which is also on our behalf most needfull for as we are miserable and stand in need of mercy so also helplesse yea wholly impotent unable unfit yea unwilling as of our selves to convert or come to Christ Our need of Gods power in our conversion 1 Cor. 1.23 we must be drawn if we come at all our hard hearts must be changed prepared made willing that so Christ who to the Jews is a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness may be made unto us which are called both Jews and Greeks the power of God and the wisdom of God There is a yoak on our necks which God onely can take off Hos 11.4 by drawing us with cords of a man even bands of love God must prepare us for faith and grace by removing all blocks which lie in our way and that prejudice which wee generally have of Christ and take from us the stony heart We are dead in sin and trespasses and no less power is required then that which raised Christ himself from death Joh. 6.44 Ephes 1.19 20. Rom. 8.11 We are under darkness yea under the power of Satan and to turn us from darkness to light Acts 26.18 and from the power of Satan to God requires the power of God Nay when we are turned 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. we stand in need of the same power of God to keep us through faith unto salvation Conversion not wrought all at once Now this work of Gods power is manifested also by degrees and in a certain order whereby he brings those he loves from nothing to something from infidelity to faith 1 By driving them out of themselves and by self-denyall 2 By bringing them to true contrition and other further grace 3 And so by these and other preparatory works but by some preparatory works to through conversion and to true faith which faith and grace of conversion is not wrought all at once in one instant at least it appears not in any all at once nor is it wrought alike soon or late in all but as the Baptist was to prepare the way to Christ as to the onely City of Refuge by filling every valley and bringing low every mountain and hill so Gods messengers make way for his coming in the spirit savingly and powerfully by preparing the soul for Christ that is by pricking and wounding the conscience by casting down all high thoughts in men by humbling them first and then by raising them up by hope c. This work of power then would be traced from its highest originall also The order and steps of conversion which is double Know we then that the order and degrees by which the grace of conversion and of faith as it depends on power is wrought may be considered two ways 1. There is an order in regard of the persons and means working it 2. In regard of the work it self SECT 2. The persons and means used in Conversion 1. In regard of the persons and means working it It is originally from God 1 THis grace as all other grace is originally in from God and so comes to be wrought in us in a certain order by himself yet not always without means but in and by the use of his own Ordinances and by the Ministery of such persons as he pleaseth to imploy in the dispensation of his ordinances The summe is this 1 The Father 1. God the Father is first in order who is said to draw such as by him in love are given unto Christ to save John 6 37-44 Jerem. 31.3 Faith being therefore called the faith of the operation of God who raised Christ from the dead Vse Therefore not from us Coloss 2.12 It not being of our selves Ephes 2.8 or originally from us as if we first beleeving moved God to elect us We are his workmanship Ephes 2.20 2. Next is God the Son 2 Son Hebr. 12.2 Vse Christ saveth by power as well as merit who works Faith and Conversion also For whatsoever the Father doth the Son doth likewise Joh. 5.19 Christ is a Saviour not onely by his merit but by his power himself not we applying effectually what he hath merited else he were but an half Saviour 3 Holy Spirit 3. Now the Father and Christ shew their power by the holy Ghost or Spirit of them both which we know was in visible signes on this day of Pentecost given by the power of which these many here were converted and faith given to them it is therefore called the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.15 and by it faith is given of God Vse Therefore it is a free work John 3.8 1 Cor. 12.9 Whence it is that all that hear the word of Faith do not beleeve the Spirit is a free worker herein like the winde blowing where it listeth And the whole work of conversion must from these authors and workers of it needs be acknowledged to be a work of such power as far transcends the power of nature Vse of all This work is 1. Divine and not of man John 1.13 and of mans supposed free-will as if a man from the birth or otherwise wanted a naturall and bodily hand or eye who could give it him but the God of nature So who can give faith which is the hand and eye of the soul but God onely And all these three Persons had their work in the conversion of these Jews Luke 24.49 Acts 1.4 5-8 It is therefore a sure work 2 Sure as depending on 1 the Fathers Love 2 Sons merit 3 Power of the holy Ghost Now the Spirit or the Father and Son by the Spirit all whose power is one works this grace of Conversion and applyeth grace and faith to the soul either more immediately or mediately by the word and Ministery of it The Spirit works conversion either Immediately as in elect infants dying 1. Immediately as in elect Infants dying in their infancy where though the chief work shewed on them be a work of mercy and of free imputation yet their natures are sanctified and changed by the infusion of an habituall principle of grace wrought by the Spirit without which they could not enter into heaven But of this formerly The like we say of such elect ones as are born deaf and dumb or By means by the word 2. The Spirit ordinarily works not but by means and begets faith and grace by the ministery and preaching of the word as here Act. 2.37 Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God i.e. by the command ordination and appointment of God Isa 59.21 which therefore carryeth along with it his power and blessing so that though conversion may seem in Scripture or other wise to be ascribed to divers other things as 1. to the Sacraments Conversion is not wrought but by the word that of Baptism especially called the washing of the new birth 2 to voices from heaven 3. to
