are but stolen waters and at the best but for a season they will end bitterly and on the contrary That Repentance from sin makes way for the most precious fountains of the most living comforts that it enables a man for a nearer conjunction with the truest happiness and fulness of most infinite goodness and lets in to such pleasures and joyes which pass all understanding c. Now the soul is reduced to a right judgment and begins to contemn those false vain deluding temptations by sin and is carried off to another course or way which will afford the real solid superlative advantages in happiness and comfort c. 2. This Comparison will win our love and affection to a Converted and penitent condition It is true that as long as the heart loves This wins our love to a converted condition sin it will never leave it for love is an iron clasp a strengthning quality a strong and tenacious quality but if a mans love be changed then his sinfull wayes will quickly be changed for that way doth the heart and life go that love doâ—h go they are not out who say that Amor is Radix actionum as well as Passionum Now by a right comparison of estates there will appear in a converted and penitent condition the sole and sufficient causes of Love viz. Good and the best good and only good and most proper and sutable good all which is apt to draw love and consequently Repentance for as much as Conversion from sin begins in love to God 3. This comparing of estates in the wofulness of the one and This occasionally stirs up the beat to fly to God by Prayer and in the use of meanes in the happiness of the other that the one is death and the other is life as Moses propounds it to the Israelites occasionally stirs up the heart to fly unto God by prayer and in the use of other means for grace and ability to leave the paths of death and to walk in the wayes of life for naturally men do affect life and happiness and are afraid of death and misery The first Use which I would make of this shall be for Information Use For information Of the cause why many are yet in their sins You here see the Cause why many are yet in their sins that they repent not though we preach though God punisheth though man counsels Surely they never yet did search their hearts and wayes they never did consider of what they have done they are like the Laodiceans who thought themselves to be rich and increased and to stand in need of nothing but they never yet saw their blindness nakedness and extreme poverty and misery There are many duties unto which men will be perswaded as to hear the Word receive the Sacrament give some Almes say some Prayers and now and then to confer of some good but of all the duties which do so nearly concern them they are hardly perswaded to this viz. to consider of their sins 't is true they will confess That all men are sinners and themselves too but as some do with their debts they care not to see and view them so many with their spiritual estates they have no mind to search into them to look them over to meditate of the Vileness of them Consider these things 1. That this inconsideration leaves many a sin already committed upon a sad account God doth consider Considerations to such as doe not Consider their wayes them though we will not they are in his book and before his eye though we will not think and look on them 2. That it ripens sin exceedingly The heart which will not consider of past will break out into sin future it will be high in sinning if negligent in considering he will venture deeply who knows not the nature nor the merit of sinning 3. All the work of Repentance will lye flat and dead Why where can be that brokenness of heart that filial lamentation for sinning that remorse of spirit that indignation that detestation of it that resolution against it that watchfulness and fear until by a sound consideration we come to see the vileness and miserableness of sinning c. He who thinks his way right will not turn aside and that man who knows no better will never leave or change a bad course 4. You advantage Temptations exceedingly You are under the edge and power of them all for you see nothing to hinder you the motions to sin will pass without any contradiction for you know not the evil nor misery of being impenitent Great sins will seem but little little will seem none how easie is he to sin who considers not the great evil in sin 5. All the edge of the Ordinances is blunted and dulled by inconsideration they are but water on the Tiles which passe away For what are Threatnings against sin what operation have they on us to make us tremble and humble our hearts whiles we hear them as Pieces discharged at others not at our selves And so what force have the Precepts for new Obedience or the Promises for much mercy to the Penitent until we see that we are the men as Nathan said to David whom all this concerns 6. You will never prize Christ aright nor the love of God in giving of Christ nor will you ever seek him to purpose with hungrings and thirstings until you do seriously consider of your sinful estates A man if whole will not seek to the Physician and if he hath but a scratch will not send to the Chyrurgion No sense or slight sense of sin hath no influence on ouâ— affections but let a man sadly view and find out that he is bad indeed out with God ready for Hell must perish for sin this man will cry out Is there no Balm in Gilead is there no hope for us sinners He will enquire for a Saviour and when he knows him he will with tears beseech him O the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereof in the time of Trouble Master have mercy on me or else I perish if thou canst do any thing save me 7. You will never come to any true setledness nor grounded assurance of peace with God nor in your own Consciences until you do throughly consider of your sinful conditions and estates For how know you whether you be good or bad in Covenant or out of Covenant with God that he will save you or condemn you what shall become of you when you die Untill you by solid Consideration find out the vileness and miserableness of your sinful condition out of which you must indeed be translated if ever you would be saved or know assuredly that you shall be saved 8. You will not know how to make special requests unto God For you know not the nature nor danger of that pride of that hypocrisie of that uncleanness of that envy and malice c. which are in you When we do not know what our selves
halting to our dying day either we want minds to good or wills or power not able of our selves to haâ—ch one good thought and when the will is present yet we find not power to perform and though sometimes we do good yet evil is present with us like Beer which runs low with the liquor there runs out much muddy grounds or like Abrahams Sacrifice many Birds lighting on it or like Solomons Ointment in which is some dead Flie or like a Candle which burns with a Snuff or like the fire which ascends with much smoke Our actions are like the Arrows which are shot one is too far another is too short another is too wide not one of an hundred that hits the mark so is it with us many Duties and Services are performed by us but which amongst them all is performed with that reverence of Spirit faith on Christ integrity of Affection unitedness of Soul and sole fidelity of intention to Divine Glory Our excellencies are weak and the Lord be merciful unto us how often do we weaken them our work is but little that we do very little take aside the aversness the indispositions the formalities the coldness the distractions the unbelief the weariness the inconstancy the infinite infirmities which accompany them what poor things will they then appear may we not fall down and say having done our best We are but unprofitable servants Nay and that which being known may likewise abase us is this we may justly say of all our poor excellencies as the Widow of her Vessels They are but borrowed ware What have we which we have not received Every Gift and Grace which we have is but a Beam born of the Sun a drop coming from another Fountain then our Natures all our good is but free Gift take the borrowed feathers from the Crow it is then a most black creature alone So that consider our good aright either in the initial cause of it viz. Divine and free Grace or in the upholding cause of it Divine assistance or in the qualities of it how weak and imperfect or in the acts of it how rare and uneven all these are the springs as it were which feed humbleness of heart in the true Penitent Quest 2. Now I proceed to the next inquiry Why true Penitents Why true penitents are humble persons are such humble and lowly persons I am not worthy to be called thy Son Sol. The reasons are most of them insinuated already I will either express them again or add more to them thus then 1. Conversion necessarily infers an alteration in the whole man Though it doth not destroy Substances yet it changeth Qualities of unholy Conversion infers an Alteration in the whole man it makes us holy of ignorant knowing of filthy clean of obstinate flexible of unquiet meek of proud and lofty humble and lowly therefore penitent persons who are converted persons must needs be lowly ex natura rei this is forcible 2. They never did experimentally know themselves till they began to repent Sin was but a delight or a mock or a meer discourse They now experimentally know themselves unto them before the vileness of it the contagious pollution of it the stinging guilt of it the terrible effects of it both in respect of God and themselves they never savv it till novv they see that of sin vvhich they savv not before both for the filth and the guilt of it and they see it with other eyes then they savv it before no marvel then that they become low in their own eyes Should they not be very vile in their own eyes who perceive themselves guilty of that vvhich is most and only vile in Gods I have sinned what shall I say unto thee O thou preserver of men 3. They never saw till now how short they came in that good of duty Job 7. 20. which they owe to God and how unanswerable they are to the many bonds of obedience I have done nothing for They now see how short they come in duty God all my dayes nor to him in any Service and Honour They never knew till now how injurious they have been unto God to the kindness of his Love to the counsel of his Spirit And how injurious they have been to God to the righteousness of his Will how unworthily and stubbornly they have resisted despised him abused all his mercies Thus for the Explication of the point Now for the Application of it to our selves Doth true Repentance produce humble lowliness of Spirit then let us reflect on our own hearts and judge what solidity Vse Let us judge of our Repentance by our lowliness of Repentance is wrought in us by that lowliness and sense of unworthiness which is to be found in true penitents Consider Pride and loftiness and self-worthiness are very natural to us though we be born wholly naked not any external ornament is upon us no inward excellency yet our natures are puft with Pride and self-worthiness are very natural to us wind and a haughtiness and could we be rifled and stript of every sin we should find this of pride so opposite to lowliness most intimately cleaving to us Paradise was not free of it What do I speak of it nay Heaven it self was troubled with it the Divels who are cast into the lowest darkness fell thither by reason of their proud loftinesâ— Look over all sorts of persons it 's a wonder almost to find one truly humble-hearted sinner If a man hath parts the Apostle tells us that knowledge puffeth up the the wind gets into the bladder as it was with Diotrephes c. Who is the Lord said Pharaoh if a man have dignities how rare is it to see greatness stooping and lowliness of heart with highness of honor If a man have riches he needs an Apostles charge Not to be high-minded If a man be poor he is like Diogenes trampling upon the Philosophers chair with greater pride Generally the scum is most light and vuâ—gar spirits most censorious and insolent If a man be ignorant yet Laodicea thinks her self rich and increased and to have need of nothing though indeed she be poor and blind and miserable and naked 2. If habitually and predominantly proud thou art as yet impenitent 't is true that Conversion doth not give an absolute cessation If Habitually Proud thou art impenitent to sin yet it doâ—h take off dominion and causeth diminution It cannot be that a man should have an heart rightly sensible of sin and set against it and yet be high in the opinion of his own excellencies and worth The mountains are cast down into a valley and the high imaginations brought into captivity the swellings of our corrupt spirits are in great measure abated and let out when once Grace enters our hearts and Repentance hath opened our eies Though you may be free from many other actual and gross exorbitancies if yet the spirit of pride
