not give his Glory to 〈◊〉 Isa. 42. 8. The Lord Jesus as he will not suffer 〈◊〉 Corruption never so strong to hinder his Work when he will accomplish it so neither will he suffer 〈◊〉 of our performances or abilities be they what 〈◊〉 will to joyn Purchasers with him in the 〈◊〉 of Grace as though he were not either able or willing to be the Author and sinisher of our Faith 〈◊〉 No no We must not ad of ours but in 〈◊〉 case take all of him and from him not bring 〈◊〉 own wisdom with us but become fools that we 〈◊〉 be wise and that 's the way which God hath 〈◊〉 to gain information not think to ioyn our 〈◊〉 with Christ and so become Co-partners with 〈◊〉 I speak of the first Work of Conversion to 〈◊〉 our selves Holy Just and Wise but 〈◊〉 our selves we must look that he should be made Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and 〈◊〉 to us Hence the Apostle Phil. 3. 9. professeth he desired 〈◊〉 to be found in Christ not only as not having his 〈◊〉 sins but not having his own 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 by the Law A Real Renouncing of our own worthiness of that Grace and Mercy which we need and without which 〈◊〉 are most miserable this being one Condition of the Second Covenant of Grace made in Christ wherby it 's differenced from that of the Law made with Adam Namely That Holiness and Righteousnes wherewith the Nature of man was beautified in Paradice though it was not so natural as issuing out of the Principles out of which he was compounded and made yet by all Orthodox Divines it is in this sense judged natural in that in Gods wise Providence and righteous appointment it was due to Nature It being cross to the wise proceeding of the infinite wise God to require Obedience from a Creature if he should not have given ability to the Creature to perform it It Arguing weakness and unskilfulness at the least in the Workman to make a thing for an End and not make it able to attain the End 〈◊〉 which it was made But in this Second Covenant of the Gospel it is far otherwise when we in our first 〈◊〉 had mispent the stock the Lord had bestowed upon us we were unworthy to be betrusted with any more and hence it coms to pass when the Lord wil lay hold upon the proud heart of a Sinner and draw him to himself he sinks his Spirit with the sence of his own wretchedness so that he sees and confesseth freely that he is undone without Mercy and yet conceives it 's not possible that ever such a worthless worm should partake thereof acknowledgeth it's just with God to deny to give nay to offer Grace to him that hath slighted rejected opposed Grace from day to day He knowes he cannot procure or Purchase Gods favor challenge he dare not without it he concludes he must perish and yet deserves by his own confession he should never obtain it Dan. 9. 7 8. O Lord Righteousness belongs to thee but unto us confufion of face nothing but shame and confusion belongs to us no mercy nor grace Ezek. 36. 31 32. They shal loarh themselves in their own eyes and not for your 〈◊〉 do I these things saith the Lord be ashamed and confounded O house of Israel In a word then is a man truly worthy that is fit to hear of and to receive mercy when he is rightly really become 〈◊〉 of his own unworthiness The soul now stands ready to side it with Christ for him to take possession of it that though the soul be not able to kill sin yet it 's empty the Coast is cleer as when Joab sent to David to come and take the City so the soul stands ready that if Jesus Christ would come and take possession of it and do that for it which it cannot do it self this is that that it would have the soul is content that Christ should do all as suppose a City that is Garrisoned with Enemies they cannot get them out themselves but they are willing that the General should come with his Soldiers and drive them out and place another Garrison there so the soul is content that Christ should dispossess whatsoever opposeth him and do whatsoever is pleasing to himself Isa. 26. 13. O Lord our God 〈◊〉 Lords besides thee have had Dominion over us but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name as if the soul should say I cannot subdue my sins my self but let Christ do what is good in his eyes the soul is content that Christ should work upon it and do all for it The Second Particular to be attended for the Explication of the Point is to shew the Manner of this Work and that will also appear in Four things The soul of a sinner is meerly patient herein it 's wrought upon him not wrought by him by any power he hath inherent in himself so the phrase and language of Scripture Jer. 31. 18. Turn me and I shal be turned and verse 19. After I was turned I 〈◊〉 that also includes as much Gal. 4. 