to Grace and Christ 3. There is the highest contrariety in actions and courses that ever was to see a man pull down what he built up and There is the highest contrariety of courses and actions to build up what he pulled down to be mad against Christ and then presently even besides himself for Christ to scourge and revile Paul and Silas and presently after honour and embrace and almost adore them To reproach the Saints and their wayes and suddenly to admire them and value them and their paths as worthiest of our dearest love and society 4. And a little And a little grace to produce all this very little Grace to produce all this That one drop should sweeten the great bitter Ocean that one little spark should cause all this flame A very little Engine should move all the World and level the Mountains a little Grace to enter the Throne and to turn all the soul round about That Moses little Rod should divide the Sea and melt the Rock a little Ant tumble down a Mountain that the Grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of seeds should grow into a Tree That a very little Grace should transform the most rebellious heart humble the most proud heart quicken the dead purisie the most vile affections conquer the Gates of Hell overthrow sin dispossess Satan should beget such a River of Grief kindle such a flame of love such a zeal for God tenderness in Conscience such a strength to do and suffer to believe life in death joy in sorrows hopes in despair raise so high as to love them that hate us bless them that curse us pray for them that despightfully use us and do good for evil 3. True Conversion is an inward change When It is an inward change a dead man is made alive this is done by the infusion of an inward principle of life the cloathing of a dead man is one thing and the quickning of a dead man is another thing it is one thing to plaister an old house and it is another thing to build a new house Conversion may be considered two wayes either 1. Extensively So it is a change even of the life and outward actions of men it is a cleansing of the flesh as well as of the spirit it is a sanctifying of the body as well as of the soul It is a putting off the former Conversation Eph. 4. 22. 2. Denominatively So it is an inward change the Prophet calls it a washing of the heart Wash thine heart O Jerusalem Jer. 44. 4. The Apostle calls it a transformation by the renewing of the mind Rom. 2. 29. and a Circumcision of the heart Rom. 2. 29. St. John calls it a laying the Ax to the root of the Tree Mat. 3. 10. Ezekiel calls it the giving of a new heart and of a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. Every converted man hath a changed heart we say in nature that Cor est primum vivens It is true also in Grace the first work of quickning and converting Grace begins in the heart of a sinner The heart first fell from God and it is the first that turns unto God The heart is the first Seat of Sin and it is the first Throne of Grace Sin is the wound and disease of the heart and Grace must bring the Plaister thither sin is first in the heart and most in the heart dominion is there the poyson is there bring in the heart prevail with it and you bring in all the man An outward change without an inward change is 1. But Hypocrisie The Hypocritical Pharisees made clean the outside of the Cup bùt not the inside a golden profession and a rotten heart this is but Hypocrisie 2. But Vanity it is to lap the Boughs and leave the Roots which can send out more it is to empty the Cistern and to leave the Fountain running which fills it again 3. But self and soul-deceit What a foolish fancy is it to think my self a converted man because my Tongue is quiet and yet my heart doth curse Whether every internalchange be an evidence of true conversion Four internal changes may be in man unconverted A change from ignorance to knowledg God because my body is honest when yet my heart burns and boils with lust because my hands strike not and yet my heart is full of malice and revenge and murder Quest But here a single scruple may be propounded viz. Whether every internal change be an evidence of true Conversion To which I answer it is not there are four Internal changes which may be in a man unconverted 1. A change from ignorance to knowledg The man who was an ignorant sinner may become a knowing sinner and yet remain still an unconverted sinner for a man may hate the good which he knows and love the evil which he knows neither of which can consist with true Conversion 2. A change from error to truth Many Fâ—om error to truth a man forsakes the Popish Religion and embraceth the Protestant Religion his opinion and judgment of things may be altered and yet his sinful heart may not be altered he may hold justification by faith only and yet his heart be utterly void of saving faith he may deny merit unto the works of Repentance and yet his heart never truly repent he may hold the true and right Government of Christ in his Church and yet that Government of Christ may never be set up in his own heart 3. A change from security to trouble and perplexity It is possible that a great From security to trouble sinner who was as senseless as the Rock may now be as trembling as the Leaf and his conscience troubled as the Sea and yet his heart not converted Cain was troubled so was Pharaoh so was Saul so was Judas yet none of them converted There is a trouble which riseth from a quick conscience and there is a trouble which riseth from quickning grace this latter is an evidence of true Conversion the other is not 4. A temporary change or A temporary change rather a transient diversity in the affections It is possible for some scornful person to hear the Gospel preached by some John Baptist as Herod did with joy and to hear some Paul as Felix did with trembling who formerly scorned all preaching yea this man may be in a great changeableness yet never be truly changed divine truths may fall upon him with that evidence and efficacy as to shake his heart stir his affections excite his resolutions and yet after a little while as the cold doth on Water that is heated all these workings expire into nothing his old incorporated familiar lusts prevail over them and work them wholly out till the inward change be a change of the heart it is not a truly converting change 4. Lastly true Conversion is an universal change When It is a universal change a dead man is quickned the soul is not only
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
over-rule the The heart of a sinner may be above his miseries heart or to mend it As it was with Gallio when the Jews did beat Softhenes and kept a stir the Text saith He cared not for any of those things i. they made no prevailing impression on him so as to divert his purpose In like manner may it be with the miseries which personally befal a man his heart notwithstanding may not regard them neither may he lay things to heart they may be thrown off in respect of any beneficial impression as water from a rock as is evident in Pharaoh and in the Jews see Isa 42. 25. He hath powred upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Here was anger and fury of anger and poured out and so as to set him on fire and to burn him yet he laid it not to heart If you should take dross and corrupt stuff and put it into the fire you shall never refine it it is to no purpose the founder in such a case would melt but in vain Jer. 6. 29. so in this case For the proper operation of all miseries is onely moral and rather reâ—resentative then effective i. they can of themselves do nothing perhaps they may point a man to his sins but his heart may effectually resist that evidence of sin by the rod of God as well as by the word of God Look as it is with the Light of the Sun though great and gentle yet it never opened a blind mans eyes nor yet the Lightning which runs swiftly in the time of Thunder For that natural privation exceeds the strength of such Agents So it is with a sinner his heart may so cleave to sin that neither the Light of the Sun I mean the blessed Word of God nor yet the Lightnings and Thunders of afflictions may divorce him so great may the power of sinfull love be that not the kindest mercies nor the sharpest miseries alone shall ever be able to melt him or turn him The love of sin may increase even an incorrigible and desperate perversness in the Will such perversness that the afflicted sinâ—er possibly may be so far from leaving his sins that therefore he will cleave to his sins the more and in a proud despite will forsake God as that prophane person This evil is of the Lord why should he wait for him any longer 2 Kin. 6. 33. 4. Lastly Miseries do not always bring men off from their sins Mâ—n hate holiness more then miseries because Men hate holiness and a godly life more then miseries i. There is a greater contrariety twixt their sinfull natures and holiness then twixt them and miseries it is confessed that misery in some respect is contrary to nature at least to the peace and ease of nature yet misery is not so distastfully contrary to a wicked nature as holiness and godliness Sin can live and rule whiles the sinner is under misery but it never can do so when he is under grace You know that a man never can turn from sin but when he loves holiness now holiness is that which many a sinfull heart like Paul before his conversion persecutes to the death Why if some sinfull hearts will venure the loss of heaven rather then they will be holy will they not rather then endure the loss of friends and estate c. and if they will adventure the pains of hell rather then they will come off unto an holy life will they not rather endure some temporal distresses c. and doth not this shew that some had rather be passive in misery then active in holiness Now I proceed to the usefull Applications of all this to our selves Where 1. for Information Do not straits and miseries always Vse 1. Information bring men off from their sins then 1. An afflicted condition is no infallible testimony of a safe condition Some people are of an opinion that if God doth punish An afflâ—cted condition no infallible testimony of a safe condition them in this life in crosses losses sicknesses penuries c. they have all their portion of misery already and undoubtedly shall besaved To which I reply 1. Though as the Israelites came at length to Canaan through the Red Sea and through the wilderness so a person may after many afflictions and miseries