the Lord of glory would not have crucified him This is the reason why till this day they do reject him and are rejected of him and till this vail shall be taken from off their eyes and hearts they will never convert to God as we may see in Paul before and after his conversion A notable instance we have of Paul who whilst he was and remained ignorant of the excellency of Christ and stood upon his own outward priviledges and righteousnesse he advanced himself against Christ and his people and persecuted them but after Christ spake to him from heaven he is base in his own eyes denies himself and his own righteousnesse accounting all losse yea dung to win him and for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord he now admires nothing but Christ and determines to know or highly to esteem of none or nothing but Christ crucified See Phil. 3.5 6. with 7 8 9. 1 Cor. 2.2 So Job speaking of God to his friends and in Job Shall not his excellency make you afraid Job 13.11 and to God of himself after his eye had seen him I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42.6 2. Of their own vilenesse 2. Again Why do men carry themselves in their sins so proudly against Christ and God dishonour him daily yea hate and persecute him and his servants but because they are ignorant of their own vilenesse guiltinesse and wretched condition they know not their need of him and therefore they both reject him and remain in their sinful course without check wounding pricking and remorse of conscience Revel 3.17 Contra. the true knowledge of Christ and our selves would humble us Wherefore I say to you as Christ himself said to the woman Joh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me water thou wouldst ask of him c. So if we knew what a precious gift Christ is to us what a glorious holy God he is in himself c. and so withal saw our own need of him we would seek to him in all humility and self-denial we would buy of him c. as his own counsel to us is Revel 3.18 yea we would repent verse 19 and be vile in our own eyes we would mourn whilst we looked on him whom we have crucified c. as Zech. 12.10 we would be pierced to the heart and cry out Away with all priviledges power of will goodnesse of nature legal righteousnesse civilities formalities yea away with Scepters Kingdoms Crowns all give me Christ or else I die none but Christ nothing but Christ c. 4Vse for us Ministers to teach such doctrine as may humble men 4 Vse Now that you may thus do it concerns us in duty to God and love to your souls to teach such doctrine as this to you and as we desire the conversion and salvation of your souls we must make Christ fully known unto you and accordingly seek to prepare you for him by beating down the pride of your own conceits and all high thoughts and imaginations by beating you off your own bottoms Our duty is to form Christ in you Gal. 4.19 which cannot be done till ye be nothing in your selves and form Christ in them as in the creation the earth at first was rude and a confused chaos out of which all things were made so all things must be defaced even the goodly face of your own righteousnesse and moral vertues all high things and conceits must be brought to rubbish levelled with the ground before you can be made new men or Christs image stamped on you You must then either give us leave or we must take leave to tell you even you as well as Peter told the Jews that you are the crucifiers of Christ as well as the Jews your sins brought him from the bosome of the Father to die for them being as it were the setters on and principals An endeavour thus to do whereas the Jews were but instruments and accessaries they cried Crucifie him crucifie him in the court of Pilate but our sins cried Crucifie him in the court of Heaven yea by charging men now to be the crucifiers of Christ still we pierce and wound him as ill as they they pierced him with a spear thorns and nails we with reproaches our sins are as the gall and vinegar to him and by yeelding to sin in any kinde we so far and as much as in us lieth drive one nail more into his hands yea the spear into his heart yea so many sins so many nails thorns and spears And in plainer terms let me tell you that he against whom you sin is the Lord of glory who is the Lord of glory you cannot be so ignorant of it as the Jews were you have often been told it you have seen his works in the Church you professe to believe as much as these converts here either saw or heard on this day of Pentecost the Son of the eternal Father and therefore are lesse excuseable It is no lesse then the eternal Son of the eternal Father whom you crucifie afresh and put to an open shame Heb. 6 6. It is no other then his Spirit which you grieve then God whom you pierce And doth not this pierce and wound you as it did these here Oh that I might see it Do not you and to derogate from his glory and to adde to their own whilst they oppose his wisedom and are you not even they who derogate from his glory and adde to your own Do not you oppose your own widom to his accounting your folly true wisdom and his wisdom folly Do not you stand upon your own righteousnesse good meanings civil life formal Worship and so far exclude his righteousnesse as Paul did before his conversion righteousnesse will and Soveraignty and generally the Pharisees Yea are not you those that oppose your selves against him as your King doing your own will more then his yea by exalting your selves and the creature do you not undermine his Soveraignty I speak not now whilst I speak to you of the more grosse Idolater the heathen or Papist who denying the sole Soveraignty of God over them give and ascribe it some to Saints Angels and Images by Invocation and Worship some to the Pope on earth by slavish subjection honouring Idols nor yet onely of such as magnifying men more then God serve other mens humours lusts opinions but are not you to whom I speak many of you such as serve prefer and obey your own lusts more then God by your sensuality and worldlinesse and preferring their own will and lusts and so doing do not you in effect say Who is the Lord or who is this Christ that we should obey him or be subjected to him that we cannot follow our own delights or do our own will for him Let us break his cords we will not