or last they shall know that it shall not be well with the wicked and that between a former punishment and a greater there may step in many mercies as twixt the fits of a Fever some real slumbers and pauses Now I proceed to the Application of this Point which shall be for Conviction 1. Of the vanity and deluding presumption Vse Conviction of The vanity and deluding presumption of the sinner in the heart of sinners who imagine that worse they cannot be and as much misery is befallen them as can be and therefore they will on to their sins again Let us not deceive our selves that God with whom we are to deal is of infinite power and wrath and the conscience of a guilty sinner is capable of infinitely many miserable impressions The Bee may leave her sting in the flesh and so be disabled c. Therefore let no man say as Agag Surely the bitterness of death is past you know Samuel presently hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Giâ—gal Alas thou knowest not the wrath which is yet behind God doth never fully manifest his wrath upon any sinner in this life nor doth he punish him so in any kind but that a greater judgement a worse thing as Christ spake to him in the Gospel may yet befal him Consider that as greater judgments are yet behind all the punishments which we have felt so it is Gods method to begin low but to end his work of Judgement heavily he doth by some lighter afflictions skirmish with a person or a Nation and if they yield not then he will bring the great Army of his Plagues and Judgements And again know that multiplication of sins is a just cause for the addition of Judgements Renewed sinnings are alwayes the more hainous and strong in deserts but renewed sinnings after punishment for sin are yet of a deeper dye because They relish much of Presumption though God hath already testified his displeasure yet the sinner will adventure on his wrath and provoke him again They receive universal condemnation the sinner now sins against all the waies of recovery the Word of God which called upon him to be wise and to receive instruction and to return unto him that smote The punishment or rod which did tender him the sins which brought this upon his back The mercy of God which drew off the wrath and though it might have been a destroying sword at once that destruction should not have risen up the second time yet it so wrought with the master that he would try the sinner yet a little longer thou mightst have been among the dead yea among the damned for thy former sinnings yet mercy hath so tempered justice that time is left thee to repent and this space thou abusest to sin again yea though justice met with thee for them already yea though mercy released thee yet a little longer yea though thou didst confess these sins yea though thou wert greatly troubled for these sins yea though thou didst resolve against these sins and if thou thus sinnest more will not thy punishment be greater Doth not God hate sins now as well as then Or if thou be greater in transgressions will he be less in justice Canst thou expect mercy should come more easily when sin is raised more deeply He that being often reproved hardneth his neck saith Solomon Prov. 29. 1. shall suddenly be destroied and that without remedy The same may be affirmed of being punished usually perseverance in sin after punishment brings a sudden and a sore destruction God hath many arrows which flie over the heads and after that hee hath arrows to wound the hearts of his enemies You know that there be not onely warning-pieces but murdering-pieces in the roial artillery The punishment which a man hath already felt for his sins are but so many warning-pieces to repent to return from sin but if men will harden their hearts there are murdering-pieces God can so deeply strike that destruction shall not rise up the second time 2. The second conviction shall be of Duty If the further Conviction of duty men go on in sin the worse rhey shall speed then let us learn a double duty 1. To avoid such things as will occasion a further progress in sin after punishment 2. To apply our selves to such Avoid waies as may take us off from sinning being punished 1. Vitanda The things which we must avoid as occasioning a further progress in sin are these 1. Ignorant Misconstruction as if Gods Ignorant misconstruction arrows did flye out as his who shot at an adventure and lighted on Ahab so that our punishments are but meer casual things naked acts but no lessons Nay brethren if we had but an ear to hear every affliction and punishment hath a voice to speak this may be said of every punishment what Ehud said to â—glon I have a message unto thee from God 2. Atheistical pride as Pharaoh who is the Lord that I should let Israel go When a Atheistical pride person will exalt himself in the times of wrath and will not tremble nor fear before the Lord but slights the operation of his hands and for all this will not lay to heart the hand of God alas this makes way for sinning 3. Froward Impatience when persons are sensible of punishment but vex against God who strikes so close yea and like that Froward impatience King in the strait This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer When men will forsake God because hee doth punish them this is a further sin and makes way for more sinning The soul which is most apt through a murmuring impatience to question God will be apt through a presumptuous confidence to sin against God in the dead sea there is least sailing and in the raging sea there is most ship-wracking 4. Empty confessions when persons satisfie themselvs with words and a meer form of Repentance putting on for the time a grave Empty confessions countenance and fetching a sigh and dropping a tear and acknowledging that all is not well but all this while they search not to the root they do not strive to examine their hearts to humble them to cleanse and reform them and what then can be expected but upon some convenient occasion the old heart should return to its old waies and courses Pharaoh confessed that he and his people had sinned but still he hardned his heart and would not let Israel go Hypocritical humiliation or repentance because rising from mutable causes lasts not long nor changes the disposition of the soul The sore which is but covered and not cured will break out again 5. Negligent remissions An heart which likes not to change its course may ye for the obtaining some special good give out Negligent remissions unto the doing of much good and for the removal of some evil make a stop of much sin You may observe that
God hath rejected the Prayers of such who have râ—sted on â—hâ—ir own woâ—thiness their own worthiness The Pharisee was rejected upon this account Jam. 4. 6. God resisteth the proud .i. he regards them not he rewards them not the humble he doth but the proud he doth not He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away so Mary Luk. 1. 53. A confidence of our Worthiness makes us uncapable therefore a sense of our Unworthiness makes us not uncapable An empty Stomack will receive but a full Vessel will admit of nothing you shall never find a rich God if you come to him with rich Spirits The Pharisee he goes up to pray and what doth he discover in his prayers I am not as other men I am no Extortioner I am no Adulterer I fast twice in the week He conceales his sins and displayes his perfections he stands upon his worthiness but he loseth his acceptance he justified himself but God did not justifie him accept him acquit him 5. None ever found more mercy then such who have come None have found more mercy then they who have been mâ—st sensible of unworthiness unto God in the sense of their own Vnworthiness I will give you some instances for this out of Scripture Matth. 8. The Centurion was so sensible of his unworthiness that he durst not himself presume to invite Christ to the help of his servant and when he had intreated him he did not think his house worthy of Christs presence I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under the roofe of mine house ver 8. yet he prayes Speak the word only and my servunt shall be healed and he speeds his Faith is applauded and his prayer fully granted ver 13. His servant was healed the same hour Mar. 5. 25. The poor woman who was so sensible of her unworthiness ver 33. she came fearing and trembling and fell down she durst not either immediately or mediately speak to Christ only her Faith spake at her fingers ends for she said If I may but touch his cloaths I shall be whole ver 28. How doth this speed ver 29. Straightway the fountain of her blood was dryed up What should I speak of the woman of Canaan who confessing her self to be as a Dog and thereupon craving for crumbs was presently fed and answered with a great mercy Or what should I speak of the Publican a penitent all in sighs all in tears altogether unworthy and he knew it and therefore Stands afar off dares not lift up his eyes to heaven smâ—tes on his brest and cryes out Lord be merciful to me a sinner Here was a deep sense of Unworthiness here was nevertheless a fervent prayer and upon it a most gracious answer He went home justified 6. Lastly Sense of our unworthiness it is a strong principle Sense of unworthiness is a strong principle and furtherance of prayer and furtherance of prayer We are most barren and idle in prayer when we are least sensible of our sins and we are more diligent to prayer more spurred on and are more zealously fervent and importunate when we are most sensible of our own vileness and unworthiness For indeed the true sense of our unworthiness is a special part of our spiritual poverty and poverty of spirit breeds the strongest desires even hungring and thirsting after righteousness and both of them have promises of a most full and exceeding great reward as you may see in Mat. 5. 3 6. And thus briefly for the Explication and Comfirmation of the Doctrine Now I proceed to the useful Application of it The Uses which I will make of this point shall be 1. To try our selves whether we be sensible of our unworthiness in our Vse 1. Addresses unto God 2. Then to encourage our hearts notwithstanding our unworthiness to draw near to the Throne of Grace 1. For Examination Are we sensible of our unworthiness in our approaches unto God that we deserve nothing at For Examination all that we come not to buy but to beg not to deserve but to receive There be many reasons why I put you upon this Reasons of our Trial. search 1. Because many pervert this Doctrine of personal unworthiness they utterly mistake it they do profess that nothing Many pervert the Doctrine of personal unworthiness that is in them can deserve any thing with God and therefore trample upon all holiness of heart and godliness of life as if there were no use of Grace but to merit or Gold were of no use but in a Crown But these are a loathsome people who would link great mercies and a wicked life together To be sensible of our unworthiness is not to rest in an evil condition nor is it to run on in an evil conversation nor is it to slight holy duties for thy performances nor is it to disregard habitual or actual Grace this argues an unsensible and seared conscience But this it is to strive against sin to strive after all holiness to be careful and watchful to pious performances yet with all and after all to cast those Crowns to the ground not in their names but in the name of Christ and free mercy to expect answer and help Though imperfect holiness in the habits or acts cannot justifie men yet they may glorifie God and though they put not dignity into the hand yet they put a capacity into the hand a fitness to receive though not a worthiness to claim 2. Because many tender Christians are not yet rightly sensible of their unworthiness they are very apt to insist and adhear unto Many â—ender Christians are not yet rightly sensible of their unworthiness themselvs Two things do evidently shew that like Jacob's Sons who went down with money in their Sacks and would not go without Benjamin so these Christians would bring something to buy out their requests with God One is this that all the promises of free Grace and mercy do not satisfie them though God hath said he will love freely and pardon sin for his own sake yet they are not contented to accept to receive they are most hardly perswaded that the Sun will shine so freely that God will accept such a vile sinner upon such easie terms and without any more adoe pass by all transgressions Another is that they are frequent in digging after reasons and causes of good in themselves If they could bring Hearts more broken Graces more strong Affections more melting Conversations less tainted then they could be perswaded that God would hear and grant them the mercy or good which they do desire I confess that we must strive after perfection in all Grace enlarged desires an humble complaint a fervent endeavour in the use of all sacred means all of these are commendable practices yet herein we fail and exceedingly to if we pluck back the hand from receiving because we are not full that we will not suck the