come to heaven Heaven can admit of a poor Lazarus and of a distressed Job and of a pursued David 2. Yet it is not always so A person may be under many miseries and notwithstanding them he may never be happy the meer presence of miseries is of common providence and not a distinguishing priviledge by what is before us whether outward good or outward evil we can know neither love nor hatred but as it is with the Ships at sea whether of the Kings Loyal subjects or of hostile pirats either of them are exposed to winds and storms to leaks and rocks and sands so is it with good men and bad men each of them are exposed to outward calamities as each of them are capable of outward mercies there may be a change in their outward condition when yet there is no change in their inward dispositions Job may hold fast his uprightness under all his miseries and Pharaoh may retain his hardness under all his Judgments And where the sinful affection and practice is still retained he shall not be free because of his present miseries but for ever rejected because of his continued iniquity 2. That the Conjunction twixt Sin and the sinful soul is very The Conjunction betwixt sin and the soul is very strong strong For as much as very great straits and miseries effect nothing many times You see here that though the Prodigal had spent all and a famine yea a great famine arose over the Land in which he was yet he is so far from returning and giving over his sinful course that he does not so much as think of it or mind it assuredly the Covenant of affection is very firm which cannot be untied with the fairest promises nor with the severest indurances When the Lord shall come to a sinner meet him in his course and way and because of his contempts and rebellions distrein his estate and goods and then lay an Attachment of sickness on his body and more then this indite him for his life by the summons of death And yet neither the loss of all the Mercies which once he had nor the presence of all the Evils which now he feels neither the poverty of his Table nor the rags on his Back nor shivering in his Bones nor anguish in his Conscience no nor appearance of Death nor yet the roâ—râ—sentations of Hell do turn him from his sinful affections and courses judge whether the tree be not tough which no Wedge can cleave and the disease be not
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
received unless the apprehension of their kindness and goodness descends to the affections they never stir up thankfulness and as it is with the promises unless their excellency and sutableness come down from the mind to the will they never excite faith so is it with sin unless besides the consideration of it there be not an operation and influence upon the heart to grieve and mourn it will never prove right and penitential Thou sayest thou knowest thy sins as well as any man can tell thee Be it so but if thy heart remain hard not humbled abased broken grieved for these sins alas as their unworking faith Jam. 2. so thy unaffected speculation of sin is vain but findest thou this that upon the serious consideration of thy sins thy heart is humbled and abased in thee that thou art cast down in the sense of thy exceeding vileness O wretched man that I am O Lord to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion and that thy heart is grieved within thee and afflicted that bitter mournings arise because of bitter sinnings my soul hath them in remembrance and is humbled within me Lam. 3. Thy heart melts before the Lord I assure thee this is a right and blessed consideration of sin 3. If it work in him Detestation of sin Griefe seemes to be more If it work Detestation of sin passionate but hatred is a more fixed quality as I may so phrase it Ezek. 36. 31. Ye shall remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good here is the consideration we speak of and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for your Iniquities and your abominations here is detestation the proper effect of true consideration for in a right consideration the singular causes or reasons of hatred do arise v. g. Excess of evil absolute repugnancy to our best good effectual prejudice and greatest injury Repugnans Offendens the Schoolmen make the two chief grounds of hatred Vide Summistas in 1. 2dae q. 29. But I will not prosecute that Now then peruse thy self Hast thou considered of thy sinnes aright if thou doest not hate them thou hast not Seest thou sinne and art thou brought to hate it Let me but propound a few things unto thee that thou mayest see whether thou loathest and hatest sin or no. Is it peace or is it war If sin lies quietly in the soul it is peace it is not hatred hatred breeds variance enmity opposition conflict Paul hated sin Rom. 7. 15. and wars with it v. 23. Is it a deadly war is it for life will this suffice thee that sin doth not terrifie thy conscience or wilt thou not be satisfied till sin be mortified and crucified in the lusts and affections thereof Is it like Davids war wherein he left not one Amalekite to escape and carry tidings and not like Sauls to kill some and spare the rest Canst thou say Lord I hate the thing that is evil Psal 97. 10. and I hate every false way Oh if there be raised in thee upon the consideration of sin a deadly enmity and defiance with it an implacable general dislike abomination resistance and desire to root it out happy art thou thy consideration of sin is rightly and effectually penitential 4. If it work in him Reformation of sin Do you not read in If it work in thee Reformation Psal 119. 59. that David considered and thought on his wayes I thought on my ways saith David so do many many indeed do so but not as David did for after he had said I thought on my ways he addeth and turned my feet unto thy testimonies He so thought of his ill ways that he left them and betook himself unto good ways If thinking on sin doth not produce leaving of sin it is nothing if thinking of sin doth not breed leaving of sin then going on in sin will make you leave thinking of sin And though we think of an ill way yet if we do not enter into and walk in a good way it is nothing There is a two-fold leaving of sin one which is proper to the condition of Glory another which is proper to the condition of Grace I speak not of the former which is the absolute dissolution of sin but of the latter which is an imperfect though true separation from sin consisting in Affection wherein the Will is alienated from sin the evil which I would not do saith the Apostle In Mourning O wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of death In Endeavour willing or endeavouring to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. There is a purpose to walk in new obedience and an hearty desire so to do and not to serve sin any longer and also an active endeavour to put off the former conversation and to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof To consider of sin and yet still to love it and still to live in it to study to fulfil the lusts of it to give up our selves to the service of it to walk in darkness to be the same in our affections to it and in our obedience unto it this is not onely a vain but a fearfull consideration But if when we have throughly considered of sin in the vileness of it we are effectually wrought upon to arise from our sinfull course O Lord I have sinned exceedingly and done very foolishly I am resolved to leave this sinfull way Lord help thou me give me thy grace turn thou me and I shall be turned turn away my heart and eyes cause me to put off my old conversation enable me to walk and live in newness of life This is an happy Fruit especially if it hath two other Effects accompanying it viz. 1. Fervent Supplication if it carries the soul to God in Christ for mercy for grace for strength The resolution to reform if it goes no further than the strength of the soul it will easily cool and quickly fail us if ever it prove right it must carry us to Christ for as much as it is by his strength and by his grace that we get our hearts turned from sin or that we are able to forsake our sins Hast thou considered of thy sins why and doest thou not discern such infinite guilt in them as makes thee for ever accursed if thou hast not mercy in Christ and doest thou hereupon apply thy self in all humbleness of heart to the Throne of mercy O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner according the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Behold me through the bloud of Christ yea O Lord heal my sinfull soul O Lord change my heart O Lord dissolve the powers of sin in me by thy mighty power subdue my iniquities turn me from all sin make me a servant of righteousness 2. Diligent application of our selves to the Means private and publick ordinary and extraordinary through the right use of which we may expect sufficient grace from God to work
of hypocrisie or a sink of impiety he loves sin or would not yet leâ—ve it the greatest part of our integâ—ity lies in the hearts frame and purpose that man who is resoled to part with all sin hath an heart who loves all good it is only sound grace which breeds sound resolution 2. It will be a It will be an Apology in case of falling great apology in case of falling that yet it is not presumptuous but of Inâ—irmity The evil that I would not do that do I c. Rom. 7. and rather an affect of a strong temptation then of any secret affection of the heart to sin for where the purpose and resolution of the heart is set against a sin and makes its resistence though the sinning may be great yet it is not presumptuous Four effects this firm Resolution worketh about sin either it doth 1. Cease the motions of it or 2. Abates and lessens them or 3. Disappoints and frustrates them as Joseph about his mistress or else 4. It mitigates and corrects them in the degree of guilt either it keeps me sound or else causeth that the wound is less 3. Such a man may confidently go to God for help and Such a one may confidently go to God for help assistance If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer said David but verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my Prayer Psal 69. 18 19. Thou shalt not struggle with sin in vain nor cry unto God in vain if once thou couldst be firmly resolved against sin thou shouldst more confidently repair to Christ and shouldst assuredly find more Victory over it as Paul Rom. 7. 