9. we know God 〈◊〉 rather in this first Work are known of him And therefore it 's no work of Sanctification properly and as it 's taken in a narrow and strict sense for the sinner be ng justified by Faith and having the Spirit of Adoption dwelling in him hath received a principle of life wherby he comes to be active Act. 15 9. Having purified their hearts by faith This only is in way of preparation to fit us for our being in Christ that I may receive this power this is to make room for faith and Christ that having received him I might be enabled by the power of the Spirit to run right which is Sanctification Hence then go no further than this work the sinner as yet is not a good Tree nor can he bring forth good Fruit but is in way of preparation to be made one yet this work as it comes from the Spirit is good and pleasing to God because the Spirit is a good tree and is the Author of this I only am the receiver of it and therefore it is none of my fruit properly nor am I said to do any thing to please God by this because it 's done in me not by me As it is in the infusion of the Grace of Faith look at it as the soul is the subject of the Work the act it self comes from the Spirit and as a fruit of the Spirit it is good and accepted of God yet I cannot properly be said to please God in it because it is not an act done by me Hence those feeble Objections fall to the ground and are wiped away with a wet finger If there be any saving Preparation before the infusion of Faith then the soul brings forth good fruit and is a good tree without Faith And Secondly then there is somthing which pleaseth God
the same time be 〈◊〉 or that which opposeth and distroies this good 〈◊〉 yet share 〈◊〉 First then the Lord Christ makes the Soul Capable As in all Corporations who have their Priviledges and Immunities by Charter 〈◊〉 to certaine persons under such terms and conditions as that he must be bound prentise and serve 〈◊〉 long he that comes not under such conditions he is not capable of such priviledges so here John 3. 27. No man can receiv any thing except it be given him from 〈◊〉 that is not only the thing but the receiving of it must be given unto him Math. 13. 11. To you it is given to know the Misteries of the kingdome but to others it was not so for in hearing they should bear and not Perceive seeing they should See and not understand their eyes were blinded and their hearts were hardened and so they were uncapable of any good Coloss. 1. 12. Giving thanks unto the Father who hath made 〈◊〉 meet to be partakers of the 〈◊〉 of the Saints as who should say they were not fit nor meet before they were made so As he makes them capable of this 10 he giues them a right and title therunto which they may for 〈◊〉 hould and for ever maintaine their Possession by 1. John 5. 12. he that hath the Son hath life first we must have aright unto Christ and then to all that is in him In him are hid all the treasuries of wisdome and holiness if once a man have a right in the 〈◊〉 all the mettal Gould and Silver is his that is there 〈◊〉 may digg bouldly and take freely it is his own buy once the Ground then all the springs that runne 〈◊〉 all the trees that growe there and all provision 〈◊〉 arise thence are his Christ is the mine of mercy and 〈◊〉 Oar of Grace and Salvation the well-spring of 〈◊〉 and happiness all the promises are 〈◊〉 and Amen in him in him accomplished by him performed this is Gods manner first he gives his Son and with him all things that 's his order in giving and it should be ours in receiving It 's Satans policy to make the Saints be at a loss when they look for pardon and grace and peace and comfort within themselves and then to Christ and so 〈◊〉 his labor and Lookes in vaine but wee should Looke up to Christ the author and finisher of our Faith Heb. 12. 〈◊〉 God hath blessed us with al Spiritual blessings but it is in Christ Eph. 1. 3. In him these blessings are contained by him dispensed and from him received And therfore the Apostle issues all here This is the witness of the Father touching his Son he hath given us eternall life and this life is in his Son 1. John 5. 11. this is the Tenure of the Saints which they hould in Capite The Soul then stands Seized of and actually estated in al these spiritual good things of Jesus Christ he is really admitted into all these priviledges that he may enjoy them and unto 〈◊〉 benefit of them as his due he hath not onely jus ad rem but jus in re Rom. 8. 32. If he hath given us his Son how shall he not but with him give us all things else he is the heire who hath all have him and have all when the indentures are Sealed then there is Deliverie of the Land and the Emolument therof comes to him from that Day forward So here the rents and Revenues of the Gospel come in to us when once we have Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made of God unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption if once he be made ours all in him will be made ours also 1 John 16. Of his Fulness we all receive Grace for Grace The soul hath now liberty to 〈◊〉 and improve Christ and al he is and hath and doth for our Spiritual Advancement and so to live upon our own our Revenues and comings in from Jesus Christ Gal. 2. 19. That I now live it is by the faith of Jesus Phil 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me he hath provisions about him to live comfortably and contentedly in all conditions I can be rich and I can be poor I can abound and I can be abased Mens Patrimonies and Possessions may help them to be rich but to learn them how to be poor they will not nay rather indispose them and God would have us not only live Christianly but comfortably Heb. 6. 