succeed one the other there being no predominant impediment to the instantaneous execution of that penitential purpose Another is seasonable vvhere though twixt the purpose and the acting there may be some distance of time yet the apprehension of the next occasion may truly make the execution or practise to be present As in the case of penitential restitution it may so fall out either through the inability of the estate or the subjection of the person that he cannot immediately restore yet because the penitent person in such a case layes hold on the next opportunity and occasion his resolution may be said to be acted presently i. upon the next present time when God enables hâ—m to act his purpose of restoring So that penitential Resolution produceth present Execution either for immediateness as in most cases or for seasonableness as in some cases 4. That there is again a double penitential Execution of penitential And in execution in endeavour or in victory Resolution One consists in endeavour and application when the person without delays addresseth or applieth himself to the ways by which sins may be subdued and forsaken Another consists in victory and assecution wherein the Penitent doth in some more eminent degree lead captivity captive That penitential Execution whereof I speak properly and naturally consists in the former though it must aim and strive after the latter also i. when a person doth indeed resolve to leave his sins and to serve the Lord in newness of life this Resolution doth actively excite him to be much in Prayer unto the Lord and diligently to hearken to and observe his Word and to decline the occasions which may give strength to his corruptions It causeth him to resist evil motions and to bewail them it sets him upon all sorts of Duties and Ordinances so that the person is now really working against sin and throughly working for God he is in the ways of God and according to the measure of grace received working the works of God But why should penitential Intentions be accompanied with present Executions or performances Sol. Reasons for it are many 1. That God who commands Reasons for 〈◊〉 God commands us to repent presently us to repent commands us presently to repent The Time is under Precept as well as the Work Some Precepts bind us semper but not ad semper other Precepts bind us semper ad semper too When the Lord commands any man to repent this is a Duty which concerns the whole course of his life it takes hold of him as soon as ever he lives and is become a sinner and concerns him not onely in his latter days but all his days 2. It is very dangerous to defer our penitential Executions or actings Whether we consider 1. The Resolutions themselves It is dangerous to delay they are but accidental and not natural things not such qualities or rather motions which arise from an in-bred principle but are forensical to our natures and being not presently cherished by acting like little sparks of fire may easily vanish languish and extinguish We read of the Israelites that they were an unstedfast people in Covenant and like a deceitfull Bow Naked Resolutions will never ripen and abide if you will not go beyond your Resolutions you will quickly fall from your Resolutions 2. Our own hearts ah how deceitfull are they how full of rebellion how averse to all good Like the cold hearth to a little fire how cunning to keep up Sin in the Throne how willing to break asunder all the bands of Obedience with much adoe resolving with little adoe dissolving those resolves again Volebam saith St. Austin nolebam I would and yet I would not one while I would and by and by I wouldnot It is the Genius of cur sinfull hearts to apprehend the present time for sin and to crave the future time for repentance Our worst work we would do instantly our best work we would do negligently Good motions are like a Bird falling into our hands which if we presently catch not she instantly flees away Gracious purposes in our hearts are like warmth in the water the impression requires some degrees and some blowing but the recession is easie the natural coldness in the water will instantly rise up and expel that heat if you be not watchfull c. 3. Extinguishing occasions Repentance in all the parts of it hath many enemies and hinderances some within us some without us the Resolutions are weak but the Occasions are strong Let the ship alone and if the Pilot hath onely a resolution to sail with the next tide or the next wind may carry the ship away How ordinary is the experience That the strength of occasions have beaten back and put to flight many and many a resolution like a cross wind which hath carried back the ship unto the very harbour whence it came forth Meer resolutions are but unarmed Souldiers or as unwalled Cities You shall find much of this truth That meet resolutions are too weak for proper and sudden occasions 4. Or the assistance of Grace To resolve and not to act is one way whereby we quench the Spirit The Spirit you know may be quenched many ways Positively as when we will walk in paths expresly contrary to his motions this is to throw water upon the fire Negatively when we do not follow nor cherish his motions as you quench the fire if you do not stir it or blow it or add more unto it So when the Spirit of God shall deal thus far with us as to convince us that our course is evil and yet further to excite a purpose in our hearts to desist but then we let the work lie still we do not st against that evil way this may cause the Spirit of God to withdraw to desert the sinner who doth desert his counsel who will be a Counsell our to him who will walk in no counsel but his own 3. Penitential Executions if present will be more easie and Present execution will be More easie more comfortable 1. They will be more easie St. Austin had almost wasted his spirits with resolutions and conflicts Quamdiu cras cras c. and he thought it many times impossible for him ever to be rid of such an inmate as sin But when his resolution brake out into practise then Facile suave the work grew easie and sweet When we come to the acting part then the Lord will exert and put forth his power in our weakness the acting and doing Christian partakes of most assistance Do we not find it thus in Prayer and in many other Duties which perhaps we look upon with much fear and suspition But when we are acting of them how singularly doth the Lord enlarge our thoughts and affections Why this holds in the very Duty of Repentance seta against thy sins in good earnest set upon a holy course in good earnest thou shalt expermentally find that it was
think of me Servile fear how will they nick-name and disgrace me what may befall me who can tell what mischief they may do unto me These are the Frosts which nip the buds and the Winds which bind the Ship and the Remora's which hold the Children still in the birth We love the opinions of men to be well thought on and the Tongues of men to be well spoken of and the respects of men to be countenanced and encouraged A cross way makes us start Zedekiah would not obey the Lord least the Princes should laugh at him and many of the Jews durst not confess Christ for fear of the Scribes and Phaâ—isees For a man who enjoyes friends and ease and estate and abundance in all sorts to thrust out into a Sea to enter into a holy and strict course of Life wherein he shall be sure to be scorned as the off-scouring of the world be trampled upon as the more in the streets be torne in his name by the teeth of wild beasts suffer ship-wrack in his liberty in his plenty in his body Why these apprehensions are eâ—ough to quell and to keep in all forwardness all action as Spira confesseth That they wrought on him when he denyed the profession of the Truth of Christ Therefore if you would descend into the present execution of penitential purposes you must not be slavishly affected unto man you must not fear the power of man nor be aâ—hamed of the Cross of Christ you must put your shoulder under the Cross and the contempts of men under your feet I am ready saith Paul Acts 21. 13 not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 4. 14. I will not fear what man can do unto me said David Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man who shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker and hast feared continually because of the fury of the oppressor as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressor Isa 51. 12 13. 3. Despair of performance Why say we as good never a Dispair of performance whit as never the better It is not possible that ever we should get hands to conquer all these sins or feet to walk in all these wayes which are so holy so many so strict so difficult We cannot find words to pray nay God knows sometimes not hearts the motions of sin are thick and strong and ableevery moment to lead us captive we have made some assay but alas the work proves so harsh so uncomfortable so unprosperous we are without all strength we shall never break all these bonds of sin nor tread through all these pathes of holy duties Thus as death closeth up our eyes so doth despair shut up all our actions where there is no hope to finish there will be no heart to begin But let us reject such despairing delusions what hath been done may be done what God commands to do he can enable to do and what he promiseth that we shall do that he will make and cause us do But God hath commanded us to leave all our sinful courses and to lead a life of holiness God hath promised grace sufficient to forsake an evill way and to walk in a good way I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments and do them Ezek. 36. 27. If God gives strength to work why should we with-hold hearts to work Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis said S. Austin Lord give what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt Seriously consider any one penitential work for which God hath not promised grace and strength to perform Many have travelled in this penitential Work and have found it very feisable and passable How many are this day in heaven and how many are walking towards heaven all of them prove that it is not impossible to execute penitential resolutions 4. Hypocrisie and guile of heart Where the heart is false Hypocrisie there the performance is faint if the work be not done in the heart it will never be done in the life the work is best done in the life which is first done in the heart They in Jeremiah had rotten hearts they did not cordially intend to leave their own wayes and therefore when they were put to it indeed they would not yield to walk in the wayes which God prescribed Where an holy way is not throughly approved and where an evil way is not throughly hated there may be many flashes but there will never be solid performances or courses Yet a little sleep yet a little slumber yet a little folding of the hands said the Sluggard who loved sleep and idleness Prov. 6. 10. So where our affections are hankâ—ing about a sin there is ever at the least a slowness to leave that sin Modo modo said S. Austin when motions came into him to forsake his â—nclean Lusts they answered Shortly shortly Hereafter hereafter and this modo modo vvas sine modo this putting off from day to day would have continued so all the dayes of his life Therefore if you vvould execute your penitential resolutions take heed of corrupt affections if they again prevail upon you they vvill assuredly intangle and hinder you they mar the judgment and close vvith temptations and hinder actions Oh how suddenly vvill they quench your spirits alter your judgments put aside your duties extenuate your purposes bring you into further bondage confirm your unwillingness excite your fears raise up discouragements and all to frustrate the present executions of your former resolutions Corrupt affections are the very gates of sin the Bane of holiness the Quenchers of resolutions and the Impediments of all good performances 5. Worldly cares Our Saviout saith That the seed which fell among thornes was chaoked Luke 8. 7. And what was it which Worldly cares did choaâ— it see vers 14. The cares and riches and pleasures of this Life There are two things which worldly cares do choak viz. Heavenly directions of the word and Heavenly resolutions of the heart so that neither the one nor the other do come unto perfection Holy performance or action it is the end or perfection of all knowledg and resolution and worldly cares stifle both You have many a man who comes to the word and hears the terrours of God and his wrath revealed against his unrighteounsness insomuch that his soul with Felix trembles under the strokes of divine justice Or he hears how happy and blessed the condition and life of holiness is what heavens of mercies what rivers of comforts what excusations and peace of Conscience what blessings in life what supports in