wholly and only on him we lose the benefit of his death and of pardon and so die in our sins 3. As an example to us of all Holiness 3. He is moreover a most perfect example to us of all holiness in our nature of humility meekness patience sobriety temperance chastity to take us off from bragging of any of these in our selves and to shame and humble us who come so far Behind 4. As our Iudge 4. Let us conceive of Christ as of him that must be our Judge and before whose bar and judgement seat we must all appear and stand Rom. 14.10.11 12. 2 Cor. 5.10 So shall we not stand upon our own justification but in all self-deniall judge our selves that we be not judged of him for ever with the judgement of condemnation 2. Christ is to be admired in his Fulness and All-sufficiency 2. Learn we to admire Christ in his fulness and all sufficiency that we may be all in him when by self-deniall we are nothing at all in our selves So we shall be no loosers by denying our selves in other things as these here were not They flying out of themselves were sent by the Apostles to Christ only and directed to profession of his name alone by being baptized into the same Acts 16.30 31 38. and 10.43 to faith in his Name and to repentance for the remission of sin so as that through his Name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Now here let our care be above all by faith and self-denyall to get into Christ to attain a new Being in him to regain our selves being lost in the first Adam in him the second Adam in whom onely All fulnesse of grace life righteousnesse holinesse is stored up and of all good and saving things besides and from whom onely as from a full fountain we can hope to have them derived and conveyed unto us who is a fountain of grace to us God hath set and pitched his love onely on Christ his Son and loves no man savingly but onely in him He makes him a fountain of life grace and glory to his chosen For so it pleaseth the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 And that of his fulness we should receive and grace for grace John 1.16 grace according to our necessity and measure for and according to that fulness and variety of all grace laid up in him as our Head and proposed as an Head and second Adam for us to be dispensed to us according to our severall necessities diversities of our callings severall measures of grace and so as no grace laid up in Christ as in a treasury for us shall be wanting to us as our need shall be Our chief care should be to be all in him There is a Being 1 Out of Christ before the fall and since 1 A naturall 2 Sinfull and 3 Worldly Being Prefer we then in our thoughts that Being which is in Christ before all other Beings without him We had a Being out of him as a Saviour first before the Fall in innocency which was happy but not stable Secondly after the Fall and that both a naturall Being for in him as God we live move and have our being Acts 17.28 this is good but not saving As also in and under Sin and Misery which Being we have onely in the first Adam Rom. 5.12 1 Cor. 15.22 and it is a miserable being Yea and a worldly Being as a being rich and wealthy a being wise after the flesh a being mighty a being noble c. And this is a Being such as most desire yet not most desirable But the Being which most of all we should admire desire and delight in is a Being by faith in Christ 2 In Christ by faith not by bare and outward Profession onely as some whole Churches are said to be wherein all were not so sound as 1 Cor. 1.2 Gal. 1.22 but a Being in Christ by true faith and according to power such as Paul preferrs before all outward priviledges and righteousnesse of the Law when denying all these he so preferrs and desires to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 and speaking of himself I knew saith he a man in Christ c. 2 Cor. 12.2 This is that Being which we read of 1 Joh. 5.20 where it is said And we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternall life This our Being in Christ in effect is all one with Christs being in us whereby also Christ it in us whereby God and Christ is said to dwell in us and we in him 1 Joh. 4.15 16. of which Christ saith He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood which is not orally and carnally but by faith dwelleth in me and I in him John 6.56 and Abide in me and I in you he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Joh. 15.4 5. Thus we once being in Christ are one in him and in the Father John 17.21 As thou Father art in me prayeth Christ and I in thee that they also may be one in us This Being in Christ is to be admired and preferred before all other Beings as alone being 1 Stable and better then that we had in the first Adam This is the Being to be desired of us above all Beings else as being 1 A stable Being and therefore much better and firmer then that we had in Adam before the fall or then that which many yet would have and hold in the first Adam whilest they ascribe to themselves such a power of will and naturall abilities that being especially helped generally by the illustration of grace they have power to beleeve and repent if they will and so to stand and persevere if they will and if they will to fall but how in comparison of this our stable and established Being in Christ who are assured of it by being annointed sealed and by receiving the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.20 21 22. are we if we had even Adams innocency as well as power of will to deny our selves in the same 2 Spiritual better then either our naturall or worldly Being 2. It is a spirituall Being and therefore better then any naturall Being we have on earth which for it when the case so requires is to be denyed As is also our worldly Being and all earthly respects Hence the Apostle opposeth this our Being in Christ for the comfort of such as were otherwise base and could deny themselves in other things against being wise mighty noble in the flesh God calls not many such but chuseth foolish weak and base things of the world that no flesh should glory in his presence or stand upon such terms with him But saith he to such as were chosen and savingly called though otherwise but mean in all these worldly respects of him are ye in Christ Jesus