24 25. What have I to do any more with idols I have heard him and observed him I am like a green Fir-Tree from me is thy fruit found Hos 14. 8. 4. And more confidently expect the remission of sins past with what face can a mâ—n embolden himself before the And Confidently expect Remission of sins past Lord O Lord I beseech thee to pardon such or such a sin and I trust thou wilt do it but I am not yet resolved to leave it And when a person can come before the Lord and say Search and tell me O Lord if there be any way of wickedness which I know and allow against which I am not resolved and strive Now O Lord thou art a gracious God I beseech thee for thy mercies sake forgive my sins blot them out I hate them with an unfeigned hatred do thou for thine own sake pardon and subdue them 5. You shall much free your selves from the ancient suggestions of Satan about particular Sins It will free us from the Suggestions of Satan about particular sins Resist the Divel and he will flee from you Jam. 4. 7. Where there is no hope of Victory there will be little encouragement to fight firm resolutions are like rocks against which the waves may beat and strike but cannot move nor alter Satan may indeed somewhat molest but the heart is in a sort impregnable which is stedfastly resolved Christiana sum said she I am a Christian who was much assaulted to deny the Faith and Luther in Gen. so silenced all threats and allurements for the abnegation of Christ When they saw Paul's resolution fixed for Jerusalem they gave off their importunity so Temptations will slack when our Resolutions are settled It is in vain I will not hearken thou mayest molest me Satan but I will never yield unto thee 6. You will be less interrupted in your holy services Whilest the heart is any thing indifferent and flexible sinfull motions We shall be less interrupted in our holy services like the Birds will return and flock about the Corn if the Watchman be now there and anon removed When the Minister is speaking to your ear Sin will be speaking to your heart and when your tongues are speaking to God your thoughts will be busied in giving Sin an answer or the World But if the heart were more resolved against sin it would be more united in duty the thoughts and mind and affections would be more collected and center'd upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work in hand it would not scatter so much it would not follow that which it cares not for but peremptorily abhors The next Use shall be for Direction and that in two particulars Vse 2. Direction 1. How to raise a solid Resolution 2. How to keep and maintain it First The Means to raise it There are some things of How to raise a solid Resolution which you must take heed and strive against as being vigorous impediments to the rearing of this frame and twisting of this firm cord Take heed of 1. A secret favouring of sin As long as your hearts cunningly connive at and harbour your lusts those evil Inmates A secret faâ—ouring of sin you will never throughly come to a Resolution to cast them off For love will untwist many arguments and prevail against strong Motives it will let down your mind as fast as reasons do raise it up It is the best Friend and strongest Advocate that sin hath You see a Parent perhaps David against Absalom resolved to exile his Child from his presence but natural affection turned him and wrought so after a while that David longs for Absalom again As a Spring will work out that which is cast in so will a secret affection to sin work off the impression of all Arguments and any such preposterous Resolves against sin 2. A tenderness or delicacy of spirit I mean an inordinate Delicacy of spirit self-love Love of sin and so also the love of our selves both of them are adversaries to a penitential Resolution If a man will go to Heaven asleep have his ease and his friends and his liberty and his safeties and his quiet and his pleasures and great matters he will never come to a through Resolution God likes no such bargain no condition as I am willing to serve thee but I am resolved never to suffer for thee I will be good if I may be safe I will go to sea but on condition I shall meet with no storms I will enter into the war but on condition that I will have no blows We must be at a point for all things except what is good if we be resolved to be good indeed no not Life it self must be dearer to us than that which is far better than Life 3. A perversness of spirit on self-wilfulness if you do resolve A perversness of spirit to be your own Master you can never resolve to be Gods Servant if your hearts be not disposable to his will they will never be flexible and fixed on his work You must in many things be contented to deny your own thoughts and to captivate your own judgments and reasonings and to submit both your judgment and will to a Divine Rule and
or Instrument of the Divine spirit for much good unto believing souls Among the rest it hath a singular virtue to breed assurance of Gods love and therefore it is called a Seal in Ro. 4. 11. In it Christ Jesus in whom God is reconciled is most distinctly represented in his Passion as making peace by his blood for our souls In it the same Christ Jesus is particularly offered and applyed unto us with all the benefits and efficacies of his person Take eat this is my body which was given for you 1 Cor. 11. 24. As if God should say As surely as I give thee this bread and wine so I give thee my Son and the purchase of his death even reconciliation and pardon and mercy A believing celebration of the Sacrament is a most admirable means to remove our doubts and to establish our hearts with an Fervent and patient Prayer assurance that God is reconciled unto us 3. Fervent and patient Prayer prizing the favour of God as David did Psal 63. 3. Hungring and thirsting after it as he hid Psal 106. 4 5. And thus continuing to seek with diligence being withall tenderly careful in our hearts and wayes to please the Lord we shall have the desires of our Souls crowned with the testimonies of his love here and with the full glory of his face and favour hereafter Luke 15. 21 22 23. 21. And the Son said unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son 22. But the Father said to his servants Bring forth the best Robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his hand and Shoes on his feet 23. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry These words contain in them 1. The real acting of a penitential intention The matter whereof in his humble and sad confession I have insisted on already when I touched on v. 18 19. Now I shall observe a little more from the circumstance and manner of it 2. The strange alteration of his condition The heart of man never alters from sin to its prejudice the best courses ever draw after them the best comforts While he was a prodigal he had neither bread to eat nor Rags to cloath him nor house to lodg him much less Jewels to adorn him and feasts to entertain him But now he becomes a penitent here is a Father to admit him into a house to put the best Robe on his back and the Ring on his finger and Shoes on his feet and likewise to provide meat even the choicest for his belly Before I touch on these distinctly and particularly there are some Propositions which I will briefly touch on v. g. Doct. That no not the kindest expressions of mercy do silence a The kindest expressions of mercy do not hinder an humble confession of sin truly penitential heart from an humble confession of sin Kindest mercies draw out humblest confessions The Father pities meets embraces kisseth this penitential Prodigal What doth he rise up and slight all that hath been evil Oh no! mercy melts him down and he confesseth with tears Father I have sinned c. q. d. What is this that thou shouldst so easily so freely so mâ—rcifully behold so sinful so unworthy a wretch as I have been As David when God declared unto him the intentions of his further mercies for him and his posterity He sate before the Lord and said Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto So is it with the true penitent upon the Declaration of pardoning and accepting mercy Now O Lord God who am I I who have done so wickedly yet to be remembred so graciously The same you find in Paul who though he received a testimony of his pardon and acceptance by a messenger graciously dispatched from Jesus Christ himself Acts 9. 17. Yet he doth most frequently and humbly acknowledg and confess the kinds and greatness of his former transgressions There is for the time a twofold Confession 1. Antecedent There is a twofold Confession Antecedent Consequent which is that humbling way which God designs for the assecution of mercy See Prov. 28. 13. 1 Jo. 1. 9. To make us indite and condemn our selves that he may acquit and pardon us 2. Consequent which is that judging and self-condemning way after mercy is obtained The sight of mercy breeds four notable effects in a true penitent 1. Much Admiration Oh that God should look on me 2. Much Detestation Oh that God should ever pardon me 3. More contrition Oh that I should sin against such a God 4. More Confession I have sinned and done very foolishly to sin against a God much in mercy 2. This consequent confession which followes the expressions or Consequent confession hath these qualities It is an ac-â— knowledgment of sin with more compunction testimonies of pardoning mercy hath these qualities 1. It is an acknowledging of sin with more compunction of spirit Sight of pardon doth not only open our lips but our eyes and fetcheth forth not only words but tears the heart doth break out when mercy breaks forth The heart never confesseth sin with more filial grief then when it apprehends sin much sin discharged with a paternal love the wind breaks the clouds but the Sun melts them most into showers so c. 2. It is an acknowledging of sin with more indignation The greaâ—er mercy makes a penitent With more indignation to be the sharper Judg the more God is now pleased with him the more is he displeased with himself for sinning against him When God remembred his Covenant Ezek. 16. 60. then did the penitential Israelites remember their wayes with shame v. 61. And when he made it known to them that he was pacifyed towards them then were they confounded and never opened their mouths more v. 63. 3. It is an acknowledging of sin with more With more aggravation aggravation Servile confessions are usually more deceitful and partial as Adam did acknowledg his sin but puts it on Eve no coâ—fessions are so free and full as such which arise from the apprehension of mercies David got his pardon for a great transgression but then hoâ— exact is he in the distinct accusation of himself and humble acknowledgment of his sin in all the articles and circumstances of it Psal 51. 4. It is an acknowledgment of sin with more detestation Evidence of pardon produceth two With more detestation effects One is more ardent affection of love to God Another is which necessarily followes a deeper hatred of sin which opposed so gracious a goodness All that good which God mentions in the Covenant Ezek. 36. 25. to the end of v. 30. produced a better remembrance of former evils and also a deeper loathing of themselves for their iniquities v. 31. As Job upon Gods appearing to him and conferring with him now abhors