sinners who do see your sins and will love them and not forsake them be confident that remaining thus there remains nothing for you but an expectation of wrath and just judgment from the righteous God But if you see your sins and desire to repent to bewail them to forsake them with all your heart to turn from your evil wayes why the Lord hath mercy for you he is very ready to pardon and accept of you If we confess our sins 1 Joh. 1. 9. he is faithful to forgive us our sins Obj. But do ye not read the threatnings of God as Jonah 1. 3. Yet fourty dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed Sol. Remember one thing as a Preservative that all Gods threatnings against our sins are to be understood in sensu composito as the schools speak viz. thus if we continue imâ—enitent and not otherwise not in sensu diviso if we return from them like a Kings proclamation of death if the Traitors do not lay down their Weapons but if they do he offers and assures them of his pardon Obj. I this is it I had mercy offered in the Kings Proclamation I did not yield when mercy wâ—s tendered if I would lay down my Weapons but I did not yield when mercy was tendered If I had repented when God formerly offered me mercy there had been hope but I continued in sin where grace abounded and since mercy was offered therefore now too late in vain Sol. To this also let me give answer 1. Indeed it Answered was thy duty to have repented upon the very first proposal of grace and mercy and it was thy sin at all to stand out yea and thy sinnings contract a deep guilt by commission after the tender of divine mercy sin is more sinful where the offer of mercy is more plentiful But secondly Though the precedent refusals of mercy make the course of sin more guilty yet they do not make the condition of the sinner to be hopeless and utterly uncapable of mercy For 1. Mercy is able to pardon even sins against mercy as it is the antidote for sins against the Law so likewise the salve for sins against the Gospel There is so much mercy in God as can rejoice against judgment yea and that can rejoice over sins against mercy too my meaning is that Gods goodness is so natural to him and great that it can pass by the evils against his goodness and kindness 2. And that God is willing and ready so to do it may appear by this that he continues his invitations and offers of mercy though formerly neglected How often would I have gathered thee saith Christ of Jerusalem and let it yet alone one year of the Tree And then know that this is certain as long as God continues a suit of mercy unto thee neither is the date of thy mercy expired nor doth thy former refusal justly prejudice thy present right to or acceptance of mercy If the King renews his Proclama ion of favour to those who have formerly despised it it is now lawfull and safe for them to come in and accept of it But since thy former refusal God hath as it were renewed the Embassage He hath sent other servants unto thee to proclaim unto thee Mercy if thou wilt return yea and hath assured thee that he will pardon all former rebellions in all kinds if now thou wilt hear his voice thou shalt live and not die Therefore now turn unto the Lord this day doth Mercy beseech thee to leave thy sins and saith If thou wilt forsake them I am thine Object But surely the Lord hates me and hath no delight towards God hates me and will destroy me Answered I have been a vassal of sin and now must be a vessel of destruction Sol. Ah foolish and sensless sinner who pleasest thy self with the arguings of an unbelieving spirit Doth God hate thee or doth he delight in thy destruction Had this been so what wants there that hou hadst not been irrecoverably sent to the place of the damned long ere this How easily could he if he had delighted in thy confusion and destruction struck thee at once Doest thou not see that when thou wast mad in renewing thy sins then did his repentings kindle within him When he had just and many and strong occasions and provocations yet he hath spared thee to this day would he have done so had he desired to have destroyed thee 2. And what is the end of all this patience and forbearance Doest thou so ill interpret it an intention of revenge which is altogether a fruit of his great mercy No no it is not thy destruction but thy repentance and conversion which he delights in See Ezek. 33. 11. Not the ruine of thy person but corruptions He delight not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live Object But I cannot repent and I cannot turn mine own I cannot repent Answered I cannot pray Answered heart Sol. Pray unto him Turn me and I shall be turned Object But I cannot pray Sol. Sigh then and grieve pray that you may pray and mourn because you cannot mourn And therefore leave these false surmizes of God and sinfull foolish unworthy reasonings set upon the work of repentance indeed and thou shalt quickly find that God is so far from hating thee that he will meet thee with loving kindness and great mercies Object O no never such a sinner as I have been a sinner above measure sinfull so wholly sinfull so onely sinfull so continually Never such a sinner as I have been sinfull To this also a word 1. Greatness of sinning it not an absolute impediment to Gods readiness in pardoning for as much as great sinners are called upon to repent as well as lesser Answered sinners and if the duty of Repentance concerns them then there is a capacity of mercy for them 2. God doth upon repentance promise to pardon great sinners Cease to do evil learn to do well Isa 1. 16. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. V. 18. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Istiduo colores sunt valde tenaces mansivi quibus intelligitur peccata quantumque sint gravia ex genere habituata ex consuetudine divina gratia purgabuntur saith Lyra well upon that place Yea though they have been peccata sanguinea so S. Jerome upon the same place 3. Great sinnings upon repentance have found greater mercies Adam's sin very great whether you consider it formally or causally yet upon repentance mercy pardoned it David's sin of murther it was a crying sin and of adultery it was a wounding sin yet upon his repentance both pardoned by mercy What should I speak of Manasses in the Old Testament or of Paul in the New 4. The greater sinnings should ever prove the quicker reasons of
himself in dust and ashes So the penitent upon the manifestation of divine favour doth more acknowledg his vileness judg his follies and abhor his iniquities it is ever true that the greatest mercies set the heart at greatest distance with sin But now it is demanded Why should the expressions of mercy elicite confession of sin if it be pardoned why any more confession Reasons though hereof be many 1. Piety in man is Reasons of it Piety in man is not opposite but subordinâ—te to pity in God not opposite but only subordinate to Pity in God Divine love doth not destroy but increase duty Assurance followes the habits and alwayes advances the acts of grace As it is our duty to seek our pardon by confession so also to carry away the same with continued confessions confession of sin is not a transient but a constant duty As the Mathematicians speak of a Line That it is not punctum but fluxus punctorum so I say of any duty It is not one indivisible act only but an act repeated to believe is a duty in which one act only is not enough for I must still keep my eye upon Christ So to confess sin is a duty not done altogether because once done but still to be done because a duty to be done though God be pleased to forget yet it is our duty to remember But secondly By confession of sin after remission and testimony Mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy What a man may speak in straights is one thing what in free circumstances when extra aleam is another Many a man cryes out for mercy who perhaps scarce will give mercy all the glory afterward But when we are pardoned and yet confess sin we do really profess That it was not Worthiness in us but only Goodness in God that pardoned No man can more fully give the glory of his pardon to sole mercy then he who doth confess his sins after mercy What is this confession of sin but as if the person should say O Lord to me indeed nothing did belong but shame and confusion for I for my part have thus and thus sinned against thee and deserved thy wrath but it was meer mercy that saved and pardoned me 3. The more pardoning mercy God shews The more humility is thereby wrought in the heart The more pardoning mercy the more Humility for who can behold much pardon but withal must know it was much sin that hath that much pardon He hath greater cause of shame because all this while a God of such mercy hath been offended So that here is more cause for the heart to abase it self and to confess its own vileness 4. Upon New and more grounds of confession do arise gracious remission more and new grounds of Confession do arise Before I am pardoned I confess my sins because God requires confession and also because he doth upon a right confession promise Remission When I am pardoned more reasons of Confession are upon mercy namely mercy granted and mercy sealed O then have I not more cause to confess my sinful vileness having tasted of most unspeakable goodness in the pardon of it Doth the penitent person humbly confess his sins after the Vse Upon sense of pardon let us do so pardon of them Why let us if any of us think that we are pardoned do so too T is a truth that of all things we are most willing to forget our sins we have much adoe to keep our thoughts on them in a penitential way its death almost to some men to think on their sins thus and in case if by a little duty we have got the least hope of pardon we ordinarily put those sins off from any future solemn Confessions This I conceive ariseth from two causes the one is the sensible influence which sin often to be thought on imprints on the conscience After considerations of sin we have usually most bitterness and trouble which we willingly would not feel Another is an ignorance of the power and use of pardoning mercy which as it brings Rest Peace so most hearty grief and confession I will say to Such as faâ—l in after confession It is suspicious whether ever they had any Pardon at all Or whether they ever truly repanted or no. men presuming on pardon and yet failing in an after confession of their sins 1. It is suspicious whether ever they had any pardon at all or real assurance thereof forasmuch as they fail in this after effect of confession which is alwayes the more increased by the greater evidence of divine mercy 2. It is suspicious whether they ever truly repented or no for as much as true repentance doth incline us to go over and perfect all the acts and branches of Repentance whereof confession in a right manner performed is not the least But for our parts if any of us upon a penitential course have been so far blessed as to see the face of God with peace and have found any testimony of his pardoning mercy let us never cease to bless that mercy and with mournful and self-judging hearts to iterate and continue our confession of the sins for which we have found mercy Motives hereunto are these 1. We shall hereby the better prolong Moâ—ives to it We shall hereby the better increase our assurance of mercy and increase our assurance of divine mercy I conjecture that you shall in your experience find this truth viz. That assurance lives longest in a believing Eye an humble Spirit and in a Soul accustomed to the strict exercise of Repentance the way to get assurance of pardon is ever the best way to preserve and inlarge Our Conscience will hereby acquit us for the sincerity of our Confession it 2. Hereby our Consciences shall most acquit us for the sincerity of our confession Antecedent acts do not alwayes yield unto us that solid ground as subsequent acts As about our outward mercies after prayers do more denominate the celestial frame then former prayers because those may be depending on self-love and necessity but the other springs out of spiritual love and piety and respects to divine glory So is it in the business of confession of sin to confess under the beams of mercy is a better temper then to confess under the strokes of Justice it argues a more holy Ingenuity to acknowledg and bewail our vileness being discharged of wrath and punishment then only to exclaim either upon the Rack or upon hopes to be taken off 3. Hereby the frame of the heart is kept more tender against sin The frame of the heart is hereby kept more tender against sin as Ezra 9. 14. Should we again break thy Commandments Continued sense of sin produceth four singular effects and with much addition too Most cordial Thankfulness Most tender Fearfulness Most diligent Fruitfulness Most careful Tenderness The daily judger of his former sins by a penitential
proud heart an unbelieving heart an heart in which there is no good in which is all evil Ah poor man thou art a dead man no feeling no complaining no crying out of thy heart against all those many many vile and notorious sins 2. An universal and constant coldness If life be gone heat is gone the Feet are cold and the Hands are cold and the whole An universal and constant coldness Body is cold and the very Heart is cold too A living man may have cold hands and feet but he never hath a cold heart for life is there and heat is there Why there is no one converted man under heaven but he hath some heat in him though not much in some of his actions yet certainly some in his heart O saith he I approve of what is good and I would do good and I delight in the Law of God after the inward man I believe Lord help my unbelief But now an unconverted man hath 1. A cold heart unto any spiritual good Suppose he be at Prayer and at Sermon why but he hath no heart to or in these duties he hath no mind to these works no delight in them or in the Sabbath or in a Fast and though his body be present yet his heart is afar off it goes after his covetousness 2. And this Coldness is universal There is not any one spiritual Duty unto which his heart is not dead or cold He will tell you when he hears Catechizing I should like Preaching and so when he hears Preaching I could like Praying and so when Praying comes I could like Reading and when Reading comes I could like Meditating and when that comes I could like Practising and when Practising comes I could like Understanding But he dissembles he loves not one Duty at all his heart to these is like a sick stomack that seems to like any thing but what it hath but indeed likes no meat 3. And it is also constant I confess even a good and converted heart may find sometimes more actual indispositions to good than at other times and sometimes a greater measure of dulness and deadness but an heart constantly cold from one end of the year to another all the life long still to loath spiritual services never to attain unto a delightfull and affectionate communion with God This is a Token of a dead soul 3. Where the Word preached is but a dead Letter unto the hearer Where the Word preachâ—d is but a dead Letter certainly that man is in a dead condition If our Gospel be hid 't is hid to them that are lost saith the Apostle So may I say If our Gospel be dead it is so onely to them that are dead The Gospel is the great Trumpet of Christ the Silver Trumpet by which he raiseth the dead as at the last he shall raise the dead by the Voice of the Trumpet this is that by which Jesus Christ quickens and pulls a soul out of its sinfull condition 1. It lets in light to see that condition 2. It affects Conscience to feel it 3. It puts in Faith to go to Christ to fetch life Yet many men are not wrought on at all by the Gospel preached Unmoveableness is the token of a dead man 4. A delight in dead things and in dead works plainly declare A delight in dead works a dead condition Paul in Ephes 2. 