of his bondage under the law of sin O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Rom. 7.24 apprehending his deliverance by Christ he adds I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 3 His power wisdom Lastly the glory of Gods wisdom and power doth also thus shine out to the world by this his manner and method of dealing with converts and in making them new creatures We all do confesse that the works of creation especially the heavens do declare the glory though not the will of God How much more doth his glory appear in this work of effectual Redemption Psal 19.1 where by a like manner of proceeding his glory appears in greater brightnesse as in the creation There and here he works by contraries he in the creation made first a confused vast and grosse Chaos or rude lump where was nothing but darknesse and confusion yet out of that darknesse he brought light out of that confusion he brought order and this goodly frame and comely structure of Heaven and Earth do shew his wisedom power goodnesse beauty and glory beyond all expression Rom. 1.20 21. and he is glorified or should be in and by the right acknowledgement of these Oh how then doth his glory appear when in the new creation or conversion of a sinner he first casts all strong holds and high things into ruinous heapes into rubbish into a confused Chaos staining the pride of man laying him level with the ground what darknesse is in the minde what impotency in the will what confusion in the affections yea what feares and terrours is the confounded soul first brought into and yet such is the infinite power and wisdom of God he out of these ruines raiseth a goodly building even an house a Temple for himself to dwel in he brings light out of darknesse strength out of weaknesse order out of confusion joy out of sorrow and feares in a word heaven out of hell God in dealing roughly with such intends and prepares way for mercy Now for the conclusion of these proofs we hence may see how mans greatest good is wrought and Gods glory most manifested whilst God in the conversion of a sinner shewes himself terrible as there is just cause in us why he should indeed be so and so he is to impenitent sinners and yet intends nothing but love and mercy and by humility to exalt us to glory dealing with us as Joseph dealt at first with his brethren roughly imprisoned some charging all of them to be spies and threatning them and yet he even intended to discover himself in due time as a loving brother unto them Thus before God entred into covenant with his people to be their God Exod. 19. he shewed himself most terrible unto them by lightning fire thunder and black clouds Heb. 12.18 19. c. yea when the Spirit was sent down on the day of Pentecost Act. 2.2 6. there was a mighty rushing winde from heaven and shew of fire whereby they were confounded or troubled in minde and thereby the better prepared to hear that word which so wounded and pricked these converts in their heart And so was Elias prepared to hear the still voyce of God in which God made his will known to him by a strong winde rending the mountaines by an earth-quake as also the Jailor Acts 16. and by fire And so were the Israelites humbled terrified driven out of themselves by thunder and raine in time of harvest and prepared for repentance 1 Sam. 12.17 18 19 20. Let this suffice for the Demonstration of the aforesaid point of doctrine after which should follow the Application of it by way of Vse but to make further way for the same we will as we at first propounded speak of the Order degrees and steps by which God proceeds in perfecting this work of Conversion CHAP. IX Of the order of Conversion first as it depends on Gods Love Where ten Approaches of Gods grace to us 4 The Order steps and Degrees of Conversion and of faith THE work of mans Conversion is an effect both of Gods Love and of his power and so is to be considered of us but yet especially according to the latter respect which is more pertinent to my scope There is an order of Gods proceeding in each of these but first we may briefly consider that there is an order to be observed between these two First Love and then Power the one leading the way to the other The Conversion of a sinner faith and the meanes of both come to us first from the Love and then from the power of God And first as it depends on love in God not but that the power of God accompanieth his Love for Gods love is an effectuall and working love it is reall and operative in its time and the Love of God goeth along with his power even then when he seems to pull and rend us in pieces by his power his seeming rigour is mitigated and moderated by mercy and ever tends to and ends in the good and conversion of his elect This is taught us Jer. 31 3. I have loved thee with an everlasting Love therefore with loving kindnesse have I drawn thee So Joh. 6.37 and 44. All that the Father giveth me lo there is Gods free love shall come unto me c. there is expressed the power of his grace And no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him No man can come to Christ but by Gods free grace in love giving Christ as a surety John 3.16 and then by power applying him to our justification as our head Rom. 3.25 26. It skills not much in shewing the order degrees and steps by which Conversion is wrought whether I name it conversion faith yea or salvation seeing each includes or inferres the rest Ten divers degrees and approaches of Gods grace to us First then briefly for the Order of Gods work of Love by which we come to conversion faith to all other saving and sanctifying graces and to salvation 1 We must first begin with the consideration of Gods eternall decree of Election and Predestination To which purpose see and consider of these places of Scripture Ephes 1.3 4 5 c. Gods blessing us in time is according to his election of us in Christ before all time 1 Election Tit. 1. so 2. Thes 2.13 Matth. 11.25.26 hence faith is onely of Gods elect and onely such as are ordained to eternall life beleeve Acts 13.48 2 Next to this there is Gods sealing and ordaining of Christ the object authour and finisher of our faith 2 The sealing of Christ Heb. 12.1 from eternity also Joh. 6.27 1 Pet. 1.19 20 21. Where of Gods covenant with Christ and transaction with him 3 The publishing of the Promise 3 There is the publishing and promising of Christ made of old to our first parents after the fall