frisk into the Aire and then to plunge into the Ocean of Lusts Such a Leopard-like life spotted course is ignoble when the Christian runs like that Beast with two feet of different length with a general unevenness in his wayes but strait feet are those which the Penitent walks withal as he hath not an heart and an heart so he hath not a foot and a foot T is granted he may be sometimes lamâ— and trip frailties and infirmities befal the best but an even equal tenour is yet to be found in the main bulk of his paths He hath no Artificial shoes wider and lesser made on purpose but in the bent of his heart and endeavours desires to have a good conscience in all things void of offence to God and man The Philosopher doth distinguish twixt a Complexion which ariseth from Passion and that which buds out from an Habitual temper when a person occasionally blusheth though he be of a pale Complexion yet colour ariseth in his face but the Sanguine temper is still of a ruddy face Passionate actions are rare and unequal but natural are frequent and even The penitent in the whole course of his conversation is homo quadratus square and uniform and beautiful and comely in the expression of holiness 4. It is Ingenious and single His life moves not by several Ingenious and single Rules nor yet runs by several Principles nor yet is carryed unto opposite Ends. The Mariner he spends his life at Sea for Profit and the Scholar he spends his life in Study for Knowledg and the Ambitious man he follows the Court for Honour and the Hypodrite he trades in Duty for applause but the true Penitent he is careful and watchful and diligent over all his wayes and in all the duties of piety for Divine glory Gregory Nazianzen distinguisheth of three sorts of men some are Mercenaries who work to get a good reward others are Servants who work to avoid punishment others are Sons and these labour for the highest good to enjoy God and to set out his Glory Whether we live we live unto the Lord saith the Apostle The Christian lives by the Lord By the Grace of God I am that I am said Paul And he lives upon the Lord The life that I now live I live by the Faith of the Son of God saith S. Paul again And he lives unto the Lord both to his approbation and to his honour So that Christ may be magnified saith Paul yet again his intentions are such as have the glory of God most principally in them so that if you could unbowel the wayes of a Christian to discern their scope you should find in them this Inscription To the Glory of God And the actions themselves for the course of them are such as respect the glory of God they are all of them Holiness to the Lord God is magnified by them 5. It is a profitable Walking The impenitent man is a dead A profitable walking man and his life is a deadly life like the Plague which is an infecting disease like the Prophets girdle rotten and good for nothing Either he is a dead letter barren to any good or he is a killing letter doing much evil either he is a rotten stick good for nothing or else he is a fire-brand causing much wickedness Butâ— when a person becomes penitent now his heart is made goâ—d and his life becomes profitable As Paul wrote of Onesimus to Philemon That in time past he was unprofitable to him but now saith he profitable to thee and me There is good to be got by him that is made good blood runs through all the veins of his Conversation one may get heat at his fire and light at his candle and refreshing at his streams and clothing by his fleece one may melt by his tears go by his light learn to trust by his faith to fear by his tenderness to live by his obedience Oh how he strives to convert others with S. Austin to give knowledg to others with S. Paul to warn and beseech others with Lot to profit thesouls of others and help the bodies of others In his general calling he is diligent and in his particular he is active his counsels are savoury and his walkings are heavenly such as may save himself and those about him if they be so humble and wise as to apprehend and learn 6. Lastly It is a comely walking how beautiful are thy feet withshoes saith Christ of the Church Caâ—t 7. 1. Congruous to It is a comely walking the condition of his place of Grace the walkings of a penitent are beautiful walkings such as adorn his profession such as become the Gospel of Christ such as set out the truâ—h of Grace which he hath received and the hope of glory which he expects like so many Stars which are the glory of heaven so are his particular actions inamelled with that Ornament of Meâ—kness with that Crown of Wisdome with that Tenderness of Cireumspection with that Sweetness of Charity with that Gracefulness of Piety that no only the mouths of some are stopped but likewise the mouths of others are opened by beholding the uniform light of his new Conversation to gloriâ—ie our father which is in heaven 2. Quest Thus you see what that better and singular course of life is unto which God enables penitent persons Now let us consider the Reasons why God doth enable them thus to walk Reasons of it It cannot but be thus if you consider 1. The principle which is From the principle which is implanted in them implanted in them As things are in being so they are in working that nature which is most predominant in any hath still the command of the actions in him Doth the penitent now live an heavenly life Why God hath given unto him a spiritual and heavenly nature He is made pertaker of the Divine Nature which of all others is most holy and spiritual and heavenly Doth he order his life by the rule of the Word Why the Word of God is ingraffed in him and abides in him in the virtues and efficacies of it so that he was converted by it and will now be guided by it Doth he lead an upright life Why the Lord hath taken from him the spirit of guile and deceitfulness and hath given unto him an One heart a plain sincere perfect or upright heart a right heart which cannot abide doubling and dividing and hollowness but it is of the truth there is truth in the inward parts and therefore there is truth in the outward acts Doth he lead a single life for Divine Glory Why he hath received real grace from God which will work only for God the Waters which come from the Sea will run into the Sea again Doth he live a profitable life Why it is the nature of true grace and true repentance to make us as active in a good way as we were violent in a bad the nature of Good
Repentance formal cold negative way of repentance deeming themselves no less then Penitentiaries who have this only to plead They never in all their lives did wrong or harm c. But remember O self-deceiver if ever God gives to thee repentance indeed thou wilt find other sinful courses to be left besides those of Commission thou wilt find thine Omissions to be a highly guilty course of sin that thou frequently omits calling upon God hearing of his Word reading of his Word examining of thy heart humbling of thy soul walking in an holy and heavenly and exact manner c. Thou often criest out What bad course am I in I demand of thee what holy course art thou in what other course of life leadest thou then ever c. Well I will say no more but this but if other and better lives be the arguments of true Repentance the Lord be merciful to us there are then but very few penitents the same oaths the same cursings the same worldliness the same pride the same drunkenness the same uncleanness the same neglects of God and spiritual duties we are Vse 2. Let us shew our Repentance by our Conversation not others then we were we live not otherwise then we have done But secondly If any of you take your selves to be penitents I beseech you then let us carefully shew it by our lives and conversations Consider to this purpose 1. If there be truth of If there be true Repentance there will be newness of conversation Repentance there will be newness of Conversation A monstrous taing to see a man start up and walk with his Coffin and Grave-cloaths If it be light it will shine and if it be fire it will heat and if it be salt it will season if thy heart be purged indeed thy life will also be reformed indeed If ye have been taught as the Ephes 4. 