1. tels the Ephesians that they were once dead but how did that appear See vers 2. In time past ye walked according to the course of this world And vers 3. Ye had your conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind 1. In dead things Dead men are heavy and descend to the earth worldly things are the Optima and the Vltima of an unconverted heart Who will shew us any good Psal 4. If that of Paul Col. 3. 1 2. If ye be risen with Christ then seek those things that are above and set your affections on things that are above be a true sign of a living raised man then è contra to seek to settle affections on things below is a true sign of a dead man 2. In dead works These opera mortua mortifera And truly nothing doth more discover a spiritual death than a delight and a service of sin certainly such a man is yet an unconverted man The last Use shall be for Instruction unto several Duties I will but glance a them 1. Have as little society with wicked men Vse 3. Instruction Have as little society with unconverted men as may be as may be for they are dead men Would any man living have a dead man to be his companion There is a two-fold Society with men 1. One is necessary in respect of our Relations or of our Commerce and Trade which cannot well be avoided 2. Another is arbitrary in respect of our Election avoid this do not make choice of wicked society There are two Reasons to hearken to this advice One is You shall never get any spiritual good by their society a wicked man is an unprofitable man Can any one gather Figs of Thorns or Grapes of Thistles Who is the better for a dead man Another is You shall receive much hurt by such society The Jews were unclean if they did but touch a dead body It was the practice of a Tyrant once to tie a dead man to a living man that the filthy savour of the dead man might infect and destroy the life of the living man O you who are to marry your children take heed of marrying them to the dead and you who are Free-men take heed of embracing society with the dead There are three notorious mischiefs will ensue hereupon 1. Dead society will by degrees bring you into a deadness of heart wicked company will certainly abate your zeal and holy affections as waters do the flaming fire 2. Dead society will quench your Life in spiritual Duties they will not onely interrupt but mitigate your sweet and wonted society with God and good men 3. Dead society will in time corrupt you to dead works Remember Solomon 2. Lament and bewail thy unconverted Friends and Kindred Lament thy unconverted friends You read that David wept for Absalom O Absalom my son my son c. and you read that Christ wept for Lazarus being dead and you read of both of these weeping also for those that were spiritually dead David Psal 119. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law Christ came near to Jerusalem and wept over it saying Oh if thou hadst known even thou at the least in c. Wouldst not thou weep to see thy Fathers or Mothers or Sisters or Brothers dead body carrying out to the grave and say Alas my Father alas my Brother alas my Child How then canst thou refrain tears for their dead souls Why doest not thou pity the dead and unconverted soul of thy Father
c. At a Funeral Feast there is no mirth because the Master of the house is dead Ah weep over thy Father over thy Son the Master of the house is dead his precious soul is dead Thy pity can do a dead body no good but it may do a dead soul some good especially if you take in the next Duty which is 3. Pray for the dead I mean not in the Popish sense they Pray for the Dead you know pray for souls departed supposing them to be in Purgatory where the pains as they say are intollerable equal to them in Hell and the souls are deprived of the vision of God and therefore their Priests and others often pray for them and upon the Graves they inscribe Pray for the soul of such a one and on his soul Jesu have mercy But this is a wicked superstition We acknowledge no Purgatory and no need of Prayers for souls departed yet we hold Prayers requisite for one another whiles we are upon the earth And because some are dead whiles they live O pray to the Lord for them Lord Jesu have mercy upon the soul of my Husband Child Wife O convert them quicken them from the dead suffer them not their poor souls to die for ever When Steven was to die he prayed for those that were spiritually dead When Christ was dying he also prayed for them And Monica the Mother of Austin prayed for him and all of them were heard Object But I have prayed but yet no good comes of it Sol. Pray still as long as there is life and as long as there is prayer there is hope It will be an excellent comfort to thee and eternal happiness to thy friend if thou canst at length by thy prayers prevail with God to deliver that one soul from death Use the means by wâ—ich you may be quickned 4. If the Lord hath opened any of your eyes but to see what your spiritual condition is that you are yet in your graves yet dead in treâ—passes and sâ—â—s my advice unto you is this Go use the means by which your dead souls may be quickned Object Why but this is ridiculous to bid a dead man do work go stir do any thing Sol. I answer 1. There is a difference twixt a man corporally dead and a man spiritually dead The former can do no action whatsoever neither spiritual nor civil nor natural the latter though he can do nothing in spirituals yet for the other he may and can 2. You must distinguish twixt a spiritual action and an action which brings to a spiritual means He cannot convert his own heart yet he hath power to hear the Word which can 'T is true that a wicked unconverted man cannot exert any one spiritual action nevertheless he hath liberty and power to go to Church and hear a Sermon Why use this power and this liberty to come to the Pool where the Angel stirs to come to the Ordinances where God is pleased to quicken and raise the dead 3. When thou art under a spiritual Ordinance thou art under the voice of Christ himself who hath said That the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live And truly let me tell thee That the Voice of Jesus Christ in his Word hath not only a power to find a lost man but also to quicken a dead man I have finished the first Proposition out of these words viz. Luk. 15. 24. That the unconverted man is a dead man I now proceed to the second which is this That every converted man is a living man When the sinner Doct. 2. Every converted man is a living man is converted he is then made alive Conversion is a Sinners Life So the Text This my son is alive again It is reported of Similis Captain of the Guard to the Emperour Adrian that he retired from the Court into the Countrey seven years before his death and caused this to be written on his Tomb Hiâ— jacet Similis cuâ—us aet as multoruâ— annorum â—uit ipse septem duntaxat annos vixit For so many years only was he converted We count the length of our lives from the time of our birth and we must count the life of our souls from the time of our new birth said Hierom. It is frequent in Scripture to stile converted persons living persons or persons made alive Rom. 6. 13. Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead Chap. 8. v. 10. If Christ be in you the spirit is life because of righteousness Gal. 2. 20. I live saith Paul Col. 2. 13. You who were dead in your sins hath he quickned For the advantagious discussion of this Point I shall briefly open unto you 1. What Life that is which the converted sinner attains unto 2. How it may appear that he is invested with such a Life and why 3. Then the useful Application of all this unto our selves 1. What Life that is wherewith the converted man is invested What is the life of a converted sinner A four-fold life Natural Sol. I speak only of that Life incident unto man which is four-fold 1. Life natural which is a power to move and act I count not my life dear unto me said Paul Act. 20. 24. All that a man hath he will give for his life Job 1. This is the Life of Nature and every man good or bad enjoys it 2. Life connatural which is a prosperous fruition of our Lives Life connatural with peace contentment and comfortable successes in the external matters and affairs of our life This also is possibly incident to all sorts of men 3. Preternatural which is a death Preternatural rather than a life A sinfull life a life acted under the power and motion of sinfull lusts I was alive once said Paul Rom. 7. In this respect wicked and ungodly men only are alive 4. Supernatural Supernatural a divine life a new life a life in Christ and from Christ and to Christ Of which there are two parts and they are proper only to converted persons 1. There is the Life of Grace which they enjoy in this world 2. There is the Life of Glory which they enjoy in the world to come called often in Scripture eternal life The Text speaks of the first of these The The life of Grace is The life of Justification converted sinner is invested with the Life of Grace And this again is branched into the life of 1. Justification for when a sinner is justified he is then in the condition of life The unjustified man is a dead man for he lies under the sentence of death and the justified man is a living man he is passed from death to life the Lord takes off the sentence of eternal death from him He shall not die for the sins which he hath committed for I have pardoned all his sins and now he shall live and not die saith the Lord. 2. Sanctification
When a sinner is sanctified Of Sanctification Which may be considered In the cause of it he is then made alive At this I suppose the Text doth principally aim This Life is considerable 1. In the Cause of it which is no other but the Spirit of Jesus Christ who unites Christ and the Soul together and upon this union the Soul is quickned with the life of Christ I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. 2. In the Nature of it it is a novum spirituale esse which doth regenerate the man and as it were create him In the nature of it again The Scripture stiles this quality a new creature and the new man It is an holy living principle In a word this life is nothing else but the Grace of the Spirit regenerating and renewing the whole soul of a sinner It is saving light set up in the Mind and saving wisdome set up in the Judgment and saving grace set up in the Will and Affections which alter the old sinfull nature in man and are a new spiritual inclination to matters that are spiritual yea and a new spiritual ability or power in the whole soul of man to work that is spiritual Whereas the Understanding could not know the things of God now it is enabled to know them and to admire them and to study them whereas the Will was both unable to good and unwilling to good and only set on what was evil now being quickned by Grace it is drawn off from that affectionate inclination to evil and it is bent and inclined and in some measure enabled to desire Christ to love Jesus Christ to fear God to obey God and to walk with God And when this comes into the heart of a sinner he is said to be alive again Shall I draw out my thoughts of this Subject more clearly unto When a sinner is made alive Jesus Christ applies himself unto the soul and breaths into it the breath of life you Take me then thus When any sinner is made spiritually alive 1. Jesus Christ applies himself to the Soul and he breaths into it the Spirit of Life He doth with a poor dead soul much like as Eliah did with the Shunamites dead child who lay upon the child and put his mouth upon the childs mouth and his eyes upon the childs eyes and his hands upon the childs hands and he stretched himself upon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warm So the Lord Jesus applies himself by his Spirit to the soul of a sinner to all the soul of a sinner and works mightily in it producing knowledge in a blind mind and feeling in an hard heart and faith in an unbelieving spirit and all his Graces in the whole Soul 2. Which gracious principles He puts in living principles are all of them living principles and alter all the soul and incline it spiritually So that the man who cared not for God nor Christ nor Grace nor holy Duties heretofore now his soul bends to these and he minds these and he is never better than when he is thinking of God and mourning for his sins and thirsting for Christ and praying to God and hearing of the Word of God this is his desire and this is his delight 3. There is a power in these principles of spiritual life A power There is power of spiritual life in these principles against his sins so that now he can hate them and say What have I to do any more with Idols Get ye hence And a power in his affections so that now he is able to love God above all and able to fear God and not displease him willingly And a power in his will so that now he is able to come to Christ and cleave to Christ as his onely happiness And a power to spiritual actions so that he is now able to hear and understand to pray and wrestle to pray and believe to believe and repent Quest 2. How it may be evidenced that the converted man is How this may be evidenced thus made spiritually alive Sol. Thus 1. Every converted man hath a living union with Jesus Christ he is brought into He hath a living union with Christ fellowship with Christ Now Jesus Christ is a living Head and all his members are living Members 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life And Joh. 6. 