be plyable and yielding both to God and man 1 It stands not out against or resists Gods word but quakes at threatnings melts at promises is humbled at judgements as 2 Chron. 30.10.11 not such as was in Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36.12 of whom it is said he did evill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord or in Belshazzar framing to his will Dan. 5.21.22 who did not humble his heart though he knew all such evils and judgements as befell his father for hardening his mind in pride verse 20. In a word the soft heart yields like soft wax to the impressions of Gods grace word and spirit and like molten metal frames to the form and obeys that form of Doctrine whereto it is delivered as the phrase is Rom. 6.17.2 The tender heart shews it self also towards others by shewing forth bowels of pity to men in misery and man by pity and kindnesse Heb. 13.3 and of kindnesse and forgivenesse to such as do it wrong Ephes 4.32 2. This heard heart I speak of as it is stiffe stony and unpliable so it is also insensible void of all spirituall sense especially that of feeling this is through want of spiritual life 2 unsensible and without life where no life is there is no sense at all and where life is though other senses may be wanting yet not that of feeling that sense though it be not the most noble for so is the sense of sight and hearing yet it is the most necessary sense there being no life without it where it is wholly wanting or lost it of all senses alone is diffused throughout all parts almost of the whole body and it being lost there is no more intercourse of vital and animal spirits or influence of them by the nerves into other parts and consequently no longer any proportion or harmony of qualities or of temperament in which proportion the native moysture and heat is founded and consisteth So that feeling and sense of pain is needful to the very being of every creature arguing spiritu-death and so is spiritual feeling as necessary to the being of the new creature so that we may conclude that the heart which is an insensible heart is a dead heart Eph. 4.18.19 alienated from the life of God at least and that is bad enough possessed with a spirit of slumber and dead sleep whilest not one but all the senses of the soul are holden in it as the bodily senses in and by bodily sleep and that through a kind of dregginesse which stoppeth the passages of the spirits Or at least a dead sleep depriving men of their spiritual senses by which the whole heart and soul is made unsensible for hereby men are without 1 Hearing Isa 6.9 2 Seeing Isa 6.9 Ephes 4.18 3 without all spiritual Tast Rom. 8.5 4 Smel 2 Cor. 2.16 Lastly without feeling Ephes 4.19 having their hearts fat and insensible Isa 6.10 yea in a dead sleep and sleep of death and therefore insensible insensible of good and evil of mercies and of judgements of grace and sin without true love desire and joy in the one and without Fear Being contrary to the sensible heart 1 Kings 3.9 shame anger and godly sorrow in the other contrary to which heart is that which having a new life put into it and it awakened out of the Lethargie or rather death of sin begins spiritually and savingly 1 to hear for so we read of an hearing heart for which Solomon prayed 2 to see Ephes 1.18 1 Cor. 2.14.15 3 to tast 1 Pet. 2.2 3. with Psal 34.8 Cantic 4.11 4 to smel Cantic 1.3.13 16. 4.10 11. 2 Cor. 2.14.16 and 5 lastly to feele when by self-denial the fat of this grosse heart as it is called Mat. 13.15 which makes it also without sense Psal 119.70 Mat. 13.15 is consumed and offered in sacrifice to God according to the type Levit. 3.3 such a sensible heart was in these converts here who being self convinced self condemned and denying themselves were pricked in heart and through sense of pain cried out and sought help elsewhere then in themselves and accordingly found it I have thus set the benefit of the tender sensible heart against the other that by the opposition I might better shew the wofull condition and miserable estate of such as who being past feeling The miserable condition of senselesse and hard-hearted sinners give themselves over whether unto Laciviousnesse or to any other sensual and sinful course of life and who accordingly are given over in Gods most terrible but just wrath to this the worst of all evills on earth even the judgement of an hard and senselesse heart and all with this further aym that hereby the sinner that would attain to true compunction and pricking of heart for his sin and so to true conversion and salvation would above all be most afraid of this heavy judgement of hardnesse of heart and of whatsoever may cause or procure the same Such as are given over to it are irrecoverably left to the judgement of the great day seeing their judgement here is to be denied all sense of their dangerous and damned condition into which they have voluntarily brought themselves and so being left to themselves and to their own lusts as incorrigible Psal 81. and to Satan Hardnesse of heart the greatest Let to saving pricking 2 Pet. 2 4. and most to be laboured against as his prisoners to be reserved in chains of darknesse of mind and dedolent and final impenitencie kept and brought forth to that judgement wherein their case is now become like that of the devil and his angels whose judgement that is Of all lets then to this pricking of heart take heed of this of hardnesse of heart for where it is the judgement is to be deprived of all sense of sin and feeling of wrath till the soul be plunged into hell and become irrecoverably miserable and then lie under the sense of Gods severest wrath and eternall displeasure not to fear it is a signe of it Oh therefore get your hearts possessed continually with fear of this dismal evil and ever be afraid to be given over to it Now let me tell you not to fear it when you hear so much of it is a signe it hath already seazed upon you and benummed your spirituall senses especially if you have any long while lived fruitlesly or presumptuously under the means Young men especially to take heed of it and therefore especially it belongs to young men to take notice hereof who by reason of their age are not yet perhaps so hardened in sin through the deceitfulnesse of it There is a naturall tendernesse in us whilst we are young or a lesser degree rather of hardnesse which gets strength and proves habituall through use and age if it be not in time prevented Let such then