21. truth is in Jesus put off concerning the former conversation the old man 2. The Lord â—esus hath purchased thy Life as well as thy Soul and redeemed thy Conversation as well as thy Nature Christ hath purchased thy life as well as thy soul He did dye not only to recover thy inward Man but also to cure thy outward Man that as thy Heart should not be profane so thy Conversation should not be vain Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh that we should no longer live the rest of our time in the flesh 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. Christ hath dyed for thee that now thou shouldst live unto him 3. The honour of Religion lyes upon thy The honour of Religion lies upon thy life Life Thy heart may be a secret a closet of much good or evil we leave it to the Searcher of hearts but thy life is a publick Letter an audible Voice a common Object The profession of truth and holiness is an honourable thing in it self but a good and answerable Conversation adds and reflects a greater honour to it As the Heaven is a beautiful Creature but it is the more beautified by the shining of the Stars So is it with Religion it is an Excellency in it self and is made the more excellent by an excellent Conversation But a lewd rude foolish boystrous incongruous fowl uneven evil life makes Religion to look like Gold in the dirt or like a Jewel in a Swines snout or like Beauty in a Whore It is the very scandal of Religion and as a death verse upon an holy profession What is it that thou now and then fillest the eyes of men with a little gravity and the ears of men with a little piety when still thou by thy wicked life armes the hearts of men to scorn and the tongues of men to blaspheâ— the Name of God and Professors The more pretence thou hast to repentance the more odious art thou by thy impenitent life to the profession thereof The strictest eyes are upon the strictest professors and no miscarriages take so soon with men or damp Religion more 4. The souls of men lie much upon their life What Greg. Nazianz The souls of men lie much upon their life said of the Painter That he teacheth not by his language but by his hand and Chrysostom of the Minister That his first part is to Live well and then to Teach well that is true of every penitent Christian for his inward affections come not so into our scales as his outword actions We judge of him and imitate him not by what lies hid in his heart but by what appears in his life and of all men we are most confident to imitate the actions of those who pretend most against sin Now then if thou who pretendest to repent of all sin by thy sinful life shouldâ—t multiply sinners amongst men or strengthen the hearts of sinners from returning O how bitter O how dismal how fearful how an amazing account that thou even under a forme of Repentance shouldst keep men in an estate of impenitency to damn their souls by thy continual sinnings Sins in conversation are alwayes of more publick danger then those of disposition as a Feavor or a Plague 5. The comfort and peace of thy Conscience lies much in it The comfort and peace of thy Conscience lies much in it A good Life is the best Commentary of an upright heart and uprightness is a comfort A good Life is the best Star to clear up Gods glory and to bring him glory is to bring our selves comfort Conscience will judge thee more for evil in life as more perfected more hurtful than for that within A good life is the only Plaister by which we heal others the only Pilot by which we direct others the only Hand by which we hold up others We may think good but this circumscribes it self with our selves we may desire good but this also conâ—ines it self with our selves The good life is the life only which doth good to others and the more good we do the more comfort still we have 6. The reward will be great to the life that is good It s true The Reward will be great to the good life that God in his future retribution hath respect to the inward graces and dispositions but he takes publick notice of the operations of them in our lives as for acting themselves and therefore pronounceth the reward to the doer and the kingdom unto him that cloaths and feeds and visits c. What! an eternal life for a good life 7. But lastly Look on all who are truly penitent or have All that are truly penitent have been very circumspect of their lives been so how tender and circumspect they have been of their lives and walkings How extremely circumspect was David of his tongue Psa 39. and as exceedingly pensive for any unbeseeming word or fact much more for any scandalous evoâ— such a fool such a beast was I Psa 51. So the Apostles both in their wayes and in their directions unto all the
pleaseth and when he pleaseth He hath the command of the heart and grace Take the heart as usually we do for any or all the faculties of the soul yea as corrupted by nature and custome yet God hath a dominion over it and he can make new impressions and divine alterations and inclinations upon it The Understanding naturally is blind and dark unable to unfold and apprehend the morality of conditions actions objects but God can turn it from darkness to light he can imprint on it the clearest light whereby it shall be able to behold what is good and what is evil The Judgment naturally is erroneous it mistakes good for evil and evil for good judgeth sinfull evil as the best and sweetest way condemneth good as most contrary to us to our delights courses ends But God is able to imprint on mans Judgment a discerning and righteously sentencing ability that a man shall not only see his sinfull nature and life but condemn it I was mad saith Paul such a fool a beast was I. They shall remember their evil wayes and loath themselves Hos 2. 7. as his greatest evil and misery and conclude that a new holy penitent life is the best of all lives and that for himself The Conscience is either sleepy or seared naturally But God can awaken it and imprint on it a power to feel sin to complain accuse indite wound and slay the sinner that he shall have no rest as long as he lies in his sinfull condition Sin revived and I died Rom. 7. The Will is naturally averse and perverse it is set against all spiritual good and set upon evil But cannot God alter this Will He can easily turn it about let him but drop in the least degree of Grace and the Will presently wheels about and is as ready and desirous and cleaving to good as ever it was to evil Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. So for the Affections the Lord hath the dominion over them He can make them to love him as much and more than ever they loved sin and to grieve and to hate and to fear sin c. Get thee hence what have I any more to do with Idols 4. The Lord doth sometimes convert a great sinner to glorifie his God doth this to glorifie his own grace own Grace 1. The power of it that it is able to cure great and strong diseases If ordinary sinners onely were converted men would imagine but a common and vulgar power lay in converting Grace where there is a lesser opposition there a weaker strength may suffice to do the work But if sin be strong now the power of Grace appears in rescuing the soul even from the Gates of Hell and from the Powers of Darkness 2. The riches of it When all the world knows and the man himself knows That there was nothing in him but a vilest heart and lewdest course and yet Divine Grace hath converted him O saith he this was rich Mercy and Grace indeed The Apostle saith That God quickned the dead Ephesians that he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace chap. 2. vers 7. O saith the great sinner now converted never was there such a gracious and such a mercifull God such a kind and loving God I was dead and he hath made me alive I was the greatest of sinners and I have yet obtained the sweetest of mercies I was the greatest Enemy and yet God would be my kindest Friend overcome by Sin and now overcome by Grace falling down into Hell and now lifted up to Heaven so bad that Justice might have had much Glory to damn me yet God hath been so good that Mercy shall have the Glory to save me Vsâ— â—o relieve the troubled Conscience and distressed Conscience You shall find by experience these two Truths 1. That whiles men are in a dead lost vile and unsensible condition they then imagine that their sins are little and mercies great and they have power to turn to God when they please 2. That when they come to be truly sensible of their hearts and ways then their sins appear exceeding great and the mercy and grace of God seem little O! they have withstood the offers of grace and all self-power is gone and the greatness of their sinning is an absolute bar to their conversion And there are eight Reasons why a man made sensible of Reasons why a man sensible of his great sin thinks God will not convert him his great sinnings inclines to think that God will never convert him 1. Because he hath been one who hath exceedingly provoked God to wrath against him He sees great wrath in God and that he hath by his continual sinnings incensed the Lord. O saith he it is mercy that must convert but I have turned a mercifull God into a just God and a kind God into an angry God my great sins have put me into the hands of his great wrath 2. Because such a person sees his condition lying under the threatnings of God and out of the reach of the promises of God God threatning him Warrants issued out to take and arrest him an Arrow levell'd at him God hath said That he will wound the hairy scalp of him that goes still on in his iniquities and that he who hardens his heart being often râ—proved shall be destroyed without remedy Now I have been that sinner 3. Because such a person feels the impressions of Gods displeasure on his Conscience He is in the very hands of wrath Conscience tells him Thou art the man and these have been thy sinnings these have been thy ways and thy doings and Conscience condemns him for one who hath delighted himself in evil and secretly goes and smites him with unavoidable fears and terrours Now when a man feels wrath 't is an hard thing to perswade him that God hath any thoughts and intentions of mercy and grace for him 4. Such a person ordinarily looks more upon the examples of destruction than upon the instances of conversion rather what God hath done against them than for any of them O saith he God in Scripture hath often left such and such great sinners to their As the Israelites Psal 81. 12. 2 Thes 2. Jâ—r 13. 14. own hearts lusts and he hath given them up to Satans delusions and to a reprobate mind and sense and would not have mercy on them he would deal with them no more 5. The distance twixt his greatly sinning soul and converting grace seems to him wondrously large If I had been but sick and weak but can a dead man live should a Rebel be embraced can a Blackmore be made white It is great grace to convert a little sinner but what grace is sufficient to convert so great a sinner 6. He measures the disposition of Divine Grace by the indisposition of his own heart O saith he I have been how long how stubbornly unwilling to receive grace how violent to oppose grace If I