51. I am the living bread if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever 〈◊〉 2. All true grace is of a living nature False grace is a dead thing it True grace is of a living nature hath no life and can give no life but true grace is living True â—aith is a living faith I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. And true hope is a living hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. God hath begotten us to a lively hope 3. Every converted man is the child of the living God he is born of the Spirit who is the Spirit of life He is a child of the living God God is not the God of the dead but of the living and God as a Father never begets any dead Children All his children are begot after his own image they are partakers of the Divine nature and that is a living nature 〈◊〉 4. The converted man lives the rest He lives the rest of his life to God of his life unto God 1. Pet. 3. 2. None of us liveth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord Rom. 14. 8. Can he possibly live unto the Lord until he be made alive by the Lord What glory can God get by the life of a dead sinner The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day said Hezâ—kiah Isa 38. 19. God must have much glory from the converted man not only passive glory on him this he hath on wicked men but active glory from him glory from his believing and glory from his obedience which cannot be unless he be made alive spiritually alive The Use of this Doctrine shall be to draw you into a searching acquaintance with your spiritual condition There is not Vse Trial of our selves about our spiritual life a business which can possibly concern you more nearly than this Whether you be children of Death or of Life Whether yet dead in sins or quickned by the life of grace Can it be said of us as here of the Prodigal This my Son was dead but is alive So we were sometimes disobedient ignorant proud vile serving divers lusts but after that the grace of God hath appeared we are alive we have put off those lusts and have other Principles other Natures other Lives Let me offer unto you four Motives to try your souls about their spiritual Motives to this Trial. Life 1. You have enjoyed the means of Life The Gospel is often You have enjoied the means of life called the Word of Life
a quickning and regenerating Word it carries Christ in it the Author of Life and the Apostle calls it the Ministration of Life And perhaps it hath been so to some poor man and woman and to some of thy children But O how long hast thou heard it how often hast thou come to this Bread of Life to these Waters of Life What! and yet dead in thy sins not yet quickned and made alive Why thou art a reproach to the Gospel and thy sins have not only given death to thy soul but death to the Gospel of Christ the Gospel is made by them a dead Letter it is not so in it self but thou hast made it so And how wilt thou answer God for killing thy soul and killing his Christ and killing his Gospel 2. Many have a name that they live but like the Angel of Many have a name to live and yet are dead the Church of Sardis they are dead Revel 3. 1. Oh Sirs Spiritual life the life of grace is a rare thing and a difficult thing Every man loves his life but few love this life No man hates his own life almost but most men hate this life of grace because it is destructive to this life of sin And many think they have it and others think so too and yet they have it not You know it is one thing to put Flowers upon a dead body and another thing to put life into a dead man It is one thing for the Sun to convey light another thing for the Sun to convey life I might shew you that mâ—n mistake spiritual life exceedingly Education in a person may lead him far and so may an enlightned and generous Conscience and so may restraining Grace and so may Art and so may the common gifts of the Spirit they may enable a man to strange conceptions and strange affections and strange actions and yet the man may be spiritually dead Not any of these flow from a gracious principle of spiritual life Why common Gifts may lead up the soul far and Education may lead to Duties much and Conscience may awe sin exceedingly and Art or Hypocrisie may counterfeit the very life of Grace as a Stage-player doth a King wonderfully O therefore look to it that you have more than a name of life that you live indeed 3. If you should deceive your selves and when you come to It would be very sad to be deceived in this die you find that you have been dead all your lives and never were spiritually made alive Oh! in what a condition will thy poor trembling soul be To die and see nothing but death I thought there was life in my heart and life in my strong faith and life in my troubles of spirit and life in my obedience but alas I never lived I never enjoyed Christ never enjoyed grace c. 4. If the Lord hath made thee alive from the dead I do not To be alive is cause of great joy know any man living on the earth that hath such cause of joy unspeakable and glorious I will mention but three particulars unto thee 1. Hereby thou mayest be assured of thy interest in the richest mercy and greatest love of God to thy poor soul Read but the Apostle in Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 2. Thou mayest palpably discover the tokens and vertues of Jesus Christ upon thy soul the very Effigies of the saving works of Christ that which Paul so longed to know even the power of the death and of the resurrection of Christ Philip. 3. 10. In thy death to Sin and in thy life of Grace doth the power of Christs death and of Christs resurrection appear 3. Thou mayest certainly know that Heaven shall be the place of thy rest hereafter Spiritual life comes from Heaven and bends to Heaven and shall bring to Heaven It prepares for Heaven and it is a part of Heaven and it shall be perfected and filled up in Heaven O what things are these who would miss of these For Christs sake search throughly whether you be made alive Now me thinks I hear some soul secretly longing to know how it may be cleared unâ—o it That God hath quickned it from the Signs of spiritual life dead That as it was once dead yet it is now alive Sol. There are many things which may clearly declare it for indeed life is such an active thing especially spiritual life that it may easily appear sometimes or other to him who hath it 1. If sin be alive then thou art still dead and if sin be dead thou art certainly alive I will open both these parâ—s 1. If sin be alive then the man is dead for it is impossible that the If sin be alive the man is dead same man should be alive and dead under the same consideration Spiritual Life and spiritual Death are incompatible at the same time in the same subject And therefore if sin be alive questionless you are spiritually dead Now there are four things which manifest sin to be alive in any mans soul 1. The flaming bents and inâ—atiable desires of the heart after things forbidden in the Word Ephes 4. 19. we read of sin with greediness 2. The universal and easie authority law or command that it hath over the soul and body that it can use them in the service of lusts when and as it pleaseth Ephes 2. 2 3. 3. The joyfull contentation and satisfaction which the heart takes in evil things as we do in meat and drink 4. The customary trade and course of our life in sinfull ways a walking in them a living in them O if these be yet found in thee sin is alive still and thou art dead still 2. But if sin be dead thou art certainly alive If sin be dead thou art alive I confess sin may be restrained and a man not alive and sin may be troublesome in some respects and a man not yet alive But if it be dead the man is spiritually alive for sin in thee can never come to be dead but by spiritual life Now sin is dead in thee if thou canst find two things 1. If it hath lost thy affections If love to sin be gone and hatred of sin be come if delight in sin be quenched and sorrow for sin be implanted Oh Sirs the love of sin is the life of sin and if the hatred of sin doth live then the love of sin is dead 2. If it hath lost its Authority its free and uncontrolled power although it molests still and tempts still yet it rules not thou art not a slave to it and subject to it thou wilt not serve it obey it any longer If thou hast Christ for thy Lord the Law of Christ for thy Rule and Sin for thy Enemy thou art alive 2. A second sign of spiritual life is a spiritual sense
and having thus abased him he wrought upon him to acknowledg and praise the true God Dan. 4. 33 34. Quest How may it appear that c. Sol. There are four How this may appear Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking Glasses things attending upon sanctifyed afflictions and all of them contribute to Conversion 1. Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking-Glass wherein a man may see his sins which are the causes of afflictions there are divers Glasses in which we may see the face of our sins 1. The Glass of the Word 2. The Glass of Reproof 3. The Glass of Conscience 4. The Glass of Afflictions Affliction is a Glass wherein a person first sees his own sins Ocules quam culpa claudit pena aperit We were verily guilty of the blood of our brother said Joseph's Brethren and as I have served others so the Lord hath served me said Adonibezeck 2. Sees them as sinners In prosperity we see the pleasures of sin but in adversity the bitterness of sin in the one we see them as our friends in the other as our enemies An evil and bitter thing that we have forsaken the Lord so Jeremiah speaketh 3. Sees them with a serious look sees them and thinks of them sees them and layes them to heart Thy wickedness hath procured these things unto thee Now when a person is brought to a right sight of sin to see his own sins and as sins and seriously considers of them this is a way tending to his Conversion I considered my wayes said David and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 2. Afflictions sanctifyed work much upon the Conscience they are the rods of God upon the Soul they are the Waters of They work much upon the conscience Marah bitter Waters and they stir up conscience to speak bitter words unto us These were thy wayes and these were thy doings thou wouldst not be warned thou wouldst not hearken and now see whither thy sins do tend now see into what straits they have brought thee now thou wilt believe that God is displeased with thee When conscience is stirred when the burden of afflictions turn into the burden of conscience two things ordinarily ensue thereupon 1. A mans carnal security is broken The man thought himself safe and secure before but now he sees his condition to be very sad unsound unsafe and miserable not only my goods are gone but my God also is gone 2. The heart comes to be humbled O A working conscience a smiting conscience is the Hammer of God by which he breaks and bows the soul Afflictions now stir up the Gall and the Wormwood and the soul is humbled by them and when the soul is brought to see sin and to consider of sin and to be humbled for sin it is now in a fair way of Conversion 3. Afflictions if sanctifyed are gales to Prayer Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a Prayer when They are gales to Prayer thy chastening was upon them Isai 26. 10. In their afflictions they will seek me early Hosea 5. It is almost natural for an afflicted man to pray and afflictions put an edge of zeal on Prayer we are seldome more frequent and more fervent in that duty then in the times of our distress But then observe that as afflictions are apt to quicken prayer so if they have occasioned a sense and trouble in the heart for sin Then 1. Vsually they stir up Prayer for pardon of sin and for conversion from sin Blot out my transgressions praies afflicted David Turn thou me and I shall be turned praies distressed Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 These are the two great desires of a distressed soul 2. Usually God hears these Prayers The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps 51. 17. A poor sinner cannot put up a more acceptable request unto God then this Lord I beseech thee change and turn my heart subdue mine iniquities let not sin have dominion over me I beseech thee suffer me not to dishonour thee any more So that now you see that afflictions have brought the Soul and God together the afflicted Person sees a need of Mercy and Grace and unto God he applies himself who is the only Author of a sinners Conversion the only Physician of a sinful soul 4. Afflictions if sanctifyed incline us unto converting Ordinances They incline us to conveâ—ting ordinances You shall observe that men under their afflictions are 1. More willing to hear 2. More attentive in hearing 3. More tractable and pliable .i. more easie to be wrought upon in hearing When a man is chastned with pain and his flesh consumed away and his soul draws near to the Grave then he will make use of a Messenger of an Interpreter of one among a thousand to shew unto him his uprightness Job 33. 