p. 11 USE To beware of the Divels subtile temptations ibid. Satans deceits to draw man into sinne are 1 Promise of pleasure profit c. p. 13 2 Hope of escape and going to heaven p. 14 3 Hope of leaving it when we will p. 15 4 Neerenesse to vertue p. 16 5 Pronenesse of Nature ibid. 6 Turning away the thoughts to something else p. 17 7 Beginning by degrees ibid. DOCT. III. Tishard to discerne false Repentance Confession and Restitution from true False Repentance goes very farre both in respect of the Reasons drawne from the Grounds and Concomitants p. 19 I. The Grounds of false Repentance 1. Selfe-love p. 20 2 Common gifts of the holy Ghost to disapprove the foulenesse of Sinne. p. 21  Hate the uglinesse  3 Aiarnall apprehension of beautie sweetnesse and excellencie in Gods wayes ibid. 4 Good Education ibid. II. False Grounds of Confession 1 Passion p. 22 2 Evident discovery of sinne  3 Torture of conscience  III. False ground of Restitution is the burthensomenesse of sinne ibid. USE I. To shew the vanitie of Popish Doctrine ibid. USE II. To exhort men to try whether their owne Repentance be true or false p. 23 Two things hinder this judging of a mans selfe I. Vnwillingnesse to search the causes whereof are 1 Along perswasion of ones good estate 2. A desire to taine some delightfull sinne II. Inability to judge Helpes to judge whether ones Repentance be true or false are by I. Inward Differences five 1 An inward inclination to holy Duties p. 24 2 An abilitie to performe good purposes p. 25 3 A particular apprebation of holmesse p. 26 4 A detestation of all sinne ibid. 5 A love to God in his Attributes ibid. II. Outward Effects 1 Constancie p. 27 2 An uniformitie in life p. 28 3 Generalitie of obedience ibid. The godly man differs from the wicked in his Relapse 1 In using all meanes against his sinne and shunning all occasions p. 29 2 In not allowing himselfe in it ibid. 3 In labouring to overcome it ibid. 4 In increasing more and more in grace ibid. Differences betweene true and false confession are 1 Confession of the least and secretest sinnes p. 30 2 Constancie ibid. 3 A good ground namely Humiliation ibid. Differences betweene true and false Restitution is a cheerefull not unwilling restoring the things we love and delight in ibid. VSE III. To teach men what to judge of others Repentance p. 31 USE IV. To shew the wofull case of such as have not gone so farre in Repentance as Iudas did ibid. DOCT. IV. Good things are approved in wicked mens consciences whether they will or no. p. 31 REAS. I. Because it is not in mans owne power to iudge as he list but from the light of conscience p. 32 REAS. II. Because Godwill have glory from all his creatures p. 33 USE I. To teach us to thinke well of the waies of God ibid. USE II. Not to be discouraged with any opposition ibid. DOCT. V. Mans nature apt to excuse sinne after t is committed p. 34 REAS. I. Actuall sinneleaves darknesse in the minde ibid. REAS. II. It begets passion that corrupts the judgement p. 35 REAS. III. It weakens the faculties of the soule ibid. REAS. IV. It drives away Gods Spirit from us ibid. USE To flye sinne that blindes our eyes and binders our receverie ibid. USE II. Being falne to remember how apt we are to excuse sinne p. 36 DOCTR VI. Companions in evill least comfortable in times of extremitie p. 36 REAS. I. Gods justice who sets them one against another that joyne against him p. 37 REAS. II. Mans nature apt to love treason hate the traytor ibid. REAS. III. Their owne love being gaine or somebase end ibid. VSE I. To make us beware how we joyne with wicked men ibid. DOCTR VII The greatest comfort in sinne proves commonly the avost discomfortable p. 38 REAS. I. The Curse of God ibid. REAS. II. Sinne makes the soule sicke ibid. VSE I. To make men take beed how they turne from God to sinne p. 39 DOCT. VIII Gods wrath and sinne charged on the conscience are exceeding terrible and insupportable p. 39 What horror of conscience is shewed in six Questions QVEST. I. How horror of conscience wrought 1 By Gods Spirit p. 40 2 By the Divell ibid. Notes to discerne by which of these t is wrought are 1 By the falsehood mingled with the trouble of conscience 2 By the Affection it striketh in us 3 By the extremitie of anguish it causeth 4 By the manner of doing it p. 41 QVEST. II. What a condition such are in ibid. QVEST. III. Whether God sends it for a punishment or preparation of Grace ibid. QVEST. IV. What is to be thought of those that are in such trouble of Conscience p. 42 QVEST. V. How to be discerned from melancholly ibid. QVEST. VI. Whether it may befall the childe of God in the estate of Grace p. 43 As in joy A good thing  The conjunction of that to