had neglected it only but I have rejected it I have been so long unwilling despising will Grace be pleased and so willing to one so unwilling Grace will not be willing to smile on him who hath frowned on it Grace will not stoop to him who hath trampled upon Grace Can Divine Grace and I be so easily friends What forty years lying in Hell and now to think I shall go to Heaven all my life to serve the Devil and yet now to think that God will take me or make me his servant 7. Such a man sees his sins in another manner than ever before The face of sin is unvailed like so many spears in the heart of Christ like so many wounds given to sweetest Mercy like so many cups of poyson that he hath drunk and so many cups of wrath which he hath made Christ to drink and as so much dung cast upon the Beauties of Holiness 8. Yea and he feels his sins in another manner O saith he I feel my proud heart still and my adulterous heart still and my covetous heart still and when any good ariseth it is surprized it it resisted it is quenched by a thousand evil motions And though I hear and though I seek God yet it is thus with me O! my sins have been so great that God will never undertake my conversion my change had I been more civil had I been less evil perhaps he would Now I would say six things to this great sinner 1. Great Six things to this great sinner Great sinnings should be reasons of great humblings but not of un belief sinnings should be reasons of great humblings but they should never be the causes and helps of unbelief Grandia delicta fletus grandes Because thou hast found an heart which could sin exceedingly beseech God to give thee an heart to mourn exceedingly and think not that God cannot do much good because thou hast done much evil 2. Great sinnings should work a self-despair but they should never work a God-despair Great sinnings shew Great sinnings should work a self-despair but not a God-despair a great fulness of sin which cannot be overcome but by a great God Thou art a great sinner but God is a great God there is no sinner like to thee and there is no God like to him He is great in power if he were not able to convert a great sinner he were not great in power and he is great in mercy and love he were not great in mercy to pardon nor great in love to save if he did not pardon great sinners and convert great sinners Therefore as the least sinner should despair of his own power so no sinner no not the greatest should despair of Gods power 3. God hath converted great sinners Usually God hath conveâ—ted great sinners the sinners whom God hath converted they have been of the greatest rank of sinners He hath passed by many an hundred civil righteous persons and his converting Grace hath laid hold on the notorious sinner Thou art not the first Idolater the first Thief the first Whore the first Adulterer the first Drunkard the first Swearer the first Sodomite the first Persecutor the first Unbeliever and refuser of Grace that Divine Grace hath assayed and converted They had no more power to contribute towards their conversion there was no more reason in them to move the Lord to look upon them than there is in thy self yet God did convert them 4. Though a person can say No sinner can say God will never convert him that God hath not hitherto converted him yet no sinner living under the means of Grace can safely say that God will never convert him For no sinner can know his eternal Reprobation this is a secret counsel which is reserved in the bosome of God can know the season the very designed season when God will convert him for the Lord reserves the power of conversion and the season of conversion to himself he converts some at one time some at another God never revealed to any man that at such a time at such an hour he would convert him Consequenter a man may know the hour of his conversion but Antecedenter he could not know that God would then just then convert him 5. There is more probability that God will convert thee thus sensible There is more probability of thy conversion being thus sensible than not Reasons of it c. than that he will not For 1. The clearing of thy great sinfulness unto thee and the setting of thy great sins in order before thine eyes 2. The quicknings of thy Conscience to feel the burthen and weight of thy great transgressions 3. The great perplexities and fears in thy heart because of these great sins are no evil signs at all Of the two the troubled Conscience is much more hopefull than the â—eared Conscience Vicinior saluti est dolor patientis quam stupor non sentientis as Austin well Though trouble in Conscience be not alwayes an infallible Argument of Life yet it is an ordinary Antecedent unto Spiritual Life The still Voice came after the Whirlwind and Christ came after the storm and Canaan came after the Wilderness the Spirit of Adoption comes after the Spirit of Bondage 6. But what if the Lord hath already converted What if the Lord have already converted thee thee What if God have done that work in thee which thou fearest he will never work further Assuredly if thou art greatly ashamed of thy great trangressions if thy soul can now loath it self for all its abominations if thy heart can remember them and bitterly mourn over them if thy cries be great to be delivered from them if thy fears be great to sin no more if thy heart will not be content without a new heart if thou and God must be reconciled if thou hast received an heart willing to be converted What shall I say Thou art indeed converted Remember two supports which I leave with thee 1. No poor sinner can be so ready and willing to be converted by God but God is much more ready and willing to convert him 2. A willingness to be converted is conversion begun the first stroke of conversion lights upon the Will of a sinner and the greatest part of conversion appears in the change and conversion of the Will it is from the will of Gods grace that thou art willing to have grace A second Use shall be of Caution Let no man presume to continue Vse 2. Caution Let no man presume to continue in great sins in great sins or to remain secure and careless because he hears that a great sinner may be changed and converted For 1. Although God doth convert some great sinners one Abraham one Paul one Mary Magdalene yet there are many of them whom he never converts 2. Perhaps he may convert perhaps he may not and what if he doâ—h not It is but contingent to thee Perhaps he will
Another is accidental which alters the qualities of man Naaman was the same man when he was a Leper and when he was cured of his Leprosie he was the same for substance of it there was no change but he was not the same for the accidental quality because his leprosie was changed Such a change is there in conversion the sinfull Leprosie is changed and a fair beautiful form of holiness is put into his soul the Glove is now perfumed the bitter water is now seasoned another nature contrary to his former nature is now infused old things are past away all things are become new 2. Cor. 5. 17. Againe observe that the accidental change or alteration of a person is likewise two-fold 1. One is Corruptive which is from good to evil such a change was there in the Angels that fell they fell from heaven to hell from being Children of Light to be the Princes of darkness and such a change was there in Adam that fell O what a change what a sudden loss of great possessions of unspeakable perfections O how good once he was O what a sinner now he is 2. Another is perfective which is from evil to Good Such a change is Conversion Why it is from sin to God It is more then for Joseph to leave the prison and be made a Prince when a man is converted he is now raised and enabled with the nature and life and excellencies of God and Christ true Conversion is a perfecting change One distinction more I cannot omit It is this The perfective change is likewise two-fold 1. Relative and forinsecal as in the Justification of a sinner when a sinner is Justified the state of this sinner is changed before it he was in the state of death and condemnation after it he is in the state of life and absolution 2. Inherent and intrinsecal as here in the conversion of a sinner which is a change within a man a change not so properly of his condition as of his disposition even from one contrary to another and that à Genere ad Genus from one kind of quality to another kind A sinner hath sometimes a contrary motion of good to evil put into him but this is not Conversion for it is not a mutation but a motion A sinners inclination is sometimes withheld that he doth not sin yet this is not conversion for it is a chaining only not a changing of his disposition the Lyon is a Lyon in chains A sinner goes from one sin to another he leaveth his riotousness and turneth to coveteousness he leaveth profaneness and turneth to hypocrisy yet this is not Conversion for his sinful disposition is not altered from kind to kind It is but a shifting from one evil to another evil as the wind from one poynt to another it is not a change from evil to good If a man could leave all the sins in the world and yet he loved and served but one this man is not a converted man because conversion is a change from one kind to a contrary kind which the man comes short of whose heart is still set on any one sin 2. True Conversion is a very great and notable Change It is a very great and not able change there is no change I think in all the world of that height and depth as the conversion of a sinner No not that from Grace to Glory because it is but ab imperfecto and this is à contrario The Scripture doth frequently parallel it even with those changes which are miraculous When Christ made the blind to see and the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak and the dead to live and dispossessed Devils these were very great and notable changes take them single and they were so Now all these miracles are wrought in any one converted person 'T is called a Creation a Resurrection c. because God puts out as much Power in the Conversion of a sinner as he did in creating the World It is the prime work of the Spirit of Christ the top the very highest when any one man is converted the blind is made to see and the deaf is made to hear Isai 29. 18. In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the Book and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness and the dumb is made to speak and the lame is made to leap Isai 35. 5. The eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped v. 6. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart and the tongue of the dumb sing Yea and the dead is made to live This my Son was dead and is alive again and so many sins as there are from which the heart is converted of so many Devils is that heart dispossessed thy filthiness was an unclean Devil and thy persecution was a raging Devil every sin that possessed thee was a strong Devil within thee Oh what a great change is it to behold a stone turned into flesh and yet in Conversion The heart of stone is turned into an heart of flesh Ezek. 36. 26. What a change were it to see a stone changed into a Son of Abraham and yet in Conversion a stony hearted sinner is changed into a Son of God what a change were it to see darkness turned into light yet in Conversion it is so Ye were once darkness but now are ye light in the Lord Eph. 5. 8. What shall I say in Conversion the Bramble becomes a Fig Tree and the Lion becomes a Lamb and the Wilderness is turned into a Paradise and Hell is turned into Heaven the Extortioner turns liberal so did Zacheus the Persecutor becomes a Martyr so did Paul the hideous sinner become a Saint so did Four things seâ— out the greatness of this change Theâ—e is a change of nature in nature the Corinthians the blasphemer now fears an oath There are four things which set out the greatness of the change in a sinners Conversion 1. There is a change of nature in nature there is a man and a man in the same man an old man and a new man in the same man two judgments in one judgment two wills in one will like two Armies in one Field or like the Twins in Rebecca's Womb. 2. There is the strangest unlikeness to a This is in a moment mans self in a moment that ever was in a moment to hate Christ exceedingly and the next moment to love Christ above all to crucifie Christ because he said he was the Son of God and presently confess that he is the Son of God to mock the Apostles as drunkards and presently cry out what shall we do c. this moment to love sin as if it were my only Heaven and the next moment to loath sin as if it were my only Hell Now to count all truth and holiness but as dung to the World and presently to count all the World but as dung