19. to 23. Oh what a Divine influence and authority hath the Word over such a man he can be content to have his sins ript open and he can hear and weep Oh a sinner and he longs to hear of some word of hope and when he hears it Oh how good is God! and he catcheth greedily at the word of direction and when he hears it Oh when shall I be this when shall I do this Lord give grace give strength unto thy poor servant the man in his prosperity would not know the Lord nor hearken to him he was above counsel and instruction but now his ear is opened to discipline and instruction is sealed unto him Job 33. 16. Now it is Lord that which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 32. The first Use shall be for Trial of our selves what the fruit of Vse Trial what the fruit of our affliction is all our afflictions is I think there is no man almost in all the Kingdome but God hath of late some way or other afflicted him Many have lost all their estates not an House is left to them nor Land nor a Rag to their backs many have lost their Husbands or their Children in the War many have lost some of their Family with the Plague lately who hath not been some way or other afflicted Now consider 1. It is the saddest affliction It is the saddest afflâ—ction not to be bittered by affliction to be no way bettered by afflictions No misery like that to love the sins and continue still in the sins which brought our misery Oh to be as far from our friends as before and as far from our God as before to be thrust out of an earthly possession and not yet to get an heavenly inheritance to lose our Lands and not yet to get Christ to have no home to go to here nor any home to go unto hereafter to lose our estates and keep our sins to lose the world and to lose the soul too to lose all our comforts and yet
changed into another love into hatred and hatred into love joy into grief boldness into fear Lately the desires were who will shew us any good now the desires are what shall we do to be saved Lately the delights were iâ— sin in sensualities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Jesus Christ in pardon of sin in heavenly communion Lately the love was set on that which was most unlovely now it is set on the most lovely object indeed Christ is the center c. Lately the grief was a turbulent Sea for worldly losses but now it is a running River for sinning against God Lately the affections were wings for iniquity but now they are springs for duty I may not inlarge by what you have heard it may plainly appear Dâ—monstrations of a notable change in Conversion From the person converted From the work of Conversion that true Conversion works an universal change in the sinner Demonstrations that there is a notable change in Conversion 1. The person converted he is made pertaker of the Divine Nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. He is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 7. He is quickned from the dead Eph. 2. 1. He is born again Jo. 3. 3. 2. The work of Conversion It is the effect of the great and good will of Election and in it God displayes the glory of his great Love and Grace and Mercy And Christ sees of the travel of his soul some special fruit of his wonderful sufferings and purchases And the holy Ghost doth manifest his almighty Poâ—er and the noblest act thereof and converting grace is a new contrary nature a new man 3. The end of Conversion Conversion is the first From the end of Conversion inward work for heavenly glory It is wrought to make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Naturally we are opposite to God and to all Communion with him Without holiness no man shall see the Lord no unclean thing can enter there sinning Angels were cast out of Heaven God qualifies those whom he will dignifie he qualifyed Saul for an earthly Kingdome much more the sinner for an heavenly Kingdome Heavenly glory is absolutely inconsistent with a graceless heart the promise of it is so and the nature of it is so and the work of it is so and the reward of it is so 4. Converted persons are to live other lives and to do other works therefore there must be a change of their Converted persons must live oâ—her lives Vse 1. This convinceâ—h many to be yet unconverted Such in whom appears no change at all Forms and Principles and Powers Is true Conversion a change a great change an internal and cordial change an universal change Why then this one truth palpably convinceth multitudes of people to be as yet not converted 1. There are some men in whom there appears no change at all neither inward nor outward the Leopards spots remain and the Blackmores skin is unchanged they were ignorant and so are still they were drunkards swearers railers scoffers mockers of godliness and godly men Sabbath-breakers unclean proud and so are still The Prophet speaks of some whose scum departed not from them Ezek. 24. 12. And the Apostle of some who cannot cease to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. And David of some who hate to be reformed Psal 50. 16. And Steven of some who alwayes resist the holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. And Paul of some who wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. Although changes go over their age they were young and now are old yet no change goes over their hearts and lives although changes go over their bodies their strength is changed into weakness and their health is changed into sickness although changes go over their estates their wealth is changed into poverty and their abundance is changed into want although changes go over the times peace is changed into war and safety is changed into danger nay although sometimes changes goe over their consciences Stupidity is changed into horrour and pleasure into terrour yet their hearts are not changed they approve love and delight in their sins as much as ever and their Conversations are not changed they drive the same trade run on to the same excess of Riotousness wallow in the same mire of Ungodliness despise converting Ordinances converted Persons converting Graces Now what shall I say to these Persons They are unchanged sinners and so is God an unchangeable God who hath threatned them and swore his Wrath against them Thou wilt not repent of thy sins nor will God repeâ—t of his Wrath thou wilt not turn to him and therefore will he turn away his mercy from thee and will overturn overturn overturn thee as the Prophet phraseth it 2. There are some whose change is only outward but it is Such whose Change is only outward not inward not inward and cordial they stand off from many sins and come on to many duties and yet their hearts are not changed There are six things which may convince a man that his heart is not changed 1. When a man seems to be tender least he should Six things convince a man his Heart is not changed commit a sin but yet his heart was never tender and humbled for all the sins which he hath committed Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth If Repentance begins not in tears it will end in tears When I look forward and see sin with a trembling eye O I dare not offend my God and when I look backward and see sin with a mournful eye O I have sinned I have sinned these indeed do shew a converted and changed heart But I fear it is rather a policy then a change and a regard more to my credit then my conscience when I expostulate with a sin in Temptation and never mourn for many sins in Commission 2. When a man leaves many sins but yet he doth not loath any sin Many a man sometimes abstains from meat yet loves it but a good heart abstains from sin as from a serpent which he hates He turnes his face from them but he turnes not his heart from them he doth not act the sin nor doth hate the sin he doth not let 〈◊〉 out of door nor yet crucify it within door he seems not to be a friend and yet is not an enemy to sin this mans heart is not changed 3. When a man acts from an awing Conscience and not from a renewing Spirit flies from sin only when conscience flies upon him for sinning and doth good only when conscience is unquiet when not Grace which works uniformly but terour which works accidentally is his Principle though a while there be some diversity and diversion too in this man yet there is no change of heart in him even Pharaoh under a Judgment yielded who yet upon a respite hardned his heart again and Iron whiles hot
becomes malleable nevertheless it is not changed in its Intrinsecal disposition 4. When a man is Formal in duties but not Spiritual in duties he holds a customary course but not a conscientious course this mans heart is not changed Judas was as busie about Christ as the other Disciples yet he was not changed Some unconverted man may be as frequent in religious duties as converted persons are yet their hearts unchanged There are four things which prove a formal Christian to have an unchanged Four things prove a formal Christian to have an unchanged Heart Heart for though he doth good duties yet he doth them 1. From carnal Principles of Custome Education Example not from Faith Love and Spiritual Principles 2. For Carnal Ends with a respect to his Estimation with men not with God or he doth some good to blind and cover more evil 3. As a Carnal or Natural work not as a Communion with God or Christ if he doth them it is sufficient but whether he meets with God in them or God with him in them whether he pleaseth God and God accepts of him and them or what heavenly revenues come into his soul upon them he regards not 4. Without any Delight A good mâ—n hates the sin which he doth an evil man hates the good which he doth he delights not in the Law of God after the Inward man he is glad when the work is done but not to do the work It is his Task it is not his Pleasure It is a Heaviness but not an Heaven to him his Spirit is weary as much as his Body he cannot take hold of God be importunate in prayer for any Grace he doth not put out a Might a Power a Zeal in holy Services but acts them with a sleepy faint wearisome undelightful Spirit 5. When a man hath been and still is a stranger to Inward Conflicts certainly that mans heart was never changed there may be two conditions wherein all may be quiet One is in anothere life where grace stands alone in heaven there is no sin but holiness is grown unto its utmost perfection and therefore it is above contrariety and conflict Another is in this life where sin stands alone it hath the dominion and blinds the mind sears the conscience and hardens the heart there is neither a contrary light nor a contrary grace to raise any stirs and conflicts But then there is a third condition which hath medium participationis in it in which the soul is partly flesh and partly spirit sin is there and grace is there there are two contrary Natures two contrary Lawes two contrary Inclinations and workings two Adamants as it were one drawing the soul to evil the other drawing the soul to good one willing the other unwilling one yielding the other resisting one putting on to â—aith to love to mourning to praying to repenting the other putting off the soul from all these when I would do good evil is present with me saith Paul And verily it is thus with every converted and changed man The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and these two are contrary one to another so that they cannot do the good that they would Gal. 5. 17. And if no such thing be in thee thy heart was never changed That man who never finds an unbelieving nature opposing and conflicting with a believing nature hardness conflicting with softness c. his heart was never changed for converting grace is in us but in part and if but in part then some sinfulness still remains and believe it there are not two more active more contrary more conflicting principles then grace and sin in the same subject 6. When a man is constantly formal in the same rode and posture all his dayes like a Pioâ—ture never better nor worse Such who seem to be changed without and within but it is not total Two things manifest a partial change When they do not come up fully to the commanding Will of God 3. There are many men who seem to be changed without and within yet the change is not a total or universal change and there are two things which do manifest a partial change only to be in many men 1. When they do not come up fully to God in respect of his commanding will they cannot come up to the Will of God when his Will is most spiritual when his will is most strict as self-denial when his will is most difficult Oh to sacrifice Isaâ—c that beloved Child to part with Benâ—amin this is against them to pluck out the right eye and cut off the right hand this is an hard saying when his will is most suffering For the young man to forsake all his riches this is a sorrowful Injuction to renounce all our honours with Moses and to suffer reproaches with the people of God to leave Friends and Father and Mother and Brethren and Sisters and Children and Lands and Life too as the Apostles did When a man is converted he is now so changed that his will and Gods Will are not sutable but also coextensive It is pliable and it is parallel Gods Will is my will and what he wills I will the Law of God is written in his heart every command of God is ingraven upon it there may you read the Masters Copy and the Scholar writing after it This is to be done saith God this I desire to do saith the Godly heart this I would have thee to believe Lord I believe help my unbelief Thus much I would have thee to suffer Lord strengthen me and give me not only to believe but to suffer for thy sake But in a partial change it is otherwise 2. When they do not fully come up to God in respect of his forbidding Nor to the forbidding Will of God will You know that God forbids all sin he forbids spiritual sins pride ambition c. as well as fleshly sins 2 Cor. 7. 1. little sins faith and troth vain thoughts as well as great sins secret sins alone as well as open sins heart sins heart-adultery revenge malice as well as life sins Gospel sins unbelief and grieving of the Spirit of God as well as Law sins sins of Omission as well as sins of Commission breeding or original sin as well as actual Quest But some may say unto me If the case be so How How a man may know that God hath indeed changed his heart Some things premised There are many aboâ—â—ive changes may one know that God hath indeed converted and changed his very heart so that he may confidently say that although I was once dead yet I am now alive This Question deserves a serious Resolution For 1. There are many abortive changes deluding changes rising from false and insufficient Principles from a terrifyed conscience or from politick parts or from the power of restraint or from denial of occasions or from prevalent passions or from the contrariety of one sin