17 18. He hath sworn that he will bless us in his Christ that by two immutable things we might have strong consolation nay To grow up in him in all things Eph. 4. 15 16. that we may grow rich in peace and comfort and assurance in grace and holiness and all the good things of Jesus Christ. And this is the Order of Application He first makes us capable of then gives us a right unto then estates us in and lastly gives us the use and improvement of all Spiritual Good in Christ. Thus it 's made Ours This should make us see and affect our hearts with a holy admiration at the riches of Gods mercy and freeness of the Covenant of Grace in Christ who prevents his with Blessings of goodness and that in the midst of their undeservings when out of the stubbornness and crossness of our hearts we oppose his Truth and Holiness he doth us good when we neither will nor desire our own good He not only provides a gift but a hand to take 〈◊〉 he requires the condition which is exceeding reasonable and works 〈◊〉 the condition he requires tenders us mercy which we could not have conceived and that 's not all but gives a heart to entertain it that 〈◊〉 Christian might be and breath in mercy When Adam though adorned with all 〈◊〉 that was compatible 〈◊〉 a creature in his condition having the stock left in 〈◊〉 hand he undid himself 〈◊〉 his Posterity being left to the mutability of his 〈◊〉 will though holy and righteous how suddenly 〈◊〉 irrecoverably becomes he miserable But this is 〈◊〉 incomparable excellency of the Covenant of Grace the Lord not only makes provision for lost man 〈◊〉 though it was no smal favor yet it would never 〈◊〉 done him good therefore he made it his also 〈◊〉 dam should have had all conveyed to him by a 〈◊〉 of Justice by his own improvement and obedience and hence he lost what he had and hoped for It 〈◊〉 just God should require service from Adam it 〈◊〉 just he should give him grace to do it for else 〈◊〉 should have required 〈◊〉 from his Creature which had been contrary to the wisdom and holiness 〈◊〉 the Creator It was also just that when 〈◊〉 had done what was commanded and covenanted 〈◊〉 him for 〈◊〉 was just 〈◊〉 say that then he should accept of work and reward it for to him that worketh wages is due of debt Rom. 4. 4. but it's 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 of the
here Men that cleer ground they content not themselves to lop off the tops of trees but they stub up the roots then they make cleer work So here be sure you stub up the heart and will of sinning that 's the root of all or else al that you do is in vain it was our Saviors expression to the Pharisees Luke 11. 39. Ye fools that make clean the outside of the cup and the platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness they began on the wrong side they contented themselves to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 their outward conversation to manward and left corruption in their hearts unsubdued unremoved and therefore our Savior Christ calls them fools and hypocrites for their labor What can you say to my life what hath any man against me if thou hast no more 〈◊〉 say for thy self than that comes to thou hast nothing at al 〈◊〉 thy heart be not clensed from those iecret corruptions of thine Let me leave Two or Three Directions here that are just in my way not interfering with any thing to be spoken afterward Know that the greatest work of Reformation Repentance and the comfort of a mans spiritual condition it lies mainly in the Will the greatest work and the greatest difficulty lies here Brethren If you look at it as a matter of ease that thou canst do it with the turning of a hand and make wash-work of it thou never knewest it and thou shalt never attain it It 's one of the Devils greatest delusions whereby he cozens thousands to perswade men it 's an easie matter to be Religious No 〈◊〉 know it unless you find it the greatest work in the world you will never find endeavors suitable nor success answerable for the comfort of your own souls Oh therefore that every man would go home convinced and perswaded God hath helped me to temper my tongue and to keep my hands the Lord hath given me an enlightened Judgment a reformed life but Oh the difficult work is behind this wretched heart of mine the hardness of that the impossibility of that conclude it therefore and resolve upon it it wil cost me hard work and unless the Lord enable me and set in mightily and constantly upon my soul the work will never be done The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked Jer. 17. 