and condition out of their own houses in some parts of England but especially in Ireland as also by Sea as they go for New-England and other parts putting them to most miserable slaverie so by Antichrist and spiritual Babylon tyrannizing over soules and bodies as elsewkere and formerly killing massacring spoiling and laying waste whole Townes Cities Provinces and Countries by their cruell and mercilesse Souldiers witnesse not onely of later times Roehel in France and those of the Valtoline where Christians have been forced to flie their Countrey others staying to renounce their Religion in hope and promise of life and then cruelly slain the Enemie boasting they had now slain both bodies and soules of Heretickes so at this time in the lower Hassia but especially divers places of Germany and of the Reformed Churches there as the Palatinate Bohemia Silesia anno 1640. and now at this present the Lower Hassia over-run with barbarous Souldiers burning killing and spoiling without all respect to Sex Age or Order forcing men to leave their own homes to seek to maintain life by feeding on carrion and such like burning and demolishing their Churches and Colledges and School-houses impoverishing all of all sorts especially their Ministers and School-masters three hundred and more of whom at this time are forced to seek and by the recommendation of their Princesse The Landgrave of Hassia to desire the charitable and bountifull relief of Christians in other Provinces and Kingdomes for the present relief of the foresaid Ministers and Rectors of Schooles Octob. 1641. And for the re-edifying of their Churches and Schoole and should not we be affected with these things and weep with them that weep and shew a fellow-feeling with them making their case our own We should be alike affected with them not knowing how soon it may be so indeed in the mean time so remembring them that are in bonds as bound with them c. which is the Apostles exhortation Hebr. 13.3 Herein following the example not onely of Moses as was Moses whose heart melted when he looked on his brethrens afflictions in Egypt but especially of that worthy Nehemiah who at a great distance and Nehemiah hearing of the miseries of the Jewes that had escaped and which were left of the captivity Nehem. 1.3 4 5 c. that they were in great affliction and reproach that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire sate down and wept and mourned certain dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven This made him no doubt mourne for his own and others sinnes against which God by every judgement of his doth testifie that he hath just cause and matter against us and ours This is a noble president for us to follow seeing we want not like occasion and it would bring us to a mourning temper and disposition to weep even for our own as well as others sins At this time also the bleeding condition of Ireland would not be forgotten 3 specially we are to meditate on the sufferings of Christ for us 3. Lastly view we in our thought and meditations attentively the sufferings and greatnesse of the sorrowes of our Lord and blessed Saviour Jesus Christ dying for us with the cause thereof in our selves and sinnes together with the love of God and Christ himselfe in giving himselfe for us We should look on his sorrowes not with a spirit so much of compassion as of compunction not weeping for him in pitie so much which silly ignorant people and women can do when they see his Passion prophanely acted on the Stage and on our wounding him or in the streets in their Corpus Christi Playes or when they look upon the Crucifix striking and beating on their breastâ— as in true sorrow for out own sinnes by which we pierced him and in some sense do daily pierce him by the same so these Jewes here in my Text no sooner had Christ by the Word evidently set forth to be the true and onely Messias Gal. 3.1 and crucified among them by being charged and convinced that they were the Crucifiers of him but they were thus savingly pricked in heart as it was foretold of them and of those yet to be called by the Prophet Zechary They shall look upon him by the eye of meditation whom they have pierced Zech. 12.10 and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitternesse for him as on that is in bitternesse for his first-borne Consider herein Christ his bitter death not onely what thou must expect to suffer in thine own person for ever unlesse thou now be pricked in heart for him as well as he was pierced in heart head and hands and feet for thee but his infinite love as also on his infinite love in suffering such things for us who would suffer so much for thee and interpose himselfe between his Fathers wrath and thee yea receiving in his own bowels the javelin of his Fathers anger to keep it from thee to whom onely it was due as in like case did it not thinke we both trouble David to thinke of Jonathans hazards for him and also cause his heart to melt in true love to Jonathan who shewed himselfe so loving to him Will it not pricke and wound thy heart to consider this thy dear and truest Friend for thus he was wounded in the house of his friends one the racke of the Crosse for thee to the end that thou mightest never come unto it Zech. 13.6 how should yea and would this meditation if seriously made use of melt and mollifie our hard hearts and overcome all our obstinacies His sorrowes well thought on would helpe to break our hard hearts but his love appearing in the same would and should melt and thaw them 3 God softens our hearts by his mercies which we should often thinke of to that end And so generally the meditation of his mercies a thousand wayes manifested to every one of us How did hard-hearted Sauls heart melt into teares when he saw and was convinced of Davids love integritie and respects to him and his life when in the very act of his hostilitie against David yet David spared his life And how was Davids own heart humbled at the relation of Gods many mercies against which he had sinned The like in the Israelites 1 Sa. 24.16 17. 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9-13 who upbraided by Gods mercies in bringing them out of Egypt lift up their voice and wept so that the place had its name thence and was called Bochim or Weepers Judges 2.1 2 3 4 5. They considered Gods kindnesse to them and their unkindnesse to him and thereupon wept such consideration of mercie shewed or offered to the unworthy is foretold to worke shame in the sinners and loathing themselves Ezek. 36.25 26 c. with verses 31.32 O then hearts harder than the Adamant that are not