upon the spirit of a man which There may be many changes not inconsistent with the saving change yet are not inconsistent with the saving change of his Spirit Sometimes he may be lively and quick sometimes he may be flat and dull sometimes he may be confident and cheerful and at some other times he may be afraid and mournful sometimes he may be full and enlarged and at some other time he may be aukard and streightned sometimes he may have more sense of Gods Love and sometimes more sense of his own sins None of these things are essential to the converted estate a mans heart may be truly changed by converting grace notwithstanding many crosses and afflictions on his outward estate many eclipses in his comforts many varieties in his spiritual actings many contrarieties twixt his sence and his faith many temptations upon his spirit to many doubts and fears in his heart 4. Sinful corruptions never work with a more sensible strength Sinful corruptions work with more sensible strength when the heart is truely changed then when the heart is truly converted and changed Before Conversion our sins do work more mightily but we do not then perceive the workings because your delight was then in sinning and nothing is burthensome to delight and nothing was in us contrary to our sinnings the strong man kept all the house and every faculty was a friend and servant to sin the river ran all one way But when the heart is converted there is now laid into it 1. The quickest principle of feeling 2. The contrariest principle of resisting 3. The properest principle of destruction to sin and therefore no marvel that we feel our sinful natures more than formerly for all qualities are most active and most felt in cases of resistance and destruction nevertheless none of these must conclude against our Conversion but rather for it because 1. The greatest work of grace is inward 2. The sense of sinful workings joyned with an hatred of them and humbling of the heart under them and with addresses to God for subduing power is certainly a sign of converting grace Therefore hearken unto me thou distressed soul 1. Though the Glory of Grace consists in Victory yet the Truth of Grace appears in Combats the fighting Souldier is as right to the cause as the conquering Souldier there is fire in the smoking flax as well as in the flaming furnace 2. That great corruptions still remaining in temptation are the burdens of a weak Christian but are not the Characters of a false Christian 3. Jesus Christ can by a little grace weaken strongest corruptions The least true grace will help thy soul to Christ through whose strength thou who art now in conflict shalt ere long be made more than a Conqueror 4. True grace begins in weakness goes on with combat but ends in victory There is but little light at the first and more darkness for quantity but the light of the Sun is rising and dissipating and at length remains alone Conquering grace hath comfort conflicting grace hath strength and even mourning grace hath truth Peter's tears shewed truth of Grace as well as Paul's Triumph But how may I descern my change to arise from the power of converting How it may be discerned that this change is from converting grace and â—ot from the power of a troubling coâ—science Answered grace and not from the power only of a troubling conscience Sol. I conceive thus in four particulars 1. When the change is made only from the sting of conscience that change goes off and vanisheth when the trouble of conscience goes off and continues only while that doth continue whiles the trouble of conscience is on the man the man will hear and the man will pray and the man will consult and profess and resolve yea and now too to become a new man yea and he will cry out against his sins and will not come near his sins But when that trouble is off all is off again the Water which was heated grows cold again Saul is pursuing David again and Foelix is covetous again But if the change be from grace though trouble be off yet the heart is against sin and is for good for grace sets us against sin as it makes us unholy and evil and not only or principally as it makes us uncomfortable and miserable 2. When the change ariseth only from a troubling conscience not from a contrariety to God but to us It doth not arise from a hatred of sin and a love of good but only from a hatred of torment a self-love and a love of ease the man loves that sin that he dares not now commit and hates the good which now he doth he doth the good only as a means to take off his trouble he doth it not as a work in which he delights nor doth he flie sin as an evil which he hates he flies sin as it is malum sensibile not as it is malum spirituale But in a gracious change trouble doth not cause hatred but hatred causeth trouble of sin 3. When the change is only from a troubling conscience then when the trouble is gone the mans heart is more hardned and he growes more wicked then ever before and in after sinnings less sensible and less troubled as Iron growes more hardned after it hath been in the fire or water that is stopped more violent If they be again intangled and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. But where the heart is changed by grace the more grace still the more sense of sin and still the more fear to sin and still the more love of God 4. When the change comes only from the trouble of conscience the change extends no further then to that or those particular sins for which the conscience doth trouble the man if the other sins trouble not they are not left But when the change is wrought by grace this change extends to all sins I hate every evil way saith David they do no iniquity Psal 119. Let us â—leanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Quest How may a man know that his change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie but of Converting grace Sol. This may be discerned How it appears this change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie thus 1 The change by Hypocrisie 1. Is not Cordial no Hypocrites heart is changed In heart ye work wickedness The Hypocrite dares to give way to heart sins Judah turned Answered not with her heart but feignedly 2. Is not Vniversal The Prophet tells the hypocritical Israelites that they were as a Cake half baked and not turned an hypocrite though he forsake many sins yet he loves some sin Jehu cannot part with the golden Calves though he did destroy Baal 3. Is not lasting but changeable sutable occasions are too strong for an heart felsely changed 4. Is not able to abide three Trials of
a narrow path and under the straitest rules even such as condemn and cut off a world of pleasures and delights can that condition be very joyful which denies us the fruition of many joyes and delights 3. Conversion breeds the deepest sense of sin and the greatest mourning for sins Nothing makes the heart more mournful then converting grace See Zach. 12. 10. Can that condition be so very joyful which makes the heart so exceeding mournful 4. We see no persons walk more uncomfortably then at least some converted persons Yet the estate is joyful though the man is not alwayes so God is a God of comfort and they can pray for comfort comfort O Lord thy servants soul But more fully Object 1. No persons are so exposed to afflictions and persecutions as converted persons and these do deprive us of joy and How can this condition be joyful that is so exposed to afflâ—ctions Answered comfort To thâ—s I answer 1. It is a truth that Conversion doth expose a person to most afflictions and persecutions Many are the afflictions of the righteous saith David Psal 34. 19. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution saith Paul 2 Tim. 3. 