worke and change in the soule and therefore the holy Ghost saith they suffered with patience the spoiling of their goods that is they let them willingly goe life and liberty and all shall goe ere Christ shall goe A noble Roman may doe something for his countrey and for himselfe but there is a by-end in it he doth it not in a right manner unto a right end but the spirituall strong man doth all things in a spirituall manner unto a saving end the one doth it for vain glory but the other in uprightnesse of heart for there is a double worke of faith First it empties a man as a man that hath his handfull cannot take another thing till hee let his handfull fall so when faith enters into the heart of a man it empties the heart of selfe love of selfe will it purgeth out the old rubbish that is naturally in every mans heart and lets all goe to get hold on Christ all shall goe then life and honour and profit and pleasure and hee is the truly spirituall man that can thus loose the world to cleave to Christ and miserable are they that cannot Secondly as it empties the heart of that which may keepe Christ out of the soule so in the second place he seekes all things in God and from God that is he first seekes Gods love and Gods blessing upon what he doth injoy and then he goes unto secondary meanes and uses them as helpes but a man that wanteth faith he will not let all goe for Christ hee will not seeke first unto God in any thing but unto secondary meanes and then if hee faile that is want power to supply then it may be he will seeke unto God and hence it is that he will not loose his life or liberty or honour for Christ because he sees more power and good in the creature then in God Againe this makes the difference betweene Christian and Christian namely faith and hence it is that some are weake and others are strong hence it is that some are more able then others for the greatest duties of Reiigion as for example Caleb and Ioshua can doe more then the rest of the people and what is the reason but because they were stronger in the faith then others and so Paul said of himselfe that he could doe more then they all because Paul had a stronger faith For the truth of a mans strength is knowne by his strength of faith that he hath whether he be naturally strong or spiritually strong for this is the first worke of the Spirit after the humiliation of him in the conversion of a sinner namely to worke faith in him and no sooner faith but as soone by degrees strength and then the promise followes faith He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned Marke 16. 16. and this is the course that wee take in preaching first wee Preach the Law unto you and we doe it to this end to humble you and to breake the hard disposition of your hearts that so they may be fit to receive Christ and when we have throughly humbled you then wee preach unto you the Gospell beseeching and perswading you to beleeve in Christ for the pardon of sinnes past present and to come and to lay downe the armes of rebellion which you have taken up against Christ and you shall be saved but yet notwithstanding you are neither humbled by the one nor perswaded and provoked by the other but are as the Prophet saith You have eyes and see not you have eares but you heare not seeing you doe not see and hearing you doe not heare as for example when a man is showed a thing but yet hee minds it not when the eye of the minde is upon another object that man may be said to see and not to see because he doth not regard it or a man that hath a matter come before him he hears it but his minde being otherwayes employed he regards it not in which regard hee may be said to heare and not to heare because he minds it not And what is the reason that though wee preach the Law and the Iudgements of God so much unto you beseech and perswade you so often to come in and receive Christ and you shall be saved time after time day after day yet we see no reformation at all what is the reason that the word wants this effect in you as to humble you and that you are no more affrighted with the Iudgements of God then you are and that you remaine as ignorant and carelesse as ever you were the reason is because you doe not beleeve you want a true saving applying faith for if you had that the word would worke other effects in you then it doth If one should tell a man that such or such a benefit or legacie is befalne him that would raise him unto great honour though before hee lived but in a meane condition now if this man did but beleeve it then surely he would rejoyce Truly so if you did but beleeve that Christ and grace and salvation were so excellent and that holinesse and the strengthning of the inward man would bring you unto so happy a condition and estate as to be the heires of heaven you would rejoyce in Christ and grace only Againe if you did beleeve that the Word of God is true and that God is a just God if the drunkard did but beleeve that drunkards shall be damned or if the Adulterer did but beleeve that no adulterer should inherit the Kingdome of God Christ or if the prophane person and the gamester did but beleeve that they must give account for all their mis-spent time and idle words and vaine communication they would not sport themselves in their sinnes as they doe Againe if men did but beleeve that God calles whom and when he lists and that many are called but few are chosen that is here is a Church full but it may be but a few of you shall be saved I say if men did but beleeve this they would not surely deferre their repentance they would not put off the motions of the Spirit but they would strik whilest the iron is hot and grinde whilest the wind blowes but men will not beleeve and therefore it is that they goe on in sinne as they doe It is not so for earthly things men are easily brought to beleeve any promise of them as for example if one should come and tell a man of a commoditie which if he would but buy and lay by him it would in a short time yeeld a hundred for one oh how ready will men be to buy such a commoditie with the wise Merchant Mat. 8. 