if wee had them 3 In our Joy and delight 3 Joy so as willingly in some case and for the furtherance of some greater good to deny our selves lawfull comforts for a while as of meat marriage apparell and lawfull recreations that we may give our selves to fasting and prayer for the obtaining some spirituall blessing and neerer communion with God by self-humbling for the averting of some judgement from our selves or others c. 4 In our good nature and bodily perfections And so passing over goodnesse of nature and such bodily perfections as in which we also are to deny our selves and not either to trust to them or to think our selves simply better by them as beauty and comely feature strength agility yea health and youth not priding our selves in them nor trusting to them 2 In the contentments of this life we fall into the second sort of things naturall in which we are to deny our selues especially when they come in competition with Gods glory word will and our own spirituall and eternall good These are many as in 1. Riches See 2 Chro. 25.9 10. Acts 2.45 1 Tim. 6.17 Psal 33.16 17. 20.7 as 1. Riches and treasures estate offices and possessions Thus Zacheus Luke 19.8 and the case so requiring beleevers in the beginning of the Christian Church sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had need Yea riches in evill times are not to be trusted to nor horses and chariots 2 Honours and name Honours and name Thus David when Saul stood between him and a Kingdom though he had him at advantage found Saul in an act of hostility against him was incited by others to destroy him yet denyed himself therein would not as men of the world do violate justice no not for a Kingdom chusing rather to live a persecuted Subject then to be a King by such means We must also be content to deny our selves in our name reputation and esteem in the world in which for Christ wee must deny our selves being contented for Christ to be accounted as he was for us Mar. 3.21 no better then mad and besides our selves fools the off-scouring of the world enemies to Cesar to State and Government factious seditious humorous puritanicall and what not In such case we with Paul must first approve our selves to God by purenesse innocency and otherwise and then be content to passe by honour and dishonour by evill report and good report to be accounted deceivers to be unknown or unacknowledged in our innocency integrity and other graces and priviledges of the Saints 2 Cor. 6.4 -6 -8 9. So and so in bearing of injuries in case of injuries and disgraces and affronts as when our Saviour himself was smit on the face and spit on by base souldiers and being reviled reviled not again despised the shame c. And when David was reviled by Shemei and put by his Kingdom by his son Absolom and forced to flee before him how doth he resigne not onely his Crown and honour but all into Gods hands saying Behold here I am let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him 2 Sam. 15.26 and 16.7 8 10. 3 Pleasures ease and peace 3. Pleasures lawfull contents ease and peace in this world Christ saith to his followers Thinke ye that I am come to send peace on earth I came not to send peace but a sword I am come to set a man at vaciance against his father c. Matth. 10.34 Luke 12.51 We must then so far deny our selves in our ease peace comfort of friends as to resolve for Christ his sake and a good conscience to forgo their love and indure their displeasure Yea we must deny our selves in all easie waies to heaven It s only easie to go to hell There is no going to heaven as men usually speak in beds of down we must go by the way of mortification and self deniall by the crosse and by afflictions Self-deniall in all these three particulars named may be considered again in Moses his example Hebr. 11.25 26 27. 4. Things indifferent and lawfull 4. In some case as of scandall and of edifying the Church we are to deny our selves even in our lawfull liberties in things indifferent or not so necessary but that they may bee forborn without sin as we see in Paul becomming all things to all men 1 Cor. 9.20 21 22 23. and he would have us take heed that our liberty become not a stumbling blook to them that are weak 1 Cor. 8 9 -13. and vers 4 5 6 12-15 Yea he restrained himself from marrying a thing otherwise as lawfull for him as for any and refrained from taking wages of the Churches for which he in others behalf pleads very hard but he used not his power as the case was with him lest he should hinder the Gospel of Christ So should we in some like case rather depart from our own right and take wrong then go to Law before the unjust and unbeleevers 1 Cor. 6.1 6 7. 5. A mans country is and ought to be dear unto him 5. Country yet in case Christ call him he must leave it and follow God even blindfold as Abraham who so called went out not knowing whither he went Hebr. 11.8 Gen. 12.1.4 So Ruth ch 2.11 12. 6. If a man will come to Christ he must hate that is 6. Friends less love and resolve rather if the case so require to disrespect and neglect his father mother wife and children brethren and sisters and forsake all that he hath Deut. 33.9 Mat. 4.20 and 19.27 and 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. He must resolve of this and cast for it before hand by resolution of mind and by actuall performance Luke 14.26 27. c. 33. when the case so requires otherwise he cannot be Christs Disciple And of this we have a notable example of latter times in Galeacius a noble marquesse too long here to relate I refer to the History which in print is in many hands 3. Life it self Now thirdly we are if the case so require not to respect our naturall life it selfe but to lay it down for Christ as he laid down his for us which is to be denied So we are taught in the forenamed place Luke 14.26 and Matth. 10.39 Mark 8.35 This was resolved on and done by the holy martyrs of Christ in all ages So that our very lives should not be dear unto us neither should we refuse any hazards though even of life not only for a good conscience and faithfulness in our callings 1. For a good conscience as we are Christians See Acts 15.25 26. and for the name of the Lord Jesus as it was with Paul Acts 20.24 and 21.13 but with respect to and for the strengthning of the brethren We ought saith Iohn as Christ laid down his life for us 2. For the good of others so to lay down