the Word of Conscience of Death The third Use shall be to exhort and entreat us to stir up all our hearts to beg of God to work in them this admirable change by Vse 3. Exhortation to beg of God to work this change Conversion I read in Scripture that the blind man cryed out Jesuâ— thou Son of David have mercy on me and again Thou Son of David c. and all this was for a change in his eyes and I read that Naoman took a great journey into the Land of Israel and all was to be cleansed of the Leprosie of his body And why will we not take a little pains to have our hearts and souls changed by grace Consider seriously 1. That a man is not excluded No other want excludes from heaven This want certainly excludes us from heaven for any other want not for want of wisdome or parts or riches or dignities 2. Thou art certainly excluded from heaven the door is shut up against thee if thou be not converted and changed the holy God will never look upon thee and thou shalt never look upon that holy God in his holy place The unclean person was shut out of the Camp and no unclean thing shall ever enter into heaven 3. It is thy duty thou art It is thy duty to be changed bound to be a converted and changed person every man is bound to hate and forsake his sins and to come back and love and serve his God did God make thee to serve thy lusts hath he preserved thee all this while to sin against him Is this the fruit of thy dreadful Covenant which thou hast made with him 4. What wilt thou get by keeping thy sins or any one of them What wilt thou get by keeping thy sins Be perswaded To beseech the Lord to change thy heart Be perswaded therefore at least unto two things 1. To beseech the Lord to change and convert thy heart even thine also remember well 1. None can change a sinner but God The Musician must tune the Instrument 2. It is no sin to beg of God a Conversion from sin No no thou canst not put up a more acceptable request Lord I am weary of my sins I would dishonour thee no more I would be good I would serve thee thou only canst change me and enable me for thy Mercies sake do so and heal and turn me so shall I be healed and turned 3. God hath changed and converted great sinners was not Manasses so M. Magdalen so Paul so the Corinthians so Why venture toward his mercy seat who can tell but he may do so to thee 4. He hath changed sinners who have not sought him and will he refuse it for them who do seek it of him if he many times be found of them that seek him not will he deny to them who seek 5. You have his promise to do this very converting work for you He will give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. I will give a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. Behold he calls thee he tells thee that he is willing to convert thee why then art thou not willing to receive it to have it done do not say thou art a sinner God never did convert any but a sinner nor does he promise to convert any who is not a sinner 6. Did ever any beg this and failed of it Lord said one to Christ If thou wilt thou canst make me clean what saith Christ to him doth he not answer him at all Doth he say I cannot Or doth he say I will not O no his answer is and it is a present answer I will be thou clean 2. To come to the Word and come for this end that God may convert and change many came Come to the word for this end to the Pool of Bethesda to look on it and an impotent man came thither to be cured in it and there he was cured many come to hear the Word to mock at it and many come to get some notions from it and many come to catch the Minister at it but he who comes for this very end to be converted and changed by it I believe he shall first or last attain his end the word shall convert and change him The word is sometimes compared to a Glass which discovers Jam. 1. 29. and sometimes to a Laver which washeth and cleanseth Psal 119. 9. even the young man who of all other is most unruly and wild is converted by it The Power of God goes with the Word of God and the Grace of God comes by the Word of God it is Vehiculum Spiritus canalis Gratiae Thousands have been converted by it and so maist thou Hath God converted and changed thy heart hearken then to Vse 4. Counsels to the converted a few counsels 1. Take heed of sinning after Conversion Do not sin against grace received if thou dost thou wilt weaken and lame thy strength wilt darken thy heaven wilt perplex thy conscience wilt shew thy self more ungrateful then any man no wicked man can have such an aggravation of sin upon him as thou hast 2. Honour God with that Grace which thou hast received Conversion fits and enables a man for Gods Service and Glory And they began to be merry Luke 15. 24. These words are as the Banquet after the Feast they are the close and the reckoning that is brought in upon the lost Son being brought home The case is wonderfully altered with him all is altered when the sinner is altered when he was wandring from his Father he ran up and down the Country and wasted all his estate among Harlots he shifted himself to his very skin and out he is turned amongst the Swine and no man regarded him the poor wretch wanted Father and House and Cloaths and all Comforts and was upon his last Leggs at the very point of starving and famishing But now being found and returned home all mercies come in unto him there 's a Father to embrace him and an House to entertain him and Raiment to cloath him and Friends to welcome him and a feast to rejoyce him And they began to be merry As formerly you have had the nature of Conversion so in these you have the fruit of Conversion When Jesus Christ was born there was great joy and when a sinner is born again hereupon also ariseth great joy The Proposition on which I intend to insist is this That Conversion brings the Soul into a joyful a very joyful condition They began to be merry Mirth is the accent of joy Doct. 7. Conversion brings the soul into a very joiful condition it is an emphatical joy but when did they begin to be merry why as soon as it was said This my Son is alive and this my Son is found now they begin to be merry Conversion may be considered three wayes 1. Antecedenter For the precious qualities and works which
the Peny as well as the Shilling bears the Superscription 4. That the least degree of true Grace denominates the condition to be converted I would believe is Faith I would love thee is Love I desire to do thy will is Obedience Not Strength but Truth denominates 5. True Grace and many Conflicts go together Let the motions of sin be never so vile but I hate them never so many but I resist them here Grace is the Lord which rules me though sin be the Enemy which molests me Why am I thus Alas there are contraries in thee Light and Darkness Flesh and Spirit 6. True Grace and some Failings may lodge together I may at the same time be a Captive to Sin and yet a Servant to Grace sin may sometimes be too strong even for him who hates sin 7. All services to God are interpreted and accepted by God according to the will of a converted person Although thou canst not pray so freely so fully so uniformly yet if God see a will in thee desirous so to do it shall pass for currant groans and sighs and chatterings and desires and tears c. 8. Thou never doest any Duty but Jesus Christ gives acceptance unto it by his Intercession his sweet Incense takes off the ill savour The greatest work done by thee if it comes in thy own name is rejected the weakest if presented in his Name a sigh or groan is graciously accepted as the Sacrifices by the Priest 9. God never expects thou shouldest buy out thy own pardon or bring from thy self any satisfaction for any of thy sins he hath designed that work onely to Jesus Christ in whom he hath accepted thee and for whose sake alone he doth and will discharge thee You trade in Heaven upon gracious terms when you come for any grace and help thy Reasons and Motives are in God who gives and freely gives 10. As soon as ever converting Grace prevails upon thy heart Salvation is come to thy soul Thou art now a Believet and if a Believer a Son and if a Son an Heir of all the comfortable Promises now and a Co-heir with Christ hereafter 11. The Lord will bless thy buds and increase thy stock of Grace He will water as well as plant it 12. That little Grace shall never fail thee never leave thee till it brings thee to Heaven The greatest Grace is imperfect and the least Grace is invincible the greatest Grace is weak and the weakest Grace is immortal Now if Christians did believe all these Truths and would consider of them would not their condition be more joyfull Here 's a Weakness I but it is Grace that Grace is little I but it comes from Graciousness and makes me gracious O how many conflicts I but 't is 'twixt Grace and Sin yea and many sinnings I but not love of sin no voluntary service But how poor in Duties I but God regards the Will But what will become of me for my former sins Why Christ hath satisfied and God hath pardoned But if I had strength of Grace I might take comfort Why the weakest Convert is a Believer and the weakest Believer hath Christ Ergò Secondly to Persons long since converted What should they To persons long since converted Often examine and review your Speritual condition Be upright do to walk with joyful hearts I answer 1. Often examine and review your Spiritual condition this will keep you and God friends often look upon the evidences of Gods favour to your Souls and maintaine and cleare them if blotted Such experiences are bathes of Comfort Remember the days of old 2. Be upright maintain the Oyl and you maintain the light The work of Righteousness shall be peace and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Isai 32. 17 A stable Spirit will further a stable Joy one â—â—y step puts the bone out of joynt That man loseth his Spiritual pleasure who steps out for sinful pleasure remember Davids swarving and Peters and Jacobs 3. Live by faith We never meet wiâ—h more troubles Live by faith then when we shift for our selves That man who can trust God most him doth God trust with most Grace and peace see Habak 3. 17 18. 4. Hold up close communion with God Hold up close communion with God and his people he who rrades most at heaven gets the greatest stock of Grace and comfort even the neglect of one prayer may lose a man much comfort be satisfied with God alone and let not out your minds to earthly things And that one sermon which thou didst overslip brought in exceeding Joy to thy fellow Christian 5. Walk in the fear of God all the day long Walk in the fear of God all the day long Self-confidence makes the person to lye down in tears but he who feares to sin fortifies his Graces and comforts expose not your selves to Temptations 6. Renew a solemn and speedy Peace Renew peace upon every fall upon every fall Light may quickly be restored to a candle newly blown out and the bone displaced may presently be set again Let not a disease settle 7. Engage not thy mind to vain and new Engage not to new opinions Opinions Mind the maine things of Life and Salvation and not profitable strifes He who hath not more Grace to get hath assuredly much comfort to lose an Unsetled Judgment will quickly raise an uncomfortable heart 8. Preserve an humble and contented Spirit Pride is the father of discontentment Preserve an humble and contentâ—d Spirit and Discontentment is a prison to our Graces and a Sea to our comforts Thy Graces will not be pleasant to thee if thy outward condition please thee not 9. Be active and thriving That Be active and thriving man who doth most for God doth also most for his own comfort Barrenness is no good sign of Life and therefore no good way for comfort the travelling Bee is laden with hony Thriving Grace is a clear evidence of truth and adds to our excellency and our joy FINIS