44. They wold sell al that ever they had to buy this oh that men would be but thus wise for their soules beloved I tell you this day of a commoditie the best the richest the profitablest commoditie that
comming unto him or him from receiving of him he might doe both but he will doe neither and you know the promise the Disciples they must goe unto Ierusalem and he will after a certaine time send the spirit but they must waite for him and this they did by constant prayer and they had the promise made good unto them for the holy Ghost came upon every one of them in Acts 2. 4. so if you be constant in prayer what though for the present you get him not yet at last you shall have him thus much for this meanes if you would have the Spirit you must pray and desire him earnestly The fourth meanes to get the Spirit is to obey him and this you doe when you make him good entertainment when you feed him with heavenly thoughts and doe what he would have you to doe but if you slight him set light by him and will not obey and be ruled by him you will never get him and this you doe when you resist greive and quench the spirit you resist the spirit when you resist that light which the spirit hath wrought in you when you fight against it against its reason and arguments this is a great sinne you grieve the spirit when you mingle two contraries PAVLS CONVERSION OR THE RIGHT VVAY TO BE SAVED As it is excellently well set out in divers Doctrines raised from ACTS 9. 6. And he trembling and astonished c. By the late faithful and worthy Minister of Iesus Christ IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emanuell Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne Printed at London for Andrew Crooke 1634. The Contents of PAVLS Conversion NOthing can deject a sinner so much as the fearefull power of God pag. 108 Three things cause an astonishment Suddennesse of evil p. 181 Greatnesse  Inevitablenesse  DOCTRINE I. He that will receive Christ or the Gospell must first bee humbled p. 182 Humiliation how t is call'd in Scripture 1. Pricking of the heart ibid. 2. Poverty in Spirit p. 183 3. A melting heart ibid. 4. A trembling at the Word p. 184 Humiliation of necessity to salvation because without it men keepe backe from Christ. Two hinderances that keepemen from Christ. 1. Vnbeleefe p. 187 2. Neglect of Christ which is twofold 1. Totall refusing all offers of grace p. 188 2. Partiall having a mixture of the love of the world and Christ. p. 189 Men compared to the three grounds in the Gospel p. 190 Whether Humiliation bee absolutely necessary or no p. 191 A two fold sorrow Preparative p. 193  Godly p. 194 Godly and worldly sorrow differ in the Objects p. 195 Causes ibid. Effects p. 196 They are distinguished by the Ingredients p. 197  Continuance p. 198  Event ibid. The degrees of godly sorrow p. 199 The least measure of Humiliation is that which makes a man beleeve in Christ. p. 200 USE I. To examine our selves whether wee have received Christ or no for it must be by a deepe Humiliation p. 201 Without Humiliation no receiuing the Gospell shew'd in five particulars 1. A man will not find any need of Christ. p. 202 2. He will not hold out to entertaine Christ. p. 203 3. He will not for sake all things for Christ. p. 204 4. He will not wholly depend on him p. 205 5. He will not undergo any thing for Christs sake 206 Meanes to attaine humiliation of Spirit are I. A rectifi'd Iudgement p. 207 From a rectifi'd Iudgement proceeds sorrow for sinne in respest 1. Sinne is evill of its owne Nature p. 208 2. It is the greatest evill because it deprives us 1. Of the best outward good which is God ibid. 2. Of the chiefest good within us For 1. It deformes the beauty and strength of the inward man 2. It weakens grace within us p. 209 3. It produces evill effects ibid. 4. It needs the greatest medicine to beale it even Christ himselfe ibid. II. Humility of heart p. 210 The way to get our hearts humbled is 1. To labour for some sense of holinesse p. 211 2. To consider the punishment of sinne ibid. III. Application p. 213 IV. Bringing things to a propinquity p. 216 V. The removall of all excuses p. 818 Excuses or deceits are 1 We doe as well as the best p. 219 2 We have as good meanings as the best p. 221 3 It is our Nature to be thus and thus p. 222 4 Our condition privilegeth