3 Honourable 3 And as this Being in Christ is spirituall so you see it is also Honourable for hereby though otherwise never so mean in the world we become and are the sons of God John 1.12 4 Rich whereby we partake of his Annoynting he becoming to us a Prophet 4 It is also a rich Being whereby we becoming by it members of Christ and that both in regard of body and soul 1 Cor. 6.15 17. Rom. 12.5 do partake of his Annoynting that is of his Spirit Joh. 2.27 and of all the gifts of it Acts 2.17 18. as these in my Text did ver 38. by which he becomes to us a Prophet revealing in us and to us the eternall will and good purpose of the eternall Father concerning our salvation Priest John 1.18 a Priest to reconcile us by his blood to bring us into favour with God again and to keep us in the same by interceding for us and by pleading our cause at his Fathers right hand King A King to rule and guide us by his word and Spirit and to fight for us and protect us against all enemies bodily spirituall eternall and infernall in the mean time enduing us with the riches of all his merits And what are all earthly things to this Being 5 Blessed and much better then a sinfull Being 5. It is also a blessed holy and happy Being Eph. 1.3 and in that regard infinitely better then our being in sin and under wrath as wicked men are who being out of Christ are never well or to their content but when they are drunk merry secure proud in the fashion of the world and in their heart glorifying themselves as Babylon is brought in Rev. 18.7 saying in her heart I sit a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow Such a Being is a miserable Being and as it is sinfull so is it temporary and shall end when endlesse sorrows beign whereas our Being in Christ as it is from eternity 6 Eternall even before our being in the world and before our effectuall calling namely in Gods election Ephes 1.3 4. yea and after our calling notwithstanding our falls which do not separate us from Christ after we once be truly in him though thereby wee have no incouragement to sin so it is to eternity Here in assured hope and right we even now being raised in our bodies and sitting together inheavenly places namely in Christ Jesus and hereafter in the full fruition and beatifying vision and sight of him In these regards wee are to deny our selves in the rest These things considered should we not for Christ and the injoying of him be content if need so require to deny our selves in all things else What shall we lose if forgoing all things else we gain him and such a Being in him which as is said includes a fulnesse of all things and is better then any being else out of him as being an estate and a Being most stable spirituall honourable rich and blessed even to eternity and to labour after this Being seeing hereby we 1 Get somewhat to oppose our naturall and carnal selves And this the rather should we now by self-denyall and seeking to become new-creatures in him labour for inasmuch as so we shall finde 1 That in us which will enable us to withstand and oppose our carnall sinful and naturall selves and Being which Being alone swayes all and carryes us from God and Christ to all evill Where there is nothing but a naturall or a sinfull Being it will never yea it can never oppose it self but being one with it self seeing nature wil not otherwise oppose or den itself will seek ever to maintain it self in its own proper Being as carnall wisdome will never oppose or deny it self but when Christ is once our wisdom and we are once made wise in him carnall reason and wisdom will finde opposition from spirituall wisdom so generally when we are all and onely flesh and carnall fleshly and carnall men and company without us and such like motions within us have us at command and no temptation is truly and spiritually unlesse upon carnall naturall worldly and base respects withstood But that then is no true genuine or full self-denyall nature or the flesh rules and commands all still Onely where we have a new being in Christ there we have that which truly and diametrally will oppose corruption and the fleshly part and self in us So onely it is with the truely regenerate where the spirit in them as a new and supernaturall principle doth lust against the flesh and though it lust and strive against the spirit yet the spirit in the end prevails There is no true self-denyall of a mans self but by the spirit of holinesse and of power This helps to enable us to deny our selves 2. Thus by becoming new creatures in Christ 2 Finde fâ—llâ—â— content we onely finde true full and every way satisfactory content which makes us willing to deny our selves and to forsake all whether sinfull or yet if need be naturall contentments for him and for God in him No content out of Christ which men in vain seek Whilest men want Christ and enjoy not God in Christ they seek contentment in and from every thing but finde it in nothing They know no sufficiency but such as is in themselves or in the creature or if you will in God and Christ injoyed and had in their own way and as carnall reason or proud nature shall dictate to them and direct them They want the fruition of God which now is had onely in Christ and so they want contentment yet because they would have it they seek it either in some base lust and sinfull way from their lusts whether open or more secret which to them is as their God and they know no other happinesse and so every hypocrite lives in some sin or other or from the creatures or from the creature as from riches favour of men friends honours c. unto which they flee for their comfort or otherwise for defence and protection or from themselves in whole or from themselves as from some worth or merit in them or at least in part so seeking salvation not from Christ alone as if he alone were not alsufficient and alone able to content them but from some supposed merit or satisfactory works of their own or other mens from some goodness of their own nature or some power of their own free-will or from their duties in which they rest or at least from their duties otherwise good and necessary to help us unto Christ and to assure us of our being in him in which they rest and with which being otherwise it may be with diligence and zeal performed they altogether take up and so for want of denyall of themselves in them come short of Christ Whereas if these men did apprehend the fulness of Christ and saw and