12. Filii lucis are Filii crucis and Christianus is Crucianus said Luther In the World you shall have troubles said Christ to his Disciples and the Disciple is not above his Master if the Master dyed upon the Cross is it much that the Disciple take up the Cross Nevertheless in the second place as it was emblem'd in Reverend Hoopers Motto There was a Lamb in a flaming Bush with the Sun shining upon it or as it was with the three Children though they were in a fiery Furnace yet the Son of God walked with them and preserved them So though converted persons meet with many afflictions there is yet a spring of joy a Sun of comfort open unto them therefore heed me 1. Afflictions and persecutions do only take away the Christians outward comforts The Shell not the Kernel the Case not the Afflictions only take away their outward comforts Jewel which neither make nor marr the joy and comfort of a converted person they do not take away the true principles of comfort There are three sorts of comforts Sensual which are drawn out of our sinful lusts Conversion is an enemy to these Sensitive which are drawn out of the creatures affliction is an enemy to these Spiritual which are drawn out of the favour of God the blood of Christ the Testimony of a good conscience afflictions cannot hinder these and only a sinful unconversion is an enemy to these The Winter freezeth up the Ponds but not the Ocean the winds blow out the Candle but not the Sun An Unconverted man may have an exemption from all outward Afflictions and yet have no inward Joy for although he hath peace with men yet he hath no peace with God and although he hath no trouble upon his Estate yet he may have terror upon his Conscience But a Converted man although he be compassed with outward Sorrows nevertheless he hath inward Joy though all the Candles be blown out yet I am Comforted as long as the Sun doth shine There are two sorts of evils there are mala tristia mala turpia afflictions are only Sorrowful evils as to ouâ— sense they are not Sinful evils as to our conscience Now no evil is able to take away spiritual comfort unless it be a sinfull evil I confess that did a godly man look upon creature comforts as his bonum ultimum as that which made him happy then afflictions would be inconsistent with his joy he might well cry out as Micah once Ye have taken away my gods and what have I more But he doth not so It is not the Creature but the Creator which is the foundation of his Happiness and joy A man may be Bad who hath them and Good who wants them If we had hope only in this life saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. we were of all men the most miserable I wish that you would or could give credit unto two things one is That that only makes the estate comfortable which denominates it to be good for nothing can be truly delightful but what is truly good The other is That there is a greater power in the presence of the chiefest good to make the Soul joyful then there can be in the recess or absence of the least kind of good to make it uncomfortable Were Afflictions the greatest evils and were Creatures the best good then joy could not consist with afflictions but God is the chiefest good and the Christian enjoyes him under all afflictions as his inseparable good Ergo. 2. As Afflictions do not take off the Times of afflictions are his most proper seasons for joy Christians true joy so the times of afflictions are oft times the most proper seasons for joy and comfort to his soul There are three seasons of special comforts which God is pleased to reserve for his servants one is after great temptations or to prepare against them as that Voice This is my well beloved Son came to Christ immediately before his temptation The second is after great Humiliations God who comforts them that are cast down saith Paul 2 Cor. 7. 6. The Angel comforted Christ after his Agony the Cordial comes after the Physick The third is before and under great afflictions and tryals Paul was to appear before Nero but first God appeared to him saying Be of good cheer Paul He is come he is come said the Martyr when he saw the stake and Stephen saw heaven opened before he dyed The comforts of heaven came into his heart just before the stones were thrown at him to dash out his brains 2 Cor. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of all comforts who comforteth us in all our tribulations for as our sufferings abound so our Consolation aboundeth through Christ Is not the night a season to light a Candle and is not weakness the season to give a Cordial and is not the winter a season to make a Fire When doth or can the Christian more need the comforts of God then when all comforts on earth do fail him 3. As afflictions deprive not the Christian of the true principles of Joy so neither Afflictions cannot hinder his principles of Joy from acting in a way of comfort can they hinder those principles in himself from acting in a way of comfort There are two principles especially in the Christian which enable him to joy and comfort One is Faith It is still Day and never Night with Faith the Star shines best in the night Believing ye rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. Now Faith can act very comfortably in uncomfortable times it can see the same God with the same Love and in the same Covenant and in the same Relation
say of these men Write them comfortless Will the Lord lye for you Or will he misplace his hands for you Peace is the effect of righteousness and Joy is the fruit of Conversion And shalt thou have pleasure who takest pleasure in unrighteousness Shalt thou know the wayes of Peace who wilt not know the path of Holiness Did ever God smile on him who hated God Or clasp him with joy who despised his grace with hatred Go enquire and search all the Springs of joy and knock at all the Gates of pleasure diligâ—ntly ask What of delight they contain for thee Knock at the mercy-seat which is the Gate of God and ask Lord hast thou not joy for one who will go on in his sins and will not return unto thee No saith God not any but he who â—orsakes his sins shall have mercy and he who hardens his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28. 13 14. Knock at the Gospel which is the gate of Christ and ask Blessed Jesu hast thou no word of comfort for him who resists thy spirit and will not come in unto thee No not I saith Christ not any thou despisest the goodness of God and by thy impenitency and hardness treasurest unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Knock at conscience which is the gate of thine own soul and ask O conscience hâ—st thou not a word of peace to speak to one who loves his sins and is an enemy to God and godliness Who I saith conscience not I thou art an enemy of righteousness and in the gall of bitterness and except thou repent thou shalt certainly perish Knock at the Scriptures which are the Gate of truth and ask May not the wicked and unconverted person suck at the brests of your consolation are not thâ—se wells of salvation open for me to draw joy and comfort out of Oh no say the promises we are childrens bread and legacies for sons if thou be a believer we are a Fountain opened for thee if thou be an unbeliever we are a Fountain sealed against thee Knock at the Creatures which are the Gate of Providence and ask Have ye no Commission of Comfort for one who cares not to remember his Creator O no say all the Creatures Sin long ago hath cast thee out of Paradise and turned the earth into a curse and thy blessings are cursed and thy sinnings do poison all the flowers in our Garden unto thee Nay Knock at thy very Sins which are the Gate of Hell and ask them Ye of all other are my dearest friends and choicest masters and have ye no Joyes and Comforts for me O yes say they we have but they are forbidden fruit but they are pleasures of sin for a season but they will end in everlasting torments and sorrow Thus is every wicked and unconverted man in Cains condition who cryed out Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth Gen. 4. 14. 2. That they are enemies and slanderers of the goodness and They are slanderers of the sweetness of Gods ways who thus reproach the state of Conversion sweetness of the wayes of God who load the estate of Conversion with all the ignominious reproaches of sadness and heaviness and mopishness and melancholy and bitterness and grave of all joy and pleasure As the Spies of old traduced the good and pleasant land of Caâ—aan which abounded with milk and hony O it was a land that did eat up the Inhabitants thereof But as God spake once to Aaron and Miriam How were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses so I to these How are ye not afraid to reproach the wayes of the living God Is not God the God of comfort Is not Christ the consolation of Israel Is not the Holy Ghost the comforter are not the Scriptures written for our consolation are not the Promises the breasts of Consolation are not all the pathes of Wisdome pathes of pleasantness are not the Graces of God the very beds of Spices Is not the peace of Conscience a peace that passeth all understanding Doth David find the Word sweeter then the hony comb Doth Job find it better then his appointed food Doth Jeremiah find it the Rejoycing of his heart Doest thou read of so many Converted persons in Scripture full of joy and gladness rejoycing in Christ rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God reâ—oycing in Troubles in Persecutions yea in Death it self and yet darest thou to revile and scandalize the converted mans condition as the only sea of Bitterness and darkest night eclipsing all joy and comfort I pray thee to consider 1. This doth arise from the gall of thy wicked and imbittered Spirit hating and despising the goodly excellencies of holiness and holy persons 2. It doth shew a cursed heart to call good evil as it doth to call evil good and as he that justifies the Wicked so he that condemns the just is an abomination to the Lord How much more then he who condemns Righteousnes it self 3. This doth shew an Universal rage against Gods glory and mans happiness So heavily dost thou load the pathes of Conversion that so much as in thee lies thou disswadest and discouragest all the men on earth from leaving off their sins so that God shall have no Glory from them nor they any true happiness from God 4. And lastly Take heed least God deal with thee as once he did with the lying spies shut them out of Canaan and destroyed them with a remarkable Judgment 3. That they have hitherto deluded and deceived themselves with false joy in stead of true joy who as yet never saw a converted They who never were converted delude themselves with false joy condition All thy mirth and joy hath been but false fire a madness not a joyfulness sparkles of thy own kindling thou hast fed on the husks all this while on a fancy on a Dream thou hast never in all thy life took in one draught of true â—oy nor ever shalt thou till God convert thy soul Take heed of setling your souls or resting your souls on any works or any affections which are antecedent to conversion even the sorrows and troubles before conversion are no matter of joy and comfort if any joy depends on them it is rather because conversion hath followed them and the joys which many men take before their conversion certainly they are false joys poor joys they are not pleasures of Gods right hand There are three properties of true Joy 1. It is not the Vsher which goes before but the Handmaid that follows after Grace 2. It is not a Surfet to dead but a Cordial to strengthen and it is not a Feast to satisfie but a Sawce to quicken communion with God 3. It is not a temptation to sin but upholds against the new temptations of sin True Joy never goes