us p. 223 The better the condition the more reason to serve God 1 Because a greater account is to be rendred p. 224 2 Because their knowledge is the more p. 225 3 Because a greater Iudgement will bee inflicted p. 226 VI. The obtaining of the Spirit ibid. VII A joyning the Word with the Spirit p. 228 The Word will effectually humble us 1 If we get saving knowledge of the Word ibid. 2 If we receive it as the Word of God p. 229 3 If we bring it home to the Conscience p. 231 Three Rules that the Word by Application may be effectuall to humble us 1 Not to defer or put off the worke of the Spirit p. 232 2 Not to make too much haste out of humiliation p. 233 3 To proportion humiliation to the sinnes p. 235 USE II. To exhort us to get our selves throughly humbled p. 236 Motives hereunto are 1. All we doe till we be humbled is but lost labour p. 237 Reasons hereof are because 1 A broken heart is the Altar on which we must offer ib. 2 An humble soule is a fit habitation for Gods Spirit 238 3 Without humiliation no keeping close unto Christ. ib. 2. Whatsoever profession we make it is worth nothing without humiliation Reasons hereof are because without humiliation 1 A man withers will not hold out in his profession 239 2 He will not grow strong in Christ. ibid. 3 Good duties wil be chok'd as the seed amongst thornes p. 240 3. There can be no sound cōfort without humiliation 241 Two Questions answered 1 What kind of sorrow meant here p. 242 2 Whether it be of absolute necessity to salvation 243 Signes to know whether we be truly humbled or no are I. To love much p. 247 Motives to love Christ grace and holinesse are 1 To consider the goodnesse and exoellency of the thing you are perswaded to ibid. 2 To consider the good you see in Christ is yours if you be his p. 248 II. To tremble at the Word Preached p. 249 III. To be affected with the Word when it comes in the edence of the Spirit p. 251 In the Word two things 1 Meat ibid. 2 Medicine p. 253 IV. To be little in ones owne eyes p. 254 V. To yeeld a generall obedience unto Christ. p. 255 Humiliation fits the soule for obedience because 1 It makes a man see God in his holinesse and power 256 2 It makes him desire the favour of God ibid. 3 It makes him chuse God
smothereth that forme of seeming grace at last that the corruption and hollow heartednesse that was in them is made apparent unto all now that your profession is nothing worth without humiliation till you be humble is cleere by these reasons The first reason is this except you bee truely humbled you wil wither you will not hold out in your profession this was the quality of the first ground the plow had not gone deepe enough they were not throughly humbled there was seed sowne an open profession of Christ but it lasted not the house was builded but the foundation was not deepe enough that which should have kept the house from falling was wanting and that made it to fall so it is with men because they want this humiliation therefore their profession and they doe not continue but part willingly one from another they will doe somethings but not all things and they will forgoe somethings but not all things and therefore our Saviour saith Luke 14. He that will not for sake all for my sake is not worthy of mee he is not worth the saving that prizes not mee above all things whatsoever and a man will not prize Christ nor forsake all things for Christ till he be humbled The second reason is this because till a man be cut off that is till he be humbled hee will not grow strong in Christ but hee will grow upon some ledgiments of his owne hee will rest upon some thing of his owne but when hee is truely humbled and so cut off and ingrafted into Christ he will grow peremptory in the profession of Christ depend wholly upon Christ for grace and salvation and every thing else hee will apply strong resolutions unto himselfe to doe good he will not for sake Christ and loose the sweetnesse that he hath in Christ for all the profits pleasures and delights in the world and hence hee will draw such vertue from Christ that will make him withstand all losses and crosses reproches and disgrace that hee shall meete withall that will seeke to disjoynt him from Christ but this vertue none can draw from Christ till he be humbled you will not grow strong til you be humbled for felt weaknesse to good is the way to strengthen grace The third Reason is this till a man be humbled hee sowes his seed amongst thornes hee sowes amongst his lusts that chokes and destroyes whatever good duty he doth performe you know men will not sow their seede among thornes because as the place is unfruitfull so it is unseasonable men would be accounted unwise men in doing so so it is with men that are not humbled they sow many holy actions amongst their lusts and therefore it is that they remaine poore in grace till a man bee truely humbled sinne is not mortified and everie unmortified lust is a thorne to every seede of grace in the heart hinders the growth of it burdeneth the heart and weakneth grace and therefore the Prophet saith in Ier. 4. 