9. there is no hope of it as it were the hand and eye and tongue may be reformed but the heart is desperate who can know it who can mend it who can overpower it If thou hast found it easie nay if thou didst never stand amazed at the difficulty of the work about thy heart to get that severed from thy sins thou never hadst the right discerning of it to this day Paul cried out of the Body of Death Rom. 7. last who shal deliver me from it not from the eye or the hand but from the heart the will of Pride the wil of Uncleanness the will of 〈◊〉 and here he is at a stand at an amaze with himself who shal deliver me Beleaguer thy heart and will with the cleer evidence of the Truth of God that it may not be able to make an escape from under it It is with subduing the Will as it is in winning a strong Hold it 's marvelous hard to 〈◊〉 unto it no battery can be made against it those that are do not prevail 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 taking of it then they besiege it so that none shall come in to bring any help 〈◊〉 none go out to find any relief then in time they will be famished out and so forced to surrender Do so with thy soul thou hast a crooked proud 〈◊〉 will that hath outbid al the Ordinances of God no battery could ever prevail against it therefore labor to besiege it with the Evidence and plainness of undeniable Arguments of Truth from the Word that nothing may come in nor out listen not to any carnal Reasons within suffer not either honor or profit or pleasure from without to enfeeble the power of the Truth but so besiege it with the Evidence of the Word that the soul may say this is my sin this is my plague this is my state it will be my ruine unless the Lord shew mercy to me this wil tire the heart of a man and there is no other way in the world and it 's certain that the heart wil either lay down his corruption or his conviction but this is our misery that some go out and some come in and so the heart is relieved and holds the siege long The last Direction which may prepare us for the next Point viz. The hand of the Lord to work this for us When thou art perswaded this stubborn heart will cost me many a prayer and tear and bring me often upon my knees it wil never do else if I think it 's easie I never knew what it was and when thy heart is so besieged that it finds no relief Then Brethren look often up to Heaven He only that made the heart can frame the heart to the blessed obedience of his own wil al that we can do is to use the means and lie under the Ordinances that God may do that for us which he requires of us It 's the Lords own Promise Ezek. 36. 26 27. I will take away the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh therefore go and cry to Heaven and say Lord it is not in our hands to do it but thou hast said thou wilt give unto thy servants a heart to hate sin we come and beseech thee deny it not unto us Look to him we should in whose hand our hearts are that he may do that for us which we cannot do for our selves BOOK VIII JOHN 6. 44. No man can come to Me unless My Father which sent Me Draw him WE have already Debated and Dispatched TWO of those Divine Truths wherein the Dispensation and manner of Gods working upon the Soul in preparation was conceived and described 1 That he finds the sinner settled upon his 〈◊〉 and in the security of a sinful Condition 2 That he was wholly unwilling to be severed therefrom That it is a Death to him to be awakened out of this dead sleep when he saw no danger nor feared any but pleased himself in his Dreams and deluded 〈◊〉 of his own happy Condition 3 The Third and last Point now comes to skanning and Consideration wherein indeed the Pith and Marrow of this so deep and mysterious a Dispensation of the Lord upon the Soul discovers it self The Two former only made way for the more plain Explication of this last and the more easie Apprehension of it by those who are willing to understand Namely That by a holy kind of violence he is driven out of his sin and Drawn unto Christ by God the Father notwithstanding al the 〈◊〉 and utter unwillingness to the contrary And for the foundation of our following Discourse we have chosen these
its own burden and preservation of it 〈◊〉 it willingly would have but knows not where to find it nor yet obtain it 〈◊〉 it did appear It may be discovered in two things In the rise and ground of it the Lord leaves upon the Understanding of a 〈◊〉 sinner a real apprehension of his own 〈◊〉 in such 〈◊〉 and about such conditions and yet 〈◊〉 of the experience and knowledg of others and 〈◊〉 of Providence in such difficulties beyond his reach both which lead the 〈◊〉 and apprehension of a man to look out and provokes the heart in this 〈◊〉 condition to put forth 〈◊〉 endeavor because al the 〈◊〉 of possibilities are not stopped up and 〈◊〉 of relief wholly taken away For be it he know none yet this also he 〈◊〉 there may be some way and others may and do 〈◊〉 conceive more 〈◊〉 of succor than his shallow conceiving is able to know or hath 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 therefore look out he wil and expect what further may be made to appear in the way of Providence and from Direction and skil of others And hence it is they come here upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Brethren What shall we do We 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 in our own thoughts we are strangers to our own hearts and distempers and distresses unto which through our just deservings we have brought our selves yet you that have more experience and better acquaintance with the Dispensations of the Almighty in such dealings with miserable Creatures though we know not what may help 〈◊〉 selves yet we know that we have need to seek for succor and we know not but we may speed therefore we are resolved to put it to the trial put it to the venture see what wil become of it Upon this ground the Ninivites resolve to betake themselves to seek out for their own preservation from the destruction 〈◊〉 and now drawing on Jonah 3. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and shew mercy that was perish not 〈◊〉 can 〈◊〉 it is beyond al the skil we have to contrive and the power we have to accomplish any thing for our own 〈◊〉 but yet we cannot tel but God may turn from his 〈◊〉 wrath and leave a blessing behind him 〈◊〉 of a curse as men who fal into strange and desperate sicknesses the danger they see but cannot see how to cure themselves yet the apprehension of their own ignorance and consideration of the experience and wisdom of others is thus far a help as to provoke them to seek out not altogether without expectation of supply from them for though they easily conceive they understand not what is good for their own sicknesses yet they cannot conclude but others do or may understand more than themselves So here Men and Brethren we knew not our sins before nor now how to be quit of them You that from God know how to discover them we cannot but think but you may shew us a way of escape and deliverance and therefore we cannot but enquire though the sinner cannot say it wil yet he doth not know it wil not be therefore I term it an unknown expectation it secretly swaies and carries the heart Hence this Hope is confused and uncertain it doth not nor can bottom the heart in any grounded assurance and settle it upon any certaintie for the attainment of that which now it needs But keeps this on foot in the consideration of the sinner that there be unknown passages of possibilities for his spiritual relief and therefore this sends the heart out after search and enquiry And those possibilities provoke the sinner to put to with what diligence and endeavor may be to see what he can make of them whether they wil hit or miss what wil become of him and his comforts that he may know what to make of himself and his condition which as yet he knows not Joel 2. 13. Who knows if God wil return Who knows whether these sins may be pardoned grace and mercy shal be extended to this miserable soul of mine Who knows what wil befal I wil yet try what shal befal I wil see the issue Such a kind of possible uncertaintie caused the Leapers to make proof what would be the event they may slay us and yet they may save us So Benhadads Servants Ahab may proceed in his indignation against us and yet he may also pardon therfore we wil try So the soul here Whereas the Hope that issues from Faith and is found in the hearts of Beleevers as the fruit thereof it hath a sure and cleer ground to sustain and settle it upon which a mans hopes may hang and a special and infallible assurance it brings that wil never fail that is as certain which is thus in hope as that which we have in hand that which is in expectation as that which we have in present possession so called the Anchor of the soul both sure and stedfast Heb. 6. 19. This Hope never makes ashamed Rom. 5. 5. A man never misseth of his expectation as the ground of our Hope is most sure and the success is most certain and the ground is the love and faithfulness of God in the undoubted performance of the Promises he makes Rom. 5. 4. Because the love of God it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in our hearts by the 〈◊〉 Ghost 〈◊〉 this unknown expectation ariseth from the apprehension of some 〈◊〉 presented which because they are unknown what they may be therefore the restless contrite sinner puts forth his endeavour to prove what wil be the issue The reasons are 〈◊〉 summed up in so many words Because this hope is a privy support wherby the heart is under-propped from sinking utterly under those unsuportable evils which it feels now in part fears stil daily to come in upon them and yet not onely beyond his strength but beyond his thoughts and therefore as the Lord smites with the one hand he sustaynes and upholds him by the other It s the reason which the Lord alleadgeth why he wil not alwayes contend least the spirit should fayl before him and the souls that he hath made Isa. 57. 16. As the wise Physitian when the disease is violent and the portion strong he 〈◊〉 the heart with some cordial least while he should purge the humor he should destroy nature the Lord is as a wife merciful Physitian he would melt us by Godly sorrow but not consume us he would have us loose our sins but not our hopes This hope is an inlet into the soul whereby the Lord makes way for the work of the means hereby the contrite sinner is ready to attend and give entertainment to the ordinances while he hath any hope of any good to be communicated unto himself because the patient knows not but the receit may do him good he is content to take it and try what it wil do whereas desperate discouragement stops al the passages that the power of an ordinance cannot come to take place Upon