3. that they sowed their seed amongst thornes and therefore it was that it prospered not it tooke away all the goodnesse of their actions because they were mingled with their lusts mingle lusts and grace together and you will never grow fruitfull in good The third Motive is this because except a man be humbled he cannot have any sound comfort for howsoever as I said it is not a simple grace yet it is so necessary a condition that except we be humbled we will not receive Christ nor come unto him now all joy and comfort lyeth in the receiving of Christ and Christs accepting of you Consider what comfort Cain and Iudas and others had that did not receive Christ and againe consider the comfort that Peter and Paul and Mary Magdalen had in receiving of Christ and then consider whether they had not this condition and were not throughly humbled or no it is true the other were humbled but it was not the humiliation of the spirit which is a worke of the spirit but it was a worke of the flesh now if our comfort stands in receiving of Christ and if we will not receive Christ till wee bee humbled then it stands us upon to examine our selves whether this condition bee in us or no or whether we have received Christ with this condition or no if you have not you may suspect your selves that you are neither Christs nor Christ yours for this is the first steppe unto Christ he that is truly humbled is in the right way to salvation now if a man were to goe a journey and were directed to goe by such a hedge or such a Wind-mill it stands him upon to marke diligently whether he hath gone by such a place or not that so he may know whether hee bee in the right way to his journeys end so it should be with you I haue told you that if you be saved you must be humble that is if you would goe unto heaven you must goe this way you must turne at humiliation if you misse this crooke the further you goe on in this way of yours the further you goe from the right way to saluation and happinesse But here a question may arise that is you may demaund what sorrow or humiliation this is that is so necessarie to the right receiving of Christ. To this I answer consider that there is a turbubulent kind of sorrow which is not this sorrow which is required for the receiving of Christ I call that a turbulent sorrow which ends in despaire that the children of wrath are possest withall such as Iudas and Cain and Achitophel but this is not the sorrow that I would have to be in you but there is another kind of sorrow which is a sad and deepe apprehension of sin when a man sees sin in such a hue with such a wadde so contrary unto God so contrary unto his good that hereupon he so sorroweth for sinne that hee seekes unto Christ both as a father to helpe and a Physician to heale yet we say not that this alone is proper unto the godly for many times they have both sometimes the best of Gods children have horrors of conscience and are affrighted with hell so that for the present they apprehend not Christ but thinke themselves to bee vessels of wrath againe many have them not and yet are truly humbled and therefore we may say of these as the father said unto his two sonnes in the Gospell those that have this first kinde of sorrow say in their passion they will doe thus and thus and yet will not againe others that have it not though for the present they will not doe thus and thus that is though they be not humble as others are yet they will goe and continue with Christ and doe what he commands them And here another question ariseth whether this turbulent kinde of sorrow be of absolute necessitie that is whether to the right receiving of
according to my uprightnesse according to the cleannesse of my hands in his eyes sight and then in the 25 26. verses both parts are clearely expressed that he will walke more frowardly with you as you walke more frowardly with him and againe as you walke more purely with him so he will show himselfe more gracious and loving unto you as for example goe thorow all the Iudges of Israel and you shall see this true looke to Gedeon one sinne was the destruction of him and his house looke to Sampson that sinne of fornication brought upon him shame imprisonment and death Againe goe through all the Kings of Iudah and you shall see that they prospered so long as they prospered in grace and when they fell into sinne then presently they fell into misery looke to David to Salomon to Rehoboam Ahab to Asa Manasses c. Againe looke amongst the Corinthians some were sicke and weake amongst them for not receiving the Sacrament worthily so all sicknesses in body breaches in estate ill hansels in businesses troubles from enemies griefes from wives children and friends they all even now in our dayes proceed from the sinnes which you have committed Againe as I said all the prosperity whether it bee outward in riches or honour or wife or children or friends or inward the saving graces of the spirit they all proceed from your uprightnesse of heart And needs it must be so because if God be the Governour of all the world then it must needs bee best with them that serve him best and worst with them that offend him worst this rule must bee understood of the Saints to comfort them and not of wicked men for they want afflictions and enjoy prosperitie in Iudgement but with the godly it is not so therefore they are like to taste of both in this life according to their thriving in sinne and going backward in holinesse let this moove you to hate sinne that you may escape these miseries The sixt Motive to moove you to hate sinne is because sinne is a vaine thing it can yeeld us no true comfort or content and this we may see in the vanitie and changeablenesse of earthly things when we make them our onely joy how soone are wee deprived of them for indeed what is our portion or what can yeeld us any sound and solid joy and comfort but God and Christ and so Iob reasoneth in Iob 31. 2. what portion shall I have with God Almighty it is no small portion but a great portion to have Communion with Him to be sure of Him for a refuge in all troubles a Counseller in all duties a helper in all wants to stand by us when all else forsake us he that knoweth the sweete consolations of the spirit will account sinne and the world but a vaine thing I say no man that knowes the sweetnesse there is in the Communion with God will loose it for all the pleasures of sinne Iob 14. hee showeth the vanity of earthly things some conceive the comforts of the Spirit but a vaine thing but this is because they never tasted of the sweetnesse of the spirit there is no man but he hath something that he resteth his heart upon as the Psalmist saith Some trust in Princes some in riches others in their friends but it is God that is the strength and prop of every sanctified mans heart on which every holy man and woman resteth now take from any man that which is his prop and stay and his heart sinketh and dyeth in him like a stone so will the heart of a childe of God when the assurance of the favour of God is taken away by sinne therefore as the favour of God is sweeter then life it selfe unto him so the very interruption and suspending of it is as bitter as death and therefore in this regard sinne is to be hated The seventh Motive to moove you to hate sinne is because sinne is restles if you doe but truly consider the restlesnesse of the heart till it be sanctified it will make you to hate sinne the heart is restlesse till it bee set in a good frame of grace Sinne is unto the soule as a disease in unto the body a man that is bodily sicke will never be at rest till he be well so a regenerate man is never at rest till sinne be healed in him wickednesse is of a restlesse nature according unto that measure it is found in any as the Prophet saith in Isaiah 57. 20 21. where he compares the heart of wicked men unto the raging Sea that still is in motion purging and cleansing it selfe so a holy man is not at rest whilest his heart is not cleansed from his sinnes let this therefore moove you to hate sinne because it is restlesse The eighth Motive to moove you to hate sinne is because sinne is not acquainted with God it hath no familiaritie with him it is not accustomed to stand or be in his presence it stands in such termes with him that the sinner dares not looke upon God or draw neere him without shame and feare no wicked man dares doe thus so long as any uncleannesse cleaveth unto him in any degree But grace breeds an holy acquaintance with God and doth beget in the heart a kinde of noble friendship and familiaritie with God which will make a holy man to abhorre sinne as a base thing which beseemeth not that purenesse of that friendship which hee hath with Christ hence is that speech of Ezra in Ezra 9. O my God I blush and am ashamed to lift up my face to thee my God for my iniquities are gone c. that is because of my sinne I am ashamed to have any familiaritie with thee The ninth motive to move you to hate sinne is because if you live in sinne God will show you no mercy you shall find him not as a father but as a Iudge The mercy and kindnesse of God is a great and effectuall motive which God often uses in Scripture to move us from sinne thus the Lord dealt with David in 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. I gave thee thy Masters daughter and I made thee King in his steed and if this had beene too little I could have done much more wherefore then hast thou done thus and thus c. Againe in Micah 6. 4. 5 6 7. O my people what have I done unto you remember what I did for you when I brought you out of the land of Egypt remember what Balack King of Moab consulted and what Balaam the sonne of Beor answered him from Sittim unto Gilgall c. Againe in Deut. 32. 6. Doe you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise is not hee thy father that hath made thee and fashioned thee that hath bought and established thee c. Gods dealing with us being soundly considered how often hee hath spared us and borne with us how much hee hath loved us and